Scot’s Product Review: InstaFire

Fire is kind of a big deal. It keeps us warm, cooks our food, and can signal for help. It’s comforting to sit around one. Being able to have a fire quickly is a very nice thing. InstaFire FireStarter lives up to its name, though you do actually have to go to the bother of striking a match to light it. That’s really not too much to ask for, though, considering the benefit. Yes, there are a lot of things you can set on fire with a match, but unlike a piece of wadded up newspaper, this stuff burns hot and long, so you have plenty of time to get a proper fire going. In fact, it burns hot and long enough that it might be all the fuel you need for heating a quick meal or making a warm drink.

So what is this stuff? It looks like some sort of greenish crumbles you might put in a fish tank along with some brownish pellets that could be gerbil food. They mention on the website that the green stuff is what you light. The company’s website says that “InstaFire is a patented blend of volcanic rock, wood pellets, and paraffin wax. This patented formula is what makes InstaFire water resistant for use in even the most severe weather, such as rain, snow, or high winds.” That’s a bit more informative than my visual assessment.

We do not have snow very often where I live, and I tested it in July, so I can’t say anything about the snow part of their claims. I did, however, check it on windy days. As long as I could keep the match lit long enough to get it to the pile of InstaFire, I could light the InstaFire. Common sense prevails, though, and you do need to give it a bit of shelter for it to burn properly.

The rain part also holds true. If you can get the match to light and get it to the InstaFire while the match is burning, you can light the InstaFire as long as you keep it reasonably dry. The pouches it comes in does an admirable job of that. I tried soaking some loose stuff in a bowl for about 15 minutes and found it was hard to light, but I did manage to get a few bits going even while it was floating on water. You can perform the fun trick of lighting some dry InstaFire, though, and then putting it on water, and it will keep burning while floating. I was able to get the stuff I soaked to burn after letting it dry for about six hours. It didn’t burn as well as fresh from the pouch as it was still damp, but it burned, which I thought was pretty amazing. Try that with a wad of newspaper.

InstaFire comes in two forms– buckets of loose material and in convenient pouches. You can actually set the pouches on fire and not even bother opening it. You usually don’t need the whole pouch, however, so I haven’t torched the whole thing very often. I did use a full pouch to start a wet pile of brush cuttings that a pile of shredded paper wouldn’t phase. Now I have a nice, cleared, level spot of ashes where the offending pile of debris once stood. Scorched Earth can be good.

I’ve been using InstaFire for over a year. I got some to see if it was worth having around, and I decided that it is. I find it particularly handy for starting fires in a fireplace, as well as on campouts with the Scouts. I recently found a half used pouch that had been sitting open for close to a year after a campout. It had been stored inside in air conditioned space and only loosely closed. It worked just fine.

Just as a refresher on fires, we need basically four things to get one going. First, you need a fire starter, which is basically a source of heat that is hot enough to ignite tinder. It could be a match or something that makes sparks, like a fire steel or perhaps something that generates enough friction to get a flame. Tinder is what you light with your fire starter. Tinder can be things like a tuft of cotton, some dryer lint, or wood shavings from a dry stick. Some of my friends swear by cotton balls with some petroleum jelly smeared into them. There are tons of commercial tinder products. Next, you need kindling, which is small stuff like dry sticks the size of a pencil. Finally, we come to fuel, which includes things like logs or coal that can burn for a long time and produce a lot of heat.

InstaFire can serve as tinder, kindling, and fuel, which is downright splendid. While it started easily with a match, I wanted to see how it would do with other means of fire starters. The very patient person who taught me how to start fires (I was not an apt student) felt you really have to be able to get a fire going without matches by using something that makes a spark. When I tried my fire steel I was not able to get the pile of InstaFire going. I can almost always get a tuft of cotton going with one or two strikes on my fire steel, using the back of my knife blade rather than the little piece of steel that comes with the fire starter. It works better that way. I spread the cotton out so I don’t have to be as accurate with the sparks. I checked, and as suspected, burning cotton does a great job of getting InstaFire going.

The InstaFire folks, however, don’t suggest this method of igniting it but do mention using magnesium fire starters. These are a block of magnesium with a flint embedded on one side. You shave some magnesium off of the block into a small pile and then strike the flint with your knife. The magnesium then makes a hot, though, short-lived fire. I decided to dig mine out and give it a whirl. I felt silly when I could not get a spark to hit the pile of magnesium (not an apt student, remember), but one spark did hit the adjacent pile of InstaFire, which started right up and then lit the magnesium. The flint on this starter clearly made bigger sparks than the one on my fire steel, so this proves that you can start InstaFire with a spark, but you need a pretty good sized one– bigger than you need for a bit of cotton or drier lint. It’s possible though, so InstaFire is officially tinder in my book.

InstaFire is also fantastic kindling. Kindling is the small stuff that you can build the fire you created from tinder into a real fire using fuel in the form of bigger pieces of wood. You normally gather a bunch of small, dry sticks to use as kindling, but with InstaFire, you can greatly reduce the need for this stuff and save the time spent gathering it. I would still gather some kindling to reduce the amount of InstaFire needed, as I hate to waste something as useful as InstaFire, but if you have nicely split, dry, high quality firewood, you can probably get by just fine without additional kindling. Since dry kindling is rare in these parts, it is wonderful to not need as much.

