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Letter Re: Becoming a Food Warrior
James:
I appreciate your web site. It suits me right to the ground. I'd like
to be an occasional contributor. Congratulations on your fastidious maintenance
of this meaningful site. Just like farming isn't it.
Guerrilla
food shopping (part one)
I'm no conventional warrior, I couldn't force myself to take a life, but I
am a survivalist. Not to put too fine a point on this: I am a food warrior.
As I write this, one of our battles is escalating food prices, isn't it? What
can we do as individuals to protect ourselves? Plenty! We aren't hostages you
know. Not yet.
I think we all agree that inflation has dug its claws into us. We know from
experience that this ongoing dilemma never reverses itself. What was two dollars
yesterday will be three dollars soon. Looking ahead to the prospects of mega-inflation
of our commodities with flat-lined wages, lay-offs, firings as potential results;
these trends will likely reduce our present life-style options. Let's cover
this in chapters beginning with our second greatest threat: the grocery store:
All other survival issues aside, our grocery dollar has been attacked and bloodied
greatly. Before we can successfully protect our family food stream, we must
understand just what's happening. Many unrelated issues combine to make our
food needs imperiled and, at this same time, our dollar's buying power is shrinking.
This is a War.
It might interest you to know that not that many years ago, food was the responsibility
of the family. Here, in New England, families produced most of their needs
at home. They only bought or traded for a few food basics: flour, salt, some
grain products, spices, cocoa, molasses, baking soda, cream of tartar, some
white sugar, extracts, salt-peter. This short list was purchased by the season,
month, or year depending on how a family's trading goods harvested or how other
amounts of currency came to them.
The general store was small. It offered little choice in any of these necessary
products. A bag of flour was just that: a fifty-weight of pure flour packed
in a colorful sack, which would become a daughter's new dress when empty. Sugar
was weighed into the bags customers brought with them. How absurdly simple
the shopping experience was. (At home the daily routine was infinitely more
complicated.)
Packaging, advertising, transportation, handling and storage were minimal.
Things arrived in large barrels and bags aboard a freight wagon and were handled
by the family that owned the store. Licenses, inspections, salesmen callers,
employees, FICA, Social Security withholdings, health insurance, 401(k)s and
other issues to burden the grocer, hadn't been invented then. The dollar was
backed by a gold standard. Buyers could predict, within cents, what
their future costs would be. They could plan their cash crops according to
their anticipated needs. Everything made sense.
In a hundred years the entire American mentality has changed from near total
family independence to near total dependence on industry, business, and government.
Buddy, that is more scary than anything else happening in this country today.
However, I don't find it hard to understand why this gradual shift occurred
considering the tough, committed life-style my grandmother lived.
Today, most of us aren't equipped to produce all our products, so guerrilla
shopping is our recourse.
The battlefield is our grocery store. Consider now the terrain: Blind row upon
row of six-foot-tall gondolas crammed, presently, with so-called food. Our
mission is to determine what foods have real value. Our trophy for winning
this battle will be life-sustaining human fuel: real food.
In order to win this war we must know what is actually real food. The other
stuff: decoys, useless, non-issue, and costly, empty-food-value-just-packaging.
Today, most shoppers' carts carry little or no food of substance. (Example:
a can of chicken broth, presently $.89. is water, salt, a bullion cube and
a glob of chicken fat. The can takes up valuable storage space where more important
articles could go. Chicken broth is a simple by-product of cooking a chicken.
How tough can that be?)
Going into this battle will require training, equipment, planning and the will
to survive, so before we go on the attack we must ask ourselves important questions:
Am I willing to make the commitment to reduce my grocery bill, or will I continue
to shake my head, complain and continue to support this fufu industry?
What part of my family's needs can I or will I be able to produce?
What can I successfully introduce to my family?
What do I know about food values?
How much of what product do I need, to ensure that my family will be well-fed?
What can I afford to accumulate immediately, against continually rising prices.
How much space can I dedicate to this most important effort?
Where will my food reserves be in one year? Think through: Space, place, amounts.
Have you answered these questions? Good! Put on your "game-face" and let's
attack.
As you survey the landscape, you'll see hundred-foot-long isle of cereals.
Okay, we'll begin with cereal. Consider that the decorator cereals cost more
per-pound than meat! Why would you turn your hard-earned dollar into
puffed oats that have been processed so many times that the food value, if
ever there was, is gone?
As you warily survey this isle of worthless kid-incentives, several small items,
concealed on high shelves, come to your eye. Farina: a solid hot cereal with
good food-value. It requires cooking. Old-fashioned rolled oats: they are better
than the dusty quick oats being that the heavy oats are the premium while the
quick oats are what is left after the premium oats have been selected. Cream
of Wheat, another solid cereal that can be used as hot cereal or cooked, formed,
cooled, sliced and fried for an add-on to other meals. (Grits are a good choice
too, but I've never acquired a taste for them.). Corn meal makes a fine cereal
and can be as useful as the Cream of Wheat as an add-on fried. Add raisins
and other dry fruits to any of these for an enticing, substantial meal. Recipes
and cookbooks are available for any one of these cereals. You'll be amazed
at the versatility of just these four products.
Note: Cereal: flakes come in all kinds. The food-value is
questionable. Pick a generic brand. If your family won't settle for something
different,
camouflage these flakes in the family's favorite-brand box. I've known children
that wouldn't eat anything that didn't come in some kind of familiar package.)
Our trophies from the vast cereal isle: corn meal, old-fashioned oats, farina
and Cream of Wheat will cook up to multiples of their dry weight. They all
store reasonably well. Here are four cereals from the 100-foot row of decorator
cereals, and these all have other uses besides breakfast. Do you see why it
is important to review your grocery habits with a critical eye? With just these
four cereals you've now wisely increased your inventory, increased your savings
and greatly increased your per-pound-nutritional-food-values.
Every isle has its story. Every isle is designed for eye-appeal rather than
solid nutritional choices. Marketers play on convenience, on price, on low-this
and high-that, and popularity to move their product into your kitchen. Don't
buy into the marketing game. Chances are the best products are not at eye-level,
do not have fancy boxes or gimmicks. The food containers that we are looking
for will probably have dust on their tops.
If grocery food is our second biggest threat, then what is the first? : As
a nation, we are so ill-equipped to handle today's events. Few people can really
cook, fewer can garden, and still fewer know even the basics of animal
husbandry, farming, logging, wild-crafting all the wonders that I, as a child,
took for granted. All these amazing things I learned, as a child, from my parents,
and grandparents. These incredible people are gone forever, taking much
of their knowledge and wisdom with them. Boy-oh-boy do we need them today!
I'm much older than most of you reading this. In the four decades since I reached
adulthood, I've kept to the old ways, in spite of the ridicule I've endured
from family and
friends.
Practicing
and
learning the old ways has given me much quiet joy, a feeling of accomplishment
beyond measure, and a great appreciation for my ancestors who made do with
very little while enjoying good, long happy lives. I'm sure they would say
they wanted for nothing.
For a number of years now I've felt guilty about not being able to share my
experience and knowledge. Each time I shared, my listeners wanted me to do
their home-work for them. I wasn't making a dent in the ignorance that would
one day founder this nation.
Side note: Dozens of books are offered to make you an instant expert. These
books are written by authors who read someone else's book, digesting major
points then
spit them back with great color photos. No good. The knowledge you need isn't
available in a condensed "how-to" volume for $20 plus $3.99 shipping.
In fact, these books can be dangerous. I once read a rather well-appointed
field guide to wild edibles. It pictured a fern; they called it an edible fiddlehead.
This furry fern was no more edible than the tires on your car. Please beware
of these knock-offs in fancy formats.
Well, here we are in rocky times with a future in the fog. Now, finally, folks
are showing some interest in becoming independent. Reminds me of college days
when if it weren't for the eleventh hour rule, little would have ever been
done. Unlike academics, this isn't about passing mid-terms. This is about survival
of the human race. Does this frighten you at all? It should. The learning curve
to self-sufficiency is great with many backward steps. And we are, indeed,
into
the eleventh hour.
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Replace Your FUD with Preparedness Action--a Pre-Crash "D" List
All of the recent economic news may be overwhelming to some. This
has left many people virtually petrified by Fear, Uncertainty, and
Doubt (FUD). Don't
be a proverbial "deer in the headlights." I strongly
encourage you get past your anxiety uncertainty and instead of sitting around
glued to CNN, wringing your hands and saying "ain't it awful". Replace that
angst with action. Get
busy preparing. Here is my suggested Crash Countdown "D"
List, for folks that are already fairly well-prepared:
1.) De-Hummelize
Sell off any collectibles that are not family heirlooms. The worst offenders
here are the mass produced "limited edition" Hummel figurines, Beanie
Babies and those collector plates from umpteen artists. Because I've mentioned
this, please don't think that I'm a misogynist.
Men can
be just as bad about acquiring trinkets! They are just manly trinkets.
Far too many men have gun vaults chock full of
"commemorative edition" guns with engraving and gold inlay that
they would never dream of shOoting, for fear that their collector value would
be diminished.
I most strongly recommend that you sell off those guns and replace them with
truly practical ones .These days, I lean toward stainless steel guns with synthetic
stocks, because of their tremendous longevity.and resistance to corrosion.
By selling off your toys and trinkets, you will be A.) clearing
space for important logistics, and B.) generating
cash to help purchase those same logistics. Trinket items have a ready market
with eBay, especially this time of year, as people are shopping for Christmas
gifts. Take nice crisp photos, start most of your items at a penny, and make
sure that you charge enough to cover your postage and tracking costs.
2.) Dumpster Dive
Watch your local Craig's
List like a hawk. It is not unusual to find people giving away or selling
a ridiculously low prices dozens of heavy duty canning jars, hand-crank meat
grinders, chest freezers, shelving,
and poultry brooder, horse tack, and so forth. I've even found running generators
available free for the asking. (You haul.)
Mark your calendar for both community yard sales and the next time that your
garbage collection service offers an "unlimited curbside pickup" day.
Hook up your trailer the evening before, and see what you can find that is
free for the taking. (Consult your local ordinances first, of course.) We've
found lots of practical items that were still perfectly serviceable, such as
rabbit cages, brooms, canes, geriatric walkers, and galvanized wash tubs ("gut
buckets") set out on the curb. It would be a shame to see useful item
send up in a landfill.
3.) De-Procrastinate.
