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Letter Re: Sale on Inexpensive Solar Rechargeable Lights
Dear Mr. Rawles,
This sale ends Saturday so maybe it's too late to share it, but True
Value Hardware stores around the country are selling boxes of six (6) solar powered pathway
lights for $11.99.
These would be great to use for an extended power outages - just bring them
in inside each night without the pole. There's two LED lights in each one,
and they will shine for 8 hours. I tried them out last night and was able to read
with
two of them. Using all six lights in the box lit up my small house enough to where I wouldn't need a
flashlight or lantern to get myself safely around.
I just thought I'd share since the price was so low. Wouldn't this be great
for those living in apartments? - Rod McG. in Virginia
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Letter Re: Home and Ranch Methane Gas Generators
Jim:
I saw the following post concerning Gober ("dung") gas, dated 27 April, 2009,
over at Michael
Yon's web site:.
"During breaks from tracking training – I was sweating like crazy
in the jungle heat – I asked many questions about Afghanistan and Nepal,
and he talked about a simple way to make many of the Afghans lives easier. Most
Afghans don’t even have electricity. When he was about fifteen years-old,
his dad installed a “Gobar Gas” (methane) generator next to the
house in Nepal. The generator is simple: the owner just collects human and
animal waste, and through a fantastically simple process, the contraption creates
methane, which is then used for lighting, cooking, heating in the winter. It
also creates excellent fertilizer, all while improving sanitation. What’s
the catch? None that I’ve heard of. He said that his dad made the first
Gobar Gas system in his village, and today it would costs maybe $300 total
investment. Between their own toilet and four cows, they create enough methane
to cook, heat and light the house. More than two decades after his dad made
it, the thing is still working and doesn’t cost a single rupee to operate.
When the other villagers saw it work, hundreds of Gobar Gas systems popped
up around the village. I’ve seen these systems in use in Nepal, and photographed
one about five years ago. It worked like a charm. But this Nepalese man, a
British soldier, never saw a Gobar Gas system in Afghanistan, but he is certain
that the idea would take hold in the villages. My guess is that the only real
disadvantage is that the idea is incredibly effective, simple and cheap, and
so we probably wouldn’t want to get involved."
Wikipedia has an entry on Gober
Gas.
Regards, - Larry
JWR Replies: The usual safety (for piped explosive gasses)
rules apply, and of course the usual sanitation rules must be enforced, but
this looks like
a great set-up for anyone that keeps livestock. Aunty
Entity would be proud.
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Letter Re: Learning the Details of Self-Sufficiency
Jim,
None of us here can know the hour when 1 Thessalonians 4:16 -17, will come
to be. There are Prophesies that seem to indicate that that time approaches.
But we don't know. We are not Prophets ourselves. We can just know to be ready.
But until that time comes, there are also many other possibilities for which
to prepare. We are in the early stages of a world-wide economic meltdown.
As
that grows worse, it can lead to all sorts of interesting events. Unemployment
will likely lead to increased crime and even food riots. That can lead to the
break down of systems. And that can cause the loss of health care, electricity,
sanitation, water and so on. And that will inevitably lead to epidemics.
The Sun is the "quietest" it has been in many, many years. The last
time Earth experienced so little sun spot activity, hundreds of thousands died
from cold and lack of food because it snowed during the summer. The Yellowstone
Caldera, a super volcano, is 40,000 years overdue to blow. When it does, it
will spread ash across the entire US and block sunlight for years. There is
an undersea volcano off Africa that is in danger of collapse. That could cause
a tidal wave that would take out the entire east coast of the US. ...And then
there is the ambitions of our governments "new friends" in Venezuela
and Iran, and Al Qaeda and N. Korea. An EMP attack
will surely make us all take notice that being "friendly" and acting
weak is no solution to bad behavior by evil people. ..Not to mention what the
closing of the Hormuz Straits
will
cause, if certain folks decide they can get away with it.
And all that is just some of the possibilities as televised on PBS shows in
the last week. Not even alarmist conspiracy theory or doom and gloom, just
Public TV science and reporting.
I am of the opinion that the "first world" industrial societies are
so complex, that they could collapse fairly easily. It's just like my tractor.
For lack of grease, the bearing spun. For lack of a bearing, the field didn't
get plowed. With no turned earth, there was no garden and no food.
In these kinds of economies, small events can have remarkable consequences.
Several years ago, a tree fell against a power line in Ohio. That small outage
spread. Power went off in parts of Canada and as far away as New York. A couple
more trees, and there could be no power anywhere. And then who would there
be to help Florida or Texas, after a hurricane.
So what are we to do? Certainly reading survivalblog everyday is a great start.
Acquiring knowledge thru books is absolutely necessary. Getting training and
practical experience at such schools as Front Sight and Midwest Native Skills
Institute is crucial. You can also volunteer at any of many the open air museums,
and learn about appropriate non-electric skills and tools. But, there is more.
We really need seven day, everyday, experience.
For example, there has been a good bit of discussion lately about "city
retreats". Some folks believe they can make it in a well equipped "abandoned" factory
or warehouse. They will hide in plain sight. That may work for a time, but
what happens when the power goes out, and your stored fuel is used up? You
might have bullets and food stored to last three years, then what? In my opinion,
if you are concerned enough to be reading survivalblog, you ought to be realistic
enough to get where you need to be to survive. And, IMHO, that ain't the city.
You simply won't learn the practical skills needed to be self-sufficient, if
you live on cement
It is remarkably complex to be self-sufficient. Without daily experience, you
are unlikely to make it. It can easily take three years to successfully cultivate
and grow an organic garden. It can take years to really learn to save seeds
or prune a fruit tree. If the electricity goes out, you'll need to be able
to do that and much more. If you can't, your children will suffer. It may take
you a season or two to learn to get your fences built before the deer eat your
crops. (They can clear a garden in one night). It can take years to learn what
you actually need to run a farm. Little things like having lots of nails and
screws on hand. If the big box stores close, how are you going to build shelter
for city family refugees if you don't already have the supplies? And do you
know construction? Do you have the tools? Or, without lots and lots of files
and hack saw blades, how will you work metal when the gas runs out? It takes
more than just having an anvil and hammer. Do you know the simple things like
stacking hay bales on their sides, instead of "strings up"? If the
hay gets wet, the water will run through the bale if it's on its side. The
hay will much more likely mold if you store it with the strings pointing up.
Right now, we all have the time to make such mistakes. It's not yet life or
death. But soon, it may be.
In a crisis, being efficient also becomes much more important. You'll waste
all kinds of time until you learn to carry a tool box on your equipment when
you go to the field. It can be pure aggravation to need a wrench, screw driver
or piece of wire, and have to walk all the way back to the barn. A simple fix
can easily turn into a wasted hour, if you don't have the experience and tools
to know better. And an hour lost is a job undone. That can be very costly.
It's taken me quite some time to learn to consistently keep certain things
lined up by the back door. If I turn on any lights at night, a raccoon or coyote
going after the chickens will run. I've learned, if I hear a noise, to get
up in the dark, put on my boots, which are always where they need to be, have
the other necessaries in easy reach, and to get out the door, silently, to
take care of business. That's not something learned easily or quickly. Just
developing night vision and how to see in the dark, and how to listen to the
sounds of night in the country, can take a lot of time. Not knowing that can
mean losing half your chickens in one night. It happened to me.
It can also take some time to learn which neighbors are reliable and which
farm equipment dealerships are best. You don't want to buy major equipment
from a dealer that has poor service and inventory. And asking for help from
the wrong neighbor can be worse than no help at all.
It can take many seasons to learn the weather of your farm. I know that there
is always a dry week in April when I can till the gardens. If I miss it, and
it rains, it may be May before the ground will again dry out enough to plow.
And when snow comes from certain directions, it may mean I need to clear a
roof before it falls under too much weight. ..It's happened.
It's taken me some time to learn to put a broody chicken in wire cage inside
the hen house. I put as many eggs under her as will fit, put in a bit of water
and food, and shut the door. I've had many a hatch of eggs go bad because the
chicken got up and didn't find her way back. With this little trick of confining
the chicken, I get chicks every time. That's not something you learn just bugging
out from the city.
It's also taken some time to learn that its hard to read by candle light. An
oil lamp is better, it can give between 2.7 to 4.4 candle power, depending
on how wide the wick is. And having an oil lamp with mantle, which gives 40
candle power, (or the equivalent of a 60 watt bulb), is really important if
you have any medical needs at night. I know I much more appreciate sewing myself
up when I can see where to stitch, instead of kind'a poking around by candle
light.
And so it goes. We all know something is coming. Most of us believe it in our
cores. We wouldn't be here otherwise. So, what are you going to do? I believe
the time has come to take action. It may not be comfortable to leave the city
and a well paying job. But you have so much to learn, and so little time. You
really need to get moving. Because the mistakes you will certainly make today,
just may do you in, tomorrow. - Jim Fry,
Curator, Museum of
Western Reserve Farms & Equipment, Ohio
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The 19th Century Home Retrofit, by Y. Cornelius
By now most SurvivalBlog readers have gone about your preparations for your
ideal home or retreat cabin, all storage food and tools acquired, fuel stored,
generators
ready, PV panels carefully concealed and hooked up to the battery bank. You
and your family or group are ready to handle the coming collapse, but are
you really? Are you ready to do without? Without that generator when
the fuel runs out, or a critical piece is worn out and a new one cannot be
had? At some point
your supplies will be used up, storage fuel consumed and there may not be any
to refill your tanks or more realistically you may be priced out, or it will
be too dangerous to “run-the-gauntlet” and get more. Can you manage
in your place without electricity? Can you cook with wood? Do you have space
enough to process the abundant food you grow and must preserve either by canning
or other means? Can you move throughout your buildings without being seen from
the outside?
My point, is your place set up to function as a 19th century homestead?
My wife and I bought an old New England farmhouse many years ago, it is nothing
fancy and looks like so many others in our area, it is a traditional connected
farmhouse meaning that the buildings are all linked-up, yet they have different
roof lines and are of different sizes. It is best summed up as a “Big
House,
Little House, Back House, Barn” and this is the title of a wonderful book
written by Thomas C. Hubka which details the reasons for the ways structures
developed. (If you want a leisurely read on the history of these buildings, I
highly recommend this book.) Anyway, we bought this type of farm house and have
been in the process of renovating it over many years, although the renovation
could more reasonably described as going back to the future. One of the many
wonderful things about an old house, and when I say old I mean over 150 years
old, is the ability to reuse much of the lumber in the walls, floors, and ceilings
or the masonry whether it is brick or stone, Ours is a timber frame with some
masonry on the exterior and is incredibly well built and has a brilliant house
plan. I realize that many people are not up to the task of going through this
sort of process, but you could build your current retreat or home to some of
these specs. Our home for example was built just after the War of 1812 it was
fully functional for a family of eight with room for boarders/labors and or relatives.
The kitchen is large while many of the adjacent rooms are small (less space to
heat) all the rooms are situated around two large central fireplaces and have
thimbles to allow for a small wood stove in each, the rooms can be closed off
when not in use, thus not taking valuable heat from other areas. In the basement
there is a large hole in the floor; it was a cistern, but was allowed to fill
in with junk, perhaps it was considered a “sump hole” by later inhabitants
since there was evidence of long overworked pumps in under the silt and gravel.
I have cleaned this up and now have a source of water right in the house, (this
water will still need to be treated since it is technically surface water being
only ten feet below grade), but it still offers water for cleaning or for our
animals.
There is a large “root” cellar to store food stuffs and
canned goods. (It could double as safe room or vault if needed and may well have
been at one point since the opening is nondescript and hidden from plain sight).
Also there is a summer kitchen, at first I wondered why this was necessary, it
appeared to be redundant, but further study enlightened me to the fact that this
area was a vital part the home complex. First it served to allow a large un-insulated
cook area that was necessary during the harvest time to allow heat to escape
from the constant fire in the cook stove during the canning, it was also a place
that field labors had their meals prepared and ate without having to clean themselves
up much and not dirty up the regular kitchen. The buildings between the summer
kitchen and barn (sometimes it is one long building divided only internally or
there are up to three distinct roof lines and end walls that divide them) any
how these areas were used in a variety of ways to allow a small cottage industry
to occur, in-fact these were simply work areas that were sheltered from the often
harsh and wild weather we experience. One could be for wood storage, for tools
(a sort of machine shop), or areas for processing wool from sheep. The point
is not to recreate that lifestyle but to utilize that mindset and build similar
multi-purpose structures.
Our Home:
We have “renovated” our home to fully function without electricity.
Now, we have multiple generators, a significant storage of fuels and food. I
and am currently finishing up with the PV panels and battery bank/inverter set-up,
going through all the motions to secure some sense of normalcy; but in-fact we
do
not “need” those items to exist here, they are an extra. We can heat
with wood and with a solar hot water system connected to baseboard radiators
as well as a copper coil running through the wood fired furnace [for when there
is not solar gain or during a heavy snowfall]. (The hot water moves via thermo-siphon
no electricity needed only check-valves to keep the hot water moving in one direction).
Our kitchen is “modern” but if the power is out we can cook on our
wood fired cook-stove, it is about 120 years old and with a little “TLC” is
now fully functional not to mention beautiful to look at. We can also bake in
a bee hive oven built into the massive central chimney which I rebuilt and lined
with modern flues. I left one of the original fireplaces, installed airtight
doors and an exterior air vent, while on the other side made the other fireplace
into a large wood storage container.
Overall, your retreat needs to be functional without electricity, things will
eventually break, or you simply run out. Focus upon knowing how to live your
life with little to no electricity or “conveniences”. The primary
goals must be on heating your home and preparing food without petrochemical
fuels, most modern homes are particularly horrible in this area. Change your
mindset; you cannot store enough for the really long haul.
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Life's Lessons and the Foundations of Preparedness, by A.B.
We may soon depend on all of what we have learned over the years. Putting
all of the threads of knowledge together into a tapestry of self-sufficiency,
and survival capabilities, is part of the lifelong quest for our family’s
security. We learn from many sources and experiences such as: family, church,
friends, teachers, teammates, co-workers, reading books and SurvivalBlog, and
hopefully from our mistakes.
Preparedness Skills from our Grandmas and Grandpas
The foundation for preparedness begins with my childhood in Michigan. We
lived in Lansing where my great-grandmother was next door and my grandmother
lived
next door to her. My father was born in great-grandma’s house after
the family moved to the city during the early 1900s. My sisters and I spent
weekends and summers alternately at my mom’s family dairy farm, which
was just outside of the city, and at my dad’s family cabin “up
north”. These were the richest times of my life. We knew all of our
grandparents and some of our great-grandparents very well. My great-great-grandfather
still
lived in the old log cabin when I was born in 1956. We have been fortunate
to have had five generations alive consistently from then until now. The
wealth of love and knowledge you gain from your extended family is irreplaceable.
The “old timers” told stories of hardship during the great depression
and the dust bowl era (we live an area that was the largest prairie east
of the Mississippi.) Memories of crop failures with tales of early and late
frosts
were passed down. There were also hunting and fishing stories passed down
as we learned to hunt and fish with older family members. There were bigger
than
life lumberjack stories and stories from Prohibition and the World Wars.
I learned to safely handle and accurately shoot a .22 rifle with peep sights
when I was six or seven years old. I walked the roads with my grandpa squirrel
hunting. We ice fished on local lakes and went to Tip-Up
Town USA every year.
All
of
this adds to ones persona and the early experience helps awaken the necessary “survivalist” traits.
On a working dairy farm you rapidly learn about life (and death). Animal
husbandry and caring for the land lead to sustainability. Animals do become
food and
harvesting the crops sometimes seems little reward for the hard work. The
milking must be done every day and chores do not wait. As a kid I learned
to drive
tractors and pick-ups to and from the fields. We mowed, bailed and then stacked
the hay in the mow. Alfalfa, oats and corn were the field crops. Pigs, chickens,
and sheep were raised along with the dairy cows and we cleaned the barns
and spread manure.
Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation such as when to plant,
where to plant, when to harvest, and how to raise the animals. There were
many topics of conversations at the Sunday breakfast table. Many things are
debated
and discussed after chores and before Church. Most times the conversations
continued outside the Church after the sermon. It was the only time you saw
the other farmers. When you are a little guy you tended to be quiet, pay
attention and learn.
Grandpa was a farmer and Grandma was a one room school teacher. Grandma also
taught vacation bible school during the summer break. Us kids learned how
to tend good gardens and helped preserve the food we raised. We took care
of the
barn animals while the uncles milked. We hauled water to the bull pen and
helped milk as we got older. Survival skill sets from the farm come from
being part
of a close knit community with a solid work ethic. There are strong religious
underpinnings with good people engaged in caring for one another as well
as the animals and the land.
Preparedness from "Roughing It”
The log cabin “up north” had a well-house for getting water and
an outhouse for getting rid of water. There was a wood fired cook stove for
heat and kerosene lamps to play cards under. There was a red checkered oilcloth
on the table with cane chairs around it. The place was originally homesteaded
by my great-great-grandfather in the late 1800s (a few electric lights
were added at some point.) We used to go up on Friday night after Dad or
Grandpa got out of work. The next morning started with an awakening trip to
the outhouse
and then fetching a bucket of water from the well house and kindling for
the wood stove. On a cold morning you stepped lively until the fire was going.
Once the stove was hot, Grandma would cook buttermilk pancakes on a griddle
that my great-grandmother had used in the lumber camp. Eggs and bacon sizzled
in a cast iron skillet. Clothes were washed on a washboard in a wash tub and
then
hung
out to dry. You took a bath in the river. During the summer we would fish
morning and evening and water ski on the nice days. The family summer vacation
was
spent camping in a tent along the river or at a state park. The old cabin
was also used for small game hunting in the early fall and deer camp in the
late
fall / winter. We would take walks in the woods and look for morels and other
edible things like may apples, hickory nuts or raspberries and huckleberries.
Animal tracks were learned and followed with hopes of a glimpse. Life was
considered sacred unless needed for food and being a part of nature became
obvious. A
leave no trace and waste nothing ethic was being born.
Opportunities for further wilderness and pioneering skill development were
provided by Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. My mom and dad were actively involved
in Scouting when I was growing up. Teamwork and sharing responsibilities
for the group were learned. Outdoor cooking and keeping things sanitary were
heavily
emphasized. Food poisoning is no joke – we had one patrol that damn near
killed us with their meal. We learned to wash our hands and boil the crap out
of everything. Hiking and backpacking skills were beginning to be developed
in the Scouts. We day hiked a 20 miler once a year on the Johnny Appleseed
Trail - the Scouts version of the death march. You had to carry a full pack
if you wanted the patch. We also hiked the Pokagon Trail in northern Indiana
and learned to camp in the winter.
While living in Pennsylvania (later in life) I started winter backpacking with
a few of my buddies. We went in the winter both for the solitude it offered,
and
to learn the special skill sets required for survival in the cold. There
are beautiful views from Seven Springs and other spots along the Laurel Highlands
Trail during the winter. This experience then led to the development of technical
mountaineering skills. The books Basic Rockcraft, Advanced Rockcraft and
Knots
for Climbers were memorized along with study of the book Mountaineering:
The Freedom of the Hills. Skills were practiced and ingrained.
My first solo backpacking / climbing trip came in the summer of 1980 in the
Organ Mountains of southern New Mexico. I later solo climbed most of the
4,000 and 5,000
footers in New England (many in winter). I met a like minded climber on one
of those hikes and we made a summit bid on Mt. Rainier in June of 1998. I
also began
the solo circumnavigation on the Wonderland Trail that year. I set the first
tracks both that year and when I completed the circuit in June of 2001. Map
and compass skills were required. Primitive camping
while carrying everything you
need to survive for two weeks is a tough proposition. It was tough in my 30s
and 40s. It’s even harder now that I am in my 50s. G.O.O.D. to
the deep woods is doable but it would be a hard life.
Responsibility and Teamwork
We learned to be responsible and self-sufficient during our childhood. We learned
to play without other kids around and had chores to do for our allowance. I
learned to gather the wood and light a fire as soon as I was old enough. You
pumped the
water and filled the reservoir if you wanted warm water for washing up. You
learned to use guns and knives as tools while you learned hunting techniques
and cleaned
the game for the table. Being a responsible hunter meant taking ethical shots
and using what you kill. Catching and cleaning fish, then cooking or smoking
them were all part of being a good fisherman. To go along with these survival
skills you also need the ability to share knowledge and work as a team.
Most of the skills you learn will help you to fend for yourself one way or
another. The only problem is summed up with the statement “no man is an island”.
You will need others sooner or later. My sisters and I developed basic teamwork
skills while setting up camp. The girls helped mom and I helped dad. We had a “system”.
This was carried further in Scouting. Some Patrols set up tents while another
set up the kitchen. These valuable lessons were used later in life as I went
through boot camp and during service in the military. I served on small boats
as part of a search and rescue team in the USCG.
Teamwork helps to overcome the steep learning curve and high risk of being
a self-sufficient survivalist. You can do things as a team exponentially quicker
and safer than you can by yourself. Your bunkmate becomes your partner in boot
camp and later becomes your shipmate. You learn “one hand for yourself
and one hand for the boat”. As a team you can survive what would kill you
alone. In a bad storm someone has to steer while someone bails out the boat.
One person couldn’t do it. Avalanche in the back country is another perfect
example - by yourself you are probably dead. Doing things alone is great - but
it may cost you your life. Skill and knowledge can’t cover your a** like
a buddy. It’s nice to have someone else on the rope with you; they are
your only hope.
Teaching everyone at least something you know and learning from everyone something
you don’t know can only make the group stronger. If someone gets sick
or is tired someone else can step up. CPR is
a good example here. In the back country one person can’t help himself.
One person helping may bring back the life but it better happen quickly. Two
people allow you to send someone for
help while
rendering aid until you are too tired to continue. Three people allow almost
indefinite support. Two can alternate CPR while waiting for the one who left
for help to return with the defibrillator. If help is real far away, then it’s
done. There is a point of no return. Remote locations usually cross that point
which is a distinct disadvantage (unless the SHTF).
Without teamwork you will usually die if something bad happens. Everyone has
to be a good shot. Everyone needs to be able to render first aid. The group
is only as strong as the weakest link and precious resources are spent covering
someone’s a** that’s not up to speed. Teach and learn and cross train.
Remember what you did as a kid and don’t sell the kid’s of today
short. Teach them the skills they need and allow them to grow into the responsibility.
Being part of a team or extended family that functions like a team is fun. The
action of being responsible for one another is at the root of any team.
The
Prepared Family
The family is the primary source of knowledge. Some survival skills to learn
right along with reading, writing and arithmetic are: swimming, knot tying,
fire building under all conditions, where to get water and how to make it safe
to
drink, safe gun handling and accurate shooting, hunting in fields and the woods,
fishing in rivers and on lakes, first aid, camping, boating, gardening, making
things “homemade”. You can’t start learning or teaching these
things too soon.
10 years ago we moved back home to Michigan after living all over the USA.
I had come home for my Grandpa’s funeral and was returning to New England.
Something was wrong and I couldn’t put my finger on it. That’s when
the light came on and as I drove it became apparent that I was going the wrong
way – both figuratively and literally. We were chasing the so called “American
Dream”. Losing my grandfather and returning to the north woods had shown
me where home really is. It is with family and God and where your roots are.
I had drifted away from the true values I had learned early in life.
I resigned my position, cashed out the 401(k), and bought the homestead from
grandma. We planted 24 fruit trees and installed irrigation systems for the
gardens. We
pruned the grape vines back and tended to the asparagus beds. My wife renewed
the old flower beds and I have replaced the split rail fence. We re-roofed
everything. The folks put down another well up the field and had another septic
system installed
for their travel trailer. We had a 100 amp power drop installed and we also
buried a power cable from the field to the trailer for a 12 volt system (small
scale
solar and wind).
I once again could use guns after living in the tyranny of Massachusetts. (I
refused to get an Firearms ID card so my guns never left the house in 16 years.)
I taught a niece
and nephew to shoot with the same .22 that grandpa used to teach me with almost
50 years ago. My nephew, now an 8th grader, got his first deer this past year.
No one believed him when he came home and told them. He did it on his own.
Things have now come full circle in our life. My grandma lives with us in her
old house through the summer. My sisters are both Grandmas themselves now and
they are taking care of our mom and dad. The kids have great-grandparents and
a great-great grandmother. My understanding wife of thirty years and I live
here on the homestead as stewards of the family heritage. The whole family
gets together
up here once or twice a year. We know how to provide for and take care of each
other. If the SHTF my sisters and the rest of the family will head up here
to the homestead and once again adopt the ways of our Great-Great Grandpa and
Grandma.
Everything we have learned through our lives will serve us well. Skill sets
from the north woods and from the farm are derived from living simple, living
manual
and living with nature as part of nature.
We used to fall to sleep on a feather tick mattress while listening to rain
tapping over our heads in the loft of the old log cabin. Bedtime stories were
told as
we drifted to sleep and the whippoorwills sang into the night. We didn’t
think that the day would come that just about all of what we learned from our
family and from our life would come into play. Thank God for our tight family
and all of the distilled knowledge passed down to us. I now live in a home
built over the site of the original log cabin and now we have 7 generations
since my
great-great grandparents first cleared this piece of land. It looks like we
will be talking of another “Great Depression” soon and the complete
cycle renews. Do we learn from our mistakes?
Preparedness Skills and Materials
We’re preparing for the future and I hope to teach what I can to as many
people as I can before it’s over. We can survive well if we draw on one
another’s strengths and knowledge. It starts with the family and moves
out to the extended family then to the neighbors and on to town folk and into
the blogosphere. Many people have grown up in similar circumstances and have
similar experiences. We must practice our learned skills and trades all of
the time to stay fresh and perpetuate our way of life. We must keep acquiring
new
skills and more materials for survival. Preparedness is a constant quest.
Survival trades that I've learned:
ASE Certified Master Auto Technician
Journeyman Machinist and Apprentice Welder.
Experience with all aspects of house construction from framing to finish work,
including house wiring and plumbing for water, gas and DWV systems.
Professional ditch digger and home brewer of beer.
Survival tools, equipment, and material acquired over the years:
Comprehensive set of Snap-On hand tools, diagnostic equipment and garage.
Several redundant computers and complete wi-fi coverage with satellite internet.
All of the carpentry, plumbing and electrical tools needed to build a house.
All of the tools required to garden both manually and with gas engines.
Fence building tools and supplies.
5,500 watt gas generator.
Wood stove and saws, axes, mauls, wedges.
Stores of food, bits of gold and silver, books and manuals, and lots of lead.
Survival firearms battery:
Auto-Ordinance Model 1911A1 .45 ACP (I qualified Marksman in USCG)
Stag Arms AR-15 with 20” Bull barrel, 5.56 (I qualified Expert in USCG)
Marlin .22 WMR (squirrel / varmint gun)
Mossberg .22 LR (shot this since 1962)
Ruger M77 Mk II .270 Win. (my deer rifle)
Winchester Model 94 .32 Win. Special (got my first deer with Grandpa’s
gun)
Mossberg 12 ga. 3 -1/2” Ulti-Mag in Camo (turkey / duck / goose gun)
Winchester Model 1897 12 ga. 2-3/4” (I've shot this gun since 1969)
Reloading equipment and supplies (loads for Barnes Bullets)
Survival Quest 2009 (the final pieces I'll need for grid down and
"zombies"):
Ruger M77 Mk II .300 Win Mag with optics
A manual water pump (the old pump is
gone)
Wind turbine and photovoltaic panels for water pumping and power generation.
Battery bank and inverter
More kerosene lamps
Night Vision for the AR-15
Radios
« Letter Re: Private Gated Communities May Not be Gated After All |Main| Note from JWR: »
Cold and Dark--An Account of an Ice Storm, by Steve S.
Preparations
In January, 2008, the outlook for people in the United States appeared bleak.
I told my wife that we needed to stock-up on food because I felt that the supply
lines were thin and vulnerable. I began my preparations by Internet search.
I found JWR's SurvivalBlog and I bought a copy of his novel. In the meantime,
I started buying cases of canned goods. I bought food that we generally ate.
I looked at the expiration dates of every purchase. I tried to buy what would
last through 2011. Not much would, so I bought with the idea of buying more
later, looking for one year at a time.
The pantry was full. I had read Jim's book, and had found many links
on the SurvivalBlog that helped me know how much of what to buy to be balanced.
I bought a freezer at Sam’s Club and filled that also. I noticed that
food prices were increasing at an alarming rate in August. They were up 18%
on same item purchases, on average. Later that figure would reach 35%. I only
talked about this to a trusted few. My wife was starting to wonder about me.
Soon thereafter, a Harbor Freight store opened in Jonesboro, Arkansas, my home
base. There, I purchased several more items I saw as essential. I got a two
burner propane stove with a center grill feature. I bought some LED flashlights,
ropes, staple guns, and other miscellaneous items. Being a hunter and former
U.S. Army officer, I had a lot of camping (survival equipment) on hand. Sleeping
bags were there, polypropylene long johns, butane lighters, three 20 gallon
and one 100 gallon propane tanks were filled. I use them for my barbeque grill.
I told my wife that we should buy a generator. She said that if I thought we
should buy it, that I should. I didn’t.
I found some water barrels at a local food processing plant. I now have eight
55 gallon drums. I found 4 red 35 gallon chemical barrels that were set aside
for gasoline. I had about six 5 gallon gas cans to operate my 4 wheeler, fishing
boat, and sundry other small engines like lawn equipment and field water pumps.
Day to day, I am an NRA certified training counselor/instructor. Starting in
November 2008, my business started to boom. I had a 300% increase in Arkansas
concealed carry classes. That hasn’t stopped to this day. I have a 35
acre facility that is a former bean field, surrounded by thousands of farmland
acres and two liquor stores. I have a 1,200 square foot building for classroom
and office space, a 52 foot trailer for storage. My plan for survival guns
was simple. All guns were to be military calibers. Handguns would be .45 and
.38 calibers. Rifles would be .22 rimfire, 7.62x39, .308 and .30-06 calibers.
Shotguns would be 12 gauge. Stocks of ammunition were increased starting early
in 2008.
Shelter, food, security. What is left? Communications. I bought a set of 25
mile range pair of Motorola hand held communicators with recharger on sale
for $38. Stores of batteries were laid in. Cell phones. Transportation was
what we already had. 2001 Dodge Durango 4x4 and a 2005 Chevrolet 4x4 extended
cab pick-up.
The Storm
January 28, 2009. KAIT –TV weather in Jonesboro, Arkansas is forecasting
a wet winter storm cold front with frigid weather following out of the Northwest.
When it began, the outside temperature was about 27 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing
rain collected on everything in near biblical quantity.
I was awakened in the early morning of January 29th and you could hear branches
starting to snap with a sound like gunshots. Outside, you could see flashes of
light as one by one, the transformers on the light poles blew out. The power
was off. It was time to go to work. First, open the flue and light the gas logs
in the fireplace. Inside the house, the temperature had quickly fallen to about
40 degrees. I thought to crack a window for ventilation draft to reduce the chances
of carbon monoxide poisoning. Then I set up a propane heater and went about blocking
off all rooms except the den and kitchen, which were adjoining. I used 4 mil
plastic to cover two entrances to the den. The temperature quickly found about
62 degrees. We placed a carbon monoxide detector in the room to keep us from
being statistics. The propane stove was set up over the electric range for cooking
and a 20 pound bottle of propane was connected to it. I started thinking about
how I should have bought a generator.
By morning, we felt isolated in our home. Very few vehicles were moving. The
world outside looked like a war zone with ice-laden limbs and the things they
crushed. With no electricity, the phones didn’t work. We ate breakfast
normally. The whole world became our refrigerator. No cable TV so we cranked
up the radio and began to listen to the results. Reports of some break-ins started
coming in as people abandoned all electric homes for the designated shelters
in town. Outlying areas quickly ran out of gasoline and propane. Stores emptied
out their goods and shelves became bare. Generators and flashlights were nonexistent.
Batteries and power supplies followed suit. Many businesses were unable to sell
anything as their computers were down and lights and heat were out. Sadly, no
one has a backup plan for how to sell anything without electricity. Gas cans
were a faint memory. I checked on our neighbors to make sure they were coping,
and to exchange cell phone numbers. The telephone system actually works without
outside electricity if the type of phone you use doesn’t need 110 volts
from the grid. We had one emergency phone for that reason, and it was operational.
I wondered how many people knew about that?
The day passed relatively uneventfully. We had everything we needed to exist
in a minor disaster. Some people didn’t. A few died for their lack of
preparedness.
After the passing of the first day of “survival,” tree limb removal
became the priority, while everyone fought what southerners call severe cold.
It was the 30th of January. The temperature was unrelenting with nighttime lows
of 9 degrees and daytime highs of 20. I was able to venture out for things that
would be nice to have, like a generator. You see, with a generator, our gas furnace
would work. All you need it for is the electric blower. It was the only hole
in the preparations. I went in to the local Lowe’s, after checking a couple
of other stores. In the back of the store there was a line of about 13 people.
I asked why they were there. There was a truck inbound with 75 generators. I
got in line. Twenty minutes later I was in the electric department buying the
necessary wire nuts and power cords needed to hook my [newly-purchased] generator
to
the
power
panel in my house.
When I got home, the first thing I did was to disconnect the house from the grid
by turning off the main breaker, outside the house. You must do this before attempting
to connect a generator to your power panel. Failure to do so could kill workmen
repairing downed power lines and connecting transformers. To get things operational
quickly, I used the cord provided with the generator, which used four grounded
plug outlets. To operate the [selected] areas to connect, I bought 10
gauge wire. We turned off all appliances and I pulled out the circuit breaker
for the
selected
rooms. I disconnected the wire from the circuit breaker and wired it directly
to each wire with a male plug on the other end to mate with the wire from the
generator. I did this for the heater circuit, the den wall circuit, the kitchen
wall circuit, and the master bedroom wall circuit. The heater kicked on.
I offer one final note about using a generator. The operation book has a chart
in it showing the watts used by each type of appliance. You must calculate the
[load] amount used by your appliances. It has to add up to less than your generators
running wattage rating.
We were on a main highway in town, and we had our electricity hooked to the grid
after spending only a few nights without. Many in town were without electricity
for three weeks. In outlying areas, some are still not connected. The line crews
working to restore power were fantastic. Limbs still line the highways and yards
a month after the event began.
Lessons Learned
It was nice to be confident in the preparations that we had made. It was also
easy to see the holes in the plan. I now have the generator that I knew I would
need when the grid goes down. After the fact, I also bought the connections necessary
to hook up the generator just by turning off the main breaker, plugging the generator
to an installed wall socket, and cranking it up. Cell phones go down after only
a few days without a charge. I bought a portable power battery for that purpose.
