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Going the Extra Mile in Amateur Communications, by Extraman
I really enjoyed reading the great novel "Patriots". In reading it, I picked up lots of good tips along the way. But I felt it really had very little contemporary information about communications, other than the chapter "Radio Ranch" which finally touched on an individual with a serious interest in radio communications. The use of Single Sideband (SSB), Citizens Band (CB) 27 Mhz radios, along with slightly modified "old" style low cost hand held "cheapo" radios really leaves a lot to be desired regarding how it could be done, on a fairly low budget.
It is my sincere belief that anyone even remotely interested in being prepared for what may come should obtain a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Amateur, or "ham" radio license.
While years ago, It was difficult to learn Morse code and pass the written exam for such a license, the code requirement has now been totally eliminated from all classes of amateur radio licenses.
These days, several companies sell printed books that contain the entire question pool (along with the answers) that will be on the written exams. Simply "highlighting" the correct answer to each question only, And then reading the question along with the highlighted Correct answer (only) After a few short weeks of about 10 minutes per day of such reading will easily allow most anyone to pass the written exam. Sample test runs are available online, free of charge.
The "Technician" class test is very easy to pass, which allows unrestricted operations on VHF and UHF). But I suggest spending the extra effort to get the "General" class license which also permits HF (High Frequency) world-wide communications. For general background on licensing see this site, and this one.
The main "bands", or [ranges of] frequencies that can be used by a ham operator range all the way from 160 meters (1.8 MHz) Up through 1.2 GHz and above. For more information about ham radio operation, A simple Google search will bring lots of results and information about this neat hobby, That could very well turn out to be a life saver in times of disaster. (In fact, Amateur radio does provide the main links in and out of disaster areas when normal modes like cell phones fail. This is proven time and time again. Most every large hurricane in the U.S. finds ham operators being the only means of communications in and out of the hard hit areas until normal services are restored.)
Once a person has talked halfway around the world with nothing but a radio, A piece of wire strung in the trees for an antenna, and a 12 volt car battery, with no infrastructure. (Like the commercial cellular or land line phone, Internet, etc systems that WILL fail at the worst possible time.) They will be "hooked" on the newfound ability to communicate without any outside help whatsoever (The commercial cellular and land line telephone systems fail during times of disaster as much because of simple "overload" (everyone trying to call someone at the same time) as the do because of infrastructure failure.
Many modern-day amateur radios are now designed to receive not only the "ham" band frequencies, But a wide range of other frequencies. So a VHF/UHF mobile type radio is also capable of receiving the AM aircraft band, FM Police, Fire, Ambulance, Business bands, Marine band, Including the NOAA "Weather" channels, etc etc. (But they may not decode some "big city" police trunked, and or encrypted communications) The lower frequency ham grade radios (HF) will also receive most everything from the AM broadcast band right up through VHF low band radio. This includes the international short wave broadcast stations like BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.), etc.
What many do not know is that with the simple "snip" of a diode or resistor inside these radios, They can be made to also transmit over that very wide frequency range! (This is the so-called MARS Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) or Civil Air Patrol (CAP) modifications, and is public knowledge all over the Internet. It is not illegal to thus modify these radios. It is illegal to use them to transmit outside of the ham bands unless you hold a valid MARS license, and then only on authorized frequencies for that use. (I have used old dental "pick" type tools to do this modification. (BTW, when you go to a dentist, ask for old used dental tools, Usually they are happy to give them to you.) to remove the [transmission mode blocking] resistor or diode mentioned. (The online sites will provide nice photos, I suggest a very bright light and a big magnifying lens. However, in a life-threatening emergency, FCC rules provide that pretty much "anything" goes........ So even though your radio that can now also operate on the 27Mhz CB band, it would not be legal to use it for that under normal circumstances, unless a genuine emergency exists.
There are a few radios that I have owned and experimented with and can confirm such operations. One of the very best mobile radios available is a Yaesu FT 8800 "dual band" VHF/UHF. This radio, After the simple snip of the diode can transmit all over the VHF and UHF band. This includes the business band portion (Which also includes such services as MURS (Multi Use Radio System), a license-free system on VHF FM, the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS),and Family Radio Service (FRS). It is really neat to have but one radio that can do all these things, Even though you cannot legally transmit on those other frequencies under normal circumstances.
The Yaesu FT 8800 radio will also "Cross Band" repeat, Right out of the box with no modifications. This means a person can set up two channels and talk through the radio from a small low power hand held radio, At the full power of the mobile radio. (Cross band repeat means to talk to the radio on one band, VHF for example, and the radio will automatically retransmit your signal on another band, For instance UHF, and vice-versa)
Speaking of hand held radios, My current favorite is the little micro size Yaesu VX 3. A tiny radio that can receive a very wide range of services, including commercial AM and FM broadcast. The simple snip of one little diode allows it to transmit on the GMRS band, Marine band, etc. A major advantage to the little micro size VX 3 is that it uses very common digital camera batteries that are available everywhere for a very low cost. (less than 5 bucks each for a nice Lithium ion battery including shipping!)
For a few dollars more, The Yaesu FT 60 has the full 5 watt power of larger hand held radios, Along with the full touch tone pad, (But is slightly harder to "snip" that diode..... The radio needs to be taken apart to get at it....)
Other good hand held radios include the Yaesu VX 7, VX 8, And the Icom T 90. These are all proven workhorse radios that will do the job.
For a base station type HF radio, The very best "Do it All" radio is the Kenwood TS 2000. The TS 2000 covers 160 meters through 440Mhz UHF, And even goes up to 1.2Ghz with an optional module. The same simple modification will allow the TS 2000 to operate all over, and the TS 2000 can "Cross Band Repeat" from not only VHF to UHF, But from HF to UHF! This means a person can monitor (And or also talk back) on HF through the TS 2000 from out in the field with the small hand held radio! Really neat to not being "stuck" indoors in front of the radio. You can be out in the garden monitoring your HF (or VHF) frequencies from the tall base station antennas, With nothing but the little shirt pocket size hand held radio! The TS 2000 is selling brand new right now for under $1,500.00 if you shop around. (Yes, Such radios after the aforementioned snip of the diode ARE capable of talking on 27Mhz CB etc in the event of a true disaster)
If a "better" quality HF radio is desired, Check out the Icom 756PRO series (PRO II, PRO III) The original PRO sells good used for $900 and up. These are high quality radios with a wide range "spectrum scope" that shows other signals on the band. But the Icom 756PRO series is HF only, no VHF/UHF, and it cannot crossband repeat.
There are lots of other radios that can operate on a wide range of frequencies, And have certain advantages (Along with disadvantages) For example, the Icom 706 series will do HF through UHF, And is a small light radio very capable of mobile operation. (The Icom 706 series is also a proven good radio). However, such radios cannot dual receive like the TS 2000 (Ability to monitor two frequencies at the same time, or cross band repeat) There are many others, such as the Yaesu FT 857, et cetera.. They all mostly operate from "menu" driven operation. (Not nearly as easy to operate for old timers like myself as a radio with more "knobs and buttons" Maybe younger computer types would enjoy them more.)
It is possible to operate on both the ham bands and your business band with one radio and not violate the law on a daily basis, but t needs to be done the "other way around" . You could take a commercial radio certified for the business band in question and simply program in the ham frequencies you want. This is 100% legal to do and operate on a daily basis. The drawbacks are that commercial radios are single band only. So if you wanted to have one on the two meter ham band and your VHF business band, And you also wanted to operate on UHF, then would need to have a second radio.
(All of these base or mobile radios operate from 12 volts DC (or 13.6 VDC) So will work fine from your solar panel battery bank) Speaking of which, I have been running all of my radios for many years now on just a single 12 volt "Marine" Deep Cycle type battery, Kept on a fully automatic 10 amp charger connected to commercial power--- In the event of a widespread and long term "power grid failure" that same battery can be kept charged with a solar panel. (I have several panels and have experimented with them, They do work well, But I have not resolved the overcharge regulation problem yet. (I have not yet spent the money for a commercial grade voltage regulator ["charge controller"] that will work with solar panels. Quality ones are expensive. Of course wind generators and other means of producing 12 volt power will work as well.
I suggest LED (Light Emitting Diodes) If electric light is desired, for their very low current consumption, to save precious battery power.
All radios need an antenna to be effective. All that is really needed to operate on the HF bands is some wire and some simple plans to cut dipole antennas. Stock up on electric fence wire and insulators from your local farm supply store for cheap antennas for the low HF bands! Although copper wire will work better than galvanized steel or aluminum fence wire, it costs lots more. And the cheap stuff will do the job.
For VHF and UHF radio operations, It is also possible to build your own antenna from scratch, But in most cases it is lots easier to just buy a decent VHF/UHF dual band antenna along with some good quality coax feed line cable. (For VHF/UHF, Keep the coax length as short as possible. TIMES LMR 400 is the coax of choice by the professionals for shorter runs of less than 70 or so feet)
For those on a real budget, It is possible to ask for "spool ends" of cable television "drop wire" from your local friendly cable TV guy. (Offer him a bag of donuts.). Even though that coax is 75 ohm and not the 50 ohm suggested for ham use, In most all cases it will work just fine, especially when you consider the very low cost! (On the lower HF frequencies, Coax cable "loss" is not really a [significant] factor or problem. Most any skinny cheap coax should work just fine. But as you move higher in frequency, coax feed line loss becomes critical- Use only short lengths of the very best at VHF and UHF.)
All antennas should be installed as high as possible. Which of course kind of makes them a lightning target. There is an article in the May 2009 issue of Popular Communications magazine on how to protect from lightning on a low budget.
You may have read or heard about the threat of EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) from a nuclear event. This is a real threat. However, not nearly as much of a threat to most of us that many would have you believe. If your radio station is well protected from lightning, and you are more than a few hundred miles away from the nuclear event, unless that is a special high intensity EMP device then you should have
no problems. (EMP acts like lightning, with a faster rise time). I plan to address EMP and lightning more fully in a future article.
Like owning a firearm and lots of other things, It is not enough to just buy the above mentioned radios and equipment and leave them in a box. It is important to use them on a day to day basis to really learn how they operate, And all that they are capable of.
Amateur radio is a fun hobby, and it provides you with some real communications when the other services fail.
Get yourself a license and enjoy it today!
Besides the advantages of being able to talk with friends, neighbors, your [preparedness] "group" if you have one, And other "ham" operators, Just think of the ability to also be able to talk to others on the marine band, Business bands, GMRS, etc with the same radio if TSHTF!
In addition to ham radio, I suggest getting a number of GMRS small hand held radios (UHF FM) for all unlicensed family members and friends and neighbors. I got a number of "store return" Motorola 9500 series GMRS hand held radios on Ebay for just over $20 per pair, complete with drop-in chargers! Do monitor the channels in your neighborhood and choose a channel with little activity, And then also change the "privacy code" (Which is actually a subaudible tone) to something other than what they came programmed for to
further make your system a little more private. While I would never consider any of the GMRS frequencies of much value for "tactical" use, These little radios do work very well,
And can provide good communications and teach youngsters (And oldsters alike) the ins and outs of radio communications on a very low budget.
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Letter Re: Cuban Spy Ring Arrests Raises Concern of Ham Radio Restrictions
Jim:
This article concerns me: Cuban spies' shortwave radios go undetected: Low-tech transmissions no big deal for U.S. intelligence. The journalist mentions: "The International Amateur Radio Union said there are more than 700,000 amateur radio operators in the United States." I hope the governmental paranoia does not try to constrain the best method of rural emergency communications. - KAF
JWR Replies: Without mentioning anything classified, I can safely say that they are describing clandestine operatives in in the US. receiving the old-fashioned HF "Numbers" broadcasts from Cuba. These are typically code groups of five numbers, read aloud by a woman, in a monotone, such as : "Ocho, Cinco, Cinco, Uno, Nueve..." These codes are very hard to break without a huge sample for brute force computer cryptanalysis.
This modus operandi has been used for 40+ years, and is well-known to both amateur operators and the signals intelligence (SIGINT) community. To the best of my knowledge, receivers are a non-issue vis-a-vis regulating amateur radio equipment. But clandestine transmitters may be another matter. Given our fluid borders and the ubiquitous "diplomatic pouch" it is absurd to think that regulation on the possession of HF radio transmitters would have any meaningful at stopping clandestine traffic. Licensed radio amateurs are largely self-policing. They fairly quickly identify and locate unlicensed broadcasts in their their vicinity.
The Cuban DGI is an odd anachronism. While most intelligence agencies have leapfrogged their communications to exotic methods such as steganography to imbed messages in in photos sent as .gifs via the Internet and using low-power spread spectrum transmissions, the DGI's modus operandi is at least 30 years out of date. It is somewhat analogous to Cubans still driving around cars that were manufactured in the 1950s. The last I heard, the DGI still had offices that primarily used typewriters made in the former Yugoslavia. Picturing that, you can practically smell the Cuban tobacco smoke.
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Two Letters Re: Protection from EMP Effects for Photovoltaic Panels and Communication Gear
Jim,
I'm not very certain Solar Panels or photovoltaic (PV)
Modules if you prefer) are up to surviving electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
Solar Panel manufacture is akin
to
basically
creating large scale photosensitive semiconductors and few manufacturers will
quote
even static electricity resistance,
much less EMP resistance. Additionally, most PV modules have bypass diodes
to protect cells. Some designs put these diodes in the junction boxes, while
others incorporate them more integrally
in the PV assembly.
Obviously the controllers are at great risk, but the modules themselves are
not free from risk.
About the only references to PV and EMP you can find are discussions concerning
space deployed PV Modules being at risk to solar flares, which have many characteristics
of an EMP event.
I just made some queries with contacts at University of Manchester and Michigan
Tech. They told me that there that almost no EMP test results have been released
to public domain, but
that their Aerospace departments feel that PV Arrays are vulnerable at
the junction level as well as the wiring diode matrix and controller levels.
The [PV-powered] satellite literature repeats the observation that even a minor
solar flare can wipe years to decades off of the life of a PV array and a full
coronal
mass ejection (CME)
will take the array out. Though an EMP [cascade waveform] is not exactly the
same radiation, the corollary is there.
Several of the Disaster Shelter Builders state that PV Panels are at risk in
EMP and include shielded storage for "after the event panels." I
wonder whether
that is marketing hype or good science? For now, this is the best that I can
find. - Steve W.
Mr. Rawles,
There is a very detailed 4-part article about EMP protection for Amateur Radio
equipment. It's a study that was done by the ARRL in
the mid 1980s. Product model numbers and such have changed, but the basic
concepts haven't. If you want to just skip to the recommendations, go to "Part
4 of "Electromagnetic
Pulse and the Radio Amateur".
In a nutshell,
they make the following recommendations:
1. Your equipment will not survive a direct lightning hit no matter how well
protected. EMP or near-misses can be protected against.
2. Install a high-quality surge protector on all AC power cords. You'll need
to shop around to find one with the highest possible rating.
3. Install coax surge protectors (available from most ham radio suppliers)
within 6 feet of the radio equipment to be protected.
4. Install a grounding antenna switch and keep the antennas grounded when not
in use. (Note: antenna switches are often used when folks have multiple radios/antennas,
such as a CB and ham radio or a 2 Meter VHF radio and a scanner. Make grounding
the antennas part of your checklist when shutting down the station after use.
5. Get a piece of Copper plate or thick sheet metal, install it on the wall
or workbench your equipment is on, and attach all equipment grounds and protection
devices to this. Install a good Earth ground, per their guide. This basically
consists of 2 or more standard electrical grounding rods connected with #6
solid Copper wire that is buried. I've found that the
electrical panel bonding lugs sold in [building] contractor stores work great
for this.
Finally, the book Nuclear
War Survival Skills by Cresson H. Kearney [Available for free download]
states that equipment such as hand held radios with short antennas (less than
14")
should be okay against EMP. Grid connected electronics would be more vulnerable,
and stuff with long antennas worse still.
Here are some quick links to EMP protection devices:
Solar Panel charge controller
protection.
Coax lightning protection (manufacturer)
Cheers, - JN-EMT
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Snippets From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Communications and Monitoring Advice
Plunging into the world of two-way radio communications and monitoring can
seem daunting for newbie preppers. It is a technical field that has more
than its share of jargon and acronyms. I suggest that you team up with someone
that is a licensed amateur “ham” operator, and have them walk
you through the basics of the frequency bands, radio wave propagation, the
various equipment, and the legalities. Yes, there are plenty of legalities.
Stay legal!
A ham who mentors new hams is called an “Elmer”. You can find an
Elmer through your local ham radio cub. They are almost always very willing
to help, and quite generous with their time.
The radio band designations can be confusing to folks who are newcomers to
the short wave listening and amateur radio worlds.
One major source of confusion
for newbies is hearing hams mentioning things like “…on the 40
meter band, or “I was talking on 2 meters.” So here
is a link for a useful band allocation chart from the ARRL that will put
the band designations in an easy
to grasp graphic format.
Getting Started
I highly recommend that all SurvivalBlog readers at the very minimum buy themselves
a short wave radio and a multi-band police scanner, and become familiar with
their use. In a "When The Schumer Hits The Fan" (WTSHTF) situation,
hard wire telephone, cellular phone, AM and FM commercial radio, the Internet,
and television may be essentially unavailable. Read: Off the air.
Most radio and TV stations only have enough fuel to run their backup generators
for few
days. Ditto for the telephone company Central Offices (COs.) After that, there
will be an acute information vacuum. You may find yourself listening to overseas
short wave broadcasters for your daily news, and to your police scanner for
updates on the local situation--to keep track of the whereabouts of looter
gangs. Be sure to buy a CB radio and few walkie talkies so that you can coordinate
security with your neighbors. (The CB, FRS, and MURS bands do not require any
license in the U.S.)
My favorite band for walkie-talkies is the Multi Use Radio Service (MURS) band,
since most MURS radios can be programmed to operate in the 2 Meter band, and
because they have much better range than FRS radios. But like FRS, they are
unregulated in most private use. (No license required!) It is also important
to note that the CB channels, FRS channels, and 2 Meter band frequencies will
likely be very crowded WTSHTF, particularly in the suburbs, but the less well-known
and less populated MURS frequencies will probably be largely available at any
given time.
Once you've mastered short-range communications and public service band monitoring,
the next step is to join your local Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) affiliate
club and study to get your amateur license. Someday you may be very glad that
you did!
General Advice on Disaster Communications and Monitoring
Your first receiver should probably be a compact portable
general coverage AM/FM/Weather Band/CB/Shortwave receiver. There are several
brands on the market,
most notably Grundig, Sangean, and Sony. I consider the Sony
ICF-SW-7600GR receiver among
the most durable portable general coverage receivers for the money. It is about
the size of a paperback book. I've had one (actually mine is an earlier "pre-G
suffix" model) since 1992 and even with very regular use it still works
great. In my experience, the secrets to making them last are to buy a couple
of spare hand-reel antennas (the most fragile part), show care in putting stress
on the headphone jack and power cable connections, and to always carry the
radio and accessories in a sturdy well-padded case. (Preferably a waterproof
case. I found that a small Pelican brand case with "pluck
and chuck" gray foam inserts proved ideal for my needs.)
One low cost
alternative to buying Pelican cases is to cut closed-cell foam inserts to
fit inside a .30 caliber or .50 caliber United States Government Issue (USGI)
ammo can. SurvivalBlog reader MurrDoc
calls
GI ammo
cans "The poor man's Pelican Case." These steel cans are very sturdy,
inexpensive (under $10 each, at gun shows), and they also provide limited protection
from nuclear EMP effects. (They would make near-perfect Faraday cages if you
removed the rubber gasket and replaced it with Electromagnetic Interference
(EMI) gasket wire mesh, but then of course the can would no longer be waterproof.
Sorry, There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch.)
Your first transceivers should probably be a pair of MURS
walkie-talkies, such as those sold by MURS
Radios.(One of our loyal advertisers.)
Next on your list should be a SSB-capable CB radio, such as the time-proven
Cobra
148 GTL 
(BTW,
this model is also readily
adaptable for "freeband" frequency range modification.)
Then, before moving on to sophisticated ham gear, your next purchase should
probably be a
pair of military surplus field telephones,
for coordinating retreat security.
Welcome to the world of communications and monitoring. I hope that you find
the dozens of articles on these subjects in the SurvivalBlog Archives useful.
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Old Frontier Forts as Alternative Bug Out Locations?, by R.D. in Wyoming
I wish to present an alternative prep situation that I have not really seen talked
about on your blog and at other other sites. First a small bit of biographical background and anecdotes to explain
my reasons for what I (now recently we) are doing.
Ten years ago, I retired from the military (26+ years, Life Scout (in a younger
form) and an ex-scout leader (both Boy and Girl Scouts), fixed income with a
part time job, never lived at one address longer than three years (requirement
of
military
lifestyle), hobbies oriented to colonial/fur trade eras (see anecdote), recent
earnest prepper (caused by that feeling in the pit of my stomach and head that
things really aren't right and not going to get better). Fiscally responsible
but bought the "earned your retirement" false dream long ago--that
can't be changed now.
While in the military a lifestyle of semi-preparedness was necessary because
of my low income. (I suffered through the
Carter and Clinton administrations). We canned food from our garden wherever
we
were
stationed
to
stretch
the food budget and teach our children how to make their own food; we cut firewood
for heat in some locales; we relied on kerosene lamp back-up lighting and camp
stove cooking because of unreliable base power grids. At one base I was even
visited by the Public Works officer to find out why my quarters had lights during
a power outage. Imagine his surprise to find both lights and heat off the grid,
plus all my neighbors and their children warm and well fed.
At times, while in the service, we qualified for assistance food and
based upon those experiences have reached some unconventional decisions. Assistance
food usually meant a five-pound block of USDA cheese, #10 cans of dehydrated
soups or powdered eggs, surplus breads and very large containers of dried milk.
When
you
open these it becomes a use-it-or-lose-it menu even for a family of four!
My colonial/fur trades hobbies came about with involvement in Scouting, teaching
merit badges, Indian skills and camp crafts. They are both enjoyable and practical
from a barter-trades aspect: hide tanning/leatherworking, moccasin and footwear
making, non-manufactured clothing making (no zippers or buttons) and
using trade cloth/blankets), primitive cooking and camping skills and pioneering--the
art of using logs and rope to construct bridges, platforms and watch towers,
cranes and jack-legs, and other basic heavy lifting rigs. I highly recommend
adding Scouting handbooks and merit badge books (older printings) to family
preparedness libraries. There is a
wealth of information there!
Last year, while looking for our current home, I was really taken with a 1950s
home that still had a primo Civil Defense specification bomb shelter in the
back yard, primarily as a safe place for my reloading and weapons storage.
It was
the
high end style
that
was connected to the basement of the house with a concrete tunnel, doored at
both ends, and three feet underground. It was in mild disrepair: vent system
damaged and entrance sealed off at the house, but repairable. We passed on
that house because it was in the end too small for our needs and in a shall-we-say
"unstable" neighborhood.
Six months after purchasing our current home my wife, out of the blue, says
that
maybe we should have bought the other house! This from a woman that has made
disparaging remarks when I have added to our LBE kits and checked the status
of our "homeland defense" items.
She seems to have had an epiphany after our taxes were prepared when she wanted
to know why we had not taken the $3,000 credit from our small investment nest
egg
before and I explained that we had never lost over half of it to the economy!
When the "boss" changed
her attitude and became interested in my "below the radar" preps,
I started to include her in the decision and prioritizing of what to buy and
the impacts on our limited budget.
"Below the radar" preps means passing off a purchase as some other
need (diplomatic when not everyone is on board with the idea): a small generator
was
for our tent camper, food items were for this summer when our grandson visits
or to replace things lost in a move, water jugs were because of the places
where we camp, extra gas cans were for the lawn mower (a stretch but it worked),
the
FRS radios
were an aid when we are out hiking, though there was no need to disguise the
increase
in reloading components when the election results were in.
All this brings me to our different style of prepping.
While I would like to be able to stock up as is generally noted and advocated,
our finances and storage space do not permit the expenditure of the amounts
necessary to buy in bulk. Also from my experiences in the military I don't
like to place all my eggs in one basket. I will admit that while
it is more expensive per unit cost, it is also more "do-able" in
an on-going practical sense on a fixed income and has an unforeseen future
benefit.
We make our storage food purchases with only the two of us in immediate mind,
to aid in use and rotation, by buying individual serving packages for most
of the items that we get: boxes of rice sealed in boil-in-bag pouches, powdered
milk in boxes that have quart size servings inside, individual packages of
Ramen
style noodles, small cans of fruits and vegetables (the type with the pull-off
lids), non-refrigerated microwave meals that serve one (these are very practical
as they go in our lunches on a daily basis), individual packet boxes of instant
oatmeal, and normal sizes of canned meat, chicken and fish. Some items naturally
are bought in what would be normal sizes but for only the two of us they seem
to last forever: Five pound bags of flour, sugar, cornmeal, coffee and pancake
mixes. The primary factor in these purchases is getting the longest expiration
dates
that we can find. All this gets put into 22 gallon Totes that have latches
for the lids but only one container of each item per Tote: a box of rice, a
box
of milk,
salt, coffee, etc., 4 each of the fruits and vegetables (36 total), 4 rolls
of toilet paper and towels, strike anywhere matches, sets of durable plastic
knife, fork and spoon, zip-lock bag of 28 individual size soap, 4 empty plastic
bullet boxes that hold
4 Bic style [disposable butane] lighters, 2 packets each type garden seeds.
This list is not complete, but you get the idea. The content of each Tote equate
to one
month's
food and paper needs and is movable by even our 13 year old grandson. We currently
have six totes filled, after only four months of serious additions. We are
trying to add
one Tote a month in addition to the other things that we are getting. My part-time
job provides the funds for this so what we can get depends on what else is
on a priority that month. We do have an additional Tote that holds 36 MREs
and is
marked for priority loading. Our water is stored in the newer G.I. five-gallon
plastic water cans, available at flea markets. These are stored in a dark storage
room.
Our
small
camper
is
always stocked and ready to go no matter what season of the year.
Now for the reasoning behind this method. If TSHTF or TEOTWAWKI occurs
it may be gradual or a traumatic event requiring different tactics. If gradual
and
we can hunker down while finishing up necessaries, only one Tote at a time
needs
to be opened to augment what we have. If traumatic, anyone can carry/load the
Totes into one of several available G.O.O.D. vehicles or the trailer while
another watches their "six". The urgency of a bug-out may dictate how much
can be loaded
in the time available. The more Totes that can be grabbed, the longer we can
make do but the MRE Tote and water is always loaded first. This is in addition
to B.O.B.s and
homeland defense items.
Now for the unforeseen future benefits that I mentioned. As you have noted
several times and places, I too could not turn away others that are in need
if I can
help. But giving someone a #10 can of beans or soup will not really help them.
A grocery bag of individual servings that they are familiar with and provide
variety and full meals for one or two days plus a means to heat it will help
while not depleting our stores. Secondly, if a bad guy finds a single Tote
with a few of everything in it, they may assume that's all there is
and not attempt to engage in a protracted search for more.
One last item that may not meet with approval but is out-of-the-box thinking
in the selection of several fallback retreat sites that most others probably
will not think of. If we cannot stay in the city, as small as it is,
I have found a couple of locales that would prove ideal. One is a semi-restored
1870s military post. Yes, I know that I don't own it in the
traditional sense though I have paid for it through my taxes, but if there
is no more
authority in force, it could prove useful. The fort is already set up to function
without power as we are used to, just coal
or wood heat and cooking (there is no electricity on site), bulletproof buildings
and pre-determined fields of fire, close to a year round water source, small
homes
for families
and barracks for singles and designed by some of the best military minds of
their times. Even has a powder magazine and jail! It also has a very low visitor
count.
If it is occupied or contested, no problems, as there are others at regular
distances closer or farther. If not, then it allows for a rally point and the
expansion of a
Group as others arrive that are aware of my thinking. And they are not unique
to our Area of Operations (AO).
I have been to some really complete ones back east, in the south, and
on the west coast. Let your mind do the walking.
I didn't realize how long this became. If you find it suitable for
others to see to help them achieve their goals with limited or minimal means,
please feel free to chop it as necessary.
Very Respectfully of your efforts to aid others, - R.D. in Wyoming
JWR Replies: That is an interesting concept, but implementing
as you describe would require a quite unique set of circumstances. Namely,
it could only happen if there were
a sudden an near total collapse of society, and if all law
enforcement evaporated overnight. It is far more likely that we will witness
a "slow slide"
from recession
to
depression, (and then, much less likely) to collapse. For most that continuum, your actions would be seen
as criminal, and you'd quickly attract the attention of government. So then
you might end up behind some other very
stout walls. And BTW, any of these forts that are on National Forest or National
Park land are considered Federal property, so any occupation deemed "trespassing"
would be a Federal offense and likely carry a much more severe penalty than
trespass on state or county parklands. So it is best to make this a "very
low likelihood"
contingency plan.
In my estimation the only pragmatic way to occupy an old
fort in the midst of a slow slide situation would be to include representatives
of county, state or perhaps even Federal government as part of your planned
cadre, and characterize
it all
as a "continuity
of government" (COG)
endeavor. Bureaucrats often enjoy thinking (or pretending) that they come up
with original ideas. Given the promise of safety for "selected"
people, this should not be too difficult to orchestrate, especially as the
economy worsens and the crime rate escalates. Creating a nexus with a governmental
organization could be as complex as getting qualified as an EMT, or as simple
as joining a
Sheriff's Posse,
joining a County
SAR team,
or becoming a RACES-affiliated
ham radio operator.
« Economics and Investing: |Main| Two Letters Re: Barnyard Junk: The Things that You Do and Don't Need for TEOTWAWKI »
Two Letters Re: A Carrington Event Space Storm--A Natural EMP Equivalent
Jim,
When looking for places to store sensitive electronics, consider the old-fashioned
galvanized steel garbage can. For about a buck a gallon, you can store just
about any and all electronics a household might have, safety protected against
EPM and other damaging fields. - Jake Stafford, publisher
of the "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course and loyal
SurvivalBlog reader
Sir:
Here is another perspective on the problems associated with a Carrington event
[, from the Mostly Cajun blog]. Sol
assaults Mother Gaia - for real? Regards, - Hunter in Alaska
« Letter Re: Barnyard Junk: The Things that You Do and Don't Need for TEOTWAWKI |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Letter Re: A Carrington Event Space Storm--A Natural EMP Equivalent
Jim-
New Scientist magazine article recently published an important article
titled "Space
storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe." The article outlines
possible scenarios for the risk of solar storms that could severely damage
national grids and vital electrical and electronic systems. The effects would
be catastrophic and devolve societies into a desperate survival situation for
individuals.
One quote from the article:
"Over the last few decades, western civilisations have busily sown the
seeds of their own destruction. Our modern way of life, with its reliance on
technology,
has unwittingly exposed us to an extraordinary danger: plasma balls spewed
from the surface of the sun could wipe out our power grids, with catastrophic
consequences."
Could off-grid standby equipment such as power generators or solar cells also
be damaged? See the
National Academy of Sciences report. (After registering,
you can download a free PDF file of the report): Best Regards, - Gregg T
JWR Replies: I've received more than 20 letters in the past
48 hours from readers concerned about this article. In my opinion, this natural
"EMP-like"
effect is just another reason to get prepared. The probability in any given
lifetime is quite low, but the impact if it were to happen would be
devastating.
Most home non-grid-tied photovoltaic,
micro-hydro, and wind power systems will probably be safe from a Carrington
Event. (The field strength and coupling effects will be roughly analogous
to that of nuclear
EMP.)
If you have a microprocessor-controlled battery charge controller, then one
fairly
inexpensive
measure is to buy
a spare. But for most of us, buying a spare large inverter is
cost-prohibitive. In the event that your large (whole-house) inverter get
fried, then perhaps your could plan to revert to DC-only
system, and store a couple of spare small inverters for crucial
AC loads.
As with any
other "EMP redundant" radios and other electronics, you should store
your
spares
in ammo
cans, all-metal
cookie
tins,
or similarFaraday
cage structures.
« Economics and Investing: |Main| Letter Re: A Test Load-Up Shows a G.O.O.D. Inadequacy »
Letter Re: Military Surplus Field Telephone Commo Wire Variants
Dear JWR:
In the 19 March Odds 'n Sods you noted that:
Ready Made Resources just got in another small batch of 1000-foot
long rolls of WF-16/U (2-pair) commo wire.This type of wire is fairly
scarce on the surplus market. It can be used with TA-1s, TA-312s, and the
newer TA-1042 (DNVT)
digital field telephones.
Just so, and WF-16/U works as well with the older and long-standard pre-WWII
through Vietnam era EE-8 "bag phones".which my maternal grandparent helped
develop while a Signal Corps officer at Ft. Monmouth.The old double-E-Eight is
also compatible with the TA-1 and TA-312, though I've never tried one with
DNVT
equipment. They will however also function with the surplus early German
field telephone equipment also in use from WWII to the 1980s [we had one in
our bunker on the West German side of the five-kilometer militarized zone on
the Iron Curtain in 1982, and very much still in use in the Balkans and elsewhere.
The German units are available from Cheaper Than Dirt as their item
# KEY123 for around $60 a pair.
TA-312 Field Phones are available from Fair Radio [ http://www.fairradio.com/
]as their item # 3856 for $110 each, and they have in the past had parts
and WD1-TT wire for the EE-8s as well. My own pair of EE-8s came from the Dayton,
Ohio Hamfest, probably originally from Fair
Radio.
Cheers! - Archy
« Letter Re: Private Gated Communities May Not be Gated After All |Main| Note from JWR: »
Cold and Dark--An Account of an Ice Storm, by Steve S.
Preparations
In January, 2008, the outlook for people in the United States appeared bleak.
I told my wife that we needed to stock-up on food because I felt that the supply
lines were thin and vulnerable. I began my preparations by Internet search.
I found JWR's SurvivalBlog and I bought a copy of his novel. In the meantime,
I started buying cases of canned goods. I bought food that we generally ate.
I looked at the expiration dates of every purchase. I tried to buy what would
last through 2011. Not much would, so I bought with the idea of buying more
later, looking for one year at a time.
The pantry was full. I had read Jim's book, and had found many links
on the SurvivalBlog that helped me know how much of what to buy to be balanced.
I bought a freezer at Sam’s Club and filled that also. I noticed that
food prices were increasing at an alarming rate in August. They were up 18%
on same item purchases, on average. Later that figure would reach 35%. I only
talked about this to a trusted few. My wife was starting to wonder about me.
Soon thereafter, a Harbor Freight store opened in Jonesboro, Arkansas, my home
base. There, I purchased several more items I saw as essential. I got a two
burner propane stove with a center grill feature. I bought some LED flashlights,
ropes, staple guns, and other miscellaneous items. Being a hunter and former
U.S. Army officer, I had a lot of camping (survival equipment) on hand. Sleeping
bags were there, polypropylene long johns, butane lighters, three 20 gallon
and one 100 gallon propane tanks were filled. I use them for my barbeque grill.
I told my wife that we should buy a generator. She said that if I thought we
should buy it, that I should. I didn’t.
I found some water barrels at a local food processing plant. I now have eight
55 gallon drums. I found 4 red 35 gallon chemical barrels that were set aside
for gasoline. I had about six 5 gallon gas cans to operate my 4 wheeler, fishing
boat, and sundry other small engines like lawn equipment and field water pumps.
Day to day, I am an NRA certified training counselor/instructor. Starting in
November 2008, my business started to boom. I had a 300% increase in Arkansas
concealed carry classes. That hasn’t stopped to this day. I have a 35
acre facility that is a former bean field, surrounded by thousands of farmland
acres and two liquor stores. I have a 1,200 square foot building for classroom
and office space, a 52 foot trailer for storage. My plan for survival guns
was simple. All guns were to be military calibers. Handguns would be .45 and
.38 calibers. Rifles would be .22 rimfire, 7.62x39, .308 and .30-06 calibers.
Shotguns would be 12 gauge. Stocks of ammunition were increased starting early
in 2008.
Shelter, food, security. What is left? Communications. I bought a set of 25
mile range pair of Motorola hand held communicators with recharger on sale
for $38. Stores of batteries were laid in. Cell phones. Transportation was
what we already had. 2001 Dodge Durango 4x4 and a 2005 Chevrolet 4x4 extended
cab pick-up.
The Storm
January 28, 2009. KAIT –TV weather in Jonesboro, Arkansas is forecasting
a wet winter storm cold front with frigid weather following out of the Northwest.
When it began, the outside temperature was about 27 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing
rain collected on everything in near biblical quantity.
I was awakened in the early morning of January 29th and you could hear branches
starting to snap with a sound like gunshots. Outside, you could see flashes of
light as one by one, the transformers on the light poles blew out. The power
was off. It was time to go to work. First, open the flue and light the gas logs
in the fireplace. Inside the house, the temperature had quickly fallen to about
40 degrees. I thought to crack a window for ventilation draft to reduce the chances
of carbon monoxide poisoning. Then I set up a propane heater and went about blocking
off all rooms except the den and kitchen, which were adjoining. I used 4 mil
plastic to cover two entrances to the den. The temperature quickly found about
62 degrees. We placed a carbon monoxide detector in the room to keep us from
being statistics. The propane stove was set up over the electric range for cooking
and a 20 pound bottle of propane was connected to it. I started thinking about
how I should have bought a generator.
By morning, we felt isolated in our home. Very few vehicles were moving. The
world outside looked like a war zone with ice-laden limbs and the things they
crushed. With no electricity, the phones didn’t work. We ate breakfast
normally. The whole world became our refrigerator. No cable TV so we cranked
up the radio and began to listen to the results. Reports of some break-ins started
coming in as people abandoned all electric homes for the designated shelters
in town. Outlying areas quickly ran out of gasoline and propane. Stores emptied
out their goods and shelves became bare. Generators and flashlights were nonexistent.
Batteries and power supplies followed suit. Many businesses were unable to sell
anything as their computers were down and lights and heat were out. Sadly, no
one has a backup plan for how to sell anything without electricity. Gas cans
were a faint memory. I checked on our neighbors to make sure they were coping,
and to exchange cell phone numbers. The telephone system actually works without
outside electricity if the type of phone you use doesn’t need 110 volts
from the grid. We had one emergency phone for that reason, and it was operational.
I wondered how many people knew about that?
The day passed relatively uneventfully. We had everything we needed to exist
in a minor disaster. Some people didn’t. A few died for their lack of
preparedness.
After the passing of the first day of “survival,” tree limb removal
became the priority, while everyone fought what southerners call severe cold.
It was the 30th of January. The temperature was unrelenting with nighttime lows
of 9 degrees and daytime highs of 20. I was able to venture out for things that
would be nice to have, like a generator. You see, with a generator, our gas furnace
would work. All you need it for is the electric blower. It was the only hole
in the preparations. I went in to the local Lowe’s, after checking a couple
of other stores. In the back of the store there was a line of about 13 people.
I asked why they were there. There was a truck inbound with 75 generators. I
got in line. Twenty minutes later I was in the electric department buying the
necessary wire nuts and power cords needed to hook my [newly-purchased] generator
to
the
power
panel in my house.
When I got home, the first thing I did was to disconnect the house from the grid
by turning off the main breaker, outside the house. You must do this before attempting
to connect a generator to your power panel. Failure to do so could kill workmen
repairing downed power lines and connecting transformers. To get things operational
quickly, I used the cord provided with the generator, which used four grounded
plug outlets. To operate the [selected] areas to connect, I bought 10
gauge wire. We turned off all appliances and I pulled out the circuit breaker
for the
selected
rooms. I disconnected the wire from the circuit breaker and wired it directly
to each wire with a male plug on the other end to mate with the wire from the
generator. I did this for the heater circuit, the den wall circuit, the kitchen
wall circuit, and the master bedroom wall circuit. The heater kicked on.
