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Letter Re: Seeking Advice on Rainwater Catchment and Filtration
Mr. Rawles:
When constructing a
rain-catch such as this one, which the good folks at Lowe's [--a major
hardware store chain in the US--] suggest for economically watering your garden,
is
there any instance where it would
be
okay to use this as a backup for drinking water?
Obviously, one would be foolish to drink directly from containers that are
not food-grade or if the water has been sitting for too long a time. But, my
question is does that change if you plan on running the water through a purifying
process such as through a Berky or this
economically priced alternative.
It looks like these filters might not last as long as the Berky filters, but
are quite a bit cheaper and have a higher flow rate (this is what I was told
- YMMV). A representative of the manufacturer claims to train the "second
largest disaster relief organization in the world" who "use this
filter exclusively" and that it is used by missionaries in 38 countries
around the globe. I was also told that it was nominated for a World Health
Humanitarian Award for 2008. Also, it supposedly outperformed the Berky in
a trial run by Johns Hopkins University, but I have been unable to verify that
claim. I can verify that Johns Hopkins University did give it a passing
grade; as did the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) under Standards 42 and
53, AEL Laboratories, Analytical Food Laboratories, British 5750 Quality Standard,
and England’s Water Research Council standard.
So, my two questions are:
1.) Is it safe to drink rainwater caught in a non food-grade vessel, provided
you filter it through a sub-micron apparatus first?
2.) What are your thoughts on the aforementioned filter? Thanks, - J.S.C.
JWR Replies: In answer to your questions: Rainwater catchment for domestic water is very popular in Hawaii. There, most families do little more than use a sediment filter and bulk chlorination. You should of course
never re-use something like a fuel tank or a toxic chemical tank for a water
barrel.
As
I explained previously in SurvivalBlog, the issue with "non-food grade"
HDPE plastic
buckets and barrels is that some of them are manufactured using toxic injection
molding release compounds. Whether or not a ceramic water filter would remove
any
such trace
chemicals goes beyond my expertise. Perhaps a chemist or a water quality
specialist amongst the SurvivalBlog readership could enlighten us.
We have a Big Berky here at the ranch, and love it. The two-bucket ceramic
filter that you mentioned is remarkably similar to the
improvised Berky clone that I detailed in a SurvivalBlog post back in May.
Both their design and mine have similar cost, similar do-it-yourself labor
requirements, and they will process a comparable volume of water. This isn't
like comparing
"apples to oranges".
It
is more like
comparing
Bartlett Pears to D'Anjou Pears.
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Letter Re: A Suggested Checklist for Preparedness Newbies
Here's a beginner's list I made for my [elderly] father today:
Food
{Brown pearl] rice does not store well. Neither does cooking oil so that needs to be fresh.
No, Crisco doesn't count.
Coconut oil would be your best bet.
Wheat berries - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
Beans - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
Mylar bags
Spices
Salt
Country Living grain mill
propane tanks, small stove and hoses to connect
freeze dried fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat if you can find them.
Water
500 gallons
of water [storage capacity. Rainwater catchment is a common practice
in Hawaii]
Water filter
Cooking
Cast Iron Cookware
Firearms
FN PS 90
10 PS 90 magazines
5.7 handgun
10 FN 5.7 handgun magazines
5.7 ammo
Training: Front Sight four day defensive
handgun course. (Note: eBay sometimes has
course certificates for $100!)
Body armor: Nick at BulletProofME.com
Medical
Personal medications
Augmentin antibiotic
Up to date dental work
Painkillers
Bandages
Iodine
Anti-fungal spray
Finances
$10,000 cash in small bills
100 one-ounce silver coins (GoldDealer.com or Tulving.com)
Transport
Gasoline in 5 gallon cans or better yet, this.
Gas stabilizer
Mountain bikes
Air pump
Miscellany
Flashlights
Rechargeable Batteries
Battery
charger
Hand held walkie talkies
Topographical map of your area
Spare eyeglasses
Shortwave radio
Home generated power
12 volt battery system
Good backpack
Good knife
Good compass
Good shoes
Bar soap
Toothbrushes
Dental floss
Toilet paper
Fishing kit
Salt licks
Connibear traps
Regards, - SF in Hawaii
JWR Adds: The following is based on the assumption that SF's
father also lives in Hawaii: Because of the 10 round magazine limit for handguns,
I recommend that Hawaiians purchase only large
bore
handguns for self defense--such
as .45
ACP.
Both the
Springfield
Armory XD .45 Compact or the Glock Model 30 would both be good choices. The "high
capacity" advantage of smaller caliber
handguns
is not available to civilians in Hawaii, so you might as well get a more potent
man stopper, given the arbitrary 10 round limitation.
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Letter Re: Mexico as a Retreat Locale and Advice on Water Filters
Hello Folks,
I just completed going through a portion of the SurvivalBlog archives and look
forward to exploring the site further. I especially liked the animation about
Libertarian
philosophy. Very well done with excellent points to consider.
I have recently returned to the US after having spent four years in a small
village in Mexico outside of Guadalajara. I am an artist and teacher of art
and semi-retied there after having had my medical insurance increased a number
of times to the point of being ridiculous. I just got fed up and moved south.
Two years earlier I had spent a year or so living on a boat in the Sea of Cortez
and so had some language and culture skills.
I had
one of the Berky models sent to Mexico and proceeded to use it as my primary
source of drinking and cooking water. I also used the 24 oz. portable version
when traveling. I used the system for four years and was so confident that
I began distributing them to local orphanages through a local Rotary Club.
I liked the idea of not being dependant on electricity or a plumbing hookup.
I lived on a lake and on occasion would use lake water if the municipal system
was not providing water, which was quite often or if the utilities would not
provide electricity, which was quite often. Although the Black Berky filter
is classified as a water purifier by the manufacturer, it does not remove viruses.
I would add either iodine or chlorine to the water to kill viruses. The filter
would then remove the iodine or chlorine from the water.
I read an article in your blog about adaptation as a primary means of coping
with changing circumstance. Mexicans are extraordinarily adaptive. Living with
a history of political and societal instability for generations and with strong
roots in indigenous cultures, they are experts at finding ways at making one
thing substitute for another. I remember one time coming back to San Diego by
sea from the Sea of Cortez, I was running low on fuel and had to stop in Turtle
Bay about half way up the west side of the Baja Peninsula. I didn't have enough
cash
and Turtle Bay was way way off the beaten path. I had to hitchhike 125 miles
through
the
baja
desert on a seldom used road to get to a bank to get the cash. One the way back
I hitched a ride in the back of a pickup truck traveling with an old semi carrying
supplies. The semi got stuck in a place where the road turned into a salt flat
and while stuck, one of the tires went flat. We discovered the only spare was
also flat and un inflatable. If you've ever tried to re-inflate a semi truck
tire you know that it is not easy without a means of keeping the tire against
the rim. We had nothing with which to do that. Instead, the Mexican driver had
his
compadre get some gas while he got the tire off the truck, patched and ready.
He had the
compressor hooked up and running and had his partner sprinkle gas on the inside
of the tire and throw in a match. The tire blew up with a whoosh, sealed the
rubber against the rim and the inflation began. All we had to do then was get
unstuck--which is another story.
My ancestors on my mothers side were Mennonites and I have spent some time on
the colonies. Surviving since the 1500s in small groups throughout
the world, they have devised a system of cooperation that leaves them able to
adapt easily to the winds of change. I'm sure there is much that could be learned
from them and look forward to spending more time on their farms. Last time I
was there they were making home-made root beer that was like nothing I've ever
tasted.
Well, anyway, congratulations on a great blog site and for all the valuable
information. Best of everything to you both, - Daniel N.
JWR Replies: I highly recommend Big Berky water filter.
They are just about idiot proof. However, as they come from the factory in
gleaming stainless steel, they are fairly expensive. Especially for your circumstances,
I recommend manufacturing your own to sell or to distribute for charitable purposes.
I
described how to do this in a SurvivalBlog post a few months ago.
« Letter Re: Advice on Driveway Alarms for Retreat Security |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: 11th Hour Preparations: It is Not Too Late to Start
Jim:
It is not too late to prepare for the hard times that are coming. But
time is short, so I am going to be brutally blunt. Prices are going up. If
you don’t
already expect double digit inflation, you haven’t been paying attention.
If you are just realizing that you need to prepare for the future, forget buying
barter goods. Forget precious metals to swap for what others may be willing
to sell.
The idea of buying things so that you can swap them for other goods or services
later is bad policy. That’s right. I’m advocating that you buy
no precious metals and no barter goods. Instead- you need to prioritize purchases
of things that you need right now. Sitting on a pile of sewing needles, can
openers, or thousands of dollars of face value in gold or silver is not going
to stop you from starving to death, freezing to death, or dying gasping in
your own fluids.
This is not a slam on Mr. Rawles' excellent advice to invest in tangibles.
It is not even a criticism of his recent post on barter items to acquire, or
of
his advice to invest in precious metals. JWR is a voice of reason in a world
gone mad. This letter is a reminder that all those things are good advice only
after you have squared away your personal needs. Only after you have
duplicate sources of potable water, shelter, a substantial food supply, a deep
medicine
chest, and ample supplies of sturdy clothing and footwear should you invest
in barter goods or precious metals.
