Notes for Friday – March 27, 2015

March 27th is the birthday of the late Robert W. Ford (born 1923, died 20 September 2013). He was an amazing man who had a remarkable life. His book, Wind Between The Worlds (an account of experiences in Tibet, captivity by the communist Chinese, and his fight against brainwashing), is highly recommended. It is available for free download.

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Today, SurvivalBlog is debuting a book written by our very own Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio. Each Friday we will run a section of his book, Street Combat – This Ain’t No Game!, and today we have the book’s Forward, written by Eugene Sockut from Jerusalem, Israel.

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Also, make sure you check out Camping Survival’s sale on Sand Bags. Every prepper needs a supply of these and they are only $.27/ea for a limited time.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 57 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three 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 then 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 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) 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 pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. 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. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. 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,
  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. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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,
  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 Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 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 57 ends on March 31st, 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.

Buying in Bulk, What We Have Learned – Part 2, by JSP

A couple of years ago I wrote the initial offering on this subject of buying in bulk for Survival Blog readers, without thinking there would be a second part. However, since then we have learned some new ways to leverage our buying power, I will share that below.

Update on Part 1

First, I will give an update on the strategies in the original article. We continue to buy in bulk, as described in the article. Currently, we access wheat for $200 per ton and whole, clean, food grade, non GMO corn for $300 per ton. Much has been written on this blog about prepping on a budget, and I would continue to argue that based on cost per pound or cost per calorie, it doesn’t get any cheaper than this. Granted, it’s not easy, as you will have to “shop” in ways you’re not used to, but let’s do a quick comparison.

I recently checked; a large, national brand, online retailer of survival type foods sells 40 lbs of wheat in five-gallon pails for $56 each and 50lb bags of wheat for $38. In the pails, that is $2,800 per ton, and in bags that is $1500 per ton. This does not include shipping. Granted, that’s an easy way to buy your grains. You just go online, swipe your card, and it shows up at your door; however, it’s also an expensive way to buy.

I have mentioned that I am sure bulk grains, as I have described, are not available in all parts of the country, but with a little planning that too can be worked around. I had a friend who lived in Missouri and wanted to buy in bulk but couldn’t find any. He and his family were traveling by SUV to Phoenix to visit family. We made arrangements for their return trip home for them to route through Salt Lake City and rent a trailer, pick up grains, and return them home to Missouri. The one way trailer rental was well under $200.

I get asked about storage from time to time. We simply put the grains in the food-grade barrels, as described in the first article, and place the lids and bands on them. We have not used any of the more elaborate storage methods described on this blog, such as using food-grade diotemaceous earth, dry ice, Mylar bags, and so on. Yet, to date, we have not lost any grains or legumes to infestations. We have some products that have been at our location for over seven years.

The Non Essentials

Part 2 of buying in bulk is about laying in supplies of the non-essential items. For example, consider toilet paper; we can all live without TP. However, as good a “sport” as my wife is and as supportive of our prepping as she is, I know that if she has to start wiping her “behind” with leaves she is not going to be a “happy camper”.

This also requires shopping in ways you may not be accustomed to. So, it begs the question, why bother? Well, three reasons come to mind:

  1. Price. This is the obvious first. If you’re using toilet paper, paper towels, and shampoo now, then the more economically you are able to obtain them the more money you can spend on “beans, bullets, and band aids” now.
  2. Quantity. We like buying in bulk, by the case or by the gallon, at places where that’s all they sell. For example, we recently purchased five cases of TP from a janitorial supply house. With 80 rolls per case, that is 400 rolls of TP; nobody bats an eye. They really don’t care why you’re wanting 400 rolls of TP. Think about the questions and looks you would get rolling through your local grocery store, or even Costco (though I have nothing against Costco; we love them), with 400 rolls of TP?
  3. Storage and “conceal ability”. Most of the items I will describe below come in sturdy cardboard boxes, which stack really well. As you know, when you buy paper towels and TP in the flimsy plastic bags, they don’t stack well, and it’s obvious to every eye exactly what it is. Also, none of us likes those snide remarks often handed to us. For example, I recall when my mother-in-law opened a cabinet in the laundry room and said, “Wow! I know where to go if I ever need any Scotch pads!” I once watched a Youtube video of a gentleman who does prepping topics. It showed some of his stored TP. He had a lot of it, which was good for him. However, because of the stacking problem, he had it all in plastic totes. That’s fine, but you don’t need to spend money on totes.