I offer one final note about using a generator. The operation book has a chart
in it showing the watts used by each type of appliance. You must calculate the
[load] amount used by your appliances. It has to add up to less than your generators
running wattage rating.
We were on a main highway in town, and we had our electricity hooked to the grid
after spending only a few nights without. Many in town were without electricity
for three weeks. In outlying areas, some are still not connected. The line crews
working to restore power were fantastic. Limbs still line the highways and yards
a month after the event began.
Lessons Learned
It was nice to be confident in the preparations that we had made. It was also
easy to see the holes in the plan. I now have the generator that I knew I would
need when the grid goes down. After the fact, I also bought the connections necessary
to hook up the generator just by turning off the main breaker, plugging the generator
to an installed wall socket, and cranking it up. Cell phones go down after only
a few days without a charge. I bought a portable power battery for that purpose.
If we had been out of power long term, the generator would have had to have been
used on a part time basis, at night. That means that daytime operations would
have been using only one or two rooms, again. When power goes down, the best
fallback is natural gas, if you have it. I am in the process of planning where
to install additional natural gas stubs for appliances that can be added. The
natural gas hot water heater was a blessing. It was on from the start. The warmest
place in the house was the utility room where the water heater is located. Remember
to have books and games for those evening hours when you would have been watching
television. Make sure all of your gasoline cans stay filled and stabilized. Make
sure
all of your propane bottles stay charged. Make sure you have plenty of batteries
for radios and flashlights. Make sure you have enough essential medicines. Roger’s
Rangers rules #1 rule is "Don’t fergit nuthin!"
I may have missed a few issues, but I want to talk about future plans. I am going
to install photovoltaic panels to run an emergency LED lighting system. This
would
be
a small solar panel, probably 45-60 watts [and a deep cycle battery], as a precursor
to getting
a more comprehensive system. LED lights use very little electricity and they
are
very
long lasting.
More technology will be added as it becomes available. Reducing reliance on the
grid is the ultimate goal.
Final Words
You can war game and "what if" emergency situations as much as you
like. It is good to exercise your plan. The problem is that real situations
have a
way of
waking you up to the holes in your plans. Do not wait to begin planning for the
next disaster. People in tornado and earthquake zones know about being ready
for these things, but Mother Nature will have a surprise for you no matter
where
you are.
Prepare for the worst and pray to God that it doesn’t happen.
« Economics and Investing: |Main| Two Letters Re: Advice on Night Vision Gear »
Three Letters Re: The Feeding Frenzy Continues--Gun Store Shelves are Depleted
JWR:
I saw the article on how Cabela’s shares surged based on gun sales.
Let me tell you, we are in the midst of a feeding frenzy here in Colorado.
First, its not just guns, its all of the accessories as well. I had to return
some items from Christmas to Sportsman’s Warehouse and found that the
whole gun department was basically empty. They only had some black powder firearms
and a couple of shotguns. Nothing else. I had run into this before Christmas
when I bought my two oldest boys new elk rifles – and got the last .308
bolt action and the last .30-06 bolt action to be had. But I figured after Christmas things would be better. Well, they
are not. So unless you shoot something
odd like a .22-250 forget getting ammunition right now let alone a gun. And
the cleaning kits were sold out as well. And holsters, ammo belts – you
name it and if it was shooting related it was gone.
Now in my wanderings in the store I also found that communications
gear is also disappearing off the shelves. I had a brief conversation with the kid
that was working there and it turns out that this is another trend they are
seeing. Basically all of the walkie-talkie units that can take ear buds or
microphones are gone. The only things left are some cheap FRS units. The same
thing was at work with the flashlights – all of the better units (like
the Surefire models) were gone. I begin to wonder what is at work here – am
I being paranoid or is this the next run on “near tactical” equipment?
Now I shoot as much as I can when I am in country so I go through a lot of
reloading supplies and bulk ammunition. I have been told by some of the national
dealers that I buy from (in bulk lots of 10 cases per caliber per order) that
they are almost all sold out as well. One sales person related to me that they
had run through over 10,000 cases of .223 that week alone and could not keep
any in stock. Common calibers are gone – 9mm, .45 ACP, .38/.357, .223,
.308, 7.62x39 – and less common ones such as the .40 are hard to get.
So unless you happen to be shooting something that is very uncommon, keep your
eyes open. I did however with a week of scrounging manage to come up with
one box of 7.62 match grade ammo – the 175 grain M118 loading. Fortunately
my long range precision gun likes this ammo so I bought it.
This is one trend that if you were not way out in front and loading up on ammunition,
guns, and accessories, you would not be able to catch up now. - Hugh D.
Hi Jim,
FYI, just got done shopping at Midway [for ammunition handloading components]
and all of the .308 150 grain soft nosed bullets priced at $25.00/100 and
under are
gone.
All
gone!
This
includes
all round
nose and flat point for 30-30. Only some of the
premium stuff is available. The next best
deal is a Lapua 150 grain at $42.00/100. Guess I'll have to top off with
the only decent spitzer, a 125 grain Sierra Pro-Hunter at $22/100 if I can't
find 150 grainers
elsewhere. I suppose these can be reliable through a[n M1]
Garand and are
certainly adequate for deer. I've also shopped all over for loaded 9mm Luger
JHP and
it's all gone as well. Yes I shoulda got the XD-.45 instead,
yet common ammunition that can be shared with the rest of the family and
in case the gun fails
the ammo would not be wasted. I have plenty, but more would be nice. The
same can be said for the cheap 7.62x39 and M2 ball (.30-06). All gone, everywhere.
There does appear to be some 7.62 NATO out
there.
Cabela's seems to have a fair selection of all .308 spire point bullets
and 9mm/.45ACP
JHP,
and a very limited amount (500 rounds) of the cheap 7.62x39, and limited
quantities
of .223 and .308.
The run on ammunition continues and is amazing. A report from the latest
gun show in our area described [buyers with] dollies stacked with cases
that emptied the place within
three hours. What is the most shocking is that reloading components are also
disappearing. - E.L.
Jim:
News of the [U.S.]Attorney General asking for renewal of the Assault Weapons
ban (on behalf of Obama) went out across the Internet last night [Wednesday,
Feb.
25th.] Here was the result I saw: There was a line of about eight guys
in front of my local gun shop this morning, waiting for the doors to open.
This was at 9 a.m. on a Thursday morning, mind you. I was one of them.
Most of the guys looked to be in their 30s and 40s--so we were taking time
away from work to be there. (In my case, it was a "dental emergency".
Obama has
me grinding my teeth at night!) We got in the door, and I immediately saw there
wasn't much left on the shelves--mostly just pump [shot]guns
and
bolt-action
[rifle]s.
There
were
just
two centerfire semi[automatic]s in the rack: some POS no-name
AK that
looked like it was built from a beater parts kit, and one of those woosie S&W AR[-15] clones
with no flash hider on but with the Mossy-Breakup camouflage
paint job. Those both sold in the first few minutes. The owner said that he
doesn't
expect
[to
receive] any more black
guns for three or four months!
One thing you definitely
had nailed: They did not have a single high-cap magazine
left in the store,
except the
one
that
came
in the
mag well of the AK I mentioned.
I cleaned out the last of their .45
and .308 ammo--just a few boxes. There was not a round of 9mm, .223, of
7.62 [x39mm] Russian to be found. Those was some slim pickin's! I wonder:
What will they have
left by
Saturday night? - Ray H. in Virginia
« Economics and Investing: |Main| Letter Re: Real World Observations on Fighting Crime and Criminals »
Letter Re: eXRS Radios and Texting in the Field
James:|
A current discussion
forum thread {at AR15.com] on eXRS two-way radios is worthy of mention.
Also see this
description.
In searching the SurvivalBlog archives, I only found one
post mentioning eXRS Radios. Here is a
description of test by a paintball team.
What are your thoughts for secure short range comm? Text messaging could have
some uses for silent comm. - Craig W.
JWR Replies: The eXRS radios are fine in the voice mode,
but I am very dubious of the tactical
practicality of text messaging, at least once the lead starts flying. Who
in their right mind
is going to want to take their eyes off the immediate situation for that long?
The US military uses handheld text and graphics devices only in very limited
situations, such as artillery fire control, and relaying information for close
air support.
Special
Forces
field tests with sophisticated graphics systems such as the
Inter-4 Tacticomp (made, BTW by one of my former employers) showed
that they only had genuine utility in setting up tactical situations.
Once the first shot was fired, the gadgets were often tossed aside
and
operators reverted to good old fashioned shouts and hand-arm signals.
In contrast to the complexity of texting, voice communications
are proven and fairly reliable. Also,
keep in mind that
we are
living in the
era
of light
amplification
night
vision
equipment.
This
will
turn
even
a small backlit LCD display
into a huge "shoot me" beacon at night. (I should mention here that
most currently-produced full mil spec electronics have a very dim "NVG" mode,
which these radios lack. It is probably feasible to do a modification that
would disable the back-light element(s). Failing that, an improvised cover
using a strip of ubiquitous duck tape will suffice.) You can
of course also use the expedient of working under a draped poncho. This method
has been used for
many
years
for map reading at night, with a red lens flashlight. But again, the tactical
utility of texting is doubtful. In essence:, if you are in a situation where
you are close enough that you would worry about opponents hearing you use voice
communications,
then that is also close enough (read: within rifle range) that you wouldn't
want to sacrifice situational awareness to be looking down at text messaging
device.
Ear buds and small boom microphones seem far
more practical for most short range
tactical
communications.
The bottom line: Buy the best hand-helds that you can, and when outdoors use
them exclusively with ear buds. The eXRS radios are a good option, particularly
in a signal-dense urban environment. And I am also a big believer in rock
solid radio communications and intrusion detection sensors as effective
force multipliers. (In a rural retreat situation, with limited manpower, I
can foresee that have one radio frequency for both voice comms and
intrusion detection will be ideal.)
I'll close with one big proviso: Don't make the mistake of becoming overly
dependent on gadgets. Time and weather
will take their toll. (As The
Memsahib is fond of saying; "It's entropy, Jim,
entropy.") Always have a Plan B and C for communications, and be
ready and able to revert from high tech to no tech. Train
for both best case and worst case situations, when it comes to your electronics.
Economics and Investing:
« Letter Re: Is it Deflation or Inflation Ahead? Should I Pay Down My Debts? |Main| Depression Proof Jobs for a 20 Year Depression - Part 1: The Counter-Cyclical Jobs »
Letter Re: Buying Kindle Reader for Accessing Survival References?
Mr. Rawles;
Given that even the smallest of windmills driving an automobile
alternator can keep a 12 volt DC battery charged, and from that you can run
a myriad of small
devices, what is your opinion of Amazon's Kindle [mobile book reading screen]
for keeping all the documents you might need, like the entire archives of SurvivalBlog?
Amazon
is now offering "Version
2" [of Kindle] , which seems easier to load with personal documents. Is
it worth it
as a backup library, or is it too fragile? - Sandy W.
JWR Replies: Buying a shiny new Kindle for that purpose is
like "putting
all your eggs in one basket". I
would much rather put all my archived preparedness reference documents on multiple copies
on CD-ROMs and then buy two or three used laptop computers with cosmetic
defects.
(The ongoing corporate
layoffs in the US will surely mean that the market will soon be flooded with
high quality used laptops for under $200 each, and I wouldn't be surprised to
see
some offered
for under $100 each.) Store those laptops in 40mm ammo
cans to help protect then from EMP.
Redundancy is the key. One of my mottos is: "Two is one,
and
one
is
none."
Here at the Rawles
Ranch we recently obtained a Brunton
Solarport 4.4 (4.4 Watt) compact photovoltaic (PV) panel for testing.
These produce .29 amps (at 15 volts) in full sunlight, which is enough to charge
flashlight
batteries or a cellular phone, but not enough to power a laptop. (But up to
three Brunton PowerPorts can
be "daisy chained" together (in parallel) to provide additional
current.) I consider the Brunton PowerPort a "micro" mobile solar
power solution. A more practical "mini" at-home or RV power
solution is to buy a 10 watt PV
panel
(such as those sold by Northern
Tool & Equipment
or
comparable panel such as the and a portable automobile "jump
pack" gel cell battery, (available at any local auto parts store, or from
a variety of Internet vendors). By placing the PV panel inside a southern-facing
window (indoors or inside a vehicle,
to protect
it
from the
elements) you can
trickle
charge
a jump
pack and easily get one hour of laptop use per day.
« Letter Re: Hardening a Home Against Small Arms Fire |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: UHF Business Band as Another Option for Retreat Local Two-Way Communications
Sir.
Another option for retreat communications is to license your own business
frequency with the FCC.
That is what we did. Having worked in public safety, both fire and law enforcement
for 30 years, I knew what I wanted in a radio
system. I wanted to use public safety quality radios and I wanted my own repeater,
all in the UHF business
band. Our remote area has few UHF frequencies since public safety operates
in the VHF band in our area. There are few businesses
that use radios.
The initial license cost about $400. for ten years because the initial frequency
search. Future 10 year renewals are about $135. The frequency is mine and
no one for over 50 miles can use or license it. I licensed a repeater as well
so I got two frequencies for the price of one. I obtained a permit for a repeater
site from BLM and I will install my 50 watt, solar powered repeater this spring.
The repeater spot, on a remote mountain, "looks" into the mountain
range where our ranch is and also looks 30 miles down the valley to the closest
town.
As far as purchasing quality radios, I decided on the Kenwood brand since that
is what I use at work and our local radio tech is a dealer for them. For hand-held
radios, we use the [Kenwood] 3160. I bought all of mine used on eBay for less
than $150 each. For 25 watt and 45 watt mobile radios, I bought them on
eBay
as well. I have a 65 watt mobile in the house as the base radio. These radios
have over a 20 year life in my experience.
By using these professional radios, you can also purchase military/police quality
head sets, boom microphones and bone microphones for them which is very important
to OPSEC when
patrolling or manning an LP/OP.
Sound can travel a long ways in the mountains.
Also, you can program the radios for the FRS and
GMRS bands
so you could talk to folks with their inexpensive radios from K-Mart and Cabela's.
This would
be illegal for the FRS frequencies unless you can program the radio to [limit
it to] put out
.6 watts
(600 milliwatts) on
the
FRS frequencies. You could not use the base or mobile radios legally [with
more than 600 milliwatts] on either the GRMS or FRS frequencies.
As far as antennas go, buy a good commercial or public safety quality antenna
for your base antenna. When it comes to hand held radio antennas, I have seen
the high gain antennas from Smiley Antennas, work wonders. Once
our mounted unit was working in a narrow canyon and no one in the unit could
reach dispatch on their hand held antennas when we needed a patrol car for
an arrest. I attached my expandable Smiley Antenna (VHF)
antenna to my radio, extended it out to the full four feet, and contacted dispatch
with no problem.
I was the brunt of many "fishing pole" radio jokes from my team mates,
but they all went out and bought their own!
I would recommend that groups consider this type of communications for their
needs.
Thanks for your work Jim. I just renewed my 10
Cent Challenge subscription,
with a little extra. - PED /p>
« Letter Re: Advice on AR-10 Rifles (Updated) |Main| Note from JWR: »
Building a Low-Cost, Low-Profile Shortwave Dipole Antenna, by Jerry the Generator Guy
First, you decided to get your own shortwave receiver. You wanted to be able
to listen to unfiltered worldwide news. Applause, and a pat on the back,
for taking a positive step. However, an unexpected problem may soon surface.
Any internal ferrite or wand/rod antenna, like what the radio came with,
will only effectively receive strong signals. Unfortunately, it can’t
do a good job on weak signals.
The obvious solution is to add an external antenna. But it may be spotted by
the neighborhood or local “whiners” may complain that your obnoxious
visible antenna is interfering with their television or radio reception. The
fact that you are only receiving won’t stop their perception
that it’s
your fault. A second issue is that the “typical" outdoor antenna
may not survive severe weather. It may fail in high wind/snow/ice.
Another negative is that any antenna wire in the wind will pick up static charges
when dust hits the antenna. This dust hitting the antenna is what causes the “pop” sound
in the audio during a storm. This electrostatic discharge (ESD) travels down
the lead in wire and may weaken or damage the front end [electronic section]
of the receiver. If you have an outside antenna a good antenna discharge unit
is strongly recommended.
Is there a satisfactory solution for these problems? Yes! First determine what
lengths of wire would be needed for a tuned dipole antenna to receive each
desired frequency. Many Ham or Shortwave books either tell you how to calculate
the desired dipole wire length or provide a suggested length data table for
you. If you are fortunate the manual with the receiver may provide these parameters.
My low cost recommended solution follows:
I bought some 4 -conductor telephone cable and some 50 ohm TV coax cable at
the local Home Depot. The 50 ohm cable is routed from the receiver to the center
of the antenna. Cut the telephone wire at the center of the total length. Strip
the insulation back slightly on all of the center wires. Solder [using electrical
- not plumber type solder] the center conductor to one of the wire
groups. Solder the coax shield to the other set of wires. Measure the desired
distance from
the center to the desired endpoint for a specific dipole. Carefully slit the
outer cover of the phone cable at that location. Cut and remove the balance
of an individual colored wire. Cutting the dipole for the lowest frequency
first [ longest length ] will make removing the extra wire lengths easier.
Measure, cut and repeat the same steps at the other side of the antenna. Note:
Some books will suggest reducing the length of the antenna wire elements by
5%. This reduction is to compensate for the “close” distance to
the other dipoles. Precise tune lengths are needed for transmitting but may
not be necessary if the antenna is used for an entire shortwave band. The generic “rule
of thumb” for
most receiving antennas is the more wire available for signal pickup the better.
Repeat this process for the other three wires. Cover the soldered connections
with electrical tape. Fasten
the antenna in a straight line along the cornice or eave of the house. Paint
or stain to match the color nearby and it looks like it has been there forever.
Note: If four tuned lengths aren’t enough - then the same approach
could be done with 8-conductor unshielded computer network cable.
You now have a good antenna to pick up those weaker signals. In addition, the
house now protects the antenna from any severe weather effects. If a nosey “snooper” comes
by all that they will see is a “telephone” wire.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Four Letters Re: The Gray Man in the Coming Storm »
Two Letters Re: Advice on Two-Way Radio Communications
Good Morning Jim,
First, I definitely concur on a BFO award
for the horizontally polarized CB antenna
idea.
I am a relatively new ham. I got my license two years ago, and can highly
recommend that as you say, that everyone [in the US reading this] get their
license,
because it IS so easy now. One thing that I think needs to be pointed out
is that with the removal of the code requirements for any license, a General
Class
license is really no harder to get than a Technician license. The best way
to get your ham license it to find a local club that offers classes. Many
clubs have web pages that are listed on the ARRL web
site, and will tell you if they do classes. My club, the Edmond Amateur Radio
Society (EARS), usually runs
both a Technician, and a General class at least once a year, and usually
twice, we are not unique in this regard.
If a person lives so far
out that they can not conveniently get to a club then I can highly recommend QRZ.com.
They are a huge resource for hams with all kinds of technical information
on radios, and antennas, as well as forums for asking questions. The most
useful
thing is that they offer an online practice test program that uses the
current question pool for all licenses. So it is possible to practice
for Technician,
General, and Extra class tests with the live question pool. This is a great learning
tool. If you can't get to a class, get a copy of the current book for the
license you want/need, and read it cover to cover, then go to QRZ.com
and take the test, until you pass it.
When I was taking my Tech class exam , and got to the point that I was passing
the QRZ test every time, I decided to try the General test, just for fun.
I only missed passing it the first time by just two questions. So I got the
General
book, read it, and then took [variations of] that test until I was passing
it every time. Two
weeks later
I took both the Tech, and General tests at the same testing session, and
passed both. While I'm above average bright, I'm not that much above
average, it's just that easy. With a general license almost
all of the Amateur radio allocated
spectrum is available to you, and all modes are available in one
band or another.
After saying all of this I need to point out that while getting you license
is not hard, the book only teaches you what you need to pass the test.
Being a licensed ham is being part of a community, and there are huge amounts
of
information, and many skills you will need to have to effectively use anything
beyond your
Tech license. That's not to say you should avoid getting your General right
off the bat, but you will be much happier, and get much more out of your
time on the air, if find a local club, or at least get an Elmer (a ham
who mentors
new hams) to help you learn what you really need to know
to be a good ham. You will find that getting the hardware, and getting
it up and working is much
easier, and will work much better with the skills your Elmer can teach
you.
Recommendations:
1) Get your license, and go ahead and try for both your Tech and
General tickets, you have nothing to loose.
2) Find a club that offers classes, if you can't find one, get the books
and try anyway.
3) Find an Elmer to help you learn the ropes.
Good Luck to all, - Fanderal
Hello Jim
There has been much great "Advice on Two-Way Radio Communications".
There are a couple suggestions I would add:
If you are interested in an Amateur Radio License, there are numerous free
web-resources to help you prepare for the simple tests. The giant link site
AC6V.com links
to the vast majority of them. In mentoring students I've suggested they work
at the material until they regularly score 90% or
better on their on-line or on-computer practice tests. My most recent student
went from not having a license to passing all three levels of exams at the
same test session using this simple guideline.
I've used the Hamcram free Materials from W9PE.us to
assist over 30 students. Their on-line test site, as well as QRZ.com and
eHam.net and the audio Podcasts
at HamRadioClass.org have been mentioned by
students are helpful.
A previous letter mentioned PSK31. There is a very interesting PSK31 modem
that avoids the need to use a computer with the radio [available] from http://nue-psk.com/
One concern with transmitting is being DFed. Some simple suggestions to avoid
being found are:
* Decide whether your Emergency Communications needs to be Two-Way, Single
(Broadcast) or a Broadcast acknowledged other than by return transmission on
the same frequency.
* Don't interfere with anyone else on the air, why tip anyone that you are
even
transmitting?
* Listen first, Listen some more and make sure your frequency is clear before
transmitting.
* Avoid calling any attention to your transmissions - no whistle tones, lengthy
preambles or other attention grabbers.
* Do not transmit or broadcast on a regular schedule and certainly do not announce
a schedule unless it is an emergency. Work out a varying schedule.
* Keep your broadcasts short.
* After you sign-off, don't go back on for at least a few hours later, if not
days between transmissions.
* Never respond to an unknown call-in.
* Don't give out any information that helps locate you - even GPS coordinates
or landmarks can get your found.
* Maintain tight security, consider Transmitting and Broadcasting to be on
a Need to Know basis.
* When possible, broadcast from different locations.
* Consider operating mobile.
* Consider operating "remotely" via a line of sight RF link to your
main transmitter.
* Feed Line is Cheap and can save you. Get some distance between your antenna
and yourself.
* When you are done transmitting, pack up and get your gear out of there.
* Consider taking down your antennas between uses. Some antennas can be erected
just before use, and taken down and hidden away after you are finished, others
can be concealed, including changing their electrical resonance when not in use.
* Use a lookout (LP/OP) while broadcasting. If alerted, terminate transmission
and put the station into full countermeasures drill.
* Have a stand down drill, full countermeasures drill and evacuation drill planned
out. If need be power the station up and let it serve as a decoy for your own
safety while moving off.
* If your receiving stations can be so equipped, have them record your transmissions
rather than repeating them for lost parts of your message. They should use OPSEC in
their handling of the recordings.
* Though digital modes get through RF noise that will blank out many other modes,
they are slow. Consider using modes that operate below the noise level (check
out a mode called "Olivia" which can put a message through that neither
ear or computer screen will show a signal for!).
* Consider minimizing your message to prearranged pass-phrases. Better to type
in "Blue Balloon for Baby" four times, which gives the receiving station
a very high probability of capturing the whole passphrase which they can look
up in their passbook, than rattling off a long list of instructions once.
* In usual use the use of Encryption or Codes will get you in trouble on the
Amateur Bands (except very limited special situations such as controlling an
Amateur Radio Satellite), but in time of emergency it would be prudent to consider
anything transmitted as public. Uninteresting Codes may be useful.
* Consider using antenna designs with RF patterns matching your needs. If a finely
focused antenna with little side or back sensitivity or emissions can work, use
it.
* Don't forget about DF resistant techniques like Near Vertical Incidence
Skywave (NVIS).
This technique employs antennas which basically shoot straight up and reflect
off
the ionized layers in a fashion making direct DF difficult [except from very
close by,
via
ground wave
DF].
* Only use Radio when simpler, less exposed methods of passing information won't
work. I had a long chat with a WWII Homing Pigeon Specialist, who rode a glider
in at the battle of the Arne. He pointed out that the use of Pigeons allowed
them to maintain absolute radio silence during the launch of the assault. There
is so much more to the use of radio in a serious emergency situation. I've written
articles on various techniques for using industrial equipment as transmitters.
Be a bit wary of the Amateur Radio "Emcomm" groups. They are training
to be part of the government system and in some areas border on paramilitary
auxiliary government units. They also tend to never really look at the sort
of serious situations we might, nor do they do much for protecting the individual
participant, as most require the Emcomm Responder to go unarmed and have SOPs that
are basically counter-OPSEC [and
counter-COMSEC].
Hope these little bits of information are of
use! 73, - Steve W
JWR Replies: Thanks for those suggestions. OBTW, some other
COMSEC and OPSEC issues, do-it-yourself cryptography, and counter-DF
techniques
are described
in the "Radio
Ranch" chapter of
my novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse"
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Feedback on FoodSaver Vacuum Packing Systems »
Letter Re: Advice on Two-Way Radio Communications
Jim,
CB is potentially a good choice for folks that are not licensed amateur operators
if they use directional antennae and phase the antenna for horizontal
polarization instead
of the
normal vertical antenna. I am thinking base to base operations here.
Using antenna
with horizontal polarization can attenuate signals transmitted by a vertical
antenna by 20 dB.
Every 3dB of attenuation cuts the signal by 1/2 so that would be 1/64th or
slightly less signal power! [JWR
Adds: The means very low probability of intercept by anyone outside
of your private family or survival group "horizontal antenna network"! That suggestion just earned
you a Blinding Flash of the Obvious (BFO)
award. Yes, I know BFO means something different to hams (Beat Frequency Oscillator),
but here at SurvivalBlog it
means that I like your idea so much that I'm sending you a free book to thank
you for it!]
A Yagi-style antenna can give 10 or more dB of gain. That means the effective
radiated power of a 5 watt radio (which is actually about 3 watts) is ten
times more or about 30 watts in this case.
Propagation can cause skip signals to give interference. The antenna should
be a minimum of 1/4 wavelength above ground for best results. A directional
antenna can be something like a flashlight [beam] if chosen properly. It can
send and receive signals from the direction of choice and attenuate
signals from other directions. A cheap wire antenna beam is called a Moxon
beam [, named after the late Les Moxon, call sign G6XN.]
A ham license [in the US] is now so easy to get that people should just
get the ham license and that will open up more bands and allow the right
equipment
for
the
situation. See www.ARRL.com for
testing locations and times.
The first level ham license is the Technician class. To quote a recent ARRL
article: "Some Technician licensees who gained new privileges on February 23,
2008 remain unaware or
uninformed
as to what they may and may not do on the HF bands", says ARRL
Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND. In addition to all
Amateur Radio operating privileges above 50 MHz, Technicians who never passed
a Morse code test now have CW privileges
on certain segments of 80, 40, and 15 meters plus new CW, RTTY,
data and SSB privileges
on certain segments of 10 meters. And that's it. "Know your privileges," Henderson
advises all Amateur Radio licenses. He says some Technicians apparently believe
their new HF phone
privileges go far beyond what they really have. "Technicians
have no phone privileges on any HF band other than 10 meters, period!" Henderson
emphasizes. "That's the bottom line. If you want to operate phone on
the other HF bands, you'll have to upgrade to General or Amateur Extra class." [The
good news is that there is now] no
code test for any class of license now! However, code can get the message
through poor band conditions when voice is impossible.
A digital mode called PSK31 can, with a laptop computer and a low power HF
transmitter, communicate under severe band conditions even better than code!
Technicians
have phone privileges from 28.300 to 28.500 with a 200 watt power limit. When
band [signal propagation] conditions are good, California can talk to the UK
on 5 watts. Band conditions for HF are poor right now [because of low sunspot
numbers] but there are always openings
on
the various
bands
due to changing conditions. I called a local Boise station last night on 75
meter phone using 10 watts and was answered by a Southern California station,
but at the same time a Northern Wisconsin
station with a super antenna farm was having trouble hearing me with 100 watts
power. I hope that this has not bored you to death.
See QRZ.com for practice
tests and a search engine to locate a ham radio operator in your zip code to
contact for more information. 73s, - The Other
Mr. Delta
« Preparing for Another Battle Rifle Ban, by Michael Z. Williamson |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Letter Re: Advice on Two-Way Radio Communications
Mr. Rawles,
I have read "Patriots," and am finishing up your ["Rawles
Gets You Ready"] preparedness course and I
have a question: What brand, or type of two-way communication do I look for.
I live in Kansas, about as far inland as we can go. I have several
family members in
the same small town and would like something that we all could communicate
with. Ready Made Resources recommends a GMRS system,
is that something to consider,
or are CBs
the answer?
I appreciate all that you post on your blog, consequently, I have just purchased
the "SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog" book to look back on what
I have missed since I started reading late last year. I have found your articles
to
be so
beneficial
to me
and have
recommended your site to others. Sincerely, - Thea
JWR Replies: I expect the Citizen's Band (CB) to be quite
crowded with "chatter" in the event of a widespread disaster. And
it will probably
remain crowded if the power
grid stays
up.
If you want a low-power system (assuming that you don't have a large PV battery
charging
system), I
would
recommend
MURS
band radios.
Inexpensive used MURS band handi-talkies are
available
from MURS Radios--one
of my advertisers. The MURS band radios have have comparable range to GMRS
band
radios, but the MURS band has far less traffic. (In many rural areas
the band
is essentially uninhabited.) Most transmissions in that band require no license.
If you want a higher-power
system, I would recommend buying using Marine Band radios
on
eBay. (There,
search
on "Marine Band Radio".) These do not require a license except
for "vessels over 65 feet in length". (But be advised that there are FCC restrictions on "inland" use. Reader Don K. mentioned that only radios that are "Type Accepted by the FCC for part 80 use may
transmit on radio frequencies in the Maritime Radio Services.
Equipment used for Land Stations must be specifically approved by the
FCC for this use; most shipboard equipment is not approved for Land
Station use. Fines by the FCC can be and usually are substantial.")
Since most Marine band radios draw
more current than a MURS handi-talkie, you will need a more capable backup
power system for battery
charging. I suggest
a
couple
of large 6 volt DC deep-cycle ("golf cart") type batteries for
each radio. The beauty of the MURS band and the VHF Marine
band is that they are both essentially "private
bands" in many areas. But of course don't consider them "secure",
since they
can still be detected and monitored with a multi-band scanner.
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Letter Re: Field Test with a MURS Band Dakota Alert Intrusion Detection System
James;
I just recently purchased a MURS band Dakota Alert and Radio setup from [MURS
Radio] that advertises
on your site. Needless to say I got a screaming deal! I live in the
Pacific
Northwest, literally in the middle of dense woods. My radios and sensors arrived
during one of the best snowfalls we have had in a while. All of the trees were
loaded [with snow]. The temperature was in the very low 20s. Our terrain is
mountainous.
Here are my results (which may be helpful to your readers who may be thinking
about purchasing them):
[Dakota
Alert MAT] Sensors: Solid
transmission to Base station (located in a metal building) at 3/4 mile. Longer
range not tested (It was cold, and I did
not require longer range.)
Hand held transceivers [handi-talkies (HTs),
[also made by Dakota Alert] to and from base station, solid to 1/2 mile,
sketchy at 3/4 mile.
Sensors to HT solid transmission to 1/2 mile sketchy at 3/4 mile.
HT to HT solid at 1/2 mile sketchy at 3/4 mile.
Problems:
The sensor does not have enough transmission time to finish the third [repetition
of the] "Alert
Zone 2" message due to [an error in] the speed of the person recording
the message. I contacted the manufacturer about it, and they said that all
their current units are all
this way. No one wants to be #2. (All other alert messages are fine) This is
not
a problem, but one does have to chuckle.
A cold vehicle (just started) dose not always activate the sensors. This is
not a tactical problem but is an annoyance.
Suggestions:
BNC connectors and pull up antennas are leaky. In addition to the manufactures
suggestion to add a packet of desiccant inside the sensors, I highly suggest
wrapping the BNC connection
and each segment joint of the antenna with COAX-SEAL.(A
hand moldable plastic.) This will insure total water proofing of the unit.
I plan on disguising my
[chromed,
collapsible] antennas by covering them
with gray heat shrink [tubing] and a little magic marker action, then sealing
the BNC with
coax
seal.
Since I live off the grid It makes no sense to run the base station (which
is 12 Volt DC) off my inverter. I wired it up to my 12V distribution network
that I use for all my comm devices Ham, CB,
etc. Just to play it safe I contacted the manufacturer about the maximum voltage
the unit could handle as I charge
my batteries at 14.4V. They recommended some sort of voltage regulation device.
You could "fab"one
up or as they suggested, use a [voltage] regulating cigarette lighter plug.
They said the unit would function at the higher voltage
but it would be hard on it, and reduce it's life expectancy.
The only drawback is that there are only four alert messages, limiting the
number of sensors you can use at one time. If you need more than four sensors
you will
need a second receiver. I plan on calling the manufacturer and suggesting a "record
your own message" modification. I am totally pleased with these
units. Thanks for listing them. - John
JWR Replies: Thanks for the review. Here at the Rawles
Ranch, we also
use MURS band
Dakota Alert transmitters in conjunction with some gently-used Kenwood transceivers.
We bought all of these components
from MURS
Radio. Programming the transmitters to match our MURS frequency was quick
and easy. We
have
been
very
pleased
with
their
sensitivity and reliability. These are great products that provide a low-cost
solution for
detecting
anyone
entering our property.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: It's a Scary World Out There: Fearsome Attack Hens »
Six Letters Re: Home Invasion Robbery Countermeasures--Your Mindset and Architecture
Greetings Mr. Rawles,
I read your blog everyday and am learning so much. Thanks for your dedication
to helping prepare us for the future.
In reference to the recent article on home security, we lived in Argentina
for three years and we could all learn from their security measures. The first
house we lived in had steel shutters, as did everyone in the neighborhood,
and they were all shut at night. The doors have locks that automatically lock
when you leave the house. The small front yards usually have tall steel fences
with the same height gates. The gates were also locked at all times. Homes
that didn't have shutters of some kind, had bars on all the windows. Big dogs
were also the norm. The back yards were usually walled in by concrete block
walls sometimes 10 feet tall. At our second house, one of our neighbors had
concertina wire around the top of their walls.
It is a normal custom to clap your hands to alert someone you were at their
front gate. It would be very rude to try to enter someone's front yard without
being invited first, and is usually not possible due to the locks and dogs.
But, as new houses were being built, we were seeing less and less of the shutters
and bars, more American style houses were being built and that's a shame.
It was very difficult at first to live with these kinds of security measures,
but after awhile it became normal and comforting to know your house was secure.
Gun control is very strict and very few folks have guns, so home security was
very important.
Just wanted to share those observations with you. Thanks again for your hard
work.
Warmest Regards, - Beverly A.
Hello James Wesley, Rawles:
Feed lot panels are extremely useful for hardening windows against dynamic
entry.
For those who are not familiar with the product, feed lot panels are welded
wire product. They are typically 16 feet long. The height varies but is typically
54" high. The wire is very stiff (typically #4 or #6 gauge) and the wire
is galvanized for long life. The panels are inexpensive and semi-rigid.
We recently replaced a 13' x 69" bay window with a 60" by 60" picture
window (one pane) flanked by a couple of 60" high by 24" wide double
hung windows. Our primary goal was to increase energy efficiency by reducing
cold air infiltration during the winter and to improve our cross ventilation
during
the summer.
I had some fairly extensive conversation with the contractor regarding my desire
to have sufficient "beef" beside each window to be able to run several
5" x 1/2" eye-bolts beside each window (with the eyes of the bolts
aligned in the vertical direction), slide the trimmed-to-fit feedlot panel
over the eye-bolts, and then drop a cane bolt through the openings in the eye
bolts.
(Minor detail notes: Roof overhang requires that cane bolts be inserted from
bottom, but "drop in from top" is a more natural word picture. Also
desirable to use a cushioning material to hold panels away from frame of window
to eliminate scarring. Rubber or vinyl garden hose is a possibility.)
He was very happy to comply. Each window is framed in with 2x4s next to the
window frame, but then a 4x4 was bracketed into the top and bottom headers
immediately beside the 2X4s on each side of each of the three windows. Wood
is cheap.
Feed lot panels can be defeated. But defeating them requires time and tools...not
something typical home invaders want to expend/lug around. Feed lot panels
also help protect windows against airborne, flying trash during extreme wind
storms. They may be ugly, but they are cheap, durable and relatively easy
to install, given proper tools and some time and the foresight to have enough
wood to bolt into. - Joe H.
Jim,
I've already made numerous changes to my home and
property to thwart / limit any would be thefts and boosting the overall
security. A number of
ideas
came from your web site. Thanks.
Other than the simple measures of installing a Radio Shack microphone/speaker
and, locking the doors of my barns with snap links and walking out the front
and locking that door, I am worried for my horses if someone should try to
force their way inside and manage to stay very quiet. I'm very impressed
with my $149 Radio Shack investment, you can hear everything and my house
is 300
feet away.
Can you offer any additional advice on making barns more secure? I'm more
concerned about the horses than all of the tack and saddles. But those items
aren't cheap
either. Thanks, - Pete in Florida
JWR Replies: I do have one specific recommendation: Buy a
MURS band Dakota Alert infrared intrusion detection system. (Available from MURS
Radio, one of
our advertisers). Put one Motion Alert Transmitter (MAT) out
at the end of your driveway,
and one "watching" the front of your barn door. We
use Dakota Alerts in conjunction with matching frequency Kenwood MURS band
hand-helds here at the Rawles
Ranch on a daily basis. We have been very satisfied with their
quality and reliability. In our experience, this combination is ideal for detecting
intruders on likely avenues
of approach.
.
Dear Mr. Rawles,
First, as always, I am compelled to thank you for your service to all those
who would learn from your knowledge and efforts. My 2009 10
Cent Challenge contribution is forthcoming,
but it is only a small token of my appreciation in light of all that I have
learned from your excellent blog.
I wanted to add a note of my reality to your recent excellent comments on the
sorry state of home architecture in our country today. I live in a typical
recent-construction, middle class, Metro Atlanta home with a brick front facade,
and Hardiplank (a concrete-like product molded to look like wood siding) on
the remaining three sides. It is essentially three stories, with a "daylight
basement" comprising the first story. Many of the "weak links" that
you pointed out exist in my home, but we did install a fairly comprehensive
alarm system.
Last February, while my wife was at work and I was taking my son to daycare
(it was 11:15 a.m.), thugs broke into our house by kicking through the basement
wall! Evidently, the crooks suspected, or noticed, our alarm system, and tried
to bypass it by going through the wall. It would have worked if the dummies
hadn't opened the basement door preparing to depart with their loot. Of course,
opening the door set the alarm off, and they fled never having made it out
of the basement. They did steal an old rifle that I had recently bought, and
had left in a storage closet awaiting a good cleaning. All in all, we were
very fortunate.
I write not to simply share my story (which is, unfortunately, not very uncommon),
but to point out what I learned:
1. Though Hardiplank, and similar products, have many virtues, resistance to
invasion is not one of them.The concrete feel and appearance gives a false
sense of security. I was shocked to learn that the only thing between my "inner
sanctum" and the bad guys was the Hardiplank, fiberboard sheathing, and
drywall! Even if your 1st story sheathing were 5/8" plywood it would present
a much more formidable barrier!
