Practicing Your Food Survival, by M.B.

After reading one of James Wesley Rawles books about five years ago, my husband and I began our prepping journey. It has been a long and eye-opening experience. In the beginning, before we were prepped, we were terrified our world would immediately deteriorate. Rushing into a buying frenzy, we purchased as much volume of materials as we could afford. We were quickly compiling our supplies, planning storage areas, and generally operating in a frenzy. Having a list of areas of focus was helpful, and we did not really waste energy in the wrong places. We started by using a lot of information from the Rawles books, as well as other Internet-based resources. We divided procurement responsibilities between my husband and me. Being the designated food procurement person, I tried to be organized in my approach, buying only food I thought we would eat and focusing on food storage and rotation practices. I did invest time and energy in trying various freeze-dried products and brands, some of which we began using on a day-to-day basis. Our milk is entirely from powder. I found a brand of powdered milk that we love. Our family can’t even tell the difference! Bulk yeast purchases and canned butter became part of our ongoing living supplies, too. As much as possible, I have tried to incorporate survival supplies into our ongoing lives. Meat purchases were of particular concern, since it seemed to me that would be a challenge later. We are in an area of the country where game hunting is prevalent. Unfortunately for us, we do not care very much for the taste of the game that is common in our area here. So after testing numerous brands of canned meats, I have invested heavily in purchasing a variety of my favorites. I also purchased quite a bit of fresh meat that I have frozen. It is worth mentioning here that my husband and I both love fish. So, our largest investment was building a small pond and stocking it with several varieties of fish. It also provides an additional secure water source and an entertainment venue for the grandchildren.

My husband built shelving for our storage area, which has helped me to be more aware of what we used and how often we used it. I cannot stress enough that you need to have some type of system that will work for you to measure and identify your ongoing usage. Without organization of some type, you will be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of your supplies and challenged trying to remember where you put things. You will find yourself buying things for future use without knowledge of whether you even like what you have purchased. You may find that your usage is seasonal, too. Yes, of course, we have a large supply of beans and rice, too, but hopefully we will not have to live only on those. Variety is important to us, as I suspect it is to many of you. If a bit of advance planning allows us to have variety, I think it will be well worth the time.

We are learning a great deal about gardening and preserving our produce. Both skills are ongoing efforts. Having secured a large supply of canning materials and loving the entire preserving culture, I find this part of our journey fun. We purchased a large supply of non-GMO seeds from our area as well as secured tested, family seeds. We even separated our seeds by things we will grow and seeds we can barter. Seeds and more seeds, this was my mantra. This garden is our second, each one teaching us more. Canning supplies and more canning supplies, that had to be a good thing, right? Learning how to use a pressure canner to shorten our processing time had to be a good use of my time, right? I am practicing different recipes for jams and jellies and am enjoying each and every one. What fun I was having with all this survival business!

However, I must say that the one thing I overlooked in all our efforts was actually “practicing” for the day when we would be totally dependent on our acquired food supplies. My husband has been much better at this “practice” business than me. He has gone for self-defense training, and he not only learn, he also regularly practices what he learns. I just assumed once we had our one-year supply of food, seeds, and supplies we would be all set with food. After all, our garden is producing well, and we have lots of supplies stored now. So why was I still feeling unprepared? I theorized it must be that I needed to practice alternative methods of cooking without electricity. So after much thought and discussion, we decided to invest in solar power for critical appliances. We also purchased a camp stove and devised new ways to tie into our propane supply. I even had my husband get out our cast iron cooking pots and build a fire, so I could practice cooking over an open flame. I got more practice. I practiced and practiced and got more experience. Yet, I felt something was still missing. Could it be that I needed to practice utilizing our stored supplies?

Yes! It was time to practice our food survival plan. This meant living entirely off our food supplies for one full month, with no trips to the store to purchase anything. Our first test run was in the dead of winter with family here, who will be with us when SHTF. At first, I thought we were doing pretty well, using our regular powdered milk and baking our own bread (which I did regularly anyway). Using only our canned or frozen meats, along with an occasional meatless meal were all included in the practice. I do buy our eggs from a neighbor and fully expect to continue even after the SHTF, since she is a fellow prepper. However, a few things did come to light through this exercise.

