Letter Re: Situational Awareness, Complacency, and Common Sense

Dear Survival Blog,
As a journalist, I’m constantly intrigued by the dissemination of information in our world. Obviously, with the advent of social media, people have become exceptionally lazy about seeking out information. There are very few circumstances in our modern society where your technology can’t help you find out what’s going on within seconds. However, every now and then, we encounter a situation where your technology can’t help you – unless you’re prepared. 

Earlier this week, I was in just such a situation. I was near the front of a interstate closure caused by a burning catering truck. Because I was in such close proximity (about a mile) from the closure, no one around me knew why we were stuck. The burning trailer was around a bend, hidden from view by trees. 

First some background: Years ago, my life was saved by a second-hand CB radio that I carried in my truck. I got caught in a violent, blinding snow storm in Colorado and – using the CB – I was able to estimate position based on the feedback from truckers also caught in the storm. Since that night, I have always carried a CB in my car and later I added a police scanner. I learned that night that yes, information can save your life. 

Fast forward back to my traffic jam. I realized that the closure had just happened and so the local media was not aware of it. Within the first two minutes of being stopped, I turned on my CB and police scanner and I knew all the information I needed: I knew who, what, when, and where. (The only thing I didn’t know was what caused the fire – which really didn’t matter) Satisfied with my knowledge, and knowing we would be there a while, I pulled my car off to the shoulder and hiked toward the fire so I could get some first-hand knowledge of what was going on. It was actually quite uneventful. The firefighters were waiting on the fire to die down a little because there were two propane cylinders on the trailer. 

The most interesting part of the whole experience was on the way back to my car. Probably less than 250 yards from the burning trailer I was stopped by a car full of women whose first question was “what’s going on?” They were stuck behind two eighteen-wheelers and 45 minutes or more into this experience they still had absolutely no idea why they were even stopped. They hadn’t bothered to get out and look with their own eyeballs. They couldn’t call anyone who would know, and unless one of their Facebook friends happened to be stuck in the same traffic jam, social media wouldn’t help them either.

After I explained to them in great detail what was happening, I said goodbye and began walking when I was stopped by the driver of the very next car. They saw me chatting with the women ahead of them and immediately sensed that I knew what was happening. After all, I had come from the direction of the closure and looked like a guy who knew something. 

All told, I repeated the same story five times in the walk back to my car to people that were either too lazy to find out on their own and simply had a passing interest in this event that was directly affecting their lives. I examined each of these people as I spoke to them and one word kept coming up in my head over and over again: unprepared. What if this had been an EMP attack? How long would these people sit there waiting for someone to tell them what had happened? It was chilling to think about. That day I realized that even if every car on the Interstate was dead in the water because of an electromagnetic pulse attack, most people would have no idea what had happened and would simply sit there and wait for information or help. 

After an hour and a half, the authorities re-opened the Interstate and suddenly everything was “normal” again and people got on with their lives. 

Continuing on, I pondered how disinterested some people were in finding out information. They relied on someone else to get it for them. I realize that in the case of an EMP attack, I would not have had my CB or scanner, but I did have my curiosity and a determination to find out information. In a grid down scenario I realized that much of the battle would be seeking information and determining what was true and what wasn’t. And even more importantly, I realized that having the knowledge in your head beforehand about what could or is happening is as equally important.  I would know within two seconds that if every car on the Interstate inexplicably rolled to a stop, that we had been attacked by an EMP. (And beyond that, my car is a rolling bug out bag.) But the vast majority of people simply would not know what was going on.  

Information can save your life. 

Prepping with physical things is much simpler. It’s tangible. You can see it and hold it. But after my experience this week, I am now going to double up my efforts on being able to propagate and receive information when TEOTWAWKI happens. Having knowledge and information allows to you to act and act fast, and that will save your life. 

Sincerely, – W.H.

Odds ‘n Sods:

An interesting piece over at the Pantry Paratus blog: Wintertime Harvest: Food Preservation in the “Off” Season

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Over at Dollar Vigilante, a Canadian’s essay on the implications of voting with one’s feet: The Unbearable Lightness of Leaving. (She is moving to Galt’s Gulch Chile.)