Part of the job of kindling is to dry the fuel wood and heat it enough to burn. They show InstaFire starting wet wood in their videos, but I like insurance and having some dry sticks to add to the InstaFire can provide it.

Okay, suppose you don’t need a real fire but just want something to heat a small meal or hot drink? Well, not only is InstaFire fantastic kindling, it is also a great fuel. A pouch will burn for 15 minutes or so, and InstaFire says it burns at around 1,000 degrees, which is plenty hot enough to cook on. The stuff isn’t heavy; each pouch is about two ounces, so it isn’t hard to carry. A solo hiker on a two or three day trip could probably carry what they need in their pack. Ten or so pouches of the stuff would be less than a pound and a half and make a bundle about 7”x5”x4”. If you are in an area with dry branches and twigs to gather, you could easily extend that without much effort.

Another nice feature of InstaFire is that it burns without smoke. You could very easily heat food during the day without anyone knowing you were around.

I really like the fact that InstaFire does not flare up. They compare it to lighting a candle, and that’s a pretty good analogy. I’ve had to jump back from lighter fluid, which isn’t much fun. InstaFire feels a lot safer.

InstaFire also sells CharcoalStarter, which comes in the same sort of pouch as InstaFire. It looks like about the same stuff to me, but the website says that it has “apple wood/alder wood pellets that give a slight apple wood scent when burnt”, while the InstaFire contains “Pine, Aspen, and Fir wood pellets that make a lovely pine scent much like a camp fire…” According to InstaFire, they use the different pellets so the fire will have an appropriate smell for the purpose of the fire. I do like the idea, but personally, I see no reason not to use the regular stuff, if that’s all you have to start a charcoal fire. I would also use the charcoal stuff to start a regular fire if necessary. Either way, I would enjoy the fragrance and the fire.

I tried the CharcoalStarter they sent for the review, and it worked as promised. I think you could get by with less than a whole pouch for a small hibachi-style grill. Using a chimney appears more efficient than letting it start in the grill, but I didn’t’ have one. I greatly prefer this stuff to the common lighter fluid for charcoal. InstaFire says there are no harmful chemicals in it, so it isn’t going to add a bad flavor to food if you start cooking too soon. As mentioned above, it doesn’t flare up, so your eyebrows and beard are quite safe, thank you very much. I think it actually does a better job at starting the coals, too. How often have you had to give a few extra squirts of lighter fluid to get your charcoal going? It’s not a problem with InstaFire, though not as exciting. I didn’t do a cost analysis, but I do fear it is slightly more expensive. I certainly prefer carrying it around. Having a quart of lighter fluid leak in the car is not much fun. If a pouch of InstaFire were to pop open, it won’t stink or poison the air in the car and can easily be vacuumed out. Just don’t light it.

InstaFire also sells five gallon buckets of the stuff labeled Emergency Fuel. It is the same product as the fire starter, simply packaged in a more economical manner.

InstaFire estimates the shelf life is 30 years. I bet if it was vacuum packed, it would last forever, but I have no way to prove that.

InstaFire is an American company based in Utah and founded by Konel Banner and Fred Weston. Both of them are outdoorsmen. Banner saw the aftermath of both the Teton Dam flood and Hurricane Katrina, while Weston served as a firefighter. They are familiar with dealing with problematic situations. Their company motto is “Safe. Simple. Versatile.” I think their products live up to it and have earned a place in my household. You can certainly argue that you should be able to get by without something like InstaFire, but you can’t deny that having some could sure make life easier in a crunch.

The pouches of Instafire FireStarter and CharcoalStarter average a bit more than a buck each, but buying them in larger quantities drives that down slightly. A single pouch can cook food or start several fires. The two gallon buckets are a bit more than $30, while the four gallon ones are a bit under $60. The Emergency Fuel five-gallon bucket is about $66.00. They have an Instafire page with all of the products listed.

As an aside, something that I’ve been meaning to try for a long time, and testing InstaFire got me motivated to do it, is the so-called Dakota Fire hole. This is a clever way of building a fire for cooking that is very efficient. I was frustrated, though, that I wasn’t able to figure out why it is called a Dakota Fire Hole. Perhaps a reader can enlighten me!

Anyway, the idea is to dig a hole about 18” square and at least as deep. You can vary the size of the fire hole, if you need a larger or smaller fire. Dig another hole, which can be smaller and shallower, next to it. Then dig a tunnel between the two about the diameter of your fist. The fire is in the first hole and the second hole serves to provide air to the fire. This functions much like the rocket stoves that have gotten really popular in the last few years.

You build your fire by getting some tinder going, then layering in some kindling, and finally adding some fuel. You can use some green branches to build a grate over the fire to rest a pot or cup on. You can feed fuel in from the top or through the tunnel. I’ve seen people do both. When you need to add air to the fire, you can blow through the tunnel, though it isn’t as easy as using a rocket stove.

