« Letter Re: Buying a House in Australia? |Main| Three Letters Re: Best Military Manuals with Field Fortification Designs? »
Letter From Mike Williamson Re: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
Dear Jim,
A solar calculator is a good tool to have, but old style slide rules never require any batteries, do all major math functions, and provide a visual aid for teaching logarithmic functions. It's worth having, and learning to use, a couple of those, too. - Michael Z. Williamson - SurvivalBlog's Editor at Large
« Letter Re: The Fabric of Our Lives |Main| Letter Re: Best Military Manuals with Field Fortification Designs? »
Letter Re: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
Many people preparing for the inevitable SHTF situation overlook the simple day to day needs of the children. It is easy to forget, especially being pre-occupied with food, water, ammunition and the like. I remember when I was in the army in the late 1980s, we were on a project in Honduras. We would make frequent health and welfare flights into the mountain villages to provide medical assistance and rendering aide were possible. One thing that amazed me was the educational system in the third world. Basically, if the child did not have a pencil and note book, they could not attend school to learn. I remember contacting my dad back in the states, having him buy a couple of thousand pencils and note books and send them to me in country. I became a pretty popular guy with the natives after that. Now as I look around at all my preparations for keeping my family alive, I realize what I have neglected. My wife and I have two extremely beautiful and smart children, ages 2 and 4, not that I am biased. When thinking of their needs, I need to also consider the progressive development in a post-SHTF society. Because we will after all have to be the teacher not only the protector. Here is the list I have come up with, and it is by no means complete.
1. Crayons- lots of them
2. Coloring books
3. K-12 text books
4. Books- children’s-teen-and adult, science, history, science fiction, a good mix, considering the library will be your living space and you will be replacing the television
5. Pencils- lots of them
6. Lots of note pads and books
7. A couple of solar calculators
8. Pens (and see items 8 and 9 below, for when ballpoint pens are gone)
9. Bottles of India Ink
10. Quill pens (for the ink)
11. Chalk board and chalk
12. A couple of educational science kits
13. And depending on how long you think things might last, learn to make paper, ink etc.
All the above is relatively inexpensive, but a mandatory investment as far as I am concerned. Hope this helps someone in their preparations. Sincerely, - Craig B. in South Korea
« Letter Re: How to Make Your Own "Black Out" OPSEC Window Panels |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Hard Love Preparedness Upbringing, by FBP
As a child, I was orphaned by age 10. I went from living in wealthy lifestyle with maids and yard handyman, with ponies and pet monkeys in Miami, Florida, to living in rural mid-West with my Grandparents. This was truly a culture shock. It has been with prepping that I have truly appreciated the time spent with my Grandparents. From them learned about gardening, canning, freezing, sewing, and mind expanding experiences from visiting relatives on the farm (acres and acres of corn, and livestock!)
I remember Grandma’s bootstrapping on everything. She’d lived through the depression and WWII with its rationing. She saved everything useful. She explained to me that sewing needles were hard to come by, and butter had been rationed. In today’s perspective, it reminds me to stock up on those little things, like needles. Butter making is a skill and relatively easy to do if you have the animals to do it, but without them, I stocked up on powdered butter, just in case! Old clothes were always saved, and were sometimes remade into new ones (hand-me-downs) for another. I even remember an old rag rug made from scraps of old materials braided and then sewn together in an oval shape. Nothing went to waste.
My other Grandmother told me of her experiences during the Depression. They didn’t have electricity to ‘do without’ because they didn’t have electricity back then! They managed and just didn’t seem to be aware of how hard they had it; just because that was the way it was then. However, she did mention that there were problems in the area with hobos and less fortunates stealing and killing livestock. Grandpa had been more fortunate and not had as much trouble with them due to his reputation for being fair. He paid anyone dropping by, ‘a meal for a day’s work’, such as splitting wood, or other farm chore. The word got around that one could get a meal for work and some would come, help, and eat. Grandpa’s farm wasn’t bothered by losses like some of the neighbors.
Today, when reflecting on my childhood and the things I learned, and in contrast looking at today’s young people, gave me pause. Our group of prepper families consists of older parents with young adult children who are continuing their lives as usual. We had viewed it as giving them a chance to enjoy life and have some good memories before the hard times. It occurred to me today, that for our kids, it is comparable to the Roaring Twenties just before the Great Depression.
But, isn’t the prepping for the continuation of our offspring? I realized today that they are not gaining as much of the skill sets for survival, like I had gained from my Grandparents, by working at their side pulling weeds out of the garden, picking green beans, snapping green beans, shucking corn, blanching and freezing corn, canning green beans, cooking (from scratch!), sewing, automotive repairs, and on and on… Or rather, the extensive lessons gained from this year’s prepping.
This summer’s garden has been unusual for us. We have had a large garden for nearly 15 years, but this year’s garden was planted as a training garden. It was laid out on paper first, companion planting in mind. We innovated and experimented with several new crops, including hops. We planted some both in the garden and in containers for comparison. There are berries, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, lemon bushes, pole-green beans, tire-stack potatoes, yams, and landscaped with herbs and cucumbers and pumpkins. Before planting the garden, we assembled a PVC water distribution line with on/off valves for each row and for the garden as a whole. After rototilling the compost into the garden and covering it with black plastic for two weeks to kill weed seeds, we made furrows and laid out the soaker hoses on the rows, and connected to the water distribution line (PVC) at one end of the garden. The seeds were planted according to the preplanned paper charted layout; each soaker hose was planted on both sides of the hose, essentially doubling the garden’s capacity. (We did have to fertilize a month ago because of the doubling of the crops.) Marigold seeds were planted around the outside perimeter of the garden, unfortunately not on a soaker hose, which required manual watering. This turned out to be a blessing because it provided a bi-daily requirement to water and an opportunity to review progress and address weeds and needs of the garden. It has blossomed like a jungle forest in Hawaii despite being in the middle of a drought and 100 degree summer weather! I have maintained my first ever garden journal and noted all progress and failures. Our hops are now over 9 feet tall, and covered with hops. Our potato tire stacks looked like they worked well, but we discovered potatoes only liked the first tire which held dirt; the tires above were filled with tree mulch and grew no potatoes. This was a good lesson before TEOTWAWKI. The green beans have produced 49 quarts to date and are ready for their 4th picking and are still blooming! The bell peppers are nearly the size of a baseball. These were grown from seeds we saved from Costco’s bell peppers eaten earlier in the year! We have a patch along the side of the garden which holds the perennials which don’t get rototilled. There grows the asparagus, which gave us spears for two months early in the year and then goes to frond, tall and wispy, to support the root structure. We also grew new asparagus from seed saved from last year! We have tomatoes planted next to the asparagus. They repel each other’s pests! In between are basil and parsley and garlic. We have had no problems with pests this year! Yeah!
We learned not to plant winter crops in spring, but rather in July. We learned that spinach and lettuce like shade, and that spinach bolts (goes to seed) when the days are too long. Our pole beans have grown up 6 foot rabbit/deer fencing staked down along the soaker hoses. Pole beans are vining plants and have grown into arches making getting down the rows difficult. Next year we will alternate pole bean rows with spinach or lettuce I think. Our cowpeas/black-eyed peas are doing fine and require no work! They will also make a great cover crop for the winter and to rototill into the garden. They add nitrogen to the soil!
The entire garden survived a devastating hail storm which tattered much of the garden, and bruised some of the produce, but most survived and recovered. I discovered that thinning can be done with scissors to remove the extra plants without disturbing the roots of the "keeper" plants.
The garden has always been canned, but this year, we have discovered that much of it can be put up through dehydration. The Excalibur dehydrators web site has excellent videos of how to dehydrate food for TEOTWAWKI, which saves space and weight! We are still canning meats. We also smoked our first freshly caught river salmon and vacu-sealing it before freezing it, to keep it around for awhile. (Of course, that is after we ate lots of fresh salmon.)
The discoveries this summer have been wonderful, but the kids have not been around for much of it. They have been too busy enjoying their own lives in our urban community. They have grown gardens before, but they missed out on much of what we learned this year, by not being around. It is hard to tear them away from their friends, girlfriends, jobs, college, parties, movies, and of course electronic games.
I have learned, like the song says, “You’ve got to be Cruel to be Kind”. To do the right thing for our kids will take ‘Hard Love’, like my Grandparents did with me; chores and responsibilities/school homework came first, before play, and before friends! I hated that rule, but it made a better me as a result of it. Wish me luck. - FBP
« Influenza Pandemic Update: |Main| Letter Re: Lessons from a Brief, Opportunistic Burglary »
Letter Re: Some Travel and Bug Out Gear Recommendations
Sir,
First, as promised earlier I wanted to follow up and describe the kit I take with me on my trips. As I have mentioned in the past my job takes me overseas all the time, so for the past decade I have spent 80-90% of my time in third and second world countries. As a result the type of kit I take with me becomes important – it has to be packable and lightweight (especially now that the airlines are limiting you to 50 lbs. per bag versus the old 75 lbs. per bag). I have built up a kit that fits inside a one quart water bottle that goes in my suitcase whenever I travel. In the kit I have:
1. A folding knife (not a one hand opening one … just a plain old Buck style knife). When asked (four or five times in a decade now) I explain that this is for cutting my food.
2. A pocket knife (Swiss Army knife
) [JWR Adds: Per FAA regulations, edged weapons may only be carried in checked baggage--not in carry-on bags,.]
3. A fork and spoon (titanium)
4. A small (AAA battery size) LED flashlight
5. Several packets of sugar free hydration mix
6. Water purification tablets and a water purification straw
7. A compass (Marble's Brand Pin On)
8. A waterproof container with matches in them (while technically not allowed I have packed them for years with no problems)
9. A length of 550 cord
10. A map of the region that has been waterproofed after various routes out of the area have been marked on it.
11. A waterproofed copy of my passport front page, driver’s license, and birth certificate, and contact number.
12. A couple of Krugerrands
I also have in the suitcase:
1. A small SW receiver (Grundig)
2. A first aid kit
3. A medical kit with various antibiotics, cold medicines, etc. in it.
4. A sewing kit (scissors come in handy and the thread and safety pins can be used for fishing)
I also use a backpack to carry my laptop and business stuff in. I have in the past pulled the hard-drive from the laptop and left it sitting there when I have had to evacuate. The survival kit goes into the backpack in this case. Just because the backpack is a 5.11 RUSH24, it has not raised any eyebrows by customs officials. In addition to this I have always carried a packable raincoat or poncho and a cold weather jacket in my suitcase along with a good pair of hiking boots and a couple of pairs of wool hiking socks.
Notice that other than the items in the water bottle, they are all items that one would use on a long business trip anyway.
I make it a habit to never pack and carry anything with me that I would not be willing to dump if the need arose.
I am sure this list will cause all sorts of heartache and discussion but I have used this kit or something very similar since I was a teenager (my father was posted all over the world) and unless we are talking about a complete breakdown of order it has enough in it that I can make it out of an area if need be.
Second, we are using this weekend as a chance to go enjoy the great outdoors and practice our load out at the same time. As mentioned in the past we plan on using a camping trailer to get out of our area if we are forced to. So this weekend (as we have in the past) we are practicing our load out and go skills. The kids look at it as a game, and now while the world is not as bad as it could be, we can survive if we forget something basic – and have time to add it to the trailer.
Third, when it comes to a bug-out many of us are tied to our computers and would want to take them with us. While I plan on taking one laptop with me if we ever have to leave our house (plus the K-12 educational CDs that we have for it) along with vital records, there is another way to keep your records with you. I have started to use products from a couple of different sites for many reasons – portability and security are chief among them. Portableapps.com allows you to load a basic set of applications onto a USB [memory] stick and use it in “stealth” mode on any computer with a USB port. This allows you to keep your records and a basic set of applications with you at all times (things like money management software and email are critical). I also frequent pendrivelinux.com and have a USB stick set up with a virtual linux image that allows me to do the same basic things as with the windows portable applications. I would urge you to set up several USB sticks like this so that you can get by with a single laptop/PC per family versus multiple ones. I also have the same sort of setup (using the windows briefcase function) for my critical business documents – while pulling the hard-drive does work this is a much cleaner solution.
In this way if I need to walk out of an area, a small USB memory stick is a whole lot easier to carry than a laptop. Plus with the large number of companies that are placing tracking software on your laptops these days, being able to keep certain things private has a great deal of appeal. - Hugh D.
« Letter Re: Battery-Powered Dirt Bikes |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Basic Survival Skills for Children, by M.L.
Children play a part in many of our lives. Protecting them becomes an important issue in daily life as well as in an end of the world as you know it moment. However, what happens when adults can’t be there to protect them? What happens when they may need to protect us?
Our government and even many schools across the country, as well as parents and other adults, often do not see the potential in children. I am not talking about the educated potential one might find in the youth of a suburban school, but the potential to rise to the occasion when it is necessary to help themselves or their families.
The key to survival is knowledge. What you do with that knowledge and how you apply it at the right moment determines if you survive or not. Why can’t our children have the same knowledge?
We have many threats facing our world. Swine Flu or even other pandemics have been brought to the fore front this year. The WHO. is telling the world to expect an explosion of H1N1 cases. What happens if you and your spouse get Swine Flu? Who will take care of your children? Your sick neighbors? Your aging grandparents whom live three states away? Give your children the knowledge to take care of themselves and their families.
The following are some ideas on how to engage your children in survival learning (please gauge these ideas on the maturity levels of your own children):
- Cooking ~ Sit down and plan out a list of easy foods to cook with the least amount of required steps. Make sure you include some easy recipes for items in your food storage pantry. Most children can begin to learn to cook around age 8, provided you explain the dangers in the kitchen and teach them how to properly use the range, oven, sharp knives, etc. Many libraries and booksellers, as well as the internet, offer cooking books or recipes geared towards children. Cook through the recipes with your child, but try to be as hands off as possible, while teaching them proper techniques.
- Chores ~ Again, start out slowly, but instill an understanding in your children they can and are able to do most any chores in the home. By age 5, most children can at least do the simplest of chores like folding laundry, dusting, and putting away silverware. Give your children a responsibility and work along side them at first. Add laundry and yard work for older children. Again, teaching the safety protocols for certain items. When it comes to cleaning with chemicals, use alternatives made from natural ingredients. Label bottles and provide instructions. However, even children should not use certain chemicals and you should exercise caution.
- Pets ~ Children always want pets. Make them responsible for those pets. Teach them how to bathe and groom Fido. Show them how to properly and safely remove ticks. Have your child learn the commands to control your dog as well. Let your child clean out the gerbil cage or feed the fish. All these things teach children how to be more responsible.
- Protection ~ Enroll your child into a Mixed Martial Arts program or a boxing class with the understanding this is not for beating up little brother but to protect his/her self from others whom might want to harm him/her. For older children, teach gun safety. Show them your weapons, take them to the firing range, and let them understand what it feels like to shoot your P22 or your 12 gauge. Let them practice at shooting targets as well as clays. Take them hunting if you can. And if you have a bow set-up teach them how to shoot arrows as well. By properly teaching gun safety, archery, and self defense your child would be well prepared to defend themselves or to hunt for food.
- Bartering ~ As odd as it may sound, take your child to garage sales or flea markets. Any age can do this. Make them use their good manners when approaching the seller to barter or haggle over prices. Teach them about good deals and help them to find things that may be useful at a later time.
- First Aid ~ Children as young as five years old can put a band aid on a wound. Get a first aid manual and teach your children the proper way to care for cuts, scrapes, and other wounds. Let them know what alcohol and peroxide are used for as well as other medical topicals. Show them the difference between when to use a large butterfly bandage or gauze and tape. Teach them the proper way to take someone’s temperature. Explain when professionals should be called in to help or if you are in a situation where there are no professionals available what should be done. If you have a child that gets woozy at the sight of blood help them to get over their fear as best as possible or make sure that particular child has a different responsibility.
While many of the aforementioned tasks may sound obvious for all parents or care-givers, it always helps to remember your children can accomplish many tasks as long as they are given the chance to try. There are a variety of adult survival activities that you can tailor towards your children. Teach your child about your own family op-sec and basic safety when it comes to dealing with strangers. Above all, always remember to stress safety when teaching your children.
Give them a chance to hone their skills by taking them camping. Allow them to start the campfire (with parental guidance), cook the camp dinner, pitch the tent, etc. Get “lost” in the woods and have them bring you back to camp using a compass and map. Then later, have them look for a cache using your GPS. Teach them about the animal tracks your family sees and what animal crossing look like. In the evening, teach them the major constellations and how they can use those for direction as well.
I personally recommend the book The Boy's Book of Outdoor Survival
by Chris McNab. Although it is titled "for boys" and has pictures of boys in the book, I think it is highly appropriate for girls as well. Every child should know how to take care of themselves in survival situations.
If you can help your children and give them the knowledge to help themselves and others, even at a young age, you will enable them to be more responsible for themselves for the rest of their lives. As a parent, you are responsible for teaching your children.
« Letter Re: Canadian Gun Shows--Behind The Power Curve |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Preparing Your Family for "Interesting" Times: A Covenantal Christian Perspective, by Jim B.
Discerning believers have sensed a decisive change coming for several years.
If history truly repeats itself, we are heading into a season of judgment and
serious difficulty which may last beyond our current generation. Whether judgment
and difficulties are reflected in the current economic crisis, ongoing terrorist
attacks, unrighteous leaders or a host of other combined circumstances, many
believe we are on the threshold of very perilous times (II Timothy 3).
Our family ministry has done significant travel throughout the country over
the
past ten years, and we never fail to be in awe of the Great Shepherd’s
faithfulness toward His people, regardless of denominational labels or minor
doctrinal differences. As His people return to ancient paths, seeking truth rather
than traditions of men, He speaks faithfully to His sheep, warning them of coming
danger and teaching them to prepare. The same Almighty One who warned Joseph
precisely how much grain to store, gave Noah dimensions for the ark, and walked
through the fires of persecution with the three Hebrew children loves us passionately,
instructs us clearly, and warns us faithfully of impending danger. As He is our
perfect example of a prudent, loving Father, aren’t we also responsible
to equip our own children for the days ahead?
This responsibility is not one that can be swept under the rug or ignored in
ostrich-like fashion. Either our children will have strong spiritual foundations,
proficient life skills, and Rock solid character, or they will perish in the
days ahead. This is not a popular message. It is not being declared by most pulpits
or keynote speakers. But ignoring the urgency will not lessen the need. It only
wastes valuable time.
Many years ago, we revaluated the priorities in the education of our nine children.
Our emphasis stopped being compliance with national test standards. We actually
relocated to a state with few requirements and this allowed us to proceed with
great liberty. If you find yourself jumping through extensive hoops of state
oversight now, just wait a short while. I guarantee it will not improve in the
future. Relocation is not the worst thing that can happen to your family. Ask
the Father where He wants you to be. If He says stay, be content; if He says
go, trust Him to make a way.
Upon relocation, we left behind our small scale experiments in urban homesteading
and began a quest for rural self-sufficiency and a faith based on the simple
truths of Scripture. This is an ongoing journey for us, with more to learn each
day. Our adventures have helped us transition from two clueless young married
city novices to a family team that includes nine children who are proficient
in raising crops, building log homes, handling livestock, outdoorsmanship, ministry,
and discerning truth from error. Over the years we refined our priorities into
a form of education which will see our children, and hopefully many others, through
whatever comes in their future.
Our primary priority in education is Spiritual Preparedness. This is foundational
as we are told to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all these things (our daily needs) will be added unto us.” The very
first thing we do on a school day is to read and study Scripture. We are currently
working through the writings of the Old Covenant prophets. We read a few chapters
each day together, in addition to the personal reading and prayer we encourage
each person to do in the morning and evening. One thing that has revolutionized
our lives and doctrine has been the memorization of large passages and entire
chapters of Scripture, rather than “memory verses”. The Word warns
us of great apostasy and deception increasing in the last days; therefore we
find it imperative to teach children not to isolate verses from their surrounding
context. Verses are far too easily twisted and misapplied by dishonorable or
biblically ignorant leaders and teachers. Even Peter warned of the tendency in
his day to twist the words of Paul to justify lawlessness (II Peter 2, 3:14-17).
Even the littlest child can be taught to memorize by adding a line per day, using
rhythms, body motions, anything that makes it fresh for your children. And by
all means, use real Bibles with children! The verbal rhythms and vocabulary of
a KJV are not as hard for children to master as you might think. As they become
older, continue memorization and add word studies from the Hebrew and Greek.
Help them study and understand the Hebrew culture which places Scripture in its
context. The important thing is that His Word must be hidden in their hearts
to discern truth from error, right from wrong, and life from death. Our children
must possess spiritual weapons which are sharp and well practiced to avoid the
abundance of deception and confusion they will no doubt meet in the future.
The next priority under Spiritual Preparedness would be thorough instruction
in the doctrine followed by the apostles and the earliest believer in our Savior
(Acts 2:42). It has become increasingly clear to us that the roots of our faith
are not in Rome, Geneva, Tulsa, Azusa Street, Lancaster County, or Brownsville.
The roots of the faith go back to Jerusalem, and the Hebrew foundations of the
earliest believers, prior to the hybridization which occurred after Constantine.
We want our children to value and esteem truth above traditions of men or sensational
experiences (even “signs and wonders”) which may directly conflict
with Scripture; one of the warnings we have is that in the “last days” doctrines
of demons will be rampant and even the elect will be vulnerable to deception.
If our children are to be firmly grounded in truth, we must stop clinging to
the words of man as if they were Scripture. Calvin was a man, Luther was a man,
Menno Simons was a man, and Wesley was a man.
It is healthy for children to be familiar with the stories of heroes of the faith
and movements in church history. It is sad that we have applied so much attention
to the lives of the “Founding Fathers”, while neglecting to familiarize
our children with Tyndale, Jan Hus, the Waldensians and others who surround us
as “the great cloud of witnesses”. Preparedness for suffering for
the sake of the Gospel comes from seeing our Father’s faithfulness and
abundant grace toward those who have suffered before us. World history and geography
come together when viewed through biographies of great men and women of the faith.
However, while great men of the faith can challenge us and encourage us by their
example, our doctrine must be firmly founded on the whole Word of YHWH, Genesis
through Revelation, nothing added, nothing taken away.
Our second priority area in preparing our children for perilous times is mental/character
preparedness. This can only be a building block laid securely on the solid foundation
of spiritual preparedness. Developing attitudes conducive to sacrifice, rather
than “survival of the fittest” is in direct opposition to the tendency
of the flesh. A child who will not yield his favorite toy to his little sister
will not share half of his last piece of bread when he is truly hungry and she
cries for his mercy. These are not small issues of childishness to be ignored.
