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Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. Uniform
Present Home: 63 year old brick veneer over weather board farmhouse (1,300
square feet) built by my father. 25 acres, consisting of 3.5 acres of pine,
9 acres of old growth hardwoods, 1.5 acres of apple, pear, pecan, grape, muscudine,
and scuppernong orchard/grove/vineyard. Additional 900 square foot house, 100
year barn (30'x30' with loft and sheds), outdoor privy, detached 24'x24' garage
building, 140 square foot storage building, dog house/lot, hog house lot (not
used at present). Approximately three acres in farmstead buildings, drives,
and gardens. Balance of land in open arable land presently used by neighbor
as
native grass hay field. All but the very front of house is inside a fence.
Yard and road frontage is behind a five foot chain link or five foot wood picket
fence. Remainder of property line is behind an old five-strand barbed wire
fence (needs upgrading). Property is in northwest portion of South Carolina.
Family has lived in area for over 500 years (Cherokee portion), most of the
remainder
for more than 200 years. Family on two sides and long term (over 80 years)
family friends on two sides. House fronts on a small farm to market road but
backs to a heavily traveled Interstate. Attend a small Baptist Church that
ancestors helped to found 204 years ago (veterans of Revolutionary War). Property
has two hand dug wells near headwaters of creek. Presently use public water,
but both wells are usable by hand drawing with a windless. Water is free of
contaminants per test. Presently plant garden from heirloom seeds and co-operate
with neighbors and family in trade.
Ages: Mr Uniform: 47 His widowed mother: 82
Annual Income: Gross $86,000, Net $43,000
Occupations: Government employee. Mother is a retired
widowed homemaker and cancer survivor.
Hobbies/Avocation: Hunt, Fish, Camp, volunteer fireman (Board Member and Arson
Investigator), Volunteer Advanced State Constable (Police Officer), trained
medical First Responder.
Investments: Gold and silver coin including ‘junk’ silver, copper
coin, Thrift Board (similar to 401k). Some open note debt due to family sicknesses
and deaths.
Vehicles: 1968 Chevy pickup, two Cadillacs (one built in 1980s, the other
in the late1990s), 1998 Ford F150 4WD Pickup, 1957 Ford Tractor (34 h.p. gas)
with crop implements
and some
mule
implements.
Keep all vehicles fueled and serviced.
Fuel Storage: 500 gallons propane for cooking and furnace. 15 gallons of K-1 kerosene
for lamps, lanterns, and back-up heat. 25 gallons of 4 cycle gas. 2.5 gallons
of 2 cycle gas. Two wood heaters in storage in barn. Plan: to cut and rack
wood in a shed to be built. Plan on buying wood cook stove in future and put
in storage. All wood heat was removed from house in 1985 due to Father’s
health. Also to put in at least 1000 gallon gas tank and fuel oil tank. Also,
a kerosene tank in 500 to 1000 gallon range. Probably in a ventilated shed
instead of underground due to water table in the defensible zone.
Livestock: One collie at moment, used for guard/watch dog. Hope to add small
livestock within a year (one species at a time). Beef cattle on one neighbor’s
place. Dairy within 3 miles (high school class mate). Hogs on two neighbors
farms within two miles and chickens close.
Communications: Land line with DSL hook up. Cell phones. Two privately owned
walkie-talkies programmed for direct communication with local law enforcement,
fire, and EMS. One pair of FRS radios. One small programmable scanner, one
CB transceiver,
one shortwave receiver. Want to add field phone capability.
Food and supply storage: 9 months to a year on most everything from food to
toothpaste. We employ the method of :"use one and buy three."
Mail service: Rural route delivery for some things, P.O. Box in neighboring
village for others, while package delivery generally goes to one of the offices
that
I work out of.
Shortcomings: Too close to interstate highway though county is almost an island
with lakes, control points could be manned at all of the bridges entering county
and control much of the flow of traffic. Patrol the Interstate Highway corridor
to keep unauthorized exit from the Interstate. Also, patrol the lake shore
for unwanted landings. 100 miles from Atlanta, 50 miles from Greenville, 150
miles from Charlotte. All too close. Not enough food and supplies, I think
3 years should be on hand and rotated. Not enough ammo. Inadequate fuel supply,
and no alternative source of electricity yet. Nuclear plant nearby.
Taxes: Moderate and rising due to refugees from northeast moving into lake
developments and demanding more county services. Many of these will be first
to go down in a long term grid down situation
Armory: Fire rated safe with S&G.
Adequate with a mixture of heavy battle and hunting rifles, medium battle and
hunting rifles, and light battle and
hunting rifles, and .22 rimfire. Same with shotguns, and pistols. Somewhat
of the Mel
Tappan philosophy. Good supply of spare magazines. Have had very
good tactical and firearms training from law enforcement, SAR, IDPA,
and SASS.
Two ballistic vests and several non ballistic tactical vests.
