Letter Re: Observations of a Shopkeeper

I did not enjoy logging on to Survival Blog this evening and reading about how ignorant we are according to “R.R.” Can’t he just educate their customers about the safe handling and proper cleaning of a firearm. I just can’t imagine why R.R. would continue selling such deadly weapons to us imbeciles. Please publish the name of your shop so we can know never to bother you there again. Thank you ever so much, – D.R.

HJL Responds: I think you have missed the concept that R.R. was trying to portray. I was a scoutmaster for 11 years as my boys progressed through the program. During this time, we went on campouts every month. As I taught the boys “the scouting way”, my second biggest problem was dealing with fathers who were self taught “experts” in camping. They may have been camping their whole lives, and what they did may have actually worked well (though most times it didn’t), but they resisted “the scouting way”. Things as simple as building a fire became work, as I dealt with the arrogant attitudes of those who believed they knew better. There is no doubt that there are many ways to accomplish tasks, but I simply wanted them to learn the way the scouts taught it (straight from the manual), so that everybody would have a common method. Once they learned the basics, they could modify it as they wished.

R.R. has pointed out a problem that plagues prepping. How often have you seen “Doomsday Preppers” and thought that the people interviewed gave prepping a black eye (for the moment we will ignore the bias of the producers)? I personally would have added a fourth category that crossed the boundaries that he laid out. Several firearms instructors I know will not deal with police and those civilians that think they know everything. It becomes too much work to convince the person to let go of what they know and follow instructions. Most veterans have a pretty good training. Most police have dismal training for the hardware that they carry. Still, those two groups at least have a management structure that encourages training (or should). The average citizen has no such motivation. Often they don’t even know enough to know what questions to ask. Those that are self taught generally come dangerously close believing that they have all the answers. I initially tried helping those whom I practiced with. Then I started wearing a vest when I wasn’t certain of the skill level of the person I was with, but I have been flagged by so many who have no muzzle discipline that I eventually gave up out of concern for my own safety. Now, I refuse to practice with anyone unless either I am confident in their skills or they are willing to submit to my authority on the range. Rather than take offense at what R.R. has pointed out, we should make sure that we don’t fit into the “ignorant” category. Whether it is being forward enough to ask questions (or at least admit that we don’t know what questions to ask), or making sure that we are not so arrogant that we refuse to listen to someone else, we need to encourage learning. I’m certain if you visited R.R.’s store, he would be happy to instruct you in the use of that shiny new AR15 or at least point you in the right direction. If you engaged him in conversation, he would be able to ascertain just where you needed to start your training at.

Also, living in a state and county that has more firearms than citizens has a tendency to jade my thinking. It is easy for me to forget that it is inconvenient for many to practice or even follow through with training after having purchased a firearm. Even here, there are many who purchase because it is popular. What they know of combat is what they learned on the Xbox or PlayStation. As any combat veteran can tell you, video games may be an effective tool in desensitizing a person to violence, but there is a world of difference between the T.V. and real life.

—

For those that were wondering, the biggest problem I faced as a scoutmaster was the babysitting issue. BSA does not stand for Babysitters of America. For those who are still parents of teenagers, the BSA may no longer be the program of choice, but whatever the program is, get involved with them.

Economics and Investing:

What $1 Used to Get You vs. What It Buys You Today. – G.P.

HJL adds: Bear in mind that this infographic does not indicate the relative “value” of the items; it only addresses their worth as designated by the U.S. dollar. The relative value of the items has not decreased much at all when you use a denominator that is generally not affected by inflation (such as precious metals).

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Labor Participation Rate Drops To Lowest Since 1978

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Most People Don’t Believe It, But We Are Right On Schedule For The Next Financial Crash

Everything That’s Wrong With Banking Summed Up In One Bonehead Advertisement

Odds ‘n Sods:

I was thrilled to hear that Scotland might soon regain its independence. This is the chance “just one chance” to set things right and establish an independent nation with a sound currency and perhaps the right to keep and bear arms. The people of Scotland deserve it! – JWR

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The West Without Water. – JMC

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This guy is an old hippie but has some good information on stealth camping.  Also, it’s obvious that he’s read a couple of military manuals that apply. Video: Secrets of Stealth Camping. – J.H.

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A massacre survivor tells his tale. – B.B.

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From the desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor At Large: Stop and seize

Notes for Sunday – September 07, 2014

September 7th is the 99th birthday of Richard Cole, one of just four living Doolittle Raiders. He was General Doolittle’s co-pilot. This is also the birthday of novelist Taylor Caldwell, who was born in 1900 and passed August 30, 1985.