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Reader “1F” mentioned a new needful countermeasure: New Product Lets Sportsmen Know When Drones Are Near

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J.B.G. suggested this piece over at Glenn Beck’s site: Are Americans waking up to the encroaching tyranny of the surveillance state?

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Owners of FN-FAL rifles (and FAL clones, Kel-Tec RFBs, Rock River LAR-8s, etc.) will find this of interest: FAL Magazine Loaders for $1 Each.

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The Next Shot Heard ‘Round the World’ Will Be in Northern California. (Thanks to James C. for the link.)

Notes from JWR:

October 31st is Reformation Day. For those unfamiliar with Reformed distinctives, here is a web page that is good starting point.

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I’m pleased to see that the post-fire recovery benefit auction for Orange Jeep Dad has already been bid up to $760. This auction is for a full sealed tube of 20 American Redoubt Silver -1-ounce coins (no longer being minted) with 100% of the gross proceeds going to OJD’s family. OBTW, he has posted: New P.O. Box & FFL Address.

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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.

Knowledge: The Survivor’s #1 Preparation, by Chad H.

What is a prepper’s number one tool? What is the asset that all preppers need regardless of where they are or why they are preparing? Some will say water purification, others will say food, and either others will give a list of shelter, weapons, or a medical kit. I disagree with all of these. Yes, all of these are necessary to survival and great preps to have; however, they are not the number one prep needed. After searching hundreds of lists and web sites, and watching show after show about survival, and piecing together preps on a budget, I have found the number one tool for a prepper: Knowledge.

Regardless of how well prepared you are, eventually, through time, all preps will fail. You will eventually run out of canned goods. Bullets (regardless of what television would have you believe) are not unlimited. Metal tools rust and break. Water stores will run empty. And shelters will fall. Given time, all of our preps will turn to dust and then we’ll be left with nothing but ourselves and whatever skills and knowledge we’ve acquired.

I have preps that include canned food, seeds for agriculture, extra clothing, shelter, water purification, rope, a bow and arrows, tools, extra bullets, and extra gas, but my number one prep is my book. I have made a book of roughly 2,000 laminated pages full of survival techniques, skills, and knowledge that I may potentially need. I have a section on shelter than diagrams and describes over twenty different types of survival shelter for each climate area. I have a section on water gathering and purification. I have a section dedicated solely to wild edibles and food preparation (canning, skinning, smoking meat, etc). Finally, I have a section that is full of a variety of skills I might possibly need such as how to make your own sapling bow or star charts for directions. Ultimately, the difference between survival and struggle is you.

I would suggest that every prepper make their own survival book, not for publishing, but just for you. Yes, you can go out and buy a survival book and, yes, it will save you on time and paper. However, making your own book offers benefits that buying one. The first benefit is that you will have to personally read and select each of the survival techniques you put into your book to fit your needs and situation. This will give you a general knowledge about techniques you may possibly need to use as well as what is in your book and where it is located. Making your own book also removes a lot of the “fluff” and flowery language that is contained within all books and gets to the nitty-gritty of what you, as a prepper, need.  Another benefit of making your own survival book is that you put in your book only what you need. If a prepper is living in the Southeastern United States, then why would they need a book with a section on how to survive in Alaska? Or the rain forest? Why do you need a book with a section that lists and details edible plants in Mexico if you live in North Dakota? If the situation arises where your prepper supplies will be needed, who is going to travel cross-country? With your own, personal book, you can input only what you need to know, saving space in your bug-out bag or prepper stash as well as saving you time if you need to look for something quickly. Another benefit of making your own survival book is continuity. If you have children and they are a part of your prepper plan you will be able to pass the knowledge you have gathered in your book on to your children who can then teach their children and so on. With this book you will not only be assisting in your own survival but that of your children and future generations. Making your own book that is based off of your own needs and geared towards your supplies is the absolute most important thing you can have in your preps.

