This Was Yesterday, by G.P.

Today was no different than any other. The sense of peace was in the morning breeze. Some of the most beautiful birds were singing, as if they wanted the world to know they are blessed with no worries. The morning dew gives the air an almost sweet smell of perfume. Kids are briskly walking down the street, so they limit the chances of missing their bus. Parents are rushing off to work in an almost robotic manner. News stations are broadcasting news, and radio stations are playing music. Smiles, frowns, tears, and fears fill the faces of society. Many people are in one community, but they all share the burdens of the next man. While trying to please the self-image of the world, they never even get close to the standards of acceptance.

Nobody noticed that 5,000 more children had been escorted across the border throughout the night. Amnesty is taking its toll on North America, and the effects have southern states carrying the burden of hospitality. Vacant schools and vacant businesses are becoming the temporary homes for the immigrant overflow in the United States. Winter is coming, and food shortages are inevitable. The media speaks of the great things we are doing for our guests, but the economy tells the truth of the matter at hand. Schools are being over run with non-English speaking students. Cafeterias are not able to keep up with the free and reduced lunch requests that are being made for the new immigrants. Social services have no answer for the growing number of housing applications. This fallout was caused by the food stamp shortage, and the influx of emergency EBT card request. Pandemic level respiratory infectious diseases have spread like a wild fire in the dry plains. Teachers are unable to have productive classes, due to the unmanageable numbers in the classrooms. “No worries,” they tell you. “Today was no different than any other.”

The stock market has fallen below a comfortable level. Banks have set one hundred dollar restriction at every ATM. Doors to every bank have been locked, and they are no longer taking withdrawal request. Automated responses have been set up for all of those who have worries about their money. The banks promise this will be resolved soon, but the lost look on the employees’ faces lets you know there is no solution in sight to these monetary problems. Debit cards are declined at every register, gas pump, and clothing store. Credit cards are not being read or accepted any longer. Media calls it a glitch in the banking system. A rumor of a North American Identification Card offers relief to those who follow the political news stations. Droves of people rush to their local social security offices, waiting on their chance to register with the New North American Union. “No worries,” they tell us… “Today was no different than any other day.”

New signs pop up all over the city. The signs cohere the community to sell your guns for food. Government EBT cards are being bartered for ammunition. People are growing fearful of how fast things are changing in the world. Dysfunction has now hit the homestead, and those who proclaimed to be preppers are ready to bugout. Traffic lights are not working properly, but I am sure it’s because of the rolling blackouts we have been experiencing. Tactical officers have been patrolling the inner city streets. No one finds it weird that there is a military presence in our neighborhoods. Local police say they need help with traffic congestion, but their aren’t any police at the malfunctioning lights. A few months ago, I noticed a lot of small tanks on a train, which were traveling into an unknown location in the middle of our city. If I didn’t know better, I would think the town was preparing for martial law. Maybe I am paranoid by the build up F.E.M.A. trucks. “No worries,” they said… “Today was no different than any other day.”

No one really paid attention to all the practice public service announcements. Since these practice alerts came on every week, they were ignored today. The message told all citizens to not be alarmed by the military presence. ATM machines will be turned off and traffic lights were being shut down. A curfew was now in affect for all citizens. Identification cards were not an option any longer. Everyone must be registered within the next 48 hours. Anyone not registered will be transported to local FEMA centers, so they could receive the extra help they need to fill out their paperwork. Cognitive dissonance has taken full affect. Citizens are complying with all the rules that are being set in place by this newly formed authority. Although things are quickly becoming uncomfortable for everyone, with much practice they have learned to trust authority of any kind. A few people have unplugged themselves from this false sense of reality, and these few have begun to rise up. Many don’t need a reason to act out upon emotions. Those citizens, who live for chaos, don’t need a reason to destroy their own property. Why would you take pride in things you never pay taxes for? Fires begin to spring up everywhere. Traffic is made up of citizens trying to get home from work and others trying to pick their kids up from school. Cell phone towers cannot keep up with the load of distressed people trying to reach friends and loved ones. Things are reaching the point of no return, but today is no different than any other day.

Everyone thought they had things in place for this day, but they will soon see that preparing was only the tools for building the foundation of being ready. Many preppers never practiced taking different routes home from work. Others were shocked when their cars ran out of gas on the jammed packed highways. FEMA trucks are taking hundreds of children away, because their parents couldn’t reach them in time. Children were not prepared to walk home from school by themselves. Some were two miles from home when the FEMA trucks took them away. Parents could have gotten out of their cars and walked to their children’s schools. Trust in government entities reassured their emotions and helped convince them they would see their children again. Families are being separated, the stock market is steadily falling, and growing unrest is sweeping the streets. Local authorities are loosing control of this once-quiet city. Looting and pillaging has become widespread in the inner city communities. Sirens are screaming and helicopters are filling the skies. The National Guard has been called in to block all highways and bring order back to the south. The bullhorns hooked to SWAT vehicles warn citizens to return to their homes and lock their doors. Citizens are threatened with charges of treason and tyranny for not following the rules of FEMA. They tell the masses not to worry, because today is no different than any other day. Many of us prepared for these days, but no amount of preparation can ready you for the day everything comes to a halt. All of your bags are ready and your ammunition supplies line the walls awaiting civil unrest. Are you truly prepared? Are you truly ready? The seal has been broken and the locusts have come to devour the lands of the United States. Here are twelve things overlooked by most, who say they are prepared for the end.

