Letter Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale

Dear Mr. Rawles,

I just finished your novel novel “Survivors”. It was a good book and it spells out a lot of things that might happen. I have been an avid reader of your books and materials for some time. I would like to point out that Alaska is a better survivor island than many of the other Western States.

First: Alaska does rely on products being imported but it has the capacity to manufacture its own fuel. Presently we have three refineries within our state but they concentrate on the manufacture of Aviation Gas because it has the highest profit. We could seek to change our production to diesel and to automobile gasoline if we were cut off. We also have geothermal heat sources and large deposit of coal that we would be able to use as fuels. We have active wood resource use and technology involving wood boilers.

Second: Anchorage would be toast. It is kind of known as Los Anchorage. It has a high Asian/Pacific Islander/Filipino population mixed with greenies (emigres from California) that would wipe themselves out quickly. The rest of the state would have increased resources with that group roughly taking itself out. Those that would be left would be roving gangs but for the most part would not leave their central location. People would probably seek to cut the roads out in and out of anchorage and this would be easy with the destruction of a couple of bridges. Anchorage would be isolated and would be a death trap.

Third: In a “Crunch” type scenario things that have restricted Alaska for a long time like the Jones Act would be null. Alaska presently can not direct export its resources to other foreign powers. Alaska has a significant war chest in its constitutional reserve that is largely composed of stocks, and real estate. Alaska could possibly pull some very quick trade deals with other PacRim countries for import/exports.

Fourth: Military in Alaska. We have a large military presence here and those people would follow military procedures. Many would be called back to the states or would move back with their families. Once that happened our population would be more sustainable. Many military folks would stay. Alaska would be the home to the stryker divisions, airborne and quick response divisions that could easily protect its borders. We have tactical bombers, missile defense and F22 Raptor fighters that would provide for supports.

Fifth: Long term Alaskans- Would easily slowly retract from the rest of the US. We produce a lot of gold and precious metals and would be able to produce a lot more if Federal Restrictions ended. 66% of the state[land area] is Federally controlled. The lack of an operating over the shoulder Uncle Sugar would produce a lot of mom and pop gold mining that would be highly profitable in the crunch.

Sixth: The amount of salmon and other basic food stuffs could be concentrated on. Delta and the Matsu valley have the capabilities to produce enough potatoes, barley and vegetables that with the new[ly-reduced] population and regular dynamics we would be okay. We actually built storage facilities for these products that are not in use. Global Warming is a reality and Alaska has longer growing seasons with capabilities that would allow it survive. We would not face starvation as mentioned in the book. Many in Alaska are preppers and I believe that the average household in Alaska has between two and four months worth of food. Things like Sailor Boy pilot bread and other products that last for long without refrigeration are found in greater quantities up here.

Seventh: There are some Alaskans who would die quickly in the aftermath of TEOTWAWKI but if Alaska was not completely nuked it would have circles of influence that would try to keep things in check. There are several very active groups of people who would seek to take quick steps if it happened. They are here and are prepared. Alaska’s constitution is different from US constitution and it is much more connected with the original constitution and not all of the interpretation and missteps that our Framing document has taken.

I liked your novel very much. I think that you should investigate the capabilities of modern compound bow technology. Bows are much more accurate and deadly than they have ever been. They have the ability to engage targets at ranges greater than 100 yards. Sincerely, – Thomas K.



Letter Re: Buffalo Bore Ammunition–Thinking Outside The Box

James,
I’d like to offer a quick bit of follow up on Pat Cascio’s review of Buffalo Bore ammo. I’m a big fan of their ammo, and have quite a bit of experience with it. I recently ordered and tested some of the .45 Auto Rim +P 225 grain hard cast wad cutters, as well as the 200 grain version in .44 Special. I shot the Auto Rim in a 325 Airlight 2.5″ Smith & Wesson, as well as a Model 22 4″. This is stout ammo, pushing the big flat point bullet at over 1100 fps. I have to admit that it was not fun to shoot in the lightweight snubby, very much like shooting full house .357 ammo in a lightweight J frame. I believe that I will order some of the non +P version (1,000 fps) for the 325, and reserve the +P version for the all steel revolver. It was very controllable and accurate in the Model 22, and I’d feel very confident and well armed with it against two or four legged predators. The .44 Special version pushes a 200 grain bullet about 1,000 fps, and was a joy to shoot in a 3″ 629. There is a .44 Magnum version available that pushes about 1300 fps. These big wadcutter loads harken back to Jim Cirillo and the “man stopper” loads he used on stake out duty with the NYPD. While somewhat “retro”, they provide reliable stopping power and penetration without relying on a hollow point that may or may not expand. I believe they would be excellent carry loads for the backwoods.

As Pat mentioned, what I really like is that Buffalo Bore creates ammo that maximizes the potential of the case capacity, with bullets that meet real world needs, and tests their ammo in real world guns. Each cartridge description includes real world velocities for actual firearms, not long test barrels.

