Preparedness and Divorce, by Dan in Montana

“We” had been prepping since Y2K, reading, watching, canning, storing, organizing, teaching and moving to the North West Montana mountains. A Monday morning knock at the door three months ago changed everything.  At the door was a court appointed clerk serving me divorce papers. The crash I felt was not the economy or a gale force wind blowing down my house.  My entire world had just collapsed around me. For me the TEOTWAWKI just occurred.

It took hours to orientate myself, stop my head from spinning, re-read the court papers and try to accept what had happened. My wife of seventeen years and my two daughters were walking out of my life. The anguish was immeasurable.  I watched them drive away and couldn’t stop my stomach’s upheaval.

If you are married or getting married please do not make the mistakes I made.  Don’t’ let the sun set on your anger.  Work out the issues when they first arise. Don’t forget that your marriage is a full time job.  It has to be cared for and tended to.  Like a garden, it has day to day necessities, left unattended; weeds will grow quickly and choke out the fruit. Today, I am reduced to a statistic as a Christian divorce.  The numbers are no different from non-Christian divorces. My witness has suffered and my church attendance is in a slump but my Bible readings and prayer times have hit new highs.  

All the prepping I had done up to this point was for my family.  I bought and stored feminine products, shampoos, hair conditioner and brushes along with all the beans, band aids and bullets.  I saved so that my family would be better off.  The twenty acre retreat we had moved into years ago now means so little. All the sweat, money and time building a garage, chicken coop, tool shop and garden; raising goats, horses and chickens now is questioned. What value is any of it without my family? 

Even with all the uncertainty I continue prepping.  It is who I am and what I do.  The habits engrained in my being have not changed. It is my comfort zone of sorts. Prepping is more urgent than ever before but I hesitate about what and how to prepare. I may have to sell the retreat and re-locate without my family. Maybe I can stay, maybe they will come back? Do I dare even hope?

Crazy as it is, this situation has stripped down and streamlined my prepping priorities. Once my stomach settled down and my head stopped spinning, I was able to re-focus. The surplus supplies stored in the garage and tool shed were first. Neither of us wanted any of these items.  I cleaned and packed those treasures and dropped them off at our local auction.  I sold my extra “barter” items: truck tires, outdoor lights, buckets, garden and hand tools. The frivolous possessions: golf clubs, ice skates, sports card and comic book collections sold for several hundred dollars. I split the money and deposited funds in a checking account for my soon to be ex-wife to access.  I saved my half of the funds as cash.  I am trying to save every way possible. 

Next on my list, (yes, I have an updated list), I attacked the closets.  I separated summer and winter outfits, paired up boots, gloves and beach slippers.  I organized them in; give away, not sure and save boxes. I  delivered the give-aways to the Goodwill store as donations. I have the “not sure” boxes ready for my wife and kid’s evaluation. The save items are labeled, dated and sealed. The concept of carrying and moving every item in the house helps the prioritizing process along nicely. 

The uncertainty of staying or moving has inspired me.  If I do have to sell the home, I’d like to get top dollar so on ward I went with my “to do list.”  I sanded and painted the discolored mud room door and placed new dead bolt locks and weather seals on all the doors.  Since no one is home most days, I have placed locks on the root cellar; tool shed, garage and generator shed.  I constructed a 12 ft metal gate at the entrance of my driveway with large boulders on each side for security. Two of the rooms now have new paint and one bathroom has new tile. Projects I’ve wanted to complete are now being finished.

My wife has returned on several occasions when I was not home and removed quite a few possessions.  Along with her clothes and personal items missing were most of my guns and cash. I trained her well; she took my Marlin .45-70, S&W .44 magnum along with several rifles and shotguns. I was left with only my Glock Model 30 that I carry with me and a Ruger 10-22. I felt vulnerable.

Using the cash from the sale of the barter and frivolous items, I purchased a semi auto shotgun, loaded it with slugs and OO.  Several of the articles read from SurvivalBlog recommend if you have limited funds or are just starting to prep a shotgun would be a purchase to consider. I have used quite a bit of the information from JWR’s site. (Thanks).
 
My fire wood trunk finally expired after over a decade of reliable service. My friend had a 1984 Ford, diesel 250 ¾-ton pick up he was using to spray his farm fields.  He sold it to me for a very reasonable price.  I used my remaining silver coins and cash I had from selling the extra items.

After the first month I started to feel depressed, especially when I arrived home.  Working two jobs, I leave at 6:45 AM and return exhausted, after nine PM to a dark, cold, empty home.  To help me fight the gloom I purchased timers for several lights.  They are scheduled for various on times. I made certain to have one tick on before nine  PM.  Amazing what a little light can do for the Spirit.

The weather is quickly changing and becoming quite cold.  I have my wood burner running open and hot when I’m home.  It’s marvelous what a glowing bed of red hot coals does for a log home’s setting. I use my best firewood when I leave, stuffing the wood burner full.  My log home retains the heat all day.  When I now arrive, the home is light and toasty warm. 