Our children must be confronted with the ugly selfishness of their flesh, be
led to full repentance, and taught to respond automatically with actions consistent
with Kingdom living. In perilous times the ungodly and the superficially religious
lose all courtesy and true believers become a candle in the darkness. Our children
must understand that our provision is not dependent on selfishness, but the One
who gave manna in the wilderness.
In addition to building relationship with the Almighty who provides manna, multiplies
loaves and fishes, and turns water into wine, our children must cultivate an
attitude of sober-mindedness, control of the tongue, and the ability to work
cheerfully. Joking, impulsive speech, gossip, laziness, and quick over-familiarity
are fleshly tendencies which may prove to be hazardous in the coming days if
not kept in check. Healthy humor is part of the nature of our Creator, but He
has no tolerance for mischief and foolishness and neither should we.
With the great increase in physical labor our children will likely face shortly,
it is to our benefit and theirs’ to spend a significant portion of six
work days in physically productive labor. However, without the ability to work
cheerfully, maintaining a steady attitude of joy and peace even under great pressure,
your home will become a breeding ground for resentment, rebellion, and outright
resistance. Children can either be positively included in our work, or driven
to exhaustion by manual drudgery. It’s all a matter of attitude, ours’ first,
then theirs’. If we see ongoing financial hardship or disruption of services
due to a change in the availability of fuel, our children will be needed to work
alongside of us, rather than spending a great deal of time on recreational reading,
running around to events, and other more self-oriented activities.
They will need to make fun out of real life accomplishments, rather than escaping
to fiction on the screen or between pages. This is a good habit to instill now.
Our children should be exposed to great and worthy books, given sparing time
to appreciate the privilege of reading, and expected to serve others during the
most productive hours of the day. By reading excellent literature, well written
biographies, and doctrinal works the development of communication skills (writing,
speech, etc.) will be a simple transition, rather than an artificial exercise
in sentence diagramming. These communications skills will be of multiplied importance
in the lives and futures of our children, as they will certainly be called upon
to defend the faith as it was once delivered to the saints.
Children should be given thought provoking, open ended discussion questions,
and then be challenged to defend their position from Scripture. They should not
learn to simply parrot what we or any denomination teaches with out question.
Their writing should become less like story-telling and more doctrinally apologetic,
to prepare them to live in an increasingly antagonistic, openly pagan society.
Surprisingly, most children of this generation have an inner sense that they
will need these skills and disciplines; instead of becoming bored or overwhelmed,
they rise beautifully to the challenge and shine as lights among their peers.
Our third and final emphasis in proactive preparedness education is upon life
skills vs. storage of massive quantities of “stuff”. We certainly
encourage all families to seek the Scriptures and His Voice of council in this
matter. We have determined that skills are far more important than material storage,
which can be lost to theft, impoundment (likely in a martial law scenario), or
spoilage. One of the loud lessons we exhibit by massive storage is that problems
are solved by throwing cash at them. It can be a false security, when not kept
in practical balance. We can avoid the hard work of life changes and character
improvement, by insulating ourselves from any imagined future discomfort. We
are not against storage for a short term solution, but life skills such as finding
food and water in wild places, making fishing equipment, gardening, or constructing
shelters will be of far greater long term benefit and they cannot be taken away
once learned.
Experience nature until it is a comfort zone. For special occasions, consider
the gift of tools rather than toys. Equip the individual gift and interest of
each child; take these interests seriously. Allow them to become very proficient
until their skill is marketable, even in a barter economy. They may experience
seasons in life where buying is not possible, but trading is.
This generation is the most likely to experience extreme hardship in our lifetime
and has the fewest skills to successfully cope, thanks to our full acceptance
of modernization and rejection of the simple agricultural and primitive life
skills that served each generation prior to WWII. We have much catching up to
do; our children need to be able to do simple things like start an outdoor fire
and cook on it, navigate accurately on foot in wild places, and avoid evil people
or deadly diseases. They have no time for paper plate puppet projects or baseball
unit studies.
For the health care needs of your family, help your children become proficient
in first aid procedures, natural and herbal remedies, and sound nutrition. Even
if there are no major disastrous events in the lifetime of your children (which
looks increasingly unlikely), the corruption of the current medical system is
widespread and ominous. We have seen a “Christian” (denominational)
hospital conduct workshops to teach medical professionals to “read auras,
channel healing energies, and use shamanism” without the permission of
their patients as part of treatment. This is occurring all around the world.
Even the immunization issue is in most cases a controversial violation of Scriptural
principles of separating the clean and unclean; there is no precedent in Scripture
for purposeful contamination of our blood. It is time for our children to seek
healing of their bodies by the Great Physician and learn how to practically use
resources He has clearly given for comfort, disinfection, and promotion of health.
After learning “front-line” top priority emergency skills, secondary
skills should become proficient. As in recent examples brought on by fuel price
escalations, transportation and shipping are not issues to take lightly in a
crisis. A failure in food supply transport can mean serious discomfort and even
total chaos. With the increase of imported foods from countries with low environmental
standards, antibiotic and hormone contamination of meat, and the rise in genetically
modified “Frankenfoods”, it is prudent to decrease dependency upon
the grocery store. Activities such as non-hybrid gardening, seed saving, hunting,
livestock care, butchering should include children as they have been included
throughout the history of mankind. These highly educational activities are far
more practical than textbook science. Ten years ago, our then ten year old naturalist
son learned anatomy by dissecting (butchering) a mammal specimen (deer). He checked
out butchering and anatomy books from the library; following the “dissection’ of
his second deer he was able to correctly identify most organs, muscles, bones,
and types of joints. All the while, we laughed and talked of pioneer history,
and the faithfulness of the Creator’s provision.
We have a limited and rare opportunity to focus on practical, significant, and
intensely indispensable education for the sake of our children and our families’ survival.
By fearlessly teaching these lessons to our children, we equip them to grasp
their future as overcomers and Kingdom citizens. Nothing frightens a child more
than uncertainty. By giving them tools to stand with us, we alleviate fear and
give them hope for tomorrow. It’s high time we stop home schooling, with
all its bells and whistles and game playing, and turn our focus toward home discipleship.
This model is what we are commanded to accomplish in Deuteronomy 6, and will
prepare our children to occupy until He comes. Our children’s physical
and eternal lives depend on it. - Jim B.
« Letter Re: Real World Observations on Fighting Crime and Criminals |Main| Note from JWR: »
Depression Proof Jobs for a 20 Year Depression - Part 2: Developing a Home-Based Business
Yesterday, in Part1, I discussed the "safe" and counter-cyclical occupations
for the unfolding economic depression. Today, I'd like to talk about one specific
approach:
self-employment
with a home-based business.
I posted most the following back in late 2005, but there are some important
points that are worth repeating:
The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell
me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full
time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: "...but
I'm not self-employed. I can't afford to live in the country because I can't
find work there, and the nature of my work doesn't allow telecommuting." They
feel stuck.
Over the years I've seen lots of people "pull the plug" and
move to the boonies with the hope that they'll find local work once
they get there. That usually doesn't work. Folks soon find that the most
rural jobs typically pay little more than minimum wage and they are often
informally
reserved for folks that were born and raised in the area. (Newcomers from
the big city certainly don't have hiring priority!)
My suggestion is to start a second income stream, with a
home-based business. Once you have that business started, then
start another one. There are numerous advantages to this
approach, namely:
You can get out of debt
You can generally build the businesses up gradually, so
that you don't need to quit your current occupation immediately
By working at home you will have the time to home school your children and
they will learn about how to operate a business.
You can live at your retreat full time. This will contribute to your self-sufficiency,
since you will be there to tend to your garden, fruit/nut trees, and livestock.
If one of your home-based businesses fails, then you can fall back on the
other.
Ideally, for someone that is preparedness-minded, a home-based business should
be something that is virtually recession proof, or possibly even depression
proof. Ask yourself: What are you good at? What knowledge or skills
do you have that you can utilize. Next, consider which businesses will flourish
during bad times. Some good examples might include:
Mail order/Internet sales/eBay Auctioning of preparedness-related products.
Locksmithing
Gunsmithing
Medical Transcription
Accounting
Repair/refurbishment businesses
Freelance writing
Blogging (with paid advertising) If you have knowledge about a niche industry
and there is currently no authoritative blog on the subject, then start your
own!
Mail order/Internet sales of entertainment items. (When times get bad, people
still set aside a sizable percentage of their income for "escape" from
their troubles. For example, video rental shops have done remarkably well
during recessions.)
Burglar Alarm Installation
Other home-based businesses that seem to do well only in
good economic times include:
Recruiting/Temporary Placement
Fine arts, crafts, and jewelry. Creating and marketing your own designs--not "assembly" for
some scammer. (See below.)
Mail order/Internet sales/eBay Auctions of luxury items, collectibles, or
other "discretionary spending" items
Personalized stationary and greeting cards (Freelance artwork)
Calligraphy
Web Design
Beware the scammers! The fine folks at www.scambusters.org have
compiled a "Top 10" list of common work-at-home and home based business scams
to beware of:
10. Craft Assembly
This scam encourages you to assemble toys, dolls, or other craft projects
at home with the promise of high per-piece rates. All you have to do is
pay
a fee up-front for the starter kit... which includes instructions and parts.
Sounds good? Well, once you finish assembling your first batch of crafts,
you'll be told by the company that they "don't meet our specifications."
In fact, even if you were a robot and did it perfectly, it would be impossible
for you to meet their specifications. The scammer company is making money selling
the starter kits -- not selling the assembled product. So, you're left with
a set of assembled crafts... and no one to sell them to.
9. Medical Billing
In this scam, you pay $300-$900 for everything (supposedly) you need to start
your own medical billing service at home. You're promised state-of-the-art
medical billing software, as well as a list of potential clients in your
area.
What you're not told is that most medical clinics process their own bills,
or outsource the processing to firms, not individuals. Your software may
not meet their specifications, and often the lists of "potential clients" are
outdated or just plain wrong.
As usual, trying to get a refund from the medical billing company is like trying
to get blood from a stone.
8. Email Processing
This is a twist on the classic "envelope stuffing scam" (see #1 below).
For a low price ($50?) you can become a "highly-paid" email processor
working "from the comfort of your own home."
Now... what do you suppose an email processor does? If you have visions of
forwarding or editing emails, forget it. What you get for your money are instructions
on spamming the same ad you responded to in newsgroups and Web forums!
Think about it -- they offer to pay you $25 per e-mail processed -- would any
legitimate company pay that?
7. "A List of Companies Looking for Homeworkers!"
In this one, you pay a small fee for a list of companies looking for homeworkers
just like you.
The only problem is that the list is usually a generic list of companies, companies
that don't take homeworkers, or companies that may have accepted homeworkers
long, long ago. Don't expect to get your money back with this one.
6. "Just Call This 1-900 Number For More Information..."
No need to spend too much time (or money) on this one. 1-900 numbers cost money
to call, and that's how the scammers make their profit. Save your money --
don't call a 1-900 number for more information about a supposed work-at-home
job.
5. Typing At Home
If you use the Internet a lot, then odds are that you're probably a good
typist. How better to capitalize on it than making money by typing at home?
Here's
how it works: After sending the fee to the scammer for "more information," you
receive a disk and printed information that tells you to place home typist
ads and sell copies of the disk to the suckers who reply to you. Like #8,
this scam tries to turn you into a scammer!
4. "Turn Your Computer Into a Money-Making Machine!"
Well, this one's at least half-true. To be completely true, it should read: "Turn
your computer into a money-making machine... for spammers!"
This is much the same spam as #5, above. Once you pay your money, you'll
be sent instructions on how to place ads and pull in suckers to "turn
their computers into money-making machines."
3. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)
If you've heard of network marketing (like Amway), then you know that there
are legitimate MLM businesses based on agents selling products or services.
One big problem with MLMs, though, is when the pyramid and the ladder-climbing
become more important than selling the actual product or service. If the
MLM business opportunity is all about finding new recruits rather than selling
products or services, beware: The Federal Trade Commission may consider it
to be a pyramid scheme... and not only can you lose all your money, but you
can be charged with fraud, too!
We saw an interesting MLM scam recently: one MLM company advertised the
product they were selling as FREE. The fine print, however, states that
it is "free
in the sense that you could be earning commissions and bonuses in excess of
the cost of your monthly purchase of" the product. Does that sound like
free to you?
2. Chain Letters/Emails ("Make Money Fast")
If you've been on the Internet for any length of time, you've probably received
or at least seen these chain emails. They promise that all you have to
do is send the email along plus some money by mail to the top names on
the list,
then add your name to the bottom... and one day you'll be a millionaire.
Actually, the only thing you might be one day is prosecuted for fraud.
This is a classic pyramid scheme, and most times the names in the chain
emails
are manipulated to make sure only the people at the top of the list (the
true scammers) make any money. This scam should be called "Lose Money
Fast" -- and it's illegal.
1. Envelope Stuffing
This is the classic work-at-home scam. It's been around since the U.S. Depression
of the 1920s and 1930s, and it's moved onto the Internet like a cockroach
you just can't eliminate. There are several variations, but here's a sample:
Much like #5 and #4 above, you are promised to be paid $1-2 for every envelope
you stuff. All you have to do is send money and you're guaranteed "up
to 1,000 envelopes a week that you can stuff... with postage and address
already affixed!" When you send your money, you get a short manual
with flyer templates you're supposed to put up around town, advertising
yet another
harebrained work-from-home scheme. And the pre-addressed, pre-paid envelopes?
Well, when people see those flyers, all they have to do is send you $2.00
in a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope. Then you stuff that envelope with
another flyer and send it to them. Ingenious perhaps... but certainly illegal
and unethical.
From all that I've heard, most franchises and multi-level marketing schemes
are not profitable unless you pick a great product or service, and you
already have a strong background in sales. Beware of any franchise where you
wouldn't have a protected territory. My general advice is this: You will probably
be better off starting your own business,
making, retailing, or consulting about something where you can leverage
your existing knowledge and/or experience.
---
In closing, I'd like to reemphasize that home security and locksmithing are
likely to provide steady and profitable employment for the next few years,
since hard
economic times are likely to trigger a substantial crime wave. After
all, someone has
to keep watch on the tens of thousands of foreclosed, vacant houses. (If not
watched, then crack cocaine addicts, Chicago syndicate politicians, or other
undesirables might move in!)
« Letter Re: Is it Deflation or Inflation Ahead? Should I Pay Down My Debts? |Main| Depression Proof Jobs for a 20 Year Depression - Part 1: The Counter-Cyclical Jobs »
Letter Re: Buying Kindle Reader for Accessing Survival References?
Mr. Rawles;
Given that even the smallest of windmills driving an automobile
alternator can keep a 12 volt DC battery charged, and from that you can run
a myriad of small
devices, what is your opinion of Amazon's Kindle [mobile book reading screen]
for keeping all the documents you might need, like the entire archives of SurvivalBlog?
Amazon
is now offering "Version
2" [of Kindle] , which seems easier to load with personal documents. Is
it worth it
as a backup library, or is it too fragile? - Sandy W.
JWR Replies: Buying a shiny new Kindle for that purpose is
like "putting
all your eggs in one basket". I
would much rather put all my archived preparedness reference documents on multiple copies
on CD-ROMs and then buy two or three used laptop computers with cosmetic
defects.
(The ongoing corporate
layoffs in the US will surely mean that the market will soon be flooded with
high quality used laptops for under $200 each, and I wouldn't be surprised to
see
some offered
for under $100 each.) Store those laptops in 40mm ammo
cans to help protect then from EMP.
Redundancy is the key. One of my mottos is: "Two is one,
and
one
is
none."
Here at the Rawles
Ranch we recently obtained a Brunton
Solarport 4.4 (4.4 Watt) compact photovoltaic (PV) panel for testing.
These produce .29 amps (at 15 volts) in full sunlight, which is enough to charge
flashlight
batteries or a cellular phone, but not enough to power a laptop. (But up to
three Brunton PowerPorts can
be "daisy chained" together (in parallel) to provide additional
current.) I consider the Brunton PowerPort a "micro" mobile solar
power solution. A more practical "mini" at-home or RV power
solution is to buy a 10 watt PV
panel
(such as those sold by Northern
Tool & Equipment
or
comparable panel such as the and a portable automobile "jump
pack" gel cell battery, (available at any local auto parts store, or from
a variety of Internet vendors). By placing the PV panel inside a southern-facing
window (indoors or inside a vehicle,
to protect
it
from the
elements) you can
trickle
charge
a jump
pack and easily get one hour of laptop use per day.
« Letter Re: Kids and Home Security |Main| Note from JWR: »
Perspectives on Prepping on a Very Low Income, by Kuraly
I was raised in a missionary family, on nine different mission fields around
the world. At the age of nineteen, I went out to serve the Lord on my own in
the former Soviet Union. I had no formal Theological training, but was accepted
by the missionary societies of my denomination because of my experience under
my father and my willingness to go to dangerous areas.
I married, and my wife and I have now six children. A few years ago, due to
some changes in my theology, I fell out of favor with my denomination and had
to return home to the USA. I was faced with a situation of suddenly having
to feed and care for a large family with: 1. no formal education/training/skills
of any kind and 2. very little understanding of the southern American culture
that I found myself living in. I was forced to take very low-paying jobs and
survive on a low-income.
With our savings we were able to buy a small rural house and 7.5 acres in the
southeast. We were able to pay cash, I wanted it to be ours with no strings
attached, regardless of what the future held. I figured that at the very least
we would have a roof and some plantable land. I bought in the area my parents
lived in to help care for them as they progressed in years.
Our income is very limited. I work at just above minimum wage. I work a full-time
job and another part-time job. I am thankful that the Lord provides.
As I studied current events I became concerned about the possibility of a world-wide
economic and/or societal collapse of some kind, or a societal break-down here
in the USA resulting from any number of possible reasons. I had witnessed the
chaos of the nineties in the former Soviet Union, had watched doctors and physicists
sweep streets and live off of potatoes and bread for months on end, and I was
concerned about my responsibility to feed my family should a similar collapse
happen here.
What can you do when you have very limited means? Actually there is much you
can do. It amounts to setting goals and getting your family on board with you.
The first thing I did was (after my wife and I had many long talks and she
began to see things in a similar way), I gathered the family around and explained
everything to them. I explained about our limited means, exactly how much money
was coming in, how much went to utilities, fuel, etc. I explained what I believed
the dangers were. I explained what we needed to do as a family. Let me interject
here that after being born and growing up on a third-world mission field, they
were far from spoiled children! They were accustomed to living in tight quarters,
washing in cold water, eating cheap, and basically just "roughing it."
My first priority was for two weeks worth of provisions. We began to buy a
few extra cans of food when we went shopping. I set a goal of 20 dollars per
week for prepping. Some weeks ten dollars of canned goods and/or dried foods
like rice, beans or noodles, and ten dollars in ammo or medical supplies. Some
weeks just food, some weeks just extra gasoline. We bought gas cans at thrift
stores and garage sales for a dollar apiece, Large scented candles (better
than nothing) at closeout sales and garage sales for 30 and 50 cents, and just
about anything we could scrounge that might come in handy if the lights went
out. It did not take us long to build up enough supplies to last two weeks
in an emergency. We had enough gasoline to drive to work for two weeks (if
needed), enough food for our family plus a little extra, and candles, radios,
batteries and other odds and ends to get by.
I had also along the way added
to my ammunition stocks for my Winchester .30-30, and my bolt-action .22 LR.
After we reached the point where we felt we had enough for a two-week catastrophe,
we began to focus on the six-month time frame. This opened up many entirely
new possibilities. since the food required for this amount of time was such
a major expense, we had to make sure that it would last for several years.
This raised the issue of long-term storage in buckets, mylar bags and oxygen-absorbers.
We had to save for months to buy an order of oxygen-absorbers and mylar bags
on e-bay! We found low-cost buckets and began to fill them with rice, feed
corn, corn meal, noodles, beans etc. Anything that was inexpensive. We taught
the children to like corn-meal mush and grits since they might get quite a
bit of it one day!
Gradually we worked our way up to 30 buckets. At this point I made a strategic
decision. I decided that we needed to invest our extra funds in gardening.
Not entirely stopping the food storage, but reducing it in favor of procuring
means and experience in growing and canning our own food. We began to buy canning
jars and lids to put away in the attic for the future. My father gave us a
tiller with a blown engine which we were able to get fixed, and we began to
garden. The first garden was not very well thought-out. Some things grew, some
did not. But we learned. We learned first-hand what pollination means and about
soil fertility. We learned about bugs and blight. We gained valuable experience.
We also invested in chickens, and watched some of them die, some of them be
eaten by neighbor's dogs, some get eaten by our dogs, and the hardy survivors
begin to lay eggs. We watched them eat their own eggs and learned to give them
calcium. We let half of them free range and half range in portable pens that
we built which have an open floor that we could move each day to fresh grass.
We learned how to make them roost and lay where they were supposed to.
We bought some rabbits and learned a lot, real fast! We experimented with many
types of portable cages for rabbits which would allow us to move them from
one grassy spot to another without giving them time to dig a burrow. Sometimes
we would wake up and find rabbit carcases torn to shreds, because a neighborhood
cat had gotten to them. My kids handled most of this, and they learned things
the hard way.
If you haven't figured it out yet, We were totally green. I spent my life traveling
and overseeing the translation of Christian literature into foreign languages.
My wife is a musician. We had zero experience at any of this, and no one around
that we knew to advise us. We had to learn everything from scratch. We bought
a goat and promptly saw it attacked and killed by a stray dog. That hurt,
financially as well as emotionally. After sending the dog to join the
goat "on the other side", I bought another goat. and then another.
These have survived. We have learned to care for them.
Gradually I am seeing my children grow confident in their relationship to the
animals under their care. Gradually we are learning the needs of these animals
and how to make them produce for us. If we had had some kind of hands-on training,
it would have saved the lives of a lot of animals, but we didn't. I am happy
to announce a much higher survival rate for animals that we bring home now.
I felt like I needed a greater firearms capability (what man doesn't?). I thought
long and hard. At first I bought a Mosin-Nagant since they were so cheap ($75)
and the ammo was dirt-cheap as well. I then began to consider what type of
semi-automatic I could afford. I looked at the prices of ammo which was very
critical since I would have to train my entire family to shoot. At the time
the best deal for us appeared to be the SKS rifle.
It was cheap (a good quality Yugo[slavian SKS] was less than $200), dependable,
semi-auto and the ammo was
very cheap at the time. I later added a cheap 12 gauge pump, and last but not
least,
a
17 round Bersa Thunder 9mm. After purchasing these guns I began to pick up
ammo for them when I could find it on sale. I have gradually gotten up to about
500 rounds for each of them.
