Become Your Own Herbal Doctor, By Elizabeth Y.

Common ailments can really keep you down in the best of times, but when the SHTF you won’t have the luxury of staying in bed and taking a sick day when a bad cold or diarrhea strikes.  In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, there will be no doctor to call and no over-the-counter medicines to treat your symptoms.  If that sounds at all scary to you…it should. But fear not!

Luckily, we all have the ability to become our own doctor, as plant medicine is all around us.  But it takes more than a reference book or cursory knowledge of herbal medicine to be prepared to use it.  To be really prepared to cure yourself when TEOTWAWKI strikes, you must start now, just as you have with your other preps. 

Before we embark on the path to natural healing, let me offer this disclaimer. I am not a doctor…at least, not in the sense that most people use the word. Rather, I am a self-reliant homesteader. I grow my own meat, vegetables fruits and medicinal herbs. Like many of you (hopefully), I make my own soaps/lotions/shampoos and have long sworn off chemicals and fancy pharmaceutical products. From my gardens and land, I make specialized medicines and use them to prevent or cure many family ailments, from arthritis relief to the common cold. But all of the information presented here is from my own experience and intended for informational purposes only.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s begin our journey to self-reliant health.

The first hurdle to over come may be the toughest – to realize that you can be your own doctor.  In a way, we’ve all been on life support our whole lives, having been trained that the doctors are experts and that they have the magic answer to whatever problem we present.  As a result, we have lost our own intuition and confidence in our ability to heal ourselves.  While a trained doctor may be what you need for surgery or severe medical trauma, there is no reason why you can’t heal (and even prevent) your own common ailments. 

Thanks to relentless advertisements and lobbying of doctors by the pharmaceutical industry, we have also been brainwashed into believing that a little pill made in a lab is safer to take than a naturally grown herbal tea of weeds we can find in our own backyard.  Medicine from nature has become a foreign concept, one we now look at as unsanitary or potentially toxic.  In retrospect, it’s amazing to consider how quickly we allowed this to happen.  Just a few generations ago our ancestors had knowledge of basic home remedies that included things like horehound cough drops and chamomile tea.  When the doctor wasn’t so easy to get to, families took care of their own during times of fever and flu.  So the first thing you have to realize is that people have used plants for medicine far longer than they have used pharmaceuticals, and without all the side effects. The knowledge is in our history and our confidence must come from our experience.  You can start preparing now by resisting the urge to call to a doctor when you feel a twinge of illness coming on, if at all possible.  Instead, begin experimenting with being your own healer and making your own medicine. This will prepare you for a time when it may be your only option. 

The second thing to do is to change your mindset of illness and medicine.  Start by knowing that being a little bit sick is actually a good thing.  When your body encounters invading bacteria it has natural defenses to combat them.  For example, one purpose of a fever is to raise the body temperature to a point in which it is inhospitable for the bacteria to live.  A bit of a fever can be a good thing!  Our reaction however is to quickly take a fever reducer at the first sign thereby limiting our body from doing its job.  Those fast acting chemical medicines have also trained us into thinking that medicine must work quickly in order to be effective. The medicine is also so concentrated and potent that it can alleviate symptoms often with just one dose.  In addition to introducing chemicals with potentially harmful side effects to your body, you are also treating your illness with a crutch rather than allowing your immune system to strengthen and do its job.  This means that the next time you encounter the bacteria, you will need more medicine rather than relying on your immune system’s memory, which could have built up a natural resistance, had you not taken the medicine.  The only one who benefits from this approach is the shareholders of the pharma giant that hooked you on the medicine!

Using plant-based medicine helps you to realize that tolerating a little bit of sickness will just make you stronger in the long run.  It also teaches you to listen to your body and feel the instant that something is out of balance. Plant-based medicine is also far gentler. This is good on your bodily systems, but also means you often have to take it at the first signs and in low doses over the course of a few days in order to keep symptoms at bay.  Much of what herbal medicine does is to boost your immune system so that your body can defend itself.  This, paired with the natural properties of the plant, can alleviate pain, reduce swelling, or increase circulation in order to help your body function at it’s most effective level.  Changing the way you think about being sick NOW will make an easier adjustment to herbal medicine.  Also, not reaching for an over-the-counter aid at the first cough or sneeze will help you to become more in tune with your body and allow you to focus on what it’s natural reaction is.  Practice listening to and trusting what your body is telling you and find natural remedies that will complement your own defenses rather than taking over the fight.  Most of all, don’t be skeptical when one dose doesn’t bring you back to 100%. Instead, realize that fully experiencing the illness is much like exercising your muscles.  Giving your body and your immune system this workout will make you that much stronger over time. 

One of the best things that experience will teach you is what you can treat on your own and what you need expert help with.  We will most likely each draw the line at a different point, but as your confidence grows you will feel able to treat more serious conditions.  This is why starting now is so important.  You do not want to wait until the doctors and medicine are unavailable before you turn to herbal medicine.  The best way to truly be prepared for TEOTWAWKI is to make it a commonplace every day thing that you are already accustomed to. 

To ease into it and start off simply, begin with herbs and plants that you are already used to consuming.  Culinary herbs and spices are easily identified and considered safe to everyone as we use them in cooking almost every day.  What we have overlooked is that they are also medicinal.  Learning to make basic medicines from kitchen herbs is a great way to feel comfortable and build your confidence. 

Now, let’s explore some basic medicine making techniques and apply them to some common every day herbs. 

Infusions and Decoctions
Simply put, this is making tea.  Tea used for medicine is much like regular tea that you drink, but it is just a bit stronger.  Having a mesh tea ball that can hold lose herbs is handy, but you can always just strain the herbs out through a clean piece of cloth, such as a bandana or T-shirt, if necessary.  Teas can be made from either fresh or dried herbs. 

Infusions are made from softer plant material such as leaves and flowers and decoctions are made from harder plant parts like bark and roots.  For either process, begin by boiling water and gathering clean, washed herbs.  To make an infusion, simply pour boiling water over the herb and then leave it to steep for 15-20 minutes.  You will want to cover it loosely so as to not let steam escape. Rather, the aim is to direct the essential oils of the plant back into the cup for consuming.  After steeping, strain out the herbs and press them to get the last bits of medicine out, and then drink the tea.  If the herb you are using holds it’s medicinal properties in the roots or bark (or something harder), then you will make a decoction.  Just add the herb to the boiling water, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  The continued heat will help to draw the medicine out of the tougher material.  After steeping, just strain, press, and drink the tea. 

Infusions and decoctions are great ways to take medicine if you have fresh or recently dried plant material and access to boiling water.  Once you harvest a plant, the medicinal value begins to deteriorate.  Fresh plant material is the most potent.  You can dry the material and preserve much of its power, but the longer it sits the less potent it will be. Therefore, if you require a certain plant that is only available for a short time, relying on tea to consume it may not be the most effective option and you should look to other ways of preserving it. However, teas are sometimes the best ways to take medicine due to the other properties that hot tea can provide.  A cup of hot tea can warm the body, soothe a harsh throat, and the steam can loosen congestion. Children easily consume teas and teas do not require previous preparation. Rather, they can be made in just a few minutes when symptoms first appear.  They are highly perishable, though, and will not last longer than a day or two before growing mold and bacteria.  

