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Five Letters Re: Covert Home Power for When The Grid Goes Down
JWR -
The article written by Tom H. contains some dangerous advice and overlooks some important issues. He wrote:
"Next, cut the receptacle end (female) off the 120 VAC extension cord and install the replacement 120 VAC plug (male) to the cord. Make sure it's wired correctly. (Black to black, white to white and green to green). You will now have a cord with a [male] plug on both ends."
Such a modified power cord [commonly called a "disaster cord" or more aptly a "suicide cord'] is extremely dangerous, and should never be made. If one end is plugged into a power source, the other end now has exposed electrical contacts and anyone touching them is in danger of electrocution. Don't take the chance of killing your child, spouse, or even yourself by having such a cord around where someone could try to use it.
Tome also wrote: "After making sure the main power disconnect is off, plug in one end of the extension cord to the inverter and the other end into any 120 VAC outlet in your house."
Most homes in the USA have what is known as 120/240 volt single phase power coming into the house from the electrical company. A few may have 3 phase power.
Back feeding a 120 volt outlet with power will only energize 1/2 (or 1/3 if you have 3 phase power) of the 120 volt loads in your house. If your furnace, refrigerator, deep freezer, or other critical load is not on the same "leg" of your power panel as the outlet you are back feeding, it will not get power and will not run. Worse, if a load such as a furnace has motors that run from 240 volts, single or 3 phase, and power is applied to only one leg of the motor, it could damage or destroy the motor.
JWR added this advice: "The best and safest solution is to have a qualified electrician install a proper bypass circuit breaker panel that will eliminate any risk of a back feed!"
This is certainly true, and may be the only easy way to be both safe and meet electrical code when providing backup power to a furnace. There are some other solutions that are safe, however.
Here is an easy solution if your furnace only requires 120 volts AC at some reasonable amount of current. If you are competent to work on your own electrical panel (a working knowledge of electricity is a useful survival skill), you can determine which breaker powers your furnace, and disconnect the wire to the furnace from the breaker. Mount a small electrical box with a single 120 volt outlet on it next to your breaker panel, and feed it from the breaker that former fed the furnace. Drill a hole in the box next to the outlet and bring a short power cord with a male plug on the end out through a grommet (to protect the cord from damage as it exits the box). Run the other end of the cord into the breaker box and wire it safely to the power wires going to the furnace. When the short power cord is plugged into the new outlet, electrically the furnace is hooked up just as it was before you started.
If you unplug the cord from the outlet, and plug the cord into an inverter or generator, you can safely power the furnace with zero danger of back feeding the power lines. Back in 1999 I made such a modified power feed to my furnace, and tested it with an inverter powered from a pair of golf cart batteries. Because the furnace was a low power consumption type (hot water heat) I was able to get around two days of power for my furnace before the batteries needed charging. A large 50 amp battery charger would recharge the pair of batteries in a few hours. Therefore, I would only need to run my generator when I needed to recharge the batteries, or when I needed more power for appliances such as the deep freezer or refrigerator. If I kept the doors shut on the deep freezer and refrigerator, a hour or so of power
twice a day from my generator would keep them cold.
Tom wrote "A car that is quietly idling, parked in the driveway, is not going to stand out. ... As long as you have gas for the car, you are in business."
While most inexpensive generators make more noise than an idling car, they also use far less fuel. If you spend the extra to get a very quiet generator such as many of the modern inverter/generator sets, you can have both the quiet and low fuel consumption.
Blessings on you and your family! - RAR
Jim:
I think that Tom presented a very inventive idea, but I have personal reservations about it. I haven't actually tried this in a real world test scenario, so these are just theoretical observations:
1.) Under normal circumstances, the higher the load placed on the alternator, the more energized it becomes. As the current draw on it increases, the mechanical resistance required to turn it becomes higher. The engine RPM increases to compensate. Higher RPM, more sound. (If you ever want to see the max amount of power your alternator can put out, try to find instructions on how to "full field" it. I would not recommend doing this on a vehicle with computer controlled anything!)
2.) Power loss because of clip on jumper cable connection will be high. A secondary effect of this will be high heat problems in the DC side of the wiring, possibly enough to melt the insulation off the wire.
On a side note, when looking at jumper cables to carry with you, buy the larger cables (Lowest number AWG). Trying to jumpstart one of my vehicles in 25 degree cold that had been sitting for three months took me two pairs of "el cheapo" 12 gauge cables. Larger diameter cable = lower resistance and heat buildup = more electrons streaming into your dead battery
One way to decrease this would be to replace your vehicle battery cable connectors with marine style terminal ends (The ones with the wing nut and post on them) and securing the inverter to the battery with actual ring terminals. The more surface area you can get in the connection, the better. Be warned however, most marine style terminal ends I have used have a noticeably smaller inside diameter than regular automotive terminals. They will require some force to go over your auto battery terminal posts.
3.) If a running generator will make you a target, a running vehicle will as well. - A.R.
Dear Sir,
As someone who has both solar photovoltaic/battery bank and multiple generator standby power options at home, and at a remote airfield location without grid power, I would like to offer my opinion on the article "Covert Home Power for When The Grids Go Down" offered by Tom H on Thursday December 17th 2009:
The use of a vehicle based generator system does offer a number of potential benefits, most importantly the regular running, maintenance (hopefully?) and fuel replenishment aspects, not to mention a large and safe fuel storage capability - you do always keep your tank at least half full? Without these important activities the author is correct that small gas powered generators become nothing more than "garage queen's" - and expensive ones at that after a year or more in storage.
As with all things in life there are also unfortunately an equally if not larger number of negatives/limitations associated with vehicle based generator methods. The relative fuel economy of a small gas or diesel powered engine, compared with a typical car/pickup engine (and its' 12V electrical generation capability) is vastly different. The much larger vehicle engine capacity and all of the accessories attached to it (water pump, air conditioning pump, power steering pump, and all of the associated drive trains/belts for these etc.) take power, and this comes from the engine and the fuel, increasing consumption. When was the last time you had a vehicle with a pull cord "re-coil" style starter option found on most small gas engines?
There are other issues too, such as leaving your vehicle engine running (not overly covert?) and the risk of vehicle theft as most modern engines will need the key in the ignition to run (especially bad if someone is looking to G.O.O.D. and needs functioning transport with available fuel). If you do choose this option, do you have a spare key to lock the car with the engine running? You may want to consider fitting a wheel clamp or similar to deter someone driving off - you may already have one if you own a larger trailer or caravan/camper?
Connecting to the vehicle battery with jumper cables often stops you from fully closing the hood, or risk a short circuit if you do, so a raised hood may be another give away and can increase the noise signature of the running engine too. The longer the cables (and I agree that thicker is better) the greater the power loss, so shorter cables are better, but this then places the inverter at greater risk of being stolen - you also need to protect the inverter from any water/moisture ingress - even next doors dog relieving itself! Consider permanently fitting a high power 2 pole connector to your battery (e.g. Google "Anderson SB connector") under the hood and a matching end on your jumper cables. This can then be used to jump start other cars, power your inverter (winch, any other 12V appliance), and stops people from borrowing your jumper cables as they only work on your car now! This method also reduces any risk of polarity reversal/short circuit accidents.
One option seldom considered when using a vehicle based generator is the "extra battery method". Take a large car or truck battery (or leisure battery) and connect this using the jumper cables to the vehicle battery. This can be located inside the (ventilated) garage and you can use slightly longer and/or thinner jumper cables with this method. Connect the inverter (also now in the garage) to this second battery and it provides a "reserve of power" for heavy starting loads - recharging from the running vehicle once this is passed. Remember that 2,000 Watts of power from the inverter is around 200 amps at 12 VDC (there are losses in the inverter) so you are placing a considerable strain on the vehicles electrical system - how many vehicles are capable of continuously producing this amount of 12v power from their alternator system, and even if they are the considerable heat generated will not be so easily dissipated as there is little if any air movement that would come from a moving vehicle in normal operation? The radiator fan will cool the engine, but by doing so will blow hot air into the engine bay where the alternator is housed, right next to a really hot engine too. You may want to check the continuous rating of your vehicle's alternator output, and factor in the cost of repairing/replacing it verses the costs of a separate generator?
There are some very special instances with hybrid vehicles where they are capable of generating much larger amounts of electrical power (e.g. Toyota Prius), but these are the exception rather than the norm. If you have a Prius/Lexus then Google "Prius UPS" for details on these systems - they can even automatically start/stop the engine as power is used from their onboard battery systems, increasing fuel efficiency and running time. These really are the best vehicle based generator systems if you already have such a vehicle.
There have been many articles on the use of back feed "suicide cables" to power to grid down locations, and whilst these are functional there are considerable risks associated with this method. The best option would be in install a power inlet and transfer switch if at all possible. If you are going to use a back feed cable I would advise you to set up a check list of actions (for both connecting and disconnecting/returning to grid power), and follow these in strict order to ensure you do not cause a dangerous condition - remember it may be dark/cold when you are doing this and you may not remember exactly from memory what is needed - pilots (amateur and professional) use check lists, and they regularly practice their emergency actions, so take a hint from people who really need to get things right first time! I would also attach a brightly coloured plug or label/streamer to the "live" end of the back feed cable as a reminder not to touch this when the system is back feeding power. The location you choose to plug this in must consider risks from people tripping over the cable and pulling it from the receptacle - exposing the live pins. Anywhere that children may be able to access it is not even considered in my opinion!
A couple of options not considered are small diesel and propane powered generators. Diesel fuel stores for much longer than gas (especially with anti fungal compounds added) and once warm the engine can run on a variety of different "fuels" including cooking oil, heating oil, even clean engine oil at a push, but if you do not have anything else that is diesel powered it can prove difficult to "rotate" your fuel supply" (even if that is only every 2 - 3 years) and they can be much harder to start in cold climates. Propane stores almost indefinitely, you can use it on your gas grill in the summer and this can also provide standby heat and cooking facilities all year. A few medium sized propane bottles (a minimum of 2 - use one, plus a full spare) can be safely stored in a garage or shed, and far more safely than gas (petrol) IMO. The down side for both of these being that the generators are typically more expensive to purchase initially.
Please do not think that I am being negative with my comments. Any system is better than none, and vehicle based systems can and do work so long as you acknowledge their limitations in running time, security and power available etc. (I would not aim for much more than 800 to 1,000 watts continuous, even if you do buy a bigger inverter [~1,500 Watts] to allow for "start-up" surges). The components required for vehicle based systems can also be "recycled" into a more permanent fixed solar/battery/generator system as time and funds permit.
Whilst "modified sine" inverters are much cheaper than the "pure sine" variety, you should be careful with electronics/motors working from modified sine power. Ordinary filament light bulbs work fine, but some compact fluorescent lamps can flicker or make high pitched noises on modified sine power. Some items such as cell phone chargers and other "transformer-less" wall-wart power cubes can fail quite spectacularly on modified sine power, as can some satellite/cable boxes in my experience - if you can afford a pure sine inverter then this is the choice to make.
Finally it should be remembered that any small engine (gas/diesel/propane) can also provide considerable distraction when trying to get them to work after periods of storage, when after a few minutes it should have become obvious that it isn't going to start and that you should abandon it for now and implement plan B, only returning to it when this is working. (You do have a plan B, right?)
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time, and I hope and pray that the true meaning and message of Christmas will support you all over the holiday season following your loss of the Memsahib. Kind regards, Ian H. - NSoB (Nanny State of Britannia)
Jim,
The Army sent my organization a cheap generator several months ago as part of a bigger system. About a dozen of them went out to various Army posts to be used by civilian trainers, some of them have no military background. This week, several of our sites tried to start their little generators and were shocked that they were inoperative. (I am just as guilty as they are. We have all ignored our generators since September.)
There are basically two types of internal combustion generators out there, main power generators and backup generators. The difference in cost between the two types is substantial. Heavy duty power plants are more than ten times the price of a backup generator, so as a compromise, many of us wind up owning a backup generator of some kind. There are lots of little micro-generators around 1 KW, but I am not talking about those. They are really too small to be much help, but the larger ones can be very useful for keeping refrigeration or pumping water or any number of tasks when the grid is down.
The typical backup generator is about 6 HP gasoline rated for something like 3,500 watts and costs from 300 to 600 dollars. The following is specifically written about a "All Power" AGP3002D 3,500 watt gasoline generator, but since it's is a typical survival generator this will also apply to many different models and sizes. I am talking about any generator too big to carry but small enough to wheel (and has wheels). If it has convenience outlets instead of a wiring collar, and it's big enough to to run a freezer, I am talking about your generator. These are not top-of-the-line generators, but they are a pretty good if you take care of them and use them within their limitations. They are basically backup generators intended for short duration events. They should be fine for short duration crisis and in a total collapse, unless you have made a substantial commitment to storing fuel, your cheap generator will easily outlast your fuel supply.
There are two basic approaches to backup generator maintenance: You can maintain it constantly ready for action, or you can mothball it between missions. Most people don't really need to be able to push a button and have their generator come to life. In fact, if they can get their generator up within about half an hour, that's probably just fine. Also, most people need a backup generator very infrequently. Maybe less than once a year.
Mothballing is probably the best choice for most people.
To mothball a generator, drain out all the gasoline. You can let it run dry or drain it from the fuel filter (or disconnect the fuel line). Be careful. Gasoline is explosive. When you try to start it later, you will have to keep pulling the starter rope until you suck fresh gasoline though the system....be patient and keep pulling.
You can leave the oil in the engine (and probably should) but if it sits for a year without starting, you will need to drain the oil and replace it with new stuff before you use it. Look at the oil before you use it and use common sense. If your oil is ever black for any reason, it needs to be replaced immediately. The engine only holds a little over a half a quart (.6 liter for the model I have). Use regular 10W30 oil. No need to get fancy.
Protect the generator from the elements while in storage. You can leave it in a garage and haul it out when needed. If you must store it outside, you are risking weather damage and theft. Most of these things are not really made to sit outside in the weather, so try to store them in some kind of shelter.
When the grid power goes off and stays off long enough for you to use your generator, Oil it, fuel it and start it up. Plug in your stuff and smile smugly at your own cleverness. You should start it up at least once a year and it should work when you need it. That's pretty much all there is to mothballing.
Or, you can maintain your generator ready to use on short notice. That requires more work. Regular maintenance requires you to run it under load for about an hour per month. You will need to follow some steps to do it safely.
You should follow this procedure whenever you run the generator for any reason.
- Put in fresh gasoline. For maintenance run-up, about a pint of any kind of unleaded should be enough. Don't use much because gasoline has a short shelf life and turns into varnish (or technically....gunk) in a few months. You ideally want to burn through all your gasoline every couple of months, so only add a little and then run it almost dry every month. I think old fuel may be the most common cause of failure in small engines. Don't leave old gas in your tank or you will be sorry. I don't know much about fuel preservatives, but they seem to be unnecessary unless you are storing a lot of fuel. If you have only a few containers of fuel for emergencies, you can rotate them and burn the fuel in your car or truck. I only keep about 20 gallons and rotate my fuel every month. On my model, there is a fuel filter (glass bowl type) in the back. It has a drain plug for removing water. If you have a fuel filter bowl you really need to check this when you refuel and drain out the water if you see any. (it will be the lower layer...duh). My tank is sized to run the generator about 8 hours under a 1,500 watt load. It holds 4 gallons, so I can expect to need about a half gallon per hour of use.
- Check the oil level, You will need to change the oil after the first 20 hours of operation and then every 100 hours thereafter. There is often no oil filter so this is really important. You may need to siphon or pump the old oil out if there is no drain. The oil level is usually checked at a cap or plug at the bottom of the engine. There is no dip stick on cheap gas engines. The oil plug is slanted into the base of the engine so that when the generator is level, the oil level should be exactly as much as it will hold with the oil plug out. (like a lot of lawn mower engines.) If a few drops spill out when you open the plug, that's perfect but basically, if you can touch the oil with your finger without inserting it past the first knuckle, (an inch or so below the top) you have enough. Even dirty oil is much better than no oil. If you ever run it without oil you will be very sorry.
- Check the air filter periodically and wash it with soap and water when it's dirty. (if it's a replaceable filter, you will need spares). The manual on mine says to clean it every 60 hours, but in a smoky or dusty environment, you may need to clean this filter every time you refuel.
- Ground it! Generators are dangerous. You are supposed to ground it using a long grounding rod. You might be ok strapping it to plumbing, but a dedicated ground rod is usually safer. If you are in doubt, wet the ground around the rod with salt water (or any water)...about 10 gallons to increase conductivity. Sand is a terrible conductor. If you hit bedrock, drive it in horizontally for it's full length instead of leaving it sticking out. This is potentially lethal, so don't screw it up. If you get a kid killed, you are really going to feel bad.
- Turn on the engine switch (mine is on the control panel, but it can be anywhere. Push the choke as far as it will go if you have a manual choke. (Mine is hidden by the air filter. It will be on the same side).
- Pull the starter rope fast but smoothly until the engine starts. (crossing your fingers seems to help). When the engine catches, let it run a few minutes and then push the choke back to the run position. Let it run 5 minutes before attaching a load.
- Attach a load that draws at least 1,000 watts. An electric space heater or even an old steam iron will work for a load. I have always heard that running a generator without a load is bad for it, but I am not sure if this is just superstition or if it is fact. I have always used a load because I am a primitive, superstitious primate. If someone knows the definitive answer, I would love to hear it.
My generator is rated at 3,500 watts, but that's a lie. That's the start up surge capacity. My maximum rated load is only 3,000 watts, and it's not really big enough to run that much. My system is designed to run for long periods at half load, which is only 1,500 watts. That still sounds like a lot until you start counting up the watts you need. To figure out wattage, multiply volts times amps and that gives you watts.
Example: a typical Mr. Coffee (drip coffee maker) draws 7.5 amps at 120 volts. 120 times 7.5 is 900 watts.
Get a heavy duty extension cord for safety. Thin, long cords add a lot of resistance and can heat up under a heavy load. Your cord will need to be pretty long to reach outside to the generator, so get a good one.
Your generator is going to be noisy. If you are hoping to hide a cheap backup generator, forget it. They are much louder than expensive power plants of the same size. You might even need to wear hearing protection if you are working near the engine. I do. Hiding any internal combustion engine will be even harder if everything else in the area is quiet.
Cheap engines are not overly efficient, so they stink. They also put out copious amounts of carbon monoxide. You may want to set it up downwind and far enough away to not be annoyed. Under no circumstances run this thing indoors. Without adequate ventilation \a gas engine can kill you in minutes. - JIR
Hi Jim,
Just a few additional caveats to the article: Covert Home Power for When The Grids Go Down.
Running the 120 VAC electrical system from your automobile may seem like a relatively easy thing to do, but there are some hidden issues one must be aware of.
One issue is called Power Factor which happens when a reactive load (such as a motor) is running. In simple terms you can not simply multiply the current and voltage to get an equivalent power draw from the system. Depending on how the output of the inverter is designed and protected, you can even destroy the inverter outputs. This may happen with a motor that is two large, or by simultaneously running multiple motors. It's best to check the inverter users manual or contact the manufacturer for proper operation of inductive loads like motors.
Another issue that was already mentioned is inrush current on a motor when it is starting. The additional power is used to take a physical piece of material (the motor shaft and get it moving from a stopped position. Overcoming the inertia can take a bit of extra power. A good rule of thumb is 5 to 6 times the running current draw , keeping in mind that a 1 HP motor at 120 VAC will draw at least 6.5 Amps when running under a load. Motors may have this specified on the name plate as Locked Rotor Amps or LRA. A 1 HP motor under load can draw as much as 40 amps (4,800 watts) on startup. This can simply mean that the motor won't start, or can mean you've destroyed your inverter.
Even an incandescent light has some inrush current, so it is better when using more than one at a time to turn them on separately.
Back on the DC side you can do the simple math, but there can be a problem here also. A 1,500 watt inverter at full output will draw about 125 Amps (1,500 Watts / 12 Volts). A typical automobile alternator is rated at 50-75 Amps and the higher output alternators can output 100 or more. Keep in mind also that when supplying the higher power, the automobile engine may be more than just simply idling.
The main thing here is to know the limits of your system, which will typically be your alternator and DC power source, and know those limits (preferably by testing) before you need them. - LVZ in Ohio
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David in Israel Re: Distilled Spirits for Barter
James,
When I was in the US I stored taxed Everclear and the less expensive off brand of 190 proof grain alcohol in new non-breakable Nalgene laboratory plastic containers since it could be used for festive food/drink or various medical purposes and is still useful as a stove fuel (alcohol stoves only) or primer for kerosene and diesel fuel stoves. Currently I keep a few bottles of methanol poisoned ethanol paint thinner for my ultra light stove and priming the heavy fuels stoves.
For those with the cheap hard liquor food grade charcoal filtration will remove the nasty volatile organics found in home moonshine and cheap liquor, filtration often is cheaper than the better liquor.
As a urban and rural firefighter/paramedic my experience was that ethanol addiction was both in quantity or abusers and severity of the secondary medical problems worse than the second place bad guy drug heroin. The body stops producing the neurotransmitter GABA which alcohol mimics and it can literally kill a badly addicted person to go cold turkey. That said the demand for liquor as things get worse would likely be huge for those who wish to self medicate their depression. These combined with the dominant American zero responsibility culture make me hesitant to suggest trading drinkable ethanol to unknown persons and only to friends on a very limited scale. I would just set out small amounts for a lech chaim (toast) at special events and otherwise stay mum so you won't get liquor beggars. Shalom, - David in Israel
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Letter Re: Distilled Spirits for Barter
Hello,
Here is a "barter material" idea your many readers may find of interest. I am located in Kansas City and, after telling friends who are also into "survival" my idea it caught on such that one liquor store here is suddenly the largest reseller of this liquor in North America.
I have friends who, for their store of barter items, have stockpiled extra food, ammunition, guns and other items people would want in a breakdown of society. But they are all items that may only have a storage life of a few years, takes up a lot of room or are items you can't have enough of (i.e. food).
After writing down all of the "musts" the answer suddenly came to me - liquor. The "musts" are (1) a shelf life of 10+ years, (2) relatively compact, (3) easily broken down into individual items that would not be expensive and, as a plus, it would probably go up in value. And, most important, something that you would not need to survive: Liquor. My cousin owns a liquor store and he suggested Luksusowa Polish vodka. [Wódka Luksusowa. or "Luxury Vodka".] Airline size bottles come 120 to a case. Liquor might even go up more in value than gold in a TEOTWAWKI situation. A cloth bag of 50, or
so, of these bottles can easy be carried around. Try to get change using a one ounce gold coin after buying bread and milk from the back of a truck! Good luck! And worry about others seeing you have one gold coin so you must have more at home. You put yourself at great danger.
Why Luksusowa vodka? It's half the price of any other vodka and tastes just as good (I'm told). They are selling cheap in the United States trying to use price to build a market. They are a small company so they don't have the money for advertising. Liquor stores may carry as much as a case but any liquor store in a major city can order as much as you want having it for you within 48 hours. I bought 50 mil airline size bottles for 90 cents each. The bottles are thick glass that could probably be dropped on anything short of concrete and not break. And well sealed so shelf life is probably at least 20 years.
I'm guessing people will not care what brand of vodka you have to barter. They also come in two larger sizes. My cousin gave me a special price but buy enough cases and you can probably get it for close to 90 cents a bottle. So instead of a room filled with canned goods having to rotate them to beat the average one or two year date code on each can or trade away items they
really need as much as possible of (like food and ammunition). So I have a floor space in my basement of about a yard square of cases piled to the ceiling that is all the barter material I should ever need. Not a room full of much more fragile items with shorter shelf live and might not go up in value. Personally, I can't think of anyone that will be in demand in such situations other than ammunition and food. One caveat - anyone who has anyone in their group who has ever had a problem with liquor consumption should not do that. Personally, I don't drink due to an illness (Lyme disease) that makes liquor taste like acid to me. I never drank much before contracting Lyme disease.
I hope this idea is of interest to your many readers. I know every person I've mentioned this idea to has quickly loaded up on ten to a hundred cases of Luksusowa small airline size bottles. Best Regards, - Gary Y.
JWR Replies: I'm not much a drinker--I'm a "one beer a year" type--so I don't feel qualified to comment on storing particular types of sipping barterable. Also, after seeing alcoholism ruin so many lives, and wrecking so many families, I have chosen not to store anything more than a few bottles of Everclear. And I consider that supply multi-purpose: for medicinal/sterilizing use, for making tinctures, and for emergency fuel. It is too strong for sipping, but I suppose that it could be used very heavily diluted in mixed drinks. As I mention in the "Rawles Gets You Ready" family preparedness course, there are two varieties of Everclear sold: 151 Proof and 190 Proof. The latter (which is 95% alcohol), is the most versatile for preparedness. Everclear is not legal in all states, with the most common restrictions on the 190 Proof variety.
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Two Letters Re: "Cross-wire" Your Home Heating and Save Money
Mr. Rawles,
First, let me extend my heartfelt sympathy to you and your family on the passing of your wife. As a Christian, I am confident she is in a good place and free of her suffering, though sorely missed by the rest of us.
I have been a heating/ air-conditioning / refrigeration technician for the last 30 years. I own and use combustion analyzers to maximize performance of my customer’s appliances and both minimize the carbon monoxide (CO) they produce but also take a snap-shot of the ambient CO level in the building. I feel it is important to point out that while CO detectors are worthwhile (or at least a little better than nothing), they are not infallible! Far too many of them are improperly installed near kitchens, water heaters, furnaces and other combustion appliances! Nearly ALL fuel burning appliances produce CO at some point of their operating cycle. If a good, sensitive detector is placed too close to that appliance, it will “FALSE” on that short period emission of CO. False alarms desensitize the residents to the alarm, a very bad thing indeed. The solution to this problem by the Underwriter’s Laboratories (at fire department requests) has been to create a testing standard that is targeted to preventing FALSE alarms rather than insisting the device alarm when needed. I have seen this demonstrated, repeatedly, by placing a detector in a zip lock bag then filling the bag with 100 PPM CO calibrating gas. After an hour, none of the UL approved detectors did anything!! Scary, to say the least. IMHO they are unreliable as a result.
An AC powered detector will not work during power interruptions – a time when alternate, untested heat sources are likely to be in use! A battery powered device should always be present if any alternate heat sources not using utility power are used.
CO detectors have a finite life span, on the shelf or installed in the home. They can be “poisoned” by exposure to certain chemical fumes or very high levels of CO. Once poisoned, they will never respond to CO – at any level. My suggestion is to properly install a CO detector near all sleeping areas as high on the wall as possible. However, in addition to installing a detector, do not depend on it as they are, IMHO, unreliable. Far too many times I have measured high levels of CO in homes so equipped where no alarm ever sounded. In others, I have repaired serious heating plant problems where the alarm had sounded but the fire department condemned the detector rather than finding the problem !
Like most risks, proper understanding of the problem can be most helpful. In the case of CO, at least some things to consider are;
1. All un-vented heaters are extremely high risk. Oxygen depletion sensors do not address the problem AT ALL.
2. Cook stoves, particularly ovens, put out large amounts of CO and the standards consider it acceptable! Heed the warnings NOT to use them for space heating!
3. Space heating appliances that burn gas, oil, coal or wood can, and often do, produce high, unacceptable levels of CO in the flue gas. This can ONLY be measured and corrected by a properly trained professional – spend the money to protect yourself by hiring a well qualified technician to service your appliance(s). If he does not have a modern combustion analyzer, FIRE HIM !! Either get a printout of the readings or try to observe them on his instrument.
Note that LP gas is the most common fuel used (but certainly not the only fuel) where people are overcome by CO due to several factors including the higher carbon content of the fuel and it’s tendency to be difficult to burn cleanly. Gas can truly produce odorless CO! The most common warning I have seen is high indoor humidity. Fuel oil and solid fuels are, IMHO, the least likely to cause problems as a blocked flue or defective appliance will produce enough smoke and odor to warn of CO risk. In many cases, soot on the walls is a pointer to serious problems.
A lot of detective work can be required to find / correct CO problems. Sick appliance(s), exhaust fans, clothes dryers, inadequate combustion air, defective chimneys, improper installation, missing blower doors are just a few of the possible issues. With all due respect to firefighters, a CO problem often is not something that can be found during a short visit !! It requires a thorough knowledge of the systems involved and, quite often, a lot of time. It has been my experience that, in my area, the vast majority of systems are improperly installed or maintained.
Here is a link that echoes much of what I have written.
My combustion analyzers are less expensive than his (all four of them) but my results remain consistent and also prove the finite life span of the expensive detectors I use. Mine are sensitive enough to often tell if there is an active tobacco smoker in the house!!
Please use my comments in any way you feel will benefit your most useful blog!
Sincerely, - Mike G
Hello Jim,
It's been a long time since we've corresponded, and I'm glad to see you're still around and active. I was also saddened at the loss of your wife, and hope you and your family are otherwise healthy and prosperous.
I wanted to give folks a second option on intermixing their common combustion heating systems (e.g., Propane, Natural Gas, Fuel Oil), with the less common one (e.g., Wood, Pellets, Corn, etc). In order to do this, one must first understand how a conventional furnace functions. It is actually two independent systems, with an emergency interlock. The first system simply ignites a burner when the thermostat requests heat. That generally involves a series of steps, such as forced draft fans, pilot lights, electric spark, etc.; but the primary function is to safely light the main burner. Once the main burner is burring, the heat being produced heats up the air in the furnace plenum. The plenum is the large metal box to which all of the ductwork attaches. The plenum has three temperature sensors (usually simply b-metal switches) which operate as follows: The High On switch turns on the furnace blower when the temperature reaches some value (usually about 120 degrees F), the second low off switch turns it off when it reaches some other value (typically 80-90 degrees F), and the third sensor (typically 180-250 degrees F) is the high limit protection switch which directly turns off the main gas or oil valve to shut down the burner. This final switch should generally never be tripped. Finally, when the thermostat no longer requires heat, it drops its heat request, shutting down the burner. Since the plenum still contains latent heat from the burner, it will continue to run the fan until the low limit sensor turns the fan off.
With this simple explanation, we can see that the plenum system doesn't actually know or care (yes I'm anthropomorphizing here) where the heat comes from; so, if you connect the forced air out of the wood/corn/straw burning device, into the furnace plenum, the plenum will automatically turn on and off in response to the heating of the air, regardless of where the hot air originated. You may have to place a gravity damper, or and electric damper connected to the alternative heat blower motor control to act as a check valve and ensure that heat doesn't flow backwards through the secondary heat plenum when it's not running. When no alternative heat is being produced, the conventional furnace operates normally.
I've installed this system in homes of several friends over the years, and it works quite well. - LVZ in Ohio
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Two Letters Re: Generator Experiences During a Recent Nor'easter
Jim:
The letter about Generators today inspired me to write this email. I have owned generators for around 20 years for emergency backup and portable power uses. I use my generator primarily for powering sound equipment in the field. As a result I looked for a quiet generator. The very quiet generators all run at 1,800 RPM, but it is expensive to make a generator that runs slow and quiet, and the affordable portable generators all seem to run at 3,600 RPM.
When I purchased my current generator 10 years ago, Coleman had just started using the Briggs and Stratton "Vanguard" OHV engines in their generators. These I found to be significantly quieter than the
typical generator engine, though not as quiet as a 1,800 RPM engine.
With regards draining the fuel, I have found the key is shutting off the valve in the fuel line under the tank and letting the engine run until it starves for lack of fuel. It is not necessary to drain the
fuel tank or take other steps in my experience as long as the valve is closed and the engine run dry of fuel. My current generator has had fuel in the tank for its entire ten year life and starts on the first
pull every time. Of course Sta-Bil.
or Amsoil's gas stabilizer is always added to the fuel.
The most important issue for long generator life is clean oil. Oil gets dirty from dirt in the air. The engine on my generator has a dual air filter with both a pleated paper filter and an oil soaked foam filter. The combination seems to do a good job in keeping the engine oil clean.
It is also important to use an oil that does not break down under use, and that keep water in suspension so it does not rust engine parts. I use Amsoil's Synthetic Marine Oil in my generator, but when my current stock of oil is used up I will probably switch to the new Amsoil Synthetic Small Engine Oil. (I recommend Amsoil Synthetic Oils for all your cars as well.)
I have a plastic storage bin that holds spare air filters, spare spark plugs, and oil for my generator along with the needed spark plug wrench and a fuel siphon. I keep one or two 6 gallon gas cans out in
my shed (not in our garage or house for safety). Since all our vehicles have full tanks of fuel, I can always use the siphon to refill the gas cans.
Running the generator under load every few months is an excellent idea. Always start and stop a generator with no load connected. If your loads are connected during start up in particular the voltage
surges as the generator engine gets up to speed and settles to a constant running speed can destroy electronic equipment, and is not good for any equipment. Get the generator running at a steady speed,
and then plug in your power cords. Likewise disconnect the power cords before stopping the generator
Blessings on you and your family! - RAR
Mr. Rawles,
I live in Florida and have had quite a few encounters with week long power outages due to hurricanes. Four years ago I converted my portable generator to run on natural gas for only a little more than $200.00. I don't have to worry about ethanol contamination in the carburetor anymore. The conversion is also able to run on propane, or back to gasoline with only the re-gapping of the spark plug. It has a pull start and only takes one or two pulls to start after sitting in storage for months. Here is the web site where I ordered the kit. - Jim H
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"Cross-wire" Your Home Heating and Save Money, by Ted B.
This article explains one way that you can configure a hybrid heating system for your house in a Schumeresque environment, but it is also potentially a way to cut your heating bills before TSHTF, depending on the prices of various heating fuels in your area.
We live in North Idaho, in a house that would be better suited in Hawaii. It’s watertight but mostly a heat sieve. Each of the last few years as the propane prices jumped each winter, we ended up getting hit with astronomical bills to keep the inside of our rather large home livable in outdoor temps that, for months, hovered between 20 °F and –10 °F. We use the wood stove that was already upstairs when we bought the place, and we have added some house insulation, installed double pane windows, and done all the usual maneuvers to limit heat loss, but the basic structure of most of the house is still about R-3 and right now we don’t have the money needed to get it all up to snuff. We have a forced air propane-fired furnace, but in our region wood pellets are much cheaper than propane and that was the basic reason that I started thinking about how to take advantage of that fact.
I came up with an interesting approach to marry the existing propane furnace system to a recently purchased, used pellet stove. Normally, pellet stoves provide lots of heat in a limited area, at a relatively low cost per BTU. Their drawback is that, typically, you can’t get that cheap heat spread all over the house so you end up with one nice warm region, and many cooler regions in other rooms or on other floors. Turning on the furnace blower can help to move the warm air around somewhat, but airflow patterns and the tendency for heat to rise often thwart this approach significantly. Then there is the fact that the two systems don’t “talk” to each other so you could end up with the furnace blower running when the pellet stove is cold, or it’s off when the stove is cranking out the heat, and manual synchronization requires constant attention.
I put the pellet stove in the same room that has the furnace closet and cold air intake (aka the cold air return). I placed it on an outside wall of the house and plumbed the flue through an existing small window, re-framing half the glass and using a wall thimble to separate the hot pipe from anything remotely combustible. I would have just gone through the wall but in our walkout basement it is cinder blocks filled with puffed mica and I did not want the mess, or the reduction in structural integrity. The stove’s hot air outlet in front is aimed, more or less, at the cold air intake of the furnace. Make sure that you install both a smoke detector (if you don’t already have one near the furnace) and a carbon monoxide detector in the room. Consider having the stove flue professionally installed if you aren’t certain that you can do it in a way that gives you a safe and decent looking result.
Instead of putting a thermostat on the pellet stove, I installed a 7-day multi-cycle programmable timer that provides thermostat-like contact closure at the times I programmed. This does two things. It helps to avoid too much repeated use of the self-igniting feature of the stove – often the first part to go bad and a costly part at that. Secondly, it assures that in the winter, the heat comes on long before we are awake so the house is fully warmed when my wife gets up. This part is very important because If Momma Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy (IMAHANH). James, you might want to add that to your glossary. [JWR Adds: Done!]
The timer starts the pellet stove and heats that room quickly. In a normal system this would soon tell the furnace thermostat that the house is warm enough and no action is required, but I want the blower to operate to spread the heat using the existing ducts throughout the house. So I installed a second mercury-switch type thermostat and placed it so that it could “feel” both the heat in the room from the pellet stove and the cooler air returning from the balance of the house when the furnace blower is on. Here’s the part that seems backwards – but it works perfectly. I used the “air conditioning” side of the thermostat and tied the switch in parallel to the furnace blower’s manual fan terminals. These are the wires that go closed circuit when you flick the house thermostat’s blower switch from “auto” to “manual.” Now I have two devices that can turn on the furnace blower and they operate independently without interference. I leave the house thermostat’s blower switch on “auto” so that it works with the furnace in those rare times that heat is required but my pellet stove is not on. But when my pellet stove heats the room, the new thermostat thinks that the room is too hot (above ~76F in my case) and it “turns on the air conditioning” which is actually my furnace blower. Voila ! My house furnace is spreading the heat from my pellet stove. When the timer tells the pellet stove to shut down – like as bedtime approaches – the utility room starts to cool down, aided by the cooler air returning from the rest of the house. When the room gets below the “air conditioning” setting the thermostat shuts off the furnace blower. If, during the night the house goes below the temperature I have set for the original furnace, it can come on and do its thing as before, but I set that nighttime temp quite low since we are sleeping in warm beds anyway.
Using this scheme, my propane bills have already dropped to around 25% of what they were and even with the cost of the pellets, my total heating costs are way down!
Yes, you need electricity to run the pellet stove timer, the pellet stove and house furnace blower, but in a TEOTWAWKI scenario I’ll be using my diesel generator to keep the food freezers and critical accessories “refreshed” anyway. The thrifty aspect is that the pellet stove’s timer has an internal rechargeable battery backup that it uses when turned off, so none of the parts of my new system produces “phantom loads” on my electrical network. I intentionally used a [traditional bi-metal style] mercury switch thermostat ($2 used, from Habitat for Humanity) because it has better hysteresis characteristics than newer solid state battery operated thermostats. A thermostat that controls a furnace is either off or on, with nothing in between. The thermostat is a system; the input is the temperature, and the output is the furnace state. If one wishes to maintain a temperature of 71 °F, a solid state thermostat will try to stay as close to that temperature as possible, often cycling the furnace and blower on and off many times per hour. This is both inefficient and hard on the furnace parts. Some mercury-switch units allow you to set the “width” of the hysteresis. So you could, for instance have the furnace go on when the temperature drops below 68 °F, and turn it off when the temperature exceeds 74 °F. This thermostat exhibits hysteresis. It keeps the added thermostat from cycling a lot after the pellet stove is off but the room is still warm enough that stopping the blower (and the flow of cooler air into the room) would result in the thermostat thinking it needs to” turn on the air conditioning” again and again.
All my best to you, James, and your family in this difficult time. Keep your powder dry and your Bible open - Ted
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Letter Re: Some Advise of Starting Wood and Charcoal Fires
Hello Mr. Rawles;
Recently I have seen lists recommending the storage of charcoal lighter fluid. I would like to suggest the use of a charcoal starter chimney. You will not need to use and store the lighter fluid and worry about running out of it. With the chimney all you need to store is a supply of newspaper. It takes just a sheet or two of newspaper wadded up to start the charcoal and in short order your charcoal will be ready to use. You can find the chimneys on eBay or go to the Internet and find instructions for making your own out of a large metal coffee can. We store our charcoal in a large garbage can in the garage. We store old newspapers (but not the slick pages) in a large paper grocery bag. The newspapers are good for not just the charcoal starter but can be used as mulch in the garden as well. It is hard to find the paper grocery bags now but our Kroger’s still have some. The paper grocery bags can be used to make a starter for your wood stove or fireplace. Just gather small twigs, pinecones or bark pieces in the about half of the bag and roll down the top. Place the bag under the wood and light and in no time your fire is going strong. If you don’t have a supply of paper bags and wood trash you can store fire starter sticks. We have used the “StarterLoggs” for our wood stove and now for our fireplace. We find that this brand works well and we don’t have to use the whole piece to start the fire, just maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of a stick works fine. I just bought a box of 24 for $10 at Wal-Mart. Best Regards, - Glennis
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Letter Re: Survival Notes from the Dominican Republic
Jim,
I've recently read several of your books and found them both interesting and educational. I would like to offer some personal insights based on my experiences from living in a small rural town one of the larger Caribbean islands. Most of my notes are cheap solutions used by people in developing nations all over the world. There may be better ways, but these work and cost next to nothing.
Water:
There is something especially disturbing about opening the faucet and hearing a sucking air sound. Not being able to shower, flush, or wash dishes is the worst.
One or more 55 gallon drums and 5 gallon plastic buckets are essential items to have. When you see that hurricane on the news, put the barrel it in the shower and fill it up right away. Add a few capfuls of bleach to make it keep longer. Expect the quality of water from the town water supply to drop. Rainwater collection should be set up right away. If possible the roof should fill a large cistern with a pressure pump. A gravity tank should be put on the roof.