If we had been out of power long term, the generator would have had to have been
used on a part time basis, at night. That means that daytime operations would
have been using only one or two rooms, again. When power goes down, the best
fallback is natural gas, if you have it. I am in the process of planning where
to install additional natural gas stubs for appliances that can be added. The
natural gas hot water heater was a blessing. It was on from the start. The warmest
place in the house was the utility room where the water heater is located. Remember
to have books and games for those evening hours when you would have been watching
television. Make sure all of your gasoline cans stay filled and stabilized. Make
sure
all of your propane bottles stay charged. Make sure you have plenty of batteries
for radios and flashlights. Make sure you have enough essential medicines. Roger’s
Rangers rules #1 rule is "Don’t fergit nuthin!"
I may have missed a few issues, but I want to talk about future plans. I am going
to install photovoltaic panels to run an emergency LED lighting system. This
would
be
a small solar panel, probably 45-60 watts [and a deep cycle battery], as a precursor
to getting
a more comprehensive system. LED lights use very little electricity and they
are
very
long lasting.
More technology will be added as it becomes available. Reducing reliance on the
grid is the ultimate goal.
Final Words
You can war game and "what if" emergency situations as much as you
like. It is good to exercise your plan. The problem is that real situations
have a
way of
waking you up to the holes in your plans. Do not wait to begin planning for the
next disaster. People in tornado and earthquake zones know about being ready
for these things, but Mother Nature will have a surprise for you no matter
where
you are.
Prepare for the worst and pray to God that it doesn’t happen.
« Economics and Investing: |Main| Letter Re: A Technique for Crossing Barbed-Wire Fences »
Letter Re: Beeswax Candles as an Emergency Heat and Light Source
Hi Jim,
Here are a few links for Beeswax survival "cooking" candles. They
burn cleaner and longer than paraffin and are also considered safer. (Though
they may not be the best choice for burning outdoors in bear country!)
Pheylonian
Survival Candles
Pheylonian
eShop
Zen Stoves
- All Grace, No Slack, Really-Reformed Kris
« Letter Re: Gaining Situational Awareness and Old-Time Knowledge |Main| Note from JWR: »
Real World Observations on Fighting Crime and Criminals, by Eli
I sat down to see what I could offer to share with other SurvivalBlog readers.
Many topics have already been covered, so I will attempt to go somewhere new.
I am a law enforcement officer by trade, and hope to provide a unique perspective
as such. I have seen shootings, stabbing, burglaries, robberies, etc. I have
served both search and arrest warrants. I work in the southwest US, and have
worked in very affluent areas as well as very poor areas. What follows are
some observations of my time on the job, relating to a few different areas
and crimes that occur. Hopefully some people will get something out of this.
None of this is to be construed as legal advice, strictly observations. All
are very applicable to everyday life, and will be highly applicable at TEOTWAWKI .A good teacher once said “I am not showing you the way, only
A way.” I
apologize in advance if I jump around between topics:
1- SHOOTINGS-
Of all the shootings I have seen, whether officer involved or not, shot placement
has been the key to success (success being the death or incapacitation of attacker).
Regardless of bullet or weapon type, a solid hit will end a fight. I have seen
Black Talon .45 ACP ammo through the stomach fail to incapacitate someone, as
well as .223s with poor shot placement fail to stop an attacker. Both subjects
lost a lot of blood, but were able to continue to fight. A few recent shootings
involved 9mm FMJ ammo. All were fatal, and all were solid hits to the heart/lung
area. The take home lesson is that shot placement is key to survival, regardless
of caliber. Obviously, proper ammo choice with proper shot placement is best.
(I know it has been discussed before, but bird shot is not an effective defense
load)
So how can we improve our shot placement? Shoot more. Dry fire. Practice. Then
practice some more. If you do not shoot, learn. Whether you are a beginner or
advanced shooter, do not forget to work on the basics- sight alignment and trigger
control. There is no substitute for trigger time and fundamentals. 22 conversion
kits are widely available for many guns for practice at reduced cost. AR-style
sights are also available for 10/22s if you prefer that route over a conversion
kit. Shorter, more frequent practice sessions are more beneficial than infrequent
longer sessions, whether live or dry fire.
After improving static shooting skills, focus on stress shooting. Attend a training
course. Practice what you learn in the course. A 2-4 day course will expose you
to a lot of new ideas. It is up to you to reinforce them [with practice] when
you
return home. Only through repetition will these movements become second nature.
Join
a local
IDPA league.
The stress of competition will help. Become physically fit. Studies with police
and simmunition/judgmental shooting scenarios showed that the more
physically fit an individual, regardless of all other factors, the more likely
they were to succeed on the simmunition portion and the less mistakes they made
on the judgmental portion. (Think about how sports teams make more mental errors
late in a game when fatigue sets in) All subjects showed an immediate increase
in heart rate and blood pressure. The more fit individuals showed a more rapid
return to normal levels, often before the end of the scenario. Combine physical
exertion with shooting. Try doing sprints/pushups/jumping jacks, then shooting.
Use your imagination.
Learn to clear a malfunction on your weapon. All guns will jam at some point.
Ejected shells have bounced off walls and landed back in an open recoiling action.
Strange things happen. Know your chosen weapon’s action of arms. Learn
to do so with economy of movement. You can purchase dummy rounds or assemble
them from spent cases. Throw a few into your magazine next time you shoot, and
clear the malfunctions as they happen. It will also show any flinching problems.
Teach someone else to shoot. You will be amazed at how much you will learn teaching
someone else.
2-BURGLARIES
A-Points of entry-
Residential burglaries are an all too common occurrence. The most common points
of entry I have seen are door and open windows. For some reason, crooks have
an aversion to breaking windows on houses, though it will happen. (Perhaps
the Broken Window Theory is true…) “Smash and Grab” activity
does happen, but tends to be more vehicle related. (Practice good OPSEC in
your vehicle.
Do not leave valuables in plain view. Do not place gun stickers on your vehicle,
etc)
A few bad guys that have been willing to talk have mentioned that you
can shut a door after kicking it in, but a broken window is harder to hide
from neighbors.
Go and look at your front door. Find your lock plate. When a door is forced,
this is the part to give, with the plate coming loose and breaking the trim.
Get a screw driver, and remove one of the screws. Realize that this is what
is securing your front door. Now go buy longer screws, and replace them immediately.
A security door is also a huge plus, as it opens out and requires different
techniques
to remove. They are not fool proof, but do more to make someone choose another
house which is the ultimate goal.
Open windows are the other really common method of entry. Any time any work
is done on your house, check all of your windows. It is disturbingly common
for
workers or anyone in your home to leave a window open in a unused room, or
unlock a seldom used door and then return later. Follow workers when they are
in your
house (Side note on this… I recently had a water heater replaced. I would
have done it myself, but it was still under warranty and was free. While chit-chatting
with the worker, he asked if I was a cop. I told him no, then asked why. He
replied that the only people who watch him work tend to be cops. Just like
you are observing
others, do not forget that you are being watched as well.) Sterilize your house
prior to allowing workers in. Do not leave out firearm accessories, bank statements,
etc. Bars on windows are also effective in limiting possible points of entry.
They may be against fire code (check your jurisdiction), and reduce points
of exit as well. Roll shutters are another really good option here. Many newer
homes
have a window to the side of the front door. Consider a metal grate or something
similar inside to prevent breaking the window, then undoing the locks. These
windows, even when frosted, also provide a visible indicator about how many
people/when someone is coming to the door, eliminating surprise.
B- What is taken
Cash, firearms, jewelry, electronics, tools, credit cards, personal info, bank
statements. Anything that they can pawn or trade for drugs. If you go on vacation,
take your spare vehicle keys with you. A recent trend has been to load up the
second car parked in the cover of the garage, then drive it away with all of
your stuff. Buy a gun safe, preferably a heavy one. Don't forget to lock your
safe (No, I am not kidding about this.) Bolt your safe down. I have seen studs
cut
from
the
wall
to remove a safe. I personally have not seen one pried from the floor yet,
although I am sure it has happened. Bolt it to both floor and walls
and be safe. Write your serial numbers
down also, especially for firearms. (Be very careful with this list,
for obvious reasons, especially with private party gun sales. Keep a copy somewhere
other than your safe also) It is very hard to prove ownership or log an item
as stolen without the serial number.
3-ROBBERIES
Robberies occur all the time, everywhere. Situational awareness is the most
beneficial for preventing these. You are most vulnerable at times of preoccupation.
Fumbling
with keys, exiting/entering a car or residence, running with your headphones
on, etc Carry bags in a manner to leave your gun hand free, assuming you are
carrying concealed. Pay attention. Pause before entering exiting anywhere.
Stop, look, and listen. Take a few seconds to do this anytime you enter or
exit anything.
Make it a habit. You see all the time on surveillance footage of people walking
into a liquor store as it is being robbed. Try to stop, look and listen before
you enter the store. After you enter, step to one side and do it again. Park
in well lit areas. When in your vehicle, keep your doors locked. Do not pull
up directly behind the car in front of you and box yourself in. Know where
exits are in restaurants and businesses. Listen to your hunches. Home invasion
robberies
are increasingly common as well. Security doors pay huge dividends here. Even
a highly trained SWAT team
either has to pry or yank these with a vehicle, before dealing with the interior
door. This buys you time. Time equates to
distance
and options, which equate to safety. Have a dog, and lock all of your gates.
See above about window bars. A fenced yard helps. Most states have laws that
recognize fenced yards as having a higher expectation of privacy than a non-fenced
yard, and a corresponding reduced standard for lethal force action inside said
fence. (i.e. the "reasonable person" test, an intruder climbing over a locked
gate into a yard with a dog would be expected to be a greater threat than an
intruder
that
was at the front window of an unfenced yard.)
It is not unreasonable if the “police” come
to your door to ask to see a badge, preferably a commission card, as these
have an officer’s photo. Look though a different window and see if a
car is outside. Call the agency they say they are from and verify they are
who they
say they are. If in doubt, wait and verify. Keep your doors locked when you
are home, not just when you leave or before bed.
Police are not trained to look for "bad guys." They are trained to
analyze behavior and patterns. When something looks out of place, it is cause
for concern.
4-BUILDING CLEARANCE/HOME DEFENSE
A-Offensive
I work nights, so most of this section will be related to this. I have approached
many houses. Let me walk you through what is typical for my squad. Hopefully
it will grant some insight into the mind and method of potential attackers.It
starts outside of the residence, down the street. Turn off your vehicle lights
before you turn onto the street. Park your vehicle so it is not in plain view.
Take advantage of other parked cars, as well as the shadows in between street
lights to conceal your car. Exit the vehicle quietly. Do not slam your doors.
Turn of/disable your vehicle dome light prior to opening your door. Secure any
loose or rattling equipment. Stop, look, and listen while still at your car.
Let your eyes adjust. Identify the target residence. Depending on the threat
level of the suspect or call type we number anywhere from two to six. Approach
the house, again taking advantage of lighting and concealment. At the house,
stop, look and listen. Are there motion lights? Video cameras? Is there a fence?
Is the entire yard fenced? Is the gate locked? Are there cars in the driveway?
Are the hoods warm? Most residences have an exposed front and a fenced back yard,
so we will assume that is the case. Is there an alley? If so, send one or two
people to cover points of exit/look through rear windows. What do you hear? Television?
Fighting? Screaming? A shower? A racking shotgun? Whispering? Is there a barking
dog? (Pepper spray is effective and commonly used to silence barking dogs. Many
SWAT teams now carry suppressed weapons strictly for this purpose. Many cops
also carry dog treats.) Look at windows. Can you see through the blinds/curtains?
Do an experiment at your residence. Turn on an interior light in a room, and
go outside to the window. How much can you see in? Can you see through the corners?
What about where the curtains are supposed to come together at the bottom? Do
this for all the windows. What do you see inside? How many people? Men, women,
children? Are they calm? Are they armed? At the front door, we unscrew light
bulbs, adjust cameras, cover them with rubber gloves if they do not move. Spray
paint would be effective also at taking care of cameras that do not move. Consider
installing a light fixture with a completely surrounded bulb, one that takes
a screwdriver to change, or mounting it higher up.. When you knock on the door,
move away to a position of cover. Again, stop look and listen. Does the television go
off? Who yells to who to get the door? Corners of buildings provide more “cover” than
the middle of a wall, as most construction backs multiple 2x4 or 2x6’s
up at this location. Have someone watching through a window. Usually by shadow
or change in light you can tell when someone is coming to the door, and often
how many.
When entering a house
The most common mistakes when clearing a residence are noise discipline and speed.
Slow down. Do not move faster than you can take in important details. Be as
quiet as possible. The idea is to catch them before they catch you. They are
waiting
for
you. Do
not give them any advantage.
There is much debate about building clearance, and many schools of thought. Here
are some
universal points to all methods:
You need at least three people to be safe. Never search by yourself. More people
are better. Cover reflexive angles of one another. Smooth is the goal. Do not
stand near the walls. You do not want to risk giving away a position by running
your equipment against a wall. This also gives you more options should you engage
and have to move. Move slowly (one minute per hundred square
feet is not unreasonable).
When “pieing” [or "pie slicing"] a room, examine each new
degree
of
the
pie from top to bottom , and back again. Hunters will understand this better,
but
you
are
not looking for a whole person. You are looking for parts. A toe, an ear, an
elbow. Likewise, when clearing, have your upper body move before your lower body
(i.e., lean and clear, then move your feet underneath you….repeat….practice
with a friend/spouse or a mirror [with and absolutely cleared and double-checked
firearm])
and keep your elbow tucked under your weapon, so the first thing the bad guy
will
see
is half
the
barrel
of your
gun
and half
of that eye. (Notice I said “that” eye. Learn to shoot with
your off hand, and practice. It is impossible to safely clear a house with the
gun
in
one hand the entire time.) Practice house clearing. Get a friend, family member.
Go through your home. Go through theirs. Take turns being the good guy/bad guy.
Do it during the day. Do it at night. Repeat. People hide in all sorts of places.
Cupboards, washing machines, inside couches, between mattresses, etc. Do not
move past anything you have not cleared. You do not want to be worried about
something behind you while clearing. If a door is locked and you have to bypass
it, get creative. Lean something up against the door so you will know if it is
opened behind you. Tie it shut. Do not make more noise than you need to. Do not
be afraid to kneel or squat when pieing. People are expecting certain things.
Think outside the box.
As far as lights go, there are two schools of thought. The first, turn on lights
as you enter the room. You can see, but the enemy can also. The second, use a
weapon mounted or handheld light. You can illuminate an area, kill the light,
then move. Try both and see what you prefer.
B-Defensive Measures
Consider all of the proceeding section of what attackers do. Apply this to
your
home. Imagine you are at home, watching television. The neighbor’s dog
starts
barking, or your's does. The dog suddenly stops. You still get up to investigate,
wisely.
You go to turn on your outside light, and the bulb does not work. At this point
in time the hair on the back of your neck should be standing up. Pay attention
to all of the small things. You check your security camera, and suddenly it’s
looking at a view of the wall. If a security camera is not working, blocked,
etc, lights not working, dog stopped barking (or still barking like mad) these
are
clues
to put on your vest and load your weapon. (You do always put on your vest and
grab your weapon when you go to investigate bumps in the night, right? )
Look at your home. Put up a fence around your entire yard. Build a full size
fence, not a half one. Clear an area for 8-to-10 feet on either side of the fence,
the
entire way around. Do not take the time to put up a fence and then provide an
easy means over it. Lock the gate. Get two or three large dogs and let them have
free
roam of the yard. They make “shake” alarms for fences that will go
off when the fence is disturbed. They can be made to ring your cell phone (As
in your phone rings, you answer, a computer voice states "You have a fence
activation on the north side of your property."). Look at your outside lights
also. Where are the dark spots? Where are blind spots that you cannot see from
your windows? Consider discrete mirrors in strategic locations to check blind
spots. Mount your lights high so they cannot be unscrewed, and get fixtures that
protect
the light bulb. Install security cameras. Consider a few camera pointed towards
your house, possibly under eaves or overhangs that will be easy to miss. Where
are your children’s rooms in relationship to yours? Where are the bullets
that you may be shooting going to be flying? What walls can be made bullet resistant?
I have been in homes where the people literally filled the half walls
at the top of the stair case with sand/sand bags to provide a fortified fighting
position
for the family. Other ideas include surplus vests, Kevlar sheeting,
etc stuffed
in this area. Another option is to fortify your children’s rooms if they
are on the other end of the home, but this also provides an intruder with a potential
stronghold. Consider interior flood lights. The same people with the sand bagged
half walls had flood lights above the stairs, facing down. With the positioning
of the lights, it blinded everyone to the defenders at the top of the stairs.
Every home has ambush spots. When you are practicing clearing your house, think
about what spots give you problems. Blind corners or multiple doors in close
proximity are nightmares while clearing. Find a spot on the far side of the room
or down a hallway where you can view these problem areas. One where you can view
a problem area and fortify is an ideal location. Stairwells make good options.
While you are practicing clearing your house with someone else, take turns being
the “bad guy.” See where you want to hide, where you have the best
advantage.
I hope this helps. People often talk about hardware versus software. In these
tough economic times, hardware is not easy to come by. Software is cheap. Try
to still obtain what you can when you can, but focus on learning skills--any skills.
Plant a garden. Change your oil. Help someone with a construction project.
Read a book. Learn to bake bread. Learn to distill alcohol. Reload. Take a
first aid course. Cook with your food storage. Volunteer somewhere where you
can
learn something. Practice bartering your skills for goods or services. YouTube
is an amazing resource out there if you are unsure how to do something and
don’t know anyone that can teach you. If you already have skills, teach
them (while still learning new ones.) Spread the word to those that will listen.
Post a youtube video about preparation, or about any skill that you have. Teach
someone to shoot. You can pick up a surplus Mosin-Nagant rifle and 500 rounds
of ammunition for around $150, depending on where you live. Encourage everyone
you know to buy one or two.)
TheBoxOTruth.com is
a great resource also regarding questions about ammo ("I wonder what
happens if I shoot layers of sheet rock with
"X" caliber...") Show your friends SurvivalBlog. Sow the
seeds of preparation in all you come across. Continue to prepare, pray,
and be safe. - Eli
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: The Ozarks as a Retreat Locale »
Letter Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale
Mr. Rawles,
Although being an avid reader, this is the first time I have written your site.
The letters posted on your site today respecting Alaska as a retreat locale
raised a few possible issues in my mind. First of all, let me say that Alaska
is my favorite place in the world, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
However, as a retreat locale, one may want to think twice unless the situation
forces their location there. Also, it is important to remember that the conditions
and terrain in Alaska are very wide ranging, depending where you are. The
climate can range from arctic in the north to relatively mild in the south.
I have heard the climate in the south compared to that of the mid-Atlantic
states on the East coast.
Most parts of the state are totally without agriculture, but there is some
in the Matanuska-Susitna
Valley. The growing season is usually around 100 days
long, and can produce huge vegetables because of the length of the days. Some
vegetables do well there, such as potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
Therefore, if one intends to do any kind of farming in Alaska, the "Mat-Su"
Valley is where it is possible. However, there is a major drawback to this
fact,
from
the perspective of retreat logistics. The Mat-Su valley is one of the most
densely populated areas of the state. It has, as of late, been converting
to suburban communities for workers who commute to Anchorage. As we all
know,
the suburbs are a bad, bad place to be WTSHTF.
And even if one were to build a retreat in a section of the valley not yet
suburban, there is no way to
know that it would remain so for the next five years or more.
Prepping before the SHTF is
made more difficult by the state's isolation. Building materials, fuel,
food, guns, ammo, medical supplies and any other product must be shipped in
from the [continental] US or elsewhere.
This makes these
products not only
more expensive, but generally less available, especially outside of the urban
centers. Ordering off the web makes them easier to get, but the shipping
is still expensive. Fuel of any kind is the most expensive in the nation,
and
ammo is pretty over-priced, too.
Fuel, as one letter pointed out, is a major problem. Getting by without fossil
fuels is a main goal of most preppers, and it may prove more difficult in
Alaska. Solar is out, at least during the winter. Not only is there very
little light,
but it is less intense than elsewhere, due to the oblique angle at which
it hits the state (as it is so far north). I don't know a lot about wind,
so that
may be a possibility. If it was, any parts would be difficult to get. As
K.L.'s letter says, firewood is a possibility, but this raises three issues.
As he says, with no gas or diesel = no power tools to cut [and haul firewood].
Any broken hand tools would be irreplaceable, and even having extras is likely
not enough
when you plan to cut by hand and burn firewood for a very extended period
of time.
Hand cutting firewood is also time consuming.
Since it would need to be done in the summer, it would take up time for farming
and other chores. This might not be a problem if you are part of a large
retreat group, however. Also, felling trees, in any way, especially by hand,
is extremely
dangerous. I would strongly recommend a logger certification class for anyone
planning to possibly use firewood as a retreat fuel. Although the course
will focus on mechanical forestry, the safety principles are the same universally.
Third, unless one has a retreat on a very spacious lot, it is possible to
run out of firewood to cut. Trees grow much slower in Alaska People who
do not heat
their homes in this manner would be surprised at the amount of fuel a wood
stove can use in a winter. For instance, to heat the house on my family farm,
it
takes roughly 10 to 15 cords to get through the winter,
with a little to spare for safety's sake. And that is back in New York, not
Alaska. Imagine cutting
that much
firewood on a 25 acre lot for five years or more. One may be able to cut
off of their property, but that is a bad way to meet the neighbors, especially
after
TSHTF.
This letter ran much longer than I planned, and I would like to go on further,
but time prevents me from doing so. In short, think twice about a retreat
in Alaska. It is absolutely possible, but would present much greater difficulties
than other feasible places. In the lower 48, one can find the same type of
isolated area, but with:
Better farming conditions
Lower prices in general
A climate not requiring huge amounts of fuel for the winter
Ability to travel through the US without crossing international borders
(If they still exist after TSHTF)
And so forth...
If you think you can do it, then go for it. My wife thinks I'm trying to keep
it all for myself. - J. Galt
JWR Replies: Thanks for that input. I have my doubts about
the viability of the Mat-Su Valley in worst-case collapse. Its proximity to
the hungry, teeming
masses of Anchorage is troubling. Alaska cannot feed its population, even
in today's economy, and one can only wonder what it would be like grid-down,
with no
fuel available.
I encourage anyone serious about living in Alaska to look
at the
Delta Junction area, in Alaska's interior. I haven't been there since
the summer of 1980 (when I attended the U.S. Army Northern
Warfare School), but it struck me as a very productive agricultural
region.)
« Letter Re: Lessons from the January Ice Storm |Main| Inauguration Fallout: Will Retreat Locale Priorities be Skewed? »
Retreat Building Lighting Systems, by The Old Yooper
Lighting systems in a retreat home (not connected to the grid).
My home does not fit the definition of a retreat. I built it about 30 years
ago in the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) when the idea of a retreat location
was not on my radar screen. Only by coincidence has my home worked out to fit
a retreat definition, better situated them many, not as good as some. It is
quite secluded, the only house at the end of a dead end dirt road. It has never
had grid power run to it. The utility company wanted as much money to run the
power lines through the woods back to my cabin as the cabin cost me to build.
It’s not that I didn’t know that when I built the cabin, I just
did not think it was anything I needed to have at the time. This is not that
unusual in the UP as it may seem to most people. There are lots of homesteads
too far off the beaten path to have grid power connected up here in the UP.
The cabin is 2000 sq. ft. with three bedrooms, two baths, living room, kitchen
and dining room. Also a full basement, not included in the square footage above.
It is as modern as most houses today except for how every thing works. I will
only concentrate on lighting in this essay. In later essays (if anyone is interested)
I can explain cooking, refrigeration, heating, electricity, etc. I hope you
don’t mind my folksy/personal writing style; it’s just the way
I am.
Today we are heading into a monumental depression of historic magnitude. No
one truly knows how bad it will get or how long it will last. I think it was
Benjamin Franklin that said “prepare for the worst and hope for the best” and
that’s as true today as it was over 200 years ago. I know the subject
of lighting may seem somewhat mundane and even silly to some, put a few candles
away and we will be OK, they hope. But without sustained, reliable lighting,
day to day life can get pretty difficult at best. It’s important to try
to keep your home as normal as possible in the hard times ahead for you, your
family and whoever may be seeking refuge with you. All lighting systems take
energy of some form just as cooking and heating do, this is the first thing
to keep in mind when planning for your lighting systems.
As Mr. Rawles has said in the past “two is one and one is none”.
I have learned this the hard way, by experiencing a failure in a system. I
have four, separate, distinct and independent (from each other) lighting systems
in the house. So a failure of one or even two will not make my lights go out.
The first lighting system is AC electric. The cabin is fully wired for 110/220V
AC power, normal household electrical current. Supplied via gas generator,
wind
generator, and inverter/charger battery bank system, again if anyone is
interested I can go into greater detail about the electrical systems in another
essay. For the most part the electric lights in the house are compact fluorescent
with a few exceptions. One of the exceptions are the under-cabinet 10 watt
halogen lights in the kitchen. Ten watts is not much but there are 13 of them
under
the cabinets. I must admit that they are nice to have on and 130 watts is not
all that much either, however I tend to forget about them being on and along
with the TV and lights on in the living room, bathroom and a bedroom (kids,
you
know how that is) the batteries are drawn down much too fast. Well I can’t
use the kids excuse anymore, it's grandkids now. We all know how electric lights
work; you flip a switch and the lights come on. That is true with inverter
power also, as long as you use the right inverter system.
Just to be clear about electricity, it is by far the most convenient and at
the same time the most susceptible to failure of all the lighting systems I
use. I have run out of gas, aggravating at the time but not a major problem,
unless gas becomes unavailable? I have had generator and/or inverter system
failures; yes even the best will not last indefinitely. The worst electrical
failure I have experienced was lightning hitting the phone line coming into
the cabin. The phone lines are underground but the lightning hit it anyway.
It followed the line into the house, blowing every phone jack off the walls
and ruined all three of my phones. It also crossed over to the electrical wiring
and fried most every thing plugged in to wall outlets. NOTE: I have plug strips
supposedly with electrical breakers built into them, so I can turn off the
TV, stereo, and the like so they will not run down the batteries. All modern
electronics and appliances use power even when there not in use. [JWR
Adds: These are so-called
"phantom loads", typically caused the microcircuits for clocks and
other sub-modules.] The lightning went across these plug strips as if they
were hard wired in.
This
was a major
system failure. My homes owners insurance covered all repairs and replacements.
However in a TEOTWAWKI there would be no insurance and no repairs or replacements
unless I fixed them myself and, spare parts would be out of the question.
My second lighting system is propane gas. The cabin is plumbed for gas lights
in most of the main rooms down stairs and the master bedroom and bathroom upstairs.
These are gas mantle lights. To light them I use a Bic lighter under the mantle
and turn on the gas, and I have instant light. When I first installed the gas
lights, I would use a kitchen match (wooden matches), to light them. I soon
discovered I was very good at poking a hole in the mantle with the match; I
soon switched to a Bic lighter. Mantles cost about $7.00 each. They are about
as bright as a 65 to 70 watt incandescent light bulb. I have two styles of
gas mantle lights in my home. The first and the ones I started with are Humphrey
gas lights; I only have two of them. These are good dependable well made lighting
fixtures of sheet metal construction; the only drawback is there a little homely.
As far as I know there is only one style, a wall mount fixture. Humphrey gas
lighting fixtures can be found at most propane distributors and country hardware
stores.
The second gas lighting fixture and the one I prefer is Falks gas lighting
fixtures. These are a much more elegant lighting fixture made in Canada out
of solid brass. There are three styles of Falks lighting fixtures to pick from.
A single mantle wall mount, double mantle wall mount and a double mantle chandelier,
I have all three styles in my cabin. Both the Humphrey and Falks gas lights
use the same globes and mantles. I have several spare mantles and globes on
hand at all times. Falks gas lights can be ordered from Lehman's. The
cost for the single Falks gas light is about $80 US and $75 US for a Humphrey
gas light. Gas lights are just as bright as electric lights.
When I installed the gas lights I used 1⁄2” soft copper tubing
for main runs and 3/8” soft copper tubing off the main run for a single
lighting fixture. If you put in gas lights never use hard copper tubing that
requires soldering the joints. Only use soft copper tubing and flare fittings
that are designed for gas applications. Use a soap swab to check for gas leaks
at every connection. Never use a match to check for leaks. If there is a leak
(and there will be some) at a connection you can have an instant blow torch
on your hands, and that blow torch can just as well be in your face. If you
do not know how to install gas fixtures have a licensed plumber do them.
Both Falks and Humphrey gas lights use about .085 lb of gas per hour per mantle.
I think a little math is in order here.
One gallon of propane weighs about 4.23 lb.
A 20 lb. propane tank (type for gas grills) contains somewhere in the neighborhood
of 4.7 gallons of gas. If you did the math you will find that it isn’t
exactly 20 lbs., the numbers aren’t carried out properly to the last
decimal place.
Therefore a 20 lb. propane tank will run one mantle light for approximately
234 hours of continues use. If you ran a gas light for 5 hours a night one
20 lb. tank will last for 47 days. However refilling 20 lb. tanks is the most
expensive way to buy and store propane gas.
A 100 lb. tank will run one mantle light for approximately 1,176 hours of continues
use. And if you ran a gas light for 5 hours a night, one 100 lb. tank will
last for 235 days more or less. I’m sure someone will check my math to
see if it works out and that’s Okay, I make lots of mistakes.
I have a 500 gallon propane pig (tank) for gas, which is kind of a lot for
just lighting. I also use propane for other things in my cabin. The last time
propane was delivered last October it cost $2.49 per gallon. At that price
it cost approximately $0.05 per hour to run one light. Also propane will store
for ever with no degradation of the gas (it doesn’t "go bad"). You can’t
say that for gasoline, kerosene or diesel. A side note: I am told that we are
in a deflationary spiral, but the only things that I can see going down in
price is real estate and gasoline. Food, clothing, repairs of anything and
the stuff you need day to day haven’t gone down at all. (Just a little
whining).
My third independent lighting system; kerosene lights. I use two types of kerosene
lights in the cabin. The first is Aladdin lamps. I have four Aladdin lamps,
one is a Majestic Table lamp, and three Genie III shelf lamps one of which
is in a hanging fixture in my bedroom, and the two others are on each end of
the fireplace mantle. Aladdin lamps can be a bit temperamental to operate.
All Aladdin lamps are mantle lamps similar to Coleman Lanterns however they
use a round wick like an old kerosene lamp. The temperamental part, the wick
must be trimmed evenly all around the top. If it is not you will get flame
spikes (I call them horns) coming up into the mantle and if, (not when), these
little fiery horns touch the mantle it will start building up with carbon.
All you have to do is turn down thee wick so the horn is not touching the mantle
and the carbon will burn off the mantle. However if you don’t turn the
wick down, the mantle will continue to build up carbon and eventually put out
copious amounts of lovely black soot, to coat your ceiling and fill the air
with a witches' brew of noxious gas and smoke. On the bright side, Aladdin
lamps will generate the equivalent of a 50 watt incandescent light bulb and
at the
same time will put out about 2,700 BTU’s of heat, that’s a lot
of heat in the summer time from one lamp. In the evenings in the fall and spring
of the year, I can heat my cabin with nothing but Aladdin lamps (if it’s
not too cold out). A log cabin retains heat very well, and all my windows are
triple glazed. If you would like to try Aladdin lamps they are available
at many country hardware stores and Lehman’s by mail order. After making
it sound awful, I like my Aladdin lamps, it just takes a little practice to
learn how to use them. If you are going to use Aladdin lamps you will need
to stock up on Aladdin Chimneys, Mantles and Wicks. There are two types of
Aladdin Chimneys. The first is the Lox-On Chimney; I’ve had them last
for years and also had them break in a week. In my opinion the Heel-Less Chimney
is superior, it allows the glass to move as it heats up and cools off without
breaking. For about $12.00 a Gallery Adapter will convert a Burner to use a
Heel-less Chimney. Newly manufactured Aladdin Lamps come with Heel-Less Chimneys.
I have several table and wall mounted old fashion kerosene lamps. I also have
one very ornate Victorian hanging library lamp in my dinning room. It is solid
brass with a ruby red hob nail, glass shade, and lots of prisms. If it sounds
like my cabin is old fashioned, it is. One rule of thumb in lighting any kerosene
lamp, light the wick with a low flame and let the lamp and kerosene in it heat
up. As the kerosene gets hotter its viscosity goes down and flows much
faster. As the kerosene flows faster the flame will get bigger and bigger.
There is no reason for the chimney to soot up if you just start with a low
flame and let the lamp heat up. After the lamp is hot you can adjust the brightness.
If you plan on using kerosene lamps stock up on wicks and chimneys. The wicks
are consumables and no matter how careful you are chimneys break. Almost forgot,
every time the lamps are filled the wick should be trimmed, I trim the wick
just to clean it up flat across its top and I cut a small 45º angle off each
end of the wick, so the flame will have a domed appearance. If that is not
clear just experiment with it, you will learn as you go.
How mush kerosene should be stored? I am told that kerosene will last for about
15 years before it goes bad. In 2008 I used about 30 gallons of kerosene; I
use more in the winter then in the summer. In a TEOTWAWKI I would be mush more
conservative than I am right now. If you’re going to use kerosene as
one of your lighting systems I would suggest storing from 100 to 200 gallons
in 55 gallon plastic drums.
The last lighting system is just old fashion candles. Several years ago I was
able to acquire about 200 pounds of wax from a company I worked for. The
company applied wax to one of the products they manufactured. When they had
a product change on the coating machine they had to purge all the wax out of
the machine and put in a different formula for the changeover. The purged
wax was pumped out into five gallon buckets and discarded. It is amazing how
much stuff is thrown away that could be used in a grid down situation. All
this wax I have stashed will someday have to be made into candles. There are
two basic ways to make candles. The first is to mold (cast) them in a candle
mold. I have had one of these for a very long time; it casts 8 candles at a
time. The candle mold is simple to use. Just feed a pre-waxed string (wick)
through the hole in the bottom of each candle mold, bend it over so it will
not come out. Tie the other end to a rod across the top of the mold and fill
the mold with wax. Let the wax solidify, dip in hot water and pull out the
candles. Trim the string off the bottom of each candle and store in a cool
place until needed. Candle molds can be made fairly simply to just about any
length and diameter you desire. I have made 1” diameter x 14” long
candle molds. Use hard copper tubing, or PVC plastic pipe would work also.
Cut to the length desired and chamfer both ends inside and out side (de-burr
it). Take a cap that fits over the end of the tubing and drill a hole in the
center of it to fit the size of wick you have, or make. Use the same procedure
for casting candles above. After the candles are cast and hardened put the
molds in vary hot water to loosen the wax from the mold. Remove the mold from
the water and using a wooden rod with an end on it that fits the full diameter
of the candle push the candle out of the mold and let cool. The ends of the
candle will be flat, but this is not a drawback in my mind.
The second way to make candles is by dipping them. This way is a little more
cumbersome [and time consuming] and I don’t recommend it. But if anyone
is interested in hand dipping candles, just Google the subject to learn how.