    In terms of “conceal ability”, what I like about buying these items in card board boxes is that (statistically) nobody has these items at a residence. These are commercial products that you typically see at businesses or schools. That allows you to hide them in plain sight! You get your cases of whatever and stack them up in the garage in plain view. Then, take a large marker and write “Christmas lights”, “Camping Supplies”, “Baby Clothes”, or something else on each box. After all, nobody in their right mind would have 400 rolls of TP in the garage, would they?

Shortly, I am going to give some specific examples of items to leverage your stocking up purchasing power. Some of the items are availfood-grade barrelable on Amazon and at main stream retailers, like Home Depot. The problem with buying them from Amazon (we love Amazon) is that these products tend to be bulky, so the shipping often kills the deal. However, for many of the items, I want to suggest that you identify a local janitorial supply house or a local “paper company”. They are in most communities. The “city” that is closest to us is 30,000 people, and it has two such places. Yes, these are designed for selling wholesale products to school districts and hotel chains, but don’t be shy; walk right in and tell them what you’re looking for. No, you’re not going to get the same price as a school district or a hotel chain, but they are not going to turn you away. You may drive by such places on a regular basis, but if not I would turn to the Internet and search for “Spokane Janitorial Supply” or “Missoula Paper Company”, for example.

Now, here are a few examples. The first one I will share is a recent find for us that we are very excited about. I was looking for hydrogen peroxide by the gallon, which our farm supply stores usually carry. They were out and suggest that I try our local beauty supply chain outlet (Sally). I was a bit surprised but then they reminded me that beauty salons and barbers need to sanitize their scissors, combs, and so forth. While at the store, I thought to check on purchasing shampoo in bulk. (I know; get your food preps done first, but when the balloon goes up, I for one would like a shampoo every now and again, and today we use it daily.)

We purchased one-gallon jugs of “Salon Care” brand White Tea Ginger (actually smells very good) salon-grade shampoo for $11.39! Not impressed? Okay, how about if it’s concentrated and makes eight gallons of salon quality shampoo? Yep, we got eight gallons of shampoo for under 12 bucks! (It’s Sally Beauty Supply product number 120294.)

Let’s stay with liquids for a minute. In the cleaning supplies section of your local Home Depot, they sell one-gallon jugs of Maintex brand Antibacterial Hand Soap for nine dollars and change. Compare that to the little bottles at the grocery store!

What do you do to dispense those liquids? Ball– the canning people– make what they call the Ball Pump Insert Kit that fits on any pint or quart regular mouth mason jar and can be found on Amazon. However, we actually did better buying them at our local Jo Ann craft store for $3.74 each with no shipping.

Let’s get back to TP. Our local janitorial supply store sells us cases of Supplyways TP for just under $50. That’s a two-ply, 550-sheet roll with 80 rolls to the case. That’s 62 cents per roll and is pretty good quality. It’s not “quilted”, but it’s not see-through either. To us, it compares favorably to the Georgia Pacific “Marathon” product that Costco sells but again it’s way easier to stack and conceal.

We, like most people, use paper towels constantly. For survival purposes, we view them as “captured energy”. By this we mean that we have cloth rags that we can revert to, but we will have to use water, maybe hot water, to clean them, and the paper towels can just be tossed. There are two ways to go here, also at the paper company or janitorial supply house. First, is the traditional roll paper towels. Georgia Pacific makes one called “Preference”– Georgia Pacific product #27385. They are decent quality and run about a buck a roll, so a 30-roll case sells for $30. The price isn’t a screaming deal, but again you can stack those cases eight high, if you’re so inclined. The second way is more intriguing to us, and in fact we just pulled the trigger on a good-sized order and took delivery yesterday. These are referred to, in the industry, typically as “Multi Fold Towels”. Most of us have used them. No, they don’t even come close to as good as a Bounty-type paper towel. However, they will work, are inexpensive, and they stack really well. Amazon sells them, but again due to shipping costs, our local supplier was much more economical. You don’t have to have a dispenser for them, but we wanted a couple. Amazon has several available. We purchased these from our local supplier, as they are steel with an enamel coating that should last for many years.