I also recommend their .357 Magnum “Low flash, low recoil, tactical” 158 grain jacketed hollow point ammo, which I’ve found to be an ideal load for a S&W 327 Nightguard snubby. In my .38 Specials, such as the Detective Special I’m carrying, I use their 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow points. I’ve never found any problems with the BB ammo, finding them to be accurate, powerful and reliable. Much of their line is available at Cabela’s, but I normally order directly from the Buffalo Bore web site, and have experienced quick and reliable shipping.

I’m just a satisfied customer, have bought all my own Buffalo Bore ammo, and have no interest in the company. Thanks, – S.M.O.



Economics and Investing:

Chris D. recommended this YouTube mini-documentary: Confiscation and Inflation

Reader Kevin K. liked this piece: The $U.S. Dollar Centric Derivatives Complex: Progenitor of Parasitic, Ponzi Price-Fixing

Twenty Two Signs Pointing to a Devastating Global Recession
 
All You Need to Know About Iran, $200 Oil, and $6.00 Gas Prices

Items from The Economatrix:

The Worst Economic Recovery Since The Great Depression

Nearly 1 Million Workers Vanish Under Obama

Home Seizures May Jump 25% this Year as US Foreclosures Resume

Apocalypse How?  Dire 2012 Forecasts Pessimistic Prognosticators



Odds ‘n Sods:

Tom H. sent this: Free EMS nationwide radio scanner feeds, via Internet streaming.

   o o o

Clarke M. mentioned that there are some great resources for homeschoolers available at Donna Young’s web site.

   o o o

The 10 Worst States to Retire In: They’re Frosty and Costly

   o o o

With some angst, an Elle magazine writer asks: Should I Buy a Gun? (The journalist recently moved to Montana. So instead of having doubts about being unarmed, does this mean she is having Redoubts?)

   o o o

And just for fun, a little South of the Border humor: The Skeleton Bike Rider. (Some budding track stars! Note that the prankster set up just outside a walled cemetery.)



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Free wood is puppy dogs and sunsets! Free wood is money in the bank, fuel for the furnace, and landscaping all in one! It’s miraculous in its absence of liquidity. Ever seen a lawyer come and steal half your firewood? Had a politician skim 10% of the top of the cord? Had it vanish in a hard drive crash? I think not. Free wood is peace and joy…” – The Adaptive Curmudgeon blog



Notes from JWR:

In reviewing SurvivalBlog’s web statistics for last month, I see that our traffic was a whopping 1,929.92 Gigabytes in December, 2011. That is huge number for a blog that presents mostly text. (We post very few graphics.) We also logged 334,239 unique visits per week. That is about the same number of unique visits we received per month, back in 2008. Our bandwidth has quadrupled in less than three years!

Thanks for spreading the word about SurvivalBlog to your family, co-workers, church congregants, and friends. I also appreciate that so many of you have added links to SurvivalBlog in your web pages and blogs, and even in your e-mail footers. I feel blessed. May God Bless You!

Today we present another two entries for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), and E.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak F-50 hand well pump (a $349 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 39 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



Night Vision Gear for Those on a Tight Budget, by Robert C.

Prepping on a budget is quite important to my family as I am sure it is to many avid readers of this fine blog.  I have purchased the book, “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times” and am following it to the best of my ability and financial means.

However one aspect that is woefully lacking is my nighttime surveillance capability.  Sure I have strong LED flashlights with rechargeable batteries, solar panels ready to recharge those batteries at a moments notice, and enough batteries to last a lifetime.  I have solar powered motion sensitive lighting on each corner of my house just like any good Prepper.

However in many instances that I can envision, I would want the capability see what is going on in and around my area of operations (AO) without alerting what I am attempting to observe that I am attempting to observe it.  Whether it is shooting that feral hog out of the garden, observing the deer that are eating my grapes, or seeing what that two legged predator is doing walking my fence line on the back of my property.

I have been looking and reviewing various night vision scopes and binoculars, however of the ones that I reviewed, none that were in my price range seemed worth owning and the ones that were barely in my price range had marginal reviews. 

With money being so tight just to make ends meet, let alone prep, I simply could not afford to roll the dice and take the chance that a particular night vision scope would fulfill my purpose.  And, even if it did, with the” two is one and one is none” philosophy; I certainly couldn’t afford multiples of any of the scopes that I had seen.Not only that, but even if I could find an affordable (to me) night vision scope and I could afford to get multiples of that scope, I would need one that could fit multiple uses as well.

For example, I would need one that I could fit as a head-mounted unit to use as a hands free unit that would allow me to keep my hands free for other things and still see good enough to scout.  I would want a handheld one that I could have on me at all times just in case I get caught out after dark.  I would want one that I could mount behind the iron sights or scope of my ARs.  And, to make it all worse, I would want several of each to allow each member of my family and group to have the same capabilities.

With all of these things on my checklist, it certainly appeared that I was going to have to sacrifice and either have one that I squeezed into many roles, or spend more money than I could really justify on trying to cover all of the roles that I needed to.

Then Christmas rolled around and I went shopping for my children.  As I was walking down the toy aisle of my local big box retailer, I came upon a infrared binocular toy from Spy Net that had been marked down.  So I took $20 out of my prepping budget and made the purchase.  With the caveat that if I didn’t like what I was seeing through them in a test, it would still make a cool Christmas present for a 10 year old boy.