One more safety concern, never melt wax in your house and never on your kitchen
stove. Melted wax is highly flammable. A wax fire is almost impossible to put
out with water; it just spreads the fire over the kitchen and all over you,
and anyone that is with you at the time. Do not take this warning lightly.
I make candles outside away from any buildings on a nice summer day. - The
Old Yooper
« Letter Re: The Recent Storm in New England--A Ready and Able Family |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Mobile Choices for Survival Retreats by T.D.
Our family lives full time in our camping trailer and have found out there
would be
many
advantages
to
keeping
one
in any situation. I am not talking the big 5th wheel or the ones with a motor,
just a plain travel trailer [with a traditional vehicle hitch].
Our trailer is 27 feet long and weighs in at 9,500 lbs empty and almost 11,000
lbs full. It is a bunkhouse model and can sleep up to 11 people. It has a 40
gallon
fresh water tank, 40 gallon black water tank (waste) and a 40 gallon gray water
tank (drain off water from tub and sinks). It has 12 volt battery backup which
power
lights and the water pump when power is unavailable. The stove and hot water
heater run on propane, with the fridge working on both.
Storage can be short, but there is some – under the bottom bunk, the
full size bed in the bedroom, under the seats in the kitchen, 2 closets (very
small)
and cabinets in the living area and bedroom.
Our heater will heat up enough hot water for an eight minute shower and the
tub is the size of a 10 gallon bucket. When we are parked in an RV park with
power
included
in the lot fees, we heat our trailer with electric heaters. This saves us money
on propane. If we just cook and shower using the propane, then we will go through
two 35 pound tanks in just under one year.
We have been buying or having a friend collect empty older propane tanks and
then we have been trading them in at Wal-Mart for under $18.00 each. Small
solar panels were purchased from Harbor Freight Tools for under $40.00 each,
they
will [slowly] recharge
a 12 volt battery. We will be purchasing more panels as we go so that our entire
trailer could be run off them.
We have inline water filters and portable ones, we have potable aqua tablets
and shock. Our water tank can be filled by hose or in a pinch by bucket and
funnel. After Gustav most of the water here was very bad (boil water order
for all of
our parish, even for bathing in some areas). When some of our neighbors had
no hot water for their special needs family member they came to us and we hauled
hot water for them (we were they only ones in an RV to come right back within
72 hours of the passage of Hurricane Gustav). We also have an external shower.
We do have a propane burner for outside, most people here use those for crawfish.
We have one very cheap charcoal grill and a good supply of charcoal. We can
make our own if need be.
After Hurricane Gustav we were without power for two weeks and used our interior
12 volt DC lights for night time only and for about 20 minutes at a time. Our
battery
gauge didn’t indicate any voltage drop.
When we do our shows and are in practice we can be ready to move out within
1 hour and we are still working to par that time down even further. What this
means
for us is that here we could drive out quickly with our home or even put it
on a platform on numerous pontoons making our trailer into a riverboat. We
live
near a very rural area and large uninhabited waterways, where you can go out
all day and not see of hear anyone at all.
Our retreat will have a home and a large barn that will house our RV, keeping
prying eyes away from it and also giving us a place to go to if heating ever
becomes an issue. When the SHTF we can camouflage the RV in another location
for a further retreat position, still have shelter and a way to keep everyone
fed.
Our trailer is a 1995 and we bought it for under 5,000. You can get them
very cheap further north during the off season and move them fairly cheap now
that
gas has come down a lot. We went smaller because of the towing needs. No matter
what you still need to haul it, even if it’s to your retreat.
Granted, it would be more difficult, but not impossible, to utilize in colder
climates. Good windbreaks and insulation in the under compartments helps tremendously.
Plastic on the windows with the exception of the vents also helps.
In some states that get a lot of hurricanes also are places a lot of people
actually live in trailers year round. What sometimes happens when they are
lived all the
time is they get stripped out to the bare walls and customized. They are cheaper
and easier to reinforce that way. A 40 foot trailer stripped out can run you
about
$1,500 to $2,000
dollars. Most people here take out the kitchen area which I wouldn’t
do. They also remove the fresh water tank and if anything I would make the
fresh
water tank larger than 40 gallons, leaving in the electric pump. With full
solar capability you can leave the power system intact and go from there.
In our closets we added small shelves that will hold two weeks of clothing
for each of us, four all together. The fridge and freezer will hold 1 gallon
of
milk, a weeks worth of leftovers, four dozen eggs, one 2-quart juice pitcher
(from Camping
World, made for trailer size fridges), condiments and the freezer will hold
more than one week's worth of meat. The cabinets will hold three weeks of
canned goods, spices
and what we need for baking for six months. Under the little counter extension
we have flour, sugar and rice (large storage containers from Wall-Mart),
those last us about three months. We also have food stored under one bed and
under both seats in the kitchen. By the garbage can we keep a one month supply
of dog
food for our 90 pound German Shepherd cross.
To keep our space requirements smaller, we went small flat screen television,
a cheap and tiny DVD player
and low profile PC tower. Movies are not kept in single
cases,
they are kept in DVD folders with zippers. Our children are limited to what
toys they can have and it must all fit in toy hammocks or collapsible toy boxes
at
the end of their beds. Our guns are easy to stow in the trailer and are always
within reach. On hand we also keep quite a bit of ammo and buy more weekly.
We do
maintain an inexpensive storage unit elsewhere, and we keep the bulk of our
SHTF supplies
there for under $80 a month.
There are a lot of extras you can buy for your RV, including wheeled containers
to drain black and gray water into for disposal. Pots and pans made for smaller
areas, heavier dishes that will last through everything including travel. RV
size washers and dryers or the all in ones, which are no bigger than an RV
stove. Shower organizers can be installed easily to increase your bathroom
storage.
One of the biggest things to like about an older trailer is that no one even
looks twice at it, people who don’t own one have no clue how self sufficient
you can be in one. It’s not new enough or dressed up enough to get a
second look from a trouble makers and family never wants to come stay, none
of them
can figure out why you would want to trade down and live in something so small.
It also makes it easier if you have others that will join you when the SHTF
and you are running out of places to put people.
« "Little House" Books--A Great Homeschooling and Preparedness Mindset Resource |Main| Mobile Choices for Survival Retreats by T.D. »
Letter Re: The Recent Storm in New England--A Ready and Able Family
Hi Jim.
I have been a long time reader of your blog and have spent quite a
bit of money with many of your terrific advertisers. I am writing to tell you
about the serenity of my day in the midst of the hard hitting ice storm up
here in New England. Thanks to the information you present in your blog and
the preparation that I have taken over the last few years, all I had to do
to prepare for this storm the day before was two things - fill the fire wood
box and fill the bath tub for toilet flushing water.
I already had food stocked up. I had drinking water available. I had heat via
a wood stove. I had a generator. I had plenty of fuel for the generator. (I
was even able to loan a spare generator and fuel out to a friend.) I had fresh
batteries for the flashlight and radios. I had a scanner to listen to all the
emergency calls in the area. (You will realize how under-prepared your neighbors
are by all the assistance calls.) I had plenty of alternative lighting (candles
and LED lights). I had sufficient quantities of ice melt and sand on hand.
The great thing was that I wasn't stressed out before, during or after the
storm. My family mentioned over and over how terrific it was to be prepped.
I was fortunate that they were on the "let's get prepped" band wagon
with me over the last few years. I got to enjoy the ice sculptures of the day
and was able to help out someone else, too. The simple fact of all this is
that by being prepared you get to relax a bit during a potentially stressful
time. This wasn't an end of the world scenario but nonetheless the preparation
was almost the same. Being prepped for any emergency isn't
that hard to do and the resources you collect over time are useful in nearly
any condition.
It was actually a bit fun to see all this preparation fall nicely into place.
Thanks for all you do! - Relaxed in New England
« Letter Re: SurvivalBlog is a Money Saver |Main| The Practice Load-Up, by Papa Papa »
Letter Re: Advice on an Inexpensive Solar Battery Charger?
Hi Mr. Rawles:
In your comments to the family living in Trinidad & Tobago, you wrote: "As
your budget allows, buy a small solar charger for your AA and AAA NiMH batteries."
Do you have personal experience with any of these solar chargers? Can you recommend
any? Many thanks, - Larry T.
JWR Replies: Depending on your budget, solutions can run from "micro",
to "mini", to "maxi." These
inexpensive solar chargers sold by Ready Made Resources (one of our long-time
advertisers) work fine as a "micro" solution., but be advised that
they are not waterproof. I recommend setting these up on a windowsill, inside a
south-facing window. In my experience, it is best to buy at least two of these
chargers, since they charge slowly, via "trickle charging".
Moving up to the "mini" solution, there are these
6.5 watt flexible (amorphous), photovoltaic (PV) panels. Even modest-size
PV systems with a small deep cycle battery bank can make a huge difference
in providing small scale lighting and battery charging for crucial security
measures such
as
radios
and night vision equipment. There are so many LED lights, battery
charging trays, and various pieces of electronic gear available that will
run directly from 12 VDC or from a DC-to-DC
converter, that you might be able to skip the expense of a full-up system
with a large AC inverter.
If you have a bigger budget, Ready Made Resources (RMR) and other vendors
can also supply larger
pre-packaged PV power systems, either with or without an AC power inverter.
(Without an inverter, they will provide only 12 volt or 24 volt DC power.)
RMR even has experience designing "maxi" systems--6
KW or larger.
(BTW, they offer free alternate energy system design and consulting.)
Keep in mind that starting January 1st, grid-tied
PV systems will be eligible for a 30% Federal tax credit in the US. Many
states also offer their own tax credits. In some states such as Florida
and California, the combined Federal and state tax credits may reduce your
expense by as much as 70%, when all is said and done.
« Letter Re: Deflation Possibly Followed by Mass Inflation? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: A Suggested Checklist for Preparedness Newbies
Here's a beginner's list I made for my [elderly] father today:
Food
{Brown pearl] rice does not store well. Neither does cooking oil so that needs to be fresh.
No, Crisco doesn't count.
Coconut oil would be your best bet.
Wheat berries - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
Beans - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
Mylar bags
Spices
Salt
Country Living grain mill
propane tanks, small stove and hoses to connect
freeze dried fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat if you can find them.
Water
500 gallons
of water [storage capacity. Rainwater catchment is a common practice
in Hawaii]
Water filter
Cooking
Cast Iron Cookware
Firearms
FN PS 90
10 PS 90 magazines
5.7 handgun
10 FN 5.7 handgun magazines
5.7 ammo
Training: Front Sight four day defensive
handgun course. (Note: eBay sometimes has
course certificates for $100!)
Body armor: Nick at BulletProofME.com
Medical
Personal medications
Augmentin antibiotic
Up to date dental work
Painkillers
Bandages
Iodine
Anti-fungal spray
Finances
$10,000 cash in small bills
100 one-ounce silver coins (GoldDealer.com or Tulving.com)
Transport
Gasoline in 5 gallon cans or better yet, this.
Gas stabilizer
Mountain bikes
Air pump
Miscellany
Flashlights
Rechargeable Batteries
Battery
charger
Hand held walkie talkies
Topographical map of your area
Spare eyeglasses
Shortwave radio
Home generated power
12 volt battery system
Good backpack
Good knife
Good compass
Good shoes
Bar soap
Toothbrushes
Dental floss
Toilet paper
Fishing kit
Salt licks
Connibear traps
Regards, - SF in Hawaii
JWR Adds: The following is based on the assumption that SF's
father also lives in Hawaii: Because of the 10 round magazine limit for handguns,
I recommend that Hawaiians purchase only large
bore
handguns for self defense--such
as .45
ACP.
Both the
Springfield
Armory XD .45 Compact or the Glock Model 30 would both be good choices. The "high
capacity" advantage of smaller caliber
handguns
is not available to civilians in Hawaii, so you might as well get a more potent
man stopper, given the arbitrary 10 round limitation.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Prepping: A Labor of Love, by Sparky
My preparedness journey began when my mother in law was dying, and we had
to get out of the house for a while. At a flea market, on the bottom shelf,
was
a
book
titled “Making the Best of Basics”. The cover caught
my attention, and before we went home that night, I had read and re-read
the book. I am a union electrician, subject to layoffs, and my husband is
a self-employed painter. The idea that I needed to prepare came easy for
me. I thought I had done well, always buying extra for the pantry. But water?
Oops. I hadn't thought about that one. So, I started doing the things in
the book, and my mind was always going, and the lists got longer.
When I started to realize that I had a lot to do, I shared my thoughts with
my best friend. Instead of laughing, she got on board. We discussed my home
as the retreat. Although it doesn’t fit every need, it has a lot to offer.
We are on a gravel, lightly populated road, about 20 minutes from a medium
city. We have a well, and two acres. Our home has a basement, where we are
working to get things organized. We know most of our neighbors, and have a
community here. One neighbor plows our drive when it snows, and has for two
years now. We treat him to his favorite brew on occasion to thank him, and
I have even taken him a bowl of hot soup when he arrives.
Worst case scenario, we could have as many as 30 family members here, with
varied skills, but it is a momentous task to try to prepare for that many people.
Last spring, my friend and I built raised garden beds that are still producing.
We used recycled bleachers for the boxes, old shelving and other “trash” for
the trellises. An old hog waterer with the waterer cut out, set in the ground
at the proper angle, with a double pane window on it, became a cold frame.
We also have the supplies to expand the garden next year. It is actually a
very pretty garden!
I have dried tomatoes, onions, cabbage, apples, mushrooms, eggs, plums; canned
anything that I had time to, and jellied, with new recipes for dandelion jelly,
zucchini jam, and cantaloupe jam. My three garage sale dehydrators run most
of the time. I have studied new and old methods of drying. I keep sodium metabisulfite,
but also use the older method of using salt and vinegar rinses to preserve
color. I have learned a lot, and my family is scrounging for jars for me. The
supply is dried up here, mostly due to the awakening of some of the sheeple.
After consideration of a generator, it was decided that the best route for
us was to just ready ourselves to be off grid. Second-hand shops have provided
hank crank blenders, food processors, meat grinders, and other kitchen helpers.
A friend helped build an Amish [summer canning] kitchen from some table legs,
wood, and a Freecycled propane
cooktop. One plus to this that we didn’t consider—the stove
is lower in height, which is helpful when working with canners. One thing that
we did consider—a hundred gallons of propane will work this stove, or
the propane stove in the kitchen, for a year and a half. A couple of extra
tanks are on the list to obtain! By putting the cooktop outside, we don’t
heat the house up, which now helps the air conditioning bill, and will definitely
help later, when it is just hot, and there is no air conditioning.
We can also use it in the barn or basement if the weather necessitates. We
also have propane heaters, and for emergencies, canned heat. (The latter is
a 1-quart steel paint can, with a roll of toilet paper with cardboard liner
removed, 16 ounces
of alcohol. Directions for
making these can be found on the LDS preparedness
sites [such as www.ProvidentLiving.org.].)
We have been learning to save our own seeds, and I have been studying some
animal husbandry, expecting to get some small livestock. We also have laid
in a supply of sprouting seeds, and use them.
I now store water, and using the PACE system
means that we have several means of getting more. For now the well is primary,
the hand pump is alternate, the stored water is contingent, and the rain water,
pond water, etc. would be the emergency. However, we also have our eyes on
a pump that would be inline, and pressurize the tank. This will happen soon
if things hold out a while! Although I store drinking water, I also started
saving detergent bottles for non-potable water. I don’t even rinse them.
When we are without water, and have dishes or laundry to do, those bottles
will work perfectly, even offering up the remnants of the soaps in them.
Solar and human generated power are ideas that I am investigating, and if time
permits, we should have minimal power, with minimal outlay. I hope that my
electrical abilities will help here! Several years ago I installed some solar
powered flood lights on my parents’ home, and now plan to put some both
on and in my home. I do understand that during the probable turmoil, their
use would be limited to avoid the target on our backs. However, eventually
things will settle, and they would be of great use. By eliminating the motion
sensor and photo-eye, and direct-wiring a switch, these lights could work in
the house as well, and would need only a path for the solar cell wire, i.e.
through a window. This would be fine as a temporary fix until more permanent
work could be done.
I was able to find a supplier locally for wheat, where I am the only customer.
Not only do I grind flour, making our own breads when time permits, but we
sprout it for both us and our dogs. Incidentally, our older dog was having
some health issues, and I started adding sprouts to the dog food. Within a
couple of weeks, he was acting like a puppy, and his chronic halitosis had
vanished.
I also found a neighbor who grows corn, who took my order for about 10 bushel,
when the moisture content is down and we can store it. Guess some cornbread
with all those beans would be a welcome thought.
I found an article for a vacuum pump, which is worth sharing. I had seen build-it-yourself
pumps, but with all the preps, building one was not in the time allotment.
However, you can go to your local auto store, and get a brake bleeder, with
a gauge and several attachments, very reasonably. I obtained the mason jar
sealers, and now seal all my dehydrated foods with vacuum on them. Just put
the conical end on the bleeder, press it into the jar attachment, and pump
away. When you remove the pump, the jar seals. A mason jar will hold 20 inches (Hg) of
vacuum, which, by the way, will collapse a five gallon bucket. Don’t
ask me how I know. Seal your buckets with a little less vacuum!
My friend and her mom got on board early, and are both also prepping. We are
in the process of getting a community inventory, so we know what we all need
to work on. My mother was supportive, but not overly helpful until this month.
Along with jars, tins, and the usual things on my list from garage sales, she
has started getting winter clothes, socks, etc. She also gave me a nice check
to help with whatever we need, and pledged to give more. My husband has become
more supportive as the economy teeters, and is also now actively engaged in
the OPSEC end of our needs.
Our children are like most kids, struggling to survive. However, they also
pick up an extra bag of rice or can of beans when they can, and send it. I
have given them ideas on putting things away when you can barely afford to
eat. Every week, get at least one item. Even on a bad week, you can afford
a box of salt, rice, beans, pudding, or a can of milk. They also know (thanks
to SurvivalBlog) what they need to look for, and when to get headed home.
If you had told me 10 months ago how very many hours I could find in a day,
week, or month, to do all these things, I would have laughed. Now I look at
the garden, and see not only hours spent with my best friend, laughing as she
learned to use a drill, but the many meals we ate, and will still eat, from
our bleacher boxes. I walk to the basement, and see the supplies there. I see
the full jars of home processed foods, and enjoy just looking at the fruits
of my labor. I see the first aid box, and the many other medical supplies,
and feel some peace. I look in the closet in my office, and find sleeping bags,
blankets, and other items to help out family when they are forced here.
I don’t throw anything out any more, without asking myself if it has
another purpose. My family has lists of things that they are to watch for,
and I often come home from visits with the car full of goodies.
Remember, having all your supplies means nothing if you don’t know how
to use them. Eat wheat, sprout seeds, grow a garden, learn to use the canners,
and lay in a supply of jars and lids. Learn to cook with your essentials, stay
warm with less heat, and amuse yourself without television.
Are we ready? Not by a long shot! The more I know, the more I know that I don’t
know! But knowledge is power, and I do know that when things happen, I am much
more prepared that most, and we have a plan. Your blog site has been invaluable,
and as times become more unpredictable, you are the first thing I check when
I log on. Although I struggle with the fears of not having enough done, I know
that we will not panic. What we have begun is a new way of life that takes
what we have today, and builds on it for tomorrow. Lists will be filled, and
peace grows. God is good, and gives us much. It is our responsibility to use
it wisely. He can only guide our steps if we start walking. Then we have to
count on Him to take care of the things we can’t. Thanks again for what
you do! Sparky
« From FerFAL in Argentina: A US Crash that Will Parallel Argentina's? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: Some Practical Notes on Third World Living
Jim,
As this is not a competition entry, it has not been reviewed by an outside
set of eyes yet, and I'm sure its kind of disorganized, but this is some
info about third world life, as I can see it here, after things
stabilize.
My wife is from Peru. She was born during the Peruvian hyperinflation and transition
to its next fiat currency, the Nuevo Sol. (Yeah, we're young whippersnappers)
She recently started to help out in getting ready. What helped her was comparing
the current economic climate here to Peru. This allowed her to correlate things
that occur in her former patria with our situation. She is a source of info
on the Third world medium sized city way of life.
In Third world Peru, everyone cooks with propane camp stoves, with big seven
gallon bottles. There is no space built for an American style range, even
in
nice
houses. All water is boiled before ingestion, except [commercially] bottled
water. Trucks come with semi-clean water and people line up to fill up their
buckets
for
washing and drinking. (after boiling) Hopefully you have a big tank on your
roof to
gravity feed it through your pipes, as the power goes out regularly, and your
personal well and pump wont work.
Everyone had bars on every window and door. Houses not made of cement block
are broken into through the walls. They're also too cheap/poor to put enough
steel in the buildings, so they fall down easily in earthquakes. Re-bar is
[used] only in the corners. Nobody has an exposed to the street yard. A courtyard
inside
larger places is the norm, off street parking, if you can afford a vehicle,
is a must, or you wont be parking anything soon. Inyokern told me this concept:
When things go really sour, everyone steals everything so often that everyone
ends up with the same trash that nobody wants to steal anymore. e.g. I have
a nice bike, it gets stolen, I get a new bike but not as nice as the first,
it gets stolen, I buy the worst looking bike I can find. It stays. This is
very true. People with nice hats walk around with a hand on their head. Political
corruption is the norm. Most any government official can be
bought for a couple hundred nuevo sols. Farmers carry guns. People
walk on your roof at night.
Just about everyone is self employed. Selling food in the streets, tricycle
and moto-taxis, home based Liquor stores, etc. Often if you sell higher "dollar" stuff,
your customers don't even come in your building, money and product are exchanged
though the door bars. Keyed locks on both sides. There is no such thing as
a big box store. Even disposable diapers are bought one at a time.
People wear sandals
called yanki. These are said to be made out of used car tires,
but most tires I know of are steel belted, and you can't cut that with a knife.
My two
pair are made
from rubber mining belt I think, as the tread pattern is cut by hand. The poor
wear them, and they supposedly last a loooooong time.
In Peru, the power goes out all the time. Candles are common. People don't
stock up there, the stores I guess have sufficient on hand to handle the outages
and subsequent candle runs. The stores here are obviously not prepared for
that.
Traffic in her small town is nearly non existent, but traffic in Lima is suicidal.
Regards, - Tantalum Tom
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Expect Delays and Confusion During FDIC Settlements »
Letter Re: Making Alternatives to Commercial Chemical Light Sticks
Hi Jim,
I'm a long time reader of the blog and I liked your novel. I have been amazed
at your ability to acutely foresee coming events. More and more yours is
the first
site that I read every day. I noticed your article on glow sticks and I have
an excellent upgrade for your readers.
Forget using glow sticks and graduate to Krill
lights. Now glow sticks still
have their place, but 98% of the time this will be a better item to use. I
have purchased several of these over the years and have always been impressed.
They work like giant [electro-luminescent] Indiglo
watches. They run for what
seems like forever on AA batteries, comes in different colors including infrared
(IR),
they have
360 and 180 degree models, flashing models are available, all at greatly reduced
cost verses equivalent
glow
sticks. I am rough on equipment and have yet to destroy one of these tough
little lights. Your friend, - Kevin S.
« Letter Re: A Girl Scout Troop Leader Wants to Get Her Girls Prepared |Main| Letter Re: Advice for an Unprepared Greenhorn »
Letter Re: Making Alternatives to Commercial Chemical Light Sticks
Hi Jim,
I just read your novel "Patriots" and
studied the Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course,
and both are excellent. [In them,] you talk about chem lights (otherwise known
as glow sticks) for in your car for changing tires, handy around campsites,
and
what
not. The shelf life on these, as you mentioned, is very short
(couple of months in a car [in a hot climate]) and they are not cheap (or maybe
just I am cheap). I
found this video on making an LED version of them that is reusable.
Seems to me like a good idea for recycling the older ones that are now dead.
You can buy LED glow sticks as well which may be cheaper and easier from
places
like this.
I have no affiliation with them and have never bought from them, but just wanted
to show an example.
Thanks, - Rutger (Temporarily in Costa Rica)
JWR Replies: Perhaps the easiest method for creating a glowing
wand was suggested by The Gun Plumber over at The FALFiles: "After the
light stick is expended, cut the end off, dump the liquid and glass ampoule
[and discard
safely], then tape the plastic tube to your Mini MagLite flashlight to make
an IR wand--the plastic tube is the IR filter! As
previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, there are some huge tactical advantages
to using infrared light sticks if you own any Starlight-type (light amplification)
night
vision
gear.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: The Tomato Rebuild--Machining Technology is Crucial to Modern Society, by Thomas G. »
Letter Re: PetroMax Kerosene Lanterns
Hi Jim,
I figured I’d better write about my experience with PetroMax
(BriteLyt) Kerosene lanterns.
I’ve had their 150CP (Candle Power) (100 watts of light) for a couple
years now and really like it.
BriteLyt is now providing their 500CP (400 watts of light ) to the US Government
as Model MR-2 with a federal stock number.
BTW they also make a nice 11,000 BTU kerosene stove which they are also making
for the government.
So I got two of the new USG MR-2s and tried them out. Right away I had
a problem!
As you know, I’m [living and own a retreat at] at 6,600 feet MSL and
9,800 feet MSL. (I should have picked up on this earlier. Altitude! Lack of
air!
Ha!)
Okay,
sometimes
I
can be
slow witted.
Anyway, I had a miserable time of it with these two lamps. If I’d have
been at sea level, I wouldn’t have had any problems.
Working with BriteLyt, I used the jets for their 150CP lamp and now the MR-2s
series work great at my altitude. I’m going to try their 350CP jets (a
little bigger gas flow) and see how they work. More light should be the result.
Actually, I like the way the 150CP jets work.
How great are these lamps? Really great.
Nice light! Absolutely. [Because of the intense glare,] I highly recommend
the lampshade style reflector.
Burn anything. Gasoline, Paint thinner, kerosene, diesel, JP-8. What do you
have, I’d probably try it in these lamps.
The word I’ve got from my research worldwide is “If you have a
PetroMax that works well, it’ll be a thing of joy for a lifetime.”
BTW, repair parts are really inexpensive and worth putting in a supply if you
get these lamps. As you know, the [US] military has geared up for exclusively
JP-8 and done away with gasoline, except for those darned never-worked-right
gasoline lamps. Now one more thing is JP-8 capable. A lantern that burns JP-8
diesel.
I heard we had some boys freeze to death in Afghanistan last year and the inclusion
of the kerosene stove will make sure that doesn’t happen again. With
the kerosene stove in a pit under a tent or tarp, you’re not gonna freeze.
All in all, for a good prep, I recommend these lamps. However, as with all
technology, toy with them and learn the little quirks that they have. Overall,
I’m
well pleased especially with the [large quantity of] diesel I have put away.
I’ll update you when I get the 350CP jets and also when I can get one
of their stoves. - The Army Aviator
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Notes from JWR »
After 10 Years--Some Observations and Lessons Learned by a Y2K-Era Prepper
It was June, 1998. Y2K was
a salient topic of conversation. It got my attention. When the electricity
went off and there would be no water to drink, and no
fuel to move food to the JIT grocery
stores, I could see things getting very ugly. I had been willing to fight
for this nation as a member of the US Army.
Now it was time to fight for my household. I bought a Springfield Armory
M1A. I bought a safe to store it in. I bought another M1A (for
the spousal unit of course!) I bought ammo. Lots of it. I bought gear. I
bought food.
I became awakened to the idea of being self-reliant.
That was 10 years ago. Y2K didn’t cause a global melt down. (Although
I have a friend in the service that sat in a command bunker holding his breath
at Y2K – the
government didn’t know what was going to occur.) I
have not had to live through or endure Hurricane
Katrina. No participation
in the 9/11 attacks.
In fact, I can’t claim a campaign ribbon for any
disasters. Am I upset or sorry that I have changed my life to follow a path
of self-reliance? Most definitely, absolutely not!
Let me share with you the good and the bad of what I have done in the last
ten years. So often, people new to self-reliance are like ants at the foot
of a mountain staring up with their head touching their back wondering how
in the world they will ever be able to replace modern society and be able to
take care of themselves WTSHTF.
Well, truth be told, you can’t do it
overnight unless you’re Warren Buffet. I am walking, talking living proof,
however, that you can make significant progress. Let me show you!
In order to show you that you do indeed have cause for hope, let me share
a
few of my screw-ups. How about the initial purchases I made
while in a state of “marked concern” when I became “self
aware” with
regard to self – reliance. The money I invested in self-reliance was
my spousal unit’s “down payment on a house”. Do you think
this view of “my nest” versus “the world may end” led
to some intense “discussions”? You bet your last dog flea it did.
For much of the intervening 10 years I have been the one prepping while my
wife harbored a severe grudge against the entire topic because I spent our
money for the house down payment on crazy self-reliance materials. A grade
of “F” to
me for consensus building. She is just beginning to come around in the last
two years. Poster child example of a bucket of wet sand. (If two guys fight,
they belt each other like two crazed wolverines. Eventually they realize they
were stupid for fighting, shake hands, forgive and are back to being friends.
Kinda like a cow urinating on a big flat rock – big splash and splatters,
but it dries up pretty quickly. Get in an argument with a gal and it is like
pouring water into
a bucket of sand – the surface may dry after a bit, but it stays wet
down in that bucket for a long time.)
I very religiously squirreled away Gillette Atra razors because that is what
I used each day. The handle that you click onto the blade cartridge gave up
the ghost after many years of faithful service. The stores don’t sell
them anymore! Now I have three dozen packs of five cartridges with no way to
use them to shave! Fortunately, I did find a second/spare handle in my stores
and
will
be able to use them up. Did I re-learn some valuable lessons? You bet!
Two is one, and one is none.
You need to see what you have (inventories!)
Store what you Eat/use – I did great on the cartridges, but forgot
spare handles!
In the run-up to Y2K I bought a dozen 6 volt golf cart batteries to be able to
set-up some kind of power system in the house. Great intent. No photovoltaic
panels No wiring until last year. They have been “stored” sitting
on pallets in a friends storage building for 9 years because I have not been
able to get
to the replacement power system yet. I could have used that money for a higher
priority item.
The spousal unit and I built our home last year. We did many things very right.
Some learning experiences occurred, however. Maybe chief amongst them is my
underestimation of the massiveness of the size of this endeavor! I joke with
friends about not being free from the To Do list to be able to get into trouble
for at least five years! Fix the septic pond berms. Sort out the “scrap” lumber.
Put a deck on the back of the house so the [building] code Nazis will give
us the permanent occupancy permit. Fix the leaking pressure tank in the basement.
Fix the DR
mower. Mow. Clear 30 trees dropped to get the septic pond clearance (not done
with that one yet). Cut and split and stack firewood. The list goes on. Don’t
get me wrong – I would not trade my homestead back for city living for
anything. Was I able to foresee the "second & third order effects” of
the change to a country homestead? Nope. Not even having read Backwoods Home
magazine for 8 years. Thank God I listened to my in-laws and did not try
to finish the upstairs interior construction while living downstairs!
Prior to Y2K I tried very hard to create a group. It failed in many ways. Had
Y2K caused the feared problems, we would have been road kill. Okay, we would
have been the third or fourth critter on the highway run over by life, but
we were
nowhere near ready to deal with WTSHTF/TEOTWAWKI.
The Yuppie Queen and her husband went right back to spoiling their princess/daughter,
buying Jaguars, clothes,
and hair implants. You know - living the typical American city life. The other
couple moved out onto 20 acres in a very rural county and raise goats and chickens.
I am on 20+ acres and moving in a self-reliant direction. Two out of three
ain’t
bad!
I endured the gauntlet of multiple careers trying to find a fit for who I am.
Thankfully, my spousal unit was trained well by her farmer parents. We never
carried any debt other than the mortgage. One thing we did do smart was under-buy
on our home with a condo (sixplex) in town. No car payments. No credit card
payments. We kept 3-6 months of expenses in savings. One business venture was
as a franchisee for Idiotstate. Massive mistake. Four years with no income
for me and a net loss of $60,000 overall. What preps could you get done with
an
extra $60,000? I am certainly not happy I put one in the “L” column.
I am not proud of failing. I am proud of jumping into the fight and giving
it my 110%. As they used to tell me in the military, “What an opportunity
for character building!” Learning lesson for me was that I should never
have stopped Soldiering. I simply have green blood. I have returned to the
Army by working as a tactical/leadership contractor at a nearby Fort and getting
reappointed into the National Guard. Will a deployment take me away from directly
protecting The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)? Yes. Does staying employed doing
what God designed me to do mean we’ll have a steady income? Likely. Does
a pension check from age 65 on make us better able to care for ourselves? You
betcha. The world may not disintegrate in 30 days. It may actually remain fairly
normal. One has to prepare for that contingency as well.
By now you have to be thinking “What a knothead! This guy couldn’t
find his fourth point of contact if you put one hand on a cheek!” Well,
not so fast there Skippy! I have a thing or two that should go in the “W” column.
I should give you a massive dose of hope! Let me describe to you in a quick
overview where I have come to in my 10 year quest to become more self-reliant.
First, about our home…
Home
Your home is your castle, right? Well mine actually kinda is. It sets on a
chunk of land that is 20+ acres. The terrain is rolling and 95% wooded. It
butts up against a cemetery to the north, a 900+ acre conservation area to
the south, a river to the west, and a section line to the east. The home is
an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
structure. The walls are 1” of concrete
fake rock veneer, 2.5” of foam, 8” of reinforced concrete, 2.5” of
foam, 5/8” of sheetrock. It is “round”, being made up of
12 wall sections each 8 feet in width. Two stories with a basement. About
1,800 square feet of living space. (2,700 with the basement, however, that
area is not finished yet.) Geothermal heating/cooling and a soapstone wood
stove.
Metal roof. No carpeting – oak floors and tile. The wellhead
is inside the home so I don’t have to worry about winter breakdowns or freeze-ups,
nor losing access WTSHTF. We are running at top speed towards the 20% equity
checkpoint in order to get rid of the bankster-invented Private Mortgage Insurance
(PMI) extortion racket. (We have a credit rating of 804, so the “risk” the
bank incurs by carrying our note is a freaking joke!). It suits our lifestyle
very,
very
well. Our intent was to have a very low maintenance home. Having lived here
one year in two more weeks, it looks like we have a very big check mark in
the “W” column. More details on the design/floor plan in a future
article!
Weapons & Training
We have an M1A set-up for combat, and one set up for long-range precision work.
The Glock 21
[.45 ACP] is the base pistol for the household, with one for each of us and
a G30 [compact Glock .45 ACP] as back-up. The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU) doesn’t
carry a rifle or carbine, just the pistol. (More on that later.) Training for
both of us
includes Defensive
Handgun 1 and Team Tactics with Clint and Heidi Smith at Thunder Ranch. I have
also had General Purpose, Urban, and Precision Rifle with Clint. I completed
a special symposium at Gunsite (pistol, rifle, shotgun, carbine). I am an NRA Certified
pistol, rifle, and home defense instructor. I have several other weapon platforms
as a “Dan Fong” kind of guy. The two rifles with
accoutrements, and the four pistols with same were certainly not cheap. Nor
was the training. I do, however, know how to properly employ them now.