2. If I had heeded my instincts, the burglary could have been avoided. I try
to live in "condition yellow", though I slip into white more than
I would like. That morning, while buckling my toddler into the car, I noticed
a rough-looking young man walking slowly up the sidewalk. By the time I had
buckled my seatbelt, he was ambling back down the street in the opposite direction.
All of the alarms in my head went off, but I didn't call the police to investigate
(something that they encouraged me to do in the future while discussing the
event). I did, however, step back inside and turn on the alarm, which I didn't
usually do for such short trips (things are different now). If I hadn't turned
on the alarm, I would have probably walked right into a home invasion in progress
(stupidly in condition white!) after dropping my son off. As it was, as soon
as I got the call from the monitoring service, I knew exactly what had happened,
and who had done it! During the frantic 3 mile drive home, my main concern
was, "what will I do if I arrive before the police?" At the time,
I had no firearm with me, which leads me to my final point.
3. Any time you walk into your home [after an absence] in condition white,
with no way to defend yourself, you invite disaster. Yes, I know it can be
terribly
stressful
to
admit to yourself that our society has "come to this", and some people
would rather just play the odds and hope it doesn't happen to them. I feel
that God was watching over me that day (by the way, the police were on site
when I got home - it had only been 20 minutes since I left the house) and gave
me a second chance. I guess I could remain in condition white, and hope it
doesn't happen again, but I have responsibilities. God gave me a second chance,
and I am committed to learning from this experience. You'd better believe that
I will arrive home in condition yellow to orange, looking for any hint that
something is awry - especially if my family is in tow! Oh yeah, and my next
house is going to be as solid as I can afford, and then some!
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas, and will have a terrific new
year. Best Wishes, - SH in Georgia
James;
I have been an advocate for survivors of violent crimes. I would like
to point out some things that I have been tracking for almost a year now. (I
have 'home invasions" as a google search alert and get messages on this
topic many times a day). First, I have noticed that most of these invaders
are not so much interested in carting away ill-gotten booty from the residence
that they have invaded as much as the first object is to terrorize and torture
those in the dwelling. This is a major change in the high level of deprived
violence of these burglars who are now being reported as "home invaders".
The attacks are sadistic, whereas, twenty years ago true sadistic attacks
were more rare as the goal seemed to be to steal and leave. Second, these sadistic
home invasions are world wide. I have not yet figured out why this is so. It
is, however, concerning that no place seems safe from this bizarre rise in
sadistic violence. Perhaps it can be linked to violent video games? I am not
sure what else could link these acts world wide. Third, unlike violent home
crimes in years past, the home invaders are attacking during the hours when
it is more likely that the residents are home. (Most of these
invasions seem to take place between 11 PM and 5 AM). Clearly, unlike in early
times when
the criminal element wanted to avoid the residents, this new class of thugs
want that violent encounter.
I think this does require that decent folks to have a change in understanding
what is taking place. These criminals are not just getting the pleasure of
taking your property but they want to cause you and your family extreme fear,
terror, and pain. Passive conduct by the victims that might have allowed these
thugs to rob your home and leave you alone might have worked twenty years ago,
but I think today's home invaders first literally will want a pound of your
flesh. On a positive note, I have also read of numerous residents who have
successfully fended off the invaders by being properly protected within their
homes. I am 'surprised" that the media doesn't seem to do much coverage
of these heroic deeds of the victim defending himself or family members from
these sadistic invasion. - Advocate for Survivors
of Violent Crimes
Dear Mr. Rawles.
Regarding your post on Tuesday December 30, titled "Letter Re: Home
Invasion Robbery Countermeasures". I would like to see you elaborate on
the "Countermeasures" portion of the title. Specifically, could you
show some real examples that people could use as "force multipliers" similar
to this . Maybe you can do a post on with and without grid power in SHTF scenarios.
For example I live in a suburb of a city of about 80,000 people. I live on
a corner lot and have a fenced in back yard. What low-tech methods could I
deploy
to
allow full coverage around the perimeter of my property to signal of coming
trouble. It would help if the ideas were designed to not create an abundance
of false alarms and not alert the surrounding neighborhoods like a trip alarm.
I don't have a retreat location but I'm getting my finances in order to allow
a property purchase soon. If TSHTF tomorrow, I would need some simple ideas
to keep my family safe as long as possible.
BTW, I read your "Patriots" novel
and it was awesome! I am about half way thorough your "Rawles
Gets You Ready" course and it too
is great. Thanks, - Steve F. in Louisiana
JWR Replies: A corner lot is problematic. Depending on the
landscaping that is prevalent in your neighborhood, if it would not look
too out of the ordinary then you might consider planting a
"decorative" thorny hedge around as much of your perimeter as
possible, and install a
gate across the front of your driveway. Make both the
maximum height that you can get away with,
without being branded as the Neighborhood Paranoid Poster Boy. The gate should
have a spiked top of some sort, to discourage gate jumpers. Just inside the
gate, position a passive infrared Motion Alert Transmitter (MAT) for a Dakota
Alert. You should also plant thorny
bushes below each of your windows.
Motion-activated floodlights are inexpensive and very easy to install.(They
are available at home improvement and hardware stores such as Home Depot and
Lowe's.) If the power grid goes down, you really should bug out ASAP, but if
you are forced to stay, then solar-powered floodlights might
suffice. (But note that their reviews mention that they have a short service
life. So it is best to just test them but not mount them outdoors until needed.)
Under those circumstances, a pair of night vision goggles would be a must.
(And if you have those, you might want to retrofit your floodlights to use
infrared bulbs. Being battery
powered, your
Dakota
Alert
system
will
continue
to
operate without grid power.
But
of
course keep plenty of spare batteries on had for all of your flashlights
and other home security and communications electronics.
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Four Letters Re: Long Haul Voice and Data Communications in a Post-Collapse Environment
Mr. Rawles.
Regarding long range communications: If any SurvivalBlog readers are already
ham operators they can join their county
Radio Emergency Service (ARES) network.It already well established throughout
the US. There are county emergency coordinators who have Same Time "meetings" on
a regular basis. You might even become an Emergency Coordinator for your County.
I would strongly recommend that our fellow readers get their ham Operator License
no matter what. There is no longer a Morse Code requirement [for the Technician
license] and the test in relatively simple . Then you can legally buy equipment,
legally use
it,
as
well as join the ARES community based organization, You will be privy to
what's going on locally from a much larger perspective. If you choose, you
can become FEMA certified and you will gain access to a nearly endless and
very informative set of FEMA online communications. Believe me when I say the communications
coming out of FEMA can be eye openers.
I would also recommend that you set up an emergency backup power system to
a 12 volt "base station" in your radio "shack". The 12
Volt radios use about 1 or 2 watts and a battery backup from a deep cycle battery
that is solar charged will last a very very long time. I also have an older
CB system in my Shack, just in case. There are still truckers that use CB radios.
- Carl In Wisconsin
Hello again, Mr. Rawles,
I am still doing the "Ten
Cent Challenge" (about a year) and I read
the blog everyday. Since I last wrote to you that I was improving my Rifleman
skills but I have also been working on my radio skills. I decided that getting
a Ham radio license would be beneficial to me and my family and community, so
I made a goal to get knowledgeable, equipped, and licensed. Before starting I
hardly knew the difference between AC and DC power
so I first got the Boy Scout Merit Badge books on Electricity, Electronics, and
Radio. Then I picked up a
manual from the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) and started learning about
radio. I thought your readers might be interested in knowing some details about
amateur radio and it’s advantages in difficult times.
The FCC issues three licenses for amateur radio: Technician, General, and Extra.
Pretty much anyone can become licensed. There is no age limit. All you have to
do is pass the written test for the license level you want to obtain. There is
no Morse Code test anymore. The cost is $14 per test and you can check on the
ARRL web site for a test site
and
time that is convenient for you.
Just like with firearms and other tools, different radios and different frequencies
and different transmission modes are good for some things but not for others.
With a Technician license, you can transmit on certain frequency ranges (called “bands”)
that are said to be in the Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency
(UHF) ranges. These frequencies really only work with line-of-site so they are
good for local communications, like with search-and-rescue or talking to your
buddies around town. With General and Extra licenses you can transmit on lower
frequencies in what’s called the High Frequency (HF) bands. These frequencies
are better for farther-than-line-of-site communications because the signals in
these frequencies bounce off the atmosphere and can go quite long distances,
hundreds and even thousands of miles, particularly at night.
There are several modes of radio transmissions, each having advantages. Voice
communication of course is the most natural mode but it also uses the most bandwidth
and requires a pretty clear signal for intelligibility. Continuous Wave (CW),
the mode used for Morse Code, uses a tiny amount of bandwidth and
sometimes
is
the
only
way
to communicate at some distances and ionospheric conditions. Morse
Code is not a quaint old mode that geezers continue to do for fun. It sometimes
is the only way to make contact, and it is used very frequently for long distance
communication. And finally there is Digital communications which also use little
bandwidth but which does require the use of some sort of computer to process
the signals. There of course are many flavors of each mode and there are other
lesser-used modes, like video, image, and satellite communications, but those
are probably less useful in a survival situation. But they are all open to amateur
radio operators.
For my equipment, I opted for the most portable configurations available. VHF\UHF
radios are readily available both in mobile configuration (meaning they are in
a vehicle) and in portable configuration (meaning something you carry). For HF
portable configurations, there are not as many options. The two leading portable
HF radios are the Yaesu FT-817 and the Icom 703. I went with the Icom 703 and
got all the necessary accessories to use it in the backpack configuration. So
now I can walk around and make contact with people hundreds of miles away.
Power is always an important consideration for radios, especially portable radios.
Mobile radios can be powered by the car battery. It seems that each radio has
it’s own power connector and I wanted to create some sort of standard power
connector that I could use to plug everything into. It turns out that the Amateur
Radio community has been dealing with the exact problem and they came up with
the Andersen Powerpole connector [JWR recommended!] for DC-powered
devices. They wanted a connector that was gender-less, did not require tools
to connect
or
disconnect, and that
could handle fairly high levels of amperage. I put an extremely short Powerpole
line with fuses on the car battery, then connected a long Powerpole wire from
this wire to the inside of the cab of my truck, and then put a four-way Powerpole
splitter on the end of it all. Then each device has a Powerpole adapter with
fuses than I can plug into the splitter in the cab (or any other Powerpole connector).
This has worked out really well and is very modular. I have an adapter to plug
any DC device into any DC power supply I know of.
Since ham radios need a decent amount of power to transmit, portable radios usually
need a fairly large battery pack, and often require Lithium-ion batteries. Portable
power is a concern because lugging around a car battery would totally defeat
the purpose of having a portable radio. When the radio receives signals it doesn’t
require much power, only when it transmits. I got an Icom T90A VHF transceiver
which comes with one Lithium-ion battery pack. Extra battery packs are quit expensive.
What I found out is that there is an battery pack adapter that lets you put in
2 size AA batteries inside it, and it is in the exact same form as the Lithium-ion
battery pack. The downside is that the voltage in this configuration only has
about 2.5 V versus the 7.3 V of the supplied Lithium-ion battery pack, which
also means that you can’t transmit on high power. But, it turns out that
there are Lithium-ion batteries that have the same dimensions as AA batteries
(but without the knob on the positive end) called “14500” batteries.
They are 3.6V each so two of them together would be 7.4 V which is very close
to the supplied Lithium-ion battery pack. Actually it turns out that all that’s
in the supplied Lithium-ion battery pack is a couple of 14500 batteries. So rather
than pay $50 for an extra battery pack, I paid about $7.50 for a couple of 14500
Lithium ion batteries. I bought a total of 20 “14500” batteries for
the equivalent of 10 battery packs for about $75 rather than $500 for replaced
Icom battery packs. Incidentally, almost all laptop batteries just have a similar
type of battery in them called “18500.” So if you wanted to replace
your laptop battery you could just carefully open the battery case and re-solder
new 18500 batteries inside. They are about $4 a piece and there probably are
only a few (4-6) of them in any given laptop battery. Note that Lithium-ion batteries
need to be charged in a charger specifically designed for Lithium-ion batteries.
And because the voltage of Lithium-ion batteries is about 3 times greater than
AA batteries, you shouldn’t try to use Lithium-ion batteries in devices
that only take regular AA batteries or you will probably fry something.
It can take a lot of time and effort (and money) to learn how to effectively
communicate using amateur radios, so why bother? I think the advantages are that
you have means to communicate that do not rely on any system at all. There is
no central radio system and you supply your own power so you don’t even
need the power grid. You are essentially using the electromagnetic spectrum itself
as the communication medium. You don’t need any other equipment besides
two radios to communicate. Short distance radios like the Family Band radios
you can buy at Wal-mart are good for very short distances, like just outside
shouting range. They are good for around the ranch, on patrol, and in a convey.
And you probably don’t really want outsiders eavesdropping on your communications.
For communicating over a few to several miles, VHF radios work well. For across-town
communication, city-to-neighboring-city, and rugged terrain operation, VHF is
the way to go. And if there is a repeater close by, you can communicate with
anyone else as long as you both can communicate with the repeater. This is why
repeaters are often on mountaintops, so that people on opposite sides of the
mountain can communicate. I bought a book of all the repeater locations and frequencies
in the nation and I keep this with my VHF transceiver.
But if you want to talk to some across the state, in the next state, or even
in another country, you would need an HF radio. In the television show Jericho,
the
townspeople
are just dying to know what’s going on outside their town. They don’t
know what the governor is doing, let alone the President. They don’t know
if the National Guard is coming. They don’t know what cities got hit by
the bombs. They don’t know who did it. They basically had no information.
If someone had an HF radio they could get all sorts of information. They could
also transmit to others what they know. They could even contact family and friends
to tell them that they were all right, and could find out if those family members
and friends were all right, too. Shortwave receivers are better than nothing,
but you are limited to only receiving information, and usually just from voice
modes (no Morse Code, digital, or even some types of voice modes) from commercial
and government broadcasts. You can’t ask questions. You are still largely
relying on the “communication systems.” But with an HF radio, you
don’t need any system at all to communicate long distance.
Sometimes you want private communications and sometimes you want to be able to
communicate with lots of people. Use short-distance Family Radio Service (FRS)
radios for more private communications. When you want to receive news and to
give out
news,
you
want to be talking on frequencies and modes that everyone else is. This is when
you’d want to use amateur radios, particular on the HF bands. Besides amateur
radios, Citizen Band (CB) radios also can help with getting and giving news.
I got a CB radio for $26 on Amazon and a $35 antenna from Radio Shack. This radio
plugs can plug right into the cigarette lighter of the car and the antenna is
just about 2 feet tall and sticks to the roof of the car with a strong magnet.
No difficult installation required. No license is required to use it and there
are plenty of people on the CB bands. There’s even a dedicated “emergency
channel,” channel 9, that is only supposed to be used when someone has
an emergency and is probably monitored more than any other channel. You get a
lot of the advantages of amateur radio (like no “system” required
to use it, people are already listening on it, it is highly mobile and\or portable)
but for a fraction of the cost and effort. I think this is a cost-effective solution
for listening to what people are saying, being able to communicate to others
with no reliance on any system, and being able to call for help if needed. All
for about $60 that you can even just keep in the trunk of your car if you’d
rather not have it out all the time.
In my last email to you, I reviewed the .22 caliber adapter for the HK91 and
how I was a “Rifleman In Training.” I am still am in training, but
I am going to Front Sight in a few weeks and I plan on going to an Appledseed
Project Boot Camp in the spring. I am committed to do it now, whereas before
I just thought it would be a good idea. I keep on trying to improve my skills
and have some other things I am going to be learning which perhaps I’ll
detail in future emails. I try to keep things simple and try not to get to clever
with preparedness. Sometimes you just gotta walk into the trade school and ask
to talk to a counselor, or buy that radio book, or sign up for a class even though
you really don’t know anyone and you don’t really know what you doing.
To me, it is my duty as a father and member of my community to consistently do
all I can to improve my skills to help out whenever trouble strikes.- Still A
Rifleman
in Training
Jim,
I am sending you this message via my VHF ham radio sitting in my ham shack
using only battery power and my laptop to reply. The connection from my radio
via airwaves into the Internet is via what is called a gateway. I could also
do this from my car, or on a mountain top using only batteries and a portable
antenna. I could also do it via HF or UHF.
I could use a mode called PSK31, and if you had a ham radio I could send it
to you in this same format peer to peer with no internet connection needed.
So, my point is that anyone with just a ["No Code"] Technicians license can
do this. The license is $15, and a simple 35 question test. I hold what is
called an Extra class license AD7VV and so can use more advanced modes to communicate.
I have many friends who are doing what the writer of that letter suggested,
but it takes practice. God bless you, and have a blessed Christmas season.-
Michael H.
Mr. Rawles,
In light of yesterday's mention of ham Radio, I thought I might offer a little
more information on how my fellow ready can get involved and equipped, and
why. It bears mentioning up front that in most countries, Amateur Radio ("ham")
is subject to some government licensure and regulation. For instance, in
the US, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) creates the laws and
issues you the right to use Ham frequencies. In the US, it is illegal
to transmit
on the Ham bands without an FCC issued license and call sign. So
follow the rules, and get licensed. It really is easy, I did it with my dad's
help
when I was ten years old. Now the good stuff:
Ham radio is indeed a fairly robust form of communication (even capable of
running off of small solar panels in the case of handheld radios), and for
the most part, the Ham Radio community itself is very emergency preparedness
oriented. There are numerous Ham groups across the US with the sole purpose
of maintaining and practicing communication under disaster conditions, and
most local area clubs participate regularly in related drills, classes, and
actual disaster coordination.
Becoming a "ham" involves learning some of the technical aspects
of radio and electronics, and for good reason. You don't want to be without
those skills, because Amateur Radio is a very do-it-yourself hobby. You have
to hook up your equipment and know how to operate it. You have
to understand the basics of RF theory so you can buy (or build) the right equipment.You are
responsible for safety in your gear and the way you use it. But that makes
it a very rewarding and open-ended hobby. It may sound daunting, but like I
said, it's easy enough for kids to grasp. And the things you learn in the process
are invaluable steps toward greater self-sufficiency in many other areas.
Now, in the US, the FCC requires that you pass a test to be licensed as a Ham
Radio operator. Learning and studying for this test is the only real effort
required to become a ham. The good news is you can study much of the material
for free, the testing is often free, and there is only a nominal fee for getting
a license. Here are some great resources online:
QRZ.com's How To - More information for those interested in pursuing a license
in the US.
ARRL's Exam Site Index - Find the exam site nearest you.
QRZ.com Site Map - Find practice exams and lots of other information from active
hams, including forum.
FCC
Ham Site - Information on licenses, processes, etc.
Thanks, - Little Bird
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Letter Re: Long Haul Voice and Data Communications in a Post-Collapse Environment
Mr. Rawles;
In the event of total meltdown, have you thought about using bulletin board
systems (BBSes) as
a means of communicating? If, and that could be a big if, the phone land
lines were
still operating, but ISPs were down, then a BBS
would be a excellent way to keep folks informed. Pre-Internet I ran BBSes with
multiple phone
lines
with
great success. Just an idea.
Also, while on that topic, has there been any
discussion as to shortwave frequencies that you may support? Is there/are
base stations set up for relays of news and information? A survival Net so-to-speak.
I
come from a hard core marine/yacht background and the are cruiser nets worldwide,
depending on what ocean you are in at the moment. Something like that for
landbase
usage would, to my way of thinking, help to ease folks' minds, pass on latest
news and to quiet down the rumor mills that spout false info. I can't stress
the
need for people to become well versed in the ownership and usage of shortwave
amateur sets. They can be had on the cheap and be in use now! This is not
something that you have to stash away until you need it but a tool that
you can enjoy
for years to come. They are also a good way to access e-mail accounts when
your current provider is down. I won't this all this here as there are books
on this topic and pages of programs that will work with a SSB/Ham system,
either land-based or marine based. - LAS
JWR Replies: Since traditional telephone services, DSL,
cellular services, ISPs,
and the Internet are all more or less dependent on grid power, I expect them
to all go down within a few days of each other, in the event
of
major
catastrophe. There will, however, be some utility in ham radio based packet
radio and digipeter networks, that can operate like BBS servers and even
like a quasi-Internet. These can operate over long distances in the HF ham
bands. There are also some
regional 2
Meter Band networks that are partially served by photovoltaic-powered
repeaters. So parts of those networks might also remain intact. Because many
older hams are retiring, there are lots of used radios and packet TNCs
on he market, selling for very reasonable prices.
Rather than "re-invent
the wheel", I recommend joining and expanding existing packet HF BBS
networks, such as those listed at Totse.com.
One word of warning: Do not just bookmark the Totse page. Like all
the other World Wide Web pages, the Totse page will vanish if the power grid
goes down. So be sure to print
out an updated hard
copy,
roughly twice a year. (Mark your calendar.)
I also recommend joining an
existing topic-based scheduled ("same time, same frequency") HF ham call in. Perhaps
some
SurvivalBlog readers that are active hams can recommend an existing scheduled
meeting time and frequency to discuss preparedness topics.
Parenthetically, I should mention that since the sunspot number is currently
fairly low, this is now a great time to join
a
network.
(If
you
can get connectively
now--with such poor skywave propagation--then odds are that you
will be able to do sp just about anytime in the future!)
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Letter Re: Advice on an Inexpensive Solar Battery Charger?
Hi Mr. Rawles:
In your comments to the family living in Trinidad & Tobago, you wrote: "As
your budget allows, buy a small solar charger for your AA and AAA NiMH batteries."
Do you have personal experience with any of these solar chargers? Can you recommend
any? Many thanks, - Larry T.
JWR Replies: Depending on your budget, solutions can run from "micro",
to "mini", to "maxi." These
inexpensive solar chargers sold by Ready Made Resources (one of our long-time
advertisers) work fine as a "micro" solution., but be advised that
they are not waterproof. I recommend setting these up on a windowsill, inside a
south-facing window. In my experience, it is best to buy at least two of these
chargers, since they charge slowly, via "trickle charging".
Moving up to the "mini" solution, there are these
6.5 watt flexible (amorphous), photovoltaic (PV) panels. Even modest-size
PV systems with a small deep cycle battery bank can make a huge difference
in providing small scale lighting and battery charging for crucial security
measures such
as
radios
and night vision equipment. There are so many LED lights, battery
charging trays, and various pieces of electronic gear available that will
run directly from 12 VDC or from a DC-to-DC
converter, that you might be able to skip the expense of a full-up system
with a large AC inverter.
If you have a bigger budget, Ready Made Resources (RMR) and other vendors
can also supply larger
pre-packaged PV power systems, either with or without an AC power inverter.
(Without an inverter, they will provide only 12 volt or 24 volt DC power.)
RMR even has experience designing "maxi" systems--6
KW or larger.
(BTW, they offer free alternate energy system design and consulting.)
Keep in mind that starting January 1st, grid-tied
PV systems will be eligible for a 30% Federal tax credit in the US. Many
states also offer their own tax credits. In some states such as Florida
and California, the combined Federal and state tax credits may reduce your
expense by as much as 70%, when all is said and done.
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Letter Re: Some Technologies for Retreat Security
Jim
I've put together a few ideas on retreat security that I haven't seen on your
great site. I may have missed them but I think they would bear repeating.
I presently
live near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but will soon be moving to my 280 acre
ranch in central Nevada.
What got me to write this was a realization during my semiannual chore of
servicing the
emergency
generator.
Changing out the gas (It is also set up to run it on propane) changing the
oil, and testing the circuitry, I realized that what I thought was a good
setup
was
actually lacking.
I have always made the preparedness of our home priority. If a storm knocks
out the power, I go start the generator and switch the control box. My "Ah-ha"
moment came with the realization that if the power were ever cut intentionally,
all security would be off until after I'd expose myself to go start the generator.
Needless to say
corrective
action projects (remote start, auto control panels, and UPS battery
backup for the security system) are now underway.
Education has been mentioned but I realized that I hadn't seen much about
basic electronics. Learning how to make small circuit boards is really rather
simple,
and allows
you to make a lot of toys (equipment) for the homestead. A simple IR detection
circuit to let you know if someone is coming in under cover of night. A display
can show which sensors are being activated. This way you have a choice, whether
or not to let someone know you are alert
to their presence. Pressure [sensing] pads you can make yourself to show if
someone is standing behind that large boulder, by the barn, or shed. [JWR
Adds: Commercially-made
pressure sensing pads are far more reliable weather-resistant. Used ones are
sometimes sold as surplus by alarm companies.] How about a simple circuit that
is connected
to motion/heat sensors in the house
that
light
an
LED array that not only shows someone is in your house but on which
floor or in which room. There are electronics parts vendor sites like Jameco and
DigiKey and web sites
like Instructables.com, Makezine and
similar hobby and hacking sites that show all sorts of projects and skills.
When I
get my
next batch of wire I am setting small speakers to exploit a bit of human nature
by creating a brief sound to get intruders to look in a particular direction
and then two seconds later turn on concealed 500 Watt floodlights for a blinding
effect.
These floodlights will
be good
for
general
use as well. I mentioned pressure pads for detection earlier. One of the ideas
at the ranch was to place large cover objects at strategic points to funnel
a potential intruder to a place he could hide and I could remote view the opposition
at the same time. Mini cams and mikes and alarm pressure pads will give you
a heads up.
Since my ranch a long way from law enforcement protection, a remote
defense is also installed. Behind two of the boulders I had moved with the
rented dozer, I placed a small outcropping of rock in the ground so as to leave
nothing to hide behind but left a cavity in front to set plastic bagged SKS rifles
(sans stocks) [in mounting frames with solenoid-actuated triggers and] cameras
at the scope (which by the way is a great way to aim around corners) and the
aiming
is
done
by
remote
control
units
from
the hobby shop (or eBay). Solar power and small batteries keep things operational.
(I am sure the liabilities and legalities will be questioned, so let's say
the property is set up for installation after TSHTF).
Safety is important so the units are double switched, one to turn on the power
and
the
other to
control
and fire. The third unit is similar but I made a small bracket on the tree
behind the third cover position, laid in my controls, made a cloth skirt at
the base to allow movement and then used the foam
insulation in a spray can and made a foam cover to look like a branch
and spray painted with a couple of
colors
. This made it so invisible that a visiting friend couldn't detect it even
after I told him where it was. The cost for cameras, microphones, controllers,
and sensors
is really
small--from
under $2 for sensors to perhaps $25 for the others. What you pay big bucks
for is the labor and knowledge. But you you get that by turning off the television
and
exercising your brain.
[JWR Adds: Consult your state and local laws on "trap
guns" before
considering any such installation. Also keep in mind that any semi-auto firearm
that is triggered via solenoid might be construed to be a " machinegun" if
there is any way whatsoever that more than one cartridge could be fired by
a single press of the remote "trigger". Also, keep in mind that in
the US, Federal law that restricts not only barrel length but also overall
length for a firearm.
(Rifles
and shotguns must have a minimum overall length of 26 inches.) Multiply-redundant
safeties should be designed, as a well as a safe backstop for any bullets fired.
In
my opinion,
installation
of a remotely-fired gun should only be considered in absolute "worst
case" situations.
Their use in any lesser situation might very well land your in court, on trial
either criminally and/or civilly, in a very bad light that would doubtless
be exploited by
hostile attorneys.]
Before I leave this topic I would add that on the previous
mentioned
web sites and YouTube.com and Google video you can learn how to pick locks,
scavenge old camera parts, make and run a forge, start fires, throw flame,
make thermite, generate smoke and just about anything else you can think of.
Its like having a couple hundred mischievous people in your R&D department.
How about remote cameras? There are gadget sites, military and defense corporations,
and especially university sites have many ideas, for free, such as GizMag,
DARPA, and MIT.
One topic of interest is remote viewing. You can launch a hand held and nearly
silent electronic plane
and
view all points of
the ranch in very short amount of time without exposing yourself. It could
also be used to find wild game. [This is called "First
Person View (FPV) piloting.] Try
a web search on "remote FPV flying" and watch a couple of videos. The aforementioned
hobby
web sites
are
also a
resource
on
model aircraft information. [JWR Adds: Radio control aircraft
servos have numerous uses for folks with creative minds.] Prices range from
$300-to-$400 to as much
as $1,500 This can be applied to rc cars
adding
remote
microphone
and
speaker,
and
rc
helicopters
as well.
It
only took a couple of hours to get a real good feel for it,. But I should add
that I haven't yet flown it in high wind.
To set up [for security at] the ranch property I mapped out GPS way
points and used a range finder for all the prominent features. I would also
suggest
a
picture
of
the property
and the surrounding properties from Google maps . At several strategic spots
I planted some damaged concrete sewer pipes on end--I had obtained these
free for the asking--and made large lids for them with a plastic base and the
aforementioned spray
can foam to look like the landscape, with a hollow center so you could look
out small holes without moving the lid. Inside is water and there are a couple
of ammo cans for food, and
a small seat
and space blanket, iron oxide hand warmers which are also good for emergency
in your car and coat pocket or keeping vigil at a remote hide--[a small heat
source] can be the difference between bearable, frostbitten, or dead. I've
requested more
of the free concrete pipes be saved so that I can bury them between the house
and the barn and run a little shuttle
between the two buildings. Why not,? The price is right.
For structure fire suppression and prevention, I'll just mention these two
products as a one-time fire insurance policy: ThemoGel and
Barricade. Perhaps
at some point this could also be made a remotely-triggered function. I hope
you find some of this useful. - Erik
« Letter Re: Some Changes in American Wholesale Food Distribution |Main| Letter Re: Retreat Locale and Firearms Selection Questions from a Newbie Easterner »
Letter Re: HF/VHF/UHF Amateur Radio for Preppers
James,
First, thanks for all that you do for the preparedness community. I have been
a reader since [the early 1990s] when you had the early draft of your novel
available for free download. I
did send in my the $5 in shareware you asked for I believed it to be excellent
fiction.
Second, I want to write you concerning an aspect of preparedness which is
often overlooked. I know that in the last few months I have seen more posts
on your
blog and am grateful. I want to talk about communications equipment.
As has been previously noted there are really two major types of communication
which are readily available to civilians. Naturally, I am speaking of the ham
bands which consist of the VHF/UHF and HF spectrums. In reality the modern
radio is mostly a computer or computer driven (hence the need to have a spare
protected in a Faraday Cage).
It would behoove anyone [in the US] who is prepping to first
get your Technician ham license. Any number of internet sites have the exact
question pool which you will be quizzed from. You can prepare one of two ways – buy
a book on the fundamentals of radio communication or simply go to a web site
such as QRZ.com and work through
the question pools. Currently, there is no code
to learn as there once was – therefore you will not be tested on Morse
Code. However, I would recommend that as soon as possible that one begin to
become
fluent with CW (Continuous Wave, i.e. Morse Code). At times the nature of the
HF bands are such that people can communicate with one another using CW and
not
via
voice.
Once you have your Technician license you will want to either get involved
in an amateur radio club or begin to monitor the VHF/UHF bands. The VHF/UHF
band covers 50, 144, 220, and 440 MHz (6, 2, 1 1⁄4, meters as well as
70cm respectively). Most often the easiest way to monitor the VHF/UHF is through
a handheld unit. I have had a number of different models but for my retreat
we use the Yaesu VX 7R. This model is built to mil spec standard – waterproof
and shockproof – as well as easy to operate. It is about the size of
a small paperback and has the longer lasting lithium-ion batteries. It is presently
selling for around $270.
The VHF/UHF bands are limited to line of sight communications and for long
range communications in these bands you need the services of a local radio
repeater. I will not go into the technical aspects of a repeater here suffice
to say that it boosts your signal strength and resends you signal to others
monitoring the same frequency. I often work a repeater some forty miles from
my house – but I sit atop a hill.
The HF frequencies are truly worldwide communications. You can with little
equipment work stations as far away as the South Pacific on good days. However,
to open these frequencies up you need to have either your General or Extra
license. The next step is to get your General and then lastly your Extra license.
With each further step you gain more band privileges – the Extra basically
being an unlimited ticket to ham radio communications.
HF transceivers can be expensive but don’t necessarily have to be. I
have two different types of HF radios currently in my ham shack – modern
radios (Yaesu 857D (HF/VHF/UHF radio), ICOM 718 (HF + 6m), and an old tube
rig (Yaesu FT 101E). The HF frequencies covers 160, 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17,
15, 12, and 10 meters. Presently with the [pitiful] shape of the sunspot cycle
only from about 20 – 10 meters is active depending on where you are and
the time you are monitoring.
Space and time preclude an in-depth examination
of
HF transmitting – I
would recommend a good beginner’s book such as the ARRL Amateur Handbook
for Radio Communications. This work will give you more information than you
really want to know about HF communications. It is truly fascinating to listen
to different stations on the HF bands. You get to such a worldwide spectrum
which is largely absent from the VHF/UHF side of the hobby.
Lastly, with the HF radios you will have to have a quality antenna. “Quality” does
not necessarily mean expensive. I have a G5RV Jr. antenna which is hooked up
to my ICOM 718 and I have picked up stations all over the world. This particular
antenna cost me a whopping $38 less than a year ago. A word of caution – antennas
have to be tuned to each specific frequency which you want to listen or transmit
on. Some HF radios have built in tuners while others you must buy an add – on
tuner. (Essentially you are really tuning the antenna to match the band frequency
which you wish to transmit). Antennas can cost as little as my G5RV to thousands
of dollars for tall towers. If you are wanting to keep a low profile I would
suggest erecting a dipole cut
to the specific frequency length which you wish to transmit on.
Much more could
be said – however, IMHO your communications will be much more operational
with ham equipment than with CBs or the like.
With Kind Regards - Dr. Joe
« Letter Re: Deflation Possibly Followed by Mass Inflation? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: A Suggested Checklist for Preparedness Newbies
Here's a beginner's list I made for my [elderly] father today:
Food
{Brown pearl] rice does not store well. Neither does cooking oil so that needs to be fresh.
No, Crisco doesn't count.
Coconut oil would be your best bet.
Wheat berries - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
Beans - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
Mylar bags
Spices
Salt
Country Living grain mill
propane tanks, small stove and hoses to connect
freeze dried fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat if you can find them.
Water
500 gallons
of water [storage capacity. Rainwater catchment is a common practice
in Hawaii]
Water filter
Cooking
Cast Iron Cookware
Firearms
FN PS 90
10 PS 90 magazines
5.7 handgun
10 FN 5.7 handgun magazines
5.7 ammo
Training: Front Sight four day defensive
handgun course. (Note: eBay sometimes has
course certificates for $100!)
Body armor: Nick at BulletProofME.com
Medical
Personal medications
Augmentin antibiotic
Up to date dental work
Painkillers
Bandages
Iodine
Anti-fungal spray
Finances
$10,000 cash in small bills
100 one-ounce silver coins (GoldDealer.com or Tulving.com)
Transport
Gasoline in 5 gallon cans or better yet, this.
Gas stabilizer
Mountain bikes
Air pump
Miscellany
Flashlights
Rechargeable Batteries
Battery
charger
Hand held walkie talkies
Topographical map of your area
Spare eyeglasses
Shortwave radio
Home generated power
12 volt battery system
Good backpack
Good knife
Good compass
Good shoes
Bar soap
Toothbrushes
Dental floss
Toilet paper
Fishing kit
Salt licks
Connibear traps
Regards, - SF in Hawaii
JWR Adds: The following is based on the assumption that SF's
father also lives in Hawaii: Because of the 10 round magazine limit for handguns,
I recommend that Hawaiians purchase only large
bore
handguns for self defense--such
as .45
ACP.
Both the
Springfield
Armory XD .45 Compact or the Glock Model 30 would both be good choices. The "high
capacity" advantage of smaller caliber
handguns
is not available to civilians in Hawaii, so you might as well get a more potent
man stopper, given the arbitrary 10 round limitation.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Three Letters Re: Family Food Security for a Recession or Depression »
Two Letters Re: Mr. Romeo's Retreat Owner Profile
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I read Mr. Romeo's retreat plans, and I would like to add
a couple of things to his preparations list. The one glaring omission
I see in
his list is a lack
of HF communications
gear. VHF radios
are line of sight communications, which is great if you're planning on
staying within range of the coast. If he plans
on heading out to deeper waters though, HF gear becomes a lifeline to
Pacific maritime nets, weather information, and other useful resources.
Even if
he doesn't plan on transmitting, an HF receiver would allow him to listen
to
shortwave broadcasts. Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand broadcast
to the Pacific
almost around the clock, as well as other world services. I would think
he could even tune into a lot of American medium wave AM stations
at night as these radio waves carry well over water.
I think his case might be one of the few where an upgrade to a .50 caliber
[BMG] rifle might be warranted as well. If the coasts of East Africa
are any guide, the high seas could be an extremely dangerous place to
be
after a major
disruption. The 50 caliber would make his a vessel that most pirates
wouldn't want to bother with.
Just my $.02 worth, adjusted for inflation. Keep up the great work! -
Tim in Baltimore
Hello,
Thanks for all you do: I read your recent advice to a mariner to buy
several parachute flares if they are within his budget. At ~$70 USD per flare
that's a bit
steep when compared to buying a east-bloc (mine's Polish,) 26.5mm
flare gun as seen here for $30. These flare guns are not considered deadly
weapons by the BATFE, so there is no restriction on their shipment by mail.
Furthermore, a
box of 10 Czech army surplus white parachute flares will run $40. [Although
they don't reach the same altitude and are not as bright as the ones that JWR
suggested,] this would allow anyone to have 10 flares for the price of one.
Multiple colors are also available.
For full disclosure, I have no connection to the "Ammo to Go" company
other than being a regular customer of theirs who is quite happy with the service
and their prices, and I recommend them to friends. BTW, I recently got 20 rounds
of AP ammo for my 8x57mm Mauser--something that is nearly impossible to find
elsewhere!) Keep on rocking in the free world! - Eminence Frontman
JWR Adds: I also own a 26.5mm flare pistol, and recommend
them. Mine is a Bundeswehr surplus P2A1, manufactured by Heckler und
Koch (HK). I should also mention that there are chamber adapters made by several
companies
that allow US-standard 12 gauge nautical flares to be fired in 26.5mm flare
pistols. One manufacturer of these adapters that I recommend is Tactical
Innovations. And, BTW, the same company makes excellent milled aluminum
25-round magazines for Ruger 10/22 rimfire rifles. My family has extensively
tested
one of these
magazines here at the Rawles
Ranch and found that they are very reliable and
trouble-free. It might be wise to order a few of these magazines before the
upcoming election.
Any new ban on full capacity magazines will sure cause prices to triple overnight.
« Letter Re: Advice on Silver Coins for Barter |Main| Note from JWR: »
Three Letters Re: Advice on Driveway Alarms for Retreat Security
Mr. Rawles,
We've been using the Dakota Alert driveway alarm for years. We use the model
with the underground sensor that will only go off when a metal object comes
near it such as a large (or even small) vehicle. The advantage of this is it
has absolutely no false alarms. When the receiver says a car is coming down
our (long) driveway, then a car is coming. There is nothing worse than an alarm
that gives false alarm all the time and you no longer can trust it. The infrared
driveway alarms that I've tried do this especially if you live in an area with
lots of game
running
around such as deer, etc. Because of the absence of false alarms, I know when
my driveway alarm goes off at 3 a.m.that someone is coming and I can be sure
to have the appropriate welcome ready for them.