Now I might lose some readers here, but please bear with me.

This night vision toy functions only as an IR viewer–it does not have an light amplification intensifier tube.  It uses any ambient light source and two built in infrared lights (if there is no sufficient ambient light source) to light the way.  Instead of an intensifier tube, it uses a tiny CMOS camera that transmits to a small LCD screen.  The upside to the CMOS camera is that it will not be damaged by a sudden bright light source like some early intensifier tube night vision equipment, and can still function during the day.  The downside is that they are not as durable as intensifier tube night vision devices and they rely on a lot of circuitry to operate.

When I brought it home and test it as soon as it was dark, outside. The first thing that I noticed is that it does an amazing job of using any ambient light source.  The small CMOS camera and screen showed decent detail and I could mostly identify people at a decent distance (25 to 30 yards), not just as people, but also some facial features allowing recognition. 

The second thing that I noticed is that the two built in infrared lights were woefully inadequate at lighting anything beyond 15 feet.  The good news is that I was only looking for the first thing, because I had no intention of using the built in lights anyway since they had no control to turn them off if they were not needed (or desired).

I had purchased this with the specific intention of taking it apart and modifying it to increase its capability and increase its durability several fold.

As I took it apart, it amazed me on how compact and small the actual functional unit was.  About 90% of the size of the binoculars was just empty air surrounded by plastic that was made to look high tech for a kid’s toy.  The actual unit was able to fit in the palm of my medium sized hands with room to spare.

So after disassembly, and removing all of the extraneous controls (it has the ability to record and playback video and audio which I didn’t need and just added extra bulk), so those circuits were quickly cut and removed along with their corresponding wiring and controls. 

I was left with just the CMOS camera, the circuit board, the attached video screen (about .75îx1î) the power switch and the battery pack. 

My next job was to fashion up a durable housing to place this in.  Since it is so small, I was able to make the housing a bit larger for durability. 

I was originally wanting a cylindrical tube, however because the rest of the unit was square, using a round tube would increase the size of the whole unit too much, so I used a thin walled square cross-section aluminum tube and placed the circuits inside.  To help increase durability and protect the circuits, I poured clear resin inside the square tube and let it dry (keeping the resin away from the actual camera or screen of course).  This will help reduce any shock that it might endure as well as protect the circuits and wires from damage.

I used a very small section of square tubing to house the unit itself, then I added in a shade on the backside (between the screen and the users eye) to help cut down on the glare from the small screen.  Lastly I added on a rubber eye piece from an old scope, so the user could get a good “eye weld” onto the scope for optimum viewing.

Since I had removed the very inadequate infrared LEDs, I replaced them with a Solar Force flashlight with an infrared emitter.  The flashlight is mounted to the outside of the unit, so it could be removed and replaced if necessary.  The final step that I used was wrapping the entire thing in Kydex and heat forming it around the aluminum tube.  This made it easier to handle and added yet another layer of protection.

So for a bit under $50 for the entire thing (which unfortunately entailed some trial and error with the aluminum tube and Kydex forming) I have a functional, seemingly durable night vision scope (durability testing will come after I have made a few more and established a solid methodology of how I am going to use these).

My next version (which I have already ordered) will be a bit more compact with a smaller housing and I will use it as a single side head mounted unit.  This will allow me to use it as both a hands-free unit for observation, but will also be able to use a rifle or pistol in the dark (after much practice of course).

My intermediate plan is to have one of these for each member of my house as well.

I have not tested these extensively for durability yet, but I can honestly say that it works better than I had could have hoped for.  This first unit is just a bit unwieldy, but I am not discouraged at all since this is my very first unit.  I am certain that I will find many ways to improve it as I discover the ways that I will use it and how it can be modified.

In my humble opinion, this could never take the place of a dedicated, purpose built night vision device, but like the old saying goes, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”

I would rather have limited night vision capability than money put back saving for a better unit.  And for the very limited amount of money that these cost, it could be a great intermediate step and backup as needed.

JWR Adds: Most night vision monoculars are not up to the recoil stresses of mounting on a rifle–even a light-recoiling 5.56 mm. Also, the mounting interface for anything other than a purpose-built rifle scope tends to be problematic. Even a scope without a reticle (depending on the reticle of red dot scope mounted behind it) can still be a challenge to mount with reliability. The “duct tape and bailer twine” school of gunsmithing (also known as WECSOGing) is fraught with peril. In essence, re-purposing a toy IR scope can work with very limited reliability, but don’t expect it to work for you as anything more than just a hand-held monocular.

The next step up from a toy IR scope like Robert describes is buying a Bushnell Gen 1 night vision monocular. For under $180, these are sturdy, reliable, relatively weatherproof, and they have a decent built-in IR light. They operate on two standard AA batteries. They can sometimes be found used on eBay for less than $90.

Beyond that, purpose-built rifle starlight night vision scopes start at around $400. A fairly decent civilian model is made by ATN: the MK350 Guardian. But keep in mind that there is no true low-cost substitute for mil-spec quality. Sadly, that level of quality comes only with a high price tag.