If you have been putting off any dental work, elective
surgery, vehicle repairs, or getting new lenses for your eyeglasses, then start making
appointments!
4.) Dump Your Dollars
Roll over your 401(k) and/or IRA into a gold IRA, available
from through Swiss
America Trading Company.
5.) Double-Up Your Staple Goods Shopping
Double up your staple groceries shopping. By doing so consistently, you will
rapidly build up a supply of canned good. Make sure you mark the date of purchase
on the top of each can with a permanent marker (such as a Sharpie pen), and
put the most recently purchased cans at the back of the shelf . These are the
essential points of "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) rotation.
6.) Divert Your Expenses
Cut
out needless expenses, so that you can divert that cash into preparedness.
Pare down your expenditures on movies and eating out. But don't go overboard
and make yourself (or your spouse and kids) miserable. OBTW, here is an example:
The Memsahib's sister found that she could skip Starbucks, and make herself
an
awesome Vanilla
Latte
at a 7-11 store, for less than half the price. Do comparison pricing. Is
a NetFlix subscription less expensive than a cable movie package? Do you
really have
the time to watch that much television, anyway? I'm not say to do without
life's little pleasures. I'm just saying that there are some less expensive
alternatives.
7.) Door-to-Door Introductions
Get to know your neighbors. Go door to door, if need be. Remind folks who
you are. Connect names to faces. Make a list of phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Without being too pushy, quiz them a bit if they are "ready fort he next big
storm". Find out if any of them have
prior
military
experience,
or
advanced
medical
skills.
But
of course don't volunteer too much information about yourself. It is not wise
to brand yourself at he neighborhood Whackamo.
8.) Drums, Cans, and Fuel Tanks
Top off your supplies of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene. Add fuel stabilizer
and antibacterials (such as Pri-G and Pri-D), as needed.
9.) Detailed Contingency Plans and Packing Lists
Contact family and friends, and agree on contingency plans that you'll follow,
even if the telephone system and e-mail become inoperative. If any relatives
are planning to join you at your retreat when TSHTF, then
make sure they know exactly what
they will need to pack. They may be able to make only one trip there, so they'll
have to make it
count. (they need to have appropriate winter clothing, gloves, boots, gardening
tools, bedding, and so forth to be productive at your retreat.
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Letter Re: Home Canning and Stocking Up
Dear Sir,
I would like to thank you for your time and effort in providing
a “one stop shop” for such a large volume of information.
Principally due to your site, my family and I have begun to increase the size
of our pantry with both purchased food/supplies and other materials as well
as increase the amount of food we are home canning. One observation I have
made in all our preparations is the amount of food (from local gardens, backyard
fruit trees, farmyard orchards) that goes to waste in our area. It is amazing
the amount of produce on local backyard fruit trees and in gardens that either
because of a lack of time or lack of knowledge, people allow to spoil. We have “put
the word out” that we are interested in any fresh fruit/vegetables that
people have and due to that, we now have more fruit and vegetables than we
have canning jars and freezer space.
We have begun to shop around at local farm auctions and garage sales for canning
jars and have enlisted several other family members in our endeavor. My father-in-law
is preparing his garden ~ 2 acres, for the addition of our own fruit trees,
berry bushes, asparagus and other vegetables. We have also begun to make contacts
with others who are interested in bartering for materials. This has greatly
increased the number of relationships with other folks in our area and has
resulted in a much closer feeling of community between us and our neighbors.
We live on the edge of a fairly small agricultural town in southeast Nebraska
.
The biggest potential downfall is we do not have a retreat in the boonies.
We do have a fairly close neighborhood that “could” be isolated
(bridges over a creek and river) from some traffic. In the mean time, we continue
to stock food and other materials you have suggested and prepare our property
in the event of a meltdown.
Again, thank you for your time. - Brad E.
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Letter Re: Some Thoughts on Practical Preparedness -- Things That Work
Jim:
To follow-up on the last two e-mails that you posted from me, here are some
random thoughts that I'd like to share on preparedness for when the Schumer
Hits
the Fan
(WTSHTF):
Use an eyeglasses "leash" (lanyard) to prevent the loss of glasses and reduce
the risk of damage.
Buy janitorial-size rolls os toilet paper, without perforations. Each roll
is 1,000 feet long, and a box of 12 rolls measures about two feet square.
These take up just a fraction of the room required to store the same length
of toilet paper in standard household rolls.
Use a kiddie-type pool to collect water from rainwater downspouts. The pools
with hard-plastic sides and vinyl bottoms are fairly durable. A six foot diameter
pool that is 15 inches deep holds 211 gallons of water.
Light-emitting diode (LED) lights are superior to traditional [filament] bulb
designs. They last much longer and are much more resistant to impact. When
used LEDs, batteries last much longer. LED headlights are close to ideal for
doing chores, since they keep your hands free. Tactical use requires a hand-held
or
weapon-mounted
light [with an intermittent switch.]
Krazy Glue [cyanoacrylate adhesive] is great for closing small cuts [after
they have been properly cleaned.] Steri-strips are the next step up in holding
ability.
Water Filters - Culligan's
new EZ-change Level 4 [under-sink] filter [cartridge]
is rated to treat 500 gallons. That is five time the volume of most compact
backpacking filters. With a self-contained design, it would be easy to attach
a pump. The are available for $38 through Amazon.com. Most [other] under-sink
filters could be used the same way, but the Culligan design is preferable because
it is fairly compact.
For "ready made" backpacking filters, I prefer the First Need brand filters.
These are rated to remove viruses and radioisotopes.
Ball-shaped pin on magnetic compasses are compact, but they are more fragile
that the type designed to clip on to a watch band, such as the Brunton and
Suunto brand compasses.
Dental health is very important for long-term survival. Wal-Mart now sells
a dental kit including a mirror with scaling tool and pick, from Dentek. They
also sell Temparin temporary filling repair kits. These come in three-application
containers.
Temparin is far superior to the old standby of packing a lost filling void
with zinc oxide.
A big part of survival is preventing injury. In a post collapse word, an injury
will reduce available manpower, and something that would be considered just
relatively minor in the present day could prove fatal. Proper safety equipment
and training in the safe use of hand tools is crucial. Gloves, eye protection,
preventing falls, fire safety, and so forth should be stressed. Hygiene and
proper sanitation are equally important.
I believe that a good foundation for long-term family preparedness is learning
the basics of wilderness survival. Having a solid understanding of the first
four critical basics--water, food heat and shelter--helps set priorities in
developing a larger plan for long-term preparation. It is also the final "fall
back" position [in the event that you are forced to abandon your retreat or
in case you never make it there]. These basics are also foundational in making
important decisions.
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Letter Re: A Resource on Make-It-Yourself Backpacking Gear
Hello,
I came across this web site and thought I'd send you the link to a page at
Backpacking.net: Make
Your Own Gear! I can't even sew my shirt buttons back on, but maybe it
would be of use to other readers. [JWR Adds: Don't miss the
individual plans in the left hand bar.]
By the way, I gave your novel a good review on Amazon.com. Most everybody did.
But I included a motivational quote in it that really means a lot to me. I
heard it from an Amway tape many years ago:
"I will do today what others will not do, so I can do tomorrow what others cannot
do". I think it really speaks the survival mindset.
Have a great day, - Rod McG.
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Letter Re: Build it Yourself Farm and Homestead Equipment
Mr Rawles
While looking for plans and ideas for a new outbuilding for my home. I found
this
little gem solid information buried deep in the Countyplans.com web site.
It has probably has around 150 plans to build everything from a Turret Lathe
and Mill to Cement Mixers and Tractor Scoop Loaders. This stuff is
in PDF format, download able and free. The plans are reprints from old do
it yourself magazines and are past copyright so there isn't any legal issues
with the downloads
Now a lot of these equipment plans would not pass the government's current
nurf world standards for safety so use them at your risk. Anyone who has ever
work
around
farm equipment knows to keep on their toes or you might end up with a interesting
new nickname. Glad to hear the Memsahib is back in charge, our prayers are
with you and yours. - Henry S.
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Letter Re: Airsoft and Paintball Groups for Small Unit Tactics Training?
Gidday Mr Rawles,
I was just wondering whether or not it would be wise for me to join a tactical
Airsoft club in the future. Due to the current political climate in New Zealand
training with live firearms, and so forth is frowned upon and could get you
labelled as a "terrorist".
However there are a lot of Tactical Airsoft/Paintball groups throughout the
country and I was wondering whether it would be a wise move for me to join
one of these clubs to gain some tactical skills/experience? Or is it better
to avoid groups all together? - S.S. in New Zealand
JWR Replies: I can't speak to the potential OPSEC or
legal issues, but I can talk about the value of the training. In my experience
Airsoft and paintball are fine for learning some aspects of camouflage and small team
tactics. The fatal flaws of both, however, are that:
1.) Since paint balls and Airsoft pellets have hardly any penetration beyond
five yards, people start to subconsciously equate concealment with cover.
2.) Because paint balls only have limited range, people start to subconsciously
think of anything beyond that range as "safely out of range" (for
maneuver in the open.)
If you can regularly remind yourself about those shortcomings and
adjust your training regimen accordingly, then you'll find that
they provide somewhat worthwhile training. But it is essential that you integrate
high velocity ballistic realism. This means declaring anyone that blatantly
stands up in the open at 50+ yards "dead meat." Ditto for anyone
that mistakenly takes "cover" behind bushes. Again, concealment
is not cover!
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Letter Re: Holster, Sling, and Web Gear Recommendations
Howdy Mr. Rawles!
Before I begin, I’d like to offer my congratulations on your fine novel
being republished. I’ve read it once myself, then again to my family
(I hate television, reading is good family entertainment) which should be considered
high accolades in itself. Currently my copy is in the Pacific Northwest, bound
for the midwest next, as it continues to travel the country within my circle
of friends.
I read the
posted letter by R.P. on 26 August, and associated recommendations
on holsters, slings, and web gear, and thought I’d offer some discussion
on the matter:
The main reason pistols are currently worn on thigh rigs has less
to do with ‘CDI’ [“Chicks Dig It”] factor and more
to do with accessibility. When one wears a vest festooned with pouches, the
bulk of these tend to hinder proper presentation of the pistol when the holster
is worn conventionally on the pants belt. That is, if the pants belt can even
be seen, as most wear their vests low enough to preclude such. The addition
of body armor only exacerbates the situation. The pistol, therefore, is typically
moved elsewhere – mostly onto a thigh rig or integrated into
the vest itself. This is far from a new style though – the old leather
1911 holsters
hung down from the frog clip to accomplish the same purpose.
