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Letter Re: Goats for Thrifty Livestock Feeding
I love the Christmas season, and it is not for all the time and money wasted watching kids rip open boxes with toys or gadgets that they will forget about in a month. I can really reduce my hay bill for January even in the worst winters. Round about December 21st, I post small notices at the library, banks, and other places that will let me that advertise; "Tree Removal - $5 Mountain/Clean Trees or $10 all others" Costs me less than an hour of my time to make and post the notices and nets me between 50-100 trees a year. I've only had two clients ask where I take the trees. My answer, "I feed my goats." Remember, goats are browsers and would prefer to dine on trees than hay. As a bonus, when the stock is done, I've got firewood.
Spring is another great season for me. The best goats I've ever gotten were free. I keep the word out around town and inevitably end up with at least one bum every year. I've raised cattle, sheep and goats all free. Last year, someone gave me a mare and foal. Why, because the foal is blind and the mare hasn't been earning her keep. The mare is due to foal again in March. That is three free horses simply for being willing to take someone's rejects. This is a good way to get stock if you know what to accept and what to pass on or send straight to slaughter. We have filled our freezer numerous times on free cattle and sheep. Another trick I use in Spring is to drive every night behind the local greenhouse. They throw away an amazing quantity. Because it's not grass, the goats go nuts over it. I kid out in January-March and I've never had to feed grain, the extras from the greenhouse keep everyone sassy. Now that leads to another source: broken bags at the stores. I have a route I drive each week that nets me 1-6 bags of free/reduced feed. Goats don't care if they eat rabbit food. Chickens love dog and cat food. [JWR Adds: Be sure to read ingredient labels carefully!] This way, when I have to lure in an escape artist or feel like giving everyone a treat, I don't have to pay so much for it.
Summer is the hardest time of year for me. I don't own any land suitable for livestock. I use my parents' barn and pastures all year. I have gotten on friendly terms with the neighbors. I also have a solar-powered electric fence earned as payment for eating down the city's weeds. Since high school, I've grazed off the barrow pits along the county road to their place. I'll admit, it is a lot of manual labor for sometimes a bit of free feed, but some years it can't get all eaten down and people still end up mowing them. I also beg the use of empty pastures, though it is easier to find pasture for horses and cattle than goats and sheep. Summer is the season I bug the tree services. I've got one or two that will let me know when a real leafy tree is coming down and I'll give them free labor for all the leaves/branches we can stuff into our trucks. Evergreens or hardwoods, the stock doesn't care. The greenhouse treasures are not as welcome this time of year by the goats, usually because they are browsing on pasture, but I still bring them home. Summer is also the season we start delivering hay. We have been paid in the past to clean out hay storage. Usually this starts coming in as our pasture starts running out. We also let it be known that we are not adverse to weeds in our hay. Over the years, I've gotten several tons of hay for $10-50 a ton because it was too weedy to be sold to anyone else. One of our suppliers was shocked to see the goats trample the timothy to get to the bindweed in the bale. Last year, hay averaged $115 per ton, so this saved us quite a bit.
Fall is they hurry-up season for me. This year my son and I made quite a bit of money raking leaves. Again, they all went to the stock. For each truck load of loose leaves, I saved a bale of hay. I don't reveal the reason we are the cheapest service in town is because it saves me money to take them home and not to the dump. We also watch for those that have bagged their own leaves. We get permission to take the bags. Usually they are grateful we are grabbing them. These we store next to the hay in the hay shed for late season treats between the first snow and Christmas trees. Depending on the weight of the bag, two-four bags save me a bale of hay. Fall is when people clean out their gardens. This year, we had a lady borrow two of our gentlest goats and simply turn them loose in the garden after she was done with the harvest. For the most part, we donate labor to pull out gardens and it all goes to the stock. I sort as we unload and end up with food for our table too. I don't raise pigs, but for those that do; free feed is easy. I have a friend that stops by all the grocery stores, fast food joints and restaurants in town with her pick-up once each day. She raises 20-30 hogs a year and never buys food. She passes on what is still safe to the family table and to neighbors that are on hard times. I've known others that raise hogs to pick up road kill. If you butcher your own stock or game, hogs love the entrails and will pick clean the bones. If I didn't have these cheap fall backs for feeding my stock, I couldn't own any. There are probably more that are not available in our area, or I haven't thought of yet. I'll keep my eyes open and hope I've opened others. - KB
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Planning Ahead for Your Family Pets, by Margaret
Many of the very informative articles that have been written, talk about Getting Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.), plotting alternative routes, allowing for problems along the way, practising packing the vehicle and having fuel and supplies at en route stop-over points.
May I suggest that another plan that needs to be thought out ahead of time is for the family pets?
When people go away for the weekend or go on holidays, quite often a neighbour or family member comes in to feed and check up on the pets and this works out fine.
Alternatively an ice-cream container of dry food is left out for the cat or both the cat and dog go into boarding kennels. But when the Schumer occurs, these arrangements become null and void.
I’m sure animals have some form of ESP and changes can cause them to become either super-excited and uncooperative or they hide themselves away. Both possibilities will cause delays that no-one wants.
I no longer have a dog but the cats know that when their routine changes even slightly, "Something is Going to Happen." And if you do decide that it’s time to G.O.O.D. it would be great to have reasonably calm and cooperative animals.
Some issues to address ahead of time:
- Do your animals need medication from the vet when travelling? Do you have that medication?
- Do you have restraints for the dog in a packed vehicle? There would be nothing worse than a vehicle full of gear and children with an excited dog bouncing off the roof. You will be stressed enough.
- Do you have emergency food/water for your pets while travelling?
- Have you practised packing with the cat carry-cages in place? No doubt there will be lots of last minute things from the house that get tossed into the vehicle, but please don’t make the carry-cages one of those. A cardboard box will not do.
- How are you going to carry the gold-fish, the budgie and the guinea pigs? Are you going to take these pets with you? If you are, you will need to work out where and how their containers will fit into your vehicle. If not, I suggest that you decide now who will be given these creatures. It would be plain cruel to leave them to starve.
- It may be possible to practise taking all of the family pets with you on your next visit to your retreat so that you can see how things work out and while you still have time to implement changes.
- As cats in particular are territorial, you may need cat harnesses to walk them for the first week at your retreat until they realise that "This is the New Home".
The suggestions above will probably need to be modified because every pet is different, but thinking ahead and having a plan will make your life and that of your pets less stressful in a worst case scenario.
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Letter Re: A Tip on Egg Organization
Good Day JWR,
My prayers continue daily for you, and for your son's hearts healing at the loss of Memsahib. May you find some fraction of reciprocal solace and warmth from the Thanksgiving Blessings from God for the many hundreds of thousands of lives that you have enriched with your blog and books. Thanksgivings to you JWR for what you have done and do so very well, by providing this valuable multi-national information highway of connectedness on survival and preparedness!
Here is my organizational tip of the week I would like to share. We have free range poultry and very rogue ducks and geese. The chickens and guineas are pretty reliable about returning to the coop for their egg "layoff". However, our many hen ducks just roam and lay where ever they get the urge to do so. Most of their eggs are used for baking and if I don't check the property for newly made nests with eggs every day or so, I end up with occasional bad, rotten eggs in my mixing bowl, because I have lost track of the age of the eggs. This is a smell you are likely not wanting inside your kitchen! Phewy! Always break eggs, one at a time, in a separate bowl before adding them to your other ingredients.
To help me organize and pull these piles of eggs for sorting in this order for my use: for eating,(the freshest), for incubating under a surrogate brooder, (the next in oldest date and these get marked with the date with a wax china marker pencil before getting placed under the surrogate), and then those which are past hatching (after 35 days) and end up in the compost pile. What I use now as nest place markers, is a saved and placed used and cleaned styrofoam plate or used aluminum pie pan (these are long term reusable) which have been marked and dated with a fine tip marker onto a piece of masking tape on the outer rim of the plate where it can be seen easily once filled with eggs, the actual date that I set it on the ground and place it under the surrounded pile of leaves and plucked out down and pin feathers. Then when I am scratching my head, two or three weeks later, wondering when this pile was layed, I have a reference to refer to and do not have to toss all the eggs in the composter. Those eggs that are freshest, by the way, are usually on the top and to the back, and are still warm to the touch hours after being laid.
Those eggs that a broody hen has pushed or rolled away from the nest, you can go ahead and remove and place in the compost pile. She knows that the egg is not viable for hatching.
.
Also, another tip for barnyard time savings: Keep your old egg cartons out by the hen house. Instead of transferring the eggs twice, from the nest to the basket and then to a bowl or carton, just pull the fresh eggs and place them straight into a carton, mark the date on a piece of masking tape on the end of the carton for easy viewing. Eggs that I donate to charity, or sell to neighbors and friends, I ask them to please return my cartons cleaned for reuse and recycling again. May all Have a Blessed Thanksgiving Day! - KAF
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Lessons Leaned from a Wildfire Evacuation, by Daniel in Montana
It was a gorgeous Saturday night, Sept. in Montana's mountains the weather was hanging onto summer's 70 degree temperatures, warm and dry. Working all day at the hospital and finishing some of my home preparedness projects gave me a satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. Time to relax, I sat down, put my feet up and was sipping my week's end treat, a cold beer. I phoned my friend, “Brett” to finalize our plans to butcher a few of his farm animals tomorrow. He was finishing a Bible reading with his boys and was putting them to bed, and would call me back in a few minutes.
It was quite strange, as soon as I hung up, the phone immediately rang. It wasn't Brett, it was “Eric.” His voice had a tone and panic I'd never heard before. Through his hollering and shouting I gathered a forest fire had just erupted a mile from his home. He was pleading for me to get to his parents' home and tell them he is being evacuated! He was about to loose his house, horses, tools, everything. His call ended any type of relaxing for this Saturday night.
Eric and I have been friends for years. We live about 30 miles from each other. His parents and I are only 5 miles apart. He was unable to phone them. They have discontinued their land line, living tucked away on the side of a hill, far in the country and far from cell service. We of like minds prefer it that way don't we?
My job in the health center was to train staff to respond to emergencies. We prepared for heart attacks, missing children, chemical spills, the usual. I am also a martial art's instructor and former fighter. Eric's call had ignited my fight or flight response dumping adrenaline into my body. My mind was racing, hundreds of thoughts and ideas all at once. I had just let my guard down. It was my time to relax, but my friend needed help. His request, and my urgency was to notify his parents, get people to the scene!
“Should I ride my Harley”? It would be quicker than my truck, but the thought of being in a smoky fire on a motorcycle wasn't appealing. I'd ridden it before during a bad fire season a few years ago, the memory of the smoke stinging my eyes and my lungs burning made my decision easy. I ran to my truck.
Oh adrenaline, how amazing you are..more thoughts flooded my mind, simultaneous, in a moment, “grab my boots, Carhartts, jacket, chain saw and Pulaski to fight the fire. I'll need my cell phone and lights, No, don't waste time get going! Hurry! I can always come back for my gear. It's only a few miles. Got to get to his parents! The fire was at least 30 miles from my home. My two daughters were safe, my wife was out for the night, the animals were all in their pens, go now, go fast!”
I blasted off in my truck. My mission, my friend's request was clear, notify his parents. I took off wearing a pair of worn out sneakers, blue jeans and a T-shirt, no wallet, no ID, no phone. I raced my pick up to Eric's parents' home. “I can come back for my gear” disappoints me to this day.
Completing my mission caused another families' Saturday night to change quickly, crying, disbelief and shock. It took them an eternity to accept this, get dressed and get on the road to help Eric. I followed them at 80 mph for the next 30 miles. Of course, we got stopped for speeding but the considerate officer knew of the fire situation and let us go, no ticket. I hope he reads this. I'd like to thank him.
As the miles passed, the outline of the mountain tops were easily seen glowing a dull red. Smoke was now thick from the burning trees. I shut the truck's air vents. As we turned off the main highway I was suddenly cut off by a frantic heard of deer, several horses and a few dogs. They were crisscrossing the old road running wild. The fire was spreading quickly. I wondered, what I was getting into? This isn't safe. This really happening!” My friend needed help, there was no hesitation, only my commitment.
The country dirt roads were not made for the traffic created from fire and pumper trucks, pick ups and trailers. The dust from the vehicles choked any attempts at normal breathing. I wrapped a bandanna around my nose and mouth but they were already dry and burning. It was quite dark but the glow from the fire and headlights created an eerie radiance. Any form of light was now encased in an evil combination of smoke and dust. Nothing was seen clear. Nothing was for certain. My Saturday had changed so quickly I couldn't keep up.
My thoughts drifted to how valuable my gear would have been. Great planning and preparedness on my part. I never drove back to gather my equipment. I even have it organized for this type of grab and go situation. Wondering if the extra time spent would have been worth it? Saving those few minutes and racing off could prove costly.
My instincts told me to drive my truck. My gas tank was rarely below ¾ full, and true to my nature, I'd even topped it off after work. I had a full tank, (no wallet). I always stocked my first aide bag, pistol, extra mags, leather work gloves, 120 ft. of rope, jumper cables and a spot light in my truck. I plugged in the spot light, holstered my pistol, put on my gloves, grabbed the first aid bag and rope and set them on the front seat. I lit up the spot light and in this smoky confusion of animals, firefighters, trucks, trailers and flashing lights, I found Eric. He was standing in a grass field, sweating, dirty and holding two of his five horses.
I jumped out. Eric was in shock, my friend and brother needed help and lots of it! I used my 120 foot rope and several of us banded together forming a human fence. We were able to coral two more frightened horses. It took several attempts and over an hour to trailer those two. We roped off others and tied them to the trailer Like us, they were scared. confused and running on adrenaline One horse, was cut and bleeding bad. Her chest and legs sliced open, looked like she tangled with barb wire. I released my right hand from the rope and rested it on my pistol, assessing her, wondering?
One lady was standing alone in the middle of the dirt road, trucks and trailers driving around her. I grabbed my first aide bag and went to her. She was stiff, didn't speak, didn't answer my questions. I checked her, no signs of injury, B/P and 02 sats were within normal limits, pulse was racing, whose wasn't? No cuts or bruises, shock. I drove her down two miles to the small country town, Lakeside where others had gathered by the Red Cross station and were sharing information and horror stories.
I could hear conversations of those who needed to get gas at this time of night, without success. Most stations were closed and the one that was open was choked with long lines, and taking credit cards only. Beautiful 350 Turbo powered Cummings trucks sitting, going nowhere, without fuel. Frustrated drivers, swearing, pounding their fists on their hoods as the fire threatened their homes.
One lady was standing in shorts and a tank top, great for the warmth of the day but more than exposed to numerous dangers in this situation. Her home was directly in the fire's path. She had called the police prior to attempting to go to her home. They told her not to worry she would not be evacuated. By the time she got home, the fire had changed directions and she was not permitted to go near her home.
Eric had made several phone calls and other friends arrived. Some were quite prepared, some not. With his friends there to help him, all Eric could do was stand in disbelief, mumbling, “I've lost everything. I've lost everything.” I held both his arms, looked him square in the face and reassured him he hadn't lost everything. “There still is time. Look, your house is right here, the fire's still up on the mountain top. What can we get out of it? What's first?” He didn't answer. He ran off to get a chain saw.
What are his priorities? What did he want out of his home? If his house did burn down what is important to him? We may only have this one chance. How can I help? What do I get for him? birth certificates, insurance papers, cash, guns? Where is all this?
Then amongst all the fear and shock, unexpectedly, an angel gently touched my arm. It was Eric's mom. She was a calm in all this confusion. Her and Eric's dad are older, not in the prime of health and took a little longer to find us. His dad, Charles may not be in his youth but he sure proved his efficiency on the front end loader. Charles took up his position on Eric's loader and immediately started pushing over smaller trees and brush, dragging them away from the house and work shop. He was also building 10 ft high mounds of dirt around the house at the same time. He was amazing! Efficient, productive, we were making gains now! We were on the offensive! We rallied behind their calm wisdom and experience.
All too sudden, it was quite, very quiet. The front end loader stalled while dragging a tree and wouldn't start. After several attempts to restart it, the battery died. At this moment I felt the weight of the Red Sea crash in on me. I felt the fatigue. I was exhausted. I couldn't breath. My knees, ankles and feet were throbbing, the past few hours walking, running and tripping in unfamiliar fields and dirt roads had taken its toll. My boots were now worth millions.
“My boots, my gear, Wish I would have....wait! I always carry jumper cables in my truck! I hobbled to it and eased into the front seat. Shifting and pushing the clutch sent waves of pain through my battered ankles and legs. I drove through the field right up to the Bobcat and popped open my hood. Charles had been trying to restart it and grabbed my jumper cables. In a few short minutes, we had her running again! Guess I wasn't that sore after all and Charles didn't seem quite as old.
As I moved my truck out of Charles' path, the headlights caught an outline of Eric at the base of a tree. He found his chainsaw and had started to cut down the larger trees close to his home and shop. Charles could push them away from the house once they were on the ground and the fire would not have any fuel. Great idea.
Eric was halfway through a 60 ft. Tamarack and found his chainsaw had no fuel either. He ran out of gas and had none stored. Vehicles, people and animals all racing in the glowing dark and now a 60 ft. pine tree ready to come down at any time. We had an experienced logger, a Stihl chain saw but no fuel. This was very dangerous and we created it.
Tired, thirsty and frustrated, I lit up the tree with my spot light and parked my truck sideways on the dirt road blocking any traffic from the North. Others stood on the South side and stopped any flow from their direction. Charles inched the Bobcat closer and closer and was able to push over the 60 ft. danger without incident. We all sighed in relief.
The whole night was filled with events like this, success mixed with failure. You never experienced any one emotion for more than a few minutes. The burning fire created a constant urgency in everything we did. The eerie backdrop of a mountain glowing red with an uncontrolled fire wouldn't let us rest.
Time changed that night. It would slow and pause for a moment, then by the time you blinked the smoke out of your eyes and it sped up creating situations and forcing immediate decisions throughout the night. There were times when I was watching all this unfold, far away from the fire, danger and confusion. There were times I was in the middle of everything, eyes stinging, scared, tired, wanting to do more for my friend.
Lessons learned:
1) Take the next step, if you have been preparing, don't let up.
2) Emergencies seem to happen when we let our guard down
3) Do not become drunk with wine or strong drink
4) Help your friends prepare.
5) When a situation occurs, it will probably be at night and dark, you'll be hot or cold and definitely tired
6) You respond they way you practice/prepare
7) If you do not practice or prepare............things will get ugly
8) Little things we do on a daily basis, our habits, make big differences in crisis situations
9) Have fuel
I'd like to thank Mr. Rawles and your blog page. I've been a regular for almost two years now. It has been very valuable to read it and your books. You have given sound advice and enhanced my sense of preparedness. Because of your mission people were better off in a Montana wild fire. I hope and pray similar situations never come again but I feel it is only a matter of time. When the next one occurs, I will be even better prepared and will react with more efficiency thanks to you and others like us.
Since I initially started writing this our weather has changed. In a 48 hour period it has gone from sunny and 70 to 4 inches of snow, icy roads cold, and minus 4 degrees at night.
God Bless us all. - Daniel in Montana
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Seven Letters Re: How Can I Make and Store Dog Food?
Mr. Rawles,
My husband's grandmother often told about her busy days during the depression, raising seven kids with almost nothing. At the end of her busy day, while cooking supper for her family, she had to make two or three pans of cornbread to feed her husband's hunting dogs. The dogs were valuable because they helped her husband bring in rabbits and squirrel which sometimes were the only meat the family ate. I've always figured if I could no longer afford dog food, I would try Grandma's cornbread solution. - S. in Indiana
Sir,
One way to feed your dogs is with vermin. Every rat you catch can be cooked and fed to the dogs. When you clean fish there are lots of leftovers such as the head and guts. All of this can be ground up in the sausage grinder and boiled. I had a big black dog who would dig up moles and swallow them whole. She would also run down rabbits. So the right dog can be somewhat self supporting, not to mention they can be a big part of helping in hunting game. A hungry dog won't turn his nose up at much. - KJG
Hi!
I don't have a dog and am kind of afraid of them so I have no experience with dog food but I wanted to encourage the writer to use coupons if they have time. I have four cats and a HUGE stockpile of cat food. Most of it I paid only tax for or $1 per bag + tax. To get head start this coupon is $3.50 off any Purina pet food. You can also call Purina they will send you coupons for dog food and maybe a coupon for a free dog treat bag that don't expire for a while. One nice thing about PetSmart is there deals are all month long so you have time to order coupons from a clipping service. YMMV but our PetSmart accepts competitor's coupons. So if you went to hotcouponworld.com (it's not my site - I just find it so helpful) and printed the Target store coupons and then combined with them a manufacturers coupon with a sale you could get a great deal. (Store coupon + manufacturers is okay at many stores, you just can't use two manufacturers for the same item.) You can get manufacturer coupons from a clipping service from a n Internet site or eBay instead of a Sunday paper.
Every store/area is different so me telling you about my grocery store pet food deals won't help but once you learn how it works you can find the best deal for your furbabies. There are a lot of helpful people on that site who know their area stores could guide you through your first deals while you learned. I would encourage you to start out slow. See if you can find free dog treats first or a buy one get one free can of dog food.. that way you won't waste money buying too much from a clipping service for a deal that doesn't work out. Once you learn it's easy..you will be giving dog food to the animal shelter. - Lisa E.
Jim,
In reference to your answer on home made dog food: My grandfather used to have corn and wheat ground up at a mill
and he always referenced additional meal ground up more coarsely for "Dog bread". They used to actually add ground up bones and leftovers as available and bake it (mostly corn meal) as dog bread. I envisioned it as something like a dog biscuit. I later did some research and found that domestic dogs differ from wolves in three key aspects:
They bark at intruders. Wolves don't bark.
They can digest grain and starches (wolves get sick)
and dogs like people.
If you look at the ingredients on cheap dog food, it sounds almost identical to my grandfather's recipe. - Jon
Jim.
As to dog diets, I have already reverted, upgraded actually, to a post Schumer dog feeding program. I raise all of my own food for me and all of my animals including fish , rabbits, egg layers and meat chickens.. Here's what my dogs eat on a daily basis (on most days):
Mornings
Rice with 2 sunny side up eggs fried in bacon grease and one banana or plantain mixed in.
About 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of honey go in.
Evenings
My butcher friend gives me his meat scraps and I save all of my rabbit and chicken innards so in the evening they get this. I make my rice water from broth made from the carcasses. Bone marrow, brains etc is great for carnivores.
Rice, about 2 cups with about 2 cups of whatever meat I have for them. A handful of finely chopped green beans, a small handful of carrot and some type of root whether it be yucca, potato, sweet potato, malanga. It depends what we are eating that night. Instead of root it may be a portion of the many types of squashes that I grow. Do not forget to include a pinch of salt. I have fish out of my pond a couple of times a week and boil the carcass after I filet them. This slurry gets mixed with their rice, and a bit of milk, on those days.
My dogs will eat oranges and bananas out of my hand and those are their daily treats ! Mine too.
The vet says the blood work is superb and all is well. He has actually added some of my items to his personal hunting dogs diet. These are 100 lb American bulldogs. I'll never buy the "poison in the bag" [commercial dog food] again. Peace, - Mr. Orchid in Costa Rica
Mr. Editor,
We have been cooking for our dogs (Weimaraners) since the dog food contamination scare a couple of years ago. While they no longer like 'real' dog food they do go back and forth easily.
We cook them pretty much what we eat but our basic receipt for them is rice with mixed veggies and meat. Any meat, hamburger, scraps from leaner cuts and chicken. Thighs and legs are very cheap and boiled supply broth to cook the rice in. They also like fried 'taters and one of our dogs really likes carrots.
When we have a surplus of eggs in the summer we scramble lots of eggs for them with old bacon fat. They love this version of fried rice. Our bitch has puppies right now and is doing very well on this diet and the puppies are fat and happy.
I've enjoyed your blog very much as it reflects in many ways what my husband and I have always thought/planned. I will say it can be a tad depressing on occasion. - Jeanne G.
Hello James Wesley,
Back in the day when I went to stay with my Grandparents on the farm, they never bought dog food as far as I know. The dogs were fed what was left over from the "Mush" in the morning (Oatmeal), the bacon always got finished. In the evening the dogs got a mix of potatoes and carrots or corn with a little fat, broth, or gravy from our evening meal. I would caution you against too much protein and increase the starches, just read the ingredient list on the back of a dog food bag. It is lots of grain and veggies and a little protein. God Bless, - Bucko
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Letter Re: How Can I Make and Store Dog Food?
James,
I read the blog regularly and have noticed people mentioning the value of having a large dog on a property--for protection, extra set of ears, etc. Having recently purchased a German Shepherd puppy and seeing the costs of dog food rising, plus the looming dangers of hyperinflation and disruptions of supply chains, I'm wondering if anyone out there can share the recipe for a nutritious food for a large breed puppy/dog--especially a food that can be made from common items and stored. Otherwise, when the storm hits I may have a great dog, and no suitable food for her. Probably many people out there are wondering the same thing. Thanks for all that you do to assist people like me. - Scott S. in Colorado
JWR Replies: Dog food--as we now know it--didn't become popular until after World War II. Dogs didn't starve before then, although their diets were not nearly as uniform as they are in the present day. In the old days dogs were just fed table scraps, butcher scraps, and the occasional excess milk and eggs (in judicious quantities, of course, to avoid making a dog vomit.) Most dogs can revert to this traditional diet, especially if the transition is made gradually, over the course of a couple of weeks. Here is an illustration: Two decades ago, The Memsahib and I temporarily foster-homed a "rescue" Great Dane that at first refused to any dog dog food unless it had fried beef livers mixed in with it. Transitioning that pampered pooch took more than a month. My first attempt at having it just going "cold turkey" was a failure, as the dog starved itself for three days. Bad idea! So then I decided to just gradually reduce the amount of beef liver that it got each day. By the third week, it was down to just a bit of beef liver juices. I simultaneously tapered its daily ration by 30%, to increase the dog's appetite. Finally, after a month, the dog was on a pure diet of moistened dry dog food, and was soon back to a full ration.
There are are several recipes for "do it yourself" dog food on the Internet, but in my estimation, that is only a stopgap, for true preparedness. There is no way to store enough dog food for a couple of large dogs for an extended disaster situation unless you have a huge budget. And unless you live in a permafrost zone, this would also require a huge backup generator and a couple of chest freezers. That just isn't practical for most of us. You really need to be ready to transition your dog to a traditional diet. This necessitates keeping a two month supply of your dog's currently-used food on hand, to effect a diet transition. In warm climates, rancidity can be a problem, so if possible store two-thirds of this supply in a food grade plastic bag, in your freezer and rotate it, just as you do your other frozen foods.
Using the worst cuts left over from our from deer and elk butchering, (such as the strips from between ribs, and pieces from near the knee joint that are too sinewy to include in our elk-burger and Bambi-burger), I have made "dog jerky". This is made just like any jerky for human consumption but with a bit less salty brine, and no fancy seasonings. As with our other jerky, it is dried in our old workhorse nine-tray Excalibur dehydrator. If you will be feeding a dog jerked dry meats that are lean (such as venison or rabbit), then don't neglect adding essential fats and oils. You should do so only shortly before they are used. (Again, to minimize risk of rancidity.) OBTW, some of my dehydrator recommendations as well as some important notes on fats and oils are included in my "Rawles Gets You Ready" family preparedness course.
Most of our stored cooking oil here at the ranch is in the form of frozen olive oil, and a bit of coconut oil. We've never had problem with plastic oil bottles rupturing, when frozen. Most of our stored fats are in the form of butter, again, frozen in our chest freezer. But we plan to experiment with using some canned New Zealand butter, next year. (That is available from several SurvivalBlog advertisers, at a surprisingly affordable price, considering that it is shipped from the other side of the planet.)
When times get Schumeresque, I plan to transition our dogs to a diet of table scraps, dog jerky, and butcher scraps. This will be supplemented with small amounts of excess milk and eggs from the barnyard. Oh, and one word of warning: Never let a dog watch you break eggs and put them over its food. Dogs are intelligent! Crack the eggs, whisk them, and pour them over the dog's food, while the dog is in another room. You do not want to train your doge to become an egg thief!
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How to Capitalize on Urine, Car Batteries, Wood Ashes, Bones and Bird Schumer, by Jeff M.
Throughout the last few centuries, mankind has been building and building up, combining raw materials and energy to create... stuff. This stuff is scattered all over urban population centers, and many of it can be used for basic life-sustaining purposes. I thought I'd write in and share some information I've gathered over the years in my work and in my hobbies, as it relates to sustaining life if you're trapped in an urban area. I'm enumerating the primitive uses of some very basic components for those interested, this wasn't meant as a guide for building any of this stuff, further research is definitely necessary and DO NOT try any lab chemistry without becoming an expert first and observing all the appropriate safety precautions. [JWR Adds: Handling strong acids and bases also necessitates wearing goggles, extra long gloves, long sleeves, a safety apron, having proper ventilation, and having an eye flushing bottle (or fixture) and neutralizers close at hand!] I hope this inspires others to share similar uses for modern waste.
Many urbanites will not have enough room to grow self-sustaining gardens in the soil in your backyard, with the limited growing season, and even if you did it would become a target for looters. Construction of a greenhouse in your backyard with adequate security may be a worthwhile compromise. Using hydroponics in your greenhouse will maximize your yield. Hydroponics requires that you're moving fluids around in a growing medium, and this movement requires electricity in the simplest setup. It also allows you to maximize your space by eliminating huge buckets of soil. One downside to hydroponics is that it requires more advanced technology, and most often an energy supply. Another downside is a requirement for more specific fertilizers.
Car batteries can be used to power your food supply and your home, a typical setup is a very sturdy shelf to hold rows of the deep cycle variant. You can calculate how much energy you'd need to power your appliances but a better setup for survival would be to only power a single DC circuit, with some very energy efficient appliances; LED lights, laptop computers, radios, flashlight battery chargers. I have a circuit wired in my basement which can be switched to backup power, so for me it would just be a matter of wiring an extension cable out to my greenhouse.
The equipment to build a battery backup system is widely available, it's very mature technology and has been very easy to afford with the increased usage of solar energy. Solar panel prices have also dropped almost 40% in the last couple of years. I recommend that someone with the cash to spend, who has already bought a long-term supply of food and other essentials, build themselves a photovoltaic backup system to keep your electronics running for years, using deep-cycle marine batteries for storage. It happens to be the cheapest form of storage, the deep cycle batteries are available from Wal-Mart and Costco at the best prices.
I recommend some form of sustainable electricity. Most fuels will go bad with time, the easiest fuel to reliably store is propane and many homes are equipped with propane and natural gas powered backup generators. Propane is extraordinarily cheap right now as well. A 300-to-500 gallon propane tank can be bought used for around $500 in most places, and propane is selling in my area for $1.79/gallon. Propane is produced from natural gas and, along with coal, are the two fossil fuels we're least likely to see a shortage of. Regarding solar, you don't need a 5,000 watt solar panel farm to power your essentials. Just one large solar panel on a pole will be enough [to provide charging] for your odds and ends DC-powered electronics.
If you intend to use scavenged car batteries for home power, you will need to come up with a scheme to charge them. If you charge a random collection of batteries off of one charger some of them may overheat and explode. You need to have an individual charging circuit for each of them, a temperature probe is good but not necessary. The best way to do this with a generator setup is with a multiple-bank charger or charging station, or with multiple charge controllers in a solar setup. It would be a good idea to have backups, so you might as well have one charge controller for every battery. If you're running a generator, it is especially important that you use a battery backup system, as it allows you to use the energy more efficiently to charge up a battery bank which you can use for days to power efficient appliances.
Another interesting thing about car batteries is what you can do with them if you're not using them for power. Car batteries contain two main ingredients, sulfuric acid and lead. Sulfuric acid is used in many industrial processes. It's a source of elemental sulfur, and these strong acids are used to convert many other substances to something usable.
Hundreds of years ago people made saltpeter for formulating black powder by urinating in a jar and adding straw to it (almost too easy, huh?). A more industrious method would be to mix straw and manure into a pile and urinate on it regularly to keep it moist. This was called a "niter-bed". After a year, run water through it and then run the resulting mixture through a wood ash filter, and then air dry the resulting mixture in the sun. Any failed batches could always be used as [the basis for a larger quantity of] fertilizer. Your urine contains nitrogen in the form of a chemical called urea, which means it also makes a good fertilizer (1 part urine and 10 parts water immediately applied makes a decent fertilizer). The urine/straw mixture would change over the course of a few months to contain nitrates, mostly a chemical called potassium nitrate, or saltpeter. Wood ash contains mostly potassium compounds and can be used to convert remaining nitrates to potassium nitrate. Potassium nitrate is a powerful oxidizer. Mixed with a fuel it forms the ingredients of many fireworks such as bottle rockets. Black powder is made with a mixture of 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulfur. Sulfur can be found on the electrodes of the car batteries, or it can be produced through electrolysis of the sulfuric acid. A good rocket fuel is 60% potassium nitrate and 40% powdered sugar, should you have a need for rockets, perhaps as a signal flare.
You can buy potassium nitrate over the counter from the hardware store (Lowe's and Home Depot). It's known as stump remover and is available in 1lb bottles. If you're doing that last minute shopping, it might be a good idea to swing by the pesticides shelf and buy all the stump remover while you're getting your fertilizers and everything. Potassium nitrate has an NPK rating of 13-0-38.
In the 1890s, widespread use of "smokeless powder" was adopted, which is about three times as powerful as simple black powder. This was a result of a substance called nitro-cellulose or guncotton, which is which can be made from cellulose and nitric acid and some
other chemicals by means of nitration. Nitric acid is a very useful substance. Nitro-groups or nitronium ions can be added to certain chemicals to create explosives. Compounded with hexamine fuel tablets (Esbit fuel), it forms [the equivalent of ] RDX explosive. Compounded with glycerine, it forms nitroglycerine, that with added stabilizers forms dynamite or blasting gelatin. (Not to be confused with trinitrotoluene (TNT), which is generated by the nitration of toluene.) The most useful application of nitric acid though is in making smokeless powder, commonly just called "gunpowder" today, which is a compound of nitrocellulose and a number of other proprietary ingredients. It can be made from cellulose and nitric acid and some other chemicals by means of nitration. [Reader M.H. Adds: Doing any of this will take considerable study and storing some other chemicals, since nitric acid just by itself will not (to any significant degree) nitrate organic compound such as glycerine, hexamine or toluene. For details, see the book titled "Chemistry and Technology of Explosives" by Urbanski (available online).]
The government has made it difficult to purchase nitric acid without a valid reason. You can make it out of sulfuric acid, from the car batteries, and potassium nitrate, from the niter beds. You will need some basic lab equipment to do this, a glass distillery connected to a vacuum pump (a vacuum distillery), and a hot plate. With the leftover parts of the car battery, mainly lead [and wheel weights as a source of antimony for hardening], you can mold lead bullets. The lab equipment required to perform some of these reactions is useful in many other processes, such as an ethanol distillery, so it may be something you'd want, regardless. Take care that you don't cross into illegal territory with your experimenting. Potassium nitrate and black powder aren't controlled substances, but at some point gunpowder becomes classified as an explosive and requires a permit to manufacture. [JWR Adds a Strong Proviso: This summary information is provided for educational purposes only. EXTREME safety measures must be taken, and all the legalities and zoning issues must be researched, permits obtained, et cetera. Also, be advised that the instructions presented in many of the published references on do-it-yourself explosives making have insufficient safety margins. For example, the set of directions on making nitroglycerin in the book The Anarchist Cookbook, could best be described as a "recipe for disaster." It will get you killed or at least maimed, in short order!]
Another interesting thing I'll mention is that handgun calibers and muzzleloaders are better suited for lead bullets with no copper jacket, since they travel through the barrel slower they can be made softer. Forming a copper jacket around a bullet is difficult and expensive. [JWR Adds: One notable exception to this is making jackets for .22 caliber bullets, which can be made with discarded .22 LR brass and lead wire, using commercially available forming dies.] I think it's also worthwhile to own at least one muzzle-loading black-powder rifle, and bullet forming equipment. Manufacturing guncotton is not nearly as easy as black powder. You can no longer readily buy black powder [in gun shops] today, it is less stable and more expensive to ship. Even the modern muzzle-loader propellants (like Pyrodex) are smokeless powders. So, you may find black powder is all people are using one of these days, as they can make it in their backyard. Either stockpile thousands of primers or use a flintlock style rifle.
I mentioned that urine can be used as a fertilizer, nowhere is this more true than in a hydroponic system. Plants need three main chemicals to grow, all three of which must be in a soluble form. urine is easily the best source of nitrogen in soluble form. Potassium can be gathered from wood ash easily by running fluids through it. Phosphorous is the hard part, and many fruiting plants need phosphorus, so it is the area where you focus the most energy. Bone has phosphorus in it, and a commonly used fertilizer for plants is bone meal in the form of calcium phosphate. Bone meal has an NPK rating of 4-12-0. Bat guano is one of the best sources of phosphorous, and bird droppings ("Bird Schumer") can similarly provide a good supply. Be careful with bird droppings though, many contain diseases especially pigeons. You may want to boil it first. Match heads can also be used for their phosphorus content, if for some reason you have thousands of matches with no barter value.
Back to urine fertilizers: When you urinate into the water your urine and many other nitrate fertilizers begin to break down into ammonia, which needs to be filtered out. If you've ever maintained a koi pond you know this can be accomplished with the use of a bio-filter. Another way to do it is with an aquaculture setup, which means connecting a fish hatchery to a hydroponics setup. The fish and the plants thrive off of each other. This has evolved into it's own industry called aquaponics, and has proven to be a commercial success, mainly to serve as leafy plant production on top of a primarily fish producing setup. If you get sick of eating that dried corn, try feeding it to a 55-gallon barrels full of Tilapia. Tilapia has been the preferred fish stock as it will eat a wider range of things, but the temperature must be kept warm. It's possible that even in colder climates a greenhouse would provide sufficient trapped heat to keep the fish alive.
Many of these techniques can form the foundations of exciting hobbies such as model rocketry, aquaculture, hydroponics and gunsmithing. I strongly encourage you to absorb some of these hobbies in your life, if they appeal to you. [Do plenty of research, and get lots of practice,] especially when it comes to something sensitive like fish or hydroponics. Beginner's mistakes could spell the end of you if you're depending on this for your urban survival. I've opted to fortify my suburban home on a quarter acre and optimize it for survival, with over two years of food storage for me and my family to get started and enough energy to cook it. If this is all you can afford then make the most of it!
Letter Re: Making Do at a Rural Vermont Retreat
James,
While I could wish to be west of the Mississippi, my wife and I will have to retreat where we are. My elderly parents are nearby, and my wife has made it very clear she has moved for the last time. Vermont is where we will be for the foreseeable future.
We live within a rural town of approximately 2,000 residents. We are about seven miles outside of a twin-city with a population of 28,000. We lack like-minded neighbors both in faith and preparedness. We hope our far-flung family will be able to rally here, but are realistic about their chances. Not an ideal location, but we work with what God have given us.
We own 60 acres, mostly wooded with some pasture, up and three miles out of town on a dirt road. Our home is close to the middle of the land, at the end of an 1,100 foot driveway and it is not visible from the road. The driveway could be easily blocked if necessary. We have cleared good areas around the house without giving up our privacy. We heat with any of three sources, wood, pellets, or oil. Our neighbors include a medical doctor and a nurse/midwife and two miles down the hill is a dairy farm with 400 head.
