Two Letters Re: How to Travel as a Prepper When You are a Road Warrior

Dear Mr Rawles,
I would like to comment on the letter entitled, “How to Travel as a Prepper
When you are a Road Warrior.”
 
I commend him for trying to be prepared when traveling, however I think he can easily be better prepared.
 
When I travel I carry the following in a backpack.
 
1) LifeStraw portable water filter. This is for emergency use only.
2) Bottle of Polar Pure water disinfectant. Polar Pure is based on Iodine Crystals.
Polar Pure never expires. It can purify up to 20,000 gallons of water. Note however, that you only want to use it for 3 weeks max continuously as your body does not like too much iodine at one time. I have
used Polar Pure on numerous wilderness trips and I understand it has been taken to Everest. I carry it with all the time, whether or not I am traveling.
3) Three coffee filters for partially filtering dirty water if needed.
4) One bottle of water
3) One MRE. Note: do not try to fly with an MRE pouch that has a heater in it. Remove the Heater. Note that the TSA might have an issue with the individual food packets. If so, then leave it with them.
4) One 12 oz package of high calorie food ration.
5) 100 feet of #550-cord (paracord)
6) One partial roll of black duct tape. (The duct tape can be used for wrapping your shoes in winter to partially protect them from walking in snow in wintertime.
7) Three folded heavy duty garbage bags (These can be used to sit on or sleep on wet ground. In a pinch they can be used for partial rain protection of your torso by cutting the right holes for arms and neck.
If you find  yourself in the position of needing to walk in deep snow for any distance or time, the plastic could be wrapped around your lower ankles and up to the knee and fastened in place with either duct tape
or paracord to make a temporary pair of gaiters.
8) One Pak-Lite LED flashlight mounted to a 9 Volt battery.
9) A Eton emergency wind up flashlight/solar powered radio
10) Portable handheld HAM Radio. If you are a licensed HAM, you can carry your portable radio. You also might want to carry the pocket guide for all nationwide repeaters.  If you are not a licensed HAM operator, become one. Obviously it must be powered off and I remove the antennae.
11) One folded plastic poncho for rain protection.
 
All of the above items are not heavy and do not consume a lot of space.
 
As they say, preparing is a journey. There are several items I would like to add that do not consume much space and
could prove to be useful.
1) Small handheld compact binoculars
2) Compass
 
Other items can be carried based upon the season. In winter I carry a balaclava in addition to my parka shell and gloves.
 
There are many good articles in Survival Blog about common items that can be used for self defense should the need arise. These include pens, rolled up magazines, briefcases and walking canes. My favorite is the fellow in Los Angeles that placed ballistic fiberglass into his aluminum briefcase!
 
I hope this helps some of the road warriors. – James S.

James,
Thanks to S.S. for a thoughtful reminder that it is prudent to be prepared when traveling.  I, like S.S., am a road warrior, although my travel is much less frequent than his and the vast majority of my travel is by car.  I, too, keep a bugout bag in my trunk with things I would need should I find myself in a situation requiring me to abandon my vehicle and walk home, a trip that could easily exceed 300 miles.  Fortunately, as I am a resident of Kentucky, I have no problem also packing along a .22 caliber rifle or even sometimes a semi-auto 5.56mm rifle.

One aspect of travel that S.S. did not mention, and one on which I would like to add my thoughts, is staying in hotels.  Prior to my preparedness mindset, I would put the “Do Not Disturb” sign out for the entirety of my stay and if I ever needed fresh towels I would trade the dirty ones directly with the housekeeper.  Now, however, the first thing I do when I get into a room is to put the giveaway soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, coffee/tea packets and condiment packets into my luggage and then, when I return at the end of the day, new ones have magically appeared to take their place. 

If I happen to be staying at a hotel which I deem to have less than trustworthy housekeeping staff then I will still put out the “Do Not Disturb” sign but every day I approach a housekeeper in the hallway and ask for refills of the above items.  Then, when I return home, I put the hospitality items in my barter box.  The coffee, tea and hot chocolate packets go into a ziploc with a desiccant packet.

Some people might consider this less than honest as these items are intended for use during your stay but, considering how much hotels charge these days, I figure that the cost of the items is included in the price of the room and I do have a couple of guidelines to which I adhere.  I never ask for more than one of each item per day and I would never, ever take anything off the housekeeper’s cart without first asking.