I found that about a half pouch of InstaFire worked beautifully at starting a fire in the hole my son and I dug. We probably could have used less InstaFire. We added dry sticks and then a fuel log about three inches in diameter and had a very nice fire going that lasted for about an hour. It would have done a nice job of cooking a meal.

There is a great feature to this sort of fire. It is below ground, so it is hard to see. There is a glow after dark but nothing like you get from a regular fire. You could shield it far more easily than you could a regular fire. As with any fire, it may smoke depending on fuel quality. Wet stuff will smoke, but dry stuff will burn pretty cleanly. I think the fire can burn a bit hotter in this system than in a regular one, but I have no real way to prove it. The higher temperature helps cut down on the smoke.

As in all of life, though, there is a drawback to match the advantage. The heat goes up and can’t radiate from the fire because the fire is underground. That means it isn’t much for warmth or conviviality. I wondered, though, if a heat proof tarp spread above the fire could catch some of the heat and reflect it back. One of the foil survival style blankets come to mind for this purpose. I’m going to try it this winter. It would, however, also catch some of the glow from the fire, which would make it more visible. Nothing is free, sigh. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor, Scot Frank Erie

Recipe of the Week: Italian Bean Soup, by L.H.

This is a favorite soup of ours. It’s hearty, healthy, and perfect for a cold winter’s day. It is also a wonderful way to slip some healthy spinach into the diets of those in your family who think they don’t like it; they’ll never taste that it’s there.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans (14.5 oz. ea.) cannellini beans (or any white beans), rinsed and drained
  • 1 tbs. olive oil
  • ½ – 1 c. cooked, diced ham
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 c. thinly-shredded cabbage
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
  • 3 cans (14.5 oz. ea.) chicken broth
  • 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch half-rounds
  • 2 c. fresh spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • ½ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Place one can of the beans on a plate and mash with a fork to a mush; set aside. In soup pot heat oil and sauté ham, celery, carrots, onion, and cabbage over medium heat till crisp-tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, zucchini, spinach, basil, pepper, and the mashed beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in remaining can of beans and heat another 5 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: Calcium Hypochlorite Reminders

Hugh,

A reminder that Calcium Hypochlorite WILL corrode metal stored anywhere nearby. Also, many articles appear stating that you can siphon gas from your gas tank. ALL late model cars and 1/2 ton trucks and vans have a restriction in the filler neck that is designed to prevent leaking gas in the event of a rollover. Siphon hoses will not work in this application. They will work in 3/4 trucks and up, because they fall into different federal class regulations. -F.M.

Economics and Investing:

New definition of retirement = work until you die: Half of Americans have little to no savings for what will likely be a long and drawn out retirement.

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Bitcoin Phishing Click Rate Higher than for Regular Scams. – JBG

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Beware the Return of Debtor’s Prison

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DOJ Allows Bank of America to Deduct $12 Billion of $17 Billion Settlement. – PLC

Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Is Portugal Next In Line For Wealth Confiscation?

Odds ‘n Sods:

From Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large: Stupid Hot prvi Ammo

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Churches warned: ‘Tidal wave of gay theology’ looming – J.W.

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Want Milk or Toilet Paper? The Venezuelan Government Wants Your Fingerprints. – T.P.

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An amazing display of an individual soldier’s kit through the ages: Military kit through the ages: from the Battle of Hastings to Helmand – T.P.

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Drought Leaves 100s Of Central CA Homes With No Tap Water. – G.L.

Notes for Sunday – August 24, 2014

On August 24th, 410, Rome was overrun by the Visigoths, an event that symbolized the fall of the Western Roman Empire. This is a moment in history that we would do well to remember. An empire that ruled the world was corrupted from the inside to the point that they could not defend themselves from a much weaker enemy. This could conceivably be the beginning of the dark, middle ages.

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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.

The Skills of Spotting, Scrounging, and Scavenging

The best prepping will only take you so far. Just like when folks go on a vacation, things are forgotten, not anticipated, or broken. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, having a plan and stocking is great, but there needs to more after that, as well. Think about:

  • What if you’re mugged or carjacked for your BOB and equipment?
  • What if you’re away from home when it hits the fan?
  • Although you thought you had everything, what things escaped your prep lists?
  • Your last spare broke, now what?

A TEOTWAWKI situation will likely last years, if not decades or longer. Your thoughts and planning need to eventually move from prepping to how to survive once those preps are exhausted. I’m also assuming that there will be a huge loss of life in a TEOTWAWKI situation. Possibly, depending on the circumstances, there may be a lot of material goods that have survived. This article starts to address how you might be able to put them to use.

Spotting, scavenging, and scrounging are skills that will not only help you after TEOTWAWKI happens but are helpful and beneficial to you today as well. There are several different ways you can practice spotting, scrounging, and scavenging today. Let’s look at each one in turn.