  1. When I prepare meals for other family members, who will be here with us after SHTF, it will take more supplies than I had planned. We need to have additional basic items, such as butter, sugar, flour, and cheese put aside to insure we can handle the additional volume and eating preferences. Tracking our supply usage by week brought this to light. The interesting thing we discovered was our meat supplies fared much better than we anticipated. With some extended family with us during this exercise, they had no idea of our exercise and thought things seemed normal.
  2. We also have more need for sweets and coffee, sugar, and flavorings than I realized. I did not come close to running low but did use more than I had allocated by week. So adjustments are being made to my ongoing grocery and stocking lists.
  3. I also realized we did not have enough garlic. It may seem like a small thing until you fix your favorite spaghetti sauce without fresh garlic. The canned garlic has very little taste, so adjustments were made to our garden plan. See how all the learning ties together?
  4. The biggest eye opener was that we did not have enough fruit. While we have canned and dehydrated fruit in our stockpiles, we did like the taste. I know, when we are hungry we will be willing to eat anything (even tasteless commercial fruit), but if we can make some minor adjustments now we might not have to sacrifice later. Our small orchard is not yet fully producing, but we do have various berries which I use primarily for jams. Fruit is definitely a long-term investment, and it was clear we needed to invest more heavily in this area. The investment and effort of adding more berry bushes and more fruit trees is moved up on our prepping priority list. Also, I saw the importance of freezing more of the berries, rather than just making jam and jelly.

Another step was to practice our survival supply use in two different seasons: once in summer (when we could supplement with fresh veggies, fruits, and herbs), and once in winter (depending entirely on our stock supplies). Training in both seasons has been very instructive, especially as it relates to volume of supplies required.

We are already making plans to have two plantings of potatoes, carrots, garlic, and beets this year, rather than only one. This will insure we have enough to meet our needs over the winter as well as during the summer season. The number of our tomato planting was ramped up this year, because we used all our tomatoes and sauces before the new season’s harvest was ready. Our food menus vary quite a bit by season, too. In winter, I prepare more soups, chili, and heavier meals. Summer meals were lighter and often meatless, simply because we were happier eating all veggie meals. By coordinating and practicing food procurement and survival, I was able to realize how all these areas work together. Much the same as my grandparents used to invest in planning each year’s garden, we now do the same. Every square inch of garden space needs to be maximized.

World pressures continue to build, and having a practiced food plan and seasonal adaptations helps me feel more confident, knowing our gaps and areas of focus. Without the training I realize that even with a large stockpile of food we would not have had the correct types of supplies. Since we all have so much invested in preparing for the future, it seems that testing ourselves from time to time in all the various areas is an invaluable step. It not only helps you know where there is a gap or weak area, but it will also help you be a better overall planner for whatever may come.

Letter Re: Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

Hugh,

Great Harvest Right review! It’s incredibly informative and well written. Thank you. I’m currently about to pull the trigger on purchasing one of their machines. I was hoping you might be able to share some wisdom on your experience with ice cream. You mention cream content below 1/3 worked well. Did you try various brands and something “light” like this worked best? What was the drying time? Was this one of the high liquid foods that required you to defrost in the middle of the process? Any insight is incredibly appreciated.

Hugh Replies: That ice cream will work just fine, as will others with high fat content. The trick with those is to make sure it is hard frozen, then peel the cardboard off and slice it into slabs 1/2” thick. Ice cream usually does not need a defrost cycle in the middle, though it will take nearly 48 hours, on average, just because of the thickness. It is really difficult to slice frozen ice cream. Most people freeze dry ice cream sandwiches because they are just the right serving size. However, you will still have a long freeze dry cycle, because of the thickness of the ice cream and the fact that most commercial ice cream has significant amounts of air mixed in it. This creates an effective insulator as it dries, making for a long cycle. You may also occasionally have what I term “blowouts”. This is where the product thaws faster than the vacuum pump can remove the water. The product will bubble out the side, sometimes significantly. While this makes the product look bad, it has no effect on the storage or taste.

Let me offer you an alternative, though. It’s fairly easy to quantify what makes ice cream a wonderful treat.

  1. It is cold and refreshing, especially on a hot day.
  2. It is loaded with sugar, or a similar sweetener, which makes it taste great.
  3. It coats your mouth with cream, which is a very pleasant feeling.

When you freeze dry it, it becomes hard and crispy because of the air entrapped in it, and it is no longer cold. That leaves the sweetness and creaminess as the “pleasurable” factors. You can put a bit in your mouth and let it rehydrate and still experience a wonderful product. However, you can also freeze dry yogurt and get a similar sweet and creamy feeling, and it is easier to freeze dry. You just dump a quart of yogurt in the tray and spread it around until it is only 1/2” thick or less. In addition, if you reconstitute ice cream, you get a milkshake, but if you reconstitute yogurt, you get… yogurt!

With yogurt, you can enjoy it in its freeze dried state, or you can reconstitute in in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy it in the morning just like it was fresh. Our family has decided that we will enjoy ice cream fresh and prefer freeze-dried yogurt for storage (and for treats now, too).

Odds ‘n Sods:

A bit of “prepper” humor for your enjoyment: 30 Signs That You’re One of Those “Crazy Preppers” – G.W.

It’s scary how many of those actually fit.

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United Nations Seeks US-based Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Specialists – B.B.

And lest you think this is a hoax, here is the link to the actual job posting (requires login). – H.L.