I then turned my attention to our home and it's defense. While we live in the
country, we are close to our neighbors 100 yards +/-, about five miles from
a small town, about 15 miles from a large town, and about 90 miles from Atlanta
(upwind fortunately). My greatest concern is our proximity to the road. The
house is only about 65 feet from the dirt road in front of our house. A looter
or burglar/rapist could be at the door or windows before the dog barked. In
response to this my next expenditure is to be fence posts, fencing, and barbed
wire, along with a row of thorny bushes in front of the wire next to the road.
Our house is a soft target, offering no ballistic protection. My remedy/forlorn
hope is to have plenty of sand and gravel on hand, and to start checking the
thrift stores for pillow cases to buy and store. perhaps we would have time
to bag up sand bags and at least harden up certain corners or rooms of the
house. We also have several large piles of sandstone (we live on top of a mountain)
which could be placed strategically and then perhaps sand bags on top of that.
We could also cut logs and add that to the mix.
Our water supply is a [grid-powered] electric well. This is one of my biggest
worries. We have made it a priority to buy a generator at least strong enough
to run
the
well and freezers for an hour or two a day. I know that this is only a temporary
solution but is about all we can handle right now. I am very thankful for the
non-fiction writing contribution about the siphon pumps for wells such as mine,
that offered up new possibilities which I have not had time to address yet.
We also have a neighbor 1/4 mile away which has an artesian spring on his property,
though it has extremely high iron content. I have purchased two 330 gallon
plastic livestock watering tanks and several drums which I can fill at the
first sign of trouble. I can also load them on my little trailer and pull them
down to the neighbor's to fill up from his well. I just need to check on the
ramifications of the high iron content.
I am also trying to fill up as many containers as possible with gasoline. I
add Sta-Bil and plan to use/rotate it yearly (as long as the price stays low).
I would like to keep at least 250 to 500 gallons on hand at all times. I buy
old gas cans at yard sales and just found a source for cheap 55 gallon drums
with sealed lids ($3). I may start using them instead.
Our immediate plans are to build more pens and raise more chickens and goats,
maybe a pig or two. We also look forward to planting a much bigger garden this
spring and maybe use some of our hard-won experience of last year. We also
want to involve the kids in martial arts classes if we can afford it, as well
as herb-collecting hikes from the local community college field school (which
are free and fun). We want to spend more time with them in the woods and in
the garden so that they feel comfortable there and begin to think about survival
from their own perspective. We also are beginning to exploit the library for
free resources for them to study on various topics.
The future of this country looks grim. As Christians we have "read the
back of the Book" and we know Who wins. Our responsibility is to be good
stewards of the talents we have, perform our duties as husbands and wives,
mothers and fathers, and ultimately, to trust Him for that which is beyond
our vision and power.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Three Letters Re: The Community Retreat »
Letter Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale
I have read your list of recommended
retreat areas and agree for the most
part. My wife and child and I are leaving Texas in March and heading north.
Idaho
and
Alaska
are the only places we are considering because they are the only two western
states that have 100% parental autonomy on homeschooling.
As for Alaska not being recommended, I would have to disagree somewhat. Yes,
it is not for everybody. Some people don't like cold
and that's fine by me. However, the issues of supplies and resource shipment
I think may become
moot. When TSHTF the
shipment of goods will be disrupted everywhere, and in the lower 48 there will
be more people fighting for what is left. For those
of us looking to get off the Made-in-China Wal-Mart matrix, these are changes
we are preparing for and will welcome.
In Alaska there will be an advantage not found anywhere else. First, it's cold
climate and geographic separation from the lower 48 will keep it very well
protected against the roving bands of thugs and immigrants already overpopulating
the lower 48. People simply won't be able to get there, and borders will likely
close to all such traffic. Second, Alaska has a long and well-ingrained tradition
of self-sufficiency and the character of the people there will be more immune
to the shock of having to get back to basics. Additionally it is the most likely
candidate to be the first state to secede. The crime rate statistics are misleading
as well, due to the low population and the fact many "crimes" are
not crimes at all, or they represent alcohol-related petty crimes, eskimo tribal
feuds, bar brawls, etc. All in all, I believe the spirit of Alaska will prevail
and people will get along better than the lower 48 on many levels, regardless
of whether or not there is a Wal-Mart. On another note, [Governor]
Sarah Palin has also proposed the
creation of a new natural gas line just for the state residents. - Brad in
Texas
« Two Letters Re: More Predictions for 2009, by Roger Wiegand |Main| The New Washington, DC Paradigm Does Not Bode Well for Economic Recovery or Gun Ownership »
Letter Re: A Handy Book for Boys
I've only recently become a SurvivalBlog reader, but I thought I'd share some
info about a book I've had sitting on my shelf for quite some time. I'd never
really put any thought into its usefulness until lately.
It's called The American Boy's Handybook. I first caught sight of it several
years ago, way back in Elementary School, when I was just a little cuss, not
the full sized cuss I've grown up to be.
Like the title says, the book itself is geared toward the younger generation,
ages 8 - 18+. But there is a wealth of information that even the oldest of
us kids can make use of.
Originally published in 1890, the book is packed, cover to cover, with projects
and activities that require no electricity, no high tech spare parts, and perhaps
most important, no advanced tools. Nowhere, in the entire book, will you find
a single request for a band saw, circular saw, arc welder, hammer drill, or
power tool of any sort. I would say that 75% of all the projects inside can
be built with a hand saw, hatchet, hammer, and some simple elbow grease.
All four seasons are covered, with different projects (both FUN and FUNctional)
appropriate for each. Without my copy to reference (it's currently on loan)
I can't give a complete rundown of all its contents. Some subjects include,
but are far from limited to:
- Spear Fishing
- Small Boat Construction
- Dead Drop Traps
- Build a Kite from scratch
- Make and Use a Bow and Arrow
- Basic Taxidermy
From hunting and trapping, to games and toys to keep the younger members of
your family occupied, this book has something for everyone. Kids too little
to be out checking the snares with Mom or Dad? Why not have them put together
a Shadow Puppet Show for after dinner entertaining? Fresh snow on the ground?
Teach them how to build their very own Snow Fortress. Bullets in short supply?
(I hope not, but you never know.) Fashion a spear thrower or bola for taking
down small game. Always wanted your own fishing boat, but couldn't justify
(or afford) the expense of a special purpose boat? Build your own flat bottom
watercraft.
These are just a few of the things I can remember off hand. IMHO, this is one
of those books that should be on everyone's shelf. Even if The Schumer doesn't
Hit The Fan, you can still keep the kids off the couch, learning to do for
themselves, like people used to, before we all got our McLobotomies.
Thanks for All You Do, - C.M., Maine
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Choosing Between Roughly Comparable Retreat Locations »
Four Letters Re: A Low-Cost Route to Earning a Bachelor's Degree
James,
As the author [noted, prospective students should consider their career
plans before devoting time and money to a specific school or program, virtual
or
not. For example: I'm employed by a global Fortune 10 company and there is
a list of colleges and universities whose degrees are not sufficient
as hiring criteria regardless of accreditation. It is a good bet other large
companies have similar policies. Ditto for graduate degree programs. Depending on the school, bachelor degrees
from online schools or virtual universities may not be accepted for matriculation.
If the student plans to pursue a graduate
degree they should make sure their intended grad school will accept their undergrad
degree.
I'm not knocking virtual schools, my Bachelor's degree was obtained 100%
online as will my graduate degrees.
Obviously if the student is just getting a Bachelor's degree for the sake
of getting a degree, plans to work for smaller companies, or be a serial
entrepreneur,
which school issues the degree does not matter. However, everything comes with a price, and you get what you pay for. Choosing
the wrong virtual university could mean having to go back and get a second
Bachelor's degree before getting that job you covet or continuing on with
your education. - John T. in Michigan
Mr. Rawles,
My son came up with another method for keeping college costs down
that I don't recall having seen before: he talks instructors into letting him
skip
courses.
He was homeschooled, so had no official record of what he'd learned. When
he started college through the Running Start program (open to homeschoolers,
as
well as regular high school students, and another great way to save money!)
at age 15, he met with his future calculus professor and talked him into
letting him skip the first quarter of that subject. Later on, based on his
grades in
more advanced courses that required the one he skipped, he was given credit
for it--at no charge!
He has since talked other teachers into waiving courses that were officially
required for classes in specialized subjects he wanted to learn, picking
up any knowledge he truly needed from the prerequisites as he needed
it for
the
courses he wanted to take. He didn't get credit for any of the other classes
he didn't actually take, but did save the money and time he would have been
spent taking them. That's important both because of the time and money needed
to take the unwanted courses and because it can be difficult to fit classes
into your schedule that are only offered every year or two.
This tactic is also helpful if you don't do your full degree at the same
school. Your choices are limited if, as a newly-transferred junior, you want
to take
classes that require a course that students at your new school usually take
as freshmen. It can be hard to mesh in to a new school's program, but there
are obviously ways around it, and you can save money doing so! - Nancy L.
Hi Jim,
I've been reading your blog for a while but this is my first time writing in.
Excelsior College is great for people who need a flexible way to get a degree.
I actually got my undergrad nursing degree through them. This option is only
available to those with prior healthcare experience, which I had. I was formerly
a home birth midwife with a certification through the North American Registry
of Midwives. They accepted this credential to enter their program, and gave
a number of credits for earning this credential. They accepted all my transfer
credits from previous work, and I wound up only needing to take the 7 nursing
exams, plus a microbiology exam. Now I had a prior degree in another field,
but their flexibility for people of many different backgrounds is well-known.
I moved across the country halfway through my degree, and since it was not
a residential program I didn't have to change schools. This has been a godsend
for people in the armed forces, who move all over the place. I liked them
so much, I'm going back to Excelsior for my Master's in Nursing. The Masters
programs are different. Rather than being exam-based, you take classes online
with a group of other students. Anyway, my experiences with this school have
all been positive. I'm not an employee of the school, or connected in any
other way than being a student with them. Oh, a final bonus of this school
is that you can generally spread out your degree earning over many years,
making it very doable to work full time while earning a degree with them.
Andrea
Mr. Rawles,
I recently read your "Patriots" novel and loved it, and have
been reading and learning from your SurvivalBlog daily since then. I've been
following the
topic of alternative and low cost routes to obtaining a college degree and
wanted to contribute another option that your readers might be interested
in.
Harvard University's Extension
School offers
undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a variety of fields in a non-traditional
format. The benefits of this school include:
- Non-traditional admissions policy: This is my favorite aspect of their programs.
Classes are open-enrollment, meaning anyone can register for most courses without
undergoing any kind of application process. Admission to degree-granting programs
is based on your performance in several classes rather than your performance
on standardized tests or in prior schooling. There are no SATs, GREs, or other
tests required for admission (except an English proficiency test if you're
not a native English speaker). And there are no transcripts required. You simply
take 3 courses at the school, including a writing course, and if you pass them
all with a B- or better and GPA of 2.5, you will be accepted upon applying
to the degree program. The classes are very challenging, so rather than trying
to weed out unqualified applicants based on previous transcripts and tests,
you get a trial by fire, proving in the actual courses that you're up to the
task.
- Low cost: Most undergraduate courses there cost less than $1000, so a full
32 course undergraduate degree costs considerably less than one year of school
in many traditional 4 year colleges.
- Flexible scheduling: Courses are offered on both weekdays and weeknights,
so it's easy to schedule school around work.
- Flexible location: Many courses are available online, and for the undergrad
degree, only 16 credits (4 courses) are required to be taken on campus. So
if spending several years in the People's Republic of Cambridge or elsewhere
in the congested Northeast doesn't fit your survival plans, you can knock out
the on-campus requirement in a single summer.
- Excellent education: Courses are taught by a combination of full-fledged
Harvard professors and part-time instructors who are professionals that have
real world experience in the subjects that they teach
- Diverse student body: Classes are filled with students from all socioeconomic
backgrounds, most of whom are working part or full time jobs while in school.
- A degree from Harvard: Very nice to have on your resume, no matter what you
think of "elite" ivy league education and faculty. :-)
My wife and I both worked at Harvard for a few years so we could take classes
at the school for free. I took classes both at the Extension School and in
the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (where traditional undergrads and grads take
classes) and can confirm that the Extension School classes are as challenging
and of as high quality as the "regular" classes. My wife managed
to get a masters degree in English from the Extension School while working
full time, and has found the education invaluable, and her degree essential
in helping her get job interviews and ultimately in landing her first job as
a middle and high school English teacher.
We no longer work at Harvard and have no financial interest in the success
of its programs, but we both spread the word about this little known "back-door" to
a Harvard education because we believe it's such a great value and opportunity
for anyone who wants to further their education in the fields of study that
they offer.
Regards, - Luke V.
« Letter Re: Seattle Area Isolated Because of Flooding |Main| Note from JWR: »
A Low-Cost Route to Earning a Bachelor's Degree, by V/Rs
For many, the cost of a college education can be prohibitive; however the
necessity of having a degree can be crucial when a job seeker is looking for
work. Oftentimes, a college degree is used as a discriminator in the hiring
process. Those with years of experience and talent may not even be considered
for a position simply because they haven’t “filled in the blocks” required
by a human resources department. Even if the degree is in an unrelated field,
it is usually enough to get a person through the initial hurdles of the interview
process.
However, even the costs of a local community college may be prohibitive to those
who have to work and support a family – cost both in money and time. This
was the situation I was faced with just a few years ago; however there is a solution.
In my hunt for a better and cheaper way to obtain that necessary sheepskin, I
discovered the Bain 4
Weeks web site (I have no personal
affiliation
or
compensation)
which described the efforts of one woman who obtained her Bachelor’s Degree
in just four weeks. While initially skeptical (think: diploma mill), I examined
her method. Utilizing the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and other
college-level
examinations,
she
was
able
to complete her four-year degree in just four weeks.
While I didn’t have an entire month available to dedicate to testing out
of college credit, I did use the same principals to accelerate my degree completion
while working full time, taking care of a family, and spending my evenings at
home rather than in a classroom. In fact, I can proudly say that I was able to
complete the entire degree with never having to set foot in a classroom. This
method enabled me to adjust my education schedule to my life schedule. At some
points taking a test a week for a couple of months was no problem; at other times,
I was reduced to taking one test a month.
Perhaps a quick explanation of the
CLEP program is in order.
These exams are recognized by most accredited universities. These tests allow
an individual to receive college credit (typically three to six credits) for
specific subjects and cost $70 per exam. The first-year exams are six credits
each for the five subjects (English, Math, Social Science and History, Humanities,
Science) and will provide the typical test taker with 30 semester-hour credits.
This means that the first year of college would cost $350. Imagine an entire
year of school for less than the price of one class at a community college.
There are both paper and computer-based versions of the test available. They
can be scheduled at many local colleges (paper versions) or at places like Sylvan
Learning Centers (computer based). The advantage to the computer versions of
the test is that the results are immediately known to the student after completion.
Also, an enterprising student can take more than one exam in a single day at
these centers. (However, I was never able to complete more than two in a day – I
was mentally drained after the second test.)
There are plenty of study guides available online and at your local library – practice,
practice, practice.
So, how would this work? Let us take the example of someone who has finished
high school, is working part time and staying at home. He could schedule one
test every two weeks and spend the interim weeks studying for the next exam.
After 10 weeks, this student would have finished his first year of school. Keeping
this same pace (most of the remaining exams are three credits each), the student
could complete the remainder of his degree in 45 weeks. All total, he would have
spent slightly more than a year working on a four-year degree. His cost would
be approximately $2,450 for all 120 credits. So for about the cost of just one
semester at a community college, this person would have completed all the degree
requirements necessary for graduation.
Another scenario would be a single mother working to support her family. She
doesn’t have a lot of money and can’t dedicate two to three nights
a week to attend classes. Instead she decides to start taking CLEP exams. She
studies a little each night after the kids go to bed. To get time off for testing,
she saves up a little extra time from her lunch break throughout the month to
spend a couple of hours at the test site (or takes a Saturday test). What happens
if something comes up and she isn’t able to study enough to take another
test that month? Nothing happens at all. Unlike taking night classes where she
cannot afford to miss classes; earning credit with these exams allows her to
adjust her test-taking schedule to fit in with what works for her life. If she
averages one test a month, then in 10 months, she would have finished one year
of school. In essence, she is able to go to school full time while working and
raising a family without the financial or time burden traditional education would
have created.
Granted, the folks who create the CLEP tests do not award degrees; so a person
would have to transfer the credits to a school that does. In my case, I used
Excelsior College. If a person completed all degree
requirements and then transferred the credits to Excelsior, the enrollment
cost would be $765 and the graduation
fee would be $440 for a total of $1,260. So the grand total would be $3,710 for
the entire degree. Most schools accept some CLEP exams (usually
up to 60 credits) but require the remainder of classes be taken through their
university. Excelsior (and there are a few others) have no residency requirements
and will accept all credits taken through CLEP or other accredited colleges.
Make sure to check around. Excelsior is a good school, but there are others that
are also equally suitable.
A second advantage to this method of getting that “sheepskin” is
that for those who home school or those who have a GED, getting accepted into
a college can be challenging if not impossible. Most schools do not ask for or
require high school transcripts or SAT/ACT scores for transfer students. What
constitutes a transfer student? Most of the time schools consider a transfer
student as someone who is going to transfer 30 to 45 semester hours of credit.
In other words, if you have an enterprising student who was homeschooled but
the one college she wanted to go to will not recognize her diploma, she can take
her first year of CLEP tests and then be considered a transfer student with no
restrictions.
As a side note, I shared this method with a gentleman at work whose son was a
sophomore in high school. His son began taking CLEP tests over the summers and
during the Christmas breaks. By the time he finished high school this young man
had already earned an Associate’s Degree.
Is there a downside to this method? It would depend on what the person pursuing
a degree really wants. If he or she is trying to get a specific degree, say in
microbiology, then this method probably would not work because of the lab requirements.
However, many of the techniques/concepts can be used to reduce overall costs
and speed up the length of time it takes to get a degree. Hopefully, this information
will be valuable to those who feel frustrated in their efforts to complete a
college degree.
Lastly, if I had to do it all over again, I would have joined the Air National
Guard or Air Force Reserve and learned a skill that would prove useful in a
TEOTWAWKI situation. This would also provide me with a part-time job, free CLEP
and DANTES
tests and money for school if I chose to attend a specific college.
Please note that I am not endorsing any of the cited organizations. I simply
want people to understand that there are alternative ways to get what you need.
Being
a survivalist
means being adaptable and “thinking outside the box”. - V/R, USAF
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Inexpensive Spare Eyeglasses »
Three Letters Re: The Best College Degrees for the Next Depression?
Dear Jim:
Why go to college at all? Speaking as a college graduate, unless you are getting
a technical degree, you would probably learn more apprenticing in a real
business that interests you, and studying on your own and taking courses
part time. When you need to apply knowledge right away, motivation is high,
and the lesson really sticks. Bonus - you avoid 4 years of immersion in (and
contributing to) a politically correct cesspool - often intellectually dishonest
to boot.
For some professions you do need a degree for technical knowledge. But most
of the time a degree is just a screening device or "ticket punch" to
show that you can study hard and persevere. Gary
North has a whole section on his web site on how to beat the college racket,
and get your ticket punched with a degree for under $25,000, and no debt.
The way things are going a highly skilled trade where you can work for yourself
might be the best bet (electrician, plumber, auto mechanic, computer repair,
etc., etc.). Someone who can just work like a professional in the "blue
collar" trades will have such an advantage over most of the competition
they will do well.
Regards, - OSOM
Mr. Rawles,
I wholeheartedly agree with both of the readers whose letters referenced learning
a trade before attending college. My own experience, I grew up in a military
family, when I graduated High School I wasn't sure the military for me just yet
and had the foresight to understand I probably wasn't mature enough to handle
college at that point in my life. I was also fortunate that in addition to a
tradition of military service my family also had years of experience in the trades,
one Grandfather became a boilermaker after the Navy, the other a carpenter after
his stint in the Army, my Father retired after 22 years in the Air force and
learned the trade of sheet metal work and HVAC repair, all of them proudly non-union.
With their guidance I did some research and discovered the excellent merit shop
(Non-union) apprenticeship programs offered by the Associated Builders and Contractors
(ABC). The tuition is reasonable, (roughly $200 per semester when I started in
1997) and most member companies are so thrilled to have a young worker take his
career seriously that they will sponsor the cost, provided good grades are maintained.
I chose the carpentry apprenticeship program, and shortly after graduation on
my 18th birthday embarked on a eye-opening and enlightening experience. One of
the first things that shocked me was that at a modest sized company for our large
upper midwest town, (150 field employees) there was only one other apprentice
my age. We had a handful of laborers who were college dropouts, but none of them
were interested in tradecraft training, preferring to remain unskilled laborers
and wondering why they always got the grunt work. The fact that there wasn't
a larger group of young Americans clamoring to learn a useful trade to provide
for themselves and their families was astounding to me!
After two exciting years (and two bitterly cold winters) of building everything
from power plants, to hospitals, to runways I decided to return to college. At
first I was planning on studying Civil Engineering, which is a fine profession
but entails an inordinate amount of desk work after graduation. Again, with some
guidance I stumbled upon Construction Engineering (At other universities known
by the names of Construction Management, or Construction Technology).
At the University I was shocked by two things
1) College is a business! They
will try to keep you in as long as they can to keep raking in the student fees,
etc. My first academic "advisor" even told me that finishing a bachelors
degree in four years was a pipe dream, and most students took five years these
day! I promptly switched advisors. Students, don't let anyone convince
you it
can't be done in four years or less. I was far from a stellar student in high
school, just barely cracked into the top 50% of my graduating class and I completed
my Bachelor's
degree in four years, while working 30+ hours a week at part-time jobs. This
may
take
a
little extra "hard work" but again, nothing worth having comes easy
and if you're already a preparedness minded individual than this shouldn't be
too much of a stretch for you!
2) A surprising majority of engineering students never worked a trade, and never
held a trade related internship in college! This flabbergasted me to say the
least, how could someone who's never put hands on a piece of lumber or steel
expect to lead workers in a project? Needless to say, come graduation time those
students who continued to work at best buy weren't in the highest demand by employers.
Conveniently enough, my trade training had an added benefit: Rather than having
to work a "typical" part-time job in retail, I always found construction
companies that were willing to work around my college schedule, and pay significantly
above the minimum wage my friends were earning. Which offered the added benefit
of leaving the nights, and most weekends free for studying or socializing.
After finishing school, I attended the Navy's Officer Candidate School and became
a Surface Officer for 5 years. Again, my trade experience gave me a valuable
leg up over my peers. I finished school with no debts, having continued to work
the entire four years but was again surprised to learn that some of my friends
who had been [contracted cadets] in ROTC had massive debts. The ROTC is quite
willing
to
take
C students,
but don't expect to get a full ride! I knew of many officers that finished college
twenty, thirty, even forty-thousand dollars in debt!
