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Letter Re: Advanced Medical Training and Facilities for Retreat Groups
Jim,
I have been enjoying and appreciating the letters and replies throughout the
blog, and I am compelled to respond to “Advanced Medical Training and
Facilities for Retreat Groups”. The letter contained very accurate and
useful information, but I must comment on medical skills available to survivalists.
First of all, need to say that I am a professional Emergency Medical Technician – and
have been for 25 years. I have treated dozens of real-life gunshot wounds, hundreds
of knife wounds, and thousands of other cases of trauma that I would prefer to
not remember.
As a 911 responder, I appreciate the faith that the general public has in my
knowledge and skills. The word of an EMT or Paramedic is trusted – and
we don’t take that trust lightly. This is a part of the reason for this
letter. In our existing EMS system, EMTs are very good at arriving as
quickly as possible and providing life-saving treatment until definitive care
can be provided. In a TEOTWAWKI event, the shortcomings of EMT skills will be
readily apparent. My crew and I are as good or better than anyone at stopping
bleeding, splinting, providing IV support, protecting airways, and rapid transport.
However, final treatment of a gunshot (or fracture, or chainsaw laceration, or
what have you) is completely out of the realm of experience for any EMT or Paramedic.
A gunshot requires the cessation of bleeding – often requiring surgery.
Usually gunshots also involve bone fractures or organ damage – and require
surgery. An antibiotic regimen is also required – of which EMTs
have little to no experience. All of this is typical for the most simple of gunshots.
My fear is that in TEOTWAWKI, people too readily equate a physician’s knowledge
and skills with that of an EMT. To put a number on it, Physicians attend medical
training for 12 years or so. EMTs typically have two months of medical training.
Now – before I begin to get hate mail from other EMTs – let
me say this: For the treatment of traumatic injuries in the pre-hospital setting,
no one does our job better. I promise you I can do more effective CPR than most
any doctor. I can intubate in the field better than most any respiratory technician.
But my training and skills are limited to pre-hospital care. Of course, an EMT
will have basic useful skills in a hospital or clinic setting but they pale in
comparison to those of a physician. To state otherwise is foolish.
So, as a professional EMT for 25 years, the plan for my retreat is as follows:
1. Have a good relationship with a physician (preferably a surgeon) at the retreat
2. Have a RN, Veterinarian, or Physician’s Assistant at the retreat.
3. Know where other surrounding physicians are located
4. Have a method for transporting severely injured people to the physician,
5. Have adequate, in-depth barter stock to pay for surgery
6. Lastly – and I mean very last – would be to use a scalpel to open
up a family member.
Barter stock would be best that is applicable to the physician’s skills:
surgical tools, antibiotics, rubbing alcohol, sterile bandages, pain killers,
sutures, and so forth. Also beneficial for barter would be other high value items
from gold or silver coins, firearms, or even a fifth of whiskey.
The short of it is this: EMT skills are extremely valuable in the niche that
they are designed. However, they are not designed for long term care. For my
family, I will be providing life-sustaining care to include cessation of bleeding,
splinting, IV, treatment of shock, pain management, and antibiotics – and
they I will do whatever I can to get them to a surgeon. Anything else is second
best. Yes, I have several great books that provide great information, such as “Emergency
War Surgery” and “Where There Is No Doctor”. But to plan on
performing these techniques without adequately exploring all options to get my
wounded to a physician, is foolish. - BES in Washington
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Letter Re: Advanced Medical Training and Facilities for Retreat Groups
Mr. Rawles,
Last month I wrote to SurvivalBlog about what do one would do medically in
TEOTWAWKI, when
all systems are down. I had received three very good replies, and have
ben thinking about what was said. I want to thank those people for their valued
replies. Now, I have more questions and concerns.
From what I've read concerning medical advice leaves me wondering.
All of the advice given has stated to get a good quality Field Surgical Kit,
and two books: "Emergency War Surgery"; and, "Where there is no Doctor". Then
these articles went on to [imply that] when a medical emergency arises, grab
your surgical
kit and the Emergency War Surgery Manual, and handle the situation. This is
where I am concerned.
First: The human body is not like the family car. Both are made up of many
complex parts that must work together to provide transportation, in the sense
of a car, and life, in the sense of the human body. There are numerous maintenance
manuals for the car, and the repair of your auto can be learned in a short
time. However, This is not the case for the human body. The human body is composed
of many systems, that are inter-related. It takes a highly trained individual
to repair us, and sometimes, complex medical instruments to help him do his
job. The skills are not learned over night or in the quietness of your family
room. They must be used and practiced on a continual basis in order to do the
job properly. Anyone that says he can operate on a human being with a Field
Surgical Kit in one hand and an Emergency War Surgery Manual in the other,
in my humble opinion is wrong! This individual is about to break the Cardinal
Rule of Medicine: First, "Do Thy Patient No Harm!"
Second: For those either setting up a retreat or are already living with theirs,
I ask this question: Are you prepared for medical emergencies? I'm talking
about a specific area for treatment (i.e. disease and trauma)? If you do not,
then now is the time to prepare for that need. A treatment facility need not
be very large--about the size of a two-car garage. Inside this structure would
be an operating suite, intensive care unit for two patients, and a small laboratory.
You will need specialized training to utilize each area. You can add wind or
solar power systems, running water, or whatever you feel is necessary. It takes
a lot of work and effort to build something like this. It will also be expensive
to supply the right equipment.
Third: If you are a member of a group, you may be in a better position to set
up a treatment facility, and to find a General Practitioner Physician/Surgeon.
Finding such an individual is like having gold in hand. This individual would
be the most important member of your group. He would take care of all the aches,
pains, sniffles and sneezes.
Think about these things and give me your feedback. It will be valuable information
to all the readers. In advance I want to thank you for your replies. - DS in
Wisconsin
Not every retreat group is blessed with finding a doctor to be part of their
group. In the absence of a doctor, I recommend that at least one group member
get EMT training.
This is best accomplished by volunteering with your local Emergency Medical
Service. These are usually paid positions, so the pay offsets
the training expenses.
JWR Replies: Regardless of whether or not your group has
a medical professional,
I recommend that all adult group members get as much training as time
allows. Start out by taking the Red Cross basic and advanced courses and their CPR course.
Then take the field medic course offered by Medical
Corps. Several SurvivalBlog readers have taken this course, and they all
have all commented to me about how impressed with their training. In fact,
one of our readers from Hawaii flew all the way to Ohio to take this course,
and he reported that it was worth the expense. Their upcoming class
(May, 2008) is full, but get on the waiting list for the next one.
I also
recommend the Practical Medical Course taught by the Western
Rifle Shooters Association. (This course is subtitled: "Field Expedient
Medical Care for Outdoorsmen in Austere Environments.") Coincidentally, they
have one scheduled for May 16-17-18, 2008 in Brookings, Oregon.
Check their web site regularly, for announcements of other course dates and
locations. This modestly-priced training, led by an Emergency Room doctor with
35 years of experience,
will teach you many
things that the Red Cross doesn't teach you!
For example, their classes place an emphasis on treating gunshot wounds.
Only the largest and best-financed groups could afford to set up a surgery
suite and lab like you described. It is a worthy goal. But keep in mind that
even modest medical training, instruments, facilities, and logistics are better
than no preparation--which sadly is the state of 98% of American families.
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Letter Re: Advice on Finding a Retreat Operations and Security Manual
Mr. Rawles,
I have been working on a retreat that I will be moving to later in the year.
Naturally, construction is taking up a large amount of my time. My family is
on-board for the retreat.
I need help in the area of an Operations and Security Manual. Is there anything
that you know of that would be a starting place rather than from the ground
up? I know there are a lot of things that I would miss out on if I started
[by myself] from the ground up, and not know it until it's too late.
I purchased the "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course and I would
have missed the boat on food storage if I did not have that as a reference.
Any direction would be appreciated. Thank you, - Craig in Arkansas
JWR Replies: I can't recommend a stand-alone reference, but
I can recommend an abbreviated version of the list of "musts" for
your retreat
bookshelf::
- The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. Sasquatch Books.
(Get the Ninth or later edition.) This book is 845 pages of valuable 'how
to' country survival knowledge.
- Nuclear War Survival Skills, by Cresson H. Kearney
- American Red Cross First Aid
- Where There is No Doctor, by David Werner
- Where There is No Dentist, by Murray Dickson
- Emergency War Surgery (NATO handbook) Dr. Martin Fackler, et al.
