Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader H.L. mentioned some great video instruction for newbies from Dave Canterbury: Shelter Basic Tarp Setups and an E Fire 2

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Google’s Secret Revealed: Barge To Offer High-End Showrooms, Party Deck. Note that with CONEX construction, it is feasible to make the enclosed portions of these structures EMP-proof.

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Abundance from a prepper’s garden: Green eggs & Ham sandwich – eat more sweet potato and malabar leaves

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Hiker stranded in Canadian wilderness reportedly ate dog to survive.

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I had received several enquiries from readers about the health and well-being of Ol’ Remus, the editor of The Woodpile Report. He hadn’t posted anything in a month, which was most unusual. I’m glad to see that he’s back at it.

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Reader R.L.H. liked this bit of low tech: Build Your Own Bicycle-Powered Battery for Emergency Power

Notes from JWR:

Today is the anniversary of the death of actor Steve McQueen. (Born March 24, 1930, died November 7, 1980.) His many well-publicized exploits in his tempestuous life as an actor and his enduring super “cool” persona are well known. But the end of his life was actually the most noteworthy part, even though this seldom gets much publicity outside of Christian circles: He came to Christ just weeks before he died, after he had been diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma. He died with his forefinger pointing to his key verse in his Bible: Titus 1:2.

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Safecastle has launched their last Mountain House cans sale of the year, with maximum allowable discounts, free shipping, and some special loyalty reward bonuses for buyers club members. The sale ends on November 20, 2013.

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Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $8,500+ 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, and I.) VPN tunnel, DigitalSafe and private e-mail annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $265.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $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 23 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $210 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., F.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises , and G.) A Nesco / American Harvest Gardenmaster Dehydrator with an extra set of trays, and the book The Dehydrator Bible, from Mayflower Trading. (A $210 value.)

Round 49 ends on November 30th, 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.

Lessons Learned as a Military Civilian Contractor in Iraq, by Robert S.

I started my journey much to the dismay of my wife and family, in December, 2007. Not ever having been in the military or anything closely resembling it. Without having a clue of what I was doing I headed off to good ol Houston Texas where my journey began at an old shopping mall with portions of it still active selling goods. This was the “processing” phase of me getting ready to deploy as a US DOD contractor to the war effort in Iraq. My life was about to take a very drastic turn and I jumped head long into it oblivious to the aftermath of things like PTSD and getting typhoid fever all of which I am sure I wasn’t told about.

The whole premise of taking this processing, if I had to guess was it being similar to the army where you get ready to deploy to a foreign land to defend freedom. Except for the boot camp and workouts and discipline which to me is the most important part. Basically the processing consists of two weeks of checking in eating meals breakfast lunch dinner which is very much like a large buffet and preplanned meetings and or classes all to prepare one for upcoming deployment to a foreign land and in my case a war zone!

One of my more prevalent memories of this processing step was the medical clearing portion, a bunch of medical tests done to determine my overall health and suitability to become a contractor. One who works in an austere environment in Iraq. This also brings us to the first topic of my post which is more along the lines of EDC and preparedness. Basically this 1 day of hell for me sums up the whole mantra of prepping survival and the reason that I sort of woke up one day and decided that I wasn’t going to be that guy the guy that is caught out in the rain the guy that is asking for assistance with a flat tire the guy the Joe who is always asking to dull my favorite pocket knife for lack of owning or carrying his own. (Usually it is sitting on his dresser all nice and shiny new where it most definitely shouldn’t be when he needs it.) This was also when I started looking at my world for what it really was and seeing things that TPTB are doing and sitting up and taking notice.

