Note From JWR: After 25 years in the mail order business, I finally got "modern" and created a web page for my mail order wares. See: http://www.survivalblog.com/catalog.html Up until just recently, I only had a an e-mailable catalog. Now I have a proper web page catalog. I just have to remember to keep it up to date, as items come and go. As time permits, I plan to add photos of some of the more expensive items.
Thanks for all of the recent "10 Cent Challenge" contributions. My special thanks to R.M. and R.K.E., who each donated $100. I appreciate your generosity!
Last year I met with Eline Hoekstra Dresden. Among the things she gave me
along with her book "Wishing Upon A Star, A Tale of the Holocaust
and Hope" was
a bookmark
that I will quote:
[begin quote]
During my years of public speaking, I have been asked repeatedly, "how
did you live through the Holocaust?" I usually answer "I don't really
know." However, the following list provides examples of things that worked
for me (along with luck).
Tools for Survival
* Be alert, not paranoid
* Be optimistic, but realistic
* Find strength in faith (whichever)
* Recognize hidden danger
* Do not ever show weakness
* Listen to "gut" feelings
* Use humor daily
* Draw on inner strength
* Take care of your health
* Stay productive
* Don't let your guard down
* Face danger with courage
* Share your fears with others
* do not ever give up hope
* Before going to sleep, Imagine better times.
*Keep these tools in good repair* [end quote]
One thing I've noticed when speaking with Shoah survivors is that
they mention that the objective of the camps was to break their faith in G-d.
Even
now,
60 years later, I see the
scars in their faith.
James:
I am considering making a sizable purchase from one of your advertisers.
I have enjoyed your site a great deal and would value your opinion. Would you
stock Mountain House foods for your own needs? I am not familiar with mountain
house foods. What is your opinion of their products? How do they compare to
MREs? I would like to get about a year of food put aside. I am sure you are
very busy, so a detailed response is not necessary, as I said though I value
your opinion. Thanks in advance, - K.
JWR Replies: Mountain House freeze dried foods are delicious
and have a very long shelf life. The individually-packaged
meals are the preferred foods for
most backpackers
because of their great taste and extremely light weight. But they do require
water to reconstitute. Canned freeze dried foods are ideal
for situations where you need to keep many weeks worth of food in a small space
for 10 + years, and
where you have water available. The advantage of MRE retort
packaged entrees is that they don't require water. However, they are both bulkier
and heavier
than freeze-dried. They also have
only a two to five year shelf life, depending on temperature. (See MRE
Information for details on MRE shelf life versus temperature.) If space
and weight are not an issue, then bulk air dried foods that require cooking
are far less expensive than freeze dried. (Such as five gallon buckets
of wheat,
rice, and beans.) It all depends on your circumstances. If you live at
your retreat full time or plan to "bug in", then having a majority
of bulk foods is obviously the way to go. But if you plan to "bug out" from
an urban or suburban home, then nothing beats freeze dried foods for weight,
space, and storage
life.
Mr. Rawles,
Reading the great post on preparedness kits I noticed a couple things that
I do differently with my vehicle. I've got a spare tire mounted on a homemade
bracket on the front of my truck. this took an hour tops with an iron pile
and a welder. It's not meant for pushing but it sits there comfortably mounted
to the existing bumper and the metal near the hood latch. I would think also
that with some forethought it could be incorporated into a big frame mount
push bumper. its a classic 'country' configuration which clears up room in
your truck bed or inside the vehicle. It's never made sense to me to
mount the spare tire under the rear end of a 4WD vehicle.
This setup also lets you put your chains on the tire which makes them easy
to get too and easy to lay out when the time comes. Once they are on, just
wire up the extra and throw a big bungee on to take up the slack and rattle.
I've
even found that a license plate will fit inside the rim of most truck tires
(15" or larger). If you are worried about theft you can attach a padlock
and/or use a big nut/bolt and lock washer which will ensure that somebody has
to take the time with a wrench or tire iron to get at your spare. This is a
really cheap way to save space and make your rig more functional. Thanks, -
Hi-Plains Reader
Mr. Rawles,
I just read the article about field kits and have to agree with
Christian Souljer. I a similar setup in the event that I can bug-out in
my truck. My
plan is to bug-in but if I have to leave I have 2 options to my disposal
( driving or walking ). Most of my equipment is in rubbermaid type plastic
boxes
and ready to go. The only thing I would suggest is have several different
size tarps to go with you. When out camping using my equipment I put up tarps
over
the tent and kitchen area to keep the rain out, for shade, and privacy
for toilet and solar shower. As far as rope goes I have one box a dedicated
rope
box with different lengths and types of rope. Great article and keep up
the wonderful work that you do. - R.H. in Asheville, N.C.
J.R.-
Just got the chance to listen to some of the Ark Institute radio programming
archives from this October. It might be a good idea to
remind people those audio files are still there to enjoy. Still just as topical
today as then. - R.S.
JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that. For details on how to hear the webcast archives, visit the Republic Radio web site: http://mp3.rbnlive.com/Geri05.html. The interviews that you mentioned were conducted on October 15th and October 22nd.
Sir:
I'd read your post in SurvivalBlog about body armor - someone had asked for
some recommendations. I own a small company and my employees wear armor, I've
worn
armor for ten years... And there have been some upheavals recently that those
looking to acquire used body armor need, desperately, to be aware of that weren't
addressed in your answer - which was adequate but I felt needed elaborating
on - so here goes!
WHAT BRAND OF BODY ARMOR SHOULD YOU AVOID WHEN BUYING USED...
Both Second Chance and Point Blank are facing bankruptcy and major lawsuits
associated with some of their vests - specifically the so-called 4th generation
fibers known as Zylon, Second Chance used them in it's ULTIMA, ULTIMAX and
TRIFLEX series of vests and Point Blank (who also make the PACA brand vest)
used them in too many products to list here - so I'll give you the PDF link
to the document on file in the current civil case against them.
https://www.pddocs.com/PointBlank2/files/exhibit_a.pdf
I could ramble on about the foreign buyout of both companies prior to their
spectacular failure rate - but it's irrelevant to survival. So, what brand
to buy?
Gee, I guess that means Safariland or ABA (American Body Armor) are safe huh?
Nope! Everybody messed up! Again, too many products to list here - here's another
link for Safariland's vest exchange program.
http://www.bodyarmor.com/zylon/
I'd guess that the above manufacturers represent about 90 percent of the total
law enforcement vests sold in the last ten years. They'd still own the market
today, if they hadn't gone to Zylon to try and increase flexibility in the
vests.
Yes, there are other manufacturers (a couple dozen in fact), nearly all of
them import their vests from our Chinese friends, few manufacturers make them
here - and you can still get a quality vest WITHOUT Zylon from these guys...
but you need to know more, you should understand what soft body armor can and
cannot do.
The basic theory behind soft body armor is the same as a baseball glove, spread
out the impact and it doesn't do as much damage (or penetrate) Kevlar fiber
has tremendous linear strength to other fibers, tightly interwoven like a trampoline,
and layered, it catches the bullet, spreads out the impact and your skin is
not penetrated - you go up in levels from IIa -> II -> IIIa (IIIa is
the highest soft body armor rating - above that is level III and IV, hard ceramic
plates)to
defeat the more energetic 9mm rounds which are only a real threat for one reason,
they are more pointy than other pistol rounds and FAST. Essentially, to defeat
soft body armor you need to be fast and/or pointy - a 22 LR Stinger
round is plenty fast, but is blunt tipped and will not penetrate even the lowest
level
of soft armor. The newer 17 caliber ballistic tips are a real threat to soft
body armor. A 17 HMR I fired at a level II vest panel, waltzed right on through.
Granted it was an old vest panel (about 8 years) but it seemed solid to me.
I don't know what energy might be left after penetration, I just wanted to
know if it WOULD penetrate. Ironically, 12ga slugs and 44 Magnum rounds are
so flat that even a IIa will stop them, you don't get the higher rated soft
body
armor the heavy rounds - you get them to defeat 9mm subgun rounds. This logic
stemmed from, I believe, the idea that you should always wear a vest that will
stop the bullets you carry. And with many police agencies carrying 9mm HK-MP5
variant subguns, it spawned the popularity of the IIIa level vest. The dinky
little round that FN developed
for their P90 was specifically meant to defeat soft body armor - hence the
near moratorium (note that they are now marketing
a 16 inch barreled version of the P90 now for civilian sales) on the gun for
civilian use, and the absolute moratorium on the 'good stuff ' (steel tipped)
and FMJ versions of their ammo. The new ammo for the gun is aluminum tipped,
and deforms too easily to defeat a IIIa vest - or so I am told.
Incidentally, "NO!!!!" I will not conduct a series of tests to determine
what newfangled bullets will or will not penetrate soft body armor. Hundreds
of guys with more time than me have already done so. Google is not just a cute
sound made by a baby. Look it up.
Things like ice picks and shanks go right through soft armor (sharp and pointy).
Your vest will give you some protection against slicing damage in a knife fight,
but almost none against a vigorous stab. There are a whole generation of specialized
'stab' rated vests that prison guards wear, although Second Chance does make
a vest that has dual layers (ballistic and knife), I think they call it the
Prism series.
All centerfire rifle bullets will penetrate soft body armor too. You hear/see
those 'trauma packs' or 'plates' that some manufacturers put in their vest
- they are NOT rated to increase the stopping power of the vest - they are
to spread out potential heart stopping, or rib breaking (with accompanying
lung puncture) impacts and decrease the amount of damage you might take if
you get in a head on collision. Second chance used to make a hard-plate that
increased
your ballistic protection, they still do - but they add a LOT of weight - for
about the same weight you can get a REAL ceramic plate that IS rated to stop
rifle rounds.
The only thing that will reliably stop rifle rounds (most of them) is ceramic
plates, commonly referred to as SAPI plates by the military. They are typically
10 inches by 12 inches (size varies with application) and slip into a carrier
over your soft body armor, they are meant to be used in conjunction with the
soft armor as some rifle rounds will fragment on striking the plate and the
vest is supposed to catch those fragments. It is not very reassuring to know
that only a 10 by 12 inch square on your torso is resistant to rifle bullets
- but you shouldn't be presenting ANY target to a looter/criminal - much less
a fully exposed torso. Plates are HEAVY - not something you'd wear everyday.