As I said, some will disagree and give a large list of supplies and preps which, according to them, will be much more valuable than a survival book. Those people will not survive past a year or two unless they have a large group with a wide range of skills and knowledge. Don’t get me wrong, I am not belittling the need for water storage, food stores, shelter, and defensive preps, all of these things are absolutely necessary for a prepper, however, a person with a wide range of skills and a vast wealth of survival knowledge will last longer than the prepper who has a year’s worth of food and water but no knowledge of wild edibles or agriculture. Take the most needed resource of life; water. The average person needs about 2,250 mL of water per day that is about ¾ a gallon of water. The average prepper will have somewhere between 100- 500 gallons of water storage. If we take the middle and say most people have about 300 gallons of water stored, then those stores will last roughly a year, maybe longer. If you factor in more than one person then those 300 gallons could be gone in 3-6 months. What will you do then? Typical prepper will say build a rain catch or gather water from a river or lake. Rain water, river water, and lake water could be contaminated and your purification tablets or your water purifier won’t last forever. You might need to know how to build a solar still in order to purify your water. You may need to know how to set animal trap such as a deadfall, twitch-up snare, a bottle trap or a gill net in order to procure your family’s next meal. This knowledge will prove invaluable as more and more of your preps fail due to age or use or as situations arise that you were not prepared to handle.

Many of the skills that I feel that I may need based off of my preps and plans in the case of an emergency.  You must go though and find what’s best for you and your family for the area you are in. The information is readily available through the internet for any who are willing to look for it.

Hiding behind your preps and relying solely on them can be as dangerous as not prepping at all. As a prepper we must realize that most of our preps are short-term. Canned food and water stores will run empty. Bullets will run out. Houses will be sacked by groups of bandits and your tools and supplies will eventually break. But having this knowledge should to cause us to despair but rather to encourage us to gather and soak up as much knowledge about survival as we can. Preps are for the immediate survival situation or three months to a year of survival; a survival book is for long-term, rebuilding survival. Your knowledge is what will keep you alive whenever you have nothing and the world is collapsing around you.
In construction your survival book, I would suggest a three inch, three ring binder. I would also suggest that you laminate your pages to protect against water damage. Make sure you include both detailed pictures and descriptive instructions. I would also suggest making a copy of the book so that you can have one in your bug-out bag and one in your home preps. Make sure include food (gathering and prep), water (gathering and decontaminating), shelter, first-aid, as well as your survival plans such as various bug-out locations and directions to get there, plans for defending your home or your bug-out location, and contingency plans for everything. Make sure your survival book will have you prepared for any conceivable situation you may come up against.
To give you an idea of what you may need in your personal survival book, I will share a list of things I have in mine:

  • Food procurement
    • Deadfall trap
    • Bottle trap
    • Drag noose
    • Trot-line
    • Wild edibles in my area of the country
    • Possibly poisonous plants in my area
  •   Water
    • Solar-still
    • Rain catches
    • Natural filtering systems
  • Shelter
    • Lean-to
    • Tepee
    • Swamp bed
    • Debris hut
    • Snow shelter
    • Beach shelter
    • Desert shelter
  • First-Aid
    • Broken bones
    • Stings and bites
    • Cuts and gouges
    • Rashes
    • Medicinal plants
  • Fire
    • Fire walls
    • Fire holes
    • Different fire starting  methods
      • Battery
      • Gunpowder
      • Fire-plow
      • Bow and Drill
  • Food Preparation
    • Canning
    • Skinning
    • Smoking
  • Weapons, Tools, and Equipment
    • Making an effective club
    • Making a stone knife
    • Making bows
    • Making arrows
    • Making natural packs
  • Misc.
    • Making a raft
    • Star charts for directions
    • Making clothing from animal skins

In the end, the only thing that will keep you alive is you. If you are able to adapt to different situations and are able to defeat the obstacles that will plague your post-prepper lifestyle then you will not just survive, you will overcome.

Letter Re: Your Two Foot Bugout

CPT Rawles,
The author of the “Your Two Foot Bugout” article refers to through-hiking the Appalachian Trail as a simulation of a “shank’s mare” bugout. I’ve had similar thoughts in the past and would add these recommendations: in a situation where the fecal matter has impacted the rotating blades of the oscillating air moving device, do as the Laytons did in Patriots, i.e. go heavy on bullets and light on food. As the Golden Horde descends on your trail, you’ll want to defend whatever remains of your belongings and family.