Today is also the birthday of Dr. Ludwig Vorgrimler, who was born 1912 in Freiburg, Germany and died in 1983. Vorgrimler was the designer of the Spanish CETME rifle, from which sprang a plethora of roller-lock descendents from HK, including the G3, HK21, and MP5. His bolt design was also copied by the Swiss for their excellent PE57 and SIG 510 rifles. (Although the Swiss felt obliged to mount a “beer keg” charging handle on the right side of the receiver, for the sake of familiarity to Schmidt-Rubin shooters.)

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Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,100+ 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 hardcase 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 1 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 Warehouseis providing 30 DMPS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448.95) 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  11. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  12. 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,
  13. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

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. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  10. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  11. RepackBoxis 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. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
  9. Montie Gearis donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack. (a $379 value).

Round 54 ends on September 30st, 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.

An Essential Prep: The Outhouse, by KMH

A car I did not recognize drove up the long, bumpy, dirt driveway to the camper trailer that was our home. We had not been there a week yet, but we were gradually making things comfortable. My husband and I, with our four children and an old friend of ours, had decided to go off the grid. We bought five acres in rural Tennessee, purchased a camper trailer out of a farmer’s field for $100, and started living on our land.

We had set up a table made of pallets under a tarp-style pavilion and cooked our meals on a Coleman stove. Toilet facilities were a latrine in the edge of the woods, hidden behind a fallen log, complete with a roll of toilet paper hanging from a tree branch. This day, a man in a suit got out of the car and introduced himself. He was from the Department of Human Services. They had received a call notifying them that a family was living with young children under primitive conditions. (That would be us.)

“Do you have running water?” he asked.

“No,” I said. “We carry wash water from the creek, and we get drinking water from the store in town.”

“What do you do for toilet facilities?”

“We have a latrine up in the edge of the woods,” I explained. “However, that’s just temporary until we can build an outhouse. We’ve only been here a few days.”

I did not mean to whine, but the man in the suit made me nervous, and I was angrier than I could let on that one of our neighbors had ratted us out to the government. This time around, though, the government guy was on our side.

“Well, your children look healthy and happy,” he told me. “You need to get the outhouse built. I’ll check back in about six weeks to make sure you’re getting that done, but I don’t see any problem. Some people just don’t want to see other people trying to get ahead.”

In under a week, we had a functioning outhouse built on a grassy slope about 50 feet behind the camper. I never saw the government man again.

When people talk about surviving a major catastrophe, they discuss bugging out to a safe place off the grid, with no standard utilities or city services. They think of food storage, medicine, heat, and water, but they often neglect one of the most essential preps– toilet facilities.

If you plan to set up a bug-out location or if you intend to rough it in the woods when the SHTF, you need to plan on building a good outhouse– one capable of handling the amount of human waste your family or small group might produce.

When we built our first outhouse, we were rank amateurs. We just did what seemed logical. We dug a hole in a location where there seemed to be plenty of topsoil to dig into. We dug it about four feet deep, but knowing what I know now I probably would have made it six feet deep. A household of seven people quickly fills up an outhouse hole. We built a small building over the hole. The hole was about 2.5 feet wide, and the building constructed over it about four or five feet long on each side.

Laws regarding the construction and use of an outhouse, or “earth-pit privy”, vary from one state to another. If you intend to use the facility now, you might want to check into what your local laws are. After the SHTF, I doubt anyone will say anything about it.

The little building was made up primarily of wood scavenged from pallets and some scrap plywood. It had a tin roof with some overhang, a little longer overhang on the front, and it sloped from front to back, to allow runoff of rainfall. We built a door and hung it on hinges with a little handle and a hook closure on the inside.

The “stool” was a wood box that took up about half the space inside the building. The box had a hole cut in the top and a standard toilet seat tacked over that. We put in a wooden floor and a nail to hang the toilet paper on. The men built the stool to their specifications (about 2.5 feet high), which left the kids and me swinging our legs when we sat down! Two feet high would have been better for us.

I honestly don’t remember who “christened” the new facilities, but I do remember how we all hated being the first one to warm up the seat on the cold winter mornings that followed. Sometimes there was frost on the seat!

One time I was sitting there in the outhouse, looking out the crack in the door, when I saw a very large bird walking down the road on the other side of the bridge about 200 yards away. I could not tell from that distance what kind of bird it was, but there appeared to be smaller creatures following it. I finished up my business pretty quickly and hurried down the hill to take a closer look. It was a turkey hen, with a dozen young ones following her!