Now working as a Project Manager for a large General Contractor I am still surprised
by the lack of interest shown by today's students for the trades. To me, the
work is exciting, doesn't involve a desk, and pays extremely well. Believe me,
we would love to take as many motivated young Americans as we can get our hands
on! Unfortunately, many of them have been sold on the dream that college is for
everyone, it's not, and that isn't a bad thing. I can't say enough good things
about learning a useful trade or skill, It's a job that can never be outsourced,
but unfortunately it is being "in-sourced" by immigrants who are willing
to work hard, harder than most Americans these days.
Mr. Rawles, thank you for your wonderful blog. Very Respectfully, - A Former
C
Student
Jim-
Having recently discovered the site, I am now a daily follower. I find the
advice practical and in keeping with my pragmatic approach to life. The technical
detail is impressive, and the topics wide ranging. There is always something
surprising each day I scroll down the page. I am an architect in New York City, and
find the architectural topics of great interest. The site's take on architecture
is refreshing and seldom discussed or debated elsewhere. I will plow through
the archives and find out what sort of treasures lurk within.
There have been a number of recent letters discussing the issue of college
education. There is a common tone to these letters that suggests that learning
a trade is important, perhaps of greater importance than getting one of those
pricey college degrees. I agree that having useful skills, particularly hand
skills, is important. As for myself, I am a woodworker and carpenter, making
and designing furniture, restoring my house in addition to my architectural "office
job."
Here's my take- college degrees are critical in addition to "pragmatic" skills.
I'm not going to suggest which degree to get, since certain degrees are "more
valuable" in certain parts of the USA and world than others. Architects
are useful in New York City but useless in Nebraska, for example. Two points I want to
stress:
1- My degree "got me noticed" by all my employers. It "got me
a foot in the door" as ridiculous as it sounds. That degree, that piece
of paper, really got me ahead of the mobs on the streets. It's a sad arrangement,
expensive but necessary. Think of that piece of paper as some prized battle
rifle as you soldier through life- it's a tool like anything else.
2- My degree "expanded my mind" beyond the day-to-day, hand-to-mouth
nature of existence. Religion "expanded my mind" as well, but the
concepts and thinking that college introduces rounded me out even more. When
we are all holed up behind steel doors clutching those riot guns, the mind
needs to find release, in addition to prayer and meditation. Art, philosophy,
psychology, medicine, etc. can help.
Keep up the good work! - Freakoscope
JWR Replies: The emphasis on learning a trade in many of
the recent letters overlooks one key issue: At present, someone with a baccalaureate
degree on average will earn $1,000,000 more in their lifetime that
someone with just a high school diploma. So if you plan to work in the corporate
world, then I recommend getting at least a Bachelor's degree. Just make sure
that the degree
is in
something
useful,
where there is a reasonable expectation
that there will be jobs waiting. (Not "bird calling and basket weaving"--as
my father dubbed the useless degrees.) Perhaps the best way
to do
this is
to work
in
a skilled
trade or with an IT certification,
to
work your
way through
college on a five to eight year plan. Graduating debt free at
age 26 or 27 with lots of practical experience will actually make you a much
more desirable
job
applicant than someone that graduates at age 22 or 23 with nothing other than
the degree on their resume. Take as many lower division credits
as possible from a community college
or on-line.
All
that employers
will consider
is
the degree itself,
and the name
of the
institution that eventually grants the degree. So take your first two years
"on the cheap", and then transfer to a more prestigious school.
« Two Letters Re: Seeking Advice on Assembling Web Gear |Main| Note from JWR: »
Two Letters Re: The Best College Degrees for the Next Depression?
Sir,
College is alarmingly pricey. As a child of the 1970s, I grew up understanding
that you either got a useful degree or paid your own way.
I contend that the most useful education currently is learning a trade.
Welding, auto repair or electrician's certification will pay the bills through
the rough
times
as people
choose to repair instead of purchase. As times get better, some of those trade
school credits may transfer to a college and you are on your way. What is that
architecture degree, but about a year of drafting plus three tortuous years
of art...the discovery of use of light and space...with a dash of engineering.
One of the
coolest people I know, was a blacksmith who got his doctorate in physical chemistry.
You never know where your trade may take you.
Art comes in many mediums that must be learned such as welding for those grand
sculptures that grace the lawns of universities and corporations. Get the "practicals"
under your belt first, while you make a few bucks or barter for your dinner.
Don't forget that the library is free. You should know your reference librarian
as she hold the key to all knowledge or can borrow it from another library
for you. Read. Read everything you can get your hands on.
As you head off to college: Find out all the required courses for your degree.
Does your college allow "testing
out" of any subjects? The last I checked it cost about $75 average to
test completely out of 3 or 4 credit courses. Testing out may not be an option
for "required for major" courses.
If you are still in high school, go for every advanced placement (AP) for college
credit course you dare.
So as you plod away learning your trade that is only vaguely related to you dream
degree, remember: we do what we have to do so that eventually we can
do what
we
want to do.
Now, who is gonna come fabricate some new tines for my tiller? - The Accidental
Survivalist
Sir:
For
more than 20 years I have volunteered my time with unemployed US scientists,
engineers, and computer professionals. Based upon my experiences, I suggest
that young people 1) attempt to have a trade under their belt
before they get a four year college degree; 2) preferably pick a college major
that will allow
one to work for oneself and not as a mere employee; 3) consider mixing two
majors such as getting a teaching certificate and forensic accounting as this
might give one two options for a career. If the student is not committed to
college or unsure what to major in, consider attending a community college
first as it is less expensive. Learning something either in college or via
the trade pre-college that is hands-on work such as plumbing, construction,
roofing, carpentry, welding, aquaculture (fish farming) , farm management,
get commercial driver's license, learn to drive farm equipment, learn to repair
things -- electronics, washers/dryers, etc. Some high schools have working
relationships with community colleges where a high school student can take
college courses while still in high school thus saving lots of money while
living at home. Some schools will allow students to attend high school part
time and learn a trade at the local community college at the same time. Many
high tech professionals in the USA have been told by college career counselors after the
student graduated with his degree in chemistry, physics, engineering, or computer
science that he should consider that degree as nothing
more than
a 'hobby'. Kind of a fun mental exercise but it was foolish of the student
to expect to have dreamed of a career in that field. What you are looking for
is a skill (or skills) that allow you to be self-employed. If the young person
is in college, they should focus on skills that will make them more marketable
--
oral communication
skills, writing, bookkeeping (useful for one's own business), marketing, solid
basic math and computer skills. Having a degree in the medical profession may
or may not make one employable -- I have read of dentists and physicians who
were unemployed during the Great Depression. It is possible that cosmetic surgeons
might be in high demand if there are wars as the victims (military/civilian)
may need reconstructive surgery. Health care professions are still probably
a good bet but it doesn't guarantee a career or stable income. Case in point:
I have a friend whose brother-in-law in California is an allergist and is now
closing his practice because he can't making a living in this specialty. He
is dropping
down to become a Physician's Assistant (PA) and will work for his wife who
is also a physician. He, however, cannot afford to maintain the cost of his
license
as an allergist with fewer people willing to see an allergist in an economic
recession.
Princeton University economist, Alan Blinder (do an Internet search to read
his international presentations) has stated that young Americans should not
waste their time and money (paraphrasing) on a four year college degree. Instead,
American youth should be learning trades that cannot be off-shored. (Unfortunately,
he doesn't raise concerns about the importation of cheap labor.)
One should strive to have a college education that is debt free. No one knows
what the future holds and graduating with an educational debt for a degree
that may or may not provide a job (no longer a career) is a tremendous burden
for a young person to enter the adult world with. When looking for a summer
job or working during college -- try to pass on the burger flipping jobs and
look for work in something where one can enhance a skill such a learning how
to pump out septic systems, car parts shop, working on a dairy farm, landscaping,
etc. I do think that having a college degree is valuable to one's personal
understanding of the world but it is not necessarily essential these days to
earn a living.
I would urge young people, if possible, to complete a four year degree but
not having one is not a sign of failure.
Finally, I also urge parents to help their children to learn basic life skills
-- how to manage the home budget, cooking skills, gardening, car repairs; as
well as learning to be happy and enjoy life. Learn to sing, dance, play some
musical instrument, juggle, something to bring happiness to oneself and to
others. This might sound like it is off topic, but when one is unemployed if
you have these inner resources to pull upon it can literally be life saving.-
Cynthia W. (An informed American on jobs and education)
« Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Assembling Web Gear |Main| Two Letters Re: Jerry Cans Killed Nationwide by California Political Correctness »
Letter Re: The Best College Degrees for the Next Depression?
James,
longer this [economic death spiral] goes on, the more it looks like
this is going to be at least a decade before normality returns. So, if
you've got
a teenage
kid
you're probably
thinking, what kind of career (assuming we don't totally melt down at
a societal level) path he or she should take...
I was talking to someone the other day and he told me his kid was studying
art. "Oh, I asked, is he any good?" He replied "No, not really." This
family man is spending good money, money that could be put into preparations
into
a liberal arts education? Idiot.
Even if his son were Michelangelo reincarnated,
who is going to pay for artwork in a depression. It's not like he is going
to get a stipend from the
Medici
family and work on family portraits of the rich and famous.
I'd like to ask the collective survival mind as represented by SurvivalBlog
readers, what careers do you think are worth paying money to learn how to do
for the
next generation? - SF in Hawaii
JWR Replies: Off the top of my head, I think that any of
the medical professions would be good choices,
especially those related to geriatrics,
since we live
in an
aging society The only notable exception would be cosmetic surgery.
BTW, the Memsahib's
parents grew up during the Great Depression and consequently they told the
Memsahib
and
her
sister
that
they
would be willing
to pay for their
college education only if they wanted to be "teachers, nurses,
or dental assistants"--because there would always be some demand for them.
No fru-fru art degrees for their daughters!
« Two Letters Re: Finding Abandoned Properties, Post-TEOTWAWKI? |Main| Note from JWR: »
Intellectually Self-Reliant Children: From Homeschooling to College, by "Hermeneutics"
Home schooling
teaches kids an important virtue, intellectual self-reliance. Home schooling,
well done, permits a child to “learn to learn” as well as learn
to learn … by himself. A home schooled child, for example, does not learn
in peer groups, a common practice in schools today. Rather, by himself, the
home school child reads a text, sorts through conflicting facts and information,
and makes judgments that ring true to his experience and understanding. A home
schooled child struggles intellectually without turning to peers, teachers
or authority figures. In short, he thinks for himself.
Critics of home schooling often claim that home schooled children are less
socially adept than kids in same-age classrooms. This may be true. But social
suspiciousness and reticence to engage in typical kid behavior, verbiage and
antics should be seen as a strength, not a weakness. For when home schooled
kids don’t think like the herd, they’re intellectually self-reliant.
As an Ivy-educated professor as well as a mother of three home-schooled kids,
I’d like to share some observations and offer some practical advice to
home schooling parents who want their children to attend good colleges and
universities.
Primary school goals and methods are different than that of older children
so I’ll discuss home schooling younger children first.
Primary school kids have one overwhelming goal – to read. Once he’s
reading, you need to introduce your child to increasingly interesting (and
difficult) books. This is a natural trajectory. Your child will want to read
more interesting books because the simple ones are boring. During these young
years, roughly to age thirteen, here is some unvarnished advice on reading:
1. Make home schooling fit into your schedule and life -- do not make home
schooling your life. Teaching your child to read is not difficult and can be
done whenever convenient for you. When you take a break from your daily grind,
pull your child in your lap and read together while sipping tea. Home schooling
can be seamlessly sewn into the fabric of daily life. Make it so.
2. There are oodles of books on teaching reading. Ignore them. In them, you’ll
discover a pedagogical war between supporters of phonics and those of “look-say.” Do
both! As you read with your child, sound out the words and point out other
words that act the same. That’s phonics. Remember, though, that about
sixty percent of words in English do not follow spelling and sounding rules.
Memorizing, then, must happen. As your child reads, he will become familiar
with new, odd words and eventually remember them.
3. Put books on end tables, next to beds, in shelves and, of course, in the
bathroom. Make books visible, like art. Books should be seen, not heard, that
is, you shouldn’t talk about reading, but do it.
The other major goal for a primary child is math. Unfortunately, teaching math
isn’t as intuitive as reading. Flash cards are a good way to start. After
the facts are learned, buy or make sheets of problems and get a timer. By eight
to ten years of age, a child should be able to do 100 math problems in five,
three and finally two minutes. Some advice:
1. Math will not fit into your schedule as easily as reading. You’ll
have to make time for it.
2. The grand pedagogical debate in math, which parallels that of reading, is
whether math should be taught as facts or as theory. The trend, today, is to
teach your child how to think about math, and only afterward, to actually do
math. Teachers and curricula spoon-feed the thinking behind the problems. In
contrast, in the past, the goal of math was solving problems. The child was
expected to figure out the patterns and connections in these problems by herself.
In my opinion, the old ways of teaching math are better. As your child learns
how to do math, she will see the wonderful way math works. That “aha
moment” should be discovered, not taught. Please don’t take away
that glorious moment when the logic of math becomes clear. Math trains the
mind to be orderly and systematic. So let your child think. Don’t think
for her. This fosters intellectual self-reliance.
3. Regarding curriculum: I’ve used Saxon in the past, and eventually
ditched it. Curriculum does, though, offer a structure if needed. Again, be
flexible. There are times in your life when you’ll need structure and
other times when your child zooms along without it. Go with the flow.
4. Here’s a simple ordering of the math your younger child needs to learn:
Counting to twenty, then one hundred
Counting backward from twenty
Addition facts to 12
Subtraction facts to 12
Adding two, then many digit numbers
Subtracting two, then many digit numbers
Multiplication facts to 12
Division facts
Multiplication of many digit numbers
Long division.
Fundamental idea of fractions
Adding and subtracting fractions
Multiplying and dividing fractions
Fractions as decimals
Adding and subtracting decimals
Multiplying and dividing decimals
Fractions to decimals to percentages
Negative numbers
Adding and subtracting negative numbers
Multiplying and dividing negative numbers
Negative decimals, fractions and percentages
5. When your child understands the above, he is ready for algebra and will
need a more structured environment. I recommend this textbook: Algebra 1 by
Ron Larson, Laurie Boswell, Timothy Kanold and Lee Stiff; written in 2004 and
published by McDougal Littell. The Geometry and Algebra 2 books in this series
are also good.
With teens, home schooling becomes more challenging … and fun.
As a professor, I’ve seen many public and private schooled students woefully
unable to think, write and study. Though your home schooled child will be far
better prepared than most students, don’t expect college admissions staffers
to understand intellectual self-reliance. Admissions staffers need a bit of
hand-holding and appeasing. This is your responsibility, not
your child’s.
You are responsible for getting your child into college: your child is responsible
for learning.
So, starting from around age fourteen, you’ve need to think ahead. These
are crucial years. You must assume that admissions staffers will judge home
educated kids harshly. Thus, you’ll need to be wise and clever to combat
their bias and bigotry.
Now that he’s a teen, your child should have one goal – getting
into college. Though it is your responsibility to get him into college, it
is still his goal. He needs to understand that the days of leisurely learning,
sadly, are over.
During the early teen years, you’ll have many, heart-to-heart talks with
your teen about her goals, interests and expectations. Even teens unsure of
what they want to do with their life understand that, at some point, they’ll
need to make a choice. At least, come up with a short list. With her, imagine
life as a teacher, business owner, homemaker, farmer, lawyer … whatever.
Realistically discuss what it takes to achieve that life.
Take a four-pronged approach to getting into college: taking community college
classes; scoring high on an ACT or SAT;
finding compelling references; writing great essays. Here’s some advice:
1. Don’t even bother to come up with a transcript or grades. Admissions
won’t believe your grades anyway, so why bother? In lieu of grades, I
suggest keeping a list of books read including completed textbooks.
2. As soon as your children are ready, enroll them in a community college
distance learning class, around age 15 or 16. These are graded classes, taken
for credit.
But before your daughter takes college classes, you must sit her down and read
her the riot act. Tell her that from now on, there is neither mercy nor second
chances. Tell her that every grade goes on a permanent transcript that will
follow her for the rest of her academic career. Tell her that learning has
to be purposeful and grade oriented. In short, tell her she needs to strive
for “A’s.” Holding her to this standard doesn’t make
you a slave driver but a truth-teller – so feel guiltless. The reason
you enroll your child in a distance learning class is so you can help. This
is a huge step for your child. Be there.
3. The sad truth is that learning, suddenly, is not the goal. Grades are the
goal. He needs good grades. Part of preparing your child for self-sufficiency
is showing him the bar that he needs to get over. At this point, the bar is
a high GPA.
Your son, then, needs to find his own way to reach that bar. This is a worthy
lesson in itself for life has hurdles that must be overcome even
when he finds them distasteful or unimportant. To put it bluntly, there are
times when he’s got to suck up to reach his goals.
4. College testing, even if not required, will be important as a marker of
accomplishment and potential. Take this seriously. I do not think expensive
classes are worth the cost because relatively cheap software is almost as effective.
Note: It is easier to raise a math score than a verbal score. The verbal score
is more of a proxy of intelligence as well as a marker of an avid reader, which
is why it is so important to instill a passion for reading in young children.
5. References are tricky. You have to find referees who the admissions staff
will respect. This isn’t about you and your values but rather about the
college and its expectations. If your daughter wants to be an engineer, for
example, a reference from an engineering professor or successful engineer (on
letterhead) will go a long way. Unless your child is going to a Christian college,
avoid references from pastors and youth leaders. If your child volunteered,
try to get a reference from the leader of that organization. Remember, assume
that admissions staffers are secular and biased against home schooling, and
choose your references accordingly. Another helpful reference could come from
the community college that your child attends. Working as a Teacher's Assistant
(TA) or lab assistant is good both as experience and as a source for references.
Try
to
get academic
references.
6. Essays, the final step, can make or break an application. I’ve heard
that admissions staffers are finding more and more ghost-written essays. Thus,
to make your child’s essay believable, he’s got to include personal,
anecdotal information. Here is where a savvy applicant can sneak in information
about home schooling. Home schooling obviously sets an applicant apart from
the crowd. If made to sound exciting, then the admissions counselor will think
your kid is eccentric and interesting. My kids emphasized their travel (which
was a big part of their home schooling experience) and the bizarre places and
things in their past. It worked. They disguised their faith in the application,
choosing to emphasize other aspects of their upbringing that the admissions
counselor would be expected to appreciate. In short, give them what they want
to hear and set your child apart from the herd.
As parents, we’re raising the best kids in the nation.
Our kids are self-reliant and grounded in positive, moral values. For some,
Christian faith undergirds morality – it does for me. But as Christians
or seculars, it is incredibly important that the best kids are trained to survive
and succeed. The two-to-three percent of the nation’s kids who are home
schooled will lead tomorrow’s nation, and perhaps save it. Thus, getting
those paper credentials from name-brand colleges and universities is a small
step toward returning our country from a culture of dependence and weakness
to that of individualism and self-reliance.
« Letter Re: The Food Shortages Are Real--Will There Be Panic Buying Soon? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Fostering the Survival Instinct in Babies and Young Children, by Andrea J.
There has been a great push in this country by child rearing experts and the
medical profession that children must be "socialized". It has been
a pivotal buzzword for educators and parents alike. It is a main reason for
the negative
swell toward homeschooling. Yet, it is my contention that what we need to foster,
from birth, is natural instinct. Natural instinct is what we understand as
the survival instinct. It is an innate instinct of distrust. It is the instinct
that alerts us as we start down a dark alleyway on our way home from work.
It is the instinct that forces us to take a step back from a new person that
we meet that sets off alarm bells in our brain. It is this instinct that must
be fostered in our children and future generations.
From the moment our children
are born, they are whisked away from the mother
in
the
arms
of another. As parents, we hand our babies off to Aunt Betty and Uncle Ernie,
the
day care
worker, people we meet, and those we don't even know, the girls at the office,
and those child care workers at church and the gym. It is expected. Those that
don't hand their children over are scolded, scorned or scoffed at. Negative comments
about the welfare of the baby are passed around behind the back of the cautious
parent.
All of this passing around from person to person and situation to situation
kills the child's very first survival instinct- distrust. A baby who is bonded
closely
with his primary caregiver will not take kindly to being passed from person to
person. They will scream until they are returned to that person whom they trust
above all else. A child who has been passed around and has never bonded closely
with one primary caregiver will not display any sense of distrust with strangers
or strange situations at all.
This initial distrust can be observed in the animal
kingdom. From cow calves to elephant calves, the animal that is left with its
primary caregiver, usually
its mother, will not allow human contact. It will not stand to be touched or
petted. It will scurry behind the knees of its mother and peer out at the unfamiliar
person.
On the farm, we observe this all the time. Our beef cows calve in the
field and are raised by their mothers. Our dairy cows, on the other hand, are
separated
at birth and raised on a bottle. They bond with the people who feed them. What
about the beef calves? Any cowboy can tell you how tough it is to separate the
momma's and babies. On the other hand, the dairy calves will follow even the
farm dog
around with no sense of danger or distrust.
How does one begin to foster a sense
of distrust in children? Can it be learned in fifth grade when the local policeman
comes and tells the school kids not to
talk to strangers? Studies have shown over and over again that children will
go to strangers, leave with them and trust them. Is this the result of our "socialized" society?
How does this translate to these people as adults? Are these people more apt
to find themselves in difficult situations, unable to distinguish a potential
threat to themselves and their loved ones?
Allowing a baby to bond closely with
one or two people is critical in fostering the survival instinct. It is natural.
In fact, it is the most natural thing in
the world. How does one start? Start by breastfeeding. Feeding time is bonding
time. In a survival situation, powdered baby formula might not be available.
Breastfeeding not only encourages a close bond, but it is also very convenient.
A family on the move may forget a bottle, but I can guarantee that they won't
forget Mom.
Wear your baby. During the daylight hours, wear your baby. Native
cultures have always used various slings or wraps to keep their baby close
while working. Only
in modern times have we developed all sorts of contraptions to keep baby happy
and away from us so that we can go on about our lives as usual. A sling or
Maya wrap allows you to keep your baby content all day and close for feedings.
In
a survival situation, it keeps the baby quiet, warm and content.
Wearing your
baby also offers the benefit of not having to share your baby with strangers.
A baby in a stroller invites a host of onlookers and well wishers,
exposing your baby to a host of strangers and their germs. A baby in a sling
is almost always content and is but another step in the bonding process.
Sleep
with your baby. Many people will surely sneer at this one, but sleep, like
feeding, is a time of trust and deep bonding. Learning to sleep is important
for an infant. Putting your child in another room, closing the door so you
can't
hear them screaming is certainly not natural. The cry of a child is supposed
to drive us to action, it is part of our survival instinct. Sleeping with your
baby is natural, all species of animals sleep with their offspring. In any
survival situation, it may be necessary to share close quarters with your family
members,
it should be the norm, not the exception.