The other advantage is the unit is very discreet. With almost 50 feet of underground
rated cable, I can bury the sensor next to the driveway and put the transmitter
away from the road in an elevated position (such as a tree) and it is almost
impossible to see. The 9 volt DC battery it uses lasts us about 8-12 months easily. I
highly recommend the Dakota Alert. It's a great product and well worth
the
money. - Craig
Jim:
I can vouch for the
Reporter brand driveway alarm system. It's American-made and
is fairly reliable. I had two different chinese-made systems which used magnetic
sensors before I found out about this one. The [mainland] Chinese-made ones
would become very prone to false alerts before they both eventually broke down.
One lasted a year and the other lasted two
years. One of them ended up ringing the base unit non-stop.
I've used the older Reporter [design] for nearly three years and it has held
up to midwestern temperatures and weather extremes. It's range will drop to
100 yds if you use the supplied antennas with the receiver kept indoors. The
sensor is very constrained in how it must be aimed in order to detect vehicles.
Contrast in temperature in important. A cold vehicle that leaves your property
will probably not always set it off. On the flip side, I've never had a false
alarm with it. It will pick up small animals that get exactly within its sensor
path --including rabbits and occasionally a bird. Likewise, I had a spider
crawl onto the sensor which set it off and made for an amusing mystery until
I looked at the sensor itself. It will sometimes miss vehicles coming in due
to types of tires, position of muffler
which could escape a single sensor. This takes some experimentation and an
understanding that it isn't always going to be 100% perfect. It's like any
other piece of gear that can fail. Later, - Chris
Dear JWR:
I replaced my wired driveway alert with a wireless Dakota Alert unit
several years ago. I have been pleased with the performance and customer support.
I use a magnetic sensor to minimize false alerts, although my neighbor’s
cow and large deer can somehow trigger it from tromping down my driveway. The
9 volt alkaline battery has been unreliable in cold weather and I have purchased
lithium batteries to test this winter.
Also, the sensor and cable are enclosed in plastic conduit to keep the critters
with sharp teeth from giving me another repair project I purchased and returned
the Dakota Alert portable receiver as it was very disappointing. Thanks to
all for the tip on using the alert with a MURS
[handheld] radio. BTW, I've made
my 10 Cent
Challenge. Thanks, - Jon
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: 11th Hour Preparations: It is Not Too Late to Start »
Letter Re: Advice on Driveway Alarms for Retreat Security
Mr. Rawles,
Thanks for the perimeter defense blog today. Can you please give me your
opinion on driveway alarms? There are some cool units I found at drivewayalarmdepot.com.
They have units that are wireless and reach out to 3,000 feet. I think they
also have a unit that reaches out a mile. Are these infrared units suitable
to serious perimeter defense?
Thanks, - RP
JWR Replies: By all means do comparison pricing, but you
should beware of
the driveway alarms that are made in China. From most reports they are shoddy
and
unreliable.
(Most of them are not truly weatherproof.) The best non-Chinese brand
of wireless IR driveway alarm on
the
market
is
the Dakota Alert. These are American-made and
have long-term
reliability. The wireless models use MURS band
frequencies, which is a plus. (You can get MURS walkie-talkies tuned to the
same frequency, so you can have a portable
alerting device right on your belt, that doubles as a voice walkie-talkie.)
OBTW, our advertiser MURS
Radios sells both discount-priced Dakota Alert system components and
MURS band transceivers. They can program the latter for you to match your Dakota
Alert frequency. Tres cool.
Infrared alarms can indeed be effective for perimeter security, if properly
emplaced on likely avenues of approach. With Dakota Alerts, you can emplace
multiple alarm transmitters, each with a distinctive audible alert. (So that
you'll know which approach has an intruder--such as "Alert, Zone Two.")
« Letter Re: Suddenly Homeless on the Potomac--Some Preparedness Lessons Learned |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Good Compsec Practices for Preppers, by T.
Compsec is a subset of OPSEC that is concerned with computer
security. It can not be ignored if you plan to use computers now and after
a SHTF situation.
The personal computer is a powerful tool to help cope with any disaster or
survival situation. The capacity for enormous data storage in a very small
footprint makes it a valuable resource when the grid and net go down. You will
have all the information you need at your finger tips; first aid and medical
info, maps and topography, equipment and firearms manuals, personal records
and pictures, and the list goes on and on. Just be sure you have back ups of
your data on hard drives and DVDs
and a spare system or two stowed away in an EMP-shielded
cabinet. Laptops make sense as spares due to their transportability and lower
power consumption.[JWR Adds: Like all of you other spare small
electronics, any spare
laptops should
be
stored in 40mm ammo cans, for EMP protection.] Make sure you have
spare batteries
and chargers,
hard drives, etc. Consider having
the
rugged
laptops
that are
shock,
water
and dust resistant. Here are some examples:
Dell Ruggedized Laptop
Panasonic
Toughbook Laptop
See the recent article on how to power your PC with
solar energy in Computer
Power User magazine's November, 2008 issue. The article is titled: “Get
Off The Grid”.
Solar Laptop chargers are available from:
Basegear
Ready Depot
[JWR Adds: Compact photovoltaic power systems are also available
from Ready Made
Resources, a loyal SurvivalBlog advertiser.]
Here are some sites with useful information that you might want to stow away
before TSHTF:
USGS Topography Resources
KI4U Library
First
Aid References
EquippedToSurvive (PDF)
NIH Medline
eBooks
There are many
other
treasure troves of information on the Internet. Look around and
gather those free files now[, and make backups on CD-ROM].
You don't have to spend a fortune on software; if you leave Microsoft behind
and enter the world of Open Source software where you will find a plethora
of great software ranging from the LINUX operating system to office automation,
databases, and hundreds of useful programs. Consider that most viruses and
malware are written for Microsoft products, so open source is generally more
secure for that reason alone. Check out these web sites for some alternative
ways to go:
Ubuntu
Red Hat
SourceForge
Tucows
If you prefer to stick with the tried and true Microsoft, do indeed follow
their security recommendations and make sure you get all the updates installed
as soon as they come out. I recommend using the
automatic updates for the operating system and software packages as well as
virus and spyware scanners.
Scott McNealy, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems once said, “You have
no privacy [in the Internet era]. Get over it.” That is definitely a
true statement. There are gigantic databases all over the world with data on
any
minutiae that
may
have
been recorded from many diverse sources which can then be correlated by high
power computers to produce a pretty good picture of you as an individual should
someone wish to. Some of the data is obtained legally from public records and
news sources; some is obtained illicitly through hacking or purchasing outright
what should be private information. The data may also come from spybots and
Trojan horses right on your very own personal computer.
Anything that is stored on a computer that is connected to the internet is
susceptible to data harvesting. Anything you posted to an on-line message board,
or an email you sent, or a form you filled out, may well still exist somewhere
on the internet even after it seemingly is gone. In the unthinkably large database
of Google it may live a long, long time or on a back up tape in some obscure
data center somewhere. It may even attain near immortality in the “Wayback
Machine”, a database that archives web pages.
Even though using the internet can be hazardous, there are ways to make your
surfing safer. By all means install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and
update it frequently. Another essential is to have a firewall. Most operating
systems now come with firewalls so make sure it is enabled. It can be made
even more secure if you do the homework.It’s not a good idea to leave
your computer running on-line 24/7 unless you have a specific reason to do
so. It gives the hackers a lot of time to work on cracking your system and
once cracked hackers can use your PC in their zombie army to launch more attacks
and collect more data, all in the dead of night while you sleep. You won’t
notice the hard drive and network activity.
Use strong passwords, it’s a pain, but weak passwords are easily cracked
and once that is done, you have absolutely no security at all. Change passwords
regularly because even a strong password can eventually be cracked by brute
force cracking which simply tries random character patterns until it finds
the one that works. If you use words that can be found in a dictionary or even
words slightly modified, be aware that these are much faster to be cracked.
You can learn about strong passwords here:
Microsoft Password Checker
LINUX Password Checker
Free Ultra-Secure
Password Generator from Gibson Research
Pay attention to security settings on your web browser. I use the
Firefox browser because it has better security features [than others like
Microsoft Internet Explorer], such as clearing of private data when exiting,
the ability to manage individual cookies,
and
the
ability to disable
the “HTTP referrer” information that tells the next web site you
visit where you just came from.
Whatever browser and operating system you use, make sure that it is as secure
as it can be and still be functional for your needs. The basic philosophy of
system
hardening is to close all the open doors, install locks, and only open up those
that you absolutely must in order to operate. There are many open doors and
loosely guarded doors in an unsecured system which comes right from the manufacturer
that way. You need to look into all the setting and options that are available
with what ever hardware and software you have, and then start tightening up
as much as possible.
Another problem with most PCs running a Microsoft OS is that they become laden
with junk over time. As you install new software and hardware your registry
grows
to
a huge size and you accumulate startup programs that start up when you logon
and run even if you may not need them. They make the login slower and slower
as they accumulate and some of them may even be spybots reporting back to home
base of your activities. I’m willing to bet that most PC users are running
software for programs they never even use anymore.
Here are a few sites to learn about how to clean your PC of these start-up
parasites:
Info on start-up programs
This a database of good,
bad and optional programs that might be running on your PC.
Microsoft
registry cleaner. There are
other commercial products available, be careful to select the option to make
backups before you clean up the registry. The cleaners occasionally clean too
much and break a program that you need.
Here is a cleaner I have used successfully.
Visit these web sites to give yourself some good security check-outs:
Tons of good compsec information.
Free Tools and Utilities.
The Junkbusters site will tell you if your
browser is giving out too much information.
Gibson Research.
Click on the services tab and select Shields Up! to give your system a security
check up. Check out all their other good security info.
This page will tell you
about your Internet "persona" and check out other good information.
Surf anonymously. This will help keep those who do not have a need to know,
out of your affairs. Just remember that ‘somebody’ will know what
your internet IP addresses is, and that ‘somebody’ is the anonymity
provider or proxy server. It can be traced to your PC.
Here are two free anonymizers:
CEXX.org
ComputerBytesMan
One note of caution about encrypted files and web sites that your browser accesses:
The browser will copy it to cache and it will be in clear text allowing anybody
to read it or a Trojan to copy the page back to its home base server. The
solution is to clear browser cache immediately after accessing encrypted
pages.
Using a search engine link will provide the web site you visit with all the
search terms you used to make the search. Instead, copy and paste the link
into the browser navigation bar for a little extra anonymity. If you have a
Google
account and have logged in to check your Gmail then it is possible for Google
to link your login to your searches thus reducing your anonymity even more. [JWR
Adds: I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers go a step further and
use the
Scroogle Scraper intermediary portal to do any Google searches.]
I hope this information has been helpful for those preparing for those tough
times ahead that lay ahead. I do believe the personal computer can be a powerful
survival tool if, or should I say when, the TSHTF. Visit Set2Survive.com
for
more information, links and resources.
« Letter Re: Cemeteries as G.O.O.D. Overnight Bivouacs? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Preparing for Survival Retreat Perimeter Defense, by O.F.
There may come a time when a survival retreat will need to be defended, and
a properly prepared perimeter will be key to the success of the defense. While
many survival-minded
individuals and retreat groups have likely considered the possibility of a defense scenario, many are
at a loss as to how to plan for such an situation. If the time comes, a well-thought,
methodically planned perimeter defense will hold up better than simply having “a
bunch guns and ammo.”
Fighting positions offer several advantages during perimeter defense. Proper
positions allow the defenders to observe possible threats with reduced risk
of detection, protect the defenders from attack, and serve as a point of reference for reporting events to other members
of the retreat. They also form a buffer between the outside world and the retreat.
Fighting would-be attackers at “arm's length” is preferred to fighting
them inside the retreat, because it keeps the threat away from important assets
and personnel.
Fighting position placement will vary widely depending on terrain, but should
always be done with 360 degree security as the goal. Follow the acronym OCOKA
[Observation and fields of fire, Cover and Concealment, Obstacles, Key terrain,
and Avenues
of approach } when considering
terrain:
Observation and Fields of Fire – Positions need to be located so that
the area outside the perimeter may be observed in all directions. Fields of
fire/observation (or sectors) should overlap. For example, if one position
is observing 12 o'clock to four o'clock, then the next position might observe
three o'clock to seven o'clock. Other positions would cover similar sectors
ensuring the entire “clock” is observed.
Cover and Concealment – Cover is protection from projectiles or other
forms of attack. Natural cover, such as logs, dirt berms, or stone are advantageous
in a rural or remote environment since they blend in and are often readily available. Man-made cover could include
vehicles, retaining walls, sand bags, furniture, or dumpsters. Concealment
is protection from observation. Good positions offer defenders a place to hide to avoid being detected and blend
in with their environments.
Obstacles – Obstacles force attackers to slow down, stop, or change
direction when trying to approach a fighting position. Some natural obstacles
include downed trees, cliffs, ravines, streams, boulders, and embankments.
Some man-made obstacles include fences, road barricades, concertina wire, parked
vehicles, debris piles, berms, and ditches.
Key terrain – Key terrain is any piece of terrain which offers a definite
advantage to whoever occupies it. For example, a hill overlooking the retreat
would provide obvious advantages for anyone wanting to defend or attack it.
Other key terrain features might include intersections of roads or paths leading
to the retreat, areas affording excellent cover or concealment, or supply storage
buildings.
Avenues of approach – Positions should be able to monitor the roads,
paths, waterways and open areas which offer access to the retreat. Attackers
are much more likely to come up a driveway than through a forest heavily overgrown
with brush. The farther the visibility on avenues of approach, the more warning
defenders will have.
After determining where to emplace fighting positions, available personnel
must be taken into consideration. If only two or three people will be defending
the perimeter, then it may not make sense to build a dozen positions. Even with a dozen people, not everyone will be
able to man the positions all the time. Everyone needs to rest some time, so
personnel will need to man the positions in shifts. In such a scenario it would probably be better to setup half a dozen fighting
positions which could each be occupied by two people at times if needed. If
the situation necessitates more fighting positions than available personnel can occupy, then decoys can be placed in unmanned positions.
Equipment will also be a factor in preparing fighting positions. A backhoe
can easily dig a foxhole in mere minutes, whereas it may take an hour or more
with e-tools or spades. There may only be enough sandbags on hand to fortify a few positions. Different types of weapons
work better in some locations than in others. Don't put the only sniper rifle
on the retreat at a position that will be guarding a 100-meter approach up
a ravine if there is a position overlooking half a mile of road leading to
the driveway. Yours should balance caliber, range, and rate of fire around
the perimeter where they will be most effective.
Once the terrain, equipment and personnel considerations have been made, the
type of fighting position should be selected. As there is an inverse relationship
between the protection offered by a position and the time it takes to construct, the type of position chosen will
depend on the opportunity cost between the two. The basic types of fighting
positions suited for most retreats will be the hasty, the one-man position, and the foxhole. Each will be described briefly here.
For more detailed information, see the following US Army Field Manuals: FM
7-8 (Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad) andFM 3-21.9 (The SBCT Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad).
Hasty positions – These positions consist of nothing more than a shallow
trench just large enough for a defender to lay prone. The hasty offers no overhead
protection and little protection to the front or flanks, but it is the quickest
to construct. If there is plenty of time to prepare, then pick a different
option. Ideally, one position should consist of two trenches aligned in a V
so that two people may occupy it and cover a wider sector (each prone in one
leg of the V).
One-man positions – These positions are usually holes just large enough
for one person. Cover and concealment can be added to protect the defender.
Positions with only one person are the not as desirable as positions with two
or more because they leave one person responsible for an entire sector. If
something should happen to that one person, then the perimeter would have a
gap. If using one-man positions, locate them within site of each other.
Foxholes – Possibly the most recognized fighting positions, foxholes
are two-man pits which are the ideal choice for perimeter security. Foxholes
should be dug approximately two meters by half a meter and armpit-deep to the
tallest defender (shorter individuals will have to stand on something). This
will ensure the best cover and natural shooting positions will be afforded
to all personnel. Cover and concealment should be added to the fronts and sides
of the hole, leaving the two front corners somewhat open for observation/fire.
Create a sector sketch for each position. Draw a pie wedge which represents
what the position's field of observation/fire looks like from the perspective
of the person occupying it. Include direction and distance notations. Draw in trees, buildings or other obstructions and
label dead space which cannot be viewed behind these obstructions. This information
can be used for planning interlocking sectors of fire with other positions. Post a copy of the sketch in the fighting
position, so that anyone occupying it has an idea of what they are responsible
for watching and where the trouble spots are.
Also, keep a copy or each position's sketch at the retreat command post (CP)
for “big
picture” planning and situational awareness.
Fighting positions on the perimeter, once established, should be continually
improved. Sectors [of security responsibility] should be cleared of objects
limiting lines of site. Cover should be added to the front, sides, rear, and
top of the positions. Camouflage should be checked by walking out 50 to 100
meters
and observing the position; if it doesn't blend well with the background it
will have to be improved. Communication equipment should be added. TA-312 field
telephones or similar closed-circuit devices are a good choice. If practical,
stock fighting positions with first aid kits, ammunition, water and other supplies.
Details and changes should be added to sector sketches.
Crawl trenches can be added between fighting positions for a safe way to move
between them.
After fighting positions are well-established, extend the perimeter with obstacles.
Put concertina wire or brush 50 to 150 meters beyond fighting positions. Add
serpentine barriers or speed bumps to roads or paths. Fell trees across unused
avenues of approach. Put up fences. Anything that makes the perimeter harder
to breach should be considered.
Early warning systems alert defenders to a possible attack. It's better to
have some advance notice that someone is coming than to be caught by surprise.
Some early warning systems are active (require personnel to function). Once such system is a listening post/observation
post (LP/OP).
LP/OPs are positions which are strategically placed outside the perimeter in
a locations which offer observation of a likely line of attack. The object
of LP/OPs is usually not to engage attackers, but rather to communicate back
to defenders on or inside the perimeter about suspicious activity or pending
attacks before trouble reaches the perimeter. Since communication is an LP/OPs
biggest weapon, each one should have at least two forms of communication if
available. LP/OPs should be camouflaged to the maximum extent possible. Individuals
manning the LP/OP should be well disciplined at light and noise discipline
to further avoid detection.
Passive early warning systems do not require constant attention from personnel
to function. Ordinarily this might include a security system or even a dog
that always barks when a stranger approaches the house. A retreat perimeter defense scenario may call for some
less conventional options. Passive early warning devices need to be easy to
build, effective, and require little maintenance. Trip wires are cheap, and meet these requirements. A simple trip
wire can be constructed from "Spiderwire" (or other high-tensile, low-visibility
filament), a plastic spoon, a clothespin, and WD-1 commo wire
(other stranded pair wire, such as speaker wire, will work). Construct the
trip wire [release switches] as follows:
- Split apart a several inches of the two WD-1 elements and strip back a
few inches of the insulation on both wires.
- Pinch open the clothes pin and
wrap the exposed wire from one element of the WD-1 around one jaw of the
clothespin. Do the same with the other element
and the other jaw of the
clothespin. When the clothespin closes, the two exposed elements should
be in contact.
- Tie the clothes pin to a fixed object.
- Tie the spoon handle to a piece of
Spiderwire (you probably want to drill a small hole in the spoon handle).
- Clip
the bowl part of the spoon in the jaws of the clothespin in order to insulate
the two exposed wires from touching each other.
- Tie the other end of the
Spiderwire to another fixed object across the path, thus forming the trip
wire (it should be taut enough
to stay suspended
across the path, but not so tight that the spoon
pulls out of the clothespin).
- Connect the far end of the WD-1 to the the device
to be triggered.
Tripping the line causes the spoon to be pulled out of the clothespin and
the exposed wires to touch each other. This completes the circuit at the
far end of the wire. This simple switch can be used to activate flares, lights, or alarms.
If no alarm
circuits are available, improvised devices
like the following may be fashioned. (Check state and local laws, first!):
20 oz bottle blast alarm:
- Drill a small hole in a the top of the bottle cap.
- Insert an Estes model rocket igniter (available at hobby shops) into
the hole and seal with adhesive or melted plastic (cut off the safety seal ring from the cap
and melt with a lighter)
- Fill the cap nearly full with [FFF or FFFF black]
gunpowder.
- Pack dryer lint into the cap on top of the powder.
- Screw the cap tightly
onto the bottle.
- When the two ends of the rocket igniter are attached to
a power source (6-volt battery
should be enough) the bottle will explode with a loud bang.
Fuse flare (homemade flash pot, similar to devices available at theatrical
shops):
- Carefully break and remove the glass in a screw-in [AC electric] fuse.
(the kind used before circuit breakers were the norm in American houses).
- Use tin snips to cut 3⁄4 of the way
through the metal strip in the fuse.
- Screw the fuse into an ordinary lamp
socket (socket should be pointed upwards).
- Place photographic flash powder
(available at theatrical supply stores) in the fuse.
- When power is applied to the
fuse body, the flash powder will create a bright flash of light.
- A piece of Scotch
tape will help keep the powder in the fuse
- Use model rocket igniters or fine gauge (0000) ]
steel wool connected to the electric leads to light the fuse.
[JWR Adds: Although this improvised method will work, it
is both expensive and labor intensive. I recommend stocking up on large 1960s-vintage
photographic flashbulbs, such as Westinghouse M2 bulbs. These are available
on eBay for as little as 40 cents each, if purchased in quantity. (One recent
eBay auction was for 300 "new old stock" M2 flashbulbs and the winning
bid was just $77.) You might also be able to find similar flashbulbs via Craig's
List or Freecycle.
BTW, if you use extreme caution (gloves, safety goggle, et cetera), a hole can
be
drilled
into
some
flashbulbs,
so
that a pyrotechnic fuse can be inserted into the mesh core. This allows flashbulbs
to
double
as
fuse
igniters. Resist the urge to trickle in blackpowder to create a blasting cap.
This
is far too risky!]
Roman candles or other fireworks:
- Use model rocket igniters or [a thin twist of fine gauge (0000)] steel
wool connected to the electric leads to ignite the fuse on the firework.
- Tape
the wires securely to keep them from being dislodged.
A standard operating procedure (SOP)
should be developed after the perimeter infrastructure is in place. The best
perimeter infrastructure in the world is useless if those defending it are
uncoordinated. The SOP should address who will occupy each fighting position
and what their areas of responsibility are. It should also specify when, how,
and who will perform other critical security tasks including patrolling the
perimeter for weak spots, checking communications equipment, re-supplying or
redistributing ammunition in the event of an active engagement, treating casualties,
rotation of challenges and passwords, length of guard shifts, and anything
else that is imperative to the specific retreat. All members of the retreat
should be familiar with the SOP, and defensive scenarios should be practiced
on a
regular basis, preferably by battle drills or at least by talking through the
process with the aid of diagrams or sand tables.
While having to resort to defending a retreat is not desirable and may not
seem likely, it is still a realistic possibility. Taking the time to build
a well planned perimeter defense will be a real advantage in the event of an attack. Going without a plan could be chaotic at best,
and cost precious supplies or lives at worst.
« Letter Re: Saving Your Life and Saving Your Relationships--Don't Drive Your Loved Ones Away |Main| Note from JWR: »
Replace Your FUD with Preparedness Action--a Pre-Crash "D" List
All of the recent economic news may be overwhelming to some. This
has left many people virtually petrified by Fear, Uncertainty, and
Doubt (FUD). Don't
be a proverbial "deer in the headlights." I strongly
encourage you get past your anxiety uncertainty and instead of sitting around
glued to CNN, wringing your hands and saying "ain't it awful". Replace that
angst with action. Get
busy preparing. Here is my suggested Crash Countdown "D"
List, for folks that are already fairly well-prepared:
1.) De-Hummelize
Sell off any collectibles that are not family heirlooms. The worst offenders
here are the mass produced "limited edition" Hummel figurines, Beanie
Babies and those collector plates from umpteen artists. Because I've mentioned
this, please don't think that I'm a misogynist.
Men can
be just as bad about acquiring trinkets! They are just manly trinkets.
Far too many men have gun vaults chock full of
"commemorative edition" guns with engraving and gold inlay that
they would never dream of shOoting, for fear that their collector value would
be diminished.
I most strongly recommend that you sell off those guns and replace them with
truly practical ones .These days, I lean toward stainless steel guns with synthetic
stocks, because of their tremendous longevity.and resistance to corrosion.
By selling off your toys and trinkets, you will be A.) clearing
space for important logistics, and B.) generating
cash to help purchase those same logistics. Trinket items have a ready market
with eBay, especially this time of year, as people are shopping for Christmas
gifts. Take nice crisp photos, start most of your items at a penny, and make
sure that you charge enough to cover your postage and tracking costs.
2.) Dumpster Dive
Watch your local Craig's
List like a hawk. It is not unusual to find people giving away or selling
a ridiculously low prices dozens of heavy duty canning jars, hand-crank meat
grinders, chest freezers, shelving,
and poultry brooder, horse tack, and so forth. I've even found running generators
available free for the asking. (You haul.)
Mark your calendar for both community yard sales and the next time that your
garbage collection service offers an "unlimited curbside pickup" day.
Hook up your trailer the evening before, and see what you can find that is
free for the taking. (Consult your local ordinances first, of course.) We've
found lots of practical items that were still perfectly serviceable, such as
rabbit cages, brooms, canes, geriatric walkers, and galvanized wash tubs ("gut
buckets") set out on the curb. It would be a shame to see useful item
send up in a landfill.
3.) De-Procrastinate.
If you have been putting off any dental work, elective
surgery, vehicle repairs, or getting new lenses for your eyeglasses, then start making
appointments!
4.) Dump Your Dollars
Roll over your 401(k) and/or IRA into a gold IRA, available
from through Swiss
America Trading Company.
5.) Double-Up Your Staple Goods Shopping
Double up your staple groceries shopping. By doing so consistently, you will
rapidly build up a supply of canned good. Make sure you mark the date of purchase
on the top of each can with a permanent marker (such as a Sharpie pen), and
put the most recently purchased cans at the back of the shelf . These are the
essential points of "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) rotation.
6.) Divert Your Expenses
Cut
out needless expenses, so that you can divert that cash into preparedness.
Pare down your expenditures on movies and eating out. But don't go overboard
and make yourself (or your spouse and kids) miserable. OBTW, here is an example:
The Memsahib's sister found that she could skip Starbucks, and make herself
an
awesome Vanilla
Latte
at a 7-11 store, for less than half the price. Do comparison pricing. Is
a NetFlix subscription less expensive than a cable movie package? Do you
really have
the time to watch that much television, anyway? I'm not say to do without
life's little pleasures. I'm just saying that there are some less expensive
alternatives.
7.) Door-to-Door Introductions
Get to know your neighbors. Go door to door, if need be. Remind folks who
you are. Connect names to faces. Make a list of phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Without being too pushy, quiz them a bit if they are "ready fort he next big
storm". Find out if any of them have
prior
military
experience,
or
advanced
medical
skills.
But
of course don't volunteer too much information about yourself. It is not wise
to brand yourself at he neighborhood Whackamo.
8.) Drums, Cans, and Fuel Tanks
Top off your supplies of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene. Add fuel stabilizer
and antibacterials (such as Pri-G and Pri-D), as needed.
9.) Detailed Contingency Plans and Packing Lists
Contact family and friends, and agree on contingency plans that you'll follow,
even if the telephone system and e-mail become inoperative. If any relatives
are planning to join you at your retreat when TSHTF, then
make sure they know exactly what
they will need to pack. They may be able to make only one trip there, so they'll
have to make it
count. (they need to have appropriate winter clothing, gloves, boots, gardening
tools, bedding, and so forth to be productive at your retreat.
« From FerFAL in Argentina: A US Crash that Will Parallel Argentina's? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: Some Practical Notes on Third World Living
Jim,
As this is not a competition entry, it has not been reviewed by an outside
set of eyes yet, and I'm sure its kind of disorganized, but this is some
info about third world life, as I can see it here, after things
stabilize.
My wife is from Peru. She was born during the Peruvian hyperinflation and transition
to its next fiat currency, the Nuevo Sol. (Yeah, we're young whippersnappers)
She recently started to help out in getting ready. What helped her was comparing
the current economic climate here to Peru. This allowed her to correlate things
that occur in her former patria with our situation. She is a source of info
on the Third world medium sized city way of life.
In Third world Peru, everyone cooks with propane camp stoves, with big seven
gallon bottles. There is no space built for an American style range, even
in
nice
houses. All water is boiled before ingestion, except [commercially] bottled
water. Trucks come with semi-clean water and people line up to fill up their
buckets
for
washing and drinking. (after boiling) Hopefully you have a big tank on your
roof to
gravity feed it through your pipes, as the power goes out regularly, and your
personal well and pump wont work.
Everyone had bars on every window and door. Houses not made of cement block
are broken into through the walls. They're also too cheap/poor to put enough
steel in the buildings, so they fall down easily in earthquakes. Re-bar is
[used] only in the corners. Nobody has an exposed to the street yard. A courtyard
inside
larger places is the norm, off street parking, if you can afford a vehicle,
is a must, or you wont be parking anything soon. Inyokern told me this concept:
When things go really sour, everyone steals everything so often that everyone
ends up with the same trash that nobody wants to steal anymore. e.g. I have
a nice bike, it gets stolen, I get a new bike but not as nice as the first,
it gets stolen, I buy the worst looking bike I can find. It stays. This is
very true. People with nice hats walk around with a hand on their head. Political
corruption is the norm. Most any government official can be
bought for a couple hundred nuevo sols. Farmers carry guns. People
walk on your roof at night.
Just about everyone is self employed. Selling food in the streets, tricycle
and moto-taxis, home based Liquor stores, etc. Often if you sell higher "dollar" stuff,
your customers don't even come in your building, money and product are exchanged
though the door bars. Keyed locks on both sides. There is no such thing as
a big box store. Even disposable diapers are bought one at a time.
People wear sandals
called yanki. These are said to be made out of used car tires,
but most tires I know of are steel belted, and you can't cut that with a knife.
My two
pair are made
from rubber mining belt I think, as the tread pattern is cut by hand. The poor
wear them, and they supposedly last a loooooong time.
In Peru, the power goes out all the time. Candles are common. People don't
stock up there, the stores I guess have sufficient on hand to handle the outages
and subsequent candle runs. The stores here are obviously not prepared for
that.
Traffic in her small town is nearly non existent, but traffic in Lima is suicidal.
Regards, - Tantalum Tom
« Three Letters Re: Welding Oxygen Versus Medical Oxygen |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Two Letters Re: The EMP Threat May Be Worse Than We Had Thought
Hi Jim:
I understand about an EMP attack and it's possibilities to wreak havoc. But
I can't help but wonder when I hear about a possible future EMP attack if
we are trying to convince the terrorists through disinformation to detonate
their nuclear weapons at a safe altitude instead of over the capitol during
the state of the union speech.
I am thinking that for an EMP attack to be effective they would need at least
4 or 5 high yield nuclear weapons of at least 1 megaton each . These would
have to be evenly spread over the US relative to population density. Russia
could pull it off, and I am sure they would begin a nuclear attack an EMP.
But I think the EMP effects of one 15 kiloton range weapon a terrorist would
have would be isolated.
I could be wrong, but I can't help but wonder. - David
Jim:
That EMP report is good news.It shows that an EMP attack would cause
significant but not catastrophic disruptions in our critical national infrastructure,
and only scattered failures of cars,
computers, and other electronic devices. These facts are even more favorable
than I wrote in my e-mail to you in March of 2007. As I suspected, but couldn't
prove at the time, the anti-ESD structures
in modern semiconductors are very effective against EMP.
The report shows, for example, that there is no longer any strong reason to
avoid modern cars. Of 37 modern cars tested in the report, only three were
temporarily stopped when exposed to EMP while running, and all could be restarted.
Only one car experienced permanent damage, but that was to some unidentified
electronics in the dashboard apparently not affecting drivability.
From my experience in the electronics industry, I believe that the most modern,
most expensive cars-- the ones intended to last a long time-- are the most
survivable because they are more likely to incorporate better-designed, better-protected
and thus more-expensive electronics.
As another hard data point, modern radios are basically immune to EMP. The
report states "none of the radios tested showed any damage with EMP fields
up to 50 kV/m." The same circuits that protect radios from ESD to antennas
and controls protect them from EMP.
The report is quite definite: EMP is a serious threat to anything with long
wires, but not so much to anything small, portable, or mobile.
An EMP attack from a fission weapon would be harmful, especially to our power
and telecommunications systems, but the effect would be local and temporary--
not really very different from that of a hurricane or powerful earthquake.
You owe it to your readers to set the record straight on this topic - PNG
JWR Replies: Yes, that report is good news for automobiles
and mobile, battery-operated electronic devices with short antennas. However,
the huge, almost incalculable problem is that railroad networks, power
grids,
and to a lesser extent telephone systems serve as enormous antennas for EMP
that
can carry EMP for very long distances. In the event of a high altitude
megaton-range hydrogen bomb blast, this linear coupling will carry EMP
for hundreds of
miles beyond line of sight (BLOS).
Within that extended footprint it could potentially fry the microcircuits of
any device that is
plugged in to a utility power wall socket. There could be hundreds of billions
of dollars worth of short term damage and a multiple of that in long term damage
(loss of productivity) and along with it the risk of a societal collapse and
an enormous die-off due to dislocation, exposure, and disrupted chains of supply.
Linear coupling of EMP is one of the reasons that I discourage people from
installing "grid-tied"
photovoltaic power systems. Sure, it is great fun watching a power meter
run backwards and getting a check in the mail from your utility instead of
a bill for eight months of each year. But the EMP risk outweighs the benefits.
If you go solar, then make it a stand-alone system! Linear
coupling is also the reason that I advocate keeping
all of your spare radios and computers disconnected and stored in Faraday-shielded
containers whenever they are not being used.
What I took away from the report is confirmation of what I had concluded years
ago: That for next 10 to 30 years, the EMP threat posed by terrorists will
be localized, since
they
will
most
likely
have
access to low-yield fission bombs and will be most likely to employ them in
ground bursts with small "footprints". In ground bursts or in low-altitude
air bursts, the line of sight is limited, minimizing the EMP effect. But
in any case the linear coupling through the power grid could magnify the EMP
damage.
I concur with the report's finding that there is a the possibility of a massive
population loss in the event of a well-coordinated EMP attack by a major power
such as Russia or China. That scenario is a "time on target" attack
with multiple simultaneous high altitude air bursts of multi-megaton hydrogen
bombs.
Such an attack would blanket the entire continental United States with high
field strength EMP. The word "devastating" doesn't begin to convey
the long term
effects. We'd find ourselves back to both 19th Century technology and 19th
Century population levels. And, BTW, much of the most heavily populated portions
of
Canada and Mexico would receive extensive collateral EMP damage.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Preparing for Pole Shift? »
Two Letters Re: Questions About FRS Radio Capabilities
Sir:
I'll establish my bona fides by stating that I am a General class Amateur Radio
licensee with extensive experience in the VHF and UHF radio
bands. While I applaud your promotion of the MURS radio
for general use, it is not the best choice for the gentleman residing in
the concrete condos in Florida.
Penetration of concrete and steel structures is significantly better (by
approximately
30%) at UHF frequencies (as used by FRS/GMRS radios)
than at the VHF frequencies as used by MURS. Though free air range favors VHF,
UHF penetrates obstacles
better, assuming the effective radiated power (ERP) is the same. There is a
significant amount of literature on this topic in the amateur radio community,
should anyone care to research it for themselves.
In the case in question, the gentleman would be better served by a GMRS radio,
operating in the UHF band and radiating up to 5 watts, than with a MURS VHF
unit limited to 2 watts of output. He would have the significant advantage
of both the better obstacle penetration of the UHF band, and the dramatic increase
in allowable output power. In a concrete and steel structure, the combination
would easily outperform any MURS radio by a significant margin.
Since these are to be used as emergency communication devices in hurricane
country, it is worth noting that most Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs)
are equipped with FRS radios for inter-unit communications. Since most GMRS
radios include FRS channels as well, it would give the residents of the building
an extra (and direct) way to contact help should the need arise.
In this case the GMRS/FRS combination is a far better choice for the conditions
described. Regards, - Grant C.
Jim,
I recently bought TriSquare's eXRS radios. I highly
recommend them. I chose the TSX300 model.
They use frequency hopping technology with 1 billion frequencies (up to 10
numbers long: you choose the frequency). The best part is that it is license-free
(no $80 FCC GMRS license needed).
It may not be the best choice for everyone, but it is more secure than FRS.
Regards, - David M.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Will the War in Georgia Trigger a Russian Ammo Import Ban? »
Letter Re: Questions About FRS Radio Capabilities
Dear SurvivalBlog:
At my condo complex in Florida, we've been wondering if we could use consumer
two-way radios--such as Motorola Talkabout two-way radios--to communicate
successfully between (from inside) condo units. We would do this during scenarios
such as a severe hurricane.
The question is whether those radios (which, of course, come in several models
with different specs) use the right frequency band and and have adequate power
to penetrate the multiple concrete walls that would be line-of-sight between
the communicating radios. We assume--in planning for worst possible case--that
both line telephone and cell phone service would be down, and are looking for
ways to directly communicate with each other during the height of a storm when
we couldn't safely walk from unit to unit.
Does anyone with relevant expertise have any ideas on this? Thanks for your
assistance. Best Regards, - Gregg T.
JWR Replies: The key question is: How much reinforced
concrete? As I recently noted in the blog, reliable communication in a cluttered
urban environment is "iffy" for the typical FRS and GMRS hand-held
transceivers on the consumer market. My preference is for the MURS
band hand-helds. Not only will you get better range, but you will also
be operating in a less commonly used frequency band. This will give you marginally
better communications security. (But with the oft-repeated proviso: no radio
transmission
should be considered 100% "secure.") I recommend the MURS
Radios company (one of our advertisers) as a reputable source of transceivers.
They also do custom frequency programming, and sell both accessories and MURS-compatible
perimeter intrusion detection systems.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| The Golden Horde and the Thin Veneer »
Letter Re: Portable Two-Way Radio Recommendations
Sir,
Could you or your readers recommend any good two-way re-chargeable hand-held
radios that are sold at outdoor places such as Cabela's?
I'm particularly looking for a model that I could use while at University classes
while my wife is one mile away at our apartment.
Thanks,.- Chad
JWR Replies: Reliable communication with a one mile range
in a cluttered environment--as I assume yours is, if the city is large enough
to host a university--is "iffy" for the typical FRS and
GMRS hand-held
transceivers on the consumer market. My preference is for the MURS
band hand-helds. Not only will you get better range, but you will also
be operating in a less commonly used frequency band. This will give you marginally
better
communications security. (Although, of course no radio transmission
should be considered 100% "secure.") I recommend the MURS
Radios company
(one of our advertisers). as a reputable source of transceivers. They also do
custom frequency programming, and sell both accessories and MURS-compatible
perimeter intrusion detection systems.
« Letter Re: Advice on Finding a Retreat |Main| Note from JWR: »
A Practical Guide to the Recon Patrol, by TMC
Okay, the stuff has hit the fan, you have made it to your retreat, and you
are geared up, stocked up and ready to survive. Inner security has been established,
with LP/OPs located at likely avenues of approach. You at some point will start
to wonder what else is out there, how far away it is, and what it means for
your group. You might want to start implementing the recon patrol. While I
could write what may very well be a small manual on the subject, I will just
put out the basics that will point you in the right direction to successfully
run a patrol. As most retreats will not be in the desert, I am using the normal
type terrain expected in a well selected retreat. Your mileage may vary. I
will also not go into detail on certain subjects that can easily be researched.
If I did, I would surely exceed any limit on how large a document on the subject
should be. Rather I will concentrate on things learned in the field,
not in any manual.
What exactly is a recon patrol?