Washing up from a bucket is easy enough. A small plastic cup and a five gallon bucket makes is easy. If the water is cold don’t try to heat up all the water. Bring a good sized cooking pot to a near boil and add it to the cold water. A person can wash easily in 2 gallons of water.
Pouring about two gallons of water rapidly into a toilet from a 5-gallon bucket will flush a toilet.
Washing dishes from a bucket without using gallons of water is tricky. It takes some practice to do it right. If you don’t stack your dirty plates and wash them right away, you only have one dirty side and no dried food.
It is very easy to contaminate your water supply. Dirty bucket bottoms and careless bathing are common causes, be vigilant.
Food:
Our community is an exporter of meat, milk, eggs, rice, vegetables and we have a 365-day growing season. Most families have a garden plot to supplement household food. Storing food is always wise but not nearly the problem it is in some other locations. Much of our farming is done with hand work.
Power:
We have daily blackouts here and most houses have invertors with battery backups. Since we have occasional power most people do not have generators but just charge when the lights are on. Most businesses have diesel generators.
A 2.5 KW inverter system with 4 deep cycle batteries will keep a few lights on, a laptop and a fan or two for about two days and costs about $2,000. The better systems run on 24 VDC. Here we are all very aware of vampire appliances [aka "phantom loads."]. All those VCRs, TVs, microwaves, wi-fi boxes, alarm systems, clocks, all pull a significant load. You need to learn your house circuits and unplug and turn off the breakers for things you don’t need. Low wattage bulbs are essential.
Running a generator for about 4 hours will charge most battery systems. Your generator will need to be at least twice the capacity of your inverter. Operating like this you can have basic lighting for the cost of about 2 or 3 gallons of gasoline a day. Running a refrigerator off a battery backup system is just not cost effective. Many people have put up both solar and wind systems as a way to produce some additional power to keep the batteries topped off.
A few simple solutions: Computer UPS systems usually operate on a 6 or 12 V battery. It is very easy to open one up and connect a large battery by running wires through the back of the case. This will give a much longer run time. While you have the case open, take a pair of pliers and crush the annoying power alarm beeper. The charger on these systems is very small and will take a very long time to reach a full charge. An off the shelf battery charger will speed things up. Alternativel,y your car can be used to charge the batteries (12 VDC only)
Guns:
While being armed is important, life is so much easier when there isn’t a conflict in the first place. Some people always seem to have problems wherever they go and need to pull out weapons while others seem to walk through the valley of death without a care in the world. Spend some time researching body language, and read books on interpersonal relationship skills. Besides improving your life right now, it could change a potential fatal firefight into a new friend.
Police:
When we have a crime wave, the police set up road blocks coming into and out of town. Rarely does this cause any real problems for honest people but you do need to have your paperwork for your car or firearms on hand. A smile and a friendly face makes things go much smoother. Acting aggressive or angry will get a messy and thorough search of your person, passengers and your car at a minimum. Knowing your local police makes a big difference. Sometimes we are asked to “help them out” which is code for a bribe. Either pay it with a smile, say sorry but you can’t today, plead poverty, or turn back. Fighting it just is not worth the trouble.
Crime:
Most traveling gangs are small and short lived. They rarely survive an encounter with police. It is very hard for a crime group to survive outside of their own neighborhood where they have local knowledge, a place to sleep and the support of family and friends. On the flip side the crimes committed by these people are usually the most brutal.
Local criminals gangs are much harder to control. Often these are well-connected individuals or gangs who are very good at remaining undetected. Some of them are drug smugglers, cattle thieves or burglars. Persons who are well liked and respected in the community are usually left alone. If you see large gangs forming, seriously consider leaving the country as it is a no-win situation.
Home Security:
This is a very safe country, but it is safe because people here do no depend on the police and protect themselves. With that in mind I have noted some of the more common security precautions here.
My experience here is that a house with lights on and occupied is the house that is left alone. Your best defense is to be the least interesting but hardened house in a occupied community. Vacant houses attract soft criminals and people who need a place to sleep. Most Dominicans always have someone home in the house. Night time home invasions are rare but they do happen. People who do this time of crime are extremely dangerous experienced and hardened criminals.
Isolated houses are at the worst risk for the most serious attacks. A gated community, walled yard, electric gate, bars on the windows, dogs, even armed security guards are all common place here. Country people live in small groups of three or more houses with the fields surrounding them.
Your most vulnerable time is being ambushed entering or leaving your home or car. When designing your landscaping, don’t build easy ambush points for attackers. This sort of thing doesn’t happen much in a small town.
Protests/Strikes/Riots:
Occasionally when the power or water is out too much, the citizens will organize a protest/strike/riot. Often the organizers are union leaders or other non-governmental community leaders. The usual format is to shut down the with road blocks and burning tires. Much of the bad behavior is more for show than reality but trying to pass the road blocks will result in getting your vehicle wrecked by the strikers. It is important to know why people are protesting and to be sympathetic to their cause (in many cases it is well justified). Their intention is to cause just enough of a disruption to get government the government to resolve the problem without getting arrested. Trying to pass the roadblock means that you are disagreeing with the reason they are striking. Know your local area for alternate routes and don’t try to travel during strikes.
Dogs:
Good dogs are essential. A pair of large dogs of a known breed are a very significant deterrent. Rottweiler, Doberman, German Sheppard, pit-bulls are recognized and avoided. Dogs differ widely in personality. Be sure yours matches your needs. Be aware and realistic of their shortcomings. I know too many people who depend entirely on a easily circumvented dog for security. Professional thieves routinely outmaneuver, poison, or shoot dogs.
Don’t overlook the value of small "yippy" and intelligent dogs like Chihuahuas. They are light sleepers, a second set of eyes and ears and are cheap to feed. They often work well with the bigger dogs.
Watch your dogs. If your dogs suddenly become sick, it may mean they were poisoned and you should expect a robbery that coming night or the following day. Look for your dog before you pull into your drive or get out of your car. If there has been an intrusion it may be hurt, nervous, missing or dead. This will often be your first indication of an awaiting problem.
Community
After a disaster (hurricane, flood, earthquake) the best thing for everyone is to keep the community together. Building a good reputation and personal relationships with neighbors and community leaders will make all the difference when resources are scarce and people are scared. The people who are capable leaders and community contributors often get first dibs on any help that does arrive and the right to make decisions on how goods are distributed.
Filling sandbags, organizing relief, passing out information, providing power, clearing roads, etc will make friends and build relationships that are not soon forgotten. This sort of thing can really bring a community back together in a hurry. We all depend on each other and leadership through positive action is a great way to rebuild. Just as looting is contagious, when people see others working together and helping, they are apt to join in. I have seen this numerous times here.
Transportation
Propane is subsidized here and is significantly cheaper than gasoline. Many people have adapted cars and trucks to run on both fuels using a special carburetor. As propane stores well this is a good emergency option for transportation, cooking, and power generation. Additionally propane machines can run on biogas and syngas.
While horses are very common here there would be a shortage if things really went bad. They did become proportionally more valuable as the price of fuel shot up.
I rarely see wood gasification mentioned as a alternative fuel supply. (See the Wikipedia page on wood gasification) This is an excellent modification that was used heavily in Europe in the 1940s. In my opinion, for most people this is the best solution to combustion engine power after a complete breakdown. Both alcohol and biodiesel require working farmland and refineries.
Post crash employment:
Anyone who can provide alternative sources of food, power, fuel or light will do well. A little Google work will show what technologies work on a small scale and provide business opportunities both now and after. Additionally, people here who can repair things never seem to make much money here but they always have work and food on the table.
Currency and hyperinflation:
After a major bank failure here, the currency here devalued by a factor of four in about two years. As the slide begins there are lots of opportunities to buy up things at old prices as many people price things based on what it cost them, not what the replacement value is.
As prices shot up, wages lagged way behind. Interest rates sky-rocked. Food prices shot up. Skilled labor prices went through the roof. The economy stopped dead because it becomes impossible to price things and nobody wants to work.
At the end of the slide the asking prices for everything got just crazy high, and the bid prices so low that almost no transactions took place except as acts of desperation.
Three years later, the currency has stabilized. Interest rates on loans are still slowly retreating. Merchants learned to price goods on replacement cost. Prices are often quoted in USD instead of local currency. Asking prices never really came down, but bid prices slowly rose up and as the spread reduces the economy starts to move again. Salaries are paid in local currency, but pegged to the USD for stability.
I wasn’t expecting to write such a long letter but maybe some of this will help people prepare and know what to expect. Sincerely, - S.H.
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Letter Re: Wood Stove Selection, Operation, and Safety
James,
You've had two good letters on woodstoves recently. I'd like to add a few thoughts based of heating and cooking with wood for a couple of decades in the Colorado mountains. I have never been more contented than when there's a blizzard raging outside and I'm inside next to a nice warm woodstove. That being said, woodstoves and chainsaws account for the vast majority of domestic emergencies in many rural areas and a constant source of amusement for EMTs.
As has been written, the importance of a properly installed chimney cannot overemphasized. Do get a quote for a good professionally installed chimney and then source the woodstove based on how much money you have left, not the other way around. A semi-okay chimney may not be a problem for years, but eventually that rafter up in the ceiling crawl space that's been getting too warm all those years will eventually cook off one cold winter night when the woodstove is nice and hot. Also get the chimney top nice and high and serviceable. Downdrafts will occur even if they are built to the 2'/10' rule if you have a higher addition near by and the wind is in the right direction. Smoke will also condense on the chimney top spark arrester and clog it up so figure out a way to brush that clean in a safe way. Best to do that as regular maintenance and not in the middle of the night when you find your chimney won't draw and the room is filling with smoke. Lightning will also find the chimney one day. Get a lightning rod installed before you're hit. Do attach a magnetic chimney pyrometer
to the chimney. It will tell you how the stove is doing by just glancing at the meter and will also alert you if things are getting too hot. My house did survive my youthful learning curve, but only just. Hopefully, some of your readers will profit from my experiences.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the area around the stove. I've seen red hot coals from resinous pine fly through a small slot in the air intake and all the way across the room. You'll never get a good night sleep if you just have a small fireproof pad around your stove. Woodstoves and carpet don't mix well. If nothing else the dirt tracked in from carrying wood will drive the wife crazy. If you do have carpet, pull it up and put down tile or stone flooring. If you have a modern springy framed plywood floor, a couple of layers of 1/4" plywood glued and screwed in alternating directions to the existing ply will stiffen it enough for tile.
Also, the wall behind the stove is equally important. Unless you're several feet away from a framed wall do something like this:
Cover the wall behind the stove with fire stop drywall a couple of feet above the top of the stove (or chimney if it exits through the wall). Install a steel lintel at floor level using large bolts screwed into the studs. Leave an inch air gap between the lintel and drywall using spacers. Lay up a brick wall on the lintel and tile over that. The air gap behind the brick wall allows a cooling draft. The brick also provides a good source of thermal mass which leads to a final point.
There's nothing much worse than getting out of a warm bed in the morning to start up a cold, dead woodstove. The stove that I owned when I lived in Colorado was made of Soapstone by a company in Woodstock, Vermont. They aren't cheap to buy but they are worth ever cent they cost. Once that stone gets warm, it stays warm for hours, even if the stove runs out of wood. I used to load my stove in the evening with whatever wood I had, generally pine, aspen or even hem/fir framing offcuts, not oak or hickory by any means and yet that great little stove heated the entire second floor of my house and the stove was still toasty warm well into the next day. Although I had been told this, I still was amazed at how a small properly built stove could heat such a large space and still not cook me out of the room it was in.
I cannot recommend highly enough the use of thermal mass over cast iron in a stove. There are other manufacturers of soapstone woodstoves
but if and when I move back to a cold climate, I'll be getting another Woodstock Soapstone Stove. Thanks again for the interesting blog. - LRM, Perth, Western Australia
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Lessons Learned from Hurricanes Ike, Rita, and Katrina, by TiredTubes
In September, 2008, Hurricane Ike--a Category 4 hurricane--pounded the Gulf Coast of the southern US. Some coastal communities like Crystal Beach no longer really exist. Inland, life was severely disrupted. For those of us on the South Coast hurricanes are a frequent reality. We were quite well prepared, but used the disruptions and dislocations as a test and opportunity to tune up our preparations.
1. Be ready to help others and to accept help We didn't need much during Ike, but the power went out before a neighbor finished boarding up his house. My 1 KW inverter, hooked up to his idling truck provide the juice for a Skilsaw and a few lights; allowing him to finish. Usually it is skills and not "stuff" that helps others and yourself. Besides strengthening a neighborly friendship, the number of damaged houses was probably reduced by one.
2. Keep your stuff squared away.. I repaired a few generators during and after Ike. I observed that every one suffering from lack of use; i.e. gasoline that resembled turpentine in the carburetor. People were at a complete loss to understand this. My daugher-in-law owned one of the generators that I repaired. She ignored my admonition to change the dirty oil ASAP and then once every 50 hours. Early in the next week it [ran out of oil and] threw a rod. She was in the dark for another week. Just a $2.99 quart of oil would have saved discomfort, ruined food, etc.
My portable genset, loaned to my daughter, was ready to go; fresh oil, filters, valves set, exercised, load tested. It started on the first try. I came to check it and change it's oil as soon as it was safe to travel. The first thing that I did was turn it so the exhaust faced away from the house! She had placed it so that the starter rope was in a convenient spot. At least she had, like I had asked, chained and locked it to a foundation pier.
After every hurricane Darwin gets a few through accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Don't join them. If you have a generator, get a carbon monoxide detector in case the wind changes and wafts exhaust in your windows.
Our own [permanently-installed] genset uses natural gas (a tri-fuel generator)
which in the majority of cases is superior and much cheaper to operate. Over the 11 days that we didn't have power it consumed $100 worth of natural gas. I estimate that an equivalent amount of gasoline would have cost more than $300. I stopped it every 75 hours for oil and filter. If your genset doesn't have an hour meter, then add one. There are some inexpensive self contained hour meters made for lawn equipment that work very well and require no hard wiring. It's really the only practical way to keep track of operating time, without which, intelligent maintenance is impossible.
I noticed that many generators, some still in the box, on Craigslist following Hurricane Ike at bargain basement prices. I recommended to a friend he latch onto one of these and purchase a dual-fuel gasoline/natural gas carburetor] kit. Ants can profit from short-sighted grasshoppers.
It goes without saying have all your vehicles filled up and serviced so they can be depended upon with out much attention. Pay particular attention to cooling systems, oil changes, tire pressures, belts and battery terminals.
Develop a pre-event SOP: When we hear of a hurricane in the Gulf, we pick up loose items like branches that can be thrown by high winds and cause damage (aviators call this rubbish FOD), trim trees, check prescriptions, recharge everything rechargeable, treat the swimming pool with "shock" chlorine, get all the laundry and dishes done, get all the trash out for pickup, take “before” pictures, etc., etc., etc.
3. Have backups for your backups. The portable generator above was our backup to the natural gas-fueled genset. Then an inverter and ups. After that is a 100 Watt solar array I've been tinkering with to provide power for security lighting,etc.
My daughter spent up to two hours a day foraging gas, mostly waiting in lines. She found out that the problem with gasoline-fuel generators is gasoline! It's expensive, in short supply (when it is needed most), and it takes gas to go and get gas! Needless to say I rounded up the parts and the portable is now a dual fuel machine. Had it been able to use natural gas then she could have stayed home and been one less person waiting in line. And the machine still retains the capability to burn gasoline!
Since gasoline became hard to come by (it was impossible to get for a week after Rita) but diesel fuel was plentiful we did any necessary traveling in my old diesel Mercedes (which is EMP proof, BTW).
One important word on generators: Treat yours like it is the last one you'll ever get. Try and get a good one, I prefer either a Honda or Briggs Vangard engine. My Vangard portable is approx 10 years old and absolutely dependable. The difference is methodical maintenance. Keep the manuals, and read 'em ! Keep the oil changed, keep a fresh spark plug, keep spare [oil, air, and fuel] filters. Most importantly run it under load once a month. Unless it's new, pull off the cowling and clean all the dirt and dust from fins on the cylinder jug. Closely examine the starter rope, the fuel lines, et cetera. Replace 'em if they ain't perfect.
If you get a permanently installed generator carefully consider installing a manual transfer switch and other upgrades. With the exception of automatic "exercising" fully automatic generators these add a layer of complication and cost.
Don't store gasoline in the machine other than enough for one periodic test run. Develop a ritual on test runs: such as every other payday, or the last Saturday in the month, to reduce it to a ritual. I run mine monthly whilst cutting the back yard lawn. (The mower makes more noise.)
For storage between test runs: On portable gensets [with the ignition off, slowly ] pull the cord until you can feel that the engine is at the top of the compression stroke. This is where the engine feels like you are pulling it through a "detent". It puts the piston at the top of the bore and closes both valves. This protects the cylinder from moisture. If you store gasoline then use stabilizer, after six months burn it in your car and replace it. Few experiences are worse that trying to clean out a carburetor by a dim flashlight whilst being consumed alive by salt marsh mosquitoes. Trust me on this. BTW, I've had better results storing "winter" blended gas, since t has more light fractions and starts easier year round.
If you use gas cans; stick with metal, preferably safety cans. Plastics are slightly permeable and it will go bad much faster in a plastic can. On that note, [in humid climates] don’t keep spare spark plugs with the machine. This is because in outdoor storage the insulators can absorb moisture [and the metal parts can corrode]. Keep them inside or in a sealed can with some silica gel. An old one-quart paint can is ideal.
If you have a dual-fuel machine, then break the engine in on gasoline and make sure it operates properly on both fuels under load. Keep the necessary connectors for gas operation on the machine so that you don't have to go searching for that 3/8ths-inch pipe nipple with a flashlight.
Use high quality oils, and have enough. Don't forget to also store plenty of 2-stroke [fuel mixing] oil and chain oil if you intend to use a chainsaw. Maybe store some extra for your neighbors that are less prudent. I use Rotella brand synthetic oil and Wix brand filters, and have had good results with them.
Make sure you have enough oil, filters and plugs for at least two weeks (336 hours), or longer. Don't forget about your equipment after the crisis is over: There are valves to set, oil and plugs to change, etc. Even if you own two generators and have enough flashlights, automatic emergency lights, et cetera, things can, and may likely go wrong. Small children usually do not take kindly to being plunged into total darkness. Unless it is TEOTWAWKI, keep the candles in the cupboard, especially if there are small children about.
4. Double your plans for helping other people. Several relatives from coastal areas evacuated to our house (approximately 50 miles inland). I keep a 55 gallon drum of stabilized gasoline to fill up their cars to get them home. This was a lesson learned after the Rita evacuation cluster. How much food you will go through will surprise you. It finally dawned upon us that we almost always eat dinner (lunch to you Northerners) and sometimes breakfast away from home. So what we consumed whilst hunkered down seemed out of proportion.
We also sent some food home with people to hold them over. I was able to "lend" a retired neighbor enough generated power to keep his freezer, television, and fan going. He was genuinely happy. This also meant that he was one less person in line for ice, food, and so forth.
5. Keep a dial up phone line around, after 24 hours the cell phone tower generators started running out of propane, the cable modem (and the cable) went down with the power. Remember how to make that dial-up modem work.
If you're not a Ham radio operator, then find out where the local hams conduct their emergency nets, and listen on your shortwave radio (HF) or scanner (2-meter and 440 band) and you'll know a lot more that the local television news truck can find out.
If you have cable television, then keep a traditional antenna handy. If you live near a major market the local AM news station, then it is probably a good bet. Have a good UPS, plug the computer and the desk lamp into it. If you have a cordless phone, plug it into the UPS too. The UPS will take the "bumps" out of the generator's power; your computer will thank you. Make sure you test the UPS periodically by plugging in a 100 Watt lamp and pulling the plug on the UPS. I find I need to replace that UPS battery about every 2-to-3 years.
6. Plan for the guests. Have plenty of soap, have a small flashlight (preferably with rechargeable batteries) for each guest. Have things other than television to keep youngsters occupied. Try and get plenty of rest. You'll probably be plenty busy after you can poke your head out again. In this vein don't forget dishwashing supplies, laundry supplies, baby supplies, etc. If it's a predictable event such as a hurricane, have all the dishes and laundry done. before it hits.
A television in a room by itself will keep the racket contained from those who want to read, play games or just sleep. If you have the space, then a “quiet room” where people can just rest, read, be alone, have some privacy or get a fussy to baby to sleep cuts down on contagious stress.
7. Make sure you are medically prepared. Have a rather complete first aid kit that includes a backboard and splinting materials. There will be plenty of cuts,scrapes, bruises, sunburns and sore muscles in the aftermath. Have Band-Aids, 4x4s, neosporin, peroxide etc. Have plenty of acid reducer and immodium on hand (stress and unfamiliar cooking), have at least two weeks of prescription drugs on hand [and preferably much more for any chronic health issues]. Have a good assortment of Tylenol, cold and sinus preparations, BenGay [muscle ointment], good multivitamins, etc.
8.Be extra, extra, extra careful. You getting sick or more likely injured can really mess things up for everyone you have prepared for. Not to mention that the local fire/ambulance is probably already overtaxed. Be extremely careful handling fire and fuels. A lot of us are not entirely fluent in using chainsaws, small engines, fixing roofs, trimming trees and moving debris.[JWR Adds: safety equipment including heavy gloves, kevlar chainsaw safety chaps
, and a combination safety helmet with face shield and muffs
are absolute "musts"!] Don't get in a hurry unless there is a threat to life. Be hyper cautious, be very aware of your surroundings and things that can go wrong. Don’t toil alone. Make sure you have a clear path to beat a hasty retreat if things go wrong. Wear those gloves, safety glasses, boots and maybe a hard hat.
Don't overtax yourself. Getting a fallen the tree off of the roof today avails you little if it triggers a heart attack or heat stroke. Ask God's assistance and start over tomorrow.
Keep fire extinguishers near the gas generator, in the kitchen, and near the camp stove.
Avoid using candles at all costs, and absolutely prohibit smoking indoors for the duration. Have more than enough battery smoke detectors around.
9. Be ready to make temporary repairs.. The missing shingles, damaged windows, etc. Have some plywood, a few 2x4s, some Visqueen polyethylene sheeting, batting boards, duct tape, a tarp, some nails, and so forth around. If you happen to have a good cordless drill, then you'll find sheet rock and deck screws are very superior to nails. If you're squared away then you already have this stuff , but a neighbor might be in need, so buy extra.
Debris creates flat tires for quite some time after many events. Have a tire plug kit and a 12 VDC compressor in each vehicle. Repairs to structures, especially roof repairs guarantee nails in tires. Be ready for them..
Have everything rechargeable recharged. Make sure you have some traditional non-power tools, I have a handsaw that I've had for decades, a good bow saw, ax, maul, sledge and an old eggbeater style hand drill still get regular use.
10. If I had my choice of just one utility it would be running water. Fortunately where we reside is served by a well run rural utility district which has prepared well for hurricanes. Failing this, in addition to stored water I have a portable gas utility pump (Robin brand) that can pressurize our water system from our pool and has sufficient capacity for a fire line. The pool got a good jolt of shock a day before the storm hit.
11.Keep some cash money handy. For a few days [with no utility power] there were no functional ATMs, and no way to use credit or debit cards.
12. Keep a low profile. About a week after Ike a passerby indignantly asked "How'd you get your lights turned on?" This showed his ignorance on several levels. He seemed to think someone just had to flip a switch downtown and "shazam!" his lights are on. I couldn't make him understand there has to be an unbroken physical link between a power plant and consumer, this seemed to aggravate his obvious helplessness. Telling him that we had been making our own juice seemed to irritate him. I wonder who he voted for? People with this mindset (that the world owes them something) could be a genuine liability in a real catastrophe. (BTW on a news show during a piece about energy, I actually heard a lady refer to natural gas as “just another dirty fossil fuel”) and not be challenged on the facts. Little minds scare me. I think that the hyper-liberals would love to use the heavy hand of government to force the ants take care of the grasshoppers. Keep a low profile. The best advice I ever heard on the subject (I believe it was Howard J. Ruff
) was to "keep your principles public and your actions private".
13. Keep a notebook, keep a record of what happened, but especially keep a record of preps you overlooked or screwed up, or stuff you ran out of, or skills that need to be added or honed. That's where most of the preceding information came from! Also keep tabs on what's scarce after an event. Gas was scarce, but diesel plentiful after Rita. In contrast, after Ike there was plenty of fuel, but few operating stations due to lack of power. (There was a "mandatory evacuation" during Rita which turned out to be a fatal traffic jam for a few poor souls which quickly emptied the filling station tanks.) Out our way the local Wal-Mart made a heroic effort and opened up on locally-generated power, two days after Ike. The sheriff’s department was there to “maintain order”. (Let’s just say that they actually wear brown shirts here.). This event was a lifetime opportunity to study the varied behaviors of people under stress.
There were plenty of canned goods and auto supplies. But fresh fruits and veggies were a little thin, no meat due to lack of refrigeration for a few days, batteries, Coleman fuel, trash bags, paper plates, disposable diapers, formula, and nails evaporated. The pharmacy was closed.
Even with the numerous mistakes we made, we were able to stay safe, secure and comfortable and help others while "victims" were standing or idling their car engines in lines. It was an opportunity to try things out under more or less controlled conditions. WTSHTF there will not be controlled conditions!
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Letter Re: Wood Stove Selection, Operation, and Safety
James Wesley,
We have heated our current home with a wood stove and a pellet stove for ten years now. I disagree with one aspect of the recent article on your web site.
Our wood stove in the basement is set up to burn coal as well as wood. Where we live in Colorado there are a large number of dead trees -- from pine beetles -- that we can and do burn for free. However, with pine wood even the best stove will not hold the coals overnight. Hence the ability to use coal is a godsend. When the weather is only a little bit chilly we can place a basketball sized lump of coal in the stove and the stove will hold the coal -- burning slowly -- for up to five days. Hence in the mornings all we have to do is toss on a few pieces of wood and they will catch right away.
During the coldest part of the winter we can load the stove with a five gallon bucket of coal and it will heat the whole house for three days. Given the cyclic nature of our weather here (a couple of days of stormy weather, followed by a couple of days of biting cold, then a couple of days of sunny and warmer weather) we can clean out the stove during a sunny day as coal produces lots of ash.
Burning coal does one other thing as well. Pine wood has a tendency to produce a lot of creosote. But by using the coal, the creosote deposits in the chimney are burned off leaving a hard discoloration. Not burned off as in a chimney fire but apparently one of the chemicals in coal smoke reacts with the creosote and chemically burns it off of the inside of the chimney. At least this is how our chimney sweep has explained it to us when he shows up and inspects our chimneys every year.
Our pellet stove (upstairs) is good for those cool cloudy days in the spring and fall when firing up the wood stove in the basement will heat the house too much.
Now one warning -- our wood stove is designed to burn coal. Your typical wood stove is not designed to do this and the coal will burn through the sides/bottom of the stove. - H.D.
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Wood Stove Selection, Operation, and Safety, by Kevin K.
Heating with wood has been a “necessary” tradition for thousands of years, but with the advent of the industrial revolution, and the advancement in methods of heating homes and buildings, heating with wood became less and less popular. During the 1970s Energy Crises, there was interest in seeking “alternative” energy sources, and people started to rediscover the benefits of heating with wood. In the early 1990s, gas stoves and inserts took the place of traditional wood burning. People were just too busy to deal with the time and energy required with wood. In the last few years however, wood has come full circle, yet again. It’s funny how people go back to things that are simple, reliable, and secure, in times of uncertainty.
I am a former Technical Administrator for a Wood and Gas Stove manufacturer, and thought I might be of some help by passing on some of my experience and knowledge. Basically, I was the guy who trained “the stove professionals” at the places that customers buy their stoves.
Heating your home/retreat with wood can be very rewarding, especially in a SHTF scenario. It can literally mean the difference between barely surviving, and comfortably thriving. If a wood stove is not installed, operated, and maintained properly, there is a very real possibility that there can be substantial loss of property, and or life.
Fireplaces
While fireplaces do add warmth and comfort, they are far from being efficient. Most fireplaces are only about 10% efficient, in other words, 90% of your fuels’ BTUs are going straight up the chimney. If you do have a fireplace in your home, and would like to make far less trips to the wood pile, please consider installing a wood burning fireplace insert.
Selection of a wood burning stove
There are many types of woodstoves, and not all woodstoves are built alike, and there are a few features that are highly advantageous. Most stoves will burn wood effectively, that is, yes the wood does burn, but there is a bit more to it than that.
Catalytic Stoves – The king of wood stoves
A catalytic stove utilizes what is called a “Catalytic Combustor”. This combustor is similar to the catalytic combustor (converter) in a cars exhaust system. Its’ size can differ, but usually is 7” round, 7 x 9 oval, or rectangular, and about 2” thick. The combustor is a ceramic or stainless steel honeycomb on which is coated a catalyst. The catalyst may be a combination of one or more precious metals, including the following: platinum, palladium, rhodium and cerium. The catalyst chemically lowers the combustion temperature of the smoke from a wood fire, thereby allowing more smoke to burn, resulting in higher efficiency, and less creosote buildup. The active operating range is approximately 700-to-1,400 deg. F. The unit will glow red around 1,000+ deg., but is operating properly as long as it is in the active range. Catalytic Stoves come with a “Cat Thermometer” When operating properly; all that should be exiting the chimney is a white, steamy plume.
Pros
Saves Time and money
Dramatically longer burn times. Up to 40 hours on low setting (Blaze King Brand)
Much higher efficiency
Fewer trips to the wood pile
Chimney stays much cleaner, less chance of chimney fire
Greater burn control, resulting in more even temperatures in the home/retreat
Uses less woods
Cons
More expensive than traditional non-cats
Average life of converter is 5-9 yrs, depending on use and type of fuel burned
Replacement Cat’s are expensive. (This cost is made up by time and money saved)
Note: In worst case scenario (i.e. TEOTWAWKI) and the cat is no longer working, the by-pass door (not the loading door) can be left open and the stove will still operate. The EPA will say that it is illegal to operate the stove without the use of a properly operating catalytic combustor. If it is TEOWAWKI, I’m sure you will get a pass on this.
Non-Catalytic Stoves
Non-cats are more commonplace, yet they too, are not all the same. You have your basic type, that is, a box with a hole in the top, and you have others that employ what is called “secondary air”. Secondary air aids in better combustion of smoke, resulting in lower emissions.
Pros
Less expensive than Catalytic
Fewer parts to wear out
Cons
Shorter burn times (cold mornings?)
Less efficient
Uses more wood
More trips to the wood box
Thermostats
Woodstoves with thermostats are much better at controlling the burn, and maintaining a more even temperature in the house. They are incorporated into the stove itself. (Not on the wall) A thermostat is comprised of a “flapper” that is controlled by a wound, bi-metal strip. As the stove gets hotter, the flapper will start to close, thus controlling the amount of fresh air given to the fire, and conversely, will open up as the fire dies down.
A stove without a thermostat will generally have a manual air intake control, in the form of a plate that you can move to control the volume of air coming into the firebox.
Positioning of stove in the house
It is generally best to place your stove in a centralized area in the home. Natural air flow is a large consideration. Most average sized homes can be heated sufficiently with a quality woodstove, based upon layout and natural air flow. It is preferred to have the chimney within the envelope of the home and not routed on an outside wall.
Pre-Manufactured Chimney Systems
Most installations will utilize a pre-manufactured chimney system. It is important to understand that there is two different systems, one is standard residential, and the other is High Temperature Mobile Home/Alcove/Close Clearance. Normally, single wall pipe called a connector, is used to come off of the stove. This pipe must be 24/26 MSG Black/Blued steel stove pipe. (Do not use aluminum or galvanized pipe) Once reaching the ceiling, it will transition into a “ceiling box” that has Triple Wall (actual chimney), that runs the rest of the way.
Always follow the manufacturer’s installation requirements, and local codes. DO NOT MIX DIFFERENT CHIMNEY SYSTEM.
Never use more than a total of two 90 deg. turns in an installation. Any more than that, will significantly reduce your draft. If possible, use two 45’s instead of a 90. Furthermore, never slap a 90 deg. elbow right off of the top of a stove. Preferably, you would go a minimum of 36” up, before turning. Furthermore, if a horizontal run is needed, it should be 36” or less, AND have a slope of ¼” per ft., downward into stove. It is important and required, that the chimney extends a minimum of 3 ft. above a roof, and is at least 2 ft. higher than any area of the roof within 10 ft.
Note: Chimney sections should ALWAYS funnel into the stove collar, meaning the crimped end faces down into the stove. This allows for condensation/creosote to drain into the stove, and not leak outside of the pipe
Masonry Chimneys
If you have an existing masonry chimney, and are able to route your stove pipe into it, you can save a lot of money. A masonry chimney must be lined; the liner is usually made out of clay 5/8” thick min., and appropriate cement. A chimney liner should never be smaller than the cross sectional area of the stove collar, example: An 8” collar is approx. 50 square inches. A visual inspection of the chimney is needed prior to the installation of the stove. Look for cracks/holes, loose field stones/bricks, and mortar that is crumbling/deteriorating. Creosote patches are signs of fresh air being introduced through these cracks. Have a professional chimney sweep inspect and repair the chimney if you feel that this is beyond your capabilities/judgment. Overly large, unlined, existing chimneys often will not draft properly, will accelerate the buildup of creosote, and usually violate code and installation requirements. All installations require a thimble when the pipe enters the chimney through a combustible wall. It may be constructed of brick, or pre-manufactured.
Note: Make sure the ash clean out door on the outside base (if installed) of the chimney is closed. This will keep cold air from being introduced into the chimney, and reducing draft.
Creosote and chimney cleaning
Creosote is basically caused by smoke cooling and condensing on the chimney walls. It can be built up with the addition of ash and other large, unburned carbon particles. It can present itself as hard and shiny, or thick, light and fluffy. You should inspect your chimney and connector system twice a month during burn season. Pay close attention to the appearance of creosote patches inside of the chimney. The existence of these patches is an indication of fresh air leaking into the chimney, and should be repaired or replaced immediately.
Use only a tight fitting chimney brush to clean your chimney. Getting “Bubba” up on top of the roof with tire chains, hoses, and the pool skimmer, will not only result in unsatisfactory results, it can potentially damage your chimney. Remove the first section of pipe off the stove, and attach a plastic bag to the open end of the pipe. Again, follow manufactures cleaning instructions, if available. You cannot expect to get every speck of creosote cleaned off, so don’t lose any sleep over it. Just do your best to brush as much of it out as you can.
WARNING: NEVER INTENTIONALLY START A CHIMNEY FIRE TO CLEAN OUT THE CHIMNEY
“Magic” Chimney Creosote Cleaning Logs/Products
My experience has shown that nothing can substitute a tight fitting chimney brush for cleaning a chimney. While there are several products out there that claim to “clean” or otherwise break down the buildup of creosote, I would not recommend them.
Safe Operation of Stoves
Always follow the manufactures operating instructions, and procedures. If none are available, please consider the following:
Never leave the stove unattended with the loading door left open. Leaving the loading door open, then getting distracted by a phone call, or knock at the door, can have disastrous results. Once a loading door is opened, there is virtually an unlimited supply of combustion air available for the fuel. If left unchecked, especially if the stove has just been filled, the stove can reach temperatures exceeding that in which the stove is designed. This can warp the stove, or worse, cause a house or chimney fire.
Never use gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid or any other type of accelerant, to start a fire, or to “freshen up” a fire.
Never mix, or substitute chimney brands/systems. If you are trying to save money by mixing and matching stove pipe, you stand the chance of losing so much more. Chimney Systems are just that, “systems”. They have gone through extensive testing for a reason, to save lives and property. Many have gambled and lost on this issue. Do not use aluminum or galvanized “duct” piping, they cannot withstand the high temperatures of burning solid fuels.
Use only solid, seasoned wood as fuel, unless the stove has otherwise been designed for such fuel. Do not burn coal, oil, plastics, wrapping paper, charcoal, railroad ties, particle board, and sawdust, painted wood, or anything else that is not dry, seasoned wood. Using unseasoned “green” wood will increase production of creosote, and make for poor draft up the chimney. Seasoned wood is wood that has been cut and allowed to “season”, or sit, for a period of usually at least 8 months. Saltwater driftwood can be death for a stove; it will [cause rust that will] eat right through it
If you are experiencing a chimney fire and it is safe to do so, then make sure the loading door is closed, turn down the thermostat all the way (or manual air control), evacuate your home, and call 911.
Check Loading Door Gasket twice during each burn season. You can do this by opening the door and positioning a dollar bill on the area where the door gasket meets the opening on the stove, now close and latch the door. There should be noticeable resistance when pulling the bill out. Try this in different areas around the door.
Ensure proper combustible clearances to the stove are maintained. Refer to your owner’s manual on distances. If your stove is bought second hand, and does not have the clearances and certification agency labeled on the unit itself, contact the local authority having jurisdiction, to verify code requirements.
I have gone through most of the basics regarding wood burning stoves, and I’m sure that I’ve missed a thing or two. What I have presented are just general guidelines. I cannot emphasize enough that you follow the manufacturer’s Installation and Operating Instructions, doing so will ensure best performance, with the lowest risk of danger. - Kevin K.
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Letter Re: Storing Food in Commercial Storage Spaces?
Hi Jim,
What do you think of storing food at commercial storage sites until you can get the your retreat? Do you think these sites will be targeted and vandalized when TSHTF?
We will be moving north as soon as our house sells. I was wondering if we should move preps to a storage site closer to where we will be moving?
I hope you and your family are able to find comfort in your memories of the Memsahib. Thanks, - Kimberly
JWR Replies: In most of North America, commercial "U-Stor" storage spaces with roll-up doors are not a good choice for storing your food supplies. Inside temperatures temperatures that can exceed 120 degrees F in summer months. This will greatly decrease the shelf life of most storage foods. Traditional warehouses with interior doors have less extreme temperatures, but there you are more likely to have access problems when the Schumer hits the fan. There are some exceptions, in places like Maine, but even there, you have to wonder about stored foods being subjected to repeated freezing and thawing.
Commercial storage spaces are statistically quite safe from burglary. The biggest risk that I've seen is people losing track of their storage contract pre-payments, and losing the contents of their storage spaces! (State laws vary widely. In some states, only one notice needs to be sent via mail before forfeiture proceedings can begin. OBTW, in my travels, I've seen several storage companies that are co-located with antique furniture stores. I consider that no mere coincidence. Obviously, their are a lot of forgetful, unfortunate, or just plain flaky people that have forfeited the contents of their storage spaces! In my 20+ years of doing guns shows, I've met several dealers that regularly bid on the contents of abandoned storage spaces, essentially sight unseen, with varying degrees of success. Typically, the bidders gather, the door is rolled up, and the bidding commences, with the bidders not allowed to enter the storage space. They must base their bids on what they can see through the open door.
Another risk for the contents of commercial storage spaces is flooding. Make sure that you pick a company that has their building on "high and dry" ground, not on a flood plain. But even then, there is always the risk of ruptured pipes, or a malfunctioning fire sprinkler systems. So positioning a layer of inexpensive (or free) wooden pallets under your stored good is cheap insurance.
Ideally, you should store your gear and grub in the climate-controlled home or cool basement of a trusted friend that lives their year-round
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Three Letters Re: Perspectives on Roughing It and Covert Car Camping
Hi Jim,
That was a great letter from Jolly but I'd like to add a couple of things. Jolly says 'never, ever' sleep at an highway rest stop. I guess that depends on where you are. In the last few years Texas has built some absolutely beautiful rest stops with clean bathrooms, vending machines, etc. that are manned 24 hours a day. They encourage sleeping there (better that than fatigued drivers on the road). I asked the people at one if it would be okay to sleep in my car - they replied that yes, it would be perfectly okay and safe, as they patrolled the lot. I noticed that when they patrolled they were watchful but respected peoples' privacy - they didn't peer into car windows, for example - but would have noticed someone breaking into a car.
As far as Wal-Mart goes, I've never heard that you can't or shouldn't stay there if you're in a car. I would think that if you parked over with the RVs, they would just assume you were a car accompanying an RV! You'd have the added security of other people around. And for that last reason, my favorite place to sleep in the car is in a truck stop, parked near the trucks. I feel pretty safe among a bunch of truckers - I doubt they'd hesitate to respond to trouble. Just make sure if you park with trucks that you don't put yourself in their way. - Matt R.
James,
Back when I was young and shiftless I spent about a year living in my car on and off. I have a couple of observations about car camping in small towns and rural America. Places where I never had a problem were small town police station parking lots, a church parking lot, and at scenic overlook parking lots on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway was good during the summer when lower altitudes were too hot. Places I would advise against are store parking lots, rest areas (where you could have trouble with both police and predatory humans), and anyplace that has a security force. In my case I have always had trouble in college parking lots, for example.