Next door neighbor similarly armed and prepared. Sister (40+ acres) and cousins
(1 to 10 acres each) (within 3 miles) are more armed for personal protection
and hunting than tactical. I go armed from rising to bed. Also carry a minimum
kit in vehicle: one .40 cal with rig, one carbine, ammo, water, clothes, meds,
MREs.
I travel an average of 800 miles per week on job. I average 13 hour days, 5
days per week, plus 12 hours per week law enforcement volunteer, three hours
per week average for VFD.
This is to help me get home. Need some NVGs.
Have motion sensors. Placing more. Have more fencing in storage.
Other People Joining Us: Cousins from metro Atlanta area, former naval IT electronics
person and shipboard security team leader. Maybe one cousin from Hart County,
Georgia who lives alone and in late 60s. He grows the grain and has a saw mill.
He is former army signal corps telephone. I have married sister, married niece,
and several married cousins within area. If ones property becomes compromised,
we will double up.
Affiliations: Active in Church (Bible Study Teacher, Church Clerk, and Deacon).
Past Master in local [Masonic] Lodge.
Education: BS in Ag Ed, Masters in Agricultural Education, many semester hours
over Masters in Administration and Supervision, 50 quarter hours in Criminal
Justice.
Former
high school ag teacher and animal science professor in a Jr. College.
Area: Local fire district (all volunteer) is 25 square miles with a permanent
population of about 2,500. Two private church schools, five churches, one
truck stop, four country stores and locally owned building supply store, Medical
Clinic with two Doctors,
Pharmacist, and Nurses. Local fire department forms the basis of local Civil
Defense. 24 out of 26 members are armed. Two Unarmed: One is a local Doctor
and Army veteran (Bosnian Call-Up) and the other is a CPA.
Adjoining fire districts are similar. I am covered under Law Enforcement Officers
(LEOs).
Safety Act for firearms carrying. Most of the fire department have South Carolina
and New Hampshire carry permits with [reciprocity] coverage in several states.
Civil
Defense
plans
are
in
place to secure the interstate in an emergency. Overall, community, including
elderly widows, is well armed, just not tactical. Has at least 14 present
and former LEOs within five miles, one is the County Sheriff who belongs
to same Lodge and is active in an adjoining Baptist Church. Both local sheriffs’ offices
are upgrading their tactical capabilities with a full auto .223 in each patrol
car. I am working with the new chief at the largest town in my county trying
to convince him to upgrade to individually assigned patrol cars, preferable
take home, and patrol rifles.
JWR's Comments/Recommendations: Given your proximity to
the interstate freeway, you should definitely plan on having at least three
families
to man your retreat.
With any less than that, you won't have the manpower to maintain 24/7 security
for an extended period of time. Stock up on plenty of ammo, defensive (concertina)
wire, and night vision gear, for
a
"worst
case" situation.
In a follow-up e-mail, Mr. Uniform added this commentary:
I would like to comment on preparedness as a mindset and as a way of
life instead of just acquisition of things. I pondered this over the weekend
as I ate various meals. At breakfast, I ate grits and eggs and sausage. The
grits were from corn I grew and ground on a cousin's mill. He received a toll
for the grinding. I traded extra grits and cornmeal (which he also ground)
for the eggs and sausage. At noon, we sat down to dinner and enjoyed fresh
ham and several vegetables. All the vegetables were grown either in my garden
or my sister's garden. The ham came from a feral shoat that became a nuisance
in the garden. Supper was similar. For dessert, we had fresh fig preserves.
The figs came from a fig bush/tree that my grandfather had planted. He died
in 1946 at age 83. We grow a lot of what we eat and eat what we grow. It is
not just about saving money, it is more about living healthy and being self
sufficient. Being able to open the store room or pantry and see a year's worth
of provisions is comforting during troubling times. As well, it is nice to
know that one has the means and capability to protect and defend ones family,
friends, and home. But simply a year's capability is not enough for severe
times.
In the past, my family went through roughly ten years of what is now
called the French and Indian War, about seven years of the Revolutionary War,
four years of the War of Northern Aggression then accompanied by 12 years of
armed
occupation by Union troops. It took another 100 years to somewhat recover economically.
I believe that we need to prepare for a long term situation such as that. Also,
plan on having property tax money saved back for multiple years in as many
different currencies (paper, gold, silver) as possible. The Depression lasted
for about 13 years. Now to address how do individuals practice living the lifestyle
when not at a retreat. If you can grow flowers, you can grow vegetables. This
will give [you] practice. In some cases, you can rent small tracts of garden
space from landowners near the city's edge. I know of one case where a city
family
made a trade with an elderly widow lady in my community. They work a three
acre garden and three acre mixed orchard/vineyard. For rent, they share the
produce with the lady and keep her yard cut. A good symbiotic relationship.
Take classes in Emergency Medicine, Fire Suppression, and the Martial Arms
(Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun in target and tactical). Maybe even volunteer as
a fireman, EMT,
or [Sheriff's] deputy. Learn to do many things: weld, wire, carpentry, masonry,
etc. Learn to be the needed member of the community. Live in the community
as much as possible, create a sense of belonging. Create a healthy lifestyle.