Field reconnaissance is the gathering of information of your surroundings in
a stealthy manner. You will use this information to determine the safety of
your
current
position
and it will most likely be a determining factor for your daily operations planning.
Information gathered can give you an idea of opposing force (OPFOR) strength,
intentions, direction they are traveling and the likelihood of them coming
in contact with
your base element.
While much of the doctrine is the same a standard patrol, the recon patrol
is a bit different than a regular patrol. The recon patrol is to gather information
on your surroundings without making contact with other elements. That being
said, I have on occasion been ordered to use harassing techniques to slow down
or try to change the course of an element, which I will touch upon later.
Patrol Size
The size of a recon patrol is going to be smaller than the standard squad patrol.
You are trying to be invisible and the more boots you have on the ground the
more noise you will make. In my experience, a four person team is the size
limit which I would recommend. Three is the optimal number, and two being the
least that should
go out. This is in comparison with the standard squad patrol size of nine (if
you are lucky enough to have that many in your squad. [Even active duty military
units are often short of manpower versus their authorized strength under their
table of organization.]).
Patrol Equipment
Travel light, flee the fight. Unless you come across a solo element, you will
most likely be outnumbered and if compromised you will need to hastily retreat.
The preferred engagement ratio is 3:1, so bear that in mind.
Weapons
Take light carbines such as the M4 or Mini-14. I choose the AK-47 for myself
as I believe it has a lot to offer for this type of mission. Should you get
compromised, you will need to lay down a furious wall of fire to make the enemy
think they just encountered a platoon or a least squad sized element so semi-auto
is in my opinion a bare minimum. Larger weapons such as the M1
Garand or long
barreled assault rifles will slow you down as they are heavy and cumbersome,
but if
that is
what you have you will have to make do. Even though I sometimes carried a sidearm,
it would be better just to take a couple of extra mags for your primary. This
is much better added value weight. You should pack two reloads for your combat
load just in case you keep getting paralleled by OPFOR and have time to refresh
magazines.
The “light” part seems to be getting to be a stretch
with this type prep, which is why I stress lighter ammo such as 5.56 or 7.62x39.
The 7.62 NATO ammo gets pretty heavy with this type of packing and does not
add much value in a reconnaissance mission. If you do have a mule in your team
(a human
one) and he has skills with a sniper rifle, you may want to consider taking
it along
in an appropriate style carrier as a target of opportunity may come up that
may be just way too good to pass up. This does violate the "no contact" premise
of the recon patrol, but proper escape route planning can be implemented to
help with this scenario. Just a thought and should only be done by experienced
personnel.
Optics
Optics such as binoculars or [spotting] scope are pretty much necessities.
The further that you can stand off and observe your objective the better off
you are.
Binoculars
with some type of "flash kill" device are recommended. Also make these quality
optics that you are comfortable using. I don’t mean you have to buy a
$1,000 pair of Steiners. For under $40 at WalMart you can get Bushnell’s
10x42 hunting binoculars that are clear as a bell and very rugged. You can
use a sheer sniper veil over them as a kill flash. Rifle scopes are okay, but
require
that you expose yourself a little more than with binoculars. Generally, you
also have a better field of view with binoculars. In my opinion binoculars
are a better choice.
Food
You need to travel light, so try to keep this to a minimum. A recon patrol
should be fairly short, a day or two probably at most. If it is going to be
extended,then pack 2-1/2 times the food you think you will need. Utilizing
light foods like jerky that you can carry a lot of will go a long way. I learned
that one the hard way. When a two day patrol turns into six days that extra
little bit of "Pogey bait" is worth it and can be rationed. Also learn what
is edible
in your surroundings as this can help sustain your mission without being a
burden on your supplies. Take foods that need little or no preparation. Jerky,
trail mix, MREs
and foods of that nature are recommended.
Try to avoid foods that are particularly aromatic, such as curry, onion, garlic,
etc. I can’t tell you how many times I have found an OPFOR element’s
area of operations (AO) just by smell. While in Korea, I could find Korean
[troop] elements by their body odor due to their diet of kimchi sometimes up
to 400 meters away,
depending
on the wind and how long they had been out. This odor discipline also includes
cigarettes,
No smoking! Obviously colognes and other “smelly goods” have no
place on a recon patrol.
Communications
Radios should be carried but utilized only when absolutely necessary. Chances
are your patrol might take you out of radio communication reception distance
especially if you don’t have high power equipment. This is risky, but
sometimes necessary. You need to know the operating limitations of your comms
equipment
and operate accordingly. Designate times and places to transmit from if you
cannot [continuous] maintain radio contact during the patrol.
Uniforms
Camoflage should go without saying. The type will obviously be determinate on your
terrain and season. Burlap with proper color spray paint is a great way to
make cheap [outline] breakup for weapons. It can be manipulated to just about
any
terrain out there.
You can use [burlap strips] to throw off scent-detecting animals such
as dogs
by using fox urine or other types of masking scents. A very useful item indeed.
Helmets and body armor are optional, but I do not recommend them on a recon
patrol. The body armor is heavy and can impede your quick getaway. It merits
are known
factors in the safety of soldiers, but in this mission you need to be able
to flat out run if compromised. The ballistic helmet is also heavy, but its
main downfall is the fact that it masks your environment. It can impair your
vision and it mostly covers your ears and keeps you from hearing sounds that
may be the enemy. A boonie cap is the first choice, patrol cap is second for
traditional headgear.
Plan the Route
Route planning is essential. Pick a route that will minimize danger area crossings
and contact with high traffic areas. Do not use roads, rivers, trails or any
other obvious routes of travel. You may skirt these areas to view them. Never
plan a straight route. Use various patterns of travel such as zigzagging or
button hooking. This keeps the enemy off guard as to where you came from. Also,
should you think you are being trailed, do a wide 360 until you come back on
your own tracks. If you encounter more tracks than yours, then you are being
followed. React according to your [contact] SOPs.
Learn to use a compass and map. While GPS systems
can be useful tools, they are not always reliable and in a Grid
Down situation
may not even function.
Know this: the US Department of Defense owns all the GPS satellites and merely
provides data to GPS companies like Garmin so their GPS devices will work.
Should the
government
choose to, they can encrypt them at will and leave your commercial GPS worthless.
Learning how to use a compass and map can be a fun experience for everyone.
It can give kids and adults alike a great sense of accomplishment and help
get you or keep you in shape. Map and compass skills can trump a GPS any day,
and on many occasions I have been right on the mark while the guy using the
GPS has been wandering around waiting for the satellites to give him a decent
grid. Rely on basic navigation skills. Technology is a crutch for the weak.
Plan Actions
Make sure to plan out the time you are leaving, time to be on the objective,
time you will transmit information if necessary, and time you expect to be
back. Plan for contingencies, such as what to do if you make contact, where
to meet if you get separated, and what frequencies to be on at what time of
the day. Most of these will be dictated by your groups prior established SOPs.
Follow them.
Preparing for the Patrol
If you follow proper procedure when you leave the base of ops you will conduct
"stop, look, listen, and smell" (SLLS).
This is to get you oriented to your environment. However, I have found that
a short 10 minute halt like this is
not nearly as effective as having the recon team acclimate [to the natural
environment] over a day or so without
distractions such as television, radio, or any other man-made devices that
are not essential to ops. In a grid down situation this will most likely not
be
a problem.
Your
sense of smell, hearing, and vision get better the longer you are out. If possible,
do this and you will be much more inclined to pick up on enemy positions and
movement long before they pick you up.
Make sure all equipment gets inspected, including weapons and optics. Make
sure all equipment is quiet and free of protruding gear or things that will
snag on foliage. This includes weapons that have a multitude of “Mall
Ninja” gear hanging off of them. While it may be value added in a MOUT situation,
it is just more junk to hang up on vegetation and obstacles. Have each patrol
member jump up and down and run in place with their gear on to
identify anything noisy and use 100 m.p.h. [olive drab duck] tape or 550
[parachute] cord to lash
it down. Make sure food and water are easily accessible as you may be eating
on
the
fly.
Check for proper and complete camouflage. Get ready to roll, get your mind
right.
On the Patrol
Use your wits. Be aware of your environment, and anything that may not be right.
Learn to use nature to warn you of potential danger. Have you ever been close
to a squirrel’s nest in the woods? He will let you know you are too close
by making a lot of noise. This type of natural warning device can serve you
as well as hinder you. Be mindful of nature and learn to move in the woods
as part of your surroundings rather than against it. This takes time, is a
learned behavior, but can be done by just about anyone. Avoid sandy terrain
where you will leave an obvious trail. Use rocks and other terrain to move
while minimizing [leaving] sign and making noise. Be mindful of how loud your
footsteps are. That is a common mistake I see soldiers make all the time. They
don’t
listen to how much noise they are making. Learn to roll your feet. This can
be practiced around the house while doing chores. Just learn to walk quietly.
On the Objective
If you are doing an area recon, which is a specific area you want to check
out, make sure you spend the time you need on the objective to properly gather
intelligence. Walk a zigzag pattern to cover as much terrain as possible.
If you are doing a point recon, which is a recon of a specific target such
as a house or a point on a road, lay your team in collect as much info as you
can. Include info you would normally not consider important as later on down
the road you may find it useful. Remember, you can never collect too much intel,
but you can collect not enough. You can sort through what is important later
on when you have time to analyze the intel.
While glassing your objective, make sure only one member of each buddy team
is using binoculars, while the other keeps an eye out for anyone who may be
using a clandestine approach to your location. Use a notebook to write down
everything
you see.
Departure
When the allotted time on the objective is complete, always leave the objective
in a different direction [than from which you approached]. Pick up any trash
or tell tale sign of you being there. Brush over where you were laying, cover
any foliage
cuts
you
might
have
made. Try to leave no sign at all that you were ever there. Maintain noise
discipline on the way back just like you did on the way in. You are in just
as much danger going home as you were going out. Don’t get complacent.
Well, there you have it. You can research the patrol by using military manuals
and implement what I have written here for a successful mission. This will
give you a heads up on what’s out there and give you an advantage over
any element that may be inbound on your location. Knowledge is power, and if
you have solid intel on your enemy and surroundings, then you have
the tactical advantage. I hope this is of use to you.
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Preparing for a Dam Breach, by A.B.S.
Many of my fellow Tennesseans awoke to headlines the other day
that two of the Corp of Engineers dams in our area that are supposed to protect
the people from floods and provide water and electricity are in danger of failure.
Built more than 50 years ago, the Wolf Creek Dam and the Center Hill Dam overlook
several hundred thousand people in central Tennessee, and are leaking significantly.
The Wolf Creek Dam has been classified as being at high risk of collapse.
The Wolf Creek Dam is located on the Cumberland River 190 miles up stream from
Nashville. The dam has had problems for more than a year and last year, officials
determined repairs would need to be made to the dam because of leaks in and
around it. The dam holds back 100+ miles of the Cumberland River, near Jamestown
in south central Kentucky. Now, the dam is weakening and immediate action is
being taken to stop what could be a catastrophic flood. The water level was
dropped and more testing was done on the dam. It is the results of those tests
that caused officials to put the dam at high risk of failure, though they state
failure isn’t considered eminent. A gentleman I know that works for the
Corps has stated that large chunks of masonry the size of small cars fall off
the dam weekly, so I choose to remain skeptical about the Corps position.
If the Wolf Creek Dam were to break, starting 100+ miles up the Cumberland
River in Jamestown, Kentucky, the town of Celina, Tennessee would be flooded
first and most likely wiped out completely. Then, water would flow downstream
toward Carthage and Old Hickory Lake impacting the towns of Gallatin, Hendersonville,
Mt. Juliet and Old Hickory before flooding downtown Nashville's riverfront
area under as much as 30 to 50 feet of water. While Nashville would have some
warning, many of the smaller towns mentioned would be impacted so quickly that
warnings would be ineffective. The area impacted would be massive.
This has been a wake-up call for many citizens in our area. For many the threat
of a major catastrophe was what it took for them to finally learn they need
to be prepared for potential emergencies. What was startling for many of our
citizens was that these are major impoundments maintained by the Federal government.
While this was a wake-up call about the possible threat from major impoundments,
most people still are not aware of smaller private and municipal impoundments
that potentially pose a threat every day. Many of these small dams have ruptured
in the past century leading to death and destruction on a massive scale. Some
examples are the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889 that killed an estimated
2,300 people, the Baldwin Hills Reservoir in California in 1951, and the privately
owned plantation dam that broke near Kilauea, Hawaii in 2006. So what can be
done to better protect you and your?
First, make a point to become aware of any and all dams that may pose a threat
in your area. Even small farm pond dams can cause significant flash flooding
if they breach. Floods, especially flash floods, whether from rain or dam breaches,
kill more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, wind storms or lightning.
About 60% of all flood deaths are people in vehicles that moving water sweeps
away. Experts advise you not to drive or wade into flood water at all, especially
if you can't see the bottom. Water over a road, no matter how deep, can hide
washed-out pavement. As little as six inches of moving water is enough to float
a small car and carry it away.
Always prepare for problems before they happen. When possible build your home
on high ground, and if possible never downstream from a dam. During the winter
of 1991 a dam on a five acre impoundment ruptured a few miles from my home.
Luckily the people a couple of miles downhill were warned and escaped harm,
but their
homes were washed off their foundations and across US Highway 70, which was
a couple of hundred feet away. These homes were on high ground, but someone
built a relatively small pond on even higher ground that had a devastating
effect.
Get a copy of the 500 and 1,000 year flood zone maps for your area. These will
tell you the most likely route the water will take following a catastrophic
breach. They will also point out the likely flood areas from heavy rainfall
or snow-melt. These are useful tools, but as shown in the previous paragraph,
don’t get overconfident. When possible don’t build in these areas.
It still amazes me how many people will build in the same location after floods
have wiped out their homes on multiple occasions. I know some may not have
a choice, but this isn’t always true.
Get a weather radio. If a large dam breaks, warnings will be broadcast through
the emergency channels, but don’t count on this when dealing with smaller
dams. If a warning comes down that a breach is about to happen, get out. I
know many of us including myself don’t really trust the “authorities”,
but I think in these cases the wise thing to do is “bug out” and
get to a safe location, then assess if it was the proper mode of action later.
To do this, plan and scout several potential escape routes. Most people will
take the route they are most familiar with, and it always seems to be the same
route, which turns the road into a parking lot. Often smaller less well known
roads can get you out of the area faster. In my area the local emergency personnel
are encouraged to learn the local off road trails in case something happens
to the main roads. This would also be advisable for the general public, as
this may be the only way out. Set up a meeting place that all the members of
your family or circle know about as a rally point. It is also a good idea to
designate a family member or friend in another county or state as a contact
person. This is so anyone who can’t arrive at the rally point can check
in with their status and location. We saw this happening many times after the
tsunami in Indonesia as many tourists became separated from their parties.
Make sure everyone has the number, email address, or whatever. This information
should be memorized in case they become separated from their wallet, date-book,
etc.
Sometimes the opportunity to evacuate is lost through hesitation or just bad
luck. In these cases one should try to find an area to “evacuate vertically”.
In many cases this means sturdy built, tall buildings, towers, or hopefully
a mountain or hill. If the water approaches too rapidly, this may simply be
a tree. Again, scout around to see what would be available if something were
to happen.
If you have to escape a flood or any situation it is a good idea to have a
emergency pack with sufficient supplies ready. This may include food and water,
first aid gear, medications, a change of clothes, communications gear, fire
starting supplies, and in my case a spare set of eye-glasses. I also suggest
having a cache of supplies in a secure location, just in case you need them.
Hopefully nothing like this will befall you, but being prepared could mean
the difference between life and death should the worst ever happen
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Questions from A Not-Quite Convinced Reader »
Two Letters Re: Disseminating Local News and Information in a Grid-Down Societal Collapse
Jim,
I think Brian raises a good question and your suggestion about using manual
typewriters and mimeograph machines is a great idea. Here's another one.
While watching the the first season of Jericho DVDs,
I noticed that in an episode titled "Black
Jack" some of the characters went to a barter fair called Black Jack.
They had to travel 200 miles to get to this town. The town's fairgrounds
were used as a barter fair location and in the middle (I assume the middle)
was a tall board with a platform and a big roll of newspaper on the top.
A writer standing on the platform would receive news from various sources
and pull down the paper and write the news on it so everyone could see. I
was thinking if rolls of paper are not available one could use black boards
screwed together. If "black board paint" is available they could
paint some 4' x 8' sheets of plywood. A place like this could become
a very important gathering place for the local community to exchange news,
barter for goods and bring some level of normal life back to folks post TEOTWAWKI.
Just My Humble Opinion. - Larry in Kansas
Dear Jim;
As a former offset press operator with an interest in Christian missions and
the underground Church, I've spent considerable time in researching simple
printing methods. There are multiple methods that are suitable for short-run
print production, though many take a degree of skill and a bit of patience
to produce.
An excellent reference book for those interested in the manual printing arts
is "The Alternative Printing Handbook," (ISBN 014046509X),
published by Penguin, but now out of print. Used copies are available on Amazon,
though
it's listed there as "The Art of Printing by Hand." It covers
multiple printing methods for the do-it-yourself, small-scale printer. I'd
like to touch
on methods that require no power and are accessible to anyone with a little
time, patience and a desire to get the word out.
You've already mentioned stencil duplicating, which I have used in the past.
The Wikipedia article you linked to is an excellent introduction to the theory
and history, but doesn't contain much on actual process. For someone dealing
with printed matter containing great quantities of text, this is one of the
easiest methods to use. One of the commercial machines would be handy to have,
but not required, as a simple flatbed duplicator can be constructed out of
basic materials found in most homes. One benefit of many commercial units is
that they are hand-cranked, ideal for a grid-down situation. Some electric
units also have a hand-crank option as well, giving the best of both worlds.
If you go this route, you will need a supply of blank stencils and the thick
stencil ink, as well as a typewriter.
Another method, commonly used today for signs and fabric, is screen printing.
Again, simple screen printing equipment can be made at home from readily-available
materials and the process is not complicated. However, due to the screens used,
it is not suitable for small type, but it is a great choice for handbills and
posters. See some samples of DIY screen printing at this
Instructables page and
at
this ThreadBanger page. Of course,
you don't have to build it all yourself if you don't want to. Many art supply
and craft stores offer screen printing kits for beginners at very reasonable
prices.
Relief printing uses involves carving a reverse image into a wooden block,
linoleum, or other substance that can be carved, inking the block and pressing
paper into the wet ink. Though a time-tested method that requires little in
the way
of specialized tools, it has many limitations. It is time-consuming to create
the block and takes a steady hand. Small type is difficult, if not impossible.
Plus, the
difficulty of working in reverse is quite challenging.
A form of relief printing that is within reach of the average person and allows
for legible text is rubber stamping. Several manufacturers produce "make
your own text" rubber stamp kits that will allow you to produce small
blocks of text. It's similar to the moveable type pioneered by Gutenberg centuries
ago, using rubber instead of metal type. The biggest drawback is that producing
anything more than a few sentences involves setting the type in a small block,
stamping out however many copies you need, removing the type, setting the next
block, stamping that, and then repeating... again. It's time-consuming and
tedious work, but for the patient person, it's better than nothing, cheap to
acquire and requires no skills to use. The drudgery involved is also likely
to do much to make your writing concise and to the point! Interestingly, the
large kits that I would recommend seem to only be offered in the UK. However,
eBay is your friend to obtain them.
[Traditional ] letterpress is also an option, but as an older technology, the
equipment is hard to come by, and much in demand by artisans who use it for
printing and
embossing.
Spirit duplication ("ditto" machines) use a dye sheet as a master,
which can be typed or hand-written. The dye is released by a solvent and transferred
to a sheet of paper. If you recall duplicated sheets in purple ink from your
school days, those sheets were made with a spirit duplicator. Used machines
can be found on eBay or from time to time on Craig's
List. Look for a hand-cranked
model. If you choose this method, you'll need to lay in a supply of the master
dye sheets, as well as the liquid "spirits."
There are other methods that might be investigated by the curious:
Gocco
Hectography
History of Duplication Machines
The biggest drawback to most of these print methods is that the ones that are
best for text tend to require consumables that will be difficult or impossible
to replace in a long-term disruption. Since some are older, near-obsolete methods,
local sources of supplies are unlikely and may be pricey via mail-order. Even
if you have a functioning print method, the availability of paper may also
become an issue. Despite these challenges, familiarity with printing methods
opens the door to improvisation at a later date: knowledge is power! As inspiration,
consider Khristianin, an underground publisher in Soviet-era Russia, which
created their first hand-operated offset printing press with gears from a bicycle
and motorcycle and rollers taken from a washing machine. Ink was derived from
burnt rubber boots and boiled moss, yet their first publication was of the
entire New Testament. If such a work could be done in secret under one of the
most oppressive modern regimes, there is no reason that it could not be repeated
should the need arise.
Remember: "Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one."
For
the Kingdom, - Jason R.
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Letter Re: Disseminating Local News and Information in a Grid-Down Societal Collapse
James:
I haven't seen much information about this, so I ask you: How do you plan on "Getting
the word out"? Once the ink/toner runs
out of your printer, what will a survivalist group do? We've nearly lost
the ability, and knowledge, to operate hand-presses. Moveable type suppliers
are
long gone, and there's precious little available on eBay. Certainly not an
entire printing press. You might find some blocks of moveable type, but not
enough to actually make an entire flyer, book, or other piece of information,
such as a book or even a Bible.
And we can't rely on the Internet running after a crash, right?
So I pose the
question to you, Sir. Have you considered this aspect of post-crash survivalism?
The printing press, and the ability to print, is a key technology
that I don't think we can afford to lose. - Brian in Austin, Texas
JWR Replies: As I described in my novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse", I advocate
acquiring a couple of used manual typewriters and a used hand-crank mimeograph
(stencil duplicator) machine. This is tried-and-true 1880s technology.
Because they are considered largely obsolete, mimeographs are incredibly
cheap (in fact usually free,
if you place a "wanted" ad at Craig's
List). Surprisingly, the
supplies to operate them are still available.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Marginal Cartridges Without Proper Placement Fail to Stop an Aggressor »
Letter Re: Novel Recommendation--"Solar Flare" by Larry Burkett
Mr. Rawles,
I have read your novel Patriots and passed it along to several people that
I know. Most of them now own their own copy as well and it has been a big
boost in helping them see the need for making preparations for the times
ahead.
It is with great interest that I have read the recent discussions about solar
flares on the blog. The novel that first piqued my interest in survival and
preparedness was the book Solar
Flare by Strategic Air Command veteran and former NASA employee
Larry Burkett. The
premise of the novel is an eruption of solar flares that destroys much of the
technology in the modern world, and how people begin to
cope and adapt. Certainly not as comprehensive as your novel but it is an interesting
read nonetheless. Before his death in 2003, Mr. Burkett was also a well known
Christian financial advisor and wrote other books such as What Ever Happened
to the American Dream?, The Coming Economic Earthquake, and Your
Finances in Changing Times.
Thanks again for your work on the blog, and God Bless! - Bryan
S.
JWR Replies: The majority of opinion is that the
likelihood of a truly massive solar flare event (i.e. a huge coronal mass ejection
(CME)
with an accompanying X-ray flare burst) is extremely low. Ian O'Neill,
one of the chief
debunkers of solar
flares and similar threats posts at the
Universe Today web site. I generally agree with him, but I don't completely
rule out the chance of a massive flare that could have EMP-like
effects. Just like the often over-emphasized "magnetic
pole shift." and
sudden-onset climate change threats, I
personally place the CME threat way over at the far end of the threat matrix.
It is the corner of the chart that I label "Extremely low likelihood in
our
lifetimes,
but devastating if it were to occur." My viewpoint on preparedness
for a massive CME event is this: As long as we are preparing for nuclear fallout
and EMP as
every family should, then we are also preparing for solar flare shielding--since those
preparations are nearly identical.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Has Family Preparedness in the U.S. Declined Since 9/11/01? »
Two Letters Re: Some Transceiver Antenna Questions
Jim,
A few pieces of additional information about antennas: Quarter wave antennas
are traditionally used for portable radios as they match the radio's output
impedance of 50 Ohms. By matching this impedance with an antenna of 50 Ohms
you get maximum energy transfer. A 1/2 wavelength long antenna (twice as
long as a 1/4 wave) has an impedance of several thousand Ohms and is not
a suitable radiator unless you add some sort of impedance matching between
the radio or the antenna. This can be in the form of a coil and capacitor
or an antenna tuner. One advantage a 1/2 wave antenna (with a matching section)
has is that it is less reliant upon a metal ground plane to function efficiently.
VHF marine
antennas are almost always 1/2 wave antennas.
Now, this is not to be confused with a 1/2 wave dipole which is really two
1/4 wave elements attached to each side of the coax (impedance = 75 Ohms and
usually close enough to 50 Ohm to not create a problem). If mounted vertically,
the lower element attached to the shield of the coax acts as the ground plane
portion of the antenna. In fact, by adding a couple of additional elements
to the shield side and positioning them at a 45 degree angle, this creates
a 1/4 wave ground plane that has an impedance of 50 Ohms.
Sometimes you can get over an impedance mismatch by simply using a longer antenna
with more capture area thereby delivering better reception. When transmitting
though you should keep the antenna close to 50 Ohms to avoid damage to the
radio's transistor final amplifiers.
For more information that you could digest at one sitting, see the links at
this site. -- Rob at MURS radios
Jim,
Concerning the letter from "SF in Hawaii" on the topic of "Some
Transceiver Antenna Questions": Another factor in antenna selection is
the impedance of the antenna at it's resonate frequency. Almost all 2-way radios
are designed for use with a 50-Ohm
antenna system. Select the correct 50-Ohm impedance coaxial cable to connect
your radio to an external antenna. Typical 50-Ohm coaxial cables are RG-58,
RG-8, and RG-213. Do not use 75-Ohm coaxial cables designed for regular TV
or cable television (CATV) systems! Typical 75-Ohm coaxial cables to avoid
for 2-way radio use are RG-59 and RG-6. Special co-phasing harnesses made with
RG-59 coaxial cable are used in special applications, such as dual CB antennas
on a tractor-trailer truck, so that the resulting impedance between the two
antennas is 50-Ohms at the connection to the CB radio. But for a single CB
antenna, you need to stick with 50-Ohm coaxial cable.
Then there is the antenna itself. The 5/8-wavelength, 1/2-wavelength, and 1/4-wavelength
antenna design tends to have an impedance close to 50-Ohms. A full-wavelength
or other fraction thereof antenna is no where near 50-Ohms. That is why you
never hear any other type of antenna mentioned. Because the radio is designed
for a 50-Ohm antenna system, 50-Ohm coaxial cable is used along with either
a 5/8, 1/2, or 1/4-wavelength antenna. For the maximum radiated signal, all
three components (radio, coaxial cable, and antenna) must be near the same
50-Ohms of impedance. An impedance miss-match results in wasted power and possible
damage to the transmitter section of the 2-way radio due to reflected transmitter
power coming back down the coax from the antenna and going back into the radio.
Your correspondent in Israel may not be familiar with the American Citizen's
Band (CB) radio service. Various countries have created similar "CB" radio
services, but the allocated frequencies can vary depending on each country.
The CB radio band in the US is a range of High Frequency (HF) radio frequencies
that lie between one of the shortwave broadcast bands and the Amateur Radio
Service 10-Meter band. These frequencies are divided into 40 channels, separated
by 10 kHz steps, from 26.965 to 27.405 MHz. The term "Meters" is
a measurement of the wavelength of a radio signal at a given frequency. The
27 MHz CB band is 11-meters. The 28 MHz Amateur Radio Service (ham) band is
10-meters.
The length of an antenna is directly proportional to the radio wavelength used.
The shorter the wavelength, the shorter the antenna. Convert 11-meters to feet
and you end up with one wavelength being about 36-feet long at the 27 MHz CB
frequencies. This is why a 1⁄2-wave CB base station antenna is typically
18-feet long, and a 1⁄4-wave mobile whip antenna is 9-feet long. The
measurements of frequency, wavelength, and antenna length are all interrelated.
A general rule of thumb for mobile 2-Way radios is not to use ridiculously
short antennas and not to mount them right next to the car body! A transmitting
antenna needs to be free and clear of obstructions in order to radiate a signal
effectively. As previously mentioned, a traditional 1⁄4-wave whip antenna
for the CB band is 9-feet long (102-inches, plus a 6-inch shock spring). It
is naturally resonant on the 27 MHz frequencies used by CB radios and contains
no loading coils. But at highway speeds the long whip antenna tends to lean
far back due to wind resistance, reducing the effective range of the signal
being transmitted. Various CB antenna designs utilize "loading coils" to
reduce the physical length of the antenna, while maintaining the equivalent
electrical length of the 1/4-wave 9-foot whip. These designs are a compromise,
since it is the whip portion of the antenna that radiates most of the signal
- not the loading coil. The shorter antennas do a better job of staying vertically
upright at highway speeds. The performance of a 60-inch CB antenna with a base
loading coil is usually an acceptable compromise from the far more awkward
9-foot whip antenna. A variety of 4 to 7-foot long 5/8-wave fiberglass antennas
with a wire "wrap" are also available and provide another good compromise
over the full size whip antenna. Their thick fiberglass core does a better
job of keeping the antenna vertical at highway speeds. The better ones have
a "tunable tip" feature that allows the antenna to be fine tuned
without having to use a hacksaw to cut off excess length. (Plus, once you cut
it off - you can't put it back!)
Whatever you do, don't buy a cheap 19-inch long magnetic-mount CB antenna and
expect it to equal the performance of the full size 9-foot whip! Those antennas
have so much of the antenna length replaced by a loading coil that their effective
range is usually measured in yards instead of miles. Those who prefer the performance
of the 9-foot whip antenna for CB radio sometimes use fishing line tied between
the antenna and the vehicle body to hold the antenna in the vertical position
when driving down the highway. The appropriate strength or "test" of
fishing line will keep the whip upright while going down the road, but still
break if the antenna strikes an overhead obstruction such as a low tree branch.
Quality CB antenna brands include K-40, Wilson, and Firestik.
A base station directional antenna (or "beam" antenna) such as the
Yagi or the Log Periodic design not only needs to be correctly mounted with
the correct polarization - it also has to be pointed at the direction you want
to talk. This requires an electric antenna rotator with sufficient rating to
handle the size of your antenna (TV antenna rotators are usually unable to
handle a large directional "beam" antenna). If you only need to communicate
between two specific locations, a properly oriented (polarized) beam antenna
will be very effective. But for general purpose use, an omni-directional antenna,
such as a 1/2-wave [vertical] base station antenna would be your best choice.
- Sarge
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Letter Re: Solar Flare Spike in 2012?
Jim:Regarding your recent interview on Fox Business about the significance
of 2012: When I was a teenager, it was the Mayan 2012 [calendar] event that
got me interested
in
preparedness.
I ran with a bit
of an impromptu Boy Scout like crowd (we weren't Boy Scouts but our parents
encouraged us to hunt, fish and camp). It was fun imaginary scenario when
we were kids. I grew out of my Mayan 2012 phase. As an adult, I am preparing
for
a solar 2012 event. Essentially, a couple of years ago, I came across some
research by a guy who was a major solar flare
event about 2012 (plus or minus a year).
I did some digging, and found that he is predicting a "one every 250 years"
event. These are solar flares big enough to terminate every [unprotected] electronic
device on earth instantly. The researchers do not doubt it is coming, only
that there
is a 50% chance it is nullified by the earth's magnetic field (depends on the
polarity of each). If it is not nullified, all [unprotected] electronic equipment
that is powered on will be neutralized. (This will include power relay stations.)
I'm a little vague on the exact numbers. What I do know is pretty simple, but
clear. Between 2011 and 2013 the event will occur. When it happens, there is
a 50% chance that all electronic devices [that have sub-micron gate
dimension microcircuits] that are on, will stop working permanently.
Here
is a link to an article regarding the research on NASA's web site. (Dikpati's
forecast puts Solar Max at 2012. Hathaway believes it will arrive sooner, in
2010 or 2011.) - Jeff C. in Canada
« Letter Re: Roger Mills County, Oklahoma as a Retreat Locale |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Some Transceiver Antenna Questions
Jim;
By purchasing a 60-inch collapsible antenna, I was able to get a lot more
range out of my hand-held transceivers, but that's all I know. Can you
give a short tutorial on antennas? What is a ground plane, when is it necessary?
Would full wavelength be better than 1/4 wavelength? For a base system,
would you recommend Yagi or something else? Thanks, - SF in Hawaii
JWR Replies (Updated): To begin, one-half wave antennas are
theoretically the most efficient. Shorter fractional wavelength
antennas (quarter-wave,
1/8th-wave, et
cetera)
are used
primarily for compactness and lower cost. I was told by our correspondent David in Israel (an experienced ham operator) that a full wave antenna actually cancels out signals on its
resonant frequency--the peak and trough
energy is
1+(-1) = 0.
To illustrate some practical aspects of wavelength:
CB radio frequencies have a wavelength of around 10 meters (about
33 feet). It is possible
to use
a 1/2-wavelength CB antenna at a home or at a retreat, but not mounted on
a vehicle. (On a vehicle, even a 1/2 wavelength antenna is often too tall.)
The MURS Band (my favorite for short range communications) has a wavelength
of
around
2 meters,
so using a half-wavelength antenna is much more practical. See this
index page from the ARRL for a good basic understanding of how both transmitting
and receiving antennas work.
A ground plane is a reflective flat surface that limits the downward
radiation of an antenna. When operating a transceiver with an antenna mounted
on a vehicle with typical steel body panels, the vehicle itself forms
a ground plane. This is why the most efficient antenna mounting location is
at the top-center of a vehicle. But, unfortunately, this also places an antenna
at the greatest risk of impact damage. This explains why bumper-mounted antennas
are more popular,
despite
their distorted transmission characteristics and inefficiency.
A log periodic antenna (LPA)
or Yagi-type
antenna can be very effective, but keep in mind
that like other antennas, they need to be properly polarized.
Most mobile two-way radios use vertical polarization. Hence, your LPA or Yagi
will not have the traditional horizontal "TV antenna" appearance--rather,
it will be flipped on its side, for vertical polarization.
« Letter Re: Simulation of Pandemic Influenza - Preparedness Implications |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Advice on Communications Scanners
Dear James,
I was talking to my neighbor today and he showed me his Uniden Bear Tracker
800 scanner, a now discontinued model. That got me to thinking that I probably
should get one for emergencies. But the thing is I don't know what you should
look for in a police scanner. Also I'm on a budget and I'm not willing to spend
more than $100 on a scanner, but most cost quite a bit. That's why I'm looking
for a reasonably priced scanner, though I'm having problems finding one. Any
recommendations or help would be gladly accepted.
Regards, - MG Mikael
Mikael:
Since you are on a budget, your best bet is to find a used scanner
on eBay, hopefully for $80 to $120. (This may take a few diligent weeks of
putting
low bids on successive
auction, to have a winning low bid.)
From the SurvivalBlog archives, here are a couple of useful references with scanner
model
recommendations:
General
advice on communications monitoring.
and,
A "trunked traffic" capable scanner.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| The Warrior Way as Survival Strategy: Attune Yourself to a Martial Mindset in Daily Living, by Jeff Trasel »
Victory in the DC v. Heller US Supreme Court Decision--With Some Reservations
I was pleased to hear of the recent DC v. Heller US supreme court
decision that affirmed that the "right to keep and bear arms" is indeed an
individual right of all citizens. However, I was disappointed to
see that the court used circular logic in their assumptions on what constituted
firearms "in
common use" Just
as I warned back in March, (immediately following the oral arguments),
the court relied on arguments made by Mr. Gura (the plaintiff's attorney).
In my
opinion,
Gura's arguments were
a
disservice
to
American
gun
owners
and "the
militia at large".
(Which consists of all male citizens age 17 to 45, per US
Code Title 10, Section 311.) Gura discounted any Second Amendment protection
for machineguns, because he claims that the Second Amendments protects only
those guns "in common use" as suitable for individuals to bring from
their homes, for their personal use in service with the militia. Gura stated:
"They wished to preserve the ability of people to act as militia, and so
there was certainly no plan for, say, a technical obsolescence. However,
the fact is that [US v.] Miller spoke very strongly about the fact that
people were expected to bring arms supplied by themselves of the kind in
common use at the time. So if in this time people do not have, or are not recognized
by any court to have, a common application for, say, a machine gun or a rocket
launcher or some other sort of ..."
That was a specious argument. What Gura overlooked is the fact that machineguns
are not presently "in common use" only because 74 years ago, Congress
effectively banned them, by placing a confiscatory tax and onerous
fingerprinting and background check requirements upon purchasers. It is a tax
of $200 per
machinegun transfer. (Which was a huge sum of money, in 1934.) Machineguns
would be in fairly common use today in the US by private citizens, if it were
not
for
the
National
Firearms
Act.
Oddly,
I find myself siding in part with Justice Breyer (one of the liberal softies
on the bench) who stated in the dissenting opinion:
"Nor is it at all clear
to me how the majority decides which loaded “arms” a
homeowner may keep. The majority says that that Amendment protects those
weapons “typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.” Ante,
at 53. This definition conveniently excludes machineguns, but permits handguns,
which the majority describes as “the most popular weapon chosen by Americans
for self-defense in the home.” Ante, at 57; see also ante, at 54–55.
But what sense does this approach make? According to the majority’s
reasoning, if Congress and the States lift restrictions on the possession
and use of machineguns, and people buy machineguns to protect their homes,
the Court will have to reverse course and find that the Second Amendment
does, in fact, protect the individual self-defense-related right to possess
a machinegun. On the majority’s
reasoning, if tomorrow someone invents a particularly useful, highly dangerous
self defense weapon, Congress and the States had
better ban it immediately, for once it becomes popular Congress will no longer
possess the constitutional authority to do so. In essence, the majority determines
what regulations are permissible by looking to see what existing regulations
permit. There is no basis for believing that the Framers intended such circular
reasoning."
It will be interesting to see how the precedent set by Heller will
be applied --possibly overturning other unconstitutional gun laws at the State
and Federal level. I am hopeful that Heller will be the death knell
of such laws, but the realist in me can see the waffling and back-peddling
included in the decision.
(With phrases citing "“laws forbidding the carrying of firearms
in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings”".) Let's
wait and see. Who knows, you may find full autos on the tables at your local
gun show in a few years, available for "cash and carry" sale.
« Letter Re: Advice on Storing Bulk Grain at Above Optimum Temperatures |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Letter Re: A Recent Fire Evacuation Experience
James:
Last weekend my town was threatened by a pretty big fire. Dozens of homes
burned, thousands of citizens were evacuated. My neighborhood was among those
ordered to flee the advancing flames. (Drama!)
My family was prepared to leave ahead of time and evacuated safely in large
part because of the advice and encouragement I have found at SurvivalBlog.
Thank you.
I did learn a few things. Theory flies out the window when panic is in the
air. What is organized and prepared ahead of time actually works, what is thrown
together at the last minute tends to fall apart. I had my Bug Out Vehicle (B.O.V.)
fueled and standing by the night before but many did not and I saw long lines
at every
gas station as people were struggling to flee. The major exits were all jammed
with vehicles and as tensions rose, tempers flared. Several collisions were
reported, slowing down the evacuation further. People generally remained orderly,
but my spouse reports that as fire trucks and other emergency responders were
making their way via siren through the crowded roads, opportunistic tailgaters
would follow them. I saw none of it, as I took the less known and less traveled
back woods roads out of town.
I hauled all the usual checklist items; important
documents, tangible savings, family photo albums, firearms and ammunition,
fuel, genset,
med kit, food and water supplies, camping gear, etc. With all normal routes
into and out of town barricaded we had no idea when we would
be allowed back in or what we would find when we got there.