As you noted, thigh holsters typically aren’t comfortable
while ‘on
the move’ . They are good for one thing though, and that’s an assault.
Thus the reason that laden troops are often seen with them – those troops
are equipped for an assault. Additionally, a conventionally mounted holster will
typically interfere with a ruck waist belt. If not precluding ruck use entirely,
at a minimum compromising comfort.
I’ve been working through these issues for years, and have come to some
conclusions:
No one rig will ‘do it all’. Compromises abound and are mandatory.
For the vast majority of time (as it applies to me) a light vest, at the
most, is all that is called for.
I am not personally a fan of the heritage [LC-1/LC-2 series] deuce gear. Not
that the concept is wrong, bad, or anything else – but the ALICE clips
(or as my associates and I came to call them, “meat hooks”) really
did need to be jettisoned. They rub body parts raw, blistered, and cause other
similar problems when used for any significant length of time. As well, the
magazine pouches were designed more for extreme magazine retention and protection
(security) than allowing a speedy reload, and the closure hardware on them
never was very robust.
When I had evolved my deuce gear as far as it would go, my pouches were all
lashed to the pistol belt with gutted paracord.
Using the grommets of the belt and the freshly-emptied ALICE clip slots on
the pouches, paracord can be worked
tight enough to prevent pouch movement laterally and vertically. Another consideration
is that by using paracord, there is less metal to clink against other items.
This technique worked well in my opinion, and happened to be identical to
the way – in both layout and
attaching - one of my closest friends independently evolved his LBE in Ranger
school. If one is really attached to that generation of equipment, then I recommend
this method of pouch attachment, as it is a quantum step up in comfort! Just
make sure that the knots are oriented away from your body and melted somewhat,
to prevent them from coming loose and the paracord sheathing from unraveling.
In my opinion the new generation of MOLLE load bearing vest (LBV) is superior
to the old deuce gear - of course allowing that everyone is different. Not
only are the MOLLE vests superior in comfort, but the modularity offers the
capability of repositioning your pouches to find the placement where they feel
best for that individual. I personally prefer the slightly older models that
use two buckles in the front, as opposed to a zipper. Conveniently, these vests
are low enough in cost that purchasing one per rifle, carbine, or shotgun isn’t
cost prohibitive.
Like R.P. and yourself, I have attended Front
Sight. I’ve also attended
other top-notch institutions – I typically attend at least one course
per year. As such, it should come as no surprise that after significant attempts
at finding “a better way”, I also advocate using a conventionally
mounted belt holster. It seems we prefer the same manufacturers as well – Blade-Tech
and Milt Sparks specifically. The Milt Sparks folks talked me into trying the
Summer Special II and I’ve been happily using that for the last three
years or so and actually prefer it to the original Summer Special. I would
also add Lou Alessi to the recommended holster-maker list, as I’ve been
using his leather belt holsters for the last decade or so and am quite taken
by his execution of the old Bruce Nelson design, which Lou calls the DOJ holster.
Specifically, I prefer the slightly modified version he made for Dick Heinie.
Those can still
be ordered as such directly from Lou, as Dick quit carrying
them. I’ve used several gun belts over the years, but eventually stuck
with the Riggers Belt offered by The Wilderness. I prefer mine with the optional
5-stitch reinforcement, to make the belt less flexible under load.
I have found that the key to proper pistol presentation when wearing a vest
is to have the vest ride high enough that it doesn’t interfere with the
holstered pistol; not quite as high as a chest rig, but almost. As well, when
laying out the pouches for attachment, I leave a open area on my front and
both sides; approximately 10:45 to 1:15, 2:00 to 4:30, and 7:30 to 10:00 are
all open space. This allows unimpeded access to a properly holstered pistol,
as well as the spare pistol magazines and such on the opposite hip. The open
area directly to my front is so that I can assume a solid prone position without
lying on full magazine pouches; I space the pouches such that they act as wheel
chocks when I’m in the prone. With the vest riding
at this height, other items can be carried on the belt with decent access – a
knife, pistol magazines, flashlight, multi-tool, and compass for example. With
all that open area though, the vest really doesn’t carry much. As
I’m not employed to assault enemy positions, I don’t need an assault
vest. What I do need – and what the vest provides – is water, more
ammo for the pistol and carbine, navigation, communications, and a blow-out
kit. If called for, a PVS-14 or PVS-7D in rigid case can be quickly and securely
attached to the water carrier on the back. As the unofficial motto of my favorite
school says, “shoot, move, and communicate”, this vest is geared
to meet those needs. What it is not geared to meet is self-sustainability.
This vest shouldn’t be confused with a rig meant for patrolling, what
one would choose to wear when knowingly venturing into unfriendly areas, or
anything to sustain oneself longer than a few hours. Essentially this is a
vest to be worn when contact isn’t expected, just something to work ones
way back to a nearby resupply.
For the applications where the light vest isn’t sufficient, a ruck is
called for, as well as a vest that works well with a ruck but also has the
volume capabilities for sustainability. Of course, this is a trade-off, and
there are many trade-offs involved in choosing kit. As always, determined by
METT-T [Mission,+Enemy,+Terrain,+Troops+Time Available]. At this time, for
a patrolling
/ heavy vest, I’m evaluating
the K171 Arktis model. It’s heavier, bulkier, doesn’t allow unimpeded
pistol usage (the pistol is stowed in a cross draw integral holster and meant
to provide
security over speed), and favors security over speed in reloading – but
it does carry a patrolling load well.
On the topic of slings, I realize this is personal preference, but I prefer
different slings for different applications. On a battle rifle or a precision
rifle, I prefer the Quick-Cuff from Tactical Intervention Specialists. I’d
been using these slings for years before our military adopted them as part
of issue sniper kit - they really are top-drawer quality. I’ve used them
on long-range courses and competitions and never regretted it. It doesn’t
do anything that a good loop sling doesn’t
do – it just does it faster and easier. For shotguns and carbines, it’s
difficult to find better than the Giles or Vickers slings, in my opinion. When
set-up such that the buttplate is approximately one fist height below the chin,
these work very well.
At this point though, I’d like to reiterate your admonition that training
must be sought. If a trip into the Arizona or Nevada deserts, the
Oregon mountains, the Oklahoma hills, isn’t a viable option at the
moment, then I also advocate the Appleseed
Program [rifle matches and clinics].
These fine, hospitable folks will get you spooled up on the basics of marksmanship
quickly
and efficiently – I
should know, I’ve
been volunteering as an instructor for almost a year now. All the best, and
God Bless! - Bravo
« Letter Re: Perennial Food Crop, Vines, and Trees |Main| Note from JWR: »
How To Make Den-Type Game Traps, by Terry B.
Den Traps are my favorite type of trap, and knowing how to make and use them
may be the most important survival skill you ever acquire. Once you grasp this
concept, you will have the ability to provide fresh meat for yourself, friends,
and family, for the rest of your life. So, what is a den trap? Den Traps are
the best permanent trap design ever invented. A den trap is simply an artificial
den or burrow, built to shelter wild game animals until you are ready to harvest
them.
A Den Trap has many advantages over any other type of trap. The trap is permanent,
and will provide you with game for years, or even decades. It will catch many
different types of game, and no bait is required. It is always set; one animal
going in will not lock others out, so you can catch several animals at once,
and may even catch different types of game at the same time. It will work all
year, and in all weather conditions. In fact, bad weather prompts game to shelter
in these traps, so they will often produce game when other trap designs will
not.
Any other type of trap must be checked quite often, to see if it has been sprung,
and animals must be processed right away, when killed in a snare (or other
killing-type trap), or taken care of, once caught in a live-catch type trap.
With den traps, game animals actually take care of themselves until you wish
to harvest them for food. You can ignore a den trap for weeks or even months
and no game will die in the trap.
Some animals dig their own dens, but most will happily adopt any type of shelter
they can find. There is always a housing shortage in the wild, and very few
places are as suitable as your den trap will be, so animals will benefit in
several ways when you build these traps. A game hideout at the entrance to
the den trap provides a perfect hiding place with overhead cover, and game
can enter and exit the hideout from two different directions. The trap provides
shelter from both predators and the elements, allowing more young game to survive,
so you will actually be boosting game population in every area that you build
den traps.
From my long-term survival perspective, den traps are great for several more
reasons. Since they are hidden from view, no one will know that trapping is
going on, making them perfect for use in areas such as public lands. [Consult
yourlocal game regulations.] The underground version of the trap is hard to
spot, making it unlikely that your
game will
be stolen, or your trap destroyed. This trap can be made in many different
variations, using scrounged items or trash, or built completely out of natural
materials. It can even be scaled up to catch larger game, such as coyotes.
No other trap offers the advantages that this one does. A few installed around
your location will be available to collect game from, for many years in the
future. They can also be made now, and placed in an area that you may want
to stay at later, and will be ready to provide you with food when you arrive.
Den Traps could be installed at every location that you like to visit or camp,
helping the game to flourish in each area you have chosen. This allows you
to move from location to location, while having a supply of fresh food waiting
for you at each stop.
Now you are probably wondering if Den Traps have any disadvantages, and of
course they do, as any design has some “engineering trade-offs”.
These are permanent traps, so they are not portable (but you can build them
wherever they are needed). They take a certain amount of time and effort to
construct, which varies with the exact style of trap you choose to make. Once
finished, it also takes some time for local game to find these traps, get used
to them, and start using them, so you don’t set them up quickly, like
wire snares, or cable-lock deer snares, and expect to have game trapped the
next morning. But aside from these few drawbacks, there is no better permanent
trap, for long-term survival.
In fact, the longer this type of trap is in place, the better it works, as
more game in the area locate your dens and move in. And although it isn’t
required, you can shorten the time it takes game to find and use your dens,
by putting some bait (such as a sardine, minnows, dry dog food, or a dab of
peanut butter) in the game hideout at the entrance to each den every day for
a few days, to help animals locate and get used to their new housing.
Construction: There are many different ways to make these traps, but all share
some similarities. A den trap consists of four basic parts; a den box with
a removable lid, an entrance tunnel, a game hideout at the entrance, and a
blocking pole [or panel] (which is used to prevent game from escaping, when
you go to collect them from the den). You can use many different materials
for
each
of
these parts, and you may think up your own unique variations.