We have three spring-fed ponds, (one is stocked with trout), a deep artesian well and a developed spring with a concrete cistern. We use a small greenhouse to extend our short growing season and have apple trees and blueberry, raspberry and blackberry bushes. We can and dry fruits and veggies, I hunt and we both cook. We have about 18 months of food in storage (dehydrated, canned, frozen and grains) and expand our larder as we are able. We used to be cold weather tent- campers and have all of the equipment that goes along with that sport in both propane and white gas.
Our arsenal is varied, deep and redundant. It includes four muzzleloaders and supplies; they are hunting and hobby rifles, but they will still put food on the table or provide defense in a pinch.
We have much on our “things to do” list. Fuel storage is a problem in quantity due to permitting issues. We do have the fuel oil tank in the cellar for the tractor, but gasoline will be limited to our cans. Our only generator is small, only able to power the pellet stove, a couple of lights and a radio. We do hope to add solar in the future. Our home is not as defensible as I would like due to glass windows and doors and we lack man-power for long term survival.
We will never be as ready as want to be, but we will be as ready as we are able. Our greatest assets are Jesus and each other. - B.C.
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Letter Re: Getting Self-Sufficient in Wyoming
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I was recently given your novel "Patriots"
by a like-minded friend in Wyoming. I read it once for pleasure, then twice with a highlighter, notepad, and Google. It's a wonderful resource, and I'm looking forward to the new book ["How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It"]. Reading "Patriots" left me proud to be an American, and revitalized something I felt I had been losing in the recent years. This is a wonderful country, and I have faith that there are still a bunch of decent God-fearing people who will stand up for her when needed.
I was 20 when I moved here from Baltimore, to run a cattle ranch that my father had the foresight to buy in the late 1980s. It became the working family "retreat" where I lived full time, and my parents lived half-time. I am forever indebted to Dad for my life. He was my best friend in more ways than can be counted. He passed at age 68 in late 2007, of a digestive cancer. I will always wish I had more time with him on earth.
Life in Wyoming has been wonderful for me, as I developed good self-sufficiency skills and eventually (starting 1995) built a passive and active solar/wind charged earth-bermed home. I remember back in 1984, when Dad (in the computers/operations research field) bought our first PC - an XT with dual 5.25" floppies and 128K of RAM. The first thing I did as a teenager was make my lists of things I'd need to go survive in the woods! I have no idea where those thoughts came from - it was absolutely natural. I'm currently forty, and pretty shocked by current events and economics.
What are we doing? Is hyperinflation around the corner? There are two things my dad taught me long ago, that I always use to analyze everything...
1) Nothing is free.
2) If you have to lie to accomplish your goals, maybe you'd rather reevaluate your goals!
Now I'm building marine-grade expedition campers that can operate far from civilization, and restoring old mechanical diesels in my spare time. Next spring and summer my projects will be a good root cellar, a rebuild of my wind charger, and a new small barn for our goats and chickens.
Thank you for the inspiration. I hope one day to shake your hand. God Bless, - Darrin in Wyoming
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Letter Re: Raising Sheep and Goats: Dealing with Internal Parasites
I just finished reading the linked article "Five Highly Productive, Low-Stress Animals You Can Raise at Home." When I read articles like this I start to fume. They make it sound like all you need to do is 'get your goat' (or whatever) turn it out and reap the benefits. One the major issues in sheep and goat raising that can be and often is a killer is parasites (intestinal and nasal worms). Sheep and goats are subject to stomach worm. This worms basically suck the their blood and the host (sheep or goat) then dies from anemia.
Most folks do not realize that we have a serious problem in the US in the fact that most of the antiparasiticals that are used to control worm loads has been used (mostly incorrectly) for so long that the worms are immune to it. That means there is little prescription that is effective in killing the worms.
That further means that having these animals on small acreage over an extended period of time can be a death sentence.
Parasites build up in the soil. The worms crawl up the grass, Goat/sheep eat the grass and the worms. The worms continue the cycle of laying eggs inside the host animals, the animals add the worms back to the soil in their manure, with increasing numbers, the host picks up more of them and in fairly short order, bam -- worm overload -- dead host.
Please know that I am quite qualified to make the above statements. I have successfully raised goats for over 45 years. I am one of the few folks that can say they have actually made a profit raising goats. I am here to remind you that there is no profit or pleasure in a dead goat.
There are those that would like to tell you that this breed or that breed is 'worm resistant' --to that I say 'Yeah and they likely voted for Obama'. The fact is that all goats are vulnerable to worms and all breeds are subject just as much as any other. The difference is climate and good management. Warm and moist climate is a breeding ground for worms. For example, in Missouri, where it is warm and humid most all spring, summer and even Fall is a haven for these worms. In [most of] Texas, where it gets hot and dry is not such a good climate for the worms. But there is a trade off. Hot and dry means little vegetation so it take lots of acres to feed one goat in Texas. In Missouri you can feed many goats per acre, but you will also infect those goats in sort order.
Please, do your homework. Livestock are not easy and work-free. They are not for the faint at heart. It takes dedication and diligence along with some common sense and selflessness to keep animals. If someone tells you it it easy, I dare say, they are either trying to sell you some 'seed stock' or they are from the government. Respectfully, - Paulette in Missouri
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Small Breed Dogs--Nature's Leatherman Tool, by B.C.
Allow me to begin with a request. Close your eyes and conjure up an image of a small dog into your mind. Is it snarling viciously? Straining at it's owner's leash pointlessly while they offer empty apologies for its behavior? Perhaps it's groomed in a ridiculous fashion, poking its timid head out from a large handbag in an L.A. Salon.
All of these things are, of course, absurd applications of an otherwise useful creature. Small dogs were bred for very specific working purposes long before they were adapted as fashion accessories, becoming the misfits of the canine world. Please keep in mind that they are every bit as trainable as their larger counterparts. The sad fact is that large dogs are generally trained due to the potentially dire consequences if they are not trained. On the other hand, the vices of small dogs are rated by their owners as easier to live with than the alternative (i.e.: training them).
As prevalent as this condition is today, it is a fault of the modern owner, and not the dog. Remember that the small dogs were hunting rats, rabbits, and other vermin on the farms of your ancestors long before Paris Hilton ever stuffed one into her over sized Gucci purse.
With that rant having been voiced, I'll start with a summary of the reasons you'd want a dog in the first place The greatest of them is companionship.
Try to reconcile with the fact that when the SHTF your friends (presumably unprepared) will be far away (assume by foot) and unreachable (assume by mobile). Would they follow you out of the city anyway? Probably not. So when you're 20 miles past town limits, alone and exhausted, you will be running out of something you can't pack into a go-bag.
Morale is the canine's best asset. Dogs do not mourn for the loss of a home, car, job or wide screen television. On the contrary, they will be overjoyed that you now have all the time in the world to spend with them. Their perspective is always “glass half full”, and it will carry you a long way. Even during hard times, my dogs have lifted my spirits immeasurably. In a SHTF situation i would consider their company invaluable for this reason alone.
Regardless, that's really the tip of the iceberg. Here are the more obvious reasons that dog has been man's best friend for millennia.
They are a great early warning system, not only against human intruders, but wild (or formerly domesticated) animals. Think about it. Are feral dogs a threat? Sure. But that raccoon that steals your food in the middle of the night may prove just as deadly in the long run.
They can smell opportunity as well as danger. Keep them hungry (not starving) and they will find food sure enough. After all, dogs are natural scavengers, and so might you be if worst comes to worst.
They are also natural hunters. Sure, some breeds excel at it by birthright, but for other breeds it's just a matter of training. The capabilities of an intelligent dog are capped only by the limits of the owner's imagination.
They are loyal. Often to the death. How many of your friends can you say that about? Keep them from starving and they'll stick to you like glue.
Finally, I'll add that they are excellent guardians when push comes to shove, though this can also be a drawback for reasons I'll discuss later.
The question is, why a small dog rather than a large one?
As an early warning system the two are more or less deadlocked. Breed by breed you might find one better than the next, but my Maltese Cross is every bit as aware as my Retriever, and less lazy about voicing his concerns (for better or worse).
For purposes of scavenging they are deadlocked again. A small dog can find anything a large dog can. If anything, a small dog can go through an abandoned car with far more ease, and will eat far less of what's found.
Hunting? You could go either way, but assuming you're on the move there's no point in bagging a deer when a rabbit will suffice. The question once again is “how much of the kill is going to Fido?” Besides, small dogs often have the edge against small game, as they can more easily stalk their prey and can also shift their momentum swiftly if a chase ensues. I can attest that my Maltese cross is a terror to the local rodent population. My Retriever is not. (On this note, never assume you will not be lowered to eating vermin. It's called Survivalism. Not Thrivalism.)
Regarding loyalty, a dog is a dog. I'd have trouble naming a breed that will abandon a loving owner in their time of need.
In terms of defending yourself, the big dog has the edge. But! If you're approaching a group of strangers or a checkpoint, your growling Rottweiler may get you both shot. A small furry head poking out from the top of your shirt will only endear you to strangers in an instant.
Yet I hear you say “I'm manly and tough. I think I'll stick with the big dog thanks.”
Well consider the following.
1. The small dog (with regular walks) can live happily enough in an apartment. He'll provide a vocal deterrent to intruders, which is often encouragement enough to find a different target. Conversely, large dogs and apartments do not mix well...
2. Small dogs are easier to train than you think. The key to all canine interaction is establishing dominance. The smaller the dog, the easier this is.
3. The small dog will eat and drink next to nothing. This is clearly a massive pro if you're hitting the road after all hell breaks loose.
4. The small dog can be carried easily. In your backpack no less. Imagine your 60+ pound Doberman has gone lame after walking 20 miles on asphalt. Enough said...
5. In a world of guns and gangs it's foolish to think that an attack breed dog will even the odds. On the contrary, that scary dog is more likely to spark the firefight that will end your life.
Picking a breed of dog is an important decision, but remember to research these key points.
1. Energy levels. Some dogs need 10 miles a day underfoot or they'll turn your furniture into scrap. Others will groan at having to spend five minutes on a treadmill.
2. Intelligence. The smarter the dog, the more you will have to exercise it's mind. Training them is best, but games will suffice.
If/when the SHTF you'll want a short-haired dog. Keeping it warm is easy enough, and doing so is a welcome alternative to pulling burrs from the fur of long haired breeds (not to mention locating ticks).
Also, avoid breeds that do not have a working history. They're usually bred for their visual “assets” and will not serve as well as time honored breeds do.
If I had to recommend one, it would be the Jack Russell Terrier (check it on Wikipedia if you care to). They're a working breed, highly intelligent, and extremely durable. I've personally seen one fall (not jump deliberately) fifteen feet onto concrete, get up with a huff, and walk away fine. That said, this is a very challenging dog to own and train. It is not for the faint of heart, but then again, neither is survival after the collapse...
I wont go into details about training dogs. I would wear out my keyboard in the process. If i give just one piece of advice in the matter, it's this;
Dogs are a pack animal and should defer to you as the pack leader in all things. They do not walk in front of you. They do not eat or drink before you eat or drink. Even the simple act of sitting on your lap gives the dog the idea that “it owns you” (it can stay there as long as you rest a hand on top of it).
Attain dominance and everything else will fall into place.
A recommendation. If you choose to buy a dog, get a copy of the Dog Whisperer DVDs with Cesar Millan
. It's gold for a dog owner. Especially someone adopting a mature dog rather than a puppy.
My experience is that responsible dog owners never regret the journey they embark on when they acquire their first canine companion. After all. Who else in the world values table scraps more than gold and silver :) - B.C.
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Squeezing Efficiency Out of Every Second of Your Workday to Provide Quality Relaxation Time, by KAF
Yes, I actually said relaxation. Are you finding yourself overwhelmed with chores, or frazzled and just flat out fatigued trying to accomplish everything you must do in a workday on the homestead?
I have recently lost my right arm support on my homestead. As all of you know who are practicing “prepper’s” of self-sufficiency, the Fall season, which by the way is my favorite, is almost equal to that of Spring in the number and intensity of the tasks and chores that must be performed in order to keep your slice of heaven on earth in sequence of the time cycle of Mother Nature. It’s time to close the garden and fields, and plant green fertilizer legumes or over-seed it with clover for the spring, overwinter and greenhouse enclose any vegetation you intend to keep through the next planting season, fertilize the fruit bearing trees in your orchard and prune back vines, the fruit bearing bramble bushes and your blueberries. Then there is the winter prep for animal housing, feed, mineral and fodder storage for wintering, getting that hay put up into the hay loft from the field, cut and stack cords of firewood, and attend to the fuel stores required that will be used over the long colder days which are approaching in short chronological ordering.
By that loss of support, I mean that my best half of my marriage partnership has unexpectedly been called to work performing medical duty on a base which is unreasonably too far to commute home daily. Thus, I am winging and carrying out the normal daily chores and tasks which had previously utilized 75% of my available waking hours already in performing productive homestead work. With his absence, I am now electing to pick up the difference of all the seasonal chores as well. At first, I admit with no shame, I was panicked and overwhelmed at just the thought of undertaking all our homestead chores alone. I prayed as I worked. Allot. I asked the Lord our God for strength, for physical durability and mental application of my wisdom and knowledge, and for fortitude. I set out on this journey to come up with a written task sheet showing myself exactly what must be done, when, and set realistic expected dates of target completion. What I have learned, and am still learning, with every step and breath I take, is that there are many useless, inefficient steps that we take every single day. We do them over and over because that’s the way we’ve always done them. Or, that’s the way a husband did them who could lift twice what I can, did them. Here are some examples of time and work saving issues I have addressed and corrected so far in this learning and revision process. This has really been a experience of self observation and revision of old work habits. Now I can say, “Yes, it can and will be done.” I have been sole paddling this canoe over and through the rough waters for 4 months now. It was not possible without reworking some old work habits and practices.
The initial first days and weeks I noticed just how many actual footsteps and trips I made going back and forth to the feed containers. It was numerous, a wasteful expenditure of my body energy and time consumptive. I never noticed it before, because there were two of us splitting that energy by half. I was also doing it in a leisurely manner. I immediately set out to rework the setup of my animal chores from what I observed and learned. The first revision made was physically moving those numerous 32 gallon galvanized containers of different feeds from one central feeding location, to the external walls next to each of the separate animal housing areas of our dairy goats, both nanny and bucks, which are separated by paddocks across a large field, and also for our guard dogs pen. This also included the poultry, duck, geese, and guinea fowl pens. We have separate securely penned housing for all the poultry, a “nursery” and their mama’s, due to the annual history of high fowl losses by predation of red foxes, and coons in the Fall. So, they all get penned up in the late summer and for overwintering. This one revision action has saved me 10 trips back and forth to one central feed location. I also used individual scoopfuls before for serving up each of corn, scratch grains, and sunflower seeds. I observed the pen floor. All those grains ended up mixed and thrown together by the poultry anyway. Why was I still scooping grain individually? Revision two, the grain, and seeds, and pellets, all go into one large 5 gallon bucket. One trip. Completed. Now my extra time is spent in observing the animals and pens for actual or potential problems that I need to address for them.
The poultry watering is obtained by a central well head pump and hose which is 30 feet from the pens in any direction. Each time I had to untangle a central hose and drag it around the yard to get to the pens. A 100 ft. run of Rubber hose is heavy! I installed a 5 head, split manifold on the spigot with a master shutoff. This now allows me to have numerous shorter hoses, (I cut the 100 footer into three shorter hoses using mending kits) at each pen location. No more carting 7 gallon waterier containers across the yard. [JWR Adds: For providing livestock water, getting an inexpensive automatic float valve
for each livestock tank is a tremendous labor saver. In warm climates these can be used year-round, but in cold climates, you'll have to remove them for the coldest months to prevent cracking in sub-zero weather.] Next, I installed an overhang shelter to protect each of the feeding stations. It keeps the rain, and snow which sometimes comes in winter off of me, and also shields the open feed containers from the weather while I’m scooping into the buckets. It also has given me an area to hang the tools that I use for each set of animals and I can keep a reserve bale of hay there as well. This saves me numerous trips and energy going back and forth to the barn. I installed a T-post pole mounted liquid soap dispenser at each of our watering locations. They used to be attached on the outbuildings. I attached a short hose extension to one of the vacant manifold outlets with a shutoff switch. This is used only for hand washing.
I observed and made instant mental note, as to how many footsteps I was taking to avoid or sidestep an object, large rock, or bush in the field or paddocks, or how many times I tripped over that same old stump sitting out the ground. Or, how many times I needed to open and close a gate latch. All of these can be revised or removed. I had the stumps ground. I moved field hay feeders closer to the fence, same with mineral blocks. I took out bushes.
The examples of revisions I have made toward a more efficient workplace are numerous and too many to list here. I hope you get the gist of this message in this process, so you can observe and create your own revisions of inefficient work habits or routines. It is truly an ongoing process and perpetual and continually refined and never static, toward an end goal target of your homestead efficiency success. Keenly observe what you do with your energy and time. Make each and every step you take count toward productivity and efficiency of both your physical energy and time expenditure, and you will find that you will get everything you must get done completed. After four months of reworking some old habits, practices, and farmstead layouts, we now have quality time left for us. When hubby does get to come home for a long 3 or 4 day stretch off in his schedule, we do some quality enjoyment functions and enjoy some relaxation together, or we tackle a planned project that absolutely requires two efficiently operating people to get it done.
Remember, and honor what the Lord God said, Genesis 2:2, "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made".
Rest and Relaxation is the reward for all your hard earned work. Make plans for that rest as well as your work. May you all have a God Blessed and Happy Fall season!
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Letter Re: Living in the Time After TEOTWAWKI
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I think there is a blind spot in a lot of preparedness/survivalist writing that I would like to address. There are a number of sites which do a good to excellent job of getting the word out about the nuts-and-bolts of getting prepared to allow a family to get through a short term emergency, and there are sites which encourages us to get a retreat in farm country.
However, I have not seen anyone talk about how we will boot strap ourselves to back towards some sort of village life and civil society[, in the event of TEOTWAWKI].
In your novel "Patriots" , you touch on this with the Troy Barter Faire, and then fast forward at the end of the book to this being an accomplished fact. In the novel "One
Second After", the author makes the point that an EMP event could have pushed people back to a 19th century lifestyle, but things were more medieval because no one had the knowledge of how
to live in the 19th century, or readily had the tools.
In a post-SHTF scenario, there won't be much call for fibre-channel administrators, but there will be a demand for bakers and candle makers. What I suggest is that while people are assembling their preps, they also look at the skills and services that they will need afterwards, and see if they can't learn to do these things themselves. After all, if they need them,
so will other people, and some folks will be willing to trade for them. Free trade will be the boot-strap which brings about village life again.
Here's a quick list of skills/trades that I think would be useful in a post-SHTF world.
Food:
Baker
Brewer
Canning fruits, vegetables and meats
Cheese making
Smoking meats
Sausage making
Truck patch gardening
Vintner
Yogurt making
Dry goods, sundries:
Soap maker
Candle maker
Paper making
Clothing:
Seamstress/tailor
Leather worker (shoes, belts, coats)
Weaver
Materials:
Leather tanning
Wool shearing
Wool carding
Wool spinning
Lumbering (the hard way!)
Foundry for smelting recyclable metals
Manufacturing:
Blacksmith
Tin smith
Wheel wright
Cartwright
Cooper (barrel maker)
Leather worker (tack for animal drawn equipment)
Glass blowing (jars, bottles and apparatus)
Pottery
Many of these skills and trades can be started as a hobby. I suggest that people think about these now, and find what they have a knack for and consider it "job security" for the future. - Bear in California
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Letter Re: Cattle Rustling on the Rise
James,
First off, we continue to pray for your family. Whatever the Lord’s plan is, he will show you grace and mercy. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Secondly, one of my cattle buyers, corroborated by one of my truckers, has informed me of some signs-of-the-times, unconfirmed via regular news outlets so far, cattle rustling in Pennsylvania is on the rise, including something not usually seen, carcass remnants. Several barns/pastures have cattle missing, one load of which was recovered at a sale barn, and at least a half dozen reports from different farmers finding carcasses, with primals cut out, in remote portions of hill pastures. I also found this news article and this ABC News video clip.
We all saw the report from Florida about horse butchering, but this is slightly different, IMO. We run cattle on quite a few different operations and are concerned at this potential loss of wealth. We have invested heavily in livestock to preserve wealth, reproduce wealth, insure a food supply and, well it’s also our business! We are holding our first “cattle works” in a few weeks and will be branding all our horses and cattle. It may not solve/reduce all the problems, but we believe it will help.
Thanks for your efforts, you are performing a valuable service. - Trent H., in a Rural Corner of Pennsylvania
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Letter Re: Burros for TEOTWAWKI Transport
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I have a question that I have not found addressed on SurvivalBlog. I am a small-statured woman (5'5", 130 lbs.) living in the desert southwest. I have a retreat that I am currently stocking, and am beginning to think about livestock (aside from chickens and goats, which are a given). While most of my peers keep and ride horses, I'm considering burros instead. My reasoning is that they are already adapted to an arid environment, can forage more easily, are hardier than horses, and are less expensive. They can also be used for packing or pulling equipment. Finally, because of my size, riding one should not be an issue for me.
Your thoughts?
I also wanted to say thank you for your web site -- I've found it to be invaluable. My heart goes out to you and your wife at this time. - E.
JWR Replies: The Memsahib and I have had a couple of donkeys, over the years. We primarily kept them as guard animals for our sheep. They do a great job of that, and when properly trained are fairly docile packers, although --as with all other equines--no two personalities are alike. They are also very thrifty to feed, compared to horses. (A horse eats, well, "like a horse!")
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Letter Re: Surviving 90 Miles from the US -- A Cuban-American Exile's View
A brief background of myself. I am an Telecommunications Engineer, I served three years in the Cuban army as an Engineer in several units (it was mandatory unless you were integrated with the system, in which case you will get a better civilian job). After I served my time they did not want to release me (basically no one wants to stay unless you are willing to do their bidding) so they offered 2 years to a very harsh unit that stays in the mountains for months end ready to be sent anywhere, or stay for 20 years in very comfortable position as an Engineer, I sucked up the two years (30 months
actually) and then left and never again worked for the government, but I was walking a very fine line. I left the country illegally. They would never let me go, everybody needs permission to leave the country. This was more than 15 years ago and this is the first time that I have talked about it freely with someone outside my very close circle of family and friends. Please do not mention my surname.
The government controls everything, I mean everything, from health, to communications, from commerce to defense. When government controls everything there is absolutely nothing you can do. They determine what is legal and sometimes they let you get away with it, as long as you do not mess with the regime. They can take you to jail for anything because as I said everything is illegal. You cannot legally sell a house, only cars that were in the country before 1959 can be sold legally, [Owning a] DirecTV [satellite television receiver] is illegal. The list goes on and on.
In order to survive you must depend on the government or go black market. There is something called the Comite de Defensa de la Revolucion (CDR), basically is an organization at community block level that monitors everything that happens and reports to the government, it is completely volunteer, but it tells you how low citizens will go.
Electrical Power is obviously controlled by the government, and they impose restrictions so you will have times that power will come on for only a few hours a day, people have converters because generators are hard to get and even harder to get gas for them (it is expensive, a gallon goes for about 8 dollars a gallon last time I heard), to use the converter you hide in a room to watch some TV, have a fan for the heat and that's it. You must try to hide, as much as you can, the things that you have, because you might get robbed. Being robbed at home is nothing new, you try to be as modest
as you can--otherwise you will become a target, by thieves or the government if you are getting too out of control.
Water is also government controlled, it does the same as with the electrical power, you can go days without water, so every house has water tanks to store water, even in buildings people will have water tanks in the bathroom. Drinking water always needs to be boiled.
People will raise pigs in a bathtub in the bathroom or if you are lucky to have a small backyard and someone to watch over it because it will be stolen. Pig will give meat and the fat you need to cook.
People that live in the countryside can raise animals and food, they can sell it under government supervision, they cannot become wealthy because government will intervene and accuse them of "exploiting" others.
It is illegal to kill a cow or a horse, as the government has a strict control. [If you slaughter one without prior approval and are caught,] you will serve the same time as if you killed a human being. People will slaughter a cow and dispose of it in two hours and "disappear" the remains by burning it with car tires because it burns very hot. And then you have to be careful how to transport [the meat] because they will have checkpoints. They can stop you anywhere, anytime for any reason and ask to search your vehicle.
You have to be extremely careful on who you trust, because they could be a government informer. (Did you see how our government is asking [their allies] to report when they see something "fishy" about [opposition to socialized] healthcare? That scares the h*** out of me.)
Not everyone can move to the countryside because the government controls that, they control movement within the country, you just can't pick up your stuff and decide to move, so you have to make a living where you are. In the countryside you'll have more food but they will cut electrical power more often. I used to install alarms (on my own, I refused to work for the government) for farmers that had pigs, pigs are raised in jail-like cages to avoid thievery, so I would install an alarm with battery backup because they had so much power shortages.
It goes without saying that [privately-owned] guns are illegal.
I just wanted to give an idea about how people live under a [total] government-controlled country. They will slowly take away your liberties and you will find out one day that you have nothing. And your fellow citizens will go as low as they can to survive. Government would threaten their family and force you to do what they say. This is always under the [mantle of] "we are doing it for the benefit of the majority, and only because we are in a crisis", but there is always a crisis.
They will say that you do not want to work for the improvement of the country, that you are against your people, they will make things up, and suddenly you will become a pariah. Does it sound familiar "... these mobs against health care are destroying the democratic process..." Next it will be "they are organized by the enemies of democracy" and suddenly "we need to eliminate this threats to our democracy".
Never think it cannot happen [here in the United States]. Sincerely, - Ignacio
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Incubating and Hatching Eggs for Self Reliance, by Jason C.
I recently decided to try to add to my skill set by doing something I had not tried before. Raising birds from eggs. I have included raising animals as part of my long term survival plan for TEOTWAWKI. And in my usual fashion I needed to try it first to feel comfortable in listing it as a skill to be used if the situation arose.
There are many reasons that would require the need to hatch birds from eggs. Even if you have your flock already, what would happen if they were to become sick and die leaving you with just eggs? Or if a fox got into the henhouse (literally) and ate all your adult birds. Or a neighbor barters with you for some eggs but doesn’t have enough adult birds to spare. I even thought about the wild birds and wondered if I were to find a nest with duck or goose eggs would I have the skills to utilize these resources.
With my limited knowledge on the subject my first stop was a few internet searches to get some basic information on supplies. What I found was the need for an incubator. This is a container that is made to maintain a steady temperature and humidity for the hatching eggs. This can be as simple as a converted cooler for a few dozen eggs, or as elaborate as a large commercial incubator to handle hundreds or thousands. With preparedness in mind I found plans for converting an old refrigerator into a suitable incubator. (There are many plans available on a variety of web sites for you to choose which might fit your needs) I also came across a commercially available incubator call the “Hovabator”. I was impressed with this model and decided to order it as the cost was minimal and included all the needed parts including a thermometer. When it was delivered I was pleased and impressed with the incubator as well as the detailed instructions and helpful hints. This unit uses standard household 110 volt power however it requires very little power and I did run it for a few days on a deep cycle marine battery hooked to a 750 watt power inverter. After three days there was almost no power loss shown on my volt meter. I would estimate that the battery would easily run this incubator for two weeks before needing to be swapped for a charged battery. However I did set it up in my garage with an average summer time temperature of around 88 degrees, so it required less heating than if running during a cooler season. The instructions suggested a temperature of 100-101 degrees for most species of game birds. Once I had the incubator set up, I ran it for a few weeks to check the reliability. After the initial trial it was now time to pick my eggs.
For my first shot at hatching I wanted to pick a species that would be common for my area but would also be something that I may come across in the wild. And of course cost would be a consideration as well. I first thought quail eggs would be interesting, but they are such a small bird that a large number would be needed to use as a food source. I finally decided on the Eastern Wild Turkey. We have a great population of these game birds on our hunting lease and I thought with their size that the food value would be high. I searched for a company that could supply me with a dozen eggs for the first hatch. I located several breeders but chose B&D Game Farm , based on their informative web site.
I would like to recommend this farm and their quality products. I ordered a dozen eggs online for less than I could buy two frozen turkeys at the grocery store. I did have to wait an extra week for delivery as one of the owners explained over the phone that their wild turkey flock had slowed down on their laying and that a lot of people had been ordering this breed from them. Once the eggs arrived I was pleased to see all the additional information that came along with these eggs. Including a detailed hatching booklet with specific care instructions.
Now it was time to begin the incubation. The eggs were placed in the incubator at 100 degrees. I also added approximately ½ cup of water to the bottom of the tray to keep the humidity high enough. Suggested humidity is 50% up until the last few days where a slight increase is desirable. Water was added every three to four days as needed. Each egg was placed on the tray and was marked with an “X” on one side and an “O” on the other using a #2 pencil. The instructions for the turkey eggs recommended turning the eggs 2-5 times per day and the X’s and O’s would help me to keep track of which side was up. I would recommend at this point that if you do want to hatch a large quantity that you invest in an automatic turner for your incubator. Turning the eggs by hand everyday was fun the first few days and after that become a chore I would pass on to the kids.
The turkeys hatched in 28 days. There are many birds that will hatch sooner and a few that will take longer, but most will be between 14-30 days. Chickens are 21 days, and quail are 14 days. It is best to find out what your chosen breed will be because it is recommended that you stop turning them 2-3 days before they hatch.
Small cracks and then small holes began appearing the morning of the 28th day. The turkeys were trying to get out. Unfortunately the kids wanted to try to help them and we lost one to slippery fingers. Another helpful hint: Do not try to help the chicks by breaking their eggs. They will do fine by themselves if the chicks are healthy. Out of the dozen eggs we lost one to a cracking early on and another to clumsiness and three did not hatch at all, but considering this to be my first try I felt good to have eight out of twelve successfully hatch out. For the poults (turkey chicks) it is okay to leave them in the incubator for up to 24 hours after hatching for them to stay warm and dry off, but then they need to be moved to a brooder or a warmed enclosure. Again with summer temperatures in the south being on the warm side I used a cardboard box and hung a light bulb placed 15” over the box for warmth at night. You may need to have a more elaborate set up in the winter months or in a cooler climate.
Feeding and watering is a simple process and commercially available feed or “scratch” is very inexpensive and available at any "feed and seed" store. Although it appears to be a mix of crushed grains with corn being the main ingredient. An older gentlemen at the feed store mentioned he used to take two handfuls of corn to one handful of wheat and grind until almost a powder when he was feeding his chicks. For those of you who require more technical information a meat bird is recommended to have a diet of at least 18-25% protein base to help it reach its full weight. The feeding trays and water trays should be very shallow as the birds will peck and get it all over themselves [or drown] if given to them in deep trays.
I lost two more birds in the first week but after that they have been growing nicely. I expect them to be full size in another 4-6 months. I have shot wild turkeys upwards of twenty pounds and with these birds being farm raised I hope they will be at least that weight.
I constructed a pen using hardware cloth nailed to poles. It is four feet high and approximately 20’x10’. I also added an old shrub and a three sided wooden box to help give them some protection for inside the enclosure. Right now a few handfuls of feed thrown in the enclosure is about all that is needed and of course a water tray. I do plan on raking out the enclosure each week and laying some straw or sawdust in the bottom.
This experiment has taught me several things. The most important of which is the confidence and basic techniques of raising birds for food in a TEOTWAWKI situation. I plan on doing several more test runs of a variety of birds. My wife has mentioned she would like a few peacocks to add color to our yard. But I’m thinking maybe a few guinea hens or regular laying hens for the next batch. At the very least we will end up with a few chicken dinners and eggs to go with the venison sausage that I made last fall.
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Yak to the Future, by Judy T.
Tibetan Yaks in America? Why yes, about 5,000 of them, and growing. Why yaks? They are the most versatile animal whether you operate a retreat with livestock or plan to Get out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.)
Yaks can be yoked to pull for logging, farming, or transport. They can pack upwards of 250 pounds which I believe is more than llamas, donkeys or most horses. This is great if you want to carry a yurt or hunt elk and want to pack it out instead of dressing out in the field. Yaks can be ridden like horses and basically fill the same niche as an ox or riding steer. They are much more intelligent than cows and are almost as intelligent as smart horses.
They are also loyal and protective guard animals, but are quiet (making only an occasional low grunting sound) when stealth is required and they lay down quietly during the night. They are genetically programmed to be able to successfully defend against wolves and dogs. They have gorgeous large curved horns and hooves that are extremely accurate and precise in finding their target. They are spirited and easygoing, looking like giant horned long-haired bunnies leaping, spinning, and racing around the field.
They are of medium size for a bovine with cows maxing out at about 900 pounds and steers or bulls maxing out at about 1,500 pounds. They can be crossed with other cattle to produce much larger animals due to hybrid vigor. However, bigger isn’t always better and while a pureblood yak eats only about 1% of its body weight per day (1,000 pound yak will eat 10 pounds of hay), a hybrid, depending on whether its ½, ¼, 1/8, etc. will eat 3-to-8% of its body weight per day similar to other cattle. They need only regular pasture grass and grass hay and a mineral block. Grain (wet COB , oats, calf manna, etc.) should only be fed occasionally as a training tool and treat. Don’t feed them alfalfa. Its too rich for them and they have an increased chance of bloating.
Yaks very seldom have the birthing problems of the modern cow. They will calve unassisted in the field. Sometimes you may have to go looking for the calf depending on your set up. Occasionally the cows don’t show and you end up with surprise calves.
Yak meat has a delicious and delicate beef-like flavor. It is very low in fat as the fat layer is put down on the outside of the carcass and is easily trimmed off. It is deep red in color, high in protein and Omega 3 fatty acids, and low in calories, saturated fats, cholesterol and triglycerides. [JWR Adds: Yak beef has the lowest cholesterol of any beef variety, while yak milk has one of the highest butterfat contents. What a great combination for prepared families that want make butter!]
Their milk has a high fat content and makes exceptional butter, cheese, and even ice cream. The traditional Tibetan methods of preparation and storage without refrigeration takes a bit of getting used to for the Western palate, but worth trying to prepare for the time when refrigeration may not be easy to come by.
Yak fiber is comparable to cashmere or angora. It is the downy undercoat that sheds off during the spring and can be combed out, collected and processed. The courser outer hair or ‘guard hair’ on the legs, mane, and belly can be used to weave tents, ropes, and belts. There is also the hide, and leather which can be tanned in yak butter, horn, and bone which can be made into many very useful and durable products.
Their manure is more valuable than gold, in my opinion. It is great fertilizer, doesn’t have a foul odor at all and can be dried burned as fuel straight into the wood stove, or become methane fuel in a biodigester.
I have less than 10 acres outside of Salem, Oregon and two acres are fenced pasture for the yaks, so far. I have three yaks right now - Tashi and Misha are my heifers, and Mouse is my bull. They’ll be two years old in September when I can start training them to ride. I have them trained in the yoke and have recently started adding more weight. Yaks will need between 3 and 5 sizes of yokes during their lifetime.
I’ve been using Tashi and Mouse to pull down fallen trees out of my “forest” I don’t have the resources yet to get a wagon and some working ox-drawn farming implements but I’m working toward that. The yaks are coming along well with packing too especially now that I have wooden pack saddles and tack and saddle bags made from yak guard hair and yak leather tanned in yak butter. When my yaks were calves, finding dog backpacks and later llama packs was difficult for me. For some reason packs were scarce at the time. Now the packs are everywhere.
It is best to start training almost from day one. Get them used to being touched all over, brushed, and bathed. Make these positive experiences. I got my three when they were 3 and 5 months old which is just fine if you establish a good bond and train consistently. You and your team/herd will progress much faster. I had some problems surrounding work and a 2 hour commute and wasn’t as consistent with my training as I should have been. Fortunately my yaks’ intelligence and our strong bond made it possible for us to make up for lost time.
Patience, persistence, consistency, discipline, and kindness are the keys to success. While yaks can be very cuddly and sweet, as with any bovine you must make sure they know who’s boss and remind them. You must never mistreat them or make them afraid. However, you must ensure that they never even think to challenge you or get away from you. If they are allowed to do that too often then it will be much harder for you to get them to do what you want them to do. A well placed tap to the knees or head with a stick, is usually all it takes to remind them if they get out of line.
Whether you yoke them or pack with them or not you need to teach them the basic commands – Git up (move forward), Back up, Whoa, Gee (go right), Haw (go left). Combine these verbal commands with consistent hand signals until the yaks will follow either verbal or hand signals. Then you will be able to command your yaks when silence is necessary.
Yaks, once trained, are very dependable on the road. They are a hit at parades. So if you decide to G.O.O.D. when TSHTF the yaks are naturals to carry your equipment and supplies. They can be driven as is traditionally done in Tibet, or they can be led on a halter and rope. They are fine with caravanning too, but they may jostle one another more than other pack animals. So just be aware if that happens and either work with them to minimize that or pack accordingly. My personal preference is to keep their spirited nature intact. There is a bit more risk, but you end up with a more alert and intelligent animal
There are some valuable resources available resources out there such as www.IYAK.org , www.tillersinternational.org, www.ridingsteers.com , www.ruralheritage.com , www.springbrookranch.com, www.prairieoxdrovers.com/ and www.berrybrookoxsupply.com. In September, my own site www.oxzenacres.com will be up and running where you can check up on the progress of my little yak herd.
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Gear Up -- Appropriate and Redundant Technologies for Prepared Families
I frequently stress the importance of well-balanced preparedness in my writings. All too often, I've seen people that go to extremes, to the point that these extremes actually detract from the ability to survive a disaster situation. These range from the "all the gear that I'll need to survive is in my backpack" mentality to the "a truckload of this or that" fixation. But genuine preparedness lies in comprehensive planning, strict budgeting, and moderation. Blowing your entire preparedness budget on just one category of gear is detrimental to your overall preparedness.
Another common mistake that I see among my consulting clients is an over-emphasis on either very old technologies or on the "latest and greatest" technologies. In the real world, preparedness necessitates having a bit of both. At the Rawles Ranch we have both 19th century technology (like hand-powered tools) and a few of the latest technologies like passive IR intrusion detection (Dakota Alerts), photovoltaics, and electronic night vision. My approach is to pick and choose the most appropriate technologies that I can maintain by myself, but to always have backups in the form of less exotic or earlier, albeit less-efficient technologies. For example, my main shortwave receiver is a Sony ICF-SW7600GR. But in the event of EMP, I also a have a pair of very inexpensive Kaito shortwaves
and a trusty old Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio that uses vacuum tubes. Like my other spare electronics, these are all stored in a grounded galvanized steel can when not in use.
Here is my approach to preparedness gear, in a nutshell
- Redundancy, squared. I jokingly call my basement Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR)
- Buy durable gear. Think of it as investing for your children and grandchildren. And keep in mind that there'll be no more "quick trips to the hardware store" after TSHTF.
- Vigilantly watch Craigslist, Freecycle, classified ads, and eBay for gear at bargain prices.
- Strive for balanced preparedness that "covers all bases"--all scenarios.
- Flexibility and Adaptability (Examples: shop to match a 12 VDC standard for most small electronics, truly multi-purpose equipment, multi-ball hitches, NATO slave cable connectors for 24 VDC vehicles, Anderson Power Pole connectors for small electronics--again, 12 VDC)
- Retain the ability to revert to older, more labor-intensive technology.