You are far more likely to be wearing simple soft armor in an everyday scenario,
or while out working in your victory garden.
My entire point isn't to dissuade you from buying body armor, it is to make
it clear that you need to do your research before you buy - especially if you
are going to buy used, or off of Ebay. You need to understand the limits of
it, and find a way to make it part of your routine. Just yesterday a police
officer was killed in a city south of me, I will be sending a contribution
off to his widow - he was not wearing his armor when killed - although the
department had issued it to him. Body armor is uncomfortable to wear, but if
you do it often enough it becomes less annoying. That's why I had some panels
inserted into a levis jacket - even in a casual setting, I can have it with
me without arousing suspicion (unless someone picks it up!).
Were I to make a recommendation, find a used vest that you can VERIFY was sold
in the last year or two, VERIFY has no Zylon in it, and VERIFY that it has
not been exposed to harsh environments. Apparently Zylon was super-sensitive
to getting damp/wet, all manufacturers used to encase the panel in Gore-Tex
to help with wicking away sweat, now some are encasing it in a thin rubber
casing to totally exclude water dampening the Kevlar - because, YES! Even Kevlar
will deteriorate with prolonged or repeated exposure to dampness/heat/sweat/bad-breath,
etc... And when you get that used vest delivered, take the panels out and look
at the dates or date codes listed, a LOT of used vest hawkers on the internet
buy new carriers (the thing the panels go in) and the vest looks new in photos
- but may contain ten year old panels. So, again, if you MUST buy used - buy
from someone with a solid, honest reputation that you can VERIFY.
Soft body armor needs to be comfortable, if it's ill-fitting you wont like
wearing it, ergo, you will NOT wear it. For that reason I do not recommend
EVER buying a used vest that doesn't fit your measurements exactly. If you
go to a police uniform shop, they'll measure you for a vest, and then you'll
know the exact size front and back panels you'll need to find in a vest. Be
careful though, some uniform suppliers are 'snooty' - believing that only police
officers and other government agents should have soft body armor (no kidding).
In some states you may not legally possess body armor. I'm pretty sure New
York City restricts it, as well at the PRK.
So be wary, do your homework and be patient for the right used vest to come
along. For TEOTWAWKI I must say
I prefer concealable body armor - what the goblins don't know about they can't
take steps to circumvent. Make it obvious
that you wear armor, and I can guarantee you a looter will stay awake nights
plotting his next head shot. While you are toiling away insuring the survival
of your family, they have ALL DAY to plan looting you - it's their CHOSEN CAREER
PATH.
In case you folks are wondering about the body armor I own...
1 Point Blank full vest tactical carrier (external) - with IIIa panels made
by another manufacturer
2 sets of SAPI plates one level III and one level IV that fit in the above
vest
2 PACA concealable IIIa vests. (kevlar only) 1 year old and 4 years old.
1 tanker style kevlar helmet
1 USGI camo pattern flak vest, five years old - fits nicely under either PACA.
I'd rate it at a IIa for most applications, maybe a little less. It is, however,
intimidating to wear - psychological factor is why I have it.
1 Levis denim jacket with IIa panels integral to the torso and back and upper
arm. I can wear this anywhere and NOBODY knows I'm armored.
OK, so maybe I do have a bit of armor - and that's not counting what I have
for the family, maybe someday I'll post the picture of my eight year old daughter
and her somewhat large vest and AR-15.
I did manage to get hold of a few dozen "destroyed" body armor panels
(for testing!), I trimmed, sandwiched and overlapped them in a few waterproof
(vacuum) bags and sized them for my door and rear panels in my '65 Landcruiser.
I'd considered using lexan laminate bullet-rated plastic, but MAN is that stuff
expensive!!! I didn't pay for the 'destroyed' body armor panels, so it was
just labor to make them. My source was a body armor representative that was
swapping out vests for a couple of local departments (police departments buy
new vests every five years regardless of use/wear) - this activity happens
every day around the country - where do you think a lot of those used eBay
vests come from? These panels are somewhat stiff given how I fastened them
to one another, and are two layers thick everywhere with IIIa panels. These
used vests are shipped overseas for police officers over there who cannot afford
them. England is a big benefactor from this program, and many eastern bloc
countries. (Was that politically correct?)
ALL that being said, body armor is something that is not only 'nice to have'
but lends a passive safety factor to your life - you don't have to 'display'
it for it to be useful, and the stuff keeps you warm in the winter! I've had
to lay prone for extended periods of time in the snow, and the armored parts
of me stayed very warm, it also smoothes out the rocks that always seem to
exist in any terrain that you might be called upon to go to ground on.
What do I think you should get? I think you should buy NEW - it's somewhere
between $300-500 dollars for a quality Level II these days - or you could go
the used route, but I don't think it's worth my life to save 100 bucks... I
read a passage from John Ross's "Ross in Range" commentary area (www.john-ross.net)
that says something along the lines of 'Friends don't let friends buy junk
guns.' - and I'd like to second that opinion but apply it to body armor. The
time to find out that your body armor was just a little TOO old to stop that
9mm round going a measly 1000 f.p.s. is not when you're wearing it. I'd also
suggest reselling it every three years and using the proceeds to upgrade to
the new
stuff. If the political rhetoric hits the revolving finger slicer you might
be faced with a few years of using the stuff - and unavailability of new replacements.
The more life you have in the vest when the balloon goes up, the longer it
will be useful. Or rotate the used vests (if you can afford it) to the barter
goods bin (and seal them away from moisture and heat) - if you think a tanned
piece of leather will be worth something in a disaster - imagine what value
will be placed on any body armor you have tucked away as surplus. - J.H. in
Colorado
A source for greenhouse construction kits:
http://www.growerssupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&division=GrowersSupply
o o o
After an outbreak of H5N1 in India, the government killed all poultry within
10 kilometers of the affected town. If NAIS succeeds,
our government here in the U.S. will know exactly what animals you have and
where you are. If they decide to
they
can
just come and take or kill your livestock. See:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\02\26\story_26-2-2006_pg4_14 and www.NoNAIS.org
o o o
I recently discovered that WorldNetDaily columnist Vox Day has his own blog: http://voxday.blogspot.com
"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine
picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate
the sense
of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul." - Goethe
Note from JWR: Please keep spreading the word about SurvivalBlog. Just by adding one line to your mail ".sig", or by pasting a SurvivalBlog banner in your web page, you could help attract hundreds of new readers. Many Thanks!
I'm often asked for advice on grain mills. Having stored wheat and corn necessitates having a good quality durable grain mill. Electric-only mills are not recommend because they will of course become useless ornaments once the power grid goes down. An inexpensive hand-cranked mill will such as the Back to Basics Mill or Corona Mill might suffice for a short term disaster, but in the event of TEOTWAWKI you will want something built to last.
I started out with a Corona mill in the early 1980s. It was a lot of work to use! It seemed like I burned as many calories cranking it as I got out of the flour that it produced. In 1998, we got a Country Living Grain Mill. It is a superior machine--much faster and easier to use. With just about any mill you will have to cycle the grain through several times to get fine flour. I recommend that if you are going to primarily hand-crank it that you get the "Power Bar" handle extension for extra leverage. Country Living Grain Mills are available through Ready Made Resources and several other vendors. Like any other quality tool that is built to last, they are expensive. But it is better to buy just one machine that you know will last you a lifetime, rather than a succession of "bargains" that turn into disappointments. (This same logic applies to other tools that you buy for preparedness.)
Because they have a V-belt wheels, Country Living Grain Mills are readily adaptable to an electric motor for use day-to-day, or in the event of a grid-up scenario.OBTW, for someone that has some mechanical acumen and some time of their hands, it is also possible to convert a bicycle frame or perhaps a piece of exercise equipment to power a Country Living Grain Mill. For any of you that have a background in welding, building such frames might make a nice "niche" home business.
The Weapon is a science fiction novel by Michael Z. Williamson. (481 pages. ISBN 9-781416-508946 Published by BAEN Books.) This is sort of a "intra-quel" storyline to Williamson's novel Freehold, which I previously reviewed. (See my Sunday, February 12, 2006 post.) Like Freehold, this novel is a fast-paced Libertarian think piece. It is a tale of interplanetary colonization, set some 500 years in the future. The descriptions of the bureaucratic totalitarian central Earth government are contrasted with the "Freehold" colony planet, Grainne. The main character is a Grainne special operations soldier that is sent on a "deep cover" mission to Earth. The story heats up when Earth decides to invade Grainne, to "civilize" it. I enjoy Williamson's writing. I enjoyed this novel even more than I did Freehold. I highly recommend it. There is quite a bit of violence and some adult situations, so it is definitely not a book to let your kids read. I should also mention that Michael Z. Williamson is a SurvivalBlog reader.
James:
I was a bus driver for the evacuation of the New Orleans Convention
Center and figure that I should put my two cents in worth.We drove
straight through from Ohio to a staging point (LaPlace) in New Orleans
and were
escorted to the Convention Center. This was on Saturday morning around
9 a.m. New Orleans time about a week after the dikes let go. We were
lucky not to be in the first wave that came into the Super Dome earlier
in
the week as we heard they were still ordering parts to repair the busses
that got busted up when they got mobbed. [By the time that our busses
arrived] they had the evacuees fenced off a block from out busses and
they only let through enough to load one bus at a
time.
They
were
literal
bag
people
and brought what they had in bags and we loaded them up and took off to wait
for a escort. We went to a staging site to get the escorts for our first leg
of the trip and for all the busses to form up. There were ten in our convoy.
We did not know where were going. We were told in Ohio we were going to Texas,
but when we got to the staging area we were told we were going to Arkansas.
Fort Smith to be exact a old WWII training base with some of the barracks restored.
