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Letter Re: Nomex Flight Suits for Ground Troops in Iraq
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.
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Letter Re: EcoBeam Construction for Ballistic Protection
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
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Homestead Fuel Storage and Rotation, by NC Bluedog
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.
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Time For Retreat Logistics Stage Two--The Soft Items
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.
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Two Letters Re: Homemade Alcohol Stoves
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
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The Homemade Alcohol Stove and The Wonder Box, by LeAnne
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.
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Letter Re: Choosing a State for Relocation
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
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Unconventional Bug-Out Transportation Methods, by A. Taylor
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.]
« Four Letters Re: My Preparedness Plans Just Took an Unexpected Turn |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Letter Re: More About the Chimney Fire Hazard
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!
« Letter Re: Best Items to Store for Barter and Charity? |Main| Note from JWR: »
From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a "List of Lists"
Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then
draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or
in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out
a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor
your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density
as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat
in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living
in the Rockies.
As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create
truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on
Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main
(or propane tank), and shut your main water valve (or turn off your well pump.)
Spend that weekend in primitive conditions. Practice using only your storage
food, preparing it on a wood stove (or camping stove.)
A “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” will surprise you. Things that
you take for granted will suddenly become labor intensive. False assumptions
will be shattered. Your family will grow closer and more confident. Most importantly,
some of the most thorough lists that you will ever make will be those written
by candlelight.
Your List of Lists should include: (Sorry that this post
is in outline form, but it would take a full length book to discus all of
the following in great detail)
Water List
Food Storage List
Food Preparation List
Personal List
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
Nuke Defense List
Biological Warfare Defense List
Gardening List
Hygiene List/Sanitation List
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
Fuels List
Firefighting List
Tactical Living List
Security-General
Security-Firearms
Communications/Monitoring List
Tools List
Sundries List
Survival Bookshelf List
Barter and Charity List
JWR’s Specific Recommendations For Developing Your Lists:
Water List
House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this is another
good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal roof.)
Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don’t buy big
barrels, since five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that most
people can handle without back strain.
For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a couple
of heavy duty two wheel garden carts--convert the wheels to foam filled "no
flats" tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for those carts around
your retreat, such as hauling hay, firewood, manure, fertilizer, et cetera.)
Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a long
way. Buy some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If you can
afford it, buy a “Big Berky” British Berkefeld ceramic water filter.
(Available from Ready
Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure
spring water at your retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good
filter could be a lifesaver.)
Food Storage List
See my post tomorrow which will be devoted to food storage. Also see the recent
letter from David in Israel on this subject.
Food Preparation List
Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an oversize skillet
and a huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several huge kettles, because
odds are you will have to heat water on your wood stove for bathing, dish washing,
and clothes washing. You will also need even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or
6 gallon PVC buckets--for water hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying.
They will also make great barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr.
Gary North: “Nails: buy a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!”)
Don’t overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.
Personal List
(Make a separate personal list for each family member and individual expected
to arrive at your retreat.)
Spare glasses.
Prescription and nonprescription medications.
Birth control.
Keep dentistry up to date.
Any elective surgery that you've been postponing
Work off that gut.
Stay in shape.
Back strength and health—particularly important, given the heavy manual
tasks required for self-sufficiency.
Educate yourself on survival topics, and practice them. For example, even if
you don’t presently live at your retreat, you should plant a vegetable
garden every year. It is better to learn through experience and make mistakes
now, when the loss of crop is an annoyance rather than a crucial event.
“Comfort” items to help get through high stress times. (Books, games,
CDs, chocolates, etc.)
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
When tailoring this list, consider your neighborhood going for many months
without power, extensive use of open flames, and sentries standing picket
shifts exposed in the elements. Then consider axes, chainsaws and tractors
being wielded by newbies, and a greater likelihood of gunshot wounds. With
all of this, add the possibility of no access to doctors or high tech medical
diagnostic equipment. Put a strong emphasis on burn treatment first aid supplies.
Don’t overlook do-it-yourself dentistry! (Oil of cloves, temporary
filling kit, extraction tools, et cetera.) Buy a full minor surgery outfit
(inexpensive Pakistani stainless steel instruments), even if you don’t
know how to use them all yet. You may have to learn, or you will have the
opportunity to put them in the hands of someone experienced who needs them.)
