Note from JWR: Today, I'm catching up on replying to some older e-mails that included multiple questions. Because of time constraints, those are the ones that end up at the bottom of my "to do" list. So if you'd like to see your questions answered promptly, please limit your question e-mails to a single subject. Thanks!
Jim,
You're correct in that you should use whatever sling works for you,
and if you're still using that old M60 sling
set-up that you used to use "back in the day" works for you,
great. Sling technology and technique has come along way since then
though. Single point, two
point, and triple point slings are now available that make it generally
better to use the sling than the archaic idea of "no slings on
patrol". There's too many out there to bother naming, and all
have strengths and weaknesses, but when sling shopping, look for a
sling that does what you want it to do. For you, the M60 sling does
what you want, that's fine. I prefer a sling that keeps the gun in
a specific position and orientation for transitions to my sidearm,
and for other things like operating equipment, driving, opening doors
and
admin use, but still keeps the rifle exactly in
the same spot, with the same side against my body, and does so comfortably. Of
the slings out there, most are a variation on the theme. Single point slings
attach
the rifle to you at one point on the weapon. This arrangement can be anything
from a loop, to a snap link [rock climbing carabiner] running through the stock
of
your M4 and
attached
to your body armor, to far more complicated stuff.
Two point slings, like the M60 you use, or the Israeli, and most other "tactical
slings" are like this. I use the Israeli sling and it's a
good, effective and simple device. The sling is a very long strap. The strap
is adjustable, and there's also a Fastex-type buckle that you use to shorten
it a specific amount. The slack when the buckle is connected is equipped with
velcro
and stays secure and out of the way. This way the rifle can be slung over your
head and shoulder, more comfortably and more securely, but the
simple release of the Fastex buckle will allow you the extra length needed to
use the rifle with no problems. It has both hooks and para cord for attachment.
There is a compartment that you can keep earplugs in. The Israeli sling does
everything
fairly well, and some things quite well, though it's slower to employ in some
cases. As an all-purpose, general use sling for doing other things while remaining
armed and able to fight quickly, it's one of the best I've run across. Not what
I prefer to use if I know I'm going to fight, but it's what
I prefer to use if
I
just
need to have
a long gun with me.
Other tactical slings get more complicated in use, but are better for fighting
than the Israeli sling. These slings seem to most novices and many old-timers;)
as contraptions that you don't need, but properly employed are quite useful.
The
British SA-80 sling is slightly over-complicated for what it does, but it and
most other tactical slings work all abut the same. Some are just simpler to figure
out. Some guns, like the older HK roller-delayed based line, actually have a
third
mounting point for special sling. If you have a weapon so equipped, then full
advantage
should be taken.
Which sling is the right one for you to use is a matter of what you want that
sling to do for you. The Israeli sling is pretty hard to beat for most general
use though. I'd take it over most of the "tactical" slings
for everyday use in 95% of the situations you'd encounter in real life. If you
have
to lug a rifle around with you and still live your life, it's just the ticket.
Which is why the Israelis designed it that way. - "Doug Carlton"
JWR: Adds: Some of you that have read my novel "Patriots" may recognize "Doug Carlton." Like a lot of the other characters in the book, "Doug" was based on a real-life friend of mine, that I've known since college. We went through ROTC together. "Doug" later went on to be a distinguished U.S. Army helicopter pilot. He now works in the transportation industry on the East Coast.
I found the following at the CongressDaily (http://nationaljournal.com/about/congressdaily/) web site. Excerpting briefly from their story: "President Bush's request for more than $7 billion in emergency funding to prepare for a possible outbreak of avian flu "had better pass" before Congress adjourns for the year, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist [who is also a medical doctor] , R-Tenn., declared Sunday. "We need to be prepared," Frist said during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," adding, "I'm very hopeful that we will invest $7.1 billion to look at prevention, to look at care, to look at treatment." The measure might be attached to the fiscal 2006 Defense appropriations bill, although some House conservatives are insisting that the $7 billion be offset.
Fears of a pandemic have increased as a virus infecting millions of birds has spread throughout Asia and parts of Europe. The so-called bird flu has not yet appeared in the United States or spread from person to person abroad, but officials worry that it could mutate and become highly contagious because humans have no immunity to it. Frist said the spending request is only a fraction of an estimated $675 billion hit that the U.S. economy could take, with possibly two million dying from bird flu and up to 90 million sickened. "I don't think it's going to happen right now or tomorrow," Frist said. "But if it does happen, it's devastating."
Mr. Rawles:
I have some questions for you: [JWR's replies are in line, in bold]
1.) Regarding the Sambucol products.
--Does this product have any preventative component or do you only take it
when symptoms occur?
Take it only immediately after symptoms occur.
--How many 7.8 oz. bottles do you recommend for storage for a family or families
in a homestead?
We are a family of five, and I bought six bottles. But we plan
to be living in isolated self-quaratine, here in the boonies. And BTW,
half of what I bought was intended charity. For those of you that are
not self-employed or otherwise don't anticipate being able to live in self-quarantine,
you should probably buy a larger quantity.
2.) Regarding discussion on G.O.O.D. vehicles.
--I reviewed all the articles and posts and it appears that the consensus is
that pre-1993 vehicles offer the best EMP protection. Do you have any new info
or insights on this subject.
Pre-1993 is a fairly safe bet for diesel engines, but not for
gasoline
engines,
which
started "going electronic" in the late 1970s. Unless you are quite
familiar with car engines, you
really
need
to
consult
with
a
mechanic
from
a dealership for
the particular manufacturer of your vehicle to be certain that any particular
make/model/year
has
a traditional
rotor/points/condenser ignition system and that it has traditional carburetion
rather
than
electronically-controlled fuel injection. BTW, many gas-powered engines
from
the
1980s
and
1990s can be retrofitted with a traditional ignition system. Again, you
need to ask someone with expertise to ascertain the details. Alternatively,
you can buy one or more spare identical electronic ignition system CPUs
from
wrecking
yards
to
store in
metal
cans. (Faraday protection.)
3.) Regarding storage foods
--What percentage of MRE's and freeze-drieds do you recommend?
That depends on your circumstances. For someone that lives at their intended retreat year-round, as much as 90% of their storage food should be in bulk containers such as five gallon pails. But for someone that plans to "Get out of Dodge" (G.O.O.D.) at the 11th hour, perhaps as much as 25% of your food should be divided equally between freeze dried and MREs. (And of course nearly all of the bulk storage food should be pre-positioned at your retreat.) See my Links page for recommended vendors. If you buy your storage food from any of them, please mention where you got the recommendation. (Many of them are SurvivalBlog advertisers--or they should be.)
--Are there any other types of storage foods that you would suggest?
Don't overlook stocking up larger quantities of the wet-packed canned foods that you use on a regular basis. Yes, they are fairly bulky, heavy, and need to be rotated frequently, but "per dollar" they are a fairly efficient use of household funds for storage foods.
Also consider the new retort packaged foods
(such as stews. These are quite convenient. There are also a surprising number
of canned
foods that have switched to pull top lids in the last couple of years. OBTW,
mark the date of purchase with a Sharpie pen on ALL storage foods, so that
you can
rotate them consistently.
4.) Regarding the Housing Bubble and Real Estate
--If the bubble is to burst in 2006 wouldn't that lead to much lower real estate
prices? Therefore would it be prudent to wait for this before purchasing land
for a homestead/retreat? Or should we not concern ourselves with what the market
is doing?
I am of the opinion that the biggest declines in house prices will
occur in urban and suburban real estate. Productive farm land will
probably only go down slightly, since it has been depressed (in terms of
its real
value)
for decades. And houses on 5 to 40
acres in choice retreat locales might actually go up in
price, as yuppies flee the cities in opening stages of the next depression. IMHO,
you
can't go wrong buying a house on a 40 acre parcel with productive soil and
spring-fed water and that is situated in a lightly populated region well removed
from the major population centers. The
downside risk is minimal.
5.) Regarding barter guns and ammo
--In a post TEOTWAWKI barter economy which do you think will be more in demand-shotguns
or pistols? Could you please give us your reasoning on this?
Both will be in demand, but it primarily will be pistols will be sought by untrained suburban know-nothings. (Shotguns are much more effective!) So if you are buying for barter, buy large caliber (.40 S&W or .45 ACP) used Glocks, SIGs, or Berettas, and/or American-made (preferably Colt) stainless steel auto pistols. If you are buying with the intent of being able to arm your neighbors for mutual defense, then buy used Remington or Mossberg 12 gauge riotguns.
--You have highly recommended the .308 Winchester caliber for the MBR but what exact specifications [of ammunition] (manufacturer, grain, FMJ/JHP) do you suggest we purchase?
For self defense, I recommend that you buy 80% full metal jacket ("ball") ammunition, 10% match, and 10% pointed soft point soft nose. For barter, buy mainly hollow point common caliber pistol ammunition and .22 Long Rifle rimfire ammunition--again, hollow points.
6.) I have been considering purchasing a Springfield SAR-8 rifle chambered
in .308.
A.) What is your opinion on the SAR-8 as a MBR?
The SAR-8 (Springfield Armory's clone of the HK91) are well made (much better than the CETME). Their only serious shortcoming is that they lack a flash hider. Be advised that if you replace the original pseudo flash hider with a real one, that it must be a U.S.-made part, since the 1989 ban (still in effect) requires that the rifle retain 10 U.S. made parts.
If you can afford it, buy an original HK91
rather than a SAR-8. Magazines
(they both use the same type) are currently cheap and plentiful, so buy a pile
of them. (Something like 50+
of the West German alloy magazines. They can be had for as little as $2.50
each from mail order firms like Cheaper Than Dirt.)
