Being Prepared, Even On A Routine Mission, by J.W.

One day, last year, I found myself in a pretty serious situation that tested my nerves and my luck. It happened on the C&O canal in Maryland. The canal runs 184.5 miles from Washington DC to Cumberland Maryland. Living just across the Potomac in McLean, Virginia, I made it my custom to ride my mountain bike on the canal every chance I got. It was and still is my favorite ride of all time. I would enter the trail at the 12.6 mile mark across the street from the Old Angler’s Inn near Carderock, Maryland. where there was ample parking for trail-goers and those who chose to kayak the rapids. I would ride to the Huckleberry Hill Campsite at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. then turn around and ride back. Total ride: 100.6 miles.

It was a Monday, my day off, and I had until Tuesday 5:00pm to be accounted for at work. I hit the trail at about noon, it was sunny and about 60 degrees, perfect weather for a nice long ride. I had my usual gear, Camelbak with a full bladder, cell phone, headlamp with extra batteries, AM/FM radio with headphones, 2 packs of Myoplex meal replacement powder, a couple of Cliff bars, and about a half dozen GU energy gel packets. Also I was carrying my standard rain gear consisting of a jacket, pants, and a bonnie hat. As usual I began riding at a slow and even pace to warm up, around 8-9 miles per hour. Typically I continue this pace for the first 3-5 miles until the gravel gives way to hard-packed dirt which is smooth and fast. Also at this point on the canal the traffic becomes almost non-existent. One can go miles without seeing another biker or jogger, particularly on a weekday. I put on the headphones, tune in my favorite conservative talk radio show, and begin to up the pace. Now I’m going 12 miles per hour, right in my zone. I can go for hours at this pace (on relatively flat terrain). The miles tick by, marked every tenth of a mile with a wooden mile marker on the side of the trail. At around 3pm I take a break at one of my favorite spots where I stretch, consume a Myoplex, and relax for a bit. There’s plenty of scenery to take in, the historic Potomac River on one side and the canal on the other.

I call my girlfriend (now my wife) and chat for a while. She is concerned as usual because I am riding alone again and wants to know EXACTLY when I’ll be done. And as usual I have no definite answer as it’s hard to pinpoint my finish time. I hit the trail again and sadly I’m reaching the outer limits of the other news radio station’s abilities. The traffic and weather on the ten’s are now gone. I find a local AM station that is talking about zoning issues and hear the chance for rain in that area has increased for later in the evening. However the reception is spotty and static makes me crazy so I turn it off. The rest of the ride to West Virginia is uneventful and I arrive at the turn-around feeling great. Here I consume another meal replacement pack and refill my Camelbak bladder from the hand-operated pump, these are located at each campsite along the canal. I meet and talk with another cyclist who has come to the same place from the other direction. We chat for a few about bikes and rides and pesky joggers and part ways. I check my cell phone for reception so I can advise my girlfriend but, no bars. This is no surprise to me as I have never had reception in this area, but I thought I would check anyway. I roll for about 20 miles and the ride begins to take it’s toll. My rear is getting tender, my legs are getting sore, and my arms are becoming heavy. My pace begins to slow as I count down the miles to where my vehicle is waiting for me.