This is going to be a big list!
Chem/Nuke Defense List
Dosimeter and rate meter, and charger, radiac meter (hand held Geiger counter),
rolls of sheet plastic (for isolating airflow to air filter inlets and for
covering window frames in the event that windows are broken due to blast effects),
duct tape, HEPA filters (ands spares) for your shelter. Potassium iodate (KI)
tablets to prevent thyroid damage.(See my recent post on that subject.) Outdoor
shower rig for just outside your shelter entrance.
Biological Warfare Defense List
Disinfectants
Hand Sanitizer
Sneeze masks
Colloidal silver generator and spare supplies (distilled water and .999 fine
silver rod.)
Natural antibiotics (Echinacea, Tea Tree oil, …)
Gardening List
One important item for your gardening list is the construction of a very tall
deer-proof and rabbit-proof fence. Under current circumstances, a raid by deer
on your garden is probably just an inconvenience. After the balloon goes up,
it could mean the difference between eating well, and starvation.
Top Soil/Amendments/Fertilizers.
Tools+ spares for barter/charity
Long-term storage non hybrid (open pollinated) seed. (Non-hybrid “heirloom” seed
assortments tailors to different climate zones are available from The
Ark Institute
Herbs: Get started with medicinal herbs such as aloe vera (for burns), echinacea
(purple cone flower), valerian, et cetera.
Hygiene/Sanitation List
Sacks of powdered lime for the outhouse. Buy plenty!
TP in quantity (Stores well if kept dry and away from vermin and it is lightweight,
but it is very bulky. This is a good item to store in the attic. See my novel
about stocking up on used phone books for use as TP.
Soap in quantity (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, cleansers, etc.)
Bottled lye for soap making.
Ladies’ supplies.
Toothpaste (or powder).
Floss.
Fluoride rinse. (Unless you have health objections to the use of fluoride.)
Sunscreen.
Livestock List:
Hoof rasp, hoof nippers, hoof pick, horse brushes, hand sheep shears, styptic,
carding combs, goat milking stand, teat dip, udder wash, Bag Balm, elastrator
and bands, SWOT fly repellent, nail clippers (various sizes), Copper-tox, leads,
leashes, collars, halters, hay hooks, hay fork, manure shovel, feed buckets,
bulk grain and C-O-B sweet feed (store in galvanized trash cans with tight
fitting lids to keep the mice out), various tack and saddles, tack repair tools,
et cetera. If your region has selenium deficient soil (ask your local Agricultural
extension office) then be sure to get selenium-fortified salt blocks rather
than plain white salt blocks--at least for those that you are going to set
aside strictly for your livestock.
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
“Buckshot” Bruce Hemming has produced an excellent series of videos
on trapping and making improvised traps. (He also sells traps and scents at very
reasonable prices.)
Night vision gear, spares, maintenance, and battery charging
Salt. Post-TEOTWAWKI, don’t “go hunting.” That would be a
waste of effort. Have the game come to you. Buy 20 or more salt blocks. They
will also make very valuable barter items.
Sell your fly fishing gear (all but perhaps a few flies) and buy practical
spin casting equipment.
Extra tackle may be useful for barter, but probably only in a very long term
Crunch.
Buy some frog gigs if you have bullfrogs in your area. Buy some crawfish traps
if you have crawfish in your area.
Learn how to rig trot lines and make fish traps for non-labor intensive fishing WTSHTF.
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
One proviso: In the event of a “grid
down” situation, if you are the only family in the area with power,
it could turn your house into a “come loot me” beacon at night.
At the same time, your house lighting will ruin the night vision of your LP/OP pickets.
Make plans and buy materials in advance for making blackout screens or fully
opaque curtains for your windows.
When possible, buy nickel metal hydride batteries. (Unlike the older nickel
cadmium technology, these have no adverse charge level “memory” effect.)
If your home has propane appliances, get a “tri-fuel” generator--with
a carburetor that is selectable between gasoline, propane, and natural gas.
If you heat your home with home heating oil, then get a diesel-burning generator.