Spotting

Spotting is an important skill for survival. After all, what you don’t see, you can’t defend against. Noticing your surroundings and the objects and creatures within them is very important and often not stressed enough. Spotting is really the prerequisite skill for scrounging and scavenging.

The best way to spot or search is starting off with a general scan. Look for the big, obvious things first. Then do a secondary, more specific scan, looking for smaller, less obvious things. Don’t be afraid to move objects and look underneath or behind things. Also, don’t forget to look both high and low.

One excellent way to practice spotting is to look for birds and other animals on walks or hikes. I also like looking for beach glass. Beach glass is bottles and other glass that were thrown into a lake or ocean decades ago. Sand has polished them to a gem-like finish. This takes a little bit of practice, but once you get into the groove, you’ll be surprised at how much you find.

Scavenging

Scavenging is searching through things for items that are useful or helpful. Some preppers love to buy new and expensive things. I don’t follow that school of thought. Of course, I buy new when I need new, but I love to find good deals– very reasonably priced treasures. I shop a lot of second hand stores, thrift stores, Craigslist, and rummage sales for some survival goods. Some of the list of my finds include: two compound bows for $7, a $3 rifle case, a $7 pistol shoulder holster, and much more! These places are also great for low cost supplies like blankets, sleeping bags, and camping equipment.

The same pattern for spotting is useful in scavenging. You can practice by going through coin rolls looking for silver coins. I also play a game with myself at rummage sales or flea markets. I try to find something decent that’s hidden or out of the way. Even if I don’t buy it, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I found a diamond in the rough among so much other garbage.

Scrounging

Scrounging to me is basically urban foraging. It is finding good stuff that other people don’t want. Scrounging is not looting. Scrounging isn’t taking away anything wanted or anyone’s property. By scrounging, you’re just more creative and inventive about using the resources around you than other folks are. Before scrounging, it’s best to look into your local laws and ordinances first. In my town, it’s illegal to take anything left out for recycling. Finding out trespassing ordinances for vacant lots or whatever may be relevant as well. I also suggest safety precautions, like gloves, while scrounging.

The following are a couple of concrete examples of how I’m practicing and honing these skills today. I live in a larger Midwestern city. I have a tendency to walk down alleys scavenging as I go, instead of sticking to the sidewalks. I’ve already found three bicycles in the garbage– one perfectly functional and the other two only needing minor repairs. After checking to make sure they’re not missing or stolen, I fixed them up and kept them or else sold them. This also helped me improve my fix-it, bargaining, and haggling skills.

Recently, I saw a full moving van throwing boxes next to the garbage. I asked them what was going on and they explained that there was some sort of snafu, and the resident wasn’t able to move in, nor was she able to afford to pay to move her possessions back. The moving folks told me that she just told them to trash it. I sorted through the boxes and came up with some good stuff including: about $5 in pocket change, three decorative swords, a knife, jewelry, watches, and kitchen goods. Once again, this helped me practice searching and haggling when I sold off some of the stuff. Situations like this happen with less frequency, but they still happen a lot.

Recycle and reuse. After disaster strikes, there’s going to be a lot of changes and circumstances will be different. This will involve a lot of “out of the box” thinking. I remember touring a vineyard with an old barn. The tour guide pointed out old repairs where the patches were metal cans and old license plates. This sort of situation will happen a lot more when folks can’t just wander down to Home Depot to pick up a patching kit. Scrounging allows us to find the raw materials for these repairs and creations.

I also pick up scrap metal. My mother remembers in her childhood, the ragman and the tinkerer, who did pretty much the same thing. In my city, many folks leave metal out to be taken or it’s too large to fit into garbage cans. It’s a simple matter of me picking up metal and carrying it home, or else coming back with the car to take larger objects. Without a lot of effort, I usually haul in about 200 pounds a week. I’ve picked up broken folding chairs, old metal swings, mop handles, scales, shower rods, abandoned bumpers, and a lot more. I’ve also found a few things that I’ve kept myself. Everything else I take to a scrap yard and get about $0.10 a pound for it. Stainless steel and aluminum also bring in higher prices. It’s not a lot of money, but after I put in my emptied canned goods, pickle lids, and miscellaneous household metal, it adds up. The money that I make from recycling this metal goes towards either my next survival purchase or more junk silver. In a post-TEOTWAWKI scenario, these types of found metal could be used to create or reinforce structures, or as raw materials for repairs, creations, or modifications.

I also collect aluminum cans. I get paid about $0.50 a pound for these. Once again, I’d rather pad my wallet with that cash, rather than just giving it to the city. Spotting empties is pretty easy and helps me work that skill. Sometimes it’s pretty hard to tell a crushed can from an empty cigarette pack at 50-75 feet. Besides, if I’m walking the dog and I have a bag of dog crap in my hand, how awful is it to have a bag of empty cans in the other? Plus, I’m cleaning up my neighborhood, which makes me and my neighbors feel better. In a post-TEOTWAWKI scenario, these cans could easily be rigged up into an easy noise-making trap, reflective signaling mirrors, or smaller containers for organizing or watering.