In the event of troubled times however, I would expect a less tolerant attitude from small town law enforcement than I encountered. I don't know what the right answer would be for this, but expect to be harassed and told to move on in many places (at the least). If you're packing heat I would expect even more trouble. Finally, make sure you take Jolly's advice about finding a place to discreetly take care of hygiene. You will have much less trouble if you look clean cut and respectable. Shave and keep your hair trimmed. The best place I've found for thorough showering and bathing on the cheap is a gym with a pay by the day feature. $5 could buy you some exercise and a shower with no one thinking anything of it. God Bless you all, - SGT B.
Mr. Rawles,
I enjoyed the article: "Perspectives on Roughing It and Covert Car Camping, by Jolly" and thought it mostly paralleled my own experience. I do take exception with his misunderstanding of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)'s liquid fuels policies. Boy Scouts are not forbidden to use liquid fuels. The complete policy is here. Quoting from the BSA web page, the salient portion is:
1. Use compressed or liquid-gas stoves and/or lanterns only with knowledgeable adult supervision, and in Scouting facilities only where and when permitted.
2. Operate and maintain them regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions included with the stove or lantern.
3. Store fuel in approved containers and in storage under adult supervision. Keep all chemical fuel containers away from hot stoves and campfires, and store them below 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Let hot stoves and lanterns cool before changing cylinders of compressed gas or refilling from bottles of liquid gas.
5. Refill liquid-gas stoves and lanterns a safe distance from any flames, including other stoves, campfires and personal smoking substances. A commercial camp stove fuel should be used for safety and performance. Pour through a filter funnel. Recap both the device and the fuel container before igniting.
6. Never fuel a stove or lantern inside a cabin; always do this outdoors. Do not operate a stove or lantern in an unventilated structure. Provide at least two ventilation openings, one high and one low, to provide oxygen and exhaust for lethal gases. Never fuel, ignite, or operate a stove or lantern in a tent.
7. Place the stove on a level, secure surface before operating. On snow, place insulated support under the stove to prevent melting and tipping.
8. With soap solution, periodically check fittings for leakage on compressed-gas stoves and on pressurized liquid-gas stoves before lighting.
9. When lighting a stove keep fuel bottles and extra canisters well away. Do not hover over the stove when lighting it. Keep your head and body to one side. Open the stove valve quickly for two full turns and light carefully, with head, fingers and hands to the side of the burner. Then adjust down.
10. Do not leave a lighted stove or lantern unattended.
11. Do not overload the stovetop with extra-heavy pots or large frying pans. If pots larger than 2 quarts are necessary, ,then set up a freestanding grill to hold the pots and place the stove under the grill.
12. Bring empty fuel containers home for disposal. Do not place them in or near fires. Empty fuel containers will explode if heated.
But there is much more at the link.
I really appreciated his other comments and could relate his experiences with scouting to mine.
Respectfully. - Steve in California
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Perspectives on Roughing It and Covert Car Camping, by Jolly
I was a Boy Scout, and later did a fair amount of camping when I toured the US by motorcycle in the late 1980s. My tents started floorless and without mosquito netting; progressed to canvas umbrella tent with both. Later still, I was able to go to ripstop nylon "pup" style tents. Advancing, finally, to modern shock-corded aluminum poles and nylon.
After a long gap of 20+ years, my son is now a scout, and I'm on the "no-other-parent-can-go-and-we'll-have-to-cancel-if-you-don't-volunteer" rotation for his troop.
I just completed my second camp-out, and have noticed a few things that both dismay and encourage me.
Following is a stream-of-consciousness review of my reentry into the roughing-it world. Please bear in mind that emergency preparedness has been on my mind for a couple of years, and I didn't go into this a complete neophyte. That said, I didn't actually do anything other than car-camping since about 1993.
Buy a backpack one size smaller than you think you need. It's amazing how much crap a backpack can hold - inside and out. If you actually physically cannot cram another gizmo into the pack, then you'll have to leave that gadget behind. That will always focus your mind on what's truly important.
The single most important article of clothing you need in an emergency is a hooded rain poncho. Even in mild temperatures, you can lose a lot of body heat when you're wet. A rain poncho will help against wind and rain, and can double as a tarp if necessary. I have found two good sources: Jacks-r-Better and Camping Survival's "GI Plus". You should spray both with silicone to enhance their water repellant properties. Don't rely on cheap plastic or vinyl ponchos. During testing I quickly destroyed both of these varieties.
Second most important article of clothing is hiking boots, followed closely by a full brimmed waterproof hat. I have the Tilley nylon winter hat, with retractable ear muffs.
Craigslist is the best place to get camping gear cheap. To date this year, I have picked up two tents, a backpack, a Coleman stove, camp kitchen, tarp, and several other things. Usually, the price is about 10-25% of retail. In the case of the Coleman stove, it's an older model (1973) and built much better than the modern cr*p (which I also have). A $15 repair kit, and $20 for the stove, and it's in brand-new condition. I got a $300 North Face tent for $75 - and it was brand new with original price tags.
Craigslist is a wonderful resource, but there are some rules you might try. First, look for a solid month before offering to buy anything. That way, when a bargain shows up, you'll know it instantly.
Second, if the item is really hot - don't make any arrangements to pick it up more than a day out. I lost the chance to acquire a pair of Wiggy's brand sleeping bags because I tried to schedule pick up four days away. The lady sold them to somebody else because he offered her a deal she couldn't refuse. That's $1,000 worth of sleeping bags I could've had for $50 and I was too cheap to just pick them up ( about 80 miles away ).
Third, as hinted at above - when purchasing from Craigslist - calculate your time & mileage into the price of the items. A bargain that's 50 miles away becomes much more expensive with gas and driving time tacked on. Ask if the seller can meet you half way.
And fourth - generally low ball an offer on the item unless it's already too-good-to-be-true priced.
Break in your emergency / hiking boots. I have two pair of excellent quality boots that I've had for about eight years. I've worn them on occasion, but never really broken them in. This weekend, I pulled down a pair and used them on this trip. Socks were too thick for one thing - these are Goretex and Thinsulate boots, and a bit thicker as a consequence. My feet were miserable yesterday as the socks were too tight, and I ended up hobbling about like an old man by the end of the day. Today I went without socks (as my second pair of socks were just as thick as the first), and was much better, but had the other problem of rubbing the wrong spots you'd expect to have when going sans socks.
Test your equipment. Every camp-out is a test bed for my equipment. This particular trip I tested a Craigslist-purchased North Face one man tent ( Canyonlands ), and a newer sleeping pad ( Thermalite Prolite Plus ). The tent was wonderful. Bigger than my small nylon tent used when motorcycle camping (though not by much ), and an excellent performer. It's my current favorite. The mattress also was quite nice - and made in USA.
That said, I think I understand the popularity of inflatable camp pillows. My older head and neck didn't appreciate the stuff-sack-filled-with-a-towel-and jacket pillow that worked adequately 20 and 30 years ago. I had a nasty headache when I awoke this morning, and I know I was head higher than feet on the gentle slope. My 18 year old sleeping bag, however, worked well.
Sitting down is the main problem for old knees and feet - especially in the rain. I don't want to sound like a whiner, but it gets tiresome standing around with a coffee cup because the ground is too wet to sit, and there aren't any rocks nearby. I'm open to suggestions to fix that. On my first trip, I had cut a section of the closed-cell Thermarest pad ( they're green and purple, and do not compress well at all). It helped a lot placed on a rock. This time, I didn't have that, as I was using a different ( more comfortable )pad.
Erect a tarp so you have a dry place to work. Tarps are cheap, light, small to pack, and generally easy to erect. If it's raining, put up your tarp first so you can unpack necessities where it's dry. You might even need to erect your tent under one. Later, you can cook under it, and generally live under it until bedtime.
Put lanyards on everything. A recent fetish of mine is parachute cord. I get mine from Supply Captain in 100-foot lengths. I put lanyards on my pack zippers, multi-tool, flashlights, LED lanterns, etc. I use different colors and locations to help me know which of the myriad zippers it's attached to. For example, to get to my emergency whistle, I can tug on the blue & yellow one. For my tactical light - the olive drab. Multi-tool is black, et cetera.
There are different sizes of nylon cord. Get the smaller stuff for many jobs. If I wish to erect a tarp, use a 100 lb test cord instead of the 550 paracord. It's far smaller, lighter, and easier to work with.
There's a tension when purchasing emergency equipment. Bright-and-visible vs camouflage. Bright orange equipment, or ACU digital camo? Or something in between? Currently, I've been getting innocuous black or green equipment. If I need to be seen - I can always whip out mylar space blanket, or build three fires, or use the whistle, etc..
Anybody who thinks that anything more than bare-bones survival is feasible with a shiny space blanket hasn't actually used one in the woods. I'm very ambivalent about these things. I can see a use for them, I guess, to help reduce heat loss, but can't imagine they're effective in most situations I'm likely to encounter, with one exception.
That exception would be as a blanket put on a injury victim to prevent or mitigate shock. Any animated person is going to tear the damn things or find they're too small to really do anything well. They really are just barely useful. Especially for big people such as myself.
I'm going to experiment with a sleeping bag version put out by Adventure Medical called a "Heat Sheet." I probably should've tried it last night, but I had too many other tests going on, and didn't want any more variables. The next trip is early November, and might already be too cold for a decent test. I hope to have my Wiggy's winter bags by that time.
The Heat Sheet is interesting because it's a full sleeping bag and you don't have to worry about coverage. I'm a big guy and coverage is important. I've heard it's warm but keeps moisture trapped inside.
Lower that pack weight! Did I mention that people try to carry too much crap? One of the younger scouts packed two tents (actually a Hennessey Hammock and a Sierra Designs Tengu 3!), plus one of those nylon full-sized camp chairs. His pack weighed a ton.
One patrol had so much stuff, they used a child's wagon to carry what wouldn't fit in their ( giant ) packs. Part of this is not their fault - the Scouts don't allow liquid fuel stoves, and therefore, the scouts have to use propane. Of course when I was a kid, we used only wood. But, many camping areas do not allow campfires any more.
Carry only one extra set of clothing, except, maybe, socks. In addition, carry two layers, or more for winter. If you get one set of clothes dirty or wet, then just clean and dry them while wearing the other set. I prefer nylon and polyester. Believe it or not, Boy Scout pants and shirts are among the best I've found, for a decent price. They come in sizes up to XXXXL, too. Just ensure that you have very high quality and tough clothes.
Don't take any mess kits made out of plastic. Use only metal so it can double as cooking equipment. I hate to say this - I bought the entire family colorful mess kits. Each had their own color, and they come with plate, bowls, spork, cup, etc. And for car camping, they're great! But, for hiking / camping, they can't do double duty as cooking equipment, so they're leaving my pack. I'm replacing the set with a stainless steel mug of 20 oz, and a lidded 600 ml pot that can be used as plate and bowl. Less equipment = less weight.
Did you know that you can take a prophylactic dose of Ibuprofen to minimize swelling when you know you're going to hit the trail [on an arduous hike]? I learned this from a doctor at an Appleseed event. It's very effective, but don't drink alcohol 48 hours before or after the dose. Ask your doctor for specifics.
Take a hike with a full pack. I'm good for about three miles before I worry about getting an infarction. Part of the problem are the shoes, but general lack of fitness is kicking my butt. I used to ride a bicycle 300 miles a week in the 1980s, but the last twenty years I've been a software engineer and my fitness has plummeted.
How are you going to cook food? Planning for an emergency, you have to ask yourself questions such as, "What will I be cooking? How long in the woods? How many people? Car camping? And so on.
My cooking plans are pretty extensive. If I'm staying put in my house, the main plan includes a Coleman stove. My wife actually prefers cooking on one of those to our electric range. It's also useful for car camping. One gallon of Coleman fuel will last an amazingly long time. Refills are available at most gas stations with yellow-bottle Heet. A single burner camp stove is great for motorcycle camping.
Next tier down is wilderness camping - for that I prefer alcohol burners / stoves. There are myriad choices, and I won't go into all of them. I even tried to invent my own and found that I couldn't do a better job of it than a dozen others I've purchased. The best, in my opinion, is the Trangia "Spirit Burner" from Sweden. Not pressurized, no moving parts. Built like a tank, but pretty light to carry, too. About $10.
My own system marries a "Sterno" stove with a Trangia burner, and I get a full-sized pot and pan platform with a windscreen for about half a pound. I use two of these side by side for two burners to cook most anything. Total cost for both is about $35. Buy some denatured alcohol and cook some meals on your porch to get the hang of it. That is part of fully testing your equipment. Please note that there are two kinds of Trangia burners. The military surplus version fits the Sterno stove perfectly. The civilian version requires support. I use a tuna can. If you invert the tuna can, the burner is closer to the pot. I don't do that myself, and have found the heat transfer to be completely adequate. You can also just use a Sterno can, obviously.
A lot of people prefer "canister" stoves - using butane, propane, isobutane, or other variants. Yes, these are great. They work anywhere. But, they are expensive to fuel and it's harder to find refills. Also, most butane systems have tiny pot stands, making them very easy to knock over. And if you're cooking with large pots or pans - they're almost unusable.
Whatever you decide upon - stock up on fuel, and place that fuel in several caches, both cars, bug-out bags, etc. If you're using volatile fuel, such as white gas, ensure you insulate the can against high heat. In cold weather, keep a 4 oz bottle of alcohol inside your jacket to ensure easy lighting.
Buy a windup radio that charges cell phones. These are down under $50 and will give you two types of communication. I have the Eton FR360. These also charge any USB device, including iPods and most music players. This weekend I used it to keep my iPhone charged, and while a bit tedious - it worked.
How to Covertly Sleep in Your Car
I'm fairly frugal. Several times I have worked out of state. I hated giving upwards of $100 / per night to hotels so I developed a system for sleeping in my car that ensures that I would not be noticed. The first vehicle I used was a pickup truck with a bed camper top - not a real camper, just a top with windows on the side. The second vehicle was Chevy Suburban. Both vehicles were reputable looking, and not too new or old - completely innocuous.
Cover all the windows on the inside with large sheets of butcher paper (white) or brown wrapping paper. Both can be found for cheap at Wal-Mart. It's important to do a neat job of it so there are no wrinkles, holes, or other damage. I use clear wrapping tape, and cut to fit. On both vehicles, the windows covered were tinted, and only a close look would you even notice they were blocked off. They just look - blank.
On the Suburban, I bought a bungee cord and tan curtains for $10 - again from Wal-Mart. String the curtains on the bungee cord. Then, attach the cord to the coat hanger hooks behind the driver's and passenger seats. Make sure they hang straight and neat. There will be a gap at the top of the curved roof, but it's nothing to worry about.
The last step is to turn off your car's interior light if you can. On many newer cars, this is done with a switch on the driver's console. Other cars have a switch on the light itself to prevent the light coming on with an open door. If all else fails - disconnect the light bulb.
The hard part is finding a place to sleep. Here is one time when you cannot sleep in Wal-Mart's parking lot. You're not driving an RV, just a car. And "empty" cars will be scrutinized by flashlight-wielding security or police.
In a large metropolitan area, the best places are large apartment complexes, preferably straddling a street. Park in the street right behind another car already there. I did this for well over a year without any problems at all.
In the drive-in apartment complexes, ensure there's a lot of extra spots, and that the one you pick is not marked in any way. Usually, I try to pick a spot that the front of the car faces a wall, or the garbage dump area. You don't want to face a park or sidewalk. You want your car to be one among many. Don't park way off to one side - dog walkers may be too common and wonder about the car with curtains.
Small office parks are another good choice. Here, the opposite of apartment complexes is wanted. Park the car as far from the building entrances as possible. Here it's easier to face a wall or line of bushes. People will do anything to shorten their walk to work.
Going to sleep is not normally a problem - I usually went to sleep well after midnight. Whatever you do, don't dawdle when entering your sleep area. There may be people that notice a slow-moving car driving slowly through a parking lot more than once. Scope several places in advance, and have a primary and secondary location for the night.
The two most observable times will be going to sleep and getting up. Usually, you'll be more visible during daytime, obviously. But, getting noticed depends on what time you're leaving and where you parked.
If you can wiggle into your driver's seat without getting out of the vehicle - you have it made. Neither time was I able to do that. I had to leave the car to get into the driver's seat.
I left small flaps in the paper on both cars and would open them to look in all directions (as necessary) for pedestrians and security vehicles. When you're sure you're clear - make a very fast exit, and get your feet on the ground. After that, if required, you can pretend you're retrieving something, and take a leisurely pace. Unless somebody was looking directly at your car when you exited, they will almost assuredly assume you just opened the door, rather than popped out of it.
In an office park, ensure your exit is on the opposite side from the office buildings. Imagine a bored secretary staring dazedly out the window. Suddenly - a scruffy looking man with wild hair pops out of a car door, walks quickly around the hood and drives off. Not good. In my favorite park, I was between a wall and a tree break. Though I finally got noticed after six months, and had to use backup.
Do not stretch, or scratch your head, or hang around at all at this time. Get into your car seat. Start it, and leave at a normal pace. I don't know about you, but it you're like me - you'll be way too scary an apparition for most people. You should have also designated a place to go in the morning to do the ritual wake-up duties such as bathroom, teeth, hair brushing, etc. I usually use McDonald's. I then repaid them for their facilities by buying breakfast.
Other items to remember are ventilation and security. The pickup was no problem - I just left the windows open a crack, including the back panel. This allowed me to hear my surroundings pretty well, too. On the Suburban, it was more problematic. One inch on each window was left open at the top, and I didn't leave the back open. I also engaged the car alarm.
Unfortunately, one morning I forgot about the car alarm, and opened the door causing it to go off. I had the key in my hand, and stopped it very quickly, and I was sure the whole world had noticed my faux pas. Alas, nobody even hears car alarms anymore, and I didn't have to abandon that spot.
Never, ever go to rest stops on the interstate to sleep. While traveling, if I couldn't find an apartment complex or office park, or other suitable location, I'd park on the onramp of a highway - many times between trucks doing the same. I got rousted three times by cops over the years. Technically, it's illegal to park there. Each time I told the truth - I was very tired, and unsure I could proceed to the next motel location. Two of the three times, the cop said that's fine, and go ahead and stay. The third time, he helpfully noted that the very next exit had a motel.
If you have a regular route, other considerations might come into play. For me, sleeping in a tiny Honda Civic, I would have problems with biting insects - and very warm nights. Both problems were solved with an onramp location in an extremely windy spot next to San Francisco bay. (Parish Road off of I-680 in case you're wondering ). My pattern was to arrive about 2 am on a Sunday night and sleep until 7am Monday morning. I then proceeded across the bridge and went to a Burger King in Walnut Creek. I was rousted twice in a six month period.
I have less experience in rural areas. Though extreme familiarity with a route can help by allowing you to identify good spots during the daytime for possible use on another trip. For example, I used to drive between Oregon and Pahrump quite often (on my way to attend training at Front Sight). I spent one whole day identifying likely spots for impromptu camp spots.
One spot, south of Tonopah was a short road that led to some kind of a relay station. I'm pretty sure it was a microwave station, but it doesn't matter. The small fenced-in building was partially hidden behind a hill from the main road, and clearly was not visited very often. The road leading to it went further around the hill, leaving a nice void hidden from the station itself.
Between Tonopah and Hawthorne, I identified two spots very similar to the first, though both were very windy. North of Hawthorne, Walker Lake had parking spots that I felt comfortable enough to use without hiding.
Rural terrain will dictate your choices, too. In South Carolina, I identified two spots on US-25 north of Greenville that looked pretty good. Their characteristic? They were both old houses that had been completely covered in kudzu! I could literally drive under a canopy of kudzu and hide the entire car.
Finally, etiquette inside the car. I always wore gym shorts and T-shirt in a sleeping bag. Never anything resembling underwear. I never used a flashlight or listened to the radio. I was there strictly for sleeping. I didn't eat, cook, brush teeth, or anything else except sleep. The human eye is especially tuned to see movement. Even with covered windows, a brief movement might catch a dog-walker's attention enough to wander over and look at the car. Not a good thing.
I estimate I've saved more than $10,000 in motel bills over the years.
The main thing is to have people assume the car is empty, and belongs to somebody nearby. Obviously, in a serious crisis, extra thought may be necessary to keep below the radar of both security and nosy people.
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Letter Re: Devotional Candles as an Emergency Source of Light and Heat
Mr. Rawles,
I am enjoying your "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It" book, which I purchased on Friday and have read most of it by now. I have something to offer to you by way of experience regarding votive candles as good emergency candles. We are practicing Roman Catholics and, as such, have lots of experience with the 10" candles that you recommend for emergencies or even small-scale food heating. While they cannot be beaten for long-term service ( a week to 10 days per candle), the amount of light and heat you obtain from the candles deteriorates significantly after the 4th day. I believe it has to do with the narrow cylinder of glass the candles are encased in allowing lower and lower amounts of oxygen in the "throat" as the candles burn, leading to smaller and smaller flames. By the 9th day or so, the flame is a tiny 1/4 of an inch high. Good for devotional purposes to be sure, but not for any kind of light or heat. I would recommend the smaller 4" tall votive candles which are constructed the same way but whose shallower depth allow more oxygen at the base of the candle. God Bless, - Tim in Miami
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Letter Re: Notes on Fuel Transfer Pumps and Fuel Filters
Jim,
Your info on using electric fuel pumps from junked cars (also included in your new book) was great. Here's a twist you may not have considered: Use the pumps from GM vehicles. They are essentially submersible gasoline pumps. Rig one with wires and connector and discharge hose. The pumps are about the size of 2 D-cell batteries--so they can fit fit down barrel bungs, underground tank fillers, holes in most 5 gallon buckets. They are designed to operate the fuel system around 30 PSI on most gm cars (pressure limited by relief valve in injection system) so they can lift fuel a considerable distance. If you have an acquaintance at a garage you can come up with used functional pumps for free. They occasionally get replaced because they become noisy. Sometimes the brushes get short and they become intermittent and require a thump to start.
If the pump comes with a filter "sock" I'd keep it. These pumps have small clearances. Make sure the pump is completely immersed in fuel before starting and try to avoid pumping from the absolute bottom of the tank. Also, most fuel injected vehicles have a pressure test port on the injection fuel rail (gasoline vehicles)--almost always in the form of a tire valve or a 1/4 flare Schrader valve (the older refrigeration hose connection). After the Hurricane Katrina evacuation disaster we used this expedient to provide fuel for relatives returning home from a filled up vehicle we didn't need to use for a few days. Always connect the hose then start the vehicle. Expect some residual pressure in the fuel system when connecting with the attendant squirt of gas.
Whenever transferring fuel keep a fire extinguisher handy, have someone sitting in the "donor" vehicle ready to shut it off in case of trouble. Connect the two chassis together with a jumper cable to the bumpers, to prevent static buildup. Transferring fuel via a non-conductive hose can build up a very high static charge. Use common sense.
If circumstances require using reclaimed, substitute or home made fuels consider using a Wix 33006 filter. It is the primary fuel strainer used on 123 chassis Mercedes diesels. It is about the size and shape of a C-cell battery with a straight hose barb on one end and a right angle barb on the other. The beauty of this filter is it is a strainer rather than a paper filter element. It is see-through plastic and can be back flushed with a little gasoline. Consider putting one of these upstream (suction side) of any spin on diesel fuel filter. With "iffy" fuel it can be flushed several times thus extending the life of throw-away filters. It is also a good filter to install on a small transfer pump, siphon hose etc. It's clear construction gives you a window into the fuel system. It can give you early warning and the ability to deal with bad fuel, fungus, etc in a more intelligent manner. On gasoline engines, the old bronze element, glass bowl filters are awfully hard to beat, and still available. - TiredTubes
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Three Letters Re: Heating With Wood
James Wesley,
That was a good informative article by SGT B., however there was one glaring omission in the safety section : "Which brings me to the always wear appropriate safety gear rule. Always do. Period. Long sleeves and pants, boots, gloves, helmet with a face-guard or safety glasses, hearing protection."
He didn't mention Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps, which jam a chain in milliseconds are now considered required for wood cutting, one moment of inattentiveness and your thigh, shin, etc, can be hamburger. The least expensive, yet best ones out there are from Labonville.
Remember chainsaws don't just cut flesh , they tear it! There is a youTube video available for those who want to watch that shows that, thankfully demonstrated with butchered meat, not people. Sincerely, - Wayne B.
Sir,
I'd like to add to Sgt B.'s information. After doing all that he discusses for 40+ years, I would add the following: I put wood in my basement where I have a woodstove. The critters did emerge as he mentioned. I used Zodiac Advanced Insect Spray and that wiped them all out very quickly. A cat takes care of four legged types. I put wood in the basement for when I'm too lazy, tired, or the the weather is just plain nasty. Otherwise, I haul it in as necessary leaving the inside wood for those times mentioned.
Woodstoves: you really don't need to spend a fortune to get some decent heat. My basement is all masonry. The block and concrete soak up lots of the heat (versus a finished basement). Still, my inexpensive little woodstove gets that basement to 70 degrees. I got one from Northern Tool & equip. Sure, a much more expensive all cast iron or fancy one would get the basement and wood floors above a lot warmer but this stove only set me back a few hundred and arrived at my doorstep via freight. Do your homework if you are new to woodstoves. Buying used is okay if you can verify that it's safe. Check for any cracks and if the gaskets / rope are ok. One method of verifying if the gaskets are ok is to place a dollar bill one the backside of the door, close the door, see if the dollar slips out when you pull it. Gaskets kits are cheap and easy to replace. My brother bought a used/antique potbelly type and it has been in use for years.
Traditional fireplace / fireplace insert: The one I just pulled out was very attractive but they sure waste a lot of heat. I finally purchased a top dollar insert as a replacement last year for the ground floor of the house and it paid off immediately in terms of having to bring in wood, using up your wood pile(s), & time/labor. This replacement once hot, remains so all night. I was a great investment.
Log splitters: I'm on my second one. The first was a 20 ton and it was a workaholic. I sold it in one day. It was about 12 yrs old and still good to go. In 12 years I did replace the engine once and the detent valve. My new 37-ton spilts everything I feed it. You may have a hard time finding something it can't split. I had to use my front end loader to push the heaviest of oak under it and the splitter had no problem. This was another Northern Tool and Equipment purchase.
Chainsaws: Useful but dangerous. Be careful. Read the safety instructions if you are new to these items. If you are going to have something go wrong, it'll happen so fast that you won't be able to stop whatever mistake you made. I have two - a 15 year old lightweight 14" Poulan that still gets the little stuff done and a 20" Husqvarna that can handle just about anything. The best accessory item when working with a chain saws is a wedge (plastic, not the steel wedges used with manual splitting...) to prevent pinching of your blade/bar. I recommend using high test gas as 2-cycle engines prefer it for long term engine performance. I also purchased an electric chain saw sharpener which has paid for itself several times over. I can do it manually in the field also and you should be equipped for that anyway. Extra chains make life easy. If the saw is going to sit 11 months of the year, you'll have starting problems. [Use gas stabilizer and] start your 2-cycle engines monthly, warm them up and they'll be kind to you when you need it.
All things wood heating: I enjoy the outdoor time doing all this. It's both exercise and refreshing cold weather outdoor time. Note: it does require time and labor but the payoff is worth it. I cut my oil heat consumption back to one-third of the previous year's averages. Now I can spend more money on more wood cutting stuff. - Flhspete
James,
That was a good article on finding wood, but I would like to see you make a special invitation to a chimney expert or someone else with similar expertise to write an article on wood stove safety. That is something that is often overlooked, or just not understood, often with disastrous consequences.
My wife and I started our "back to the land" voyage back in the 70's with a small homestead in the Ozarks and for the next 10 years we heated only with wood. During that time we saw our neighbors down the road lose an infant daughter to smoke inhalation during a bad fire and our best friends came home on Christmas eve to find nothing left but the foundation, their house had burnt to the ground. Both were caused by skimping on chimney installations. Anyone who has lived in the boonies probably has similar stories to tell. It's okay to scrimp and save on a lot of things, chimneys [with regular chimney cleaning] are not one of them. You have a wild beast under partial control inside your home, one tiny mistake and it can escape and destroy your home and kill you. I don't mean to unduly scare people but I would like to see people have the appropriate amount of respect for the hazards they're taking on. Everything has to be done right up front and maintained properly to keep you safe.
BTW, the biggest drawback to wood heat is just the fact that in the winter you can never be away from home for more than 16 hours or so or the house will freeze up. No weekend trips and if the rig breaks down it adds another level of urgency to getting home. If possible, it's great to have a small emergency propane heater you can set to 45 degrees and run off a 100 pound tank so that if the temperature drops too low it will kick on and keep the house from freezing, it makes a huge improvement in giving you some freedom in the winter. - Bill S. in Oregon
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Heating With Wood, by SGT B.
I don’t know that you would call my father a prepper. He was more just in love with the idea of economic independence and living in the woods. When I was nine (after the woods behind us were clear cut for an apartment complex), we sold our house in the suburbs, bought ten acres far enough out that he figured the developers would never find us, and built a home in the woods.
We heated this house with wood, and as any of you who grew up with a wood stove can already guess, that meant I spent a good chunk of my young life cutting, splitting, hauling, stacking, and burning wood.
Here are some of the things I learned while I was about it. This will by no means be complete, but will reflect only my partial understanding of a subject as old as fire, and as varied as the trees.
First things first: Why wood?
Wood grows. Wood in one form or another grows in most of the inhabitable regions of the earth. If you own land, chances are you own some wood. If not, probably your neighbors have some. Wood heat is renewable energy that anyone can harness. It can be had when the economy is bad as well as when it is good, it is absolutely EMP-proof (although your stove may not be, if it uses electronic components), and so long as you harvest it yourself, it is tax-free. Wood is not necessarily the best or only way to go, and should be weighed against other options. Even for off the grid situations, heat can be provided through heating oil burning stoves (I assume) or through electric stoves if you have a generator or other form of power. That said, unless you have a super abundance of electric capacity, you probably have many other demands on your juice in any sort of emergency.
The downside of wood is that it is not free. You will have to spend either time or labor to get it. Depending how much you use, this could translate to a lot of labor. The other aspect of this is that if you are injured or disabled, you will have a rough time of it. When my father injured his arm badly, I was in school, and our wood stack was at a low point. We were supported by members of our church fellowship helping with wood, and by using on the grid backup systems. In our case this was merely embarrassing, in some situations it could be worse. I’d say follow the rule of threes and have multiple means of heat.
Other considerations: You will have maintenance and cleaning chores with this method. On the plus side they’ll be things you can do yourself with the right tools. Own your own gear for cleaning the chimney. Don’t burn chemically treated wood, and you can use the ashes in compost, but mix them with other stuff or they’ll just form a smothering layer of gray mud. Avoid burning trash for heat if you can help it. Chemically treated wood and plywood can also produce poisonous fumes, so keep that in mind.
Woodstove Selection
I am familiar with three ways of heating with wood indoors. There may well be others, but if so I don’t know them and am not qualified to speak on them. They are, a fireplace, a simple wood stove, and a wood burning water stove.
The fireplace: This is the most basic form of woodstove. They range from the small and basically decorative fireplaces of most modern suburban homes to the vast fire places of old manors, where large meals can be prepared at the hearth. Fireplaces are generally poorly situated to heat a home. They reside on one side of the room, radiate much of their heat directly up the chimney, or out through the sides, and are basically inefficient. That said, if that is all you have, it is well worth laying in a supply of wood for hard times. From a survival standpoint however, someone in such a position should probably focus more on securing their primary method of heat, with a generator or a supply of heating fuel depending what that is.
Free standing wood stoves. These are, at their most basic a big box with a fireplace in the middle, and with a stovepipe to take away the smoke. They can be situated anywhere in a room, and radiate their heat outwards. If properly designed and located, they lose much less heat up the chimney than a fireplace. They are not efficient for heating other rooms, and (like a fireplace) may be inadequate for heating a large home. Some designs can also provide a cooking surface and or an oven. I find this attractive enough to be a primary consideration, but you may feel differently. These stoves also require no electricity in their basic form. I’ve heard of designs that have some electrical features such as blowers, that can heat other rooms of the house, but I have no experience with them. (BTW, I have seen other posts on SurvivalBlog that speak of woodstoves that can handle coal. I don’t have any personal experience with this, but I think that it is a valid consideration during stove selection.)
Wood burning water [jacket] stoves. These are somewhat more complex. Essentially they are a woodstove wrapped in a water tank. Rather than radiate heat directly into a living area, they heat the water, which is then circulated through the rest of the house. They have some major advantages and disadvantages. This is what we had, so this section will be a bit more in depth perhaps.
Advantages:
- Can be located outside the living area, which offers benefits in terms of:
- Cleanliness: Lots of bugs live in wood piles, and they often hitch rides inside with the wood, no matter how careful you are. There’s also the risk of smoke drafting into the room, which is bad for you.
- Living space not occupied by stove.
- Safety, in that you do not have hot metal in the middle of your living area. If the stove is outside, which I have seen, it may reduce you fire risk, but you will need a shed to protect the stove.
- Can heat larger dwellings, either through radiant floor heating or through a more traditional central blower (via a heat coil). We had a very large house, two stories with vaulted ceilings and a lot of windows, plus a full basement, and we had very good heat.
- Can be used to heat your water through a heat exchange. The actual water around the stove is full of chemicals, but a heat exchanger can run it through a heat exchanger to heat your tap water without contamination.
Disadvantages:
- This system requires electricity and a water supply. That means that if the power goes out, you have no source of heat. For this reason it is imperative that you also have a generator. My family put that purchase off until Hurricane Fran waltzed into central North Carolina and left us without power for over a week. Needless to say there were ten no generators to be had for love or money. Fortunately it was summer. By the time we got to learn about blizzards we had a generator. Still, between running our well pump and the stove there was less electricity for anything else.
- You also can’t cook on these, so far as I know.
- Unless you have backup heat or water heating methods, you will have to burn wood anytime you want heat or hot water. This means at least some wood consumption year round. BTW, when I say some, I really mean a lot.
- Maintenance is more of a concern with these systems than with simpler designs, and there are certain unique things that can go wrong. For example, you have to monitor the fire to ensure than the water supply does no boil, or you will have “opportunities for fun” such as a flooded basement or a damaged heater, or both.
All said, my father, reluctant though he was to admit defeat, came to regret the water stove. It became a beast that swallowed a whole lot of our labor, and wasn’t particularly more efficient than living on the grid and using your labor for other things. Other pursuits, such as gardening, livestock, and hunting, suffered due to the need to feed the machine. Neighbors with regular wood stoves used much less fuel, had fewer problems, and had no need for concern with heat when the power was out. I do not recommend these unless you absolutely must heat the entirety of a large structure.
Woodlot Management
If you have a wood lot, you want to manage it. Second growth forests are often too dense for optimum growth, and culling and thinning the trees permits faster growth by the rest. I’ve heard it said that you can expect a cord a year, per acre, from temperate deciduous forest if you manage it well, but I don’t know it for an ironclad fact. Selecting which trees to cut is important. Unless you’re trying to clear a field (or field of fire) it is not a great idea to clear-cut. Pick out individual trees and cut those to clear space for other trees. Start with downed trees before they rot, and move on to wolf trees that take up a lot of space. Plan ahead too, and make sure you take advantage of downed trees on willing neighbors property. Also make sure they’re willing, otherwise it’s theft of a tangible resource. A significant chunk of our family’s firewood came from other people’s lands. People who have invested in woodlands but not yet built on may be particularly willing to allow you to take storm-downed trees. I know people with sizable woodpiles that only harvest other people’s trees. Coppicing is an interesting idea that is worth looking into, but I have no personal experience with that.
I won’t go into different types of wood here. My knowledge of that is limited and regional, and there is very good, technically detailed information out there about the burning properties of various woods. We always cut a lot of trash trees, because despite the poorer burning properties we wanted them gone from our land. YMMV, and watch for creosote buildup vigilantly. Removing trees that produce large quantities of fruit or nuts fall can reduce the presence of game on your land, and/or remove a significant emergency food source. In general quality hardwoods with long straight trunks are worth leaving to grow, in a pinch you can sell them or use them for lumber.
Cutting wood
I won’t say much about the mechanics of cutting down trees. I’ve never been much of a chainsaw artist, and others could tell you much better. I do recommend having multiple chainsaws in every size you use though, because it is darn hard to cut down a tree with a broke saw. Also, following major storms, at least one of your neighbors will want to borrow one, without fail, and it is an easy way to help someone out a lot. Barter is of course always a consideration as well. Other tools that are nice include come-a-longs, wedges and a heavy hammer - for freeing up a bound saw, log rollers, and a machete for clearing small branches and underbrush. Orange reflective tape on the ‘chete grip will save time wondering where you put it.
It is of course possible to bring down trees with hand-powered tools as well. Following the rule of threes I’d say have a felling axe and a two man cross cut saw in addition to the chainsaw. If you’re worried about noise for security or wildlife purposes, or if you live alone, you might also want a single man cross cut saw. Axes are pretty much the least efficient of these in my mind (but great exercise). Bear in mind that there is a difference between a splitting axe and a felling axe. Felling axes can also come in single bit (that’s the sharp part) or double bit (like the classic battleaxe) and can have curved or straight handles. I like the double bit, but that’s a matter of preference, and I am only modestly experienced at felling with an axe. I have no experience with two man saws, and therefore won’t comment on them. I will say that you should always have maintenance and sharpening equipment (and know-how) for any cutting tool you keep. Finally, machetes can also be used for bringing down saplings and underbrush, and can provide a lot of small wood. This can increase the depth you can see into the woods, and reduce fire risks around your home (so long as you clear away the hacked brush of course). Machete hacked stumps can be fairly sharp, like little punji sticks, and you may wish to break the points down with your boot as you cut to prevent future tripping and foot bruising.
Safety first when cutting (as always). Always clear any potential fall area of people when bringing down a tree, and bear in mind that a severed trunk can jab out backwards with a few tons of force behind it. That can kill you very dead. Also always check your root bole holes when cutting free a storm-downed trunk. A state worker got crushed to death while taking a squat in one after Hurricane Fran because his buddy didn’t check. Also make sure anyone you’re working with is practicing good safety and understands what they’re doing. A friend of mine got the side of his face caved in by the end of a log once because I instructed another friend poorly. He was lucky. A inch or so higher would have caved in his temple. Which brings me to the always wear appropriate safety gear rule. Always do. Period. Long sleeves and pants, boots, gloves, helmet with a face-guard or safety glasses, hearing protection. I’m losing my hearing and not quite 30 years old. I now wish I’d worn it. In very cold weather avoid steel-toed boots as they can promote frostbite. Remember too that after a tree has torn itself free of the surrounding canopy there may be sizable limbs left suspended that may come free and drop with a breeze. Dead trees can also break apart as they come down, or even with the vibration of the saw, so helmets are important.
Younger family members can be included in hauling small wood and burning brush and waste wood while you cut, but make sure you watch out for them. They can be hard to see, and may lack a proper sense of safety, or at least the attention span to remember it. You’ll also want to monitor horseplay. I busted a friend’s teeth out with a piece of firewood at the woodpile at the age of five, and got severely burned in a brush clearing bonfire when I was six. We weren’t working at that age, just horsing around in a work area.
When sectioning trees, make sure that there is sufficient clearance between the bottom of what you’re cutting and the ground for you to stop. Even occasionally grounding a moving chainsaw blade is too often. Also make sure the two sections won’t twist free of each other when you separate them and strike you or your assistant.
Splitting wood
For splitting wood you should have a variety of tools, because not all wood is created equal, and I’m pretty sure some trees were created specifically to build the character and fortitude of wood splitting youths everywhere.
Tools I used for various splitting tasks were a hatchet, a small axe, a large splitting axe, an 6 lb maul, a 14.5-pound maul, a sledge hammer and an assortment of wedges. Most of these are not used most of the time, but I recommend having them all, especially the wedges. Sometimes a large piece of wood will decide not to give back your maul. Small axes and hatchets can allow children to participate (and boy don’t I know it), but make sure you give them clear safety instructions and supervise them. After years of replacing handles I have given up and determined that I will never buy another wooden handled striking tool. I have not yet personally owned a fiberglass-handled axe, but plan to get one. With the heavy maul I use a steel handle.
I advise against using a chainsaw for splitting unless absolutely necessary, because it is a lot of wear and tear on the saw, and because it isn’t generally necessary. I also advise against splitting even small wood with a machete, you’ll have better control with a hatchet.
Remember to always bend at the knees when you bring down the maul/axe. This reduces the risk of back injury, and also ensures that if you miss, the arc of the maul will intersect with the ground rather than your shin or foot. I also advise against swinging from behind the back. I find that that increases strain on your back and arms and leads to significant injury. It also reduces accuracy and doesn’t add enough force to justify it. Others disagree. They have their ways and I have mine. I bring the axe gently to an overhead position, with a wide grip, and only then begin the swing, bringing my top hand down along the shaft as I swing.