Also consider that thru-hikers count on resupply on average of every 10 days. Your mileage may vary, but can you and your loved ones realistically handle more than 10 days worth of gear and food? Even the elites of the military rely on resupply from higher echelons, on average of 3 days.

Also consider travel distances. Appalachian Trail thru-hikers average 15 miles per day. Without resupply or pre-positioned caches, a foot bound bugout is limited to 150 miles. Is your retreat within that limit? Don’t be one of those who “always relies on the kindness of strangers.” Ken and Terry Layton were fictional characters driving a narrative with an author guiding the process. We have a divine Author who is guiding our story, but we prep anyway. – Woody

Economics and Investing:

Congress To Eliminate The Debt By Not Counting It Anymore…

Does End of Cent Mean End of Coins? (Thanks to RBS for the link.)

What Is The Timeframe For US Dollar Collapse? Mike Maloney

Items from The Economatrix:

Obamacare Rationing: Seniors’ Doctors Get Booted From Medicare Advantage

Look Out Below: Home Sales Plunge: “Biggest Drop in 40 Months”

Means-Tested Recovery: Over 108,000,000 Americans Received Means-Tested Benefits In Latest Report From Census Bureau, More Than Are Currently Employed Full-Time.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Ray Jason (The Sea Gypsy) writes: The Road to the Future Leads to the Past

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A couple of reminders: I will be a featured guest speaker (via teleseminar) Life Changes. Be Ready! Preparedness and Gun Expo that will be held in in Lakeland, Florida on November 2 & 3, 2013. (My slot should be mid-day, on Saturday.) I will also be a featured guest speaker (again, via teleseminar) at the Charlotte, North Carolina Back To The Basics convention on November 16, 2013. (This event was formerly known as Charlotte PrepCon.)

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Don H. kindly sent a link to a list of salvaged canned goods stores.

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Being an Existential Prepper

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Finally, after 34 years… The motion picture rights to Jerry Pournelle’s epic sci-fi adventure novel Janissaries have been bought by Goddard Film Group. I hope that they do a good job of it.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The condition of our country today? It’s kind of like folks listening to the band playing while the Titanic is sinking, and them asking them to play a different tune.” – Hal Brilliant

Notes from JWR:

It was sad to hear of the passing of ace fighter pilot Robbie Risner. For more than seven years, it was Risner who was both the senior ranking officer and the spiritual leader of the Americans imprisoned at the Hanoi Hilton. Due in large part to Risner’s leadership, the will of the American POW contingent was never broken.

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October 30th is thought to be the birthday of President John Adams, in 1735. (Some sources cite his birth date as October 19, 1735.)
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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.

A Terrifying Awakening, by Mike C.

“My grandpa taught me how to live off the land, and his taught him to be a businessman.” Remember those words from “A Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams, Jr.?  Those lines are the story of my life.  I was born just outside of San Francisco in 1963.  I was raised overseas and lived in Singapore, a nation where possession of guns by citizens was (and is) illegal.   The extent of my outdoor life was exploring what was left of the jungles around our home, and digging up WW2 relics (casings, helmets, hubcaps etc.)  I returned to the US at 13, and lived in Miami during the cocaine wars of the 1980’s.  My father was an executive for a multi-national corporation.  We were pretty wealthy.  Hunting and fishing were not a part of my father’s past, so he didn’t pass those along to me.  Our idea of roughing it was going to the Marriott instead of the Hilton.  My dad was not a “fix-it” kind of guy.  When something broke, we called the repairman, or simply replaced it.  I learned early the value of a good auto mechanic.  I didn’t think I was totally incompetent.  I could change batteries and a light bulb.  I could mow the grass, and taught myself how to vacuum out the pool.  I played sports in school, which consumed most of my time.  I went to college and majored in political science.  I didn’t take the time to look at the want ads and notice that there were not a lot of jobs for political scientists.  After graduation, it took me a couple of years to figure out that my employment opportunities were limited.  I finally realized that I hadn’t been trained to “do” anything.  I had been trained to think deep thoughts.  What was a 23 year old “deep thinking” guy to do?  I looked around and asked, “Who is making money?”  It became clear that the lawyers were the only ones I saw getting rich.  So in 1987, I headed off to law school.  I graduated three years later, $70,000 in debt and unemployed.  I managed to find jobs to keep myself fed, until I began practicing law with a small property firm.  Eventually, I got married and began a basic middle class life.  By the time our first child was born, I was working full time as a Public Defender.  We spent what we made, and saved very little.  Over time, that changed, and I was able to invest in the market, and slowly began building up an IRA. Two more kids arrived, costs went up, but we have kept our heads above water.  Like everyone, we got hit hard in 2002, but still managed to keep going.  Over the last 10 years or so, we have been doing okay, watching our investments fluctuate and enjoying the “city life”. 