Here are your priorities:
You need breathable air to live. Most of us expect that to be available for
free. Your next priority for sustaining life is shelter from extreme elements
(your home and a way to heat it during winter), then potable water. Let me
make this explicitly clear. Unless you have clean water to drink, you will
die in a matter of days. It is not the government’s job to make sure
that you stay alive. It is your responsibility to care for yourself and your
dependants. You are responsible to ensure that you have access
to clean drinking water or a method to filter, boil, or collect it. If you
have no method to
do so, go get one. At the very least, plan on a way to boil water over an outside
fire.
After air, shelter, and water – you need food. Come what may, you and
those who you love will need to eat. Buy food. The cheapest food that you can
get will keep you alive, but my advice is to buy extra of what you already
eat. Oatmeal, grits, rice, pasta and potatoes are all relatively affordable
and life sustaining. Potatoes will store for months. The others will store
for years if properly packaged. Yes these alone would make a very bland diet.
Use them to stretch your regular grocery meals while the other supplies last.
What next? Get over-the-counter medicines. Diarrhea will kill you. The stomach
flu will kill you. Pneumonia will kill you. Allergic reactions will kill you.
There may not be any 911 to send help. There may not be an emergency room to
flee to as a last resort. There may not be a pharmacy with inventory to sell
at 3 a.m.. Buy vital medicines now. Look in your medicine cabinet. If you do
not have the medicines to treat an allergic reaction, stomach flu, and a chest
cold; go buy them today. $10 spent on medicine could save
your child’s
life. It won’t if you can’t give it to them. Go buy it before you
go to sleep tonight.
If you can avoid getting sick that’s even better than treating illness.
Hygiene is critical to health. Buy toilet paper and tissues. You will need
them, why don’t you already have them?
You should have sturdy warm clothes and footwear for each member of your family.
And yes, you should also have a means of defense and forage. A simple shotgun
and shells for it will let you defend your doorway and harvest birds and bunnies
if need be. If you are contemplating buying your first firearm then I strongly
recommend that you take an NRA-sponsored firearms safety course as soon as
possible. Firearms are a vital tool, but whether you ever
need to defend you home, you
will need to drink, sleep in a dry place, eat, and stay healthy. God has given
you the resources and wisdom to prepare, the rest is up to you. Now pray for
wisdom and go take action. - Mr. Yankee.
« Letter Re: Cheap is Good, But Free is Better |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: Water Storage and Crash Course Advice
Jim,
First off let me say I continue to enjoy everything you post on SurvivalBlog.
I believe that, given, recent events, my extended family is coming around
and is wanting to finally start getting prepared (let us hope its not too
late).
Second, in reference to the WaterBOB that
someone cited recently: what preferred method of treatment do you recommend
in storing the water in the mentioned
device for long term?
Third, what 'crash course' advice can you offer for those who may be too little
too late in getting prepared for WTSHTF? Or for those recently converted who
want make it through the tough times ahead?
And lastly, I am sure myself and others will continue to look for your insight
and input in the days ahead, as events unfold and the Schumer really does
hit the fan.
Please expect a long and very overdue 10
Cent Challenge voluntary] soon. God Bless,
- Zach
JWR Replies: The WaterBOB is not designed for long term use.
But it is food grade, so if you find a used bathtub (perhaps through Craig's
List) and can
store it someplace dark (like
in a basement), then a WaterBOB in a bathtub should work fine. About 2 teaspoons
of plain (unscented) Clorox bleach would be about the right amount to add for
that amount of water.
Inspect
it
once every six months (visually, and a sniff test). The water should store
for several years.
I may be biased, but I recommend that you get a copy of my "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course. Coincidentally,
for the first time in nearly a year, it will
be offered at 1/3rd off, starting on Monday. The course is centered around
the concept of stocking up for a family, by making well-planned trips to a "Big
Box" store.
« From FerFAL in Argentina: A US Crash that Will Parallel Argentina's? |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: Some Practical Notes on Third World Living
Jim,
As this is not a competition entry, it has not been reviewed by an outside
set of eyes yet, and I'm sure its kind of disorganized, but this is some
info about third world life, as I can see it here, after things
stabilize.
My wife is from Peru. She was born during the Peruvian hyperinflation and transition
to its next fiat currency, the Nuevo Sol. (Yeah, we're young whippersnappers)
She recently started to help out in getting ready. What helped her was comparing
the current economic climate here to Peru. This allowed her to correlate things
that occur in her former patria with our situation. She is a source of info
on the Third world medium sized city way of life.
In Third world Peru, everyone cooks with propane camp stoves, with big seven
gallon bottles. There is no space built for an American style range, even
in
nice
houses. All water is boiled before ingestion, except [commercially] bottled
water. Trucks come with semi-clean water and people line up to fill up their
buckets
for
washing and drinking. (after boiling) Hopefully you have a big tank on your
roof to
gravity feed it through your pipes, as the power goes out regularly, and your
personal well and pump wont work.
Everyone had bars on every window and door. Houses not made of cement block
are broken into through the walls. They're also too cheap/poor to put enough
steel in the buildings, so they fall down easily in earthquakes. Re-bar is
[used] only in the corners. Nobody has an exposed to the street yard. A courtyard
inside
larger places is the norm, off street parking, if you can afford a vehicle,
is a must, or you wont be parking anything soon. Inyokern told me this concept:
When things go really sour, everyone steals everything so often that everyone
ends up with the same trash that nobody wants to steal anymore. e.g. I have
a nice bike, it gets stolen, I get a new bike but not as nice as the first,
it gets stolen, I buy the worst looking bike I can find. It stays. This is
very true. People with nice hats walk around with a hand on their head. Political
corruption is the norm. Most any government official can be
bought for a couple hundred nuevo sols. Farmers carry guns. People
walk on your roof at night.
Just about everyone is self employed. Selling food in the streets, tricycle
and moto-taxis, home based Liquor stores, etc. Often if you sell higher "dollar" stuff,
your customers don't even come in your building, money and product are exchanged
though the door bars. Keyed locks on both sides. There is no such thing as
a big box store. Even disposable diapers are bought one at a time.
People wear sandals
called yanki. These are said to be made out of used car tires,
but most tires I know of are steel belted, and you can't cut that with a knife.
My two
pair are made
from rubber mining belt I think, as the tread pattern is cut by hand. The poor
wear them, and they supposedly last a loooooong time.
In Peru, the power goes out all the time. Candles are common. People don't
stock up there, the stores I guess have sufficient on hand to handle the outages
and subsequent candle runs. The stores here are obviously not prepared for
that.
Traffic in her small town is nearly non existent, but traffic in Lima is suicidal.
Regards, - Tantalum Tom
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From FerFAL in Argentina: A US Crash that Will Parallel Argentina's?
Hi James,
These are hard times, indeed.
The parallels between the days before our own economy [in Argentina] collapsed
and what’s
going on today in America today are very hard to ignore.
Our local television seems to be getting some kind of sick kick out of all
this.
They showing the comparisons, even editing politicians and economists speeches
showing how similar they were to the ones the American politicians and economists
are using right now. In some cases, they even said the exact same line, the
only difference being the language.
About the article “Letter Re: What Are the Economic Collapse Indicators
to Watch For?” I’d like to make a few comments.
Some of the signs we could actually verify during our own 2001 crisis;
*Limits to withdraw amounts per day. This happened just one or two days before
banks actually closed.
*Sudden inflation. A few weeks before, but careful, it only turned into hyper
after banks closed.
*Rumors of default. Those had been going on for a while and that’s when
we slowly started investing elsewhere and slowly moving the money out of the
accounts.
*Limits to moving fund out of the country
*Limits to the transactions. At the end you could just withdraw like $250
per week, if you found an ATM with money. Otherwise
you had to suffer the terrible lines at he bank.
It’s just impossible to know exactly when it will hit, when banks will
say bye bye, but careful, timing is everything.
In my case, we had dropped by the French Bank and asked for $2,000 USD.
The employee talked to the manager and the manager came to us looking nervous
and said they didn’t have that kind of money right now, to come back
tomorrow.
“Wait a minute.. you’re telling me you don’t have 2,000 lousy
dollars, in the entire bank?”
”No.”
That same day we went down town to other banks, closed the couple accounts
left and one or two days later the crash hit and banks closed their doors.
Just a few days later, my wife’s father lost a 6 digit figure, their
fallback life savings.
He was an elderly man, but the bank didn’t care at all of course. He
died without seeing that money returned to him.
Do not expect any kind of mercy or sympathy from banks. You wont be getting
any.
People needing medical treatment have died in this country before court orders
came out demanding the bank to give the money to the person because of life
or death situations.
Some people have died of heart attacks at the bank’s closed doors, hitting
them with pans and fists.
Not trying to be dramatic here, but it did happen that way, and it’s
important for people to understand how serious this is.
I know a run in the banks is something you’d like to avoid. But remember,
that money is yours, and banks won't be giving it back to you if they
close, you’ll loose a rather big percentage, and if the economy goes
down, it will only be returned to you after months, even years.
Maybe it would be a good idea to take another look at the
Wikipedia page that summarizes our 2001 economic crisis.
People should try to remain clam, but take the necessary precautions given
the circumstances.
Take care James. God bless you and all the readers, grant them the peace of
mind needed in these
trying times. - FerFAL
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Letter Re: Recommendation for Water BOB Bathtub Water Storage Bladder
Dear Mr. Rawles,
All the stories recently about power failure and storing water in bathtubs
have encouraged me to write to you about the WaterBOB.