B.) The iron sights on this weapon do not have tritium; do you suggest I have
it installed? Or have a scope mounted?
I'd recommend that you get a tritium-lit scope (preferably a
Trijicon brand) on a quick-detachable claw mount. Tritium iron sights are
available
for the HK91/SAR-8 but they would be redundant to a tritium-lit scope. If
you decide to NOT get a scope, then it is worth the money to buy tritium element
sights.
3.) What type and brand of scopes do you like?
For purely long range work, most of the Leupold or Nikon mil-dot scopes
are excellent. For
the best "all around" scope, I prefer the Trijicon AGOGs.
7.) I am planning on purchasing a quantity of gold; do you recommend bullion
or gold coins? - Dr Sidney Zweibel, Columbia P&S
IMO, bullion gold (bars) are only for the super-wealthy. Because it requires assay before resale, I don't consider bullion gold appropriate for most survivalists. As previously stated in my SurvivalBlog writings and in my novel Patriots, gold is too compact a form of wealth for barter purposes. Buy one $1,000 face value bag of 90% (pre-1965) silver dimes or quarters for each family member for barter before you move on to buying gold. Then buy your gold in the form of 1 ounce Krugerrands or Canadian Maple Leafs, since those have the lowest premium (dealer's profit, per coin.) Avoid the Chinese Pandas. There are far too many of those being counterfeited! For our readers overseas, buy whatever coins are the most recognizable locally. (e.g. Australian Koalas, British Sovereigns, Swiss Vrenellis, et cetera.)
Sir:
I would like to know: Some things should be stored at "0" degrees.
Other things at "70" degrees. Some can tolerate light, some requires
dark.(Some medicines, batteries, et cetera.) Anything you could mention would
help on this subject. THANKS, VERY MUCH. Survival Minded, - Brother Slim
JWR Replies: I see a FAQ coming! I'm sure that a number of SurvivalBlog readers will have a lot to add to this (and please do!), but here is a list of guidelines, for starters:
1.) Gardening seed should be stored in the dark, above freezing, in low humidity. The refrigerator is ideal. Seal them in Mason jars or in Ziplock bags to protect them from humidity.
2.) Most herbs, batteries, liquid medicines, liquid/caplet vitamins, and chemical light sticks are also best stored in the refrigerator.
3.) Most medicines and vitamin powders and tablets are best stored in the freezer.
4.) Most storage foods should stored in the dark, in the coolest (but not ever below freezing) part of your house.
5.) Ammunition should be stored in sealed ammo cans. Tupperware will also suffice. It stores longest below 80 degrees, so don't store it in an attic. Ammo should never be stored in the same room as oil, solvents, bore cleaner, or paints, since the fumes from these will deaden primers. For the same reason, if you keep any guns loaded, that ammunition should used up in target practice once every 18 months (or less), and replaced with fresh ammunition that has been stored in sealed ammo cans.
6.) Liquid fuels of all descriptions should be stored in sealed containers, in a cool, dark place, the appropriate stabilizer added. Heat, moisture, and the opportunity to evaporate are what will shorten the storage life for liquid fuels.
7.) Matches should be stored in tupperware-type containers to protect them from humidity. Resist the urge to store them in Mason type jars. (Glass makes nasty shrapnel--and it would indeed be just that if the matches were ever ignited by heat or friction and there was no place for the resulting gasses to escape.)
8.) Paper products and ladies' supplies should be protected from humidity, but heat is generally not a problem. Keep them out of direct light.
9.) Do not store any flammables beyond your immediate needs in your house, barn. or garage. You should construct a dedicated "paint shed." OBTW, for the foregoing, I don't class standard ammunition a "flammable." Keep it close at hand, but hidden from burglars.
I was checking the prices on base metals today and saw that copper is at $2.10 a pound. Pre-1982 pennies are 95% copper, and 153 of them make a pound of copper. Any thoughts to using pre-1982 U.S. pennies as barter in addition to silver? If nothing else, I've been saving my pre-82 pennies for a few years. I have a few pounds worth. It's not something I'm 'stockpiling' by any means, but every time I check my change I look for the 1981 (and earlier) pennies as well as the pre-65 dimes and quarters. It's also a slight moral booster, considering it's few and far between that I find a pre-1965 anything. OBTW: Silver took a nose dive the past few days, so if any readers missed the boat this would be the time to climb on board. - Prometheus.
JWR Replies: You are correct that pre-1982 pennies are 95% copper. (The later ones are zinc tokens that are just flashed with copper.) It has been said that "silver is the poor man's gold." So I suppose that by the same token (pardon the pun) copper is the starving man's silver. However, per dollar value, pennies are extremely heavy and bulky. I guess that it wouldn't hurt to have a few rolls of pre-1982 pennies on hand to make "change" for junk silver barter transactions. But from a practical standpoint, at current copper prices it is hardly worth your time to sort out the pre-1982 pennies. At this juncture I should mention that there is apocryphal story about a church minister living in Germany in the 1920s--during the Weimar Republic mass inflation. During the mass inflation, he saved all of the copper pfennings from the donation plate.He eventually filled a disused bathtub with them. When the D-Mark paper money was finally totally repudiated (used for kindling), he and his family were able to eat and had extra for charity, due to his foresight. I think that it would take similarly traumatic times before pre-1982 pennies ever become an "investment."
"Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:14
Note from JWR: If you are on friendly terms
with any dealers in preparedness/self-sufficiency products, or realtors
in retreat country, please encourage them to advertise on SurvivalBlog.
Jim,
One of my long term goals is to own a diesel pickup. A mechanic
friend of mine down in California, a true Ford guy all the way thru
would say that the time tested and proven International engine used
in the the Ford pickups was the most reliable--with the Cummins running
a very close second (It should be noted Ford owns a controlling interest
in Cummins and Ford does/has used Cummins in several of their industrial
projects, including farm equipment and heavy duty trucks). I don't
know all the details but I will say that from my own experience the Ford/International
trucks, namely the 6.9 liter of the 1980s was a long-lived engine.
I once was at a Ford dealership in southern California when a fellow
brought in a 1986 F-250 non-turbo 6.9 liter diesel to 'trade-up' to
a more modern pickup (this was in 2000). His truck, which he claimed had never
gone thru a rebuild, had just had regular maintenance had 688,000 miles
on the odometer!
The guys at the dealership were astonished and even mentioned contacting
the corporate headquarters to use his story as an example of Ford reliability.
I myself own a 1973 1 ton GMC with the very reliable 454 gas engine
and I have given serious thought to pulling that out and sticking in
a
6.5 Diesel. I would more than likely go from my present 9-10 MPG to
15-17 (even with a 3 speed turbo 400 tranny behind it.) If there are
any folks out their giving this consideration (those of us with older
pickups) they may want to consider this as an option and if they are
running an older 3 speed like a turbo 400 or Ford C-6 and they want
better highway performance, look into 'Gear Vendors' over/under
drive. See: http://www.gearvendors.com/index.html.
This, I'm told, will turn that old tranny into a real highway cruiser.
Story
has
it that the guys on the hot rod circuit
and at the drag strip
swear
by 'Gear Vendors', they are rated at handling 1,200+ horse power!
Hope this helps someone that is hanging onto there old pickup but wants
the reliability and performance of the newer rigs. Thanks, - Jason
in North Idaho
JWR Replies: If your 1973 Ford still has a rust-free body,
then it may be worth doing. To achieve full reliability on a truck
that old will probably require a lot more work than just re-engining. Read:
extensive and expensive. (For instance: a new
wiring harness, rebuilding both differentials, a new drive shaft or at least
new U-joints, re-arching the springs,
considerable other suspension work, possible steering work, new master cylinder,
new radiator, et cetera.) When all is said and done, you might be better off
finding
another
1 ton 4WD
that was built in the
the
early
to mid-1990s
with
a
dead engine as your starting point. Rebuilding a 10 to 15 year old vehicle
is a much less daunting task that rebuilding one that is 32 years old! Once
a rig is more than 25 years old, it generally requires a true "zero time"
rebuild.
Again, that is extensive and expensive. In the interim,
you can use your running 1973 until the project on the "new" pickup
is done, and then sell it off.
Just
my
$0.10
worth--"your
mileage may vary."
(YMMV.)
Jim:
I am a fan of Mr. Skousen and have the latest edition of his book, or
perhaps I should call it a treatise, The Secure Home. I agree with
the problems of
government among the independently minded (too many cooks in the kitchen, need
a head chef), which is why I evolved to the condominium approach, especially
as a second home only. Subdivision associations are notoriously too weak to
handle the day to day squabbles with people living next to each other full
time, and the leakers in particular. It reminds me of Ross Perot’s United
We Stand Party, which once they all got together, realized the only thing they
could clearly agree on was that they all didn’t like Democrats or Republicans.
- Rourke
Jim;
Last night on the National Geographic Channel there were
two shows [that were aired] back to back that were of interest to
anyone in the survival community.
1. Avian Flu Pandemic detailed the history of the bug and the 1997
outbreak in Hong Kong. It showed the spread across Southeast Asia
and the methods that are being used to control the spread. Discussed
the
use of Tamaflu as a treatment and how most governments are reluctant
to stockpile it until there is an obvious need. A World Health Organization
scientist stated that when such a pandemic does occur it will be
too late to stockpile an the only way to survive will be
to stay home and take care of your own family. Stated that
we will be reduced to the basic human unit "the family".