Food & Supplies
The spousal unit & I could stretch the on-hand food to cover two years.
Canned freeze dried is 45% of it, bulk buckets is 45%, and “normal use” food
is the last 10%. We have built a rolling rack set of shelves for the 3rd part
to ease rotation of the canned goods with each grocery store trip. No, I haven’t
found the secret spy decoder ring sequence on how to rotate the bulk and freeze-dried
stuff with our normal, both of us work, lifestyle. The sticking point for this
area I see is that WTSHTF, Mom & Dad in-law, Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law
with wife and two princesses (one with hubby), and my Mom & her husband
will
show up on our doorstep. That makes for an even dozen mouths to fee
Security
Now for a bit more detail. First topic up, IAW my military training, is Security.
The base of everything here is God. I have chosen to bend my knee to Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior. I can amass all the weapons, ammo, food and “stuff” you
can imagine, but He is the one ultimately in charge. I am charged to be a prudent
steward of His possessions - my family, property, vehicles, food, weapons,
ammo, etc.. I am definitely striving to be the ant storing things for the winter.
If you ain’t right in this area, it will really matter in eternity.
Part of your security is weapons. There are sheeple, wolves, and sheepdogs.
I am definitely in the 3rd category. In today’s world your “teeth” are
your firearms. I plan from a Boston T. Party paradigm of having a battle rifle.
Hence, the M1A. Were I starting over today, I would likely go with a FAL, but
now "I will dance with the one that brung me". Or maybe just accept the brilliance
of the M1
Garand at $620 delivered to your doorstep from the Civilian Marksmanship
Program (CMP).
I do have two of these. Hard to argue with .30-06 ball. I renovate Mausers
as my hobby and so have a .35 WAI scout rifle. A second one in the
more common 7.62x51 chambering is in work now. I laos have a Mossberg 835 [riotgun],
two Ruger 10/22s (one blued, one stainless), Ruger MKII stainless .22 LR pistol,
S&W
625 pistol in .45 ACP/.45
Auto Rim, a few Enfields, and a couple of Mosin-Nagants round out the field.
Let me detail for you the path to get to the Glocks. I think it may save you
some of your money. I received a Colt Gold Cup [M1911]
.45 ACP pistol from my Dad as a graduation gift from the Hudson Home For Boys
[aka USMA West Point].
Great
intent. A weapon as a gift – how can you ever be wrong in doing this?!
However, a terrible choice as a combat weapon. The Gold Cup is a target pistol.
Tight
tolerances.
Feeds only hardball, and that can be tenuous proposition. I carried it on the
East-West German border leading patrols. The rear sight broke twice. The front
sight shot off once and tore off twice. It was a jammomatic. I hated it. Sold
it to a guy that wanted to target shoot.
Took that money and bought a stainless Ruger P90DC. Sack of hammers tough.
always goes bang when you pull the trigger. Inexpensive as far as handguns
go. After some marked de-horning, you could even make it run in a fight without
shredding you at the same time. One marked problem. Two [different weight]
trigger pulls [for first round double action versus subsequent round single
action.]. This started to teach me to throw the muzzle down as I pulled the
trigger in
double
action.
This nasty habit caused a problem when you were firing the 2nd through X rounds,
as now it operates as a single action. TLSU had a heck of a time with it at
Thunder Ranch. Clint loaned her his G21. No more trigger problems.
Still bowing at the altar of the 1911, I bought a Kimber Compact to carry instead
of the Ruger. (I still have the Ruger – it is still “the gun that
my Dad gave me” and no one buys the P90 used for anywhere near it’s
initial cost, so I can’t sell it without taking a significant bath on
it.) The Kimber was going well. Then I got a little too aggressive at slamming
magazines home in the shortened grip and jammed it. Then the recoil rod unscrewed
itself during an IPSC run
and seized the gun while messing up the trigger. Off to Kimber. Free warranty
work and 48 hours without my self-defense pistol.
Now I have no confidence in the pistol. I Loc-Tite’d the recoil rod
and staked it so it wouldn’t come undone again. Then I sold it.
Glocks cost roughly one-half of what a Kimber does. Crummy factory sights,
but all my pistols wear tritium anyway. No ambidextrous safety required. My
short fingers are
mated to big palms, so I can handle the grip. TLSU has been trained on the
Glock Model 21 (G21). It ain’t an issue of psychological derangement
like many guys get about their 1911/Glock/H&K/Springfield, but it is a
comfortable and working relationship between Glock & I. I have a G21 and
a G30 for both of us. They always go bang accurately and they have never rusted.
I am
not
pleased
with Gaston [Glock]’s refusal to take responsibility for any mistakes
they make in manufacturing. No problems with the G21 however. A pistol is what
you
use
to fight your way back to your rifle, which you shouldn’t have laid down
in the first place.
M1As hit my safe because it is what I knew from the service. They also fire
a full power cartridge, 7.62x51. It makes cover into concealment. I don’t
have the other 10 guys in an infantry squad fighting with me so I can maneuver
under their covering fire. I have to hit the bad guy with a powerful blow once
and move on to the next wolf/bad guy. Mouse guns firing rabbit rounds don’t
scratch that itch for me. To each his own. My two are old enough to have USGI
parts and good quality control. Here are the mods I made to my “combat” M1A.
Maybe they will help you:
Krylon paint job to disrupt the "big black stick" look
M60 [padded] sling
Front sight filed down so that zero is achieved with the rear sight bottomed
out
Handguard ventilated
National Match trigger group, barrel, and sights (came as a “Loaded” package
from Springfield)
Rear aperture drilled out to make it a ghost ring
Skate board tape on slick metal butt plate
For the “Surgical” M1A (it shoots1/2 minute when I do my part):
National Match loaded package
Trigger assembly additionally tuned at factory
Unitized gas system
Factory bedded
Stainless barrel
Swan rings and QD bases
Leupold M3 3.5-10x40 scope
Handmade leather cheekrest
Other weapons - I have two M1
Garands. Both were bought from the CMP. One
is stored offsite with a "Bug-In Bag" (BIB). One is a Danish return, less
wood, that I re-stocked. TLSU has claimed this one as hers. Ammo from the CMP
is
cheaper
than any
other cartridge out there, save the communist surplus stuff. An M1917 Enfield
(also
from CMP) is in the safe, along with a 2A, a #3, and a #4. A VZ24 is stored
offsite. The first Mauser I renovated is sitting there as an additional .30-06
with a Trijicon 3-9x40 tritium-lit scope. A Remington 700 with Leupold VX-II
scope is in the safe, but likely to be sold soon. A Mosin-Nagant (M44 or
M38) ride in each vehicle.
I formerly had [Ruger] Mini-30s. I could never find any 20 or 30 round magazines
that would function reliably. I sold them and got SKS carbines. When I quit
holding out
for TLSU to become a Warrior and carry one, I sold them off to fund other
toys. I am pondering the purchase of an AK folder because it is a sack of
hammers
tough and can be transported discretely. I don’t know if I have ever
come out on the positive side when selling a gun. Now I have to re-buy an
AR-15 to have one for training purposes. The SKSs could be useful for arming
the
family showing up on your doorstep. Hindsight being 20/20, I would caution
against selling any gun you buy. (The 700 mentioned above is a 2nd precision
weapon and I have no AK to train with. Still deciding.)
Ammo is required to feed these weapons. I have over 10,000 rounds of 7.62x51.
I have over 10,000 rounds of .22 LR. No, I don’t think these amounts
are enough. Now that the costs of ammo have risen to heart stopping levels,
I really don’t feel like I bought enough in the past!
I need to plus up the quantities/smatterings of other cartridges that I have
like .30-30 Winchester, .270 Winchester,
.40 S&W.
The location of my home is the best I could get balancing competing requirements.
It is as far from the city as we can get and still stomach the drive to work.
It is between two major line of drift corridors – 12 miles to the major
one, 8 miles to the secondary one. It is bordered by neighbors on only one
side. The folks in the cemetery don’t say much. The critters in the
wildlife area are more vocal - the ducks, turkeys, geese, hoot owls, loons,
coyotes
sound off regularly. We don’t mind. About 95% of the property is wooded.
A few hickory, lots of oak. walnut, (unfortunately) locust trees are all
there.
The local river comes out of it’s banks about every other year and
blocks our driveway for several days, but never comes near the house. The
German Shorthair
is long in the tooth for security, but she is there. A new pup is in the
pipeline.
I would feel a great deal more secure if the homestead was picked up and
dropped into Idaho or Alaska. It is about as good as we can do, though, staying
near
a major city so we can have decent paying jobs. There are some improvements
we can make though. I just bought a weather alert radio from Cabela’s
today. Tough to hear tornado sirens when you live miles away and have 1 foot
thick walls! We need a driveway monitor/alarm. Again, the superior insulation
of
the walls means we hear nothing outside. I can see the utility
of sandbags if things got really ugly. Some more land line communication
assets would be
useful. I think an AR-15 for training people would be useful, as would an
AK. Overall, I think we have done pretty well in the security arena.
Our Home
We started the 10 years in a condo. It was part of a six-plex set on a small
pond. I hate Homeowner’s Associations and their covenants! We could afford
the mortgage on one of our two paychecks. Good thing! I didn’t get a
paycheck for four years. We scraped by. Two years after re-entering the job
market we built our house. We worked on the plans for five years. Beware! Finding
a property piece and building a non-shoebox home on it is not for the feint
of
heart!
You effectively are funding the construction of a mini town. You build and
maintain mini roads (your driveway). You must build and maintain a mini sewage
plant (Your septic system/pond). You must build and maintain a mini water plant.
(Your well.) You must perform mowing and tree removal for the mini parks of
your town (Your “yard”/acreage). I will write a separate article
detailing our construction woes.
Let me highlight some of the self-reliant features of the house for you. We
did not want to spend a constant stream of Federal Reserve Notes [FRNs]on
maintenance. We used insulated concrete form (ICF) construction for the structural
strength
and the energy efficiency. The metal roof should outlast us. The geothermal
and
the
R-50 walls
of the
ICF are paying us back the initial investment in construction costs. We opted
for no carpeting due to the track in mud nature of the property, having a dog,
and me having allergies. Wood and tile floors don’t hold dirt like carpets
do. Less fire hazard as well. We used commercial steel doors for the exterior
and security-need spots. They have ASSA
[high security] locks. They have peepholes.
The basement has a 10’ square root cellar for the storage of canned produce
from the garden. It also has a safe room/shelter. 12” of concrete overhead.
The well head is enclosed in it. Land line telephone and power service into
it via buried lines. Food stored in it. DC wiring
in place to the attic for when we get to the photovoltaic [PV]
system. We also ran DC wires to each room in the house for the use of LED lighting
off of a battery system. The soapstone
wood
stove
augments the electrically driven geothermal. (In spite of several damaging
thunderstorms this past year, we have not lost power so far – great job
juice Coop!)
The stairwell was kicked out onto the W/NW of the house. This shields the house
from the hottest part of the day’s sunlight, and the coldest winter winds.
We made the stairwell an extra foot wide. What a huge nice difference that
foot makes to walking up and down each day, not to mention moving stuff up
or down them! The mud porch/entry was set up for coming in with muddy boots,
or for snow covered coats. We should have made it 1’ wider, as it can
be a little tight. The bench is great for donning/doffing boots. The tile is
easy to clean the muddy paw prints, human or canine, off of.
Windows were one of the few areas that caused some fireworks. TLSU wanted a
green house in order to take advantage of the great view of the property. I
wanted firing ports to defend against mutant zombie hordes. I am still hugely
uncomfortable with the nakedness the windows leave us with. Yes the view is
great, but what about when we experience incoming rounds, or more mundanely,
when someone comes out to the property while we are away from the house all
day at work and they help themselves to our stuff? Some relief is in sight,
however. We are pricing Shattergard vinyl film for the ground floor windows.
Things That are Still Need on the Home
The great thing about the R-50 ICF walls is that they are R-50 and pretty tough.
The bad thing is that they are R-50 and pretty tough. We can’t hear anything without
a door or window being open. Hence the just purchased weather alert radio for
us from Cabela’s this week. It is kind of eerie waking up at
0200 hours and having no idea if the thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm or
if it is a tornado. The television is useless when the rain is so heavy that
the dish won’t get a signal. With regard to 2-legged varmints, a driveway
MURS Alert
system is on the purchase list as we have had multiple invited guests show
up, beat on the front door, and have to walk around to the living room
windows to get our attention so they can be let inside. Okay for invited guests – certainly
too close for uninvited varmints!
The entry hallway was one of TLSU’s “must haves” in the house
layout. It has worked out well in terms of traffic flow and such. The security
door at the foot of the stairs is a tough choke point to deal with at 0500
in the dark. No light installed there means nothing is visible through the
peephole.
I will have to install a camera and/or light so I don’t open it to let
the dog out in the morning and get rushed by 2-legged varmints.
So far, the only commo needs are between myself and TLSU. When the sister-in-law,
brother-in-law, parents-in-law and my Mom show up and we start pulling
security, we will need to be able
to talk more. I have an old set of TA-312 [field telephone]s and wire for the
primary LP/OP,
but obviously will need more in this area. Just not a sexy/fun area to spend
FRNs on for a combat arms kinda guy, but I am working on the self-discipline
needed.
We did look ahead and sink the FRNs into running 12V wires in the home for
future installation of PV panels and batteries. Obviously things like the Shattergard
film, more food, more Band-aids, etc., are of a higher priority though. We
are working our tails off to reach the 20% equity mark to get rid of the PMI
extortion as well. I still have an ASSA lock to install on the shelter door,
and one to put into the basement door. Other projected door enhancements include
armor plates for the front, outside basement, shelter, and outside storage
doors. There just never seems to be enough $ to go around, does there?
The other major source of fireworks during the home design/build was on-demand
water heaters. Having taken a 30 minute hot shower with one in Germany for
5 marks while on an FTX, I well understand what a brilliant piece of technology
they are. TLSU, having never been outside of CONUS cannot give up on the electric
water heater. She still doesn’t believe that the electricity will ever
go out for more than an hour or two. Wouldn’t it be great to be able
to draw hot water at the kitchen sink, and take a hot shower from a propane
fired on-demand heater? She doesn’t get it yet. Obviously not something
to break up a marriage over. We really did very well on the whole house building
thing. The opposite of what everyone warned us about. I am pretty proud of
that performance!
Food
We started a garden this spring. So far, it is an endeavor run by TLSU. Spinach,
onions, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, beets, and some herbs. I have not been
able to convince her to expand the size. She wants to learn in steps and I
am the whacko that orders 100 seedlings at a time from the conservation department,
which then overwhelms us in the planting department. For example, the first
iteration of this tree-planting endeavor, we got them the Thursday before Easter
weekend. Friday night and all day Saturday we planted our buns off. TLSU was
indeed a great Trooper about it, planting right along with me. Sunday was spent
at church
and pigging out at family’s homes for Easter. Monday I had shoulder surgery
to grind off bone spurs and remove cartilage chips. Too much, too fast. But
at 7 FRNs per 12 seedlings, how can you argue? I have to admit though, that
after two years of the 100 seedlings, I am ready to give it a rest. This year
we settled for seven apple saplings. Initial inspection of the cherry, pecan,
oak, walnut and persimmon seedlings around the house reveals about an 80% survival
rate. Only another 10 years and we will be getting food from them!
The initial freeze dried and bulk storage food needs to be rotated. Anyone
figured out how to do this kind of at home cooking when the two of you work?
The canned/”normal” food is now being rotated with each grocery
store trip. We have canning jars for this year’s veggies and the root
cellar has a robust collection of shelves to store them on. How much is enough?
I
don’t know. Four geographically separate and secure stashes of three
year’s
worth of food for all of the family? Who knows!?
Medical
I have Boo-boo kits just about everywhere now. You know, the band-aid and antibiotic
salve with ibuprofen kit that handles 90% of life’s issues in this area.
Now comes the high-dollar investment stuff. The combat blow-out packs for gunshot
wounds or serious car wrecks. I did go along on a buying trip to a medical
warehouse and got some catheters, sutures, gauze pads, etc.. I did get in on
the last great iodine buy before our loving big brother government banned the
sale of iodine to us mere citizens. (It is a stewable ingredient to make drugs,
you know – “we must deprive/punish all to protect you from a few.
Oh, well, you don’t need to be able to sterilize water anyway – we’ll
take care of you on that too….”)
TLSU and I eat very healthy food – locally raised beef with no antibiotics
or growth hormones. No growth hormone dairy products from a local dairy. Spinach
from the garden. There are sugar detectors on the doors. Also, no chips allowed.
We get to the dentist regularly. We both do Physical Training (PT)
. She jogs 3 miles, 3-4 times per week. I run over lunch at work about 4 miles,
4-5 times
per week
and
lift
weights twice per week.
“Needed Still” list includes: Blow out kits, more bandages, more
hospital type stuff, more medicines, syrup of ipecac, more antibiotics, more
feminine
stuff (think of a vaginal yeast infection with no drug store open), drinking
alcohol, poison Ivy soap and remedies, athlete’s foot cream, more baby
wipes, more hand sanitizer, all forms of baby stuff, get the bone spur ground
smooth in my other shoulder and the cartilage chips taken out, get rid of the
cat (allergies).
Vehicles
We still have the same vehicles we had in 2001. A 1998 Toyota Corolla bought
with 30,000 miles, and a 1999 Ford Explorer bought with 45,000 miles. Both
were
paid in full when bought. Both avoided the 25% loss of value when driving a
new car off the lot. The Corolla gets 37 MPG.
I hate it. Every bit of plastic on it has broken – the car door locking
mechanisms, the trunk lock, the ventilation system fan. It gets 37 MPG. I can’t
find anything to touch that. The Ford is too big to get decent mileage, and
too small to really be
a useful truck. It is paid for and has AWD/4WD.
It always starts. Both vehicles have BIBs and gas masks in them. Both have
trunk guns. Both have roadside gear
to help ourselves out of a jam. We are saving for the replacement of them both.
We are going to be saving for quite a while. We need more cash in the BIBs
and Bug Out Bags (BOBs)
All of the preps in this section were done via Cabela points. I bought gas
and paid for business expenses - everything I could pay for with a credit card
was paid for with the Cabela’s credit card. You get points at some sickening
rate of $.01/FRN spent, $.02/FRN in the store. However, when you buy $6-8,000/month
of stuff between personal and business stuff, it adds up! The gear for the
BOBs & BIBs, weapons gear and parts – a significant percentage – 85%+
- came from Cabela [credit card bonus] points. When I got birthday or Christmas
monetary gifts I spent them on self-reliance items. We did this never incurring
any
interest
penalties because we zero the balance out each month. Our BOBs are set-up to
sustain us for 10 days. They are packed in Cabela’s wet bags for load
out in five minutes. Originally I sought to wear a tactical vest and ruck.
After two unsuccessful winter BOB campouts where I could barely waddle one
mile with
both of them on at the same time, I dropped the vest. TLSU’s back is
in tough shape due to scoliosis, so she is not humping any mammoth rucks with
the extra three mortar rounds and can of 7.62 linked. We also decided that
the G21 was what she could carry and dropped the SKS and chest pouches of 10
round stripper clips. Her ruck is a Camelback Commander. That is as big of
a ruck as she can hope to carry without killing her back. We are not leaving
home to go on a combat patrol in Hit or Fallujah. We are fleeing some kind
danger and have every intention of avoiding additional entanglements, to include
government hospitality suites in stadiums.
The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)
I started self-reliance the wrong way. No consensus development. I saw a danger
and acted. I am a male/sheepdog/warrior type. I am not sure that I could have
ever persuaded her to participate in any meaningful manner before Y2K. She
has only recently begun to do so after eight years of seeing me provide for
and protect her. I was, however, stubborn/strong enough to do what I thought
was
the right thing and to heck with what was popular. Most “males” check
their gender specific anatomical gear at the wedding alter and continue on
in sheeple status. I get that females are the nurturers. I get that they work
from an emotional starting point, not logical. Not wanting the tornado to destroy
the house or the hurricane to wreck your and the adjoining three counties is,
at best, the French method of addressing life. TLSU is finally helping me to
rotate food via the grocery store purchases. She no longer rolls her eyes or
sighs disgustedly when I spend my Cabela points to buy gear. Once I explained
to her that I was planning to shelter and feed her parents and siblings and
that our one year of food wasn’t going to feed all of them for very long,
she started to get on board. She even likes spending the points off of her
Cabela’s card now. She is running 3-4 times per week and gets some PT
from work outside in the garden. She has come a long way. As best as I can
tell, she will not ever be a warrior. We have come a substantial distance from
sleeping on the couch each time a self-reliance topic hits the table of discussion
though. A definite and growing check mark in the “W” column!
Skills
Skills that I have acquired:
Rifles – renovating Mausers and training at Thunder Ranch helps
your ability to use these tools immensely.
Soldering – fixing plumbing leaks myself vs. paying a plumber $200
to show up and start billing me for work
Building – I invested 13 full work weeks of time during the building
of our home helping the contractor. Some of it was the nubby work of cleaning
up the scrap and sawdust. Some of it was banging in joist hangers. I laid
all the tile and 95% of the wood flooring in the house.
Fix-it – the DR Brush mower has long passed it’s warranty
period and while performing quite admirably, does need attention every now
and then.
The 1974 F100 demands attention regularly. Each of these repair work challenges
teaches me a little more about mechanical items and taking care of things
myself.
Sewing – Yes, my dear Grandmother taught me to sew buttons, and
my Mom taught me to survival sew/repair things. A 1960 gear driven Singer sews
nylon
gear though!; )
Skills still needed:
More First Aid – it appears that a first responder or wilderness 1st
aid course may be in the cards for this year.
More Hand to Hand – my goals and objectives list has had this goal
on it for several years. Good news – I got started on knocking it off the
list. Bad news, it revealed an “old man” shortcoming in my shoulder.
Good news, I am getting the shoulder fixed (hopefully) during “normal” times
versus after Schumerization. I just may get ambushed and not have my trusty
M1A in hand. Having unarmed defense skills means never having to be a steak
dinner/victim.
More riflesmithing – each birthday or Christmas gift of money has
been partially apportioned to the purchase of gunsmithing tooling. I need more
practice
with the tools I have. I still need more tooling. I recently secured Parkerizing
gear, but have not gotten the metal stands for the tanks built. Still,
progress is progress and I can already do more to maintain weapons than
95% of the
population.
Knife making – I just cringe at the idea of spending $300 for top
quality knives. CRKT is my friend. Even better is learning to assemble the
scales and
blank myself. Eventually, knowing how to forge blanks myself would be useful.
Mill lumber – with 95% of my property wooded, I have the material
to be self-reliant with regard to my lumber needs. I need a way to saw the
tree into lumber though. First, the mill, then the skill to use it. Then
I have
the gear to diversify my income and help others.
Have I always done the smartest thing? Absolutely not! Much to the crazed
satisfaction of a former operator buddy, I have cycled through the “best/high
dollar” gear
approach to the “sack of hammers USGI/AK” school of self-reliance.
Don’t get me wrong – I ain’t surrendering my Kifaru rucks
anytime soon! However, there were a great number of FRNs spent on those self-reliance
tuition payments! Have I learned a lot? Absolutely, yes! Am
I better able to maintain my independence and protect and provide for my
family? Absolutely,
yes! Could you do better than I did? Good chance. Have you
done as much as I have in the last 10 years? Only your freedom, loved ones,
and the quality
of your life post-TEOTWAWKI depend on the answer to that one.
« Four Letters Re: Advanced Medical Training and Facilities for Retreat Groups |Main| Wars, and Rumors of War »
Letter Re: Advice on Stocking Up on Batteries
Sir;
I was wondering: How many batteries should I store for all my radios, flashlights,
smoke detectors, and so forth? I'm also planning to get night vision goggles,
soon. I assume rechargeables, right? If so, what kind [of rechargeables], and
who has
the
best prices? - T.E.
in
Memphis.
JWR Replies: I recommend buying mainly nickel metal hydride
(NiMH) batteries. Stock up plenty of them, including some extras for
barter and charity. Unlike the older Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) technology, NiMHs
do not have
a "memory" effect.
(The diminished capacity because of the memory effect has always been one
of the greatest drawbacks to NiCds batteries.) The best of the breed are the latest Low Self Discharge (LSD) variants, such as the Sanyo Eneloop.
One discount supplier with a
very good selection that I can enthusiastically recommend is All-Battery.com.
They
also have great prices on "throw away" batteries, such a lithium CR-123s.
« Letter Re: Advice on Finding a Retreat Operations and Security Manual |Main| Note from JWR: »
Where Was Moses When the Lights Went Out? by Chuck Fenwick, Medical Corps
The power grid is down… maybe forever
There are hundreds of scenarios which can cause the loss of electrical grid power.
These include everything from a faulty relay to a strategic EMP strike
that would precede a full scale nuclear war. There are, however, several inexpensive
things which can be done in preparedness that could make the difference between
life
and death. Before explaining, “exactly what to do”, there are a few
simple rules to keep in mind.
1) If you die, it’s your fault.
2) If you don’t have the gear, you will probably need it.
3) Be flexible. No battle plan survives first contact [with the enemy]
My wife and I live on 40 acres in southeastern Ohio near its border with West
Virginia . Our nearest neighbor is a mile away, so being prepared for emergencies
comes with the territory. Even though we have incoming electricity from rural
electric, it is not to be counted on and is notoriously intermittent. From the
beginning we installed solar panels, batteries and a generator as a primary energy
source with the co-op being the backup. Recently I took the solar panels and
inverters off line to upgrade the system. The job took a week and sure enough
[soon after
I disassembled the alternate power system] the
co-op
grid went down.
I decided that it was a good time to test out my emergency lighting by firing
up a kerosene lamp. I have propane lanterns, but I wanted to use the lamps to
see how well they function. I filled the lamp with some spiffy blue fuel and
lit the wick. After a few minutes the wick turned to ash. I looked at the label
of the spiffy blue odorless lamp oil and found that it was odorless because it
was
not kerosene. It was paraffin. I tried several different things to make it “wick” properly,
but the result was that eventually the wick would burn up. Great, my spiffy blue
fuel didn’t work. Doom on you Wal-Mart.
Well, I had flashlights and those propane lanterns, but I wanted to use something
cheap, like a candle. That’s right, [I had] no candles. Doom on you, Chuck.
Finally the electricity came back on and I turned off my propane lantern and
made a shopping list. I bought real K1 kerosene and 244 count 15 hour votive
candles with more matches and a package of butane lighters. I even tested the
15 hour candles and [determined that yes,] they really burn for 15 hours so I
now
have
3,645
hours
of
votive candle light available.
Light
Candles.
Buy some. Then buy some more. Store them with matches and/or butane lighters.
Any candle will do, however, votive candles are cheap when bought in boxes of
12 or more. 36 count, 15-hour votive candles will provide over 500 hours of light.
You can even cook with them and they do provide a little heat.
The good: Candles are cheap, EMP-proof, with a little effort a low tech society
can make them, they won't tip them over and spill fuel, their shelf-life is indefinite
and they are the most portable of all lights. They are EMP proof.
The bad: Their light (lumens) is low; they are useless in wind and rain unless
they are confined. Use caution. Candles are an open flame and
can start a fire. Stored in dampness, they are not waterproof because the wick
can absorb
moisture. [JWR Adds: Also, in the aftermath of an earthquake
or landslide, open flames are a bad idea because gas lines may have been broken.
My top choice for household emergency candles are Catholic devotional jar candles.
There are cylindrical glass jars, about 11 inches tall and 2.5 inches in diameter.
Like other votive candles, their candle wax is formulated for long burning. (A
formulation that is high in stearic acid.) Watch for these on sale at discount
stores. The paper labels can quickly and easily be removed by immersing them
in
water for an hour.]
Kerosene lanterns and lamps.
Lamps are the next step up from candles and should be in everyone’s home.
Most have a ribbon-like wick and some have two wicks. Others have a shaped burner
which will greatly magnify the burn surface, producing more light. They have
been used successfully for over a hundred years and some, like the Aladdin are
quite decorative and burn brightly.
Kerosene (K1)
A lamp uses fuel. The better fuel is Kerosene. Pure kerosene has a strong odor,
but refined kerosene like K1 has less odor and still wicks properly and burns
brightly. Another fuel is the odorless paraffin lamp fuel. It does not wick (climb
the wick from the reservoir) properly unless the reservoir is at least half full.
The good: Kerosene lamps are an excellent reading light compared to a candle.
They are fairly portable depending on the way they are designed, and are reasonably
inexpensive to operate. They are EMP proof.
The bad: Most are quite fragile because of the glass used in making the globe
or chimney. They can also spill their fuel creating a fire hazard.
Lanterns
Lanterns burn brightly because they have a mantle (something akin to a little
silk sock) which when lit produces a bright white light. Used mainly for camping
they are either powered by white gas or unleaded gas. Another type uses propane
gas that comes in a screw-on cylinder. The Coleman North Star has a much longer
mantle which produces more light and uses less fuel. It is a good idea to have
at least one of each type of lantern. [JWR Adds: The Aladdin
brand mantle lantern burns kerosene. All mantle lamps have very fragile mantles,
which are little more than a meshwork of ash after they have been burned for
the first time. Don't use mantle lanterns in any application where they will
be subjected to jarring or heavy vibration.]
The good: They are extremely bright, efficient and inexpensive. They are EMP
proof.
The bad: The liquid fuel has a limited shelf-life and if spilled is dangerous.
The propane fuel is explosive if it leaks. The lanterns are quite noisy making
an escaping air sound.
Flashlights
Flashlights come in numerous sizes, shapes and brightness. Some can be recharged
from an outlet, some require replacement batteries. There are even wind-up and
shake-up powered flashlights. A flashlight is absolutely essential for the home,
car or when camping. Two notable hand-held lights are the MagLite and the Surefire.
The MagLite most used is the one like a policeman carries. It has a large adjustable
beam and the MagLite bulb has a long life span. The Surefire comes in several
sizes too, but the Surefire L2 Digital LumaMax LED is surprisingly bright. The
L2 uses lithium batteries which have a shelf-life of several years.
The good: Flashlights are a time-tested life saver.
The bad: Good flashlights can be expensive and battery replacement can be costly.
The LumaMax is not EMP proof.
PS: There are dozens of different types of flashlights. There are headlamps and
lights that attach to the belt. Some are made for mounting on the barrel of a
gun and ones that divers use. I only named two different types. There are stores
on the Internet that specialize in flashlights. Do some research and choose a
couple of different types that would suit you and your lifestyle. - Chuck Fenwick, Medical Corps
« Letter Re: Choosing a State for Relocation |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Biodiesel, Retreat Vehicle Fuel Flexibility, and Power Generation
Hello Jim,
I am a prepper who is trying to do so on a very tight budget (wife, four
kids, and two jobs just to make ends meet-you get the idea). Here are some
random ideas that others might find useful.
1) Try drying your own fruits and vegetables for food storage. Whether homegrown
or bought. This can be done inexpensively and dried food takes up very little
storage space.
2) Consider making your own biodiesel. I am in the early stages of doing this
myself. It's not that hard. Just pay attention to detail and do it right. Besides
saving a lot of money now this will also allow you to build up a large amount
of fuel storage for vehicle and generator use inexpensively. This will become
much more critical as fuel prices skyrocket in the future.
3) You need a diesel vehicle to use the biodiesel in. In addition to a diesel
truck, think about getting an older Mercedes Benz diesel car for an everyday
driver
and
second BOV.
Don't laugh. The W123 chassis cars, specifically the 240D and 300D models made
from 1977 to 1985 are built like tanks, lots of space and they are fairly
simple
to
work
on. I am not mechanical at all and plan on doing all the work on mine. DieselGiant.com
has great pictorials and do-it-yourself DVDs
to help you. These cars have no computers
so they should be EMP-proof.
4) If you have a high quality roto-tiller such as a Troy-Bilt or BCS brand (and
you should if your serious about food production) it could be used to earn money/barter.
If things get really hard gardening will make a dramatic comeback. Most people
don't have tillers and there should be a good market tilling ground for people.
Assuming you have enough fuel/spare parts this could make you indispensable in
a small town.
5) A recent [SurvivalBlog] post talked about a vehicle as an improvised generator.
While
probably somewhat inefficient in terms of fuel consumption versus electricity
produced
it
sounds perfect for someone on a budget.
I have two questions: Will running
the inverter straight from the battery prematurely wear out the starter battery
in
the car or should the inverter be wired directly to the battery cables? Will
using this set up overwork the alternator and cause early failure?
Some Useful Web Sites:
UtahBiodieselSupply.com
B100Supply.com
MercedesShop.com
DieselGiant.com
Look at the eBay Motors listings
if you want to see what these Mercedes vehicles look
like.
This is just my little contribution to the blog and I hope others find it
useful., - Jeff S.
JWR Replies: I recommend having at least one diesel tractor,
one utility pickup or quad,
and one diesel car at every retreat. Although they are fairly scarce,
in my experience, a pre-1986 Mercedes
diesel
300D series station wagon (on the W123 chassis) is worth
looking for. These share a common drive train with the much more common 300D
series four-door
sedans,
so parts are
readily
available.
Ready
Made Resources (one of our most loyal advertisers) offers an affordable
small-scale biodiesel making
system. The recent spike in diesel prices will give you a big advantage in
bargaining for a price when buying any diesel vehicle.
In answer to your questions: As long as the engine is left running at low
to moderate
RPMs,
then using a vehicle's alternator as a power source--for either DC loads,
and/or to run a small 120 VAC inverter--will
not cause excessive wear and tear on your battery or alternator. You may have
to rig a manually-controlled set-throttle. Just keep in mind the usual safety
precautions, such as carbon monoxide venting, and making sure that the transmission
lever does not get bumped into "drive". To conserve your precious fuel, it
is probably best to buy a bank of deep cycle ("golf cart") type batteries
that you can charge whenever you run the engine.
Rather than using jumper cable clamps, for safety it is
best
to attached heavy gauge battery cable and terminal
lugs, Use a detachable high-amperage-rated 12 VDC polarity-protected "Pigtail" block
connector, in parallel with your vehicle battery
cables. That way you can quickly disconnect
and still be able drive
your vehicle without a time-consuming cable un-bolting procedure.
Ideally, your
battery
bank will
be the heart of
an
alternative
power system that will
also--as
your
budget eventually
allows--include
some
photovoltaic
panels. (This
online primer is a good starting point.) As previously mentioned, in SurvivalBlog,
for 12 VDC devices "downstream" from your battery bank that draw 30 amps or less,
I
recommend
standardizing
with Anderson
Power Pole connectors rather than flimsy cigarette lighter plugs and jacks.
