Odds ‘n Sods:

Bureaucracy Kills: A Lesson from Rome. – P.S.

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South Carolina Inmate Sentenced to 37 Years in Solitary for Facebooking. – H.L.

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President Barack Obama’s Complete List of Historic Firsts [Updated]. – B.B.

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Restoring the Old Way of Warming: Heating People, not Places. – P.B.

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The Feds Unveil Its New Surveillance Tool ‘Memex’, Developed By DARPA To Reveal The Hidden Nature Of The ‘Dark Web’

Notes for Sunday – February 15, 2015

February 15th: We’d like to wish Mike Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large) a Happy Birthday!

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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 Instituteis 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. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  10. 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.

The World of the Bug Out Bag, by D.M. – Part 1

Bug Out BagTo all who are reading this article, all is not well in the world of the bug out bag! It is my hope that this article will:

  1. Address the common bug out bag problems.
  2. Bring new insight on items that a bug out bag should include but most likely do not.
  3. Save you money.

There is nothing like putting on a backpack filled with everything that you need to survive and thrive.  After more than 15 years of avid backpacking and other outdoor pursuits, I have learned profound lessons. One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned through hard experience is to try to be prepared! As to what you are preparing for, I will leave that up to you.

Many of you already have bug out bags or are reading this article to make one. As I write this article, I am bewildered by the immense problems I see with most bug out bags. I would like to say that all is not well in the world of bug out bags!

There are so many choices and companies that call their product “the perfect bug out bag”. I have come to a vexing conclusion. Please don’t be mad at the messenger, but someone needs to say this to protect others. While some  stores  genuinely want to help you find a useful and practical emergency bag (B.O.B, I.N.C.H bag, or what have you). But there are others are money-grubbers who are selling gimmicky and unpractical products. Many of these apart or are not suited for the rigors of a bug out bag.

I believe in God and hate it when people take advantage of others. My hope through this article is to point out some of the common bug out bag problems. I’d also like to share some insight from a backpacker’s perspective.

The Bug Out Bag

As a backpacker I am able to go out into the mountains for a week and have everything I need. My main backpack is about +/- 5,000 cubic inches. In the summer, I have plenty of room and usually cinch down the compression straps for short trips. When I go winter camping or mountaineering, I can easily fill the backpack all the way and sometimes need to attach, on the outside, a snow shovel, ice axe, crampons, hiking poles, and an extra sleeping mat. My pack has been very versatile over the years. It disperses the weight very well.Hiking 15-mile days through the mountains feels truly like just a walk in the park. Most people can’t say this about their bug out bags.

There are some very nice backpacks on the market today. However, it means very little if it does not fit your body type well. I remember trying on a backpack at an REI store. An experienced worker there  fitted the pack to my torso length. He then added 55-pound sand bags to the pack. I then walked around the store for about 40 minutes. After the walk, we both noticed that I needed a medium pack to fit my torso. I also needed a small waist belt. The worker swapped out a small waist belt from another pack, and now I had a custom fit pack. What service!

More than a decade later, through heat, snow, mission trips, and porting, the pack is still working just fine. It even came with a lifetime warranty. Now that you have heard the sunny side of a good pack, let’s talk about the dark side of things.

Common bug out bag problems:

  1. Size problem: Most bug out bags are too small! Many companies show pictures of their bags open with amazing gear. They usually include a flash light, a knife, first-aid kit. Sometimes there are MRE’s, high Tec electronics, firearms and ammo. There is room for one water bottle if you’re lucky, and some other small items. However, when I look at most bags I think to myself, “Where is there room for your sleeping bag?” Is there even room for a shelter (tent, hammock, bivy, or tarp)? What about room for a jacket or other clothing to keep you warm and dry from the elements? I believe it is safe to say that more people die of exposure than wild animal attacks. Most bug out bags are to small;. Even on a perfect day you would most likely be miserable. You could not bring important items such as more than 20 ounces of water. I’ll list three examples of items that I feel a good bug out bag should have enough capacity for. Number one is a practical shelter. I have heard many say, “I am manly enough to not need a tent,” or that they don’t need to carry a shelter. However, they quickly change their minds after being eaten alive by bugs or having a snake or scorpion snuggle up to them for warmth. Some people say they don’t carry a shelter because they will just make a shelter out of trees and limbs. Take it from someone that has taught shelter building. It is no walk in the park! Even if you are good at it, it expends many calories to build one, and then you need to build another one at the next location all over again. It takes only three to five minutes to put up a hammock with bug netting and tarp versus two or more hours for a stick one that will most likely not be bug free or 100% waterproof. The last time I was teaching some friends how to build a stick shelter, I got 74 (that’s not a typo) ticks on me. I fortunately did not get Lyme Disease, but this story just emphasizes the value of carrying an extra 2-5lb shelter, not to mention saving you the aggravation of asking your wife to pull ticks off of you “where the sun don’t shine”.Number two is a sleeping bag for the chilly nights. In a disaster situation, good quality sleep is very important and is often overlooked. Remember that sleep deprivation is used in some countries as torture. It could be a sleeping bag, wool blanket, or other sleeping items, but when you are tired from high mileage, healing from an injury, or in a stressful situation, sleep is your friend. In many places there is a +/-20 degree differential from the day’s highs and lows. If it is a wonderful 75 degrees at noon, it will most likely be too cold for comfort at night (possibly much colder in higher elevations), and once you factor in wind chill, your sweaty wet cloths, and the many calories needed that you are most likely lacking to keep your body warm, a sleeping bag makes sense. Since this is often a bulky item, this shows the importance of having a bug out bag with adequate capacity. A helpful suggestion would be to get a sleeping bag that is water resistant. This will help block the wind-chill factor, keep your bag dry (a wet bag is not a warm bag), and at times the bag could also be used as a standalone shelter (just sew in bug netting) as a backup.Number three is a sleeping pad. Here is when many readers might call me a wuss, who has never slept on the cold, hard, and often rocky ground, like I have. Here are ten things that MacGyver might do with a sleeping pad that just might change your mind about the need for one:
    1. A sleeping pad prevents the cold ground from sucking away your body heat and helps prevent hypothermia (been there, done that, it is not fun).
    2. If you have back problems and ever plan to use your bug out bag overnight, a cheap eight dollar foam pad might save your back and expensive trips to the chiropractor later. I would like to add that the inflatable pads are very compact (the size of three apples) and more comfortable than my home bed.
    3. It can be used for splinting a broken leg or arm.
    4. If a tornado hits, get into a tub or low grounded area and pull a pad over you to protect you from hail or flying debris.
    5. By tri-folding a pad and then taping or tying it together, you can use it as an effective shield against an attack.
    6. Use it to insulate an injured person from shock.
    7. Use it as a collar to immobilize a neck injury or as a back board.
    8. It acts as a windbreak.
    9. Some pads are used as flotation devices.
    10. Use it as a fan for starting a fire, convert it into a chair, or cut it to make a bowl, hat, clothing, protective body armor, or sandals.
    11. You can even use a marker and write important survival notes on it (like how many drops of bleach per liter for water purification) or draw a tic-tac-toe and a checker/chess board on it for entertainment.

    A sleeping pad is like duck-tape. Who’s a wuss now?

