Scot’s Product Review: Malkoff

Thanks to all of the folks who are writing me about products to review. It really helps. One common thread in several letters is to test affordable stuff, and that’s going to be a priority. Please keep the ideas coming! They really help.

Malkoff might be another word for light. It is all thanks to Gene Malkoff going out one night to protect his chickens and realizing he needed a better flashlight. The Enterprise, Alabama man tried an LED light but just wasn’t happy with it. He decided he could come up with something better. After some hard work, he produced a drop-in LED head for the ubiquitous Maglite. As soon as other folks saw it, they wanted one, and he wound up in the business of making them. As time passed, he added more heads for other lights, like the Surefire 6P and Streamlight SL20X. He then began his own line of flashlights.

In case you are wondering, there are at least three big deals about LED lights. First, they save batteries. Second, they can produce more light than the older incandescent bulbs. Third, they can be a lot sturdier. If you drop a flashlight with an incandescent bulb, the filaments often break, especially if the light is on. An LED will usually just keep on going. Also, if it matters, they aren’t as hot.

Not all LED’s are equal, though. I tried several over the years, and while I appreciated the better battery life, they usually didn’t seem to produce as good a quality of light as the trusty old incandescent ones. I was lucky indeed when a friend pointed me to Malkoff, because their heads really do a great job. I now have one in the Surefire 6P that lives in my pants pocket and another in a five D-cell Maglite that lives in the bedroom. Both have been very positive additions to my quest to see in the dark. I love my Surefire 6P. I love it so much that I’ve worn almost all of the black paint off in the 22 or so years I’ve carried it. The only problem I’ve had is how quickly it gobbled up the expensive CR123 batteries it uses. I tried another brand LED head in it, which did extend battery life, but it just didn’t work as well in the light area as the original. Enter the Malkoff. It equaled or bettered the original incandescent head to my eyes and still doubled the battery life. Even better, as the batteries died, the head still puts out light. It just kind of tapers off to dim instead of bright. A lot of times, with the original head, it would pretty much just rapidly die. They have about eleven heads that can be used on the popular Surefire 6P style lights. You get a choice of light colors (cool or warm); high, medium, and low outputs; and single or multiple output levels. I actually found it a bit daunting to choose one, but they give you a lot of information to help you pick. You also have to consider how many and what type of batteries are in your light. The 6P has normally two CR123’s for six volts. You can also opt for rechargeable batteries, which provide less voltage. Watch for the voltage information while shopping. I chose a plain old boring output head for my Surefire. Malkoff also makes some of the multiple output ones that go from dim to bright to blinding with some quick pushes on the switch. I like the idea, but the times I’ve played with this sort of light, I always seemed to be on the wrong output. It’s easier for me to just have one level to worry about. If I need it dimmer, I put a finger over the lamp to reduce it to whatever light level I need. I had wanted to buy the M61W that has the warm tint to match incandescent bulbs . It lists for $59.00. When I was shopping, however, they had some blemished M61’s at a very good price, so I went with that instead and have not been disappointed. It lists price for $55.00. The reason I wanted the warm tint head is because I think I see better with a yellowish light than the blue light we usually gets with an LED. The air here has a lot of humidity, and it is something like driving in fog when the light scatters and reflects back into your eyes. Bluish light seems worse than yellow light. The head I got was a lot yellower than the LED it replaced, and I think it is at least as good as the original incandescent. Eventually, I want to check out the warm tint head, but the price I got on this one was too good to pass. It has an excellent beam, too. There is a nice hot center that can momentarily blind anyone you hit with it, but there is also enough spill so that you can easily use it to light up a room. You can use some of the heads for the 6P in the three cell Surefire 9P. They also have two heads just for the three cell lights. They don’t extend battery life very much, but they put out a stunning amount of light. One big point about flashlights is that the reflector needs to be well designed, so that it functions properly with the light source. Many of the Malkoff reflectors are custom designed for both the LED used in the head and the particular flashlight they are designed for. This clearly optimizes the light quality you get.