There are different qualities of the towels available. What we purchased was the Scott brand multi fold towels (01807-10). A case of 4,000 towels was about $25. So, we purchased five cases of towels and two dispensers for well under $200. That is 20,000 hand towels!

Here is one more example. Our local paper company also sells cases of “J cup” 16oz hot or cold insulated cups. (These are the typical white foam type cup.) There are 1,000 cups to a case, and I don’t remember what I paid for them exactly, but it seems like about $35. In a survival scenario, think about the uses for them– soups, stews, chili, beans, coffee, tea, deserts, on and on. We think it would save a lot of water by us not having to wash dishes. They could be one time use, or you could even re-use them.

This can be done with myriad of products, including “paper” plates and bowls, plastic silverware, napkins, table cloths, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and butcher paper. We even purchased a box of 2000 sheets of parchment paper!

I hope it has been helpful to the Survival Blog community to hear of ways that we have learned to buy in bulk and stretch our prepping dollars.

Blessings, JSP

Street Combat – This Ain’t No Game! – Part 1 of 9, by Pat Cascio

FOREWORD

Street Combat – This Ain’t No Game! is written for the law-abiding citizens of America. In today’s world, the need for such a book is obvious, and Pat Cascio helps level the playing field between decent people and the evil predators who stalk the streets of the world today.

A straightforward, no holds barred manual, it’s written by a top expert, who knows his business and deeply cares about the survival of you and your loved ones. Pat knows that the police cannot be everywhere, and so the advantage is in the hands of the criminal predator who strikes when circumstances least suit his victims. He also knows that the average citizen lives in a push-button world that artificially isolates him from the inhuman jungle that’s out there.

It would be pleasant to believe that the information contained in this book is not necessary, but Pat knows better! The world today is not the well-ordered, law abiding society seeped in brotherly love, which we all long for. On the contrary, crime and terrorism have not disappeared. Therefore, there is no doubt that mastering the principles in this book can make the vital difference between life and death…or worse.

Cascio’s book is written to the point, and it pulls no punches. Most concise and professional, it puts forward street-proven principles, lessons, and techniques in a well-ordered, easy-to-read manner that both professional and layman will find interesting and beneficial. The reader is given a true case study. This is followed by the street-proven survival lesson. This is, in turn, followed by a recommended technique used by experts to defend one’s life and put the potential victim in the winner’s circle.

Pat Cascio has trained literally thousands of students in all aspects of hand-to-hand combat and weaponry for personal defense in the street, vehicle, and home. This book is testament to Pat’s belief that survival lies in one’s own hands, for you are the only one you can safely count on to be there one hundred per cent of the time. With crime, terrorism, and random violence hovering around us, the need for such a comprehensive book dealing with physical survival has never been greater. Hats off to Pat Cascio for giving us such a book.

Eugene Sockut

Jerusalem, Israel

Letter Re: Bison Water Pump

Hello, I’m also one who has a Bison Pump in my basement. My well surface level is low enough that I can pump water into my basement, if needed. Like the other author said, all I have to do is turn two valves.

I’m in the process of selling my house, so I have a document written up for the new buyer explaining our water system. I’m attaching a word document detailing the Bison Pump side of it.

A few months after we moved in– seven years ago– a massive wind storm took down trees and power lines in our area. We were without power for almost a week. No power also meant no running water. Fortunately, it was fall, so temperatures weren’t an issue. However, we decided we needed to do something in the event this happened again so that we’d have water. My wife did some research and found Bison Pumps. We checked our well surface level, and since our basement is technically downhill from our well and underground, there’s a good chance we could even siphon water if we needed to, so this pump was a good choice for us.

Bison Pumps builds the pump to your specifications. If space is an issue, they can have the handle at a 90 degree angle to the spigot. We chose to keep it at 180 degrees. Initially, I had the pump facing the opposite direction; however, most people in the house are right handed, so it made more sense for the handle to be on the right side.

The platform is a simple piece of hardwood that I bought at Home Depot. Yes, hardware is more expensive. However, I expected to have this for a long time and possibly have it add to the resale value of the house (if the right buyer finds it!). I wanted it to look as good 10 years later as it did when I put it in, so I spent the few extra bucks for hardware.