« Letter Re: Choosing a State for Relocation |Main| Letter Re: Lack of Large Animal Vets Even in Rural Areas--Be Prepared to Do It Yourself »
Three Letters Re: Use of Force in Retreat Security--Planning for Rules of Engagement
Note from JWR: The discussion of use of force in retreat
security (and "Less Than Lethal" means) has elicited large number of e-mails
from readers. For the sake of brevity, and since so many letters covered the
same ground, the following are just three of them. The first of these is from
"FerFAL". He is SurvivalBlog's volunteer correspondent in Argentina.
Hi James,
I’m glad to see that you are advising people to have non
lethal weapons [in addition to guns] and (when the situation allows it) deterrent
approaches when dealing with trespassers.
Some situations require immediate lethal action, but that does not mean you’ll
never require non lethal solutions on occasions. Life isn’t always black
and white. On the contrary, most of the time it’s a plethora of shades
of gray.
This is awful common in these parts, I’ve often seen people fire warning
shots, fired a few myself on occasions when visiting my friend’s farm.
On one occasion it was just kids stealing some fire wood. A few .22 LR shots
sent
them away.
Not long ago we saw some poachers well within my friend’s land, too close
to the house. I shot a couple of .44 Magnum rounds and they got the message,
changed direction immediately.
People, as James warns, this is a last resort, or almost last resort alterative.
Be careful of the legal consequences! Over here it is common practice but it’s
still serious business, be ready to explain the cause for such action.
I keep a couple of Less Than Lethal rubber pellet 12 ga shells in my Mossberg's
500 stock shell holder, ready in case I need a Less Than Lethal alternative.
As you explain, it portrays
you as a humane person that cared enough to at least have the non lethal alternative,
even if lethal action was required afterwards.
Another word of caution, "Less Than Lethal" 12 ga ammo [such
as rubber pellets and beanbag rounds] can be
lethal. The one I have is military ammo designed for riots and clearly states
that it can
be lethal if shot directly
at the target at less than 10 meters.
The knock down power of these rounds, even against healthy, robust adults is
pretty impressive.
God bless you and your family during these special days, take care. - FerFAL
Dear Jim:
As a proud 10Cent Challenge subscriber, I know that the recent subject of Levels
of Force could be argued back and forth for a long time. What may help all
your subscribers and readers are articles on the defensive use of firearms
by Massad Ayoob. I found them at FindArticles.com, for example, and any internet
search should come up with them. He gives excellent practical advice on gun
situations, what to do, not do, as well as what to say and not say. The reader
in Maine who fired a warning shot would know this is never done by law enforcement,
too much liability. If one is involved in a shooting, tell law enforcement
something like "...I was afraid for my life (or another's) and had to
fire my weapon to save a life, I want to clear this up as much as you do but
I need to speak to an attorney first..." and then SHUT UP,
which is exactly what they would do in the same circumstance.
People need to know the use of a gun is serious, life is not a movie, and shooting
people, even those that deserve it, is not glorious. Folks will come back and
get revenge, either with a civil or criminal complaint or violent ambush at
a later date.
Living here close to the Mexican border, being once mugged at knife point by
three illegal aliens (for $1.30 in my pocket), working all hours in these mean
streets, I have never had to pull a gun on anyone, thank goodness, and survived
many altercations none the worse for wear. My job with the power company for
the last 30 years has me on occasion cut electrical service for non-payment
at the pole or junction box when the tech's cannot cut it at the meter because
of access, dogs, etc. Having encountered angry biker gangs, meth labs, and
all other sorts of bad people and bad situations, the use of a gun has always
been kept as a last resort. My truck has reverse to get away from most problems
and luckily I'm paid by the hour and not by how much work I do. (-:
The point is pulling a gun will get you in a lot of trouble, shooting a warning
shot will get you arrested, shooting someone may very well cost you everything
you have worked for up to now in your life. Your home, retreat, guns, food
reserves, retirement account, everything. I would definitely shoot if my life
or another's life were in danger, but that is indeed very rare and most situations
can be avoided with a little education, forethought and by setting aside one's
ego. Take Care and God Bless. - Cactus Jim
James;
I'm assuming that many patrons of this blog who read and digested the
two letters referred to in the subject line have never served on active duty
in
a combat arms branch and/or never served as a law enforcement officer. Because
of those two letters, many are possibly over thinking self defense reactions
to would be criminals/trespassers/thieves? The effect on law abiding citizens
who choose to possess firearms for defense is that they subconsciously and
automatically hesitate to defend themselves because of all the legal discussion
and, 'it happened to me' type cautionary statements. Police officers are guilty
of the same thing because of legal double talk (i.e: I don't want to get sued
so I better wait as long as possible to ...a real disaster for us cops since
it's either our lives or possible jail time). In order to clear the air, as
I believe many readers are confused and probably have reached out to the closest
friend or co-worker they trust for clarification. What and when to do something
is not complicated. I hope to eliminate the ubiquitous 'what if' in so many
people's minds (including cops, former military who have returned to civilian
living).
OBTW: I have been serving as a law enforcement officer for 18 years, and I
served five years active duty with the US Army. Most of my army experience
was as
an Airborne Ranger and served in the Middle East for 13 months. No, I don't
know
everything
about
the subject but have spent the majority of my working life considering all
these issues pre 9-11 and post-9-11.
1. The cops are not your friends (see: letter by Gary B in Maine who shot off
a warning shot with a 12 gauge). Cops are for one thing: to prosecute you.
That's it. They are resources for the state's attorney, period. Sure, the other
guy may be guilty, but until proven guilty, you are right there with bad guy
facing charges involving firearms. Not good, especially with so many anti-Second
Amendment types in office. So, in such scenarios, do you spill your guts to
the first
cop who shows up while other guy tells lies because as a criminal
he knows what to say?
2. If you are threatened, you're threatened. What else is there to know? (a
threat is a situation where you 'feared for your life or feared serious bodily
injury'. Using lethal force because somebody stole/attempted to steal your
XYZ isn't justification for lethal force. However, read on...). If
threatened,
then immediately go to the next level and take care of business at that level.
Make sure you can articulate that you were threatened. If
in doubt as to how to articulate that, just do an Internet search engine on
lethal force. As an
18 year officer, I tell you that if someone refuses to obey a legal and clear
command to do something, they are resisting (and they know it). Because a subject
resists, I know that I am permitted to take it to the next level. Said bad
guy will continue to resist until you do something about it. If you don't do
something that gives you the upper hand, he's got the upper hand. Better to
maintain the upper hand and act from that position versus from the other. Waiting
spells potential disaster. As a citizen just trying to protect themselves and
their retreat, if it comes to that, it isn't any different. In my mind the
big difference is if you/me were in a survival times situation, are you really
expecting some cops to respond? They'll probably be more concerned with their
own property, family, neighborhood, garden plot, et cetera.
3. The more training you have, the more your confidence will rise.
4. Sending your dogs after an intruder(s) who have entered your property is
stupid. If your dogs were trained for such things, the intruders wouldn't have
intruded. Sending an aggressive untrained barking dog into the the field/yard
where you feel intruders pose a threat (a real threat, after all, you have
the guns, night vision, IR floodlights, ....) is an great way to get them killed.
If the dogs barked while they were in the house, you were alerted. So why send
them out? They did their job, [now] you do yours. If you have trained dogs
in protection (and related skills), that's a different scenario. Most people
don't have that kind of dog. If bad guy kills one or all of your dogs, now
you have a less
secure retreat than you did before. The only 'threat' to fear,
is the one who poses a 'real threat'. He'll take those dogs out if they aren't
trained to threaten him. - Flhspete
« Letter Re: A Machine That Sorts Pennies by Composition |Main| Some Offshore Retreat Considerations, by P. Traveler »
Four Letters Re: Use of Force in Retreat Security--Planning for Rules of Engagement
James:
First, thank-you for posting my question on SurvivalBlog. Second, thank-you
for posting your thoughts. They are well thought out and very well presented.
Your response sparked an additional couple of thoughts:
Dogs have been man's early warning and engagement system since the dawn of
history. A barking dog tells the potential visitor that he lost any advantage
of stealth and that he is facing a team. Two barking dogs are even better.
Dogs over 50 pounds also represent a physical threat.
The second thought is to split the axis (axes?) of confrontation.
Killing flies by clapping one's hands over them is a great parlor trick. Flies,
and other vermin, have very highly developed strategies for dealing with threats
that come from one direction. That is why they are almost impossible to slap
with one hand. However, it is comical how they lock-up when confronted with
a threat from two directions. You actually have to slow down your "clap" so
they can become airborne. They are almost paralyzed.
Confronting men with evil intent from a single direction does not present them
with much of a dilemma. They would level their arms and start shooting. Good-bye
lights, good-bye dogs, good-bye people who are down range, good-bye to people
and objects in unhardened buildings.
I think the ideal situation would be to have a couple sets of flood or spot
lights pointing inward from different corners of the garden/stock corral/asset
to be protected. Then release the dogs from one point (another family member
would very helpful here) and post-up with a shotgun at a good strategic point
that is
in a different
position than where the dogs were released from. Lights, dog, shotgun should
push the bad-guys down a reasonable line of retreat. That is, it should push
them toward the road or where their vehicles are. Most opportunist will gladly
bail out if they are not cornered.
A couple of key points:
-I don't want to paralyze the intruders, just like I don't want the flies to
freeze.
-I want them to leave if they are opportunist.
-If they do not leave, then they reveal evil intent or extreme stupidity
-The overload of stimuli gives me strategic advantage
Thanks, - Joe and Ellen
JWR Replies: If you want to throw attackers off balance,
there is nothing quite like the flash and sound of explosions on multiple flanks.
Some Tannerite might prove useful.
Spotlights and floodlights are very vulnerable
to rifle fire. If you are using them to distract, then only turn
them on for about five seconds each. If you mount any floodlights on your
occupied structures, then use only the IR variety, which only give off
a very
faint
glow
to the unaided
eye.
There are a variety of fireworks that can be used to create distractions
or diversions. Keep in mind that many fireworks can be set up to be ignited
electrically, using model rocket igniters (such as Estes "Solar Igniters"),
which are available from most hobby shops. The flash and sound of M-80 firecrackers
(aka "cherry bombs") is not too much unlike the sound of rifle fire.
For the full psyops effect, don't discount the effectiveness of voices or
music on amplified loudspeakers to un-nerve your opponents. At the risk of
sounding trite, might I suggest a little Johnny
Cash or some Credence?
Jim,
I just read the letter regarding use of force. Since I'm a cop, in Colorado,
and a trainer of lethal and non-lethal force - it might help to know that the
use of force model is moving away from the
escalation principle and towards the 'toolbox' principle. You pull the appropriate
tool out of the box for the job at hand. For instance, in many many areas of
the country an officer need no longer justify his actions concerning use of
force by explaining the escalation from the typical 'command voice' to use
of potentially lethal force.
Accompanying this is a simplified assessment of the threat at hand. With alarming
results, police officers are trained to expect the
worse case, take action to neutralize it and de-escalate their use of force,
rather than use the stair step
approach to using greater and greater force. It revolves around the Saucier
v. Katz supreme court decision. Wherein "The Court plainly stated that
while uses of force by police occur that are clearly excessive or clearly appropriate,
a gray area remains in between. The Court went on to say that when an officer's
use of force falls within this gray area, deference must be paid to the officer
and qualified immunity granted." There are essentially three other court
cases that apply in determining whether an officer used excessive force - but
Katz is the most applicable to the question of how we train
police officers in deciding what force to use, it was a precursor to the 'toolbox'
approach.
One of the pivotal elements of determining in what constitutes excessive force
for anybody is what they perceived at the time of
the threat, and what training they had in recognizing a threat. Pre
9/11 a box cutter was just a simple slicing weapon, now it's considered a 'terrorist
threat'
to possess
one under the right
circumstances. [JWR Adds: In the aftermath of any use of
force, do not hesitate to admit that you were frightened. If you can honestly
say "I was very scared!", and "I was afraid that he was trying to kill
me!",
then do so, repeatedly, for the record. This may
carry considerable weight at a later date, if you ever have to go to trial--either
criminal, or civil.]
Rather than concentrate on the use of force of any kind, I would recommend
people seek training that helps them recognize threats of all kinds and more
importantly how to articulate their perception of the threat. It's
true that most people who misuse force, in my experience, could probably have
avoided
criminal prosecution if they had just known/learned how to articulate their
assessment of the threat. The examples are endless really, I won't go into
illustration here.
While a multi-generational SHTF situation
is in your opinion unlikely, I must point out that our mere technological advancements
do not preclude this, I
think it simply makes us more complacent because of our perception of the layers
of social and technological protection we believe insulate us from it. Rome
probably believed itself the pinnacle of modern civilization, I would imagine
that the fall that preceded the Dark Ages had it's own 'it will never get that
bad' detractors also.
I have a different view of things. I'm pretty certain that the three
people running through my orchard armed with knives were shouting, "Kill
them!" and
not there to cut fruit. In Colorado, for instance, our 'Make My Day Law' from
which the Castle Doctrine seems to have sprung, states that deadly force may
be used when a person believes that the person about to commit the
illegal entry is there to commit any level of harm to the
occupants of a dwelling - and most importantly, it takes away the burden of
proof from
the citizen to
substantiate why they believed it.
Less-lethal (no such thing as non-lethal (pepper spray has [on rare occasions]
killed, Tasers too, beanbag rounds improperly used are 'deadly', etc.) force
being
available
the most important thing to remember about their deployment is that no
police force ever deploys less-lethal force unless another officer
is ready to use lethal force
if the
less-lethal does not stop the threat. If you're in a tussle
and the taser is what you use, then it's what you use - but if two officers
(or more) are confronting someone and a Taser is deployed - one officer is
designated [as] the backup in case lethal force is needed. - Jim H
JWR Replies: The Castle Doctrine actually got its start in
Florida. Since then, many states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona,
Georgia,
Indiana,
Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma,
South Carolina,
South
Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas have adopted similar laws. It is not surprising
that the majority of the states are in the South or the West, where individualism
and respect for property rights are part of the culture.
Jim,
About 15 years ago, I bought a house on 70 acres that was rural, but not remote.
As I worked on the place, painting and getting it ready for me to move in,
I was distressed that every time I went to the house, the door had been kicked
in. Replacing the trim got to be an irritation so on Halloween, 1993, I drove
down to my house and found the lights on. As I gunned the truck and drove
over the front lawn, I saw two people run from my house. I got out with my
Winchester Model 12 and yelled, "You get the hell out of here and don't
come back or I will kill you" and blew off a round of 12 gauge in the
ground.
I searched my house and found a six pack of beer, some wine coolers and a blanket.
Apparently, some kids were using my house for their love nest. I slept at the
house that night in case someone were to come back and burn down the house.
At about 11:30 pm, there was a knock at the door. Two County Sheriff's deputies
were there with the lights flashing. I invited them in and said, "There
is the wine and beer, there is the blanket." Things then took a turn.
"So you fired a warning shot," he asked?
"Yes", I said.
"So you shot at them?" he probed
"That isn't what I said." And then they jumped me, threw me on the
floor and handcuffed me. I was dragged to the cruiser where I was strapped
into the
back seat. "We got him," the County Mountie crowed to the neighbors
assembled at the end of my 250 yard driveway. I was taken to the county jail
where I was booked for reckless conduct with a firearm, a felony here in Maine.
For the next two years, I was in legal hassles with the County. The District
Attorney didn't want to press charges. The Sheriff's Department didn't want
to back down. And I was wondering what country did I live in where the victim
could
become the criminal so fast. It all worked out in the end. But I would counsel
your readers to think twice about firing shots. I know this about myself, I
will
pull the
trigger. I just know better when to do it. The thing about it was
that for the next 12 years that I lived there. No one came down my driveway
uninvited,
and
nothing
was ever disturbed in my house, garden or barn. - Gary B., in Maine
Jim,
My sincere thanks for your response to Joe and Ellen's letter on "Rules
of Engagement." Most of the so-called preparedness experts out there talk only about "guns,
guns, guns." (Well, 'cept for the "I'd never own a gun" uber-naive
liberal-granola crowd.) Your are absolutely right about using less-than-lethal
means, when [it is] safe and practicable. It sure beats getting your *ss sued
off.
by some ambulance-chasing
lawyer. You truly are the survivalist voice of reason, following in the footsteps
of Mel Tappan.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge in SurvivalBlog, Jim. I often feel like
I'm getting free consulting. Oh, BTW, I'm re-upping my 10
Cent
Challenge subscription for another two years! - C.T.M.
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Letter Re: Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator
Hello Jim and SurvivalBlog Readers:
I have enjoyed reading the vast knowledge shared on this topic and the awakening
you have brought to us about our fragile economy! How can one put a price on
a wake up call?,… well, it’s easy, renew your 10
Cent Challenge! Admit it, your year is probably up, but the education is
still coming to you!
I have not seen any talk on your site about a "miniature" diesel
genset. My thought is that while the large Lister type genset's are proven
to last, ... their will be a time when running something with a much lower
noise signature, vibration signature, and fuel consumption will be necessary
to survive. It seems foolish to fire up 5KW,10KW,
25KW, etc... Watts of power, when you may only need enough to run your furnace
and the freezer. Fire up the big boy for pumping water and what not once a
week, and pump as much as you can into storage containers. Not to mention that
diesel engines last longer when left running, not starting and stopping all
the time. Whereas the gas unit would not know the difference.
My thought is this,. at today's price of diesel, one could afford to buy a
1,000 or 2,000 watt Honda portable unit with the savings of storing 200 stabilized
gallons of gasoline vs. diesel. The Honda units are totally amazing! Almost silent running,
easy to start, easy to throw into the vehicle, and the 1,000 watt unit will
easily run a freezer and furnace for a day on less than a gallon of gasoline.
Use your head and run the generator only as needed, (10 minutes or so several
times a day to keep the freezer going), and you just greatly extended the days
in which you will have portable power. Since the freezer is so important, it
will be worth considering super insulating your freezer when not running.
In a post-SHTF scenario
where we would be very vulnerable early on, and while gasoline is fresh, we
could consider using the little guy first, expend your gasoline fuel supply,
barter off the genset after that, then use caution and go with your primary
Lister type genset. At the rate of one gallon of gasoline per day, you would
have 200 days of run time before even really counting on your diesel genset.
Use your head and run the gasoline genset 6-10 times a day for shorter duration,
and you could have 400 days of gasoline portable power.
Given the cost of gasoline versus diesel, it appears that you would obtain
more kilowatt hours per dollar in this scenario. It seems like the big genset
could be very valuable in offering you the ability to weld, etc... at a time
when
most will have already been wearing out their big gensets and consuming their
fuel. Here you sit with everything fresh and ready to go. Might make a fine
job opportunity to be able to [arc] weld, run 220 VAC equipment,
etcetera, all many moons after the onset of TEOTWAWKI.
I know this thought defies what has been discussed, but a few hundred gallons
of gasoline stored almost pays for the Honda generator in savings over buying
diesel [fuel] at today's prices. Thought I would put it out there for thought,
of course, run the figures with an expert to make sure you are not starving
the electric motors which would prematurely burn out the appliance.
All the best! - The Wanderer
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Characteristics of a General Purpose Survival Flashlight by W. in Washington
Let there be light. We take it for granted these days, but in the woods on a dark
night, during a power outage, or--most importantly--in a long-term survival
situation, you'll quickly learn just how important light is, and how important
it is to choose your illumination tools wisely.
My purpose here is not to recommend specific lights. There are web sites that
can better help you make that decision. I'll include a few links at the end
to get you started. What I want to do is offer my opinions about what
I think makes for a good survival light. Other people will have other opinions.
While I don't consider myself a flashlight expert, I own over 20 of them and
have put a lot of thought into using flashlights in long-term survival scenarios.
Following are what I consider the most important criteria in evaluating a survival
flashlight (not necessarily in order of importance).
1. Small and lightweight is better
Bigger flashlights are usually bigger (or longer) because they hold more or
larger batteries than smaller flashlights, which usually translates into increased
light output. On the other hand, they're also heavier and more unwieldy than
their smaller cousins, and do not necessarily enjoy a longer runtime than lights
using fewer or smaller batteries. Ideally, a survival light uses just one or
two batteries, and is small and lightweight enough comfortably carry in your
shirt or front pants pocket. This gives you more carry options and makes carrying
the light for long periods of time more comfortable.
2. Uses a common battery size
Currently, the most common flashlight battery sizes are AAA, AA, and D cells.
Very few lights use 9-volt batteries (though there are some that would make
decent back-ups, such as the PALight or PakLite), while most D-cell lights
are too big and/or heavy for consistent, comfortable carry. That leaves AA-
or AAA-cell lights as the most logical choices. Using a common battery size
is important for obvious reasons. Many new battery types and sizes have hit
the market in the last few years, and while these are (slowly) gaining in popularity,
they're still not as common as AAs and AAAs. They also tend to be more expensive.
Remember, we're talking about serious, long-term,
dedicated survival lights, not the fancy whiz-bang or cheap-o flashlight you
keep by your bedside, in your glove box, or take car camping. Depending on
the severity and duration of the survival scenario, it will probably be easier
to either purchase or barter for AA and AAA batteries than the newer, more
exotic sizes. In fact, if possible, it might be wise to standardize all your survival-related
electronics so that they use AA and/or AAA batteries.
3. Uses a variety of battery types
It's important that survival flashlights be able to function whether using
alkaline, lithium, or rechargeable batteries--especially rechargeables (along
with a portable solar recharging system), since you could be facing a long-term survival situation. Each type has its own particular
advantages and disadvantages. Most lights will function using all three types,
though some manufacturers don't include lithium primaries in their list of recommendations. That doesn't mean lithium batteries
will harm your light, but don't assume there won't be a problem using any type
of battery that the manufacturer doesn't specifically recommend. Find out exactly
what batteries your survival light can tolerate before you purchase it, or
test the batteries in your light before you have to rely on them.
4. Fewer batteries is better
Obviously, the fewer the batteries needed to operate the light . . . the fewer
batteries you'll need to operate the light. This is a good thing in a survival
situation, even better in a long-term survival situation. Your two-cell light
may get a total runtime of 60 hours compared to just 40 hours for my one-cell
light. But I'll get a total of 80 hours using two batteries compared to your
60 hours. Of course, comparisons like this don't always apply: run times vary
greatly between different manufacturers and models depending on the type of
light source and the electronics employed. Still, as a rule, a survival light should use no more than two batteries, preferably just
one. Currently, there are many one-cell AA lights on the market that not only produce a lot of light (for their size), but also enjoy excellent
run times. Twenty-plus hours of usable light is not uncommon, and even longer
run times can be found. There are also a few 1xAAA lights available that might
make adequate primary or excellent back-up survival lights.
5. Simple to operate
There are lots of fancy lights out there that sport multiple output levels,
including SOS and strobe modes. Some are even computer-programmable. While
that's not a bad thing in itself, when it comes to survival lights (as with
most survival gear), simple is usually better. A light with just one medium-intensity
level will usually suffice, or perhaps a two-level light with low and high
output levels. In
the end, it doesn't matter how many light levels or modes your light offers,
just so that it's dirt simple and intuitive to operate.
6. Reliable operation mechanism
" Twisty" or "clickie," that is the question. Which is more
reliable? There is no definitive answer, because operation reliability depends
more on the quality of the light (and its constituent parts) than on the particular mode of operation. And even a good company can turn out the occasional
bad light. I've heard of $200+ Surefire lights having clickie malfunctions. I've also heard of twisty lights failing because the circuit
board was displaced after repeated use, or by using too much torque while tightening
the bezel. Most clickies have the on-off mechanism on the rear of the light, while some have it on the side (e.g., Maglite).
Most twisties are operated by turning the bezel (head) or tail cap. And there
are also hybrid models utilizing both twisty and clickie operations. If at
all possible, obtain spare clickie mechanisms and/or twisty bezels (depending
on the type of light) to use as replacement parts. [JWR Adds: Changing
a MagLite "clickie" switch assembly require the use of an Allen (hex)
wrench. Thankfully, MagLite sells large maintenance & repair spare parts
sets at a very low price, considering the number of parts included in the sets.
I have been told that they sell these parts sets at near their cost, to keep
their biggest customers (such as police and fire departments) happy and loyal
to the brand.]
7. Well constructed
Look for lights where the bulb is reasonably protected within the bezel, that
are shock resistant and water resistant/proof, and that won't accidentally
turn on while in your pocket or backpack. Clickies are most prone to accidental
activation. This can usually be prevented by rotating the bezel or tail cap
(depending on which end the batteries are inserted into) counterclockwise while
the light is on until the power cuts out, then clicking the clickie button
off.
8. LED versus
incandescent
No contest here. A flashlight that uses an incandescent (or similar type) bulb
is simply not a primary survival light. Period. If the bulb itself can burn
out or malfunction due to shock (broken element), then you don't want to trust
your life to its operation. While light emitting diode (LED) "bulbs" technically
don't last forever, a 5,000- to 10,000-hour use life is close enough to "forever" for
survival purposes. And no, LED bulbs are not impervious to shock, but they're
a heck of a lot tougher than other bulb types. Over the last few years LED
technology has improved exponentially, to the point where they now favorably
compare to or out-perform most other lights in almost every category, including
output (brightness). There are still brighter bulb types out there, but the
newest and brightest LEDs are more than bright enough to meet virtually every
basic need you'll have for a flashlight. The older Nichia brand LEDs, still
commonly found on store racks (it takes time for new technology to trickle
down to the retail level) emit a slightly bluish tint. Many people find this
tint objectionable, though it's really a matter of aesthetics. I still rely
on a relatively dim Nichia LED as my primary survival light (a CMG Infinity
Ultra, now redesigned and marketed under the Gerber name), and am more than
willing to put up with the bluish tint due to its superb runtime (80+ hours
of usable light on just 1 AA battery). My current back-up survival light (an
old Arc-P 1xAAA) is also a Nichia. Other people are not so forgiving of the
tint. Not to worry. The newer generation LEDs (e.g., the so-called Cree lights,
and others are on the way) boast a lily white tint--or maybe even whiter than
lilies. The bottom line is, go with LED technology.
9. Good compromise between output and run time
Other than the "LED versus incandescent" issue (which is actually
a non-issue), this is arguably the most important criterion, and it's what
separates most lights from true survival lights. Look for a run time of at
least seven hours to 50% output (which would probably translate into
8-12 total hours of usable light). This is the minimum that
you should settle for. The longer the run time, the better. Let's make sure
you understand that last point. The longer the run time, the better. Don't
get hung up on the whole output (i.e., how bright it is) thing. Super-bright "tactical" lights
are great for impressing your friends, but will usually suck batteries dry
much more quickly than less powerful lights (although improving LED technology
continues to give us brighter lights and better run times.). Also, the darker
your environment, the less light you need to see well enough. Brighter lights
can actually be a disadvantage, because they more readily attract unwanted
attention, and can also impair your night vision more than moderate-output
lights. These are important considerations in a survival scenario. Again, we're
talking about survival lights here, not tactical (super bright) lights. While
it might make sense to also take along a super-bright light for "tactical" use
(e.g., disorienting or disrupting the night vision of a potential threat),
in most cases these lights will not meet the necessary criteria to qualify as true survival lights. And to repeat: the darker your environment,
the less light you'll need to perform most essential tasks.
11. Quality of light beam
What this refers to is the illumination pattern, or beam characteristic, of
the light. It's sometimes referred to as "spill." For survival lights,
a wide spill beam is usually preferable to a tight, bright spot beam.
While the former won't illuminate specific objects as well, it provides illumination
to a wider area, facilitating a broader picture and better peripheral vision.
The latter will illuminate specific objects or smaller areas much better, and
will have greater (longer) "throw," but will also tend to draw your
line of sight inward, so that you focus more on what's illuminated in the spot
beam than on what may be around it. Tight, bright beams are also more detrimental
to night vision than wider, dimmer spill beams. A few lights seek a compromise
between the two, claiming to offer both a bright center beam as well as decent
spill. Some are more successful at accomplishing this than others. Personally,
I prefer lights that do one thing or the other over those that take a "Swiss
Army Knife" approach to illumination, though you may feel otherwise.
If you happen to choose to also carry a more powerful "tactical" light,
just in case it's needed, you'll probably prefer that it have a bright, fairly
narrow beam. But for a general purpose survival light, you want a wider, more
diffuse beam, allowing you take in more visual information at one time.
12. Lanyard hole
The lanyard hole is just that--a hole [or loop] in the light [body or tail
cap] through which you can attach a lanyard (cord) or a split ring, to which
the lanyard can be attached (I prefer this setup). The lanyard can then be
tied around your wrist, for example, or through a belt loop to prevent the
loss of your light. Instead of a hole, some lights employ other means for lanyard
attachment, and some have no dedicated lanyard attachment at all--except, perhaps,
a (removable or screwed-into-place) pocket clip under which you could thread
a cord. Unless you choose to forgo the lanyard and attach your light to a key
ring along with other needed items (which I advise against, though that might
be a viable option for a small back-up light), Always use a lanyard and secure it to your person, your
clothing, or your gear, even when not in use. Your survival light is an essential,
life-saving, possibly irreplaceable tool, but it will do you no good if you
lose it. To be honest, I don't think I'd buy a light for serious survival
that did not feature a dedicated, foolproof lanyard attachment, preferably
a hole through some portion of the body.
13. Pocket clip
Most smaller lights these days come with pocket clips. They are usually detachable
(slide-on, slide-off), and are useful for securing the light to the inside
of a pocket, or for clipping it to your clothes, gear, or hat brim while performing
tasks that require both hands. (I would always use a lanyard in addition to
the clip). Pocket clips are nice to have. If your light doesn't come with one,
it would be worthwhile to find a clip from some other source (such as another
light of the same diameter) that fits snugly around your survival flashlight.
14. Can stand on its tail
This is not an essential criterion, and I certainly wouldn't reject a light
simply because it isn't designed to stand upright on its tail end (and FWIW,
my current primary survival light doesn't), but lights that can do so add an
additional level of functionality. They are especially useful when you desire
ambient (rather than direct) light, such as when reading or dressing in your
tent. Of course, you can always prop your light up or clip it to something
to get the same effect, but it's not quite as handy.
15. Caring for your light
Other than lubing the bezel and/or tail cap threads with an appropriate wet
or dry lubricant, and avoiding cross-threading when attaching the bezel and/or
tail cap, flashlight maintenance is pretty simple. Don't put the battery(ies)
in backwards, keep it dry, don't drop it, etc. I'd suggest keeping your survival
light empty of batteries until needed. Otherwise, keep lithiums in there. Alkalines
can leak and ruin your light.
Q: What about headlamps? Can these be used as survival lights?
A: Very handy items to have. The light shines right where you look. Including
smack dab into the face of the person you're looking at. Maybe it's just me,
but I don't much care for light in my eyes when I'm trying to preserve my night
vision. They might also make a handy head-shot target for hostiles. Let's put
it this way. While most small flashlights can usually be rigged to serve as
makeshift headlamps (with the aid of a pocket clip or headband, for example),
most headlamps cannot readily be used in the same manner as one might use a
flashlight. Headlamps could possibly serve as back-up survival lights (if they
use only one or two batteries), but I would not recommend them as primary survival
lights. A flashlight will, in most instances, prove more versatile.
Resources
1. The best flashlight resource on the Web is Candle
Power Forums
. Lots of traffic and more info about flashlights than most people would ever
need to know. Also a good source for obtaining custom lights.
2. One of the better flashlight review sites is FlashlightReviews.com.
It's no longer updated regularly, but many of the lights still being sold are
reviewed at the site.
JWR Adds: I agree with W's recommendation to get white LED
flashlights. Here at Rawles
Ranch, we mainly use the older late 1990s-vintage C. Crane Company blue-white
LED lights that are compatible with NiMH rechargeable
AA batteries. I realize that many SurvivalBlog readers have a lot invested
in incandescent bulb flashlights. Rather than selling them at a loss, keep
in mind that LED
replacement heads now available for most or the major brands including
MagLite and SureFire. OBTW, if you decide to transition to LEDs, save
those original incandescent light bulb components. You never know
when someday you may need a lot of light--for example for
impromptu surgery out in the field. The other exception is truly SHTF tactical
use. While I do not advocate using a visible light flashlight
or rail-mounted weapon light where you are up against and armed opponent. (Since
they provide your opponent with a convenient point of aim.) They are fine for
shooting marauding bears, but almost suicidal when confronting two-legged predators.
However, I do advocate using the same lights with
an infrared (IR) filter installed, in situations where you have night
vision goggles (or a Starlight
scope) and you have a high level of confidence that your opponent does
not. This will give you a tremendous tactical advantage in low-light fighting.
In these circumstances, for short periods of time you will want all
the light that you can get! For this purpose, I keep the original
incandescent light heads for my Surefire lights handy. I also keep a 50 piece
box of the standard Panasonic brand CR-123 lithium batteries in my refrigerator,
as a "tactical reserve." These have a 10+ year shelf life. Our current
box, (which, BTW, was generously donated by a reader in lieu of a 10
Cent Challenge subscription payment), won't expire until 2018.
Regarding lanyards, I recommend using a long, stout lanyard that is a full
loop, preferably with a ball-shaped spring button slider. I mainly use olive
drab paracord.
The longer the better, for the sake of versatility. If the lanyard is too short,
then there is not enough slack to loop the flashlight through (in a Girth
Hitch--a.k.a. Lanyard Knot) to be able to hang a light from a branch, belt
loop, tent d-ring, or other object.
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Letter Re: Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator
Jim -
Great blog! I wanted to point out an important calculation everyone missed
- internal combustion engines produce less power at higher elevation. Generators
are (of course) rated at sea level. It's important to de-rate generator capacity
by 3.5% per 1,000 feet of elevation or your generator will be undersized.
(A 5,000 "label watt" generator is [effectively] only a 4,000 watt
generator where I live at 6,000 feet.) Density altitude on a warm summer
day can
easily be
2,000 feet higher than that. My rule of thumb: after sizing for load, size
generously for elevation or you'll be buying twice. Hope this helps everyone...
Other food for thought: You don't need to run all your big loads simultaneously.
If the grid stays down, it'll be a blessing just to have refrigeration - it
doesn't need to be like today where we run everything at once while blow-drying
the dog! There's no reason you can't shut off the freezer if you need the well
pump. The simplest transfer switch allows you to control power to various loads,
and this allows you to use a smaller generator to accomplish everything. My
genset is home built using a Listeroid (Lister clone) diesel engine and generator
head purchased separately. This generator (significantly oversized to run a
MIG welder,
lathe, mill or compressor/plasma cutter combo) cost me less than $3,000 including
truck freight and welding up a stout steel frame (probably
$4,500 now, given the weak dollar, steel prices and current shipping rates).
Based on decades of British Empire experience with these beasts in third world
countries, I expect it will give 30,000-to-50,000 hours of service with minimal
maintenance. It gingerly sips fuel and is easily operated on biodiesel or waste
vegetable
oil without modification.