There are lots of resources in the environment that can be considered and possibly used. For TEOTWAWKI prep, make a list of possible resources needed and places nearby that could be scrounged. For example, fresh water is a needed resource that could be scrounged. It doesn’t matter how much water you have stockpiled or if you have an independent source identified, something could happen causing you to need a backup source. I’ve considered that if I’m unable to leave the city, I’ll need to find more water at some point. On my list, I have two different creeks and two ponds close by that could provide me with water that I could boil or purify. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than dying of thirst. Depending on the nature of the TEOTWAWKI, your resource list will have to be modified. In the case of radioactive fallout, I would need to look elsewhere for by backup water needs. I have made resource lists for both being forced to stay in place as well as for the BOL. Overall, be aware of your environment, the things inside of it, and how they can help you. Look around for resources and be imaginative with what you have and what you find. After all, you never know when these skills you’re building now will reward you or save your life later on!

Letter Re: Barter Coins

Dear Mr. Latimer, I am trying to build a barter collection of coins. I would like to know if the coins need to be all pre-1965, and if so, do they need to be “new” coins or can old coins that have a readable date on them be used? I bought a set of 2014 1oz Silver American Eagle coins. I think they are supposed to have the same silver content as the pre-1965 coins. Are these okay or should I get rid of them? I also (about 15-20 years ago) bought commemorative bars and round Christmas, Easter, and other celebration items. Are any of these any good? Thank You for any help you can give me. I am trying to do what I can to prepare us, even though I have a dis-interested husband. Sincerely, D.H.

JWR Replies: Your silver American Eagles, rounds and various silver bars are almost certainly .999 fine silver and were made in 1 Troy ounce increments (only rarely 1/2 ounce.) Those are too soft to use as circulating coinage. (They wear too quickly.)

Pre-1965 dimes, quarters, and halves are 90% silver and have a hardener added, in order to hold up to the rigors of circulation. They are also made in odd fractional weights. For example, a silver quarter weighs 6.25 grams.

For details on U.S. silver coin specifications, see: http://www.coinflation.com/silver_coin_values.html .

Print those specifications out for your barter reference binder. Everything that you have thusfar is fine for barter, including “worn” coins. However, my preference for barter is pre-1965 silver quarters, since they are so widely recognized and trusted.

HJL Adds: I also like dimes for barter. If you are bartering silver coins for goods, for smaller items you don’t want to be limited by the inability to “make change”. For example, if the item you want costs two silver dimes and all you have is a silver quarter, the new price will be a silver quarter. Quarters are certainly the most recognized, and the bulk of your junk silver should probably consist of quarters, but larger and smaller denominations can help the barter process along.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Map: Where Is ‘Open Carry’ Legal? – A.W.

As usual, the American Redoubt shines.

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“Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?” (Part 3 of the movie trilogy)  is scheduled for release on September 12, 2014. (That’s just three weeks away.) Check out the trailer.  The inclusion of a Ron Paul clip and the Lockheed Electra in the trailer both nailed it for me as a “must watch” movie.  (How could I miss seeing how they depict Galt’s Gulch, which is presumably deep in The American Redoubt?)  And BTW, I will also be pre-ordering the movie DVD, as soon as it becomes available. – JWR

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Harvard Professor Warns, CCD is Only the First Alarm Bell from Bees – H.L.

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An interesting series of blog posts from a guy who took the challenge to spend a month eating only what he could grow. Is It Really That Easy to Live Off of Your Garden?

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Backyard Bees, Chickens, and Fruit Trees. How to start Urban Farming.. – D.S.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” – Matthew 26:74-75 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – August 23, 2014

August 23rd is the anniversary of the declaration of the independent state of “Franklin” in Eastern Tennessee by the settlers there in 1784. Unfortunately, the Continental Congress rejected it, so the state of Franklin never became a reality.

Today, in 1833, Britain abolished slavery in the colonies and 700,000 slaves were freed. I can’t help but wonder had Abraham Lincoln allowed the political process to run its course, as it did in England, and slavery was abolished by the will of the people, as it would have been, rather than executive order, would we have the racial tensions we have today?

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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.

How To Survive Without Your Glasses, by J.E.

“Ralph made a step forward and Jack smacked Piggy’s head. Piggy’s glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror: ‘My specs! One side’s broken.” – William Golding, Lord of the Flies, Chapter 4

In the classic dystopian novel “Lord of the Flies,” one of the main characters, Piggy, is virtually incapacitated when his spectacles are broken and stolen by the other boys stranded on the island. For those of us who wear glasses, Piggy’s plight is one that strikes close to home. If you are a glasses-wearer, you have no doubt included optometric equipment in your emergency inventory. Many of you may recall previous articles on SurvivalBlog that have addressed this issue at length, encouraging all wearers to look into Lasik and stockpile extra prescription glasses, contacts, and contact solution. These are excellent, practical strategies that we should all consider while optometric health care abounds around us.

However, the true worst-case-scenario would be a situation where, for whatever reason, you find yourself devoid of all the above preparations. If disaster were to strike this instant, how many of us have proactively invested in Lasik or some alternative, such as gentle cornea molding? And even if we have stockpiled plenty of optical supplies, there may come a fateful day when our supplies are used up, lost, stolen, or separated from us.

