Notes for Saturday – September 19, 2015

On September 19th, 1778, the Continental Congress passed the first budget of the United States. While the budget may have passed, the states responded poorly to the call for taxes to fund the government, and the government resorted to printing paper money to cover debts. In effect, the first budget was a failure, due in large part to the states not responding to the demands of Congress and the depreciation of fiat paper money. Are we talking about 1778 or 2014 here?

Also on this date in 1796, George Washington addressed the nation in his farewell address as president.

On a less serious note, Mickey Mouse made his first screen debut in 1928 (Steamboat Willy at Colony Theater NYC).

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Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Keys = Access = Power, by B.C.

My last parent passed away, and I’m dealing with the estate/inheritance. I was the close child and trustee/executor (personal representative). It’s a miracle that all the siblings are still friendly (though there is still money to be paid out)! I will also warn you that it is a LOT of (thank-less) work.

One of the projects was to sort out all of their keys. It was no small task, as my father owned his own business. I also decided to do my keys at the same time. I’ve tried to hit all the points, but it is hard to organize this topic because of all the subject overlap.

KEY SETS

The key sets that I have made include the following:

Master Key Set: These keys are on a big, loose-leaf-paper-binder ring so it is easy to open and get a set off as needed. I used colored (though color does not mean anything for my system) plastic key chain tags, labeled with key group for different areas/people. It is w-a-y too big to fit into a pants pocket. I did not label each key as that was too much work. Each key group has a quick-clip, so it can be attached to another ring or somethig else.

Master Key Set 2: A second set is kept at a remote location. It is on a big split key ring. This set has the keys grouped in areas/people, but it has no tags and is not labeled. It has a chain and belt-loop clip.

Guest Set: This set of keys can be loaned to a guest to get into our dwelling. It has a quick-clip to attach to the guest’s keys easily. It is also big enough to hopefully remind the guest to not take our keys when they leave.

My Set: This is a minimalist set. On this ring, I have a mini-flashlight that I use a lot. I put it on a 2-1/2 inch chain from the hardware store so when I put my keys into my front pocket, the flashlight hangs outside my pocket. When I want my keys, I grab the flashlight, and pull the keys out. This way I don’t have to fish in my pocket, and it keeps the keys from balling up into a wad in the bottom of my pocket. Included are a regular and Phillips screwdriver (I still have not found something that I really like) and other keys I use often.

Since I have an old pickup, I keep two pickup keys on the ring. One key is on the main-ring, and the other key is on a removable clip (like a carabineer) in the center of the keys. This does two things. When going somewhere, the pickup key hangs below the other keys, so I can get to it without hunting for it. The other is, well, because it’s an old pickup, it needs to go into the shop, so I just unclip the main key and leave it with the mechanic. The backup key stays on the ring, and if I need to get the truck after-hours I can have the mechanic lock “his” key inside the pickup.

I also “ordered” the keys on my ring. One side has Dad’s keys; the other side is the apartment keys. On one outside/end is the apartment door key with one of those plastic rings around it. The plastic ring allows me to feel which side/key is left and right. Inside of this key is the building door key. This is especially important, because like you, I always seem to be carrying way too much stuff, so this ring enables me to quickly feel my way to the key I need in the dark.

Hidden Set: We are not perfect, and mistakes happen like losing keys or locking keys inside. Maybe the power is out and the garage door opener will not work. It may be wise to keep some type of key(s) hidden so you can gain access to _______ when you have nothing. There are a lot of places to hide keys. Be inventive; don’t just buy the mass-produced rock from the hardware store. A two-step approach would be to hide the key to a shed somewhere outside, and hide the house key inside the locked shed.

Wife’s Set: Well, what can I say; she does her own thing. Might I say, she seems to need to carry everything in that purse of hers.

Bug-out Bag Set: These are yet to be completed.

Traveling Key Set: I have just started making a set for traveling, because I miss my flashlight and nail clipper/file. Everything needs to be able to go though airport security. I’ll need a house key and a vehicle key, but all others can be left behind.

Other Key Sets: These are for various people or places.

Extra Spare Keys: These were grouped and labeled with a tag (white cardstock with the metal ring around the edge). These were then put into rough groupings in a parts organizer with lid (from home supply store)

KEYS – PHYSICAL – LOCKS

Grouping physical keys can be a challenge. I grouped mine as follows:

Dwelling: front/back door, dead-bolt, garage, shed, inside doors, safe, file cabinet, et cetera

Vehicle 1,2,3: door, ignition, glove compartment, gas cap, hitch lock, et cetera

Camper: door, cubbyholes, hitch lock, bike lock, et cetera.