I have not purchased any groceries since my personal SHTF event.  I am presently cooking and eating my stores of canned foods and frozen provisions. I was surprised by the number of undetected canned foods that had expired under my watch.  Some of the freezer items were ice covered and freezer burned.   Items that are safe for consumption are being cooked and consumed daily.  The others feed my animals.  The freezer is on my list and soon will be defrosted and re-organized into sections with dates.

Cleaning out my freezer, I made venison stew nightly.  First thing in the morning I placed the frozen meat in the bottom of Granny’s crock pot, added cans of expired corn, beans and peas, set the temperature and blasted off for work.  I easily cooked up enough for several days.

I found several of the canned soup and pasta dishes quite flavorful, quick to prepare and easy to clean up. They have elevated their rankings on my inventory. There are also several that now won’t make my list. 

Returning home, I am now welcomed by a rich aroma that fills a well lit, warm log home.  Even with the inviting fragrance and notable taste, repeating the same stew night after night does become monotonous. A variety of spices and a wild game cookbook are essential and now on my list.

There can never be a substitute for my girls.  I pray after some of the wounds have healed, they will want to spend more time with me. In the mean time I elected to adopt a new youngster.  I picked out a year old black Labrador Retriever from the dog pound.  Kimber is great company and a reliable deterrent for unwanted strangers.  As an added bonus she has a fifteen hour bladder! So in my own peculiar way I found solutions to deal with a cold, dark and lonely home. 

Not having my daughters at home with me is excruciating.  I have pictures of them in every room.  I have cleaned their bathroom, closets and drawers.  The emotional cost of this loss is almost unbearable. I don’t know where they are staying.  I miss and love them so very much.  Divorce is horrible.

Attorneys on both sides are making quite a profit from my mistakes.  As the process continues they are the ones who benefit.  My stored silver and emergency funds have been cashed in to pay the attorney’s fees.  Any spare time I had is now used to gather statistics from my IRA, home insurance policy, pay stubs and tax statements then promptly forward them to the paralegal.  My stores of food and fuel are depleting quickly. I wish I had a “do over.”

Lessons learned:
Work at your marriage
Spend any minute you can with your family
Today with your family is more important than tomorrow without them.
Use what you are storing and planning to draw on when the SHTF
Clean out your garage, storage shed and closets, you have too much
Buy and store more spices
Check expiration dates
Defrost your freezer
Start and finish one of your “To Do” list jobs

God’s grace is never ending, in an answer to prayers, my daughter just texted me asking if we can go to lunch on Saturday. That appointment is BOLD, and number one on my list.

Five Letters Re: Storing Whiskey For Barter

Howdy Captain,
Reading the other remarks about storing whiskey for barter made me chuckle, I’ve got a different take on this subject.

We’re a dry household, always have been, just no need for that stuff. Life is pretty amazing when you’re sober, why miss a minute of it under the influence of anything.

But, I’ve kept two bottles of Jack Daniels stored very prominently in our pantry for many years, and they’re located in a place that makes them impossible to overlook.

We live in out in the sticks, and the idea is that if anyone breaks into the house while we are out, I want them to find the whiskey right away, and drink up. When I come home later that just might give me the edge I need!

Even when our kids were little they never touched that decoy whiskey, they knew what it was for!

Shoot straight, – Pistol Pedro in Colorado

Hello,
If we are at a point in our lives where we are bartering, then supplies will have bottomed out. Alcohol withdrawal is not pretty and will lead it’s sufferer to really unwanted behaviors.
Being the neighborhood alcohol guy will be the same as a drug dealer on the corner today. While I see nothing wrong with trading with  uncle buck who has run out of his Saturday nightcap. Dealing with the public in general will lead to disaster.
 
Hope this finds you well. – G.B.

 

Captain. Rawles,
I gave up drinking decades ago but decided to keep a few cases of hootch in the preps for a number of reasons. I have a couple of cases of decent bourbon and scotch just in case it might help grease the wheels with someone I’m not on handshake terms with. I keep a case of Everclear which I can cut with water down to vodka strength, can use as a disinfectant and/or painkiller, burn for light, and which we started buying because my wife uses it in soap making.

I wouldn’t offer a drunk a drink, but if others already have all the food, shelter, and security they think they need, my bottle might just be the thing they still want that will get me what I need. – Kevin in the Redoubt

Dear JWR;
I think it unnecessary to dip bottles of whiskey in paraffin or to worry about  the shelf life of unopened bottles.  My uncle, a career Air Force officer who was stationed at a USAF radar base in Canada in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when we maintained radar bases in the far north to give early warning of Soviet missile attack, brought back a large quantity of Canadian whiskey.  He gives me a bottle every Christmas.  The brand he has been giving me the last few years has a cork stopper rather than a screw top.  The tax stamp is dated 1952.  Even with the rather loose cork stopper there is no visible loss to evaporation and the whiskey is excellent after 61 years.  I think that with modern, hermetic screw tops, whiskey will last for hundreds of years with no deterioration.
 