The evacuees needed off the bus to use the restroom and we were told not to
let anyone off, but the call of nature reigns, so we let everyone off
to pee and smoke before heading for Arkansas. The back story for not
letting
people off the bus (which we learned couple days later) was that they did this
at another location and the people would not return to the bus in a timely
manner and looted the site they had stopped at. The number one item
looted was alcoholic beverages...so no stops anymore was the order of the day...
We had little food on board, just what folks in Ohio gave us to give to people,
Vienna sausages, sardines, and water. Some of the other buses were luck in
that they had pallets of MREs and
water at the Convention Center and those at the end of the line were loaded
up with
them for the trip...
We started for Fort Smith with the escorts switching when jurisdictions changed.
We were not briefed on the trip and it turned out they were not going to stop
for anything. About five hours into the trip the last five busses in the convoy
(we were the second bus, but everyone kept passing us) got off the highway
and went to a travel center that was turned into a rest
stop for evacuees. Boy talk about a needed break. We needed to get out of the
drivers seat for a while. Most of the busses had two drivers and a few had
only one. We had two and learned latter that is what FEMA required
for the trips, but some companies only sent one driver per bus. We drove straight
through from Ohio to Fort Smith switching off every five hours or when we got
sleepy. All DOT regulations were
suspended for the emergency, no log books, no hours of service everything was
suspended. We were running on agricultural fuel as they were so short of over
the road fuel. The agricultural fuel is tax free and dyed red, so that the
DOT can catch illegal use of non-taxed fuel. Anyway the stop was a evacuees
dream
come
true,
A tent with mostly new clothes and other items free for the taking and heater
meals and water to drink and flush toilets. Speaking of toilets we did have
a toilet on the bus and had to open it up. We were told by the company to keep
it locked up, but on a non stop trip that was not going to happen. More on
this subject, later. :O(((
We got our break and we told everyone on the bus when they heard us honk the
air horn to get back to the bus or they were going to be left behind.
Everyone got back on the bus, but many got on another bus as they did
not remember which bus they had been on. So off for Fort Smith again...the
next two stops were for fuel as some of the busses had small tanks and did
not get topped off at the staging point..We had a 210 gal tank and had topped
off just before getting into the affected area as we did not know what the
fuel situation was..We saw several mile-long lines at gas stations after we
refueled and were happy we refueled when we did.
We got into Fort Smith at 5:30 am and were told no one off the busses....well
that did not happen, our toilet was full and the evacuees had been on the bus
some 20 hours and needed to stretch their legs and get something to eat. They
had busses lined up what seemed like a mile on base. We could not figure out
what was going on. We let the evacuees off as there
was a mess hall serving food, but they could not remove any items from the
bus. Well it was 7 PM before they off loaded from our bus and the local
authorities were stripping everything off the busses and going through everything
and I
mean everything. They took all our water and food off, so we did not
have anything for any other evacuee we might be hauling, and they went through
everything the evacuees had. They were looking for weapons and alcohol in particular
and anything that might be considered looted items.
So expect to get searched. If it is a biological or chemical issue then expect
everything you got to be trashed and then you will be issued clean items to
wear and sleep in.
Anyway, we went to a hotel and spent the next day cleaning the bus up. The
smell was unimaginable from the sardines and people who had not showered for
a week or more and the toilet, which we dumped the next day...but we were lucky..on
some of the buses people just went where they were and there were wet seats
and other stuff laying around. It looked like a party was going on with
all the whiskey and wine bottles we found...
We heard that they relocated everyone from Fort Smith to smaller sites like
Bible camps in the middle of nowhere and the evacuees were told they were not
allowed to leave the site, but then again some of these sites were several
miles from anywhere, so they had nowhere to go... The evacuees had no idea
of where they were going when evacuated, some were flown to other places, some
were bussed. Families were split up and they had no idea of where the rest
of the family was. One story going around was that a lady wanted to know where
her father was going and the guard she was talking too did not understand and
she explained they put him on the plane that had just taken off, separating
the family. They did not keep track of anyone and where they were going. They
dealt with this issue once they got evacuees to a shelter/final destination.
We did not carry any more evacuees even though we were there for three weeks,
sometimes sleeping on the busses due to lack of housing. It was very chaotic,
more than what I am used to, out on disasters. I did enjoy my three weeks as
my past disaster experiences prepared me for this one. The only regret was
not being able to stock up on all the MREs that they had lying around. Pallets
of them...I just got one or two at a time for meals...
I have been out on disasters for over ten years now and they are all chaotic
at best especially the big events. They are too big to get a handle on in short
order. They can take from days to weeks to get out of the chaos stage and into
some kind of organization. The politics can be horrible to say the least...
If you have not been through one first hand and want to see what it is like
before you are affected by such an event find a humanitarian aid organization
and volunteer to go out on a or several disasters. It is a eye opening experience
and very good to understand what you might be going through if an event happens
in your area.
My take on the Asian Avian flu is that we will be sheltered in place
which is isolation of the people infected with bird flu from the rest of us.
We will have to fend for our selves in our homes or business pending on when
the quarantine is issued. Hopefully you will be at home when the quarantine
is issued. Figure essential personal will have to live at heir work locations
to keep the power, water, sewer, phone, etc.. going. Have heard that care packages
may have to be made up and delivered to residences if the quarantine is long
term. Basically take a Tupperware container fill it with stuff--food water,
etc.. and tell everyone to stay in their homes until it is dropped off on the
porch and then after the people
delivering it leave then they can get it. Dealing with the sick and dead will
be an issue, just hope you do not get sick. Mass evacuations are a last resort
in a bird flu situation as it raises the risk of spreading the illness not
controlling its spread. You end up in a mass shelter you will have a higher
risk of getting the flu. Keeping people in their homes and restricting contact
with others is the best defense. If you have any questions, I can try and answer
them. Thanks, - Ron
Hello Jim,
I just wanted to clarify a few points on C-68 and current Canadian
gun control laws. There is a 5 round limit on box magazines for semi-automatic,
centrefire long guns. There is also a 10-rd limit on magazines for
handguns. No grandfathering for magazines or individuals. So that's
why the Lee-Enfield magazines are unaffected. The only exception
to the rifle magazine capacity limit is for the M1 Garand. As well,
I believe the wording of the law, or at least legal precedent, has
it that the magazines only have to be neutered in such a way that
it can not readily be reverted to it's original capacity by hand.
- L.K., Ontario, Canada
"If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism." - Thomas Sowell
Note from JWR: If you know any soldiers that are deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Columbia, or The Philippines, please let them know about SurvivalBlog. In coming weeks, we will be covering a wide range of topics that will be of interest to them including body armor, IEDs, counter-sniper shooting, MOUT, and night vision equipment.
Today we feature another great entry in Round 3 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!) The deadline for entries for Round 3 is the last day of March, 2006. We've already had plenty of motivational pieces submitted. Please keep your contest entries focused on practical skills.
When trouble comes and you are required to re-locate, there may not
be time to try to find, organize and then pack your emergency gear.
Just the stress of an emergency situation alone can keep you from thinking
clearly enough to gather and pack all you might need. Getting
your gear ready in advance can minimize this problem. Over
the years I have developed a system in which I assemble “Field
Kits” for my outdoor and emergency equipment and supplies. This
allows me to keep my stuff organized and ready for future use. I assemble
the kits with items needed and then I inventory the contents and I
keep a copy on file as well as a copy in the kit. That way I know what
I have in there two years down the road and I also know if any of the
contents have a shelf life – they have been dated and a periodic
inspection of the list allows you to know if an item (such as Aspirin)
should be replaced or not. In the following paragraphs I will share
my experience with building and using these kits including the number
of years that I have employed each different kit.
I have assembled and used the following special purpose kits
as described in the following paragraphs:
Bug Out Bag (BOB): I won’t write much detail
about this type of kit because most of you know about these. (If not,
do a Google search
to get good contents lists etc., ) I use mostly backpacks for this
purpose rather than a shoulder bag because I know if I have to carry
the kit very far - a backpack is going to be much less fatiguing on
my body than carrying the weight in my hands or on one shoulder or
the other. I have a BOB backpack for everyone in my household, plus
a few smaller spares. One thing I would recommend here though is to
have an essentials kit within the larger full kit. For an example,
a small pack inside the main compartment or attached to the outside
of the large pack. (JWR recommends this.) In my main Emergency Backpack – I
have a small but rigid Italian military pack that can be slid right
out the top in the case that I am injured and can’t carry the
large pack or if I am escaping some danger but have to move fast uphill – I
can pull the little pack out and go. The little pack has all the essentials:
plastic tarp, fire starters, water, a little food, flashlight, rope,
compass, knife and so on. (I made my first “survival kit” as
a Boy Scout in the 1970s, but this mentioned pack has been in place
since 1993. I have field tested the overall pack.)
Rifle Kit: The rifle kit is a kit made specifically
for a certain rifle. It can contain 6-to-12 spare magazines, spare
parts, and cleaning
kit,
gun oil and lubes, and perhaps 140 to 300 rounds of ammunition that
that rifle is sighted in for. These are usually made from the common “mini-range
bags” that have 6 magazine pouch pockets on the outer sides,
and has both handles and a heavy shoulder strap. They can be purchased
for as little as $7.95. I buy the black or O.D. green
colored bags. (Used these since 1998) [JWR Adds: For
these kits (rifle of shotgun accessories) I recommend that you
use duffle bag that
is big enough to accommodate a full set of web gear--complete with
belt, suspenders or vest (LC-1, MOLLE,
or perhaps set of the nice Tactical Tailor type suspenders if
you have a big budget), magazine pouches, and and canteen for each long
gun. IMHO no long gun is truly tactically functional unless you
have a proper set of web gear--full of magazines--to go with it.]
