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Letter Re: Ropes and Knot Tying
Mr. Rawles,
I'm an avid reader of your blog, and have found it most helpful in a variety
of ways. However, I have noticed a slight deficiency: there is little mention
of ropes and knots.
Rope is an incredibly useful thing, both in everyday life and in a SHTF situation:
it can be used in combination with a tarp and two trees to construct a makeshift
shelter, can lift or pull objects, can secure objects to prevent them from moving, it can make snares and traps to
catch food, and so on. One can even tie their shoes!
However, when tied with clumsy or inadequate knots, rope can be incredibly
dangerous. The common square knot can fail if sideways (relative to the length
of the rope) tension is applied to one of the working ("free") ends.
Certain knots can weaken rope['s breaking strength] by more than 40%, which
can be a dangerous condition in and of itself.
For light duty (tent cord, tying things down, etc.), military-style 550 [nylon
parachute] cord is incredibly useful. For heavier load-bearing uses, one should
use a suitable
rope.
As always, the Wikipedia
has useful links and information for tying different knots.
Bookstores sell books describing hundreds of knots and their uses. As always,
having paper books on hand is more useful in a SHTF situation than computer
files. Sincerely, - Pete S.
JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that. I have provided
a couple of links to knot tying web sites in the past --such as this site
that shows you exactly how they're done (they show
examples of around 75 specific knots) via clearly photographed animations.
One item that bears special
mention is the rappelling
carabiner. Commonly just called a "biner"--and called
a "snap
link" by
the US military--these have umpteen uses for attaching/lifting/slinging/securing
loads and acting
like a pulley (or
providing greater rope friction by adding multiple coils of rope, which of
course relates to their originally-intended purpose for rappelling. I recommend
buying
a half-dozen
(or more), with
at least two of them
with
thumb screw-type locking gates.OBTW, avoid the
flimsy pseudo-carbiners that are sold as key ring holders. (Thankfully, nowadays
most of these are stamped "Not for Climbing Use".) We keep several carabiner
in our ATV's
cargo bag, along with a 150 foot coil of rope, and a
pair of Jumar
ascenders. When used in conjunction with our ATV's electric winch, this gear
has
proved immensely useful for tasks around the ranch, and particularly when packing
big
game
uphill.
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Letter Re: Advice on Purchasing Priorities For a Tight Budget
Mr. Rawles,
Hello again! Hope you and your family are doing well. I have had some questions
on my mind lately, and was curious if you would mind helping me. (I know you
must
be tremendously busy with our "strong" economy!). My wife and I are
both college students in Santa Cruz, California, and we have a very limited amount
of
storage space and limited income. Are there any tricks or pieces of advice you
have
for individuals like ourselves? I recently spent my tax refund on some firearms
(which
were from
a federal firearms dealer :-[ ) and now I was curious about the next step. I
contacted "Wiggy's" from your web site about some sleeping bags, but
feel like a water filter would be a better investment at the moment. Thanks
for your time!
OBTW, I feel like California is turning into a commune, I literally have
less freedoms than I had recently thought. - V. from California
JWR Replies: Given the mild climate on the California coast,
a water filter is much more important than cold weather gear for your next
purchase. I recommend the American-made Aqua Rain brand. These are similar
to the Big Berkey
(imported
from England),
but they only cost half as much. (The US Dollar's recent slip versus the British
Pound
has sadly further widened this price gap.) Please compare prices with our advertisers
such as Safecastle, JRH
Enterprises, and
Ready
Made Resources,
before buying
elsewhere. Next, consider buying from our affiliate advertisers like
Lehman's and
Nitro-Pak.
OBTW, if you contact any of our advertisers, then please mention where you
saw their ad. Thanks!
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My Seven Favorite North American Edible Wild Plants, by Paul C.
In light of the impending economic and social crisis, a knowledge of edible
wild plants is essential. I have included a list of seven easily recognized
plants
in this discussion, but keep in mind there are hundreds of edible species. These
seven
are common throughout much of North America.
When foraging, one must remember that if you need a field guide to identify a
plant,
you are not ready to eat that plant. However, field guides with color
photographs are necessary for anyone interested in this activity. In my opinion,
the best
field guide on the market today is The Forager’s Harvest by Samuel
Thayer. Although it
only covers 32 plants, it does so in amazing detail. Unlike other authors, Thayer
has eaten
all the plants he discusses. He also notes important errors found in other field
guides.
Before listing my seven choices, please keep these facts in mind: (1) an individual
may
be allergic (or develop an allergy to) any of these plants. Initially consume
them in moderation. (2) although a plant may be easily recognized during its
flowering
stage, this is often NOT the time they are collected for food. Use sources with
color
photos (not drawings) of a plant at various stages of its life cycle to aid
identification.
(3) In addition to field guides and on-line sources, consult a botany reference
to become familiar with botanical terms.
At the end of this discussion, I have included both on-line references as well
as field guides from my own personal collection. While you may not be initially
familiar with some of the plants on this list, once you see color photographs
of these
wild edibles you will be able to recognize many of them on your front lawn.
(1) Plantain- broadleaf plantain is found on lawns throughout the continent.
It has broadly elliptical leaves that rise directly from the root in a formation
known as a basal rosette; these leaves remain close to the ground. This plant
can be eaten as a salad or boiled in soups (the latter is preferred when the
plant gets older-at this point the leaves become stringy). Plantain leaves
are rich in vitamins A and C, and minerals. Narrow-leaf plantain is also edible
and is similar in appearance except for the shape of the leaves. Fresh leaves
can also be mashed and applied to minor wounds.
(2) Common Purslane- Purslane is also found on lawns throughout North America.
This plant barely reaches an inch off the ground. It has fleshy, jointed stems
(purplish- green with a reddish tinge), and narrow, thick leaves about two
inches long growing in opposite directions. The stems contain a clear fluid
(Spurge, a poisonous plant that looks similar to Purslane, has milky sap).
The best way to harvest this plant is to cut off only the leafy tips; it will
rapidly sprout again and provide greens from May until the first frost. It
can be used in soups or salads.
(3) White Oak Acorns- The leaves of a typical white oak have rounded lobes
which are never bristle tipped (as opposed to red or black oak). After
shelling acorns, they must be boiled to leech out tannins (in high concentrations,
tannins damage the
kidneys—tannins are also found in tea). The yellowish-brown water left
over from leeching is a good topical remedy for poison ivy rashes; it is also
styptic—it will
stop bleeding. Leeching takes several hours—change the water each time
it becomes yellowish-brown. After leeching, the acorns can be dried in a slow
oven. They can be eaten or ground into a fine meal. This meal can be mixed
with flour to extend your supply; acorn meal lacks gluten and will not make
dough rise. The acorns of other oaks, while requiring a longer leeching period,
are also edible.
(4) Maple Trees- people think of maple syrup, but the liquid extracted from
a tapped maple tree is potable. The “keys” (winged seeds) can be
boiled or roasted, while the leaves can be used in salads. In emergencies,
the inner bark can also be consumed.
(5) Wild Rose- this plant is widely distributed throughout the continent. Few
foods have a higher vitamin C content. The rose-hips (seed pods) can be used
to make jams or dried and used for soups or teas. They remain on the plant
throughout winter and can be picked when other food is not available. The seeds
within rose-hips can be ground and boiled in water to provide a rich source
of vitamin E. Rose flowers and leaves can also be used to make tea.
(6) Lamb’s Quarter- this plant, which thrives throughout most of the
U.S., is regarded as among the most delicious of wild edibles (similar to spinach).
It is available from
spring to the first frost. This plant is generally 3-5 feet tall with diamond
shaped leaves; the leaves have irregular teeth or shallow lobes when mature
(immature plants have spade
shaped, toothless leaves). The undersides of the leaves are often coated with
a thick whitish-gray powder. Before cooking, water will not wet these leaves.
(7) Cattails- this is an easily recognizable plant of swamps and marshes throughout
the world. It is a year round food source. The leaf bases can be harvested
from mid spring to early summer. The immature spikes can be boiled and served
with
butter like corn on the cob during early and mid summer. Cattail pollen requires
little
processing once gathered (except for sifting) and can be combined with flour
stores; it
is collected during June and July. The cores of the underground rootstocks
are a valuable
source of starch (especially during winter)- waders or a wetsuit would be a
good investment
for winter harvesting. Finally, small sprouts begin to form at the tip of the
rootstocks between early summer and early fall
Use the following listed sources for more information about these wild edibles.