As baby's become toddlers, don't push
them into the unfamiliar. I see this all the time at family gatherings, a parent
forcing a child to sit on Grandpa's
knee.
Respect your toddler's sense of distrust; someday his life may depend on it.
We must stop pushing our children to be "social". If a young child
refuses to go to someone or resists a situation, clearly, there is no reason
to force it on him. That child will never learn to trust his instincts, because
we, as parents, don't trust his instincts'. Let the child lead. We are always
bothered by our children's reluctance to accept new situations and people not
because we want what is best for that child, but because we are afraid of what
other people will think about us and our style of parenting.
By not respecting
the reluctance of our children toward people or situations, we teach them to
ignore their own internal warning signs. Only humans are unique
in this, any other species would certainly perish.
Toddlers will always test
and push their limits, but a toddler who trusts his caregiver and has bonded
closely will be alert to that person's subtle nuances
and body signals. In an unfamiliar situation, a toddler will stay close to
the one he has bonded with. Often, without words, that person can convey a
sense
of unease or distrust of an individual or situation thereby keeping the toddler
safe from possible danger without being so obvious. The child who has not shared
this close bond, will often wander off, oblivious to dangers until an adult
chastises him for his misdeed.
Indeed, it has been my experience that the caregiver
with whom the toddler has bonded becomes the nucleus around which the toddler
experiences the world.
Initially,
the toddler will always stay close, venturing off only in safe, familiar surroundings,
staying close, often within touching distance, in unfamiliar territory or around
new people. The toddler will engage in an activity, always keeping the caregiver
within eyeshot, traveling back and forth between the activity and the caregiver.
Thus the toddler learns to trust the world under the watchful eye of his primary
caregiver, the one that he trusts above all else.
It is critical at this stage
that the caregiver does not take advantage of the trust that has been built
up to this point. If the toddler is not aware
of some
danger, a sharp, warning tone of voice will stop the toddler in mid action.
All parents' possess this "emergency" tone. Unfortunately, this sharp,
warning tone of voice is also often used in non-emergency situations, i.e. "Stop
kicking your feet at the dinner table!" All effectiveness is soon lost
and the toddler will learn to ignore the "emergency" tone of voice.
Abusing the power of the "emergency" tone also erodes trust. The
sky can only fall so many times.
In conclusion, if we truly wish to give our children an advantage in life,
we should begin at birth. Our comfortable lifestyles have made us complacent.
Civility
towards others at all costs has caused us to abandon and ignore our own instinct
of distrust. In the great name of socialization, we continue to place our youngest
and most defenseless citizens in possible peril by ignoring their protests.
If we, as a species, are to survive in the uncertain future, we must take our
cue
from the natural world and once again learn to foster the survival instinct
in our babies and young children.
The Memsahib Adds: Andrea makes makes excellent points
in her article. In our extended family we have noticed the same phenomenon
that Andrea describes.
In
our extended
family,
the children who were bottle fed and put in day care are continually is hazardous
situations
because they have no caution. They wander away from the family at the zoo,
at restaurants, and at parks. Furthermore they are easily led astray by their
peers because
they are not bonded to their parents.
Parents who choose a "close parenting" style will need to steel themselves
against the pressure they will receive from relatives and neighbor that will
chide them for not properly "socializing" their kids. Well meaning church members
will repeatedly urge you to leave your children in the church nursery. Friends
will chide you to leave your children with a sitter for the sake
of your marriage. Ignore them! We used hear this from our family. But, we have
seen
the
result:
our
kids
are confident,
competent,
and
safe. They can be trusted when using an axe or a gun. They are not shy, and
in fact are quite good public speakers, (Although we purposely sought out public
speaking training for our children, initially in a 4H club.)
My advice is to raise your children solidly, dispense fair and impartial discipline,
and minimize their exposure to television. You won't be sorry.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: A Severe Storm Provides a Valuable Lesson »
Letter Re: Advice on Home School Curriculum Resources
Dear Editor:
We are fed up with the public schools. At the end of the current school year,
we plan to pull our children out of public school and homeschool them. What
curriculum
do you
recommend?
Thanks,
- W.J.
The Memsahib Replies: It is difficult to recommend just
one brand or type of curriculum.
There are many different learning styles as well different teaching styles.
We really
like
using materials
that have a Christian perspective such as
. We use the Alpha
Omega course books as our core curriculum. But, I also enjoy pulling in other
resources
to reinforce concepts, or for enrichment. We suggest that you
join your local homeschooling group as soon as possible. Often homeschooling
groups have used curriculum sales in May. You will have the chance to talk
with the other parents and see first hand some of the materials that are out
there. We can't overemphasize the importance of getting plugged-in with other
homeschoolers in your area as soon as possible. These groups will be an important
resource for learning all the local opportunities for co-op classes, field
trips, and social
activities. They'll also know the local school district and state requirements
for homeschooling. They can be a real source of encouragement for new homeschoolers.
(OBTW, for those
of you who are using
like us, please consider purchasing the
curriculum
using
the
link
in
our scrolling
ad
bar to
support
SurvivalBlog. Thanks!)
« Letter Re: Advice on Purchasing Priorities For a Tight Budget |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Family Learning for Preparedness, by T.D.
My husband and I are like minded, (he realized way before I did), and he and
I didn’t
meet until I was in my mid-thirties. I was considered weird, called a tomboy
and later, a gear head. Don’t get me wrong, I cook, sew, knit and crochet.
I had many interests though and wanted to learn.
What I have seen lately and in some people we met that are like minded, is the
lack of initiative on the part of some spouses. I have seen some women and men
that
will ridicule their spouses or will just roll their eyes and feign interest.
I have seen some that their spouses have prepared and bought supplies but their
other half has no clue even how to do the basics. If you are truly vested in
being prepared, your spouse and children need to brush up on the basics also.
This should give you some good ideas on how to learn where you are lacking.
Do you have a grain mill? Mortar and pestle? Does he/she know the basics? Can
all of you bake and cook from scratch? Are your children picky or will they eat
everything you put in front of them? Can they sew? Do they know the basics on
edible plants? Can they hunt or fish? Can your children do what is needed? Can
you do the repairs needed to your home/vehicle?
Our daughter is 16 and she is learning about cars, she can fish with the best
of them and she is a good shot. Our youngest is three years old and he will be
learning as we go. Both will be able to cook (one does now), sew, set traps,
care for
farm
animals, strip and clean weapons, basic survival, fix the family relic (car)
and hopefully get through anything that is thrown at them.
The first step is to start early – my husband is Creole and we eat a lot
most people don’t. Turtle soup, crawfish, head cheese and some even eat
tripe. My son will eat everything he is offered, he was eating crawfish when
he only had 2 teeth. So our routine was this; we fix it and tell you later what
it is. It works well with older kids; younger kids will eat what mom and dad
eat. It is a well known fact that most really young or really old will not eat
a “different” diet, unless they have been doing so all along.
When your child starts showing interest in guns, at about 6-7 years old, take
them hunting. Show them what guns do. My father did that I have always had respect
for what they can do. Children love doing what mom and dad do so they will take
to hunting with pride. We start ours fishing at 2-3 years old for small fish
and getting them used to being around the water supervised. They know how to
check nets and bait hooks by the time they’re 5, that’s when we teach
them how to clean the fish (mom or dad using the sharp knife).
With cars teach them as soon as they’re out of a booster seat. I have
seen too many men and women who can’t even check the oil in their own
cars. Your children should be a help in most situations not a hindrance, even
if it’s
just handing you the tools you need. Our three year old will do most simple
tasks
he is shown and he does them willingly, he is so happy to be a help.
If you are in the military they have a lot of classes on the base that can
help with some of this. Most bases have a repair shop and you can utilize their
mechanics
and tools to learn about repairing your car. They offer other
things so check
into at the base [or post] repair/craft shop.
Work out your plans to include the jobs you expect your children to do. When
things get bad, if we’re on the move our 16 year old is to keep her little
brother while we move and defend if necessary. When stationary she can shoot,
load and take care of first aid. She will be able to pull her own weight and
then some. Our littlest one will follow suit as he grows.
Use barter to attain the skills you don’t have, watch family, use the
Internet and community college. Take a vacation to Pennsylvania or Tennessee.
You can learn a lot in an Amish community, I learned how to make butter and
I am
going back so I can
learn to shear. Some teach and charge others will share what they know for
free. You
can also buy produce and goods from the Amish. Davy Crockett days are in August
and you can watch the craftsman work and it is for the whole family. All vendors
must have a "period" looking tent up and must dress in period clothing.
The on site cooking is also period.
Volunteer to gain skills; veterinarian office and humane society is a good
place to learn about wound care, antibiotic use and dosage, just go watch,
then you
will learn, most places will not turn down a volunteer. Zoos are a great place
to learn about husbandry, housing and more than basic wound care, as smaller
zoos take care of injuries themselves (after a vet is consulted), most of what
you learn at these places about wound care can be used on humans. Colleges
have book sales where you can get books on farming and some older trades/crafts
very
cheap (books are 1-5 dollars). Local small gun and knife shows are also a bountiful
source of information [and logistics], from hard to find books to hard to
find ammo.
Buy reference books! We recently went to a "Friends of the Library" book sale and spent just $12. We now have the McGraw-Hill's 20 volume set on technology ($5), doctor's desk references ("fill the box for $2"), a whole box. These included: beginner, intermediate and advanced practical chemistry, triage handbook, a nurse's reference guide, medical encyclopedias, and a diagnosis reference. We also got the EIR special report "Global Showdown Escalates", Practical Handyman from Greystone Press ($3). In many towns, you can join the Friends of the Library for $5 to $10 dollars annually, or just hit the book sales once per year. Our $12 investment filled the back seat of our car!
Even if you don’t live where your retreat is take the time to “visit” the
area. Go to the local library, stop at the local shops and grab the touristy
maps. In Amish communities the maps tell you about the local farms and what
produce and goods they sell. They have fliers that have information on classes
offered
locally. The department of education has listings for adult education classes
on things like welding. Introduce yourself to the locals, visit the farmers
and the farmers market. Attend the church while you are there, it is the quickest
way into the fold and into being welcomed by the locals. Whether you live there
permanent or you will someday, you will want to be on friendly terms right
away
then when it all goes down.
In Tennessee when we were there, we saw newcomers (less than one year there)
helping
and
being helped by the Amish. Neighbors coming together when they’re needed,
no questions asked other than when do you need me. They all pull together and
work well.
If your family isn’t ready, or is almost ready, taking these steps or some
of these steps will help you get there. If you’re not “together” as
a family in your preparedness then you need to find a way to be. Get the spouse
interested in this even during an outing or vacation. Find a way to get your
children involved. Preparing isn’t just for one person in the family, it’s
for everyone. - T.D.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| A Flooded Basement - Friends You Can Count On, and Lessons Learned »
Letter Re: Practical Bookbinding for Your Downloaded Survival References
Hi Mr. Rawles,
I hope you're having a great day! I was tumbling around the Internet and stumbled
upon a
site on do-it-yourself bookbinding.
It's got a great deal of information on binding your own books simply and easily
using two bolts, two wing nuts, some wood scraps, a wet cotton ball and some
Gorilla Glue. I tried it and found that this is a great way to EMP-proof
my PDF collection
of [public domain] WTSHTF books.
Have a great evening. Best, - Ian
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Calculating The Bullion Value of US Silver Coins »
Letter Re: Self-Sufficiency--How Do We Do It All?
Dear Memsahib and Jim,
I am a daily SurvivalBlog reader and contributor, along with my husband.
I am very interested in learning more how Memsahib and other retreat
women
manage to do all that they do. How does a day or week in your life go? How
do you can, bake, cook, shear, spin, weave, knit, sew, teach, et cetera and
get it
all done?
We are moving to our retreat soon. I have baked, cooked, knit, learned to spin
and weave, and have canned in the past, but not all at once. I forgot to mention
clean, wash, take care of a garden, etc. etc.
We need a blog [post] about how to accomplish everything and remain sane.
Not to mention home school and run a family, continue church life, etc.
For those of us who have been working and raising a family in a large town
and are moving to a retreat life, we need some how to's!!!
The order of things is of the most importance or we will never accomplish all
our tasks!!!
Memsahib, does your work every stop? Do you feel like you have no personal
time?
I also work as a registered nurse and will try to continue with my specialty
in teaching young mothers how to breast feed and care for their newborns.
Thank you for your input from all of us women who will try to "do it all" on
our retreat sites. Thanks again, - Kathie
The Memsahib Replies: Thank you so much for your huge vote
of confidence. How nice to think there is a woman out there who thinks that
I do it all! :-) First
let me say first, no I
don't do it all. And secondly I don't worry about doing it all either.
I'm writing this reply specifically to married women with children. The most
important thing is to keep your priorities right: I believe the correct order
is: God, your husband, your children, and then everything else after that. Also
remember it is not up to you to insure the survival of your
family. God is in control of everything. And after God is your husband. I hope
this will lift some
if the burden that you are feeling. Don't shoulder the burden of the family's
survival yourself. That is not your role. I think that is usurping your husband's
role
of provider and protector of the family.Your job is to be a helpmeet to your
husband.
Okay, that said, I have acquired a lot of skills that could be put to use in
TEOTWAWKI, but I do not try to do them all now. I think to attempt that would
put me in an early grave like my pioneer great grandmothers! I think this is
time for learning preparation skills, but if you tried to actually do them all
there is no way you would have time to learn any new skills. For example I have
a lot of food preservation skills. But at this present time most of our larder
is full of mostly purchased foodstuffs. For the satisfaction of it, I have fed
my family entire meals from food I personally raised including the milk that
came fresh from our cow. It feels great to know I can do it. But I don't try
to do it on a day to day basis.
There are some things that we do that allow for extra time in my schedule. We
don't own a television. I think I get a lot more done for the lack of watching
television. Also, I do not have a full time job outside the home. Not having
to commute saves a lot of time. Another thing I attribute to getting more done
is the fact that we are out in the middle of nowhere, so I don't shop. There
is no place to shop. Every two months or so we stock up to top off our supplies.
I also know the capacity of our larder well. I'm very strict with my family about
sticking to the list! This saves time and money when we are out shopping. Also
we only shop for clothes twice a year when we visit family in the big city. My
sister knows all the great thrift stores. And, she knows which department stores
have the best sale prices on shoes socks and underwear. If we didn't have growing
children we probably could go several years without buying clothes! By the way.
I do know how to sew clothes. And I know how to knit sweaters, hats, socks, mittens,
and such. But I don't make my family's clothes because I don't particularly enjoy
sewing. (For now, I go to the thrift store. I often can buy down jackets, Merino
wool sweaters and nearly new blue jeans for $3 each, and shirts, slacks, blouses,
skirts, dresses for less than than that.)
Another thing is that our family does which frees up quite a bit of time for
me
is cleaning up after themselves. Our children for example clear their places
after
meals,
take their dishes to the sink and putt the scraps in the chicken bucket, and
rinse their plates and glasses, and put them in the dishwasher. When there are
clothes to be folded at our house all the children fold and put away their own
clothes. Our children also have an individual chore based on their age, such
as setting and clearing the table, unloading the dishwasher, keeping the wood
box filled, and feeding their pets. And you may have realized by now I make use
of
all the
modern appliances which make household chores quicker. In the past, we've lived
without running water and without electricity. I know I can survive without them,
and
I may have
to in the future. But I sure enjoy the luxury of having them now!
The "survival skills' that I do practice daily are the ones that I personally
really enjoy. I practice them as recreation and relaxation. For me personally
that is raising small livestock. I really enjoy going out to the barn and feeding
my critters. I especially enjoy my sheep because I also enjoy the fiber arts.
I also really enjoy gardening. So my hobbies dovetail nicely with my husbands
desire to be well prepared. So what hobbies and interests do you have? Which
ones could you cultivate as prepping? Just because I don't care for sewing doesn't
mean that it wouldn't be a great dovetail for you.
You might say another one of my hobbies is acquiring "life skills".
Some people have a personality that is suited for focusing on one skill and developing
that skill to a master level. My personality is more suited to trying everything.
I try to make the most of each situation in which we've lived to learn what I
can. My motto is: when God gives you zucchini take the opportunity to experiment
baking, drying, frying zucchinis! The older women of the communities we've lived
in have been wonderful teachers. They have taught me how to can pickles, make
grape juice, milk goats, make soap, knit socks as well as sharing the abundance
of their gardens and orchards. But I in no way feel compelled to now makes all
the food we eat from scratch, knit all our clothes, make all our soap, and neither
should you!
I would be remiss if I did not say that I think it is very important to use this
time of liberty of ideas and travel to attend Bible studies. Yes, you can and
should read and study the Bible at home. But, I find that the commitment to do
a study with other believers disciplines me to stay in the Word even when life
gets hectic. And our pastor has many valuable insights into the Scriptures. If
you have the ability to attend a good Bible study, then do it! You
may not always have that opportunity because of poor health, high gas prices,
lack of transportation,
or lack of religious freedom. Reading the stories of prisoners of war, I am struck
by how their knowledge of God's word helped them endure. As the Bible says, "make
the most of time, because the days are evil".
« The Precious Metals Bull Charges Onward |Main| Note from JWR: »
Sources for Free Survival and Preparedness Information on the Internet, by K.L. in Alaska
Recent comments in SurvivalBlog provided excellent advice on using the public
library. You can gain lots of knowledge with no expense, then purchase only
those books you want to keep on hand for personal reference. Also, many colleges
and universities loan to local residents, so you can use them too, even if
you aren't a student.
If your local libraries participate, a great resource is Worldcat. It lets you search for books from home,
then go check them out, or get them through interlibrary loan.
What will happen to the Internet when the SHTF?
There's no guarantee it will survive. Even if the World Wide Web endures in
some form, most of the individual computers connected to it will not. Hopefully
by then you will have already downloaded all the free info that's going to
help you cope with the new world.
You may want to download a copy of information
on this web site or any other web site with useful content. It would be a shame
to face some disaster when all the resources of the internet are no longer
at your fingertips.
In preparation for a worst case scenario,
it's a good idea to begin now to collect the knowledge that will come in handy
later. You can download whole books, save them to jump drives, and keep an
entire library in a very small space. All kinds of free manuals, guides, tech
tips, and schematics are available on the internet; for everything from firearms
to furnaces to computers to appliances.
All of the downloads listed
here are in the public domain or allowable for copying. Stay away from sites
that may involve copyright infringement. If you use a file-sharing site such
as Limewire, Kazaa, or any site that uses bit torrents, you are not only downloading,
but also uploading. Your participation involves automatically uploading to
other users. If the file is illegal, you are distributing illegal material,
not just downloading it. Stay away from these and stick with the legitimate
sites listed below.
Keep in mind that some of this information you
download might be illegal to use at the present time. You can't practice dentistry
on your neighbor just because you have the book. Nevertheless, you have the
right to possess this very vital information. After TEOTWAWKI,
all bets are off. The information you collect today might save your life or
the life of somebody you love.
Many downloads are in Portable Document Format
(PDF) form, so to read them you must have a suitable program such as Adobe
Reader, which is the free version of Adobe Acrobat. There are alternatives
to Adobe that can read PDF files, if you prefer. Some of these files are very
large. If your internet connection is slow, it's better to right click and
download rather than try to read a huge file online.
Some documents you may want to print out. Others
you can just leave on disc. Just be sure to store your drives safely. Not included
in this list are the many web sites that are very good resources in themselves.
Rather, these are the files you can download for offline viewing at a later
time. Download them while you still can!
Project
Gutenberg was mentioned as a good place to go for eBooks.
The Smithsonian
Institution is another great resource. They have digitized many older
books, maps, and documents in their collection.
Wikisource has
a nice collection of free eBooks.
One way to search for books no longer in copyright is to use Google
Book Search. Check "full view." If it comes up in the search,
it can be downloaded as a PDF file.
A good alternative to Google is the Internet Archive which includes books,
images, audio, and more. The Internet Archive also hosts the Wayback Machine,
which archives copies of an incredible 85 billion pages from the internet of
years past.
Over 100,000 free eBooks can be accessed through Digital Book Index
2020ok is a directory of
free online books and free eBooks
The British Columbia Digital Library has an impressive Collection, including
dictionaries, encyclopedias, and most importantly, the Holy Bible. It also has a Guide to other digital libraries.
Scribd is an online document
library of free research articles, eBooks, and other content.
A great resource for home schoolers is the Internet's largest
directory of free audio & video learning resources maintained by LearnOutLoud.com.
Check out the postings of Home Schooling
On-line Resources on the The Mental Militia Forums, as well as the "Must
Have" Books/reference material topic.
More than 3,200 pages related to the U. S. Constitution can
be downloaded from The Founders' Constitution
Firearms For any
firearm you own or plan to own, you should have a drawing of its Exploded View,
which will help identify parts and how they fit together. One of the most comprehensive
collections of Exploded Views is the paper edition of the Numrich Arms Catalog, which
in itself is a gold mine of information and very inexpensive for a volume of
over 1200 pages.
But if you only need certain Exploded Views, there are many
places on the internet where you can download them for free:
Gunuts is a good place
to start with hundreds of drawings. Another source is The Okie Gunsmith Shop, which
is apparently no longer operating, but you can still download drawings and
parts lists from its web site.Big Bear Gun Works has
another good list. For pre-WWII firearms, check out Gunsworld. For examples of specific
firearms manufacturers, see Remington, Browning, and SKB Shotguns
The book, The Defensive Use Of Firearms by
Shane C. Henry is available as a download from rec.guns. An enormous amount
of additional gun information is available on the rec.guns web site.
There are several good sources for Military Publications: GlobalSecurity.org has
a huge collection of Military manuals.
Try Integrated Publishing for
access to millions of pages of engineering manuals and documents.
The U.S. Army Materiel Command maintains the LOGSA web site for access
to thousands of Army technical manuals.
The U.S. Air Force maintains the Air Force e-Publishing web site.
As mentioned recently, The
Small Wars Journal has a Reference
Library of downloadable military documents.
The Brooke Clarke
web site has a good guide to accessing military field manuals
Surviving War and Nuclear
Attack For a basic guide, download How
To Survive A Chemical Or Biological Attack.
Nuclear War Survival
Skills, along with some other very interesting books, can be found on
the Oregon
Institute of Science and Medicine web site. This book includes plans
for the Kearny Fallout Radiation Meter (KFM). If you have not bought a radiation
meter, you should at least download the book for future reference. You can
also get the Free
Plans from The Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Nuclear War Survival Skills is also available on the KI4U web site as an online
book, but not as a download.
The Equipped To Survive web site
has some free ebooks, as well as books for sale: Survival,
Evasion, and Recovery and U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76.
The Volunteer Center of Marin County, California has prepared A Guide to Organizing
Neighborhoods for Preparedness, Response and Recovery which you
can copy from their web site.