  1. Traffic will be unrelenting and congested. Have a backup plan for retrieving your children from school and daycare. Everyone should know where to meet in case of any emergency.
  2. Communications will be limited. Cell phones are given to children for emergency communication. Most adults don’t have any other means of communication. In a martial law scenario all means of cellular communication will be lost. Have other short wave communications.
  3. Food will be limited for all in inner city residences. Rural communities will not feel the effects at first. Once a run on food has begun, the rural areas will be squeezed out of deliveries. Looters will target food trucks, water trucks, and fuel trucks. You need to have food and fuel storage readily available.
  4. The dollar is steadily losing its power in the market. Banks will feel the pain of the dollar crash. This will start a crash in the markets and spark a run on banks. Don’t think for one minute banks are not prepared for an emergency shut down. ATM’s will be shut down and banking centers will be closed. You need to have some type of monetary savings in a safe place. Never rule out having silver, gold, and other bartering materials. These may save your life.
  5. Schools will be forced to go on lockdown. Some schools will have their children bused to safe houses and FEMA centers. You need to check with your schools safety board, in order to know their plan of action. Don’t assume that teachers will stay with their students when SHTF begins. Teachers have children and families, as well. In the case that teachers and principals start leaving their post, secondary authorities will be called in to establish parental decisions for the children at school.
  6. The inner city will become a battleground for gangs and cartels. Once local city law enforcement has crumbled, unruliness will spread through the streets. This may be hard to visualize, but many riots were birthed through championship celebrations. Imagine what will become of a riot birthed out of hunger and panic.
  7. Pandemics have already been swept under the rug. Many illegal immigrants are coming with various diseases, both viral and bacterial. Once widespread sickness begins to move from person to person, it will be hard to come across vaccines and medicines. Mutated viruses will be hard to control. Secondary bacterial infections will cause panic by themselves. This will cause many to seek quarantine from others who are sick. I am almost sure the CDC will be called in for this problem. If you are caught in this mess, you could risk being split from your family members.
  8. We always think you have everything, until the true test of times present themselves. When we reach “zero hour”, sporting goods stores will be highly dangerous. Everyone knows that camping gear are found in these places. Inner city thugs will try to seize the opportunity to create lawless situations at these establishments. You need to have a list of pertinent preps you and your family will need to bug out of a hostel area. Taking this warning lightly can cost you valuable time bugging out, more over put the lives of your family in danger.
  9. Ammunition has been under attack to create issues for the major middleman suppliers. One local company has been rumored of having advanced knowledge of the gun law crisis and using it for its advantage. This major supplier bought thousands of rounds of commonly-used caliber ammunition, so they could jack up prices during the ammo shortage. This was a trusted company of my community, but loyalty ran short in a time of crisis. Nothing will stop companies from selling ammo at astronomical prices, when SHTF begins. Even if you know everyone who works behind the counter, they will still expect you to pay the higher cost per round. Everyone is closely monitoring the urgent stock piling of ammunition. Your neighbors look in your trash bins. Your postal workers pay close attention to the firearms parts and ammunition being mailed to your home. Your bank monitors your spending, and they say it’s so they can send you suggestions for discounts. Don’t believe that your ammunition stock piling is unnoticed and discrete. No matter the discreteness, you have to prepare for the next crisis that will raise the cost of ammunition. An executive order has already been set in place to ban some Russian ammunition and firearms. These things will double in price within the next few months.
  10. Loyalty is something that you can’t attach a price. In the Bible, Judas sold out The Son of God for a bag of silver. You have to ask yourself what a hungry man or women would do to you for food and shelter. Loyalty cannot be prepped or stock piled. It is not found in a book and cannot be learned in a classroom. Loyalty just is. Loyalty is going to be one of the most sought after preps after SHTF. Many will turn on each other for food and shelter. Silver coins will buy bread with one hand and give information to marauders in another hand. There will be those who will plan to prey on prepper groups. Preppers have two worries– marauders and lack of loyalty. You can gauge the level of loyalty of those around you by evaluating your past interactions with these people. If you have a friend who has shown themselves untrustworthy in minor situations, you might need to reevaluate choosing them as SHTF partners. This is why you tell no one about your preparations. Trusting non-loyal people can cost you your life…one day.

Letter Re: Vitamins in a Grid Down Situation

Hugh,

I would like to add these sources to the author’s:

Vitamin D – the article is missing a crucial and easy to set up source– fresh shiitake mushrooms. “A fresh shiitake boasts about 100 IU of vitamin D per gram, but if you dry it in the sun, it creates 10,000 IU. If you dry it upside down in the sun and let the gills absorb the sun, a gram will provide 20,000 IU. The mushrooms are so full of D, in fact, it’s important not to eat too many dried shiitakes, as vitamin D overdose can occur with chronic consumption of 40,000 IU of vitamin D per day.” http://www.rodalenews.com/growing-shiitake-mushrooms also http://www.fungi.com/blog/items/place-mushrooms-in-sunlight-to-get-your-vitamin-d.html

Vitamin C – add pine needle tea and dandelion to the article’s source list http://survivingtheoregontrail.com/blog/pine-needle-tea-high-in-vitamin-c-for-drink-antiseptic-uses-for-hair-and-body/. The entire dandelion plant is edible, and the leaves contain vitamins A, C, and K, along with calcium, iron, manganese, and potassium. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/08/the-five-healthiest-backyard-weeds.aspx

Omega 3 – add wild Purslane as a good source for Omega 3. Purslane tops the list of plants with omega-3 fats.