If you already own one or more night vision monoculars (such as a Yukon), then a low-cost alternative is to wear a night vision monocular in a head mount or helmet mount, and attach an infrared laser to a Picatinny rail on your rifle. The rifle is then shot “from the hip”, using the the laser pointer for aiming. (Sort of a “Poor Man’s PAQ-4“.)

The bottom line: I recommend that you buy the best night vision gear that you can afford. As Robert pointed out, that can begin with a miniscule budget. Watch eBay closely for used Russian night vision monoculars (such as the Night Owl Brand.) These sometimes sell for as little as $60. They are better than nothing. Even after you eventually save up and buy the PVS-14 of your dreams, be sure to retain your older, less expensive, night vision gear. Those will be useful for spares, or worth their weight in gold, for barter.



Individual Movement in Escape and Evasion Situations, by A.E.

What follows is a collection of tips, tricks and strategies that I have personally tested/evaluated and passed on to students within my capacity as a survival and tracking instructor working with responsible civilians, military and law enforcement. Some of this has been around for years, some of it is very recent wisdom, most of it is just common sense. This is not an exhaustive study in any way, but rather a useful primer designed to inspire creative solutions while adhering to time worn tactical truisms. Note also, we are not covering SERE, as survival and resistance are truly separate topics.

Setting Out

Assuming we find ourselves in a sufficiently hostile environment such that we must immediately begin to manage our physical and psychological responses to extreme external pressures, the following recommendation might strike a person as counter-intuitive. That recommendation: sit down, have a cup of tea and relax.

The tea is optional of course, however the sitting and the sentiment are not. Common sense dictates that first steps lead to later consequences. Recent research shows that as human animals under stress we are literally subject to our hormonal and biological responses. Let it be clear: you must take this step.

Techniques such as tactical breathing (breathe for four, hold for four, exhale for four) have become standard training for EMS, public speakers and elite soldiers alike because they work to balance the fight/flight response and gain leverage on the adrenaline dump that accompanies survival situations.

Specifically, sitting down forces a person to acquaint themselves with the environment, let go of the urge to bolt wildly into the unknown and–in many individuals–contributes to and facilitates the calming effect of conscious breathing.

This whole activity might last two minutes or twenty. It all depends on you, the urgency of the situation and related factors. But to forgo this step defies both conventional and cutting-edge wisdom. Consider learning a few mantras, prayers, yoga positions or whatever else you can use to bring you back down to earth and center your mind. Cause you’re going to need it in a major way.

Taking Stock

This is not the time to wish you had studied, procured and trained with your survival kit so let’s pretend that anyone reading this has taken it upon themselves to arrive to the moment in question with at least the barest of essentials–the big five of food, water, fire, shelter and security. So those are covered, but what else do we have at our disposal? What are we missing that we might need or might come in handy? If we need to travel fast and light, what can we ditch or stash for later retrieval?

This is the step where you must come to grips with your situation. You have taken a moment, at least, to calm yourself and manage those primal instincts now you must force logic and training to the forefront and make choices based on that logic. I would urge you to explore the concept of the Trivium, as well as the related topics of logic and rhetoric as such activities and tools can only strengthen your mind and add tools to your toolbox.

Moving on, just as the scope of this essay cannot cover survival kits, its scope can neither cover every conceivable escape and evasion situation. There are simply too many permutations. Therefore and due to the adaptive nature of such situations, as well as my own natural distaste for lists, we must emphasize adaptation and flexibility of thought. We are talking about escape and evasion, yet is it possible to simply lie still? That wouldn’t make for a very good escape scene in a movie, but it might very well give you a tactical advantage in certain scenarios. Again, it cannot be emphasized enough: the point here is to gather your resources, evaluate the situation and make choices.

Your resources are in your survival kit, in your environment and in your mind. Evaluation of your situation includes timing, distances, pursuit forces, places of safety and all other factors affecting your current status as well as your prospects in the immediate future. Making choices is essential–it forces a return to logic and re-evaluation of any possible assumptions you have made thus far. As well, the making of choices is an act which has within it the elements of courage, self determination and (hopefully) humility.

Pace of Movement

Movement in E&E is defined less by your wants and more by your environment. Let’s assume you have made your plan. For example: you find yourself five miles from your home; WROL environment; you’re being pursed by a force of unknown character/training; you have at your disposal a small personal survival kit, light weaponry, no effective long range communication ability; night is falling.

If you know the way home, run. Just flat out run for a mile. Take a break to watch your back trail and if it’s clear, keep running and repeat until you are to a safe zone. Yes, give some serious consideration to noise discipline but as a tracker I can tell you that the single most effective counter-tracking technique is speed. Pure and simple. Forget about dog legs, fake shoe prints or anything else. Just run and increase the time/distance gap.  

Now, let’s take the above scenario but let’s say you are 20 miles from your safe zone. Depending on your level of fitness and knowledge of the area, running may still be a decent option. However, at a certain distance or given changes in other decision making factors you are going need to examine other options. As well, you may need to seriously evaluate your pursuers.