Regards, - Fred H.
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Four Letters Re: Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator
Mr. Rawles:
I saw that you recently posted my question to the blog, so I thought I'd update
you. I ran the tests again and got what I believe to be a more accurate assessments.
My second test showed the refrigerator consuming right at 2.7 KWH (2,700 watts)
over a 24 hour period for an average of 112.5 watts-per-hour. Now mind you,
that includes all the hours we were asleep and so no one was opening the door,
using up ice, etc.. During hours of heavy usage it was using about 150 watts-per-hour.
Test #2 for the chest freezer yielded the following results: KWH usage for
the full 24 hours came to 1.02 KWH or 1,020 watts. This is an average of 42.5
watts-per-hour. Mind you, this freezer basically only gets opened once per
day when we take out whatever we're defrosting for dinner. All in all, I'm
pretty happy with those results.
The next step is to test our other refrigerator and our upright freezer and
to calculate the Amp Hours required (how many deep cycle batteries I'll need)
to build my
homemade UPS system.
FYI, I found a really good deal the other day on a 4 KW emergency gasoline
genset, and went ahead and bought it. My next big purchase will be a
tri-fuel conversion
kit from US Carburetion, so I can run her on propane. I know you guys usually
endorse diesel as a primary genset/retreat fuel, but I really like the stability
and shelf-life of propane - in my area, I can rent a 300-gallon tank (I own
two 100-gallon cylinder tanks) from the propane provider for around $50 per
year and fill it a little at a time as opposed to making an expensive all-at-once
fuel purchase. My logic there being that I can dump a little in each month,
so that it'll be full when I actually need it to be. - JSC in West Virginia
- A "10 Cent Challenge" Subscriber
Dear JWR:
I was catching up on SurvivalBlog this weekend and noted the article on generator
set sizing. The main issue here is that there is a significant difference
in the average electrical
energy consumption of an appliance and its peak usage. This issue is compounded
by electrical devices such as motors which are not purely resistive (i.e. inductive
load) and thus have up to 3 times the energy demand to start as opposed to
running. This is commonly referred to as “starting current” verses “running
current”. When sizing an electrical generator, one needs not only to
calculate the total energy consumption of all electrical appliances one anticipates
to be running simultaneously, but also to cover the starting current for the
item with the heaviest draw. Most electrical motors are labeled with their
electrical current needs, commonly listed as starting or peak current and continuous
current. In regard to an appliance which doesn’t list this information
(such as a refrigerator), the owner needs to use his Kill-A-Watt [meter] to
determine the current used while running (typically 3-5 amps) and multiply
this by 3
to get a good estimate of the starting current demands.
The process should be to add up the total draw for all the appliances, and
then double the highest one and add that also to the total. This will give
a rough estimate of the peak current draw, in Amps. To convert
Amps to Watts, one simply needs to multiply by the operating voltage (typically
120 or 240
Volts). This assumes that no more than one heavy draw appliance starts at the
same time, but to cover all the starting currents would require a much larger
generator.
Several years back, during an ice storm, we were living off of an emergency
generator rated at 5,000 Watts (6,200 peak Watts ). One should disregard the “peak” rating
of typical portable emergency generators since they are uniformly overrated
(I have noticed that recently, peak rating is what is listed, look for the “continuous
rating”). Our water heater (a purely resistive load, hence no “starting
current”) consumed 4,500 Watts. In order to take a hot shower, we needed
to turn off all other circuits and allow the water to heat up. After an hour,
the water heater was disconnected to allow the well pump to be operated to
provide water through the water heater to the shower. This constant switching
of loads was a real nightmare.
As a caveat, typical consumer portable electrical generators are not up the
rigors of continuous use. Their fuel economy is atrocious; our 5 KW unit uses
about 5 gallons of gas in an 8 hour period. They are also typically powered
by the equivalent of an air-cooled lawnmower engine. Consider taking your lawnmower
into heavy wet grass and mowing continuously for 200 hours. After a week of
trying to keep this loud and hungry beast fed, thankfully the power came back
on-line. We went with a diesel powered 15KW unit which would even cover the
arc welding unit and it uses about 1/4 gallon of fuel per hour during typical
household test uses. The gas generator seemed to use virtually the same amount
of fuel regardless of the load, but the diesel unit just sips fuel when it
is just loafing along, with consumption roughly linear with the load.
When choosing a generator for long term use, I would make several recommendations:
First, if you pump water or want to run a welder or air conditioning unit,
you will need at least 10 KW and 120/240VAC capability.
Second, get a unit with double windings so it can run at 1,800 rpm instead
of 3,600 rpm (to make up 60 Hz AC power). This vastly improves fuel economy
and
noise level as well as longevity.
Third, the unit needs to be water cooled. While some air cooled units are built
for longevity, they are the exception.
Fourth, think of fuel storage requiring long-term stability. This effectively
rules out gasoline, and leaves us with NG/LPG or diesel.
While electrical generators are very useful and highly recommended, their Achilles’ Heel
is fuel availability. We store adequate diesel fuel to run the generator full
time for approximately two months use, which would extend to one year or more
with limited part-time use, but it is still a finite resource. They can be
useful
as a bridge for short duration (till the power comes back on or we learn to
live without). Except in the hottest climates, running a refrigerator or freezer
a couple of hours twice a day is adequate with limited door opening. Once the
foodstuffs in the freezer and refrigerator are used up, you will still need
a manual pump for your water well in TEOTWAWKI.
Hope this helps, - NC BlueDog
Sir,
The Kill-A-Watt meter
is a great tool but [KSC] really didn’t give
it a chance to work. If you want to find out how much power your refrigerator uses
over
the course of the day leave it plugged into the meter for a few days at the
minimum.
Most watt meters have the option to see how much power is currently being used
by whatever is plugged into it. You’ll want to look at that while the
appliance is cycled on. The refrigerators and freezers that I’ve dealt with
generally don’t use more than about 150 – 200 watts while running,
figure they use about three times that during startup.
In your situation, figure 600 watts startup power, times four appliances would
be around 2,400 watts. I’m guessing that there will be other things that
you will want to run also (lights, grain mill, battery charger etc.) so you
may want
to go with a 3,500 watt generator but as long as you aren’t looking to
power your whole house from top to bottom with it you don’t really need
a huge generator. - MercCom
Jim-
Here's a helpful
site for figuring power requirements.
By the way, we all have useful generators sitting in our garages--in our car
and/or truck. An inverter will let you tap that power. COSTCO has a 1,000 watt
inverter for $65. If you use good sense in using power, and keep your vehicle
tank(s) full, you can ride through a temporary power failure. Not bad for $65.
But you also will have to buy or make up a pair of cables that will clip to
your battery. The provided cables have useless terminals (closed end type)
for the battery end of the cables. - Bob B.
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Letter Re: The "Invention Nation" Documentary Television Series
Jim,
I don't know if this has been posted here or not. I have finished watching
a series on the Science Channel called "Invention Nation".
The show primarily feature inventors who are inventing ways to "go green".
Many of these inventions and ideas fit in perfectly with being self-sufficient.
Some of the topics are; used cooking oil for diesel engines, solar power technology,
passive solar for heating homes and water, bicycle generators, etc... The series
will rerun starting in March and may be worth a look for the preparedness minded. See
the Invention Nation web site. Thanks to you and your family for all you
do. - Randy G.
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Letter Re: Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator
Mr. Rawles:
In attempting to size an emergency generator for my home, I have run across
some interesting questions that I hope you and/or your other readers will be
able to help me with. I lived through the blizzards of the 1990s here in the
southern West Virginia coal camps, and I will never forget us and all of our
neighbors being without power and unable to get out of our own driveways for
23+ days in 1993.
It marked the very beginnings of my awakening to the necessity of being properly
prepared. With that in mind, I am attempting to set my home up with the ability
to keep a bare minimum level of electrical appliances running in the case of
a long-term outage; namely 2 refrigerators w/ freezers, a chest freezer, and
an upright freezer (all just a few years old, so fairly energy efficient).
I am gauging the power being used by these appliances using
a Kill-A-Watt.
And, honestly, I'm afraid that I am doing something wrong. My number seem awfully
low.
The first test I ran was on my chest freezer; after two hours of measurement,
the freezer had consumed just 0.05 KWH or 50 watts of power at 25 watts per
hour. I was surprised, but not terribly because the lid was not opened during
the span of the test.
Next, I tested the refrigerator in my kitchen. It is a an Energy Star compliant
Whirlpool brand 25.55 cu. ft. model with water and ice in the door. As a result
of the chest freezer coming in lower than I expected, I purposely skewed the
refrigerator experiment with the hopes of over-estimating the true usage. To
that end, I was sure to be a bad boy and do things such as holding the door
open and staring in like a goober for five minutes. I also refilled the dog's
water bowl from the door (forcing the pump into action) and virtually emptied
the ice bin as crushed ice through the door (a big cup of ice water is yum!)
to force the ice maker to have to run and make more. But, even with all that,
my two hour test yielded a cumulative KWH usage of just 0.13. A measly 130
watts at 65 watts per hour.
Researching this online, I'm finding sites that estimate the typical household
fridge uses between 150-250 watts per hour with peaks upward of 700+ watts.
Am I doing really well on efficiency or am I missing something? I'll wait to
hear back before I run the remaining tests. Thanks! - JSC
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: My Preparedness Plans Just Took an Unexpected Turn »
Letter Re: AA Cells and Mobile Power
There was a discussion about batteries a few days back on SurvivalBlog. The
writer advocated using AA NiMH cells almost exclusively, with adapters for devices requiring C and D cells. While
I do agree that this is a good approach for some devices, there is certainly
some merit to having full size 10 Amp Hour (10,000 MAH) batteries in high [current]
draw or long term use devices. Not only is capacity
significantly higher on larger cells, but the maximum safe current draw is
higher too.
Good NiMH C cells have 2-to-3 times the capacity of AA cells, and NiMH D cells
have 4-to-5 times the capacity of AA cells. They can be charged in a reasonable
timeframe on a good quality charger like the MAHA MH-C801D. If you shop carefully
you can find 10AH NiMH low self discharge D cells for around $10 each (As an
example, see Overstock.com). Thanks, - BR
JWR Replies: I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers be very
careful when shopping for size C and D NiCD and NiMH batteries. Many of the
batteries on the market have no more capacity than a size AA. (With those,
essentially you are getting the same "guts" used in a size AA cell,
but just in a bigger "can.") Look carefully and the MaH ratings before
you buy! Also, be sure to buy only brands (such as Sanyo's
ENELOOP) that have "Low Self Discharge" (LSD) rates.
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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
« Letter Re: Best Items to Store for Barter and Charity? |Main| Note from JWR: »
From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a "List of Lists"
Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then
draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or
in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out
a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor
your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density
as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat
in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living
in the Rockies.
As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create
truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on
Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main
(or propane tank), and shut your main water valve (or turn off your well pump.)
Spend that weekend in primitive conditions. Practice using only your storage
food, preparing it on a wood stove (or camping stove.)
A “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” will surprise you. Things that
you take for granted will suddenly become labor intensive. False assumptions
will be shattered. Your family will grow closer and more confident. Most importantly,
some of the most thorough lists that you will ever make will be those written
by candlelight.
Your List of Lists should include: (Sorry that this post
is in outline form, but it would take a full length book to discus all of
the following in great detail)
Water List
Food Storage List
Food Preparation List
Personal List
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
Nuke Defense List
Biological Warfare Defense List
Gardening List
Hygiene List/Sanitation List
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
Fuels List
Firefighting List
Tactical Living List
Security-General
Security-Firearms
Communications/Monitoring List
Tools List
Sundries List
Survival Bookshelf List
Barter and Charity List
JWR’s Specific Recommendations For Developing Your Lists:
Water List
House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this is another
good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal roof.)
Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don’t buy big
barrels, since five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that most
people can handle without back strain.
For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a couple
of heavy duty two wheel garden carts--convert the wheels to foam filled "no
flats" tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for those carts around
your retreat, such as hauling hay, firewood, manure, fertilizer, et cetera.)
Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a long
way. Buy some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If you can
afford it, buy a “Big Berky” British Berkefeld ceramic water filter.
(Available from Ready
Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure
spring water at your retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good
filter could be a lifesaver.)
Food Storage List
See my post tomorrow which will be devoted to food storage. Also see the recent
letter from David in Israel on this subject.
Food Preparation List
Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an oversize skillet
and a huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several huge kettles, because
odds are you will have to heat water on your wood stove for bathing, dish washing,
and clothes washing. You will also need even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or
6 gallon PVC buckets--for water hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying.
They will also make great barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr.
Gary North: “Nails: buy a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!”)
Don’t overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.
Personal List
(Make a separate personal list for each family member and individual expected
to arrive at your retreat.)
Spare glasses.
Prescription and nonprescription medications.
Birth control.
Keep dentistry up to date.
Any elective surgery that you've been postponing
Work off that gut.
Stay in shape.
Back strength and health—particularly important, given the heavy manual
tasks required for self-sufficiency.
Educate yourself on survival topics, and practice them. For example, even if
you don’t presently live at your retreat, you should plant a vegetable
garden every year. It is better to learn through experience and make mistakes
now, when the loss of crop is an annoyance rather than a crucial event.
“Comfort” items to help get through high stress times. (Books, games,
CDs, chocolates, etc.)
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
When tailoring this list, consider your neighborhood going for many months
without power, extensive use of open flames, and sentries standing picket
shifts exposed in the elements. Then consider axes, chainsaws and tractors
being wielded by newbies, and a greater likelihood of gunshot wounds. With
all of this, add the possibility of no access to doctors or high tech medical
diagnostic equipment. Put a strong emphasis on burn treatment first aid supplies.
Don’t overlook do-it-yourself dentistry! (Oil of cloves, temporary
filling kit, extraction tools, et cetera.) Buy a full minor surgery outfit
(inexpensive Pakistani stainless steel instruments), even if you don’t
know how to use them all yet. You may have to learn, or you will have the
opportunity to put them in the hands of someone experienced who needs them.)
This is going to be a big list!
Chem/Nuke Defense List
Dosimeter and rate meter, and charger, radiac meter (hand held Geiger counter),
rolls of sheet plastic (for isolating airflow to air filter inlets and for
covering window frames in the event that windows are broken due to blast effects),
duct tape, HEPA filters (ands spares) for your shelter. Potassium iodate (KI)
tablets to prevent thyroid damage.(See my recent post on that subject.) Outdoor
shower rig for just outside your shelter entrance.
Biological Warfare Defense List
Disinfectants
Hand Sanitizer
Sneeze masks
Colloidal silver generator and spare supplies (distilled water and .999 fine
silver rod.)
Natural antibiotics (Echinacea, Tea Tree oil, …)
Gardening List
One important item for your gardening list is the construction of a very tall
deer-proof and rabbit-proof fence. Under current circumstances, a raid by deer
on your garden is probably just an inconvenience. After the balloon goes up,
it could mean the difference between eating well, and starvation.
Top Soil/Amendments/Fertilizers.
Tools+ spares for barter/charity
Long-term storage non hybrid (open pollinated) seed. (Non-hybrid “heirloom” seed
assortments tailors to different climate zones are available from The
Ark Institute
Herbs: Get started with medicinal herbs such as aloe vera (for burns), echinacea
(purple cone flower), valerian, et cetera.
Hygiene/Sanitation List
Sacks of powdered lime for the outhouse. Buy plenty!
TP in quantity (Stores well if kept dry and away from vermin and it is lightweight,
but it is very bulky. This is a good item to store in the attic. See my novel
about stocking up on used phone books for use as TP.
Soap in quantity (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, cleansers, etc.)
Bottled lye for soap making.
Ladies’ supplies.
Toothpaste (or powder).
Floss.
Fluoride rinse. (Unless you have health objections to the use of fluoride.)
Sunscreen.
Livestock List:
Hoof rasp, hoof nippers, hoof pick, horse brushes, hand sheep shears, styptic,
carding combs, goat milking stand, teat dip, udder wash, Bag Balm, elastrator
and bands, SWOT fly repellent, nail clippers (various sizes), Copper-tox, leads,
leashes, collars, halters, hay hooks, hay fork, manure shovel, feed buckets,
bulk grain and C-O-B sweet feed (store in galvanized trash cans with tight
fitting lids to keep the mice out), various tack and saddles, tack repair tools,
et cetera. If your region has selenium deficient soil (ask your local Agricultural
extension office) then be sure to get selenium-fortified salt blocks rather
than plain white salt blocks--at least for those that you are going to set
aside strictly for your livestock.
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
“Buckshot” Bruce Hemming has produced an excellent series of videos
on trapping and making improvised traps. (He also sells traps and scents at very
reasonable prices.)
Night vision gear, spares, maintenance, and battery charging
Salt. Post-TEOTWAWKI, don’t “go hunting.” That would be a
waste of effort. Have the game come to you. Buy 20 or more salt blocks. They
will also make very valuable barter items.
Sell your fly fishing gear (all but perhaps a few flies) and buy practical
spin casting equipment.
Extra tackle may be useful for barter, but probably only in a very long term
Crunch.
Buy some frog gigs if you have bullfrogs in your area. Buy some crawfish traps
if you have crawfish in your area.
Learn how to rig trot lines and make fish traps for non-labor intensive fishing WTSHTF.
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
One proviso: In the event of a “grid
down” situation, if you are the only family in the area with power,
it could turn your house into a “come loot me” beacon at night.
At the same time, your house lighting will ruin the night vision of your LP/OP pickets.
Make plans and buy materials in advance for making blackout screens or fully
opaque curtains for your windows.
When possible, buy nickel metal hydride batteries. (Unlike the older nickel
cadmium technology, these have no adverse charge level “memory” effect.)
If your home has propane appliances, get a “tri-fuel” generator--with
a carburetor that is selectable between gasoline, propane, and natural gas.
If you heat your home with home heating oil, then get a diesel-burning generator.
(And plan on getting at least one diesel burning pickup and/or tractor). In
a pinch, you can run your diesel generator and diesel vehicles on home heating
oil.
Kerosene lamps; plenty of extra wicks, mantles, and chimneys. (These will also
make great barter items.)
Greater detail on do-it-yourself power will be included in my forthcoming blog
posts.
Fuels List
Buy the biggest propane, home heating oil, gas, or diesel tanks that your local
ordinances permit and that you can afford. Always keep them at least two-thirds
full. For privacy concerns, ballistic impact concerns, and fire concerns,
underground tanks are best if you local water table allows it. In any case,
do not buy an aboveground fuel tank that would visible from any public road
or navigable waterway. Buy plenty of extra fuel for barter. Don’t overlook
buying plenty of kerosene. (For barter, you will want some in one or two
gallon cans.) Stock up on firewood or coal. (See my previous blog posts.)
Get the best quality chainsaw you can afford. I prefer Stihls and Husqavarnas.
If you can afford it, buy two of the same model. Buy extra chains, critical
spare parts, and plenty of two-cycle oil. (Two-cycle oil will be great for
barter!) Get a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps. They are expensive but
they might save yourself a trip to the emergency room. Always wear gloves,
goggles, and ear-muffs. Wear a logger’s helmet when felling. Have someone
who is well experienced teach you how to re-sharpen chains. BTW, don’t
cut up your wood into rounds near any rocks or you will destroy a chain in
a hurry.
Firefighting List
Now that you have all of those flammables on hand (see the previous list) and
the prospect of looters shooting tracer ammo or throwing Molotov cocktails
at your house, think in terms of fire fighting from start to finish without
the aid of a fire department. Even without looters to consider, you should
be ready for uncontrolled brush or residential fires, as well as the greater
fire risk associated with greenhorns who have just arrived at your retreat
working with wood stoves and kerosene lamps!
Upgrade your retreat with a fireproof metal roof.
2” water line from your gravity-fed storage tank (to provide large water
volume for firefighting)
Fire fighting rig with an adjustable stream/mist head.
Smoke and CO detectors.
Tactical Living List
Adjust your wardrobe buying toward sturdy earth-tone clothing. (Frequent your
local thrift store and buy extras for retreat newcomers, charity, and barter.)
Dyes. Stock up on some boxes of green and brown cloth dye. Buy some extra for
barter. With dye, you can turn most light colored clothes into semi-tactical
clothing on short notice.
Two-inch wide burlap strip material in green and brown. This burlap is available
in large spools from Gun Parts Corp. Even if you don’t have time now,
stock up so that you can make camouflage ghillie
suits post-TEOTWAWKI.
Save those wine corks! (Burned cork makes quick and cheap face camouflage.)
Cold weather and foul weather gear—buy plenty, since you will be doing
more outdoor chores, hunting, and standing guard duty.
Don’t overlook ponchos and gaiters.
Mosquito repellent.
Synthetic double-bag (modular) sleeping bags for each person at the retreat,
plus a couple of spares. The Wiggy’s
brand Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System (FTRSS)
made by Wiggy's of Grand Junction, Colorado is highly recommended.
Night vision gear + IR floodlights for your retreat house
Subdued flashlights and penlights.
Noise, light, and litter discipline. (More on this in future posts--or perhaps
a reader would like to send a brief article on this subject)
Security-General: Locks, intrusion detection/alarm systems, exterior obstacles
(fences, gates, 5/8” diameter (or larger) locking road cables, rosebush
plantings, “decorative” ponds (moats), ballistic protection (personal
and residential), anti-vehicular ditches/berms, anti-vehicular concrete “planter
boxes”, razor wire, etc.)
Starlight electronic light amplification scopes are critical tools for retreat
security.
A Starlight scope (or goggles, or a monocular) literally amplifies low ambient
light by up to 100,000 times, turning nighttime darkness into daylight--albeit
a green and fuzzy view. Starlight light amplification technology was first
developed during the Vietnam War. Late issue Third Generation (also called
or “Third Gen” or “Gen 3”) starlight scopes can cost
up to $3,500 each. Rebuilt first gen (early 1970s technology scopes can often
be had for as little as $500. Russian-made monoculars (with lousy optics) can
be had for under $100. One Russian model that uses a piezoelectric generator
instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These are best used
as backups (in case your expensive American made scopes fail. They should not
be purchased for use as your primary night vision devices unless you are on
a very restrictive budget. (They are better than nothing.) Buy the best starlight
scopes, goggles, and monoculars you can afford. They may be life-savers! If
you can afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/PVS-4,
with a Gen 2 (or better) tube. Make sure to specify that that the tube is new
or “low hours”, has a high “line pair” count, and minimal
scintillation. It is important to buy your Starlight gear from a reputable
dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and scammers. One dealer
that I trust, is Al Glanze (spoken “Glan-zee”) who runs STANO
Components, Inc. in Silver City, Nevada. Note: In a subsequent
blog posts I will discuss the relationship and implications to IR illuminators
and tritium sights.
Range cards and sector sketches.
If you live in the boonies, piece together nine of the USGS 15-minute maps,
with your retreat property on the center map. Mount that map on an oversize
map board. Draw in the property lines and owner names of all of your surrounding
neighbor’s parcels (in pencil) in at least a five mile radius. (Get boundary
line and current owner name info from your County Recorder’s office.)
Study and memorize both the terrain and the neighbors’ names. Make a
phone number/e-mail list that corresponds to all of the names marked on the
map, plus city and county office contact numbers for quick reference and tack
it up right next to the map board. Cover the whole map sheet with a sheet of
heavy-duty acetate, so you can mark it up just like a military commander’s
map board. (This may sound a bit “over the top”, but remember,
you are planning for the worst case. It will also help you get to know your
neighbors: When you are introduced by name to one of them when in town, you
will be able to say, “Oh, don’t you live about two miles up the
road between the Jones place and the Smith’s ranch?” They will
be impressed, and you will seem like an instant “old timer.”
Security-Firearms List
Guns, ammunition, web gear, eye and ear protection, cleaning equipment,
carrying cases, scopes, magazines, spare parts, gunsmithing tools, targets
and target
frames, et cetera. Each rifle and pistol should have at least six top quality
(original military contract or original manufacturer) full capacity spare magazines.
Note: Considerable detail on firearms and optics selection, training, use,
and logistic support are covered in the SurvivalBlog archives and FAQs.
Communications/Monitoring List
When selecting radios buy only models that will run on 12 volt DC power or
rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs (that can be recharged from
your retreat’s 12 VDC power system without having to use an inverter.)
As a secondary purchasing goal, buy spare radios of each type if you can afford
them. Keep your spares in sealed metal boxes to protect them from EMP.
If you live in a far inland region, I recommend buying two or more 12 VDC marine
band radios. These frequencies will probably not be monitored in your region,
leaving you an essentially private band to use. (But never assume that any
two-way radio communications are secure!)
Note: More detail on survival communications gear selection, training, use,
security/cryptography measures, antennas, EMP protection, and logistical support
will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.
Tools List
Gardening tools.
Auto mechanics tools.
Welding.
Bolt cutters--the indispensable “universal key.”
Woodworking tools.
Gunsmithing tools.
Emphasis on hand powered tools.
Hand or treadle powered grinding wheel.
Don’t forget to buy plenty of extra work gloves (in earth tone colors).
Sundries List:
Systematically list the things that you use on a regular basis, or that you
might need if the local hardware store were to ever disappear: wire of various
gauges, duct tape, reinforced strapping tape, chain, nails, nuts and bolts,
weather stripping, abrasives, twine, white glue, cyanoacrylate glue, et cetera.
Book/Reference List
You should probably have nearly every book on my Bookshelf
page. For some, you will want to have two or three copies, such as Carla
Emery’s "Encyclopedia of Country Living". This is because these books
are so valuable and indispensable that you won’t want to risk lending
out your only copy.
Barter and Charity List
For your barter list, acquire primarily items that are durable, non-perishable,
and either in small packages or that are easily divisible. Concentrate on
the items that other people are likely to overlook or have in short supply.
Some of my favorites are ammunition. [The late] Jeff Cooper referred to it
as “ballistic
wampum.” WTSHTF, ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver.
Store all of your ammo in military surplus ammo cans (with seals that are
still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick to common calibers, get
plenty of .22 LR (most
high velocity hollow points) plus at least ten boxes of the local favorite
deer hunting cartridge, even if you don’t own
a rifle chambered for this cartridge. (Ask your local sporting goods shop
about their top selling chamberings). Also buy at least ten boxes of the
local police department’s standard pistol cartridge, again even if
you don’t own a pistol chambered for this cartridge.
Ladies supplies.
Salt (Buy lots of cattle blocks and 1 pound canisters of iodized table salt.)
(Stores indefinitely if kept dry.)
Two cycle engine oil (for chain saw gas mixing. Gas may still be available
after a collapse, but two-cycle oil will probably be like liquid gold!)
Gas stabilizer.
Diesel antibacterial additive.
50-pound sacks of lime (for outhouses).
1 oz. bottles of military rifle bore cleaner and Break Free (or similar) lubricant.
Waterproof dufflebags in earth tone colors (whitewater rafting "dry bags").
Thermal socks.
Semi-waterproof matches (from military rations.)
Military web gear (lots of folks will suddenly need pistol belts, holsters,
magazine pouches, et cetera.)
Pre-1965 silver dimes.
1-gallon cans of kerosene.
Rolls of olive drab parachute cord.
Rolls of olive-drab duct tape.
Spools of monofilament fishing line.
Rolls of 10 mil "Visqueen", sheet plastic (for replacing windows,
isolating airspaces for nuke scenarios, etc.)
I also respect the opinion of one gentleman with whom I've corresponded, who
recommended the following:
Strike anywhere matches. (Dip the heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.)
Playing cards.
Cooking spices. (Do a web search for reasonably priced bulk spices.)
Rope & string.
Sewing supplies.
Candle wax and wicking.
Lastly, any supplies necessary for operating a home-based business. Some that
you might consider are: leather crafting, small appliance repair, gun repair,
locksmithing, et cetera. Every family should have at least one home-based business
(preferably two!) that they can depend on in the event of an economic collapse.
Stock up on additional items to dispense to refugees as charity.
Note: See the Barter Faire chapter in my novel "Patriots" for
lengthy lists of potential barter items.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| 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. Because of the
sack size I have more of some things than others so towards the end I may be
eating paste. I hope to upgrade later. For infants you need more milk, oil,
sugar, and vitamins from which you can make an emergency formula (breast
feeding is better, then you give the extra
food to the mother).
For even longer food solutions
you need to farm. Supplementing
your food with a garden
or sprouting would also make
things last longer and provide some healthy variety. Its best to have some non-hybrid seeds on
hand or save
seeds from your garden.
Serious (expensive) seed packages are here. Have some fertilizer and pesticides on
hand but in the long run organic
is the way to go.
For cooking you can use a wood
burning stove, barbeque, or camp
stove in the short run (have some extra fuel on hand). The Petromax
lantern is pricey but well made and also has a stove attachment. If you don't have one of these or run
out of fuel you can build one: a coffee can
stove, a bucket stove
(avoid galvanized metal),
a alcohol stove, a collapsible stove, a tin can stove (simple
version), solar
oven (portable version),
or a clay
stove (print directions for making at least one of these). This is also a good commercial stove for those with cash
to burn. These are much more
efficient than an open fire. You
need a good pot or dutch oven for
boiling water and cooking. For
more portable food you can go with MREs, make your own
or stock what ever you would normally backpack with.
Hope
Hope is different for
everyone. It can be safety,
comfort, companionship, or normalcy.
For me it is mainly hope that there is light at the end of the
tunnel. I can work hard and
persevere if I know eventually things will get better. This means long term planning. So I want to have what I need in the
short term but also have some hope for the long term (so I have gardening tools
and seeds in addition to rice and spam).
You also want comfort items such as a book, Bible, game, coloring book,
pictures, beer, tea, or warm
shower. Some of these can be
dual purpose such as a book about hiking or gardening, survival playing cards,
or a novel about survival and perseverance.
Equipment
There are lots of things you can get, but you can also
just organize what you have already. The number of lists
seems endless and what you need depends upon the situation, your skills, and
your budget. Here is what is wrong with
the DHS kit I have already
mentioned several items above and list some others here but being comprehensive
would take a lot of space (read the links and references for more). Here are some basics.
All types of camping equipment
and tools come in handy but can be
expensive (shipping can be expensive too so you may want to make your own, try your
local yard sales, craigslist,
sporting goods or hardware store first).
You may want a small tent to carry and a larger tent to put in the car. Sleeping
pads are as much for insulation as for comfort (learned the hard way—you
don't want to be in the cold without some insulation between you and the
ground). A hammock
can be multipurpose. You can
try your local hardware store for lanterns or Lehman's
(they also have candle making supplies).
I suggest four knives for anyone
responsible enough to have one (in general you get what you pay for, but start
cheap and upgrade later): a folding
lock blade knife (buck and gerber are both good reasonably priced brands), a
Swiss army knife (with saw blade) or leatherman type knife
(pliers are handy), a
solid full tang knife, and a machete or short sword for brush. A kitchen knife can work until you get
any of these. A hatchet would also
be useful. Keep them sharp.
You need several maps (local,
state (small scale and large scale), neighboring states, topographic and road)
and a compass. A GPS
is optional but very handy. There
are usually welcome centers along interstates and in some cities that hand out
free maps. The USGS is a good source for reasonably
priced maps but sometimes it is a bit hard to find what you are looking
for. They have a catalog
for each state that really helps. They are also very friendly by phone but
still prefer if you order online.
You should have at least one non
portable (plug in) phone that can be used with the power out. Medicine, diapers and feminine products
will be hard to get. A generator
is great but can be expensive and you must have enough fuel (I don't have one
but want one). Solar
powered battery chargers are really slow but might be the only option.
Change your attitude, don't be
wasteful, and you can reuse many items. A tin can becomes a cup or pot with
a
little work. Use both sides of a
piece of paper and then use it as insulation or tinder. Waste not, want not. This also minimizes trash as there may
be no trash pickup.
Organize your equipment and supplies into different
levels and packages
Stuff you almost always carry
You should make a small kit that
fits in your pocket or
around your neck. This should include:
- ways to make a fire (matches,
mini bic, flint, etc.)
- a button
compass
- a small knife or razor blade,
broken hack saw blade, small file
- Swiss Tech Micro-Tech
6-in-1 Tool
- led light
- small candle (light or fire
making)
- a saw
- short piece of wire
- parachute cord (as much as will
fit)
- iodine tablets
- sturdy needle and thread
- individual salt servings
- food tabs, hard candy, bullion
or individual parmesan cheese/sugar (if space permits)
- freezer bags (water)
- nails (assortment)
- trash bag if it will fit (poncho
or tarp)
- dental floss (twine)
- Advil, Imodium, Benadryl,
vitamins, band aids, SPF chapstick any other essential medicine for you
or your family (all labeled)
- fish hooks, split shot, fish
line, safety pins.
- Survival
cards can go in kit or wallet (you can make something similar).
Personal Fanny Pack (or vest)
This should be small enough and
attached to you so that you do not put it down even when you take a break. Take it with you on any hike, drive or
emergency. A large fanny pack
works well or Ranger Rick
suggests putting everything in a vest and a bamboo walking stick. You can duplicate some of the items in
your mini kit but add substantially.
- Survival
cards or pocket
survival guide (or print some out).
- Knife of your choice (another
one can go in your pocket or on your belt)
- Sharpening
stone (or ceramic
insulator)
- Fire materials (matches and tender
(dryer lint, cotton balls in Vaseline, small candles, etc.) waterproofed)
- Magnifying glass wrapped in
bandana
- Pliers if your knife doesn't
have them
- Compass
- Maps
- Metal cup (boiling water)
- 2 small bottles of water
- Freezer bags (organization,
waterproofing and for more water)
- Small camp soap (or traveler's
shampoo)
- Iodine tablets
- At least 2 trash bags (clear for
still and heavy black for shelter), or tarp and poncho, or space blanket,
or light weight jacket with hood (a shell that compacts) or hat
- Rope, twine and wire
- Headlamp and extra batteries
- Candle
- Wipes
(these are multipurpose and are more compact than toilet paper, keep them
in zip lock bags (add a little water if they get dry))
- Gloves and socks
- Small first aide kit (including
prescriptions)
- Sunscreen and bug repellant.
- Whistle
- Snacks (powerbars, trail mix,
food tabs, tea, Gatorade mix, bullion, beef jerky, MRE)
- A GPS, FRS radio, am/fm radio,
cell phone, or CB can go in here if it fits
- Mini binoculars (to spot
landmarks, approaching fires, etc.)
- Notepad and pencil or pen
- A multipurpose
tool is a good backup for the other items.
72 hour kit (or less)
To some, the 72 hour kit is
everything they have in their house for disasters. I think this should be what you take with you if you have to
evacuate (even on foot). If you
can't carry 72 hours worth of food and water (that is a lot of water even if
you only plan 2 quarts per day), scale it down and put the rest in a car bug
out kit that can be used in your house or on the road. You can also make a similar kit for work
or other places you are likely to be in an emergency. It should be in a medium sized backpack that you can easily
carry (get
a rain cover for the backpack (or make one)—these really help in wet
conditions). Again, repeat items
in your smaller kits as you see fit.