Pistol Kit: The pistol kit is similar to the rifle
kit – being
made specifically for a certain pistol. It can contain 6-to-10 spare
magazines, spare parts, and cleaning kit, and perhaps 100 to 300 rounds
of ammunition
that is known to work well in that pistol. These are made up from the
same common 6 magazine pouch “mini-range bags” that have
both handles and a heavy shoulder strap. (Used since 1998)
Rifle Range Kits: When heading to the rifle range,
I take two kits I have prepared for that purpose. One is a toolbox,
which holds most
of my gun cleaning supplies and a few tools for adjusting sights, and
for small repairs at the range. The second Range Kit is a shoulder
bag, which holds all my paper targets, a stapler, and spare staples
for mounting targets. It also holds my foam earplugs and my hearing
protector headsets, range notepad/log, pens, and so on. Add your rifle,
ammo and some lunch and you are ready for a day at the range. (Used
since 1990)
Auto Kits: For my vehicles, I maintain multiple kits:
(1) Emergency
Road Kit in medium large Tupperware tub – jumper cables,
flares, mechanics suit, space blanket, flashlight, etc. (2) In another
medium
large Tupperware tub is my Spare Parts and Repair Kit including
hoses, belts, bulbs, fuses, radiator sealant, tire repair plug kit
with spark
plug adapter hose to fill tires, distributor cap and rotor. And for
my 4WD I might include
a spare water pump, alternator, starter and fuel pump. (3) A full tool
set in a heavy-duty box. (4) Field
Tool Kit - in my 1/2 ton 4-wheel drive Suburban I have made
an additional long wood box (approximately 70” long, x 8” wide,
x 17” high),
which has small wheels on one end and a heavy duty cargo handle on
the other end. It is tall but narrow and can hold all my field tools
which include my high-lift jack, 1 or 2 come-alongs, 2 shovels, an
ax, a hatchet, backpacking snow shovel, crowbar, tow strap, and large
and small bow saws with extra blades. The top is held on with a window
type latch on both hands and once the handle end is released the lid
comes right off. You can pull a shovel from out the top or roll the
box to the edge of the tailgate and set it on the ground. The wheels
allow for you to roll the box all the way to the end of the tailgate
before lifting out and you can also roll it across smooth ground for
a short distance. This box is stained wood and coated with a sealer
to minimize weather effects. (5) The Tire Chains Kit can
be kept in a separate kit - a wooden box, plastic crate or in heavy
canvas bags.
Keep your
chain tension devices in with the chains as well. (Parts of this kit
used since 1992, but the wooden field box was built and employed in
fall of 2005)
Chain Saw Kits: My chainsaw kit is two parts, the
first being a chainsaw case with my saw, chain oil, 2-stroke oil, and
funnel, spare spark
plugs and tools. The second part is another Tupperware tub with pre-mixed
fuel can, extra 2-stroke oil, and a large container of chain oil, heavy
gloves and hearing protectors. I have not purchased extra chains or
bars yet but they are on my purchase list and will be added to one
of these two kits in the near future. (Used since 2004) [JWR
Adds: I also strongly recommend buying a pair of Kevlar chainsaw
safety chaps.]
Financial and Personal Papers Kit: This kit is composed
of a medium-small fanny pack, which includes identification, passport,
contact information
(phone lists, account information), and some pre-1965 90% silver coins
for emergency purchases or bartering. Also tucked into this little
fanny
pack are a "P-38" [key ring type] can opener, a small lightweight
Gerber pocketknife, butane lighter and a small flashlight. For those
that are so inclined,
you can
add other items such as precious metals, cash, a small pistol or whatever
else will fit and you are willing to legally carry. (Used since 1998)
First Aid Kits: My first aid kits are in many sizes. I have the mini-kits
in all the backpacks, and then I have some Auto Size kits in the vehicles,
then a field medic’s medium, shoulder carry kit for field use.
Then, the mega-kit that has all the extra supplies, field medical books
and extra medicines in it. This is a large gym bag sized bag which
is red in color. I also have a yellow and purple (magenta) bag of the
same size, which holds my chemical masks, extra filters, potassium
iodide, gloves, shoe covers, and wipes, etc. for chemical or nuclear
emergencies. (I've had these kits in place since 1999)
Winter Survival Kit: This kit is added to the vehicles
that I am driving during the winter and it is a “per-person” type
kit. I include insulated over-pants (or insulated coveralls) with leg
zippers,
incase you have
to do some work outside or walk in the cold weather beyond what you
would be comfortable without long johns. A sleeping bag, a heavy wool
blanket, a stocking cap, heavy work gloves with liners, a lofty poly-pro
pullover, and a heavy coat or parka. Along with the extra clothing
here, a sleeping pad, tarp or tent, and some field foods (two MREs,
a can or two of mixed nuts, a few power bars, some chocolate bars,
a
large bottle of Gatorade and a gallon of water) are added to this kit.
(Used since 1998)
Communications /Electronics (GPS) kit: This kit is
composed of the small size (.30 caliber) ammo cans which are used singularly
by themselves
or if two cans are used they can be tucked inside a heavy outdoor carry
bag with shoulder strap. Inside the ammo cans I keep my FRS radios,
a portable CB radio, headsets,
operating manuals and fresh extra batteries. I also keep my GPS and
12 VDC auto adapter
in the cans when not in use. This kit is carried in my vehicle on camping
and hunting expeditions
or other field trips. In addition, in the very large size ammo cans
(measures approximately 15” x 10” x 25”), I have
my spare CB radios, and other electronic equipment [to provide them
protection from EMP. The
large cans I keep in
the
garage
and they are grounded to an outdoor water pipe since they are stationary.
(Used since 1999)
Fire Starting Kit: This kit can be as simple as a small cardboard box,
which has enough dry tinder in a heavy duty zip-lock bag to start a
fire in bad /wet weather. Included here should be some homemade or
commercial fire starters, candles, safety-flares, etc, (I will save
the details for another article). I keep my fire starting kit with
my camping stuff and pack it in with my gear for the late fall hunting
trips. (Used since 1986)
Camp Kitchen Kit: The Camp Kitchen Kit is a ready
to go complete kitchen other than the food and it’s all packed
into one box. It has stainless eating utensils (silverware) for 10
people. Over several
years I found a number of stainless steel pots of slightly different
sizes that will all fit together into one stack in my plastic kitchen
box with folding lids. I also have a plastic pitcher, which I fill
with the silverware, plastic re-usable plates, cups and bowls. I have
a small grill to place over rocks, a coffee pot, several large serving
spoons, spatulas, and kitchen knives. I have a roll of heavy duty aluminum
foil, plastic wrap, half gallon baggies, and a whole box of strike
anywhere matches, a long neck lighter, bar soap, a small bottle of
dish soap, wash cloth, hand towel, and steel wool and copper scrub
pads. Salt, pepper and other spices are included along with paper towels,
coffee filters and about 60 paper plates. All of this fits nicely into
my heavy-duty plastic kitchen box. (Used since 1988) I have a second
box, which goes on some excursions – this kit
has a large Dutch oven with lid, a lid lifting handle, a cast iron
skillet and a manual coffee
grinder. I keep at least two bags of charcoal (and some lighter fluid) on hand
for the Dutch oven. (Used since 2003)
Notes on Kitchen Kits: Medium to large metal cups can be used
for coffee, soup or whatever and can be kept warm by placing them on the campfire
rocks or on
the edge of your cook stove. It’s nice to keep your food and drink hot
in cold weather! Some real decent outdoor cookware such as stainless pots and
pans, utensils etc, can be purchased for very little money at a thrift store.
I
once
had to buy some of
these items when I went on an “emergency field trip” and realized
in the rush that I had not gotten any cookware packed. I stopped in a small town
and picked up all I needed for less than $3.00. Most of that stuff is now in
one
of two permanent kits.
Field Food Kit: It is a good thing to always have some fresh camping type foods
ready in a box for a quick field trip. This can be the usual soup, chili, canned
meats, rice, beans, noodles, MREs, and freeze dried food. Add to this power bars,
Gatorade, and whatever else you prefer for quick field meals. (Used since 2003)
Stove and Lantern Kits: I purchased a propane adapter for my Coleman
fuel stove and I keep both the adapter and the fuel tank with the stove
to burn whichever
is available. I can fit at least one propane bottle inside the stove when it
is stored. I also keep spare mantles, and generators inside my Coleman stove
and lantern boxes along with good quality strike any ware matches. And I store
my stove and lanterns with fresh fuel in them so that they are ready to go
right out of the box. That way when I arrive at camp in the dark, I
can produce some
light, or cook some food without having to refill first. I have not had any
leakage problems in the 10+ years I have used this practice. Also,
I never store (put
away after a trip) a lantern with bad mantles, but rather put new replacements
on if they need it before storage, but I don’t burn them in until I get
into the field. (Used since 1995)
Fishing Kit: Mainly for organization – I keep most of
my fishing gear in one large rubberized bag which is camo’d and is designed
for holding duck and geese decoys. It has the usual handles and H.D.
shoulder strap. I keep my
fishing tackle boxes, gill nets, folding fishing rod/reel, and all my spare
fishing gear in the bag except for the full size rods. The fishing rods are
kept in an
overhead rod holder (nice and out of the way). Of course I have some mini fishing
kits/nets in my survival kits. (Used since 2004)
Hunting Kit: My Hunting Kit consists of a camouflage bag which holds hunting
maps, game regulations, game calls, safety equipment like orange vests/hats,
game bags, animal scale, game scents, and other things needed for hunting that
are not included in the other kits. (Used since 1987)
Shelter /Camp Kits: In a GI duffle bag with shoulder straps I keep
a full size camping tent, all of its poles and stakes, and some rope. I have
a dedicated “ground
cloth” tarp, which I keep with this duffle bag. In a second very large
bag I keep most of my folded tarps of various sizes. I also keep most of my remaining
rope in this big bag in two different large zip lock bags. In addition, I have
a camp “outhouse kit” which is a regular home toilet seat mounted
on an aluminum folding camp chair frame, along with a large tarp setup and
more rope. (Used since 1996)
Personal Gear Kit: My Personal Gear Kit is a medium small
bag sized to fit on the front seat of my Chevy Suburban. In it I keep the stuff
that I want handy
there and also things I might put into my pockets when walking into the woods
but stuff I don’t want to carry on my person through the evening once back
in camp. Things like a GPS, FRS radio, Binoculars, Range finder, gloves, sunglasses
and other personal gear that you probably won’t need in camp. This bag
keeps my front seat more organized during road trips too. (Used since 2004)
Packing and Storing Your Kits: Remember to inventory your
kits as you make them. Keep duplicate contents lists on file, and label your
kits well. In addition
to my personal color-coding systems, I attach tags or in many cases I just
make a label from 1-inch masking tape describing the type of kit and attach
it to
the box or to the shoulder strap of the kit. I affix the labels to either the
end or side of the box, and also on the top of the box so that no matter how
it is stored on a shelf – I can see one or both labels and I know what
kit that is. If I am not sure what is in the kit - I just have to check the
inventory sheet to verify the contents.