There are three basic styles of Den Traps; above-ground traps, sunken traps,
and underground traps. The above-ground style is the easiest to build, but
it is also the easiest for other people to find. The underground style is just
the opposite, harder to build, but also harder to locate. The sunken style
is half-buried, so it splits the difference between the other two styles. First,
we will describe how to make an above-ground Den Trap.
Above-Ground Den Trap:
The Den: You can make all of your den boxes from scratch, using lumber or plywood,
but I seldom use this method, because I prefer to improvise. I like to make
my dens out of locally available materials, so if I am in a wooded area with
lots of sticks and tree limbs, I will build a den box out of sticks, like a
miniature log cabin.
If I am in a rocky area, I make a den box by stacking up stones to make the
walls, like a little stone house.
If I am out in a grassy area, where materials are scarce, I make the den box
using squares of grassy sod dug up with a shovel, or mud bricks (made by mixing
mud and grass), like a small adobe building.
I prefer to make the top of adobe dens from sticks or scrap lumber, or pieces
of plywood or corrugated roofing, if any of these are available. You can make
a sod roof, using a shape like an igloo, or skep
beehive, but it may collapse
in wet weather. Stick roofs can be improved by covering them with some plastic,
for waterproofing, if you have any. A den that stays warm and dry is a den
that catches more game.
If I am near a junkyard, or other source of man-made materials, I use whatever
looks suitable. The den box can be made from any suitably sized wooden or metal
box, a five gallon bucket with lid, a plastic storage tub, an old trash can,
a large flower pot, or even a large section of hollow log, or hollow stump.
Your den only needs to be big enough for several game animals to fit inside,
so den boxes can be as small as 12 inches square, but 18 inches is better,
and 24 inches on each side is very roomy, by den standards. Dens can be made
round, square, or rectangular, as desired. Twelve inches is a good standard
height for any den box, as few small game animals stand over one foot high.
If you want to trap coyotes, you will have to make larger dens. (Thee feet
by three feet).
The top of your den box should be open, or have an opening built or cut into
it, which is large enough for you to reach into, so that you can remove game
from the trap. The top (or the opening) is covered with one or two lids, an
(optional) screen lid, which allows you to see into the den without letting
game escape, and a solid lid, which closes the den, and keeps out sunlight.
The solid lid will be covered with a layer of leaves or forest debris, to hide
the trap, and to help keep the den dark (because game will not stay in a den,
if sunlight shines into it). The game hideout also helps to keep direct sunlight
out of the entrance tunnel, and den box. The den box also needs an opening
on one side, to connect to the entrance tunnel.
The solid lid can be made from a variety of materials, just like the other
trap parts. Again, I tend to use whatever is handy, where I happen to be. A
lid can be made by lashing sticks together, or it can be a large, thin, flat
rock. Scrap plywood makes a good lid, or several pieces of crap lumber can
be nailed [or screwed] together to make one. A piece of corrugated roofing
works okay, and old
metal
or plastic
trash can lids make good den box lids. (Wow, lids make good lids!)
The solid lid should be larger than the opening it covers, to help seal out
rain and sunlight. I like to put two handles on my lid, to make it easy to
lift up when checking the trap, as the lid will be covered with leaves. The
handles can be made from rope, cordage, nylon strapping, or wire, or you can
use old screen door handles.
The Entrance Tunnel:
Entrance tunnels are the way the game gets into the den
box. You just need a tunnel about four feet long, and big enough for your game
to fit inside; six inches across is good for small game, twelve will do for
the largest possums and raccoons, and eighteen inches will work for coyotes.
Again, I like to use locally available materials.
In wooded areas, lay two four-foot long small logs down, the right distance
apart. Put a third log on top of these two, so that it bridges the gap, and
you have
a tunnel. The logs can be flattened on the inside, if you want, to make a smoother
tunnel.
In rocky areas I make two lines of stones, the right distance apart, and place
flat stones across the gap, to create the tunnel.
In grassy plains areas, I use lines of sod or adobe bricks, but I use a plank
for the top of the tunnel, so that it won’t cave in when it rains.
When man-made materials are available, you have a number of options. Tunnels
can be made from planks or plywood nailed together, to form hollow square columns
(or hollow triangular columns). You can also use old plastic or metal pipe, metal
or concrete culverts, old bricks or cinder blocks, or even old drain tiles, roofing
gutters, or downspouts. You could also use several large cans or buckets wired
together, with the ends cut out.
The entrance tunnel fits up against the opening in the side of the den box, so
that animals can crawl through the tunnel, and enter the den.
My favorite entrance tunnels are made from hollow logs that I cut into four-foot
long sections, or hollow logs that are open on one side (you just put the open
side down, and this is also how you use rain gutters). I am always looking around
for more hollow logs, which I cut up into sections, and save for using with my
next batch of den traps.
These logs often have rotted wood inside, which needs to be cleaned out, using
an axe and adze for open logs, or a spud (a large debarking chisel on a pole)
for enclosed hollow logs. You can often knock the rotted wood out with just a
length of metal pipe and a hammer. If you don’t have any tools, you can
always burn them out using campfire coals, if you are careful (keep water on
hand to douse the flames, as needed).
The Game Hideout: When you have made your den and entrance tunnel, find a rock
(or short section of log), and put it a foot or so in front of the entrance tunnel.
Now find a flat rock, or slab of wood, and place it so that it bridges over from
the entrance tunnel to the first rock. This creates a little game hideout where
animals can stay hidden, and be protected from overhead attacks by birds of prey.
They can also come and go from either side, so animals will feel like they have
an escape route, as well as being able to retreat down the entrance tunnel.
Game animals will consider this to be a perfect arrangement, and will be drawn
to live here as soon as they find the den. Now cover the flat rock with leaves
or forest duff, to help it blend in. The hideout can be further disguised by
grass, brush, or other rocks, as desired.
The Blocking Pole: A blocking pole is just a stick, limb, pole, or pipe which
is longer than the entrance tunnel, and has a block of wood fastened on one end,
the right size and shape to block the tunnel. To use, you insert the pole (block
end first) into the tunnel, until the block is up against the opening of the
den box. This requires you to temporarily remove the game hideout cover first,
and usually the rock in front of the entrance as well.
The blocking pole will seal the den, so that game can’t escape, and if
any game happened to be inside the entrance tunnel, it will drive them back into
the den. To keep the block from going past the tunnel and into the den, make
the entrance hole on the side of the den box a little smaller than the entrance
tunnel, or you can put a couple of nails at the end of the tunnel as a stop,
if it is made from wood.
Once you have constructed your above-ground den trap, and made sure that the
blocking pole will fit into the entrance tunnel properly, then the trap should
be covered with a thick layer of leaves and forest debris, to insulate it, disguise
it, and to seal out sunlight from any gaps.
You can also make the walls of the den box and tunnel thicker, if made from sod
or stones, or chink stones with a mixture of mud and grass, if you want, or cover
the exterior with a piece of old plastic or canvas before adding leaves, or you
can cover the trap with a layer of dirt (an earth berm), before adding forest
debris, to help block out light. Any of these techniques work ok, so pick one.
Extra insulation is especially important in northern locations with severe winters.
Where To Locate Den Traps: The best locations for den traps are alongside existing
game trails, and close to year-round streams or water holes, where game goes
to drink and find food. So install your den traps where the game already travels,
preferably in a well-drained and gently sloping location, and above any possible
flooding, as you don’t want your dens to fill up with water. In swampy
areas you will have to use the highest ground available, even if it is not ideal,
so look for any small hills or ridges that may be in the area.
Almost any animal that can fit into the entrance tunnel will use your den, both
meat animals and furbearing game. Yet another advantage to den traps is that
most animals are nocturnal, so you can check your traps during the day when it
is convenient, and the game will be sleeping away inside. No more having to get
up at the crack of dawn, to check your trap lines before your catch is spoiled,
eaten by predators, or stolen by trap line thieves.
Harvesting game: So you made some den traps, and then waited a few weeks for
animals to take up residence. When you are ready to collect your game, you remove
the flat rock (or wood slab) that makes up the top of the game hideout (and the
rock in front of the entrance tunnel, if necessary). Insert the blocking pole
into the tunnel, until the block is up against the den entrance. Now dig around
in the leaves and forest debris above the den box, until you find the rope or
wire handles that you made.
Lift up gently, to remove the solid lid (with the mat of debris still intact
on top of it), and then you can inspect your catch. The mat of forest debris
tends to compact into a solid mass of compost over time, making it easy to remove
and replace the lid, without having to clear away the leafy cover first. You
can also tie the debris to the lid with string or fishing line, in a simple net
pattern, and then add a bit more debris, to conceal the cordage. (The Viet Cong
sometimes glued leaves to the trap doors of their tunnel hideouts, so they wouldn’t
fall off.)
Screen Lids: The screen lid is optional, as game often will not even try to escape,
but will cower in the den long enough for you to make a decision, but you want
to inspect the den carefully before actually reaching inside, because you may
find rattlesnakes or skunks in your trap. I like to use screen lids, as I find
that they keep me from feeling rushed. Also, any technique that helps you avoid
losing food will be worth using in a famine, or any true long-term survival scenario.
If you opt for a screen lid, there are many different ways to make one (Hey,
I see a pattern here!) A screen lid can be a simple wooden frame, covered by
chicken wire, window screen, hardware cloth, or expanded metal.
I usually make my screens from sticks or bamboo lashed together into an open
lattice, because I like to make things out of sticks, and sticks are easy to
collect for free. The screen allows you to see what you caught, without letting
any game jump out, so you can decide if you want to collect or shoot your catch
at your leisure.
Since den traps are live-catch traps, captured game can be removed unharmed,
if desired, so you can use them as livestock, or as trade goods, or you can fatten
them up in cages before eating them (possums and raccoons are much better eating
after they have been fattened up on kitchen scraps first). Predators and nuisance
animals (such as skunks) should usually be killed, to reduce their numbers in
the
local
area.
Sunken Den Traps, and Underground Den Traps:
The sunken versions of den traps are similar to the above-ground traps, except
the den box is installed in a hole in the ground. Sunken dens can be from half-buried,
to deep enough that the top is flush with the ground level. This reduces the
visibility profile of the trap. Underground den traps are set deep enough that
the top of the den box is below ground level (10 to 12 inches lower), allowing
them to be completely concealed from view.