- Fuel flexibility (For example: Flex fuel vehicles (FFVs), Tri-fuel generators
, and biodiesel compatible vehicles)
- Purchase high-quality used (but not abused) gear, preferably when bargains can be found
- If in doubt, then buy mil-spec.
- If in doubt, then buy the larger size and the heavier thickness.
- If in doubt, then buy two. (Our motto: "Two is one and one is none.")
- Buy systematically, and only as your budget allows. (Avoid debt!)
- Invest your sweat equity. Not only will you save money, but you also will learn more valuable skills.
- Train with what you have, and learn from the experts. Tools without training are almost useless.
- Learn to maintain and repair your gear. (Always buy spare parts and full service manuals!)
- Buy guns in common calibers
- Buy with long service life in mind (such as low self-discharge NiMH rechargeable batteries.)
- Store extra for charity and barter
- Grow your own and buy the tooling to make your own--don't just store things.
- Rust is the enemy, and lubrication
and spot painting
are your allies.
- Avoid being an "early adopter" of new technology--or you'll pay more and get lower reliability.
- Select all of your gear with your local climate conditions in mind.
- Recognize that there are no "style" points in survival. Don't worry about appearances--concentrate on practicality and durability.
- As my old friend "Doug Carlton" is fond of saying: "Just cut to size, file to fit,, and paint to match."
- Don't skimp on tools. Buy quality tools (such as Snap-on and Craftsman brands), but buy them used, to save money.
- Skills beat gadgets and practicality beats style.
- Use group standardization for weapons and electronics. Strive for commonality of magazines, accessories and spare parts
- Gear up to raise livestock. It is an investment that breeds.
- Build your fences bull strong and sheep tight.
- Tools without the appropriate safety gear (like safety goggles, helmets, and chainsaw chaps
) are just accidents waiting for a place to happen.
- Whenever you have the option, buy things in flat, earth tone colors
- Plan ahead for things breaking or wearing out.
- Always have a Plan B and a Plan C
If you are serious about preparedness, then I recommend that you take a similar approach.
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Letter Re: Your Dog's G.O.O.D. Bag
Hello Mr. Rawles;
I just found your blog site and have not read all the postings yet. One thing I have not seen is a go bag for the dog. If one has a purse mutt, a carrier with supplies is one thing but if one has a real dog that is a part of the pack (family) then a go bag for the dog is a good idea. We have a German Sheppard and she can carry her own food and water in a doggy backpack. Doggy backpacks can be found at places like Campmor.com. [JWR Adds: Dog Backpacks
are also available from Amazon.com, and several other online vendors.] I would train the dog to use it before the need arises. It probably is a good idea to get a collapsible dog travel bowl
as well for the water as most dogs would waste a lot of water drinking from a bottle. I have seen these fold up travel bowls for sale at Wal-Mart. In real cold areas a dog coat is good if your dog is mostly an indoor dog as they are not acclimated to the cold. Even if they are, in some areas it can get real cold outside at night. We bought our dog’s coat at LandsEnd.com. It was on reduced sale. [JWR Adds: Foul weather coats for dogs
are are also available from several other online vendors.] I would think that boots for dogs would be good to save their paws from the cold or even hot pavement or maybe broken glass or other such hazards during an evacuation. Again if you use these you must train your dog to accept them. [JWR Adds: In my experience, most dogs have difficulty adjusting to using boots, and most of the available brands don't fit well and have a tendency to slip off. A far more practical solution is to use a wax-based cream, such as Musher's Secret
on your dog's paws.] Campmor also sells a roll up dog bed/pad that can provide thermal cushioning or you could use a piece of ensolite pad. If you take care of your dog they will live better and longer and be a better companion and protector for you.
Thank you for helping to make people aware. Best Regards, - Glennis
JWR Replies: Those were great suggestions. In my opinion, the other items that you should put in your dog's pack is a pair of Tick Tweezers, and a sealed bottle of a strong flea and chigger repellant
. Carry it in three thicknesses of Ziploc bags, just in case of leaks.
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Letter Re: A Multiple Family Retreat -- Lessons Learned The Hard Way
Dear Mr. Rawles:
I have been following several good reader contributions including “Bug Out At the Last Minute” arguments versus those who consider “Early Relocation” and most recently “A Multiple Family Retreat—Lessons Learned the Hard Way” in regards to the most expeditious and efficient way to set up a self-sufficient retreat. While I understand that some folks are just simply unable to make a full time commitment in setting up a retreat, I also know that there are many—while there are still the comforts of life available (television, readily available food and gasoline)—that are unwilling to make the sacrifice necessary to prepare for any pending manmade or natural disaster(this include members of my extended family who are living what they consider the “good life” but I am sure will be on our doorstep WTSHTF) From my family’s experience, if one is not practicing what they preach…i.e. actually learning by trial and error and doing what one plans to do when the time come, then no matter how much one has prepared—stocking food supplies, buying “Seeds in a Can”, or planning to bug out with everything but the kitchen sink—then there will most certainly be a very steep learning curve to be had. Believe me, my husband and I have made many mistakes, but because we are also willing to sacrifice, after five years have reached the level of preparedness WTSHTF! In fact, it is best to get to a prepared lifestyle so WTSHTF, such events are just a mere bump in the road for your family.
With my parents we purchased 110 acres of fertile land, with two running streams, a spring, and two ponds 100 miles away from the nearest “Metro Mess”. There are several vibrant and viable little towns within driving or even walking distance for that matter. These towns are very close knit and some would call them “clannish” because everyone seems to be related to everyone else. We bought the land 10 years ago, but starting living on it full time 5 years ago.
Most people would think this is the perfect setup. We think it is, however, please allow me the opportunity to expand on what I mean “Practicing what you preach” because our journey to where we are today did not come by just planning, but by doing.
1. The Land - Pros: Good land, sandy loam, available water. Cons: Just as the veggies like the soil, so do the weeds! If we do not pull weeds everyday, they seem to come back double within the week. Additionally, despite all the attractive pictures on the veggie packets and promises that they will grow, I have learned what will grow in my particular location and what will not grow. Although we live in zone 7, in my particular location it is not uncommon to have a late hard killing freeze the end of April. I still have fruit trees, but lost all of the fruit this year. I also know what types of vegetables will grow and which ones will not. This was not learned by planning to do it in the future when it is necessary, but over a trial and error five-year period. Is this a process that one wants to learn when one really needs it, or instead by practicing what you intend to do, so that you are up to speed when the time comes as disaster strikes? It means having on hand all the tools and supplies needed, and this was only learned by doing before hand.
2. The Livestock - Pros: A ready food source or beasts of burden. Cons: They are reliant on you for their well being. Chickens get eaten by varmints or neighbors dogs if one is not careful, animals need daily care—whether from you, or someone else if you are away for a time—they get sick and hurt, get into a neighbor’s pasture, etc. If you plan to eat chickens for example, then you must learn how to kill them and dress them properly. Believe me, all these things are not something one needs to learn when it is truly necessary, but is only learned by doing before hand.
3. The Farmstead and accompanying equipment—Pros: This goes without saying. Cons: If one is not a handyman, or DIY, then learn anyway you can! Metal roofs blow off, water well pumps stop working, trees fall on things that they are not supposed to, wild fires and floods, etc. It is just not a matter of “Calling someone” to fix these things because out in rural areas, it is assumed that everyone knows how to take care of these things. One can only know what tools they will need for their particular situation by practicing and experimenting—remember an electric dehydrator for preserving food, or a wide screen tv will not be useful when there is no electricity. Our family got rid of cable/satellite tv (no time to watch it other than a rental movie every once in a while) but, we still have satellite Internet service—the best source for alternative news like SurvivalBlog. I am learning to can with a pressure cooker and preserve food that we grow. All these things are learned by doing.
4. The Job—My husband and I both had jobs in the city when we bought our land. Before we moved from the Metro Mess, we scaled back and paid off as much debt as possible, and saved as much as possible. When we finally moved to our land we commuted to our jobs for three years, 1,000 miles a week. That meant going to bed promptly at 9 p.m. in order to get up at 3:30 to feed the animals and be on the road by 5 a.m. for our 200 mile round-trip trek. My husband retired to work on the farm full time, and as soon as I was able, I found a teaching job in one of the small towns. I taught for two years in this position, but now our homestead is able to generate enough income, plus what we have saved, for me to resign my teaching position. Is this difficult to do? Yes, it takes sacrifice and ignoring the naysayers who may think that you are a little crazy. But again, sacrifice is only gained by doing.
5. The Local People—The only way to get to know the locals is by living amongst them. I do not mean this in a negative way by any means. I have heard many other new homesteaders complain that the locals are tough nuts to crack, and in our situation, everyone is related to everyone else, so of course there is some suspicion to any newcomer. However, the only way that you can become a successful member of a community is by
doing and being there. Of course expect hostility WTSHTF and you just “show up” We became part of the community by worshiping at the local church, teaching Sunday school, joining civil organizations, enrolling our children in the schools, etc. When a church member broke his back in a fall, we were there helping his wife with the farm chores. When a massive wild fire rolled through the area this spring, we were there helping evacuate horses. Of course they will talk about you…this is just a fact of life in a small town…however, the church was full when my brother—who nobody knew because he lived out of state—died and was buried in the church cemetery…all of our friends who had become our family were there for US. This did not happen overnight, but by the nurturing relationships and sacrifice…turn off the boob tube and get to know your neighbors. Also, it is through the locals that we know how to butcher and garden, as well as get things like milk and grains. I can also defend myself and our property because a retired police officer gave us the proper training. We have a pretty good barter system going, and again, this did not happen by planning, but by
doing.
Now, as I stated earlier, I know that there are many people out there that do not have a choice, and are doing the best that they can to prepare and I pray for you. However, I also know that there are just as many people who are unwilling to work hard and sacrifice so when the time comes, they will be scrambling to get themselves in a better plan, and with possible dire results. Please, if at all possible, try to get to your ultimate retreat before you really need it. Learn not by planning, but by doing and Practicing What You Preach! God Bless, - SHM
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A Multiple Family Retreat -- Lessons Learned The Hard Way
I have been a follower of your blog for a couple of years now and find it to be the best source of self-sufficiency information on the Web. You and your readers have provided me with a wealth of information that would have otherwise taken a lifetime to research on my own. –and for that, I thank you and all those who took the time to contribute.
While the plethora of advice handed out on a daily basis is extremely helpful, the one thing that I have found to be sparse is the first hand accounts of failure. A wise mentor once told me that no one learns from “trial and right,” and he was correct, the best way to learn is by “trial and error.” Unfortunately, I have had my fill of error lately.
Thus, I thought I would share all the things that went wrong over the past year and a half as my family attempted to develop a retreat for a bug out location in the country (we live in the city) with two other families. I hope this helps others who may find themselves in a similar situation.
The main problems encountered:
1. Although the adults agreed to the general goal of developing a self-sufficient retreat and the various components that would be required to sufficiently make the property a true bug out location, each had different ideas on the sense of urgency, priorities, responsibilities, and methods of doing things. This resulted in a tremendous waste of time and resources; numerous projects started, but never finished, or simply not done well. Failures outnumbered successes 10:1.
2. The young adult children of one family did not contribute and were allowed to not contribute. When the parents were confronted, they reassured us, “we will talk to them.” The “talk” never happened. This led to a significant level of resentment by the children of the other two families.
3. Dogs of one family were poorly trained and supervised. The owners did nothing to remedy the problems encountered. These dogs dug up fresh plantings on several occasions and set us back an entire season. Much worse, when the gate to the chicken coup was not shut properly one day, the chickens got out and the dogs killed most of them just when they were beginning to lay well. This set us back eight months.
4. Two families did not live at the retreat full time and were only able to tend to the property and garden on weekends. We learned the hard way that there is simply not enough hours in a week to work full time, raise children, and tend to a second property on weekends. The result was severe burn out by those of us living in the city, and a one year backlog on projects for our city homes. Life doesn’t stop just because you decide to develop a retreat.
5. Only one family took firearms seriously, taking all of the advice one can read on your blog and not only taking professional training, but practicing on a regular basis to master each and every firearm by every member of the family. Another family bought a shotgun and a box of ammo, which was promptly parked in a closet, and the third family has yet to get around to it. The main issue here is that these latter two are not the folks I want watching my back in a SHTF scenario.
6. One family thought they could “buy survival.” When the going got tough, they would offer to pay for equipment and supplies instead of showing up and getting their hands dirty. This is also the family that sincerely believes that having all the stuff (solar oven, camp washer, propane stove, cases of Mountain House[long term storage food], Berkey water filter, etc.) means they are prepared. This resulted in resentment by the two families that did most of the hard labor.
7. Only one of the families actually accumulated two years worth of food & supplies (the agreed upon goal for each family), the other two families have six months or less. This was the last straw for me as it became apparent that the other families expected to survive off the one, if they ran out.
By now you can guess which of the families described is mine. After a year and a half of spending each and every weekend in the dirt, working from sun up to sun down, we just up and quit being part of the retreat a couple of weeks ago. No amount of discussion and compromise could rectify the problems we encountered, and I have no words for the extreme frustration we felt and still feel. It has been a real learning experience as these other families are not strangers; we have been close friends for over 20 years.
Our investment of sweat, time, and money yielded us with only the experience of our trials, and we are right back where we started from, living in the city with a very small garden, wondering what to do next.
In hindsight, we should have:
1. Developed a project plan that listed all of the projects, broken down by tasks, assigned priorities, and most importantly, had sufficient resources allocated to them.
2. Defined up front who does what, when & how, and who pays for what. It should also include consequences for failure to live up to expectations.
3. Agreed upon a code of conduct with everyone pledging to uphold it. Even to the point of having everyone sign a symbolic contract.
4. Had a formal schedule with built in breaks (rotating weekends off or something).
5. Had everyone on the same page as to the sense of urgency. Nothing gets done if everyone has different ideas of how important what you’re doing is.
Lastly, the most important lesson learned. Preparedness doesn’t come in a box. It comes from hard work, from getting your hands dirty, and teaching yourself new skills. There’s a lot of trial and error and the important thing is to not give up even when everyone around you is letting you down. Preparedness comes from time. Time learning and practicing. While this experience has been a complete failure, at least we learned what not to do as we plan out our next attempt.
Thank the Lord that my family still believes in me and what we need to do. Wish us luck. - KJ
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Letter Re: The Utility of Horses and Horse Theft Prevention in Hard Times
Hi Jim,
I read your blog every day as I am preparing my family for the likely collapse. Thanks for the info.We are looking for the ideal spot for our retreat and have found many possible places all in the Pacific Northwest (wooded, very private and off of main roads, creeks, etc.)
Here is our dilemma: We have four horses and want to grow our own hay to feed them. How does one find a property that is remote and hidden but still with enough flat, fertile land to grow hay (5-10 acres per horse!)? Our horses are all small and hardy breeds but still need to eat! In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, do you consider horses a positive for transportation, pulling/plowing power?
We are preparing for a worst case scenario -- no gasoline to import hay, closed roads, Golden Hordes, unlimited government regulation of farming/production, hungry horses, et cetera.
What are your thoughts? Thanks, - Alex
JWR Replies: Owning well-trained horses is highly recommended, particularly in a long-term situation where gasoline is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. I recommend that you locate your retreat in both good pasture and haying country that has reliable rainfall and fertile soil. Plentiful water in the absence of grid power will be the first and foremost consideration. Assuming that you have a pair of horses that have worked in harness, find an old-fashioned horse-drawn hay mower and a large hay wagon, so your horses can earn their keep, by bringing in their fodder.
Training of both horse and rider is crucial, if nothing else than for safety. As our family has learned, a horse can do a lot of damage in a hurry, even if they are at a standstill. Get the best training you can afford. For draft horses, Doug "Doc" Hammill up in Montana is one of the best. There are of course hundreds of trail horse trainers, but for practical versatility I recommend that you also search out the best working horse trainer in your region. (Even if you don't own cattle now, you may someday in the future.) OBTW, I recommend watching the DVD "Clinton Anderson: On the Road to the Horse Colt Starting".
Unless you find an exceptionally isolated property, security will be dependent on having neighbors that you can trust and in having enclosed stall space where you will secure your horses every night. You will of course need perimeter electronic security. Get a Dakota Alert infrared intrusion detection system, at the minimum.
If and when you relocate, try to buy a parcel that is essentially landlocked--but I mean this in the good sense of the term--namely a parcel with a neighboring ranch between you and and the county road. Ideally your property should have just one private deeded right-of-way lane for you to watch. (Your property should sit at least one "40" back from any public road.) That will distance you and hopefully shield your stock from line of sight, and it will greatly simplify your security arrangements. Limited avenues of approach will considerably reduce the requisite security man hours and also greatly reduce your stress level.
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Survey Results: Your Favorite Books on Preparedness, Self-Sufficiency, and Practical Skills
In descending order of frequency, the 78 readers that responded to my latest survey recommended the following non-fiction books on preparedness, self-sufficiency, and practical skills:
The
Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery (Far and away the most often-mentioned book. This book is an absolute "must" for every well-prepared family!)
The Foxfire Book
series (in 11 volumes, but IMHO, the first five are the best)
Holy Bible
Where
There Is No Dentist
by Murray Dickson
"Rawles
on Retreats and Relocation"
Making
the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook
by James Talmage
Stevens
The
"Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival
by Jack A. Spigarelli
Gardening
When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times by Steve Solomon
Tappan
on Survival
by
Mel Tappan
Boston's
Gun Bible
by
Boston T. Party
Seed
to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
by Suzanne Ashworth
Survival
Guns
by
Mel Tappan
Boy
Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 (Most readers recommend getting pre-1970 editions.)
All
New Square Foot Gardening
by
Mel Bartholomew
When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency
by Matthew Stein
Back
to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition
by
Abigail R. Gehring
Preparedness Now!: An Emergency Survival Guide (Expanded and Revised Edition)
by Aton Edwards
Putting
Food By
by Janet Greene
First
Aid (American Red Cross Handbook) Responding To Emergencies
Making
the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage
Stevens
Nuclear War Survival
Skills by Cresson H. Kearney (Available for free download.)
Cookin'
with Home Storage
by
Vicki Tate
SAS
Survival Handbook
by
John "Lofty" Wiseman
Root
Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables
by
Mike Bubel
Outdoor Survival Skills
by Larry Dean Olsen
Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide
by Carol Hupping
The
American Boy's Handybook of Camp Lore and Woodcraft
Emergency
Food Storage & Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
by Cody Lundin
Seed
to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth
Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss
Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management
by Maurice G. Kains
Essential Bushcraft
by Ray Mears
The
Survivor book series by Kurt Saxon. Many are out of print in
hard copy, but they are all available on DVD. Here, I must issue a caveat
lector ("reader
beware"): Mr. Saxon has some very controversial views that I do not
agree with. Among other things he is a eugenicist.
How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier
The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman
Tom Brown Jr.'s series of books, especially:
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking
Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Field Guide)
Total
Resistance
by
H. von Dach
Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies
by Hugh Coffee
Living Well on Practically Nothing
by Ed Romney
The Secure Home
by Joel Skousen
Outdoor Survival Skills
by Larry Dean Olsen
When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes
by Cody Lundin
The Last Hundred Yards: The NCO's Contribution to Warfare
by John Poole.
Camping & Wilderness Survival: The Ultimate Outdoors Book by Paul Tawrell
Engineer Field Data (US Army FM 5-34) --Available online free of charge, with registration, but I recommend getting a hard copy. preferably with the heavy-duty plastic binding.
Great Livin' in Grubby Times
by Don Paul
Just in Case
by Kathy Harrison
Nuclear War Survival
Skills by Cresson H. Kearney (Available for free download.)
How to Survive Anything, Anywhere: A Handbook of Survival Skills for Every Scenario and Environment
by Chris McNab
Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
by John & Martha Storey
Adventure Medical Kits A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine
by Eric A. Weiss, M.D.
Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Green Resource for Every Gardener
Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook (superceded the very out-of-date ST 31-91B)
Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition
by Paul S. Auerbach
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
by Elliot Coleman
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition
by Abigail R. Gehring
Government
By Emergency
by
Dr. Gary North
The Weed Cookbook: Naturally Nutritious - Yours Free for the Taking!
by Adrienne Crowhurst
The Modern Survival Retreat
by Ragnar Benson
Last of the Mountain Men
by Harold Peterson
Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness
by John McPherson
LDS Preparedness Manual, edited by Christopher M. Parrett
The
Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging
Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century
by James H. Kunstler
Principles of Personal Defense - Revised Edition
by Jeff Cooper.
Survival Poaching
by Ragnar Benson
The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses
by Eliot Coleman
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Three Rules for Persuading the Sheeple, by Tall Sally
This article could also be titled: "How to Convince Friends and Family to Prepare for Economic Collapse." One of the greatest problems for the prepper is getting family and friends on board without alienating them or terrifying them into inaction. With this article, I hope to use my experience to show you how to gently and persuasively warn friends and family about the coming economic crisis. I have used this approach with several people and found it to be successful.
I am writing this article now because I believe that now is the time to approach your sheeple about prepping if you have not done so already. More and more people are noticing that something is wrong with our economy, and many of them are probably ready to hear about preparedness, but only if you approach them from the right direction. My goal is to help you find a good approach.
Why should you listen to me? Well, in my previous job, I was a corporate educator at a large mortgage bank. I learned two things from that job: how to watch my income spiral down into oblivion along with the entire mortgage industry, and how to explain complex concepts in simple ways. You don’t need my help to watch your income spiral into oblivion, so instead I will teach you how to explain complex concepts.
Before we get started, let’s emphasize a few basic rules that educators follow. I will elaborate on these rules in this article, and then I will show you how to put them into practice.
Three Basic Rules of Persuasion
Rule 1: Take it slow.
Rule 2: Keep it simple and sane (KISS).
Rule 3: Relate it back to their lives.
Now let's expand these concepts a little bit.
Rule 1: TAKE IT SLOW
Are you sure that you want to have this conversation? There are schools of thought that say you should never mention your preps to anyone. Think this through carefully; otherwise you may have 45 family members knocking on your door next winter. I considered this before mentioning it to anyone; however, I don't think life is worth living if everyone I love dies, especially if I could have warned them. Besides, my nearest relative lives a five hour drive away from me. They'll have a long walk to pester me.
Define your audience. Think ahead and focus your efforts on the most level-headed, trustworthy, "solid" people that you know. This has several purposes. First of all, such people are more likely to listen to you and believe you. Secondly, other people will trust that person; once you persuade them,so they can subsequently persuade two or three other people.
Establish essential concepts and build on them. That's how adults learn. You see it in this very article; I have given you three simple rules and now I am expanding on them.
Rule 2: KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SANE (KISS)
Don't expect too much, too fast. Remember, that some folks' idea of "preparing" is to buy an extra six-pack on Saturday because the liquor stores are closed on Sundays. Take it easy; my experience is that prepping is a daunting task to most people and if you give them too much information you will spook them. Once they're spooked, it's hard to get them to listen at all.
Climb down from the crazy tree. No, I am not saying that you are crazy for being a prepper. I am saying that most people think that preppers are crazy. Your goal here is to persuade and convince. I would never have convinced my auntie successfully if I had mentioned my gas masks or my plans for a fallout shelter. Keeping your mouth shut about these things is also good OPSEC. Your goal is to sound just a little bit more prepared than them: "Terry and I bought a few cans extra cans of Spaghetti-Os last week..."
Keep language plain and simple. Imagine that you're explaining all this to a 12-year-old. Use simple words and concepts. Adults learn better that way. Complicated language makes them feel threatened, and they tune it out.
Keep concepts plain and simple, too. The novice trainer’s most common mistake is to dump a bunch of information on the learner and believe that “since they heard it, they know it.” That’s not how adults learn. We learn through repetition of basic concepts.
Rule 3: WITH A RELATION
Relate it to their life, not yours. Imagine that you go on two blind dates. The first person talks about themselves non-stop all through dinner. You can barely get a word in edgewise. The second person engages you in interesting conversation and hangs on your every word. Which person do you call back?
You call back the person that talks with you, not at you. The same is true in persuasion. You are telling them these things because you love them. Listen closely to how they respond, like the loving person that you are.
Use concrete examples that matter to them. Which of these two approaches is more captivating?
“A loaf of bread might cost you $20 next fall.”
or,
“The Federal Reserve was established in 1913, as the central banking authority of the United States. The Federal Reserve is a monopolistic cartel of bankers, and they established a new kind of currency called fiat currency, which is unconstitutional. Now, fiat currency is basically just paper backed up by law. It doesn’t mean anything…”
Obviously, the short sentence that relates to their life is better than the ten-minute history lecture on something they barely understand and don’t care about.
Now Let’s Practice.
With these rules in mind, practice a typical conversation. I have provided a script below, but in reality you don’t want a one-sided script; you want a conversation. Talk with them, not at them.
Also, notice that each part of the conversation is related to one of our three rules.
Rule 1: START SLOW...
Start with Pleasantries. (This establishes a sense of ease and rapport.) "Hi Aunt Bea, it's been awhile since we talked. Yes, Terry and I are doing well. We went hiking last weekend and really enjoyed it. How are things in Mayberry?"
Explain why you are calling them. (This gets their attention and prepares them for what's next.) "I'm calling you because I have something serious to talk about, and I know you're level-headed and you're likely to listen to me."
Establish your credibility. (Adults want to know why they are listening to you. Who are you, anyway?) "As you know, I was laid off from that big mortgage bank awhile back, and when the bank started having trouble I started paying really close attention to the financial blogs. I've been reading them for awhile..."
Establish the credibility of your sources. "... and I've been starting to see some news leak into the mainstream financial press, such as Yahoo Finance..." (This is true.)
Rule 2: KISS...
Explain the problem. Keep it simple and keep your language sane.
"A lot of credible sources are saying that there may be rapid inflation starting this fall. Nobody knows for sure, but it could be a little or it could be very high.It might take $100 just buy a loaf of bread. There are also rumors of a possible bank holiday this fall. The phrase 'bank holiday' is really a misnomer. It's when they close the banks for a few days or a few weeks, and you can't withdraw cash to buy food and pay bills. They might do it if they needed to fix a problem with the banking system. This is harder to confirm than the inflation, but I think it's wise to prepare for the possibility."
Let’s analyze the above paragraph using our KISS rule.
I kept it to two main points. There are a million things to prepare for; you need to decide what the most convincing, urgent, easily-prepped-for problem is and stick to it. I chose economic collapse because it’s in the news right now, and it gets people’s attention.
I kept my language approachable, and when there was a new term I explained it simply. I didn’t mention any off-the-wall theories or rants about the Federal Reserve. The bank holiday is a rumor but well within the realm of possibility; but I emphasize that the inflation is NOT a rumor. It is a credible possibility being discussed in mainstream financial publications.
I didn't just say "There's going to be an economic collapse." I gave them a concrete example (the $100 bread loaf) that would relate to their lives. And speaking of relating it to their lives…
Rule 3: RELATE...
Suggest some ways to prepare. "There are things you can do to prepare for this, Aunt Bea, and it doesn't have to be really complicated. You can take some money out of the bank, and that's good to have on hand anyway in case of emergencies like earthquakes. I recommend keeping about a month's worth of cash on hand, if you can. You can also buy some of those old quarters and dimes... you know, from before 1965, when they used to make them out of silver. [Take a little time here to explain why junk silver is good in times of inflation. Rawles has some great articles. Also explain that it can be purchased at local coin shops, and explain the current cost.] And of course, since food will get more expensive later, it might not hurt to buy a little extra food now."
Take a moment to consider: Why would you start by talking about cash, then talk about silver, then talk about food?
First of all, these are all simple, non-threatening recommendations that anyone can follow. You want to start with the easiest step and go from there. Let's go back to our three rules:
Slow:
Start slow by talking about the cash first, because everyone knows how to get money from the bank.
KISS:
Talk about silver next, because you can emphasize that they can keep it simple and spend just a few dollars, if they want. (In other words, right now they can buy one silver dime for about $1.50.) If you explain it well, this idea is unthreatening and easy to do. It's also "more sane" than telling them to buy gold because many people are familiar with the old silver coins.
Relate:
Mention the food last because to some people in your audience, stocking up on food immediately rings the “crazy survivalist” bell. It's good to put it in context of a wise financial decision related to the other steps they’re taking.
Ask them to talk to their family. This relates the whole conversation back to their lives. It makes them feel less alone, and it impresses on them that we're all in this together, etc. It's also the charitable thing to do. The more people that prepare, the better. I have also used this moment to ask them to help me persuade others (my mom, my grandparents, etc) since two voices are more credible than one.
Thank them. This lightens up the conversation and makes it sane. "Thanks for listening to me about this. I'm sorry to bring up all this gloom and doom. I just really care about you guys."
Continue the conversation according to your audience. Tailor your spiel to the person you’re talking to. Think back to the three rules that I mentioned earlier (slow; KISS; relate). Below are profiles of three of my favorite aunties. How would you apply those rules to your conversation with them?
Auntie A is threatened by the idea of prepping. She will barely talk about it.
Auntie B says she has a gun, and she also says she wants to start a garden.
Auntie C lives in a big, dangerous city and she will not move (cannot afford to and has lived there all her life). However, she is otherwise on board and even excited that someone finally mentioned it, and she’d like to read some online articles. She’s worried about her antiques business in this economy.
Take a moment to think about your approach, and then read on to learn how I approached each of my aunties.
With Auntie A, I took it slow. I will be lucky if she will buy a week's worth of spaghetti; I didn't push her any further than the script above. I moved on to talk about the weather or whatever. I can always talk to her about it again later.
With Auntie B, I followed the KISS rule. I suggested getting a little extra ammo for her gun and enough seeds for her garden. These are simple things that she can do tomorrow, and they’re not that scary. I did not say outright that ammo and seeds will be unavailable after the collapse, because that sounds insane.
With Auntie C, I related it back to her life. Since she's web-savvy, I pointed her to a web site that discusses prepping to live in the city during an economic collapse (FerFAL's web site). (To “keep it sane” I mentioned that his site is "geared toward American survivalists" and “I don’t like reading it because it’s scary” but "if you can get past all that, it's worth looking at.") Because she mentioned that her antiques business will probably not prosper, I also pointed her to posts about how people make money in the city in hard times
In conclusion...
This can be the only conversation you have with your loved ones, or it can be the first in a series. However you approach it, remember these proverbs:
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." and, "A prophet has no honor in his own country."
In other words, no matter how simply and gently you explain the coming collapse, there will be some that prepare and some that won't. You don't have any control over that. Your only duty is to try to gently persuade them in a way that they can understand.
Final quiz: What are the three basic rules of persuasion?
The Memsahib Adds: Before approaching a relative or friend with the topic of preparedness, consider: Is there some aspect of prepping that would fulfill one of their long-held desires, or perhaps even a childhood fantasy? Have they always wanted to own a horse? Be a master chef? Live like a Native American? Live off the land like a Mountain Man? Be a doctor? Be an herbal medicinalist? Be an explorer? Be a teacher? Own a large acreage? Be a park ranger? Sail the seven seas? Be a philanthropist? Be a missionary? There are aspects of preparedness that can fit into all of these desires. So, in effect, you can make prepping fun and fulfilling for them. When I was growing up, I always loved baby lambs and wanted to own sheep. I was also disappointed that I didn't grow up on a farm, as my mother had. (I was raised in the suburbs.) Our path to preparedness was a great excuse to buy some acreage, and raise a flock of sheep. This led to buying spinning wheels and a loom, learning how to card, spin and dye wool, learning how to knit, how to felt wool, raising angora rabbits, and raising angora goats. This in turn eventually led to us getting dairy goats, and later a dairy cow. So all of this fulfilled a childhood fantasy of having my own farm. Thus, prepping felt rewarding, and in no way did I feel threatened or did it seem like I was living under a dark storm cloud. When I served my first loaf of bread that I had made with eggs from my chickens, and wheat that I had sown and later hand-ground, the rooster in our barnyard couldn't crow any louder than I could! My grandmother would have been proud of me. Talk about heavy gravitas, when bringing such loaves to a church potluck! (But even just brining muffins with berries that you grew yourself, or picked out in the wild can give the same sense of accomplishment.) It was much the same for me when I finished making my first sweater with wool from sheep that I had helped deliver. I had shorn the wool, carded it, dyed it, spun it and knitted it--bringing the sweater all to its final form. What a lot of work, but what great fun!
My favorite way to introduce this topic to other women is through teaching "heritage crafts". The homemaking skills of our pioneer ancestors are something that most women--even city women--can relate to. Whether it is canning, gardening, small livestock, sewing, cooking, baking, knitting, leather-working, candle making, soap-making , et cetera. I have done all of these, and and have enjoyed passing on these skills to neighbors, friends, and even my nieces and nephews. Perhaps your local church, 4H club, scout troop, PTA, homeschooling club, or public school would be open to having you teach a class or put on a demonstration.
I found that the more I learned about one preparedness topic, the more that I wanted to learn about related topics. For example, when I was raising rabbits, it was fun learning how many different ways I could prepare rabbit meat dishes. And when I was dairying, it was fun to branch out into making yogurt, soft cheese, and milk soap. With God's providential guiding hand, your friends will each find a special preparedness niche, that will benefit their families, and in turn get them excited about many more aspects of preparedness.
A note to husbands, fathers, brothers, and uncles: Please do not alienate your female friends and relatives from preparedness by "assigning" them a prepping specialty. Instead, let them pick their own, to suit their particular disposition and interests. By letting women choose our own areas of expertise, it gives us the feeling of being in control of our lives in an uncertain world. Encourage and nurture their interests, but don't dictate them!
Part of getting prepared is recognizing the fact that some aspects of preparedness are more "fun" than others. And, correspondingly, what constitutes "fun" for one individual is not necessarily considered fun by another. How many men wouldn't blink an eye at buying a $700 SIG or a $1,500 FAL, but get anxious about "the expense" when they see their wives looking through a Louet or LeClerc catalog? What is needed is a well-rounded approach to gathering logistics, tools, and skills. There is much more to preparedness than just "guns and groceries." Get prepared, but don't obsess over all the gloom-n-doom "what ifs?" You should instead take a well-rounded approach that will provide a family with educational activities and lots of fun, all while actively learning, preparing, and cross-training. One way to ease your spouse into a preparedness mindset is by encouraging her to get involved with a the local fiber guild, 4H club, or farmer's market co-op.
Tall Sally is absolutely right about going slowly. Get your friends and relatives into preparedness one small step at a time. Encourage them to get prepared, by playing off of their pre-existing interests, fantasies, and hobbies.
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Letter Re: Last Minute G.O.O.D. Versus Well-Considered Early Relocation
Dear Editor:
John M.'s letter was excellent, polite, and to the point.
The following are my rules for townies:
1. If your water comes out of a faucet or a bottle, and you can not safely walk to a permanent backup source in less than 10 minutes every day, then you will die.
2. If you do not raise your own food, or personally know the family that you bought it from, you will either die, or be forever controlled by someone with a clipboard and a list, and you will wish you were dead.
3. If you live in the city because your job is more important than your life, then don't bother bugging out. The only Job you are likely to get out here in the country is digging graves for people that think like you.
4. A centuries old rule of farming: It takes a minimum of 10 years of farming a piece of ground to know it. So, you're going to compress a decade of intimate knowledge into a weekend, because you read a book? We'll send the guy mentioned in Rule #3 out to your shack next spring.
5. Unless you have a fully stocked and equip 19th century-style working farm to escape to, with food for two years stored in place for humans and livestock, you are simply a well-intentioned refugee, or an unwelcome house guest.
6. [Forget "foraging".] In the 1850s, (for the purpose of sizing reservations), it was determined that a skillful Native American needed 100 square miles (10 miles x 10 miles) minimum, to live off the land, per person. There was a lot more game back then, and less afraid of humans. You're going to be competing with around 300 million hungry human bellies, every morning.
7. Ten cases of canned food fits in a 2'x2'x2' area. Around 30 cases will give you one meal a day for a year, and fits under a [tall] bed. The gear, tools, food, and clothing needed for a family of four for a year in the wild would fill one or more semi-trailers. So you think that you're going to effortlessly bug out with a truck and trailer at O-Dark-Thirty and survive? Stay home, or become breakfast for less dainty bellies.
Finally: There are two terms you hope never appear in your obituary: "unfortunate accident", or "shallow grave".
If you and your gear are not already pre-positioned on your own homestead, and your city job is just seasonal or part time for the Gov.Bux, you are probably bound to end up in one of these two categories by bugging out.
Prepare, but stay where you are, unless the emergency is a temporary natural event - Feral Farmer
JWR Replies: I concur that taking halfway measures is an invitation to becoming a statistic in a societal collapse. As I've stressed countless times, the best approach is to live at your retreat year-round. A marginal second choice is to maintain a fully-stocked retreat that is constantly under the watchful eye of a trusted friend or relative that can also keep your fruit nut trees watered and look after your livestock. But even then, you'll likely lack the requisite large-scale gardening experience in your retreat's particular climate zone. You will also lack having developed trust relationships with your neighbors--something crucial to survival. It is incredibly naive for anyone to anticipate that they can "bug out" with everything that they'll need. Even if you are fortunate enough arrive with your vehicle and trailer intact, as "Feral Farmer" points out, you will be way behind the power curve: under-equipped, and under-provisioned. And as, John M. mentioned, those that are under-prepared will probably end up in a life of thievery, rather than watch their families starve. The goal here is to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
I also concur with Feral Farmer's observations on foraging. The hunting and even the fishing pressure will be tremendous. I've heard from consulting clients in California' Coast Range that deer harvest have dropped to pitifully low numbers in the past five years, because of the depredations of Mountain Lions. (Which have been elevated to protected species status in the People's Paradise of California.) The chances of filling just one deer tag, they say, are now slim except for anyone that has the time to willing to "hunt hard" throughout California's short deer season. So, I ask: If this has happened when there were just a few thousand excess mountain lions, then what will happen when there are an extra 5-to-10 million deer hunters wandering around California, shooting at anything that moves? (The California deer population has already dropped from more than one million to an estimated 485,000. That is not a lot of deer to go around, WTSHTF. And what will happen to the freshwater fishing stocks, when there are hundreds of thousands of set lines being worked, year round?
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Letter Re: Last Minute G.O.O.D. Versus Well-Considered Early Relocation
James -
We think along similar lines, as my wife and I relocated to Central Idaho in 1995, raising and homeschooling our four children here. We're electrically functioning off the grid, engage in animal husbandry, grow what vegetables we can, and stock up on essentials we cannot produce and always meticulously rotate the stock. And we hunt, big time.
I read the entry on your site today about the fellow who intends to travel ore than a thousand miles in a blink of an eye, and use this blur to make a life-changing decision based on distorted glances at sixty miles an hour. Though I agree with essentially every bit of advice regarding location considerations, and in particular what to avoid, perhaps you should suggest to this fellow to split his trip into two or three, perhaps even four excursions so he can really evaluate what he is looking at.
I've lived in the west my entire life, a witness to the destruction of Colorado as we finally fled the far reaches of the West Slope for here. Knowing that one simple mistake in terms of selecting a location can be fatal in and unto itself, we began looking in 1993 and through 1994 before making our selection. Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Distance from population centers was number two on our criteria list, but as you well know, the number one priority must be water.
People in the cities haven't really a clue as to its relative scarcity. Turn on the tap. Our criteria was "live, year-around creek" on the prospective dirt, or it was scrubbed from the list. At 8.37 pounds per gallon, you can't realistically haul enough any distance for survival if survival means growing food if TEOTWAWKI actually occurs. Maybe not enough to use just to satiate thirst if you are too far from the source.