Coming back into radio range again I tune in to listen to yet another conservative talker that I enjoy. Talk radio and endurance cycling go well together and I find the familiar voice comforting. At the half hour news break I hear the updated weather report for the Washington area and it seems the rain is coming. Thundershowers. Could be heavy at times. I notice through the tree canopy that the sky is indeed dark in the direction that I must go. I assess the distance remaining, about 25 miles, and deduce I may need the rain gear at some point. However at this time I’m in the endorphin zone and negative thoughts are absent. Five miles and about 40 minutes later my confidence begins to wane. I’ve got 20 miles to go and the skies are very dark ahead, and night is approaching. I receive the radio news quite well now and they say frequent lightning strikes are to be expected. Adjusting my pace at this point is difficult to justify due to the ground left to cover, burn out too soon and I’m potentially in even more trouble. I’ve bonked out before and it’s not something you want to do when there is the potential for trouble. Once, after a hard ride in town on a hard trail I barely made it back to the car. I was shaking and light-headed and had no food to bring me back. I barely made the two miles to the Burger King drive-thru where I carbed-up. After eating I basically passed out for 45 minutes in the parking lot with the engine running, slumped over the steering wheel. The temperature is dropping but I’m feeling no chill as I’m used to riding in cool weather wearing minimal riding clothing. I consume two more gel packs in an attempt to ratchet up my energy level. The difference is negligible, I get little if any real boost. By the way, when you use energy gel packs make sure you drink plenty of water. The wooden mile markers are my goals now, each one only one tenth of a mile apart. I begin to ride out of my seat as my rear is on fire and very sensitive. Standing up and pedaling creates more power but can only be done intermittently without burning out. So I rotate, pedal 1, 2, 3, and coast, pedal 1, 2, 3, and coast. I am able to maintain my speed without burning out and my rear is spared. The rain begins. It is a drencher from the get-go. No easy sprinkle gradually turning to a downpour. I stop and put on the jacket and the rain pants and the boonie. I take the moment to consume the last GU gel pack and suck the H2O as I start again.

Another minute or two shows me the next marker and tells me I am still 12 miles from my car. I have not seen anyone on the trail for the last hour. I guess they heard the weather report and made their way off the trail. The rain is torrential now, my headlamp only lights the trail for about 10 feet in front of me. I must slow my roll as the trail begins to puddle and I must be careful not to wreck, Remember I have a river one side and a canal on the other. The towpath is roughly 12 feet wide, so there is not much room for error. I am now less than 10 miles from the parking lot and the storm is on top of me. The lightning is everywhere, the thunder is immediate and I am scared. Being at the mercy of nature will make you pray, even if you never have. As I have a deep and constant relationship with my Creator I defaulted to begging for mercy. I had just recently lived through a Derecho weather event in Virginia which devastated my home, left me without power for nine days and put my family in real jeopardy, so I was keenly aware of the danger. Every tenth of a mile was a small miracle that I rejoiced. There was no stopping, no time out, no shelter whatsoever. No option but to get to the parking lot and get in my vehicle. The last marker I saw said I had two miles to go, it was nearly impossible to see them in the drenching rain. The lightning was still everywhere, this was the real fear and it was unrelenting. Quite frankly, I have never been so scared in my life. I continued to pray out loud. I was yelling. Save me Lord! Save me Jesus! The last distance to the car was a time I will never forget. I choose to believe that God spared me that day. And nothing will ever change that. Got to the car, loaded the bike, sat in the driver’s seat and laughed/cried for a solid 10 minutes.

The take away from the experience was, always check the weather. Always have the gear you may need to survive. If I had a simple tarp I may have been able to hunker down and ride out the storm. Most importantly, get good with God and don’t be afraid to ask him for help.

Economics and Investing:

Jim Grant: America’s default on its debt is inevitable

National Pravda Radio (NPR) recently produced an infographic showing Everyone The U.S. Government Owes Money To, In One Graph. Laughably, it shows the 2.1 Trillion owed to the Federal Reserve shaded in blue as debt held by “Federal Government.” I have a news flash for them: The Federal Reserve is no more “Federal” than Federal Express. It is a private banking cartel that was given a monopoly when it was created a century ago. So for Democrat Congressman Alan Grayson to suggest the Fed “cancel” its Treasury debt (as he recently did) would be like you asking your local banker to “cancel” your house mortgage, as a little favor. That isn’t going to happen.

Items from The Economatrix:

Derivatives And The Government Shutdown: Wall Street Bets One Thousand Trillion Dollars Of Everybody Else’s Money

Gold Crushed! 2013 Losses Now Over 20%

Retailers’ Warning To Congress: You’re Killing Christmas!