 

Silent Movement

Even with night vision optics silent travel at night can be very difficult and often impossible in certain terrain. Since our above scenario involves lightweight outfitting, let’s consider things without NVGs and without flashlights, as the latter must be strictly rationed to avoid detection.

Let’s just say it: unless you’re in the desert, avoid moving at night. If you must move at night, you are facing the quandary of utilizing well established and easy to travel trails and/or roads which can be a highly dangerous proposition if you don’t know the area or don’t have a clear idea of where your pursuers are moving. Bushwhacking by day has it’s downfalls as well, however at the least you have an increased ability to control your noise.

Silent travel really comes down to choosing your route, slow movement and manipulating sound-producing debris such as leaf litter, downed limbs and the like. Put your weight into your back foot and use your forefoot to gently brush aside a clear area to place this foot on the ground. Repeat. It takes forever and one mistake will make waste of your accumulated effort. I will note that for some people the process of putting weight on the back leg, stepping forward, etc. is actually counter effective. So you need to practice this and fine tune it.

Choose paths based on topography and levels of travel resistance i.e. avoid thickets, vines, areas of dense deadfall in favor of grass, moss or triple canopy where undergrowth is sparse.

The take away points here are: move twice as slow as you think you should and actually pick up, kick aside or otherwise physically move noise producing articles in your path.

One other note from personal experience: I have found that the technique of ‘high stepping’ actually does work if you can sustain it over a series of obstacles. It is particularly useful in area of low light and prevalent exposed tree roots or similar hangups. It has something to do with the fact that the foot is striking directly down upon the earth versus sweeping forward where toes can be caught up.

Habit of Movement

Related to silent movement is your habit of movement, though this line of thinking can also include your other counter-tracking techniques as well as some utilization of day/night routines dependent on your environment as visibility factor.

In our scenario, let’s say your safe zone is on a basic azimuth heading north. Don’t start out going north, instead move east and northeast making a few doglegs and/or roundabouts along the way. Gradually pull your line of travel toward your actual destination. If you have the opportunity or if travel in any way permits, turn around and study your back trail at some distance to evaluate and monitor your pursuers. This is a place where magnified optics have their weight in gold.

In a longer term evasion you need to establish habits that both serve you and avoid detection. This seems contradictory insofar as habits of prey are what most all good hunting is based on, thus avoiding habits would appear at first to be a worthy strategy. The difference is that we are humans and have the capacity for instantaneous evaluation and adaptation. With this in mind, you need to rapidly determine what is serving you and what is not. If traveling early and late in the day and holing up midday is working, use it, habituate it but only to the extent that it serves its purpose. The survival literature time and time again shows that success often comes when a sort of rhythm is established. Whether this is literally the rhythm of your feet and breath as you run, or whether it is in your routines hastily established, if they work use them.

Most likely you are going to need to rest. You might also require water. If you need it–get it and move on quickly. If you can continue without it—go without, as every stop and every choice will have it’s consequences at some point. Speaking of consequences, if you recall when you took a moment and ‘made your cup of tea,’ keep in mind that this ethos is in fact central to your entire act of evasion. So return to that ideal of double edged calm and evaluation. Keep your options wide open; dump a plan if it stops working; continually seek to interface with reality based on its terms while seeking to establish your own foothold in continued survival.

Using the Environment

We mentioned evaluating your pursuers and rest stops. Generally speaking, most people don’t carry pruning shears in their EDC gear, though snipers often carry them as part of their standard gear and for good reason. In an evasion scenario such as we are sketching out, there probably isn’t a whole lot of use for a fully functional sniper’s hide, (though, in keeping with our ideal of adaptation never discount the option of burrowing in and hiding) however modified hides based on well established principles are highly useful and should be practiced.

Where terrain and plant life make it possible, use your pruners to carve out niches in dense thickets. Blackberry vine tangles are ideal because no one wants to touch them and no one would consider that you might actually go inside one. Evaluate the area for an escape route and line(s) of sight; make as few cuts as are needed to burrow into the mass of vines; once firmly entrenched, start to hollow out a useable space, establish a hasty exit route and check your line of sight.

This concept can be utilized in trees where gaining an immediate high-ground advantage is untenable. If you can climb the tree leaving minimal evidence of your effort, staying in the tree as pursuers pass is not a totally unfounded nor untested idea. However, even if you just ascend the tree and make a few choice cuts to gain a decent vantage point on your back trail, it might be worth the effort.

Use of the environment is also going to give you immediate feedback on the talent and tenacity of those on your trail. If your decision making matrix deems it appropriate, consider purposely taking an extremely difficult route. Certain high angles, rapid ascents, rocky terrain, open meadows and the like will allow you to study and make retro-determinations on your hunters’ prowess with respect to tactical acumen, stamina, weaponry, as well whatever else pops out at you.

Good literature on natural concealment is widely available so I won’t harp on it too much. Suffice it to say that a person need not spend more than a minute or two collecting various foliage to effectively break up the conspicuous outline of the human head and shoulders. Attached with paracord, laces or simply tucked into folds in clothing, you can even do this while you’re moving. Avoid leaving obvious traces of your activity such as the white of cut limbs or mangled fern fronds.

