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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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Letter Re: Retreat Locales in the Eastern United States
Mr. Rawles:
I see that [in your Recommended
Retreat Areas page] you only list information
for retreat selection in 19 western states. Do you not think other states are
worthy
of
retreat locations?
We live on 300 acres in southwestern Missouri (Polks County). Not totally ideal
I am sure, but it is home, children and grandchildren are here and more over
we
feel placed here by our Lord over 35 years ago.
I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts pro/con on the state
of Missouri so that we might be better prepared. -- Paulette
JWR Replies: I consider Missouri marginal as a retreat locale,
primarily because of it population density. The state of Missouri is on the
safer (lower population density) side of the
Mississippi River but it is still
far from ideal, since the state is bisected by the
Missouri River and the dramatic
drop in US population density is west of
the Missouri. (As I will discuss later in this reply.)
My choice of reviewing retreat
locales
in just 19 western
states has been discussed
a
few times before
in
SurvivalBlog, but for the benefit of the
many
newcomers, I will reiterate:
After much consideration, all of the eastern
states were intentionally excluded for my recommendations because
they are all either downwind of nuclear targets and/or are in areas with
excessive population density. This wasn't just the result of subjective
bias. I try
to use the dispassionate mindset of an actuarial accountant.
Take a look at The
Lights of the U.S. photo
maps.
These montages of satellite photos make it clear that most of America's population
is east of the Missouri River and is highly urbanized.The population density
of the U.S. is dramatically lower in the west. In troubled
times fewer people means fewer problems. In the event of a social upheaval,
being west of the Missouri River will mean a statistically much lower chance
of coming face to face with lawless rioters
or looters When The Schumer Hits The Fan (WTSHTF).
The other startling thing you will notice when looking at the Lights photo montage
is that even in the western states, Americans live in a highly urbanized society.
Roughly 90% of the population is crammed into 5% of the land area, mostly
within
50 miles of the coast. But there are large patches of the west where there are
virtually no lights at all--particularly in the Great Basin region that extends
from the back side of the Sierra Nevada mountains to Utah and Eastern Oregon.
The average population density in this region is less than two people per square
mile.
As an example of the low population density in the west, I often like to cite
Idaho County, Idaho: This one county measures 8,485 square miles--bigger than
Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. But it has a population of just 15,400.
And of those residents, roughly 3,300 people live in Grangeville, the county
seat. Who lives in the rest of the County? Nary a soul. There are far more deer
and elk than there are people. The population density of the county is 1.8 people
per square mile. The county has more than three million acres of U.S. Forest
Service
land, BLM land, and designated Federal
wilderness areas. Now that is elbow room!
The northeastern states depend on nuclear power plants for 47% of their electricity.
South Carolina is similarly dependent. This is an unacceptable level of high
technology systems dependence, particularly in light of the emerging terrorist
threat. You must also consider that virtually all of the eastern states are
downwind of major nuclear targets. In a full
scale exchange, the eastern US would be a bad place to be. See the target
lists, fallout projections, and other data at Richard Fleetwood's excellent SurvivalRing
web site. Not only are there lots of nuclear targets in the east, but easterners
will also get considerable additional fallout carried on the winds from
strikes farther west--including SAC bomber
bases, the strategic missile fields (in Montana, the Dakotas, and northern
Colorado), Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado), Offutt AFB (Nebraska),
and others. The majority of the military targets are expected to be hit with ground
bursts, which are the type that produce fallout. Because of the Coriolis
Effect, the prevailing winds in most of the United States are from west
to east, so the farther east you live, the greater the accumulated fallout
that you are likely to receive. Sorry!
My general advice for easterners: If for one reason or another you are stuck
in the northeast, then consider New Hampshire or Vermont. They are both gun
friendly and
have more
self-sufficient
lifestyle. But unless you have some compelling reason to stay in the East,
I most strongly encourage you to Go West!
With all that said, there are some areas in the eastern US that will
be safer than others (like parts of Tennessee and Maine), and there are
ways
to mitigate the risks that I mentioned.:
Risk Mitigation
The
risk posed by the higher population density of the eastern states can
be mitigated by both carefully choosing your retreat property (look for bypassed
areas that are far from "channelized
areas" and lines of drift") and by having heavily-manned
24/7/360 armed
and vigilant security at your retreat. (See my novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse" for a detailed description
of what might be needed to mount such a guard.) This will of course mean
extra mouths to feed--which in turn dictates the
expense
of
extra
storage
food, extra gardening space, extra housing, and extra stored fuel. But
this could be
viable,
especially if you are wealthy.
The other obvious risk mitigation is to construct a blast/fallout shelter
with a forced-air HEPA filter.
If your house already has a basement, and you are willing to do some of the
work yourself, a retrofit can be done for
under $5,000. Constructing a new, dedicated shelter can be a $15,000 to $70,000
proposition, depending how large and elaborate you want to make it. The folks
at Safecastle
have extensive experience in building such shelters, tailored for all budgets.
They specialize in combination storm/nuke/gun vault shelters. I highly recommend
them.
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Letter Re: Fuel Rationing as a Deciding Factor in Activating a Remote Retreat
Hi Jim,
Something that has come to mind as someone with a bug out location
and bug out vehicle is that specter of fuel rationing. Now, my Bug Out Vehicle
has a ~60 gallon diesel capacity which gives me approximately a 1,000 mile
cruising
capacity
- depending on load. I keep my tanks full at all times and stabilized.
As someone with a remote "country home"--that requires fuel to get
to--I'm very concerned about having enough fuel to make it to my location.
Fuel rationing is a new "breakpoint" that I'm adding to my bug out
SOPs, as a trigger point. Reason? Because once they start rationing
fuels there may
be no way to replace the fuel in the vehicles that would be required to get
to my safe haven. Time to think about storing and stabilizing fuels,
if you have a Bug Out Location. I'm contacting local suppliers about having
a
couple
of 55 gallon drums of diesel dropped in my garage. These are scary times indeed.
- Mr. Teo
JWR Replies: For ease of handling, I don't recommend storing
anything larger than 20 gallon drums.
Moving drums that are any larger requires special equipment and they are very difficult
to quickly load in the back of pickup truck. (A 20 gallon drum is fairly easy for
two men to handle, with the proper orchestration. ) The bulk of your diesel
should be stored in an underground tank, preferably with its filler head and
pump handle camouflaged.
The usual provisos: Consult your local fire code for storage
limits and beware of fire safety when storing fuel cans or drums. Storing them
in an attached garage is a bad idea.
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Three Letters Re: Preparedness Considerations for College Students
Dear Jim:
A suggestion for storing preparedness supplies while in college: Get a small
self storage unit at a local self-store. I had one all through college, which
made it much easier to move from apartment to apartment, as college students
often do. It was very reasonably priced.
I made sure it was in a storage facility that actually locks and closes at
night. The unit was on the north side of the building, so it did not get as
hot as other units. Nowadays, many cities have indoor, climate controlled facilities
that are even more secure.
The advantages are that your gear is all in one place, ready to go. I consider
the facilities more secure than dwellings. They are certainly more anonymous
than dwellings, as no one except who you tell will know anything about your
personal business, and what is stored there. And as stated before, it makes
moving much easier. - Mark R. in New Mexico
Sir:
My comment on the college student who advises petroleum geologist as a
post-TEOTWAWKI career
and advises against anything to do with electricity. My advice would be the
opposite. Anything to do with oil requires a huge infrastructure of refineries,
financial institutions et cetera, while small hydro,
wind and solar
will still be going and still viable. The current production output dictates
that there will be electric heaters, motors, computers etc available and
anyone who can make or keep them operational will be in demand. I live in an
area
where almost all of the current production is hydro and because the plants
are so old (50-90 years) they would still operating, especially
small ones in out of the way places that are either not on the grid now or
can be configured
to run off the grid. - Karen L.
Hi -
Regarding Sam's recent comments to avoid any career involving a computer,
I believe that to be unwise advice. As with any career choice, there are
sub-specialties within a given field that can be very lucrative. I've been
an I.T. security professional for over 15 years, and I can say firsthand
that choosing anything to do with networks or better yet information assurance
and security would be a very, very wise choice.
Demand for skilled, intelligent computer and network security professionals
is at an all-time high, and is increasing steadily. Further, the quality of
the people graduating and the quality of those who have been in I.T. for 3
years or more is steadily decreasing. This is creating a "perfect storm" of
high demand and low supply which translates directly into increased income,
basically allowing a skilled I.T. security pro to name their price. On my team
alone we have had two openings that we cannot fill and we've been interviewing
so-called candidates (I use the term loosely since these folks barely qualified
at any level) for months.
Information security is an even better choice if, like Sam and many others,
you subscribe to the long, slow decline theory rather than the cataclysmic
event theory of preparedness. As society slowly disintegrates, the demand for
information security pros by large corporations, governments and even well-to-do
individuals will only increase. People and companies will always want to make
money...think of the TV series "Jericho" to see what I mean.
The trick is to keep your skills and training up to date, and to keep yourself
from getting locked into any one position or company (or even geographical
location) for any length of time. Stay mobile...a "hired gun" or troubleshooter,
for example. A solid information security pro can easily command a salary in
the $100,000-$200,000 range even in the Midwest. With the right combination
of certifications, experience, and skills, a good pro can make even more working
for a large company
or law firm on the coasts, in the South, or even overseas.