Odds ‘n Sods:

California Governor Jerry Brown Vetoes Seven Gun Control Bills, Signs Seven Others. (Californians have until July of 2014 to get every 11+ round magazine “rebuild kit” that they own out of California, or face charges. There is no grandfather clause. This confusing legislation–part of which was dependent on enactment of another law that was not signed by Brown–is discussed at length at a CalGuns forum.)

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Just two days remaining! Until October 15th, the SurvivalBlog 2005-2012 Archive DVD is sale priced at just $11.99.

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Emily Miller: Smoking gun exposed- D.C. police chief covers up giving Feinstein illegal ‘assault weapons’

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Reader J.B.G. sent: Colorado voters go after third pro-gun-control Democrat via recall

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Pat Buchanan: Is Red State America Seceding?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) Two BirkSun.com photovoltaic backpacks (one Level, and one Atlas, both black), with a combined value of $275, G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and 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.

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 22 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $200 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 Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), 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.

Delivered to Safety, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

I have delivered my sheep to safety, and you may soon be called on to do the same.

Almost five years ago we started our own little flock of Katahdin sheep in order to be able to raise our own healthy, drug-free organic meat. Through the years we had 23 lambs, two rams, and many tough times (lambing in winter) as well as hilarious, joyful times (lambs frolicking and snuggling). We had read that in large flocks sheep have a mob mentality, but we discovered that one-on-one sheep had their own personalities and were much more complex than we ever imagined (kind of like people!)

In our main pasture they had things to climb on and jump off, big red exercise balls and Jolly Balls to play with, and more. We watched them try to figure out how to open the gate carabiners with their mouths. We watched lambs perform circus acts on the backs of their mothers under our floodlights at night. We gave them the best life we could, protected them in many ways, and gave them a quick and humane death when the time came (well, Katahdins are meat sheep).

One thing we tried and failed at was improving our pasture. Three years in a row we planted pasture seed and three years in a row we got skunked. A lot of work and money down the drain. Our property is just too dry and we couldn’t irrigate. So our sheep were on hay 7 months out of the year and required much higher quality (and correspondingly more expensive) hay than is typically fed to horses and cattle. When the collapse comes there would be no way to raise or buy / transport three tons of hay for over winter!
No hay, no sheep.

Buying that much hay wasn’t working for us, but equally we realized that we were too close to Spokane for the coming collapse. We couldn’t move the sheep on short notice and we couldn’t defend them against looters and rustlers. Our plan was actually to shoot our own sheep before bugging out rather than trust them to the “mercies” of hungry, desperate, violent people. But having to do that would not only take time and alarm the neighbors, but be enormously disturbing at the very time we needed to be focused and high speed.
They would just have to be moved to safety in advance.                  

Don’t misunderstand: I loved the idea of being a “shepherd” – that identity was special, manly, challenging. It was an opportunity to learn many, many carryover skills. I took my responsibilities very seriously, learning from my sheep as well as from the Bible about what a good shepherd does and does not do (and the Bible has a lot to say).

“Yahweh is my Shepherd. I shall lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1)
I learned that the shepherd/sheep metaphor is used throughout the Bible and applies not only to the relationship between God and his people, but between human leaders and the people depending on them.

“When He saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
Sheep need shepherds. Guard dogs are important and minimize predator losses, but sheep dogs are not a substitute for a shepherd.

When all the details miraculously came together it was a long drive to Montana to deliver my precious flock to their new home, but God guided me through the whole process. There were valuable things to learn and new equipment to purchase so that even the sheep sale and move was a prepping lesson. And it was a lesson in faith as much as anything.

The 12 hour drive there was grueling for me and my sheep, but it left me with a lot of time to think and pray. I know my sheep must have been wondering why I was doing this to them! And the answer was, This is what real shepherds do. They do what’s best for their sheep, even if it’s hard on the sheep, and even if it means the shepherd sacrifices and suffers too.
I spent half my profit on gasoline, replacing a tire, and a hotel room before the trip back. It was costly.
But it was worth it.