- The Ultimate Sniper, by Maj. John L. Plaster
And, at the risk of sounding self-serving, I also recommend my novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse". It provide a detailed
description of what might be needed to secure and operate a self-sufficient
rural retreat in a
protracted societal collapse.
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Retreat Security Planning and Analysis, by Tobin
Planning
The key to successful defense is defense in depth. In each layer of security
it’s imperative to have a full 360 degree protection afforded by
whatever measures, methods or technology you employ. Where it’s simply
not possible to secure your entire perimeter due to terrain or financial limitations,
it’s important to know what’s not completely protected, why it’s
not protected, and what it’s not protected against.
To plan your retreat security, start at the conceptual level. Define what is
to be protected. It might be your primary residence, or it might simply be
a cache containing bug-out supplies. Decide now what the parameters of a successful
defense look like (My food is untouched, 50% of my food is untouched, 25% of
my food is untouched, there are no bullet holes in my roof, etc…). Identify,
in writing, the consequences of failing to achieve the specified parameters.
Doing these things serves two purposes. First, it will help you do develop
the proper scope for your plan. Second, it will help you make some difficult
decisions regarding rules of engagement and alternatives planning.
Threat Assessment
Next, you have to consider what the threat looks like. The threats are specific
to your situation and you have to decide what level of threat you’re
willing or obtain the capacity to defend against. City dwellers might be faced
with threats like small bands of unskilled scavengers, or large groups of semi-skilled
gang members with reasonably good equipment, where the rural resident may be
more likely to encounter small groups of highly skilled woodsmen. Your specific
threat is entirely dependent on where you are, and who is there with you.
What the threat looks like will dictate how you prepare for it, and it’s
definitely not a “one size fits all” exercise. Decide now what
your rules of engagement are, and the level of threat that initiates a flight
response versus a fight response. A threat that is larger, more skilled, or
better equipped than what you prepared for will simply overwhelm your physical
security system. For example, a threat capable of long-distance attack may
never engage your security at all while still being able to attack people or
things at the resource. Concentrating on high-speed avenues of approach will
be appropriate for opportunistic or vehicle mounted threats, but completely
ineffective against the savvy scavenger with a modicum of hunting skill.
Failure to identify the threat correctly might result in too much security,
which could have been invested in food water or power, or too little security,
which will result in someone else gaining the benefit of your preparations.
Security System Design
All security systems have to incorporate three key fundamentals – detection,
delay, and response. You must be able to detect an intruder to be able to respond
to him, and you must be able to respond before he reaches the critical resource.
Detection
Intrusion detection ability comes in many forms, and they have been discussed
exhaustively here and elsewhere. Our primary concern is that the detection
capability is
effective, layered, and sustainable.
It’s imperative that your sensor system have a high probability of detection
with a low false alarm rate (FAR)--where we don’t know why the alarm
went off) and nuisance alarm rate (NAR)--where we know why the alarm went off,
but it wasn’t
something we wanted to detect). In other words, it’s good if the dog
barks, but not if it barks at everything… or nothing at all. It’s
also important to note that people are notoriously poor sensors. Studies conducted
by Sandia National Laboratory indicate that a human has a 2% probability of
detection under normal conditions, and that they are only effective for the
first 20 minutes of a watch. In other words, invest in technology if funding
and opportunity allow you to.
Using cumulative probability equations it’s fairly easy to determine
that several less than perfect sensors arrayed in series can be more effective
that one reasonably good sensor operating alone. One layer of sensors operating
at 90% probability of detection (PD) will cost a fortune and provide a 90%
cumulative probability of detection (PDC). Two layered sensors operating at
70% PD will offer a PDC of 91% at a lower total price:
PDC = 1-(1-PD1)(1-PD2)
= 1-(1-0.7)(1-.07)
= 1- (.09)
= 91%
If possible, place sensors at the perimeter of your property and again at a
defined line within your property. As shown in the example above, two layers
of average quality detection devices are more likely to detect a bad guy than
one layer of good sensors.
Sustainability of detection devices will be a key issue. If your detection
solution is electronic, you have to have means of providing electricity. Fortunately,
many technical solutions are designed to work off of 12 volt DC electric or
AA batteries and have low power requirements. It’s important that you
pay attention to the technical specifications when purchasing equipment. It’s
prudent to acquire replacement units or parts in the event that equipment malfunctions
or is damaged. Electronic sensors and associated support equipment may not
be within your budget. If this is the case, you may elect to go with more cost-effective
biological sensors (dogs, geese and others). They will have a reduced capacity
to warn you when intruders are coming because they can’t observe
your entire perimeter and they, like people, are easily distracted. They require
some level of preparation with respect to food and health care, though this
should be manageable for most budgets. The major drawback to biological sensors
is that while cost effective to purchase and maintain, the opportunity to keep
spares on the storage rack isn’t there. In the event that your biological
sensors are damaged, replacements may be difficult to obtain,
Delay
The objective of an effective delay system is to delay the bad guy from reaching
the objective long enough for the good guys to get dressed, grab their arms,
and engage him in a firefight. In practical terms, the bad guy’s timeline
from engaging the security system (encountering the outermost sensors) to execution
of objective is usually measured in seconds. Your job is to make it enough
seconds that you can respond before it’s over.
Delay can come from mechanical obstacles, or it can come from distance. The
effectiveness of an obstacle is measured in seconds. An 8 foot chain link fence
can be scaled by a human in 10 seconds, and so it’s worth 10 seconds
in timeline calculations. Distance is also accounted for in seconds, but is
dependant on the movement rate of the bad guy. 100 meters is worth 25 seconds
of delay if the bad guy is moving at 4 meters per second. Having a large property
can be an asset if your security system is set up properly, but is not, in
and of itself, an asset. The only barriers or distances that matter are those
that are observed by a sensor system.
Specific delay systems have also been discussed exhaustively here and elsewhere.
It’s important to note that barriers effective against one threat may
be far less effective against another. For example, anti-vehicle ditch works
will provide infinite delay for most vehicles but only a few seconds delay
for a bad guy on foot. On the other hand, a wide open field may delay a bad
guy on foot for minutes, while delaying a vehicle only a few seconds.
Response
The term Response, in the context of physical security, refers to the people;
the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP); and the equipment used to neutralize
the bad guys. Here’s where you have to ask yourself four questions:
1.) Do I have enough people to secure my critical resource?
2.) Do I have the right training?
3.) Do I have the right equipment?
4.) Do I have alternative plans?
Under optimum conditions, the US military operates under the assumption
that it takes 5.2 people to man each security post 24 hours a day, seven days
a
week. This assumption accounts for eight hour days, leaves of absence, sick
time, and all of the variables that mean people won’t be coming to work.
It’s
likely that you won’t have the manpower to support more than a post or
two under these conditions. The fewer people you have to man each post means
that, in order to maintain proper security, other tasks start to go undone.
If you have only two people per post, for example, that means 12 hour shifts
seven days a week with no rest – leaving no significant time for farming,
gardening, or other tasks. The alternatives are to accomplish other tasks while
abandoning security requirements, or to make arrangements before TSHTF to group
with other like-minded people to provide around the clock security.
Proper training for response forces is imperative. At a minimum, each person
must be familiar with the rules of engagement and the standard operation procedures
required to accomplish the mission. In many cases, this will mean that you
need to define what the mission is and how it’s to be done and put it
in writing. Additionally, you have to define the threshold for response and
the threshold for flight – put that in writing too. Every member of your
response force should be proficient in every weapon system employed. Ideally,
they’re all using the same weapon type, but in the event that they’re
not, they need to be able to use each other’s arms. Every member of the
security force should also be familiar with the terrain out to the maximum
effective range of their weapons. Advanced training with firearms is desirable,
but not always cost effective for groups of any size. If you ask, I’m
certain you’ll be provided with contact information for half a dozen
quality sources for firearms training.