This article addresses the true worst case scenario for glasses-wearers: finding yourself in a blurry apocalypse with no optometrists for another hundred years. In the following pages, I will lay out a survival plan that goes beyond stockpiling and instead focuses on adaptation and coping strategies in case these preparations fail.

To provide my personal background, I am nearsighted/myopic/have-trouble-seeing-objects-at-a-distance person. Without disclosing my actual prescription, I cannot see the numbers on the standard-size wall clock a few feet away from my desk without my glasses. The information below mostly applies to people who share my particular vision difficulty of nearsightedness. However, those who are farsighted, or have other vision conditions, will be able to adapt the strategies below to their own personal situation. Even if you are not a glasses-wearer, there is likely someone in your group or family who can benefit from this information.

Preparing for a Glasses-Bereft World

In this first section of this article, I will outline the three things I do right now to prepare for an optical worst-case-scenario. In the second half, I will explore the four methods I would rely on to regain my vision in a glasses-bereft world.

To begin, here are three things you can start doing today to prepare:

1. Practice Without Your Glasses

First, practice daily activities without your glasses on. This has a two-fold purpose. At once, it will condition you to learn to rely on vague shapes and colors instead of clear outlines. Secondly, this is a confidence building exercise. After you’ve successfully completed a task without your glasses, you will begin to see that you can and will cope with your natural vision. For me, personally, there have been times when I don’t remember what life looks like without glasses. My glasses are the first things I put on in the morning, and I don’t take them off until after dark, so it is very possible for me to forget what the world looks like without glasses. It is precisely this forgetfulness that I attempt to combat. I want to be comfortable without my glasses now, so that I can be confident if lose them in the future.

Some other suggested activities include cooking meals, cleaning the house and garage (a great exercise in trying to find small or misplaced objects without glasses), doing light work, taking walks, running, and working out. I work at a large company, and one activity I practice regularly is walking around my office building without my glasses, trying to see how quickly I can recognize people just from their dress, walk, height, and overall vibe, even though I can’t make out their faces until the last minute.

Please note that I would strongly discouraged practicing any dangerous tasks without glasses. It is not advised that you attempt driving, shooting, or operating any heavy machinery without your glasses.

2. Learn About Blindness

Secondly, for those who are serious about overcoming any dependency on their glasses, I would advise taking things one step further– practice being blind, either by closing your eyes or blindfolding yourself for a period of time. This exercise will help you to appreciate the limited vision that you do have and also help you learn to rely on your other senses for support. Studies show that blindness increases your brain’s attention to the other senses, and you can begin to cultivate that awareness to sound, smell, and touch. For this exercise, it’s important to start small. Begin by trying to walk around your own house with your eyes shut or covered. Then try to do simple tasks. Work your way up.

I would also advise studying how other people have dealt with vision impairment. Read a biography of Stevie Wonder or Louis Braille. Talk to friends and relatives you may know who are blind or vision impaired. You will be amazed and inspired by how these people have survived, and what they have been able to achieve.

Right now, before the good times are over, develop and embrace the appropriate psychology about your vision enhancements. For those of us who wear glasses, it can feel like glasses are everything! However, take some time to remind yourself of these truths: You CAN survive without your glasses. Many animals have poor vision but are wary through their other senses. You may need to become that kind of animal, and you can. Recall stories of people who have overcome physical limitations, injuries, and setbacks, and know that you share the same indomitable human spirit. Resolve that you will not let the absence of glasses hold you back.

For those who enjoy or benefit from reading post-apocalyptic fiction, I would strongly recommend that you read Blindness by José Saramago. This novel explores a world ravaged by an inexplicable epidemic of vision loss, and it provides a raw account of the collapse of society through the eyes of the last person with eyesight. This book pulls no punches in wallowing in the filth of the human condition and the misery surrounding an epidemic, but it also accurately details the struggles blind survivors would face as they attempt to find food, build a semblance of structure, and even engage in vicious fighting.

As an interesting literary device, the book is written without quotation marks. Initially disorienting to the reader, this lack of syntactic clues quickly mirrors the confusion felt by those who cannot see who is speaking or acting.

3. Master Vision-Independent Defense

Third, practice some form of in-your-face close quarters combat. If the apocalypse finds you without your glasses, let’s face it, you may not be the world’s future long distance marksman. However, being visually impaired does not mean that you are defenseless. For you, any combat you engage in is going to have to be up close and personal. You will need to learn how to steal close to your opponent, how to choose a battleground where natural cover or darkness eliminates everyone’s ability to see a threat far off. You will need to learn how to stay very still to wait for your enemy or prey to come close, within your field of vision, for you to ambush them.

Regarding actual techniques, it doesn’t take good eyesight to be effective at grappling, wrestling, and ground fighting. Because these forms of combat are so tactile focused and indifferent to your one weak sense, you should work on mastering them. If you’re close enough to throw an elbow, the fact that you don’t have your glasses won’t matter. Remember, rattlesnakes have pathetic eyesight, but this is of no comfort to their victims.