Who knows, six months into a TSHTF situation that little bottle of shampoo that most people leave behind might be worth a couple of rounds of ammo, a chicken or some other nice-to-have goodie from someone who hasn’t showered in a month. – Ken, A Prepared Kentucky Paratrooper

Economics and Investing:

L.H. in Colorado sent: State Fiscal Condition: Ranking the 50 States. (Yet again, the American Redoubt region ranks favorable.) The debt levels of some states, such as Texas, are astounding, and any future defaults in times of economic depression could be devastating.

From G.G.: Puerto Rico Default “Likely”, FT Reports

Items from The Economatrix:

Gold And Silver – There Are Reasons Greater Than Demand For Owning Them

U.S. Bled To Death By China And Harvested For Its Organs-Dr. Jim Willie

Why Is Goldman Sachs Warning That The Stock Market Could Decline By 10 Percent Or More?

Odds ‘n Sods:

The New York Times reports: N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers. Of course they claim that this isn’t being done domestically, but based on other recent revelations, I have some strong doubts. In fact I’m now persuaded that the dialogue of Edward Lyle (Gene Hackman’s character in Enemy Of The State) was more prescient than paranoid.

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I heard about Flags and Poles by Lee. This a family owned and operated business in Texas. They are worthy of your business.

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My friend Fred The Valmetmeister recommended this eight minute video: M39 Mosin Nagant & 7.62x54R Reloading Update. (BTW, I mention Finn M39s in my novel “Survivors”. These obsolete rifles can be surprisingly accurate with the right bullets. And a few of these rifles are pre-1899 Federally exempt antiques!)

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Rob L. mentioned a video that highlights fire safety with handling 9 VDC batteries. (Even “dead” ones.)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,700+ worth of 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), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) 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, I.) Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $195. J.) KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304. and K.) APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit.

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 EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.)A full set of all 26 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is a $270 value, G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value). H.) EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles is donating a $250 gift certificate, I.) Autrey’s Armory — specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts and accessories– is donating a $250 gift certificate, and J.) Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333.

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.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., E.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises. F.) Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and G.) Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies. This assortment has a retail value of $208.

Round 50 ends on January 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.

Route Security, by Chuck S.

Much has been written regarding bug-out bags, vehicle choice and maintenance, weaponry and retreat locations but the one issue missing is how you are going to get there. There are numerous issues to consider in selecting your primary and alternate routes to your bug-out location and hopefully the following will assist in your route selection and maintaining security en route.

Route selection can depend on numerous decision points such as fuel locations, traffic load, choke points and law enforcement roadblocks / checkpoints.  Do the highway entry / exit points already have gates on them to close them off during inclement weather? Later in the article these issues are addressed in more detail. One is the most important points to remember is to travel both the primary and alternate routes and become familiar with them. Pay particular attention to what is normal today and make notes to refer to when traveling when the going gets tough. Get to know the folks at the mom and pop convenience stores so they will recognize you when the going gets tough, a little conversation and smile cultivated today could go a long way in the future.

Keep in mind that you are probably the safest while the wheels are rolling as well as having an increased ability for evasive actions.

Primary Route:
This should be the quickest route between point A and B. However, it very well may not be the best most secure route. Is it traveling an interstate highway? If you are able to have enough lead time before the masses panic then you may be able to beat the rush of traffic that may use that route to escape the city. If you are looking at using a less traveled route such as a state highway or rural route, be sure to drive those and become familiar with them.
One of the inherent problems with interstate highway travel is that exits can be few and far between as well as the fact that they tend to run between larger cities and those could be where you might encounter the most problems. Also, most Americans have become accustomed to driving interstates and rarely get off those highways so they could become congested in short order. Of course, there is an advantage to having plenty of gas stations and maintenance facilities available in the event of mechanical problems.  

Alternate route(s):
Always have back-up route and be familiar with it. Traveling on less used state highways could afford one much more security but there would be a trade-off in available services. While these routes could take longer; they might offer a higher security level. Often on secondary roads there will normally more detours available to you such as county or farm roads that will allow you to bypass areas and still continue in your desired direction.