Equipment: boat, neighbor’s lawn mower, snowmobile, tractor, golf cart, trailer, scooter, toolbox

Other: safety deposit box, gym/locker, storage unit, padlocks, pop machine, games, dog kennel, cash register, desk, cabinets, luggage, paper towel dispenser, outside hose bib, farm gate, mailbox, skis, audio visual, musical instruments, copier, bathroom, firearms, et cetera

Organizations: church, Boy Scouts, volleyball, PTA, et cetera

Parent 1,2: _____

Sibling 1,2: _____

Child 1,2: _____

Friend/Neighbor 1,2: _____

Work: _____

KEYS – PHYSICAL – DIGITAL

These “keys” are physical but not to traditional locks. They “unlock” something using data through something physical, such as a magnetic strip cards. These include credit/debit card, calling card, COSTCO membership card, employee/work badges, cash register key, USB Key, SIM card, et cetera.

KEYS – PHYSICAL – BIOMETRIC

These “keys” are physical, but again do not unlock traditional locks. They are usually electronic in natural and are unlocked through biometric identification. For example, my nephew uses his finger (print) to unlock his phone.

KEYS – PHYSICAL – RADIO FREQUENCY – “KEY-LESS”

Here, I’m referring to auto FOB. While the Internet says fob is an old-time term for an ornament on a pocket-watch chain, I’m referring to the transponders that emit radio frequency to “unlock” or activate an automated door; these might be a garage door opener, work badge, and could include infrared controller for the TV remote, and more.

KEYS – NONPHYSICAL – INFORMATION BASED

These “keys” are basically codes, such as username and password. Much, today, is accessed though non-physical keys, often in the form of “username” and “password.” Some people handle this by letting an ap/application (software program) keep track of all this information. If the electricity or Internet goes down or the device is lost/stolen or computer crashes, or someone is injured or passes away, then it is a lot more work to retrieve this information. One way is to write the information on a key tag and keep it with the keys. Do realize that anyone who looks at your keys could then have access to coded security items/areas. A simple back up is just to use 3×5 cards to record the information. Some coded items are:

  • House security system/lock, thermostat password, TV child lock, and garage door code
  • combination locks, gun locks, and electronic safe locks
  • PC login and logins for games, e-mail, social media accounts, and anti-virus,
  • bank accounts, brokerage account, credit/debit card and associated PINs, government benefits, PayPal, et cetera
  • Amazon, E-Bay, newsletter/subscriptions, and NetFlix account logins
  • membership numbers to AAA, SAMS, and others
  • medical/emergency equipment i.d./access numbers as well as SSN and birth date for admission to a hospital
  • phone/Internet provider, cell phone, audio equipment, answering machine code, and PDA
  • license(s), license plates, and passport (although not a key as such, might be good to know the numbers)

COMMENTS – OTHER

Everyone is different, and you will have to figure out what works the best for your situation.

My wife’s car has a fob. The 2nd fob is kept on the Master Key Ring 1, and I only take it with me when we go on a trip. I should buy another, but they are expensive. Hiding a spare fob on a car is difficult because water can kill it, and sometimes the car can still detect the stupid thing and allow entry. I’ve heard that a waterproof container and wrapping it in aluminum foil should work.

I keep a padlock with the pickup, and the key on my key ring. I have a log chain in my pickup for pulling things. When I have bigger equipment in the bed and the truck is not attended, I will padlock the equipment with the chain.

Be aware that not all key chains/rings are made the same. If you are going to carry it, it has to stand up to a lot of abuse. My fingernail clipper fell off; for me it was easy enough to solder the small chain link closed.

Some items have renewal dates. It might be efficient to gather this information at the same time.

The fobs and other digital items require good batteries, and some things above may require directions for others to operate.

Banks typically ask for the mother’s maiden name as an identity verification/password, but realize that this is public information. You may wish to use some other name/word.

Keep in mind that there are some tools that have the same function as keys.

Keeping your garage door opener in your car is not totally safe. If anyone gets into your car, they will have your house location (auto registration) and your opener.

I used an electric engraver to mark some keys. It has a pointed tip, and works kind of like a woodpecker. It was simple and effective to use, and it will never wash off.