Since these styles of trap are set in the ground to one degree or another, the
entrance tunnels must be placed in slanted ditches, so that they run from the
game hideout on the surface, to the opening in the side of the den box, which
will be below ground level. The entrance tunnel can be as simple as a narrow
ditch, covered by a log, plank, flat rocks, or old corrugated tin, if the soil
is stable enough to prevent cave-ins. More durable entrance tunnels, which are
required in soft or sandy soils, can be made from the hollow logs I like, or
any of the other methods already mentioned for above-ground traps.
In fact, if the ground is hard enough (such as hardpan, clay, or rock-filled
soil), the den “box” can be a simple hole, but the entrance hole
(at the den box end of the entrance tunnel) should be made smaller than the tunnel,
using rocks or wooden stakes, to provide a stop for the blocking pole. One other
advantage to the sunken and underground designs is that, since the entrance tunnel
slopes downwards, the end of the blocking pole will be elevated, and so it usually
fits over the rock in front of the entrance tunnel, meaning that you only have
to remove the overhead cover stone from the game hideout, to insert the blocking
pole into the entrance tunnel.
I prefer to make the underground style of den trap, whenever circumstances permit,
but it is easier to make above-ground den traps, if you don’t have any
tools. This is one of the reasons that my caches, vehicle kits, bugout kits,
and survival kits contain Army surplus entrenching shovels, small pickaxes, and
saws and hatchets. You can improvise digging sticks, but having good tools available
makes the construction process much easier.
Once you make one of these traps, you will see for yourself just how well they
work. If you build a test trap close to your home on your property, you could
also install a small security camera with infrared night vision capability, inside
the den box, and wire it to a remote monitor. This would let you see when animals
are in the trap, if you have the equipment available, and you feel like going
to the effort.
Please note that, like everything else fun and useful, making and using these
traps could be illegal, or could become illegal, as new laws are passed. Use
discretion, research you local and state laws, and use this information for survival
situations
only. I hope that you find this useful, and remember: “God Decides The
Outcome
Of
Every
Battle”.
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Two Letters Re: A Do-It-Yourself Denture Adhesive Formula
Jim:
In answer to the recent query in SurvivalBlog about denture adhesives, Sea-Bond is
an all natural wafer with [a very long shelf life--] no expiration. It sells
for $5.99 for three boxes of 15 wafers each. It is the only thing I could find
that would do. I'd stock up on these for long term use. - TD
Mr. Rawles,
This formula comes from a book that I have in my arsenal of survival books,
entitled "Formulas, Methods,Tips and Data for Home and Workshop" by
Kenneth M. Swezey (I can't tell you how many times over the years we have
used it but I had to buy an extra one just in case.)
He states "Most of the proprietary adhesives consist of just one or two
common gums or a combination of them, with the addition of a trace of flavor".
Here is his denture adhesive recipe:
Gum-Tragacanth-Powder 3 ounces (available most craft stores for cake decorating/check
the grocer aisle in the cake mixes too)
Powdered Karaya gum 1 ounce (health food/herbal/supplement stores)
Sassafras Oil 35 drops (not available anymore because of health concerns and
illicit use. Mrs. Foxtrot suggests peppermint oil, it is what she uses for
our Toothpaste recipe)
Shake the two powdered gums in a dry wide mouthed bottle until thoroughly mixed.
Add the oil and shake again until the oil has blended with the powders. Sprinkle
sparingly on the denture and place in mouth.
Best wishes for Reader Bill T. - Mr. Foxtrot
JWR Replies: I've posted this solely for educational purposes.
Consult your dentist! Beware of any formulas from old formulary books that
pre-date modern food and drug safety regulations. I do not recommend
experimenting with any chemicals that will contact human tissue. I'm only presenting
this
because the topic was in the context of a worst-case societal collapse. If
anyone were ever to use such a formula in an emergency, then they should first
test a very small contact area, both to test the adhesive's its strength,
and for gum or other tissue irritation. In this instance, it is quite important
that
if it is a partial denture that you make sure that it would not "over
bond" or inadvertently bond to your teeth or other dental work!
Peppermint oil is a great essential oil to keep on hand. It is particularly
useful for settling stomach upsets. (Just one drop on your tongue will do.)
However, be forewarned that it is highly aromatic, so just few drops
would probably suffice for the four-ounce formula that you cited.
As I've mentioned before, old formulary books are worth collecting. One
of my favorite formulary reprints is Kurt
Saxon's book: "Granddad's Wonderful Book of Chemistry"--primarily
a reprint of the classic formulary "Dick's Encyclopedia",
circa 1872. Saxon also assembled a dictionary of old fashioned chemical terms
and synonyms and included it in the front of his reprint. This is worth its
weight in gold. (Having an old formulary is great, but if you don't know that "oil
of mirbane" is now called nitro-benzene, then a lot of formulary knowledge
verges on useless.) Kurt has some far-out political beliefs which, as a Christian,
I find abhorrent. (Kurt Saxon is both an atheist and a eugenicist.) But if
you skip past those rantings, all of his books are great references. I've heard
that a few of his hard copy books are now out of print, but that they are all
still available on CD-ROM.
OBTW, if you search through used book stores, you will occasionally find other
old formulary book from the late 1800s. Buy them when you find them. They are
treasure troves of useful arcana!
Special notes of caution on home chemistry: Use extreme care whenever
working with chemicals--even when doing something as basic as making soap.
Always wear full goggles, long sleeves, and gloves. Always work in a well-ventilated
area. Wear a respirator mask, when appropriate. Always keep an A-B-C
fire extinguisher handy. Keep an emergency eyewash bottle handy. When working
with a chemical that could burn your skin, be prepared with a bucket of water
(if appropriate) or the appropriate neutralizer. Never use any of your regular
kitchen utensils, containers, or measuring instruments when working with chemicals.
(Have a dedicated set, and clearly mark them as such!) Never work alone. Study reactivity
tables, and always keep them in mind. Whenever working with anything flammable
or potentially explosive material, always work with minute quantities
for your experiments. Keep in mind that 19th Century safety standards
were considerably more relaxed than today's, so old formularies often omit
safety warnings. Always remember that exposure to some substances
such as lead, mercury, and carbon monoxide are insidious and cumulative. FWIW,
I'm not putting forth all these strong warnings simply to cover my assets from
a lawsuit. I really sincerely mean them, since I've "been there, done
that". As an over-exuberant teenage chemistry hobbiest I caught my hair on fire a time
or two.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Buying Storage Food and Precious Metals on a Budget »
Letter Re: Flexibility and Adaptability
Hiya!
Just discovered your site. You have lots of useful information, but I have noticed
a few points that may have been overlooked, or that I haven't gotten to [in
the Archives] yet.
1. Off road or utility motorcycles: I feel safe to discuss this,being a former
off road racer! A 4 stroke bike is the way to go,it gets 4 to 5 times the gas
mileage. A big 2 stroke will smoke anything that can fit thru the woods but
sucks gas like a maniac. My [two stroke] race bike was lucky to get 5 mpg--a
500
cc
Husqvarna.
For
trail
use, ease of handling, and easy for a novice rider. Go to Pep Boys and get a
couple of the 100cc [four stroke] trail bikes .Cheap, easy to ride and learn,
and
great
gas mileage.
Get
a trailer, not just for the bikes, but for everything else. As a last resort
you can ditch
your
main ride, and ride the bikes.
2. Electric power: I also feel safe to discuss this topic,as my father owned
a Recreational Vehicle (RV) dealership! All of the RVs had a "three way" refrigerator,12
volt
DC,
propane, and 110 volt. They also owned a place in Mexico, way out of the town
proper, with
solar
power. Why not use those cheap little solar lights that you use along the sidewalk
for lighting?
3. All heck breaks loose, no time to run: I always' stock up on any sales at
the grocery store. Canned food,"10 for $2" or whatever, hot dogs on
the 4th of july, turkeys around Thanksgiving, whatever fits in my deep freeze.
Also,
I
always keep water bottles in the deep freeze, not only for the water, but should
the power fail, you have instant huge ice blocks to maintain it a bit longer.
Living
in Arizona, water is a more required item, than comfort. I have a small jacuzzi,
which can be used just to cool off when it hits 110 degrees here, as it does
often.
It
holds 400 gallons. I wouldn't use it for drinking or cooking, but it makes
the day a lot more comfy [since it can be used for bathing and toilet flushing]
4. Tools: As a machinist, I think I have two of every tool known to mankind!
Learn
to use them, properly. An improperly used tool won't last long.
A screwdriver is not a chisel, and a chisel is not a screwdriver. You may never
have a chance
to find another 9/16" wrench for a while, so buy quality tools, use them
right.
The same logic applies
with chainsaws, generators, and whatever. You may need to rely on them more than
you believe. As an off-road motorcycle racer, I have!
5. Think outside the box: A Marine Corp #1 rule: improvise! I
was in a [long distance off-road] race in Mexico, and got a front flat tire.
I
was pretty
much
out
of the
race,
right?
Wrong! I stuffed the front tire full of weeds grass, and twigs,
zip tied the
tire to
the rim, and rode slowly to the pit stop. I ended up placing second in the race.
The
moral
of the story? Nothing is impossible! You just haven't thought
of the solution yet!
Okay, I'm done ranting. Thanks for your site. It is very informative - Dean
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Letter Re: Getting Third World Experience to Prepare for More Austere Times
Mr. Rawles,
I have been prepping and working on self-reliance for some time now, and starting
reading your blog about a year ago. Thank you for your efforts.
I am a dentist and would like to mention a training option that may be of
interest to some of your readers. Especially medical personal. For the past
11 years I have been a “volunteer” dentist for a week
or two at a time in a very poor, Central American country. I am part of team
that includes other dentists, medical doctors (MDs),
and assistants.
I picked this country because of its poverty, relative ease of travel (as opposed
to Africa) and the lack of armed conflict. There are many reasons that
I go, but a main one is for training and equipment testing.
We stay on site; in a village that has no running water or electricity. Every
day hundreds of people line up outside the gate, starting about 5:00 a.m..
The Dental team almost exclusively remove teeth. The MDs see a wide variety
of ailments,
but
many parasites, and hand /eye injuries related to chopping wood and cook fires.