Also keep in mind that this is only the tip of the iceberg; there are hundreds
of wild edibles waiting to be utilized—good luck!
References:
Thayer, Samuel. The Forager’s
Harvest. Ogema, Wisconsin: Forager’s Harvest, 2006
Angier, Bradford. Feasting Free on Wild Edibles. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania:
Stackpole Books, 1969
Kinsey and Fernald. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York:
Dover Publications, 1943
Peterson, Lee. Edible Wild Plants: Eastern/Central North America. New York:
Houghton Mifflin, 1977
Heyl and Burt. Edible and Poisonous Plants of the Eastern States.
(A card deck with color photos!) Lake Oswego, Oregon: Plant Deck, Inc., 1973
Web Resources:
EdiblePlants.com
Plants.usda.gov
WildmanSteveBrill.com
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Letter Re: Consider Volunteering at a Homeless Shelter
Jim,
I read Doc's
article about volunteering in a homeless shelter and meeting
some of the occupants. That brought back memories of when I was in my early
teens. My Dad worked for the railroad and we lived near the railroad yards
and I met a number of hobos in the woods behind our house. Most of them knew
my Dad and had a lot of respect for him. He would sometimes give them spare
change and cigarettes. The hobo's slept in small dugout caves in the woods
and would never steal from us. But they would steal chickens from a couple
of our
neighbors. I never ever saw a hobo carrying what he had in a bandana on the
end of a stick like you see in pictures. What most of them had was either a
small suitcase or an old surplus WWII army [back]pack. My friends and I would
be playing or riding our bikes in the woods and run into the hobo's eating
or
just hanging around. I was amazed on how they could start fires, cook, a lot
of them always carried fishing tackle made up of hooks, sinkers, and line,
used frog gigs with branches, set traps using snares. I used to hang around
with these guys just to watch them. In turn I would sneak out some cans of
beans, corn,etc to help them out. Not one time was I ever scared or harmed
in any way. Again, most of them knew my Dad and left me alone. At the time
I was in the Boy Scouts and learned from the hobo's and when my Scout troop
would go camping I would use my skills I learned from the hobo's. This would
amaze my scoutmaster and some of my fellow scouts. So I can understand Doc
learning from the homeless that stay in the shelter he works at. - Randy in
Asheville, NC
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Letter Re: Consider Volunteering at a Homeless Shelter
Sir;
I once had an opportunity to volunteer at a homeless shelter in Denver, Colorado.
What started as a chance to be of service, turned out to be a lesson in survival.
I was surprised to learn that many of the "guests" at the shelter
had become experts at existing comfortably, on a permanent basis, without benefit
of a home. Here are some of the things I learned:
1) The first lesson is - The quality of your bags determines the quality of
your life. If your possessions are contained in fragile garbage bags, you are
limited in how much can be carried and how far it can be carried. The first
step up is a simple sports bag, and better yet is a backpack. Next up is a
backpack along with a wheeled carry-on bag and collapsible handle. With such
equipment, you stop looking homeless, and if you and your clothes are clean,
hitch hiking is easier. One creative fellow used bungee cords to lash the luggage
handle to his belt, so the luggage became a trailer of sorts.
On another level was a bicycle messenger who equipped his bicycle with a trailer
for his worldly possessions and panniers for making package deliveries. Before
you dismiss such an arrangement, consider this: His vehicle was paid for,
he had
no mortgage or rent to worry him, a steady job, and a large circle of friends
in the shelter community. He always had money, a smile on his face, no stress,
and time to help others. Can many of us say the same?
No doubt many readers of this blog have seen a "Sidewalk Winnebago" as
the homeless sometimes call them. This is a grocery cart filled to overflowing
with everything the user owns. If you can gain the trust of the owner, perhaps
he will show you what is in the bags. It may amaze you how well equipped they
are to survive whatever comes their way.
2) Staying Clean - Walgreen's sells a shower head on a short hose with a rubber
adapter to connect to a faucet. They are meant for cleaning pets or dishes
in the sink, but can also be used to shampoo your hair in a convenience store
bathroom. The homeless man who showed me this trick said that if your hair
is clean, you appear clean. This helped him find temporary jobs.
3) Self Defense - One man carried a sports bag with a Ka-Bar sheath knife inside.
He could hold the sheath through the bag with his left hand, while drawing
the knife through the open top of the bag with his right hand. Yet another
had a Colt .45 in his bag.
4) I was told that a roll of toilet paper soaked in lighter fluid, charcoal
starter, or alcohol makes a good improvised cooking fire.
5) Another guest showed me his cache that was buried by the river. It was a
pair of five gallon plastic buckets, buried by rocks and hidden behind some
trees
in
a remote area. One was filled with food, the other with cooking utensils. I
doubt that this was his only stash.
Consider volunteering at a homeless shelter. You may be surprised what the
residents there can teach you about survival. The most important lesson I learned
is: I should be more grateful for what I have, and I should give thanks more
often. What a precious lesson. - Doc. S.
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Letter Re: Survival Lessons from the Book "The Long Walk"
Jim,
One of your blog readers suggested the book "The Long Walk". Five
minutes Googling around will satisfy you that "The
Long Walk" is
pure fiction masquerading as fact. I like a good yarn, but only when such stories
are clearly labeled "fiction." Nobody but the British author who
made up this tall tale has ever met or interviewed or known anything about
the supposed Polish prisoners who he claims walked across the Gobi Desert
and the Himalayas with virtually no gear. There are many great true survival
stories, but unfortunately this is not one of them. - Matt
Bracken in North Florida,
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Letter Re: Survival Lessons from the Book "The Long Walk"
Dear Jim,
The book "The
Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz is the best book on the
human spirit over the elements (both natural and man made) that I've ever read.
The author and his group escaped from a Siberian Gulag in 1942, crossed the
Gobi Desert and the Himalayas, and walked all the way to India. Over 4,000-miles!
This was all without the aid of $10,000 worth of gear from the REI catalog,
or for that matter,
shoes.
It's a perfect combination of some of our standard topics! Government tyranny,
survival, hope, ingenuity, teamwork. It was absolutely inspiring! - Frank S.
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Letter Re: The Recent Blizzard on I-90 in Wisconsin
JWR,
I read the link that was submitted by Craig in Odds 'n Sods. The
Channel 3000 story couldn't be farther from the truth. As a local first
responder, I can attest that we are getting the short end of the stick. The
State Patrol didn't even acknowledge
there was any problem on the interstate until hours after our crews
were already on scene. They didn't even know that Dane County had set up
an incident
command headquarters at the Highway 51 interchange. The first semi trucks
started losing traction as early as 10 a.m.that day. Near blizzard conditions
had been
present
all the previous night. I am on Stoughton, Wisconsin EMS team,
and my cousin is with the Stoughton Fire Department. My cousin and his friend,
also a firefighter,
responded to
the
command
center with personally owned snowmobiles.
Shortly after these two individuals start checking
the welfare of motorists, a State Patrol officer stopped them and read
them the riot act for daring to drive snowmobiles on what he called "my interstate." He
threatened to give both emergency responders (acting under fire command orders)
citations for operating the snowmobiles on the interstate. They had
been tasked by the incident commander with recon of the southbound lanes,
they made it to the Rock River (where the Rock County incident command was
set up), and
were met by more than 30 members of the local snowmobile club. These private
citizens came ready equipped with food, water and first aid. The two local
firefighters
were tasked by Rock Co. incident command to split up the club members into
two teams and check lanes in both directions.
At no time did the local
responders ever see National Guard members on snowmobiles. Nor did they ever
see any on the interstate. The National Guard were handing out water
and food from one truck at the Dane Co. incident command headquarters to emergency
workers. The
stranded
motorists soon started to become covered by snow drifts. Many said that was
the most scary aspect, as well as the total lack of information. Local cell
towers became overloaded. Communications were accomplished by "CB relay chains".
Several diabetic motorists were assisted by snowmobilers, and one patient
who was en route to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in his privately
owned car was loaned a portable generator since the internal battery on the
patient's medical
device
ran out.
The National Guard chopper
was seen overhead on several occasions, but never landed as far as I
know. Much later in the day, after some traffic flow began, the snowmobilers
had to go back out to the interstate to wake up some of the semi truck drivers,
who had been
sleeping in their cabs, and whose rigs were now blocking traffic flow.