Try a simple infusion:
Mint is an herb that is easily grown.  It tolerates neglect and will spread like crazy in just about any environment.  Although starting from seed is more difficult, buying a transplant or taking a division of a plant from a friend is an easy way to start growing your own mint.  Try peppermint to help with stomach and intestinal complaints.  In many climates, mint is available year round, but in colder areas it may die back in the winter and then re-grow when the temperatures warm up.  The leaves hold the medicine and can be harvested whenever the plant is growing and dried for later use.  When a stomachache comes with gas and bloating, make a cup of mint tea following the infusion directions above.  Drink a cup every few hours until relief is felt. 

Try a simple decoction:
Ginger is an plant that everyone is familiar with.  The root is the part that holds the most medicinal value.  You can buy ginger root from the store and then sprout it yourself by submerging half of it in a cup of water.  It will take a few weeks, but will eventually grow roots and green shoots.  Then you can plant your sprouted ginger in a pot and it will grow into a beautiful plant.  Each year it will grow offspring roots that can be harvested.  Ginger plants like warm weather and will need to be brought indoors for protection during cold periods.  Chop or grate your cleaned ginger root and dry it for future use.  Make a decoction using the directions above with a piece of ginger root to ease a nauseous stomach.  Whether it is due to motion sickness or illness, a cup of hot ginger tea will soothe and relax the stomach muscles taking away the nausea.  Try a cup every few hours until relief is felt. 

Tinctures
A tincture is made by soaking the plant material in a strong substance such as alcohol or vinegar over a period of time, with the aim being to draw out the medicinal qualities.  The substance you choose to use serves two purposes.  First, it will attack the plant’s cell walls and release the medicine. Second, it will preserve the extracted liquid by creating an environment that is inhospitable for bacteria and mold growth. The stronger the alcohol or acidity content of your substance, the longer the medicine will last. This means that grain alcohol will preserve your medicine the best and substances with less alcohol content such as wine or brandy will not last as long. However, some may find them more enjoyable to consume. 

When stocking your pantry with food storage, be sure to include grain alcohol in abundance not only for bartering, but also for medicine making.  Otherwise, learning to make your own alcohol and vinegar will provide you with an endless supply of ingredients with which you can preserve your herbal medicine.  Once you have your extracting substance, then you must gather clean, washed fresh or dried herbs. 

Place the plant material in a sealable container, then pour the extracting liquid over it until all material is completely submerged.  If you are using dried plant material, then you may need to top it off in a day or two as the plant matter rehydrates and absorbs some of the liquid.  As long as all material is covered, it will not mold.  Put the lid on the container and leave it in a protected area that you can easily get to, as it will need daily maintenance.  Each day you will shake the container at least once, but more often will only help and not hinder the process.  By shaking the container you are helping to break apart the plant cells and forcing the extracting liquid deeper into the plant matter to extract more medicine.  You are also making sure that all parts of the plant matter are coated with the liquid that will preserve it.  In 14 days your tincture will be finished.  Strain out the plant material and press it to push out all of the last bits of medicine.  The liquid that remains is a concentrated form of the herb’s medicine.  Storing it in an opaque glass bottle out of direct light and protecting it from temperature changes will help it to last the longest.   

Tinctures are a great way to take medicine because they are preserved so well that they can last months to years depending on the extracting liquid used and how they are stored.  They are also easy to store and transport because they are concentrated, so only a little bit is needed.  Tinctures are usually taken by dropperfuls or teaspoon sized doses.  The drawbacks of tinctures are that they usually contain alcohol and might not be the best way for some people, especially children, to take medicine.  They also do not offer any other medicinal properties the way hot tea does.

Try a simple tincture:
Garlic is well known for its antibacterial and immune boosting properties.  It is also easy to grow.  You can buy a head of garlic from the store, pull off the individual cloves without peeling them and plant them in your garden.  Garlic is planted at different times of the year depending on your zone so refer to a planting guide for your area.  Each clove that is planted will grow into a new head of garlic.  Be sure to save some cloves from your year’s harvest to plant for your next year’s garlic crop.  Make a tincture by chopping a few cloves of garlic into very small pieces and then follow the directions above.  Your garlic tincture can be used for many purposes including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, speeding the healing process of an infection, and serving as an antiseptic.  The next time you feel a common cold coming on, reach for your garlic tincture and take 20 drops three times a day to boost your immune system and help fight off invading bacteria.  To make the medicine more palatable, mix the dosage in a cup of water to dilute the taste. 

Medicinal Oils and Salves
Medicinal oils are made in a similar way as a tincture, but in this case it is the oil that extracts the medicinal qualities of the herb. The first rule to remember is that oil and water don’t mix and if you have water in your medicinal oil, you will get mildew and mold.  Fresh plant material contains water and therefore is unsuitable for making medicinal oils. 

In order to make medicinal oil, harvest and clean your plant material and then dry it until all of the water has evaporated.  A dehydrator works fine if you have electricity or a solar one, but you can just as easily dry leafy plant material by hanging it up in your house or laying a single layer of plant material in a dry spot outside.  If drying outside, cover the plant material with a screen or cheesecloth to keep bugs and birds off of it, and do not dry it in direct sunlight.  Also, be sure to take it inside if morning dew is expected.  Leaves, stems, and flowers can be dried whole and will crumble easily once brittle, but roots and bark should be chopped before drying to speed the drying process and also because they may become too hard to break up once dried.  You will also need oil and this is a good item to stock up on in your food storage. If you do not have oil, medicinal oil can also be made from animal fat or pressed from seeds if necessary.  Learning how to harvest animal fat and render it into lard and tallow is as valuable skill as is learning to grow things like sunflowers for seed. If you do grow your own seed for oil, having a simple hand cranked oil press will be a very valuable addition to your preps.   

Once your material is dried, put it in a sealable container and cover with oil.  You may need to top it off after the plant material rehydrates and absorbs some of the oil.  Make sure that all material stays covered with oil in order to keep it preserved. Seal the container and put it in a warm location, such as a sunny window.  The heat will help the oil to penetrate the plant material.  You will also need to shake it at least once a day to force the oil deeper into the plant material and to ensure that all parts are covered.  The ideal temperature for extracting the medicinal qualities of the herb is around 100 degrees.  Too cool and it will either take a much longer time to extract the medicinal values, or else will be unable to extract the plant’s properties.  Too hot and the heat could kill some of the valuable properties of the plant’s medicine.  In a TEOTWAWKI situation where mechanically creating a constant temperature via appliances such as a crock-pot or stovetop is more difficult, the sunny window is a perfect solution.  While constant temps at exactly 100 degrees would be sufficient to extract medicine in as little as 24 hours, a sunny window is less precise and therefore leaving your jar there for around 14 days is a better idea.  After this time, strain out the plant material and press it to extract the last bit of medicine.  Your medicinal oil should be stored in an opaque airtight container out of direct sunlight and protected from extreme temperature changes. 