I am not qualified to go much beyond that in describing the medical team's
activities.
Delivering care in a place like this is a totally different world than my comfortable,
climate controlled office. It’s more than removing learning how to extract
teeth without great lighting and high-powered suction. The skills required
to deliver safe, efficient, high volume oral surgery in what is essentially
a ”grid down situation” take some time to
develop.
Equipment that works great in the states, only takes up shelf space in the
Third World. Without high tech equipment, most dentists aren’t fully
productive until they have completed several trips.
The training aspects involve more than my personal skill in removing teeth
and running a clinic. I have trained many people in suturing, and given them
ample practice. Some trained dental assistants have also learned to inject
Novocain as
well as removing less challenging teeth.
In addition to the clinical aspect of such trips, these types of missions
provide opportunity to practice skills such as off-road driving, crowd control,
and
improvising. Living for a week or two without running water and electricity
gives a taste of what TEOTWAWKI might be
like. The parts of daily living that we take for granted in the United States
of America, come in to sharp focus. It is also worthwhile to see how yourself and others behave
while under a bit of stress from change in diet, poor sleep and other environmental
disorientations.
There are many medical/dental mission organizations, both secular and religious.
They vary in length of trip, cost and location. Many have personal stay at
hotels and drive out to provide services. All could use your support. This
type of training is clearly not an option for everyone, but has been very worthwhile
for me and my team on many levels, beyond a
training experience. If interested, local dental and medical societies are
a good place to start researching. - D.J.
JWR Replies: Some of my relatives have done multiple "tours"
overseas with the Adventist
Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), and I have a friend that has worked
for several years with Baptist
Medical and Dental Missions International (BMDMI).
in Honduras. The father of one of my college classmates was a volunteer
pilot for The
Flying Doctors for nearly two decades. I've observed that they all have
returned from these trips both strengthened in their faith and much more capable
in
operating
in austere
environments.
I highly recommend this sort of service. It is a challenging yet
incredibly rewarding form of personal ministry, to God's glory.
« Letter Re: Advice on Finding a Retreat |Main| Note from JWR: »
A Practical Guide to the Recon Patrol, by TMC
Okay, the stuff has hit the fan, you have made it to your retreat, and you
are geared up, stocked up and ready to survive. Inner security has been established,
with LP/OPs located at likely avenues of approach. You at some point will start
to wonder what else is out there, how far away it is, and what it means for
your group. You might want to start implementing the recon patrol. While I
could write what may very well be a small manual on the subject, I will just
put out the basics that will point you in the right direction to successfully
run a patrol. As most retreats will not be in the desert, I am using the normal
type terrain expected in a well selected retreat. Your mileage may vary. I
will also not go into detail on certain subjects that can easily be researched.
If I did, I would surely exceed any limit on how large a document on the subject
should be. Rather I will concentrate on things learned in the field,
not in any manual.
What exactly is a recon patrol?
Field reconnaissance is the gathering of information of your surroundings in
a stealthy manner. You will use this information to determine the safety of
your
current
position
and it will most likely be a determining factor for your daily operations planning.
Information gathered can give you an idea of opposing force (OPFOR) strength,
intentions, direction they are traveling and the likelihood of them coming
in contact with
your base element.
While much of the doctrine is the same a standard patrol, the recon patrol
is a bit different than a regular patrol. The recon patrol is to gather information
on your surroundings without making contact with other elements. That being
said, I have on occasion been ordered to use harassing techniques to slow down
or try to change the course of an element, which I will touch upon later.
Patrol Size
The size of a recon patrol is going to be smaller than the standard squad patrol.
You are trying to be invisible and the more boots you have on the ground the
more noise you will make. In my experience, a four person team is the size
limit which I would recommend. Three is the optimal number, and two being the
least that should
go out. This is in comparison with the standard squad patrol size of nine (if
you are lucky enough to have that many in your squad. [Even active duty military
units are often short of manpower versus their authorized strength under their
table of organization.]).
Patrol Equipment
Travel light, flee the fight. Unless you come across a solo element, you will
most likely be outnumbered and if compromised you will need to hastily retreat.
The preferred engagement ratio is 3:1, so bear that in mind.
Weapons
Take light carbines such as the M4 or Mini-14. I choose the AK-47 for myself
as I believe it has a lot to offer for this type of mission. Should you get
compromised, you will need to lay down a furious wall of fire to make the enemy
think they just encountered a platoon or a least squad sized element so semi-auto
is in my opinion a bare minimum. Larger weapons such as the M1
Garand or long
barreled assault rifles will slow you down as they are heavy and cumbersome,
but if
that is
what you have you will have to make do. Even though I sometimes carried a sidearm,
it would be better just to take a couple of extra mags for your primary. This
is much better added value weight. You should pack two reloads for your combat
load just in case you keep getting paralleled by OPFOR and have time to refresh
magazines.
The “light” part seems to be getting to be a stretch
with this type prep, which is why I stress lighter ammo such as 5.56 or 7.62x39.
The 7.62 NATO ammo gets pretty heavy with this type of packing and does not
add much value in a reconnaissance mission. If you do have a mule in your team
(a human
one) and he has skills with a sniper rifle, you may want to consider taking
it along
in an appropriate style carrier as a target of opportunity may come up that
may be just way too good to pass up. This does violate the "no contact" premise
of the recon patrol, but proper escape route planning can be implemented to
help with this scenario. Just a thought and should only be done by experienced
personnel.
Optics
Optics such as binoculars or [spotting] scope are pretty much necessities.
The further that you can stand off and observe your objective the better off
you are.
Binoculars
with some type of "flash kill" device are recommended. Also make these quality
optics that you are comfortable using. I don’t mean you have to buy a
$1,000 pair of Steiners. For under $40 at WalMart you can get Bushnell’s
10x42 hunting binoculars that are clear as a bell and very rugged. You can
use a sheer sniper veil over them as a kill flash. Rifle scopes are okay, but
require
that you expose yourself a little more than with binoculars. Generally, you
also have a better field of view with binoculars. In my opinion binoculars
are a better choice.
Food
You need to travel light, so try to keep this to a minimum. A recon patrol
should be fairly short, a day or two probably at most. If it is going to be
extended,then pack 2-1/2 times the food you think you will need. Utilizing
light foods like jerky that you can carry a lot of will go a long way. I learned
that one the hard way. When a two day patrol turns into six days that extra
little bit of "Pogey bait" is worth it and can be rationed. Also learn what
is edible
in your surroundings as this can help sustain your mission without being a
burden on your supplies. Take foods that need little or no preparation. Jerky,
trail mix, MREs
and foods of that nature are recommended.
Try to avoid foods that are particularly aromatic, such as curry, onion, garlic,
etc. I can’t tell you how many times I have found an OPFOR element’s
area of operations (AO) just by smell. While in Korea, I could find Korean
[troop] elements by their body odor due to their diet of kimchi sometimes up
to 400 meters away,
depending
on the wind and how long they had been out. This odor discipline also includes
cigarettes,
No smoking! Obviously colognes and other “smelly goods” have no
place on a recon patrol.
Communications
Radios should be carried but utilized only when absolutely necessary. Chances
are your patrol might take you out of radio communication reception distance
especially if you don’t have high power equipment. This is risky, but
sometimes necessary. You need to know the operating limitations of your comms
equipment
and operate accordingly. Designate times and places to transmit from if you
cannot [continuous] maintain radio contact during the patrol.
Uniforms
Camoflage should go without saying. The type will obviously be determinate on your
terrain and season. Burlap with proper color spray paint is a great way to
make cheap [outline] breakup for weapons. It can be manipulated to just about
any
terrain out there.
You can use [burlap strips] to throw off scent-detecting animals such
as dogs
by using fox urine or other types of masking scents. A very useful item indeed.
Helmets and body armor are optional, but I do not recommend them on a recon
patrol. The body armor is heavy and can impede your quick getaway. It merits
are known
factors in the safety of soldiers, but in this mission you need to be able
to flat out run if compromised. The ballistic helmet is also heavy, but its
main downfall is the fact that it masks your environment. It can impair your
vision and it mostly covers your ears and keeps you from hearing sounds that
may be the enemy. A boonie cap is the first choice, patrol cap is second for
traditional headgear.
Plan the Route
Route planning is essential. Pick a route that will minimize danger area crossings
and contact with high traffic areas. Do not use roads, rivers, trails or any
other obvious routes of travel. You may skirt these areas to view them. Never
plan a straight route. Use various patterns of travel such as zigzagging or
button hooking. This keeps the enemy off guard as to where you came from. Also,
should you think you are being trailed, do a wide 360 until you come back on
your own tracks. If you encounter more tracks than yours, then you are being
followed. React according to your [contact] SOPs.
Learn to use a compass and map. While GPS systems
can be useful tools, they are not always reliable and in a Grid
Down situation
may not even function.
Know this: the US Department of Defense owns all the GPS satellites and merely
provides data to GPS companies like Garmin so their GPS devices will work.
Should the
government
choose to, they can encrypt them at will and leave your commercial GPS worthless.
Learning how to use a compass and map can be a fun experience for everyone.
It can give kids and adults alike a great sense of accomplishment and help
get you or keep you in shape. Map and compass skills can trump a GPS any day,
and on many occasions I have been right on the mark while the guy using the
GPS has been wandering around waiting for the satellites to give him a decent
grid. Rely on basic navigation skills. Technology is a crutch for the weak.
Plan Actions
Make sure to plan out the time you are leaving, time to be on the objective,
time you will transmit information if necessary, and time you expect to be
back. Plan for contingencies, such as what to do if you make contact, where
to meet if you get separated, and what frequencies to be on at what time of
the day. Most of these will be dictated by your groups prior established SOPs.
Follow them.
Preparing for the Patrol
If you follow proper procedure when you leave the base of ops you will conduct
"stop, look, listen, and smell" (SLLS).
This is to get you oriented to your environment. However, I have found that
a short 10 minute halt like this is
not nearly as effective as having the recon team acclimate [to the natural
environment] over a day or so without
distractions such as television, radio, or any other man-made devices that
are not essential to ops. In a grid down situation this will most likely not
be
a problem.
Your
sense of smell, hearing, and vision get better the longer you are out. If possible,
do this and you will be much more inclined to pick up on enemy positions and
movement long before they pick you up.