All told, the
firefighter/snowmobilers logged over 400 miles traversing a 25 mile stretch
of I-90. - BadgerDad, EMT-IV
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Letter Re: Homemade and Expedient Vegetable Oil Lamps
Sir,
I clicked on this link from your site, JOTW
- Home Made Vegetable Oil Lamp. This got me to thinking about something
I read about and tried once, some
years ago. Take a tangerine, and using a knife, cut the nub off of the top,
to expose the fruit, and using a spoon, separate the fruit from the peel and
the segments from each other, leaving the sting like " pith " that
runs from top to bottom, down the center of the segments, connected to the
bottom. After letting the thing dry a bit, the pith is cut a bit to act as
a free standing " wick ", a bit of olive, vegetable, or corn oil
is put in, leaving about 1/4" of the pith above the oil to light. If it
soaks up the oil enough, the lamp can be made to last quite a while for survival
needs.
If you go to the extreme in a survival situation, a lamp could be fashioned
from natural clay like the ones seen in the Middle East that have been made
the same way since biblical times. . Many thanks to Hawaiian K.
for the link. I like to try some of these type preparedness do-it-yourself
projects from time to time to learn a new skill that may help me and my family
some
bad day.
-
Dim Tim
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Letter Re: Keeping a Low Profile is Crucial for Preparedness
Jim,
My missus and I have been into "prepping" for about 15 years. Our
house has a basement and it is practically wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling
with shelves--with just narrow aisles in between. The shelves are chockablock
with storage food (all labeled and organized "FIFO"-style),
medical supplies, assorted "field" type gear, tools, barter/charity
stuff, ammo cans, propane cylinders (that fit our camp stove and camping lantern),
reels of field phone wire, paper products, and so forth. Following the example
of Mr. Whiskey (from your "Profiles")
we have recently built up 27 sets of designated "charity duffles",
each packed in a cheap Made-in-Taiwan nylon duffle bag. Each of these contains
a Dutch Army surplus wool blanket, a Chinese knockoff of a Leatherman tool,
a pair of gloves, a pile ("watch") cap, a half dozen pairs of socks,
a thrift store man's jacket, room for four days worth of food (which we would
pack from our FIFO inventory, as needed), a collapsing plastic water container
(the type that Campmor sells), a waterproof match container, a tube tent, and
a hand line fishing kit. ("Teach a man to fish...")
When we moved back to California in 1998, we picked our house specially because
it was built in the 1940s. It is the oldest and sturdiest house on the block.
(The neighborhood built up around the house, when the property was subdivided
in the 1960s.) It has a basement and its own water well, which
is now "off the books"--since the house is now on "city" [metered]
water, but the well is still functional with a 24 VDC submersible
well pump. I have four flush roof-mounted Kyocera PV panels
(cannot be seen from the street) and six deep cycle batteries. The cables are
run series-parallel to provide both 12 VDC and 24 VDC outputs.
Even though we live in a standard suburban neighborhood, none of out
neighbors are any the wiser about our preps. At the core, I
consider my preparations my own business. When the time comes to
hand out the charity duffles, we will do so through an intermediary,
like our church. (We are Methodists.)
After seeing what
happened to that guy in Norco last year, I am glad that I keep a low
profile. The specific measures that we have taken to keep a low profile are:
1.) We take no UPS deliveries
at our house. Nearly all of our mail-ordered goods are sent to our private
mail box at the local UPS Store (it was formerly a "MailBoxes, Etc.")
From there, we take the boxes home in our minivan.We are always sure to unload
the van from inside my garage, with the garage door shut.
All of the empty boxes have the "to" and "from" address
labels cut out with a box cutter knife. I discard the flattened boxes in the
cardboard recycling dumpster behind the office where I work. (I'm a sales engineer
for a medium-size company.)
2.) We don't subscribe to any shooting or hunting magazines. We get all of
the gun information we need online. To "stay in the fight" politically,
I do make regular anonymous contributions to the GOA, JPFO and
CRPA [The California Rifle and Pistol Association, a firearms rights organization],
via Post Office Money Orders. (BTW, I do the same for the SurvivalBlog [10
Cent] Challenge. Shame on any of you that read this blog regularly but
don't pony up the 10 pennies a day!)
3.) We access all web pages via Anonymizer,
with no exceptions.
4.) Most of of our preps purchases are either made F2F,
with cash, or with Post Office Money Orders if ordering by mail. This eliminates
the "trail of paper" from writing checks or using a credit card.
We buy a lot from Nitro-Pak, Ready
Made Resources, Major
Surplus, and Lehman's.
5.) All of our guns, ammunition, gun gadgets, targets, and cleaning supplies
are bought "private party", mainly at SoCal [(Southern California)]
gun shows. Also, needless to mention, these are greenback transactions
only! In
California, we can still at least buy rifles and shotguns that are more than
50 years old
without having to buy through a [licensed] dealer. We have two [M1]
Garand rifles, and a FN.49, also [chambered] in .30-06. I'm still looking
for one or two more of those, but they are scarce, and even harder to find
private party. We also have three [Winchester] Model 12 pump[-action] 12 gauge
shotguns, two of which have had their barrels shortened to 18.5 inches. Handgun
buys in California all require paperwork, but by Divine Providence
I bought several Glocks
and [Colt Model] 1911s when
I was living in Arizona for a couple years, back in the late '90s. [JWR
Adds: That loophole was recently closed for Californians. Anyone moving
into the state must now register their handguns. Drat! But at least there was
a grandfather clause.] There is isn't much to do out in the desert except shoot,
so I bought a lot of guns when we were there.
6.) We signed up for an identity theft and credit report checking protection
plan three years ago. I noticed that SurvivalBlog just started running an ad
from Comprehensive Risk
Solutions. Their service has more bells and whistles and a lower subscription
cost that our current provider, so we will switch [to them] when our current
subscription lapses. [JWR Adds: I highly recommend this service.
It is cheap insurance to prevent what would otherwise be a very costly incident.]
7.) We use a TracFone
whenever
calling a mail order vendor. (No calling history paper trail.)
8. ) We don't mention our preps to anyone outside of our family.
We have coached our kids from an early age to keep their lips zipped.
9.) Whenever we have anybody visit our home, the basement door stays closed
and locked. (It is a keyed deadbolt lock.) The basement has
no windows. Most of our friends and relatives don't realize that we
even have a basement. (Basements are actually rare in California
tract neighborhoods.) To anybody that visits, the basement door just looks
like a locked closet.
10.) We don't leave anything "suspicious" out where it can be seen
in our house and garage.
These precautions might seem kinda "over the top", but put yourself
in my shoes. In the People's Republic of California it pays to be a bit of
a Secret Squirrel. I does cost me about $300 per year to get my mail and packages
at the UPS Store, but I consider that a small price to pay for my privacy.
I plan to retire to the mountains of central Nevada in nine years, but for
now, I am making do in my present circumstances. - F.L. in Southern California
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From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a "List of Lists"
Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then
draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or
in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out
a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor
your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density
as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat
in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living
in the Rockies.
As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create
truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on
Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main
(or propane tank), and shut your main water valve (or turn off your well pump.)
Spend that weekend in primitive conditions. Practice using only your storage
food, preparing it on a wood stove (or camping stove.)
A “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” will surprise you. Things that
you take for granted will suddenly become labor intensive. False assumptions
will be shattered. Your family will grow closer and more confident. Most importantly,
some of the most thorough lists that you will ever make will be those written
by candlelight.
Your List of Lists should include: (Sorry that this post
is in outline form, but it would take a full length book to discus all of
the following in great detail)
Water List
Food Storage List
Food Preparation List
Personal List
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
Nuke Defense List
Biological Warfare Defense List
Gardening List
Hygiene List/Sanitation List
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
Fuels List
Firefighting List
Tactical Living List
Security-General
Security-Firearms
Communications/Monitoring List
Tools List
Sundries List
Survival Bookshelf List
Barter and Charity List
JWR’s Specific Recommendations For Developing Your Lists:
Water List
House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this is another
good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal roof.)
Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don’t buy big
barrels, since five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that most
people can handle without back strain.