After doing a few days of classes and meetings I carry on through the first week of my DOD Contractor preparations and the beginning of medical screening. At the end of the second to third day we are told that we are not to eat anything past midnight and not drink any water the day of the medical screening due to needing to take our blood sugar on an empty stomach. Our day which starts at around 04:00 hours we are picked up by a bus and transported to what looks like an abandoned warehouse with a whole bunch of single wide trailers as offices clinics inside.  All and all it doesn’t seem bad I pass my physicals breath strength, hearing BMI most of which are very simple but as the day progresses I start to get hungry and wondering when I could eat. I asked the nurse who gave me my hernia test. The woman looked like a large-handed man. At any rate she told me I had to wait until I got my blood sugar drawn and that I would receive a sack lunch. Not knowing that I could skip around the list as I may I continued to go down my check off sheet one by one noticing that the  blood sugar was close to last. Well around 19:00 hours I completed my blood sugar test and got my sack lunch and headed to my last and final test which was blood pressure. Which by this time I was still hungry and it was getting late and cold so I failed my BP test miserably. No worries I can try again back at the mall and should be fine.

Not sure who came up with the list or the rhyme or reason behind the order the items were in but with all of the confusion it wouldn’t have mattered I could have hit that section and got to lunch no problem.

Few things wrong there to say the least. We ended up waiting around the warehouse until 22:00 and I ended up being huddled with a group of Kenyans who also hate the cold next to a space heater that didn’t put out much heat. In retrospect I would have packed a jacket even a light wind breaker to keep the chill off. Maybe some snacks even though I was told not to eat. And sought out someone in charge and communicated with them about expectations order of business and what not to get a feel for what was going on and how I was expected to complete the screening not having anything to eat nor drink any water…

Keep in mind this was to be the start of a six year journey that would be chock full of hills and valleys to traverse, especially not ever having experienced anything like this before in my life.
After 2 weeks I made it through the orientation/processing classes and meetings. I learned a lot about my own patience and the ugly side of the human person when you stick them in to a group of 800. Funny how men and women act when their wives and husbands are not around to see or find out about what they do. It is time to deploy to the foreign land and off to the war!
 My very first day in-theatre I get to my bunk where jet lag is fully taken hold and I am fast asleep when all of a sudden I hear a very large explosion and gravel and shrapnel are being flung against my containerized housing unit (CHU.) (That is a a really cool acronym for a cruddy trailer on blocks. The CHU rocked back and forth violently. At that moment I seriously questioned how bad do I need this job and am I going to die in this foreign land never seeing my loved ones again.  Forget that! What can I do after I hit the deck and wait for a few seconds? Well nobody happened to tell the new guy where the bunkers are in the maze of T-walls and CHUs.

Second lesson: Ask questions, base decisions on questions and Intel and communication with others that have knowledge of the situation or the task at hand. I can honestly say you can be as prepared as anyone can be but you can’t do much with it if you don’t have any Intel to go by or any viable way of making an informed decision. The contractor company that I worked for is loosely organized like the army in the regard that there are different sectors all with different skill sets relying on the other to complete tasks. If one doesn’t network with the other sectors then he will have a hard time completing the task at hand. This works out especially well for bartering I once bartered an AK-47 bayonet for a battery powered saw.

Carrying on through the six years of my deployment in the stink hole they call Iraq, I developed a sort of disdain for the inept and much disorganized procurement system due to the fact that it is extremely slow and for not wanting to use a whole myriad of colorful words “lame.”

Thus it brings me to the Third lesson: Think outside of the box I couldn’t rely on the procurement process to get what I needed if I tried to get what I needed usually it was wrong. If I had a nail I was missing a hammer. Had a socket no ratchet. Silicone gun no silicone so on and so forth. All told hustling with the locals and helping their economy is very effective and a socket works pretty will with a pair of vice grips if you don’t mind what it looks like when you are done. The socket tends to get a bit chewed up… Too many times I needed to create things fix things and didn’t have all that I needed to do so. Hence would be the conditions in TEOTWAWKI.  This has become and is the “ARMY” ways they have taken “adapt and overcome” to a whole new level its called half ass! At any rate, you are not going to be able to run down to that blue or orange home service store and grab what you need to finish a project. Parachute cord (aka 550 cord) works wonders sometimes when you need to replace a shoe lace and don’t have one, drying clothes outside guy wire for an antenna or rope for a US flag on a pole. I have seen it used by adding a bit of weight and making a jump rope for calisthenics.  My personal favorite is the boot laces as that is what is holding my boots on as we speak.

