Another Option for Emergency Power, by Freedom Loving Texan

I’m a long-time reader of SurvivalBlog, and like so many others I am deeply concerned about the choices our country has made in the last twenty years and the as yet unfelt repercussions. We seem to be living in a season of grace, but the day of reckoning will come, sooner or later. With this thought in mind, my family has been steadily pursuing the ability to care for ourselves (and perhaps some of our neighbors as well).

Like many others have done, I have read and researched many methods of generating enough power to live on. Today, most Americans have more power than we can burn, and we burn it to excess. While it is not necessary to have endless electricity to live, I also don’t want to power only the absolute necessities. If my family and I are going to live through whatever may come, and if we get to choose, we would prefer a decent quality of life over just living. That’s why we prep, right? However, our funds are limited, and a nice $25,000 solar system just was not the answer. A $5,000 stand-alone home generator was a possibility, but just like Alton Brown on “Good Eats”, I don’t like to purchase “Single Purpose Gadgets”.

That’s when the idea hit me. Why not buy a tractor-driven generator that could power my house?

We live in a rural part of Texas, which is part of our preps. A tractor is a necessity here, and diesel fuel is readily available. I’ll wager there is over 1000 gallons stored within two miles of my house. Everyone has at least 200-300 gallons. I have often needed electricity to power a saw while putting up fences, or to run lights behind the barn. A PTO-powered generator can be easily moved about in a steel cradle via the 3-point hitch. Others, which are mounted on a trailer that you pull with the tractor, provide instant power and are 75% less expensive than a stand-alone home generator, because you already own the engine that turns the generator– the tractor!

Step 1: Trim Current Power Requirements

If you don’t consume it, you don’t have to generate it. When our old fridge died three years ago, we bought a new model based on size, power consumption, and features/looks (in that order). When the 100-watt flood lamps over the bathroom counter burned out, I replaced them with 17 watt LED’s. I paid my HVAC contractor to install zone dampers on our system; now we don’t cool large rooms which we are not using (think living and dining areas). Over the last three years, my electricity bill has gone down by almost $50 per month.

Step 2: Do a Load Analysis

This is easy enough by using a watt meter. I used the kill-a-watt, available on eBay, and to my pleasant surprise I discovered that I can “get by” with 5.5 KW. If I really want quality of life (in Texas, that means some refrigerated air conditioning), I’ll need a nominal 8 KW. Remember when checking your usage to check startup loads on items with compressors (fridge, A/C, and so forth). Here is what my analysis looked like (without the air conditioning I will address later):

  • 430 watts for Lighting. This covers the kitchen, study, master bedroom, master bath, kids’ bedrooms and bathroom, and the utility room (all using LED lights). I want the ability to power 50% of these at once, so 215 watts is required.
  • 905 watts for high-draw (but necessary) appliances. This includes two refrigerators, one deep freeze, and one LP fired hot tankless water heater. I used the worst “starting wattage” of the three compressor driven items (a fridge), plus the other two running normally.
  • 1300 watts gets me a clothes washer and dryer, running simultaneously. Yes, I have an LP dryer. Here I saw a surprisingly huge difference in starting watts vs running watts. The washer took 1000 watts to start but only 600 watts to run. The dryer pulled 700 to start but only 250 to run. 600 + 700 = 1300 watts.
  • 2800 watts powers some kitchen appliances. In this category you must be choosy. If you turn on the dishwasher while simultaneously running the microwave and the bread maker, you will overload your generating supply. I decided I really wanted the ability to use the microwave, bread maker, coffee pot, and dishwasher, but I would be happy with two out of four at any one time. (The stove and over are LP as well.
  • 225 watts are budgeted for either a computer/router (if the Internet is up), a TV (if DTV is broadcasting), or a video game for the kids. Yes, we play cards and board games together, but variety is the spice of life. We’re only talking 225 watts here.

If you have been keeping count, we’re up to 5445 watts. Also remember that I really wanted limited A/C. Commonly, in other countries, people don’t condition large public/common areas like we do. I have visited foreign government buildings where the hallways, elevators, even the bathrooms were not conditioned, but the offices were. Outdoor dining is common place. Go to a resort in Mexico, and you will likely find the lobby and common areas use natural cooling via intelligent air channeling, and they only have A/C in the guest rooms.

Our house was designed on this principal, with a small two ton unit supplying A/C to the Master Suite and the Kids BR only. We heat with LP and firewood. This unit only pulls 2300 watts while running, but the startup is around 5000 watts. Yes, there is another five ton unit that cools the remainder of the house, but the thought here was I don’t really need A/C throughout the house, just in the bedrooms at night. Even a small window unit can cool one bedroom, and you could all bunk together when it’s 85 at night and 105 during the day.