The Maglite head is even more remarkable than the one for my 6P. It lists for $44.00. It easily doubled the distance at which I could see things around my house and yard. Battery life on it went from bearable to phenomenal. I often use this light to look at things out on the lake we live on, and it really cuts through the haze that comes off of the water. The Malkoff minimizes that. The Maglite heads do use the original reflector, but it has to be modified. They do offer a modified one, which I bought rather than cutting up my original. This allows me to restore the light to original specs, should the need ever arise. I have this bad feeling, though, that I won’t be able to find it should I need it, sigh. The benefit of using the original reflector is that you retain the ability to focus or spread the beam of light. I don’t think you have quite as much adjustment as with the original bulb, but it works quite well. You get far more reach with this head than with the original. The color of the light is similar to the one I bought for my Surefire, and it works quite well. My light takes five D cells, but they have heads for lights with fewer batteries as well as for C-cell Maglites. The Malkoff heads, especially the one for the Maglite, are blinding. Malkoff warns that they can cause eye damage at close range, so be careful with them. I keep them away from my nine-year-old, unless I am on hand to supervise. On the other hand, if you have an intruder, you can certainly make it hard for him to see you, just by hitting him in the eyes with it and then moving. There is a lot of information on the Malkoff site about their lamp heads and flashlights. I’ve found their information on battery life and effective light throw to be pretty accurate. I don’t have the means to properly measure actual light output, but the response when folks see them is always, “Wow, that’s bright!” Malkoff sometimes has blemished units for sale at great prices. As noted, my Surefire head is blemished, but I am puzzled to know what made it that way. They said it was a cosmetic blemish that would not affect the quality of light. I’ve had no issues with it over the two years I’ve been carrying it (and dropping it). When I have had questions, I have gotten speedy replies from Malkoff. I also liked the personal “thank you” written on both invoices I’ve received. I was especially pleased to spot this on their website: “I Love God, My Family, and My Country. It is my Belief that Traditional Family Values and Honest Work are the Pathway to Happiness.” I’m always happier when I can do business with people who openly express these values, because that sort of person usually cares enough to make a good product and stand behind it. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor, Scot Frank Erie

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Spice Cake, by DEC

I have always loved cooking with sourdough. It is super easy to make and keep a jar of sourdough sitting on the counter, ready for use in bread, cakes, pizza dough, or anything else. My favorite recipe of all is Sourdough Spice Cake:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sourdough
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable cooking oil (I use olive oil)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp cloves (ground)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1 cup flour, if the sourdough is thin

Directions

To sourdough, mix in sugar, oil, and eggs. Add in milk, salt, and vanilla. Add spices. Stir well, but do not beat hard. Fold in soda and baking powder. Add flour, only if sourdough is thin. Bake in 9-inch tins for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

* This also makes a very good chocolate cake by replacing spices with three squares of melted, semi-sweet baker’s chocolate.

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

Letter Re: So You Think Starting a Garden Will Be Easy After TEOTWAWKI

I have been meaning to post this information online and have not found a good venue for it, but reading the responses to the article So You Think Starting a Garden Will Be Easy After TEOTWAWKI inspired me to contact you for your consideration of adding this little tidbit for your blog followers.

The second letter response to the article stated that “We put dehydrated tomatoes and peppers in pint canning jars, put a tiny hole in the center of the lid, put on a Pump ‘N Seal seal, pump out the air, and place in our cool, dark, root cellar.”

I bought a Pump-N-Seal some years back from an As Seen On TV store for about $19.99. I did not like using it for the ziplock bags but loved the idea for the jars. However, the pin prick in the lid and the tape to cover the hole still bothered me. After tons of web crawling, I could not find any alternatives. Then I started using my own brain cells and deductive reasoning.