Survival skills and their limits are going to play a role in this category of evasion, mainly with respect to what calorie sources you can utilize. I recommend adapting the old concept of the Possibles Bag here as it allows for hasty acquisition and storage of materials found without necessity to pause and rummage through gear. It also allows your pockets to remain available, clean and dry for other uses.

A long utilized method of sustenance by military evaders involves the use of livestock, goods and other useable items usurped from locals, generally in rural areas. This may or may not be appropriate given your situation. For soldiers trapped behind enemy lines and among hostile, fearful or bribe-hungry locals the risk should be weighed carefully. In other scenarios, simply asking the locals for assistance may be optimal and put a swift conclusion to your problem.

This aspect of evasion also brings up the possibility of switching roles from hunter to hunted. Classically, traps and related devices as well as sniper work are brought up in the discussion at this point. It goes without saying however, that these and other tactics and techniques cross a certain line which may or may not be appropriate based on your personal situation. Evaluations such as legality, rules of engagement and morality all must be read in here with their appropriate caveats.

Tips/Tricks/Etc.

I will leave you with a short recap of the high points and a selection of handy tips to keep in your mental back pocket. Recall that when the adrenaline hits, take time to make tea, breathe or whatever else you find forces you to humbly and quickly square up to reality. Like setting the table for dinner, now that you’re tuned in start evaluating, making decisive, logical decisions. Move at the fastest and safest possible pace, utilizing terrain, foliage, weather and anything else possible to your greatest advantage. Stealth is directly related to speed so consider trade offs and continually force yourself to re-evaluate your decisions and assumptions based on the feedback reality is offering you along the way. Ultimately, deliberate action coupled with common sense and perhaps a healthy dose of humility is going to fair you pretty well.

-Don’t follow obvious terrain features such as rivers, rims, tree lines.
-Take care of your feet. If you feel a hot spot, then stop and evaluate.
-Smoke is an effective scent mask.
-Learn how to make a Dakota fire pit. It gives off low light, and when burning certain barks and woods it is near smokeless. Use it only if you absolutely must, to live.
-Keep a 5×7 earth-tone survival tarp in your kit. Cord pre-attached to tie offs.
-An inexpensive monocular or set of binoculars kept in the car or in a pocket can be very handy.
-For calories on a mid to long term evasion look to insects, grubs and fish. In that order.
-Cardiovascular stamina cannot be overestimated.
-Smear dirt+spittle on the stumps of cut limbs or trees.
-Hopping from rock to rock to log, doglegs, walking back in your tracks and other counter-tracking techniques have their price—they tell your hunters something about you, so use them sparingly if at all and never the same technique twice.
-Do a web search: ‘Etymology of red herring.’



Letter Re: A Gardening Zone Mapping Tool

Sir,
 
I am interested in moving to the American Redoubt. As an avid gardener, I am looking for the most promising areas in terms of zone and eco-climate. While trying to find a detailed agricultural plant zone map of the United States, I stumbled upon this site: PlantMaps.com

 When I checking a listing for a property, I can enter the zip code and the site provides significant climate information about that specific location including precipitation levels per month, drought index, average temps as well as a wealth of area maps.  It is easy to discern the effect of elevation on those factors.  For those like me interested in growing our own food, it is a wonderful site!

Thank you, – Pamela B.



Economics and Investing:

Peter Schiff: U.S. is In Worse Shape Than Europe

An interesting podcast: Preparing for the Coming Dollar Meltdown with Gold, Silver, Agriculture, and Energy

Huge Financial Bombs Just Got Dropped All Over Europe

Items from The Economatrix:

Market Resiliency Shines Through French Rating Cut

Oil Prices Below $99 On New Europe Debt Concerns

Europe’s $39 Trillion Pension Risk Grows as Economy Falters

Economic Collapse — Why It Won’t Be Stopped



Odds ‘n Sods:

B.G. sent this from Lifehacker: Use an Egg Carton to Jumpstart Your Garden this Spring

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Reader Pete K. wrote to to tell me that the e-book of the quasi-survivalist novel The Walk” is presently available free of charge to Amazon Prime members, and $3.50 to others.. (It is normally $12.)

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Yes another good reason to save your nickels, folks: NASA Publicly Reveals LENR Research. (If successfully developed at an economical price per kilowatt, warm fusion should send the price of nickel ore soaring!)

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Larry H. mentioned: Why raise your own tobacco? [JWR Notes: I don’t smoke and I strongly discourage it, but if you need to wean yourself or a loved one from an addiction, then here’s a method to produce your own crop.]

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I heard from LPC Survival that the price of the Wise Food Storage 60 Serving Meat long term storage pails is increasing soon. LPC still has them for at $109. (Order yours soon, before the price jumps to $125!



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“There is an axiom that must be remembered under today’s strange financial circumstances with top financial management by sociopaths.  The guarantee is no better than the guarantor.”  – Jim Sinclair



Notes from JWR:

Great News! For those that have asked, a digital download of the SurvivalBlog Archive 2005-2011 is now available for $9.94 via PayPal! (This can be left on your laptop’s hard drive, or easily copied onto a memory stick or to a backup CD-ROM.)