Cordially, – Doug in Wisconsin

 

James,
Okay, I read the letters on the whiskey for barter subject, and the one about vodka. Forget that. Buy grain alcohol. [JWR Adds: It is sold under the brand name Everclear, in two different proof grades– 151 Proof and 190 Proof. The latter (95% alcohol by volume) is more difficult to find and may have to be special-ordered.] It will do anything vodka will do. It is 190 proof so it will work as booze, as a sterilizer in your first aid kit, a pain killer, and will start fires or burn by itself too. I buy stainless steel half-liter water bottles at the thrift store for about $2 each and use them to store the stuff – they won’t break if they fall and won’t leak unless somebody shoots a hole in them. Best part is it is price competitive to even cheap vodka or whisky, but more potent and more ‘flexible’. – Rev. Dave   

Economics and Investing:

Reader Bob C. notes “…an interesting divergence between risk money (hedge funds), smart money (institutions) and dumb money (retail investors)”: Institutions Have Been Dumping Billions Of Dollars Of Stocks All Year, But Now The Selling Is Really Accelerating. (At the same time that some middle class suckers are borrowing money to buy over-valued stocks, the smart money is heading for the hills!)

It Will Implode: “We Will See The Demise of the Dollar”

Items from The Economatrix:

‘Underground’ Economy Signals Soft Growth

US Car Sales Jump In November

Expect Devastating Global Economic Changes In 2014

Odds ‘n Sods:

“The Brit” sent the latest from Nanny State Britannia: Cycling Furiously: Concessions over civil liberties may be needed to create happy relations between cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. Here is a quote …”While I have always opposed mandatory cycle registration and licensing, I think the time is right to require a radio frequency ID chip to be fitted in all bikes used on on city streets so that Highway Code offenders could be identified automatically or by suitably equipped police officers. The scheme could be tied in with mandatory insurance and training. And, yes, an element of road taxation. In time, motorists would come to see cyclists as legitimate road users and behaviour would improve all round. …..” The Brit’s comments: That’s it:  improve politeness of bicycle riders by implanting a monitoring chip, requiring insurance, training and taxing them…why that’s just genius! And look at the commentary: most of the quarrels with the authors proposal are a matter of degree,  just nibble at the edges. Saddening.”

   o o o

Tim J. suggested this article: Air hogs: Drones secret weapon in hunt for feral pigs

   o o o

Several readers sent an article that might give pause to those considering expatriation: The Global Corruption Index, 2013

   o o o

I was doing some web wandering, and I stumbled into a gent selling some quite eye-pleasing CAT-scanned prints of guns: Xrayguns.com

   o o o

Chaos After Death of Mandela? (This was penned back in July, but with the recent headlines it may be more relevant than ever. Mandela was no angel (and one of Joe Slovo’s fellow travelers), but his ex-wife “With our necklaces..” Winnie Mandela is like some female demon hound, incarnate. If she should ever gain power or greater influence, then watch out!)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,400+ 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 24 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is a $240 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, and I.) Autrey’s Armory — specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts and accessories — is donating a $250 gift certificate.

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.

Improvising PPE by Louie in Ohio

This article is mainly about improvising Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
I have been employed for over 36 years by an international coatings company. I have held several positions in different areas of our plant, including production, maintenance, and raw materials. I also have 35+ years in the field of Industrial Emergency Response. The last few years I have been an instructor for our Emergency Response Team (ERT). Some of the topics we deal with are firefighting, Haz-mat, Medical response, and rescue.

Participating with the Team has been both educational and enjoyable as we develop a closeness and brotherhood (and recently sisterhood).
I have been able to use some of these skills and talents in my everyday life, as well as in other interests that I have.
I was reviewing some information a few days ago for a presentation coming up in the Haz-mat area. Haz-mat basically means hazardous materials. The facility where I work uses approximately 250 different chemical compounds. My present position allows me to have direct contact with most of these either by sampling for analyst, or verification.
The information I was reviewing was decontamination during and/or after an emergency exposure.

It dawned on me that many people of the prepper mindset might find it useful as it closely resembles the decontamination (“decon”) of bio, chemical, and radioactive fallout exposures.
Most of us, as preppers, do not have all of the fancy and expensive gear that professionals have available. But please keep in mind that even in industry we don’t always practice with the “real thing”. Instead of expensive haz-mat suits we usually make do we inexpensive substitutes. Also there are times when we do not have enough of the real thing. At these times we use the system outlined below.
I do not recommend using these substitutes except under dire emergencies. Please, please do not ever take unnecessary risks by exposing yourself to bio, chemical or radioactive hazards.
There may be times though that you must operate in these environments. If you do not possess the correct protective equipment then you may have to substitute. These substitutes are what I would like to address in this article.

At this point I would guess that most of us are on a budget in our prepping endeavors and are looking for bargain prices and ways to stretch our prepping dollar (Euro, peso, or whatever).
Whenever I am teaching I always take the time to tell my students, whether they are ERT members, Boy Scouts, adult Scout Leaders, or Appleseed students, to NEVER become a victim. Always stay alert as to what is going on around you. Be Aware!