Let's face it. If people have to actually "Bug Out", the "End" is happening, right there and then. Think: water, water, water, and location, location, location.
I wrote a piece about "relocation" a few years back for a Peak Oil web site that generated several thousand comments, the vast majority of them were positive. The negatives were from the Gold's Gym-type jerks who thought I was trying to come off as some kind of tough guy, which I wasn't. "Realism" offends people. You cut one cord short on firewood before winter and the snows get hip-deep, you are dead. Sometimes you have "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" with large critters equipped with teeth and claws. I killed a damned lion at six feet inside my barn who was upset that I was upset that he had killed my milk goats. A bear at thirty feet on top of one of our sheep who was none too happy with me either. The wolves are here constantly, and that's just a time bomb waiting to go off. We've had jerks from cities show up on the place acting, and to be kind here, just a little "weird". Occasionally and unfortunately what followed were "in your face" armed confrontations, required to convince them getting the hell out of here was a damn good idea.
Which leads to another situation that is always notably absent from writings about "Getting out of Dodge". Why isn't it mentioned that people are already "out there", and even if a person chooses to relocate before the fan is blowing manure that it takes a couple of years before the indigenous outlanders accept your presence. These pre-existing folks, as you well know, traded off the easy living the cities offer for a harder lifestyle that almost guarantees austere living. The F.N.G. is a newcomer, and no one knows whether her/she is a curse or a blessing. The number of drug-laden scum that has floated in and out of here over the years is pretty amazing, let alone the flood of retirees who ain' t worth knowing. A third of them want sidewalks along Forest Service Roads.
And then when things go south, some guy, regardless of what color collar he wore to work, abandons his 52" widescreen HDTV, his Budweiser and the N.F.L. Package, throws his "Git-R-Done" stuff in the 4-Runner. Off he goes, carrying just enough with him to guarantee that where he ends up, thieving and murdering is going to be happening. Why? Because he's in a panic regardless of how "cool" he thinks he is. In truth, if you don't already live "out there", you aren't prepared. City folk are waiting to run, and they are running to nowhere. For that matter, half the people who are already "out there" aren't really prepared. But City Folks simply cannot take with them what is needed long-term to survive, and even short-term if winter is upon them. So, he is going to become a thief and a murderer. Where he's headed he doesn't own dirt, has no roof over his head, and he hasn't got the food to last a month. The most moral man in the world will become the worst of sinners when facing starvation. Add a man with his woman and a passel of kids, and you've got a desperate man. "Honey, I starved the kids!" I don't think so.
So, what do you think folks around here are thinking anyway? Putting out the "Welcome Wagon" for an exodus of people who refused to sacrifice ahead of time? Those who have been living easy and going to Applebees every Friday night? The wife blowing money at the mall every Saturday with the rest of the "girls"? People who thought, "I'll stay here doing the 9-5 because the woman insists, and then we'll go if we have to." Here's another good one: "We didn't want to move and have to change schools. The kids really liked it there."
The foregoing mean that the "Old Lady" and the "kids" have been dictating his life anyway, right? You ever seen these women go through "Mall Withdrawal"? Good God, it's a terrible sight to behold even under good conditions! At least when things are "normal" they can head over the pass for a methadone-like "Mall-Fix" up in Missoula or head to Idaho Falls. Shoot, you go and "Cold Turkey" a mall-dependent woman and h**l doesn't even begin to describe the price that must be paid! It's viral too, I swear.
Seriously though, is there some assumption that such "exodus scenarios" aren't discussed by the locals down at the cafe's in Salmon, Challis, and Elk, Bend, and North Fork over morning coffee, as well as at the Sheriffs Departments around here? My understanding is that the roads in and out of here are to be closed, which is fine by me. There isn't much bounty here to begin with, and adding a bunch of instant vagabonds will simply be making meager pickings that much slimmer.
Fools rushing for the hills. There's a steep learning curve and most aren't going to make it. Best regards, and keep up the good work - John M.
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Seven Letters Re: Advice on Deep Water Wells in a Grid-Down Era
Hi James,
There is a mission-oriented web site with a tutorial on making valve leathers at this site. There is other useful water well-related information on the site, too.
Where John C. is living, if the static level is 400 ft., then he will be looking at needing a fairly deep well. If he gets by with less than drilling a 500 foot well I'd be surprised. Water wells here locally have a 350-400 foot static level and run 700-800 feet deep. The depth, quantity, and quality of water you find all depends on the area you live in, the underlying geology, and hydrologic conditions within the aquifer.
I agree that the submersible pump is the best choice for a deep well. In a grid down situation, a wind mill is probably your best bet. It is possible to install both systems in one well. Basically, you set the submersible some distance below the wind mill's pump cylinder. One thing you'd need to do is adjust the submersible pump so that the water level in the well is not drawn down past the top of the pump cylinder. One very important aspect to keep in mind when using a deep well with a sucker-rod type pump: use a open top pump cylinder (working barrel) where you can pull the rods, replace valve leathers and/or work on the pump valves, without pulling all of the tubing from the well.
As you mentioned, pulling up 400+ feet of 2-inch pipe from a well by hand is a challenge. It can, however, be done. Keep in mind that a 400+ ft. deep water well is actually much deeper than many early-day oil wells. Searching through old oil field related documents, photos, and museum displays can provide a wealth of very basic, mostly home built, technology that a water well owner can utilize.
Need a derrick to pull rods or pipe from your deep well? Check out what the Canadians used.
Tripod derricks were used in Canada and the U.S. in early oil fields. They were made from peeled trees, power poles, or pipe. Simple winches were used to hoist the rods and pipe from the hole.
Need a pumping jack to lift the rods in your deep well? You can't get much simpler than these or these.
Once the jack is balanced, it doesn't take a whole lot of power to lift the rods and pump the well. - Jeff B.
Hi Jim;
My wife and I are the founders of Woodhenge, an intentional community in the northern, rural part of New York State. We practice and teach self-reliance skills. One of the products that I've designed is a deep well hand pump that can be built from mostly off-the-shelf parts found in a hardware store. I sell the complete instructions for $20 and a pre-machined parts kit for $250. The kit contains all of the parts necessary for the 2" PVC cylinder and the modified pitcher pump. One of the things that makes this pump unique is that it doesn't use a rod to connect the piston in the lower part of the well to the handle but
a stainless steel cable and return spring. I do not include the cable or draw pipe...I don't know the depth of the well. I do not know if my pump design could handle the static depth of 400', but it easily handles depths of 150'. I recommend that the draw pipe diameter be reduced to keep the weight in the column of water to a manageable amount. I recommend that shallower deep wells (over 30' to the static level of the water) use 1-1/4" draw pipes, over 100' dropping to 1" diameter, etc. I will offer a big discount to the guy with the 400' well if he wants to experiment with my kit. The frictional losses of water in a smaller diameter pipe are the only factor I don't know how to calculate. My pump easily delivers about a cup of water per stroke. Further information on my pump as well as other things
we're trying to do are available on our Woodhenge web site.
I am "the King of Scrounge" mentioned in your blog a few months ago. My book "The High Art and Subtle Science of Scrounging" is now available through me. Inquiries and information are available by contacting me at jsjuczak@gisco.net. Thank you for what you do. - James S. Juczak
James,
I've a reasonable amount of experience in electrical engineering and pumps in general so perhaps could give John C. some additional advice on deep wells.
First just a general note:
The work an electrical pump or any other electrical device needs to do requires a certain amount of electrical power which is Voltage X Current measured in Watts. As James correctly points out, a 24 volt pump requires considerably larger wires than does a 240 volt pump (to deliver the same amount of work) since wire size is determined by current (amperage). In this case figure a 24 volt system would need roughly 10x the circumference of the wire that a 240 volt system would need. Note: It's the circumference of the wire that's at issue not the area since current flows mostly along the outside of the wire. A simple way to think of electricity is to compare it to a river. The speed of the river flow is the voltage. The size of the river bed is the amperage. Both together determine the power.
Now, regarding deep wells:
Most deep wells in the west have low infiltration rates so my advice is to use a fairly small size 110 or 220 volt AC submersible pump of good quality (Grundfos make the best). The water pumped out of the well goes directly into a cistern which can be most any tank of a few hundred gallons. Mine was a 1,000 gallon fiberglass tank in the basement, which I installed before the floor was put in. Anyplace is fine as long as freezing temps are taken into account.
A simple automatic fill system is installed in the tank to turn on the submersible when you use some part of the tank up. This system allows the well to refill and also allows the pump to work better and last longer by avoiding frequent starts.You also have a ready source of stored water, if needed. You have to know your well infill rate and the depth of water over the pump inlet to determine how much to pump at any given time. Never allow a submersible pump to run dry and always install protection in the pump start control.
Since the cistern tank is unpressurized [, unless you can position it up on a hillside] you'll have to provide a centrifugal pump to charge the household lines. You can then either pump out of the cistern tank into a small pressure tank or use a demand system that turns on a small centrifugal pump every time you open a faucet. Either way works fine and all of it is cheap to buy and easy to get at to maintain.
If there are any bacterial contamination issues a small ozone generator can be installed in the cistern. They killed 100% of bacteria and spores such as Giardia when I used one to clean a Colorado stream water source. They add nothing to the water itself since the ozone turns back to oxygen within seconds of it's being generated. An ozone system does need constant power, but it's a very small amount. Essentially it's just a small UV light in a box with a tube into the water. A venturi off of a tiny pump like those used in ornamental fountains pulls the ozone into the tank.
In this system the submersible pumps into the cistern tank at "zero head" and you can get away with a smaller pump motor than you would normally use for a pressurized system. That's not only a cheaper pump, but it's easier to pull if needed. Also, since a well pump is frequently the largest power requirement in a household if you go off grid a smaller pump means a smaller generator- or something like this http://www.solarpumps.com.au/category7_1.htm.
Don't forget that a pump requires a larger starting amperage than its nominal rating. Again check with the supplier. It's important to have the pump operating in it's ideal range which is based on total lift (head ) and water (GPM) required, so check that yourself too. The charts are easy to read.
In John C's case, the water is at 400', so he'll need a well that's around 500'. Put the pump at the bottom and that's a safe 50 gallons of water available to be pumped.
Based on a 5 minute Internet search, a Grundfos 10SQ 1/2 HP pump costing $600 retail would give around 6 GPM pumping into the cistern. A 1,200 watt generator could drive it. Add a 400 gallon tank, 1/4 HP centrifugal pump for pressure, controls and it's a done deal. The well itself is going to cost around 10 grand, and hopefully you'll find water down the bottom of it.
Kind Regards, - LRM, Perth, Western Australia
JWR,
I have some experience in this area in that our well has been solar powered for 5 years at our off the grid ranch.
We elected to put our well on top of a hill about 120 feet in elevation above the house. I did this because I did not want to pump my water twice and deal with a pressure tank in a separate building that I would have to heat and use additional solar power to keep up the pressure. Our four water tanks, 2,600 gallons each, are on a step, just below the well. A Pitless Adaptor allows water to be pumped into the water tanks at a depth of four feet underground for freeze protection. All pipe on the ranch is 3 feet underground, with freeze proof hydrants at key locations. There is enough thermal mass in the tanks that they do not freeze. There is 50 pounds of pressure at the house from gravity. Remember, it is always cheaper and easier to store water rather than electricity. Big water tanks are a good thing.
Our well is 300 feet deep and the pump is set at 240 feet. Static water level is 185 feet.
Having said that, a 400 feet deep well on solar power is no problem. There are two types of solar pumps I would recommend, www.lorentz.de/ and www.grundfos.com . I have a Lorentz pump. The Grundfos is also a very good pump. The Grundfos has the advantage in that besides solar power, you can hook up a wind turbine and have both wind and solar power going to the same pump. There are plenty of solar dealers selling these pumps. I have been served exceptionally wall by Dennis Austin at Solar Power and Pump Company. He always has time to help you out via phone with any questions. He does not publish his prices because they beat everyone else.
The controller on the Lorentz pump converts the DC power from the solar panels to AC power to go down the well to the pump. I am not sure how the Gurndfos system operates. Both these pumps are used extensively by aid organizations around the world to provide clean drinking water for less fortunate people in third world countries. They are pretty fool proof.
One additional consideration is that putting your solar panels on a dual axis solar tracker, will increase water output as much as 40% in the summer when you need water the most. We have a Wattsun dual axis tracker from www.wattsun.com . Their company has been around a long time and since they are active trackers with gears, they are not affected by wind like the Freon-balanced trackers.
Thanks Jim for all your hard work in helping us all out. - PD
Sir:
My water has been off the grid for 12 years and while my well depth is shallower I offer my experience. The system described provides 5 GPM at 50 PSI for household laundry, bathing, and kitchen needs but I would not recommended for lawn or garden use.
I have 360 watts of solar panel and 340 amp hour of batteries [storage capacity]. The head of my well is 160 feet and I use a Sunpump SDS series well pump that draws 2 gallons per minute (at 0 pressure) to fill an 1,100 gallon cistern. The current draw is 2 amps at 24 volts. The current price for the pump is approximately $900.
The matching pump controller/current booster is a must. Note that the Sunpump SCS series is rated for 700 feet. The good news is the water pipe is ½” plastic roll pipe, bad news is the pump will need major service after about eight years.
The house is pressurized by a Dankoff Flowlight booster pump that draws from the cistern. Standard well system pressure tanks and switches complete a very reliable system. You can find the recommended 10 micron intake filters here.
The Cistern is a tank made of potable water grade plastic (made from the same mold used for septic tanks). This gives me 1,100 gallons of water that is not hot in the summer, freezing in the winter, safe from bullets, and was a fraction of the cost of an elevated water tank.
Extra battery power feeds a Magnum Energy inverter that saves some on the electric bill. - Jon in Texas
Hey Jim,
I would like to throw in my thoughts on pumping water in a power grid down situation.the wide variety of situations with water sources makes for a wide variety of solutions. I am a retired water well contractor, over twenty years residential, farm and public supply, doing both the well drilling and pumping equipment installations.
First off, if no one reads further, the best [short-term] solution is a generator powering your present system, it's how it's done, by the homeowner, farmer, by contractors, and small utilities. Larger utilities use a direct drive to the gear head on a line shaft turbine, but you won't see that on smaller systems.
To get to the situation discussed in the article, a 400' water table is considerably deep, so many times, folks think that the depth of the well is related to the depth of the water table, that's just not so, I have drilled wells 300' with static water levels 20 or more feet above the well head, hence, a naturally flowing well, and by contrast, 300' wells with 150' water tables, but generally, most levels in the 60' range in deep wells in my neck of the woods. However, water wells are as varied as the land and aquifer you are looking to get the water out of.
So to go after the logistics of getting water out of the ground and then out of your faucet, you'll have to start with the source, deep well, most common for private water systems, and the subject here, but don't write off shallow wells, cisterns, lakes and rivers or rain catchment, it's just that water out of a deep well will be free of organic compounds and safe to drink, but you should have it tested, another subject all together.
Well depth is part of it, but most important for using that well is the water table and capacity in gallons per minute. The diameter of the well will affect production to a certain extent, but mostly the diameter will determine what pumping equipment you can use, deep wells for private use will tend to be 4' or 6' steel or plastic casing, with open hole in the rock below that picking up water by capillary action and fissures, or even a screen for loose formations that produce water. A typical well install for me would be around a hundred foot of 4' well casing, down to the bedrock, then open hole down into the floridan aquifer, ending up around 200', to produce 20 gallons a minute or better with a water table about 50' and a submersible pump set at least 10 feet below the water table, and another variable, if you pump more water than your well delivers, called "drawdown", you'll be setting your pump below that drawdown level of the water table.
Submersible pumps are a great way to get water out of your well, they "push" the water to the surface, and produce good "head" with their many impellers, "head" translating to how far up the pump is pushing the water from the water table, to theoretically how far above the point of use is, that's your water "pressure"a pump that makes 300' of head will pump from a 100 foot water table and be able to pump 200' more feet above ground level, that would be more than enough to provide you with 50 or 60 pounds of pressure in your tank and at your faucet. Very efficient, generally run on AC current, and either filled with FDA-approved oil or sealed with epoxy and such to keep the electricity isolated from the water. I have heard of DC submersible motors, but never saw one, let alone installed one, something to research, I guess, may be as much to do with having an AC power grid as the the drawbacks inherit in DC motors in general. Last word on that is submersible pumps can pump from very deep water levels and are reliable, but replacement would be tough without specialized equipment,
Above-ground pumps are less efficient, but easier and cheaper to fix, especially for the do-it-yourselfers, which would be very important in a grid down economy. most common are jet pumps, one or two impellers and a jet either installed below the water table or on the face of the pump if the water level is within 30' of the surface, very important distinction there, you can only lift water, "suction" 33 feet "'one atmosphere"} vertically. Beyond that, the vacuum required will cause air bubbles to separate out of the water and you'll lose the ability to pump the water. So, the "jet" a nozzle and venturi are placed in the well, with the pump cycling most of the water thru it, lifting an additional amount of water and producing the head pressure at the same time. I could envision a DC motor on a an above ground pump, imagine they're available, if even to have one as a standby, but then again, do the math, if you're wanting run a one horsepower DC motor that'll turn the needed 3,400 rpm and to do it on twelve volts, you'll soon see the cost and sizing differences are huge.but at least everything is right there where you can work it. again, a generator or a very large solar or wind system would work as well.
In a grid-down situation, a properly sized generator would run it, but to look to solar or wind power, just do the math, I did, by the time you size something that will start and run that pump, you've got a ten thousand dollar or more system, if you want to do your house or other uses, you could use the same system to power your pump when the need arises.
If you are lifting the water less than thirty feet, the possibilities wide and varied, a straight centrifugal pump or positive displacement pumps, such as diaphragm or piston, etc. which don't need the rpm's of the impeller pumps and can even be hooked up in multiples or series, depending on power source or what you want to do with the water. To have the ability to pump out of a shallow well, or even a surface water source, this would give you water, if only for irrigation or other uses, or to be purified and then used for drinking water, "potable water".
The most viable pump system in a grid down situation, in my opinion, would be a sucker rod pump, or a pump jack, I worked on many of them, but generally just pulling them out and replacing them with submersible or jet pumps, or to abandon the well by pumping it full of grout. They are the pump systems you generally see under the old Aermotor windmills, the tall long levered hand pumps, and the much larger pump jacks used in the oil fields. The smaller sucker rod pumps are very simple, the up and down motion of the rod is transferred down the well and into [a pump cylinder under the static level of] the water, where it lifts the water one stroke at a time, very simple, with multiple power options, directly from the wind, human power, or motor driven electrically, or other, which could include about anything you could dream up as you only need to turn a pulley, the amount of power required would be widely varied as the rpm can be varied so much and it'll still pump, less water, but water. One particular model I was looking for, but didn't find is the old Crane Deeming pump jacks, a staple on the old farms, designed more for a power source other than the windmill or pump handle, although you could hook it up if the power was off. it would run on about any motor you hooked to it, as far as horsepower and rpm, "revolutions per minute" within reason, including electric, piston, or even the power take off (PTO) from your tractor. Also of consideration is that with a very low yield well, the ability to pump to a cistern or other holding device, and then to pressurize the water from there with another pump, old technology from when people made do, before our era of throwing technology and money at it till you're happy.
Here's a link to an article on building a pump jack. It drives the sucker rod that's in the well, but depending upon where you're at, the terms are kind used interchangeably. Go to the home page, browse around, or do your own search, lot's of choices out there.
My thoughts on this, if I wasn't going to use a generator if the power is down, is to have a separate well with a pump jack, or if you have a six inch well or larger, with a submersible pump in it, install a pump jack right beside it, no, I have never done that, and the easy way would be to call your local well driller or pump man, but dual pipe well heads are available, and the two systems shouldn't interfere with each other, the two possible problems would be with the submersible pump itself, or the power wire to the pump, but then, I imagine I would set the submersible pump and then the sucker rod and pipe above it,
Anyway, if you're wanting alternatives, they are out there, sounding complicated, but actually quite simple, especially if you prepare in advance, the simplest power alternative is still the generator, I know I said it again, but I also have six solar panels at 175 watts each, and a wind generator at 400 watts, with all the controllers, battery bank six by 120 Amp Hour 6 volt and a 2,400 watt inverter, which would not be adequate to run my 1hp 220 volt submersible, but a 1/4 horsepower motor on a pump jack would work, too bad I didn't keep any of that old stuff, but anyway, short of the generator, or fuel for it, would have to go with the pump jack, or for shallow water, a positive displacement pump. Would be willing to continue this discussion, if you'd like. - Mickey
JWR,
I am a recent "convert" to the survival mentality. Thank you for this blog. All I can say is that it is excellent. On to my point: I too am grappling with this conundrum of how to pump water out of my deep well for my house water, although mine is more shallow (200ft). I currently have a 220 VAC 1/2 HP Gould deep well pump with a 33 gallon pressure tank to round out my water system. I've been researching the deep well pump made by Grundfos. The model is called the SQFLEX. According to the manufacturer, it can run on either AC or DC and will pump from depths of 650ft. Whole systems can be bought here http://solarwellpumps.com/solar.htm . I'm not sure if these are the real deal or not, but they have definitely piqued my interest. I spoke with one of the reps and she indicated that these pumps are used for residential use with a pressure tank (mine is 30gal). The pressure tank is also a problem. I would rather have an elevated storage tank like you recommend. The only problem with that is, for "flat-landers" such as myself, those who live in the midwest without hills. Then what do you do? Do you build a tower for all your neighbors to see (forget about OPSEC) or do you use a water storage tank and place it amongst your house rafters/trusses (which definitely won't hold up because they are of 2x4 construction and once you cut a large "idiot hole" [for post-construction passage of a large tank] you lose the structural integrity). So there I am. Not sure what to do. I would like to hear some thoughts. "Patriots" was an excellent and fast read. Sincerely, - JJ
JWR Replies: My only brief comment on installing a water tank in an attic is: watch out! When you calculate the weight of just 55 gallons, at 8.33 pounds per gallon, that is 458.15 pounds, not counting the weight of the tank itself! Definitely consult an engineer before installing any tank of substantial capacity.
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It Will Be Skills, Not Gear That Will Count in TEOTWAWKI, by Chris M.
The topic I will cover is one I have not seen on SurvivalBlog. Everybody is caught up in the equipment side and not concentrating on the training. I have two examples several months back our dryer started squeaking & we had to stop using it. I am a trained air conditioning technician. At first I thought about going out and purchasing a new dryer and then I had a thought: I have fixed multi thousand dollar air conditioning units, how hard could it be? After two days it was back up drying clothes and for a lot less money than a new dryer would cost.
The other example was Saturday night a week ago I killed a feral hog and with some help from the friend that owns the land where I killed the pig, we quickly had it in the chest freezer. You ask, “how do these two examples apply to TEOTWAWKI preparedness?”
I am 50 years old; things I take for granted younger people do not understand or do not have the ability to do. Can you sharpen a knife? Can you tune a small engine? How about sharpen a chainsaw? I have been trained as an equipment mechanic and then trained as a HVAC tech. I have also taken first aid training, I am not an EMT but I know the basics. I have fixed several small appliances. My father was a carpenter. He taught me the basics of construction, such as how to build a wall and how to hang sheet rock. I had a small business that repaired rental properties in Texas.
Do you hunt? And are you planning on hunting to supplement your meat supply if not how do you expect to put meat in the freezer after TSHTF? By hunting you learn where to look for game. Small game hunting can teach you where to find rabbits and squirrels are at certain times of the year. Also when you make your first kill you will have a hands-on butchering class. You can not make a mistake that can not be repaired before it gets to the table. I remember the first feral pig a friend killed I was at my parents' house when a friend called and ask if I had butchered a hog? I said no but I have sure put enough deer in the ice chest that a pig could not be that hard.
I have also gar
dened quite a bit. When I was a child some of the first memories are of working in the garden. We did not raise all of our food but we raised a significant portion. We had a cow and chickens. I helped my mother can vegetables from the garden. I have caned tomatoes I have raised in my back yard. I can make my own soap. I also know where to get the lye with out going to the store. (Wood ashes).
What do you read? Back Home, Backwoods Home, and Mother Earth News magazines--although Mother Earth News is not as good as she once was. I keep all the Back Home and Backwoods Home that I pick up. I also found several books that will be passed on once I go to my final reward. I have books on a variety of topics from engine repair to gardening and other topics.
Do you reload the ammo you practice with? You can store more powder, primers and bullets in a given space than loaded ammo. Then when you shoot some you can reload to re-supply. Shotgun ammo is very economical when you reload. I would not suggest that you use reloaded ammo to defend yourself. Use store bought. I talked about the pig I killed a couple weeks back I used a Savage model 40 in 22 Hornet. The cartridge I used was reloaded and in fact was a case that had been reloaded several times. I have reloaded a variety of calibers and presently I can keep my guns shooting for awhile. I also cast lead bullets for a number of my guns and I am planning on getting a few more molds for different calibers. Also think about this I have in my gun safe a. 22 Hornet, .223 Remington and a .22-250. They all take 223 caliber bullets. I have bought a lot of .223 caliber bullets, mostly 55 grain weight. I can use the same bullet in all three. I also I am going to purchase a shot maker and will be able to produce shot for my own use and barter. I am stocking up on primers and bullets.
What do you watch on television? I watch Discovery and the Science channel. People talk about gas powdered tractors gasoline has a shorter shelf life than say diesel or propane for that matter. I have not seen propane discussed much on the blog for a motor fuel. Propane has a "forever" shelf life. Also, you can still find Ford Model 8 or 9N tractors that were powered by propane. As long as the propane did not leak out it was good and the tractors could sit idle for a long time and did not have to have the carburetor cleaned.
The reason I mentioned television shows is this one program I watched 2 to 3 years ago had a teams on an oceanic island. The team had to do some projects, one of which was they had a diesel powered go-cart. Both teams were given some sesames seeds and a machine that could make oil out of the seeds. The first team to start their go-cart and get it to run a course distance won the event. This got me to thinking that all trucks, generators, tractors should be diesel powered. You can make your own fuel!! The inventor of the Diesel engine was Dr. Rudolf Diesel, a German who envisioned a system where German farmers were not dependant on fuel sources that came from outside Germany! Remember the pig I killed? If it had been a survival situation. I would have rendered the fat to oil and could have used it in my truck and drove 20 or so miles or used it in a generator or plowed the garden with a tractor.
The upshot of the foregoing is that what you have in your hands is not as important as what you have between your ears. Learn all you can. Take classes at your local community college. Read all the preparedness’ magazine’s and books you can. Concentrate on survival skills. Learn to start fires without matches and to build a temporary shelters. Learn to maintain your car or truck, local community colleges are great places to learn vehicle repair and you can save money in the short run. Imagine if something broke and you needed it to survive. Could you fix it? Stockpile spare parts for the most important items. Ford 8 of 9n tractors are great and look simple. But if the clutch went out, could you replace it? I have done that and it’s not as easy as you might think. Repair manuals are not an option, in my thinking. They are a must.
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Two Letters Re: Getting Started With Dairy Goats
Sir,
To add to the Memsahib's excellent, succinct article on raising goats:
Those interested in self-sufficiency could hardly choose a better livestock animal. Might I suggest Nigerian Dwarf goats? There are several reasons why these fine animals make an excellent livestock choice for those interested in self-sufficiency:
1. Nigerian Dwarfs are fairly small and easy to handle. Their food needs are also minimal: they can graze on minimal pasture and will of course forage through wooded areas. Like most breeds, they do equally well on grassy pasture or in thick woodland, flat-land or hills. But unlike some of the larger breeds, those with only a few acres can easily raise a handful of Nigerian Dwarfs' with only minimal supplemental feed purchases. They will do well on minimal amounts of goat 'pellets' and/or alfalfa, with a good mineral supplement which they'll pick at as they need to. They'll also pick at good hay out a horse's hay net. They hay will do double-duty as bedding, or you can use shavings, or a mix of both.
2. They have the sweetest, creamiest milk of any breed - almost like half-and-half. This milk is excellent to drink, and also makes great cheese. Those who are not particularly keen on goat's milk tend to warm right up to Nigerian Dwarf milk without complaint.
3. Though small, Nigerian Dwarfs are incredibly efficient at turning forage into milk. A well-bred Nigerian Dwarf can produce upwards of 2 quarts of milk daily - not bad for a 40 pound animal.
4. Nigerian Dwarfs are very smart and affectionate - a Nigerian Dwarf goat is like a half-dog, half-goat livestock animal who will be as much fun to interact with as to it will be to farm with.
5. Those who farm, or are looking to convert woodland or pasture into field, will find Nigerian Dwarfs an excellent tool for use in deforestation, and later in field rotation.
When purchasing Nigerian Dwarfs, or any breed of goat, I strongly recommend your readers consult with a reputable breeder. When it comes to dairy goats, breeding makes a big difference. A little extra up-front investment will go a long way in the long haul - so don't be penny-wise but pound-foolish. Do your homework and acquire good, healthy stock that will keep you in delicious milk, cheese, ice cream and yogurt for years to come. A good breeder can also offer instruction on health maintenance and vaccination.
I would also recommend that your readers practice disbudding (de-horning) of their goats. This will prevent costly injury, particularly as you add new goats (with new genes) to your herd. However, this does take away a natural defense mechanism. So if one lives in an area with predators, particularly coyotes, care will have to be taken in the building of their evening housing. A well-trained dog can also solve this problem. Another option for coyotes is a donkey, which will excel in keeping coyotes away.
Much has been made of the difficulty of keeping goats fenced in. While they are natural escape artists, it's really not that difficult to keep them inside the perimeter. For Nigerian Dwarfs, I recommend 5' wire fencing with metal posts every 5-to-6 feet. This flexible fencing will prevent the goats from climbing and, if properly stretched and staked down, will not yield to their natural tendency to lean into fences. Make sure there are no climbable objects or surfaces near the fence, as a goat's ability to climb will surprise you. For foraging through woodland and/or deforestation, Nigerian Dwarfs (like all goats) can be tethered. The best way to tether a goat is to use a large cinder block. Attach a chain around the cinder block (ropes will chafe). Then attach a 10-15' plastic-coated cable (commonly available dog tethers work fine) and attach it to the goat's collar. The goat will be able to move the block around if they need/want to, but won't get far and won't get away. Don't leave your goat tethered for more than about 6 hours, and make sure water is available. They'll be happy and graze until they look like they swallowed a beach ball - but don't worry - they are ruminants and will digest all that fresh cellulose! They will also turn it into milk.
Speaking of milk - unlike cows, goats do not particularly like to be milked - at least not at first.. You'll have to build a stanchion (milking stand), but there are plenty of good plans available on-line. It may take a few days or even week (or two) of twice daily milking to 'break-in' your goat to milking, but she'll get the hang of it (and so will you). Take care of utters and ensure they are clean both before and after milking. Kids can be weaned at 8 weeks. Take care to separate bucks very early - 10 weeks.
Pardon me being so direct, but if you end up with a buck, you'll soon understand the origin of the expression "randy as a billy goat". Let's just say bucks will do things that will surprise you. They will also make your milk taste funny. So keep them separate from the does if you plan on keeping them intact. Or, they should be castrated early using one of several humane methods - I will leave it to your readers to do their homework on this subject. The resulting wether (a castrated male goat) will be an excellent companion animal if you have a small herd - for example, if you have 2 does and one is with kid, the wether will keep the other doe company as goats hate being alone. Some also raise wethers for meat.
Finally, remember that goats are intelligent and playful animals. They will appreciate any type of toys you may build them - basically anything they can climb on, even if it's just a series of sturdy wood platforms. As with any animal, healthy, happy, natural livestock means healthy, delicious, natural food. - HPD
Hi James,
Thanks for the blog. I read it every day. This is in response to Memsahib's goat article. There are several web sites with information regarding making goat milk butter, while not as simple as cow milk, it is possible and in a survival situation, butter may be dear regardless of time and trouble to obtain. For example, see this article from The Mother Earth News, circa 1978.
Thanks again for all you do, It is important and the legacy your leaving will be remembered long after you and I are gone. Keep your head down and keep moving. - Tom H.
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Getting Started With Dairy Goats, by The Memsahib
Getting any dairy animals is a very big commitment. However, I believe that they are
a valuable part of your livestock preparedness. Even more importantly I believe
goats are the best dairy animals for the survivalist.
Here are my reasons to recommend goats over cows for a survival situation:
1. A dairy goat is about one fifth the cost of a dairy cow.
2. Five goats can be fed one the same amount it takes to feed one cow.
3. If your your one cow dies you are out of luck. But the odds of losing all
your goats is small.
4. Goats browse rather than graze and can make use of a wider variety of forage.
5. Goats are easier to handle
6. Because of their smaller size, goats are less likely to cause injuries
or damage fences. Getting stepped on by a goat is trivial. Getting stepped on by a cow is not.
The downside is that it will take more time to milk five goats than to milk
one cow. You'll have to get five animals in and out of the stanchion, Wash
five
udders,
milk five does (female goats), strip five udders, etc. But I really believe
that the benefits of having the insurance of multiple dairy animals far outweighs
the extra effort.
The main drawback is that the cream does not separate readily in goats milk so that
you will not be able to skim the cream off. And therefore you will not be able
to make butter. On the other hand, goat milk is much easier to digest, and
many people who cannot drink cow's milk can drink goats milk. And of course
you can use goat's milk to make yogurt, cream cheese, hard cheese, and ice cream,
as well as use it in recipes just like cows milk.
As I mentioned earlier dairy animals are a big commitment. This is because
they are traditionally milked twice a day, at the same time every day. Perhaps
your current schedule doesn't allow for this? There are ways to get around
this and still being prepared. You could for instance milk in the morning but
let the kids nurse during the day. You could also have a small herd that you
do not milk at all, but instead just let them raise offspring until your family needs the milk. Or maybe have a small herd but don't even breed them until TEOTWAWKI. (Needless to say, they will not produce milk if they do not give birth.).
For greater detail on raising goats, I recommend the book: Storey's
Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying
by
JD Belanger.
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Letter Re: Breeding Guinea Pigs as a Protein Source?
Hi Jim;
I remember reading a "review" from a survival-minded individual who raised some Guinea Pigs (cavies) as a test case for survival situations. It took some searching, but I found it on the excellent Alpha Rubicon Web site.
While I was searching for it, I stumbled upon some other sources of information as well:
An article on the pros and cons of cavies as a meat source, from the book "Microlivestock"
And here's an article (in PDF) on cavies for meat production.
And an older article about Peruvian Guinea Pig meat production. I love this line: "Today, churches in Lima and Cuzco still display Indian depictions of the Last Supper with Jesus and the 12 disciples eating roasted guinea pig." Is Guinea Pig even kosher?
Thanks again for my daily read, - JRIP
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Letter Re: Breeding Guinea Pigs as a Protein Source?
Mr. Rawles,
My husband and I are having a preparedness debate that we were hoping you could
shed some light on. While he’s more of a conventional preparer (food,
supplies, guns) I prefer to think of “things” that would help
us survive if we were to ever run out of, or lose the conventional supplies.
This distinct difference in preparation brings me to my story.
Several months ago I was watching a special on, I believe National Geographic,
where the camera crew followed an actor on his journey through the country
of Peru. On his trip he went into the Andes Mountains and spent several days
with a Peruvian family. He tried to learn some of their language, customs,
and try the foods they survive off of. This is where I became interested – aside
from the grains and vegetables that they grow, the main staple of meat for
the villagers in this area are guinea pigs. In Peru guinea pigs are called
Cuy [Cuyes, Cuyos in the plural] and they are considered
a delicacy in many parts of the country, and eaten only on special occasions,
though in
this
village
it seemed to be
a daily occurrence.
My husband thought I was insane for even suggesting that we eat guinea pigs,
and maybe you will too, but my rationale for it is this: In a TEOTWAWKI situation
you can’t be picky about what you eat, and what you eat should provide
more energy than you expend acquiring it. Guinea pigs are easy to breed, easy
to feed, and easy to “hunt” (and by hunt I mean pick up off the
ground). They are high in protein, (supposedly) tender and delicious, and one
guinea pig per person provides a hearty meal.
My question to you is: would you, as the preparedness guru, consider breeding
guinea pigs as a food source - a good move?
Sincerely, - M Q B.
The Memsahib Replies: I bred Cavies
(Guinea Pigs) for several
years. At the peak, I had about 100 of them. In my case, I was breeding them
to develop genetics for good maternal instincts, easy birth, and beautiful
coat colors and coat texture variations. (BTW, breeding cavies is fantastic
for homeschoolers to learn about genetics, since the gestation period is so
short--around 65 days.)
I sold all
of my "extras" (that didn't meet the strict genetic goals of my breeding
program) to a wholesaler that provided young
cavies
to pet
stores and the cavy show trade.
In
all, I sold
about 300. Cavies are quite easy to breed, but raising them to butcher size
might take a lot
of time.
I never raised mine for butcher, but I did raise 150+ Rex rabbits
for butcher. In a survival situation, I'd prefer cavies, since they don't tunnel
(which
would be an escape risk), and they can be successfully bred in colony ground
pens. (This is difficult,
at best, with rabbits, because of their prodigious tunneling, vicious fighting,
and the tendency of mothers to eat their young, when under stress!)
In summary, I have bred both rabbits and cavies. If your goal is to have very
small livestock as a protein source, in a warm climate, then I'd recommend
cavies, for self-sufficiency.
Warning: While rabbits are prone to biting and kicking and
scratching (I have the scars on my forearms to prove it), cavies are so adorable
that there is the risk that in pre-TEOTWAWKI times, family members
may prove too tender-hearted
to
ever
be able
to slaughter,
butcher, and
eat their cavy friends. The grateful "wheet, wheet" call of of a cavy when
presented a carrot treat can melt an owner's heart! I call this Too
Cute Tribble Syndrome (TCTS). But I must reiterate that we had
no such compunctions when it came to rabbits! (They were cute, but they never
"talked
back" to us.)
I've
butchered almost 150 rabbits, with no remorse.
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Letter Re: Home and Ranch Methane Gas Generators
Jim:
I saw the following post concerning Gober ("dung") gas, dated 27 April, 2009,
over at Michael
Yon's web site:.
"During breaks from tracking training – I was sweating like crazy
in the jungle heat – I asked many questions about Afghanistan and Nepal,
and he talked about a simple way to make many of the Afghans lives easier. Most
Afghans don’t even have electricity. When he was about fifteen years-old,
his dad installed a “Gobar Gas” (methane) generator next to the
house in Nepal. The generator is simple: the owner just collects human and
animal waste, and through a fantastically simple process, the contraption creates
methane, which is then used for lighting, cooking, heating in the winter. It
also creates excellent fertilizer, all while improving sanitation. What’s
the catch? None that I’ve heard of. He said that his dad made the first
Gobar Gas system in his village, and today it would costs maybe $300 total
investment. Between their own toilet and four cows, they create enough methane
to cook, heat and light the house. More than two decades after his dad made
it, the thing is still working and doesn’t cost a single rupee to operate.
When the other villagers saw it work, hundreds of Gobar Gas systems popped
up around the village. I’ve seen these systems in use in Nepal, and photographed
one about five years ago. It worked like a charm. But this Nepalese man, a
British soldier, never saw a Gobar Gas system in Afghanistan, but he is certain
that the idea would take hold in the villages. My guess is that the only real
disadvantage is that the idea is incredibly effective, simple and cheap, and
so we probably wouldn’t want to get involved."