Medicinal oils are best used for topical applications.  While you could soak a cloth in some freshly brewed tea and apply it to the skin, this would require fresh or recently dried plant material and is highly perishable.  Also, you could apply a few drops of tincture to the skin, but this could sting if it was an open wound.  Medicinal oils work great because they are preserved for a long time and can be applied in any circumstance.  Rub them into muscles, cover wounds and bruises with them, or even apply to a cotton ball and place in the ear for ear infections. 

Medicinal oils can be messy to transport and use though.  Turning your oil into a salve is easy with just one additional ingredient.  If you have access to wax, possibly by keeping your own beehives, all you have to do is to put the oil in a pot over a heat source or water bath and grate some wax into it.  The wax will melt into the oil and, once cooled, will harden in to a solid and more easily transportable salve.  The amount of wax you add depends on how hard you want the salve to be and will take some experimentation.  For a muscle rub you may want a looser salve that easily melts into the skin.  For soothing chapped lips you may want a stiffer salve that will sit on top of the skin without being rubbed away as quickly.  Try making your salve with only a portion of your medicinal oil. That way, if the texture is not what you want initially, you can re-melt your salve and add more wax to harden it or more oil to soften it as needed.   

Try a simple medicinal oil or salve:
Thyme is a very common culinary herb used to flavor meats and salad dressings.  It is also one of the most useful and powerful medicinal herbs.  Among its many properties, thyme is highly antiseptic and can be use to disinfect anything from kitchen counters to bed linens to infected wounds.  There are many varieties of thyme so you can choose the one that is best suited to your gardening needs.  Thyme is a perennial that can withstand cold temperatures, so in most climates you can have access to thyme year round.  During an extremely harsh cold spell the most care it may need is a blanket to give some protection from a freeze. Thyme can be started from seed or you can buy a transplant or get a division from a friend.  To make oil infused with thyme simply cut a few of the small branches and lay them out to dry.  Once dried you can follow the directions above to make an oil or salve.  Immediately rub the oil or salve onto any cuts or scrapes to kill bacteria and avoid infection.  If you already have an infected cut, blister, or incision, apply the oil or salve 3-4 times a day directly to the wound.  The thyme oil will draw out the infection and kill the bacteria promoting healing. 

Poultices
A poultice can be thought of as an herbal bandage.  To make a poultice, you can use either fresh or dried plant material.  Gather and wash your plant material and then use a mortar and pestle to break up the plant pieces.  If you do not have a mortar and pestle, just smash the material between two clean rocks. Even chewing it will accomplish the same goal.  Fresh material may release enough water to make a paste, but dried material will need a few drops of water or saliva to rehydrate it enough to make a paste.  By smashing the material you release the medicine, and by adding just a bit of liquid you are able to create a substance that binds together. Shape a piece of thin cloth into a pouch and wrap the mass of plant material in it.  Cheesecloth or gauze work great, but you could also use a bandana or piece of T-shirt.  You want the material thin enough that the plant juices can seep through to the skin.  To use the poultice, hold it over the affected area or tie it on in place and leave it to do its work.

Poultices are great ways to apply medicine to the skin and will be most potent if you use fresh plant material.  They are very perishable, however. Therefore, they are only useful if you have fresh or recently dried material.  They are best to use if you have an ailment that will benefit from constant medicine.  For example, if you have an infected wound, then a tincture will sting and medicinal oil may wear off, but a poultice tied on the area will apply medicine all day long.  They are also very effective if you require something to be drawn out of the skin, such as venom or splinters.  One of the best things about poultices is that they can be easily made and used on the go.  For example, if you get a bee sting while out in the woods, you can quickly grab a leaf, chew it up, and hold it on the skin to draw out the venom. 

Try a simple poultice:
Oregano is a popular herb used in many Italian style dishes.  It’s also very easy to grow either from seed, transplant, or a division of a friend’s plant.  It is a perennial in most climates, but may need cover in extremely cold areas.  Oregano also grows very well indoors in containers if you live in an area where it is too cold to survive the winter.  The medicine is held in the leaves of the oregano plant.  To make a poultice, strip the leaves off of a few stems then follow the directions above.  Oregano has strong anti-inflammatory properties.  The next time you have a bruise or swelling, try adding an oregano poultice to the area.  Leave the poultice on all day or change the poultice a couple of times a day to a fresh one if the material becomes dry. 

By starting with some common herbs and spices that you already know and probably have on hand to treat minor conditions, you can familiarize yourself with medicine making and build your confidence.  Soon you will be researching the medicinal properties of other herbs and learning to identify native plants in your area that can serve as medicine.  Also, by starting now, you will begin to build up a natural medicine cabinet of medicinal oils and tinctures that will supplement your preps of stored bandages and gauze. 

The most important benefit of becoming an herbal medicine maker before you really need it is that you can develop a garden of plants from which you can always rely.  Once you have perennial herbs all around your home or bug-out location, you will learn to save seeds and cuttings from annual herbs that will provide you with medicine from year to year, no matter what happens in the world around you. Indeed, you may become one of the most valuable members of your community, a new-age doctor with skills so valuable that others will help trade their resources/skills to ensure your survival and allow you to prosper.

Letter Re: Warning on Canola Oil

Mr. Rawles;
Yesterday I was in my local Costco store doing some shopping for my prepper pantry, and I noticed something new that Costco is selling, a vegetable oil blend. It’s labeled as “Mediterranean Blend” and is a mixture of canola, olive, and grapeseed oil. It may be attractive to value-conscious preppers, because the cost per liter is low; $2.97 a liter vs. Kirkland (Costco’s house brand) olive oil for $5.97 a liter. 

Beware of this oil. According to Mary Enig, Ph.D., who is the current world authority on trans–fatty acids, Canola Oil is actually derived from the rapeseed, a member of the mustard family. Rapeseed is generally unfit for human consumption and was once more commonly used as a pesticide and lubricant, among other things. Because of its high sulphur content, Canola Oil goes rancid easily, and baked goods used with the oil will rather quickly develop mold. Gross!

The fact that it does go rancid easily means that Canola Oil is not fit for storage food; it just won’t keep. The canola oil in this “blend” make the whole bottle rancid. The low price may be attractive, but what good is that if it all goes bad? – C.H.R.

JWR Replies: In the Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course I mentioned that Olive Oil as the best choice for preppers to store. When purchased in plastic bottles (as sold at COSTCO), it can be stored frozen for at least eight years and still safely used.

Letter Re: Unloading Mossberg 500/590 Shotguns

Captain Rawles,
People may already know this one, but if not, then here is a trick for anyone with a Mossberg 500/590 shotgun who wants to know how to remove shells from the tube magazine without cycling the action”

Inside the loading port located on the left is a small piece of metal [called a shell stop] which holds the shells in the magazine (it’s easy to see with a shell in the magazine).  Pushing this in allows shells to be removed from the magazine one-by-one swiftly and silently.  Push the piece in until a shell pops out of the magazine, release the metal piece, repeat.  I use this trick during hunting season to unload my shotgun for transportation purposes.  It takes some practice, but it works well on low/high brass shells.  It sure beats having to pointlessly manipulate the action and damage the rims of shotshells by doing so. 
 