For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a couple
of heavy duty two wheel garden carts--convert the wheels to foam filled "no
flats" tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for those carts around
your retreat, such as hauling hay, firewood, manure, fertilizer, et cetera.)
Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a long
way. Buy some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If you can
afford it, buy a “Big Berky” British Berkefeld ceramic water filter.
(Available from Ready
Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure
spring water at your retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good
filter could be a lifesaver.)
Food Storage List
See my post tomorrow which will be devoted to food storage. Also see the recent
letter from David in Israel on this subject.
Food Preparation List
Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an oversize skillet
and a huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several huge kettles, because
odds are you will have to heat water on your wood stove for bathing, dish washing,
and clothes washing. You will also need even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or
6 gallon PVC buckets--for water hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying.
They will also make great barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr.
Gary North: “Nails: buy a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!”)
Don’t overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.
Personal List
(Make a separate personal list for each family member and individual expected
to arrive at your retreat.)
Spare glasses.
Prescription and nonprescription medications.
Birth control.
Keep dentistry up to date.
Any elective surgery that you've been postponing
Work off that gut.
Stay in shape.
Back strength and health—particularly important, given the heavy manual
tasks required for self-sufficiency.
Educate yourself on survival topics, and practice them. For example, even if
you don’t presently live at your retreat, you should plant a vegetable
garden every year. It is better to learn through experience and make mistakes
now, when the loss of crop is an annoyance rather than a crucial event.
“Comfort” items to help get through high stress times. (Books, games,
CDs, chocolates, etc.)
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
When tailoring this list, consider your neighborhood going for many months
without power, extensive use of open flames, and sentries standing picket
shifts exposed in the elements. Then consider axes, chainsaws and tractors
being wielded by newbies, and a greater likelihood of gunshot wounds. With
all of this, add the possibility of no access to doctors or high tech medical
diagnostic equipment. Put a strong emphasis on burn treatment first aid supplies.
Don’t overlook do-it-yourself dentistry! (Oil of cloves, temporary
filling kit, extraction tools, et cetera.) Buy a full minor surgery outfit
(inexpensive Pakistani stainless steel instruments), even if you don’t
know how to use them all yet. You may have to learn, or you will have the
opportunity to put them in the hands of someone experienced who needs them.)
This is going to be a big list!
Chem/Nuke Defense List
Dosimeter and rate meter, and charger, radiac meter (hand held Geiger counter),
rolls of sheet plastic (for isolating airflow to air filter inlets and for
covering window frames in the event that windows are broken due to blast effects),
duct tape, HEPA filters (ands spares) for your shelter. Potassium iodate (KI)
tablets to prevent thyroid damage.(See my recent post on that subject.) Outdoor
shower rig for just outside your shelter entrance.
Biological Warfare Defense List
Disinfectants
Hand Sanitizer
Sneeze masks
Colloidal silver generator and spare supplies (distilled water and .999 fine
silver rod.)
Natural antibiotics (Echinacea, Tea Tree oil, …)
Gardening List
One important item for your gardening list is the construction of a very tall
deer-proof and rabbit-proof fence. Under current circumstances, a raid by deer
on your garden is probably just an inconvenience. After the balloon goes up,
it could mean the difference between eating well, and starvation.
Top Soil/Amendments/Fertilizers.
Tools+ spares for barter/charity
Long-term storage non hybrid (open pollinated) seed. (Non-hybrid “heirloom” seed
assortments tailors to different climate zones are available from The
Ark Institute
Herbs: Get started with medicinal herbs such as aloe vera (for burns), echinacea
(purple cone flower), valerian, et cetera.
Hygiene/Sanitation List
Sacks of powdered lime for the outhouse. Buy plenty!
TP in quantity (Stores well if kept dry and away from vermin and it is lightweight,
but it is very bulky. This is a good item to store in the attic. See my novel
about stocking up on used phone books for use as TP.
Soap in quantity (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, cleansers, etc.)
Bottled lye for soap making.
Ladies’ supplies.
Toothpaste (or powder).
Floss.
Fluoride rinse. (Unless you have health objections to the use of fluoride.)
Sunscreen.
Livestock List:
Hoof rasp, hoof nippers, hoof pick, horse brushes, hand sheep shears, styptic,
carding combs, goat milking stand, teat dip, udder wash, Bag Balm, elastrator
and bands, SWOT fly repellent, nail clippers (various sizes), Copper-tox, leads,
leashes, collars, halters, hay hooks, hay fork, manure shovel, feed buckets,
bulk grain and C-O-B sweet feed (store in galvanized trash cans with tight
fitting lids to keep the mice out), various tack and saddles, tack repair tools,
et cetera. If your region has selenium deficient soil (ask your local Agricultural
extension office) then be sure to get selenium-fortified salt blocks rather
than plain white salt blocks--at least for those that you are going to set
aside strictly for your livestock.
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
“Buckshot” Bruce Hemming has produced an excellent series of videos
on trapping and making improvised traps. (He also sells traps and scents at very
reasonable prices.)
Night vision gear, spares, maintenance, and battery charging
Salt. Post-TEOTWAWKI, don’t “go hunting.” That would be a
waste of effort. Have the game come to you. Buy 20 or more salt blocks. They
will also make very valuable barter items.
Sell your fly fishing gear (all but perhaps a few flies) and buy practical
spin casting equipment.
Extra tackle may be useful for barter, but probably only in a very long term
Crunch.
Buy some frog gigs if you have bullfrogs in your area. Buy some crawfish traps
if you have crawfish in your area.
Learn how to rig trot lines and make fish traps for non-labor intensive fishing WTSHTF.
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
One proviso: In the event of a “grid
down” situation, if you are the only family in the area with power,
it could turn your house into a “come loot me” beacon at night.
At the same time, your house lighting will ruin the night vision of your LP/OP pickets.
Make plans and buy materials in advance for making blackout screens or fully
opaque curtains for your windows.
When possible, buy nickel metal hydride batteries. (Unlike the older nickel
cadmium technology, these have no adverse charge level “memory” effect.)
If your home has propane appliances, get a “tri-fuel” generator--with
a carburetor that is selectable between gasoline, propane, and natural gas.
If you heat your home with home heating oil, then get a diesel-burning generator.
(And plan on getting at least one diesel burning pickup and/or tractor). In
a pinch, you can run your diesel generator and diesel vehicles on home heating
oil.
Kerosene lamps; plenty of extra wicks, mantles, and chimneys. (These will also
make great barter items.)
Greater detail on do-it-yourself power will be included in my forthcoming blog
posts.
Fuels List
Buy the biggest propane, home heating oil, gas, or diesel tanks that your local
ordinances permit and that you can afford. Always keep them at least two-thirds
full. For privacy concerns, ballistic impact concerns, and fire concerns,
underground tanks are best if you local water table allows it. In any case,
do not buy an aboveground fuel tank that would visible from any public road
or navigable waterway. Buy plenty of extra fuel for barter. Don’t overlook
buying plenty of kerosene. (For barter, you will want some in one or two
gallon cans.) Stock up on firewood or coal. (See my previous blog posts.)
Get the best quality chainsaw you can afford. I prefer Stihls and Husqavarnas.
If you can afford it, buy two of the same model. Buy extra chains, critical
spare parts, and plenty of two-cycle oil. (Two-cycle oil will be great for
barter!) Get a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps. They are expensive but
they might save yourself a trip to the emergency room. Always wear gloves,
goggles, and ear-muffs. Wear a logger’s helmet when felling. Have someone
who is well experienced teach you how to re-sharpen chains. BTW, don’t
cut up your wood into rounds near any rocks or you will destroy a chain in
a hurry.
Firefighting List
Now that you have all of those flammables on hand (see the previous list) and
the prospect of looters shooting tracer ammo or throwing Molotov cocktails
at your house, think in terms of fire fighting from start to finish without
the aid of a fire department. Even without looters to consider, you should
be ready for uncontrolled brush or residential fires, as well as the greater
fire risk associated with greenhorns who have just arrived at your retreat
working with wood stoves and kerosene lamps!
Upgrade your retreat with a fireproof metal roof.
2” water line from your gravity-fed storage tank (to provide large water
volume for firefighting)
Fire fighting rig with an adjustable stream/mist head.
Smoke and CO detectors.
Tactical Living List
Adjust your wardrobe buying toward sturdy earth-tone clothing. (Frequent your
local thrift store and buy extras for retreat newcomers, charity, and barter.)