Also talked about a case that is believed to be human to human transmission.
This case
was believed to be transmitted to a family member in close contact
with a sick girl who had caught the virus while playing near diseased
chickens. This girl's aunt survived the disease, but the girl did
not. Also stated that a problem with developing a vaccine for humans
is
that since [fertile] eggs are used to grow flu virus for vaccine
production the eggs are killed by the virus when it is injected into
the eggs. The eggs are vulnerable to the virus just as the chickens
are.
2.The other program was on Biological Terrorist Attack. This program
went through the list of the Center for Disease Control's top six
dirty bugs of germ warfare. Very eye opening and very chilling.
Anyway, all this spiked my interest so this morning I went to the
National Geographic web site and was looking for more information
about Bird Flu. I found a link on the news page to two stories on
bird flue that should interest everyone.
1. Bird flu vaccine helps stop the spread of the disease in chickens.
2.Bird flu fears cause spike in the sale of Star Anise Spice.
This spice is used in the manufacture of Tamaflu according to this
article and people in Asia and the U. S. are buying it as a herbal
medicine for use against the
flu.
The link is: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ (Scroll
down to "Health")
OBTW, scroll on down to: Pulse of the Planet. See the article titled: Southwest
Rodent Boom to Cause Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak
The article says that in roughly one year to eighteen months after
a wet winter as we had in the southwest in 2005 causes a boom in rodent
population
and so more contact between deceased mice and humans increasing the
cases of the disease among humans. Stated that the summer of 2005
already showed a rise in the reported number of cases. Thirty-six
percent of
human cases are fatal. This should start us all thinking more about
rodent control around our stored food, et cetera.
Thanks again for all of your great work in providing this site
and for all the very much needed information that is shared by
everyone
here. Count on a donation from me to help with the blog's cost
in the very near future. Long Life, - Overhill
Rourke, a SurvivalBlog regular contributor, sent the following:
* - Indicates they are original or modified by me
The other ones are off various web sites that have Jeff
Foxworthy jokes.
Obviously the addition of Redneck Survivalist was from me
*If your MREs consist of Jerky, Slim Jims, Cheetoes, and Bud Light,
you may be a Redneck Survivalist.
*If you have ever tried to grill Spam, …
If you have more electronic equipment in your truck than in your house, …
*If you think of pig manure as a valuable resource and you can think
of several uses for it, …
*If you listen to the weather so you will know how much electricity
you will have that day, ….
*If someone says Christmas ham, and you think you are getting a radio, …
If you have to go outside to get something out of the fridge, …
If the hood of your truck is higher than the roof of your house, …
If your tires are worth more than your truck, …
If your honeymoon involved time at a deer camp, …
If you always thought “Guns and Roses” was something you
get for your anniversary, …
If your favorite restaurant has a gas pump in front of it, …
If your favorite cologne is Deep Woods Off, …
If your 23-channel CB radio is used to communicate with your family, …
If you’ve ever had a conversation about truck tires that lasted
more than an hour, …
If you keep catfish in your aquarium, …
If you know how to milk a goat, …
If your flashlight holds more than four batteries, …
If your 5-year-old can rebuild a carburetor, …
If your wife’s best shoes have steel toes, …
If your idea of home security is keeping all the guns loaded, …
*If your idea of gun control means being able to hit what you aim at, …
*If you don’t know your Social Security number, but know 2nd
Amendment, the Star Spangled Banner, and the Preamble to the Constitution
word for word, …
JWR Adds: Let me know if you have any others to add to the list. A
tip of the hat to comedian Jeff
Foxworthy, ( http://www.jefffoxworthy.com/
) who inspired Rourke's post.
Ponder the full implications of The
Debt Clock. See: http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Ldebtclock.htm
. . .
SurvivalBlog reader H.W. mentioned that Jim McCanney at www.jmccanneyscience.com has
a series of lectures about extra solar system objects for the next eight weeks.
(The series began 12-8-2005).At the website scroll down until you see the archives
for each week's show.
. . .
As reported by Reuters-Italy, Frank Holmes, the CEO of U.S. Global Investors
predicts the spot price of gold to advance to $650/oz. in Aught Six.
He cited short supply and burgeoning demand, particularly in Asia. See:
http://www.borsaitaliana.reuters.it/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=fundsNewsUK&storyID=2005-12-13T132152Z_01_NOA348023_RTRUKOC_0_FUNDS-INTERVIEW-GOLD.xml&archived=False
. . .
The recent correction in the price in silver (currently down to around
$8.50 per ounce) might be a good chance to buy, those of you that
thought that you missed the boat. I don't have a crystal ball,
but logic dictates that silver will probably be back to +/-$9.30 by
the end of the
year. That will just about cover what you would pay in a typical dealer's
commission. (The
dealer's premium much higher on silver than gold, due to higher shipping
costs.) OBTW, the temporary disparity with the price of gold (which
hasn't
corrected
nearly
so much)
has pushed
the silver-to-gold price ratio to more than 61-to-1! (Two weeks
ago it was 58-to-1.) So this might also might be a good chance
to "ratio trade" and diversify into silver for
any
of you that feel over-invested in gold. (For example, if you do not
have enough silver on hand for barter.) As
my brother says: "Balance in all things!"
Note from JWR: Many thanks to all of you that responded to our Ten Cent Challenge! OBTW, a few of you that are serious Secret Squirrels sent anonymous greenback cash or PMO payments without return addresses, so I was unable to send you personal thank yous. So let me express my thanks here: A SINCERE THANK YOU!
A brief reminder to e-mail us your entries for the second round of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best article will win a four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!) Because of the success of the contest, we decided to repeat it. "Round 2" of the contest will end on the last day of January, 2006.
A fast moving storm moved across the mountains, dumping heavy wet
snow. The eight Mountain Men had made an almost fatal error. They
stayed too
long in the high country. Now cut off from retreating from the
mountains they must survive and winter in this valley high in the
mountains
in what is today Wyoming. The pass was filled with eight feet of
wind drift snow that no man or beast could enter or leave until the
Spring thaw.
The eight men decide to spend the week hunting for food to store
for winter. At the end of the week only one small deer was taken.
All
the hunting parties reported the same thing, the valley was empty
of large game. At the end of the second week there food was completely
out and the men were hungry and cold. Finally one man suggest that
they trap the beaver for food. Throughout the winter they caught
enough
to survive. Not enough to make and easy living but enough to pull
through the brutal winter. A early spring thaw in March open the
pass and
a small of herd of 11 buffalo enter the valley. Soon the buffalo
were turned into steaks and roasts. The men had survived the winter
of 1804-05.
I read this account years ago and it has effect my life in many
ways. Many lessons are taught in this short story. The unprepared
can die. Counting on harvesting large game is not always possible.
When hunting fails their traps saved their lives. Today we have more
modern
equipment
lightweight snares that can catch and hold the animals. How to set
these snares is simple. First you need to understand the basic
parts. On one end is swivel. This so the animal can twist without
breaking the cable. The next part is called a support collar it looks
like a small piece of spring. The support collar job is to hook on
to the support wire to hold the snare at the correct height. Next
is the self-locking snare lock. There are different types of snare
locks. Some such as the cam lock are designed
to kill the animal. Others are designed to relax
once the animal is caught, like a choke collar.
Say that you want to snare the raccoon that is coming into a corn field.
You walk the edge of the woods and find the trail entering the field.
Normally the coons will leave sign on what trail they are using like
pieces of corn stalk and if you follow the trail in sometimes you
find a pile of rocks or log with pile of corn cobs around it. The
coons
do this a lot in coyote areas. They are vulnerable to coyote attacks
in the open so they learn to grab a corn cob and enter the woods
climbing on a rock pile so they can watch for coyotes as they eat.
On this trail
you will find a place to set the snare where the trail is narrow
down. Like between two small trees or under a fallen branch, limb,
or tree.
You can anchor the snare with 1/2" steel rebar stake.
Or go around a tree feeding the snare lock through the snare swivel.
Open the
snare
to an 8 inch loop and set it three inches off the ground. You can
use light wire like 14 gauge wrap around the tree with a small piece
coming off. Bend this over at the end and feed it into the support
collar. That is it. When the coons comes down the trail he walks
into the
snare
and is
caught.
Snaring is literally that simple. No big secret trick to it. Now
using scent lure to help increase your odds of catching animals.
Lure are designed
to attract the animal to the snare or trap. Normally lures are made
out of 4-to-6 different ingredients. The difference between us and
animals is that animals smell so much better, so they can tell each
different part of the lure. Animals just like people have different
taste.
You might
like Pizza Hut and your friend would prefer McDonalds. By having
the different ingredients you cover a wider choice for the animals.
Basically
you cover something that will cause the vast majority of the animals
to come visit the set. The lures are high concentration and designed
to last for years and years. When using snares it is a good idea
to place a small amount on a cotton ball on each side of the snare.
Not
real close to the snare about 2-3 feet on either side of the snare.
This increases the odds that the animal will take the trail your
snare is on.
Now when using a conibear trap you normally want the lure on the
other side or behind the trap so the animal is trying to pass through
the
trap to get to the lure. My bucket set (as seen in my Beginning
Trapping DVD) and some raccoon lure placed on a cotton ball.
Toss the cotton ball behind the trap. This has caught thousands of
coons for my students. One
real
good friend
caught
a 39 pound coon using this system. When other folks ask what he uses
for bait and lure, he says that he "...can't remember." Like
a fishermen, he told me, he has kept his lure secret so he could
catch more
animals.