Respectfully Yours, – D. from Michigan 

Letter Re: The Usefulness of MSDS Info for Chemicals

Mr. Rawles: 
First off A Big Thank You for all the information you make available. 
 
I have been putting together a notebook for my office with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)  for all the chemicals that we use.  Old timers (like me) called these books HazMat Books/sheets.  This  got me to thinking about the chemicals that I use in my house; and started to put one together when the SHTF.
 
MSDS sheets will tell you:
1.       The Product and Company identification,
2       Ingredients ,
 3.     Hazards identification,
 4.     First Aid Measures ;  
 5.     Fire Fighting Measures
 6.     Accidental Release Measures,
7.     Handling and storage
 8.     Exposure Controls/Personal Protection
 9.     Physical and Chemical Properties
10.   Stability and Reactivity
11.   Toxicological Information.
12     Ecological Information
13.    Disposal Considerations,
14.   Transport Information]
15.      Regulatory Information.
 
Some of the “sheets” are many pages long and some are just one page.  But no matter how many pages there are; it is a great help in an emergency situations. 
 
I was surprised how easy it is to find these sheets.  Just go to your search engine and put the brand name of the product in and then look for the MSDS information (usually at the bottom)  If you cannot find it, just email the brand name/manufacture of the product.  They will be happy to send you the MSDS sheet.
 
Most families do not realize how many chemicals they have in their houses (usually in under the kitchen/bathroom sink and garage) and how harmful they can be.   Dish Soap really surprised me on how toxic it can be.    
 
I have tabs in the notebook identifying the group of products – like soap.  All information about any kind of soap is in that section.  I have also written an index at the beginning of the book so I can find the product fast.  I would recommend every household or any  retreat location to put together a notebook of MSDS sheets.  It might safe a life.
 
Blessing and prayers coming your way. – J.A.N.

Economics and Investing:

A new record: 13 Million Silver American Eagles Sold in First Three Months of 2013. (Thanks to Doug C. for the link.)

Reader Mark in Rochester wrote this reminder to Americans: “With all this talk of Cyprus and the sovereign debt levels in Europe’s southern tier, we shouldn’t got forget that our debt-versus-GNP rate is higher. (See this article from last November.) And remember that Bernanke is still creating $85,000,000,000 per month ($272 per person, per month) via Quantitative Easing monetization to bail out his buddies in the banking industry.”

G.G. flagged this from Bill Freeza in Forbes: How To Protect Your Retirement Assets From The Coming Crash

Items from The Economatrix:

Will Cyprus Turn The Tide For Gold?

Future Of The Housing Market “A Great Unknown”

The Great Cyprus Bank Robbery Shows That No Bank Account, No Retirement Fund And No Stock Portfolio Is Safe

Ex-Chancellor Warns Of Bank Runs Across Europe

California Businesses Fuming Over Retroactive $120M Tax Grab

Why Housing Will Limp Along At Best

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Tom R. mentioned that Armageddon Online is offering 297 free online reference books.

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Growing Number Of States Eye Bills To Defy Federal Gun Laws

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Another couple of signs of the times: 1.) Here at the Rawles Ranch, we just received the latest Cabela’s mini catalog. This one is for “Self Defense & Tactical.” It included NO magazines of any capacity! Apparently their magazine supplies are so thin (or so deeply backordered) that they didn’t dare list any. And, 2.) The following was in the latest DoD Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) e-newsletter: “The CMP does not have any caliber .223, .22LR, or .30 carbine ammo for sale at either store. We are sold out and expect to receive shipments of these calibers in 3-6 months. We continue to accept orders for these calibers and will fill those orders when we receive the replenishment shipments from the manufacturers. We do have caliber .30-06 ammo at both stores, but a 10 can purchase limit per year per customer applies. We also still have the Atomic caliber .308, but expect to run out in the next 60 days.”

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I noticed that Atlas Shrugged II and Argo were both just released in DVD and Blu-Ray formats.

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25 Things That the SHTF Doesn’t Care About

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Big government likes big providers. That’s why ObamaCare is gradually making the local doctor-owned medical practice a relic. In the not too distant future, most physicians will be hourly wage earners, likely employed by a hospital chain. Why? Because when doctors practice in small offices, it is hard for Washington to regulate what they do.” – Scott Gottlieb in a Wall Street Journal editorial, March 14, 2013

Notes from JWR:

March 20th is the birthday of Mel Tappan. (Born 1933, died 1980.) His perennially popular survivalist books Survival Guns and Tappan on Survival have a well-deserved following.

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Today we present another entry for Round 45 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 $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

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, 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 45 ends on March 31st, 2013, 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.

How to Prepare for a Home Birth in a Post Collapse Situation, by C.C., CPM

This article isn’t designed to cover all aspects of childbirth, of course, but it is meant to reassure people who are unsure of their abilities to do prenatal care and their own or a neighbor’s birth, if the stuff hits the fan. I am a Certified Professional Midwife, and have assisted people in birth as a childbirth educator, doula, and now midwife since 1984. (My North American Registry of Midwives certification, however, is fairly recent, since I have concurrently raised three children alone, and earned a BS in Computer Information Systems.)

One of the first things to remember when the stuff hits the fan, is that most births, if not tinkered with, are straightforward.  Most women are quite capable of birthing at home just fine. I would recommend having several good books on hand, such as Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin (the only midwife who has had a procedure named after her), Heart and Hands by Elizabeth Davis, and either Varney’s Midwifery, or Myles Midwifery. Varney’s is for the American audience, Myles is British, but easy to read and understand.  Laura Shanley’s Unassisted Childbirth, and Dr. Gregory White’s Emergency Childbirth are two others. There is also the book Where There Is No Doctor; it has a good section on childbirth, but doesn’t go into the details that one might need in a post-collapse situation.

I am not calling this article Emergency Childbirth for a reason, because most home births are not! They are normal physiological functions that only require good nutrition, watchfulness and cleanliness to have a good outcome. One should study, to know what normal is. If you have time before the birth (months, I hope), try to find your nearest CPM. They are trained in out-of-hospital birth, and are trained to know how to help the mom birth twins, breeches (a variation of normal) and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section (VBAC).  In a post collapse scenario, there won’t be access to the hospital for pregnant women in labor, as was discovered during Hurricane Katrina. (Laboring women were turned away from the hospitals, and either birthed alone, with family, or with the two CPMs that were available to help until more help arrived).