Dyes. Stock up on some boxes of green and brown cloth dye. Buy some extra for
barter. With dye, you can turn most light colored clothes into semi-tactical
clothing on short notice.
Two-inch wide burlap strip material in green and brown. This burlap is available
in large spools from Gun Parts Corp. Even if you don’t have time now,
stock up so that you can make camouflage ghillie
suits post-TEOTWAWKI.
Save those wine corks! (Burned cork makes quick and cheap face camouflage.)
Cold weather and foul weather gear—buy plenty, since you will be doing
more outdoor chores, hunting, and standing guard duty.
Don’t overlook ponchos and gaiters.
Mosquito repellent.
Synthetic double-bag (modular) sleeping bags for each person at the retreat,
plus a couple of spares. The Wiggy’s
brand Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System (FTRSS)
made by Wiggy's of Grand Junction, Colorado is highly recommended.
Night vision gear + IR floodlights for your retreat house
Subdued flashlights and penlights.
Noise, light, and litter discipline. (More on this in future posts--or perhaps
a reader would like to send a brief article on this subject)
Security-General: Locks, intrusion detection/alarm systems, exterior obstacles
(fences, gates, 5/8” diameter (or larger) locking road cables, rosebush
plantings, “decorative” ponds (moats), ballistic protection (personal
and residential), anti-vehicular ditches/berms, anti-vehicular concrete “planter
boxes”, razor wire, etc.)
Starlight electronic light amplification scopes are critical tools for retreat
security.
A Starlight scope (or goggles, or a monocular) literally amplifies low ambient
light by up to 100,000 times, turning nighttime darkness into daylight--albeit
a green and fuzzy view. Starlight light amplification technology was first
developed during the Vietnam War. Late issue Third Generation (also called
or “Third Gen” or “Gen 3”) starlight scopes can cost
up to $3,500 each. Rebuilt first gen (early 1970s technology scopes can often
be had for as little as $500. Russian-made monoculars (with lousy optics) can
be had for under $100. One Russian model that uses a piezoelectric generator
instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These are best used
as backups (in case your expensive American made scopes fail. They should not
be purchased for use as your primary night vision devices unless you are on
a very restrictive budget. (They are better than nothing.) Buy the best starlight
scopes, goggles, and monoculars you can afford. They may be life-savers! If
you can afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/PVS-4,
with a Gen 2 (or better) tube. Make sure to specify that that the tube is new
or “low hours”, has a high “line pair” count, and minimal
scintillation. It is important to buy your Starlight gear from a reputable
dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and scammers. One dealer
that I trust, is Al Glanze (spoken “Glan-zee”) who runs STANO
Components, Inc. in Silver City, Nevada. Note: In a subsequent
blog posts I will discuss the relationship and implications to IR illuminators
and tritium sights.
Range cards and sector sketches.
If you live in the boonies, piece together nine of the USGS 15-minute maps,
with your retreat property on the center map. Mount that map on an oversize
map board. Draw in the property lines and owner names of all of your surrounding
neighbor’s parcels (in pencil) in at least a five mile radius. (Get boundary
line and current owner name info from your County Recorder’s office.)
Study and memorize both the terrain and the neighbors’ names. Make a
phone number/e-mail list that corresponds to all of the names marked on the
map, plus city and county office contact numbers for quick reference and tack
it up right next to the map board. Cover the whole map sheet with a sheet of
heavy-duty acetate, so you can mark it up just like a military commander’s
map board. (This may sound a bit “over the top”, but remember,
you are planning for the worst case. It will also help you get to know your
neighbors: When you are introduced by name to one of them when in town, you
will be able to say, “Oh, don’t you live about two miles up the
road between the Jones place and the Smith’s ranch?” They will
be impressed, and you will seem like an instant “old timer.”
Security-Firearms List
Guns, ammunition, web gear, eye and ear protection, cleaning equipment,
carrying cases, scopes, magazines, spare parts, gunsmithing tools, targets
and target
frames, et cetera. Each rifle and pistol should have at least six top quality
(original military contract or original manufacturer) full capacity spare magazines.
Note: Considerable detail on firearms and optics selection, training, use,
and logistic support are covered in the SurvivalBlog archives and FAQs.
Communications/Monitoring List
When selecting radios buy only models that will run on 12 volt DC power or
rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs (that can be recharged from
your retreat’s 12 VDC power system without having to use an inverter.)
As a secondary purchasing goal, buy spare radios of each type if you can afford
them. Keep your spares in sealed metal boxes to protect them from EMP.
If you live in a far inland region, I recommend buying two or more 12 VDC marine
band radios. These frequencies will probably not be monitored in your region,
leaving you an essentially private band to use. (But never assume that any
two-way radio communications are secure!)
Note: More detail on survival communications gear selection, training, use,
security/cryptography measures, antennas, EMP protection, and logistical support
will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.
Tools List
Gardening tools.
Auto mechanics tools.
Welding.
Bolt cutters--the indispensable “universal key.”
Woodworking tools.
Gunsmithing tools.
Emphasis on hand powered tools.
Hand or treadle powered grinding wheel.
Don’t forget to buy plenty of extra work gloves (in earth tone colors).
Sundries List:
Systematically list the things that you use on a regular basis, or that you
might need if the local hardware store were to ever disappear: wire of various
gauges, duct tape, reinforced strapping tape, chain, nails, nuts and bolts,
weather stripping, abrasives, twine, white glue, cyanoacrylate glue, et cetera.
Book/Reference List
You should probably have nearly every book on my Bookshelf
page. For some, you will want to have two or three copies, such as Carla
Emery’s "Encyclopedia of Country Living". This is because these books
are so valuable and indispensable that you won’t want to risk lending
out your only copy.
Barter and Charity List
For your barter list, acquire primarily items that are durable, non-perishable,
and either in small packages or that are easily divisible. Concentrate on
the items that other people are likely to overlook or have in short supply.
Some of my favorites are ammunition. [The late] Jeff Cooper referred to it
as “ballistic
wampum.” WTSHTF, ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver.
Store all of your ammo in military surplus ammo cans (with seals that are
still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick to common calibers, get
plenty of .22 LR (most
high velocity hollow points) plus at least ten boxes of the local favorite
deer hunting cartridge, even if you don’t own
a rifle chambered for this cartridge. (Ask your local sporting goods shop
about their top selling chamberings). Also buy at least ten boxes of the
local police department’s standard pistol cartridge, again even if
you don’t own a pistol chambered for this cartridge.
Ladies supplies.
Salt (Buy lots of cattle blocks and 1 pound canisters of iodized table salt.)
(Stores indefinitely if kept dry.)
Two cycle engine oil (for chain saw gas mixing. Gas may still be available
after a collapse, but two-cycle oil will probably be like liquid gold!)
Gas stabilizer.
Diesel antibacterial additive.
50-pound sacks of lime (for outhouses).
1 oz. bottles of military rifle bore cleaner and Break Free (or similar) lubricant.
Waterproof dufflebags in earth tone colors (whitewater rafting "dry bags").
Thermal socks.
Semi-waterproof matches (from military rations.)
Military web gear (lots of folks will suddenly need pistol belts, holsters,
magazine pouches, et cetera.)
Pre-1965 silver dimes.
1-gallon cans of kerosene.
Rolls of olive drab parachute cord.
Rolls of olive-drab duct tape.
Spools of monofilament fishing line.
Rolls of 10 mil "Visqueen", sheet plastic (for replacing windows,
isolating airspaces for nuke scenarios, etc.)
I also respect the opinion of one gentleman with whom I've corresponded, who
recommended the following:
Strike anywhere matches. (Dip the heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.)
Playing cards.
Cooking spices. (Do a web search for reasonably priced bulk spices.)
Rope & string.
Sewing supplies.
Candle wax and wicking.
Lastly, any supplies necessary for operating a home-based business. Some that
you might consider are: leather crafting, small appliance repair, gun repair,
locksmithing, et cetera. Every family should have at least one home-based business
(preferably two!) that they can depend on in the event of an economic collapse.
Stock up on additional items to dispense to refugees as charity.
Note: See the Barter Faire chapter in my novel "Patriots" for
lengthy lists of potential barter items.
