R.J.’s Book Review: At Home In Dogwood Mudhole, Volume One: Nothing That Eats

At Home In Dogwood Mudhole, Volume One: Nothing That Eats
By Franklin Sanders
Copyright: 2012
ISBN 978-1-938817-06-9

Although there is a long standing link at JWR’s Investing page to his Moneychanger web site, not every SurvivalBlog reader may know of Franklin Sanders. His stories will either have an air of familiarity or yearning to follow in his footsteps. Christian, father of seven, farmer, historian, husband, outlaw, and reenactor are all facets to this interesting man.
 
This is first of three planned books. It solidly weighs in with a hefty 379 pages. There’s something nice about picking up a paperback that is well made.  There are also a Kindle, ePub, and pdf versions available for those who like the weightless version.
 
Franklin Sanders wrote the Moneychanger Newsletter every month. In it, he included a section about his personal life. In putting this book together he made a conscience decision to print what he wrote at the time. This is a unique perspective in that most writers would use their notes as a basis and then write history, often years or decades later, as viewed from today. Ask a six year old to what happened to him that day and it might include a story about monsters in the closet. That same writer at twenty-six would likely not tell the tale for fear of looking silly. As you read the book you will get a sense of truthfulness you would not normally expect from someone writing about himself. 
 
Franklin’s Christian beliefs run deep. One could say that he is exuberant in his faith and it shows in his writings. To some, the interspersed Biblical references and quotes may be off-putting, but it is key part of who Franklin is. In no way do these times come off as condescending or preaching which makes for a pleasant read.
 
Another thing that makes this book a pleasant read is the way it is laid out. The sections are headed by the month and year it was published. The length may be a page or a few pages long. Franklin’s writing style is straightforward and easy to read. This combined with monthly sections will have the reader flying along through the adventures.
 
One interesting thread through the book relates to the Y2K bug. For the younger readers, Y2K or year 2000 bug was a crisis in the late 1990s relating to computer programs in their ability to understand the difference between 2-digit year abbreviation (such as 00) versus 4-digit (such as 2000.) Possible catastrophes included all bank account information being lost to public utilities being turned off.  There always tends to be a looming danger in the near future and it is interesting to see how the Sanders family dealt with this example.
 
Franklin is an interesting man and that reflects in his monthly sections. One month may have you reading about a sow and her piglets, touring America, or the Civil War, I mean, the War of Northern Aggression reenactment as he plays a Southerner. There is always something of interest to read about.

The move to country life or homesteading has become more poplar in the last decade as many people realize the substantial benefits of this lifestyle. The Sanders Family began this journey almost 15 years ago. Like many fish-out-of-water tales, this book has plenty of humorous episodes as they relearn what most of our great-grandparents would have thought as being common sense. Read what he does with 2,000 pounds of Y2K rice for a good chuckle.

W. C Fields, American actor and comedian (1880-1946), was once quoted as saying “Never work with children or animals.”The folly of both is bound to drive any sane person crazy when you are trying to get things done on time. Both surround the Sanders. As I am sure Franklin has said to himself many times that God never gives us more than we can handle. Weather it is children that move back home,
horses that bolt off with heavy equipment, pigs refusing to be corralled, or disappearing chickens there were plenty of challenges facing this homesteader.

Pat’s Product Review: H&K Knives Entourage

For the life of me, ever since I was a little boy, who regularly carried some kind of folding knife, could I understand how a “switchblade” knife (read: automatic opening knife) is any more dangerous than any other knife. Somehow, I think we have Hollywood to thank for this nonsense going back many, many years, where they portrayed gang members using a switchblade to intimidate or kill someone. How on earth one can justify how a folding knife opens, to how lethal it is, is beyond my comprehension. I’ve said this many times in the past in my knife articles, and that is, I can draw my folding knife from my pocket, and open it faster, with a flick of my wrist, than I can an automatic folder. On an automatic folder, you have to index the knife and then find the sweet spot – the button – on the handle and then press it to open the knife. Still, I like automatic folders – and not because they open faster – they don’t – at least not for me.
 
Many states ban the mere possession of an automatic opening knife – even if you keep it in your home. In my home state of Oregon, where automatic folders are made, and where they are legal to carry, many, many police officers mistakenly believe that an automatic opening folder is illegal. Ignorance is bliss!
 
Almost a year ago, I received the H&K Entourage automatic opening folder – a “switchblade” for testing. I never carried this knife, but kept it on my desk, and it was used almost daily for opening FedEx and UPS packages, as well as other chores around the house and homestead. To be honest, I had completely forgotten that I received this knife for testing for an article on SurvivalBlog – I just kept on using the knife daily, and it slipped my mind that I was to write this article about the knife – until I found the paperwork in a pile of papers on my desk from Benchmade Knives – who makes the H&K “Entourage.” So, I figured I’d best get this article written.
 
First of all, it is a testament to how useful the Entourage was for daily chores around the house. Yes, it is faster opening, when I picked it up off my desk – as opposed to having to dig into my pants pocket to get my regular folding knife out to use all the time. The Entourage was just “there” all the time for me. What we have is a 3.74-inch 440C stainless steel blade, with a Rockwell hardness of 58-60 – and this is a bit hard, but the edge stays sharp a good long time – only problems I’ve ever encountered with 440C stainless steel is, it takes some work to get the edge back to hair-popping sharpness. However, I don’t let my knife get very dull to start with. Unless I’m doing an intentionally destructive test, I keep a keen edge on my knives at all times.
 
The handle scales are made out of 6061-T6 anodized black aluminum. And, I should mention that, the blade on the Entourage is a Tanto style, which is one of my favorites. There is also a pocket clip on the handle scales, should you elect to carry the Entourage in your pants pocket. My sample had the plain edge, but you can also get a partially serrated edge, and those serrations really help out when cutting cardboard or rope.
 
There are friction points on the top and butt of the handle scales, that greatly aid in getting a secure grip on the knife in many different styles of knife fighting holds. And, there is a very slight upward angle on the front top of the handle scales for proper thumb placement in the fencing grip. On the bottom front of the handle scales, there are also friction points for proper placement of your index finger in the fencing grip. Closed length of the Entourage is 4.70-inches and opened it is 8.44-inches and it weighs-in at 4.50-ounces–not too heavy and not too light.
 
The button used for opening the Entourage is large enough that you can easily make contact with it with your right thumb, and there is an enhanced spring design for improved and faster opening times of the blade. I found my sample had the front pivot pin just a tad too tight, and it only took about half a turn with a Torx head driver, to get the tension a bit looser and more to my own liking. The blade seemed a bit slow springing out of the handle scales – but now it is perfect. And, during almost a year of testing and daily use, I never once had to re-adjust the tension on the front pivot pin.
 
I liked the black anodized handle scales, there were also grooves milled into the handle scales for a more secure grip. With the blackened blade, the knife has a very “tactical” look to it – very cool! On the top of the Entourage’s handle scales, you will also find a sliding safety button – to lock the blade solidly open or closed – making this a virtual “fixed” blade folder in the locked open position.
 
I’ve mentioned this before, but thought I’d mention it again, for new SurvivalBlog readers. Some Preppers mistakenly believe that all survival situations call for bugging out to the boonies – such is not the case. If you live in the big city, you are more apt to need survival tools on a daily basis, and one tool I find useful on a daily basis is a folding knife. The Entourage isn’t a wilderness survival knife – it’s not designed or meant for that type of use, However, if you life in a big city, having a very well made Every Day Carry (EDC) folder is a handy thing to have. I just read a report this morning, about a group of more than 100 teens, who went on a rampage in downtown Chicago – my birth town, and people were attacked by this group. There is such a thing as disparity of force – which means basically, if you are outnumbered, you can use more force to fend off your attackers. In this case, when you are faced with multiple attackers, you would be justified in using a knife to defend yourself with.
 