If there is no one that can assist you, then concentrate on the best nutrition you can do, specifically plenty of protein (50 mg daily, minimum) and green leafy veggies (at least 3 servings daily, but more is better). The protein helps maximize fetal development, and the green leafies provide B Complex, Iron and other necessary nutrients. Nutrition is covered more thoroughly in the books mentioned. Better nutrition means a healthier mom and baby, often an easier labor and breastfeeding and better ability to withstand blood loss. Avoiding caffeine, illegal drugs, pesticides, chemicals, and tobacco goes a long way to a healthy pregnancy.  Some people follow a vegan diet successfully, and as long as you get enough protein, it should be okay. In the first three months, the following herbs should be avoided (see Herbal for the Childbearing Year, by Susun S. Weed); Basil, Caraway Seeds, Celery Seed, Ginger(except in small doses for morning sickness and/or heartburn), fresh horseradish, Savory, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Parsley, Taragon, Thyme, and Watercress, Aloe Vera, Angelica, barberry, Buchu, Buckthorn, Cascara Sagrada, Coffee, Comfrey, Ephedra, Goldenseal, Juniper, Lovage, Male Fern, Mistletoe, Mugwort, Wormwood, Pennyroayal, Rhubarb root, Rue, Shepherds purse, Tansy, Yarrow, Senna, and Mandrake. Seems like a long list, but most people won’t encounter these herbs.

Red Raspberry Leaf tea, however, is a great uterine strengthener and just tastes good! If you have access to prenatal vitamins, those should be taken as well. Folic acid is very important to help prevent neural tube defects and any vitamin regimen should have at least 4 mcg daily.

Exercise is very important, for both physical and mental health. Just getting outside and walking in the yard if weather is inclement is a great stress reducer and helps blood flow to the baby. Yoga, tai chi, and other relaxing stretching types of exercise can help the mom’s body adjust to the changes that are occurring over the course of the pregnancy, and prepare for the birth. Massage is a wonderful relaxing tool and can be used during the birth as well. Learning simple massage, and reflex points can help tremendously during birth. Whatever it takes to get mom loose, can help. Talking to the baby in utero helps the baby learn your voice (Dad’s too!) and helps establish a bond that will make breastfeeding easier. Reading good books, thinking good thoughts (I bet that won’t be easy during post collapse, but it can be done), prayer, meditation, visualizing an easy birth, saying birth affirmations,  and examining your birth beliefs (overcoming negative ones) is calming to the spirit. You have to come to a place within yourself where you recognize that birth is normal, and your body can do this, that it was designed for this. Mind has a lot to do with how easy or difficult a birth may be. Not everything, but negative emotions and unspoken fears can inhibit labor pretty significantly. Mothers who learn to draw on their inner strengths can often know when a situation during labor needs correcting. They learn to get in “touch with the baby”, so to speak.

Rest each day if possible, especially in the last trimester. The baby is getting bigger and it takes more energy just to keep up with daily demands of the family. Napping helps recharge mom’s batteries. If that isn’t possible, getting off your feet for 15 minutes twice a day, can both give some rest, and help avoid varicose veins. Especially with a multiple gestation, getting your feet elevated helps blood circulation to the babies.

You can do your own prenatal care, writing down your blood pressure, taking temperature and pulse, and your weight. You or whoever is helping you might be able to learn to feel baby’s position in the uterus (palpation), to better prepare for labor. A baby that is posterior (his spine is laying near mom’s spine, feet kicking outwards) can often be turned around before labor, avoiding much backache and a long labor. Spending 15 minutes twice a day on hands and knees can frequently turn a baby anterior (spine facing out, away from mom). There are other tricks for turning a posterior baby on SpinningBabies.com.  Optimal Fetal Positioning by Jean Sutton  and Pauline Scott is an excellent resource for this. Paying close attention to nutrition in the earlier parts of pregnancy can pay off by helping avoid Metabolic Toxemia of Late Pregnancy, otherwise known as preeclampsia, and noting weight gain in the last trimester, along with any swelling (edema) of the hands, face, or legs (some in the legs/feet is normal especially during the summer months, but should not maintain a depression if pressed with a finger (pitting edema). Facial swelling is not normal, and may indicate a need for medical help.  This is one of the reasons  blood pressure is checked so often. Dr. Tom Brewer developed a nutritional system for nearly eliminating preeclampsia in a low-income population in Denver Colorado. (see www.blueribbonbaby.org)

List of items to have on hand for the birth:
Scissors,
Cotton shoe lace (preferably unused, or you could make a “friendship bracelet” out of embroidery floss) (both can be placed in a pan of water during labor, boiled for 20 min, then heat turned off and covered until after the birth)
Bulb syringe,
Chux underpads or black and white newspapers(they can be rolled up to make a bowl of sorts),
4 receiving blankets warmed on a heating pad or near a wood stove (not on it! Or you can heat some water, fill 2 or three mason jars with hot water, put on lids and rings and wrap the blankets around them)
Maxi pads, or cloth menstrual pads
Bath towels, at least 6 if planning a water birth
2 Shower curtains or plastic drop cloths (to protect the mattress and/or floor)
Sheets that are clean, for after the birth, and a set of older sheets for labor/birth that you don’t mind if they get stained.

Herbs: Shepherd’s purse, Ladies Mantle, or Motherwort tinctures or commercial ones like HemHalt or Wombstringe (in case of bleeding),
Superglue (for vaginal tears(small ones, less than an inch long-although those very small ones will heal just fine by themselves as long as the moms stay in bed for the first few days and keep legs together! No tailor sitting or climbing stairs)). For longer tears, you might have to know someone who knows how to suture. Most home births occur without any tears at all, since mom is more relaxed, and water births help too!(we’ve seen 12 lb  babies born with no tear to mom at all) If no suturing available, have mom keep legs together, only moving to get up to potty for the first few days. Nori seaweed is also used as a binding agent on mom’s bottom to help hold a tear together until it heals.
Large bowl or pan (or newspaper bowl) for placenta
Pen and paper to write times or notes on labor/birth
Baby diapers and clothes
Stethoscope, if possible
Tape measure and hanging fish scale(for newborn)
Sling for weighing baby(or you could use a receiving blanket. Just remember to weigh the cloth and subtract that to get the weight of baby.
St. Johnswort tea or capsules (for after pains)

To make the bed for birth, put a plastic shower curtain or drop cloth on mattress, place the clean, “after the birth” sheets on bed, then put plastic drop cloth or shower curtain over them, then the birth sheets. After the mom is cleaned up, all you have to do is take the dirty sheets and first plastic off and voila! Fresh bedding.

For the actual labor and birth, just let mom do what she wants to do. Most women will walk some, rest, dance or sway, eat, sleep, shower, etc, till the contractions become so close together and long (usually 1-2 minutes apart and long) that she cannot move much during them. She will probably vocalize, oohing, singing, or making noise, which is perfectly fine and normal (women are not beached whales, and should not be silenced!) As Ina May says, “an open mouth makes an open bottom”. At some point, the mom will start pushing, and she can reach down and catch her own baby. She can bring the baby to her breast and baby can start nursing right away. Nursing will help the uterus contract, and help the placenta separate more easily. There is no need to cut the cord at this time. One third of the baby’s blood volume is present in the placenta and cord, and it should be allowed to enter the baby (although the term “polycythemia” is used, to my knowledge it hasn’t caused any problems to the baby. He absorbs the extra blood, the unneeded cells break down and they are excreted).