Under the platform are two, large, 3-hole elbow braces. I used a stud finder to locate the studs behind the wall to mount them. Hooking up the pump required basic plumbing skills and really was not difficult at all.

bisonpump1

In the event the power goes out for an extended period of time, you can use the hand pump to get water from the well.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, there are two warnings you must know about up front!

  1. The pump is not designed to hold and pump pressurized water. Make sure the appropriate valves are closed from the house side of the water system before opening the valve to the hand pump!
  2. Do not attempt to pump when the valve below the pump is closed or when the cover to the spigot is on.

To safely use the hand pump, close the valve to the house water supply,

bisonpump2

and open the similar valve to the hand pump.

bisonpump3

Remove the cap on the spigot from the hand pump. There may be some water in there. You might want to keep a small towel on the wooden platform on which the pump is mounted. At this point you should be able to pump water.

bisonpump4

Note that the spigot is threaded to a standard “garden hose” size, so you can attach a small hose to it. Also note that normal garden hoses are not intended to have consumable water go through them. With that in mind, I made my own little hose with adapters that won’t pollute my water with nasty chemicals. The picture shown here is after my filtration system, so I can easily refill my 5-gallon water bottles.

bisonpump5

There may be water in the hose from last time it was used; I suggest having towels handy/appropriately placed.

You *may* be able to attach the hose directly from the hand pump to the spigot after the filtration system to pump water directly into the house. If you’re going to try this, make sure the valve on the last filter is set to “off”, so that it can’t pump backwards into the system. Also make sure there isn’t any water pressure left on the house side. Theoretically, you may be able to get enough water into the line to be able to flush toilets; however, you may also damage the hand pump in the process. I’ve never tried this, and I don’t suggest you do either!

Odds ‘n Sods:

ISIS Releases City ‘Kill List’: Most Towns Included Make Sense to No One. – H.L.

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Obama’s Petulant Revenge: US Declassifies Intel Report on Israel’s Nuclear Weapons Program. – H.L.

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Police Raid Small Family Farm, Charge Family, Seize Animals Because they were Free Range. – T.P.

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Woman Throws Molotov Cocktail At Pro-Life Activists. – T.P.

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Fears of martial law as special ops set to swarm Southwest and operate undetected among civilians who’ve been deemed HOSTILE in massive military exercise

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Regular running or run for your life running?” asked Amy “What do you think,” the Doctor replied.” ? Dan Abnett, Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By

Notes for Thursday – March 26, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 57 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three 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 then 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 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) 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 pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. 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. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. 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,
  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. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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,
  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 Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 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 57 ends on March 31st, 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.

“Lay Up” Before Being “Laid Up”, by Wandering Will

Lately, I have seen a growing number of articles stressing that everyone needs to get prepared NOW! They stress that this may very well be your last chance to get prepped up. Is this true? I don’t know, but like many of my friends I do feel that in many areas things are rapidly accelerating. Am I going to give a prediction on when the bottom will drop out? Not a chance. I do, however, feel it’s not a question of “if” but rather one of “when”.

Waking Up

When did it happen for me? I have always been a “preparedness” type, but my first big commitment came when the Y2K scare came along. I thought about it, reasoned that a world without electricity would not be a good place, and promptly shelled out “mucho dinero” for a six-month supply of storage food for my family. Y2K came and went, without a single catastrophe. I have no doubt that the family members I had tried to convince to get prepared were not so quietly snickering about the crazy old man who tried to get them to waste their money. Undeterred, I hauled the food through two house moves and to a storage locker, and yes the majority of the food is still good; we continue to consume it. About four years ago, we linked up with some very intelligent folks who really opened our eyes to what was going on. My wife and I were so impressed with the way these people were walking the talk that we made major changes in our life. We watched as our friends took all the steps– finding land, stocking up, building a garden (only slightly smaller than Connecticut), and acquiring livestock. Oh, their efforts also included employing a very large, four-footed, security guard to watch over the operation.

