Dear JWR,
On March 14th at 2 a.m. it is the Daylight Saving Time change time in most of the US. So now is a very good time to check some things that you haven't thought about in a while. I'm sure you heard the Public Service Announcements to change the batteries in your smoke alarm and to test them. That is certainly a good thing to do, but is that the only thing you should do this time of year? Grab a pen and paper and let's look around your home.

Batteries and Battery Powered Equipment
Since you're changing some batteries already, this is also a great time to check the batteries in your flashlights, radios, and other battery powered equipment around your home and cars. Turn them on and see if they still work and if you still know how to use them.

First Aid Kit
Hopefully your first aid kit didn't see much use, but you need to check it for expired food and medications, put what needs replacement on your shopping list. If things have migrated to all parts of your home, bring them all back together into one central location. Update any contact information, medication changes or allergies in your document kit.

How Are Your Vehicles Doing?
You probably use your car every day but have you taken the time to really look at it recently?
Check your tire's pressure and look for signs of wear. Use a penny to check your tread depth, if you can see the top of Lincoln's head you need new tires. Look in the wheel wells for signs of rust.
Pop the hood and check the fluid levels and not just the oil and windshield washer but brake, steering and radiator. Look for leaks and worn belts.
Get a helper and make sure all the lights work.

What Did the Winter Do To Your Home?
How well has your house and property weathered the winter? You might want to start another page and call it the Honey Do list.
Check under sinks and around outside faucets for water leaks. Drain your hot water heater. Not only will this clear the buildup of mineral deposits and silt, it will make the hot water heater more efficient and give you more available hot water and faster too, but also more drinking water in case of an emergency.
Look around the foundation, driveway and sidewalks for cracks in the concrete.
Check your foundation, deck and fence for damage or rotting with a pocket knife, particularly around the base of posts. Small piles of sawdust indicate signs of vermin or insect intrusion.
Grab your binoculars and inspect your roof for missing shingles and flashing.
Test your lawn mower, generator and other gas powered equipment and their fuel.

Oh and don't forget to set you clocks the night before. "Spring forward, Fall back."

Good Morning Sir,
My question pertains to a February 24, 2010 blog post, where there was mentioned an EMP ground for one’s vehicle. This is the first I have heard of a ground wire for today’s vehicles that would prevent electronics from being damaged. Is this true sir? Thanks for providing us all the education to survive. - Tim S.

JWR Replies: A grounding strap offers only marginal EMP protection for a vehicle. The type that were mentioned are the sort that you can see used on many trucks, especially fuel delivery trucks, where the concern is a buildup of static electricity.

With a quick web search, I found one vendor on the Internet with straps at reasonable prices. They do eventually wear out, so you should probably buy several. But again, they are more for static electricity discharge protection than EMP protection. Sadly, the only way to make your vehicle truly safe from close proximity EMP is to convert it to a traditional ignition system. Alternatively, if you leave the electronic ignition system installed, you'd have to carry spare ignition components in a couple of layers of Faraday protection. ( Alternating layers of aluminum foil and ziploc bags should work fine.

I should also mention that once parked, while preparing to unload fuel, gas tanker trucks use a separate grounding cable, for even greater protection, from a static discharge kablooey.

It is important to note the EMP is a different animal than lightning, so the grounding rules are not quite the same. For example, a ground connection can actually be counterproductive to EMP shielding if you use a lengthy linear object underground, such as a water or sewer pipe. For anyone with a basic understanding of lightning protection, it may sound hard to believe, but EMP can actually couple with underground linear metal objects! So if you do decide to use a ground for any of your electronic gear, then don't use anything longer that a six foot long ground rod.

A SurvivalBlog reader who is an Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) engineer added these comments:
"Many people are under the false impression that a ground connection is some sort of magic sump into which they can dump electric current and electromagnetic fields they don't want. To some degree this impression comes from the fact that power lines and other electrical wires entering our buildings are grounded at the point of entry. The reason for this ground is to give a path for lightning strikes to wires external to the building a lower resistance path back to the source of the electric current (in this case the Earth) than though something inside the building. The service entrance ground rod does not play a part in electrical safety insidethe building provided by the ground wires run with the hot and neutral power wires. The key issue here is that the ground wires are connected to the neutral wire at the service entrance bond point. That same bond point is where the ground rod is connected, but the physical path to earth ground is not why the ground wires in the house help safety.

By the way this is why portable generators do not need to be grounded per the National Electrical Code (NEC). All they need is the internal bond from neutral to the ground wire.

In a similar way, when it comes to electromagnetic energy (radio waves) the important issue is shielding rather than grounding. The most effective shielding is made of a continuous conductive surface that totally surrounds what we want to protect. This is why the advice to wrap equipment that we wish to protect from EMP in aluminum foil is excellent. The continuous conductive surface of the foil with joints that overlap each other provides extremely effective shielding from all types of electromagnetic waves including those from EMP. Grounding the foil to an earth ground makes no difference in its effectiveness.

Static electricity also is stopped by shielding, and discharges to a conductive shield flow around the outside surface of the shield and do not damage equipment inside the shield. Again a connection to earth ground will make zero difference in the protection provided by the shielding.

Ground straps on vehicles provide a path to equalize the local static electric potentials and reduce the chance of a static discharge that might cause fuel fumes or other explosive or flammable gasses or liquids to ignite. A separate ground wire as you mention is even more effective. In both cases they work because they reduce or eliminate static electric potential differences that could cause a spark, not because they are tied to the physical earth."

Safety, Aluminum Sources, Melting, and Pouring

We are now at the most exciting and most dangerous part of the aluminum casting process. You will be working with fire, an extremely hot fire, fed with forced air. But the biggest hazard lies in a possible spill of molten metal. Before I even start the fire I wear tall, heavy leather boots, this is no place for sandals, or plastic tennis shoes. I also wear a pair of welders suede leather leggings, and a welders suede leather apron. It is wise to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts. This is a pain in the summer, but even with good clean charcoal there will be cinders blowing out of your forge. Make sure there are no flammable’s within a 10 foot radius of your work area. The most dangerous would be a forgotten 5 gallon plastic gas can laying near the forge. If you do not already have a fire extinguisher, then buy one, the biggest baddest [dry chemical A-B-C] one available, and keep it close by. When it is dry I take my garden hose and water down the entire forge area. [JWR Adds: Never do this anywhere except on soft soil. Wet gravel and concrete will spall into "formidalbe projectiles", in a steam explosion.] It is critical to protect your head, face, hands, and lungs. I wear a respirator, not a simple dust mask, but a respirator with a valve. Molten metal gives off toxic fumes that you don’t want in your lungs. I also wear a standard military issue boonie hat, this keeps cinders out of your hair. I wear a full [Lexan] face shield, the kind that you wear when brush hogging or grinding. Lastly, you need to wear thick leather gloves, since your hands will be closest to the heat. Lineman’s gloves or welder’s gloves are best. And if you have not guessed already, you need to do this outdoors. There is one last safety step you will perform when doing the actual pour and I will cover that later.

You are going to need some aluminum to melt. Look around, chances are you already have pieces of aluminum scrap. The trick is to find or cut down scrap pieces that will easily fit into the crucible. Yes, you can heat up an automotive transmission in a charcoal fire and bust it down into smaller pieces, but that takes an enormous amount of work. Stay away from aluminum soda cans, they provide very little metal when melted, and are coated in latex that gives off foul fumes, and can contaminate your melt. The absolute best aluminum scrap around are door and window frames. Almost every window made has aluminum bars that hold the glass in. Once the glass and rubber gaskets have been taken out, the window panes and door frames, can be pulled apart into nice long bars. If there are any steel rivets, screws, or hinges they need to be removed prior to melting. If they are painted, don’t worry about it, the paint will burn off quickly. You don’t even need to cut them down, just feed them vertically into the crucible, once melting temperature has been achieved. I have a scrap dealer/junk peddler in the neighboring town who sells me all the window panes and door frames I can carry for just a couple dollars. Unfortunately not all of us have a good scrap dealer, but do look around, if you can’t find one then you will have to get creative in finding aluminum to melt. Many scrap yards do not even sell scrap to the general public anymore, they only buy scrap, and this irritates me to no end. Be prepared to cut down many pieces of scrap into smaller pieces.

You will be astonished at how many chunks of solid aluminum scrap it takes to fill a crucible with molten metal. So before you begin have it all cut and ready to feed the melt. You also need to keep your charcoal fuel close at hand in a covered container. I had a cinder ignite my entire barrel of charcoal one night. You will have to re-fuel the forge quite often, it is also important to have your fire tools close at hand also. I rest mine on a metal table next to the forge, along with my melting scrap, and keep my fuel under the table. Attach your air supply to the air pipe on your forge, I place a small piece of plywood over the air supply to keep it from sucking in embers and ash. Make sure there is a flat level spot next to your forge, a cinder block or brick can be used also. This is to set the crucible on to re-fuel. With a pick or shovel cut some small 1" x 4" trenches in the dirt near the forge, make sure the trenches are away from your main working area. This is where you will dump any leftover aluminum after the pour. You next will fill your crucible with scrap, for these starter pieces, make sure none protrude out of the crucible, get the crucible as full as you can. Fuel the forge with charcoal, fill it at least halfway up, also put your forge lid into place.

Now for the last safety step, you need to do a practice run for your upcoming pour. Go and get your mold and set it down carefully near the forge. Get your hooks, one in each hand, and practice lifting it, practice attaching the second hook to the lower manipulation ring, and practice pulling the bottom up on your crucible for the pour. What we are doing is getting your orientation right, the orientation of your body to the forge, crucible, hooks, and mold. Figure how you are going to move, where you are going to stand, and where everything needs to be located when you move the molten metal from the forge to the mold, for the pour. Make adjustments until you are comfortable with the location of everything and your movements are smooth and fluid. You can leave the mold in place if you like, but put a piece of plywood over it. If it is going to get in the way, then put it up, but remember how and where it needs to be placed. Move the mold slowly and carefully!

Don’t turn on the air supply just yet, I squirt a little lighter fluid over the charcoal and then drop in a lit match. Let the charcoal catch for a bit before turning on the air supply. Take your crucible and set it in the forge on top of the charcoal. Things will begin to heat up, I like to do the actual melting at night, the darkness allows you to see what is going on in the forge and crucible. Have patience it takes some time for the concrete of the forge to heat up, you will not melt any metal until this concrete is hot and refracting heat.

Let the fire burn for a time and then grab your skimmer, I run the skimmer down into the charcoal bed to gauge how much has burned off. If you see a large quantity of ash, then its time to re-fuel. You must turn off the air supply before re-fueling. At first when I re-fueled I just dumped the charcoal into the forge, this was difficult because much of it would wind up in the crucible, too much. When I re-fuel now, I first turn off the air supply, then I grab one of my hooks and carefully lift the crucible out, and place it on the level spot you made earlier. A minute or two out of the fire will not make a big difference. Then I scoop out several handfuls of charcoal with my gloved hands, and drop it into the forge. I then take my hook and lift the crucible and set it back atop the new fuel and turn on the air supply. This also gives you further practice in manipulating a hot crucible. The metal is not molten yet and is still relatively light. It is later on that great care must be taken.

I need to cover why you are resting the crucible on an unsteady bed of charcoal. On one of my earlier melts I rested the crucible on the forge bottom and just kept fueling around it. The aluminum heated up and began to melt then it re-solidified, and no matter how much fuel I kept burning around it, it would not melt. After an hour of this, I took the crucible out and looked at it, the sides were orange hot, but the bottom was not glowing at all. It is crucial that the bottom of the crucible be brought up to a high temperature, if not, there will be no melt. I welded up a little table for the crucible to rest on while in the forge, at first it worked, but when ash built up I had the same problem as before. You could also scoop out the ash at intervals during the burn, but you will be losing heat and wasting fuel. A 3" or 4" diameter pipe that is 8" tall will not fall over in its 8" diameter forge. It may shift some and later it may spill some aluminum, but a small aluminum spill in the forge is neither dangerous or explosive, and the spilled aluminum is easily removed and recovered once the forge has fully cooled. My very first attempt at a crucible was a chopped down empty propane cylinder. I got the aluminum to melt, then the bottom of the propane cylinder burned out, and the entire charge of aluminum went into the forge. I did not even notice it, one second it was full of aluminum, the next second it was empty.

After your third or fourth re-fuel, take a good look at your crucible, gently push down on the aluminum with your skimmer. If it gives at all then it has begun to melt, re-fuel and keep the heat on it. You will see a layer of charcoal and ash beginning to form on the aluminum. This is not a concern and the ash layer actually protects the aluminum, allowing gasses to burn off while keeping other unwanted gasses from entering the melt. Before long your charge of aluminum will have melted, you will see just a small amount of silver molten metal in the crucible covered by a layer of ash. A filled to the top crucible now has less than an inch of molten metal. You have reached melting temperature and the pace is going to quicken, the walls of your forge are now very hot and refracting. This is the fun part, when this happens I find that time flies by, and all your concentration is on the melt. Re-fuel and begin feeding aluminum into the melt, when the crucible is taken out, the entire pipe is orange hot. It will stay orange hot while you are fueling. I only feed the melt when it is in the forge. If you are fortunate enough to have the long aluminum bars, simply put it in the crucible vertically and hang on to the cool end with your tongs. It will quickly melt into the crucible. If you are using broken bits of scrap, only feed them to the melt with the tongs. The temptation to put them in with gloved hands can get you burnt in a hurry. Mind your fire tools, the hook you just used to remove the crucible is still very hot when you set it down to grab your skimmer. I got branded one night for not minding my fire tools.

Continue re-fueling and feeding the melt, when the crucible is half way filled with molten metal, you need to skim out the charcoal and ash layer, otherwise known as dross. First take your skimmer and stick it into the charcoal, get it red hot, this prevents the aluminum from sticking to the skimmer. Now work the skimmer washer across the dross layer and pull up as much dross as you can. Some aluminum will come out with the dross, don’t worry about it. Pull the skimmer out of the crucible and forge, and rap it against the metal side of the forge towards the bottom. The dross and captured aluminum will drop off onto the ground and can be collected and disposed of later when everything has cooled. Repeat until the molten aluminum is mostly cleaned off. You do NOT want to stir the molten metal, you just want to get the trash off the surface. If you stir the metal it can capture air and gasses you don’t want in the melt. With the melt cleaned off, have a look at it, you will see the quicksilver of the molten metal but aluminum also has an orange aura around it. Even when it is out of the crucible, but still molten, it will have this orange glow around it. Continue fueling the fire and feeding the mold until the melt is nearing the top of the crucible. It is up to you to judge the amount of metal you need to fill a mold. And you get better at this each time you do it. For the 6" X 6" sphere you will need the crucible to be pretty full. It is not just the pattern cavity that needs to be filled, but the sprue, riser, filter trench, and channels as well. It is far better to have too much metal than not enough.

With your crucible nearly full, I like to carefully take it out of the forge, you should be pretty good at this by now, for one last re-fuel. Put it back into the forge and turn the air supply back on. This last heat will bring the impurities to the surface. Be sure to orient the crucible so its lower manipulation ring can be accessed from the standing position you practiced earlier. Get your mold and tools ready it is almost time to pour. After letting the final heat work its magic for several minutes, turn the air supply off, and repeat the process of skimming the dross from the metal. Hooks in hand get into your pouring position, lift the crucible out, it will be heavy so exercise caution. Attach your second hook to the lower ring and move the crucible over the mold. Your target is the funneled out sprue hole. Slowly raise the bottom of the crucible and let the metal run into the sprue. Do not stop pouring for any reason, a brief interruption can cause the metal to solidify and wreck the casting. Slow and steady, slow and steady! While pouring, keep your eye on the riser, when you see the aluminum come up to the surface of the riser, you are finished. Stop the pour and move the crucible over to the trenches you cut in the dirt earlier. Pour out any remaining metal into the trenches. You can use an ingot mold instead of trenches for this as well. You need to get all the remaining metal and trash out of the crucible before it cools. Once I have poured off the remaining metal I will hold the crucible with both hooks, bottom up, and tap the mouth of the crucible on the ground several times. This does a good job of cleaning it out for the next melt.

| Look at your mold, if you see aluminum bubbling out of the sprue, your sand was too wet and not properly burned out. Chances are the casting is blown, but this is not always the case, so don’t lose all hope. Once in a while you get a poor fitting between the sand in the cope and the sand in the drag. When this happens aluminum will briefly come out from the seams. It will burn the wood and smell terrible but don’t touch it, just let it cool, and once again, this may not necessarily ruin the casting. If you see just a little steam and water coming out of the vent holes then chances are the casting is a good one. But there is only one way to find out for sure, open the mold and have a look. Keep in mind that it is still very hot inside the mold. I wait 20 minutes before breaking the mold open. Even after 20 minutes you can get a steam burn so wear gloves. While you are waiting clean up your mess, put your tools and air supply away. The forge will stay hot for 12 to 15 hours depending on the outside temperature, so don’t worry about cleaning it up until the next day. The crucible will stay hot for a while, just let it cool.

In the next installment, I will cover: breaking the mold, possible disappointment, and cleaning up the casting.

The aluminum melting forge is fueled by hardwood charcoal. To begin making charcoal you are going to need 2 steel barrels. One standard size 55 gallon drum will serve as your outer barrel, the second barrel is a little more difficult to acquire. The inner barrel or actual charcoal out gassing barrel needs to be small enough to fit inside the 55 gallon barrel. The smaller barrel also must have a lid that can be locked in place during the cooking and removed later to extract the charcoal. I was fortunate enough to find Military food barrels at a local surplus store. These are 25 gallons, they come with a lid and locking ring. If you are fortunate enough to find some of these buy as many as you can, they are highly useful. I keep all of our dried goods in them, they are great for storing and mulling your casting sand, and ideal to make charcoal. Drill or knock roughly 8 holes in the barrel lid, the holes do not need to be more than ½" in diameter. These holes will allow your hardwood to out-gas.

Next, you need to come up with some hardwood pieces. Split firewood logs work you just need to make sure the pieces are small enough to fit into the forge. Most woods make good charcoal especially pine, construction sites will often allow you to haul away their cut-off scrap , but you cannot use plywood, since it is highly toxic when burned. The same goes for any type of [resin-impregnated] particle boards.

Fill your smaller barrel up with hardwood, go all the way to the top, just make sure there is enough room to put the holed lid on and lock it. Now place the smaller barrel(Holes Up) into the larger 55 gallon drum. There is another method where the holes are places down and gasses coming off the hardwood can fuel the fire, I have never had any luck with this method. For the charcoal making burn in the 55 gallon drum, tree trimmings work quite well. It takes some time for the fire to get hot enough to burn away the volatile gasses from the hardwood leaving you with charcoal. You will need to keep feeding the fire and watch the holes in the charcoal barrel. When the correct temperature is reached flames will shoot out of the holes of your charcoal barrel, this is the out gassing. After the volatile gasses have burned off I add one more round of fuel to the fire and let it burn out. Usually I let the whole thing cool overnight, it is not worth the trouble to get in a hurry and haul a hot heavy barrel out of another hot barrel. The next day, take your 25 gallon barrel out, pop the lid and have a look. You should have nice black charcoal pieces ready for the forge. This is enough charcoal for one melt, it will ignite easily and burn clean and hot. The pine charcoal is also great for use in your steel forge, and will cook an excellent steak as well. There are many other methods available to make your own charcoal but this method works and is fairly inexpensive and does not take up too much space in your yard.

If you have the funds and do not want to go through the process of making your own charcoal, then it can be purchased. There is a brand of hardwood chunk charcoal for around $8 for 20 pounds, it works well in the forge, you can also use the cheaper dollar store briquettes. The little square charcoal briquettes have some big drawbacks, they are hard to ignite and even worse they are extremely messy when used as forge fuel. The air flow causes them to spit small chunks off while burning, and these little cinders go everywhere, they can cause fires, burn you and fill up your crucible with trash while melting. I would only use the briquettes as a last resort. You have fuel, you have a forge and crucible, you have sand, flask and tools, it is time to draw your first mold.

Drawing the Mold

There is an art to drawing your mold that can only be learned by doing. It took me two years to get this process down and I still consider myself a novice. I need to mention again that you have to keep pushing forward and try, try, try If your mold goes wrong and falls apart, keep trying If your mold goes right and your pour gets ruined wasting hours of work, keep trying Nothing in life, that is worth doing, is ever easy. You will get discouraged, you will have failures, but don’t give up. I am going to talk you through a split pattern mold. This is the easiest one to do, I recommend that you draw many molds before even lighting a fire, I wish that I had.

You are going to need some parting powder, parting powder or dust is sprinkled liberally over the parts to be replicated and at the seams of your cope and drag. The parting dust provides a barrier that allows parts to be removed and seams to be separated without adhesion to the surrounding casting sand keeping your two part mold intact. I use diatomaceous earth as my parting dust but I started with common baby powder. I drew many a mold with baby powder before learning that the baby powder absorbs moisture while diatomaceous earth does not. The difference between the two, in my opinion, are hardly noticeable. For a parting dust spreader simply put some dust into an old foot sock, hold the sock end closed and shake vigorously over your parts to build up a layer.

You are going to need a pattern, this is the object you wish to make a negative of in casting sand so a positive can be made in aluminum. For these beginning molds keep it simple don’t try to make a candelabra for your first mold, or in retrospect, a light saber. Lets say that you want to make an aluminum sphere 6 in diameter and you already have that sphere but it is just a wood ball at this point. For the split pattern mold start by cutting your wooden sphere in half . You now have two half spheres that need some alignment points, so the two halves fit together exactly the same way each time you separate them. Two small 1 nails with the flat end cut off will serve this purpose. Drive both nails ½ deep into one sphere half, match each up in the opposite sphere half and drill a ½ deep hole using a drill bit with a slightly larger diameter than the nail. The two sphere halves can now be joined together using the nails. Make sure that the fit is not tight as you will want them to separate easily in the mold. Now that you have a pattern it is time to start using all that homemade equipment. I trust that you have added water to temper your sand? This should be done, ideally, the night before drawing your mold, but the sand can be tempered in just one hour if you forgot. I keep my sand in one of the lidded barrels mentioned earlier, so it is always tempered and ready to go. Contrary to what many have written do not be overly concerned about adding too much water to your sand, I will cover a drying process a little later on. Grab a handful of your sand and squeeze it together in your fist. It should be wet to the touch but not slimy or runny. When you open your hand you should have a nice fist shaped ball in your palm. Grab the fist shaped ball in both hands and break it, it should offer some resistance and the break should be clean. If it is overly crumbly you need to add more water and possibly some more bentonite. You will know with a bit of practice.

Rest one of your backboards between the 2x4s on your casting table then grab your cope. Place the cope triangle points facing down and resting off each side of the backboard. You need a flush fit between the cope and the backboard with no gaps. Take the sphere half with no nails in it and place it(flat side down, concave side up) on the backboard centered roughly in the middle of the cope. Take your sock of parting dust and shake it vigorously over the cope and the sphere half pattern. You want a good covering of parting dust over the backboard (floor) and over the pattern, if it looks thick to you, don’t worry about it, the casting sand itself will compact the parting dust layer. Being careful not to shake the pattern lay your riddle on top of the cope, you should have sand at the ready on your casting table. Grab a handful of sand and place it in the riddle, gently at first, begin pushing the sand through the wire mesh. You can use a plastic paint scraper for this if you like, but I just push it through with my fingers. Keep going until you have a good layer of sand over the entire cope bottom and pattern, the sifted sand should come up to the bottom of your wire mesh. Pick up your riddle and set it aside, then gently push the sand down with your hands, compacting it around the pattern and cope floor. Put your riddle back onto the cope and push through another layer of sand but this time make sure the sifted sand covers the corners and sides of the cope. Again put aside your cope and compact the sand with your hands. The first and second layer of sand over the pattern are the most important, this is the sand that the aluminum will make contact with. Compact it carefully at the cope edges and corners, you have now effectively locked the pattern down in sand.

Riddle another layer of sand into the cope and this time when you compact it with your hands you can push down harder making sure that you are capturing all the detail of the pattern. Compact the sand on the pattern and the pattern sides, you want to make sure there are no voids or empty spots which can misshape the casting. One last layer of riddled, hand compacted sand, should be enough for a simple casting. Now you can just grab handfuls of sand and fill the cope, it is now that you will use the rammer. For each layer of sand put in, you need to compact its entire surface area with the rammer, paying close attention to getting the sand at the corners good and tight. Start ramming at the edges first, it is OK now to push down hard, and work your way into the middle of the cope, with the rammer. Keep doing this until the cope is full and the compacted sand is an inch higher than the 2 X 4 walls. Take your stiff straight edge and using the 2 X 4's as your guide scrape or cut off the sand. You want the sand flush with the 2 X 4's. Now take your other backboard and rest it the same way as the first on your casting table. Gently pick up the filled cope, flip it over and rest it (Pattern Up) on the second back board. Do not worry, the compacted sand has formed a friction hold with the wood of the cope and will not fall out. With a larger flask you need to add some sand holders but a small 12 X 12 flask holds just fine with friction.

Have a look at the first half of your mold, you will see only the sphere half bottom surrounded by whitened sand (Parting Dust). Clean off the edges of the wood only, if any particles have gotten onto the mold itself they can be blown right off with either a small bellows or your mouth. Try not to inhale any particles when you are readying yourself to blow. With the cope resting on the back board it is time to make the second half of the mold. First grab the other half of your pattern and mate it to the first sphere half using the nail guides. Next grab your drag and using the alignment triangles, which are now facing up, mate the drag to the cope. Make sure the 2 x 4's of both the cope and drag are flush with each other with no particles between them. Sprinkle in a hearty layer of parting dust over the pattern and the drag (Floor) which is now sand and completed pattern instead of the backboard. Then exactly repeat the sand riddling and compacting process you just completed with the cope. Fill past the drag top and scrape off the excess with the straight edge just like before.

You are ready to separate the mold, making sure you have your second back board in place, grasp the handles of the drag and gently pull it apart. Sometimes you need to wiggle it a bit to get it to separate from its triangle guides. Once it has parted, flip the drag over (pattern up) and set it on the second backboard. The cope and drag should be lying next to each other and they should both contain a pattern half. This is why it is important to maintain a loose fit on your pattern guide nails. If half of your pattern does come out of the sand, DON’T PANIC, at this stage many errors can still be corrected. Continue the separation of the mold and get the cope and drag rested, then gently pull the pattern half that came loose off, making sure you don’t pull out the other half in the process, then simply place it all the way back into its mold. If it did come loose then most likely some of the sand at the edges in direct contact with the pattern came loose as well. This too can be fixed by pressing in some extra fresh sand, once the pattern is back in place, and smoothing it with your fingers. If it wants to crumble on you, dip your fingers into some water then smooth it.

It is very important that your pattern remain in the mold during the next step, which is sprue, riser and channel cutting. The sprue is the actual hole in which the molten metal will be introduced to the mold, on the opposite side of the sprue; I like to cut a riser, the riser is a hole smaller in diameter than the sprue, in which the molten metal can exit the mold after passing through and filling the pattern cavity. Many sand casters do not use a riser but having this second hole in the top of your mold has several advantages. It adds extra molten metal weight to the pattern cavity and it also tells you when the mold is holding all the molten aluminum it can handle. It is awful when you overfill a mold with aluminum, molten metal running off the sides, is dangerous, to say the least, and when it hits your 2 X 4's it catches them on fire and emits a foul smoke. My casting flasks have many burns. Now there is a complex mathematical equation that explains how molten metal weight gets your pattern cavity filled, but to put it simply, the weight of the metal at the sprue and the riser will fill the pattern cavity nicely before it cools enough to solidify. Lastly you need to cut channels or gates from the sprue to the pattern, and from the pattern, to the riser. Think of them as small canals that allow metal to flow.

The sprue and riser will be cut into the cope or top part of the mold only. To accomplish this you will need your 1 and 1 ½” diameter segments of pipe that are roughly 6 to 8 inches in length. PVC pipe works but thin walled metal pipe works even better. With the pattern still facing up in your cope look where the most empty sand area is, you do not want the sprue to be too close to the pattern or the wooden cope wall, find an area that has at least 1 of sand between both the pattern and cope wall. This is why it is important to center your pattern in the flask. For this hypothetical pattern there is plenty of empty sand room all around. Pick a patch and run your 1 ½ diameter pipe vertically all the way through the cope sand until you strike the wood of the backboard. Then gently pull the pipe back out vertically, the cut sand will remain in the pipe, and you have just cut your sprue. Now repeat the process with the smaller diameter pipe on the opposite side of the pattern, the sand will remain in the pipe and you have added a riser to your mold. Be sure to remove the casting sand from your sprue and riser pipes with a long screwdriver, if it dries in the pipe, it is a pain to get out. Now you need to pattern out the location of the sprue and riser holes in the drag or bottom part of the mold so you can cut your channels. This patterning in the drag does not need to be 100% accurate so you have several options. 1. Put the cope and drag back together and run your pipes back through the holes to make an indentation in the drag sand. 2. Take a ruler and measure the location of the holes in the cope then use the measurements to find them in the drag. 3. Just guesstimate.

With your drag (pattern up) it is time to cut your channels and filter, this is where you will use your bent kitchen spoon. The channels and filter will be cut in the drag sand only. The filter is a trough or trench cut below the sprue (Larger Hole) its purpose is to catch any errant particles or trash that may get caught up in the molten metal pour as it runs down the sprue. The particles and trash collect in the bottom of this small trench and allow clean metal to run through the channel into the mold cavity. It sounds far more technical than it is, simply cut a small trench in the drag sand below the sprue. It is important that the filter trench be slightly lower than the channel. From your filter trench cut a straight U shaped channel all the way to the wood of the pattern, scoop away the excess sand and drop it into your casting table. Be sure to blow away any particles that may fall onto the mold. Smooth down the entire filter trench and channel with your fingers, any excess particles will be washed into the pattern cavity when you pour. The riser channel is a bit easier, there is no filter trench to worry about, just cut another U shaped channel from the riser to the pattern and smooth it down with your fingers.

Now we need to remove the two wooden sphere halves (pattern) from the mold. This is where your rapper comes into play, start with the pattern half that has the nails in it. Use the nails as your rapping points. Take your Y shaped rapper and gently strike the nail with the two rapping bolts using a side to side motion. I must emphasize gently here, you are not trying to knock out the pattern, you are trying to loosen the pattern from the surrounding casting sand. Rap both of the nails until you see the wooden pattern move just slightly in the sand. When you see the slight movement it means the pattern is free and can be lifted out. Grasp a nail in each hand and slooooowly wiggle or rock it out. If there is any damage along the edges don’t panic and follow the procedure detailed earlier in this segment. Now to rap out the wooden pattern half with no nails. To create a rapping point I use a small punch inserted into the holes drilled earlier. Once it has been rapped loose from the casting sand, two small punches, or something similar, will be used as the grasping points. Insert a tool into each hole, angle each tool to create a friction hold and wiggle it out. With the pattern removed you need to smooth down the channels cut earlier with your fingers, where they meet the pattern cavity, this will allow an unobstructed flow of molten metal into and out of the cavity.

We have one last cut to make in the sand, this is the funnel cut, and it will be performed on only the cope. Take your cope and rest it on its side, make sure it does not fall and ruin your work. You are going to make this cut from the top side of the cope. With the pattern cavity side facing away from you locate the sprue hole (Larger Hole). Take your dull X-Acto knife or even a butter knife and cut a funnel shape around the sprue hole. This greatly helps with the accuracy of the pour, channeling the molten aluminum directly into the sprue. Smooth the whole funnel cut down with your fingers. Be careful not to cut the funnel too deep, this can weaken or ruin the mold cavity on the other side. Before laying the cope back down you need to vent the cavity. This is an important step performed on the cope side only. When the molten aluminum hits the wet sand it creates steam, the vent holes in the cavity allow the steam to escape. Grab the vent wire you made earlier, rotate the cope so the pattern cavity is facing you. The venting only needs to done on the pattern cavity, nowhere else. Push the wire through the cavity until it pokes through on the other side where you just made your sprue funnel. Go gently and slowly with the vent wire both when pushing and pulling it back out. I believe in profuse venting, so on a 6 pattern cavity like the one described, I would vent it 20 times, make sure the vents are all over the cavity. When you are finished with the venting wire while the cope is still on its side, blow off any and all excess particles from both the top and bottom. If a particle is giving you trouble just wet your finger tip, or even a Q-Tip and gently touch the rogue particle, it will stick to the wet surface and can be removed.

Burning the mold is the last step, and once again it is an important step. Steam is our enemy and will ruin the casting. You need to get as much moisture as you can away from the points that will make contact with the molten aluminum. To accomplish this your friend the propane torch will be utilized. Ignite your torch and start burning, burn your sprue and riser from both sides, burn your channels and filter trench, and burn that cavity especially the drag (Bottom Side). You will see the moisture burn away from the sand when the blue flame is put to it, once the moisture has burned away, the sand becomes harder and more brittle, you must be very careful not to bang the cope or the drag. When the mold has been burned blow off any excess particles, it helps to turn the mold cavities upside down and hold them above your head and blow. Lastly you need to very, very carefully put your cope and drag together. You have just drawn a mold It is ready for the pour, a good rule to follow is never start a fire until you have fully drawn your mold. You can prepare the forge before drawing the mold but don’t ignite it.

I need to also note that you are under a bit of a time constraint after burning the mold. As soon as the torch is shut off, moisture begins to creep back into the burned spots. My own rule on this is to re-burn the mold if it has set for two hours. [JWR Adds: Or less, in very high-humidity climates!] As for making a mold one day and using it on the next day, forget it, it is a same day deal. There is also an internet rumor floating around that if your sand is too wet the mold can explode. I have poured into overly wet sand on several occasions, the casting was wrecked, but there was no explosion. The venting and burning of the mold will alleviate any steam problems making an explosion impossible. Aluminum has a melting point of 1,220 Degrees F, this is a relatively low melting temperature, which is why aluminum is such a good metal for the backyard caster. If you were to melt copper you would be dealing with a melting point of nearly 2,000 degrees F, with this much higher temperature an overly wet mold explosion is a real possibility. The next installment of this article will cover safety concerns, the melt and the pour. (So don't start doing anything except mold-making until you have read the next installment!)

Sir,
Mr. F. has written a very good article on a subject often neglected by many. As a fire service professional working for one of the largest municipal agencies in the country, I must warn against the use of candles whenever possible. Paranoid? Not after seeing burned up children, loss of property, etc. If you must, please place them well away from any combustible materials, and never carry one when lit. - SplitHoof.

JWR Replies: I generally discourage the use of candles, but if and when they are used, my advice is to: 1.) Never let them burn unattended, and 2.) Over-engineer their supports. Don't just use a cup-base candlestick holder. Place candles in the middle of a large cookie sheet or a broiler pan. (Look for well-used ones at thrift stores and at garage sales.) That way, even if a candle were to burn unevenly and tip over, there would be no risk of a fire.

Mr. Rawles-
The subject of fire safety is seriously overlooked in preparedness, as evidenced by the large losses of life and property we experience even in "normal" times. Mr. F's piece is a needed wake-up call.

Allow me to add that there is good reason for owning the proper fire extinguishers in the event of an attack on your retreat/home.

Those of us that remember the 60's will recall that the Molotov Cocktail was a favorite weapon used by rioters and general trouble makers. These were generally gasoline filled bottles with some primitive ignition device like a fuel soaked rag. Some had more sophisticated ignition. Generally they were not good weapons and not too effective. However if one lands in your living room it can at least distract you from more important matters.

A portable fire extinguisher rated as ABC for the three classes of fire in the 10 to 20 pound range is sufficient to quickly take care of one of these improvised incendiary. I have both demonstrated this and seen it demonstrated in more controlled tests. A few extinguishers at the ready can do dual duty in peace and war. Consider them as you would firearms and get them big enough and in quantity. - Palmetto

Mr. Rawles,

I'd like to add a quick aside to Mr. F's excellent article on Survival Fire Safety:
I've always had an interest in firefighting, but not so much that I ever considered it an appropriate career option. About a year and a half ago, we moved out of a major metropolitan area to the outskirts of a very small town (census population less than 100) a few hours away to establish a retreat and small family farm where we now live.

Shortly after moving here, I realized that most all the fire departments were staffed by volunteers. I asked around, and eventually got in touch with the chief of our local volunteer fire department. Long story short, I went through a few dozen hours of state-funded training and am now an active member of our local department. I was issued a full set of structural firefighting protective gear (boots, turnouts, gloves, Nomex hood, and helmet) which stays with me at all times. I was also issued a pager, and a radio is soon to come. There are ongoing training opportunities available, including medical training which I plan to take advantage of later this year.

Over the past six months, I've responded to a number of fire calls—ranging from very minor to one recent call where a just-vacated house burned clear to the ground in the middle of the night, having progressed much too far by the time a neighbour discovered there was even a fire. To say I've gotten valuable real-world training and experience in even this short time span would be an understatement. It's made me re-evaluate how and where we store liquid fuels, more closely monitor our woodstove/chimney and electrical system, and generally be more cognizant of combustibles in and around our home and how we should respond in the event there is a fire. We've always kept fire extinguishers on hand and maintained smoke alarms, but I'm now much more deliberate about these important items. Our department historically deals with quite a few brush/woodland fires in the warmer months, so I'm anticipating those learning experiences to come as well.