It's a heavy duty plastic bladder that you put in your bathtub and then fill
with clean water from the tap. It comes with a siphon so that removing the
water is easy. IMO, The greatest advantage of this product is that the water
remains potable, even though a bathtub is generally not suitable for storing
drinking water. The WaterBOB holds 100 gallons.
Prices have increased substantially since I first bought mine a year or so
ago, but if purchased in quantities of 20+, the price drops significantly and
shipping is minimal. A group could order together, or someone might want extras
for gifts.
I recently ordered a quantity shipment for family birthdays, Christmas gifts,
some upcoming anniversaries, and wedding/housewarming gifts. It's a pretty
sure thing that most folks don't already have one!
Thanks so much for all you do. And our prayers continue for your Memsahib's
complete recovery. Sincerely, - SaddleTramp
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Two Letters Re: Advice for City Folks on a Budget? »
Letter Re: Questions on Short Term Survival in and Urban Office Building
Dear Mr. Rawles,
First off, I just want to say that I really appreciate what you're doing with
your blog site. I've learned so many useful things and feel that I am beginning
to have a basic understanding of how to prepare for and live in and a survival
situation.
Second, I'd like to give you a quick bit of background about myself so you
can hopefully help me with my dilemma/question...
I am a young adult working on the 9th floor of a large building in Manhattan
[on Long Island, New York City, New York]. I do not own a car and so I use
public transportation, typically the subway. My apartment is about a 30 minute
walk from work. In my
apt I have
started
building
up my survival gear, food, Bug Out Bag, etc...But I realize that I spend most
of my days not in my apt but in my office, working. So I've decided to start
planning
my office survival gear because if Manhattan was ever attacked with some form
of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, and I'm still alive, I don't believe
there would be time for me to get back to my apt before being affected (as
subways, buses, and foot traffic will be clogged and slow). I figure my best
bet for survival would be to hunker down for the first 48-to-72 hours in my
building probably the library.
What are your thoughts/advice on staying in the building??
Also what kind of survival gear can I bring to work that would be discreet
but really help me in my first 48 hours of survival?
This is what I have so far, which my employer has provided in a fanny pack
for everyone:
[Mylar] bags of water. (We also have water coolers)
flashlight and batteries
goggles
emergency blanket
small first aid kit
mask
whistle
Any advice would be appreciated and thank you for your time. Regards, - Flora
in New York City
JWR Replies: Hunkering down in an urban environment can
be difficult. We've
addressed that before in SurvivalBlog.
Your office or cubicle
probably has a locking desk, file cabinet, and/or a credenza. Typically,
with
the high
turn-over
rate
in
most corporations, keys for furniture gets lost. Ask your
facilities
department to either re-key your locks, or have them cut new keys for them,
based of their manufacturer's code numbers. (Typically stamped in small digits
next
to the lock key way.) With this semi-secure storage space available, there
is no reason why you cannot gradually build up a substantial supply of food,
and
have a place store items such as a flashlight, sleeping bag, foam mattress
pad,
and
so forth.
Even the interior of modular cubicle walls have a remarkable amount of space
for items up to two inches thick. (One advantage of being an over-worked
technical writer for many years was that it gave me a lot of late night
hours to explore
such possibilities. You would not believe what I stored inside my cubicle
walls!)
Keep in mind that in a blackout, your building will be quite cold, at least
for half of each year So be sure to store an insulated pad, down jacket, a
pile cap, and gloves in your office.
Buy a USGI protective
mask (preferably an M40 or a recent USAF MCU series) and at least four spare
filter canisters, from a reliable vendor such as JRH
Enterprises. Since these only filter the
available air, they are not nearly as capable as a compressed air system
like firefighters
typically use. The latter will operate even in oxygen-deprived environments,
but a mask will at least increase your chance of getting out of a
high-rise building alive, in the event
of a fire. One trick, BTW, is attaching two filters simultaneously
(on both sides of the mask), to increase the available air flow during heavy
exertion.
Find out where any extra bottled water for your building is stored.
There, or near there, is the logical place to find your "hunker down" room.
Scout out your building thoroughly. It might be worthwhile getting to know
someone on your building Facilities Department staff. Buy him lunch, and have
a chat. Find out where the roof accesses are, and if they are kept locked.
See if there are
any
back
rooms,
machinery
rooms,
or
passageways that are not well known. These rooms are often kept locked. One
little-known method if gaining access to such spaces is to climb up through
a suspended (or "drop") acoustic panel ceiling, go over a partition,
and climb back down into the locked room. You might even keep a small
folding
ladder
such
as a QuikStep
ladder handy for just
this purpose. (Tres Batman.) For some ideas on discovering unused spaces
in buildings, see the Web
Urbanist site, and related "urban exploration" web sites and their forums.
(Of course, all the
usual
legal
disclaimers apply.)
Weapons
that are legal to possess in New York City have been discussed previously
in SurvivalBlog. If nothing else, you should keep a cane or stout full-size
umbrella in your office at all times. BTW, it is also wise to carry either
of these
whenever you are on city sidewalks or on the subway. They will look quite
innocuous, but with the right training will give
you
a great
advantage
in a
brute force
fighting
situation. For training, start with the Gordon
Oster DVD, and the book "Raising
Cane" by
Octavio Ramos. Then take a FMA
cane
fighting class. Those would all be money well spent!
« Letter Re: Making Alternatives to Commercial Chemical Light Sticks |Main| From The Memsahib: Saving Your Life and Saving Your Relationships--Don't Drive Your Loved Ones Away »
Letter Re: Advice for an Unprepared Greenhorn
Hello Mr. Rawles!
I love your blog, and visit at least weekly, more often
daily.
The current economic situation is sickening. I mean, actually making my
stomach hurt, as I am not prepared. I just recently was hit
on the head with
the motivation
to get prepared. The only problem with that is that I don't even know where
to start. Food? Weapons and Ammunition? Medical supplies? I am the patriarch
of a family of 4. My wife and I, and our two children, both 10 and under. What
I could use your advice on is just what I mentioned before, where does someone
like me start. We have very little money, we live in the city, and we have
no supplies except a Remington 870 Express [12 gauge shotgun] with a couple
boxes
of
ammunition and food from the grocery store for a couple weeks and our camping
supplies
which amount to a couple days in the woods. I'm extremely worried that I simply
won't be able to help my family survive the coming collapse. I want to be prepared,
and I'm motivated.
Thank you for any time you could donate with your advice! - MWS
JWR Replies: Start out by getting a good quality water filter
such as the Katadyn VARIO currently on sale at Ready Made Resources and
stocking up
on canned foods.
If you don't yet already have one, buy a
spare riot "Police" length
20" barrel with rifle-type iron sights for your Model 870, with "IC" (improved
cylinder) choke, or better yet the "Rem Choke" removable choke tubes.
These
barrels are
available
with
a
durable
finish
to match your "Express" variant.
Buy at least 200 rounds of #4 buckshot, 25 rounds (five boxes of 5) of rifled
slugs, and when you can budget for it, a case of #6 birdshot shells for bird
hunting
and
small
game
hunting
Since your resources are limited, your greatest opportunity to increase your
chances of survival will
be
teaming up with like-minded folks in your area. For some suggestions, see my
static page on Finding
Like-Minded People
in Your Area.
Be sure to take advantage of low cost training through the American
Red Cross,
the Appleseed Program, and the WRSA.
Pray hard, study hard, and train hard.
« A Girl Scout Troop Leader Wants to Get Her Girls Prepared |Main| Letter Re: Home Canning and Stocking Up »
Letter Re: My Hurricane Ike Experience
Dear Mr. Rawles,
First of all, my heart goes out to all those who truly suffered with loss of
life or property as a result of Hurricane Ike. I only had the minor inconvenience
of being without electricity in Houston for five days. (There are still over
one million in Houston and the surrounding area without power.) So I had a
taste of what it is like to be off-grid and learned a few things to share with
your readers. It seems a lot of people here had generators which burn lots
of precious gasoline. But after a few days the gasoline runs out. We toughed
it out. I did have small camping-type battery powered fans and several flashlights
but can't imagine what we'd do in a situation without power for the long term.
You can have only so many batteries and then what? We had water drawn in bath
tub to use for flushing toilet, as water plants use electricity to pump water.
Also had many frozen plastic milk jugs in freezer and big igloo to keep some
things cold for a couple of days. Ice was very hard to come by. Grocery stores
were closed for a couple of days and there were lines just to get into the
stores when they did open. They let in a few people at a time for crowd control.
I was lucky to have my nonperishable food stockpile. Remember to have extras
for relatives. Gas stations were slow to reopen and had hours to wait when
they did open. (Many buying gas for their generators). We had full tanks in
advance of the storm. One important item we used was the car charger for the
cell phone. Be sure to have one that fits your current phone model. Also, many
don't realize that cordless land line phones use electricity so you need to
have a standard corded phone (which I had) if you want to even find out if
your land-line works. To heat water for coffee we used sterno called Canned
Heat and it worked very well. I know this is merely a temporary solution to
heating. I told my husband recently that I wanted to buy a camp stove and now
he may agree with me. And of course no television or computer which is really
tough. I used my television band radio a lot to get information.
I am now more afraid than ever of what it is going to be like if the power
goes off frequently or stays off in a worse-case scenario. Luckily I didn't
see civil unrest, but what if power stayed off longer? If there was any way,
I would move out of the city. Since I can't leave, I will continue to prepare
the best I can. Please continue to remember the trapped-in-the-city dwellers
when you post ideas for survival. I think we need the most help. Thanks for
all you do, - Nancy B.