Wikipedia has an entry on Gober
Gas.
Regards, - Larry
JWR Replies: The usual safety (for piped explosive gasses)
rules apply, and of course the usual sanitation rules must be enforced, but
this looks like
a great set-up for anyone that keeps livestock. Aunty
Entity would be proud.
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Letter Re: Learning the Details of Self-Sufficiency
Jim,
I'd like to add an additional perspective on the letter on "Learning the Details
of Self-Sufficiency" -- the conscious
competence learning model. I'd like to pull back the shade a bit on why 'just
buying stuff' and reading books isn't going to cut it when the balloon goes
up.
Many folks are 'buying things', reading books, searching the internet with
the thought that when the time comes, they will begin living the self-sufficient
lifestyle in the country. The aforementioned letter points out the folly of
this approach. I just want to take a step back and look at why so many people
are taking an unproductive approach -- it has to do with how people assimilate
new skills.
With a new skill set (like self-sufficient living in this example) a person
at first is unconsciously incompetent (stage #1). Here a person doesn't even
know what they don't know. They certainly don't understand the ramifications
of not having mastery of the things they don't know. Most people stop right
here. They feel safe. In fact, it's not until they go a bit further into consciously
incompetent (stage #2) when they begin for the first time to understand some
of the things at which they are incompetent; and begin to realize the impact
of their incompetence on their desired outcome.
Stage 2 lasts a long time because the more a person learns, the more necessary
skills they uncover, which skills they have no experience whatsoever. It's
not until you actually eat the beans you've canned, which were stored in the
root cellar you made; which beans grew in your garden, which garden you protected
from insects, which plot you cleared from the forest, fenced from the deer,
amended the soil, selected the correct variety of bean seed, planted at the
correct depth,with the correct spacing, at the right time of year, with the
proper sun exposure, etc. Then and only then will you have begun to
have some gardening experience -- for beans. Then you can begin to appreciate
that beans
are not carrots. Carrots have different needs, and hey, wow, I wonder if all
these different vegetables, grains and fruits have different requirements?
Gee, what would happen if I grew my garden in 'compost' I bought from a local
garden center and the entire crop failed, and I couldn't buy my veggies from
Wal-Mart? Last example was a true story for me as a local nursery sold me 10
yards of 'compost' which [later] tested almost zero for N, P, & K. My crops
bolted and died within three weeks.
Stage 3 is conscious competence. This is when you can perform a skill reliably
at will. I can put up more beans this year, I know how to do it; I know how
many rows of what dimension and how much seed I need. I want to put up some
dilly beans, I know how to do that too. I can cook using the blanched and frozen
beans I grew last year.
Stage 4 is unconscious competence. This is where you aren't even aware of the
skills you are using to produce the desired result. People who reach this level
of expertise often can't teach another person how to do what they are doing
because so much ability (not knowledge -- big difference) is assumed. Have
you ever seen a craftsman produce a beautiful result, and make it look easy?
Then you
tried and found, "Hey, this is harder than it looks!" That's what
stage 4 is, and where you need to be before you risk your family's life on
homesteading in the midst of a crisis.
We've only talked about beans so far; how about production quantity gardening
for the 20 or so veggies, fruits, and grains you're going to need? How about
producing pork? Chicken? Rabbit? Lamb? Can you breed, select, grow, cull, harvest,
process, store, and prepare all of these? How about dairy operations? Retreat
security? Redundant water systems in place? Redundant power systems in place
and functioning? Productive relationships with neighbors? Suppliers? I'd like
to give you a more complete list, but I've been doing this for years now, so
I don't even know all I know!
If you aren't doing these things right now, then you won't be any good at them
in a time of need. The only way to gain new skills is by doing.
Take advantage of whatever time we have left before things get much worse,
and go do it! -
Mr. Kilo
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Letter Re: Learning the Details of Self-Sufficiency
Jim,
None of us here can know the hour when 1 Thessalonians 4:16 -17, will come
to be. There are Prophesies that seem to indicate that that time approaches.
But we don't know. We are not Prophets ourselves. We can just know to be ready.
But until that time comes, there are also many other possibilities for which
to prepare. We are in the early stages of a world-wide economic meltdown.
As
that grows worse, it can lead to all sorts of interesting events. Unemployment
will likely lead to increased crime and even food riots. That can lead to the
break down of systems. And that can cause the loss of health care, electricity,
sanitation, water and so on. And that will inevitably lead to epidemics.
The Sun is the "quietest" it has been in many, many years. The last
time Earth experienced so little sun spot activity, hundreds of thousands died
from cold and lack of food because it snowed during the summer. The Yellowstone
Caldera, a super volcano, is 40,000 years overdue to blow. When it does, it
will spread ash across the entire US and block sunlight for years. There is
an undersea volcano off Africa that is in danger of collapse. That could cause
a tidal wave that would take out the entire east coast of the US. ...And then
there is the ambitions of our governments "new friends" in Venezuela
and Iran, and Al Qaeda and N. Korea. An EMP attack
will surely make us all take notice that being "friendly" and acting
weak is no solution to bad behavior by evil people. ..Not to mention what the
closing of the Hormuz Straits
will
cause, if certain folks decide they can get away with it.
And all that is just some of the possibilities as televised on PBS shows in
the last week. Not even alarmist conspiracy theory or doom and gloom, just
Public TV science and reporting.
I am of the opinion that the "first world" industrial societies are
so complex, that they could collapse fairly easily. It's just like my tractor.
For lack of grease, the bearing spun. For lack of a bearing, the field didn't
get plowed. With no turned earth, there was no garden and no food.
In these kinds of economies, small events can have remarkable consequences.
Several years ago, a tree fell against a power line in Ohio. That small outage
spread. Power went off in parts of Canada and as far away as New York. A couple
more trees, and there could be no power anywhere. And then who would there
be to help Florida or Texas, after a hurricane.
So what are we to do? Certainly reading survivalblog everyday is a great start.
Acquiring knowledge thru books is absolutely necessary. Getting training and
practical experience at such schools as Front Sight and Midwest Native Skills
Institute is crucial. You can also volunteer at any of many the open air museums,
and learn about appropriate non-electric skills and tools. But, there is more.
We really need seven day, everyday, experience.
For example, there has been a good bit of discussion lately about "city
retreats". Some folks believe they can make it in a well equipped "abandoned" factory
or warehouse. They will hide in plain sight. That may work for a time, but
what happens when the power goes out, and your stored fuel is used up? You
might have bullets and food stored to last three years, then what? In my opinion,
if you are concerned enough to be reading survivalblog, you ought to be realistic
enough to get where you need to be to survive. And, IMHO, that ain't the city.
You simply won't learn the practical skills needed to be self-sufficient, if
you live on cement
It is remarkably complex to be self-sufficient. Without daily experience, you
are unlikely to make it. It can easily take three years to successfully cultivate
and grow an organic garden. It can take years to really learn to save seeds
or prune a fruit tree. If the electricity goes out, you'll need to be able
to do that and much more. If you can't, your children will suffer. It may take
you a season or two to learn to get your fences built before the deer eat your
crops. (They can clear a garden in one night). It can take years to learn what
you actually need to run a farm. Little things like having lots of nails and
screws on hand. If the big box stores close, how are you going to build shelter
for city family refugees if you don't already have the supplies? And do you
know construction? Do you have the tools? Or, without lots and lots of files
and hack saw blades, how will you work metal when the gas runs out? It takes
more than just having an anvil and hammer. Do you know the simple things like
stacking hay bales on their sides, instead of "strings up"? If the
hay gets wet, the water will run through the bale if it's on its side. The
hay will much more likely mold if you store it with the strings pointing up.
Right now, we all have the time to make such mistakes. It's not yet life or
death. But soon, it may be.
In a crisis, being efficient also becomes much more important. You'll waste
all kinds of time until you learn to carry a tool box on your equipment when
you go to the field. It can be pure aggravation to need a wrench, screw driver
or piece of wire, and have to walk all the way back to the barn. A simple fix
can easily turn into a wasted hour, if you don't have the experience and tools
to know better. And an hour lost is a job undone. That can be very costly.
It's taken me quite some time to learn to consistently keep certain things
lined up by the back door. If I turn on any lights at night, a raccoon or coyote
going after the chickens will run. I've learned, if I hear a noise, to get
up in the dark, put on my boots, which are always where they need to be, have
the other necessaries in easy reach, and to get out the door, silently, to
take care of business. That's not something learned easily or quickly. Just
developing night vision and how to see in the dark, and how to listen to the
sounds of night in the country, can take a lot of time. Not knowing that can
mean losing half your chickens in one night. It happened to me.
It can also take some time to learn which neighbors are reliable and which
farm equipment dealerships are best. You don't want to buy major equipment
from a dealer that has poor service and inventory. And asking for help from
the wrong neighbor can be worse than no help at all.
It can take many seasons to learn the weather of your farm. I know that there
is always a dry week in April when I can till the gardens. If I miss it, and
it rains, it may be May before the ground will again dry out enough to plow.
And when snow comes from certain directions, it may mean I need to clear a
roof before it falls under too much weight. ..It's happened.
It's taken me some time to learn to put a broody chicken in wire cage inside
the hen house. I put as many eggs under her as will fit, put in a bit of water
and food, and shut the door. I've had many a hatch of eggs go bad because the
chicken got up and didn't find her way back. With this little trick of confining
the chicken, I get chicks every time. That's not something you learn just bugging
out from the city.
It's also taken some time to learn that its hard to read by candle light. An
oil lamp is better, it can give between 2.7 to 4.4 candle power, depending
on how wide the wick is. And having an oil lamp with mantle, which gives 40
candle power, (or the equivalent of a 60 watt bulb), is really important if
you have any medical needs at night. I know I much more appreciate sewing myself
up when I can see where to stitch, instead of kind'a poking around by candle
light.
And so it goes. We all know something is coming. Most of us believe it in our
cores. We wouldn't be here otherwise. So, what are you going to do? I believe
the time has come to take action. It may not be comfortable to leave the city
and a well paying job. But you have so much to learn, and so little time. You
really need to get moving. Because the mistakes you will certainly make today,
just may do you in, tomorrow. - Jim Fry,
Curator, Museum of
Western Reserve Farms & Equipment, Ohio
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Letter Re: Recommendation for Kinder Goats
Hi
First, I just wanted to say I loved "Patriots" and have given it away to many
of my friends and adult children.
Concerning "Livestock for Survival, by Bobbi
A." Most
people are not aware of a small meat/dairy goat called the Kinder [, spoken
"Kin-dur".] It was developed over 30 years ago and has gained great success
in competing against
it's larger cousins. This little goat will produce a gallon of milk a day,
is much more feed efficient than other breeds, is small so easy to handle
(especially the bucks) and is stocky so makes for better meat than the other
dairy breeds. Another advantage over other breeds is that the Kinder will
breed all year long so you can rotate your milking does and always have plenty
of milk. The milk is also higher in protein and butterfat so better for making
cheese. This little goat was developed for the small farmstead. The primary
lady behind this breed is a long time prepper and has always believed
the Kinder will get the job done when other goats fail. For further information,
see KinderGoat.com or
contact Pat Showalter, primary founder and president of the Kinder Goat Breeder's
Association at kinderzed@aol.com. And
thanks for all you do. - Jan H.
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Two Letters Re: Livestock for Survival
Jim:
I would like to clarify a point in the article, "Livestock for Survival" by
Bobbi A. Regarding hens going "broody" - Probably not. There are very
few breeds in which the hens will sit on their eggs, and even among broody breeds
(such as Buff Orpingtons, which I raise) only a few hens will become broody.
The broodiness trait has been intentionally bred out of chickens because a
broody hen does not lay eggs. If you plan to raise your own chicks, have an
incubator and power source as a backup.
Also, a suggestion: I have made arrangements with others in my area who
also raise chickens. If I were to lose my rooster or all of my hens for some
reason,
my friends will re-supply me with chicks. I will do the same for them if the
need arises. Having a backup arrangement like that could be crucial. - Stephen
in Florida
JWR Replies: Here at the ranch, our no-tech solution has
been to buy a couple of Bantam hens, for use as
adoptive brooders in any year that we want to raise chicks
from eggs. Since they are raised mostly for "show" rather than egg
production (ha!), banties are notoriously broody.
James,
I don’t know any farmers (or any other group for that matter) who agree
completely on everything. They may agree on a point, but place different values
on the importance of that point. Bobbi knows what he is talking about and his
solutions fit him. I do think he didn’t cover one point well.
I am in the process of bugging out to a very isolated area. (No roads within
miles, etc.) I also suspect that the various municipalities, states etc will
be hard pressed to keep some services such as water going. Cleanliness is next
to godliness as far as disease is concerned, so I expect the filth produced by
lack of water and garbage collection to produce a huge vector for disease. In
a very isolated location, most human to human transferred disease will be unlikely
to be a problem.
Studies have shown that rabbits convert pound for pound of food into about the
same amount of protein as chickens per annum. Certainly no cook would consider
doing without eggs, and rabbits just don’t cut it there. On the other hand,
rabbits are not very prone to getting bird flu either. That is one disease that
my isolation will not help, with crows, etc. having unrestricted license to fly
where-ever they please. I haven’t yet totally decided to have no fowl,
but I am concerned enough to give it very serious consideration. Now chickens
are a much lower priority than rabbits in my book. In my location, getting land
cleared and a first year crop off is easier with hay than seed grains, and rabbits
eat hay. However, your mileage may vary. - Allen
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Livestock for Survival, by Bobbi A.
With a cynical eye on the rapid downward spiral of events, it seems prudent
to plan for a very long time of sustainable living. In this case survival depends
not only on your stockpiled preps, but also in your ability to sustain food
production past the end of your stored supply.
Let’s assume, to begin with, that you have reasonably stocked retreat.
I’m not talking a stock to the level described in “Patriots”,
but rather one that includes a year (or more) of food, basic ammo, firearms,
reliable water, heat and power source … the basics.
Now it’s time to look past the first year or so and decide how you will
continue to produce food and supplies for your family. Hunting is often an
option, but it can’t be considered a long-term complete food source,
as it is not nutritionally complete.
Much has been said about keeping heirloom (open pollinated) seeds, and this
cannot be stressed enough. But you have to plant and harvest a crop each year
to continue to re-supply your seeds. Most retreats seem to be in colder climates
as they tend to have a lighter year-round population load. If you’re
up in the mountains, altitude will play a significant factor in what you can
hope to grow. Staples such as corn require heat days in order to properly pollinate
and “set”. You generally want to lay in a supply of varieties that
have the shortest maturity date. That means from the time you plant that seed
to the time you harvest the crop is the shortest possible number of days.
Using “short season” varieties gives you two advantages. First,
if you have a crop failure for some reason, you can often have time to replant.
Secondly, if you’ve harvested your first crop, you have time to put another
crop in the same space.
As summer approaches, consider a great time to practice crop production, if
you haven’t already. It is not as simple a poking a seed into some dirt.
Get a couple of good gardening books, or better yet, books on basic farming.
Carla Emery’s Encyclopedia
of Country Living and
the Reader's Digest Back
to Basics are
both excellent reference books that cover everything from farming to livestock
to making basic necessities.
Having a huge variety of seeds is not as important as having plenty to the
right seeds for your needs. If you just can’t live without brussel sprouts,
by all means, lay in some seeds. But stick mostly to the basics: wheat, corn,
squash/pumpkin, beans, peas, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, peppers, and your
basic herbs. If you haven’t planted fruit trees, now is the time to get
started on that. It takes several years for trees to be come productive. Also
give consideration to other perennials such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries,
blueberries and grapes. Again, it take a few years for these (except for strawberries)
to get into full production.
Besides your garden, fields and orchards, you’ll need to take a serious
look at what sort of livestock will fit in to your situation. Eventually, you
will probably need some sort of animal power for transportation and heavy work.
The most efficient feed-to-food converter is a chicken. One hen will lay approximately
one egg every other day. Peak production (during the summer) generally is an
egg a day. Winter drops to an egg every third day or so without significant
extra light in the chicken coop. You can expect to raise two or three sets
of chicks each summer. Hens will get “broody” and sit on eggs to
hatch them once the weather is warm. In order for the eggs to be fertile, you
of course must have a rooster. The best ratio is one rooster to every ten hens.
A family of four would do well with 25 laying hens and three roosters. The
extra
eggs
produced during the warm months can be frozen or used for feed for other animals.
You can even feed the [well-pulverized and unrecognizable] eggshells back to
your chickens to give them adequate calcium. During the spring, summer and
early
fall, you
don’t
even have to provide chickens with any feed. They are excellent consumers of
all sorts
of insects and bugs. “Free range” chickens pretty much feed themselves
during the warm months. If predators are an issue though, you’ll want
to keep them in a moveable cage (called a “chicken tractor”) so
they don’t become a snack for some varmint. Raccoons are especially fond
of chickens, as are weasels.
If you know that the stuff is hitting the fan, try to order 50 chicks or so
[and buy a 50 pound sack of chick starter feed at your local feed store]. Chicks
arrive in the mail. Ideal Poultry and Murray McMurray are two excellent sources.
If
you
order “straight
run” chicks,
you’ll
get a mix (about 50/50) of hens to roosters. The best all-round chicken in
my opinion
is the Astralorp. They start to lay early (at about five months of age) and
consistently, they are good mothers and are big enough to still be a reasonable
source of meat. The roosters tend to stay calm and usually are not aggressive.
Chicks will cost you around $1.50 each. The price varies with the breed, the
supplier and the time of year. Ideal tends to have good sales, which you can
keep up with by signing up for email alerts.
Another excellent feed-to-food converter is the basic goat. I’ll say
right off that they are tough to keep fenced in. Goats are terrifically intelligent
and are phenomenal escape artists. If you keep goats, make absolutely certain
that your gardens, crop grounds and trees are well fenced off and well protected.
Goats can decimate fruit trees in minutes. Goats produce milk, meat and leather.
A doe can kid as early as eight months old, but it’s best to wait until
they are yearlings. Goats’ gestation is about five months and they tend
to only breed in months that have “R” in the name (Sept, Oct, Nov,
Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr). There are some aseasonal breeders, but don’t
count on it. If your does are bred in early September, you might be about to
get them bred back again in April, two months after kidding. Goats usually
have twins and triplets. Bucks can be smelly and can be aggressive during rut.
The breed of goat really is an individual preference. Goat enthusiasts will
extol the virtues of their particular breed, but mostly it comes down to basics:
good dairy does will give about a gallon of milk a day. Goat milk, properly
processed, is indistinguishable from fresh cow’s milk. If you have never
consumed fresh milk, you ought to give it a try. It is completely different
from what you purchase in the store. It makes store-bought taste like water.
Goat milk is white, it does not separate as easily as cow’s milk (it
takes longer to skim enough cream for butter), and it is often well-tolerated
by people with lactose issues. During grazing months, a goat will produce milk
just with pasture (grasses, clovers, and browse). A small amount of grain is
nice at milking time so the does will be excited to come in to the milking
area. It beats chasing them all over Creation. IN the winter, they will require
hay and a little grain if you intend to keep milking. Some people “dry
off” their does in the winter in preparation for kidding. You have to
allow about two months of no milking before the doe kids so that her body has
time to produce the colostrum the kids need in order to survive.
Goats are capable of pulling small, fairly light carts and helping with basic
garden work (muzzled, of course). They can work individually or as a team of
no more than two. They are also good packers capable of carrying about 30 pounds
(for a full grown adult goat). For a family of four, two or three does and
one buck is plenty. And yes, you can keep doe kids and still breed them back
to
their sire (or their brothers).
Line breeding is not recommended over the long-haul, but it’s perfectly
fine until things stabilize and you can trade genetics with a neighbor.
Sheep are extremely important, in my opinion, but are rarely discussed. They
don’t have a terrific feed-to-food ratio, as they require a bit more
protein. But for what they give you in return, they are an excellent survival
animal. Besides meat and terrific hides, sheep produce wool. Wool is one of
the very best natural fibers. It is somewhat flame retardant, retains its warmth
even soaking wet, and is incredibly versatile. It can be spun into yarn, felted,
woven, and even worked with “raw”. Lanolin is the “grease” on
the wool. Once cleaned, it is an excellent, lasting softener for badly chapped/burned
skin.
Sheep are not very smart, and so they really require looking after. If you
have a predation problem, you’ll want to keep sheep close-in, or have
some sort of guardian (human or animal) with them at all times. Sheep are similar
to goats in breeding and birthing habits. In fact, you can keep sheep and goats
together without any problems. They do not interbreed (although you may see
the males trying it anyway).
Merino sheep are the best for fine wool production: the kind of wool you can
wear next to your skin and not feel “itchy”. They are hard to find
in the United States. Virtually any sheep, except “hair sheep”,
will work for survival purposes. Larger breeds such as Columbia, Suffolk, and
Corriedale will have more coarse wool, but they will produce bigger (meatier)
lambs on less feed.
Like goats, you’d want two or three ewes and one ram. Rams can be dangerous.
Repeat: rams can be dangerous. There is a product available called a “ram
shield”. It is a leather piece that fit over the ram’s face so
that he can’t see straight ahead to charge. However, his vision is fine
for eating and wooing the ewes. (By the way, it works on goat bucks, too).
After one Suffolk ram kept charging me, it is standard on our rams except for
the Merinos. I’ve never had an aggressive Merino ram. Not to say it couldn’t
happen; it just hasn’t happened yet. Merinos are smaller and when the
rams fight during rut, the Merinos can take quite a beating. With the other
rams wearing shields, it helps keep the Merinos from getting clobbered. It’s
best to have a separate ram area away from the ewes once the girls are bred.
It’s just safer for the shepherd/ess during feeding and lambing time.
Hogs are not for everyone, but they are one of my favorites. They produce a
lot of meat, they are smart and easy to manage if you treat them decently,
and they can grow fat on table scraps, roots, and forage. One sow can produce
20 or more piglets in a year. That a lot of meat and useful fat (soap-making).
My experience is that colored pigs do better on pasture and forage than white
pigs. I have no idea why this is true, but it seems to be. I don’t think
the breed makes much difference, as long as the pigs aren’t white. Contrary
to the stories, pigs do not like to be dirty. However, they cannot sweat to lower
their body heat, and they must be provided with a place to cool
off. A shallow concrete “pool”, access to a creek or pond, or even
occasional hosing off will work. If pigs cannot get cooled off any other way,
then they will wallow in a mud source.
Pigs “root” (dig) almost from the minute they are born. This is
a terrific help in the fall when you want to get your garden turned over. They
are omnivores and will graze, browse, and yet still consume table scraps and
meat. Pigs are a good way to dispose of any accidental animal carcasses that
you can’t eat yourself. Pigs are extremely smart (some say smarter than
dogs). Boars can be dangerous, just like any other male, especially when he’s
chasing a female. If you see the boar slobbering (white foam), stay out of
the pen. He’s wooing a lady. We tame our pigs by hand-feeding eggs to
them. After a few days, the pigs will come when you call. I have never even
been charged by a pig, and I feel comfortable around ours. However, I never
forget that they have razor-sharp teeth and that they weigh about 600 pounds
when full grown! I never let the kids go into the hog pens unless I am standing
right there. We’ve never had a problem, but I don’t believe in
being foolish either.
Sows’ gestation is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. Sows will have between
8 and 15 piglets per litter. Many times, sows will have fewer “faucets” than
piglets and you’ll have to make sure every gets their fair share of food
in the beginning. Within a week, the piglets will be running everywhere and
helping themselves to whatever Mom is eating. Piglets can be weaned at one
month, but we generally leave them on until the sow weans them herself. The
nutrition they receive from the sow doesn’t cost me anything and it helps
the piglets get an excellent start.
Pigs can be butchered at about 160 pounds, which will give you about 80 pounds
of meat and 20 pounds of lard. Pigs raised on pasture have much less lard and
more lean meat. A little corn each day will help them gain weight faster, but
much of that weight gain is fat and is probably a waste of valuable resources.
One sow and one boar will keep your family fed and provide lots of meat for
trade.
As for larger stock, cattle and horses are generally what most people think
of. They have great benefits but also great draw-backs.
Cattle produce milk, meat and hides. They also have a poor feed-to-food ratio
compared to smaller stock. However, cattle can provide muscle as oxen for pulling,
farming, and carting things around. Oxen can be male or female, so even your
milk cow can be your ox in a pinch. Cows eat a lot. Figure on a milk cow eating
30 to 50 pounds of hay a day in the winter time. That’s a lot of hay
if you’re putting it up by hand. Bulls are dangerous, but necessary to
keep your cow bred (unless you can trade for the service a neighbor's bull).
It takes about a year or so to get a calf to butcher size, which means you’re
going to be feeding that calf over the winter (more hay). However, your cow
will
produce
five to eight gallons of milk a day (on average). That’s a lot of milk
for your household, for trade, or for feeding chickens and hogs. Cow milk separates
easily.
A cow’s gestation is about nine months and they will breed any month
of the year. You can continue to milk the cow up until about two months before
she calves. Cows usually have just one calf. Dairy cows produce far more milk
than beef cows, but they have less meat. A good solution is to have a dairy
cow and a beef bull. The resulting calf will have more meat at butcher time.
However, if you’re trying to raise a replacement milk cow, this won’t
work in the long run.
There are many breeds of dairy cows. Dexters are excellent dual purpose (milk/meat)
for a small group. They are little cows, about the size of a pony. They consume
half the feed of a full size cow, produce two to three gallons of milk daily
and have a beefier carcass. They dress out at about 65%. The down side is that
they are still relatively expensive ($1000 for a cow/$800 for a bull). If you
look carefully, especially in this down economy, you can probably find them
quite a bit cheaper. Dexters are docile and make excellent oxen.
Jerseys are another “homestead” favorite due to their smaller size
and high percentage of butterfat in the milk. Jerseys are 800-1,000 pounds
full grown and produce 5-to-8 gallons of milk daily. The milk is rich in butterfat
and slightly sweet. I think it’s the best milk. We have a Jersey cross
milk cow for our family’s use.
Horses are a huge help, but not necessary to survival. They consume a lot of
feed without producing any food in return. Most of the work horses do can also
be done by oxen. However, I’d rather ride a horse than an ox any day.
If you have plenty of pasture, plenty of feed and plenty of shelter during
storms, then by all means keep a couple of horses. Again, a mare or two and
a stallion keeps things sustainable.
It’s unlikely that most people would be able to keep each of these animals,
or even that they would want to. The idea is to carefully consider what you
need to supply for your family over a period of years. What livestock can you
add to your retreat planning to help insure a sustainable food supply? Other
possibilities include rabbits (meat/hides), geese (down/eggs), ducks (higher
protein eggs) or domestic turkeys. Both of the books mentioned above for farming
practices have a wealth of information for small-scale livestock production.
The other thing to consider is mobility. If you’re already living at
your retreat, adding large stock is relatively simple. If you’re going
to have to bug out, you’ll have to consider what you can take. I know
that I can put three goats, three sheep, six piglets, and 30 chickens in and
on the back of my Suburban. I know because I tried it. It took me 30 minutes
to
get
all of them safely loaded and/or crated. [JWR Adds: My #1
Son mentioned that you should have videotaped this exercise--it would be very
popular on YouTube!]
I’d
have to leave my cattle and horses if I had to bug out, but I could take enough
livestock
to
keep us
going
for the foreseeable future.
So give consideration to what you will do when your stash runs out. How will
you feed your family, your neighbors, your group if hunting is difficult or
impossible? What can you do that is sustainable and practical? Think about
what works for you in your situation. It’s easy to butcher poultry. It’s
a bit more complicated for sheep or goats, and it takes some serious planning
for a 600 pound pig!
Think ahead and be prepared.
« Economics and Investing: |Main| Letter Re: A SurvivalBlog Reader at Front Sight »
Letter Re: Successfully Trolling Craig's List
Mr. Rawles,
At the risk of turning on my local competition to the positive aspects of the
free section of Craig's
List,
I thought I would mention a few of the things I've picked up in the past
couple of weeks. These include:
A new round oak dining table and four oak chairs
Three boxes of canning jars with lids
A commercial fishing net (40' x 60'), to be used for keeping birds and other
critters out of the garden
36 Concrete cinder blocks (approximate value $130)
Remington electric chain saw (yes, it works!)
30+ wooden pallets (can be used for the usual "pallet" stuff, or
for use as firewood/kindling)
Commercial nursery went out of business; so I got more than 1,000 plastic seed
starting pots in 3 or 4 sizes (filled my pick-up to the brim).
5 Commercial toilets (out of a church - they were remodeling; two for my current
residence, and two for our retreat, plus one spare, for parts)
4 Large two-drawer cabinets
A 25 foot fifth-wheel insulated trailer for moving gear and supplies up to "der
bunker", and subsequent use for weather tight storage. (Try to get insulated
containers versus single wall, as there is almost no "sweating" inside)
The list goes on. . . .
As this current economic crisis gets worse, more and more folks are going
to be displaced, and not having the money to move their possessions they either
just
abandon
them,
or place free ads on Craig's list or elsewhere.
In addition, Craig's List is a good source for many other items at very reasonable
prices.
Keep your eyes open. On the more valuable items you have to be quick, sometimes
responding within minutes. On many items we realize as survival oriented, most
folks don't have a clue, so you might have more time.
One thought I had on the pallets for firewood/kindling is that while they are
readily available now, in the future they may be less easily found. Now they
can be cut into smaller pieces with a skill saw and/or electric chain saw,
stored in fifty-gallon plastic trash cans for next winter, or whenever you
might need them. Once TEOTWAWKI happens,
going outside to hunt firewood may not be such a good idea.
So, if you have Craig's List in your area, keep checking the free section every
now and then. There is no telling what you might find. - Chet
JWR Replies: I'm also a big believer in Craig's List. One
important note: In the long run, Craig's List only works if folks "return the
favor." Be
charitable whenever you have things in profusion--even when it is
just zucchini
squash.
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The 19th Century Home Retrofit, by Y. Cornelius
By now most SurvivalBlog readers have gone about your preparations for your
ideal home or retreat cabin, all storage food and tools acquired, fuel stored,
generators
ready, PV panels carefully concealed and hooked up to the battery bank. You
and your family or group are ready to handle the coming collapse, but are
you really? Are you ready to do without? Without that generator when
the fuel runs out, or a critical piece is worn out and a new one cannot be
had? At some point
your supplies will be used up, storage fuel consumed and there may not be any
to refill your tanks or more realistically you may be priced out, or it will
be too dangerous to “run-the-gauntlet” and get more. Can you manage
in your place without electricity? Can you cook with wood? Do you have space
enough to process the abundant food you grow and must preserve either by canning
or other means? Can you move throughout your buildings without being seen from
the outside?
My point, is your place set up to function as a 19th century homestead?
My wife and I bought an old New England farmhouse many years ago, it is nothing
fancy and looks like so many others in our area, it is a traditional connected
farmhouse meaning that the buildings are all linked-up, yet they have different
roof lines and are of different sizes. It is best summed up as a “Big
House,
Little House, Back House, Barn” and this is the title of a wonderful book
written by Thomas C. Hubka which details the reasons for the ways structures
developed. (If you want a leisurely read on the history of these buildings, I
highly recommend this book.) Anyway, we bought this type of farm house and have
been in the process of renovating it over many years, although the renovation
could more reasonably described as going back to the future. One of the many
wonderful things about an old house, and when I say old I mean over 150 years
old, is the ability to reuse much of the lumber in the walls, floors, and ceilings
or the masonry whether it is brick or stone, Ours is a timber frame with some
masonry on the exterior and is incredibly well built and has a brilliant house
plan. I realize that many people are not up to the task of going through this
sort of process, but you could build your current retreat or home to some of
these specs. Our home for example was built just after the War of 1812 it was
fully functional for a family of eight with room for boarders/labors and or relatives.
The kitchen is large while many of the adjacent rooms are small (less space to
heat) all the rooms are situated around two large central fireplaces and have
thimbles to allow for a small wood stove in each, the rooms can be closed off
when not in use, thus not taking valuable heat from other areas. In the basement
there is a large hole in the floor; it was a cistern, but was allowed to fill
in with junk, perhaps it was considered a “sump hole” by later inhabitants
since there was evidence of long overworked pumps in under the silt and gravel.
I have cleaned this up and now have a source of water right in the house, (this
water will still need to be treated since it is technically surface water being
only ten feet below grade), but it still offers water for cleaning or for our
animals.
There is a large “root” cellar to store food stuffs and
canned goods. (It could double as safe room or vault if needed and may well have
been at one point since the opening is nondescript and hidden from plain sight).
Also there is a summer kitchen, at first I wondered why this was necessary, it
appeared to be redundant, but further study enlightened me to the fact that this
area was a vital part the home complex. First it served to allow a large un-insulated
cook area that was necessary during the harvest time to allow heat to escape
from the constant fire in the cook stove during the canning, it was also a place
that field labors had their meals prepared and ate without having to clean themselves
up much and not dirty up the regular kitchen. The buildings between the summer
kitchen and barn (sometimes it is one long building divided only internally or
there are up to three distinct roof lines and end walls that divide them) any
how these areas were used in a variety of ways to allow a small cottage industry
to occur, in-fact these were simply work areas that were sheltered from the often
harsh and wild weather we experience. One could be for wood storage, for tools
(a sort of machine shop), or areas for processing wool from sheep. The point
is not to recreate that lifestyle but to utilize that mindset and build similar
multi-purpose structures.
Our Home:
We have “renovated” our home to fully function without electricity.
Now, we have multiple generators, a significant storage of fuels and food. I
and am currently finishing up with the PV panels and battery bank/inverter set-up,
going through all the motions to secure some sense of normalcy; but in-fact we
do
not “need” those items to exist here, they are an extra. We can heat
with wood and with a solar hot water system connected to baseboard radiators
as well as a copper coil running through the wood fired furnace [for when there
is not solar gain or during a heavy snowfall]. (The hot water moves via thermo-siphon
no electricity needed only check-valves to keep the hot water moving in one direction).
Our kitchen is “modern” but if the power is out we can cook on our
wood fired cook-stove, it is about 120 years old and with a little “TLC” is
now fully functional not to mention beautiful to look at. We can also bake in
a bee hive oven built into the massive central chimney which I rebuilt and lined
with modern flues. I left one of the original fireplaces, installed airtight
doors and an exterior air vent, while on the other side made the other fireplace
into a large wood storage container.
Overall, your retreat needs to be functional without electricity, things will
eventually break, or you simply run out. Focus upon knowing how to live your
life with little to no electricity or “conveniences”. The primary
goals must be on heating your home and preparing food without petrochemical
fuels, most modern homes are particularly horrible in this area. Change your
mindset; you cannot store enough for the really long haul.
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Letter Re: Some Preparedness Lessons Learned
James,
The need for usable skills in tough times, goes without need for embellishment.
The grand question is: which skills are the most valuable? In any situation
the basic needs are obvious – food, shelter, and clothing. Choosing what
I would concentrate on learning, became predicated on what I could do, and
what the community could provide in stressful times.
I moved some time ago from the gulf coast to Tennessee to retire and begin
preparing for the coming events. I moved into a community which is pretty much
self sufficient, mostly by religious choice. Livestock husbandry ranges from
cattle (mostly for milk), goats to chickens, hogs and horses.
I began to raise goats several years ago, starting with Boer cross. After several
discussions I have crossed them with a strain of milk goat to reduce the size
(and therefore the quantity of meat to be preserved) and gain the benefit of
milk products. I researched the process of cheese making and using products initially
supplied from New England Cheese Makers, learned the processes. It was very interesting
to discover that the rennin (for assisting in cheese making) actually comes from
the stomach of ruminators, another by product of the goats.
Preserving meats became my next concern. When talking to many folks, they believe
that they will just run out and kill fresh meat when needed. Not only will the
game be decimated in no time, but without a method of preservation it is wasteful.
Preferred methods around here are smoking, honey and salt boxes for curing and
preserving. The use of honey as a preservative turns out to be one of the very
best. Honey has a natural bacteria inhibitor, and curing smoked meats in honey
just makes life better. This in turn has determined the need for bees – My
neighbor already has a couple of hives which produces enough for now. The use
of honey reduces the dependence on obtaining sources of salt. In addition they
are many maple trees in the area which folks tap during the winter and early
spring. Many families have ponds a raise fish, which are canned by cold packing
or salting and drying.
Having fresh water is a paramount concern. Even with a spring the water quality
can change with the amount of rain causing algae blooms. These can range for
digestive distress to just foul taste. The stream water cannot be used without
treatment, as we have otters, beavers, coyote, foxes, and a whole range of other
critters, so amoeba type problems are probable. Boiling water is the surest,
but is often not the most practical. Any numbers of excellent water filters are
available, but the Big Berky is the most popular here. In any case the water
has to be pre-filtered to remove organic matter. This can be done by straining
through
a clean cloth, then passing through/over a disinfecting agent such as a silver
compound, or the addition of non-detergent bleach. The next best is a cistern
collecting rain fall, but even this can have issues as it tends to clean smoke
dust and pollen from the air on its way down.
As for the vegetable gardens the goats do help with the fertilizer which is composted
and added to the garden. The area I live in is pretty much a “rock farm” so
there is a constant need to remove the rocks from the garden areas and add in
soil from the hills behind us. This soil is usually pretty acidic with all of
the hardwood trees. Most folks use lime from the feed stores – haven’t
found a good substitute yet.
Clothing is one of the details that I have struggled with. The ability to produce
cloth is beyond most of us. Wool makes for great outer wear, but lousy underwear.
Goat hair can be made into quite durable garments, somewhat at the expense of
comfort. We have chose to use GI surplus wool socks, sweaters, BDUs
(because they are very durable) and purchase and store long and regular underwear.
We
do have a real cobbler in the community that does make very nice shoes/boots,
but I still have a back up pair. Many women here weave or quilt (using discarded
clothing as well as new cloth). I do keep some “unisex” clothing
on hand for whomever – mostly in the form of overalls. They are fairly
cheap and commonly worn in the area, and during the cold weather are an additional
layer. We have had most days at or below freezing and night down to zero. I have
looked into tanning leather – it is a noxious process and can be done.
I am choosing to have the hides tanned while I still can and store them against
the future need as clothing.
Our cabin is solid cedar timbers, and smells great! The downside is that there
is a constant need to stay on top of the chinking and calking, to reduce drafts – I’ve
used 22 tubes already this winter. We thought that pellet stove would be a great
idea – wrong. First it requires electricity. With the
power out you have to fire up the generator which is noisy and uses expensive
fuel. Second the stove
can burn corn or compressed hardwood pellets. Corn is food or the animals and
us, and tough enough to grow enough as is. Besides using the corn leaves the
odor of burned popcorn as exhaust. Compressed wood pellets are used on an average
of 80# per day at a cost of ~$9.00 / day. Pulling the stove this spring and going
to a straight quality wood burning stove that can be used to cook on. To back
up a wood burning stove an axe, buck saw, splitting wedges or a maul, and or
chain saw are required based on how much free time you can devote to it. Setting
aside wood requires a year round effort to keep from killing yourself. Although
we have electricity I do have a pitcher pump ready to install in the event it
is needed. And have simple kerosene lanterns for light. I prefer the straight
wick models, as the mantels have become very had to come by recently.
