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Letter Re: Ropes and Knot Tying
Mr. Rawles,
I'm an avid reader of your blog, and have found it most helpful in a variety
of ways. However, I have noticed a slight deficiency: there is little mention
of ropes and knots.
Rope is an incredibly useful thing, both in everyday life and in a SHTF situation:
it can be used in combination with a tarp and two trees to construct a makeshift
shelter, can lift or pull objects, can secure objects to prevent them from moving, it can make snares and traps to
catch food, and so on. One can even tie their shoes!
However, when tied with clumsy or inadequate knots, rope can be incredibly
dangerous. The common square knot can fail if sideways (relative to the length
of the rope) tension is applied to one of the working ("free") ends.
Certain knots can weaken rope['s breaking strength] by more than 40%, which
can be a dangerous condition in and of itself.
For light duty (tent cord, tying things down, etc.), military-style 550 [nylon
parachute] cord is incredibly useful. For heavier load-bearing uses, one should
use a suitable
rope.
As always, the Wikipedia
has useful links and information for tying different knots.
Bookstores sell books describing hundreds of knots and their uses. As always,
having paper books on hand is more useful in a SHTF situation than computer
files. Sincerely, - Pete S.
JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that. I have provided
a couple of links to knot tying web sites in the past --such as this site
that shows you exactly how they're done (they show
examples of around 75 specific knots) via clearly photographed animations.
One item that bears special
mention is the rappelling
carabiner. Commonly just called a "biner"--and called
a "snap
link" by
the US military--these have umpteen uses for attaching/lifting/slinging/securing
loads and acting
like a pulley (or
providing greater rope friction by adding multiple coils of rope, which of
course relates to their originally-intended purpose for rappelling. I recommend
buying
a half-dozen
(or more), with
at least two of them
with
thumb screw-type locking gates.OBTW, avoid the
flimsy pseudo-carbiners that are sold as key ring holders. (Thankfully, nowadays
most of these are stamped "Not for Climbing Use".) We keep several carabiner
in our ATV's
cargo bag, along with a 150 foot coil of rope, and a
pair of Jumar
ascenders. When used in conjunction with our ATV's electric winch, this gear
has
proved immensely useful for tasks around the ranch, and particularly when packing
big
game
uphill.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Dramatic Increases in Food Prices »
Letter Re: Will Peasant Farmers Fare Better than the Rich in TEOTWAWKI?
Hi,
I’m finding SurvivalBlog very interesting in these troubling
times. I came across it in the bibliography of a good novel, "Last
Light", by Alex Scarrow, which took me to Peak
Oil, and then to your
blog.
I live in a small city in the most unknown part of Italy , a southern region
called Basilicata . It’s always been a region bypassed by history and
its inhabitants have known a modicum of well being only in the past 20 years.
You might have heard of a book called "Christ Stopped at Eboli"
by Carlo Levi. Well, that’s here. Though of course right now, it’s
a charming place to live, with a lively music scene, great art and new restaurants
opening
up every day, people still remember vividly a subsistence existence.
I think having been very poor could actually be a huge advantage if and when
it is The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI).
There’s still a
huge huge amount of knowledge in their DNA about how to make do under harsh
conditions
of extreme
scarcity.
I can’t
imagine them panicking if horrible things happen because every home has a grandmother
or grandfather or an uncle that tills a small field, that can make sausage
and is really good at canning. They have literally thousands of years of experience
in banding together in harsh conditions. My sisters in law know everything
there is about storing food, canning, etc.
In many ways, the millennial poverty (now greatly alleviated) will probably
prepare them well if things collapse. And maybe areas of the world that are
used to living in scarcity will do better than rich urban areas. They might
not collapse, just revert to a previous culture. Also, this area is very rich
in water and they’ve just discovered the largest methane fields in Europe
.
Anyway congratulations on your fascinating blog. Right now, there’s
no food scarcity because Italians don’t have a long food chain. They
are very careful to eat locally and by law food’s origins must be labelled
and Italians prefer national food to imported food, because they are snobbish
about the taste of imported
food. Also, Italy grows most of its own rice. Best,
- E.J.
JWR Replies: I wholeheartedly agree that in the event of
a societal collapse, those that live close to the land will fare better than
most others. It may go down in history as a Great Inversion--something analogous
to France,
during the Revolution, when wealthy people in desperation
traded rings set with precious stones, gold necklaces, and fancy furniture
for loaves of bread. Perhaps in the next collapse they'll be trading Jet Skis
and
big screen
plasma televisions. This sort of inversion was aptly described by Pat Frank,
in his early-1960s post-nuke novel "Alas, Babylon." The novel
is set in rural Florida. The story describes how the erstwhile poor black residents
coped much better
than
rich whites, simply because they were already accustomed to making do. When
dollars became worthless, suddenly it was practical skills that trumped all
else. Before the Schumer hit the fan, the "Po Folks" already raised gardens,
kept small livestock, and
were experienced
subsistence
fishermen.
Their white
neighbors
had a lot
of catching up
to do,
to reach
the same level
of self-sufficiency.
Could life imitate at? I think so. The most likely to prosper in a collapse
will me middle class farmers and ranchers that are well-removed from urban
areas . They can capitalize on their
food
production kills and infrastructure,
yet will be isolated from most of the peril that will grip the cities and suburbs.
A farmer with a pair of well-trained draft horses and old-fashioned (horse-drawn)
machinery will do the best of all. These farmers with new-found wealth will
of course have to quickly hire some mercenaries to protect what they have.
Speaking of Italy, the
days ahead
may get downright Machiavellian.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Two Letters Re: Potatoes as a Survival Garden Crop »
Letter Re: The Potential Combat Effectiveness of Shotguns
Jim,
There is a
fairly heated discussion going on at the FALFiles Forums about how useful
a shotgun is in a Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF) situation. I was curious, what
exactly is your take on the issue?
Personally, I do not feel a shotgun can effectively replace a rifle, however,
it still proves an effective tool when the extreme-close situation arises.
I suppose one can distill this argument down to only "defensive purpose" shotguns
such as those built for tactical situations (3" chambers and open/cylinder
choke),
those you aptly refer to as "riotguns". While the effectiveness of
a shotgun for hunting small game is readily apparent, where exactly would a defensive
shotgun come into play using either various types of buckshot or slugs?
In what circumstances would a shotgun be a superior choice to a battle or assault
rifle? Examples?
I, as well as many, value your opinion on the matter. Best Regards, -- Kyrottimus
JWR Replies: While semi-auto battle rifles are more practical
for most defensive shooting (most notably because of their capability at both short
and long range), riot shotguns can definitely be effective at short range.
In the dense North Woods, there is seldom any shooting beyond 50 yards, so
they are adequate there. (Riotguns can be effective to 40 yards with buckshot
and 90+ yards with slugs.) I also generally recommend riotguns for urbanites
that live in cities or states with harsh restrictions on semi-auto rifles.
In a city (again, range limited, by terrain) a repeating riotgun is generally
more useful than a bolt action rifle, so if those are your only options,
then go for a shotgun. But with all that said, assuming that you don't live
in a liberal fantasyland like New Jersey, if you only have the money to buy
one rifle (and the requisite training)., or one shotgun (and
the requisite training), then buy a semi-auto battle rifle!
With the addition of a spare "bird" barrel, shotguns can also be
useful for foraging, since they are the only effective means of wingshooting.
(And the only legal method, in many countries.)
Also, police have found that shotguns firing slugs can be more effective and
safer than a rifle, in the specialized task of removing a door from its hinges.
Speaking of which, building "entry" is incredibly dangerous, and
frankly I can't foresee the need of the average prepper to ever do so. But
you never know. There was that one chapter of "Patriots"...
A couple of provisos:
Despite popular misconceptions popularized by Hollywood, shotguns must be
aimed, much like a rifle. The bead sights that are installed on most shotgun
barrels are insufficient. I recommend either buying a replacement barrel with
rifle sights, or having these sights retrofitted.
Be sure to do some pattern
tests at various distances with your shotgun, using full-power buckshot
loads. (I generally prefer #4 buckshot--not to be confused with the much
smaller and and much more common #4 birdshot, which is a standard load for
duck hunting.) Even if you have a shotgun with a wide open "Cylinder
bore" (no choke), you may be surprised how tightly it shoots, especially
inside of 10 yards. Again, you can't just vaguely point, you have
to aim. If you plan to shoot slugs, again do some tests and zero
your gun's iron sights.
OBTW, I highly recommend the Four
Day Tactical Shotgun course taught by Front Sight.
This course builds skills, builds confidence, and dispels a lot of
myths.
« Two Letters Re: Getting from Point A to Point B |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Safe Food Handling, by B.H. in Western Washington
Safe food handling is critical for a healthy life in both good and bad times.
As a former restaurant manager, I can tell you food safety or customer safety
was priority number
one. It’s hard to make money when you’ve killed your customers,
which is the alternative to safe food handling. Death or severe illness is
the unforgiving consequence to food borne illness. Food borne illnesses doesn’t
just happen in restaurants it happens everywhere food is handled and prepared
whether it’s during decadent affluence or full scale TEOTWAWKI.
Please don’t confuse food poisoning with food borne illnesses. Chemicals,
bacteria, or certain foods like wild poisonous mushrooms and berries cause
food poisoning. Germs that grow in food or in our bodies cause food borne infections.
Symptoms of food borne infections include headache, fever, stomachache, vomiting
and diarrhea. These symptoms can start showing in just a few hours or take
several weeks to appear. The CDC estimates
that every year 76 million Americans get sick and nearly 5,000 die each year
from food borne illnesses.
Some groups of people are more susceptible to food borne illness. Health professionals
recognize the following groups:
Younger than 5 years old
Older than 65 years old
Pregnant
Immune-compromised (due to AIDS,
cancer, diabetes, certain medications, or other conditions) These "at risk:
groups are described with the
acronym YOPI.
