Potential Bioterrorism Agent Found in Colorado, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

July 2014: One of the deadliest diseases on earth is right here in our own back yard, so to speak…with no vaccine, fatal without antibiotics, and on the CDC’s “Category A List” of potential bioterrorism agents.

Don’t panic just yet. The disease also occurs naturally, as is the case in this month’s outbreak.

However, overnight I’ve changed my outlook on the disease. What I’ve recently described to my students as highly unlikely is instead alive and well on the prairie. I’ve gone from believing I’d never encounter this infection to thinking it’s entirely possible. The next time I see a patient who’s coughing up blood, my mind won’t go immediately to bronchitis or lung cancer. It may jump straight to plague.

As a medical student about three decades ago, I saw a patient with Cryptococcal meningitis. He was a young guy with no good reason to be sick, at least none that we knew. Having just learned of the entity, I asked the attending physician whether it might be AIDS. He laughed, condescendingly, at the oddball suggestion of a neophyte. But it was indeed, and this same meningitis is now considered a sign of HIV, until proven otherwise. That doctor missed the diagnosis because his antenna was down. The disease was too new, too unexpected, and never before seen in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio.

In 1987 a Kentucky nurse told me a young woman I was treating likely had AIDS. Sure, she had a pneumonia and thrush, but AIDS? She was right. Why? This nurse knew the family and that the patient’s cheating husband was bisexual. Her antenna was definitely up.

A doctor can’t diagnose a disease that’s off their radar. It’s guaranteed; your doctor isn’t thinking of plague and has never seen it.

So what makes pneumonic plague an ideal bioterrorist agent? First, it’s openly available. The disease is spread through flea bites and direct contact with animals carrying the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Just harvest some fleas from an infected animal (without killing yourself in the process), and you have your weapon. Next, the infection kills quickly. With an incubation period of only 1–6 days from exposure to onset of symptoms, the disease can spread and kill before it’s even diagnosed. Antibiotics must be started within 24 hours of onset or you die. Thirdly, pneumonic plague can spread from person to person via droplets, the same as a cold or flu (secondary cases). Lastly, initial symptoms are non-specific (fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue) and may lead to a delay in diagnosis. These four characteristics together create the “perfect storm” of a disease.

This isn’t science fiction. As early as 1347, the Tartars used plague as a bioweapon, catapulting plague-ridden corpses into Kaffa, thus spreading the Black Death to Italy. (I’m wondering how they protected themselves?) The Japanese dropped ceramic bomblets of infected fleas on China during WWII. During the Cold War both the Americans and Soviets devised means to aerosolize the Yersinia pestis bacteria.

In May 2000, Denver hospitals participated in a full-scale bioterrorism exercise simulating a release of aerosolized Yersinia pestis at a performing arts center. Their report, “Lessons Learned from a Full-Scale Bioterrorism Exercise” , is fascinating reading. In the simulation, after only one day there were 783 cases of pneumonic plague and already 123 deaths. After two days, the numbers jumped to 1,871 cases and 389 deaths. After the third (and final) day of simulation, 3,700 cases were reported along with 950 deaths, with at least 780 secondary cases and infection spreading to six states outside Colorado– a true Stephen King scenario.

So what lessons did the State of Colorado learn? Long story short, they weren’t prepared. Despite a two-month warning, they found communications were inefficient, staffing was inadequate, appropriate isolation became impossible, and city-wide quarantine was mandated…with little expectation of success. Prophylactic antibiotic distribution was initiated, but the issue of whom to treat was controversial.

The single most important lesson cited was that unless both the spread of the disease and the treatment of ill persons were equally and simultaneously addressed, “the demand for health-care services will not diminish,” meaning the plague could not be stopped.

Diagnosis of the initial case was not the problem. Although currently the disease is rare, it is considered endemic in Colorado, and so health authorities are familiar with the public health management of isolated cases. The problem was the wildfire spread, with secondary cases occurring within two or three days of the initial exposure. If the (greater than) daily doubling death rate continued, by two weeks nearly two million deaths occur. The series looks like: 123, 389, 950, 1900, 3800, 7600, 15200, 30400, 60800, 121600, 243200, 486400, 972800, 1945600. By another eight days, the potential death count exceeds the entire population of the United States.

So what should you do to protect your loved ones and yourself?