Nonetheless, adding in the small A/C gets me up to 7745 watts running and 10,445 watts when the AC starts up. That’s a really good number, because a very common wattage in electrical systems is 12,000 watts (50 Amps X 240 Volts). Okay, that’s KVa and not exactly wattage, but it’s close enough. Plugs and cables are built for 50 Amps X 240 Volts, like the one on the back of an electric stove or dryer. So, you guessed it. I purchased a 12,000 watt PTO-driven generator, lightly used, for a whopping $1500.

Step 3: Choose A Generator

A quick word on generators. For those of you that might consider doing something similar. They are not all created equal. The price of copper has gone through the roof in recent years. You can easily find beautifully painted up Chinese made generators for about ½ the price of an industrial strength generator. The windings in the generator aren’t pure copper, and they get hot (and fail) sooner. Look for generators built somewhere else, like here in the USA or perhaps from Italy. Oddly enough, the Italians produce good industrial equipment. If you want your generator to run when TSHTF, don’t scrimp.

Look for models that produce a pure sine wave, because cheaper ones use a modified sine wave inverter that will burn up some electronics. Also, don’t plan to run your generator at 100% of capacity forever, because it simply won’t last. Shoot for a nominal load of 50% of rated capacity. Lastly, if your primary purpose is emergency power, spend the additional $200 and get one with Automatic Voltage Regulation. You’ll thank me later.

To summarize this project thus far, I need 5.5 Kw to be available all the time, have a load of 10.5 Kw when the A/C unit starts, and a total running load of 8 Kw. These numbers are maximums, meaning I’m running the A/C while washing, drying, microwaving, dishwashing, and playing Nintendo with 50% of the essential lights on. To supply this power, I have a 12 Kw, pure sine wave generator capable of 13 Kw surge capacity.

Obviously, such a setup isn’t practical for everyone, but for those who already own a tractor with a PTO and maintain a fuel supply for it, a tractor-powered generator makes a lot of sense. The general rule of thumb is you need twice as many horsepower on the tractor as the number of Kw you want to generate, so an 8 Kw nominal load requires only a 16 HP tractor, which is a mighty small tractor. You also need to know your PTO speed. Most are 540 RPM, but some models can do “high speed” and spin at 1080 RPM. The generator must be rated to turn at your PTO’s speed. I don’t have this feature, but it is a good option to consider because the tractor will use less fuel to produce the same power.

Step 4: Wire It In

Now comes the fun part– wiring it in. If you aren’t comfortable here, or if your State doesn’t permit homeowners to do their own wiring, then by all means be safe and legal; hire a licensed electrician. In my mind, there are two methods available here, the “right” way and the “acceptable” way, because you don’t want to do it the “wrong” way. Twelve thousand Watts at 240 Volts is dangerous, if not handled properly. The “right” way (in this case) is with a manual transfer switch that disconnects the house from the grid and connects it to an alternate feed source– the generator. The “acceptable” way is to manually turn off the house via the master breaker and manually turning on the alternate feed source, which you have protected with another breaker. There are pro’s and con’s to both methods, which I won’t go into here. Suffice it to say, I chose the second method for three reasons: price, flexibility, and utility.

Essentially, I wired in a 50 Amp, 240 Volt range receptacle (a NEMA 14-50) on my covered patio in the back of the house. I used #6 AWG x 4 Romex (that’s shielded electrical wire; for my length #6 is overkill, so #8 would have worked), dropped a conduit run outside the back of the house on our covered patio, and put the receptacle inside a weatherproof box. The #6 wire feeds into a 50 Amp, 240 Volt breaker that I installed in the house breaker panel. Now, when the house is on grid power, I have a 50 Amp, 240 Volt plug on the back patio available to me, which I could use with a Mig Welder. Also, when the power is out, I can back the tractor up to the patio and backfeed the house through that same plug. *AFTER TRIPPING THE MAIN*. Never, ever connect a generator to a house with the main closed. In order to ensure that never happens, I opened the 50 Amp breaker and installed a breaker lock-out on the breaker itself, and painted it bright red. It’s just a fancy memory aid that says, “Don’t close this circuit until you’ve killed the main power”.

Then I built a 15-foot pigtail to connect the generator to the receptacle using #6 x 4 SOOW cable and two 14-50 range plugs. That’s super heavy-duty cable, which costs about $4 a foot! My generator had a standard NEMA 14-50 receptacle, and I installed the same 14-50 receptacle on the patio, and I built the pigtail to go between them. Always use four strand wire when dealing with 240 Volts. You have two “hot” lines, one “neutral”, plus a ground. This is the only part of my project that isn’t exactly up to code, as the pigtail has two male plugs on it– one on each end.