“Even if I go through a ravine as dark as death, I will fear no harm, for you are with me and I’m comforted that your shepherd’s crook and club protect me.” (Psalm 23:4)
Why would a shepherd take his flock through a dangerous area? To get to good pasture. It might be hard on the sheep, it might be dangerous, but the shepherd was with them, and that was enough. He could rescue them and he could defend them. The shepherd was prepared.

Many of us have adopted the “sheepdog” identity as so eloquently described by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman in his book On Combat. God has put people in our lives who need protecting – our family and friends, perhaps neighbors or citizens in harm’s way when we’re in public going about our business. We must have sheepdogs!

But I want to propose that some of us have been called to be shepherds. “Shepherd” is not just a defensive role, not simply a spiritual role, it is a visionary leadership role. Someone who knows people, who cares personally for those God has put in his/her life, and can motivate, encourage, and equip people. The shepherd is someone who knows where to go (sometimes literally), how to get there, and can lead his people to good pasture and still waters.

There’s a negative example in Zechariah 11:15-16 that illustrates a shepherd’s rightful duties: A shepherd is to care for those who are dying, look after the young, heal the injured and feed the healthy.

Sheep dogs are essential, but they’re no substitute for a shepherd. What sheepdog can do all that?

Is that what God is calling you to do? Then welcome that calling, embrace it. It’s not all up to you! Don’t be afraid to step up. He will guide you as you guide them.
Even shepherds have a Shepherd.

He’s proven he’s a worthy shepherd: Our Great Shepherd, Jesus, delivered us from death at great personal cost. He suffered and sacrificed for his sheep, and led us from spiritual hunger and darkness to life and safety. And he will lead us home one day through the valley of the shadow of death to his great and joyful Pasture in heaven.
After all, that’s what a real shepherd does!

The Sovereign Lord is coming to rule with power,
bringing with him the people he has rescued.
He will take care of his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs together
and carry them in his arms;
he will gently lead their mothers.
– Isaiah 40:10-11

Be prepared. Trust God! And take heart, brothers and sisters. Isaiah 43:2 promises that He will see you through. – ShepherdFarmerGeek

Letter Re: Woodstove Chimney-Mounted Ovens

JWR,
I don’t know about the Baker’s Salute Oven (that another reader asked about), but there is a man in Springville, Utah that makes a similar one that can be mounted on a wood burning stove or on a expedition tent stove.  They are much less expensive as he makes them from repurposed propane cylinders and they are called Grover Chimney Ovens.   They cost $205 instead of $539 like the Bake’s Salute Oven but they are not as large inside.   They are a double-walled oven, so the heated gases from the chimney stack surround the oven itself.  I am not affiliated with, or have any interest in these products other than to say that I want one.  He also makes one that will fit on top of a wall tent stove and he also makes a rocket stove using repurposed propane cylinders. – Brad M.

Economics and Investing:

The Dread Pirate’s Cash Stash is Still Safe

U.S., Switzerland Export Largest Ever Amounts Of Gold To Hong Kong And Investors Should Take Note

G.G. suggested this piece: What’s happening in the Treasury bill market today should terrify you

Items from The Economatrix:

The “D.” Word, again: Boehner says U.S. on path to default if Obama won’t negotiate

Governments Will Start Panicking As Chaos & Crisis Accelerates

Peter Schiff Warns Yellen’s Nomination Means Any QE Taper Expectations Are “Delusional”

Obama Offers Two Choices: Unconditional Surrender Or Default

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Jan S. forwarded novelist Matt Bracken’s mention of a upcoming fit of generosity: “‘I’m going to put each of my Enemies trilogy novels into the Amazon Kindle free download deal, starting with Enemies Foreign And Domestic next Monday, October 14. Then Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista on Monday the 21st, and Foreign Enemies And Traitors on October 28th.” For anyone who has not yet read Matt’s novels, I highly recommend them! Jan S. notes: “You can download the Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac free to your computer, even if you don’t have a Kindle reader.” Mark your calendars, folks! And be sure to order Matt’s other books. As I’ve mentioned before, his latest novel Castigo Cay is excellent!