If there is a tight cord around the neck, there is a technique called “somersaulting the baby out”, whereby the attendant holds the baby’s head near mom’s thigh and allows the body to be born over the cord. Unwrap the cord, and baby gets the rest of his blood supply. (I have seen wraps 4 times done this way). Baby should be moving, if not, you can rub baby gently on the back, or flick the bottoms of his feet, and mom can talk to him. He is still getting oxygen from the cord, and it will assist transition to breathing well. If it’s a Water birth, the baby is brought up out of the water right away, and placed on mom’s chest, with a warm towel placed over both mom and baby. The baby usually starts breathing and looking around, connecting faces with the voices he’s heard for the past 9 months. After this point (usually within an hour, but a little longer might still be okay), the placenta separates, there is a small gush of blood from mom’s vagina and she feels a need to push. Once the placenta is birthed, make sure the uterus remains firm(it’s about the size of a grapefruit and easy to feel) and mom breastfeeds baby, if not done earlier. Even if she isn’t planning on nursing baby, (but in a post-collapse, it may be the only source of pure nutrition for baby) breastfeeding helps shrink the uterus to pre-pregnancy levels (over the next few days) helps mom lose any extra weight gained, and minimizes bleeding. The cord can be cut, if desired, when it is limp and white. That shows the baby no longer needs it. Some people don’t cut it, just leave it wrapped in a diaper and carry it around with the baby for a few days until it dries naturally and falls off  (Lotus birth), but unless herbs are used on the placenta, it has a tendency to get a little stinky.

Mom should get up and see if she can urinate (this helps uterus clamp down) and if she wants a shower, someone should be there to help her. In the meantime the bed can be changed of its dirty linen and fresh put down, with plastic underneath. Someone should get mom something to eat and drink, high in protein, and some sugar(mom has done a tremendous amount of work!)  and let her rest and recuperate. Keeping an eye on mom for bleeding (blood pressure checks, color of her face, firmness of uterus) should be ongoing for the next few days.  She and baby should be kept together, to establish bonding and nursing. Wearing the baby in a sling, Mei Tei, or other wrap, helps the baby stay warm, regulate his heartbeat and respirations and establish other rhythms. Within 24 hours, he will probably have his first bowel movement (meconium) and will have peed. Milk will probably come in around the 2nd-to-4th day postpartum. Until then, the breasts produce colostrum, which helps clean out baby’s gut, add good flora to baby, and is anti-bacterial.

I hope this wasn’t too long, but birth is an amazing function, that is awe-inspiring to participate in. It can be a little scary sometimes, too, but the more you know, like any preparedness subject, the better you can be to deal with the unexpected.

Three Letters Re: The Commerce Model of Prepping

James,
In reference to “The Commerce Model of Prepping”, that was one of the best written and thought provoking pieces I have read on your web site in quite some time. If one can afford the Rawlesian Approach to having a high quality retreat in a highly rural location I believe that is a great decision, because it will allow that retreat to help kick start the local economy after a SHTF event, while continuing to be a blessing to those around them (acting as Christ to one another).

I thought the authors point, to those who are not in a position to build a Rawlesian Approach rural retreat, was excellent. Depending on the severity of the event that causes the SHTF, his approach might work quite well. I believe the first goal is to join a small community or town (as you have often suggested – Less than 2,000, as I recall) where your mostly of one mind with the community. This will provide both strength in numbers and will allow the community to maintain some level of security and commerce. The key is finding that type of community. This could be very difficult while still maintaining a reasonable distance from major population centers. Being born into that community works best. Being invited to join that community is a close second. As the author also suggests, be sure to store and save something that can act as barter, such as bullets, fuel or food. There is no free lunch.

God bless our nation and your good work, – Suburban Farmer

Dear James:
The Commerce Model of Prepping, by B.H., is an interesting analysis, with equally interesting opinion. What struck me is how closely he has described what I am doing with zero analysis. I’ve been self employed for 25 years, so a business approach comes to me without thinking. I agree with the notion that commerce will restart as soon as possible after a “Game Changing” event. It may never actually come to a complete standstill.

As has been pointed out in previous articles on prepping on a budget, or what to do if you cannot relocate, not everyone can take the Rawles approach. In our case, we haven’t the resources to move, and for the time being are dependent upon a clinical trial for one member of our family. However, I’m diligent about storing food and acquiring things of value that I feel I need, or might want to trade. My business is making gear, and I already trade with preppers. As soon as I can get out of the house after Schumer hits, I will be helping others and trading goods.

The simplest and smallest example of The Commerce Model would be the Rag Man of European legend, an honest man of God, a peddler collecting cast-offs from some and selling to others, who distributes the news and builds networks among people. As sailors are wont to comment, there but for the grace of God, go I. – Mac

Jim:
I’ll start with a Bible quotation:
“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”– Proverbs 27:17 NASB

We need to speak the truth to each other in love. I believe that B.H. in Northern Idaho had nothing but love of God and His people in mind when he wrote The Commerce Model of Prepping: A Personal Re-Evaluation. I loved the use of humor throughout and appreciated his insights and intent.

B.H. sees the flaws in some forms of prepping, including what he’d practiced. Those weak points should be taken seriously and prayerfully by those who feel most challenged by his essay.  So too what he addressed about house-churches should be taken seriously and with prayer. Accountability and fellowship with those “of like precious faith” who may differ from you in non-essentials is both Biblical and healthy and should be pursued as long as it is possible to do so.

Ironically I have time to write this today because a family member was ill enough to have kept us from going to church. We have to travel over thirty miles to our church home, so on occasion we will visit similar churches nearby rather than just doing a home Bible study, because we know that we need fellowship. While I prefer my church home, it’s good to know that I don’t live as an island, cut off from fellow believers.
People of good faith are being led to prep in different ways because God is using them and will use them to witness in different ways in different areas, just as He does right now. In 1 Corinthians Paul was inspired to speak of the Body of Christ with different functions and ministries.
 
God fits us with different temperaments and gifts to use as He directs.  God uses the introverts who need great swaths of time alone to energize just as much as He does the extroverts who get energized by being around people. He made some to preach, some to write, some to spend a lot of time in prayer, some to say absolutely nothing at all and yet share the gospel profoundly through acts of service and love.
 
A recent example of the latter from our church; mechanically inclined men reached out to a widow and her single daughter who had car trouble; they hadn’t known where to turn for help knowing they were vulnerable and not wanting to be exploited. That spoke to the ladies’ whole family and all of their friends of the great love for each other that is supposed to be the mark of Christians.  Love happens spontaneously where there are relationships among believers. No relationship, no love, no witness.
 
Some prep in place so that they can continue the ministries they have now.  Others feel driven to find a place of refuge to protect their children from what is a voracious system of worldly brainwashing. The practice of sending Christian kids to public school ‘to be a witness’ has been more failure than success over the last 20 years. The majority of children educated secularly walk away from Christianity when they graduate high school. I will never second-guess a parent who decides that their children’s salvation and discipleship is the most important ministry and priority of their life.
 