Lastly, and this is important, because I did not use a transfer switch, there is no load balancing between the A side and the B side of the house (the X and Y leads on the 240 Volt feed from the generator). My 12 Kw generator produces 50 Amps at 240 Volts, which in reality is two 120 Volt leads at 50 Amps. If, by chance, the kitchen and utility room are all on the same side of the breaker box (let’s say they are all on side A), then I have two fridges, a deep freeze, microwave, bread maker, dishwasher, washer, dryer, and hot water all pulling off the same side. When I turn on the A/C, I pull off of both sides (because it’s 240 Volt), but if side A is almost maxed out due to other consumers I can overload it, tripping the breaker (or potentially burning up the generator).

The trick here is to balance the load as much as possible. I had to swap the house wiring from two breakers (one from side A and one from B) after checking the load in real time with the generator powering the house, with the goal of keeping the “normal” load to within 10% of each other. Before the swap, Side A was showing 4.5 Amps and side B was showing 9. When I started the A/C the load jumped to 15 Amps and 19.5 Amps, respectively. This is too large a spread for my comfort. After the swap they were 6.5 and 7 Amps, and 17 and 17.5 when the A/C started. I’m also going to install two digital Watt meters on the breaker box itself, with donut current transformers around the two feed lines from the generator. This will let me see in real time what the voltage is and how much current I am drawing on each side. Running the load unbalanced won’t by and of itself hurt the generator, but it will put more stress on the bearings on the heavy load side and contribute to early failure of the armature. Hopefully, you’ll take my advice about buying a generator with an Automatic Voltage Regulator, because if not, you’ll probably need a separate AVR wired into the circuit to keep the voltage from sagging when you place heavy loads on the generator. For instance, when the A/C starts, the tractor bogs down a little and the voltage drops.

Conclusion

I can now power my house for about 33 days for 12 hours a day with my current fuel supply, or I can power it for 50 days for 8 hours a day. Additionally, the power is portable to any place I (or my neighbor) might need it. It’s not a $25,000 long-term solution, but for around $2,000 (including the generator, wiring, receptacle, conduit, and miscellaneous) we have power for the occasional winter ice storm or spring tornado that downs power lines. Downed power lines are fairly common here, so we can sustain our family for two months if needed. I’ll also bet that should push come to shove, our neighbors would trade some diesel fuel for the chance to come over and do their laundry the modern way.

Godspeed.

Letter Re: The Circular File

HJL,

I noted with amusement your reaction to all the requests for info on property you owned 15 years ago. I own a farm in Ohio and got numerous requests and demands for data on my operation in years past and and submitted them all to the circular file. After a few years of this, I received a number of calls culminating with a threat of jail time. My response was that they should give me a few days notice before they hauled me away. Never heard from them again. – Al in Ohio

Hugh Adds: I’m glad to see that I am not the only one who callously disregards this invasion of privacy and strongarming. In this same note, I see that I have also received 3 additional mailings from the U.S. Census Bureau asking for additional information. It’s the first time I have ever received questionnaires from them outside of the 10 year census. My circular file is starting to get full again.

Letter Re: Preparedness For Teenagers

Hello,

In response to the terminology used in firearms, I would like to relate an interesting use of a politically correct term that is being used by the FBI. I attended a citizens academy sponsored by the FBI. The day came when the participants were taken to the range for a live “Fam Fire” or firearm familiarization. All of the participants were briefed on the different types of firearms used by the FBI to include Semi-auto pistols, shotguns, MP-5 sub machine gun sniper rifles, and the M-4. After a safety brief, and with the assistance of the firearms instructors, the participants were also offered the opportunity to shoot the weapons. An interesting fact is the FBI refers to the M-4 as a “Colt-patterned Carbine.” That sounds a lot more appealing than an assault rifle, doesn’t it? – C.D.

Economics and Investing:

The following stunning graph of the United States national debt (since 1950) reveals not only the surge in debt since Nixon canceled the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold in 1971, but it shows in horrifying detail how the situation has proceeded to get much, much worse since the 2008 meltdown, as the nation’s dollar debt soars up the steep incline of what looks like an exponential curve…

This United States National Debt Graph Is Surging. – J.W.

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17 Facts To Show To Anyone That Believes That The U.S. Economy Is Just Fine. – H.L.

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Items from The Economatrix:

Average Retirement Age In America Hits Record High

Re: Bank Of America. Remember The Lessons From Cyprus

Is A Crash Inevitable? The Spiral Vortex Of Debt And Corruption

Odds ‘n Sods:

Researchers uncover clues to deadly 1918 flu pandemic. – M.M.