Get rid of addictions, get health problems under control, build a network of
friends and acquiesces. Most importantly, get right Spiritually. In troubling
times, there is an inexhaustible supply of help from the Heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Become part of a local church congregation.
Be the one to be ready to help the elderly, widows, and orphans in your church.
Just some thoughts, - Mr. Uniform
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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
« Letter Re: Vasovagal Response |Main| Note from JWR: »
Retreat Owner Profile: Mr & Mrs. "FerFAL" in Buenos Aires, Argentina
AGE: 28
SOs: Wife 30, 4 year old son
Currently living in the southern Buenos Aires suburbs in a 2 story
masonry house with independent reinforced concrete structure.
The houses share walls to the left and right, all around the block,
completely enclosing the back yards which are divided by walls or fences
covered with libustrina plants. You lose some privacy (noises, loud
parties) but you ensure a rather safe garden and back yard for the
children to play in since the streets haven’t been safe for a
while now, and no responsible adult lets his children play on the street
these days.
BACKGROUND: My parents are both accountants, and emigrated to Spain
after the 2001 crisis. Both my grandparents emigrated to Argentina
from Spain, escaping civil war. Its is ironic that their children and
grandchildren escape the country that once sheltered them, back to
the country they ran away from but now, 50 years later, is one of the
most powerful and prosperous countries in Europe.
There’s a lesson there. Countries fall and rise, always have
and one has to admit the possibility of leaving it looking for greener
pastures.
Due to my father’s work we moved a bit when I was a kid. First
to USA (Boston), then back to Buenos Aires, then to Cordoba (an Argentina
inner province) and then back to Buenos Aires again. Now, due to the
consequences of the crisis, we are going to move as soon as I finish
my studies, either to Spain or to the USA.
ANNUAL INCOME: About $20.000 USD,
give or take. I manage some family investments and a small accountant
office my parents left behind when they moved to Spain. I also teach
Architecture Representation at the same University I attend to, but
even though its been three years now since I started teaching, I don’t
get paid for it. (ad honorem )
INVESTMENTS: None ( other than those owned by the family business that
mostly consist of real estate) no money in bank accounts either. We
only deposit money in our debit accounts just to take advantage of
some discount, we deposit the money right before we use it, most of
the time within the same week. We never leave money sitting in a bank
account. After what happened, most people, including us, don’t
trust banks with our money any more. It has become common for people
to store cash in bank’s safety boxes, but even those are getting
emptied due to some cases in which the private safes have been opened
by government officials. (Against the constitutional right to privacy,
and private property, of course.)
We have credit cards but we don’t use those either, we only keep
them for emergencies.
We have a safe where we keep about 2,000 Pesos ($600 USD) and $1,000
USD just in case of an emergency, or someone getting kidnapped and
needing
ransom money fast ( express kidnapping).
PRESENT HOME: It’s a two story, mortar house. Double walls,
12 inch thick, and poured concrete flowerpots on the 2nd floor which
provide
nice bullet protection in the master bedroom.
3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 car garage, and a nice size backyard with
a small swimming pool. The house has a 1000 liter reservoir water tank,
central heating, air conditioning, and both city water and an electric
pump well for the swimming pool.
Metal bars and grating on windows and backyard door, add a lot to the
security of the house.
There’s also a 7 foot metal fence, topped with foot long spikes,
right where the front garden meets the sidewalk. Breaking into this
house is not easy, no one can do such a thing if we are inside the
house, since it would take a lot of time and noise to do so.
We have cable, gas, electricity, and pay for private security ( kiosks
with guards on each corner). Even though we have all services most
of you know about, they are a bit different form what you may experience
in First World countries.
Tap water is polluted, so we basically pay for contaminated water.
We have a water filter and drink filtered water exclusively. We bought
a 200 USD filter, with smaller filtering cups that get replaced every
2 or 3 months. I keep a year’s worth of cups, and the filter
itself is good for another 2 years.(active carbon-ceramic-silver)
Power goes down occasionally, and during summer we have “dirty
power” low voltage power, lights go dim, and most appliances
don’t work properly. That’s why we keep lots of flashlights
handy, along with regular batteries and rechargeable ones.
VEHICLES: The streets are in awful conditions, and the constant roadblocks
by “piqueteros” are rough on cars. Some kind of small 4x4
is obviously preferable to a sedan car.
Cars are very expensive, about $20.000 to $50,000 USD. A used Suzuki
Swift, one with 100,000 km, goes for $11,000 USD.
I have a Daewoo Lanos, and though I wished I had something better its
relatively fast and small which is also good for running around the
city, and getting out of tight spots. Spare parts are expensive and
hard to get.
My car is set up with GNC, meaning it runs both on gas an natural compressed
gas, big yellow tank in the trunk. I can switch to either one just
by pushing a button, and I run for 100km with only $2.50 USD worth
of compressed gas. It also allows me to keep the gas tank full at all
times, using only GNC, and having the gas tank full for emergencies.