As JWR and others have mentioned – it is an excellent exercise to try
packing your emergency equipment into your escape vehicle. This will help you
learn two
things, first – how to pack it most efficiently and second to know how
much your vehicle(s), trailer, or whatever you are planning to use will carry.
[JWR Adds: It is crucial that you pre-position the majority
of your gear at your intended retreat, since you may only have one trip
outta Dodge!] For packing your gear into your vehicles, it is good to find
containers (boxes,
bags) that
will
pack
well
together.
For
the
larger
kits,
I usually
use stackable
boxes that together are a little shorter than the height of my SUV.
Then I pack the smaller and softer gear around them.
Conclusion: Once you have made your kits, test them in the field. Make sure they work, and that they have what you need, but not a bunch of stuff you will never use. Having your equipment “kitted up” and ready to go will help you to be ready when the big event hits. Whether it is a tsunami, an earthquake, an economic collapse or a full scale invasion by foreign troops – you’ll be ready, and this preparation will give you some peace of mind knowing that you are much more ready that the average Joe. Once your done, help a neighbor and a friend build a kit. Be Prepared, - Christian Souljer, Pacific Northwest
JWR Adds: I greatly appreciate you sharing your experience and insights. It goes without saying that it is important to rotate the perishable items in your various kits regularly. In particular: food items, batteries, some first aid supplies, and chemical light sticks.
Hi Jim!
All things considered, what is your best "guestimate" on when this economy will
crash or the SHTF ?
- M. in Montana
JWR Replies: Sorry, but I don't have a crystal
ball. All that I know is that with the massive debt accumulations
(both Federal and consumer debt), the real estate bubble, and the
burgeoning
trade deficit, the U.S. economy is highly unstable.
Other factors like international
terrorism
and the Asian Avian flu are
totally unpredictable variables. The bottom line: Just be prepared,
and be prepared soon.
The USGS the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is an excellent resource when you are looking for specific areas on a map: http://geonames.usgs.gov/ You will want the underlined part--click on it: United States and territories. Enter the name of the place you want and the state (or any other information you have). It will give you several choices.
o o o
Safecastle (one of our advertisers) is running a special on Mountain
House #10 (1 gallon) cans of freeze dried foods at their on-line store--48
cans for $789 and free shipping. That's a good deal,
but for SurvivalBlog readers, if they
email Vic,
he will reply with an additional discount on top of the
sale price.(For
SurvivalBlog readers, only.) See: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8771416861 Vic's
email:
jcrefuge@safecastle.net (Include
:SurvivalBlog in the e-mail title.)
o o o
The American Conservative magazine ran a thought-provoking
article titled "War
of the Worlds", available on its website. (See: http://www.amconmag.com/2006/2006_02_27/article3.html)
o o o
Doc (at www.bigsecrets.cc) contends that the best ballistic barrier that can be improvised on a low budget is a lamination of 1/8" steel plate, 1/4" plywood, and 1/8" steel plate. In other words, cover both sides of plywood with steel plate. It won't stop .50 caliber rounds or RPGs, but most shoulder fired weapons can be stopped with this barrier.
"There's a fine line between eccentrics and geniuses.
If you're a little ahead of your time, you're an eccentric,
and if you're a little to late, you're a failure,
but if you hit it right on the head, you're a genius.
So I have never worried much about eccentricity." - Tom
Watson, Jr., IBM
It appears that a mutation of the H5N1 Asian Avian influenza virus into a form that is easily transmissible between humans is now "likely within the next 36 months." Read: "possibly better than a 50/50 chance." From an actuarial accounting standpoint, this should be considered a call for action. Quit dawdling. If you do not yet have an honest two year food supply set aside for your family, do so soon. If you wait until after a mutation occurs, it will be too late--all of the storage food vendors will sell out immediately, and then they will start to build an order backlog that will stretch into months, and then years. I'm not kidding. Some storage food vendors that I can vouch for include:
Freeze Dry Guy
JRH Enterprises
Ready Made Resources
SafeCastle
Survival Enterprises
Safe Solutions
Walton Seed
Live Oak Farms
AlpineAire Foods
Best Prices Inc. Storable Foods of Texas
(Yes, the first six of those are SurvivalBlog advertisers, so I guess that makes me biased. But at least I know that they are trustworthy and sell top quality products.)
If you are relocated: Depending on the circumstances of a relocation
it may be salvation from danger (large disaster) or because you are
considered a threat (a la the Japanese Americans during WWII)
In any case, a government camp can be one of the most undesirable places
to be once you are out of danger. Once you are their "guest",
the organization who has sheltered you may feel they must continue
for political or security reasons to see to your well being. Ease of
providing security, lack of ID, or fear of rioting may be excuses for
denying or making difficult the conclusion of your stay. Separation
of men and women may be mandated, especially after the rape problems
at the Hurricane Katrina stadium relocation "camps".
The U.S. Forest Service fire camp is essentially the same model used
for most FEMA operations
(look up "FEMA ICS"-- Incident Command System), there is a whole industry
which starts in spring through late fall following the fire season.
Federal and state prisons employ trustee
fire crews right alongside regular crews on large fires. Prison infrastructure
and security is present at most large fire camps.
In the event of a large national emergency in your area, be prepared
for forced evacuations. Have a plan in case you are caught in a relocation
and are unable to make your way (or are prevented) on your own. An
assessment must be made whether you are a prisoner or a guest but even
guests of an operation like this are treated like to some extent as
prisoners to reduce manpower requirements.
Cyclone (chan link) fences are made to keep you in, out, or prevent
your crossing. In any of these circumstances a proper heavy duty wire
cutter
is needed
to make your escape. Cutting through private or farm fences is a bad
thing to do (use good judgment) but if you are trapped (detention camp)
then this tool may be a life saver. Be sure that the jaws are of proper
temper
so they do not blunt or fall apart.[JWR Adds: A heavy
duty "compound" design wire cutter is probably your best
bet.] A smaller cutter may be a good item to hide in addition to the
big
cutter.
Concertina or razor-type wire may be employed to prevent foot crossing
or even just block a road. Stacked concertina wire [typically deployed
stacked, with two "tubes", parallel, with a third tube resting on top
of the base pair, forming an
obstacle that looks triangular when seen in cross-section] is almost
impossible to
cross bare-handed. However, scrap carpet, sleeping bags,
canvas
tents,
tarps,
et cetera can be used to reduce injury on large group crossings.
When I lived in the U.S., most sniffer dogs were for drugs and this
is likely still the case. Expect to be sniffed at some point. Expect
to
be questioned, if you are dealing with prison guards they are more
looking for nervousness or hesitation at answering than what you are
really up to also do not fail the attitude test and get aggressive
unless you want to be
considered a risk. Be a "Gray man." Don't complain or ask for favors
be the easy one to forget then you won't be missed. Expect only a cursory
search if large numbers are being taken in, having your own gear makes
it easier to keep escape tools likely the back or kidney padding will
not be searched on a backpack.
The U.S. government has huge stockpiles of large tents, sleeping bags,
ground pads, heaters, and other supplies ready to be shipped in and
form these camps.
Private contract companies for fire and security and site services
are ready and trained to make these FEMA camps go up quickly in response
to an emergency. Command, Finance, Logistics, Operations, and Planning
personnel are pre-trained and certified to come together without ever
having met
and set up a huge working camp and tackle an assignment. It would be
interesting to hear from a SurvivalBlog reader that has worked as
(or for) a security contractor or warden about fire/recovery type operations
using inmate labor, and how security is handled. [As a firefighter,
my role in forming these camps was
always on the "ops" end attacking fires so the other roles were only
observed or in command simulations
It is important to remember as always most workers in a camp like
this (if not all) think they are doing the best for both you and
the public at large. Even if you hold by the "UN is evil" theory
(I do) understand that the troops in the field are specially trained
and motivated
(brainwashed) by upper command. I have seen it in Israeli police and IDF soldiers
during the ejection of Jews from Gush Katif. Use subtle resistance tactics,
not violence.
Good Morning Jim,
My wife recently bought me a "Polarwrap" cold-weather mask.
When I first got it, I tried it on and promptly tossed it on the top
shelf of my closet. "No way I'll ever wear that thing!" I
thought to myself.
Well, yesterday morning, with the mercury hovering near 30 below, and
chores to do, guess what? I went to the closet, found my mask, put
'er on and went outside to work.
It's darn nice to find a product that works... and this baby works!
As one exhales, the warmth and moisture of the outgoing air heats up
the innards of the Polarwrap and the frigid incoming air is warmed
up nicely.
At $50, one of the best gifts my wife ever gave me. I intend to buy
an extra and keep it with my emergency gear.
(Congrats on the lifestyle change... I'm part of the 10
Cent Challenge now!) - Dutch in Wyoming
Recombinomics has issued a new prediction and warning of a likely alteration in the avian influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin gene. Like the warning/prediction issued in October, 2005, this new alteration will increase the affinity of the virus for human receptors and lead to more efficient transmission of H5N1 to humans. For the full text of the press release see: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-17-2006/0004284283&EDATE=
o o o
"Doc" at www.bigsecrets.cc recommends this site on ethanol: http://www.standardalcohol.com/FFV.htm
o o o
Ready for an ice storm? See some amazing pictures of this one from
last year, in Geneva, Switzerland: http://www.markdaviesmedia.com/cold
o o o
SurvivalBlog reader P.L. recommends a web site dedicated to helping Americans emigrate: http://www.bidstrup.com/expat-assets.htm as well as this site with information on Pacific Islands: http://www.southpacific.org. Based on my recent research for a consulting client, the island nations of The Cook Islands, Niue, and Tonga seem to offer the most freedom in the Oceania region. (Any nation, such as these, that is chided by the UN for having "too lax" gun control laws sounds pretty good to me!)