Other healthy backyard “weeds” are:

Lamb’s-quarters. Lamb’s-quarters are like spinach, except healthier, tastier and easier to grow.

Plantain. Not the better-known banana-like plant with the same name. It has a nutritional profile similar to dandelion.

Stinging Nettles. If you handle them so that you don’t get a painful rash from the tiny, acid-filled needles, these are delicious and nutritious, cooked or prepared as a tea. – S.C.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Tying into the storyline of of JWR’s novel “Expatriates”: Former Australian army chief: “Australia is involved in the early stages of a war which is likely to last for the rest of the century”

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Many Americans Renounce Citizenship, Hitting New Record – G.G.

o o o

Yet another reason why I advocate homeschooling: Fremont Sex-Ed Textbook With Topics On Bondage, Vibrators Along With Explicit Diagrams Has Parents Riled Up. – P.M.

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Homeland Security inspector is arrested after Craigslist sting operation caught him ‘trying to have sex with mother and her underage daughter’. – T.P.

o o o

Feds Bend CDC Rules for Sick Illegal Immigrants . – G.L.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day…” Deuteronomy 8:11 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – August 08, 2014

August 8th is the birthday of Terry Nation (born in 1930 and died March 9, 1997). Nation was the Welsh television writer and novelist who wrote two series, Survivors and Blake’s 7, in the 1970s. Survivors was re-made a few years ago, and Blake’s 7 is presently being re-made.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,400+ 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. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  10. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  11. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  12. 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.

Seasonal Items and Survival Steps, by P.F.

It never ceases to amaze me when something seemingly trivial that occurs in my life can lead to so much self reflection and totally change the direction I travel, so to speak, in my life planning. I recently decided to purchase a spare, portable plug-in heater for my camper, in the interest of redundancy. So, off I went blissfully unaware that this simple, last-minute decision would alter the course of history, my history that is. I went to my local big-box store and soon realized an important issue I had never thought about before– seasonal items are difficult to find in the off season. I’m sure at this point you’re thinking, “No-DUH! Thanks for the update, Captain Obvious.” Well, no, I’m not an idiot (at least I’d like to think I’m not), but I guess I am guilty of being complacent. I have seen seasonal items come and go for so long, year after year, buying what I needed when I needed it and never paying attention when it was gone, other than to maybe get some good clearance deals here and there. That’s as far as my thought process went on the subject of seasonal items. This was the first time I bucked the natural order of things and went against the flow to get my spare off season item. Needless to say, I didn’t get my heater locally and wasn’t willing to spend more to get one online. (I’m not cheap; I’m poor.) It was a wake up call and did get me to do some serious thinking. I have read a lot here on SurvivalBlog and elsewhere about survival and prepping for the last couple of years. I still consider myself to be in the beginning stages of prepping and am currently not very prepared, but I am working on it as fast as my limited financial resources allow. I am aware of what’s going on in the world and here at home. I don’t bury my head in the sand and expect that everything will be just fine. I do hope for the best, but I am preparing for the worst. I also know prepping is not for just one emergency situation, like some shows would have you believe, but instead it’s for any number of situations that currently happen to people on any given day somewhere year after year, like:

  1. Power outages, short and long,
  2. Water contaminated by industrial spill,
  3. Getting lost in the woods when hiking/camping,
  4. Car breaking down in a secluded area or skidding off the road,
  5. Home invasion (by criminals or government agents), and so forth, as well as

Catastrophic or government-sponsored events that have happened in the past and could or will happen again, like a:

  1. Flood,
  2. Tsunami,
  3. Earthquake,
  4. Hurricane or tornado,
  5. Meteor or asteroid,
  6. Epidemic, or
  7. War or terrorist act

Plus, there any number of things that we may not have thought possible but could be, like an alien invasion or zombie apocalypse. Who really knows? Yes, I read and watch a lot of Sci Fi.

Like many, some farther along than others, I am starting to build up food and water stores and, of course, bullets and band aids bit by bit, when I can afford it, while still paying my bills. I just never thought about the seasonal stuff until now and how not getting something seemingly trivial before it’s too late could potentially lead to serious consequences. Many emergencies could be short-lived, as in days or weeks, so a bit easier to plan for but still not a vacation. However, my thoughts are more for the longer term, as in months or years. As we have heard and some have seen, a serious grid down situation would likely last for months and maybe years, depending on severity, and could be triggered by any number of things. This would affect food and water availability, for short- and long- term, and whether anything is available in stores. This is when redundancy can mean the difference between life and death, over minor things. Yes, we can die from disease, starvation, lightning, brigands, or any number of things at any time that may be difficult or even impossible to prevent.

That’s not what I am talking about here. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want it to be because my $30 heater quit working in the camper in the middle of winter when it’s 20 below and my propane ran out a week ago when the power is still on but the snow’s too deep to go get my tanks refilled.

There are any number of things that I may not have yet or may need to replace or buy a spare of that are seasonal and many that are not, so prioritizing the seasonal items first is one thing I have learned from this. If an emergency or event were to happen before a season starts, that could prevent me from ever getting it at all. While I know the ultimate goal is, of course, to be completely self-sufficient, many if not most of us are not there yet. We will need to rely on any number of non-replaceable items for at least the short term, while transitioning to long term in the event of a serious SHTF situation. Those that are fully prepared can disregard this nonsense about temporarily relying on non-permanent items, since this would not apply to you and you are very fortunate to be in that position. However, redundancy will still apply to everyone, whatever your methods of survival.