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Reader H.L. sent a a link to a news article with some important lessons: The Guys Who Grabbed Six Semiautomatic Rifles From a Competitive Shooter’s Home May Not Have Expected a Security Camera That Does This. [JWR’s Comments: Security cameras are great. Webcams that stream to your own remote server are even better. (If you don’t have your own server, then I recommend the bundled day/night camera systems packaged by Lorex Technology.) Storing guns in racks or glass cabinets at an unattended home is foolish. Gun vaults are a must and concealed gun vaults provide better protection. I recommend the combination of concealed vaults and web cams.]

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Pitiful situational awareness: San Francisco rail commuters on phones didn’t notice gun before killing, police say.

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The Big Man returns to The Big House: Kwame Kilpatrick (one of Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s gun-grabbing mayors) has been given a 28 year sentence for extortion and other corruption charges. If he were to serve his full term (which is unlikely, with “good behavior” guidelines,) he would be 71 years old when his “term in office” ends in 2041. Although he is not eligible for parole, he will probably be out of prison in just 23 years, in 2036. At age 66, he could still pull a Buddy Cianci or Sheila Dixon maneuver, and start a new career in politics.

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Speaking of Mikey Bloomberg: New lawsuit seeks communications between Bloomberg, MAIG, and Joe Biden. “We have good reason to suspect that New York taxpayers have been forced to foot the bill for Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-gun group.”

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Pierre M. sent: Soon, Drones May Be Able to Make Lethal Decisions on Their Own.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us, The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us, But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches, From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation Of honor, and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation, Deliver us, good Lord!

Tie in a living tether The prince and priest and thrall,
Bind all our lives together, Smite us and save us all;
In ire and exultation Aflame with faith, and free,
Lift up a living nation, A single sword to thee. Amen.”

– O God of Earth and Altar, Hymn 521 in the Anglican Hymnal. Lyrics by by G. K. Chesterton (1906.) In England, this hymn is most commonly sung set to a tune from Gustav Holst’s The Planets. In modern times, it is perhaps best remembered as being sung at the funeral of Princess Diana. (Skip forward to 7:28) It is also a favorite at a well-known American Redoubt church and college, in Moscow, Idaho, sung to a different tune.

Notes from JWR:

I heard from my editor at E.P. Dutton that my novel Expatriates hit the New York Times Hardcover Fiction bestsellers list this week at #21. Thanks for making the release such a great success!

—

Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) Two BirkSun.com photovoltaic backpacks (one Level, and one Atlas, both black), with a combined value of $275, G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and 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.

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 22 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $200 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 Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), 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 Practical Plan for Survival–One Man’s View, by C.L.

When I was very young I would sometime spend rainy days at my grand-mother’s house going through sporting goods catalogs and the Sears catalog making list of items that might be needed during disasters or emergencies. I have no idea why I am wired in such a way that I give a good amount of thought to being prepared. I am no longer a young boy but now I believe making such plans are more important than ever before. The economic situation in our country can only be described as terrifying to anyone who will take the blinders off and look. It is said that there is nothing new under the sun and if one looks back at other countries and civilizations that followed a similar path you can see the possible outcome. If one prepares for a disaster that never happens he is no worse off but if unprepared when disaster strikes there is no remedy. 

Each family’s needs and security situation is different so there is no cookie cutter plan for being prepared. Use available learning tools and make your own plans. The reason I am writing this letter is to share some resources I have found. I am by no means prepared for all possible events. I am working on my own plans as I am able to. If we encourage each other and help each other than if a disaster ever does occur then we will all be better prepared. I will list some resources I have found that others might find useful.

1. Water
    I believe that the first item everyone should try to plan for is a source for safe drinking water. If a well is available consider installing a solar powered well pump. Since most of us don’t have a well I strongly recommend Lifesaver brand water filters. The Lifesaver jerry can filter will make 20,000 liters of safe drinking water from most any source of fresh water. The lifesaver jerry cans are available at Amazon.com. There are other good filters but try to plan for months, not days.