I participate in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Before I started wearing contacts, I had to take off my glasses to spar. I never felt disadvantaged as a result. There’s too much happening too fast in a sparring match for your brain to worry about specific details, and even if you have terrible vision, your brain will notice the movement that you need to respond to. All the MMA matches I’ve ever been in were a blur of motion, whether I was wearing contacts or not, and I have not noticed any personal improvement since I started doing MMA with contacts. The lack of overall detail you will observe during a sparring match will be all the more pronounced in an actual violent encounter. Take the time now to train in whatever martial art or combative sport you feel that you could comfortably do without your glasses.

Survival Strategies When Separated From Your Opticals

In the next part of this article, I’d like to share four survival strategies for practical things to do when you’ve lost or been separated from your optical cache, did not get Lasik while the world was still working, and/or just broke your last pair of glasses. As stated before, these are strategies for a true worst-case scenario, not a partial worst-case scenario, where you might still have access to your five-year stockpile of Acuvue and Opti-Free.

1. Salvage Existing Eyewear

The first thing you should do is salvage any remaining parts of any remaining glasses. Are the frames intact but the lenses cracked? Then, save the frames; you may be reunited with lenses at a later date. Is one lens unbroken? Wrap the edges in tape and attach a cord or wire to it, and convert it into a monocle. Remember, before Benjamin Franklin invented the spectacles, this was the norm. Even save the screws that hold the frames together, as these are highly unique. At a later date, you may be able to rebuild a pair of glasses from the pieces or find someone who can help you do so in exchange for some other good or service. If you come across discarded glasses, even reading glasses or sunglasses, take them with you.

2. Substitute Optics

Secondly, see if you can substitute any other optics, and designate them as your “eyewear.” Do you have anything else with lenses or magnification ability? If you have a rifle scope or binoculars, they can be adjusted to compensate for your poor distance vision. You may need to become “joined at the eye” with this piece of gear. Take your scope off your rifle, tie it around your neck, and develop a habit of frequently raising it to your eye as you walk around. I know, to many survivalists, what I just said is tantamount to saying “Tear out the pages of your bible and use them for kindling,” but while this is definitely not ideal, it may be the best you can do.

Cameras won’t work long after electricity has failed, but the viewfinder of most professional cameras can be focused manually to accommodate inferior eyesight. If the camera does not have a viewfinder that works without electricity, take the camera apart and see what you can do with the lenses inside. Have you taken apart your dead cellphone yet and harvested the lenses from your cellphone camera? Consider that, in the present environment, your role is that of an early scientist in the Renaissance age: one of your tasks of survival is to “invent” something that will help you see. Fortunately, in a post-consumer-electronics world, there will be many discarded devices that contain lenses and optics. Regardless of your vision restrictions, you may be able to find something that works for you.

3. Build a Telescope

Along the lines of the above point, building a telescope should be at the top of your to-do list. In its simplest form, a telescope captures an image on the “objective,” which is either a mirror or a lens (in a “refractor” or “reflector” telescope, respectively), and then uses another lens to enhance the captured image.

In our worst-case scenario, a telescope will be a valuable tool, enabling you to see objects in the distance clearly, and even scan middle distances routinely. If you are like me, you probably tried to build a telescope as a kid, with varying degrees of success. Below is a description of a simple reflecting telescope that I have been able to build many times. When properly focused, it has enabled me to see distant objects clearly without my glasses.

This crude telescope consists of only two things– a mirror that captures the image and a magnifying glass, which enlarges the image from the mirror. To build this telescope, direct the mirror towards the object you want to see, at an angle, so that it is partially facing the object and partially facing you. Mirrors will be plentiful in a post-apocalyptic world. Since every abandoned vehicle automatically carries three, you should have no trouble finding one that works for you. Once your mirror is in place, move your magnifying glass towards the mirror until the object comes into sharp focus as you look at the mirrored image through the magnifying glass. If you do not have a magnifying glass, try finding a curved piece of glass. If no glass is available, you can use a clear water container (a water bottle or clear bag of water) as a magnifying glass, although the performance will degrade or increase according to the quality of your materials.

You will need to do a lot of experimenting until you find the perfect distance and angle, but with a little work, you will soon be able to see an object in the distance clearly. The better your mirror and magnifying glass, the better this telescope will function. While not a mobile solution, this telescope set up could function at an observation post or for surveillance. It could be placed at a choke point leading to your retreat where you could stand sentry.

A more mobile solution would be a refracting telescope, consisting of parallel lenses in a tube. This is the stereotypical hand-held telescope that we are all familiar with. I have not successfully made one of these, so I will leave this up to the reader’s ingenuity. The essential point is that, if you can get your hands on a few lenses and mirrors, you will be able to make something to help you see better. Making a pair of glasses may be beyond your skill level, but making a telescope should be within everyone’s grasp.