What's more, in addition to now being trained and equipped, I'm on my way to becoming a much more active and recognised member of the community. My wife's family has been here for generations, but we're new and our name was previously unknown. Now, I'm serving my community in a unique and important way, getting to know folks, and in the process getting valuable training and access to gear which no doubt will help me serve my own family in a SHTF scenario.

If anyone has a similar interest, I would highly recommend at least looking into it. - CH

Mr. Rawles,
I would like to add too your posting on this subject, I am a member of a volunteer fire department in Tennessee. For chimney fires, we use what we call an "One Pounder" to put out this type of fire. A One Pounder is a plastic bag (zip lock, lunch bag,or a a thin small plastic bag) that weighs an about 1 pound after the dry chemical fire extinguisher powder has been put into the bag. (Baking soda has been used as well, but it takes more of it). We get on the roof, throw the bag down the chimney, the bag melts and release the powder, and the fire goes out. Some what clean and simple, please don’t get buried and/or fall of the roof. If the fire does not go out, in goes another one, but that is very rare this has to happen.

Always check with your local fire department on their process for putting out this type of fire. Support your local Volunteer Fire Department.

Have a good day. - Jason B

In our preparations, we’ve all made an in depth survival plan.  We have stocks of food items and a means to hunt or grow more.  We know where we’ll get water and how to treat it and have solutions for cooking, heating and lighting.  Perhaps some will operate gasoline or propane-run electric generators and some may distill alcohol or use wood gasification for fuel.  We also have adequate supplies of medications, vitamins and first-aid items.  We’ve thought of everything, planned for any contingency.  Right?

What about Fire Safety?  Our plans mostly or entirely rely on fire for cooking, heating and lighting.  Do you have working fire extinguishers or another plan to deal with a fire if one erupts?  If you are planning to use a generator it needs to be properly wired to prevent fire.  And what about your fuel storage?  Is it a hazard?  After all, if services have deteriorated to this point, the local fire department isn’t coming either.

Of all aspects of our daily life, Fire Safety is most commonly overlooked.  The second step to mitigating any safety hazard, after removing the process entirely if possible, is to engineer out the hazard.  Today, this is done for us in the form of model building codes, UL listings and other industry standards.  Not surprisingly, it isn’t forefront in our minds.  But when SHTF, we’ll be trading our electric lights for kerosene lamps and candles, electric ranges for camp stoves and wood fires.  Many things will be home-built or improvised from available resources.  Have we already, or will we, engineer in those safeguards?

The Science of Fire
To understand fire potential, and extinguishment, it is important to understand the dynamics of a fire.  Some of you may recall learning about the “Fire Triangle” in school.  The theory being that combustion occurs when all three components (oxygen, fuel and heat) are present, and removing one or more will extinguish the fire.  While this is a simplistic approach, it makes an appropriate foundation to start with.
First off, this means that the fuel and oxygen components must attain proper geometric distribution or fuel to oxygen mixing.  This usually requires that the fuel, though it may be in a liquid or solid form, must be heated until it vaporizes.  This is where heat comes into play.  “Flammable” means that it will vaporize at temperatures below 105 degrees F and generally includes liquids such as gasoline, alcohol, propane, etc.  “Combustible” refers to fuels which vaporize at temperatures greater than 105 degrees F, thus requiring more heat input for the combustion process to occur.  This is also why it is harder to start a campfire in the dead of a Canadian winter than summer in west Texas.

As a fire burns, the combustion reaction produces large amounts of energy in the form of heat.  This in turn becomes the heat necessary to sustain and/or grow the fire.  The hotter the fire, the more fuel that becomes available and the more rapid the fire’s growth. The only limitation now is the available air. It is important to note, however, that not all fuels need to be in vapor form.  Fine dust particles, when airborne in high enough quantity, can attain the proper mixing with oxygen to burn quite rapidly.  This is important for anyone with bulk storage of grains, coal, sawdust and even dusty hay.

The oxygen, or oxidizing agent, in the context to which we are concerned with comes from “standard” atmospheric air – roughly 20% oxygen, 79% nitrogen, etc.  As the fire burns, hot combustion gases expand and rise in a superheated plume.  As these gases rise, fresh air is drawn into the fire at the base, heated, consumed in the fire and again released upward.  This is what is referred to as convection currents and one reason why you aim a fire extinguisher at the base of the fire. Also note, however, that in some instances such as with gunpowder, no outside oxygen is required for combustion.  Some chemicals, such as nitrates, contain sufficient quantities of oxygen within the molecules, and are easily released during the combustion process.  These burn rapidly and are difficult to control.

Okay, a fire just broke out!  Now what do we do?  First, we need to know what classification of fire it is (that is to say what materials are involved).  This is important so we can determine the proper method of extinguishment. 

Class A Fires involve “ordinary” combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth, etc.  This is the most common fire you can expect and will most likely occur from a campfire that got out of control, a lantern getting knocked over, a lit candle or some other similar incident.  A little care can go a long way here.
Water is going to be the best means to put out a Class A fire but it’s likely to be a precious commodity.  Snow is another excellent media since it is also very effective at blanketing the fire.  If it is small, you can also try smothering it with a blanket or jacket but make sure there is no flammable liquid involved (guarantee you’ll set the blanket or jacket on fire if there is).  In the case of a small to medium fire outdoors, sand or soil shoveled onto the fire is also effective.  However, sometimes it may be best to simply let the fire burn itself out while you prevent it from spreading.

Chimney Fires can creep up unwittingly.  Unburned volatiles called creosote are given off primarily due to green/wet wood, low temperature fires and insufficient airflow.  This creosote builds up until it either blocks the flue or is ignited by a hot fire.  If a fire occurs, immediately close all inlet vents on the stove to smother the fire.  If it is an open fireplace, extinguish the fire below then carefully try to close the damper if you can.  Do not attempt to cover the chimney but do try to water down the roof if possible.  There is otherwise very little that can be done for a chimney fire.  Water sprayed into the flue will likely crack the flue liner.  Even the extreme temperature generated is likely to cause damage to the chimney.  Damaged flues and chimneys drastically increase the likelihood of a structure fire.  It is best to take every precaution to avoid a chimney fire. [JWR Adds: Chimneys should be cleaned at least once per year!]

Class B Fires involve generally flammable liquids such as gasoline, kerosene, paraffin, alcohol, etc.  These pose a great risk because they ignite easily and spread quickly.  Accumulated vapors can ignited with the smallest spark, even static electricity.
If you encounter a flammable liquid pool fire, do not use water.  Remember, most of the flammable liquids we will be using are hydrocarbon based and float on water.  Application of the water will cause ripples in the fuel, causing a flare up as well as spreading the fire.  Flammable liquid fire must be extinguished by smothering.  This is best accomplished by dry chemical of foam fire extinguishers though small fires in containers may be carefully covered.

| Now let’s say you are refueling a hot generator and it flashes over.  You now have flames coming out of the fuel tank as well as the gas can.  Get away!  It is important to keep your distance as explosion or eruption is possible.  This is a bad situation and there is little you’re going to be able to do.  A pressurized hose could be used to cool surfaces but at the risk of overflowing the tank or can, thus spreading the fire. In the event of a leaking propane line that catches fire, shut off the gas at the source if it can be done safely.  It is unlikely that anything else you try will be successful and even if it is, you’ll be releasing raw fuel that is likely to re-ignite.

Probably one of the most common and dangerous fires in this class is the grease fire.  This generally occurs from superheating animal fats or vegetable oil and also applies to paraffin.  Again, do not use water.  Find something to cover it with, such as the lid to a pot if you are cooking.  The next step is to do nothing.  That’s right, don’t touch it.  Let me repeat that.  Do not touch it.  Don’t even think about.  You see, as oil, grease or paraffin burns, its’ auto-ignition temperature decreases.  That means that if any air is introduced, it will flash over again unless it has cooled sufficiently.

Class C Fires involve energized electrical components such as wiring, motors, generators, etc.  In this case, the ignition source is the electricity and the fuel is usually the wiring.  The first step in this situation is to kill the electricity – trip the disconnect, turn off the ignition, shut down the generator, what have you.  Now it is simply a Class A or Class B fire.  DO NOT use water around live electricity.

Class D Fires involve metals, such as sodium, magnesium, aluminum, etc.  These may be found in some fire starters and flares as well as around metal grinding and cutting.  It is possible for two metals, along with a catalyst, to ignite.  Such fires burn rapidly and extremely hot.  However unlikely it is that you will encounter such a fire in a survival situation, this is one you can’t affect without specialized firefighting equipment.

Fire Extinguishers are an indispensable safety item for every household.  Each extinguisher will be labeled for the class of fire and fire size it is capable of being used on.  There are several styles available so familiarize yourself with how yours operates before it is needed.  There are also a number of different extinguishing agents so choose wisely.  Water and water based foams will freeze and the powders used in dry chemical types wreak havoc with electronics.  Do you homework. They also require some regular maintenance.  For instance, dry chemical powders need to be “fluffed” every so often to keep them from caking.  This can be accomplished by turning it upside down and hitting the bottom with a rubber mallet.  And also check to make sure the bottle is free of rust or other mechanical damage.  I recall one incident in which a woman intended to operate a fire extinguisher on a small fire.  However, the bottle was severely rusted and when she “charged” it by firing off the supplied air cartridge, the top blew off and killed her. Also, with the exception of the old “Indian fire pumps”, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to refill them.

Doubtless, the most fearful fire of all is one that upon your person.  In the event that your clothes become involved, don’t run.  STOP, DROP and ROLL to smother the fire.  If you see someone else on fire, this is where  your time on the high school football team comes in handy.  Grab a blanket, preferably wool, and tackle them (albeit gently).  The goal is to get them on the ground and covered with the blanket, smothering the fire.  Depending on the circumstances and clothing involved, there will likely be some first aid required.

Up in Smoke
Aside from the inherent dangers of fire itself, combustion by-products may pose an even greater hazard.
In complete combustion of organic materials, where adequate free air exists for the fire, carbon dioxide and water are produced.  Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless gas which, being heavier than air, collects in low areas.  An increase of only 2-3% CO2 in the air we breathe can result in impaired memory, loss of fine motor skills and weakness.  Higher concentrations can cause unconsciousness and death.  If you find someone a victim of CO2 exposure, ventilate the area.  Do not go rushing in and become a victim too (you won’t do them or yourself any good like that).  Remove the victim to an area with fresh clean air.  In some cases, the victim may require further medical treatment my trained personnel.

If the fire is starved for oxygen, then carbon monoxide (CO) is produced.  Again, CO is a colorless, odorless gas, but it is even more dangerous.  Generally, CO exposure causes a feeling of sleepiness in the victim, but also nausea, headaches and vertigo.  Once the victim becomes unconscious, death soon follows.  The complicating factor here is that CO molecules bond to hemoglobin, the oxygen carriers in the bloodstream, preventing oxygen from getting to the cells.  Simply getting the victim to fresh air will not adequately purge CO from the system.  Treatment for CO exposure usually requires 100% oxygen or hyperbaric treatment.

When inorganic materials such as plastic, paint, glue, particle board, wire insulation and other man-made materials burn, there is virtually no limit to the volatile and toxic chemicals that are released.  These can result in serious illness and death very quickly and will almost certainly require medical treatment you cannot provide at your survival retreat.

An Ounce of Prevention
While we want to be prepared to deal with a fire if one starts, our best bet is to “engineer out” the hazard and prevent a fire altogether.
Make sure that lanterns, lamps and candles are placed on a flat, stable surface.  Candles should be in a proper holder or on a porcelain or tin plate with sides to catch melted wax.  An empty tuna can works well for this.  Ensure that all combustibles are kept away and be mindful of shirt sleeves and loose clothing when working with or around such items.  Also, be careful around children and animals (remember Mrs. O’Leary’s cow).

As I said before, chimney fires are best avoided and regular maintenance is the key to preventing them.  This starts with regular cleanings.   If you are burn strictly for heat in cold months, this means at least one cleaning before the burn season and possible more during the season.  If you will be burning regularly for cooking, you’ll probably be using a smaller fire, thus creating more creosote.  Burning hot and staying away from “green” wood or wood heavy with resins such as pines will drastically help reduce buildup. 

There are various products on the market which claim to help with creosote buildup.  These products are simply burned periodically in the fire.  However, while these would likely help, they are certainly no replacement for proper cleaning.  Make sure you have a brush or two of the proper shape and size for each flue.  In a pinch, a bundle of chain on a rope will work for small flues. 

Even as I write this, I received a call from a woman who just had a chimney fire last night.  Today she is trying to make repairs so that it is again safe to burn.  Metal chimneys are expensive but easily replaced if you have spare parts.  However, damage to masonry chimneys is much more difficult to repair.
Take extra care with flammable liquids.  When stored, ensure that they are in approved containers with good seals.  On his 1911-12 journey to the South Pole, Robert Scott left caches of food and fuel.  On the return trip, he found that many of the fuel cans were empty, having leaked at the seals.  The lack of fuel eventually led to their deaths.

Flammable liquids should be stored out of sunlight and in a well ventilated area.  And for God’s sake don’t use anything with a flame around flammable liquids.  Even a flashlight is a potential ignition source.  If you need to have something for light, get a small flashlight with a Class 1, Div.1 rating.  I use ones from Pelican and UA.
Also avoid using gasoline and the like for starting fires.  The accumulation of fumes can have deadly results.  A good alternative is to use gel starting fluid for pellet stoves.  The gel is less volatile and won’t flash or explode like gasoline will.

Also be very mindful of the clothing you wear around or when starting a fire.  Nylon, rayon and the multitudes of synthetic fibers used in clothing today are extremely dangerous.  They ignite easily and melt even easier thus increasing the need for medical attention.  Natural fibers such as cotton and wool are best.
When possible, buy instead of building anything that uses a flame.  This includes lanterns, stoves, burners, incubators, brooders and heaters.  There are also several manufacturers of fire resistance coatings that can be applied to almost anything.

Be careful with outdoor fires, especially when windy.  The last thing you want to do is start a fire that burns your house or shelter down with your supplies in it.  Remember the rule of 3’s?  You can survive 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without food.

Don’t use stoves or flames inside of tents unless both the tent and the stove are intended for such a purpose.
If you are planning to use a wood framed structure for your survival shelter, you may want to think about fire resistance.  A number of manufacturers offer concrete fiberboard siding that is fire proof as well as water, weather and insect proof.  There are also a number of options for roof coverings such as metal, clay and cement fiberboard.

Unless you are competent in electrical wiring, make sure to have everything checked out by a licensed electrician.  If you plan to use an electric generator, use the proper connections and transfer switches.  Don’t try to jury rig this - the shock and fire potentials here are extremely high.

Dear Editor:
With regards to the battery powered carbon monoxide (CO) detector, I just want to second that. When my family went through the Nov. 2007 ice storm that took out the power to half of Oklahoma, we were running off our generator for two days. The first night I put it outside, but close to the house to help shelter it from winds. Our CO detector went off in the middle of the night. We ended up having the fire department come out and check things. It was determined that the CO came in through either the dryer vent, which was close to where the generator was, or through the attic. Our home was built in the 1960s and has attic vents on the sides. We ended up moving the generator about 10 feet farther away from the house and didn't have any problems after that.

We've also found that one of the plastic kid pools works well with some duct tape to provide a temporary shelter for a generator in case of rain. Thanks for running the site, it's a wonderful resource. - Chad in Texas

James;
I really enjoyed reading "Lessons Learned from an Ice Storm", by G. in the Zarks. I went through a similar experience when I first moved to the hills, and resolved to buy a generator so I wouldn't lose all my perishables (not to mention my mind).

Connecting the generator to the home electrical system was easy enough: simply purchase a transfer switch or a "double throw switch" or a "break before make switch" to the tune of about $200 bucks at any contractor supply house. These handy devices are mechanical switches that route your generator power directly to your home electrical system, and physically separate this source of power from commercial power, thereby preventing the generator's electricity from feeding back into the power company's lines and injuring their linemen trying to restore the system after a power outage. Plus, you don't have to worry about tripping over all those pesky extension cords running to your refrigerator or freezer or whatever.

Next, hire yourself a licensed electrician to install said switch. This cost me under $200, but this was over 10 years ago, so YMMV. Knowledgeable, experienced electricians able to do this work are common in the Ozarks, as many make their living installing transfer switches on chicken houses.

When I bought my generator, all I could afford was a 6,500 watt gasoline-powered screamer. I wish I could have bought something bigger and better (read: diesel), but just couldn't come up with the bucks. Consequently, I am unable to power everything in my (unfortunately) all-electric house simultaneously. This necessitates careful load management. For example, I can run a couple of lights,my well pump and hot water heater at the same time, so hot showers are possible. Once showers are done, the well pump and water heater circuits are turned off and the refrigerator or freezer or what ever else needs doing are turned on.

Not the best situation, but until I can come up with the money to buy a larger generator, it sure beats sitting in the dark and cold praying the power comes back on soon. - L.H.

Mr. Rawles:
Re: The article "Lessons Learned From an Ice Storm, by G. in the Zarks" in the Friday, February 5th posts of SurvivalBlog, can I offer the some lessons I've learned in 40+ years as an Ozarker?

First, I listened and learned as much as I could from the fast-dwindling group of Ozark natives when I moved here. Second, I learned to watch the weather and know something about it. I didn't waste my time with the media weather female meteorologists or guys outstanding in the rain. I looked at the weather maps, remembered my years of experience here, and the stories told me by those whose experience preceded arrival of power lines and pavement. About 8:00 the morning the big ice storm was to hit the Ozarks, I committed to not being here when it did. Experience told me I'd be iced in for some time and the come-latelys would be in the ditches or otherwise draining the resources of our overtaxed and under-staffed sheriff's deputies, volunteer fire, and EMT crews.

It took me just two hours to load up and be on the road in my 16 year old conversion van, further converted to a self-sufficient home on wheels kept well stocked. That included preparing the house for what was ahead too. RV antifreeze in all drains and traps including washing machine and dishwasher, drain the water lines and shut off the electric water heater. Since the house is primarily heated by wood, two electrical strips were left on at low level to keep the inside above freezing. Six inch walls and a modest size make my house easy to keep above freezing and at adequate food storage levels, even in below zero times.

I called my sister-in-law, who lives a few miles away, and told her to drop by when conditions allowed to clean out the refrigerator as appropriate, and check for damage from trees in my 10-acres of hardwoods that surround and hide the house. She did, about a week later when the others who live down my road had cleared a path. The storm had given a war zone background to the beautiful mountains and valleys, but nothing hit either my house or two metal-clad outbuildings. A melted quart of ice cream was the worst clean-up problem.

I met the leading edge of the storm about 75 miles south of home, on the crest of our mountain range, where ice began appearing on the antennas on the van. I was out of danger on the flat land another 25 miles south and headed toward Texas via the shortest and fastest route. Once there and rested up after an overnight in a state Hospitality Center parking lot, I began a leisurely 30 days in the Lone Star State's state parks and other favorite and cheaper Texas camping places. With middle seats removed, my van contains a bed, 40-quart chest-type Engel 12 and 120 volt refrigerator with efficient rotary compressor. I can cook on either microwave or propane stoves. There's a Porta-potty tucked under the table holding the microwave, and food, water, coo ware and other
necessities in cabinets made from Sauder kit furniture units all bolted together and anchored to the mounts that held the middle van seats. Plastic storage units fit elsewhere for other supplies. Solar power panels, discreetly mounted inside the luggage rack on the roof to be invisible to any but someone climbing the van's ladder, keep the refrigerator going through a deep cycle battery. The 190 watt solar system also powers a 750 watt modified sine wave 120 volt power supply that runs the microwave for limited cooking such as my 2-minute oblates, 60-second brown and wild rice and meals. The 120 volts can run the laptop computer's TV module when TV stations are in range. Its own batteries handle e-mail. Some Texas State Parks are sources for free Internet hookups.

The van also is outfitted with three amateur radio and two scanner radios and antennas, to keep friends advised of my whereabouts beyond cell phone range or need, and keep me appraised of what is going on around and above me.

What I've learned from my resourceful and self-sustaining Ozark native friends is not to rush out and stock up after the first warning from the Weather Channel but to be ready to adapt to what ever may be coming, and to know if and when it is coming by experience, monitoring the real news sources of public service and other early warning media.

"Lessons learned from an ice storm?" Really be prepared. Prepared in priority. Power outages, winter storms and summer tornadoes or hurricanes, New Madrid acting up, heat, cold, rain or snow; I can ride them out or bug out in hours or less. Financial collapse, civil unrest, madness spawning something else; look for me gone in these less-likely but slower moving crises. I'll be out there somewhere, identifiable from the next vehicle only by license plate, if you happen to come upon me camping or rolling down some highway or back road. - Vern M.

While watching the local weather over the last few days, it has become apparent that a winter storm is heading for our part of the world, bringing with it the distinct possibility of not just snow, but significant amounts of ice. As I pondered this, it brought to mind our recent experiences with ice storms over the last few years, most notably in January 2007. I thought some of our “lessons learned” were worth sharing with others.

We had been blessed with several years of reasonably mild winters leading up to the 2007 storm. Unfortunately, the good times often seem to lull people into a state of complacency, characterized by an artificial sense of well-being and overall lack of awareness. This is, of course, what the late Colonel Cooper referred to as Condition White.

I freely admit to being somewhat guilty of the “All is Well” syndrome where the weather was concerned also. While I have spent my entire adult life trying to make sure my family is prepared for the myriad of difficulties we experience, I must confess that when the weather man said “Chance of ice,” I didn’t really take him all that seriously. I failed to properly evaluate the nature of the threat. In that particular instance, I didn’t think through the potential ice storm scenario to any great degree, because I considered myself and my family to already be prepared for this event. At the very least, I should have gone through the mental exercise of “what if” and reviewed the supplies I had in contrast to what I was likely to need in this situation. In a real emergency, “All is Well” can get you killed.

The ice came. In the early hours of the morning I awoke to find the power had gone off. This was, frankly, no surprise to me. Temporary interruptions in the grid caused by weather are far from unusual here. What I couldn’t know at the time was our power would not be back on for 8 days. Neighbors not far from us were out for 13 days. In contrast, power in the closest town was only out for hours.

Upon waking, I immediately got up, woke my wife and told her the power was out, and took a hot shower before the water in the tank had a chance to cool. My wife did likewise. A hot shower can become an unbelievable luxury in a surprisingly short period of time when the power is out. (Yes, our hot water heater is “gasp!” electric.) Also, I filled the bathtub and several buckets with water in case the generators failed at the local water district. I already had several cases of drinking water and approximately 200 gallons in drums in the garage as well. These are standard precautions on our part, regardless of the time of year.

Heat was the next issue we tackled. Our home is all-electric, but we supplement the electric furnace with portable kerosene heaters in order to keep utility bills manageable. I isolated the living room, which is where we spend most of our waking hours, by stapling blankets over the doorways leading to our hallways and kitchen. This five-minute modification allowed me to more efficiently heat the living room with a kerosene heater, and minimized heat loss into the unused areas of the house. I used the same “compartment” approach at night when heating the bedroom. Of course, kerosene heaters should never be left unattended for any period of time, and a battery-powered CO detector is a must.

A second important lesson regarding heat is to have ample fuel supplies on-hand to handle an emergency. We were burning kerosene on a daily basis before the storm. When the weather forecast seemed ominous, I asked my wife to pick up an extra container of kerosene on her way home from work, since I work long shifts and would not be away from work before the station closed. She forgot, and we faced the storm with less than 5 gallons of kerosene. On the heels of the ice came painfully low temperatures for several days. It became clear that we would not have sufficient fuel for our heaters to last throughout the cold snap. Furthermore, a large percent of the local population had turned to kerosene heaters in the absence of electricity. Local suppliers soon ran out of kerosene. As a result, I eventually found myself standing in line for approximately four hours in order to purchase 10 gallons of kerosene, when it became available. Fortunately, I did have enough cash on hand to make the needed transaction. ATMs were only intermittently operational. The wait, outdoors in single-digit temperatures, with a few hundred other unfortunates, was by far the most valuable lesson I received during this time. The helplessness, anxiety, and shame associated with my lack of preparation have impacted me deeply. By the way, I now buy kerosene in 55 gallon drums. No more queues for me.

That covers water, shelter, and heat. Our next issue was light. I keep several Dietz lanterns and two Aladdin lamps along with several gallons of high-grade lamp oil on hand. Illumination was not a problem. In addition, I have a wide variety of Surefire brand flashlights and spare lithium batteries for nighttime chores around the house. All of the above were put to good use. I was even able to supply some of my neighbors with Dietz lanterns and oil during the time we were off-grid. Several valuable lessons concerning light were learned. First, the Aladdin lamps are excellent, albeit somewhat expensive. They are bright when used according to the instructions. So bright, in fact, that I recommend anyone planning on using them also spend the extra money for lamp shades. They are definitely bright enough to read by without undue eyestrain. They also give off significant amounts of heat, which was helpful in the cold temperatures. They would be less pleasant to utilize in hot weather, however. I was actually able to boil water by holding a metal cup over the top of the chimney for a brief time. This was an excellent technique for preparing some of the freeze-dried Mountain House food we ate during the event. Buy at least twice as many mantles and chimneys as you think you will need, as these are the most fragile parts of the lamp. Also, read the instructions.

Dietz lanterns are excellent tools for the money, but are significantly less bright than the Aladdins. They are easier to use when you are moving around as they have handles and can be carried while lit. All the standard precautions apply when using anything that is actively burning while you handle it.

Surefire lights are also outstanding illumination tools. The major shortfall is battery life. I discovered that when you are using them as a primary illumination source, you will go through a surprising number of batteries. The good news is the batteries generally have a shelf life measured in years, so you can afford to stock up without worrying too much about discharge rates. Don’t buy CR-123 batteries from places like Wal-Mart; they are too expensive there. Instead, order them directly from Surefire’s web site. You can get them in bulk for less than $2 per battery. The battery life problem can also be mitigated somewhat by buying the newer generation of LED lights, as opposed to the older ones with the xenon bulbs.

Food was not an issue due to pre-existing stocks. All our cooking was done outside on a propane burner from a turkey fryer. Coffee prepared in an enameled percolator was definitely the biggest morale-booster from day to day. We even had friends over for “Mountain House night” to provide a little levity and fellowship in an otherwise dreary situation.

The same morning that the power went off, I removed all perishables from the refrigerator and stored them in a Rubbermaid tub in the cold garage. That food was prepared and eaten first. The freezers were left closed as much as possible, and wrapped with blankets for additional insulation. I keep a 5kw generator with the tank drained along with several gallons of stabilized fuel (religiously rotated) and sufficient oil. My only purpose for the genset is to keep the freezers frozen in just such situations. Only one of my freezers in indoors, the others being outside. It was only necessary to run the generator for a couple of hours every two to three days to maintain the integrity of the frozen food. In retrospect, it would be advisable to have the ability to connect the genset to portions of the house (with the appropriate safety measures, of course) for added flexibility in using a limited number of electric appliances.

During the crisis, I had two different coworkers whose homes were “cased” by potential thieves. Each home was rural and isolated, with no neighbors in direct line-of sight. Fortunately, in both cases, when the armed homeowners confronted the would-be thieves, they wisely ran away.

Keep in mind that, while the power was off for several days, this was in fact only a pseudo-disaster. Roads remained passable, and within a day, Wal-Mart was open for business. Within hours they sold out of bottled water, candles, lamps & lamp oil, manual can openers, flashlights, batteries (D-cells were the most in demand), milk, bread, and most foodstuffs that don’t require preparation. Over the course of three days, I watched my closest neighbor make at least two trips to Wal-Mart per day, returning with armloads of white plastic bags each trip. Also, within days, there were enterprising individuals selling small generators out of the back of tractor-trailers. You could hear the rattle and hum of Briggs & Stratton engines in almost every direction.

On a personal note, the experience was also a validation of the preparedness mindset for my wife. While she has always been supportive of my efforts to prepare, she was from time to time also prone to grumbling about the amount of space occupied by our preparedness supplies. More than once during the storm, she would say something like “Gee, it would be nice if we had…” upon which I would go to the back room, rummage around and return with the item she was requesting. By the end of the storm, her most frequent comment was, “I’m glad you’re my husband.”

Lessons Learned:

• An "All is Well" attitude will get you killed. Take threats seriously.
• Have your water taken care of now. It will be one less critical thing to worry about in an emergency.
• Keep fuel in sufficient quantities for emergencies.
• Batteries, batteries, batteries.
• Be able to cook outside.
• Thieves and looters will come, even in rural areas.
• It’s not really a disaster if you can still go to Wal-Mart.

Dear James,

I recently was walking through Ikea with my wife here in Minneapolis and came upon a candle sale. They are currently having a sale on red 8 inch, Unscented Christmas candles rated at 70 hours for 99 cents. I promptly filled the cart with 40 or about 2,800 hours worth of candlelight for 39 dollars. Not wanting to recommend anything I had not already tried I promptly lit one to see how long it would last and right now it is still burning on hour 85 – will probably be done between 90 and 100 hours. Thought your readers might appreciate a good buy on candles. Kind Regards, - Troy

JWR Replies: I'm also a proponent of stocking up on candles, but keep in mind the obvious fire hazards. In a disaster situation where candles might be left unattended, burn candles only on a steady surface, with a deep cookie sheet or or broiler pan beneath. Also, be advised that many of the decorative candles on the market are not truly long-burning. "Large" doesn't always equate to long burning. Unless candles have an hour rating marked then avoid them, or you may be wasting you money on fast-burning candles made of wax with a low stearic acid (aka stearin or octadecanoic acid) content. (The higher the stearic acid content, the better.)

Mr. Editor,
It seems that when we have to store anything it is always recommended to store in a cool dark area with low humidity. What things can we store in less than favorable spots like attics or outside sheds where the temps and humidity varies greatly? Thanks for all you have done for us. - Bill H. in Delaware

JWR Replies: Humidity can be problematic, but some items that can tolerate fairly high temperature inside a shed include salt, ammunition, paper products, and many cleaning supplies and lubricants. (But do your homework on potential leaks and fire danger, especially for items in liquid form, or that are packaged in aerosol cans!) If you live in a humid climate, then be sure to keep your eyes peeled for airtight containers--the bigger the better. Five and six gallon plastic buckets with gasketed lids have become ubiquitous. If you are creative, you can store a surprising variety of items in these buckets. For example, I found one brand of meat butchering paper that come in 10" diameter bulk rolls, that when turned on end fit perfectly in a 6 gallon bucket, with just an inch to spare at the top.
Also note that in addition to the tried-and-true milsurp ammo cans, some military surplus stores sell airtight shipping containers that were originally made for military electronics--made variously of metal, plastic, or fiberglass. I've see these up to nine cubic foot capacity! In the "Rawles Gets You Ready" family preparedness course, I describe using silica gel desiccant packets, as a well as Golden Rod Dehumidifiers. OBTW, these days, the least expensive source of bulk silica gel, is the new variety of "crystals" unscented odor -absorbing cat litter, such as Tidy Cats Crystals and the Amazing Cat Litter brand. (OBTW, these cat litters are often sold in three or four gallon rectangular HDPE buckets, which can be re-used for storing non-food items.

It was a gorgeous Saturday night, Sept. in Montana's mountains the weather was hanging onto summer's 70 degree temperatures, warm and dry. Working all day at the hospital and finishing some of my home preparedness projects gave me a satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. Time to relax, I sat down, put my feet up and was sipping my week's end treat, a cold beer. I phoned my friend, “Brett” to finalize our plans to butcher a few of his farm animals tomorrow. He was finishing a Bible reading with his boys and was putting them to bed, and would call me back in a few minutes.

It was quite strange, as soon as I hung up, the phone immediately rang. It wasn't Brett, it was “Eric.” His voice had a tone and panic I'd never heard before. Through his hollering and shouting I gathered a forest fire had just erupted a mile from his home. He was pleading for me to get to his parents' home and tell them he is being evacuated! He was about to loose his house, horses, tools, everything. His call ended any type of relaxing for this Saturday night.

Eric and I have been friends for years. We live about 30 miles from each other. His parents and I are only 5 miles apart. He was unable to phone them. They have discontinued their land line, living tucked away on the side of a hill, far in the country and far from cell service. We of like minds prefer it that way don't we?

My job in the health center was to train staff to respond to emergencies. We prepared for heart attacks, missing children, chemical spills, the usual. I am also a martial art's instructor and former fighter. Eric's call had ignited my fight or flight response dumping adrenaline into my body. My mind was racing, hundreds of thoughts and ideas all at once. I had just let my guard down. It was my time to relax, but my friend needed help. His request, and my urgency was to notify his parents, get people to the scene!

“Should I ride my Harley”? It would be quicker than my truck, but the thought of being in a smoky fire on a motorcycle wasn't appealing. I'd ridden it before during a bad fire season a few years ago, the memory of the smoke stinging my eyes and my lungs burning made my decision easy. I ran to my truck.

Oh adrenaline, how amazing you are..more thoughts flooded my mind, simultaneous, in a moment, “grab my boots, Carhartts, jacket, chain saw and Pulaski to fight the fire. I'll need my cell phone and lights, No, don't waste time get going! Hurry! I can always come back for my gear. It's only a few miles. Got to get to his parents! The fire was at least 30 miles from my home. My two daughters were safe, my wife was out for the night, the animals were all in their pens, go now, go fast!”

I blasted off in my truck. My mission, my friend's request was clear, notify his parents. I took off wearing a pair of worn out sneakers, blue jeans and a T-shirt, no wallet, no ID, no phone. I raced my pick up to Eric's parents' home. “I can come back for my gear” disappoints me to this day.

Completing my mission caused another families' Saturday night to change quickly, crying, disbelief and shock. It took them an eternity to accept this, get dressed and get on the road to help Eric. I followed them at 80 mph for the next 30 miles. Of course, we got stopped for speeding but the considerate officer knew of the fire situation and let us go, no ticket. I hope he reads this. I'd like to thank him.

As the miles passed, the outline of the mountain tops were easily seen glowing a dull red. Smoke was now thick from the burning trees. I shut the truck's air vents. As we turned off the main highway I was suddenly cut off by a frantic heard of deer, several horses and a few dogs. They were crisscrossing the old road running wild. The fire was spreading quickly. I wondered, what I was getting into? This isn't safe. This really happening!” My friend needed help, there was no hesitation, only my commitment.

The country dirt roads were not made for the traffic created from fire and pumper trucks, pick ups and trailers. The dust from the vehicles choked any attempts at normal breathing. I wrapped a bandanna around my nose and mouth but they were already dry and burning. It was quite dark but the glow from the fire and headlights created an eerie radiance. Any form of light was now encased in an evil combination of smoke and dust. Nothing was seen clear. Nothing was for certain. My Saturday had changed so quickly I couldn't keep up.

My thoughts drifted to how valuable my gear would have been. Great planning and preparedness on my part. I never drove back to gather my equipment. I even have it organized for this type of grab and go situation. Wondering if the extra time spent would have been worth it? Saving those few minutes and racing off could prove costly.

My instincts told me to drive my truck. My gas tank was rarely below ¾ full, and true to my nature, I'd even topped it off after work. I had a full tank, (no wallet). I always stocked my first aide bag, pistol, extra mags, leather work gloves, 120 ft. of rope, jumper cables and a spot light in my truck. I plugged in the spot light, holstered my pistol, put on my gloves, grabbed the first aid bag and rope and set them on the front seat. I lit up the spot light and in this smoky confusion of animals, firefighters, trucks, trailers and flashing lights, I found Eric. He was standing in a grass field, sweating, dirty and holding two of his five horses.

I jumped out. Eric was in shock, my friend and brother needed help and lots of it! I used my 120 foot rope and several of us banded together forming a human fence. We were able to coral two more frightened horses. It took several attempts and over an hour to trailer those two. We roped off others and tied them to the trailer Like us, they were scared. confused and running on adrenaline One horse, was cut and bleeding bad. Her chest and legs sliced open, looked like she tangled with barb wire. I released my right hand from the rope and rested it on my pistol, assessing her, wondering?

One lady was standing alone in the middle of the dirt road, trucks and trailers driving around her. I grabbed my first aide bag and went to her. She was stiff, didn't speak, didn't answer my questions. I checked her, no signs of injury, B/P and 02 sats were within normal limits, pulse was racing, whose wasn't? No cuts or bruises, shock. I drove her down two miles to the small country town, Lakeside where others had gathered by the Red Cross station and were sharing information and horror stories.

I could hear conversations of those who needed to get gas at this time of night, without success. Most stations were closed and the one that was open was choked with long lines, and taking credit cards only. Beautiful 350 Turbo powered Cummings trucks sitting, going nowhere, without fuel. Frustrated drivers, swearing, pounding their fists on their hoods as the fire threatened their homes.

One lady was standing in shorts and a tank top, great for the warmth of the day but more than exposed to numerous dangers in this situation. Her home was directly in the fire's path. She had called the police prior to attempting to go to her home. They told her not to worry she would not be evacuated. By the time she got home, the fire had changed directions and she was not permitted to go near her home.

Eric had made several phone calls and other friends arrived. Some were quite prepared, some not. With his friends there to help him, all Eric could do was stand in disbelief, mumbling, “I've lost everything. I've lost everything.” I held both his arms, looked him square in the face and reassured him he hadn't lost everything. “There still is time. Look, your house is right here, the fire's still up on the mountain top. What can we get out of it? What's first?” He didn't answer. He ran off to get a chain saw.

What are his priorities? What did he want out of his home? If his house did burn down what is important to him? We may only have this one chance. How can I help? What do I get for him? birth certificates, insurance papers, cash, guns? Where is all this?