GNC is used by almost 60% of the cars in Argentina, more than any other
country in the world, so there’s enough infrastructure (GNC
stations, mechanics, parts) for our society to run on it.
It’s also interesting to note the burst of GNC after the 2001,
after people found out that they couldn’t afford gasoline for
their cars. Maybe other countries that suffer an economical collapse
or fuel shortage will end up doing likewise.
FIREARMS BATTERY: I have several firearms and my collection is constantly
changing. I went into a lot of effort to get the collector license
that allows me to purchase box magazine fed, semi-auto centerfire rifles.
The average citizen that gets a gun permit can only acquire handguns,
shotguns and manual repeating arms, with the exception of 22 LR semi
autos.
The great majority of shooters in this country don’t have this
license ( has to be approved by the Senate, took over a year for it
to get approved), few knew about it back when you could get one, so
I know I’m terrible lucky when it comes to firearms, having more
firepower than most Argentines could ever procure.
My main handgun is a Glock 31 in 357 sig. Ammo is expensive and hard
to get, but it’s worth it in my opinion.
I have several other handguns, as back ups and chambered for more popular
rounds, such as a Norinco 1911 45 ACP, a Llama 4 inch 357 magnum revolver,
A Bersa Thunder 9mm, two 9mm Hi Powers.
For long arms I have: As a main rifle I have a FM [FN clone] FAL Para carbine, and a FMK3 9mm SMG. A Mossberg 500 with a 14 inch barrel and
mounted
80 lumen light.
Ammo is extremely expensive. I have about 500 rounds of 308 and 7.62[mm
NATO], over 1000 rounds of 9mm, most of it +P JHP and a few hundred
12 ga shells, most of it 00 buckshot.
9mm is my “core” battery round, that would feed my 9mm
handguns and SMG.
I keep a few boxes for each other caliber.
I have been in a few “complicated” spots so far, and being
armed and alert has made the difference for me in more than one occasion.
In those occasions the mere presence of my gun has been enough to stop
the threat, without the need of ever shooting anyone.
It doesn’t make any sense to plan on shooting hundreds of rounds
and not getting any fire in return, so I also have a concealed body
level II body armor vest which has provided a lot of piece of mind
on several occasions. Specially when going into “tough” places
or meeting with people I’m not so sure about. It’s one
of my most precious possessions.
GARDENS: No gardens for me, just a lemon tree that provides lots of
lemons and a laurel plant to spice up pasta. I could have a small orchard
in my backyard if I wanted.
PETS AND LIVESTOCK: No livestock, just a Jack Russell. Good pet but
not as good as a watch dog, though I must admit that for the last couple
of days he’s been more vigilant and watchful. He’s just
a one year old so maybe it was a maturity problem. I’d like to
have a larger dog though, but since I’m planning to move soon
it could be a problem.
COMMUNICATIONS: Cable modem internet, phone, and a couple of cell phones.
FOOD STORAGE: About 5 or 6 months worth of food. Most of it flavored
rice, rice with dehydrated vegetables, canned meats, canned tuna, canned
vegetables, soups, dry pasta, powdered milk, non lactose powdered milk
for my son, smashed potatoes flakes, tomato sauce, tea, coffee, honey,
sugar, salt and 30 5 liter bottles of water.
MEDICAL: Lots of medicines, several kinds of antibiotic, meds for my
son, for treating gastritis, tape, dressings, band aids, disinfectants,
ibuprofen, just to name a few. I also keep a nice supply of hand soap,
disinfectant soap and cleaning products to insure hygiene inside the
house. 3rd world countries are
full of diseases due to the general poverty, so its important to prevent
as much as possible.
HOBBIES: Shooting, collecting guns, reading, working out and watching
a movie every now and then. Having a good time with my wife and playing
with my son.
FUEL STORAGE: 30 liters in plastic cans, enough to get to the airport
or out of the city, though I’m not planning on leaving my house
during civil unrest, I’d rather “hold the fort” until
I can leave.
WORST CASE SCENARIO (“WHEN THE BALLOON GOES UP”): Another
December 2001 would be pretty bad, meaning anarchy, serious social
unrest, looting and mobs invading privately owned homes. It
happened before, I saw the mob just around the corner form my place
so that’s something to worry about.
I’m also worried about our government being friends with Chavez, Evo
Morales and Fidel, this county will end up like those socialist/communist if
it continues to go in that direction.
MY SURVIVAL PLAN: We have already made up our minds about leaving. As far as
I’m
concerned, this country will only go down hill in the next few years, and the
censorship and lies about things being better is downright scary. I’m
sure this country will one day rise above the rest of Latin America, but not
now. Many years will have to go by, and a lot of blood an bullets will be wasted
before that day comes. I don’t want to take part of any of it.