Detour around large cities:
Check your maps and investigate the routes around large cities, avoid them at all costs. It may take an extra hour to detour but could well save you countless hours in road jams and lessen your odds of confrontation.

Road Atlas / Maps:
Purchase a large road atlas and use wet erase or permanent markers for marking of primary and secondary routes using different colors. Get an atlas with large print so you can read it in low-light conditions or so that you don’t need to find your “readers” to be able to see it. Also, if you have a traveling companion, have them review the maps and notes often to stay informed of what is ahead of you.

Points to consider:

Concrete / Cable barriers:
Numerous interstate highways have concrete / cable barriers dividing the lanes of traffic. Once you are on these roads you are committed until the next exit or highway. Normally there are few “official use only” turn around locations along these types of barriers so it is very important to travel the route and make note of these turn around locations, you can also record the GPS coordinates. I prefer to make notes on map sheets and a route planner. The biggest problem that I see in traveling on routes with these type of barriers is that will be very difficult to reverse route as turning around could very well not be an option. Cable barriers (those 2 – 4 cables running in the center median) to prevent head-on collisions could possibly be defeated with and large set of bolt-cutters. One of my biggest concerns about highways with these type of barriers is that it would be very simple to get caught in your direction of travel and not be able to reverse direction in the event of an accident or roadblock.

Entry Gates:
One of the observations that I have made over the past few years in snow/ice prone areas is that a number of cities are installing gates at the entry ramps so that in the event of inclement weather they can close off highways that are closed due to bad road conditions. They will more than likely use those during other “times of uncertainty”.

Choke points:
Keep your situational awareness up at any choke point such as four-way intersections, exits and overpasses.

Fueling locations:
More than likely, at some point you will need to purchase fuel (if the grid is still up). Someone should always stay with the vehicle, this is not a time to mess around. Do not go shopping, get in and get out. If you are serious about not being tracked to your end location, do not use credit or debit cards as they can be easily tracked. Only take in a set amount of cash and get back out to the vehicle. If you pay for $40 in fuel and only pump $38 – forget about the change and get back on the road. Always keep your vehicle in view and whoever stays with the car needs to get out and maintain situational awareness. Another note, prior to getting out of your vehicle, take out whatever cash you need and put it in a pocket for the purchase. Never take out your wallet and allow others to see additional cash, or cards.  

Hills / High points:
If along your route there are hills and high points, stop before the crest and walk up and use binoculars to view the road ahead and look for anything unusual. 

Ability to divert / change route:
Keep in mind each time you pass a turn off to an alternate route there is a good chance of not being able to make that choice again. Basically, once you pass the point of no return you are committed.

Route security measures:
Stay aware of your surrounding while driving at all times! Try not to get bunched up in a lot of traffic, always keep plenty of distance between you and the car(s) in front of you to allow you plenty of time to react in the event of an accident or other event. Never let yourself get boxed in, you never know if those around you are partners in crime.

Have a prearranged cover story and ensure all vehicle passengers are on the same page. If law enforcement personnel feel anything strange about the driver or occupants they will try to question everyone separately and then compare notes to see if you all are relaying the same story. Rehearse the story often and be sure and add in personal details which should include a name and mention that they are aging or sick. Try to work the sympathy card and stress that time is of the essence.

Try to have something from the bug-out location to show “officials” that you have a reason to be going there. Rent a post office box in the nearest town and show receipt, have a utility receipt or better yet a copy of your deed (this would be a last resort as giving the actual location may be recorded) just something ease their curiosity and allow you to proceed.

Rural areas:
This issue could be a mixed bag, while rural folks tend to be friendlier and willing to help out a stranger, who knows what could happen if things start going south. Depending on the rural area that you are planning on traveling through, they could have their fair share of bad guys as well. One way to mitigate this would be to keep up on news from the area. Are there a lot of burglaries, dope busts and such? If so, might be best to avoid.

Items to have in your bug-out vehicle:

  • Compass / GPS
  • Fix-a-Flat
  • Spare fuel filter
  • Fuel dryer / antifreeze (in case of bad fuel or water in fuel)
  • Spare tire(s)
  • Serpentine belt
  • Coolant
  • Duct tape
  • Flat repair kit
  • Water (yes, I know you know that but it bears repeating)
  • Tools for normal road repairs
  • Neutral earth tone tarp or camo netting (in case you have to stop – to help hide vehicle)

Bug-out vehicle security measures:
Disclaimer: I’m not advocating violating traffic laws just giving you food for thought.  

  • Turn off inside dome light so that if you open the door in the dark without notifying everyone in the area that you getting out of the vehicle. If you can’t turn it off, cover with duct tape or pull the bulb out.
  • If you need to see inside the vehicle purchase a light that will plug into your power outlet and also try to find one with a red lens even better.
  • Push bar or complete grill guard and install fog or driving lights with easily accessible interior on/off switch. If you feel that you are in an area with security concerns switch off your headlights and drive with the fog/driving lights.
  • Figure out how to disable your brake light switch (normally) a spring loaded switch mounted in contact with the brake pedal. A simple wrap of electrical tape to hold the switch compressed will do the trick. Brake lights can be seen for miles and no reason to advertise.
  • If you have to stop for rest or repairs get at least a couple of hundred yards off the road in an out of sight location. Also, I would recommend that you don’t sleep in the vehicle get 25 – 50 yards away in a hide sight where you can watch the vehicle. Today’s vehicles are very quiet inside and you may not be able hear approaching footsteps or voices and it could be very easy for a couple of bad guys to trap you inside.
  • Keep your maintenance up to date on your vehicles, especially the tires.
  • Make sure that everyone traveling with you has a set of keys and keep a set hidden somewhere under the car just in case you get separated.

In summary, I hope that this article can help you determine the safest, most secure routes and has given you some things to consider in your route selection. Look at your routes as if you were someone with ill-intent watching for prey, don’t become a victim and most of all maintain your situational awareness at all times. God’s speed and may His blessings be with you.

Letter Re: How To Use Your IRA /401k to Fund a Survival Retreat Property

Sir,
I have a question in regards to the reply article on turning one’s IRA or 401(k) into a survival retreat property.  Any ideas on how it would play out with one’s survival retreat that is in their IRA or 401(k) if/when the government confiscates retirement accounts or forces one to turn their retirement accounts into a government retirement account like what was recently done in Poland and other countries? Would the person lose their home/farm or be forced to sell it? Would the government get control of it?

I’m curious because we have a fairly decent amount of money in retirement accounts that I am not comfortable with keeping there.  I would like to cash them out (yes, take a hit financially) to buy property and hard assets with.  The problem is that my husband is not on board with that.  He is still not convinced that things will go bad sometime in the future. (Sadly, I believe he suffers from Normalcy Bias.)  If we were able to legally convert our accounts into something like what the article’s author stated then this might just be route that my husband is comfortable with.  My big concern though is what might happen in the case of the government confiscating individual’s retirement accounts.  Any thoughts on this are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for all that you do.

Peace, – T.C. in Minnesota

JWR Replies: Great question. But that presently is an imponderable, because we have no way of knowing how any such future legislation might be worded.

It is also impossible to predict how soon the U.S. Dollar will come unraveled. (It is not a question “if” but rather “when.”) The safest approach is for anyone who is age 50 or under is to cash out (biting the bullet and paying the tax penalties), and shift those funds into tangible precious metals that are kept architecturally very well hidden at home–preferably mostly in small denomination silver that has a low risk for counterfeiting. (Well-worn non-numismatic pre-1965 “junk” silver is the lowest risk. It is also the most recognizable for barter.) The slightly less safe approach is to roll over 401(k)s and IRAs into precious metals IRAs, under custodial control, and hope that the government doesn’t get grabby before you retire. The most risky approach is to blithely assume that the U.S. Dollar will still have its full value in 20 years, and leave your 401(k)s and IRAs in typical stock portfolios. Unless you are presently close to retirement age, the latter approach is foolish, in my opinion.

With many more Federal budget crises on the horizon, one other legislative threat to 401(k)s, IRAs, and Social Security is an elevation of the defined retirement age and fund distribution age. It is conceivable that with an act of of congress, the retirement age could be raised to 70, just before you turn 65. (“Just five more missions, Yossarian!”)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mike P. suggested this well-reasoned 12 minute video by Josie The Outlaw on America’s Groupthink indoctrination institutions: A Prison By Any Other Name. Other than her advocacy of “Unschooling”, it is a great video. (Homeschooling has a superlative track record, by comparison.)

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S&K sent this from Hackaday: Build a Tape Measure VHF Yagi Antenna

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I heard about a quite clever new product that is made in Sonora, California (up in the Sierra Nevada mountains): Siege Stoves. The video on their home page explains it best. These stoves are 100% made in USA.

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Sheri W. spotted this: Humidity levels affect flu transmission

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FLIR turns the heat up on smartphone thermal imaging

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Trouble rather the tiger in his lair than the sage among his books. For to you kingdoms and their armies are things mighty and enduring, but to him they are but toys of the moment, to be overturned with the flick of a finger.” – Gordon R. Dickson, Tactics of Mistake

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,700+ worth of 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), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) 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, I.) Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $195. J.) KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304. and K.) APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit.

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 EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.)A full set of all 26 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is a $270 value, G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value). H.) EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles is donating a $250 gift certificate, I.) Autrey’s Armory — specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts and accessories– is donating a $250 gift certificate, and J.) Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333.

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.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., E.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises. F.) Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and G.) Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies. This assortment has a retail value of $208.

Round 50 ends on January 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.

How to Travel as a Prepper When You are a Road Warrior, by S.S.

I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and remember spending many afternoons in the basement due to tornado warnings and watches. Several times a year, we saw homes across town destroyed by the tornados. Seeing homes destroyed up close as an eight year old made an impression. After our first winter blizzard, Mom started prepping and established a corner in the basement with our food stuffs, books, toys, radio, flashlight, water and a mattress for us to sleep on.
 
About two years ago, I gave up on living in the suburbs and moved 20 miles away in a rural area in the next county and bought a place with three acres. Since then, I have rekindled my prepping roots. This year we planted an orchard with 11 fruit trees, planted a 20 x 40 garden of heirloom vegetables. We also built a chicken coup and established a flock of 15 chickens with the neighbors.
 
I want to commend all of those people that are able to live on a remote retreat full time. Unfortunately, my career and family choices do not permit that at this point in my life. I live in the central Midwest and work in sales with a territory that now spans five contiguous states including where I live. Over the last 30 years, I have averaged more than one trip a week for the entire span. I am what most people would call a Road Warrior and have learned how to travel efficiently, and make it tolerable.
 
Over those 30 years I have had several close calls while traveling.  What I hope to share here is some of the hard lessons learned with a prepper insight.
 
One night, I was on the last plane into Raleigh, North Carolina during a freak blizzard. They closed the airport due to 6 inches of snow as we were landing. When the rental car bus arrived at the car rental lot, everyone ran to the closest cars for their cold dash to their hotels. As the bus pulled into the lot, I noticed three pickup trucks at the far end of the lot. I trudged through the snow and climbed into one of the trucks to find out it had four wheel drive. For the next two days, the entire city was paralyzed. Virtually no snow plows, shovels or salt were present in the city. My fellow travelers were stuck in the hotel trying to dig out their Ford Taurus rental cars with their bare hands and having to eat microwave popcorn for dinner. In the meantime, I drove from one end of town to the other and stopped at several stores and watched as crazed locals stripped the shelves bare in just a few hours. To this day, I still chuckle when a car rental agent asks if I would consider a truck as a rental instead of the usual corporate sedan.
 
The night of the first Gulf War invasion, I got stranded in Detroit due to a mechanical issue with a very late flight. They canceled the flight and rebooked us on a flight the next morning and offered us a hotel room and bus transportation. On this night, I had checked my luggage as I was headed home and tired. Since the luggage was checked, the FAA regulations did not permit the airlines to give our luggage back to us for the stay in the hotel. I found myself on a bus with nothing but my laptop bag and regrets.
 
Years later, I was driving across the turnpike in western New York during a winter storm. I pulled off around 11 PM to get gas and supplies because the storm was getting worse. I should have gotten a hotel room but convinced myself if I rushed, I could get ahead of the storm and get to my destination 50 miles away safely. I picked up several bottles of water, a sandwich and some granola bars while topping off the gas. Thirty minutes further down the turnpike, the traffic stopped and turned into a parking lot. The snow was nearly 8” deep with 30 mph winds blowing. Later, I would learn that the state police closed a ten mile stretch of the turnpike for safety. Unfortunately, they closed the ramps both on and OFF that section of the highway without letting any cars in between get off before they closed the gates. During the night, the snow increased to almost 18” deep and the winds blew hard all night with wind chills below zero. I turned off my car, pulled out the book from my bag and covered up with my heavy winter coat. As the hours passed, I ran the car for about 15 minutes every hour to keep some heat. I also checked to make sure the tailpipe was not blocked. I ate well and made the best of it. The older ladies in the car ahead of me did not have coats and somewhere around 2 AM took turns holding a blanket for each other as they relieved themselves outside. They tried to use the space between the parked cars to block the wind as they bared their backsides. It was almost noon the next day before the snow plows cleared the road enough that paramedics could reach the stranded cars. Many people were without food, water, adequate clothing and most importantly their medications. An hour later, the cars were slowly guided through the snow to the freshly cleared roadway and released, after being forced to stop at the toll gate and pay their fee.
 
Now when I travel, I always give thought to how I will get home in a SHTF scenario. September 11th  demonstrated how fast our travel infrastructure can come screaming to a halt. Thinking like a Prepper is a great start but you also have to act like a Prepper. At the first sign of a SHTF scenario, leave and head to your home, retreat or meet up location. If you wait for the sheeple to act, then you will be stuck in the mob scene with them. You need to get to the car rental counter, or airline desk before the masses. If you decide to drive, you need to get off the main arteries, before they are blocked by the unthinking and unprepared.
 
I cannot count the number of times I have had my travel changed due to large storms or other scenarios.

Move quickly, quietly without drawing attention. Use your assets like frequent flier points, or car rental status to get any seat available on the next flight out or a one way car rental. Getting into an argument about price is only going to slow things down and make things worse. Take the first available anything! Many times have I been at the counter and heard others being told that there were no more seats or cars available while I finalized my arrangements to get out of Dodge.
 
You need to prepare your luggage and travel appropriately. As a business professional, it is not advisable to walk into a Wall Street conference room with a full camo military issue pack and bugout gear. At the same time, a $1,000 suit with stylish shoes are not going to help you get home. You must strike a carefully planned balance.
 
I carry highway maps of all the states I travel in my bag, along with medications, flashlight, spare batteries and emergency phone charger. I have plans for all my major destinations for how I can get home by flying, driving, or some combination of unplanned travel. I know the main arteries as well as alternate routes to avoid congestion. Periodically I will even drive to distant cities instead of flying so I can familiarize myself with these alternate routes. Make sure you communicate your plans and emergency alternatives to your family as you start your travel home if possible. Tell them it might take hours or even days longer than normal to get there.
 
Here are some of the things I carry when I travel now:
 
• A small zipped bag with a week’s supply of all my medications, vitamins, bandages and over the counter  medications for colds, headaches and fever.
• Water, always have at least one bottle of water
• Granola bars or other snacks that will hold you 4-6 hours until you can get to a good food source. I even carry a few single cup coffee and tea bags for those times when extra caffeine is needed.
• An emergency ID card or passport in case my wallet is lost or stolen
• A flashlight with spare batteries
• A spare battery, and charging cable for my cell phone
• Paper maps of all my travel areas
• A print out of important credit card, frequent flier and rental program account numbers
• A print out of contact information for local friends that will help me if I need it
• My laptop with charging cables and power supply
• Hard candy
• A handkerchief which can be used as an emergency bandage
• A book to read as I wait for my flights or other delays
• A strong and large computer backpack instead of a briefcase
 
When I travel with a suitcase, I make sure to include a pair of comfortable distance walking shoes with thick socks, along with weather appropriate coat and gloves. I also carry additional granola bars and medical supplies. It is important to note that if you check your luggage you have much more flexibility  on what you can bring with you when you fly. However, I almost never check my bags due to frequent flight changes and mostly short trips. FAA regulations require the passenger to be on the same flight as their luggage so checking bags, limits your ability to make last minute changes.
 
In the days before the advent of the TSA I always carried the legal limit for a folding knife along with a Leatherman. Today, I feel naked without these.
 
I wish I could carry a handgun when I travel, but several areas I frequent are very strict about prohibiting Concealed Carrying of Weapons. Checking weapons on airline flights is also a hassle that I cannot afford when I typically fly 100-125 times a year.
 