Thanks to my wake up call, due to the heater search and all the new thoughts I’ve had on seasonal items that I took for granted, I have completely rethought my SHTF planning in general. So, for me personally I have decided to build up my short-term plan first (up to a year and possibly more) as quickly and completely as finances will allow. This is my bug out location/ future house site, which is where my previously mentioned camper lives. It is undeveloped rural land that is not as secluded as I would prefer but all I could afford at the time. Last summer, I connected to the existing well via underground lines that are well-insulated and under the frost line for year round use. I had previously been hose connected for summer use only and carried in water on winter visits. There had been a mobile home on the site years ago, when I bought the property, but it was too far gone to repair, so I removed it and had the septic tank pumped out and inspected at that time. My second project last summer was to properly connect the camper to it via buried PVC, instead of the camper flex hose I had been using, which needed replacing far too often. The septic system is large enough for a home, and I plan to use it for the house I build, but it also works well for my camper in the mean time, as long as I remember to dump the tanks before they’re full. Now, as part of my new course, I have altered my focus from keeping it barely adequate to live in while focusing on building a house and relying on shore power for cooking, heat, and so forth, to instead making it suitable on its own to living in it full-time in the event of SHTF happening sooner than later.

My Phase 1, so to speak, was the well and septic, and I had already planned on doing that so there is no change required there, but my new altered Phase 2 will now be:

  1. Building an insulated addition using as much recycled (free) materials I can find that can safely house a small wood stove for heat and hot water and shelves for food stores and supplies. I will be using information I have gathered from the Internet for many of these projects, such as using copper tubing wrapped around a pipe or a radiator used as a heat exchanger, mounted against the side of the stove and then connected to a larger hot water tank which in turn is then connected to the camper’s hot water line. I have plenty of wood on my lot which is mostly wooded.
  2. Building a coke can passive heater from plans I found online and installing it on the roof, then laying buried PVC pipes underground for passive cooling and connecting them to the campers addition. These are both very inexpensive in materials, so I think I can swing it to greatly reduce heating and cooling needs.
  3. Catching the rain water from the addition’s roof into several rain barrels, directed through the gutters. I see these rain barrels available inexpensively or free occasionally, so I will grab what I can when I do; I’ll start with one and then add on as I get more.
  4. Adding skirting to the camper bottom using the old rusty roof panels that were left over from the previously mentioned mobile homes porch that I didn’t have any use for until now and painting them white.
  5. Building a large enough garden for my needs. (I’m single at this time. Hi, ladies. wink,wink…) Where was I? Oh yeah, I’ll be using the old fencing I find in the woods, apparently from long gone animal pens. It’s free but labor-intensive as most are very bent from tree branches over the years.
  6. Converting to all LED lighting in the camper to lower my energy needs and adding a couple more marine batteries for better electrical storage during power outages.
  7. Getting a Big Berkey water filter I can use for either the well water or rain water purification. I currently buy bottled water for drinking and only use the well water for brushing teeth (with a bottled water after rinse) and for washing and cooking, if it gets boiled first. This, however, is last on phase 2, due to it being unaffordable for me at this time.
  8. Oh, of course, getting my spare heater as soon as it’s in season, too.

Once Phase 2 is Done, Phase 3 will be:

  1. Adding a small solar system that can also power the well and adding wind power with a total capacity high enough for the camper needs and for tools and whatever is needed for home building and expandable for the house needs when it is built, but that’s definitely not in the budget at this time, either. However, I have seen some information on DIY wind generators made from used car parts which would be less expensive, so that’s promising. Harbor Freight does have some pretty good sales on their small solar kit, so that’s promising, as well, for the camper. However, it is not so great for a house, but we’ll see.
  2. Raising a small menagerie of rabbits, goats, and chickens for meat, milk, and eggs, which I see free or close to it pretty regularly. That will have to wait until I have suitable fences and hutches and a coup installed for their safety.
  3. Lastly, replacing my firearms that were unfortunately stolen, so I can use my bullets again. This is why I say my lot is not as secluded as I would like. Unfortunately, some people have no respect for private property. I only wish they would have the courtesy of coming when my Doberman and I are there.

While I understand that this new plan will take time and resources away from building my house, which will be delayed. It will, however, put me in a better position much sooner, if I don’t get a “later” and allow me to survive for much longer than my original plan would have. If I am lucky and do get a later, then I just move on to my original plan of building my house and probably keep the camper as a cool little guest house. This experience has taught me to look at my prepping as a series of smaller steps. I will now complete each one as if they were my last before moving to the next one. I would rather survive in a fully-prepared, self-sufficient camper than die in an unprepared house.

Letter Re: Two Thousand Miles Into the American Redoubt

Dear Hugh,

For the benefit of your readers allow me to comment on the author’s list of top 15 locations in the Redoubt. By way of disclosure, I do not live in any of those communities, but I am ten miles away from one of them. Also, my business travels in the region over the last fifteen years has taken me to most of those locations many times. All of those towns are wonderful places, with wonderfully solid people living in them and around them. Any disparaging remarks I have about the location is solely based on our assessment of the survivability of the area in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. I do not concur with the author’s assessment of the value of being close to the Canadian Border for three reasons. 1) The further north you go, the colder the winters and the less arable the land is by-in-large 2) Canada’s gun laws are draconian, at best. 3) The number one rule of survivalism is NEVER BECOME A REFUGE. What the author is implying is that if things start to go south at his location in the Redoubt, he plans to do just that…become a refugee. I am also not sure how serious the author was about that criteria, as his number one choice is more like 200 miles from Canada and can be a very treacherous drive in winter.