"Of all serious crimes under the law, smuggling... least violates the consciences of men. It is a crime against law and against government, but not against morality. The smuggler robs no man. He buys goods honestly in one market and sells them honestly in another. His offense is against an arbitrary regulation of government.... he simply fails to pay its demands.Many men otherwise honest are unable to see any moral turpitude in smuggling. ...government, in exacting toll, plays the part of the highwayman." - The Oregonian, Jan. 21, 1886
Note From JWR: Today's first article was contributed by Robert Henry, the proprietor of JRH Enterprises. (One of our advertisers.) It describes how to harden a house in the event of an absolute "worst case" scenario. Be sure to visit Robert's web site to see Robert's other interesting articles and to check out his products.
In previous articles, I talked about what exactly is needed to stop
different types of projectiles to include lists of materials and the
thicknesses
needed to achieve the desired protection. Here, I'm going to talk about
some specific items you should give consideration to protecting at
your retreat.
Yep, your gonna need a lot of sandbags. No way around that. Some things
we can get creative with, some we cannot.
Let's start close to home. If your house is not of the construction
that will stop bullets, and you intend to live at that house after
TSHTF, then we have some work to do.
At a minimum, I would sandbag to the height of the windowsill of each
window for all windows that you could shoot out of. Furthermore, I
would sandbag
the width of the window plus 1 or 2 sandbags wide and an additional
4 or 5 higher than the sill (on the sides you widened. If you windows
are lower, you'll be squatting or kneeling if you have to shoot out
of them anyway. If time and the situation permits, and they haven't
already been shot out, you should attempt to open the window before
shooting out of it. Remember though, you don't want to stick your
weapon THROUGH the window. Actually, keeping a good distance BACK
from
the window
would be helpful in many ways--it will lessen the flash and smoke seen
from your shot, the shadow should help conceal you, you will be less "framed" than
standing directly in the window, and the angles will work to your advantage
as far as being able to see more from further back.
Let me explain that angles thing a bit. Think about when your driving
down the highway. A big rig is going slow in front of you and you want
to pass. You get right on his tail and try to look around to see if
it's clear to pass- you can't see much can you? So you drop back 20
or 30 yards, nudge over just a bit and you can see clearly. It's
the same way working with angles in houses. This is also great for
clearing rooms also, but that's another article.
If you have the will and inclination, and your floor can handle the
weight, you might opt to build a 3 or 4 bag high wall around on the
INSIDE of the house. Why the inside? Surprise. If you stack 3 or 4
sandbags high on the outside of the house, this will just encourage
someone to shoot higher and to expect return fire from you. If it's
INSIDE the house, no one will know from outside.
Can your floor handle it? On a "slab at grade" style house, most definitely.
On a house with a basement, you'd have to check. What your looking
for is the size of the floor joists, how far apart they are, and is
their any bridging (little brace looking thingees between the joists).
With this info, you can go to the local library or Lowe's and check
a book on carpentry. Any decent carpentry book with have tables with
allowable floor joist sizes and "live" and "dead" loads
for each. You need to know this ahead of time if you intend to sandbag
later. You can always reinforce the joists if you know ahead of time.
What other things around your retreat should you plan to "harden?"
How about any above ground fuel storage. Namely liquid propane (LP)
gas tanks. When you get one, have them install it a good stand off
distance
from
your
structure for this reason. Yes, it will cost you some extra money in
the distance of the line, but it's better than blowing up your house
isn't it? You could sandbag your fuel tanks or if they are a permanent
fixture, you could also pour a rectangle footing around the outside
of it, and build block walls around it. Be sure to use rebar and fill
EVERY cell with grout mix. Be sure the block wall goes higher than
the top of the tank. You could make this decorative with a tin roof.
Any building housing critical infrastructure should be hardened. A
small shed containing a well pump should be hardened for ballistic
protection as well as EMP protection
as well. The same goes for your generator building.
Any exposed hose bib that could be used for fighting fires should be
protected as well.
All observation posts (OPs) and trenches should be hardened either
by the use of sandbags, packed earth or permanent construction with
concrete
and
rebar.
Communications and medical buildings should be protected at least to
the level of a four high sandbag retaining wall.
Any critical equipment such as well pumps, generators, radios,
should be double sandbagged if possible.
If you have the idea that your retreat is going to look like a firebase
after TSHTF, then you are on the right track.
Jim,
I noted your recent reply to someone regarding medical training and thought
I'd drop you an email. For a point of reference I'll first state that I'm
a paramedic by trade. Knowing all people won't be able to take advantage
of the class you reference I would suggest if people are interested in learning
basic CPR and first aid courses
I would highly recommend they contact their local EMS offices. This
is especially true in the rural setting as many smaller services offer courses
at very low cost. For those that may have
a little time on their hands they may want to see if their local EMS stations
offer an EMT-Basic course, several
community colleges also offer these courses in the evening. It should
be noted just like anything else some instructors are better than others so
ask around if you can.
One thing people should consider is if they can achieve an EMT-Basic state
certification many rural EMS system have first responders that provide assistance
within their
systems. That is to say they will often provide a first responder with
a pager, basic bandaging supplies, oxygen tanks and some of the accompanying
equipment
to respond to emergencies and provide first response assistance. I'm sure
most people can see the benefit in this as they receive experience and equipment
all for the cost of their time helping others when their available and if SHTF you've
got some equipment that you can use for your own purposes.
For those that don't have that kind of time available I would suggest reading
material. Look for an EMT-Basic book to start off with and then move
on to EMT-Paramedic materials. Two well known instructional EMS material
providers are printed by Bryan Bledsoe or Mosby with various authors. Another
good book that covers variety of subjects is the Special Operations Forces
Medical
Handbook, but some knowledge of the basics is suggested for this book. Hope
this information provides to be useful.-
J.S.
The American auto making giant General Motors has launched a big advertising campaign to promote E85 ethanol-compatible cars and trucks. See: http://www.gm.com/company/onlygm/livegreengoyellow/index.html They could have ramped up production of Flexible Fuel vehicles a decade ago. Oh well, at least they are dong something now. We have a Flexible Fuel Ford Explorer here at the Rawles Ranch. If the gasoline companies would just get busy and distribute E85 outside of the Midwest, we would be able to run our Explorer on something other than gas.
o o o
SurvivalBlog reader Warhawke recommends "The Law " by Bastiat. (I also highly recommend it. It is ground truth.) The text is available at: the Von Mises Institute web site: See: http://www.mises.org/story/2060
o o o
Now key players in Norway (the largest oil producer in Europe) are leaning toward opening an oil bourse denominated in Euros. Hmmmm... See: http://www.energybulletin.net/13081.html
o o o
A portent of things to come? The BBC reports: "India seals off bird flu town." See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4739800.stm
"Chances are, if you're ever going to be involved in a home defense situation with a shotgun, you'll be in your birthday-suit. So unless you've got ammunition Velcroed to your a**, all the extra ammunition you'll have will be on the gun." - Greg Hamilton, Self Defense Instructor March, 1999
Note from JWR: Don't forget to send your entries for Round 3 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!) The deadline for entries for Round 3 is the last day of March, 2006. We've already had plenty of motivational pieces submitted. Please keep your contest entries focused on practical skills. Thanks!
The Laboratoire européen d’Anticipation Politique Europe 2020, LEAP/E2020, just posted a "must read" article. The article begins: "The Laboratoire européen d’Anticipation Politique Europe 2020 now estimates to over 80% the probability that the week of March 20-26, 2006 will be the beginning of the most significant political crisis the world has known since the Fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, together with an economic and financial crisis of a scope comparable with that of 1929..." See: http://www.europe2020.org/en/section_global/150206.htm
Fellow SurvivalBlog Readers:
JWR is dead-on regarding his advice on NVGs or NVDs. I accumulated 11,000+
first pilot time and started out flying with
AN/PVS-5s. The ANVIS you are flying with are great for aviation or driving but
suck for ground pounding. I like my nostalgic PVS-5s with the cut away for peripheral
vision improvement but upgraded them to Gen3 tubes thru Ed Wilcox, Wilcox Engineering
and Research: http://www.wilcoxeng-res.com/.
A good,
fair
and
highly
qualified man to deal with.
For ground pounding, in addition to a dedicated NV weapon sight, I settled for
a PVS-14D 72 line pair monocular from NVEC (Complete with data sheet, of course.).
With the adjustable gain, I have the best of vision utilizing both eyes, one
aided and one unaided. BUT you just can't drive or fly with only one eye. :-)
Since 1999, my favorite page, the most knowledgeable and filled with people like
Lanny Leonard who actually like to help people is: http://nightvisiononline.com/index.cgi.
If you want to learn about NV devices, here's the place. No pushy sales and no
pushy adds. Just NV talk and lots of good experience that rubs off. Hope this
helps. Best Regards,- The Army Aviator
Hello James,
In my limited experience with NVGs,
I have noticed lots of differences. You do not want to save money on
these if you take home defense seriously. I personally
think you are wasting your money on a Generation 1.
1). The intensifier tubes have a "shelf life". Buying new is important
if you can afford it. As you previously recommended, buying a scope rather than
a pair of binocs is a must. Seeing your "threat" does nothing when
you can't even focus on your sights.
2). Pay attention to the field of view, minimum focus distance, etc.... I don't
know about you, but I would sure like to be able to see what is 20'-70' away
from me and make an assessment, some optics don't focus on items closer than
50 yards!!!