:-)
Just like any fast moving storm you too may be caught in a life or
death struggle. Remember the old Mountain Man story the traps are
why they survived the winter. Today, other factors can be just as
fatal as being trapped
in a mountain valley for the winter. Today it could be the Bird Flu,
terrorist attack, economic collapse, etc. The old Boy Scout motto
applies: always be prepared because as
we have seen, being unprepared could be
a fatal mistake. - Buckshot (Of Buckshot's
Camp: http://www.buckshotscamp.com)
Jim,
Thanks for your info on EMP protection,
but it has created more questions than answers on some points. My current
EMP protected items include
several 12 volt inverters, solar chargers, shortwave, CB,
and FRS Radios.
I believe that most items on the grid will be cooked (those plugged
in)
People preparing today are putting money into generators, and solar
power with Trace inverters. These are supposed to be “fine” with
an EMP but a modern car will be toast? I am going to build a steel
building, with small mesh in the concrete pour and have the whole thing
grounded (giant Faraday box). That should cover the modern truck, tractor,
ATV and generator. Any thoughts? - Rusty
JWR Replies: An "EMP Proof" garage is a great idea for anyone that is living in "footprint country." (Within 280 miles of a major urban area--and hence at risk to a terrorist EMP nuke attack.) Needless to say, be sure not to run any cables (power, phone, or data) into a Faraday structure!
Is the sling that David is referring to in his latest piece; "David
in
Israel
Re:
Firearms for Survival" the same type as that shown in this link?
http://www.israelmilitary.com/product_info.php?cPath=6295&products_id=547 -
Thanks,
C.W.
JWR Replies: Yes, believe that is the type that he was referring to.Ther Israeli sling arrangement is nice in that the sling is top-mounted so that the rifle doesn't flip upside down when you let go of it. Sling arrangements for rifles tend to be very subjective and personalized. Use whatever works best for you, your stature, your personal circumstances, and your intended use. For me, a plain old M60 black padded nylon sling works fine for nearly all of my rifles and shotguns in most circumstances-- assuming that they have top mount sling swivels. This sling is quiet and foolproof. It is also long enough that it can be very versatile. (For example, a few M60 slings linked linked together with couple of saplings and a poncho can make a hasty stretcher.)
OBTW, for those of you that are newbies: Proper "patrol carry" of a long gun in hostile territory is normally with the sling completely detached and stowed in you pack or in a cargo pocket. That way you keep your rifle in your hands, where it belongs. For really long distance marches while carrying a rifle slung (in semi-secure territory), the rifle is best carried horizontal at your waist (using top mount sling swivels or a top-mount sling adapter--such as the excellent Holland's of Oregon rifle stock pouch with top mount sling D-ring). In my experience, it is best to have the sling routed only around the back of your neck. That way you can shoulder the rifle quickly. Do not route the sling under one arm or it will hamper you in getting the rifle into action.
James:
Good to see this discussion of Seismic Intrusion Detectors. Since
I've been using these for the last 20 years I thought I'd pass
along some of my experiences with the systems and devices. First, the
AN/PSR-1A:
I got my first one at a gun show after looking high and low for them.
The seller had no idea what it was. The previous owner had left the
D cells in it until it corroded. It came with the original four sensors
plus another 14. Super neat. With a good set of batteries and holders
it's worked like a champ ever since. Sure it takes commo wire but so
what. The nicest thing about it is with a small 9 volt DC radio shack
amplifier and a clip lead you simply clip onto the leads showing the
indication and you can not only hear stuff, you can listen to conversations.
It's that good. [Here is a real life example:] You should have heard
whatever it was that was eating the deer it took down and NO, I didn't
go down
there
until
morning.
Secondly, the AN/TSR-3A Wireless Seismic Intrusion Detection Set:
I originally got a set of these neat RF (read wireless) units for peace
of mind while camping and then bought more as I ran across individual
units. Daily, I use one in each vehicle as a wireless alarm, set to
the minimum sensitivity and with the sensor horizontal (which is the
least sensitive position). If the car even moves a little or even a
fingernail tap on the window, the 2 meter on my belt beeps merrily
away and I can be as far as a mile or two away from the vehicle. They
come as a set of four on one of six frequencies (I think it's 6) so
I acquired mine on three different frequencies.
Between the different frequencies and the fact that they each beep
out 1,2,3 or 4 beeps, each with a different tone, I readily know where
the action is.
BTW, "Springmtnd" was dead on regarding Merino Wool! It's great (and,
now, newly acquired) ... Thanks!
Regards to you and the Memsahib.- The Army Aviator
Jim,
Have you checked out "Dakota
Alert"? (See: http://www.dakotaalert.com) Intrusion detection
is their specialty. - S.A.M.
JWR Replies: The Dakota Alert sensors are far more reliable than those Chinese junk systems that you typically see on eBay. You pay more for quality.
JWR,
Wanted to comment on your reply to Rourke. I agree with you that independently
managed homesteads are superior to the communal style that Rourke describes,
but for a different, much simpler reason: human nature.
In ANY communal system where fixed resources are shared, some members
consume more than others, and the others get jealous. This is the basic
reason that communism is untenable. A small group of people (family
size) can emphasize frugality and make it stick, because wasting resources
really may kill a loved one. The more extended the group becomes, the
less well people
know each other, the less 'real' the threat is to any individual, and
the more envious of others any one may become. Rourke's idea of banding
together for common defense is certainly a good one, but unless someone
can ensure that all of the participants begin with equal resources
and consume
anything communal at an equivalent rate, then the seeds for destruction
will have been sown. Just to be clear, I am not denigrating human selfishness
in any way. I, in fact, defend rational self-interest as the well-spring
from which society has emerged. But I also know that while self-interest
is in the nature of every man, rationality is not. Keeping the groups
small and self-managed, in a voluntary association with others, is
the only
tenable arrangement for long term survival. - M.W.
Jim,
I received this earlier this morning: "You might pass this on
to the blog from Joel Skousen. Rourke doesn't have a clue about how
ugly the infighting and disagreement can be in among independent-minded
and argumentative survivalists--especially those that start out as
religious communities. I've seen virtually every survival community
blow apart or split into various factions over the knotty decisions
about shared facilities! Bad idea. JWR is right--keep it all private except
for perhaps the water supply." Great site and blog, - W.
James;
I just saw your letter from Rourke regarding survival communities.
What he's describing is very similar to a concept called "Co-Housing".
[It] combines both private property with commonly-owned (or controlled)
property. Good information about the concept and implementation variations
available at http://www.cohousing.org/.
Hope this helps! Debra (at The
Claire Files)
Mr. Rawles,
The Rivendell community in rural Virginia was set up along similar lines in
the buildup to Y2K. The folks
there were interested in forming an explicitly Christian, Reformed, home
schooling community that would foster group self-sufficiency. Their website
(http://www.mistymountain.org/)
is still active, but seems to have changed to theological study. -
TFA303
Note from JWR: I have updated yesterday's post (Dec.
11, 2005) on the potential radius of EMP effects. The revised figure
is a radius of 280 miles, based on a higher anticipated maximum potential
altitude for some business jets. (See below.)
For those who have ever considered the idea of a survival community,
I would like to propose a few ideas for consideration from a real estate
developer’s perspective. The idea of cluster communities in rural
areas is a growing idea in states including Colorado. The idea is to
take some land, say 100 acres, and rather than breaking it up into
twenty 5 acre lots, you instead cluster the lots into twenty 1 acre
(or less) lots, and leave the remaining acreage as an undeveloped buffer
owned by the subdivision association (or a LLC it
controls), which is then controlled democratically by the home owners.
Taking this a
step further for survival purposes, it would be advantageous to have
a good part of that common land in crop production and have a working
relationship with a farmer, or perhaps work out the entire deal with
the farmer who owned the land in the first place to continue farming
that portion of land, and hopefully even bring in a little revenue.
Development costs for improving the lots are where this idea really shines.
While it is usually a good idea for each home to have its own well, shared
septic systems and backup power systems are cheaper if shared. Whether by a
large conventional septic system, a mound system, or a mini-sewer plant, a
waste water treatment system can be designed for easy and continuing operation
after TSHTF. Same goes for large
backup generator systems, which can be run off large propane tanks for long
term fuel storage, or diesel fuel, which lasts
for a good eight years with the stabilizer in it. The costs of a large battery
[bank] system, and perhaps a solar array and wind mill can all be added into
the development costs. There is also the opportunity to wire for an underground
house to house
phone or some type of intercom and party line communication system for alert,
command, and control. Communications after phone lines go down is often overlooked
even though they are the key to tactical coordinated defensive
responses. Also, transmissions can give away your position, as well as be monitored.
Also, since the media strives to make “survivalist” a bad word,
or as a new generation things instead of people eating bugs and getting voting
off the island, the community should rather hold out itself as being and example
of alternate energy, green building, green space, off-grid living, and self-reliance
living. Think about would you would build into such a development. - Rourke (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/survivalretreat)
JWR Replies: My covenant community concept is a bit different: Start with a 640 acre section of land and subdivide it into 20 to 60 acre parcels, leaving a 20 acre "Commons" green in the center. Also somewhere near the center of the section, set aside a few half acre lots for stores, small businesses, and an acre for a church meeting hall/community center. IMHO, a development with larger parcels and a reserved place for commerce would lend itself to greater self sufficiency and a real sense of community that rourke's plan outlined above
Other than shared wells, I'm not a big believer in public utilities. I think that having separate family-owned off-grid power systems would be much more resilient than the "single point of failure" created by having a shared power utility. In the region that I'm considering, undeveloped land sells for around $4,000 to $5,000 per acre for 20 acre parcels. So buying a 20 acre chunk costs about the same amount as buying a 1/2 acre lot in the suburbs.