I consider myself a minor artist with a maul, and am more conceited about it than anything but my fire building, but when I again heat with wood, I will have a gas powered pneumatic splitter. Yes, the purchase cost is high, yes, it requires gas. But it will save you many, many hours of labor. In my case it added days to my year when we rented a friend’s for just a week. Pick a centralized location, and then one person brings the wood to the splitter while the other one feeds.
I would however not be caught dead without the tools for the older methods. Gas runs out. Machines break. It would just about take an Arc Light [bombing] mission to destroy a steel handled maul. Also some times it is easier to use a maul than a splitter, and sometimes you just need to blow off steam by breaking things apart (I mean firewood, not people who stress you out).
Always wear boots. Always wear gloves. Always have extra gloves in depth.
Hauling wood
Own a good quality wheelbarrow. [JWR Adds: In addition to a wheelbarrow with an air free (foam-filled) tire, if you have an ATV, then buy a sturdy steel trailer for it. Unless you live on a mountainside, an ATV can get to the farthest corners of your wood lot.] Keep spare parts for everything but the bucket. You will need them. Always store the wheelbarrow upside down if you keep it outside. Always check for snakes when you turn it back up to use. For obvious reasons I recommend using a motorized vehicle for hauling long distance up hill. Even if you have to clear a path, it will save time. Plus, you also burn whatever was in you path. Even the trunk of a sedan can be used to haul a fair bit of wood. Human chains are great for loading/unloading operations. I advise resisting the temptation to toss the wood to one another, but for short, steep gradients, throwing wood down can save a lot of time. Just don’t try to catch it. Make sure to switch sides periodically to vary which muscle groups are getting the strain.
Stacking Wood:
Stacking wood is an art form of its own. There are many ways to do it. Just remember the basics:
- Never just pile the wood up for more than a short while. It will rot quickly on the bottom, and why should you lose wood you’ve already worked to cut and haul.
- Always stack on [scrap wood] runners. This permits airflow underneath and greatly delays wood wasting rot. It also reduces bugs, which is good if it’s by your house. It may provide runways for little furry critters, but they are going to be there anyway, so don’t sweat it. I recommend at least one full-time outdoor mouser. Bring her food in at night to encourage hunting and to reduce instances of being woken up by her fighting off coons and possums.
- Do sweat the snakes and spiders. Once more, always wear gloves. We had a problem for a while with a nest of copperheads. This taught us to always check the ground around the wood stack. It also taught us that in a hot enough stove, a copperhead can pop like a big meat popcorn. Remember to burn at least the heads, and that they can still bite when dead. Ant nests can be a problem too, and necessitate seeking out the wood they have built their home in and sending them on a vacation to a warmer place. Ants just sizzle though, they don’t pop. Sorry.
- Stack tight, and stack stable. Put the longest and the heaviest pieces at the bottom. Put oddly shaped pieces off to one side and then stick them on top. Think of the stack as a puzzle and make it tight. End posts are nice with permanent stacks. BTW, small stuff burns quickly, and can cause a fire to rage out of control, with a water stove, this can be a problem, causing your water to boil. Stack skinny bits of wood separately from the big stuff, or put them on top.
- Cover your stacks against the rain. If you use tarps, make sure they are taught, or you will wind up with pooling water that will reduce the life of your tarp and seep into your wood. I advise using solid overhead cover for at least your near term use wood. I feel that over time in a humid climate moisture and heat can build up under a tarp and permit decomposition.
- When bringing in wood from outside, keep an eye out for vagabond critters scurrying away from you into your house. If they enjoy eating your wood stack, they’ll likely love your nice warm house. Sweep up all debris when finished and throw it in the fire. And never store wood in the house. Things that are dormant under bark in the cold weather may revive in your cozy abode and frolic, to your detriment.
- Wood stacks can be used to provide tactical landscaping, as others on this blog have mentioned. In addition to providing cover or concealment, they can also block your fields of fire, or avenues of maneuver. Site them wisely.
- Rotate through your stacks on a modified FIFO basis. In general this means oldest stack first, but sometimes a newer stack may be drier. Use the dried wood first. The water in wood consumes heat energy as it evaporates, reducing useful output, and also add bulk to the smoke, encouraging it to flow back out into the house.
Timing:
Generally we cut down trees in the late Fall or Winter. It was a good time for hard labor with the cool weather, the underbrush is less dense and buggy, and the sap isn’t running in the trees. We would usually try and get the years supply down and cut into rough lengths. This lets it dry faster. Generally we would leave it in place or rough stack it in place and move on, and then collect it in a later season to haul to the house. This let us make the most of the time when the sap wasn’t running to bring down trees.
Once the wood is rough stacked you can leave it there for a while. I don’t bother to cover wood I leave in the woods. The rain won’t hurt the inside of the wood much, and it will have time for the outside to dry when I bring it to the house. This was an issue of space around the house for us. If you have a big wood barn, like one of our neighbors, there’s not much reason to leave it in the woods.
As for splitting wood, some say it’s easier when wet, some say dry. After trying it both ways I think it depends on the type of wood, but ceased to look into it once I discovered powered log splitters. I do know that wood dries much faster when split, and stacks better too, so I see no reason not to split wet wood.
Thanks to Mr. Rawles and to all the SurvivalBlog contributors. God bless you all and remember to change your socks. - SGT B.
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Is Prepping an Insurmountable Task?--The Beginner's Primer, by Gary T.
Once you realize the importance of being prepared for coming hard times, you may ask yourself, “How can I possibly prepare for any scenario? This is an insurmountable undertaking.” The more you ponder this, the more the reality of this seems to be confirmed. Let not your heart be troubled. As with almost any endeavor, the road to success begins with the first step and continues one step at a time. Consistent, prioritized, careful preparation over a period of time, preparation built around what your personal situation (budget, job, family, medical needs, etc.) will allow, can get you in a position in relatively short order to weather the scenarios that are most likely to occur. The mere fact that you have considered the possibilities of what may lay ahead can very quickly put you ahead of the vast majority of the population.
Consider the possible scenarios whereby preparedness would prove to be literally a lifesaver. These scenarios range from very geographically localized events, either natural or man-made, to the proverbial TEOTWAWKI. The likelihood any of these events occurring generally becomes decreasing likely in a given time frame as the geographical scope and severity of the event increases. Therefore the occurrence of a total multi-generational societal collapse, requiring the maximum amount of preparation is far less likely to occur over the next year or two or five than relatively local, relatively short term events such as tornados, hurricanes or floods, or even some major terrorist events, all requiring far less preparation than TEOTWAWKI situation previously mentioned. This should be considered in the early stages of preparation as priorities for investment are made.
Therefore, your preparation should follow a well planned, measured, prioritized process that enables you to be positioned to go through the most likely scenarios first followed by progressively increasing severe scenarios. Ongoing preparation will build on the past. No effort goes wasted. This should be encouraging to the beginning prepper.
How should you start? Start with a careful analysis of the most likely localized events that may occur in your area or region, or events from another region that may impact your local area (remember passenger air service after 9/11). Shutdown of transportation systems, especially trucking and rail should be of paramount concern. What is the probable time frame that these events may cause you to rely on your own resources? Make a list of all the items and quantities you will need to get through that period of time. This constitutes the Phase I physical resources preparation plan.
Prioritize the list and within the constraints of your budget begin to acquire the items you have listed. Keeping an Excel spreadsheet makes this task much easier and allows you to see at a glance exactly how much physical resource preparation you have achieved, how much you still need, the value of those resources, the cost to complete your initial Phase I purchases, etc. Your spreadsheet should include rows listing each item with columns for:
- Priority
- Category or subcategory
- Quantity Needed (for the given preparation Phase)
- Quantity on Hand
- Difference Needed vs. On-Hand (Calculated Value)
- Cost Each
- Acquisition Cost (Calculated Value)
- On Hand Value (Calculated Value)
- Total Value (Calculated Value)
- Percent Complete for the Item (Calculated Value) – you can color code this Red/Yellow/Green for and at a glance dashboard view
- Subtotals as you feel appropriate for each Category or Sub-Category
In the same way you used Excel to track your Phase I resources preparation status, use your spreadsheet to list categories, sub-categories, items and quantities that you wish to acquire for future Phases, up to and including a Phase for TEOTWAWKI. This allows you to systematically build your level of preparedness a Phase at a time. As you start with Phase I, you can also see how well you are gearing up for future Phases as well. Remember, on-hand quantities, pricing, etc, can carry from the Phase I sheet to the Phase II through Phase “n” sheets so redundant data entry isn’t required! Don’t forget to make hard copies of your files and save them in a three ring binder.
Additional Tips for getting started.
So you have determined what you need to acquire and have begun to do so. But prepping isn’t just about acquiring tangible goods.
It is also about skills. It is especially about skills. Even what I have called “Phase I” preparation should include training in the plan. A diversity of skills within your group (which may start out as just your family) is important. Take advantage of any relevant training available to you at low or no cost. Programs available in many communities include CERT, First Aid, CPR and similar. Use these opportunities to increase your skill base. These are great skills to have in normal times and are great skills to build upon. Even these basic courses could prove to literally be lifesavers in “normal” as well as tougher times.
Learn to garden. Even if you don’t have a retreat with the space, perfect soil, and water supply, you should garden on a smaller scale in your city or suburban back yard. This will give you a head start in knowledge and experience (i.e., harvesting and saving seeds for future years) when you are able to move to that retreat location. Plus, fresh garden vegetables are healthier and taste so much better than what you purchase from the store, especially if the store bought vegetables are poured from a can! Nothing beats enjoying a hand picked, vine ripe tomato fresh from the garden (and I confess, I take the salt shaker out back with me!).
Put away the foods you eat today. Nitrogen packed survival foods are expensive and likely should and may be a part of your plan. However, many foods that you eat today can be more immediately utilized to kick start your storage pantry at moderate cost while you save for other more expensive longer term options. You can buy or easily build out of plywood a FIFO rotation canned goods rack, set it in a pantry or closet and start loading it up today with the foods you already eat. This accumulation can be done for little perceived cost if done over time. Simply buy a little extra of what you already purchase each time you are at the store. You will be amazed at how quickly you can build up a 30, 60, 90 day supply of canned goods that will never go bad because they are what you currently eat so you rotate them via the FIFO system into your daily meals. Canned vegetables, meats, soups, fruits and sauces can all be stored in this simple way. All at very moderate expense.
Learn about your firearms. Practice with them as much as you can afford to. Get professional instruction. Basic courses for novices are available at moderate expense. There are NRA sanctioned courses for basic safety, handling and shooting skills. Work toward completion of an NRA course or equivalent in self defense in the home and self defense outside the home. If you are or once you get to be more advanced, get even more advanced training. If your budget doesn’t initially allow this, do the best you can but plan for more advanced tactical training in a future Phase. The key now is to get what you can afford and build on that. Practice, practice, practice.
Don’t think you must necessarily purchase a complete set of new firearms right out of the gate for your survival armory. Conventional wisdom suggests .45 ACP pistols for carry, .308/7.62 NATO semi-autos for your MBR (with expensive red-dot optics), a good .308 bolt action for long range and / or large game hunting, and perhaps a more expensive shotgun than you have budget for. If you already have 9mm pistols, that AR-15 you bought a few years ago “because you wanted one”, the scoped .303 you inherited from Dad and an old but functional Remington 870 Express in 12 gauge, you are good to go for now, as a beginner prepper. Make sure that adequate ammunition is part of your plan, but with this or a similar adequate set of calibers and shotgun you are set for your initial Phases of preparation. Early on, food, water, medical supplies and the like are likely a higher priority than new firearms. You can upgrade in a future Phase. Focus on firearms training at this stage. It’s about prioritization. Besides, later phases prepare for scenarios that will be more likely to require the capabilities of upgraded firearms.
A basic principle. Standardize. If you pick .45ACP for your personal carry weapon, it is advantages for all members of your group to do the same. The same principle applies for your MBR, self defense and hunting shotguns, etc. Ammunition and magazine plans will appreciate this. Try to standardize on 1 or 2 battery types for your battery operated devices. Or more correctly standardize by using devices requiring only 1 or 2 battery types. You don’t want to have to store and/or maintain charges on AA, AAA, CR123, C, D, N and CR2032 batteries, when you could be more efficient and effective with perhaps using only AA batteries. This principle applies to anything that you have more than one of. Radios, flashlights, etc. Remember the axiom, two is one and one is none. Standardization means simplicity, efficiency, spares. There may be exceptions, but take standardization into consideration when you develop or modify your plan. Initially, you may have to have a wider assortment of devices depending on the devices you currently have, but have a strategy to standardize.
Plan to read or more correctly, to learn by reading. Whenever you come across a useful article, print it out and save it in a three ring binder with other useful articles you have saved. Even if it is something you can’t purchase or do or use until a future Phase, save it now and add it to the plan now. There is an incredible amount of useful information in SurvivalBlog.com. Read and save (and purchase through Jim’s site when you decide to purchase goods from one of his advertisers). Jim helps us so we should help him where we can.
If you have relatives or friends in a rural location that you can get too and who are willing to take you in during appropriate events, have a G.O.O.D. plan. This includes hard copy maps with routes and alternate routes. Practice all routes before the big day. Practice your load out plan, again, prior to the big day. Search SurvivalBlog.com for loads of information on G.O.O.D. There are many concerns related to evacuation in certain scenarios. Educate yourself and make educated decisions.
This article is the tip of the iceberg with regards to beginning prepping, but hopefully it has a few pointers to get you thinking and to get you started and is an encouragement that this can be done, that you can successfully prepare for the future. You don’t have to purchase all nitrogen packed long shelf life survival foods or the perfect arsenal with one of every conceivable firearm type for every circumstance (in fact limiting (standardizing) models and calibers has some clear advantages) in order to successfully prepare for the likeliest of scenarios. Remember, methodical, prioritized preparing is the way to go for those of us on a budget. Start small, build your knowledge base, supplies and skills, and very soon you will be in the enviable position of weathering the most likely calamities to occur in the next few years. If you continue this methodical, ongoing process, you will continue to improve your situation and continue to put your self in a position to weather increasingly more severe and longer lasting scenarios. The important thing for those on a budget is not to wish you could do it all now by immediately trading cash for all the tangibles and training you need, but to start and to start now and to consistently build to our plan as we can afford to do so.
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Letter Re: Grub and Gear--Lessons Learned from an Alaskan Trapper
James,
Going through some old gear last month, I found my food supply lists and notes from 1976-79. I thought the old list might be of interest and the lessons I learned during the first three years in the remote Alaska bush may be helpful to a few of your readers. I do not recommend Alaska for a TEOTWAWKI retreat but the lessons I learned the hard way may be helpful to any one in a cold climate.
I grew up in California listing to stories from my grandfather about Alaska and the Yukon. When I graduated from high school my grandfather gave me his remote trapping cabin in Alaska. At 18 I had a lot to learn and discovered many things the hard way. I was lucky to survive the first year.
When I got to Alaska I met my Grandfather’s old trapping partner. He told me that the cabin was fully stocked with everything including food. Enough food and supplies for at least one winter. When I started asking him questions on how to trap he told me “sonny I have not got the time to teach you and since you don’t have to build the cabin you will have time to figure it out. He added half under his breath” providing you do not fall through the ice or freeze to death. He also said something to the effect that if he had not owed my grandfather a favor he would never give his ½ of the cabin to a long haired hippy kid from California. I had to promise the old Sourdough that I would have all of his traps flown back to town at the end of the trapping season or buy the traps from him.
My first winter was a disaster.
Before this the longest I had been in the wilderness was a 23 day Outward Bound survival class that I attended the year before and I had never spent a winter in a cold environment.
To get to the trapping cabin it was at least a two week walk from the end of closest dirt road or a 1:20 hour flight in a bush plane. The cheapest way to fly to the cabin was in a Piper PA-18 Super Cub on tundra tires. The pilot told me he could carry 1 passenger and 200 lbs of supplies or a total of 400 pounds of supplies and no passenger.
When the pilot dropped me off he told me “If I am in the area I will check on you” He did not have any charters that way so he did not check on me that winter.
I got out of the plane with a full back pack of gear, a duffel bag of supplies and a 30-06 rifle. I had to walk a few miles to the cabin. I left the duffel bag in a tree to retrieve later. With a full back pack and my rifle I walked as fast as I could to the cabin. I was excited to see “My cabin” at last. What a shock I had when I saw the cabin! The old Trapper had lived many winters in the cabin and told me it was built strong. What I found was a small log shack with a dirt floor and sod roof. In the cabin a wood stove, a hand built bed frame and table. A old bed mattress suspended by wire from the rafters. There were traps, snow shoes, ax, bow saw, one man cross cut saw, files, a lantern and the other basics that are needed to survive the Alaska winter as a trapper. The trapper had not been to the cabin for four years. At least 60% of the food supply that I was counting on had been eaten by rodents or had spoiled.
First lesson learned! If you count on food to be there when you need it, You better have had your food stored in a very secure way or you may go hungry. Theft is also something to be considered in today’s society and in TEOTWAWKI losing your food cache would be disastrous
Most people think it must have been boring spending 4 ½ months alone in a cabin. The reality is I was too busy just trying to cut enough wood to stay warm and skin the marten, fox or wolf that I trapped or shot. I was cold, hungry and exhausted most of the time. I never had the time to get board. Being a green horn at trapping I only averaged 1 animal a week and it was usually shot instead of trapped.
The first winter at the cabin.
As soon as I walked into the cabin I I knew I was in trouble. I did not have the 4-to-5 month supply of food I needed. I had a topo map of the trapping area only but did not have the maps to get me back to the road or town, Second lesson! Make your Egress plans ahead of time and have at least 2 good contingency plans.
Thankfully in the cabin there were two steel drums with snap ring lids that were full of dry goods and on the shelves were some cans of dried goods that were also still good. The following list is what was still edible in the cabin as best as I can remember
- 50 lbs Bisquick
- 50 lbs Beans
- 25 lbs Rice
- 10 Lbs Lentils
- 20 lbs Oatmeal
- 10 lbs Coffee
- 2 lbs black pepper
- 10 lbs Crisco
- 4 lbs Honey
- 25 lbs salt
The supplies along with a young moose I shot did keep me alive but it was no fun. I had youth and enthusiasm on my side and knew the situation was temporary. I decided to just make it a challenge and kind of live some of my grandfather's stories first hand for myself. I had in my pack 1 roll of toilet paper but there was none at the cabin
Third Lesson! Birch bark, snow or small pine cones work but make a very poor substitute for toilet paper. I also learned later that winter that at -40 your butt will freeze to a wood toilet seat in the outhouse. Make a toilet seat for the outhouse out of hard blue Styrofoam for winter will make using the outhouse less of a pain in the butt.
As fall quickly turned to winter the lake next to the cabin froze and the temp continued to drop. The high quality mountaineering boots I had used in the high Sierra mountains of California and Nevada were not anywhere near warm enough and did not have removable liners so the boots were hard to dry.
Forth lesson Pac boots with 2 sets of liners or bunny boots are must have items for cold environments.
Many times during the winter I could have shot Grouse or Ptarmigan If I had a 22 pistol. That would have added much wanted variety to the menu. The other problem I learned is if you get a wolf or wolverine in one of your traps a 30-06 blows too big a hole in the hide and destroys most of the value of the fur.
Fifth Lesson! a .22 rifle or pistol is a must have item.
After 2 months my clothes were in bad shape. Most Light weight high tech clothing used for backpacking or mountaineering is not designed for day to day hard use and does not hold up to rigors outdoor work for the long haul. High quality wool clothing does a lot better over the long haul and is not susceptible to melting next to a fire like nylon is. Yes wool is heavy and takes longer to dry but in my opinion for working in the woods wool is the way to go.
Sixth lesson ! clothing made for loggers, Surveyors and commercial fisherman may be heavy but it last a lot better than sporting gear. Filson is the best.
My diet was boring and I was always hungry after two months. I started getting sick and my teeth seemed to be getting loose. It finally dawned on me that I had no intake of Vitamin C. I may have had Scurvy. Remembering something I learned from my grandfather I started eating rose hips that were dried and still hanging on a few bushes near the cabin. Thankfully we did not have deep snows that year so I could find a few rose hips. I was lucky! Seventh Lesson! make sure you have a source of Vitamin C.
Every time I took my rifle inside the warm cabin it would condensate and the rifle would get wet.
Eighth Lesson If you bring a rifle into a warm cabin from a below freezing environment it will condensate, this promotes corrosion in addition the moisture in the bolt may be frozen the next time you are outside in the cold. If you do bring a weapon in from the cold strip it down, dry it and clean it. I left my rifle outside next to the door for most of the winter and only brought it in to clean. This would not work in a TEOTWAWKI so other tactics will have to be developed.
One morning there was a small earth quake that got me to thinking of my family and the outside world. Started felling very alone. Starting thinking what if the Russians had dropped “the bomb” I would not know it.
Lesson #9! Being able to at least hear what is going on in the outside world helps your mental attitude a lot. A radio to listen to the news was smoothing I longed for.
Snow shoes are easy to use and most anyone will figure them out quickly. When you are working on snow shoes you will fall now and then. Lesson # 10 tape the muzzle of your rifle to keep snow out of the barrel when you take the invariable header into the snow. I use electrical tape or put a condom over the muzzle of all my rifles in the field to keep everything out of the barrel. It will not affect accuracy unless you are shooting over 300 yards.
The winter was full of hardship and big education. I did enjoy it but given a choice I would not want to repeat that Winter. In the spring I sold my furs in Anchorage. The fur buyer could tell I had never trapped before as the way I had prepared the pelts was poor at best. I got .20 cents on the dollar for my pelts and I think that was generous on the part of the fur buyer. 4-½ months of hard work and after paying the bush pilot along with the money I still owed the trapper I would have less than $100. The trapper met me at the fur buyer after paying him for his traps he was now very friendly and asked me many questions. He encouraged me to go back for at least one more winter. He told me to go get a bath and haircut and meet him at the White Spot cafe down the street in downtown Anchorage and he would buy me a good meal. While eating he handed me a the following list
- 90 lbs bisquick
- 50 lbs Beans
- 50 lbs Rice
- 25 lbs Salt
- 25 lbs Lentils
- 20 lbs oatmeal
- 10 lbs Sugar
- 10 lbs lard
- 10 lbs powdered milk
- 10 lbs split peas
- 10 lbs Tang [freeze-dried orange juice powder]
- 10 lbs coffee
- 10 lbs noodles
- 1 case tomato paste
- 5 lbs strawberry Jam
- 4 lbs honey
- 2 lbs pepper
- 5 gal White gasoline
- 4 large boxes wood matches
- 24 large Plumber's Candles
- 8 rolls toilet paper
- 6 lantern mantels
- 7 Lbs Trapping wire
- Gun oil
- Trapping lures and scents
This was the list of supplies that the trapper had the pilot bring to the cabin each spring when the plane came to pick him up. This filled what would have otherwise been an empty plane. In early April the lake next to the cabin was still frozen so the plane would land on skis and taxi next to the cabin. The pilot and trapper would put the supplies into the cabin then the pilot flew the trapper back to town.
The Trapper then informed me that he had purchased the supplies for me and was having them flown to the cabin along with 2 more steel drums to safely store the supplies in.
The "Rifle and a Backpack" Myth
I often get a chuckle from people that think they can fill a back pack and head into the woods and survive long term with what is in a back pack. Until recently I spent most of my life guiding in Alaska and in Africa. I spent an average 110 days a year living out of a back pack under a tarp or in a pup tent, and another 180 days each year living in a remote cabins without electricity or running water.
In an uninhabited game rich environment with a rifle and only a back pack of gear I could survive for a period of time. How long could I survive? I do not know as there are too many variables.
What I do know is in the case of TEOTWAWKI where many people would be fleeing the cities and overcrowding the wild places looking for food I could not survive trying to live off the land with only a back pack full of gear. There will simply not be the recourses available. If a skilled person had no ethics they could take to stealing, looting, probably murder/cannibalism they might make it long term starting with only a back pack full of gear. For me and my family I believe in preparing now and stocking up while food and supplies are available and reasonably priced.
In the early 1980s I bought a lot of my supplies from a sporting goods/gun store in Anchorage. The store maintained an excellent inventory for hunters, trappers or survivalists. The store manager could talk the talk on both survival and hunting. One fall he hired me to take him on a 14-day bow hunting trip into the Alaska bush and film the adventure. He also hired a young guy that had just moved to Alaska from Georgia to help carry camera gear. I was concerned regarding the greenhorn from Georgia and even more concerned when I saw his marginal gear. The Georgia greenhorn however did fine and was a huge help on the trip. The trip however was a complete failure. The store manager had every neat gadget I had ever seen and many that I had never heard of. His pack was too full to carry any of the food or camera gear. He was out of shape and his pack was also too heavy for him to comfortably carry. After the float plane dropped us off on a high mountain lake we planned to walk for a week to my cabin hunting Dall Sheep on the way. Then at the Cabin we planned to hunt Moose and Grizzly. During the first 2 days the store manager left a lot of gadgets and some much needed gear on the trail to lighten his pack. I was stunned as I thought this guy knew his stuff but he was totally bewildered on how to apply his knowledge or gear in the field. One of the things I still clearly remember is he actually dumped all of his extra socks and his rain gear at the first nights camp. Leaving that gear behind cost him dearly. The Greenhorn from Georgia was a farm kid and was able to adapt to the Alaska bush even with his marginal gear and lack of knowledge of the Alaska bush. The store manager never made a single stalk on any animal as it became a challenge to just get the store manager to the cabin. By the time we got him to the cabin his feet were so badly blistered he could hardly walk and could not even carry his own pack or bow. This rambling story actually has a point. I had heard the store manager tell many people before our trip that with his properly equipped backpack he could easily survive in the bush indefinitely. My grandfather use to say: "Ignorance is bliss but it will not put food on the table."
My Second Winter
I still had a lot to learn but this winter was a lot better. First thing when I arrived at the cabin was to see that the supplies were all there and in fine shape. I also had topo maps and now knew 3 different routes to get back to civilization. It was at least a 2 week walk but I at least knew the routes to get there.
In a TEOTWAWKI situation if you are at your retreat in the winter you will probably also get into a routine. That could be both good and bad. Think security and mix the times up so ambush is harder for the goons to set up.
Winter set in, an in my second winter in the cabin, it did not take long to get into my routine. Every day starts the same. At approximately 6:00 A.M. The alarm clock goes off. What I mean the stove has only a few coals left and the cabin is freezing so I have to get up and stoke the fire. Then step outside into the extreme cold. Cut a log into rounds and this is done in the dark. Then go down to the lake still in the dark (batteries for the flashlight are too precious to waste and so is gas for the lantern) carefully chip the ice around each of five fishing lines with a hatchet. Pull up the hook hoping for a burbut (fresh water ling cod) reset the bait, haul water back to the cabin. If I had not caught a fish for breakfast then on the meat pole next to the cabin I used the saw and cut off a frozen chunk of caribou. Still dark and I am cold, step into the cabin warm up my frozen hands, dry my gloves and cook breakfast on the wood stove. Then put the dutch oven with beans, lentils or rice on the wood stove to rehydrate while I am gone for the day. Pack my lunch: two pancakes with a slab of cooked caribou meat in the middle, also put one tablespoon of tang into my insulated water bottle then fill it with hot water from the pot on the stove. Warm tang makes a nice mid morning warm up on the trail and is a source of Vitamin C.
As it is just starting to get light strap on the snow shoes and head out pulling the sled. If it has not snowed I can walk on top of the packed trail with the snow shoes on the sled.
The day is spent dragging the sled checking and resetting traps while constantly looking for a wolf, fox or wolverine to shoot. During each day I must also find a dry standing dead spruce tree to cut down and limb with the ax then using the sled haul it back to the cabin. Must always be on my main trail with everything tied onto the sled before it is completely dark. Days are short: the mid-winter sun is only up for 4 ½ hrs. I used my flashlight is only for emergencies.
Following a packed trail is easy in the dark just remember to get behind the sled on any downhill or the sled will hit you in the back of your legs and could break a snowshoe or your leg. Usually get back to the cabin long after dark.
Lesson # 11 Cross country skis are no substitute for snow shoes.
The snow shoes at the cabin were old and on the last legs of useful life. Instead of bringing a new set of snow shoes I had purchased a new set of back country cross country skis to the cabin. I thought I would use the snow shoes as a backup. Learned that skis are not as good to work on as snow shoes for doing chores or trapping. Skis have a place and can save time but are not a replacement for snow shoes. In snow country snow shoes are essential and skis are a nice luxury.
Each night when I finally arrive at the cabin I am tired and hungry. First thing is to start the fire then fix dinner. After dinner if I was lucky that day I can light the lantern and skin whatever I had trapped or shot after it has thawed. 9:15 PM is the highlight of the day! I get to listen to the AM radio for 45 minutes.
Lesson #8 and had brought a radio this time. Always hoping Caribou Clatters has a message for me from my family. Allow myself 45 minutes to read by lantern or candle light. 11:00 PM re-stoke the fire and collapse on the bed. The radio, dinner and sleep are the reward of a day’s hard work. Around 2:30 AM the fire has burned to just a few coals and I get cold, get up put more wood on and go back to sleep. The next thing I know it is 6:00 AM the fire has burned to just a few coals and it is freezing in the cabin and the day starts all over again.
Lesson #12 In a cold winter climate Use no oil in the bolt or trigger assembly of your rifle as it may freeze. I tried to shoot at a wolf (a wolf hide was then worth $450) when I pulled the trigger on my rifle it only went click. The firing pin would not strike the primer with enough force to set off the primer. After the second try and another click the wolf ran off and out of range. That was only an expensive lesson. In a TEOTWAWKI it could have been some one shooting at me and I would have had a useless rifle.
On my daily trips to check the fishing lines and get water I knew the ice was 28” thick and still getting thicker each week. A December day the temp was -27 F and I was crossing the outlet end of a small lake to check out some tracks. Not worrying as I thought the ice was 28” thick everywhere I fell through the ice and found myself waist deep in water. This was two miles from my cabin It was all I could do to make it to the cabin.
Lesson #13 any out let or inlet of a frozen lake may have thin ice also a warm spring or other things can cause thin ice. The fire was out in my stove and no coals were left. I had a very hard time getting a fire started and as a last resort used white gas and almost burned down the cabin.
Lesson #14 have the kindling and all the fixings of a fire ready any time you leave your cabin. You never know when someone may be at the end of their strength and need to get a fire going.
One evening in early January I returned to the cabin to find a note and care package on the table from the bush pilot. The pilot had brought me a bag of oranges, a fruit cake and a newspaper. He also left three letters from my family. It was if I had won the lottery
As the snow got deeper during the winter I started finding that many animals liked to use my packed trail. I learned never underestimate the danger of a moose particularly in the winter if they are on a packed trail they may charge you instead of going into deep snow. I had a cow moose chase me up a tree then stomp my on sled and break one of my snow shoes.
Lesson #15 Moose are dangerous, especially late winter
In early February I came across Grizzly tracks in the snow. I was shocked as I thought that bears would be in the den all winter. I followed the tracks and found the bear had made a moose kill.
Lesson # 16 Grizzly bears and black bears do not truly hibernate and may be out of the den during any month of the year. Over the years I learned if a bear is away from his den in the winter it will be hungry and grumpy.
As a kid I loved watching western movies. It seemed to me cowboys wore their handgun in a low slung fast draw holster and I thought that was cool. The western style fast draw holsters I tried in the bush were useless. I now see that some law enforcement and military teams are using a thigh mounted holster. I am not disputing the tactical points of that method but if you are working in the woods you will occasionally fall into snow or mud. That is when you want your hand gun in a full flap holster or in a normal holster worn under the last layer of clothing. Getting your hand gun into your hand fast is of no use if it will not fire when you need it.
Lesson #18 Select holsters that will allow you to comfortably carry your hand gun with you at all times and will protect the weapon from the elements. I have tried over 40 different holsters and method of carrying my handgun. I strongly suggest you experiment now on how to carry your own handgun. Find something that works for you. I presently use three different holsters:
- A holster that I use to carry concealed when I am in a city environment.
- A holster when I am working in the bush.
- A holster when I am flying float planes.
In March, the bush pilot landed on the frozen lake with 400 lbs of supplies. He helped me put the food into the steel drums for the next trapping season then flew me back to town.
I had spent 160 days alone in the bush trapping. I sold my furs to the fur buyer in Anchorage. After paying the bush pilot for the supplies and flights to the cabin and back I had cleared $2,700.
I learned a lot that winter and over the years refined the old trappers list to keep me well fed and a lot happier.
A More Complete Supply List
After my experiences the first two winters, I composed the following list. This is for one man for five to six months. It was refined for my personal taste and needs in the Alaska bush. The old trapper that I got my first list from made do with a lot less than what I took. This list is tried and true and not a just theory that someone made up. I had around 200 traps and ran the line on snowshoes, foot and skis. Cut my firewood by hand (no chain saw) and hauled my water from the lake in buckets. It was hard work 12-15 hours a day 7 days a week and I burned a lot of calories. Using the following list I ate well and always had plenty of supplies left in the spring:
- 50 lbs Flour
- 50 lbs Bisquick
- 25 lbs Pancake mix
- 35 lbs Sugar
- 50 lbs Pinto Beans
- 25 lbs Rice
- 40 lbs Salt pork
- 25 lbs Salt
- 10 lbs Dried prunes
- 10 lbs Raisons
- 10 lbs Dried apricots
- 10 lbs Dried apples
- 10 lbs Dried peaches
- 25 lbs Oatmeal
- 10 lbs Honey
- 2 cases Tomato paste
- 25 lbs powdered milk
- 15 lbs [canned] Butter
- 25 lbs Corn meal
- 25 lbs [canned] Cheese
- 20 lbs Spaghetti Noodles
- 10 lbs Crisco
- 15 lbs Hot cocoa mix
- 10 lbs Dried eggs
- 5 lbs Strawberry Jam
- 3 lbs Apricot Jam
- 2 boxes Pilot bread
- 1 gal Maple Syrup
- 180 Multi vitamins
- 180 Vitamin C
- 1 lb [powdered dry] Yeast
- 180 Tea bags
- 1 lbs Pepper
- 1 lbs
- Baking soda
- 8 lbs
- Dried onions
- 1 lb Baking powder
- 1 lb. Corn starch
- 24 oz Garlic powder
- 12 oz Vanilla
- 2 rolls aluminum foil
- 1/2 gal Dish soap
- 5 bars non-scented soap
- 36 Canning lids (to can meat if we had a winter thaw or for leftover in the spring)
- 8 oz Hydrogen peroxide
- 2 oz Iodine
- 12 rolls Toilet paper
- 2 Small sponges
- 2 Scrub pads
- 1 roll Duct Tape
- 4 boxes of wooden Matches
- 24 Plumber's candles
- 500 rounds .22 long rifle hollow point ammo
- 100 .308 ammo 125 grain hollow point varmint ammo
- 20 rounds .308 ammo 180 grain (for Moose or Caribou )
- Trapping license and regulations
- Hunting license, moose tags and caribou tags
- New snowshoe bindings
- 1 truck inner tube
- 3 New hacksaw blades
- 2 New Ax handles
- 8 Bow saw blades
- 36 oz Lanolin
- 6 Disposable lighters
- 12 gal White gas [aka Coleman Fuel]
- 12 Lantern mantels
- 6 oz. Gun oil
- Trapping Lures, urine and musk
- 10 lbs Trap wax
- 2 rolls Survey ["flagging"] tape
- 1 pair Heavy Neoprene trapping gloves
- 7 lbs Trapping wire( 50% 12 ga and 50% 14 ga)
- 50 ft Trap Chain #2 and #3
- 24 Links
- 24 Swivels
- AM Radio with 8 extra 9 volt batteries
- 8’ New stove pipe for cabin stove
- 4 Leather awl needles and 50’ waxed thread
- Extra shoulder straps for pack frame
- Extra hip belt for pack
- New lid for fry pan 14”
- 100’ - 3/8 nylon rope
- 12x18” glass to replace cracked window
- Personal items
- 1 Wool Jacket
- 2 Wool pants
- 2 Work pants
- 1 Pair insulated Carhartt coveralls
- 4 Pair work gloves
- 2 Pair heavy winter over mittens.
- Winter trappers hat
- 1 pair
- Pack boots with 2 sets liners
- 1 pair Bunny Boots
- 1 Wool sweater
- 4 pair long sleeved wool shirts
- 3 pair Wool long john pants
- 3 pair Wool long john shirts
- 8 pair Wool socks
- 8 pair Cotton socks
- 6 pair Underpants
- 1 Bible
- 2 flying ground school books
- 6 Short sleeve Cotton shirts
- Tooth brush
- Tooth powder
- 2 rolls dental floss
- Carried or in an external frame pack:
- 1 .308 rifle
- 1 22 pistol (Colt Woodsman)
- Rain coat
- Rain pants
- Insolite sleeping pad
- Sleeping bag
- 10x12’ and 4x8’ light nylon tarps
- Flashlight
- Flashlight batteries
- Binoculars, 10x40
- Green River skinning knife, caping knife, boning knife.
- Small stone, small file and small diamond steel
- Compass
- Topo maps 1:250,000 scale
- 2 Candles
- Matches in waterproof container
- Lighter
- Small cook pot with lid
- Water bottle
- 100’ Parachute cord
- Small First aid kit with Large suture needles and suture, in sealed pack
- Mini channel locks (Snap-on) used for sutures and other things
- Pack repair kit
- ¾-length Hand ax. (Estwing)
- Small shovel
- Bow saw with extra blade
- 1 pair wool socks
- Wire snares
- Fish hooks and line
- 25’ .042” stainless wire
- 1 lb Dried soup mix
« Letter Re: Bug Out Contingency Planning for Relatives |Main| Note from JWR: »
Real-Life Inspiration for Preparedness, by K.P.
Background Information:
My interest in preparedness started in earnest really just a few months ago. Before that, I had been an avid backpacker, rock climber, and other sports which require self-sufficiency and forethought. I am also a Red Cross volunteer. I was at hurricane Wilma, and I have done local search and rescue, amongst other things. This February I was dispatched to the south-western region of Kentucky for the Ice Storms. What I learned there changed me in a lot of ways.
I was aware of the pending economic collapse, but hadn't really thought of practical things to do until then. As a pre-1840s Re-enactor, I was pretty sure I could comfortably live in a pre-industrial setting. A little hubris, maybe, but at 23 sometimes that goes with the territory.
While we drove into Kentucky, parts of it looked like a war-zone. Downed trees and power lines, roofs collapsed, the whole deal. It was a long drive, and it really set in for us how serious this was. People's lives were on the line.
There were three FEMA gas depots throughout the State, but FEMA did next to nothing to help here. Without electricity, the pumps at the gas station will not work. Some place had hooked up diesel generators to power the pumps if they could, and very few business that were still open would accept anything but cash.
When we arrived in the small town to which we had been dispatched, we found that the Red Cross volunteers at the shelter had not slept for any normal amount of time in close to 8 days. At the height of the storms our shelter slept 150 people.
We gave the local volunteers a needed break, and worked 20-hour days. It was rough; but anyone who has been in that situation knows it can very rewarding as well. We served 800 hot meals a day, gave out pallets upon pallets of MREs and uncounted bottles of water.
The grid-water had been contaminated, so bottled water was really all the people could drink or wash with if they didn't have a very, very deep well, even then they were on a boil-alert. If your house did not have a wood burning stove, then you were sleeping with us. All together the power and gas were out, in some places, for more than 20 days.
That's the background and the quick version of events which eventually led to my interest in this area.
On to the practical details that I learned. First and most important was this: when the trucking lines break down, within two or perhaps three days, every store will be sold out of all dry food. That means, that if you don't have at least two weeks worth of food stored up, you'll be visiting me at the Shelter.
We slept (at out busiest day) 150 people in the shelter. No electricity, no gas, no water. We're talking serious survival kind of situations. In talking with the people there, excluding the elderly, the main reason people could not stay in their homes was heat. If you had a wood burning stove, you were basically fine. You could get by.
FEMA had a recording when you called them, that gave the residents the Red Cross local number. They did such unhelpful things as tell people we were giving our generators, gasoline, and kerosene. Things that to my knowledge the RC has never done, and we were not doing. FEMA had fliers telling people the could free food if they needed it. Supposedly they actually gave out about 1000 meals, but after that they referred people to us.
Lesson learned here: Do not, under any condition, assume FEMA or any other government agency will help you. Help yourself, and help your neighbors.
When I got back from Kentucky, I started to put the things I had seen in order. I started to mentally make lists of the things I would need when this situation came to my neck of the woods. I did not want to be in the shelter when (not if) something happened near me.
The main reason I saw in this specific situation was heat. So I planned on picking up at least two working wood burners. Then came water, then came food, and in a long-term scenario: barter.
Heat:
My house has a fireplace, and although that is not very efficient, in a pinch it would do until I can find the kind of stoves I really want. So I moved on to next item.