The Changes

My wife and I were retired, so the changes were not life-shattering, but they were certainly life-changing. We moved to a different state and bought a house close to our friends. Thereafter, we jumped in with both feet and began serious prepping. Only by the efforts of my chief financial officer (the wife) were we slowly able to acquire, on a pensioner’s income, the necessary preps and eliminate as much debt as possible. Although it took years, we achieved a reasonable level of preparedness. We had the stuff, so what now? Well, we decided we had better see if the stuff works. Like many writers suggest, we decided to do a blackout drill. The rules were pretty simple for the next ____ (fill in the amount of time you wish to drill). We would have no electricity, no running water, and no egress from the house. We would have to make do with what we had acquired. Thankfully, we completed the drill in the winter time, with very few problems. However, the lessons learned were many.

One of the most important lessons I learned was that, depending on the type of stove you use, one can make two different kinds of coffee. On the first day, I broke out the small sterno stove, filled the camp coffee pot with all the required ingredients, put the pot on the stove, and sat back to await the aroma of coffee in the air. Well, as it turns out, the coffee you get from a sterno stove is “ice coffee”. The temperature in the house was approximately 53 degrees, and I was pretty sure the coffee would freeze before it boiled. I left the pot on the sterno stove long enough to grow a beard, and then gave up. “No problem,” I thought, “I’ll go to plan B.” Out came the sterno stove and in comes the propane camp stove. I transferred the coffee pot to the propane stove, turned up the flame, and turned my back on the stove. This is when I discovered the propane stove will make “volcano coffee”! In a short period of time, the pot was boiling up, out, and all over the kitchen. Ah yes, learning new things is truly enlightening. A few more pearls of wisdom acquired were that we used much more water than we predicted and head lamps are the greatest thing since “sliced bread”.

Drill Time to Chill Time

Less than a month after completing the drill, we would be put to the test but with one huge complicating factor thrown in. I suddenly learned that I needed immediate surgery. Okay, we can do this. The surgery was successful, but it left me basically bedridden for a period. Then I was unable to lift anything substantial for an extended period of time. As if on cue, a major storm dumped record snowfall on our area, and that’s when the two chills fell on me. First, it was the chill of the plunging temperature, which went down to over 20 degrees below zero, and the second was the chill of realizing that snow plus a plunging thermometer almost certainly meant a power failure. There I was, as useless as a Washington politician. At this point, you discover you hadn’t really factored in being laid up during an emergency into your many scenarios. It is a horrible feeling to think that you cannot assist during a crisis or even worse that you might not be able to protect your family. What did I do?

I only had one choice– turn to my wife. The CFO/nutritionist/caregiver was about to expand her resume even further. With so much snow in the driveway that we could not get our small car out and with another storm inbound, my wife added snow shoveling to her list of many talents. After working all day, the driveway was clear and we would be able to make it to the doctor’s appointment scheduled for two days later. One day later, the doctor’s office calls and wants to reschedule my appointment. I said, “Excuse me? I am supposed to get my staples removed. Could delaying that cause a problem?” There was a long pause. Then the receptionist said, “Let me check. Can you come in early tomorrow?” I answered, “Yes, I will be there.” Immediately, I begin to wonder what happens if the next predicted storm arrives early or the doctor decides to cancel appointments? Will the incision become infected if the staples stay in too long? Could my wife remove them if necessary? At once, I have visions of my wife handing me a bottle of whiskey and saying drink this while I find the needle-nose pliers.

After successfully repressing my medical fears, we settled in for the evening and the power went out. A call to the power company assured us the power would be back on in two hours. Right; kind of like your call is important to us so please stay on the line until you pass out from exhaustion. As they say, we knew the drill, crank up the alternate heat source, monitor the smoke and CO2 alarms, and pile on the blankets. When the sun came up the next morning, we made coffee (perfect this time), cooked breakfast, and waited for the power to come back on. A short time later, the power was restored, and we were off to see the doctor. As I prepared to have the staples removed, the CFO/nutritionist/caregiver/snow shoveler/intelligence operative went to work. In her best southern drawl, she said, “Doctor, I’m very interested in how staples work. May I observe?” “Sure!, the doctor replied, and he talked her through the process. When the procedure was complete, the doctor left the room. When the nurse entered the room, my wife was examining the instrument used to remove the staples and noted that the package stated that the instrument was for one time use only. “Gee, if you all are going to throw it out anyway, could I have it as a souvenir?” she asked. “I guess so,” said the nurse. BINGO! That’s my girl. Now, I can take my needle nose pliers out of hiding.