Then amongst all the fear and shock, unexpectedly, an angel gently touched my arm. It was Eric's mom. She was a calm in all this confusion. Her and Eric's dad are older, not in the prime of health and took a little longer to find us. His dad, Charles may not be in his youth but he sure proved his efficiency on the front end loader. Charles took up his position on Eric's loader and immediately started pushing over smaller trees and brush, dragging them away from the house and work shop. He was also building 10 ft high mounds of dirt around the house at the same time. He was amazing! Efficient, productive, we were making gains now! We were on the offensive! We rallied behind their calm wisdom and experience.

All too sudden, it was quite, very quiet. The front end loader stalled while dragging a tree and wouldn't start. After several attempts to restart it, the battery died. At this moment I felt the weight of the Red Sea crash in on me. I felt the fatigue. I was exhausted. I couldn't breath. My knees, ankles and feet were throbbing, the past few hours walking, running and tripping in unfamiliar fields and dirt roads had taken its toll. My boots were now worth millions.

“My boots, my gear, Wish I would have....wait! I always carry jumper cables in my truck! I hobbled to it and eased into the front seat. Shifting and pushing the clutch sent waves of pain through my battered ankles and legs. I drove through the field right up to the Bobcat and popped open my hood. Charles had been trying to restart it and grabbed my jumper cables. In a few short minutes, we had her running again! Guess I wasn't that sore after all and Charles didn't seem quite as old.

As I moved my truck out of Charles' path, the headlights caught an outline of Eric at the base of a tree. He found his chainsaw and had started to cut down the larger trees close to his home and shop. Charles could push them away from the house once they were on the ground and the fire would not have any fuel. Great idea.

Eric was halfway through a 60 ft. Tamarack and found his chainsaw had no fuel either. He ran out of gas and had none stored. Vehicles, people and animals all racing in the glowing dark and now a 60 ft. pine tree ready to come down at any time. We had an experienced logger, a Stihl chain saw but no fuel. This was very dangerous and we created it.

Tired, thirsty and frustrated, I lit up the tree with my spot light and parked my truck sideways on the dirt road blocking any traffic from the North. Others stood on the South side and stopped any flow from their direction. Charles inched the Bobcat closer and closer and was able to push over the 60 ft. danger without incident. We all sighed in relief.

The whole night was filled with events like this, success mixed with failure. You never experienced any one emotion for more than a few minutes. The burning fire created a constant urgency in everything we did. The eerie backdrop of a mountain glowing red with an uncontrolled fire wouldn't let us rest.

Time changed that night. It would slow and pause for a moment, then by the time you blinked the smoke out of your eyes and it sped up creating situations and forcing immediate decisions throughout the night. There were times when I was watching all this unfold, far away from the fire, danger and confusion. There were times I was in the middle of everything, eyes stinging, scared, tired, wanting to do more for my friend.

Lessons learned:
1) Take the next step, if you have been preparing, don't let up.
2) Emergencies seem to happen when we let our guard down
3) Do not become drunk with wine or strong drink
4) Help your friends prepare.
5) When a situation occurs, it will probably be at night and dark, you'll be hot or cold and definitely tired
6) You respond they way you practice/prepare
7) If you do not practice or prepare............things will get ugly
8) Little things we do on a daily basis, our habits, make big differences in crisis situations
9) Have fuel

I'd like to thank Mr. Rawles and your blog page. I've been a regular for almost two years now. It has been very valuable to read it and your books. You have given sound advice and enhanced my sense of preparedness. Because of your mission people were better off in a Montana wild fire. I hope and pray similar situations never come again but I feel it is only a matter of time. When the next one occurs, I will be even better prepared and will react with more efficiency thanks to you and others like us.

Since I initially started writing this our weather has changed. In a 48 hour period it has gone from sunny and 70 to 4 inches of snow, icy roads cold, and minus 4 degrees at night.

God Bless us all. - Daniel in Montana

James
One of the most troubling things I see when speaking to people about going off grid is how badly they want to keep all of their electrical appliances and just spend many thousands of dollars on a battery bank more appropriate for a U-boat and solar cells or generators to keep them topped off. Having had a minor role in a micro-satellite system design proposal one thing you learn when confronted by limited power supply is to either economize or do without.

The appliances you own for on grid use are not efficient. They are built to be inexpensive or if you are better off durable, even the fancy electrical appliances out of Europe with the Energy Star are in reality a big waste of power once you are paying by the off grid watt for solar panels and battery banks. There is no reason a normal family shouldn't consider an off grid option for their home. Even in a national emergency and societal breakdown it is very rare for supplies of diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene, and LP gas to be unavailable for long periods at some price.

Dryer - Enemy number one especially in a large family, a solar clothes dryer is under $5 at nearly every hardware store, ask for a clothesline. Folding indoor drying racks are very popular in Israel. Even in winter indoor drying can be assisted by using a fan, it will also keep the air humidified. After trying the above and finding you just can't make it there are LP gas heated clothes dryers, but these still need mains power for the drum motor.

Oven/Stovetop - There is no reason to use electrical power for cooking. Excellent caterer grade ovens and stoves are available at most appliance stores which run totally on gas. Some may use an electrical ignition or thermostat but nearly all can be retrofitted either with a piezoelectric (no battery needed) spark starter or can just be lit with a match avoiding the danger of the old style pilot light since they now are equipped with a thermal safety. Most people find they actually prefer gas once they are used to it as it is a more even heat. We have had good success using MSR camping kerosene burners when the gas to our home was unavailable for a few weeks.

Hot Water - Nearly any off grid home will benefit from the addition of a solar collector in addition to a well-insulated gas water heater. Think about turning down the thermostat or using a secondary gas instant heating system and low flow shower heads to stretch your hot water supply.

Heating - Most stores and contractors can provide a wide variety of wood, pellet, gas, kerosene, or oil-fueled stoves and furnaces and space heaters. Insulation is key to keeping your alternative heat system from breaking your bank account.

Power Tools - Some older large shop tools can be powered by a PTO shaft or belt system. The possibilities from a gas motor, to steam, to hydro and beyond are limited only by your imagination.

Water pressure - In many areas there is not enough wind for a windmill to keep a water tower full so an electrical or gas pump might work better once all factors are evaluated. If your retreat is located below the summit of the hill it would probably be much easier to install a pool or cistern on the summit to provide pressure for firefighting operations even if your pump is destroyed, for every foot of elevation .433 pounds of water pressure is required for filling your tower or cistern and this pressure is returned when water is used in your home or property. Anyone living in a wilderness area should have in addition to a gravity fed water system of at least 1,500 gallons and a 300 gpm capacity, and at least one portable reservoir. There are portable swimming pools that are the same as US Forest Service uses for firefighting, and a gas powered portable pump for emergency firefighting. Descending water can be run reverse through some pumps generating electricity making it a very effective and inexpensive way to store electrical power once your battery banks are full.

Refrigeration - Most readers if their inventory their refrigerator will find mostly leftovers or things which actually will last until consumption without refrigeration. There are high quality kerosene and LP gas powered absorption refrigerators, some with secondary mains power optional, available from a few suppliers even in the US.

For those with the skills required to build and test a system which can withstand 250 psi anhydrous ammonia, copying the old Crosley Icy-Ball chest refrigerator-freezer is a thrifty option. Since anti-drug manufacturing laws make obtaining anhydrous ammonia difficult, an icy-ball can be built with drains on the absorptive water side to self distill ammonia from cleaning solution. A warning: Ammonia is a dangerous respiratory irritant and any homemade system should be used with caution and kept and recharged outside in case of leakage. One DIY design includes a shutoff valve to keep the ammonia from reabsorbing until the valve is opened allowing it to be stored in a charged condition.

Before refrigeration people would buy eggs and milk fresh in the city or if they could have chickens and a cow or goat would produce their own. A chicken is easily consumed by even a small family once cooked, in less than a day.

A water evaporation cooler cabinet is another very cheap option for keeping food.

Lighting - Gas mantle lighting once found in most urban homes is not difficult to implement using either camping lamps and piped gas or better yet certified indoor lamps. While in college I worked in a gun and camping shop which sold a reverse fitting for refilling disposable Coleman LP gas cartridges from the older non-tip over shutoff bulk tanks making camp lights highly practical for hanging. It must be remembered that gas lighting presents an increased fire hazard so precautions including avoiding clutter and considering the floor and wall surface must be taken into account. Battery powered florescent and LED lights and LED nightlights are also useful for reading and small tinkering. Metal halide lighting is much more power friendly than incandescent if large areas require illumination for security purposes.

Communications - Your radio communications system should have a redundant battery bank and power supply should your services be required in an emergency. It should be remembered the operating rule of just as much power as required and the usage of low power consumption modes like CW. Tube systems are notoriously wasteful of power and tubes have limited life so these should be kept as backup systems in most cases. Only power up satellite Internet systems after you have typed up all the e-mails and set them up to send immediately after going online. There are offline viewers which will call up all the web sites you normally visit and grab them all for later viewing.

Television sets, satellite receivers, and large stereo systems are wasteful of electrical power if left on. A small notebook computer for occasional movies and an MP3 player for music will save many valuable watts. Unplug or employ a disconnect switch [or power strip with switch] on all electronics unless they are in use. This will protect them from power surges in addition to eliminating sleep-state power draw. [Also know as a "phantom load."]

Telephone - If your retreat can obtain telephone service a secondary redundant system connecting you to selected neighbors can be set up in some areas by ordering an old style alarm or bell line to one central home, this is usually cheaper than a line with actual telephone service, and should work in most telephone systems even if the central office with its redundant power goes offline but the wires are still intact. The Telephone company will either splice the wire pairs at the neighborhood box or at the closest central office, officially only for alarm systems, it is possible to set up anything from long run Ethernet or simple voice lines with an old style "everybody rings" party line. This will not save off grid watts but is a good way to add redundancy to your retreat.

Safety - Install at least two combo carbon monoxide sensing smoke alarms in your home in addition to a smoke alarm in every occupied room. In these alarms, install long life lithium batteries and check on the first of the month and every time you change to or from daylight savings. DO NOT use rechargeable batteries for your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms!

Due to the higher fire risk using flame-based alternatives to electricity I even more strongly recommend installation of fire sprinklers in all rooms, flame hoods over all cooking surfaces with automatic sprinklers that have a manual activation, and at least two standpipe and hose cabinets with 100 gpm gravity flow minimum per standpipe, ABC-rated fire extinguisher, gloves, goggles, and Nomex face shroud. Install outdoor standpipes and stocked hose locker for wildfires, a charged mobile phone for 911 (BTW, you need not have an active calling plan to use a cell phone to call 911 in the USA) and if you have to retreat from interior firefighting. Most importantly have an evacuation and rendezvous family accounting plan and volunteer with the local volunteer fire department, learn when the fire is just too big to fight by yourself.

With an engineering eye it is often possible to reduce your home or retreat electrical requirements to an inexpensive few hundred watts once alternatives are considered. Shalom, - David in Israel

In the various TEOTWAWKI scenarios there will probably be no organized fire companies to help out the survivors with timely a fire suppression response. Here are some simple and low cost solutions that individuals can do to suppress and fight fires that are type A fires such as paper, cardboard, wood, cloth, plastics etc. Do not fight other fire types with water . Search engine “fire extinguisher types” to learn more. [JWR Adds: You should keep at least two 10+ pound A-B-C fire extinguishers in your home, for fighting grease, chemical, and electrical fires.]

In many homes there is currently water under pressure from some supply. This can be accessed for fire suppression by various means if one takes the time to plan and practically tie into it. One of those coiled snake type 25 foot or 50 foot ½ inch or ¾ inch diameter (preferred size) garden hoses can be attached to a Y splitter ball valve from the cold water line that feeds the washing machine. You turn it on by flipping on the ball valve spigot and uncoiling the hose to move throughout the home as needed to fight the fire.

A handy person could put such a hose line anywhere in the home that water can be plumbed into such as a main hallway closet or corner area of a room on any floor. I would recommend a quality brass 90 degree ball valve as the main shut off at the end of the hard line plumbing where the flexible garden hose is connected. This prevents those nasty slow leaks from the cheaper plastic or pot metal valves.

A good quality spray valve with various spray patterns works well on the business end of the coiled hose and can very effectively give either a strong stream or various short wider spray patterns. It is not the power or volume of a real fire hose but can work well if the fire is caught in time. The key to water fire fighting is a spray or mist to quickly lower the heat and wet potential fuels. Always have working smoke detectors throughout the home and practice fire drills regularly including both coordinated fire fighting and evacuating the home. If you and the family members can get some volunteer fire training now or study fire fighting techniques from books or online this will be a big benefit later in times of crisis.

You will also want a crook staff shaped metal tube sprayer with a long metal handle. They are normally purchased to water high-hanging planters. They can be bought or made from pipe with a bending jig. It can be used for those times that fire suppression (the Molotov cocktails threat?) is needed out a window against the side of the house while maintaining some protective cover from behind a wall inside.

With a well or pressurized tank system you can add extra storage capacity by plumbing in extra pressure tanks with other valve splitters and “no leak” metal mesh covered washer hoses. The tanks can be located anywhere in the home plumbing cold water lines. Just make sure they do not freeze. This gives an added benefit of keeping your pump from cycling too much with a small tank. In an off grid or grid down scenario hook up a potable Shurflo brand or similar 12 volt pump powered off of deep cycle batteries. They are available from farm or Do-It-Yourself stores. The water can be stored in 55 gallon or similar drums and then drafted out and used to pressurize the house system by back feeding a washer spigot. These pumps usually have a 30/50 lb on off type switch built into them like a regular 120/240 volt AC water pump.

The older water type fire extinguishers which are air charged are ideal to have but they are few and far between with the modern move to and versatility of dry powder. If you have an older fire extinguisher that has a metal valve base assembly and pressure gauge you may still be in business. Those small dial pressure gauges on the side generally have a 1/8 inch NPT port which they are threaded into. You can get older spent fire extinguishers (cottage industry job potential?) from a local fire extinguisher service company.

There is usually at least one of these businesses in an area. The fire codes call for many models to be rotated out of service on time intervals or discontinued due to changes in powder formulas and such. Make friends with the owner as I have done and you can probably get all you want as they usually have to pay to haul them away because it is not worth their time to dissemble them as various scrap types.

To convert them you first make sure they are completely empty. Sometimes they leak gas or air propellant and are still partially full of powder. Squeeze the handle in a safe area outside where you do not mind killing grass or weeds. The powder kills yards dead in concentrations. Avoid breathing it as it is a slight irritant. (A twenty pound dry extinguisher also puts out a white cloud bigger than three military AN M8 HC smoke grenades and is just as irritating, for future reference). If no propellant gas is inside you can carefully unscrew the small dial pressure gauge off the metal valve base with a set of slip joint or water pump pliers. This will reveal a small port hole that goes down into the main extinguisher tank. Get some 1/8 inch NPT / Schrader Tank valves from an auto parts store such as NAPA tank valve numbers NTH 90294 or NTH 90290 (about $2 each). It is a male 1/8 inch NPT and Schrader (automobile tire) valve on the other end.

The 1/8 inch NPT end of the valve can be screwed into the port hole with some pipe dope or Teflon pipe thread (be careful not to close over the end) and you now have a way to recharge the fire extinguisher. You can take an air hose and partially recharge the tank from an air compressor and use it till it is empty or safely trigger the sprayer to make sure all the powder is out. Then take a valve cap with core tool such as NAPA part NTH 90188 ($2.39) or a valve tool NAPA part NTH 90344 (about $2.22) and remove the core which will allow the water to be forced into the tank and the air to come out. Water can be forced back into the spray hose end. To fill it simply use a garden hose and duct tape or a hose to hose with a screw pipe band clamp or any other standardized coupling designs you may devise.

The tricky part is getting the right amount of water to air mixture in the tank. Most of the old water extinguishers had a mark on the side about ¾ way up the tank side to fill them to when you removed the top. They had the luxury of being designed with a total top removable valve assembly with a big gasket seal which allowed water to be poured into by sight and the valve assembly being resealed by hand or with slip joint or water pump pliers. The valves on powder extinguishers are not practical to fill this way.

This filling process will be a trial and error on your part with your specific size and style of extinguisher. The key is to weigh the extinguisher when empty and each time you fill it and charge it with an air compressor. Most air tank compressors fill to about 100 to 125 lbs pressure. You may have to fill and charge it a few times until you get the right amount of air and water so they both run out at the same time. You usually want a little extra air pressure when the water runs out to make sure the water is all delivered under pressure. Once you have the right water/air mix write the tank empty and full weights and air charge pressure on the side of the extinguisher in marker or stamped on a brass key tag attached to the pull pin chain. This weight method of filling is similar to what is used on 20 lb propane tank fills. Check it regularly with a high pressure hand tire gauge to make sure it is still charged properly.

It is also advisable to paint over or remove the old fire ratings on the extinguisher and visibly mark the extinguisher in some manner such as a big blue stripe or bold letters H2O or WATER on the side so someone does not grab it to use it on an electrical or grease fire.

If you are real handy and have the time you can always plumb in a room by room sprinkler system that is automated (lower fire premiums) or one that just takes a ball valve to turn on when fire is discovered.

Remember that if the fire is too big or smoke too thick it is not worth your life to fight for a house. A house is just a structure. Good and prepared people make it a home. Good luck and keep the faith.

Throughout the last few centuries, mankind has been building and building up, combining raw materials and energy to create... stuff. This stuff is scattered all over urban population centers, and many of it can be used for basic life-sustaining purposes. I thought I'd write in and share some information I've gathered over the years in my work and in my hobbies, as it relates to sustaining life if you're trapped in an urban area. I'm enumerating the primitive uses of some very basic components for those interested, this wasn't meant as a guide for building any of this stuff, further research is definitely necessary and DO NOT try any lab chemistry without becoming an expert first and observing all the appropriate safety precautions. [JWR Adds: Handling strong acids and bases also necessitates wearing goggles, extra long gloves, long sleeves, a safety apron, having proper ventilation, and having an eye flushing bottle (or fixture) and neutralizers close at hand!] I hope this inspires others to share similar uses for modern waste.

Many urbanites will not have enough room to grow self-sustaining gardens in the soil in your backyard, with the limited growing season, and even if you did it would become a target for looters. Construction of a greenhouse in your backyard with adequate security may be a worthwhile compromise. Using hydroponics in your greenhouse will maximize your yield. Hydroponics requires that you're moving fluids around in a growing medium, and this movement requires electricity in the simplest setup. It also allows you to maximize your space by eliminating huge buckets of soil. One downside to hydroponics is that it requires more advanced technology, and most often an energy supply. Another downside is a requirement for more specific fertilizers.

Car batteries can be used to power your food supply and your home, a typical setup is a very sturdy shelf to hold rows of the deep cycle variant. You can calculate how much energy you'd need to power your appliances but a better setup for survival would be to only power a single DC circuit, with some very energy efficient appliances; LED lights, laptop computers, radios, flashlight battery chargers. I have a circuit wired in my basement which can be switched to backup power, so for me it would just be a matter of wiring an extension cable out to my greenhouse.

The equipment to build a battery backup system is widely available, it's very mature technology and has been very easy to afford with the increased usage of solar energy. Solar panel prices have also dropped almost 40% in the last couple of years. I recommend that someone with the cash to spend, who has already bought a long-term supply of food and other essentials, build themselves a photovoltaic backup system to keep your electronics running for years, using deep-cycle marine batteries for storage. It happens to be the cheapest form of storage, the deep cycle batteries are available from Wal-Mart and Costco at the best prices.

I recommend some form of sustainable electricity. Most fuels will go bad with time, the easiest fuel to reliably store is propane and many homes are equipped with propane and natural gas powered backup generators. Propane is extraordinarily cheap right now as well. A 300-to-500 gallon propane tank can be bought used for around $500 in most places, and propane is selling in my area for $1.79/gallon. Propane is produced from natural gas and, along with coal, are the two fossil fuels we're least likely to see a shortage of. Regarding solar, you don't need a 5,000 watt solar panel farm to power your essentials. Just one large solar panel on a pole will be enough [to provide charging] for your odds and ends DC-powered electronics.

If you intend to use scavenged car batteries for home power, you will need to come up with a scheme to charge them. If you charge a random collection of batteries off of one charger some of them may overheat and explode. You need to have an individual charging circuit for each of them, a temperature probe is good but not necessary. The best way to do this with a generator setup is with a multiple-bank charger or charging station, or with multiple charge controllers in a solar setup. It would be a good idea to have backups, so you might as well have one charge controller for every battery. If you're running a generator, it is especially important that you use a battery backup system, as it allows you to use the energy more efficiently to charge up a battery bank which you can use for days to power efficient appliances.

Another interesting thing about car batteries is what you can do with them if you're not using them for power. Car batteries contain two main ingredients, sulfuric acid and lead. Sulfuric acid is used in many industrial processes. It's a source of elemental sulfur, and these strong acids are used to convert many other substances to something usable.

Hundreds of years ago people made saltpeter for formulating black powder by urinating in a jar and adding straw to it (almost too easy, huh?). A more industrious method would be to mix straw and manure into a pile and urinate on it regularly to keep it moist. This was called a "niter-bed". After a year, run water through it and then run the resulting mixture through a wood ash filter, and then air dry the resulting mixture in the sun. Any failed batches could always be used as [the basis for a larger quantity of] fertilizer. Your urine contains nitrogen in the form of a chemical called urea, which means it also makes a good fertilizer (1 part urine and 10 parts water immediately applied makes a decent fertilizer). The urine/straw mixture would change over the course of a few months to contain nitrates, mostly a chemical called potassium nitrate, or saltpeter. Wood ash contains mostly potassium compounds and can be used to convert remaining nitrates to potassium nitrate. Potassium nitrate is a powerful oxidizer. Mixed with a fuel it forms the ingredients of many fireworks such as bottle rockets. Black powder is made with a mixture of 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulfur. Sulfur can be found on the electrodes of the car batteries, or it can be produced through electrolysis of the sulfuric acid. A good rocket fuel is 60% potassium nitrate and 40% powdered sugar, should you have a need for rockets, perhaps as a signal flare.

You can buy potassium nitrate over the counter from the hardware store (Lowe's and Home Depot). It's known as stump remover and is available in 1lb bottles. If you're doing that last minute shopping, it might be a good idea to swing by the pesticides shelf and buy all the stump remover while you're getting your fertilizers and everything. Potassium nitrate has an NPK rating of 13-0-38.

In the 1890s, widespread use of "smokeless powder" was adopted, which is about three times as powerful as simple black powder. This was a result of a substance called nitro-cellulose or guncotton, which is which can be made from cellulose and nitric acid and some other chemicals by means of nitration. Nitric acid is a very useful substance. Nitro-groups or nitronium ions can be added to certain chemicals to create explosives. Compounded with hexamine fuel tablets (Esbit fuel), it forms [the equivalent of ] RDX explosive. Compounded with glycerine, it forms nitroglycerine, that with added stabilizers forms dynamite or blasting gelatin. (Not to be confused with trinitrotoluene (TNT), which is generated by the nitration of toluene.) The most useful application of nitric acid though is in making smokeless powder, commonly just called "gunpowder" today, which is a compound of nitrocellulose and a number of other proprietary ingredients. It can be made from cellulose and nitric acid and some other chemicals by means of nitration. [Reader M.H. Adds: Doing any of this will take considerable study and storing some other chemicals, since nitric acid just by itself will not (to any significant degree) nitrate organic compound such as glycerine, hexamine or toluene. For details, see the book titled "Chemistry and Technology of Explosives" by Urbanski (available online).]

The government has made it difficult to purchase nitric acid without a valid reason. You can make it out of sulfuric acid, from the car batteries, and potassium nitrate, from the niter beds. You will need some basic lab equipment to do this, a glass distillery connected to a vacuum pump (a vacuum distillery), and a hot plate. With the leftover parts of the car battery, mainly lead [and wheel weights as a source of antimony for hardening], you can mold lead bullets. The lab equipment required to perform some of these reactions is useful in many other processes, such as an ethanol distillery, so it may be something you'd want, regardless. Take care that you don't cross into illegal territory with your experimenting. Potassium nitrate and black powder aren't controlled substances, but at some point gunpowder becomes classified as an explosive and requires a permit to manufacture. [JWR Adds a Strong Proviso: This summary information is provided for educational purposes only. EXTREME safety measures must be taken, and all the legalities and zoning issues must be researched, permits obtained, et cetera. Also, be advised that the instructions presented in many of the published references on do-it-yourself explosives making have insufficient safety margins. For example, the set of directions on making nitroglycerin in the book The Anarchist Cookbook, could best be described as a "recipe for disaster." It will get you killed or at least maimed, in short order!]

Another interesting thing I'll mention is that handgun calibers and muzzleloaders are better suited for lead bullets with no copper jacket, since they travel through the barrel slower they can be made softer. Forming a copper jacket around a bullet is difficult and expensive. [JWR Adds: One notable exception to this is making jackets for .22 caliber bullets, which can be made with discarded .22 LR brass and lead wire, using commercially available forming dies.] I think it's also worthwhile to own at least one muzzle-loading black-powder rifle, and bullet forming equipment. Manufacturing guncotton is not nearly as easy as black powder. You can no longer readily buy black powder [in gun shops] today, it is less stable and more expensive to ship. Even the modern muzzle-loader propellants (like Pyrodex) are smokeless powders. So, you may find black powder is all people are using one of these days, as they can make it in their backyard. Either stockpile thousands of primers or use a flintlock style rifle.

I mentioned that urine can be used as a fertilizer, nowhere is this more true than in a hydroponic system. Plants need three main chemicals to grow, all three of which must be in a soluble form. urine is easily the best source of nitrogen in soluble form. Potassium can be gathered from wood ash easily by running fluids through it. Phosphorous is the hard part, and many fruiting plants need phosphorus, so it is the area where you focus the most energy. Bone has phosphorus in it, and a commonly used fertilizer for plants is bone meal in the form of calcium phosphate. Bone meal has an NPK rating of 4-12-0. Bat guano is one of the best sources of phosphorous, and bird droppings ("Bird Schumer") can similarly provide a good supply. Be careful with bird droppings though, many contain diseases especially pigeons. You may want to boil it first. Match heads can also be used for their phosphorus content, if for some reason you have thousands of matches with no barter value.

Back to urine fertilizers: When you urinate into the water your urine and many other nitrate fertilizers begin to break down into ammonia, which needs to be filtered out. If you've ever maintained a koi pond you know this can be accomplished with the use of a bio-filter. Another way to do it is with an aquaculture setup, which means connecting a fish hatchery to a hydroponics setup. The fish and the plants thrive off of each other. This has evolved into it's own industry called aquaponics, and has proven to be a commercial success, mainly to serve as leafy plant production on top of a primarily fish producing setup. If you get sick of eating that dried corn, try feeding it to a 55-gallon barrels full of Tilapia. Tilapia has been the preferred fish stock as it will eat a wider range of things, but the temperature must be kept warm. It's possible that even in colder climates a greenhouse would provide sufficient trapped heat to keep the fish alive.

Many of these techniques can form the foundations of exciting hobbies such as model rocketry, aquaculture, hydroponics and gunsmithing. I strongly encourage you to absorb some of these hobbies in your life, if they appeal to you. [Do plenty of research, and get lots of practice,] especially when it comes to something sensitive like fish or hydroponics. Beginner's mistakes could spell the end of you if you're depending on this for your urban survival. I've opted to fortify my suburban home on a quarter acre and optimize it for survival, with over two years of food storage for me and my family to get started and enough energy to cook it. If this is all you can afford then make the most of it!

Letter Re: Making Do at a Rural Vermont Retreat

James,
While I could wish to be west of the Mississippi, my wife and I will have to retreat where we are. My elderly parents are nearby, and my wife has made it very clear she has moved for the last time. Vermont is where we will be for the foreseeable future.

We live within a rural town of approximately 2,000 residents. We are about seven miles outside of a twin-city with a population of 28,000. We lack like-minded neighbors both in faith and preparedness. We hope our far-flung family will be able to rally here, but are realistic about their chances. Not an ideal location, but we work with what God have given us.

We own 60 acres, mostly wooded with some pasture, up and three miles out of town on a dirt road. Our home is close to the middle of the land, at the end of an 1,100 foot driveway and it is not visible from the road. The driveway could be easily blocked if necessary. We have cleared good areas around the house without giving up our privacy. We heat with any of three sources, wood, pellets, or oil. Our neighbors include a medical doctor and a nurse/midwife and two miles down the hill is a dairy farm with 400 head.

We have three spring-fed ponds, (one is stocked with trout), a deep artesian well and a developed spring with a concrete cistern. We use a small greenhouse to extend our short growing season and have apple trees and blueberry, raspberry and blackberry bushes. We can and dry fruits and veggies, I hunt and we both cook. We have about 18 months of food in storage (dehydrated, canned, frozen and grains) and expand our larder as we are able. We used to be cold weather tent- campers and have all of the equipment that goes along with that sport in both propane and white gas.
Our arsenal is varied, deep and redundant. It includes four muzzleloaders and supplies; they are hunting and hobby rifles, but they will still put food on the table or provide defense in a pinch.

We have much on our “things to do” list. Fuel storage is a problem in quantity due to permitting issues. We do have the fuel oil tank in the cellar for the tractor, but gasoline will be limited to our cans. Our only generator is small, only able to power the pellet stove, a couple of lights and a radio. We do hope to add solar in the future. Our home is not as defensible as I would like due to glass windows and doors and we lack man-power for long term survival.

We will never be as ready as want to be, but we will be as ready as we are able. Our greatest assets are Jesus and each other. - B.C.

Jim:

While scanning through iTunes U, I found a television (or audio) series from University of California TV on disaster preparedness. They are professionally produced and contain a wealth of information about about emergency response systems are intended to work. Included here are four of the fifteen or so shows that they have put together. The ones I have included are Natural Disasters, Chemical and Biological Agents, Pandemic Influenza and Emerging Infections and Disaster Volunteerism

They go over several case studies that happened in California, but talk about organizations generally enough that it is applicable to most areas with advanced emergency response systems. At the end, I have included links to more shows in UCTV disaster preparedness series.

Here are some video links and excerpted brief summaries:

Disaster Preparedness: Natural Disasters

Transportation and care
Multiple disasters co-existing (earthquake, fire, flood)

Wild fire
-larger then expected

Family Preparedness
-Family network - getting everyone involved
-List of material that needs to be packed to go
-Long distance phones can work (call to foreign county, deliver message, foreign county calls to local number you could not reach), calling local people sometimes doesn't when the disaster is local. This would appear to be a failure of the phone system to update their routing tables dynamically.
-Define a meeting place for your family
-Stores and supplies at home
-Tent, stove, propane, water
-72 hour critical supply of food, medicine and water
-Laundry - Something I had not thought about
-Communications and information management, one of the most difficult things
-Real time information systems - where the fire is, what the evacuations plan is
-After action report - learn from what worked and what didn't
-Reverse 911 only works for land lines.
-Multiple layers of communications, multiple contacts per person
-"Alternative care sites" shelter, Fairgrounds, school gymnasiums, arenas, animal shelters
-Special needs patients, elderly, dialysis
-First day great, everyone helping one another - Day 2 short tempers - social workers and behavioral specialists needed, neighborhoods forming
-It is mentioned *many* times that people will not leave their pets behind. Include them in your preps.

Earthquake
-Single point of contact - single voice speaking for a set of resources
-If you build it, they will come. Where lights are on, people go there.
There are several phases
1. Immediate injuries - Crush injuries, Amputations, Head injuries, airway obstruction
2. Secondary illnesses - Blood pressure medication, diabetes medication, increased rate of heart attack and child birth
95% are rescued by local responders and volunteers in the first 24 hours.

Disaster Preparedness: Chemical and Biological Agents

Disaster Preparedness: Pandemic Influenza and Emerging Infections

Disaster Preparedness: Disaster Volunteerism

More Programs in Emergency Preparedness / Emergency Medicine

Regards, - Ben M.

James,
You've had two good letters on woodstoves recently. I'd like to add a few thoughts based of heating and cooking with wood for a couple of decades in the Colorado mountains. I have never been more contented than when there's a blizzard raging outside and I'm inside next to a nice warm woodstove. That being said, woodstoves and chainsaws account for the vast majority of domestic emergencies in many rural areas and a constant source of amusement for EMTs.

As has been written, the importance of a properly installed chimney cannot overemphasized. Do get a quote for a good professionally installed chimney and then source the woodstove based on how much money you have left, not the other way around. A semi-okay chimney may not be a problem for years, but eventually that rafter up in the ceiling crawl space that's been getting too warm all those years will eventually cook off one cold winter night when the woodstove is nice and hot. Also get the chimney top nice and high and serviceable. Downdrafts will occur even if they are built to the 2'/10' rule if you have a higher addition near by and the wind is in the right direction. Smoke will also condense on the chimney top spark arrester and clog it up so figure out a way to brush that clean in a safe way. Best to do that as regular maintenance and not in the middle of the night when you find your chimney won't draw and the room is filling with smoke. Lightning will also find the chimney one day. Get a lightning rod installed before you're hit. Do attach a magnetic chimney pyrometer to the chimney. It will tell you how the stove is doing by just glancing at the meter and will also alert you if things are getting too hot. My house did survive my youthful learning curve, but only just. Hopefully, some of your readers will profit from my experiences.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the area around the stove. I've seen red hot coals from resinous pine fly through a small slot in the air intake and all the way across the room. You'll never get a good night sleep if you just have a small fireproof pad around your stove. Woodstoves and carpet don't mix well. If nothing else the dirt tracked in from carrying wood will drive the wife crazy. If you do have carpet, pull it up and put down tile or stone flooring. If you have a modern springy framed plywood floor, a couple of layers of 1/4" plywood glued and screwed in alternating directions to the existing ply will stiffen it enough for tile.

Also, the wall behind the stove is equally important. Unless you're several feet away from a framed wall do something like this:
Cover the wall behind the stove with fire stop drywall a couple of feet above the top of the stove (or chimney if it exits through the wall). Install a steel lintel at floor level using large bolts screwed into the studs. Leave an inch air gap between the lintel and drywall using spacers. Lay up a brick wall on the lintel and tile over that. The air gap behind the brick wall allows a cooling draft. The brick also provides a good source of thermal mass which leads to a final point.

There's nothing much worse than getting out of a warm bed in the morning to start up a cold, dead woodstove. The stove that I owned when I lived in Colorado was made of Soapstone by a company in Woodstock, Vermont. They aren't cheap to buy but they are worth ever cent they cost. Once that stone gets warm, it stays warm for hours, even if the stove runs out of wood. I used to load my stove in the evening with whatever wood I had, generally pine, aspen or even hem/fir framing offcuts, not oak or hickory by any means and yet that great little stove heated the entire second floor of my house and the stove was still toasty warm well into the next day. Although I had been told this, I still was amazed at how a small properly built stove could heat such a large space and still not cook me out of the room it was in.

I cannot recommend highly enough the use of thermal mass over cast iron in a stove. There are other manufacturers of soapstone woodstoves but if and when I move back to a cold climate, I'll be getting another Woodstock Soapstone Stove. Thanks again for the interesting blog. - LRM, Perth, Western Australia

In September, 2008, Hurricane Ike--a Category 4 hurricane--pounded the Gulf Coast of the southern US. Some coastal communities like Crystal Beach no longer really exist. Inland, life was severely disrupted. For those of us on the South Coast hurricanes are a frequent reality. We were quite well prepared, but used the disruptions and dislocations as a test and opportunity to tune up our preparations.

1. Be ready to help others and to accept help We didn't need much during Ike, but the power went out before a neighbor finished boarding up his house. My 1 KW inverter, hooked up to his idling truck provide the juice for a Skilsaw and a few lights; allowing him to finish. Usually it is skills and not "stuff" that helps others and yourself. Besides strengthening a neighborly friendship, the number of damaged houses was probably reduced by one.

2. Keep your stuff squared away.. I repaired a few generators during and after Ike. I observed that every one suffering from lack of use; i.e. gasoline that resembled turpentine in the carburetor. People were at a complete loss to understand this. My daugher-in-law owned one of the generators that I repaired. She ignored my admonition to change the dirty oil ASAP and then once every 50 hours. Early in the next week it [ran out of oil and] threw a rod. She was in the dark for another week. Just a $2.99 quart of oil would have saved discomfort, ruined food, etc.
 
My portable genset, loaned to my daughter, was ready to go;  fresh oil, filters, valves set, exercised, load tested. It started on the first try. I came to check it and change it's oil as soon as it was safe to travel. The first thing that I did was turn it so the exhaust faced away from the house! She had placed it so that the starter rope was in a convenient spot. At least she had, like I had asked, chained and locked it to a foundation pier.

After every hurricane Darwin gets a few through accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Don't join them. If you have a generator, get a carbon monoxide detector in case the wind changes and wafts exhaust in your windows.

Our own [permanently-installed] genset uses natural gas (a tri-fuel generator) which in the majority of cases is superior and much cheaper to operate. Over the 11 days that we didn't have power it consumed $100 worth of natural gas. I estimate that an equivalent amount of gasoline would have cost more than $300. I stopped it every 75 hours for oil and filter. If your genset doesn't have an hour meter, then add one. There are some inexpensive self contained hour meters made for lawn equipment that work very well and require no hard wiring. It's really the only practical way to keep track of operating time, without which, intelligent maintenance is impossible.