Water:
Water was pretty easy. I have a couple of streams on my property, and I can collect rain water. Some friends and I built a gravity-fed purification system. We modified two used beer kegs that we bought very cheap to hold water on top and bottom. We connected them with a 4 foot long stainless steel pipe with a very fine metal mesh at the bottom and filled with activated charcoal. When the water is first put through a matrix of gravel and varying degrees of fine sand, then through this system, you get very, very pure water. We believe it to be near laboratory-grade water. In fact, this system is just a scaled up version of a purifier at out local pharmaceutical company.
The benefit of using kegs is two-fold. First, they are readily available almost anywhere, and two they are stainless steel. I suppose you could also pretty easily convert this into a still if you so desired, for barter or producing barter-goods.
I have been working on something called an Archimedes' Screw to help move the water. It is basically a screw inside a cylinder. When a mechanical force is applied to the screw to turn it, either by hand, modified bicycle, or wind turbine, the screw pulls water up the cylinder, from a low place to a high place. This is not finished yet, so I cannot give it 100% clearance, but the theory seems sound.
Food:
Food takes a bit longer. I started by ordering some 6-gallon mylar bags and a couple packages of 500cc oxygen absorbers. I went to the local Big Box store, the kind that has a bakery inside, and asked if I could have their used 5-gallon buckets with lids. They were happy to help; and they were free. I cleaned them by alternating a bleach wash, a salt wash, and a vinegar with lemon juice wash. That got all of the icing smell out of the buckets. That step was more my OCD then a necessity, since the mylar will keep anything from being contaminated. Although I thought this might reduce the likely hood of insects poking around my buckets...
Place a mylar bag in a 5-gallon bucket. You want 6-gallon bags so you can press all the air, and seal the very end. This allows you to re-use the bags several times. Fill the bag with about 5 gallons of rice, beans, powdered milk, lentils, noodles, red winter wheat... whatever you are storing. Seal about 9/10's of the bag with a clothes iron being sure to leave room for your O2 absorbers to fit though; I like to make a two-inch seal. Grab the bag and lift it and shake it a bit to allow the contents to settle some, pressing the air up towards your seal.
You'll want to do several of these at once, because as soon as you open the O2 absorbers, they start working. I put the unused one in a zip-lock bag which I suck all the air out as I seal it. I also put in the tester pellet that comes with the absorbers so I know if they are good or not.
So let's say you are putting up five buckets. Each bucket gets ~2000cc worth of O2 absorbers. If you bought 500cc packs, that would be four per bucket for a total number of 20. Feel free to err on the side of caution here, if you are using some stored in the zip lock bags. The extra costs of the materials is drastically outweighed by the value of the stored food. If I have had the O2 absorbers exposed to air more than once, I toss in an extra one, more than twice, I toss in two extra, and I have never had any done more than that.
You want all your buckets prepped for final sealing before you open your O2 absorbers, for obvious reasons. I usually ask for a hand with this next stage to allow me to move as quickly as possible with as little exposure to general environmental air for the absorbers.
So, toss in your 4 absorbers, press out as much of the air as you can, and finish off the seal. I like to make my seals 2 inches thick, and again I use a clothes iron. I use a large dictionary with a wooden cutting board on top to make this seal. Snap down the lid of the bucket.
The bucket is necessary to protect the mylar. Although the mylar bags are strong in the sense that they can bear a lot of weight, pressure, or vacuum, they are highly susceptible to puncture.
Once all your buckets contain O2 absorbers and are sealed with lids on, take clear packing tape and put a long strip on the lid. I write the date I packed the bucket, the approximate storage life, the contents, and the weight/volume. I stack the buckets off the ground three-high.
Keep in mind that every dollar you spend here is worth many multiples of that in the future. Even if we are all wrong on the possibility of Schumeresque Scenarios, think of the money you will save just because of inflation.
Now, speaking of money. If you spend $20 for 50 pounds of rice today, and three years from now, you could sell it for $100; if you did not do your storage well, you're out $100 plus the cost of storage materials, not $20. So make sure that you do it carefully. You can also rotate out and in new stock.
Bartering:
No one (or at least not me) has the resources/time/etc to put into long-term storage everything they need for the rest of their lives. Eventually bullets and beans run out. So, you will need something to trade.
I like [non-numismatic pre-1965] junk silver, and one-ounce silver coins/bars. In my mind, these would work for direct bartering: things like mason jars, food, animals, ammunition, whatever. Flea markets are a great place to pick up small amounts of junk silver if your budget does not allow for larger purchases, like $500 or $1,000 face-value bags.
If we find ourselves in a prolonged period of hyperinflation like the Former Yugoslavia experienced (more on this later), then we might want to hedge our bets. You could buy a few 10-ounce silver bars, with the intent to sell them for the hyper-inflated currency before the bottom drops out to purchase needed items. Just a thought.
One could lay up, mason jars, paraffin, salt, sugar, alcohol, tobacco; lots of things for barter. There is also the good old stand-by, ammunition. My concern with ammo for barter, is that you might not know what that ammo is going to be used for, nor know for sure it will not be used against you or someone else. I do see the incredible versatility and all the good reasons for an ammo-based barter system. So do what you like.
The other event that really sent a lot of this home for me was a 6-week stay in Serbia. Listening to stories about how people would smuggle in gas during the embargo, buy any solid good while the money was worth something, and generally do everything they could to survive really had an effect on me. At the height of the crisis, they had 37% inflation per day culminating in the issue of the 500 billion Dinar note. This was of course fifteen to twenty years ago, but the scars are still visible. Belgrade did not demolish or clean up any of the damage done during the 1999 NATO bombing. The Serbs see that every day.
There is a quote I like, that many of you may know that I feel is appropriate here:
"History has shown us that government leaders often ignore the fundamental fact that people demand both dignity and freedom. Stripping motivated people of their dignity and rubbing their noses in it is a very bad idea." - John Ross, Unintended
Consequences
[JWR Adds: This otherwise excellent novel was marred by some vulgarity and
gratuitous
sex scenes. Beware!]
Back to the practicals...
People stocked up on silver, charcoal, wood burning stoves, anything that could be a store a value and increase their chances of survival. Another interesting happening was the use of checks. Checks in Serbia and the Former Yugoslavia are all printed with a maximum amount. Usually 5,000 Dinars, (about $70 in today's Dinar/ Dollar exchange rate). So, if you had a business, you are issued a certain number of checks each month. What happened during the crisis is interesting. The checks were spontaneously monetized.
Here is and example of what I mean. I write a check for 5,000 Dinars, but I don't address it to you. You give me the goods for the check. Then, instead of cashing the check at the bank, you give it to someone else for your needs. This usually went on, especially in very small towns for up to four months before my account was drawn for the amount.
This also had the benefit of me being able to write a check I might not have had the money to back it right away, so it was like credit for me, and cash for you. This doesn't happen anymore in Serbia, by the way.
Although I imagine I'm preaching to the choir, I know from my own experiences that it's easy to get down, and disheartened. But don't fret. Get to work, lay in your stores, and every day do at least one practical thing that increases your and your family's chance of survival. Keep your powder dry.- KP
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Letter Re: Preparedness for Living on a Chesapeake Bay Island
Mr. Rawles,
I am just now (pretty late in the game, I know) becoming aware of the impending collapse and have begun reading your blog regularly (it is the first thing I read in the mornings now). I realize now that I must prepare as much as I can and have a question about my current location. I live on an isolated (no bridges, ferry and airplane transport only) Island in the Chesapeake Bay. It is somewhat densely populated for its size, but everyone knows each other and most residents hunt and fish and have their own boats. Many residents are quite self sufficient and the crime rate is virtually non- existent. I realize we are downwind of several nuclear targets (DC is only about 70 miles away as the crow flies) but this area (the Delmarva Peninsula) and this island in particular are sparsely populated. I recently bought a house here and cannot afford to move anywhere anytime soon, and if I could, I could only get to rural western Virginia, West Virginia, or Eastern Kentucky at the furthest. The only benefit of my current locale is that in the event of a collapse, it would be isolated and looters would be unable to get here. On the other hand, there would be 500+ residents and little or no fuel to power fishing vessels after current supplies run out. The climate is mild and we could get by with little or no heat in the winter. Much of the surrounding land is swampland and not conducive to agriculture. There are few firearms on the Island other than a few shotguns for duck hunting. I currently own a Glock 21 (.45 ACP) for personal protection and am looking into rifles. I would like an M1A but probably could not afford one. How could I make my current situation more suited to riding out a crisis? Any response will be greatly appreciated. Very Respectfully, -
R.T.
JWR Replies: A few things come immediately to mind:
- You should stock up on fuel for your own use, and for barter.) Coleman white gas has a 6+ year shelf life, and can be used in engines as well as lanterns and stoves.
- Stock up on two-cycle fuel-mixing oil. (For chainsaws and older outboard engines.)
- Have a large propane tank installed, and make sure that it is has a wet leg. (So that it can be used to fill smaller containers.)
- If you don't have one already, get a tri-fuel generator, and a photovoltaic power system if you can afford it.
- You need a long gun for defense. Even if it is just a well-used "beater" Mauser, Mosin-Nagant, or Enfield bolt-action, that is better than nothing. And in essence, what you currently have is almost nothing.(Don't bring just a pistol to a rifle fight!)
- Stock up on non-hybrid gardening seeds. (Several of my advertisers sell them.) Also, build up your topsoil!
Your situation is unusual, but not unique. Make the best of the local resources, and organize with your neighbors to provide a common defense.
One could safely predict that in the event of a "slow slide" depression, you may see a situation develop similar to that of present-day Roatan Island (off the coast of Honduras), where burglars and even home invasion robbers commute to the island from the mainland via ferryboat.
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Letter Re: Viability of a Well-Stocked Suburban Retreat?
Good Morning!
Thank you for the info you provide for all of us in your web site. I live in the Kansas City Area in a beautiful suburb which is one of the nicest cities in the country. till doing okay in the depression too. My work is secure and I do well and I own my own twp-story with basement frame home and have been making it a retreat for the past five years. I have no debt and am 60 days ahead with my mortgage and insurance and utilities. Am I absolutely crazy to try to stay here when things go bad?
First, let me tell you what I have done. I have a new roof ,which is fireproof. I have two large fire extinguishers in each room and more in the basement and garage and attic and I have a 2-inch fire hose with Honda generator to pull water from my 2,000 gallon swimming pool/fountain as well as from my 2,000 gallon [combined capacity] plastic tanks under the deck. Yes, they will freeze in the winter so I may add a new tank in the basement. I have 100 50-pound bags of sand which can also put out fires [and double as ballistic protection].
I have a strong 7' wood cedar privacy fence around my back and side yards and I have landscaped them such that it is difficult to see into my yard from any point but still need to add a few more tall bushes to screen my home. I brought in 80 [cubic] yards of great topsoil for the backyard to level it and to add garden areas so I can grow lots of food. I have a gutter system hooked up to the water storage and I have 3 months of water stored now in the basement and when the time comes new 55 gallon water barrels with hand pumps will be in each of my 4 bath rooms and kitchen. There is a pond and active stream 200' from my home and 5 of my neighbors next door and up hill from me have large swimming pools that I can siphon water from. I can produce clean water for 25 for 20 years with my water filters. So I have five ways to get water when the tap stops running.
I can feed my family for more than five years and then grow food too. I have all the stuff you buy in the stores weekly. I can grow food inside or outside and in a greenhouse too that is next to the house which can be heated with the natural warmth of the earth /basement and wood-burning stove, and sunshine.
We can protect ourselves better than anyone you might know, night and day. I have tried to set up my perimeter in my yard using the fence and bushes and trees and berms, etc. without anyone seeing the difference so that a stray bullet or two will not hit us easily. I will build gravel plywood walls in key places inside when TSHTF to reduce stray bullets. My fireplace is 5' x 5' x 4' deep so I can burn 4' foot logs and keep half my home warm and the firewood is placed outside on the side yards to slow down a bullet or two. The fireplace outside is 10' wide and goes above the roof. I have a wood stack 10 yards long, half of it is 4' long wood. I built a barbeque grill/water fall/pool that is solid 12' concrete that works well to stop bullets and it is 20' long and 8' high and looks really cool too.
In my basement I am finishing I added some 12" concrete walls to also give more strength to the floor above and to
slow down a bullet or two.
There are thick forests within 200' of my neighborhood to hide in if necessary and they run the stream for 50 miles. I have a nice "wine room" that is built to Joel Skousen standards [per his book The Secure Home
] just in case the web bots are right and we have a problem with radiation.
I may have missed to say a thing or two but have been through others check lists to cover it all.
Can I make it in the city? Or do I want to be a refugee or try to live with friends four normal driving hours away without my stuff?
Thanks, - B., Near K.C.
JWR Replies: Your preparations are excellent for someone living in the suburbs. I believe that your plans to stay in place will probably suffice for all but a true worst-case scenario. But it is important to get to know your contiguous neighbors well, including the neighbors behind your back fence. Having neighbors that you know on a first name basis, and that you can trust in times of Deep Drama will be crucial in the next decade. At present, my best estimate is that we will likely experience an economic depression that will be on a par with the Great Depression of the 1930s. Crime will be rampant, and you will need to institute a Neighborhood Watch on Steroids. That necessitates solid familiarity and trust.
Attached greenhouses are wonderful for situations where there isn't much home invasion crime, but they are a huge security risk in inimical times.
I recommend that you hedge your bets by pre-positioning some of your supplies with your friends, in anticipation of worst-case grid down collapse, where the municipal water will not be available. This is not a major issue for you, since you have an abundance of stored water, and rainwater collection system. But "grid down" will be a true disaster for your neighbors within just a few days. They will likely abandon their houses, leaving you by yourself to defend against large numbers of very desperate looters. You mentioned that you have a five year food supply --which is quite commendable--I'd recommend that you store up to half of it with your friends in the country. Keep in mind that you may only have the opportunity to make one trip Outta Dodge, so it is important to have some crucial logistics stored at your backup retreat.
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Preparedness Beginnings, by "Two Dogs"
I am a retired Marine Corps officer and Naval Aviator (jets and helicopters), commercial airplane and helicopter pilot, and most recently, an aircraft operations manager for a Federal agency.
I graduated from numerous military schools, including the U.S. Army Airborne (“jump”) School, U.S. Navy Divers School, Army helicopter, and Navy advanced jet schools. In addition, I have attended military “survival” courses whose primary focus was generally short-term survival off the land, escape from capture, and recovery from remote areas. Like most Marine officers, I attended The Basic School, an 8-month school (only five during the Vietnam era – my case), which is still designed to produce a second lieutenant who is trained and motivated to lead a 35-40 man platoon of Marines in combat. This course covers everything from field sanitation to squad and platoon tactics, artillery and other ordnance delivery, communications, reconnaissance, intelligence, firearms training, and much more. Later, I attended the Marine Amphibious Warfare School and the Command and Staff College, both follow-on schools and centered upon the academic study of tactics and strategy as they applied to the missions of the Marine Corps. I flew helicopters offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and across the U.S. I found out first hand how thoroughly corrupted is the federal bureaucracy and the government, in general. Not a pleasant experience. I’d rather have been flying. I have bachelor's and master's degrees.
As a result, my wife of forty years and I seem to have been moving endlessly from place-to-place. Nevertheless, I have tried in each place to do what I could to maintain a level of self-sufficiency for my family that varied greatly with locations and personal finances. My intention here is to try to share some of the less-than-perfect ways that I have tried to accomplish that end.
Only in the last few years, primarily as a result of the political and fiscal situation in the U.S., have I begun reading some of the huge amounts of literature about how one can prepare for serious long-term off-the-grid survival. I have found that the preparation required to be ready for that contingency seems to be endless. I do not want to talk about all of those preparations. Others have done so very well, and besides, I’m not there, yet. What I would like to do is to talk to those, perhaps like me, who are not true survivalists in the commonly referred-to sense, but who are genuinely concerned about the future of this country, and might desire, like me, to begin to prepare. Perhaps my elementary and simplistic efforts might be of help to someone else who is beginning to think about the subject of preparedness. There are many scenarios that might require this, but the two that I am thinking most about are economic collapse and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. I’m building small Faraday boxes, but not doing much else for EMP.
My thinking on begins with my own estimation of the basic problems: shelter, water, food, fuel, and security. I view these as the most critical needs, whether living in a tent or other outdoor shelter or here in our rural home in West Virginia. Here I have and often take for granted what I have -- shelter, well water, a small stream, a pond, a rain barrel; canned, dried, frozen, and freeze-dried foods; fuel for the generator and portable stoves, kerosene heater and lanterns; factory-made and reloaded ammunition for any one of several firearms. Edible plant books. Gardening books. Encyclopedia of Country Living-type books. Reloading books. Hunting books. Tracking books. A few novels devoted to the “what ifs” of the future, including Jim Rawles' excellent "Patriots:
A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse"
, for example. Books to fill an entire bookcase. The Boy Scout Field Book sits right there next to the military survival manuals, as do Tom Brown's Field Guides, the The Foxfire Book series, a canning book, field medical books, and quite a few others.
Those are the basic things about which I think. I have been thinking about them for quite a while, in fact, longer than I even realized. Perhaps I’ve been thinking about them ever since I was a young lad. For example, my very first “survival book” was the Boy Scout Field Book, the original of which I still have (circa late-1950s edition). It is still a great reference if one is looking for an all-in-one manual for starting fires, making simple shelters, recognizing game tracks, tying knots, and much more. I note that it is still available on Amazon.com. (It’s probably been scrubbed to favor the politically correct, but don’t know [JWR Adds: Yes, I can confirm that unfortunately it has been made politically correct--with the traditional woodcraft skills showing any injury to innocent and defenseless trees duly expunged. So I advise searching for pre-1970 editions!] ) One does not necessarily need the SAS
Survival Handbook
or the U.S. Army survival manual. I have them and have read them. They do cover security problems, but then don’t cover other topics. Alas, there appear to be no “perfect” manuals, and the Boy Scout Field Book is no exception. But it’s not a bad beginning. And so I was beginning the journey even before I knew that I was.
I think that my first education in “survival” came at about fourteen. That’s when I first shot a .30-06, an old [Model 19]03 Springfield. It pretty much rattled my cage. Mostly, my older brother and I used to track and shoot small animals in the deep woods of Missouri as youngsters. We were “issued” ten rounds of .22 LR ammo by our father, a retired USAF pilot, to be used in a bolt action, single shot, .22 rifle with open sights. One would be surprised what that meager handful of loose ammunition could do for one’s choice of shots, one’s ability to be patient in waiting for the shot, and for one’s great satisfaction at having brought home six or eight squirrels for the cooking pot, having used just those ten rounds – and sometimes, but not often, less. My point is that the knowledge of firearms is, in my view, basic to the notion of preparedness and in surviving in the wild. And it need not be exotic or overly complicated in nature. One can surely attend modern schools that will teach one to double-tap a cardboard target or silhouette at seven yards with a semi-auto pistol, as well as basic and advanced tactical rifle courses, but very basic survival skill with a rifle can be had without much cost if one is committed to learning the skill and if one disciplines oneself. Start with only one round, and work up from there. As Col. Jeff Cooper used to say, “Only hits count.” In a purely off-the-grid survival scenario, I can envision that .22 LR rounds would be very precious, indeed.
Consequently, and even though I own handguns and rifles that will shoot .45 ACP, .44 Magnum/.44 Special, .357 Magnum/.38 Special, .380 ACP, .223, .25-06, .270, 7mm-08, .308, .7.62x39, .30-30, .30-06, and .45-70/.457 WWG Magnum (a wildcat), I shoot a .22 rifle and pistol more than all of the others, combined, and normally at least twice a week. And I’m hoarding them, as well as shooting them. I have the capability to reload all the calibers (except .22 LR/Magnum, of course) above, as well as shotgun ammo in 12 and 20 gauge. I wasn’t really thinking of “survival” when deciding to do this about twenty years ago, but was interested only in having the capability to shoot more, and to do it more cheaply. Yet it appears that much of that ammo could be used for barter. I had never even considered this until reading some of the recent “survival novels.”
My apologies. I’ve wandered into the weeds here, as I could do forever on my favorite subject. Suffice it to say that whatever firearm one chooses – and make no mistake, one is necessary in my opinion -- there are all kinds of reasons to choose one over the other, depending on the situation and the person. One must endeavor to shoot it well. Owning a firearm is of almost no consequence, at all, unless it is properly employed. Personally, I prefer a M1911 .45 ACP pistol and a 7.62 M1A SOCOM, while my wife is comfortable with the milder .38 [S&W] revolver and 20 gauge. pump shotgun. I won’t even begin to get into the debate over .223 vs .308 and 9mm vs. .45 ACP. Suffice it to say that in Vietnam I had the opportunity to see the effects of all of these, and I chose for my own security the .308 and .45 ACP.
Having got my favorite subject out of the way, I’ll talk about one that is likely even more important. Water. It is amazing how complicated this can be, and how many choices one has to solve this problem. I have not yet solved it. I have put up a rain barrel, and plan to get a couple more. It’s amazing how rapidly a 55 gallon barrel will fill in even a moderate thunderstorm. I got mine from Aaron’s Rain Barrels. http://www.ne-design.net/. I’ve camo-painted the first one to make it recede into the bushes that surround it.
We have a very shallow stream down the hill that I need to dam so that it keeps only about a foot-or-two deep pool for gathering some water. It flows into a large pond, of which we own half (The owner of neighboring property owns the other half.). But that’s over a hundred-yard trek downhill with empty buckets, and the same distance uphill with full ones. Now, while that is okay for a backup, in my thinking, because I’m going on 63 years, I prefer to have something closer. So my next “big” purchase will be a Simple Pump that allows one to drop a pump and pipe though one’s existing well casing down to below water level and extract water by means of a hand pump or DC motor attached to a battery which, in turn, will connect to a solar panel. This is much, much cheaper than a Solar Jack. At $1,200 for the hand pump capability (I’ll add on the DC and solar later), it’s a bargain, for me. See: http://www.survivalunlimited.com/deepwellpump.htm.
I’m not recommending it for anyone, yet, as I haven’t got one. It has plenty of good reviews, and I’m willing to try it. My apologies, but I am just talking about how I, for one, intend to solve my “water problem.”
I’ve also started collecting clear plastic soda bottles for use in Solar Disinfection (SODIS), see; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection. I’ve set up a rack for putting out the bottles in a sunny place. Again, that’s a backup, but I’ll use it.
I have bought three different water filtering devices, the best of which is the Swiss-made, all-stainless Katadyn Pocket Microfilter. It works wonders in that shallow stream and pond down the hill.. [JWR Adds: The same Katadyn filter model is available from several SurvivalBlog advertisers. They deserve your patronage first, folks!]
With the exception of the Simple Pump, these solutions are relatively cheap and effective, if not producers of great volume. So far, they are what I’ve come up with.
I won’t go much into the food problem. It isn’t quite as complicated as the water problem. I’ve either got to have it [stored], grow it, or kill it. I’ve started storing all kinds of Mountain House freeze dried #10 cans (with expiration date dates in 2034), two-serving meals from Mountain House (expiration dates circa 2016), and numerous grocery store-type canned foods (expiration a couple years), in addition to dried beans, rice, Bisquick (sealed in plastic bags with desiccant inside), salt, sugar (Domino, which are sold in one-pound plastic tubs), olives, peanuts, wheat, etc. Basically hit-or-miss, so far. I need to get this “food problem” organized and do it right. But it’s a start. I think we’ve got only about a 60-day supply now, for two.
I’ve got two Coleman two-burner stoves. One is a butane stove, and the other a dual fuel (white gas or unleaded gas), as well as several small backpacking stoves, the best of which is a MSR Whisperlite International
, which uses virtually all fuel (unleaded, white gas, kerosene, diesel, and maybe even corn oil). I was heavily into backpacking when we were stationed in Hawaii in the late 1970s, and still have all the gear. After having one knee replacement and hedging doing another, I’ll not be backpacking if I can help it. Nevertheless, I have two bug-out bags with essentials in them, ready to hit the trail if need be. I’ve saved up and bought two good Wiggy's bags and a couple of his poncho liners.
Concerning backpacking stuff, I can recommend a book that I read back then called The Complete Walker, by Colin Fletcher. I haven’t read it in at least a decade, but its import is such that I remember much of it. He emphasizes simplicity in gear. That is to say, don’t pack a tent if you can get by with a tent fly – which you cannot in cold weather. I’ve still got my old three-season tent, but am saving up for a four-season. And he emphasizes: don’t worry about pounds – worry about ounces. That is to say, if one is packing tea bags, remove the labels from the bags. Ounces. Remove all packaging material unless it is absolutely necessary (usually never). Don’t carry a “mess kit,” nor a knife, fork and spoon set. A spoon will do (I’ve done it) along with a pocket knife. Now I have so many knives of so many types that I can’t remember them. Personally, I’d go for a multi-tool. But it’s heavy. I never used to carry a weapon while backpacking. Of course, it was (and is) illegal in Hawaii, but I think one would be remiss in not doing so today. There was so much good advice in that book that helped me in the USMC, if nothing more than when packing my helicopter before a mission, or a car, trailer, or truck to move across the country. “Think ounces, not pounds.” I always think about Mr. Fletcher’s advice when I pack.
Anyway, I think I’ve got the camping stove angle covered in spades. That is, until the fuel runs out. Same goes for kerosene heater and lanterns (5). My plan is to pull out our pellet stove and replace it with a free-standing wood stove. Pellets are nice, but they must be bought, and the price is getting exorbitant, according to my pocket book. They likely will be non-existent in a crunch.
I connected a 12,000 Watt/50amp gasoline generator when we moved into this house nine years ago, as I have with every house in which we’ve lived for the last two decades. I’ve got it wired through a transfer box to the circuit-breaker panel, a job that I did myself. It works, and it’s safe. The main reasons for having this were to run the 220V[olt AC] well water pump and to run the refrigerator and our free-standing freezer during power outages. But I’ve got it wired, anyway, to nearly every circuit in the house, except the other 220V appliances – water heater and heat pump. It is somewhat selectable. That is to say that I can choose which circuits I want to power by engaging or disengaging the switches on the transfer box. The problem is that it uses gasoline. So in a long-term outage it would soon become useless. I’ve had the propane gas company come out to estimate what it would cost to get a dedicated 100 gal propane tank for the generator. It would be about $500, but then, in addition to the 50+ gallons of gasoline, butane tanks, and white gas that I keep stored in a separate outbuilding, it would make a great explosion when hit with a tracer round.
Which brings me to the subject of security. We live in a split-level home on about ten acres of forest. The property is surrounded by other similar-sized properties of seemingly like-minded individuals. I gleamed this because everyone out here shoots. The sweet sound of gunfire can be heard at times in a full circle. West Virginia, at least, has still got its priorities straight in this regard. But I digress. This is a frame house with half of it below ground in front, but framed in back, which faces the forest. The forest, itself, is a maze of downed pine trees blown over by the wind, interspersed with small saplings, vines and low brush. Not a likely avenue of approach for anyone but the most determined. For those who are determined, the downed trees would make excellent cover and concealment. So I have a security problem to solve there, as well as at the front.
I’ve started buying rolls of barbed wire and baling wire. Unfortunately, I do not have access to dynamite, which we used to be able to buy in a hardware store in the 1960s. We used it back then to blow stumps while clearing the land for our house. I am thinking of buying a bunch of used railroad ties to build cover in the back; I’ve thought also of bricks and sandbags. Problem is we’re reaching the point in all of this where the house would begin to look like a fortress, of sorts, to all but the most ignorant observers. So there’s a line here concerning security versus “normalcy” that I must cross sooner or later. Inasmuch as my wife is a few years older than I and is on constant medications, I’m afraid that finding a retreat (if we could even afford one) would be out of the question, as access to doctors, hospital and pharmacy are a necessity. Nevertheless I’ve got the bags packed and gear ready to throw into the pickup (Toyota 4x4 – like to have one of those older model American trucks, but I think they are getting rare, at least around here. And what there are will likely go to the Cash for Clunkers Program….grumble, grumble. What will they think of next?).
So it looks to me as if we are here for the duration of the crisis, or sooner, if they try to take the guns from my cold, dead hands. Speaking of, I still have to build a cache or two for guns and ammo and a few other necessities.
And since I’ve more-or-less made that decision (here for the duration), I’ve thought of organizing the apparently gun-loving neighbors. I’ve begun to buy walkie-talkies, if not field phones and commo wire. I’ve got solar panels and several batteries (need to get a mega deep cell or two, however) to run the small battery chargers and the CB radio. My shortwave is up and running.
I will have to wait to talk to the neighbors, whom I rarely see, much less know. I can just imagine the words that would come out of their mouths if I were to mention to them the notion of forming a security “company” and establishing a perimeter. “That old retired Marine down the road is nuts!”
So that’s what I’ve got to say. I do hope it at least stimulates some thought for those who are starting out trying to prepare, as I am. All of this shows me that one “problem” in this “survival” business leads to several more, and they in turn lead to even more problems. Lots to do. So I’m glad I’m retired. I’ve got time to think about it. If I were rich, I could do a lot more and likely in a far away place, but as it is, we do with what we have. I have to use the lessons taught to every Marine: Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.
Long Live America. Keep the Faith. - “Two Dogs”, Col. USMCR (ret.) in West Virginia
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Letter Re: Propane Tank Refilling Options
Jim,
I read the article regarding BlueRhino and Amerigas ("Companies are now shorting (cheating) on propane tank refills"). I guess one could argue both sides of the issue. My personal opinion is that while the practice is sleazy, there's nothing illegal going on, as the canisters are marked with the amount of propane they contain. It's not unlike potato chips or breakfast cereal sold "by weight not by volume". Manufacturers all over the place put their product in packaging far larger than the actual contents would require.
Like I said, it's sleazy, so except for one or two barbecue "emergencies" I haven't used an exchange service in years. I take my tanks down to a local "KOA" type campground and have them refilled there. For several dollars less than the grocery store exchange price I get my personally-owned tank completely refilled. Many U-Haul locations also refill propane tanks. Mine offers "big tank" pricing if you bring in multiple small (20 lb.) tanks, making it an even better deal than the campground.
My advice to anyone who uses 20 lb. propane tanks is this: Go back to BlueRhino or Amerigas one more time and cherry-pick a nice, new tank. The manufacture date is stamped on the handle/safety ring that surrounds the valve. Look for the latest date possible, since these 20 lb. tanks must be less than 12 years old to be refilled legally. There are lots of 10 year old tanks floating around and you don't want one of those. So get the newest, cleanest tank you can and then keep it - it's yours. Have it refilled at a campground or U-Haul and never get ripped off by an exchange outfit again. - Matt R.
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Survey Results: Your Favorite Books on Preparedness, Self-Sufficiency, and Practical Skills
In descending order of frequency, the 78 readers that responded to my latest survey recommended the following non-fiction books on preparedness, self-sufficiency, and practical skills:
The
Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery (Far and away the most often-mentioned book. This book is an absolute "must" for every well-prepared family!)
The Foxfire Book
series (in 11 volumes, but IMHO, the first five are the best)
Holy Bible
Where
There Is No Dentist
by Murray Dickson
"Rawles
on Retreats and Relocation"
Making
the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook
by James Talmage
Stevens
The
"Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival
by Jack A. Spigarelli
Gardening
When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times by Steve Solomon
Tappan
on Survival
by
Mel Tappan
Boston's
Gun Bible
by
Boston T. Party
Seed
to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
by Suzanne Ashworth
Survival
Guns
by
Mel Tappan
Boy
Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 (Most readers recommend getting pre-1970 editions.)
All
New Square Foot Gardening
by
Mel Bartholomew
When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency
by Matthew Stein
Back
to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition
by
Abigail R. Gehring
Preparedness Now!: An Emergency Survival Guide (Expanded and Revised Edition)
by Aton Edwards
Putting
Food By
by Janet Greene
First
Aid (American Red Cross Handbook) Responding To Emergencies
Making
the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage
Stevens
Nuclear War Survival
Skills by Cresson H. Kearney (Available for free download.)
Cookin'
with Home Storage
by
Vicki Tate
SAS
Survival Handbookby
John "Lofty" Wiseman
Root
Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables
by
Mike Bubel
Outdoor Survival Skills
by Larry Dean Olsen
Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide
by Carol Hupping
The
American Boy's Handybook of Camp Lore and Woodcraft
Emergency
Food Storage & Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
by Cody Lundin
Seed
to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth
Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss
Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management
by Maurice G. Kains
Essential Bushcraft
by Ray Mears
The
Survivor book series by Kurt Saxon. Many are out of print in
hard copy, but they are all available on DVD. Here, I must issue a caveat
lector ("reader
beware"): Mr. Saxon has some very controversial views that I do not
agree with. Among other things he is a eugenicist.
How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier
The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman
Tom Brown Jr.'s series of books, especially:
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking
Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Field Guide)
Total
Resistance
by
H. von Dach
Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies
by Hugh Coffee
Living Well on Practically Nothing
by Ed Romney
The Secure Home
by Joel Skousen
Outdoor Survival Skills
by Larry Dean Olsen
When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes
by Cody Lundin
The Last Hundred Yards: The NCO's Contribution to Warfare
by John Poole.
Camping & Wilderness Survival: The Ultimate Outdoors Book by Paul Tawrell
Engineer Field Data (US Army FM 5-34) --Available online free of charge, with registration, but I recommend getting a hard copy. preferably with the heavy-duty plastic binding.
Great Livin' in Grubby Times
by Don Paul
Just in Case
by Kathy Harrison
Nuclear War Survival
Skills by Cresson H. Kearney (Available for free download.)
How to Survive Anything, Anywhere: A Handbook of Survival Skills for Every Scenario and Environment
by Chris McNab
Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
by John & Martha Storey
Adventure Medical Kits A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine
by Eric A. Weiss, M.D.
Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Green Resource for Every Gardener
Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook (superceded the very out-of-date ST 31-91B)
Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition
by Paul S. Auerbach
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
by Elliot Coleman
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition
by Abigail R. Gehring
Government
By Emergency
by
Dr. Gary North
The Weed Cookbook: Naturally Nutritious - Yours Free for the Taking!
by Adrienne Crowhurst
The Modern Survival Retreat
by Ragnar Benson
Last of the Mountain Men
by Harold Peterson
Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness
by John McPherson
LDS Preparedness Manual, edited by Christopher M. Parrett
The
Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging
Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century
by James H. Kunstler
Principles of Personal Defense - Revised Edition
by Jeff Cooper.
Survival Poaching
by Ragnar Benson
The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses
by Eliot Coleman
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Net Producer-Net Consumer Equations for Self-Sufficiency: Getting Out of the Pit
In a recent phone conversation with one of my consulting clients, I was asked why I placed such a large emphasis on living in the country, at a relatively self-sufficient retreat. I've already discussed at length the security advantages of isolation from major population centers in the blog, but I realized that I've never fully articulated the importance of self-sufficiency, at a fundamental level.
In a societal collapse, where you are in "You're on Your Own" (YOYO) mode, it will be very important to be a net producer of water, food, and energy. This will mean the difference between being someone that is comfortable and well fed, and someone that is shivering, hungry, and thirsty, in the dark.
If you were to create computer models of a typical suburban home as compared to a small farm, they would probably present two very different pictures:
A typical suburban home is an energy pit. It generates hardly energy other than a bit of garden waste that could be used as compost, or fuel. A farm house on acreage, in contrast, can often be a net producer, especially if the farm includes a wood lot. (Standing timber that is suitable for use as firewood.) Properties with near-surface geothermal heat, coal seams, or natural gas wells are scarce, but not unheard of. I've helped several of my clients find such properties. For some further food for thought, see this article by Lester Brown over at The Oil Drum web site: The Oil Intensity of Food
A typical suburban home is a food pit. Just picture how many bags of groceries you tote home each week, month, and year. Compare than with the net volume of food produced by a small farm, or the meat produced by ranch. (For the latter, a ranch that is large enough to produce its own hay and grain is ideal.)
A typical suburban home is also a water pit, dependent on utility-piped water. But with a spring, or with well water and a photovoltaic or wind-powered pump, you can be a water exporter--charitably providing surplus water to your neighbors.
There are are of course some work-arounds for these limitations, such as installing photovoltaic power systems and rainwater catchments cisterns. But it is nearly impossible for a family to be a net producer of water, food, and energy, when living on just a small city lot.
Consider the inherent limitations of life on a "postage stamp" lot:
Limited acreage means that your house will always be a net importer of home heating fuel. Unless you live on acreage where you have a wood lot for firewood, you'll end up on the wrong side of the production-consumption equation. Photovoltaics are practical for lighting and running some appliances, but the big energy loads like space heating, hot water, and kitchen range cooking exceed what PV panels can produce, unless you are a millionaire. Yes, there are substitute energy sources, but most of those--such as propane-but those-are also "imported." Hmm... Perhaps it is worth the extra time and effort to find a retreat property that has a natural gas well, a coal seam or that is in a geothermal zone. At least buy a property with a wood lot, so you can heat your home and water with firewood.
Limited acreage and a location inside limits usually means restrictions on raising livestock. You might find a property that has been exempted or "grandfathered", but without the room required to grow animal feed crops, you will still be a net importer. (You will be forced to buy hay and grain, rather than grow it yourself.)
In many jurisdictions, it is illegal to have a private water well in a neighborhood that is served by a public water utility. This usually has more to do with maintaining a monopoly, rather than any genuine worries about a public health issue. There are of course exceptions, such as older houses with wells, that pre-dated the advent of a water utility. In many jurisdictions, the owners of these wells benefit from grandfather clauses. If buying such a property, make sure that the grandfather clause exemption is transferable. (Otherwise, you will have to cap the water well.)
One of the great ironies of urbanized life in modern-day America is that there has been a great inversion. In 1909, it was dirt poor farmers that lived on acreage, while wealthy people lived on city lots. But now, in 2009, owning acreage is something that most people only dream of, for retirement. In the more populous coastal states, the price per acre of land that is within commuting distance of high-paying jobs has been driven up to astronomical prices.
Have you ever stopped to think why there are large Victorian-style houses falling into disrepair in some Inner City ghettos? This is because at one time, those neighborhoods are where rich people lived. They were nice, safe neighborhoods, and were conveniently close to work, shopping, and schools. But times (and neighborhoods) change. These days, most of the wealthy have long-since moved to suburbs or to the country.
If you decide that you must stay in the suburbs, then I recommend that you at least relocate to a stout masonry house that is on the largest lot that you can afford. When you search through real estate listings, some key phrases to watch for are "creek", "grandfathered", "mature fruit trees" (or "orchard"), "secluded", and "well water." Another key word to watch for is "adjoins". It is advantageous to own a property that adjoins park land.
As I've often written, I recommend moving to a house on acreage in the country--that is if you can afford it, and your work and family situations allow it. But I'll close with one admonition: Don't bite off more than you can chew. There is no point on living on acreage if you have a large mortgage, and no working capital remaining to build up the infrastructure for genuine self-sufficiency. In fact, that would be "the worst of both worlds", since you would have higher commuting costs, a bigger mortgage, and perhaps even a bigger annual tax bill. Owning non-productive land may be worse than owning no land at all.
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Letter Re: How Do I Transfer Propane Between Tanks?
Sir,
You mentioned the liquid propane dual-fuel vehicle, and said "...if you have a large home LP tank". So, how do I get the gas from the large tank, to the vehicle." Is there a pump or some sort of device? Thanks, - Brad S.
JWR Replies: There is no need for a pump. Draining liquid propane from a tank, is a self-siphoning process. Talk to your propane delivery man. Tell him that you want to be able to refill your barbeque's 20-pound tank from you main tank's liquid withdrawal valve. The adapter fittings are made of brass, and fairly hard to find--but propane company employees know where they can mail order them. For a detailed description of what you'll need, see this thread, at an RV Owners' discussion page.
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Letter Re: Some Thought on Dual-Fuel LPG Vehicles
Dear Jim,
I don't know if this applies to folks in the US, but it may be something for UK readers to consider. My main vehicle is equipped with both petrol and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanks, and I will also be installing an LPG system on my secondary vehicle. There are two main advantages to this:
1. LPG is less than half the price of petrol, and although you get a third less mileage than you do using petrol, it still works out cheaper - in fact, in the UK, you can get the installation costs back in around 18 months. Also, burning LPG as fuel is cleaner and greener. I buy mine from the farm supplies company around the corner, which is even cheaper still.
2. With both petrol and LPG tanks full, I can drive around 550 miles (on English roads, which have far more bends and stop-starts than US roads) without refuelling, even though my main petrol tank is only 15 gallons. That's a big advantage. Two things to note: always deplete the LPG first, as the vehicle needs petrol to start; and the amount of LPG you can get in the tank depends on the temperature; the warmer it is, the more the gas expands in the tank and the less liquid you can get into it, which will affect your mileage.
There is a minor disadvantage in that places that carry LPG are not as common as regular fuel stations, and sometimes they're tucked away on industrial estates - sometimes they are a tank in a farmyard! We keep a log of where known ones are, and we have a [GPS] sat-nav with LPG stations listed on it for traveling further afield. Most of the places we use are unmanned, and require a special key to operate, so if power is still working, the pump will still give you LPG. Perhaps that disadvantage could be an advantage in a SHTF situation.