Here are some suggestions:
- It's
a Disaster! Book (or print out a similar one)
- Personal mini-kit and fanny pack
or vest (attached to you separately from the backpack)
- Water (as much as you can fit
without making the bag too heavy, you can carry some containers empty and
fill them later)
- Changes of clothes (several
underwear and socks, long underwear)
- Jacket, hat, and sunglasses
- Sleeping
bag or blanket (and compact pad), hammock
- Soap and other toiletries (comb,
nail clippers and razor)
- Small stove and/or lantern (or
directions and supplies for making one of the stoves above)
- Small tent or tarp and netting,
plastic sheeting, tent poles and stakes (multipurpose)
- Stuff sacks, mesh bags, pillow
cases for organization
- Duct tape
- Hatchet or machete, folding saw
- Small shovel
- Rope, twine and bungee cords
- Backpacking pot/pan
- Cooking and eating utensils
(kitchen knife, can opener, spatula, spoon, forks, plates, cups)
- Foil
- Dish soap, sponge, dish pan or
bucket (collapsible) (also a wash basin or bucket), towel
- Food (Snacks and MREs as well as
rice)
- Vitamins
- Detailed road maps
- topo
maps
- Extra ammo
- Pocket warmers
- A GPS, FRS radio (everyone with
a list of channels to use), am/fm radio, solar calculator, or CB (whatever
you have that fits)
- Copies of important documents,
phone numbers, extra credit card, cash, ID
- Comfort items (book, cards,
bible, pictures, coloring books, games)
Car Kit
Keep this in the car if
possible. I used to keep a lot of
this in my car but since some of it was stolen, I keep most of it in the house
and load it up for longer trips. I
have something similar to the personal fanny pack that I keep hidden in the
jack compartment.
- 72 hour kit
- Flashlight and batteries
- Fire extinguisher
- Jumper cables
- Seat belt cutter and window breaker
(keep within reach)
- Water (bottles can go under the
seats)
- Matches
- Gloves
- Tarps
- Garbage bags
- Wipes
- Maps
- Driving compass
- Rope and/or tow strap and bungee
cords
- First aide kit (any medications)
- Siphon hose for water or gas (do
not drink gas)
- Window washer/scraper
- Crowbar and other tools (hammer,
saw, wrenches, duct tape, fuses, belts, and screws)
- Ax, bucket and shovel (this is
required in some forests)
- Engine oil
- Gas can (keep it empty and
unused unless you have a place for it on the outside of your car or truck)
Stuff you take if you have to Bug Out
This is stuff that is too heavy
to carry in your 72 hour kit but something you can throw in your car (in
addition to what is already there) quickly if you need to evacuate. You might be able to take it in a
garden cart if you can't drive but travel by roads is still safe. Here is an example to help you make
your own
kit (or here). Pack it in crates or duffle bags. Here are some suggestions (what fits in
your car will vary):
- More survival books or books on
camping/country/simple living
- 5 gallon water cans (full)
- Food (cans and other heavy bulky
items)
- Cooler (grab some ice and any
travel friendly fresh items that are still good like cheese, peanut
butter, apples, lemons, and bread)
- Large first aide kit
- Dutch oven
- Stove and fuel or barbeque,
Kelly Kettle
- Lantern (Petromax is good but
expensive)
- Unscented bleach
- Tent and large tarps, rugs
- Blanket and pillows (sleeping
pad, hammock, or cot)
- Paper plates, utensils and cups
- Paper towels and wipes
- Foil
- Solar shower
- Bucket
toilet (you can store garbage bags, toilet paper, wipes, and soap
inside the bucket)
- Many garbage bags
- Laundry soap
- Clothes pins
- Soap and shampoo
- Ant traps and insecticides
- Fishing gear
- Radio and batteries
- Several extra fuel cans (enough
to get to your destination without refueling)
- Propane
heater with fuel
- Generator
- Small safe for guns and
documents
- Bikes (on rack and with pump and
tire repair kit)
- Frisbee or other games
First Aid and Medical Kits
Take a first aide class and more
training if you can. For supplies,
the place to start is with a pre-made small portable first aide kit and a
larger home or car first aide kit.
These are usually $10 to $20 on sale (but can be $100's if you want). You can add items from your
medicine cabinet and replace things like the cheap scissors that usually come
with them. However, these usually are not good for much more than minor cuts
and scrapes (going to a hospital/doctor may not be an option or may take a
while—so do
your best until you can get to one).
For more serious injuries you probably have to make your own kit. The best book is Wilderness
Medicine, by William W. Forgey. His suggested kit in the back of the
book is great (I learned the hard way I needed some of the items that he
recommends and figure the other items are ones I may need in the future). Amazon
and Moore Medical have
most of the items if you can't find them locally. For the house or car first aide kit, I suggest a hard sided
box like a tool box. Dental care is
also important. A toothache is
really distracting. A little dental kit like this
could make you a lot more comfortable until you can see a dentist.
Other Kits
Make other kits as you see
fit. I have a kit that is mainly
in case of terrorist attack (I live and work too close to a likely
target). I have Jane's
Chem-Bio Handbook and what to do if a nuclear attack in imminent as well as Potassium Iodide (seven
days), plastic sheeting, duct tape, Tyvek clothes
coverings, and a face mask
(this is not as good as a gas mask but its what I have). You can spread this to your other kits
if you want.
Security
Protecting yourself from
criminals is as natural
as buying a fire extinguisher to put out fires (but more expensive). Get fences, dead bolts, and lock
your windows at night but if someone really wants to get in your home they
will. Police take an average of
11 minutes or more to respond to violent crimes 40 percent
of the time (sometimes hours), under normal conditions. A lot can happen
in 11 minutes and you are going to wait a lot longer in a crisis. When someone is kicking in your door,
it is too late to go buy a gun.
You are on your own.
Relying on the kindness of someone breaking into your home is not a
good bet.
If you are a gun person, pick
your own gun. This advice if for
those who don't own a gun or don't shoot.
I suggest a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun for every adult (check
you local gun laws). If I had to only have one gun it would
be a shotgun
because of their versatility. A 20
gauge shotgun is more than enough for most purposes including home
defense and has less recoil than a 12 gauge. The Remington
870 is a great choice but many people also like Mossberg. Take a class
on using the shotgun for home defense.
For home defense ammo, I use bird shot. This will not penetrate and
stop a criminal as fast as buck shot but is
also less likely to go
through a wall and hurt an innocent person. Make your own decision here based on who is in adjoining
rooms and how close the neighbors are.
You can always load bird shot as the first few shells followed by buck
shot (keep about 200 rounds on hand because it will be hard to buy in a
crisis). The only options I
recommend are hearing
protection, glasses,
a cleaning
kit, a sling
(guns with slings don't get set down in bad places as much) and maybe a light
or night sights. I think the
factory stocks are fine.
Next on my list would be a
.22. The Ruger
Single Six is a nice
revolver that is convertible to either 22 LR or 22 magnum (This might be a
better choice as the only gun for some people). Also get a holster for it. Savage and CZ make bolt
action rifles that are great bargains. A .22
is a little small for home
defense (it is less likely to stop a criminal in his tracks) but a lot
better than nothing. It is also
important to be comfortable with your gun and a .22 is fun to shoot so you are
more likely to practice
(.22 ammo is very cheap and you can get 1,000 rounds for about
$20). As soon as you are
comfortable with the .22 and your budget allows, you should probably upgrade to
a larger common caliber (.357
for a revolver, 9mm, .40 or .45 for an automatic pistol, 12 gauge for a
shotgun, and .223, .308, 7.62x39, .30-30, or .30-06 for rifles). Get a concealed weapon permit if your state
allows them even if you don't plan on using it (carrying a gun). Again, these take some time to get so
you have to get one before you need it even if you think that will be
never. Also, the required classes
are really great and focus mainly on when not to use a gun. Almost any gun range will offer such a
class (and many others that are worth it too). In general, buying a used
gun is fine (simple guns are very durable) but for the guns I recommend
here, the premium for a new gun (gun store or some sporting good stores) will
probably be less than $100 and probably worth it to avoid any mechanical issues
to start with.
Learn the gun safety rules and
locking up any guns not on your body is a good idea and a necessity if you have
kids (or adults who act like kids) in your home. For pistols you can get a cheap keyed
safe for about $20 (also good for documents). Then you have to hide the key where you can find it quickly
but no one else can. A combination
safe is better but a lot more expensive (practice opening it in the
dark). For long guns you can get a
locking
cabinet for about $100 (some cases have a good
lock and that is a good idea for taking with you in the car), put a lock on a
closet, or get a
real safe for about $1,000.
Trigger locks are generally a bad
idea because you can accidentally pull the trigger when getting them on or
off.
If you decide against a gun, at
least get pepper spray, a baseball bat, or a flashlight. A self-defense class would be good too
(martial arts classes are good but take a long time to become practical). A bullet
proof vest and helmet
would be good but neither is inexpensive.
Finally, there is safety in numbers. Staying with family and friends during a crisis is a good
idea if resources and space allow.
First Steps
- Buy some unscented bleach and start storing water.
- Start accumulating food and other supplies. Initially, just buy more of the food
that you already buy that stores well. Re-pack
as necessary. Get some food
grade buckets or plastic crates and find a cool dark place.
- Start reading more about the risks that you face personally and
ways to deal with them. What
is your plan to deal with each?
- Organize your stuff into personal mini kits, personal fanny
packs (or vests), one or more 72 hour kits for each person for each
location they spend time, a car kit, a bug out kit, and your house stash.
- Practice. This
doesn't have to be a military style exercise. Try camping and living without power and running water
(in your backyard to start with).
Load your car with what you think you would want to take if you had
to evacuate. How long did it
take? Did it all fit? Try driving back roads to get out
of town. Go hiking with your
72 hour kit.
- Periodically take an inventory and revise your plans.
Books and other sources (in order of relevance and
grouped)
Online Resources
SurvivalBlog
(the best daily variety of all types of information at a good price too)
Alpha Rubicon
(The "Mythbusters" of the survival world. Membership required for most information,
great information and more personalities than members)
Non-fiction
Fiction
Some of these are a bit
far
fetched and depressing (worst case) and mainly about TEOTWAWKI (sing “It's The
End of The World as We Know It, and I feel fine" ) (they are fiction)
but still give some good food for thought.
Author's web site: www.PrepareOrDie.com
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Snap Shooting Skills, By Robert R. »
Letter Re: Home Defense Tactics for the Disabled and the Infirmed
Dear Jim,
I want to endorse Flashlight Outlet who
has provided great products, prices and customer service. Larry helped me track
a missing
package I sent to Hawaii, and offered to replace it if it didn't show up
(it did).
My new acquisition is the OLight
T20. I wanted something as bright as my Surefire, but to be able to dial
it down when I didn't need quite that much light. The OLight T20 is even brighter
than the Surefire [when set] at
max, 160 lumens, with four times the battery life with the same C123s (90 minutes
vs 20 for the 120 lumen Surefires), 70 hours at 10 lumens, and has a memory
function so it recalls the last set brightness.
In addition, it has a strobe function that can make it a devastating defense
weapon. I tried it on myself, and the strobing 160 lumens completely disoriented
me, even in indoor light, and left me dazzled for about two minutes. It would
make a great addition to any hand to hand encounter with a bad guy.
The price is reasonable, and includes a lanyard, holster and spare gaskets.
The electronics are a minor concern for potential failure or EMP damage, though
I suspect it would default to max brightness. I'll still be keeping my Surefires
as weapon lights and backup, of course.- Michael
Z. Williamson
« Letter Re: Burning Soft Maple Wood as a Primary Home Heat Source |Main| Note from JWR: »
Home Defense Tactics for the Disabled, Elderly, and Infirmed, by Heghduq
Picture this: It is 2:00 a.m. and you are in bed for the night. Things are
falling apart due to a local upset of some kind, be it man made or a natural
disaster. You are isolated by these events and there is no help to be had
as the local
Authorities are to busy with damage control in other areas. You are disabled
and have little ones to protect. Your spouse is a bit of a worry wart and panics
fairly easy. You hear something that is out of place, what do you do? If you
have any form of home defense you should consider how best to use
them to your advantage. Let’s look at what the possible scenario you
would run into if the Bad Guy really wants to get what you have. With the exception
of Alaska in the summer, the majority of the world is dark at 2:00 a.m. So we
have
one ace here to start and that is the darkness around you. This is an advantage
and
also
a
disadvantage. If applied properly, darkness can be used to give you the edge
in
a confrontation with the Bad Guy.
Lighting around your home is one thing that you should consider. In the case
of a disabled individual, I would suggest that you consider emergency backlighting
of a potential target. One issue that you might
want to consider is backlighting a potential target that may be trying to gain
entry into your home or apartment. The way this works is that if you hear a bump
in the night, you turn off the lights inside of your house and
you have a set of emergency lights outside that come on and
illuminate the front,
rear
and sides
of your home. That way the intruder [who's eyes have adjusted to the bright light]
is
coming
into
the
dark
to find you while he's illuminated from behind. Because you have him backlit,
he
stands
out.
Because
you're in the dark somewhere he is at the disadvantage because his eyes must
first adjust to the dark and you can see him as a silhouette with the outside
lighting. Everything that you do along these lines increases your chances
of
survival
and decreases the intruder's chances.
Think about red dot sights or maybe even when and how to use lasers to your
advantage. So there you are: You're hidden by the darkness with a gun with
a red dot sight
that does not give away your location. You have a suspect
standing across the room from you who can't see but is a perfect target for
you, if you need to shoot. I won't guarantee a 100% first
shot effectiveness but I would be amazed if this approach didn't work out for
you.
Another thing that I would do: contact your
local NRA regional counselor or local NRA firearms instructor. This is
the sort of situation that these great people
live for! They'll come to your place, look it over and make suggestions to
help you out. They'll explore all sorts of options with you and study ways
to help
make your life more secure and safe. Since you have a computer, go to the NRA's
web site and contact them if you think it is appropriate. You can also call
them. I would start with 877-NRA-2000. Explain your
situation
and see if they can forward your call to people who have worked with other
disabled or infirmed people. I'd bet a month's pay that you
will not be the first person
with
a disability to call them.
Another thing that can be of use to you in this situation would be some form
of intruder alert system that would not require utility (120 VAC) electric
power. In a grid-down scenario you will have no power to run your expensive
home alarm
system if you have the luxury of affording such a system. The back lighting
can be accomplished with solar powered lawn lights and good placement. If the
Bad
Guy is smart enough to kill your diesel generator you still have a backup on
the back lighting.
For those of us who have children this project can be great fun. That and your
camouflage you home brewed alarm system that you string across your windows
and seldom used doors. Using 550 Para cord and old soup, vegetable or coffee
cans [with a few small rocks or bits of hardware inside to act as "clappers"],
a hammer and a good sized nail along with some craft paint and brushes you
can
create
a
cheap
alarm
system
that
for all
intents
and purposes
could
scare
the
bad guy away and alert you to an uninvited guest if they are determined to
enter your home. Using the hammer and nail punch holes into the upper part
of each
can so you can run the Para-cord through each can. After you have done this
the family can sit down and paint the cans with the craft paint to dress them
up
a bit. Be creative and make this a family project. Once decorated and the paint
is dry string the Para-cord through the holes and secure them to the window
frame and door jams in a manner that allows them to clank together if someone
tries
to get past them. In the case of the doors I would recommend that you only
string them up at night and in a manner that if the door is opened the cans
would fall
off of the door frame and clatter to the floor. If you have little ones who
have gotten a hold of several cans you can’t believe how much noise those
things make when tossed about on the floor even carpeted floor. If asked about
the cans
hanging in your windows by those people who are not onboard with the prepping
and security issues when TSHTF you
can just explain it as a family art project and your kids were so proud of
their little art masterpieces that you wanted
to show the world how talented you kids are. (Some people might think you were
a bit of a whacko if you told them the cans were used as and intruder alarm.
Sheeple tend to forget that in the event of a grid-down scenario that their
fancy ultra high tech alarms won’t be working.)
The next system was created
by my mother who is 65 and lives alone with her 10 cats. She hates computers
and technology
in general so she had to be creative in her home defense measures. Her weapon
of choice is a 2 foot long wooden stout stick and a can of RAVE #4 hair spray.
An eye full of that stuff and it can be as effective as pepper spray. Believe
me I
walked
in to her room one day to ask a question right when she was spraying her hair.
I think it took me about a week to gain full use of my left eye after she inadvertently
hit me with the stuff. Talk about pain that stuff knocked to the floor as soon
as it hit my eye. Even flushing immediately did little to help. Being hair
spray the stuff sticks real good to anything it hits. I got my first lesson
in unorthodox
defensive weaponry that day. I didn’t give it much thought until years
later when my mom got an uninvited guest trying to get into the house. One
of the transient bums from the homeless shelter down the street though my mom
would
be an easy target. He was drunk and determined. The rattling cans didn’t
deter him he just shoved them aside but that was enough to alert my mom. She
grabbed
her
RAVE hair spray and went to investigate. To her surprise the perp was opening
her bedroom door as she was about to go see what all the noise in the dining
room was. He of course was at the disadvantage because mom had surprise on
her side. The perp was probably not expecting this little old lady with a determined
look on her face to be ready to defend herself. As soon as he opened the door
he got a face full of RAVE. This of course had the desired effect. The perp
nearly broke his neck trying to get out of my mom’s
house. One little thing my mom did to prevent cat escapes was to place a 2x4
across the entrance hall leaving enough room for the front door to open and
to keep
cats from making a mad dash for the door without hitting the 2x4. Well Mr.
Bad Guy in his mad scramble to get out did not see this board and proceeded
to trip
over it on his way out the front door. This of course produced some rather
anecdotal commentary from my mom when she told me what had happened. So with
no fancy
Alarm system and no Gun my mom managed to rid herself of an unwanted guest.
It turns
out that after mom filed the police report the perp was picked up a few hours
later in the emergency room of the local hospital. It seems he was having vision
issues and a bit of a bump on the head from his tumble out the front door of
my mom’s
house. It turned out this guy was bad news there had been a string of break-ins
in the area and he was generally very unpleasant to the home owners if they
confronted
him. Most of the confrontations did not end well for the home owners.
In most
of the cases they were elderly and unprepared for an intruder. In two of the
cases the home owners had security systems but didn’t activate them.
My mom’s security alarm did not require a security code or any form of
activation. It is passive 24x7 protection.
The cops involved in the investigation actually got quite a kick out of my
mom and her little security
system and defensive
measures. For someone living on a fixed income with little to no resources
to protect he home from the bad guys she managed to do something that others
with
the means and resources could not do. I will say if you can afford it having
a good quality security system is always the best means of protecting you and
yours but in the end it is your wits and a little pre-planning that will make
the difference in anything you prepare for. We, as humans, tend to depend on
technology more than we should and in some cases the convenience makes us lax
and we lose
to some degree the edge we will need in a SHTF scenario.
My mom is not rich by any stretch but she has common sense and a severe dislike
for high tech
gadgets.
Having those nice toys would be cool but in the end it won’t be the technology
that keeps us alive it will be our own determination and hard work that keeps
us alive. A dose of practical skills--not technology based--will be the difference
between living or dying in the face of a world turned upside down, be it man's
own self destructive behavior or the wrath of nature. The few who think
"outside the box" will be the ones who make it after the fall of
civilization
as we know it today.
JWR Adds: Readers should beware of using any chemical
weapon that could cause permanent eye injury, such as lye or insect repellent.
Even using hair spray might be misinterpreted as criminal intent to maim
an opponent. In our
litigious
society,
that could result in a lawsuit that could leave you without a home, and penniless.
In
localities where it is legal, I recommend large volume pepper spray dispensers.
These are marketed primarily as bear repellent, with brand names like "Guard
Alaska", "Bear Guard", and "17% Streetwise."
If they are legal in your jurisdiction, then buy several of the big
one-pound dispensers, first making sure that they are at least
a 12% OC formulation. Leave
them concealed but quickly accessible in several parts of your home. You should
keep one by your bedside, one near each exterior door, and one in your bathroom. (The
latter, keeping in mind that criminals might break in at the most inopportune
times!) Now that all of our kids have been properly trained with firearms,
we take the same approach with keeping loaded guns handy. Here in the hinterboonies,
it is four-legged rather than two-legged predators that are our main
concern, but many of the same principles apply--such as maintaining at least Condition
Yellow vigilance and keeping weapons close at hand.
Many of the major firearms training schools such as Front Sight, Gunsite,
and Thunder Ranch make special accommodation for handicapped shooters. I
highly recommend getting the best training available. Having a gun
and knowing how to handle it confidently and competently is a tremendous
equalizer.
Even an 90 pound elderly woman can be a match for a 220 pound man in his
20s that
is on steroids--but only if she
has a gun handy and knows how to use it. Burglars: Beware of Granny with
a Glock. FWIW, I've heard that wheelchair-bound students at Front
Sight have received tremendous support and praise
from
their
fellow
students
and instructors.
Regarding night shooting, I second your motion on backlighting. Short of
using lethal force, you might also consider strobes or other dazzling lights
or sirens that can be
activated
remotely. (Not in the same room that you are in!) That will
be enough to "buffalo" most nighttime intruders. Used photographer's
strobes can often be found on eBay or
on Craig's List for
very reasonable prices. Rigging a remote control switch is child's play.
And in a long term grid-down situation,
a rechargeable boater's compressed air horn might
serve the same
purpose
as an
electric siren. (See BoatersWorld
item
#367340023.)
I generally prefer tritium sights
rather than Red Dot electronic sights. Red Dot sights are battery dependent
and hence require regular inspection and maintenance,
but tritium sights are always "on".
Tritium
is a radioactive isotope gas that has
an
11.2-year
half-life,
so that
in
11 years they will still be half as bright as they were when bought
"fresh".
Since in my experience most tritium sights are too bright when
new, they effectively have a 22+ year useful life. No muss, no fuss, and no
batteries to go dead.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| During a Disaster Event Should You Stay at Home or Leave?, by Grandpappy »
Letter Re: Hunkering Down in an Urban Apartment in a Worst Case Societal Collapse
Hello,
In the event of a disaster (I live in New York City) I intend to shelter
in place until all the riotous mobs destroy each other or are starved out.
I am preparing for up to six months. I have one liter of water stored for
each day (180 liters) and about 50 pounds of rice to eat as well as various
canned
goods. I have not seen on your site anything about heat sources for urban
dwellers who intend to shelter in place. I'm assuming that electricity would
go first soon followed by [natural] gas and running water. Do you have any
recommendations for cooking rice and other foods in this event.
I am considering oil lamps or candles, methane gel used for chafing dishes,
or small propane tanks. Because of the small size of my apartment and potential
hazards of storing fuel I'm unsure which would be best. Please advise. Thank
You, - Michael F.
JWR Replies: I've heard your intended
approach suggested by a others, including one of my consulting clients. Frankly,
I do not think that it is realistic. From
an actuarial standpoint, your chances of survival would probably be low--certainly
much lower than "Getting
Out of Dodge" to a lightly populated area at the onset of a crisis. Undoubtedly,
in a total societal collapse (wherein "the riotous mobs destroy each other",
as
you predict)
there
will be some stay-put
urbanites
that
survive
by their wits, supplemented by plenty of providential fortune. But the vast majority
would perish. I wouldn't want to play those odds. There are many drawbacks
to your plan, any one of which could attract notice (to be followed
soon after by a pack of goblins with a battering ram.) I'll discuss a few complexities
that you may not have fully considered:
Water. Even with extreme conservation measures you will need
at least one gallon
of water per day. That one gallon of water will provide just
enough water for one adult for drinking and cooking. None for
washing. If you run out of water before the rioting ends then you will be
forced
to go out
and forage for water, putting yourself at enormous risk. And even then, you
will have to treat the water that you find with chlorine, iodine (such as Polar
Pure--now very scarce), or with a top quality water filter such as a Katadyn
Pocket water filter.
Food. For a six month stay, you will need far more than just
50 pounds of rice! Work out a daily menu and budget for an honest six month
supply of food with a decent variety and sufficient caloric intake.
Don't overlook vitamin supplements to make up for the lack of fresh fruit and
vegetables. Sprouting is also a great option to provide vitamins and minerals,
as well
as aiding digestion. Speaking of digestion, depending on how your body reacts
to the change in diet (to your storage food), you may need need a natural laxative
in your diet such as bran, or perhaps even a bulk laxative such as Metamucil.
Sanitation. Without water for flushing toilets, odds
are that people in neighboring apartments will dump raw sewage out their windows,
causing
a public health nightmare on the ground floor. Since you will not want to alert
others to your presence by opening your window, and no doubt the apartment
building's
septic
system stack will be clogged in short order, you will need to make plans to
store
you
waste in your apartment. I suggest five gallon buckets. A bucket-type
camping toilet seat (a seat that attaches to a standard five or six gallon
plastic pail) would be ideal. You should also get a large supply of powdered
lime to cut
down on the stench before each bucket is sealed. You must also consider the
sheer number of storage containers required for six months of accumulated human
waste.
(Perhaps
a dozen
5 gallon
buckets
with tight-fitting o-ring seal lids would be sufficient.) Since you won't have
water
available for washing, you should also lay in a supply of diaper wipes.
Space heating. In mid-winter you could freeze to death in
your apartment without supplemental heat. As I will discuss later, a small
heater or just a few candles
can keep the air temperature above freezing.
Ventilation. If you are going to use any source of open flame,
you will need lots of additional ventilation. Asphyxiation from lack of oxygen
or slow carbon
monoxide (CO) poisoning are the alternatives. Unfortunately, in the circumstances
that you envision, the increased ventilation required to mitigate
these hazards will be a security risk--as a
conduit for the smell of food or fuel, as a source of light that can be seen
from outside the apartment, and as an additional point of entry for robbers.
Security. The main point of entry for miscreants
will probably be your apartment door. Depending on the age of your apartment,
odds are that
you have
a traditional solid core wood door. In a situation where law and order has
evaporated, the malo hombres will be able to take their time and break
through doors with fire axes, crow bars and improvised battering rams. It is
best to replace wooden apartment doors with steel ones. Unless you own a
condo rather than lease an apartment, approval for a door retrofit is unlikely.
However, your apartment manager might approve of this if you pay for
all the work yourself and you have it painted to match the existing doors.
Merely
bracing a wood door will not suffice. Furthermore, if you have an
exterior window with a fire escape or your apartment has a shared balcony,
then those
are also
points of entry for the
bad guys. How could you effectively barricade a large expanse of windows?
If you live in a ground floor apartment or an older apartment with exterior
metal fire escapes, then I recommend that you move as soon
as possible to a third, fourth, or fifth floor apartment that is in a modern
apartment building
of
concrete construction,
preferably without balconies, with steel entry doors, and with interior fire escape stairwells.
Self Defense. To fend off intruders, or for self defense
when you eventually emerge from your apartment, you will need to be well-armed.
Preferably you should also be teamed with
at least two other armed and trained adults. Look into local legalities
on
large volume pepper spray dispensers. These are marketed primarily as bear
repellent, with brand names like "Guard Alaska", "Bear Guard", and "17% Streetwise."
If they are indeed legal in your jurisdiction, then buy several of the big
one-pound dispensers, first making sure that they are at least
a 12% OC formulation.
If you can get
a firearms
permit--a bit complicated in New York City , but not an insurmountable task--then
I recommend that you get a Remington, Winchester, or Mossberg 12 gauge pump
action
shotgun with a SureFire flashlight forend. #4 Buckshot (not to be confused
with the much smaller #4 bird shot) is the best load for defense in
an urban environment where over-penetration (into
neighboring
apartments)
is an issue. But if getting a firearms permit proves too daunting, there is
a nice exemption in the New
York City
firearms
laws
for
muzzleloaders
and pre-1894 manufactured antique guns that are chambered for cartridges
that are no
longer commercially made. It is not difficult to find a Winchester Model
1876 or a Model 1886 rifle that is in a serial number range that distinguishes
it as pre-1894 production.
(See: Savage99.com for
exact dates of manufacture on 12 different rifle models.) You will be
limited to chamberings like
.40-65 and .45-90. You can have a supply of ammunition custom loaded. A Winchester
Model 1873 or and early Model 1892 chambered in .38-40 might also be an option,
but I would recommend one of the more potent calibers available in the large
frame
(Model
1876 or 1886 ) rifles. Regardless, be sure to select rifles with excellent
bores and nice mechanical condition.
For an antique handgun, I would recommend a S&W
double action top break revolver chambered in .44 S&W Russian. None
of the major manufacturers produce .44 S&W Russian ammunition. However,
semi-custom extra mild loads (so-called "cowboy"
loads, made specially for the Cowboy Action
Shooting enthusiasts) in .44 S&W Russian are now available from Black
Hills Ammunition. The Pre-1899 Specialist (one of our advertisers) often has
large
caliber S&W
double action top break revolvers available for sale. The top breaks are very
fast to load, and you can even use modern speed loaders designed for .44 Special
or .44 Magnum cartridges with the stumpy .44 S&W Russian loads.(It has
the same cartridge "head" dimensions.)
Firearms training from a quality school (such as Front
Sight) is crucial.
Fire Detection and Contingency Bug-Out. A battery-powered
smoke detector is an absolute must. Even if you are careful with candles,
lanterns, and cook stoves, your neighbors may not be. There is a considerable
risk that
your
apartment
building will catch fire, either intentionally of unintentionally. Therefore,
you need to have a "Bug Out" backpack ready to grab at a moment's
notice. Although they are no proper substitute for a fireman's compressed
air breathing rig, a
commercially-made egress smoke hood or a
military surplus gas mask might allow you to escape your building
in time. But even if you escape the smoke and flames,
then
where
will that
you
leave
you?
Outdoors,
at an unplanned hour (day or night), in a hostile big city that is blacked
out, with no safe means of escape. (This might prove far too reminiscent of
the the 1980s Kurt Russell movie
"Escape from New York.") By the time this happens, the mobs
may not want just
the contents of your backpack. They may be sizing you up for a meal!
Fuel storage. Bulk fuel storage has three problematic issues:
1.) as a safety issue (fire hazard), 2.) as a security issue (odors that could
attract
robbers),
and
3.) as a legal
issue (fire code or tenant contract restrictions). I suspect that
New York City's fire code would not allow you have more than a week's worth
of propane on hand, and completely prohibit keeping more than just one small
container of kerosene or Coleman fuel. From the standpoint of both safety and
minimizing detectable odors, propane
is
probably
the best option. (The odors of kerosene and chafing dish gel are both quite
discernable.) But of course consult both your local fire code and your apartment
lease agreement
to determining
the
maximum
allowable
quantity
to keep
on hand.
Odds are that there will be no limit on the number of candles that you can
store. If that is the case, then lay in large supply of unscented jar
candles designed for long-burning (formulated high in stearic acid.) I
suggest the tall, clear glass jar-enclosed "devotional" candles manufactured
in large numbers for the Catholic market. You can even heat individual servings
of food over these if you construct a stand with a wide base out of stout
wire. Watch for these candles at discount and close-out stores. We have found
that
the
large adhesive labels slip off easily if you soak the jars in water for an
hour. Since their burning time is approximately 24 hours, and since
you might
need
two
of them
burning
simultaneously for
sufficient
light
and to stay warm,
that would necessitate laying in a supply of 360 candles! (This assumes that
the worst case, with the outset of a crisis in October, and your having to
hunker down
for a full six months.)
Fire fighting. Buy at least two large multipurpose ("A-B-C")
chemical fire extinguishers
Cooking odors. In addition to the smell of fuel, cooking
food will produce odors. I recommend that you store only foods with minimal
spices. In situation where you are surrounded by starving people, just frying
foods with grease or heating up a can of spicy chili con carne could
be a death warrant.
Noise discipline. Just the sound of moving around your apartment
could reveal your presence. For some useful background,
see if your local library has a copy of the best-selling memoir "The
Pianist", by Wladyslaw
Szpilman.
(If not, buy a copy through Amazon or request a copy via inter-library loan.
It has been published in 35 languages. The US edition's ISBN is 0312244150.)
The book describes the harrowing experiences of a Jewish musician in hiding
in Warsaw, Poland,
during
the
Second
World War.
Following
the 1943
Warsaw Ghetto uprising and forced deportation, Szpilman spent many months
locked in a Warsaw apartment, receiving just a few parcels of food from some
gentile friends.
In his situation, the power and water utilities were still operating most of
the
time,
but he
suffered from slow
starvation and lived in absolute fear of making any noise. His survival absolutely
defied the odds. There was also an excellent 2002
movie based on Szpilman's book, but the memoir provides greater detail
than the film.
Light discipline. If you have any source of light
in your apartment, it could reveal your presence. In an extended power blackout,
it will become
obvious to looters within a couple of weeks who has lanterns or large supplies
of candles and/or flashlight batteries. (Everyone else will run out within
less than two weeks.) And I predict that it will be the apartments
that are still lit up that will be deemed the ones worth robbing.
So if you are going to have a light source, you must systematically black out
all of your windows. But sadly these efforts will be in direct conflict with
your need for ventilation for
your heating
and/or
cooking.
Heat. With the aforementioned restrictions on fuel storage,
heating your apartment for more than just a few days will probably be impossible.
Buy an expedition quality sleeping bag--preferably a two-bag
system such as a
Wiggy's brand FTRSS. Under
the circumstances that you describe, don't attempt to heat your
entire apartment. Instead, construct a small room-within-a-room (Perhaps
under a large dining room table, or by setting up a camping tent inside your
apartment, to hoard heat.) Even if the rest of the
apartment drops to 25 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit, your body heat alone will keep
your demi-room
in the 40s. Burning just one candle will raise the temperature another 5 or
10 degrees. For the greatest efficiency at retaining heat, your demi-room
should be draped with two layers of mylar
space blankets.
Exercise. While you are "hunkered down", you will
need to maintain muscle tone. Get some quiet exercise equipment,
such as a pull-up bar and some large elastic straps. Perhaps, if your budget
allows in the future,
also purchase or construct your own a quiet stationary
bicycle-powered generator. This would provide both exercise and battery charging.
Sanity. .Hunkering down
solo in silence for six months would be a supreme
challenge,
both physically
and
mentally. Assuming that you can somehow tackle all of the aforementioned
problems, you also need to plan to stay sane. Have lots of reading materials
on hand.
In conclusion, when one considers the preceding long list
of dependencies and complexities, it makes "staying
put" in a worst case very unattractive. In less inimical circumstance, it
is
certainly feasible, but in a grid-down situation
with utilities disrupted and
wholesale
looting
and rioting in progress, the big city is no place to live. But, as always,
this is just my perspective and your mileage may vary (YMMV).
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Letter Re: Retreat Security--Lessons Learned from the Rhodesian Experience
Jim:
After giving it some thought [to post-TEOTWAWKI retreat
security], I think we need to study many of the homestead/farmstead fortifications
used during
the [late 1970s] Rhodesian
Bush
War and
to a certain extend in
rural South Africa in the present day. Of course, one would need to adjust
for legalities so one would not be breaking any laws. - Lame Wolf
[JWR Adds: Lame Wolf also sent us a great quote from a
letter by "Rhodesian" that was first posted at the Small Wars Journal
(SWJ) web site. BTW I recommend the SWJ site--in particular their Reference
Library pages--as a research tool for anyone seeking insight on retreat
security and living in turbulent
times.]:
Rhodesian Farmers Defensive Arrangements
At every farm, defensive arrangements were made up to suit their particular
situation and infrastructure. The following would be a general overview:
1) Most farmers fitted hand-grenade grills to the outside of all windows. Doors
leading outside were likewise security grilled.
2) Many farmers built thick walls about a meter in front of bedroom windows
to stop bullets, but particularly to deal with RPG-7s. Beds were never placed
against the outside walls of a farmhouse.
3) It was usual to have a designated safe room within the farmhouse that could
be defended until support arrived. Sometimes this was a central corridor that
allowed the farmer to move into other rooms to attack those outside through
the windows. In the loft or ceiling over the safe room, some farmers laid sand
bags to deal with possible mortar attack.
4) Every farmhouse in a given area was linked by a radio system called “Agric
Alert”. This allowed radio contact with other farmers who formed their
own defence units, usually under the umbrella of PATU (Police Anti-Terrorist
Unit), which would react to a call from one of their neighbours for assistance.
Another means of alarm raising was the use of a signal rocket - The Agric-Alert
system was not done away with after the war, such was the lack of trust in
Mugabe`s promises. It performed admirably as well when dealing with criminal
activity such as stock theft. The alert system arranged for all farmers to
check in with each other at a given time in the morning and evening as a means
of monitoring their status.
5) Around all farmhouse gardens were erected security fences with barbed wire
(or razor wire) and which often had simple alarm systems built into them. Some
I believe were electrified, if not before the end of the war, certainly afterwards.
Within the fence boundary, every farmer usually had a couple of large dogs.
The dogs were fed their largest meal in the morning instead of the evening,
in order to help keep them awake at night. Other farmers had geese or ducks,
which made excellent guard “dogs.” Gardens were kept deliberately
trim so as to keep clear fields of view and fire etc. The farm houses also
had outside flood lighting erected in such a way as to blind those outside
the fence, but not to interfere with the vision of those within the farmhouse.
6) All farmers and their wives were armed with an assortment of weapons, and
most farmers were trained military men. They had at least one assault rifle,
usually an FAL 7.62, assorted shot guns, .303 hunting rifles and so forth.
It was also not unusual for wives to carry Uzi`s around with them, or other
equivalents such as the Rhodesian Cobra. All members of the family were trained
on the various weaponry available to them, including the kids. In one famous
incident a child successfully fought off the attacking terrorists after both
of his parents were wounded. The main defensive weapons were at all times within
immediate reach of the adult farmhouse occupants, and were placed next to the
bed at night.
7) Some farmers used mine protected vehicles, as a favourite of terrorists
was to landmine the driveway outside the fence. A great deal of time was spent
looking at the dirt roads for freshly dug earth points and so forth when driving
around the farm.
8) Some farm gardens and particular points external to the fence were wired
with home-made claymore like devices strategically placed in areas where attackers
were likely to take cover. In a few instances farmers deliberately erected “cover
positions” for the terrorists to use outside the fence, which were then
blown up upon attack. A particular favourite was a section of plastic piping
filled with nails, nuts, bolts, screws and so forth. I witnessed tests with
these and the tubes cleared large areas of their intended aiming point of all
bush cover and leaves from trees etc for about 30 meters into the bush. By
placing a number of figure 8`s in front of these tests, it was apparent from
the strike patterns that not one of them would have walked again had they been
terrorists.
9) Some farmers also hired soldiers on leave to guard their premises at night.
Usually these were men looking for extra beer money. They were
called Bright Lights [referring to the bright lights of Salisbury, the nation's
capitol, since most of these were "city boys"], and often ended up
in fire fights with the terrorists, where they came as a
nasty
surprise
to
the
terrs
when
the latter
were expecting
a nice soft hit and run. Like all farmers in an area, Bright Lights would participate
in the support of other farmers when the situation required.
10) Good relationships with farm labour, particularly the house staff, very
often warned of problems before they occurred. All of us who grew up in the
country have fond memories of those employees who took care of us as kids,
and who often placed themselves at great risk for doing so.
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Letter Re: Coleman Fuel--Uses and Storage Life
Hi Jim,
According to Coleman's web site, Coleman
fuel can be stored for 5 to
7 years. I wondered if a chainsaw with the correct oil additive run
on Coleman fuel. So I did a web search, and this is what I found, over at the
Timebomb 2000 (Y2K) Discussion Forums, posted back in 1998] - E.L.:
Coleman Fuel the Final Word!
Boy What did I start? I have seen more rumors and half truths about Coleman
fuel since I posted that it did work on engines!! Coleman fuel is a very
highly refined version of gasoline! It has no additives
in it. It comes in sealed metal cans and it stores at least five years if
you keep it cool and leave it alone til you use it! It will
work in all gasoline engines! You mix oil in 2 cycle [engine]s so that is
not a problem. In 4 cycle add 1/2 to 1 oz of ATF or
Marvel Mystery Oil per gallon of fuel to provide top cylinder lube. If you
want to go one step further get some lead substitute for the old regular
burning engines. Okay?
Now I am going to provide you with a very basic primer on
how oil and fuel relate to the cracking (refining) tower. crude oil in:[the]
lowest [fractioning] levels give you motor oils then fuel oils. Here is how
it is,, [from] top to bottom:
LPG (Much
more done to refine but you get the idea), white gasoline, Racing gas, Avgas,
Gasoline, K1 kerosene, kerosene fuel oil, #1 fuel oil, #2 fuel oil, #3
fuel oil, # 4 motor oils. Okay, now there are many other products made
at various levels and many other additives are introduced to provide the
end
products we use but this gives you an Idea as to how the various fuels
relate.
Now if you want to store some Coleman fuel for emergency use, then go
ahead, do it! If it burns gas it will burn Coleman! But if you want
to use it try it now! Don't wait to see if it will work, don't
post over and over and over.Try it out for yourself!!! But
don't plan on it being your primary fuel. You can't possibly
store enough [in one gallon cans] to run generators on it. Most of you have no
clue as to how much fuel a gasoline generator really uses. Running
a typical gas generator would run you at least 5 gallons per day, every day,
assuming you only ran it 5-6 hours per day! Do the math! Store 20 gallons [of
Coleman fuel] for your chainsaw. Another 10 for the log splitter. But that's
about it. if you need to use some for another reason for a short term use go
ahead! But if your looking for long term continuous use get
a diesel car, truck, generator, or whatever. - Rich H.
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Storm After-Action Report and More Thoughts on Western Washington as a Retreat Locale, by Countrytek
Introduction
I'm a life-long Western Washington resident - except for five years in Kansas & two
in Berlin while in the U.S. Army. I'm the great-grandchild
of Washington pioneers. I love this state - the ocean, mountains and fertile
valleys - but what it has become -- not so much.
This past weekend, (November 30 - December 1, 2007), the Olympic Peninsula
of Washington state was hit by an arctic front from the Gulf of Alaska, dropping
3-6" of snow in our area. The weather folks told us not to worry, that
it wouldn't last long, because we had a "Pineapple Express" blowing
in from Hawaii. (If this were the other Left Coast, they'd call it
a tropical depression -- but up here in the Great North Wet, we don't rate
such notoriety,
so they just call it a "Pineapple Express.") The West coast of Washington
(and parts of the North coast) experienced sustained hurricane force winds,
with gusts as high as 130 mph in places. An aircraft landing at Boeing Field
in Seattle recorded gusts of 140 knots at 4,000 feet on his approach.
I took one look at weather conditions this morning, and decided that it was
a good day to hunker down and take care of me and mine. I called into work
about two hours later. (Days when they expect bad weather, I get up extra early.).
They said "Yeah, yeah, all the roads between here and there are closed
. . . Have a great day!" They were right. The embankment above U.S.
101 slid out and across both the southbound and the northbound lanes.
To make the picture complete, S.R. 8 was closed by slides, as well, so going
the back roads to get to 8 to go around the slide on 101 was out of the question.
My supervisor was more optimistic than me, and spent about ninety minutes in
traffic snarls before getting turned around to go home.
So, anyway, for those of you who might be thinking that there are parts of
the West side of Washington state that might make a good retreat, here's the
shakeout:
- U.S. 101 & S.R. 8 both closed by mudslides in multiple locations leaving
only one route on or off the Olympic Peninsula: S.R. 3 via S.R. 16
from Tacoma, crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge. (It wound up being choked
down to one lane
late in the day, due to flooding and mudslides.) All alternate
secondary and county roads blocked by mudslides, flooding, fallen trees or
washed-out
bridges.
- At the end of the day, every river in Western Washington
is above flood stage. The Skokomish River (always the first to flood, and the
last back in
its banks)
is in a record flood from this event. (Mix heavy lowland snow with over 9" of
rain and unseasonably warm temperatures, and you get big water!) This means that
you have flooding in every county in Western Washington.
- My county (Mason County ) lost its main feed from the Bonneville Power Administration
(BPA),
putting the majority of the county in the dark for about eight hours. We had
to wait for a BPA engineer to replace the blown breaker. I'm sure it's much too
complex for our county PUD engineers! (Funny! I live next door to one, and across
the street from another, and both seem pretty competent to me.)
- Three small towns in Lewis County evacuated due to flooding.
- 20 miles of I-5 closed South of Chehalis (Lewis County) due to flooding.
- Hood Canal floating bridge closed due to high winds
- All North-South rail corridors blocked by slides or flooding
- Tahuya & Skokomish river valleys isolated due to mudslides and flooding
- Fire district had three separate relief centers set up. The problem was, none
of the people who needed them could get to them, and rescue crews couldn't get
to
the stranded people to rescue them. Entry into the isolated areas required a
lot
of
chainsaw and bulldozer work.
- One beach community was evacuated by Coast Guard helicopter due to isolation
by
mudslides
- One death in Mason county, two in Grays Harbor. (Mudslide, falling tree, medical
equipment made non-functional by power outage.)
- As of this writing, there are still about 1,000 people who are stranded and
un-reachable by emergency services -- including a woman in labor. (And this is
just in my mostly rural county!)
- Very few grocery stores in Western Washington have backup generators, which
means that if the power is off for more than a few hours, all refrigerated
foods, dairy, and fresh meat must be disposed of -- and, of course, is unavailable
to feed hungry people.
Personal Actions:
- Had a breakfast of French toast so we got some warm food into us -- just in
case.
- Went out and stowed anything liable to blow away, including our Christmas tree
and
barbecue.
- Touched base with family and close friends
- Talked to my wife's sister and brother-in-law on their return from their
jobs in the Great Cesspool. (Known to the more urbane as Seattle.) They had to
brave
the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Always an adventure in high winds! [JWR Adds: This
bridge's predecessors was the one that was made famous by the movie of its wild
wind oscillation
and collapse],
drive
to
Bremerton, then back-track down S.R. 3 to get to their house and rental house
that
were both flooding.
They reported that there were frequent encounters with water flowing over the
road surface on S.R. 3.
- Talked one nephew out if taking the same route that my sister and brother-in-law
came in, tried to talk another out of taking the back roads back to his house.
He
made
it okay,
but power is out and the creek is threatening. (God bless the man who designed
4-wheel drive!)
- Loaned an extra 100' extension cord to brother-in-law sister so she could get
power from
their genset to their house.
- The BPA breaker blew about 10 o'clock, so we munched cold rations and read
by
sunlight
until it was time to dig out flashlights and candles.
- Listened to local news on our hand-crank radio.
- Kept in touch with my brother-in-law's siblings via hard-wire phone (No cellular
service
at all,
which is not all that unusual here in "cell hell," and - of course
- cordless phones don't work when there's no power.)
- Gave ten gallons of water to my brother-in-law's sister when she came back
into town. (They're on a well and chose to power the freezers and refrigerator
instead
of
the
well. they
should consider getting a second [or larger] genset.)
- Lifted our Pepsis toward our next door neighbor's house after the lights came
back on an hour earlier than the last prediction.
- Checked the fridge and freezers to find everything as cold as if the power
never hiccupped at all.
- Made dinner.
- Sat down at the PC to check for road closures for the morning and to compose
this
AAR.
This is yet another "100 year event." Funny, those "100 year events" seem
to be coming up every couple years nowadays. Global warming? Over-development?
(Much formerly absorbent ground is now capped by spec houses, strip malls, big
box stores and the asphalt that accompanies them.) Natural weather cycles? I
don't know. Could be a combination of all three.
Okay, that's the feed-back on one event. Here are my other observations on Western
Washington as a potential retreat locale:
Land: Due to the real estate bubble, this stuff is pretty
precious. Good luck finding good land below $10,000 per acre. Expect to pay
more. Finding land
of any size is getting pretty difficult as well, as anything that's twice the
size
of the minimum growth density (5-to-20 acres) gets sub-divided for spec houses
or snapped up by conservation Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs).
(Look for that to change somewhat now that the
bubble has sprung a leak.) Expect unrealistic expectations from the sellers.
The past 30 years have been spent in pursuit of the mythical California buyer
(or green NGO) who can afford to drop multiple millions on the "right" place.
Reality may set in on that front too -- eventually. If you can find good land
at a decent price, buy it! It won't last long. Be careful about water -- especially
out here on the Olympic Peninsula. Either buy it with developed water (a working
well), or make the sale contingent on both being able to develop a
good water supply and being able to get a septic permit. (Yes! You
can do this. Anything
in writing is legal in a land transfer in Washington state -- which means you
need to read and understand all that fine print. Beware of
[restrictive] covenants!)
Several things you need to bear in mind when looking for land:
- 44% of Washington's land is in Federal hands.
- This includes the vast majority of the Olympic Peninsula - there's a narrow
band around the coast that's in private hands - except for the dozen tribal reservations
and the National Park.
- Big timber means something out here. Most of the large non-NGO private tracts
belong to one of the big three timber companies: Simpson, Weyerhauser or Louisiana
Pacific.
- NGO. Learn what it means. There are a lot
of them out here. One stated goal is to acquire all the private land on the
Olympic
Peninsula and SW Washington and "rehabilitate it." (That means get
rid of the unwashed.) Which brings us to . . .
Regulatory Environment:Welcome to the Nanny state! Forget
about throwing up a cordwood castle with "a little house out back." Those
days are long gone this side of the hump (and from
what I've seen on my too infrequent
trips
over the hump, fading fast on the dry side [of Washington], too). Forget about
being able to put in a gravity flow septic system. This is the land of the
engineered system!
Almost always above ground, usually including one or more [electrically-powered]
pumping systems. If you buy developed land that includes an existing gravity-flow
septic
system,
the baby that puppy! You do not want it to fail! Because, if it does,
you will be putting in a very expensive engineered system to replace it.
System capacity is calculated by the number of bedrooms in your residence,
so having a wink wink "den" is not unusual around here. Get creative!
You can
have sewing rooms, libraries, media rooms (Children are the ultimate
media, after all -- they are you writ on eternity . . . or at least the next
generation.),
or whatever non-sleeping purpose room you can think of -- just do not exceed
the number of bedrooms that your system is designed to carry. If you decided
to "second-purpose" some
of those non-bedrooms, it would be wise to find out about - and make friends
with - the local septic pumping guy who can keep his mouth shut! (Hint: If
he's one of the County Planner's brothers-in-law, he probably ain't the guy
you're
looking for!)
Think that's the worst? Not hardly! Ever heard of "Critical Habitat Zones" or "Aquifer
Recharge Areas?" This is new-speak for "We're taking your land, and
you get to pay for it!" It's a toss-up for which is worse, because basically
what it means is that the land-owner gets to pay for returning the land to
some mythical "pre-aboriginal state," Whatever in God's creation that is
supposed to be -- and however some pencil-neck with a PhD is going to verify
it! Because - unless I miss my mark - the only ones who are going to know what
this land looked like before the aboriginal peoples got here would
be the bears
and God! I don't think too many PhDs hereabouts confer with either. Oh, yeah
. . . Once you're finished paying for restoring your land to it's long-previous
pristine condition, you - nor none of your kith nor kin - may ever set
foot on it again. Did I mention you do get to keep the inestimable
privilege of
paying taxes on said land that you were compelled to improve in a way that
you might - or might not - agree with -- and may never use again? It boggles
this country boy's mind, let me tell you!
I could go on and on . . . But at the risk of stretching your incredulity
even further -- Let's jump to Politics!
Political Environment:
All policy is set by the Seattle set. If you think otherwise, you're delusional
and should seek proper assistance. Yes, we have some real conservatives hereabouts,
but not enough to matter. It doesn't help that most of the "loyal opposition" are
more interested in sticking it to each other (in one sense or the other) than
fighting the foes across the aisle. This state is the gold-bound proof to the
theory that at least 85% of evangelical Christians refuse to register to vote
or go to the polls. There are a lot of very nice Christian folk hereabouts
- but
either
they don't vote, or there's a complete disconnect between their faith and their
politics. So now that we've settled that little question, let's look at the
characteristics of a typical denizen of the Great Cesspool:
o Frequently seen at the statue of V.I. Lenin in Ballard
o Is a deep ecologist
o Supports radical feminism
o Believes that animals, trees and flowers are more valuable than children
o Is staunchly "pro-choice"
o Hung out/ sat-in upon / got lucky at "Red Square" whilst attending "The
U"
o Has dabbled in Wicca, Earth Mother Worship, an Eastern religion, or is "spiritually
sensitive"
o Probably a union Democrat, or the spawn thereof
o Drives - or covets - a high-end Japanese or European luxury/sport sedan, SUV,
or hybrid vehicle
o Thinks most Christians need re-education, or at least intense sensitivity training
o Believes that the owning property is for the privileged -- not the un-washed.
(Guess which camp he/she/it falls in?)
o Rabidly anti-gun
o Radically Politically Correct (PC)
o Is certain that patriotism is a curable condition
o Voted for Kucinich and will vote for Obama
o Is convinced that Starbucks is a cultural center
o Thinks the U.N. is humanity's only hope
Public Education:
Perennially over-funded and under-performing. Case-in-point: The top-rated
public school district in the state has a 44% drop-out rate for boys. Girls
do much
better: 36%. Most districts turn out the barely-literate as their average students.
What can one expect from a system that comes up with concepts like "compulsory
volunteerism" Oh yeah, your kids can get extra credit for participating
in an anti-war rally or an Act-Up event. My advice to anyone moving here that
has children - or expects to have children - avoid the Washington public
school system like the plague! Fortunately, we still have a pretty
much hands-off homeschool environment here and some very good parochial schools.
Raise 'em
up right, teach
them critical thinking skills, and there just might be some hope for this socialist's
paradise!
Media:
Bookmark your favorite conservative radio shows' web sites! Because you are
not going to hear them on the airwaves around here. To give you an idea
which way the wet side media leans: A cat getting shot with a BB gun will be
reported
with more gravity and sympathy than the beating death of a child or the gang
rape of a young woman. 'Nuff said?
Culture?
- We got tons of it! As long as it's oh-so properly PC.
Crime:
- Can we say "methamphetamine?" Keep an eye on your back 40. It may
sprout a meth lab. (So might the neighbor's rental property.)
- High rates of burglary and car theft
- Robberies and home invasions up
- I.D. theft on the rise
Hazards
- The Economic Bubble os due to burst. We've always had a boom and bust economy
here, and it's been riding high for too long.
- Earthquake
o We're overdue for "The Big One." This is especially true for the
Cascadia Subduction Zone and the Seattle
fault complex.
· Either of these could spawn dramatic Tsunamis. Avoid locating in low-lying
costal areas or areas prone to slippage. You really want to learn about the
Cascadia Subduction Zone and plan accordingly. An event on this system will be
a regional event -- from Alaska
to mid-California.
Outlying areas will be on their own - probably for at least a month
- due to bridge collapses and land slides. Also, aid will go first to where
it does
the
most good for the highest number. I'm thinking that means the Puget Sound Metroplex,
Portland, the Oregon I-5 corridor and San Francisco.
· We're talking a magnitude 9+ event with a duration of 10-15 minutes
at the slip point, which translates to a 6-8 magnitude event of the same duration
in the
heavy population centers, possibly followed by a Tsunami measured in the hundreds of feet.
· Historically, there's been an event on this system every 300 years or
so. The last one was in the mid-1700s. You do the math.
o Volcanoes
- All the major Cascade and Olympic mountain range peaks are volcanoes. Most
are active.
- The Golden Horde
o The Puget Sound Metroplex currently holds 3.5 million people. It is expected
to grow to ~ 5.2 million by 2025
- Most have supplies for no more than three days - if any at all
- Most are used to an upper-middle class existence with all the urban/suburban
amenities.
- Most are familiar with the Cascade and Olympic regions.
-
Despite the anti-gun environment they foster and support, many will be armed.
- Many have off-road capable vehicles (The up-side is that 95% of those
have never actually taken their vehicles off-road.)
- Many have boats
- Many have quads or dirt bikes
- Many have RVs
- You won't need to worry about them during a Cascadia event or a Nuclear
strike, because they won't be able to get to you in the former case -- and most
will
be vaporized in the latter.
· All other scenarios: Plan for and expect The Golden Horde.
- One more happy thought: Here on the Olympic Peninsula we see just as many
Oregon plates on the weekend as we do from Washington, so expect some of the
Portland
Horde
if you settle on the Peninsula or in southwestern Washington.
- And yet another: Many rural Washington counties contain prisons . . .
What's going to happen when the lights go out and/or the guards don't get paid?
- Terrorism
o Due to the high population and strategic location of the Puget Sound Metroplex
it is a high-value/high-visibility target.
- Nuclear First-strike Target List
o Primary
-
Ft. Lewis & McChord AFB (Tacoma/S Pierce County)
- Bremerton Naval Ship Yard
- Bangor Submarine Warfare Center and Base
- Whidbey NAS
- Everrett Naval Station (Everett/Marysville)
- Fairchild AFB (Spokane)
- Hanford Nuclear Energy Complex
o Secondary
- Seattle
· Boeing
·
Other heavy manufacturing & high tech
· Port
· Ship yards
·
Transportation & communication center
- Tacoma
· Port
· Shipyards
·
Other heavy manufacturing & high tech
·
Transportation & communication center
- Everett
· Boeing
·
Other heavy manufacturing & high tech
· Port
- Bellingham
· Port
- Portland, Oregon
· Port
·
Transportation & communication center
- East Side Corridor
·
High-tech & biotechnology
· Communications center
· Transportation corridor
- Cherry Point (Bellingham, Whatcom County)
· Petroleum Refinery complex
- Padilla Bay (Anacortes, Skagit County)
· Petroleum Refinery complex
o Tertiary
- Kelso/Longview
· Port
· Rail hub
- Aberdeen/Hoquiam
· Port
- Olympia
· Seat of Government
· Minor port
- Anacortes
· Minor port
- Moses Lake
·
Long runway (Fighter & Bomber capable)
-
SEA-TAC (Both the City & Airport)
·
Long runway (Fighter & Bomber capable)
- Tri-cities (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick)
· Brain drain Battelle, etc. (Hanford staff/researchers)
If the nukes ever fly, the Western half of this state is going to look like
we had missile silos all over the place. Why? Transportation, military, high-tech & communications.
- Pandemic
o Both SEA-TAC {seattle -Tacoma airport] and to a lesser extent, PDX (Portland
International) are international hubs -- and of course, Vancouver BC's airport
is their Canadian
counterpart.
Flights originate for the Pacific Rim countries, Europe, Mexico and Central
and South America.
o Washington sits in the mainstream of the Pacific Flyway for migratory fowl.
o Washington is a major poultry producer
Conclusion
So, are you wondering why I haven't run screaming
for the hills of Idaho yet? Like I said in my intro: I love this state. It
has its problems -- probably
more than its fair share, for that matter. But, it is beautiful. One acre
of good Western Washington bottom land will support a cow and her calf well
--
two will support a horse at a high level of feed. It will also grow just
about anything,
and you are blessed with a long growing season. Rain can be a bit problematic
at harvest times -- but my ancestors managed to muddle through somehow. There
are a lot of nice folk, too . . . Just wish they'd let me tell 'em how to
vote -- and then actually do it!
Of course, I could just be living in the state of De Nile. - Countrytek
« Letter Re: Nutritional Supplements and Preparedness |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Sources for a FN FAL Clone Rifle »
Letter Re: Home/Retreat Power Generator Noise Reduction by "Jerry the Generator Guy"
Jim,
One thing to note about generator noise reduction. It's not just a matter of
running quiet by normal standards. It's a matter of running quiet when nothing
else is making any noise. With the grid down, a lot of normal background
noise will be gone. That was one reason for my choice of solar electric power
over a generator. - Raymond
JWR Replies: Remember that light discipline will be
just as important as noise discipline, post-TEOTWAWKI.
It is important to have the materials on hand to black-out your windows. Regardless
of your
power
source,
if you have
power when nobody else does for blocks--or miles, then your house would be
a "come loot me" beacon at night. Buy a stack of 1/2-inch plywood and two dozen
2"x4"x8'
studs now. Carefully measure and cut inserts for
each of your windows, and label each of them for quick reference. The edges
can be
wrapped
with rags
or old
blankets. They can be tacked in
place (so that they don't fall inward) with finishing nails or power screws
driven in above, parallel to the sheet of plywood. At the same time, build
a framework of 2x4s so that
you can
make a
relatively light proof "airlock"--something a little bigger than a phone
booth. It can be covered in opaque blankets. That way you can open your front
door without fear of a blast of light escaping. T o be prepared for any
overlooked light leaks, buy a few cans of expanding insulating foam (such
as Dow "Great Stuff",
available at any hardware or building supply store such as Lowe's or Home
Depot)
and some dark spray paint.
Once
you have your blackout shutters up, do a check for light
leaks.
As a final test, look for light leaks while wearing night vision goggles. (You
will be amazed at what you missed!) It takes considerable effort to make a
house that light-proof. But perhaps that
is overkill,
considering
the capabilities of most would-be looters.
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Letter Re: Phone Line Power for Emergencies
Mr. Rawles,
I found this web page interesting: Free
Hidden Electricity.
Essentially this site has provided some basic information on how to tap the
small amount of electricity available in our land lines to use for charging
batteries or powering a lamp should the power go out (and not the phones) in
a small emergency scenario.
Within the discussions that follow the post are some legal and contractual
concerns and a link to a
retail lamp product you can currently purchase for this application. - Tanker
JWR Replies: There are some ethical issues
raised by this Instructable video, since telephone service contracts are not contracts
to purchase power--however miniscule the amount. But beyond that, there are
also legal
issues. If someone
were to leech too much of the current from their phone circuit's "on hook",
"off hook" or, "ringing voltage", it eventually would be noticed
by your phone company. Read your phone company service agreement
carefully before improvising or purchasing any such emergency device!
One follow-up post from "Myself" summed it up nicely:
"This might be useful, if it was actually running that big lamp shown
in the photos. Phone lines are fed with "talk battery" of 48 volts,
and are current limited somewhere between 20 and 80 milliamps. A large portion
of that limit comes from the resistance of the local loop, so as your current
draw goes up, your available voltage goes down. You'll be able to suck about
a quarter watt from most phone lines, if you're lucky.
Of course, going below 600 ohms of loop resistance (your circuit looks like
a dead short to the phone company) will cause the switch to think you're "off-hook",
which is to say, you've picked up the phone and are ready to make a call. It'll
send dial tone, and when you don't dial anything within a few moments, it'll
send off-hook warning tone, and after a few minutes of that, it'll disconnect
your line entirely and generate a trouble message. This means you lose talk
battery and phone service.
Once that happens, the switch will periodically reconnect your line to see
if the trouble has been repaired. If you leave your "circuit" (and
I hesitate to call it that, did you even read the LM317 datasheet? If so, improve
your Instructable [video] by explaining its function!) connected for too long,
you'll either get a knock at the door, or simply find yourself without phone
service
for a long time.
Since this gadget violates about half of part 68 of the FCC rules, you're not
allowed to connect it to your phone line. They won't throw you in jail for
it, but I'm pretty sure they could confiscate your toys and laugh at you. I'd
be truly surprised if anyone levied fines against a clueless kid with a soldering
iron, but stranger things have happened. (I am not a lawyer.)
Incidentally, this concept is so old, and so laughable, that telco-powered
products are a staple joke in the industry. Congratulations on joining the
prestigious ranks of Dr. Drizzlenik and others who've discovered this revolutionary "hidden" source
of power!
P.S. A five-dollar solar panel will produce more power, more cleanly, and is
portable."
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Dip Sealing Tools for Storage »
Letter Re: Low Light Shooting Techniques
Mr. Rawles:
Anyone who carries a sidearm for protection should watch these three videos
by Surefire: One Two Three.
The first one covers principle of using light and flashlights to your advantage.
It also discusses the Harries and Rogers Surefire techniques for shooting and
advantages and disadvantages of both. The second one covers the FBI and neck
index methods of shooting. The last covers clearing techniques in a building.
I personally don’t like the Rogers Surefire technique because it requires
a specific flashlight and will not work if the switch is not properly adjusted.
- Bill N.
« Weekly Survival Real Estate Market Update |Main| Notes from JWR: »
A Trip to the Yucatan--Observations of Mayan Primitive Living, by Michael G.
First, a preface on my background: I can't decide if I should be a Cassandra
(Sunspot cycle, Peak Oil, suitcase Nukes, Mayan Calendar mythology) or a
Pollyanna
(Y2K Flop,
Heaven's Gate, 2003 Hindu prediction
Flop, and the 6-6-06 Flop; not to mention all of the countless predictions of
the beginning of the "Time of Jacob's Trouble," rapture, et cetera,
that
hucksters and zealots have hawked for thousands of years). I believe whatever
happens will happen and be over very shortly, and it will either leave us relatively
unharmed or (given that I live in a city and work at an inner-city teaching hospital)
will kill us quickly.
Given this indecision, my thoughts on preparedness lean more towards self sufficiency
and community building than fallout shelters, concrete bunkers and 75 years worth
of canned soup on the shelves. I largely enjoy the genre as fiction, but I don't
expect cataclysm (The Road, Lucifer's Hammer, or even Patriots);
a friend
and I once termed it as a “crumple.” Like the high school chemistry
experiment of the metal can with the vapors boiled out that is suddenly capped
and plunged into cool water: it crumples, but with some effort the shape and
function can be largely recreated, save for a few creases in the metal and some
weak points in the structure that will need repair before a "good as new" functionality
returns.
I don't deny the Walter
Mitty streak that I think many have; depending on
the day you ask me. this can range to extremes: from being able to smugly smile
that I was prepared for the bump in the road to being the last man on earth hunkered
down and preserving the flame as the last bastion of learning. Naturally, the
latter fantasy often includes a bevy of nubile young and (naturally) worshipful
admirers that Domestic-6 might not approve of.
Given that preface, I did have an opportunity to look at what many would consider
a subsistence, or at least a Third World, standard of living during a recent
family vacation to the Yucatan We were given the opportunity to visit a Mayan
village, populated by perhaps 30 families, and were invited into the homes of
two of those families. I'll begin by paraphrasing a comment that our tour guide
made just before we left to return to our hotel: "They may not have all
of the conveniences that we are used to, but they have shelter and food and children,
and perhaps they are happier than we are."
Overview of the Mayans
The families lived in one-room structures built of wood poles of about the diameter
of a wrist that were stuck vertically into the ground [in stockade wall fashion](think
an
old
western
fort
from cowboy films). They were not chinked, and the roof was thatch. Sleeping
arrangements were hammocks, and these were rolled up over ceiling rafters during
the day. As many as nine children (a total of eleven people) lived in a house
no larger than my living room.
One corner of the structure was dedicated to cooking, and the matron of the house
spent most of her day over a griddle that sat over an open fire cooking palm-sized
corn tortillas, which she made by hand. Corn was soaked overnight, ground in
the morning and then the dough was pressed and cooked all day. Given the size
of the tortillas, I suspected it would take 8 or 9 of the flat cakes to make
a meal. For a family of 11 this is over 450 handmade tortillas a day griddled
on an old piece of sheet metal over a wood fire. Needless to say, Mom doesn't
get out much...
The wood and thatch construction of every house showed the location of the fire
pit easily: the walls and thatch roof were singed black over and around the fire
pit. As an aside, there were piles of cinder blocks and masonry everywhere. Our
guide explained that after a bad hurricane season in 2005, the Mexican Federal
government brought in building materials for the populace to construct sturdier
shelters. They sat largely unused, save for a few towers to gravity feed water
tanks. Our guide explained that the locals' attitude was that their people had
been living with hurricanes in their huts in the Yucatan for thousands of years.
The thatch and wood huts were good enough for their ancestors, and were good
enough for them.
I saw no cultivation to speak of; this made me think of the Thucydides' comments
on the barbaroi: "they planted no trees or vines." The houses
did have what could be, with enough generosity, considered a potager: a few plants
were
grown in pots, and several trees were scattered around the houses. It was not
an orchard, per se, but almost appeared that a seed cast there had sprouted and
grown, and the family now would make use of it. Chickens were kept in tiny crates
that would make Tyson Chicken's confinement operation jealous; the crates were
not crates as much as piles of something against a pile of something else and
covered with yet another thing that restricted the chicken to its 18 by 18 inch
area. I saw a large sow likewise confined, though in a larger area. I didn't
ask if the animals were allowed out to forage.
There is some hunting by the men of the community to add a little variety to
the diet. I only saw one old double shotgun. Herbal medicine and locally
gathered wild foods are also used extensively.
Feral dogs and cats lived in the village, ribs showing and patches of fur missing.
My father pointed out that in the United States the SPCA would take and put down
the animals for maltreatment, but to me the animals were there because the chose
to be around humans. I don't know if this was because the proximity to the people
gave a few scraps to feed on or if it is a result of some deeper genetic need
on the part of the dogs to be around people.
Water was pumped by gasoline engines from the abundant natural cenotes- underground
wells. As I described earlier, many houses had a tank on a cinder block pole
(many of the "proper" buildings around the area had roof mounted water
tanks as well). To my knowledge, this was raw well water.
Another thing our guide pointed out was a solar panel. If I had to guess, based
on size, I would think it was less than 100 watts. It was mounted high, and somewhat
obscured by trees, but it was certainly less than 3 feet by 2 feet. This fed
at least two huts. I saw a single battery of unknown vintage and type, but likely
from a car. The only electric device I saw was a fluorescent bulb (U shaped,
certainly not more than 40 watts). There may have been a radio squirreled away
unseen.
Implications
My experience in the Yucatan is not directly portable to our own experience in
northern latitudes. The Mayans have the advantage of oc