OBTW, I'd like to gauge the level of interest for such a
project. If any of the readers of SurvivalBlog have the means and a
sincere interest in being part of a survival-oriented covenant community
in the inland Pacific Northwest, just send me an e-mail with "Preparedness
Community" in the title, and I will file them away until the project
gets going.
Jim:
Could you tell us more about a seismic intrusion detection system?
Until your recent comments on this being necessary for the security
of a hidden retreat, I had never even heard of such a thing. There
must be more novices like me who are soaking up like a sponge everything
you write, and would be very interested in knowing more. Thank
you, - Joe.
JWR Replies: I cannot over-emphasize the need for a proper intrusion detection system for a retreat. The simplest are the photocell "driveway alarms" which are commonly used on farms and ranches in the west. Most folks buy them just to have advance waning on when the UPS truck is approaching with a delivery. But they would also have some utility in a slow-slide scenario. If looters are stupid enough to come right up your driveway in the middle of the night, such a system will tip you off and give you enough warning to man a defense. Unfortunately most of these are dependent on 117 VAC power. You can often find these on eBay. Just be sure to get sturdy "Commercial" style system if you want it to last. (The $20 cheapo made in China systems are not designed to last.) You can expect to pay $50 to $150 for one of the good reliable ones.
Far more sophisticated systems have been used my the U.S. military since the 1960s. These used buried seismic probes to detect approaching vehicles, the footfalls of approaching troops, and even the vibrations from low flying helicopters. These are battery operated, and designed for tactical field use in all weather. The early type are hard-wired (typically with commo wire.) The later ones are wireless, but require more batteries, since a small radio transmitter is mated to each seismic sensor. Once you get used to using one of these, you can learn to easily differentiate between the footfalls of a man and a deer. I'm not kidding.
The "old reliable" is the hard-wired AN/PSR-1A. It was still used by USMC active duty units up until a few years ago. In fact, a few might still be lingering around USMC reserve units. They use six D-cell batteries, or can easily be adapted to any other 9 VDC source. They use 1950s technology (EMP proof) and are a bit heavy for man-pack use. The 1950s-style headphone supplied with these are a joke, but very simple to replace with a modern pair of headphones. Just make sure that the new ones have correctly matching impedance. Otherwise, I have no complaints about these units. They work fine for a fixed-site retreat. OBTW, SurvivalBlog readers Kitiara and John at the Forevervain Blog mentioned that they recently obtained one of these sets through eBay. Good choice!
OBTW, if you are an electronics wizard, Al Glanze at STANO
Components ( http://www.stano.night-vision.com/html/specials.html )
has several hundred spare PSR-1A seismic probes available. They are
very
rugged. If you were to mate some
of these with a modern chassis (the PSR-1A circuit diagram is pretty
simple) with a DSP chip that could trigger an audible alarm, you could
build yourself a fantastic retreat security system.
One of the best recent-production U.S. military systems is the AN/TRC-3A Wireless Seismic Intrusion Detection Set. This model will work well for both fixed site retreats and mobile (patrolling bivouac site) use. These are often in stock with a number of vendors including Ready Made Resources (one of our advertisers) and Fair Radio Sales. Both of these companies are very reputable. They can also be found on eBay, buy beware that eBay sellers are notorious for selling nonfunctional used electronic gear.
A seismic intrusion detection set will be a tremendous labor saver in the the event of TEOTWAWKI-type collapse. While they are not a proper substitute for a 24/7-manned LP/OP, having one of these sets could mean the difference between life and death if you are operating a survival retreat that is short-handed. When prioritizing your purchases, a good quality (full mil spec) seismic intrusion detection set should be near the top of your list. Don't skimp on this expense, or you will surely regret it later!
Mr. Rawles,
One vehicle that I would like to point out which I believe is pretty EMP proof
is the earlier Dodge Diesels...from around 1989-1993. They have 12 valve
Cummins engines which are completely mechanical driven with the exception
of a 12 VDC battery which basically keeps the fuel pump open. As long as
you have simple 12 volt battery power the vehicle cannot be shut down.
These vehicles can be acquired from around $4-10k depending on condition
and options. For simplicity you do not want the 24 valve and it should
also be noted that one can easily get 400,000 miles out of a well maintained
Cummins diesel engine. There are also several good internet resources for
the do-it-yourself mechanic for maintenance such as www.dieseltruckresource.com and www.turbodieselregister.com.
BTW: Patriots is
a great book! - John
James:
Bill in North Idaho's letter intrigued me, so I did some digging and thought
you would be interested in what I found. The FinCEN FAQ
is pretty clear that the requirements of being a 'dealer' only applies if
you buy and sell more
then $50,000 in one calendar year/tax year, so if you're buying up bullion
and not selling it (i.e. hoarding it) you don't count as a 'dealer' so this
specific ruling doesn't touch you. What it does do, is make most people selling
lots of gold/silver/jewels into 'dealers' which means they file IRS form
8300 and report it if a transaction is over $10,000 or they believe that
multiple transactions to one person will equal $10,000. Under my reading
of this, you can get around being on file somewhere by doing one of three
things:
1) Don't Buy From A 'dealer' Part I: 'retailers' are not always 'dealers' under
this language (if they buy from US sources they're probably not), so ask where
you buy if they comply with the FinCEN Anti Money Laundering rules. Note that
this will probably raise more alarm bells than SurvivalBlog readers would like
and might get your name on a 'suspicious transaction' form.
2) Don't Buy From A 'dealer' Part II: Private individuals who do less than
$50,000 a year don't count, so find a like-minded individual and buy from him/her.
3) Do It Slowly. Even under this ruling, buying from a 'dealer' your name shouldn't
go on a federal form unless you break $10k in one day. Spread out your purchasing
to multiple stores over a period and don't buy from one store too often. Don't
let them take your name/info and if they ask, don't go back.
This should, by my reading, keep your name off of any government forms. I don't
even know who you would ask for a 'professional' opinion, maybe a tax lawyer,
but I'm certainly not one.
Hi Jim,
Just wanted to send a short note to let you know how much I enjoy the site
and the information there. Also, awhile back, Buckshot had posted a great
article on trapping and a special on his DVDs trading for some 90% [pre-1965
U.S.] silver. I wanted to let you know what a great guy Buckshot is, and
Mrs. Buckshot is pretty terrific as well. I've done a little trading with
him and found him to be an honest and straightforward guy. His videos
and traps are terrific! Their e-mails and service is second
to none. I'd recommend him to all your readers. Thanks Again, - Craig
Note from JWR: Please continue to spread the word about SurvivalBlog. Just a brief mention of our URL in your e-mail footer will add thousands of daily readers.
SurvivalBlog reader Joe. K. mentioned in a recent e-mail that one of my heroes, Dr. Jack Wheeler, posted a dismissive article about the EMP threat, back in June. (It was posted at Wheeler's excellent "To The Point News" subscription website: http://www.tothepointnews.com/ ) Wheeler is a fascinating fellow. Back in the 1960s, he swam the Hellespont, climbed the Matterhorn, and went tiger hunting as a civilian in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. All of this before he was 25 years old. He also spent a lot of time living with head hunters in the Amazon jungle. But I digress... Wheeler's article, titled "The EMP Annoyance" soft-pedals the EMP threat. Although Wheeler is usually spot-on in his economic analyses, I think that he missed the mark in this case His main premise is based on the fact that the Starfish Prime EMP high altitude hydrogen bomb test at Johnston Atoll in 1962 caused only transitory power grid and radio disruption 700 miles away in Hawaii. But what he forgets is that those were the days of simpler electronics--when much of America was still primarily using electron tubes and just a few transistors. Modern microcircuits, with their incredibly small gate dimensions are at an order of magnitude greater risk to EMP.
Wheeler is correct in his assertion that terrorists will probably
not have access to hydrogen (fusion) bombs--just traditional fission
bombs. Nor will they have access to any means of detonating a
nuke at extremely high altitude to maximize its line of sight (LOS)
"footprint" area of effectiveness. But nation states like China have both.
Several SurvivalBlog readers have written to ask me about the
greatest potential effective range of an EMP-optimized nuclear detonation.
The
answer is both
easy and
impossible to determine. Let me explain. First, the easy part. The basic
LOS footprint range calculation is really simple. It
is essentially the same as the calculation that is used to determine the
maximum
effective
range for
a VHF or UHF radio
onboard an aircraft. Referring back to one of my unclassified notebooks
from my Electronic Warfare (5M)
course
at Fort Huachuca, I find:
Assuming level terrain, the maximum potential radius of LOS in nautical
miles (nmi) = square root of the emitter's altitude (in feet) x 1.056. Hence,
that
would be 149.3 nmi at 20,000 feet ASL, or 191.8
nmi at 33,000 feet ASL. (A
typical jet or C-130's service ceiling. SurvivalBlog reader "Flighter"
mentioned: "...some of the larger business jets such as the Airbus
ACJ, Gulfstream, Challenger, and Citation are
certificated to fly at or above 41,000 feet. The Sino
Swearingen SJ30, is perhaps the highest flyer with a certificated ceiling
of 49,000 feet. A dangerous parabolic
flight profile could with supplemental oxygen for the flight crew perhaps
push apogee to 75,000 feet in a few
aircraft models. (Hey,
it would be a suicidal flight anyway.) That is probably the highest altitude
that could be expected for
a terrorist to
touch
off
a nuke--at
least
in the near
future. That would equate to a footprint with a 280 mile radius.