One or two 1,000-foot rolls of paracord in your cache box what’s a cache box, you say? Check out Yeager on YouTube and see his take on it, very informative.
I once saw a guy make an alcohol stove with a soda or beer can and some steel wool. Very cool idea if you don’t have a stove. When TEOTWAWKI comes, these types of things will be common place if not they should be.

Thinking outside of the status quo is essential for life and especially during a tactical or trying situation and to overcome an imminent threat. If one wakes up can see things in a clear light and think things through without bias anger or spite one can see the true reality of the situation and make an unbiased and educated decision on how to act.
In summary from my six years as a contractor I would say the three essentials tools are EDC look at it, organize it, practice it,  plan it, look at your today, your tomorrow your week your month, use it Remember always have a plan “B”.
 
You cannot use what you do not have. You cannot use it if its broken because it’s the first time you took it out deployed it and it failed when you did now you’re stuck.
Communication is key. Effective communication with your team good comms are essential. Don’t forget operational security (OPSEC.) Communication with your family your community, your peers and coworkers. Base your decisions in an educated fashion; If to bug out, how to bug out, when to bug out, where to bug out to, bug in? Have a plan and run it through all the while be fluid and flexible. Again Remember always have an escape plan…
 
As it was told to me in Iraq, it is an ever evolving ever fluid mission and one has to be flexible to accommodate the needs of the mission to take care of the needs of the team. Whatever your team consists of.

Break the paradigm! We live in what I like to call a throwaway world. With that being said how many things that we take for granted that would in a normal household be tossed out with the trash can be repurposed to something else useful? If you can find him look online for the guy that takes old firefighter turnout bunker gear and refashions it into pretty sweet gear in my opinion, duffle bags, purses and other pieces of kit.

How many people could actually say that they can grow a garden enough to sustain themselves with something to eat? I watched a guy who lives in a CHU (remember those?) in Iraq grow tomatoes squash and peas in the window of that CHU using it like a greenhouse, cut milk jugs, dirt, some seeds, water and a little love. I cut him the stakes to help the plants stay up right out of old pallet lumber. Boy that was a pretty sweet tasting salad!

In summary, a few take a ways from being deployed in Iraq for six years (boy I never thought I would be there that long!) Every Day Carry (EDC.) Live it, breathe it, be it. Build a kit, use it, break it, and perfect it. It’s better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it.

Communication you can’t problem solve if you have no idea what the problem even is. Develop a plan with your family and friends. Who, What, When, Where, Why. Each person in an effective team knows what to do before they need to do it.
 
Be flexible, adapt and overcome and please please don’t do it the Army way and half ass it. Think outside the box don’t be trapped in it! If something breaks fix it and move on. Try and build it stronger than it was. When it comes to gear it’s amazing what you can repurpose to something you need. Duct tape! Need I say more?

Oh one last thing that should go without saying, always carry a knife, a good quality fixed or folder. My father is an Army veteran from the Vietnam War and he said “the only thing I need to survive is a good pair of boots and a Ka-Bar.”

I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard: “Do you have a knife?” Or, “Can I borrow your knife?” I’ve heard it all the way from the local national laborer to a Command Sergeant Major in the Army.

Genocide Ahead: A Special Note for South Africans

My prayer life in recent days has been dominated by South Africa. I have relatives in both Zimbabwe and South Africa, so I’ve kept a close eye on the situation there for many years. After reading the writings of Ilana Mercer, other South Africans (including Dr. Peter Hammond, Cathy Buckle, the anonymous posts at The Afrikaner Journal,) and the many voices from the African diaspora, I can see that there is indeed a genocide nearing in South Africa. Those who fled Zimbabwe (the former Rhodesia) to South Africa gained only a temporary reprieve. I encourage all freedom-loving Christian and Jewish South Africans (and I do mean all of them: white, black, asian, and coloured) to emigrate and settle in the American Redoubt. If you are going to flee to America seeking freedom, then you might as well settle in the Redoubt–America’s bastion of freedom, where the bedrock culture still predominates.