Dayton, Washington– an extremely good choice; color me impressed. Dayton is the county seat for Columbia County and last I checked the population of Dayton is around 2,500 and the entire county has around 4,000 people. It is an agriculturally-based economy primarily of dry land wheat. The people are wonderful, and trust me he would not be the first “prepper” who came to that conclusion and moved to Dayton. The local hardware store sells #10 cans of freeze-dried food, and there are some wonderfully-solid churches in Dayton. It has close proximity to the Blue Mountains and unlimited outdoor activities, including a very nice little ski resort. Personally, I would live outside of town; for example, I recently saw a listing for a property– 15 acres completely fenced and ready for livestock, two manufactured homes, a barn, off the road seclusion about six miles from Dayton with 800 feet of South Touchet river frontage for $190k. You could do worse than being in a place like that.

Newport, Washington– a nice community but too far north for my taste, and it is more densely populated than you might think, as the Priest River and Pend Oreille Rivers are very popular and are lined on both sides with “cabins” that are stacked on top of each other in some places. Those “Cabins” (many of them are large beautiful homes costing several hundreds of thousands of dollars that just sit on a lot) are primarily owned by Spokane residents who will all decide to “bug out” to their “cabin” and none of them are preppers, so they are just going to bring their city problems to Newport/Priest River, and they won’t be able to drink the water without purification, much less feed themselves. Poor Choice.

Priest River, Idaho– basically the same as Newport, as they are very close. In addition the only way into and out of Priest Lake (where a lot of people live) is through Priest River. As well, the primary route of choice for someone trying to bug out from Spokane over to North Idaho and into Montana (Sand Point, Bonners Ferry, Libby, etc) is right through downtown Priest River. Because of the river the only other way would be I-90 through Coeur d’ Alene.

Republic, Chewelah, Sagle– the same; they are too far north and not good growing conditions. With Chewelah and Sagle being too close to the Spokane/Coeur D’ Alene metroplexis for my taste.

Bonners’ Fairy, Idaho and Libby/ Eureka, Montana– way too far north, not to mention the asbestos problems in Libby from their Vermiculite mining. If you like that general vicinity, I would look a bit south around the Clark Fork area. There are some solid homesteaders in that area and a strong Mormon community who allow non-Mormons to use their well-stocked cannery.

Orofino and Grangeville– beautiful country! And if you want to find some isolation off the beaten path, you can certainly do it around there. Yet a lot of the ground in the surrounding area is steep and densely tree covered. It’s not where I would want to put a homestead/retreat, but you certainly could do worse.

Enterprise, Joseph– nice country also; I could find a place to put down stakes in that area. Just understand you are at elevation (around 3,700’) with an average annual snowfall of 41 inches and a record low temperature of Minus 33 degrees.

Hungry Horse– I’ve been through it but don’t know much about it other than it’s close to the Flathead Valley that over the years has attracted some of the world’s richest people, so the ground is very expensive.

One area not mentioned that would be high on my list is “The Palouse”. After all that’s where I presume the Rawles Ranch is, and the setting for “Patriots” as well as other noted homesteader survivalists, such as Enola Gay of Paratus Familia blog and Patrice Lewis of Rural Revolution blog.

I hope this “boots on the ground” analysis has been helpful to the author and other readers of Survival Blog. – Blakely O

Odds ‘n Sods:

The latest news from nanny state California: Rep. Honda announces bill to ban civilians from military-grade body armor. – T.P.

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Smart-gun designer can’t understand objections: German gun designer’s quest for a smarter weapon infuriates U.S. gun rights advocates. – SDC

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DOJ: Regions Near Mexico Border Most Crime Ridden in US. – P.M.

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City Evicts Elderly Man from His Tent in the Woods – by Ruthlessly Demolishing it in Front of His Eyes. – H.L.

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Americans worry that illegal migrants threaten way of life, economy. – M.D.

Notes for Thursday – August 07, 2014

August 7th 1933, is the birthday of Jerry Pournelle. He, along with Larry Niven, authored the survivalist classic Lucifer’s Hammer.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,400+ 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. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  10. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  11. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  12. 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.

Time “OUT”, by K.T.

Any serious survivalist has thought through numerous scenarios and situations, right down to the most seemingly insignificant minutiae. I have been engaged in various stages of “preparation” for over 40 years now. Over the last 20 years or so, I have noticed that the vast majority of the public, in general, counts on assorted digital gimmickry to keep track of time. As a result, many people now do not even wear a wristwatch; they just pull out their ever-present cell phone to see what “time” it is.

Of those who do wear a wristwatch in the traditional style, an ever-increasing number of watches are of the quartz variety and dependent on a battery to operate. For those of us who consider the possible consequences of TEOTWAWKI, such as an EMP event caused by nature or by man, one’s battery-operated watch would eventually, if not immediately, become a useless piece of jewelry. Even if it did still work, it would prove worthless after the battery life ends, and unless you have the proper tools and a modicum of experience, good luck in changing your own watch batteries.

What then? How will you, your group, or your family be able to coordinate the endless need we all take for granted of having a timekeeping device available? How will you be able to correctly time cooking or formulate a scientific mixture of some type that requires specific “time” in various stages of the concoction. How will you keep time for sentry rotation and coordination of possible defensive/offensive unit tactics? The list of reasons to have a means for telling time is endless.