The Entourage would make an outstanding EDC folder, it’s well-made, strong, and it is priced at $170 – which is a very good price for a Benchmade produced knife. And, if you are into collecting logo knives, the H&K line is very collectible. I played with my Entourage for almost a year, and the blade was opened and closed thousands of times, and there wasn’t a sign of the button or spring failing or working loose. Check out an Entourage, if you can legally own one in your locale or state. I think you’ll be pleased with the Entourage. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Post-TEOTWAWKI Welding

James Wesley;
I’m worried about keeping farm machinery operating, in a long-term TEOTWAWKI whammy. Some of my equipment is horse-drawn and a full century old. God forbid we go through a multi-generational scenario like you’ve talked about. How will we repair broken metal, or cast metal, or join metal (‘cept drilling and nuts and bolts)? Obviously arc welding is out, unless someone has a huge solar battery bank, and I’m not at that Pay Grade. (I live almost paycheck to paycheck, other than a seasonal bump when I sell hay each year.) And gas welding will be non-functional once the available welding gas supplies run out. I also saw the SurvivalBlog piece on the giant fresnel lens solar oven (for aluminum casting) but beyond that I’m stumped. What am I missing? Thanks for your time, – Rod C.

JWR Replies: Missing? In a word: Thermite. (The formerly patented trade name was “Thermit.”) Thermite welding is a simple process that just employs a mixture of iron oxide powder and aluminum powder to create what my high school teacher called “a vigorous exothermic reaction.” It is most commonly used to join railroad tracks, using specialized molds and tooling. (Thermited tracks don’t have that traditional “clickety-clack” sound.) The only fairly exotic material needed is magnesium ribbon, to ignite the mixture. An Aside: My #1 Son found that a Blast Match or Sparkie fire starter (both sold by several of our advertisers) works just fine as an igniter, just by itself.

The iron oxide and aluminum powders needed for thermite welding can even be produced locally, albeit very laboriously, with materials from your local automobile wrecking yard. (Hint: Look for aluminum “Mag” wheels.) Welding with thermite can be tricky: If you use too little or if you don’t contain the “puddle” properly, then you don’t get a good weld. If you use too much, then you destroy the parent metal. Practice a lot now with scrap metal so that you don’t make costly mistakes, later.

Warning! All the usual safety provisos for welding apply, and then some! Thermite burns at thousands of degrees and looking directly at the reaction can cause permanently-blinding retinal burns. You’ll need welding goggles. Since a thermite reaction creates its own oxygen, unless you have a Class D fire extinguisher there is basically no effective way to fight a thermite fire. (Without a Class D extinguisher you have to just wait until it burns out–although cooling it with a CO2 extinguisher helps a bit.) Also, keep in mind that if a glob of burning thermite contacts water or even just mud, it can cause an instantaneous steam explosion that will throw burning thermite in all directions. Also, using finely-ground thermite powder, or any sort of expanding gas containment can also cause thermite explosions, so use extreme caution. And if you aren’t wearing welding clothes and dark welding goggles when igniting thermite, then you are foolish. After mixing or otherwise handling loose thermite powder be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before using it. (Setting your thermite-powdered hands on fire would be a Very Bad Thing.)

Thermite has many other clever uses, as described, in my novel Patriots. (The Mythbusters guys demonstrate overkill.)

Reprints of two old thermite welding references now that are now in the public domain are available from Amazon.com. They are:

Thermit Welding Process 1914 by Richard N. Hart

and

Thermit Welding (A series of articles revealing the art and science of welding) by Ethan Vial

Thermite welding is also briefly described in the free Kindle e-book: Oxy-Acetylene Welding and Cutting Electric, Forge and Thermit Welding together with related methods and materials used in metal working and the oxygen process, by Harold P. Manly.

An inexpensive source for iron oxide powder, aluminum powder, and magnesium ribbon with excellent customer service is AlphaChemicals.com. They have been a SurvivalBlog advertiser since early 2011, and I must mention that I have had ZERO complaints about the company, since then. They have satisfied thousands of SurvivalBlog-reader customers. AlphaChem now packages most of their iron oxide powder and aluminum powder in resealable heavy duty mylar pouches. This keeps everything neat and dry. They double package and discreetly ship via UPS in boxes that just have one small blue “ORM-D” safety label. (The binary components are not classified as pyrotechnics until after you mix the component powders yourself.)

Because of its weight, any casting equipment (molds, crucibles, refiner’s sand, etc.) is best found locally, from an industrial supply company, or better yet used, via Craigslist. And of course terra cotta clay pots are available at garage sales or your local garden supply store.

Lastly, keep in mind that if you are planning to cast metal with Thermite, then wet sand or damp clay processes cannot be used. (See my previous warning about instantaneous steam explosions.) Your molds must be quite dry!

Letter Re: Selecting a Prepper’s Firearms

Jim:
I’m writing in response to: Selecting a Prepper’s Firearms, by Frog. First I can say that I like the idea of adding a Bushnell red dot to a few of my ‘tools’ – I wanted to add one with out getting stuff that would fail, and have been unwilling to buy anything overly expensive due to today’s crazy market with it’s inflated prices.  Red dot scope for say a 10-22 with a folding stock would be perfect match. (and it’s around $100) – totally good call.

I only see a few issues with selection of firearms like the glock pistols and Remington 870 ( I have one – love it too.) – just one thing about Glocks I didn’t like, and it might very well be my fault because they were my first reloads back a few years ago…- these are great accurate shooting pistols with stock factory ammo. I gave my reloads (that worked great in my Ruger P95DC) to a friend to shoot when he ran out of ammo, his Glock choked on them, badly enough that my friend had trouble clearing the ammo with out the aid of my leatherman.  That was not a good day, for him…glad we were only putting holes in paper.

It is just worth mentioning that some pistols have tight tolerances, and reloaded ammo might cause issues… When times are bad, reloads might be more prevalent might not work in them as well as stock factory ammo. Almost all ammo has a warning on it saying not to use reloaded ammo.

Being as it was one of my early loads before I started using a ‘case’ gauge, it could have been all me… reloaders might want to take note and invest in case gauges to prevent that same issue…you pop a finished round in the case gauge to test the brass for fit… if it fits in the gauge it should work in anything standard for what your testing. This should be one of the last steps before storing rounds you’ve reloaded up for use.

I started loading ammo back in 2003 or 2004- and like I said even if his Glock didn’t like reloads my used Ruger would eat them all day.  This issue is why I have gauges for 9mm, .223, .308, .30-06 – and anything else I’m planning on loading I would plan on buying now, before things get bad…I’m not saying don’t buy a Glock, or one pistol is better then another, any pistol is better then no pistol at all – I’m just saying be aware that some pistols and rifles are finicky in what you can use in them. How you use that information is your call – like be prepared and have a good supply of stock ammo, and only feed it stock ammo if you already know reloads might have issues. You should take the time now in good times to figure out will your selected defense weapon work with reloads, because in the future… (Ah you got me…  ammo is already scarce!) you’ll want to know.