I bought some items from Amazon, because it was taking too much time to run around and find what I wanted. Keys are often for honest people. In the Bible, Psalms 127.1b “…except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain.”

If a set of keys are lost or stolen, you will know what locks need to be changed. So, keeping less keys on the ring might be less convenient but a better security choice.

THE END

We will die, and all our stuff will go to others. This is a huge topic in itself, but a lot of the above information should be made known to the man/woman who will handle your estate when you die. When people are going to die, they seem to know it at some level in their soul. As such, the worldly things become value-less to them. For example, my father threw away his hearing aids, billfold, and, yes, his personal keys have never been found.

Letter: Proof the Economy Will Get Worse, From the Dept. of Ed.

Mr. Latimer and Mr. Rawles,

While you and the majority of your readers are well aware of the lateness of the hour, some people may still remain unconvinced of the immediacy of the problem. I just received some information which, while a bit obscure, I believe constitutes incontrovertible proof that the economy is about to get worse, much worse. Furthermore, it proves that the government knows exactly what’s about to happen. However, for you to fully grasp the significance of this information, you first have to understand the Department of Education’s Federal Financial Aid program. As a college professor, this is something I am quite familiar with, so if you are interested, I will take a minute or two to explain.

Every year, students who wish to apply for Federal Financial Aid to attend colleges and universities are required to fill out paperwork known as F.A.F.S.A (Federal Application for Student Aid). The amount of financial aid a student receives is based on his or her family’s tax returns from the previous year.

At least, that’s the way it has always been, until now.

I just received information from the Department of Education, announcing that the FASFA for the 2017-2018 academic year will be based not on the tax returns from the prior year (which would normally be 2016), but instead they will be based on the tax returns from two years before, in other words, from this year– 2015.

One might ask, why would they make this change? Here is what I think:

Based on the way the FAFSA system works, the better you or your family’s income, the more money you have to pay for college, therefore the less money the government will be expected to give you in financial aid. The reverse is also true; the less your income, the more the government will be expected to provide.

Now, hypothetically speaking, if the economy were to get markedly better during 2016, then people’s income’s would also improve, and thus people would be expected to pay more for college, and government would expect to pay less.

If, however, the economy were to collapse in late 2015 and 2016, then the average family would make far less money and the government would end up paying more across the board (since the majority of household incomes would decrease, coupled with the fact that more people tend to go to school and stay in school longer under poor economic conditions. We saw this just after the “Great Recession” of 2008). This is clearly what the government expects to happen. They have changed the rules, for the first time ever, in such a way as to ensure that they will have to pay less money in financial aid; but only if the economy in 2016 is worse than it is now. If the economy gets better, they will end up paying more!

Now, one is forced to wonder: how bad are things likely to get, in order to cause the Department of Education to change the entire system under which Federal Student Aid eligibility is determined? The answer is: pretty bad. What’s more, why are they making this change NOW, when the current administration, abetted by the mainstream media, is going to such pains to try and convince us that the economy is getting better? Would they be making this change if they actually thought that things were getting better? Clearly not. Obviously, things are going to get worse, much worse. Moreover, they know that it’s going to happen, and furthermore they are lying about it to the American public. I believe that the announced changes to the FAFSA system constitute incontrovertible proof of this. – Professor

Department of Education announcement

Odds ‘n Sods:

Thankfully no police were murdered before the truth came out! Black student admits hanging ‘White Only,’ ‘Black Only’ signs near school bathrooms, water fountains – P.M.

o o o

1.5 million citizens’ private healthcare records exposed – D.S.

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Nuclear attack? Duck & cover! – G.G.

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Fed Judge: Fast and Furious details off limits during trial of Brian Terry’s killers – T.P.

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“Welcoming” the Third World to Your Neighborhood – B.B.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – September 18, 2015

The 18th of September is Chilean Independence Day. On this day, in 1810, Chile declared independence from Spain.

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Have you ever wondered how you will siphon gas from all the dead cars on the road if TEOTWAWKI occurs to fill your tank with all of the modern anti-siphon, anti-spill devices on them? Or have you ever wished you could just get a gallon or two from your car for your lawnmower? Ready Made Resources has the answer. The Gas Tapper is a read-to-go siphoning system that will defeat most anti-siphon devices and comes in a vapor-proof container so it doesn’t stink your trailer or car up with the smell of gasoline.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Giving Directions in a Crisis Situation, by J.R.