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State warns on EMP: ‘There’s no help coming’. – H.L.

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Meet the Israeli Christians who actually want to be drafted – T.Y.

First they passed legislation allowing the mandatory service draft of “ultra orthodox” Jewish men who have always been exempt from the service regulations. Now they allow non-Jewish men to volunteer. One might get the impression that Israel is getting serious and feels they may need the extra manpower.

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Bundy Ranch Advisory for April 29 2014 – This report deals with the rumor of a drone strike over the weekend.

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Testifying Before Congress, Mike Rowe Tells Lawmakers Hysterical Reason He’d Never Do a ‘Dirty Jobs’ Episode About Them. Yes, his answer is hilarious, but he, along with congress, still miss the boat. Congress cannot create anything, including jobs. It is solely a consumer. Any job created by the government only consumes resources. Some of those jobs are worth the consumption of resources (such as national defense), but the vast majority of those “created” jobs merely consume resources and hinder the real production of resources and wealth. The government could best accomplish the job of creating jobs by simply getting out of the way of industry.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“When politicians say ‘I’m in politics,’ it may or may not be possible to trust them, but when they say, ‘I’m in public service,’ you know you should flee.” – Albert Jay Nock

Notes from HJL:

Today is the birthday of sci-fi novelist Larry Niven, born April 30, 1938. Along with Jerry Pournelle, he co-authored the survivalist classic Lucifer’s Hammer. April 30th is also the birthday of Ed Yourdon, born 1944.

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Today we present another entry for Round 52 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. A full set of all 26 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. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.

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, and
  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.
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 52 ends on May 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.

Bug Out Bag Strategy, by S.G. – Part 2

Vehicle Bug Out Bag

You’ve just headed out the door after being told to evacuate and driven a short ways. All of a sudden, whamo!, you’ve blown a water hose, and you lose all your engine coolant. It’s late in the day on Highway 88 near Silver Lake, California, or some other similarly remote area, and you realize that the normally light traffic is nonexistent today. You’re probably stuck overnight. To make matters worse, it’s very cold, with rain that’s starting to look more and more like snow. Are you and your vehicle prepared?

If you’re like a lot of people, you’ve got the clothes on your back, maybe a few munchies bought at the local gas station food mart, a little cash, and a cell phone, which won’t, of course, do you any good because of lack of cell phone coverage in the area. You’re going to have a rough and cold night.

If you’re prepared, though, you should be at least moderately comfortable and only somewhat inconvenienced. Let’s see what you’ve got that’ll keep you from freezing.

If you’re smart, the first thing you’ve done is let someone know where you’re going and by what route, so if they don’t hear from you at a predetermined time, they should call for help. Second, if you’re at all serious about being prepared, you’re involved in amateur radio, and you’ll have a radio with the legs to get a message out since there’s usually somebody listening who can call the cavalry out for you. Still, depending on local conditions, it can be hours, maybe even a couple of days before someone can come to your rescue.

First, you should have brought along your personal bug-out bag, as described above. The extra clothes and coat will go a long way towards keeping you warm. You should have also prepared a bug-out bag for your vehicle, which should include items both for your own comfort as well as mild maintenance issues for your vehicle.

One point should be made right now– always try to keep your gas tank at least half full of gas! This way, if your car’s engine is in working order, you have at least some chance of getting to a filling station that has a working fuel dispensation system in case the local power is out. If your car is immobilized, it also lets you occasionally run your engine while you’re stopped by the side of the road to keep your battery charged so you can listen to your car radio and occasionally warm your vehicle up a bit at night, if you’re stuck in a cold area.

Let’s start with the personal items. In addition to the items in your bug-out bag, some supplemental items should be included in this larger vehicle bag. Put together a larger first aid kit that you always keep in your vehicle. A good place to start is one of the larger pre-prepared first aid kits found in the pharmacy section of most big box stores. This should be modified to include any necessary prescription drugs you need. If possible, another pair of prescription glasses should be located in your glove box, in case you break the ones you normally wear.

In addition, include both a pair of work gloves, which can keep your hands warm as well as serve as protection for working on your car, and a decent pair of cold weather gloves to keep your hands really warm. Include thick wool socks to keep your feet warm. For your head and neck, include something along the lines of a Navy watch cap and woolen neck warmer. If you’ve really planned for cold weather, you’ll have heavily insulated boots packed in the trunk. This is all in case you have to move around outside of your vehicle for whatever reason. Otherwise, stay in the vehicle, since it’s the best shelter you’ve got at the moment and much easier for rescuers to find than a person on foot.