(And plan on getting at least one diesel burning pickup and/or tractor). In
a pinch, you can run your diesel generator and diesel vehicles on home heating
oil.
Kerosene lamps; plenty of extra wicks, mantles, and chimneys. (These will also
make great barter items.)
Greater detail on do-it-yourself power will be included in my forthcoming blog
posts.
Fuels List
Buy the biggest propane, home heating oil, gas, or diesel tanks that your local
ordinances permit and that you can afford. Always keep them at least two-thirds
full. For privacy concerns, ballistic impact concerns, and fire concerns,
underground tanks are best if you local water table allows it. In any case,
do not buy an aboveground fuel tank that would visible from any public road
or navigable waterway. Buy plenty of extra fuel for barter. Don’t overlook
buying plenty of kerosene. (For barter, you will want some in one or two
gallon cans.) Stock up on firewood or coal. (See my previous blog posts.)
Get the best quality chainsaw you can afford. I prefer Stihls and Husqavarnas.
If you can afford it, buy two of the same model. Buy extra chains, critical
spare parts, and plenty of two-cycle oil. (Two-cycle oil will be great for
barter!) Get a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps. They are expensive but
they might save yourself a trip to the emergency room. Always wear gloves,
goggles, and ear-muffs. Wear a logger’s helmet when felling. Have someone
who is well experienced teach you how to re-sharpen chains. BTW, don’t
cut up your wood into rounds near any rocks or you will destroy a chain in
a hurry.
Firefighting List
Now that you have all of those flammables on hand (see the previous list) and
the prospect of looters shooting tracer ammo or throwing Molotov cocktails
at your house, think in terms of fire fighting from start to finish without
the aid of a fire department. Even without looters to consider, you should
be ready for uncontrolled brush or residential fires, as well as the greater
fire risk associated with greenhorns who have just arrived at your retreat
working with wood stoves and kerosene lamps!
Upgrade your retreat with a fireproof metal roof.
2” water line from your gravity-fed storage tank (to provide large water
volume for firefighting)
Fire fighting rig with an adjustable stream/mist head.
Smoke and CO detectors.
Tactical Living List
Adjust your wardrobe buying toward sturdy earth-tone clothing. (Frequent your
local thrift store and buy extras for retreat newcomers, charity, and barter.)
Dyes. Stock up on some boxes of green and brown cloth dye. Buy some extra for
barter. With dye, you can turn most light colored clothes into semi-tactical
clothing on short notice.
Two-inch wide burlap strip material in green and brown. This burlap is available
in large spools from Gun Parts Corp. Even if you don’t have time now,
stock up so that you can make camouflage ghillie
suits post-TEOTWAWKI.
Save those wine corks! (Burned cork makes quick and cheap face camouflage.)
Cold weather and foul weather gear—buy plenty, since you will be doing
more outdoor chores, hunting, and standing guard duty.
Don’t overlook ponchos and gaiters.
Mosquito repellent.
Synthetic double-bag (modular) sleeping bags for each person at the retreat,
plus a couple of spares. The Wiggy’s
brand Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System (FTRSS)
made by Wiggy's of Grand Junction, Colorado is highly recommended.
Night vision gear + IR floodlights for your retreat house
Subdued flashlights and penlights.
Noise, light, and litter discipline. (More on this in future posts--or perhaps
a reader would like to send a brief article on this subject)
Security-General: Locks, intrusion detection/alarm systems, exterior obstacles
(fences, gates, 5/8” diameter (or larger) locking road cables, rosebush
plantings, “decorative” ponds (moats), ballistic protection (personal
and residential), anti-vehicular ditches/berms, anti-vehicular concrete “planter
boxes”, razor wire, etc.)
Starlight electronic light amplification scopes are critical tools for retreat
security.