So you’re the resident prepper in your neighborhood. Maybe your neighbors know, or maybe they don’t. You’ve run through all the scenarios you can think of and have it all planned out. You and your kin are ready to get out of Dodge, and you all know the where’s, how’s, and why’s.

In each “what-if” scenario, are you taking the best route to avoid people? Yup, that’s probably wise. You know the safe ways to get from here to there. No matter how it will play out, you can’t avoid people for the rest of your post-TEOTWAWKI life. You are prepared; you are called to help others.

Map reading and navigational skills are essential tools for the well-prepared. The not-so-well-prepared may also have the need to get from point A to point B in a situation where pre-planning is not feasible. You know how to get to safety by looking at a map, planning a route, and perhaps adjusting based on conditions. How well are you able to communicate directions and routes to others who either have no map to guide them, no ability to read a map anyway, or have the navigational awareness of a drunken butterfly?

It’s 11pm and you are 15 miles on the other side of urban world when it all hits the fan. Forget driving home in this scenario. It’s boots or nothing at this point. It’s no problem because your maps cover your safe route home to meet up with your loved ones. Before hopping the fence to head for the drainage ditch, you notice a normal looking fellow with a backpack clearly lost as to which way he should go. After some brief, nervous chit-chat about what’s going on, you find out he’s from out of state. Knowing that going east would be his best bet of staying safe, you realize your maps only cover your north-south route.

You know the general area well enough to think through a safe route to at least get him out of suburbia, but how do you convey that to him? Can you draw an accurate enough map to get the job done? Can he even follow a map? Is he one of those “I need written directions, not a map” kind of people? We, as “the prepared”, have a duty to help those who need it when it is in our power to provide that help.

Man’s general ability to look at the lay of the land or to recall one from memory and accurately recreate that on paper is a skill that does not get honed especially in our modern world. As with a lot of abilities, our reliance on computers has softened time-proven skills that at one time were essential to survival. However, the forgotten ability for the common man to produce an accurate map can not be blamed entirely on the age of GPS and Google Earth. Our reliance on mass published paper maps can be traced back a few generations, if we walk down the timeline of transportation and land purchases. Pre-computer, we all depended on the USGS to make maps for us, along with county highway maps, tax parcel maps, and even local street maps in the front section of the Yellow pages. Who had the need to make their own map when it was so easy to find one already printed on decent paper, to scale, very accurate, and rich in useful details?

We would all agree that map making is an art, but you don’t need to be a skilled artist to get the job done.

Here are some ideas to get your mind thinking spatially and your hand ready to do the communicating:

Play

Start with a simple map game. We in these United States of America know the familiar shape of the fifty states and can probably sing the song as well. Can you draw the 50 states freehand? Grab a friendly competitor and a letter-sized outline map of the U.S. (or whatever country you are familiar with), give each other two minutes to study and refresh your memories, and then see who can draw the most accurate re-creation of the map on a blank sheet of paper without referring back to the original. This is an attempt to take what your brain can accurately visualize and put it on paper in a spatially correct way.

Practice

The next step is to take an actual route in real life and make it into a map. For this, the goal is to create a visual picture that someone else could take and get from point A to point B. Let’s look at your path from work to home or from home to town. Take a sheet of blank paper that’s no bigger than half of a letter-sized piece. First, picture this as an official map. Let’s do this with the idea that you will be walking this route, not driving or riding. Is your route oriented more north and south? You will want the paper to be long up and down (portrait). If you’ll be walking more east and west, turn the paper the long way– left to right (landscape). Take as much of the available paper as possible with your start point on one end and your destination on the other.

Think about what features you would encounter along the way and what details would be helpful to someone following your map. Picture yourself flying over the path, like you’re viewing it in Google Earth. Anyone familiar with your area could lay down the major roads on paper, but what will you encounter when you walk through the woods and avoid the well-travelled ways? Think not only of familiar landmarks, like hills, mountains, creeks, tree rows, fences, buildings, and things that can serve as landmarks along the way. What obstacles and dangers lie along the route? Are there walls, canyons, major rivers, mountains, or angry citizens? Anything potentially helpful should go on the map.

Ideally your map will turn out to be somewhat to scale. What do I mean by that? When you are all done drawing, take it to your favorite digital device (with a large screen), zoom to your map area in your online mapper of choic, and hold your hand-drawn map to the real thing. Are the items on your map in the same relationship to each other as they are in real life? Would your hand drawn map be able to take a stranger to the destination? Practice this skill and give your maps to your friends and family to critique.