These groups are highly susceptible and usually get sick more often or have
more severe symptoms. Also some foods are more likely to cause food borne
illness in YOPI. These foods include the following:
Unpasteurized milk or juices
Raw sprouts
Undercooked eggs
Raw oysters
Undercooked meats
Facilities that cater to YOPI such as nursing homes, hospitals, child-care
centers, and adult care homes have additional food safety requirements. If
you are thinking of producing foods products for sale or take care of others
during hard times, then additional research in warranted for consumer safety.
Right now it is illegal to sell unpasteurized dairy products but I’ve
heard of some families buying fresh milk as “pig feed” for consumption.
Another case of ingenuity over the nanny state.
Hazards In Food
The obvious goal of food safety is to prevent the hazards that cause food borne
illness or injury. Most of the hazards in foods are things you cannot taste,
see or even smell. Injury or illness can be caused by three types of food
borne hazards in food and drink. They are:
Physical Hard or soft objects like glass or fingernails
Chemical Naturally occurring or added substances like cleaning agents
Biological Germs like parasites, viruses and bacteria
Physical hazards occur because of unsafe food handling practices or contamination.
Physical contamination can be prevented by:
Looking closely at the foods you prepare
Washing fruits and vegetables carefully
Keeping your food prep area clear of things that can fall into the food
Chemical hazards like soaps, cleaners, sanitizers and pesticides must be
stored away from food, food prep areas and utensils. If you must store chemicals
in
the kitchen area put them on the lowest shelf below food or food contact
surfaces so nothing can drip onto food. All chemical containers should be
marked and
labeled.
Never use a container as a food or beverage storage
container if it previously was used to store chemicals. Sometimes it helps
to say the obvious.
How to avoid chemical contamination:
Store all chemicals below food and prep areas
Label all chemical containers
Use only food grade approved containers to store food
Don’t use galvanized containers, since zinc coatings can be harmful.
Make sure all your food is covered and protected when cleaning
Biological contamination is the world of germs like bacteria, parasites and
viruses.
Parasites Tiny worms that live in Pork, Fish and meats that can be killed
if frozen or cooked to the right temperatures. Parasites are also found I
contaminated
water.
Safety measures for parasites:
Cook all meat, pork and fish to proper temps
Filter or treat water before consuming or cooking
Eat sushi at your own risk
Viruses Viruses are very common-like the common cold, chicken pox or influenza
and freezing don’t destroy them. The disgusting thing is that these viruses
are usually transmitted by the fecal-oral route when a food handler doesn’t
wash their hands correctly or at all. Hepatitis A and the Novovirus are two
common viruses transmitted in this fashion.
Safety measures for viruses:
Don’t handle or prep when you have diarrhea, fever or have been vomiting
Wash your hands twice after using the toilet. Once I the bathroom and again in
the food prep area. Hand washing should be hot water, soap and long enough to
sing “Happy Birthday”
Use disposable gloves or utensils whenever possible-especially ready-to-eat
foods
Bacteria
The ever present big-bad bacteria. This is the most predominant of
food borne illnesses. Unlike viruses, bacteria can actually grow in foods and
cause food
to spoil or cause food borne illness. It is critical to focus on time, temperature
and cleanliness when preparing food. Even though bacteria are everywhere they
tend to prosper in certain foods. These foods are called Potentially Hazardous
Foods.
Potentially Hazardous Foods
Animal Products
Meat, fish, poultry, seafood and eggs
Dairy products
Cooked Starches
Cooked Rice, beans, pasta and potatoes
Fruits and Vegetables
Cooked Vegetables
Cut melons
Sprouts (bean and alfalfa sprouts)
Tofu
Garlic and Herbs bottled in oil
Safety measures for protection from bacteria:
Keep potentially hazardous foods out of the danger zone (41-140 degrees
F)
Don’t work with food when you are ill (diarrhea, vomiting or fever)
Wash hands twice after using the restroom
Wash, rinse and sanitize all utensils used for food prep
Use gloves and utensils when working with ready-to-eat foods
Food Safety
Rules
Rule 1: Food handlers must have good personal hygiene
Rule 2: Food must be cooked and held at correct temperatures
Rule 3: Prevent cross-contamination when preparing and storing food
Rule 1: Food handlers must have good personal hygiene from hand washing to
keeping fingernails trimmed for cleanliness. The most likely time for contamination
is
the following:
After using the restroom
After handling garbage or dirty dishes
After handling raw meat, fish or poultry
After eating or smoking
After sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose
After handling animals or using chemicals
Note: Using hand sanitizer is not an acceptable substitute for hand washing.
Rule 2: Food must be cooked and held at correct temperatures that avoid the
danger zone of 40-140 degrees F. Every kitchen should have two or more metal
stem thermometers
and you should know how to use it and calibrate it. Food that sits in the
danger zone quickly produces harmful levels of bacteria and toxins that can
make you
sick.
Potentially hazardous food may be at room temperature for up to 2 Hours while
you are preparing it. The basic procedure is to keep cold food cold and hot
food hot while in the preparation stage.
Note: If food has been left out at room temp or you don’t know long it’s
been in the danger zone—Throw it out!! When it doubt—Throw
it out!!
Thermometers are an essential tool for every kitchen just like a stove or
oven. There are two types of thermometers:
Metal Stem Thermometer Metal stem with dial face-can be calibrated and
must stay in food for 20 seconds to get accurate reading.
Digital Thermometer Very accurate especially for thin meats like hamburger
patties. Downside:: it is an electronic device.
Using a thermometer:
Calibrate by setting into glass of water with crushed ice-should read 32 degrees.
If it doesn’t, then adjust nut underneath until needle hits 32
Make sure the stem is clean and sanitized before and after each use
Always take reading at the thickest part of the food which is usually
in the center
Hold stem for several seconds until reading holds steady
The best way to kill germs is to cook food to the right temperature in the
right amount of time. Cooking temps depend on the type of food, prep procedures
and
cooking time.
Cooking with a microwave deserves a special warning. Microwaves cook food
unevenly so if you cook raw animal products you must cook to 165 degrees,
keep it most
and covered and stir it at least once to make sure all of it hits 165 degrees.
This applies to re-heating food also.
Hot Holding food (140 degrees F or hotter) is the holding hot food at service
temperature for extended periods of time. Cooking doesn’t kill all
bacteria so cooked potentially hazardous food must be kept hot until served.
If the
temp falls into the danger zone bacteria can begin to multiply, thus quickly
contaminating the food. Anything used to hold food at 140 degrees or higher
must be warmed
up to temp prior to putting food into it.
Tips for keeping hot food hot:
Never mix cold foods with cooked foods
Cover pans
Stir food often to distribute the heat
Reheating food that is cooked and properly cooled can be re-heated to any
temp if served and eating immediately. Cold food that will be hot held needs
to
be reheated to 165 degrees in under two hours or more quickly.
Cooking Temperatures
Foods that need to be cooked to 165 degrees F (for 15 seconds):
Poultry-Chicken, Turkey, Waterfowl, all game birds
Stuffed foods and stuffing
Casseroles
All raw animal products cooked in a microwave
All reheated potentially hazardous foods
Foods that need to be cooked to 155 degrees F (for 15 seconds):
Hamburger
Sausage
All ground meats
Foods that need to be cooked to 145 degrees F (for 15 seconds):
Fish
Beef
Eggs
Pork
Foods that need to be cooked to 140 degrees F (for 15 seconds):
Packaged ready-to-eat foods (canned chili/hot dogs) heated for hot holding
Vegetables that will be hot held
Beef and Pork roasts require additional cooking requirements-specifically
making sure internal temp of pork reaches 150 degrees F. Cooling Foods
Keeping cold foods cold is the key to food safety at the lower end of the
temp spectrum. Again the danger zone is 40 degrees to 140 degrees F. Cold
food must
be kept at 41 degrees F or colder. If using ice make sure the ice surrounds
the food to the top level of the food. Cold salads made from food at room
temp must
be lowered to 41 degrees F or lower within 4 hours. Try pre-chilling all
ingredients before making cold salads to expedite the process.
Thawing foods need special care to prevent bacteria from growing on the outside
of food while the inside remains frozen. Here are three methods for thawing:
Submerge food under cold running water-70 degrees or colder until thawed
Put frozen foods into the refrigerator for the safest method---bottom
shelf
Thaw during cooking process or in the microwave—small portions only
Cooling foods is the riskiest step in food preparation because bacteria grows
very quickly in cooling food. The goal is to get the food cooled through
the danger zone as quickly as possible. It’s also important to take cooling
seriously since certain bacteria produce poisons that won’t be destroyed
during reheating.
The following three cooling methods are approved in Washington State and are
very similar to requirements in corporate restaurant chains nationwide. (My
experience
was
with Brinker International-Chili’s Grill & Bar in Washington & Alabama--great
standards!)
Three Methods for cooling:
1. Shallow Pan Method (food no deeper than 2 inches)
2. Size reduction (cutting solid foods into smaller pieces)
3. Time and Temperature monitored (forcing food to cool in short amount of
time)
Cooling Method 1: Shallow Pan is basically taking large quantities of food
and dividing it into several smaller and shallow pans for cooling. Works
best for
chili, rice, refried beans, potatoes, casseroles, ground meat and meatloaf.
Steps for shallow pan method:
1. Put hot food into shallow pans no more than 2 inches deep
2. Put pans onto top shelf of refrigerator to cool and keep food from dripping
into it
3. Make sure air can move around pans so don’t stack or cover
4. Only cover food when temp reaches 41 degrees F or less
Cooling Method 2: Size reduction is simply cutting large pieces into smaller
pieces for
Cooling. This method works best for large whole food like roasts, turkey
or ham. Not recommended for ground meats.