Here is a challenge for everyone reading this post who does NOT on a daily basis wear a good-quality, robust, MECHANICAL wristwatch: Go for at least a full day without a time piece of any kind. Do not cheat by looking at the clock in your car, on your phone, around the house, or even the time-temperature reading occasionally displayed on billboards. Do NOT keep up with the time on your computer or any other way. (This test may be best accomplished on a weekend and away from ones’ normal routine.) Cheating will not allow you to truly test yourself and will be of no assistance to you. At the very least, minimize time sources around you. You can stick duct tape over the kitchen stove timer, the microwave, the car clock, et cetera and see how well you do at judging segments of time. Extrapolate time measurement for numerous routines you now take for granted. An exercise like this will cause most forward-looking survivalists to more readily appreciate how indispensable the need for an accurate timekeeper on your wrist or in your reach will become, as dark horizons loom dead ahead, the only uncertainty being when these unforeseen events will arrive.

My recommendation for all serious-minded folk who have not covered this absolutely essential piece of equipment is to acquire a sturdy, 17-25 (more or less) jewel, most likely a Swiss-made wristwatch with a mechanical movement. Let us get a bit more specific and narrow your search.

Many good quality makers of time pieces have been in business for hundreds of years. I could list several for whom the vast majority of you would not recognize, so let me offer up a few of the more common manufacturers as a starting point. As an aside, I have been a watch enthusiast and hobbyist for decades. However, I neither own a financial interest in any watch company or any Internet site, nor have any fiduciary stake in any brand, website, or other affiliated organization in any way.

As a graduation present from high school in the late 1960s, I received a Bulova Accutron and wore it for many years with a new battery installed as needed. In the late 1970s, it became problematic and needed more attention than just a replacement battery. A local watch shop sent it off to the Bulova headquarters, and it was returned a few weeks later but still did not run correctly. The shop was an authorized dealer for several other well-known, quality watches. The shop proprietor offered me any watch he had in stock at “wholesale” cost and also guaranteed that he would also get Bulova to properly fix my old watch.

To his surprise, I chose a Rolex Seadweller. After he choked, he made good on his promise and sold me the brand new Rolex for $750. And, yes, a few weeks later he called to say that my old Bulova was fixed and functioning correctly.

For the next dozen or so years, I rarely had the Rolex off my wrist under any circumstances– whether hard physical labor, rigorous outdoor activity, water sports, or wrist-pounding firearms training. You name it, the Rolex was subjected to ridiculous environmental demands and never missed a beat. One day, it “disappeared” amongst a houseful of teenagers, never to be seen again; that is another story. Thus, began my accelerated interest in quality time pieces.

By then, the price of that Rolex Seadweller had escalated in value, and the replacement cost was beyond what a father of two teenage daughters and a high-maintenance wife would allow. I wore an inexpensive battery watch, while casually keeping my eyes open for a suitable replacement for my Seadweller. I will never forget having a career make-or-break type business meeting one day, and during my travel to this meeting I glanced occasionally at my new wimpy watch. To my angst, I found it had stopped and was maybe only recording one-half to one-third of the correct time. Fortune was on my side, and I made my meeting anyway, but I never forgot nor forgave that watch, nor battery-dependent watches in general. For me, the choice between a high-maintenance wife and a low-maintenance watch was a no-brainer– the wife had to go. (That’s another long story for another time.)

I then ran across a very good deal on an Omega Seamaster with an automatic movement, which naturally was my preference for watch function. I wore it and enjoyed it, and I began to come across other good deals on quality watches. The story takes off in earnest now. I have owned numerous watches from makers such as Longines, Jaeger LeCoultre, Vulcain, Girard Perregaux, Hamilton, Zodiac, Glycine, Sandoz, and literally hundreds of others. As a fairly robust and active sportsman all my life, I had a special appreciation for diver, aviator, and military-type watches that were built to withstand rigorous use and some occasional abuse. In my opinion, each of you needs something along the same lines.

As the watchmaking industry underwent a big upheaval in the 1970s and 1980s specifically, many of the old-line brands were sold, consolidated, or disappeared entirely, as quartz watches were cheap to make and most consumers liked the accuracy and serviceability of these new kids on the block. This opened a back door market for what I call “the Classics”, often with features that were not highly-desirable to the newer mass consumer. The features of “the Classics” are:

  1. A precision, mechanical movement, usually enumerated by jeweled rubies as contact and friction points.
  2. Movements that would either be a self-winding mechanism, which kept power by the movement of your wrist during the course of daily activities or were a manual-winding movement, which required the user to wind such daily (roughly akin to an automatic transmission in a car versus a 3-4-5-speed stick-shift).
  3. Required occasional service or repair, including removing the movement and putting it through a cleaning procedure, tuning and adjusting various contact points within the movement itself, as well as repairing or replacing any worn or broken parts that could render the watch unusable.

Competent watchmakers are becoming scarce, as many have died, and there is a shortage of competent repairmen, although there are a plethora of “battery changers”.