I noticed that many generators, some still in the box, on Craigslist following Hurricane Ike at bargain basement prices. I recommended to a friend he latch onto one of these and purchase a dual-fuel gasoline/natural gas carburetor] kit. Ants can profit from short-sighted grasshoppers.

It goes without saying have all your vehicles filled up and serviced so they can be depended upon with out much attention. Pay particular attention to cooling systems, oil changes, tire pressures, belts and battery terminals.

Develop a pre-event SOP: When we hear of a hurricane in the Gulf, we pick up loose items like branches that can be thrown by high winds and cause damage (aviators call this rubbish FOD), trim trees, check prescriptions, recharge everything rechargeable, treat the swimming pool with "shock" chlorine, get all the laundry and dishes done, get all the trash out for pickup, take “before” pictures, etc., etc., etc.

3. Have backups for your backups. The portable generator above was our backup to the natural gas-fueled genset. Then an inverter and ups. After that is a 100 Watt solar array I've been tinkering with to provide power for security lighting,etc.

My daughter spent up to two hours a day foraging gas, mostly waiting in lines. She found out that the problem with gasoline-fuel generators is gasoline! It's expensive, in short supply (when it is needed most), and it takes gas to go and get gas! Needless to say I rounded up the parts and the portable is now a dual fuel machine. Had it been able to use natural gas then she could have stayed home and been one less person waiting in line. And the machine still retains the capability to burn gasoline!

Since gasoline became hard to come by (it was impossible to get for a week after Rita) but diesel fuel was plentiful we did any necessary traveling in my old diesel Mercedes (which is EMP proof, BTW).

One important word on generators: Treat yours like it is the last one you'll ever get. Try and get a good one, I prefer either a Honda or Briggs Vangard engine. My Vangard portable is approx 10 years old and absolutely dependable. The difference is methodical maintenance. Keep the manuals, and read 'em ! Keep the oil changed, keep a fresh spark plug, keep spare [oil, air, and fuel] filters. Most importantly run it under load once a month. Unless it's new, pull off the cowling and clean all the dirt and dust from fins on the cylinder jug. Closely examine the starter rope, the fuel lines, et cetera. Replace 'em if they ain't perfect.

If you get a permanently installed generator carefully consider installing a manual transfer switch and other upgrades. With the exception of automatic "exercising" fully automatic generators these add a layer of complication and cost.

Don't store gasoline in the machine other than enough for one periodic test run. Develop a ritual on test runs: such as every other payday, or the last Saturday in the month, to reduce it to a ritual. I run mine monthly whilst cutting the back yard lawn. (The mower makes more noise.)

For storage between test runs: On portable gensets [with the ignition off, slowly ] pull the cord until you can feel that the engine is at the top of the compression stroke. This is where the engine feels like you are pulling it through a "detent". It puts the piston at the top of the bore and closes both valves. This protects the cylinder from moisture. If you store gasoline then use stabilizer, after six months burn it in your car and replace it. Few experiences are worse that trying to clean out a carburetor by a dim flashlight whilst being consumed alive by salt marsh mosquitoes. Trust me on this. BTW, I've had better results storing "winter" blended gas, since t has more light fractions and starts easier year round.

If you use gas cans; stick with metal, preferably safety cans. Plastics are slightly permeable and it will go bad much faster in a plastic can. On that note, [in humid climates] don’t keep spare spark plugs with the machine. This is because in outdoor storage the insulators can absorb moisture [and the metal parts can corrode]. Keep them inside or in a sealed can with some silica gel. An old one-quart paint can is ideal.

If you have a dual-fuel machine, then break the engine in on gasoline and make sure it operates properly on both fuels under load. Keep the necessary connectors for gas operation on the machine so that you don't have to go searching for that 3/8ths-inch pipe nipple with a flashlight.

Use high quality oils, and have enough. Don't forget to also store plenty of 2-stroke [fuel mixing] oil and chain oil if you intend to use a chainsaw. Maybe store some extra for your neighbors that are less prudent. I use Rotella brand synthetic oil and Wix brand filters, and have had good results with them.

Make sure you have enough oil, filters and plugs for at least two weeks (336 hours), or longer. Don't forget about your equipment after the crisis is over: There are valves to set, oil and plugs to change, etc. Even if you own two generators and have enough flashlights, automatic emergency lights, et cetera, things can, and may likely go wrong. Small children usually do not take kindly to being plunged into total darkness. Unless it is TEOTWAWKI, keep the candles in the cupboard, especially if there are small children about.

4. Double your plans for helping other people. Several relatives from coastal areas evacuated to our house (approximately 50 miles inland). I keep a 55 gallon drum of stabilized gasoline to fill up their cars to get them home. This was a lesson learned after the Rita evacuation cluster. How much food you will go through will surprise you. It finally dawned upon us that we almost always eat dinner (lunch to you Northerners) and sometimes breakfast away from home. So what we consumed whilst hunkered down seemed out of proportion.

We also sent some food home with people to hold them over. I was able to "lend" a retired neighbor enough generated power to keep his freezer, television, and fan going. He was genuinely happy. This also meant that he was one less person in line for ice, food, and so forth.

5. Keep a dial up phone line around, after 24 hours the cell phone tower generators started running out of propane, the cable modem (and the cable) went down with the power. Remember how to make that dial-up modem work.

If you're not a Ham radio operator, then find out where the local hams conduct their emergency nets, and listen on your shortwave radio (HF) or scanner (2-meter and 440 band) and you'll know a lot more that the local television news truck can find out.

If you have cable television, then keep a traditional antenna handy. If you live near a major market the local AM news station, then it is probably a good bet. Have a good UPS, plug the computer and the desk lamp into it. If you have a cordless phone, plug it into the UPS too. The UPS will take the "bumps" out of the generator's power; your computer will thank you. Make sure you test the UPS periodically by plugging in a 100 Watt lamp and pulling the plug on the UPS. I find I need to replace that UPS battery about every 2-to-3 years.

6. Plan for the guests. Have plenty of soap, have a small flashlight (preferably with rechargeable batteries) for each guest. Have things other than television to keep youngsters occupied. Try and get plenty of rest. You'll probably be plenty busy after you can poke your head out again. In this vein don't forget dishwashing supplies, laundry supplies, baby supplies, etc. If it's a predictable event such as a hurricane, have all the dishes and laundry done. before it hits.

A television in a room by itself will keep the racket contained from those who want to read, play games or just sleep. If you have the space, then a “quiet room” where  people can just rest, read, be alone, have some privacy or get a fussy to baby to sleep cuts down on contagious stress.

7. Make sure you are medically prepared. Have a rather complete first aid kit that includes a backboard and splinting materials. There will be plenty of cuts,scrapes, bruises, sunburns and sore muscles in the aftermath. Have Band-Aids, 4x4s, neosporin, peroxide etc. Have plenty of acid reducer and immodium on hand (stress and unfamiliar cooking), have at least two weeks of prescription drugs on hand [and preferably much more for any chronic health issues]. Have a good assortment of Tylenol, cold and sinus preparations, BenGay [muscle ointment], good  multivitamins, etc.

8.Be extra, extra, extra careful. You getting sick or more likely injured can really mess things up for everyone you have prepared for. Not to mention that the local fire/ambulance is probably already overtaxed. Be extremely careful handling fire and fuels. A lot of us are not entirely fluent in using chainsaws, small engines, fixing roofs, trimming trees and moving debris.[JWR Adds: safety equipment including heavy gloves, kevlar chainsaw safety chaps, and a combination safety helmet with face shield and muffs are absolute "musts"!] Don't get in a hurry unless there is a threat to life. Be hyper cautious, be very aware of your surroundings and things that can go wrong. Don’t toil alone. Make sure you have a clear path to beat a hasty retreat if things go wrong. Wear those gloves, safety glasses, boots and maybe a hard hat.

Don't overtax yourself. Getting a fallen the tree off of the roof today avails you little if it triggers a heart attack or heat stroke. Ask God's assistance and start over tomorrow.

Keep fire extinguishers near the gas generator, in the kitchen, and near the camp stove.

Avoid using candles at all costs, and absolutely prohibit smoking indoors for the duration. Have more than enough battery smoke detectors around.

9. Be ready to make temporary repairs.. The missing shingles, damaged windows, etc. Have some plywood, a few 2x4s, some Visqueen polyethylene sheeting, batting boards, duct tape, a tarp, some nails, and so forth around. If you happen to have a good cordless drill, then you'll find sheet rock and deck screws are very superior to nails. If you're squared away then you already have this stuff , but a neighbor might be in need, so buy extra.

Debris creates flat tires for quite some time after many events. Have a tire plug kit and a 12 VDC compressor in each vehicle. Repairs to structures, especially roof repairs guarantee nails in tires. Be ready for them..

Have everything rechargeable recharged. Make sure you have some traditional non-power tools, I have a handsaw that I've had for decades, a good bow saw, ax, maul, sledge and an old eggbeater style hand drill still get regular use.

10. If I had my choice of just one utility it would be running water. Fortunately where we reside is served by a well run rural utility district which has prepared well for hurricanes. Failing this, in addition to stored water I have a portable gas utility pump (Robin brand) that can pressurize our water system from our pool and has sufficient capacity for a fire line. The pool got a good jolt of shock a day before the storm hit.

11.Keep some cash money handy. For a few days [with no utility power] there were no functional ATMs, and no way to use credit or debit cards.

12. Keep a low profile. About a week after Ike a passerby indignantly asked "How'd you get your lights turned on?" This showed his ignorance on several levels. He seemed to think someone just had to flip a switch downtown and "shazam!" his lights are on. I couldn't make him understand there has to be an unbroken physical link between a power plant and consumer, this seemed to aggravate his obvious helplessness. Telling him that we had been making our own juice seemed to irritate him. I wonder who he voted for? People with this mindset (that the world owes them something) could be a genuine liability in a real catastrophe. (BTW on a news show during a piece about energy, I actually heard a lady refer to natural gas as “just another dirty fossil fuel”) and not be challenged on the facts. Little minds scare me. I think that the hyper-liberals would love to use the heavy hand of government to force the ants take care of the grasshoppers.  Keep a low profile. The best advice I ever heard on the subject (I believe it was Howard J. Ruff ) was to "keep your principles public and your actions private".

13. Keep a notebook, keep a record of what happened, but especially keep a record of preps you overlooked or screwed up, or stuff you ran out of, or skills that need to be added or honed. That's where most of the preceding information came from! Also keep tabs on what's scarce after an event. Gas was scarce, but diesel plentiful after Rita. In contrast, after Ike there was plenty of fuel, but few operating stations due to lack of power. (There was a "mandatory evacuation" during Rita which turned out to be a fatal traffic jam for a few poor souls which quickly emptied the filling station tanks.) Out our way the local Wal-Mart made a heroic effort and opened up on locally-generated power, two days after Ike. The sheriff’s department was there to “maintain order”. (Let’s just say that they actually wear brown shirts here.). This event was a lifetime opportunity to study the varied behaviors of people under stress.

There were plenty of canned goods and auto supplies. But fresh fruits and veggies were a little thin, no meat due to lack of refrigeration for a few days, batteries, Coleman fuel, trash bags, paper plates, disposable diapers, formula, and nails evaporated. The pharmacy was closed.

Even with the numerous mistakes we made, we were able to stay safe, secure and comfortable and help others while "victims" were standing or idling their car engines in lines. It was an opportunity to try things out under more or less controlled conditions. WTSHTF there will not be controlled conditions!

Dear Jim,
Several years ago my wife and I were resident managers of a self-storage facility. Here are some useful facts:

Check them out first with the Better Business Bureau. The company we worked for, sad to say, was and still is rated very poorly for failing to respond to customer complaints. They operated on a model of "Get every penny they have." The rent was reasonable, and we were on site as "Security" with the usual corporate garbage that we never have anything resembling a weapon in the office or on duty.

The problem came with late fees. As soon as the doors closed at the end of the three day grace period, the computer would apply a penalty. On the 15, another penalty would apply. After 30 days, a "Collection fee," and rent, and more fees. A month late would cost a customer about $100 (in late 1990s dollars) in addition to rent for each month. Their lock would be cut to determine if the space was abandoned, and then overlooked, with a fee to have the lock removed. (All this was handled by the corporate office. We had no choice and no authority or ability to help anyone on hard times.) We were not allowed to provide any contact info except the P.O. Box number to complainants, who'd of course sometimes threaten to "inform our bosses" who made it clear they didn't want to talk to customers. They would never respond in any fashion to a customer unless lawyers were involved.

At one time they stripped and auctioned property through a local auction house, then switched to the "Bid on the open box" plan. So the result of three months lost rent, lots of filing, certified letters, late fees and loss of the use of the space in the meantime would typically be $20 or so.

Keep in mind that almost every place writes leases from the first day of the second month and pro-rates the remainder of the first month. So if you move in on the 20th and pay a full month's rent, you will owe the pro-rata for ten days (20th to end of month) on the 1st. If you miss that you will be in arrears.

Be aware that even the reputable ones do not provide trash service. If you are caught tossing trash into their dumpsters, you will be fined. Obviously, you shouldn't be paying to store trash, but it's amazing what we cleaned out of abandoned units:

A mo-ped
A laserdisc player
A new recliner (Still wrapped)
A new microwave
A case of mixed liquor, sealed bottles
Various tools
Furniture
A full set of fine china
Car stereos
Construction materials
Literally tons of good clothes, shoes and books. (Which we donated to the local Goodwill.)

All of which were left in unlocked, unpaid units, often with the customer's blessing to help ourselves.

Which would be my last point: don't fall into the trap of just tossing stuff into the warehouse. Get the smallest one you need and plan for (as you mentioned) cold, heat, wet, vermin, and occasional fires. Never store anything crucial with personal value or legal value in one.

I can concur that property stored at these facilities is generally safe. Most of what is stored is not worth stealing, and what is worth it is too hard to sort. However, keep in mind that in grid down or other disasters, the facility may be closed, or wrecked by rioters. And once the first goblin figures out there's "Free" stuff, then all such properties are at risk. So I would not recommend using them except on a short term basis, while transporting your gear to a more secure location. - Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor at Large

James Wesley,
We have heated our current home with a wood stove and a pellet stove for ten years now. I disagree with one aspect of the recent article on your web site.

Our wood stove in the basement is set up to burn coal as well as wood. Where we live in Colorado there are a large number of dead trees -- from pine beetles -- that we can and do burn for free. However, with pine wood even the best stove will not hold the coals overnight. Hence the ability to use coal is a godsend. When the weather is only a little bit chilly we can place a basketball sized lump of coal in the stove and the stove will hold the coal -- burning slowly -- for up to five days. Hence in the mornings all we have to do is toss on a few pieces of wood and they will catch right away.

During the coldest part of the winter we can load the stove with a five gallon bucket of coal and it will heat the whole house for three days. Given the cyclic nature of our weather here (a couple of days of stormy weather, followed by a couple of days of biting cold, then a couple of days of sunny and warmer weather) we can clean out the stove during a sunny day as coal produces lots of ash.

Burning coal does one other thing as well. Pine wood has a tendency to produce a lot of creosote. But by using the coal, the creosote deposits in the chimney are burned off leaving a hard discoloration. Not burned off as in a chimney fire but apparently one of the chemicals in coal smoke reacts with the creosote and chemically burns it off of the inside of the chimney. At least this is how our chimney sweep has explained it to us when he shows up and inspects our chimneys every year.

Our pellet stove (upstairs) is good for those cool cloudy days in the spring and fall when firing up the wood stove in the basement will heat the house too much.

Now one warning -- our wood stove is designed to burn coal. Your typical wood stove is not designed to do this and the coal will burn through the sides/bottom of the stove. - H.D.

Heating with wood has been a “necessary” tradition for thousands of years, but with the advent of the industrial revolution, and the advancement in methods of heating homes and buildings, heating with wood became less and less popular.  During the 1970s Energy Crises, there was interest in seeking “alternative” energy sources, and people started to rediscover the benefits of heating with wood. In the early 1990s, gas stoves and inserts took the place of traditional wood burning.  People were just too busy to deal with the time and energy required with wood.  In the last few years however, wood has come full circle, yet again.  It’s funny how people go back to things that are simple, reliable, and secure, in times of uncertainty.

I am a former Technical Administrator for a Wood and Gas Stove manufacturer, and thought I might be of some help by passing on some of my experience and knowledge. Basically, I was the guy who trained “the stove professionals” at the places that customers buy their stoves.

Heating your home/retreat with wood can be very rewarding, especially in a SHTF scenario. It can literally mean the difference between barely surviving, and comfortably thriving.  If a wood stove is not installed, operated, and maintained properly, there is a very real possibility that there can be substantial loss of property, and or life.

Fireplaces
While fireplaces do add warmth and comfort, they are far from being efficient.  Most fireplaces are only about 10% efficient, in other words, 90% of your fuels’ BTUs are going straight up the chimney.  If you do have a fireplace in your home, and would like to make far less trips to the wood pile, please consider installing a wood burning fireplace insert.

Selection of a wood burning stove
There are many types of woodstoves, and not all woodstoves are built alike, and there are a few features that are highly advantageous. Most stoves will burn wood effectively, that is, yes the wood does burn, but there is a bit more to it than that.

Catalytic Stoves – The king of wood stoves
A catalytic stove utilizes what is called a “Catalytic Combustor”.  This combustor is similar to the catalytic combustor (converter) in a cars exhaust system. Its’ size can differ, but usually is 7” round, 7 x 9 oval, or rectangular, and about 2” thick. The combustor is a ceramic or stainless steel honeycomb on which is coated a catalyst. The catalyst may be a combination of one or more precious metals, including the following: platinum, palladium, rhodium and cerium.  The catalyst chemically lowers the combustion temperature of the smoke from a wood fire, thereby allowing more smoke to burn, resulting in higher efficiency, and less creosote buildup.  The active operating range is approximately 700-to-1,400 deg. F. The unit will glow red around 1,000+ deg., but is operating properly as long as it is in the active range. Catalytic Stoves come with a “Cat Thermometer” When operating properly; all that should be exiting the chimney is a white, steamy plume.

Pros
Saves Time and money
Dramatically longer burn times. Up to 40 hours on low setting (Blaze King Brand)
Much higher efficiency
Fewer trips to the wood pile
Chimney stays much cleaner, less chance of chimney fire
Greater burn control, resulting in more even temperatures in the home/retreat
Uses less woods
Cons
More expensive than traditional non-cats
Average life of converter is 5-9 yrs, depending on use and type of fuel burned
Replacement Cat’s are expensive. (This cost is made up by time and money saved)
Note:  In worst case scenario (i.e. TEOTWAWKI) and the cat is no longer working, the by-pass door (not the loading door) can be left open and the stove will still operate. The EPA will say that it is illegal to operate the stove without the use of a properly operating catalytic combustor. If it is TEOWAWKI, I’m sure you will get a pass on this.

Non-Catalytic Stoves
Non-cats are more commonplace, yet they too, are not all the same.  You have your basic type, that is, a box with a hole in the top, and you have others that employ what is called “secondary air”.  Secondary air aids in better combustion of smoke, resulting in lower emissions.
Pros
Less expensive than Catalytic
Fewer parts to wear out
Cons
Shorter burn times (cold mornings?)
Less efficient
Uses more wood
More trips to the wood box
Thermostats
Woodstoves with thermostats are much better at controlling the burn, and maintaining a more even temperature in the house.  They are incorporated into the stove itself. (Not on the wall) A thermostat is comprised of a “flapper” that is controlled by a wound, bi-metal strip. As the stove gets hotter, the flapper will start to close, thus controlling the amount of fresh air given to the fire, and conversely, will open up as the fire dies down.
A stove without a thermostat will generally have a manual air intake control, in the form of a plate that you can move to control the volume of air coming into the firebox.

Positioning of stove in the house
It is generally best to place your stove in a centralized area in the home.  Natural air flow is a large consideration.  Most average sized homes can be heated sufficiently with a quality woodstove, based upon layout and natural air flow. It is preferred to have the chimney within the envelope of the home and not routed on an outside wall.

Pre-Manufactured Chimney Systems
Most installations will utilize a pre-manufactured chimney system.  It is important to understand that there is two different systems, one is standard residential, and the other is High Temperature Mobile Home/Alcove/Close Clearance. Normally, single wall pipe called a connector, is used to come off of the stove. This pipe must be 24/26 MSG Black/Blued steel stove pipe. (Do not use aluminum or galvanized pipe) Once reaching the ceiling, it will transition into a “ceiling box” that has Triple Wall (actual chimney), that runs the rest of the way.
  Always follow the manufacturer’s installation requirements, and local codes.  DO NOT MIX DIFFERENT CHIMNEY SYSTEM.

Never use more than a total of two 90 deg. turns in an installation.  Any more than that, will significantly reduce your draft.  If possible, use two 45’s instead of a 90. Furthermore, never slap a 90 deg. elbow right off of the top of a stove.  Preferably, you would go a minimum of 36” up, before turning.  Furthermore, if a horizontal run is needed, it should be 36” or less, AND have a slope of ¼” per ft., downward into stove. It is important and required, that the chimney extends a minimum of 3 ft. above a roof, and is at least 2 ft. higher than any area of the roof within 10 ft.
Note:  Chimney sections should ALWAYS funnel into the stove collar, meaning the crimped end faces down into the stove. This allows for condensation/creosote to drain into the stove, and not leak outside of the pipe

Masonry Chimneys
If you have an existing masonry chimney, and are able to route your stove pipe into it, you can save a lot of money. A masonry chimney must be lined; the liner is usually made out of clay 5/8” thick min., and appropriate cement. A chimney liner should never be smaller than the cross sectional area of the stove collar, example: An 8” collar is approx. 50 square inches.  A visual inspection of the chimney is needed prior to the installation of the stove.  Look for cracks/holes, loose field stones/bricks, and mortar that is crumbling/deteriorating.  Creosote patches are signs of fresh air being introduced through these cracks.  Have a professional chimney sweep inspect and repair the chimney if you feel that this is beyond your capabilities/judgment.  Overly large, unlined, existing chimneys often will not draft properly, will accelerate the buildup of creosote, and usually violate code and installation requirements. All installations require a thimble when the pipe enters the chimney through a combustible wall. It may be constructed of brick, or pre-manufactured.
Note: Make sure the ash clean out door on the outside base (if installed) of the chimney is closed.  This will keep cold air from being introduced into the chimney, and reducing draft.

Creosote and chimney cleaning 
Creosote is basically caused by smoke cooling and condensing on the chimney walls. It can be built up with the addition of ash and other large, unburned carbon particles. It can present itself as hard and shiny, or thick, light and fluffy. You should inspect your chimney and connector system twice a month during burn season. Pay close attention to the appearance of creosote patches inside of the chimney. The existence of these patches is an indication of fresh air leaking into the chimney, and should be repaired or replaced immediately.

Use only a tight fitting chimney brush to clean your chimney. Getting “Bubba” up on top of the roof with tire chains, hoses, and the pool skimmer, will not only result in unsatisfactory results, it can potentially damage your chimney. Remove the first section of pipe off the stove, and attach a plastic bag to the open end of the pipe. Again, follow manufactures cleaning instructions, if available. You cannot expect to get every speck of creosote cleaned off, so don’t lose any sleep over it.  Just do your best to brush as much of it out as you can. 

WARNING: NEVER INTENTIONALLY START A CHIMNEY FIRE TO CLEAN OUT THE CHIMNEY

“Magic” Chimney Creosote Cleaning Logs/Products
My experience has shown that nothing can substitute a tight fitting chimney brush for cleaning a chimney.  While there are several products out there that claim to “clean” or otherwise break down the buildup of creosote, I would not recommend them.
Safe Operation of Stoves
Always follow the manufactures operating instructions, and procedures. If none are available, please consider the following:

Never leave the stove unattended with the loading door left open. Leaving the loading door open, then getting distracted by a phone call, or knock at the door, can have disastrous results.  Once a loading door is opened, there is virtually an unlimited supply of combustion air available for the fuel. If left unchecked, especially if the stove has just been filled, the stove can reach temperatures exceeding that in which the stove is designed.  This can warp the stove, or worse, cause a house or chimney fire.

Never use gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid or any other type of accelerant, to start a fire, or to “freshen up” a fire.

Never mix, or substitute chimney brands/systems.  If you are trying to save money by mixing and matching stove pipe, you stand the chance of losing so much more. Chimney Systems are just that, “systems”.  They have gone through extensive testing for a reason, to save lives and property.  Many have gambled and lost on this issue. Do not use aluminum or galvanized “duct” piping, they cannot withstand the high temperatures of burning solid fuels.

Use only solid, seasoned wood as fuel, unless the stove has otherwise been designed for such fuel. Do not burn coal, oil, plastics, wrapping paper, charcoal, railroad ties, particle board, and sawdust, painted wood, or anything else that is not dry, seasoned wood. Using unseasoned “green” wood will increase production of creosote, and make for poor draft up the chimney. Seasoned wood is wood that has been cut and allowed to “season”, or sit, for a period of usually at least 8 months. Saltwater driftwood can be death for a stove; it will [cause rust that will] eat right through it

If you are experiencing a chimney fire and it is safe to do so, then make sure the loading door is closed, turn down the thermostat all the way (or manual air control), evacuate your home, and call 911.

Check Loading Door Gasket twice during each burn season.  You can do this by opening the door and positioning a dollar bill on the area where the door gasket meets the opening on the stove, now close and latch the door.  There should be noticeable resistance when pulling the bill out. Try this in different areas around the door.

Ensure proper combustible clearances to the stove are maintained.  Refer to your owner’s manual on distances.  If your stove is bought second hand, and does not have the clearances and certification agency labeled on the unit itself, contact the local authority having jurisdiction, to verify code requirements.

I have gone through most of the basics regarding wood burning stoves, and I’m sure that I’ve missed a thing or two. What I have presented are just general guidelines. I cannot emphasize enough that you follow the manufacturer’s Installation and Operating Instructions, doing so will ensure best performance, with the lowest risk of danger. - Kevin K.

Often in reading survivalist material, one comes across instructions on how to use fire in a camping or retreat setting for cooking, cleaning, sterilizing, and the like.  There is also quite a bit of information on how to protect ones self and belongings from the threat of fire, particularly wildfires.  Much of the information I have found is good information, and will be useful in a The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) scenario.  The purpose of this writing is not to further expound on those things most of us already know, but rather to use us to think about the other ways fire will impact our lives during TEOTWAWKI and look at some possibilities for actions that we should take now.

Without question, fire has played a vital role in shaping every ecosystem in existence on every land today.  That being said, it has to be true that fire, or the lack of fire, will continue to change and/or maintain the lands and ecosystems available into, and beyond TEOTWAWKI.

For centuries fires that started naturally, usually by lightning, and even fires started by native populations, burned unchecked across the landscape.  These fires were generally of low intensity because fire and the fuels they consumed were in harmony due to their long and virtually unhindered relationship.  Nature was in sync.  Around the turn of the 20th century, people began to see fire as a bad thing that was destroying timber, crops, and occasionally buildings.  With that mindset, and with the rapid advancement of technology, man’s capability to contain and control wildfire improved greatly, and we began to save the precious resources once doomed to destruction.  Unfortunately, it was a long time before it occurred to many people that fire is as necessary to the health and vitality of these areas as rain and sunlight.

Fast-forward a hundred years and the results of our extinguishment efforts are clear.  Many forests and wild lands have gone without God’s built-in cleaning for far too long, and now the fuels available to burn generate high-intensity, fast-burning fires that human ingenuity cannot seem to compete with.  I have managed wildfire on both coasts, and numerous places in between, and I want to assure you that this situation exists in many, if not most, of the wild lands, in every state in our Country today, and therefore, should be a consideration in locating and maintaining a retreat or GOOD location.
All wild lands are going to burn one way or another.  We can allow (or mimic, through the use of prescribed fire) naturally occurring fires to burn, or we can exclude fire from an area until the conditions finally come together to generate a conflagration that humans cannot control.  Choosing the former will go a long way toward maintaining these areas in a state where life will flourish.  These fires consume dead fallen debris which provides much needed nutrients back to the soil.  This in turn, encourages the growth of supple young plant life which provide browse and forage for different wildlife species, and opens up areas close to the ground for new growth of overstory species (of trees) to start over.

The exclusion of naturally occurring fire usually has adverse and devastating effects, which interrupt the “circle of life” for years, and sometimes changes the ecosystem forever.  Older, less healthy trees and shrubs are not “thinned out”, allowing the canopy to grow together and shade out nutritious young plant life.  This discourages wildlife browse, which allows the shrub layer and the fallen debris layer to become thicker and heavier.  Once fire does return, it burns with greater intensity and longer flame length, causing the entire tree canopy to be consumed, and large areas of soil to be sterilized, thereby inhibiting regeneration.

Certainly these illustrations are an oversimplification, but nonetheless they do provide an accurate representation of how these forested ecosystems can work.  And while the fire regime is not the only thing that affects forest health, I believe it is the most prominent aspect of these ecosystems which are affecting forest health in our country today.
So, what should you do when considering, building, or maintaining a retreat locale?  First of all, it is important to note that forests vary greatly from one area to the next.  Being a native of the southeast, my intuition and understanding of what a healthy forest looks like does not always apply in say, the northern Rockies.  I think you should choose a location based upon other factors that you have learned, and then begin to study and learn the fire regime for the ecosystem that you have chosen.  To do that, talk to the locals, the scientists or forestry personnel who work in the area, as well as the firefighters.  Farmers also have a good handle on the land and what is happening.  Pay particularly close attention to the old-timers who “grew up around here”.  Ask them these questions:

• Have the forests changed in their lifetime?  Are they thick and overgrown?
• Have the fires really gotten worse over the years, or is it just more “hyped” due to the increased population and the sensational media?
• Is there more or less wildlife than years past?  (Again, this can be hyped by the media, but the local old-timers will have a good feel for the “truth”.)
• Who owns most of the large tracts of land?  Do they ever log it?  Do they conduct prescribed burns or “controlled burns”?

Other sources of such information include libraries, museums, and town halls or community centers.  Often they will have old pictures.  Look at the background of those photos.  Do the natural areas look significantly different than they do now?
Once you have begun work on your locale, I believe as good stewards we are responsible to at least learn about the basic fire history and behavior in our area.  Those with tracts of land large enough should also learn how to use fire (prescribed fire) for the benefit of the land we use for our survival.  You may also need to get involved in the political process (as long as there is one to be involved in).  Currently, there are laws in many areas that prevent landowners from using fire in a useful and productive way.  While these laws are probably intended to provide for public safety, many of them are old and work against the public good in the long run by adversely affecting forest health.

Work to protect your property against loss due to wildfire.  You can have the best intentions in the world, but if you loose your home because you chose the wrong landscaping or building material, you will become a statistic that many will use to prevent responsible fire management.  http://www.firewise.org/ is a great resource to start looking for information on how to do this

Let me state now, unequivocally and for the record, fire in the wrong hands is extremely hazardous to life and property, and must be treated with the same respect one would give a loaded bazooka in a crowded church.  I am in no way advocating that everyone who owns or manages a rural piece of property go out and set it on fire.  Doing so, without the proper knowledge and safety measures, can cause loss of life and property in a disaster, for which you may be held wholly and personally liable in a court of law.  By the same token, allowing a natural fire to “burn unchecked across the landscape” without the proper knowledge and available resources can also have the same disastrous affects, and is illegal in some areas.

For those of you who believe, as I do, that the stuff will most certainly one day hit the fan, and are planning to make it “out here”, I assure you that these are important issues.  It cannot be overstated that if you intend to live off of the land, then the health and productivity of that land is vital.  Although done with the best of intentions, we have gone a long way to making our forests unhealthy through fire exclusion.  Continue to do so after the SHTF, and your once safe and beautiful homestead, could quite easily become a burned-out, barren wasteland that can no longer sustain you and yours.

JWR Adds: The sound practice of tree clearing to establish "defensible space" has been previously discussed in SurvivalBlog. See, for example, this 2007 article: From the Memsahib: Developing Wildfire Defensive Space at Your Home or Retreat. Don't just think about it, get out you chainsaw and accomplish it!

Dear Editor:
The suggestions of where to hide money prompted me to write about my experiences with storing cash. I keep on hand a few hundred dollars in small denominations in the event of an interruption of cash supply . I keep the cash in a small home fire/water proof lockbox from Sentry (just large enough on the interior dimension to fit an 8.5x 11 sheet of paper, and about 2 inches deep) along with other papers I want to protect from fire. The small size obviously offers no theft protection so to secure it, as well as up the fire protection, I put the lockbox into a fireproof gun safe. I always felt that this was the best way to store it until I ran into a little problem.

I infrequently open the lockbox just because the nature of what’s in it isn’t needed often. Once after a couple of months I opened it to find that the currency had molded (not mildewed) while sitting in the lockbox. It was my first experience at laundering money.

I take two steps to avoid this problem. First I place the money in an envelope and vacuum seal it. Secondly I place in the lockbox, about a half cup of silica gel desiccant, with indicating beads, in a coffee filter and check the condition every few months replacing as needed.

I’ve never had any corrosion problems with any of the firearms in the safe so I have to assume that the issue is with the lockbox. In my mind either the rubber seal allowed the currency to draw moisture from the humidity in the air, or the currency had enough moisture in it to cause problems when it first went into the lockbox.

I thought this was something that could save someone a little heartache. - Kentucky Possum

JWR Replies: If your document lock box is marked "fireproof" then it probably has a moisture-bearing insulation, typically Calcium Silicate. The moisture is part of what makes it fireproof.) This insulation BTW, will eventually induce rust on your guns if stored in the same vault, unless you take precautions. Place in the vault either a large (1/2- pound) bag or canister of Silica Gel (rotated by drying in an oven or in a food dehydrator at 160 degrees F overnight, four times a year), or use a Golden Rod dehumidifier, continuously.

The same types of linings are used in "fireproof" file cabinets at gun vaults. And coincidentally, because these linings eventually lose their moisture, their "fireproof" ratings expire after a few years.

The American healthcare system is collapsing and it will continue to do so no matter what comes out of the current debates in Washington. As a result, healthcare in the United States will continue to rise in cost. Worse, healthcare will become difficult to obtain; specialty care is already scarce in some areas and many rural counties do not have even one doctor who will accept Medicare patients. There are many reasons for these developments that are too complicated to outline here but it’s important to be aware of these trends because they will affect your ability to obtain care when you need it.

Directly related to the healthcare system is the health insurance system which is equally a mess. Following are what I’ve learned in the past 30 years as a health insurance broker in a western state:

Why You Need Insurance

As an insurance broker, I constantly meet people who tell me that they don’t need medical insurance. Most often I’m told “I’ll just go down to the emergency room where they gotta treat me no matter what”. While this is technically accurate it doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get the care you need. A lot depends on the tax base of the city, county, and state where you live. If your region is financially solvent, the local hospital will probably take good care of you. However, if your local government or state are in trouble, healthcare is the first thing that gets cut, leaving hospitals underfunded and understaffed. Compounding the problem is the fact that reimbursements from HMOs, insurance companies, and the various federal and state entitlement plans (Medicare, Medicaid, county welfare, et cetera) are in many cases lower than the actual cost of delivering care. As a result, the system is starved for funding and providers are in revolt. Older doctors are simply retiring and dropping out of the system. Many of the physicians that remain in practice are canceling their contracts with insurance plans and government schemes and moving to cash-only business models. (In a major city in my state, it’s getting very difficult to find a pediatrician who accepts insurance. Most are now cash only.) As for emergency rooms, it’s becoming difficult for some hospitals to staff their ERs, especially with specialists and surgeons because the outside docs have no assurance that they’ll be paid for treating the un-insured. This results in delays in critically needed treatment as ER directors frantically try to find doctors who will provide care to injured but un-insured (or government-insured) patients.

These trends are causing a serious physician shortage that’s going to get worse as more doctors exit the system. As mentioned, many of the physicians who stay around are limiting their offices to patients who pay cash or have insurance that adequately reimburses them for their time and expertise. A group of surgeons in my town recently constructed their own private hospital about two miles away from the regional medical center. Since it’s private and does not accept government funds, the doctors can limit who gets in. If you don’t have insurance, they send you over to the medical center.

The fact is that the US healthcare system can no longer afford to provide care to everyone who needs it. Most federal, state, and county systems are hopelessly bankrupt and there are 50 million baby boomers now entering their highest-cost years of healthcare needs. In the coming years, who gets treated will be primarily be decided by a person’s ability to pay the bill and private, comprehensive insurance will be one of the few keys that will get you the care you need. Like it or not, in the future the people who have insurance will get treated and those that don’t will be sidelined to long lines for tests, appointment with specialists, and needed surgeries.

How to Get Covered

Aside from cost, the biggest problem with private medical insurance is getting approved. Most states allow insurance plans to decline individuals who have prior medical problems. The debates going on in Congress now include guarantee-to-issue mandates for insurance carriers. However, these mandates – if approved – are years way from implementation. Meanwhile, people with existing medical conditions need insurance now.

Some states in the eastern US mandate guaranteed coverage for all applicants but most states don’t. If you have a pre-existing condition, the only way to get medical insurance is to be part of a group plan, either as an employee or as a business owner. The regulations vary from state to state but most states require insurance carriers to issue group coverage to eligible businesses no matter what the health of the participants. In other words, insurance companies cannot refuse to cover employees of a legitimate group. However, you can’t just call yourself a group and get covered – eligibility for a guaranteed group plan is strictly defined. In most cases, eligibility requires an established business (typically in operation at least 3-to-6 months), with two or more W-2 status employees, working at least 30 hours per week, for at least the local minimum wage. All of these requirements must be satisfied to qualify and carriers require detailed verification of these parameters in the form of business records and payroll reports. So you can’t just call yourself a group and get coverage – you have to have a real business with at least two people on a legitimate W-2 payroll.