Steps for size reduction method:
1. Cut large meat into chunks no larger than 4 inches
2. Put onto tray for cooling. No pieces should be touching
3. Put pans onto top shelf of refrigerator to cool and keep food from dripping
into it
4. Make sure air can move around pans so don’t stack or cover
5. Only cover food when temp reaches 41 degrees F or less
Cooling Method 3: Time and Temperature Monitored is a 2 step process that
must be closely watched or not used.
Step 1: Food must cool down from 140 degrees F to 70 degrees F in 2 hours.
Step 2: Food must finish cooling to 41 degrees F or less within 6 hours.
For example: The ice bath method is very suitable for sauces, gravy and soups.
Just drop hot pot of food into ice water bath right below the edge of the
pot. Stir often to facilitate the cooling throughout the food. You will need
to
keep adding ice as it cools and melts ice in the water. Make sure it cools
down to
70 degrees F in 2 hours and under 41 degrees F within 6 hours. Cover and
put in the fridge once it cools.
Preventing Cross Contamination
Cross Contamination is the spread of bacteria from raw meat onto other foods.
The main source of cross contamination is when blood or juice from raw meat
gets onto the surfaces of utensils, cutting boards, countertop and hands
and then
gets onto ready to eat foods.
The obvious: Keep raw meat away from other food.
Tips to avoid cross contamination:
Wash and sanitize all surfaces and utensils that contact raw meat
Wash hands after touching raw meat
Prep raw meat away from other foods
Designate a separate cutting board just for raw meat
Store raw meat below all other foods in fridge and freezer
Store meats with higher cooking temp below meats with lower cooking temp
(Raw chicken juice on fish doesn’t get killed at 145 degrees F)
Wash Cycle is a four-step process to practice when cleaning and sanitizing.
The 4 steps are as follows:
1. Wash Hot Water and soap to remove food particles.
2. Rinse Clean and hot
3. Sanitize soak dishes in warm water with measured amount of sanitizer
4. Air Dry Dishcloths can contaminate clean dishes.
Some folks refer to this as the 3-sink system with dish rack as step four.
Sanitizer: 1 teaspoon unscented chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of cool water
This concludes the formal food borne illness information that you can basically
receive from any County Health Department. Health departments hold two-hour
classes for less than $20 to review and test over this information. Those
who pass receive
a food handler’s permit and you receive all this info in a handy booklet,
which you should keep with your cookbooks. I think the class is worth every
penny just on the cool horror stories they tell from doing restaurant inspections.
It will raise the hair on your neck. Yuck!
Application in Preparedness
Home is where the application of this information is vital. Putting these
standards into practice is very easy. Even if you have a single sink in the
kitchen you
can meet these standards. My brother and I insist on a three-sink system
when at hunting camp after everyone got the runs from soap residue on the
utensils.
An easy three-sink bug out system looks like this:
Three plastic dish tubs from Wal-Mart ($3)
Folding camp dish rack ($3)
Small Bottle of bleach and dish soap ($3)
Scrub sponge, wash cloth and dish towel ($3)
Put all items into the first tub and stack onto other two tubs. Everything
should sit inside tubs and then inside plastic bag for easy grab and carry.
I’ve taken it a step further and I have a Rubbermaid bin with all kitchen
items for camp kitchen. Tubs with all items above inside and next to them
are several small Rubbermaid bins. One with silverware, one with spices,
one with
knives, one with serving and cooking utensils and even one with small cookbooks
inside. Underneath all that is flat pan, frying pan and Dutch oven. I have
to keep a separate large bin for rest of Dutch oven cookware for weight distribution
and 2nd priority pile for rapid relocate.
In a less than decadent world we will be preparing a lot more of our food
and game. Game processing should be staged for safety also. Gut and field
dress
away from anything else, making sure not to perforate intestines and soil
meat. Keep
a bucket of sanitizer when butchering and stage process to separate cutting
from rinsing and wrapping.
I try to thaw meat while it’s in a pan marinating—"two birds with
one stone". Saltiness of the marinade with cold temps almost assures of zero
bacterial growth while thawing.
Hunting camp can be a perilous place when guys who never do more than fire
up the grill start preparing meals for several days. I’ve learned to avoid
the perils of “Montezuma’s Revenge” by preparing all the
meals at home first. Pre-cooking and storing in Ziploc bags makes camp cooking
easy.
Pasta cooked and bagged, chili opened and bagged, all veggies and fruit diced,
cut and bagged. To heat up food just heat up water. For example:
Take steaks or meat out of package and put into large Ziploc with marinade
for one day then freeze flat. Replaces same amount of ice and is ready to cook
on
day 3 or 4 when thawed.
Freeze cooked pasta with marinara and meatballs. Day 2 meal just drop
bag into boiling water and dinner is ready.
Cooking in Ziploc bags means no dishes to clean except utensils and hot
water is already to go. Assuming your using mostly paper plates.
Pre-cutting and bagging vegetables means less time cooking and more time
with Cousin George Dickel and family hunting lies around the fire. Dump cut
veggies, venison, 2 cups wine, 2 cups water and 2 packs of stew seasoning into
Dutch
oven
and three hours later dinner is done.
All of these ideas save time, energy and avoid food borne illness. You should
plan on cooking your food to well done to avoid possible danger during a
true survival situation. Diarrhea in the field can be as deadly as "Mutant
Zombies" or a well-intentioned bureaucrat.
In closing, I highly recommend sitting through a county health department
class on food borne illness. Two hours on a weeknight could save your life
or someone
else’s. I hope this helps keep you and your families safer. I’ll
get back to you when I figure out how to make nachos over the campfire. Straight
Ahead! - B.H. in Western Washington (soon to be in north Idaho)
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Letter Re: The Importance of Acquiring and Learning to Use Traditional Tools
Jim,
For those readers that have livestock they need to prepare for the day when
hydrocarbon fuel may not be available for tractors. I would suggest a buck
rake and a pull-behind sickle mower that a horse could pull. It beats cutting
hay by hand. These items can often be picked up at farm and ranch auctions.
Enough hay can be put up for a few cows, horses and sheep for the winter months
when snow may cover grazing ground.
I would recommend a treadle sewing machine. Clothes will need to be mended
and taken care of until society gets back on its feet and power is restored.
Make sure you have extra needles, bobbins, thread and a couple of belts. In
an ideal situation a family should also have an extra treadle machine that
is capable of doing leather work for shoes and horse tack.
I would recommend a selection of sharpening stones and at least one black oil
stone for straight razors. A selection of saw sets for properly setting teethe
of regular hand saws and two man cross cut saws. A good felling saw should
be picked up also.
If thing stay bad long enough, traditional hand tools will be a must. A good
crosscut saw is nearly as quick as a chain saw. Axes with good steel are capable
of [being sharpened for] shaving. These are just some thoughts that I have
not noticed on your site.
- Clyde
« Letter Re: Advice on Purchasing Priorities For a Tight Budget |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Family Learning for Preparedness, by T.D.
My husband and I are like minded, (he realized way before I did), and he and
I didn’t
meet until I was in my mid-thirties. I was considered weird, called a tomboy
and later, a gear head. Don’t get me wrong, I cook, sew, knit and crochet.
I had many interests though and wanted to learn.
What I have seen lately and in some people we met that are like minded, is the
lack of initiative on the part of some spouses. I have seen some women and men
that
will ridicule their spouses or will just roll their eyes and feign interest.
I have seen some that their spouses have prepared and bought supplies but their
other half has no clue even how to do the basics. If you are truly vested in
being prepared, your spouse and children need to brush up on the basics also.
This should give you some good ideas on how to learn where you are lacking.
Do you have a grain mill? Mortar and pestle? Does he/she know the basics? Can
all of you bake and cook from scratch? Are your children picky or will they eat
everything you put in front of them? Can they sew? Do they know the basics on
edible plants? Can they hunt or fish? Can your children do what is needed? Can
you do the repairs needed to your home/vehicle?
Our daughter is 16 and she is learning about cars, she can fish with the best
of them and she is a good shot. Our youngest is three years old and he will be
learning as we go. Both will be able to cook (one does now), sew, set traps,
care for
farm
animals, strip and clean weapons, basic survival, fix the family relic (car)
and hopefully get through anything that is thrown at them.
The first step is to start early – my husband is Creole and we eat a lot
most people don’t. Turtle soup, crawfish, head cheese and some even eat
tripe. My son will eat everything he is offered, he was eating crawfish when
he only had 2 teeth. So our routine was this; we fix it and tell you later what
it is. It works well with older kids; younger kids will eat what mom and dad
eat. It is a well known fact that most really young or really old will not eat
a “different” diet, unless they have been doing so all along.
When your child starts showing interest in guns, at about 6-7 years old, take
them hunting. Show them what guns do. My father did that I have always had respect
for what they can do. Children love doing what mom and dad do so they will take
to hunting with pride. We start ours fishing at 2-3 years old for small fish
and getting them used to being around the water supervised. They know how to
check nets and bait hooks by the time they’re 5, that’s when we teach
them how to clean the fish (mom or dad using the sharp knife).
With cars teach them as soon as they’re out of a booster seat. I have
seen too many men and women who can’t even check the oil in their own
cars. Your children should be a help in most situations not a hindrance, even
if it’s
just handing you the tools you need. Our three year old will do most simple
tasks
he is shown and he does them willingly, he is so happy to be a help.
If you are in the military they have a lot of classes on the base that can
help with some of this. Most bases have a repair shop and you can utilize their
mechanics
and tools to learn about repairing your car. They offer other
things so check
into at the base [or post] repair/craft shop.