So we have two make sure we are safe for the next couple of years, until we
leave. This means being extra cautious and vigilant , bordering the paranoid
line, to keep us all safe.
CONCLUSION: Prepare as well as you possibly can without
turning it into a compulsive thing. I prepare to survive and live a rich life,
not the other way around. I don’t live just to worry about the sky falling.
The sky has already fallen for me and we’re still here. Things are bad,
pretty bad if you want to torment yourself and research further into the corruption
and violence in this country. We are still alive and we have each other. Millions
of people have accepted this as their reality and decided to go on with their
lives and try not to
worry too much, many go as far as lying to themselves, denying the reality
that surrounds them. We want to go on with our lives, but we don’t want
to worry our brains out, nor will we go through life as blindfolded sheep that
can’t see
what’s in front of them. We simply accept the fact that this country
has changed, and is now too dangerous, too corrupt, insecure and too primitive
for the standard of life we look forward
to, and we take the necessary measures, meaning we move out of it and start
a life somewhere else.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Note From JWR: »
Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. and Mrs. Oscar
Home/property: Located in eastern Wisconsin. 160 acres of mixed
pine and oak forest. 32,000 trees planted in the last two years. Entered
in tree management program. House 2,800 square feet. Principally heated
by a soapstone stove with propane hot water backup. Built in 1981.
Outbuilding shed/library/reloading room. A 40x30 pole barn. Shed
has cast iron "cooking/heating" stove, wood fired…propane
backup. 1,000 gallon propane tank. Inverter in place for addition of
6,500 watt diesel generator to be installed spring '07. 200 gallons
gasoline stabilized and in place. 70 gallons kerosene. 500 gallon diesel
tank to be in place at addition of generator. Several solar panels
in inventory and more to follow. Plan to get off grid by '09 if there
is time. Have 15 springs and an artesian flow into 18 acres of wetland
with a five acre pond adjacent to home. Pond built as trout rearing
facility by DNR in
1941. Trout/walleye/perch/crappies abound in crystal clear
cool water. Site not nearly defensible as wished but 2-3 miles of barbed
wire in inventory with staking to be erected when time comes. Dozens
of caltrops on hand for roadway interdiction Security system in place
with video system to follow. Another large pole building will be built
in '07-'08 for further storage of vehicles/tools.
Age: He, 59 and She 55. Children grown and gone but back to farm
regularly.
Income. In excess of $400,000 annually.
Professions: She is an M.D. with 22 years on the job. He is an Instructor
in Administration of Justice at a local community college. He
is a
Viet
Nam vet and witnessed the Tet offensive firsthand. Saw Saigon a city
in chaos, a society in collapse. He graduate with B.S./M.S. in education.
Graduate
of Oregon Institute of Technology (Gunsmithing) 1976. Practiced full
time/part time 25 years in the trade.
Investments. The land and the trees, stocks and bonds, and "investment
grade" weapons.
Property will be paid off in March of '07. Plan is to invest in off
grid power upgrades
Vehicles. She, a Mercedes. He a Ford 4WD pickup. There are two BMW
motorcycles, one a 2002 1100RT, The other is a perfect condition
1985 80ST. The ST should need no protection from any EMP threat. Many
small engine
gas powered garden implements of the DR type. She has an Vespa scooter.
Bicycles were bought last month. 11-06.
Weaponry. He is a state certified instructor with pistols,
rifles, shotguns and submachine guns. He also teaches vehicles contacts
and emergency vehicle operation and chemical munitions.
They have incorporated a small business corporation to obtain registered
Class 2 and Class 3 weapons. There are currently:
1 Ingram
M10 in .45ACP with [suppressor] can. 1 Swedish "K" 9mm SMG,
1 Sterling Mk4 9mm SMG, 1 Thompson .45ACP SMG, 1 FN-FL heavy barrel
select fire .308, 1 SAW
M16 with
can,
1 M-1A with glass, 1 FN Belgian .308 with glass, 1 Bushmaster .308
with Nightforce glass. 3 SKS, 1 AK-47 semi, 2 M-1 Carbines (U.S.G.I.)
1 Marlin Camp
Carbine
9mm and 1 in .45 suppressed. 3 Remington Senderos one .223/1-.308/1-.300
W.M. All with Nightforce glass. One Barrett .50 BMG single shot with
Nightforce glass. The Bushmaster will be suppressed in 01-07. There
are many,
many more "sporting arms." 11 other suppressed items. Many
handguns. Currently there is a FN 5.7x28 with can and four 30 round
mags and four 20 round. There is a FN M90 5.7x28 rifle. A FN .223/M2000
is
in the pipeline. The 5.7x28 weapons are astonishing in their performance
and penetration. There are 6 fighting shotguns of various manufacture,
all 12 gauge. We all shoot a lot.
Ammunition. Thousands and thousands. A full compliment of reloading
capability.
Fuel: Gasoline. Kerosene, previously mentioned. We have six cases Coleman
fuel. Many cylinders of bottled gas for stoves and 200 pounds
of charcoal. (diversify, diversify)
Future improvements were previously mentioned. They all depend on
what is affordable and when and how the poop hits the prop.