Another item to have in the car is a small heater unit. There is a relatively new item on the market that’s really neat. It comes in the form of a small, propane-powered space heater that doesn’t put out carbon monoxide, so you can use it inside a closed vehicle without the danger of being overcome by toxic gas. One model to look at is the Portable Buddy Indoor-Safe Propane Heater******. Another is the Mr. Heater F215100 Portable Buddy Series Heater******. Both units can take the small size propane bottles, like you see attached to small one-burner camp stoves, and are specifically designed not to produce dangerous carbon monoxide. However, you still need to crack a window so the heater doesn’t use all your oxygen.

In addition, you should have at least three to five days of water. A good bet here is to go buy three or four shrink-wrapped “pallets” of bottled water for ease of use. You should also have food for the same period, whether it’s military-style meals, dehydrated “camping food,” or cans. Just remember that you’ll need something to open these. Always keep a Swiss Army Knife on your person. You’ll want the one that has scissors and a can opener attachment.

As for your vehicle there are some basics that you should already have in your car anyway. You should have a tool bag with, at minimum, the following items:

  1. A mobile amateur radio rig in good operating condition, or at least a dual band unit with a decent antenna, so you can reach out to any local repeaters. This can help you call for help if you’re in an area that doesn’t have reliable cell phone coverage. If you’re traveling to remote areas, consider installing an amateur radio that covers the high frequency (HF) bands for a farther reach. If you’re of the mind, install a CB radio to reach out to truckers on Channel 19, which is (un)officially recognized as the CB “emergency channel.”
  2. A list of your medical conditions and the drugs you take, kept in an obvious place. If you’re found unconscious, the paramedics will know better how to deal with your situation this way.
  3. A good set of jumper cables, at least 12 feet in length.
  4. Wrenches and screwdrivers of the appropriate size for the fasteners in your vehicle.
  5. Pliers and vice grips that can be used for many purposes, including pulling a nail out of your tire tread.
  6. Duct tape can be used to repair lots of things, even possibly acting as an emergency patch for a punctured tire. Also include tie wraps– the zip ties you use to bundle wires together in your Ham shack. These and duct tape are what holds the universe together. There are a lot of things that can be temporarily repaired with these items, maybe enough to get you to the next settlement.
  7. At least half a dozen large trash bags. These can be used as waste bags, emergency toilets, or as waterproofing for an emergency shelter.
  8. Safety wire– a stiff wire that comes in small, soldering wire-sized rolls– that is useful for, among other things, keeping a door or hood closed when the latch has failed.
  9. A container of anti-freeze.
  10. Two quarts of oil.
  11. Extra fuses (assuming you don’t have extras already attached to the fuse box cover).
  12. A transistor radio with extra batteries. Use this to save your car battery.
  13. A good flashlight with extra batteries. Try to choose one that uses the same batteries as your transistor radio.
  14. At least two flares and an emergency reflective road triangle.
  15. Paper and a pen for keeping notes, which is handy in case you have to leave your vehicle. You can tell rescuers which direction you’ve gone.
  16. A “HELP” sign to put in your back window.
  17. A small tire inflation pump that can be powered through a cigarette lighter plug.
  18. A good plug kit for tire punctures (found at any decent auto repair shop) that includes a can of “Fix-a-Flat.”
  19. Matches and a cigarette lighter, even if you don’t smoke. You never know when you might have to light a small campfire to keep warm or light a signal fire to get the attention of a passing plane. For this, use a bit of motor oil to get a nice black smoke for a signal fire.
  20. Toilet paper and Kleenex. These items can be worth their weight in gold. You don’t want to experiment with unidentified leaves to wipe yourself!
  21. Extra feminine supplies, if you’re a woman or regularly have female passengers.
  22. A good bag or backpack to put all of this in.

This is a short list. If there are items that meet a specific need of yours, by all means add them!

Just remember, none of these bug-out bags does you any good if you leave them at home or don’t take time to have them ready when it’s time to leave!

Letter Re: Fire Suppression

HJL,

I’ve been thinking more and more about possible fire suppression methods (a.k.a. “Fire Traps”) for SHTF, and I was wondering if you ever considered pre-staging fire-retardant materials in high-risk areas. This is just a theory, but have you considered hanging or placing materials that would dispense fire retardant if an actual fire broke out? This could be something like a bag or bucket hanging in a tree, so when the fire hits it, it melts the bag and dispenses the material. I realize in SHTF scenarios, you neither have the resources to fight a huge forest fire nor even have the expensive equipment (breathing gear, fire suits, et cetera) to combat a fire. Also, finite resources (like water) would probably be:

  • Not sufficient enough to do any significant damage to a fire,
  • Only localized to one area (the direction of the water being dispensed), and
  • A danger to the person dispensing the water if they are not adequately protected from smoke inhalation and heat.