« Letter Re: Finding a Mineshaft or a Gemeinschaft |Main| Even Chuck Schumer Thinks that We Might Be in Deep Schumer »
Letter Re: An Expedient Toilet Flushing Method for Grid-Down Situations
Salutations,
[In a recent letter to SurvivalBlog,] Jeff in Ohio mentioned filling the toilet
tank with water in order to flush it, however, this is not necessary. You
can
flush
by pouring
about
a gallon
directly into the bowl. (Don't dribble it in, but also don't get carried away
and slosh it in at once . . . unless you really want to use more water to mop
the floor.) I learned this from my military service in Okinawa in the late
70s where we had water rationing with running water only every other day. On
water days we filled 55-gallon drums with water and then used one-gallon coffee
cans to flush the rest of the time. (If you live in an area that tends to lose
power, you do fill your bathtubs with water prior to storm onsets, right?)
Give it a try today, for the sake of familiarity. There's nothing like indoor
plumbing, until you lose it. - Home's Cool Mom
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Recommendation for the Cool Tools Web Site »
Three Letters Re: Tropical Storm Ike's Devastation Works its Way North to Ohio
Hello Jim,
This note is in reference to the letter from Melanie and Rick in
Columbus about the woman who never thought of using the grill to cook. I had
a similar experience with my mother-in-law. While we had power and water, she
had lost hers. I offered to bring buckets of water to her house so she could
manually refill the toilet tank to flush with(she has septic).
Not only did she not think of that, she couldn't understand the concept. She
ended up going to a hotel for a couple of days. People like this will not last
long in a prolonged crisis. Just goes to show the most critical piece of gear
is your brain and knowledge. Take care, - Jeff in Ohio
Hi Jim,
I just finished reading Melanie and Rick's letter and what they faced during
their 'hurricane' event in Columbus. The conditions they experienced sound
very similar to what I related to you was occurring in Cincinnati a few days
ago. I just wanted to make a few comments regarding the need for self-defense
and owning a gun to do so. Rick was concerned about someone who was driving
by coming back to 'liberate' his generator. That would concern me too, so here
are a couple of my thoughts on the situation. First, it is a good idea to conceal
the fact that you have power when the rest of your neighbors don't and it's
pretty obvious at night. So close the blinds, black out the windows and do
what you can to conceal the fact that you have power. Second, do what you can
to muffle the sound of your generator with sound baffles or a soundproof enclosure.
Third, "nail it down" and secure it as Rick did with chains and locks.
Now to the more important issue, protecting the generator using deadly force.
A couple of years ago when concealed carry was first permitted in Ohio, I completed
the required course to get my permit. While not a lawyer, I do remember the
most important lesson taught regarding the law in Ohio is this; you can use
a firearm to protect human life, but you may not use a firearm to protect private
property. So to Rick's point, if he did have a gun and used it to protect his
generator from a would be thief and actually injured or killed them during
the event, he could be prosecuted should he cause injury or death to the intruder.
It does go without saying however, if Rick was threatened and feared for his
life or the life of someone in his family while and intruder was trying to
steal the generator, he could defend his or their life with deadly force. Personally,
I always feel my life is in immediate danger anytime someone invades my home,
regardless of their intentions, but simply threatening someone with bodily
harm using a firearm is also currently illegal and depending upon the circumstances
and the court and lawyers involved, one could potentially face some time in
state provided accommodations. There have been a few cases reported where people
defended their property by shooting a fleeing intruder in the back while trying
to escape and were found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon. For someone
to be attacking you they must be facing you. However, one could certainly detain
the intruder for the police if the police could be successfully contacted (communications/availability
might be an issue) and would actually show up to make an arrest.
With this said, I believe everyone should own and trained to safely use a firearm(s).
When the defecation impacts the rotating oscillator the laws may not change,
but the circumstances will definitely change for the worst...so when you have
only seconds to make that life-or-death decision you will be more likely to
successfully do so while waiting for the cops are just minutes, hours or even
days away!
It is essential to be prepared for the worst, but hope - and more importantly,
pray for the best. - Larry in Cincinnati
Sir:
I am an ex-cop, who served in St. Tammany Parish, just above New Orleans.
(On the other side of Lake Pontchartrain). I was there during [Hurricane] Katrina.
Believe me when I say I have many stories to tell, and I am sure I will,
eventually.
However, I have been lurking on your web site for a while, and I had to comment
in a recent post.
The people in Ohio who almost had their generator stolen made me remember a
looter we had in Post-Katrina St. Tammany Parish. He would bring a lawn mower
in the middle of the night, turned on and throttled down, to your house. He
would put it near the generator, and over the course of 10 or so minutes, throttle
it up. Then he would simply turn off the generator and trundle away with it,
leaving a similar noise behind. The cold air from air conditioning would last
long enough for his get-away. If I remember correctly, he stole about 36 generators
before being caught.
We even had a gennie stolen from the Sheriff's LEC (Law Enforcement Complex),
three nights after Katrina. And one of the jail's large generators was given
to the hospital when theirs died. Essentially, hide them, do not use them at
night if you can avoid it, and think about putting a muffler on it to hide
the sound. And buy a gun.
Any questions? Thanks, - Joshua
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Observations on a Life on the Gulf Coast During the Hurricane Season »
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.
« Letter Re: Tropical Storm Ike's Devastation Works its Way North to Ohio |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Get Out of Dodge Vehicles »
Letter Re: Some Thoughts on Fuel Conservation WTSHTF
Jim:
To follow-up on my last e-mail, here are some random thoughts that I'd like
to share on fuel conservation, for when the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF):
Water Pasteurization Indicators (WAPIs) - Often used in the Third World
to save fuel and time when treating drinking water. Water that is heated to
149 degrees for a short time is free from living microbes. Water does not have
to be boiled for 10 minutes. A WAPI is a simple, small and low cost tube with
a special soy wax that can show that water has reached a safe Pasteurization
temperature. These are available from SolarCooking.org.
(By
the way, they also several nice solar oven designs.)
Solar ovens and Solar Showers - For cooking, water Pasteurization, and hot
water for hygiene needs. There is also a "solar puddle" design available
on the Internet for large scale water Pasteurization.
Oven and Meat Thermometers - Prevents waste of fuel [and nutritive value]
by cooking foods to higher temperatures than necessary.
Pot Cozys - These are insulated wraps for cooking pots. You heat the pot and
contents to a desired temperature and then set the pot off to the side, wrapped
in a pot cozy. Thus insulated, the food continues to cook until done. [JWR
Adds: For more on this topic, see KBF's
article in SurvivalBlog on Thermos cooking.]
Reflective Wind Shields - When used for cooking on a stove indoors or outdoors,
these will shorten the time [and hence reduce fuel use] required to reach the
desired temperature. - Doc Anonymous
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Some Thoughts on Fuel Conservation WTSHTF »
Letter Re: Tropical Storm Ike's Devastation Works its Way North to Ohio
Good Morning, Jim,
And yes it is a good morning at that. I'm here in the suburbs
of Ohio between Dayton and Cincinnati. Our power has returned. I read Larry
in Cincinnati's post this morning, and I know his thoughts and feelings all
too well. Like him, we had the preparedness mind set already in place, and
fared a bit better than some of our neighbors. I only caught the tail end of
your interview on AM 700 WLW in Cincinnati in my truck as I was heading to
work ( the company I work for is on a different power grid and was up and running)
Monday, and I could not help but think of some of the posts since I have been
coming to SurvivalBlog, and some of the things that you have discussed on the
site.
Like Larry, I hope this will be a wake up call to folks, but sadly, I
know that only a small portion of them will get it. One of the things that
I found to be spot on, was the part about the things that were stripped from
the shelves of the few stores that were open. I did not see them first hand,
but a few of my neighbors had gone to them, and they were an exact carbon copy
of the list. One even told of folks heading to the toy department, to snap
up all the Hannah Montana kids' flashlights. Yep, batteries, camping stoves,
lanterns, canned goods, candles, etc; Like I said, the list was so dead on
it gave me a shiver. As I stated earlier, we were a bit better prepared, so
we had no need of anything to get us through this minor inconvenience left
over by the storm.
Folks down in Texas are going to be without power, water,
food,
and other needed supplies in some areas for many weeks to come, so our prayers
go out to them more than the folks down the block who lost a small bit of food
in their refrigerator because the power has been off for a little less than
48 hours. There was some talk of the possibility that it could have been out
for a whole week, and this would have been a pretty bad thing for sure, but
the thing that I voiced the most concern to my neighbors about, and the one
that none of them had thought of was, that if it did take that long, there
was a good possibility that the water tower that sits on the hill above our
house would run dry, and without power to run the pumps to refill the tank.
But, we were okay here, because we had filled half of our five gallon water
cooler jugs
a few days before this happened, and I had gone to the grocery on Friday, and
had bought a case of 20 oz. bottles for my son to take in his school lunches.
Cooking was not a problem, we have a charcoal grill,and I have a Coleman white
gas fuel stove and a good supply of fuel for emergencies such as this. Plenty
of flashlights, a battery powered lantern, spare batteries, oil lamps and oil,
and candles with good sturdy candle holders for light, and a couple very good
multi-band radios, and plenty of batteries for them as well.