Proper equipment and familiarity with the equipment breeds confidence in your
security forces. Ideally, all of your people will have identical gear. This
will ensure that spare parts are available and that weapon magazines are interchangeable
in a firefight. A proper kit will include firearms, ammunition, protective
gear, restraint devices, and non-lethal weaponry. Suitable arms for your security
forces will be of a weight and configuration that can be handled by all of
your personnel, chambers a round suitable for your purpose, and has a maximum
effective range that can reach the edge of your perimeter (unless you have
a really huge place!). The bottom line answer to the question “what’s
the best rifle?” is – the one your personnel can use effectively
to put rounds on target. Military security forces in garrison typically carry
120 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition when armed with an M16. Depending on your
arms, you may vary the load out, but in a firefight you really want as much
ammunition as you can carry on an “all the time” basis. Protective
gear, whether in the form of body armor or defensive fighting positions (DFPs),
should be able to handle impacts from any ammunition common in the retreat’s
region. For body armor, [NIJ]
level IV protection is desirable, though the type and manufacturer of the armor
is really a matter of taste. DFPs should
be constructed
with overhead cover – more for comfort than protection (unless the neighbors
have mortars) – and double thick sandbag walls. Restraint devices are
for the bad guys that make it through the initial firefight, or for the bad
guys who surrender before a firefight takes place. There are a number of items
that fit this category, though I won’t offer specific discussion about
any of them except to say that heavy duty wire ties work really well in this
capacity. Last, each of your personnel should have access to less-than lethal
control methods. Most likely, your rules of engagement don’t go directly
from harsh words to lethal firefight – neither should your equipment.
If you’ve given the threat sufficient thought, then you’ll recognize
that the security situation will vary widely by the level of threat present
in your area. While you are planning, make sure that you address as many of
the conceivable scenarios as you can. Once you reach that threshold between
viable defense and non-viable defense, put together pre-planned alternatives
to standing and fighting. Make sure your group knows when to bug-out and where
to go. If possible, pre-position bug-out caches to facilitate these plans.
In conclusion, proper retreat security is a huge, but manageable task as
long as you approach it in the correct context. The specifics on how you address
individual elements within the fundamental areas of Detection, Delay, and Response
are less important than addressing them in a balanced and systematic way. In
order to detect the bad guy, you have to have a means of detection, it has
to be effective, and it has to be on. In order to slow the bad guy down, you
have to have obstacles that are pertinent to his preferred mode of travel,
you have to have enough of them so that his total travel time is longer than
it takes your personnel to get within rifle range, and they have to be observed.
To respond effectively and neutralize the bad guy, your response forces have
to numerous enough to counter bad guy forces, they have to know the rules,
and they must have and be familiar with their equipment. Lastly, in a “no-win” situation,
everyone has to know when and how to get out, and where to go.
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Letter Re: Networking With Like-Minded Individuals
Mr. Rawles,
Did you ever have one of those awakenings where the paradigm you have been
living under suddenly shifts and you see things you never saw before (or have
learned to filter out as you “matured”)? I am personally experiencing
one of those times in my life and I have you to thank for it. Let me bore you
a little with my background before I explain how your novel, "Patriots" brought
me out of my Rip Van Winkle existence and into the glaring light of my current
situation.
I caught the “survival bug” early on as a result of my participation
in [Boy] Scouting and later through Army ROTC (I can relate very well to the
ROTC Basic Camp experience of the character in your book, having humped up
and down
Agony and Misery at Fort Knox in 1983 myself). I started some halfhearted
preps but then life happened. A marriage, a career as a paramedic, then
as a Physician Assistant and now a consultant. I have four kids, a mortgage,
and life in the 'burbs. That has a way of lulling you into the kind passivity
that makes
the
shadow of the valley of death seem ominously close.
Recent events in our economy, our government and the looming elections with
nary a trustworthy candidate have left me restless and seeking. As a result
of this I stumbled across your book and read it with great interest. My wife
is reading it now and has come to the same conclusion I had – we are
not ready for what is coming.
Which brings me to the point of my e-mail: My wife and I need to connect with
like-minded individuals in our area – we need to join a group. However,
finding a group is proving to be difficult at best. We have skills to offer,
we are rapidly
building up our preps and we are studying all we can - but we realize now the
need to align ourselves with others who can help us learn and grow and work
together if/when the Schumer hits the fan.
Do you have any suggestions for us on how we might locate/contact groups in
our area (North Texas) who may be looking for members? Thank you for any
assistance you can give – and thank you for your book and blog. - Matt
W.
JWR Replies: I get one or two e-mails like yours every day.
They all ask, in essence: "How do I find like-minded people that I can
team up with, in my area?" I usually
offer two suggestions:
1.) Wear a SurvivalBlog
logo T-shirt or hat around town, or on trips to the
shooting range and gun shows. They make a great conversation starter. I
have had
several
readers write to tell me that they found some great friends this way.
2.) Place a free ad at the The
Survivalist Groups ["Meet-up"] web page--(a free service courtesy
of the folks at SurvivalistBooks.com. If you use this service, then please
give SurvivalistBooks.com some
business!)
Needless to say, use discretion when using these services.
As prepared individuals, you have more to lose than most folks. For your safety
and security, it is better to go through a long series of correspondence and
to do some background and reference checking before revealing your locale and
details, or meeting face to face. Proceed with prayer!
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Two Letters Re: Recommendations on a Reliable AK and a Competent AK Trainer
James,
I just finished a two day AK Rifle Gunfighting class with Suarez
International,
using my AK that I got from Mark Graham at Arizona
Response Systems. I fired
over 700 rounds in a two day period, and had no hiccups or issues. Mark is
a first class gunsmith, and was great to work with. For a quality AK build
at a very reasonable price, call Mark. For the best training on how to fight with
the AK rifle, not just shoot it, call Gabe Suarez at Suarez International.
Regards, - SJC
JWR Replies: Gabe Suarez has a fine reputation as a trainer.
His classes are reportedly quite intense. I have been a fan of Mark Graham's
gunsmithing work since the early 1990s.
He did fantastic rebuilds on two pre-ban SAR-48 FAL clone rifles for me, converting
their
receivers to accept
inch magazines and folding charging handles. (He did the "builds"using
British L1A1
parts kits that I had supplied.). Mark is also known for his Glock grip reductions
and his custom gun refinishing, using a system called MetaCol. It is a very
durable
and corrosion-resistant
finish. OBTW, another gunsmith that I recommend for both FAL and AK work is
Rich Saunders at CGW.
Jim:
After watching the humorous 'safety' video posted on Total
Survivalist Libertarian Rantfest, I was reminded of my most recent training
with Gabe Suarez, Team Tactics. We were
shooting rifles in groups and I noticed that unlike shooting handguns, tunnel
vision with a rifle, especially a scoped one, is a real issue. Shooting handguns
still gives you peripheral vision so if someone on your team starts walking
into your line of fire, you can see it more easily. With a rifle, looking
thru the scope, you lose all your peripheral vision. There are two fixes
for
this:
1) Keep your shooters in a line. [("Team on line.")]
2) Remind your leader that his or her job
is [being] more of a manager than a shooter.
When I was in a leadership role [("fire team leader" or "squad
leader")], the
only time I actually fired my rifle was when a certain percentage of my
shooters
all had to reload or had gun malfunctions at the same time. When the cadence
of cover fire dropped I began to shoot and I stopped as soon as I could,
so I could [resume the role needed to] be the peripheral vision for my team.
Don't be shy if you have to grab someone and fling them to the side if they
are about
to
walk
into
friendly
fire. Adrenaline and tunnel vision are a deadly combo. - SF in Hawaii
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The Precepts of My Survivalist Philosophy
In the past week I've had three newcomers to SurvivalBlog.com write and ask
me to summarize my world view. One of them asked: "I could spend days
looking through [the] archives of your [many months of] blog posts. But there
are hundreds
of them. Can you tell me where you stand, in just a page? What distinguishes
the "Rawlesian" philosophy from other [schools of] survivalist thought?"
I'll likely add a few items to this list as time goes on, but here is a general
summary of my precepts:
Modern Society is Increasingly Complex, Interdependent, and Fragile. With
each passing year, technology progresses and chains of interdependency lengthen.
In the past 30 years, chains of retail supply have grown longer and longer.
The food on your supermarket shelf does not come from local farmers. It often
comes from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This has created an alarming
vulnerability to disruption. Simultaneously, global population is still increasing
in a near geometrical progression. At some point that must end, most likely
with a sudden and sharp drop in population. The lynchpin is the grid. Without
functioning power grids, modern industrial societies will collapse within weeks.
Civilization is Just a Thin Veneer. In the absence of law
an order, men quickly revert to savagery. As was illustrated by the rioting
and looting that accompanied disasters in the past three decades, the transition
from tranquility to absolute barbarism can occur overnight. People expect tomorrow
to be just like today, and they act accordingly. But then comes a unpredictable
disaster that catches the vast majority unprepared. The average American family
has four days worth of food on hand. When that food is gone, we'll soon see
the thin veneer stripped away.