By have pre-staged fire-suppression counter measures, you may be able to re-direct a fire or at least delay the fire enough to safely evacuate the area. It’s just an idea I’ve had, and I wanted to know if you’ve tested something like this out already.

HJL Replies: You are on the right track but thinking too small. There are standard fire prevention measures that can be taken on any property to reduce the risk of fire to life and property. Evacuation may not even be necessary, though it is often mandatory at times. Done properly, the prevention/suppression techniques can make sure that your property survives, even if you are not present to manage it. For starters, you need to clear trees and underbrush from the area surrounding your home. This is also in line with creating fields-of-fire for defense of that same home, so you can “kill two birds with one stone” here. With those items cleared, roaring forest fires are no longer a threat. All you need to do is manage smaller grass fires and/or floating embers. The grass fires can be managed by circumventing your abode with a dirt/gravel road and keeping flammables well away from the house. Gravel is always good, because it also acts as a noise barrier for anyone attempting to sneak up on the house. You need to make sure that any roofing material is non-flammable so the floating embers don’t start it on fire. Every location has different flora, so it is best to consult the county fire department on their recommendations. If you need help, they may even be willing to come to your location. Anything done for prevention makes their job easier. In the event of a large fire, they will be performing defensive maneuvers for structure protection, and you are making that job easier for them. Who knows, you may end up volunteering with them.

Economics and Investing:

America’s Race to the Bottom

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From a SurvivalBlog reader: “Watch out for your Wells Fargo clients with safe deposit boxes. Wells Fargo has gone up 50% on their prices for a safe deposit box. Mine was $80 for a year; now it is $120 from bill received today. Those with automatic withdrawal will be surprised too late.” – J.Y.

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The Elephant In The Room: Deutsche Bank’s $75 Trillion In Derivatives Is 20 Times Greater Than German GDP – E.B.

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Items from The Economatrix:

McWages For The McAmerica Job Recovery: The Scorecard – 3.6 Million Higher-Wage Jobs Lost Due To Recession With Only 2.6 Million Added Back. 2 Million Lower-Wage Jobs Lost During Recession But 3.8 Million Added Since The Recovery.

Gerald Celente: No Crash Necessary

Spring Tide To Lift All Economy’s Boats

These Are The Top Financial Concerns Of Ordinary Americans

Odds ‘n Sods:

You have known this for some time, but here it is again: They want to know who you are, what you have – H.L.

It’s all about control of weapons, food, transportation, et cetera. . . I’m still getting questionnaires from the Dept. of Agriculture over property that I sold nearly 15 years ago. They want to know how I use the property and what it produces. I routinely throw the notices away and refuse the telephone calls. So far, they have threatened me with arrest and jail, both through the mail and over the phone but no warrants have been issued yet.

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Military-stealth-dirt-bike. New DARPA electric/multi-fuel dirt bike for special forces. – A.W.

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The Factory That Made Guns, by Dalia Mae Lachlan

“In the heart of a peaceful valley, surrounded by dairy farms and peach orchards, was a little factory that made farm implements. Then one day Mr Reedy Power gathered the workers. ‘This little factory is going to start making guns’ he laughed. The peach orchards were cut down and the cows were sent off to another valley far away, and the factory started making guns and tanks. But when they stopped selling, Mr Reedy Power decided that a war was needed so that he could keep his factory busy.”

Nope. Obviously no bias or agenda HERE. – T.Y.

HJL Notes: The link was deliberately left off, but you can find it on Amazon. The lone review says it all. It’s a shame that some people attempt to write children’s books (or publish them.)

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Suspicious Deaths of Bankers Are Now Classified as “Trade Secrets” by Federal Regulator. – D.S.

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Compost Heating System. Seems like an interesting idea. Might be important some day to have some experience. – J.R.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“If a secular table reconciles men to one another when they meet together, why should not the table of Christ effect this the more? Since the wildest beasts are tamed by food, why are men not made gentle by this heavenly food? If treaties and covenants are usually sealed by food and drink, why do not the children of God establish peace and friendship among themselves by communicating together?” – Peter Martyr

Notes from HJL:

For those who have eyes like mine, don’t forget to check out this SurvivalBlog post for the instructions on how to set your iPad/iPod/iPhone to work with our new format. Your eyes will thank you. For anyone who has a Windows tablet or Android device, I’d appreciate if you would send the instructions for the zooming function to me, as I don’t have access to one of those devices.

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Today we present another entry for Round 52 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. A full set of all 26 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. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.

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, and
  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.
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 52 ends on May 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.