[JWR Adds: Glocks are notoriously temperamental with cast lead bullets and copper washed lead bullets in reloads, and the occasional expensive and potentially dangerous “Glock Ka-Boom” can be expected with their use.]

The other note is the first thing a guy/gal should do when buying an 870 is get an aluminum tube replacement for that little plastic piece that pushes the shells up in the shell holder… the plastic ones wear out at the worst times- so that is worth mentioning too.  Someone I know gave me this advice when I got my 870 home defense shotgun. Good advice is worth repeating.

And finally, sure! – if I could afford a PTR91 with lots of cheap mags I’d have purchased one already… that weapon was close to $2,000 before the prices inflated, it’s probably way out of my price range now. Get what ever you can get, learn how it works, practice with it, take care of it well.- Fitzy in Pennsylvania

Letter Re: Sewing to Repurpose Items for SHTF

Dear Editor:
I used to be much more of a seamstress than I am now, but I’m getting back into it as I can’t find clothes I like (modern women’s pants all want to fall off my butt) and I am sewing my own gear to save money.  This article will focus on repurposing fabric items that are worn out or that you don’t want anymore, into other fabric items that are more useful for a SHTF situation.

Don’t throw out old clothes, even if they’re stained or otherwise unwearable.  Even clean old underwear can be repurposed into rags or stuffing for pillows.  You can take the hook and eye parts of old bras, and use them in other underwear projects or for mending.  You can remove the zippers, elastic, buttons, etc. of old clothes, and keep them for future projects.  You can even save good strong thread if you are careful deconstructing something.

If you want to dye something that is a natural fiber a different color, you can learn about plant dyes, or there is a kind of dye called procion dye.  The mordant (fixer) for that kind of dye is washing soda, which you can buy at the grocery store in the laundry soap aisle.  This dye is the kind that people who make tie-dyes use, it comes in all different colors including earth tones – you can make your own camo if need be that way, out of your existing clothes.  I used to get mine at Dharma Trading Co. which is online, but there may be other sellers.  To conserve dye, it is much more economical to squirt or spray the dye onto your garment than to vat-dye it, unless you are doing a really big batch all the same color.

If you find elastic eventually wears out and becomes unavailable, you can make drawstrings instead out of strips of fabric and modify your clothes to accept drawstrings.

You can make socks out of old sweaters or sweatshirts.  You don’t even need to know how to knit, if you can cut and sew it so it doesn’t unravel.  (I recommend zigzag stitch). Or in a pinch you can wrap a rag around your foot and stuff it in a shoe like that, but why not have something that is shaped like a sock?

Old pants legs with minimal sewing can make good bags, pouches, aprons, pillows, book covers, gaiters, or panels for bodices.  They could even be made into hammocks or cots if you have enough of them, which if bedbugs take over the world or if you end up being nomadic, you’ll be getting rid of your mattresses eventually anyway.  One thing I haven’t seen yet is a denim plate carrier.  One might fasten a 550 steel target to the inside of the bib of a pair of overalls, as an improvised rifle plate. (but pad the inside of the steel too).

You can make tactical gear or smaller bags out of old luggage you cut apart.  Many suitcases are made from Cordura.  You can save the straps from knapsacks to use for webbing or slings.  Even outdoor upholstery fabric remnants would work, but to get Cordura, the “real thing”, without ordering it, look to the luggage at the thrift store.

You can also hide clothes or gear by making them into cushions.  How about a “bolster-holster” for your rifle?  How about a piece of web gear that is reversible?  One minute it’s a purse or satchel or pillow, the next it’s your vest.   How many sets of clothes can you stuff into a seat cushion?

Back to quilts for a second, the Army poncho liner is nothing more than a thin quilt with a head hole in the middle.  It’s camo lightweight nylon with thin polyfil for batting, a few strings at the corners, and bound on the edges.  You could make something similar.  If you didn’t mind the extra weight, you could use some thin wool, maybe in two layers, and sandwich that between nylon to make it ride smoother.  It would probably be a lot warmer than polyfil, although if you were running around it might get too hot.

If you don’t have a pattern, you can make your own shirt and dress patterns by draping cheap fabric on a dress dummy or a person and pinning it, drawing on it, adding to it, cutting it, etc. You can sew a mock-up and then take it apart and there’s your pattern, only made of fabric instead of tissue paper.  And of course, once you are done with the pattern you can reuse the fabric.

You can make yourself a custom dress dummy by wearing an old T-shirt and wrapping your torso with duct tape, cutting your way out of it and taping the cut back together, then stuffing it.  I suppose if you stuff it with heavy enough stuff, you could also chain it to a door frame and use it as a punching bag when you get frustrated trying to drape cheap fabric on it (just make sure the pins are all out).

Last but not least, it might be slow, but you can always hand sew clothes if you don’t have a machine.  Sometimes I find my machine can’t handle real thick things, and all at the same time I had 3 or 4 projects that would have required a walking foot machine, which is an industrial sewing machine designed for thick fabric, where the presser foot goes up and down with every stitch.  Instead of looking for a walking foot machine, which is expensive, I hand sewed what I needed to, and made due.  You can also hand baste things like quilts, to hold them together before you quilt them for real.  It keeps the layers from migrating too much. – Penny Pincher

Recipe of the Week:

S.A.’s Canned Chicken Recipe

A well-tested recipe adapted from another Air Force wife at England AFB, Louisiana, a base now long-closed. Even picky eaters like this one.

If things do ever go as predicted, knowing how up use your stores efficiently and effectively will be important. The current way of eating with a separate large meat serving, servings of vegetables piled on a plate might become a memory. Cooks will revert to traditional peasant and poor people foods that stretch ingredients, such as soups and casseroles. (Don’t worry, in my home we are never without homemade soups, a pot of beans, and casseroles in the fridge. This is how I was raised.)

Are you using your canned chicken stores? Those chickens take some getting used to, but it is possible to cook with them and mask the tinned flavor and stringy texture. It’s like canned tuna: very different from the fresh product, but with a good recipe can be made palatable. Learn to cook with your stores now in order to be happier in an uncertain future.

The following cold salad recipe is easy, tasty, and uses few ingredients.

Chicken Rice-a-Roni Salad
(a pasta dish using a bit of chicken)
serves 10-12

1 box Chicken Rice-a-Roni
1 13 oz can of chicken (like those from Sam’s Club or Wal-mart)
6 green onions
1bell pepper
1 bunch of celery (as many ribs as you like. I use five ribs, since I like celery.)
1medium jar marinated artichoke hearts
Mayonnaise
Butter

Drain artichoke marinade into a bowl.
Open chicken can, drain, give can juice to the dog, rinse, break chicken pieces up with your fingers. Cover with marinade, stir to cover and coat the chicken well, and let sit while you prep the other ingredients.
Cook Rice-a-Roni according to package.  (Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet, add Rice-a-Roni and brown vermicelli pasta pieces until golden.  Add 2.5 cups of water, the seasoning packet, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, cook 15-20 minutes until rice is tender.) Allow to cool.

Dice the green onions, bell pepper, and celery. Put the chicken and marinade mixture in a small electric chopper and pulse in batches until not so stringy. Do not turn this into a purée, it should still have some texture. (This step could be done manually with a knife or other piece of kitchen equipment.)

In a large bowl, mix the cooled Rice-A-Roni, chicken and marinade, onions, celery, bell pepper, and artichokes. Stir well. Add mayonnaise as needed to flavor and bind.  You may or may not need much or any, depending on the size of the marinated artichoke jar you used. Cover and refrigerate this the night before to allow flavors to meld.

Chef’s Notes:

This is a good and flavorful bad times recipe which can utilize a small can of chicken; fresh, dehydrated, or freeze dried vegetables; pasta/rice package; and a jar of marinated artichokes. Omitting the mayonnaise would make this a good grid down recipe as you probably have bell pepper and onions from your own garden.

Some might not like the sodium load, but we don’t eat this daily. This recipe is just another defense against appetite fatigue.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Canned Chicken Recipes

Start With Canned Chicken–Quick and Easy Recipes

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

Economics and Investing:

The latest talk on Wall Street is that the Federal Reserve, in coordination with the U.S. Treasury plans to “taper off” from their Quantitative Easing MBS derivatives purchases. But this chart tells the real story.: St. Louis Adjusted Monetary Base (AMBNS) Chart. Do you want the truth? The Fed is about as likely to successfully “taper off” of QE about as well as your local junkie is to “taper off” of crack cocaine.

David Roche: Another Crisis Coming, Worse Than the Last. (Thanks to M.E.W. for the link.)

B.B. sent this predictable news: Square Drops All Firearm and Ammunition Retailers. One good alternative: Platinum Payment System.

Items from The Economatrix:

What an Internet Sales Tax Will Cost You

New Rule Signals Kiss of Death for Pensions

Job Market Resilience Eases Growth Concerns

Payroll Data!  The Plough Horse Recovery

Odds ‘n Sods:

Somehow I missed this well-written review article when it was first posted by Commander Zero, three years ago: Review – Allied Armament X-91 drum magazine. By the way, I don’t consider HK drum magazines a cost-efficient use of your funds. Why? Because presently, for the price of just one of these 50-round drums, you can buy more than 200 of the ubiquitous 20 round alloy magazines. There is great utility in redundancy.

   o o o

F.G. mentioned a great piece in Backwoods Home: Keeping food cold: solutions to refrigeration when electricity is scarce

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Wednesday is the last day of Camping Survival’s Mountain House Sale. They are offering Mountain House nitrogen-packed cans at 25% off and pouches and long term storage HDPE buckets at 15% off. Place your order soon!

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FWIW, I’m looking forward to seeing Ender’s Game much more than I am seeing the umpteenth Star Trek movie. Even if the movie captures only a fraction of the epic novel, then it will still be great.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The march of Providence is so slow and our desires so impatient; the work of progress so immense and our means of aiding it so feeble; the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope." – General Robert E. Lee

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300 and 10 TAPCO polymer magazines (5 AR and 5 AK) courtesy of Armageddon Armory, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 46 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.

Health, Self-Improvement and Self-Mastery: Survive to Thrive, by A.P.S.

  
This article intends to uncover mechanisms to assist the reader in self-help, self-mastery, and self- improvement.  The topics covered are meant to provide discovery of self- improvement ideas, identification of some techniques to improve your life, and give the reader further tools to pursue a deeper dive into the subject.  The reader will come out of this article with an awareness of the many topics to improve their thoughts, feelings, emotions, physiology, and performance.  The article pulls from sports medicine, psychology, martial arts, health and fitness, and self-help guides.  To really master some of these topics, it is highly encouraged to revisit this article from time to time, discuss these ideas with peers, relatives, friends, neighbors, and practice each day until the self-help tool is internalized into positive habits.  It is also recommended to take unfamiliar words and look them up throughout this article to understand the concept behind the idea.

So why discuss self-help and self-improvement?  At the core of this article is honing our natural ability to adapt and overcome any situation.  We are given both a naturally honed and God given gift to survive and adapt.  The current lingo of today’s expression of this idea is resiliency.  Call it what you like, but those that have adapted tend to survive longer, live healthier, and pass on to future generations a greater propensity to survive, adapt, and overcome.  I feel it is the single most defining mechanism, if highly developed, gives the best chance of living a meaningful, healthy, and thriving life.  It is my intent to introduce ideas about improving your body, mind, and psychology to not only survive, but to thrive. 

My background in these topics comes from 25 years of serving our great nation in combat and peace time for the Army and National Guard.  I also worked for a fortune 500 company for 10 years as a chemist (and sat on numerous panels that discussed root cause analysis, chemical disaster response, and Six Sigma), earned a black belt while teaching adults and children Tae Kwon Do, and being a leader throughout.  Recently I had the honor to attend the Master Resiliency Trainer’s Course for the Army that provided instructor level mastery of self-help.  Much of my experiences with self-help come from mentoring foreign armies and leaders on how to improve.  I have been a trainer for the Latvian Army, a combat advisor to the Afghan Army and Police, and worked with the Liberian Army to improve their post-conflict situation after the civil war.  Stateside I have trained American Service Members on counter terrorism, counter insurgency, and agribusiness best practices.   I have taken my natural propensity to help others and melded into my professional and personal life.

Last year I realized something was terribly wrong.  Mentally I was quickly snapping to conclusions and had a muddled brain, I couldn’t control my emotions and would snap, physically I was getting sick with colds and I looked like a balloon.  Spiritually I was lost and could not find center and was not at peace.  Professionally I was holding it together, but privately my family and I suffered.  I had spent years teaching people how to improve their lives, and yet my life was falling apart.  For years I had been a runner, weight lifter, martial artist, cyclist, rifleman, and led an active lifestyle.  This culminated with a bone break in my hand while playing ball with my daughter.  I asked myself, “Am I really this weak, that my bones are so fragile, that they break when throwing a ball around?”  That experience was an eye opener, and started my journey to improving my life beginning with diet and exercise.    

Nutrition, Diet, and Exercise
It would be irresponsible to not include a disclaimer before talking about life style changes and recommendations.  We must consider and critically analyze any serious endeavor such as nutrition, diet, and exercise, and determine if it’s right for you as an individual.  What works for some people may not work so well in others, and can potentially have unwanted consequences.  Consult with a doctor, physician, nutritionist, or medical professional before beginning a new program like this article suggests.  Get your blood work done to determine any deficiencies or problems, an annual physical, and seek regular advice from the professionals.   For some of the bad rap western medicine gets from over medication and big pharma business, there are numerous advantages to seeking traditional medical care.

I love fat, all kinds of fat from bacon fat, to pecans and walnuts, to creamers and cheese, and everything in-between.  As a kid I used to sneak my mom’s coffee creamer drinking it right out of the jug.  I loved fat so much my parents and friends thought I was strange.  Over time I was taught that fat was bad, especially animal fat.  My gym teacher in 8th grade introduced us to the food pyramid and why it was important to eat 6 helpings of grains and carbs a day.  These ideas of a high-carb, low to no fat, and small amounts of protein diet were reinforced daily in television ads, billboards, in teachers, parents, adults, and peers.  Maybe I was weird, and everybody else was right, so I changed. 

The point is we have been conditioned psychologically to believe carbs and sugars are actually good for you.  We all intuitively know the opposite is true, that fats and protein should be our core diet.  The Paleolithic man lived for thousands of years on a diet consisting of animal meat and fat.  Our brains are encased in roughly 6 pounds of fat.  Every major organ in our body has a layer of fat.  Your nerves are encased in goo.  There is a layer of fat under your skin.  You have fat everywhere on your body, and guess what; it’s actually good for you.  People have stigmatized fat so much that I feel I have to say it over and over to get the point across. Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat!  Increase the amount of fat and protein in our diets, and leave that highly processed garbage food on the shelf. 

Ever notice in a grocery store that the stuff actually good for you tends to be on the outer wall?  The natural, fatty, and protein stuff is usually on the outer wall, (and in coolers).  All the garbage food that contains sugars, starches, carbs, and chemicals tend to be in the middle  I don’t know if grocery stores design it that way because of the electricity outlets for the coolers, or if there is something more nefarious going on with marketing-it doesn’t matter. Did you know that soda contains phosphoric acid, the same acid used in car batteries?  The point is the bases for improving your life come from eating the correct nutrition that our common ancestors ate; God didn’t give us bicuspid teeth to gnaw on tofu, so bite into some bacon and be happy.  For further study see Atkins diet, the Paleo diet, or similar diets that preach meat and fat.

We are awash in chemical toxicity.  There are synthetic chemicals in our soaps we wash our babies in, sweet smelling shampoo that contains petroleum products that makes our Suzy’s and Sally’s go bald, optical brighteners and synthetic chemicals in our laundry soap, MSG in our food, fluoride in our toothpaste, petroleum in our vitamins, and even synthetic additives in our ice cream.  We are so awash in chemicals from big business it’s hard to find a product that does not contain synthetic chemicals of one sort or another.  Our household cleaners contain so much toxicity it warns the user not to mix it with other chemicals, and to use in well ventilated rooms.  Does that sound like something you should touch in the first place?  

Reduce our toxicity by realizing anything derived from petroleum products that touch our skin or we swallow is potentially harmful in the long run.  Be very picky about your bar soap, shampoo, deodorant, and read the labels before you buy.  It’s too easy in this day and age to look at a product’s label, pull out your smart phone, and look up a particular additive or ingredient on the internet.  Why own a smart phone if you don’t use it to get smarter?  Decrease toxicity by using modern tools such as smart phones to increase awareness of harmful additives and ingredients.  Look for natural remedies and ingredients and choose the healthier of two products as much as possible.  Sodium Bi-carbonate and white vinegar do wonders for cleaning up the house, as well as Pine Oil.  Borax and Sodium Bi-carbonate gets your whites whiter.  Use Johnson’s Bar Soap or similar natural soap that touches your skin and get rid of the synthesized fragrances.  I’m sorry, I’ll admit it; I still use the nice smelling deodorant that contains aluminum (and toxic over long periods of time), but we’re all not perfect right?  Along with reducing toxicity, increase the ability to fight off toxicity, infection, sickness, and the like by increasing our vitamin, herbs, and supplement intake. 

One way to reduce your personal toxicity is to increase the amount of cilantro intake.  Besides tasting good in pesto and Mexican dishes, this natural herb has reportedly the ability to remove Mercury and heavy metals from the body.  Next time your tomato crop comes in, think about making a pesto of tomato, peppers, onion, garlic, and cilantro.  I put cilantro in my morning protein milk shakes from time to time for that extra zip and benefit all day long. 

I have to admit my diet of meats and fats leaves missing components out of a healthy food lifestyle.  I also fall off the wagon from time to time and eat stuff that contains the synthesized chemicals because it tastes so good.  To combat these slides into chemical oblivion, I started taking vitamins, herbs, and supplements.  There are a core group of vitamins that really ramp up our body’s natural healing, buffers our body from bad chemicals, and potentially increase our ability to survive and thrive. 

The first is plain old Vitamin C.  I’m not going to get into why our government only recommends 75-90 milligrams a day, but will pitch the idea of dramatically increasing your amount to 500 milligrams a day.  The potential upside of taking the increased amount of C more than offsets the negative effects it has by taking such large quantities, (some people get stomach irritation from taking large amounts).  Some of the time it’s plain not practical to eat 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, so consuming this pill takes care of part of that. 

The Vitamin C pill should not be considered a first choice, because the pill lacks the live enzymes and phytochemicals you get from fresh fruit and vegetables.  But taking Vitamin C at 500 milligrams may provide protection from cardiovascular disease, immune system deficiencies, eye disease, and skin wrinkling.   The natural way to get Vitamin C is to take in 1 cup of Orange juice (and not Orange sugar drink), red/green/black peppers at ½ cup each (my momma always said eat the rainbow son), 1 cup of Tomato juice, Red Cabbage, Kiwi, and Cantaloupe. These fresh fruits and vegetables put not only the Vitamin C in your diet, but also put positive enzymes in your gut as well.

The sun is evil, and you should stay out of the sun or your skin will burst with cancer.  We have been conditioned to think that sunshine and its benefits are actually bad for us.  Ever wonder why grandma and grandpa break their hips when they attempt to stand up?  Is it a sign of old age, or does living in a cave turn them into withering hobbits and dwarfs?  Get out in the sun, people!  As with anything in life, moderation is the key.  Sunshine is the preferred way to get Vitamin D barring any skin problems. 

Vitamin D3 is the most beneficial of the D Vitamins that provides a natural hormone to control phosphorus, calcium, and bone metabolism.  Vitamin D3 is considered a natural hormone that if the body is deficient, can lead to depression, back pain, cancer, impaired immunity, and macular degeneration.  If your skin is too sensitive for the sun, or you’re stuck in your cubicle working for the man 12 hours a day, consider taking natural D3.  The government recommends from 200-600 International Units (IU’s) per day.  My personal choice was to take much more than that due to my once weak bones.  The doctor can pull a blood test and determine where you are sitting with Vitamin D, so get the test before considering taking extra doses.  I strongly urge the reader to look up the benefits and potential harmful effects of taking several thousand IU’s a day.  I found for my health and body 6,000-10,000 IU’s a day works (10X or more than the government recommends).  There are so many benefits to this Vitamin that this article would be too long if explained.  Vitamin D is fat soluble, and goes into your body where it matters; brain cells, liver cells, and your eyeball cells. 

Recently I have been taking a pill called Astaxanthin (Ass-Ta-Zax-An-Thin).  This natural chemical is found in Salmon and gives them the ability to swim hundreds of miles.  I have taken 4-12 MGs a day for two months and have noticed a dramatic increase in my cardiovascular system, resistance to sunburn, and a restoration of my night vision (it’s like being a teenager again).  Consider taking Astaxanthin with fish oil and Vitamin D3 in conjunction with each other. 

My technique is to wash it all down with a heavy dose of milk, to ensure my body uptakes the calcium as well.  Milk also helps line the stomach and makes the pills easier to digest.  With all pills, do your research and find out what the filler ingredients are before taking them.  Some low end manufacturers fill their pills with petrol synthesized mineral oil.  Look for brands that are all natural, organic, and have been rated positively by other customers.  Taking the combination of 4-12 MGs of Astaxanthin, 2400 MGs of fish oil pills, and 6,000-10,000 IU’s daily of Vitamin D3 has restored my night vision and increased my ability to run.  I have also noticed after 2 months of taking them daily is an increase in my body’s ability to heal after heavy workouts. 

Working out physically not only increases your ability to perform the act, but also reduces stress, gives you a greater self-image, and releases positive feeling chemicals (endorphins) in the brain and body.  The principles of working out I use comes from the Army.  The principles are Progression, Variety, and Precision. 

You should start slow and advance slowly through a Progression of harder workouts over time.  Consider Variety in your workouts to fight the body’s natural ability to adapt and the brain’s ability to wander off and get bored.  Conduct all your workouts with Precision, and focus on correct posture and execution of the task.  In other words, make it real by setting goals and surpassing them, mix it up and conduct physical fitness such as running, dancing, rowing, cycling, lifting, jumping, swimming, playing, etc… you get the idea.  Make each workout count by doing it correctly with skill and precision.  Do new things, work out with a buddy or a group, and most importantly have fun with it.  My fun is combining workouts with rifle drills.