South Africa’s Afrikaner culture is quite traditional and has deep roots. (Americans need to understand that Afrikaner culture is largely church-going, quiet, and conservative. It is much more about ballroom dancing than it is rock-n-roll.) I recognize that it is hard to leave your relatives, your friends and that red dirt. But there comes a day when you must either leave or perish. That day has come.

My messages:

1.) To the Christians and Jews of South Africa: Recognize the true peril that you face, and emigrate if you feel convicted to do so. God will providentially protect his Elect, but they must heed the warnings that they hear.

2.) To the folks already living in the American Redoubt: Please do your best to encourage and support emigration from South Africa. They need more than just our prayers. Please help these refugees find jobs, land, and church homes in the Redoubt. If you have God-fearing friends or relatives in Africa then encourage them to emigrate as soon as possible.

3.) To those with any influence in our government: Please do your best to have immigration quotas raised, to welcome newcomers from South Africa.

4.) My prayer for both the people of South Africa and to those who will welcome them here in America is simple and forthright: Matthew 25:34-46. Please meditate on these verses and pray that doors will be opened.

Letter Re: Hand Wood Splitting Tools

Jim,
To clarify: Snow & Nealley in Maine was formerly a complete wood cutting tool manufacturer but now is only an assembler of metal heads from China and handles from Canada.
A true US made wood cutting tool manufacturing company that uses US made steel and Grade A American hickory is Council Tool of North Carolina. Regards, – Tim in Connecticut

Economics and Investing:

Michael Lombardi: National Debt to Double from $17 trillion to $34 Trillion?

Mark J. sent this: Picture of the Day: Bitcoin Reaches Record Market Capitalization of $2.64 Billion. Mark added this caveat: “Remember the difference between currency and money.” (Real money is tangible and inherently has value.)

Burke C. suggested a great piece featured at Zero Hedge: Mike Maloney’s Top 10 Reasons to Buy Gold and Silver

Items from The Economatrix:

Fed to Test Banks for Interest Rate Rise, Housing Collapse

Paul Craig Roberts:  Fed Trapped By Money Printing

Tide Thefts, Cargo Hijacking And Cattle Rustling: Why Is An Epidemic Of Thievery Sweeping America?

Odds ‘n Sods:

Bill in Colorado sent this: 51st State Question Answered “Yes” in 6 of 11 Counties Contemplating Secession

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Pat S. suggested a useful primer: How to Save Seeds

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L.D. mentioned a great article at Reason.com about the Free State Project: The Free State Project Grows Up: Libertarians are changing the face of New Hampshire. L.D.’s comments: “[This project] seems to be gaining traction. It’s actually yielding results when you start small and build within the framework we have in place right now. It is possible to bring about positive change. I also believe this is possible in not only small states like New Hampshire, but large states like Texas. If people were to organize on a smaller community based level, it can grow and become a widespread movement. People need to believe they can achieve this and have the willpower to follow through.” JWR Adds: I have similarly high hopes for The American Redoubt strategic transmigration movement. If enough of us vote with our feet, then we can make a difference! See: Albert O. Hirschman’s book Exit, Voice, and Loyalty, circa 1970. Human nature hasn’t changed since then, nor has the interplay of politics, economics, and social dynamics.

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Autrey’s Armory has announced an over-stock sale for SurvivalBlog readers only: You can buy a new Rock River Arms stripped AR-15 lower receiver for $125, shipping paid anywhere in CONUS. (These normally retail for $140 plus shipping. And it is noteworthy that Rock River lowers were selling for as much as $400 each, just a few months ago at most gun stores.) Note that these serialized lowers must be shipped to your local FFL. (In most jurisdictions, all of the rest of the parts for your AR build can be bought without any FFL paperwork.) Use coupon code “survivalblog“. The limit is one lower per customer. They only have 50 lower receivers available, so order soon.

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The doomsday vault that keeps seeds for every type of agriculture mankind relies upon should a disaster ever wipe them out.

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Bears destroy car, apparently looking for a breath mint. (Thanks to George S. for the link.)

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Traffic Stop Nightmare in New Mexico [JWR Adds: This is one of the most horrendous police abuses imaginable. Thankfully, this behavior is far from the norm. In fact is so out of line that I can foresee a successful multi-million dollar lawsuit with a preemptive 7-figure out-of-court settlement. Oh, and by the way, don’t ever invite those cops to a military parade, or they’d surely tackle the Adjutant and drag him to the hospital for a thorough series of exams.]