Make sure all equipment gets inspected, including weapons and optics. Make
sure all equipment is quiet and free of protruding gear or things that will
snag on foliage. This includes weapons that have a multitude of “Mall
Ninja” gear hanging off of them. While it may be value added in a MOUT situation,
it is just more junk to hang up on vegetation and obstacles. Have each patrol
member jump up and down and run in place with their gear on to
identify anything noisy and use 100 m.p.h. [olive drab duck] tape or 550
[parachute] cord to lash
it down. Make sure food and water are easily accessible as you may be eating
on
the
fly.
Check for proper and complete camouflage. Get ready to roll, get your mind
right.
On the Patrol
Use your wits. Be aware of your environment, and anything that may not be right.
Learn to use nature to warn you of potential danger. Have you ever been close
to a squirrel’s nest in the woods? He will let you know you are too close
by making a lot of noise. This type of natural warning device can serve you
as well as hinder you. Be mindful of nature and learn to move in the woods
as part of your surroundings rather than against it. This takes time, is a
learned behavior, but can be done by just about anyone. Avoid sandy terrain
where you will leave an obvious trail. Use rocks and other terrain to move
while minimizing [leaving] sign and making noise. Be mindful of how loud your
footsteps are. That is a common mistake I see soldiers make all the time. They
don’t
listen to how much noise they are making. Learn to roll your feet. This can
be practiced around the house while doing chores. Just learn to walk quietly.
On the Objective
If you are doing an area recon, which is a specific area you want to check
out, make sure you spend the time you need on the objective to properly gather
intelligence. Walk a zigzag pattern to cover as much terrain as possible.
If you are doing a point recon, which is a recon of a specific target such
as a house or a point on a road, lay your team in collect as much info as you
can. Include info you would normally not consider important as later on down
the road you may find it useful. Remember, you can never collect too much intel,
but you can collect not enough. You can sort through what is important later
on when you have time to analyze the intel.
While glassing your objective, make sure only one member of each buddy team
is using binoculars, while the other keeps an eye out for anyone who may be
using a clandestine approach to your location. Use a notebook to write down
everything
you see.
Departure
When the allotted time on the objective is complete, always leave the objective
in a different direction [than from which you approached]. Pick up any trash
or tell tale sign of you being there. Brush over where you were laying, cover
any foliage
cuts
you
might
have
made. Try to leave no sign at all that you were ever there. Maintain noise
discipline on the way back just like you did on the way in. You are in just
as much danger going home as you were going out. Don’t get complacent.
Well, there you have it. You can research the patrol by using military manuals
and implement what I have written here for a successful mission. This will
give you a heads up on what’s out there and give you an advantage over
any element that may be inbound on your location. Knowledge is power, and if
you have solid intel on your enemy and surroundings, then you have
the tactical advantage. I hope this is of use to you.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Questions from A Not-Quite Convinced Reader »
Two Letters Re: Disseminating Local News and Information in a Grid-Down Societal Collapse
Jim,
I think Brian raises a good question and your suggestion about using manual
typewriters and mimeograph machines is a great idea. Here's another one.
While watching the the first season of Jericho DVDs,
I noticed that in an episode titled "Black
Jack" some of the characters went to a barter fair called Black Jack.
They had to travel 200 miles to get to this town. The town's fairgrounds
were used as a barter fair location and in the middle (I assume the middle)
was a tall board with a platform and a big roll of newspaper on the top.
A writer standing on the platform would receive news from various sources
and pull down the paper and write the news on it so everyone could see. I
was thinking if rolls of paper are not available one could use black boards
screwed together. If "black board paint" is available they could
paint some 4' x 8' sheets of plywood. A place like this could become
a very important gathering place for the local community to exchange news,
barter for goods and bring some level of normal life back to folks post TEOTWAWKI.
Just My Humble Opinion. - Larry in Kansas
Dear Jim;
As a former offset press operator with an interest in Christian missions and
the underground Church, I've spent considerable time in researching simple
printing methods. There are multiple methods that are suitable for short-run
print production, though many take a degree of skill and a bit of patience
to produce.
An excellent reference book for those interested in the manual printing arts
is "The Alternative Printing Handbook," (ISBN 014046509X),
published by Penguin, but now out of print. Used copies are available on Amazon,
though
it's listed there as "The Art of Printing by Hand." It covers
multiple printing methods for the do-it-yourself, small-scale printer. I'd
like to touch
on methods that require no power and are accessible to anyone with a little
time, patience and a desire to get the word out.
You've already mentioned stencil duplicating, which I have used in the past.
The Wikipedia article you linked to is an excellent introduction to the theory
and history, but doesn't contain much on actual process. For someone dealing
with printed matter containing great quantities of text, this is one of the
easiest methods to use. One of the commercial machines would be handy to have,
but not required, as a simple flatbed duplicator can be constructed out of
basic materials found in most homes. One benefit of many commercial units is
that they are hand-cranked, ideal for a grid-down situation. Some electric
units also have a hand-crank option as well, giving the best of both worlds.
If you go this route, you will need a supply of blank stencils and the thick
stencil ink, as well as a typewriter.
Another method, commonly used today for signs and fabric, is screen printing.
Again, simple screen printing equipment can be made at home from readily-available
materials and the process is not complicated. However, due to the screens used,
it is not suitable for small type, but it is a great choice for handbills and
posters. See some samples of DIY screen printing at this
Instructables page and
at
this ThreadBanger page. Of course,
you don't have to build it all yourself if you don't want to. Many art supply
and craft stores offer screen printing kits for beginners at very reasonable
prices.
Relief printing uses involves carving a reverse image into a wooden block,
linoleum, or other substance that can be carved, inking the block and pressing
paper into the wet ink. Though a time-tested method that requires little in
the way
of specialized tools, it has many limitations. It is time-consuming to create
the block and takes a steady hand. Small type is difficult, if not impossible.
Plus, the
difficulty of working in reverse is quite challenging.
A form of relief printing that is within reach of the average person and allows
for legible text is rubber stamping. Several manufacturers produce "make
your own text" rubber stamp kits that will allow you to produce small
blocks of text. It's similar to the moveable type pioneered by Gutenberg centuries
ago, using rubber instead of metal type. The biggest drawback is that producing
anything more than a few sentences involves setting the type in a small block,
stamping out however many copies you need, removing the type, setting the next
block, stamping that, and then repeating... again. It's time-consuming and
tedious work, but for the patient person, it's better than nothing, cheap to
acquire and requires no skills to use. The drudgery involved is also likely
to do much to make your writing concise and to the point! Interestingly, the
large kits that I would recommend seem to only be offered in the UK. However,
eBay is your friend to obtain them.
[Traditional ] letterpress is also an option, but as an older technology, the
equipment is hard to come by, and much in demand by artisans who use it for
printing and
embossing.
Spirit duplication ("ditto" machines) use a dye sheet as a master,
which can be typed or hand-written. The dye is released by a solvent and transferred
to a sheet of paper. If you recall duplicated sheets in purple ink from your
school days, those sheets were made with a spirit duplicator. Used machines
can be found on eBay or from time to time on Craig's
List. Look for a hand-cranked
model. If you choose this method, you'll need to lay in a supply of the master
dye sheets, as well as the liquid "spirits."
There are other methods that might be investigated by the curious:
Gocco
Hectography
History of Duplication Machines
The biggest drawback to most of these print methods is that the ones that are
best for text tend to require consumables that will be difficult or impossible
to replace in a long-term disruption. Since some are older, near-obsolete methods,
local sources of supplies are unlikely and may be pricey via mail-order. Even
if you have a functioning print method, the availability of paper may also
become an issue. Despite these challenges, familiarity with printing methods
opens the door to improvisation at a later date: knowledge is power! As inspiration,
consider Khristianin, an underground publisher in Soviet-era Russia, which
created their first hand-operated offset printing press with gears from a bicycle
and motorcycle and rollers taken from a washing machine. Ink was derived from
burnt rubber boots and boiled moss, yet their first publication was of the
entire New Testament. If such a work could be done in secret under one of the
most oppressive modern regimes, there is no reason that it could not be repeated
should the need arise.
Remember: "Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one."
For
the Kingdom, - Jason R.
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Letter Re: Disseminating Local News and Information in a Grid-Down Societal Collapse
James:
I haven't seen much information about this, so I ask you: How do you plan on "Getting
the word out"? Once the ink/toner runs
out of your printer, what will a survivalist group do? We've nearly lost
the ability, and knowledge, to operate hand-presses. Moveable type suppliers
are
long gone, and there's precious little available on eBay. Certainly not an
entire printing press. You might find some blocks of moveable type, but not
enough to actually make an entire flyer, book, or other piece of information,
such as a book or even a Bible.
And we can't rely on the Internet running after a crash, right?
So I pose the
question to you, Sir. Have you considered this aspect of post-crash survivalism?
The printing press, and the ability to print, is a key technology
that I don't think we can afford to lose. - Brian in Austin, Texas
JWR Replies: As I described in my novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse", I advocate
acquiring a couple of used manual typewriters and a used hand-crank mimeograph
(stencil duplicator) machine. This is tried-and-true 1880s technology.
Because they are considered largely obsolete, mimeographs are incredibly
cheap (in fact usually free,
if you place a "wanted" ad at Craig's
List). Surprisingly, the
supplies to operate them are still available.
« Letter Re: PetroMax Kerosene Lanterns |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: The Tomato Rebuild--Machining Technology is Crucial to Modern Society, by Thomas G.
Jim,
After reading the recent letter by Thomas G, I felt compelled to offer a response
to demystify some of the technologies he talked about. First, I am a tool
and die maker for an ammunition manufacturer. If it's broken, I fix it, if
we need it, but can't buy it, I design and make it.
From reloading dies, case feeders, powder measures, primer feeders, cold header
press parts, I have done a lot. So I feel somewhat qualified to shed some light
onto how things are done. I'll start basic, and then work up to complex.
Aside from the technology of making metal, the most basic component is arguably
the screw, or the nut and bolt. While these can be made on a lathe, that's
simply not practical in the world of mass production. Since at least the turn
of the previous century (1800-1900) bolts have been made using machines called
headers and rollers. Headers come in two forms, cold and hot. A cold header
is typically used for making bolts, these take wire (and by wire, I mean form,
not size) the wire is then cut, and pushed into a die. A forming die will then
come down and crush the wire that sticks outside the base die, this forms the
bolt head, this can also be done for nails, rivets, screws etc. In the case
of bolts and screws they are then dropped into a thread rolling machine. This
is a device which has two panels which have flattened threads cut onto them,
the bolt rolls between the two panels and is threaded.