I'm looking to devise a method of filling the vehicle tank/running directly with bottled LPG as a further fall-back. Blessings, - Luddite Jean, in England
JWR Replies: There are road tax issues, but propane conversion kits are readily available in the US for older "pre-smog" aspirated gasoline-engine cars and trucks, as well as more expensive conversions for newer fuel-injected engine vehicles. Used conversion kits for pickup trucks, usually complete with fuel tanks often come up for sale on eBay. And a few complete and running propane vehicles are also sold on eBay Motors. Used utility company trucks that are propane-powered or even dual-fuel occasionally get sold at auction yards. Watch the auction listings closely. Once in a blue moon, you will find a dual-fuel vehicle that is also a four wheel drive. If you find one like that, that is in good shape at a reasonable price, then jump on it!
I highly recommend getting at least one propane-fuel vehicle, especially for any readers that already have a large propane tank at home.
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Letter Re: Home Heating Oil Price Fluctuations--Time to Buy Low
Hi Jim,
Some older neighborhood houses [in the Pacific Northwest] have large oil tanks for heating under driveways, in basements, and buried under yards. Last winter, we saw our neighbors run dry during a rare 2-week snow/ice event that even chained fuel trucks couldn't get around in. Portland and Seattle are notoriously under-prepared for ice/snow on roads, and actually have a "intentional neglect policy" of letting it melt without salt/de-icer rather than clearing the roads. Prepare to walk on uncleared pavement and stay around home!
If the predictions of temporary global oil over-supply are correct and fuel oil drops to around $1.50/gal, filling or topping-off a 600 or 1,000 gallon tank at that price would be a prudent thing to do with any extra money in the budget or even savings beyond the 6-month emergency reserve. Over-supply and clearance-pricing will be temporary as OPEC and others throttle back expensive drilling and pumping operations while the supply chain clears and prices return to "normal".
Even if a person is a renter, having a full heating fuel tank is a good thing. Some rental contracts make heating the building and a maintaining a minimum heating fuel level a requirement. The fuel in the tank remains the property of the renter, minus the amount that was there when they moved in (or language in the rental contract), and can be sold to the landlord, next tenant, or sucked up and moved by an oil company truck for a fee.
Filling before heating season allows plenty of time for sediment to settle in the tank before drawing it into the in-line filter ahead of the burner. Anecdotal commentary by furnace service men indicates that furnaces that run on mostly-full tanks have fewer burner problems than those that use "bottom of the tank" fuel. Farm and trucking supply houses have "fuel polishing" additives/fungicides and pump/filter systems that keep tanks and fuel clean that might be safely added to a home storage tank system. Being able to fill a five-gallon can of stored/filtered Home Heating Oil from a valved-spout in the basement might be useful at some point in the future [, since Home Heating Oil can be substituted for diesel fuel, in extremis]. Cheers, - Karl in Portland, Oregon
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Letter Re: Escape From (Fill in Your City Here), 2009
Dear James
Regarding Matt R.'s letter, I have been a survivalist and self-sufficient minded person most of my adult life. I live at my retreat in a prime western state. I have been reading your site for the last 18 months. I have learned some new useful information (never too late to teach old dog new tricks) from your site. I have also purchased quite a few supplies from your advertisers.
For most scenarios my home/retreat is a perfect place to be if the SHTF and I can just stay home. However I do not like to have all my eggs in one basket. I have three very different SHTF plans. One of my contingency plans is to get out of Dodge using aircraft. I keep a Cessna 206 in my back yard. My back up location is remote and has a place to land the plane. I was surprised by the pilot [in the subsequenty-posted letter] who so negatively responded of the use of aircraft as a get out of Dodge mode of transportation and strongly disagree with a lot of what he said.
I made my living for the last 30 years as a bush pilot, flying everything from Piper Super Cubs to DC-6s. I have flown over 12,500 hours as Pilot in command operating in the USA, Canada and Africa.
Cessna 172 Aircraft as a G.O.O.D. Vehicle
A 172 would not be my first choice in a plane to get out of dodge but the C-172 could carry the pilot along with one passenger and 300 pounds of gear nonstop for 400 miles. For some scenarios a C-172 or similar aircraft could be a life saver. [JWR Adds: I agree. It would be great if every pilot that reads SurvivalBlog owned a Pilatus Porter, but alas, we live in the real world, where budgets demand compromises. OBTW, one fairly inexpensive upgrade is having a spare set of extra large "Tundra" tires. These will greatly expand the improvised airfield possibilities of many high-wingers..]
I would not rely on any one plan to work if SHTF but for 1 of 3 contingency plans a small aircraft could be just the ticket. During a local disaster or to get to your well stocked retreat a C-172 or similar plane could save the day and be the best transportation option.
A 172 will land very short, a lot shorter than it can take off. In a worst case scenario for one trip to get to your retreat the pilot may not care if the plane ever takes off again. I have landed and taken off on thousands of beaches, roads, gravel bars, ridge tops and every other unimproved surface that you can think of. There are a few books, videos and specialized classes for bush flying that a pilot can learn from but it takes years to become proficient in off field bush flying. But even the average pilot has many options to land off airport. Just be honest with yourself and fly within your ability. The biggest hint I can give any pilot for off airport landings is check out the landing sites from the ground before attempting a landing. Fly over your retreat and look for possible landing sites, then land at the closest airport drive/walk to the prospective landing site, check the approach, escape routes etc. before you ever attempt to make a landing. If you are not 100% positive you can safely land do not attempt it and go find another spot. It would be better to walk an extra 10 miles to your retreat than be ½ mile from your retreat with a broken leg!
Auto Fuel in Aircraft
Auto fuel will work fine in any piston aircraft and most turbine powered aircraft for a limited time. Many Piston aircraft including 172s can legally use Auto fuel for private use. There are three issues with using auto fuel in piston aircraft.
First you need to make sure the auto fuel is clean and free from all water and particles. This is easy to do, just buy a MR Funnel (around $50) that has the micro screen filter in it and run the fuel throw it. If you have any concern let the fuel settle for ½ hour then run it through the filter a second time.
The second issue in using auto fuel is the engine life over the long term. Auto fuel will/may reduce the engine life of piston aircraft engines. How much will the life of the engine be reduced is hotly debated among experts. 0% -50% reduction in the life of the engine is the range the different experts claim. Piston aircraft engines are designed to go 1,400 to 2,000 hours between overhauls so even losing 50% of the engines remaining life should not affect a plane in a SHTF situation where you have to get out of Dodge.
The third issue is auto gas with ethanol is hard on aircraft hoses and gaskets and seals and will reduce the life of a bladder type fuel tanks. Again this is a long term affect and for a few flights and should not affect the safety of a flight. But if you let auto fuel with ethanol stay in the aircraft system it could cause big problems in certain aircraft.
To be legal the use of Auto Fuel in any aircraft the specific plane must have been approved for auto fuel and you must follow the STC. In a true emergency a few fights using clean auto fuel in a aircraft will have no affect. In many Third World countries that I have worked Avgas was not always available so we would occasionally be forced to run a tank or two of auto gas in our piston aircraft.. If you are using auto fuel in a plane that has 8.5-1 compression pistons keep the mixture a little rich and run the max power setting 5% below normal and you will be fine.
I operated DHC-2 Beavers and Piper PA-18 Super Cubs a on a steady diet of auto gas for years. The Piper Super Cub uses the same engine as most 172s. On one occasion I have even used auto fuel in a Twin Otter with PT-6 turbine engines.
Navigation
If the plan is to use a plane to get out of dodge the biggest problem pilots may face is navigation. These days most pilots rely on nav aids and never practice using only a chart (map), compass and stop watch. In the last 15 years I have not checked out one single commercial pilot or flight instructor that could use a map and compass well enough to pass my company’s standards.
If you plan to use a plane in a SHTF situation be prepared for all navigation aids including GPS to be off line. I suggest using a Map and compass and practice that a lot. In a SHTF situation if you count on nav aids you are very foolish. Most pilots that have learned to fly in the last 20 years are not able to navigate worth a hoot using only a Map and compass and are way too dependant on nav aids. I suggest anyone planning to use a plane in a SHTF situation pre fly the route as often as possible while times are good. Take a chart and highlight the whole route. Make notes as to what the actual compass heading is that you need to stay on course. Have a check point every 5 miles and learn to recognize them. Have the average time it takes between check points written on the chart. Fly this route at both altitude and low level as the check points will look totally different. Practice your route without nav aids so you get use to using the compass and stopwatch.
Avoiding Small Arms Fire
As for getting shot out of the air by small arms fire that is unlikely. The part of the world I now work our planes get shot at a lot by small arms fire. It is rare that a plane ever gets hit. If you are 5000’ above the ground small arms fire will not hit you. The danger is the climb out and the descent. A very steep spiral or figure 8 descent will drastically reduce your chances of getting hit. A power off setting during a descent is very quiet and will not attract attention from very far. It can be hard on the cylinders because of shock cooling but in a SHTF situation do you really care.
The most vulnerable time to get hit by small arms fire is takeoff and climb out. The trick here is to wait for a clear night and perfect VFR conditions. Take off early morning just before first light so you will be at altitude just as it is getting light. People with small arms cannot hit what they cannot see so if it is a SHTF situation remember to leave all the aircraft lights off.
Another technique that can be used is to stay as close to the ground as possible ([as little as] 25 feet AGL) [in flat country] for the flight. This limits exposure and does not give people on the ground much time to react, locate and fire at you. Using the low flying method you must never fly near the same route twice as the second time you fly that route people on the ground will recognize the sound know a plane is coming and will be ready. A second low level run is far more likely to get you shot. I do not recommend this for most pilots and do not attempt the low level flying unless you have been trained for low level operations.
James, Please Keep Up The Good Work! You are providing a fantastic service and giving a tremendous amount of good sound advice. - Old Dog
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From Mike Williamson: Some Useful DIY Home Power Technology Web Links
The following links will be of interest to anyone interested in do-it-yourself (DIY) power generation and 19th Century technology. Most of these come from Lindsay Publishing. [JWR Adds: They are also one one of my favorites!] :
Generator and Inverters
Wood into Charcoal and Electricity (although the generator design is at best a temp make-work design while you scrounge to build a better one).
Gas Engines and Producer Gas Plants
DIY Wind Turbine Power Plant (The best DIY design out there, although you might find a cheaper copy elsewhere).
DIY Machine Shop (This is a Gingery design, not suitable for those that are clumsy)
Other Wood Gasifier DIY Books.
A FEMA-designed wood gasifier that will hold you over while you build something better, if you are lazy and wait until it is almost to late. Not even remotely the best design but it is quick and fairly easy to build. It is titled: "Construction of a Simplified Wood Gas Generator for Fueling Internal Combustion Engines in a Petroleum Emergency/"
I hope that folks find these useful. - Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog's Editor at Large)
Prefabricated Garden Sheds as Instant Shelters and Storage Spaces for Retreats
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Letter Re: Pros and Cons of Propane Storage
James,
Having a lot of propane on hand has some serious issues. Homeland Security via "Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act" (EPCRA) requires anyone that has more than 10,000 pounds of virtually any hazardous material (except for explosives and radioactive materials that have their own unique requirements), to report that quantity to the State Homeland Security Office, the local Fire Marshal, and the Local Emergency Management Manager yearly. These reports are open to anybody that wants to see them. (Now you know how the bad guy knows where the stuff is, all they have to do is ask and the Emergency Manager has to give them the information by law). I am not making that up, either. I am a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (a county wide group with members appointed by the state) which is responsible for looking about, finding illegally stored material and requiring compliance. To comply with the act, I file what is known as a Tier II report to the three agencies listed above yearly listing propane, diesel, and gasoline quantities on hand and a set of plans of the operation showing where such is stored. So if being off the radar is important to you [then keep under 10,000 pound limit.] I always try to work within the system. Of course if the system fails, all bets are off anyway.
After several years of working on the project (more pointedly, working with the vendor), I have the capability to pump propane from a pair of 1,000 gallon tanks that are connected on the bottom for propane liquid connection. The skid based 12,000 pound full unit has a 240 volt power supply to the electric pump that does the work moving liquid propane from the storage to the smaller tank it is filling. If the grid is up, the pump will run on it, when the grid is down, I have an automatic generator that kicks in (that just happens to run on propane) that will power our main well and power the [electric] propane pump motor.
Of course with propane, there is always a security problem. You know, someone sitting up a high hill with an API bullet just waiting for the right time to set off the show. Big white tanks make an easy target. Hopefully, we will have our perimeter secure if there is that need. Take the advice though. Camouflage the tanks asap if Schumer gets spread by the fan. Otherwise, white or silver reflects heat very well and keeps your propane tanks happy.
I have also purchased a 250 gallon propane tank that I fabricated onto a skid using 2x6 rectangular steel incorporating a pair of forklift ports. I can pick this tank up with a diesel powered skid steer and since I had the small tank plumbed on the bottom for liquid with the proper connector, I can feed liquid propane by gravity 250 gallons at a time to any tank on the ranch. It is very difficult to talk your local distributor to participate in this kind of project because they are turning you into a potential competitor. But because I live 15 miles from the nearest asphalt road and over 60 miles to the nearest town. Power outages for a week are not uncommon. If the whole grid went down for a year, we would still have power periodically as we fill the stock tanks and keep the freezers cold. Overall, I believe we have a bit over 7,000 gallons of propane which would power our "headquarters" for many months and maybe years if used part time. It will keep indefinitely if kept comfortably cool with no additives needed.
Yes, I have a propane powered vehicle. However, if you put propane into a vehicle to use as fuel, you should be paying state tax on that propane (and federal no doubt soon). Therefore I would never suggest such an action unless you know your local state tax collector personally. I, of course fuel my propane powered vehicles at the local propane fill operation. Unlike Agricultural Diesel (Red) and Residential Fuel Oil (Green), Residential Propane has no marker to trace where it came from. The last time I filled my truck with propane, it was 2.70 a gallon with residential use propane being (summer rate) at $1.49. The trick of course is having the right nozzles. Being able to fill vehicles and small 25/35 pound tanks (BBQ tanks), is a really handy thing. Good luck getting those nozzles. They are worth more than silver by weight and they are made only of bronze. Again, the trick is to get your local distributor work with you. You can't just find this stuff on the internet, I know because I tried.
Propane fired vehicles have several advantages. Because propane is such a clean burning fuel, combined with synthetic oil in your crankcase, you don't have to change the oil very often. Perhaps several years between oil changes if you only use the vehicle sparingly. I have put over 10,000 miles on an oil change before and it really didn't look dirty though it may have lost some of it's lubricating qualities. Synthetic oil is more expensive but doesn't break down and stays much cleaner than oil in engines fired with gasoline and especially diesel fuel tanks. Propane wins hands down.
Another advantage, when there is the next mass evacuation, lines will form at any gas station that is open. There won't be any lines at your local propane distributor. Heck, if you get the right adaptor, you could hook a BBQ tank up to your vehicle. (That is illegal by the way but in a pinch......).
Most propane conversions enable dual fuel use. Either regular gasoline or propane may be used by my personal conversion. Just flick a switch, (hit the solenoid with a tech-tap once in a while) and your off running on the other fuel. My pickup has a 600 mile cruising range now. Two gas tanks, and an 80 gallon propane tank. Your power is reduced slightly but your mileage is similar to using gasoline.
Propane conversions are available for most gasoline engines including lawn mowers, boats, automobiles (there are even donut shaped tanks made to fit in the spare tire area), and trucks. Trucks enable a larger tank to be mounted forward in the bed. Mine fits nicely under a short tool box and it is impossible to see unless you look over the bed. It sort of just blends in.
Having said the preceding, it may not be easy to find someone who has the technical savvy to do an installation on your vehicle. Also, they tend to be fly by night guys who recycle many parts over and over again and do it as a sideline. (I'm not saying there aren't professionals out there, just a heads up). I would call the conversion about a 6 out of 10 if you like automobile work. About two days of dedicated "spare time" will do most conversions. Just make sure you don't route the propane hose next to an exhaust line or you might be driving a flare down the road and make the papers. So much for staying off the radar.
A good neighbor asked me if I was afraid when he saw that I was a "survivalist". I said "no, I am prepared". (My nearest neighbor is 4 miles away). Now he is also working on contingency planning with fall back plans to me if he fails. The guy shoots running coyotes at 300 yards, that skill might come in handy if coyotes become a problem. Signed, - Frank B. (15 miles from the nearest asphalt road)
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Two Letters Re: Escape From (Fill in Your City Here), 2009
JWR:
I liked JC in Oklahoma's reply to Escape From (Fill in Your City Here), 2009 but with all due respect, I would not cut someone else's lock. Most gates that I have seen around where I live, have a chain with a lock. I would advise cutting a link out of the chain and attaching your lock, like a replacement link. This way you keep the owner somewhat happy and still accomplish the task of passing thru the gate as well as being able to cross back through.
Now I need to get out and check what routes I might use to leave in a hurry. - Jim B
Jim,
My father-in-law just bought a Cessna 172 [single engine light aircraft] and that got me thinking about this. An option folks might consider is getting out by air. Depending on the nature of the emergency, escape by light airplane might be a very viable option for those who learn to fly and stay current enough to be relatively safe (that is to say, maybe not totally legal but good enough to pull off a single long trip in good weather). I say relatively because in a SHTF scenario, some things just don't matter quite as much. I'd much rather risk my life flying while not totally current than wait in my single-story house for a fallout cloud to arrive.
It has been almost twenty years since I took the bulk of my flying lessons. (I had logged 45 hours total and needed only my last cross-country and a check ride when I ran out of [flight training] money) but I've flown a number of times since and have no doubt I could get from here to a thousand miles from here if the weather was good and I could carry or otherwise obtain enough fuel.
I figure a guy has two options for getting a plane if TSHTF. The first, and ideal, option is to have a cultivated relationship with the flight school owner or operator. If TSHTF, you call him at home and rent the plane. The second, and it is doubtless you (Jim) won't like it, is to "borrow" a plane using a key you cut the last time that you rented it. Cycle through renting all of the planes during your instruction and you'll have your choice of aircraft... Of course taking a plane without permission is theft, but the intention is to return the plane. If it's life or death I'll deal with the ethical questions later. Remember, these are flight school planes rented to students, not "another man's food" and if it really did hit the fan, people aren't going to be lining up for flying lessons today anyway. [JWR Adds: While I cannot condone theft, I should mention that is common practice, particularly with flight schools at small airports, to have all of the yoke or throttle locks keyed-alike, for the convenience of the instructor pilots. Also, most throttle shaft locks are not very robust. In an emergency, a pair of bolt cutters can be used to remove a lock. And furthermore, on many aircraft models, the throttle knob is held in place with one or two Allen head set screws, or made of molded plastic, and can therefore be cut, crushed, or otherwise removed, allowing a throttle shaft lock to then be slid off.]
There are a couple logistical considerations here. One is fuel. Some light planes can burn autogas (car gas) but many require leaded Avgas. In either case, you'll need to be prepared to carry enough fuel to get you where you need to go. It is doubtful that in any situation that requires that you 'borrow' a plane that fuel pumps will be operational at your intermediate stops. Even if the automated pumps work, the credit card networks could be down. You might be able to siphon gas (more theft) from other parked planes bring. a self-priming siphon!) but to be safe you're going to have to carry full gas cans. Research into lead substitutes might be useful, though I'm unsure if any suitable products exist. Better perhaps to concentrate on planes that can burn automotive gasoline.
[JWR Adds: Tetraethyl lead (TEL) is sold under the trade name Octane Supreme 130 (and other names, sold at some General Aviation flight centers, FBOs, and at automotive speed shops.) It can be used, but it must be carried in a container that has a perfect seal, even with pressure changes. Do NOT carry it in an aircraft passenger compartment. Parenthetically, there is "TEL Tale" in the biography of Charles Lindbergh. A leaky cap on a large can of TEL stowed behind his seat once almost killed him, while on a flying tour of South America. (He very nearly passed out and crashed.) Keep in mind that when used in ground vehicles, TEL will foul oxygen sensors very quickly, and of curse cannot be used in vehicles with catalytic converters. Its use would also violate Federal Clean Air standards, so it would not be legal for use on public highways. Keep in mind that TEL can be used to extend the useful life of "elderly" stored stabilized gasoline, as well as of course mixing your own high-octane blend from stored low-octane gas, so I recommend keeping a couple of bottles on hand.]
The second logistical problem is payload, and it is greatly affected by the fuel problem. Most light planes cannot safely carry a full load of passengers and bags plus a full load of fuel. If you're carrying jerry cans of gas, don't count on taking much in the way of baggage and there's no way you'll be able to fill every seat with a passenger. Most of the weight and balance calculations with regard to fuel, passengers and baggage can be worked out ahead of time though, so you'll know what you can pull off. In the end this will only work for someone who has pre-positioned their supplies [at their retreat.
This approach has advantages: Zero traffic jams. Zero river crossings. Zero chance of being looted on the highway. Again, I'm only suggesting this as a last-ditch SHTF way to get out of Dodge. I would not steal food if doing so could potentially cause someone else to starve. Same thing on a weapon, vehicle or any other item. But in my mind the the equation is simple here: My life is worth more than a flight school's airplane. In the end this is an extremely unlikely scenario, but it's an arrow in your quiver and a fun one to prepare for. - Matt R.
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It Will Be Skills, Not Gear That Will Count in TEOTWAWKI, by Chris M.
The topic I will cover is one I have not seen on SurvivalBlog. Everybody is caught up in the equipment side and not concentrating on the training. I have two examples several months back our dryer started squeaking & we had to stop using it. I am a trained air conditioning technician. At first I thought about going out and purchasing a new dryer and then I had a thought: I have fixed multi thousand dollar air conditioning units, how hard could it be? After two days it was back up drying clothes and for a lot less money than a new dryer would cost.
The other example was Saturday night a week ago I killed a feral hog and with some help from the friend that owns the land where I killed the pig, we quickly had it in the chest freezer. You ask, “how do these two examples apply to TEOTWAWKI preparedness?”
I am 50 years old; things I take for granted younger people do not understand or do not have the ability to do. Can you sharpen a knife? Can you tune a small engine? How about sharpen a chainsaw? I have been trained as an equipment mechanic and then trained as a HVAC tech. I have also taken first aid training, I am not an EMT but I know the basics. I have fixed several small appliances. My father was a carpenter. He taught me the basics of construction, such as how to build a wall and how to hang sheet rock. I had a small business that repaired rental properties in Texas.
Do you hunt? And are you planning on hunting to supplement your meat supply if not how do you expect to put meat in the freezer after TSHTF? By hunting you learn where to look for game. Small game hunting can teach you where to find rabbits and squirrels are at certain times of the year. Also when you make your first kill you will have a hands-on butchering class. You can not make a mistake that can not be repaired before it gets to the table. I remember the first feral pig a friend killed I was at my parents' house when a friend called and ask if I had butchered a hog? I said no but I have sure put enough deer in the ice chest that a pig could not be that hard.
I have also gar
dened quite a bit. When I was a child some of the first memories are of working in the garden. We did not raise all of our food but we raised a significant portion. We had a cow and chickens. I helped my mother can vegetables from the garden. I have caned tomatoes I have raised in my back yard. I can make my own soap. I also know where to get the lye with out going to the store. (Wood ashes).
What do you read? Back Home, Backwoods Home, and Mother Earth News magazines--although Mother Earth News is not as good as she once was. I keep all the Back Home and Backwoods Home that I pick up. I also found several books that will be passed on once I go to my final reward. I have books on a variety of topics from engine repair to gardening and other topics.
Do you reload the ammo you practice with? You can store more powder, primers and bullets in a given space than loaded ammo. Then when you shoot some you can reload to re-supply. Shotgun ammo is very economical when you reload. I would not suggest that you use reloaded ammo to defend yourself. Use store bought. I talked about the pig I killed a couple weeks back I used a Savage model 40 in 22 Hornet. The cartridge I used was reloaded and in fact was a case that had been reloaded several times. I have reloaded a variety of calibers and presently I can keep my guns shooting for awhile. I also cast lead bullets for a number of my guns and I am planning on getting a few more molds for different calibers. Also think about this I have in my gun safe a. 22 Hornet, .223 Remington and a .22-250. They all take 223 caliber bullets. I have bought a lot of .223 caliber bullets, mostly 55 grain weight. I can use the same bullet in all three. I also I am going to purchase a shot maker and will be able to produce shot for my own use and barter. I am stocking up on primers and bullets.
What do you watch on television? I watch Discovery and the Science channel. People talk about gas powdered tractors gasoline has a shorter shelf life than say diesel or propane for that matter. I have not seen propane discussed much on the blog for a motor fuel. Propane has a "forever" shelf life. Also, you can still find Ford Model 8 or 9N tractors that were powered by propane. As long as the propane did not leak out it was good and the tractors could sit idle for a long time and did not have to have the carburetor cleaned.
The reason I mentioned television shows is this one program I watched 2 to 3 years ago had a teams on an oceanic island. The team had to do some projects, one of which was they had a diesel powered go-cart. Both teams were given some sesames seeds and a machine that could make oil out of the seeds. The first team to start their go-cart and get it to run a course distance won the event. This got me to thinking that all trucks, generators, tractors should be diesel powered. You can make your own fuel!! The inventor of the Diesel engine was Dr. Rudolf Diesel, a German who envisioned a system where German farmers were not dependant on fuel sources that came from outside Germany! Remember the pig I killed? If it had been a survival situation. I would have rendered the fat to oil and could have used it in my truck and drove 20 or so miles or used it in a generator or plowed the garden with a tractor.
The upshot of the foregoing is that what you have in your hands is not as important as what you have between your ears. Learn all you can. Take classes at your local community college. Read all the preparedness’ magazine’s and books you can. Concentrate on survival skills. Learn to start fires without matches and to build a temporary shelters. Learn to maintain your car or truck, local community colleges are great places to learn vehicle repair and you can save money in the short run. Imagine if something broke and you needed it to survive. Could you fix it? Stockpile spare parts for the most important items. Ford 8 of 9n tractors are great and look simple. But if the clutch went out, could you replace it? I have done that and it’s not as easy as you might think. Repair manuals are not an option, in my thinking. They are a must.
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Two Letters Re: Walking Tractors and Similar Powered Farming Implements
James,
I just wanted to respond to the recent article on small tractors. In
1981 my wife and I bought 12 acres and started market gardening, selling
produce locally. I grew about 3 acres of produce each year and put up hay
for animals.
Our first big investment at the time was a BCS 725 machine with the tiller
and sickle-bar mower attachments. We used that machine, and used it hard.
Today it's 2009 and I just finished cutting hay and putting in my green bean
patch, using that 725. It's still on the original engine, which has never
been rebuilt, only annual oil changes for the last 27 years. It no longer starts
on the first
pull, these days it starts on the second pull each time, but guess I can't
complain too loud about that.
In my life I must admit I've made very few incredibly good investments, but
that Model 725 is definitely one of them. It's saved me untold labor and
has just simply worked for 27 years without a bit of trouble. It's like an
old
Ford
8N, it just keeps running and doing what it's supposed to do. Old farm equipment
was made to last forever, the BCS machines are farm equipment, not cheap
consumer toys. The price reflects it, but from my opinion they're a bargain
in the long
run. Highly recommended. - Bobalu
Hello Mr. Rawles,
Regarding the recent letters on micro-farm tractors, I have another viewpoint
for your consideration.
In addition to the Troy-Bilt Horse rear tine tiller and other tools scaled
for 1-2 acres, I have also purchased a larger farm tractor to better suit the
conditions in and around my retreat. The recent letter mentioned Ford 9Ns
and Farmalls. While these are still very common and many 9Ns are still
in service, they are of 1940s-1950s vintage. My personal choice was a
Massey Ferguson 100 series diesel tractor (135 or 165, for example). These
were built between the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, and have decades
of excellent service history with much information available online (for you
to save on paper now).
There were several factors leading me to this decision:
I obtained the tractor from a seller on Craigslist for a bargain price. This
allowed me to retain a budget for maintenance rather than blowing it all up
front on a new machine. While the peripheral systems needed attention, the
engine and transmission were rock solid. The Perkins Diesel engines are renowned
for reliability and durability. My updates and repairs serve two purposes:
Restoring the mechanical soundness of the machine and its systems, and forcing
me to become familiar with the repair and upkeep now. This is a mechanical
restoration only – it needs to work, not look good. Surprisingly, every
part that my 40 year old tractor has needed was both in stock and relatively
inexpensive. While it’s comforting to “gear up”, eventually
you will have to repair what you buy. Two years after TSHTF is not the ideal
time to start the learning curve on your life-sustaining equipment. An old
tractor you have mechanically zero-timed before the world comes to grief will
give years of reliable service, and you will have the experience of your earlier
work to guide future repairs.
While a larger tractor is overkill for a few acres, it is compatible with most
all the equipment on surrounding farms. 1960s and 1970s tractors
will have modern 3-point hitches with the ability to add additional hydraulics.
The Massey-Ferguson 165, at 53 horsepower, can run a myriad of equipment that
might overtax a smaller tractor. In addition to your own needs, you will have
the option of volunteering to help your neighbor prepare his field or bring
in his crop, using your extra muscle and standard 3-point hookups. That would
be a Grade-A trade for food, fuel, or assistance when you need it, as opposed
to showing up with a shovel and asking “what can I do to help?”
A larger tractor will also turn and disk your two acres in a hurry! I have
collected smaller 3 point hitch equipment, like a two-bottom moldboard turning
plow and
a disk harrow, very inexpensively. The equipment is old, but made of such heavy
steel that it still has decades of life left in it. Another barter option is
to quickly prepare ground for other small-scale neighbors that may have purchased
less durable equipment. Attempting to till up hard, fallow ground, even with
a rear-tine tiller, is tough on the equipment and the person. Your tractor
with plow and harrow would make short work of that fallow ground, allowing
the rear-tine tiller to finish much more quickly and without the mechanical
abuse.
The other posts mentioned diesel-engined ATVs.
I respectfully submit that this may be a case of can rather than should. While
you can pull a disk
or maybe even a small all-purpose plow, the machine simply does not have the
tractor-like durability to stake your family’s future on using the ATV
as a tractor long-term. By the time you have bought a rare diesel ATV with
ATV-specific implements, you might as well have bought an older, real tractor
with standard 3-point implements for the money. Remember, from a duty cycle
perspective (if I may anthropomorphize), I’d want my tractor to think: “wow,
that was only two acres” as opposed to the ATV thinking: “Wow,
that was two acres!”
On the issue of noise, I agree that a stock machine can be heard a ways off.
However, the noise can be significantly reduced by using non-standard exhausts.
If your goal is to prevent advertisement of your activity, it is time well
spent to install a series of mufflers which will deaden the roar of a working
engine. That slight drop in horsepower might be worth the relative quiet. This
is true of your rear tine tiller as well as any other equipment. As an example,
I have an old Onan generator with a high volume double muffler that some guys
at a muffler shop helped me rig up. I can stand right next to the thing while
it’s running, and carry on a conversation with only slightly raised voices.
Thank you for your efforts, Mr. Rawles! - J.I.C.
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Letter Re: Walking Tractors and Similar Powered Farming Implements
When I saw the Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) mentioned in SurvivalBlog, I couldn’t
help but notice how similar it was to the rigs used by a lot of farmers in
Thailand
(and I would assume a lot of other places in Asia). When traveling around Thailand
I couldn’t help but notice what appeared to be effectively motorized
donkeys. Men had them rigged to trailers.
A little research showed that they are known as “Walking Tractors”,
are made all over the planet, the and serve the same function as the BUV. One
thing that I like about the idea of using them is their interchangeability
of parts.
Assuming
your trailer gets hit by a truck, your tractor is still good. If your tractor
is breaks down, you attach your trailer to a mule.You can hook
up, plows, trailers, tillers, and every other sort of thing you may find useful
on a tractor
Some Images of Walking Tractors:
There is one in here that has a nice image of some guys hauling logs using
them
Clear image of a trailer for Walking Tractors
Regards, - Jeff C.
JWR Replies: These next two items were first posted in the
early days of SurvivalBlog (circa October, 2005) regarding rear-tine tiller/tractors
and
ATVs:
The Micro-Farm Tractor, by "Fanderal"
My goal, like so many of us, is to be able to pre-bugout, to a retreat I
can live on full time. I dream of having a few acres out in the country where
I can mostly support myself on what can be produced on my own land. When I
first started to think about it, and plan for it, the first question of course
is “How much land?” After getting past the obvious answer, “As
much as possible”, came the more reasonable answer of: “enough
to do accomplish my primary goal of optimal self-sufficiency.” After
more study I came to realize that five or so acres is about all I could really
work. Five acres, when worked intensively, will produce far more than a family
of four can consume. This five acres would contain everything, House, Barn,
a one to two acre garden, chickens, Rabbits, Goats, et cetera.
So having settled on five to seven acres, I turned to the issue of what tools,
equipment, and other assets would be needed to make my micro-farm work. Beyond
the usual hand tools. And shop tools, my research led me to study power equipment
appropriate for the Micro-Farm. What I found was the Two-Wheel, or "Walk-behind" Tractor.
A good example of the class is the BCS 852 with a 10 horsepower diesel engine.
It has a single cylinder engine mounted in front of a trans axle. The Trans
axle drives a pair of wheels that are from 3.5 to 6.5 inches wide, and 8 to
12 inches in diameter. It is also equipped with front and rear Power Takeoffs
(PTOs) used to transfer power to
a variety of implements. For me this is the optimum retreat utility tractor.
To justify that statement I need to go into a bit more detail as to why. As
with all things, this selection is based on my plans and intentions, but I
believe that they are generic enough to qualify as a general solution for most
people, but as always Your Mileage may Vary (YMMV).
The factors I am taking into consideration are:
Size of Farm.
Number of people available to work it.
Safety
Maintainability
Fuel availability/economy
Life expectancy under the projected load
The truth is most of us have not, or will not be able to acquire more than
five to 10 acres of land. If you can get more, fine, get it; you can’t
have too much land, but you can leave yourself short on other things by buying
more land than you really need, or can work.
In most cases the garden will be run by just one or two people, either because
of off farm employment or the kids may be grown and gone before you make the
move. People that are already doing this will tell you that one to two acres,
if worked as intensively as is reasonably possible is all one person can handle.
If you have more land, then you have the option of bartering produce, for labor
to work more acres. But I would still keep it in two-acre units.
The core concept of survivalism/preparedness is independence; you can’t
be independent if you can’t do most, if not all the maintenance yourself.
While yes, most anyone with any mechanical aptitude at all can work on most
regular tractors, however they have four times as many cylinders, fuel injectors,
and fuel lines, twice as many tires, use much more fuel, and mostly are too
much tool for two to five acres.
When the world ends there will be no more fuel deliveries from
anywhere, and if there are then they will be prohibitively expensive. So you
need a fuel
that you can produce yourself, to me this means biodiesel.
It’s a fuel you can make yourself; it will substitute directly into the
tank with no modifications to the engine, and gives almost
exactly the same performance, as regular diesel.
So with these concepts in mind I started thinking about what the ideal tool
would be. I eliminated most regular four wheeled tractors like the Ford 9N
and the International Harvester (IH) Farmalls because to buy one of their modern
counterparts new is very expensive, and to find parts for older ones that you
can buy on the cheap can also be expensive. While there has been a lot of development
in compact and subcompact tractors in the last few years, they are mostly compact
technical wonders that have all kinds of computerized fuel injection systems,
high volume, high pressure hydraulics, and just lots and lots of things that
need to be maintained or fixed. Simplicity is crucial.
My search for information about small farm tractors, as with most things today,
started online. I started from the position that a Walk-behind Tractor would
be the optimum choice because on the surface it met two of the most important
criteria, Fuel requirements, and maintainability. The most important question
remained, how much land could be worked with it and still expect it to last
a lifetime.
Dean M., one of my online sources, who has actually been running a Market Garden
since 1989, says that much of that time was spent downsizing his garden to
it’s current 1.5 acres. According to Dean,one to two acres is about all
one person can work, when trying to maximize the production of a garden. The
general consensus is, that the limit on how large a garden you could work with
one of these machines,is really set by how much labor was available, rather
than the capacity of the machine. To answer that question I needed input from
an expert. In my web search I found many companies that make and sell this
kind of equipment, but they are almost
all overseas. Of the domestic companies most only sell Walk-behinds
as a sideline. I found Earth Tools, a company in Owenton, Kentucky, which specializes
in small-scale commercial
agriculture equipment. Joel Dufour founded Earth Tools in 1977, and all they
sell is Walk-behind tractors. .
I asked Mr. Dufour about the capability, capacity, and requirements of walk
behind tractors for a TEOTWAWKI scenario. He recommended
not the largest one he sells, the 948 but rather the model 852, which comes
with an optional 10 hp diesel engine. He says the 852s are far more versatile
than the 948. Based on what his customers are actually doing with the units,
and have been doing for nearly 30 years he gave me the following information
about capabilities, and requirements of these units.
You can work up to two acres of Market garden per person, and/or about 15 acres
of Haying for livestock. With proper preventative maintenance, used in a commercial
agricultural operation, a tractor like he sells will last 20+ years. They can
haul up to one ton on a two-wheel trailer. Depending on the specific task,
running 8 hrs on a gallon of fuel is possible. He has several customers that
make their own biodiesel and run their 852s on it, and have reported no problems.
When it comes to maintenance requirement the diesel engines are designed for
5,000 hours TBO (Time Between Overhauls), and are meant to be rebuilt twice
before replacing crankshafts or connecting rods. That means that the engines
have a 15,000 hr life span minimum (with proper maintenance). For routine maintenance
they only use 1.5 quarts of oil per change, which needs to be done every 75
ours or annually--whichever comes first. The oil filter is cleanable and the
air filter is replaceable. The conical clutch lasts 1,000 – 2,000 hrs,
and can be replaced in less than 2 hrs. All maintenance, including overhauls
can be done with regular hand tools, the only exception being one $25 tool
for working on the transmission if it’s ever needed.
One point that Mr. Dufour thinks is undersold is safety. He pointed out that
one of the most common fatal accidents on a farm is a tractor rollover. When
operating one of these units on a slope, even if you were on the downhill side
of the machine, and you couldn’t get out of the way, they only weight
about 300 lbs, so it is very unlikely you would suffer a life threatening injury.
Where as with even the smallest of standard tractors if it rolls over on you,
death is the very likely outcome.
So let’s look at how these machines match my original
requirements:
Size of Farm:
A 10 HP machine will work as much land as most of us will be able to get, and
work, without being too big for the job.
Number of people available to work the land:
The constraint is number of people vs. planting/harvesting schedule; again
it is well matched to the 5 to 15 acres, with which most of us will wind up.
Maintainability:
There is nothing that the owner can’t do on these machines, from routine
maintenance to a complete overhaul, which would require more than basic mechanics
hand tools, and one inexpensive specialty tool.
Safety: I don’t care how much the machine can do or how well it does
it, the one thing that you absolutely cannot afford in the post-TEOTWAWKI world,
is an injury. So the machine that is least likely to cause me harm is way up
on my list
Fuel availability/economy:
These units can be had with Gas, or Diesel engines. Gas engines can be run
on alcohol with modification. Diesel engines can be run on biodiesel without
modification.
Life expectancy under the projected load:
You can work as much acreage as you have time and people to work without over
working the tractor. They are truly an agricultural grade machines, not glorified
Home duty units.
While I’m not trying to sell this particular tractor, however if we use
its characteristics as a baseline then I think it is fare to say that a diesel
Walk-behind Tractor would make an ideal vehicle for a Micro-farm. It is the
core power unit for almost all farm tasks, can be adapted to do just about
anything else that requires up to 10 HP; from electrical generation to pumping
water, with the right connection to the PTO. It also meets or exceeds the core
requirements that I laid out at the beginning. This is not to say that there
might not be other machines that would also work, but if you are starting from
scratch like most of us, then this is a good objective solution.
Related info:
http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/
http://www.chelseagreen.com/1989/items/neworganicgrower
http://www.bcsshop.com/
http://www.adriatica-grifo.it/g/main.htm
JWR Adds:
From the standpoint of a small acreage survival retreat, a walk-behind
tiller/tractor makes a lot of sense. When the Schumer hits the fan,
fuel will be at a premium, so it is logical to get something that will give
you maximum useful work with minimum fuel consumption. And as Fanderal mentioned,
they will also minimize tractor rollover accidents. This is especially important
at a retreat with a lot of newbies. (Just because you are accustomed
to thinking "safety first" at all times doesn't mean that your recently-transplanted
Big City friends and cousins will be!)
If you need to cultivate significantly larger acreage, then a full-size tractor
makes sense, but only of course with significantly more training and more voluminous
fuel storage. BTW, the new "crawler" (rubber tracked) tractors
have a lower center of gravity that traditional wheeled tractors and hence
are much less prone to rollovers.