People Run in Herds and Packs, but Both Follow Natural Lines of
Drift. Most
people are sheep ("sheeple").
A few are wolves that prey on others. But just a few of us are more like sheepdogs--we
think independently, and instead of
predation,
we are
geared toward protecting and helping others. People naturally follow natural lines
of drift--the path of least resistance. When the Schumer hits
the fan, 99% of urbanites will try to leave the cities on freeways. The highways
and freeways will soon resemble parking lots. This means that you need to be
prepared to both get
out of town ahead of the rush and to use lightly-traveled back roads.
Plan,
study and practice.
Lightly Populated Areas are Safer than High Density Areas. With
a few exceptions, less population means fewer problems. WTSHTF, there will
be a mass exodus from the cities. Think of it as an army that is spreading
out across a battlefield: The wider that
they
are
spread,
the less effective that they are. The inverse
square law hasn't been repealed.
Show Restraint, But Always Have Recourse to Lethal Force. My
father often told me, "It
is better to have a gun and not need it, than need a gun, and not have it." I
urge readers to use less than lethal means when safe and practicable, but at
times there is not a satisfactory substitute for well-aimed lead going down
range at high velocity.
There is Strength in Numbers. Rugged individualism is all
well and good, but it takes ore than one man to defend a retreat. Effective
retreat defense necessitates having at least two families to provide 24/7 perimeter
security. But of course every individual added means having another mouth to
feed. Absent having an unlimited budget and an infinite larder, this necessitates
striking a balance when deciding the size of a retreat group.
There are Moral Absolutes. The foundational morality
of the civilized world is best summarized in the Ten
Commandments. Moral relativism and secular humanism are slippery slopes.
The terminal moraine at the base of these slopes is a rubble pile consisting
of either despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity. I
believe
that
it takes both faith and friends to survive perilous times. For more background
on that, see my Prayer
page.
Racism Ignores Reason. People should be judged as individuals.
Anyone that make blanket statements about other races is ignorant that there
are both good and bad individuals in all groups. I have accepted The
Great Commission with sincerity."Go forth into all nations" means
exactly that:
all nations. OBTW, I feel grateful that SurvivalBlog is now read
in more than 100 countries. I have been given a bully pulpit,
and I intend to use it for good and edifying purposes.
Skills Beat Gadgets and Practicality Beats Style. The modern
world is full of pundits, poseurs, and Mall
Ninjas. Preparedness is not just about
accumulating a pile of stuff. You need practical skills, and those
only come with study, training, and practice.
Any
armchair
survivalist
can
buy a set
of stylish camouflage fatigues and an M4gery Carbine
encrusted with umpteen accessories. Style points should not be mistaken
for genuine skills and
practicality.
Plentiful Water and Good Soil are Crucial. Modern mechanized
farming, electrically pumped irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
can make deserts bloom. But when the grid goes down, deserts and marginal farmland
will revert to their natural states. In my estimation, the most viable places
to survive in the midst of a long term societal collapse will be those with
reliable summer rains
and rich
topsoil.
Tangibles Trump Conceptuals. Modern fiat currencies are generally
accepted, but have essentially no backing. Because they are largely a byproduct
of interest bearing debt, modern currencies are destined to inflation. In
the long run, inflation dooms fiat
currencies to collapse. The majority of
your assets should be invested in
productive farm land and other tangibles such as useful hand tools. Only after
you have your key logistics squared away, anything extra should
be invested in silver and gold.
Governments Tend to Expand their Power to the Point that They Do Harm. In
SurvivalBlog, I often warn of the insidious tyranny of the Nanny
State. If
the state where you live becomes oppressive, then don't hesitate to relocate.
Vote with your feet!
There is Value in Redundancy. A common saying of my
readers is: "Two
is one, and one is none." You must be prepared
to provide for your family in a protracted period of societal disruption. That
means storing up all of the essential "beans, bullets, and Band-Aids" in quantity.
If commerce is disrupted by a disaster, at least in the short term you will
only have your own logistics to fall back on. The more that you have stored,
the
more
that
you
will have
available for barter and charity.
A Deep Larder is Essential. Food storage is one of the key
preparations that I recommend. Even if you have a fantastic self-sufficient
garden and pasture ground, you must always have food storage that you can fall
back on in the event that your crops fail due to drought, disease, or infestation.
Tools Without Training Are Almost Useless. Owning a gun doesn't
make someone a "shooter" any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer.
With proper training and practice, you will be miles ahead of the average citizen.
Get advanced medical
training. Get the best firearms
training that you can afford. Learn about amateur radio from your local
affiliated ARRL club.
Practice raising a vegetable garden each summer. Some skills are only perfected
over
a period
of years.
Old Technologies are Appropriate Technologies. In
the event of a societal collapse, 19th Century (or earlier) technologies such
as a the blacksmith's forge, the treadle sewing machine, and the horse-drawn
plow
will be
far easier
to re-construct than modern technologies.
Charity is a Moral Imperative. As a Christian, I feel morally
obligated to assist others that are less fortunate. Following the Old Testament
laws of Tzedakah (charity
and tithing), I believe that my responsibility begins with my immediate family
and expands in successive rings to supporting
my immediate
neighborhood
and
church, to my
community, and beyond, as resources allow. In short, my philosophy is to "give
until it hurts" in times of disaster.
Buy Life Assurance, not Life Insurance. Self-sufficiency
and self-reliance are many-faceted. You need to systematically provide for
Water, Food, Shelter, Fuel, First Aid,
Commo,
and, if need be, the tools to enforce Rule
308.
Live at Your Retreat Year-Round. If your financial and family
circumstances allow it, I strongly recommend that you relocate
to a safe area and live there year-round. This has several advantages,
most notably that will prevent burglary of your retreat logistics and
allow you to regularly
tend to gardens, orchards, and livestock. It will also remove the stress of
timing a "Get Out of Dodge" trip at the11th hour.
If circumstances dictate that you can't live at your retreat year round, then
at least have
a caretaker and stock the vast majority of your logistics in advance, since
you may only have one trip there before roads are impassable.
Exploit Force Multipliers. Night vision gear, intrusion
detection sensors, and radio communications equipment are key force
multipliers. Because
these use high technology they cannot be depended upon in a long term collapse,
but in the short term, they can provide a big advantage. Some low technologies
like barbed wire and defensive road cables also provide advantages and can
last for several decades.
Invest Your Sweat Equity. Even if some of
you have a millionaire's budget, you need to learn how to do things for yourself,
and
be willing to get your hands dirty. In a societal collapse, the division of
labor will be reduced tremendously. Odds are that the only "skilled craftsmen" available
to build a shed, mend a fence, shuck corn, repair an engine, or pitch manure
will be you.and
your family. A byproduct of sweat equity is muscle tone and proper body weight.
Hiring someone to deliver three cords of firewood is a far cry from
felling, cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking it yourself.
Choose Your Friends Wisely. Associate yourself with skilled
doers, not "talkers." Seek out people that share your
outlook and morality. Living in close confines with other families is sure
to cause friction but that will be minimized if you share a common religion
and norms of behavior.You can't learn every skill yourself. Assemble a team
that
includes members with medical knowledge, tactical skills, electronics experience,
and traditional practical skills.
There is No Substitute for Mass. Mass stops bullets. Mass
stops gamma radiation. Mass stops (or at least slows down ) bad guys from entering
a home and depriving its residents of life and property. Sandbags are cheap,
so buy plenty of them. When planning your retreat house, think: medieval
castle.
(See the SurvivalBlog Archives for the many articles and letters on Retreat
Architecture.)
Always Have a Plan B and a Plan C. Regardless of your pet
scenario and your personal grand plan of survival, you need to be flexible
and adaptable. Situations and circumstances change. Always keep a G.O.O.D. kit
handy, even if you are fortunate enough to live at your retreat year-round.
Be Frugal. I grew up in a family that still remembered both
our pioneer history and the more recent lessons of the Great Depression. One
of our family mottos is: "Use
it up, wear it out, make do, or do without."
Some Things are Worth Fighting For. I encourage my readers
to avoid trouble, most importantly via relocation to safe areas where trouble
is unlikely to come to visit. But there may come an unavoidable day that you
have
to
make a stand to defend your own family or your neighbors. Further, if you value
your liberty, then be prepared to fight for it, both for yourself and for
the sake
of
your progeny.