Not long after we built the outhouse, we bought a small herd of dairy goats. We fenced in the two cleared acres on our property, which included the place where the outhouse was. The goats and the Jersey calf we got later on were gentle and posed no problem to people going back and forth to the outhouse, and since the door swung shut, there was no danger of them getting inside the little building and tap-dancing on the seat.

However, we did run into a problem one time due to the amateur construction of our outhouse. We had a really strong thunderstorm one night, and when we got up in the morning the electric fence that separated the pasture from the woods was off. Thinking that a branch might have fallen across the fence wire, I started trudging up through the pasture, searching the fence line with my eyes. I pulled stray bits of grass and twigs off the wire, looking for that big branch that might have completely grounded it out. I was just a few feet from the outhouse, intent on examining the fence, when I looked up and realized the outhouse door had blown off and had fallen across the fence!

Over the course of three years, that outhouse served us well. Our toddler learned to “go potty” in an outhouse, never having a single “accident.” Having potty-trained three before him, I was amazed that he was the easiest to train.

With use, the outhouse hole began to fill up, and as it did we could see something moving down there! It turns out there were lots of grubs down there, composting everything that came their way. Recent research that I’ve done convinces me these were Black Soldier Fly larvae, which are highly valued by people that compost organic matter for their gardens. Apparently BSF larvae can turn kitchen scraps into fertilizer faster than common earthworms.

Whatever they were, the creatures down in the outhouse hole were a blessing, because our outhouse never had a bad smell.

That first outhouse of ours served its purpose for the three years we lived on our five acres. Since then, our family has built two other outhouses, each time improving on the model, but if you don’t want to go the trial-and-error route like we did, there is help. The federal government includes Earth-Pit Privy specifications in their Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, to guide dairy farmers in building an outhouse:

EARTH-PIT PRIVY

The earth-pit privy offers the most suitable type of excreta disposal unit for the dairy farm where water carriage systems of disposal cannot be provided. While there are many different designs in use, the basic elements are the same in all cases.

  1. General: The earth pit should be of such capacity that it may be used for several years without requiring the privy to be moved. Excreta and toilet paper are deposited directly into the pit. Aerobic bacteria break down the complex organic material into more or less inert material. Insects, animals, and surface water must be prevented from entering the pit. It is essential that the privy be designed and constructed so that the pit can be kept fly tight.
  2. Location: The location of the privy shall take into account the need to prevent the contamination of water supplies. The criteria of Appendix D shall be applied. On sloping ground, it shall be located at a lower elevation than the water supply. On level ground, the area around both the privy and water supply should be mounded with earth. If the installation of an earth-pit privy will endanger the safety of the water supply, other methods of disposal must be used. The site should be accessible to all potential users. Consideration should be given to the direction of prevailing winds to reduce fly and odor nuisances. The privy pit should not encroach within two meters (six feet) of any building line or fence, in order to allow proper construction and maintenance.
  3. Pit, Sill, and Mound: A minimum pit capacity of 4.6 cubic meters (50 cubic feet) is recommended. The pit should be tightly sheathed for a meter or several feet below the earth surface, but openings in the sheathing are desirable below this depth. The sheathing should extend from 25-50 millimeters (1-2 inches) above the natural ground surface, to provide space between the sill and the upper portion of the sheathing, so that the floor and building will not rest on the sheathing. A reinforced concrete sill should be provided for support of the floor and superstructure. The sill should be placed on firm, undisturbed earth. An earth mound, at least equal in thickness to the concrete sill, should be constructed with a level area 46 millimeters (18 inches) away from the sill in all directions.
  4. Floor and Riser: Impervious materials, such as concrete, are believed to be most suitable for the floor and riser. Because privy units are commonly used as urinals, the use of impervious materials for risers is desirable in the interest of cleanliness. In cold climates, wood treated with a preservative, such as creosote, has been found to be durable and to reduce the problem of condensation. Therefore, in some sections of the country, wood may be used if approved by the Local or State Health Authority.
  5. Seat and Lid: Both seat and lid should be hinged to permit raising. Material used in construction should be light in weight, but durable. Seats should be comfortable. Lids shall be self-closing. Two (2) objections to self-closing seat lids are: Discomfort from the lid resting on the upper portion of the user’s back and contact of the oftentimes soiled or frost-covered bottom surface of the lid with the user’s clothing. A seat lid has been devised which overcomes these objections. This lid is raised to a vertical position by lifting it from the rear, so that the top surface of the lid is against the user, rather than the bottom surface that is normally exposed to the pit.
  6. Vent: Venting practices differ in many parts of the United States, because of differences in climatic conditions. In some States, particularly those in the South, vents have been omitted entirely and results from this practice appear to be satisfactory. Vents may pass vertically from either the pit or the riser, through the roof or directly through the wall near the floor. The vertical vent from pit or riser may lead to a horizontal vent passing through both walls or diagonally across a corner of the building. In all cases, vents are screened. Galvanized, steel-wire screens dipped in paint, copper screens, and bronze screens are used. Nearly all designs employ a screen with 6 (six) meshes to the centimeter (sixteen (16) meshes to the inch). Hardware cloth is used to cover the outside entrance to vents to prevent entrance of large objects that would clog the vent. It is stated by some authorities that venting serves no useful purpose and that vents should be eliminated from earth-pit privies. Satisfactory recommendations with respect to vents can be made only after certain technical problems have been solved. The most important of these is the moisture condensation problem due to the temperature difference between the pit and the superstructure. The use of a cold wall, to condense moisture within the pit, has been suggested. In view of the uncertain value of venting, no recommendations are offered.
  7. Superstructure: Privy structures are standardized to some extent. The majority are 1.2 meters by 1.2 meters (4 x 4 feet) in plan, with a height of 2 meters (6.5 feet) in front, and 1.8 meters (5.5 feet) at the rear. A roof with a 1-to-4 slope is commonly used. The building should be constructed of substantial material, painted for resistance to weather and fastened solidly to the floor slab. Proper roof overhang should be provided to dispatch rainwater from the roof away from the mound. The roof should be constructed of watertight materials, such as wood, composition shingles, or metal. Achieving ventilation of the building by omitting siding beneath the roof is common, except in cold climates, where the siding is usually perforated. Windows are sometimes used in the northern latitudes. Provision of coat hooks is desirable.
  8. Defects in Earth-Pit Privies: The following shall be considered defects in pit-toilet installations:
    1. Evidence of caving around the edges of the pit;
    2. Signs of overflow, or other evidence that the pit is full;
    3. Seat covers broken, open. or not self-closing;
    4. Broken, perforated, or unscreened vent pipe;
    5. Uncleanliness of any kind in the toilet building;
    6. Toilet room opening directly into milkhouse; and
    7. Evidence of light entering the pit, except through the seat when the seat cover is raised. 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Milk/ucm064274.htm