Notes from JWR:

November 6th is the 69th anniversary of the day that Al Millspaugh’s B-24 Liberator bomber was shot down over over Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, in 1944. I got to know Al at some John Birch Society chapter meetings back in the late 1970s. Hearing his stories was fascinating. He told me that during one part of the war his squadron flew black-painted B-24s that were used to parachute-drop weapons and Jedburgh-type OSS teams behind enemy lines to organize resistance. I also recall that he mentioned that one of his fellow internees at Stalag Luft I was a USAAF radio operator who soon after arriving at the camp admitted that he had lied about his age to enlist and that he was still just 15 years old. Learning of this, the Germans repatriated him through the International Red Cross.

My upcoming novel Liberators (which I’m now writing) is in part dedicated to Al Millspaugh. He is still alive and kicking, and quite a guy.

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Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $8,500+ 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, and I.) VPN tunnel, DigitalSafe and private e-mail annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $265.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $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 23 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $210 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., F.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises , and G.) A Nesco / American Harvest Gardenmaster Dehydrator with an extra set of trays, and the book The Dehydrator Bible, from Mayflower Trading. (A $210 value.)

Round 49 ends on November 30th, 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.

The Cycle of Prepping: One Man’s Approach, by Steve in Wisconsin

Although I’m sure far wiser people than I have said it before, I certainly subscribe to the notion that prepping is a road, not a destination.  In other words, although the pace may vary, I’m continually prepping and always will be.  Possible exceptions to this rule, to one degree or another, are the folks who have the means to simply take one of the “list of lists” available and write a big check to cover virtually all of their needs, but even that will require some ongoing maintenance.  I am certainly not in that camp and I think it’s clear that most other people are also not in that camp.  So for those of us who have to move in a more incremental fashion, I submit what I call the cycle of prepping.  For people who are just starting their prepping journey, getting started can be a daunting task and I believe this approach helps to chip away at the mountain that prepping is.  I’d imagine others have come up with similar philosophies, I certainly don’t claim to be the first, but this is my take and my approach.

My “road” of prepping is not a straight road where each priority is taken care of completely before moving down the road to the next.  My road is a loop that I go around and around, addressing each of my priorities bit by bit.  I take this approach because I want to have some of everything rather than all of only some things.  In other words, I don’t want to get totally squared away on one priority before even addressing other priorities at all.  This may not be that important if I knew how much time I had before I’ll need my preps, but I have yet to find a reliable crystal ball, so just in case I need my preps tomorrow, I want to make sure I have, at least, the basics of each of my priorities.

I’m using the rather general term “priority” to describe the various types of preps, and although I will use more specific examples of priorities below, your priorities may, and likely will, be different.  It is not the point of this essay to espouse the relative importance of any priority, general or specific, each of us must decide that for ourselves, it is simply a framework for addressing your priorities, whatever they may be.

For this example I will use three tiers of priorities, the first very general, the second more specific and so on.  You can add additional tiers or rearrange these as you like, remember, this is only a framework, use it with your specific situation in mind to come up with the final result.  For this example, tier one priorities are:

  • Shelter
  • Sustenance
  • Security
  • Other

If we apply the cycle paradigm to this list, we would procure some of our Sustenance priorities, then when able, acquire or enhance some of our Shelter-related priorities, then address some of our security priorities and finally some other priorities which will bring us back to Sustenance.