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The ABCs of WTSHTF, by Mark B.
The ABCs of When the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF.)
aren’t what you have prepared, acquired or stowed but even more basic
in the preparation processes that we sometimes take for granted.
The A is the ability to learn, to adapt and to try. No matter how
many classes we take or how much we have stored away there is the potential
that we might have missed something or prepared for one scenario and ended
up with another. We may be in the middle of TEOTWAWKI and
not be fully ready but guess what, we aren’t scheduling it. Ability is
not only applying something that we’ve learned but troubleshooting or
working through something that we don’t have a clue about. We may not
get it right the first time that we try something new but we have the ability
to learn from our mistakes and go back to try again. We have the ability to
learn from others mistakes and we have the ability to make changes or corrections
that work for our scenario.
The B is the brains that we have to reason with to store our morals
our life lessons and the memories that make us who we are. The best tool that
we have at our disposal is our brain. So many people in day to day life just
go on auto pilot and don’t think about what they can do to improve how
they do something. In my line of work I hear that “I’ve done
it that way for 20 years”. My response is that you’ve been doing
it wrong for 20 years. We just get in the habit of doing things a certain way.
We eat our meals at the same time even if we aren’t hungry just because
it is the time we are conditioned to eat. We go to bed at a certain time and
we get up at a certain time. As a culture we have stopped utilizing what we
were born with. In my opinion that is a large part of why we are where we are
today. The sheep just keep waiting for someone to lead them or fall prey to
the ones that use their brains without the use of morals. If we just think
about what we are about to do instead of just doing it we can prevent personal
injury or emotional pain. A simple example would be when a loved one has done
something that upset you and you just respond without thinking of how it would
affect them or why they did it the way they did. The words are already spoken;
you can’t take them back, or you’re cutting something with a knife
and slice your finger or hand because you didn’t think about what you
were doing. We should try to learn and practice as much as possible so it will
at least be familiar if not second nature but if we haven’t seen or done
it before it is still doable because we can reason and solve problems. The
human race has faced challenges for thousands of years and we have always improved
because we have the ability to think.
The C stands for two things, first is choice. Most of the dialog that
I’ve seen on SurvivalBlog shows that we have made a choice to
not be led into a place where we no longer have a choice.
We all are at different stages in the process but our choice is to survive
whatever we are dealt. The choice is yours for all situations, you may not
be able to control the overall aspect but you make the choice of how you let
it affect you. Have you ever been driving and had someone cut you off? You
don’t have control over the other driver but you do have the ability
to make the choice of letting the incident infuriate you or brushing the whole
situation off. We all make choices of whom if anyone will be invited into our
confidence or where our retreat will be. We make the choice of what type of
armament we will utilize or the type of food we will store or grow. Some things
are dependent on location or availability but it is still a choice. Our choices
are a large part of what makes us who we are. The choice to have faith, the
choice to be ready, and the choice to have morals are some choices that most
of us here have made. Remember that no matter what the influences are the final
choice is the one that you make. Right, wrong or indifferent it’s the
choice that you will have to live with.
The second C is composure, always maintain your composure. If you
keep your wits about you then you stand a better chance of surviving the situation.
When you lose your composure you lose your ability to reason and react rationally.
In an emergency situation time is critical and if you remain calm you will
have a higher probability of doing it right the first time. In an emergency
situation maintaining your composure could mean the difference between life
and death. I don’t mean you have to become cold or callous but you can
deal with your emotions after the situation subsides. If you don’t maintain
your composure you might not get that chance.
I would like to thank my brothers in arms from all the services; they have
helped me learn these lessons and have given me the opportunity to use what
I was born with and strived to refine it and help it grow.
Remember that we started out without clothes and shelter. We started out without
the ability to communicate over great distances without traveling them. We
can now travel and communicate in space or around the planet all because we
use our ability, our brains and by the choices that we make.
In my opinion we should absolutely continue to learn, store and prepare. We
should choose who we will coexist with before, during and after the coming
collapse, we should do that even if the collapse doesn’t come during
our lifetime. We should continue to grow as an individual and as a group. We
should not over analyze the solution to whatever problem we face. We should
not assume failure if we missed something or we didn’t get the opportunity
to get everything that we wanted. We should be thankful for what we have. We
should remember how far we have come. We should use our brain to think the
solution through. We should use our ability to reason and we should stay calm
to prevail.
I have learned a great deal since I started reading SurvivalBlog and utilizing
the links and resources available here. It has provoked the thought process
of things that I hadn’t thought of or had a different approach about
something.
There are many things that the survivalist practices that have become a lost
art so to speak such as canning and the ability to survive without modern conveniences.
We are in a society that does not know how to function without cell phones
and computers but I can remember when we didn’t have them. We communicated
either by land line telephone or my goodness how archaic, snail mail. Farther
back in our history there was the Pony Express and even couriers.
[The author of the] Heartbreak Ridge [screenplay (James Carabatsos)]
stated it best:" Improvise,
adapt and overcome."
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Lessons From Fiction--A Critique of "I Am Legend", by Michael Z. Williamson
I finally had a chance to see [the 2007 movie] "I Am Legend",
and analyzed it as a writer, and from a technical perspective.
I've seen a lot of discussion over his [use of a] M4 [Carbine
as his primary weapon]. I have to say for that type of fighting, I'd prefer
a shotgun. However,
a shotgun
doesn't
reload
fast
enough.
He might
be better off with a good .308 self-loading carbine, if he can find adequate
soft-point ammo. In New York City, that's unlikely. National Guard armories
would only have ball ammo, and likely wouldn't have anything other than standard
duty weapons. Add in that he was likely at least familiarized with the M4 as
a military surgeon and officer, I think the M4 was about the best practical
choice under the circumstances, though inadequate. Lesson: Obviously,
for those preparing for any of various disasters, this is a reminder to plan
ahead.
Much is made of his OPSEC, including bleaching his footsteps to kill scents.
What isn't discussed is how he hides the scent of fuel for his generators,
or the exhaust smell. Also, this is supposed to be three years after the disaster
struck. How does he hide his tracks in winter, with snow? This would likely
necessitate long stays inside. Lesson: Obviously, that would
mean more preparations. You may have to bunker down due to weather or other
events.
The steel shutters and reinforcements on the building don't extend above the
ground floor. This is an obvious failure point. His armory also should not
have been in one closet, but in multiple locations, possibly the central stairwell,
on each floor. Lesson: A point source failure of any resource--food, weapons,
water, medicine, fuel--can kill you. Diversify your preparations.
One of the character's critical intel flaws is failing to note that: he and
the "Dark seekers" have overlapping territories, and their search
methods are as precise and professional as his. We see him searching a building
that has already been stripped of food, but there is no extraneous damage or
vandalism. This was a key item that his enemy were not mindless and irrational,
but rather very organized and intelligent. There are other events that indicate
this, and he missed them, too. Obviously, he was emotionally reluctant to consider
human attributes remaining in people so sick and damaged. Never underestimate
your opponent, and always remember that from his point of view, he is correct
and you are in the wrong. It may not be possible to understand his point of
view, but the attempt must be made.
There are several signs that his own rationality is slipping. Obviously, talking
to mannequins and creating scenes with them is a coping mechanism. However,
herding deer with a sports car and attempting to take potshots might be a thrill,
but a dangerous one. Likewise, when he loses Sam, his dog, his vengeful actions
almost get him killed for no gain. His character did a great many things to
maintain himself--a regular schedule, replaying old news and movies, interaction
with his dog, but ultimately, we are a social creature and cannot operate alone.
This is also driven home when he is trapped. Consider that other disasters
or accidents are possible, too--broken limbs, car failures. Lesson:Plan to
be part of a team, with organization and training. Do this before disaster
strikes.
Besides the deer, we see lions, presumably escaped from a zoo. We don't see
any transformed wildlife, but knowing dogs and rats did, it's reasonable to
assume others did. This is a massive potential threat. The metabolic issues
in this scenario might have meant transformed predators are not viable long
term, due to massive food demands, but in the short term, one could create
a tremendous amount of damage, or infect an entire herd of deer. In addition,
while there are lots of supplies he can loot in the short term, apart from
a small garden patch, there is little space for food or material production.
Lesson: A city is a consumer, not a producer, of base resources. It is not
the place for a long-term base in such a scenario.