My preferences for fellow survivalists (I despise the yuppie term, “preppers”), gals as well as guys, would be for them to own watches similar to some of the following (in no particular order!)…

  • Omega dive / aviator watch and its little sister brand, Tissot brand
  • Longines and sister brands, such as Wittnauer
  • Zodiac Seawolf, Zenith, Fortis
  • Glycine Airman, Breitling, Movado
  • Rolex – from Air King, Submariner, GMT, Seadweller, et cetera, and their little brother, Tudor-branded watches
  • Sandoz, Technos, Certina, Doxa
  • Eterna Kon Tiki, Aquastar, Heuer (particularly PRE TAG-Heuer)
  • Ollech & Wajs, Benrus, Bulova, Nivada
  • Baume & Mercier, Blancpain, LeCoultre, Vulcain Nautical, Wakkman
  • Eberhard, Briel Manta (just an endless list of “names” put on models for marketing purposes, and often actually produced by a couple of dozen real watch manufacturing and production facilities!)
  • IWC, Vacheron & Constantin, Patek Phillipe, Lange & Sohne Glashutte, Audemars Piguet, Ulysse Nardin, Breguet (and others of that grade are precision instruments and works of art, but VERY pricey).

The list could be endless, but you want a watch that is water-RESISTANT to at least 100 feet. You also want a properly-serviced and timed mechanical movement with refreshed (if vintage), glow-in-the-dark, luminous hands, with a stainless steel case and a ROBUST sapphire or quartz-mineral crystal, which will resist cracking and breaking as well as proper seals on the back and at the crown/stem. Do you want additional features on the watch, such as chronograph (a stop watch), alarm, day-date, and other features? These are referred to as “complications”, and as the term implies, they are additional features that may be of benefit for your anticipated use. However, the more “extra features” one has, the more there is to malfunction, break, and go wrong. Plus, they cost more.

Things and terminology, which always capture my attention, include “compressor” and “super compressor ” watch cases, as does “Caribbean”, which in vintage watch terminology leads one to the 1000-meter / 3300-feet, ultra-deep diver watches. Many, many brand names were sold using these terms. It is rather axiomatic that if a watch is robust enough to dive many fathoms, it can endure you Force Recon types jumping off of cars, doing a martial arts whammy on a dozen zombies, and swimming through alligator-infested waters , and other such Bruce Willis movie impressions.

As with any product, there are cheaply-made similar items and just because a watch looks like the “dive” style and says “waterproof” or other such terms on the back, does not mean it holds serious value for the survivalist. They may even say a “Swiss 17-jewel movement”, but these were inexpensively made back in the 60’s and 70’s and their value is reflected in their price then and now. On the other hand, reasonably-priced brands such as Bulova, Benrus, and Elgin DID make a few serious dive watches and are well-worth acquiring. You will have to do your research and homework to discern which models / brands to seek and which to avoid. Just because it looks like a “dive watch” does not mean that it is truly worthy of that designation. One can spend 200-300 dollars and acquire a suitable, durable timepiece, or one can spend as many thousands as YOUR budget allocates.

In discussing the Japanese watches such as Seiko, Citizen, and others, I recommend that you avoid them. Traditional watchmakers and repairmen just do not generally want to fool with them or try to acquire parts for them. However, Seiko produced some very good pre-quartz mechanical watches. The same thing applies to some excellent vintage German watches; they may all offer a duty-suitable timepiece, but the odds that at some point in a darker future one would be able to locate, a) parts for same, or b) a repairman who could fix such contrivance, is extremely unlikely. The same is true for the ubiquitous Timex watches. The old ones were made with a very inexpensive, but reasonably durable, pin lever movement. They really are not accurate enough or fixable enough to fool with, although your mileage may vary.

The wristwatch industry has “narrowed”. The 5,000 pound gorilla in the room is ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse (ETA SA Swiss Watch Manufacturer). “ETA” manufactures the lions’ share of watch movements now. You may wish to read the informative Wiki page on this company, particularly the “Products” section. A very sound choice would be a watch with an ETA 2824 (with variations) or a 2892, with variations. One can also search for a suitable timepiece using the movement number as the criteria, more so than a brand name.

Some other random notes to consider: I often go to estate and garage sales and occasionally run across quality watches; just as often, I come across small clocks. (Many of the older, bedside alarms can be found at estate sales.) On rare occasions, I have acquired 7- to 15-jeweled, very high quality, precise, older desk and bedside type clocks. Most of what you find are cheap, little 2-jeweled versions, which, even if they wind and run, just don’t keep time very accurately or hold up long-term under extensive use. One occasionally sees vintage clocks that also encompass a thermometer, a barometer, and other features. I repeat: Small clocks with less than seven jewels are not likely to be precision time keepers but may be of some value for your particular situation.

Jaeger LeCoultre is a Swiss company that has made premium time pieces for 200+ years. They offer a desk clock called the “Atmos”, which runs on atmospheric pressure. It has a 15-jewel movement of high precision and quality. For the novice, it takes a bit of research and understanding of how to set up this clock properly, and then, if left alone, it is a work of art and time keeping. Every 20 to 30 years, most of them require a cleaning and service which is in the $200-$300 range. I have bought a dozen or so at estate sales and resold most of them for a tidy profit. If you are fortunate enough to acquire a good one for a few hundred dollars, you will certainly not regret your purchase later. Do your research and pay a bit extra for one with a service history, so that you do not have to spend the money or the time to possibly fix your newly-acquired clock later, since most clock shops do NOT service Atmos clocks. There are some specialists who do service Atmos clocks, which for most of us may require shipping your clock and waiting on its eventual return. These clocks, if properly serviced over the years, are a masterpiece that require little attention but are not conducive to moving around much. There are precise steps to “level” these clocks, set them properly, and to start them. They need to remain in a stationary position after initial set-up.

If you now own an old mantel clock or wall clock that your grandparents or other family members originally acquired many decades ago, it may be wise to have it serviced and adjusted now, before you need it. Most of those clocks are wound with a key and keep reasonable time, if properly maintained. I personally consider grandfather clocks too big and too cumbersome to fool with.