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From B.C. – This is the DHS equivalent to the probably better-known DoD QDR review of missions. It is certainly long (may need a large file warning for bandwidth-constrained users) but may be of interest to your readers. Agreed or not, this provides the broad strokes of the political framework within which DHS will operate for the next four years. Given that the review process is about two years, this will take us into the next administration before any new analyses even begin.

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First Hillary Clinton claims she was broke; then, when that was shown to be a lie, she insists her wealth does not make her out of touch with ordinary Americans. – RBS

Another four years of “Billary” in the Oval Office is a bit too much to stomach.

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Forget CDS; Corporations Are Now Taking Out Life Insurance Policies On Employees – J.M.

Working the debtslave class to death now can have a black-ink upside.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Debt is cancer, it is killing our economy and killing the dreams of many Americans. There may be little you can do about the total national debt but you can control your own debt. Do so now!” – Jack Spirko

Notes for Tuesday – June 24, 2014

June 24th is the birthday of rifle-toting, abolitionist, pastor Henry Ward Beecher. (Born 1813, died March 8, 1887.) He and his adherents from his church smuggled so many Sharps rifles to Bleeding Kansans that the Sharps rifles picked up the nickname Beecher’s Bibles. Wikipedia states: Several of his brothers and sisters became well-known educators and activists, most notably Harriet Beecher Stowe, who achieved worldwide fame with her abolitionist novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

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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.

My Journey To The “Summits On The Air”, by Banjo Ninja

The Meta Game of Portable Communications as Practice for Prepping

1968 I had an interest in electronics from an early age. Back before most consumer electronics went digital, people actually repaired things when they stopped working. One of my earliest memories was Mr. D. coming to the house to fix our TV. In those days, the TV repairman came to your house, tested and replaced vacuum tubes, which was the dominant technology of the times, and Star Trek magically returned to your screen. This whole process fascinated me. Plus, Mr. D was a retired Air Force Colonel, so he was almost as cool as Mr. Spock to a little kid. As I got older, I collected things like old radios, lamps, bits of wire, and other unidentifiable bits from several sources in our area, and I tried to emulate that TV repairman. Nine times out of ten, my projects were interesting but didn’t work. I kept at it. I could fix lamps and, sometimes, radios. The spark (pun intended) I got from those infrequent successes started an interesting chapter in my life and put me on the road to being a lifetime learner of radio and electronics. Thanks, Mr. D., you were a huge influence on me, whether you realize it or not.

1977 As I reached my teen years, I realized my cousin and uncle also did some amazing things with electronics, and I watched and listened carefully. My uncle was an electrical engineer for Baldwin Locomotive. Visiting his house was like stepping into Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory. It was wonderful. Radios, antenna wires, components, and test equipment were everywhere. At any one time there must have been a dozen projects “in progress” on his workbench. My cousin’s basement was nearly the same. He repaired x-ray equipment for a living. I realized they were both Amateur Radio Operators, or Hams. They not only built and fixed this amazing gear, but they talked to people all over the world, and even used satellites to communicate. These two people were very important to me in that they gave me that early encouragement that I needed. I did okay in school, sports, and music, but I was far from a standout. However, I knew I wanted to be like them. Thanks, Uncle Ray and Rob!

My cousin later gave me a Lafayette Shortwave radio when he upgraded some of his gear, and I strung up a long wire antenna in the attic. I listened to the BBC, Radio Canada, and music from West Germany. That old radio literally opened up a whole world to a lonely country boy in a remote county that was so backward there were not even any stoplights there. I bought several electronics kits, and I built every one of the 150-and-1 projects in the book, several times over. I read and re-read a whole box of old Ham Radio magazines I got at a Ham Fest for maybe $3.00. I wanted to get that license and talk, as well as listen. Back in the 1970s, the first Ham license was called Novice. You needed to take a test to get the license. There was theory, some rules and regulations, and safety precautions to study. No problem. Oh, and you had to learn Morse Code, both to transmit and receive. Talking happened at a higher level of licensing.

There was a problem. I tried and tried. I could send CW (Ham radio slang for Morse Code) just fine, but I just couldn’t receive it. Forget it. I have suffered from tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, for as long as I can remember. It has made paying attention, studying, and even relaxing and sleeping, a challenge for me at times. When under stress, like taking a test, or when hearing some loud or non-natural / electronic sounds, the tinnitus gets worse for me. Copying CW, with that ringing in my ears, became nearly impossible. I am sure some people thought I was crazy. Plus, I was still just a kid and probably trying to be too grown up too quickly. This only added to the frustration and aggravated the tinnitus. My uncle and cousin were sympathetic; they tried to help me, but the tinnitus was not understood in the ’70s like it is today. My dreams of getting that license went on hold.