I always make sure to carry extra cash with me when I travel “out of town” where I am not in my own vehicle. More than one taxi driver has balked at credit card payment. In a SHTF scenario, I want to leave NOW and not haggle about payment. Typically I will carry between $300 and $500 cash, all in twenties or smaller when I travel.
 
There are times when I am able to travel in my own personal vehicle and not have to fly or use a rental car. In those cases, I am much better prepared for SHTF scenarios. I have a large diesel 4×4 truck in which I carry a large bugout bag with 5 days of food and survival supplies for two people. I also carry a comprehensive medical / trauma kit. The tool chest in the bed carries a variety of tools, shovels, axe, tow chains, emergency fuel jugs, fire extinguisher, tarps and door look pick tools. Stuffed under the back seat are two wool blankets, 12 liters of water and my emergency weapons. The truck also has a CB radio.
 
Future upgrades to my travel gear will include a triple band handheld ham radio wrapped in an EMP-protective foil bag with a spare battery. I am also starting discussions with two trusted friends about leaving a small cache of “get home” supplies with them in cities where I frequently travel.
 
In thirty years of being a road warrior, I have learned two key lessons. The first is that Schumer does Hit The Fan when you travel and when it does, only you will be looking out for you. The second lesson is that you always forget something on every trip. Most of the time it is something small like a pair of socks, a toothbrush or a sport coat. Make sure what you forget is not something important! Pack your own bag, and check the critical items every time before you leave.
 
Travel smart and safe. At the first sign of SHTF, leave your meeting or event quietly and head home before the masses make a mess of everything. You are no good to your family stuck in an airport or on a turnpike 500 miles away. Careful prepper planning and quick action can get you home safe.

Letter Re: Experiences With A Gamo Whisper Air Rifle

JWR,
I began looking into purchasing 1,000 fps air rifles after muskrats dug a huge pit in my front yard and a few other places.  As I’m inside the city limits, there is a “no shooting” ordinance (air and BB included), except during duck season, where land owners may hunt ducks as long as they’re shooting out over the water, and not causing other problems other than noise.
 
Around my house, the above ordinance is very loosely adhered to, as there’s water on two sides, and plenty of room to shoot air guns.  I always control the starling and grackle populations with pump up airguns, but the birds do relate the pumping up and discharge to danger rather quickly with those guns.  I had tried an improvised silencer, which did reduce the pop of the discharge, and did cut down the spooking of the birds.  However, the long pump up, still spooked them.  I also wanted more power, as many times 700 fps guns would be defeated by flight feathers at 25 yards.
 
As I was shopping for a new air rifle, I ran across the Gamo Whisper.  A silenced 1,000-1,200 fps .177 cal single pump air rifle!  This is exactly what I had wanted!  The $325 price tag didn’t scare me, as I was already looking to spend $300-500.  They have since come down in price, as newer rifles have come out.  The package came with a 3-9 power 1″ air rifle scope and 50 PBA pellets.
 
Out of the box, I was a little disappointed at the sharp sprue lines on the stock and other plastic components.  I received a nice little slice from one of them.  I then scraped them down with a razor blade.  The fixed iron sights are raybar type beads, and work nice even in low light.  And there is good adjustability in the rear sight block.  I’m not too happy with the integral suppressor, as I’d like to be able to remove it for cleaning purposes.  I learned that this was a trade off with the ATF.  The ATF mandated that it must be fixed so that it couldn’t be removed and put on a firearm.  The scope for this rifle is excellent, but the mounts can strip easily, so be careful when torquing the screws.  At low power, the scope will pick up the front sight hood and obscure things a little bit.
 
I was very surprised at the amount of recoil with this gun!  It took a while to get used to an air rifle that kicks harder than my Ruger 10/22.  Once I got the scope sighted in, I was snapping twigs at 25-50 yards with no problem.  The main noise is from the spring, and is quite loud, but is similar to a cheap BB gun.  No loud report is heard from the muzzle.  I put out a 2×4 and found penetration of the Crossman pointed lead pellets to be 3/4ths of the way through.  That is the equivalent to what I had seen CCI .22 CB shorts do!
 