« Two Letters Re: A Warning on Kelly Kettles |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: A Reader's Tale of Survival on Alaskan Rivers
In reading your last few days posts on preparedness for disaster, etc, it brought
to mind an experience I had twenty plus years ago in Alaska's wilderness.
I am only here to relate this story for one reason - I listened to my father
as a young man, one of the few times that I did, but it saved my life.
In 1985 I was on a moose hunting trip on a river boat with a close friend,
whose nickname is Dangerous Don. We had put in our boat at the town of Nenana
and proceeded up river to a smaller tributary, about 60' wide. As we made
the tributary, we got hung up on a sandbar. While we were stuck, Don decided
to fill the gas tank on the boat motor from a jerry can. I was in the bow keeping
us stable in the river with an oar. He filled the motor, and then used a battery
cable from the battery to touch the lead on the motor. He had spilled gas in
the back of the boat. As soon as he touched the post on the motor, it sparked
and the gas immediately exploded. I heard the explosion and felt the heat on
my neck at the same time. I turned and saw Don engulfed in the flames. At that
moment, I panicked. I jumped out of the boat, and in the process, flipped my
glasses into the river. I grabbed the rope and went towards shore. I was able
to tie the boat off on a dead snag next to the river. Don was able to get out
of the boat. We stood on shore watching the boat burn.
After watching the boat burn for what seemed like an eternity, we realized
the boat was our only way out. We managed to salvage our clothes, a thermos
of hot water, a bag of sugar and Don's rifle. By then the fire was out of control,
burning the wood transoms, seats and floorboards. We managed to swamp the fire
out of the boat by pulling it up the bank and swamping the stern into the river.
As we did this, an oar floated down river.
Don immediately dived in, swam down river and retrieved the oar. We then had
to pull the boat out of the river after swamping it. By then 10-12 minutes
had passed. We were soaking wet and chilled to the bone in the 35 degree drizzle.
We were starting to exhibit hypothermia, and knew we were racing a clock.
We decided one of us should immediately change to get into dry clothes, and
the other start a fire. I changed to dry clothes while Don chopped dry branches
off the dead snag, and found some somewhat dry plywood out of the boat. We
found some tinder from some dry game bags. But nothing to start the fire. This
was the most ironic situation I had ever faced - just put out a fire that was
trying to kill us, only to not be able to start one so we could stay alive.
Don finally got a spark off of his lighter to ignite the game bags we had soaked
in white stove gas we had salvaged.
Once the fire was roaring, Don was turning white from the cold. I had to change
his clothes, as he could barely stand. We found a blanket, tied it up as a
windbreak and sat in front of the fire, feeding it branches until they ran
out. We poured the baggie of sugar into the hot water thermos and drank it.
I was sitting on a stump and was starting to doze off - which I knew was trouble.
I must digress here to relate the reference earlier of listening to my father
as a young man. When I was 6 years old, my father's brother-in-law was on an
elk hunting trip with him and others in the Coeur d' Alene mountains, when
he became separated from the party during a snow storm that set in. My father
looked until late and went to town to the sheriff's office, only to be turned
down by the sheriff - he said it would have till wait until morning. They found
my uncle dead the next morning sitting on a stump with his glasses off and
his wallet next to them. He was 19. (This happened in 1961.)
For the next ten years, I was schooled by my father in the woods, when we went
hunting, fishing, camping, working on the farm etc. When I was twelve and old
enough to hunt, I never left his sight for the first three years. After that
he would put me on stands until he was certain I knew what I was doing. Most
of my hunting was in the rugged Coeur d'Alene Mountains. His number one mantra
"If you are in trouble and cold and have no shelter, and no means to make one,
don't
ever sit down until you can find shelter."
As I was sitting on that stump after the boat fire, my father's words came
back to me. I remember in my daze telling Don to "kick me" I woke
up on the ground. I jumped up, grabbed Don by the lapels and told him we were
leaving. We were going to somehow fix the boat, load everything back in it
and float back to the truck. I told him I would rather die on the river attempting
to get out, than I would of hypothermia sitting along the river bank. We had
no fire, no shelter, no food - he agreed.
We patched the holes along the transom in the boat with foam from under the
seats. We loaded all our gear in the front so as not to swamp the back where
the holes were. We then shoved off and began to float back to Nenana. As I
had lost my glasses, we switched off with Don's glasses to read the river.
Once we got to the Tanana which
is over a 1/2-mile wide of glacial silt, we felt confident we could make it
back.
We then encountered Mr. Murphy. ("Murphy's Law."]After thirty minutes or so
on the big river, we saw a tugboat headed up to Fairbanks pulling a barge,
and
throwing
a big
wake. As we had a leaky boat on the stern, we knew if we took a wake, we were
sunk, literally. We rowed frantically to the far side of the river, turned
into the wake and crossed over behind the tug and barge without mishap. We
made it to Nenana with no further trouble.
As I have related this story over the years, and am now preparing everyday
for "The Crunch" I realize that no matter how prepared we are, how
many books we read, how many exercises we drill at, we have to all at times
rely on Divine intervention, first and foremost. Yes we were prepared that
day for emergency, but not completely. We made mistakes, and we got things
right. But without the intervention of YHWH, we would be dead.
During the times ahead of us, which I believe to be the unfolding of events
that will usher in the return of our Messiah, we must be so tight with YHWH,
that we will know what to do ahead of time prompted by his spirit. I pray that
all that have read this, will understand we can be prepared, but if we aren't
redeemed, we don't stand a chance with the Almighty when the last trumpet sounds.
- Kepha in Idaho
JWR Replies: Thanks for sharing that story with us. As background,
I should mention that I attended Northern Warfare School in Alaska, in 1980.
It was the three week summer course for West Point and ROTC cadets.
(It had nearly all of the fun of the winter course, but very little of the
misery.) The
first phase
of
the course was a week of riverine operations, on the Tanana River. What many
readers
that
are
unfamiliar
with
glacial rivers would not realize from reading your account is the
depth of the peril you were in. For their benefit, let me add this:
If Kepha's expedient
boat patches
had not held and the boat had sunk mid-channel in the Tanana, he and Don probably
would
not
have
lived
for
more
than
20 minutes, even wearing life vests.
Glacial rivers are bitter cold--so cold that if you fall in, you can lose consciousness
within 10 minutes. Their waters are also so silt-laden (which is what gives
them their
liquid chocolate appearance) that anyone that falls in very quickly has their
pockets
and every crevice of their clothing fill up with silt, weighing them down.
This is often enough to drown even a very strong swimmer. Kepha's survival
was indeed a providential gift from God.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Note from JWR: »
Prepare or Die, by J. Britely
Throughout my life I have been
caught unprepared several times and while nothing seriously bad happened, it
easily could have. I have been
lost hiking. My car has broken
down in very bad
neighborhoods - twice. I have
been close enough to riots
that I feared they would spread to my neighborhood, been in earthquakes, been
too close to wildfires, been stuck in a blizzard,
and have been without power and water for several days after a hurricane. I managed to get myself out of
each situation, I thanked God, and tried to learn from my mistakes. I could have avoided these situations
or made them much less unsafe and worrisome if I had been more aware and
prepared. I have also tried to
learn from the mistakes of others
so as to not learn everything the hard way. One group I assisted was a two hour drive into the
mountains, out of gas, wearing tee shirts, and had empty water bottles (at
least they kept them) (I have made each of those mistakes but not all at the
same time).
I aspire to be more prepared the
next time. My preparedness
includes many different aspects.
In my opinion, the most important thing I have done is to learn as much
as possible about what to expect and how to deal with those situations. The other important thing that gives me
some piece of mind is that I carry
and stock away water, food, ammo, books, and other tools and equipment that
should help me survive a bad situation.
Be prepared!
The other inspiration for my
preparations is my family. Seeing
my family suffer from lack of water or food would be very hard for me,
especially if some easy and cheap preparations could have made a big
difference. Recently, a few
friends and family have asked me about my preparations and how they might
prepare. I didn't have a good
short answer because I have spent years learning and stocking away. I thought of myself as more of a
student than a teacher in this area, but now I think I do know enough to give
some basic advice and refer them to good sources for more. Hopefully, they (and you) can learn
from my mistakes without having to waste time, energy and money on things that
don't work. Of course, I haven't
been through every situation or disaster but I have made it through a few tough
spots without losing my head. My
advice is based upon what I know to work and also what sounds like it would
work with the minimum fuss. I
always prefer the cheap, easy, home-made solution, but
sometimes it is worth the cost to get a quality item that is just too hard to
improvise or where the manufactured solution is much better (such as a
knife). Keep it simple stupid
(KISS) when you can. With
persistence you can get a lot done $20 at a time.