Medical Resources The Disease
Net has a library of downloadable manuals on survival, weapons, emergency
medicine, and less serious subjects.
Virtual Naval Hospital is
a digital library of naval, military, and humanitarian medicine
The very important field manual, First Aid For Soldiers FM 21-11 can be downloaded here.
One of the best medical handbooks available is the U.S. Army Special Forces Medical Handbook ST31-91B.
It can be downloaded free (as well as additional essential guides) from Delta Gear, Inc.
A newer version of the Medical
Handbook, plus more great material can be downloaded from NH-TEMS
(New Hampshire Tactical Emergency medical support).
The
American Red Cross has some of their disaster guides online for download.
For most of their material, you have to go to the local office. Some of it
can be copied from the Earth
Changes Media Survival Tips page.
The Red Cross Book, First
Aid in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency book, The
Ship Captain's Medical Guide
Hesperian makes
available free downloads of its books for medical treatment in primitive conditions.
Two highly respected guides it publishes are Where There Is No Doctor and Where
There Is No Dentist.
Here is a direct link to the must-have book Survival and
Austere Medicine: An introduction. Australian Survivalist Online
has several additional Files
for downloading.
The Department of Agriculture has
a treasure trove of information for free download. This agency maintains The
National Agricultural Library, a collection of free information on Agriculture,
Food and Nutrition, and other related subjects.
Another USDA web site is the Cooperative Extension
Service. Click on the map to navigate to various Extension offices around
the country. Don't limit your search to just your own state. Many of them
have invaluable information on animals, crops, construction, food preparation
and much more for free download.
The
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) offers downloads about preventing plant and animal diseases,
among other topics.
The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) offers Fact
Sheets about food handling and preparation, and emergency preparedness.
Other Important Reference
Resources The classic outdoor guides, The 10
Bushcraft Books by Richard Graves are available on the Chris Molloy web
site. Free manuals for electronic equipment can be downloaded from eServiceInfo.com. Another source is UsersManualGuide.com. For Ham Radio
and Test Equipment Manuals, the KO4BB web site has Free Downloads, as well as LINKS to many other web sites with free downloads. A few examples
of repair information for outdoor equipment are Penn Reel Schematics,
and Mercury outboard
parts.
Paid Services In
the unlikely event that you can't find free information on the Net to fix that
generator or whatever you need to repair, there are web sites that charge for
information. As a last resort, you can check Sam's PHOTOFACT service manuals,
or RepairManual.com. Hopefully,
that won't be necessary.
The foregoing just begins to scratch the surface. Some of
these free downloads are also available as books or CDs from eBay, Amazon or
from some of the survivalist web sites. That is fine. Sometimes it is easier
to just pay the money and buy the book. But nobody can afford it all, and downloading
gives you access to millions of pages - much more knowledge than you could
acquire through any other method.
« Letter Re: A Political Solution to America's Pending Economic Catastrophe |Main| Note from JWR: »
Homeschooling During the Crunch, by Nathaniel
Let's say that you and your family having been taking the advice provided here
by Mr. Rawles and are squared away for the Crunch—you've got your bullets,
beans, and band-aids, all piled high in a structurally reinforced home out
in the middle of nowhere. You've got just about every survivalist book ever
printed, plus the tools and skills you'll need to provide for yourself and
your family. You also, of course, have the basic life skills that you'll
need to simply stay alive—things like shooting, tracking, cooking,
and first aid.
Have you thought, however, about the education of your children?
Public schools, private schools, and universities will likely close their
doors. And even if
any remain open, the education they provide would be of questionable value
when society is falling apart. Clearly, the most important things for children
to know will be the things that survivalist parents have been teaching them
for a long time—skills like shooting, cooking, sewing, and first aid—and
none of those are taught sufficiently well in the typical school.
But will children
really need to learn anything else during the Crunch? After all, what is the
value of "book learning" when you're far from civilization,
simply trying to survive? Does it really matter who wrote A Tale of Two Cities?
Of what importance is learning to tell the difference between it's and its
or good and well? And who cares about calculating the length of the hypotenuse
of a right triangle?
Actually, all of that is important. The three R's (reading,
[w]riting, and [a]rithmetic) will always be of value, no matter how bad things
get, as will
a variety of other subjects. Why? Because in all except the most horrific SHTF scenarios,
people move out of their bunkers after several years and again begin to interact
with their neighbors, first just to barter, and later to gather
socially. Society eventually rebuilds, and as it does so, leaders are needed
to fill the gap—people who are able to communicate effectively and think
critically about the problems they face. How are such leaders raised? In part,
through their education.
We've already established that traditional educational services will almost
certainly be non-operational once the Schumer hits
the fan, so survivalists must look elsewhere for a solution. Essentially, that
solution is some form
of homeschooling, because when society isn't functioning, your children will
have no one to learn from other than you.
Are you ready for that? Some of you
already homeschool your kids—that's
great. But regardless of whether you already do or not, you may not be prepared
for the day when there are no more easily obtainable textbooks, no more homeschool
co-ops, no more video lectures, and no more sources of basic school supplies.
Could you, with only the resources that you have now, teach your kids the important
things that they need to know for the next three, four, or five years? How
about the next ten?
Before going any further, let's clear up some common misconceptions.
First, you don't need to be a professional teacher to be a successful homeschooling
parent. College degrees in education might make you more capable of teaching
a class of thirty students, but you certainly don't need a degree to teach
one or two kids at a time. Second, you don't need specialized curriculum or
fancy textbooks. Textbooks are a relatively new invention and can be useful
in some cases, but they certainly aren't essential if you have a good attitude
and the right tools.
So what do you need? Well, you need some general supplies,
a few basic tools, and most importantly, books—lots of books.
The essential
tools and supplies are for the most part obvious—pencils
and paper are a good start, and you can stock up for pennies during back-to-school
sales at major retailers. Don't settle for junk, however—you'll be kicking
yourself for buying those cheap mechanical pencils when they're all breaking
after a month or two of use. The best strategy is to simply buy a mechanical
pencil sharpener if you don't already own one, and plenty of boxes of old fashioned
yellow pencils, with separate rubber erasers still in their original plastic
wrapping. Don't forget the tools you'll need to teach math, either—items
like protractors and well-made compasses are essential. Something else you
may not have thought of is a slide rule, since calculator screens and batteries
are prone to failure. Slide rules last for decades if properly cared for, and
have the added benefit of forcing their users to engage their brains. Of course,
since you're going to be teaching your kids how to use these tools, make sure
you know how to use them yourself.
Next up is books. This is the most important part of your homeschool preparation,
simply because the right books are packed with valuable information that's
accessible to anyone who is able to read—both the teacher and the student.
Furthermore, it's possible to get most books for only a little bit of money—used
book stores and library book sales are excellent ways to build a large library
on a small budget.
The key reference works that everyone ought to own include a Bible, an exhaustive
concordance, and a modern unabridged English dictionary. A complete encyclopedia
would also be a valuable resource, and versions printed a few decades ago can
be obtained at little cost. Your Bible and concordance should be of the same
version, and the version should be both readable and accurate for serious study.
Some prefer more literal versions like the New American Standard or the English
Standard Version, while others like the grandeur of the King James Version
or the readability of the New International Version. Get a version you like
and will read, and get the concordance to go with it.
To teach your child to
read, depending on age, you'll need a variety of interesting and educational
books. Teach phonics and short-sentence reading, and then move
on to picture books like the Frog and Toad series (Arnold Lobel) and stories
by Dr. Seuss. Eventually, you'll be able to make the move to some of the older
Newbery Prize winners, like A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle), Carry On,
Mr. Bowditch (Jean Lee Latham) Amos Fortune, and Free Man (Elizabeth Yates).
Other excellent children's books include The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson
Burnett), the Little House series (Laura Ingalls Wilder), The Chronicles of
Narnia (C. S. Lewis), The Princess and the Goblin (George MacDonald), anything
by E. B. White, My Side of the Mountain (Jean Craighead George), The Sign of
the Beaver (Elizabeth George Speare), Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
and the Redwall series (Brian Jacques). Pre-teens and teenagers ought to be
able to start digesting heavier works—begin with John Bunyan, Mark Twain,
and J. R. R. Tolkien, and then move on to Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Fyodor
Dostoevsky, Herman Melville, Ernest Hemingway, and other great authors. Poetry
is also excellent reading material—start with the classics by poets like
Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Robert Service. You can also
read any of these works aloud to younger kids, thereby giving them early exposure
to the masters of the written word.
A strong writer is necessarily an accomplished
reader, so by providing literature to your children, you are also encouraging
the development of their writing
skills. Writing can be improved by a lot of practice and by studying examples
in literature, but resources like The Elements of Style by Stunk and White
(get the 3rd edition—the 4th edition was made more politically correct
by a shameless ghost writer) make it much easier. Do not underestimate the
importance of the skill of writing—it forms the basis of all effective
communication.
Mathematics can be taught without textbooks as well, but depending
on your own familiarity with the subject, it may be difficult. Today it's not
uncommon
to find people who can't make change in their head or balance a checkbook,
so if that describes you, make an effort to develop your math skills. You ought
to be able to explain concepts like arithmetic (including long division and
three digit multiplication), percentages, units of measurement, distance and
graphs, and simple logic. A working knowledge of geometry, trigonometry, logarithms,
probability, statistics, and calculus would be even better, but some find this
difficult to attain. At this level, many will find it necessary to use textbooks,
but there's usually no need to have a separate textbook for each grade: entry-level
college math textbooks cover a wide variety of topics and older versions are
extremely inexpensive when purchased at book sales or online. Get one that
has the answers in the back of the book, or one that comes with a solution
manual.
As the new society develops, there will be a need for people who understand
how government works and who understand the basis of government by the people.
Works like Two Treatises of Government (John Locke), The Federalist (Hamilton,
Madison, and Jay), and Democracy in America (Alexis de Tocqueville) provide
a better understanding of government than any civics textbook ever could, and
supplementing these works with opposing viewpoints like those found in The
Communist Manifesto (Engels and Marx) can generate healthy discussion.
History
can be taught in a variety of ways, but one of the easiest is through biographies.
Learning about the lives of people like Alexander the Great, Marcus
Aurelius, Augustine, Martin Luther, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, George
Washington, Simón Bolívar, Napoleon, Robert E. Lee, George Washington
Carver, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther
King, Jr., and others can provide a basic understanding of world history. Historical
fiction like that written by G. A. Henty can also be a valuable resource, because
it simultaneously engages young readers and teaches history.
You may decide to teach a foreign language, or perhaps a "dead" language
such as Latin, Ancient Greek, or New Testament Greek. A dictionary, grammar,
and Bible in the language are all you absolutely need, but for foreign languages,
a few fiction (especially juvenile fiction) books can make it more fun. It's
also extremely helpful to have access to someone who already knows and speaks
the language well, so make sure you know the language capabilities of the people
in your retreat group.
Science is best taught through experiments, and it's
often possible to incorporate science lessons into everyday life. Turn your
latest kill into a biology lesson
by analyzing all the organs and talking about what each does. Physics is critical
for understanding bullet drop, and many chemistry experiments can be performed
with supplies found in the survivalist kitchen. The theory behind these sciences
can be easily discovered in a low-cost college textbook purchased at a book
sale, but beware of physics texts that are calculus-based unless you're prepared
to teach that as well.
Despite its reputation among the more practical-minded, art encourages creativity
and appreciation for Creation. The easiest way to teach art during the crunch
will likely be drawing, because all you need are pencils, paper, and a view
of the great outdoors. Drawing also has practical value, because a precise
drawing can communicate some information more effectively than the written
word. Other forms of art, such as painting and music, require more supplies
and equipment, making them more expensive and harder to continue once re-supply
is impossible.
There are other subjects that you may wish to teach, such as
geography, astronomy, or economics. My advice is the same for these topics—find
excellent practical books on each, and let them guide how you teach. Some kids
enjoy learning directly
from books, but others will prefer a more hands-on approach. Use some creativity
to provide the learning experience that best matches your child's style, and
remember that all the information you need is hidden in the pages of the books
in your library.
In addition to purchasing all these books and supplies, you
should to get the experience of teaching your kids now, before you need to
do it. Just like it's
foolish to build an arsenal of firearms but skip weapons training, it isn't
easy to suddenly turn into a good teacher for your kids. Taking the time
now to homeschool will help you get ready for when it's necessary, and besides,
both you and your kids will likely benefit from the additional time together.
If you can't homeschool full-time due to time or financial constraints, do
you best to practice teaching in your spare time, by reading to your kids
and
doing fun experiments in the basement. Do whatever you can, both in terms
of skill development and resource acquisition, because you owe it to your children
to start preparing for the day when other options are no longer available
and
their education rests entirely in your hands.
JWR Adds: Even SurvivalBlog readers that currently send their
children to private school should plan ahead for circumstances that might necessitate
home schooling. This could be because of self-quarantine during a pandemic,
a natural disaster that disrupts transportation and public school schedules, TEOTWAWKI,
or even just the loss of income because of a layoff. Regardless, you should
plan ahead, and start stocking up on home schooling curriculum!
« Letter Re: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina and Indiscriminate Weapons Confiscation |Main| Note from JWR: »
Reverse the Public School Brainwashing and Keep Your Kids Safe, by Captain Dave
The recent school shooting at Virginia Tech demonstrates a huge underlying
societal problem that many of us are either ignoring or are ignorant of. Because
society has spent much of the last several decades trying to stamp violence
out of schools and out of our children, we end up with kids who are made-to-order
victims that will line up to be shot execution style rather than fight back.
The answer to school violence is not to arm the campus police, have campus
SWAT teams, or class rooms that can double as fortresses, it is to teach our
children to protect themselves aggressively and confidently with whatever weapon
may be at hand. Clearly the schools are not doing this, so responsible parents
need to be sure they are.
While it may be politically incorrect to say so, how many of us have wondered
why the 30 college kids in a classroom didn't mob the gunman, tackle him, hit
him with a chair, or otherwise fight back? Why was the only defender a concentration
camp survivor old enough to be the students' grandparent? I believe that the
answer to those two questions is the same: Because in two generations our feel
good society has gutted the right to self defense in our public schools and
created a generation of victims. That's right – they have brainwashed
our children into pliable victims who will not defend themselves.
Creating Willing Victims
In our school district, kids in middle school and occasionally in lower school
are handcuffed and arrested when a fight breaks out. Because of "zero
tolerance" towards fighting, even kids who defend themselves when attacked
are arrested and suspended, regardless of who was "in the right" or
what witnesses say. The concept that students have a right to self defense
does not exist in these schools and the lesson taught is "do not fight
back." Is it any wonder that kids who are indoctrinated in this system
have no idea how to defend themselves or that it is even permissible to try,
even when faced with a gunman killing their fellow students?
This politically correct emphasis on non-violence is really a drive to non-confrontation
that teaches kids to be victims at an early age. Violence not only still exists
in our schools, it is worse than ever because the system does not allow kids
to counter force with force. This means that kids cannot fight back when they
are harassed on the school bus, spit on in the lunch room, assaulted in the
hallway, or beaten in the locker room. Teachers routinely do not intervene
in bullying or one-way assaults. This bullying behavior is allowed until the
target decides to fight back, at which point school rules treat both
the attacker and defender the same way. I am afraid that these days,
the only place bullies and their victims really meet after school to settle
their differences is on
television or in the movies.
Stamping Out the Competitive Spirit
In addition to creating willing victims who are powerless to defend themselves,
public schools are stamping out the competitive spirit out of our children.
This is terribly unfortunate, because competitiveness and the desire to win
are two of the things that have helped make America great.
In public schools, competitiveness is looked down upon because it might hurt
a less competitive student's self esteem if they don't do as well as someone
else. For the sake of self esteem, standing out must be discouraged and everyone
must be equal – equally bad, that is. (Didn't we fight the Cold War to
keep this communist mentality from spreading? And now it is being enforced
in our schools.)
Public schools are routinely taking those kids who are smarter or otherwise
above average and forcing them to work at the level of the slowest kid in the
class. For example, in my daughter's public elementary school class, smart
children were teamed with slower kids on team projects to bring up the slower
kids' grades up.
This approach is an example of backwards thinking. Instead of allowing kids
to succeed or fail on their own merits, the system promotes mediocrity. Worse,
the smart kids are bored by the slow progress and frustrated at having to do
the teacher's job of instructing the other kids. They also learn early that
by appearing smart, they have to do everyone else's work, and so some decide
to hide their intelligence. The slower kids learn that society will promote
them even when they don't do the work (so called social promotion – don’t
get me started), so there is little incentive for them to try harder or to
improve their performance.
We used to encourage success and honor our high achievers; now the public schools
teach your kids that standing out and excelling is wrong because when you stand
out, someone with a lower average may get their feelings hurt. So much for
pride in a job well done.
This effort to improve children by falsely boosting their self esteem is wishful
thinking. Kids know where they stand regardless of what the teacher says, and
it sends the wrong message when teachers and school officials honor everyone,
regardless of their performance. We need to go back to rewarding the high performers
and addressing the problem with a child who isn't finding success, even if
it means we have to hurt their self esteem by holding them back a grade.
Sports, the Last Bastion of Competition
About the only place in public schools that competition still exists is on
the sports field. In fact, the coach is about the only teacher who can still
yell at kids without a parent calling up and complaining.
But how long will this last? If football were not such an institution and economic
boon for high schools and colleges, I have no doubt "well meaning" school
administrators would have banned it by now. Already, there are fewer hours
of PE class in most schools than ever before. Adults are even interfering with
pick up games at recess by saying that kids can’t pick their own teams
because someone might have their feelings hurt by being selected last. I'm
sure everyone reading this has heard of a school district where dodge ball
has been banned because it is too violent or dangerous. When did we start to
coddle our children so much that getting hit with a big red rubber ball became
something we must protect them from?
In most organized contact sports, you can still hit the other player. As a
coach of a girls soccer for six seasons, let me tell you that it is difficult
to get a young girl to be aggressive on the soccer field. Even by age 7, they
are so indoctrinated in non-violence that they back up or will run away from
a charging player instead of advancing or holding their ground to steal the
ball or disrupt a fast break. The short-term result is that the one or two
aggressive kids dominate play, largely because they are unchallenged. The long-term
result is that later in life the girl will become a woman who shies away from
confrontation and is afraid to stand up for herself. Another ready victim.
Yet even organized sports are changing. At young ages, the parents and coaches
are told not to keep score, because losing may cause a child to lose self esteem.
As if a kid old enough to swing a bat can't keep score! Such behavior on the
part of adults who are supposed to be experts in childhood development is laughable.
Let's face it, in life you will win some, and you will lose some, so the sooner
you learn to be a good sport when you lose, the better off you will be. Pretending
that "everyone wins" also eliminates the life lessons that come from
losing, such as picking yourself up and trying again.
Sports are tough, but so is life. Get used to it young and you will survive
better when you are older. I was knocked unconscious playing "touch" football
in sixth grade. In high school, I broke my leg in a soccer game. (The coach
told me to walk it off, and I tried to.) My younger sister almost lost her
front teeth in a softball game in junior high. (Her braces actually kept them
from getting knocked out – it was the only time she was happy to have
braces.) Were we disillusioned or too dispirited to return to the game? Of
course not. We both overcame these temporary setbacks and continued playing
sports. It's the old getting back up on the horse that threw you idea, which
is an important lesson for success later in life. How will our kids learn perseverance
and to overcome obstacles if we clear all the obstacles out of their way? No
wonder the Virginia Tech victims did not fight back – they had been taught
to wait for someone else to come and solve their problem for them.It's Not
Your Father's School Anymore
When my father went to school during World War II, he and his friends would
often bring their .22 rifles or single shot shotguns to school so they could
shoot rabbits and other small game on the way home. When I went to school in
the 1970s, I remember bringing cap guns to school on Halloween, and I carried
a pocket knife every day after I turned 10. Today, dressing like a cowboy for
Halloween or bringing a pocket knife to school can get you expelled, and don't
even think of bring a .22. Not only will the child be expelled, authorities
will likely charge the parent with a crime, confiscate any weapons in the house,
and restrict their right to own a gun again in the future. My, how times have
changed.
So are schools any safer today than they were 30 or 60 years ago? Of course
not. Just as gun control does not reduce violent in the real world, it does
not reduce it in schools. In fact, there is evidence that concealed carry permits
for teaches and administrators is far more likely to forestall a bloody school
massacres than laws and metal detectors.
I don't have to tell you that we live in a violent world where things are not
fair – perhaps the one lesson that public schools do consistently teach
our youth. Unfortunately, public schools do not teach kids how to counter violence,
how to walk with their head held high, and how to avoid or deal with trouble
before it escalates. Instead, it teaches them to be fearful, to slink around
with their heads hung, and to call an administrator, police officer or other
member of the nanny state when something goes wrong. This curriculum has not
only rendered students powerless and created a generation of easy victims;
it has lead to the type of slaughter we saw earlier this year at Virginia Tech.
Further, I postulate that the zero tolerance policies that force good kids
to be victims rather than fight back cause frustration and suppressed anger
in otherwise normal kids. It is this anger and frustration that causes the
oppressed kids to one day reach the bursting point and bring a gun to school,
seeking to end their torment. We will never know how many kids fantasize – without
taking action – about bringing a gun to school and killing their abusers.
But we do know that school shootings driven by revenge on bullies and tormentors,
such as Columbine, show no sign of abating.
How many adults would allow ourselves to be subjected to verbal, psychological
and physical abuse by our peers for six or eight years? Yet kids from fifth
grade up routinely deal with this kind of abuse at the hands of their fellow
students. Should we really expect high school kids, with their raging hormones
and adolescent angst, to survive years of this daily abuse without cracking?
Maybe this is why the use of antidepressants is so high among teenagers today.
Unfortunately, the policies of feel-good, self-esteem raising, zero-tolerance
school administrations have created a generation of ready-made victims and
a revenge-based school shooting culture that never existed before.
Reversing the Brainwashing
So what can you do to fight this conditioning and brainwashing? My advice is
as follows:
First, enroll your boy or girl, in extracurricular sports as young as possible,
preferably by age six. Sports like football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse,
field hockey, roller hockey and ice hockey are in my opinion better than sports
like golf, tennis and baseball because there is contact and aggressive play
is both encouraged and rewarded. In their lives, your kids will have to face
violence, and learning to face it in the controlled environment of the playing
field is the first step in successfully facing it in an uncontrolled environment.
Contact sports do not teach violence and aggression, but they provide an outlet
for the aggression that the schools otherwise bottle up. Sports also teach
kids how to channel aggression and anger into positive activities.
If finances are an issue, choose soccer over a sport that requires lots of
pads such as football or hockey. You can outfit a youth soccer player for less
than $50.