I hope that
others here in our tri-state area that were affected by this will see the need
to prepare for things like this. I know that a few of my neighbors will be
a bit better prepared for things by talking to me, and seeing how we were set
up at my house for this. Now this is not to say that I was totally prepared.
I saw a few "flaws in the slaw ", but preparing for these types
of things is a constant and on-going process, and we do the best we can with
the hand we have been dealt. The rest, we can adapt if we put our minds to
the problems and keep a cool head. - Dim Tim
« Letter Re: Advice on Gauging the Safety of Individual American Banks |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: Some Thoughts on Water Conservation WTSHTF
Jim:
Here are some random thoughts that I'd like to share on water conservation,
for when the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF):
Latex or nitrile gloves - Minimizes the use of water for cleaning up after
a dirty chore. The nitrile gloves sold by Costco seem to be the strongest and
do not oxidize like latex. [JWR Adds: The cost of nitrile
gloves bought in bulk is so low, that they are well worth using. They are particularly
important to use when handling dyes, paint, strong acids (such as during battery
maintenance),
strong bases (such as when making soap or when putting lime in an outhouse
pit or a carcass pit), pesticides, herbicides, fuel (filling kerosene lamps
or transferring gas to or from cans), or motor oil. (Used crank case oil is
of particular concern, since it has been identified as a carcinogen.)
Reynold's Oven Bags - Use inside a cooking pot to minimize clean-up. They
can also be used outside a solar cooking to to retain moisture and heat. These
shorten the cooking time for both solar and conventional ovens. hey are strong
and thin. They can also serve as an impromptu canteen. (Put a couple of them
in each outdoor survival kit.)
A small rubber primer bulb for out bard motors - Use as a foot pump for tubing
from a water source to a water basin.This provides controlled"one person" water
delivery. I use vinyl tubing connected to piece of 1/4" diameter copper
tubing that was bent nearly 90 degrees for the "faucet." This uses
just a small fraction of the water that is normally expended with a traditionally-plumbed
sink.
Funnels. - Buy several of these of various shapes and sizes, to reduce spills.
Garden pressure sprayer - Buy a new, clean one (not contaminated with chemicals)
to rinse kitchenware. BTW, we found that they had too fine a spray for use
as a bathing shower.
Clothes wringer - Efficiently wrings gray water out for wet clothes. This
water can be re-used for toilet flushing.
Basins - Use plastic basins to wash and rinse dishes or to hand-wash small
batches of laundry .This again saves gray water for re-use.
Whitewater Rafting Dry Bags - Can be used to prevent items from getting wet,
or can be used as a "clothes washer." Add hot water
and powdered laundry detergent and agitate.
- Doc Anonymous
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Advice on Gauging the Safety of Individual American Banks »
Letter Re: Recommended Preparedness Focus for a Dentist in Kansas?
Dear Sir,
It was James Howard Kunstler who alerted me to the problems that has caught
so many other people unawares in early 2002. Alas, although we're light years
ahead of our fellow citizens in terms of preparedness, we're many parsecs
behind the majority of your readers! We do have about six months of food
on hand (which keeps growing each day), plus containers for water storage
and
filters for water purification. We have some basic medical supplies. Our "battery" has
been augmented including the storage of several hundreds (although not thousands
yet) of rounds of ammunition. Soon, I'll have a basic reloading set up. I've
been buying whatever high-quality tools I can find, whether it's a 1930s
#8 Stanley plane or a King of Spades shovel. Our organic garden is growing
each year. We're not squeamish so we'll probably be gray-watering and humanuring
as soon as it is feasible. My wife is a green thumb and is becoming an expert
on foraging: she knows every edible plant/mushroom in Kansas!
So all hope isn't lost but there is so much to be done. Which brings me to
my point: thanks ever so much for this incredible resource!
But I have one question: knowing the little that you do about us (family of
four, in rural Kansas, slightly-prepared but not much) what would you recommend
as being our first priority? What products/skills should I spend the next year
focusing upon? Thanks again, - SF, DDS, in Kansas
JWR Replies: My recommendation, particularly
for anyone living in the Plains States and most of the western US is that
water should be your top priority, including
roof
downspout rain barrel conversions, and
locating
any nearby
creeks or reservoirs where you can
collect water, and the means to transport and treat it, even if you are ling
"Grid Down" and don't have gasoline available to operate motor vehicles for
hauling water..
In the next year, take advantage
of as much free and low cost training as your schedule permits. (Red Cross,
WRSA,
et cetera.) Next, move on to more sophisticated training, as your budget
permits. (Medical Corps, Front
Sight, OnPoint
Tactical, et cetera.)
Since you are a dentist, you might think in terms of operating
a minimalist general dentistry and dental surgery practice without grid
power.
Stock up on expendable supplies. Search for old-fashioned/alternative equipment.
Buy a full-up photovoltaic power system if you can afford it. You might even
be
able to
find a
foot-powered dental
drill. These are now considered museum
pieces, except in
the Third World, where
they are still in limited use.
As
I've previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, I have some very strong
reservations about the humanure approach. To be done safely, it
takes very close temperature monitoring, and that might prove difficult
in a grid-down post-collapse environment.
I also consider it unfeasible for handing waste at a remote retreat that
is only occupied for part of each year. (Ideally, it would best done at a rural
farm or ranch that has at least five residents that are living there year-round.)
In my opinion the risks far outweigh the rewards for most of us.
« Letter Re: Substantially Higher Food Prices at Warehouse Stores |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: Should I Get a Bigger Property and a Bigger Mortgage?
JWR,
I currently live in a crowded subdivision in a moderately nice house that
is worth $240,000. We owe approximately $120,000 on it, and have $120,000 in
equity. Based on
much of what I read here, we were looking for a house with some land, and recently
found one for $370,000 (it's only 2.5 acres, but that's much more
than we have now). If we buy it we will owe $370,000 -120,000 = $250,000).
I currently make around
$120,000 per year, in a job in the
medical field that should not be too hard hit by financial
crises.
So what do I do? Buy the country house and assume a larger mortgage (but
have some space, and a water well, plenty of room for a garden, and less crowding)?
Or do I forego that plan and just stay where I am, even though it's crowded,
because it's cheaper, and I can get it paid off in 2-to-4 years?
The economy has me worried, so this decision has been a difficult one for
me. Your site and its links makes a lot of sense to me, but when I read other
things
online (i.e. the main headlines) it all seems to say that "Everything
will be okay, just give it time, you're in good hands..." When can we
expect the major crisis/crises to hit?
Praying for your wife, thanks for all you do, - Perplexed in the Midwest
JWR Replies: If your job is truly stable, then it might be
safe making that move. Just by itself, having well water is
a huge plus. (I've described numerous hand pump and solar well pump
alternatives in the blog.)
But
with
the economy presently looking the way it is, having that level of debt
should
be
reason
to give you pause.
One alternative to consider is instead of the "halfway measure" of
moving to a house on a bigger lot--but still in a relatively high density area--is
the concept of buying a dedicated retreat with a house on much more acreage
(10+
acres) that is way
out in the country, preferably in one
of my recommended retreat regions.
You
could
simply
tell
your
family
and
friends
that
it is
a "vacation cabin."
My general advice to my consulting clients is to buy their retreat properties
with cash, and leave their primary residences mortgaged. That way, if the economy
totally tanks and you lose your job you can move to your retreat and essentially
abandon your house to the bankers. (The phenomenon they now call "jingle
mail".)
At your retreat you will then only have to worry about paying your property
taxes.
In answer to your other question: I don't give "timing" predictions.
All that I can say with certainty is the the current economic instability is
the worst that I've
see
in
my
lifetime.
So just be
ready.
« Letter Re: Pre-Assembling Charity Food Packets for Storage |Main| Note from JWR: »
Letter Re: UV Light for Sterilizing Water
In my reading about water purification one of the things that I read about
was ultraviolet (UV)
light purification. I discarded it because I live at a fairly high northern
latitude (lower intensity light) and it is fairly cold here most of the year.
I just noticed something though. Sitting next to me
I have a "halogen gooseneck desk lamp" with a 20 Watt halogen JCD
bulb in it. While looking at the glass piece that sits between the light and
outside world I noticed that it says "UV Filter 001". This
got me to wondering how much UV light this bulb is throwing off, and if it
could be used for water purification (assuming power is present and water is down or contaminated). I wasn't able to find much info
on UV output of halogen bulbs, other then G.E. claims that their bulbs put
out very low amounts of UV.
Near the bottom of this page I did find a
nice set of tables talking about how much UV is needed to kill various micro-organisms.
- Ben
JWR Replies: To sterilize water, it is best to use a light
bulb that is optimized for transmitting the UV portion of the light
spectrum. As koi fish fanciers
discovered
a
decade ago, UV
light does a great job of sterilizing water.It actually does not kill all
the bacteria, but it renders them harmless by making them incapable of reproduction.
(Typically, folks
with koi ponds
use a water pump to circulate water in conjunction with a UV light that shines
on a clear plexiglas section of water pipe, gradually treating all of the
water in the
pond.
On
a smaller scale, the same technology is used with the SteriPen device made
for
backpackers.
(SteriPens are available
from SafeCastle, Ready Made
Resources, and many other Internet vendors.)