The purpose of this document is
to give an overview of preparedness and the first steps to take. I focus more on the why than the what
so that you can tailor your preparedness to your own situation and budget. I will also cite the best sources I
have found for more information.
There is a lot of information out there in books, classes, web sites,
and forums. Most of it is good but it is also really repetitious and
overwhelming. This document is
only about 15 pages printed out (you are printing important information (not
necessarily this) aren't you - since in an emergency you may not have power and
need to take the information with you).
I try to keep my important preparedness documents in an expandable file
folder with a tie inside a plastic crate.
What are you preparing for?
No one really knows what will be
the next survival situation they will face or how it will play out (will it get
worse before it gets better?). It
could be getting lost hiking, the car getting two flats in the middle of the
desert, a hurricane, a home invasion, an earthquake, or a terrorist
attack. You must assess your own
situation and determine what you need to prepare for. Of course some preparations will be useful in many
situations including everyday life, and these are the best type.
In order to get an idea of what
to prepare for, look at the types of situations that you or people similar to
you have been through. Also,
assess where you live or spend a lot of time such as work and vacation. We need to learn from the past but
without fighting the last war.
I like hiking and being
outdoors, so for me learning how
not to get lost and how to stay alive in the outdoors are high
priorities. These skills may also
come in handy if I need to walk to safety during a terrorist attack because all
of the roads and public transportation are closed. Living in your house without power or water isn't too
different from camping
except for the nice roof over your head and all of your stuff. I have also taken a first
aid class. It is pretty
limited in coverage but still useful in a variety of situations.
To assess the likely dangers to
where I live and work I used several sources including FEMA (free guide), DHS, Disaster Center, Emergency
Essentials, Two
Tigers and CBS. Also, find your local emergency
response office. But don't
rely on the government too much for planning or for help. As we relearned with the Katrina
response, their information and advice is far from perfect. And FEMA has always said it will take
72 hours to respond. So the way
I
look at it, during Katrina, FEMA (and
local governments) failed to live up to
its own low expectations. But even
if FEMA had been able to provide more food and water, you would still be much
better off taking care of yourself.
Do you really want to be told what possessions you can hold, when to
eat, when to sleep, and live in close quarters with thousands of
strangers? Sounds like prison to
me.
It's
A Disaster is a good book that will get you started on a plan for most
disasters. Some of their plans are
a little passive for me (don't take any risks and follow all FEMA directions)
and their kits lack some important things like knives. Still, it is a very good book and a
great start. Family and friends
should be included in your planning and preparations as much as they want to
be, but be careful about telling people who you do not trust or know well. You do not want to become a target in a
crisis.
I
think one of the best sources for thinking about what you are preparing for
and what does and doesn't work is news and
first hand accounts. These are some of the best ones I have
found. A few of them seem kind of
glib and bravado but the advice seems sound.
True Stories of Survival
Hurricane Katrina: http://www.frfrogspad.com/disastr.htm
Argentina thread 1: http://www.clairewolfe.com/wolfesblog/arg.html
Argentina thread 2 (some
swearing): http://www.survivalmonkey.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2715
Airplane crash: http://www.equipped.com/waldock698.htm
Ground Zero: http://www.equipped.org/groundzero.htm
Karen Hood's Survival Journal (a week in the wilderness) http://www.survival.com/karen1.htm
Sailing to Hawaii http://www.equipped.com/0698rescue.htm
Tsunami http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/
Alaska http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/8017/index2.html
A list of stories
Priorities
The survival Rule of Threes:
- It takes about three seconds to die without thinking
- It takes about three minutes to die without air
- It
takes about three hours to die without shelter
- It
takes about three days to die without water
- It
takes about three weeks to die without food
- It
takes about three months to die without hope
- Try to
have at least three ways of preventing each
of the above (a backup to your backup).
So the priorities are thinking,
air, shelter, water, food, and hope.
These are rules of thumb and approximations. Also, you will likely start feeling really bad before you
die so you need to be proactive in addressing these needs.
Thinking
Basically, don't panic
and do
something stupid. This is easier
said than done, but you can build your thinking skill and confidence by playing
“what if” games. After reading about the risks to your area and the survival
stories above, think about what kinds of things could go wrong and how you
would deal with them. The more
detail the better. What would you
do if a cat 5 hurricane was projected to hit your house? Where would you go? What would you take? Would it all fit in your car? Do you have enough gas to get there if
the gas stations are closed? What
if you don't have time to leave? What room in your house is safest (can you
reinforce it easily)?
If you are facing a serious
situation but no immediate threat, take the time to consider your options
before rushing into a course of action.
Take an inventory of what you have on hand and what is around you. Think of how each item could help solve
one or more of your priorities.
Thinking about these things may
be scary but it will be less scary when it actually happens if you have thought
it through. Focus on what you can
do to improve things and not on what you cannot change. Thinking can also be
more long term as in learning and planning. I suggest you read some of the sources below and then come
up with a plan for several types of situations that you are likely to
face. But don't delay, you can take
some first steps outlined below, such as storing water, right now. You can then read more, take classes
and collect useful items.
Preparing is a process not a one time event.
Air
Having breathable air is not
something you usually have to worry about, but it is an immediate priority if
you do. First aide can help with
choking and bleeding (which causes the body to not get needed oxygen). Hundreds
of people die from carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide poisoning
every year because of gas leaks and cooking
or heating indoors. Being at
altitude can also make it harder to breath. Finally, a terrorist attack could put dust, chemical,
biological, or nuclear contamination in the air or force you into a shelter
that needs ventilation. Be aware
of these dangers and have appropriate detectors if possible (smoke, carbon
monoxide, etc.). A wet cloth or
hand wipe (carry on airplane) to breathe through can help for dust or smoke.
Shelter
Shelter is mainly about staying
dry and the right temperature, but you also want to avoid sunburn, bugs,
animals and other dangers. Your
house is your usual primary shelter but it could become damaged or you may have
to evacuate. You should have
emergency repair items on hand such as tarps, lumber, shovels, nails, plastic
sheeting, crowbars, and a saw.
Your clothes are your first and
most important layer of shelter outdoors.
Clothes protect you from heat, cold and abrasions. In general silk, wool, and synthetic
materials are better than cotton especially to keep you warm in cold wet
weather. I find cotton more comfortable especially in hot weather, so I
compromise and wear a cotton shirt and shorts, but carry a better shirt, pants
and socks
in my bag, as well as additional layers and a change of underwear. This makes my pack a little heavier,
but I have been cold and wet in the wilds and that is miserable. For me, a hat and sunglasses are
indispensable. I try to always
carry at least a light water resistant jacket or poncho (with a garbage bag as
a backup). For me, boots are the
only sensible walking shoes. Find
some that are rugged and comfortable.
Have extra laces and a backup pair.
You can carry a tent, a tarp or garbage
bag for resting and sleeping.
A tarp can make a simple shelter or
an elaborate one. Rope, twine and tape are also
useful. You can carry some type of
staff
or tent
poles or make them with an ax or saw.
Mosquito netting is necessary in some places.
You should have many ways to
start a fire since most are cheap and compact. At least have a lighter, matches,
and flint. You can also build a firebed to sleep in if you have
inadequate shelter from the cold.
Water
This is a crucial area that
can be helped a lot with very cheap and easy actions before The Schumer
Hits The
Fan (TSHTF). This is probably the
thing
you can do with the highest payoff for amount of effort. The only problem with water is that it
is heavy and can take up a lot of room.
If you have storage room and are staying home this isn't a problem but
if you are on the move it can become a driving factor in your progress. Long term solutions are also difficult
if your primary water source (city water or well) goes out and you are not near
a river or lake.
Used plastic soda bottles and
orange juice jugs with screw tops make very convenient water storage containers. Just rinse them a few times with hot
water. Old liquor bottles and wine box bladders work well too. I also have several canteens and rugged
5
gallon containers with taps.