Second, when time and finances allow, enroll your kids in other extra curricular
activities where they will meet and mingle with kids from other schools, towns
and cultures. As they get older, they will need to have a network of friends
outside of the people they go to school with. This provides an escape; when
everyone at their school knows they did something stupid, the kids from the
next town over will probably have no idea. These extra curricular activities
can be programs that teach valuable and vanishing skills, such as Scouts, junior
shooting competitions, and 4H.
Third, do things with your kids. Spend time with them so they can observe your
behavior in difficult situations and learn by your example. Have dinner with
your children regularly and ask them what they learned at school. If you disagree
with what they were taught, provide your contrasting opinion in a reasonable,
even handed way. Remember, any time spent with them is better than no time.
Use examples from your life to and tell stories with morals. Even a drive to
the store and back gives you time to talk and is better than time spent watching
television or playing video games.
Fourth, try to find other responsible adults for them to spend time with; relatives
who think like you do are a good choice. The more one-on-one time they have
with a right-thinking adult, the better, as that influence will slowly infiltrate,
overcoming the brainwashing and protecting them from it in the future. I say
this from experience, having raised two politically conservative children who
understand the second amendment, regardless of what the school tries to teach
them
Fifth, encourage your children to stand up for themselves and tell your child
that you won't punish them if they fight back and defend themselves. There
is a fine line to walk here, as they must understand that 1) the school will
still punish them, but that you will back them and they will not get in additional
trouble at home. And 2) they can't go around looking for or starting fights.
The other person has to throw the first punch or two, so to speak. In my personal
experience, a good martial arts school can help give kids the confidence and
discipline to walk this line as well as the skills to enforce it.
At the same time you give them permission to fight back, teach them that the
best fight is the one that they avoid. Teach them to not to make enemies – there's
no profit in it and potentially much pain as they will have to see the other
kid every day for the rest of the school year. Teach them to think and reason,
and not react emotionally. Cooler heads do prevail. But teach them that when
a fight cannot be avoided, they need to do whatever it takes to win it clearly
and decisively in a way that discourages re-engagement at a future time.
Sixth, talk about what to do in a school shooting scenario. Don't avoid the
topic or turn off the television – address it, just as you would another
survival situation such as an earthquake or tornado. Discuss when to run, when
to hide,
when to fight back. Discuss what, if anything, the school told them to do and
whether it makes sense. Teach them to be aware of exits and where to sit in
the room. Teach them to look for hiding places and that a table is unlikely
to stop a bullet. They also need to know that that action beats reaction. Demonstrate
how it is harder to hit a moving target than a stationary one. At the same
time, reassure them that while it is very unlikely they will have a school
shooting at their school, it is better to plan ahead of time than to panic.
Finally, if you can afford to do so, get them out of the public schools and
into a good private school. Preferably a small one with class sizes under 20,
where kids will have opportunities to learn at their own pace. Home schooling
is another excellent alternative, and is usually very safe, but unfortunately
is often not an option for single parent households or households in which
both parents work.
Because private schools are expensive and generally do not refund your tuition
if your kid is expelled, parents have a much greater vested interest in keeping
their kids in line and well behaved. This makes a world of difference, as does
having independent administrators who do not need to please an elected official.
The Private School Experience
We chose private school, and after the mortgage, it is our largest single expense.
It also requires that we drop off and pick up our child each day, which required
some scheduling changes as well as some additional dollars for gasoline. We
evaluated several schools before picking what we felt was the best one for
our daughter.
Yes, private schooling required a sacrifice, but in our experience, it is well
worth it. Not only does our daughter get far more individual attention from
teachers that she did in public school, she is encouraged to work ahead in
the book. Rather than be held back by the lowest common denominator, kids in
her school compete to see who can finish the most vocabulary words, math sheets,
and reading assignments in the given time. She is no longer bored in class,
and competition encourages her to push herself harder than the teacher could.
She is much happier and well ahead of where she would have been had she stayed
in private school.
Several of the sports teams are co-educational, so the girls learn to play
with the boys – they have to be aggressive if they want to play. Kids
pick their own teams at recess and make their own rules, often with much healthy
argument
and dissent, yet the teachers usually do not interfere, letting the kids work
out their differences. Yes, the kids get bumps, bruises, and abrasions, but
they wear these playground injuries with nonchalance, just like we did 30 years
ago.
Most refreshing is the attitude of the administrators. I met with an administrator
at my daughter's school to express my concern that she was going to punch an
especially annoying boy if he kept up his inappropriate behavior on the basketball
court. The administrator said "Yes, we are aware of his behavior and are
taking steps to address it. We have discussed at our staff meeting that your
daughter or another child may sock him, and a good number of us think that
it would be well deserved." Imagine that -- a school official acknowledging
that a student had a licking coming and that the school would not punish a
girl for defending herself against his boorish and inappropriate behavior.
In the end, no one punched him because the school and his parents got the problem
under control. But it was a refreshing attitude, and one that could never exist
in our politically correct, zero tolerance, public school child warehousing
system.
Whether you go the private school route, are able to home school or have no
option other than public schooling remember that if you take an active role
in your child's life, your influence and teachings will exceed those of the
most liberal school system. So take the time and teach your child well.
« Letter Re: Mercenaries a Post-TEOTWAWKI Threat |Main| Note from JWR: »
Reader Poll Results: Your TEOTWAWKI Resume -- 100 Words and 100 Pounds
Some of these stretched the 100 word limit. (I skipped posting one that rambled
on far
beyond the limit.) The poll's premise in a nutshell: "If
someday you went to the gates of a survival community post-TEOTWAWKI and
pleaded the case for why you should be let past the barricades and armed guards
to become a valuable working member of the group, would you get voted in? Taken
objectively, would you vote yourself in?"
I am a shoe maker (not just a repairman) can repair saddles tan leather have
done ranch work mechanics weld gardening skills set a broken bone stitch up
a bad wound can bake bread etc, shooting skills need work only 5.5 MOA on AQT.
Can milk a cow make butter some basic carpentry skills can use a wood lave
make one if needed to know how to set up wind / water power to a shop or mill
make
some one laugh when things are bad can teach can also learn.know how to adapt
over come make things work specialization is for insects.
Some limits to work: mild back problems cannot do a lot of over head work.
1 CETME rifle with 12 mags, ALICE pack, compressed MREs, 1 folding shovel camo
nylon rope water filtering canteen extra canteen freeze dried canned soup 1
empty
small can rubbing alcohol cotton balls (cheap cook stove) 1 cooking kit 1 med
kit 1 multi tool 1 roll toilet paper 1 wash cloth 2 tooth brushes tooth paste
1 belt with bayonet for CETME one pocket knife canteen & pouch cleaning
kit for rifle and butt pack 2 mag pouches fishing line and hooks matches 4
Bic
lighters 1 Iver Johnson 5 shot .38 S&W revolver 36 rounds of ammo, Flecktarn
camo pants and shirt vest 1 light weight sleeping bag wool socks and
a
spare pair sturdy boots, Carthart coat tan 1 pocket size bible etc,,
--
Many years' experience in:
Primitive Skills:
*edible and medicinal native plants
*cordage and rope making
*hide tanning
*bow and arrow making
*bow hunting
Contemporary Skills:
*organic gardener
*orchard (fruit and olive)
*beekeeper
*firearms use
Mid-50's, good shape for age, 6'4", 225#. Wife, mid 50's, 5'10", 150#
(who shares many of the above skills, plus expert at canning/freezing, quilting,
tatting, making clothes and moccasins).
Both have a sense of humor and aren't afraid to work.
In packs, besides personal gear:
*heirloom seeds
*needles
*lighters
Carrying:
*one .308 MBR, one .223, with magazines and ammo
*two .45 Governments
--
Age 25, weight 160, excellent health, single. Engineer, engine mechanic, builder,
jack of all trades. Trained and competitive marksman. Skilled teacher. Tolerant,
thick skinned, sense of humor. Introvert, not loner. Schooled in college, educated
in real life. History buff and cook.
Competent with photovoltaics, backhoes, generators, concrete, gardens, propane
systems, AC and DC electricity, firearms, computers, welding.
Most importantly: not a prima donna, armchair commando, or busybody.
Equipment includes rifle, pistol, small amount of ammo, soft body armor and
binoculars.
--
Age: Near 60. Can still
see well enough, without glasses, to shoot back.
Old, tired, wore out. Been around the third world several times. (South America,
South Seas, East Asia) Can't lift a third my own weight. Don't eat much. Know
how to do just about anything.
Will arrive with 30 Lbs water, 30 Lbs freeze dried food, Ruger Mini 14, S&W
659, 100 rds for each, a few old books. and 50+ years usable knowledge. That
about 100 pounds? (Worst case here. Actually, I would attempt to bring my entire
robotics shop. Attempt, I said! )
Skills: Artificer. If you can picture it, I can make it. Make a windmill from
a starter motor. Make my own tools as I need 'em. Bend railroad rail with no
more than an axe and 6 young men for the bull work. Machinist, electrician,
carpenter, stone layer, robotics engineer .
--
Age 25. Ex-military.
Trained extensively in: Perimeter reconnaissance,
Land-navigation.
Instructor of: full-spectrum warfare, defensive fighting positions, combat
operations.
Expert marksmen: M16A2, M4A1 (GUU-5/P), M9. Expert in FN-FAL,
M1A/M14, AKM, M16/AR-15 Family, 1911-A1, M9, CZ-75. Proficient with many other
firearms.
20/15 vision. Reloading/Gunsmith hobbyist.
Physically/Mentally Fit.
Pragmatic/Realist/Professional.
Equipped: FAL Carbine (18"bbl). Custom 1911A1. PASGT Kevlar Helmet/Vest. Boots/Socks. Woodland BDUs.
Custom LBE: Seven 30rd FAL Mags(210rds). Eight 8rd 1911-1 Mags( 64rds). Two 1-quart Canteens (Full). Multi-tool.
Medium ALICE pack: Five 20rd FAL mags (empty),
Two SA Battlepacks (280rds). Two Boxes .45ACP (100rds).
First-Aid Kit. Extra BDUs (1 set). Cans of Soup (5). Mess
Kit. Local Map/Compass.
--
Phd/MBA expert (37) on alternative energy and appropriate technology. Tool
maker and builder/manufacturer/processor of useful post-TEOTWAWKI machines,
trade goods, and alcohol (own BATF-licensed alcohol fuel still). Russian MBA
wife (35) survived fall of Soviet Union and 1998 crisis. 4 yo and 10 mo daughters.
Home machine shop, tools, anvil, forge, ethanol still, large printed alternative
energy / appropriate technology / engineering / survival library, and inventory
of preparation items greatly exceed the 100 lb per person limit but would be
worthy of a group salvage/recovery mission. G.O.O.D. bags contain standard
items recommended by Rawles, et al. Additional personally carried gear would
include M1A w/ Leupold scope, AR-15 with trijicon night sites, Glock 21 (45ACP)
with Trijicon night sites, Berkey water filter, laptop with large collection
(>500 books) of appropriate energy and appropriate technology books on CD,
Robinson curriculum on CDs for home schooling kids, ten 15"x15" fresnel
lenses capable of starting fires in 30 seconds, disassembled 2" diameter
alcohol still column with supply of vapor locks and 1 lb of ethanol yeast,
and a few of my more portable tools (blacksmith hammer, hardy, & gloves;
measurement tools; multimeter; temperature measure).
--
48 y/o 6ft 180lb male – good health
- Can walk 20 mi/day in full gear
- “Rifleman” with .308 MBR
- Doctor (emergency medicine and minor surgery)
- Gunsmith and reloader
- Cook
Backpack (40 lbs)
Sleeping bag/tarp
(2) BDUs & wool socks
Rain gear
Soap/camp towel/toothbrush
Food bars for 1 week
Water filter/bottle
Cookset/Trioxane tabs
Compass/map
Small survival kit (Fishhooks, matches, snares, etc)
AR-7 and 200 rounds
Web gear (35 lbs)
Knife
First aid/trauma kit
G23 + 2 mags (51 rounds)
8 mags .308 (150 rounds)
HK91
Barter/buy-in: (25 lbs)
Minor surgical set
Sutures/dressings
Local anesthetic/syringes
2000 doses various oral antibiotics and pain meds!
--
I feel I would be a great asset to your community. I am a seventh degree black
belt in American freestyle combatives and I could easily teach your people
the skills to handle themselves in this perilous time. I also have an extensive
background in firearms handling,gunsmithing and reloading. My real expertise
thought is as a meat butcher. I can literally take a beef ( or any wild or
domestic animal) from the field to the table. I bring with me a full set of
cutlery tools, including saws,steels and several knives. I also carry a AR-15
w/8-20 round, loaded mags. A Glock 19 w/mags, and a Rem 870 tactically modified.
I have a full set of ultralight camping gear including, freeze dried food,tent,
sleeping bag,etc. My loyalties are to God, Country, and my brothers at arms.
--
repaired furniture
a little basic farm work(irrigation, pick rock)
assembled some field sprayers
signalman
roofing
painting
inventory control/purchasing
drafting
some hunting
a lot of fishing
a lot of target shooting
cashier(a lot)
lube and oil cars
janitor
built 40 wood tables for an assembly line
sorted recycled paper
stock shelves
gas station attendant
a little gardening(corn,peas,onions)
unarmed watch
yard work(mowing, weeding)
sandwich/donut driver
some bow and arrow
some encrima [Philippine stick fighting martial art]
some cooking
printers helper
some CPR
--
Male, 38, 160 pounds. Reasonable shape.
Skills:
Suturing, minor surgery, advanced airway management, cautery, fractures, casting,
NBC treatment, tooth extraction and making dental fillings. 2 home births.
Pistol. Morse code.
Supplies:
Sutures, antibiotics, casting supplies, complete surgery tools and dental extraction
set.
.45, scoped M21 sniper rifle plus ammo. Field scope, rangefinder. Level 4 bulletproof
vest, helmet, FRS radios.
Water filter, water, food, tent, sleeping pads and bags, heirloom seeds.
Two boys, 7 and 9 and wife. All with level 3a vests. Kids with .22 rifles and
ammo. Wife with 9mm, AR-15 and ammo. Knows some gardening. Kids learning morse
code.
--
Strengths-
Have excellent interpersonal/negotiation skills
Have made a sufficient study of military history/combat tactics/military strategy
Maintain a vegetable garden/fruit trees
Have studied/used survival techniques in N.A. and C.A.
Have knowledge of indigenous edible plants/animals in N.A. and C.A.
Have skill-at-arms on US/ComBloc small arms
Am expert in usage of map and compass
Have field grade(ditch) medical skills
Maintain personal combatives skills
Can forage and improvise like nobody’s business
Have seen the elephant
Weaknesses –
No livestock husbandry experience
Not a carpenter
Middle aged
Average driving skills
Probable TEOTWAWKI employment:
Retreat security
Weapons maintenance and training
Strategic Planning and Implementation
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Poll Results: An Exercise in Humility--a Poll on Embarrassing Mistakes »
Letter Re: Advice on Where to Learn Practical, Tactical Skills
Dear Jim:
As my confidence in the dollar depreciates and my desire for skills
increases, I'm wanting to convert FRNs
into hands-on knowledge. What weeknight or weekend workshops would
you recommend? Are there any places
where you can learn Army Ranger skills without joining the military?
Animal husbandry, and so on? - Spencer
JWR Replies: There is a tremendous wealth of free
or low-cost classes available--enough to keep you busy every weekend
of
the year
if you are willing to drive a distance. If you have time and
just a bit of money, you can get some very well-rounded training in
skills that
are quite applicable to post-TEOTWAWKI living. In
my experience, the most cost-effective training opportunities in the
U.S.
include:
American
Red Cross First Aid and CPR classes
Local Community College, Park District, and Adult Education classes.
They offer classes on metal shop, auto shop, wood shop, leather crafting,
ceramics, baking, gardening, welding, and so forth.
RWVA Appleseed Shoots.
These are held all over the nation. They offer great training for
very
little money. The West
Side Sportsman's Club,
located on the west side of Evansville, Indiana is hosting the national
RWVA shoot on June 30 / July 1st. The
Red Brush Gun Range, located on the east side
of Evansville is having another Appleseed, and they're also having
an Appleseed Boot Camp. The boot camp starts on Monday
October 22 thru
Friday
Oct. 26th. Then
the Appleseed Shoot is on Saturday Oct. 27 and Sunday Oct. 28. The deal is
if you want to attend both the Boot Camp and the Appleseed match, you
do so for $200. Yes, for just $200 you can have seven
days of
top
notch
marksmanship training.
U.S. Army ROTC classes,
the ROTC Ranger program (administered by individual university ROTC
Departments), and ROTC
Leader's Training Course, aka Basic Camp). The first two years
of the ROTC program--including Leader's Training Course--are available
to any full-time enrolled
undergraduate college student
(including "cross-enrolled" junior college students) with
no contractual obligation. Participation in the ROTC Ranger
program by anyone other than enrolled ROTC cadets is usually up to
the discretion of the instructor or the PMS.
When I was in a ROTC Ranger program back in the early 1980s, we had
two Marine Corps PLC students
and an Administration of Justice (police science)
major in our Ranger program, as supernumeraries. So even if you don't
sign up for ROTC classes, you might be able to be involved in a Ranger
program.
Of particular note: If you sign up for the four week ROTC Leader's
Training Course at Fort
Knox,
Kentucky,
you will actually get paid to
attend, plus get a couple of free pairs of combat boots. To be eligible
to participate in ROTC, you must be under 31 years of age
on Dec 31 st of the year that you expect to graduate. (Or possibly
34 years old, with waivers.) The best chance to get a slot at the ROTC
Leader's Training Course is during your sophomore year of college,
but when I was there I met a graduate student that had wangled a slot.
(He eventually got a direct
commission, by virtue of his ROTC "contact hours")
LDS (Mormon)
cannery classes/canning sessions. Many "wards" have
their own canneries, which are generally open to non-Mormons. (OBTW,
the LDS food
storage calculator web page is a very
useful planning tool.)
FEMA /
CERT
Classes (Classroom and Internet courses, some with team commitment)
ARRL amateur radio classes.
Species-Specific or Breed-Specific Livestock and Pet Clubs
NRA and State Rifle and
Pistol Association training and shooting events
Fiber
Guilds (spinning and weaving) and local knitting clubs
Mountain Man/Rendezvous Clubs (Blackpowder
shooting, flint knapping, soap making, rope making, etc.)
University/County
Agricultural Extension and Cattleman's Club classes
on livestock, gardening, weed control, canning, et cetera
Medical
Corps small
group classes. I heard that they have scheduled just one hands-on
Combat/Field Medicine Course thusfar for 2007. It
will be at the OSU Extension Campus, in
Belle Valley Ohio, April 20-21-22. That class is full, but
check their web site for additional course dates. They offer
great
training--including advanced life saving topics that the
American
Red
Cross doesn't teach--at
very reasonable
cost.
Volunteer
Fire department (VFD) classes
(usually with some commitment)
Candle and Soap Making Clubs/Conventions
Boy Scouts and 4H.
Informal, un-enrolled ("strap hanger") training is available
for adults--just take your kids to the meetings and don't leave.
I would also consider these less important (but still worthwhile)
training opportunities, as time permits:
Sheriff's posse and Search and Rescue (SAR) programs
Police department "Ride Along" and Police Reserve programs
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) courses.
Civic/Ethnic Club cooking classes
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Prepping for Children, and Teaching Them Preparedness, by RSC
Perhaps the most difficult demographic group to prepare for is children.
Their needs are constantly changing as they age, grow, and learn. The
sheer
number
of variables involved can be mind boggling, but with enough planning
and foresight all their needs can be met. We have eight children
under the age of 12 still at home (with three grown and gone), so this
is something
we have given much thought to.
If you are of child bearing age and still have your God given equipment,
you must prepare for infants. Even if you have stocked birth control,
it is not foolproof and a child can result. If you can not have children,
you should still prep the bare minimum because if society falls apart
there is a good chance that children in need will be looking for homes.
We live in a perverse generation, and while we often think of the animals
that will be abandoned and roving, in reality there will also be needy
children. Whether their parents left them through choice or died, children
will need cared for, and all Christians should be willing to take on
that responsibility as much as they are able. It is better to have
prepped ahead, then to try to make do after.
Infants and Toddlers
Prepping for an infant is not difficult and does not have to be expensive – all
of their needs can fit in one large Rubbermaid type tote. You truly
do not need the majority of things most baby magazines tell you to
get. If you do not plan on having children, just the barest of basics
should suffice. If children are in your plan, then you should prep
more. If you never need the preps – someone will and they will
be valuable trade material.
The first thing needed is a good book! Emergency childbirth is good,
but there are more comprehensive ones out there if you want more information.
We have home birthed several of our children without a midwife. Hopefully
your normal preps call for 4x4 gauze pads, betadine, and other medical
supplies. Cord clamps are nice, but clean cotton cording works too.
A nasal syringe should be included. Most home birth books and web sites
give a list of supplies – use common sense so you don’t
oversupply.
At a bare minimum you should stock 3 dozen cloth diapers (less may
be needed depending on laundry facilities). These can be obtained cheaply
or even for free. Try looking at thrift stores, requesting them on
FreeCycle,
or even making your own if you sew (directions can be found online).
I purchased 6 dozen Chinese pre-folds eight years ago. They
are now on their fifth child and still going strong. To go along with
the diapers, you will need 3-5 diaper covers in each size. Fleece and
fabric are all the rage – but they are bulky, expensive, and
I think they wick moisture resulting in more leaks. I have used nylon
pants for years. They are very inexpensive new – I pay $3 for
2 pair. With proper care (rinsing or wash and line dry) they last forever.
Avoid the plastic Gerber type pants at all costs. While cheap, the
plastic degrades and they split. Diaper pins are inexpensive. I prefer
to order the old fashioned metal ones as they last longer, can be sharpened
when they get dull, and can be used for many things besides diapers
(what man wants his overall strap held on with a yellow ducky?). I
am still using the same metal pins that I bought for baby #1. For inexpensive
new diapering items, check babybestbuy.com.
Feeding an infant should not require any special preps, since in a
perfect world Mom will nurse the infant until it is ready to eat table
foods. We have never fed a child infant juice, baby cereal, or the
awful looking jarred baby food. Since we do not live in a perfect world,
we should take a few minutes and dollars to ensure that baby can be
fed if something happens to mom. I suggest the baby bottles that take
the disposable bags. The bags are cheap and eliminate the need to carefully
wash or sterilize bottles. In a pinch, the bags can be washed and reused.
We have stocked 5 bottles, an extra 20 nipples, and 500 bags. Infant
formula is very expensive and has a short shelf life. While not ideal,
infants can be fed goat or cows’ milk (you can pasteurize it
on the wood or Coleman stove if worried about the health of the animal).