For most people, this is a dead end. However, there is a loophole in some state laws that can get you around most of these requirements. The insurance regulations in some states allow corporate officers to count as employees for the purposes of qualifying for group insurance. If your state has this provision you can form a corporation, name yourself and your spouse (or family member, or friend) as corporate officers and become eligible for guaranteed-issue medical coverage no matter what your health history. In my state there is no requirement that the corporation actually engage in a trade or business or have revenues, nor is there a requirement that the officers be on payroll or take a salary. All that’s required is a corporate structure and at least two officers named on the filing documents. Carriers hate this loophole but there’s nothing that they can do about it if it’s part of the state’s insurance code. It’s the law and they have to abide by it.

Cautions: The corporation must be filed in your state of residence and the officers typically have to be state residents as well. Other requirements may apply depending on where you live so discuss the details with a local attorney who works with small businesses and a local insurance broker who is familiar with the group plans available in your area. Also, don’t submit a filing with 10 or 15 family and friends named as officers because they all need coverage. Keep a low-profile. You may technically be within the law but I’ve seen carriers find one excuse after another to postpone approval of a plan because they didn’t like the group. You are much more likely to get five separate corporations approved, each with two officers, than a single filing listing 10.

In my state, creating a corporation costs about $2,000 for the legal work and filing fees and there may be annual taxes levied by the state depending on where you live. Note that these outlays do not include the cost of the insurance plan; the corporation is merely the vehicle that will allow you to obtain coverage. However, once your corporation is in place, you will be able to obtain insurance and maintain coverage for the rest of your life irrespective of your health or your employment.

Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions: Even though you can obtain guaranteed coverage through your corporation, the insurance plan will not necessarily cover pre-existing health conditions. Unless you have prior insurance in place within 62 days of the start of your group insurance (“Prior Credible Coverage”), existing medical conditions may have a waiting period before they are covered. Here’s the general rule:

A pre-existing condition is a medical issue for which you saw a licensed practitioner, had tests or treatment, or for which you took a prescription medication in the six months prior to the start of the new plan. If you did not see a practitioner or have treatment, tests, or took meds for the condition in the prior six months, then you are covered for all conditions immediately. If you did have treatment of some sort, then that condition is not covered until you have been on your new plan for six months. But after six months-plus-one day, the pre-existing condition is covered just like any other illness. And once you’ve satisfied the six-month wait you won’t have to do it again even if you switch carriers or plans as long as you move directly from one group plan to another.

Finally, don’t lie about your medical history thinking that you’ll get past the pre-existing condition exclusion. Insurance carriers investigate every claim that comes in during the first six months that a plan is in effect. They can do this because the authorizations you sign when submitting a claim allow the company to obtain any medical records about you no matter how far back. Meanwhile, you’ll likely forget that during a prior office visit with your doctor he asked you about the problem and you mentioned some treatments in the past. That will be in your doc’s notes and the insurance carrier will see the note and start tracing back. If they find out you lied on the application they’ll refund all your premiums, hand you back all your claims, and rescind your coverage. People try to cheat insurance companies every day and the carriers know every lie, every scam, and every trick that people try to pull. They’ll find out if you try to cheat them and they’ll pull your coverage if you do.

Low Cost Medical Coverage

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as "Low Cost Medical Coverage" but there is lower-cost coverage. We tell all of our clients to select a plan with the highest deductible they can afford if they get sick. High deductible plans have lower premiums but still provide comprehensive major-medical coverage in the event of a serious accident or illness. In most states carriers now offer plans with annual deductibles of up to $5,000 and that’s what we recommend.

While $5,000 may seem like a lot to pay if you get sick, you can always work out a payment plan with the hospital once you’re on your feet again. For example, let’s say that a heart attack and bypass surgery cost you $50,000, with the insurance company picking up about $43,000 of the cost. You owe the hospital $7,000 for the deductible and various co-payments and you can’t afford to write a check for the full amount. First off, thank them for taking good care of you – the hospital’s billing people get yelled at all the time about how high the bill is. Meanwhile, the hospital’s docs and nurses probably saved your life, so be respectful and grateful. Then, offer to pay $600/month over 12 months. Another strategy is to ask for a discount in exchange for immediate payment by cash or by credit card. Providers want to collect payments and close out accounts as fast as possible so many will make a deal for quick payment. If you owe the hospital $7,000 tell them that you’ll settle the bill on the spot for $3,500. They may counter at $4,500 or $5,000, but whatever figure you settle on will be a significant discount. The key here is immediate payment – have your cash or credit card ready because it’s the only enticement you have to get a reduction in your balance.

Insurance That’s Not Insurance

I occasionally get a call from someone that goes like this: “I bought insurance from a guy and then got sick and now the hospital says I owe $30,000. What can I do?” Some insurance contracts have limits on how much will be paid for expensive care such as surgery or hospitalization but those limits are buried in fine print on the back page that no one reads. These plans typically have lower rates that the local Blue Cross/Blue Shield policies and it’s tempting to purchase the cheaper coverage. However, like anything else, you get what you pay for with insurance. Plans with similar benefits all cost about the same from carrier to carrier because they pay out about the same amount of money if you get sick. So a plan that promises lower rates for high benefits is impossible – somewhere along the way, the insurance company has figured out a way to make a profit even though they charge less than their competitors. Most of the time they do this by capping the payout in some way, usually by “internal limits” on expensive benefits. For example, a company located in the Southwest has been very successful in marketing a “special” policy designed specifically for the self-employed. Their sales people tout the great coverage and low premiums and they sell a boatload of this junk insurance all over the US. What they don’t tell you is that the policy benefits have caps on the payouts. The agent will explain that the policy will pay 80% of your hospital bill but what he doesn’t tell you is that the hospital payout is limited to $10,000. (This is an actual case that I dealt with last year. A young women was diagnosed with cervical cancer about seven months after buying insurance from this company. She now owes the hospital $37,000 because her contract limited the hospital payouts to $10,000.)

Here’s what to look for: Be very suspicious of insurance plans that are connected to some sort of official-sounding “association” or “union” for the self-employed. I’ve rarely seen a plan like this that provided good coverage. Some of these plans don’t even have a real insurance company behind them - the association or union is just a front for the sales guys who sell cheap insurance, collect a pile of money from the premium payments, and then close the plan down and skip town, leaving all their customers with no coverage. (I’ve personally seen two such "plans" in my area.) Also, do not complete an application if you have to initial every page of the form. When you initial a form it means that you have read, understand, and agreed to everything on that page and doing so is legally binding. That means that you can’t sue the agent or the company if there’s a dispute later about the terms of what you signed. That’s what happened to the girl with cervical cancer - she got stuck with a $37,000 hospital bill but couldn’t sue the agent because she had initialed the page with the fine print about the $10,000 payout cap. And because of this initial-each-page scam, that guy is still out there selling his junk policies to unsuspecting people.

Before buying insurance, read the fine print. Ask questions. Listen carefully and take notes. Talk to agents from different companies. And be very suspicious of any plan that’s not insured by a major, well-known insurance company. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Premium Increases: Whatever plan you choose and whatever the monthly rate, your premium will go up every year. Yep, every year. By how much? That depends on your location but in our state it’s averaged 10% per year. Some years were higher than that, some lower, but 10% is the long-term average we’ve seen and we thing that will continue. There are lots of reasons for this – too many to discuss in this posting - but it’s a fact and you need to plan for it. In addition to the annual increases, your rate will also get bumped up as you move into higher age brackets (e.g. 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64). Fair or unfair, right or wrong, that’s the way the system works. The cost of healthcare and the cost of health insurance is going to rise in price every year. If you want access to good medical care you need to understand and plan for this reality.

The one offset to these increases is to raise your deductible from time to time. A $5,000 deductible was unheard of a few years ago and now is common. In a few years we’ll start to see deductibles of $10,000 or more. Moving your deductible up every few years will help control your premium outlays. But doing so will place increased importance on maintaining your health. In the coming years as medical care gets more costly and you raise your deductible your personal lifestyle will increasingly impact your household finances. If you lead an unhealthy life your medical expenses will ultimately bankrupt you unless you’re very wealthy. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle is now a financial decision. Cut out the tobacco, get more exercise, eat right, and get your check-ups. In short, do all the things we all know that we should be doing. If you follow though, you’ll be healthier and there will be less danger of you depleting your family’s monetary reserves by $10,000 per year for deductibles and co-pays because of a chronic illness.

Jim:
Last Sunday night my family drove home to the sight of a pillar of smoke that looked like it was coming directly from where my house should be. It turned out to be the next door neighbor’s home. The blessing is that no one was home, so no one got hurt. The downside is that no one was home so everything owned was lost. I mean everything – clothes, food, water pump, furniture, bedding, cash on hand, tools, toys, games, appliances, equipment, books – everything.

The Red Cross put the family in a hotel for a few days. But after that they came home with a rented shipping container that they are sleeping in. Did I mention they lost everything? The local churches have provided clothes, the neighbors are providing meals. The local funeral home director of all people is donating an old trailer as temporary housing. They will eventually rebuild. But in the short term it is a post-SHTF situation that we can all learn lessons from. Here are the top three:

#1 for me is a profound sense of gratitude and appreciation for everything I own that might have been lost had it been my home. We shouldn’t take our blessings for granted. The end of the world as we know it could happen on a personal level at any time.

#2 This is the opportunity to share supplies meant for starting over in a post-SHTF world. You learn by doing. No matter how much I thought I was ready, I failed to think through the details. For instance one of the things I gave them was boxed mac and cheese with a kettle to boil it in. They had no stove to cook it on, or milk or butter that the directions call for. My bad. I just didn’t think it through.

#3 Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. I can not get over the idea that if my home had burned while we were away – they only possessions that we would have left would be what was stored away from home. If you don’t have a couple of caches. Get them in place ASAP.

Prayers for those in need are never wasted – thanks in advance for them, - Mr. Yankee

James,
Grandpappy isn't comparing apples to oranges correctly. His reloaded ammo pricing is for premium self defense bullets, which cost $150 or so per thousand. Most people are going to reload cast lead, which would cost $50 or 60 per thousand for a .40 S&W for example. If you price new premium self defense ammo, like Doubletap, it is going for around $700 a case. If you purchased new brass (why?) Hornady or Speer premium SD bullets, you would still be able to build your own (which we supposedly should not due to legal concerns) SD ammo for half the cost. And practice? Much, much cheaper with lead bullets.

Recent online ammo vendors (who have in stock) are trying to charge almost $500 for a case of .45 ACP 230 grain hardball (look at Natchez). You can load 230 grain lead roundnose (LRN) and duplicate the factory load for maybe $130 or so with good hard cast bullets included. Compared to today's ridiculous ammo prices, you can make up the cost of your reloading setup in a case or two of ammo. Anyone who wants to shoot more than 500 rounds a year should be reloading. Thanks! - M.S.

Jim:
Grandpappy had a great article on reloading, but what about time? Time is money. Reloading is very time consuming. Between [the time required for] collecting the fired brass, sorting the brass, cleaning [or tumbling] the brass, de-priming the brass, adjusting brass specs to factory (sizing, case length, primer pocket, etc…), this alone is a huge labor and use of time.

This, and my worsening eyesight that keeps me from enjoying precision hand loads, is why I gave up on reloading and sold all my equipment and supplies. BTW, I made a bundle of cash selling my new and used brass and primers. Wow! I quadrupled my money.

No one seems to factor in time. I don’t know about you, but have a long list of to-do projects and brass prep is not one of them.

I’m sure glad I bought hard and heavy in ammo back in the old days. I’m set for my life and probably the life of my kid too. - Robert

JWR Replies: I agree that reloading is time-consuming, but it is a valuable skill. For anyone that makes a six-figure salary, it is probably not worthwhile as a hobby at the present time. But for the rest of us, that don't make that much money, and a have a bit of time on our hands, it is well worth doing. It is particularly worthwhile for students and retirees. I love listening to music, and find that since it is a relatively quiet activity, reloading is a soothing, almost cathartic experience. But, of course, "your mileage may vary." Regardless, it is a valuable skill. I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers at least take the time to learn how to do it, and lay in the appropriate tools and supplies. Reloading capability might prove invaluable in a long-term collapse.

OBTW, don't overlook taking the same humidity precautions for powder and primers that you do for loaded ammunition. On that note, I should mention that I prefer using used Tupperware boxes for storing primer and percussion caps. They are airtight, yet they pose less of an explosion risk than metal ammo cans, in the unlikely event of a house fire. (I look for Tupperware containers whenever I go to garage sales, thrift stores, and farm auctions. Powder cans seal quite well by themselves. Again, for the sake of fire safety, they should be stored in a "blow open" plywood cabinet. Again, resist the temptation to store it in something confining like a 20mm ammo can.

James,

The need for usable skills in tough times, goes without need for embellishment. The grand question is: which skills are the most valuable? In any situation the basic needs are obvious – food, shelter, and clothing. Choosing what I would concentrate on learning, became predicated on what I could do, and what the community could provide in stressful times.

I moved some time ago from the gulf coast to Tennessee to retire and begin preparing for the coming events. I moved into a community which is pretty much self sufficient, mostly by religious choice. Livestock husbandry ranges from cattle (mostly for milk), goats to chickens, hogs and horses.

I began to raise goats several years ago, starting with Boer cross. After several discussions I have crossed them with a strain of milk goat to reduce the size (and therefore the quantity of meat to be preserved) and gain the benefit of milk products. I researched the process of cheese making and using products initially supplied from New England Cheese Makers, learned the processes. It was very interesting to discover that the rennin (for assisting in cheese making) actually comes from the stomach of ruminators, another by product of the goats.

Preserving meats became my next concern. When talking to many folks, they believe that they will just run out and kill fresh meat when needed. Not only will the game be decimated in no time, but without a method of preservation it is wasteful. Preferred methods around here are smoking, honey and salt boxes for curing and preserving. The use of honey as a preservative turns out to be one of the very best. Honey has a natural bacteria inhibitor, and curing smoked meats in honey just makes life better. This in turn has determined the need for bees – My neighbor already has a couple of hives which produces enough for now. The use of honey reduces the dependence on obtaining sources of salt. In addition they are many maple trees in the area which folks tap during the winter and early spring. Many families have ponds a raise fish, which are canned by cold packing or salting and drying.

Having fresh water is a paramount concern. Even with a spring the water quality can change with the amount of rain causing algae blooms. These can range for digestive distress to just foul taste. The stream water cannot be used without treatment, as we have otters, beavers, coyote, foxes, and a whole range of other critters, so amoeba type problems are probable. Boiling water is the surest, but is often not the most practical. Any numbers of excellent water filters are available, but the Big Berky is the most popular here. In any case the water has to be pre-filtered to remove organic matter. This can be done by straining through a clean cloth, then passing through/over a disinfecting agent such as a silver compound, or the addition of non-detergent bleach. The next best is a cistern collecting rain fall, but even this can have issues as it tends to clean smoke dust and pollen from the air on its way down.

As for the vegetable gardens the goats do help with the fertilizer which is composted and added to the garden. The area I live in is pretty much a “rock farm” so there is a constant need to remove the rocks from the garden areas and add in soil from the hills behind us. This soil is usually pretty acidic with all of the hardwood trees. Most folks use lime from the feed stores – haven’t found a good substitute yet.

Clothing is one of the details that I have struggled with. The ability to produce cloth is beyond most of us. Wool makes for great outer wear, but lousy underwear. Goat hair can be made into quite durable garments, somewhat at the expense of comfort. We have chose to use GI surplus wool socks, sweaters, BDUs (because they are very durable) and purchase and store long and regular underwear. We do have a real cobbler in the community that does make very nice shoes/boots, but I still have a back up pair. Many women here weave or quilt (using discarded clothing as well as new cloth). I do keep some “unisex” clothing on hand for whomever – mostly in the form of overalls. They are fairly cheap and commonly worn in the area, and during the cold weather are an additional layer. We have had most days at or below freezing and night down to zero. I have looked into tanning leather – it is a noxious process and can be done. I am choosing to have the hides tanned while I still can and store them against the future need as clothing.

Our cabin is solid cedar timbers, and smells great! The downside is that there is a constant need to stay on top of the chinking and calking, to reduce drafts – I’ve used 22 tubes already this winter. We thought that pellet stove would be a great idea – wrong. First it requires electricity. With the power out you have to fire up the generator which is noisy and uses expensive fuel. Second the stove can burn corn or compressed hardwood pellets. Corn is food or the animals and us, and tough enough to grow enough as is. Besides using the corn leaves the odor of burned popcorn as exhaust. Compressed wood pellets are used on an average of 80# per day at a cost of ~$9.00 / day. Pulling the stove this spring and going to a straight quality wood burning stove that can be used to cook on. To back up a wood burning stove an axe, buck saw, splitting wedges or a maul, and or chain saw are required based on how much free time you can devote to it. Setting aside wood requires a year round effort to keep from killing yourself. Although we have electricity I do have a pitcher pump ready to install in the event it is needed. And have simple kerosene lanterns for light. I prefer the straight wick models, as the mantels have become very had to come by recently.

Health concerns in rural living also means, that you have to have a working knowledge of first aid and basic medicine. The Red Cross has good courses on first aid and the older Boy Scout manuals give an acceptable knowledge as well. Around here there is a good deal of herbal medicine practiced. This is good for preventive and minor issues. I have chosen to invest in some older college texts on anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology, and a physician’s desk reference. These books help in diagnosing, but will be of minimal help if/when the main line drugs are not available. They are great for showing how to stitch and bandage wounds more severe than the first aid books cover. We keep a well stocked medicine chest with off the shelf medicines, and rotate them as needed. As we find local remedies that are effective, we also include them (i.e. willow bark tea as a substitute for aspirin).

I have learned rudimentary blacksmith skills, and collected some of the tools as well as books on the subject. I can fashion horseshoes, wheel rims, forge weld, make cut nails and a few other tasks as required. There are many better skilled in this community and it will be more time efficient to trade/buy their services.

I have a full time gunsmithing business which has been sorely needed in this area – seems like everyone has one that they need fixed. So much for a retirement business….

The acquisition of books, and how to reading material can spell the difference between existence and some degree of comfort. In addition it is my considered opinion the education of young people is severely unbalanced. The possession of text books, classics, and recreational reading allows one to educate children when contact is limited. The community has a long history of home schooling. These kids routinely pass the high school exit exams (same tests as the state requires for graduation) with higher scores, and at an earlier age. Most parents seek out folks whom are well versed to teach the children. Oh yea, one by product is that the kids are very respectful, and thoughtful.

In conclusion I thought that preparation for tougher times meant more beans, bullets, and bullion. As it turns out, the retraining of my mind and attitudes has presented the larger challenge. Understanding how you store food, is nearly as important as what you store. What you can make is as important as what you can do without (toilet paper?) Knowing that one person cannot do all that is required, only means that you learn the skills to assist your community which will supplement everyone’s survival/ quality of life. I thought that being retired would allow me to kick back and enjoy some good libations. It has turned out to be the greatest learning curve of my life – and I love it. Jim’s preparedness course is a great place to start. But the real preparedness is in the doing! - Dennis S.

Yesterday, in Part1, I discussed the "safe" and counter-cyclical occupations for the unfolding economic depression. Today, I'd like to talk about one specific approach: self-employment with a home-based business.

I posted most the following back in late 2005, but there are some important points that are worth repeating:

The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: "...but I'm not self-employed. I can't afford to live in the country because I can't find work there, and the nature of my work doesn't allow telecommuting." They feel stuck.

Over the years I've seen lots of people "pull the plug" and move to the boonies with the hope that they'll find local work once they get there. That usually doesn't work. Folks soon find that the most rural jobs typically pay little more than minimum wage and they are often informally reserved for folks that were born and raised in the area. (Newcomers from the big city certainly don't have hiring priority!)

My suggestion is to start a second income stream, with a home-based business. Once you have that business started, then start another one. There are numerous advantages to this approach, namely:

You can get out of debt

You can generally build the businesses up gradually, so that you don't need to quit your current occupation immediately

By working at home you will have the time to home school your children and they will learn about how to operate a business.

You can live at your retreat full time. This will contribute to your self-sufficiency, since you will be there to tend to your garden, fruit/nut trees, and livestock.

If one of your home-based businesses fails, then you can fall back on the other.

Ideally, for someone that is preparedness-minded, a home-based business should be something that is virtually recession proof, or possibly even depression proof. Ask yourself: What are you good at? What knowledge or skills do you have that you can utilize. Next, consider which businesses will flourish during bad times. Some good examples might include:

Mail order/Internet sales/eBay Auctioning of preparedness-related products.

Locksmithing

Gunsmithing

Medical Transcription

Accounting

Repair/refurbishment businesses

Freelance writing

Blogging (with paid advertising) If you have knowledge about a niche industry and there is currently no authoritative blog on the subject, then start your own!

Mail order/Internet sales of entertainment items. (When times get bad, people still set aside a sizable percentage of their income for "escape" from their troubles. For example, video rental shops have done remarkably well during recessions.)

Burglar Alarm Installation

Other home-based businesses that seem to do well only in good economic times include:

Recruiting/Temporary Placement

Fine arts, crafts, and jewelry. Creating and marketing your own designs--not "assembly" for some scammer. (See below.)

Mail order/Internet sales/eBay Auctions of luxury items, collectibles, or other "discretionary spending" items

Personalized stationary and greeting cards (Freelance artwork)

Calligraphy

Web Design

 

Beware the scammers! The fine folks at www.scambusters.org have compiled a "Top 10" list of common work-at-home and home based business scams to beware of:

10. Craft Assembly
This scam encourages you to assemble toys, dolls, or other craft projects at home with the promise of high per-piece rates. All you have to do is pay a fee up-front for the starter kit... which includes instructions and parts. Sounds good? Well, once you finish assembling your first batch of crafts, you'll be told by the company that they "don't meet our specifications."
In fact, even if you were a robot and did it perfectly, it would be impossible for you to meet their specifications. The scammer company is making money selling the starter kits -- not selling the assembled product. So, you're left with a set of assembled crafts... and no one to sell them to.

9. Medical Billing
In this scam, you pay $300-$900 for everything (supposedly) you need to start your own medical billing service at home. You're promised state-of-the-art medical billing software, as well as a list of potential clients in your area.
What you're not told is that most medical clinics process their own bills, or outsource the processing to firms, not individuals. Your software may not meet their specifications, and often the lists of "potential clients" are outdated or just plain wrong.
As usual, trying to get a refund from the medical billing company is like trying to get blood from a stone.

8. Email Processing
This is a twist on the classic "envelope stuffing scam" (see #1 below). For a low price ($50?) you can become a "highly-paid" email processor working "from the comfort of your own home."
Now... what do you suppose an email processor does? If you have visions of forwarding or editing emails, forget it. What you get for your money are instructions on spamming the same ad you responded to in newsgroups and Web forums!
Think about it -- they offer to pay you $25 per e-mail processed -- would any legitimate company pay that?

7. "A List of Companies Looking for Homeworkers!"
In this one, you pay a small fee for a list of companies looking for homeworkers just like you.
The only problem is that the list is usually a generic list of companies, companies that don't take homeworkers, or companies that may have accepted homeworkers long, long ago. Don't expect to get your money back with this one.

6. "Just Call This 1-900 Number For More Information..."
No need to spend too much time (or money) on this one. 1-900 numbers cost money to call, and that's how the scammers make their profit. Save your money -- don't call a 1-900 number for more information about a supposed work-at-home job.

5. Typing At Home
If you use the Internet a lot, then odds are that you're probably a good typist. How better to capitalize on it than making money by typing at home? Here's how it works: After sending the fee to the scammer for "more information," you receive a disk and printed information that tells you to place home typist ads and sell copies of the disk to the suckers who reply to you. Like #8, this scam tries to turn you into a scammer!

4. "Turn Your Computer Into a Money-Making Machine!"
Well, this one's at least half-true. To be completely true, it should read: "Turn your computer into a money-making machine... for spammers!"
This is much the same spam as #5, above. Once you pay your money, you'll be sent instructions on how to place ads and pull in suckers to "turn their computers into money-making machines."

3. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)
If you've heard of network marketing (like Amway), then you know that there are legitimate MLM businesses based on agents selling products or services. One big problem with MLMs, though, is when the pyramid and the ladder-climbing become more important than selling the actual product or service. If the MLM business opportunity is all about finding new recruits rather than selling products or services, beware: The Federal Trade Commission may consider it to be a pyramid scheme... and not only can you lose all your money, but you can be charged with fraud, too!
We saw an interesting MLM scam recently: one MLM company advertised the product they were selling as FREE. The fine print, however, states that it is "free in the sense that you could be earning commissions and bonuses in excess of the cost of your monthly purchase of" the product. Does that sound like free to you?

2. Chain Letters/Emails ("Make Money Fast")
If you've been on the Internet for any length of time, you've probably received or at least seen these chain emails. They promise that all you have to do is send the email along plus some money by mail to the top names on the list, then add your name to the bottom... and one day you'll be a millionaire. Actually, the only thing you might be one day is prosecuted for fraud. This is a classic pyramid scheme, and most times the names in the chain emails are manipulated to make sure only the people at the top of the list (the true scammers) make any money. This scam should be called "Lose Money Fast" -- and it's illegal.

1. Envelope Stuffing
This is the classic work-at-home scam. It's been around since the U.S. Depression of the 1920s and 1930s, and it's moved onto the Internet like a cockroach you just can't eliminate. There are several variations, but here's a sample: Much like #5 and #4 above, you are promised to be paid $1-2 for every envelope you stuff. All you have to do is send money and you're guaranteed "up to 1,000 envelopes a week that you can stuff... with postage and address already affixed!" When you send your money, you get a short manual with flyer templates you're supposed to put up around town, advertising yet another harebrained work-from-home scheme. And the pre-addressed, pre-paid envelopes? Well, when people see those flyers, all they have to do is send you $2.00 in a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope. Then you stuff that envelope with another flyer and send it to them. Ingenious perhaps... but certainly illegal and unethical.

From all that I've heard, most franchises and multi-level marketing schemes are not profitable unless you pick a great product or service, and you already have a strong background in sales. Beware of any franchise where you wouldn't have a protected territory. My general advice is this: You will probably be better off starting your own business, making, retailing, or consulting about something where you can leverage your existing knowledge and/or experience.

---

In closing, I'd like to reemphasize that home security and locksmithing are likely to provide steady and profitable employment for the next few years, since hard economic times are likely to trigger a substantial crime wave. After all, someone has to keep watch on the tens of thousands of foreclosed, vacant houses. (If not watched, then crack cocaine addicts, Chicago syndicate politicians, or other undesirables might move in!)

Jim,

For starters I would like to say that Jim you are dead-on with your Delta Junction recommendation. I live near Delta. And it is some of the finest farm land in the world. everything grows amazing here. Some of the information in the previous letters is wrong and I would like to clarify them . The growing season may be a little shorter in days of light, but in total hours of light it is much longer than other places. It gets light here in May and gets dark at night again in late August. Some vegetables will grow great, some don't do so well, Corn doesn't like it, but potatoes grow without trying. And as for isolation, that's the idea. Things are harder to get, but you learn to live with less and enjoy it more. As for power, at least in the Delta area you do not need to worry about that in the winter, solar is awesome here in the summer, but in winter the wind is ever present. I have four wind generators that I built from old car alternators and Fan blades. I never had a loss in the battery bank. I live off of their grid anyway, so I am used to adapting.
As for the wood situation, certain types of trees do incredibly well here, And they grow faster not slower, I have trees that I know weren't there ten years ago and are over twelve feet tall, Spruces grow well here, and birch is my main heat, I have a fair sized house, and a new, catalyst stove and burn 5-to-7 cords of wood per winter.

Fuel is more expensive here, but it fluctuates like anywhere else, buy when the price is low, and stockpile it. In this area it is common for people to have a couple of 1,000 gallon tanks buried in their yard, Moose and caribou ar always around as a meat source, as with buffalo in this area. (Yes we have buffalo in Alaska). Along with Many other species of flora and fauna.

On the other hand Alaska is not a place for those who can not take care of themselves. In this area it is not uncommon to see the temps dip below -60,F. I have seen -72. It is dark all winter, And the stores never have what you want. There is plenty of water though, my well is thirty feet deep, and the pump is set down to twenty feet, My suggestion for people who are thinking about moving to Alaska is simple, Unless you have lived a subsistence lifestyle for a while, are used to constant extreme weather changes, and can do it on your own, stay where you are, or find some place else. As for me, I will never go outside [Alaska] again, you can keep it. - Z. in Alaska

Mr. Rawles
I too am a long time reader and this is also the first time I have written. I urge all of your readers to take head to Mr. Galt's letter concerning Alaska as a retreat locale. It is harsh up here. I live in Delta Junction area and love it. We have been here for over 10 years now and have our place set up pretty well. We live off grid and in the bush, hunt, fish, trap, mush dogs etc. etc. I wouldn't encourage anyone to try to move here and set up a retreat this late in the game. We just went through a couple weeks of -50 to -60(Tok recorded -78) temperatures then 70 m.p.h. hour winds that blew down many trees and damaged a lot of structures. These things are a regular occurrence. A lot of Russian immigrants have moved from the lower 48 into the Delta area. Most of the ones I have met seem to be good people but most live off welfare. When the welfare stops we'll have problems. The bad bunch of them are thieves already not just the Russian but Americans also. The Russian community has a bad reputation for it though. Anyone planning to move here and find a job might be in for a rude awakening.

The local jobs don't pay enough to live on the grid and the government jobs stay filled mostly. Delta is profiting from a small military bubble economy brought about by the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program but with you know in office now all that could come to a screeching halt at anytime. Because of the GMD program everyone around here thinks their land has gold on it and prices it accordingly.

Yes, Delta does have a big farming community. Most of the farmers get buy living off of government programs and are deeply in debt. The ones that don't live off the program hurt. Most farms lay dormant wile collecting CRP checks. I have heard that there will be no more new CRP contracts in the future. The fertility of the farm land has gone way down too because of the climate here. The cold doesn't allow much time for plant matter to decompose plus it's hard to have crop rotation with only Barley. (Barley, hay grasses, potatoes, and carrots are the main crops grown here.) For the last three years we have had a frost in the middle of August that pretty much killed any vegetables that were not in a green house.

Wells in Delta are any where from 40 to 450 feet in depth. If you buy land where there is bed rock you may drill 450 deep and still get mastodon pee to drink. Wells are at $50 a foot this year. Better plan on how to get water out of the well when the power goes down. Currently heating oil is 2.23 at the pump in town, more if its delivered. Diesel is currently $3.69. It hit $5 last winter. Fire wood from Delta Lumber is $180 per cord until they run out for the winter other sources are up to $250. The people from Delta lumber are great people and will work themselves silly trying make sure no one goes cold. I have seen one add for firewood for $300 per cord. Dry firewood is a must because -50 the soot form green wood builds in the chimney thus creating chimney fire. A friend of mine got burned out at -50 for that very reason. They didn't get in enough dry wood for the winter. Luckily they were able to run to separate garage and no one suffered any cold injuries. Finding a place to cut fire wood now is getting hard to find.

Most people here are enjoying high power bills now since Golden Valley increased their rates. The average size house power bill is running $300- $400 [per month] in the winter maybe less if your really frugal. You have to keep your vehicles plugged in. In a diesel that is like running a 1,500 watt electric heater. Wind power is a possibility if your turbine can withstand the wind. Closer to the mountains it has been 100 mph. The wind here isn't steady it is really gusty, not good for turbine. Rent is running around a $1,000 and up for a three bedroom home. Certified sewers are from $6,000 to $16,000 depending. Cost to build is running around the $150 per square foot range and going up.

If you don't know how Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) will affect you, then you's better find out before you try to make a permanent move here. Cabin fever has been the demise of many people who move here and plan to live the wilderness experience. The only cure for it is to be outside. It don't matter what the the temp is you got to get out side when it's light. SAD has be the cause for suicide, alcoholism, and drugs. People do the latter two to cope. I personally have never had it. I have too much work to do. People who don't procrastinate and get all there chores done and food stores in order for the winter and plan to stay in the cabin for the winter suffer the worse. We don't procrastinate but we don't stay in either. The cabin is only a place to warm up, eat and sleep. Living is done outside the cabin. We trap, mush dogs, care for the horses, cut more fire wood when it's not too cold, fire up the blacksmith forge, build some log furniture. It is easy to get lazy and lethargic during the winter. You have to fight the urge daily. We had a couple move in not to far from us. I told the lady to make sure she kept the windows uncovered in the winter. Well, they were the lazy type and didn't ever have enough wood cut so they covered the windows and blocked out some of the cold but mostly the light. They made it though one winter but the next one they didn't. They pulled up [stakes] and left middle of the winter.

As much as I love living here, if I were looking for a retreat locale this late in the game then it would be some place more hospitable. We did move here for the lack of people and when things get even worse I expect people to start migrating out of Alaska especially the interior. It requires a lot of hard work to live here more especially so if your living off the land. How would you like to cut 20 cords of wood with a hand operated saw and axe when you run out of gas and or you saw goes down? Running chain saws in the sub-zero weather is hard on them. Better get extra clutches for them. What about when the mosquitoes bloom and you have run out of bug dope?

Hunting is decent here. The Russian community poaches a lot of the moose in the Delta management area. They do it to eat. I am not knocking them for that. When the SHTF it will be even worse therefore even we will have to start going further into the bush to hunt using sled teams to get there. If you plan to have dogs and sled they require a lot of food. [Here they eat mostly] fish. The salmon that makes it this far inland is [best -suited for] dog food. It is pretty beat up by the time is gets here. The flesh is a faint pink to gray color as they are close to the end of the life span. Anyone planning to come to Alaska to survive the upheaval better have there you know what together or they won't make it. This land is unforgiving and the least mistakes get big in a hurry. Sorry that my letter has gotten so long but I want people to know what they are getting into if they come here thinking it's paradise. It ain't. but it's the life we love. People here are willing to help if you are not stupid. Our favorite saying around here is "If you gonna be dumb then you'd better be tough" - C.B.

James:
I followed a link from your site and ended up at the DBC Pyrotechnics site, looking at a lot of 10 Thermite "all weather fire starters".

It seems like a very handy tool to have - cold weather fire starters like that. I wonder if any other readers of your novel might find them useful. A lot of 100 of those might be just a very useful thing to add into someone's retreat supplies.

Now if I can just find a place that offers pre-mixed bulk thermite, I might build some nice #2 can-size thermite devices, in case I ever have a need to do some "off grid welding", or whatever. A smaller [one quart] can [at the bottom of] a larger can filled with sand (along the sides) tends to direct more of the molten metal down through the bottom. Just the thing if you need to put a nice, fairly round hole through some steel plate for a special construction project. - Bob B.

JWR Replies: I describe how to "mix your own" thermite as well as how to make thermite igniters in my novel "Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse". Thermite itself is quite easy to make, with black iron oxide and aluminum powder. But the igniters are a bit harder to improvise. So it might be easiest just to buy the small readily-available DBC Pyrotechnics fire starters with integral igniters, and use them to start larger containers of home-made thermite powder for those big cutting and welding projects.

Hi Mr. Rawles -
I've been reading, and enjoying, your survival blog for some time now. There has been a recent thread on home invasions, which has gotten me to upgrade my home door security. While surfing the web reviewing door frame reinforcing products, I came across a link to an interesting article on the techniques used by firemen to breach your doors and gates. While the steps I am now taking would defeat most "kick in" assaults, stopping a determined crook with a [police or] fireman's "Hallagan" tool seems unlikely. Thanks for your Blog, and Happy New Year. - Tom from Chicago

Howdy James,
I thought that this article was interesting in the fact that the US Forest Service is calling for a prescribed burn [in order] to locate weapons, ammo, and explosives (sounds like reloading powder) that a fugitive may have stashed around his camp site.

This got me to thinking, how safe are your caches? You will want to make sure any caches you have are buried well if they come looking for your cache and burn the area. Also consider that those landmarks/trees that were there may be gone after a burn, so locating it again may be difficult if you are basing it on 'sight' only! Be sure to have other methods to recover your cache. Later, - Mark in North Carolina

Mr. Editor:

I have been a reader of this blog for a little while now and one of the earlier postings I read caught my eye: In regards to a vehicle “bug out” kit. That list was certainly a good place to start, but it was missing a few items, so I thought I would put my “two cents” worth in.

To give you a little bit of background, I would describe myself as essentially being a realist. I watch the news, I read the papers. I know what is going on around me. I am aware of today’s political and economic climate, and I understand what that does (and can) mean; not only for today but for tomorrow as well. In my opinion preparation and knowledge are the keys to not only surviving, but for nearly anything in life.

I have worked both white-collar and blue collar jobs. I have been a soldier (an NCO – I worked for a living), and I have been what I term a “survivalist” for a little over a decade now. Along the way I have managed to learn some of the lessons the easy way; reading books, talking to people, experimenting, and practice, practice, practice. While other lessons were learned at the school of “hard-knocks”; try sitting on the side of the road in the middle of a blizzard for six hours on Christmas Day with three children praying for someone else to come along to help (I’m not kidding about that one) – all because you thought “it could never happen to you”. I am an active outdoorsman; camping, fishing, hiking, small game, etc. To date I have been lucky enough to live through them all. Sometimes with a few bumps and scrapes along the way, and sometimes with little more than a bruised ego; but I have survived nonetheless. Not surprisingly on my journey I have picked up a few things: “must have” items, advice, knowledge, and most of all experience.