Bug Out Bag Strategy, by S.G. – Part 1

It’s the middle of the night, and you get a call from the local authorities that a mandatory evacuation has just been ordered because of a major fire. You’ve been given 10 minutes to evacuate because no one expected the fire to turn your way so soon, and you have no time to do anything but grab what you can and jump in your vehicle to head out for parts unknown.

What’s a BOB?

Let’s start with a simple definition of what a bug out bag is. It’s some form of bag or backpack you’ve prepared that you can grab at the drop of a hat when you need to leave right now. Within this bag, you’ve placed items that will make your life bearable in the short term. Ah, but how do you stock it? What are the kinds of things that you’d need to make your situation livable while you’re dealing with an involuntary displacement?

The Bag

As for what to carry all your necessary “stuff” in, it can be anything from a couple of sturdy grocery bags (probably not recommended, considering the state of today’s less-than-satisfactory grocery bags) to a backpack to a duffel bag. What matters is that it’s something that can be easily grabbed on the way out (or even left in the trunk of your vehicle) and is sturdy enough to hold everything without falling apart immediately. A good start would be to look at any of a number of so-called “three day packs” manufactured by a variety of companies. If this is the direction you go, something you might consider is one of the new military-style packs, manufactured by Maxpedition®[1] or Spec-Ops®[2], which allow for attachment of pouches of various types on the outside of the pack, including pouches for everything from Nalgene®[3] water bottles to handheld radios and even specialized pouches for small first aid kits. However, even a simple grade school-type backpack can fit the bill in a pinch, and these can be found in most big box stores for a very easy-on-the-wallet price. The important thing is to find a packing system that works for you.

Contents

Now, what to put in your bug out bag? There are some basic items that you need to consider.

The first consideration is basic physical comfort. Since you cannot be sure of how long you’ll be away from home, you should consider having enough clothing for at least five to seven days, with clean undergarments, underwear, and socks being especially important. So, consider three or four shirts, one or two pairs of pants, a week’s worth of undergarments and socks, and a sturdy pair of shoes or light hiking boots. Oh, and don’t forget a sweater or sweatshirt, a good coat (light weight for mild weather and/or heavy duty for colder areas), and a good hat for sun protection. You may also carry gloves and a neck scarf, depending on where you think you might be stranded and the season of year.

You should also have a week’s worth of toiletries. For men, it could be as simple as a comb, razor, tooth brush and toothpaste, shampoo, and soap. For women, the necessities are slightly different. They include similar personal grooming supplies plus feminine supplies and other similar items specific to women, such as feminine pads, tampons, douche, and so forth. The basic toiletries are also necessary for children, including toothpaste and a toothbrush.

Just as important are any dietary supplements you take, as well as a small supply of necessary medications you may require, just in case you forget to grab your regular supply. Ideally, you should have your medications arranged in such a manner that you can put them in a small carry bag you keep nearby, so that you can have all of them available in case of a long term stay. Don’t forget your prescription glasses! Even an outdated pair of glasses with an old prescription is better than nothing. Depending on where you live, including a pair of sunglasses might be included.

It would also be a good idea to have enough sustenance for at least two or three days. This could be in the form of bottled water, figuring about three liters of water per day for a female and four liters for a man[4], assuming typical activity levels. If you’re in a warmer area, carry more water per day. Unfortunately, water is heavy, and there isn’t much you can do about that, except to carry water in bottles rather than large, bulky containers. This way, you can carry a couple bottles with you while leaving the rest in your vehicle, where you should ideally already have a couple cases of bottled water purchased from the local big box warehouse store. As for food, carrying snack-type foods is most convenient; small bags of nuts, jerky, energy bars, and the like are handy. Try to stay away from high sugar items like candy bars, which tend to be “empty calories” that don’t support you as well in a high stress situation, like a mandatory evacuation. While the idea is not to carry gourmet meals wherever you go, you can carry foods that are high in energy (for their size), are easy to consume while on the move, and also taste good. Just consider all the different flavors of jerky and conveniently packed “meat sticks”!

Don’t forget your cell phone and, at minimum, a car charger for it, so you can contact family members. In addition, a small battery-powered transistor radio is a good idea for listening to news reports when you’re away from your vehicle radio. A flashlight with extra batteries is also a good thing to have for finding your way around dark areas. Try and find one that takes the same batteries as your transistor radio. It would be a good idea to have at least a small pocket first aid kit, to which you might add things like eye drops, saline nasal spray, a small bar of soap, and deodorant. If you have babies, bring baby food and a couple of favorite toys. The same goes for pets. They require appropriate food and toys. Also, don’t forget one of the great basics– toilet paper!! You never know when you’re going to need it; while heading out your may find that the restroom in the last gas station out of town is fresh out. You don’t want to start experimenting with unknown leaves on your backside!