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Note from JWR: »
Checking Your Preparedness with the PACE System, by Wolverine
I had been using the PACE system
for years, I just didn’t know that is
what it was called, or that it even had a formal name. I first read about the
PACE acronym over on the
Viking Preparedness site, in a post by Joe. Growing up we joked
that the system
was called
one’s good, two’s better, and three is about right. It is the same
spirit of "two is one and one is none" that the PACE system stresses.
PACE stands for Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency. It is a good
solid way to break down your preps to make sure that your survivability is high.
It
doesn’t have to be a long hard plan, it can be very simple. Ask yourself
the question for each major category of survival.
Water
What is your primary source of drinking water? If you are like most of us you
turn on the faucet. Okay, your primary source is covered. Most likely all of
us
have the primary items covered by our “normal” living. You throw
a light switch for lights, turn up the furnace for heat, and open the fridge
for food. We live with our primary supply system.
The first level of survivability is at the Alternate level. When the power goes
out-what next? For some it is 12 volt back up, others light candles, and still
others fire up the Coleman lanterns. The totally unprepared sit in the dark and
grumble. So what do you do when the power goes out and you can’t draw water
from the system?
I can tell you my plan. I had to use it about a year ago when I still lived in
town and the city put a No Drinking of Water notice on our block. I got the sealed
water cooler bottles I had stored and opened one of them for drinking and cooking.
The bottles cost under $4 each and hold 5 gallons of pure drinking water. There
is no chemicals added and they store well. I checked with the dealer and found
out that if I buy the natural water, same price, it will store well over five
years as long as it is kept in a cool and dark place. They said it might store
forever
but they couldn’t tell me that. I keep four of them stored as my Alternate
plan for water as well as several camping jugs, one gallon jugs and a couple
cases of bottled water.
If we go into a long term situation and I run out of my stored water I have to
fall back to my Contingency plan. I have a filter system that will allow me to
make lots of drinking water before I have to change the filter. Either rain water
or water from a point well can be cleaned and ready as needed. Another layer
of my contingency plan is water tabs to us as well.
My emergency water will come from the stream a quarter mile to the west of my
farm. I have a Katadyn filter to use to clear it and make it drinkable. We can
also boil water to clean it. I can draw the water from my hot water tank if needed.
We also have bleach. Our water back ups are more than just [three] PACE levels
because water is so important. Besides, it is not that hard to develop a few
good purification
methods for water.
Heat
Without power we lose the furnace and our heat. We heat with propane so I can
drop into the Alternate plan easily and turn on the fire place and the stove
to heat our “cocoon” room. If needed, we can live in our kitchen/living
room for days on end. While not really part of our PACE plan, it is good to know
that we can heat a smaller area and stay comfortable during cold weather. Our
contingency plan is to bring in the kerosene heater out of the barn and use it
to heat the cocoon room. If we are in a long term grid down situation I can pull
the fireplace insert and convert it to a wood burning fireplace in a matter of
minutes. We consider that our emergency plan.
Food
I will not speak much about food because if you have read any of the survival
blogs you know that you need to store food, canned and packaged, grow a garden,
store grains, harvest wild edibles, and plan on hunting and trapping.
Shelter
I am very fortunate to live at my retreat. I moved back to the family farm less
than a year ago. My wife and I had already stored a large amount of our preps
in the barn and had planned to bug out to here even if the house was not completed.
Our plan was to make as much of the house livable as possible if TSHTF. If that
was not possible for us than we would build living quarters in the barn. Unable
to do that we would put up a tent and camp out. Now that the house is complete
and we are living in it we have revamped out plans to stay in the house and moved
the living in the barn to our emergency plan.
Life in General
The PACE system is easy to understand and follow, and gets easier as you do more
of it. Pick any aspect of survival you want and work out a PACE plan. Say you
want to have weapons in your plan. Okay, primary will be your MBR. Your alternate
might be your shotgun or bow and arrow. Contingency, sling shot. Emergency, Atlatl
and spear.
Back ups to the back ups are a necessary part of life. You already use them and
probably never thought about them as an emergency plan. If your car dies what
do you do, call a friend for a ride, take the bus or ride a bike? More than likely
you are already PACE-ing yourself. Keep that mindset toward the forefront of
your thoughts and your prepping should get easier and deeper. - Wolverine
« Letter Re: Numerous New Economic Crash Warnings |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Packing The Vehicle G.O.O.D. Bag, by Ryan S.
This is a brief outline for preparing a vehicle-borne Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.).
bag or Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.).
We are all hopefully suitably prepared at our homes
or retreats, but what if you find yourself away from your retreat WTSHTF? Recent
events and some blog readers have mentioned the importance of having a G.O.O.D.
bag in your vehicle. The floods in the midwest as well as the wildland fires
in my neck of the woods, speak to this necessity. what ever the situation you
are facing you should be able to get back home or at least remove yourself
from immediate danger should vehicle travel for whatever reason become impossible.
The basic idea for a G.O.O.D. or B.O.B. is to be self sufficient without outside
support for 72 hours (three days). Your individual bag must have everything you
need within immediate grasp. If you have to look around for a missing piece
of kit
it could mean the difference between getting away from danger and being stuck
in a worse situation.
The first item to consider is the pack itself. Invest the money in high quality
gear. Your bag must be large enough to carry all of your equipment, but not ungainly.
Especially if you are not used to carrying a load on your back over distance.
I am a fan of Maxpedition brand packs. I use a Condor II pack regularly for all
types of activities. (The Condor II is probably too small for use as a G.O.O.D.
bag.)
The MOLLE straps
on the outside of many kinds of tactical type packs are great for securing additional
gear or clothes. Packs with internal drinking water bladders
are also good to look for.
Ultimately you will have to experiment with different types of packs to see
what is most effective for you. You may also consider getting a more generic
looking
pack to avoid unwanted scrutiny that a distinctly military looking pack may draw.
You might want to supplement your pack with a vest along the lines of a photographers,
safari or fishing type. Vests are great for storing small items you will need
frequently or quickly. Things like a compass, small snack foods, pistol magazines,
or things it would be impractical to store in your pack. It would not be good
to stop and take your pack off every time you want a snack or need to take a
compass reading. Digging in your pack for a pistol magazine when you really need
it could be disastrous.
Water is the most important consideration. You will suffer some without food
for three days but going without water for three days will probably kill you.
During high heat physical exertion your body may require a gallon of water a
day. Its not practical to carry three days worth of water. Water is heavy! Weighing
8.2 lbs a gallon, most people cannot carry 32.5 lbs of water along with their
other equipment. Keep extra water in your vehicle to hydrate yourself with before
you
abandon your vehicle if time and circumstance allow. Look for small air force
flask type canteens to stuff into pockets as well as a CamelBak-type water bladder
or a pack that has an internal hydration bladder. Ever bit of water you can carry
is important!
Depending on where you live you may not have to rely as heavily on water you
carry. Keep in mind depending on the situation presented you may not be able
to stop and purify or boil water. It is still a good idea to carry as much water
as you can.
Because water is heavy and keeping in mind "The
Rule of Threes", you
need to carry some sort of method of making water you encounter suitable to drink.
Water Purification tablets are small and light weight but don't do anything to
remove the big chucks or discoloration. You can use a bandanna or a T-shirt to
improvise a filter that will get some of the stuff, but obviously won't remove
everything. A better method would be to use the bandanna or T-shirt then use
some sort of compact hiker type mechanical water filter. The best you might encounter
would be to use tablets as well as a mechanical filter.
If you find yourself having to abandon your vehicle, grab your G.O.O.D. bag and
set off overland your already in a pretty tight spot. You don't want to make
your situation worse by risking an intestinal bug, which in this case could be
life threatening. Basically its like this:
The best water you have is what's already with you.
The next best water is treated then filtered. Or boiled for at least 10 minutes.
The next best is water that has been filtered or treated.
Untreated or unfiltered water is very hazardous. Even the most pristine looking
mountain stream has all kinds of potentially bad parasites in it. We all know
what bears do in the woods, and they do it in streams too!
If your situation gets bad enough you may have to do what you have to do, just
keep in mind the possible repercussions.
The next thing to consider is food. There are a lot of options for this consideration.
Everything from Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) to freeze dried foods. For my own
G.O.O.D.
bag
I
have
a
mixture of MREs and Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs) I break them down and
keep only the items I know I like, as well as to save space. Keep in mind that
high heat drastically reduces shelf life of MREs and HDRs. Your going to be
keeping this pack in your trunk or truck in the summer sun. Rotate your items
out at the very most every six months.
Freeze dried foods such as Alpine Aire or Mountain House are another option.
They are much lighter than MREs or HDRs but require water--usually near boiling
hot water-- to prepare. I prefer MREs because you can eat them cold or use the
the chemical heater with military MREs. Making a fire or using a stove could
compromise
your OPSEC. You can eat an MRE and keep moving.
You should supplement whatever food you decide to use with small prepackaged
snack foods. Journeys overland expend huge amounts of caloric energy requiring
constant replenishment. Additionally circumstances may dictate that you might
not be able to stop and prepare a meal and having readily available snack food
will help keep you going until you can stop. Try to avoid foods that are high
in sodium. You will have to drink more water.
The next thing to consider will be shelter. Your shelter will depend on the weather.
Try to keep weight to a minimum. You will be mobile. You may not have time to
make a very substantial shelter. Keep it basic. Just something to keep the rain
off while you sleep. You must take into account the type of environment you will
likely face. Keep in mind where you are, where you are going and what's in between.