What lesson can be learned from this experience?

Have a Succession Plan

If you are the leader of your respective group, establish a clear chain of command as to who takes over if something happens to you. Write it down. A recent article on survival blog, Your Brain on Paper by MR, talked about the importance of written procedures and instructions. This is very good advice. All that knowledge in your head is useless if others in the group don’t have access to it. Rethink your supplies and transport methods. That 90-pound, comprehensive survival kit is really neat, but can your 120-pound wife load it into the car, if you are out of commission? Train and practice. Make sure everyone in your group knows the location of all the equipment as well as how to operate it.

Conclusion

In the introduction, I posed the question, “When is the deadline for prepping?” In my opinion, the deadline was yesterday. It took us years to reach our present level, and it all paid off in the span of ten days. I can easily envision the day when some government panel decides I am too old to qualify for some type of care and my family or friends will have to take over. It could be anything from a weather emergency to a full blown disaster. So, in spite of what the main stream media tells you, being prepared does not make you a nut job; it makes you self-sufficient. So get busy! Lay up food, supplies, training, and knowledge, and stay as healthy as possible.

Letter Re: Water Issues

I have some trepidations about water wells and altering those wells.

After reading the comments about Water Issues, I wanted to provide some additional thoughts.

A pitless adapter in a well is used to support the submersible pump and allow for the top of the well casing to be terminated below the surface of the ground. The pitless is not just a plumbing fitting but an engineered piece of well hardware that is fitted to the well casing.

Altering the well head by installing new well casing above, or over, the original casing will require that the well head be engineered to support the below-grade well components and protect against surface contaminates, which may leak into the water source through, or around the well casing modifications. This protection cannot be overstated. Sealing the well head should be viewed as an integral part of any well development strategy.

Many states and municipalities require certain minimum requirements for potable water wells; so a call or two to the servicing public health professionals may prove useful.

Changing a water well constructed to use a submersible pump is doable, but an appreciable amount of thought should go into the alterations.

The homeowner may be served best by retaining the services of a competent well driller to make changes in any potable water well.

Caution should be taken in any attempt to raise, remove, or otherwise lift an installed pitless adapter. The weight supported by the pitless adapter, along with the supply piping, cables, electrical wires, and submersible pump and the column of water it supports should not be dismissed. Companies that service wells usually have a rather sturdy A-frame they use to lift submersible pumps for service or replacement.

Also, some have discovered a tough lesson about the costs of having a well driller retrieve the internal well components, which once freed suddenly disappeared down the black hole! – D

Hugh responds: That’s wise advice. While servicing your well can be done (I service mine), it is important to know what the specifics are. I do know of a person who attempted to service his submersible pump. He didn’t realize that the well was 900 feet deep or that the combined weight of the pump, pipe stack, and contained water greatly exceeded the capabilities of the simple rig he was using to pull the well. The result was a destroyed rig, broken arm, and the humiliation of having to pay someone to fish the pump and pipe out of the well as well as the for the service that originally started the project. It was an expensive mistake.

Most wells in the U.S. are under 250 feet deep, which can easily be serviced with simple homemade equipment. Wells as deep as 500 feet can generally be serviced with rented equipment. Anything deeper usually requires specialized equipment and is best left to those with the experience and access to the equipment.

Economics and Investing:

Philip Haslam: When Money Destroys NationsUnderstanding how currencies collapse. – G.G.

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Michelle Obama travel expense update: Your tax dollars at work by Andrew Malcolm. – B.B.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

The Middle Class is Getting Smaller

Price of Ground Beef Hits Record in February- Second straight record month

Peter Schiff: Give’em the Old Razzle Dazzle

How Cold Was It This Winter? So Cold That New Home Sales Hit A 7 Year Record! – This is an interesting break into the housing numbers.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Growing up in a cathedral precinct, what did I know of the absurdities of communism, of how brave man and women in bleak and remote penal colonies were reduced to thinking day by day of nothing else beyond their own survival?” ? Ian McEwan, Sweet Tooth

Notes for Wednesday – March 25, 2015

March 25th National Medal of Honor day is officially observed on March 25th of each year.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 57 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three 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 then 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 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) 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 pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. 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. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. 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,
  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. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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,
  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 Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 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 57 ends on March 31st, 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.