Communications broke down when concerned calls flooded in. The local paper
did a bang-up job of keeping us informed using Google Maps, but when the power
lines burned it was tough to get on the Internet. Voice Over Internet Protocol
(VOIP) phone lines tied to cable service fail when the cable service substation
is
dependant
on
local
power. We are considering putting in a backup "Plain Old Telephone Service" (POTS) line for
emergency communications. Cell systems were overloaded as well, and it seemed
the only way I could communicate with my spouse who had left work to head to
our pre-arranged Bug Out Location was by relaying through an out of town relative.
I also discovered that trying to organize your assets solo while simultaneously
keeping track of a small child and keeping an ear out for updates is much harder
than
when
you have time to think in peace. Finding a way to contain the child safely
and keep him entertained became a prerequisite to having my hands and mind
free to load up our gear.
I am thankful that the fire was managed and most folk returned home safely.
Our prayers and thoughts go out to the firefighters who saved our town and
to those neighbors whose homes were lost. - Anonymous
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Notes from JWR »
After 10 Years--Some Observations and Lessons Learned by a Y2K-Era Prepper
It was June, 1998. Y2K was
a salient topic of conversation. It got my attention. When the electricity
went off and there would be no water to drink, and no
fuel to move food to the JIT grocery
stores, I could see things getting very ugly. I had been willing to fight
for this nation as a member of the US Army.
Now it was time to fight for my household. I bought a Springfield Armory
M1A. I bought a safe to store it in. I bought another M1A (for
the spousal unit of course!) I bought ammo. Lots of it. I bought gear. I
bought food.
I became awakened to the idea of being self-reliant.
That was 10 years ago. Y2K didn’t cause a global melt down. (Although
I have a friend in the service that sat in a command bunker holding his breath
at Y2K – the
government didn’t know what was going to occur.) I
have not had to live through or endure Hurricane
Katrina. No participation
in the 9/11 attacks.
In fact, I can’t claim a campaign ribbon for any
disasters. Am I upset or sorry that I have changed my life to follow a path
of self-reliance? Most definitely, absolutely not!
Let me share with you the good and the bad of what I have done in the last
ten years. So often, people new to self-reliance are like ants at the foot
of a mountain staring up with their head touching their back wondering how
in the world they will ever be able to replace modern society and be able to
take care of themselves WTSHTF.
Well, truth be told, you can’t do it
overnight unless you’re Warren Buffet. I am walking, talking living proof,
however, that you can make significant progress. Let me show you!
In order to show you that you do indeed have cause for hope, let me share
a
few of my screw-ups. How about the initial purchases I made
while in a state of “marked concern” when I became “self
aware” with
regard to self – reliance. The money I invested in self-reliance was
my spousal unit’s “down payment on a house”. Do you think
this view of “my nest” versus “the world may end” led
to some intense “discussions”? You bet your last dog flea it did.
For much of the intervening 10 years I have been the one prepping while my
wife harbored a severe grudge against the entire topic because I spent our
money for the house down payment on crazy self-reliance materials. A grade
of “F” to
me for consensus building. She is just beginning to come around in the last
two years. Poster child example of a bucket of wet sand. (If two guys fight,
they belt each other like two crazed wolverines. Eventually they realize they
were stupid for fighting, shake hands, forgive and are back to being friends.
Kinda like a cow urinating on a big flat rock – big splash and splatters,
but it dries up pretty quickly. Get in an argument with a gal and it is like
pouring water into
a bucket of sand – the surface may dry after a bit, but it stays wet
down in that bucket for a long time.)
I very religiously squirreled away Gillette Atra razors because that is what
I used each day. The handle that you click onto the blade cartridge gave up
the ghost after many years of faithful service. The stores don’t sell
them anymore! Now I have three dozen packs of five cartridges with no way to
use them to shave! Fortunately, I did find a second/spare handle in my stores
and
will
be able to use them up. Did I re-learn some valuable lessons? You bet!
Two is one, and one is none.
You need to see what you have (inventories!)
Store what you Eat/use – I did great on the cartridges, but forgot
spare handles!
In the run-up to Y2K I bought a dozen 6 volt golf cart batteries to be able to
set-up some kind of power system in the house. Great intent. No photovoltaic
panels No wiring until last year. They have been “stored” sitting
on pallets in a friends storage building for 9 years because I have not been
able to get
to the replacement power system yet. I could have used that money for a higher
priority item.
The spousal unit and I built our home last year. We did many things very right.
Some learning experiences occurred, however. Maybe chief amongst them is my
underestimation of the massiveness of the size of this endeavor! I joke with
friends about not being free from the To Do list to be able to get into trouble
for at least five years! Fix the septic pond berms. Sort out the “scrap” lumber.
Put a deck on the back of the house so the [building] code Nazis will give
us the permanent occupancy permit. Fix the leaking pressure tank in the basement.
Fix the DR
mower. Mow. Clear 30 trees dropped to get the septic pond clearance (not done
with that one yet). Cut and split and stack firewood. The list goes on. Don’t
get me wrong – I would not trade my homestead back for city living for
anything. Was I able to foresee the "second & third order effects” of
the change to a country homestead? Nope. Not even having read Backwoods Home
magazine for 8 years. Thank God I listened to my in-laws and did not try
to finish the upstairs interior construction while living downstairs!
Prior to Y2K I tried very hard to create a group. It failed in many ways. Had
Y2K caused the feared problems, we would have been road kill. Okay, we would
have been the third or fourth critter on the highway run over by life, but
we were
nowhere near ready to deal with WTSHTF/TEOTWAWKI.
The Yuppie Queen and her husband went right back to spoiling their princess/daughter,
buying Jaguars, clothes,
and hair implants. You know - living the typical American city life. The other
couple moved out onto 20 acres in a very rural county and raise goats and chickens.
I am on 20+ acres and moving in a self-reliant direction. Two out of three
ain’t
bad!
I endured the gauntlet of multiple careers trying to find a fit for who I am.
Thankfully, my spousal unit was trained well by her farmer parents. We never
carried any debt other than the mortgage. One thing we did do smart was under-buy
on our home with a condo (sixplex) in town. No car payments. No credit card
payments. We kept 3-6 months of expenses in savings. One business venture was
as a franchisee for Idiotstate. Massive mistake. Four years with no income
for me and a net loss of $60,000 overall. What preps could you get done with
an
extra $60,000? I am certainly not happy I put one in the “L” column.
I am not proud of failing. I am proud of jumping into the fight and giving
it my 110%. As they used to tell me in the military, “What an opportunity
for character building!” Learning lesson for me was that I should never
have stopped Soldiering. I simply have green blood. I have returned to the
Army by working as a tactical/leadership contractor at a nearby Fort and getting
reappointed into the National Guard. Will a deployment take me away from directly
protecting The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)? Yes. Does staying employed doing
what God designed me to do mean we’ll have a steady income? Likely. Does
a pension check from age 65 on make us better able to care for ourselves? You
betcha. The world may not disintegrate in 30 days. It may actually remain fairly
normal. One has to prepare for that contingency as well.
By now you have to be thinking “What a knothead! This guy couldn’t
find his fourth point of contact if you put one hand on a cheek!” Well,
not so fast there Skippy! I have a thing or two that should go in the “W” column.
I should give you a massive dose of hope! Let me describe to you in a quick
overview where I have come to in my 10 year quest to become more self-reliant.
First, about our home…
Home
Your home is your castle, right? Well mine actually kinda is. It sets on a
chunk of land that is 20+ acres. The terrain is rolling and 95% wooded. It
butts up against a cemetery to the north, a 900+ acre conservation area to
the south, a river to the west, and a section line to the east. The home is
an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
structure. The walls are 1” of concrete
fake rock veneer, 2.5” of foam, 8” of reinforced concrete, 2.5” of
foam, 5/8” of sheetrock. It is “round”, being made up of
12 wall sections each 8 feet in width. Two stories with a basement. About
1,800 square feet of living space. (2,700 with the basement, however, that
area is not finished yet.) Geothermal heating/cooling and a soapstone wood
stove.
Metal roof. No carpeting – oak floors and tile. The wellhead
is inside the home so I don’t have to worry about winter breakdowns or freeze-ups,
nor losing access WTSHTF. We are running at top speed towards the 20% equity
checkpoint in order to get rid of the bankster-invented Private Mortgage Insurance
(PMI) extortion racket. (We have a credit rating of 804, so the “risk” the
bank incurs by carrying our note is a freaking joke!). It suits our lifestyle
very,
very
well. Our intent was to have a very low maintenance home. Having lived here
one year in two more weeks, it looks like we have a very big check mark in
the “W” column. More details on the design/floor plan in a future
article!
Weapons & Training
We have an M1A set-up for combat, and one set up for long-range precision work.
The Glock 21
[.45 ACP] is the base pistol for the household, with one for each of us and
a G30 [compact Glock .45 ACP] as back-up. The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU) doesn’t
carry a rifle or carbine, just the pistol. (More on that later.) Training for
both of us
includes Defensive
Handgun 1 and Team Tactics with Clint and Heidi Smith at Thunder Ranch. I have
also had General Purpose, Urban, and Precision Rifle with Clint. I completed
a special symposium at Gunsite (pistol, rifle, shotgun, carbine). I am an NRA Certified
pistol, rifle, and home defense instructor. I have several other weapon platforms
as a “Dan Fong” kind of guy. The two rifles with
accoutrements, and the four pistols with same were certainly not cheap. Nor
was the training. I do, however, know how to properly employ them now.
Food & Supplies
The spousal unit & I could stretch the on-hand food to cover two years.
Canned freeze dried is 45% of it, bulk buckets is 45%, and “normal use” food
is the last 10%. We have built a rolling rack set of shelves for the 3rd part
to ease rotation of the canned goods with each grocery store trip. No, I haven’t
found the secret spy decoder ring sequence on how to rotate the bulk and freeze-dried
stuff with our normal, both of us work, lifestyle. The sticking point for this
area I see is that WTSHTF, Mom & Dad in-law, Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law
with wife and two princesses (one with hubby), and my Mom & her husband
will
show up on our doorstep. That makes for an even dozen mouths to fee
Security
Now for a bit more detail. First topic up, IAW my military training, is Security.
The base of everything here is God. I have chosen to bend my knee to Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior. I can amass all the weapons, ammo, food and “stuff” you
can imagine, but He is the one ultimately in charge. I am charged to be a prudent
steward of His possessions - my family, property, vehicles, food, weapons,
ammo, etc.. I am definitely striving to be the ant storing things for the winter.
If you ain’t right in this area, it will really matter in eternity.
Part of your security is weapons. There are sheeple, wolves, and sheepdogs.
I am definitely in the 3rd category. In today’s world your “teeth” are
your firearms. I plan from a Boston T. Party paradigm of having a battle rifle.
Hence, the M1A. Were I starting over today, I would likely go with a FAL, but
now "I will dance with the one that brung me". Or maybe just accept the brilliance
of the M1
Garand at $620 delivered to your doorstep from the Civilian Marksmanship
Program (CMP).
I do have two of these. Hard to argue with .30-06 ball. I renovate Mausers
as my hobby and so have a .35 WAI scout rifle. A second one in the
more common 7.62x51 chambering is in work now. I laos have a Mossberg 835 [riotgun],
two Ruger 10/22s (one blued, one stainless), Ruger MKII stainless .22 LR pistol,
S&W
625 pistol in .45 ACP/.45
Auto Rim, a few Enfields, and a couple of Mosin-Nagants round out the field.
Let me detail for you the path to get to the Glocks. I think it may save you
some of your money. I received a Colt Gold Cup [M1911]
.45 ACP pistol from my Dad as a graduation gift from the Hudson Home For Boys
[aka USMA West Point].
Great
intent. A weapon as a gift – how can you ever be wrong in doing this?!
However, a terrible choice as a combat weapon. The Gold Cup is a target pistol.
Tight
tolerances.
Feeds only hardball, and that can be tenuous proposition. I carried it on the
East-West German border leading patrols. The rear sight broke twice. The front
sight shot off once and tore off twice. It was a jammomatic. I hated it. Sold
it to a guy that wanted to target shoot.
Took that money and bought a stainless Ruger P90DC. Sack of hammers tough.
always goes bang when you pull the trigger. Inexpensive as far as handguns
go. After some marked de-horning, you could even make it run in a fight without
shredding you at the same time. One marked problem. Two [different weight]
trigger pulls [for first round double action versus subsequent round single
action.]. This started to teach me to throw the muzzle down as I pulled the
trigger in
double
action.
This nasty habit caused a problem when you were firing the 2nd through X rounds,
as now it operates as a single action. TLSU had a heck of a time with it at
Thunder Ranch. Clint loaned her his G21. No more trigger problems.
Still bowing at the altar of the 1911, I bought a Kimber Compact to carry instead
of the Ruger. (I still have the Ruger – it is still “the gun that
my Dad gave me” and no one buys the P90 used for anywhere near it’s
initial cost, so I can’t sell it without taking a significant bath on
it.) The Kimber was going well. Then I got a little too aggressive at slamming
magazines home in the shortened grip and jammed it. Then the recoil rod unscrewed
itself during an IPSC run
and seized the gun while messing up the trigger. Off to Kimber. Free warranty
work and 48 hours without my self-defense pistol.
Now I have no confidence in the pistol. I Loc-Tite’d the recoil rod
and staked it so it wouldn’t come undone again. Then I sold it.
Glocks cost roughly one-half of what a Kimber does. Crummy factory sights,
but all my pistols wear tritium anyway. No ambidextrous safety required. My
short fingers are
mated to big palms, so I can handle the grip. TLSU has been trained on the
Glock Model 21 (G21). It ain’t an issue of psychological derangement
like many guys get about their 1911/Glock/H&K/Springfield, but it is a
comfortable and working relationship between Glock & I. I have a G21 and
a G30 for both of us. They always go bang accurately and they have never rusted.
I am
not
pleased
with Gaston [Glock]’s refusal to take responsibility for any mistakes
they make in manufacturing. No problems with the G21 however. A pistol is what
you
use
to fight your way back to your rifle, which you shouldn’t have laid down
in the first place.
M1As hit my safe because it is what I knew from the service. They also fire
a full power cartridge, 7.62x51. It makes cover into concealment. I don’t
have the other 10 guys in an infantry squad fighting with me so I can maneuver
under their covering fire. I have to hit the bad guy with a powerful blow once
and move on to the next wolf/bad guy. Mouse guns firing rabbit rounds don’t
scratch that itch for me. To each his own. My two are old enough to have USGI
parts and good quality control. Here are the mods I made to my “combat” M1A.
Maybe they will help you:
Krylon paint job to disrupt the "big black stick" look
M60 [padded] sling
Front sight filed down so that zero is achieved with the rear sight bottomed
out
Handguard ventilated
National Match trigger group, barrel, and sights (came as a “Loaded” package
from Springfield)
Rear aperture drilled out to make it a ghost ring
Skate board tape on slick metal butt plate
For the “Surgical” M1A (it shoots1/2 minute when I do my part):
National Match loaded package
Trigger assembly additionally tuned at factory
Unitized gas system
Factory bedded
Stainless barrel
Swan rings and QD bases
Leupold M3 3.5-10x40 scope
Handmade leather cheekrest
Other weapons - I have two M1
Garands. Both were bought from the CMP. One
is stored offsite with a "Bug-In Bag" (BIB). One is a Danish return, less
wood, that I re-stocked. TLSU has claimed this one as hers. Ammo from the CMP
is
cheaper
than any
other cartridge out there, save the communist surplus stuff. An M1917 Enfield
(also
from CMP) is in the safe, along with a 2A, a #3, and a #4. A VZ24 is stored
offsite. The first Mauser I renovated is sitting there as an additional .30-06
with a Trijicon 3-9x40 tritium-lit scope. A Remington 700 with Leupold VX-II
scope is in the safe, but likely to be sold soon. A Mosin-Nagant (M44 or
M38) ride in each vehicle.
I formerly had [Ruger] Mini-30s. I could never find any 20 or 30 round magazines
that would function reliably. I sold them and got SKS carbines. When I quit
holding out
for TLSU to become a Warrior and carry one, I sold them off to fund other
toys. I am pondering the purchase of an AK folder because it is a sack of
hammers
tough and can be transported discretely. I don’t know if I have ever
come out on the positive side when selling a gun. Now I have to re-buy an
AR-15 to have one for training purposes. The SKSs could be useful for arming
the
family showing up on your doorstep. Hindsight being 20/20, I would caution
against selling any gun you buy. (The 700 mentioned above is a 2nd precision
weapon and I have no AK to train with. Still deciding.)
Ammo is required to feed these weapons. I have over 10,000 rounds of 7.62x51.
I have over 10,000 rounds of .22 LR. No, I don’t think these amounts
are enough. Now that the costs of ammo have risen to heart stopping levels,
I really don’t feel like I bought enough in the past!
I need to plus up the quantities/smatterings of other cartridges that I have
like .30-30 Winchester, .270 Winchester,
.40 S&W.
The location of my home is the best I could get balancing competing requirements.
It is as far from the city as we can get and still stomach the drive to work.
It is between two major line of drift corridors – 12 miles to the major
one, 8 miles to the secondary one. It is bordered by neighbors on only one
side. The folks in the cemetery don’t say much. The critters in the
wildlife area are more vocal - the ducks, turkeys, geese, hoot owls, loons,
coyotes
sound off regularly. We don’t mind. About 95% of the property is wooded.
A few hickory, lots of oak. walnut, (unfortunately) locust trees are all
there.
The local river comes out of it’s banks about every other year and
blocks our driveway for several days, but never comes near the house. The
German Shorthair
is long in the tooth for security, but she is there. A new pup is in the
pipeline.
I would feel a great deal more secure if the homestead was picked up and
dropped into Idaho or Alaska. It is about as good as we can do, though, staying
near
a major city so we can have decent paying jobs. There are some improvements
we can make though. I just bought a weather alert radio from Cabela’s
today. Tough to hear tornado sirens when you live miles away and have 1 foot
thick walls! We need a driveway monitor/alarm. Again, the superior insulation
of
the walls means we hear nothing outside. I can see the utility
of sandbags if things got really ugly. Some more land line communication
assets would be
useful. I think an AR-15 for training people would be useful, as would an
AK. Overall, I think we have done pretty well in the security arena.
Our Home
We started the 10 years in a condo. It was part of a six-plex set on a small
pond. I hate Homeowner’s Associations and their covenants! We could afford
the mortgage on one of our two paychecks. Good thing! I didn’t get a
paycheck for four years. We scraped by. Two years after re-entering the job
market we built our house. We worked on the plans for five years. Beware! Finding
a property piece and building a non-shoebox home on it is not for the feint
of
heart!
You effectively are funding the construction of a mini town. You build and
maintain mini roads (your driveway). You must build and maintain a mini sewage
plant (Your septic system/pond). You must build and maintain a mini water plant.
(Your well.) You must perform mowing and tree removal for the mini parks of
your town (Your “yard”/acreage). I will write a separate article
detailing our construction woes.
Let me highlight some of the self-reliant features of the house for you. We
did not want to spend a constant stream of Federal Reserve Notes [FRNs]on
maintenance. We used insulated concrete form (ICF) construction for the structural
strength
and the energy efficiency. The metal roof should outlast us. The geothermal
and
the
R-50 walls
of the
ICF are paying us back the initial investment in construction costs. We opted
for no carpeting due to the track in mud nature of the property, having a dog,
and me having allergies. Wood and tile floors don’t hold dirt like carpets
do. Less fire hazard as well. We used commercial steel doors for the exterior
and security-need spots. They have ASSA
[high security] locks. They have peepholes.
The basement has a 10’ square root cellar for the storage of canned produce
from the garden. It also has a safe room/shelter. 12” of concrete overhead.
The well head is enclosed in it. Land line telephone and power service into
it via buried lines. Food stored in it. DC wiring
in place to the attic for when we get to the photovoltaic [PV]
system. We also ran DC wires to each room in the house for the use of LED lighting
off of a battery system. The soapstone
wood
stove
augments the electrically driven geothermal. (In spite of several damaging
thunderstorms this past year, we have not lost power so far – great job
juice Coop!)
The stairwell was kicked out onto the W/NW of the house. This shields the house
from the hottest part of the day’s sunlight, and the coldest winter winds.
We made the stairwell an extra foot wide. What a huge nice difference that
foot makes to walking up and down each day, not to mention moving stuff up
or down them! The mud porch/entry was set up for coming in with muddy boots,
or for snow covered coats. We should have made it 1’ wider, as it can
be a little tight. The bench is great for donning/doffing boots. The tile is
easy to clean the muddy paw prints, human or canine, off of.
Windows were one of the few areas that caused some fireworks. TLSU wanted a
green house in order to take advantage of the great view of the property. I
wanted firing ports to defend against mutant zombie hordes. I am still hugely
uncomfortable with the nakedness the windows leave us with. Yes the view is
great, but what about when we experience incoming rounds, or more mundanely,
when someone comes out to the property while we are away from the house all
day at work and they help themselves to our stuff? Some relief is in sight,
however. We are pricing Shattergard vinyl film for the ground floor windows.
Things That are Still Need on the Home
The great thing about the R-50 ICF walls is that they are R-50 and pretty tough.
The bad thing is that they are R-50 and pretty tough. We can’t hear anything without
a door or window being open. Hence the just purchased weather alert radio for
us from Cabela’s this week. It is kind of eerie waking up at
0200 hours and having no idea if the thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm or
if it is a tornado. The television is useless when the rain is so heavy that
the dish won’t get a signal. With regard to 2-legged varmints, a driveway
MURS Alert
system is on the purchase list as we have had multiple invited guests show
up, beat on the front door, and have to walk around to the living room
windows to get our attention so they can be let inside. Okay for invited guests – certainly
too close for uninvited varmints!
The entry hallway was one of TLSU’s “must haves” in the house
layout. It has worked out well in terms of traffic flow and such. The security
door at the foot of the stairs is a tough choke point to deal with at 0500
in the dark. No light installed there means nothing is visible through the
peephole.
I will have to install a camera and/or light so I don’t open it to let
the dog out in the morning and get rushed by 2-legged varmints.
So far, the only commo needs are between myself and TLSU. When the sister-in-law,
brother-in-law, parents-in-law and my Mom show up and we start pulling
security, we will need to be able
to talk more. I have an old set of TA-312 [field telephone]s and wire for the
primary LP/OP,
but obviously will need more in this area. Just not a sexy/fun area to spend
FRNs on for a combat arms kinda guy, but I am working on the self-discipline
needed.
We did look ahead and sink the FRNs into running 12V wires in the home for
future installation of PV panels and batteries. Obviously things like the Shattergard
film, more food, more Band-aids, etc., are of a higher priority though. We
are working our tails off to reach the 20% equity mark to get rid of the PMI
extortion as well. I still have an ASSA lock to install on the shelter door,
and one to put into the basement door. Other projected door enhancements include
armor plates for the front, outside basement, shelter, and outside storage
doors. There just never seems to be enough $ to go around, does there?
The other major source of fireworks during the home design/build was on-demand
water heaters. Having taken a 30 minute hot shower with one in Germany for
5 marks while on an FTX, I well understand what a brilliant piece of technology
they are. TLSU, having never been outside of CONUS cannot give up on the electric
water heater. She still doesn’t believe that the electricity will ever
go out for more than an hour or two. Wouldn’t it be great to be able
to draw hot water at the kitchen sink, and take a hot shower from a propane
fired on-demand heater? She doesn’t get it yet. Obviously not something
to break up a marriage over. We really did very well on the whole house building
thing. The opposite of what everyone warned us about. I am pretty proud of
that performance!
Food
We started a garden this spring. So far, it is an endeavor run by TLSU. Spinach,
onions, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, beets, and some herbs. I have not been
able to convince her to expand the size. She wants to learn in steps and I
am the whacko that orders 100 seedlings at a time from the conservation department,
which then overwhelms us in the planting department. For example, the first
iteration of this tree-planting endeavor, we got them the Thursday before Easter
weekend. Friday night and all day Saturday we planted our buns off. TLSU was
indeed a great Trooper about it, planting right along with me. Sunday was spent
at church
and pigging out at family’s homes for Easter. Monday I had shoulder surgery
to grind off bone spurs and remove cartilage chips. Too much, too fast. But
at 7 FRNs per 12 seedlings, how can you argue? I have to admit though, that
after two years of the 100 seedlings, I am ready to give it a rest. This year
we settled for seven apple saplings. Initial inspection of the cherry, pecan,
oak, walnut and persimmon seedlings around the house reveals about an 80% survival
rate. Only another 10 years and we will be getting food from them!
The initial freeze dried and bulk storage food needs to be rotated. Anyone
figured out how to do this kind of at home cooking when the two of you work?
The canned/”normal” food is now being rotated with each grocery
store trip. We have canning jars for this year’s veggies and the root
cellar has a robust collection of shelves to store them on. How much is enough?
I
don’t know. Four geographically separate and secure stashes of three
year’s
worth of food for all of the family? Who knows!?
Medical
I have Boo-boo kits just about everywhere now. You know, the band-aid and antibiotic
salve with ibuprofen kit that handles 90% of life’s issues in this area.
Now comes the high-dollar investment stuff. The combat blow-out packs for gunshot
wounds or serious car wrecks. I did go along on a buying trip to a medical
warehouse and got some catheters, sutures, gauze pads, etc.. I did get in on
the last great iodine buy before our loving big brother government banned the
sale of iodine to us mere citizens. (It is a stewable ingredient to make drugs,
you know – “we must deprive/punish all to protect you from a few.
Oh, well, you don’t need to be able to sterilize water anyway – we’ll
take care of you on that too….”)
TLSU and I eat very healthy food – locally raised beef with no antibiotics
or growth hormones. No growth hormone dairy products from a local dairy. Spinach
from the garden. There are sugar detectors on the doors. Also, no chips allowed.
We get to the dentist regularly. We both do Physical Training (PT)
. She jogs 3 miles, 3-4 times per week. I run over lunch at work about 4 miles,
4-5 times
per week
and
lift
weights twice per week.
“Needed Still” list includes: Blow out kits, more bandages, more
hospital type stuff, more medicines, syrup of ipecac, more antibiotics, more
feminine
stuff (think of a vaginal yeast infection with no drug store open), drinking
alcohol, poison Ivy soap and remedies, athlete’s foot cream, more baby
wipes, more hand sanitizer, all forms of baby stuff, get the bone spur ground
smooth in my other shoulder and the cartilage chips taken out, get rid of the
cat (allergies).
Vehicles
We still have the same vehicles we had in 2001. A 1998 Toyota Corolla bought
with 30,000 miles, and a 1999 Ford Explorer bought with 45,000 miles. Both
were
paid in full when bought. Both avoided the 25% loss of value when driving a
new car off the lot. The Corolla gets 37 MPG.
I hate it. Every bit of plastic on it has broken – the car door locking
mechanisms, the trunk lock, the ventilation system fan. It gets 37 MPG. I can’t
find anything to touch that. The Ford is too big to get decent mileage, and
too small to really be
a useful truck. It is paid for and has AWD/4WD.
It always starts. Both vehicles have BIBs and gas masks in them. Both have
trunk guns. Both have roadside gear
to help ourselves out of a jam. We are saving for the replacement of them both.
We are going to be saving for quite a while. We need more cash in the BIBs
and Bug Out Bags (BOBs)
All of the preps in this section were done via Cabela points. I bought gas
and paid for business expenses - everything I could pay for with a credit card
was paid for with the Cabela’s credit card. You get points at some sickening
rate of $.01/FRN spent, $.02/FRN in the store. However, when you buy $6-8,000/month
of stuff between personal and business stuff, it adds up! The gear for the
BOBs & BIBs, weapons gear and parts – a significant percentage – 85%+
- came from Cabela [credit card bonus] points. When I got birthday or Christmas
monetary gifts I spent them on self-reliance items. We did this never incurring
any
interest
penalties because we zero the balance out each month. Our BOBs are set-up to
sustain us for 10 days. They are packed in Cabela’s wet bags for load
out in five minutes. Originally I sought to wear a tactical vest and ruck.
After two unsuccessful winter BOB campouts where I could barely waddle one
mile with
both of them on at the same time, I dropped the vest. TLSU’s back is
in tough shape due to scoliosis, so she is not humping any mammoth rucks with
the extra three mortar rounds and can of 7.62 linked. We also decided that
the G21 was what she could carry and dropped the SKS and chest pouches of 10
round stripper clips. Her ruck is a Camelback Commander. That is as big of
a ruck as she can hope to carry without killing her back. We are not leaving
home to go on a combat patrol in Hit or Fallujah. We are fleeing some kind
danger and have every intention of avoiding additional entanglements, to include
government hospitality suites in stadiums.
The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)
I started self-reliance the wrong way. No consensus development. I saw a danger
and acted. I am a male/sheepdog/warrior type. I am not sure that I could have
ever persuaded her to participate in any meaningful manner before Y2K. She
has only recently begun to do so after eight years of seeing me provide for
and protect her. I was, however, stubborn/strong enough to do what I thought
was
the right thing and to heck with what was popular. Most “males” check
their gender specific anatomical gear at the wedding alter and continue on
in sheeple status. I get that females are the nurturers. I get that they work
from an emotional starting point, not logical. Not wanting the tornado to destroy
the house or the hurricane to wreck your and the adjoining three counties is,
at best, the French method of addressing life. TLSU is finally helping me to
rotate food via the grocery store purchases. She no longer rolls her eyes or
sighs disgustedly when I spend my Cabela points to buy gear. Once I explained
to her that I was planning to shelter and feed her parents and siblings and
that our one year of food wasn’t going to feed all of them for very long,
she started to get on board. She even likes spending the points off of her
Cabela’s card now. She is running 3-4 times per week and gets some PT
from work outside in the garden. She has come a long way. As best as I can
tell, she will not ever be a warrior. We have come a substantial distance from
sleeping on the couch each time a self-reliance topic hits the table of discussion
though. A definite and growing check mark in the “W” column!
Skills
Skills that I have acquired:
Rifles – renovating Mausers and training at Thunder Ranch helps
your ability to use these tools immensely.
Soldering – fixing plumbing leaks myself vs. paying a plumber $200
to show up and start billing me for work
Building – I invested 13 full work weeks of time during the building
of our home helping the contractor. Some of it was the nubby work of cleaning
up the scrap and sawdust. Some of it was banging in joist hangers. I laid
all the tile and 95% of the wood flooring in the house.
Fix-it – the DR Brush mower has long passed it’s warranty
period and while performing quite admirably, does need attention every now
and then.
The 1974 F100 demands attention regularly. Each of these repair work challenges
teaches me a little more about mechanical items and taking care of things
myself.
Sewing – Yes, my dear Grandmother taught me to sew buttons, and
my Mom taught me to survival sew/repair things. A 1960 gear driven Singer sews
nylon
gear though!; )
Skills still needed:
More First Aid – it appears that a first responder or wilderness 1st
aid course may be in the cards for this year.
More Hand to Hand – my goals and objectives list has had this goal
on it for several years. Good news – I got started on knocking it off the
list. Bad news, it revealed an “old man” shortcoming in my shoulder.
Good news, I am getting the shoulder fixed (hopefully) during “normal” times
versus after Schumerization. I just may get ambushed and not have my trusty
M1A in hand. Having unarmed defense skills means never having to be a steak
dinner/victim.
More riflesmithing – each birthday or Christmas gift of money has
been partially apportioned to the purchase of gunsmithing tooling. I need more
practice
with the tools I have. I still need more tooling. I recently secured Parkerizing
gear, but have not gotten the metal stands for the tanks built. Still,
progress is progress and I can already do more to maintain weapons than
95% of the
population.
Knife making – I just cringe at the idea of spending $300 for top
quality knives. CRKT is my friend. Even better is learning to assemble the
scales and
blank myself. Eventually, knowing how to forge blanks myself would be useful.
Mill lumber – with 95% of my property wooded, I have the material
to be self-reliant with regard to my lumber needs. I need a way to saw the
tree into lumber though. First, the mill, then the skill to use it. Then
I have
the gear to diversify my income and help others.
Have I always done the smartest thing? Absolutely not! Much to the crazed
satisfaction of a former operator buddy, I have cycled through the “best/high
dollar” gear
approach to the “sack of hammers USGI/AK” school of self-reliance.
Don’t get me wrong – I ain’t surrendering my Kifaru rucks
anytime soon! However, there were a great number of FRNs spent on those self-reliance
tuition payments! Have I learned a lot? Absolutely, yes! Am
I better able to maintain my independence and protect and provide for my
family? Absolutely,
yes! Could you do better than I did? Good chance. Have you
done as much as I have in the last 10 years? Only your freedom, loved ones,
and the quality
of your life post-TEOTWAWKI depend on the answer to that one.
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A Citizen's Band (CB) Radio Installation Primer, by C.G.
Citizen Band (CB)
radio requires no FCC license
to operate so it is a good choice for local communication. If cell phones fail
to work for
whatever
reason, it may be the best method for remote communication since its range
is better than FRS and
GMRS. When I installed my first CB in a vehicle, I was happy just to get
it in and be able to transmit to my buddy who lived
the next block over. I’ve matured since then and my tolerance for white
noise is less than what it used to be. I’ve learned over the years
how to properly set up a radio system and I’m normally left with a
CB that has few problems. So, I’m writing this to help those of you
that use Citizen's Band radio in your vehicles, but may be plagued with noise,
weak signals, or are just generally unhappy with your radios performance.
At worst, this article should give you a jumpstart in your quest for a 1:1
standing
wave ratio.
The basic components of a radio system are simple: power, radio,
antenna feed line, and antenna. If all function properly, the radio shouldn’t
give you any problems. But for vehicle use, with all those wires and working
parts, problems do arise. I’ll talk about each of the above mentioned
components and other aspects of radio communication you may need to know for
a proper set up. Please keep in mind, these pages are not entirely comprehensive
about CB installation or uses and may not answer all your questions… it’s
written based upon my experiences in radio communication and quite frankly,
I haven’t experienced it all, yet. But with that said, here
goes:
Antenna
The two most important things to consider when mounting an antenna are grounding
and positioning; when both of these things are considered and handled properly,
you should receive a decent Standing
Wave Ratio (SWR) reading (more about that, later). The best way to
ground an antenna is to drill holes for the mounting bracket into a metal portion
of your vehicle. If you’re concerned about resale value and don’t
want to drill, look into mobile mounting units that require no drilling from
a supplier like HRO (Ham Radio Outlet); they sell units for doors, trunks,
rain channels, etc.
An antenna mounted in the middle of a metal roof will get the best signal because
it is surrounded by a reflective surface. However, you may have a problem grounding
the antenna without causing a leaking problem in your roof (but that would
of course mean you won’t be asked to drive that often so it has its upside).
You should mount the antenna where you will get the best SWR without sacrificing
clearance or risking damage to the antenna or mount… or getting while
driving in a rainstorm. I recommend a pickup bed immediately behind the cab,
a lower quarter panel, or the lid of a trunk. If you mount your antenna in
any of these locations, you should get be able to clear the roof line of your
vehicle by about 6” to 1’ with a 36” antenna and transmit
decently.
Two other things to consider are antenna quality and length. First, quality.
Simply put, the two best brands of antenna on the market are Firestick and
K40; I
would recommend both of these two brands for a mobile unit. Second, the
length of your antenna is a matter of preference quite honestly, although I
will admit that longer antennas generally transmit and receive better. The
reason it is more a matter of preference than performance is clearance. A 6-foot
antenna mounted on a roof is going to have some clearance issues with your
garage,
trees, etc.; but if you choose to mount your antenna on a bumper, then a 6-foot
model would probably be fine. I use a three foot antenna on my pickup and can
transmit
about five miles on the regular 40 CB channels. Just another issue
to keep in mind when you purchase your setup.
Feed line
The Feed line is the length of coaxial ("coax") cable from the radio to the
antenna. There are subtle differences in coax Feed line based upon insulation,
grade
of cable,
etc. Generally speaking, the better the Feed line, the better it will transmit
your signal, so buy quality coaxial cable. When buying the necessary mounting
supplies, you need to make sure it is all matched for impedance. Almost
all CB radios will have a 50 ohm impedance jack for the antenna input and most
coax sold for CB radios is as well--but it doesn’t hurt to ask before
you buy.
Much has been said about the length of the Feed line for a CB radio. Some
people say that 18’ is the proper length, some people say 17’ is
the proper length. To be honest, impedance match is the most important thing.
But I cut my coax to 17’4” staying in practice with radio theory
that the Feed line should be a factor of the wavelength that you will transmit
on
(I won’t bore you with the calculation with MHz and
inches). 17’4” is
probably much more than you will need, but will allow for an antenna choke
if you need it. Be sure to buy Feed line that already has PL259 connectors
already installed if you’re not familiar with the installation process.
But FYI,
it’s not difficult to learn if you’re familiar with soldering;
any radio technician at Ham radio Outlet (HRO) can explain the process.
Radio and Installation
First, let me bash on the handheld units a bit. CB transmission is essentially
line of sight transmission and anything that blocks the line of sight is going
to weaken the signal. A handheld CB is for use outside of a vehicle… using
it inside a vehicle you get minimal transmission distance because the signal
bounces off the metal components of the vehicle, and even with a soft top
jeep, the signal still needs to pass through a barrier and as a result it’s
weakened. So if you’re using a handheld and wonder why you can’t
hear much, there’s the reason. I will admit that I have a portable unit,
a Midland 75-820, that is a handheld unit with a separate magnetic base antenna
for use while in a vehicle. It’s performance is adequate but not optimal.
Frankly, the Midland setup has two major problems, 1) engine noise which can
be caused by the rotation of the alternator feeding back through the electrical
system (a problem more prevalent on older vehicles but still present on many
today) because the ground for everything is through the cigarette lighter… and
2) the limited volume the unit puts out with such a small speaker (an operator
in a loud truck or topless jeep may have problems using this CB when driving
on the highway). I use this unit only as a backup unit or in a second vehicle
that doesn’t have a hard wired setup.
I currently use a Cobra 18WXST II. It is a reasonably priced unit from a quality
manufacturer. Regardless of what you buy, most quality units will have an internal
noise filter, scanning feature, and NOAA weather
bands, but be sure to buy the unit best suited for your needs. If you’re
interested in SSB transmitting
or extended range, you may want to get a better unit; I recommend the Cobra
148GTL. [JWR Adds: That is also one of my favorite models.
Its proven design remained essentially unchanged for many years, making
it readily adaptable for out-of-band transmission by licensed ham radio operators
that can transmit in the 10
Meter band (which is adjacent to Citizens Band.)]
Now, it sounds as though it should be common sense but be sure to mount the
unit where it will be easy to use and not an obstruction while using the vehicle
(the dash board is probably a bad choice as is the foot well near the pedals).
I recommend bolting the unit to the center console or using a RAM
mount somewhere
on the transmission hump.
Cleanliness of installation should be considered too. Do you want coax cable
on the floor of your back seat or run under the carpet? Do you want to run
the wires out an existing hole in the chassis or drill a new one? I normally
run the power line through the dash and directly to the battery; this eliminates
some noise you can receive when tapping into an existing hot [12 VDC energized]
line or fuse (more on that later). Be sure to use a fuse for your radio before
hooking
it
up or
you may soon be buying a new radio. The coaxial cable I normally run under
the carpet or floor mats to the rear of the cabin and drill a small hole (if
necessary) near the mount.