Work out your plans to include the jobs you expect your children to do. When
things get bad, if we’re on the move our 16 year old is to keep her little
brother while we move and defend if necessary. When stationary she can shoot,
load and take care of first aid. She will be able to pull her own weight and
then some. Our littlest one will follow suit as he grows.
Use barter to attain the skills you don’t have, watch family, use the
Internet and community college. Take a vacation to Pennsylvania or Tennessee.
You can learn a lot in an Amish community, I learned how to make butter and
I am
going back so I can
learn to shear. Some teach and charge others will share what they know for
free. You
can also buy produce and goods from the Amish. Davy Crockett days are in August
and you can watch the craftsman work and it is for the whole family. All vendors
must have a "period" looking tent up and must dress in period clothing.
The on site cooking is also period.
Volunteer to gain skills; veterinarian office and humane society is a good
place to learn about wound care, antibiotic use and dosage, just go watch,
then you
will learn, most places will not turn down a volunteer. Zoos are a great place
to learn about husbandry, housing and more than basic wound care, as smaller
zoos take care of injuries themselves (after a vet is consulted), most of what
you learn at these places about wound care can be used on humans. Colleges
have book sales where you can get books on farming and some older trades/crafts
very
cheap (books are 1-5 dollars). Local small gun and knife shows are also a bountiful
source of information [and logistics], from hard to find books to hard to
find ammo.
Buy reference books! We recently went to a "Friends of the Library" book sale and spent just $12. We now have the McGraw-Hill's 20 volume set on technology ($5), doctor's desk references ("fill the box for $2"), a whole box. These included: beginner, intermediate and advanced practical chemistry, triage handbook, a nurse's reference guide, medical encyclopedias, and a diagnosis reference. We also got the EIR special report "Global Showdown Escalates", Practical Handyman from Greystone Press ($3). In many towns, you can join the Friends of the Library for $5 to $10 dollars annually, or just hit the book sales once per year. Our $12 investment filled the back seat of our car!
Even if you don’t live where your retreat is take the time to “visit” the
area. Go to the local library, stop at the local shops and grab the touristy
maps. In Amish communities the maps tell you about the local farms and what
produce and goods they sell. They have fliers that have information on classes
offered
locally. The department of education has listings for adult education classes
on things like welding. Introduce yourself to the locals, visit the farmers
and the farmers market. Attend the church while you are there, it is the quickest
way into the fold and into being welcomed by the locals. Whether you live there
permanent or you will someday, you will want to be on friendly terms right
away
then when it all goes down.
In Tennessee when we were there, we saw newcomers (less than one year there)
helping
and
being helped by the Amish. Neighbors coming together when they’re needed,
no questions asked other than when do you need me. They all pull together and
work well.
If your family isn’t ready, or is almost ready, taking these steps or some
of these steps will help you get there. If you’re not “together” as
a family in your preparedness then you need to find a way to be. Get the spouse
interested in this even during an outing or vacation. Find a way to get your
children involved. Preparing isn’t just for one person in the family, it’s
for everyone. - T.D.
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Letter Re: Choosing a State for Relocation
James,
To follow up on Mike
Williamson's recent letter on choosing a state for relocation,
the April 2008 issue of Outdoor
Life magazine
has a good article on the best 200 towns in the U.S. for hunters and fishermen.
The
towns
were
rated for:
Abundant Fishable Species
Abundant Huntable Species
Public Land Proximity (This may or may not be a good thing,
IMHO.)
Trophy Potential
Gun Laws
From 1 to 10, the top 10 towns rated were:
Mountain Home, Arkansas
Lewsiton, Idaho
Sheridan, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Pocatello, Idaho
Lewistown, Montana
Marquette, Michigan
Dillon, Montana
Page, Arizona
Bismark, North Dakota
They also list an additional 200 more towns. You may or may not agree with
their ratings, but if an abundance of wild game and fish are important to you
now, or during a SHTF event, this is a good list to hang on to.
Both Field and Stream, and Outdoor Life have upgraded their
quality of late, and are well worth the subscription prices. Wait for the sales,
you
may
get
them for a dollar per issue. I am seeing more and more prep and survival articles
in both magazines. Perhaps the editors actually "get it"? I can't
say, but they're both worth a look. If you don't want to subscribe, check them
out at your local library. Best Regards, - Florida Guy
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Letter Re: Observations on Chest Freezer Efficiency
Hi Jim,
I was reading Monday’s letter regarding “Sizing a Retreat AC Power
Generator”, and a thought came to mind when the author mentioned super-insulating
a freezer for extended cooling durations. There are basically 2 types of freezer;
the upright and the box, (what we call around here, the “coffin” freezer).
Given the same basic amount of insulation included with each type, to the point
where both manage the loss of cooling at the same rate, the “coffin” appears
to be more efficient during access.
Cold air sinks. When the door of an upright freezer is opened, the cold air
inside will pour out, much like you would expect water would pour out of it
in the same circumstances. The cold sinks and falls out the front, and is replaced
by warmer air from above. While the contents of the freezer chill the incoming
air immediately, and give the impression that things are staying cold due to
that same recently-chilled air passing over your face, in reality, heat is
being absorbed by everything inside the freezer.
When you open the door of a box freezer, the cold has nowhere to go. There
is disturbance of the upper layer of air as the door opens, and there is also
a heat exchange effect at the boundary of the two layers, the vast majority
of cold air remains in the box. A box freezer thus saves on the energy needed
to take the temp down to its set level after opening the door.
Here’s a tip for preserving low temps for those with upright freezers.
Keep as much food as possible inside the freezer. The more frozen stuffs you
have, the less space warm air has to occupy. Cold food loses temp much much
slower than displaced air does, and with this practice in place, the door may
remain open for longer periods as junior tries to decide on rocky road or vanilla
(the only real flavor on earth…) ice-cream. The remaining low volume
of air will chill much faster after the door has been closed, and the energy
required to do this will be less as well. This is good for post-TEOTWAWKI as
well as everyday living.
We prefer our “coffin” for bulk storage. It’s easier to keep
our prey “on ice”. - Randy in Central
California
JWR Replies: I agree wholeheartedly that it is important
to keep a chest freezer full. Not only will it mean less cold air spilling
out, but their thermal mass will also provide more of a time lag before defrosting,
in the event of a
power failure. Here at the ranch, we fill up any extra chest freezer space
with used one-gallon plastic milk jugs that have been 3/4ths-filled with water.
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Letter Re: Self-Sufficiency--How Do We Do It All?
Dear Memsahib and Jim,
I am a daily SurvivalBlog reader and contributor, along with my husband.
I am very interested in learning more how Memsahib and other retreat
women
manage to do all that they do. How does a day or week in your life go? How
do you can, bake, cook, shear, spin, weave, knit, sew, teach, et cetera and
get it
all done?
We are moving to our retreat soon. I have baked, cooked, knit, learned to spin
and weave, and have canned in the past, but not all at once. I forgot to mention
clean, wash, take care of a garden, etc. etc.
We need a blog [post] about how to accomplish everything and remain sane.
Not to mention home school and run a family, continue church life, etc.
For those of us who have been working and raising a family in a large town
and are moving to a retreat life, we need some how to's!!!
The order of things is of the most importance or we will never accomplish all
our tasks!!!
Memsahib, does your work every stop? Do you feel like you have no personal
time?
I also work as a registered nurse and will try to continue with my specialty
in teaching young mothers how to breast feed and care for their newborns.
Thank you for your input from all of us women who will try to "do it all" on
our retreat sites. Thanks again, - Kathie
The Memsahib Replies: Thank you so much for your huge vote
of confidence. How nice to think there is a woman out there who thinks that
I do it all! :-) First
let me say first, no I
don't do it all. And secondly I don't worry about doing it all either.
I'm writing this reply specifically to married women with children. The most
important thing is to keep your priorities right: I believe the correct order
is: God, your husband, your children, and then everything else after that. Also
remember it is not up to you to insure the survival of your
family. God is in control of everything. And after God is your husband. I hope
this will lift some
if the burden that you are feeling. Don't shoulder the burden of the family's
survival yourself. That is not your role. I think that is usurping your husband's
role
of provider and protector of the family.Your job is to be a helpmeet to your
husband.
Okay, that said, I have acquired a lot of skills that could be put to use in
TEOTWAWKI, but I do not try to do them all now. I think to attempt that would
put me in an early grave like my pioneer great grandmothers! I think this is
time for learning preparation skills, but if you tried to actually do them all
there is no way you would have time to learn any new skills. For example I have
a lot of food preservation skills. But at this present time most of our larder
is full of mostly purchased foodstuffs. For the satisfaction of it, I have fed
my family entire meals from food I personally raised including the milk that
came fresh from our cow. It feels great to know I can do it. But I don't try
to do it on a day to day basis.
There are some things that we do that allow for extra time in my schedule. We
don't own a television. I think I get a lot more done for the lack of watching
television. Also, I do not have a full time job outside the home. Not having
to commute saves a lot of time. Another thing I attribute to getting more done
is the fact that we are out in the middle of nowhere, so I don't shop. There
is no place to shop. Every two months or so we stock up to top off our supplies.
I also know the capacity of our larder well. I'm very strict with my family about
sticking to the list! This saves time and money when we are out shopping. Also
we only shop for clothes twice a year when we visit family in the big city. My
sister knows all the great thrift stores. And, she knows which department stores
have the best sale prices on shoes socks and underwear. If we didn't have growing
children we probably could go several years without buying clothes! By the way.
I do know how to sew clothes. And I know how to knit sweaters, hats, socks, mittens,
and such. But I don't make my family's clothes because I don't particularly enjoy
sewing. (For now, I go to the thrift store. I often can buy down jackets, Merino
wool sweaters and nearly new blue jeans for $3 each, and shirts, slacks, blouses,
skirts, dresses for less than than that.)