If a dairy animal is not an option, you can stock canned milk and corn
syrup and make your own formula. A simple web search will give you
several different recipes for what the old timers fed their babies.
If even that is not an option, you can successfully raise a child without
milk – although I certainly do not recommend it. My husband was
highly allergic to all dairy (they even tried mare’s milk). They
would boil beef, grind it, strain it, and feed it to him in a bottle,
then supplement with calcium drops. Please remember that these methods
are only to be used when the alternative is death. Once a child can
eat table food, it will eat what you do. Our two year old loves enchiladas
and chili. Our 8 month old eats anything we feed her. Children learn
to be picky – they are not born that way.
Clothing an infant is the simplest of all and does not require any
large cash outlay or space. For infant clothing, pick up some cotton
baby gowns with elastic at the bottom and socks. A child can wear those
for the first 3 or 4 months. I recommend a good quality baby sling
(I use the Maya wrap) or a 4 yard length of heavy duty cotton that
can be tied into sling formation for carrying baby. Wearing your baby
will keep it warm and safe. Babies do not require swings, playpens,
and jungle gyms. They require warmth, food, and lots of love.
You will want clothing for when the child starts moving about on its
own – about 6 months or so. When choosing the clothing to stock,
try to choose things that are adjustable, can easily be cuffed, and
do not have parts to wear out. Baby crotch snaps are notorious for
giving out. Avoid “cute and ruffly” and go for “easy
to launder and adjust.” Stains are going to come out of natural
fibers much easier than polyester and petroleum based fibers, and also
darker colors rather than light. Girls can wear overalls, but boys
can’t wear dresses. I have also found that it is better to pay
more for high quality (even used) than it is to purchase the cheapest
clothing. We have OshKosh clothing that is now being worn by an 8th
child and still looks new. After using a wringer washer for a year,
we also have discovered that the cheaper quality clothing does not
stand up to less than ideal washing conditions. If you will be using
a wringer, you might keep in mind that they eat buttons and zippers.
Perhaps your greatest asset in this area will be the ability to sew – a
hem can be put in or let out in moments and can make a pair of pants
or a dress last a year rather than two months. You might stock a snap
setter and assortment of snaps (less than $30 for all) and also an
assortment of buttons for those needed repairs.
Another item you will need is blankets. I love to quilt, and so I usually
use quilts and/or crocheted afghans. These have an added benefit of
being able to be sewn together into bigger quilts and afghans as the
child gets bigger. Two crib sized quilts becomes one twin sized bunk
bed quilt, four sewn together becomes a full sized or small queen sized.
Again, the ability to sew will serve you in good standing as you can
turn old clothing into new blankets.
Children's Clothing
When choosing clothing, please consider fiber content and your heat
source. We heat with wood and only choose clothing that is 100% cotton.
Most commercially made sleepwear is made from polyester blends, as
per government guidelines. The reason for this is that cotton burns.
Polyester has a lower burn threshold, but melts into your skin – which
is why airline travelers are encouraged to wear natural fibers. Our
oldest daughter has the habit of backing up to the wood stove to warm
up in the mornings and her polyester nightgown melted. Since then,
we use only cotton.
I shop the local thrift stores when they have $1 a bag days. We also
get offered hand me downs quite often and we never turn them down.
I have to do a bit of digging, but I have managed to stock clothing
from children through adults, including shoes, hats, gloves and winter
coats. I only purchase high quality brands that are in good condition.
All shoes, boots and hats get sprayed with Lysol. All clothing gets
sorted into totes by size and stored in a shed. When a child grows
into the next size, we go through the shed before going shopping. In
these good times, my daughters and I wear only dresses but I stock
only pants for practicality. There have been times when a local house
burned down, or a homeless family came through, and I was able to re-clothe
them from my shed. I avoid all “stylish” clothing and choose
timeless items – jeans, sweatshirts, flannels, etc. I keep a
list in my wallet so I do not end up with 20 size 10 winter coats and
no size 14. I also limit my “stash” to one tote per size
of clothing, and 2 coats per size. When saving clothing that our own
children have outgrown we follow the same guidelines – only those
in good condition get stored. I do not store summer clothes, per se.
We do not wear shorts or tank tops due to modesty. We go barefoot at
home on our farm. Summer clothes would just take up space that could
be used for winter clothing – which is a necessity. Warm winter
clothing is a need, and as such will be good for barter and gifting
when it is no longer available new.
Miscellaneous Physical Needs
In addition to clothing and food, we stock a year to 18 months worth of children’s
multivitamins and medicines. We keep a close eye on the expiration date and donate
them to a children’s home 2 months before they expire if we have not rotated
through them (2 months so that they have time to use them). We have a relative
living near the border that travels to Mexico once a year for us to stock up
on children’s antibiotics, cold medicines that we can no longer buy in
the US without being treated like a criminal, etc. Again, these are shipped to
an orphanage in Mexico when they near their expiration date. We also keep diarrhea
medications and laxatives on hand that are formulated for children. All of these
items can be rather expensive, but I would rather spend the money and not need
it than need it and not have it. I also stock a quantity of children’s
electrolyte powder that can be added to water.
Our children are not allowed to be picky eaters. Because they have been taught
to eat everything, we do not worry about stocking special food for them. We grow
a large garden and our children have been taught to love fresh foods – people
are amazed when my children tell them that Brussels sprouts are their favorite
vegetable, or that asparagus is a close second. We try to eat what we store and
store what we eat, so our children do not turn their noses up at beans, rice,
lentils, and the like. I do stock more fruits and vegetables than I would for
just adults, because I think growing children need a more balanced diet.
Education
Once a child's physical needs have been met, it is time to think of their educational
needs. Not only would it be good to school your children in times of societal
breakdown for the sake of intelligence, but it will keep the children occupied
and give them a sense of normalcy.
We have always home schooled, so we have a certain curriculum that we like. Last
year we felt our other preps were sufficiently in place and it was time to look
towards schooling. We sold an asset and used the money (just under $3000) to
purchase the school books for every child from now until 12th grade. It seems
silly to have the high school books for our 8 month old, but we do! Our chosen
curriculum is mostly non-consumable and is one of the more affordable ones available.
You might need to spend much more than that if you use a consumable curriculum.
One good thing is that it will not go to waste – we would be buying it
anyway, just not all at once.
If you do not already homeschool, or can not manage to spend that chunk of money,
you can still provide for their educational needs. Our local school district
has one weekend a year where they give away all of their old text books and supplies.
We have gotten two complete sets of World Book Encyclopedias on those days. Call
your school district office and see if they do the same thing. You could get
the books you need, plus teachers editions for free.
I have seen old school books at yard sales and book sales. You could ask on FreeCycle,
watch eBay, or check out the local homeschool convention for used book sales.
In a situation where the schools have been closed, any book will be better than
no books.
Even if you just supply non-fiction books and biographies, your children can
be learning while reading a set number of pages or hours per day.
In addition to books, you will need supplies. Each year our local big box store
puts crayons on sale 25¢ per box and paper 10¢ per package. Other school
items go on sale at the same time. I have 4 totes filled with school supplies.
When a local school closed we were able to purchase a chalk board and a hand
crank pencil sharpener. This small slice of normalcy will be important to our
children if life as they know it has ended.
Toys and Entertainment
Many of today’s children will have no idea what to do with themselves if
they find their Gameboys, iPods, and MySpace no longer function. Hopefully,
those who are of the prepping mindset have directed their children towards interests
that won’t disappear. When choosing play items for our children, we try
to choose things that provide lasting benefit hidden behind the fun.
When purchasing toys, we avoid batteries and try to choose ones that have lasting
play value. We have extensive collections of Legos, Lincoln Logs, KNex, and the
like. We also try to stick with toys that can be enjoyed by more than one child
at a time. Our children have always been each others closest “play buddies” so
they will not have a hard time transitioning to close quarters.
We generally do not have baby toys. Unwritten parental rules include the fact
that babies will want what their older siblings or parents have. They are quite
happy playing with wooden spoons, measuring cups, crochet hooks, boxes, and other
objects they think they are not supposed to have.
Instead of handing our son a video game with karate killers, we hand him a throwing
knife and spend time with him. Instead of an iPod, he got a compound bow and
some arrows and a special time with Dad each week. Instead of his own television
for his room, he got a chemistry set. Instead of Disney world, we go hunting,
fishing
or camping. Instead of Harry Potter, we read Backyard Ballistics and made a catapult.
Our daughters have high quality baby dolls instead of Barbie and enjoy sewing
clothes for them out of mom’s scraps. They have their own aprons, measuring
cups and rolling pins and get to actually cook and make a mess (then help clean
it up!) instead of painting their fingernails. (Our oldest daughter is just 10.)
They get latch hook rug kits, paint by number kits, and other craft items rather
than karaoke machines.
Everything we purchase or give our children is making a choice. It will give
them fleeting enjoyment, or enjoyment and knowledge. All of these things can
be considered prepping because you are prepping your children – without
their knowledge. You are equipping them to handle the changes that life may bring,
and if life doesn’t change they are none the worse for wear.
In addition to prepping my children by the things we enjoy and do, I have chosen
to store things for their enjoyment also. Yard sales and thrift stores are great
places to find craft kits that people bought and never used. Large puzzles are
great family activities and can be bought cheaply. I have some games that are
new to us stored away for a little variety. Other items in my “entertainment” preps
are decks of cards, books and supplies for learning to knit, rubber stamps and
water based inks (so they can be recharged with water), a book about making homemade
kites from widely available objects, etc. I also have a tote full of gifts for
birthdays, Christmas, or special occasions. High quality pocket knives, wind
up watches, sewing scissors, nesting dolls, etc. Things that will make a holiday
seem normal and special, but that have lasting value and take up little space.
One thing I have noticed in most doomer movies and books is that after a few
weeks, the hard work is done and boredom and monotony set in. I want to make
that transition easier.
In general, I apply the same philosophy when prepping for my children as I do
for general preppin: Store what you use and use what you store. I store nothing
that will go to waste, even if I have more of it than just my children can use.
Cloth diapers can be dust rags, bandages, or traded. The gifts and school books
will get used either way. Children are our greatest resource, and we need to
be prepared not just to keep them alive, but to let them flourish.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Canned Coffee Beans »
Letter Re: Preparedness-Oriented Homeschooling Curriculum
Hello Rawles Family,
We have been viewing your site for a few months after reading "Patriots" (loved
it!) and have a suggested resource for other families.
We are long term veteran homeschooling family, self sufficiency oriented,
husband former military (Viet Nam), ordained ministers who choose to
develop house church networks in view of the likely future. We currently
reside in upper northwest Montana after being in other regions gaining
broad experience.
We wrote a preparedness homeschooling curriculum based on Swiss Family
Robinson and a sequel based on Robinson Crusoe. The first year builds
academics around family teamwork and the second teaches independent
decision making and leadership. It is designed for all ages toddler
through adult to learn together. Please view our web site at: www.prepareandpray.com for
more info. We have spoken at many state homeschool conventions, been
published in many homeschool magazines
and have an excellent online review posted at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com
In all our awareness of current world events it is vital that our children
be trained NOW while there is still time. Science can be learned by
gardening, raising small livestock, using levers and pulleys doing
real work, and outdoorsmanship; history can be learned by studying
heroes of the faith and seasons of difficulty and triumph; health is
learned with first aid and nutrition, plagues, and purity.We waste
no time, money, or energy but encourage families to strongly focus
for a year or two giving children skills that will last a lifetime
and likely save their lives in the future. This is done vicariously
through good children's literature to avoid any impartation of fear.
We train families to become overcomers, not victims.
In His Service, - Jim and Robin Brashear, Overcomers Books and Supplies
« Letter Re: Buying a Retreat Property and a Peak Oil Reference |Main| The Best Pre-1899 Bolt Action? »
From #1 Son: Stocking up on Home Schooling Curricula
An important item to remember to purchase in advance if you have children
is extra home schooling supplies. You may remember trigonometry, but
could you teach it to your children without any materials? If you self-quarantine
your family because of a flu pandemic it will be nearly impossible
to acquire books or other supplies. Post-TEOTWAWKI,
after your generation is gone, advanced math and science will be rare
and valuable skills.
« Moves by China and Iran May Trigger a Dollar Crisis |Main| Note From JWR: »
U.S. Government Issues Guide to Pandemic Preparedness
As reported at NewsMax.com, the Bush Administration had just issued
a Guide to Pandemic Preparedness. See: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/1/5/215956.shtml
It is interesting that they mentioned both self-quarantine and home
schooling. What radicals! They musta been reading SurvivalBlog
or sumthen'...
OBTW, why do I get the feeling that if John Kerry had
been elected that the
message
on
this topic
wouldn't
be quite
the same?
« Letter Re: Backup Generator Purchase Recommendations |Main| Precious Metals: This Time The Trend Truly is Your Friend »
Letter From Matt Bracken Re: A Home-Based Business--Your Ticket to The Boonies
Jim,
Here is another terrific home business idea which "sells itself," requires
only a minimal investment, has a high profit margin, and can be done
in one's spare time. Install front door peep-holes. A number of years
back I was visiting in a large townhouse complex where my wife used
to live, and a gentleman rang the doorbell.
Upon opening the door, I met the man holding a peephole in his hand.
He almost didn't need to say a word. It literally needed no sales
pitch, it "sold itself." He had the tools etc to do it
on the spot. Buy high quality
peep-holes in bulk for a few bucks each. You just need a good portable
rechargeable drill and a few other simple attachments and tools to
deal with different types of doors. Ring doorbells on the weekends,
in developments where you can see that peep-holes are not standard
issue. Offer to install a quality peep-hole right on the spot, at the
customer's exact preferred height, for $20 FRN. One thing: I'd recommend
installing a few for free on the doors of family and friends for practice.
Different door materials obviously
need different drilling methods. Basically, you use a standard hole
saw which fits around a 1/4" drill bit. After making a pilot hole
all the way through, you need to drill half way in from both sides
with the hole saw, to avoid chipping or splitting.
You are doing people
a service, and they will be happy to hand over $20 FRN for an installed
peep-hole. You also gain the satisfaction of helping people to better
secure their "castle" from possible attack or subterfuge.
Going door to door, a personable peep-hole installer can sell ten or
more units on a Saturday afternoon and make about $15 FRN per 15 minute
transaction. And that ain't bad money. - Matt Bracken
JWR Adds: Regular SurvivalBlog readers will recognize
Matt Bracken's name. He
is the author of an excellent novel of the near future titled Enemies
Foreign and Domestic as well as the forthcoming sequel, Domestic
Enemies.
(See:
http://www.enemiesforeignanddomestic.com/)
These days, most people don't have basic carpentry skills or even
know how to operate a drill motor without botching the job. The
essence of making money with a trade or skill is leveraging your expertise. Take
the time to get very good at doing a few things and you will never
starve.
There
are several types of commercially-made peepholes available. One
brand that
is
made
in Russia
is slightly
larger than
most
and has a
very wide
viewing angle.
That
would
make a great selling point.
« Letter Re: Recent North Plains Blizzard |Main| Letter Re: Recommendations on CB Radios? »
Three Letters Re: A Home-Based Business--Your Ticket to The Boonies
Jim:
I thought the point was to have a home-based business that could
survive in the boonies…?
I don’t see much need for a locksmith, gunsmith, or alarm installer
in the boonies where most structures are on huge acres of land with
fences and who knows how many dogs on the property, let alone a cantankerous
old coot with a heavily worn double-barrel shotgun… <grin>
Even repairs are pushing it when neighbors may be a mile or more away… that
is a SMALL customer base.
How many guns near you in the boonies that need custom gunsmithing?
Another small customer base. Only the BEST gunsmiths get guns shipped
to them for work…, then shipped out when finished.
The truly promising home-based businesses are either MAIL / UPS /
FEDEX based, such as mail order and Internet sales, or home based businesses
over the internet, such as accounting, med. Transcription (now mostly
foreign
cheap labor),
etc…
Just some thoughts and possible target realignment. - Robert
Jim-
Here's some to home based businesses to consider:
Professional Genealogist. See http://www.apgen.org/ .
If it sounds interesting, do research on your own family to see if
it's your kind
of thing. Start by going to http://www.familysearch.org/ , click
on "Order/Download Products", click on "Software Downloads--free",
download the first Personal Ancestral File (PAF) in the listing.
PAF is as robust as any program that you'd pay money for--plus
all genealogists know it well. You can offer your services to search
in your local area. If you like being a detective you can have a
lot of
fun/make a bit of money.
JWR Adds: The Memsahib and I have used PAF for
organizing our genealogical research since about 1988. However, we
recently switched to Reunion for our Apple Macintosh computers. We
find that Reunion is easier to use, has more features, and most importantly
it
produces
"clean"
GEDCOM
format
files for export for use with other genealogy programs and word processing
programs. (With the Mac version of PAF we had numerous file corruption
problems with GEDCOM export
files. But we've heard that the PC versions of PAF are less glitchy.)
Indexer. You receive manuscripts electronically and use special
software to set up indexed words, concepts. If you are a careful
reader (and especially if you smirk when you find a typo!) this
may be for you. http://www.asindexing.org/site/indfaq.shtml.
Hey, index "Patriots" so
we can find all those cool ideas without having to read the thing
nine times!
Scopist. A scopist takes a court reporter's dictation and
transcribe it via special software into appropriate format for attorneys.
Very interesting work--I suggest doing civil work rather than criminal
because it can get pretty gruesome. Find scopists on the internet.
Don't spend bucks on a "school." Instead, find a scopist
who needs help (they like to go on vacations, too!) and volunteer
to
work for
free to get trained. You'll need a transcription machine to transfer
info into the computer. Check your favorite attorney to find who
the local scopists are and what the typical rates are for your area.
Grow and dry wild flowers. Search the web to see what's hot, what's
not. One of my daughters worked for a man with a piddly 1⁄2
acre lot who sold his stuff by mail throughout the country. Can you
grow
Baby Breath? I remember teenagers in my Church going to Eastern
Washington to pick Baby's Breath (your wife will know what this is) for
florists. Here in Hawaii, you can buy a lei made from about 25 tennis-ball
size
orchids for $3!! Too bad they can't be shipped stateside. But here's
a clever graduation tradition--use Saran Wrap and twist in bite-size
candy to make a candy lei (for graduation from 6th grade?). Advertise
in the PTA.
Grow Lavender--it's a big deal for growers in Washington State; if
your climate can support it, give it a look.
I know a guy who has a multi-acre rose-growing operation--he sells
rose plants at Farmer's markets, and he must be making money because
he's there every weekend.
Which reminds me--check out the possibility of growing plants used
in spices--do you know what you pay per pound for spices--Yikes!
Look into Square Foot Gardening, http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ ,
especially to become a supplier of garden-fresh produce for up-scale
(or wanna-be upscale) restaurants. His book/DVD has good stuff and
he tells you exactly how to pitch the produce to local places. And
a plus--you get to learn all about intensive gardening.
Can you set yourself up to treat discarded food oil to make it useable
in diesel engines and then supply the locals? It's going to be more
and more popular--but you'll need a willing bunch of sources--maybe
those same upscale restaurants?!
Bake whole wheat specialty breads for local outlets (organic food
stores, chic restaurants). Hey, that reminds me--timbales. You'll
have to hunt
to find the ones that are saucer-sized. When I was a kid, the little
concession stands had them hung all lined up on a horizontal stick--you
plunked down your money (in those days a dime) and DaMan took one
off, sifted powder sugar on it and away you went. Looks like a lot,
but
it's mostly air. Easy to do; try it at home first, of course--start
with the little timbale forms.
Okay, some of these aren't quite home-based, but think outside the
box. Maybe for a relatively small investment you can involve your
kinds
in a free-enterprise business effort. Like a little concession trailer
outside the high school ball game where you'll sell "shave-ice" (not
sno-cones!!!--and NOT "shaveD ice!!!"). Then move it around
town to all the public events. Get license, pay the fees, taxes--it
makes America great!
Did you see the Hostess wedding cake? http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh/images/05/weddingtwinkie.htm . Sure, it's silly, but if you'd like to get into cake decorating,
you can get noticed by offering one of these babies for laughs. Of
course, you'd better learn how to do serious decorating.
Have you got a nice rural setting? People pay big bucks for wedding
receptions in "different" (but not dirty) sites. Also, Public
schools have money for taking kids on field trips--can you organize
a ride on a hay wagon pulled by your tractor? Develop a maze.
How about a couple of those dorky wood characters with a hole for a
face, so people can get their picture taken as Ma/Pa Kettle--do it
digitally and sell them a photo hot off your photo printer.
This reminds me; many people do very well by visiting schools and
putting on assemblies--do you have/know/do something that can entertain/involve
students? I've seen some very mediocre paid-for assemblies in
my teaching days, so think about it.
Do you live in an interesting area? Do the locals know about places
the casual visitors never see? Write up a must-see list and sell
it on the Internet.
Does your hometown (or nearby town) have curbs in residential areas?
Make a cardboard mask so you can block out an area of curb in front
of a house and spray a black background; then use stencils to spray
the house address on the blackened curb--firemen and cops love this
idea--at $2 per sign, you can make quite a few bucks on a Saturday.
Get the license! Pay the fees! Don't harass the homeowner--get permission
first.
Well, come to think of it, don't just think outside the box--use
the box itself! - B.B. In Hawaii
Mr. Rawles,
One comment on your recommendations for cottage industry jobs. I highly
encourage people to learn as much about gunsmithing as possible, but
it is very difficult to make a living at this trade. I worked five
years part time for a self employed gunsmith who could not have made
ends
meet if he had not had another skill (made dentures for dentists) and
a wife who worked. Our business always suffered when the economy dipped.
Having a gun fixed is not a priority in non-SHTF times. And being a
small time gunsmith means that you can’t afford to invest in
expensive machinery, so most work is very labor intensive. Keeping
a stock of parts for most common repairs is costly. There are probably
more different kinds of guns than cars. Of course most of these problems
can be circumvented with some time, work, and creativity, but only
the sharpest and most experienced gunsmiths make a good living.
Another minor problem is that lots of people who come into your
shop like guns and want to talk to you about them. You need to be courteous
and encouraging about gun ownership, but this time spent talking pays
zero per hour.
And of course to legally work on other people’s guns, you have
to apply for and pay fees to get an FFL. That means that an ATF agent
can come by and examine your records and inventory. Gunsmiths and FFL
holders who work out of their homes are rapidly disappearing because
of the general bias by the ATF against anyone who does not (or even
who does) have a storefront with regular hours.
Gunsmithing is a great skill, and a wonderful hobby, but it’s
not a very good way to make money I’m afraid. I hope others have
had a more positive experience. - C.G. in NC
JWR Replies: I recommend gunsmithing only if you
can develop a specialty and eventually a reputation for expertise in
the specialty that will attract mail order business from clients all
over the country.