As for geography I have lived in the cold and wet of Washington state; the extreme cold of Colorado; the hot and dry of West Texas; and now the hot, wet and hurricane-prone area of East Texas; and this list contains items that have literally saved my life on more than one occasion, while making crisis situations a whole lot easier to deal with in others.

While I am not going to lay claim at being an expert on the subject of survival or preparations; I have seen a done things that may genuinely surprise some people (while possibly boring others) and could probably go on for hours on end; but that is not my point here today. I now possess [what I feel] is enough knowledge that I can speak with at least some authority. My point in this is to allow others to learn from my own mistakes in the hopes that they don’t find themselves forced to repeat the same errors that I have made. Learn from others – that is the point in all of this.

As I write this I am proud to say that none of my vehicles are ever without the bare essentials. In my opinion it is one of the things that everyone should do, survivalist or not. I rank properly equipping my vehicles right up there with having them registered, insured, and inspected, to me it is simply a necessity, a requirement. In an attempt to make sense of this I broken the lists down into four basic areas:

Vehicle Supplies
Personal Supplies
Glove-Box Miscellaneous (loose throughout the vehicle)
General Miscellaneous

While there is some repetition between the 4 areas, this is done so for a reason – it is always a good idea to have a backup.

1. Vehicle supplies (most will fit in a small “duffle” or reasonably sized “tool bag”, kept in trunk, cargo area, or under the seat)
Jumper Cables (get the good ones)
Tow Rope (at least 1)
2 cans of “fix-a-flat”
Air compressor (cigarette lighter plug in)
Roll of Duct Tape (if you can’t fix it, duck it)
100ft of parachute cord (550 cord)
X style lug-wrench (more torque, safer, and more versatile than the ones that come with cars today)
2 1⁄2 ton bottle jack (again safer, and more versatile than the ones that come with cars today)
Roadside Flares (3 minimum)
Hand-held spotlight, plug in type is fine
Electrical Kit with:
Spare Fuses – vehicle specific
Spare Bulbs – vehicle specific
Small roll of Red Wire (14-16 GA)
Small roll of Green Wire (14-16 GA)
Small Assortment of Butt Splices
Circuit tester (Screwdriver type)
Electrical tape
Spare belts – vehicle specific
Spare hoses – vehicle specific
Spare thermostat – vehicle specific
Assortment of hose clamps, at least two large enough for your coolant hoses
Flashlight (2 minimum – generator type are best, LED Generator types are better)
Spare batteries – 1 set for each flashlight in the vehicle (if needed)
Tarp (8 x 10’ is usually sufficient)
Hand Tools:
Screwdrivers (4 minimum, 2 standard 2 Phillips-head)
Crescent Wrenches (2 minimum, 6” and 12”)
Slip-Joint Pliers
Needle-Nose Pliers
Wire Cutters
Channel-Locks (12”)
Socket set (basics only, 3/8” drive, SAE and Metric)
Combination Wrench set ((basics only, SAE and Metric)
Allen Wrench set
Small Hammer
Hatchet (axe)
Folding Shovel
Plastic Trash bags (2 minimum)
Coffee Can full of Cat litter (with lid)
Basic First Aid Kit, with the following additions:
Aspirin
Tylenol
Motrin
Antacid Tablets
Water purification tablets
Small tube of Neosporin
Additional alcohol pads
Additional band-aids (common sizes)
Cravat
Razor blade
Matches
Can of Sterno (large)
Wire coat hanger
Roll of bailing wire
Box of matches (at least 1 box)
Cigarette lighter (disposable, spend the buck and a half and get the Bic brand, you can’t beat them)
Water bottle
Pen(s)
Small notepad
A small stash of cash ($50 to $100)
Spare compass
Rain poncho – 2
Emergency Blanket (foil type) – 2
Candles – 6
Sunscreen
Basic Fishing kit:
Hooks
Sinkers
Fishing Line
Bobbers

2. Personal Supplies (with a little patience and forethought, this will all fit inside of and/or attached to a medium sized book-bag, i.e. backpack)
Basic First Aid Kit – duplicate of the aforementioned kit
1 pair of socks
Flannel shirt
Windbreaker
Baseball cap
Multi-tool
“Swiss Army” knife
Fixed blade knife
Basic Camping Mess Kit
Travel Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Toilet paper
Tissues
Sunscreen
Flashlights (2 minimum)
Compass
50 ft of parachute cord (550 cord)
Can of Sterno (small)
SPAM – 1 can
Tuna fish – 1 can
Rice – 1⁄2 lb
Lintels – 1⁄2 lb
“Gorp” (Trail mix) – 1⁄2 lb
Packet of powdered Gatorade
Zip-lock bag with:
Sugar packets
Salt Packets
35mm film canisters full of All-spice
Tea bags
Bullion Cubes
Vitamin Pills
Energy bars (3 minimum)
P-38 can opener
Rain poncho
Poncho Liner
Tarp – 5 x 8” is usually sufficient
Candles – 3
Matches
Cigarette lighter
Emergency blanket (Mylar foil type) – 2
Signaling mirror
Basic Fishing kit:
Hooks
Sinkers
Fishing Line
Bobbers
Small Hikers Trowel
Plastic trash bag (2 minimum)
A small stash of cash ($40 to $50) [JWR Adds: I recommend that be in rolls of Quarters, so you can also use pay phones.]
Water purification tablets
Canteen
Canteen cup
Web Belt


3. Glove-Box Miscellaneous (kept loose in the glove box, in the vehicles console, or in door pockets)
Package of Tissues
Cigarette Lighter
Small Multi-tool
“Button” or other small compass
Map of local city you are in, and the state(s) you are traveling – or expect to travel.
Small tube with a mix of aspirin, Motrin, and Tylenol.
Pen(s)
Small notepad
A small, durable pocket-knife
Small Flashlight
One $20 bill

4. General Miscellaneous
Fuel can – store empty; you never know when you will run out of fuel two miles form the nearest gas station. If you are evacuating, fill up as you leave – this will reduce your risk of fumes/explosion.
One gallon of potable water
1 Qt Engine Oil (minimum)
1 Qt Transmission Fluid (minimum)
1 Pt Power Steering Fluid (minimum)
Assortment of “bungee” cords

Now I am sure that I have probably missed a few items here, but this list is fairly comprehensive. Please feel free to add items to it – I am always eager to learn more.
If you look through it, you should be able to think of one (and most of the time multiple) uses for each and every item on this list. With this setup you basically have what you need whether you are accompanied or alone and whether you stay with the vehicle, leave the vehicle, or are for some reason forced to separate your party (never a good idea – remember there is always strength in numbers). But you get the point.

In colder climates, add more food, and more warmth items (sleeping bag, snow boots, candles, or a heavy coat?). In warmer climates add more fluids and more shade (bottled water, additional hats, or maybe an umbrella?).

On to the next topic – How much does all of this cost? Well that can vary widely. Many of these items can be had at the local dollar store, while other may take a little bit of searching. Check Wal-Mart, your local Military surplus dealer, the flea markets, and pawn shops. You might be surprised just how far you can make your dollars go. Plus don’t try to do it all in one shopping trip – you will just frustrate yourself. Keep your eyes open when you are at the grocery store or out doing your normal shopping; pick up a few items here and there, and just slowly equip your vehicle. Within a month or two you will suddenly find your vehicle is much better equipped than it ever was before.

As to the vehicle preparation mentioned in the earlier post, this is all good advice. But again I would add to it. Create yourself a short checklist of items that you check weekly and monthly. Follow the owners manual that came with the vehicle, they tend to be fairly comprehensive.

Some tricks I have learned include:

Remember to check the air pressure in your spare tire regularly. A spare doesn’t do any good if it is flat too.
Don’t forget to check the brake fluid, power steering fluid, and windshield washer fluid too, these are often over looked.
Never, ever overfill any of your vehicle’s fluids.
Keep all of your lights clean, headlights, brake lights etc. The better they work, the better you see, and are seen.
Whenever adding accessories to your vehicle: make additions that work, and that matter before you worry about “pretty”. Think of it this way - which is more important (and useful) on a full-size truck – a good trailer hitch, or a pair of fancy mud flaps? You get my point.
When adding electrical accessories, always use the next heavier gauge wire, it will handle to load better, last longer, and prevent not only short circuits, but fires as well.
A good CB is always a wise investment, but make sure that it is installed properly.
Engine and Transmission oil cooler can extend the life of your vehicle – and mean the difference between getting there and getting stuck – especially in hot weather and heavy traffic. They are definitely worth the money.
Own a truck, van or SUV? Look into an oversized fuel tank and/or a spare fuel tank with a transfer pump. It may be expensive, but it will pay for itself over time; between having the ability to fuel up for a cheaper price per gallon, combined with the extended range the vehicle will now have – it is definitely worth at least considering.
Consider installing an aftermarket, oversized fuel filter. Cleaner fuel means longer engine life. Plus some of the newer vehicles don’t even have an inline fuel filter – they are mounted inside the tank itself. Who was the genius that came up with this gem anyway?
If your vehicle doesn’t have them, install tow hooks both front and rear. They do not have to be conspicuous, but they need to be there.
Don’t skimp on wiper blades, buy the good ones and replace them often. If you can’t see, you can’t drive.
Keep the engine bay clean – it makes finding a leak a whole lot easier, and makes life a whole lot more pleasant when making repairs.

It also it isn’t a bad idea to add seasonal items to your kits. For example if you live in area prone to snow, you should probably have a set of tire chains/cables with you in the colder months, but then why would you want to carry them in July?

Lastly a few words of advice:

First: know how to use everything you put in your kit. Practice with it before you put it in the vehicle – few tools are as dangerous as the ones in the hands of the uninformed.

Second: check your local laws on exactly what is considered a weapon, and what is considered concealed. You may want to think twice before you run out and buy that shiny Rambo knife with the 12 inch blade and have it strapped to the outside of your back pack sitting under your seat.

Third: in regards to knives, multi-tools, hand tools and the like – you generally get what you pay for. That cheap knife at the flea market is normally just that – cheap. It may be better than nothing at all, and the truth is that if that is all you can afford – then fine. But understand that up front.

Fourth: when choosing the storage bags to put these items in – think about the size, shape, and color of the bag you buy. There is not a right or wrong here, get what fits your situation. And think about the straps. There may be a situation where you find yourself forced to carry these bags, so good shoulder strap are important. And just as with knives and hand tools – you generally get what you pay for.

Lastly, a word about any and all foodstuffs you keep in your kit: remember that all food expires sooner or later – a even water can only sit for so long before it is no longer fit to consume. Trust me when I tell you that yes, even SPAM can and will go bad with time (you really, really don’t want to know how I know that). So rotate your foodstuffs regularly.

The long and the short of it is that some sort of vehicle kit really should be in each and every car, truck, SUV, or van on the road. With a little bit of thought and not a whole lot of money we can all prepare ourselves better. No traveler should be without what they consider to be the basics. - David H. in Southeast Texas

[JWR Adds: Thanks for those great lists! The only additions that I'd make to your lists are a fire extinguisher, and depending on whether off-road travel is anticipated, more robust pioneer tools. These should include an ax, pick, shovel, and if space permits, a Hi-Lift jack.]

Jim,
Hugh D. sent in a good letter about using his trailer as a large bug-out kit. The concept isn't bad (as long as he's on the road and off again before the masses figure out something is wrong) but then he said this:

"This has been overcome with careful planning on our part. First, we have mapped out likely hide spots for ourselves and the trailer – mostly campgrounds on National Forest lands," and then regarding some cabins near the campground, "...we can move into a nice, if rustic, survival retreat."

No offense, but I wouldn't exactly consider this careful planning. If Hugh doesn't think that for every marked camping site in America there aren't 100 guys (who also own guns) already thinking about that same site, he's crazy. Worse, he has no claim of "right" when it comes to those cabins. He is no more entitled to a cabin there than the next guy that comes along and wants to evict him and take it for himself. Furthermore, he's got kids in diapers (I do too) - he isn't going to be able to defend both his family and his "stuff" in a public campground whose location is published on every map and travel guide in America.

I'd suggest that Hugh reconsider his plans. The trailer is good but find somewhere else to go. As an example, I live in the Dallas area and have friends who own a ranch about three hours away in central Texas and can be reached using a number of combinations of country roads and state highways. It's on 500 hilly acres twenty miles from the closest town, whose population is a couple thousand people. You can't see a single building on the ranch from the state highway - you have to drive a winding county dirt road a few miles to get to the houses and barns. My friends who own the ranch think I'm nuts (they aren't survivalists by any means, but retired city folk who wanted to run a peach orchard in retirement). Nonetheless, they have agreed that if I need to get out of town I can come down there with no prior notice. - Matt R.

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

Dear James:
I came across this table in a reference book and thought it may be useful to everyone. Note: This chart should not be used as a guide to combating fires. Remember all fires are dangerous, and you should call the fire department, if that is a possibility, when you see flames. All degrees are in Fahrenheit below.

Yellow	450 degrees Fahrenheit
Brown to Purple	550 degrees Fahrenheit
Blue	600 degrees Fahrenheit
Faint Red	900 degrees Fahrenheit
Dark Cherry Red	1,100 degrees Fahrenheit
Full Cherry Red	1,400 degrees Fahrenheit
Salmon	1,600 degrees Fahrenheit
Lemon	1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
White	2,200 degrees Fahrenheit
Sparkling White	2,400 degrees Fahrenheit

Regards, - Mikael

JWR Replies: Of course all the usual torch and metal-working shop safety rules apply.

That chart, BTW, is handy companion piece to the Combustion Temperature Reference that was posted previously in SurvivalBlog. I recommend printing out hard copies of both posts for your shop reference binders. Keep in mind the standard provisos that the true measurement of the volatility of a stored material is its "flash point", which in most cases is considerably lower than the flame point figures noted in the Combustion Temperature Reference.

Also, when using color as a reference for gauging the temperature, keep in mind that the ambient light available can skew the color observed. Holding up a piece of metal in the dim light of a blacksmithy will not show the same color as holding up the same piece of metal heated to the same temperature in bright daylight. This can lead to heat-treating errors. This was best illustrated in the classic book "Hatcher's Notebook." In it, Colonel Julian Hatcher recounted the story of the "Low Number Springfields", that many shooters in the current generation might not have heard: Here it is in a nutshell: The smiths at the Springfield and Rock Island Armories were manufacturing Model 1903 Springfield rifles. One of the steps in the process was heat-treating the receivers to a certain color of redness. This was before the days of precise industrial pyrometers--back when heart treating was judged "by eye".) It was found that some of those receivers failed--due to the heat treating being of insufficient hardness. The Board of Inquiry discovered that some receivers that were heat treated on overcast days, lacked sufficient heat treating (and blew up dramatically when fired), while those made on sunny days had the specified strength. This was because on overcast days, the heated receivers showed the correct "color" when they had not yet actually reached the requisite temperature. This failure in process control was of course soon corrected, but ever since, "low number Springfields" have not been trusted for full-pressure pressure .30-06 loads. (The manufacturing transition BTW, was with Springfield Armory M1903 rifles that had serial numbers below 800,000 and Rock Island M1903 rifles with serial numbers below 285,507.) Just an interesting historical tidbit...

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I read the two letters that were posted on September 27, “Advice for City Folks on a Budget”. What struck me was how similar Mike H.’s situation is to mine. I too have a wife similar to the Mike H’s.
At first my wife thought I was out of my tree when I began preparing years ago. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, she came to believe that what I was doing was prudent, but somewhat overkill. Now that we have entered this period in history, she’s starting to pay attention, and has become a participant. I empathize with people in Mike’s predicament, and I have several suggestions to add to yours:

Before one starts with your recommended “List of Lists”, I would encourage everyone to do a complete inventory of what is currently in one’s household. I understand that sounds overwhelming, but it can be accomplished within a week or two, if one room or closet is done every evening. I’d leave the larger spaces such as attics, garages, and basements for a Saturday or Sunday. I would encourage people to do this as a family group so that people will have an idea where things are when all is said and done.
I’m going to make some suggestions of things to add to one’s preparedness supplies as I go along.

Start by going through your clothing closets with prejudice. Do the same with your children’s closets. Set aside the clothing in a pile that is no longer worn or that is out of fashion. Heavy coats, jackets, etc should be checked for fit. If they don’t fit, place them in the pile. If they do fit, even if you or your kids hate the way they look, put them back into your closet. If you are unable to heat your home, you won’t care what you look like when you’re cold. Keep in mind layering and hand-me-downs [for younger children] when checking fit.

Next, do the same with shoes. Fashion footwear that is little more than eye candy, if it is no longer being used, it should be placed in the pile. Go through your dressers and chests of drawers as well.

Now that you know what you have in your closets, and they’re cleaned out, this makes room for your needed additions. Depending on your climate, you may find that you will need to add things like sweatshirts, sweat pants, gloves, scarves, hats, long underwear, wool socks, heavy boots or more rugged shoes, etc. I live in sunny Central California, and during the winter, it can frequently still fall into the single digits overnight. Most people never notice it because of modern conveniences like central heat. That will change if things really get bad.

Keep in mind your bedding and bath towels. Extra towels, blankets and sheets are good to have if everything has to be washed manually and hung to dry. Make sure you have a way to string a clothesline, even if it’s just above the bathtub.

Now is the time to buy. Many retailers are having sales as their revenues continue to fall, and others declare bankruptcy. Keep an eye out for sales, and don’t be afraid to visit the Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift stores. If you’re worried about fallout from mortified spouses or kids, do it alone, pack it up, and label it. I sincerely doubt that you’ll hear any complaints from people who are cold and miserable.

Next, go through your clothing discard pile. Donate things that obviously will serve no practical purpose in a survival situation. Polyester skirts and pair of pumps that were in fashion in the 1980s really won’t help much. The rest box up and label. There may be neighbors or others who can benefit from your charity if things really get bad.

If you are like I was, you probably had eight pairs of old jeans that had holes in the seat and the like. Save several pairs to cut patches out of to repair the one’s you have now, and to help filter coarse debris from water. Discard the rest. Get a sewing kit capable of handling heavy fabrics. Buy some glue for your shoes, like Shoe Goop.

Next stop is the kitchen and pantry. Go through all your cabinets and drawers. Pull out everything that is food. Go through it. Check the date codes. Things that are way out of date, use or discard. Just because something is past the date code, doesn’t mean it is bad. A little time spent on the web will show you how to interpret date codes and their meanings for various foods.
Set aside things that you know you will never eat. You may have received a Christmas basket that had pickled pig’s feet in it, and you know that even if someone held a gun to your head, you wouldn’t eat it.

Put everything you will eat back, and make a list of things to add to your larder. Buy them as finances permit. When adding to your larder, remember to [FIFO] rotate your stock.
The things you won’t eat, put them in a box to use as charity, or donate them to a food bank now.

Next go through your cooking utensils. The non-stick Wolfgang Puck Bistro set isn’t going to hold up if you’re forced to cook in your fireplace, so you'd better lay in some cast iron or at bare minimum plain stainless steel. If you can only afford one piece of cast iron, then get a Dutch oven with an iron lid. Some are available with a glass lid. If the lid breaks, you’re SOL. Try to purchase brands such as Lodge. There are a lot of inexpensive pieces out there that come from China, and I’ve heard that they warp and sometimes shatter. Check garage sales, and the Goodwill etc. Even if they’re rusty, as long as there aren’t huge pits in the iron, they will clean up and re-season well.

You’ll also need a manual can opener, a “church key” [beer can opener], a manual bottle opener and corkscrew. If you can, get an extra or two of each because sometimes they break or wear out. Your neighbor may not have one, come the time [of need]. Good will between neighbors goes a long way when things are difficult. Extra pot holders and kitchen towels are good too.

Get a set of real knives. Those fancy ceramic ones are awesome, I know, I have a set. They won’t hold up if you have to carve up game, such as a rabbit or duck. Don’t forget a whetstone or some way to manually sharpen your knives. A dull knife is far more dangerous than a sharp one.

As you continue through the garage and attic, use the same critical eye. Discard things that you won’t use to make room for things that you will.
When you finish you’ll have a good idea of what you do have, and can accurately gauge yourself against the “List of lists”.

Here are some additional thoughts:
If you should find yourself with a collection of things that can generate some cash after going through your house, consider a garage sale, and use the proceeds to buy needed supplies.

If you have the time,storage space, and finances, then add hand crank drills, hammers, a “Yankee Screwdriver” and other manual tools to a small kit. Get some nails, wood screws, and a couple of sheets of plywood, a few 2x4s, and heavy poly sheeting. This will help you contend with broken windows and doors. If civil unrest becomes a problem, the 2x4s can be used to reinforce exterior doors. Make sure you have appropriate fasteners such as lag screws or nails between 40d and 100d. (The “d” means penny.) A 40d is about 5 inches in length and 100d is about 10 inches in length.

Buy several large fire extinguishers and position them through the house. Make sure everyone knows where they are and how to use them. Best Regards, - J.H.

Jim:
Do you have any idea where I can get a 50 gallon fuel drum with a manual pump like the one that your previous writer discussed? - SF in Hawaii

JWR Replies: You should first consult your local fire code, for capacity limits. This is generally not a problem outside of city limits, but laws vary widely. Needless to say, you should store any fuel cans or drums in a detached storage shed that is away from your house, not in an attached garage!

In North America, the fuel drums that the reader mentioned are usually made in 55 gallon capacity. Your local fuel distributor should have new ones, or you can scrounge used clean ones locally if you post a query on Craig's List. The fuel-rated pumps are often D-handle design, like these. Again, used ones are less expensive.

Or, of course you could also use a 12 VDC electric fuel transfer pump, like the ones that I make. (OBTW, every family should keep one of these pumps handy.)

Unless you are certain that you will be using the fuel within a few weeks, be sure to se stabilizer, such as Pri-G.

It is best to buy winter-formulated gas, and rotate it annually. (Also in winter.) This is because winter gas has extra butane added, o aid cold weather starting. This formulation extends the storage life of gasoline.

Drums that are 20 gallons or smaller can be moved with a standard dolly and lifted off a pickup tailgate by two men. But moving anything larger requires special handling equipment, and is a back ache waiting to happen. Filling (or re-filling) a large drum that is kept at home can best be accomplished discreetly by using your vehicle's fuel tank and a 12 VDC fuel transfer pump. Just make several trips over the period of a week, and it won't be noticeable.

Buy the materials for camouflaging your fuel drum(s) in advance. I generally recommend scrounging an appliance box (such as a small refrigerator box) so that the drum won't be noticed by visiting workmen or meter readers. Or you could build a false wall at the end of a long shed. One other alternative is to use a "hide in plain sight" (HIPS) approach. This might be to re-paint the drum white, with herbicide markings. This won't look too out of place for drum up to 30 gallon capacity stored in the corner of a gardening shed. You can also leave a full two-gallon lawnmower gas can in the same shed, as "bait" for burglars, to distract their attention. Re-painting a fuel drum is a fun and creative family stencil cutting and painting project.

Jim:
To follow-up on the last two e-mails that you posted from me, here are some random thoughts that I'd like to share on preparedness for when the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF):

Use an eyeglasses "leash" (lanyard) to prevent the loss of glasses and reduce the risk of damage.

Buy janitorial-size rolls os toilet paper, without perforations. Each roll is 1,000 feet long, and a box of 12 rolls measures about two feet square. These take up just a fraction of the room required to store the same length of toilet paper in standard household rolls.

Use a kiddie-type pool to collect water from rainwater downspouts. The pools with hard-plastic sides and vinyl bottoms are fairly durable. A six foot diameter pool that is 15 inches deep holds 211 gallons of water.

Light-emitting diode (LED) lights are superior to traditional [filament] bulb designs. They last much longer and are much more resistant to impact. When used LEDs, batteries last much longer. LED headlights are close to ideal for doing chores, since they keep your hands free. Tactical use requires a hand-held or weapon-mounted light [with an intermittent switch.]

Krazy Glue [cyanoacrylate adhesive] is great for closing small cuts [after they have been properly cleaned.] Steri-strips are the next step up in holding ability.

Water Filters - Culligan's new EZ-change Level 4 [under-sink] filter [cartridge] is rated to treat 500 gallons. That is five time the volume of most compact backpacking filters. With a self-contained design, it would be easy to attach a pump. The are available for $38 through Amazon.com. Most [other] under-sink filters could be used the same way, but the Culligan design is preferable because it is fairly compact.

For "ready made" backpacking filters, I prefer the First Need brand filters. These are rated to remove viruses and radioisotopes.

Ball-shaped pin on magnetic compasses are compact, but they are more fragile that the type designed to clip on to a watch band, such as the Brunton and Suunto brand compasses.

Dental health is very important for long-term survival. Wal-Mart now sells a dental kit including a mirror with scaling tool and pick, from Dentek. They also sell Temparin temporary filling repair kits. These come in three-application containers. Temparin is far superior to the old standby of packing a lost filling void with zinc oxide.

A big part of survival is preventing injury. In a post collapse word, an injury will reduce available manpower, and something that would be considered just relatively minor in the present day could prove fatal. Proper safety equipment and training in the safe use of hand tools is crucial. Gloves, eye protection, preventing falls, fire safety, and so forth should be stressed. Hygiene and proper sanitation are equally important.

I believe that a good foundation for long-term family preparedness is learning the basics of wilderness survival. Having a solid understanding of the first four critical basics--water, food heat and shelter--helps set priorities in developing a larger plan for long-term preparation. It is also the final "fall back" position [in the event that you are forced to abandon your retreat or in case you never make it there]. These basics are also foundational in making important decisions.

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

Hello James:
I came across these ignition temperatures in a reference book and thought they might be of use to others,. This may be useful for whatever folks may be doing with flammable materials or fuels at their retreat or at home. All ignition temperatures noted are in Fahrenheit:

Cut Newspaper 446 degrees
Cut filter paper 450 degrees
Straw and sawdust 450 to 500 degrees
Gasoline 536 to 800 degrees depending on octane rating
Kerosene 480 degrees
Natural Gas 1,000 to 1,200 degrees
Propane 871 degrees
Butane 806 degrees
Paints and Lacquers (the flammable part isn't the pigment, although the metallic chromate pigments are flammable) 475 to 1,000 degrees
Amyl Acetate 715 degrees
Acetone 1,000 degrees
Linseed Oil 650 degrees
Mineral Spirits 473 degrees
Turpentine 464 degrees
Alcohols 750 to 900 degrees
Petroleum Naptha 475 degrees
Magnesium 1,204 degrees, but if material is finely ground then as low as 900 degrees

Regards, - Mikael

JWR Adds this Strong Proviso: Reader Jim. H. in Colorado has pointed out that the full potential fire hazards of stored materials should not be evaluated according to the preceding chart. The chart was based on direct contact of a solid material with a heat source. The true measurement of the volatility of a stored material is its "flash point", which in most cases is considerably lower than the figures noted. It is explained at this Wikipedia page. Essentially, Mikael's chart was correct. Any of those material that are heated to those temperatures will combust (without the presence of any flame). However, the essential definition is: "The flash point of a material is the point at which the material will give off gasses that, when mixed with oxygen, can support combustion if exposed to an outside heat source."

Also note that combustible gasses, dusts, and vapors (such as gasoline vapors) can sometimes travel long distances and still be combustible or explosive. Over the years, SurvivalBlog has stressed safety, particularly with stored fuels. I've written this a dozen times, but this bears repeating: Stored liquid fuels should never be stored in a typical attached garage. Most suburban garages also have a natural gas-fired or propane-fired hot water heater with a continuous pilot flame. That is a very dangerous combination of a vapor source and vapor ignition. Read: Kaboom!

Also beware of any processing operation that produces combustible dust, such as grain milling or even metal grinding. There have been countless news stories over the years about grain mill explosions. As I illustrated my novel "Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse", ounce-for-ounce, fuel-air mixtures can be some of the most potent explosives imaginable.

Dear Mr Rawles,
Just wanted to thank you for SurvivalBlog, and I especially like the useful tidbits from the troops overseas. I was a Navy Corpsman / combat advisor with a Marine [Corps] Police Transition Team (PTT) in Hadithah six months after the alleged massacre, interesting times for sure.We got in-country in August 2006, and the Nomex suits were just catching on [with Marines]. We managed to snag a set for each of our 10- man team. The only real reg[ulation]s were that at Al Asad or any large Garrison type Base they wanted you wearing camouflage [utilities], otherwise they fine with the Nomex, the big deal [with IED flash burns] was the synthetic Under Armor type shirts that are great for staying dry and cool(er) but [in a flash fire] will melt to your skin. the Uniforms weren't really the problem. I prefer the uniform especially on patrol, it goes back to training, with my uniform I know where all the pockets are, and most importantly I can wear a belt and not feel like I'm wearing a dress.

I hit one IED in Hadithah, which means I was a lucky b****rd., I was in the back [of the vehicle]. Two other [Marine]s got med-flighted out. We had been totally engulfed in the blast and flames but no one got burned. Thanks again, - Matt B.

Hi Mr. Rawles,
I read your reply reharding "EcoBeam Construction for Ballistic Protection".

Three years ago, a friend of mine and I shot a concrete wall until we made a nice size hole in it. This was just to see how much small arms fire it could take. [We used handguns.] Here is a web page I made about it with photos.

Readers will get a idea what you meant about sand and and gravel being better at stopping small arms fire than even reinforced concrete.

Take care, - Wes

Given that liquid fuel costs are climbing dramatically, and likely to continue rising, I would like to share some of the practices for fuel storage we employ. For our homestead, liquid fuel equates to four items, namely: Propane, diesel fuel, kerosene and last but not least gasoline. For each fuel, there are specific uses, distinct storage requirements and longevity considerations. Let me discuss each in order:

The primary furnace in our house runs on propane. Currently, we use electricity for water heating and cooking. Our annual propane usage is between 500 to 800 gallons per year depending on the weather and how much wood we burn in the small heating stove in the living room. My goal when we bought the house was to have one year of supply, so I had installed two 500 gallon (nominal water capacity) above ground propane tanks (800 gallon capacity at 80% fill). I have the tanks filled during the (typical) summer price drop. Below grade tanks, while preferable for several reasons (ballistic protection etc.), are problematic (i.e. expensive) because of the rocky soil and high water table. Nonetheless, I would like to expand my capacity to two years, and will likely bear the excavation expense and install a 1000 gallon underground tank as well. For the grill and portable propane appliances (stove, lights etc.), we keep a supply of 20 and 40 pound tanks available. Small one pound propane bottles are refilled from these tanks. (Note: US DOT regulations prohibit transporting refilled “disposable” cylinders). Storage life is not of concern with propane, but price and availability are of paramount importance.

Diesel fuel is used on our homestead for the generator when the power fails and for the tractor. My little tractor just sips fuel and only uses about 20 gallons per year (mowing etc.). Our storage capacity consists of a 100 gallon “belly” tank on the generator and a 275 gallon fuel oil tank (i.e. heating oil tank) set up beside the generator shack. This leads to the problem of low use during normal times, where longevity is of concern, and problems with fuel transfer between the tanks. Diesel fuel, being lightly refined, has a relatively long storage life (5-10 years reported) if properly cared for. This includes relatively stable temperature, commercial fuel preservative/algaecide (I prefer Pri-D) and above all else keeping it dry. Again, underground storage would provide the stable temperature, but rocky soil and US EPA regulations have precluded me from doing that. Water is the big problem. Humidity condensing inside the tank collects in the bottom under the diesel fuel (oil-water layer) and provides a nice environment for oil eating micro-organisms. These little bugs make acid (anaerobic metabolism or vinegar fermentation) which will destroy the metal tank and other byproducts which clog filters and injectors. An algaecide limits this but removing the water is even better. To provide for this and allow fuel transfer, I set up a plumber’s nightmare of supply and return lines with valves to a water-separating filter and a fuel-oil circulating pump. The pump is rated at 45 gallons per hour (GPH) and was bought on-line (~$100) and the filter was bought at the local farm supply. The pump runs on 12 VDC and draws only 2 Amps off the generator starting battery. Since this pump only runs part-time, a 1.5 A trickle charger makes up for the difference during down times. Diesel powered boat owners call this “diesel fuel polishing”. My supply lines are set up at the low side of the tank, so water will preferentially be pumped out of the tank. About once a month, I set up a “polishing” operation during the weekend, letting each tank circulate for 24 hours each. Every year I add an appropriate amount of Pri-D to each tank. Fuel transfer at 45 GPH is relatively slow, but it only takes 7 minutes to fill the 5 gallon portable tank for my tractor. Any transfer between tanks needs to be watched closely so you don’t overfill the receiving tank. While the generator will siphon its own fuel while running, by adjusting the valves one can provide a little pressure feed to the injector pump and polish at the same time. I would like to increase our storage capacity of diesel fuel for more reserve generator use, but in the absence of a diesel powered vehicle, our annual consumption would not permit enough rotation to keep the fuel usable.

Kerosene is used in our homestead for the portable kerosene heater, Aladdin lamps (power failures) and in real hard times the Prize stove. Annual use is 10 to 20 gallons per year during normal times. Our storage capacity consists of a 50 gallon drum and ten 5 gallon jugs kept in a dry room in the barn. I prefer the round drum-shaped jugs since they are stackable. Kerosene, like diesel fuel, is lightly refined and has an approximately 5-to-10 year shelf life if stored properly. To keep the fuel rotated, I use a bulb siphon pump attached to a 4 foot piece of copper tubing that I can place in the drum and siphon from the bottom. This permits removal of any moisture collected in the drum. The transferred fuel is drained into a 5 gallon jug for routine use. The height difference from the drum to the jug permits siphon action without hand pumping, so long as the drum is nearly full. New replacement fuel is added to the drum as needed.

Gasoline storage is a real problem. First, it is volatile and very dangerous to handle. Second, it is the one of the most commonly used liquid fuels at our homestead. Third, its storage life is extremely limited. And fourth, it is desirable to have a portable supply in a Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.)scenario. These are competing and contradictory considerations. During normal times, our use is between 7 and 10 gallons per week (350 – 500 gallons per year). For normal use, 6 months would be considered a typical shelf life, but this can be extended for up to a year with a good stabilizer (I prefer Pri-G). Gasoline stored longer may be usable but problematic. Problems include filter and injector/venturi port clogging and loss of volatility (may require starting ether). The most difficult aspect is keeping the fuel rotated, since if you store fuel but continue to fill up your vehicle at the pump, the stored fuel is never rotated. To address this problem, I have a tiered system of storage. Weekly use of gasoline comes from a supply of 5 gallon gas cans (currently 20). I strongly prefer the metal NATO ratchet clamp style. Consumer quality plastic jugs are just far too fragile in my opinion and the newer military specification HDPE jugs too expensive. Don’t waste your money on surplus or old style “Jerry” (Blitz) cans. I have never had one that did not leak while pouring, even brand new ones. The NATO style cans may be stacked and even laid on their sides without leaking. They are tough enough to handle a GOOD situation in the back of a pickup. When emptied, these portable tanks are filled from two 100 gallon “transfer” tanks in a fixed location. Fuel transfer is handled in a similar manner to the diesel fuel setup except that the pump is more expensive since it is rated for gasoline. The fuel is also pumped through a water separating and particulate filter. These tanks are periodically refilled from a transfer tank in the back of the pickup. The routine is as follows: Weekly, I top off all vehicles with portable containers. Since full, the vehicles store more than 100 gallons total. These 5 gallon cans are refilled, to keep an additional 100 gallons in easily portable containers. About once every two months, I fill the transfer tank in the truck with added Pri-G stabilizer and refill the “fixed” transfer tanks in storage. This provides me with 400 gallons of stabilized fuel in constant rotation with my nadir being 320 gallons, when it is time to buy more gasoline. All gasoline is in a well ventilated “shed” and weather/sun protected. There are several nearby fire extinguishers.

Besides the above “four-horsemen” of liquid fuels, we keep some additional fuels available. There is a supply of liquid paraffin for odorless burning in the oil lamps. Any oil lamp we keep filled with fuel for immediate access has liquid paraffin in it since it doesn’t vaporize and “disappear” leaving wick-killing varnish like kerosene does. There is also some mineral spirits for the Prize stove (mineral spirits was the original fuel for oil lamps and stoves prior to the “invention” of kerosene). Additionally, we keep some naphtha (white gas/Coleman fuel) despite the fact that all of our gas appliances/lanterns are “dual fuel”. I do this because it provides for the best longevity for the “generator tube” in these appliances and may be a good barter item for people using white gas only appliances. These could be considered part of the respective kerosene/gasoline inventory, but I consider them as un-inventoried extras.

Fuel storage is problematic because the fuels mostly needed during TEOTWAWKI, namely diesel fuel (for electricity generation and tractor use) and kerosene (for heating, lighting and cooking) are the most infrequently used during routine times. Our homestead gasoline consumption will likely drop dramatically in bad times. Propane storage is mostly an economic and availability issue since the furnace won’t run without electricity and we can heat (at least part of our house) with wood or kerosene. By limiting he running of the generator, we should have close to a years’ worth of diesel fuel. Aladdin lamps use about a pint of fuel for 8 hours, so 100 gallons of kerosene may keep us with light for up to a year. Gasoline storage should be adequate for up to the useful storage life of the fuel.