2. Food
   You gotta eat! For short term food storage we should all have a supply of canned goods and basics such as rice, beans, oats, pasta, and flour. Don’t worry too much about storing these foods for long term. As they age just donate them and replace them. One of the best resources for food storage is the Latter Day Saints food facilities. We are lucky to have one of these nearby in Slidell, Louisiana. The Mormons encourage their members to be prepared and set up regional facilities to pack food items for long term storage. Dry food items sealed in #10 cans can have a shelf life as long as 20 years. This facility is at this time open to people that are not associated the the LDS. The LDS web site has a great deal of information about disaster planning and food storage.
 
Storing food will feed you during most conceivable emergencies. We should also plan for an unconceivable emergency that doesn’t last days or weeks but instead last months or years. We should all have on hand a good supply of heirloom non-hybrid seeds for gardens. Using heirloom non-hybrid seeds allows you to save seeds from your gardens for future gardens. Most hybrid or modified vegetables do not reproduce well naturally. Emergency seed packs are available at many sources. Here are a couple, Sportmansguide.com, item wx2-222028. Type in emergency seeds on Amazon.com and you will many choices. Keep in mind that you will also need to keep fertilizer on hand. As you use the stored fertilizer replace it. You do have hand tools for gardening don’t you?

3. Warmth and cooking
   We are lucky to live in an area with mild winters but we still need to plan on heat sources to keep warm. For short term generators or even simply extra blankets will suffice. For long term situations we will all end up burning wood in some form or fashion. Make sure you have hand tools such as ax, splitter, and saw. For cooking most of us have camp stoves or grills that we have used after hurricanes. But what if the fuel for these becomes unavailable or so expensive it might as well be unavailable. Buying some type of wood stove or making a jet cooker now and storing it will give you peace of mind. You can look up plans for home-made wood cookers on you-tube and on several prepper web-sites. I will list some helpful sites at the end of the letter. The Dollar Tree store sells candles that are about 8 or 9 inches tall in a glass jar that will burn for about 80 hours each. The candles cost $1 each. The stores are often out but you can order them by the case from their web site and pick the candles up at the store. You should have a at least couple of dozen of these candles.

4. Shelter
    This is a difficult topic because this is one area that everyone will have different needs and desires. Most everyone would want to stay in their present location but there are several items to consider. You must be in a secure location and be able to defend yourself at that location. Having a weapon is not enough. You need to consider what is required to set security watches and defendable perimeters. Some people might think that they will not resort to violence to defend their shelter and there supplies. When unprepared people decide to take what you and yours need to survive most people will fight. Your location must have a reliable water source. Many people will find it necessary to join with other friends or family members for support and security. These topics should be discussed with others before there is an emergency at hand. If people decide to plan on joining up together than it would be wise to preposition supplies at the planned location. It is also wise to have a back-up plan in case the planned location is not useable for some reason.

5. Medical supplies
    Most of us end up taking some type of daily meds as we get older. There is only so much of these meds that we can obtain and hold. However there are sources for other medical items that we all need from time to time. Many people that are called preppers these days have been buying antibiotics from vet supply resources. www.calvetsupply.com is one I have used. The antibiotics are usually labeled for use in aquariums or for animals. The antibiotics are exactly the same as the ones you receive from Wal-Mart or Medco. I have documentation from doctors that state that the meds are the same and that the shelf life if stored out of intense heat is measured in years in most cases. There is talk that the government wants to stop the internet sales of vet medicines because people are buying them for human use so I would get a supply as soon as you can. We should all have several types of antibiotics and other medical supplies. There are sites that describe which antibiotics are best used for different medical ailments. You should have basic first aid supplies for stopping blood loss from major injuries. Keep QuickClot or Celox packets to stop major bleeding. Israeli pressure bandages and tourniquets are must have items. Steri-strips and sutures are also needed. Also alcohol and Betadine needs to be on hand. Have a supply of forceps and other tools. Buy a good supply of otc medicines, especially imodium, tylenol, and ibuprofen.