A frugal prepper working as an infosys security pro for 3-5 years or so could
sock away a serious amount of money, more than enough to buy a sizable chunk
of productive land outright and stock it with everything needed to go off the
grid. The point is not to over-react to what you think will happen...leverage
your skills to make as much income as possible while you can, live well below
your means, and use the difference to launch and establish the lifestyle you
really want.
Another group in the I.T. industry that is in high demand are the business
continuity and disaster recovery specialists, as well as facilities management
professionals. Again, as things get worse in our society, the demand for people
who can help ensure business continuity (and business security) for a large
corporation can make a very respectable salary. In my experience, companies
like GE, Proctor&Gamble, Wal-Mart, pharmaceutical companies, et cetera
will do everything they can to keep making money no matter what, even if it
looks
like
the world is ending, and they will pay handsomely for people who can help them
do it. - JT
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Preparedness Considerations for College Students, by Sam
I am presently a sophomore at a small, private, liberal arts college, in the
northeastern United States. First, I will start with the important criteria
[for survivalists] in choosing a college (after the decision of a major and
program you want to
be in), which
I followed in High School three years ago:
1. Do not choose a school in a heavily urbanized/suburbanized area.
2. Choose a school in a small city or town, ideally with less than 50,000 people
and ample farming in the region. (places like Ithaca New York, Burlington Vermont,
Amherst Massachusetts, and other small-city sized college towns, their population
increases significantly
when school is in session and should be avoided.)
3. Look over the area around the school. If it looks bad, it probably is.
4. Look at the local crime rate, economy, etc.
5. After the admissions tour, walk around the campus on your own with whoever
you are touring with (Parent, Friend, etc.) and talk to students. The admissions
department is excellent at making a college appear better than it actually
is.
6. Drive around the city/town where the college is located and see how it feels.
7. If you are in a state like Utah, see what the school's policy is on weapons,
do this by reviewing the handbook. Even if there is a weapons ban on campus,
there are ways around this.
8. The school handbook, should also have information about crimes committed
on campus. This is legally required under the Crime Awareness and Campus Security
Act of 1990. If the information is not found, it can be located online.
9. If the school is a public school, you probably have the same rights about
searches by police and school officials as a regular citizen. [JWR
Adds: Check
the local and state laws,as well as the school's policies.] At many private
schools your
room can be fully searched at any time for any reason. In fact, I signed an
agreement of full understanding and giving the
school greater rights to search because I live on an "alcohol and tobacco
free"
floor.
Once one is at school, there are some things that can be done for the sake
of preparedness. Sterilite or Rubbermaid plastic storage containers that are
opaque and have lockable handles (such
as these) can be used to store food, bug-out gear, etc. They
blend in perfectly with college settings and do not stand out, I have one large
container with
my BOB,
winter weight sleeping bag, hunting gear, food, and weather specific clothing.
If I had to, I could carry it down seven fights of stairs to my SUV and
be out of the city with 10 minutes warning. There are a few places that it
can
be
stored.
I keep the main storage bin in open sight, two other bins are on top of it
and I use them as a table for my shower stuff. If I didn't have my bed bunked,
I would have my bed up on cinder blocks and store them under the bed. No one
will second guess storage containers in a college setting.
Weapons are banned from almost every college campus. A weapon is generally
defined as anything that can be dangerous to another person or look dangerous.
My school has banned: airsoft guns, BB guns, air rifles, paintball guns, all
knives of any type, bows, crossbows, machetes, swords, guns, disassembled guns,
guns that are incapable of firing ammunition, all replicas of any weapons.
One way around this is fairly simple if you've got a car, just park your car
on public property, such as street curbside. I have had friends that hunt leave
their hunting rifles/shotguns, bows, etc. in their truck/car. In some states
this
is illegal, and even if not illegal, is very risky because a car cannot be
secured. Disclaimer: This is extremely risky. Even if the gun
is a locked in a bolted-down container, since the entire vehicle could be stolen.
It might
also
be illegal
in some states or localities. It
would
be better
to
live in an apartment off campus to circumvent any laws or policy restrictions
about guns on campus entirely. However, some schools require that all students
live on
campus.
Living
on campus for a certain time period (freshman year) is required on many campuses.
One important thing is that one must have a plan to get home or to a more permanent
location. College campuses will be less-self sufficient than even someone living
in a condo in New York City. Dormitory dining halls bring in
workers
from the surrounding area to make the food for the college. If the Schumer Hits
the Fan, these people will not come to work, and if they do it will be most
likely to
take
food for themselves. Forget about growing food on the grounds of campus. It
is naive to think that some else wouldn't steal it. It is prudent to
live within half a tank of gas driving distance to home
or a retreat location
and have alternative routes. I live several hundred miles from home and must
cross the Hudson River, Connecticut River, and many other choke points that
will be filled with the Golden
Horde and/or are in urban areas because of the
interstate highway system. I have planned accordingly, and have extended family
members who own a farm that live within 50 miles. I can walk there if I
must, but there are numerous alternate routes that I have scouted.
Having a car at college is very important if one's finances allow for it. I
am fortunate enough to have a father who provides a car and fully maintains
it. I'm not going to go into much depth about a car, because that is a subject
in itself for another article. Basically, an SUV
is preferable because it allows for being comfortable when driving places with
friends, carrying more stuff for moving into and out of school every year,
and it is generally a good BOV compared
to passenger cars. They also blend in with other vehicles in most parts of
the country. If you've got control
over the type (all this is from my experience), try to avoid any luxury brand
SUV, it rubs people the wrong way to see a late teen/early 20something driving
a car that was clearly expensive, agitates the population around the school,
gives people the wrong judgment of you as a person, stands out to people that
you want to ignore you, and will stand out like a sore thumb when moving to
the retreat location.
Socially at college, avoid drinking alcohol. Many drink in their freshman year,
but over time those who continue drinking will prove them to be morally bankrupt
individuals, and just because "everyone does it", it does not make it right.
It is a colossal waste of money, and time. It is not Christian (if that is
how you are inclined), and can lead to leaks of information. Alcohol just leads
to terrible decisions, such as compromising OPSEC,
and should be avoided. I no longer drink at all, mainly for religious reasons,
but also common sense reasons.
It is unhealthy and a waste of time.
Keeping religion in the picture at college is also important. I go to a secular
school, but continue to maintain Christian lifestyle, more so now than any
time before in my life, being exposed to social liberalism and people who lack
morals tends to make one realize how lucky they are and to offer prayer for
those who have not come to Christ. Religiously affiliated colleges in the northeast
tend to be just as socially liberal as secular schools. In my experience,
being at school has made me more religious.
Additionally, in regards to friends at college, it is important, at least in
my experience, to be living in a [dormitory] building that has a reputation
of being academic in nature. I made most of my friends this way, getting along
with
your roommate
is very important. Going to school at a small campus is very cliquish, so one
may find it to be easier to find quieter/like minded students on a small campus.
One mention about cliques is that drama will probably develop. Ignore it. I
am the middleman in half a dozen instances of drama between my various groups
of friends.
It
is petty. Just try to make people understand that there are more important
things in life.
If your school offers Army ROTC courses,
enroll in the courses for the minimum of two years that do not require a commitment.
Sophomores are now being taught
the combat life saver course and given other types of training. A career in
the military is a viable alternative, they will pay for tuition, and give out
monthly stipends, and issue participants gear on loan. I was enrolled in ROTC
for one year, and highly recommend it. am planning on joining
Army or Air Force ROTC
wherever
I go to graduate school and serving in the reserves. [JWR Adds: In
my experience, the ROTC Basic Camp, which is available without any
contractual obligation, is much more valuable for learning "hands-on" survival
skills than the ROTC classroom instruction, which emphasizes theory and military
history.]
Try to spend as little money off of your meal card as possible. At the end
of every semester spend the surplus down on items the school sells at the store.
I have been able to buy about a week's worth of food this way each semester.
It just keeps piling up at home, obviously, buy food that is energy dense and
that has a long shelf life.
Work hard, academically. I slacked during my freshman year and could have really
boosted my grade point average. The early classes are always easier than the
upper
level classes and now I am finding myself working twice as hard to make up
for the mistake.
For
the
record, I am writing this while I am on break, otherwise I would not have had
enough time.
Choosing a major [course of study] is important depending on one's planned
[scenario for] survival. I'm more of a slow-decline Peak
Oil, dollar collapse
(leading
to
a further
collapse)
and general preparedness believer, so I decided on a major accordingly. It
is possible to have a major that will give one a career, post-TEOTWAWKI.
To name a new professions that will still be around (depending on the severity
of the crash) are doctors, writers, dentists, some engineers, merchants,
and store owners. Being a petroleum geologist could be very lucrative in a
slow-decline
peak oil situation. The more specialized a major is, the less career opportunities
will be available. Don't major in anything requiring a computer or electricity,
such as electrical engineering, Management Information Systems (MIS), [or fields
such as] biology,
foreign relations, marketing, history, English, et cetera.