You should consider the season as well. You probably won't need as much during
the summer months. It makes sense doing a seasonal rotation of your kit to fit
the current season. Doing a seasonal rotation allows you to inspect your entire
outfit and ensure everything is in good working order.
I feel it is important to keep fitting seasonal clothing with your bag in your
vehicle as well as some good boots. You must be able to move comfortably over
distance and you might not be dressed appropriately for you current situation.
Make sure your boots are well "broken in".
Depending on your environment and or skill level you may be able to improvise
shelter from what's around you. You can include a couple of contractor grade
garbage bags to improvise shelter or shade. You could also use clear plastic
construction
sheeting but this won't be effective for shade. I prefer a small tarp. I use
a brown colored one as opposed to the typical blue. Brown blends into the landscape
better.
Mylar space blankets are very thin and probably won't hold up well when utilized
as shelter. You should include one or two to use as intended and could probably
be used as a back up in a pinch. Be sure to include some packable rain gear in
a neutral color or at least an emergency poncho. A better choice would be both.
The next thing to consider is navigation. The idea of vehicle G.O.O.D. or B.O.B.
is to allow you to get from point A to Point B with body and spirit intact. If
you don't know how to read maps, learn. I feel the best maps are USGS topographical
maps but is impractical to carry a large number of these maps. You should have
some road maps in your bag. I carry a regional map (e.g. Western U.S.) a state
map (e.g. Oregon) and a compact national atlas. If you have room put in adjoining
state maps. If you are planning a road trip put in those states as well. The
situation you are in may require you to completely avoid roads but you can use
them as a reference point.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
receivers are very nice to have but require batteries
and
can
be
affected by environmental conditions (e.g. canyons, overhead cover) GPS can
fail. Do not rely entirely on your GPS. Get a compass, and learn how to use
it. If you have a compass get another one for a spare.
We all know the shortest point between two points is a straight line, but this
might not be the best one. Determine the navigational hazards between
you and your destination. Remember choke points, mountain passes, bridges and
depending on circumstance cities and towns. Try to learn the areas you travel
frequently. That will help you a great deal. Learn terrain features the routes
you travel frequently to help determine direction and distance. Forget about
using moss and other axioms to determine direction. They are not reliable.
The next item is fire. Fire could have been included with shelter but I felt
it important to mention individually. You should include three separate means
of making fire. Whether you use a butane lighter, matches and a fire tool. Use
what works for you.
Fire is an important survival tool. It provides heat, can be used for cooking
and provides a means for making water suitable to drink. Learn how to make fire
in adverse conditions and practice it. Actual skill is better than gadgets. You
should also include a metal cup suitable for cooking or boiling water.
Remember your OPSEC.
If you are trying not to be noticed, then lighting a fire is not
the way to do it. You will have to figure out an alternative or take the risk
if your situation requires it.
A small stove could be a viable alternative to lighting a fire. Keep weight and
fuel in consideration. I have included a small Esbit stove in my pack. They are
very small and can carry some fuel inside the folded arms.
There are also some other miscellaneous items you should include in your pack.
These are usually along the lines of tools. A good quality multi-tool such as
a Gerber or Leatherman is a good idea. A small folding shovel might be good for
making your fire less obvious as well as doubling as a hatchet with the edge
sharpened. Toilet paper is a must. Handling the call of nature with leaves is
not fun.
A good quality compact first aid kit is absolutely required. Any medications
you must take have to be included. Over the counter pain relievers and medications
for common ailments should be included as well. A good idea I saw somewhere was
a small plastic tackle or crafts box to contain your medications with the lid
labeled to keep it all organized.
Be sure to include a couple of small flashlights, and extra batteries. I also
have included a couple of small LED key chain lights. They have a surprisingly
bright light for the the size.
Make sure to include a couple of knives. I have a surplus Mora sheath knife in
my pack as well as a folding pocket knife.
Some people may want to include a firearm of some sort. This is a question that
can be a little sensitive and is full of personal opinion and legal questions.
I personally have included a firearm. For me its not a question because I am
legally permitted to carry a firearm concealed. You will have to examine your
personal
situation and decide to act as you see fit.
In conclusion I hope I have given you a good base to start from. A large part
of having a well prepared G.O.O.D. pack is trial and error. Remember to practice
beforehand. The middle of a crisis is not a good time to apply a new skill
set. Remember to keep it simple. You can't carry everything you will need to
meet
every
set of circumstances but you can use what you have and improvise. Hopefully
you won't find yourself in a situation where you will have to abandon your vehicle,
but maybe with a well-designed G.O.O.D. bag, you can make the best of it.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Notes from JWR »
After 10 Years--Some Observations and Lessons Learned by a Y2K-Era Prepper
It was June, 1998. Y2K was
a salient topic of conversation. It got my attention. When the electricity
went off and there would be no water to drink, and no
fuel to move food to the JIT grocery
stores, I could see things getting very ugly. I had been willing to fight
for this nation as a member of the US Army.
Now it was time to fight for my household. I bought a Springfield Armory
M1A. I bought a safe to store it in. I bought another M1A (for
the spousal unit of course!) I bought ammo. Lots of it. I bought gear. I
bought food.
I became awakened to the idea of being self-reliant.
That was 10 years ago. Y2K didn’t cause a global melt down. (Although
I have a friend in the service that sat in a command bunker holding his breath
at Y2K – the
government didn’t know what was going to occur.) I
have not had to live through or endure Hurricane
Katrina. No participation
in the 9/11 attacks.
In fact, I can’t claim a campaign ribbon for any
disasters. Am I upset or sorry that I have changed my life to follow a path
of self-reliance? Most definitely, absolutely not!
Let me share with you the good and the bad of what I have done in the last
ten years. So often, people new to self-reliance are like ants at the foot
of a mountain staring up with their head touching their back wondering how
in the world they will ever be able to replace modern society and be able to
take care of themselves WTSHTF.
Well, truth be told, you can’t do it
overnight unless you’re Warren Buffet. I am walking, talking living proof,
however, that you can make significant progress. Let me show you!
In order to show you that you do indeed have cause for hope, let me share
a
few of my screw-ups. How about the initial purchases I made
while in a state of “marked concern” when I became “self
aware” with
regard to self – reliance. The money I invested in self-reliance was
my spousal unit’s “down payment on a house”. Do you think
this view of “my nest” versus “the world may end” led
to some intense “discussions”? You bet your last dog flea it did.
For much of the intervening 10 years I have been the one prepping while my
wife harbored a severe grudge against the entire topic because I spent our
money for the house down payment on crazy self-reliance materials. A grade
of “F” to
me for consensus building. She is just beginning to come around in the last
two years. Poster child example of a bucket of wet sand. (If two guys fight,
they belt each other like two crazed wolverines. Eventually they realize they
were stupid for fighting, shake hands, forgive and are back to being friends.
Kinda like a cow urinating on a big flat rock – big splash and splatters,
but it dries up pretty quickly. Get in an argument with a gal and it is like
pouring water into
a bucket of sand – the surface may dry after a bit, but it stays wet
down in that bucket for a long time.)
I very religiously squirreled away Gillette Atra razors because that is what
I used each day. The handle that you click onto the blade cartridge gave up
the ghost after many years of faithful service. The stores don’t sell
them anymore! Now I have three dozen packs of five cartridges with no way to
use them to shave! Fortunately, I did find a second/spare handle in my stores
and
will
be able to use them up. Did I re-learn some valuable lessons? You bet!
Two is one, and one is none.
You need to see what you have (inventories!)
Store what you Eat/use – I did great on the cartridges, but forgot
spare handles!
In the run-up to Y2K I bought a dozen 6 volt golf cart batteries to be able to
set-up some kind of power system in the house. Great intent. No photovoltaic
panels No wiring until last year. They have been “stored” sitting
on pallets in a friends storage building for 9 years because I have not been
able to get
to the replacement power system yet. I could have used that money for a higher
priority item.
The spousal unit and I built our home last year. We did many things very right.
Some learning experiences occurred, however. Maybe chief amongst them is my
underestimation of the massiveness of the size of this endeavor! I joke with
friends about not being free from the To Do list to be able to get into trouble
for at least five years! Fix the septic pond berms. Sort out the “scrap” lumber.
Put a deck on the back of the house so the [building] code Nazis will give
us the permanent occupancy permit. Fix the leaking pressure tank in the basement.
Fix the DR
mower. Mow. Clear 30 trees dropped to get the septic pond clearance (not done
with that one yet). Cut and split and stack firewood. The list goes on. Don’t
get me wrong – I would not trade my homestead back for city living for
anything. Was I able to foresee the "second & third order effects” of
the change to a country homestead? Nope. Not even having read Backwoods Home
magazine for 8 years. Thank God I listened to my in-laws and did not try
to finish the upstairs interior construction while living downstairs!
Prior to Y2K I tried very hard to create a group. It failed in many ways. Had
Y2K caused the feared problems, we would have been road kill. Okay, we would
have been the third or fourth critter on the highway run over by life, but
we were
nowhere near ready to deal with WTSHTF/TEOTWAWKI.
The Yuppie Queen and her husband went right back to spoiling their princess/daughter,
buying Jaguars, clothes,
and hair implants. You know - living the typical American city life. The other
couple moved out onto 20 acres in a very rural county and raise goats and chickens.
I am on 20+ acres and moving in a self-reliant direction. Two out of three
ain’t
bad!
I endured the gauntlet of multiple careers trying to find a fit for who I am.