I have tried to strike a balance between annual consumption, storage capacity, rotation and shelf life in my planning. Basic information would include baseline consumption data for your homestead, anticipated consumption in bad times and available storage mechanisms or space. Running these calculations for your own situation will be enlightening and encourage you toward further preparation.

If you are a regular SurvivalBlog reader, the odds are that you already have the majority of your key logistics squared away, like food storage, tools, guns, communications gear. So now it is time to stock up on "soft" and perishable items. These include over the counter medications, vitamins, chemical light sticks, matches, paper products, cleansers, spices, liquid fuels, and so forth.

You need to exercise caution when stockpiling soft items, for several reasons:

1.) Shelf Life and Deterioration. Some items like pharmaceuticals, batteries, and chemical light sticks are best stored in a refrigerator. Keep in mind that items like matches are vulnerable to humidity. (BTW, do not store matches in Mason type glass jars! Resist the urge, or else you'll inadvertently make a glass shrapnel bomb! Instead, use a vacuum sealer, such as the Tilia FoodSaver sealers sold by Ready Made Resources. This is also a great way to keep rubber bands (including elastrator bands) from deteriorating. Exposure to sunlight, or heat, or moisture can all be deleterious to soft goods.

2.) Bulkiness. Paper products like paper towels, toilet paper, and paper napkins are extremely bulky, per dollar value. If you have limited storage space then you will need to budget that space carefully.

3.) Flammability. You should think of your stored paper products as house fire tinder, and your stored liquid fuels as potential fire accelerants and explosives. One mistake that that I've heard mentioned is storing numerous gasoline cans at home, in an attached garage. Most garages have a hot water heater, often fired by natural gas or propane. Uh oh! Store gas cans, oil-based paint cans, and bulk lubricants only in a well-ventilated outbuilding that is well-removed from your residence. Be sure to check your state and local fire code for permissible limits.

4.) OPSEC risk. The aforementioned bulk of stored paper products also makes them obtrusive to casual observers. This present s an OPSEC risk. If you have 500 rolls of toilet paper and paper towels in your garage, someone is likely to notice. OBTW, one item that I've stored as a potential barter item is sheet plywood. Those extra plywood sheets, if properly positioned can keep prying eyes away from your stockpiles.

5.) Abundance-Inspired Waste. Human nature dictates that when something is scarce, it is used frugally, but when it is abundant, it tends to get used more wastefully. I've seen this happen with my children, in target practice with .22 rimfire ammunition. If they know that they have just 50 rounds apiece available for a shooting session, they make every shot count. But if there is a full "brick" of ammo sitting there, it soon starts to sound like a day at Knob Creek.

In his book The Alpha Strategy, John Pugsley mentioned some friends that "invested" in stocking their own home wine cellar. They determined that it would be less expensive to buy wine by the case. But they soon had so much wine that they got in the habit of having a bottle with dinner almost every evening. So even though the per-bottle cost decreased, their monthly expense on wine actually doubled! OBTW Pugsley's The Alpha Strategy is highly recommended. It is available for free download, but I recommend also picking up a used copy, for reference. They are often available through Amazon.com for less than $5.

Mr. Rawles,
The recent article on alcohol stoves made me think of these ultra-lightweight, portable alcohol stoves made out of soda cans, See this Wikipedia article.

I have successfully built the original Pepsi-can version using epoxy glue, as well as the Heineken-can "penny" version. I have not tested them "in the field" but both work very well indoors, and they have impressive performance, boiling 2 cups of water in 5 minutes using only 2 tablespoons of alcohol. Those who have actually used them outdoors say they outperform other small stoves even in the most extreme of conditions. Even for indoor use, they are a compact, easily stored backup for cooking.

The stoves are easy to build, but expect to build a few to get the hang of it and make a well-burning version. Many web sites are available that cover different versions of the stove and various accessories to go along with it.

For fuel, you should only use methyl or ethyl alcohol. Don't use isopropyl alcohol in these stoves, as it will cover the bottom of your pots and pans with soot. Methyl alcohol burns hot and clean, but it is poisonous. It is available, among other places, as HEET brand engine fuel line de-icer in auto parts stores in the red bottles. (Don't get ISO-HEET, since that is isopropyl alcohol). Denatured ethyl alcohol is cheapest, and of course Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol works as well, but it is quite expensive. Sincerely, - Chris S.

JWR Adds: Denatured ethyl alcohol ("grain alcohol") is much less expensive if bought in quarts or gallons. It is available at paint stores. Don't buy methyl alcohol (Methanol or "wood" alcohol"), because of its toxicity. Long term exposure to the fumes or just brief contact with the skin can be toxic and can cause irreversible liver damage.

James,
LeAnne's article today has some bad advice and some misstatements in it - potentially dangerous.
First of all, alcohol will produce Carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (not carbon MONoxide, CO) only in a perfect (ideal) combustion, with exactly the correct proportion of oxygen - called the stoichiometric ratio. Any deviation from that will produce imperfect combustion and CO. Even a perfect combustion will result in CO2 being produced, the carbon atoms in the alcohol have to go somewhere. And perfect combustion only happens on chemistry examinations. A buildup of CO2 can be just as deadly as CO.

Secondly, 70% alcohol is 30% water....and before you get any heat out of burning the alcohol you need to heat up and boil off the water. Half of the energy of the alcohol (by volume) is wasted getting rid of the water The water vapor added to a shelter could be significant. A better choice would be 91% alcohol, if you had to use isopropyl alcohol. A better choice IMO would be alcohol available from paint stores, boating shops, etc.

For people travelling (backpacking, etc) a higher energy density fuel (gasoline versus alcohol, with roughly twice as much BTU value per pound of fuel carried) makes more sense. Alcohol stoves have their niche but LeAnne's reliance on them can lead one to dangerous reliance on them in inappropriate conditions. - Flighter

In any situation, small electricity outage, or large-scale grid-down disaster, a simple homemade alcohol stove and a Wonder Box slow cooker can simplify your life and add the comfort of cooking and warmth.

Why alcohol?
Alcohol is the one fuel that can be burned indoors without any chimney or any objectionable fumes. The only byproduct is water. [JWR Adds: Keep in mind that for safety, even with an alcohol stove, some ventilation is needed, sine the combustion will consume available oxygen.]

Isopropyl alcohol (70%) is cheap. A couple of quarts can be purchased for about $3.00 at Costco or Sam’s Club.
The small alcohol stove burns about a pint of alcohol in eight hours. It can be used to cook food. It can also bring the temperature of a small room up to reasonable levels without any fumes. In a larger room, you might want to use three of them.

How to make one?
You need a larger can, such as a clean empty steel one gallon paint can; and a smaller can, such as a clean empty quart paint can. These can be purchased clean and unused from a paint store, or a store like Home Depot, for $1.00 to $4.00 each. You also need a roll of cheap (not quality) toilet tissue and your alcohol. The reason you don’t want quality toilet tissue is that it won’t fit into the can. However, you can overcome that problem by just removing some of the tissue.
First, you remove the cardboard tube from the inside of the tissue with a knife. Then scrunch up the roll of tissue and stuff it into the smaller can. Then take the larger can and punch holes all over the side of the can, so that air can flow through it. You can do this with a hammer and nails. You can draw designs on the can with a dry-erase marker and pound holes along the lines, if you wish. If you fill it with water and freeze it before punching the holes in it, you won’t smash it while you are making the holes. If you need it “right now,” you can fill it with ice pieces and snow, tamped down, before pounding, or just find a way to make holes without smashing it.
Fill the smaller can with 1-1/2 cups of alcohol, so that you can see the alcohol at the top of the tissue. Put this can into the larger one, and light the alcohol. You can put a pan on the top of it to cook your food. I would be careful to put it somewhere where nobody will knock it over accidentally while it is cooking.
One pint of alcohol will burn about eight hours. However, if you extinguish the flame, before you can light it again, you have to pour in more alcohol to bring the level up to the top of the toilet tissue again before you light it.
You should not plan to store the alcohol stove with the alcohol in the can, since it could rust.
It isn’t an extremely hot flame. It may take a bit longer to cook your food. We took quite a while one day to cook pancakes for four hungry people using alcohol. But it is easy, cheap and safe. And it requires materials that you probably have on hand.

* * * *

The Wonder Box
Ideally, if you have an alcohol stove, you have a Wonder Box insulated slow cooker to go with it.
If you bring your stew to a boil over your alcohol stove and then put it into a Wonder Box and cover it carefully with its lid--six hours later, it will still be so hot that you will have to use hot pads to take it out. It has been cooking all of that time, and saving you fuel.
If the food has been hot and cooking all of that time, it did not need to be refrigerated. So you could cook your stew and eat it hot for lunch, then put it boiling hot, nestled down into the Wonder Box, and take it out still hot for dinner. No refrigerator needed.
The fabric must be 100% cotton to prevent it from melting from the heat of the pan. The pan must be one that has small handles on each side and it must have a lid. A pan with one long handle extending out from under the Wonder Box lid, will lose too much heat through the handle, and it will not work as well.
The Wonder Box is much like two small bean bag chairs, one being the lid for the other. You can get the pattern in a fabric store. The larger one is 24” in diameter and the smaller one about 16”. You make it in sections, like orange sections, just the peeling part, made out of 100% cotton. Denim is a good fabric. Even old jeans stitched together would work. You stitch it together, leaving an 8” hole for turning. Turn it right side out and fill with seven gallons of Styrofoam beads. Make the lid in the same way, using four gallons of beads. Don’t let the static electricity of the beads bother you. Pin your seam, then try nestling a pan down inside to see if you have enough or too many beads. Sew up the seams, and you have a Wonder Box.

The Styrofoam beads can be purchased at stores such as Smith’s grocery stores. They come in a four-foot long tube that holds enough for two Wonder Boxes, for about $15.00.
Nestle a covered pot of boiling food down into the Wonder Box bottom, and carefully cover with the insulating Wonder Box top. It is a good idea to put a layer of aluminum foil between the pan and the Wonder Box just to keep the Wonder Box clean. Let it sit for up to seven hours, and it will cook with no additional heat.
Whatever method you use to bring your food to a rolling boil before you put it into the Wonder Box, it can save valuable fuel in a time of no electricity or other services. * * * *

Variations on The Alcohol Stove:

What if you need an alcohol stove “right now,” and you don’t have clean empty paint cans?
Some people have used #10 cans like the ones that food storage wheat or rice or beans, etc. come in. They have also used a “church key” type can opener to make the holes in these cans, since they are lighter. I would prefer the gallon paint can if possible, because it is heavier and therefore more stable with a pot of boiling food on top of it. Also, it has a lid and a handle for carrying.
You can also use the #1 cans that come with the larger size canned peaches and hold about a quart, for the inside of the stove. The problem with these is that it is harder to extinguish the flame down inside the can, because you don’t have a lid to put on it. This can be overcome, of course. Just don’t singe your arm while doing it.

You could also use something like the “Pirouettes” cookie cans. The problem with these is that you have an extra inch of can. Not a terrible problem.
If you need more room heat, you could use three #303 cans like you get with canned vegetables, and put all three down inside one of those large $5.00 popcorn cans that you get at Christmas. Don’t forget to put the holes in the sides of the can. You would have to take off more toilet tissue from the roll, and you would have to use a sharp knife to slice off about 1/2 inch of the end of the roll of tissue, so that it would not extend past the top of the smaller can. But it can be done. You then have a nice little warming “furnace” with a lid on the top.

When terrible things happen, people need something simple, dependable and comforting. They need something easy to use and fast. After they have had time to adjust, they can get on with more complex tools and equipment. But for that first little while, an alcohol stove is easy, simple, lightweight and comforting, as well as safe, and it won’t make any harmful fumes.

Dear Jim,
I found this article on the safest states to live in, based on major crime rates. Compare that to this article from "Parents" magazine, who['s author] seems to rate states by the number of socialist laws they have.

This is the [same] magazine whose solution to children fearing fire, after seeing the attacks of Sep 11 [2001], was "therapy." I used the expedient of starting a small brush pile out back, dousing it with an extinguisher, and leaving a new extinguisher in their room. $30 is a lot cheaper and less stigmatizing than "therapy," and had the practical benefit of teaching them how to control small fires.
Along the same lines, here's an article from England.

I was being partly facetious when I suggested in my novel "The Weapon" that fire extinguishers would be banned like guns because "firefighting should be left to professionals." It seems that I wasn't too far off.

I am so very glad my parents made the decision to relocate from the UK to Canada, and then to the United States. Just keep in mind there's nowhere left to retreat to at this point. Liberty must make its stand here. - Michael Z. Williamson

I read with interest the inquiry about, what I term a "Bug out Boat". I made this recommendation several years ago, in numerous survival forums. Most readers seemed unable to process the potential for this kind of plan or it seemed to be impractical to them compared to hunkering down or egress by vehicle. I would advocate that the more eclectic methods of egress from chaos may hold greater potential for success than some mainstream ones. Traditional modes of travel in the modern age are easily controlled by the powers that be, accidents, infrastructure break down, computer problems, electricity (can you say "grid down"?), etc. How many have actually considered (much less planned?) on using the following practical means of getting from Point A to B (whether a short or long distance).

1. Walking- hard work but very quiet and stealthy. Drawback- slow.
2. Bicycle. As long as you can keep your tires inflated, you can travel [at least] three times as fast than as on foot. Drawback- awkward to carry equipment unless you buy a trailer or stroller for the back.
3. Boat/canoe- Who is going to blockading the river or watching it? The river does the work for you if your are going down steam. The preferred method of
choice for hundreds of years by Native Americans, trappers, traders, frontiersmen, market hunters, settlers and soldiers.
4. Snowmobile- Don’t worry about the roads being open. Just try to follow me in/on anything else. Drawback-seasonal.
5. Skis- No trail, no problem. Drawback-seasonal.
6. Motorcycle- Easy to get around that road block isn’t it? Just try to follow me through the woods in your squad car.
7. Ice skates- many frontiersmen/trappers traveled this way up river systems. Drawback-Seasonal.
8. Roller blades-the modernized society equivalent of ice skates. Drawback-Seasonal and depends upon roads and sidewalks being in place.
9. Horse/Horse and wagon/Horse and sleigh - has both advantages/disadvantages, accessibility issues, and disadvantages, but you won't need electricity to keep them going. Drawback-you have to pay to feed/house them.
10. Dog sled- For those in the far North. Drawback-Seasonal.
11. Para-planes –fuel efficient, no license needed, can land in small areas.
12. Light aircraft- expensive but they are what they are.
13. Freight trains/barges/cargo ships- It seems no matter how much chaos a country descends into, occasionally a train, barge, cargo ship goes somewhere. Drawback-Can be Seasonal depending on low water levels, ice, snow.An undependable mode of transport to plan on using.

The reason you haven’t considered these methods is because we as Americans are too d--n lazy and we carry around too much stuff. If your supplies are pre-positioned, you will need very little physically on you.

We as Americans are pre-conditioned to think first and foremost of the family vehicle almost exclusively. Unless you have a full tank of gas when the grid goes down or an EMP-resistant vehicle, you're screwed for any number of reasons. Your going to be thrust down a channelized highway of horrors (just ask anyone who has fled a hurricane inland). This highway can easily be barricaded by law enforcement, the military, gangs, or a group of local idiots. Accidents, traffic jams and lack of fuel will prevent you from getting out of the area at the speed which you anticipated.

Not only may you be stripped of your dignity, you may be stripped of all your supplies, valuables, clothes and chastity. If you are counting on the herd to protect you from harm, I have news for you, they will readily look on while you are assaulted (and hope it doesn’t happen to them) and/or they will participate in plundering your belongings (see Katrina stories). If psychologically less than 5% of the population is prepared to act as a warrior or protectors of the flock, which leaves potentially 95% of the population as someone who will not come to your aid or will prey upon you given the situation. I prefer to believe that there is a percentage of 20% of Christians, rural or generally good people, that may not physically risk their life for you, but are none the less, good people who might assist you in other ways. Your car may be a false hope that ends up getting you into a more dire situation or delaying critical choices that need to be made before you start out.

For our purposes I am going to concentrate on canoes and Jon boats. Those heavy ski boats, yachts and sailboats will only work for limited distances or in limited places. If you live near the ocean or the Great Lakes , they will work just fine. If your only using you ski boat to go across the lake or 20 miles down the river, it may work out for you. Do not, however, plan on using them to navigate the Missouri , Mississippi , Ohio River 's drainage basins. Those rivers have locks and dams aplenty that you may not be able to portage or pass through in a worst case scenario. Many of the rivers in the Northwest and Southwest are in a similar state except the dams are bigger and often not designed to accommodate navigation (Think of the Bonneville Dam at the Columbia River Gorge, Grand Coulee Dam and over 225 others in the Columbia River Basin . Hoover/Boulder Dam. Upper Mississippi has 38. The Ohio River has around 30, but the Lower Mississippi has none. Missouri River has none from St. Louis to Sioux City Iowa, but the headwaters have numerous Dams and Reservoirs). If the locks have no electricity or they have been told by the military or police not to let anyone through, you’re a sitting duck and it may be game over.

In many parts of the country the boat may be a preferred method because it is stealthy, uses little fuel, can be suitable entirely without fuel, will never be subject to the same amount of usage demands as the highways, will be noticed less by the public/looters/law enforcement/military. The majority of motors out there should be 2 cycle. These are more EMP-resistant and easy to work on.. Most boats will still remain functional even while leaking or having holes shot in them. You would have to be taking on a lot of water from holes below the waterline to make it untenable to remain afloat.Many boats will contain buoyant materials designed to keep the boat afloat. A Marina may be more likely to have fuel available than any gas station. (Note: Kevlar was sometimes used as a hull material for some larger and more expensive ski boats, since it stronger than fiberglass.)

Most of the major river systems are about a half mile across. If you stick to the middle of the channel, anyone trying to shoot at you will have make a shot of an average of a quarter mile. Call me optimistic, but most of the people shooting at you from that distance are more likely to hit you by accident than on purpose. An old USGI Kevlar vest will provide some ballistic protection for your motor or fuel supply. Most bridges will not be suitable for either looters/military/police to set up on, and fire directly down upon you, unless the entire bridge is shut down to traffic. In most cases, anyone trying to get at you will not have any guarantee of actually boarding your vessel. Even if they managed to kill you, your supplies would continue to float down stream and out of their reach. This may discourage any but the most criminally motivated elements of society. I happen to believe that I have a better chance to survive in the water as on any interstate or major highway. If you should happen to run into a motivated criminal element in speed boats, either flee, beach your craft and run, or turn and fight with everything you have. Chances are they won’t want to mess with heavily armed elements on a flat surface with virtually no cover. A bow-mounted belt-fed Browning [Model 1919A4 machinegun or semi-auto equivalent, mounted on a larger boat] would chop any attackers watercraft into matchsticks in no time at all. (I am not endorsing it. I’m just saying it’s a nice idea to consider.)

In the first two weeks of a catastrophe, a miniscule number of people are going to be watching the rivers or lakes. They will be down looting televisions and liquor. The cops will be at roadblocks and chasing looters and arsonists. Your main antagonists are likely to be; federal employees manning the locks/dams, Conservation Officers (since they already have lots of boats, the military (probably a naval reserve unit) or in certain instances, the US Coast Guard. None of this group is usually looking for trouble on the water and Conservation Officers are notoriously cautious when working alone. It's too easy for them to just "disappear".

The larger the body of water (in square miles or distance from shore), the more distance or greater buffer you can put between you and anyone who may wish you harm. Night travel by water with no running lights and your motor off, will make you nearly invisible to 99% of the population. Watch out for logs, snags and sand bars and keep a watch out for other boats or you might well be sunk. Night vision might be handy if traveling at night. Many duck and goose hunters have metal supports for blind materials that could come in handy for camouflaging your boat if you choose to lay up during the day at some creek or island.

Your average inner city gang member doesn’t know how to operate a boat and cant swim anyway, but don’t count on it. Even criminals near a resort/sailing/boating area are sometimes familiar with boats. Ever heard of pirates and drug runners?

You could potentially carry much more equipment or personnel with you by means of a boat. Several Jon boats/canoes can be lashed together or roped in parallel (with the front boat pulling all the others in line). In this way you save fuel and have spares engines at hand in case a motor conks out. A boat can theoretically carry quite a load (much more than a car or small truck). However, remember anything you put into a boat may have to be portaged across any barrier. If you don’t like the idea of lugging it in and out of the boat many times, then don’t take it along. If you read a book about fur traders or Lewis and Clark, they often spent an entire day (or days) at a portage site.

Say you come to an inoperable lock/dam, you find an area to unload, carry the boat across land to a suitable location, carry the supplies to the boat, and resume your journey. This will be fraught with peril and hard work. You will need a crew. A minimum of one individual is needed to watch both locations (point A to B) and you will need the individuals necessary to carry everything between those points. The only way to avoid that is to do it so fast nobody notices or take a canoe and only what's in your pack. If you try to navigate smaller rivers, you will find yourself having to portage across every log jam. It's no fun, it's frustrating and it's slow. You might be better off walking at that point unless you will break through to a larger body of water that will make the endeavor worthwhile.

In a freshwater area, you will have a supply of drinkable water (albeit full of herbicide, fertilizer, and pesticide or toxic waste depending on the area). This is why you have a water filter, right? Food can be supplemented by fishing or trolling (dragging a line behind the boat as you go). A small island might be a good place to stop and cook lunch or dinner. Waste can be dumped over the side or [better yet] buried p[when you go ashore.]

We just just learned that the beautiful house we had built on our 20 acre Michigan property burned to the ground. I want to urge all readers to have their chimneys checked yearly. The house had a wood furnace in the basement and a well-built 3-flue chimney yet in a state with deep frost, foundations can settle. The new owners never spent the money to have the chimney cleaned/inspected yearly as we had advised them to. Yet they just spent over $40,000 on granite countertops and all that fancy stuff. "Penny wise and Pound foolish!" My brother-in-law lives next door on property he bought from us so he got the full picture. Apparently they hadn't upgraded their insurance either after renovating.

When we moved to the Ozarks and bought this old farmhouse we didn't trust the wiring or chimney...and inspection showed the chimney had been struck by lightening and was dangerously damaged. So we put in a stainless steel liner which makes all insurance companies smile! Wiring was original cloth-covered well chewed by rodents! If we'd have light a fire or turned the power on we could have been looking at a smoldering pile of rubble, too. Which is why we opted to put in a wood-fired outdoor boiler and only rarely use the back-up stove in the kitchen on zero degree days. Since we've lived here five different houses in this area have burned down--all due to chimney fires. Don't think fire can't happen to you. - Diana S.

JWR Replies: I recommend that readers practice cleaning their own chimneys, and buy their own set of brushes and rods. Even if you eventually get lazy and pay someone else to clean your chimney, you need to know how to do it, and you'll have the means to do so.

Unless you already live at your retreat year-round, WTSHTF, you will likely be burning far more wood than usual. This necessitates inspecting your chimney at least twice a year. My philosophy is, as long as you are pulling things apart to inspect, you might as well a go ahead and de-gunk the spark arrestor and brush the chimney. If you have a proper removable bottom clean-out for your chimney, then the whole job should take less than an hour. Be sure to wear gloves, goggles, and and a dust mask.

OBTW, be particularly vigilant if you switch to burning soft woods, such as pine. The creosote build-up can be very rapid!

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.

Winter Home Inspections
Although winter time retreat shopping can afford many positives like reduced prices and motivated sellers, there can also be a few downsides as well. While purchasing your retreat during the winter, especially when there is a considerable amount of snow on the ground, extra care must be taken during your inspection period. Many surprises may await you when the spring thaw arrives. Among them may be hidden trash and slash piles that will have to burned or removed, road grading and repair work, downed frost free spigots, fencing repairs, vegetation removal and major grounds keeping issues that are hidden under the snow. That nice rock flowerbed may be a heap when the snow melts due to falling ice/snow off the roof. Also, varmints and pest infiltration can be a major issue especially in unoccupied dwellings. On a side note a recent home inspection report here stated “The woodpeckers appear to have mounted an attack on the front porch eve”. Funny? Absolutely! But not to the new owner. Beware of unoccupied dwellings for sale, especially in the winter. Snow hides many maintenance items that may need to be addressed and could be quite costly. Asking the seller to plow the driveway may be one thing but asking them to remove the snow load all the way around the house and each out building so the inspector can complete a thorough inspection may be an issue, especially with upwards of three solid frozen feet of snow on the ground here in the mid-range elevations of northern Idaho. This cost may range upwards of over a thousand dollars and sellers who have had their property overpriced and on the market for a while will not be motivated to incur such costs unless you release some earnest money to pay for it, and the fee reimbursed should you actually purchase the property. Why? Who knows, it makes no sense to me, but some sellers are very stubborn, to their own detriment.

Here is a list of items to make sure are working and not damaged during a winter time purchase: Well and well pump(s), all water lines (have they burst?), septic lines and tank, any generators and off grid solar components (have the batteries been neglected or are they due for replacement or upgrade?), wood decking (has the snow cracked or otherwise damaged the decks/railings/steps), wood stoves and piping/flues (creosote build-up or other deferred maintenance like loose flashing at the roof seal?), roofing (has the snow load loosened or ripped off any shingles?)--a good reason to have metal roof (for fire protection as well), any appearance of water intrusion into the basement or crawl space in winter is really going to be an issue in the spring. It is recommended that the buyer be present at the home inspection and normally a good inspector will let the buyer follow them around the home for most of the inspection. Most inspectors will be happy to let you tag along, as you’re paying them and they will explain certain details of demerit or merit, as you go.

If the retreat you’re buying has been on the market for a while, then your agent should have visited the property during the summer/fall months and therefore should be aware of any issues regarding road, vegetation, downed timber, and landscaping issues that wouldn't be obvious under snow cover. This is one more reason to seek out a qualified retreat real estate agent in your desired locale.

Survival Supplies Storage
Once you have closed escrow, the work begins at your new retreat. As I have stated before several times, before TEOTWAWKI the threat of fire will be either first or second on the list of major threats, next to theft. Speaking with a client this morning I was very specific that they should store their supplies ‘assuming’ that the retreat was going to burn down. Yes, having just spent a bunch of money on a retreat one may feel a bit annoyed, but storing expensive supplies under the house or hidden in walled over closets and crawl spaces is at best mediocre and dangerous at worst. If there is not a full concrete built basement under the house where a bunker can be walled off to survive a fire and water damage then an alternatively located underground bunker must be built, period. It would be better to put a bit less cash down on the property and save $15,000 for building a self contained storage bunker than to lose it all during fire season, or worse yet from a small propane heater malfunction-- the heater that must be left on during the winter in order to keep your water pipes from freezing while the place is not attended. Not living at your retreat full time has its issues, none of which cannot be overcome with a little forethought.

A simple excavated 12'x12' (finished size) underground concrete room--typically insulated concrete form (ICF) block--with proper drainage on the sides/underneath and a small CONEX container placed on top would probably be enough for anyone’s basic storage of supplies. (Clothes, storage food, medical supplies, tents, sleeping supplies, guns, and ammo). These supplies would be needed to survive if you were to find the main retreat structure just a smoking hole, upon arrival. Note that the CONEX should have a secured internal vertical entrance door leading to the shelter. [JWR Adds: in addition to a stout lock and equally stout hasp, the trapdoor should be concealed beneath something that doesn't look worth stealing, such as burlap sacks full of rags, prominently marked "Extra shop rags".] The rest of the less essential and less valuable supplies can be hidden in the retreat itself, but always have a reserve in place. Owning a retreat is a blessing, and very few have the opportunity. Just be diligent about your supplies, since storage consideration are as important as the retreat itself.

If you have any questions about retreat real estate in northern or north central Idaho, then please contact Todd Savage via e-mail at: toddsavage@meadowcrk.com

Hi Jim,
I have set out on an experiment in heating my home that has been interesting and is important to relay to other readers as their are many questions about using Soft Maple as a heat source. My experiment follows nearly a lifetime of wood burning, tree felling, splitting, chimney cleaning lifestyle and is of course not from a "professional", so ask a professional when experimenting with home heating.
I have used wood only heating in my current home for five years with 100% safety and 1,000% enjoyment. Before that, I had 11 years of consistent home heating by wood. I ran into a project on my property that involved felling some gigantic Soft Maple trees in order to adjust fencing and grading issues. These trees also became a looming headache about falling on my building. This past early summer was the project.

The trees were about 48"-to-60" in diameter. With all the overhead limbs that were as big as most trees appearing to start to hollow out, I felt it necessary to drop these trees with a large tracked excavator. In this scenario, we ripped the roots out from around the tree on three sides with a gigantic frost tooth/ cement tooth attachment. After ripping through the 16" diameter roots, we used the machine to drop the trees by guiding them to the ground with the hook. I could not justify being under any one of those limbs while felling the tree as it would have been instant death upon impact.
Now that this job was complete, it was saw time. I had everything cut into lineal length for the saw mill in two days and the brush cut and stacked for burning. There was no way I could fathom attempting to split the wood with the enormity of the trunks. I decided early on to sell the largest logs to the mill and "deal with the limbs" at a later date. When talking to an old boy at the mill, he recommended against all other advice. He said to split the wood late season and burn it right away. Conventional wisdom would tell you to never burn un-seasoned, (wet) wood in a stove/fireplace or dangerous deposits of creosote would form in the chimney causing a chimney fire. I decided that with my project I had over three years supply of soft maple right in front of me, so I might as well try it given my understanding of how important it is to monitor the burning, I felt completely comfortable with this experiment.

I started heating intermittently in October, exclusively with soft maple. Here are my observations:
-It starts amazingly well given an air space under it. In fact, I have been able to rekindle the fire without any matches for most of the winter by using the bark from the soft maple placed directly on the very small coals and propping up what I would call “Extremely large tinder”, (i.e.- 2” – 4” odd split off fall), give it lots of air and it is going.
-Given its properties, it does not overheat my chimney near as often as hardwood, but did not lend itself to any signs of buildup in my chimney. For the first month and a half I would add “anti-creosote” granules when the chimney was warmed up to keep things clear.
-With fewer BTUs than hardwood, I have gone through about 10% more wood than the previous winter of hardwood burning and have used my electric blower about 20% of the burn time compared to not needing it with hardwood. This was for comfort, not necessity.
-I have cleaned out the ash box and chimney 3 times as much this year compared to hardwood burning. These ashes seem to quickly choke the coals if not monitored when you first get up in the morning.
-I have decided to not use the granules any longer and keep monitoring the chimney. For the past month I have not noticed any change in buildup in the chimney. It is amazing how clean my chimney is for burning a softwood. It has yet to truly need the brush this year, but I have as habit.
-If a long burn is needed, it is imperative that you stack the wood in the fire box in a manner that would not aid in air flow to the fire. In other words, try to stack wood exactly upon itself in the exact same direction creating very small places for the flame to lick out upon the upper wood which allows the wood to smolder in the ash below and keep a more consistent burn albeit at a lower temperature. At least when you get home you have coals and a comfortable abode.This experiment has been fun as I am glad to not waste that much cordwood. I have not cut up the additional logs that were limbs from those trees yet as I did not want it to dry up and not create any heat next year. I will monitor the results and fill you in when that season is upon us. I hope that in 20’ lengths of logs, that it will still retain its moisture without rotting. Soft Maple really does not do well for any outdoor exposure in lumber form.

I wanted to share this experiment as it is against what I have known and could prove useful to someone else when dealing with a soft “nuisance” tree like Soft Maple. Please understand that other soft woods don’t share this property to my knowledge. Cottonwood plugged my chimney faster than I have ever seen before. But Cottonwood and hardwood mix allowed me to get some benefit out of that tree that could not be used at the mill. (I don’t recommend using Cottonwood, after that experiment).

A tidbit of value before cutting up your tree post-SHTF. After felling a tree, look at the rings. If you notice a sizeable, (thumb size or larger) deposit of graphite toned discoloration, then you have a tree with metal inside. Maybe it’s just a nail, but maybe it is a fence post! This is extremely important if you own the sawmill or you don’t have spare chains or teeth for your saws and you can’t get them without UPS [parcel delivery service continuing] as we know it. I would venture this to be very common among fence row trees on the property lines or near pastures of yesteryear. Avoiding that part of the tree could mean the difference between keeping your home heated for the year, or looking for a new saw at the barter faire!

Last bit of advice, the sawmill was happy to see that I over sized the logs by 5” to allow them to trim the ends. They were also glad to see the large logs compared to most customers who split the trunks and sell the limbs. What a mistake as the profit lost could put food on the table! The limbs burn 30% longer than an equivalent size and weight log that is split. I love burning round stock that is properly cured!
In my project, I did have logs that were too big for the mill’s equipment. In those cases I had to saw the logs in half. I guess that is better than trying to axe a 48” diameter log, or roll that widow maker up onto the log splitter!

A little asking around might serve us all better before the need arises. This well seasoned man just heated my family this Winter,…. Maybe he’ll heat yours too! All the Best! - The Wanderer

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 material, not just downloading it. Stay away from these and stick with the legitimate sites listed below.

Keep in mind that some of this information you download might be illegal to use at the present time. You can't practice dentistry on your neighbor just because you have the book. Nevertheless, you have the right to possess this very vital information. After TEOTWAWKI, all bets are off. The information you collect today might save your life or the life of somebody you love.

Many downloads are in Portable Document Format (PDF) form, so to read them you must have a suitable program such as Adobe Reader, which is the free version of Adobe Acrobat. There are alternatives to Adobe that can read PDF files, if you prefer. Some of these files are very large. If your internet connection is slow, it's better to right click and download rather than try to read a huge file online.

Some documents you may want to print out. Others you can just leave on disc. Just be sure to store your drives safely. Not included in this list are the many web sites that are very good resources in themselves. Rather, these are the files you can download for offline viewing at a later time. Download them while you still can!

Project Gutenberg was mentioned as a good place to go for eBooks.

The Smithsonian Institution is another great resource. They have digitized many older books, maps, and documents in their collection.

Wikisource has a nice collection of free eBooks.

One way to search for books no longer in copyright is to use Google Book Search. Check "full view." If it comes up in the search, it can be downloaded as a PDF file.

A good alternative to Google is the Internet Archive which includes books, images, audio, and more. The Internet Archive also hosts the Wayback Machine, which archives copies of an incredible 85 billion pages from the internet of years past.

Over 100,000 free eBooks can be accessed through Digital Book Index

2020ok is a directory of free online books and free eBooks

The British Columbia Digital Library has an impressive Collection, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and most importantly, the Holy Bible. It also has a Guide to other digital libraries.

Scribd is an online document library of free research articles, eBooks, and other content.

A great resource for home schoolers is the Internet's largest directory of free audio & video learning resources maintained by LearnOutLoud.com.

Check out the postings of Home Schooling On-line Resources on the The Mental Militia Forums, as well as the "Must Have" Books/reference material topic.

More than 3,200 pages related to the U. S. Constitution can be downloaded from The Founders' Constitution

Firearms For any firearm you own or plan to own, you should have a drawing of its Exploded View, which will help identify parts and how they fit together. One of the most comprehensive collections of Exploded Views is the paper edition of the Numrich Arms Catalog, which in itself is a gold mine of information and very inexpensive for a volume of over 1200 pages.

But if you only need certain Exploded Views, there are many places on the internet where you can download them for free:

Gunuts is a good place to start with hundreds of drawings. Another source is The Okie Gunsmith Shop, which is apparently no longer operating, but you can still download drawings and parts lists from its web site.Big Bear Gun Works has another good list. For pre-WWII firearms, check out Gunsworld. For examples of specific firearms manufacturers, see Remington, Browning, and SKB Shotguns

The book, The Defensive Use Of Firearms by Shane C. Henry is available as a download from rec.guns. An enormous amount of additional gun information is available on the rec.guns web site.

There are several good sources for Military Publications: GlobalSecurity.org has a huge collection of Military manuals.

Try Integrated Publishing for access to millions of pages of engineering manuals and documents.

The U.S. Army Materiel Command maintains the LOGSA web site for access to thousands of Army technical manuals.

The U.S. Air Force maintains the Air Force e-Publishing web site.

As mentioned recently, The Small Wars Journal has a Reference Library of downloadable military documents.

The Brooke Clarke web site has a good guide to accessing military field manuals

Surviving War and Nuclear Attack For a basic guide, download How To Survive A Chemical Or Biological Attack.

Nuclear War Survival Skills, along with some other very interesting books, can be found on the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine web site. This book includes plans for the Kearny Fallout Radiation Meter (KFM). If you have not bought a radiation meter, you should at least download the book for future reference. You can also get the Free Plans from The Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Nuclear War Survival Skills is also available on the KI4U web site as an online book, but not as a download.

The Equipped To Survive web site has some free ebooks, as well as books for sale: Survival, Evasion, and Recovery and U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76.

The Volunteer Center of Marin County, California has prepared A Guide to Organizing Neighborhoods for Preparedness, Response and Recovery which you can copy from their web site. 

Medical Resources The Disease Net has a library of downloadable manuals on survival, weapons, emergency medicine, and less serious subjects.

Virtual Naval Hospital is a digital library of naval, military, and humanitarian medicine

The very important field manual, First Aid For Soldiers FM 21-11 can be downloaded here.

One of the best medical handbooks available is the U.S. Army Special Forces Medical Handbook ST31-91B. It can be downloaded free (as well as additional essential guides) from Delta Gear, Inc.

A newer version of the Medical Handbook, plus more great material can be downloaded from NH-TEMS (New Hampshire Tactical Emergency medical support).

The American Red Cross has some of their disaster guides online for download. For most of their material, you have to go to the local office. Some of it can be copied from the Earth Changes Media Survival Tips page. 