Two recent situations have caused me to take a long hard look at my life, and realistically evaluate my situation.  I had a total knee replacement.  Everything seemed to be going well, until I developed an infection.  My 30 days away from the office turned into 45.  My short term disability did not cover as much as I hoped, and it was tough to make ends meet.  As the infection refused to clear up, the Doctors started talking about 4 additional surgeries, and being out of the office for about a year.  Despite having long term disability insurance, I knew that a prolonged absence from the office would be financially devastating.  I began to seriously ponder how I would take care of my family.  Thoughts of selling possessions, tightening budgets and possibly downsizing our home, all went through my head.  It is important to know that I have no school loans, no car payments, and minimal credit card debt.  I wasn’t worried about paying off debt. I was worried about depleting our savings, buying food, and keeping the house.  While flat on my back with me knee in the air, I had to start planning for my son’s 15th birthday.
He is a World War 2 history buff, and all he wanted for his birthday was an M1 Garand.  I have some limited experience with handguns and target shooting.  Rifles were totally out of my realm of knowledge and experience.  I got on the Internet and started to check out the availability and price of a M1 Garand.  They were pretty tough to find, and I learned that they were cost prohibitive.  He really wanted a piece of WW2 history, so we went with a Mosin Nagant.  The whole family has enjoyed shooting it.  A few weeks ago, my son noticed signs for an upcoming gun show.  We decided to go in the hope that he would have a chance to see and touch some WW2 vintage rifles.  We spent the day with M1s, Kar 98s, carbines of all types, and just about every type of rifle, shotgun and handgun imaginable.  On a whim, I picked up a copy of Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse by James Wesley Rawles.  The premise seemed interesting, and I was in need of a new book. Reading the book has been one of the most beneficial and terrifying experiences of my life.

The latest government shutdown, raising of the debt ceiling, international financial news, international instability and terrorism,  our over dependence on foreign made goods (my underwear is made in Viet Nam),  the general interconnectedness of supply lines and the “global economy” have convinced me that a Crunch, as depicted in the novel, is not only a possibility, but an inevitability.  When it happens, how then does a city boy survive?  How do I care for family?  How do I protect them?  I’m not thinking about giving them the best life has to offer, I am worried about literally keeping us all alive.  I realize that I cannot depend on the government or what passes for infrastructure.  I can trust in God and in his people, but that also requires that I use the brains and abilities that He gave me to be as prepared and ready as possible.  I had to admit that I had neither the supplies nor the skills necessary to keep my family alive and safe.  That is a horrible and terrifying thought for a 50 year old, married, father of three.  I knew that I had no other choice, but to make some changes and prepare myself to be the husband and father that I needed (and wanted) to be.

My first step has been to get my wife on board.  I have shared with her what I have learned, and why I feel a “crunch” is inevitable.  God has blessed me with a wife who is more “handy” than I am, and she danced a jig of joy when I told her that I was going to learn to do more of the “fix it” stuff around the house.   My best friend has agreed to teach me the things I need to know, to do basic home and auto repair.

My next step was to prepare to “bug in”.  In the event of a bad storm, being snowed in for a few days or a prolonged (but temporary) power outage, we would have been in a world of hurt.  I realized that we had one flashlight in the house.  We had no battery powered radios.  Come to think about it, we had no extra batteries.  We had little canned food stockpiled.  We had few matches and no wood.  We had no extra propane.  We had no stored water.  We had few hygiene items on hand (and three women).  We had one fire extinguisher, which is 19 years old.  I have taken steps to remedy this by clearing a section of the basement, and creating a storage area of food, water and supplies.  The things we need are in one place.  If a disaster hits, we won’t be scrambling all over the house looking for stuff.  Our next step will be creating “bug out” packs that are ready to go.