Letter Re: Observations of a Shopkeeper

Hugh,

This is very helpful information. Some of the comments made me think of something I learned from another person. In everyday life, we deal with three kinds of information. Level 1: Things that we know and are familiar with and do without giving it any thought, such as brushing our teeth. Level 2: Things that we do, but we suddenly realize we need help, so we ask for help or use a manual, such as when changing a part on a vehicle. Level 3: This is the one that will get you killed. Information that we don’t know, and we don’t know that we don’t know. In the post, the Shopkeeper referred to the people who had brand new AR-15’s that still had the factory grease in them. Apparently, these folks knew nothing about guns. They didn’t read the owner manuals that came with their guns. They had no “skills” in this area. They never thought to ask for help. As preppers, we need to practice alertness. My definition of alertness is: Being constantly aware of the things taking place around us. We need to recognize when “something is not right here” in every situation. We must practice evaluating the situation as time permits and then take the appropriate action. Sometimes that means we just stop and think. Other times it means back off to a safe distance and observe. Other times, ask for help from those around us with more experience. WE need to be constantly learning and increasing our knowledge base and our group’s knowledge base. These levels of information saved my life and the lives of my co-workers in an industrial incident that had never occurred before where I worked. Because I had learned these “levels”, I was able to move from Level 1 to Level 2 and then realize that I was in a Level 3 situation. We stopped what we were doing and investigated and discovered that we could not continue safely. We needed more resources and help to complete our task. Because of this, I am still alive to write this note. Thank you for this blog and all the info that you share. – MER

Economics and Investing:

Currency reform in Ancient Rome . – A.D.

An excellent read! One of the most remarkable things about Rome was that as her currency was debased, there were reformers that attempted to bring back the stability and glory to the Roman status. Every one of them was assassinated after a short reign, due to their unpopularity, either from the masses who no longer got “free stuff” or from the generals who were held back from war. It sounds hauntingly familiar to me. ~HJL

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Financial System Upside Down-Blame Game on Coming Crash-Bill Holter. – J.W.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

The Seven Year Cycle Of Economic Crashes That Everyone Is Talking About

Europe Crisis Is Resistant to Drug of Low Rates

Argentina Goes Full-Venezuela – Plans To Regulate Prices, Profits, & Production

53 Million Temps: All You Need To Know About The “Jobs Recovery”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Family security? The buck stops with you. – Avalanche Lily

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Well said! An Open Letter To My Friends In Law Enforcement . – P.H.