  2. Suspension system problems A backpack’s job is to carry a load. It’s ideal weight capacity, comfort, and how evenly it can disperse weight are all import factors many people forget. Here is a lesson that I hope everyone learns. You are special. Yes, you! A survivalist company is trying to sell you their backpack. Let’s say you are a six foot tall male with broad shoulders. Does it make sense that a bug out bag company will sell you a bag and then sell that same bag to a petite five foot tall female? Many of the military bags I have seen advertised have the one-size-fits-most methodology, which I highly disagree with. A backpack suspension system consists of many parts. However, I will cover the three main parts– the shoulder straps, hip straps, and backing (the parts that touch your back):
    1. Shoulder straps The first issue to deal with is how many straps? I have seen bug out bags that cost a pretty penny and look very cool with only one strap, which is essentially a sling backpack. This type of bag is not advised. I have a Timbuk2 messenger bag that I used to carry daily with me with essential and emergency items. It worked real well going in and out of the car and office. However, once you add a water bottle, first-aid kit, flashlight, jacket, food, and other essentials, it became a real burden to my shoulder, and I found myself shifting shoulders throughout the day. I discovered I was not able to comfortably carry the bag long distances, like I could with a two-strap bag with the same weight. I must also address the dangerous side to sling packs. In high school I got myself a nice sling backpack for school, only to find out that when I rode to school on my bike or jogged that the weight in the pack would sometimes slide the pack from my back to my chest and rub my neck raw. When leaning down the strap would sometimes slide from my shoulder and dangerously hang on my neck. After a half semester, I visited the doctor and found that my shoulder was now two inches lower on the side I carried the bag. After money spent on a new bag and having bad posture for years, I can confidently say the cool factor of one strap is not worth it to me. Go with two straps. Please take note on what type of straps they are as well. The straps could cut into and blister the shoulders ff the they are thin or unpadded. As you are most definitely aware, there are anatomical difference between males and females; I just don’t know why some companies don’t understand this. A good female pack will have curves in their straps to curve around their bust line and thus be more comfortable. Males have broader shoulders than women, so a good pack will have the straps a little more spaced out than a female spec one.Now, let’s talk about one of the biggest bug out bag problems. Most bags only have shoulder straps, and this is a dilemma. When you have 30-40+lbs of gear on your shoulders that is not distributed elsewhere, your back arches more, and you will likely have back pain or soreness. Many people who buy a bug out bag, fill their bag up and walk around their house with it on and say, “This is a great backpack.” My challenge for you would be to take it on a day hike of 10+ miles and then see how it feels. Your thoughts might change after that. This is just food for thought. Have you ever seen a backpacker with a fully-loaded backpack on the trail with only shoulder straps? They usually don’t, because it is so uncomfortable and unpractical. This is why hip belts are so important.
    2. Hip belts are so important I don’t understand why many companies don’t add them on. They serve two main functions. One is to keep your pack against your back and lumbar area and from swinging laterally as you move. The second and main function is to bear most of the vertical weight of the pack onto the hips. This disperses weight through the shoulders and hips. I have seen many bug out bag companies add little dinky straps, which do address the lateral swinging; however, in no way is a one- or two-inch webbing strap going to harness most of the pack’s weight onto the hips comfortably. Take a look at modern-day backpack hip belts. They are thickly padded, memory foamed, reinforced, and wide. I believe this is the secret to being able to carry a heavy pack comfortably. Very little weight is actually placed on one’s shoulder straps on a good backpack. When shopping for a bug out bag, try this test: Fill the bag up as much as you can in the store, place it on you, and then loosen the shoulder straps all the way on a bag. Move on to another bag if it slides down your legs or  is not mostly or completely held up by the hip straps. Remember hips don’t lie. You have them, so you might as well use them.A nice addition to having a thick supportive hip strap is that there are many accessories you could attach to your hip belt. I usually carry a big knife on one side, a large water bottle, and a firearm in a pouch on the other side. This makes for very easy access to these items.
    3. Backing I am going to address all parts that touch your backside in this category. First, is it the right length for you? As I have mentioned earlier, a good backpack is one that fits your body type well. A pack that fits a long torso, say a six foot tall person, will not fit a short torso, one of a five foot two inch person, unless it is adjustable. A bug out bag company that advertises their bag will fit you (or anybody) and you don’t see different torso adjustment options is a company that is NOT being honest with their customers.A very important question to ask yourself about a bag that you might have to trust your life on and wear for miles is what your back is actually touching. Some packs have thin fabric backings with no padding against your back. This might seen harmless, until you put oddly shaped or pointy items in your bag. You might feel like you are being tortured with jabbing devices being prodded into your back. You also run into the risk of objects ripping holes into the fabric. I would highly suggest a pack that has a firm backing.If you live in a hot climate or you sweat a lot, there are better options. There are packs that use mesh channels to circulate air between your bag and your back. Some companies have developed ingenious ways that keep your pack completely off your back. This greatly reduces sweating and the amount of water you need to consume when water is scarce.

Letter Re: IRS to Pay Back-refunds to Illegal Immigrants Who Didn’t Pay Taxes

Dear Gentlemen,

In the article titled, “IRS to Pay Back-refunds to Illegal Immigrants Who Didn’t Pay Taxes” by The Washington Times, raised a red flag to me. As a CPA, I try to look out for my clients so that they do not get in any trouble, but the quote below opened my mind to a problem that is coming.

The article stated, “Under the new program, if you get a Social Security number and you work, you’ll be eligible to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit,” Mr. Koskinen said.