While the lead pellets are supposed to be sub-sonic at 1,000 fps, they do break the sound barrier every so often due to dieseling of lubricants in the gun.  You can blow smoke out of the barrel after every shot.  At night you will see a muzzle flash every so often with a loud sonic crack that echoes off the neighbor’s houses.  With lead pellets doing this, I’d hate to hear what the PBA pellets can do at 1200+ fps!
 
I have noticed that with this air rifle storage position seems to have an effect on zero.  If I lay the gun on it’s side, zero will move to the side that was down.  I think this is a problem with the plastic barrel warping over the steel sleeve.  I now always store the gun in the same position and see no further zero changes.
 
For taking birds in the yard, they don’t know what hits them!  I shoot from a bedroom window which keeps the spring noise to a minimum, and only the barrel protrudes out the window.  I’ll shoot 5-6 birds before the flock moves on.  Compare that to a normal air rifle in which the flock bolts on the first shot.
 
On muskrats, more power would be nice, but this gun has dropped them at 50+ yards.  Muskrats are hard targets in the water, as you have a very reduced target that is in constant motion.  The head is 1/2-3/4″ above the water, in motion, and then you have waves adding more motion.  The water and fur together seem to make excellent body armor for the muskrat, and only an exact head shot will kill them.  My favorite method is to wait for low twilight to complete darkness, as they can’t see well.  The streetlight bouncing off low clouds or moonlight will work with the scope set to mid power.  You can still see the muskrat in the water enough to make a kill shot.  Beware:  After you “brain” a muskrat, it will sit still for a few seconds before all hell breaks loose!!!  They will then toss and turn violently for a good minute or more before dying.  Let them lay till they’re good and dead! (Don’t stick your hand in there and get bit!)  

One thing I was surprised at was the lack of ricochet when shooting at the water.  Only very low angles seem to do it.
 
After every 100 rounds it is a good idea to clean the bore.  These will lead up the same as a rifle or shotgun bore will.  Patches will come out dark from all the carbon from dieseling, and also from the lead pellets.  Cleaning kits are available from Hoppe’s for air rifles.  With the silencer, again I wish that it was removable for cleaning as patches can come off the jag into the silencer.  They can be removed by dry firing a few times in which it will work it’s way out.  Gamo does have felt pellets for cleaning.
 
Overall, I like this gun.  It’s quiet, and does the job.  I would like to see a .22 cal version at the same velocity, but so far, nothing yet.  I am now stocking a total of 5 of these, and plenty of pellets and cleaning gear for them.  – Captain Nemo

Letter Re: Cybersecurity: A Systemvault Primer

Dear Editor,
It’s nice that you published an article about system and data security. People need to be aware. Overconfidence in encrypted communications however is a disaster waiting to happen. The author wrote: “Another benefit of the way Linux deals with encryption is that any information that is read or written is directly transferred between RAM and the container: any piece of information that exists outside of the computer’s memory is always encrypted.”

This is flawed logic as demonstrated by recent attacks on target and other retail giants. RAM scraping is actually pretty old news.

I also heartily disagree with his contention that computers are not/can not be capable of human like intuition. They become more intuitive with every additional line of code (written by humans contributing combined years of knowledge, experiences, and bias. Shalom, – B.C.

Economics and Investing:

I told you so… Is America ready for a brown nickel? Note that if there is a distinct color change, then Gresham’s Law will kick in even more quickly, driving the old cupronickel Nickels out of circulation in less than two years. I should mention that one statement in the article is incorrect: “In 1965, rising silver prices forced the Mint to switch the nickel, dime and quarter to a mostly copper composition.” The nickel DID NOT change composition starting in 1965. It has been 75% copper and 25% nickel ever since 1945. (The nickels minted with some silver were a wartime expedient, because nickel was desperately for armament production.)

G.G. suggested: Laurence Kotlikoff on Debt, Default, and the Federal Government’s Finances

Kevin P. wrote: “I saw this animated map of the rise of Wal-Mart and I immediately thought that the end result [map] is probably a good indication of the clusters of population.  It might be wise to pick a retreat in an area with relatively few Wal-Marts if you can.” JWR’s Comment: Note at the very wide distribution of Wal-Marts in The American Redoubt region and in the Dakotas.

Items from The Economatrix:

Discounts Slam U.S. Retailers’ Holiday Season Profits

Jobs Number Shock

Big Banks Set for Best Year Since Crisis