When we can see the dangers and flaws of other forms or prepping and styles of life, it is good and right to call attention to them so that they can be addressed. That said, we need to be careful lest we sit in judgment of each other.
 
This verse is a great comfort to me when I see other Christians in error or doing something I believe is not wise or holy according to my ideas and convictions:
 
“Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” –Romans 14:4 NASB
 
Once we’ve faithfully shared what is on our hearts, we need to leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit to lead and convict our listeners with regard to God’s will. We know how He would lead in the essential things, but in regard to non-essentials we need to be especially hands-off and not take it personally if someone decides that they must act according to their understandings and convictions and not ours. I believe that prepping styles are among the latter.
 
Eschatology is another area where I believe we need to take a step back and allow for differences. What we believe about the end times is important as it profoundly impacts what we do today and how we interpret the events around us and the actions we take in response.
 
We do need to be certain that scripture interpreted with scripture is the foundation of what we believe. Because of what I see in scripture I find myself unable to believe in neither dispensational rapture eschatology nor dominionism. The words of Christ to his apostles in Jerusalem and the Revelation to John at Patmos paint a picture of an oppressed minority of the faithful, enduring until the end.
 
When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.  Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.—Mark 13:11 -13 NASB
 
These words were spoken in the context of the end of the age, not the launch of the church age though it applied then as well. Jesus went on to speak of the final things and his main instruction was “to be alert.”

It was also given to him (the beast) to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. Revelation 13:7-20 NASB
 
Where in these passages do we see the church gaining dominion over the world? Rather we see what the church encountered immediately in the book of Acts; the gospel spread through persecution throughout the Roman world. When persecution stopped, the pace of evangelism also dropped off so that there are still some unreached places in the world.  
 
Look around you today and you see that where the church is growing or where it is standing up to worldly powers, it is being persecuted. You see believers standing firm in their faith despite losing everything, and their witness is powerful because God is at work. Persecution, by the very words of Christ, will continue until the end. We need to be mentally and spiritually prepared to face that and to not lose heart if we never subdue the world system under our feet.
 
Those who believe in the rapture need to consider that they could be living in a time such as that faced by the believers in the USSR ; decades of persecution. How faithful can you be if you believe that this shouldn’t be happening to you? This may not be the beginning of the Great Tribulation, but of a lesser tribulation which will still require all of us to overcome day by day. Challenge yourself to get ready and to be strong.
 
I believe there is very good reason to believe that we are in the last days now:

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,  treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. –2 Tim 3:3-5 NASB
 
It’s difficult to read this passage and not see our own times and culture reflected strongly in the inspired words Paul set down.
 
I was raised in a Bible-believing Wesleyan holiness tradition that fits the pun about pan-millennialism: “However it pans out is fine with me, I’ll just focus on being faithful.” That may seem a cop out, but a focus on faithfulness will prepare our souls for whatever persecution may come, will lead us to attempt great things for Christ will expecting to see great things from Christ  and keep us on the alert as if waiting for the midnight cry.  In closing, I’ll leave you with the words of Jesus: 
 
“What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’” Mark 13:37 NASB
 
– Sigi

Letter Re: Inexpensive Solar Cookers From Projection Television Lenses

Mr. Rawles,
[Since they have been superceded by flat screen HDTV technology, many] old projection-type big screen televisions are being hauled away daily to landfills or “e-waste” collection points.

I believe that many preppers who find themselves without sufficient fuel post-Collapse, could benefit from a devices such as the one shown in this video and this video.

This easily assembled solar cooker could really stretch the use of precious fuel supplies, and it would cost “peanuts” to construct. Just about all of it could come from salvaged materials.

Waiting until after a Collapse to begin searching for the components, however, might be problematic, so “strike while the iron is hot.” (No pun intended!) – E.M.

Letter Re: Market Prices and the Availability of Goods

Jim,
Unfortunately, it has become common for preppers to express outrage at the exorbitant post-Newtown pricing of ammo and certain magazines and firearms. Frequently, the complaints are accompanied by vows and pleas for others not to patronize certain offending retailers after things return to “normal.” Apart from the implicit assumption that things will return to “normal,” I think that this sentiment is way off base. Although I like paying “reasonable” prices as much (and probably more) than the next guy, I find the notion that retailers should not raise prices to meet increased demand both fundamentally flawed, and ultimately dangerous for preppers. 
 
First, we have to be true to our principles. Either we believe in free markets where supply and demand sets prices, or we do not.  And if we do not, Heaven help us. If we admit that free market principles really are not truly important, we open the door to all kinds of unsavory alternatives, including both “voluntary” and mandatory government-sanctioned price and wage controls. (I, and perhaps you, are old enough to remember our country’s last attempt at wage and price controls, to “Whip Inflation Now (WIN).” Younger readers can either take my word for it or do the research: the government’s efforts to control the markets did not work.) 
 
Second, why do consumers think high prices are unfair, but have no compunction about buying at “below market” prices? No one who snags a good deal at a gun show thinks that it is unfair to the seller. Rather, we all instinctively understand that the seller wouldn’t sell at that price if he did not want to. If he wants to sell “below market,” we assume that he has a reason (maybe he doesn’t want to carry it home, he needs the money right away, his wife is impatient and wants to leave, or his feet are tired). But it is his decision. So why should our attitude change when the seller is demanding a price that we think is too high?  I think that most of the reason is bias in favor of self interest; most preppers currently see themselves as primarily buyers, not sellers. That motivates a lot of complaining about “price gouging.” But those that are preparing for TEOTWAWKI presumably will be net sellers when the big day comes. In other words, it will likely be those who have prepared (and set aside items for barter) who will be trading a couple jugs of clean water for a box of ammo, a box of ammo for a FN-FAL, or a FN-FAL for a cabin, a cow and ten acres.  We should be very reluctant to stake out the idea that the fair value of an item is what it sold at for years, months or even days earlier. The fair value of an item is the price that a willing buyer agrees to pay now and a willing seller agrees to accept now–not a penny more or a penny less.  
 
Third, although the retailers that raised their prices post-Newtown are motivated by self-interest, they are performing a critically important public service, by keeping scarce items available. For example, although I thought that I was pretty prepared pre-Newtown, I took to heart your admonition to make sure that my family’s future generational needs were satisfied, especially with respect to certain magazines. So within days of Newtown, I purchased some used, high quality steel AK-47 mags, at the still pre-Newtown price of $15. I was equally successful in buying some other mags at pre-Newtown prices. But I dallied, and did not fare nearly as well with respect to Glock mags. So I hedged my bets. I placed one order with an authorized distributor at “reasonable” prices. (That retailer recently informed me that I am still at least four months away from receiving my mags.) And I simultaneously went on Gunbroker and bought some others at the then-market price (which was about three times their MSRP). The mags arrived the next week. Did I make a good decision? It is too soon to tell. If transfers of the backordered mags are outlawed before I receive them from the authorized distributor, then I was a genius to buy on Gunbroker.com. On the other hand, if I receive the mags from the distributor before I actually want to use them, then I wasted my money on the Gunbroker.com mags. But the important thing is that I had a choice. Because sellers in the marketplace were willing to “gouge” people like me, I had the freedom to get my mags when I wanted them.  
 