Conversely, the character did well by operating from a central location, keeping
records and charts, performing regular patrols and intel sweeps, operating
in a scientific fashion, attempting to contact others, holding to a regular
schedule, acquiring resources, keeping fit, and demonstrating generally good
fire discipline and caution. Lesson: Even the best, most prepared individual
can make mistakes. Constantly review your scenarios and preparations, and have
someone else do so, too. - Michael
Z. Williamson
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Family Learning for Preparedness, by T.D.
My husband and I are like minded, (he realized way before I did), and he and
I didn’t
meet until I was in my mid-thirties. I was considered weird, called a tomboy
and later, a gear head. Don’t get me wrong, I cook, sew, knit and crochet.
I had many interests though and wanted to learn.
What I have seen lately and in some people we met that are like minded, is the
lack of initiative on the part of some spouses. I have seen some women and men
that
will ridicule their spouses or will just roll their eyes and feign interest.
I have seen some that their spouses have prepared and bought supplies but their
other half has no clue even how to do the basics. If you are truly vested in
being prepared, your spouse and children need to brush up on the basics also.
This should give you some good ideas on how to learn where you are lacking.
Do you have a grain mill? Mortar and pestle? Does he/she know the basics? Can
all of you bake and cook from scratch? Are your children picky or will they eat
everything you put in front of them? Can they sew? Do they know the basics on
edible plants? Can they hunt or fish? Can your children do what is needed? Can
you do the repairs needed to your home/vehicle?
Our daughter is 16 and she is learning about cars, she can fish with the best
of them and she is a good shot. Our youngest is three years old and he will be
learning as we go. Both will be able to cook (one does now), sew, set traps,
care for
farm
animals, strip and clean weapons, basic survival, fix the family relic (car)
and hopefully get through anything that is thrown at them.
The first step is to start early – my husband is Creole and we eat a lot
most people don’t. Turtle soup, crawfish, head cheese and some even eat
tripe. My son will eat everything he is offered, he was eating crawfish when
he only had 2 teeth. So our routine was this; we fix it and tell you later what
it is. It works well with older kids; younger kids will eat what mom and dad
eat. It is a well known fact that most really young or really old will not eat
a “different” diet, unless they have been doing so all along.
When your child starts showing interest in guns, at about 6-7 years old, take
them hunting. Show them what guns do. My father did that I have always had respect
for what they can do. Children love doing what mom and dad do so they will take
to hunting with pride. We start ours fishing at 2-3 years old for small fish
and getting them used to being around the water supervised. They know how to
check nets and bait hooks by the time they’re 5, that’s when we teach
them how to clean the fish (mom or dad using the sharp knife).
With cars teach them as soon as they’re out of a booster seat. I have
seen too many men and women who can’t even check the oil in their own
cars. Your children should be a help in most situations not a hindrance, even
if it’s
just handing you the tools you need. Our three year old will do most simple
tasks
he is shown and he does them willingly, he is so happy to be a help.
If you are in the military they have a lot of classes on the base that can
help with some of this. Most bases have a repair shop and you can utilize their
mechanics
and tools to learn about repairing your car. They offer other
things so check
into at the base [or post] repair/craft shop.
Work out your plans to include the jobs you expect your children to do. When
things get bad, if we’re on the move our 16 year old is to keep her little
brother while we move and defend if necessary. When stationary she can shoot,
load and take care of first aid. She will be able to pull her own weight and
then some. Our littlest one will follow suit as he grows.
Use barter to attain the skills you don’t have, watch family, use the
Internet and community college. Take a vacation to Pennsylvania or Tennessee.
You can learn a lot in an Amish community, I learned how to make butter and
I am
going back so I can
learn to shear. Some teach and charge others will share what they know for
free. You
can also buy produce and goods from the Amish. Davy Crockett days are in August
and you can watch the craftsman work and it is for the whole family. All vendors
must have a "period" looking tent up and must dress in period clothing.
The on site cooking is also period.
Volunteer to gain skills; veterinarian office and humane society is a good
place to learn about wound care, antibiotic use and dosage, just go watch,
then you
will learn, most places will not turn down a volunteer. Zoos are a great place
to learn about husbandry, housing and more than basic wound care, as smaller
zoos take care of injuries themselves (after a vet is consulted), most of what
you learn at these places about wound care can be used on humans. Colleges
have book sales where you can get books on farming and some older trades/crafts
very
cheap (books are 1-5 dollars). Local small gun and knife shows are also a bountiful
source of information [and logistics], from hard to find books to hard to
find ammo.
Buy reference books! We recently went to a "Friends of the Library" book sale and spent just $12. We now have the McGraw-Hill's 20 volume set on technology ($5), doctor's desk references ("fill the box for $2"), a whole box. These included: beginner, intermediate and advanced practical chemistry, triage handbook, a nurse's reference guide, medical encyclopedias, and a diagnosis reference. We also got the EIR special report "Global Showdown Escalates", Practical Handyman from Greystone Press ($3). In many towns, you can join the Friends of the Library for $5 to $10 dollars annually, or just hit the book sales once per year. Our $12 investment filled the back seat of our car!
Even if you don’t live where your retreat is take the time to “visit” the
area. Go to the local library, stop at the local shops and grab the touristy
maps. In Amish communities the maps tell you about the local farms and what
produce and goods they sell. They have fliers that have information on classes
offered
locally. The department of education has listings for adult education classes
on things like welding. Introduce yourself to the locals, visit the farmers
and the farmers market. Attend the church while you are there, it is the quickest
way into the fold and into being welcomed by the locals. Whether you live there
permanent or you will someday, you will want to be on friendly terms right
away
then when it all goes down.
In Tennessee when we were there, we saw newcomers (less than one year there)
helping
and
being helped by the Amish. Neighbors coming together when they’re needed,
no questions asked other than when do you need me. They all pull together and
work well.
If your family isn’t ready, or is almost ready, taking these steps or some
of these steps will help you get there. If you’re not “together” as
a family in your preparedness then you need to find a way to be. Get the spouse
interested in this even during an outing or vacation. Find a way to get your
children involved. Preparing isn’t just for one person in the family, it’s
for everyone. - T.D.
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Letter Re: Deep Family Roots Versus "Ideal Location" When Considering Relocation
Good Evening,
I've recently become a reader of your web site - thank you for the excellent
resource.
Having read through your information on Recommended
Retreat Areas, I have
an additional question or two. My husband, kids and I currently live in Utah.
He
has family
here, within
an hour drive. We also live in a heavily populated area, right on the Wasatch
Fault. That is worrisome. My mother, many cousins and close friends live in
rural coastal North Carolina. My mom lives alone and is aging. We have thought
ahead
to the
possibility of needing to care for her. She has a large house that is paid for
and will pass on to me when she leaves this life.
My family has very strong ties to North Carolina, having ancestors in
the same
county for 200+ years. My husband and I have lived there together -
he felt most
welcome
and fit in very well. We were part of a close knit church group, in addition
to family and neighbors that looked out for each other. I know that the East
Coast is not high on your list of places to be, and my family is in a hurricane/flooding
zone. On the other hand, it's rural, the home is paid for, it's on almost two
acres
that can be used for small scale homesteading, and there is a family/friends
support system in place. Do you feel that these things are more important than
having a retreat in a specific location, i.e. West of the Mississippi? Thank
you,
- Mary C.
JWR Replies: As I described in my book Rawles
on Retreats and Relocation, you cannot put a price tag on having deep roots in a community!
Even if you were
not known
personally,
if
you are
related
and
share a distinct surname with "one of the pioneer families", then
you have an exceedingly valuable "in" in a rural area. This factor
should weigh heavily in your choice of retreat locales.
My main objections to moving to the eastern United States are the generally higher population density, and the unfavorable downwind position of the eastern
states
in the
event of a full scale nuclear exchange. You can fairly
well mitigate both of of those drawbacks by:
1.) Building a home fallout/storm shelter (typically
by upgrading
an existing basement, or building a
stand-alone shelter, such as those built by Safecastle),
and
2.) By teaming up with contiguous neighbors or "doubling up" with
another family that would share your house with you after TSHTF, to provide additional
security for your retreat.
The only other significant limitation in your situation is owning less than
two acres. Perhaps you could buy or lease some adjoining
land. Good luck with your upcoming move!