I bought two of the Mason Jar lid attachments– one wide mouth and one regular mouth– that work with the FoodSaver vacuum sealer. I thought the Pump-N-Seal hose would fit directly in the lid, but it didn’t. The lids did not come with the tubing, so I went online and bought the accessory hose from FoodSaver. I think the cost of the accessory hose was $3.00. Then, I paid $5.00 for shipping. UGH! The Pump-N-Seal hose fits perfectly in the tubing, and of course the tubing is designed for the lid attachment. Now, I am able to use my Pump-N-Seal to vacuum out the air in my canning jars! I was SO excited!!!! I have been meaning to share, but like I said, I didn’t get around to it until just now after I read that post to your blog.

This was a great alternative for me because the FoodSaver vacuum sealer is rather expensive, and I am always looking for alternatives for when the power is out. The only other thing I am planning to explore are O2 packets and desiccants for my dehydrated goods.

Food Saver Lid, Regular and Wide-Mouth

Food Saver Accessory hose

Thank you for your blog! Also, thanks to your reader who wrote the response that inspired me to finally get this information out!!!!

HJL Replies: This is a great way to save dehydrated foods and one that I use myself. In fact, there will be a future article forthcoming that takes this approach to a whole new level for the prepper. Both the Tilla Food Saver Lid attachment and the Pump-N-Seal work well together. You can use the Food Saver when you have electricity, and the Pump-N-Seal makes a nice power-free backup. It also works for things other than food. For example, oxygen is the enemy of rubber, and if you use the Tattler reusable lid system, you can also vacuum pack your extra rubber seals in mason jars to extend their life.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Manpads – They obviously work: Videos show Ukrainian surveillance plane shot down by MANPADS (and crew jump from it). – T.P.

Also, Youtube video of the Downed AN-30.

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Congressman Just Confirmed the Border Patrol is Being Shot At. – D.S.

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The Electrical Grid May Well Be The Next War’s Battlefield. – G.G.

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Former Border Patrol agent warns what’s coming. – B.B.

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A national identity scheme goes global: Estonia takes the plunge. – G.G.

Notes for Sunday – July 20, 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.

Our Struggle With Survivalism, by R.B.

This is an honest attempt to put into writing the struggle my family and I have with the issues surrounding our involvement in survivalism and the potential of a societal collapse that may or may not occur within our lifetime. I am doing this because I tend to think more clearly if I put my thoughts into writing, and that forces me to be a bit more precise in my thinking. Additionally, perhaps others like me are struggling with the same life-changing decisions and may find my thoughts helpful.

Obviously, the first issue to deal with is whether or not I/we truly believe there is a very real possibility that the economic situation in our nation is so severe that the likelihood or probability of a true economic collapse simply must be considered as we plan for our family’s future. I am not speaking of an economic recession, like that of 2008, but of an event or series of events that will result in an economic collapse greater than that of the so-called “Great Depression” of the 1930’s. The reason for my pessimism concerning the magnitude of the potential collapse is due to several factors:

  1. The incredible size of our national debt, which at the moment (Spring of 2014) is quickly approaching 18 trillion dollars with no sign of any significant slowing.
  2. The current situation is clearly unsustainable, yet there appears to be a complete lack of will by our government to deal with our national debt and to curb our governmental spending, which currently is at a rate that requires our nation to borrow $.40 of each dollar we spend.
  3. The virtually unreported and unconsidered “Derivatives Bubble”, which, if it bursts, would require more money than exists in the world to “fix it”, is simply beyond repair now.
  4. The irresponsibility of the mainstream media or even cable media to forthrightly discuss the possibility of such a collapse (I believe because no one wants to be the first media outlet to issue a “sky is falling” prediction and be wrong about it) dis-enables our citizens to adequately consider or prepare for such a disaster. Also, our government wants everyone to believe that nothing is wrong at all and that life will go on as usual, even though they know that is not the case.
  5. The increasing inability of our culture to live independently from governmental support (Social Security, EBT cards, disability support, Medicare, Medicaid, and other welfare programs of various kinds) mitigates against planning to live independently as adults.
  6. The fact that only about 3.4 percent of our population actually knows how to farm, and even that group has become dependent on modern technology to live an agrarian lifestyle. This means that the ability to sustain the food supply to the 96.6 percent of Americans who live in urban areas, without significant food production capabilities of their own, would be placed in immediate jeopardy if the finely tuned, computer-controlled transportation system that brings food to them were to be disrupted for more than three days.
  7. Our culture’s deteriorating sense of ourselves as a nation (spurred on in part by the completely uninhibited illegal immigration of millions of Latin Americans and others who are flowing across our unsecured southern border) disenables us to act cohesively as a people for the common good.
  8. The complete lack of concern about the inflation of our national currency and the economic policies based on the Keynesian economic fantasy mitigate against addressing this concern in any realistic way.
  9. The increasing tendency of our national population to give up more and more personal freedom to an ever-increasing, centralized, federal government, without any seeming understanding of those values and principles that enabled this country to become prosperous in the first place, coupled with a public education system that no longer teaches these values and principles but is complicit in the general population’s capitulation to less and less personal freedom, has produced a population which is increasingly unable to see themselves as free, accountable people who do not view themselves as independent adults. We are virtually training (not educating) our children to be subservient to and dependent on the government!