4. Make Pinhole Glasses

Lastly, build yourself a pair of pinhole glasses. Wikipedia provides a concise explanation of pinhole glasses, reproduced below:

“Pinhole glasses, also known as stenopeic glasses, are eyeglasses with a series of pinhole-sized perforations filling an opaque sheet of plastic in place of each lens. Similar to the workings of a pinhole camera, each perforation allows only a very narrow beam of light to enter the eye which reduces the size of the circle of confusion on the retina and increases depth of field. In eyes with refractive error, the result is claimed to be a clearer image.” “Pinhole Glasses,” wikipedia.org, published on the World Wide Web

As a lay person, what I get from this description is that pinhole glasses reduce the amount of light entering your eye, and thus partially correct the fault in your eye’s mechanics. These makeshift glasses are incredibly easy to make. Simply fashion a piece of cardboard, plastic, or paper into the shape of a pair of glasses, and then poke one hole or several holes directly in front of where your eye would be. You will find that, while your vision is darkened and a lot of peripheral vision is lost, the image you see through the pinhole will be clear and in focus. I would advise experimenting with this a lot, until you’ve figured out what iteration of the pinhole glasses works best for you. You may find a single hole works best for you, a grouping of three, or an array of holes. The holes should actually be pin-pricks; if you make holes any larger, the effect will be lost. Please note that the perforated surface needs to be closer to your eyes than a glass lens would be, to prevent much light from reaching your eye at an angle.

While pinhole glasses are not as effective as traditional glasses, I cannot overstate their simplicity and usefulness in a pinch. I have made a pinhole monocle in two seconds with a sticky note and paper clip. I have even found that a perforated saltine cracker, when held up close to your eye, has the same vision improvement properties. This is definitely a tip you will want to share with anyone you know who wears glasses in your group.

Summary

These are the things you can do to prepare for life without glasses, and to survive if you find yourself in such a world. The plan outlined above is free and does not require you go purchase any additional gear or supplies. While those of us who wear glasses should either seek vision correction or stockpile against a shortage, if we are unable to do so, the end of the world as we know it does not need to be the end of the world, when it comes to our vision. Should you find yourself in a bad place, these strategies will help you, unlike Piggy, make it without your “specs” in a true worst-case scenario.

Letter Re: John Galt

John Galt lives! Those of us that have read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, have an idea of what I’m talking about, but that’s not when it started and that’s not where it will end. I remember from grade school that the pilgrims came to this continent to escape persecution from both church and state. Since then, many of the great minds from around the world have come here to avoid persecution from their country’s leaders. Look at the great minds that have arrived just in the twentieth century. The list is so long there is no way I can mention them, but Einstein, Sikorsky, and Goddard come to mind.

At one time this was John Galt’s place of refuge, but all of that has changed. Where do we go from here? I can’t think of anywhere on earth left to escape to. The moon is uninhabitable at the present time, and besides why should we leave? I have a better idea. What do you say to us in believing in ourselves so much that we don’t need John Galt. What we need is the ability to reinstate the core beliefs that this country was founded on and stop the politicians from deciding what’s good for us and what’s not. We will not always be right, but that’s okay. That’s why we succeed– because we’re not afraid to fail. Remember, failure is only one step away from success.

Where is John Galt? Well, that’s the $64.00 question. Looking for John Galt is a waste of time. It’s like looking for the second coming of Jesus. We won’t find him; he’ll find you. We just have to be aware when it happens. Remember he is not interested in slackers, so like Christ, he will be knocking on only doors that are open to him. However, now is the time to do the work in building ourselves up and not worry about where John Galt is, as he is waiting for us to shine our light so bright that he can come to us. Our movement is in development. We are not hell bent on destroying but building. Our concern is pessimism. We do not have the time or the patience to wait. Time will run out for each of us, eventually. Our progress is important not only to us, as individuals, but as a collective nation. We do not want nor need a one-world order. We need to produce as a nation, so we can share with the rest of the world. Let it be known, what they do with the things we share– knowledge, product, or otherwise– is solely on them. If they choose not to accept it, it is no longer our responsibility or problem. We look at China today and say, “That poor country, they do not take care of their people or their rights.” But what other country, other than ours, spends the kind of money in goods and services from them for which we could be producing if we were able to remove the barriers that bind us in regulation and taxes? I remember reading about a man that once said, “If you give a man a fish, he eats for one day, but if you teach a man to fish, he eats forever.” The same can be said for teaching man to innovate and be able to work that innovation.

Now we prepare. We do the political and social fight by listening to those around us and aligning with those that will strengthen us on both fronts. Listening is one of the key areas. My father told me, “We have two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Pay attention to what is said and where you stand on all issues. We all fear that our vote and input will be a waste of time, but it is our right! So what do we do? We prepare for the worst, both mentally and physically.

Put up for a long storm. It will never go to waste, if rotated properly. Also, do not brag about your plans, they’re yours. Remember, “Loose lips sink ships”. When the time comes you will share with those in need. It’s just the nature of being a good person. Do not rely on anyone else, even your spouse. You need to be the person responsible. The people around you have had the same amount of time and seen the same forthcoming as you.