6. Power
    As you can tell from this letter we are discussing long term emergencies instead of a couple of days without power after a storm. It would be prudent for us to look at solar power systems to provide some electrical power. This would not only allow you to have a couple of lights but could also power a communication device to talk to people on guard duty or could power radios for communication. We should all definitely have a good supply of rechargeable batteries and a solar recharging device. The more batteries you can obtain now the better. Remember that the day after the emergency is too late to find batteries, radios, or solar devices. If you decide to look into setting up a solar power system you will need deep cycle batteries. The better the deep cycle battery is the more expensive it is and none of them are cheap. A very good book to have on hand is The 12 Volt Bible, it is available on Amazon.

7. Transportation
    We should not only have at least one bicycle but it should be maintained. We should keep spare tires, tubes, and tire patches for the bike. It would be great to have an extra chain. Don’t overlook having a hand powered pump

8. Clothing
    Buy a few pairs of jeans and other sturdy clothes and store them in a vacuum bag to protect them from moths. On www.sportsmansguide.com there is available Guide Gear brand jeans. You can get them with or without a double layer of cloth on the front of the legs for extra durability.

9. Security
  This is too large a topic to cover in a letter. The most important thing to say is to learn and plan. There are many books available to order or borrow. Everyone learned a few months ago how quickly ammunition can disappear from store shelves. We should all have a couple of good weapons and plenty of ammunition. There is no such thing as enough ammunition. In a real long term emergency ammunition will become the preferred barter item. Ammo will become the basic currency along with pre ’64 silver coins if we ever experience a real long term disruption. A couple of weapons and a good supply of ammunition are required but from there a person is only limited by his own resources. In a true long term disruption the man with a night vision device will be much more secure than those without. These devices are very expensive for good 3rd. generation models. At least get good night sights such as Trijicon brand night sites for your primary weapon. Trijicon night sights for an AR-15 cost less than $100 and will be invaluable if you ever need them. You won’t be very effective if you cannot see your sights. A similar item is body armor. It seems like a complete waste of money in normal times but would be worth everything if it saves you from being shot. I will share some information from books I have read. It sounds basic but you must know the difference between cover and concealment. Concealment can prevent someone from seeing you but cover can stop rounds headed your way, don’t confuse the two. In times of trouble a weapon is useless in a safe. During a real time of trouble you should be armed at all times.

Trying to be prepared is a project that never ends. All we can do is the best we can but even that will be more than the majority of people. I will list some items we should stock up on and a few books that can be helpful. I should say that these books should be acquired in paper form and not on an e-reader.
 
| Stock up items for your own use and for barter: bug spray, storage food, ammo, water filters, jeans, t-shirts, batteries, pre-1965 silver coins, otc medicines, skin lotion, towels, blankets, fertilizer, seeds, food grade pails with lids (find a restaurant that will give you mayo and dressing pails), hand gardening tools and wood cutting tools, toothbrushes, 1st aid supplies, candles, reading glasses, bike tires and tubes, tire patches, multi-vitamins, matches, baking soda, sugar, vinegar, propane (propane will store long term), bleach (dry pool tablets store well but must be pure bleach), bar soap, surgical mask, latex or vinyl gloves.
 
Books:
The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It by James Wesley Rawles
Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook by David Werner
Where There Is No Dentist by Murray Dickson
Wilderness Medicine Beyond First Aid By William W. Forgey M.D.
Emergency War Surgery (NATO Handbook:- Third United States Revision, 2004) by Dr. Martin Fackler, et al.
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition by Abigail R. Gehring
When There Is No Doctor: Preventative and Emergency Healthcare by Gerard S. Doyle,
Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse by James Wesley Rawles (a great novel but it is full of useful information)
Ranger Handbook an Army field manual. (There are many other useful books and military field manuals).
 