Adding in the second and third tiers of priorities might look something like this:

  • Shelter
    • Primary House
      • Heat/Fire
      • Waste Management
    • Retreat
  • Sustenance
    • Water
      • Backup Well Pump
      • Rain Water Collection
    • Food
      • MREs
      • Freeze-dried Food
      • Bulk Staples (rice, wheat, etc.)
  • Security
    • Firearms
      • Battle Rifle
      • Shotgun
      • Handgun
    • Ammunition
      • Caliber 1 (depending on weapons choices above)
      • Etc.
    • Edged Weapons
      • Combat Knife
      • Utility Knife
  • Other
    • Medical
      • First Aid Kit
      • Reference Books
    • G.O.O.D. Bag
    • Communications
    • Books

It is important to note that your specific version of this list will grow as you iterate through it.  Do not try to make the perfect list before taking action.  You risk paralysis by analysis and other potentially disastrous delays.  Get your top 2-3 tiers roughed out and get moving.  As time goes by, the list will flesh itself out.  Be flexible!  Don’t be afraid to add items to tier levels, for example, you may want your G.O.O.D. Bag(s) to be a tier one priority.  Everyone is different based on many factors such as where you live, how many (if any) dependants you have and what you believe to be the major threats or causes of a collapse.  Some priorities may be hit multiple times such as ammunition.  You may purchase some of the same type for multiple cycles, which is fine, or you may skip something in a cycle which is also fine.  In each cycle, when you arrive at a given priority, you simply have to decide what is most important at that time.

The important thing to remember about this approach is the cycle.  Marshal your resources and keep your iterations tight.  You will see progress and that can be very motivational, keeping you going for more cycles to come.

The information above covers the theory, now I will run through several iterations that are loosely based on my situation.  I’ll stress once again that your situation and priorities will be different, this is done to illustrate how to take the framework and overlay one possible set of specifics on top of it to achieve a result.

I am a mid-40’s single parent of a pre-teen son.  Although, as you will see, I have several other possible dependents, my son and I are absolute so my preps focus one the two of us.

Iteration #1:

  • Shelter – I’ve owned my own home in a rural/suburban area for many years.  It is not the ideal house/location, but I’ve deemed it serviceable (at least with a few upgrades) so that is where my Shelter priorities started.  One of the hard limits I had for my home with regard to it’s post-collapse viability is having it’s own well and septic system and my first priority was making sure I could use both regardless of the situation.  To this end I purchased a hand pump for the well and had it plumbed right into the system allowing my to pressurize my system by hand.  This went a long way to addressing both my water and waste removal priorities.
  • Sustenance – Luckily for me, the well modifications above also helped address my needs for water as it relates to sustenance (drinking and cooking) so for this iteration I usually make a trip to a big box for food or if I have the money, order some freeze-dried storage food.
  • Security – Firearms and ammunition for my son and I are the top priorities for each of these iterations.  For the first iteration, the purchase of one of my chosen battle rifles (with several, but not enough, magazines) was made.
  • Other – Although bugging out is something I hope to never have to do and won’t do unless absolutely every other option has been exhausted, I certainly didn’t want to be unprepared for that possibility so getting our G.O.O.D. bags squared away was at the top of the list.  For my first iteration, I bought ALICE packs for both of us.

It is worth emphasizing again that you can and should be flexible with this framework.  For example, when I bought our packs, I also bought a bunch of first aid-type supplies.  If you’re in a given priority and are not ready to move to the next, don’t.  Get that priority to a point you’re happy with and then move on.  This is especially applicable in early iterations when you need many things.  Later in the process, more and more basic needs will be fulfilled and you will be able to do fine tuning.

Iteration #2:

  • Shelter – I have shelter, the means to relieve myself and water for cooking, drinking and bathing.  Granted, bathing with cold water would suck, but if it came to that, I doubt there would be many complaints.  So now if came to heat.  For this I bought a wood-burning stove with both a cook-top and small oven.  I would’ve settled for just the wood-burner for heat, but was fortunate to be in a position (after selling some collectible I had) to spend the extra money for a stove that provided the extra bonus of being able to contribute to food preparation.  It is worth noting at this point that you can do some things in parallel.  For example, during this time, some friends and I were acquiring firewood (traded for the labor of felling and cutting up the trees in question).
  • Sustenance – Again here I looked at my current stock and compared it to my “sub” priorities under Sustenance and simply acquired this next items on my list.
  • Security – Again I just looked at what I had, what I needed and decided what I thought was the next most important need.  Perhaps the shotgun or the sidearm.  For some it may be additional ammunition or magazines.
  • Other – Early iterations of this priority were focused on our packs and other medical/first aid supplies.