Also, for you Kindle fanatics, the searchable Kindle version of the SurvivalBlog Archive (2005-2011) is now available. While its lacks some of the advanced features of the expanded SurvivalBlog Archive CD-ROM, it’s greatest advantage is of course that Kindle readers are very portable and can easily be recharged with just a small solar panel! The Kindle version of the archive is priced at just $4.97, or $3.93 for digital download. Note that the Kindle version does not include an electronic copy of my book “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation”. (Which is included free in the CD-ROM edition and its digital download equivalent.) Also note that this huge 28 MB Kindle file (over 9,000 pages!) can take up 72 hours to index, and the search function only works on some models of Kindle.



Bernanke, Geithner and the Japanese Solution

A curious financial situation has developed in Japan. Largely overlooked in the American press, Japan now has built up a staggering national debt that is approaching 300% of their GDP. This debt exists at the same time that there is tremendous alarm in the global media over Greece’s debt, that is only about 130% of GDP. (And lest we feel smug about those spend thrift Greeks, our own debt is now more than 100% of our GDP, and unlike Japan, we have a trade deficit rather than a trade surplus.)

Why has Japan’s monstrous debt been ignored by the press? Invisibility. Japan’s solution to their tax shortfalls in the midst of long-term economic stagnation has been to keep 95% of their national debt at home. With artificially low interest rates, and by buy buying their own debt, the Japanese have insulated themselves from criticism by foreign creditors, and they have stabilized the value of the Yen on the FOREX. (In the past 20 years, the relative value of the Yen has increased versus the U.S. Dollar.)

I anticipate that Bernanke, Geithner, et al will learn a lesson from Japan and even take it a step further: Through the Quantitative Easing debt monetization mechanism (where the government buys its own debt) there will never again be news of a “failed Treasury auction.” Any unsold American debt instruments will be bought by Uncle Sugar, with the cooperation of the Federal Reserve. Eventually, foreign investors will see through this ruse, and they’ll stop buying U.S. Treasury paper. They’ve already cut back, drastically. It is noteworthy that they’ve sold $85 Billion worth of Treasury paper in the past six weeks. But not to worry, Helicopter Ben will rescue us. They will buy more and more of the Treasury paper. The mass media will play along, by soft-pedaling the significance of this trend. Within a few years, I can can foresee the Federal Reserve buying the majority of the Treasury debt offerings. This will keep interest rates low, which is a key factor in keeping the economy chugging along. But the end result of all this will be be that the number of electronic Dollars in circulation will double. Then it it will quadruple. This will go on and on until one of two things happen: Either A.) Foreigners force a formal revaluation of the Dollar, or B.) Mass inflation ensues. Regardless of how it plays out, the current policy (which has already doubled the money supply since 2007) will destroy the U.S. Dollar as a currency unit.

Inflation is a wonderfully insidious tool used by governments to allow them to spend more than they earn. But when they over-do it in a binge of “Quantitative Easing”, there can be only one endgame. They will destroy the buying power of the currency and its value in foreign exchange. 98% of the populace are so caught up in their daily lives, watching America Idol and munching on Doritos, to recognize what is really going on. It will only be after mass inflation kicks in that the Generally Dumb Public (the other GDP) will become alarmed. But by then, their life savings will be ruined. Anyone that is on a fixed income will be wiped out.

Only a prescient few will have the wisdom to divest from their Dollar-denominated investments and reinvest in tangibles and productive farm land that is well-removed from urban centers. As I’ve written before: Buy guns, buy common caliber ammunition. Buy remote farmland where you can grow crops and raise livestock to both earn a living and feed your family. Why “remote”? Because when things come unglued later this decade, you won’t want to be anywhere near a big city. It is time to hunker down. folks!

The handwriting is on the wall. What are you going to do about it?



Pat’s Product Review: Buffalo Bore Ammunition–Thinking Outside The Box

I like companies (and people) who think outside the box. I think this comes from my days as a Private Investigator, or when I was in law enforcement. In order to solve “mysteries” I had to think outside the box many times. So it is with firearms and ammo companies – if they want to stay in business, they have to keep coming up with different ideas, in order to pique their customers’ interest.
 
Some months ago, I review some of the ammo that Buffalo Bore Ammunition (www.buffalbore.com) produces. Tim Sundles, who owns Buffalo Bore, told me he was swamped with orders from SB readers as a result of that article. That’s a good thing, I like to see smaller, American-owned companies rise in this day and age. Sundles isn’t one to sit back and rest on his past accomplishments. Nope, this guy is always thinking outside the box, and coming up with new and better loads in some of the old standby calibers.
 
The grand ol’ .38 Special has never been what it should be. Most ammo companies produce some pretty sedate loads for this old round, and I’ve always thought (knew) it could do better. Buffalo Bore has come up with a new hard cast “Outdoorsman” load for the .38 Special. This new Buffalo Bore load was designed for those who need a deep penetrating load to be fired from lightweight alloy .357s and .38 Special revolvers. Sundles discovered that alloy .357s developed multiple problems firing their heavy 180 grain .357 Magnum hard cast turbo charged ammo, or for that matter, any make of full-power .357 Magnum loads.
 