2007 We’ve fast forwarded nearly 30 years. A couple of degrees, a wife and kids, a home, and stability (more or less) finally came my way. I had a summer that was more or less free (since I teach), and I had finally finished my Masters Degree. The kids were old enough that they were involved in their own activities and did not need as much attention, and I was looking for something a little different to do with myself. I wanted to get some more physical activity but about the only things I liked were hiking, swimming, and martial arts. Let’s face it, exercise can be boring. I was looking for something different online, and BOOM! It happened.

Somehow YouTube took me to a video of this guy, Steve, who had two mischievous goats– Rooster and Peanut. The guy dragged radio equipment up on top of mountains to talk with people. Actually, Steve is a smart dude; he used the goats to do a lot of the work, saving his back and knees. I don’t know what was funnier– watching the goats in action with their special packs or seeing Steve’s comments about them. Figuring “what do I have to loose?” I contacted Steve with my newbie questions. He responded quickly. He was funny, helpful, and encouraging. Thanks, Steve.

The activity is called Summits on the Air, or SOTA. The video was cool, interesting, and entertaining all at the same time. It was outdoors, like hiking or camping, but there was also the cool radio tech. I was hooked on the idea from the start! SOTA is not exactly like radio contesting but close. There is an awards scheme. Hams earn points for “Activating” a registered peak. There are easy, medium, and difficult peaks, and Associations are located regionally throughout much of the world! If an activator works hard, they could someday earn the title “Mountain Goat”, like that guy Steve. Now, people in Colorado, where Steve lives, would laugh if they saw what passed for mountains here in the East, but still, it looked fun. I knew I wanted to do this SOTA activity.

A few quick Google searches and I found out that the licensing requirements had changed. Morse code was no longer required! With some more Googling, I found that the FCC published the test questions, and there were online test simulators. Much of my Masters focused on Assessment, Testing, and Test Prep. I was golden! Within three months I had the new Technician license and had upgraded to General, which permitted more HF (think long distance, or world-wide) privileges. I had even wired together a couple of QRP (low power) transmitters. Later, I bought some better, high-performance equipment, and I actually started having some successful CW QSOs (contacts)! Maybe you’ve seen Radio Amateurs participating in Field Day– the once-a-year portable radio activity. The way I saw it, SOTA made every day a Field Day!

2010 This was the year of the first activation. After assembling all of the gear for my first SOTA adventure, I had a thought– this was kind of like training for an emergency. What if there was a bad flood? What if there was a chemical spill in the nearby rail yard? Thinking that I could establish reliable communications away from home, not reliant on the power grid, and without a monster antenna on a 75′ tower in my backyard began to shape how I thought about SOTA. In a way, I war-gamed, or maybe more correctly, Meta Gamed my SOTA adventures to increase the success rate.

By Meta Gaming a hobby, I mean, step outside of actually doing the hobby, and analyze what is going on within it. Fix what is not working. Retain what is working. Pay attention to unusual solutions to problems. Discover what can be done better, or more efficiently. Then step back into the game. You might be surprised that you are more successful. You might have gotten better at the hobby. Professional athletes, musicians, and artists often find this technique works very effectively for them.

I’ve not been in the military, but I have enjoyed being a war gamer since Junior High School. I like the competition, the “what-ifs”, and designing armies and strategies. I competed for a time at the State and Regional levels, and some of those old Majors and Colonels at the Army War College took our club under their wings. Look out, competition! Our club wiped the table with other groups.

Some of those officer’s lessons, like concentrating force, having contingencies, and having a plan that was so good that the die roll was irrelevant, really stuck with me. Some players would push the envelope with army design when they could, in order to up their chances of winning. It wasn’t cheating. They remained within the rules, but they would think unconventionally, organize, and plan such that their army had certain non-obvious strengths and synergy, so that they were difficult to beat. Thank you, Col. Mac.

I began to see how this approach would help me be more successful at SOTA, and this is where the “SOTA as Prepping” idea came into my head. As far as radio and SOTA, this included sticking to common frequencies and bands for the activity, establishing what a good activation time was with respect to time zones, developing the Activator-Chaser relationships with people, making sure the equipment was bombproof, having antenna options, battery backup, and so forth. Using the SOTAWatch website effectively was key to this. When I was trying to figure it all out, and wondered if “self-spotting” on SOTAWatch was “fair”, Steve told me, “Hey, you can have the most awesome party in the world, but if you don’t invite anyone, you might be enjoying that awesome party all alone”. So now I always use SOTAWatch.

SOTA activators are not allowed to use repeaters, only simplex (direct) operation. I took a backpack to handle radio, batteries, first aid kit, shelter, and ground pad. I had several maps, a compass, and a borrowed GPS to help me arrive at the official summit. It was a cold October that year, so I took a tent and sleeping bag too. Earlier that Fall, I had a bad experience with a coyote some 15 feet from my back porch, so I figured going armed might not be a bad idea either. Thankfully, I started that practice and kept with it throughout all of my SOTA activations. SOTA is prepping.