Crops/garden: 2,700 square foot garden. To be planted this next season
(Spring of '07) with non-hybrids only. We can 300-400 jars annually
the rest
gets the
deep freeze. We murder big and small game regularly and plan to try
drying/jerky experiments with game in '07. There are 20 fruit trees
planted with 20-30 more to follow in '07. We put up 20-30 pints/quarts
of berries from the woods this year.
Property tax was typical of Wisconsin. Two years ago it was in excess
of $6,800. Cut to about half by entering the tree management
program.
Animals. One old Bouvier a new one to follow in '07. A Labrodoodle
for hunting. Two cats. No animal husbandry however we are looking at
rabbits and chickens. Perhaps a Rhodesian Ridgeback in '08 for a set
of teeth
for the farm.
Communications. Two receivers capable of AM/FM Ham. Four handhelds
and one base Marine Band. We are well inland from the Mississippi and
expect no interference. CB base and portables. 6 FRS walkie-talkies.
Will obtain 2-to-4 field telephones when found for sale. Already have
two
miles
of commo
wire for same on hand.
Food. 1 year freeze-dried for 2 adults. At least 1 year of same in
wet pack. 12 cases MREs, with more to follow. Much bulk stored wheat/rice/beans.
300 gallons of water in plastic. Capability to filter and clean
50,000 gallons from pond.
Hobbies. We read quite a bit with over 1,500 books in the library.
He has been into preparedness for 30 years. She for 5. We can/garden/shoot/bird
watch/tend the forest/study foraging ( a noted forager with a new book
out lives within 6 miles…we will take his courses next spring).
Reloading/hunting/woodcutting (Four cords on hand and ongoing).
Background. She a native South Dakotan. Now an M.D. A Christian. Enjoys
hunting. A voracious reader of all things. He a former police officer
(14) years who found teaching Law Enforcement was infinitely better
than the frustration of being a practitioner. He, an atheist with
respect
for
all peaceful faiths/beliefs. He teaches a course on terrorism for a
local community college.
Concerns: There is a growing population of predators (animal) in the
area. There have been five credible sightings of cougar in the district.
We have a compliment of bears. Our county has been a dumping ground
for "problem" bears from other parts of the state. Thanks
a lot! Six wolves have been sighted this deer season on the property.
Coyotes abound. I have no problem with a "healthy" predator
population. It is a sign of a healthy environment. I worry for livestock/chickens/rabbits
and the dogs. Feral pigs are a growing problem south of us. No doubt
to be here any time. They are destructive.
Further preparations must be started for the improvement of the defenses.
There will be an influx of at least eight adults and one child if the
poop hits the prop. More prep for those. Several "by in" to
preparedness. Most (the spouses) do not.
There is a lot on our plate as with anyone in the process of preparing.
We would like to meet with others of our ilk. How to do this is a conundrum.
We have obtained a large amount of trapping supplies. Two close friends
are trappers with years of experience. We will learn.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Stocking Up on Shoes and Boots for Survival »
Three Letter Re: Internet and Search Engine Privacy
Jim:
I've done a lot of experimenting on this and offer my take:
Rule Number One: The U.S. Government is monitoring domestic internet
traffic. Anybody visiting Survivalblog is already suspect by the
government because of it's very subject matter. Assume that you are
being monitored.
Let's not be naive here please.
Anonymizer is obviously monitored by the Government because it maintains
logs of in/out IP Addresses.
Tor...the Onion Router is the best way to go if you have DSL or Cable
high-speed internet connection because there is no central logging.
I use it.
CCleaner [Cache Cleaner] at http://www.ccleaner.com/ is
the very best way to keep your computer free of what snoops want. It
is FREE, tiny,
fast,
easy,
and
I click on it after every internet surf. It instantly removes all
tracking cookies. It also instantly removes all those useless internet
temp
files that clog/slow your computer. Download it FREE right now. -Book
James:
You mentioned that your readers might be interested in
a brief write up of privacy on the Internet and how to keep yourself off
of
the radar.
I'll try to oblige.
First some background: My company and I do Information Security for
small businesses, so we and I have experience in keeping private things
private in the real world. What I'm doing is basically putting into
text the Security Speech that I give any client who I consult for (and
will sit still long enough to hear it). I'll stay away from technical
terms and specific products/'solutions' until the very end where I'll
describe a few different levels of 'security' in real-world examples.
Specific privacy stuff is further towards the end.
Rule Number One: There Is No Such Thing As A Secure Computer (or Anything
Else)
Perfect security is impossible. Computer security researchers are fond
of saying that the only secure computer is one that's unplugged from
the network, turned off, sealed in a vault and protected by well-paid
guards, and they're only partially joking. (Yes this is what passes
for humor in the computer security profession.) No matter what steps
you take to keep your stuff secure, someone, somewhere can break into
it and steal them; given sufficient time and money all computers are
vulnerable. The only thing you can do to an attacker is slow him or
her down. All of modern security is devoted to slowing attackers down.