This primary issue of whether or not an economic collapse will occur is the foundation for all that follows. If you believe the odds are in favor of the sustainability of the national and/or global economy, then we need do nothing and continue to live as we always have. If, on the other hand, you truly believe that our economy cannot be sustained, then everything we do from that point forward is of critical importance! To honestly believe that there will be a collapse and to do nothing to prepare our families for it would be the height of complete foolishness and irresponsibility. The often unspoken fear of survivalists is: What happens if we completely rearrange our lives only to discover that the collapse never occurs? I hope to address this question and others in this paper.

I would suggest the following principles in considering becoming a survivalist:

  1. Once a decision is made that you truly and honestly believe that an economic collapses will occur, then there is no going back. Either you’re all in, or you need to be all out! From the moment of decision on, you must plan on living on no income at all, except what you can generate by means of providing a service or product to others in a barter economy when the collapse comes.
  2. To adopt a survivalist lifestyle is to understand that whether or not a collapse occurs, you will be satisfied with the survivalist life you have chosen.

The second major issue in the consideration of being a survivalist is:

Shall we relocate to a retreat location in a rural area of the U.S., or shall be “bug in” where we live?

This is, by far, the most difficult decision of all for survivalists, but it is more difficult for some than for others. For my family we are fortunate to be retired, because that enables us not to be tied to employment for our livelihood. However, it also means giving up what we thought was our retirement home and adopting an unanticipated lifestyle. The downside of being seniors is that we are simply not as physically capable as we used to be. Rural, self-sufficient living is strenuous! Then again, life anywhere after a collapse will be strenuous! Generally, if you are young (20’s – 40’s), I would be far more willing to head for a new lifestyle than if I were older (50’s – 70’s). For those who are younger, make whatever sacrifices you have to make and just get it done if you are convinced that a collapse is inevitable. This means that if it is necessary to work at a different profession, then do what you have to do to achieve that end. You have the luxury of time and stamina to make that happen. If you are older, like me, then often your own health or that of your loved ones will dictate whether or not a move to a rural area is the wisest move for you. However, even seniors need to keep a few things in mind:

  1. Lots of older people still live in rural areas and have become comfortable with less shopping (or less frequent shopping) than urban residents enjoy.
  2. Lots of older people in rural areas are accepting of the inconvenience of longer trips to see the doctor and dentist. It’s a matter of mindset.
  3. Then there’s the more unpleasant reality of living in a rural setting. Emergency services cannot respond quickly in some rural areas. A long ambulance ride to a hospital an hour or more away can cost a lot of money, and sometimes it can cost you your life. Most older people living in rural areas simply accept that as a price they are willing to pay to live a rural life. Besides, in the event of a collapse, there won’t be any emergency services anywhere anyway. We will all be on our own and the death rate for illnesses and accidents will simply be higher. What’s more that will be true in both urban and rural areas. As a Christian man, I understand that the death rate has been holding steady at 100 percent since the beginning of time (with a few notable exceptions– Enoch and Elijah, for example). Regardless of where you live as a senior, you will likely die sooner in any post- collapse setting than younger people will. So be it! I do not fear death, but I’m not particularly looking forward to the process. That is true whether or not there is a societal collapse! Therefore, the possibility of dying is not a deterrent to living in a rural setting. In fact, it may save me from the indignity of dying in a nursing home. (In a collapse scenario, there will not likely be any functioning nursing homes anyway.) Regardless of whether or not my death comes to me a bit sooner or later really makes no significant difference. I belong to Jesus Christ, and I am very much looking forward to a life after this one. That will likely be even more true after a societal collapse!

What are some of the important considerations for selling a home and moving to a retreat?

  1. To sell your house now (while the economy is relatively stable and the housing market is better than it was in 2008-2010), will produce the most income for purchasing a new home, and having the resources to improve your preparedness at your retreat home.
  2. If you choose to “bug in” to your present urban home, you will need to understand that when the collapse comes, your neighbors are both a blessing and a curse. If you are one of the very few in your neighborhood who have prepared with stockpiling food and water, then it is quite possible that you will become a prime target of your otherwise friendly neighbors when they run out of their own essentials in about a week or two. If you bug in, keep your preparations very, very quiet, or you could have a line up of neighbors at your door begging or demanding your food, water, guns, and ammo, and you may well be placed in a situation of having to use lethal force against your own neighbors to keep your own family alive.
  3. If you choose to move to a rural retreat, the above scenario might still happen, but it is far less likely. First, they have to know where you are and how to get there, and then they will have to overcome whatever defenses you have prepared to secure your retreat. Second, such encounters are much less likely, not only because there are far fewer people in the area to threaten you, but rural people are far more likely to be more self-sufficient themselves and have no need of what you have. Moreover, in such an area you may well be able to establish a network of neighbors who are mutually self-sufficient, who can help support your efforts at provision and security. The likelihood of such cooperation occurring in an urban area is nearly non-existent over time.
  4. Most survivalist writers believe that lots of people in a societal collapse will “Double Up” with others for living arrangements. This means that family and friends will find themselves living together in expanded “family” structures to provide for security and share the increased workload. Those who plan for this have the advantage of being able to choose their expanded “family” members instead of just sitting back and seeing who ends up coming to your door without sufficient supplies for themselves.
  5. Other considerations respecting whether or not to have a “bug out” destination or to live in a rural retreat setting are as follows:
    1. Planning on traveling to a bug out location in the event of a societal collapse means that you have to find a way to safely get there. If this requires traveling through a metropolitan area of any kind, this could be a very dangerous trip because our urban areas will be the very first to see food riots, gangs operating at will in a Law Enforcement vacuum, and unscrupulous individuals setting up road blocks for the purpose of stealing others’ food and valuables. Law and order will very quickly break down!
    2. Living in a rural retreat setting enables you to stay home in the midst of the societal turmoil and to have the benefit of all your household goods, while even a well-stocked bug out location will require you to leave most of what you’ve acquired over your lifetime in the hands of looters. You will loose your home and all that is left in it. I fully admit that moving (especially if you’re a senior) is awful, but moving to a bug out location and abandoning your own home to looters is even worse!
    3. Travel to your bug out location may need to be on foot, if our nation is attacked by a high altitude Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP), nuclear weaponry. There are rogue nations and terrorist organizations that would love to destroy this country and will do so if they can. An EMP would be the easiest possible way to destroy this country, since an EMP would destroy virtually all printed circuitry in our financial systems, our military, our vehicles, and literally anything electronic. In such an event, unless you own a pre-1975 vehicle, you will not be able to get to your bug out location where all your preparations are, and unless you’ve stockpiled gasoline, the gas stations will not work either.
    4. Your bug out location is a minimally-secured treasure of preparations for others to loot and steal. If your bug out location is left without someone present to guard it, no matter how many locks you put on the doors and how many bars you put on the windows, a determined thief will have no problem in your absence breaking an entry into your unguarded bug out location. Imagine going to all the effort to become well prepared only to arrive at your bug out location to discover that others have helped themselves to your property. Now, in that situation, you have abandoned your home and have no way to sustain yourself through the crisis.

In the end, one simply must decide if they believe that, given the evidence at hand, there will or will not be an economic collapse in this nation that will likely also be a global economic collapse as well. To disbelieve clear evidence simply because the ramifications of such a collapse are too unpleasant to contemplate is not a rational conclusion. In order to opt out of survivalism, one must honestly and with conviction weigh the evidence of our current economic situation and come to the conclusion that there really is nothing to fear. If that is the case, then no adjustment to life need be made.

However, if we honestly look at the economic situation and determine that what we observe us untenable and unsustainable, then inaction is nothing but foolishness. Also, while no one wants to experience a societal collapse with all the horror and hardship that comes with it, to believe it will happen but to do nothing is to be completely irresponsible for the welfare of our families and our nation. To paraphrase the argument from the gun rights folks: It is better to be prepared and not need it, than to need preparation and not have it.

Two Letters Re: Justifying Preparation

Hugh:

Here in Georgia, a hurricane right up the middle puts power lines in the road and shuts down traffic for a minimum of 30 days. Evidence of that result can be found in the Connecticut Governor’s response to Hurricane Sandy, which was to shut down all state highways. There was no traffic and no grocery store resupply. Counting on FEMA to show up in three days is foolish. In the aftermath of Katrina, it was churches that carried the day rather than FEMA. My family up in New Jersey during Sandy was at the end of their rope after about 10 days, when the power finally returned. The threats from nature that we all face could easily justify 45 days without power and resources.

All that other “economic sky is falling” stuff is why I have seeds, a developed garden, coin, hand tools, “friends”, and the ammunition for my “friends”. All that “sky is falling” stuff justifies three to four months of food, assuming it happens seasonally at the worst moment. Nature and the business I am in demand that I be front and center for my customers, so OPSEC is not really an option. I work to encourage preparation on the part of my customers, my people. It is my job. It is my promise.

I love the information your blog provides. It has helped validate and guide. – R.

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Just a few short items for Justifying Prep to mull over. If cash flow permits and storage space is available, why not start slow and buy items you are going to use anyway? Buy when on sale and you will not only be prepping but also saving money!! Three years ago I needed to get my wife of 40+ years into the prepping frame of mind, so I asked her “If the Lord allows us to be here on this earth a year from now, do you think we will need toilet paper?” Her response: that was the stupidest question I had ever ask. I then asked her the cash and space question. She did not respond. However, two weeks later she came in from shopping and told me there were three large bundles of paper in the car. We now have converted a closet into a second pantry and rotate, rotate, rotate. To her, the buying in bulk while on sale is now the norm and says we should have been doing that all along. This has made it agreeable for me to expand, in depth, into many other areas of prepping that is not of interest to you at this time. Ask yourself two other questions– “How often did my grandparents and great-grandparents go to the store for supplies?” and “Are there loved ones that would benefit from my prepping, if needed?” Prepping, if done logically and with planning, can bring peace of mind and save money. It is also biblical. The bible instructs prepping in every aspect of our lives: Spiritual, Physical, Mental, Financial, Family, Community, and so forth. Justifying Preparation, you asked a great question– one that every prepper has had to answer. Good Luck. – Deep South Charlie

Odds ‘n Sods:

More police brutality caught on video. We are beginning to see more and more hostile police actions where the police just automatically assume an “us vs them” attitude. Staten Island man dies after NYPD cop puts him in chokehold – H.L.

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Three More Cases of Deadly Plague Found in Colorado – B.B.

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It was just a matter of time before a civil plane was shot down in Ukraine’s SAM-infested airspace – T.P.

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Air Force research: How to use social media to control people like drones. – T.P.

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Example of bug out happening now in Kelowna, BC: West Kelowna wildfire now partially contained at 250 hectares – P.S.

Some evacuated, and the potential for 60,000 without power for an extended period if the wildfire takes out the main electrical-transmission lines.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:5&6 (KJV)

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.