Many folks wanted a deep penetrating load for outdoor use, when carrying their lightweight pocket .357 Magnum revolvers. This new .38 Special +P 158 grain hard cast load is safe to shoot in all .38 Special and .357 Magnum firearms of modern design, in normal operating condition. I think there is only maker who says to not use +P loads in one of their particular super lightweight revolvers – that’s Taurus – and it’s only one of their revolvers.
 
Buffalo Bore never uses extra long test lab barrels to produce their advertised velocities, they use real firearms for all their readings. Sundles used a Ruger GP 100 with a 6″ barrel in .357 Magnum and was getting velocities around 1,250 FPS – that’s screaming for a .38 Special +P load. Sundles also used a S&W Model 642 1-7/8″ barrel snub by revolver and was still getting velocities above 1,000 FPS. I tested this load in a couple guns, shooting into water-filled milk jugs, and it easily penetrated completely through 3 jugs. This is a great round to carry when you’re in the boonies, with a little .38 Special snubbie in your pocket or on your belt.
 
Okay, do you want to turbo charge your .357 Magnum revolver, with a lead-free heavy .357 load? Here it is! Buffalo Bore developed a load using the 140 grain Barnes all-copper hollow point load using the Barnes 140 grain bullet. I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting with various all-copper hollow bullets from Barnes, and I’m very impressed with them . They open-up nicely and penetrate deeply.
 
Sundles recommends that you ONLY use this load in an all-steel .357 Magnum revolver. It should NOT be fired in the lightweight alloy framed revolvers. You can also use this load in any of the .357 Magnum chambered rifles. If you are looking for a real man-stopper of a round, this is just the ticket.
 
Tim fired this round through a S&W Model 66 2.5″ barrel revolver – a snub by – and was getting almost 1,400 FPS out of the gun. Moving up to a 4″ barrel revolver, we are looking at better than 1,500 FPS. In a Marlin Model 1894, with an 18″ barrel, Sundles was getting almost 1,950 FPS. We’re talking serious velocity from this round. I fired this round through one of my .357 Magnum rifles, and found it to be very accurate, and the recoil was mild in my humble opinion.
 
I previously tested the Buffalo Bore 190 grain JFN 30-30 heavy load in a Rossi rifle, and it would make a great round for just about all game on the North American continent, given the limitations and range of the 30-30 round. However, that round might be a bit too much for some medium-sized game, like smaller sized deer. Buffalo Bore to the rescue! The new Buffalo Bore heavy 30-30 150 grain Barnes TSX round will not only penetrate deeply (and hold together) on deer and elk, it will mushroom very nicely. This load would also be great for black bear, too.
 
What’s nice about this load is, if you are going from deer hunting, to elk or black bear, you don’t have to readjust your sights, as you’d normally have to do when changing from one bullet weight to another. Nope, you can use this same 150 grain Barnes TSX bullet for much of your .30-30 hunting needs. However, if I were up in Alaska, where the really big bears are, and moose, I’d go with the other Buffalo Bore 190 grain JFN hard cast 30-30 load, for deeper penetration.
 
In a Winchester .30-30 with a 20″ barrel, Sundles is getting 2,271 FPS. And, even in a little 16″ barrel Trapper, he is still getting close to 2,200 FPS. This is a great all ’round load if you ask me – so long as you’re not up in Alaska looking for the big bears or moose.
 
The last load Buffalo Bore sent me is their new 45 auto rim +P 225 grain hard cast wad cutter anti-personnel load. Now, I said this is a full wad cutter bullet – not a semi-wad cutter bullet. The loaded round actually looks a bit “funky” to my way of thinking. However, this bullet will penetrate 30″ of flesh and bone, and makes a horrific permanent crush cavity because of it’s profile. This load is safe to use in all modern .45 ACP revolvers. (Not in converted antique .455 Webleys!)
 
I wasn’t able to personally test this load, as I don’t have a .45ACP revolver in my meager gun inventory. However, I’ll take Sundles word on this round…He used a S&W Mountain Gun with a 4″ barrel, and was getting 1,122 FPS out of it. And, using that hard cast (not lead) bullet will really get a bad guy’s attention in short order. I also think this would be a great load to carry when you’re out on the trail, it’ll take care of two-legged and most four-legged critters in short order.
 
Once again, Tim Sundles is thinking outside the box, and providing shooters with some serious upgrades to some old calibers. If you want the same ol’ same ol’ from the major named ammo companies, then buy their products. If you’re looking for something a bit different, and hotter in these older calibers, then you owed it to yourself to try some of these “upgraded” rounds from Buffalo Bore.
 
Sundles is always telling me that “more ammo is coming your way….” and he is still experimenting and coming up with better loads, for those of us who demand the most and best we can get from our firearms. I’m looking forward to seeing what Tim comes up with next. And he does a lot of hunting, and is always testing his loads in the field.