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A Flooded Basement - Friends You Can Count On, and Lessons Learned
Mr. Rawles,
Once again, thank you for your research and SurvivalBlog posts.
I have been a [10
Cent Challenge] contributor for a couple of years and have gotten more
than my money's worth. Thank you.
Last night my group and I met at my home. Here in New Hampshire we received
a record amount of snow fall this year. (Over 108 inches!) That is the fourth
largest
every
recorded.
Yesterday it was warmer then normal there for a lot of snow melt. Last night
it rained.
As the group was getting ready to head to the range for night shooting I went
to my basement to get my ammo. I found 18 to 24" of water down there.
All the water was running in off the roadway and into my basement.
Thank you for your writings. [Because of advice in SurvivalBlog] everything
was in Mylar bags in five gallon buckets, floating. I went to turn on my submersible
pump
that
I have not
had
to use
for years
and it did not work. I started bailing with buckets. We attempted to get a
siphon going with out success. My son went to Home Depot--one of the few stores
still
open--and was
able to rent a large 2" diameter pump. That emptied the basement in about two hours.
The hot water heater was damaged. I had sand bags that we used in the basement
to keep the water in one area once it started to rain again. It was like a
water fall coming in the basement at time. The sand bags worked great creating
a pool in that area for the pump to work. We dug a trench out side in the driveway
to get the water to go into the back yard. Using spades, shovels and axes that
we had on hand. We dug out the culvert that that the highway department should
have kept opened and that I should have kept checking. Once that was open it
stopped raining
but it should keep the water out with everything else we did.
One of the members of our group is a tech for a propane company and he was
able to get the hot water heater up and going with the tools and supplies we
had on hand. He was able to make sure the furnace was going well.
A couple of lessons: You need good people that you can trust.
We were going over our bug out plans and storage plans for the retreat prior
to heading to
the
range. You have to plan for the future but live in the here and now.
We have different people with different skills. Once is a propane tech, one
is a mechanic, one an administrator, one good in first aid and one security
- defensive
person. All of them have various skills that are needed. I had a stash of cash
on hand to purchase or rent the pump and anything else needed last night.
Having a good working pump would have been invaluable. I have a stream that
flows all year long in my yard and I could even use a good pump for fire control
if needed. That will be on the list now.
I once again thank the Lord for his providence. - New Hampshire Hillbilly
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Letter Re: Self-Sufficiency--How Do We Do It All?
Dear Memsahib and Jim,
I am a daily SurvivalBlog reader and contributor, along with my husband.
I am very interested in learning more how Memsahib and other retreat
women
manage to do all that they do. How does a day or week in your life go? How
do you can, bake, cook, shear, spin, weave, knit, sew, teach, et cetera and
get it
all done?
We are moving to our retreat soon. I have baked, cooked, knit, learned to spin
and weave, and have canned in the past, but not all at once. I forgot to mention
clean, wash, take care of a garden, etc. etc.
We need a blog [post] about how to accomplish everything and remain sane.
Not to mention home school and run a family, continue church life, etc.
For those of us who have been working and raising a family in a large town
and are moving to a retreat life, we need some how to's!!!
The order of things is of the most importance or we will never accomplish all
our tasks!!!
Memsahib, does your work every stop? Do you feel like you have no personal
time?
I also work as a registered nurse and will try to continue with my specialty
in teaching young mothers how to breast feed and care for their newborns.
Thank you for your input from all of us women who will try to "do it all" on
our retreat sites. Thanks again, - Kathie
The Memsahib Replies: Thank you so much for your huge vote
of confidence. How nice to think there is a woman out there who thinks that
I do it all! :-) First
let me say first, no I
don't do it all. And secondly I don't worry about doing it all either.
I'm writing this reply specifically to married women with children. The most
important thing is to keep your priorities right: I believe the correct order
is: God, your husband, your children, and then everything else after that. Also
remember it is not up to you to insure the survival of your
family. God is in control of everything. And after God is your husband. I hope
this will lift some
if the burden that you are feeling. Don't shoulder the burden of the family's
survival yourself. That is not your role. I think that is usurping your husband's
role
of provider and protector of the family.Your job is to be a helpmeet to your
husband.
Okay, that said, I have acquired a lot of skills that could be put to use in
TEOTWAWKI, but I do not try to do them all now. I think to attempt that would
put me in an early grave like my pioneer great grandmothers! I think this is
time for learning preparation skills, but if you tried to actually do them all
there is no way you would have time to learn any new skills. For example I have
a lot of food preservation skills. But at this present time most of our larder
is full of mostly purchased foodstuffs. For the satisfaction of it, I have fed
my family entire meals from food I personally raised including the milk that
came fresh from our cow. It feels great to know I can do it. But I don't try
to do it on a day to day basis.
There are some things that we do that allow for extra time in my schedule. We
don't own a television. I think I get a lot more done for the lack of watching
television. Also, I do not have a full time job outside the home. Not having
to commute saves a lot of time. Another thing I attribute to getting more done
is the fact that we are out in the middle of nowhere, so I don't shop. There
is no place to shop. Every two months or so we stock up to top off our supplies.
I also know the capacity of our larder well. I'm very strict with my family about
sticking to the list! This saves time and money when we are out shopping. Also
we only shop for clothes twice a year when we visit family in the big city. My
sister knows all the great thrift stores. And, she knows which department stores
have the best sale prices on shoes socks and underwear. If we didn't have growing
children we probably could go several years without buying clothes! By the way.
I do know how to sew clothes. And I know how to knit sweaters, hats, socks, mittens,
and such. But I don't make my family's clothes because I don't particularly enjoy
sewing. (For now, I go to the thrift store. I often can buy down jackets, Merino
wool sweaters and nearly new blue jeans for $3 each, and shirts, slacks, blouses,
skirts, dresses for less than than that.)
Another thing is that our family does which frees up quite a bit of time for
me
is cleaning up after themselves. Our children for example clear their places
after
meals,
take their dishes to the sink and putt the scraps in the chicken bucket, and
rinse their plates and glasses, and put them in the dishwasher. When there are
clothes to be folded at our house all the children fold and put away their own
clothes. Our children also have an individual chore based on their age, such
as setting and clearing the table, unloading the dishwasher, keeping the wood
box filled, and feeding their pets. And you may have realized by now I make use
of
all the
modern appliances which make household chores quicker. In the past, we've lived
without running water and without electricity. I know I can survive without them,
and
I may have
to in the future. But I sure enjoy the luxury of having them now!
The "survival skills' that I do practice daily are the ones that I personally
really enjoy. I practice them as recreation and relaxation. For me personally
that is raising small livestock. I really enjoy going out to the barn and feeding
my critters. I especially enjoy my sheep because I also enjoy the fiber arts.
I also really enjoy gardening. So my hobbies dovetail nicely with my husbands
desire to be well prepared. So what hobbies and interests do you have? Which
ones could you cultivate as prepping? Just because I don't care for sewing doesn't
mean that it wouldn't be a great dovetail for you.
You might say another one of my hobbies is acquiring "life skills".
Some people have a personality that is suited for focusing on one skill and developing
that skill to a master level. My personality is more suited to trying everything.
I try to make the most of each situation in which we've lived to learn what I
can. My motto is: when God gives you zucchini take the opportunity to experiment
baking, drying, frying zucchinis! The older women of the communities we've lived
in have been wonderful teachers. They have taught me how to can pickles, make
grape juice, milk goats, make soap, knit socks as well as sharing the abundance
of their gardens and orchards. But I in no way feel compelled to now makes all
the food we eat from scratch, knit all our clothes, make all our soap, and neither
should you!
I would be remiss if I did not say that I think it is very important to use this
time of liberty of ideas and travel to attend Bible studies. Yes, you can and
should read and study the Bible at home. But, I find that the commitment to do
a study with other believers disciplines me to stay in the Word even when life
gets hectic. And our pastor has many valuable insights into the Scriptures. If
you have the ability to attend a good Bible study, then do it! You
may not always have that opportunity because of poor health, high gas prices,
lack of transportation,
or lack of religious freedom. Reading the stories of prisoners of war, I am struck
by how their knowledge of God's word helped them endure. As the Bible says, "make
the most of time, because the days are evil".
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Letter Re SurvivalBlog Logo Hats as Networking Tools
Hello Jim,
I’ve been lurking since last November after I re-read [your novel] "Patriots".
On a whim I tried a web search looking for any newer books you may have published
and found your blog. What a tremendous surprise. I had several questions when
I first started reading your blog and decided to go back through the archives.
Glad I did. Thus far all of my questions have been answered (I just finished
[reading the archives of] December 2006). I feel being a recent contributor
to the 10
Cent Challenge is dirt cheap for the knowledge I’ve gained, and
I’ve been preparedness
conscious and actively preparing for most any scenario ever since I was in
the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in the P.R.K..
Okay, the "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course has been pretty helpful too and back in December
when it was 33% off it was a sweet deal I couldn’t pass up. It really
helped me “fill in the blanks”.
I've noticed from time to time that readers ask about preparedness groups or
how to meet others that are like-minded. I find that wearing my SurvivalBlog
[logo]
baseball
cap to gun shows and similar social and sporting events has prompted some
interesting conversations. Well it’s worked for me and others, but YMMV.
Did I remember to tell you what a great blog you have? Thanks for all you do
and
may God bless you and yours. - East of ABQ
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Letter Re: Keeping a Low Profile is Crucial for Preparedness
James,
I have to disagree with some of C.D.'s measures listed in his letter (i.e.
using Scroogle
and Zone
Alarm) and refer your readership to the best article I've yet seen
on
the great difficulty in online anonymity: The
Ugly Truth About Online Anonymity Also note comment on the linked article
12 - even if all else could be secured, the moment you behave according to
your established surfing profile, you'll
be spotted. Kind Regards, - J. in Kyrgyzstan
JWR Replies: I have my own perspective about online activities:
Do the best that you can to cover your cyber trail, but don't get so paranoid
that
you withdraw to hide under a rock. In the context of political action,
the
day that
you go off-line for the sake of privacy or anonymity, then your political opponents
have won. In the context of physical preparedness,
if you go off-line for the sake of privacy or anonymity, then you have isolated
yourself from any like-minded potential allies. It is impossible to build a
survival network without taking some risks. And if you are adverse to taking
any risks,
then you
are relegating yourself to a "team" with just one member.
A solitary individual is ineffective and vulnerable.
One individual that I greatly admire
recently castigated me in an e-mail for having posted F.L. in Southern California's
letter titled: "Keeping a Low Profile is Crucial for Preparedness".
I think that his criticism went a bit too far. My position is that everyone
should
strike a balance between
maintaining privacy and blatant visibility. There is an old Japanese proverb:
"The nail that sticks up get hammered
down." I believe that there is value in employing what David in Israel
refers to as The Gray Man approach. (Blending in with your neighbors, to
be unremarkable
and unmemorable.) But the other end of the spectrum is being so vocal, and
so visible that you
end
up
being
the
#1 on
the most
wanted
list.
Each individual should consciously set their own parameters, based on their
personal circumstances, prayer life, and their comfort zone.
Regardless of where you place yourself on
the continuum of visibility, never, ever, give up your guns.
That is an inviolable and absolute line in the sand. Without an effective
means of self
defense and the common defense,
a man
is just another
sheep for the slaughter.
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Letter Re: Keeping a Low Profile is Crucial for Preparedness
James,
To amplify on the excellent recent letter from SoCal titled "Keeping
a Low Profile
is Crucial for Preparedness", I have some suggestions that all of us
SurvivalBlog
readers should implement to keep a low profile in our online activities. Anonymizer and Comprehensive
Risk Solutions
(both mentioned
in the letter) are great
ideas. They are cheap insurance. I can also recommend a few other measures, to
wit:
1.) Use the
Scroogle
Scraper for web searches. This allows you to use Google through an intermediary
site. That way Google cannot create a profile on your searches. On background:
Google is notorious for data mining,a nd they have publicly. stated that they
plan
to
archive all
search
histories for 30 years! They look at this mountain of data as an "asset" that
they
can
market
at a later date.
2.) Install the Zone
Alarm firewall.
3.) Get the Stopzilla
anti-spyware software.
4.) Either learn how to manually clear your "cookies" and bits of "history" from
your PC,
or download software such as Free
History Eraser (from Blue Chilies)
that does so automatically.
5,) If you have a wireless access point (WAP) for your house or place of business,
then be absolutely sure to put a Wired
Equivalent Privacy (WEP) password on
it. Better yet, go further and use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption--since WEP can be cracked--and configure your WAP so that
it is not visible to anyone that is not on a pre-approved
list. In recent years, all sorts of riff-raff have been "piggybacking" on
open networks. Everyone from malicious hackers to kiddie porn addicts drive
around ("wardriving"--as
shown in the YouTube mini-documentary),
looking for unsecured wireless networks. Don't be a victim! Regards, - C.D.
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Letter Re: Preparedness Advice for a Law School Student
Hello,
I am a law student in Oklahoma.The recent ice storm really opened my eyes.
I lost power for a week in freezing temperatures (as did many thousands across
Oklahoma) I had no fuel in my car (a Ford Focus) and no food. It really opened
my eyes. I am currently heavily in debt and have little extra funds but would
like to start getting prepared. I have a dog (a Welsh Corgi) and a cat.
My girlfriend
thinks I have gone insane and does not like to talk about things like this.
I live in a rented house in mid-town a mile from the University. I have made
a
few modest preparations (such as beginning to store tap water in two liter
bottles with a few drops of bleach, and having about
a weeks worth of food in my pantry.)
I own a .357 handgun with only a box of
ammo. I am fairly proficient with it.
I am new to this survival concept due
to growing up in a very large city in Texas. I have been browsing your
site now
for a few weeks and was wondering if you would be willing to offer any
situation-specific advice for someone like me. Thank You Very Much, - A.M. in
Oklahoma
JWR Replies: Here are my recommendations:
1.) Recognize that you can only "do what you can do" with the scant
funds that you have available as a student. Make some modest preps like water
and
food storage, and a few more boxes of ammo for your revolver. The rest will
likely have to wait until after you have graduated. The good news is that attorneys
have above-average earnings, so you will soon make rapid progress on your preparations.
Just hope and pray that the economy holds together long enough for that. You
might want to consider real estate and tenant law as your initial legal specialty.
That should be a busy field for the next decade, as the real estate bust continues.
2.) Network with like-minded friends and church members. Hopefully you can
find an existing retreat group. Do a search in SurvivalBlog's search window
(at the top of the right hand bar) on the word "matchmaking". Those
articles will give you some good pointers on networking. At your stage in life,
networking will
provide
you
with the
best
chance of
pulling through a worst case situation such as a societal collapse.
3.) Prioritize. Thankfully, living in a rented house means that you have more
storage space available than the average college student. But make the best
of
it
by prioritizing your purchases.
4.) Be blunt with your girlfriend. Tell her that today's world is replete with
substantial risks including terrorism, severe weather (including ice storms
and tornados) and economic instability, so preparing is rational. If she can't
accept
that
there
is are genuine
risks these days, then you might consider courting another young lady
that is more realistic and down to earth. Arnie (now the Governator) said it
best: "Come with me if you want to live."
5.) I realize that law school is very demanding of your time. However, once
time allows get plenty of training on first aid, self defense, amateur radio,
food storage, gardening, home canning, and so forth. (See the SurvivalBlog
archives for specific recommendations.) With your limited time, it might be
appropriate to first select training that would fill a specific need for your
survival
group.
6.) If you have trouble finding a position at a law firm immediately after
graduation, then consider applying for a direct commission an an Army
JAG officer.
(Life as JAG lieutenant is
not very
glamorous--you since
you will mainly be writing wills--but it is a guaranteed salary, even in an
economic depression. In such times, that
kind of job security is important for someone that has a lot of student loans.)
IIRC,
to qualify, you must be under 32 years old at the time of appointment--perhaps
a bit older
with
a waiver.) One way to be almost assured getting an appointment by the Direct
Commissioning Board is to have a sufficient number of Army "contact hours"
before
you
complete your Juris Doctor graduate degree. So talk to your university's Army
ROTC department.
With the approval of the Professor of Military Science (
PMS),
a graduate student
can get a slot for the five week long ROTC Basic Camp (normally for
undergrads). It is held each summer at Fort Knox, Kentucky. There is
no
contractual obligation for
attending the camp,
and you
will get a lot of training that is quite applicable to individual preparedness.
This includes
NBC defense,
marksmanship, first aid, communications, map reading, land navigation,
and small unit tactics. Even if you never apply for a direct
commission, you will find the training invaluable.
Having that training will also make you more desirable to retreat groups that
are
looking for members.
« 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 yo