3). Illuminators are a dead giveaway to someone else with NVGs. It is like
the "raccoon" eye effect you mentioned, except in this case, it's
like turning on a flashing neon light pointing at you. This is true for Lasers
as
well. Also, it is my understanding that illuminators can cause burn on the
intensifier tubes. My knowledge is limited, but I think this was true on all
but the latest
patented NVGs. Also, do some research. Do not take your recently purchased NV item
and peer out the glass in your home or vehicle. In certain instances, (i.e.-
illuminators), this
can cause permanent intensifier burn out. I try to be careful with purchases
that cost over $700,...hope this information is accurate and may save you the
unknown danger to your potential lifeline!
4). There are many options with optics now. I personally am intrigued by ATN
Corporation's Day/Night Scope System. With a simple twist, you remove the NV
system and the main body of the scope system stays mounted and keeps Zero!
How cool is that? Kills two birds with one stone, Hence helping justify the
expense,
(at least to the Mrs., ha ha).
As as a side note, these products may be useful in obtaining game, (legally
of course) or for that matter, protecting your heard of livestock from coyotes
or similar predators. In my state, there is no clause against night vision
as long as it does not "project a beam or ray of
light", (i.e.- such as a laser or a NVG illuminator). Food for thought.
- The Wanderer
JWR Replies: Thanks for your comments gents. In addition to the The Army Aviator's recommendation for Wilson Engineering and Research, as previously mentioned, three night vision gear vendors that I personally know and trust are JRH Enterprises, Ready Made Resources, and STANO Components, Inc.
Jim:
Regarding [military surplus] Ishapore SMLE .308 bolt acton rifles,
I bought a few of these a while back on a "buy ten for" deal. A buddy
and I
both
sprung
for
five
of them
to get 10 of these and we paid a ridiculously
low price… something like $69 each plus shipping and tax.
Anyway, I gave one to my dad and my uncle and kept the best of the
lot for myself.
These are some of the finest bolt action rifles we have ever used.
They all had decent two stage triggers. Each came with a 10 round box
mag, and I ordered a few extras. (The extra magazines were $35 each!)
This is a very accurate rifle, though a little heavy as it came out
of the box.
My dad took all the wood coverings off the barrel, the bayonet lug
and front sight off and it lightened the rifle by about 3 pounds.
We had a heckuva time getting a scope mount to work and ended up milling
our on as the ones we bought would not hold sight after about 10 shots.
The "redneck engineered" version we made is dog ugly, but you could
drive a truck over it and it would not come off.
This his and my uncles favorite truck and hunting gun now, as they
don’t mind beating it up, but know it will still shoot every
time.
I have shot mine at the range and consistently shot 1-inch groups
at 100 yards with open sights.
Even my Sako M995 Kevlar wiz bang super accurate .300 Win Mag doesn’t
shoot much better.
Most of the “goodness” is in the trigger. It really does
have an excellent trigger.
If folks get one of the yellow sheet wholesale gun mags like Shotgun
News, they will find lots of dealers selling Ishapore .308s
cheap… maybe
not as cheap as the ones I bought, as they had just come out and folks
hadn’t yet realized that they were diamonds in the rough. - Mel
"Government cannot bestow rights and liberties to the people. It can only take them away." - Donald Tichenor
I'm often asked about the ideal location for a retreat. Every locale has its pros and cons. But in general any area that is well removed from major population centers and that has fertile soil, a long growing season, and plentiful water should give you far better chances of pulling through that the average urbanite or suburbanite. A more overriding concern is what you do with your retreat, and how soon you get it truly "squared away." Having one or two years of food storage is commendable, but in the event of a full scale TEOTWAWKI, what will you do once you've consumed your larder? Similarly, merely owning survival gear and knowing how to use it are two different things. (This encapsulates my oft-quoted "Gadgets Versus Skills" argument.)
You've heard me preach on the importance of pre-positioning the vast majority of your logistics and living at your retreat full time. The latter is crucial not just for security of your stored logistics, but also so that you can make your retreat truly self-suffcient. By being there year-round, you will have the opportunity to plant perennial crops (such as berry bushes), to tend fruit and nut trees, to learn the habits of the local wild game, and to build up your flocks of small livestock. Building your practical skills inventory is just as important--if not more important--than building your larder. You can only do that if you are there to do it. If circumstances dictate that you can't live at your retreat year-round, then hopefully there is some other member of your retreat group that can--perhaps someone that is retired or self-employed. There is also nothing quite like living at a retreat year round to insure that you "work the kinks out" of everything from your water system and wood stove to your photovoltaic power system. Any such difficulties would be mere inconveniences if encountered today, but could be positively tragic if you wait and discover them after TSHTF, when luxuries like "mail order" and "the hardware store" are just memories. You will only know for certain if you live the life.
Mr. Rawles:
After reading your novel [Patriots],
I realize that I've lot to learn to get truly prepared. I'm especially
worried
about the Asian [Avian] flu. If a human-compatible form of it hits
nationwide, I think that things are gonna come positively unglued in
the big cities. (Just like the picture of the collapsing
infrastructure that you painted in your novel.) We are living in a
house of cards. The interdependencies are so far-reaching that they
make the prospect
of a collapse frightening. I'm getting my "beans bullets
and band aids" lined
up quickly, but what about training?
What's the most important class/course to take first? How about old timey
farming knowledge? Thank you, H.L. in
Knoxville
JWR Replies: I recommend that you take advantage of free local classes first. Take the American Red Cross First Aid and CPR classes. Don't overlook free classes offered by your local ham radio club. The wealth of experience offered by those "Elmers" is phenomenal. Seek out other elders in your community for "old timey" skills like do-it-yourself canning. If you want to learn how to live through a depression or a banking panic, there is nothing quite like learning from someone that has already lived through one. Sadly, there are a lot of old folks that have been "warehoused" in retirement homes that would be happy to share what they know.
If you are worried about societal unrest and looting, then it essential to get top rate firearms training from a shooting school like Gunsite, Front Sight, or Thunder Ranch. (Even if you are prior military service, you'll learn more in just a few days there than you learned from years of military service.)
Once you have acquired proficiency at your tactical skills, seek out some advanced medical training. If possible, make plans to attend one of the specialized Tactical Lifesaver Courses. The next will be held on April 15-16, 2006, in Douglas, Georgia. A Iraq war vet Physician's Assistant (PA) will teach you a lot of skills that the American Red Cross doesn't. (Such as: how to prep an intravenous infusion, how to insert and orthopharyngeal airway, wound debridement, suturing, how to treat a sucking chest wound, and much more.) Don't neglect taking this course. See: http://www.survivalreportblog.com/Tactical_Lifesaver_Course.html
Mr. Rawles,
I wanted to say I enjoy your blog very much and look forward to it everyday.
I am happy to contribute to your 10
Cent Challenge. Regarding your 20 February
post on NVGs, I've looked at a
few web sites just to see what is available. I have
never actually put one of these models on so I may be out to lunch but it seems
that most of the NVGs are built to cover your whole eye, allowing no peripheral
vision, amplified or otherwise. I am currently an F-16 pilot in the Air Force
and we fly quite a bit with NVGs.
Our NVGs do not cover the entire eye and are more like a set of binoculars
(without the amplification) positioned in front of the eyes. This is gives
us the ability to glance down into the cockpit (a must in order to kill and
not be killed) and have peripheral vision (though it is not amplified by NVGs
of course). 40 degrees of NVG vision is not a lot and is akin to looking through
a toilet paper tube. Having the ability to glance down at your weapon or detect
movement out of the corner of your eye (movement, even at night, is best seen
with your peripheral) is priceless. Once again, maybe I am wrong about the
way they sit on your eyes but it not, then it is definitely something to think
about. I would rather have 40 degrees of night
vision and and still able to look down and have peripheral vision versus 40
degrees of night vision and nothing else. Once again thanks for putting such
a great blog together. - Sterno
JWR Replies: Many thanks for your input. In my experience,
the requirements for NVGs in ground combat are much different than
for use in a cockpit. The biggest tradeoff is peripheral vision versus
the risk of "raccoon
eyes." Let me explain:
If you have the goggles set forward on a typical helmet mount to allow peripheral
vision then they cast a bright glow on your face. This glow can be
seen by someone in front of you for well in excess of 50 feet without
NVGs, and for hundreds of yards with NVGs. That is one of the reasons
that I prefer either NV weapons sights or NV monoculars with rubber
eye cups (with the folding flap that opens only after your have pressed
it to your face. To a bad guy in the distance, using any sort NV device
without an eyecup looks like like you are shining a flashlight in your
face.
"How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual... as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of." - Texas State Rep. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp
Note From JWR: My heartfelt thanks to all of the folks that have sent "10 Cent Challenge" contributions. The steadily expanding base of subscribers will allow me to quit my "day job" at the end of March. (Deo volente.) I will then have the time to cover topics in greater depth. SurvivalBlog subscriptions are voluntary. All that we ask is ten cents a day--but only if you feel convicted to do so. If what you read here is not worth ten cents a day to you, or if you are on a tight budget, then you can pass. And for those of you that are on a tight budget, you can "do your bit" to support SurvivalBlog by contacting potential advertisers and asking them to get a banner ad. They start at just $55 per month. That is dirt cheap compared to a magazine ad.
Mr. and Mrs. Rawles,
I’m immensely enjoying your Blog. Thank you for the time and
effort you place into your blog. I was reading into the archives trying
to catch up and in the August 8th replies you had a reference to the
wooden cages. One way that will help mitigate the problem of chewing
and weakening of the wooden structure of the cages. You can use metal
corner bead over the edges of the exposed wood inside the cage. It
would be better as you stated to use all wire cages, they are by far
the best. But the truth is that some people will use wood because they
can’t afford wire, they have the wood already or because it how
their father and his father did. Just a thought. All the best, - C.K.
The Memsahib Replies: When we first got rabbits, we got a bunch of free wooden hutches. We planned to upgrade to wire cages as money allowed. We up graded a lot sooner than planned because we discovered porcupines in Idaho have a special fondness for wood legs on hutches because of the minerals that soak into the wood from the rabbit urine. Of course upgrading isn't always possible. Thanks for the good suggestions.