Nuts are made by hot-heading. A slug of wire is heated until it's pliable,
and is then smashed into a form. When it's cooled it's then threaded using
a tap.
Gears are made on machines called hobbers, but can be made on a horizontal
mill, or a shaper with an indexing head. The hobber works by holding a gear
blank between centers, and then has a cutter that rotates above the gear. Once
a gear is made, it can be used as a template for casting more, either die cast,
or sand cast, depends on size and material.
A lathe is a fairly basic machine, if anyone has ever seen a wood lathe, a
metal lathe works on the same principle. If you can build a wood lathe, you
can build a metal lathe in a number of iterations. Given the scrap available
from even a post-collapse society cobbling a functional lathe together should
be fairly easy. The same applies to a mill.
For those who have interest, I suggest checking out the gingery machines web
site, and perhaps even buying the book set. While a long time ago I decided
it was
easier to buy and rehab an old lathe than to build a new one, the books will
give even the novice user a good idea about how machines are made.
It is important to note that most machine tools were conceived back in the
1800s. With a few decent measuring tools, almost anything can be made. The
greatest thing about the age we live in currently is our ability to measure.
If you have a few decent sets of dial calipers, a few dial indicators, a pyrometer
(for heat treating) and a stop watch, you can produce just about anything you need.
At times after reading "Patriots" I
laugh at the [refugee] character who was the machinist, (Lon Porter) since
he carried his tools around in a bicycle trailer. While one tool box may satisfy
the
storage space required for some measuring tools, it would take a truck to move
all
of the various tools (tool bits, drill bits, mills, punches, indicators, angle
finders,
etc) that I would consider ideal for a post-apocalyptic machine shop.- AVL
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The Tomato Rebuild--Machining Technology is Crucial to Modern Society, by Thomas G.
Have you ever really thought about your food? The intricate system that conveys
it to your fingertips, and often to your mouth directly? The complicated
processes and machinery that make everything run so smooth? You mat be amazed
at the phenomenally complicated process involved in bringing that jug of
milk, candy bar, or perhaps a simple tomato to your feast. This is an abbreviated
sequence with the express purpose of shedding light on a dwindling craft:
Machine work. While this trade is flourishing around the world, we here at
home have swept it under the rug in favor of cheap imports and strip malls.
This may soon come back to bite us. And it will be hard.
Try this illustration. After wandering about the store, pick up a tomato.
Average sized, normal red, no cuts no bruises, Nothing special right? Wrong.
Start
hefting the tomato, looking at it from all sides, studying it with more fascination
than could possibly be warranted for "just a tomato". After a while
start thinking... How did this get here? And why is it so similar to all the
rest, sitting here in a box along with hundreds of brothers neatly packed inside?
Well, never rejecting the oddball challenges, lets begin to think backwards
through the process. The last thing that was done was a store clerk rolled
it out there on a pallet jack with twenty other boxes. Hmmm... pallet jack.
A small hydraulic jack whose piston and cylinder have been turned on a lathe to
an exact specified size, then precision ground to within a couple of ten thousandth
parts of an inch. Take your average sized hair, divide it up long ways thirty
equal times, that is near .0001" or one ten thousandth part of an inch.
The valve housing was drilled and tapped and cut to size in a fixture on a
milling
machine. The whole pallet jack was fabricated and welded up by skilled
craftsmen. Wow, that is intense, and its just the tip of the iceberg! What
else is not as
simple as it seems? Lets keep going.
Well, it got here in a big semi truck. The trailer may have been built from
extruded aluminum. The extrusion dies having been cut on a Computer
Numerical Controlled (CNC) milling
machine, The pistons of the large diesel have been precision turned on
a lathe to about plus or minus .0005 inches. Then placed in a mill and given
its flat
sides, and the precision bored hole for the wrist pin. The dashboard of the
truck was made by the injection
molding of plastic.)
The mold being cut from a large chunk, or billet, of high grade tool steel
on a CNC machine cutting in three axis simultaneously, (X, Y and Z) The entire
truck is assembled with nuts, bolts screws and rivets, Every one of these came
off a screw turning lathe, most likely somewhere in Taiwan or Mainland China.
Each one of the 18 wheels was cut from a big billet of forged aluminum on a
large
CNC lathe. The gears, the axles, the bearings, everything goes
back to a machine tool at some point.
So, at the plant, these tomatoes ran through the gauntlet of an enormous system
of computerized cameras to check for color, size, blemishes and sugar content,
along with washing waxing and labeling machines. All this is achieved on miles
of conveyor belts running on thousands upon thousands of rollers axles, gears,
bearings, mechanical fingers and arms, motors, and actuators. Every gear was
cut on a lathe for its outside diameter, and later to a four axis (X Y Z and
A) indexing mill to cut each tooth. Every one of these parts had to be machined
on a machine tool directly or molded from a machine tool cut mold.
Need I even mention the intricacies of a modern combine harvester being a combination
of a tractor, harvester, conveyor and loading system, and sometimes even packaging
plant?
The manufacturing world is based completely on the interchangeability or parts
derived from the accuracies of modern metalworking machinery, and their machinists.
One of Man's claim for dominance in this world, besides being Children of God,
is the use of tools. The machine tool is the pinnacle. These tools solve innumerable
problems, such as building the machines to process tomatoes, looms to make
cloth, printing presses for publications, molds for cups... The list goes on
almost without end. But unlike power looms, printing presses or tomato processing
machinery, the machine tool is self replicating. Meaning that if you have a
lathe and a milling machine, you can build yourself another lathe and
milling machine to continue solving more problems and conceivably
create more machine tools. Can a loom build another loom?
So, TEOTWAWKI, Now what?
Remember how machine work and most other skilled work like it have been pushed
aside by cheap imports? Here comes the big bite. The inability of the US to
import enough basic "stuff." Oil, machine tools, computers, medical
equipment, sponges, toothpicks etc... combined with our lack of an industrial
infrastructure to take up the slack will result in, well, nothing. And that
will last for a long time, until we re-build that infrastructure.
Modern US manufacturing is dependent on CNC machines. In a grid down/EMP situation,
all this incredibly productive machinery will be completely 100% worthless,
except as scrap. Although scrap is very valuable, it is not directly valuable
as a machine tool. Without their computers, stepper and servo motors, glass
scales (for precise measurement), and especially without tons of power, these
amazing machines can not function. You can't even take the motors off the axis
and put hand wheels in their place because all the measurement is digital.
China, India, and other developing nations will not fall as far back as we
will during a global crisis. They're not nearly as dependent on others for
their basic commodities. For example they make their own basic fasteners, their
own hand tools, and basic human necessities, nearly everything. Including and
especially machine tools. Also, they do more work by hand, scraping,
honing,
lapping,
and filing.
These are basic metalworking operations that can be key in machine tool fabrication.
The US has lost most of the people who know these skills. These I can think of
only three machine tool makers who still construct machines here. HAAS, Hardinge,
and Moore. Probably a couple more, but not many. In the US this is becoming a
lost art.
Third world countries rely more heavily on manual machine tools, which have integral
mechanical position indicators. This is key for our infrastructure to be rebuilt,
the manual machine tool. As stated earlier, most CNC machines will become boat
anchors without their multitude of motors, computers, hydraulics, pneumatics.
Oh, did I mention the tons of electricity to run it all? Not so with manual machine
tools. The vast majority of manual machine tools have their position displayed
on or near the hand wheels that power their feed and position axis. Notice the
words hand wheel. Generally these machines rely on a motor to
turn the spindle only. Other functions, many times, are powered off the spindle.
This gives much
more ready access to their belts, gears and motors, and it can conceivably only
take one belt to power the whole setup. This makes these machines much more inclined
to operate on alternative energy sources, such as hand cranks, leather belts
and steam (or Lister) engines, bicycle chain and pedals, foot treadle, windmill,
waterwheel, etc... Most can live without compressed air, hydraulics and digital
readout displays. As an example, I have recently cut special round and buttress
formed threads while pushing the lathe spindle around by hand.
These threads were not your ordinary 1/4-20 from your local Ace Hardware. I had
to
grind
the shape into the high
speed steel (HSS) tool bit by hand. The tools simply did not exist in any
metalworking catalogs. This is the next key. The fundamental most basic cutting
tool is a
hard flat
rock. Something to sharpen and form cutting tools and others. In its basic form
it is a flat rock. In an advanced form it is a pedestal grinder. We won't discuss
the more advanced types. Since there will be conceivably very few to nobody selling
cutting tools, and postal services not likely, these will need to be fabricated
in-house. Find an antique hand crank grinder at an antique shop or on eBay. Many
still have years of life left. Many have no life left. It is a crap shoot. I've
purchased two, one old and one brand new. The brand new one from India was worse
than the old worn out one which I had already disposed of. Possibly a better
solution, and much less of a gamble, will be to modify our existing pedestal
grinders. This is quite simple, as they have standard sized shafts, and they
have bearings inside. (Good grinders spin for minutes after power is removed.)
Simply buy a small pulley the same size as your grinder spindle from mcmaster.com
for about $4, and replace one grinding wheel with it. This can be hooked up to
a
big pulley with a hand wheel and any number of other alternate energy sources.
Try and get a 6-to-1 ratio or more. The pulley can be put in place when the Schumer
hits the fan and the grinder is still serviceable in our modern world. Very useful
machine tool - Done.
Now that we've got a grinder, what are we going to grind with it? Well, to make
the best tools, obviously tungsten carbide is ideal. This offers incredible rates
of metal removal and lasts much longer than HSS, so it is truly the best. Oh
wait, hold on, our machines may have trouble reaching the thousands of revolutions
per minute
necessary for tungsten carbide to cut properly without chipping and breaking.
Carbide is
brittle and hard, it chips and shatters at the slightest mistake. Carbide is
also very difficult to re-sharpen, partially due to the fact that it needs special
green silicon carbide grinding wheels that last 1/3 as long as your standard
gray aluminum oxide wheels. Also, that most is in the form of disposable inserts
means they wont be available anywhere. [JWR Adds: So stock up!)
High speed steel will be king in these days. The benefits of HSS for survival
are; It is cheap, HSS is 5 to 50 times less than carbide. I just priced HSS blanks
at