He said that would apply even “if you did not file” taxes, as long as the illegal immigrant could “demonstrate having worked off-the-books during those years.”

This might make you mad that the illegals get a refund. However, read the statement, “…could demonstrate having worked off-the-books…” If the illegals show they worked off the books, the full wrath of the IRS will be coming upon the businesses or people who paid the illegals and did NOT withhold or match payroll taxes.

The amnesty is to the illegals not the businesses that paid them. The “Trust Fund Penalty” for not paying Social Security Tax and Medicare Tax is severe. The employer will be responsible for the employer and employee portions of the tax and penalties equal to 100% of the tax. If we do the math, let’s say you had a person, illegal, being paid $500 per week and he worked for 50 weeks. That would make his pay $25,000 per year. The tax you would have paid, if you had paid him legally, would have been ($25,000 * 7.65%) or $1,912.50. Now you will pay your portion, his portion and a penalty equal to both portions or $7,650.00 (1,912.50 (your tax) + 1,912.50 (their tax) + 3,825.00 (penalty)). Remember the statement at the bottom of your tax return, where you sign it; it starts out “Under penalty of perjury…” By signing your personal and/or business tax forms, if you paid illegal workers off-the-books, you also have committed perjury. Also, if the tax owed is substantial, you have committed FRAUD. FRAUD=Jail!

Be careful; the amnesty program is another program to go after businesses that did not withhold and pay what was legally required of them. If you have paid illegal people off-the-books, consult with a tax attorney, CPA, or other competent financial consultant.

There is one more problem; if the bookkeeper paid the EFTPS (federal withholding, Social Security Tax, and Medicare Tax) online and knows you were paying people off-the-books, the IRS will come after that person if the business did not pay the taxes and the owner is unable to pay the taxes. If the bookkeeper knows more secrets about you, you had better watch out! They can cut a deal. The IRS will chain your doors and run you out of business. I have seen it done.

Please understand; I am a CPA. If I were a plumber, I am conservative enough to wear suspenders and a belt. I am not trying to cause anxiety in anyone, but I am reading between the lines. We all have a responsibility to pay to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to pay to God what is His. My job is to keep you legally from paying any more than you have to. Paying people off-the-books is trouble brewing.

Respectfully, – JEH

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yet another Philip K. Dick novel has made it to the screen. This one is an alternate history story: The Man In The High Castle

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SurvivalBlog Reader JBG sent in this link talking about the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission Report. It’s notable that the report references that there were over nine minutes that passed while the shooter had unhindered access to do his evil deeds. Then the report takes a tangent into left field and makes recomendations that would have had zero impact on this school shooting but certainly carry the left’s anti-gun message. Missing from the report is the impact that having armed personnel on this gun-free victim zone would have had.

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SurvivalBlog Reader T.B. writes in from California to confirm the severe drought they are having. They are already ceasing the watering of low-producing trees. He also warns that in the poor conditions, bug infestations on the trees are becoming an issue. Be careful of the advice given over controlling these infestations, too. The local garden center recommended a systemic poison that kills ALL bugs (including beneficial ones, like bees).

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Automatic License Plate Readers Also Gathering Millions Of Facial Photos Daily. – B.B.

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Warning: Facebook video: Off Grid Rotisserie. – BRB

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.” Luke 7:12-16 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – February 14, 2015

February 14 is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lucas (born 1928, died June 5, 2008). During the Iwo Jima campaign, this 17-year-old won the Medal of Honor for unhesitatingly hurling himself over his comrades upon one grenade and for pulling another one under himself. One of the grenades exploded, and Lucas absorbed the entire blasting force of it with his own body. PFC Lucas was the youngest Marine ever to receive the Medal of Honor. (He was just 13 when he forged his mother’s signature to enlist.)

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Our friends at the View From The Porch have reported that the BATF is about to classify the XM855 round as an armor piercing pistol round and force it’s removal from the market. You may want to stock up on such items. As of this writing, there seems to be plenty of stock, but you don’t want to get caught short handed.

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Don’t forget the Camping Survival’s Mountain House Sale, which ends today– February 14th. It would be a good time to replenish your stock!

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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 Instituteis 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. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  10. 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.

What I Learned From the Midwest Ice Storm of 2011, by J.M.

The three elements of nature that cause damage– sun, wind, and water. My bet is on the last one, especially the frozen kind. Preparing and acting upon it are two entirely different and opposite things.

The rain started in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, without much concern at first. Although the weather report at first said the possibility of ice was real, it would stay south, in Ohio.

Lesson #1: Nature is fickle, and even NOAA cannot always track the line between rain, snow, and ice. Predictive weather paths can give you a false sense of security, and margins of error are costly. Unfortunately, the prediction of a little bit of accumulation of ice turning to snow was wrong. It was all ice, at least for my area in Southeast Michigan, and we paid the price for the miscalculation.

All was well until dark. The warm upper atmosphere and the cold air clashed as it swepted out of the northwest. By the time I looked out the front door, two hours later after dusk, it was too late. Ice hanging like chandeliers had already formed on the trees and power lines in front of my house. A hundred-foot tall pine tree that had survived decades of inclement weather soon bore witness, the branches cracking and shaking to the ground in piles. I shut the door and told my wife that we had better fill the bathtub and water jugs with water for drinking and flushing the toilets.

Lesson #2: Don’t trust others when you are first responsible for yourself and family. Local authorities on a large-scale emergency are only reactionary and are little prepared themselves for a regional disaster.

Before I could fill the bathtub up halfway, the lights went out. I had backup power, so I had a false sense of security that I soon paid for. I looked out the back window to see the transformer located on a pole above my outdoor shed explode in a shower of sparks. It was the fourth of July, except it was February. Luckily, I had moved the wood pile and it wasn’t behind the shed, as the situation was only going to get worse from here.

I had a Bearcat scanner with fresh batteries, so I had the local catastrophe well monitored. Already the police, ambulance, and hospital were at duty, but I couldn’t keep up with all the 911 calls. I dwelled at that moment on taking a chance of going to Walmart for extra everything. I went outside and soon regretted taking that chance. I reached the car and realized the vehicle was covered with an inch of solid ice. Before I turned to get my utility bar to chip away at the mess, I found myself in mid-air grasping for the car door to help right myself. Instead of standing, I hit the asphalt; all 200-pounds of me was bouncing on the ice-covered driveway. I pulled my head forward, barely in time to prevent hitting my head flush thereby keeping consciousness. I couldn’t move. My back locked up, and the air in my lungs was gone. I couldn’t breathe. I heard no one come to the garage door to see what I was doing. The frozen ice had already covered my face. Finally, I started to breathe again. I couldn’t stand. I rolled slowly side to side, until I landed on my stomach. I crawled on my elbows up the driveway toward the garage doorway. I had full strength in my arms, but my lower legs were weak, leaving me unable to rise up. Those fifty feet felt like a mile. By the time I crawled to the door, my wife opened it and I rolled in.

I asked my wife to get the electric heat pad and plug it into the DR Series 2400 Watt Inverter/Charger I kept in the corner of the garage with my battery bank. I forgot to check it immediately after the transformer blew. When the power goes out, it automatically goes from charger to inverter mode instantly. I later found out the 30 amp fuse had blown.

Lesson #3: Keep multiple extras of whatever you think you really need. My wife grabbed the hand warmers I kept in the kitchen drawer. This was a chemical solution for my locked up back. Non-electrical items are key in any emergency situation and I buy these in bulk now. After taping the hand warmers and later some icy blue gel packs to my lower back, I was able to stand again.

No cell phone worked. We still had a land line, but since most of my friends had cell phone I couldn’t reach them. Land lines have back-up batteries and operate on low voltage, which is an advantage in a crisis situation. I called my aunt, who also still had a landline, and made sure she had no immediate problems. I told her to take her medicines out of the fridge and put them in the garage, as most attached garages stay just above freezing in the winter. A thermometer revealed it was 36 degrees in ours, so we emptied our refrigerator and stored the goods in coolers out there. We taped the freezer shut, so no one would accidentally open it and let the cold out.

We had installed a Hearthstone wood heater with soapstone in the living room. It gives off heat slowly and evenly instead of a red hot steel one that burns anyone who suddenly touches it. My wife uses aluminum coffee cans filled with rock salt that absorb the heat and provide extra heat also. Although the central heating system was down, we were still warm. In the breezeway that separates the kitchen and utility area from the living room and bedrooms, we hung a blanket to keep the immediate areas more warm. The kitchen was cool the next day, but we only prepared meals and didn’t spend much time in there.