Hi James,
I would like to clarify a few things that J.G. from Auckland stated.
Magazine capacity is limited for those with “A” category
licensing only. Those with “E:” category license can have
center fire or rim fire magazines for the “E” category
weapons (military style semi automatic) that are unlimited in capacity.
Pistol ownership merely requires that you join a pistol club, install
an adequate safe in your home for pistol storage, obtain a “B” category
license and attend 12 club shoots per year which is not much if you
intend to shoot competently.
Our country has troops currently
in Afghanistan and in the past sent combat engineers to Iraq.
J.G. correctly points out that we in New Zealand are uniquely blessed
with a land that has more food units than people and is still largely
agrarian. - B.W. from the Bay of Plenty.
JWR Replies: Things are quite a bit different here in the U.S. Of course the State laws vary widely. We don't have a unified "Country Code" like the Commonwealth countries. Outwardly, out patchwork of laws looks a bit chaotic, but it has its advantages. One of the most notable of these is that if a state gets too intrusive we can "vote with our feet" and just move to a different state. (Witness the current out-migration of conservatives from California to States like Idaho, Montana, and Nevada.)
Re: "Pistol ownership merely requires that you ..." Your description seems like a lot of "flame filled hoops" to me. In many states (such as the aforementioned Idaho, Montana, and Nevada), if an adult wants to buy a pistol from another citizen that lives in the same state, he just opens his wallet and buys it, with no government intervention whatsoever.(No registration, no competency tests, no licensing, no storage requirements. Nothing!) Needless to say, gun shows here are a lot of fun! Our newspaper classified ads have lots of private party gun ads.
There are far more paperwork requirements when one buys guns across state lines, or any transaction involving a Federally licensed dealer. But thankfully, private party gun sales are the last bastion of privacy here in the States. We like it that way.
Jim,
I don’t know how recognized a Euro note would be in a U.S. crisis,
especially the premium of the dollar. (“Funny money” may
even be assumed to be devalued, as if Canadian.)
The real concern about large Euro notes is that of presumed counterfeiting.
A British friend recently told me that 500 Euro notes are essentially
not legal tender for most commercial transactions, due to widespread
counterfeiting suspicions. You can take them to a bank, but that is
about it.
Unless you need to carry substantial wealth that will be put in an
operating bank at your destination, I’d stick to dollars or precious
metals. FYI: US currency weighs about one gram per bill. Which means
that a stack of $20 bills is presently nearly “worth its weight
in gold!” That
means that gold over about $3000/ounce would be more portable (and
far more compact) than our largest [piece of] currency. I prefer the
more romantic notion of a vest with gold pieces sewn in. A man could
wear
a vest
with nearly 400 one ounce gold coins sewn in (single layer) that would
weigh nearly 30 pounds, and be worth about $250,000 at current prices.
Now that is “bug-out wealth”!
- Mr. Bravo
SurvivalBlog reader "Rourke" mentioned a great alert site in Hungary that was recently mentioned on the Aussie Survival discussion board: http://visz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert.php?lang=eng
o o o
SurvivalBlog reader H.P.F.
recommends three interesting sites:
1.) http://www.netcastdaily.com/fsnewshour.htm (listen
to "Hour
Two"),
2.) http://www.finance.messages.yahoo.co...mid=648143 NEWS
BRIEF: "Americas Foes Circle Wagons", by Claude Salhani,
UPI International Editor, reprinted in Raiders News Updates, February
16, 2006 and,
3.) http://www.countercurrents.org/p...180206.htm --
a piece titled Peak
Oil - The Great Tsunami, by Michael Payne
o o o
I might have mentioned this one before... A handy tool for calculating the effects of monetary inflation (in the U.S.): http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
"I am completely out of ammo. That's never happened to me before!" - Burt Gummer, in Tremors 2
Note From JWR: I would appreciate your help spreading the word about SurvivalBlog. Doing so is in your best interest. Why? Because each neighbor that you convince to prepare will be one less person that you'll find begging on your doorstep, come TEOTWAWKI+1.
I'm often asked by SurvivalBlog readers in Canada which rifles I recommend.
Sadly, the C.96 semi-auto rifle/magazine ban in Canada didn't leave
Canadians with a lot of options.
Since there
may
be more
bans
in the
future, I'd recommend something in the Lee-Enfield bolt action
family. There
are
so
many
of
those
rifles
in circulation in commonwealth countries that they will probably be exempted
from any bans on rifles with detachable magazines. (Notably,
SMLE 10 round
magazines were *specifically exempted* in the Canadian C.96 "any rifle magazine
over 5 round capacity" ban.) Yes, I know what you
are thinking... Just give the politicians time, they'll get around to banning
anything that will even accept a detachable magazine. In fact, they
won't
quit
until the
have you down to archery equipment... We have
the
same problem here in the U.S. The only difference is that the politicians
aren't in as much of a hurry.
Depending on your ammo sources, I'd recommend either
a
SMLE .303 or perhaps an Ishapore IA1 .308. (Assuming that their magazines
are
exempt under the Canadian 5+ round magazine law, too.) Make sure to
get a
half dozen
spare magazines to allow sustained fire.
If you are an optimist, you might buy a U.S. M1 Garand semi-auto rifle. Because of their 8 round expendable en bloc clip, there was a special grandfather clause included in the law. That makes it the highest capacity centerfire rifle that is legal in Canada. (Aside for law enforcement officers and a few rifle team members, that can possess rifles such as M1As and L1A1s, and high capacity magazines.) Being a pessimist, I predict that the M1 Garand will eventually be banned in Canada, as well.
James:
I'm a newbie at preparedness. I have some nitro-packed storage food and I'm
working on buying a few guns and getting training. I think I'll start
with a course at Front Sight. But for immediate needs, I'm about ready to buy
some body armor for "just in case." Are the
mil surplus flak vests that I see advertised for +/-$80 a good deal? -
T.Y.
JWR Replies: I highly recommend the training at Front Sight it is top notch! About body armor; first things first: Forget about the older-vintage military surplus "flak" vests" that you saw advertised. These are primarily designed to stop shrapnel, but not bullets. Most of the pre-1985 military issue vests would barely rate Class IIA.(Which is lower than Class II, if you aren't familiar with the rating system--that numbering system confuses a lot of folks.) I do not recommend them. About their only advantage is that some have a collar, which provides better neck protection than typical law enforcement (concealment) vests. IMHO, you are better off buying a law enforcement trade-in vest, Class II or higher. (Which would be: Class II, Class IIIA, or Class III.) Used Class II vests start at around $200.
My personal approach: For myself, I bought a pair of slightly used Class II vests, with one of them slightly larger than the other, plus a trauma plate. This cost less than buying a new Class III vest, and they are more versatile than a single heavy-weight vest. I can wear either of them alone for concealment, or I can wear *both* plus the trauma plate in between when the Schumer really hits the fan. This will provide better than Class II protection.
BTW, the Memsahib has a Class IIIA vest, contoured for ladies. It also was a trade-in vest, which she got for a bargain price at a gun show.
Two body armor dealers that I recommend are: Y2K Body Armor (which is operated by T. Allen Hoover) and BulletProofME.com Body Armor. Of the two, Terry Hoover seems to have the best prices. He specializes in vests that come from police academy wash-outs. These are "low hours" vests that are in great shape and very reasonably priced.
JWR:
Are you going to do a post on [Starlight] Night Vision Goggles, where
to buy, and what type of NVGs
is the best? - K.T. [of KT
Ordnance]
JWR Replies: The light amplification NVG market has become crowded in recent years, primarily with junk that is prone to failure. I most strongly recommend that you you buy only good quality scopes. This generally means American or Israeli-made, not Russian.
If you can only afford one piece of starlight gear, then make it a weapon sight. You can always use a weapon sight dismounted (as a monocular), but you cannot mont a monocular or a pair of goggles to a weapon. (Yes, I know, you can use NVGs in conjunction with a laser aiming light, but that is adding another layer of logistics complexity.) I would rather have one reliable first generation ("Gen 1") or second generation ("Gen 2'") scope such as an AN/PVS-2 than I would three or four fragile, unreliable Russian scopes for the same amount of money.
If you have a lavish budget, go for broke: buy a redundant set of two or three Gen 3 scopes (such as AN/PVS-4s) and two or three NVGs (such as AN/PVS-7s). If you have bagoodles of money, you might even consider getting a few AN/PAQ-4 laser aiming lights and perhaps even one of the new Raytheon Gen 2 "Warrior" IR-50 thermal weapon sights that are just coming onto the civilian market. But hang on to your wallet... The IR-50s currently cost around $20,000 each!
When selecting any starlight gear, buy only equipment with guaranteed "low hours" U.S. full military specification tubes that come with authentic data sheets specifying their actual measured number of line pairs. If you have the opportunity to do side-by-side night-time comparisons, pick a device that has minimum scintillation (a.k.a."the sparklies"), a maximum number of line pairs, and the best possible optical clarity. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly for someone who is looking at the potential of a "long term worst case" situation, you should buy only equipment that is compatible with standard "off the shelf" rechargeable NiMH batteries. As David in Israel is fond of mentioning: "Remember, you are not the U.S. military with a huge budget and a long logistics tail." Plan and make your purchases according.
Three night vision gear vendors that I know and trust are JRH Enterprises, Ready Made Resources, and STANO Components, Inc. All three of these firms are competent, trustworthy, and will go to the extra effort to make sure that you are completely satisfied.
"The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage." - Thucydides
The following anonymously-posted account is re-posted with permission from Mel's Riser's "My Solar Village" blog (http://mysolarvillage.blogspot.com.) Some of you might find this account is eerily reminiscent of my novel Patriots:
The craziest thing about the whole Katrina fiasco was that my father in law (technically he's just my girlfriend's dad, but we've been together long enough that this is what we call him.) I always make fun of him because he keeps his garage stocked with something like 100 gallons of water, a bunch of big jugs full of treat