This has two effects: it makes you less appealing to casual attackers
and it frustrates determined attackers.
In WWII the Germans used
an encryption device called "enigma" to
send secret messages to their troops. They thought it was unbreakable.
The allies broke it. The moral of the story is that what we think is
'secure' today will be as tough as tissue paper in fifty years.
Rule Number Two: Security Is Not A Product.
What I mean by this is twofold: one, anyone who sells you a "secure" widget
is lying. Widgets, computers, servers and networks are not secure or
insecure by their nature; they are merely tools. Any tool can be used
for good or ill, just think of the climate concerning guns. This is
a continuation of the first rule; not only is there no such thing as
a secure computer, any steps that have been taken to create a more
secure computer can be blown away by the mentality of the user. This
rule probably should read Security Is A State Of Mind, but this way
I can combine two rules into one. In a nutshell, every system is only
as secure as the users of that system are willing to make it.
The canonical example of this is a hospital. Hospitals have insane
oversight in terms of confidentiality of patient information and they
can get in real trouble for letting the Wrong People see certain files.
So the natural step is to make each level of access have a separate
password and each user must login to separate authentication levels,
blah blah blah. Its a 'very secure system.' End result? Nurses get
tired of remembering so many passwords and write them down on sticky
notes on the monitor. Security that is too hard to use will be defeated.
Rule Number Three: Your Computer Is A Castle.
Traditional security is a good analogy to computer security. Things
that people would never do in the real world they don't think twice
about doing online. When you open an attachment you're not expecting,
its like licking your neighbor's doorknob. When you blindly click 'OK'
on every pop up window, its like walking around in a bad neighborhood
with a roll of hundred dollar bills poking out of your pocket. Remember
the Trojan Horse? Trusting everyone online will get you in trouble,
just like in real life.
Likewise, when you evaluate a system for security the first place you
look is the place where security is the weakest. If you double-encrypt
everything and lock your computer in a safe but your password is 'secret',
you're not really secure. Always look at the big picture and don't
lose the forest for the trees. Likewise, if you have an uber-secure
locked-down machine but its in an office where the cleaning staff have
physical access, you're not secure.
Rule Number Four: Security is Boring
This is the hardest thing to get right. The best way to be secure online
is to do the little things all the time. Boring things like keeping
your security updates up-to-date and getting an anti-virus. Being paranoid
about your email and choosing the right software go a huge way towards
keeping your stuff safe. Have a legal copy of all your software, especially
your anti-virus. Pay for it. If you don't want to pay for it, AVG anti
virus is free and damn good. More detail later.
That's it for the theory, there will be a quiz on Thursday. Now the
practice. There are a few things that you can do to keep yourself secure
and protect what little privacy you still have.
The first thing to know is that email is not secure. Think of email
as sending a postcard, there's nothing to stop anyone who touches
it from reading it. Email is hard but not impossible to anonymize, but
there are few remaining anonymizers left. Any old Hotmail or other
free account will work for certain values of 'anonymous' but they
probably will not stand up to a legal search warrant unless you are very careful.
Gmail is not a good provider for anonymous email because of the invite
system. Unless you can get an invite anonymously anyone tracing it
can simply look up who invited you and compel them to spill the beans.
Another thing is that any site you visit on the web can get a huge
amount of information on you that your browser just sends out on its
own. Things like your IP address which can be traced to a rough location
and if the government gets involved can probably be traced down to
whoever pays the bills. This can be mitigated by using anonymizing
proxies, Tor and privoxy. More detail further on
Yet another key facet is that anything that is on your computer is
something that you are trusting fully. If you follow good protocol,
you are trusting Microsoft with all of your data, and you are trusting
whoever makes your anti-virus or firewall with all your data. There
is precedent for law enforcement using the anti-virus update to compromise
the computer of a group that was holed up in their cabin to prevent
them from emailing out. In case I wasn't clear, this has happened and
will happen again.
Now for some details and the all-important links:
In terms of an operating system, Windows is the default and there's
no budging most people from it. With good practices and by keeping
up to date you can keep windows tolerably secure. I would trust it
for mildly embarrassing data but not critical data. Please upgrade
to at least Windows 2000. Windows XP with Service Pack 2 is best. I
know its expensive, but Windows 95, 98, and ME are outdated and not secure.
Since no one has access to the code that makes Windows tick, there
is no way to determine for sure that there is not an easy back door
that could be leveraged against you. I cannot recommend keeping
mission critical data on a Windows machine. If you have
a bit more freedom about what you run, I heartily recommend getting
a
Macintosh. The new Apple OS X
is built upon a very secure BSD base
and it strikes an excellent balance between usability and security.
Any version of Linux or BSD can be
made secure, but if you're running those you probably know how to
secure it.