The Red Cross Book, First Aid in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency book, The Ship Captain's Medical Guide

Hesperian makes available free downloads of its books for medical treatment in primitive conditions. Two highly respected guides it publishes are Where There Is No Doctor and Where There Is No Dentist.

Here is a direct link to the must-have book Survival and Austere Medicine: An introduction. Australian Survivalist Online has several additional Files for downloading.

The Department of Agriculture has a treasure trove of information for free download. This agency maintains The National Agricultural Library, a collection of free information on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition, and other related subjects.

Another USDA web site is the Cooperative Extension Service. Click on the map to navigate to various Extension offices around the country. Don't limit your search to just your own state. Many of them have invaluable information on animals, crops, construction, food preparation and much more for free download.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) offers downloads about preventing plant and animal diseases, among other topics.

The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) offers Fact Sheets about food handling and preparation, and emergency preparedness.

Other Important Reference Resources The classic outdoor guides, The 10 Bushcraft Books by Richard Graves are available on the Chris Molloy web site. Free manuals for electronic equipment can be downloaded from eServiceInfo.com. Another source is UsersManualGuide.com. For Ham Radio and Test Equipment Manuals, the KO4BB web site has Free Downloads, as well as LINKS to many other web sites with free downloads. A few examples of repair information for outdoor equipment are Penn Reel Schematics, and Mercury outboard parts.

Paid Services In the unlikely event that you can't find free information on the Net to fix that generator or whatever you need to repair, there are web sites that charge for information. As a last resort, you can check Sam's PHOTOFACT service manuals, or RepairManual.com. Hopefully, that won't be necessary.

The foregoing just begins to scratch the surface. Some of these free downloads are also available as books or CDs from eBay, Amazon or from some of the survivalist web sites. That is fine. Sometimes it is easier to just pay the money and buy the book. But nobody can afford it all, and downloading gives you access to millions of pages - much more knowledge than you could acquire through any other method.

Hello,
In the event of a disaster (I live in New York City) I intend to shelter in place until all the riotous mobs destroy each other or are starved out. I am preparing for up to six months. I have one liter of water stored for each day (180 liters) and about 50 pounds of rice to eat as well as various canned goods. I have not seen on your site anything about heat sources for urban dwellers who intend to shelter in place. I'm assuming that electricity would go first soon followed by [natural] gas and running water. Do you have any recommendations for cooking rice and other foods in this event.
I am considering oil lamps or candles, methane gel used for chafing dishes, or small propane tanks. Because of the small size of my apartment and potential hazards of storing fuel I'm unsure which would be best. Please advise. Thank You, - Michael F.

JWR Replies: I've heard your intended approach suggested by a others, including one of my consulting clients. Frankly, I do not think that it is realistic. From an actuarial standpoint, your chances of survival would probably be low--certainly much lower than "Getting Out of Dodge" to a lightly populated area at the onset of a crisis. Undoubtedly, in a total societal collapse (wherein "the riotous mobs destroy each other", as you predict) there will be some stay-put urbanites that survive by their wits, supplemented by plenty of providential fortune. But the vast majority would perish. I wouldn't want to play those odds. There are many drawbacks to your plan, any one of which could attract notice (to be followed soon after by a pack of goblins with a battering ram.) I'll discuss a few complexities that you may not have fully considered:

Water. Even with extreme conservation measures you will need at least one gallon of water per day. That one gallon of water will provide just enough water for one adult for drinking and cooking. None for washing. If you run out of water before the rioting ends then you will be forced to go out and forage for water, putting yourself at enormous risk. And even then, you will have to treat the water that you find with chlorine, iodine (such as Polar Pure--now very scarce), or with a top quality water filter such as a Katadyn Pocket water filter.

Food. For a six month stay, you will need far more than just 50 pounds of rice! Work out a daily menu and budget for an honest six month supply of food with a decent variety and sufficient caloric intake. Don't overlook vitamin supplements to make up for the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. Sprouting is also a great option to provide vitamins and minerals, as well as aiding digestion. Speaking of digestion, depending on how your body reacts to the change in diet (to your storage food), you may need need a natural laxative in your diet such as bran, or perhaps even a bulk laxative such as Metamucil.

Sanitation. Without water for flushing toilets, odds are that people in neighboring apartments will dump raw sewage out their windows, causing a public health nightmare on the ground floor. Since you will not want to alert others to your presence by opening your window, and no doubt the apartment building's septic system stack will be clogged in short order, you will need to make plans to store you waste in your apartment. I suggest five gallon buckets. A bucket-type camping toilet seat (a seat that attaches to a standard five or six gallon plastic pail) would be ideal. You should also get a large supply of powdered lime to cut down on the stench before each bucket is sealed. You must also consider the sheer number of storage containers required for six months of accumulated human waste. (Perhaps a dozen 5 gallon buckets with tight-fitting o-ring seal lids would be sufficient.) Since you won't have water available for washing, you should also lay in a supply of diaper wipes.

Space heating. In mid-winter you could freeze to death in your apartment without supplemental heat. As I will discuss later, a small heater or just a few candles can keep the air temperature above freezing.

Ventilation. If you are going to use any source of open flame, you will need lots of additional ventilation. Asphyxiation from lack of oxygen or slow carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning are the alternatives. Unfortunately, in the circumstances that you envision, the increased ventilation required to mitigate these hazards will be a security risk--as a conduit for the smell of food or fuel, as a source of light that can be seen from outside the apartment, and as an additional point of entry for robbers.

Security. The main point of entry for miscreants will probably be your apartment door. Depending on the age of your apartment, odds are that you have a traditional solid core wood door. In a situation where law and order has evaporated, the malo hombres will be able to take their time and break through doors with fire axes, crow bars and improvised battering rams. It is best to replace wooden apartment doors with steel ones. Unless you own a condo rather than lease an apartment, approval for a door retrofit is unlikely. However, your apartment manager might approve of this if you pay for all the work yourself and you have it painted to match the existing doors. Merely bracing a wood door will not suffice. Furthermore, if you have an exterior window with a fire escape or your apartment has a shared balcony, then those are also points of entry for the bad guys. How could you effectively barricade a large expanse of windows?

If you live in a ground floor apartment or an older apartment with exterior metal fire escapes, then I recommend that you move as soon as possible to a third, fourth, or fifth floor apartment that is in a modern apartment building of concrete construction, preferably without balconies, with steel entry doors, and with interior fire escape stairwells.

Self Defense. To fend off intruders, or for self defense when you eventually emerge from your apartment, you will need to be well-armed. Preferably you should also be teamed with at least two other armed and trained adults. Look into local legalities on large volume pepper spray dispensers. These are marketed primarily as bear repellent, with brand names like "Guard Alaska", "Bear Guard", and "17% Streetwise." If they are indeed legal in your jurisdiction, then buy several of the big one-pound dispensers, first making sure that they are at least a 12% OC formulation.

If you can get a firearms permit--a bit complicated in New York City , but not an insurmountable task--then I recommend that you get a Remington, Winchester, or Mossberg 12 gauge pump action shotgun with a SureFire flashlight forend. #4 Buckshot (not to be confused with the much smaller #4 bird shot) is the best load for defense in an urban environment where over-penetration (into neighboring apartments) is an issue. But if getting a firearms permit proves too daunting, there is a nice exemption in the New York City firearms laws for muzzleloaders and pre-1894 manufactured antique guns that are chambered for cartridges that are no longer commercially made. It is not difficult to find a Winchester Model 1876 or a Model 1886 rifle that is in a serial number range that distinguishes it as pre-1894 production. (See: Savage99.com for exact dates of manufacture on 12 different rifle models.) You will be limited to chamberings like .40-65 and .45-90. You can have a supply of ammunition custom loaded. A Winchester Model 1873 or and early Model 1892 chambered in .38-40 might also be an option, but I would recommend one of the more potent calibers available in the large frame (Model 1876 or 1886 ) rifles. Regardless, be sure to select rifles with excellent bores and nice mechanical condition.

For an antique handgun, I would recommend a S&W double action top break revolver chambered in .44 S&W Russian. None of the major manufacturers produce .44 S&W Russian ammunition. However, semi-custom extra mild loads (so-called "cowboy" loads, made specially for the Cowboy Action Shooting enthusiasts) in .44 S&W Russian are now available from Black Hills Ammunition. The Pre-1899 Specialist (one of our advertisers) often has large caliber S&W double action top break revolvers available for sale. The top breaks are very fast to load, and you can even use modern speed loaders designed for .44 Special or .44 Magnum cartridges with the stumpy .44 S&W Russian loads.(It has the same cartridge "head" dimensions.)

Firearms training from a quality school (such as Front Sight) is crucial.

Fire Detection and Contingency Bug-Out. A battery-powered smoke detector is an absolute must. Even if you are careful with candles, lanterns, and cook stoves, your neighbors may not be. There is a considerable risk that your apartment building will catch fire, either intentionally of unintentionally. Therefore, you need to have a "Bug Out" backpack ready to grab at a moment's notice. Although they are no proper substitute for a fireman's compressed air breathing rig, a commercially-made egress smoke hood or a military surplus gas mask might allow you to escape your building in time. But even if you escape the smoke and flames, then where will that you leave you? Outdoors, at an unplanned hour (day or night), in a hostile big city that is blacked out, with no safe means of escape. (This might prove far too reminiscent of the the 1980s Kurt Russell movie "Escape from New York.") By the time this happens, the mobs may not want just the contents of your backpack. They may be sizing you up for a meal!

Fuel storage. Bulk fuel storage has three problematic issues: 1.) as a safety issue (fire hazard), 2.) as a security issue (odors that could attract robbers), and 3.) as a legal issue (fire code or tenant contract restrictions). I suspect that New York City's fire code would not allow you have more than a week's worth of propane on hand, and completely prohibit keeping more than just one small container of kerosene or Coleman fuel. From the standpoint of both safety and minimizing detectable odors, propane is probably the best option. (The odors of kerosene and chafing dish gel are both quite discernable.) But of course consult both your local fire code and your apartment lease agreement to determining the maximum allowable quantity to keep on hand.

Odds are that there will be no limit on the number of candles that you can store. If that is the case, then lay in large supply of unscented jar candles designed for long-burning (formulated high in stearic acid.) I suggest the tall, clear glass jar-enclosed "devotional" candles manufactured in large numbers for the Catholic market. You can even heat individual servings of food over these if you construct a stand with a wide base out of stout wire. Watch for these candles at discount and close-out stores. We have found that the large adhesive labels slip off easily if you soak the jars in water for an hour. Since their burning time is approximately 24 hours, and since you might need two of them burning simultaneously for sufficient light and to stay warm, that would necessitate laying in a supply of 360 candles! (This assumes that the worst case, with the outset of a crisis in October, and your having to hunker down for a full six months.)

Fire fighting. Buy at least two large multipurpose ("A-B-C") chemical fire extinguishers

Cooking odors. In addition to the smell of fuel, cooking food will produce odors. I recommend that you store only foods with minimal spices. In situation where you are surrounded by starving people, just frying foods with grease or heating up a can of spicy chili con carne could be a death warrant.

Noise discipline. Just the sound of moving around your apartment could reveal your presence. For some useful background, see if your local library has a copy of the best-selling memoir "The Pianist", by Wladyslaw Szpilman. (If not, buy a copy through Amazon or request a copy via inter-library loan. It has been published in 35 languages. The US edition's ISBN is 0312244150.) The book describes the harrowing experiences of a Jewish musician in hiding in Warsaw, Poland, during the Second World War. Following the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising and forced deportation, Szpilman spent many months locked in a Warsaw apartment, receiving just a few parcels of food from some gentile friends. In his situation, the power and water utilities were still operating most of the time, but he suffered from slow starvation and lived in absolute fear of making any noise. His survival absolutely defied the odds. There was also an excellent 2002 movie based on Szpilman's book, but the memoir provides greater detail than the film.

Light discipline. If you have any source of light in your apartment, it could reveal your presence. In an extended power blackout, it will become obvious to looters within a couple of weeks who has lanterns or large supplies of candles and/or flashlight batteries. (Everyone else will run out within less than two weeks.) And I predict that it will be the apartments that are still lit up that will be deemed the ones worth robbing. So if you are going to have a light source, you must systematically black out all of your windows. But sadly these efforts will be in direct conflict with your need for ventilation for your heating and/or cooking.

Heat. With the aforementioned restrictions on fuel storage, heating your apartment for more than just a few days will probably be impossible. Buy an expedition quality sleeping bag--preferably a two-bag system such as a Wiggy's brand FTRSS. Under the circumstances that you describe, don't attempt to heat your entire apartment. Instead, construct a small room-within-a-room (Perhaps under a large dining room table, or by setting up a camping tent inside your apartment, to hoard heat.) Even if the rest of the apartment drops to 25 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit, your body heat alone will keep your demi-room in the 40s. Burning just one candle will raise the temperature another 5 or 10 degrees. For the greatest efficiency at retaining heat, your demi-room should be draped with two layers of mylar space blankets.

Exercise. While you are "hunkered down", you will need to maintain muscle tone. Get some quiet exercise equipment, such as a pull-up bar and some large elastic straps. Perhaps, if your budget allows in the future, also purchase or construct your own a quiet stationary bicycle-powered generator. This would provide both exercise and battery charging.

Sanity. .Hunkering down solo in silence for six months would be a supreme challenge, both physically and mentally. Assuming that you can somehow tackle all of the aforementioned problems, you also need to plan to stay sane. Have lots of reading materials on hand.

In conclusion, when one considers the preceding long list of dependencies and complexities, it makes "staying put" in a worst case very unattractive. In less inimical circumstance, it is certainly feasible, but in a grid-down situation with utilities disrupted and wholesale looting and rioting in progress, the big city is no place to live. But, as always, this is just my perspective and your mileage may vary (YMMV).

Jim,
A few hours after I wrote the most recent Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Update (Fri 12-14-07) I was awakened at 2 a.m. Friday morning with a page out to respond as a member of our local volunteer fire department to a fully involved structure fire with multiple occupants trapped. Like I stated in my update it takes us 15 to 30 minutes to arrive on scene as we respond from our homes to the station then on to the scene. As far as I can estimate there were emergency personnel on scene in about 14 minutes and we arrived at about 19 minutes from the initial page out, as the roads were icy and slippery. Obviously without going into details the outcome was devastating for the family, for us, and for the community as a whole. We have gone without a structure fire fatality for about 11 years according to local sources.

Remember, it's not the actual flames that will kill you, it's the poisonous smoke and fumes from the fire that will incapacitate you in seconds, stopping your escape and or rescue effort of your loved ones. I moved from a higher end subdivision in California where the city building code called for a water suppression system in every room with hard wired smoke alarms. Although I disagree with government mandates about building codes (none in our north Idaho county outside of city limits!) I did appreciate the system we had in that particular home. In closing, whether you'll be building a retreat, buying a stock one or still living at your home in the perilous 'burbs, spending the cash to install some kind of fire suppression system may seem nuts but the chance that you'll be very thankful. Smoke detectors are worthless without a system to suppress the fire so that you can escape!

The bottom line is that having a fire suppression system in place, no matter the cost, would have saved one very precious child last night. Most of us concentrate on tactical gear, growing veggies and ammo purchases rather than taking the time to run the odds. Realistically speaking if you figure the odds of needing such a system versus needing your firearm in an actual defensive situation, I'd take my bets on the fire. - Todd Savage

James,
I am on the local Volunteer Fire Department here in the communist state of New Jersey. Instead of posting things that will compromise your OPSEC outside of your home. Find out when your local fire department has drills and go down and talk to the Chief or one of his officers. Invite them over for a walk through. They will most likely do this just because they are good people (we also appreciate a case or two of beer). Show them where your water supply is (if you have one on your property). They most likely know where the water supply is on the roads (Hydrants, Stand-pipes, Drafting sites). Show them where to shut off your gas and electric, because if your house is burning they need to shut it off. If you have ammunition stored please explain to them that it is in a certain part of the house so if it's on fire nobody gets injured from rounds cooking off. What I have outlined seems a lot better in my mind than ruining OPSEC by posting things like that outside of your home. - TD

JWR Replies: The risk posed by stored ammunition during a house fire is often exaggerated by the sensationalistic mass media. It does indeed "cook off", sounding like firecrackers. But when ammunition that is not contained by a firearm chamber, the bullets don't go anywhere. It is the cartridge cases that move, not the heavier lead bullets. Typically the brass will fly no more that 10 feet, and at fairly low velocity.

This week, after a personal experience with a house fire in a rental property I own, I want to cover how to secure your retreat from fire when your not living on site. Although the fire department was on scene and had the fire out within 10 minutes of the 911 call (the property was inside city limits) you can expect a 15 to 30 minute response time to your unoccupied retreat (in good weather), and that is if you have an automatic notification system or if a passerby sees the smoke and flames, and pray the fire is not during 'open burn season' in your area, otherwise just consider it a "burn down"! Fire suppression is probably the most important item next to the secure storage of your supplies and one of the most overlooked as well. You'll need to budget some extra cash to install a moderately priced automatic system to guard your valuable supplies.

I'm not too familiar with high end waterless automatic fire suppression systems, as we simply do not have these in place in our jurisdiction, with the exception of several commercial buildings and they are the very simple pressurized type water based systems. [JWR Adds: These typically using a gas. Older systems often used Halon (an alkane with linked halogens), but that was considered unfriendly to the environment ("ozone depleting") so many of the new systems use HFC-like gasses]. For a retreat though, I would highly recommend that you do not use a water based suppression system (in the house), it will simply create as much if not more damage than the fire will and you will lose your supplies with the exception of your guns, assuming that they are stored in a highly rated safe. The keys to a successful fire suppression action inside your retreat will be two-fold: One, the fire will need to be detected early, the waterless system will need to be able to discharge enough retardant to put the flames out and Two: The local fire department will need to be paged out to respond while the system is activated.

With a plethora of different waterless suppression agents and systems on the market the best advice I can give out is to make sure that the system is activated by a thermal and chemical detection system and that it is completely off the grid so a power loss will not disable it. If you Scroogle 'waterless home fire suppression system', you can read all day. The second issue would be to purchase a waterless system that uses a compound that can either be easily recharged or you can purchase the extra retardant/gas/particulate et cetera, and the equipment to recharge the system without having to have a 'tech' come out and do it, since post TSHTF it may of course prove futile. The retardant should also be non-toxic to humans as you'll want to keep it on a manual override switch once the retreat is activated for any last ditch suppression during a major siege on the property. Of course, standard fire extinguishers should be as prevalent as loaded firearms in your retreat once your there and living full-time, like the American Express card "never be home without it!".

Most of the clients I've met this year through SurvivalRealty.com are technically savvy enough to build a monitoring system that would notify them via page or email that there was an issue at their retreat and should be incorporated along with the multitude of motion sensors and cameras in and around the property for long distance oversight when your half a country away. Another item of interest would be to make sure and package all of your supplies inside waterproof bags or containers. Imagine you either have a water based sprinkler system and/or the firefighters arrive and dump three thousand gallons of water inside your retreat while fighting the fire! Although half the home was lost the basement survived and yet was two feet deep in nasty contaminated water! If none of the supplies were burnt would they be salvageable if you merely stuck them inside wall lockers and plastic tubs without first vacuum sealing them in bags? Probably not, they would all be destroyed. Do you seal your ammo before putting it inside the .50 cal ammo can(s)? You should. It's not necessary to seal the bag so tight that it rips when you drop it in the can, just enough to keep water out if the cans seal is compromised. What about all those wool blankets, BDUs, toilet paper , medical supplies, et cetera? Yes, that's right, the toilet paper, keep it dry at all costs, it'll be worth more than bullion should TEOTWAWKI happen! Every survival item deserves extra protective packaging, even the books stored for that rainy day on OP/LP duty! You'll thank yourself later!

One last item would be to have a placard made with Fire Department instructions near the house, NOT on the house of course. A simple reflective 2'x3' sign near the driveway/walkway explaining to the responding volunteer firefighters what type of system you have in place, how to turn it off (especially if you go with a water system!) and any other information, like the location of any hydrants or standpipes on/near the property (yes, they are out here) and your immediate contact info. Although completely against all rules of OPSEC you could post a copy of the floor plan as well (not showing all the secret bunkers of course), this would be well appreciated and will help if they need to make entry.

As covered last year in SurvivalBlog you'll still need a good gravity-fed water suppression system with decent head pressure without a pump to cover your home from the outside and to protect from wild land fires as well. That article is a good read when considering how to handle your retreat firefighting procedures.

To recap, think 1. Waterless suppression 2. Remotely and/ automatically activated 3. Cost effective and available recharging 4. Supplies secure from water damage. 5. Fire Department instructions near the house

If any readers out there have additional technical comments or experience that would be helpful for a subsequent comment, please e-mail them, especially anyone who is a full-time firefighter or that works for a company that manufactures or sells these waterless suppression systems. - T.S.

Jim:
I have the rest of the day off due to the wildfires in the area so I am at home. The firefighting aircraft have been grounded due to wind until a couple of minutes ago. The evacuation zone is currently a 1/4 mile east of me. My northeastern and southeastern escape routes are currently out of the question. I figure that by the time I get told to Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.), the Northern route will be closed off or too crowded to take. Going South into Mexico is currently not an option due to the makeup of my G.O.O.D.kit ([which includes] military caliber firearms and ammo.) Probably will head to the beach area if I need to G.O.O.D.. I have a couple of friends in that area. I do not want to G.O.O.D. until the last minute due to security reasons. [For fear of looting of my household goods.]. One positive thing is that there were several small brush fires pretty close to me several months ago so the underbrush is already burned away. The fire department is spending too many resources arguing with the people who refused to evacuate to get them out of harm's way and they are not able to allocate the resources to fight the fire.

I had my low profile small duration G.O.O.D. stuff loaded in my vehicle within 15 minutes. I had parts of the kit stored in multiple locations in my place and it took only 15 minutes to gather my stuff. Only things missing were my Baygen radio and toilet paper. (That's what the liberal newspapers are for.) I was planning on getting a solar/hand crank radio and had put my hand crank radio into storage. My low profile kit is configured so that anyone looking into my vehicle will not know that I have gear in my vehicle, yet enough for me to live out of my vehicle for a few days.

I topped off my gas this morning before I went to work. Not surprised to find out that no one else at work had packed their essentials in case they are not able to make it back to their abode due to road closures. A lot of people were bugging out early from work due to the spreading fire so we decided to close down the company. I really didn't care since I was already equipped to survive. Later,
- "Dan Fong"

JWR Adds: In case you are wondering, yes, the writer of this letter is my real life friend of 25+ years, upon whom the Dan Fong character in my novel "Patriots" was directly drawn. And yes, he really says "Oh maaan!"

Jim,
First, I must say after reading you for a while now almost every thing on television I see, or disaster, or shopping excursion my mind wanders to " What would Jim say?" Thanks for your wisdom and guidance.

What if you have to abandon your fixed position? like the 500,000 - 1 Million good folks in Southern California?
Obviously one should have copies of all pertinent documents on an encrypted portable drive on their person and if possible all the family photos and originals of those docs not too far away in a briefcase ready to move at a moments notice. What about my arms collection and ammo ? a real house fire will cook a safe and ruin the guns. I have many coworkers and friends in the San Diego area are that are affected and may be homeless soon. please pray for them. If you live in an affected area please have you gear ready to go this time of year (October Santa Ana winds in so cal, hurricane season in the south, tornado season in the midwest, blizzard season in the north east and any earthquake area). ( as an aside, notice no stories yet of rapes at the football stadium or looting?)
...
I was at Hearst Castle this past weekend and we went on the tour that included the wine cellar. recently you suggested that if you were building a custom home, use non-local contractors.But if you were pouring a nice all concrete basement, I would suggest that you just tell the local guy that its a wine and root cellar/ pantry. Of course Hearst had real steel safe doors for locks and his was compartmentalized, his excuse that they told us on the tour was that if a basement fire broke out it could be contained. One could make an interior room of the cellar their armory / reloading room and then the outer part of the cellar their wine cellar and pantry. Anyway, this is food for thought.
...
Lastly, with Halloween season upon us, you may have noticed all the stores have all kinds of candies in bite size packaging for sale. For the last few years, I have bought several bags of my favorite chocolate bar and vacuum packed them and then kept them in my camping box (for camping treats as well as long lead time BOB food) and my BOB. Rotating them annually hasn't been a problem if you keep it out of any heat. A real grinch could then give away the year old candy on 10/31.. or just eat it. if you wait until 11/1 your choices may be limited but you can get the candy for 1/2 price. if anything, trade barter or making the kids happy and its some quick energy.

Along these same lines, I was also at the beverage superstore lately and saw all the little 50 ml single serve 'airline' bottles. Me thinks a case or two of these of various hard liquors could be tucked away for future trade barter or medicinal purposes. Your thought?
Thanks, - Tim L.

JWR Replies: As a Baptist, I don't personally stock any liquor for barter. But many folks see the wisdom of doing so. OBTW, if you do buy any liquor, one variety stock up on is the 190 Proof variety of Everclear grain alcohol, which also has medicinal purposes (for sterilizing instruments and for making tinctures) and can be used as lamp fuel.

Jim:
I write this to you as I communicate with my family still in the fire zones in San Diego. I am a former San Diego resident who happily relocated to the wet and soggy Pacific Northwest. I still have family and memories of the region. My step mother reports that she is on alert to bug out with minutes notice. She is sleeping tonight with a packed car in the driveway and in street clothes so she can go fast to G.O.O.D.. However, there are serious concerns and issues my family has expressed.

1) Main travel ways, arterials and so on are clogged. Fire and emergency vehicles going in, folks evacuating out. As a kid in San Diego, I watched some friends get seriously burned in their vehicle when they were trapped in a blow over, caused by them staying too late. Burning to near death in their car was horrific enough. Over 250,000 people ordered to evacuate. San Diego has an excellent highway system but when you have that many moving . . .
2) Many folks have been reluctant to leave. Family has stated that they are aware that looters and burglars have worked some mandatory evacuated neighborhoods to their benefit. If your house doesn’t burn, it could get robbed.
3) What people are packing for evacuation in their vehicle is insane. Everything but what they really need (documents, photos, family bible, etc.). I was listening to a cable news program tonight in which a producer admitted that she evacuated her house, taking important things like her Emmy [Award Statue]s. For the love of goddess!
4) Fire is a sadly common event and yet people in that area still have homes with shingle roofs and land that has not been disaster proofed (ice plant, sprinkler systems, etc.). Several years ago, my dad rejected a shake shingle roof system to replace the old one. He now has good ole terra cotta and stucco sides (gee, odd how the early settlers knew how to mitigate fire damage to their buildings).
5) Telling statement from a local television report: “ The mayor's office put out a call the public to help provide for the evacuees at the Friars Road sports arena. The following items, which should be taken to the stadium's "P" gate, are needed: tents, cots, water, blankets and prepared food.” Oddly enough, these residents knowingly live in fire and earthquake zones and yet they don’t have supplies. Worse yet, the city is unprepared for the numbers of evacuees. Makes the preps we do seems at that much more intelligent.

Anyway, some thoughts for the SurvivalBlog readers. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected, my family and those fire fighters and cops going into these zones to put down the fires and help the people out.
- MP in Seattle (a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber)

James:
Don't know if the callow-youth angle is of interest to your readers, but I dashed this off after a recent wildfire alert: This evening around 5:30 there were reports of a fire very near my
home. Wildfires around here can get interesting quick, especially this late in the year with plenty of dry fuel waiting around. I thought we might have to Get out of Dodge and so I ordered the wife to pack up the paperwork and prep the munchkin for a few days field trip.
Error. Wife does not respond well to orders, and she judged the threat to be considerably less than I did.
I then went to grab my bug-out bag and load it in trusty escape vehicle. Mixed results. My Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.) was in pieces all over the garage and house, as parts of it had been used in recent camping
trip, some for vacation travel, or in my guru-bag for my work.
Assembling the kit under time pressure and while checking in on the radio/tv/internet news, hounding the wife to follow through on evacuation procedures...it was not going too well. Stress induced
tunnel vision slows people down and invites errors.
A few hours later the fire was under control and we wound down and turned in for the night.
Lessons learned:
Discuss relative priorities ahead of time, so when the time comes to move out there is less wasted effort in communication.

Rechargeable batteries are great for daily use, but useless in a bug-out situation. Not enough extras were charged and ready to go, so my two-way radios, extra Mini-Maglites, and backpacking GPS were useless. Keep a stash of copper-top [Duracell]s or lithiums on hand for when they are needed.

Keep your evac vehicle ready to roll. My escape vehicle was in moderate condition. The truck bed was loaded with junk I’d slated for a dump run, and only one of the two fuel tanks was full. Better to be empty of junk and topped off. Other minor problem: Not road-legal for three bodies.

Keep your B.O.B. packed with dedicated gear. If you can’t grab and go, it isn't a B.O.B.Yeah, your best flashlights live there. So what. Make the second rate gear take the daily wear and tear.

Gear to make life bearable and the more readily portable valuables / memorables could have been collated and loaded, but it would have taken quite some time. Lesson: Get some Rubbermaid bins. Number them. Stow gear numbered by load order so as to make finding things easier. Items not likely to be needed in the short-term get loaded first. Print up inventory list and tape to inside lids, along with
a cheapo LED keychain light. This way important equipment gets loaded quickly and my loved ones can find what they need in my absence, even on the side of the road in the dark. Keep a few
extra bins for rapid-load of household items such as family photo albums, insurance paperwork, etc. Keep the weight manageable by the weakest person likely to be helping load.

I had I planned to haul off any fuel or ammo I had, for the safety of any rescue workers. Since I do not yet have a large volume to move, I thought it polite. Having a garage explode or a case of
ammo cook off could ruin somebody's day. Remembering where all gas, kerosene, Coleman’s, fuel canisters, target ammo, real ammo, gopher-killer ammo were stored and getting it all together was a
minor challenge. Lesson: Keep ammo stored centrally and securely. Keep fuels stored outside garage in locking cabinet.

Alternate evac routes were planned, but only in my head and on screen. Should keep paper maps in all cars. Review routes in advance. Two alternate routes, two alternate rally points. Practice them in advance by taking the 'scenic route' to 'grandmas house'.

[My original] plan was for her to head out very early in this scenario on with our precious cargo and take shelter at our fallback place while I loaded gear and stood ready to defend the home front against fire or looters until such time as I needed to bail out. With everything but property already secured, I know I would not spend much time playing hero. In the future, I want to plan on a one
vehicle evac, so I know where my most important cargo is and have a second set of hands and eyes to help in getting there intact.

Planning and wishful thinking don’t go very far to securing the safety of your family and property. It can all fall down fast with sloppy execution. I now intend to finish my summer by being able to pack up with a few minutes notice and be safely out of town. Thanks for all the good advice and references I have found here. - The Hushmailer

As long as I can remember, I have felt that someday the comforts of a modern American lifestyle would vanish, at least temporarily. So I have made small mental preparations for some time now; keeping my mind and body fit and strong, staying informed, dropping hints to the wife, etc. Recently, and mostly after reading Patriots, I have a renewed interest in preserving my life and protecting those I love.

After educating myself on the subject of survival, I felt, as I’m sure many others have, very vulnerable and even overwhelmed. I needed to take action, immediately. Many thoughts spring into one’s mind during these moments. “What will I feed my children; oh man, water is essential; what about all those crazy people in the city, I need a gun, I need several guns; I need to move to North Dakota!” Sloooow down! These are daunting items. Once you quiet your mind and restore some sense of calm (it may take a couple days), you realize that you must be realistic. It’s not feasible for most of us to pack up an arsenal and move to a remote retreat in the hills or forests of the upper Midwest. We have jobs and responsibilities, relatives and friends; lives that at least for the time being, limit our options. And there is also the feeling that hundreds or even thousands of dollars spent on preparations could be wasted if The Schumer doesn’t ever Hit The Fan. (Doubtful, but it does cross one’s mind) A sense of urgency is implied; however, a caution against panic is warranted. It’s easy in this post 9/11 age to let fear control your life. Don’t! Simply take comfort in the fact that doing something to prepare for various scenarios, however big or small, will most importantly increase your odds of survival in the worst of emergencies, but also increase your comfort in the less dire situations and even improve your life now.

You Don’t Have to Move to Idaho--Survival Mindset for City Folk
I wanted to write an article for people like myself who are in the beginning stages of survival preparation. People on limited budgets, who may not live on farms, or maybe have never served in the military or had experience with guns. Those people who live in or near a city, particularly congested east coast cities. I write for those city dwellers and suburbanites in less than ideal regions; students, urban professionals, everyday people. However, it can apply to just about anyone who is not already well “squared away”. I will attempt to provide ideas on where to begin, how to prioritize and how to prepare mentally and with limited monetary resources for a multitude of events. I will try to focus on things that can be useful now and for a lifetime. My intent is not to instruct on what exactly is needed for every particular individual; there are more capable advisors for that. I aim to get people thinking and to provide a more general approach to surviving the times.

Get Your Mind Right
First and foremost is your mindset. Think about your values, your morals. What is most important in your life? Who is most important to you? How far are you willing to go to protect them? In the most serious situation, we would do anything, right? Why let it come to that? There’s good reason to get motivated. Put yourself and your family in the best possible position for survival now, so you don’t have to act out of desperation later. Also, think about what you spend your money on and where you spend it. Do you really need that big screen plasma television? What are you teaching your children about spirituality, health, money? Just as important, what are others teaching your children? You see where I’m going here. It’s not all about beans, bullets and Band-Aids. It’s about your mentality. Only the strongest-willed individuals will make it through tough times, be it TEOTWAWKI, high school, or simply life as an adult in the 21st century.

Beginning Logistics
Now think about tangible items to have on hand. Make a list. Just jot down ideas, then categorize (based on cost or type) and prioritize later. Your location and climate will impact your list. Set up your inventory and storage on varying degrees of threat and length of time of crisis. For instance a blackout that lasts 30 days vs. a full scale economic collapse. Will you be staying put or escaping to a safer location? What criteria will you base your decision on? What would you miss most if something tragic happened? Put yourself in that situation. The obvious answers are food and more importantly, water. If you are human, you already eat and drink water, so this is nothing new. You just need to think about having more of it on hand. In turn, storage is needed. We find room for other items; we can find room for potentially life saving sustenance. Package enough easily transportable food for 30 days. A durable plastic tote should work well. Then store enough for much longer periods of time. Buy a little extra food with each grocery shopping trip and date it. Not extra chips or TV dinners, get extra items such as dried fruit or granola that will last for an extended period of time, without electricity. Buy in bulk and incorporate raw grains into your diet. Start a garden. Not only will you know how to prepare these foods now, you will be more accustomed to eating them later, not to mention the health benefits. Think about buying a food dehydrator. They are reasonably priced. Keep a few five gallon containers of water in your garage, basement or crawlspace. If you live in an apartment, do you have a spare room or a patio? For long term situations, any amount of water that can be conveniently stored in most homes will be consumed surprisingly fast. Think about other sources and get a good water filter. Again, this is prudent to have anyway. A [compact] portable filter might come in handy also. With both food and water, as much as possible, use your storage as supplement, not a main source.

Little by little set aside money and acquire items you will need. Keep an extra supply of first aid items on hand. Don’t forget some of the less apparent items like toilet paper, sanitation, batteries, tools, candles, medications and fuel. Keep some spare 5 gallon containers of stabilized gas in your shed. It’s not wasteful as it can be used in your vehicles at any time. And with the rising gas prices it may prove to be a worthwhile investment. Don’t forget to rotate [your stocks]. Consider buying a generator. In a full scale crisis, drawing attention to yourself and home with a loud, light-producing device is not going to be very smart, but when power goes out and the masses aren’t yet rioting in the streets, a generator will be nice to have. Get a portable model. Study maps and plan different routes to and from your home. Keep an emergency kit in your car. This is by no means a complete list, it’s designed to get you started. Yes, the preparations are abundant. Don’t get overwhelmed into thinking you have to get it all at once. The key is minimization. Minimize the chances that you will be taken by surprise, wondering why you didn’t do something earlier. Start small and with things you can use in everyday life. The wealth of available information on specifics is immense. This web page is a great resource. It’s up to you to educate yourself and determine exactly what and how much you will need.

Help Others Help You
Working together will be to your advantage during crunch time. Find strength in numbers. Seek out others who share your values and have skills you lack. How can you help each other? Build relationships and share ideas. Educate others, but be careful as you can imagine the funny looks you might get if you start prophesying doomsday. And guess who’s doorstep they’ll be standing on come crunch time. I am a firm believer that the more people around you that are prepared, the better off all of us are. If your neighbors can take care of themselves, then it’s more likely your preparations will be preserved in the event of crisis. In short, at least fewer of your neighbors will be knocking on your door the same day of an event.

Securing Your Castle
I’d like to take a moment to discuss security, specifically firearms. If you have studied survival even a little, then you are aware that arming yourself ranks high on the list of recommendations. Perhaps some of you share my reluctance to build an armory in my home. I have children, and being married to someone who is strictly against guns makes security a particularly difficult element in my survival preparations. While I recognize security as an absolute must, I have reservations about keeping a device designed to kill in my home. Ironically the reasons not to own a gun are the very reasons why I feel I should own gun. The reasons are aged 2-11, not including the Mrs. In a volatile scenario that could spiral out of control; I would feel helpless without weapons to protect my family. All the stockpiling of food and water will be futile if some thug can easily take it from y