SWR
Now that the system is set up, lets learn how to optimize its transmission
capability. The first thing we need to address is SWR. Essentially,
a SWR meter measures how well your equipment will transmit and receive on the
specific frequency you intend to use. If you have everything grounded properly,
your equipment
is impedance matched, and you have a decent antenna mounted in the correct location,
the SWR should be ok. An SWR reading of 1:1 is optimal but a reading of 1.5:1
is excellent, a reading of 2:1 is considered good (actually great for most applications),
but anything higher than 3:1, well, you pretty much wasted your time with the
installation. Getting the best SWR on your specific rig is a matter of trial
and error… in my experience, you can’t go wrong if you ground everything
well and place the antenna on top of a metal roof or mount it where at least
a portion of the antenna clears the roof line.
An SWR meter can be purchased at any Radio Shack
or electronic supply house. Most come complete with directions and are pretty
easy to use, even for a novice. If you’re unhappy with the SWR you get
from your setup initially, don’t worry, you can improve it by tuning your
antenna. All antennas are tunable, but some are tuned easier than others. Some
need to be cut and some need to be bent to retard the oscillation on the part
past the bend. The K40, for example, is one of the easier ones; it has a small
whip that sticks out the top on the antenna and is moved up and down using a
supplied Allen key; by adjusting the length of the whip, you can receive a better
SWR reading.
Noise Elimination
Even if you are happy with the SWR you get on your system, you may still have
problems with noise (one doesn’t necessarily effect the other) so lets
learn how to eliminate that noise.
Most radios come with an internal noise filter… a button or toggle switch
on the face of the radio that eliminates much of the squelch noise from the radio
output. The problem with this feature is that it also makes distant transmissions
difficult to hear. If you want to (or need to) address the problem further, know
that noise on a CB unit (while the engine is running) is normally caused by two
things… 1) noise coming through the hotline of the radio or 2) noise being
picked up by the antenna.
(Note: You need to remember, a CB picks up 27 MHz radio waves and an engine or
other vibrations can cause interference and distortion of those radio waves.
Power windows or seats can cause feedback… that’s normally caused
by the electrical motor. An older engine can create oscillation heard on a CB… chances
are it’s the points spinning in the distributor. So noise isn’t necessarily
just an electrical hotline problem… you need to eliminate both possibilities
mentioned above.)
A few simple tests can isolate the source of the noise.
1. Hook the radio up to the battery directly or better yet, a separate battery
not hooked into the truck’s electrical system. This will bypass and eliminate
any noise caused by the alternator or firing of the cylinders. If you still get
noise, it’s coming in through the antenna.
2. Disconnect the Feed line from the antenna or the Feed line from the radio.
This will eliminate any noise being received on the antenna. If you still get
the
noise, it’s coming from the power/ground lines.
I’ve had both types of problems (both on the same rig once)… so here
are the fixes I used to eliminate most (not all) of the noise.
Antenna Noise
To eliminate noise caused by the antenna receiving unwanted signals, put in an “antenna
choke.” Disclaimer time: I have an idea why this fix works but I’m
not sure and I haven’t gotten a straight answer from anyone on the matter… so
do me a favor and don’t ask because all I can tell you is that it does
work to eliminate noise coming in through the antenna. Take about 6 feet of the
Feed line and wrap it into 6 or 8 loops (kind of like wrapping up an electrical
cord or piece of rope but about the diameter of a coffee can) then tape the loops
together.
If an antenna choke doesn’t successfully eliminate all noise, there are
other methods to try. Try changing the location of your antenna to a spot on
the vehicle where it is shielded from the engine. Radio waves are line of sight
reception and sometimes simply hiding the antenna from the constant oscillation
of the engine can do the trick. Another method is to try using shorter or longer
lengths of coax… but that is an expensive exercise in trial and error… try
the other methods first.
Hot Wire Noise
First off, try attaching the hot wire(s) for the radio directly to the battery
of
the vehicle. Much of the noise picked up through the hot wire comes from the
alternator feeding current into the system.
This method should work, but if not, try installing an external noise filter
onto the hot wire and ground wire of your CB. They are small cylinders (about
the size of a bicycle handle) and can be picked up at Radio Shack or other electronics
stores. Simply attach the hot wire(s) from the radio to the red wire of the filter,
then the red wire on the other side of the filter to a power source. Attach the
ground wire from the radio to the black wire on the filter, then the black wire
on the other side of the filter to a chassis ground.
These techniques should help you set up a radio properly, even if you run into
difficulties. It may take some time and trouble shooting on your part but you’ll
be left with minimal noise and decent reception/transmission capabilities. The
cost shouldn’t be too bad either. It all can be done for under $150
with new equipment. But if your budget allows, spend more [for the best equipment
available].
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: The Supply of Battle Rifle Parts Kits in the US is Drying Up »
Letter Re: Amateur Radio Frequency Bands and Licenses
Mr. Rawles,
Concerning the mention under the "Communications Gear" category [in
a recently-posted Profile]: "CB and base station with modified ham frequencies". One
bit of warning - if you don't have a FCC Amateur Radio license, who do people
think they are going to talk to on the ham frequencies? Amateur Radio is not the
free-for-all situation that is commonly found on Citizen's Band (CB). In addition
to the FCC Rules & Regulations (Part 97), it tends to be very self-regulated.
Even in an "emergency situation" you might find it difficult to
find anyone willing to answer your bootleg transmissions for help.
Many people simply don't realize the huge differences between Amateur Radio
and Citizens Band (CB) radio. Even back in the days when the FCC required a
license for CB radio, it was just a matter of filling out an application form
and sending it in with the license fee. In spite of this, many folks either
did not send in the paperwork or simply didn't use their call sign on the air.
But nobody on CB really cared if you had a CB license or not - everyone used "handles" (nicknames)
and just wanted to chit-chat. Few actually used their FCC assigned call sign.
Because of this, the FCC eventually decided the requirement for issuing and
tracking an actual CB license and the associated call sign was not worth the
bureaucratic costs involved. While the requirement for a CB license was dropped,
the various other regulations governing the CB radio service still remain in
effect today. (See "Part 95" of the
FCC Rules & Regulations for more information. Amateur Radio is a completely
different 2-way radio service, regulated by "Part 97" of the FCC
Rules & Regulations. "Hams" must
pass a written exam in order to receive a license. Because of this, they tend
to be very particular about who transmits on their ham frequencies.
Unlicensed bootleggers are not welcomed, and will be turned in to the FCC.
Many hams practice radio direction finding techniques to help during searches
for lost aircraft. Don't think you can be anonymous and no one will be able
to track you down? Again, if you don't have a license - who are
you going to talk to? It's an entirely different situation than CB radio. If
all you want is a dusty 2-way radio that will be left in a box down in the
basement for when the "SHTF", then a traditional
CB
radio is by far the best choice.
I bring this up in the hope that the "Foxtrots" have not convinced
themselves that they have their radio communications needs covered because
they have CB radios with "modified ham frequencies". If you don't
know how to use those frequencies, and don't have a ham radio license, all
you will be doing is calling attention to yourself (and also your location).
The entry-level "Technician" Amateur Radio license is so simple to
obtain, and provides the basic electronics background helpful for setting up
other types of radio systems (such as CB) that everyone should have it on their
list of preparation "things to do". Otherwise, I guarantee that if
you don't know what you are doing and end up transmitting in AM mode in the
CW portion of the
10-meter ham band, you will get noticed! The local ham radio "posse" will
beat a path to your hidden retreat, and they will not be happy.
The goal of maintaining a low profile will be busted, and you might wind up
on the Federal government radar screen if the FCC gets involved.
Play it safe - get a ham radio license and blend in with the radio crowd. Establish
a network of local and out-of-state contacts that could be useful someday.
Use a post office box address on the license application if you do not want
your actual physical address made public. Amateur Radio is such a useful tool,
but like many things it needs to be practiced in order to be effective during
an emergency situation. You wouldn't mark off "Obtain bug-out vehicle" from
your preparation checklist just because you have a stick-shift vehicle (but
you only know
how to drive an automatic). So don't mark off "Communications Gear" just
because you have a modified CB radio with "ham frequencies".
Take the next step and get your ham radio license. Know how to use your communications
gear! - Sarge
« Letter Re: The Legality and Ethics of Blocking Roads and Bridges After TEOTWAWKI |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Technology After TEOTWAWKI, by JLG in Texas
"A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;
for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers." (Proverbs
24:5-6)
Most survivalist planning focuses on physical needs—food, shelter, clothing,
first aid, self defense. While the physical essentials rightly belong at the
top of the list, there's almost always some empty space left in the locker/bunker/trailer/back-of-the-truck
for...something. What to put in there?
Human beings are social animals, and we need each other; God has woven this
into our genetic code. A "Lone Ranger" survivalist might have an
edge in the short-term, but a group of survivors has a distinct long-term advantage—if
they can overcome the challenges. Other than basic supply-scale issues, the
primary challenges facing larger groups center around communication issues—making
sure everyone is fully informed and knows The Plan. Communication helps build
trust, and trust-based relationships are exactly what you need as a survivor—whether
you're dealing with your family, or with the family down the road, in the next
county, or across the globe.
One of the reasons I enjoy being a technology consultant is the fact that technology
brings people together. Postal mail, telephone, fax, mobile phones, email,
text messaging, videoconferencing, two-way radios...you name it, it's basically
about human communication. As I formulate and revise my overall survival plan,
I find myself evaluating various technology gadgets in this light: Would this
gizmo (whatever it is) provide communication benefits to me if I were in survival
mode, and, if so, is it feasible and reasonable to utilize it in that capacity?
Note that what is "feasible" and "reasonable" are almost
completely subjective, depending on the skill set of the particular individual
or group—those who have a "techno-wiz" or two in their midst
can obviously support more complex technology than others. By evaluating your
group's capacity for utilizing technology, and carefully selecting from some
proven technologies, you can improve your survival capabilities in numerous
ways by improving your ability to communicate within your group of survivors,
be it large or small, and increase your access to outside resources. Here are
some ideas:
Get your ears on. The mobile phone infrastructure may or may not be operational,
and even if it is, your survival retreat might not have decent reception—so
don't count on it. If your group consists of more than one person, odds are
that you will need to split up at some point, and radio communications give
you a huge advantage in almost every situation—especially if you run
up against an aggressor. Anything is better than nothing, so at least grab
a set of inexpensive "bubble pack" FRS/GMRS radios.
Better still, see if you can develop a relationship with a like-minded radio
guy in your
area, and draw upon his expertise. Find yourself an expert and get educated.[JWR
Adds: See the ARRL for a directory that will include a ham radio club
in your area.]
Get eyes in the back of your head...or house. A good survival retreat includes
a security system, and this is a great place to leverage technology. D-Link,
TrendNet and others make decent network cameras, both wired and wireless, for
around $100 each. You can string network wires through the trees, direct-bury,
or go wireless. Virtually any inexpensive wireless access point (e.g., Linksys/Netgear/D-Link
cable/DSL routers, Apple AirPorts, etc.) can be used to provide a basic communications
network for wireless cameras. Using multiple cameras with software like Security
Spy for Macs or NCH
Software for Windows, one person
with a laptop computer can cover a lot of ground just sitting in a chair. You
can even configure the software's motion detection features to alert you (by
making a noise, flashing the screen, etc.) when anything moves, so the man
on duty doesn't have to keep his eyes glued to the screen. Much of this equipment
runs on 12 VDC, so it's perfect for photovoltaic-powered systems.
Own the night. Get some night vision equipment. Others have written extensively
and with much more knowledge on the subject than I possess, but if you can
see in the dark, you have a huge advantage over the guy who can't. Find yourself
an expert and get educated. 'Nuff said. [JWR Adds: One night
vision gear vendor that I recommend is JRH
Enterprises.}
Get connected. What happens to the internet after TEOTWAWKI?
A safe assumption is that the Internet will be unreliable at best, and possibly
unusable. This
may be true to varying degrees on a global or regional scale, but understand
that the internet itself is simply a conglomeration of smaller networks. If
you've built a security network like the one mentioned above, you can use point-to-point
wireless links to connect your survival retreat with your closest like-minded
neighbor (you do know your neighbors, right?), so you can communicate more
quickly and easily. Remember, there is strength in numbers—especially
when you can maintain good communications. What's more, if you build a "mesh" of
interconnected networks, if just one location has internet access, those communication
and information resources immediately become available to the entire mesh.
Remember all those survivalblog.com articles you always meant to print out
but never did? If the server is still online, now you can get to them!
The least expensive wireless point-to-point equipment is generally going to
be a pair of weatherproofed 802.11b/g radios hooked to a directional antennas.
The disadvantage to this configuration is that 802.11b/g is a "line-of-sight" technology
that uses microwave frequencies—so, anything that would heat up in a
microwave oven will attenuate the signal. Thus, if your two locations are
separated by foliage or terrain, you'll have to get those antennas up over
the treetops.
Not only is that a hassle, but it's also a very easy way for non-friendlies
to locate your retreat. In that case, you'd be better off utilizing more specialized
equipment from a manufacturer like Motorola or Trango. It's pricier, but it's
non-line-of-sight (NLOS)
and will shoot through trees.
Light 'em up! A good solar power system is a great addition to a survival retreat
in any case, but it becomes a necessity if you want to leverage electrically-powered
technology. A basic solar power plant is comprised of one or more photovoltaic
(PV) solar panels, which generate electric current whenever they're exposed
to light, one or more deep-cycle batteries to store the excess power for later
use, and
electronics to regulate the voltage and manage the battery charging. Power
is usually delivered at 12 VDC, which can be converted to 120 VAC using an
inverter—though it's more efficient to simply use equipment that will
run on 12 VDC. Don't skimp on photovoltaic gear, and I recommend sizing your
solar panels to at least double your usage projections. For one thing, you'll
always
want more juice than you think you'll need. For another thing, many vendors
quote solar panel performance based on best-case conditions, and even if they
regionalize their numbers for the amount of daylight in your area, they typically
use an average length-of-day instead of the shortest length-of-day, and they
either ignore or underestimate the effects of cloudy days, dust coating, bird
feces, etc. on PV panel performance. Solar power is quiet, too, so you won't
be giving away your position with a noisy generator. [JWR Adds: One
alternative energy system vendor that I recommend is Ready
Made Resources Also, don't overlook the references available at SolarDoc, at Backwoods
Home magazine, and at Home
Power magazine.]
Protect your equipment against electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
The general effects of EMP are fairly well documented, but the specific effects
of EMP on various types of electronic
equipment, and the most effective ways of protecting that equipment, are not
so well-documented. EMP is surrounded by misinformation, urban legend, and
simple unknowns. Most "experts" on EMP seem to agree that the most
straightforward way to protect equipment is probably to store it inside a "Faraday
box," which could be made by lining the inside of a metal filing cabinet
with several layers of newspaper, or wrapping a cardboard box with a couple
layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Stored in these containers, your electronic
equipment is reasonably protected against EMP. Note that I said "reasonably." When
we're talking about EMP, we're talking about nuclear attack, and survivability—for
electronics and people alike—is obviously highly dependent on where you
are in relation to ground zero, so all you can do is make reasonable preparations
and pray to God for grace.
Only you can determine whether or not the benefits of these technologies are
worth the money and effort in your particular survival plan. If you decide
to utilize any particular technology, I highly recommend building and testing
the system now, before it's needed. And, of course, you should always have
a "Plan B" for those times when—not if, but when—the
technology fails. EMP, rainwater in the wrong place, a broken wire, and a dead
battery all have the same end result—dead equipment—and you need
to plan for it. Note, too, that the ideas presented here were kept to a basic
level of information due to the limited scope of this article—each topic
would easily merit a fairly lengthy book, if not a complete volume, in order
to be explored to a satisfactory degree—so I strongly encourage you to
seek further knowledge in those systems that are of interest to you.
Again: Find yourself an expert and get educated. If you're an expert in one
or more survival fields, find someone who wants to be educated and teach them.
Being a survivalist doesn't mean you have to be antisocial. Remember that part
of your survival plan should involve building relationships with like-minded
people who have, among them, a diverse enough skill set to be able to handle
the widest possible range of survival tasks. One of the primary uses of communications
technology, aside from its immediate tactical use, is to build and maintain
these kinds of relationships even (or especially) in a survival scenario."Two
are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one
falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has
no-one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend
themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes
4:9-12)
Here is a non-exhaustive list of Internet resources, to help get you started:
Night vision:
Sideroad.com
N)Vision
Optics Planet
Point-to-point and outdoor wireless:
Radio Labs
Trango Broadband
Motorola
PTP
MoonBlink
Wi-Fi
Teletronics
Photovoltaic power:
Solar Power Directory
Solar-Electric
EMP protection:
AusSurvivalist EMP Protection Pages
Faraday Cages
1997
Military EMP Hardening Handbook
Parrhesia.com
EMP Hardening Handbook
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Three Letters Re: What Determines if a Storage Bucket is Food Grade? »
Two Letters Re: Observations on a Tour of a Telephone Company Central Office
James:
The batteries are why the phone still works when the power goes out. That
is if you still have an old style (hard wire) phone and not all cordless
phones. The cordless phones need 120 VAC power to run the base station. You
should maintain at least one all wire somewhere in your house.
I believe the [common design for COs is that the] whole building is built in
such a way that it is a big Faraday
Cage. It would take a pretty close proximity
EMP to take one
out.
The
EMP
danger is in the above ground wiring [and antennas].
Most of this kind of engineering is done for lighting protection, but it is
something of an EMP protection as well. That is [on reason why they are continuing
to switch to underground wiring, even on expensive long[er] distance routes.
The switch to fiber optics helps here also, even though the main rationale
for its adoption was capacity and cost.
The phone companies are some of the most engineering conservative utilities
in this country. When I worked with them, everything was "double built". 100
percent redundancy.
And they are learning a lot fast about “hardening” their properties.
Some of the upgrades I have seen done inside those little brick buildings spread
around the country make them into pillboxes. - Keith S.
Hi Jim,
I saw the stuff about phone Central Offices (COs) and thought I would contribute
a bit as well since this is a part of my area of specialty. Many times
people have
these nearby and are unaware of them. They look like a generic office building
- most have few or no windows and are most often brick, concrete or concrete
block. They are generally unobtrusive and sometimes do not even have the
company logo on them. They are made this way because they house what is considered
critical communications infrastructure and because they are supposed to be
semi-secure
and protected against all but the very worst mother nature can dish out.
They
are also a desirable target for terrorists, etc. As far as I know it is a
Federal felony to disrupt the operations of one of these buildings so batteries,
generators,
and so forth would be strictly off limits in all but a true TEOTWAWKI situation.
This link has
pictures of COs. If you look at the Kansas page you can see the COs that might
exist in a small town - where they may serve at most a few hundred customers.
The one's
listed
under California (619) might serve a few thousand customers. These buildings
will generally not be more than about 3 to 5 miles apart in suburban areas
and even closer in urban areas so they are quite common, but most people
do not have
a clue where or what they are.
They do have large battery back-ups and larger one's have generators. The
larger one's will also have fuel reservoirs of either diesel, propane or
gasoline
depending on the location, company policy, etc. These are required to keep
the system up
if the grid goes down - however they are only meant for a few days operation
at best on generators. They do change the batteries our regularly because
they have to keep the grid operational. [Their surplus battery sales are] a decent way to get good, used
deep
cycle batteries. The best money can buy. Regards, - Tim P.
« Letter Re: Fuel Rationing as a Deciding Factor in Activating a Remote Retreat |Main| Letter Re: What Determines if a Storage Bucket is Food Grade? »
Letter Re: Observations on a Tour of a Telephone Company Central Office
Hi Jim,
I just came back from a tour of one of our local phone company’s central
office (CO) and this is what I learned: Besides finding out how our phone
lines work, I found out that the hardware there runs on 48 volt DC power. There
is a large battery bank in the basement and the batteries are charged by the
grid. It is made up of large clear cylinders and you can see the acid level
and the plates inside. In the case of the grid going down it has a generator
back up. Many of these offices are unmanned. I also found out that there are
many small remote units around that run on a couple of deep cycle batteries
for back up power around town. In the case of a prolonged power outage the
technicians will cycle through the remote units with generators to charge up
the batteries.
I was also surprised at all the circuit boards. An electromagnetic pulse
(EMP) would easily take out [these microcircuit boards, and hence wipe out]
all the phone circuits.
I know that society would have to totally break down in order to make use
of these resources but I bet not too many people know about the battery banks.
Just something to keep in the back of your mind because every town will have
something like this. - Adam in Ohio
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The Precepts of My Survivalist Philosophy
In the past week I've had three newcomers to SurvivalBlog.com write and ask
me to summarize my world view. One of them asked: "I could spend days
looking through [the] archives of your [many months of] blog posts. But there
are hundreds
of them. Can you tell me where you stand, in just a page? What distinguishes
the "Rawlesian" philosophy from other [schools of] survivalist thought?"
I'll likely add a few items to this list as time goes on, but here is a general
summary of my precepts:
Modern Society is Increasingly Complex, Interdependent, and Fragile. With
each passing year, technology progresses and chains of interdependency lengthen.
In the past 30 years, chains of retail supply have grown longer and longer.
The food on your supermarket shelf does not come from local farmers. It often
comes from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This has created an alarming
vulnerability to disruption. Simultaneously, global population is still increasing
in a near geometrical progression. At some point that must end, most likely
with a sudden and sharp drop in population. The lynchpin is the grid. Without
functioning power grids, modern industrial societies will collapse within weeks.
Civilization is Just a Thin Veneer. In the absence of law
an order, men quickly revert to savagery. As was illustrated by the rioting
and looting that accompanied disasters in the past three decades, the transition
from tranquility to absolute barbarism can occur overnight. People expect tomorrow
to be just like today, and they act accordingly. But then comes a unpredictable
disaster that catches the vast majority unprepared. The average American family
has four days worth of food on hand. When that food is gone, we'll soon see
the thin veneer stripped away.
People Run in Herds and Packs, but Both Follow Natural Lines of
Drift. Most
people are sheep ("sheeple").
A few are wolves that prey on others. But just a few of us are more like sheepdogs--we
think independently, and instead of
predation,
we are
geared toward protecting and helping others. People naturally follow natural lines
of drift--the path of least resistance. When the Schumer hits
the fan, 99% of urbanites will try to leave the cities on freeways. The highways
and freeways will soon resemble parking lots. This means that you need to be
prepared to both get
out of town ahead of the rush and to use lightly-traveled back roads.
Plan,
study and practice.
Lightly Populated Areas are Safer than High Density Areas. With
a few exceptions, less population means fewer problems. WTSHTF, there will
be a mass exodus from the cities. Think of it as an army that is spreading
out across a battlefield: The wider that
they
are
spread,
the less effective that they are. The inverse
square law hasn't been repealed.
Show Restraint, But Always Have Recourse to Lethal Force. My
father often told me, "It
is better to have a gun and not need it, than need a gun, and not have it." I
urge readers to use less than lethal means when safe and practicable, but at
times there is not a satisfactory substitute for well-aimed lead going down
range at high velocity.
There is Strength in Numbers. Rugged individualism is all
well and good, but it takes ore than one man to defend a retreat. Effective
retreat defense necessitates having at least two families to provide 24/7 perimeter
security. But of course every individual added means having another mouth to
feed. Absent having an unlimited budget and an infinite larder, this necessitates
striking a balance when deciding the size of a retreat group.
There are Moral Absolutes. The foundational morality
of the civilized world is best summarized in the Ten
Commandments. Moral relativism and secular humanism are slippery slopes.
The terminal moraine at the base of these slopes is a rubble pile consisting
of either despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity. I
believe
that
it takes both faith and friends to survive perilous times. For more background
on that, see my Prayer
page.
Racism Ignores Reason. People should be judged as individuals.
Anyone that make blanket statements about other races is ignorant that there
are both good and bad individuals in all groups. I have accepted The
Great Commission with sincerity."Go forth into all nations" means
exactly that:
all nations. OBTW, I feel grateful that SurvivalBlog is now read
in more than 100 countries. I have been given a bully pulpit,
and I intend to use it for good and edifying purposes.
Skills Beat Gadgets and Practicality Beats Style. The modern
world is full of pundits, poseurs, and Mall
Ninjas. Preparedness is not just about
accumulating a pile of stuff. You need practical skills, and those
only come with study, training, and practice.
Any
armchair
survivalist
can
buy a set
of stylish camouflage fatigues and an M4gery Carbine
encrusted with umpteen accessories. Style points should not be mistaken
for genuine skills and
practicality.
Plentiful Water and Good Soil are Crucial. Modern mechanized
farming, electrically pumped irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
can make deserts bloom. But when the grid goes down, deserts and marginal farmland
will revert to their natural states. In my estimation, the most viable places
to survive in the midst of a long term societal collapse will be those with
reliable summer rains
and rich
topsoil.
Tangibles Trump Conceptuals. Modern fiat currencies are generally
accepted, but have essentially no backing. Because they are largely a byproduct
of interest bearing debt, modern currencies are destined to inflation. In
the long run, inflation dooms fiat
currencies to collapse. The majority of
your assets should be invested in
productive farm land and other tangibles such as useful hand tools. Only after
you have your key logistics squared away, anything extra should
be invested in silver and gold.
Governments Tend to Expand their Power to the Point that They Do Harm. In
SurvivalBlog, I often warn of the insidious tyranny of the Nanny
State. If
the state where you live becomes oppressive, then don't hesitate to relocate.
Vote with your feet!
There is Value in Redundancy. A common saying of my
readers is: "Two
is one, and one is none." You must be prepared
to provide for your family in a protracted period of societal disruption. That
means storing up all of the essential "beans, bullets, and Band-Aids" in quantity.
If commerce is disrupted by a disaster, at least in the short term you will
only have your own logistics to fall back on. The more that you have stored,
the
more
that
you
will have
available for barter and charity.
A Deep Larder is Essential. Food storage is one of the key
preparations that I recommend. Even if you have a fantastic self-sufficient
garden and pasture ground, you must always have food storage that you can fall
back on in the event that your crops fail due to drought, disease, or infestation.
Tools Without Training Are Almost Useless. Owning a gun doesn't
make someone a "shooter" any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer.
With proper training and practice, you will be miles ahead of the average citizen.
Get advanced medical
training. Get the best firearms
training that you can afford. Learn about amateur radio from your local
affiliated ARRL club.
Practice raising a vegetable garden each summer. Some skills are only perfected
over
a period
of years.
Old Technologies are Appropriate Technologies. In
the event of a societal collapse, 19th Century (or earlier) technologies such
as a the blacksmith's forge, the treadle sewing machine, and the horse-drawn
plow
will be
far easier
to re-construct than modern technologies.
Charity is a Moral Imperative. As a Christian, I feel morally
obligated to assist others that are less fortunate. Following the Old Testament
laws of Tzedakah (charity
and tithing), I believe that my responsibility begins with my immediate family
and expands in successive rings to supporting
my immediate
neighborhood
and
church, to my
community, and beyond, as resources allow. In short, my philosophy is to "give
until it hurts" in times of disaster.
Buy Life Assurance, not Life Insurance. Self-sufficiency
and self-reliance are many-faceted. You need to systematically provide for
Water, Food, Shelter, Fuel, First Aid,
Commo,
and, if need be, the tools to enforce Rule
308.
Live at Your Retreat Year-Round. If your financial and family
circumstances allow it, I strongly recommend that you relocate
to a safe area and live there year-round. This has several advantages,
most notably that will prevent burglary of your retreat logistics and
allow you to regularly
tend to gardens, orchards, and livestock. It will also remove the stress of
timing a "Get Out of Dodge" trip at the11th hour.
If circumstances dictate that you can't live at your retreat year round, then
at least have
a caretaker and stock the vast majority of your logistics in advance, since
you may only have one trip there before roads are impassable.
Exploit Force Multipliers. Night vision gear, intrusion
detection sensors, and radio communications equipment are key force
multipliers. Because
these use high technology they cannot be depended upon in a long term collapse,
but in the short term, they can provide a big advantage. Some low technologies
like barbed wire and defensive road cables also provide advantages and can
last for several decades.
Invest Your Sweat Equity. Even if some of
you have a millionaire's budget, you need to learn how to do things for yourself,
and
be willing to get your hands dirty. In a societal collapse, the division of
labor will be reduced tremendously. Odds are that the only "skilled craftsmen" available
to build a shed, mend a fence, shuck corn, repair an engine, or pitch manure
will be you.and
your family. A byproduct of sweat equity is muscle tone and proper body weight.
Hiring someone to deliver three cords of firewood is a far cry from
felling, cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking it yourself.
Choose Your Friends Wisely. Associate yourself with skilled
doers, not "talkers." Seek out people that share your
outlook and morality. Living in close confines with other families is sure
to cause friction but that will be minimized if you share a common religion
and norms of behavior.You can't learn every skill yourself. Assemble a team
that
includes members with medical knowledge, tactical skills, electronics experience,
and traditional practical skills.
There is No Substitute for Mass. Mass stops bullets. Mass
stops gamma radiation. Mass stops (or at least slows down ) bad guys from entering
a home and depriving its residents of life and property. Sandbags are cheap,
so buy plenty of them. When planning your retreat house, think: medieval
castle.
(See the SurvivalBlog Archives for the many articles and letters on Retreat
Architecture.)
Always Have a Plan B and a Plan C. Regardless of your pet
scenario and your personal grand plan of survival, you need to be flexible
and adaptable. Situations and circumstances change. Always keep a G.O.O.D. kit
handy, even if you are fortunate enough to live at your retreat year-round.
Be Frugal. I grew up in a family that still remembered both
our pioneer history and the more recent lessons of the Great Depression. One
of our family mottos is: "Use
it up, wear it out, make do, or do without."
Some Things are Worth Fighting For. I encourage my readers
to avoid trouble, most importantly via relocation to safe areas where trouble
is unlikely to come to visit. But there may come an unavoidable day that you
have
to
make a stand to defend your own family or your neighbors. Further, if you value
your liberty, then be prepared to fight for it, both for yourself and for
the sake
of
your progeny.
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The ABCs of WTSHTF, by Mark B.
The ABCs of When the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF.)
aren’t what you have prepared, acquired or stowed but even more basic
in the preparation processes that we sometimes take for granted.
The A is the ability to learn, to adapt and to try. No matter how
many classes we take or how much we have stored away there is the potential
that we might have missed something or prepared for one scenario and ended
up with another. We may be in the middle of TEOTWAWKI and
not be fully ready but guess what, we aren’t scheduling it. Ability is
not only applying something that we’ve learned but troubleshooting or
working through something that we don’t have a clue about. We may not
get it right the first time that we try something new but we have the ability
to learn from our mistakes and go back to try again. We have the ability to
learn from others mistakes and we have the ability to make changes or corrections
that work for our scenario.
The B is the brains that we have to reason with to store our morals
our life lessons and the memories that make us who we are. The best tool that
we have at our disposal is our brain. So many people in day to day life just
go on auto pilot and don’t think about what they can do to improve how
they do something. In my line of work I hear that “I’ve done
it that way for 20 years”. My response is that you’ve been doing
it wrong for 20 years. We just get in the habit of doing things a certain way.
We eat our meals at the same time even if we aren’t hungry just because
it is the time we are conditioned to eat. We go to bed at a certain time and
we get up at a certain time. As a culture we have stopped utilizing what we
were born with. In my opinion that is a large part of why we are where we are
today. The sheep just keep waiting for someone to lead them or fall prey to
the ones that use their brains without the use of morals. If we just think
about what we are about to do instead of just doing it we can prevent personal
injury or emotional pain. A simple example would be when a loved one has done
something that upset you and you just respond without thinking of how it would
affect them or why they did it the way they did. The words are already spoken;
you can’t take them back, or you’re cutting something with a knife
and slice your finger or hand because you didn’t think about what you
were doing. We should try to learn and practice as much as possible so it will
at least be familiar if not second nature but if we haven’t seen or done
it before it is still doable because we can reason and solve problems. The
human race has faced challenges for thousands of years and we have always improved
because we have the ability to think.
The C stands for two things, first is choice. Most of the dialog that
I’ve seen on SurvivalBlog shows that we have made a choice to
not be led into a place where we no longer have a choice.
We all are at different stages in the process but our choice is to survive
whatever we are dealt. The choice is yours for all situations, you may not
be able to control the overall aspect but you make the choice of how you let
it affect you. Have you ever been driving and had someone cut you off? You
don’t have control over the other driver but you do have the ability
to make the choice of letting the incident infuriate you or brushing the whole
situation off. We all make choices of whom if anyone will be invited into our
confidence or where our retreat will be. We make the choice of what type of
armament we will utilize or the type of food we will store or grow. Some things
are dependent on location or availability but it is still a choice. Our choices
are a large part of what makes us who we are. The choice to have faith, the
choice to be ready, and the choice to have morals are some choices that most
of us here have made. Remember that no matter what the influences are the final
choice is the one that you make. Right, wrong or indifferent it’s the
choice that you will have to live with.
The second C is composure, always maintain your composure. If you
keep your wits about you then you stand a better chance of surviving the situation.
When you lose your composure you lose your ability to reason and react rationally.
In an emergency situation time is critical and if you remain calm you will
have a higher probability of doing it right the first time. In an emergency
situation maintaining your composure could mean the difference between life
and death. I don’t mean you have to become cold or callous but you can
deal with your emotions after the situation subsides. If you don’t maintain
your composure you might not get that chance.
I would like to thank my brothers in arms from all the services; they have
helped me learn these lessons and have given me the opportunity to use what
I was born with and strived to refine it and help it grow.
Remember that we started out without clothes and shelter. We started out without
the ability to communicate over great distances without traveling them. We
can now travel and communicate in space or around the planet all because we
use our ability, our brains and by the choices that we make.
In my opinion we should absolutely continue to learn, store and prepare. We
should choose who we will coexist with before, during and after the coming
collapse, we should do that even if the collapse doesn’t come during
our lifetime. We should continue to grow as an individual and as a group. We
should not over analyze the solution to whatever problem we face. We should
not assume failure if we missed something or we didn’t get the opportunity
to get everything that we wanted. We should be thankful for what we have. We
should remember how far we have come. We should use our brain to think the
solution through. We should use our ability to reason and we should stay calm
to prevail.
I have learned a great deal since I started reading SurvivalBlog and utilizing
the links and resources available here. It has provoked the thought process
of things that I hadn’t thought of or had a different approach about
something.
There are many things that the survivalist practices that have become a lost
art so to speak such as canning and the ability to survive without modern conveniences.
We are in a society that does not know how to function without cell phones
and computers but I can remember when we didn’t have them. We communicated
either by land line telephone or my goodness how archaic, snail mail. Farther
back in our history there was the Pony Express and even couriers.
[The author of the] Heartbreak Ridge [screenplay (James Carabatsos)]
stated it best:" Improvise,
adapt and overcome."
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Letter Re: Alternative News Sources When The Grid Goes Down
James
In the early 1990s--before Internet was ubiquitous--I remember a well-connected
VHF packet
remailer network that was nearly on par with the old Fidonet dial up network.
Unfortunately while many hams played with packet 15 years ago, the complex
mailbox routing networks are now mostly replaced by the Internet. I don't expect
any data network resembling the Internet to evolve if the grid goes down. This
is not to say that local networks using sound card data modems on CB or FRS radio
or with Wi-Fi gear
might not spring up, but it would be a low priority in both electricity and
time.
HF amateur radio and shortwave radio will be the way to get your world news
if the grid goes down. Buy a radio that will receive upper and lower sideband
(USB/LSB) or you will be limited to megawatt commercial AM stations. (SSB is
used by the power poor.) Set up a proper antenna length for the band you are
listening
to, an antenna tuner is not good enough. Even if people do not want to obtain
their amateur licence it is advisable that they obtain PSK-31
sound card software and a connector cable to decode low power PSK data signals.
PSK-31is nearly
as good as Morse code for punching through noise, much better than voice mode.
For those operating out of a backpack look at this
PSK terminal device. No laptop needed!
Amateur satellite (AmSat)
is fun and a great way to talk worldwide without needing HF gear
but if the grid ever fully went down I would expect satellite tracking stations
to lose control of their satellites as the employees are
detained protecting their families. Most AmSat gear is piggybacked on commercial
satellites and is powered from the main buss, amateur controllers have no way
to maintain the main systems on the host satellite.
Look a few months back in the SurvivalBlog archives for the article on Earth
Moon Earth (EME or "moon
bounce") propagation for an exotic and often difficult
alternative to HF radio.
My plug for getting your license in the United State is: There is
no longer a Morse Code test requirement! Anyone can memorize the
question pool and easily pass the tech and general
exams now, what possible reason could any survivor not want to get licensed
and on the air.
Worried about expensive gear? while I put down the
tuna can transmitter for
use as a survival set, it is a great way for a family to build a first transmitter
But if you want an actual usable Morse-only radio transceiver with even minimal
long range survival utility, but easy and small enough for every member of
the family to build and hide
in a Tic-Tac breath mints box for under be $10 the Pixie
takes the prize. If you search the net there are several sources for
the pixie kit. - David in Israel
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Letter Re: Surplus Ambulances as BOVs
Dear Mr. Rawles,
Perhaps an overlooked, but wonderful option for a BOV is
an ambulance. You can often find used ambulances on eBay or at [fleet dispersal]
auctions. They
often have fairly low miles, have been well maintained and are most often
diesel.
They
come with
lots of storage compartments and equipment built in, as well most have propane
fuel systems, generators, inverters etc. There is usually at least one "bed" in
them as well. The outside storage compartments are often ready to go for the
prepper as they are often diamond plate on the interior and have webbing for
securing items in place. They are easily "hardened" and easy to drive.
It is easy to remove the outer lights and replace them with other more TEOTWAWKI appropriate
choices. You will of course want to have it painted....LOL.
We have taken our lovely BOV to the ATV park
here and put it through some serious tests. I personally love the looks I received
when driving a muddy ambulance
(pre-paint job)....but like most prepper wives I am not your average soccer
mom. It has some disadvantages as it is a pretty heavy beast, but I feel very
confident in its capabilities. We also have a 4x4 Durango that we are currently
working on for a second BOV. However, the ambulance is by far and away our
favorite. - Prepper Mom in Washington
JWR Replies: When shopping for a surplused vehicle such as
an ambulance at auction, look for one that is built on a pickup truck frame
rather than a cargo van frame. Not only are they more sturdy, but the chances
are much better that you will find one that came from the factory with
a front differential to provide four wheel drive (4WD).
(I am leery about buying a van that was converted to 4WD unless I know the
details about who did the conversion. There are a lot of unqualified "shade
tree mechanics" out there!
Needless to say, all of the usual caveats and disclaimers about buying at
auction apply.
If
you
aren't
familiar
with inspecting vehicles (checking for leaks, inspecting tires, hoses and
belts, checking for exhaust system leaks, examining dip stick colors, et cetera)
then
bring someone that is experienced along with
you for "advice and consent" before bidding.
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Letter Re: Alternative News Sources When The Grid Goes Down
Sir,
I have been hooked to your blog for weeks now and have a topic suggestion
for you.
The only news I can trust comes from independent blogs with communities of
users working together to bring critical information to light. Web sites like The Housing Bubble Blog have
saved me tens of thousands of dollars by being months ahead of the mainstream
media (MSM) and by reporting honestly.
With
the internet we have the means to organize grassroots efforts to support candidates
like
Ron
Paul.
We can be kept up to date with the latest injustices and know when our fellow
citizens are taking a stand against a corrupt government. Most importantly
we have time to react.
We cannot be dependent upon the Internet in a SHTF scenario,
yet we will all be in desperate need of quality and timely information regarding
future government/societal
moves. It would seem to me that we need to establish a pre-internet means of
communication or at least a self-sufficient internet community networking through
their own dedicated satellite!
What steps are you and your readers taking to provide "foreign intelligence" on
operations outside their retreat location? - Daniel L.