Another thing is that our family does which frees up quite a bit of time for
me
is cleaning up after themselves. Our children for example clear their places
after
meals,
take their dishes to the sink and putt the scraps in the chicken bucket, and
rinse their plates and glasses, and put them in the dishwasher. When there are
clothes to be folded at our house all the children fold and put away their own
clothes. Our children also have an individual chore based on their age, such
as setting and clearing the table, unloading the dishwasher, keeping the wood
box filled, and feeding their pets. And you may have realized by now I make use
of
all the
modern appliances which make household chores quicker. In the past, we've lived
without running water and without electricity. I know I can survive without them,
and
I may have
to in the future. But I sure enjoy the luxury of having them now!
The "survival skills' that I do practice daily are the ones that I personally
really enjoy. I practice them as recreation and relaxation. For me personally
that is raising small livestock. I really enjoy going out to the barn and feeding
my critters. I especially enjoy my sheep because I also enjoy the fiber arts.
I also really enjoy gardening. So my hobbies dovetail nicely with my husbands
desire to be well prepared. So what hobbies and interests do you have? Which
ones could you cultivate as prepping? Just because I don't care for sewing doesn't
mean that it wouldn't be a great dovetail for you.
You might say another one of my hobbies is acquiring "life skills".
Some people have a personality that is suited for focusing on one skill and developing
that skill to a master level. My personality is more suited to trying everything.
I try to make the most of each situation in which we've lived to learn what I
can. My motto is: when God gives you zucchini take the opportunity to experiment
baking, drying, frying zucchinis! The older women of the communities we've lived
in have been wonderful teachers. They have taught me how to can pickles, make
grape juice, milk goats, make soap, knit socks as well as sharing the abundance
of their gardens and orchards. But I in no way feel compelled to now makes all
the food we eat from scratch, knit all our clothes, make all our soap, and neither
should you!
I would be remiss if I did not say that I think it is very important to use this
time of liberty of ideas and travel to attend Bible studies. Yes, you can and
should read and study the Bible at home. But, I find that the commitment to do
a study with other believers disciplines me to stay in the Word even when life
gets hectic. And our pastor has many valuable insights into the Scriptures. If
you have the ability to attend a good Bible study, then do it! You
may not always have that opportunity because of poor health, high gas prices,
lack of transportation,
or lack of religious freedom. Reading the stories of prisoners of war, I am struck
by how their knowledge of God's word helped them endure. As the Bible says, "make
the most of time, because the days are evil".
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Two Letters Re: Thoughts on Overseas Retreat Destinations
Mr. Rawles,
In looking through your great web site I can't tell if you've ever addressed
the issue of having a non-US retreat. There are some notable characteristics
of the USA that make it a less then optimal location in a TEOTWAWKI type
scenario. I think specifically of very heavy reliance on personal vehicles
and fossil
fuels, a general ignorance about growing food, preserving food, raising livestock.
There is a tremendous demographic heterogeneity ("diversity") that
in a crisis situation would become a very sore spot and possibly a source of
violence. Also a Federal government that has shown an inclination to trample
the rights of citizens when it is expedient to do so.
Having some familiarity with central Europe, I can tell you that the rural
peasantry will fare very well in a crisis situation. Agriculture is still animal-powered
in many areas. Self-sufficiency is the norm rather than the exception.
I would love to see you assess and evaluate various foreign sites as possible
retreat locations. The analysis that you have already done on the western states
is superb. Thanks much - Dr. R
Mr. Rawles,
First, I'd like to thank you for your work and dedication with SurvivalBlog.
You've been a guiding light in darkening times. Second, I'd like to ask about
your
thoughts on relocating to a retreat abroad?
For some context information, I'm a college student at a local private university;
by working two jobs, I've managed to avoid the average $30,000 in student loans
my peers have accumulated, and am down to only $9,000. I pay off my interest
as it accrues, and set aside about as much as I can spare for prepping every
paycheck. Last year, I started talking with my family about survivalism in
relation to our current times, and they're happily on board and setting things
aside as much as they can, as well. We've made it our goal to purchase our
retreat this year- we actually start looking at bookmarked properties the third
week of March - but as that I was assigned by family vote the family task of
deciding which properties we see, and where we look, I feel the express desire
to weigh as many potentially good options as possible.
Recently, the grandparents of a friend retired in Mexico; I had the opportunity
to meet them and discuss the venture, and was amazed to hear that, paperwork
aside, they were able to purchase several acres, build and furnish their own
home, as well as obtain several head of livestock, for under $80,000! In a
TEOTWAWKI situation, would one even perhaps be better off in a remote location
in Mexico that's already mostly self-sufficient in terms of agriculture, with
the advantage of being able to afford more for the money, than in the US?
Or, for that matter, in other such places in the world of similar condition,
like Romania, rural western Russia, (and etc.)? Admittedly, if there is ever
a popular anti-foreigner sentiment, that could be a key worry- the biggest
concern I've come across being that the foreign state could take away your
property at any time... but does that worry not also apply to the US, with
Eminent Domain? I understand that there's no quick or easy answer to this,
but I'm hoping that I might glean some better understanding through your experience,
and that of your readers.
Wishing well, - S.L.K.
JWR Replies: Becoming an expatriate retreater requires some
very careful study, consideration, and prayer. Many of the highly touted offshore
locales suffer
either from high crime rates, or have a high population density that would
be an issue in a grid-down collapse. Many of these same countries also have
restrictive laws on private firearms ownership,
so
that
makes self defense problematic. Despite these and other drawbacks, there are
a few offshore destinations that rate high on my list. These include New Zealand
(South Island), the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Vanuatu, Bolivia, Chile, rural
portions of the Czech Republic, and the lower elevation cantons of Switzerland.
I would also
recommend Finland if it were not for its harsh climate.
I generally do not
recommend most of Latin America and the Caribbean because of high crime rates
(most notably property
crimes and murder.) Even Costa Rica, which is often touted as a "peaceful
haven", has a murder
rate higher than the U.S. (6.23 per 100,000, versus 5.9.) It also has a
nearly four times higher robbery rate, but a surprisingly low burglary rate.)
A lot of the Pacific Islands are not on my list because of either
draconian
gun
laws
or
a high level
of
systems
dependence.
Many of them are now dependent on food imports. (Nauru is
perhaps the worst in this regard. It could not even supply enough fresh drinking
water for its residents if international shipping
were to cease.)
I generally recommend moving to countries that share your language. But if
you have an "in" somewhere--namely relatives or close friends
that speak the native language and if they would be living on
the same property or contiguous property--then the language barrier is less
of an issue. But regardless, learn the local language and customs quickly.
You
should
consider
that education practically a full time job for your first few years.
The bottom line is that there is no single "perfect" retreat locale. There
are advantages and drawbacks wherever you go. Climate, taxes, gun laws, population
density, and crime rates are all trade-offs. Many of the locales that would
be idyllic in a grid-up situation might be a nightmare
if
grid-down.
But some countries might do very well in the absence of "the modern conveniences."
You will note that I have quite a few Pacific Islands on my list. In these
island
nations,
if
grid
power
were
interrupted,
I anticipate
that the locals would quickly revert to traditional fishing, gardening, gathering
fruit, hunting (bats, of all things!) and raising pigs.
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From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a "List of Lists"
Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then
draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or
in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out
a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor
your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density
as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat
in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living
in the Rockies.
As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create
truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on
Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main
(or propane tank), and shut your main water valve (or turn off your well pump.)
Spend that weekend in primitive conditions. Practice using only your storage
food, preparing it on a wood stove (or camping stove.)
A “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” will surprise you. Things that
you take for granted will suddenly become labor intensive. False assumptions
will be shattered. Your family will grow closer and more confident. Most importantly,
some of the most thorough lists that you will ever make will be those written
by candlelight.
Your List of Lists should include: (Sorry that this post
is in outline form, but it would take a full length book to discus all of
the following in great detail)
Water List
Food Storage List
Food Preparation List
Personal List
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
Nuke Defense List
Biological Warfare Defense List
Gardening List
Hygiene List/Sanitation List
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
Fuels List
Firefighting List
Tactical Living List
Security-General
Security-Firearms
Communications/Monitoring List
Tools List
Sundries List
Survival Bookshelf List
Barter and Charity List
JWR’s Specific Recommendations For Developing Your Lists:
Water List
House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this is another
good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal roof.)
Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don’t buy big
barrels, since five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that most
people can handle without back strain.
For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a couple
of heavy duty two wheel garden carts--convert the wheels to foam filled "no
flats" tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for those carts around
your retreat, such as hauling hay, firewood, manure, fertilizer, et cetera.)
Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a long
way. Buy some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If you can
afford it, buy a “Big Berky” British Berkefeld ceramic water filter.
(Available from Ready
Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure
spring water at your retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good
filter could be a lifesaver.)
Food Storage List
See my post tomorrow which will be devoted to food storage. Also see the recent
letter from David in Israel on this subject.
Food Preparation List
Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an oversize skillet
and a huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several huge kettles, because
odds are you will have to heat water on your wood stove for bathing, dish washing,
and clothes washing. You will also need even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or
6 gallon PVC buckets--for water hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying.
They will also make great barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr.
Gary North: “Nails: buy a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!”)
Don’t overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.
Personal List
(Make a separate personal list for each family member and individual expected
to arrive at your retreat.)
Spare glasses.
Prescription and nonprescription medications.
Birth control.
Keep dentistry up to date.
Any elective surgery that you've been postponing
Work off that gut.
Stay in shape.
Back strength and health—particularly important, given the heavy manual
tasks required for self-sufficiency.
Educate yourself on survival topics, and practice them. For example, even if
you don’t presently live at your retreat, you should plant a vegetable
garden every year. It is better to learn through experience and make mistakes
now, when the loss of crop is an annoyance rather than a crucial event.