The five gallon containers weigh about 40 pounds each and are about as
big as can be easily moved (larger drums can go in your basement or garage or
under a rain spout). A few collapsible
containers might also be useful because they can be stored and carried
empty. Tap water can last for
years without going bad if kept in a cool dark place. But you should check water that has been stored for clarity
and odors. If in doubt, treat it
with one of the methods below. You
can also freeze the plastic soda or orange juice containers (these do crack sometimes
when freezing) and use them in a cooler to keep food cold if the power goes out
before drinking it. If you know
a
disaster is coming fill up any container you can including the coffee maker,
crystal vase, bucket, bathtub, sink, and kiddy pool (some of these could be
spilled or contaminated but hopefully some will make it).
Most sources recommend about a
gallon per person per day. People
consume about 2 quarts in cool low activity environments but much more if hot
or active. You should have at
least 2 weeks worth per person in your primary residence (but why not have
months worth if you have the room).
If you are traveling by car, three days worth per person is minimum
(more for bathing), and if you are walking take as much as you reasonably can
carry but at least one days worth (several small bottles are better for
diversification if one leaks and also to let you know to start looking for more
water before you are on your last bottle). I also store extra water for washing and bathing. Here the container doesn't matter quite
as much. I use old liquid
detergent jugs. You should also
have at least two methods of sterilizing water.
The first step in sterilizing
water is to get the water as clear as possible. If it is cloudy, strain it with coffee filters, a clean
cloth, or sand. Or you can let it
settle and pour off the more clear water.
The primary and most reliable
method of sterilizing water is boiling.
You actually do not need to boil the water just heat it past 145 degrees for long enough. But
if you don't do it right you can get sick. So to be safe, boil it for 5 minutes if you can. If you are
walking, a metal cup (enamel or stainless) or a converted tin can is easier to
boil than a full pot. You can
carry a backpacking
stove or a Kelly Kettle. You can
use solar power to sterilize
water (in a soda
bottle) if no cooking is possible.
Other stoves are suggested below under food.
To sterilize water
with bleach use 2 drops of plain unscented
bleach per quart of water (or 8 drops per gallon or 1⁄4 tsp per 2 gallons). If you don't have a dropper you can wet
a paper towel and then drip it (wear gloves). Let the water sit for 20 minutes and then smell it. If it smells like chorine then its good
to go. If it doesn't, repeat with
the same amount of bleach. If that
doesn't work try to find other water.
(Really bad water or salt water requires a still.) Bleach is cheap but does not last forever - rotate. Dry Calcium Hypochlorite {sold as "pool
shock" bleach) stores
much
better
than liquid bleach but requires an
additional step of mixing a solution. (It provides a very inexpensive long
term
solution
to
water treatment).
There are also Potable
Aqua iodine tablets that are more
compact for sterilizing water. You
can also use Tincture of
Iodine. Iodine and chlorine
are poisons so be very careful (kill the
bacteria not yourself. [Avoid ingesting chlorine or iodine crystals!])
Any of the chemical treatments
can make the water taste funny.
You can use drink mixes to make it taste better. I'm not sure if sports drinks are
really better, but Gatorade seems more thirst quenching to me than water. The powder form is more convenient and
cheaper. You can also make your own sports drink
(1/4 tsp nu salt (potassium chloride),
1⁄4
tsp
salt,
3-6 tbsp sugar (to taste), juice of 1 lemon (or orange), and optional flavoring
(Kool-Aid) per gallon of water) or switchel.
Of course you can spend money for water if you
want to. You can buy prepackaged water or expensive
filters. There are backpacking
filters but I have found these to be temperamental. A water
bottle with a filter would be a good backup or a straw.
You can also go the more expensive route with a good gravity fed filter like
this: http://www.doultonfilters.com/gravity.html. This is a great looking solar still but doesn't appear
to be for sale right now.
If you are a homebrewer (or like beer), you can add some
dry malt extract, hops, and dry yeast to your
stash. Beer is boiled as part of
the brewing process. Then the
alcohol and hops act as a natural preservative. For the long term you can get some sproutable barley, grow some hops, and culture yeast. If you or someone with you doesn't
handle alcohol well, skip this.
Food
Providing food can be as
easy or
complicated as you want. The
easiest thing to do is simply buy
more of any food you normally buy that stores well. By store well, I mean does not
spoil. Foods like fresh milk, meat
and bread do not store well. Other
foods like rice, dried beans and pasta all store well and are cheap. They eventually lose some of their
nutrition but this is gradual and will not make you sick from eating “expired”
food if you forget to rotate. I
do
not list exact rotation schedules because every source is different. Some sources say grains only last one
year but most sources say 10 plus years and other credible sources say hundreds
or thousands
of years. It all depends upon how
it is packed and where it is stored which is discussed below (vacuum packed,
cool and dry are best) Canned meats, fruits and vegetables store okay and are
more expensive.
How much food you want to have
on hand depends on what type of situation you expect and how much you want to
spend. Buying a month' worth of rice, beans,
salt, and pasta will not cost much (and
is a good start). You will be a
lot happier if you add:
- canned or dried
meat (Costco and BJs have multipaks of Spam, ham, tuna and chicken for
under $10)
- canned or dried fruits and nuts
- canned or dried vegetables
- dried potatoes
- canned or dried sauces (for
pasta, chili, etc.)
- soup mixes (bean soups are
cheap) and bullion
- dried onions
- parmesan cheese
- cooking oil
- ramen noodles
- peanut butter
- mayo
- vinegar
- sugar and honey
- powdered milk
- bread crumbs, stuffing, oatmeal,
cereal
- flour, pancake mix, biscuit mix
- baking soda
- cocoa, instant coffee, tea,
drink mixes, juice mixes (cranberry)
- lemon juice
- dry yeast
- spices
Some of these can be eaten
without cooking or water if you have to.
Costco is great for the rice, canned goods, bullion, yeast (2 pound
box), cooking oil and spices. Don't forget a can opener and other
utensils. Of course you can do the
drying (wood
or solar) and canning yourself
for better quality and lower cost.
The oil, flour, baking soda and yeast (refrigerate the yeast if
possible) do not store well and have to be rotated more frequently than the
rice, beans and pasta. You will
be
healthier if you add some multivitamins. There are also luxury items like
Powerbars, powdered eggs, powdered cheese, powdered butter, food tabs, and meals
ready to eat (MREs).
To decide how much you need, you
can simply scale up recipes
and meals (print some simple recipes that use your stored food). How much rice and beans would you eat
at a meal or in a day if that was all you ate? A lot probably (make a meal as a trial). Now multiply that by the number of
people and the number of days and you have a ball park of how much to
store. The problem is that you
could end up feeding more people than your immediate family. Who else would you not turn away?
(Anyone you wouldn't want to live with normally is not someone you want to be
stuck with in a crisis. That said
there is some family I wouldn't turn away even if they deserve it). Start with the cheap stuff (rice,
beans, pasta, salt) and then slowly keeping adding and rotating the other food
until you have at least one months worth.
Do an inventory at least twice a year.
Store everything in
airtight/waterproof containers inside a tough container in a cool, dry, dark
place. Some things come packed
pretty well and can just go in a plastic
bucket or crate (cans can
be dipped in wax). Other items
should be vacuum
packed in small bags or large mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and
then put in the plastic bucket with a lid or crate (with a solid latching
lid). If you don't have shelves,
you can make shelves out of the buckets or crates and 1”x12” lumber. Put 2”x4”'s under the bottom shelf to
keep it off the floor.
For years
worth of food instead of months worth of food we need to move to grain and grain grinders. The Church of Latter Day
Saints are the experts
here. They also have storehouses that will sell
to the public if you are polite.
Of course you can buy online
but the shipping will be as much or more than the food. I went cheap and was able to get about
six months worth of food for one person for $100. I stuck to grains (400 lbs/year), beans (40 lbs/year), soup
mix (20 lbs/year), and milk (16 lbs/year) (I already had sugar (60
pounds/year), salt (10 lbs/year), oil (5 gallons/year), baking soda and yeast). I borrowed some of their equipment to
pack some of the food, the rest I packed at home in the mylar bags and buckets
described above. The milk is a
sticky powder and very messy (think of spilling flour and multiply by 100),
repack it outside if possible. I
also bought a hand operated
grain grinder to make flour from the wheat. Then I can make bread
(scale this recipe up to one loaf per day for a year as a cross check for a
year's supply). This would be a
pretty miserable diet but I think it would keep me alive and healthy if I had
enough vitamins.