Vintage naval-style ship chronometers are precision-made instruments, which when acquired for a reasonable price are a valuable timekeeping instrument for your home. Again, do your research before you spend your money.

I consider old pocket watches okay. However, they are not practical for serious outdoor duty or for practical daily use. Many can be highly collectible and valuable. Sell them and buy a robust wrist watch, if you plan to be physically active and on the move.

Here are some important, general but random, notes…

  • Be careful not to “over-wind” any non-automatic timekeeping mechanism. Use slow, steady strokes, and let off immediately as you feel the tiniest bit of resistance. The same is true with a key-wound clock.
  • “Solar” watches operate off of a cell, but the cell will fail, just as a battery will eventually fail.
  • Many upscale watches are marked on the dial and/or case “COSC”; this stands for “Swiss Official Certified Chronometer” and means that the watch goes through a period of testing to be sure that it operates within five seconds a day of the precise time. Rolex, in particular, is big on promoting “COSC”, but the more upscale watch manufacturers do not even bother with the process and consider it a marketing ploy. The Wiki page on ETA discusses this. Your mileage may vary on that issue.
  • There are great deals on auction sites for the type of watches I previously recommended. When perusing sell-trade boards and even Craigslist, be sure to inquire of the service history, since you need a dependable watch on your arm rather than a repair project. So, either be certain of the service history or, if the price is right, prepare to take it to a qualified “old school” watchmaker now, before the lights go out.
  • Acquire spare watch bands and bracelets. Bands are leather, while bracelets are metal. Acquire properly-sized pins for such as appropriate. If your watch band lug size (the width of your band between the lugs) is a 16mm, 18mm, or 20mm, et cetera, you obtain spare bands that are the SAME size, not smaller.
  • Avoid the tempting ads in many gun and outdoor-type magazines, which hype advertising for “Navy SEALS watch” or other such sales gimmicks. They are just about all Asian quartz battery watches, all dressed up to look “tacti-COOL”. Even if these watches are/were utilized by Navy SEALS or other assorted snake-eaters, they will fail when that battery dies, and you will not have a logistics supply by Uncle Sam to issue you a new one. When you decide on a quality watch for daily use, wear it a few days, swim in it, take showers with it on, and watch for tiny beads of moisture under the dial. If such is found, you need to immediately take it back to your watch repairman, or return it to the seller, if a warranty is available. Before purchasing, advise the seller you will be testing in such a manner and will not be satisfied unless it meets your requirements. Many auction site dealers will give you a “soft-shoe-shuffle” that the watch is sold “as-is”. Do not accept that excuse. If you buy new from a walk-in retail dealer, you have an obvious simplified recourse to correcting the problem. Incidentally, be advised that most all walk-in retail jewelers and watch stores WILL negotiate what they have in the display case, especially if they are independent and locally-owned. The retail price usually represents a 100-200% markup and more. Cash speaks VERY LOUDLY when negotiating!

Also, many local “gold and silver” buyer stores usually have wrist watches and some are repairmen themselves or know of a competent repairman. I do not recommend “pawn shops”. The mileage varies greatly with them, in my experience, and rarely in your favor.

You will likely run across a reference to “NAWCC “– North American Watch & Clock Collectors Association”, an organization which, overall, holds their members to a higher standard of commerce and credibility.

Do your homework, do comprehensive research, read watch blogs, contact auction sellers before bidding, and clarify your questions and needs. Do not pay for “bling” gold or platinum watches, diamond dials, ad nauseum. Precious metals investments are most wise, but considering a gold Rolex as such is quite foolish. Other knowledgeable time enthusiasts may have different views, tastes, ideas, and perspectives. I have drawn on my particular experiences for the purposes of this submission.

I trust this general overview will be of value to survivalists who looked up from their iPhone long enough to realize that “Time Is Of The Essence”.

Letter: Toledo Water Crisis

Hugh:

I live in Toledo and was part of the recent “water crisis”. From what I understand, a Berkey, Lifestraw, or any kind of water pills cannot get rid of “mitocystin”, which was what was in our water. So, we had plenty of “water”, but no way to make it drinkable. I was wondering if your readers:

  1. agree that these won’t work on mitocystin
  2. have any alternative method of purifying water with this in it. – B.J.

Hugh Replies: This is not something that I have knowingly dealt with, so I had to do a little research to come up with an answer. I would be interested in hearing what our readers who are experts have to say on the issue. WHO has several documents on the issue that come up during a standard Google search on “microcystin”. One, in particular, had much useful information. In short, there are several types of microcystin. It is worth mentioning that the toxin affects the liver, so if you drink the contaminated water, you may not notice symptoms immediately. In fact, you may not notice symptoms for years, but the damage is done.

Most microcystins are produced by decaying bacteria and are best removed before the bacteria cell wall ruptures, making any good water filter work at that stage. Even if the toxins are already released, you need to remove the old cellular material, so some sort of physical filtration is a must. Reverse osmosis and nanofiltration can work, if the membrane is small enough, but powdered, activated charcoal will remove most. The exception being Microcystin LA. As preppers, we probably do not have the water test to determine what the contaminate species is, so the activated charcoal should not be used as the primary filter. Interestingly enough, slow sand filters are the recommended removal method. Chlorination and ozonation are also effective. That tells me that a slow sand filter may be in order for my household, and the standard advice of stocking up on calcium hypochlorite is still the best approach.