Similarly, within days of your recommending the Mako Group E-Lander AR-15 magazines in early January, I placed an order at “reasonable” prices. I am still waiting for mine (and have heard nothing from the supplier, despite my e-mails). Nevertheless, based on your experience and others’, I expect to receive them any day now, in which case I will be happy with my decision. But irrespective of whether it was a good or bad decision, the important thing is that it was my choice. I could have bought similar magazines from another vendor at maybe double the price (or more), and received them months ago. Although I chose to wait, the freedom to do what I think is best is of great value to me. In the future, I want to continue to have options.
 
I came across a recent example of what can happen when consumers intimidate vendors into not raising prices during a shortage. I sometimes patronize an Internet retailer, Classic Firearms.com, which is physically located in Monroe, North Carolina. I do not know anyone there, but have been very satisfied with their merchandise quality and customer service, and especially their candor. (And, as their web site makes clear, they are owned by Believers.) I also think that they tried hard to keep prices down the last couple months. (For example, shortly after Newtown, I bought 40 round Bulgarian AK mags at $19.99 each. When I decided to buy more the next day, the price had gone up to a still “reasonable” $22.99. Subsequently, they went to $24.99 and then were quickly out-of-stock, which is their current status.)  In any event, Classic Firearms recently advertised on their web site that they would soon have corrosive milsurp 7.62×25 ammo available after a period of unavailability, at a price of $499.99 per case of 1260. Although this price is less than many other calibers, it is about three times the price that this stuff was selling for a few months ago, when supplies were plentiful. (Although I did not spend a lot of time looking, I cannot find anyone that has milsurp 7.62×25 ammo available now.) But according to the Classic Firearms  web site, their announcement generated a lot of negative feedback from their customers about the new price, though they were merely planning to pass along their own high wholesale cost with a “very small profit margin.” So they decided not to offer the ammo at all, out of concern that it “would reflect badly on us as the seller.”  Although I am not in the market for 7.62×25 ammo (and certainly not at $499.99 per case), this is a crazy result. Having the option of buying 7.62×25 ammo at $499.99 a case is infinitely preferable to not being able to buy it at all. 
 
In fact, history teaches that attempts to persuade/coerce sellers into keeping prices below that which they can sell to others never works. That is why black markets exist. As anyone who has ever been a visitor in a country with currency controls knows, you can always find a burly guy on a street corner who is willing to give you more of the local currency in exchange for your dollars than will the government-owned bank. And here is an example closer to home: in December, the operator of a classified ad web site specializing in certain firearms was dismayed that sellers had jacked up prices. He therefore decreed that ads for exorbitantly-priced firearms would no longer be accepted. Presumably, he thought that the sellers would lower their prices for the privilege of listing on his web site. Guess what–they didn’t. As could have been predicted, they simply stop listing on his web site. The sellers didn’t care that the bump in prices might be temporary, or that market prices were higher than what the operator deemed reasonable; they weren’t going to voluntarily sell below the market that then existed. And anyone who has read through this lengthy posting can probably guess how this story ends: the operator’s policy lasted only a few days. Rather than become irrelevant, he relented and let sellers post their ads at the prices that they thought appropriate.  
 
In short, the law of supply and demand is as immutable as the laws of physics. Attempts to ignore either one do not end prettily.
 
Keep up the good work. – A Consumer Who Likes Choices

JWR Replies: I concur. As a believer in free markets I am of the opinion that “price gouging” is a myth. This is a fiction perpetuated by Keynesians, societal malcontents, and people who don’t take the time to fully observe free market forces. The fact is that there are buyers and sellers in every market, and that supply and demand do indeed drive pricing. The few price disappointments that we encounter in our daily lives are more than offset by the successful gains made when we are simply observant. In a free and fair market, intelligent people who are forward thinking generally win. But, in contrast, those who are unobservant and stupid generally lose.

I liken all this to the inherent difference between those who are math and market astute and those who are math and market illiterate. The former do things like:

  • Clip coupons
  • Studiously comparison price
  • Pay cash
  • Buy tangibles
  • Buy into long term up-trends
  • Take advantage of seasonal sales
  • Buy in bulk
  • Fill their underground storage tanks with fuel during price dips
  • Buy quality-made products that hold timeless value
  • Make ratio trades
  • Invest using dollar cost averaging
  • Closely watch market trends
  • Cash out during market spikes.

But he latter (the market illiterate) do things like:

  • Pay on credit
  • Buy shabby products
  • Buy products that decline in value. (“Contrapreneurs.”)
  • Make impulse buys
  • Buy consumer products that are popular and faddish
  • “Invest” in timeshare condominiums
  • Major in the Social Sciences
  • Buy conceptuals
  • Buy lottery tickets

Since 2005, I have consistently urged SurvivalBlog readers to invest in tangibles like common caliber ammunition, full capacity magazines and guns. Those who took that advice up to December 13, 2012 (the day before the Newtown Massacre) are presently sitting very pretty. Many of these tangibles have doubled or tripled in price. Not wishing to gloat or to sound trite, but I told you so. Oh, and FWIW, I still stand by my often-maligned advice on stockpiling nickels. (In a couple of years, I can foresee again being able to say “I told you so.”)

Economics and Investing:

The Cyprus Depositor Legalized Ripoff saga unfolds: Only for the “Rich Ones” with €20,000 in Savings

National planning Cyprus-style solution for New Zealand

After Cyprus Vote, ECB Says Ready to Offer Liquidity Within Rules

Items from The Economatrix:

The Young Are Going To Get Screwed-Part 1

Cyprus “Bail-In” Is Rattling Markets Everywhere; Coffee Bean Jitters

Why The Cyprus Bail-In Is A Bigger Deal Than You Think

Odds ‘n Sods:

Scientists warn Oregon legislators of cataclysm when earthquake, tsunami strike

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Radio Free Redoubt reports: Voice of America tests transmitting on digital mode.

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Kerry Voices U.S. Support for NRA-opposed U.N. Arms Treaty. [JWR’s Comment: Can we really trust his sincerity when he states: “We will not support any treaty that would be inconsistent with U.S. law and the rights of American citizens under our Constitution, including the Second Amendment.” Yeah, right. Kerry gives new meaning to the term lip service. Since this treaty would undoubtedly diminish our constitutional right, then why would even consider it? ]

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M.W. suggested this: The Internet is a surveillance state

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If you are taught bitterness and anger, then you will believe you are a victim. You will feel aggrieved and the twin brother of aggrievment is entitlement. So now you think you are owed something and you don’t have to work for it and now you’re on a really bad road to nowhere because there are people who will play to that sense of victimhood, aggreivement and entitlement, and you still won’t have a job.” – Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice