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Technology After TEOTWAWKI, by JLG in Texas
"A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;
for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers." (Proverbs
24:5-6)
Most survivalist planning focuses on physical needs—food, shelter, clothing,
first aid, self defense. While the physical essentials rightly belong at the
top of the list, there's almost always some empty space left in the locker/bunker/trailer/back-of-the-truck
for...something. What to put in there?
Human beings are social animals, and we need each other; God has woven this
into our genetic code. A "Lone Ranger" survivalist might have an
edge in the short-term, but a group of survivors has a distinct long-term advantage—if
they can overcome the challenges. Other than basic supply-scale issues, the
primary challenges facing larger groups center around communication issues—making
sure everyone is fully informed and knows The Plan. Communication helps build
trust, and trust-based relationships are exactly what you need as a survivor—whether
you're dealing with your family, or with the family down the road, in the next
county, or across the globe.
One of the reasons I enjoy being a technology consultant is the fact that technology
brings people together. Postal mail, telephone, fax, mobile phones, email,
text messaging, videoconferencing, two-way radios...you name it, it's basically
about human communication. As I formulate and revise my overall survival plan,
I find myself evaluating various technology gadgets in this light: Would this
gizmo (whatever it is) provide communication benefits to me if I were in survival
mode, and, if so, is it feasible and reasonable to utilize it in that capacity?
Note that what is "feasible" and "reasonable" are almost
completely subjective, depending on the skill set of the particular individual
or group—those who have a "techno-wiz" or two in their midst
can obviously support more complex technology than others. By evaluating your
group's capacity for utilizing technology, and carefully selecting from some
proven technologies, you can improve your survival capabilities in numerous
ways by improving your ability to communicate within your group of survivors,
be it large or small, and increase your access to outside resources. Here are
some ideas:
Get your ears on. The mobile phone infrastructure may or may not be operational,
and even if it is, your survival retreat might not have decent reception—so
don't count on it. If your group consists of more than one person, odds are
that you will need to split up at some point, and radio communications give
you a huge advantage in almost every situation—especially if you run
up against an aggressor. Anything is better than nothing, so at least grab
a set of inexpensive "bubble pack" FRS/GMRS radios.
Better still, see if you can develop a relationship with a like-minded radio
guy in your
area, and draw upon his expertise. Find yourself an expert and get educated.[JWR
Adds: See the ARRL for a directory that will include a ham radio club
in your area.]
Get eyes in the back of your head...or house. A good survival retreat includes
a security system, and this is a great place to leverage technology. D-Link,
TrendNet and others make decent network cameras, both wired and wireless, for
around $100 each. You can string network wires through the trees, direct-bury,
or go wireless. Virtually any inexpensive wireless access point (e.g., Linksys/Netgear/D-Link
cable/DSL routers, Apple AirPorts, etc.) can be used to provide a basic communications
network for wireless cameras. Using multiple cameras with software like Security
Spy for Macs or NCH
Software for Windows, one person
with a laptop computer can cover a lot of ground just sitting in a chair. You
can even configure the software's motion detection features to alert you (by
making a noise, flashing the screen, etc.) when anything moves, so the man
on duty doesn't have to keep his eyes glued to the screen. Much of this equipment
runs on 12 VDC, so it's perfect for photovoltaic-powered systems.
Own the night. Get some night vision equipment. Others have written extensively
and with much more knowledge on the subject than I possess, but if you can
see in the dark, you have a huge advantage over the guy who can't. Find yourself
an expert and get educated. 'Nuff said. [JWR Adds: One night
vision gear vendor that I recommend is JRH
Enterprises.}
Get connected. What happens to the internet after TEOTWAWKI?
A safe assumption is that the Internet will be unreliable at best, and possibly
unusable. This
may be true to varying degrees on a global or regional scale, but understand
that the internet itself is simply a conglomeration of smaller networks. If
you've built a security network like the one mentioned above, you can use point-to-point
wireless links to connect your survival retreat with your closest like-minded
neighbor (you do know your neighbors, right?), so you can communicate more
quickly and easily. Remember, there is strength in numbers—especially
when you can maintain good communications. What's more, if you build a "mesh" of
interconnected networks, if just one location has internet access, those communication
and information resources immediately become available to the entire mesh.
Remember all those survivalblog.com articles you always meant to print out
but never did? If the server is still online, now you can get to them!
The least expensive wireless point-to-point equipment is generally going to
be a pair of weatherproofed 802.11b/g radios hooked to a directional antennas.
The disadvantage to this configuration is that 802.11b/g is a "line-of-sight" technology
that uses microwave frequencies—so, anything that would heat up in a
microwave oven will attenuate the signal. Thus, if your two locations are
separated by foliage or terrain, you'll have to get those antennas up over
the treetops.
Not only is that a hassle, but it's also a very easy way for non-friendlies
to locate your retreat. In that case, you'd be better off utilizing more specialized
equipment from a manufacturer like Motorola or Trango. It's pricier, but it's
non-line-of-sight (NLOS)
and will shoot through trees.
Light 'em up! A good solar power system is a great addition to a survival retreat
in any case, but it becomes a necessity if you want to leverage electrically-powered
technology. A basic solar power plant is comprised of one or more photovoltaic
(PV) solar panels, which generate electric current whenever they're exposed
to light, one or more deep-cycle batteries to store the excess power for later
use, and
electronics to regulate the voltage and manage the battery charging. Power
is usually delivered at 12 VDC, which can be converted to 120 VAC using an
inverter—though it's more efficient to simply use equipment that will
run on 12 VDC. Don't skimp on photovoltaic gear, and I recommend sizing your
solar panels to at least double your usage projections. For one thing, you'll
always
want more juice than you think you'll need. For another thing, many vendors
quote solar panel performance based on best-case conditions, and even if they
regionalize their numbers for the amount of daylight in your area, they typically
use an average length-of-day instead of the shortest length-of-day, and they
either ignore or underestimate the effects of cloudy days, dust coating, bird
feces, etc. on PV panel performance. Solar power is quiet, too, so you won't
be giving away your position with a noisy generator. [JWR Adds: One
alternative energy system vendor that I recommend is Ready
Made Resources Also, don't overlook the references available at SolarDoc, at Backwoods
Home magazine, and at Home
Power magazine.]
Protect your equipment against electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
The general effects of EMP are fairly well documented, but the specific effects
of EMP on various types of electronic
equipment, and the most effective ways of protecting that equipment, are not
so well-documented. EMP is surrounded by misinformation, urban legend, and
simple unknowns. Most "experts" on EMP seem to agree that the most
straightforward way to protect equipment is probably to store it inside a "Faraday
box," which could be made by lining the inside of a metal filing cabinet
with several layers of newspaper, or wrapping a cardboard box with a couple
layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Stored in these containers, your electronic
equipment is reasonably protected against EMP. Note that I said "reasonably." When
we're talking about EMP, we're talking about nuclear attack, and survivability—for
electronics and people alike—is obviously highly dependent on where you
are in relation to ground zero, so all you can do is make reasonable preparations
and pray to God for grace.
Only you can determine whether or not the benefits of these technologies are
worth the money and effort in your particular survival plan. If you decide
to utilize any particular technology, I highly recommend building and testing
the system now, before it's needed. And, of course, you should always have
a "Plan B" for those times when—not if, but when—the
technology fails. EMP, rainwater in the wrong place, a broken wire, and a dead
battery all have the same end result—dead equipment—and you need
to plan for it. Note, too, that the ideas presented here were kept to a basic
level of information due to the limited scope of this article—each topic
would easily merit a fairly lengthy book, if not a complete volume, in order
to be explored to a satisfactory degree—so I strongly encourage you to
seek further knowledge in those systems that are of interest to you.
Again: Find yourself an expert and get educated. If you're an expert in one
or more survival fields, find someone who wants to be educated and teach them.
Being a survivalist doesn't mean you have to be antisocial. Remember that part
of your survival plan should involve building relationships with like-minded
people who have, among them, a diverse enough skill set to be able to handle
the widest possible range of survival tasks. One of the primary uses of communications
technology, aside from its immediate tactical use, is to build and maintain
these kinds of relationships even (or especially) in a survival scenario."Two
are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one
falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has
no-one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend
themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes
4:9-12)
Here is a non-exhaustive list of Internet resources, to help get you started:
Night vision:
Sideroad.com
N)Vision
Optics Planet
Point-to-point and outdoor wireless:
Radio Labs
Trango Broadband
Motorola
PTP
MoonBlink
Wi-Fi
Teletronics
Photovoltaic power:
Solar Power Directory
Solar-Electric
EMP protection:
AusSurvivalist EMP Protection Pages
Faraday Cages
1997
Military EMP Hardening Handbook
Parrhesia.com
EMP Hardening Handbook
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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.
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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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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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Letter Re: Use of Force in Retreat Security--Planning for Rules of Engagement and Levels of Force
James,
I finished my copy of the [post-nuke novel] "Malevil" [by Robert Merle.] One scene that was particularly well done was when the looter/vandals
start destroying the wheat planting. I could see myself paralyzed by the dilemma:
If they completely destroy my garden,then my family's survival becomes less--perhaps
very much less--probable. When I start shooting them their probability
of survival drops to zero.
From my understanding of decision making, especially decision making under
stress, it is very important to have crystal clear, absolutely unambiguous
triggers or "switches". Pull that trigger or switch and the pre-made
decision is implemented.
Triggers need to be revisited as circumstances change. Rowdies pilfering pears
from the tree in your yard should elicit a different response today than
it would after TSHTF.
I can make the case that anybody who does not demonstrate absolute respect
for another's private property will imperil other's lives post TSHTF. Post
TSHTF, the margin for error will be very much less. The margin
between a child surviving until the next harvest, or not surviving, could easily
be as small
as 25 pounds of corn or wheat. Under a "Malevil" or "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse" scenario I think
I would have few qualms about shooting. However, circumstances that
are less absolute would be very difficult for me.
I suspect that you have given the topic substantial thought. Is there a short
list of questions to "test" a circumstance-a short list that would
be of use to the SurvivalBlog community? Thank You, - Joe and Ellen
JWR: Replies: One important yet sadly under-emphasized aspect
of preparedness is access to less-than-lethal weaponry.
Having less-than-lethal weapons available to supplement your firearms
is important for two reasons: 1.) To show restraint and respect for human life,
and 2.) To keep
you
out
of jail
for
reckless
endangerment, assault, attempted murder, or murder. I cannot overstate
the point that the chances of a full-blown multigenerational societal
collapse are very small, Thus, the odds are that you will
still
have
contact
with functioning police and sheriff departments, and might end up answering
to the criminal justice system if you use unjustifiable or disproportionate
force
in self defense.
Of course if someone is shooting at you, you have the right and duty to defend
yourself and your family. (As a Christian, I found this
piece by Brandon Staggs, and
this
Crusader Knight piece helped me resolve this issue with certainty.)
Do
not endanger yourself unnecessarily
just
for the sake of employing less than lethal
weapons. There could very well be a situation where you think that
you are dealing with an unarmed intruder, only to have them then produce a
concealed weapon.
If that happens, it could easily get you killed. For that reason, I recommend
concentrating on less-than-lethal weapons that you can employ from
a distance.
Anything "up close and personal" has multiple risks. One of the principles
that is stressed again and again when training police officers and prison
guards is that proximity increases risk. If you can maintain distance
form your opponent,
you will minimize your risk of being overpowered or killed. This also meshes
nicely with the "defense in depth" approach that I stress with my consulting
clients. By placing multiple barriers between your family and the bad guys,
you will greatly
increases
your
chances
of avoiding
harm.
Sometimes a display of force will be enough to discourage
looters to go find easier pickings. One of my consulting clients is rancher
in the intermountain west that has large a 3/4"-thick
steel plate hung up on chains above his perimeter fence gate, which is 250
yards from his house. (He has a typical western ranch entry gate with a very
high, stout
crosspiece.)
He's told me is that his intention is that if miscreants stop and show signs
of forcing his gate, he will used a scoped FAL rifle
to apply several rapid shots to that steel plate. He calls it his "Go
away" bell. Hearing that "bell" will be a clear message to the
malo hombres: "You have 250 yards of open ground to traverse to get
to my house. Do you feel
lucky, or bulletproof?"
In hours of darkness, in genuinely Schumeresque times, it is likely
that a semi-auto burst of tracers fired over the heads of a gang of looters
might
have a similar effect. One of my readers also suggested placing Tannerite targets
in prominent positions around a retreat perimeter. Depending on the circumstances,
that might be a good technique for getting ruffians to leave.
One strong proviso: The use of "warning shots" could be misconstrued. State laws on this vary widely. In some states, this is often considered justifiable, but it in others it is
a potential felony. I would only recommend doing this in the midst of a true "worst case" societal collapse, only from a long distance (firing from cover), and only if no law enforcement were available to call. Do
not do this in present day circumstances or you will risk getting sued or prosecuted!
Please don't mistake any of the foregoing as sure solutions.
Merely scaring off looters might not be sufficient. Certainly don't use displays
of force more than once, per customer. The first time should be their
only warning. Be prepared, if need be, to follow it up with a genuine dose
of RBC
if they persist and thereby demonstrate that they plan to do you in.
Here are some other non-lethal weapon options:
Pepper Spray Alarms -
either trip wired or set off by electronic sensor. These can fill
a room with pepper spray in seconds. One variant fires up
to four times in sequence. A friend of mine has one of these mounted in the
vented bottom of a mailbox on his porch. It is wired for activation (on command)
from inside the house.
"Ferret" 12
gauge shells (These are shotgun shells, that instead of lead pellets
contain large capsules of CS tear
gas or OC powder.
They form an irritant dust cloud, on impact. These are not very effective
outdoors, but they are very effective in enclosed spaces.
Say,
for example, you saw an intruder enter your garden shed, but would feel endangered
if you left your house to approach the shed to confront him. Two or three
Ferret rounds fired into the shed would probably do the trick. (Passing through
a
sheet
of plywood,
in fact, is the best way to get full dispersal from a Ferret round.
CS riot control grenades. These are similar to a smoke grenade,
but issue forth huge clouds of CS smoke. I see a few of these at gun
shows, including some that were marketed by Smith & Wesson. They can be thrown, but also
could also be rigged to be set off by pulling a cable or lanyard, from a considerable
distance.
Since most of these these are pyrotechnic, be forewarned that there is a fire
hazard. Some
of the latest ones use CO2 to propel a vapor.
Rubber
bullets and beanbag rounds. These are deigned to bruise rather than
penetrate. (This
ammo was
originally
designed
for
riot
control.) Be careful to aim fairly low to void any pellets striking you opponent
in the face.
Speaking of these, I've heard of rubber bullets being used on moose and bear
in residential areas. These critters often become destructive,
typically tearing apart people's fruit and nut trees. Rubber bullets and 12
gauge beanbags are a non-lethal solution.
Pepper gas and CS (liquid stream or fog) dispensers. These
are risky because they requite proximity. But at least the dispensers are small
and can be kept close
at
hand. Here at the Rawles
Ranch we have occasional ursine visitors, so except in winter
(when bears are denned up) all of the members of our family habitually go armed
whenever
we
step
more than a few yards away from our house. Before they were old enough to
carry
handguns,
our children
usually
carried large 15% pepper spray (OC) canisters.
Tasers. These could be practical, but again, they are only
useful with about 15 feet. I don't recommend them unless you live in a gun-deprived
locality.
Stun guns. Even worse than a Taser, these require direct
contact. I don't recommend them
Impact weapons (Batons, kubatons, walking sticks, et cetera)
These are at the bottom of my list because they require immediate contact.
They also require
considerable
training
and practice. Their application in subduing someone is practically a martial
art form, and is much, much more difficult than portrayed in movies
and television. Too little force can merely be antagonistic or possibly result
in a miscreant
disarming you and use the weapon on you. . Too much force
can be crippling, disfiguring, or lethal. (Any blows to the neck or head, for
example,
are potentially lethal,
and if you use them, in the eyes of the law it would not be much different
than pulling the trigger of a gun.)
You might also find some other weapon possibilities at the Less-Lethal.org web
site.
Without having non-lethal weapons available, your only other choice would
be attempting to use a lethal weapon in a less than lethal manner (typically,
with warning shots.) Do
not consider using a firearm with the intent to wound an
opponent. By doing so, at the very least you will create an adversary that
will most likely seek vengeance
whenever
and wherever he can
get it: There is nothing quite like a vendetta, particularly during
a period of lawlessness. He may later ambush you. He may snipe at your retreat
from
long
distance. He may
poison
your well.
He
may
burn
your
grain
fields.
He may
even
wait and
later meet you in court, where he will have some nasty scars to display. I
regularly get letters from readers, asking about using bird shot or the proverbial
"shotgun
loaded with rock salt". Those are both likely to either get you killed,
or get you sued out of all of your worldly possessions. In short: don't
consider using any intentionally maiming weapon.
Whenever you use amy weapon, you need to think through the implications.
Even what looks like a "worst case" situation might suddenly and
unexpectedly end. When order is restored, you could be facing your opponent
in the most
dangerous
arena
of all: the courtroom.
Think Through Anticipated Levels of Force
When police officers train, they typically learn force escalation. An officer
doesn't doesn't use his service automatic on an unruly drunk. That would be
considered grossly disproportionate force. Law enforcement
officers have detailed rules of proportionate force and force escalation drilled
into them from Day One at the academy. Civilians are not held to
quite
the
same standards, but proportionate force and reciprocal escalation of force
are both long-standing precepts used by the court system in judging guilt
or innocence.
There might be a situation where uninvited guests
are raiding your garden or fruit trees. If it is dark (quite likely), you
may not
be able
to
determine
if they are armed. In such a situation, it might be better to have alternatives
like trip flares or remotely triggered floodlights. Also see some of the recent
SurvivalBlog posts on infrared (IR) floodlights and/or IR cyalume trip flares
used in conjunction with Starlight technology (light amplification) night vision
gear. These will give you a strong advantage and most likely send the ruffians
to flight.
Is Mr. Badguy there to siphon the gas
out of your vehicle, or steal the vehicle itself? Does he want apples from
your orchard, or does he want to kill you and take over your retreat? Is
he there to steal a couple of chickens, or to kidnap your daughter? Does a
stranger merely want a handout or is he looking for the chance to carry out
a home invasion?
How can you determine their intentions? That is a toughie. But there are some
red flags to watch for. If a party that is approaching your retreat dwelling
is entirely armed
men, then odds are that they have murder on their minds. But if a group includes
women
and
children, the
threat
level
is
likely
much lower. (They probably wouldn't endanger them if they were expecting
lead to soon be flying.) Are they dressed in normal clothes, or in BDUs
and war paint?
Is law enforcement help available? If law enforcement evaporates at some
point in the future, even people living inside city limits may be in a comparable
situation.
There is an old saying: "When the only tool you have is a hammer, every
problem starts to look like a nail." Make the effort to acquire
non-lethal weapons. I'd hate to see a SurvivalBlog reader use excessive
force, just for lack of a less-than-lethal arrow in his quiver. Use them,
when possible, but again only if and when doing so won't endanger
yourself or your family.
Ironically, in many
cases
it
is easier
in
the US
to
acquire
lethal
ammo than
it is to buy non-lethal
ammo
and
items like CS
gas
grenades.
(Often,
although they are legal to possess in most jurisdictions,
because of company sales policies they can only be ordered
on law enforcement letterhead.) So finding what you need might take a bit
of looking and/or require the aid of sympathetic intermediaries. Two closing
proviso: Consult your state and local laws before ordering any weapons, be
they lethal, less-than-lethal, or non-lethal. None of the preceding should
be considered legal advise. Consult your local laws and, as appropriate,
seek qualified legal counsel.
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Letter Re: Tradeoffs of Various Retreat Designs
Hi Jim
What are your thoughts on the advantages of basements for cool storage, elevated
construction for flood protection, sod roof/earth contact for insulation versus
steel roofs for water collection?
Perhaps some of the SurvivalBlog readers may wish to submit hypothetical retreat
layouts with advantages and disadvantages and why they would choose a particular
layout design. Regards,- JG
JWR Replies: A sod roof or earth-berming creates
some contradictions in retreat design goals, most notably that they typically
block the defender's view of one entire flank. This
can be partially
mitigated by properly placing supplementary defensive positions. Sod roofs
are also contradictory with the goal of rainwater catchment. My general advice
is: Unless
you also
expect your roof to provide gamma (fallout) shielding, then use metal roofs
in dry
climates.
There are several distinct approaches to retreat architecture. These should
all be modified depending on your local climate and the particular threats
that you anticipate.
In an area with a high water table, earth-sheltered houses can only be considered
if you start out by building above the existing grade, and build up
embankments from there. Details on underground house architecture and design
are
fairly
well described at the
Davis
Caves web site.
In a dry climates with deep wells, water catchment is a paramount concern.
In those areas, I generally recommend one story house designs (to maximize
roof surface area), and metal roofs for the house and all outbuildings, with
rainwater
catchment systems for all of them. Even small sheds should be equipped with
gutters and rain barrels.
Anyone living in a high population density area or that is along a potential
refugee
line
of drift should make the need to repel looters one of their primary
design considerations. This means large cleared areas in all directions ("clear
fields of fire"), ballistic hardening (most easily accomplished by sand
or gravel-filled bags--see my comments later in this post), infrared floodlights
(for use in conjunction with Starlight
scopes and NVGs),
and plenty of defensive concertina wire or razor wire. In essence, you want
to make your house a "tough nut to crack", so that looters will quickly
decide go find easier pickings.
A completely different approach is to make your house blend in with the terrain
and go un-noticed. Outside of heavily-wooded areas, this is very difficult
to achieve. Furthermore, the goal of self-sufficiency brings along with it
the need for barns, greenhouses, wood sheds, photovoltaic panels, and various
outbuildings such as hen houses. It is not realistic to expect that you can
make all that magically disappear.
But at least if
you
live on acreage
in wooded country, you can make the entrance to your property look nondescript.
If you have one of those fancy driveway entranceways, then recognize the fact
that they scream: "Here is the home of someone wealthy." My advice
is to tear
it down. If anything, you want your entrance road to look as much
like a disused logging road as possible. Plant additional screening trees.
Plant native shrubbery to make the entrance narrow and uninviting. If you have
a perimeter fence, you might want to make your entrance gate look as much as
possible like nothing more than a continuation of the perimeter fencing.
Regardless
of where you live, it is important to black out all visible light. Odds are
that
in
a grid-down collapse, you will be one of the few people in your area that
still have electricity. Any visible lights at night will thus attract looters.
So
bes sure to lay
in the supplies
that you'll need to completely black out your windows and make a light-proof "airlock" for any frequently-used exterior doors. (A wooden framework that is
a bit bigger than a phone booth, covered with blankets, works fine.)
As recently mentioned in the blog, extra thick masonry construction is the
best choice for ballistic protection. Another great option is an Earthship tire
house. But even well-reinforced masonry and Earthships are problematic in earthquake
country. There, wood frame construction is ideal,
given
its
inherent
flexibility.
But
what if you live in earthquake country and you want ballistic protection?
What a quandary. Unless you are a multimillionaire that can afford hundreds
of yards of Kevlar, then the only viable solution is to be ready to build
small
sandbag-reinforced fighting positions inside of your house, set back several
feet from the exteriors windows. This will not earn you any
Martha Stewart style bonus points from your spouse, so don't consider
doing this before the
balloon goes up. Just keep
all
of the
requisite
materials handy. That big pile of 3/4"-minus gravel can be explained as "some
extra rock for maintaining our driveway." OBTW, unless your house is
built on a
slab, you will probably
have to heavily reinforce
the floors
beneath
your
planned
sandbagged
positions,
to allow them take the extra weight. If you aren't a do-it-yourselfer, then
have a story ready for any workmen that come to do the job. For example, you
might
tell
them that you have a bad back and are planning to buy a king size waterbed.
Regardless of your design approach, give it some serious thought and prayer.
Life is full of trade-offs. If you can't afford to build a retreat that is
way out in lightly-populated country, then recognize the fact that there will
be lots of hungry, dispossessed people wandering by (or through) your property
in the event of a "worst case." Plan accordingly. Defensive architecture by
itself will
not be enough. Defending a retreat will take 24/7/365 manpower,
and that of course necessitates teaming up with
other families.
The possibility of a worst case situation complete with "mutant zombie
bikers"
is of course very small. Rather, the odds are that in the next Great Depression
the lights will stay on, crime will be relatively under control, and most
of your attention will be
focused
on your garden and orchard output rather than perimeter security. But if and
when
things
ever
do
get truly
Schumeresque,
then the best words of guidance that I can give in a nutshell are: to think:
"medieval castle."
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The "Come as You Are" Collapse--Have the Right Tools and Skills
In the Second World War, the United States had nearly two full years to ramp
up military training and production before decisively confronting the Axis
powers. In the late 1970s, looking at the recent experience of the 1973 Arab-Israeli
War, the Pentagon's strategic planners came to the realization that the next
major war that the US military would wage would not be
like the Second World War. There would not be the luxury of time to train and
equip. They realized that we would have to fight with only what we had available
on Day One. They dubbed this the "Come as you are war" concept.
In my opinion, the same "come as you are" mindset should
be applied to family preparedness. We must recognize that in these
days of rapid news dissemination, it may take as little as 10 hours before
supermarket shelves are cleaned out. It make take just a few hours for queues
that are literally blocks-long to form at gas stations--or at bank branches
in the event of bank runs. Worse yet, it may take just a few hours before
the highways and freeways leading out of urban and suburban areas are clogged
with traffic--the dreaded "Golden
Horde" that I often write about. Do not make the false assumption
that you will have the chance to make "one last trip" to the big
box store, or even the chance to fill your Bug Out Vehicle's fuel tank. This
will be the "come as you are" collapse.
The concept also applies to your personal training. If you haven't learned
how to do things before the balloon goes, up, then don't expect to get anything
but marginal to mediocre on-the-job training after the fact. In essence, you
have the opportunity to take top quality training from the best trainers now,
but you won't once the Schumer hits
the fan. Take the time to get top-notch training! Train with the best--with
organizations like Medical
Corps, WEMSI, Front
Sight, the RWVA/Appleseed
Project, the WRSA,
and the ARRL.
Someday, you'll be very glad that you did.
The come as you are concept definitely applies to specialized manufactured
equipment.You are dreaming if you think that
you will have the chance to to purchase any items such as these, in a post-collapse
world:
razor
wire, body
armor, night
vision equipment,
advanced
first aid gear, tritium
scopes, dosimeters
and radiac meters, biological decontamination
equipment, Dakota
Alert or military surplus PEWS intrusion
detection sets, photovoltaics,
NBC
masks, and semi-auto
battle rifles.
Think about it: There
are very few if these items (per capita) presently in circulation. But the
demand for them during a societal collapse would be tremendous. How could
you compete in such a scant market? Anyone that conceivably has "spares" will
probably want to keep them for a member of their own family or group. So
even in the unlikely event that someone was even willing to sell
such scarce items, they would surely ask a king's ransom in barter
for them. I'm talking about quarter sections of land,
entire strings of
well-broken horses, or pounds of
gold. Offers of anything less would surely be scoffed at.
Don't overlook the "you" part of the "as
you are" premise.
Are you physically fit? Are you up to date on your dental work? Do you have
two pairs of sturdy eyeglasses with your current prescription? Do
you have at least a six month supply of vitamins and medications? Is your body
weight
reasonable?
If you answer to any of these is no, then get busy!
Even if you have a modest budget, you will have an advantage over the average
suburbanite. Your knowledge and training alone--what is between your ears--will
ensure that. And even with just a small budget for food storage, you will be
miles ahead of your neighbors. Odds are that they will have less than two week's
worth of food on hand. As I often say, you will need extra supplies on hand to
help out relatives, friends, and neighbors that were ill-prepared. I consider
charity my Christian duty!
I have repeatedly and strongly emphasized the importance of living
at your intended retreat year-round. But I realize that because
of personal finances, family obligations, and the constraints of making a
living at an hourly or
salaried job, that this is not realistic--except for a few of us, mainly retirees.
If you are stuck in the Big City and plan to Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.)
at the eleventh hour, then by all means pre-position the vast majority of your
gear and supplies at your retreat. You will most likely only have one, I repeat, one G.O.O.D.
trip. If there is a major crisis there will probably be no chance to "go
back for a second load." So WTSHTF will
truly be a "come as you are" affair.
With all of this in mind, re-think your preparedness priorities. Stock
your retreat well. If there isn't someone living there year-round,
then hide what is there from burglars. (See the numerous SurvivalBlog posts
on caching and constructing hidden compartments and rooms.) Maintain balance
in your preparations. In a situation where you are truly hunkered-down at
your retreat in the midst of a societal collapse, there might not be any
opportunity to barter for any items that you overlooked. (At least not for
several months. ) What you have is what you got. You will have to make-do.