Now on to the part that is impossible to predict: long range linear coupling. Because telephone lines, power lines, and railroad tracks will act as giant antennas for EMP, the EMP waveforms will be coupled through those structures for many, many miles beyond line of sight (BLOS). Just how many miles BLOS is not yet known. I believe that if it were not for the advent of the Atmospheric Test Ban Treaty and the Outer Space Test Ban Treaty, the DOD and AEC would have had the opportunity to conduct far more extensive tests to further characterize the panoply of potential EMP effects. But those test bans have kept us in the dark. In the absence of practical data, there is a lot guesswork, even among "applied physics" specialist nuclear weapons scientists. We may not know the full extent of the EMP risk until after we see that bright flash on the horizon.
For planning purposes, you can
probably safely assume that if you are living more than 280 miles
from a major city, then your vehicle electronics will be safe from
a terrorist nuke's EMP.
(Since
you
will
be BLOS to the EMP footprint of a nuke that is set off below 75,000
feet ASL.) Your home electronics, however, anywhere in CONUS might
be at risk due to long range linear coupling--that is
if your house is on grid power. This, BTW, is one
more good reason for you to set up your own off-grid self sufficient
power system.
James:
I'll start with a confession: It is hard for me, a true "heavy
battle rifle/ M1911 .45/ one shot is all it takes" kind of
guy to advocate hosing down and running. Reading posts
about the tinkering and modding is fun but as I hear the Arabs across
the wadi from me get all fired up and shoot into the air (I hope).
I realize it is not about looking cool but staying alive.
Attacking the most controversial issue, let's sit back and watch the
flames spread
from this!
1-Concealment and deception. Be "The Gray Man" (see my post
on this concept, Thursday, November 3, 2005 in the Survival Blog Archives),
avoid the fight.
2-If it is too difficult, eventually you will likely not do it. [For
example, heavy/ungainly guns get left in places where they are not
quickly accessible.]
Speaking
with survivalists, the first topic is almost always firearms. While
a fun hobby we must discuss separating the hobby aspect from
the application. A survivor with limited resources must consider
the utility of the tool he intends to purchase. The firearm is not
to be
on the top
of your
preparation list. Don't let the Audie Murphy fantasy knock you off
the track to survival.
Reasonable assumptions to be applied to survival weapons:
1- You are not the Army, so don't try to copy the army
2- You are not an offensive unit--his is contrary to survival in almost
all cases.
3- Hunting is for sport, trapping and/or livestock are food except
in cases of target of opportunity, the time wasted on a hunt is needed
elsewhere.
4- In most locations the largest dangerous animal is a human.
5- Long range shooting is both fun and cool, you likely won't have
a good reason to do that.
6- A heavy weapon will slow you down some no matter how strong you
are
7- People are rightly frightened by bullets whizzing past them
We can waste quite a bit of time fighting over these assumptions but we are looking at statistics and not an emotional attachment to a favorite in your collection. This is to be primarily a defensive arm to keep you alive--saving you from one or more raiding thugs, before order is restored.
Group 1
Heavy battle rifles are awesome to behold, tossing a 180 grain slug
at the bad guys or imagining the force of a butt stroke from the
oak
stock
is what some fantasies are made of. Reality is that unless you have
a disability which limits your running they make the quick sprints
that save lives more difficult. The heavier slug is not a major deciding
factor unless you plan on assaulting troops in body armor. For survival,
I consider these in a similar class to a light machine gun, good
for
a fixed fortification or military assault but not for protection.
Group 2
Assault style rifles, SMGs, and carbines offer a handy easily portable
weapon but can provide quick suppressing and aimed fire assuming a
large magazine. A few shots to keep their heads down as you back up
is what living to see another day is made of. Only the most hardened
(stupid) soldier
will not duck when gunfire is aimed in their direction. The chances
of you taking an aimed (G-d forbid) kill shot are low, you and your
loved
ones should be worried
about how to get away with the time you have bought. Try to get a weapon
which has some aimed fire accuracy beyond 10 meters. CAR-15/M4 with
an Israeli sling
would be my choice.
Group 3
Scout Rifle
Light and handy, reliable bolt action accurate at long range. Sadly
it may be less of a deterrent as it doesn't look as aggressive. A beautiful
hunting or ultra light sniper arm, [but] its slow action makes laying
down suppressing fire impossible.
Handguns
A regular magazine is good for carry and normal usage but in the case
of an encounter with rifle armed opponents a 30 round mag will give
you the spray power
to make your escape. A detachable stock (if available/legal in your
country) helps with aim and handling, but you likely will be drawing
from a holster and not have
time to attach it.
Combat is usually fast and unexpected--an ambush or a raid. Humans
with a desire to live will almost always disengage at any sign of real
resistance. Suppressing
fire while not normally lethal will buy time for retreat and maneuver.
Fantasy is made of one shot kills. This fantasy is built in static
training ranges. Marksmanship is absolutely vital (thousands of rounds
a year) but training should include several sprints before quickly
taking you place on the line, while you are still winded. ALWAYS
HAVE A SAFETY SPOTTER. While winded, practice taking snap shots from holster
and slung positions.
Team paint ball (real competition not weekend buddy fun) will safely
let you experience something like the confusion of a firefight and
the utility of suppressing fire mixed
with a few aimed shots.
Proper training and drill time must be invested to use aimed fire during a fire fight. Even the most committed range shooter likely has not had the proper mental/psychological drilling to enable them to effectively return aimed fire if ambushed or raided. It takes real discipline to keep to the plan and fall back in an organized way rather than dropping pack and running (sometimes the best tactic) or laying down fetal position and expelling ones bowels.
Interestingly, since the Yom Kippur war standard selector setting on
our M16s is on semi-auto after they almost ran out of 5.56 ammunition.
In serious combat units most soldiers pack a M4 orCAR-15 with a reflex
sight with one or two ACOG scopes per squad. The reflex sight chalieem can do
snap shots while the sharpshooters get the more distant targets.
Jim:
See: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ A
sub part of this site was mentioned in the article that you posted Friday,
but I’d
recommend posting this main page of the site.
People forget we had an asteroid pass very close to us last year, just
2/3 the distance to the moon. (Called a lunar distance or "LD").
Let’s look at two more things. 1.) NASA just recently proved
they can hit an asteroid with a satellite. Doesn’t that strike
you as at least a little odd they would spend the money to do that
just for researching the impact? 2.) Now, did you also notice that
the military is working on a new type of “bunker busting” nuclear
penetration bomb that survives for 100 milliseconds, burrowing into
the ground through concrete and steel, and then goes off? Put the two
together and you have a far more realistic approach to busting an approaching
asteroid than was portrayed in the movies Deep Impact or Armageddon.
- Rourke
Mr. Rawles,
I have been enjoying reading your excellent blog. Some thoughts for
you on the post from Rourke and the troubles presented by EMP.
The only circuit breaker that could possibly open before an EMP surge
could do damage are some large (400+ pounds) industrial types and they
start at about $40,000. Be quite the installation. Any breaker you
can get for less than that just ain't nearly fast enough.
You want to be a bit careful about installing a grounding system in
your house that isn't connected to the house's grounding system, if
it has one. The National Electrical Code forbids it, and for good reason.
Let's say I build a Faraday cage in my basement, and drive a ground
rod just for it. Now let's say that my home is grounded--most are.
If the physical arrangement of my cage is such that I can touch the
cage
and something else metallic in my basement, such as a washer,
dryer, freezer or some such because there are now two separate ground
pathways there can be a voltage difference between the two and since
I'm touching both I become the conductor for any voltage differences.
Does that make sense?
Grounding systems for some large installations can be huge and very
complex, but they are all, electrically one system so no voltage differences
can exist.
Hope this helps. - Catshooter
Jim,
Most all of the current US Army field manuals (FMs) are available
for download directly from the Army at: http://atiam.train.army.mil/soldierPortal/appmanager/soldier/start?_nfpb=true&docGroup=official&_pageLabel=rdlservicespage
Note: Some are restricted access to those with a .gov or .mil
address, but many can be downloaded by anyone. BTW, the Army
for some reason
decided to 'modernize' the numbering system and the 5-series
manuals are now 3-series. Generally, though, the older manuals
(some of
which are available, as mentioned, from globalsecurity.org
or FAS.org)
are also useful.
The newer manuals are more technology intensive than the older
ones. It's good knowing the current state of the art though.
Keep up the
excellent work on SurvivalBlog!
JWR Adds: Anyone in the active military, Reserve, in the National Guard, retired from the military, or that works for a defense contractor can get a Army Knowledge Online (AKO) web account. (See: http://www.army.mil/ako/ ), which will give you access to the entire library of U.S. Army manuals. I presume that AKO accounts might be also available or anyone that is on a Civil Defense team.
I just discovered that SurvivalBlog reader Matt C. has his own blog: www.parallaxadjustment.blogspot.com. Matt's blog centers on his tactical firearms training. He is a regular shooter at a weekly class taught by a certified CHL/Lethal Use of Force trainer. Matt chronicles these lessons and passes on some great pearls of wisdom. Be forewarned that he uses a bit of off-color humor and language, but I recommend his blog. Good stuff.
...
Some disturbing reading on GWB's opinion of the Constitution: http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7779.shtml
...
I heard that George at The
Pre-1899 Specialist has put some of his hand selected Model
1893 8x57mm
Oberndorf Mauser bolt action rifles (German made, Turkish contract) on
sale for $169 plus shipping. See: http://www.antiquefirearms.org/blog.html.