Some SOTA peaks involve a challenging hike and offer spectacular views once the activator arrives at the summit. Other times, you will hike and hike, and the summit is covered in Hemlock trees, and you can’t see a thing. For my first SOTA adventure, the hike was not difficult, and there was a nice vista at the summit. I got the antenna set up; it was a low, wire dipole I threw up into the trees with some para cord and a rock. It tuned up fine, and I began working other stations almost immediately. The SOTA summit I chose was a Unique, which had never been activated before, and some helpful Chaser “spotted” me onto the SOTA Watch Alert page on the Internet. I had a “pileup” within a few minutes.

A pileup is exciting to work. “Chasers” (other SOTA operators) frantically call in order to make the contact to get their own points for the Summit. Pulling one call sign out of a pack of 10 operators with background noise on the radio increases the challenge. Chasers operate either from home, or from other SOTA-approved peaks, and attempt to get chaser points. So within SOTA, one person can be both a Chaser and an Activator, often at the same time. It was a challenge logging all of the chasers in that pileup onto my notecards. SOTA requires that activators and chasers record their contacts into a database, which verifies contacts and tracks various awards. I would transfer my paper log to the computer when I got home. Even though my stay at the summit that first day was under two hours, I was glad for the tent and sleeping bag. The temperature had dropped, and it was now snowing. I packed up most of my gear, made an extra large coffee for the descent (that little hiking stove was a yard sale bargain at $5.00), and headed back to the car with a satisfied grin on my face. Using portable power and a “compromise” antenna, which consisted of about 66 feet of lamp wire and an RF connector (nothing fancy and under $3.00 to make), I had reached out across the U.S., Canada, England, and Germany. Being up higher than my home and having the downward slope helps contribute to better DX (long distance / foreign country) contacts.

2014 Here’s a banjo ninja’s humble, radio-inspired advice to preppers:

While I’m not close to being a Mountain Goat yet, and I’m not a skilled CW op, and I don’t climb “14-ers” for SOTA, like Steve, and I’ve only been prepping for about three years, I have learned several things from completing Summits on the Air Activations, and much of this information could apply to prepping or to an emergency situation. Thirty years of playing guitar and keyboards in rock bands has affected my hearing. Now I turn down the music– a sure sign I’m getting old. I focus on listening before I call out my activation information. That listening means both to the radio as well as to my immediate surroundings. I’ve had bears pass so close I could smell them. Apparently, they just ate. It would be easy to get lost in the moment if I heard some rare DX station calling me back. So I pay attention. This extends to being prepared with bug spray, sunscreen, warm gloves, first aid kit, shelter, and a host of other trinkets to load down my backpack and make my knees and back ache. There are two words most preppers know– Situational Awareness.

The tinnitus is still there. The loud music of my younger years was partially an attempt to drown out the annoying jingling and ringing in my ears. Relaxation techniques, supplements, and modifying diet can all help lessen the effects. CW, my old Morse Code nemesis, has gotten easier. While I’m no expert, I understand the efficiency of CW is much greater than SSB /phone / voice modes, so there are times that I use it. When using portable power, lighter radios, and compromise antennas, poor weather conditions, and less-than-optimal radio propagation, sometimes CW is the mode that will make the contact. So, as a Prepper, it is important to recognize my own limitations or inabilities and adapt and overcome. Also, I am always trying to learn new skills, and I don’t let early failures dictate what I can or cannot accomplish.

I made a point of getting the training to use the equipment that I carry. I upgraded to the Amateur Extra license, which gave me more knowledge and privileges. I really began to understand antennas better after studying for that license. Building antennas is an interesting sub-hobby within Ham Radio. It is inexpensive and rewarding to come up with more “options”. Knowing what you want to do with the Activation can influence your antenna choices. That dipole becomes something called an NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) antenna, when it’s strung low to the ground. Sometimes that is beneficial, like if you want friends within 300 miles or so to hear you on 40 meters, rather than have the signal “go long”. This summer, I’ve started experimenting with a Rope Yagi. Basically, it is a directional “beam” antenna, but it is very compact; it’s essentially some rope and wire between two light PVC spreaders. Again, depending on what I want to do, it might be better in some respects. Any radio-equipped Prepper (and IMHO we ALL should have comms) should have several portable antenna options available. Also, know how dipoles, beams, verticals, and NVIS work. They all have their place in your bag of radio tricks.