Action

Grab your paper and pencil along with a trusting loved one or gullible stranger and head to a park or part of town that you know well but your victim is unfamiliar with. Without pre-planning or scoping out the area, start your friend out at a safe spot and draw him or her a map to another safe part that is a good distance away. See if your mapping skills can lead the wary traveller successfully to the destination. Make it as easy or as hard as the two of you decide. (It might be a good idea to take your communication devices along, too.) This can be a fun game and a great learning tool, if your partner is willing to give blunt advice on your mapping ability.

A few other tips for successful map creating:

  • For most maps used for navigation, north is at up, at the top, on a map. Most map readers will assume this and may have trouble following the map if north is not up.
  • Keep in mind the circumstances when you are creating this map. Is the route long and the traveller will takes days to get there? If so, don’t overwhelm him with too many details, if all he needs is a general idea of what the best route is and what to avoid. Is there a crisis and a great need to boogey out of where you are? If so, keep it basic, short, and sweet. Is the area of travel short but wrought with potential personal danger? Every little detail could make a great difference in a successful journey.
  • Pencil is better than pen. If the map gets wet, ink will run. Pencil will be readable.
  • You need to make a map but don’t have paper or writing tool. Improvise! Just about anything can be written on, if you have the right tool. If you lack a good writing tool, try chalk, marker, charcoal, crushed berries, or anything available to get the job done.
  • Smaller is better but don’t limit yourself if you need to add important details.

Directions Only, Please

So what do you do when you need to make a map for someone who can’t read maps? If the destination does not require a complicated set of turns to get there or is simply not that far away, a map may not be needed at all. “Follow this tree line until you cross the first road, turn right on the road and walk up the second driveway on the left.” No map needed for that one. But if you are about to give complicated directions that you know will require a map and the person simply cannot follow a map, how do you communicate those directions?

In this scenario there are at least two ways to help the person seeking to get somewhere. If the person is not a visual thinker enough to use a map, most likely they need worded directions that would read almost like a recipe or operational manual. In that case there’s a good bet they are also excellent note takers. Give them the pen and paper and slowly give them the directions, and have them write it in their own note-taking lingo. Work with them to create step-by-step instructions that they can follow and make sense of in their own head. Perhaps a hybrid list of directions with occasional diagrams of turns, waypoints or notable features to head toward would be helpful to some people.

If you come across a person who you feel either cannot follow a map or follow written directions (in a crisis they may simply be panicked and not thinking clearly), the second option is to find other alternatives for the would-be traveler. Is someone else going that direction that they could travel with? Is there a safe place not far away that they could navigate to? Could they shelter-in-place until conditions improve? If the person needing directions does not feel confident enough to head out on their own with the instructions you gave them, could they tag along with you? Do all that you can with what you have in the safest way as time allows. Knowing that you’ve done that, the worst case is that you say a quick prayer with them and leave them to fend for themselves, if it becomes apparent you can’t help them any more.

Just as a medic would help others in time of crisis because they know how to treat wounds or a family with a well-stocked pantry would help their neighbors in time of need, let’s prepare ourselves to offer accurate and potentially life-saving directions to those who need it.

Letter Re: Vehicle Fences

Hugh,

Just a comment on cutting metal (including cables).

A hacksaw takes a long time and will be obvious to many people. I have found when needing to cut hardened steel or thick metal too big for bolt cutters to use a metal cutting wheel on a battery operated tool like the 18 V Dewalt Grinder. It is fast and effortless. It does throw alot of sparks, so beware of your environment and maybe throw a wet towel or blanket down. Also, the blades are fragile and can break if twisted, so keep some spares with your kit. – S.T.

Economics and Investing:

OPSEC about gold from Dilbert – G.G.

o o o

If the world can no longer expand, will it implode? – T.A.

o o o

“Two hundred or four hundred dollar silver! Outrageous! Yes, of course, when we think in terms of today’s dollars, euros, and yen. But what if current deflationary forces overwhelm markets and currencies, debts are defaulted, and central banks panic. Rather than accept crushing deflation, they massively “print” to boost asset prices and thereby create a huge inflation. Instead of dollars and euros, we soon have mini-dollars and mini-euros.” Outrageous Silver Speculation

o o o

Federal Debt Held by the Public Totals $107,000 Per Household – G.G.