By now you should have the idea as well as an estimation of whether or not this approach will work for you.  Finally, just a word on later iterations; even though I feel I have many basic needs addressed, I have never even come close to feeling done or “ready”.  My current iterations consist of adding to my consumables (food, ammunition, etc.) along with starting to prepare for some of my potential dependents.  My parents are in their 70s and although they are very good at keeping some extra food around, they do not have the means to do what I’d consider serious prepping.  I take this possibility seriously and my current iterations reflect the eventuality of having to care for them post-collapse.

My final point will be to, once again, stress the nature of this approach as a framework.  Apply your specifics to it in order to obtain the desired result.

Three Letters Re: Hand Wood Splitting Tools

James,
Here’s a wood splitter that I’ve been using for years.  The Woodwiz Splitter is easy to using and safe way of splitting wood and it’s made in the United States.
Respectfully, – Tim McC.

 

Jim
In my experience, over several decades of processing hardwoods for fuel in the lake country of mid-Ontario Canada, I found no maul which can out split the venerable “chopper 1”.   With or without operational springs on the wedge face, these axes, usually marketed with a tough composite handle in Canada would be my candidate to recommend as the “American made splitting tool of choice”!  I notice on eBay there are several listings.

Another thought regarding a company whose products I use and respect is Norwood sawmills. (“Quality-built in the USA and Canada”). I own and use their steel handled cant hook, their ATV log skidding arch and their tree-felling jack. I work my own wood bush on my own.  The items I mention are intended to be appropriate to your readership, meet your criterion and provide value of service.

Additionally, I would be remiss not to mention the Crosscut Saw Company.  This is for the chainsaw adverse,  the purist, the “quiet minded”, or the fuel deprived. They are located in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
Regards, – Lee of the North

James,
Another great source for American made wood cutting tools is Snow & Nealley Company in Bangor, Maine. I’ve used one of their splitting mauls for many years. The quality is unparalleled. They know a few things about logging tools in Maine. Regards, – Granite Guy from Vermont

Economics and Investing:

Alt-Market reports: International Monetary Fund Recommends Stealing Americans’ Wealth Now!

3D Printed Gun Inventor Embarks on New Project: Dark Wallet

Today, America’s Foodstamps Program Gets A 6% Haircut: What Happens Next? (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Medicare docs face 24% pay cut … again

Manufacturers Shake Off Effect of Budget Impasse

Manufacturing in U.S. Expands at Faster Pace Than Forecast

Odds ‘n Sods:

Next on my reading pile is Richard J. Johnson’s book Redoubts: Paleopopulism at Twilight. Though ranty in spots, this looks like a cogent collection of essays.

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Several readers mentioned a propaganda piece in the Washington Times that quotes Chinese military planners boasting about their nuclear strike capability on the United States. In my estimation this blustering is more about China’s economic goals than it is about actual military plans. China aims to crush the United States economically in the long term, but in the near term they need the American consumer market, to keep their many factories busy. Their immediate goal appears to be undermining the reserve currency status of the US. Dollar. (And as long as the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve are using Ma and Pa Kettle math through Quantitative Easing, they are contributing to the demise of the Dollar.) The latest nuclear braggadocio of the Chinese plays into this, subtly boosting the gravitas of their Yuan/Remnibi. A recent $57 Billion Chinese currency swap agreement with the ECB is further evidence of a coming sea change, as is China’s very aggressive buying of gold.

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I heard about a company called Hidden Hybrid Holsters. By neatly blending Kydex with a comfortable leather backing, their concealment holsters are some of the best on the market. My query to the company confirmed that their holsters are made in Ohio, with local materials and craftsmanship: Their leather pieces are made in Ohio by the Amish, and they make their own Kydex shells and assemble everything in house, in Ohio.

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The Second Amendment Trumps (at least in Florida): Sheriff Reinstated After Jury Acquits. (This appears to be a good example of Jury Nullification.)

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Study: Bat-to-Human Leap Likely for SARS-Like Virus

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File Under: Ironic Surnames: Woman on Phone Drives Jeep into Herd of Cows