So be sure to develop your "lists
of lists" meticulously. If you have the funds available, construct
a combination storm shelter/fallout shelter/walk-in vault. It
would be virtually impossible to build something that elaborate in the aftermath
of a
societal collapse.
A closing thought that relates to your retreat logistics: The
original colonial Army Rangers, organized by Major Robert Rogers during
the French and Indian Wars of the 1750s had a
succinct list of operating rules. The version of the "Rules of Ranging" recounted
in the novel "Northwest Passage" by Kenneth Roberts started
with a strong proviso: "Don't forget nothing." That
is sage advice.
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Letter Re: Advice on .223 and .308 Semi-Auto Rifles and Optics?
Jim,
I've decided to finally purchase an AR-15 type .223. I've decided on a DPMS
Lo-Pro 16 for my .223 carbine. I'm looking into a
Mueller lighted-reticle
scope,
in the area of 2-10x40 or so. Mueller has prices that are quite decent, given
the quality, and the reviews I've read. I also have a friend with a Mueller
setup on his AR-15.
For a .308, I've looked over many of the FN-FAL and
G3 type rifles and their clones, but an AR-type
platform has been highly recommended to me: The
Rock River Arms
LAR-8. It uses the AR-15 design from Eugene Stoner, and accepts Metric
or Inch FN-FAL magazines. This seems to me to be the best of both worlds, inexpensive,
reliable magazines, and the solid AR platform, made by one of the top leaders
in AR type rifles for military and law enforcement.
Please offer any advice or opinions regarding these choices, I value your opinion,
and the opinions of my fellow survivalblog readers. I'd appreciate any input
from folks out there that have the RRA LAR-8, especially. I'm also thinking
of the Mueller scope for this rifle. (Specifically, the Mueller Tactical 4-16x50mm
or the Sport Dot 4-16x50mm both priced around $240-$250.) Thanks again! - R.
in New Hampshire
JWR Replies: I generally prefer gas piston designs, since
the Stoner gas tube design is notoriously prone to fouling. But if you are
scrupulous and consistent about firearms cleaning, then it should serve you well.
The
Rock River brand has a good reputation, and since their .308 AR can use inexpensive FAL magazines, they are at the top of my list. I wasn't aware that
they could accept inch (L1A1)
magazines with the large locking lug. (You might want to double check that.)
I just heard from another reader that Rock River Arms has started shipping
their LAR-.308 in 16", 20" and 24" Barrels. If that will be
your dedicated "reach out and touch someone" long distance shooting
rifle, then you might consider getting the 24" length.
In their short track record, the Mueller scopes have a fair reputation for
quality. Just
one proviso on Mueller scopes: Don't be deceived
by their German-sounding brand name and their clever
"Euro Coating " and "German post reticle" marketing rhetoric. Mueller scopes
are
made in Mainland China, using lenses that are mass produced
in
Japan.
Be sure to a lay in a large supply of button batteries, and
store them in your refrigerator. OBTW, one little known fact is that most low
voltage (1 to 2.5 volt) button batteries can be recharged,
with varying degrees of success. Get
a compact solar button battery charger. (Also great for hearing aid batteries.)
I think that a 2-10x scope for a .223 is overkill, since .223 is not a
500 yard cartridge (unlike .308, which definitely is.) In my experience, a
fixed-power 4x scope
will suffice for a .223 out to 350 yards. And beyond 350, you are using the wrong rifle. I recommend the Trijicon ACOG TA-01-NSN
with the donut reticle. These are much more expensive than a Mueller scope,
but YMMV.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: The Recent Blizzard on I-90 in Wisconsin »
Letter Re: Advice on a Starlight Scope Platform
Hello James,
I've been putting off acquiring a AN/PVS-4 [--a Starlight technology
electronic light amplification night vision weapons sight--] for too long primarily
due
to the expense (and other
priorities).
The time has
come
to
get one from STANO
Components night
vision (and I'll be sure to mention your blog). I'll be getting a Gen2 refurbished
scope with a new [image intensifier]
tube
and the
other details you mentioned recently. I have three options for mounting the scope. I am inclined to mount
the scope on my M1A Match (at present is equipped with a 10x super sniper scope)
but have other options, an AR-15 or a FN-FAL (none of these have optics).
Note: I have one M1A but two AR-15s and two FN-FALs. I do have a Springfield
[Armory M1A] SOCOM (.308) but that is probably not the best choice
here.
I understand
that I should be able to remove/mount the AN/PVS-4 scope without messing up the
zero
each time but would prefer to just mount it on a firearm and just leave it there
as the full time dedicated night firearm. Plus, not having to remount it is just
one less thing to do.
I just want to be sure that I'm not missing anything tactically
or otherwise
before I advise STANO Components to set it up [with a reticle] for .308. Thanks
for any input, - Pete.
JWR Replies: I agree that your SOCOM-variant M1A would be
a poor choice for use as your dedicated night-fighting rifle. They have 16.25"
barrels and consequently have a huge muzzle flash. While a .223 might suffice,
I believe that a .308 is much more effective, particularly at long range. I
would recommend mounting the Starlight scope on one of your
FALs,
for
two reasons:
1.) FAL (and L1A1) flash hiders are fairly efficient.