I learned to always take the emergency essentials, including a good first aid kit, water and shelter. Dress properly, from head to feet. I usually don’t like to eat when I’m hiking, but I do take food. Eating something will warm you up if you are cold, and give you energy if you are spent. Salty food is good if you get leg cramps. For the non-radio stuff, the course in Wilderness First Aid is worth its weight in gold. I’ve given first aid to complete strangers on the trail, and they are sometimes amazed at what I have in that backpack. “Crazy Glue? Cake Icing?” Yep! I do carry that kind of stuff in my first aid kit. I consider a hand held radio an outdoor essential, even if I’m not doing SOTA. Even if I’m activating using an HF radio, I take a hand-held for “what-if”. My UV-5R has FM radio for news, et cetera, and I have all of the NOAA / NWS frequencies programmed in for weather reports, and I check it from time to time. (http://www.noaa.gov/) This saved me during a freaky hail and lightning storm last year. I listened in to NOAA when I got to the summit, and I knew I had to get a shelter up fast on what looked like a normal, sunny Fall day. Legging it down the mountain back to my car would have left me exposed for over an hour, and there just wasn’t time to get back to the car before that storm would have hit, so I backed down the peak a few hundred yards, got a tarp up under a bit of a ledge, and bunkered in until it passed. I’m thankful for much of my Scout training, such as Weather Hazards. I don’t want to relive that hail and lightning storm, if I can help it.

I’ve gotten in better shape, and I’m much more confident about my outdoor abilities. I trekked to Canoe Base for a BSA Boundary Waters High Adventure. I didn’t take my radio on that one– it certainly would have gotten wet and probably ruined. I learned a lot about pushing myself physically and not giving up. Later this year I will be going on another trek; this time I’m going to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. I will take a small radio, just to see what will be possible from those altitudes. SOTA is great exercise-– both physical and mental.

I sometimes do SOTA alone, and other times with friends. Whether going solo or in a group, I leave my hiking plans with the wife and kids. I spot myself to the SOTAWatch website, and I notify State Park officials, if the hike is on State Lands. The camaraderie of going with someone makes the hike part go faster, and it’s fun to explore new summits and share in these experiences, like when there is a propagation opening to Japan. It is also comforting to know you have someone reliable at your side when you meet strange people on the trail who might want to take your expensive radio and hiking gear. So again, be alert, and be prepared to deal with human and animal pests. People in the SOTA community look out for each other. I’ve often heard on the air, “Hey, you’re early, or “I was worried because you were 45 minutes past the time you put on SOTAWatch.”

I can read a map, and I can use a compass. I’m getting better with a GPS when I can borrow one, but I still don’t own one yet. I always take a flashlight and spare batteries. Getting lost is a bummer. Getting lost and finding your way in the dark is exponentially more of a bummer. Factor in some cold rain and a twisted ankle; you get my point. Thankfully, I’ve never been lost in the dark in the woods with lousy weather to endure. I rely on my common sense, and I don’t take chances, even if it takes longer, so when my mind says turn right, and I see that the sun at 5 PM says, “yes, that’s west”, I listen to it, because sometimes the maps and/or compass can be wrong. For example, the “easy” SOTA hike that was a two mile switchback on the map, that ended up actually being a steep, grueling four mile corkscrew up the mountain. Oh, my knees!

From the radio end of things, I’m prepared with spare SLAB batteries for the main rig. These are seven amp-hour, 12 volt rechargeable batteries, which can last an hour or more if I limit the RF output of my radio to 50 watts or so. They aren’t as light as I would like, but they are not expensive. A solar charger is also a nice idea. I built an inexpensive and effective multi-band antenna, based on the Buddistick Design. This one bit of gear allows me to work any band from 60 meters down to two meters. Basically, it is an adjustable whip, a set of coils which select the band, a long wire for a counterpoise (kind of like a ground), and a 12′ telescoping painter’s pole for a mast. The painter’s pole makes a handy walking staff. This antenna’s flexibility can make the difference between contacts and no contacts. The synergy of this Buddistick, a SLAB battery, and a relatively lightweight but full-power, full-featured multi-band HF radio like the Yaesu 857D is what makes SOTA Activations successful for me. Additionally, I carry a spare wire dipole antenna, because it is light and reliable (and “two is one, one is none…”) A few repair items are also a good idea, such as a multi-tool, some wire, and electrical tape. Spare fuses for the radio are essential. The wires popped off my battery once and shorted out. The fuse blew, protecting the radio, but I had no spare, so radio time was OVER! Having that UV-5R for FM news, Weather Bands, and two meter contacts is handy.

In a SOTA Activation, just as in an emergency situation if everyday comms go down, getting “up, up, and away” will probably have some benefits. Using the height of a mountain is almost like having a several thousand foot tall tower. Using the downward slope of a mountain will also assist in “take off” for your signal. A salt marsh will sometimes boost your signal, as will salt water such as the ocean. The problem is that there aren’t a lot of oceans at the tops of mountains in this state.

If there is any local electrical noise or interference near populated areas, being in a more remote and/or elevated locale might mean less noise. Depending on the situation, you might also do well to be away from your normal AO for radio activities, thus avoiding someone direction finding (DF/RDF) your homestead. Ah, yes, many Hams can DF radio signals. A simple form is a fun activity called “Fox Hunting”. Using these skills, we found the sick idiot who was using a radio to switch off the landing lights at our local airport. He’s now taking his mail at the Federal Prison down the road.