I have started doing dry fire drills with my rifle as part of a workout routine.  Basically I run 3-4 miles, then come inside and start doing ready up drills focusing on the little screws on the electrical wall outlet.  I do a mix of 40-50 of these ready up drills with an unloaded rifle, or just stand with the rifle up to my shoulder as long as I can stand being uncomfortable.  Either way my body is being conditioned, and this confirms my natural point of aim.  Consider combining skills such as hunting, shooting, knife throwing, and axe tossing with traditional workouts.  I find running and rifle drills give my workouts meaning.

Resiliency, Mental Toughness, Character Strengths, and Strong Relationships
Resiliency is basically defined as your ability to bounce back from adversity, deal effectively with stressors in daily living, and adapt to ever changing personal and professional relationships with other people.  Realize that building resiliency takes time, patience, practice, and effort to accomplish.  This is not a quick fix topic that you can simply read and incorporate into your life; it takes real effort and inner reflection to hone this skill.  People aren’t born with a greater natural propensity for resiliency (or survival) over another, they become good because they practice and have internalized self-improvement.  There are preconditions that exist we should identify before moving on to discuss what we can do about them.

Back in the Stone Age people lived daily with life and death situations.  They always had to look out for larger animals like the Saber-Toothed Tiger that could eat them, the other tribe that could raid their camp and spear them, and the like.  Those that were always looking around for these dangers, and reacted quickly enough, tended to survive longer.  The generations that followed these original people continued to hone their fight or flight mechanism until humans as a whole got really good at surviving. 

What happens when you get mad at your buddy at work, your wife or husband, or your neighbor?  Usually voices get raised, arms and legs start pacing, you lose the ability to think, and it becomes like two animals getting ready to dual.  Ever think about why this happens?  In a nutshell the brain has a hard time determining when a threat is real or imaginary (or in your head) over something your partner did.  It’s basically a throw-back to the Saber-Toothed Tiger days of fight or flight. 

When the fight or flight mechanism kicks in adrenaline and cortisol gets pumped into the body.  You get jittery and anxious as a result.  Blood starts pumping to your arms and legs, hence pacing.  The frontal lobes of your brain, you know the “smart” higher reasoning part, slows down, and base brain activity picks up (or the “reptilian” part of the brain).  Your eyes focus on the threat.  You start sweating like a fat baby in a candy store.  This is all well and good if the threat is real and you have to high tail it away from the threat.  But is this mechanism very helpful during an argument with your spouse or co-worker? 

You see we are chemically hardwired to fail in heated conversations with our spouses or co-workers because the fight or flight mechanism was never designed to assist us in that way.  During crucial talking points, or during critical negotiations, we have chemicals coursing through our veins that make us look like maniacal clowns at the circus show.  The strongest-willed among us have this fight or flight mechanism even stronger.  As I stated before, recognizing when a threat is real or imaginary is critical if we are to carry on effectively in our personal relationships with each other.  Recognition is the first step that this propensity exists in every one of us to a degree is the first step at being effective in our relationships with other people. 

What can we do to calm down, reengage the conversation, and prevent our partners from permanently hating us to death?  The first step is to never get to the point that the fight or flight mechanism starts in the first place.  Calm down, separate yourself from the problem and emotions related to the problem, and attempt to see the problem through the other actor’s eyes.  Frame the problem to very specific talking points, and avoid using, “you always are late,” “you never come through for me,” or absolute judgments about the other actor.  Keep the problem in perspective, and keep the conversation on track.  If the conversation does ramp up, and you find yourself starting to exhibit the fight or flight mechanism, politely tell the other actor you are stepping out to make a quick phone call.  As a side note, sometimes during critical negotiations or anticipated messy meetings, I will have a friend call 15 minutes into the meeting, to allow me an out to cool down and leave the room.  In any case, once the fight or flight mechanism kicks in, and chemicals get dumped into the body, it takes practice to keep it under wraps.  Basically the best husband, wives, bosses, whatever has displayed high emotional self-regulation. 

Another technique is start doing deep diaphragmatic breathing to come back to center.  Deep breathing combined with focusing on an object above or to the side of the other actor’s head helps to come back to center.  Sometimes I will start counting backwards, or do simple math in my head while the conversation is going on.  This all aides in re-energizing the frontal lobes, and keeps the adrenaline at bay.  

There are volumes that speak to the topics of building resiliency, mental toughness, character strengths, and strong relationships.  If I may persuade you to look up The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, and 25 Ways to Win with People by John C. Maxwell. Also look up “Resiliency” on the web and do some more research. 

In summary you are what you eat and touch, use nutrition as a base for fitness, we live in a toxic world and avoid becoming a toxic avenger, work out and fight complacency, and control your fight or flight mechanism to build stronger relationships and improve emotional temperament.  I hope this article compels the reader to seek out a better life, to not only survive but thrive, and to improve your station in life by dealing effectively with yourself and others.

Three Letters Re: Motorcycles as Bugout Vehicles

Jim:
I’m sure this subject has been well covered before, but I will interject my thoughts.

I ride a lightweight dual sport motorcycle in Colorado and personally believe it is an excellent tool for everyday use, and even more so in rough circumstances. 

If we look around the world at less developed countries and areas without much infrastructure the use of motorcycles and scooters is very prevalent. This is due in part to the relatively low initial purchase cost compared to conventional cars, fuel efficiency, ease of maintenance, and flexibility of use. I also often look to my experiences in Afghanistan for a real life example of what a declining and rough world might look like, and there are many valuable lessons to be learned from places like that. In Afghanistan small displacement motorcycles are very common. They often provided families a sole means of transportation over long distances to sell goods in larger towns, take family members to distant doctors, etc. I have seen no less than an entire family of 4 on a single low displacement (125-250cc) motorcycle, which is not ideal, but really shows the flexibility of use. The vast majority of roads in Afghanistan are not maintained and in very poor condition. Traveling in a 4-wheeled vehicle is painfully bumpy and slow, and quickly destroys suspensions. A motorcycle has the distinct advantage of being able to go around potholes and bumps, and still maintain a good rate of speed. Motorcycle are also able to travel on narrow footpaths that can take you over terrain that would be impossible for a conventional 4-wheeled vehicle to navigate. Gasoline in Afghanistan is somewhat limited and costly, but is still a commodity in nearly every little town or village no matter the size. A motorcycle that gets 50+ MPG is an obvious choice if you expect to have limited supplies of fuel. 

To directly address the author’s pro and con list:

1)  Bypass traffic jams and stalled/out of commission cars: This a great advantage of motorcycles. They are very maneuverable. Aside from boulder fields, and sheer rock faces, there’s pretty much no limit to where you can take a motorcycle. Especially in Colorado with the large number of bike paths, hiking trails, forests roads, and jeep trails.
 
2)  Saddle-bags can carry a lot more than than a human: Properly set up you can easily carry 100-200lbs+ (45kg-90kg) with a good quality saddlebag system. Although large bags will lower your MPG to a certain extent. 

3)  Much faster than on-foot bugout: There’s a reason people have ridden horses for thousands of years. Speed is good.

4)  Handles off-road with suitable tires: A lightweight dual sport bike with good suspension and knobby tires can take you through roads, fields, and forests without a second thought.

5)  Fewer people could drive it compared to a car, so lower theft risk: If someone is in the business of stealing, they will know how to take your motorcycle. In fact motorcycle theft is pretty high because they can easily be thrown in the back of a truck or van in a matter of second and are gone. Happens all the time. Here’s where you can use size to your advantage and store the motorcycle inside your home. Most motorcycles will easily fit through a doorway.

6)  Small profile makes it hard to shoot: True, but also provides no protection. The speed and agility of a motorcycle would be more of a factor than size alone.

7)  More maneuverable than a car, harder target to shoot: See above

8)  Very fuel efficient: A 250cc bike will get 60-80 MPG, with larger displacement engines getting anywhere from 30-50 MPG. The ability to travel long distances with a few gallons of gas is a huge benefit, not only in terms of supply, but cost.

9)  Can add a trailer for added hauling capacity, limited by bug-out route terrain: A good trailer can easily double or triple your weight capacity. Great for long distance moves or simply packing out field dressed game.
 
Cons:
1)  Zero protection – rider at high risk: See above

2)  Easy to stop or slow down with chains, cables, fences, etc: Yes, it’s more susceptible to being stopped by a guillotine cable, but the odds of that happening are also extremely slim. That falls more into having situational awareness and not getting yourself ambushed. If it’s just a wire fence or chained off area, a motorcycle can easily be laid on it’s side and dragged under the obstacle. 

3)  Can’t carry loads of supplies: Simple and light is key! The more you know, the less you need. Early American trappers, hunters and mountain men thrived with much less than most of us probably have.

4)  Gas-powered, not diesel. [With a very few exceptions.]: Playing the odds, you will probably be able to find gasoline even during pretty bad conditions. It may be expensive or in short supply, but it should still be around. If gasoline supply dries up on a global level, you’re out of luck anyway, and would probably be using a very expendable supply should you have any stored up, even if it is diesel. 

5)  Difficult to operate when injured: Yes, they are more difficult to run if you’re hurt, but you’d have to be pretty bad off. I don’t think the odds of that happening are high enough to be a game changer and deem a motorcycle unpractical. 

6)  Limited personnel transport capability: If you have a family of 5 you’re trying to move hundreds of miles all at the same time, you’re not going to use a motorcycle. For short distance runs you can always make multiple trips if you had to.

7)  Some models headlights are “always on” which is a visibility problem unless you install a secondary switch: True, most headlights are always on, but a switch is easy to install.

8)  Spare parts may be hard to find: If we have a slow downturn where gasoline prices skyrocket, I have a feeling the motorcycle/scooter business will boom, and we’ll look like Asia or India with streets packed with them, which means parts will be readily available. The engines on most motorcycles are extremely simple, and most parts could be fabricated easily with anyone with some metal working skills. There are definitely parts that can’t easily be made (spark plugs, computers, etc) but they are also inexpensive and easy to have spares on hand. 

This leads me to motorcycle selection. If you decide a motorcycle will be a good fit for you, what should you buy?

It’s the common consensus that a dual sport motorcycle is the most practical style. They handle on-road and off-road conditions equally well, and are built for durability and longevity.

I am an advocate for 250cc displacement motorcycles because they generally are light enough to maneuver in rough conditions, yet still have enough power to haul you and your gear at 60+ MPH. There are 125cc-400cc bikes that could also fit the bill, but the market has a wide variety of 250cc class bikes readily available. A lot will come down to what features you want on your motorcycle. Air cooled, liquid cooled, carburetor, fuel-injected, etc. There’s a lot to be said for simple air-cooled carburetor engines, but if you’re willing to play the odds that you’ll never run into an EMP or something, a liquid cooled fuel injected motorcycle can be a low maintenance and high performance option that is a pleasure to ride.

This is anything but an exhaustive list but it’s a good place to start looking:

Yamaha WR250R 
Honda CR250L 
Kawasaki KLX250S
Honda CRF230L
Yamaha XT250
Yamaha TW200
Suzuki DR200
Kawasaki KLR250

Regards, – S.L.

 

 
Jim:
Re: Motorcycles as BOVs? I have been riding motorcycles for most of my life, and currently I have both street bikes and a dual sport. I do most of my riding on the street, which is a lot of fun, when you are not in rush hour traffic, and it can be very economical. (Good gas mileage, low insurance, low up front cost at least compared to a car or truck) The street bike I own is a cruiser, I shy away from the sport bikes mostly because of the seating position and the temptation to go fast. My days of wanting to drive fast are long gone. I ride because I enjoy it. I can’t really explain the joys of riding to you; you just have to try it. Anyway, that is not why I am writing.
 
The question was raised about using a motorcycle as a BOV. In my humble opinion (IMHO) a motorcycle would make an okay BOV for a single person, you are just limited on what you can carry. Any more than one person and a motorcycle makes a poor choice unless of course you have two motorcycles and each person can ride one. If you go with two motorcycles and one motorcycle breaks down, you can both ride on one bike, so with two motorcycles you would have some redudancy.Two is one and one is zero. So in that sense you would have a backup. But, IMHO, I think a 4×4 would make a much better BOV. I happen to have an E250 as a BOV, but that is because I have a wife, 4 kids and a lot of stuff. Also, bugging out for me is my last option, I plan on riding out the storm where I am.  I know prudence might be on the side of getting out of Dodge now, but that is just not a good option for me right now for many reasons. So why write this at all, well I love motorcycling and I think there are other values associated with motorcycles.
 
So, if a motorcycle does not make a good BOV, is it useful for more than just riding? I say that it is.

What I am going to talk about can really be done with almost any motorcycle, but I am going to concentrate on one motorcycle, the Kawasaki KLR650 dual sport. I did a lot of research and have read a lot of articles and reviews over two years before I purchased the KLR650. I think that the KLR650 is the best bang for the buck motorcycle you can buy. The KLR650 has remained pretty much the same for over 20 years and has a huge following. Two of the reasons I chose the KLR was because of the availability of parts and aftermarket accessories and the fact that the KLR is relatively easy to work on yourself.  It is a very simple motorcycle; single cylinder, carbureted, chain drive. I will not go into all the details of maintenance and adding accessories to the KLR, there are many YouTube videos on maintenance, repairs and upgrades. There are also web sites dedicated just to the KLR. Do a Google search and you will find more than you will ever need. The KLR is not a fast motorcycle and does not excel at any one thing, but it is good at a lot of things. The KLR makes a great commuter motorcycle, it gets over 50 mpg and is tall which helps in traffic. It has a 35 inch seat height, which will be high for some, but the suspension compresses when you sit on it. The KLR also has a 6 gal gas tank which gives you about a 300 mile range on a tank of gas, that’s a lot of off road riding between fill ups. The KLR makes a great trail bike, but it is heavy if you want to just ride in the dirt. So, the KLR is best on the street but will go off road when you need it to. The KLR can also be an adventure touring motorcycle, it has been ridden all over the world.  It is not great at speeds over 75, but if you don’t mind taking your time, the KLR is a great motorcycle.
 
So now onto where I think the motorcycle shines when things fall apart (SHTF). The area where I live has just been rated the worst traffic in the country, yes we passed LA. A little rain, or a little snow and traffic gets ridiculous. And if there is an accident you can add hours to your commute. As bad as traffic can get I am honestly surprised that more municipalities don’t utilize motorcycles for first responders, but that is a different issue. We all know what will happen when the SHTF for real. All roads will become parking lots. For most people travel will be limited to walking, bicycles and motorcycles. But in this scenario the motorcycle has the definite advantage. With motorcycles you can avoid paved roads and go places that most vehicles cannot go.  You can also provide assistance to others who do not have any other means of transportation. There will be no ambulance service and if it is safe for you to do so you can assist local emergency services.  So if you have a motorcycle you will be able to travel at least for a while. The first few days of when the SHTF can also be used to pick up family and friends who are stranded far from home. This should really be your first priority if you plan on doing this because I do believe that the timeframe for safe travel will be very short lived.

This brings up the issue of protection on a motorcycle. While it is true that a car provides better protection from the elements, crowds, hard objects…  there are ways to protect yourself and in some situations be better protected than a vehicle. When I ride, I ride in full gear; boots, gloves, jacket, full face helmet. That is just my normal riding protection. I cringe whenever I see someone ride with shorts, T-shirt and flip flops. One fall, even at slow speeds, will ruin your day.  But what about protection from non-riding incidents. Once the SHTF you are on your own and if you run into a crowd or group wishing to do you harm, getting out fast is your best bet. The motorcycle will help you do that. But what if you are caught by surprise or caught by a group intent on harm and you are unable to drive out for whatever reason. If you are in a vehicle and stuck you have no other protection once the vehicle has been compromised. If you are on a motorcycle and wearing protective gear, your head and body have an extra layer of protection from rocks, clubs, fists, feet and you may be able to escape on foot. Anything to improve your chances will help. One extra layer of protection that I recently purchased is the Stryker Vest by Icon. It is chest and back protection in case of an accident, but it is also great protection from anything striking your back or chest. And even if you are knocked to the ground you will be like an armadillo. No, it will not stop a bullet, but it will lessen the blow from any hard objects. The idea is not to fight but to flee. Take the first chance you have to run. As to other obstacles; fences, down trees, large rocks obviously these need to be avoided as well as crowds. Avoiding roads and riding through neighborhood back yards can be filled with lots of nasty obstacles. Be careful and be aware of your surroundings. And it would be best to ride during the day unless you really know the area.
 
Depending on the event and how bad things get and for how long, a motorcycle can be a real force multiplier. When most other vehicle are unusable due to any number of reasons, the motorcycle can be very useful during the situation. There are many roles the motorcycle can play. Motorcycles can be used for scouting, communications, patrolling, foraging, hunting, transporting …. They will not take a lot of precious supplies to operate. I believe the advantages far outweigh any use of supplies. If you are preparing for all situations, a motorcycle would be a good addition to your preparations after water, food, weapons and medical supplies.
 
One more thing to consider and that is how to earn a living after the SHTF, at least until things come back (Which could be years)
–          Goods will need to be transported, your customers may not always be within walking distance, getting paid to transport goods and services is not a bad way to make a living.
–          People will need medical help, whether you ferry a medical person around or bring people to a medical facility, you should be paid to do so. I am not saying there won’t be times to help others, but you also need to provide for you and your family.
–          Communities will need security. Being mobile will be a big advantage for anyone providing security.
–          Communication. This really depends on how bad things get and if you can spare the fuel for communications. But people will want to communicate with family, friends… Instead of Pony express it would be motorcycle express. (I believe this was the case in the novel “Patriots”)
 
One other advantage to motorcycling is that it will make you a better driver. Because I ride I am aware of what is going on around me, will a driver suddenly pull out in front of me or pull into my lane, what is the road surface like in front of me, will a child suddenly appear from behind a parked car.  When you ride you are constantly on alert, I think this has been lost in our cars with GPS, phones, CD and DVD players and other people in the vehicle. On a motorcycle, it is just you and your thoughts, that is why I don’t have a headset in my helmet, even though my wife would really like to talk when the two of us ride. I try and keep distractions at a minimum and yes I still enjoy the ride.
 
On final note, just like any other skills you have, you should take some training classes. I have taken the ERC (experienced rider class) in my state for street riding and I have also taken an off road class to improve my riding in the dirt. Both classes were well worth the time. The dirt class was on a BMW R1200GS. It is a great motorcycle with endless power but it is very heavy and costs about four times what the KLR costs. For the money, I just don’t think you can beat the KLR.
 

One final note, just like any other skills you have, you should take some training classes. I have taken the ERC (experienced rider class) in my state for street riding and I have also taken an off road class to improve my riding in the dirt. Both classes were well worth the time. The dirt class was on a BMW R1200GS. It is a great motorcycle with endless power but it is very heavy and costs about four times what the KLR costs. For the money, I just don’t think you can beat the KLR. – Marty S.

 

Hi Jim,
Saturday’s responses [on G.O.O.D. motorcycles] were great!
 
My current pre-collapse and collapse bike is my customized KLR 650, modified with micro-sized turn signals for a smaller physical profile. Along with that, the bike has been re-painted in flat sand, with OD painted grip guards. I use a Condor-brand, tactical MOLLE tote bag as a handlebar bag, with my registration, insurance info, spider bungee net for the cargo rack, etc.
 
One thing people may not be aware of is that the cargo rack on the civilian KLR 650 still conforms to the inner diameter of the good old G.I. ALICE pack’s aluminum frame. Recon troops / messengers would normally just slide their rucks onto their bike’s frame, secure it, then take off! Being an old ALICE kind of guy, this is great, as I’ve put the bike to the test, carrying thousands of rounds of ammo to/from gun shows, etc.
 
However, 2007 was the last good year for the bike in many people’s opinion, as unnecessary junk was later added to the bike, such as dual front disk brakes, and flashy colors, a different headlight cowling, etc.
 
My post-collapse bike is a mothballed TW 200, with a battery in dry storage. Also, all identified solid state components (two of them, one being a voltage rectifier) have been pulled, and are protected in a food-grade Mylar bag, inside of an old all-metal schoolteachers’ desk. With a modified rear sprocket, made of aircraft-grade aluminum and titanium (40 tooth), I get mileage of around 90 mpg, along with a top speed of 80 mph. It can carry a passenger, as well as cargo, and, even better, it is so relatively light weight,  that two people can physically pick it up, and put it in the back of a pickup, to use as a parasitic recon vehicle, for instance.
 
Also, the company Moose Racing makes awesome cargo carrying accessories for the TW 200.
 
Cheers, – Joe Snuffy

Economics and Investing:

IRS Admits, Apologizes For Targeting Conservatives During 2012 Election

Spain is officially insolvent: get your money out while you still can

Jeff H. sent: Not even good enough for dog food: Imported food from China loaded with chemicals, dyes, pesticides and fake ingredients

Items from The Economatrix:

Hoard Alternative Money & Reforming Banks

They Are Murdering Small Business: The Percentage Of Self-Employed Americans Is At An All-Time Low

Marc Faber On Gold, Terrorism & Democratic Wealth Confiscation

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader F.G. flagged some bad news: Delaware Governor Markell signs bill expanding background checks for gun purchases to include most private sales.

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For those that missed it: Glenn Beck’s EPIC Keynote Speech – 2013 NRA Annual Meetings

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Here Are-the Top Five Best and Worst States for Business: Guess Which Ones CEOs Prefer?

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Just for fun: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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Missouri Legislature Nullifies All Federal Gun Control Measures by a Veto-Proof Majority

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Some encouraging words from “Paraclete”: Night before the Dawn

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words], having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” – Jude 1:14-21(KJV)