NO FFL is required for shipping right to your doorstep, in most states.
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined." - Patrick Henry, during the Virginia Convention to Ratify the Constitution (1788)
Electromagnetic pulse (EMP), is now a commonly know effect thanks to movies
showcasing the nuclear version such as Goldeneye (James Bond) and the remake
of Ocean’s 11 which shows a non-nuclear version. The real question for
survivalists is: what is EMP actually going to do to my valued equipment and
what can I realistically do about it? Let’s start with lightening since
it is very well understood. We know that lightening will tend to seek out the
highest conductive point that is grounded and then seek to flow through a conductor,
often back and forth a few times, until the electrical charge imbalance between
the cloud and ground is neutralized. To protect buildings, lighting rods have
been erected on them historically to channel the electrical current around
the building and into the ground.
With EMP the concept of channeling the energy away from what we wish to protect
is somewhat similar. EMP is a pulse of energy, and travels through everything.
The idea is to shield something from it my placing it in (surrounding it with)
a conductive (metal) box that is then grounded (preferably into the earth).
The conductive box thus channels a large amount of the electrical energy passing
into it down the ground, sparing what is inside of it from the full force of
the electro magnetic pulse.
The good news is such a Faraday Cage or Faraday Shielding need not be expensive.
A metal file cabinet or inexpensive light weight gun safe will work. I bought
a used heavy metal box that I think was originally used to keep coal or sand
in. What you want is a complete and connected conductive metal (steel) exterior
surface,
not
a grid or cage with gaps (this is why the term Faraday Cage is actually not
a good term since with a cage people think of bars). [JWR Clarifies: Actually,
a cage-like structure would work, but the largest gap in the mesh would have
to be less than 1/4 of the wavelength of the expected pulse. Hence, 1/2" wire
mesh should be sufficient.] Ideally
you should connect a very heavy gage electrical wire (monster cable or 220
volt
heavy
electric
wire) to a stand-alone dedicated ground (usually a copper rod drilled in below
your basement floor). Some people say connect it to your copper plumbing or
steel pipes. The problem with this is that the pipes could act as an antenna
and actually channel energy to the Faraday shield. Just talk to an electrician
about putting in a ground.
Although the Faraday principal says the electrical items are safe inside as
long as they are not connected or touching the exterior shield, I think you
still have to worry about the spark gap. Thus my advice is to put your expensive
electronic stuff (computer, laptop, night vision, digital camera, radio equipment,
etc.) into plastic tubs with plastic lids, and that then into the Faraday Cage.
Plastic of course was developed as an insulator for radar in WWII, which due
to it’s high voltage had to have an insulator between metal parts so
the electricity didn’t just spark through the air (spark gap). Mineral
oil has also been used as an insulator in high voltage equipment.
Remember, having anything plugged in, or hooked to an antenna defeats the purpose
of shielding around it as you have provided an electrical highway [an unintentional
antenna] right in. The use of a [lightning protection fast] fuse on such necessary
plugged in
equipment is probably your best bet as I fear a circuit breaker is not going
to react
quickly
enough
to
save
delicate equipment. However, I am not an electrical engineer nor am I claiming
to be an EMP expert here. I am just trying to apply practical solutions to
the problem and welcome the constructive criticism or correct by others who
are more knowledgeable and can offer better solutions to the problem. - Rourke
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/survivalretreat
More on the subject:
Understanding EMP: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/5971/emp.html
EMP Bomb: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/pages/ebomb.html
Faraday Cages: http://www.unitedstatesaction.com/emp_and_faraday_cages.htm#qst
Duncan Long on EMP: http://standeyo.com/News_Files/NBC/EMP.protection.html
Dear Mr. Rawles,
On 5 Dec. '05 you recommended the "5-" series Army Engineer
Corps
manuals. [Some of] these manuals are on the net to download at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/index.html More
U.S. military manuals can be downloaded from links at:http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/index.html
. And BTW, http://www.globalsecurity.org/index.html is
a very good
site
to
see what
the
military is planning for a influenza outbreak. - Simon.
Jim,
Beware of a second pouring to thicken a concrete shelter lid for added
fallout protection. It is essentially a dead load that causes the lid
to get closer to it’s stress limit. Thickness adds strength only
when it is part of a single pouring, with all the needed rebar integrated.
I would advise consulting an engineer before adding unforeseen load
to a concrete span. - Mr. Bravo
JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that! I have just
added a proviso to my original post.
Jim,
It looks like our rulers are going to tighten the noose on reporting requirements
for bullion purchases to chip away at anonymous buyers effective January
1, 2006. See: http://www.fincen.gov/faq060305.pdf FDR started
the ball rolling in 1933. See: http://www.the-privateer.com/1933-gold-confiscation.html.
This FINCEN ruling may be the precursor to the next confiscation coming down the pike. Instead of “hoarding”, the new buzzword is now money-laundering prevention. As with guns, the strategy is to attach names and addresses to potentially confiscated goods to facilitate asset seizure and forfeiture.- Bill in North Idaho
"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." - Ayn Rand, from the novel Atlas Shrugged
The statistical chance of a large asteroid striking the Earth in any given year is very small--in fact almost statistically insignificant--since such events occur on average only once in more than 10,000 years. However, the consequences if such an event were to occur would be tremendous--perhaps even an "extinction level event." Recent advances in astronomy have led to the realization that a large number of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) that have true "Earth-crossing" orbits was far greater than was originally estimated. See: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ps/mpc.html
The Tunguska, Siberia event in 1908 and the Curucá incident in Brazil in 1930 (in both of which it is suspected that a small asteroid vaporized before striking the Earth) are indicative that he asteroid threat is real. The1997 asteroid XF11's near miss (see: http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/ca_97xf11.html) should have served as a wake-up call, but politicians tend to be complacent about subtle threats unless they suddenly become non-subtle and a goodly number of registered voters get obliterated.
Here is another interesting site to peruse: http://www.pibburns.com/catastro/impacts.htm
It is not reassuring to read that a number of asteroid "near misses" (in terms of astronomical units) were detected only after the asteroid had passed.
A recent article in England's Guardian newspaper outlined
the threat posed by the 390 meter wide Apophis asteroid, which could
strike the Earth
in 31 years. An asteroid that large could represent the risk
of major climate change but not quite an extinction level event. (That
would probably take an asteroid more than a kilometer in diameter.)
In part, the article stated: "NASA
has estimated that an impact from Apophis, which has an outside chance
of hitting
the
Earth
in 2036,
would release
more
than 100,000 times the energy released
in the nuclear blast over Hiroshima. Thousands of square kilometers would be
directly affected by the blast but the whole of the Earth would see the effects
of the dust released into the atmosphere." To read the entire article, see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/space/article/0%2C14493%2C1660485%2C00.html
The World Tribune recently published some interesting excerpts from the new book, "War Footing: 10 Steps America Must Take to Prevail in the War for the Free World", by Frank J. Gaffney and Colleagues, reprinted with permission from the publisher, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. OBTW, I had the privilege of meeting Frank Gaffney, back when I was on the editorial staff of Defense Electronics magazine. I was favorably impressed with both his acumen and his common sense. For the full text of the review, see: http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/05/front2453711.9284722223.html
Mr. Rawles:
You recently advised your preference for masonry, adobe, and rammed-earth
retreat construction for the obvious ballistic protection and I agree.
But here in northern Idaho and Montana we have recently experienced
increased earthquake activity and you might caution your loyal readership
to
visit the excellent USGS website http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/states/idaho/hazards.html which
provides detailed USA earthquake zone maps. Three million folks in
Pakistan are now presently homeless because their bullet-proof houses
crumbled after the earthquake. Before anyone builds their retreat they
should also learn about California earthquake building codes and how
to add inexpensive metal strapping to wood construction so their retreat
does not also become their coffin in the event of an earthquake. Simpson
Strongtie Corp's website http://www.strongtie.com/products/strongwall/index.html?source=topnav is
the industry standard for hardening construction. Regards, - "Book"
JWR Replies: In that impoverished part of the world
they are famous for building masonry buildings with reinforcement,
since re-bar
is
expensive--at
least by Third World standards. But I definitely agree that regardless
of how much re-bar you might add, a wood frame house is much more suitable
than masonry in earthquake country.
With regard to motorcycles and EMP, modern Japanese and German bikes (I cannot speak for Harleys) have black boxes that are susceptible to EMP in the same way that car electronics are. Older bikes, of course, used points ignitions and should survive unscathed. A good rule of thumb to use would be that if a car of a particular year would survive, then a motorcycle of that same year probably would too. Might even be able to add a year or two, since bike development was always a little behind cars in the '70's. Depending on your primary anticipated needs, I would look for a mid-to-late 1970s Honda twin, like a CB500T. Slow but bulletproof. Lots of them made for many years. Some bikes from that era used 6 volt systems (the CB500T included). I know that the CB500F (four cylinder from that era) used a twelve volt system and is a much better street bike. The twin would be a better off-road bike since it is much lighter. Any off road use should involve different tires. Both Hondas had 19" rims if I remember correctly. Not sure if modern dirt bike tires would fit. Most Japanese bikes from that era should work in a SHTF scenario, with lots of parts commonality between models of the same brand. The beauty is that you could probably pick up three or four of the same older model right now dirt cheap, and have a couple of entire bikes worth of spares. The Japanese would use the same motor in several different models, (like street bikes and Enduro bikes), and just change the gearing (internal and sprockets) for different uses. If I had to think of the things that seem to wear out on these bikes it is cables and bulbs. A spare rectifier and a couple of sets of points and you should be good to go. Another thing to consider is that while the fast bikes of the time (GS1000, KZ1000, XS1100, et cetera) are still great bikes for highway use, they are all close to 600 pounds, and would be quite a handful if used off-road. Hope this helps. - The Other M.W.
Jim:
James K is right to assume that a motorcycle can make a good back-up
BOV. A dual-sport style motorcycle is fuel efficient, off-road capable
and can split lanes in a sudden G.O.O.D. situation (being from CA,
I assume that James is in a urban or suburban environment). Fortunately,
these are also the simplest of modern road bikes. Although fuel injection
is
becoming more widespread, all new DP bikes are still
carbureted (with fuel being fed by gravity). For simplicity's sake,
air-cooled is the best option here, since it is one less system to
fail. Models like the Honda XR650 and Suzuki DR650 would both offer
excellent performance and fuel economy. A bike equipped with a kick
starter would be great, although I am not sure that a decompression solenoid
would be affected by EMP. All modern bikes are vulnerable to EMP since
they use digital/transistorized ignition systems. The good news is
that these components are small and can be sealed in a homemade Faraday
cage. [JWR adds: Such as a metal can or biscuit
tin with a metal lid.] I am currently working on
building a battery
box that will
be large enough
to house
the ignition
circuitry
along with
the battery.
Spare ignition wires, and another ignition module/voltage regulator
would be wise precautions. - "Bossaboss"
Jim,
I see the question of EMP and motorcycles came up. Many of the newer bikes have
computerized ignition systems. Some even have similar fuel injection. They
are getting so hi-tech that they are in the same boat as the newer cars. The
prospective buyer just has to do a bit of homework and find
an older machine with [a traditional] points ignition. With most brands,
it has been a while since any have used points ignition, but there are many
bikes in garages with few miles on them that are hardly ridden.
Unfortunately, they almost always need: new tires, new battery, and to have their
carburetors cleaned
and re-built. Then you are ready for the road. It pays to use gas stabilizer
when storing, or shut off the fuel and run the carbs dry, thereby preventing
varnish build-up in the carbs. It is also a handy place to keep a little emergency
fuel handy for the generator or whatever while in storage for the winter. I always
shut off the fuel and run the carbs dry as winter approaches, not knowing when
the roads will be salted later in the fall. Now they have. I have had friends
tell me I will dry out the seals in my carbs that way, but it has never happened
yet, after many years of doing it this way. Thank you for keeping this going.
- Sid, Near Niagara Falls
JWR's Comment: Once again, the
SurvivalBlog readership has responded generously to a casual request
for information. I am constantly amazed by the breadth and
depth of knowledge that you folks have. Your collective knowledge is
one of the most important factors that has led to the phenomenal
success of SurvivalBlog. MANY Thanks!
"Thunder", one of the senior members and moderators over at The Claire Files Gulching/Self-Sufficiency Forum just posted a couple of useful URLs on various designs for homemade backpacking stoves. See: http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html and http://fallingwater.com/pct2000/gear/KissStove.asp.
...
The last time I checked, the spot price of silver was at $8.99 per ounce
and gold was at at $522.30 per ounce. Those of us in the contrarian "Gold
Bug"
minority camp are finally feeling vindicated. There will probably be a profit
taking dip soon, so stand ready to throw some of your spare change at this
charging bull. OBTW, you can get live quotes on precious metals with
our free ticker down at the
bottom of the SurvivalBlog Investing page.
...
I spotted an interesting background piece on Able Danger over on GovExec.com. See: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1205/120705nj1.htm
"The reality is ... pandemics happen. When it comes to a pandemic,
we are overdue and we are under prepared."
- U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, as
recently quoted at Breitbart.com
In my continuing search for the most ideal way to construct a secure
home or remote retreat with elements of survivability, stealth, off-grid
living, and yet keep it within the bounds of conventional financing,
I keep coming back to a version of the same idea; to build under your
garage, especially if it is attached. In the Northern region where
I am (Michigan), since one must dig down four feet for foundations
to safely be below the frost line anyway, the additional cost of going
another 4 or 5 feet isn’t very much. In fact, with the home I
just completed, I figure my additional cost of building a retreat under
my three car garage was about $25,000. This includes the Fort
Knox vault door, plumbing, electric, HVAC run
and return, treated floor, and hydronic heat I put down myself. With
780 square feet of living space, that’s
about $32 per square foot for space that would have otherwise been
filled in with dirt. Try to add on to your house for that cost. Besides
the costs, though, it was something I could do even with subdivision
building restrictions which would not have allowed me to build a bunker
The concept is simple and made easy by using reinforced poured concrete
walls 10” thick, and by using Span-Crete® or
any pre-stressed concrete product, which in my case covers a 30 foot
open span ($10,500).
Often, for not much more money, you can have them add more steel to
take even more weight. I know someone who did this so he could drive
in his 13,000 pound Bobcat into his garage with bunker under it. The
two foot wide segments are quickly set in place by crane ($500), then
they are covered with 2” of hard foam insulation, a 60 mil over-sized
rubber roof membrane ($700), and then 4 inches of concrete is poured
over that (which you were going to pour for your garage floor anyway,
thus zero additional cost). I curled up the edges of the rubber membrane
against the concrete walls of the garage (which come up about a foot
then are wood). After the garage floor was done, I cut the excess member
off about four inches up, then covered it with 2x6” treated wood,
nailed to the wall and caulked it. The rest of the construction is
conventional. There is a main doorway accessible from the basement
through what looks like a closet. It goes down a few steps because
it is slightly lower than the rest of the basement, and has a separate
sump pit and pump out. There is a Fort Knox inward-opening vault door
so that if the house collapses, the door will not be blocked by debris
since it opens into the retreat space. I also recommend a mechanical
lock, since electronic locks could be destroyed by EMP (how
frustrating would that be). Some people talk about blast doors. IMHO,
if a vault
door is not enough, you had better move further away from ground zero.
Six inch diameter PVC was
used in various places before pouring the basement walls for HVAC forced
air in and out, also with two separate
air vents,
intake
and outtake, and two more to run electric service and hydronic heat
hook ups through. Though my lot and situation did not allow it, a secondary
entrance/exit is a very good idea. Mine is unfortunately a pick axe.
To save on another vault door, you can use an old gun safe and torch
open the back as a walk through. Spend the money to have a good contractor
seal and insulate the exterior walls, such as one that offers a dry
basement guarantee of at least
10 years ($800 more for me--the entire house was $2,600). For the basement
floor, I used Rust-Oleum basement floor sealer. I also used the non-skid
additive, and it produced a very nice finish ($150). Just be sure to
ventilate when you do that or you will have a headache. Electrical
is simple, just conduit to outlets all around on the painted concrete
walls and ceiling, and regular ceramic light fixtures with efficiency
bulbs. A great place to have put the generator would have been under
the stoop of the front door, had I been a better planner. Mine is out
in the open, but I am putting in a DC backup system that also runs
to a solar panel on the roof. So what you finally get by doing this
is the addition of highly secure space to an otherwise conventional
home that most people would never
expect to be there in a residential home, under where you park your
vehicle. Since this was less than 20% of the cost of the house, and
added a lot of “storage space” or could be a “home
theater” room, the bank didn’t have a problem with it.
On the plans, it just looked like more finished basement space. One
more thing, I also ran plumbing into mine to allow for bathing. (A
shower, not a tub). One of the first things that I've noticed about
the bomb shelters
and
safe rooms that I have seen is the lack of a toilet. Even if you don’t
want to do the expense of running plumbing, be aware there are many
vented dry toilet or marine type (pump-out) alternatives. If you are
going to spend that much, I say at least spend a little more an make
it civilized.- Rourke
JWR Adds: For new construction, I recommend going to the expense of putting 10" to 12" of reinforced concrete overhead. That is sufficient to make your basement double as a fallout shelter. But that upgrade will of course make it obvious to the building contractors what you have intended. A ceiling of say eight inches thick probably wouldn't arouse suspicion. Perhaps a "do it yourself" second pouring of concrete would work (IF the floor beneath is engineered to take that sort of dead load), for those of you that are Secret Squirrels.
I also recommend that you fully conceal the entrance to your shelter. There are a number of ways to make a doorways disappear. Anyone that is relatively skillful with hand tools can build a pivoting bookcase door. (Tres Batman, Tres Chic.) To make the doorway less apparent, first remove all of the molding and then lower the top of the doorway from the standard 78 inches to perhaps 60 inches--filling in with framed rectangle and sheet rock. (Of course you'll have to be familiar with how to frame with 2x4s, cut sheet rock, tape, and texture to make this look right.) Then you can position a five foot tall bookcase in front of the the doorway. Yes, you will have to stoop each time that you pass through, but the entrance will be far less perceptible to all but the most keen observers. BTW, there are lots of similar ideas in the slim little tome titled: "The Construction of Secret Hiding Places" by Charles Robinson, (1981) published by Desert Publications.
Two inexpensive approaches to basement shelters that I've recommended
to consulting clients are: A.) Making
a full size basement appear to to be a "half basement" by
the addition of a solid wall or false wall. (Either make a hidden door
through the false wall, or a trap door to the walled-off room from
a room upstairs) and B.) Making
a
basement
disappear completely, by concealing its entrance (as described
above)
and by using some earth berming to hide any exterior evidence that
the house ever
had a basement.
In a recent economic analysis piece featured by our friends at Gold-Eagle.com, (http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_05/tustain120505.html), Paul Tustain outlines just how bad the national debt situations is, he compares our situation to Argentina a few years ago, and he predicts that Uncle S