Useful web sites:
http://mspreparednessproject.org/,
https://survivalblog.com/,
 http://jrhenterprises.com/PVS14-3rd-Gen-on-SALE-PVS14SALE.htm, night vision sales
http://blog.emergencyoutdoors.com/
http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2010/01/31/updated-cannery-food-storage-price-difference-sheet/food-storage-recipes
http://rainydayfoodstorage.blogspot.com/ food storage
http://realgoods.com/
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/woodgas-camp-stove wood gas stove
http://www.tilapiadepot.com/ raising fish at home
http://www.knowstuf.com/basementaquaponics raising fish at home, aquaponics
http://aquaticpharmacy.com/eshop Vet Supply
http://www.calvetsupply.com/ Vet supply
http://www.cdc.gov/ Centers for Disease Control
http://www.truthistreason.net/guide-to-veterinary-drugs-for-human-consumption-post-shtf Medical info
http://www.firstaidweb.com/ First aid training
http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/Main.aspx?kwtid=239433 Sportsman’s Guide
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&ipp=24&Ntt=wood%2Bstove Northern Tool
http://www.rddusa.com/ military surplus equipment
http://www.natchezss.com/ Natchez Shooter Supply
http://www.brigadeqm.com/default.asp Brigade Quartermasters
http://www.armslist.com/classifieds/mississippi Armslist MS. classified firearms sales and trade.
http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/wilderness-first-aid.html wilderness first aid
http://www.gunbot.net/ ammo search tool
http://www.zahal.org/ Israeli Tactical gear
http://www.luckygunner.com/ ammo sales
http://www.midwayusa.com/ gun parts and magazines
http://www.sgammo.com/ ammo sales
http://www.underwoodammo.com/ ammo sales
http://www.trijicon.com/na_en/index.php night sights
http://www.firstoptionmedical.com/ medical supplies
http://www.backyardchickens.com/ raising chickens
http://codegreenprep.com/ prepping info
http://homesteadsurvival.com/ general homesteading info
http://www.backwoodshome.com/ general homesteading info
http://www.goldandsilveronline.com/ pre-1965 silver coins

Letter Re: Where To Park Some Funds?

James Wesley,
I read your blog daily for news and inspiration. I just sold my house and have equity that we want to purchase a new home with…debt free, pay cash.We will be looking for a home in Texas, and hope to be settled in in the next 18 months. My question, what do I do with $200,000 in the mean time?  I’m terrified to put our earnings from the sale into a bank.
Thanks – Stacy D.

JWR Replies: In my opinion silver bullion (pre-1965 “junk” coin bags or 100-ounce serialized Engelhard bars) are your best bet, for an 18 month time span. With the recent dip in silver prices, you will at least break even, and might come out ahead. If secure storage space is at a premium, then you could opt for gold American Eagles. (Gold is presently 61 times more compact, per dollar.)

Economics and Investing:

Until October 15th the documentary An Inconvenient Tax will be available via streaming to Netflix subscribers.

Economics Professor Laurence Kotlikoff: Oh, and By the Way, Our Government Is Totally Broke!

A useful primer: Rehypothecation of Collateral

G.G. flagged this: Five Alarming Facts About Entitlement Spending

Items from The Economatrix:

The D Word, again: US default seen as disaster dwarfing Lehman’s fall “Among dozens of money managers, economists, bankers, traders and former government officials, few view such an event as anything but a financial apocalypse.”

Peter Schiff Warns of Martial Law

Where Did The Gold Go?

Odds ‘n Sods:

Billy R. sent: Portable 12V power supply in an ammo can

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James W. liked this: Why use suppressors in combat, illustrated by a “ruined” video

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Reader P.W. wrote to ask if any blog readers know who makes the [woodstove chimney-mounted] Baker’s Salute Oven that is sold on the Lehman’s web site. (“They say made in the USA but Lehman’s will not tell me who the manufacturer is.”) A lot of the products sold by Lehman’s come from Amish cottage industries.  Many of these families don’t have telephones, so it might be hard to track down. Does anyone know?

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J.S. recommended this fascinating piece: What Happens When Cities Fall Apart?

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Weekend Attacks on Arkansas’ Electric Grid Leave 10,000 Without Power; ‘YOU SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED U.S.’