JWR Adds: I guess that things have changed since I was in
college in the early 1980s. There was a "no guns on campus" policy, but it
was largely
ignored. My dorm
room often resembled a
Peshawar workshop. It was where my shooting buddies
would congregate for gun cleaning and for gun assembly. I lost count of the
number of M1911s
and AR-15s
that we parted together in that room. We even had a miniature Unimat lathe
in the dorm room for one semester. (It was a Unimat DB200, if I remember correctly.)
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Safe Food Handling, by B.H. in Western Washington »
Two Letters Re: Getting from Point A to Point B
Mr. Editor,
First, [E.I.D. presented] lots of good hints. I like the idea of getting good
trail bikes and using them regularly to keep them and your self in shape. But
I have
long though the best comprise for distance, energy cost, and speed is a four
cycle “road/trail” motor cycle. I emphasize four
cycle so you don’t have to go looking for two cycle oil. Most get well
over 200 MPG and
have 2 gallon or larger tanks. That is a long ways. Most of the moped
type things he suggests are two cycle engines. Not a good thing. I like the
Honda 250 [cc] to 350 [cc]bikes because of reliability and high sales volume
means easy parts
availability, new or wrecks. Fill the tires with “Slime” for flat
protection. If you have family members that have trouble with getting started
with a clutch type vehicle, change the rear sprocket for a lower gear. It will
limit top speed, but we are after distance not running races. You should rarely
go over 30 MPH. [JWR Adds: Another important tradeoff is engine
noise. The larger the displacement, the more noise. Some might prefer a smaller,
quieter two cycle engine.]
The suggestion about the little 12 volt [vibro] tire compressors is useless
in this day of tubeless tires. Once the bead seal is broken, they will not
inflate a tire unless you were a forward thinker and put tubes in your tires.
( Assuming you can even find tubes these days.)
For a gas siphon hose, go to your local sports store and get a 5/8ths-inch
outboard motor hose. The one that goes from a 6 gallon carry on tank and the
motor.
It will come with a “primer bulb” that has the one
way valve in it to make starting the siphon easy. This will keep the gas out
of your mouth, and that is a good thing!
Magnetic key holders are largely a thing of the past in this day of plastic
cars. There is no easily reached ferrous metal to stick them to, even assuming
you could find one in a store to buy. Plastic wire ties work better and give
you more flexibility as to hiding places. (Don’t use the trailer hitch
[channel] on the back of your SUV or inside the gas filler door. Those are
the first two places anybody will look.)
Be very careful [about transmitting] on CB or any other kind of unsecured
radio. The bad guys have them too. - Keith S.
James,
Just a few notes in regards to E.I.D.’s article on bug out transportation,
particularly the section about using bicycles. I totally agree that an automobile
is preferable. But if a bike is used as a backup or your only means of transport,
then I have some advice from my bicycle commuting and touring days.
Riding efficiency is not the top priority. You want reliability and resistance
to failure. Road tires and tubes are thin to reduce weight and increase speed
for the given effort. Just commuting to work on paved roads I found I was getting
flats every week from broken glass, metal debris, and even a carpet of acorn
shells in the autumn. I switched my road bike tires to slightly wider and thicker
semi-knobby tread, and used a thorn resistant inner tube. No flats since then.
A mountain bike is even better and will have even thicker and wider tires to
carry heavier loads and absorb shocks of uneven ground. Potholes and sewer
grates can bend or break a tire rim in an instant of inattention, but the bigger
mountain tires are much more resistant to those dangers. Even with mountain
bike tires you still want the extra thick thorn, or puncture, resistant tubes.
The tube patch kit should be one you have used successfully before. Some are
easier than others and seal better than others. Better yet is a spare inner
tube. I used to carry just a patch kit, but after trying to patch tubes in
the pouring rain or snowy slush, or even 98F burning sun, I decided it was
worth the weight and bulk to carry a spare tube as well. You may want the thinner
regular tube as a compact spare since the puncture resistant tubes are fairly
bulky.
As far as a toolkit you don’t want anything bulky or excessive in weight,
but you want enough to handle tire changes, loose nuts, and brake adjustments.
Most bike shops will sell a variety of bicycle multi-tools with screw driver
heads, hex wrenches, etc. In addition you want an adjustable wrench (“Crescent” or
similar) for all the little nuts and bolts. I like a 6” as a minimum
but usually carry and 8” wrench. You also want to carry a couple of the
special thin open end wrenches specific to bicycles that fit on the hub adjusting
nuts, these are usually about 14mm - 16mm. You need two, one for each side
of a hub. You may want a small needle nose or electrical pliers for cutting
and pulling or holding onto brake and shifter cables. A regular pliers/multi-tool
is fine if you have one. You also want two of the small tire irons for lifting
the tire bead off the rim to change the tire without poking holes in the inner
tube. Lastly, you need to have a small spoke wrench. Then you probably want
some plastic electrical tape and plastic zip ties, too. A small bicycle repair
manual would be good for long distance trekking.
When I was in high school many years ago I road my bicycle across the state
of Washington for the DOT one
summer. I rode many east-west and north-south highway routes. The major equipment
failure I had was that at every mountain
pass was breaking a few spokes. Long uphill climbs of 20 – 25 miles
puts enormous strain on the bike hubs and spokes. They never broke going uphill
for 12 hours. But it was just after cresting the pass and starting downhill
my spokes would start to go sproing! You are dead in the water
with a just few broken spokes. I would carry a half dozen or so, as they are
so light weight.
[JWR Adds: I've found that taping 4 to 6 spare spokes
directly bike frame is a good way to keep spares handy, and protecting them
from getting bent, as they often do if stored in panniers.] For a long trip
you might want an extra set of brake pads, an extra brake and derailer
cable, and maybe even extra hub bearings, chain oil and hub grease.
When preparing for your planned bug out trip on bicycle, imagine the worst
possible conditions. You could be traveling in pouring rain, some snow, or
searing sun. Will you be traversing mostly level or rolling hill terrain? Or
over a mountain pass? Forest Service roads can be very dusty and the gravel
can be near impossible for road tires. Even paved roads may have a lot of debris
or require cross country detours in an emergency situation. Plus, you are very
likely to take at least one or more nasty spills trying to avoid a vehicle
or while encountering treacherous terrain.
Do you have a wrench to be able to re-adjust the handle bars? Do your hubs
have quick-release handles on them for easy removal? Do you have any sort of
pedal clamps or other means to secure your shoes and feet to the pedal? You
probably don’t want specialized biking shoes and pedals that interlock,
but I found the U-shaped metal shoe clamp with leather straps allows me to
have them loose enough to easily slip my shoe in and out of them for maneuvering,
but still hold my shoe securely enough to get good pull as well as push effort,
so that both legs work together on each half of the pedal revolution.
I wouldn’t want to have to use a bicycle to bug out since you are open
to attack, your hands are kept occupied, you go relatively slow and cannot
carry much weight. But if you end up needing to use a bike then a few simple
tools and choice spare parts can make the difference between being stranded
halfway or only having a short delay. You need those tools for ongoing maintenance
anyway, so you might as well have the small essential tools with you at all
times. I fit my entire tool and parts kit into one of those small under-the-seat-pouches
you can get at bike shops. - JB in Oregon
« Letter Re: Food Riots in Haiti |Main| Note from JWR: »
The Precepts of My Survivalist Philosophy
In the past week I've had three newcomers to SurvivalBlog.com write and ask
me to summarize my world view. One of them asked: "I could spend days
looking through [the] archives of your [many months of] blog posts. But there
are hundreds
of them. Can you tell me where you stand, in just a page? What distinguishes
the "Rawlesian" philosophy from other [schools of] survivalist thought?"
I'll likely add a few items to this list as time goes on, but here is a general
summary of my precepts:
Modern Society is Increasingly Complex, Interdependent, and Fragile. With
each passing year, technology progresses and chains of interdependency lengthen.
In the past 30 years, chains of retail supply have grown longer and longer.
The food on your supermarket shelf does not come from local farmers. It often
comes from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This has created an alarming
vulnerability to disruption. Simultaneously, global population is still increasing
in a near geometrical progression. At some point that must end, most likely
with a sudden and sharp drop in population. The lynchpin is the grid. Without
functioning power grids, modern industrial societies will collapse within weeks.
Civilization is Just a Thin Veneer. In the absence of law
an order, men quickly revert to savagery. As was illustrated by the rioting
and looting that accompanied disasters in the past three decades, the transition
from tranquility to absolute barbarism can occur overnight. People expect tomorrow
to be just like today, and they act accordingly. But then comes a unpredictable
disaster that catches the vast majority unprepared. The average American family
has four days worth of food on hand. When that food is gone, we'll soon see
the thin veneer stripped away.
People Run in Herds and Packs, but Both Follow Natural Lines of
Drift. Most
people are sheep ("sheeple").
A few are wolves that prey on others. But just a few of us are more like sheepdogs--we
think independently, and instead of
predation,
we are
geared toward protecting and helping others. People naturally follow natural lines
of drift--the path of least resistance. When the Schumer hits
the fan, 99% of urbanites will try to leave the cities on freeways. The highways
and freeways will soon resemble parking lots. This means that you need to be
prepared to both get
out of town ahead of the rush and to use lightly-traveled back roads.
Plan,
study and practice.
Lightly Populated Areas are Safer than High Density Areas. With
a few exceptions, less population means fewer problems. WTSHTF, there will
be a mass exodus from the cities. Think of it as an army that is spreading
out across a battlefield: The wider that
they
are
spread,
the less effective that they are. The inverse
square law hasn't been repealed.
Show Restraint, But Always Have Recourse to Lethal Force. My
father often told me, "It
is better to have a gun and not need it, than need a gun, and not have it." I
urge readers to use less than lethal means when safe and practicable, but at
times there is not a satisfactory substitute for well-aimed lead going down
range at high velocity.
There is Strength in Numbers. Rugged individualism is all
well and good, but it takes ore than one man to defend a retreat. Effective
retreat defense necessitates having at least two families to provide 24/7 perimeter
security. But of course every individual added means having another mouth to
feed. Absent having an unlimited budget and an infinite larder, this necessitates
striking a balance when deciding the size of a retreat group.
There are Moral Absolutes. The foundational morality
of the civilized world is best summarized in the Ten
Commandments. Moral relativism and secular humanism are slippery slopes.
The terminal moraine at the base of these slopes is a rubble pile consisting
of either despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity. I
believe
that
it takes both faith and friends to survive perilous times. For more background
on that, see my Prayer
page.
Racism Ignores Reason. People should be judged as individuals.
Anyone that make blanket statements about other races is ignorant that there
are both good and bad individuals in all groups. I have accepted The
Great Commission with sincerity."Go forth into all nations" means
exactly that:
all nations. OBTW, I feel grateful that SurvivalBlog is now read
in more than 100 countries. I have been given a bully pulpit,
and I intend to use it for good and edifying purposes.
Skills Beat Gadgets and Practicality Beats Style. The modern
world is full of pundits, poseurs, and Mall
Ninjas. Preparedness is not just about
accumulating a pile of stuff. You need practical skills, and those
only come with study, training, and practice.
Any
armchair
survivalist
can
buy a set
of stylish camouflage fatigues and an M4gery Carbine
encrusted with umpteen accessories. Style points should not be mistaken
for genuine skills and
practicality.
Plentiful Water and Good Soil are Crucial. Modern mechanized
farming, electrically pumped irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
can make deserts bloom. But when the grid goes down, deserts and marginal farmland
will revert to their natural states. In my estimation, the most viable places
to survive in the midst of a long term societal collapse will be those with
reliable summer rains
and rich
topsoil.
Tangibles Trump Conceptuals. Modern fiat currencies are generally
accepted, but have essentially no backing. Because they are largely a byproduct
of interest bearing debt, modern currencies are destined to inflation. In
the long run, inflation dooms fiat
currencies to collapse. The majority of
your assets should be invested in
productive farm land and other tangibles such as useful hand tools. Only after
you have your key logistics squared away, anything extra should
be invested in silver and gold.
Governments Tend to Expand their Power to the Point that They Do Harm. In
SurvivalBlog, I often warn of the insidious tyranny of the Nanny
State. If
the state where you live becomes oppressive, then don't hesitate to relocate.
Vote with your feet!
There is Value in Redundancy. A common saying of my
readers is: "Two
is one, and one is none." You must be prepared
to provide for your family in a protracted period of societal disruption. That
means storing up all of the essential "beans, bullets, and Band-Aids" in quantity.
If commerce is disrupted by a disaster, at least in the short term you will
only have your own logistics to fall back on. The more that you have stored,
the
more
that
you
will have
available for barter and charity.
A Deep Larder is Essential. Food storage is one of the key
preparations that I recommend. Even if you have a fantastic self-sufficient
garden and pasture ground, you must always have food storage that you can fall
back on in the event that your crops fail due to drought, disease, or infestation.
Tools Without Training Are Almost Useless. Owning a gun doesn't
make someone a "shooter" any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer.
With proper training and practice, you will be miles ahead of the average citizen.
Get advanced medical
training. Get the best firearms
training that you can afford. Learn about amateur radio from your local
affiliated ARRL club.
Practice raising a vegetable garden each summer. Some skills are only perfected
over
a period
of years.
Old Technologies are Appropriate Technologies. In
the event of a societal collapse, 19th Century (or earlier) technologies such
as a the blacksmith's forge, the treadle sewing machine, and the horse-drawn
plow
will be
far easier
to re-construct than modern technologies.
Charity is a Moral Imperative. As a Christian, I feel morally
obligated to assist others that are less fortunate. Following the Old Testament
laws of Tzedakah (charity
and tithing), I believe that my responsibility begins with my immediate family
and expands in successive rings to supporting
my immediate
neighborhood
and
church, to my
community, and beyond, as resources allow. In short, my philosophy is to "give
until it hurts" in times of disaster.
Buy Life Assurance, not Life Insurance. Self-sufficiency
and self-reliance are many-faceted. You need to systematically provide for
Water, Food, Shelter, Fuel, First Aid,
Commo,
and, if need be, the tools to enforce Rule
308.
Live at Your Retreat Year-Round. If your financial and family
circumstances allow it, I strongly recommend that you relocate
to a safe area and live there year-round. This has several advantages,
most notably that will prevent burglary of your retreat logistics and
allow you to regularly
tend to gardens, orchards, and livestock. It will also remove the stress of
timing a "Get Out of Dodge" trip at the11th hour.
If circumstances dictate that you can't live at your retreat year round, then
at least have
a caretaker and stock the vast majority of your logistics in advance, since
you may only have one trip there before roads are impassable.
Exploit Force Multipliers. Night vision gear, intrusion
detection sensors, and radio communications equipment are key force
multipliers. Because
these use high technology they cannot be depended upon in a long term collapse,
but in the short term, they can provide a big advantage. Some low technologies
like barbed wire and defensive road cables also provide advantages and can
last for several decades.
Invest Your Sweat Equity. Even if some of
you have a millionaire's budget, you need to learn how to do things for yourself,
and
be willing to get your hands dirty. In a societal collapse, the division of
labor will be reduced tremendously. Odds are that the only "skilled craftsmen" available
to build a shed, mend a fence, shuck corn, repair an engine, or pitch manure
will be you.and
your family. A byproduct of sweat equity is muscle tone and proper body weight.
Hiring someone to deliver three cords of firewood is a far cry from
felling, cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking it yourself.
Choose Your Friends Wisely. Associate yourself with skilled
doers, not "talkers." Seek out people that share your
outlook and morality. Living in close confines with other families is sure
to cause friction but that will be minimized if you share a common religion
and norms of behavior.You can't learn every skill yourself. Assemble a team
that
includes members with medical knowledge, tactical skills, electronics experience,
and traditional practical skills.
There is No Substitute for Mass. Mass stops bullets. Mass
stops gamma radiation. Mass stops (or at least slows down ) bad guys from entering
a home and depriving its residents of life and property. Sandbags are cheap,
so buy plenty of them. When planning your retreat house, think: medieval
castle.
(See the SurvivalBlog Archives for the many articles and letters on Retreat
Architecture.)
Always Have a Plan B and a Plan C. Regardless of your pet
scenario and your personal grand plan of survival, you need to be flexible
and adaptable. Situations and circumstances change. Always keep a G.O.O.D. kit
handy, even if you are fortunate enough to live at your retreat year-round.
Be Frugal. I grew up in a family that still remembered both
our pioneer history and the more recent lessons of the Great Depression. One
of our family mottos is: "Use
it up, wear it out, make do, or do without."
Some Things are Worth Fighting For. I encourage my readers
to avoid trouble, most importantly via relocation to safe areas where trouble
is unlikely to come to visit. But there may come an unavoidable day that you
have
to
make a stand to defend your own family or your neighbors. Further, if you value
your liberty, then be prepared to fight for it, both for yourself and for
the sake
of
your progeny.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Food Riots in Haiti »
Letter Re: The Survivor Mindset
Dear Mr. Rawles;
I love the SurvivalBlog. It is fun and interesting, yet it is even more, it
is educational! I believe that a lot of people are over looking the biggest
part
of the equation
when it comes to survival. It is mindset. When going thru [US Army] Ranger
school I knew from the start there was no way I was going to quit. I had the
mindset
they
could “DQ” [(disqualify)] me and send me packing but I was not
quitting. In a true survival setting one has to know in his heart and
mind he is going
try
to make it at all cost.
I am a Christian, a true believer of God’s saving
grace, yet when the Schumer hits
the fan I am going to survive or die trying. I think a lot of people need to
re-evaluate their thinking about a time of
total collapse. At that point, you will have to become good spirited yet know
and believe that you will do what it takes to survive. There are going to be
cold nights, days of being in the rain watching your home, and sweating because
there is no air conditioning. You can provide charity and help to people you
truly trust. I know that sounds selfish but it isn’t. If you start to
give food and other goods away [to strangers] you become a target and the thieves
will come! If you decide to take them to a church then someone at that church
is
going
to know you had it and again you will become a target. When people become desperate
they will do anything. I hope folks realize that when these times come, a trip
to town will be a heart attack event, because driving or walking down a road
and not having proper recon is a nightmare waiting to happen.
Another issue I would like to make is bugging out. If you think you are going
to bug out after the Schumer hits the fan, then you are full of Schumer!
When it hits, there is going to be widespread panic and martial law will follow.
Therefore
moving is going to be a major problem. I think if you are concerned enough
now to have a retreat, then move to it now. I live in semi-rural
North Carolina and I would love to be in Montana but it ain’t happening!