  1. Avoid contact with potentially infected hosts, such as squirrels, prairie dogs, rabbits, and rodents, particularly in endemic areas. If living in or visiting the Southwest, don’t let your pups play amongst the prairie dogs…avoid them like the plague.
  2. Avoid all exposure to fleas. Keep your pets treated and away from wild critters. Don’t investigate a rodent die-off on your own; the hungry fleas will be looking for a new host.
  3. Prepare to quarantine your own family for a potentially prolonged period– at least several weeks without leaving your house. Do not allow outsiders in, without first quarantining them in secured isolation (without exposure to the outside world) for a period of at least 10 days.
  4. Prepare an isolation room (preferably an outdoor tent), where a potentially infected person can be safely cared for. Don’t forget gloves and masks and perhaps even gowns.
  5. Develop a communication network within your family and community. Communication difficulties were a major obstacle in the Denver simulation.
  6. Procure some doxycycline and/or ciprofloxacin. Take this article or the study cited above along with you to your next doctor visit and request a personal supply. If your physician is not willing or able to cooperate (there are lots of regulations these days), consider an alternative source, such as antibiotics from another country or an A-B rated USP-grade aquarium antibiotic.

    For post-exposure prophylaxis, the recommended dose is given orally for seven days after close contact (and of course repeated after each contact):

    • Doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for adults, pregnant women, and children >45 kg
    • Doxycycline 2.2 mg/kg twice daily for weight <45 kg, max 200 mg/day
    • Ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily for adults, including pregnant women
    • Ciprofloxacin 20 mg/kg twice daily (max 1,000 mg daily)
    • Currently doxycycline is quite expensive, whereas ciprofloxacin is quite affordable.

    For treatment of actual disease, injectable medications are preferred, primarily streptomycin or gentamicin, or possibly injectable doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, or chloramphenicol. The medication is switched to the oral route once the patient improves.

    Lacking access to injectables, the prophylactic antibiotics listed above should be given for treatment for at least 10 days, preferably 2 weeks, or at least for 2 days after the fever subsides. Remember, antibiotics must be given within 24 hours of onset of symptoms or death is inevitable. By the time pneumonia sets in and you’re coughing up blood, it may be too late.

Pneumonic plague is truly horrific. However, though public authorities now understand they lack the resources to protect everyone, it is still definitely possible to protect your loved ones, yourself, and perhaps your local community.

***

Cynthia J. Koelker, MD is SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor. Bioterrorism is one of the many topics covered in her Survival Medicine Workshops, which you will find at www.armageddonmedicine.net.

Letter Re: Home Brewing for SHTF

Thanks for providing the warning based on scripture concerning alcohol.

Please make sure the readers know and understand that distillation of any alcohol product, without proper state and federal licensing will land them in the federal pen. I don’t think the writer of that post was clear enough on that. We call it ethanol now, but the BATFE still calls it moonshine if the producer doesn’t have his ducks in a row. – G.F.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Police Militarization: The New Search and Seizure

o o o

Owners of FAL, L1A1, and LAR-8 rifles will find these almost indestructible magazines of interest: Moses Mags – JWR

o o o

Going along with today’s article from SurvivalBlog MD, Cynthia Koelker, is this news report: Drug-Resistant Superbug Cases Rise Significantly in Southeastern US. – H.L.

o o o

From the same organization that has your best interests at heart: 300 vials labeled influenza, dengue found at lab. – P.M.

o o o

Russian Intelligence Moves Back Into Cuba. – B.B.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” – Isaiah 57:15 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – July 18, 2014

Today we present another entry for Round 53 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. 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. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. 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
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 53 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

To Use Body Armor or Not, by J.O.

My father, MDL, was a long-time follower of SurvivalBlog. He spent his life in a constant but relaxed state of preparedness. When he found the website, he found kindred spirits from which he could learn and help learn through several articles he contributed. Often I would find him on his tablet reading old articles at odd hours when he couldn’t sleep. He and I would discuss what he had read and try to apply points not just to preparedness plans but to everyday life as well. I have many fond memories of quality time spent with him gardening, canning, dehydrating, hunting, and shooting, as an investment into our family security and survival plan. Sadly, my father has recently passed away, at 42 years of age, after losing his battle with an aggressive cancer.

So here I sit, lamenting the loss of my father– my friend and my mentor– while wondering how best to honor him. After some serious self-reflection, I’ve decided I’m going to take up the standard and continue his legacy, not just because it’s his but because he opened my eyes, and I can’t “un-see” what I’ve seen. His stores, his firearms, and his various odds and ends are now mine, yet I am not he.

I’m an older teen, mature for my age and well trained by my father (a veteran). I’m sure I’ll find my own way of doing things, but the task is daunting from here at the bottom of the mountain called change. I don’t know how he did it all– worked full time, trained often, helped care for my ill mother, and (worst of all) carried on after the death of my older brother. My father was wise and strong, though like all men, flawed. We had many debates centered on where our differences were. So, I submit to you, the readers, one question. Body Armor: To use or not to use; that is the question. Is it in fact nobler in the mind (or body) to suffer the slings and arrow of outrageous misfortune, or can we really be immune to them?

I was spending some time re-inventorying our stores, motivated by the invasion of our borders by sick illegals and foreign fighters posing as such. It was during one of those sessions that I had taken down the fake wall in our storage area (see below) a few days ago and had been staring at three neat stacks (one for me, my mother, and my father) of our bug out gear.

Three hiker’s backpacks hung from bicycle hooks; they were filled with seasonally appropriate clothes, field medical kits, a sleeping bag, a pup tent with camouflage tarp, water purification tabs and filters, and a few days worth of food. On a raised base on the floor below each respective pack were three waterproof weapons lockers with well-tended combat rifles, sidearms, and ammunition (all standardized, of course).

(As a side note, we stole two feet from a wall with no window to accommodate food, water, and gear storage. We framed it out and sheet-rocked, using cut screws except for the four corners and dead center of each sheet. The garage as a whole was taped and spackled with only one thin layer of spackling, so it was very easy to blend this in by carrying it over to the fake wall. We practiced opening up various sections and redoing them to the point that they’re invisible.)

In between the packs and gun lockers, on a table, are three neat stacks of armor: Kevlar helmets, goggles, Class 3a vests, and reinforced elbow pads, knee pads, and gloves (custom made around brass knuckles, which can really change how you shoot).

It’s that stack in the middle I keep going back to. I don’t always know if it is something I’d use except for special circumstances, which I have discussed numerous times with my dad. He loved his armor; in fact he credited it with his lack of scars from shrapnel. However, I’m on the fence. My concerns stem from whether or not my basic medical training, which I received by paying cash for a “survival medicine course” will prove useful if my mother or I are wounded outside of our area of protection. I’m simply not capable of treating a gunshot wound to an artery on the fly, while in a shoot out.

Plus, what if I do successfully treat a wound temporarily, but then my patient dies from sepsis, organ rupture, or severe trauma because I don’t have access to better care? Would it not be more merciful to let a person die to spare them from suffering, provided they can make that decision with a sound mind? Not to mention that, if you have a group and one person is injured, it compromises the effective fighting ability of the collective through loss of manpower in treating a serious wound during a firefight.

Before I ponder any further, allow me to summarize the different levels or classes of body armor out there. (source:globalsecurity.org) These are all surprisingly available at gun shows in friendly states.

Class 1: Offers protection from .22LR, 40gr/1050fps up to .380 ACP FMJ RN 95gr/1025fps. This is very light armor that can be worn all day. It bears mention that .22LR is the most common round in the United States.

Class 2a: Offers protection from 9mm FMJ RN 124gr/1090fps up to .40S&W FMJ 180gr/1025fps in addition to all Class 1 threats. This is also a light vest and can be worn all day without negative issues, except maybe for chafing in warmer weather.

Class 2: Offers protection against 9mm FMJ RN 124gr/1175fps (+P?) and .357Magnum JSP 158gr/1400fps, plus all Class 1 and 2a threats. This is somewhat bulkier and is worn full time by many law enforcement officers.

Class 3a: Offers protection against 9mm FMJ RN 145gr/1400fps and .44Magnum JHP 240gr/1400fps as well as most other handgun threats and class 1 through 2 threats. The aforementioned calibers all being commonplace in many gun collections, class 3a seems to me a reasonable purchase. This level of protection is the highest available, to my knowledge, that can still be concealable. Its bulk can make it an issue for daily usage in warmer climates, which can result in health issues, like heat exhaustion. Some of the newer models can be augmented with steel plates that offer further protection, but this adds to weight and heat.

Class 3: Offers protection against 7.62mm FMJ (M80) 148gr/2750fps as well as class 1 through 3a threats. This armor is heavy and not suitable for daily use. Its benefit comes from tactical use, such as breaching and overcoming barricades. Some of the newer vests, at this level, can be augmented with steel plates. The issues with this level are the same as class 3 but to a somewhat greater extent.

Class 4: Offers protection against .30 Caliber Armor Piercing bullets (M2AP) 166gr/2850fps plus all previous threats. This is the highest level of protection and not suited to daily use. These vests can be reinforced with ceramic plates, which are single use and very heavy.

With all of that mentioned, my father opted to buy us non-concealable armor. He purchased class 3a armor with the ability to accept steel plates for both the torso and the sides. I should mention that the side plates are small but add protection for the lateral torso when you’re in odd shooting positions. My father had determined that other than our initial bug and subsequent guard duty at our retreat, we wouldn’t wear the armor. As well, we would wear it for any and all contact with strangers who may happen upon us. Not just for prudence but for intimidation.

Body armor, though effective, is not an absolute insurance policy against injury or death. While it protects vital organs, it leaves the extremities exposed and provides the wearer with a sense of security greater than what should be. For example, I was trained to shoot a static target wearing armor in the thigh, specifically the femur, so as to sever the femoral artery.

Admittedly, I have no combat experience and remain (thankfully) untested, but there will be many combat veterans who will likely survive the collapse. They will have greater skill than me and can likely make such a shot on a moving target with better accuracy. Even a lucky shot can cause serious injury leading to a slow death or paralysis.

I’m curious to see where you all fall on the issue. For now, I’ll follow my fathers advice and wear my armor in getting to our retreat and while on guard duty, but beyond that I’m not sure. What are the pluses and minuses you’ve considered? Are they worth it? It’s a very personal choice.

Also, the attached article can provide some insight as to my hemming and hawing.

Michael A. Fuoco, “Failure of Officer’s Bulletproof Vest Shakes Confidence,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 19, 2003

Regards.

Letter Re: Arming Your Neighborhood in a World Gone Feral

While we all agree with parts of this writer’s defensive philosophy and parts of all articles written for publication here, we, as a prepping community, have to apply our own skill assessment tools to what we believe is the best method for ourselves. My own life experience parallels JWR and others, and I make my own assessments having lived all over this county in my 65 years of God-endowed life. My credo has been formed and reformed by those life experiences. I enjoy reading all of the published, submitted articles to SurvivalBlog and that several of my own. As we travel this path to what I call prepping, we need to take the parts of those articles that fits the sum of what is right for us. Try not to rely on a “one fits all” solution to your needs; it never will.

As a result, my current location is in a very small isolated town of about 200 residents in North central Nevada; it enjoys very mild seasons and is 50 miles to the nearest town with any stores, fuel stations, or services. Also in those 50 miles, there are no homes or services, so help is the first person you see in the mirror or who you are able to call on your cell, planning for any emergency that arises is a matter of course. It brings reality to your every trip, outing, or need. Common sense is a commodity that you better have or you will learn through experience.

My plan for any scenario is that our location will limit any type of travel by roaming bands of Zombies or anyone else, and if there are any, they would encounter a town that most of the residents are armed and have little remorse for dealing with anyone who threatens them. I have no illusions about trying to bug in, even here; the surrounding 360 degree mountain ranges contain hundreds (yes hundreds) of old mining sites, hidden springs, game, and locations for families, groups, or individuals to maintain themselves. I follow the old sniper saying, “locate, isolate, eliminate” for my strategy.

I maintain my current residence for a primary staging area, a toyhauler for preps, and a ATV with pickup as a bugout vehicle (to relocate to or even pre-stage with stocked remote location). Also, I have a small group of people with the same mindset that have been selected to join and leave as a group, should that option transpire.

Overall J.B. has got his do-do in one basket by saying:

“Don’t get me wrong: My family comes first. However, because I’ve planned ahead and prepared, most emergencies that are commonly encountered won’t be for my family, and we’ll have the luxury of being able to help our friends first, then our neighbors.

Hopefully, readers of this will also have made preparations for emergency scenarios and built relationships with like-minded folks, so they can work together to overcome adversity as a group and assist those less fortunate.

That’s the American way.” – J.B.

(HJL: It is important to note that J.B., the original author, is not suggesting that he, or anyone else, should not bug-out, only that it isn’t optimal, and the article presents a concept to keep from having to leave.)

We can plan for any emergency, but the reality is we might not be able to execute for the one that unfolds real-time. I have survived an explosion that vaporized my right hand, and in that scenario I was in a remote location in New Mexico with no thought (during my youth) of having a first aid kit, cell phones were not invented yet, and it was 45 minutes to the nearest medical facility. That life-altering event set the stage for my self awareness to plan, execute, and train for different scenarios, for myself and for others.

Most people have the intentions, the awareness, and the ability, but execution is the rare missing item that hinders or is going to limit their options should the need arise. How many people, and I include myself when I first started on this life journey acquiring the knowledge, just do not execute their ideas. To be a seasoned prepper means getting your butt in gear and getting the experience before it is thrust upon you.

A majority of people I encounter have an inner awareness that hard times are coming and want or need to do something but don’t. Some carry a false sense of security, thinking that by having two days of food, a rifle with 10 rounds of ammunition, and a relative two states away who has a fully-stocked retreat, makes them a prepper. I try to keep my opinion to myself with that type, by remembering my parent’s saying “You cannot argue with ignorance”. Also, there is another contingent who prep by buying the next great survival item to add to their stash. When you talk to them, they boast about those items but have never opened, used, trained, and gained nothing by acquiring those items. Experience, in my book, is the only teacher, and you had better learn now during the calm. Don’t fall into that trap. Even articles published here may be about something that works for that person or group, but it may be a liability for you. An example is having a camper for use as a bug out vehicle in a remote location or rural area is a great idea, but if you live in a metro area and every few miles, your idea may be a pre-planned disaster waiting to be executed. Leaving way in advance of a coming bad scenario may work, but during an event, you will be a standout target in a sea of others stranded in a super highway parking lot.

The rest of J.B.’s write up is 110% right on. Others who live for the next outing to the mall or dining out and buying that next new consumer item are in for a rude awakening. Getting tight with God is job #1. Praying for his guidance and being an example to others, executing your goals derived by learning will be the safest road you will ever travel in your pursuit of security and safety.

God bless this once great country and those who seek knowledge and through experience will help themselves and, by example, others. – J.M.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Obama admin not screening illegals for infectious disease before flying them on commercial airlines – B.B.

o o o

Trooper admits to stealing from dying motorcyclist. – T.P.

o o o

Thanks to an epic drought that never seems to end, we are witnessing the beginning of a water crisis that most people never ever dreamed was possible in this day and age. 20 Signs The Epic Drought In The Western United States Is Starting To Become Apocalyptic. – H.L.

o o o

Obama’s end-run around Congress for gun control starts rearing its ugly head. If You Own A Kalashnikov Rifle, Obama Just Sanctioned You – H.L.

o o o

SFO’s alleged fake screener is a high-powered financier. – T.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The State always moves slowly and grudgingly towards any purpose that accrues to society’s advantage, but moves rapidly and with alacrity towards one that accrues to its own advantage; nor does it ever move towards social purposes on its own initiative, but only under heavy pressure, while its motion towards anti-social purposes is self-sprung.” – Albert Jay Nock

Notes for Thursday – July 17, 2014

Today we present another entry for Round 53 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. 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. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. 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
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 53 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

LED Grow Lights for Indoor Food Production, by J.H.

Lighting products based on Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology continues to improve. Not only are lights getting cheaper, but the individual LED components are getting more higher powered and both efficiency and lifetimes/longevity are improving. Over time, LED technology is poised to replace the problematic and often loathed Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) as the preferred alternative to traditional incandescent light bulbs.

However, this article is not about ordinary lighting applications but rather LED lighting specifically used for indoor growing applications. The benefits of LED lighting for plant growth, particularly as the technology advances, are truly revolutionary and will change the way indoor food production is done in the years ahead.

These advances are useful to know for those interested in self-sufficiency or survivalist technology. Food can be produced with greater efficiency indoors, whether due to the desire for discretion and security or due to seasonal restrictions.

Existing plant growing technology now consists basically of large incandescent lights, either High Pressure Sodium (HPS) or Metal Halide (MH) bulbs. These are basically large, elongated bulbs capable of operating at powers up to 1000 watts each. They cannot be driven with ordinary A/C power but need a special transformer, called a ballast, to drive the individual bulbs. There is some power loss at the ballast, as well, so the power needs for a 1000 watt bulb can be in excess of 1000 watts. The HPS bulbs and the MH bulbs produce slightly different spectra, with the HPS bulbs producing a redder spectrum and the MH bulbs producing a bluer spectrum, to accommodate different growing needs of plants in their life cycles. The HPS and MH technology also require different ballasts to run, although some ballasts today are switchable and can accommodate both technologies. A bulb of this sort typically costs about $70-$100 and can be expected to last for 6,000 – 8,000 hours before needing replacement.

A quick point to be made here is that indoor grows can be either based on ordinary soil (pots of plants) or hydroponic (soilless) technology. I won’t get much into the specifics of either, except to say the hydroponic grows tend to be more efficient, but they add some complexity to your system. According to some viewpoints, hydroponic grows can double the production of plant products for the same energy input into them. However, either technology still needs light to provide energy for the plants, so either will benefit from more efficient light production.

The main advantages of LED grow lights are efficiency of power use, longevity, and ease of powering. (They can be driven with DC sources.) In addition to these main points, LEDs have some secondary advantages as well.

If you’ve read any information on LED grow lights (especially the ads), you will hear them indicating that LEDs provide the same equivalent light for one-third or even one-tenth the power. So, for example, a 100 watt LED light provides the same benefit to the plant as a 1000 watt HPS. I’m not sure I’d believe those claims, but if you had two lights of comparable power, the LEDs would definitely be more advantageous. It’s hard to quantify exactly what the advantage is, but something like 2X or 3X is probably not out of bounds. To date, LEDs still have had limited impact with growers because costs are still high, and, perhaps more importantly, overall wattage is still on the low side. Whereas HPS and MH lights top out at 1000 watts apiece, it’s hard to find an LED light that’s more than 200-300 watts. This is slowly changing, and larger units are becoming available.

The reason for the greater efficiency is twofold. First, the LED lights themselves produce light more efficiently. Second, since LEDs can produce narrow bands of wavelengths of light, by selecting the correct wavelengths that plants respond to the most (the red and blue light bands), one can build a light that only uses energy for the wavelengths that plants like. In general, plants make little use of light in the green area, which is why plants tend to be green, as the green light is reflected back to our eyes. So, a light that avoids those bands not only saves energy but avoids bombarding the plant with light energy it can’t make use of energy. For this reason, LED grow lights tend to produce a reddish-purplish hue. An example of this (May, 2014) is NASA’s Veg-01 growing experiment to grow lettuce on the ISS.

[A brief aside on light wavelengths: Ordinary white light is made up of particles (or photons) each with an individual wavelength. The visible light spectrum consists of light with wavelengths of 400 to 700 nanometers (nm). The visible light colors start with blue or violet at 400 nm up through green, yellow, and orange and ending at red at 700 nm. Outside of our visible range is ultraviolet light at shorter wavelengths (below 400 nm) and infrared light at longer wavelengths (above 700 nm).]

The main energy gatherers in plants are structures known as chlorophyll. These exist in two main varieties– chlorophyll-A and chlorophyll-B. Both have absorption peaks in the blue range, about 450 nm. Chlorophyll-A has another narrow peak in the red range at 660 nm. Chlorophyll-B has another narrow peak in the red range at 630 nm. So any lights you use or buy should have all of these wavelengths covered. Any light that does not specify their wavelengths should be avoided! Some lights have additional bands, which are probably okay, and the ratio of the different colors can vary. Any lights that do not have the 660 nm wavelength should be avoided, as some plants cannot flower, or grow poorly, without the 660 nm light. In terms of ratio, a proportion of 30% blue (450 nm), 50% red (630 nm) and 20% red (660 nm) is not a bad mix. Opinions on this vary.

So, to summarize (and get us back on track), the fact that individual LED elements can produce a narrow bandwidth of light means that grow light systems can be tailored to provide only the light that the plants need, which saves energy as unneeded spectra are not produced. So LEDs are more efficient with energy use compared with broad spectrum light sources, like HPS and MH lights.

LEDs are VERY long lived. Longevity is typically 70,000 – 80,000 hours at nominal current draw. Even then, that is only the timeframe when output has dropped by some specified value; for example, its output may be 30% lower than nominal “new” values, but the LEDs are still operating. LEDs can operate, with reduced performance for 100,000 hours or more. Given 12-hour growing days, this is a lifetime of more than 20 years’ worth of growing days. This compares with a HPS bulb, which has a nominal lifetime of about 8,000 hours, but is typically replaced after 6,000 hours due to lower performance.

This isn’t to say an LED light won’t break. There are other components in the light (electronics, fans, etc.) that could be subject to failure. These would have to be repaired, but as long as the LEDs are not subjected to extreme heat or excessive current, they should be fine and live a long, full life.

The third advantage to LED lights is their ease of power. HPS and MH lights need an A/C power source which feeds a ballast to provide the needed voltages to the lights. There is some power loss in the ballast, and if power is suddenly lost, some lights require a 30 minute cool-down before they can be re-lit.

LEDs, on the other hand, can be powered from DC sources, can be turned on and off at will, and have no ballast requirements. They are a perfect light source for power systems that have either a DC supply, such as solar panels or battery banks. Of course, most LED lights for the market are not DC powered and plug into the wall, but the underlying power driving the LED lights is a direct voltage. This all translates to added efficiency of LED lights when used with a system with DC power sources.

These are the main advantages of LED lights for use in self-sufficient living systems. In addition, there are secondary advantages to LED lighting systems as well. I will touch on them a little bit, in the context of self-sufficient living situations.

LED lights produce heat, but they do not project heat.

If you work with LED lights, they are kind of strange beasts. Unlike an ordinary 60 watt light bulb, which would burn you if you touched it, LED lights project almost no heat. As a result, plants are not subject to burning on LEDs the same way plants under incandescent HPS or MH lights are. Also, evaporation due to heat is reduced in plants grown under LEDs. Finally, plants grown under LEDs do not have to expend energy “fending off” unneeded light and heat sent to them by incandescent lights. This results in faster growing and reduced water use.

This is not to say that LED lights do not produce heat; they do. The heat is just not projected out to the plants. Instead, the light itself heats up. Larger LED lights often have built-in fans, like computer cases, to keep them cool.

This leads to an interesting opportunity for self-sufficient living systems. Wintertime living in northern climates can be challenging, from a fuel perspective, as residences need some form of heating. Many self-sufficient residences opt for baseboard heating, as they have access to some electrical power sources, such as wind turbines and (reduced) solar energy. Instead of dumping that power into heating modules, why not send some of it to grow lights as well? The residence still benefits from the heating, and there is food production, as well.

Plants grow differently under LED lights.

There are enough environmental differences when using LED lights, that the plant themselves grow a bit differently. Mostly, this seems to be in the area of water use, but there may be some other changes as well. The plants benefit from the reduced heat stress. By turning on just the blue lights, you can enhance plant bushiness. By turning on just the red lights, you can get the plants to stretch further. (This requires lights that have selective control on their red and blue spectra, of which many do NOT have.) In general, it’s a somewhat different (but more productive) growing environment that might need a bit of effort to get used to.

Summary

For self-sufficient living, you need food. Ideally, you can just grow it outside, but seasonal and security considerations might make this not feasible all of the time. If the decision is made to grow food indoors, LED grow lights are the clear choice to use for your light source (barring the sun, of course). They offer energy efficiency, longevity, efficient water use, and the ability to work with a DC power system. No other lighting technology should be given serious consideration. Good luck and good growing!

Letter Re: Arming Your Neighborhood in a World Gone Feral

Hello,

While I agree with a lot of what was written, I strongly object to the writer’s defensive philosophy. He’s taking a modern strategic approach and applying it to SHTF firefight scenarios. In my opinion they are not similar.

In small unit combat, the attacker has the advantage. The attacker can choose the time, the place, and if the defenders are dug-in and cannot pursue (counterattack), the attacker can choose when and under what circumstances to withdraw. If it’s going poorly they can withdraw and regroup for the next try. In short, the only scenario in which the defender wins is if they wipe out an attacker that either chooses to not withdraw or cannot do so for some reason. This is usually because the defender counterattacks or maneuvers to cut off withdraw (an envelopment). Both involve the defender turning into an attacker.

That 3-1 ratio is what’s needed against a layered, strategic defense. A QRF (quick reaction force) on radio standby along with a few people walking around with rifles and shotguns for security is hardly a layered defense. A determined force that’s done some intelligence gathering, is armed to the teeth, and attacking at the break of dawn can easily overwhelm a numerically superior defender on a tactical (small) scale. On a strategic scale, the element of surprise is very difficult, and it’s simply who can punch the hardest, the longest, and the farthest. – J.S.

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In “Arming Your Neighborhood in a World Gone Feral” by E.M., we get treated to another “arm your neighbors” point of view for an extraordinarily unlikely “end of the world” contingency.

E.M. says if you can’t trust your neighbors with the guns you provide them, he suggests that you should move. However, people who aren’t gun owners generally aren’t gun people. Even “gun people”, untrained, aren’t the most effective when it comes to defensive rifle- or pistol- craft.

At Appleseed shoots, for instance, we do an initial skills assessment and a majority of shooters aren’t even effective out to 100 yards. Many aren’t even “on paper” and excuses for a lack of competence with their rifles come freely and abundantly, sometimes muttered quietly, others not so much.

In fact, giving acquaintances who aren’t gun owners their first gun for self-defense may prove a liability to everyone’s health and well-being. Think negligent discharges or firing off rounds inappropriately and inadvertently shooting a friendly before properly identifying a potential threat.

I can’t help but find myself asking, “What is he thinking?”

Don’t get me wrong. May God bless E.M.’s plan to repel hordes of smelly, unshaven, mutant, biker mauraders with crooked teeth alongside of his neighbors, but I’d like to offer an alternative scenario and still yet another more likely scenario.

The first rule of winning a gunfight I teach in my gun classes is simply not to show up. You live every time that way. If something bad happens suddenly, you make the best of what you’ve got, of course.

However, 99 and 44/100ths percent of the time, you will have an opportunity to make yourself scarce before things go so badly that you find yourself in a position to be lawfully pointing a gun at other people.

As an example, if you’re at Denny’s while two groups engage in a fight over maple syrup or some woman’s honor, this is a time when you should make yourself scarce, instead of ordering up some popcorn and videotaping it on your iPhone.

Your car is your escape pod, and it’s usually always nearby. Keep your car fueled, and keep basic supplies in your trunk. Keep things like an MRE or three (or Heater Meals, if you want to blend in with the sheep), water, flashlight & batteries, work boots, and gloves, warm clothes, a hat, and winter gloves, some basic tools, and so forth.

You should already have an emergency evacuation plan in place. (Google “Listening to Katrina” for a great, albeit not yet finished, guide) to leave your home in short order in case of fire or other emergency.) That plan will help you protect your health, wealth, and ability to earn an income, while not losing all of the aforementioned, defending the indefensible.

I live in a pretty decent neighborhood today, and in a stroke of luck, live within a block of one of my team of instructors (which happened by accident, not by design) and also a former student.

I recognize that neither my home nor my neighborhood is defensible, if there are more than a few desperate or violence-prone individuals prowling nearby. I’m not going to pull a Don Alejo Garza Tamez True Grit suicide mission defending my home. No, I’m getting me and mine the heck out of dodge, if things are getting that bad, and you should too.

And because of relationships I’ve developed, I’m lucky enough to have the right sort of friends who will come move us out if it’s really getting bad, as I’d do for them.

Most of my neighbors in that unlikely apocalyptic mayhem scenario are on their own. Life’s full of choices. Those who chose to take golf lessons instead of shooting lessons? Let them accept the consequences of going up against violent predators with a five iron or a putter.

All of that aside, the localized emergency is more likely such as a tornado, earthquake, or massive winter storm or maybe a hurricane for those readers within a couple hours of the coast.

You’re probably not going to need your guns or your tactical skills, if you have those emergencies, certainly not right away. Instead, you’re gonna need a pair of work gloves and boots, a decent flashlight, and the willingness to help close friends, if they need you. If they are fine, then you’ll look out for your immediate neighbors.

In my case, this might mean shoveling some snow, so the frail old woman who had a bypass last year doesn’t have to. Or making sure my neighbors have a working flashlight or two and anything else they might need if the power goes off or perhaps a warm place to stay for a time if the power is out in the wintertime. Tip: Offering a Thermos of hot chocolate or hot soup to the old couple next door unsolicited will further cement your reputation as a great neighbor, and they’ll go out of their way to look out for you in the future.

No, most of the SHTF we’re likely to encounter is not going to involve guns, marauders, or thugs preying on sheep. It’s not going to involve a crash course in teaching non-gunowners to use that double-barrel coach gun for home defense. It is, though, going to involve being a good neighbor for those less fortunate or prepared.

Don’t get me wrong: My family comes first. However, because I’ve planned ahead and prepared, most emergencies that are commonly encountered won’t be for my family, and we’ll have the luxury of being able to help our friends first, then our neighbors.

Hopefully, readers of this will also have made preparations for emergency scenarios and built relationships with like-minded folks, so they can work together to overcome adversity as a group and assist those less fortunate.

That’s the American way. – J.B.

Economics and Investing:

America’s Biggest Scam: The “Free Market”

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We are absolutely in a stock market bubble: Corporate equity valuations now higher than peak reached in 2007. Crestmont P/E of 26.3 is 90 percent above its average of 13.9.

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Big Banks Look To Cash In Using D.C.’s Revolving Door

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Obama’s economic “recovery”: fewer than half of US adults have full time jobs. – B.B.

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Federal Reserve’s Dual Mandate Disappointment; Will Private Investment Clean Up Slack?