I have also expanded my collection of firearms.  I now have a Taurus .45, Taurus .357 revolver, Glock 17, Mosin Nagant and my newest acquisition, a Mossberg 100 ATR, chambered in .270.  I have just over 1,700 rounds of ammo on hand.  My next purchase will be a self defense shotgun. I am acquiring supplies and firearms as inexpensively as possible, while not sacrificing quality.   I have made a deal with two friends to have them teach me and my son to hunt and fish.  When the crunch happens, we will be able to make sure that we have protein/meat to eat.  We will pass those skills on to the rest of our family as we become more capable.  I am slowly reallocating my investments, and creating a more liquid financial situation.  I am trying to figure out how to survive in a future with little or no cash.  I understand that I cannot rely on or expect to receive Social Security or my pension.  I am blessed that my wife is a natural born trader/barterer.  I am learning how to make homemade soap.  My wife is a seamstress.  As long as she can fine material, a needle and thread, we will have clothes and something to sell, trade or barter.

I realize that all this is “old hat” to many of your readers.  I’m sure some of you want to shake me by the shoulders and ask, “What took you so long”.  Rest assured, I know how much I still have to do to truly be as prepared as possible.  That is where you come in.  Please keep posting your information on the blogs.  Let me learn what you have learned.  Allow me to grow into the type of compatriot that you would want by your side.  In the end, we will all be in this together, and we will need to be able to rely on the person next to us.  I am sure you will notice me or others like me, as you do your own preparations.  Don’t be afraid to say something.  If you see that I am about to buy a lousy piece of equipment, let me know.  If you see me at the range and I’m making mistakes, help me out.  I know we don’t have uniforms, or pins, or secret handshakes by which we can identify ourselves to others.  But we can recognize each other.  We can see that innate part of each other that is prepared and reliable.  We can, hopefully, see that growing in others.  Maybe it is like my Dad said, “You know more about a man’s character by his actions than by his words”.  I know I have a long way to go before I will feel ready or truly prepared.  I need your help, your wisdom and your advice.  Please come along side me, and be the men and women of action, that I know you are.

Letter Re:Your Two Foot Bugout

The recent SurvivalBlog article titled “Your Two Foot Bugout” raises some interesting points. The author describes a plan to bugout on foot, using a baby stroller to carry essential gear. That’s reminiscent of the Pushcart Mormons who traveled from Iowa City to Salt Lake City in the mid 19th century. More than 250 of the immigrants died along the way, and any plan to evacuate the Phoenix area by foot would risk difficulty at least as severe.

The author describes a plan to leave Phoenix by foot in order to avoid traffic gridlock. He plans to walk alongside a canal, and then train tracks to escape the city.

Having some familiarity with Arizona terrain, I would suggest that he would have to walk at least 50 miles to get out of the desert. In the desert, it’s all about water. Travel would have to be from waterhole to waterhole, and only at night if the collapse were to happen in the Summer.

The Phoenix area holds more than 4 million people, and almost all of them would have to head north. That’s a wave of humanity! The American Highway
Users Alliance studied emergency evacuation in various cities and gave Phoenix a grade of “F”. But it’s actually worse than that. In a state where adequate grazing land is considered to be 80 acres to support one cow, there is no area that has the carrying capacity to support 4 million people.

The author might make it to Lake Pleasant and up the old Phoenix to Prescott Toll Road into the Bradshaw Mountains. Or he could go up the old sheep trail along the Verde River through Bloody Basin. But either way, he’ll have to get a head start on the hordes of refugees heading north.

An alternative plan would be to travel as far as possible by car or ATV, then use the stroller as a last result. With a Tsunami of desperate people breathing down your neck, escape is all about getting a quick start, ahead of the hordes. – K.L.

Two Letters Re: The Blackout Docudrama

James,
To respond to the recent letter about the fictional Blackout show:
 
I too was annoyed with the way they portrayed some of the people in the story but after thinking about it I am afraid that this is how a lot of the people will act. 
 