A Starlight scope (or goggles, or a monocular) literally amplifies low ambient
light by up to 100,000 times, turning nighttime darkness into daylight--albeit
a green and fuzzy view. Starlight light amplification technology was first
developed during the Vietnam War. Late issue Third Generation (also called
or “Third Gen” or “Gen 3”) starlight scopes can cost
up to $3,500 each. Rebuilt first gen (early 1970s technology scopes can often
be had for as little as $500. Russian-made monoculars (with lousy optics) can
be had for under $100. One Russian model that uses a piezoelectric generator
instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These are best used
as backups (in case your expensive American made scopes fail. They should not
be purchased for use as your primary night vision devices unless you are on
a very restrictive budget. (They are better than nothing.) Buy the best starlight
scopes, goggles, and monoculars you can afford. They may be life-savers! If
you can afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/PVS-4,
with a Gen 2 (or better) tube. Make sure to specify that that the tube is new
or “low hours”, has a high “line pair” count, and minimal
scintillation. It is important to buy your Starlight gear from a reputable
dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and scammers. One dealer
that I trust, is Al Glanze (spoken “Glan-zee”) who runs STANO
Components, Inc. in Silver City, Nevada. Note: In a subsequent
blog posts I will discuss the relationship and implications to IR illuminators
and tritium sights.
Range cards and sector sketches.
If you live in the boonies, piece together nine of the USGS 15-minute maps,
with your retreat property on the center map. Mount that map on an oversize
map board. Draw in the property lines and owner names of all of your surrounding
neighbor’s parcels (in pencil) in at least a five mile radius. (Get boundary
line and current owner name info from your County Recorder’s office.)
Study and memorize both the terrain and the neighbors’ names. Make a
phone number/e-mail list that corresponds to all of the names marked on the
map, plus city and county office contact numbers for quick reference and tack
it up right next to the map board. Cover the whole map sheet with a sheet of
heavy-duty acetate, so you can mark it up just like a military commander’s
map board. (This may sound a bit “over the top”, but remember,
you are planning for the worst case. It will also help you get to know your
neighbors: When you are introduced by name to one of them when in town, you
will be able to say, “Oh, don’t you live about two miles up the
road between the Jones place and the Smith’s ranch?” They will
be impressed, and you will seem like an instant “old timer.”
Security-Firearms List
Guns, ammunition, web gear, eye and ear protection, cleaning equipment,
carrying cases, scopes, magazines, spare parts, gunsmithing tools, targets
and target
frames, et cetera. Each rifle and pistol should have at least six top quality
(original military contract or original manufacturer) full capacity spare magazines.
Note: Considerable detail on firearms and optics selection, training, use,
and logistic support are covered in the SurvivalBlog archives and FAQs.
Communications/Monitoring List
When selecting radios buy only models that will run on 12 volt DC power or
rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs (that can be recharged from
your retreat’s 12 VDC power system without having to use an inverter.)
As a secondary purchasing goal, buy spare radios of each type if you can afford
them. Keep your spares in sealed metal boxes to protect them from EMP.
If you live in a far inland region, I recommend buying two or more 12 VDC marine
band radios. These frequencies will probably not be monitored in your region,
leaving you an essentially private band to use. (But never assume that any
two-way radio communications are secure!)
Note: More detail on survival communications gear selection, training, use,
security/cryptography measures, antennas, EMP protection, and logistical support
will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.
Tools List
Gardening tools.
Auto mechanics tools.
Welding.
Bolt cutters--the indispensable “universal key.”
Woodworking tools.
Gunsmithing tools.
Emphasis on hand powered tools.
Hand or treadle powered grinding wheel.
Don’t forget to buy plenty of extra work gloves (in earth tone colors).
Sundries List:
Systematically list the things that you use on a regular basis, or that you
might need if the local hardware store were to ever disappear: wire of various
gauges, duct tape, reinforced strapping tape, chain, nails, nuts and bolts,
weather stripping, abrasives, twine, white glue, cyanoacrylate glue, et cetera.
Book/Reference List
You should probably have nearly every book on my Bookshelf
page. For some, you will want to have two or three copies, such as Carla
Emery’s "Encyclopedia of Country Living". This is because these books
are so valuable and indispensable that you won’t want to risk lending
out your only copy.
Barter and Charity List
For your barter list, acquire primarily items that are durable, non-perishable,
and either in small packages or that are easily divisible. Concentrate on
the items that other people are likely to overlook or have in short supply.
Some of my favorites are ammunition. [The late] Jeff Cooper referred to it
as “ballistic
wampum.” WTSHTF, ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver.