“Comfort” items to help get through high stress times. (Books, games,
CDs, chocolates, etc.)
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
When tailoring this list, consider your neighborhood going for many months
without power, extensive use of open flames, and sentries standing picket
shifts exposed in the elements. Then consider axes, chainsaws and tractors
being wielded by newbies, and a greater likelihood of gunshot wounds. With
all of this, add the possibility of no access to doctors or high tech medical
diagnostic equipment. Put a strong emphasis on burn treatment first aid supplies.
Don’t overlook do-it-yourself dentistry! (Oil of cloves, temporary
filling kit, extraction tools, et cetera.) Buy a full minor surgery outfit
(inexpensive Pakistani stainless steel instruments), even if you don’t
know how to use them all yet. You may have to learn, or you will have the
opportunity to put them in the hands of someone experienced who needs them.)
This is going to be a big list!
Chem/Nuke Defense List
Dosimeter and rate meter, and charger, radiac meter (hand held Geiger counter),
rolls of sheet plastic (for isolating airflow to air filter inlets and for
covering window frames in the event that windows are broken due to blast effects),
duct tape, HEPA filters (ands spares) for your shelter. Potassium iodate (KI)
tablets to prevent thyroid damage.(See my recent post on that subject.) Outdoor
shower rig for just outside your shelter entrance.
Biological Warfare Defense List
Disinfectants
Hand Sanitizer
Sneeze masks
Colloidal silver generator and spare supplies (distilled water and .999 fine
silver rod.)
Natural antibiotics (Echinacea, Tea Tree oil, …)
Gardening List
One important item for your gardening list is the construction of a very tall
deer-proof and rabbit-proof fence. Under current circumstances, a raid by deer
on your garden is probably just an inconvenience. After the balloon goes up,
it could mean the difference between eating well, and starvation.
Top Soil/Amendments/Fertilizers.
Tools+ spares for barter/charity
Long-term storage non hybrid (open pollinated) seed. (Non-hybrid “heirloom” seed
assortments tailors to different climate zones are available from The
Ark Institute
Herbs: Get started with medicinal herbs such as aloe vera (for burns), echinacea
(purple cone flower), valerian, et cetera.
Hygiene/Sanitation List
Sacks of powdered lime for the outhouse. Buy plenty!
TP in quantity (Stores well if kept dry and away from vermin and it is lightweight,
but it is very bulky. This is a good item to store in the attic. See my novel
about stocking up on used phone books for use as TP.
Soap in quantity (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, cleansers, etc.)
Bottled lye for soap making.
Ladies’ supplies.
Toothpaste (or powder).
Floss.
Fluoride rinse. (Unless you have health objections to the use of fluoride.)
Sunscreen.
Livestock List:
Hoof rasp, hoof nippers, hoof pick, horse brushes, hand sheep shears, styptic,
carding combs, goat milking stand, teat dip, udder wash, Bag Balm, elastrator
and bands, SWOT fly repellent, nail clippers (various sizes), Copper-tox, leads,
leashes, collars, halters, hay hooks, hay fork, manure shovel, feed buckets,
bulk grain and C-O-B sweet feed (store in galvanized trash cans with tight
fitting lids to keep the mice out), various tack and saddles, tack repair tools,
et cetera. If your region has selenium deficient soil (ask your local Agricultural
extension office) then be sure to get selenium-fortified salt blocks rather
than plain white salt blocks--at least for those that you are going to set
aside strictly for your livestock.
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
“Buckshot” Bruce Hemming has produced an excellent series of videos
on trapping and making improvised traps. (He also sells traps and scents at very
reasonable prices.)
Night vision gear, spares, maintenance, and battery charging
Salt. Post-TEOTWAWKI, don’t “go hunting.” That would be a
waste of effort. Have the game come to you. Buy 20 or more salt blocks. They
will also make very valuable barter items.
Sell your fly fishing gear (all but perhaps a few flies) and buy practical
spin casting equipment.
Extra tackle may be useful for barter, but probably only in a very long term
Crunch.
Buy some frog gigs if you have bullfrogs in your area. Buy some crawfish traps
if you have crawfish in your area.
Learn how to rig trot lines and make fish traps for non-labor intensive fishing WTSHTF.
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
One proviso: In the event of a “grid
down” situation, if you are the only family in the area with power,
it could turn your house into a “come loot me” beacon at night.
At the same time, your house lighting will ruin the night vision of your LP/OP pickets.
Make plans and buy materials in advance for making blackout screens or fully
opaque curtains for your windows.
When possible, buy nickel metal hydride batteries. (Unlike the older nickel
cadmium technology, these have no adverse charge level “memory” effect.)
If your home has propane appliances, get a “tri-fuel” generator--with
a carburetor that is selectable between gasoline, propane, and natural gas.
If you heat your home with home heating oil, then get a diesel-burning generator.
(And plan on getting at least one diesel burning pickup and/or tractor). In
a pinch, you can run your diesel generator and diesel vehicles on home heating
oil.
Kerosene lamps; plenty of extra wicks, mantles, and chimneys. (These will also
make great barter items.)
Greater detail on do-it-yourself power will be included in my forthcoming blog
posts.
Fuels List
Buy the biggest propane, home heating oil, gas, or diesel tanks that your local
ordinances permit and that you can afford. Always keep them at least two-thirds
full. For privacy concerns, ballistic impact concerns, and fire concerns,
underground tanks are best if you local water table allows it. In any case,
do not buy an aboveground fuel tank that would visible from any public road
or navigable waterway. Buy plenty of extra fuel for barter. Don’t overlook
buying plenty of kerosene. (For barter, you will want some in one or two
gallon cans.) Stock up on firewood or coal. (See my previous blog posts.)
Get the best quality chainsaw you can afford. I prefer Stihls and Husqavarnas.
If you can afford it, buy two of the same model. Buy extra chains, critical
spare parts, and plenty of two-cycle oil. (Two-cycle oil will be great for
barter!) Get a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps. They are expensive but
they might save yourself a trip to the emergency room. Always wear gloves,
goggles, and ear-muffs. Wear a logger’s helmet when felling. Have someone
who is well experienced teach you how to re-sharpen chains. BTW, don’t
cut up your wood into rounds near any rocks or you will destroy a chain in
a hurry.
Firefighting List
Now that you have all of those flammables on hand (see the previous list) and
the prospect of looters shooting tracer ammo or throwing Molotov cocktails
at your house, think in terms of fire fighting from start to finish without
the aid of a fire department. Even without looters to consider, you should
be ready for uncontrolled brush or residential fires, as well as the greater
fire risk associated with greenhorns who have just arrived at your retreat
working with wood stoves and kerosene lamps!
Upgrade your retreat with a fireproof metal roof.
2” water line from your gravity-fed storage tank (to provide large water
volume for firefighting)
Fire fighting rig with an adjustable stream/mist head.
Smoke and CO detectors.
Tactical Living List
Adjust your wardrobe buying toward sturdy earth-tone clothing. (Frequent your
local thrift store and buy extras for retreat newcomers, charity, and barter.)
Dyes. Stock up on some boxes of green and brown cloth dye. Buy some extra for
barter. With dye, you can turn most light colored clothes into semi-tactical
clothing on short notice.
Two-inch wide burlap strip material in green and brown. This burlap is available
in large spools from Gun Parts Corp. Even if you don’t have time now,
stock up so that you can make camouflage ghillie
suits post-TEOTWAWKI.
Save those wine corks! (Burned cork makes quick and cheap face camouflage.)
Cold weather and foul weather gear—buy plenty, since you will be doing
more outdoor chores, hunting, and standing guard duty.
Don’t overlook ponchos and gaiters.
Mosquito repellent.
Synthetic double-bag (modular) sleeping bags for each person at the retreat,
plus a couple of spares. The Wiggy’s
brand Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System (FTRSS)
made by Wiggy's of Grand Junction, Colorado is highly recommended.
Night vision gear + IR floodlights for your retreat house
Subdued flashlights and penlights.
Noise, light, and litter discipline. (More on this in future posts--or perhaps
a reader would like to send a brief article on this subject)
Security-General: Locks, intrusion detection/alarm systems, exterior obstacles
(fences, gates, 5/8” diameter (or larger) locking road cables, rosebush
plantings, “decorative” ponds (moats), ballistic protection (personal
and residential), anti-vehicular ditches/berms, anti-vehicular concrete “planter
boxes”, razor wire, etc.)
Starlight electronic light amplification scopes are critical tools for retreat
security.
A Starlight scope (or goggles, or a monocular) literally amplifies low ambient
light by up to 100,000 times, turning nighttime darkness into daylight--albeit
a green and fuzzy view. Starlight light amplification technology was first
developed during the Vietnam War. Late issue Third Generation (also called
or “Third Gen” or “Gen 3”) starlight scopes can cost
up to $3,500 each. Rebuilt first gen (early 1970s technology scopes can often
be had for as little as $500. Russian-made monoculars (with lousy optics) can
be had for under $100. One Russian model that uses a piezoelectric generator
instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These are best used
as backups (in case your expensive American made scopes fail. They should not
be purchased for use as your primary night vision devices unless you are on
a very restrictive budget. (They are better than nothing.) Buy the best starlight
scopes, goggles, and monoculars you can afford. They may be life-savers! If
you can afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/PVS-4,
with a Gen 2 (or better) tube. Make sure to specify that that the tube is new
or “low hours”, has a high “line pair” count, and minimal
scintillation. It is important to buy your Starlight gear from a reputable
dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and scammers. One dealer
that I trust, is Al Glanze (spoken “Glan-zee”) who runs STANO
Components, Inc. in Silver City, Nevada. Note: In a subsequent
blog posts I will discuss the relationship and implications to IR illuminators
and tritium sights.
Range cards and sector sketches.
If you live in the boonies, piece together nine of the USGS 15-minute maps,
with your retreat property on the center map. Mount that map on an oversize
map board. Draw in the property lines and owner names of all of your surrounding
neighbor’s parcels (in pencil) in at least a five mile radius. (Get boundary
line and current owner name info from your County Recorder’s office.)
Study and memorize both the terrain and the neighbors’ names. Make a
phone number/e-mail list that corresponds to all of the names marked on the
map, plus city and county office contact numbers for quick reference and tack
it up right next to the map board. Cover the whole map sheet with a sheet of
heavy-duty acetate, so you can mark it up just like a military commander’s
map board. (This may sound a bit “over the top”, but remember,
you are planning for the worst case. It will also help you get to know your
neighbors: When you are introduced by name to one of them when in town, you
will be able to say, “Oh, don’t you live about two miles up the
road between the Jones place and the Smith’s ranch?” They will
be impressed, and you will seem like an instant “old timer.”
Security-Firearms List
Guns, ammunition, web gear, eye and ear protection, cleaning equipment,
carrying cases, scopes, magazines, spare parts, gunsmithing tools, targets
and target
frames, et cetera. Each rifle and pistol should have at least six top quality
(original military contract or original manufacturer) full capacity spare magazines.
Note: Considerable detail on firearms and optics selection, training, use,
and logistic support are covered in the SurvivalBlog archives and FAQs.
Communications/Monitoring List
When selecting radios buy only models that will run on 12 volt DC power or
rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs (that can be recharged from
your retreat’s 12 VDC power system without having to use an inverter.)
As a secondary purchasing goal, buy spare radios of each type if you can afford
them. Keep your spares in sealed metal boxes to protect them from EMP.
If you live in a far inland region, I recommend buying two or more 12 VDC marine
band radios. These frequencies will probably not be monitored in your region,
leaving you an essentially private band to use. (But never assume that any
two-way radio communications are secure!)
Note: More detail on survival communications gear selection, training, use,
security/cryptography measures, antennas, EMP protection, and logistical support
will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.
Tools List
Gardening tools.
Auto mechanics tools.
Welding.
Bolt cutters--the indispensable “universal key.”
Woodworking tools.
Gunsmithing tools.
Emphasis on hand powered tools.
Hand or treadle powered grinding wheel.
Don’t forget to buy plenty of extra work gloves (in earth tone colors).
Sundries List:
Systematically list the things that you use on a regular basis, or that you
might need if the local hardware store were to ever disappear: wire of various
gauges, duct tape, reinforced strapping tape, chain, nails, nuts and bolts,
weather stripping, abrasives, twine, white glue, cyanoacrylate glue, et cetera.
Book/Reference List
You should probably have nearly every book on my Bookshelf
page. For some, you will want to have two or three copies, such as Carla
Emery’s "Encyclopedia of Country Living". This is because these books
are so valuable and indispensable that you won’t want to risk lending
out your only copy.
Barter and Charity List
For your barter list, acquire primarily items that are durable, non-perishable,
and either in small packages or that are easily divisible. Concentrate on
the items that other people are likely to overlook or have in short supply.
Some of my favorites are ammunition. [The late] Jeff Cooper referred to it
as “ballistic
wampum.” WTSHTF, ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver.
Store all of your ammo in military surplus ammo cans (with seals that are
still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick to common calibers, get
plenty of .22 LR (most
high velocity hollow points) plus at least ten boxes of the local favorite
deer hunting cartridge, even if you don’t own
a rifle chambered for this cartridge. (Ask your local sporting goods shop
about their top selling chamberings). Also buy at least ten boxes of the
local police department’s standard pistol cartridge, again even if
you don’t own a pistol chambered for this cartridge.
Ladies supplies.
Salt (Buy lots of cattle blocks and 1 pound canisters of iodized table salt.)
(Stores indefinitely if kept dry.)
Two cycle engine oil (for chain saw gas mixing. Gas may still be available
after a collapse, but two-cycle oil will probably be like liquid gold!)
Gas stabilizer.
Diesel antibacterial additive.
50-pound sacks of lime (for outhouses).
1 oz. bottles of military rifle bore cleaner and Break Free (or similar) lubricant.
Waterproof dufflebags in earth tone colors (whitewater rafting "dry bags").
Thermal socks.
Semi-waterproof matches (from military rations.)
Military web gear (lots of folks will suddenly need pistol belts, holsters,
magazine pouches, et cetera.)
Pre-1965 silver dimes.
1-gallon cans of kerosene.
Rolls of olive drab parachute cord.
Rolls of olive-drab duct tape.
Spools of monofilament fishing line.
Rolls of 10 mil "Visqueen", sheet plastic (for replacing windows,
isolating airspaces for nuke scenarios, etc.)
I also respect the opinion of one gentleman with whom I've corresponded, who
recommended the following:
Strike anywhere matches. (Dip the heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.)
Playing cards.
Cooking spices. (Do a web search for reasonably priced bulk spices.)
Rope & string.
Sewing supplies.
Candle wax and wicking.
Lastly, any supplies necessary for operating a home-based business. Some that
you might consider are: leather crafting, small appliance repair, gun repair,
locksmithing, et cetera. Every family should have at least one home-based business
(preferably two!) that they can depend on in the event of an economic collapse.
Stock up on additional items to dispense to refugees as charity.
Note: See the Barter Faire chapter in my novel "Patriots" for
lengthy lists of potential barter items.
« The Precious Metals Bull Charges Onward |Main| Note from JWR: »
Sources for Free Survival and Preparedness Information on the Internet, by K.L. in Alaska
Recent comments in SurvivalBlog provided excellent advice on using the public
library. You can gain lots of knowledge with no expense, then purchase only
those books you want to keep on hand for personal reference. Also, many colleges
and universities loan to local residents, so you can use them too, even if
you aren't a student.
If your local libraries participate, a great resource is Worldcat. It lets you search for books from home,
then go check them out, or get them through interlibrary loan.
What will happen to the Internet when the SHTF?
There's no guarantee it will survive. Even if the World Wide Web endures in
some form, most of the individual computers connected to it will not. Hopefully
by then you will have already downloaded all the free info that's going to
help you cope with the new world.
You may want to download a copy of information
on this web site or any other web site with useful content. It would be a shame
to face some disaster when all the resources of the internet are no longer
at your fingertips.
In preparation for a worst case scenario,
it's a good idea to begin now to collect the knowledge that will come in handy
later. You can download whole books, save them to jump drives, and keep an
entire library in a very small space. All kinds of free manuals, guides, tech
tips, and schematics are available on the internet; for everything from firearms
to furnaces to computers to appliances.
All of the downloads listed
here are in the public domain or allowable for copying. Stay away from sites
that may involve copyright infringement. If you use a file-sharing site such
as Limewire, Kazaa, or any site that uses bit torrents, you are not only downloading,
but also uploading. Your participation involves automatically uploading to
other users. If the file is illegal, you are distributing illegal material,
not just downloading it. Stay away from these and stick with the legitimate
sites listed below.
Keep in mind that some of this information you
download might be illegal to use at the present time. You can't practice dentistry
on your neighbor just because you have the book. Nevertheless, you have the
right to possess this very vital information. After TEOTWAWKI,
all bets are off. The information you collect today might save your life or
the life of somebody you love.
Many downloads are in Portable Document Format
(PDF) form, so to read them you must have a suitable program such as Adobe
Reader, which is the free version of Adobe Acrobat. There are alternatives
to Adobe that can read PDF files, if you prefer. Some of these files are very
large. If your internet connection is slow, it's better to right click and
download rather than try to read a huge file online.
Some documents you may want to print out. Others
you can just leave on disc. Just be sure to store your drives safely. Not included
in this list are the many web sites that are very good resources in themselves.
Rather, these are the files you can download for offline viewing at a later
time. Download them while you still can!
Project
Gutenberg was mentioned as a good place to go for eBooks.
The Smithsonian
Institution is another great resource. They have digitized many older
books, maps, and documents in their collection.
Wikisource has
a nice collection of free eBooks.
One way to search for books no longer in copyright is to use Google
Book Search. Check "full view." If it comes up in the search,
it can be downloaded as a PDF file.
A good alternative to Google is the Internet Archive which includes books,
images, audio, and more. The Internet Archive also hosts the Wayback Machine,
which archives copies of an incredible 85 billion pages from the internet of
years past.
Over 100,000 free eBooks can be accessed through Digital Book Index
2020ok is a directory of
free online books and free eBooks
The British Columbia Digital Library has an impressive Collection, including
dictionaries, encyclopedias, and most importantly, the Holy Bible. It also has a Guide to other digital libraries.
Scribd is an online document
library of free research articles, eBooks, and other content.
A great resource for home schoolers is the Internet's largest
directory of free audio & video learning resources maintained by LearnOutLoud.com.
Check out the postings of Home Schooling
On-line Resources on the The Mental Militia Forums, as well as the "Must
Have" Books/reference material topic.
More than 3,200 pages related to the U. S. Constitution can
be downloaded from The Founders' Constitution
Firearms For any
firearm you own or plan to own, you should have a drawing of its Exploded View,
which will help identify parts and how they fit together. One of the most comprehensive
collections of Exploded Views is the paper edition of the Numrich Arms Catalog, which
in itself is a gold mine of information and very inexpensive for a volume of
over 1200 pages.
But if you only need certain Exploded Views, there are many
places on the internet where you can download them for free:
Gunuts is a good place
to start with hundreds of drawings. Another source is The Okie Gunsmith Shop, which
is apparently no longer operating, but you can still download drawings and
parts lists from its web site.Big Bear Gun Works has
another good list. For pre-WWII firearms, check out Gunsworld. For examples of specific
firearms manufacturers, see Remington, Browning, and SKB Shotguns
The book, The Defensive Use Of Firearms by
Shane C. Henry is available as a download from rec.guns. An enormous amount
of additional gun information is available on the rec.guns web site.