The secret to staying safe in a hazardous environment is to stay alert. Do not take chances…ever. It only takes one time and its over, death awaits those who are careless.
Statistically most firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty become victims while trying to rescue someone else. Many times it is while trying to rescue one of their own.
“That’s my friend down there!”, and so off we go to rescue our pal and fall victim to the same dangerous environment that affected our friend.

Most of the time that first victim is down for a reason… we probably can’t hold our breath long enough to perform a rescue. One way to eliminate some of the danger is have a second person in any hazardous situation, literally some one to have your back.
Anyway…be cautious. ‘Nuff said about that.

Back to basic and inexpensive equipment.
One of the most important items to have is a quality gas mask. It is almost impossible to improvise one of these. It really is a high priority item. These can be purchased commercially through Industrial outlets such as Grainger and Fastenal. They can be expensive, often costing in the hundreds. I have also seen mil-surp  masks at Army-Navy stores and gun shows, often for $40 or less. Please research these before you buy.

If you do buy the mil-surp masks please make sure that the rubber or silicone face piece is not dry rotted or cracked. There are different sizes and you must make sure that you correctly fit your face. Facial hair can also be a problem as it does not allow for a tight fit.
There are two schools of thought when donning the mask. Either can be used and are correct:

  1. Open the straps all the way with the web in normal position. Place your hand inside the web, with the web against the back of your hand. Lift the mask above your head and bring down. Using the hand inside the web to pull the web out and your other hand to pull the bottom of the mask out, the mask should slide over your head and face.
  2. Loosen the straps and pull the web over the face piece so that the web is inside out. Place and hold the mask against your face and with the other hand pull the web back over your head.

After donning the mask you must cinch-up the straps. On most masks there are 5 or 6 straps. I usually tighten the two nearest my temples first, followed by the lower two. I always tighten the top strap(s) last to avoid pulling hair.

The next step is to check the seal around your face. With the mask in place cover the exhaust valve with one hand. Exhale normally to verify that the mask is sealed. You should feel the mask pressurize. If it does not there may be a leak due to improper fit, facial hair or condition of the mask.
Next place one or both palms over the inlet(s). There may be one or two inlets depending on style/manufacturer. Breathe in normally. You should feel the mask shrink into your face.
You may need to try petroleum jelly on the seal in you cannot get it to quit leaking. This is not recommended as it may break down the rubber material in the mask.

A word or two about filter cartridge:. There are basically two different media that I have had the opportunity to use, activated charcoal (carbon) and HEPA.
The carbon filters are used with organic compounds such as solvents, monomers, and isocyanides. I would imagine that they would be effective against most gases.
The HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are used for solid particles in the air, including dust. This would be effective in the case of nuclear dust fallout.
Filter cartridges are available with either of these media. However, whenever I have a choice I will use both together. Some filter cartridges are made with both carbon and HEPA. There are also “add on” HEPA filters that attach over the intake on carbon filters. Please be aware when buying mil-surp masks that correct cartridges may not be available.
One other point before we proceed; gas mask type filters do NOT supply oxygen. In a low-oxygen environment you will need to supplement with oxygen and/or breathing air via a device such as SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) or SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus). Without supplied air you must leave the area immediately if you find yourself in a low-oxygen situation.

Most filter cartridges are good for about eight hours. You must changes filters immediately if you detect an odor or taste.
In an emergency situation you may find yourself needing a barrier suit. These are protective coveralls that are impervious to dangerous materials. They also will not allow radioactive fallout to reach your skin. However, they will not protect you from radiation. Fallout is most dangerous when inhaled or when it comes in direct contact with your skin, eyes, nose, or mouth.

The following is one of the least expensive ways to make a barrier suit:
 It is made from a two piece vinyl rain suit. You’ve seen them…bright yellow, usually with a hood. That’s what you need. I have found them online for $15-20 USD.
You also will need pull-on over boots and some kind of rubber (butyl, vinyl, etc.) gloves. In addition to all this you will need a roll of duct tape.
To do this properly you will need an assistant to help you dress.
Start by donning the pants/bibs. Pull the pants legs up and put on the boots. Pull the pants legs down, over the tops of the boots. Have your assistant tape the cuffs of the pants, with the duct tape, to the boots. You will want to give yourself plenty of slack in the pants so that you can move freely. Note: when taping seals be sure to fold under the last inch of the tape to itself, making a tab. This greatly helps when removing the tape from the protective suit.
Secondly you need to put on your face mask and check for leaks.
Thirdly, don the jacket. Pull the sleeves up and put on the gloves. Pull the sleeves down over the gloves. Have your assistant tape the jacket sleeves to the gloves with the sleeves held back enough to give you slack.
Next have your assistant pull the attached hood up and over your head up to the face piece. Pull and tie the drawstring snuggly enough to hold it on but not choke you.
The assistant should now tape the hood to the mask, making sure all skin is covered. Tape the front of the jacket closed so that the gap is covered.
Finally, tape the hem of the jacket to the pants and the front opening (where the snaps or zipper is) closed, again allowing for movement.
You should now be totally encapsulated and safe from most threats.
Please remember to leave the tape tab on each piece of tape to aid in removal.
If you find it necessary to change filters it is easier to have the assistant change them for you. However, if you are in a hazardous area your assistant must be protected also.

Which brings us to decon (decontamination). In a real emergency it is a good idea to decon in stages. The area that is contaminated is the hot or red zone. This is wherever the suit is needed to protect you.
Next is the warm or yellow zone. This is where the main decon occurs. Finally is the safe or green zone. As its name implies, it is safe without protection. These zones should be well marked so that you do not track in contaminants.
Now for the actual deconning. When you are done in the hot zone you need to communicate to your assistant that you are ready to enter decon.
A very inexpensive way to decon is to invest in three kiddie pools. You know the kind, cheap plastic about 5-6 feet in diameter and about a foot deep.
Place one pool just outside the hot zone in the warm zone. Place about six inches of water in it with a half cup of dishwashing detergent. Note: In a bio situation I would also use a disinfectant. Even liquid bleach would work.

The assistant, who should have on a minimum of a rain suit, face shield, boots and gloves, will use a long handled boot brush to scrub you down.
Next step into the second pool which should be located about one foot away from the first, again containing soapy water. Your assistant should wash you down again with a second brush.
The next step should be into the third pool placed one foot from the second. This will be half filled with clean water. Your assistant will pour this fresh water over you to remove the soap.
A tarp covered with newspaper or another absorbent should be placed next to the third pool. You will step out of the pool onto the newspaper.
Your assistant at this point will help you remove your protective clothing. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE ASSISTANT TO NOT CONTAMINATE YOU OR THEMSELVES IN THIS STEP.
Do you remember those tape tabs I mentioned twice? They come into play here. With clean gloves the assistant should remove the tape from around the mask. DO NOT REMOVE THE MASK.

Next remove the tape around the gloves, then down the front of the jacket and then around the hem of the jacket. He should gently assist you in removing the jacket by pulling it off from behind you, turning it inside out. It should be placed inside a large trash bag.
Now remove the tape from around the pants cuffs. By far the easiest way to remove the pants is for him to cut the pants down each side with a utility knife, being VERY careful to avoid cutting you.
The assistant can also slice the sides of the boots for you and help you remove them.
Your gloves are still on at this time to avoid contaminating your hands with the boots. They can be removed at this time if you have another pair to don.
You can now step into the cold zone and remove your mask. Your assistant will now pick up and dispose of all contaminated articles.
He now steps over to the warm/cold zone line. You will assist him in disrobing if needed.
The Protective gear that was in the hot zone, with the possible exception of the face mask, should not be used again, but disposed of. The mask must be totally decontaminated before using again.
Is this method as good as the PPE made specifically for the job? Of course not. It will protect you, however, in an emergency situation. Do not ever expose yourself unnecessarily. Remember: DO NOT BECOME A VICTIM.

If we look around us we will be able to find ways to improvise what is needed. Be safe and be ready.

Letter Re: The Clueless Hordes

The first snow of the season fell a few weeks ago at my location. It wasn’t much, about 2 inches of heavy wet snow in the course of half a day and another inch expected to fall in the evening. Toward the end of the afternoon my sister dropped by for a visit and shortly before she arrived she noticed a couple of kids leaning on their bicycles at the side of the road. She stopped to see if everything was okay and mentioned to them they could stop by at our place it they needed help.

A little later on we saw them walking up the hill our house is located on with their bicycles in hand. About halfway up they stopped and, after some conversation, turned around and came into our drive way though not up to the house. So we went outside and offered to bring them home which was gladly accepted.

Before I relate the rest of the story, I want to stress that both kids had bright, clear eyes and their speech was polite, coherent and articulate. Therefore I have no reason to assume they are alcoholics or habitual drug users; something that could be easily inferred from what follows.

As it turned out they live in the nearest village to the south of us, which is nine miles away. Since the road was slushy, there was ample time to talk before we got there. From what I gathered they were on a sight-seeing trip and it had taken them about three hours to get to our place. I still do not know whether to marvel at their grit and determination or to label it a single-minded pursuit of the clueless. Perhaps its both.

At any rate by the time they stopped at our place, it was about 45 minutes before sunset. They had no lights on their bicycles, were lightly clothed and soaking wet right down through mittens and sneakers. They were also pretty much exhausted and had no hope of ever making it home on their own. Though I doubt that really had occurred to them at that moment.

Both kids, a boy and an girl, were fairly short (under 5 ft tall), slim built and each rode a kid’s mountain bike with only 1 out of 4 tires reasonably well inflated. All in all it was quite an achievement for them to get as far as they did. It struck me during our conversation that they seemed to be around 10 years old as far their as comprehension of the situation went. For instance it turned out they had a cell phone with them and when they tried it, it picked up a cell tower, no problem. When I asked them why they hadn’t called home, I just got some incredulous looks as if to say: a phone is for texting our buddies – not for calling home. [As an aside: When I dropped off their bicycles later on, I got the same incredulous looks when I asked them if they had learned that there are limits to what a person can do. The concept of learning from one’s experiences seemed rather alien.]

During the conversation the girl volunteered that she’d had trouble with her knee during the trip. It had ‘popped’ but that wasn’t a big deal because that happened regularly to her. It was just a bit painful at the time it happens. Then the boy showed me how he couldn’t straighten his fingers. He said it was due to osteo-arthritis which he had been diagnosed with at age 11 and the cold didn’t help things any.

At that point I just had to ask them: how old are you guys anyway? Turns out the ‘girl’ was a 17 year old high school dropout and the ‘boy’ – possibly her boyfriend – was in his early 20s.

This experience has been a bit of an eye opener to me, which is why I want to share it with you. First of all I didn’t think such people lived around here. This is a rural area where the front page news are weekly tallies of flue fires (at least in the winter). Besides we have had a real winter every year for longer than these persons have been alive: i.e. they should know better. All youngsters I personally know wouldn’t dream of engaging in such activities.

Secondly, and more importantly, this is before SHTF so getting them home was no problem. But what does one do after SHTF? If you are looking for a how to now – I don’t have one yet. I am writing this mainly to raise awareness of the problem because I haven’t seen it mentioned much on SurvivalBlog or anywhere else for that matter. Nevertheless you may want to spend some time thinking about what you are going to do when faced with this situation. Are you going to ignore them, hoping they will run into a better Samaritan than you?

We have all heard about the golden hordes, gangs and other threats to our existence. These people, however, seem to be truly clueless and only alive because their bodies run on autopilot. Chances are that (at least initially) they will be roaming around rather aimlessly – perhaps just to get away from violence elsewhere. So what’s a person to do with them? I doubt they have any skills that you could put to good use. I also doubt that they are an imminent threat to you or your family unless forced to join existing gangs. They may not want to but most people can rationalize anything to stay alive.

In this particular situation about my only option (if I didn’t want to take the risk to bring them home) would have been to give them a place to sleep and a few good meals before pumping their tires and sending them on their way home the next day. Which raises the issue: where do I put them? On an air mattress in the living room? Is the living room filled with the latest gadgets? I am sure they will remember some of the things they saw. Do you have room in the basement? A bunk house? A barn? Do you sleep or keep vigil in front of the door?

I know it is hard to prep for the unexpected and you may or may never run into any of them. However there may very well be many more clueless people around than we care to find out. The product of being put into this world and left to fend for themselves by absent parents, a school system that’s focused on providing dumb financial slaves and cannon fodder, and having equally clueless peers as reference points. Would you or I do much better under the circumstances? I would like to think so but am thankful I don’t have to prove it.

I will leave you with a text that keeps going through my head as I think about the situation: Should I not have mercy on (…) persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand? (Jonah 4:11) – D.P.

Economics and Investing:

Icelanders Overthrow Government and Rewrite Constitution After Banking Fraud – No Word From US Media

Which Currency Is Up Over 9000% This Year and Sells for Almost as Much as an Ounce of Gold? JWR’s Comments: I’ve been recommending the use of Bitcoin since May of 2011. $100 put into Bitcoin at that time would now be worth thousands. Of course Bitcoin is virtual, so it should not be confused with genuine money (like gold or silver), which has inherent practical value. But at least there is a finite limit for the world supply of Bitcoin, which is more than can be said of all of the various fiat paper currencies. In the long term, all paper money eventually reaches its real value, which is its value in kindling fires. Not so for precious metals, which hold essentially the same value today as when they were first mined and refined, even if that was thousands of years ago.

Only 16 cents on the dollar??? Detroit Eligible To File Chapter 9; Pension Haircuts Allowed Bankruptcy Judge Rule.

Looking inward: Indonesia Rejects Extension of Chevron Oilfield Contract

Items from The Economatrix:

Are Another 1.3 Million Americans About To Drop Out Of Labor Force (And Send Unemployment Plunging)?

Inflation Watch 2013; Price Of Christmas Surges 7.7%

Why It’s Going To Be A Whole Lot Worse Than In The 1930s

Odds ‘n Sods:

Don’t try this at home: How to jumpstart a car’s battery with AK47s. (Thanks to Mike Williamson for the link.)

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Reader S.O.L. spotted this warning of a potential power grid collapse in The Los Angeles Times: Power struggle: Green energy versus a grid that’s not ready

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Gwok’s Gulch? Mysterious China-themed ‘city’ proposed in New York’s Catskills. (Thanks to Pierre for the link.)

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The Tehama County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to place the Declaration and Petition to withdraw from the State of California on the June ballot. 

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Kevin A. liked this one: Beyond “Sissy” Resilience: On Becoming Antifragile

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"An Avidity to punish is always dangerous to liberty. It leads men to stretch, to misinterpret, and to misapply even the best of laws. He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he a establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." – Thomas Paine (1795)

A Conversation with a TEOTWAWKI Survivor, by Rachel M.

It’s not every day I get the chance to visit with a TEOTWAWKI survivor – but when I do, I listen up. That opportunity presented itself yesterday, when I was privileged to interview Paul.
An individual of small frame yet sizeable strength of mind and determination, Paul experienced the end of the world he knew and lived to help create a new one. Not only did he survive the collapse, but he proved to be a key leader and connector in his community as it struggled through the extended period of political upheaval, economic failure, widespread violence, and nefarious pillaging. Paul also dealt with treachery from friends and neighbors, epidemic disease, death threats, cessation of trade, prolonged lack of necessary supplies, and international contempt – as well as the death of two children.

Fortunately for me, he was not shy about sharing his story.

Exceptional leadership grabs my interest, and I had many questions for this extraordinary gentleman. Right away, I wanted to know: to what do you credit your survival? What were the most important things you did to ensure that you, your family, and your community would make it through the collapse? What lessons can you teach us?
His answer was most unexpected.

Preparing for Liberty

When I think of how I’d survive a collapse, my mind jumps to things like stockpiling supplies, starting a garden, learning to shoot, being able to live off-grid, or having a strategic bug-out location. All of those did indeed come into play, and were critical components of survival for Paul and his community. However, I soon realized he had a completely different perspective than most preppers with whom I’ve spoken.

As I heard Paul’s story, it became obvious to me that while we often have a laser focus on preparing to survive the impending collapse, his community had gone farther and made preparations for survival after the collapse. In other words: yes, he had to have practical necessities and skills to make it through whatever came his way – but what then? After the world as he knew it ended, was his community prepared to help create a new one?

As it turns out, they were indeed as well prepared as they could be, for they had men among them who knew very well what they were about. They wasn’t preparing merely for survival; they were preparing for liberty.

I wish you could all sit down in a room with Paul and listen to him relate his own story and the lessons learned from it. Unfortunately, that will not be possible. Paul died in 1818, 43 years after his famous midnight ride warning the colonists that the British Regulars were out to seize their gunpowder. However, we can still hold conversations with him, and the others in his community who survived the end of the world as they knew it, if we become students of history.

Liberty: Dead or Alive?
The spirit of liberty was alive and well in the hearts and minds of Paul Revere and his fellow American colonists in the 1770s as they endured the horrors of war and worked hopefully, against great odds, toward a new future, seeking to preserve freedom and secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity.
What about now, and what about us? As you look around in your family, your neighborhood, your city, your state, and your country, do you see the spirit of liberty alive and well? Quite frankly, I don’t.
This begs the question: how do we plant and nurture the seed of liberty in the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans?

Allow me to present to you the LibertySeed, a branch of Project Appleseed of the Revolutionary War Veterans Association.

From Appleseeds to LibertySeeds – A New Option
Project Appleseed, a national organization and activity of the 501(c)(3) Revolutionary War Veterans Association (RWVA), is gaining recognition for its rifle marksmanship clinics held all over the country. In addition to learning the best fundamentals of traditional marksmanship, participants at an Appleseed shoot are treated to a re-telling of the events of April 19, 1775 – the day the American Revolutionary War began, and the day our heritage was born. 

Until recently, those interested in hearing the history presented at an Appleseed event had to attend the two-day clinic at the range. Now, you have a 90-minute alternative option: the LibertySeed.
A LibertySeed is an indoor event consisting of the history portion of an Appleseed shoot. An RWVA instructor will come, free of charge, to your location and present the events of April 19, 1775 in a manner suitable for your group. You can request a presentation at a church retreat, a Boy Scout troop meeting, a gun club luncheon, a grassroots political meeting, a homeschool book fair or conference, or even a group of your family and friends gathered in your home.

Think of a LibertySeed presentation as a conversation with a TEOTWAWKI survivor: you get to hear vivid accounts of the preparations made, the networking put into place, the brilliant minds who sparked fires of liberty, and the faithful men who carried on and endured more pain than we can imagine. As you hear this fascinating history – your story – you will begin to understand why our nation’s government was set up the way it is. You will regain motivation to make the best possible use of the freedoms you have been given. You will come to understand that our forefathers used the bullet box to set up a system of government which we can influence in much easier forms: through the ballot box and the soapbox .
All this you get at a LibertySeed, as you hear of men who “knew very well what they are about.”

Men Who Know Very Well What They Are About
Before April 19, 1775, Lord Hugh Percy of the British forces held the colonials in disdain, considering them inept, uncouth backwoodsmen. However, after observing their skill and resolution that day, he wrote home with a completely different opinion: “Whoever looks upon them as an irregular mob, will find himself very much mistaken. They have men amongst them who know very well what they are about.”
He was talking about men like John Parker, captain of the Lexington Training Band – a man dying of tuberculosis who chose to spend his last days burning resolute determination into the souls of his men as they faced off against far superior forces, instead of considering himself exempt from serving…

Men like Isaac Davis, captain of the Acton Minutemen, who raised his sword at the North Bridge when a charge was deemed necessary and declared, “I have not a man who is afraid to go!” – and women like his wife, 29-year-old Hannah, who let him walk out the door that morning leaving her with four deathly ill children and a sickening premonition that was realized a few hours later when his corpse was carried into her parlor, a musket ball having pierced his chest and taken his life…

Men like 80-year-old Deacon Josiah Haynes, who turned out with the militia and set a rapid pace on the road, leaving the young minutemen panting behind him, until he was killed during the Regulars’ nightmarish retreat from Concord – killed while leading his townsmen from the front…

And men like Paul Revere, who became famous for words he never spoke (instead of, “The British are coming!” he actually called out, “The Regulars are out!” since everyone at that time was British), while key facts about his midnight ride– such as his capture by a British patrol before he reached Concord—remain unknown to most Americans…

As a LibertySeed presentation offers the gripping stories of these and many other men and women, it helps you to educate your children and your community on their nation’s heritage. You can play an important role in the survival of the spirit of liberty in our country simply by scheduling a LibertySeed presentation.