Health concerns in rural living also means, that you have to have a working knowledge
of first aid and basic medicine. The Red Cross has good courses on first aid
and the older Boy Scout manuals give an acceptable knowledge as well. Around
here there is a good deal of herbal medicine practiced. This is good for preventive
and minor issues. I have chosen to invest in some older college texts on anatomy,
physiology, and pharmacology, and a physician’s desk reference. These books
help in diagnosing, but will be of minimal help if/when the main line drugs are
not available. They are great for showing how to stitch and bandage wounds more
severe than the first aid books cover. We keep a well stocked medicine chest
with off the shelf medicines, and rotate them as needed. As we find local remedies
that are effective, we also include them (i.e. willow bark tea as a substitute
for aspirin).
I have learned rudimentary blacksmith skills, and collected some of the tools
as well as books on the subject. I can fashion horseshoes, wheel rims, forge
weld, make cut nails and a few other tasks as required. There are many better
skilled in this community and it will be more time efficient to trade/buy their
services.
I have a full time gunsmithing business which has been sorely needed in this
area – seems like everyone has one that they need fixed. So much for a
retirement business….
The acquisition of books, and how to reading material can spell the difference
between existence and some degree of comfort. In addition it is my considered
opinion the education of young people is severely unbalanced. The possession
of text books, classics, and recreational reading allows one to educate children
when contact is limited. The community has a long history of home schooling.
These kids routinely pass the high school exit exams (same tests as the state
requires for graduation) with higher scores, and at an earlier age. Most parents
seek out folks whom are well versed to teach the children. Oh yea, one by product
is that the kids are very respectful, and thoughtful.
In conclusion I thought that preparation for tougher times meant more beans,
bullets, and bullion. As it turns out, the retraining of my mind and attitudes
has presented the larger challenge. Understanding how you store food, is nearly
as important as what you store. What you can make is as important as what you
can do without (toilet paper?) Knowing that one person cannot do all that is
required, only means that you learn the skills to assist your community which
will supplement everyone’s survival/ quality of life. I thought that being
retired would allow me to kick back and enjoy some good libations. It has turned
out to be the greatest learning curve of my life – and I love it. Jim’s
preparedness course is a great place to start. But the real preparedness is in
the doing! - Dennis S.
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Depression Proof Jobs for a 20 Year Depression - Part 2: Developing a Home-Based Business
Yesterday, in Part1, I discussed the "safe" and counter-cyclical occupations
for the unfolding economic depression. Today, I'd like to talk about one specific
approach:
self-employment
with a home-based business.
I posted most the following back in late 2005, but there are some important
points that are worth repeating:
The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell
me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full
time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: "...but
I'm not self-employed. I can't afford to live in the country because I can't
find work there, and the nature of my work doesn't allow telecommuting." They
feel stuck.
Over the years I've seen lots of people "pull the plug" and
move to the boonies with the hope that they'll find local work once
they get there. That usually doesn't work. Folks soon find that the most
rural jobs typically pay little more than minimum wage and they are often
informally
reserved for folks that were born and raised in the area. (Newcomers from
the big city certainly don't have hiring priority!)
My suggestion is to start a second income stream, with a
home-based business. Once you have that business started, then
start another one. There are numerous advantages to this
approach, namely:
You can get out of debt
You can generally build the businesses up gradually, so
that you don't need to quit your current occupation immediately
By working at home you will have the time to home school your children and
they will learn about how to operate a business.
You can live at your retreat full time. This will contribute to your self-sufficiency,
since you will be there to tend to your garden, fruit/nut trees, and livestock.
If one of your home-based businesses fails, then you can fall back on the
other.
Ideally, for someone that is preparedness-minded, a home-based business should
be something that is virtually recession proof, or possibly even depression
proof. Ask yourself: What are you good at? What knowledge or skills
do you have that you can utilize. Next, consider which businesses will flourish
during bad times. Some good examples might include:
Mail order/Internet sales/eBay Auctioning of preparedness-related products.
Locksmithing
Gunsmithing
Medical Transcription
Accounting
Repair/refurbishment businesses
Freelance writing
Blogging (with paid advertising) If you have knowledge about a niche industry
and there is currently no authoritative blog on the subject, then start your
own!
Mail order/Internet sales of entertainment items. (When times get bad, people
still set aside a sizable percentage of their income for "escape" from
their troubles. For example, video rental shops have done remarkably well
during recessions.)
Burglar Alarm Installation
Other home-based businesses that seem to do well only in
good economic times include:
Recruiting/Temporary Placement
Fine arts, crafts, and jewelry. Creating and marketing your own designs--not "assembly" for
some scammer. (See below.)
Mail order/Internet sales/eBay Auctions of luxury items, collectibles, or
other "discretionary spending" items
Personalized stationary and greeting cards (Freelance artwork)
Calligraphy
Web Design
Beware the scammers! The fine folks at www.scambusters.org have
compiled a "Top 10" list of common work-at-home and home based business scams
to beware of:
10. Craft Assembly
This scam encourages you to assemble toys, dolls, or other craft projects
at home with the promise of high per-piece rates. All you have to do is
pay
a fee up-front for the starter kit... which includes instructions and parts.
Sounds good? Well, once you finish assembling your first batch of crafts,
you'll be told by the company that they "don't meet our specifications."
In fact, even if you were a robot and did it perfectly, it would be impossible
for you to meet their specifications. The scammer company is making money selling
the starter kits -- not selling the assembled product. So, you're left with
a set of assembled crafts... and no one to sell them to.
9. Medical Billing
In this scam, you pay $300-$900 for everything (supposedly) you need to start
your own medical billing service at home. You're promised state-of-the-art
medical billing software, as well as a list of potential clients in your
area.
What you're not told is that most medical clinics process their own bills,
or outsource the processing to firms, not individuals. Your software may
not meet their specifications, and often the lists of "potential clients" are
outdated or just plain wrong.
As usual, trying to get a refund from the medical billing company is like trying
to get blood from a stone.
8. Email Processing
This is a twist on the classic "envelope stuffing scam" (see #1 below).
For a low price ($50?) you can become a "highly-paid" email processor
working "from the comfort of your own home."
Now... what do you suppose an email processor does? If you have visions of
forwarding or editing emails, forget it. What you get for your money are instructions
on spamming the same ad you responded to in newsgroups and Web forums!
Think about it -- they offer to pay you $25 per e-mail processed -- would any
legitimate company pay that?
7. "A List of Companies Looking for Homeworkers!"
In this one, you pay a small fee for a list of companies looking for homeworkers
just like you.
The only problem is that the list is usually a generic list of companies, companies
that don't take homeworkers, or companies that may have accepted homeworkers
long, long ago. Don't expect to get your money back with this one.
6. "Just Call This 1-900 Number For More Information..."
No need to spend too much time (or money) on this one. 1-900 numbers cost money
to call, and that's how the scammers make their profit. Save your money --
don't call a 1-900 number for more information about a supposed work-at-home
job.
5. Typing At Home
If you use the Internet a lot, then odds are that you're probably a good
typist. How better to capitalize on it than making money by typing at home?
Here's
how it works: After sending the fee to the scammer for "more information," you
receive a disk and printed information that tells you to place home typist
ads and sell copies of the disk to the suckers who reply to you. Like #8,
this scam tries to turn you into a scammer!
4. "Turn Your Computer Into a Money-Making Machine!"
Well, this one's at least half-true. To be completely true, it should read: "Turn
your computer into a money-making machine... for spammers!"
This is much the same spam as #5, above. Once you pay your money, you'll
be sent instructions on how to place ads and pull in suckers to "turn
their computers into money-making machines."
3. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)
If you've heard of network marketing (like Amway), then you know that there
are legitimate MLM businesses based on agents selling products or services.
One big problem with MLMs, though, is when the pyramid and the ladder-climbing
become more important than selling the actual product or service. If the
MLM business opportunity is all about finding new recruits rather than selling
products or services, beware: The Federal Trade Commission may consider it
to be a pyramid scheme... and not only can you lose all your money, but you
can be charged with fraud, too!
We saw an interesting MLM scam recently: one MLM company advertised the
product they were selling as FREE. The fine print, however, states that
it is "free
in the sense that you could be earning commissions and bonuses in excess of
the cost of your monthly purchase of" the product. Does that sound like
free to you?
2. Chain Letters/Emails ("Make Money Fast")
If you've been on the Internet for any length of time, you've probably received
or at least seen these chain emails. They promise that all you have to
do is send the email along plus some money by mail to the top names on
the list,
then add your name to the bottom... and one day you'll be a millionaire.
Actually, the only thing you might be one day is prosecuted for fraud.
This is a classic pyramid scheme, and most times the names in the chain
emails
are manipulated to make sure only the people at the top of the list (the
true scammers) make any money. This scam should be called "Lose Money
Fast" -- and it's illegal.
1. Envelope Stuffing
This is the classic work-at-home scam. It's been around since the U.S. Depression
of the 1920s and 1930s, and it's moved onto the Internet like a cockroach
you just can't eliminate. There are several variations, but here's a sample:
Much like #5 and #4 above, you are promised to be paid $1-2 for every envelope
you stuff. All you have to do is send money and you're guaranteed "up
to 1,000 envelopes a week that you can stuff... with postage and address
already affixed!" When you send your money, you get a short manual
with flyer templates you're supposed to put up around town, advertising
yet another
harebrained work-from-home scheme. And the pre-addressed, pre-paid envelopes?
Well, when people see those flyers, all they have to do is send you $2.00
in a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope. Then you stuff that envelope with
another flyer and send it to them. Ingenious perhaps... but certainly illegal
and unethical.
From all that I've heard, most franchises and multi-level marketing schemes
are not profitable unless you pick a great product or service, and you
already have a strong background in sales. Beware of any franchise where you
wouldn't have a protected territory. My general advice is this: You will probably
be better off starting your own business,
making, retailing, or consulting about something where you can leverage
your existing knowledge and/or experience.
---
In closing, I'd like to reemphasize that home security and locksmithing are
likely to provide steady and profitable employment for the next few years,
since hard
economic times are likely to trigger a substantial crime wave. After
all, someone has
to keep watch on the tens of thousands of foreclosed, vacant houses. (If not
watched, then crack cocaine addicts, Chicago syndicate politicians, or other
undesirables might move in!)
« Letter Re: Buying Kindle Reader for Accessing Survival References? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Depression Proof Jobs for a 20 Year Depression - Part 1: The Counter-Cyclical Jobs
The current economic downward spiral has prompted several SurvivalBlog readers
to write me and ask: "My job is now at risk, so what are the safe jobs?"
I've actually addressed this topic fairly well since I started SurvivalBlog
in 2005. We ran a
"best recession-proof jobs" poll, back in May
of 2006. Then, in February, 2007, we ran a
poll on "Best Occupations for Both Before and After TEOTWAWKI".
Later, we even ran a
poll on the current occupations
of SurvivalBlog readers. In the past three years, we've also
posted a panoply of more detailed employment-related letters and articles on
subjects such as:
How
to set up a home-based second business,
Bartering
skills,
Home-based
mail order businesses,
Small
sawmills,
Gunsmithing,
Handloading
ammunition,
Horse
breeding,
Rabbit
breeding,
Small
machine shops,
Selling
and bartering through Freecycle,
Selling
and bartering through Craig's List, and
19th
Century Trades.
And those were just the ones that I found in a cursory 10-minute search of
the SurvivalBlog archives. There are many more. Just type a topic
into the "Search Posts on SurvivalBlog:" box at the top of the right -hand
bar.
(We now have
nearly 6,200 archived articles,
letters, and quotes!)
Which Jobs Were Safe in the 1930s?
One good insight on the near future can be found in the past. (As Mark Twain
said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.")
According to statistics
published
some 20 years ago by Dr.Ravi
Batra, the safest businesses
and industries
during
the
worst
years
of the Great
Depression
(1929-1933) were:
Repair shops
Educational services (A lot of young men that couldn't find work borrowed money
to go to trade schools and college.)
Healthcare services
Bicycle shops
Bus transportation
Gasoline service stations
Second hand stores
Legal services
Drug or proprietary stores
To bring Batra's list up to date, I would speculatively add a few more
sectors and business that are likely to do well in the next
depression:
Home security and locksmithing (since a higher crime rate is inevitable
in bad economic times.)
Entertainment and diversions, such as DVD sales and rentals. People will
undoubtedly want to escape their
troubles!
Truck farming and large scale vegetable gardening (since just 2% of the population
now feeds the other 98%--whereas back in the 1930s the US was still a predominantly
agrarian society)
Export consumer goods. (Starting in late 2009 or early 2010, the US Dollar
is likely to resume its slide versus most other currencies)
Tomorrow, I'll post Part 2 of this article, in which I will focus
on home-based businesses.
« Letter Re: Navigating by the Stars |Main| Note from JWR: »
Making the Transition to Country Life, by Bois d'Arc
Many readers of Survival Blog are either in the process of moving to a lightly
populated area or actively planning to bugout to such an area when the balloon
goes up. Twenty years ago I moved from the edge of a large city to a fairly remote
property, and have been quietly setting up the doomstead and perfecting skills
ever since. In the process, I became part of the fabric of country life here
and have learned some valuable lessons which may benefit the rookie country dweller.
Most full-time country residents are descendents of frontiersmen who ventured
into the wilderness with little more than a rifle, axe, team of horses, and a
large supply of guts. Country people hold many of the same attributes as their
forebears; competence, toughness, perseverance, and a willingness to help their
neighbors, be it for common defense or a barn raising. Many of these traits are
at odds with modern city life supported by a specialized full-time job. Your
transition to country life will be smoother if you consider the following:
Country People are Closet Doomers:
They can do lots of useful things such as shoe a horse, grow corn, weld, back
a trailer, milk a goat, make tamales, catch a wild cow, troubleshoot an electrical
problem, can a tomato, and shoot lights out. And that's just the women.
People here are armed every day as a matter of course. Most have been shooting
all of their lives, so the level of firearms proficiency is way above average.
I see lots of casual ARs and scoped bolt actions, so if my neighbors and acquaintances
are any barometer, potential rampaging MZBs are in for some exceedingly
tough sledding.
On a related note, there are a few bad apples in the country, but most tend to
migrate to the anonymity of the cities. The outlaws who remain are generally
well known to both law enforcement and the population at large, and are easy
enough to avoid once you plug into the local grapevine.
Be Scrupulously Honest:
Country people don't care that much what you think or how you wear your hair
as long as they can trust you. Lie or stiff a merchant one time and in 45 minutes
everyone in the county will know it, guaranteed.
On the flip side, if you've been given too much change or an error is made in
your favor with a bank deposit or charge purchase at a merchant, politely point
out the mistake and insist on paying the correct amount. While such a gesture
will usually be met with stunned disbelief in a large city, in the country it
will be acknowledged with a nod and sincere appreciation. And never doubt for
an instant that the country grapevine will work in your favor as the word spreads.
When I first moved here, I was able to open an account with any business in town
simply by asking if I could charge a purchase. No references, no questions, no
credit check, just an address so they could send a statement at the end of the
month. Such an accommodating policy would most certainly not have been the case
had I been late in paying those first bills.
Money is Overrated:
Country people never forget a kindness; they also rarely forget a transgression
against good manners or honesty. The most valuable commerce in the country is
not conducted in dollars but in trading, gifts, being owed a favor, and goodwill.
Become Part of the Community:
Self-sufficiency is a worthy goal, but in truth perhaps the most useful survival
skill is contributing to a community which has a stake in your well being. To
my mind, being able to call upon neighbors for specialized assistance or trade
is just as important as beans, bullets, and Band-Aids.
Schools and churches are the glue which binds a country community. If you have
children in local schools or choose to attend church, tapping into country networks
will be greatly accelerated.
Also, small communities run largely on volunteers, so consider volunteering at
the library, as a fireman, at sports fund raisers, community cleanup, or meals
on wheels. JWR Adds: If you homeschool your kids, be sure to
join the local
homeschooling "co-op" group. You will be sure to meet the preparedness-minded
folks in your community.
The Country is a Time Warp:
Time passes slower here, as it's based more on the seasons than on a clock.
Fight the city urge to hurry everywhere. Tasks are completed when time, required
supplies, and any needed help are available, and not on an arbitrary schedule.
Parts are generally not readily available as they are in a city, you might have
to order a particular part and wait days or weeks for it to arrive, and perhaps
have to improvise in the meantime.
The two main time-related lessons you’ll learn is that weather can throw
a kink into any plan, and maintaining household water supply trumps almost every
other concern. You’ll soon adopt a mañana attitude about
most other projects, as there is always plenty more to be done while waiting
for specific parts or
supplies.
Slow down enough to take time to talk about the weather, trade recipes, talk
gardening, help a neighbor with a project, and to watch a sunset.
Seek Out Those with Useful Skills Now:
Country life requires a generalist rather than a specialist, so trading your
particular skills – whether carpentry, electrical expertise, or knowing
what’s wrong with a row of beans - with neighbors in exchange for their
skills just makes sense. In fact, there is even a term here, “neighboring”,
which refers to a group effort of working each landowner’s livestock in
turn without hiring outside help.
I have also become acquainted with various people who have huge gardens or dairy
goats or sheep or hogs or teams of horses and mules or a small band saw mill
for
making lumber. Such people often don’t advertise and they may be hard to
find, but the search is potentially of huge benefit to the astute survivalist.
As an example, there is a man here who has an old steam-powered grain mill. Another
has a tiny combine for harvesting wheat and oats in the scattered small plots
where it is grown in this area. Up until now, I haven’t used their unique
services, but still make it a point to give these men a quart of honey from our
hives every summer.
You will choose to help many of these people in time of trouble, just as they
will choose to help you, but in the meantime always exercise OPSEC about your
underlying motivations and preps. Country people have a wide independent streak
so your desire to be more self-sufficient will never seem out of place.
Country People are Provincial:
But largely by choice, which doesn't mean they are stupid or uninformed. The
vast majority are Internet savvy and many are exceptionally well-traveled and
well-read. More than a few have made the decision to leave a lucrative city existence
in exchange for country life. The level of overall awareness is high, so you'll
hear more commonsense over a cup of coffee than you'll ever hear from Washington.
A few recent quotes I’ve heard regarding our current economic meltdown:
“I was going to sell all of my calves last fall but held back four in case
my
freezers start to look empty.”
“We’re breaking some new garden ground this spring, going to plant
a lot
more potatoes than we usually do.”
"I bought two more cases of .223 ammo, just in case the rabbits go on the
warpath.” Listen and learn.
Never Underestimate the Amount of Work Involved:
Few farms or ranches here are entirely self-supporting, with one or both spouses
usually working a “regular” job. The pay scale is considerably lower
than in a city, so often people work two or even three jobs in order to live
well. This is in addition to farming and working livestock on their own places.
People work hard, and that’s in relatively good times.
If this economy continues to unravel, more subsistence-level farming and ranching
may well become the norm, and that’s when the work really begins. Growing
and processing most or all of your own food requires a tremendous amount of labor
and expertise, with constant effort from everyone involved. Have no illusions
about some idyllic country life of sitting on the porch all day, chewing on a
grass stem while contemplating the vista. The trick for making subsistence agriculture
work is for everyone to always be doing something constructive, whether it’s
hoeing weeds in the garden, building a chicken coop, shelling beans, cleaning
a firearm, playing with a toddler, or rereading one of your how-to books.
With that said, no family or survival group can possibly be competent at all
of the skills required. This is when being on good terms with neighbors becomes
essential; give them half of a fresh beef now for the cheese they can provide
later on; the pickles you made are a fair trade for his baskets of peaches; your
stash of supplies may well allow you to trade for a rooster and five hens (along
with some expert advice on getting started); if you can provide the diesel, your
neighbor might plow your garden plot after your tractor has thrown a rod. - Bois
d'Arc
« Letter Re: Kids and Home Security |Main| Note from JWR: »
Perspectives on Prepping on a Very Low Income, by Kuraly
I was raised in a missionary family, on nine different mission fields around
the world. At the age of nineteen, I went out to serve the Lord on my own in
the former Soviet Union. I had no formal Theological training, but was accepted
by the missionary societies of my denomination because of my experience under
my father and my willingness to go to dangerous areas.
I married, and my wife and I have now six children. A few years ago, due to
some changes in my theology, I fell out of favor with my denomination and had
to return home to the USA. I was faced with a situation of suddenly having
to feed and care for a large family with: 1. no formal education/training/skills
of any kind and 2. very little understanding of the southern American culture
that I found myself living in. I was forced to take very low-paying jobs and
survive on a low-income.
With our savings we were able to buy a small rural house and 7.5 acres in the
southeast. We were able to pay cash, I wanted it to be ours with no strings
attached, regardless of what the future held. I figured that at the very least
we would have a roof and some plantable land. I bought in the area my parents
lived in to help care for them as they progressed in years.
Our income is very limited. I work at just above minimum wage. I work a full-time
job and another part-time job. I am thankful that the Lord provides.
As I studied current events I became concerned about the possibility of a world-wide
economic and/or societal collapse of some kind, or a societal break-down here
in the USA resulting from any number of possible reasons. I had witnessed the
chaos of the nineties in the former Soviet Union, had watched doctors and physicists
sweep streets and live off of potatoes and bread for months on end, and I was
concerned about my responsibility to feed my family should a similar collapse
happen here.
What can you do when you have very limited means? Actually there is much you
can do. It amounts to setting goals and getting your family on board with you.
The first thing I did was (after my wife and I had many long talks and she
began to see things in a similar way), I gathered the family around and explained
everything to them. I explained about our limited means, exactly how much money
was coming in, how much went to utilities, fuel, etc. I explained what I believed
the dangers were. I explained what we needed to do as a family. Let me interject
here that after being born and growing up on a third-world mission field, they
were far from spoiled children! They were accustomed to living in tight quarters,
washing in cold water, eating cheap, and basically just "roughing it."
My first priority was for two weeks worth of provisions. We began to buy a
few extra cans of food when we went shopping. I set a goal of 20 dollars per
week for prepping. Some weeks ten dollars of canned goods and/or dried foods
like rice, beans or noodles, and ten dollars in ammo or medical supplies. Some
weeks just food, some weeks just extra gasoline. We bought gas cans at thrift
stores and garage sales for a dollar apiece, Large scented candles (better
than nothing) at closeout sales and garage sales for 30 and 50 cents, and just
about anything we could scrounge that might come in handy if the lights went
out. It did not take us long to build up enough supplies to last two weeks
in an emergency. We had enough gasoline to drive to work for two weeks (if
needed), enough food for our family plus a little extra, and candles, radios,
batteries and other odds and ends to get by.
I had also along the way added
to my ammunition stocks for my Winchester .30-30, and my bolt-action .22 LR.
After we reached the point where we felt we had enough for a two-week catastrophe,
we began to focus on the six-month time frame. This opened up many entirely
new possibilities. since the food required for this amount of time was such
a major expense, we had to make sure that it would last for several years.
This raised the issue of long-term storage in buckets, mylar bags and oxygen-absorbers.
We had to save for months to buy an order of oxygen-absorbers and mylar bags
on e-bay! We found low-cost buckets and began to fill them with rice, feed
corn, corn meal, noodles, beans etc. Anything that was inexpensive. We taught
the children to like corn-meal mush and grits since they might get quite a
bit of it one day!
Gradually we worked our way up to 30 buckets. At this point I made a strategic
decision. I decided that we needed to invest our extra funds in gardening.
Not entirely stopping the food storage, but reducing it in favor of procuring
means and experience in growing and canning our own food. We began to buy canning
jars and lids to put away in the attic for the future. My father gave us a
tiller with a blown engine which we were able to get fixed, and we began to
garden. The first garden was not very well thought-out. Some things grew, some
did not. But we learned. We learned first-hand what pollination means and about
soil fertility. We learned about bugs and blight. We gained valuable experience.
We also invested in chickens, and watched some of them die, some of them be
eaten by neighbor's dogs, some get eaten by our dogs, and the hardy survivors
begin to lay eggs. We watched them eat their own eggs and learned to give them
calcium. We let half of them free range and half range in portable pens that
we built which have an open floor that we could move each day to fresh grass.
We learned how to make them roost and lay where they were supposed to.
We bought some rabbits and learned a lot, real fast! We experimented with many
types of portable cages for rabbits which would allow us to move them from
one grassy spot to another without giving them time to dig a burrow. Sometimes
we would wake up and find rabbit carcases torn to shreds, because a neighborhood
cat had gotten to them. My kids handled most of this, and they learned things
the hard way.
If you haven't figured it out yet, We were totally green. I spent my life traveling
and overseeing the translation of Christian literature into foreign languages.
My wife is a musician. We had zero experience at any of this, and no one around
that we knew to advise us. We had to learn everything from scratch. We bought
a goat and promptly saw it attacked and killed by a stray dog. That hurt,
financially as well as emotionally. After sending the dog to join the
goat "on the other side", I bought another goat. and then another.
These have survived. We have learned to care for them.
Gradually I am seeing my children grow confident in their relationship to the
animals under their care. Gradually we are learning the needs of these animals
and how to make them produce for us. If we had had some kind of hands-on training,
it would have saved the lives of a lot of animals, but we didn't. I am happy
to announce a much higher survival rate for animals that we bring home now.
I felt like I needed a greater firearms capability (what man doesn't?). I thought
long and hard. At first I bought a Mosin-Nagant since they were so cheap ($75)
and the ammo was dirt-cheap as well. I then began to consider what type of
semi-automatic I could afford. I looked at the prices of ammo which was very
critical since I would have to train my entire family to shoot. At the time
the best deal for us appeared to be the SKS rifle.
It was cheap (a good quality Yugo[slavian SKS] was less than $200), dependable,
semi-auto and the ammo was
very cheap at the time. I later added a cheap 12 gauge pump, and last but not
least,
a
17 round Bersa Thunder 9mm. After purchasing these guns I began to pick up
ammo for them when I could find it on sale. I have gradually gotten up to about
500 rounds for each of them.
I then turned my attention to our home and it's defense. While we live in the
country, we are close to our neighbors 100 yards +/-, about five miles from
a small town, about 15 miles from a large town, and about 90 miles from Atlanta
(upwind fortunately). My greatest concern is our proximity to the road. The
house is only about 65 feet from the dirt road in front of our house. A looter
or burglar/rapist could be at the door or windows before the dog barked. In
response to this my next expenditure is to be fence posts, fencing, and barbed
wire, along with a row of thorny bushes in front of the wire next to the road.
Our house is a soft target, offering no ballistic protection. My remedy/forlorn
hope is to have plenty of sand and gravel on hand, and to start checking the
thrift stores for pillow cases to buy and store. perhaps we would have time
to bag up sand bags and at least harden up certain corners or rooms of the
house. We also have several large piles of sandstone (we live on top of a mountain)
which could be placed strategically and then perhaps sand bags on top of that.
We could also cut logs and add that to the mix.
Our water supply is a [grid-powered] electric well. This is one of my biggest
worries. We have made it a priority to buy a generator at least strong enough
to run
the
well and freezers for an hour or two a day. I know that this is only a temporary
solution but is about all we can handle right now. I am very thankful for the
non-fiction writing contribution about the siphon pumps for wells such as mine,
that offered up new possibilities which I have not had time to address yet.
We also have a neighbor 1/4 mile away which has an artesian spring on his property,
though it has extremely high iron content. I have purchased two 330 gallon
plastic livestock watering tanks and several drums which I can fill at the
first sign of trouble. I can also load them on my little trailer and pull them
down to the neighbor's to fill up from his well. I just need to check on the
ramifications of the high iron content.
I am also trying to fill up as many containers as possible with gasoline. I
add Sta-Bil and plan to use/rotate it yearly (as long as the price stays low).
I would like to keep at least 250 to 500 gallons on hand at all times. I buy
old gas cans at yard sales and just found a source for cheap 55 gallon drums
with sealed lids ($3). I may start using them instead.
Our immediate plans are to build more pens and raise more chickens and goats,
maybe a pig or two. We also look forward to planting a much bigger garden this
spring and maybe use some of our hard-won experience of last year. We also
want to involve the kids in martial arts classes if we can afford it, as well
as herb-collecting hikes from the local community college field school (which
are free and fun). We want to spend more time with them in the woods and in
the garden so that they feel comfortable there and begin to think about survival
from their own perspective. We also are beginning to exploit the library for
free resources for them to study on various topics.
The future of this country looks grim. As Christians we have "read the
back of the Book" and we know Who wins. Our responsibility is to be good
stewards of the talents we have, perform our duties as husbands and wives,
mothers and fathers, and ultimately, to trust Him for that which is beyond
our vision and power.
« Economics and Investing: |Main| Real World Observations on Fighting Crime and Criminals, by Eli »
Letter Re: Gaining Situational Awareness and Old-Time Knowledge
Jim,
Situational Awareness has a number of definitions, from the rather complex
to the "simple". They include:
- The process of recognizing a threat at an early stage and taking measures
to avoid it. (Being observant of one's surroundings and dangerous situations
is
more an attitude or mindset than it is a hard skill.)
- The ability to maintain
a constant, clear mental picture of relevant information and the tactical
situation including friendly and threat situations as well
as terrain.
- Knowing what is going on so you can figure out what to do.
- What you need to know not to be surprised.
This comes to mind because of my recent reading of your novel, "Patriots".
(An excellent book. A must have for any "prepper".) The book
is primarily about a group of people who joined together to survive in the "days
after". The daily requirements of surviving in times of roving bands of
criminals and martial law enforcers were covered rather forcefully. Many of the
challenges they faced required an armed response, and situational awareness was
often discussed. For the kinds of situations in which the "Patriot" folks
found themselves, the extremely helpful explanations of such matters as OPSEC and
LP/OPs are very helpful to anyone facing what is soon coming for many of
us.
As the book describes, situational awareness is absolutely vital to survival
and success in our near future.
But, while situational awareness is most commonly thought of as a conflict skill,
there are also other kinds of situational awareness. On Yahoo Groups, there is
a discussion group about surviving in the days after. One of the most prolific
writers has several times recently warned the readers to "Get out of the
cities now !". He's even suggested moving to very unpopulated areas and
using wood pallets to erect shacks. IMHO, this is a suggestion that will cause
many people great harm. Folks, with little or no preparations, suddenly moving
to the land to escape the "Golden
Horde", will likely fail or die.
Just reading the stories of the many pioneers who moved west, will quickly sober
you up from any "can do/don't know" thinking.
I have lived nearly all my life on a farm. I have developed a deep knowledge
of the land. It has come at the great expense of many missteps, failures, successes,
hard work and time. I call it having situational awareness of the environment.
I know what certain kinds of clouds mean when forecasting tomorrow's weather.
I know that the vine-like plants with three shiny leaves aren't so good to eat
or touch. I know a dead snake can still bite. People just coming to the land
for
the first
time will have little of that knowledge.
For untold years and many generations, the knowledge of how to live on the land
and be self-sufficient was passed down thru families. In farm country, school
was often found at the back fence. If you or your Grandfather didn't know something,
the farmer next door often did. I remember many times in my youth when I'd be
out working the land and the guy next door would be out on his. Often as not,
we'd stop and stand by the line fence and talk. ...And I learned lots. But, now,
much of this passing on of knowledge is lost. Farmers more commonly sit 12 feet
in the air, driving an air conditioned combine, following the turns suggested
by the GPS receiver
on the dash. Your parents most likely worked in a factory
or
a
shop, than on a farm. What was common family knowledge just a couple generations
ago,
such as maple syrup making, canning, gardening, butchering, animal husbandry,
etc., etc., is gone. The "chain" is broken. Without
this great deal of passed on knowledge and experience, nearly any farm endeavor
can, and often
will, lead to unexpected disaster.
This is where Situational Awareness comes in. "The need to know, so as not
to be surprised." The list is endless, but for starters:
- Knowing the good bugs from the bad in the garden
- Knowing fresh horse manure
will kill a garden, fresh chicken m. will help
- Knowing only 3 or 4 ounces
of yew leaves--a common landscape plant in much of
the US--can kill a horse
- Knowing how to split wood so that the axe won't
glance off and chop your leg
- Knowing that burning certain kinds of wood in
your wood stove means you need to clean the chimney twice a winter so you
don't burn down your house [with a chimney fire]
- Knowing the nice, fresh,
clean, free flowing, mountain stream may be full of giardia.
- Knowing that,
when plowing with a horse, you should never tie the reins together and put
them around behind your back so your hands are free to handle
the plow.
(This was the way it was done in the novel "Dies the Fire" [by
S.M. Stirling).
If your horse happens to shy and takes off running, you will be dragged along
the ground
and be seriously hurt. The proper way to plow is with the reins over one
shoulder and under the other. Then, if your horse runs, you just duck your
head and
the reins slide off.
- Knowing that crows in the garden are bad because they
eat the new planted seeds, but crows around your chicken coop are good
because they keep away
the hawks
that will eat your chickens.
- Knowing that if your tractor suddenly starts
making a new sound, this is not good. Stop immediately and figure out what's
going on, before something
breaks.
- Learning to look around you when walking, instead of only staring
at the ground for
your next step, (as most people do).
And on it goes. I have lived decades on the land. There's not a day goes by
that I don't learn something. But even with all my handed down knowledge and
hard-fought
experiences, I'm not even sure I could make a go of suddenly heading out
to the "country" to build a cabin and barn, till the soil, cut fire
wood, store food for man and beast, and more. It's just awful hard without lots
of prep's. And I can tell you, without an extensive knowledge of what the "environment" around
you is telling you, it's darn near impossible. ...(Taking a walk in the woods
can hurt just as much as a walk on certain inner city streets.)
So what are you to do ? Well, having a "G.O.O.D." bag
and great escape vehicle is a start. Having supplies, tools and seed already
in place really helps.
But once you get to your retreat site, have a plan, have some knowledge of how
to do, what to do. Practice now. If you think you're going to learn while living
in a wood pallet shack, you won't. You'll most likely die. If there's no more
Elders to ask, get to know the other "elders"--books.
Go to local farms and ask to spend time just helping, so you can learn something.
Go to a school to
learn skills; like tracking, orienteering and fire building without matches;
(one of the best, imo, is Midwest Native Skills Institute). Never take charcoal
or
lighter fluid on a picnic, learn to gather what burns. Go camping in winter,
instead of just when it is "pretty" outside. Find a "big animal" vet.
and ask to attend and help when birthing a calf. Most especially, turn off your
tv. Use your time to learn to sew, or knit, or make soap. Pick up (fresh) dead
animals on the road and practice skinning them and then tan the hide. [JWR
Adds: Needless to say, consult your state Fish and Game laws before
doings
so!]
Find
local crafts people
and
acquire
a
skill,
such
as
weaving,
or
candle
making,
or
tin
smithing, because having a survival trade in a cashless society may keep you
alive. Learn to listen. Throw away those darn ear plug music things. Learn situational
awareness. What is the wind telling you about the day ? What does the sudden
and not normal crowing of a rooster warn you of ? What does the setting of the
moon in a certain place on the horizon tell you about the season ?
Learn what it takes to live on the land, before you have to suddenly move there.
Learn what nature, the land, and new tasks are telling you, before you find yourself
in a difficult situation, ...(un)aware.
- Jim Fry, Curator, Museum of Western
Reserve Farms & Equipment, Ohio
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Letter Re: Denominating in Time Versus Dollars
James,
Today I picked up 200 pounds of pearled barley from my local health food
store that had ordered it for me. As I loaded it into my living room so I
could
mylar seal it, I flashed on what it would have represented in terms of time
(man hours) in an earlier age. To get that 200 pounds of barley, I would
have had to:
1) Have land
2) Have seed
3) Till, irrigate and plant the land
4) Protect the crop from birds and thieves
5) Harvest, thresh and transport the grain
The number of man hours required to get 200 pounds of grain would have been
enormous, compared to the amount of time I had to spend to make the money to
buy the grain.
As we witness the collapse of the current economic model, I have begun to ask
myself not just how much something costs, but if I had to make it or do it
myself, how much time would it take. From this perspective, the relative value
of things change. Wheelbarrows and horses aren't necessary, but they sure are
faster and easier than transporting things on my back. Water filters aren't
necessary, I can chop and carry wood and boil water, but this takes more time
then using a water filter. - SF in Hawaii
JWR Replies: The foregoing observation becomes even more
sobering when you consider the prospect of doing work with "the sweat of the
brow" versus diesel fuel
or
electricity. Engine-powered and electrically-powered equipment
is a tremendous labor saver. As my grandfather Ernest
E. Rawles was fond of
saying: "There's
nothin'
like power
tools!" That saying has been passed down to my children.
Woe be unto us, if
and when we live through an age with a significant disruption in the supply
of diesel fuel and gasoline. Presently, here at the Rawles
Ranch we burn about three
cords
of firewood each winter. We could
get by with
just two cords. But even that represents a tremendous amount of effort if
it must accomplished without the aid of a chainsaw. A four day job becomes
a four
week job. Nearly the same ratio applies to hand tilling and to hand scything.
Someday,
a pair of well-trained draft horses with pulling tack and tackle
might be worth a king's ransom.
Prepare for times of fuel scarcity. Start looking
for high-quality used hand tools. Here is a short list: Axes, timber jacks,
timber cross-cut saws, splitting mauls and wedges, scythes, wheeled-cultivator,
spading
fork,
a
hand-crank or treadle bench grinder, a brace and bits, carpentry hand saws
(cross-cut and rip) a pair of come-alongs, a hand
crank meat grinder, a hand
crank wheat grinder, a post hole digger, wheelbarrows, garden carts,
and so forth. A "WTB"
ad on Craig's
List is a great
place to begin gathering such tools inexpensively.
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Two Letters Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale
Jim,
For starters I would like to say that Jim you are dead-on with your Delta
Junction recommendation. I live near Delta. And it is some of the finest
farm land in the
world. everything grows amazing here. Some of the information in the previous
letters is wrong and I would like to clarify them . The growing season may
be a little shorter in days of light, but in total hours of light it is much
longer than other places. It gets light here in May and gets dark at night
again in late August. Some vegetables will grow great, some don't do so well,
Corn doesn't like it, but potatoes grow without trying. And as for isolation,
that's the idea. Things are harder to get, but you learn to live with less
and enjoy it more. As for power, at least in the Delta area you do not need
to worry about that in the winter, solar is awesome here in the summer, but
in winter the wind is ever present. I have four wind generators that I built
from old car alternators and Fan blades. I never had a loss in the battery
bank.
I live off of their grid anyway, so I am used to adapting.
As for the wood
situation, certain types of trees do incredibly well here, And they grow faster
not slower, I have trees that I know weren't there ten years ago and are over
twelve feet tall, Spruces grow well here, and birch is my main heat, I have
a fair sized house, and a new, catalyst stove and burn 5-to-7 cords of wood
per
winter.
Fuel is more expensive here, but it fluctuates like anywhere else,
buy when the price is low, and stockpile it. In this area it is common for
people to have a couple of 1,000 gallon tanks buried in their yard, Moose and
caribou ar always around as a meat source, as with buffalo in this area. (Yes
we have buffalo in Alaska). Along with Many other species of flora and fauna.
On the other hand Alaska is not a place for those who can not take care of
themselves. In this area it is not uncommon to see the temps dip below -60,F.
I have seen -72. It is dark all winter, And the stores never have what you
want.
There is plenty of water though, my well is thirty feet deep, and the pump
is set down to twenty feet, My suggestion for people who are thinking about
moving to Alaska is simple, Unless you have lived a subsistence lifestyle for
a while, are used to constant extreme weather changes, and can do it on your
own, stay where you are, or find some place else. As for me, I will never go
outside [Alaska] again, you can keep it. - Z. in Alaska
Mr. Rawles
I too am a long time reader and this is also the first time I have written.