There are several good sources for Military Publications: GlobalSecurity.org has
a huge collection of Military manuals.
Try Integrated Publishing for
access to millions of pages of engineering manuals and documents.
The U.S. Army Materiel Command maintains the LOGSA web site for access
to thousands of Army technical manuals.
The U.S. Air Force maintains the Air Force e-Publishing web site.
As mentioned recently, The
Small Wars Journal has a Reference
Library of downloadable military documents.
The Brooke Clarke
web site has a good guide to accessing military field manuals
Surviving War and Nuclear
Attack For a basic guide, download How
To Survive A Chemical Or Biological Attack.
Nuclear War Survival
Skills, along with some other very interesting books, can be found on
the Oregon
Institute of Science and Medicine web site. This book includes plans
for the Kearny Fallout Radiation Meter (KFM). If you have not bought a radiation
meter, you should at least download the book for future reference. You can
also get the Free
Plans from The Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Nuclear War Survival Skills is also available on the KI4U web site as an online
book, but not as a download.
The Equipped To Survive web site
has some free ebooks, as well as books for sale: Survival,
Evasion, and Recovery and U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76.
The Volunteer Center of Marin County, California has prepared A Guide to Organizing
Neighborhoods for Preparedness, Response and Recovery which you
can copy from their web site.
Medical Resources The Disease
Net has a library of downloadable manuals on survival, weapons, emergency
medicine, and less serious subjects.
Virtual Naval Hospital is
a digital library of naval, military, and humanitarian medicine
The very important field manual, First Aid For Soldiers FM 21-11 can be downloaded here.
One of the best medical handbooks available is the U.S. Army Special Forces Medical Handbook ST31-91B.
It can be downloaded free (as well as additional essential guides) from Delta Gear, Inc.
A newer version of the Medical
Handbook, plus more great material can be downloaded from NH-TEMS
(New Hampshire Tactical Emergency medical support).
The
American Red Cross has some of their disaster guides online for download.
For most of their material, you have to go to the local office. Some of it
can be copied from the Earth
Changes Media Survival Tips page.
The Red Cross Book, First
Aid in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency book, The
Ship Captain's Medical Guide
Hesperian makes
available free downloads of its books for medical treatment in primitive conditions.
Two highly respected guides it publishes are Where There Is No Doctor and Where
There Is No Dentist.
Here is a direct link to the must-have book Survival and
Austere Medicine: An introduction. Australian Survivalist Online
has several additional Files
for downloading.
The Department of Agriculture has
a treasure trove of information for free download. This agency maintains The
National Agricultural Library, a collection of free information on Agriculture,
Food and Nutrition, and other related subjects.
Another USDA web site is the Cooperative Extension
Service. Click on the map to navigate to various Extension offices around
the country. Don't limit your search to just your own state. Many of them
have invaluable information on animals, crops, construction, food preparation
and much more for free download.
The
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) offers downloads about preventing plant and animal diseases,
among other topics.
The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) offers Fact
Sheets about food handling and preparation, and emergency preparedness.
Other Important Reference
Resources The classic outdoor guides, The 10
Bushcraft Books by Richard Graves are available on the Chris Molloy web
site. Free manuals for electronic equipment can be downloaded from eServiceInfo.com. Another source is UsersManualGuide.com. For Ham Radio
and Test Equipment Manuals, the KO4BB web site has Free Downloads, as well as LINKS to many other web sites with free downloads. A few examples
of repair information for outdoor equipment are Penn Reel Schematics,
and Mercury outboard
parts.
Paid Services In
the unlikely event that you can't find free information on the Net to fix that
generator or whatever you need to repair, there are web sites that charge for
information. As a last resort, you can check Sam's PHOTOFACT service manuals,
or RepairManual.com. Hopefully,
that won't be necessary.
The foregoing just begins to scratch the surface. Some of
these free downloads are also available as books or CDs from eBay, Amazon or
from some of the survivalist web sites. That is fine. Sometimes it is easier
to just pay the money and buy the book. But nobody can afford it all, and downloading
gives you access to millions of pages - much more knowledge than you could
acquire through any other method.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Coleman Fuel--Uses and Storage Life »
Letter Re: Comments on the Movie "I Am Legend"
JWR,
My wife and I saw “I Am
Legend” last night at the local theatre.
The movie house was packed. Almost every seat was filled. Of the most
interest was the end. As the movie faded to black and credits rolled,
there were more than several spontaneous bursts of applause throughout the
audience and
a few cheers. Wow! The last movie that I remember ever getting applause was
the last "Star
Wars" installment.
Something really hit deep with many in the audience…
My wife was weird’ed out by the zombies though, as they were quite
scary. So viewer beware.
As for the movie, I enjoyed it, albeit the zombies are a far stretch to the
imagination, the premise is not! (a viral cancer cure with
unintended consequences) The self-sufficient [aspects of] survivalism were
pretty close to reality (Honda generators,
large stores of supplies), although preparedness was not advocated.
He just rounded up (looted) whatever he needed during the day[light hours.]
The desperation of
loneliness was also driven home well. And although he had
a very nice AR-15 rifle
(my survivalist choice, although I do own a SA-58 FAL [clone]),
his hunting skills sucked: Like chasing deer through the city with a high-performance
Mustang,
etc. Good action, dumb logic!
Anyway, I thought you would be interested in hearing about the audience response
from a liberal college town (University of Virginia at Charlottesville.).
Regards, -
Rmplstlskn
JWR Replies: Keep that .308 FAL.
In my opinion, and as previously discussed at length in SurvivalBlog in most
situations it is a much better
choice than a .223 AR-15 or an M4gery.
« Letter Re: A Significant Wheat Shortage is Looming in the US |Main| Note from JWR: »
Coping With Inflation--Some Strategies for Investing, Bartering, Dickering, and Survival
Statistics released by the Federal government claim that the current inflation
rate is 4.3 percent. That is utter hogwash. Their statistics cunningly omit "volatile"
food and energy prices. The statisticians admit that energy costs rose by
more than 21% since last December. They also admit that Finished Goods rose
7.2%, and "Materials for Manufacturing" rose a whopping 42% , with
a 8.7% jump in just the month of November. When commodities
rise this quickly, it
is apparent that something is seriously out of whack. Meanwhile, the
buying power of the US Dollar is falling versus most other currencies.
Not surprisingly, import
prices were up 11.4% from 2006. Coincidentally, economic growth has slowed
to a crawl--to just 1% growth. Former Federal Reserve Chairman
Alan
Greenspan recently declared that we are in the early stages of a 1970s-style "stagflation" period.
Since this new economic downturn was driven by a credit crisis rather than
the traditional business cycle, it could
very well be long and deep. Ironically, even though credit squeezes are
considered deflationary for assets, this recession (or perhaps
depression) will probably turn out to be inflationary at the consumer
level. .
I don't know about you, but here at the ranch,
our
four
largest
expenses each month are fuel, groceries, livestock feed, and insurance. I'm
sure
that you have seen what
has happened to food and feed prices in the past year. Driven
by higher fuel and fertilizer costs as well as huge demand for corn--for ethanol
production--some food costs have gone up by 25%. Wheat, for example, recently
spiked to $10 per bushel--a record high. With all of the preceding in mind,
we can realistically conclude that the "real
world" consumer price inflation
rate is somewhere between 12% and 15%.
As I've written many times before, inflation is a form of robbery,
albeit in slow motion. Since there is effectively only one currency
in our country, it is the only
way to do business. It may prove difficult, but you need to discard your
traditional mindset about the currency and realize that we are riding a down
escalator. An inflationary environment
stands
traditional logic on its head, since "Saving" becomes losing.,
and "Investing"
is almost like throwing coins into a pond if the rate of return of any investment
is lower that the real world inflation rate. The only noteworthy exception,
is investing
in tangibles,
which I've
discussed
at length in previous SurvivalBlog articles. Obviously you can't invest in
anything perishable. But there are lots of things--like common caliber ammunition
and full
capacity magazines--that have storage lives that can span decades
or even centuries.
With every passing day your savings are
gradually eroded. With an effective inflation rate
of 15%
per
annum,
applying the Rule
of 72 we can see that the purchasing power of every
"saved" dollar is cut in half once every 5 years.(Well,
4.8, to be exact, but 12 month increments don't look pleasing when expressed
in decimals.)
The following are some of my suggestions on how to
protect yourself from the ravages of inflation:
1.) Buy in Bulk
Buy most of your staple foods and groceries at a discount or "warehouse" type
stores such as Costco or Sam's Club. Don't overlook the "close-out" and "dented
can" stores.
(But avoid buying any bulged cans, or cans with dented rims.)
Stock up on non-perishable items whenever they are on sale: thing like light
bulbs, paper products, bar soap, house cleaning supplies, laundry detergent,
lubricants, and so forth. As long as you protect these
supplies
from theft, moisture and vermin, they are better than money in the bank. (Again,
money in the bank is being eroded by inflation.) These are tangibles bought
at today's
prices, that you can use for many years to come. Here at the Rawles
Ranch, we are still using up some spices, light bulbs, and aluminum foil that
I bought at a military commissary in the early 1980s--at what now seem like
absurdly
low
prices. My only regret is that I didn't buy more of them! This approach
to stockpiling was described in the modern-day classic book "The
Alpha Strategy" by John
Pugsley. (Download this free book and read it!)
For more details on stocking up including some detailed tables on shelf lives,
see my"Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course with accompanying audio CD.
If your local zoning and fire regulations allows it, buy your own gas and
diesel f