I hope I have sparked an interest among preppers in Ham Radio and hiking through my experiences doing SOTA activations. The skills that an Activator uses for SOTA have many parallels to things that will help preppers in emergency situations. I encourage you to war-game or meta game your hobbies, and see how they might have some application toward being a more successful Prepper. 73 (Best wishes)

Letter Re: Gravity Fed Water Systems

Editor,

A good and useful post by J.S. I always appreciate articles by those who have lived and used what they are proposing. As an irrigation contractor I built and used a homemade water system for a couple of decades in the Colorado mountains and can offer a few further ideas. For an infiltration gallery, I dug a small trench under the spring/small stream I had on the property and placed in the bottom 10′ of 4″ perforated flexible plastic drain pipe that came with a mesh “sock” around it. This pipe is used in French darins and the like. Gravel/sand was backfilled over the pipe to the depth of a couple of feet. A 1″ poly pipe connected that to my water system. As this is all underground, the gravel and sock combination provided a trouble free source of clear water. No leaves, bugs, critters or people ever bothered it. The 1″ pipe connected to a Y strainer in an underground valve box . Both are commonly used in drip irrigation. The strainer has a stainless steel mesh filter that is easy to flush and never wears out. This is a perfect primary filter to use and if put at the entrance to the system will prevent solids from entering the rest of your piping. J.S. is correct in that poly pipe is the way to go, but do use 100psi NSF pipe. The NSF rating means it can be used for potable water. Non rated pipe is made with (literally) plastic garbage and is unsafe. A propane torch will be necessary to warm (not melt) the pipe to insert fittings. If freezing is an issue and the ground prevents installing the pipe below frost line then either insulate the pipe with foam before backfilling and/or make sure there is a thick cover of grass over the trench. Thick grass cover is cheap and easy and does wonders for limiting frost, as does snow. Never clear away snow over water pipes if you live in the North. After a couple of decades I sold the house and finally had the water tested by a means other than drinking it. While the water never harmed anyone the bacteria count was way, way higher than allowed. Rather than installing a chemical injector, I installed an ozone treatment system. As I used a fiberglass 1,000 gallon storage tank in the basement, this was easy to do. A UV light box was installed. Any aquarium supply store has them. A small air tube led to a Little Giant submersible pump in the tank bottom. These pumps are used in those small water features you see and are available anywhere. A venturi is connected from the tube to the exit of the pump and the resulting ozone is bubbled into the water where it kills germs and then converts to oxygen within seconds. My water then had a zero bacterial count and no chemicals were used. Geardia will also be killed if present. The key is ozone contact time with the water so installing this in a water storage tank is required. One note of caution; Guns, tools or any metal should not be anywhere near ozone as ozone is a very good at causing rust. I do have to say though that in my current retreat I installed a conventional deep well, powered by a full off-grid solar system and I could not be happier. While I’ve put all of my eggs into a non-repairable (by me) system, it is very reliable, maintenance free and cannot be contaminated. All of which is not true of a surface system. Expat

News From The American Redoubt:

If you are looking for an off-grid property in northern Wyoming, this may be for you: Right on the MT/WY State line, very isolated, yet not far from Billings, off grid, abundant water.

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Company disputes Idaho rare earth mining claims . – RBS

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Are you looking for a way to help you get to the American Redoubt? The American Redoubt Jobs Clearinghouse

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Men cited for melting Kuna road with burning Christmas tree . – RBS

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Woman needed staples in head after Oregon port-a-potty blast

Odds ‘n Sods:

CFAPA.orgon the web: Survivalist starts issuing his own press passes

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Chicago Children’s Hospital Takes Custody of 16-Year-Old Away from Parent Who Sought Second Opinion. – D.S.

Incidents like these do not seem to be an increasing problem with the state, rather private hospitals are causing the issues. Child Protective Services (CPS); Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD); or whatever else the government services are called have a long history of letting real abuse slip through the cracks of the system and unfairly attacking healthy homes, but this phenomena by private hospitals is something new. Egos the size of Alaska in the Doctors and staff perhaps?

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Water war bubbling up between California and Arizona . – H.L.

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New Tourniquet Helps Save Soldiers from Most ‘Common Cause of Preventable Death’. – JBG

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Well-Tended Fires Outperform Modern Cooking Stoves. – P.H>

Notes for Monday – June 23, 2014

SurvivalBlog would like to welcome our newest advertiser, Gun Mag Warehouse. They have said that if anyone has any questions or needs assistance with any magazine choice or compatibility, they can simply call support and ask for Peter. Be sure to mention that you are a SurvivalBlog reader. This can be very helpful to those who are in states, like California, where confusion about what can and cannot be purchased is still common. Save time and frustration, visit their website and give them a call.

