American suicide bomber’s travels in U.S., Middle East went unmonitored – The Washington Post. – P.M.
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NBC’s medical correspondent ‘violated Ebola quarantine’. – P.S.
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Ebola research: Fever not a surefire sign of infection. – P.M.
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Ebola: Studies Dispute CDC Mantra. – S.T.
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Southcom Commander Warns of Potential Ebola-Driven ‘Mass Migration’ from South of Border. – J.W.
“Those who expect to reap the blessing of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine
On October 13, 1792, the cornerstone was laid for a presidential residence in the newly designated capital city of Washington.
When considering what one needs during a TEOTWAWKI scenario, clothing is always on the list. We often choose our clothing based on looks or functionality. However, when preparing for TEOTWAWKI, we need to take both into consideration, especially with camouflage!
Almost every person I know plans on using some type of camouflage, whether a military or tactical pattern, as their choice for everyday use. This is perfectly acceptable, but I constantly tell them that they should not limit themselves to just one pattern. Let’s look at two scenarios that may affect what one might wear or carry.
You are at home when you learn that a TEOTWAWKI event has taken place. It is just you and your significant other. You expect other members of your family/party/clan to arrive within days.
Your car stops on the highway, due to an EMP or other TEOTWAWKI event. You now have to beat feet to your home, which is miles away.
The first scenario is one that most of my friends are prepared for. “What do I need to store and keep at my location?” is typically the question they ask. In a catastrophic event, our clothing can keep us hid as well as play an important role in identification. Most families/groups that prep together, plan together. These groups generally plan to store and keep some type of camouflage/military clothing around for use in hunting, guard force, working, and so forth. It is important to consider who will wear what and when.
These are just a few of the questions that groups should identify and brainstorm when conducting their planning. Also, the most practical camo patterns are the most expensive. Groups need to ask themselves if all members can afford the more expensive multi-cam or digital patterns. In addition, groups need to make sure all members have that camo on them in their Bug-Out-Bags/G.O.O.D Bags. Those camo/military patterns have a whole different use when confronted with scenario #2.
The second scenario is one that most of us fear– being away from our “safe haven” when the manure hits the fan. Let’s say that the individual in the second scenario is trying to get back to those in the first scenario– those in their group/family. Camouflage is also something to think about in this scenario. Once again, all my friends tend to think they will just get camo’d up and head out. However, there are lots of things to consider in this scenario.
Just like the first scenario, these questions need to be addressed during your family/group meetings. These questions need to be applied to your gear as well. For example; having a woodland digital patterned backpack can draw unwanted attention to yourself. However, a bright backpack could single you out, if you’re trying to conceal yourself.
The purpose of this article isn’t to tell you what to do or what not to do. It is here to get your minds thinking. This will provide a guideline for those getting ready. Neither is wrong or right, but hopefully a person can use what’s above to make an educated purchase and prepare the best they can for their situation.
We can have a lot of discussions about the good and bad points of the AR-15 and the .223 cartridge it is usually chambered for. Some think they are worthless junk, while others feel they are the cat’s meow. A lot of folks, myself included, are somewhere in between those two ends of the argument. I find the ergonomics to be quite good and very adaptable for left-handed shooters, like myself. You need to add an ambidextrous safety, and I think an ambi charging handle also helps. An ambi magazine release really rounds it out, but I can live without that part without much hassle. I do hate cleaning the bolt carrier group, which gets pretty cruddy from all the gas that enters the action. Other designs keep the gas out of the action and are much easier to clean.
One thing that we all have to agree on, though, is that the bloody things are everywhere. The military and most law enforcement agencies now issue them. With them so prevalent, I think shooters, and particularly preppers, should be familiar with them, even if they feel they are a subpar solution to any ballistic problem. You may find a chance to acquire one during a crisis, and it’s best to learn how now.
AR’s are fun to shoot. There isn’t much recoil to speak of, and they are light and handy, if one is sensible in how it is set. The muzzle blast is pretty noticeable, though, particularly with the 16-inch barreled carbines. Fancy muzzle brakes usually increase the blast effect, so I avoid them. AR’s tend to be fairly accurate, especially with match-grade ammunition. Mine will shoot less than one-inch groups with Federal 69 grain match loads and hold two to three inch ones with average training ammo.
All of this AR lead up is to get to something that can make the AR much more versatile and useful. While I’m not crazy about the .223 cartridge, there is another cartridge I am crazy about– the .22 Long Rifle (LR). The .22 is the preeminent cartridge for practice and for small game hunting. It is a blast to shoot, and you can do it all day and all night, thanks to the lack of recoil, noise, and muzzle blast. Since the .223 has bore diameter in common with the .22 LR, it is easy to convert an AR into a .22 LR in less than a minute by using a kit. such as the CMMG one. This slick $240 unit replaces the bolt carrier group in an AR with a chamber insert and a bolt that cycles and feeds .22 LR ammunition from the supplied magazine, which fits normally into the rifle.
My kit is an older model made of plain old carbon steel. They have newer ones made of stainless steel, which should make them even easier to care for.
Once you fit the kit into a rifle, you have a weapon that is much less expensive to shoot than the .223. While .22 ammunition has been hard to find, it is becoming more available. Even at the highest prices I saw (and refused to pay), .22 LR was still less expensive than .223, no matter if you reloaded it with components that were as hard to find as .22 LR ammo. Just as a reminder, now that things have eased, we need to replace what we used when there were problems. It might even be smart to add some extra for next time.
Besides being more economical to shoot, an AR converted to .22 LR is much quieter and has almost no muzzle blast. That makes it great for training new shooters, plus it means you can use it in places where a .223 makes too much noise. While the recoil from a .223 is minimal, the .22’s is non-existent, which adds to the appeal for young or new shooters. My son was somewhat intimidated by the AR when he began to outgrow his starter .22, but he fell in love with the AR conversion. It made it a lot easier for him to segue into shooting .223 a few months later. He was already familiar with the firearm, so all he had to do now was deal with the muzzle blast and a little more bounce. He was actually disappointed, I think, by lack of kick from the larger round.
Self-defense practice with the .22 LR isn’t the same as with .223, but it is close enough to be worthwhile. My split times between shots are almost the same.
There are some handling differences between the .22 LR and the .223 AR’s, mostly related to the fact the bolt catch doesn’t work properly. The bolt is held back by the empty magazine’s follower, but it doesn’t actuate the catch. The pressure of the action spring holds the magazine in the rifle so it won’t drop free the way most AR magazines will. You have to pull it out, which releases the bolt to go forward. The bolt stroke is perhaps half that of the .223, so when you pull the charging handle back, it stops early. That always leaves me feeling there was a problem when I chamber a round, even though all is well. It also means that the bolt can’t be pulled back enough to lock it open, so you can’t practice a bolt back reload using the bolt release. It also raises hackles at one range I shoot at that requires the bolt to be locked back and the magazine out while shooters are forward. I make sure to have a chamber flag when I go there.
I have seen an adapter that is supposed to operate the bolt catch, but it isn’t on the CMMG web page at this time. I have not tried it, and I note some complaints in the Amazon user reviews. Not all magazines work with it.
After using this to convert a .223 AR, I decided I wanted a dedicated upper receiver for .22 LR. The conversion works well, but the 1/7 twist barrels that work well with heavy bullets on the .223, isn’t optimal for accuracy with .22 LR. A 1/15 or 1/16 twist is most often recommended for rimfires.
CMMG also makes complete .22 uppers and rifles, but I like to build things for myself, so I bought one of their barrels, which go for about $160.00 these days.
I next picked up a flat top upper receiver from Brownells (I don’t even remember which brand it was) for about $100 along with a Colt Barrel nut assembly for $35.
The trickiest part was figuring out what to use to hold the handguard on the barrel with. AR’s usually have a front sight base which holds the handguard cap in place that, in turn, secures the handguard. I didn’t plan to use it with iron sights and I wanted something inexpensive and easy to put together in my garage. The front sight base is best pinned to the barrel and properly drilling holes for the pins is beyond my skillset. I found a gas block with Picatinny rails that clamps on the barrel with set screws for about $30, also from Brownells.
The end of the barrel is threaded and to give it a finished look, I put an A2 style flash hider on it. I don’t remember which one I got, but it was the cheapest one I could find from Brownells. It was under $10.
I also needed a handguard, so I got a Magpul one for another $25 or so.
Finally, I scrounged a charging handle from my leftover parts box, dug up a cheap scope and I was in business after some trivial assembly work.
I hate to admit this, but having a complete upper led, as part of mission creep, to building a lower for it so my son could have his own AR. So much for all the money I saved on ammo.
I have found the dedicated .22 LR barrel to be more accurate as a .22, on average, than the .223 barrel, but the .223 barrel has managed to come close to what I can get with the Long Rifle barrel. What I have noticed is that more varieties of ammunition shoot well in the dedicated barrel, while the .223 barrel only likes a couple of loads.
Another point in favor of the dedicated version is that rimfire ammo, especially the inexpensive blasting stuff with lead bullets, is often very dirty. I have seen debates about .22 LR fouling, and particularly leading, getting into the gas system on the .AR. I’m not convinced it is a big deal if one cleans after shooting and uses high quality ammo, but it can’t hurt to keep it out of your .223. A friend recently had some really rotten .22 ammo that heavily leaded a pistol to the point of inaccuracy and unreliability. I hate to think of that happening in my primary AR, so I made a point of using premium copper-plated ammunition when I was running it on my .223. Now that I have a dedicated .22, I’m not as careful and I have run some rotgut bargain ammo through it. While I paid for it when I cleaned the barrel, I did get some cheap practice without any risks to a defensive weapon.
As far as accuracy, it is pretty close to my Ruger 10/22, though it is more selective about what it likes. My best groups with the Ruger run about one inch at 50 yards, while the best ones with the CMMG have been 1.5 inches. I have had the Ruger for years and have gotten to try a lot more ammo with it than the CMMG, so I suspect there may be some better groups in the future with the CMMG as I do more testing.
It is common for a .22 to have particular tastes in ammo. None of my .22’s agree on what good ammo is, much to my frustration. I have had to lay in a separate supply for each one of them– handgun as well as rifle– as if life isn’t complex enough. I don’t worry so much for practice, but I want the most accurate stuff I can get for hunting or pest control.
CMMG says they find that the Federal and CCI 36 grain loads usually do well, and that mirrors my results. The most accurate round in mine so far has been CCI Mini Mag hollow points. Annoyingly, it doesn’t like the Mini Mag round nose that my Ruger likes. I’ve also seen folks tout the CCI Subsonic loads with these setups.
I should point out that I am using the same model scopes on both rifles. I got them on sale, and there was a reason they were on close out– they were cheap; I would never have paid the original price for them. One of these days, I intend to put better scopes on both, and I suspect that will help accuracy a bit.
The triggers on the Ruger and the lower receiver I used with the CMMG upper are pretty equal. The Ruger is a bit heavier and the AR is creepier. The shooter, in both cases, is pretty lame. A better marksman would get nicer groups.
Reliability has been excellent. It has run standard and high velocity ammunition without qualms. It will not cycle the CCI Quiet ammo, but none of my semi-autos will. CB caps, of course, won’t cycle it, either. It actually has been a tiny bit more reliable than my Ruger, but you can count on either rifle to work. Cleaning has always solved any issues.
I’ve seen a number of AR look-alike .22 rifles, but most of them just have the appearance and not the innards of an AR. They are usually lighter, not as sturdy, and don’t truly replicate the feel of an AR. Some of them are decent firearms, but I just don’t think they provide the same quality training as a real AR converted to .22, either with a complete upper or just the conversion kit.
I am very happy with my CMMG conversion and have no regrets about buying it. I am also very happy with the upper receiver I built with their barrel. It is reliable and accurate enough to use for hunting. I am thrilled to have it for practice as well as starting off new shooters. It is a good piece of kit and worth the money. I have more in it that one might put into a 10-22, but a 10-22 will never come close to simulating an AR. It’s nice to have both, but if you could only have one, the conversion makes a lot of sense, if you run AR’s.
Speaking of AR’s, I recently reviewed the DRD Tactical take down iteration of the AR https://survivalblog.com/scots-product-review-drd-tactical-cdr-15-556/. Besides the allure of having an easy to pack rifle, you can easily swap barrels giving you one gun that shoots more than one cartridge. The one I am testing came with .223 and .300 AAC Blackout barrels, and I finally managed to scrounge up some .300 ammo and make some time for a range trip to see how it works.
The bottom-line is that it works well. There is a bit more push to the shoulder than a .223 but nothing to fret over. The muzzle blast is easier to bear than the .223, which makes it more pleasant to be around, particularly in an indoor range where I did some of the shooting.
Due to recent increases in .22 rimfire ammo costs and ammo shortages, I only have about 100 rounds through it so far, but it has been 100% reliable. Accuracy is fine with groups running about 1.5 inches at 100 yards using a Leupold VX-III 1.5-5x scope set at 5x. I suspect careful hand-loading might get better groups, and there might be a better factory load than any of the three I have tried. I should also again remind everyone that I’m not the best shot and a better shooter will likely shave some off of these groups.
I like the rifle and find the cartridge intriguing. It hits harder than a .223, but it starts running out of steam pretty quickly. My thought is that it is at its best under 150 yards. It is by no means a .308. Bullet selection appears very important. Most bullets for .30 caliber are designed for more powerful cartridges and won’t expand at .300 AAC velocities. There are bullets that will work and they should be selected. Many hunters have reported good results using it on medium game within the limitations of the cartridge. I hope to match them if my plans to try it on hogs next month pan out. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor, Scot Frank Erie
Dear HJL,
The referenced article was pretty complete and detailed; I just want to add a couple of details. First, when I fill my storage tank with the intent of leaving it unattended and unused for a long period of time, I usually dose the water to about 7 PPM Chlorine. Then I check it every time I visit my distant retreat, supplementing the chlorine dose if the reading gets to 2 PPM or less. Levels at and above 7 PPM are dangerous to your health but draining the right amount of water and adding untreated water to the tank will bring it right down to the correct and safe drinking level of less than 3 PPM.
The thing that we want to know is the residual-free chlorine still available to treat what is in the water that should be treated or might come into the system. To do this I use test strips that will tell the residual chlorine concentration between 0 and 13 PPM. These strip show a distinct color for each distinct concentration, making them much easier to read than pool test kits.
I want to disagree with the placement of the tank directly on the concrete floor for a couple of very reasons. First, a tank, that has the ability to provide water through a period of three or four weeks when you can not refill it, can not be easily manhandled. At two gallons/per person/per day, a 100-gallon tank will cover 50 man days or less than a month for two people. Add two children and the time is 12 to 13 days. I designed my system for 60 days survival without replenishment because water is survival!
Secondly, in most situations adequate sized storage tanks are too heavy but to install except on a slab, basement floor and almost certainly will require manually filling containers and manually transporting those filled containers. I selected the square, stackable, 5-gallon water jugs sold at many prepper-oriented web sites. My 1550-gallon tank sits on a well-engineered (my wife says way over-done) platform that is just high enough that I can sit two of those five-gallon jugs on the floor and let gravity fill them until the tank bottom is nearly dry. My well system is pumped in to a very large captive air tank with the pressure switch set at 35 psi; from there the well water is plumbed in 1″ PVC to a booster pump that serves the house and a branch that directly leads to the 4″ ball valve at the tank via a tee that serves the tote filling piping on the other side. The totes used are similar to PN 400 with a M110 valve that is removed for filling. None of this will be very helpful if the means of refilling the storage tank are forgotten. I have two generators, each capable of running the well pump. I would replenish my storage tank at least once a week in a grid down situation, until my fuel storage was depleted. – B..J.
I am still making these pickles from the original recipe cut out of the Wichita (KS) Eagle newspaper from Sunday 10.29.89 (the newsprint is getting quite yellow and brittle), which is definite proof that this is a recipe that has stood the tests of time. These are what most call a “bread and butter” type pickle, and as the name says, they are truly excellent, as well as being excellently easy.
Pickles are ready to eat when thoroughly chilled. Makes 1 quart.
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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlogreaders? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!
Attorney Stephen Stamboulieh is attempting to overturn 18 USC 922(o) and the National Firearms Act of 1934 as unconstitutional, via GoFundMe.com.
He has raised nearly $20,000 in just three days. Chip in, if you can spare a few dollars, folks!
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Infection Control for Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers in the African Health Care Setting. – MDM
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Shady company tricks police to spread spyware. – D.S.
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Texas Health Worker Tests Positive for Ebola. – RBS
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What Can You Do to Prevent/Treat Ebola and Other Viral Infections. – D.S.
“Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others.” – William Allen White
Today, we present another entry for Round 55 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 55 ends on November 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.
The power-grid goes down two hours before you are scheduled to begin your next round of hemodialysis at a clinic thirty-five miles away. Using the Ham radio, you discover through your III Percent communications network that all power is down across the southern sector. There is little hope of it being restored in the foreseeable future. The clinic should have a back-up generator in place, so (other than an inconvenience) your treatment should go ahead as planned. You lock the place down, turn on the alarms, and then you and the wife head for the clinic. As usual, when you leave you can’t shake the feeling of vulnerability, knowing that the security of the homestead rests with Macs– an eleven year-old Labrador that is racked with arthritis so bad that he seldom moves from his favorite spot under the corner of the porch.
As you maneuver your way down the hill, straddling the gullies caused by a recent downpour, you began to question the rationality of your situation. Can you really survive a down-grid scenario with renal failure? What happens if you arrive at the clinic to find they have no back-up power? What happens if the roads are blocked or the clinic is under attack by roving thugs looking to cash in on prescription drugs? Questions, one after another, began to tumble through your mind; answers, however, prove more elusive than the dust before yesterday’s rain. By the time you make it to the blacktop, you realize that what you don’t know could be just enough to kill you.
Those who suffer from kidney failure must deal with these questions every day, praying for no interruptions in their circumstances, and hoping to survive until a donor is located and a transplant successfully performed; at least that is the case for those whom transplant is even an option. According to the National Kidney Foundation, of the 99,000 Americans on the kidney transplant list, fewer than 17,000 people receive one each year. Every day, 14 people die while waiting for a kidney. Of course, there are no guarantees, especially when considering the many obstacles encountered during this trying time (and the risks inherent with dialysis). Fortunately, there are answers to many of these questions through an alternative dialysis treatment– peritoneal dialysis (PD). PD provides patients an opportunity (and the flexibility) to perform dialysis, regardless of location or the need of electricity. This can mean the difference between life and death in a down-grid scenario.
My knowledge of this treatment came about through the personal experience of a dear friend that I will refer to as Sniper1. Like me, he is retired, middle-aged, and doing everything he can to prepare his family for the eventual collapse of society. Regrettably, he was diagnosed in January 2013 with chronic renal failure. His kidneys had shut down and toxins were building up in his bloodstream. After numerous tests (which almost cost his life) Sniper1 was placed on a hemodialysis regimen three times weekly (lasting four hours, each). He would usually leave the house before sunrise to make the thirty-five mile trip to the clinic. There, he would use his walker to slowly move to the check-in desk, answer a litany of questions, fill out forms, and then spend about an hour in the waiting room before being called back for treatment. He would then be weighed and his ports connected to the hemodialysis machine. Approximately three hours later at the end of his treatment, he was usually so tired and weak that he required assistance back to the car for his return trip home. Due to the side effects of hemodialysis, such as: cramps, nausea, vomiting, and weakness, he was not able to drive himself back from treatment. This required either his wife, daughters, or close friends to chauffer him the seventy miles round trip, three times a week. He would spend roughly thirty-six hours with these painful side-effects, slowly and painfully regaining some strength, and then repeat the cycle again.
I watched as my friend’s condition deteriorated, becoming progressively worse with each passing day, but there was always hope in Sniper1’s eyes. He would force a feeble smile and say, “Red Flint, we’re gonna buy us a mountaintop in West Virginia some day when we win the lottery and I get to feeling better.” I would wholeheartedly agree, anything to keep him in good spirits. We would discuss plans for our bunker and spend hours exchanging ideas on scriptural issues and doctrines. As far as he was concerned, this kidney failure was just another bump in the road, like the rest of his life had been; he would get through it just like he had Vietnam and everything else since then. He was determined to leave this world at the last possible second, as Sniper1 is a true survivalist.
Not only is he a survivalist, he is a realist and fully understands the urgency of his situation. The side effects of the hemodialysis treatment were taking a physical toll on his body and the long drives were putting a strain on his finances in addition to causing an excessive burden on his family. Even in his frail condition, he began to research alternative methods of kidney dialysis. The last thing he wanted was to be dependent on the electrical grid. One alternative method–peritoneal dialysis– sounded promising. He spent many hours researching the pros and cons of this procedure.
Sniper1 believed he could reduce many of these additional health problems by changing from hemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis and improve his quality of life in the process. More importantly, he wanted to be able to survive without the use of electricity. His doctor agreed that he was a good candidate for peritoneal dialysis and suggested he start the new treatment. The port in his chest was removed, and a small catheter was inserted into the peritoneal cavity in his abdomen. He was required to attend classes on how to perform the procedure safely. Once he was cleared and certified as proficient, items required for the treatment and the dialysate were shipped to his residence.
Unlike hemodialysis, which requires the patient’s blood be cleansed through a machine, peritoneal dialysis involves a change of fluids by force of gravity.
www.rch.org.au- A single-dose flexible bag, containing dextrose solution, is hung on an IV pole, and a small tube from the solution is connected to the catheter on the patient’s abdomen. The peritoneal dialysis solution is instilled into the peritoneal cavity. Through the process of osmosis, excess water and toxins in the bloodstream are pulled into the solution through the semi-permeable membrane of the peritoneum. The length of “dwell time” of the solution in the peritoneal cavity is determined by the doctor. Afterwards, the solution is drained from the patient. Normally, the fluid is drained and solution is instilled at the same setting; this takes approximately thirty minutes for both procedures and is usually performed four times each twenty-four hour period.
Patients are encouraged to stockpile three months’ supply of dialysate. This is shipped to the patient’s home via UPS or FedEx. Some facilities will allow a far longer supply, if requested. The main concern is not to exceed shelf life. Storage is the primary problem to overcome when requesting a large order.
Though there are numerous advantages of peritoneal dialysis, there are precautions and warnings associated with this procedure. Like all medical procedures there are risks involved that could prove fatal, if proper procedures are not followed. The greatest risk with peritoneal dialysis is infection. Every facet of this procedure must be performed in an extremely sanitary environment, and all tubes, catheter, and connections must be sterilized. Even something as small as a dust mite can result in peritonitis; infection, if not treated properly, can be fatal. Infection of the peritoneum has been described as a pain worse than death. Sanitation cannot be overstated while performing this procedure.