Store all of your ammo in military surplus ammo cans (with seals that are
still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick to common calibers, get
plenty of .22 LR (most
high velocity hollow points) plus at least ten boxes of the local favorite
deer hunting cartridge, even if you don’t own
a rifle chambered for this cartridge. (Ask your local sporting goods shop
about their top selling chamberings). Also buy at least ten boxes of the
local police department’s standard pistol cartridge, again even if
you don’t own a pistol chambered for this cartridge.
Ladies supplies.
Salt (Buy lots of cattle blocks and 1 pound canisters of iodized table salt.)
(Stores indefinitely if kept dry.)
Two cycle engine oil (for chain saw gas mixing. Gas may still be available
after a collapse, but two-cycle oil will probably be like liquid gold!)
Gas stabilizer.
Diesel antibacterial additive.
50-pound sacks of lime (for outhouses).
1 oz. bottles of military rifle bore cleaner and Break Free (or similar) lubricant.
Waterproof dufflebags in earth tone colors (whitewater rafting "dry bags").
Thermal socks.
Semi-waterproof matches (from military rations.)
Military web gear (lots of folks will suddenly need pistol belts, holsters,
magazine pouches, et cetera.)
Pre-1965 silver dimes.
1-gallon cans of kerosene.
Rolls of olive drab parachute cord.
Rolls of olive-drab duct tape.
Spools of monofilament fishing line.
Rolls of 10 mil "Visqueen", sheet plastic (for replacing windows,
isolating airspaces for nuke scenarios, etc.)
I also respect the opinion of one gentleman with whom I've corresponded, who
recommended the following:
Strike anywhere matches. (Dip the heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.)
Playing cards.
Cooking spices. (Do a web search for reasonably priced bulk spices.)
Rope & string.
Sewing supplies.
Candle wax and wicking.
Lastly, any supplies necessary for operating a home-based business. Some that
you might consider are: leather crafting, small appliance repair, gun repair,
locksmithing, et cetera. Every family should have at least one home-based business
(preferably two!) that they can depend on in the event of an economic collapse.
Stock up on additional items to dispense to refugees as charity.
Note: See the Barter Faire chapter in my novel "Patriots" for
lengthy lists of potential barter items.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: How Much Ammunition to Store? »
Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Update
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
« Letter Re: Grandpappy's Pemmican Recipe - A Native American Indian Survival Food |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Burning Soft Maple Wood as a Primary Home Heat Source
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
« The Precious Metals Bull Charges Onward |Main| Note from JWR: »
Sources for Free Survival and Preparedness Information on the Internet, by K.L. in Alaska
Recent comments in SurvivalBlog provided excellent advice on using the public
library. You can gain lots of knowledge with no expense, then purchase only
those books you want to keep on hand for personal reference. Also, many colleges
and universities loan to local residents, so you can use them too, even if
you aren't a student.
If your local libraries participate, a great resource is Worldcat. It lets you search for books from home,
then go check them out, or get them through interlibrary loan.
What will happen to the Internet when the SHTF?
There's no guarantee it will survive. Even if the World Wide Web endures in
some form, most of the individual computers connected to it will not. Hopefully
by then you will have already downloaded all the free info that's going to
help you cope with the new world.
You may want to download a copy of information
on this web site or any other web site with useful content. It would be a shame
to face some disaster when all the resources of the internet are no longer
at your fingertips.
In preparation for a worst case scenario,
it's a good idea to begin now to collect the knowledge that will come in handy
later. You can download whole books, save them to jump drives, and keep an
entire library in a very small space. All kinds of free manuals, guides, tech
tips, and schematics are available on the internet; for everything from firearms
to furnaces to computers to appliances.
All of the downloads listed
here are in the public domain or allowable for copying. Stay away from sites
that may involve copyright infringement. If you use a file-sharing site such
as Limewire, Kazaa, or any site that uses bit torrents, you are not only downloading,
but also uploading. Your participation involves automatically uploading to
other users. If the file is illegal, you are distributing illegal 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.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| During a Disaster Event Should You Stay at Home or Leave?, by Grandpappy »
Letter Re: Hunkering Down in an Urban Apartment in a Worst Case Societal Collapse
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
smok