You should also have an “important documents” bug-out kit. This includes insurance papers, the deed to your house, important bank documents, plus a list of important phone numbers (relatives, doctors, insurance agent) and ID documents, such as your Social Security card and your passport. If you have room and time and you think it’s important enough, you might want to grab any important family items, such as small pictures or other keepsakes like your grandmother’s wedding ring.

This is, of course, a “short list”– a starting point to be modified to personal need. The important issue is, be prepared; you don’t want to be throwing things in the car at the last minute!

First Aid Kit

It’s late on the second day of a camping trip, and you’re starting to pack things up to head for home. All of a sudden, somebody bumps you with a metal box. The sharp edge digs a gouge in your arm, and you’re bleeding! It’s nothing major, but you’re still dripping blood and you’re worried about getting an infection. Did you bring your first aid kit?

Even a small kit can go a long way in keeping a minor wound from getting really nasty. Having one on hand that’s both simple and useful is actually very easy. Whether you’re carrying a small personal kit in your pocket or you’ve got a more comprehensive model in your vehicle, the process can start with a quick trip to any big box store that has a decent pharmacy.

For a personal kit, light and small is the order of the day. A small pouch with a few small bandages, a small tube of antiseptic, some lip balm, and prescription medications[5] for a day or two is all that’s probably necessary. This is assuming that you’re dealing with a very minor injury. If you’re more seriously injured, you or someone nearby can get you to a hospital.

For a personal bug out bag kit, you want something a little larger. Many big box pharmacies will have first aid kits in small plastic boxes. The one I’ve got is from Johnson & Johnson and purchased at Wal-Mart. It contains some small cleansing wipes, a variety of Band-Aid®s, some Tylenol® (acetaminophen) and Motrin®, and some Cortaid®. This is usually more than enough to deal with minor dents and dings. Another item you should keep and use all the time, especially if you’re fair-skinned and/or operating at high altitude, is a good sunscreen of at least SPF15 (the higher the better), as recommended by the American Melanoma Foundation[6].

For a first aid kit that would go in your vehicle bug out bag, you can start to get more comprehensive. In addition to the above items (which you should increase in number a bit), it would be a good idea to include an ace bandage, a large 2 foot-by-2 foot section of cheap cloth to act as a sling, a small bottle of iodine antiseptic, a couple of needles for piercing blisters and extracting splinters, tweezers, some self-adhesive medical tape, some 5 inch-by-5 inch gauze pads, a small pair of scissors for trimming medical tape, and bandages.

Finally, if you’re really serious about being prepared and you want to be of somewhat more assistance to others in an emergency situation, I would suggest contacting the American Red Cross regarding taking the appropriate courses for First Aid Certification. You might even decide to earn CPR Certification. This way you not only can take care of yourself in the immediate, you can be of service to others.

References

[1]www.Maxpedition.com.

[2]www.specopsbrand.com.

[3]www.nalgene.com.

[4]http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_recommended_amount_of_water_to_consume_in_one_day.

[5]I’ve got a small pocket first aid kit called an “Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight” which I purchased at the local REI which, minus the prescription medications, fits the bill perfectly.

[6]http://www.melanomafoundation.org/prevention/facts.htm, first bullet point under “How do you select a sunscreen?”

Two Letters Re: Preparedness For Teenagers

Hugh,

Preparedness For Teenagersjust once again brought to my attention a matter– we should ALL get a vocabulary change in place.

He states getting a shot gun.. then to ‘graduate’ to rifles and ASSAULT rifles (emphasis mine).

Please, can we STOP calling them ASSAULT rifles. They are DEFENSE rifles.

This is NOT directed to A.H. It is directed to ALL OF US. Stop playing the gun control crowd’s games. Terms and words DO matter.

DEFENSE rifles (as opposed to what the “crowd” considers HUNTING rifles, yet WE know any firearm, be it a 306, a 30.30, or a .45, can be a DEFENSE tool, as can a typical ‘”defense” rifle be used for hunting. (It all depends on what you are going after.)

Come on troops.. altogether now D E F E N S E … DEFENSE – P.W.

HJL Adds: Don’t forget the “standard capacity” magazines. I think the author did a good job, especially considering he was 18 years old when he wrote it. We do need to be wary of the word games used by the progressive left though. Thanks for the reminder.

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HJL,

Watch the recoil on a 20 gauge. Last time I considered one there was certainly a smaller charge, but it was more than offset by the lighter weight of the gun, resulting in recoil equal to or greater than the 12 gauge. – Susan