I used a gas engine Troy-Bilt Horse tiller for several years and found it
very reliable. The BCS products are made in Milan, Italy. At a list price of
$3,799, these are not cheap. But if you go with the principle of "buying
something sturdy and reliable once, versus buying something flimsy,
multiple times", then this sort of purchase makes sense. To get the most
for your money, shop around for a slightly used, diesel-powered unit.
One other consideration: Tractors are noisy and can be heard from a long
distance. Wear hearing protection whenever operator a tractor or tiller. In
a post-TEOTWAWKI survival situation, this may mean one individual wearing earmuffs
operating the tractor, and another individual that is concealed 50 to 100 yards
away, on dedicated security duty. (Otherwise, operating noisy equipment
like a tractor or chainsaw might be a noisy invitation to get bushwhacked.)
Here are some additional useful URLs:
http://www.groworganic.com/item_GT034_.html
http://www.wikco.com/bcsfeaturesg.html
Here was a letter in reply:
Jim:
In response to the excellent article, "The Micro-Farm Tractor",
I have to say my best bet for all-around small farm tool would be the diesel
all terrain vehicle (ATV).
ATVs have quickly infiltrated into many farms today, as haulers, sprayers,
snowplows, transport, and so on. You can purchase
many available farm accessories that make it into the equivalent of a mini-tractor,
as well has many hunting related accessories, since they appeal to the hunter's
market as well, like gun racks, camo, storage, and essential noise-cutting
mufflers (very effective units can be had at Cabela's). I would suggest a
diesel unit, since they are longer lasting, more reliable, and you can use
stored (for several years with proper preservation) or improvised diesel
(biodiesel.) I was out elk hunting last year in foul weather and I
immediately saw the advantage hunters had getting around in the muck with
an ATV. If we had actually taken an elk, we would have had to spend all weekend
hauling pieces of it out! (In a way we were glad we didn't get one where
we were hunting, seven miles down a mucky old road, with steep hills to the
right and a steep ravine to the left). With an ATV, we could have gotten
a whole animal out in one or two goes, with a lot less slogging in the muck.
Just make sure you've got a winch, and maybe even a come-along. Also, many
of the hunters were able to cruise with an ATV on trails that would (and
have) gotten me stuck in the mud. To sum it up, I plan on purchasing one
or two as soon as our move to a few acres of rural property in southern utah
is completed early next year to use as my mini-tractor, hunting companion,
snow plow, all-around hauler and 4 wheel drive short distance transport.
- Dustin
JWR Replies: In addition to biodiesel, you can also
legally use home heating oil if operating off road. (The only significant
differences between diesel and home heating oil are the "no tax cheating" added
dye and the standard for ash content.) There are several options for diesel-powered
ATVs. These include:
The
Kawasaki Mule.
and,
The John Deere
Gator.
(The U.S. Army Special Forces uses John Deere Gators, but I'm not sure if
that's because they are the best ones made, or just because of a "Buy
American" contracting clause.
Note: Polaris also made a diesel quad back around 2002, but they were reportedly
problematic, so they were quickly discontinued.
« Wood, the Alternative Energy for the Rest of Us, by Bill S. |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Learning to Cook on a Wood-Fired Stove by Deborah
When my companion and I began our 18-month transition period of moving to and
living in the woods, we also began a period of education. We discussed and
planned much. We bought books and magazines and took classes on everything
from solar collecting to gardening.
One subject evaded me: cooking on a wood-burning stove. Every time I saw a
magazine that flashed headlines on wood stoves, my hands would tremble in anticipation
as I reached for it. However, the wood stoves in question were for heating,
not for cooking.
Since we were looking at a self-sufficient lifestyle and wood on our 160 acres
was virtually free, there wasn't even a consideration to use anything but wood
for heating and cooking. Our land is approximately 95 percent maple, a steady
source of excellent quality hardwood. Labor intensive yes, but since we were
quitting our jobs, we had the time.
Initially, we tried to find a real antique stove for our kitchen. Since the
20' by 24' kitchen/dining/living room was to be the main focus of our new house,
we wanted the stove not only to be functional but attractive as well. The antique
stoves we found were either attractive but of questionable functionality, or
functional and downright ugly.
Deborah's wood-fired cook stove
We bit the bullet and bought a brand-new, old-fashioned looking Enterprise
King from Lehman's (if you ever have the chance to visit there, do it!). To
this day, I'm glad we spent the extra money. Not that there aren't good old
stoves out there, but we never found one.
Our stove has a warming oven overhead, a tip-down butter warmer, a washable
porcelain clad oven with thermostat and an optional water jacket. The firebox
has a side lifter lid and easily takes a 20-inch log. And it looks good.
But I still didn't know how to cook on it.
Being an experienced cook (translation: I love to cook), I figured I was tough.
I was smart! I was inventive! I was lost. So I learned the hard way, by trial
and error, lots of practice and even more patience. I've burned a few things,
but only because I wasn't paying attention.
The functioning of the stove is really quite simple. They will last for generations
with proper care, since there is so little that can go wrong with them.
One end has a firebox, and outside the firebox are vents. Mine has four "dials" which
regulate how much air is fed to the fire. The more you open the vents, the
hotter the fire. The ash door can also be opened for a surge of air, but this
needs to be watched very carefully.
There is a sliding mechanism towards the back of the firebox. This diverts
the smoke coming from the fire to go around the oven box before it escapes
up the chimney. This heats the oven more consistently. The position of the
slide unit is most important before lighting the stove.
Because a draft needs to be created when first firing up, the slide needs to
be directed to the chimney. The positioning for my stove is to the right to
light, to the left to bake. If you forget to reposition the slide, the result
will be a roomful of smoke.
You can't set it at 350 º and walk away! The biggest challenge is keeping the
oven heat even. Unlike a gas or electric stove, when you put something in the
oven to cook and the temperature drops as the food absorbs the heat, nothing
kicks in to compensate. What to do? Feed the fire wood that will burn quickly
and offer more heat.
As the food begins to cook and its internal temperature rises, a longer, slower-burning
piece of wood will maintain the heat. Open the oven door if it gets too hot
- but not for long. Your oven may even have "hot spots" like mine.
During baking, I turn bread or cookies 180 degrees halfway through the baking
time. Stay in the kitchen when there is cooking to be done. In winter, it's
the best place to be.
Range top cooking is similar to a gas or electric stove, but you have more
room available. The entire surface is hot, not just four little burners.
No, those circles are not burners, as I once thought.
The surface area can be divided into three major temperature zones. The hottest
is right over the firebox, whether it is on the right or left. The next warmest
would be in the center, and the coolest is the front of the side opposite
the firebox. After the coffee perks over the firebox, it stays warm sitting
on
a far corner.
Everything needs to be watched carefully, as the heat can drop or flare in
a very short time. Don't be discouraged. Once you get used to the heat always
being there (it doesn't shut off with the twist of a knob), cooking on a
wood stove is easy
Grilling takes some patience, but it can be done. You can get pretty good
results by removing one of those little circles over the firebox and placing
a heat-resistant
grate over the flame. I use half of a hamburger basket meant for grilling.
I also lay aluminum foil around the opening to keep splatters to a minimum.
Since most barbecuing is done inches above hot coals, some adjustment is
necessary. I let flames do the grilling rather than coals. Since the grate
is so much
further from the heat, I use a hotter fire.
The cleaning and care you give your wood stove is important. Most cook stoves
have three types of surfaces. There is cast iron, porcelain or enamel-finished
sheet metal and decorative trim. A wet rag or sponge wiped daily on the
decorative trim should suffice. For baked-on spots, a bit of non-abrasive
cleanser like
Soft-Scrub works very well. Prevention is the best approach to cleaning.
Avoid spilling or splashing, since you can't wipe it up right away.
Don't put a wet pot on the stove. Remember, the surface is cast iron and
will rust, even when hot. The least of your cleaning worries will be the
rust ring,
but the worst will be the ring underneath the rust that is there forever.
Spots that are left on too long will pit the cast iron. By first taking
a razor blade
to spills, you can scrape up lots of gunk and save your buffing pad and
shoulder.
Scotch Brite Very Fine is a metal sanding pad that is unsurpassed for cleaning
even the toughest spots on cast iron surfaces. Always buff back and forth
in one direction, from front to back, or you will get a scratched look.
Always let the surface cool before buffing, or you will melt the cleaning
pad.
Once the entire surface has been buffed, use a soft flannel cloth and wipe
a thin layer of cooking oil over the whole surface. This seasons the top
and makes it easier to clean the next day.
A word of caution: The oil has to be spread thinly. I've used too much,
and when I lit the stove the next morning, the kitchen smelled like cooking
popcorn.
When necessary, you will need to wipe down the metal back splash and warming
oven. Warm, soapy water or a non-abrasive cleanser will do the trick. Clean
the soot from under the oven monthly in the summer and weekly in the winter
when the stove is constantly running. There is a small opening concealed
by a decorative nameplate directly under the oven. Use a long-handled scraper
to remove the blackish soot and hardened chunks. It's best to do this when
the stove is cool, or the draft will keep pulling the soot back in. Don't
forget
the sides of the ash compartment. Cinders don't always fall into the ash
pan.
One of the most overlooked areas for cleaning is the top of the oven box.
Remember, you keep diverting smoke around the oven. If enough ash collects
there, it
will have an insulating effect, and your oven won't heat properly.
A friend and neighbor (around here, a neighbor is anyone who lives less
than 10 miles away) complained that her recently purchased antique stove
was giving
her fits when she tried to maintain a steady temperature. I didn't hear
another complaint after making this suggestion: The cooking surface is
made up of
two to four panels of cast iron. Remove these panels when the stove is
cold and
set them on newspapers, as they are sooty.
This exposes the top of the oven box. The first time I did this was after
a year of cooking, and I had over two inches of ash. Carefully brush this
ash
into the firebox, where it can fall into the ash pan. Do this too quickly
and you'll raise an ash cloud.
Then take your long-handled scraper and scrape the sides of the oven box.
Soot will fall to the bottom, where it can be removed through that little
hidden
door. The whole process should take about 15 minutes, and it will make
a world of difference in your oven temperature. This cleaning should be
done
monthly
or bimonthly in the summer and weekly in the winter.
The gasket around the top of the stove should be carefully inspected every
year and replaced if it is too worn. I never concerned myself with the
gasket. Two and a half years later, there was no gasket left! My stove
had lost its
air tightness, and I hadn't even noticed.
Most stove gasket packages I've seen include 84 inches of material, but
my stove requires 100 inches. There is no loss of efficiency when material
is
pieced
together. Just scrape the old stuff off, lightly sand, wipe off, glue and
install the new gasket. This takes only 15 minutes and a few dollars, but
what a difference
it makes. Back when we started thinking about Y2K, we realized that it
would be wise to keep a few gaskets in storage. You never know if they'll
be available
in
a
few years.
Cast iron pots and pans are nice, but certainly not necessary for wood
stove cooking. Ceramic casserole dishes are great. Use common sense with
pots that
have plastic or wooden handles. Don't put anything into the oven that wouldn't
go into a conventional oven, and don't position handles over the cooking
area that you couldn't expose to a gas burner. Never put a plastic bowl
on the stove,
even if you think it's cold.
I purchased two pieces of cast iron cookware for $5 at an estate sale last
summer. They were valued at over $80 new in a catalog. The old pieces cleaned
up quickly and are among my favorites. One major advantage of cast iron
is that it stays hot. That might not seem like a big deal until you serve
a
pot of stew or spaghetti on a cool evening.
Use the warming oven to your advantage. I keep four plates (two meals)
and two soup bowls in my warmer. Having a pre-warmed plate at mealtime
can make
a big difference. I also have a biscuit stone (a terra cotta disk that
is heated and put in the bottom of a basket of biscuits or rolls) that
I rarely
remember
to heat up on time, so I just leave it in the bottom of the oven.
What I cook since we moved to the woods has changed, but that's because
we've changed the way we eat. We eat less meat and more home-grown vegetables,
more soups and bread. I now have the time to bake, and homemade, fresh-baked
bread
tastes like heaven. Soup is easy to simmer on the stove.
We have very little waste, because everything goes into a soup jar. This
is something every cook can do. If you open a can of mushrooms, pour the
juice
into a jar and freeze it. After you cook vegetables, pour that liquid into
the jar. I even save the liquid from soaking the roasting pan. To prevent
overeating, put the last few mouthfuls of veggies, rice or potatoes in
the soup jar. It
makes for some very interesting, economical, healthy and work-free soup.
For me, it's a conscientious thing to do, as I care about not wasting things.
Here in the Upper Peninsula, the weather is fairly cold all the time, so
the stove is always running except in mid-summer. The first thing I do
in the morning
is light the stove. While the kindling is catching, I feed Muffin, our
15-year old cat. Then I add three or four pieces of wood, light the kerosene
lamp,
check the temperature outside and add larger logs to the fire. Now it's
time to put the coffee pot over the fire box. Then it's back to the warmth
of
the bed. It takes about 20 minutes for the water to boil and another 20
minutes to perk. By the time the coffee is ready, the room is also warm.
I bake something almost every day. Since our refrigeration (an antique
ice box) is limited, I bake only one loaf of bread at a time. Cookies and
biscotti
are favorites around here. Dinner is usually started around 4 P.M., and
I let the fire go out. The coals are ready to be knocked down into the
ash
pan by
9:00. Since I don't want to mess with all the details when it's cold in
the morning, I lay a new fire, clear the stove top and fill the coffee
pot at
night. I'm ready for a new day.
Note: This article was first written more than 10 years ago. Here is an update:
the cat is gone, the companion is gone, but the stove and I are still together!
- Deborah in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
« Letter Re: Questions on EMP Protection |Main| Learning to Cook on a Wood-Fired Stove by Deborah »
Wood, the Alternative Energy for the Rest of Us, by Bill S.
Solar and wind electric generation systems are affordable and efficient, but
there are a many areas of the U.S. where wind systems are not feasible, and
few localized areas where solar systems are not feasible. A diesel
powered generator with a large underground tank is reliable, but under
adverse
conditions the tank could run dry. Fortunately there are two systems capable
of generating electric power with wood, a fuel readily available in most parts
of the country.
Gasification is a process of burning wood or other solid biomass in a specialized
combustion vessel (basically an upside-down wood stove) that generates hydrogen
and carbon monoxide (CO) gases as by-products of the high temperature combustion.
The exhaust gases can then be used to fuel an internal combustion engine. Gasifiers
were used across Europe during WWII to power tractors, trucks and buses when
gasoline was not available. The return of gasoline after the war caused gasification
to drop off the radar. A group of American pioneers have revived the technology
and made great strides in bringing this lost technology back to the market.
All
Power Labs in
California sells do-it-yourself kits and complete gasifier systems, known as
gasifier
experimenter's kits (GEKs). GEKs have been used to power cars and generators,
it is potentially a complete solution. GEKs are operating around the world.
GEKs
is an open source project, that is, the plans are free and users are encouraged
to experiment and share their knowledge. The design and operation of the gasifier
requires wood blocks/chips, pellets or similar sized fuel. Split firewood is
not an option when operating on a small scale.
The other option is small scale steam. Steam engines powered the industrial
revolution and were in use well after the advent of petroleum products and
the electrical grid. Mike
Brown in Missouri manufactures a range of small scale
steam engines, from 1-to-20 horsepower.
Operating a steam engine requires specialized knowledge and skills, steam is
dangerous in inexperienced hands. Mike Brown has a package of instructional
materials for sale and will insist you do your homework before purchasing of
one of his engines.
Steam engines require a boiler to generate the steam to drive the engine.
Boilers can be made from copper tubing and junkyard scrap for a few hundred
dollars
providing there is a metal worker in the neighborhood; plans and a how-to video
are available from Mike Brown. ASME-certified boilers are available in limited
quantities.
Both systems will generate electricity when gasoline, diesel and propane fuels
are unavailable, the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing . These systems
are best suited for short term backup power or as a supplement to a solar/wind
system. Neither system is “off the shelf” ready, they both require
back yard engineering skills and American ingenuity Both systems require a
stock of wood or other solid fuel to operate for any extended time. They both
require tending and maintenance. Relying on steam or gasification for a year-round
supply of electricity for a retreat is unrealistic in most cases . Note however
that life in the future may become very unrealistic.
But will these systems power a retreat? If you had a 3 hp steam system the
answer is yes. I did some rough calculations; in which I could be off by ±25%.
I am assuming a battery bank for storage. A 3 hp system steaming for 6 hours
per day for a month would generate approximately 400 KW. For comparison, 400
KW is less than one half of what the average American household uses in a month,
but far
more
than
most solar or wind systems will generate. We get by on less than 400 KW per
month and the retreat is all electric, including hot water, range and refrigerator
and I run many power tools in the shop. 400 KW is a huge amount of electricity
in terms of the creature comforts it can provide. Under emergency conditions
100 KW/month would drive a well pump, laptop, lights, radios and cell phone
chargers.[JWR Adds: Don't forget that when drawing DC power
from a battery bank, that inversion to AC with a modern inverter is about 80%
efficient in typical use, and they can be about 90% efficiency under optimal
conditions. To
understand
the concepts of kilowatts and kilowatt hours (KWh), see
Wikipedia.)
If oak were used for fuel it would take 13 cords of firewood per year (that
is a lot of wood). At $225 per cord it would cost approximately $3,000
per year plus many hours of manual labor. This is not what the modern American
considers
convenience, but under lock-down conditions you may be the only one within
100 miles that is powered up after a week. Under emergency conditions you will
be at home with enough time on your hands to stoke the fire every hour. I have
not done a similar analysis of the gasifier. A gasifier is a very efficient
use of biomass, I would expect you can achieve much the same results as a steam
system. GEK users will be happy to share what they know.
Gasifier
Pros: Technically within the range of the do-it-yourselfer. Will power many
internal combustion engines. Will burn chipped/blocked wood and forest scrap,
walnut shells and more. Waste heat from the gasifier and IC engine can be used
to heat water (which can be used to heat a home). The exhaust gas from the
IC engine is water vapor and there is no smoke, the smoke has been converted
to a combustible gas.
Cons: Requires small, consistent-sized fuel such as dry wood chips. Generates
carbon monoxide (CO), a deadly gas although this gas can be used to fuel an
outdoor stove. Cannot be installed within a living space (same with steam).
Limited
supply,
however
plans are free and a gasifier can be built with scrap steel and junkyard parts
by any welder/metal worker.
Cost: Approximately $1,000-3,000 (not including engine, generator or storage
batteries).
Steam Engine
Pros: The most reliable and simple of backup systems. Quiet. Steam can be used
for multiple purposes including space and water heating and making bio-fuels,
including alcohol. Can be powered with both solid and liquid fuels.
Cons: Requires a good bit of self-study. Potentially hazardous. Limited source
of supply for engines and boilers although both should last a lifetime and
be worth their weight in silver should it come to that.
Cost: Approximately $7,000 for 3 hp engine and boiler (not including generator
or storage batteries), the greater part of the cost for a manufactured boiler.
Steam engines are precision machines available in limited quantities. Cost
aside, it could be months before you take delivery, but remember patience is
a virtue. If time and money is of the essence then the GEK is the best bet;
a team of garage mechanics could have a GEK up and running in a week. GEKs
can be manufactured from plans without royalties, potentially a great business
opportunity.
« Mexican Flu Update: |Main| Three Letters Re: Stocking Up on Prescription Medicines »
Letter Re: Prince of Wales Island, Alaska as a Retreat Locale?
Sir:
I understand your
comments on Alaska's [poor] potential for survival retreats .Your
logic is sound and I have to take seriously someone who has thought about these
issues longer than
I have. But
there is always a but...What about Prince of Wales Island, Alaska? Backwoods
Home magazine
published an article written by a Jon Stram that I have not got out of mind.
The article sold Prince of Wales Island very well, so [for counterbalance]
I need an unbiased, expert opinion Thank
you, - Russell:
JWR Replies: You aren't the first to suggest that locale
to me. it. I must admit, that as Alaska goes, it is captivating and has one
of the
best climates.
The island is bigger than Delaware!. In my estimation,
it would be a
fine
place
to be during an economic depression comparable to the 1930s, but not in
a full scale collapse where it would be isolated from transport--especially liquid
fuels.
(Chainsaws, power boats, generators, float planes, and snow machines "no
worky".)
There are 6,000+ people
on the island. That is a lot of people for an island with essentially no
large scale agriculture, especially when there is no gasoline,
diesel, propane, or kerosene available. The accessible four-legged wild game would
probably
be cleaned
out in short order. After that, things might get ugly. In an absolute worst
case, your neighbors might start hunting two-legged game.
« Two Letters Re: My Experiment with a Field Gear Invention |Main| Letter Re: Adapting Family Food Storage for Gluten Intolerance »
Letter Re: Home and Ranch Methane Gas Generators
Jim:
I saw the following post concerning Gober ("dung") gas, dated 27 April, 2009,
over at Michael
Yon's web site:.
"During breaks from tracking training – I was sweating like crazy
in the jungle heat – I asked many questions about Afghanistan and Nepal,
and he talked about a simple way to make many of the Afghans lives easier. Most
Afghans don’t even have electricity. When he was about fifteen years-old,
his dad installed a “Gobar Gas” (methane) generator next to the
house in Nepal. The generator is simple: the owner just collects human and
animal waste, and through a fantastically simple process, the contraption creates
methane, which is then used for lighting, cooking, heating in the winter. It
also creates excellent fertilizer, all while improving sanitation. What’s
the catch? None that I’ve heard of. He said that his dad made the first
Gobar Gas system in his village, and today it would costs maybe $300 total
investment. Between their own toilet and four cows, they create enough methane
to cook, heat and light the house. More than two decades after his dad made
it, the thing is still working and doesn’t cost a single rupee to operate.
When the other villagers saw it work, hundreds of Gobar Gas systems popped
up around the village. I’ve seen these systems in use in Nepal, and photographed
one about five years ago. It worked like a charm. But this Nepalese man, a
British soldier, never saw a Gobar Gas system in Afghanistan, but he is certain
that the idea would take hold in the villages. My guess is that the only real
disadvantage is that the idea is incredibly effective, simple and cheap, and
so we probably wouldn’t want to get involved."
Wikipedia has an entry on Gober
Gas.
Regards, - Larry
JWR Replies: The usual safety (for piped explosive gasses)
rules apply, and of course the usual sanitation rules must be enforced, but
this looks like
a great set-up for anyone that keeps livestock. Aunty
Entity would be proud.
« Letter Re: Highly Productive Home Gardens |Main| Note from JWR: »
Cooper's Color Codes and Bugging Out Before the SHTF, by H.I.C.
Colonel Jeff Cooper once wrote that he was born in another country. Born and
raised in the US before the Great Depression, the country of his youth was
no longer.
It had been hijacked by pointy headed socialists with academic degrees and
not a trace of common sense. At 50 years of age I not only agree, but maintain
that the “New America” based upon a globalized economy, Federalized
powers, and an Urban-centered society is dying. Our great country is dying
and our great cities will burn in the funeral pyre.
Most Americans know that survival in our great cities, deserts, and marginal
climate areas of the US would not be possible without continued delivery of
basic Supplies (food and gasoline), Services (water, electrical power, natural
gas), and Civil Order (rule of law, generally accepted currency). What they
may not know is that these great cities have no great food warehouses, no great
fuel tank farms, few electrical power plants, few water storage reservoirs,
and they have disarmed the law abiding public at every turn. These supplies
are transported by thousands of semi trucks, ships, barges, and trains every
single day. If a sudden crisis disrupts transportation, if we lose the use
of our interstate highways or the diesel fuel to transport supplies, everyone
in these cities will either have to leave or they will die.
Recent hurricanes, recessions, and terrorist events are reminders that our
modern society is fragile and that critical supplies, services, and civil order
will likely be interrupted by any major event. Look at what happened to New
Orleans (population 480,000) during Hurricane Katrina. More than half the
population left early, but when the storm hit, tens of thousands either would
not or could
not leave. Now imagine these barbaric conditions in a city like Phoenix
(population 2 million) or Los Angeles (population 10 million). Now imagine
it happening all across
the US if our oil refineries are either destroyed or the world runs out of
crude oil.
Transportation in the US is totally dependent on crude oil and most of this
oil comes from folks who hate us. The supplies underground and our ability
to find new supplies are diminishing and no one knows how much is left. Even
without the potential for a renewed terrorist attack using WMDs, or the long
dreaded west coast mega-quake, our cities will not be sustainable without some
new technology. Renewable power sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal
can produce electricity but do not effectively power transportation. Hopefully
most Americans can be sufficiently motivated to move out the cities with their
families, but those who will not listen must feel.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
I think it is a common belief by newly awaken survivalist that they can keep
living in a big city until the stuff actually hits the fan and then bug out
with their vehicle and all of the survival gear and prepared food. I am curious,
have any of you actually tried this? Have you taken the time and effort to
load your vehicle with thousands of pounds of guns, ammo, survival gear, and
freeze dried food? Have you then driven through a major city, a long distance
interstate trip, stopped for the night, or had car trouble? And what if you
are forced to bug out without shelter and a considerable amount of food, have
you really improved your chances for survival?
I have and the whole process was a pain in the . I hooked up my one ton
pickup to my 5th wheel trailer, filled it with the guns, ammo, tools, extra
fuel, and food storage, and the rig grossed at 18,000 lbs. Let me tell you
this was not bugging out, this was crawling out. Even powered by a Cummins
Diesel, nothing weighing 9 tons moves quickly or escapes over steep or narrow
roads. I also tried towing an open trailer filled with a tractor and tools
cross country and learned about road trash puncturing trailer tires and criminals
loitering at rest stops and RV parks.
Fortunately, these problems surfaced during normal times when the highways
are open, fuel is available, and I was
the only one freaking out. My experience is telling me that the best response
is to move away from the cities before an event. Move to a more secure area
now. Preposition your survival tools and food storage at a secure site before
the stuff really hits the fan. Then find a way to move there your self.
I have read all the government’s emergency preparedness books talking
about folks pulling together, one big nation singing Kumbaya. But I have
also read the postings from folks who were late evacuating New Orleans. Many
of them were threatened, robbed, and assaulted by their neighbors simply because
they were better prepared. I do not know if this entitlement mentality is really
that widespread, but experience suggests that Americans will get scared and
will act like animals.
Deciding When to Leave; Cooper’s Colors for a Social Crisis.
Jeff Cooper also devised a series of situational awareness colors to allow
his self defense students to make proper decisions and know when to use deadly
force
to protect
their lives and family. Borrowing Cooper’s Colors for a social crisis
I suggest the following:
Condition White) Circa 1981-1988: Following the Vietnam war, Watergate, and
the Iran hostage crisis, the US was ready for a positive change. During the
Reagan years we challenged the Soviet Union and emerged as the world’s
lone supper power. Despite some evidence to the contrary, we felt that we had
no reason to be concerned by terrorism. Paul Volcker tamed inflation by inducing
a severe recession. We all shared the economic pain, then we shared the rewards
of a growing and stable economy combined with low inflation. Social changes
were being made slowly and with participation from the general public. The
Government rarely took violent actions against protesters. Crime was random
and quickly dealt with by law enforcement.
Tough times, but the US government was working for the People.
Condition Yellow) Circa 1989-1998: The US is struck repeatedly by terrorists
at home and abroad. The Government treats this as a criminal manner. The economy
fluctuates but appears to correct itself rapidly and without visible government
interference. The US starts pursuing free trade and globalization treaties.
Manufacturing, agricultural, and finally high wage jobs are being outsourced.
High risk mortgages and investments are legalized and encouraged. Presidents
Bush (I) and Clinton start talking about and building a “New World Order”.
Social changes are being made to protect and benefit the people in power, without
participation from the general public. The Government begins to track, infiltrate,
and take deadly action against small religious groups and grass roots militias.
Law abiding citizens are blamed for violent crime and gun ownership is highly
regulated. The only bright spot during this decade is the results of the 1994
midterm election and the subsequent Contract with America.
A break of trust between the US Government and the People. Citizens should
store guns, ammo, food, and fuel. Prepare financially, physically, and mentally
for
change.
Condition Orange) Circa 1999-2006: The US is struck repeatedly by terrorists
at home and abroad. The Government responds by aggressive military action designed
to change the conditions in countries hosting terrorists. The economy fluctuates
between extremes of growth and recession, as if no one knows the true worth
of these commodities and major corporations. The Government begins to spend
massive amounts of money on the war and hides this spending off budget. Price
increases affect the availability of food and fuel. Social changes are being
made without participation of the citizens or even the US Congress. The most
offensive of these changes are rammed down the throat of a disbelieving public
by the courts and petty bureaucrats. The heavy handed tactics of the State
and Federal Government begin expanding the number and boldness of protest groups,
well ahead of their attempts to control them. Crime is increasingly organized
by gangs, carried out by minors and illegal aliens, and is funded by illegal
drugs. Law enforcement is not effective against this and many believe the problem
is intractable.
A second break of trust. Citizens should liquidate their financial assets,
purchase and store critical supplies and solar panels, and move to safer locations.
Condition Red) Circa 2007 – ????: High risk loans, derivatives, and credit
default swaps cause huge financial losses and trigger irrational stimulus spending.
The US Treasury and US Federal Reserve start taking up major ownership stakes
in US corporations, then use this position to control the means of production.
They announce plans to create a Federal domestic police force. This may be
used to enforce new requirements for domestic passports, travel restrictions,
and to deal with any visible protests. The Obama Administration is full of
folks committed to new laws regulating guns ownership and banning the sale
of effective defensive weapons, ammo, and reloading components. Large scale
energy, income, and sales tax increases are planned. I believe that Americans
will again be deprived from owning real [precious metals] money. Our currency
will be devalued by perhaps 80% to offset the massive Federal spending. Price
controls
and rationing
of food and fuel will be introduced by executive order. During the Great Depression,
FDR banned the private holding of gold and foreign currency. US dollars
(gold certificates) were replaced by Federal Reserve Notes. Many
banks were closed without returning deposits to account holders and what little
cash was left in the hands of the people was devalued by the Treasury by 40%.
Many folks are moving out of large cities. They are buying rural land and planting
a garden. They are buying and hoarding guns, ammo, food, fuel, and looking
to buy gold and silver. While economic conditions appear bad, the break of
trust
between the Government and the People is more reminiscent of the Civil War
than the Great Depression.
Can You Make an Orderly Transition?
a) Moving Out of the City but Keeping Your Job.
Many folks simply can not leave their big city job and feel trapped. For them,
moving your family out of the city and keeping your present job, and commuting
back and forth may be the best interim solution. You might look at public transportation
in your area and see if you could buy a home near this. Also consider owning
a Jeep or a pickup that can contain survival tools, food storage, hiking boots,
even a mountain bike and commute using that vehicle when you feel that a crisis
could be imminent. You need to practice for this occasionally to find out how
to drive home without using freeways, or clogged intersections, or having to
refill your gas tank. If you plan on biking home, why not try it once a month.
Find out now if it is a viable alternative.
b) Career Changes that Improve Your Preparedness.
Some friends of mine recently underwent a significant career change. They left
their research position at a US government lab in California to take a college
professorship in a small Midwestern town. There are many opportunities for
folks to change careers and significantly improving their preparedness level
without losing their career and every thing they have built. Creating a portable
small business, building a farm or ranch, taking a related job in small town
America are all good ways to improve your position without the big and scary
step of quitting and living off your savings.
c) Transfers and Early Retirement.
I moved out of Los Angeles 25 years ago, to a small desert town three hours
away. I soon plan to retire and move even further away from California and
its enormous
insatiable and unsustainable cities and their outrageous politics. Often times
these transitional changes take years of planning and savings to carry out
successfully. For me, the years of planning and savings are worth it. If you
are just a few years away from retirement, you might want to find out the rules
and calculate how to retire early and how much such a change would cost you
in the long run.
How Can You Bug Out Safely?
d) What are you Bugging Out From.
This may be the most important question. I believe that you must know what
you fear before you can plan what to do, and ultimately where to go. What could
convince you that you must leave your current home? Are you worried about a
natural disaster such as a hurricane, an earthquake, or a tsunami. Perhaps
you are concerned about a 1930s type depression, a renewed terrorist strike,
or a combination of events that teardown the rule of law and allow rioting
and conflict on a nationwide scale. If you are just worried about keep yourself
employed in our current economic mess, you might consider mobility and job
skills more important than bugging out. But if you have come to the conclusion
that the American society will fracture when subjected to enough stress and
that the inevitable reaction to almost any sudden crisis will be rioting and
nationwide loss of the rule of law, you might want to consider moving to an
area where you fit in and are accepted by the community.
e) Selecting the best route and location.
Leaving your “Big City” job and moving back to your home town is
a pretty popular idea right now, perhaps even smarter than trying to start
a new life in a new and strange part of the country. I grew up on a small farm
in the Midwest and am planning to move back to a small farm. When I talk to
my new neighbors I find that I actually have more in common with them culturally
that the folks I have worked with here in California for over 25 years. Truth
is I am still a farm boy who is more concerned with my farm and livestock than
I am with a Lexus or a wide screen entertainment system. No one seems to be
much impressed about my “Big City” job but every one is stoked
that I am a qualified gunsmith and can trap beaver out of the creek.
Some good friends of mine moved back to their home town of Sandpoint, Idaho
about 12 years ago. Northern Idaho seems like a nice enough place when I visited
a back then, but even a couple of local boys with engineering degrees had a
hard time landing a full time job. Perhaps moving where you can actually find
a job and where you can still afford some nice farm land would make more sense
than moving to someone else’s idea of an ideal location, (Sorry, James).
The same applies to your route selection. Staying away from the inner city
areas that always seem to be the flash points for social unrest seems obvious.
But perhaps moving out of the big city early is more important than planning
the best escape route and waiting too long. If you must wait until the last
minute you should consider finding a bug out location that is within a very
short drive, say only a few hours away. Another advantage of have a “local” bug
out location is using as a vacation spot on long weekends. Suddenly, taking
a week off and driving out of the city is more of a regular occurrence. If
you practice it often, it is more likely to work under the added stress of
a real crisis event. [JWR Adds: The drawback to this is that
if your retreat is in close proximity for you, then it is also in close proximity
for The
Golden Horde. A three hour drive out of Los Angeles, is just about where
most refugees will be running out of fuel. Choose your retreat locale wisely,
well-away from exit corridors and natural lines of drift.]
f) What to Carry, What to Pre-position.
Even if you have a very secure location to preposition or cache goods and equipment,
I believe that you need to store the primary means of survival at your home
and be prepared to carry it with you. I define the primary means of survival
as food, water, shelter, clothing, and protection from immediate harm. Secondary
stuff would be the means to sustain life beyond the immediate threat, i.e.
productive land to grow food, livestock, tractors and farm equipment, means
of producing
electrical power, reload ammunition, trade goods, gold and silver. I recommend
that you keep the primary stuff at home and have the means of transporting
it to safety at a moment's notice. You may choose to store the secondary stuff
at your retreat location (and take the risk of theft) or at home (depending
upon your ability to transport it). In practice, I would suggest that the heaviest
and most bulky secondary items should be pre-positioned or cached at the retreat
location.
g) Selecting a Bug Out Vehicle.
If you plan to--or fear you may have to--make a lengthy bug out trip with a
loaded vehicle during crisis conditions you might consider the fuel range and
load capacity as the most important considerations. While recently designed
gasoline vehicles tend to be very reliable and more fuel efficient than trucks
built in the 1970s, their fuel mileage is still much lower than an equivalent
turbo diesel with a manual transmission. Plus it is easier to add significant
auxiliary fuel storage tanks to a diesel. My number one recommendation for
a bug out vehicle is a 1994 thru 1997 Dodge Cummins one ton pickup with a 5
speed
manual transmission and 3.54 rear end. Add a 90 gal Aux. fuel/tool box combo
for 1,900 mile range without stopping to refuel.
What If You Leave Too Early?
h) Leaving When You Should.
Human nature is a funny thing. Through out history folks have remained in very
dangerous conditions, literally losing their own life, because they are afraid
of public ridicule for running away. This was particularly true with the Jews
in 1930s Germany. While leaving may have been difficult and even prohibited
by the Nazis, it was possible. So why did so many folks bow to social pressure
to remain. Who cares what the sheeple think, learn to run like a scared little
rabbit. If you can not move to a safe area permanently, then find a way to
move there temporarily. Look for an opportunity to take a sabbatical, or take
time off to care for an aging parent, or to work part time. Look for anything
that allows you to leave the most dangerous area at the first hint of a crisis.
Yes, your friends may harass you for bugging out too early and slinking back
a couple of weeks later. Just remember who they are and invite only those folks
who seem to understand the risks we appear to be facing.
i) Leaving Yourself a Way to Return.
Please do not plan to max out your credit cards, pull out of your retirement
accounts, or burn bridges with your boss. History is full of folks who thought
they knew the end of the world was coming, only to be forced to deal with reality
the next day. Did you ever hear of the 1840s religious group, the Millerites?
They gave away everything they owned because their leader knew that Christ
would
return
on a particular day. Leave yourself a safe way to return to your old life
if you decision to bug out is wrong. While I believe that it is a much better
plan to live in a safe area all the time than try to predict the event, I also
recognize that many people can not move quickly enough. I believe that the
Bible states that the end will arrive like a thief in the night. No notice,
no warning, one second every thing is fine and the next second the world has
changed radically.
j) Living with Your Mistakes.
It is possible that you will be caught up in a crisis in spite of all your
preparations. Perhaps you needed to travel to a big city hospital or take
a long range flight on just the wrong day. Perhaps a crisis develops while
you
are living your life and not really paying any attention. Life is not going
to send you any emails telling you that the stuff has hit the fan and you
are now on your own. I recommend that you always carry a bug out bag with
the basic
survival food and equipment, and bring along your knowledge, skills, experience
with you. Carry enough gold, silver, and cash to replace some of your preparations
and allow you to purchase the means to get home if you are caught taking
a long distance flight.
Summary.
There really is not any way to know what they future is going to look like.
We could experience a long degrading slide into the dust bin of history (France,
Spain, Japan) or in a blinding flash of cataclysm (1917 Russia, 1934 Germany,
2001 Argentina). We could be looking at a repeat of the Great Depression,
a World Was over the remaining oil supplies, or a second Civil War. What
I do know is that our Government has been corrupted and is responding to the
unbridled greed of an elite few and against the needs of the many.
Studying our own history and the history of other developed nations under
similar shows
two clear possible futures: Those that shared the pain recovered, those that
spared the elite at the expense of the many suffered from long debilitating
economic depressions that often decayed into Civil War, Fascism, or Communism.
I would rather face the future surrounded by like-minded people in an area
that can support both my life and a sustainable society. A society that is
not dependent on long distance transportation of critical goods, non-renewable
energy sources, centralized control and just in time deliveries, or intensive
industrialized agriculture. I was born on a small farm in the breadbasket
of the world, and I want my country back!
« Letter Re: Offshore G.O.O.D.--Do You Have Your Papers? |Main| Note from JWR: »
From The Werewolf: New Flex Fuel Ethanol Motorcycle Now Available in Brazil
Jim,
I´m very proud of the new Honda´s motorcycle in the Brazilian market:he
first full "flex fuel" bike in the world! You can use gas and
alcohol, in almost any ratio. (Well, on cold days, you´ll need 20%
gasoline minimum to start the engine...). It´s the ultimate survival
bike! I know you don´t read Portuguese, but here
is the link. And here is an article about it in English: Honda
CG150 TITAN MIX: world's first flex-fuel motorcycle.
Best Regards, - The Werewolf in Brazil
« Two Letters Re: Knob Creek Report on Ammunition, Magazines, and Parts |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Letter Re: Home-Made Super Cat Alcohol Stoves
Dear Mr. Rawles,
First, I would like to commend you on your "Patriots" novel.
It is a "must read" for any American who believes in our Constitution
and Bill of Rights. I bought the book a few months ago and have read it twice
so
far. The "crunch" scenario outlined is self-evident today, and a
very real possibility.
I have never been of the "survivalist" mindset, however with the
NWO now upon us - and my becoming 'awake" as to the threat of the NWO
and TEOTWAWKI - I am starting my preparations in earnest. Your book, and others,
are now quickly becoming part of my reading in order to catch up on what I
have to do to protect my family and myself when the Schumer hits the fan.
I have read many articles on your blog and the internet regarding what the
contents of a G.O.O.D. bag should carry. Of interest is the subject of portable
cooking stoves. I have found a quick and free option for a lightweight and
portable "camp stove" that I would like to share. It is called the "Super
Cat" Alcohol Stove found at the
Jim Woods Base Camp web site.
This "stove" is simply a cat food can that can easily be transformed
into an denatured alcohol (or similar) fueled cooking stove that is a simple
to make, takes up minimum space, and is fueled by easily carried and procured
denatured alcohol. I find that carrying one or two of these stoves in a zip-loc
bag takes up minimal space in a backpack. Denatured alcohol is readily available,
and can be cached for future use in large quantity. The
downloadable PDF file for the "Super Cat also shows the various ways
that that the fuel can be carried in small containers for a backpack. There
are also downloadable files on a windscreen and stove
stand that are also easily self-fabricated.