How To Schedule a LibertySeed
To schedule a LibertySeed presentation, simply contact the RWVA through the site LibertySeed.org. A volunteer instructor in your area will work with you to organize the details of the presentation, creating an event tailored to your needs.

A typical LibertySeed presentation is often 90 minutes long and includes all Three Strikes of the Match – the three encounters between the colonial militia and the British Regulars on April 19, 1775 that culminated in the beginning of the Revolutionary War. However, the timeframe and contents can be adjusted.

For example, the RWVA has conducted LibertySeed presentations at elementary and junior high schools, political club meetings, church retreats, convention workshops, prepper expos, gun shows, backyard picnics, or even around a restaurant table after a ladies’ range day. You may request a luncheon speaker who will give a condensed history in 20-30 minutes, or a female volunteer who can address your women’s group, or a presenter who is experienced at working with children to tell the Three Strikes in an engaging and interactive format for a homeschool co-op. Your event can be private – only for you and your friends, or public – posted on LibertySeed.org for your community to attend.

There is no charge to you or your guests for a LibertySeed event. RWVA volunteers consider it a pleasure and an honor to reawaken their fellow Americans to our shared heritage of liberty, and they give their time generously in an effort to bail out the sinking ship that our nation has become.

How Are You Preparing for Liberty?
Perhaps it’s too late to save America. Perhaps the ship has already sunk too far and a complete national collapse is inevitable. Or perhaps not, if we are zealous to reawaken the spirit of liberty in ourselves and our countrymen.

As you’re preparing for the survival of TEOTWAWKI, consider a conversation with those who’ve been there already. Sure, learn survival skills and be wise about stocking up necessary supplies for whatever may come your way. But don’t forget about the real goal of prepping – not just getting through, but keeping the spirit of liberty alive and well. It may be that, among all the seeds you want to have for your survival, the LibertySeed is the most important. Be sure to get yourself one.

Two Letters Re: Storing Whiskey For Barter

Mr. Rawles,
The letter from Tom R. raised the question of stockpiling alcohol for trade.  While I have no moral opposition to alcohol consumption, and even keep a stock of wine and spirits for my own use, there are some practical drawbacks to stocking alcohol for barter.  

First, unless a person has unlimited funds and storage space, it seems foolhardy to stock quantities of items which will not be used or consumed (precious metals excepted) in the normal course of daily post-SHTF activities.   A more rational course of action would be to stock quantities that would be used within the household, with additional quantities that might be used for barter if the opportunity arises. 

Second, alcohol is very easy to make.   Fruit wines, cider, and beer are all created with simple ingredients and can be made with equipment found in most homes.  Distilled spirits require slightly more equipment, but not anything that is extraordinarily expensive or complex.   Any person who is adequately stocked with food or has a moderately sized garden would be able to produce consumable alcohol on their own.  If individuals can produce a product on their own, the trade value of a product is limited.

Which brings me to the third issue: who to trade with?  In an extended grid down or SHTF scenario, most prepared people will want to keep their wits about them and not be interested in trading goods for alcoholic beverages.  Those less prepared will be trading what tangible goods they have for basic consumable necessities such as food and fuel.  This leaves only those with severely poor judgment and/or alcoholism seeking to trade for alcohol. 

Each trade of alcohol would require interactions with people who, at best, are having difficulty coping, and at worse, suffer from chronic alcoholism.  My own survival plan does not include actively seeking out contact with those types of individuals.   Nor do I expect that I would be comfortable knowing where or how they obtained their barter items.   Being known as ‘the guy with the booze’ would make a person a very inviting target as customers run out of things to barter.

As for me, I’m fine being the guy who has some wool socks and 10W30 motor oil to trade.  – R.L.W.

Dear JWR,
I prefer to store vodka versus whiskey. There are many reasons why. An article over at Life Hacker describes the versatility of vodka. Respectfully,- Don H.

Economics and Investing:

The Twenty First Century Abolitionist Project: Slavery and Taxation by Bill Buppert

John Mauldin: The Same People Who Brought Us The Great Financial Crisis Have Created A Dangerous New Paradigm: The Arsonists Are Running The Fire Brigade

Puerto Rico, with at least $70 billion in debt, confronts a rising economic misery

Items from The Economatrix:

Wow – The Holiday Shopping Season Is Off To A Horrible Start

The Average American Is Broke And Buying Things They Cannot Afford With Debt Again. Debt Based Consumer Financing Again Filling The Gap Of A Shrinking Middle Class.

15 Signs That We Are Near The Peak Of An Absolutely Massive Stock Market Bubble