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Would Russia’s president really be willing to start World War III? . – D.S.

Note: A “free” registration is required to read this article. SurvivalBlog has no affiliation with Foreignpolicy.com. Sign up at your own risk.

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For Sale Soon: The World’s First Google Glass Detector. – T.P.

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Judge Sets Hearings for Illegal Alien Minors–4 Years From Now. – T.P.

If that is a speedy trial, I’d hate to see what dragging your feet will get you!

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 23: 39-43 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – September 06, 2014

Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,100+ 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 hardcase 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 1 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 Warehouseis providing 30 DMPS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448.95) 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  11. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  12. 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,
  13. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

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. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  10. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  11. RepackBoxis 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. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
  9. Montie Gearis donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack. (a $379 value).

Round 54 ends on September 30st, 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.

Musings of a Law Enforcement Paramedic – Part 5, by a LEO Medic

This is the conclusion of this five-part article, and this section contains information about gear selection, some tips and tricks that I learned along the way, as long as some links to some training videos.

Gear Selection

I am a huge believer in redundancy. Things break, get dropped, tear, and get lost. When your car is in the shop and you are driving the rental is when you will need the first aid kit you usually keep in the back. Murphy is alive and well.

On My Person

On my person, pretty much everywhere I go whether on duty or off duty, is a tourniquet, gloves, and QuikClot Gauze. This package fits into the thigh pocket of carpenter pants or the cargo pocket of pants or shorts. With these three things, you can stop extremity bleeds, junctional bleeds, have a pressure dressing, and can form an occlusive dressing. It’s kind of like a pocket knife or a spare mag, they weigh nothing, and you feel naked without them. I have an outer vest carrier at work, so I didn’t want to only have gear on my vest, since it is not always on. I wanted it with me. It is when you least expect it and are least prepared for something that it will happen.

Vest

On both my hard plate vest and my soft ballistic armor vest, I have more gloves, a second tourniquet, second QuikClot gauze, compressed gauze, an occlusive dressing, an NPA, trauma shears, a pressure dressing, and two needle decompression needles. Why two? Well, of the last three decompressions we did, two required a second needle, and we dropped the first sterile needle in the mud on the other. Two is one, and one is none. Notice that this is pretty much the contents of the TCCC-approved IFAK.

Patrol Backpack

I have a dedicated medical bag (carried when going to a medical call), and then I also have a patrol backpack (carried when I’m out on law enforcement patrol and away from my vehicle). There is the same IFAK (two separate ones) on the outside of each bag. Was it cheap? Nope. Is it worth it? Absolutely. I would hate to be on an ATV somewhere and need something back in my truck. I hope you are noticing the redundancy here.

In the patrol backpack, I include some abdominal pads, 4x4s, shears, a SAM splint, triangular bandage, and some coban and kerlex. I have a pack of OPA’s and NPA’s, a stethoscope, and an ambu bag. I also have a survival blanket to treat shock. If you are really concerned about space, a CPR mask would do for rescue breathing. For my friends and family (if I was making a personal first aid kit), no mask or a CPR mask would do. For strangers with questionable medical history, I stay far away from vomit, if I can. I also carry two 500 ml IV bags, with a start kit, 10 drop tubing, and an 18 and 20 gauge needle taped to each. I have an emergency drug pouch that comes out of my drug box, if I am leaving it. This has epinephrine, Zofran, Benadryl, a narcotic for pain, and a benzodiazepine, glucagon, and narcan, along with accompanying syringes. This can address most issues someone is going to have before I can get them to higher care. A personal version of this could include ibuprofen, some prescription pain medicine (Vicodin/percoset or the like), and an epi pen if anyone has allergies, or any other things you think you may need. Doctors are very weary of allergic reactions these days, so it is not hard to get a prescription for one. Notice that this is not what I carry when I am expecting a medical call. This is my bag for when I am on patrol, away from my vehicle, just for things that pop up, and an IFAK is on the outside.

Medical Bag

In my medical bag, I divide sections by use– airway, splinting, bleeding, C-spine and strapping, wound cleaning and eye wash. I have pouches for other items.

Airway supplies get one section of the bag (plus a separate box). In this section I include: King airways, OPA, NPA, intubation gear, oxygen masks, and an oxygen bottle.

Splinting gets another section, which contains: SAM’s, vacuum splints, kerlex, triangular bandages, ACE wraps, and tape.