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Camping Survival is having a sale on Mountain House freeze-dried foods this week. 25% off all MH #10 Can Freeze Dried Food, and they will throw in Freeze Dried Neapolitan Ice Cream with every #10 can. They are also offering 15% off of all MH Breakfast Pouches, Entree Pouches, Dessert Pouches, and Buckets.

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Most SurvivalBlog advertisers that carry Mountain House Freeze Dried foods are also offering sales on them, so be sure to check them out from our advertisers’ ads. This is a slow time of year and the deals are to be had at this moment. It’s a great time to stock up!

Guest Article: The Timetable For Bugging Out, by H.B.

We all get nervous when faced with the prospects of possibly bugging out because of a disaster or threat of some kind occurring. Do we leave or stay? 

This has been discussed many times over, and it is based on the type of threat, your particular location, your preparedness, and what all. This article will simply touch on the possible timetable, as it relates to your chances of effectively escaping to your destination without getting caught in the middle of a traffic jam and all of those corresponding issues.

 Let’s review your handling of being actually caught in the jam. Circumstances being what they may, you finally get the family and supplies packed in the car. You get on the interstate and then get caught in the unexpected miles of traffic jam because you weren’t able to see that far ahead.  As we  know from experience, traffic jams can result from road construction, too many vehicles getting on, a disabled vehicle, heavy traffic at on and off intersections, accidents, and now monsters. Now, you are saying to yourself “monsters”? Well, take into consideration literally hundreds of people, scared out of their minds about the THREAT, and you’ll have drivers doing whatever they have to, to get away or to get home to get to their families. Suddenly everything in their way of getting where they are going– whether a tractor trailer, driver cutting in, or a road block– is perceived to be bigger than usual, and people become more aggressive towards it. Thus, there are more “accidents”.

 Face reality, we also know one accident on a normal day can tie up traffic for a couple of hours, and we know that’s why you shouldn’t be there in the first place when a disaster is occurring. So, why am I beating this issue to death? Because the thruway is the quickest way to get from “here to there”, and if it appears relatively open, if you check if before making that last-minute decision on which route to take– IT CAN CHANGE! Here’s where the importance of  that timetable is so critical.

First, we have the threat to you and your family. How soon will that threat impact you? You should know about a pending hurricane several days before it would actually hit your immediate area. Could the direction of travel change?  If it’s a train carrying hazardous materials that goes off the tracks or an accident or fire at a nearby plant that processes dangerous chemicals, how far away do you live, and which way are the winds blowing as it relates to how much time you have to leave. Still, you will have some time to pack the car and decide which direction to take.

If it’s a solar flare or EMP attack that knocks out the power grid (my personal greatest fear), you should take into consideration that most people don’t even comprehend what those threats are, won’t be warned in the normal manner by radio or TV, and will naturally assume that it’s just a normal power outage and the electric will be back on in a few hours. Those people won’t be clogging the thruways, even if their cars were useable.  So again, you will have a little lead time.

Then you’ve got that large percentage of  people who know about an immediate  danger to them,  and they decide that they have to Get Out Of Dodge ASAP, but they’re not at all ready to go. Thinking about the hours it takes the average family to simply get ready to go on vacation, the time it takes them to round up the family members, add in a spouse who thinks that the government will resolve the issue, and that they don’t have any place to go anyway arguing over what to take, and packing for departure, and you can imagine the thousands of families that aren’t going to be hitting the roadways anytime soon. So again, you will have a little lead time.

Remember, those reading this blog and likely many of the others are more or less prepared. We have taken steps to decide what our destination options are– vacation home, retreat, other family members away from the threatened area, the mountains, or for those with campers or tents, campgrounds somewhere. You’ve pre-planned, your kids are rounded up, the vehicle is full of fuel, and you take off.  Remembering the thoughts above,  that most everybody is still only getting a grasp of what’s happening and aren’t reacting quickly (many will sit there watching the coverage on TV not realizing the personal danger to them), you decide to take that interstate. Good idea… NO!

The problem with that decision is that while you may get the jump on most everyone else in your town and you  reach the interstate 15-20 minutes ahead of the masses, and it isn’t clogged or even crowded,  by the time you drive 15 or 20 miles toward your destination, the people in the next town up and the town beyond that will have by then reacted to the threat and are filling that interstate in front of you, causing the clogged condition you were trying to avoid in the first place. So, you’re stuck, or you finally get off and wind up taking back roads you’re not familiar with and which will also be jammed by then.

When evacuating, recognize that the roadways will be considerably more and more clogged as you travel toward your destination.

We all have to realize how important it is, if your not going to hunker-down at home, to be sensitive to potential dangers and if at all possible, leave early– not an hour early but maybe the day before everyone else. It’s better to lose a day’s work than get caught in the city when everything’s falling apart all around you. That “possible” end-of-the-world type warning isn’t likely to happen that often. Better “A day early than an hour late.” You can always use it as a training exercise. Good luck.