JWR Replies: Although the Internet is designed to be high
resilient (a carryover from its original design as a US military network),
it cannot expect to survive
a grid-down situation. The best that we could hope for in those circumstances
is a combination voice and data packet network, via High Frequency (HF)
shortwave. (Perhaps the
Army
Aviator
or one
of our
other readers that are senior
ham operator
would care to chime in on how a quasi-Internet could be piecemealed
together using packet modems and HF ham gear.
At the very minimum, to gather local, regional, and international intelligence,
weather data, accurate time of day, and to maintain overall situational awareness
you should own at least two radios, neither of which need be very expensive:
1.) A general
coverage AM/FM/shortwave receiver. Most of these cover all the way
from 500 KHz all
the way up to 30 MHz.
This includes the AM and FM broadcast bands, many of the
amateur
bands, the international HF broadcast bands (for stations like
BBC,
Radio Netherlands,
HCJB, WWV, and so forth), and the Citizen's Band (CB)
channels. The inexpensive Kaito KA1102 radios are ideal for anyone that
is on a budget. These are
available from
Affordable
Shortwaves--a
SurvivalBlog advertiser. If you have a bigger budget, I would suggest (in sequence
of price) the following
The Sony
ICF-SW-7600G (around $195 to $210, new.)
The Sony
ICF-2010 (Discontinued, but used ones are available for around $175 to $275
on eBay.)
This
model
was
replaced
by the ICF
SW-77, but a lot of listeners prefer the controls on the ICF-2010.
And if you have a "The sky is the limit" budget, get a Drake
R8A (around $1,100
new, or $750, used.)
BTW, even if you eventually buy a more "spendy" receiver, I recommend
that you keep a couple of the little Kaito KA1102 radios as spares, preferably
stored in metal ammo cans to
protect them
from EMP.
2.) A VHF police/marine/aircraft/weather band scanner. Try
to get one of the more recent models that can demodulate trunked
traffic. One relatively inexpensive "trunked" model is the Bearcat
BC898T. They sell for around $240. If you have a big budget, get a
digital model, but expect to pay at least $500. OBTW, nearly all scanners
cover the NOAA weather bands.
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The "Come as You Are" Collapse--Have the Right Tools and Skills
In the Second World War, the United States had nearly two full years to ramp
up military training and production before decisively confronting the Axis
powers. In the late 1970s, looking at the recent experience of the 1973 Arab-Israeli
War, the Pentagon's strategic planners came to the realization that the next
major war that the US military would wage would not be
like the Second World War. There would not be the luxury of time to train and
equip. They realized that we would have to fight with only what we had available
on Day One. They dubbed this the "Come as you are war" concept.
In my opinion, the same "come as you are" mindset should
be applied to family preparedness. We must recognize that in these
days of rapid news dissemination, it may take as little as 10 hours before
supermarket shelves are cleaned out. It make take just a few hours for queues
that are literally blocks-long to form at gas stations--or at bank branches
in the event of bank runs. Worse yet, it may take just a few hours before
the highways and freeways leading out of urban and suburban areas are clogged
with traffic--the dreaded "Golden
Horde" that I often write about. Do not make the false assumption
that you will have the chance to make "one last trip" to the big
box store, or even the chance to fill your Bug Out Vehicle's fuel tank. This
will be the "come as you are" collapse.
The concept also applies to your personal training. If you haven't learned
how to do things before the balloon goes, up, then don't expect to get anything
but marginal to mediocre on-the-job training after the fact. In essence, you
have the opportunity to take top quality training from the best trainers now,
but you won't once the Schumer hits
the fan. Take the time to get top-notch training! Train with the best--with
organizations like Medical
Corps, WEMSI, Front
Sight, the RWVA/Appleseed
Project, the WRSA,
and the ARRL.
Someday, you'll be very glad that you did.
The come as you are concept definitely applies to specialized manufactured
equipment.You are dreaming if you think that
you will have the chance to to purchase any items such as these, in a post-collapse
world:
razor
wire, body
armor, night
vision equipment,
advanced
first aid gear, tritium
scopes, dosimeters
and radiac meters, biological decontamination
equipment, Dakota
Alert or military surplus PEWS intrusion
detection sets, photovoltaics,
NBC
masks, and semi-auto
battle rifles.
Think about it: There
are very few if these items (per capita) presently in circulation. But the
demand for them during a societal collapse would be tremendous. How could
you compete in such a scant market? Anyone that conceivably has "spares" will
probably want to keep them for a member of their own family or group. So
even in the unlikely event that someone was even willing to sell
such scarce items, they would surely ask a king's ransom in barter
for them. I'm talking about quarter sections of land,
entire strings of
well-broken horses, or pounds of
gold. Offers of anything less would surely be scoffed at.
Don't overlook the "you" part of the "as
you are" premise.
Are you physically fit? Are you up to date on your dental work? Do you have
two pairs of sturdy eyeglasses with your current prescription? Do
you have at least a six month supply of vitamins and medications? Is your body
weight
reasonable?
If you answer to any of these is no, then get busy!
Even if you have a modest budget, you will have an advantage over the average
suburbanite. Your knowledge and training alone--what is between your ears--will
ensure that. And even with just a small budget for food storage, you will be
miles ahead of your neighbors. Odds are that they will have less than two week's
worth of food on hand. As I often say, you will need extra supplies on hand to
help out relatives, friends, and neighbors that were ill-prepared. I consider
charity my Christian duty!
I have repeatedly and strongly emphasized the importance of living
at your intended retreat year-round. But I realize that because
of personal finances, family obligations, and the constraints of making a
living at an hourly or
salaried job, that this is not realistic--except for a few of us, mainly retirees.
If you are stuck in the Big City and plan to Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.)
at the eleventh hour, then by all means pre-position the vast majority of your
gear and supplies at your retreat. You will most likely only have one, I repeat, one G.O.O.D.
trip. If there is a major crisis there will probably be no chance to "go
back for a second load." So WTSHTF will
truly be a "come as you are" affair.
With all of this in mind, re-think your preparedness priorities. Stock
your retreat well. If there isn't someone living there year-round,
then hide what is there from burglars. (See the numerous SurvivalBlog posts
on caching and constructing hidden compartments and rooms.) Maintain balance
in your preparations. In a situation where you are truly hunkered-down at
your retreat in the midst of a societal collapse, there might not be any
opportunity to barter for any items that you overlooked. (At least not for
several months. ) What you have is what you got. You will have to make-do.
So be sure to develop your "lists
of lists" meticulously. If you have the funds available, construct
a combination storm shelter/fallout shelter/walk-in vault. It
would be virtually impossible to build something that elaborate in the aftermath
of a
societal collapse.
A closing thought that relates to your retreat logistics: The
original colonial Army Rangers, organized by Major Robert Rogers during
the French and Indian Wars of the 1750s had a
succinct list of operating rules. The version of the "Rules of Ranging" recounted
in the novel "Northwest Passage" by Kenneth Roberts started
with a strong proviso: "Don't forget nothing." That
is sage advice.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: My Preparedness Plans Just Took an Unexpected Turn »
Letter Re: AA Cells and Mobile Power
There was a discussion about batteries a few days back on SurvivalBlog. The
writer advocated using AA NiMH cells almost exclusively, with adapters for devices requiring C and D cells. While
I do agree that this is a good approach for some devices, there is certainly
some merit to having full size 10 Amp Hour (10,000 MAH) batteries in high [current]
draw or long term use devices. Not only is capacity
significantly higher on larger cells, but the maximum safe current draw is
higher too.
Good NiMH C cells have 2-to-3 times the capacity of AA cells, and NiMH D cells
have 4-to-5 times the capacity of AA cells. They can be charged in a reasonable
timeframe on a good quality charger like the MAHA MH-C801D. If you shop carefully
you can find 10AH NiMH low self discharge D cells for around $10 each (As an
example, see Overstock.com). Thanks, - BR
JWR Replies: I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers be very
careful when shopping for size C and D NiCD and NiMH batteries. Many of the
batteries on the market have no more capacity than a size AA. (With those,
essentially you are getting the same "guts" used in a size AA cell,
but just in a bigger "can.") Look carefully and the MaH ratings before
you buy! Also, be sure to buy only brands (such as Sanyo's
ENELOOP) that have "Low Self Discharge" (LSD) rates.
« Letter Re: Keeping a Low Profile is Crucial for Preparedness |Main| Notes from JWR: »
The Big Picture -- Grid Up Versus Grid Down--Oil, Soil, and Water
Before selecting retreat locale, It is crucial that you decide on your own
worst case scenario. A location that is well-suited to surviving a "slow-slide" grid
up scenario (a la the deflationary depression of the 1930s) might not necessarily
be well suited to a grid down situations.
As stated in my post on August 15, 2005, a grid down situation will likely
cause a sudden onset variation of TEOTWAWKI with
a concomitant mass exodus from the big cities resulting in chaos on a scale
heretofore never seen in modern memory.
My own personal "best case" scenario is an economic depression, with
the grid still up, and still some semblance of law and order. Things would
be bad, but the vast majority of the population would live through it. Living
in a rural agricultural area won't ensure that you'll always have a job, but
probably will ensure that you won't starve.
My personal "worst case" scenario takes a lot more description:
A rogue nation state launches three or four MIRVed ICBMs
with high yield warheads simultaneously detonating at 100,000 feet over America's
population center, preferably in October or November, to maximize the extent
of electromagnetic pulse (EMP)
effects. With only six warheads arriving "time
on target" (synchronized for simultaneous detonation) over, for example,
Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, and Los Angeles, more
than 90% of the U.S. population would fall within the footprint of EMP. With
such an attack there would be hardly any initial casualties aside for those
people unlucky enough to be traveling on that day. (Since EMP would disable
electric
flight controls, causing any modern aircraft to go out of
control and crash, and the sudden loss of engine power in automobiles at the
same time as a blinding flash would likely cause thousands of high speed car
crashes.) A high altitude air burst would impart no blast or radiation effects
on the ground. Nothing other than just EMP. But what an effect! Think of the
full implications.
As previously stated, the higher an nuclear air burst is detonated, the wider
the line of sight (LOS), and hence the larger the footprint of EMP effects.
With an EMP-optimized attack, as I just posited, EMP would be coupled
to nearly all of the installed microcircuit chips in the U.S., southern Canada,
and northern Mexico. In a enormous cascade this would take down all
of the north American power grids, and cripple virtually every vital
industry and utility: Natural gas production and piping, municipal
water systems, telephone systems (hardwire and cellular), refining, trucking,
banking, Internet services, agricultural machinery, electrically-pumped irrigation
systems, you name it! 95% of cars and trucks would be inoperative. With the
dependence of the power utilities on computers, I have my doubts that they
would be able to restore the power grid for weeks, or months, or perhaps years.
And with the chaos of society disintegrating around them, they might not have
the time or opportunity to restore the grid, even if they would otherwise have
the means to do so. This would mean TEOTWAWKI on a grand scale. The words "dog
eat dog" do not even begin to describe how things would become in the
cities and suburbs. Soon after, as the cities became unlivable (without power,
heat, water, sanitation, or transportation of foodstuffs) this would cause
a massive, involuntary exodus from the cities and suburbs, almost entirely
on foot, comprised of countless millions of starving people. With winter
coming on, this would result in a massive die-off, perhaps as much as 70% of
the American population. It would not be until after that die-off
that some semblance of order could be restored.
This crush of humanity will of course head for any agricultural regions that
are within 50 to 75 miles of the major cities. Hence, I would not want to be
a farmer living in Pennsylvania's farmlands, California's central or Imperial
valleys or Oregon's Willamette valley. They will simply get swarmed and overwhelmed.
Surviving a Long Term a Grid Down WTSHTF Situation
Even in the absence of EMP, any set of circumstances that would bring down
the power grids (for example a major war, a fuel embargo, a cyber attack on
power utility Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software, etc.)
would be devastating, and have a similar result. The biggest difference would
be that the Golden Horde would have functional cars available--at least as
long as their gas lasted. This would and Lets say that you've already moved
to a lightly populated agricultural region that is more than 150 miles from
any major city.
Assuming that you can avoid the ravages of the Golden Horde by virtue of geographic
isolation, you will then have to contend with producing food. If the region
that you selected is dependent on electrically-pumped irrigation water, then
you'll be out of luck. That is why I emphasize the importance "dry land
farming" regions. (Regions where consistent seasonal rains are sufficient
to produce crops.) A small scale "truck" farmer in such as region,
producing a wide variety of vegetables will be sitting pretty. Even with horse
drawn or hand cultivation, he will have large quantities of excess crops available
for barter and charity. By teaming up with neighbors and hired hands (paid
in barter) for "strength in numbers" he will be able to defend what
he owns. With copious produce available, he will be able to barter for harvesting
manpower, horses, tools, and so forth. IMO, a man in this position and locale
is the most likely survivor of TEOTWAWKI.
With the aforementioned in mind, you can see than importance of finding the
right retreat locale. Ideally, it will be far removed from metropolitan regions,
have a fairly long growing season, plentiful rainfall, rich topsoil, a reliable
domestic water supply that us not dependent on grid power
(preferably spring-fed), nearby sources of firewood or coal, and a light ambient
population density. If you combine all of these factors--visualize them as
map overlays--you will end up with only a few regions in north America that
are wholly suitable for "worst case" retreats. Start with a photocopy
of a climate book with maps of America's farming regions. Mask out any farming
regions that are depending on grid-power pumped irrigation water. Then take
a compass and start drawing radiuses around all of the cities with a population
greater than 200,000 and shade them in. Depending on your level of pessimism
about the scenario and/or your estimation of the depravity of human nature,
you may be drawing some pretty large circles!
Hurricane Katrina was a wake up call. I cannot imagine how anyone could watch
the television coverage of the aftermath of Katrina and not come to the conclusion
that we live in a highly interdependent technological society with enormously
long lines of supply and just
a thin veneer of civilization, as documented in countless newspaper stories.
It doesn't take much to disrupt those interdependencies, nor to expose what
lies just beneath that thin veneer. Like an onion, what lies beneath is not
very pretty smelling.
Get to Know the NRCS Man!
You will note that I specifically mentioned topsoil in the preceding discussion.
The importance of soil quality in the event of a true "worst case" must
be emphasized. As S.M.
Stirling so aptly described it in his science fiction novel "Dies
The Fire", soil quality is not crucial in modern mechanized agriculture.
If an acre of ground produces 5 bushels of wheat versus 12 bushels of wheat
it is not of great consequence when you are cultivating hundreds or even
thousands of acres from inside the cab of an air conditioned $40,000 tractor,
or a $70,000 combine. However, if someday you are reduced to traditional
pre-industrial manpower or horsepower, where cultivating just a few acres
will require monumental exertion, then the soil quality will make a tremendous
difference between feeding a community, and starvation. Therefore, have
the soil analyzed before you buy a retreat property! Determining
the soil types within a region should be your first step--in fact even before
you talk to the first real estate agent. Buying lunch for the soils specialist
at the local Agricultural Extension office might be a valuable investment. On
your first scouting trip to your proposed retreat region, call
the USDA Agricultural
Extension Office, and ask to talk to a soils specialist at the National Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)
desk. (The NRCS was formerly called the Soil Conservation Service or SCS.)
« Letter Re: Best Items to Store for Barter and Charity? |Main| Note from JWR: »
From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a "List of Lists"
Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then
draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or
in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out
a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor
your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density
as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat
in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living
in the Rockies.
As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create
truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on
Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main
(or propane tank), and shut your main water valve (or turn off your well pump.)
Spend that weekend in primitive conditions. Practice using only your storage
food, preparing it on a wood stove (or camping stove.)
A “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” will surprise you. Things that
you take for granted will suddenly become labor intensive. False assumptions
will be shattered. Your family will grow closer and more confident. Most importantly,
some of the most thorough lists that you will ever make will be those written
by candlelight.
Your List of Lists should include: (Sorry that this post
is in outline form, but it would take a full length book to discus all of
the following in great detail)
Water List
Food Storage List
Food Preparation List
Personal List
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
Nuke Defense List
Biological Warfare Defense List
Gardening List
Hygiene List/Sanitation List
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
Fuels List
Firefighting List
Tactical Living List
Security-General
Security-Firearms
Communications/Monitoring List
Tools List
Sundries List
Survival Bookshelf List
Barter and Charity List
JWR’s Specific Recommendations For Developing Your Lists:
Water List
House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this is another
good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal roof.)
Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don’t buy big
barrels, since five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that most
people can handle without back strain.
For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a couple
of heavy duty two wheel garden carts--convert the wheels to foam filled "no
flats" tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for those carts around
your retreat, such as hauling hay, firewood, manure, fertilizer, et cetera.)
Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a long
way. Buy some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If you can
afford it, buy a “Big Berky” British Berkefeld ceramic water filter.
(Available from Ready
Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure
spring water at your retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good
filter could be a lifesaver.)
Food Storage List
See my post tomorrow which will be devoted to food storage. Also see the recent
letter from David in Israel on this subject.
Food Preparation List
Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an oversize skillet
and a huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several huge kettles, because
odds are you will have to heat water on your wood stove for bathing, dish washing,
and clothes washing. You will also need even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or
6 gallon PVC buckets--for water hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying.
They will also make great barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr.
Gary North: “Nails: buy a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!”)
Don’t overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.
Personal List
(Make a separate personal list for each family member and individual expected
to arrive at your retreat.)
Spare glasses.
Prescription and nonprescription medications.
Birth control.
Keep dentistry up to date.
Any elective surgery that you've been postponing
Work off that gut.
Stay in shape.
Back strength and health—particularly important, given the heavy manual
tasks required for self-sufficiency.
Educate yourself on survival topics, and practice them. For example, even if
you don’t presently live at your retreat, you should plant a vegetable
garden every year. It is better to learn through experience and make mistakes
now, when the loss of crop is an annoyance rather than a crucial event.
“Comfort” items to help get through high stress times. (Books, games,
CDs, chocolates, etc.)
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
When tailoring this list, consider your neighborhood going for many months
without power, extensive use of open flames, and sentries standing picket
shifts exposed in the elements. Then consider axes, chainsaws and tractors
being wielded by newbies, and a greater likelihood of gunshot wounds. With
all of this, add the possibility of no access to doctors or high tech medical
diagnostic equipment. Put a strong emphasis on burn treatment first aid supplies.
Don’t overlook do-it-yourself dentistry! (Oil of cloves, temporary
filling kit, extraction tools, et cetera.) Buy a full minor surgery outfit
(inexpensive Pakistani stainless steel instruments), even if you don’t
know how to use them all yet. You may have to learn, or you will have the
opportunity to put them in the hands of someone experienced who needs them.)
This is going to be a big list!
Chem/Nuke Defense List
Dosimeter and rate meter, and charger, radiac meter (hand held Geiger counter),
rolls of sheet plastic (for isolating airflow to air filter inlets and for
covering window frames in the event that windows are broken due to blast effects),
duct tape, HEPA filters (ands spares) for your shelter. Potassium iodate (KI)
tablets to prevent thyroid damage.(See my recent post on that subject.) Outdoor
shower rig for just outside your shelter entrance.
Biological Warfare Defense List
Disinfectants
Hand Sanitizer
Sneeze masks
Colloidal silver generator and spare supplies (distilled water and .999 fine
silver rod.)
Natural antibiotics (Echinacea, Tea Tree oil, …)
Gardening List
One important item for your gardening list is the construction of a very tall
deer-proof and rabbit-proof fence. Under current circumstances, a raid by deer
on your garden is probably just an inconvenience. After the balloon goes up,
it could mean the difference between eating well, and starvation.
Top Soil/Amendments/Fertilizers.
Tools+ spares for barter/charity
Long-term storage non hybrid (open pollinated) seed. (Non-hybrid “heirloom” seed
assortments tailors to different climate zones are available from The
Ark Institute
Herbs: Get started with medicinal herbs such as aloe vera (for burns), echinacea
(purple cone flower), valerian, et cetera.
Hygiene/Sanitation List
Sacks of powdered lime for the outhouse. Buy plenty!
TP in quantity (Stores well if kept dry and away from vermin and it is lightweight,
but it is very bulky. This is a good item to store in the attic. See my novel
about stocking up on used phone books for use as TP.
Soap in quantity (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, cleansers, etc.)
Bottled lye for soap making.
Ladies’ supplies.
Toothpaste (or powder).
Floss.
Fluoride rinse. (Unless you have health objections to the use of fluoride.)
Sunscreen.
Livestock List:
Hoof rasp, hoof nippers, hoof pick, horse brushes, hand sheep shears, styptic,
carding combs, goat milking stand, teat dip, udder wash, Bag Balm, elastrator
and bands, SWOT fly repellent, nail clippers (various sizes), Copper-tox, leads,
leashes, collars, halters, hay hooks, hay fork, manure shovel, feed buckets,
bulk grain and C-O-B sweet feed (store in galvanized trash cans with tight
fitting lids to keep the mice out), various tack and saddles, tack repair tools,
et cetera. If your region has selenium deficient soil (ask your local Agricultural
extension office) then be sure to get selenium-fortified salt blocks rather
than plain white salt blocks--at least for those that you are going to set
aside strictly for your livestock.
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
“Buckshot” Bruce Hemming has produced an excellent series of videos
on trapping and making improvised traps. (He also sells traps and scents at very
reasonable prices.)
Night vision gear, spares, maintenance, and battery charging
Salt. Post-TEOTWAWKI, don’t “go hunting.” That would be a
waste of effort. Have the game come to you. Buy 20 or more salt blocks. They
will also make very valuable barter items.
Sell your fly fishing gear (all but perhaps a few flies) and buy practical
spin casting equipment.
Extra tackle may be useful for barter, but probably only in a very long term
Crunch.
Buy some frog gigs if you have bullfrogs in your area. Buy some crawfish traps
if you have crawfish in your area.
Learn how to rig trot lines and make fish traps for non-labor intensive fishing WTSHTF.
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
One proviso: In the event of a “grid
down” situation, if you are the only family in the area with power,
it could turn your house into a “come loot me” beacon at night.
At the same time, your house lighting will ruin the night vision of your LP/OP pickets.
Make plans and buy materials in advance for making blackout screens or fully
opaque curtains for your windows.
When possible, buy nickel metal hydride batteries. (Unlike the older nickel
cadmium technology, these have no adverse charge level “memory” effect.)
If your home has propane appliances, get a “tri-fuel” generator--with
a carburetor that is selectable between gasoline, propane, and natural gas.
If you heat your home with home heating oil, then get a diesel-burning generator.
(And plan on getting at least one diesel burning pickup and/or tractor). In
a pinch, you can run your diesel generator and diesel vehicles on home heating
oil.
Kerosene lamps; plenty of extra wicks, mantles, and chimneys. (These will also
make great barter items.)
Greater detail on do-it-yourself power will be included in my forthcoming blog
posts.
Fuels List
Buy the biggest propane, home heating oil, gas, or diesel tanks that your local
ordinances permit and that you can afford. Always keep them at least two-thirds
full. For privacy concerns, ballistic impact concerns, and fire concerns,
underground tanks are best if you local water table allows it. In any case,
do not buy an aboveground fuel tank that would visible from any public road
or navigable waterway. Buy plenty of extra fuel for barter. Don’t overlook
buying plenty of kerosene. (For barter, you will want some in one or two
gallon cans.) Stock up on firewood or coal. (See my previous blog posts.)
Get the best quality chainsaw you can afford. I prefer Stihls and Husqavarnas.
If you can afford it, buy two of the same model. Buy extra chains, critical
spare parts, and plenty of two-cycle oil. (Two-cycle oil will be great for
barter!) Get a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps. They are expensive but
they might save yourself a trip to the emergency room. Always wear gloves,
goggles, and ear-muffs. Wear a logger’s helmet when felling. Have someone
who is well experienced teach you how to re-sharpen chains. BTW, don’t
cut up your wood into rounds near any rocks or you will destroy a chain in
a hurry.
Firefighting List
Now that you have all of those flammables on hand (see the previous list) and
the prospect of looters shooting tracer ammo or throwing Molotov cocktails
at your house, think in terms of fire fighting from start to finish without
the aid of a fire department. Even without looters to consider, you should
be ready for uncontrolled brush or residential fires, as well as the greater
fire risk associated with greenhorns who have just arrived at your retreat
working with wood stoves and kerosene lamps!
Upgrade your retreat with a fireproof metal roof.
2” water line from your gravity-fed storage tank (to provide large water
volume for firefighting)
Fire fighting rig with an adjustable stream/mist head.
Smoke and CO detectors.
Tactical Living List
Adjust your wardrobe buying toward sturdy earth-tone clothing. (Frequent your
local thrift store and buy extras for retreat newcomers, charity, and barter.)
Dyes. Stock up on some boxes of green and brown cloth dye. Buy some extra for
barter. With dye, you can turn most light colored clothes into semi-tactical
clothing on short notice.
Two-inch wide burlap strip material in green and brown. This burlap is available
in large spools from Gun Parts Corp. Even if you don’t have time now,
stock up so that you can make camouflage ghillie
suits post-TEOTWAWKI.
Save those wine corks! (Burned cork makes quick and cheap face camouflage.)
Cold weather and foul weather gear—buy plenty, since you will be doing
more outdoor chores, hunting, and standing guard duty.
Don’t overlook ponchos and gaiters.
Mosquito repellent.
Synthetic double-bag (modular) sleeping bags for each person at the retreat,
plus a couple of spares. The Wiggy’s
brand Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System (FTRSS)
made by Wiggy's of Grand Junction, Colorado is highly recommended.
Night vision gear + IR floodlights for your retreat house
Subdued flashlights and penlights.
Noise, light, and litter discipline. (More on this in future posts--or perhaps
a reader would like to send a brief article on this subject)
Security-General: Locks, intrusion detection/alarm systems, exterior obstacles
(fences, gates, 5/8” diameter (or larger) locking road cables, rosebush
plantings, “decorative” ponds (moats), ballistic protection (personal
and residential), anti-vehicular ditches/berms, anti-vehicular concrete “planter
boxes”, razor wire, etc.)
Starlight electronic light amplification scopes are critical tools for retreat
security.
A Starlight scope (or goggles, or a monocular) literally amplifies low ambient
light by up to 100,000 times, turning nighttime darkness into daylight--albeit
a green and fuzzy view. Starlight light amplification technology was first
developed during the Vietnam War. Late issue Third Generation (also called
or “Third Gen” or “Gen 3”) starlight scopes can cost
up to $3,500 each. Rebuilt first gen (early 1970s technology scopes can often
be had for as little as $500. Russian-made monoculars (with lousy optics) can
be had for under $100. One Russian model that uses a piezoelectric generator
instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These are best used
as backups (in case your expensive American made scopes fail. They should not
be purchased for use as your primary night vision devices unless you are on
a very restrictive budget. (They are better than nothing.) Buy the best starlight
scopes, goggles, and monoculars you can afford. They may be life-savers! If
you can afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/PVS-4,
with a Gen 2 (or better) tube. Make sure to specify that that the tube is new
or “low hours”, has a high “line pair” count, and minimal
scintillation. It is important to buy your Starlight gear from a reputable
dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and scammers. One dealer
that I trust, is Al Glanze (spoken “Glan-zee”) who runs STANO
Components, Inc. in Silver City, Nevada. Note: In a subsequent
blog posts I will discuss the relationship and implications to IR illuminators
and tritium sights.
Range cards and sector sketches.
If you live in the boonies, piece together nine of the USGS 15-minute maps,
with your retreat property on the center map. Mount that map on an oversize
map board. Draw in the property lines and owner names of all of your surrounding
neighbor’s parcels (in pencil) in at least a five mile radius. (Get boundary
line and current owner name info from your County Recorder’s office.)
Study and memorize both the terrain and the neighbors’ names. Make a
phone number/e-mail list that corresponds to all of the names marked on the
map, plus city and county office contact numbers for quick reference and tack
it up right next to the map board. Cover the whole map sheet with a sheet of
heavy-duty acetate, so you can mark it up just like a military commander’s
map board. (This may sound a bit “over the top”, but remember,
you are planning for the worst case. It will also help you get to know your
neighbors: When you are introduced by name to one of them when in town, you
will be able to say, “Oh, don’t you live about two miles up the
road between the Jones place and the Smith’s ranch?” They will
be impressed, and you will seem like an instant “old timer.”
Security-Firearms List
Guns, ammunition, web gear, eye and ear protection, cleaning equipment,
carrying cases, scopes, magazines, spare parts, gunsmithing tools, targets
and target
frames, et cetera. Each rifle and pistol should have at least six top quality
(original military contract or original manufacturer) full capacity spare magazines.
Note: Considerable detail on firearms and optics selection, training, use,
and logistic support are covered in the SurvivalBlog archives and FAQs.
Communications/Monitoring List
When selecting radios buy only models that will run on 12 volt DC power or
rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs (that can be recharged from
your retreat’s 12 VDC power system without having to use an inverter.)
As a secondary purchasing goal, buy spare radios of each type if you can afford
them. Keep your spares in sealed metal boxes to protect them from EMP.
If you live in a far inland region, I recommend buying two or more 12 VDC marine
band radios. These frequencies will probably not be monitored in your region,
leaving you an essentially private band to use. (But never assume that any
two-way radio communications are secure!)
Note: More detail on survival communications gear selection, training, use,
security/cryptography measures, antennas, EMP protection, and logistical support
will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.
Tools List
Gardening tools.
Auto mechanics tools.
Welding.
Bolt cutters--the indispensable “universal key.”
Woodworking tools.
Gunsmithing tools.
Emphasis on hand powered tools.
Hand or treadle powered grinding wheel.
Don’t forget to buy plenty of extra work gloves (in earth tone colors).
Sundries List:
Systematically list the things that you use on a regular basis, or that you
might need if the local hardware store were to ever disappear: wire of various
gauges, duct tape, reinforced strapping tape, chain, nails, nuts and bolts,
weather stripping, abrasives, twine, white glue, cyanoacrylate glue, et cetera.
Book/Reference List
You should probably have nearly every book on my Bookshelf
page. For some, you will want to have two or three copies, such as Carla
Emery’s "Encyclopedia of Country Living". This is because these books
are so valuable and indispensable that you won’t want to risk lending
out your only copy.
Barter and Charity List
For your barter list, acquire primarily items that are durable, non-perishable,
and either in small packages or that are easily divisible. Concentrate on
the items that other people are likely to overlook or have in short supply.
Some of my favorites are ammunition. [The late] Jeff Cooper referred to it
as “ballistic
wampum.” WTSHTF, ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver.
Store all of your ammo in military surplus ammo cans (with seals that are
still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick to common calibers, get
plenty of .22 LR (most
high velocity hollow points) plus at least ten boxes of the local favorite
deer hunting cartridge, even if you don’t own
a rifle chambered for this cartridge. (Ask your local sporting goods shop
about their top selling chamberings). Also buy at least ten boxes of the
local police department’s standard pistol cartridge, again even if
you don’t own a pistol chambered for this cartridge.
Ladies supplies.
Salt (Buy lots of cattle blocks and 1 pound canisters of iodized table salt.)
(Stores indefinitely if kept dry.)
Two cycle engine oil (for chain saw gas mixing. Gas may still be available
after a collapse, but two-cycle oil will probably be like liquid gold!)
Gas stabilizer.
Diesel antibacterial additive.
50-pound sacks of lime (for outhouses).
1 oz. bottles of military rifle bore cleaner and Break Free (or similar) lubricant.
Waterproof dufflebags in earth tone colors (whitewater rafting "dry bags").
Thermal socks.
Semi-waterproof matches (from military rations.)
Military web gear (lots of folks will suddenly need pistol belts, holsters,
magazine pouches, et cetera.)
Pre-1965 silver dimes.
1-gallon cans of kerosene.
Rolls of olive drab parachute cord.
Rolls of olive-drab duct tape.
Spools of monofilament fishing line.
Rolls of 10 mil "Visqueen", sheet plastic (for replacing windows,
isolating airspaces for nuke scenarios, etc.)
I also respect the opinion of one gentleman with whom I've corresponded, who
recommended the following:
Strike anywhere matches. (Dip the heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.)
Playing cards.
Cooking spices. (Do a web search for reasonably priced bulk spices.)
Rope & string.
Sewing supplies.
Candle wax and wicking.
Lastly, any supplies necessary for operating a home-based business. Some that
you might consider are: leather crafting, small appliance repair, gun repair,
locksmithing, et cetera. Every family should have at least one home-based business
(preferably two!) that they can depend on in the event of an economic collapse.
Stock up on additional items to dispense to refugees as charity.
Note: See the Barter Faire chapter in my novel "Patriots" for
lengthy lists of potential barter items.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Deciphering HK Magazine Date Codes »
Letter Re: Gauging Interest in Dakota Alert MURS Radios
Hi Jim,
I am looking to gauge interest from your readers for the Dakota Alert MURS Base and Handheld radios. If there is enough interest in a
special group purchase, I can offer the M538-BS MURS base station for $69 (plus
shipping) and the M538-HT MURS hand held for $74 (plus shipping). Interested
readers can e-mail me if they would
like to be part of this group buy. (see the
MURS Radio web site.) Thanks! - Rob at Affordable
Shortwaves
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Getting Yourself--and Your Rifle--Fitted for Body Armor »
Letter Re: Constructing an Improvised CB Radio Antenna
Jim,
Regarding the recent blog article "Constructing an Improvised CB Radio
Antenna", here
is a site that has good construction info and a few graphical images of custom
built CB antennas This site by
Signal Engineering adds some antenna theory for those inclined
to learn more about CB antennas.
If you are into experimenting with antennas, I recommend getting an
antenna analyzer from MFJ. They are fairly
inexpensive (as far as test equipment go) yet will yield very helpful tuning
and optimization information. You can purchase one for use in nearly any radio
service (ham, CB, VHF/UHF. etc).- Rob at Affordable
Shortwaves
« Letter Re: Ballistic Protection of Straw Bale Houses? |Main| Note from JWR: »
Constructing an Improvised CB Radio Antenna, by Dim Tim
I have put a great deal of the info I have
gleaned from SurvivalBlog to good use in my own preps. To reciprocate, the
following is one of hopefully many bits of survival information that I plan
to pass along to all the readers,
in the hope that it will help someone
else.
A short time back I read a few posts on some survival communications issues,
and found them to be very helpful. They also got me to thinking about something
that I did back around the start of the eighties,
that I believe would be a great piece of survival gear for the folks using
Citizen's Band. (CB or 11 meter ) and some 10 meter users.
One day, I came upon the thought that if the radio still worked, but the antenna
became lost or damaged, what would I do then? How would I be able to talk to
my group, let alone listen in to
any other chatter. Having a bit of electronic knowledge ( two year tech. degree
in industrial electronics ) I set about to make an
expedient antenna system from inexpensive, and commonly found materials. The
result was a simple
antenna that would work in a pinch, and was easy to transport, and would be
as good as, or better than a commercial one. Enter the simple dipole antenna.
A dipole is a pair of wires or conductors connected to the "ground" and
the center conductor of the coaxial antenna cable, and stretched out either
in a vertical or a horizontal position. Most "whip " style mobile
antennas are around 102" in length ( this is the number that antenna designers
use in their standing wave ratio (SWR) to
frequency calculations, to match an antenna to a particular
radio to achieve maximum efficiency ). Using this
as a reference point, I bought a 25' roll of solid aluminum clothesline wire
at the hardware store, a small package of solderless, crimp style connectors,
a small package of 1 1/4" wood screws, and a roll of electrical tape.
The only other things you will need are a couple lengths of 550
paracord, two lengths
of 1 1/2" dia. ( about 4-5" long ) dowel rod, and a 2x4 block about
6 to 8" long. To start, take the 2x4 block and 2 wood screws, and screw
the wood screws only a couple of turns into the wood, placing one at each end,
about an inch or so back from the ends. Next, take the coaxial antenna cable,
and carefully strip back the outer jacket about 6" and undo the braided
wire, and twist it into one individual length. Next, strip back the insulating
jacket over the center conductor about 1/4". Attach a crimp connector
to each wire, preferably by soldering, or by securely crimping with a pair
of electrician's crimping pliers. Next, take and wrap the
exposed,
twisted,
braided
wire with a bit of the electrical tape.
Next, take a pair
of wire cutters, and cut two 102"-long pieces of the clothesline, and
make an eye hook at one end of each, and unscrew the wood screws on the 2x4
and
attach one wire "eye" to each ( do not screw the screws down all
the way yet.) Next, take the dowel rods, and drill a hole through the side
about 1 1/2" from the end, and then the other, repeating the same for
the other dowel. The holes should be large enough to thread one of the clothesline
ends through one, and a piece of the paracord through
the other for each one. Now, connect one of the coaxial antenna wire connectors
to the
wood
screws
on the 2x4 block and tighten the screw down so that the connector will not
pull loose. Do the same to the other. Next, take the loose clothesline wire
end that is connected to the braided wire and pass it through one end of one of
the dowel rods and wrap around the dowel and a couple of turns around itself
so it will not pull back out of the dowel.
Before attaching the other element,
place an accurate SWR meter in the antenna line to check
the match.
Thread a length of the 550 Paracord cord through each of the dowel insulators.
Now thread the other clothesline (the one connected to the center conductor of
the coaxial
wire) through the dowel about 4-6" and make an L-shaped bend so it won't
pull out of the dowel. Set the SWR meter to check your match according to the
meter's instructions. If the match is too high, then take a pair of wire cutters,
and trim the end back just 1/4" at a time until you get
the lowest [reading] match you
can possibly achieve.
Important note: Care must be taken when trimming the antenna,
because you can't put the cut pieces back! Once you have the best match you
can get,
finish
off the end of the wire the same as the first. Now stretch it up between
two sturdy objects, and try it out. I have been able to get the same
range
as a commercial one with mine.
JWR Adds: Some provisos: Be sure to waterproof all connections
with RTV silicone,
or something similar. Be sure to have an antenna connected whenever transmitting,
to prevent damage to your transceiver. Since nearly all CB radio transceivers
are set up with vertically
polarized antennas,
it is important that you rig your antenna vertically. (This way, the
geometry of your transmitting
wave will match the vertical geometry of the receiving antenna.) This
may seem counterintuitive when you are looking at a dipole, but trust me, you
should set it up with the two elements running up and down.
And, of course, all of the usual antenna
safety precautions apply.
« The Precious Metals Bull Charges Onward |Main| Note from JWR: »
Sources for Free Survival and Preparedness Information on the Internet, by K.L. in Alaska
Recent comments in SurvivalBlog provided excellent advice on using the public
library. You can gain lots of knowledge with no expense, then purchase only
those books you want to keep on hand for personal reference. Also, many colleges
and universities loan to local residents, so you can use them too, even if
you aren't a student.
If your local libraries participate, a great resource is Worldcat. It lets you search for books from home,
then go check them out, or get them through interlibrary loan.
What will happen to the Internet when the SHTF?
There's no guarantee it will survive. Even if the World Wide Web endures in
some form, most of the individual computers connected to it will not. Hopefully
by then you will have already downloaded all the free info that's going to
help you cope with the new world.
You may want to download a copy of information
on this web site or any other web site with useful content. It would be a shame
to face some disaster when all the resources of the internet are no longer
at your fingertips.
In preparation for a worst case scenario,
it's a good idea to begin now to collect the knowledge that will come in handy
later. You can download whole books, save them to jump drives, and keep an
entire library in a very small space. All kinds of free manuals, guides, tech
tips, and schematics are available on the internet; for everything from firearms
to furnaces to computers to appliances.
All of the downloads listed
here are in the public domain or allowable for copying. Stay away from sites
that may involve copyright infringement. If you use a file-sharing site such
as Limewire, Kazaa, or any site that uses bit torrents, you are not only downloading,
but also uploading. Your participation involves automatically uploading to
other users. If the file is illegal, you are distributing illegal m