The prepper is the story obviously had no idea what he was doing.  I think they portrayed an arm-chair prepper with more resources than street smarts spot on.  First of all letting his young son patrol the perimeter in the middle of the night while he is nice and cozy in bed was the big mistake that lead into the rest of his mistakes.  As far as everyone else, that’s how it will be.
 
The stupidity of how everyone acted in the show is precisely why we prepare.  Hopefully it was an eye opener for the sheeple because really our only hope of getting through something major is having everyone at least a little prepared. – Sean M.

 

Mr. Rawles,  
It sometimes causes me to wonder just how two people can look at something and come away with such different views.
 
You posted a message from a fellow in North Carolina who had very negative things to say about “American Blackout.” I could only shake my head. He said that he “turned the television off in total disgust and went to bed,” calling it “insidious propaganda.” Really? Really?
 
He called the prepper father a man who was depicted as “gun toting, autocratic bully who bossed everyone and refused to act humanely by sharing all his wealth.” What I saw was a no-nonsense, mission-oriented family man whose feet were firmly planted in reality. Indeed, his attitude was vindicated by the end of the program, at least from my perspective.
 
While he mentions that the young fellow was happy to live off someone else’s largesse (as is the case with so many liberals), the writer described him as being depicted as the “compassionate one,” as if this young man was somehow portrayed in the script as the ideal character in the program. What I saw was a young man who was depicted as being naive, and as one whose misguided inclinations brought the prepper family to the brink of tragedy. The “compassionate one” seems to have somewhat redeemed himself by the end of the program, apparently having seen, to some extent, the error of his ways.
 
His comment that the young woman who was attacked was shown as having “deserved” what happened to her reveals more about this writer than he might want to admit. Where did he get that? Regardless, what can be said about her character is that she does represent a certain defined class in our society who, literally and figuratively, live above the nitty gritty aspects of life that so many others experience. These people are usually totally unprepared for dealing with life if everything in their world does not work perfectly. So it was here.
 
His comment about the fact that the movie showed that we were all going to be saved by the government as our “fearless leader gravely assured us” is evidence of paranoia or of a political curmudgeon’s perspective. The fact is that our political leaders routinely assure us that everything is being done, and will be done, and that order will be re-established. The fact that they say these things does not mean that they are true, however, and the fact that the producers included Obama’s assurances from other crises only added to the cinema verité aspect of the movie. Should we depend on these assurances? Of course, not. Can we expect to hear them in the next major crisis? Of course, we can.
 
Why he calls this movie a “PC” version of who the good guys are and who the bad guys are is nonsensical.
 
I totally agree with him, however, that the program offered “an excellent opportunity to impress upon the average citizen that they need to be ready for bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances.”
 
I think that the movie did so to a large extent, and that it will serve to change at least some peoples’ attitudes about the need to prepare. The young woman’s plaintiff cry, “Why is no one coming to help us?” may sink in with more people. Even the liberal young man who caused the prepper family’s near disaster, ultimately came with a gun to aid of the prepper dad, saying to his assailants, “You guys wanted food? You should’ve prepared, okay?” Maybe more people will get that message now, too.
 
As for my criticisms, the movie did not show nearly enough of the violence that I believe would prevail after the grid was down for a few days. The manner in which the violence might have been depicted could have been handled in a way that was not so graphic as to offend the broad audience for whom the movie was intended. I would also preferred to have seen a portrayal that depicted the situation after, say, a month, not just for the first ten days. 
 
The writer ends by saying, “I think I’ll just stick to SurvivalBlog.” At least that’s some good advice I won’t dispute. – Howey

Economics and Investing:

Tiberius Used Quantitative Easing To Solve The Financial Crisis Of 33 AD

Detroit Pensioners Face Miserable 16 Cent On The Dollar Recovery

Setting the Dollar up for a fall: In Fed and Out, Many Now Think Inflation Helps. (Thanks to John E. for the link.)

Perpetual Assets Interviews James Wesley Rawles

Items from The Economatrix:

Gas Prices Slip Below $3 In Missouri

Unemployment Falls But Hiring Slows

Wal-Mart Moms Vent On Economy And ‘Disgusting’ Politics