Therefore my family has decided to square ourselves away and hunker down in
place. People
need to realize that they don’t want to be a refugee! That can not be
stated loud and hard enough. Most people would take two or three days to really
be ready to leave home, if they could do it that quickly. In two or three days
a lot can happen! The roads would be clogged, fuel inventories depleted, grocery
stores barren, and then the nightmare of trying to avoid the military and police
enforcing the martial law rules. You would be either stuck at home or out in
the open with no where to go. I am totally serious, either go now or prepare
to stay in place.
Be physically and mentally tough. The hard times will be like nothing you can
imagine unless you have been to a warring third world country. In those times
everything will matter, you will see the strong survive and the rest dwindle
away. With My Best Regards, - A.F. in North Carolina
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Getting from Point A to Point B, by E.I.D.
You’ve got your Bug Out Bags (BOBs) all packed. You’ve prepped
your house for
whatever reason you’re leaving. You’ve made contact with what family
you could, and you trust the rest to meet you at your designated meeting place,
whether it’s your retreat or just a spot along the way where your two paths
converge. Everything is set. Or is it? Points A and B are ready, but how do you
plan to make the trek between them?
Walking is always an option, but probably a last resort. Most people aren’t
in good enough shape to walk ten miles, let alone 100 and over the course of
a few days. Cramps and blisters become unbearable, and joints seize up. Adverse
weather, whether hot or cold, can become lethal. Other humans (travelers, police,
military) can be dangers, and so can feral and wild animals. Not to mention,
you can only bring what you can carry. Walk if you must, but don’t let
it be plan A. In fact, keep it at plan D or further.
A bike is a good option, but again, requires some level of fitness. Bikes can
be fitted with cargo containers on the front and back (as well as new packs that
strap to the frame), and thus allow you to carry more than you could on foot.
However, a bike presents a new group of possible problems that must be addressed,
and therefore you should always attach the following to your bike frame or in
an attached pack or basket: a tire pump (foot pumps are best as they are smaller),
a tire patch-kit, a small can of leak-stop, and tools to reset the chain should
it pop loose. Reflectors and a headlight for your bike is a must for night-riding,
and some are available that are powered by your pedaling, much like a hand-cranked
flashlight. Otherwise, pack extra batteries. There are solid foam rubber inner
tubes that will eliminate your need for a patch kit, but there are many mixed
reviews on these tubes, because they tend to also decrease energy efficiency.
A mountain bike will allow you to ride off-road should the need arise, but again,
you lose energy efficiency over a road bike. If you’re in excellent shape,
efficiency might not be as big an issue for you – likewise if you’re
not too far from your retreat. Take all this into consideration. A bike with
multiple gears is better for energy efficiency, but it also presents more moving
parts which can break along the way. To maximize your chances of making it on
a bike, fitting your bike with a small gasoline powered engine is best.
These small gasoline engines turn your bike into a virtual moped. You get up
to speed by pedaling and then engage the engine. These engines can get up to
250 miles per gallon going 25 mph on flat road. Unfortunately, they may only
hold a gallon of gas. However, you can easily fit a 2 gallon jerry can (or jug,
if you’re in a hurry) of gasoline in the back basket of your bike, and
refill along the way, if your destination is further than 250 miles. You might
say “motorcycles get good miles per gallon too” and you would be
right, but they also require a lot more investment and maintenance than a bike,
and aren’t as easily strapped to the back of a larger vehicle. If you’re
considering buying one, ask yourself “Do I want a motorcycle because it’s
a practical form of transportation, or because I think its cool?” I would
ask you to reconsider and look into a newer-model moped. They can go fast enough
for practical purposes, get great miles per gallon, and if they break down, they
simply turn into a bicycle! I call that insurance. Unlike a motorcycle, you can
carry
a moped across otherwise impassable obstacles (such as streams or deep
mud),
and
if you crash, you don’t have to worry about it crushing you. Mopeds get
100-150 miles per gallon, and most only hold a gallon of gas. Is your bug-out
site 100 to 150 miles away? If not, can you easily and safely carry enough gas
to make up the difference? If not, how far will you be pedaling the moped after
it runs out, and on what kind of terrain? You can always pedal in the straight-aways
and down-hills, saving your gas for the difficult stretches, but this is still
not your best option, obviously. Ideally, you want an automobile.
An automobile is something you don’t want to be without in a bug-out scenario,
if you can help it. Most of us have vehicles, but not every vehicle is created
equal. However, I’m not going to discuss what vehicles are the best, because
not many of you are going to go out and buy a new vehicle to prepare for an arguably
improbable contingency, and anyway, plenty of good articles already exist on
the subject of bug-out vehicles. Any vehicle is better than no vehicle, but there
are things you can do to your existing vehicle
to make it not
only
better
prepared
for bugging out, but also better prepared for everyday life.
First, how many miles per gallon does your car/truck get? What size is the fuel
tank? Multiply your MPG by the size of your tank, and that’s how far you’re
going to get before your car becomes nothing more than a metal tent. For example,
my car gets 24 MPG on average, and I have a 15 gallon tank. That means I can
probably drive about 360 miles, but that’s going to vary depending on weather,
wind, temperature, terrain and even how much I’ve packed. I recently spent
a minor amount of money on a tune-up, lube, tire-rotation, and a few small items
that improve my vehicle’s MPG. These included a fuel magnetizer, a performance
chip, and an air-intake insert. Each item is supposed to improve MPG by about
2, but in reality, they might raise my MPG to 25 or 26. Still that would extend
my viable mileage to roughly 390 miles. That’s an extra 30 miles on the
same tank of gas, and that’s nothing to scoff at! Don’t you think
that’s worth it? [JWR Adds: Magnetic "fuel economy" devices have been tested extensively by Popular Science magazine (and others), and have been proven to have no effectiveness. Don't bother.] In the meantime, with rising fuel prices, you’ll
be saving gas and money… so why wouldn’t you invest in these things?
There is more I can do, as well, including getting a better air filter, keeping
my tires at the correct pressure, using a fuel-additive, keeping my tires aligned,
and practicing my “light-foot” driving, meaning attempting to keep
my RPMs
at a low constant while driving. There are probably body modifications that will
improve airflow, and replacement parts that will perform more efficiently
than the stock parts currently under my hood. All of these are sound investments
during the current fuel crisis, even if you never have to bug out. Perhaps a
more automotively informed reader can compile a list of these parts and modifications – I,
on the other hand, will merely encourage you to seek them out and invest in them.
However, we are assuming that gas stations will either sell-out, close, or be
so inundated with customers after a crisis that you’ll have to rely on
a single tank of gas. If you don’t think this is realistic, just look back
at what happened on 9-11. People sprinted to the pumps so fast that many stations
ran out, had lines around the block, or, in the case of a certain establishment
in my home town, raised prices 300% and illegally reaped the benefits of the
panic. If that happens, and you’ve only got a quarter tank, it doesn’t
matter what your MPG is, as you’re only going to be able to go 1/2 of your
total distance. You can avoid this by filling up your tank more often. You’ll
pay the same amount, but in smaller portions and more often. Try filling up every
time you get to half a tank, and then eventually every time you get down to 3/4
of a tank. You may find that you prefer it, as it doesn’t feel like you’re
just dropping fifty bucks into your fuel-tank. You’ll also rest easy knowing
you can easily drive nearly your vehicle's full range at a moment’s notice.
If you have a gas can at home for fueling the mower, keep it full as well. Fill
it every time you see gas prices drop, and tell yourself you’re just saving
money by stocking up while the prices are low. If you suddenly have to leave,
you can use rope or bungee cables to strap the gas can to the luggage rack atop
your car, or throw it in the bed of your truck. Try to avoid putting it inside
the car with you, as this is very dangerous on many levels, but if you have
to,
you can put it in the trunk as a last resort. Be sure to open the trunk every
so often to allow any possible fumes to dissipate (or open the windows if you
keep it inside the cab), and pour it into the main tank as soon as the tank will
take it, rather than waiting until you run out.
What about the other problems
that are possible with an automobile? In order to build a list of priorities,
first ask yourself “What could happen to
my car that would make it impossible for me to drive it?” Then, go down
the list and say “Which of these things has ever happened to me? Which
have happened to people I know? Which are probable? Which can I possibly prepare
for and fix on the road?” For example, you simply can’t prepare
for total engine failure, brake failure, transmission failure, a broken axel,
etc… unless
you perceive these as likely problems with your specific automobile, in which
case you should get them fixed before an emergency occurs, because problems
like this are next to impossible to fix in the field (for an average Joe like
me,
anyway).
What
common problems can you prepare for? Easy ones include: flat tires, blown
fuses, low fluids, dead battery, burned out lights, leaky hoses and low fuel
(which we’ve already discussed).
Preparing for these problems will allow you to save yourself from the hassle
and cost of towing your vehicle, and possibly even the cost of taking it to
a mechanic, depending on the severity of the problem and the quality of your
repair.
Obviously, some problems will have to be addressed by a mechanic, but a quick
fix on your part can get you out of a sticky situation. For example, if you
break down on a small highway outside a small town and there aren’t any mechanics
open on Sunday, then you’re faced with either paying a huge towing fee,
or spending the night in said small town until the next day, at which time the
mechanic will surely overcharge you because you’re a know-nothing townie
who’ll never be back that way again. It’s not like you’ll have
many options at that point.
To begin, ascertain the current qualities of your car regarding its current
equipment and space for additional storage of emergency supplies. Does your
car have a
spare tire? Is it a full size tire or a donut? If at all possible, you should
have a full size spare. Next time you get your tires replaced, have the one
in best condition placed in your trunk as your spare, or purchase a cheap refurbished
tire for the same purpose. Give the donut to the mechanic for a discount. A
full
sized spare will allow you to carry on as before after changing a flat, unlike
a donut which will require you to drive slowly and avoid adverse terrain. If
you can’t fit a full sized spare in your car, then consider repairing the
flat with a patch kit. A patch/plug kit is cheap, easy to use, but will also
require the purchase of a tire pump. Small electric pumps can be purchased that
will plug into your cigarette lighter and take up very little space. If you don’t
like to rely on your car battery, you can get chargeable emergency-starter/air-compressor
combo units that work great, or you can simply pack a bicycle foot pump (yes,
it will take a while to fill a car tire with it, but that’s what they did
in the old days, and you’ll do what you have to do when the need arises). “Where
should I keep all this stuff!?” you ask.
Does your car have extra cargo storage in the spare tire compartment, in or
around the spare? Are there other side compartments in the trunk? Drivers of
trucks
won’t need to worry about this, and should merely get a metal truck-toolbox,
plastic toolbox, or cargo box to store their supplies in. If you don’t
have storage space, a smaller cargo box can also be purchased (or built) to fit
in your trunk. I would suggest including the following in that box:
1. Non-electronic tire gauge
2. Extra fuses
3. Roll of duct tape for securing a cracked window or fixing a leaky hose (or
a million other things)
4. Hand crank LED flashlight
(or standard bright light and extra lithium batteries)
5. Jumper cables
6. Tire plug/patch kit
7. Small electric air compressor, or a foot-pump, if you’re a hoss
8. A couple extra head/tail light bulbs
9. Small bottles of replacement fluids (oil, coolant, power-steering fluid
with leak-stop, transmission fluid)
10. A couple of rags
11. Lock de-icer (which does you no good if you leave it in the car during
a freeze. If you suspect cold weather and a possible freeze, keep it outside
the
car.
12. Some strong rope. How much? Enough to tie your trunk down, tie something
to the luggage rack, or tie to the car to pull and dislodge it if stuck.
13. A fuel siphon hose and pump (inertial pumps are cheap and work well)
14. Bungee cords
If there’s room, you could also put your car-BOB in this box. You should
also keep the following in the glove box: an electronic tire gauge, a small
flashlight, an ice scraper, and a solid multi-tool with a knife blade. The
pliers-style multi-tools
are best, as they can be used to break out the car windows in an emergency.
Just grip the pliers’ handles together, holding them upside down, and
smash the nose end of the pliers against the window with a hammer-fist motion.
The
localized force should make short work of the window, though repeated blows
in the same spot might be necessary.
Everyone should also keep wet-naps and napkins in their glove-box, as they’re
not only useful for everyday cleaning, but also for limited first aid applications:
clean the wound with a wet-nap, cover it with a few tightly folded napkins,
and hold this down with some duct tape from the trunk. I also suggest that
everyone
put a magnetic key-box under their car with a spare key in it, because your
fancy keyless entry is worthless when its attached to your keychain…and
you lose your keys or lock them in your car. Don’t put the magnetic key-box
in an easily visible and accessible spot where any Joe can look under
your car
and see it, but in a safe, inconspicuous spot such as on the top surface of
an exposed portion of the frame or any metal component, between the gas tank
and
gas tank shield (if your car has one), or under/behind a bumper. If Joe is
looking for a key-stash, he’s likely moving quickly. He’s going
to look under many cars, quickly, until he finds an easy target, or a car with
an easily seen
and easily accessible key-box.
There are a few optional tools you might consider to further your preparedness,
the most logical and pragmatic of which is the battery jump-starter. They aren’t
cheap, but they aren’t expensive either, and depending on the environment
and circumstances in which your battery dies, you may either not see another
passerby or you may not want to see another passerby. A dead battery is one
of those problems that require a second, working battery in order to give it
life.
In place of a second, running vehicle driven by a stranger, you can purchase
a battery jump-starter. Most will simply plug into your cigarette lighter or
home wall socket until charged, and in the event of a dead battery, will jumpstart
the car. Most also have sockets to run electrical appliances for a short time,
such as your electric tire compressor, if your car’s electrical systems
fail. In older cars, this is no big deal, as the car will still run with a
dead battery or bad wiring (as long as you can jump-start it). I once had a
car in
which the electrical systems fried while I was driving. Everything electrical
shut off, and smoke poured out of the dash and from under the hood. However,
the car was already running, and I easily drove it across town to the mechanic
(with the windows down). In newer cars, where the engine and electrical systems
are interdependent, an electrical failure could mean that your car isn’t
going anywhere. Many of the higher-end battery jump-starters actually have
air-compressors, lanterns, and even radios built right in. That way, you can
save money and cargo
space by consolidating.
Another practical device to have on hand is a handheld CB radio. I have one
that fits into a box about the size of a bible and plugs into the cigarette
lighter.
There’s a magnetic antenna that you put up on the roof, and then you’ve
got instant communication. This is a good option for maintaining communication
while traveling with other cars in case your cell phone either loses service
or runs out of power. I’ve personally used it during a traffic jam to
listen in on the truckers as they informed one another on the situation. It
can also
be used to ask other unknown drivers for directions, stop suggestions, and
even to call for help in the event of an emergency. It’s also good, in
addition to the poncho and cold weather gear undoubtedly already in your BOB,
to keep
a good pair of athletic shoes in the car. If you are forced out on your bike
or on foot, you don’t want to be stuck wearing the dress shoes you had
on at work when you were forced to flee.
So, what’s the best practical option for bugging out? Max out your vehicle’s
MPG, equip it with a BOB and an emergency box, buy a bike rack for the back
of your vehicle, buy a good bike and equip it with cargo baskets, an emergency
repair pack and a small gasoline moped-motor, buy a large gas can and a small
gas can and keep them full in your tool shed. Ride the bike when running short
errands to stay in shape. Use the moped motor on your bike to run medium range
errands, pedal when you can to stay in shape, and bring the groceries home
in the cargo baskets. Drive your car on long errands and save money because
you
maxed out the MPG. Put your bike on your vehicle’s bike rack and take
it with you on long trips; ride your bike around the downtown area of wherever
you’re
going, or perhaps just from the hotel to the nearby restaurant. Save Gas. Stay
in shape. Have fun. Can you argue with any of that? Can you!?
Boom. The Schumer hits the fan. You’ve got to get outta town. No problem,
your gas tank is 1/2 full. You top it off with your large gas can, and put
the remainder in your bike’s moped-motor. You attach the bike to the
bike-rack and bungee the small gas can into its cargo basket. You load up and
you’re
on your way. You have a flat outside of town. No problem, you change the tire
and you’re on your way… or you would be, but the car won’t
start. No problem, you use your battery jump-starter and you’re on your
way. You have another flat. Son of a… no problem, you patch the hole
with your patch kit, air up the tire with your small electric compressor, and
you’re
on your way. The car starts to overheat. No problem, you refill the coolant,
turn on the heater, open the windows and you’re on your way. You stop
make a quick stop the urinate by the roadside…oh wait, you locked your
keys in your car. No problem, you’ve got a spare hidden under the back
bumper, and you’re on your way. You’re getting pretty low on gas,
so you go ahead and pour your small gas can into the car’s tank. A while
later, you’re getting low again, but before you can do anything about
it, you look up from the gas gauge in time to see a sedan stalled in the middle
of the
road. Too late.
You smash into it, totaling your car. You have a gash on your left arm from
the window, but otherwise, you’re okay. The seatbelt won’t unbuckle,
so you get your multi-tool from the glove box and cut it. You also bandage
the gash on your arm with napkins and duct tape. You can do a better job later
with
the med-kit in your BOB. The car’s power is still on, so you plug
in your CB and
check all channels. Nothing. No problem, you top off the charge of
your battery jump-starter using the car’s battery, and load it and your
CB into the cargo basket of your bike. You use your hose and pump to siphon
the fuel from your car into the small gas can. You try to do the same to the
sedan,
but it’s got a valve in the fuel intake preventing you from doing so.
No problem, you check to make sure the sedan’s engine is cool, and then
use your knife and cut the fuel line. Being careful to avoid the initial spray,
you
drain what you can into the small gas can, and bungee it into your bike’s
other cargo basket. You plug your CB into the jump-starter and set it on scan.
You strap your BOB onto your back [or mo-ped cargo rack] and your athletic
shoes on your feet, and start pedaling down the road, saving the motor for
when you
get tired.
Eventually, you do get tired, and you ride a few hours on the motor. A day
or so later, and you’re out of gas. Luckily, you can still siphon fuel from
any abandoned vehicles you find, or walk the bike up the hills and then jump
on and coast down the other side. Eventually, you make it to your destination.
No, obviously not all of these problems would occur in such rapid succession.
Maybe none of them would, or perhaps one or two… or maybe more. This
story illustrates, however, how a little planning can prepare you for any combination
of likely problems that stand between you and your destination. You never know
when a problem will occur or and what problem it will be, and spending a little
money now on things that will benefit you regardless in the meantime
will save you from uttering the following words in a real emergency: “Aw
crud… if
only I had…”
« Letter Re: Advice on the Most Versatile Bicycle for Schumeresque Scenarios |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Your Vehicle and TEOTWAWKI, by TD
I have seen some (sort of) like minded people who are actually driving around
in brand new vehicles. This would not be so bad if they were even in the least
bit mechanically inclined, but they’re not. So on top of, they can’t
fix it themselves, they haven’t even begun to buy the extras they will
need when the SHTF. I
honestly think that if you can’t lift the hood
of your car and name at least ten components, you are in over your head.
The first thing I learned was get a Chilton's Manual for your
year, make and model vehicle. Open it and look at it, take the time to actually
read it. If your vehicle requires you to disconnect the transmission or pull
the motor to give it a tune up, then you need to get a lot more than basic
tools and spend at least three times the amount for parts that you would have
to on an older vehicle.
On newer cars if you don’t maintain them, they will run badly or not
at all (newer cars sensors or a clogged catalytic converter). Carburetors are
easier to rebuild and repair then fuel injection units, shocks and struts are
much easier in older cars and trucks, there is no fuel relay in older vehicles
Those built before the mid-1970s have no computer on board and have little
or no emissions control equipment, the list goes on.
I had brought up in an earlier submission the fact most people can barely
check their oil in their cars and I think that this topic needs more. Your
car isn’t
going to run forever, it will not even make it a few months after TEOTWAWKI if it’s a newer vehicle and you have no clue. Minor problems turn into
major repairs when people don’t know enough to even notice early warnings.
I drive nothing new, I prefer 1970s models (or older) to anything else on the
road. Why you ask? Well first off, get into an accident in an older vehicle
you see less damage to an older one than in a newer one. Newer cars and trucks
are made differently. Some [have body panels that] are made of a plastic that
will pop back out after an accident. Not bad right? Well not bad if the frame
isn’t
damaged, if it is then oh well, it gets repaired and the frame is usually weakened
at
that spot. With some cars and trucks the motor will drop and go under the car
in a collision, then you need a new one and the body (they are made that way
so
you don’t end up with the motor in your lap) is still damaged. Older
cars handle the abuse better and are more tolerant of missed oil changes and
tune ups.
To set things up for your newer vehicle, just go to the dealer or a parts place
and ask them for prices on: oil filters, O2 and other sensors, fuel filters
(and how many your car has), starter, alternator, belts, hoses, distributor
cap, wires, plugs, rotor and tranny filter, for starters. Then go ask your
mechanic how many billable hours each of those items takes to replace (some
will take about 1/3 of the time, others will take every minute of it). Then
look at your Chilton’s Manual and see just what a pain it’s going
to be and what specialty tools you need to buy. If your car needs the transmission
unhooked while you work on some of this, then you need a tranny jack. Instead
of a lift you may be able to use ramps, but be prepared it could even call
for the use of a hoist.
Unless you have a fully stocked and capable garage at your retreat and you’re
a mechanic, you need to buy an older vehicle. An older usable vehicle can cost
as little as $500 and as much as $15,000. It really depends on what will suit
your needs. A $500 dollar vehicle is going to need some work and the $15,000
one is asking people to look closer at you. Nondescript is what you need, something
that will cause no one to notice you at all, not now or later.
Is there a certain type of vehicle in your area that seems more available?
If there is then I would look at that one, because you will have the chance
to buy parts and whole vehicles cheap. One of the vehicles I had as a kid I
wish there was more of them still around, the Subaru Brat, cheap, easy, go
anywhere and hard to kill, they are hard to find cheap now. Look at the local
junk yards and see is they have parts for older vehicles (some only carry newer
parts), that may be the biggest problem for some vehicles is the lack of good
used parts. Call your local car and truck clubs there is no better way to get
good deals on parts than from a member. Look in back yards as you go driving,
you never know what you’ll see.
Once you decide on your retreat vehicle you should try to acquire: a parts
car/truck, motor and tranny, rear and front ends, gears for them, heads and
head gaskets, radiators, carbs, starters, alternators, rebuild kits, tune up
parts, wheel bearings, calipers, brake lines, tire repair kit, extra rims and
tires, valve stems, distributor shaft and bearings, soldering iron, solder,
good hand tools, block and tackle or hoist, ramps, floor jack, line bender,
breaker bar, air compressor or hand pump, multi meter and a few larger than
normal sockets. Also if you need specialty tools get them now and learn how
to use them. [JWR Adds: Most newer vehicles have electronic
ignitions, but some of them can be retrofitted to a traditional coil and rotor.
Ask your mechanic.]
Get your whole group out there and teach them the basics. If the person who
does the major repairs is the only one that knows anything about the vehicles,
what happens if they are not right there? As a woman, if I break down on the
side of some road and can’t fix my vehicle quickly and on my own the
next person who stops could be the wrong one and most states will not allow
the police to help in any way except to call a tow truck. I have had to change
tires, fix my headlights, run a rope from my throttle arm in through my window,
drive on a rim, push my car after the drive shaft let go and sit on the radiator
support to try to adjust the distributor after the bearings went bad, hold
the shifter together after the bolt snapped (standard) and I can usually find
a way to get me car home.
Even now I see people drive around unprepared for even the smallest emergency.
Make sure that your car has: a medical bag, road flares, small [explosion proof]
gas can, spare tire, jack and four-way lug wrench, flashlight, utility knife,
chain,
jumper cables, non-perishable snacks, water and some sort of weapon. Most states
will not allow you to carry a loaded gun, so get a huge Maglite that can double
as a weapon or keep a tire iron handy. The way things are today it is better
to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Your Vehicle and TEOTWAWKI, by TD »
Letter Re: Advice on the Most Versatile Bicycle for Schumeresque Scenarios
Mr. Rawles,
I need to snag bikes for my wife and myself. We are both young and relatively
fit, but we live in [Washington,] DC and take [the] metro [subway system]
everywhere. We [presently] don't have bikes, and I have
no knowledge about them. The [SurvivalBlog] section on guns was helpful,
I was wondering if y'all had something on the most versatile bikes, by price
point.
Thanks.
- Jordan H.
JWR Replies: These days, I generally recommend folding
bicycles.
Prices have come down substantially, so they are not much more expensive than
standard bicycles.They are also just a s robust as most mountain bikes. The
latest generation of folding bikes are quit versatile. When folded, they
can fit
in an apartment
closet,
or
in
the trunk
of a car.And,
depending on your local laws, when folded they can also be carried onboard
most trains
and busses. (Using an opaque carrying case seems to remove most objections.)
The Montague
Paratrooper bike is an excellent choice.
For Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) purposes, you
might want to get panniers and perhaps cargo trailers for both bikes. Detachable
pannier bags can be kept pre-packed as G.O.O.D. kits, and clipped on very quickly.
« Letter Re: Silver Coins Holding Their Own Against Inflation |Main| Note from JWR: »
Camping Trips as Training for WTSHTF, by DPM
In the times that may soon be upon us, we may need to live
in a way we are not accustomed to or prepared for. I suggest camping as a method
of acclimatization to those circumstances. My brother and I are avid campers.
Usually getting up to higher elevations, at
least 25 times a year. These are often not just overnighters but from two days
to up to a week. My personal best year was 32 camping trips from mid February
to as late as
November,
including a full week as a vacation. I have gotten too much sun on Saturday
and snowed on, on Sunday of the same weekend. I have seen weekends when it
rained the entire time, which limited some activities, to temps that were higher
than average or expected. We reside in a desert valley, so I am conditioned
to it.
On each of these occasions, I have been prepared with what I brought along.
On several occasions we have invited friends, stating beforehand that they
need to be prepared and put some thought into what they might need. It never
fails that someone doesn't bring something that they needed. This was the case
one very rainy weekend, when my brother and I fashioned ponchos out of large
trash bags
that
I always have in my pack and in my truck. They can be used for a multitude
of purposes, including (among others) caching water, distilling, as slings,
for shelter and the aforementioned ponchos. Live and learn. I hope it was
a learning experience
for
my friends.
Although
neither
has asked to come along again.
We do what I call vehicle camping, meaning we carry and have everything we
need in our vehicles.
My vehicle is a 1981 Bronco, and my brother's
vehicle is a 1989 Bronco II . Both have V-6 engines and have manual transmissions.
The vehicles are used as the base for our camp, sleeping, hygiene, cooking
and
entertainment
centers. The only thing we don't use our vehicles for is sanitation. We set
this up away from camp and always dispose of waste properly.
I have everything [needed for camping] in my vehicle at all times and is not
excessive. It includes tools, camp equipment, some recovery equipment that
doubles as camp
tools and
some spare parts. The spar parts includes a spare battery that also provides
the juice for watching television on
Saturday night. (Hey, you have to have something to do when the sun goes down.)
With practice and trial and error you will decide what you need, what you
don’t and what is excess weight. It is all packed and squared away safely
and is easy to get out and repack. I try to always have the gas tank and propane
as full as possible, and my vehicle stocked with food and water, and for the
most part is ready to go at all times.
We use the excuse to camp to actually practice living in situations when you
may not have all the conveniences of home. We especially use the chance to
practice our skills. You would be surprised how difficult it can be to start
and maintain a fire in inclement weather. Not to mention
that you have to find wood , drag it back to camp and chop it. I don’t
mean with a chainsaw, I mean chop it into reasonable size logs for the fire,
with an axe. Enough to maintain a fire for your stay (fire cautions notwithstanding)
, may it be week or a month or longer. Whether it is for ambience, cooking
or to heat water for those dirty dishes and for washing oneself. You also
get to appreciate how they used to do it. Too big a fire and you consume too
much wood, not stoked enough and it goes out, requiring extra effort to restart
it. As an aside, I have completely covered my fire with dirt and returned five
days later and used the coals underneath to restart my fire.
As well as having fun, we incorporate some skill building into our outings.
My brother and I will pick features from the map and navigate to and from them
using the map and compass. In the beginning , I will admit having to break
out the GPS to return to camp. But it was a learning experience, and has not
been used since. During these day hikes, we take our day packs with water and
the other 10 essentials, as well as other items that might be needed just in
case. And of course a weapon.
During these hikes , you will find out about your physical condition, if your
boots will hold up and how important the right pair of socks can be. In hiking
in the snow, you can see if your boots are really water resistant or waterproof
and how important keeping your feet warm and dry is. Also you will find out
how difficult it is to hike in snow at altitude. How to dress in layers and
learn to pace yourself to prevent perspiring, which can have detrimental effects
if allowed to cool and you are not at your destination.
On other occasions we have practiced camouflage and concealment, and built
lean tos, using the features found around us, rocks branches, crevices and
ravines,
depending on weather outlook.
While on hikes we observe and take note of natural features, wildlife, practice
tracking, finding small game, finding water sources and identifying plants.
On other occasions have hunted small game, which is in season. On a couple
of occasions , we have even played an “adult “version of hide and
seek Something , a couple of friends didn’t entirely understand. The
purpose was to learn to track and locate and observe others, while avoiding
detection. It might come in handy.
If the hunting of small game was successful, we have cleaned and prepared the
animal for consumption, when returning to camp.
Rabbits, squirrels and birds all require different preparation, with some
similarities. Knowing how to dress and prepare game is a very useful skill.
It is something I have done frequently. In all of these outings, we have never
gotten ill or sick from these activities. Camp sanitation is a mandatory practice.
During your outings, you will get to know your equipment , how to keep the
knives and axes and hatchets sharp, how lanterns and stoves work and light,
which is why I now use propane . Nothing is more frustrating than trying to
work with an uncooperative kerosene stove or lantern, which has led to a new
game, “the camp equipment toss” which is an accumulation of points
for height and distance. All in fun, we retrieve the discarded item and dispose
of it properly. But the underlying theme is to know that your equipment works,
and what can go wrong. Just have a backup plan, remember the fire?
In all of our outings we have practiced maintaining a sanitary camp, such as
digging a waste pit, washing up after “going for a walk” after
breakfast. Washing dishes in hot water. Using caution when preparing small
game or cooking, to prevent cross contamination. Discarding of trash in bags
brought with us, I don’t like burning trash, but in an extended stay
or emergency , I would . We have never gotten ill or spread anything despite
of our primitive conditions.
We also practice safety, being careful while using and sharpening knives, axes
and even can openers, a cut can easily get infected in primitive conditions.
Other things such as keeping the camp uncluttered, not consuming to much alcohol
and watching where you step at night, past the illumination of the camp lantern.
For the most part , we sleep in our vehicles, even having the comfort of an
air mattress and a 0 degree [Fahrenheit] sleeping bag. It cuts down on having
to carry around the weight of a tent.
I have a system of tarps and bungees which I fasten over my truck for sealing
up at night. One for closing up the rear of the vehicle and one for making
a canopy with a couple of discarded three-section poles from another canopy,
and rope & stakes. This keeps me and the kitchen area out of the elements,
and
has been tested in the wind and rain with success.
I have camped at 9,000 feet and as low as 4,000 feet elevation. I am prepared
for and have dealt with many weather conditions. We mostly stay at higher elevations
in the summer and lower elevations in the winter depending on road closures
and access.
It is always an enjoyable experience and makes us really appreciate the amenities
of running water, electricity, and of course flushing toilets. For the most
part , these trips are for pleasure, but have also been preparation and training
courses. Each time , we learn something new or brush up on existing knowledge
and skills.
There was also an occasion recently when a transformer in a local substation
let go and placed the neighborhood in darkness. You could see the occasional
flashlight bouncing around as neighbors checked to see what happened, but I
went to my truck and broke out the camping lantern and lit up the whole back
yard and patio. It was a pleasant evening and I was on the patio anyway.
I am sure I did not touch on some activities that others would deem necessary,
just what I have done on past outings. The important thing is to have fun and
enjoy the outdoors and use it as preparation and familiarization with conditions
you will encounter in most places outside the city lights, and possibly conditions
likely to happen if TSHTF.
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Letter Re: Surplus Ambulances as BOVs
Mr. Rawles
I am a long time lurker on your site and would first like to thank you for
all you do. I learn much from your site and finally read a topic I have some
knowledge of. I operate a large ambulance service (75 units) and read the
article about using ambulances as BOVs. I thought I might make a few observations.
It is true that the truck type ambulance have factory 4WD. However the majority
of van type units have good aftermarket conversions. Most are done by Quimby.
In fact I would only purchase a van type 4x4 from them. One down side to the
truck type unit is that rescue squads are notorious for building a unit well
above GVW. This causes all sorts of brake and suspension problems in the long
term.
As for durability you may be surprised but the van type units have a longer
service life as well as a lower cost of operation. They are usually lighter
and have far more payload than the truck type. One big concern of a truck type
ambulance is that the module is designed for remount. Now from a factory they
are built well but at remount time all bets are off. They can truly be done
by a shade tree mechanic and the electrical problems can be a nightmare. The
van units will almost always come with the factory wiring and since they are
all one unit the cabinets and structure seem to hold up better.
Excluding 4WD units, if I was getting one as a BOV, I would consider a van
type Ford E350 built between 1990 and 1994 with the non-direct inject, non
turbo engine. These
units can easily go 400,000 plus miles. Consider keeping [one or more]
glow plugs, a fuel pump, an extra set of injectors, and a crank position sensor
as
spare
parts.
These
units are small, durable and easy-to-maneuver vehicles that handle well get
acceptable mileage and are easy to obtain parts for.
One other thing to consider. How to paint the unit. In a true pre-TEOTWAWKI
Get Out of Dodge situation having a vehicle that can appear similar to an
emergency vehicle may not be a bad thing. With a van unit you could even have
a magnetic
sign
with some sort of logo that could be added and removed at will. I can tell
you an ambulance is rarely stopped or harassed. It is not unusual for them
to go long distances and both LEOs and
the public see out-of-area units all the time so it does not arouse a lot of
suspicion. Of course you would have
to
check state and local laws.
Hope this gives some insight into ambulances. It is true they can often be
found at low prices with low mileage and could make a great BOV, if selected
carefully. - RB
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Letter Re: Surplus Ambulances as BOVs
Dear Mr. Rawles,
Perhaps an overlooked, but wonderful option for a BOV is
an ambulance. You can often find used ambulances on eBay or at [fleet dispersal]
auctions. They
often have fairly low miles, have been well maintained and are most often
diesel.
They
come with
lots of storage compartments and equipment built in, as well most have propane
fuel systems, generators, inverters etc. There is usually at least one "bed" in
them as well. The outside storage compartments are often ready to go for the
prepper as they are often diamond plate on the interior and have webbing for
securing items in place. They are easily "hardened" and easy to drive.
It is easy to remove the outer lights and replace them with other more TEOTWAWKI appropriate
choices. You will of course want to have it painted....LOL.
We have taken our lovely BOV to the ATV park
here and put it through some serious tests. I personally love the looks I received
when driving a muddy ambulance
(pre-paint job)....but like most prepper wives I am not your average soccer
mom. It has some disadvantages as it is a pretty heavy beast, but I feel very
confident in its capabilities. We also have a 4x4 Durango that we are currently
working on for a second BOV. However, the ambulance is by far and away our
favorite. - Prepper Mom in Washington
JWR Replies: When shopping for a surplused vehicle such as
an ambulance at auction, look for one that is built on a pickup truck frame
rather than a cargo van frame. Not only are they more sturdy, but the chances
are much better that you will find one that came from the factory with
a front differential to provide four wheel drive (4WD).
(I am leery about buying a van that was converted to 4WD unless I know the
details about who did the conversion. There are a lot of unqualified "shade
tree mechanics" out there!
Needless to say, all of the usual caveats and disclaimers about buying at
auction apply.
If
you
aren't
familiar
with inspecting vehicles (checking for leaks, inspecting tires, hoses and
belts, checking for exhaust system leaks, examining dip stick colors, et cetera)
then
bring someone that is experienced along with
you for "advice and consent" before bidding.
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Letter Re: Vehicle Maintenance is an Important Part of Preparedness
Mr. Rawles,
As i am very new to your blog,(although it is now a morning ritual), I haven't
had time to read all of the back posts.
I was wondering if you had ever done one on vehicle readiness. One of my concerns
over