I urge all of your readers to take head to Mr. Galt's letter concerning Alaska
as a retreat locale. It is harsh up here. I live in Delta Junction area and
love it. We have been here for over 10 years now and have our place set up
pretty well. We live off grid and in the bush, hunt, fish, trap, mush dogs
etc. etc. I wouldn't encourage anyone to try to move here and set up a retreat
this late in the game. We just went through a couple weeks of -50 to -60(Tok
recorded -78) temperatures then 70 m.p.h. hour winds that blew down many
trees and damaged a lot of structures. These things are a regular occurrence.
A lot
of Russian immigrants have moved from the lower 48 into the Delta area. Most
of the ones I have met seem to be good people but most live off welfare.
When the welfare stops we'll have problems. The bad bunch of them are thieves
already not just the Russian but Americans also. The Russian community has
a bad reputation for it though. Anyone planning to move here and find a job
might be in for a rude awakening.
The local jobs don't pay enough to live on the grid and the government jobs
stay filled mostly. Delta is profiting from a small military bubble economy
brought
about
by the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense
(GMD) program but with you know in office now all that could come to a
screeching halt at anytime. Because of the GMD program everyone around here
thinks their land has gold on it and prices it
accordingly.
Yes, Delta does have a big farming community. Most of the farmers get buy
living off of government programs and are deeply in debt. The ones that don't
live
off the program hurt. Most farms lay dormant wile collecting CRP checks.
I have heard that there will be no more new CRP contracts in the future. The
fertility of the farm land has gone way down too because of the climate here.
The cold doesn't allow much time for plant matter to decompose plus it's hard
to have crop rotation with only Barley. (Barley, hay grasses, potatoes, and
carrots are the main crops grown here.) For the last three years we have had
a frost in the middle
of August that pretty much killed any vegetables that were not in a green house.
Wells in Delta are any where from 40 to 450 feet in depth. If you buy land
where there is bed rock you may drill 450 deep and still get mastodon pee to
drink. Wells are at $50 a foot this year. Better plan on how to get water out
of the well when the power goes down. Currently heating oil is 2.23 at the
pump in town, more if its delivered. Diesel is currently $3.69. It hit $5 last
winter. Fire wood from Delta Lumber is $180 per cord until they run out for
the winter other sources are up to $250. The people from Delta lumber are great
people and will work themselves silly trying make sure no one goes cold. I
have seen one add for firewood for $300 per cord. Dry firewood is a must because
-50 the soot form green wood builds in the chimney thus creating chimney fire.
A friend of mine got burned out at -50 for that very reason. They didn't get
in enough dry wood for the winter. Luckily they were able to run to separate
garage and no one suffered any cold injuries. Finding a place to cut fire wood
now is getting hard to find.
Most people here are enjoying high power bills now since Golden Valley increased
their rates. The average size house power bill is running $300- $400 [per month]
in the winter maybe less if your really frugal. You have to keep your vehicles
plugged in. In a diesel that is like running a 1,500 watt electric heater.
Wind power is a possibility if your turbine can withstand the wind. Closer
to the mountains it has been 100 mph. The wind here isn't steady it is really
gusty, not good for turbine. Rent is running around a $1,000 and up for a three
bedroom home. Certified sewers are from $6,000 to $16,000 depending. Cost to
build is running around the $150 per square foot range and going up.
If you don't know how Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) will affect you, then
you's better find out before you try to make a permanent move here. Cabin fever
has been the demise of many people who move here and plan to live the wilderness
experience. The only cure for it is to be outside. It don't matter what the
the temp is you got to get out side when it's light. SAD has be the cause for
suicide, alcoholism, and drugs. People do the latter two to cope. I personally
have never had it. I have too much work to do. People who don't procrastinate
and get all there chores done and food stores in order for the winter and plan
to stay in the cabin for the winter suffer the worse. We don't procrastinate
but we don't stay in either. The cabin is only a place to warm up, eat and
sleep. Living is done outside the cabin. We trap, mush dogs, care for the horses,
cut more fire wood when it's not too cold, fire up the blacksmith forge, build
some log furniture. It is easy to get lazy and lethargic during the winter.
You have to fight the urge daily. We had a couple move in not to far from us.
I told the lady to make sure she kept the windows uncovered in the winter.
Well, they were the lazy type and didn't ever have enough wood cut so they
covered the windows and blocked out some of the cold but mostly the light.
They made
it though one winter but the next one they didn't. They pulled up [stakes]
and left middle of the winter.
As much as I love living here, if I were looking for a retreat locale this
late in the game then it would be some place more hospitable. We did move here
for the
lack of people and when things get even worse I expect people to start migrating
out of Alaska especially the interior. It requires a lot of hard work to live
here more especially so if your living off the land. How would you like to
cut 20 cords of wood with a hand operated saw and axe when you run out of gas
and or you saw goes down? Running chain saws in the sub-zero weather is hard
on them. Better get extra clutches for them. What about when the mosquitoes
bloom and you have run out of bug dope?
Hunting is decent here. The Russian community poaches a lot of the moose in
the Delta management area. They do it to eat. I am not knocking them for that.
When the SHTF it
will be even worse therefore even we will have to start going further into
the bush to hunt using sled teams to get there. If you plan to
have dogs and sled they require a lot of food. [Here they eat mostly] fish.
The salmon that makes it this far inland is [best -suited for] dog food. It
is pretty beat up by the
time
is gets
here.
The flesh is a faint pink to gray color as they are close to the end of the
life span. Anyone planning to come to Alaska to survive the upheaval better
have there you know what together or they won't make it. This land is unforgiving
and the least mistakes get big in a hurry. Sorry that my letter has gotten
so long but I want people to know what they are getting into if they come here
thinking
it's paradise. It ain't. but it's the life we love. People here are willing
to help if you are not stupid. Our favorite saying around here is "If
you gonna be dumb then you'd better be tough" - C.B.
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Letter Re: Bloom Where You're Planted
Thank You Mr. Rawles,
My husband and I are new readers of SurvivalBlog; we have been so encouraged/convicted/moved/enlightened/blessed
by your wisdom.
Gertrude's
"Bloom Where You're Planted" article, for me, was amazing.
It's the "if
she can do it, anyone can do it' - I am encouraged. I don't really have words
for
what
I'm
trying
to say, just that I don't feel so overwhelmed now after reading her words.
We
are just in the baby beginning stages of preparedness. My amazing husband
is leading us in the most right direction, and is a very steady purposeful
man. I trust him and his ability completely.
I think to sum up this attempt at an email to you Mr. Rawles, is that hearing
Gertrude's calm direction and wisdom has changed my entire approach, or my
thinking....does that make sense?
Ultimately, my trust rests in my most Gracious God, and then, He knows my
fears and doubts and places folks like Gertrude in my path. I am grateful.
Blessings on you, - Kristy in Oregon
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Letter Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale
Mr. Rawles,
Although being an avid reader, this is the first time I have written your site.
The letters posted on your site today respecting Alaska as a retreat locale
raised a few possible issues in my mind. First of all, let me say that Alaska
is my favorite place in the world, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
However, as a retreat locale, one may want to think twice unless the situation
forces their location there. Also, it is important to remember that the conditions
and terrain in Alaska are very wide ranging, depending where you are. The
climate can range from arctic in the north to relatively mild in the south.
I have heard the climate in the south compared to that of the mid-Atlantic
states on the East coast.
Most parts of the state are totally without agriculture, but there is some
in the Matanuska-Susitna
Valley. The growing season is usually around 100 days
long, and can produce huge vegetables because of the length of the days. Some
vegetables do well there, such as potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
Therefore, if one intends to do any kind of farming in Alaska, the "Mat-Su"
Valley is where it is possible. However, there is a major drawback to this
fact,
from
the perspective of retreat logistics. The Mat-Su valley is one of the most
densely populated areas of the state. It has, as of late, been converting
to suburban communities for workers who commute to Anchorage. As we all
know,
the suburbs are a bad, bad place to be WTSHTF.
And even if one were to build a retreat in a section of the valley not yet
suburban, there is no way to
know that it would remain so for the next five years or more.
Prepping before the SHTF is
made more difficult by the state's isolation. Building materials, fuel,
food, guns, ammo, medical supplies and any other product must be shipped in
from the [continental] US or elsewhere.
This makes these
products not only
more expensive, but generally less available, especially outside of the urban
centers. Ordering off the web makes them easier to get, but the shipping
is still expensive. Fuel of any kind is the most expensive in the nation,
and
ammo is pretty over-priced, too.
Fuel, as one letter pointed out, is a major problem. Getting by without fossil
fuels is a main goal of most preppers, and it may prove more difficult in
Alaska. Solar is out, at least during the winter. Not only is there very
little light,
but it is less intense than elsewhere, due to the oblique angle at which
it hits the state (as it is so far north). I don't know a lot about wind,
so that
may be a possibility. If it was, any parts would be difficult to get. As
K.L.'s letter says, firewood is a possibility, but this raises three issues.
As he says, with no gas or diesel = no power tools to cut [and haul firewood].
Any broken hand tools would be irreplaceable, and even having extras is likely
not enough
when you plan to cut by hand and burn firewood for a very extended period
of time.
Hand cutting firewood is also time consuming.
Since it would need to be done in the summer, it would take up time for farming
and other chores. This might not be a problem if you are part of a large
retreat group, however. Also, felling trees, in any way, especially by hand,
is extremely
dangerous. I would strongly recommend a logger certification class for anyone
planning to possibly use firewood as a retreat fuel. Although the course
will focus on mechanical forestry, the safety principles are the same universally.
Third, unless one has a retreat on a very spacious lot, it is possible to
run out of firewood to cut. Trees grow much slower in Alaska People who
do not heat
their homes in this manner would be surprised at the amount of fuel a wood
stove can use in a winter. For instance, to heat the house on my family farm,
it
takes roughly 10 to 15 cords to get through the winter,
with a little to spare for safety's sake. And that is back in New York, not
Alaska. Imagine cutting
that much
firewood on a 25 acre lot for five years or more. One may be able to cut
off of their property, but that is a bad way to meet the neighbors, especially
after
TSHTF.
This letter ran much longer than I planned, and I would like to go on further,
but time prevents me from doing so. In short, think twice about a retreat
in Alaska. It is absolutely possible, but would present much greater difficulties
than other feasible places. In the lower 48, one can find the same type of
isolated area, but with:
Better farming conditions
Lower prices in general
A climate not requiring huge amounts of fuel for the winter
Ability to travel through the US without crossing international borders
(If they still exist after TSHTF)
And so forth...
If you think you can do it, then go for it. My wife thinks I'm trying to keep
it all for myself. - J. Galt
JWR Replies: Thanks for that input. I have my doubts about
the viability of the Mat-Su Valley in worst-case collapse. Its proximity to
the hungry, teeming
masses of Anchorage is troubling. Alaska cannot feed its population, even
in today's economy, and one can only wonder what it would be like grid-down,
with no
fuel available.
I encourage anyone serious about living in Alaska to look
at the
Delta Junction area, in Alaska's interior. I haven't been there since
the summer of 1980 (when I attended the U.S. Army Northern
Warfare School), but it struck me as a very productive agricultural
region.)
« Two Letters Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Bloom Where You're Planted, by Gertrude
I write this to encourage everyone to begin preparing right now, whatever your
financial situation and physical location in life. We are one of the many
families that don’t live in a sparsely populated western state and
don’t
have a retreat that is fully stocked, off-grid and off-the beaten path. But
we are very aware of the precarious situation that our country is in and we are trying as best we can to be prepared. Doing a little
bit consistently every day will add up very quickly and you will be better
prepared every day as you go along. Doing this will also do wonders for your
mental outlook.
To give a little background: our household consists of my mother and myself,
along with four cats, three dogs and a flock of chickens. My mother is 79 years
old and I’m a retired 57-year old woman. My sister and brother-in-law live about a half-mile
away and our niece and her husband live next door. Both of my parents grew
up on farms and we always had a big garden and plenty of fruit trees when I
was a child. We live in a semi-rural area about three miles from a small town.
There are no interstate highways nearby.
The people here in our community are pretty self-reliant. People still hunt,
fish, and grow and preserve their own vegetables and fruits (although not as
much as in the past). We have about five acres of land with a small fruit orchard
and garden area. We don’t have any mortgages or car payments to worry
about, but we also don’t have the financial resources to retreat to another location. Are we fully prepared? Of course not. I don’t
think anyone is ever fully prepared, but we are much better prepared than we
were last year and we were better prepared last year than we were the year
before
that. This is because of consistently doing something every day to prepare.
As I sit here typing this, our supper is cooking on the wood stove while my
mother is in the living room quilting and our alarm systems--our three dogs--are
outside keeping an eye on things. The coffee pot is ready to go on the stove
for supper later. The chickens are happily occupied in their area. Our pantry
is stocked with wheat, rice, beans, store-canned goods as well as home-canned
vegetables, fruits, and meats and various other food and non-food items. We
have another separate storage area for paper products, medical supplies, batteries,
cleaning supplies, etc.
We didn’t have the wood stove, chickens or bigger-than-average pantry
storage a few years ago. Back then I would have said we were above-average
in “preparation mentality” but my eyes were opened when I began
doing research on the subject of preparedness. It began when I wanted to be
prepared
to
survive a possible flu pandemic. I quickly learned of other things, such as the possibility of EMP strikes,
electric grid
going down in general, Peak
Oil problems, you name it. My first reaction was
one
of panic, but that subsided as my mother and I began “putting feet on our
prayers.” We started small, buying more food each week when grocery shopping.
Then we decided to go “whole hog.”
The first thing we did was buy a wood stove. We now have three heating systems:
[a heating] oil furnace, gas logs operated on propane and the wood stove. We
use the wood stove most of the time in the winter now. Although it’s
not a [broad-top] cook stove, we do very well cooking meals on it. We perk
the coffee for supper most nights even if we don’t cook the main meal
on it. We have lots of wood on our land, but aren’t physically able to
cut the wood ourselves so we buy it locally, and my brother-in-law has supplied
us with wood (my sister and he have a wood stove too). We have three able-bodied
men in the family (brother-in-law, nephew-in-law and nephew) who can and will cut wood if need be.
The next thing we did was install a manual well pump. We’re on well water
but we needed a way to get the water if the grid goes down. I began researching
manual
well pumps and my brother-in-law installed one for us. Last summer, we
worked on what has probably been the biggest project of them all: building
a chicken house and fenced-in chicken yard. Our chickens are what I suppose
you’d call semi-free range. They have a 24x24 foot yard to roam in. My
mother was the chief architect. She designed the chicken house herself. We
first had to clear the land, then we prepared the foundation for the house.
After that came the actual building of the chicken house.
Although we have a pick-up truck, my nephew was using it at the time, so I
would go to the local Big Box building center and buy as much wood as I could
fit into the car and bring it back. We’re proof that you can pretty much
do what you set your mind to do if you’re determined enough. We worked
steadily every day except Sundays at building the chicken house and got it
done. Then we had to clear the land for the chicken yard, and after doing that
we began digging the holes for the fence posts. The only thing we had any outside
help with was installing the poultry wire for the fence. We needed my niece
and her husband to help us get that pulled tight enough. We finished the entire
operation by putting netting over the entire chicken yard to keep out hawks.
We now have a great flock of chickens. As I write this, we have about eight
dozen eggs in the refrigerator. We share [the eggs] with my sister and husband,
my
niece and her husband and my nephew and his wife. The dogs also get a scrambled
egg dinner about once a week. We haven’t bartered any eggs yet, but we
know that’s a possibility down the road if economic conditions warrant
it.
Somewhere in the midst of all this preparation, we bought a Country
Living grain mill (the manual kind). Mother has done most of the grinding
so far. She’s baked whole-wheat rolls and loaves of bread with the wheat
we bought and ground ourselves – yummy!
Our garden suffered last summer, because we were so busy getting the chicken
flock project set up. Our goal for this summer is to have as big a garden as
we can manage. We do have a stock of garden seed laid back. We’ve already
stocked up on lots of canning jar lids. We already had a good supply of canning
jars and rings but I plan on stocking up on those, as well.
One of the big things we need to do next is prepare in the area of self-defense.
We have a rifle and recently bought a S&W 9mm handgun. We also have my
late father’s 38 Special revolver. We have magazines and ammo and plan
on stocking more ammo. My brother-in-law (a former Marine) is going to train
me on the handguns and rifle. If there is one thing I regret in life it is that I didn’t take advantage of the fact that my
late father, who was a police officer, wanted to train me in the use of firearms,
but I was a wimp. I’ve always believed in the right to bear arms, but
was actually a little afraid of using guns, mainly because I’m so nearsighted.
But I’ve gotten over that now. After one very short session with my brother-in-law
going over firearm basics with me, I’m excited about getting proficient
in their use because I can actually understand how the darn things work now!
I believe we’re doing pretty good at blooming where we’re planted.
We can garden, sew, quilt, cook (don’t laugh – a lot of people
don’t
know how to do that!), crochet, can and preserve food, and we’ve don
pretty well at carpentry. In addition to my retirement pension, I also have
a second
stream of income doing manuscript typing at home.
To summarize, I encourage anyone who feels paralyzed by current events to
get up and get going. Start small: buy a few extra groceries each time you
shop; stock up on non-perishables; prepare a first aid kit; and take a first
aid course. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. And, most importantly
of all, never stop learning. Before you know it, you’ll be a lot more prepared than you ever knew you could be. - Gertrude
« Four Letters Re: Preparedness Through Tapping in to the Craig's List Culture |Main| Bloom Where You're Planted, by Gertrude »
Two Letters Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale
Jim:
As an Alaskan survivalist I concur with everything Brad in Texas had to say.
Alaska has many distinct advantages as a retreat location. However, it also
has some major disadvantages. First and foremost is the amount of work involved.
You must have a way to get fuel for heating. If you can't use vehicles and
chain saws, most of your summer will likely be taken up getting ready for winter.
The same applies to food. You would have to grow enough vegetables during the
short summer to last seven or eight months. Thankfully, game is available all
year, so you probably won't starve. Alaska is great for people who are able
and willing to work really hard.
As for the spirit of Alaska, what Brad says is true outside the major cities.
I would estimate that only 5% of Juneau and Anchorage residents and 20% of
Fairbanks residents have any concept of survival in hard times. Most people
in the cities essentially live in a bubble, with no real contact with nature
at its harshest. Even in Alaska! Juneau is jokingly referred to as "Seattle
North" and Anchorage as "Los Anchorage." If you consider Alaska
as a retreat location, it would be wise to avoid the major cities. In a SHTF
scenario, the helpless refugees would overwhelm the surrounding countryside
just as in the lower 48.
K.L. - Alaska
JWR:
We lived in Alaska for almost three years, we miss it. Here is our Wish List
for our next trip:
Snow machines [called snowmobiles in some parts of the US], purchased in
the Lower 48
More gear
More guns
More knowledge of the laws going in and out of the borders
Have a gun shop picked out up there ASAP for weapons you will not be
able to carry into Canada or back into the US (handguns and [so-called] assault
rifles)
All records for animals
Go
on the ferry to avoid Canada
Some of the larger problems facing newcomers in Alaska is the lack of light
in the winter, the lack of fresh fruits and veggies, activities in the winter,
the isolation, the cold....
The suicides are on the average 20% higher in Alaska than anywhere else in
the US. The alcohol abuse is so rampant that in some of the more desolate towns
there is rationing of alcohol or there is none period.
Most go up there totally unprepared for the struggles of everyday life. We
lived in Anchorage and it wasn't that bad. There are a few books that can give
you a rundown on the worst (Death Stalks the Land is a good reference).
The people who went there unprepared and paid for it with their lives. Even
those who lived there 20 years are not immune to getting caught unaware.
Everything thing you need to get has to be shipped overseas including
grain for livestock and hay, milk, tools, some building supplies and clothing.
The natives do produce some things. However, most do it for the tourists that
show up.
There are many tales of those that made it up there but for each one of those
there is one or more that lost limb or life trying.
There is a book on the last homesteader to go to Alaska and it is a real eye
opener.
The plusses: The constant daylight in some areas [in summer] makes for incredible
food and if you can fruits and veggies, you'll be better for it.
The Icelandic Horses can and will eat dry or fresh fish and there is plenty
of that.
You can't beat the hunting and fishing.
It is incredibly beautiful, summer or winter.
I will leave you with this - It's a very long way to go for help or to help
anyone while there, if you go you will truly be on your own. - TD
« Three Letters Re: The Community Retreat |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Preparedness Through Tapping in to the Craig's List Culture: Doing Well by Doing Good, by D.S.
I do not consider myself an expert on Craigslist.org.
However, I do cruise our local Craigslist several times a day as I am fascinated
with
what people are buying, looking for and selling. It helps me keep a pulse
on our local economy that I don't get through the Mainstream Media.
To that point, I have noticed a strong uptick, since the New Year, of people
selling anything of value that they can. This tells me people are really starting
to hurt from this incipient Economic Depression.
On items I have an interest in I call or e-mail to enquire. Lately, the conversation
has veered towards why folks are selling stuff. "I am getting rid of my
'stuff' as I don't know what the economy is going to do." "My husband
lost his job." "I have a small business but my clients are not paying
me what they owe me."
What has also started happening, at least from my perspective, is more and
more folks want to barter goods than simply accept cash. 120 bales of horse
hay sounds better to them than $1,200. Firewood has become huge as
a barter item as has quality hay and, of course, firearms. Quality reliable
cars for
less than $2,000 are very desirable. Items like Sterling silver tea sets and
Grandma's china are falling fast.
I am not sure when I began doing this, but in the past few months I started
offering folks alternatives to fiat money. 'Would you prefer payment in firewood,
Sir, or some other item, or is cash what you are looking for?' I had no set
protocol, I made it up as I went along, but pretty soon I started crystallizing
some thoughts on bartering on Craigslist. Here they are:
1. Say what you can do and do what you say.
2. "No, thank you." is a great response. Never be afraid to say "No" if
the deal does not work for you.
3. Craigslist is not a community in the sense that one seller does not (often)
hear directly from another on your reputation. But still, people can tell if
you are honest or are looking to skin them. Act Honorably always.
4. Get clear on what your natural assets are that you have to trade. One of
mine is firewood.
5. Timing can be everything - scan Craigslist frequently in your desired
categories since you want to be (to use an old Army Cav expression) 'the firstest
with the mostest!'
6. When I see a particularly nice item in the 'free' category I often inquire
if I might make a small charitable contribution to the charity of their choice
as appreciation of their item. I do this for one primary reason - it is the
right thing to do. It has had the ancillary benefit of having 'jumped me to
the front of the line' on some items. I offered my desire to donate to a Craigslister
for three free garage doors. He responded quickly that I was the only person
to do so, and that it touched his heart. He even delivered the doors to our
ranch (I can no longer drive as a Disabled Vet). I subsequently donated to
the local food-bank.
7. Always say please and thank you. Honest and sincere appreciation is a scarce
commodity today.
8. Never begrudge folks an honest profit. If someone makes great money from
an item you swapped or sold - congratulate them!
9. I use Ronald Reagan's motto: 'Trust, but verify.' I start off assuming I
can trust folks. But I always verify that what they are telling me is so.
10. Have fun! As long as you are helping others get what they want, you'll
likely always get what you want. That is satisfying from a
servant's heart perspective, and you meet a lot of nice people (not all though) while you are
building up your supplies and stores for your retreat.
The following are not a 'bragging' example. I hope you will simply see
these as examples of what is possible:
Four weeks ago I found a Mercedes 300TD wagon for sale ($3,000) or trade. I
enquired to see if it was still available, and to my happy surprise, it still
was. The young man (a survivalist) was moving to Belize with his wife and young
son and needed 'camping gear.' I asked what he really wanted and his reply
was 'a really good tent to live in while we build our house, and some nice
backpacks.' I have been a Boy Scout Leader for 20+ years and have way too
much camping gear. I offered him a Golite backpack (acquired from Craigslist
for
$40 - originally retailed at $190) and a [US Army surplus] GP Medium
Tent (like the tents one would see in the old television series MASH)
I paid nothing for the tent as I had bartered, through Craigslist, for two
of these GP medium tents for allowing a fellow to come hunt Elk on our property.
Very nice man, very generous, two amazing high quality canvas tents with all
the poles. As an aside, he never came to hunt though I wish he had.
As I type this, I am waiting for a fellow (a Senior NCO recently
returned from Iraq) to come over for three cords of firewood. He is giving
us two barely-used
Australian saddles and two snowmobiles. The snowmobiles may need a good cleaning
and rebuild, but I have 30 acres of dense woods that need to be cut back for
fire safety - I suspect I can find someone to help rebuild the snowmobiles
in trade for firewood.
Bear in mind, please, that I don't actually do the cutting of the firewood.
My left arm is pretty weak from nerve damage and holding a chain-saw really
hurts. So, again, I barter. If folks need wood I ask that they cut and split
a cord for me and they, may then, cut a cord for themselves. Sadly, I used
to offer firewood to folks if they'd come help me put some up. After they got
their firewood I never saw them again. So, now, I get 'paid' up front.
I may be close to closing a deal, today, for a beautiful Savage shotgun that
looks like a Browning A5. My cost? Giving the owner permission to come hunt
on our property for Elk. We both get something we really want and would be
tickled that the other loves what they get!
Reloading equipment 'grab bag' I had a gentleman over this past week looking
at antiques I had in our basement that had simply been gathering dust. He
mentioned, that right before he came over he had picked up a box of RCBS
dies (new in
the box) and three reloading presses. I swapped an antique table of my grandmother's
for the box of reloading gear. . After going through it I'll have several
dies I won't use (.243 Winchester, 7mm Mauser, etc.) that I can trade for
items
I do want (clean brass, Nosler or Barnes bullets, etc). I met the man by
looking through
Craigslist
collectibles to see who was selling items similar to what I had to sell.
Final example: A small herd of registered purebred Longhorn Cattle. A lady
listed four Longhorns for $1,300 on Craigslist. She was willing, according
to her listing, to barter for items other than cash. After talking with her
on
the phone I offered her any combination of hay, firewood, firearms,etc. The
two cows are bred and expected to calve this spring around May. So, with
items I have accumulated from others by bartering, and maybe $300 in cash,
God willing, I will own six purebred Longhorns.
I have helped others heat their house, hunt for meat for their family, feed
their livestock hay, and house their family while they build their home.
That is pretty cool! The satisfaction I receive from helping those folks
is immense.
Here is a tally of what I have received (or am about to) :
4 registered Longhorns (two due to calve)
An 1987 Mercedes 300 TD wagon
2 snowmobiles
A beautiful Savage shotgun
Reloading equipment
2 Australian saddles
Bartering is a very valuable skill to learn for a grid-down world. It is far
better to learn it now when the stakes are not nearly as high. Be
willing to make
mistakes and have fun. And please, if there are bartering skills that you
think should be mentioned to supplement those
that have already been discussed in SurvivalBlog, please e-mail them
to Jim.
Go out and barter now, and do well by doing good! - D.S.
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The Community Retreat, by Kathy Harrison
Establishing a retreat seems to be the dream of many survivalists but realistically,
evacuating to a retreat is not a proposition that is readily available to very
many. There are generally problems with finances as well as family commitments
to contend with. Many folks, like me, have spent years in establishing perennial
food plants, compost piles, garden plots, building small businesses and, most
importantly, forging important community ties that would not be easily broken.
Therefore, we would be well advised to explore how to approach ways to turn
our own residences into retreat communities.
The location of the community is of the utmost importance. Pulling off such
a feat off in a large city or an affluent suburb would be pretty difficult.
A small town in a rural location with a high proportion of families who already
raise food and livestock is your best bet. Such a town is likely to have a
well-developed sense of community, strong family ties and a faith-based community.
You will also likely find a diverse set of necessary skills. Such communities
are generally located in areas that have climates suitable to growing food
crops. Hunting is often a part of the local culture so firearms ownership is
not seen as a problem. It has been my experience that a large number of survival-minded
folks find themselves living in this kind of locality. The question then becomes, “how
do we locate like-minded families and establish a network of support, with
possibility of barter arrangements and the sharing of skills and tools in such
towns?”
We began by attending a film series a few years ago. Free showings of films
such as The End of Suburbia, King Corn and Life At The
End Of The Empire were
shown. Each film was followed by a discussion group. Setting up this kind of
series can happen at a library or house of worship. Out of this format, a core
group formed, all with the sense that life as we knew it was unlikely to be
sustainable for the long term and that we needed to take steps to prepare for
the eventual change. We began meeting on a monthly basis. We are a diverse
group; some more interested in the implications of Peak
Oil, some with financial
collapse. Others are the local growers of organic produce and the breeders
of heritage breed livestock. We have no membership list, no rules of order,
no dues and no criteria for coming to our monthly meetings. We do follow a
loose agenda to ensure that we get some work20accomplished but much of our
time together is devoted to chit chat about current topics and sharing ideas.
One of our most successful endeavors has been our "101" classes. This
is a series of free workshops devoted to helping people learn valuable skills
from others.
We have had classes in raising chickens, canning produce, cheese making, mushroom
propagation, herbal medicine, knitting and many other subjects. The object
is to make all of us less dependant and share skills that might otherwise be
lost.
Recognizing that energy shortages are likely, we set up a panel of people already
alternative sources of energy. This was remarkably well-attended and led to
a day long event where folks opened their homes to people who wanted to see
each system in operation. We saw underground homes, photovoltaic systems, solar
heat collectors, wind powered homes and a couple of places that had been off-grid
for years. The tour ended with a pot-luck soup and bread dinner.
We consider helping each other as a given. We have helped each other get
in our winter wood supply, can an abundance of bulk purchased chicken and
traded
off tools, vehicles and equipment. When my husband scored some very inexpensive
sap buckets, he bought enough for many other group members. When I found
myself overwhelmed with peaches, three of us processed 50 quarts in an
afternoon.
A couple of us are really interested in wild foods. Together we gathered
fox grapes and put up 20 gallons of juice, harvested and dried over 100
pounds
of wild mushrooms and canned 35 quarts of wild applesauce. We are still eating
the fiddleheads we froze last May. Out latest project is to take a firearms
safety course together.
When a major ice storm left our town without power for over a week, we saw
an opportunity to check our preparedness level and hone our skills. Many
of us were also able to provide help and provisions to those who were less
prepared
including the elderly in our small town.
We still have work to do. We realize that we are not as well prepared for
medical emergencies as we would wish so some members are researching becoming
EMTs
and First Responders for our local volunteer fire department. We also see
the wisdom in becoming more involved in our town government.
I know this is not the kind of preparedness one generally reads about on
sites such as this but I think for many, this is the most realistic. Should
the worst
happen, we will be prepared to ride it out with friends and neighbors,
bonded together with common purpose and presenting a united front. - Kathy
Harrison
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Letter Re: An Inexpensive Alternative to HESCO Bastions
Jim
Hello!
Some time ago, I read a post on SurvivalBlog about the HESCO
bastions. Very interesting.
I follow another blog here [in Brazil] , and one of the bloggers tell me about
the huge
fertilizer bags that he uses at his farm. (It is a [large scale] soy bean
farm).
Each
bag
is
of
one
of
one ton
capacity.
And he tells me that this bags are thrown away after use. Well, I think it´s
a good source of almost free HESCO bastion equivalents. - The
Werewolf (SurvivalBlog's correspondent in Brazil)
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Lessons from Peru on Third World Living, by Tantalum Tom
I hope this can be useful to people who want a perspective into the Third
World way of life. I recently had the chance to interview two people from Peru.
One is a man who grew up in the Andes with no electricity, dirt floors, etc.
who worked his
way to becoming a geography and history teacher. The other is a former Peruvian
Special Forces soldier of 15 years. My mother in law's input is also dispersed
throughout this article. Although I have little respect for modern reporters,
I found out how difficult it can be to interview someone.
When I first started probing into the Peruvian way of life, I was shown a series
of photos, They were of the Geography teacher's family making cheese, so I
will start with that.
In the true Latino way, after I had asked him many times to get a copy of the
photos so I could post them, and many affirmative responses, he never sent
them. He said yes to my face so he wouldn't offend me by saying “no.” I'm
not offended, I can see why he wouldn't want 178,000 people looking at them,
and I know its the Latino way. This is definitely a cultural difference. I've
seen
this occurrence hundreds of times. The first picture was his brother
squatting (no stool) next to a cow milking it. The cow's hind legs were tied
together so it wouldn't kick. No stall. This
was in the open. He was wearing Yanqii rubber “tire tread” cut
mining belt sandals.
Cheese is made every single day. There is no refrigeration for the milk available.
This is how he explained to me the cheese making process. I am not a cheese
maker, so I don't know the accepted modern way to do this. In fact, neither
does this mans family. They just know their way that they've used for the last
five centuries or more, and it works. It makes what they call “queso
fresco” or
fresh cheese. I know of no American supermarket version except in heavily Latino
areas.
The daily labor of cheese making, not including the milking, is about a half
an hour.
The first thing that is done, is the coagulant needs to be prepared. This is
not included in the half-hour, as it is something that is already set up and
renewed easily each day.
These mountain people take a pigs stomach, wash it, sew up one end, then stuff
with green banana peel, cut up limes, and some kind of leaf he doesn't know
the name of, until it is big and round. The empty spaces between the solid
ingredients are filled with the whey from the last cheese they made, or water
to start a new batch. The other end of the stomach is sewn up, and they smoke
it above their crude indoor fire pit for 7 months. When it is really reeallllyyyy
sour, it is ready. Every time they remove some, they replace it with whey.
Rennet
is what is being extracted from the pig stomach. Slowly these people are switching
to rennet pills, so this
way is being lost. The imported German pills come from a pharmacy where you
can buy anything you can afford, antibiotics, hypodermic drugs & needles,
etc. with little restriction.
They take some of this mixture ( I believe about 1/2 to 1 cup) and mix it with
their milk in a plastic bucket. It looked like a two gallon bucket. I noticed
that one of the buckets formerly contained latex paint. Buckets are extremely
useful with innumerable uses. They pay about three dollars for a used bucket.
(that's a lot for subsistence
farmers) About 15 minutes later,
the milk has solidified. It is broken up with their hands into small chunks,
then patted down to the bottom gently. The whey stays on top. It can be saved
to drink, but usually discarded after refilling the pig stomach. After the
whey is discarded, the remains are placed in a deep tray and broken up again
by hand until it is soft small balls, salt is added during this step. Next
it is stuffed into a mold for a few days, then smoked over their cooking fire
to dry and cure for a few more days. Cheese made like this, according to one
who lived it, is good for at least six months with no refrigeration.
In the village, the people are extraordinarily tight knit. They are as unified
as unified can be. Everyone knows everyone. I estimate it was a community of
about 200. Everyone helps who needs it. If you need a house built, just stake
out an area, and make some food! It will be up in a few days. Building codes?
Huh? The roofs are covered with a fiber-cement corrugated sheeting. He was
very proud to have it. It must be better than tiles. (Tiles are so old fashioned)
Nobody will hurt you anywhere in town. His anecdote was “If you'd just
had a drink, and wanted to take a nap, you could just lay down anywhere and
nobody would bother you.” People there are honest and trustworthy. The
very unfortunate part is that the youth are loosing their values and morals.
I personally attribute this to the television that infected his community 13
years ago.
In his tiny town there was no electricity until 13 years ago. It is hydroelectric.
He claims it is extremely clean. He said gas driven generators are nearly non-existent
(maybe at some mines or other large industrial complex) Photovoltaic is extremely
rare. How can we expect the poorest to use the most expensive (per watt hour)
electricity generating technology? Even the western world has trouble affording
it! The electricity powers street lights--I counted seven--indoor lights,
and televisions.
I was told that quite often people have their guinea pig farms indoors, in their
living/cooking/eating quarters with its accompanying filth. They have public
outhouses. They dig their pits about 4m deep. This place is blessed with a source
of clean water. They have water from a fresh spring across a small valley and
up a hill. No pump is needed to get the water to the public spring head, all
gravity. If it wasn't for their spring, they'd be boiling everything. According
to this man, and a couple other people, a populace can become accustomed to fetid
horrible water, and not get sick. They say a daily occurrence is to see simultaneous
deification, dead animals (probably including human), clothes washing, bathing
and drinking all in the same river! Yuck! I don't know their definition of “sick” though.
Strange though as this is, I find it more odd that they only drink bottled water
here in New Jersey, because the “pipes aren't safe” to them.
They grow all their own produce. Anything left is donkey driven to the nearest
town up to three days travel away. Natural is normal there. You either get your
food
from
your own garden, or at an open air farmers market in your town. Most farming
is manual.
Big farms as well as small. Horses and cows will plow, but there aren't any/many
horse drawn machines. Lots of different sized shovels and hoes are used. Mechanization
with tractors is only near cities. Nearly everything is produced locally and
consumed locally. According to this one source, he believes that more is produced
by hand and locally than mechanized and transported. I tend to agree, given everything
I've heard also. Flies are natural too, right? They crawl all over, and people
don't have screens on their windows or doors. Ignorance is quite prevalent. Not
stupidity though, that's different.
This man clearly stated that if there ever were some collapse, his city of
birth
would be absolutely fine, and wouldn't even notice the difference.
I showed him how to get a copy of the book “Where There is No Doctor” he
was excited and will send one to his village health worker. I also steered him
to
the Third World
Reference Library web site, but alas, we found it is mostly in
a
foreign language to him. He did note that some of the Spanish language literature
was
published by his alma mater. He had one eye that
opened farther than the other... He has been through a lot.
Horrible inflation lasted 2-3 years before
the currency changed twice. People starved to death. More and more money available,
prices climbing daily. People
hoarded commodities for days to weeks speculating to get a higher price. Logic
aside, that is what happened. People who paid for round trip passage somewhere
were denied the return trip, it had become too expensive. Oops, stuck.
If you think water-boarding is torture, listen up. Peru had internal terrorists,
they have been extinct for many years. The Terrorists would cut down power
poles, block roads, kill and create, well, terror. The terrorists
wanted a socialistic government. Both the geography teacher and the special
forces soldier understand that socialism has been tried many times and in many
countries,
and it doesn't work. The Peruvian Army and Fuerza
de Operaciones Especiales (FOES) special forces would fight them. They would also retrieve information
from the enemy in creative ways,
for example, they would have a person stretched out tied to a pole, laying
horizontal,
suspended some distance above the ground, slowly rotating over a fire until
they decided they would part with sensitive information, etc. They would also
kill
anyone and everyone associated with, including family, friends and acquaintances
of known terrorists. It worked. They had been dormant for a long time. They
may be on the rise again though. (not sure) Peru is also still dealing with
this
extremely high collateral damage, and I'm not sure if it continues today.
I can find next to nothing about the FOES online, even on Peruvian Google,
except the Youtube videos he showed me. Look up in YouTube “Comandos
Peruanos” and “FOES
Peruano” if interested in more. To be in the FOES, one had to show their
valor. They showed it by ripping open live dogs and eating their hearts and
livers raw/living. Hand-grenade hot-potato is a popular party game. Having
someone shoot
a machine gun between you and your comrade too. They are trained in martial
arts, knife fighting, etc. I know my cousin, a SEAL,
told me that they only use their
knifes to open MREs.
This Peruvian guy used them for much, much more. (My cousin also told me that
push ups cannot be made into an aerobic activity,
I figured
he'd done enough to know, so I had asked him. “We're still human,” he
said.)