Odds ‘n Sods:

DIY survival watch for about $20 – P.S.

o o o

Military exercise that sparked fears in Texas of ‘hostile government takeover’ ends – JBG

o o o

What’s in a refugee’s bag? – P.S.

o o o

I normally try to stay out of politics, but this exchange profiled on Bill Whittle’s Trifecta is refreshing. If only all politics were like this! – MtH

o o o

Acetic acid, found in vinegar, shown to be effective against bacteria found in burn wounds – A.D.

Notes for Thursday – September 17, 2015

Today, September 17th, we celebrate Constitution Day in these United States.

o o o

I just noticed that my third novel “Founders“, is now available in Spanish, in trade paperback: Fundadores. – JWR

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Occupying Your Community- Part 2, by B.S.C.

Occupying An Assembly Area

Well, my decision to stay put in the next crisis brings me to the title of this article. The word “occupy” is very powerful, and that’s why the U.S. Army has been using this term for as long as there has been a U.S. Army. For example, when a platoon is establishing a defensive posture, it’s called “occupying an assembly area.” This is just a fancy way of saying “this is mine, and if you want it, come and take it!”. Did you know that you always have a 3:1 advantage by staying put and defending what you have? I don’t have a bug-out bag, because I don’t have anywhere better to go than my own castle.

Your neighborhood is your “assembly area,” and you “occupy” it by controlling it. This is where you assemble what you’ve got, in order to plan and prepare for any number of potential future actions or moves. You know the entry and exit routes like the back of your hand. You know the high points and the low points. You know the names of your neighbors, and you have an idea about what they’re good at (and not so good at). You know where the high-speed approach routes are and the best places to erect obstacles. You know where that river leads, and you know the boundaries of those woods. In a SHTF emergency, there is no longer such a thing as my house, the city park, your front yard, or the convenience store parking lot. It is all yours (the organized community’s) now, and you need to own it, control it, use it, defend it, and occupy all of it.

In the Army, the key to performing the task of occupying an assembly area correctly (for example, so that the platoon isn’t wiped out immediately by an ambush) is establishing a Priority of Work. The Priority of Work principle is a never-ending process that will successfully guide your community from preparation to execution. Notice how I said “your community”? That’s because you’re not doing this alone. To put it in context, let’s think about the worst case scenario: a total society collapse with many others wanting what you have.

Priorities of Work is not a laundry list of tasks to be completed; to be effective, Priorities of Work must consist of a task, a given time, and a measurable performance standard. (Ref: US Army Ranger Handbook)

  • Security It’s always the #1 priority, but there are no other pre-defined priorities. This is the only one that is always true. Remember that different weapons (shotguns, rifles, handguns, knives, bows, and others) have different ranges and purposes in different situations.
  • Alternate position/withdrawal plan Occupation is the best laid plan of mice and men, but if all else fails where will you go? How will you get there? This could also include transportation, such as a bicycle in your trunk to assure your trip when your vehicle can no longer travel any further.
  • Clear fields of view/fire You need to see what is coming. “Short range heads up.”
  • Prepare fighting positions (dig foxholes, prepare basements and/or other safe areas) An area you can shoot from without being hit, to shelter in place, use as a safe room, or for other purposes.
  • Communication This might include a weather radio, Ham radio, police scanner, CB radio, walkie-talkies, mirrors, whistles, smoke signals, et cetera. “Long range heads up.”
  • Coordination Working with adjacent units (other neighborhoods).
  • Emplace obstacles Erect roadblocks to slow high-speed attackers down.
  • Cover, camouflage, and concealment This is all about protection and deception. It might be that you strew clothes and furniture on the front lawns of some of the outlying homes to make it look like your neighborhood has already been hit by raiders.
  • Weapons and equipment maintenance Tools, tool sharpeners, extra parts, gun oil, et cetera.
  • Water resupply Bleach, buckets, water filters, wood for boiling, solar distillation, et cetera.
  • Eat
  • Sleep
  • Resupply of ammunition and food This is everything from fishing poles to chickens to rabbits to reusable rat traps to small cages to edible weeds to beetles and more.
  • Sanitation and personal hygiene Medications, first aid, feminine hygiene supplies, toothpaste, toilet paper, and more.