Bleeding Control supplies are in another section, which contains: abdominal pads, a stack of 4x4s, pressure dressing, a tourniquet, more QuikClot, and lots of gauze.

C-spineand Strapping supplies get their own section.

Wound cleaningand eye wash is another.

Diagnostic tools ( Glucometer, BP Cuffs, and similar items) and Personal Protective Equipment/gear, along with hemostats, stapler, and tweezers also get a pouch.

A manual suction unit, IV supplies, and hot/cold supplies go into another pouch. So this pouch has not just the suction unit but also IV bags wrapped the same way, with the start kit, tubing, and catheters taped on. I also have saline locks and some flushes, along with some ice packs, heat packs, and a survival blanket. An IFAK is on the outside of this kit as well. I find this is easier to find what you need, and you have similar things handy when it is divided by use. This kit is my ”go to” one for 99% of calls I deal with.

A few companies make an IFAK that fits in a standard AR mag pouch. These are nice in the third mag slot on a plate carrier. Get creative with it, and plan for redundancy. I have seen a few people recently with ”emergency home defense” style vests, which are basically a soft ballistic panel only in the front of a molle vest, usually with a flashlight, mag pouch, and pistol in a holster. The idea is that it goes by the bed, and if you need it in the middle of the night, you throw it on and have everything needed at hand. I would advise all to add a small IFAK to it as well. If you have a rifle for those bumps in the night, I have also seen a magazine pouch on the butt stock used to hold an IFAK.

Tips

Here are a few tips and tricks learned the hard way:

  • In an austere environment, you don’t have the support, equipment, or time to get behind the eight ball in treatment of someone. Attack problems aggressively. If the patient deteriorates, chances of survival go down. Solve the problems when the person is at their healthiest, if that makes sense.
  • Learn to have an index of suspicion for things. With a chest wound, you are expecting a pneumo and infection, so you are alert for them. If someone is bleeding a lot, expect shock. If someone has diarrhea, expect dehydration. By having an idea of what to expect, you can catch things sooner.
  • In each divided area of my drug box where each separate drug goes, I have a laminated business card size paper with the indication and dose of each drug. Sometimes, your brain fades at the wrong time, and dosing mistakes can kill. Trust your memory but verify.
  • You wouldn’t dream of putting away a dirty gun and your tactical gear a mess. Don’t do it to your medical kit. Restock what you used from your supply closet as soon as you can. If you are out of something, pull it from a secondary kit and rotate it up. I carry three oxygen tanks in my vehicle at work. There have been too many times when you use up one and another call comes in before you can refill the first. You or a loved one will need it at the most inopportune time.
  • There are numerous stories coming back from overseas of engagements with inordinate numbers of preventable casualties dying. In almost all of these, the medics were killed at the onset of action or shortly thereafter. The surviving troops had the training and gear to provide lifesaving care to the wounded parties, but they did not have the right mindset and were unable to. They subconsciously relied on ”the medic” being there, so they didn’t take the training seriously and were not prepared.
  • As ”the medic”, you need to realize that the care you receive will be provided by the ones you are teaching. This is a huge incentive to teach well. I have forced EMT’s I work with to take lead on calls and stood by as their assistant to ensure they are getting practice and not relying on me. Even though it is outside of their scope of practice, I have taught them IV insertion and needle decompression. If I need a needle, I would hate to have my coworkers stand by with no clue. My wife has a notarized letter from me stating my consent for my squad mates to provide that care if needed. If you are the medical one, make your spouse diagnose the kids next time one is sick. Put them into that role now, when the stakes are low and they have you to support them. Murphy says the medic will be the one that takes the random bullet on TEOTWAWKI +1. One of the best gifts you can provide your family is the ability and skills to carry on without you.
  • Expose your patients. Cut off clothes. Modesty has a place. That place is not when someone is dying. You can’t treat something you didn’t find.
  • Two bullet wounds stick out in my mind for being very difficult to locate. The first was a 380 in the arm of an obese male. The arm and fat almost swallowed up the hole. The second was a .223 to the stomach. The entry wound was very difficult to find. Get used to touching your patients. The 223 stomach wound was found by raking fingers across the patient and feeling it. Practice low light or no light care; it will come in handy.
  • A nasal cannula with IV fluid hooked up makes a great eye wash station.
  • Don’t forget to stock a surgical kit or two…or three.
  • Purchase some sterile supplies (usually individually wrapped) and some that are not. For cleaning and field stuff, bulk dressings work. For final bandaging, use sterile dressings if you can. Likewise, get PPE gear, including face shields, masks, and sterile gloves. Regular medical gloves are not sterile. It is as much for the patient’s protection as yours. The last thing you need is to sneeze, cough, or drip sweat into an open wound.
  • Tachycardia of unknown origin is usually dehydration or shock. Pulse of 130 just seconds after a painful event is normal. Pulse of 130 fifteen minutes later is not normal.
  • Get used to performing a rapid trauma assessment. This skill is learned as an EMT, and the skill sheet can be found online (or YouTube it). This should take less than a minute and is done on all trauma patients. It is a head to toe exam for life threats. Feel the scalp and skull for bleeds and dents. Check the eyes, ears, nose, mouth. Feel the c-spine. Look at the neck veins. Check for tracheal tug. Listen to lungs, and feel the rib cage expand. Expose the chest and abdomen. Feel the abdomen. Check for pelvic stability. Check the long bones by putting pressure with one hand high pushing right and the other hand pushing left down low; this will let you know pretty quickly if a long bone is broken. Then, check the back! I have heard stories of people finding exit wounds and using them to locate entrance wounds from gunshots they missed. This should be a habitual process that is the same every time. At 0200, when you just woke up, in the dark, you want this to be second nature.
  • Buy in bulk. A small compound fracture would wipe out the majority of medical supplies most people have. Stock a deep pantry, much deeper than you think. Even a case of IV fluids is not going to last long. The parkland formula for burn victims (fluids given to burn victim in first 24 hours) says that a 75kg person with 20% burns gets 6 liters! That’s half a case! In one day! How many of you have six liters of IV fluid? For that compound fracture, it will take rolls of kerlex and the like to splint it. Vet supply shops often have excellent prices on medical supplies. A bandage past date is still good, too.
  • TEOTWAWKI will have no restock. Part of this is addressed with things like starting saline locks to save fluids if not needed. But you still need to store saline locks and catheters. You should be conservative with your supplies, absolutely, but have enough to treat prophylactically.. Have enough antibiotics to run a cycle without infection being present, if needed. Have a dose in each IFAK. In Patriots, Mary treated Rose with antibiotics after her gunshot with no infection present. Don’t get behind the eight ball. You can always barter any excess, or supply a local triad if the need arises.
  • If you have an oxygen tank, tie a spare wrench to it. Things break at bad times.
  • When doing operating room rotations and doing intubations in medic school, I was all excited for my first one. Instead, the Nurse Anesthetist had me manage the airway for a 30-minute surgery using an OPA and a bag valve mask. His point was that basics work to maintain an airway, so if for some reason you run into an airway problem, realize you can maintain it with the most basic skills.
  • On using a bag valve mask, bag SLOWLY! Once every six seconds is enough. Some bags have a tab that you pull out that blinks a light every six seconds. It is easy to get excited. Over-bagging blows off too much CO2, and constricts blood vessels to the brain, killing people. Remember the person is unconscious. Their oxygen requirement is very low.
  • In your medical preps, do not forget to plan for the ability to quarantine someone. Have disposable bed sheets, et cetera. Do not overlook this. Also, buy some good medical wound cleaning soap, like Hibiclens.
  • I often see people comment that ”as long as what you are putting on the wound is cleaner than the cut, it’s okay. ” I understand the principle, but I disagree with the approach. Do not plan on being sub-par from the start. If it is all you have, I understand, but plan better. The more you can stack the odds in the patient’s favor, the better.
  • Wash your hands. Do not underestimate basic cleanliness. Clean wounds thoroughly. I am aware that they do not meet the current medical requirement, but learn to use your pressure cooker as an autoclave. As stated above, have enough to throw everything away in a quarantine situation, but plan on being conservative and reuse what you can, when you can, if you can.
  • If someone has a radial pulse, their systolic blood pressure is at least 90 and their brain should be perfused. If they have a radial pulse and an altered mental status, think about other things, like hypoglycemia or a head injury.
  • Learn to have a differential diagnosis, even for trauma patients.
  • I keep a small minor first aid kit in my patrol vehicle as well. No use pulling out a huge bag when a fanny pack size one can handle it.
  • Make copies of certifications you obtain, and keep them in your bug out gear. People will try to pass themselves off as lots of stuff. If you present yourself as a RN, have your cert with you.
  • Identify and treat immediate life threats first: Solve problems with airway, breathing, and circulation, including blood supply. Don’t get caught up treating minor injuries simply because they look bad.
  • If you are working a chainsaw or axe, consider keeping a tourniquet close by. These lessons don’t just apply to gunshots.
  • Make your own kit. Know what each item does. Rather than buy pre-made overpriced kits, buy in bulk and make your kits from these supplies. You will have more to restock then. As stated before, shop around. Ebay and vet supply stores can be very inexpensive.
  • Know your kit well enough so you can describe to someone where the specific item you need is. That’s why I started taping everything needed for an IV together. It was easier to ask for the bundle then explain the start kit, tubing, et cetera if someone new happened to be helping. Likewise, learn your partner’s gear.
  • If your partner gets shot, use their IFAK to treat them. Keep yours on you as long as you can. If you get split up later and you get shot, you want to be able to self-treat!
  • If new to medicine, first plan on supplies and care for yourself and immediate family. Then plan for guests and extended family. If you have space, time, money, et cetera, plan on supporting a militia longer term, if needed. The items are not different, just the amounts!
  • I’d recommend setting up your squad for patrol with an IFAK for everyone, and one or two carrying more extensive medical supplies. (It works for the military, and it works for us.)
  • Learn all you can about supportive care. It will return as a major treatment method. Learn about herbal remedies. Start your herb garden now. A remedy book with no garden is not much use. Oftentimes, the herbal remedy is what the pharmaceutical is synthesized from.
  • Embrace team care. If you are caring for someone, practice on having a partner take vital signs, prep IV bags, or draw up medicines. When the need truly arises, it will save precious seconds. A paramedic is only worth as much as his EMT partner.
  • I’d rather have someone with knowledge and no gear over gear with no knowledge. However, since it’s not TEOTWAWKI yet, you don’t have to choose either or. There is no excuse to not have both.