With the inverter down, I still had a generator for power, but I decided not to use it at that point. I did have several smaller inverters– 300 to 700 watt size– to use for smaller appliances, which I used with the deep cycle batteries. The DC sump pump with the batteries helped to keep the water entering the sump pit from flooding the basement. I let my son do the lifting, as my back was in no condition to carry 100-pound batteries. Two six-volt batteries in series parallel produce 12 volts and run the DC sump pump, bypassing the AC sump pump. In the argument of Tesla’s AC versus Edison’s DC system, Tesla’s AC system clearly is much better delivering power over great distances, but in an immediate power down situation DC power in a homestead has advantages over AC. Small appliances can be run fully charged in a power down situation. Any appliance found in a RV can be run on DC.

By morning, I surveyed the damage from overnight. Trees and power lines were strewn across the roads. The people on my street who dared to go out decided to leave altogether instead of staying in their unheated homes. Our neighbor across from us left to go live with her grown children. I went out in my backyard to get a closer look at the blown transformer and discovered a power line was down the width of my entire yard, just missing my shed. If it had landed on my shed roof, it would have burned down, and with the gas can I kept inside, the shed might have blown up. That was a close call. It was six days before the power company finally installed a new line. They decided to put the new transformer in a new location, closer to road access. That was a good decision. The clean up on my street took several days, even after the power came back on.

A Big Berkey water filter gave us a gravity-fed clean water system. Draining the hot water heater also helped provide water for flushing toilets. Lighting was done by oil lamps and LED flashlights, a low tech solution. I missed work for a few days but safety was my first priority after my fall. I found lead acid deep cycle batteries are the weak link in any solar home power system. If you cycle them down more than 50 per cent over and over, you soon lose capacity and shorten their life. Newer technology in batteries lessens the problem but they are more expensive. Oh well. Communication is paramount in staying in touch with the outside world. FRS and CB radios can offer immediate help. Shortwave still has a place and is not obsolete.

I converted a gas generator with a conversion adapter kit to use propane years ago, and a 500-gallon tank provided ample fuel for the week-long blackout to keep the freezer on. The power did come back on, and everything slowly got back to normal, but I’ve been thinking lately what would happen if you had to go a year or five years without juice. Civilization and the population would be scaled back drastically. Everything is doable with the proper resources and man power. No electric power, no refrigeration, no cars, and technology strangled by the lack of energy will be daunting indeed. The solution is around the corner, but it may not reveal itself until after another major war and /or economic collapse. Still, GOD makes a way no matter how grim it appears. Having stuff (solar panels, water filters, and all of that) gives solace, but we only have the CREATOR to protect us. Amen!

Two Letters Re: Caring for Babies in a Post-Collapse World

HJL,

Instead of stocking baby food in jars, I have the Kidco Food Mill. This neat item allows baby to “eat what we eat”. While little baby food jars are good for barter, if I had one or more babies show up at my front door, I would want the food mill. Life would get easier and less stressful right away. – C.G.

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Dear Survival Blog:

FC makes some great points in his article on caring for babies in a post-collapse world. We raised our 11 babies and spent very little on baby food because we had a small hand-powered baby food mill that we used to grind up our meals to feed the infant. Anyone preparing to deal with babies in an extended crisis would do well to have one on hand. They are readily available through online retailers; just search for “baby food grinder” or “baby food mill”. (Obviously all the rules about introducing new foods one at a time initially still apply.) – EF

Odds ‘n Sods:

It gets worse even quicker from here… Tweeting for Treatment in Venezuela. – H.L.

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Want To Start A Blog in Philadelphia? You’ll Need A $300 License For That!. – RBS

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Officials in Missouri are SUING THEIR OWN RESIDENTS for Voting Against Red Light Cameras. – H.L.

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Homeland Security to be put in charge of info spying. – P.S.

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CNN Anchor: ‘Our Rights Do Not Come From God’ – T.P.

This CNN anchor fails civics class: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…” – Quoted from the Declaration of Independance.

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Here is an entry opportunity into the Redoubt area for someone who is serious about making the move. It’s not alot, but it helps, and the hours would allow a young person to spend plenty of time with the family or hold a second part-time job.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.” Exodus 23:20-22 (KJV)