When it’s time to occupy your neighborhood, then using the Priority of Work will synergize your community’s efforts. Security will dictate that Joe gives up his deer rifle to Bill who’s taking an overwatch shift in Betty’s attic because that’s the highest ground on the block. The withdrawal plan may dictate the use of Jim’s 40 gallons of gasoline in his garage for Bob’s tractor trailer to quickly relocate the group’s prepositioned important supplies to an alternate site. The need for a clear field of view may dictate the demolition of Susan’s house, and she may end up sleeping with all of the group’s children in the warm and secure basement of Jennifer’s house. Once you get through the Priority of Work, you start the process all over again and improve them. Using the collective resources of the group by priority (and in a never-ending process of continual improvement) will help ensure the tribe’s survival.

Strangers are always presumed to be attackers, no matter what “official” or sorry stories they come up with. The survival of the tribe depends on it. The enemy will employ deception at every opportunity to exploit weaknesses and discover a way in. War is hell. Welcome to your survival situation.

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Thinking You Are Janet Napolitano’s Feared Lone Wolf?

For those of you who think you are tough enough to make it on your own, you are probably calling me some sort of hippie at this point. I am calling for sharing resources with the next-door neighbors who you have never even cared enough to meet. You don’t care about that old lady living alone or that weird guy across the street? You don’t want to be burdened with that dead weight, right? They didn’t bother to prepare, and you’re good. All you need to do is either hit the road to get to your pre-stocked Garden of Eden, or outlast them, and take whatever’s left when the buzzards start circling their house. Either way, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Remember that I said you had a 3:1 advantage in a defensive position? What this also means is that you need a 3:1 ratio of attackers to defenders to at least have a 50:50 chance of success in a raid (attacking someone else who is on the defense). This ratio has been proven so many times throughout history that you can count on it as a given. Whether you are attacking or defending, you can’t do it alone, because centuries of statistics don’t support it.

Furthermore, if you plan to just “bug out” to your lost-in-the-woods hideout, you better be able to get there before society breaks down, because when it does, you’re going to be considered an attacker coming by my neighborhood along the way. We’ll be ambushing you on the road, and we’ll have a fortified defense by following the Priority of Work. Most likely, you’ll just die of dehydration while you’re stuck in a traffic jam on the side of the highway. If you do manage to get there by some miracle, chances are that you’ll have to fight your way in. According to the 3:1 ratio, you’d better arrive in force, because there are six waiting for you, and they really like your place. You’ll need 18 attackers to be equal in force.

Yes, you can be a loner and just hang out in your well-stocked house and not help anyone around you, but once again, you’re going to make a real nice target. The sooner someone takes you out, the more supplies they can acquire before you consume them. They might employ the element of surprise and attack you with overwhelming firepower when you least expect it.

On the other hand, our group has families to feed. We’ll have no patience for your lazy, dead weight taking up valuable space and resources on just yourself.

Conclusion

Know when to hold them. Know when to fold them. Know when to walk away, and know when to run!

My suggestion is hold them for as long as possible. Don’t give in to fear. If you have to walk away, take your gun, ammo, gasoline, water, and stuffed animal for the kids. If you need to run, also take a copy of this:

STANDING ORDERS ROGERS RANGERS (from U.S. Army Ranger Handbook)

  1. Don’t forget nothing.
  2. Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute’s warning.
  3. When you’re on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.
  4. Tell the truth about what you see and what you do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don’t never lie to a Ranger or officer.
  5. Don’t never take a chance you don’t have to.
  6. When we’re on the march we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can’t go through two men.
  7. If we strike swamps, or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it’s hard to track us.
  8. When we march, we keep moving till dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.
  9. When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.
  10. If we take prisoners, we keep ’em separate till we have had time to examine them, so they can’t cook up a story between ’em.
  11. Don’t ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won’t be ambushed.
  12. No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout 20 yards ahead, 20 yards on each flank, and 20 yards in the rear so the main body can’t be surprised and wiped out.
  13. Every night you’ll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force.
  14. Don’t sit down to eat without posting sentries.
  15. Don’t sleep beyond dawn. Dawn’s when the French and Indians attack.
  16. Don’t cross a river by a regular ford.
  17. If somebody’s trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks, and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you.
  18. Don’t stand up when the enemy’s coming against you. Kneel down, lie down, hide behind a tree.
  19. Let the enemy come till he’s almost close enough to touch, then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with your hatchet.

~Major Robert Rogers, 1759