2.) FAL scope mount top cover have a good reputation for "return to zero" when
removed and reinstalled. Even the inexpensive TAPCO top cover mounts exhibit
remarkable return to zero stability.
And thanks, BTW, for mentioning SurvivalBlog whenever you deal with any of
our advertisers--or any companies that are potential advertisers.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Homemade and Expedient Vegetable Oil Lamps »
Letter Re: SHOT Show Report
Jim,
I just returned from the SHOT
Show held in down in Mordor (Lost Wages,
Nevada.) Here are my top three favorite innovations that I saw there.
1) This product is number one by a long shot. It is a huge monumental leap
in technology for night vision. My buddy just back from Iraq fell over
when he saw it. SuperVision(tm)
Digital Night Vision. Forget the blurry and hazy green from the past. The
new generation shows clear blue-gray out to 300+ yards. Its clarity is
impressive
and the cost is half of the current top offering of night vision. www.xenonics.com
for live video.
Downside-only have handheld unit-working on rail mount for front of scope-due
soon.
2) A 5 inch by 3 inch water purifier that purifies up to 2000 liters, and costs
only $59.95. It fits in the palm of your hand--very small and compact. Made
by Middleboro
Water,
LLC ph. (508) 947-6824
3) A multi-tube Magazine located in fore-end stock of a semi-auto shotgun.
When one tube is empty you rotate the stock to engage a new tube. Total capacity
is
16 rounds.
Made in Meridian, Idaho. See: SRM
Arms PDF and Defense
Review article. [A hat tip to Ron A., for sending those links.]
Cool factor: Beretta Pistol with 1000 diamonds embedded in the pistol grips.
90 carats total. And of course, a Perazzi shotgun set: a .410, 28, 16 and
12 gauge shotgun
set costing a mere $447,000. Pocket change!
The 2008 SHOT Show had 7,000 vendors and new overflow tents in the parking
lot. As you can guess I only saw a percentage of the show in two full days.
God
Bless, - B.
« 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| From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a "List of Lists" »
Letter Re: Best Items to Store for Barter and Charity?
Mr. Rawles,
My wife and I are are in our 50s, (never had kids) and we live
in a four bedroom house on 80 acres (mostly leased out [for farming]), eight
miles outside a
town of 20,000
population,
in south-central Iowa. Two of our cousins and one nephew--all military vet[eran]s--that
live in town are planning to come out [and live with us], if and when times
get nasty. We have now have (or will soon have) all our basic preparations
in hand,
including a three year food supply for five people, which
we
got
mostly
through Safecastle and
Ready Made Resources,
plus some extra
meats
from Freeze Dry Guy,
and some canned butter from Best
Prices Storable Foods. We also took your advice
and upgraded to a propane [chest] freezer.
(That took a lot
of
searching, believe me!)
It
now holds almost a a side of beefalo, and almost 15 gallons of frozen
olive oil. (Thanks for mentioning [fats and] oils--that was something that
we had
totally overlooked!).
My wife and I plan to book the four day handgun course and the four day rifle
course back-to-back at Front
Sight, with some
sightseeing in Vegas, on the weekend in between [the two courses]. We are going
in April--before the really scorching
weather starts in southern Nevada. (We've been warned about the summers
there!) Per your suggestion posts, we [standardized] with Glock 21-SF
.45s and FN-FAL clones.
With five of each--not to mention the rest of my [gun] collection, which
was ah-hem substantial before I ever started reading your blog--we
should be able to hold off a small army. We have well water, but have a very
reliable windmill that pumps [water up] to a 850 gallon tank with its overflow
piped to a 2,700 above-ground
concrete cistern for irrigating our garden. Water is not an issue.We also
have oversize propane and home heating [oil] tanks. (Large enough that they've
each prompted
comments
from visitors. I've just told them that I like to buy in bulk whenever
fuel prices dip.)
Now that we have all the basics covered, we are ready to acquire some stocks
for barter, assuming one of your "Grid
Down" collapses. We have plenty of
[storage] space, since our house has a full unfinished basement. FYI, it has
never had any dampness or
flooding
problems.What
do
you
suggest
as the
most important
barter [item] to stock up on? We also want to have extra items for charity.
We plan to do that through our church, so that our family name never
gets
mentioned.
- Karl in Iowa
JWR Replies: It sounds like you are "Away squared"!
For
anyone living in an inland area, I consider salt the
highest priority barter and charity item. Buy a lot of salt,
in several forms. As space allows, buy 20 to 30 of the 50-pound plain white
salt
blocks
from
your
local
feed store.
These are great for barter--both for folks with livestock and for people that
want to attract wild game. Buy a couple of 25 pound sacks of iodized salt for
your own use. Also buy 100 to
200 of
the
standard
cardboard
one pound
canisters
of
iodized
salt
for
small scale barter transactions.</