Patients who are using peritoneal dialysis should have routine evaluations to determine if accurate hematologic factors and electrolyte blood levels are being maintained. This osmosis process can cause a significant loss of water-soluble vitamins, protein, and amino acids; replacement therapy may be required if levels are determined to be too low. It is also extremely important to maintain a proper fluid balance between treatments to prevent over- or under-hydration. Failure to maintain a proper balance can result in shock and/or heart failure.
Sniper1 has been on peritoneal dialysis now approximately a year and is enjoying a far better quality of life than he did while on hemodialysis. He still suffers from neuropathy in both feet and requires the use of a four-pronged cane sometimes to keep from losing his balance. He can perform many tasks now that were impossible while on hemodialysis, such as mowing the yard or working in his garden. He is certainly not up to pre-renal failure abilities, but he can perform roughly 70% of his normal daily routine.
It is still unclear as to why his anti-immune system failed, leading to this life-threatening condition. Sniper1 is presently on the waiting list for transplant and is being tested continually to monitor whether he is a viable candidate. He may or may not receive this operation; his white blood cell count is still too high, indicating an anti-immune deficiency reaction. If fate dictates no improvement, he will be required to continue peritoneal dialysis indefinitely.
Can Sniper1 or a reader of Survival Blog really survive a down-grid scenario with renal failure? The answer to this question is a resounding YES! There’s no need to worry about a blackout, whether the clinic has a backup power source, if the roads are blocked, or if thugs are on the prowl. This life-saving procedure can be performed in the comfort of one’s home, while reading the latest edition of Field & Stream, or The Patriot.
I write this so that other readers of SurvivalBlog know that there are alternate solutions to their health issues in a worse-case scenario. I, like everyone else in Sniper1’s family and my own, was completely unaware that peritoneal dialysis even existed. I have now seen its capabilities first hand and am duly impressed.
JWR Adds: Peritoneal dialysis at home should only be considered a “last resort” measure, when there is no other care available. In my estimation, the safest course for anyone who is on a kidney dialysis regimen is to strategically relocate to a region that already has a capable, well-established dialysis center with at least thee seats and that is in an electrical power exporting region where the local power utility already has plans in place for “islanding” their power, in the event of a grid collapse. I described one such area (Farmington, New Mexico), in my novel Survivors. There are several other such regions, mainly in the Pacific Northwest and in the Inland Northwest. For further details, see my article: Islands in the Darkness: Some Local Power Utilities Have Prepared to Go It Alone. – JWR
Hugh,
I reuse polyethelene 2.5-gallon theatrical fog fluid tanks for water storage. The fog fluid is a glycol, and the tank will smell for a while. I first rinse the tanks to get all the gross product residues out. I then begin a leaching process by filling the tank with very hot water and let it sit until cool. I then repeat the process multiple times until there is no smell. I do two more leachings after that.
Another point that I thought was missed is biofilms. These, like slimes, adhear to the walls and are almost impossible to get rid of. E. coli is one of these film producers. This is why I hate trying to reuse milk jugs. You can never get these biofilms out of them completely. I like peach tea, and within a couple of days, you will notice stains on the walls of the reused milk jug from incomplete removal of the biofilm. Only use jugs that came from the factory with water in them. I can use a water jug for months before any films begin to form. – Capt Nemo
Ebola = P.C. madness as Liberian Health Workers take Arriving Marines temperatures !. – T.P.
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Drought-related or BATF incompetence? Castaic Lake so low that fisherman finds agent’s gun lost 22 years ago. – G.L.
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How hackers took over my computer. – A.D.
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Dr. Aileen Marty tells Fusion what she saw fighting Ebola in Nigeria. P.M.
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Amid Ebola Crisis, Liberian Army Sees Its Chance at Rebranding. P.M.