I know that most of the folks that read your blog are more prepared than I
am at this point, but I feel that all options should be presented for evaluation
and testing in order to find out what best suits their needs. And the best
thing about the "Super-Cat" is that it is free!
Thanks for your Patriotism and everything you do. - W.M.
« Letter Re: Knob Creek Report on Ammunition, Magazines, and Parts |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Backpackers of the Apocalypse: Selecting and Ultra-Lighting Your Bug-Out Bag, by John the Midwestern Hiker
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to get out of Dodge,
a decent respect for the integrity of one’s spine demands that every item
in your bug-out bag be submitted to a candid evaluation. Forgive me for cheekily
paraphrasing the Declaration of Independence, but it does make a point that every
preparedness minded individual needs to consider:
if and when you need to get out fast with only the items you can carry on your
back, what are you going to take, and what are you going to carry it in?
The first major consideration that you need to, um, well, consider, is the type
of pack you will want to select (If you already have a pack and know how to use
it, then, please, skip a paragraph.) There are two types of packs popular today:
internal frame and external frame.
As the name implies, an internal frame pack has a rigid metal frame buried
deep within the bowels of the pack. Internal frame packs are designed to perform
well
on rugged and treacherous terrain. They ride close to the body and are heavily
padded for comfort. The actual stowage space on an internal frame is the long,
narrow pack body. All your goods are accessed from the top, which can be a
problem if the item you’re trying to find is tucked away in the bottom
corner of the pack.
An external frame pack is essentially a metal frame with hip belts, a pack,
and some convenient nylon mesh pockets attached to it. External frames are
designed
for easy access and a large carrying capacity: if something won’t fit
in the pack itself, just lash it on to the frame and off you go! The drawback
of
external frame packs is that they tend not to be nearly as self-contained and
well balanced as internal frame packs.
The selection of a pack really depends on your personal preference, and the environment
that you anticipate you will be carrying it in. As I live near mountainous terrain,
I favor an internal frame configuration. Go to a local sporting goods shop and
try on a couple of different packs to find one that fits your body and the climate.
After you’ve selected your pack and figured out the straps and buckles
(can’t help you there, every pack is different.) you will need to determine
what to pack. Camping stores offer plenty of fun-looking, lightweight gadgets
like origami snapware and ‘backpacker’ camp chairs. Resist the
urge to buy these. Your pack will be quite heavy enough just carrying the essentials.
The human body needs three elements to survive in the outdoors: these are, in
order of importance; water, shelter, and food. When you pack your bug-out bag,
focus on these three essentials.
Water: Without water, even the toughest individual would be dead in a matter
of days. Pack three means of purifying water: a hand-pump filter, preferably
an easily cleaned ceramic model, water purification tablets, and a fuel efficient
backpacking stove to boil water for drinking, cleaning, and cooking. Of course,
you can usually build a fire to boil water with, but you may not always have
the time or energy. Always, always filter water before drinking, it may look
clean, but if it’s not [free of microorganisms], you could wind up ‘running’ out
both ends.
Shelter: In most climates for most of the year you will want to have a tent
along. Most backpacking tents are sturdy enough for hiking and camping in spring,
summer, and fall, but are inadequate in heavy snow or cold-weather conditions.
My advice
would be to have two tents: a lightweight, well-ventilated backpacking tent
for summer situations and a heavy duty ["four season"] dome tent for winter.
Change the tents and
clothing in your pack, seasonally.
Food: You will be limited in how much food you can carry, regardless of the
size and weight of your pack. My personal favorite is Mountain House freeze-dried
food. Pound for pound, freeze-dried
food weighs less and tastes better than any
other
backpacking food I have ever used. An additional bonus is that, being dehydrated,
all you have to do is add water, swish it around and eat it right out of the
pouch. I have experimented with many other kinds of food over the course of
my
backpacking career, and none has matched the convenience, weight, taste, and
portability of freeze-dried
food.
For food preparation, consider carrying a lightweight stove. You can survive
without one, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Some models of stove can run
on multiple fuel types, and if you are planning on roughing it long term, a
flex-fuel model is a smart choice.
Personally, I use the Jetboil, because it is self-contained, lightweight,
easy to clean, and very, very fuel efficient, which is good, because it runs
off of
a specialized fuel mix.
If you want to eat the food you prepare, bring along an insulated metal mug and
a fork/spoon/knife combination utensil. Do not, under any circumstances, pack
or buy origami eat ware. Although it is lightweight, it is also ridiculously
flimsy. So, unless you want to be eating out of your bare hands, go with a good
old fashioned mug and spork.
Some items are not absolute essentials, but are very, very nice to have. The
first and most important nonessential item is camper’s toilet paper. Some
locales, especially in the west, lack herbage with soft, fluffy leaves, so unless
you want to use pine needles (very strongly not recommended.) or hay (again,
from personal experience—don’t try it.) bring along camper’s
toilet paper, which is essentially super-absorbent toilet paper on a streamlined
roll.
Supplement
this supply with natural substitutes whenever you can.
In that same vein, bring along a sturdy plastic garden spade to bury your waste
with. Make sure you store this shovel in a sealed plastic bag.
A tough, sturdy plastic tarp is another useful nonessential. A tarp can serve
as the footprint for your tent, or you can use it as a ground cloth to sleep
out under the stars in nice weather. Bring along a spool of medium-weight nylon
cord so you can use the tarp as a cooking fly or to augment your tent in heavy
rain.
A sturdy, closed-cell foam sleeping pad will make your nights much more comfortable.
Avoid generic brands if you can, because they tend to be much thinner and are
more prone to tearing. I have a Thermarest Ridgerest foam pad that has lasted
me for five years and is still in good shape. Although inflatable sleeping pads
are more comfortable than foam pads, they tend to leak, and are generally more
prone to failure.
Another item that should probably be an essential is a good knife. A sharp cutting
tool is essential to human survival. Bring along a sharpener that is effective
and that you are comfortable using. If you are planning on making a fire, a hatchet
is also useful, but not essential.
Well, that’s it. This is all the essential gear that you will need for
your bug-out bag. Remember, these are the essentials. You will want to pack other
items in order to fill out your bug-out bag; things like ammunition, a slingshot,
and duct tape (of course.) After you assemble your pack and gear, make sure that
you go on at least one week-long trek, so that you can practice packing and carrying
your bug-out-bag. Keep your bag packed and ready if you don’t live at your
predetermined retreat site. You may be carrying it sooner than you think.
« Letter Re: Some Practical Lessons From Daily Concealed Carry |Main| Note from JWR: »
Is it Enough?, by Axman
I remember the Great Gas Crises of the 1950s. I filled several metal five-gallon
cans with gas and put them behind the seat of my 1941 Plymouth 6-cylinder Business
Coupe. I got 21 miles per gallon with that peppy little car!
When Kennedy’s
Cuban Missile Crises came about I dug a foxhole in my Mother’s
back yard -- which she later filled in and used as a flower bed.
Then the Cold
War with Russia, where we rattled ballistic missiles at each other. I actually
built an above-ground fallout shelter out of a retired metal
dumpster
and a piece of conduit big enough to crawl through. A hill of dirt left over
from a construction job finished it. My shelter looked like an earthen igloo,
built in the high desert above Phoenix, Arizona . It lasted about 7 years,
until the new owner of the property took it down.
One day at a gun store I met a man
who was high up in our regional electric company. I asked him what would happen
if the Russians nuked Phoenix. He replied
that
if we were lucky, our electricity would be out for a few weeks to a few months!
If
they scored a direct hit, then it could be years before the power could be
restored!
Convinced, I went right home and started assembling my own small solar
electric system! Several years later the Berlin Wall was taken down. But
I kept my 'Small
Electric Company' operational. I still use it every evening! In addition
I picked up a pitiful little generator some guy had taken out of his motor
home.
Eventually
Y2K came
on the scene. I sold my little noise maker
and replaced it with a new Coleman 3,000 watt, no frills, short run generator.
It is just big enough to run the wife’s washing machine and any of my
shop’s
tools one at a time. This machine was a great comfort as the year 2000 came
closer. I figured on running it just 2 to 3 hours per week during the crisis.
That way, I would
not have to store large amounts of expensive, flammable gasoline. I still maintain
this generator in good working order by using it to power my electric chainsaw
2 or 3 times each year as I cut wood for our stove.
During the pre-Y2K months
an old Baptist turned-Mormon school chum convinced me
to
start a food storage program. So I went out and bought 3 or 4 cases of Ramen
noodles. In time I learned to hate Ramen noodles! My thrifty wife insisted
on recycling or rotating them through my digestive tract! I think I have finally
got her convinced to save the last case for our neighbors who fail to prepare
for the big one! I now buy canned pinto beans, pork and beans, canned corn,
green peas, green beans, potted meat, Vienna sausages, stuff I like or can
at least
tolerate! I figure on keeping 6 weeks to 3 months supply of food and water
on hand and rotating it every 3 years, keeping it no longer then 5 years.
This is an ongoing thing and saves us a few dollars as the price of food continues
to rise. Uncle Sugar just keeps printing money and devaluating our Dollars,
thus higher prices!
Now along comes the Mega Depression of 2009, [minor rant snipped] so this
then is my biggest challenge, just to survive this coming period of economic
disaster,
political turmoil, and civil unrest.
I am in the process
of improving
the latches on my exterior doors and outfitting a designated bug out vehicle
capable of sustaining our lives for 30 days. I am teaching my wife to use a
battle rifle and
improving my rain water barrels. I instructed my financial advisor to prepare
my investments for the worst, plus taking some independent action of my own
in
the way of trade goods, reconstruction skills and a small investment in precious
metals. I have talked up the need to prepare with friends, loved ones, and
neighbors. Is it enough? Only time will tell.
« Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. & Mrs. India |Main| Notes from JWR: »
Disaster Preparedness--Of Lists and Preparation in Depth, by Ed C.
I would like to offer my own experiences in the hopes that they may provide
some small amount of practical advice to others. Here in Oklahoma, of course,
we face tornadoes, but many do not realize we have also suffered from paralyzing
ice storms - three within the past ten years. Lessons gleaned from practical
experience are:
- Have inventory lists;
- Have 'Oh-Schumer Lists' of items
and chores for each type of contingency situation
(tornado, flood, ice storm, etc.)
- Prepare 'in depth' for each major
need, such as heat and light, food, water, shelter, and protection
- Calmly
think
through scenarios on the before-hand, in terms of what would be needed,
how long one can survive, and what the deciding factors in your response
would be ('fight or flight')
- Most importantly, be prepared to take care of your own, whether family
or
friends or neighbors.
First things first. Just a week or so ago, Oklahoma
was ravaged by several tornadoes. While keeping an ear on the weather
report,
I calmly
gathered up medications,
identification papers, windup lights and radios. I made sure there
was at least one conventional telephone working. We have had experiences
with cell
phone
towers being down, or the cell phone networks being overloaded. I
placed a full face motorcycle helmet, winter gloves, and parka within reach
to put on (for some marginal protection against debris)
in case
the tornado swung in our direction, something they can and
have done before.
Thankfully, we were spared, though one tornado came within two miles
of
our home.
The purpose of relating the above is to illustrate the
importance of pre-planning for an event, having what we call an 'Oh-Schumer
List' of
items and tasks, so that one keeps panic at bay while calmly following
a pre-planned, prepared
list so that one keeps busy and feels somewhat in control of the
situation.
The second situation is one that we have experienced
several times; and yet I am still amazed that many neighbors still do not
prepare
for them; ice
storms. Again, we have items stored which were deemed necessary
to overcome the emergency
situation, as well as an 'Oh-Schumer List' of items and tasks
(chores) which we can calmly follow. In our case, we have winter clothing
cleaned, organized,
and stored;
various tools and outdoor items prepped (snow shovels, chain
saw (and spare chains, oil,
etc.), generator (and gasoline, oil, spark plugs, etc.), tarps,
lumber; food, water, and medicines stocked; Vehicles serviced and fueled;
and Call
Lists of Family,
Friends, and Neighbors so that we can be sure they are warm,
fed, and safe.
One thing I must stress is that we prepare 'in depth'
as much as we can.
Meaning that while we have a generator and gasoline, we also
have propane lights, heaters,
and stoves in case the generator fails. We also
have candles, Esbit stoves, windup lights and radios, and firewood.
Similarly, my wife
will cook up large batches of food if she knows we have an
incoming storm front, but we also have canned goods, MREs, and freeze-dried
goods.
For water, we
have bottled water, Katadyn water filters, bleach, water purification
tablets, collapsible
water containers, and a small 10,000 gallon swimming pool.
A
few years ago, Oklahoma City was paralyzed for about five
days by an ice storm. We had no
electricity from the grid, but we had our furnace and a few appliances
running
on a generator. We also had relatives and neighbors who stayed with us, as
they had not prepared. It was no matter, we had homemade chicken pot
pies, wine, card games,
lively conversation, and were all safe, snug, and warm. Sadly, while outside
cutting up fallen trees that blocked the roads, I encountered a neighbor that
needed
the cut-up wood to heat and cook for his elderly father and himself. I offered
him our propane lights, heater, and camp stove; but he did not take us up
on the
offer. I wanted to ask him, that since we had gone through this numerous
times, why he had not prepared for this. But, I knew it was hard enough for
him just
to ask for the firewood.
In closing, let me recap. Have inventory
lists. Have 'Oh-Schumer Lists' of items and tasks for each type of contingency
situation. Prepare 'in
depth' for each major need, such as heat and light, food, water, shelter,
and protection Calmly think through scenarios on the before-hand,
in terms of what would be needed, how long one can survive, and what the deciding
factors would
be. Most importantly, be prepared to take care of your own, whether
family
or friends or neighbors. Sadly, this last point is overlooked by many. Good
luck to all.
« Economics and Investing: |Main| TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery--Part I: Ingrown Toenails, by Dr. K. »
Letter Re: Jared Diamond Predicts the End of Cheap Oil and an 85% Global Population Decline
Mr. Rawles,
I
found this article informative. A quote: "Cheap, plentiful
fossil fuels discovered in the last hundred years (or so) spurred a food bubble,
which
led
to a population bubble. Cheap
oil, in other words, created the temporary conditions necessary to support
a runaway population explosion that is, without question, unsustainable without
cheap energy." Here is another quote: "complex civilizations are
quite fragile, and short-terming thinking can easily doom a society or civilization
to irreversible
collapse."
The author believes that world population
will be reduced to 1/7th of its current size in a post-oil economy. BTW, there
are lots of other links on that web site that are worth exploring. I enjoy
reading
your blog. Regards, - I.L.
« Three Letters Re: Some Thoughts on the Survival Vehicle |Main| Note from JWR: »
The 19th Century Home Retrofit, by Y. Cornelius
By now most SurvivalBlog readers have gone about your preparations for your
ideal home or retreat cabin, all storage food and tools acquired, fuel stored,
generators
ready, PV panels carefully concealed and hooked up to the battery bank. You
and your family or group are ready to handle the coming collapse, but are
you really? Are you ready to do without? Without that generator when
the fuel runs out, or a critical piece is worn out and a new one cannot be
had? At some point
your supplies will be used up, storage fuel consumed and there may not be any
to refill your tanks or more realistically you may be priced out, or it will
be too dangerous to “run-the-gauntlet” and get more. Can you manage
in your place without electricity? Can you cook with wood? Do you have space
enough to process the abundant food you grow and must preserve either by canning
or other means? Can you move throughout your buildings without being seen from
the outside?
My point, is your place set up to function as a 19th century homestead?
My wife and I bought an old New England farmhouse many years ago, it is nothing
fancy and looks like so many others in our area, it is a traditional connected
farmhouse meaning that the buildings are all linked-up, yet they have different
roof lines and are of different sizes. It is best summed up as a “Big
House,
Little House, Back House, Barn” and this is the title of a wonderful book
written by Thomas C. Hubka which details the reasons for the ways structures
developed. (If you want a leisurely read on the history of these buildings, I
highly recommend this book.) Anyway, we bought this type of farm house and have
been in the process of renovating it over many years, although the renovation
could more reasonably described as going back to the future. One of the many
wonderful things about an old house, and when I say old I mean over 150 years
old, is the ability to reuse much of the lumber in the walls, floors, and ceilings
or the masonry whether it is brick or stone, Ours is a timber frame with some
masonry on the exterior and is incredibly well built and has a brilliant house
plan. I realize that many people are not up to the task of going through this
sort of process, but you could build your current retreat or home to some of
these specs. Our home for example was built just after the War of 1812 it was
fully functional for a family of eight with room for boarders/labors and or relatives.
The kitchen is large while many of the adjacent rooms are small (less space to
heat) all the rooms are situated around two large central fireplaces and have
thimbles to allow for a small wood stove in each, the rooms can be closed off
when not in use, thus not taking valuable heat from other areas. In the basement
there is a large hole in the floor; it was a cistern, but was allowed to fill
in with junk, perhaps it was considered a “sump hole” by later inhabitants
since there was evidence of long overworked pumps in under the silt and gravel.
I have cleaned this up and now have a source of water right in the house, (this
water will still need to be treated since it is technically surface water being
only ten feet below grade), but it still offers water for cleaning or for our
animals.
There is a large “root” cellar to store food stuffs and
canned goods. (It could double as safe room or vault if needed and may well have
been at one point since the opening is nondescript and hidden from plain sight).
Also there is a summer kitchen, at first I wondered why this was necessary, it
appeared to be redundant, but further study enlightened me to the fact that this
area was a vital part the home complex. First it served to allow a large un-insulated
cook area that was necessary during the harvest time to allow heat to escape
from the constant fire in the cook stove during the canning, it was also a place
that field labors had their meals prepared and ate without having to clean themselves
up much and not dirty up the regular kitchen. The buildings between the summer
kitchen and barn (sometimes it is one long building divided only internally or
there are up to three distinct roof lines and end walls that divide them) any
how these areas were used in a variety of ways to allow a small cottage industry
to occur, in-fact these were simply work areas that were sheltered from the often
harsh and wild weather we experience. One could be for wood storage, for tools
(a sort of machine shop), or areas for processing wool from sheep. The point
is not to recreate that lifestyle but to utilize that mindset and build similar
multi-purpose structures.
Our Home:
We have “renovated” our home to fully function without electricity.
Now, we have multiple generators, a significant storage of fuels and food. I
and am currently finishing up with the PV panels and battery bank/inverter set-up,
going through all the motions to secure some sense of normalcy; but in-fact we
do
not “need” those items to exist here, they are an extra. We can heat
with wood and with a solar hot water system connected to baseboard radiators
as well as a copper coil running through the wood fired furnace [for when there
is not solar gain or during a heavy snowfall]. (The hot water moves via thermo-siphon
no electricity needed only check-valves to keep the hot water moving in one direction).
Our kitchen is “modern” but if the power is out we can cook on our
wood fired cook-stove, it is about 120 years old and with a little “TLC” is
now fully functional not to mention beautiful to look at. We can also bake in
a bee hive oven built into the massive central chimney which I rebuilt and lined
with modern flues. I left one of the original fireplaces, installed airtight
doors and an exterior air vent, while on the other side made the other fireplace
into a large wood storage container.
Overall, your retreat needs to be functional without electricity, things will
eventually break, or you simply run out. Focus upon knowing how to live your
life with little to no electricity or “conveniences”. The primary
goals must be on heating your home and preparing food without petrochemical
fuels, most modern homes are particularly horrible in this area. Change your
mindset; you cannot store enough for the really long haul.
« Economics and Investing: |Main| The 19th Century Home Retrofit, by Y. Cornelius »
Three Letters Re: Some Thoughts on the Survival Vehicle
Mr. JWR,
I'm surprised this hasn't been addressed more thoroughly, but the first point
of consideration should be whether the vehicle will be diesel or gasoline
(since most vehicle models don't have a diesel equivalent). I know this topic
has been done before here, and even led me to investing in a diesel, but
apparently it's worth rehashing.
The disadvantages of gasoline are substantial. Gasoline is difficult to store
safely (as it is so combustible). Its useful life generally expires in about
12 months (so should you not have access to your stabilized cache, you can
expect
your
vehicle
to become useless before a year is out). It is more common, which means it
is more likely to be stolen. Gasoline generally gives fewer miles per gallon.
Gasoline engines usually wear faster than diesel engines, and require more
servicing (oil changes at 3,000 miles rather than 6,000, with expected engine
lives also greatly reduced). The only advantages I can see to gasoline is that
you're more likely to find spare parts and mechanics who can work with them,
and that it's less temperature-sensitive. [JWR Adds: Diesels are
also very unforgiving if you ever run one completely out of fuel. Re-priming
can be tricky.]
Meanwhile, the advantages of diesel are substantial, for our purposes. Diesel
is not nearly as combustible, and so safer to store, and will last longer.
It's less likely to be raided (and someone who does steal your diesel supply
won't be getting far if they're foolish enough to use it straight away). The
engines are generally simpler than gasoline engines and more tolerant to abuse.
Most important is the availability of fuel. Sure I can't siphon out of my neighbor's
car (not that I would anyway), but when the gas stations are out, truck and
train depots are more likely to have left over fuel. And when the diesel is
out, I can still run on jet fuel, kerosene, biodiesel (which I can make at
home), waste vegetable oil, waste engine oil, even coal dust.
Assuming even the least crises we might face, such as a localized natural disaster,
the gasoline infrastructure is very fragile, and very quickly that will run
out, with gasoline theft very common. When the gas pump goes dry, however,
I'll still be brewing my own biodiesel out of vegetable oil I can pick up at
the store or even make myself. (And I'm not aware of any [fire] code concerns
regarding storing vegetable oil in the home). Diesel is renewable, gasoline
is not (even
ethanol production is a losing proposition).
The caveat to this is to buy older. Newer vehicles are getting increasingly
temperamental, especially the newest models. Apparently the 2007s and later
fall under new EPA standards,
and in many cases the standards are so stringent that the vehicle will even
bleed fuel into its own oil supply rather than release
oxides into the atmosphere. That means biodiesel will literally eat the inside
out of the vehicle. 2006 and earlier on most models should be fully biodiesel
compatible, with older models working better (although generally less efficient).
Thank you for your fantastic blog. Keep up the good work! - Dieselman
James:
Those were some really good ideas. I've done some of those modifications.
I would add to the list three items:
1. I have three historic vehicles and one ironic thing about old school technology
is that the PSI ratings
for various applications on older machinery is not what it is on modern vehicles.
For example, I once lost a tiny plug (off of
a '58
International
Tractor) that would be impossible to find (or worth it for that matter) so
I crammed a piece of cork into it and its been there for years still doing
a great job. So, I save all cork from my household for emergency leak stoppers.
BTW: cork when burned makes good instant facial camouflage so that's another
reason I keep it stockpiled.
2. I read / subscribe to antique tractor, car, and motorcycle magazines to
pick up DIY information. A tip I picked up but haven't used
was from another old car nut. Keep a tampon handy for radiator leaks. It'll
provide a good temporary fix that will get you home.
3. Road flares. Besides the intended purpose, they also do a great job at starting
fires if the wood you are trying to light isn't exactly seasoned and dry. I
also used them as a law enforcement officer to chase away the bad guy's dog
so I didn't have to shoot the dog. (I have five rescued dogs and numerous other
rescued animals so I try to avoid any unnecessary force against animals.) [JWR
Adds: In my experience, nothing beats a lit 15-minute road flare for
crowd control. Nobody wants to mess with them.]
Good luck, - FLHSPete
Hi Jim,
I wanted to add my two cents to the Bug Out Vehicle (BOV)
thread going on. I’m
sure my thoughts on the subject will appear weak and lazy, but give it a look
see
anyway.
This
comes from the perspective of those that want to continue much as they do now,
and who possess the ability to do many of the repairs that would be necessary
for any truck, no matter how well “prepped” theirs might be via
the aid of auto-mall-ninja pimping.
Plenty of people will chose to keep existing trucks, or SUVs as their BOVs.
The reasons are many, but usually include the lack of funds to keep an extra
vehicle around, and personal preferences. Most will not use a specialized vehicle
as their full time rig, but they might consider modifying them for BOV off-road,
or inclement situation usage. For those that can’t, or won’t buy
/build /modify their way into a full-blown Mad Max vehicle, there remain options
for existing trucks and SUVs.
My personal rig is an F-250, 7.3 turbo diesel, early 2000s vintage.
It is a crew cab, (4 full doors, independently operable, unlike extend cab
units
which require the front doors to be open before the rear can), with an insulated
shell, and factory step bars to aid getting in and out of the cab. (We also
have an older 90s stretch minivan with seven passenger seating and storage,
and a pair of five-passenger SUVs).
I’m not overly concerned with EMP,
so computer damage from that doesn’t
rank high on my list. While having spare components is part of my plan, the
fact that they cover EMP possibilities is purely coincidental. Spare computer
and sensor parts for the 7.3 International engine run the list of the usual
suspects as they pertain to common repair activities. CPS, ICP, IPR,...
etc. The acronyms are part of the learning curve for do-it-yourself repairs.
Whatever breed of horse is in your stable, you better learn his particulars.
For Ford truck owners, an excellent source for tech, tips, real world repair
stories and cures, go to the
Ford Truck Enthusiasts (FTE) web site. They
have a world of excellent information, and them boys and gals help
members immediately, when there is an issue. All the special parts names (IPR
= Injection
Pressure Regulator etc.) are in there, and descriptions of what they do. All
of these components are available now, from multiple sources, and will fit
in a .30 caliber-size ammo can (which will fit behind the rear seat no problem).
I would encourage people to not be intimidated by the newer setups. Start with
a good, solid rig, such as the 7.3L. Buy the spares, and read up on how to
change them out. It’s not that hard. You’ll be doing monkey work
anyway no matter what the truck, if the poop smacks the blades, so what’s
the difference? These days, there are a whole lot more of the newer
Ford trucks out there. Parts galore! The parts houses have them in stock. If
it gets really
bad, and a little creative acquisition is in order…. well, use your imagination.
The 7.3 [liter] diesel is built by International, and has a minimum expected
life usage of 350,000 miles. A couple of guys on the forum report that some
trucks
have
gone 600,000+ miles before needing any real work. This engine simply keeps
going, and the chassis is very tough to beat.
Diesel fuel is everywhere. It’s in: big rigs, delivery - FedEx and UPS trucks, rental trucks, farm tractors – trucks – agricultural water
pumps – and
fuel tanks, some busses, most service stations, railroad engines, earth movers
and other construction equipment, military bases (who knows, they might go
deserted…),
emergency back up generators for some buildings…. It lasts a heck of
a lot longer than petrol. Doesn’t matter how much gasoline is around
for you, it will all be junk without proper treatment within
a short period of time. [JWR Adds: Don't overlook Home Heating
Oil tanks as another potential source of fuel that can be burned in diesels
in emergencies. (Although it would be a violation of road tax laws to do so
on public roads.) IMHO, every retreat should have at least one diesel
vehicle!]
As for transmissions, a manual is a good idea, but if you have an automatic,
don’t despair. I’ve yet to see a 8,000+ pound truck be push-started
without first parking on a hill. With your automatic, you need to be sure it
has a fluid cooler installed. Change the fluid regularly and according to common
sense. In a TEOTWAWKI world,
requisition [purchase]s are off the cuff, and there are plenty of the common
transmissions currently in service, and readily available.
Air bags used for load leveling really are a blessing. Take this setup, for
instance. A 3⁄4-ton truck that occasionally pulls a heavy load may use “load
levelers” commonly installed for use with travel trailers. These transfer
a good portion of the load to the truck’s front tires, but not all of
it. Air bag load assist units can take up the rest of the extra weight, and
convert your 3⁄4 ton setup into something much more capable. They don’t
get in the way, and are absolutely no liability. These accessories
can level a burdened truck just fine, which is a dead necessity if you want
a truck that
will steer and brake predictably. A truck that sagging in the rear can be deadly
in an emergency stop, especially on grades. The use of air bags allows
you to keep
a good ride when they are idling along. The best of both world there. At the
most, if they fail, you are left with the factory load capability intact.
My truck [body] is two inches higher than stock. I like the increased visibility.
I like the added travel in the suspension for towing off road. I like how it,
just today,
went
over debris on the road that might have caused damage. The guy in front of
me didn’t see it, and bang. I didn’t
have enough warning time so I went over it [, without contacting it]. The guy
behind me sensed something was up, but he
couldn't decide
what to do, so his vehicle went bang, too. Does two
inches help? It can. Today it did.
It also makes servicing the truck in bad terrain easier. With a truck that
has
a little
more uppity to it, you can get under it without the use of jacks, which are
unsafe on sloped ground. I wouldn’t lower a truck for any reason.
For anti theft, one easy to install device is a common switch, rated for the
current in the fuel pump circuit. I use switches to disable the fuel pumps.
They are hidden, and out of the way. Not too many thieves will spend the time
trying to figure out why the engine won’t start… something about
panic and going to jail or getting shot.
In keeping with the current mission of trucks, we like our power windows and
door locks. The window motors might become disabled at some point, but that’s
not a problem, really. If we need them open right now, that’s possible
with the glass breaking tools we carry anyway. In non emergencies, we can fix
such things. Power door locks have never trapped anyone I know inside, since
they all have manual overrides. They are a non-issue, too.
Back to our 'lil F-250 for a moment. They are copious hand bars in it. Four
on each side. Just inside the central pillars, are two very large such bars.
We’ve
found that these are just wonderful anchor points for harness attachments,
which allow for someone to firmly anchor themselves if they need to be sitting
on the window sill, hanging out the window for some reason. (Another opportunity
to use your imagination.) These internal attachment points almost seem
made for special occasions. - Anonymous from Californicatia
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Life's Lessons and the Foundations of Preparedness, by A.B.
We may soon depend on all of what we have learned over the years. Putting
all of the threads of knowledge together into a tapestry of self-sufficiency,
and survival capabilities, is part of the lifelong quest for our family’s
security. We learn from many sources and experiences such as: family, church,
friends, teachers, teammates, co-workers, reading books and SurvivalBlog, and
hopefully from our mistakes.
Preparedness Skills from our Grandmas and Grandpas
The foundation for preparedness begins with my childhood in Michigan. We
lived in Lansing where my great-grandmother was next door and my grandmother
lived
next door to her. My father was born in great-grandma’s house after
the family moved to the city during the early 1900s. My sisters and I spent
weekends and summers alternately at my mom’s family dairy farm, which
was just outside of the city, and at my dad’s family cabin “up
north”. These were the richest times of my life. We knew all of our
grandparents and some of our great-grandparents very well. My great-great-grandfather
still
lived in the old log cabin when I was born in 1956. We have been fortunate
to have had five generations alive consistently from then until now. The
wealth of love and knowledge you gain from your extended family is irreplaceable.
The “old timers” told stories of hardship during the great depression
and the dust bowl era (we live an area that was the largest prairie east
of the Mississippi.) Memories of crop failures with tales of early and late
frosts
were passed down. There were also hunting and fishing stories passed down
as we learned to hunt and fish with older family members. There were bigger
than
life lumberjack stories and stories from Prohibition and the World Wars.
I learned to safely handle and accurately shoot a .22 rifle with peep sights
when I was six or seven years old. I walked the roads with my grandpa squirrel
hunting. We ice fished on local lakes and went to Tip-Up
Town USA every year.
All
of
this adds to ones persona and the early experience helps awaken the necessary “survivalist” traits.
On a working dairy farm you rapidly learn about life (and death). Animal
husbandry and caring for the land lead to sustainability. Animals do become
food and
harvesting the crops sometimes seems little reward for the hard work. The
milking must be done every day and chores do not wait. As a kid I learned
to drive
tractors and pick-ups to and from the fields. We mowed, bailed and then stacked
the hay in the mow. Alfalfa, oats and corn were the field crops. Pigs, chickens,
and sheep were raised along with the dairy cows and we cleaned the barns
and spread manure.
Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation such as when to plant,
where to plant, when to harvest, and how to raise the animals. There were
many topics of conversations at the Sunday breakfast table. Many things are
debated
and discussed after chores and before Church. Most times the conversations
continued outside the Church after the sermon. It was the only time you saw
the other farmers. When you are a little guy you tended to be quiet, pay
attention and learn.
Grandpa was a farmer and Grandma was a one room school teacher. Grandma also
taught vacation bible school during the summer break. Us kids learned how
to tend good gardens and helped preserve the food we raised. We took care
of the
barn animals while the uncles milked. We hauled water to the bull pen and
helped milk as we got older. Survival skill sets from the farm come from
being part
of a close knit community with a solid work ethic. There are strong religious
underpinnings with good people engaged in caring for one another as well
as the animals and the land.
Preparedness from "Roughing It”
The log cabin “up north” had a well-house for getting water and
an outhouse for getting rid of water. There was a wood fired cook stove for
heat and kerosene lamps to play cards under. There was a red checkered oilcloth
on the table with cane chairs around it. The place was originally homesteaded
by my great-great-grandfather in the late 1800s (a few electric lights
were added at some point.) We used to go up on Friday night after Dad or
Grandpa got out of work. The next morning started with an awakening trip to
the outhouse
and then fetching a bucket of water from the well house and kindling for
the wood stove. On a cold morning you stepped lively until the fire was going.
Once the stove was hot, Grandma would cook buttermilk pancakes on a griddle
that my great-grandmother had used in the lumber camp. Eggs and bacon sizzled
in a cast iron skillet. Clothes were washed on a washboard in a wash tub and
then
hung
out to dry. You took a bath in the river. During the summer we would fish
morning and evening and water ski on the nice days. The family summer vacation
was
spent camping in a tent along the river or at a state park. The old cabin
was also used for small game hunting in the early fall and deer camp in the
late
fall / winter. We would take walks in the woods and look for morels and other
edible things like may apples, hickory nuts or raspberries and huckleberries.
Animal tracks were learned and followed with hopes of a glimpse. Life was
considered sacred unless needed for food and being a part of nature became
obvious. A
leave no trace and waste nothing ethic was being born.
Opportunities for further wilderness and pioneering skill development were
provided by Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. My mom and dad were actively involved
in Scouting when I was growing up. Teamwork and sharing responsibilities
for the group were learned. Outdoor cooking and keeping things sanitary were
heavily
emphasized. Food poisoning is no joke – we had one patrol that damn near
killed us with their meal. We learned to wash our hands and boil the crap out
of everything. Hiking and backpacking skills were beginning to be developed
in the Scouts. We day hiked a 20 miler once a year on the Johnny Appleseed
Trail - the Scouts version of the death march. You had to carry a full pack
if you wanted the patch. We also hiked the Pokagon Trail in northern Indiana
and learned to camp in the winter.
While living in Pennsylvania (later in life) I started winter backpacking with
a few of my buddies. We went in the winter both for the solitude it offered,
and
to learn the special skill sets required for survival in the cold. There
are beautiful views from Seven Springs and other spots along the Laurel Highlands
Trail during the winter. This experience then led to the development of technical
mountaineering skills. The books Basic Rockcraft, Advanced Rockcraft and
Knots
for Climbers were memorized along with study of the book Mountaineering:
The Freedom of the Hills. Skills were practiced and ingrained.
My first solo backpacking / climbing trip came in the summer of 1980 in the
Organ Mountains of southern New Mexico. I later solo climbed most of the
4,000 and 5,000
footers in New England (many in winter). I met a like minded climber on one
of those hikes and we made a summit bid on Mt. Rainier in June of 1998. I
also began
the solo circumnavigation on the Wonderland Trail that year. I set the first
tracks both that year and when I completed the circuit in June of 2001. Map
and compass skills were required. Primitive camping
while carrying everything you
need to survive for two weeks is a tough proposition. It was tough in my 30s
and 40s. It’s even harder now that I am in my 50s. G.O.O.D. to
the deep woods is doable but it would be a hard life.
Responsibility and Teamwork
We learned to be responsible and self-sufficient during our childhood. We learned
to play without other kids around and had chores to do for our allowance. I
learned to gather the wood and light a fire as soon as I was old enough. You
pumped the
water and filled the reservoir if you wanted warm water for washing up. You
learned to use guns and knives as tools while you learned hunting techniques
and cleaned
the game for the table. Being a responsible hunter meant taking ethical shots
and using what you kill. Catching and cleaning fish, then cooking or smoking
them were all part of being a good fisherman. To go along with these survival
skills you also need the ability to share knowledge and work as a team.
Most of the skills you learn will help you to fend for yourself one way or
another. The only problem is summed up with the statement “no man is an island”.
You will need others sooner or later. My sisters and I developed basic teamwork
skills while setting up camp. The girls helped mom and I helped dad. We had a “system”.
This was carried further in Scouting. Some Patrols set up tents while another
set up the kitchen. These valuable lessons were used later in life as I went
through boot camp and during service in the military. I served on small boats
as part of a search and rescue team in the USCG.
Teamwork helps to overcome the steep learning curve and high risk of being
a self-sufficient survivalist. You can do things as a team exponentially quicker
and safer than you can by yourself. Your bunkmate becomes your partner in boot
camp and later becomes your shipmate. You learn “one hand for yourself
and one hand for the boat”. As a team you can survive what would kill you
alone. In a bad storm someone has to steer while someone bails out the boat.
One person couldn’t do it. Avalanche in the back country is another perfect
example - by yourself you are probably dead. Doing things alone is great - but
it may cost you your life. Skill and knowledge can’t cover your a** like
a buddy. It’s nice to have someone else on the rope with you; they are
your only hope.
Teaching everyone at least something you know and learning from everyone something
you don’t know can only make the group stronger. If someone gets sick
or is tired someone else can step up. CPR is
a good example here. In the back country one person can’t help himself.
One person helping may bring back the life but it better happen quickly. Two
people allow you to send someone for
help while
rendering aid until you are too tired to continue. Three people allow almost
indefinite support. Two can alternate CPR while waiting for the one who left
for help to return with the defibrillator. If help is real far away, then it’s
done. There is a point of no return. Remote locations usually cross that point
which is a distinct disadvantage (unless the SHTF).
Without teamwork you will usually die if something bad happens. Everyone has
to be a good shot. Everyone needs to be able to render first aid. The group
is only as strong as the weakest link and precious resources are spent covering
someone’s a** that’s not up to speed. Teach and learn and cross train.
Remember what you did as a kid and don’t sell the kid’s of today
short. Teach them the skills they need and allow them to grow into the responsibility.
Being part of a team or extended family that functions like a team is fun. The
action of being responsible for one another is at the root of any team.
The
Prepared Family
The family is the primary source of knowledge. Some survival skills to learn
right along with reading, writing and arithmetic are: swimming, knot tying,
fire building under all conditions, where to get water and how to make it safe
to
drink, safe gun handling and accurate shooting, hunting in fields and the woods,
fishing in rivers and on lakes, first aid, camping, boating, gardening, making
things “homemade”. You can’t start learning or teaching these
things too soon.
10 years ago we moved back home to Michigan after living all over the USA.
I had come home for my Grandpa’s funeral and was returning to New England.
Something was wrong and I couldn’t put my finger on it. That’s when
the light came on and as I drove it became apparent that I was going the wrong
way – both figuratively and literally. We were chasing the so called “American
Dream”. Losing my grandfather and returning to the north woods had shown
me where home really is. It is with family and God and where your roots are.
I had drifted away from the true values I had learned early in life.
I resigned my position, cashed out the 401(k), and bought the homestead from
grandma. We planted 24 fruit trees and installed irrigation systems for the
gardens. We
pruned the grape vines back and tended to the asparagus beds. My wife renewed
the old flower beds and I have replaced the split rail fence. We re-roofed
everything. The folks put down another well up the field and had another septic
system installed
for their travel trailer. We had a 100 amp power drop installed and we also
buried a power cable from the field to the trailer for a 12 volt system (small
scale
solar and wind).
I once again could use guns after living in the tyranny of Massachusetts. (I
refused to get an Firearms ID card so my guns never left the house in 16 years.)
I taught a niece
and nephew to shoot with the same .22 that grandpa used to teach me with almost
50 years ago. My nephew, now an 8th grader, got his first deer this past year.
No one believed him when he came home and told them. He did it on his own.
Things have now come full circle in our life. My grandma lives with us in her
old house through the summer. My sisters are both Grandmas themselves now and
they are taking care of our mom and dad. The kids have great-grandparents and
a great-great grandmother. My understanding wife of thirty years and I live
here on the homestead as stewards of the family heritage. The whole family
gets together
up here once or twice a year. We know how to provide for and take care of each
other. If the SHTF my sisters and the rest of the family will head up here
to the homestead and once again adopt the ways of our Great-Great Grandpa and
Grandma.
Everything we have learned through our lives will serve us well. Skill sets
from the north woods and from the farm are derived from living simple, living
manual
and living with nature as part of nature.
We used to fall to sleep on a feather tick mattress while listening to rain
tapping over our heads in the loft of the old log cabin. Bedtime st