Thankfully, my spousal unit was trained well by her farmer parents. We never
carried any debt other than the mortgage. One thing we did do smart was under-buy
on our home with a condo (sixplex) in town. No car payments. No credit card
payments. We kept 3-6 months of expenses in savings. One business venture was
as a franchisee for Idiotstate. Massive mistake. Four years with no income
for me and a net loss of $60,000 overall. What preps could you get done with
an
extra $60,000? I am certainly not happy I put one in the “L” column.
I am not proud of failing. I am proud of jumping into the fight and giving
it my 110%. As they used to tell me in the military, “What an opportunity
for character building!” Learning lesson for me was that I should never
have stopped Soldiering. I simply have green blood. I have returned to the
Army by working as a tactical/leadership contractor at a nearby Fort and getting
reappointed into the National Guard. Will a deployment take me away from directly
protecting The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)? Yes. Does staying employed doing
what God designed me to do mean we’ll have a steady income? Likely. Does
a pension check from age 65 on make us better able to care for ourselves? You
betcha. The world may not disintegrate in 30 days. It may actually remain fairly
normal. One has to prepare for that contingency as well.
By now you have to be thinking “What a knothead! This guy couldn’t
find his fourth point of contact if you put one hand on a cheek!” Well,
not so fast there Skippy! I have a thing or two that should go in the “W” column.
I should give you a massive dose of hope! Let me describe to you in a quick
overview where I have come to in my 10 year quest to become more self-reliant.
First, about our home…
Home
Your home is your castle, right? Well mine actually kinda is. It sets on a
chunk of land that is 20+ acres. The terrain is rolling and 95% wooded. It
butts up against a cemetery to the north, a 900+ acre conservation area to
the south, a river to the west, and a section line to the east. The home is
an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
structure. The walls are 1” of concrete
fake rock veneer, 2.5” of foam, 8” of reinforced concrete, 2.5” of
foam, 5/8” of sheetrock. It is “round”, being made up of
12 wall sections each 8 feet in width. Two stories with a basement. About
1,800 square feet of living space. (2,700 with the basement, however, that
area is not finished yet.) Geothermal heating/cooling and a soapstone wood
stove.
Metal roof. No carpeting – oak floors and tile. The wellhead
is inside the home so I don’t have to worry about winter breakdowns or freeze-ups,
nor losing access WTSHTF. We are running at top speed towards the 20% equity
checkpoint in order to get rid of the bankster-invented Private Mortgage Insurance
(PMI) extortion racket. (We have a credit rating of 804, so the “risk” the
bank incurs by carrying our note is a freaking joke!). It suits our lifestyle
very,
very
well. Our intent was to have a very low maintenance home. Having lived here
one year in two more weeks, it looks like we have a very big check mark in
the “W” column. More details on the design/floor plan in a future
article!
Weapons & Training
We have an M1A set-up for combat, and one set up for long-range precision work.
The Glock 21
[.45 ACP] is the base pistol for the household, with one for each of us and
a G30 [compact Glock .45 ACP] as back-up. The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU) doesn’t
carry a rifle or carbine, just the pistol. (More on that later.) Training for
both of us
includes Defensive
Handgun 1 and Team Tactics with Clint and Heidi Smith at Thunder Ranch. I have
also had General Purpose, Urban, and Precision Rifle with Clint. I completed
a special symposium at Gunsite (pistol, rifle, shotgun, carbine). I am an NRA Certified
pistol, rifle, and home defense instructor. I have several other weapon platforms
as a “Dan Fong” kind of guy. The two rifles with
accoutrements, and the four pistols with same were certainly not cheap. Nor
was the training. I do, however, know how to properly employ them now.
Food & Supplies
The spousal unit & I could stretch the on-hand food to cover two years.
Canned freeze dried is 45% of it, bulk buckets is 45%, and “normal use” food
is the last 10%. We have built a rolling rack set of shelves for the 3rd part
to ease rotation of the canned goods with each grocery store trip. No, I haven’t
found the secret spy decoder ring sequence on how to rotate the bulk and freeze-dried
stuff with our normal, both of us work, lifestyle. The sticking point for this
area I see is that WTSHTF, Mom & Dad in-law, Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law
with wife and two princesses (one with hubby), and my Mom & her husband
will
show up on our doorstep. That makes for an even dozen mouths to fee
Security
Now for a bit more detail. First topic up, IAW my military training, is Security.
The base of everything here is God. I have chosen to bend my knee to Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior. I can amass all the weapons, ammo, food and “stuff” you
can imagine, but He is the one ultimately in charge. I am charged to be a prudent
steward of His possessions - my family, property, vehicles, food, weapons,
ammo, etc.. I am definitely striving to be the ant storing things for the winter.
If you ain’t right in this area, it will really matter in eternity.
Part of your security is weapons. There are sheeple, wolves, and sheepdogs.
I am definitely in the 3rd category. In today’s world your “teeth” are
your firearms. I plan from a Boston T. Party paradigm of having a battle rifle.
Hence, the M1A. Were I starting over today, I would likely go with a FAL, but
now "I will dance with the one that brung me". Or maybe just accept the brilliance
of the M1
Garand at $620 delivered to your doorstep from the Civilian Marksmanship
Program (CMP).
I do have two of these. Hard to argue with .30-06 ball. I renovate Mausers
as my hobby and so have a .35 WAI scout rifle. A second one in the
more common 7.62x51 chambering is in work now. I laos have a Mossberg 835 [riotgun],
two Ruger 10/22s (one blued, one stainless), Ruger MKII stainless .22 LR pistol,
S&W
625 pistol in .45 ACP/.45
Auto Rim, a few Enfields, and a couple of Mosin-Nagants round out the field.
Let me detail for you the path to get to the Glocks. I think it may save you
some of your money. I received a Colt Gold Cup [M1911]
.45 ACP pistol from my Dad as a graduation gift from the Hudson Home For Boys
[aka USMA West Point].
Great
intent. A weapon as a gift – how can you ever be wrong in doing this?!
However, a terrible choice as a combat weapon. The Gold Cup is a target pistol.
Tight
tolerances.
Feeds only hardball, and that can be tenuous proposition. I carried it on the
East-West German border leading patrols. The rear sight broke twice. The front
sight shot off once and tore off twice. It was a jammomatic. I hated it. Sold
it to a guy that wanted to target shoot.
Took that money and bought a stainless Ruger P90DC. Sack of hammers tough.
always goes bang when you pull the trigger. Inexpensive as far as handguns
go. After some marked de-horning, you could even make it run in a fight without
shredding you at the same time. One marked problem. Two [different weight]
trigger pulls [for first round double action versus subsequent round single
action.]. This started to teach me to throw the muzzle down as I pulled the
trigger in
double
action.
This nasty habit caused a problem when you were firing the 2nd through X rounds,
as now it operates as a single action. TLSU had a heck of a time with it at
Thunder Ranch. Clint loaned her his G21. No more trigger problems.
Still bowing at the altar of the 1911, I bought a Kimber Compact to carry instead
of the Ruger. (I still have the Ruger – it is still “the gun that
my Dad gave me” and no one buys the P90 used for anywhere near it’s
initial cost, so I can’t sell it without taking a significant bath on
it.) The Kimber was going well. Then I got a little too aggressive at slamming
magazines home in the shortened grip and jammed it. Then the recoil rod unscrewed
itself during an IPSC run
and seized the gun while messing up the trigger. Off to Kimber. Free warranty
work and 48 hours without my self-defense pistol.
Now I have no confidence in the pistol. I Loc-Tite’d the recoil rod
and staked it so it wouldn’t come undone again. Then I sold it.
Glocks cost roughly one-half of what a Kimber does. Crummy factory sights,
but all my pistols wear tritium anyway. No ambidextrous safety required. My
short fingers are
mated to big palms, so I can handle the grip. TLSU has been trained on the
Glock Model 21 (G21). It ain’t an issue of psychological derangement
like many guys get about their 1911/Glock/H&K/Springfield, but it is a
comfortable and working relationship between Glock & I. I have a G21 and
a G30 for both of us. They always go bang accurately and they have never rusted.
I am
not
pleased
with Gaston [Glock]’s refusal to take responsibility for any mistakes
they make in manufacturing. No problems with the G21 however. A pistol is what
you
use
to fight your way back to your rifle, which you shouldn’t have laid down
in the first place.
M1As hit my safe because it is what I knew from the service. They also fire
a full power cartridge, 7.62x51. It makes cover into concealment. I don’t
have the other 10 guys in an infantry squad fighting with me so I can maneuver
under their covering fire. I have to hit the bad guy with a powerful blow once
and move on to the next wolf/bad guy. Mouse guns firing rabbit rounds don’t
scratch that itch for me. To each his own. My two are old enough to have USGI
parts and good quality control. Here are the mods I made to my “combat” M1A.
Maybe they will help you:
Krylon paint job to disrupt the "big black stick" look
M60 [padded] sling
Front sight filed down so that zero is achieved with the rear sight bottomed
out
Handguard ventilated
National Match trigger group, barrel, and sights (came as a “Loaded” package
from Springfield)
Rear aperture drilled out to make it a ghost ring
Skate board tape on slick metal butt plate
For the “Surgical” M1A (it shoots1/2 minute when I do my part):
National Match loaded package
Trigger assembly additionally tuned at factory
Unitized gas system
Factory bedded
Stainless barrel
S