Yeah, that ain't Politically Correct, as my friend Karl would say.
This person also worked for private security firm. He laid out to me how their
system worked. Sorry, but all the titles are in Spanish so when I translate
them, they will sound weird.
The first guy is called “gerente de recursos huamnos” or
Human Resources director.
He's in charge of the whole company.
Next they have one “Jefe de Seguridad” Security Leader.
He's in charge of everything security.
Below him are “Inspectores de Seguridad” Security inspectors.
These people have a zone they are responsible for, and they dispatch and are
in charge of their “vigilantes de seguridad” Security guards.
The security guards have a “full ration of weapons and ammunition”.
They are not allowed full power arms. Short barrel semi-auto hand guns and
shot guns. I'm not sure If they also water down the powder charge or not, but
they
can not have full powered military style weapons. Again, this is private security,
so people pay for these services. There is lots of shooting going on by these
guys. Rich people have electronic security systems linked to these “vigilantes.” Electric
fences and walls topped with electrified wires are good deterrents. The voltage
and amperage varies on your preference in cooked flesh: Zapped, Shocked, Lethal
or Char. Broken glass topped compound walls seem to be a worldwide safety
measure. Bars across doors are normal.
The official police are part of the delinquent gangs congregating on the corners.
The police beat people and abuse them other ways.
Taxes in Peru.
This is confirmed with at least three sources of small businesses.
If you earn $1,000 in your business, you pay $20 taxes. (2%!) Wages are not
taxed.
Low low property taxes.
Everything in Peru is repaired many times before it is replaced. A guy with
two lathes and a mill can make it quite well re-boring motorcycle cylinders.
A new
car there costs a lot more than repairing everything and painting
and upholstering. Like $1,000 to refurbish a car, versus $15,000 new! If the
part
isn't
available at a store,
you go and get it made. This applies to industrial machinery, commercial, everything.
He gets it that its the system here [in the US] that prohibits the refurbishing
of anything.
If you own land, but do not develop it, the extra poor will come and squat
on it. They will build their shanty towns out of woven palm-like leaves into
walls,
and fill up your space. If someday you get tired of it, and want to get rid
of them, just call the police and they'll burn it down and drive the people
away. They'll come back, and you'll burn it down again, until one side gives
up.
The military also corrupt. This guy was ordered to remove thousands of
bullets from their casings and to sell the brass for some commander. In fact,
when the
military was in charge of the whole country, it was openly corrupt, and unstable.
This is the cause of Peru's continued Third World status. Government corruption
and instability. They have plenty of natural resources, oil and minerals, gold,
et cetera. This man told me “we take it out of the ground, and form it
into rough ingots, then send it somewhere where they know what to do with it.” So
they could have a fully functioning economy, but they don't.
I wish I knew what to do to keep that from happening here. Nobody has any (legal)
answers as for what to do, besides get ready and get far far away.
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Letter Re: Victorian Era Farm Skills in the UK
James,
Thanks for your continued efforts in continuing to bring the right thinking to
a troubled world.
I have one heads up and one question that you might be able to help with.
1. Heads up : For UK-based readers (and those who have access to UK IP address)
you might like to point out to them a series currently running on BBC 2 : Victorian
Farm
To quote from the BBC site:
"Historical observational documentary series
following a team who live the life of Victorian farmers for a year. Wearing
period clothes and using only the
materials that would have been available in 1885, historian Ruth Goodman
and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn are going back in time to
relive
the day-to-day life of the Victorian farmer.
Working for a full calendar year, Ruth, Alex and Peter are rediscovering
a lost world of skills, crafts and knowledge assisted by an ever-dwindling
band
of experts
who keep Victorian rural practices alive."
Think the U- version of the Pioneer House series that showed in the
US a couple of years back. The first episode focused on ploughing and sowing
with
draft
animals, threshing, replastering the farmhouse , making cider and the trials
of cooking
on a coal fired range. The series is available via iPlayer on that site.
This series is useful inspiration to go out and trial grid-down skills. I believe the
farm, in Shropshire,
can also be visited.
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Survival Gardening: Growing Food During A Second Great Depression, by H.I.C.
By God’s grace I was born and raised on a small family farm. During the
1960s and 1970s we were trying to pay off a 340 acre corn and soybean farm
in northwestern Iowa and we were flat stinking broke. So we raised nearly all
of the food
to
support our family. This required a large garden (80ft x 120 ft), an even larger
truck patch (48 ft x 1,200 ft), a small fruit orchard (12 trees), livestock
(caves, sheep, hogs, and 300 laying hens).
With some of the best and most productive farm land in the entire world, with
better than 30 inches of precipitation, 165 frost free days, real farm tractors,
planters, and cultivation equipment it took us 20 ac to feed six people. That
breaks down
to a 1/2 acre garden, 1 acre truck [farming] patch, 8 acre pasture, and 10
acres for hay ground and animal
feed.
My point for you non-farmers out there, is that you are not going to feed yourself
with a Mantis tiller and 1,000 square feet of sandy dirt that requires you
to pump endless ground water irrigation just to keep your crops alive. If you
committed
enough
to surviving that you purchase over 20 firearms and 20,000 rounds of ammo (a
good start) I am suggesting that you need to consider a similar commitment
to growing food.
I do not discount the importance of purchasing and storing up bulk staples,
dried grain, canned goods, and freeze dried entrees, I have them as well. But
I am telling you straight out that if the economy tanks anything like the 1930s,
and I think it will last longer, you are going to run out of grub mighty early.
Now everyone has different skills, resources, and family commitments, but
let's consider some of the basic requirements for growing food:
Yearly precipitation
Up to a point, more is better. You typically need 12 inches to grow grass,
20 inches to grow trees, and 30 inches to grow corn. If you want to raise
a really big garden without irrigation you need about 8 inches per month
through
out the primary growing season (May-June-July-Aug). Except for a few areas
defined as microclimates I recommend that you consider living east of the
dry line (100th meridian, i.e. Wichita, Kansas). Rainfall beyond 12 inches
per month
or 48 inches total will only make it harder to control the weeds and bugs.
A maximum of 48 inches leaves out Louisiana, Florida, and the Coastal areas
of the deep south A good source of local area climate data is City-Data.com.
Frost free
growing season.
See these
maps at the NOAA web site. Anything less than 120 days severely limits
what you can grow. Remember that the folks scratching a living from the
Dakotas, Eastern Montana, and
most
of the Rocky Mountain States are not multi crop farmers, they are either
ranchers
or specialist who grow crops like hard winter wheat. Any climate with between
165 to 240 days is about perfect. This translates into south of the Dakotas
and North of Dallas, Texas. This is enough of a growing season for row
crops and all vegetables and allow a little wiggle room for getting every
thing planted
on time. In the south
you will be able to plant every thing directly in the garden, on the northern
edge
you will be starting many of your plants in a greenhouse. That said, starting
plants in a green house gives them an important jump start on weeds and bugs.
You should plan on one.
Microclimates
While I suggest that you should consider living in the mid-southern region
of the short grass prairie, there are a number of smaller areas that provide
the
basic conditions for productive farming. I suggest some fine areas such and
La Grande Oregon, Rathdrum, Idaho, Montrose, Colorado, where the local rainfall
and warmer
winters make favorable microclimates. The easiest method of evaluating an
area in the arid
west is to look for big commercial fruit orchards. If it grows both apples
and peaches the temperature extremes will be acceptable and if you can grow
fruit
without pumping ground water they must get enough rain. The reason that I
concentrate so heavily on living in an area with rainfall is that I anticipate
that no
matter what the trigger event (WMD terror
strike, economic crisis, destructive natural
event) we will not have enough electrical power or fuels to pump large volumes
of ground water for a really long time.
Soil productivity
Black, gray, brown, and even red soil is fine as long it is loam. This means
that it has organic particles (composted twigs, leaves, wood, bark, and stems)
to help hold the moisture and feed the worms, bugs, and microbes that make soil
really productive. Sand and gravel are fine structure but if you don’t
have the worms, bugs, and microbes to aerate the soil and fix atmospheric nitrogen
for the plants roots you will have to do this mechanically and ultimately you
will have to add nitrogen fertilizer. [JWR Adds: It is wise
to have the soil tested before making an offer on a retreat property. Soil testing
is usually available
at colleges and universities that have agriculture programs. You can also contact
your
local
NRCS
office
or USDA Extension
Office, and they can. provide information on soil testing
labs in your region.
Equipment
My whole family might be able to plant and cultivate 1/2 acre without equipment.
But I don’t plan to find out. For my own use I bought a 25 hp diesel
tractor and basic tillage, planting, and cultivating attachments. I also bought
an
old Ford 8N plus 4 attachments for under $2,000. A small tractor should only
burn
20 gallons per year tending a small garden and truck patch. Gas and diesel
may still be available
during a deep depression, it may even be cheaper, but I have 500 gal of stabilized
diesel in a farm tank.
Seeds, Fertilizer, Weed & Pest Control, and Livestock
Most folks have heard about Heirloom seeds. Plant varieties that will reseed
themselves true year after year. But just as important, livestock will allow
you continued farming success without access to petroleum based fertilizer,
weed, and pest control. I use a wheel hoe in the garden and a tractor mounted
cultivator
in the truck patch to kill weeds, but I would rather use sheep, goats, and
poultry to eat the seedling trees and weeds when I can. Livestock manure is
the ultimate
fertilizer and Poultry, particularly ducks, geese, and guinea hens will help
control the bugs and deliver the fertilizer at the same time. Personally, I
can not imagine trying to control weeds and bugs without my livestock.
Fences, Shelters, Ponds, and Trees
These are some common land improvements that are best built and planted before
the crunch. [With most common soils] an agricultural pond will not efficiently
seal and hold water for 2-3 years, fruit trees take 3-5 years to bear fruit
heavily,
and
my Pecan
grove
will likely
take 10 years if the deer and bugs will just leave it alone for a while. Building
these improvements is really not difficult unless you try to do it yourself
without power tools. I suggest that you build them now so you can borrow or
rent tractors
with PTO augers,
bulldozers, backhoes, cement mixers as needed.
Academic Classes and the Extension Service
Many community colleges and land grant university extension services offer
free information and classes to teach you to raise gardens, fruit, and livestock,
and how to store your produce using a home canner. I took a great class titled “backyard
food raising”. The skills needed to raise and store food are a lot like
the skill to shoot a gun or reload ammunition. You can’t just read about
it, you learn by doing.
Practice
Growing a garden is not like riding a bike. It is different for each area and
the weeds and bugs are scheming right now to eat you out of house and home.
I suggest that you start now and learn each new plant, animal, and pest while
you
can still buy food at the grocery store. While you can grow a lot the first
year, my experience is that it will take 3 years practice before you are confident
and fully successful
.
Some Useful References:
Homesteading, Gene Logsdon, 1973 Rodale Press
Basic Country Skills, Storey, 1999, Storey Publishing
Emergency Preparedness and Survival-Section 3, Jackie Clay, 2003, Backwoods
Home Magazine
Organic Orcharding, Gene Logsdon, 1981, Rodale Press
Introduction to Horticulture, Shry, Reiley, 2007, Thompson Delmar Learning
Backyard Fruits and Berries, Miranda Smith, 1994 Quarto Publishing
Animal Science, Ensminger, 1991, Interstate Publishers Inc.
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A Farmer's Perspective on Combating Crime in South Africa, by Joe Ordinary Voortrekker
Although we in South Africa do not live in a TEOTWAWKI situation,
we routinely have to deal with constant attempts to appropriate life, possessions,
and
freedom that could be good training for a
TEOTWAWKI
situation. The following are some real life insights as to what and how we
handle these regular attempts at property liberation on our homesteads and
surrounds.
We are fortunate to live well outside of South Africa’s largest city,
our community is isolated and not visible from any main road. To a point where
people that live in nearby areas do not know where our entry road is, and have
to be given detailed instructions on how to get to our community. (I’ve
even had a 20 year resident of an adjacent area tell me outright that I’m
lying and no such road/area exists. What a great place to be!) There are a
total of 24 families in our area, not all participate in the community [security
effort] and only one
other family has a preparedness mindset. Almost every member of the community
is very private and the idea of personal privacy and property rights is taken
very seriously. Of the 24 families there are nine that take an active role
in protecting the community totaling 15 men. Our community is situated in
a blind
valley with a single very defendable entrance, there are however two additional
tracks that can be used for either a north or south escape route if you know
where to find them.
Most of our threats consist of one or more of the following.(In no particular
order) Stock
theft, cable
theft, fencing or dropper [(cattle chute)] theft, house breaking,
armed home invasions, rape and other crimes. There is also a marked increase
in produce theft (directly from fields) in recent months.
What also needs to be understood is that in the rural areas there are specific
crime ‘seasons’. Outright you can peg the December/January and
Easter periods as a very high probability of stock theft, then the last two
weeks in any month with increases in housebreaking and implement/equipment
theft.
Our analysis of this suggests that people are looking for meat in December/January
and April for family [summer and fall] feasts. And at month end they are looking
for a bit of cash to tide them over till payday or they have just plain run
out
of
cash
and need
more.
The number one livestock theft item is sheep, they are simple to lift onto
ones shoulders and carry off without a sound (sheep make no noise at night
if manhandled). Cattle
are the next most frequent target. of theft. How this
is achieved is the cattle are often liberated early evening (20h00 – 21h00)
and a team of thieves will work as follows. A Cutter will walk ahead and cut
any
fencing
about 100m
in
front
of the cattle, then three drivers will drive the cattle along the chosen route,
typically the hocks are slashed so that the cattle cannot run, they are then
prodded with sharp sticks or bicycle spokes in the correct direction. The animals
are generally butchered in the veld and
only choice portions are taken, or they are herded directly to a township/village
for slaughter. They are often
herded over 20 or 30 km in one night. Making track and trace is sometimes extremely
difficult. The sad thing about this is that if you do recover your animals
before they
slaughter them, the animals need to be put down anyway. We have
even had a situation where large ‘steaks’ were cut out of living
cattle and they were left to be found in the morning. Goats and Pigs are very
low down on the list as they will vocally announce their displeasure at being
manhandled. This
PDF describes another very well known way of transporting
stolen stock long distances.
With regards to implements and equipment theft. Very high on the list are hand
tools, power tools, generators, water pumps, borehole pumps, and electric gate
motors--in fact anything that can be pawned or sold off quickly. A new phenomenon
that has recently reared its head is that people are stealing metal gates and
droppers, we have yet to catch one in the act, however we believe it’s
for the scrap metal market. New fencing is also quick to go, especially weld
mesh and Bonnox-type
fencing. As it’s easy to roll up and cart away,
and has a quick resale value on the open market if priced right.
To counteract the effects of crime in our area we have established for a number
of years now a very effective farm watch system that includes the following.
(I will cover each point separately to provide insight into the logic and tactics):
Highly visible motorised patrols: The main point of these is to provide a “show
of force” and it is mainly used as a deterrent during low crime times.
The use of vehicle mounted Search/spot lights is heavily employed. One of the
largest drawbacks is that ‘they’ can see you coming and a) either
scamper off to find a quieter area to harass, or b) just drop into the grass
that is typically 1 metre (3 feet) high, and then effectively become invisible.
Another drawback
is that once the patrol ends this can be easily be seen, due to a
lack of lights sweeping the roads and properties.
Foot patrols: These are undertaken specifically during times
of harassment, or in peak crime times. Foot patrols generally consist of two
separate patrols
of minimum three individuals each, contact via radio is available but only
used as and when required. A preset route is followed, there are a total of
nine
routes, typically only four are covered by both patrols in an evening. Each
route has
specific LP/OPs developed
as well as caches of food/water and medical [supplies] on the longer routes.
Some routes are never more than about 300
- 500 meters from a lot of the homesteads and others can take one over two
kilometers
from
the nearest homestead.
LP/OPs: Generally performed on off nights where ‘nothing
is going on’.
Members will walk out onto their own properties and take up specific LP/OP
to generally [listen and] observe. This is often tied in with the final checks
on animals, stores and stables. The interesting thing is you are able to track
the movement
of an individual(s) from well over two kilometres away, just by listening to
the night sounds of animals. Dogs, Plovers,
Geese, Guinea
Fowl, and peacocks, frogs/toads,
and others can all give an indication as to what is happening in the area.
We have got to a point where just by listening to the sounds of the local critters,
both wild and domestic, we are able to make a good judgment call if a impromptu
patrol needs to rustled up. Most evenings we can track the return of staff
members and labourers as they walk back from the local shebeens.
Contact Routes: These are predefined routes that each farmer will
take when a contact is established. This has worked very well for us on a number
of occasions
leading to the arrest of six individuals and the peppering of at least three
that have escaped, with bird shot liberally inserted into their Gluteus
maximus.
The adage in our area is not to have someone die on your property, rather wound
[them] and let them spread the word. It the best advertising you can get for
a peaceful nights rest. They also cannot go to a hospital as this raises questions.
We
have heard via the grapevine of one individual that had a friend digging around
in his butt with a piece of bent piece of wire to try extricate shot. Somehow
I don’t think he is coming back. [JWR Adds: Things are
different here in the oh-so litigious US, where wounding a miscreant is an
invitation to a huge civil lawsuit. I advise American, Canadian and British
SurvivalBlog readers: Don't pull the trigger unless your life is immediately
threatened.]
Basically there are two types of contact:
1) Farm based. When there is an attack on a particular farm then the alarm
is raised via, land line, cell phone, radio or audible sirens. Information
is generally given to wives for relay, as husbands prepare, as to what portion
of the farmstead is threatened. A ring is established around the farm with
selected individuals providing direct support at the farmstead, once the farmstead
is cleared then the ring closes along predefined routes. BTW, it is vitally
important that the outer ring is maintained, as often a lot more is seen from
the ring than from the farmstead. In addition all lights on all farms get turned
off, specifically to assist the guys with Night Vision, but we have found that
those that don’t, can also see better without distracting ambient light
sources. Lastly, the explicit rule is that if it’s your farm / livestock
under attack then you are not to leave the house! There is
no need for a hostage situation or to allow for a penetration of your family's
security, or God forbid
a friendly fire incident. That is why you have neighbours.
2) Infrastructure based: Typically this is cable
theft, we are very proud of
the fact that we are one of the few rural areas in South Africa that has had
no interruption of our telecoms service in well over 18 months. We have taken
the initiative to install alarms on our lines that activate as soon as there
is a voltage drop. ([Caused by a] cut line) This triggers a response where
farmers scramble to cover specific points. The amazing thing is how fast
these cable
thieves
can move. They cut and drag 150-200 metres of 50-pair cable well over 500 meters
in a matter minutes. It took us a while to get our attack honed, but
now we have a 100% strike rate and no more cable theft.
Most patrol members are armed with Shotguns and occasionally with a sidearm,
a 2-way radio, torch, Night Vision if they have the gear, and a small first
aid kit is carried by one member. A handful of heavy duty cable ties [for use
as handcuffs are also carried.
Each member is also at liberty to equip themselves with what they feel is necessary.
What we find is that new members tend to go all out on kit, and it only takes
about two weeks for them to start reducing the amount of glory kit they carry
to the minimum. (We actually have a pool bet going on the number of patrols
walked with full kit, we always do the two longest for them on the trot. Hey,
we need some fun.)
Some additional information, many thieves will plan their attacks long in advance
with scouting and intel well sourced, either via the local labourer population
or via direct observation. One of the most common and disturbing warning signs
that you will get, is that dogs
are being poisoned in the area. Depending on
the poison used, it will generally be a fast acting (in a matter of minutes)
the most common poison is Aldicarb
or Temik a restricted use agricultural pesticide.
Luckily we have not had any incidents in our area, but all around us there
are reports of multiple dogs going down in a single night.
Finally, one of the benefits of living in [the old] South Africa (pre-1994)
was conscription, with two years of compulsory military service,
for most straight
out of school.
This
has put most of the ‘older’ (I say that with care as I’m
yet to hit 45) members of our group with a military service background and
we have been through some of the Border
War. All of this helps to set the tone
of patrols and provides the training and discipline for younger members.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Survival On a Shoestring Budget »
Letter Re: Feed Sacks as Sandbag Substitutes
Mr. Rawles;
We came across a small discovery here on our ranch. We feed many animals and
four dogs. So we go through a good deal of dog food in bags. I noticed the
similarity in dog food bags to the construction of sandbags. So, I have been
using , dog
food bags as low cost/no cost sandbags. They work well and if you keep the weight
close to the amount that came in the bag. They don't rip. We have been using
them for a year and they hold up well in our tests thus far. They have been
used in areas that are under roof so they don't get exposed to rain/moisture.
They work well in areas where one would want to bag to bolster areas close
to windows etc. We have also stored some without sand dirt and they hold up
well and don't seem to degrade.
I thought I would share our small discovery. Thanks for what you do and your
efforts. - EG
« Six Letters Re: Home Invasion Robbery Countermeasures--Your Mindset and Architecture |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: It's a Scary World Out There: Fearsome Attack Hens
Jim,
I recall awhile back you posted a message that offered humor and a bit
of the lighter side of life since we’re inundated with intimidating subject
matter. I haven’t seen too many lighter sided anecdotes of late so here’s
mine. When I was 20 yrs old, I was a paratrooper and foolhardy scared of nothing.
Now, after serving five years as an airborne, ranger, infantryman and 20 years
in law enforcement, I’ve learned to respect dangerous situations.
Recently, my insurance agent dispatched her part time picture-taker to my
residence to snap some pictures of the place to keep records current. I reside
at the point of transition from suburbia and rural life not too far from Washington,
DC. This photographer was approximately 20 years old. Upon arrival telephoned
the home number whereupon my wife answered. He asked her to come outside to
help. She asked "why"? In a semi-scared voice, he reported that he
was "surrounded
by birds" and was afraid that he was going to be attacked. My wife told
him that they were just free ranging hens and that there was nothing to worry
about.
She actually had to convince him that the hens were our pets and that they
wouldn’t ‘attack’ him. I suppose this is funny only if you
own hens and realize how friendly they are. Besides, even if you’ve never
seen a live chicken, can you imagine being scared of one? Happy New Year, -
Pete.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: It's a Scary World Out There: Fearsome Attack Hens »
Six Letters Re: Home Invasion Robbery Countermeasures--Your Mindset and Architecture
Greetings Mr. Rawles,
I read your blog everyday and am learning so much. Thanks for your dedication
to helping prepare us for the future.
In reference to the recent article on home security, we lived in Argentina
for three years and we could all learn from their security measures. The first
house we lived in had steel shutters, as did everyone in the neighborhood,
and they were all shut at night. The doors have locks that automatically lock
when you leave the house. The small front yards usually have tall steel fences
with the same height gates. The gates were also locked at all times. Homes
that didn't have shutters of some kind, had bars on all the windows. Big dogs
were also the norm. The back yards were usually walled in by concrete block
walls sometimes 10 feet tall. At our second house, one of our neighbors had
concertina wire around the top of their walls.
It is a normal custom to clap your hands to alert someone you were at their
front gate. It would be very rude to try to enter someone's front yard without
being invited first, and is usually not possible due to the locks and dogs.
But, as new houses were being built, we were seeing less and less of the shutters
and bars, more American style houses were being built and that's a shame.
It was very difficult at first to live with these kinds of security measures,
but after awhile it became normal and comforting to know your house was secure.
Gun control is very strict and very few folks have guns, so home security was
very important.
Just wanted to share those observations with you. Thanks again for your hard
work.
Warmest Regards, - Beverly A.
Hello James Wesley, Rawles:
Feed lot panels are extremely useful for hardening windows against dynamic
entry.
For those who are not familiar with the product, feed lot panels are welded
wire product. They are typically 16 feet long. The height varies but is typically
54" high. The wire is very stiff (typically #4 or #6 gauge) and the wire
is galvanized for long life. The panels are inexpensive and semi-rigid.
We recently replaced a 13' x 69" bay window with a 60" by 60" picture
window (one pane) flanked by a couple of 60" high by 24" wide double
hung windows. Our primary goal was to increase energy efficiency by reducing
cold air infiltration during the winter and to improve our cross ventilation
during
the summer.
I had some fairly extensive conversation with the contractor regarding my desire
to have sufficient "beef" beside each window to be able to run several
5" x 1/2" eye-bolts beside each window (with the eyes of the bolts
aligned in the vertical direction), slide the trimmed-to-fit feedlot panel
over the eye-bolts, and then drop a cane bolt through the openings in the eye
bolts.
(Minor detail notes: Roof overhang requires that cane bolts be inserted from
bottom, but "drop in from top" is a more natural word picture. Also
desirable to use a cushioning material to hold panels away from frame of window
to eliminate scarring. Rubber or vinyl garden hose is a possibility.)
He was very happy to comply. Each window is framed in with 2x4s next to the
window frame, but then a 4x4 was bracketed into the top and bottom headers
immediately beside the 2X4s on each side of each of the three windows. Wood
is cheap.
Feed lot panels can be defeated. But defeating them requires time and tools...not
something typical home invaders want to expend/lug around. Feed lot panels
also help protect windows against airborne, flying trash during extreme wind
storms. They may be ugly, but they are cheap, durable and relatively easy
to install, given proper tools and some time and the foresight to have enough
wood to bolt into. - Joe H.
Jim,
I've already made numerous changes to my home and
property to thwart / limit any would be thefts and boosting the overall
security. A number of
ideas
came from your web site. Thanks.
Other than the simple measures of installing a Radio Shack microphone/speaker
and, locking the doors of my barns with snap links and walking out the front
and locking that door, I am worried for my horses if someone should try to
force their way inside and manage to stay very quiet. I'm very impressed
with my $149 Radio Shack investment, you can hear everything and my house
is 300
feet away.
Can you offer any additional advice on making barns more secure? I'm more
concerned about the horses than all of the tack and saddles. But those items
aren't cheap
either. Thanks, - Pete in Florida
JWR Replies: I do have one specific recommendation: Buy a
MURS band Dakota Alert infrared intrusion detection system. (Available from MURS
Radio, one of
our advertisers). Put one Motion Alert Transmitter (MAT) out
at the end of your driveway,
and one "watching" the front of your barn door. We
use Dakota Alerts in conjunction with matching frequency Kenwood MURS band
hand-helds here at the Rawles
Ranch on a daily basis. We have been very satisfied with their
quality and reliability. In our experience, this combination is ideal for detecting
intruders on likely avenues
of approach.
.
Dear Mr. Rawles,
First, as always, I am compelled to thank you for your service to all those
who would learn from your knowledge and efforts. My 2009 10
Cent Challenge contribution is forthcoming,
but it is only a small token of my appreciation in light of all that I have
learned from your excellent blog.
I wanted to add a note of my reality to your recent excellent comments on the
sorry state of home architecture in our country today. I live in a typical
recent-construction, middle class, Metro Atlanta home with a brick front facade,
and Hardiplank (a concrete-like product molded to look like wood siding) on
the remaining three sides. It is essentially three stories, with a "daylight
basement" comprising the first story. Many of the "weak links" that
you pointed out exist in my home, but we did install a fairly comprehensive
alarm system.
Last February, while my wife was at work and I was taking my son to daycare
(it was 11:15 a.m.), thugs broke into our house by kicking through the basement
wall! Evidently, the crooks suspected, or noticed, our alarm system, and tried
to bypass it by going through the wall. It would have worked if the dummies
hadn't opened the basement door preparing to depart with their loot. Of course,
opening the door set the alarm off, and they fled never having made it out
of the basement. They did steal an old rifle that I had recently bought, and
had left in a storage closet awaiting a good cleaning. All in all, we were
very fortunate.
I write not to simply share my story (which is, unfortunately, not very uncommon),
but to point out what I learned:
1. Though Hardiplank, and similar products, have many virtues, resistance to
invasion is not one of them.The concrete feel and appearance gives a false
sense of security. I was shocked to learn that the only thing between my "inner
sanctum" and the bad guys was the Hardiplank, fiberboard sheathing, and
drywall! Even if your 1st story sheathing were 5/8" plywood it would present
a much more formidable barrier!
2. If I had heeded my instincts, the burglary could have been avoided. I try
to live in "condition yellow", though I slip into white more than
I would like. That morning, while buckling my toddler into the car, I noticed
a rough-looking young man walking slowly up the sidewalk. By the time I had
buckled my seatbelt, he was ambling back down the street in the opposite direction.
All of the alarms in my head went off, but I didn't call the police to investigate
(something that they encouraged me to do in the future while discussing the
event). I did, however, step back inside and turn on the alarm, which I didn't
usually do for such short trips (things are different now). If I hadn't turned
on the alarm, I would have probably walked right into a home invasion in progress
(stupidly in condition white!) after dropping my son off. As it was, as soon
as I got the call from the monitoring service, I knew exactly what had happened,
and who had done it! During the frantic 3 mile drive home, my main concern
was, "what will I do if I arrive before the police?" At the time,
I had no firearm with me, which leads me to my final point.
3. Any time you walk into your home [after an absence] in condition white,
with no way to defend yourself, you invite disaster. Yes, I know it can be
terribly
stressful
to
admit to yourself that our society has "come to this", and some people
would rather just play the odds and hope it doesn't happen to them. I feel
that God was watching over me that day (by the way, the police were on site
when I got home - it had only been 20 minutes since I left the house) and gave
me a second chance. I guess I could remain in condition white, and hope it
doesn't happen again, but I have responsibilities. God gave me a second chance,
and I am committed to learning from this experience. You'd better believe that
I will arrive home in condition yellow to orange, looking for any hint that
something is awry - especially if my family is in tow! Oh yeah, and my next
house is going to be as solid as I can afford, and then some!
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas, and will have a terrific new
year. Best Wishes, - SH in Georgia
James;
I have been an advocate for survivors of violent crimes. I would like
to point out some things that I have been tracking for almost a year now. (I
have 'home invasions" as a google search alert and get messages on this
topic many times a day). First, I have noticed that most of these invaders
are not so much interested in carting away ill-gotten booty from the residence
that they have invaded as much as the first object is to terrorize and torture
those in the dwelling. This is a major change in the high level of deprived
violence of these burglars who are now being reported as "home invaders".
The attacks are sadistic, whereas, twenty years ago true sadistic attacks
were more rare as the goal seemed to be to steal and leave. Second, these sadistic
home invasions are world wide. I have not yet figured out why this is so. It
is, however, concerning that no place seems safe from this bizarre rise in
sadistic violence. Perhaps it can be linked to violent video games? I am not
sure what else could link these acts world wide. Third, unlike violent home
crimes in years past, the home invaders are attacking during the hours when
it is more likely that the residents are home. (Most of these
invasions seem to take place between 11 PM and 5 AM). Clearly, unlike in early
times when
the criminal element wanted to avoid the residents, this new class of thugs
want that violent encounter.
I think this does require that decent folks to have a change in understanding
what is taking place. These criminals are not just getting the pleasure of
taking your property but they want to cause you and your family extreme fear,
terror, and pain. Passive conduct by the victims that might have allowed these
thugs to rob your home and leave you alone might have worked twenty years ago,
but I think today's home invaders first literally will want a pound of your
flesh. On a positive note, I have also read of numerous residents who have
successfully fended off the invaders by being properly protected within their
homes. I am 'surprised" that the media doesn't seem to do much coverage
of these heroic deeds of the victim defending himself or family members from
these sadistic invasion. - Advocate for Survivors
of Violent Crimes
Dear Mr. Rawles.
Regarding your post on Tuesday December 30, titled "Letter Re: Home
Invasion Robbery Countermeasures". I would like to see you elaborate on
the "Countermeasures" portion of the title. Specifically, could you
show some real examples that people could use as "force multipliers" similar
to this . Maybe you can do a post on with and without grid power in SHTF scenarios.
For example I live in a suburb of a city of about 80,000 people. I live on
a corner lot and have a fenced in back yard. What low-tech methods could I
deploy
to
allow full coverage around the perimeter of my property to signal of coming
trouble. It would help if the ideas were designed to not create an abundance
of false alarms and not alert the surrounding neighborhoods like a trip alarm.
I don't have a retreat location but I'm getting my finances in order to allow
a property purchase soon. If TSHTF tomorrow, I would need some simple ideas
to keep my family safe as long as possible.
BTW, I read your "Patriots" novel
and it was awesome! I am about half way thorough your "Rawles
Gets You Ready" course and it too
is great. Thanks, - Steve F. in Louisiana
JWR Replies: A corner lot is problematic. Depending on the
landscaping that is prevalent in your neighborhood, if it would not look
too out of the ordinary then you might consider planting a
"decorative" thorny hedge around as much of your perimeter as
possible, and install a
gate across the front of your driveway. Make both the
maximum height that you can get away with,
without being branded as the Neighborhood Paranoid Poster Boy. The gate should
have a spiked top of some sort, to discourage gate jumpers. Just inside the
gate, position a passive infrared Motion Alert Transmitter (MAT) for a Dakota
Alert. You should also plant thorny
bushes below each of your windows.
Motion-activated floodlights are inexpensive and very easy to install.(They
are available at home improvement and hardware stores such as Home Depot and
Lowe's.) If the power grid goes down, you really should bug out ASAP, but if
you are forced to stay, then solar-powered floodlights might
suffice. (But note that their reviews mention that they have a short service
life. So it is best to just test them but not mount them outdoors until needed.)
Under those circumstances, a pair of night vision goggles would be a must.
(And if you have those, you might want to retrofit your floodlights to use
infrared bulbs. Being battery
powered, your
Dakota
Alert
system
will
continue
to
operate without grid power.
But
of
course keep plenty of spare batteries on had for all of your flashlights
and other home security and communications electronics.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Sabotage and Counter-Sabotage, by A. Farm Graduate »
Letter Re: 2,000+ Antique Books on Farming Available on-Line
Good morning,
While shopping for an antique agriculture book, I found this
web site at Cornell University. It is a link to 2,047 antique agriculture
books online from Cornell University. Since I farm organically I like to read
how the farmers did it 100+ years ago
before cheap oil and John Deere tractors. I thought your readers might be interested.
- Adam in Ohio
JWR Replies: I must add this proviso: Keep
in mind that 19th Century safety standards were considerably more relaxed
than
today's, so old formularies and "farm knowledge" books often do
not include any safety warnings. Use common sense around chemicals, flammables,
unwarded gears and cutting blades, heavy objects, and so forth. Stay
safe.
« Two Letters Re: Plastic Food Grade Buckets and Other Storage Food Issues |Main| Notes from JWR: »
On Livestock and Self Sufficiency by TAS
Most of the readers of Survival Blog agree on at least the distinct possibility,
if not the absolute certainty, of a collapse. This may come in a variety of
forms - flu pandemic, economic depression, or an EMP attack are likely scenarios.
Regardless of the form, the result will be very similar and our concerns are
as well: How do we protect ourselves and our families and provide a living?
While stocking up on beans, bullets, and band-aids is the initial response,
further preparation encourages us to find a defensible, as well as productive
retreat. But then what? So you have your retreat (or not), you’ve stocked
up on seeds and a food mill, and “the event” actually comes. Are
you prepared to provide for yourself when the food runs out or if society never
returns to “normal”?
My family and I got a crash course in self-sufficient farming when my husband
left the Air Force to fulfill my life-long dream (and eventually his, as well)
of returning to the farming lifestyle of my youth. We made the highly idealistic
decision to get out, not get a job, and learn how to make it. I might add,
the farm of my youth was not a self-sufficient farm, so we had a pretty steep
learning curve. And there is a lot to learn. When you have an established farm
and have gained experience, pneumonia sweeping through your cattle herd would
be a problem, but not insurmountable. Butchering chickens will no longer be
an intimidating production. Reserves or other income will make poor beef prices
a disappointment, rather than enough to drive you out of the business. It is
vitally important you learn the skills necessary to provide for your family
now, not when your survival depends on it.
The first thing you need to do is stop saving all your seeds, and plant them!
(Keep enough in reserve in the likely case you are not able to harvest all
your own seeds from your first gardens.) Even if you are in the city or suburbs,
convert much of your manicured lawn to a garden. Without a lawn, there is still
the option of container gardening and community gardens. There is a lot to
learn about gardening, and even the most experienced gardeners are learning
new things and still having unexplained crop failures. Square-Foot Gardening,
by Mel Bartholomew is an excellent resource. Master Gardeners at your local
County Extension Office, as well as free publications offered there, will give
specific recommendations for your area. The most important thing, in my experience,
is to get out there and weed and water, and harvest when the time comes. We
are all busy, but consider it therapeutic, or part of your homeschooling curriculum,
or family quality time.
So now you have your harvest, and no one can eat as much zucchini as your garden
was kind enough to provide you. Even if you haven’t been able to grow
your own, buy bulk produce and practice putting it up yourself. Save up, and
invest in the equipment you need to preserve your harvest. It could be a freezer,
which although not viable for long term if the grid goes down, is great for
now. We have zucchini bread in January. Lehman’s is a great resource
for food preservation equipment, but Wal-mart has all your basic canning materials,
as well. Canning was very intimidating for me, but in the long run, it is not
as difficult as I believed. Get a book, read it, but then do it. Head knowledge
is never the same as actually gaining the skill by doing it. A pressure canner
is next on our list, in order to preserve meat and vegetables safely, in case
we lose our freezer.
Next, of course, is livestock and larger-scale farming. Many may feel this
is not an option because of your location. The
Memsahib has already written
in great detail about keeping rabbits, both in town and in the country. Bees
are a great option for in town, and in many locations, chickens are legal,
also.
Both bees
and
chickens
will be helpful in your gardening endeavors. Chickens are great for eating
garden pests; just make sure your plants are mature enough to withstand their
scratching, and fence them out when your tomatoes and zucchini are mature if
you want to get any!
As for location, is it really necessary to live in town? For some, it may certainly
be. For others, you may need to consider it. Jim is an advocate for moving
to your retreat, so I won’t belabor the point. If you’re there,
you should be taking advantage of it. While there may be little time for full-scale
farming, you must do a little on the side to learn the skills before your life
depends on it. And if you don’t have a retreat, consider other options.
Is a local farmer or rancher willing to lease you a few acres to put some animals
on or grow some wheat? We have chosen to rent a small place with less than
10 acres to hone our skills on. The house leaves a lot to be desired, and we
could be living in a nicer place in town, but this was the trade-off we made.
Once you have found your few acres, work it as efficiently as you can. We enjoy
the books Country Life by Paul Heiney (unfortunately out of print; try your
library) and Guide to Self-Sufficient Living by John Seymour for getting the
most out of your acreage. Country Life is more of a motivator/idea provoker,
whereas Seymour’s book is more “how-to”. And, of course,
a must-have is Carla Emery’s Encyclopedia of Country Living, which is
extremely detailed on the many subjects it covers. You Can Farm by Joel Salatin,
while less self-sufficiency, is a fantastic book about farming, and getting
the most out of your land, while putting the most into it. There are many examples
where we are putting this into practice. What follows are what we have chosen,
but the opportunities are diverse to becoming more self-sufficient. Research
and choose what works according to your preferences and situation.
An easy choice was chickens. They provide eggs, meat, and several other services
to improve our situation. Although there are different thoughts on this, we
are still free-ranging our chickens until avian flu becomes more of a localized
threat. They get plenty of protein from insects, the eggs are more nutritious
due to the chicken’s high chlorophyll intake, they manage the horse and
pig manure in the pastures by scratching through it, and all of this saves
on feed costs for us. In addition, they keep down insects in the garden. In
spring, we will hatch our own eggs. We could easily buy chicks, but believe
hatching our own eggs is a skill to lear