Web browsers: There really is only one. Firefox is the best that has
come along yet. It can be setup for decent everyday browsing and keep
a good rein on your cookies and history. In the firefox settings,
you can exercise very fine control over what sites are allowed to set
cookies on your machine and when to expire them. Please do
not use Internet Explorer on ANY OS. It is not secure in any
way. A good addition is Privoxy and/or Tor.
A must-have extension for Firefox is Adblock Plus and "Filterset.G"
Email client: I recommend either Mozilla Thunderbird, but basically
anything but Outlook (Express) is acceptable. Outlook is massively
insecure, Please do not use it.
Anti Virus: They're all equally mediocre. I use AVG which is free
for personal use. Pick one and keep it updated.
Firewall: Again, the windows firewall cannot be trusted. I recommend
Kerio Personal Firewall, and I use it myself. Tiny Personal Firewall
is good too. Zone Alarm is less powerful and Black Ice is worthless.
Proxies: Privoxy is a nice semi-anonymizing proxy that runs on your
local machine. It can't hide your IP but it will strip out a lot
of identifiable information. Its pretty easy to set up too.
Tor is a very clever
onion routing network that passes your traffic through a few levels
of other machines so that theoretically not only
does the site you're visiting not know who you are, nobody could
trace your connection back to you. An added benefit is that Tor servers
are
encrypted so your traffic is harder to snoop on as well as being
more anonymous. The disadvantage is that this is SLOW.
Encryption: BestCrypt can create secure images that can be viewed
on Windows and Linux.
Below I'm going to outline three levels of security and what they
should be reasonably protected against.
The first is an easy to use everyday machine. You will be protected
from most common automated and non-directed attacks but a determined
attacker will still be able to penetrate as will a governmental entity.
If there is demand I can work up a similar profile for a Mac.
Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP.
AVG anti virus or similar.
Kerio Personal Firewall of similar.
Firefox, Adblock Plus and Filterset.G set to only allow same-domain
cookies.
Privoxy
The second is more anonymous but it sacrifices speed. You will use
this if you want to do something that you wouldn't want broadcasted.
The same as above except Firefox is set to expire cookies on close,
and keep no disk cache or history. Privoxy is also connected to Tor
for anonymization.
For email, Thunderbird and Enigmail can be setup to encrypt your
email to a very strong degree, as long as the recipient has a similar
setup.
New Enigmail versions are very user-friendly in this regard.
Also, it is possible to have two different "profiles" of
firefox on one machine, one that simply browses normally with sane
cookie rules, and another that passes through Tor/Privoxy and keeps
no history or cache and clears cookies on exit. This is simple to do
and a good mix of usability and the ability to be more anonymous if
desired.
One note: Remember that today's "uncrackable" will be a joke
in fifty years. Also, encrypted traffic will probably raise a certain
level of awareness among those doing the spying. Legally this poses
no problems but if you're doing something you wouldn't like discovered
sending encrypted e-mails to osama@alqaida.com it is probably a bad
idea.
A Proviso: The above two systems rely on closed
code and trusting updates. They would be very vulnerable to any form
of
governmental intrusion
and nothing can be done to mitigate this. IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO
SOMETHING ILLEGAL, DON'T USE ANYTHING CLOSED-SOURCE TO DO IT WITH.
If you
do intend to do something illegal, or even if you're just paranoid
like
me, a good idea would be to have a second machine. This is similar
to what the NSA does internally: Classified machines cannot talk
to Top Secret machines, and none of them can talk to Unclassified
machines.
A good Classified or Top Secret machine might look like this. This
machine should be reasonably secure against anything but a direct,
physical attack.
BSD or Linux OS, properly configured (details are outside the scope
of this article. I will be happy to provide further information upon
request).
A solid, encrypted file system or BestCrypt for any user data.
Not connected to the network. Use a USB flash keychain/thumb drive
for getting data off of it.
Again, none of this is any good at all if your master password is
your birthday.
I hope someone finds this useful and I'm happy to answer any more
detailed questions either via SurvivalBlog or directly. - Paedrig
Hawkwing (PaedrigHawkwing-at-gmail.com--change
the "-at-" to an @ symbol)
JWR Adds: Our web statistics show that 19%
of our readers now use the Firefox browser, up substantially from the
16%
when we started SurvivalBlog back in August of Aught Five. My advice: DUMP
that back-door ridden, data mining Microsoft
Internet Explorer. Firefox is free!
Hi Jim,
Another option for anonymous web browsing is to install
Tor, an "onion routing" package that sends your data
through 'layers' of different servers before reaching your desired
destination.
After
I first installed Tor, I visited Google and was surprised to see
it looked a little different -- Google detected that I was coming
from
Austria (since the last server 'layer' was located there) and presented
me with "Google Österreich"! Tor is free and easy
to setup. The EFF has instructions for Windows ( http://tor.eff.org/cvs/tor/doc/tor-doc-win32.html)
and OSX (http://tor.eff.org/cvs/tor/doc/tor-doc-osx.html ). Regards,
- MP