Resource videos to get you started:

QuikClot

CAT, chest seal, and needle decompression

SWAT-T tourniquet

Israeli Dressing

These are all manufacturer videos. YouTube is also a great source for training and review videos.

I hope some of this is useful to some of you. Trauma happens to everyone, both in the present and an apocalyptic future. Get the training now when mistakes are not life and death. Then pass them on!

God Bless! – a LEO medic

Letter Re: Fears for the Future

Hiya Hugh!

The letter addressing the changes in people in recent years highlights what has just recently happened in my family. For the last four years, I have been the “Chicken Little” prepper in my family, sounding the alarm, trying to show the warning signs of the impending crash hurtling our way. My family is a conservative family, but they were still asleep when it came to the reality of just how bad things will be for the unprepared. I remember a debate I had with my dad, where he said that if it all went down and people were coming for his food, et cetera, he would just let them kill him; he would offer no resistance. I have to chock that attitude up to his ethnic background of Mennonite pacifists.

Well, after years of saying my piece, I decided that I would just shut up, and if they ever decided to become preppers, they knew where I was. Then about a month ago, my mom told me she was coming up my way and asked me if I would show her how to store dry goods in mylar bags. Yes! Then just this holiday weekend, she started telling me their plans for having a BOL on the back end of their property with stored water and food. I asked her why they were coming around to prepping, and she said my dad read an article in the local paper about what would happen to us if a CME or EMP fried everything. She also said that everyone and their dog was now selling LTS foods and survival gear. Why? Because people see something bad coming and supply is trying to meet demand for survival supplies.

So, to encourage everyone out there who has felt like your warnings are falling on deaf ears, they are not. You just have to be patient and let them figure it out. You will then have friends and family coming to you for advice on how to be prepared. I have been compiling a quick shopping list to give to friends and family that will supply them with three months to one year worth of food in one trip. I would suggest that everyone else have a quick list to give to others as well. Who knows, when they come around, there might still be time for them to put something together. – R.K.

Economics and Investing:

From our friends at Mac Slavo’s blog: Economist: “This is Far From Over… They Know There Is a Problem Coming”. – J.W.

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Here’s Why the Market Could Crash–Not in Two Years, But Now. – J.W.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Fast-Food Protests: Dozens of Workers Arrested in Strike for Higher Pay

Abenomics Approaches a Moment of Reckoning

Draghi Sees Almost $1 Trillion Stimulus as QE Fight Waits– Article lamenting the fact that inflation isn’t high enough in Europe.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Why Is Independence So Frightening To Some People?. – H.L.

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It’s Official: Public Opinion Of Congress Sinks Below That Of A Used-Car Salesman. – P.L.

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One in Three U.S. Workers Is a Freelancer . – G.G.

“Freelancer” is anyone who is employed on a contingency basis, such as temps, contractors, or part-timers. It’s further proof of the dire straits of our economy.

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Milwaukee Resident Shoots and Kills Gang Member. – J.W.

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When can you legally use a gun against an unarmed person?. – T.P.