A Critical Thinker Book Review: Hunt Gather Grow Eat

We all benefit from the wisdom and experience of those around us. For someone with a beginning passion for a subject, a mentor is extremely valuable; and for those that have achieved a reasonable amount of competence, a respected peer can be a great sounding board for exploring issues and alternatives. For those with a general interest in self sufficiency or a specific interest in food independence, the new book from Jason Akers comes very close in replicating those relationships. His book, Hunt Gather Grow Eat: Your Guide to Food Independence, is a very readable and useful survey of self sufficiency techniques and experiences. As I was reading the book, I could picture in my mind the author sitting on my deck with me. I would say “Hey Jason, what do think about (name a subject)”—then the book responds with the author’s thoughts and personal experiences about that subject. Sounds unusual, huh; well, it was a new experience for me as well—but in a good way. I haven’t enjoyed reading a non-fiction book like this in a long time. (The book was published in 2012 by The Self-Sufficient Gardener, ISBN 1475275412.)

According to the author, the book was written for people who want to get back to the land and to pure living– whether they have never grown anything and don’t know where to start, or for those that have “lost their way along the path”. The book provides solutions to avoid the food safety hazards using sustainable techniques and demonstrates that it is not terribly difficult to begin to implement them into ones everyday life.

The book contains sections on permaculture, food safety, hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, gardening, animal husbandry, harvesting, preservation, and diet. By far, the largest and most informative section is the chapter on gardening. There were a few minor topics absent in the book that I expected e.g.  fish farming; and some topics were discussed at an absolute beginners level e.g. hunting. The author does not claim to have firsthand experience with every subject covered; but from the style of writing and the inclusion of anecdotes, I expect that he has had experience with the great majority of them. I would hazard to guess that any omissions are a result of the author’s personal experience and a natural avoidance of talking about things that he was not knowledgeable of – a healthy habit that many could benefit from. The authors writing style is very clear and exceedingly concise. The book addresses many subjects in a direct and informal manner with little emphasis on introductions and transitions. Occasionally this abrupt shift in subject narration is somewhat distracting. There are numerous figures—primarily black and white photographs. Unfortunately, the quality of many of the photographs is inadequate to illustrate the author’s points e.g. edible plant identification is really not feasible and may not even be safe using the photographs included. The utility of the book would increase if there was an index and list of references. Although the writing is generally good, there are occasional editing and minor formatting issues. If the issues identified are corrected within a second edition, this title would be a valuable and enjoyable contribution to a self-sufficiency library.

A unique aspect of the book is its discussion of permaculture. The book begins with an overview of permaculture and its application to the books subject. Permaculturalists, in particular, should be very interested in the manner that the book’s author has integrated permaculture principles into his approach. The author points out that the permaculture community has not really addressed or included hunting and fishing, and has not stressed wild crafting within their body of practice. The book, however, does address this integration of permaculture theory and, for the lack of a better term, “country boy skills”. It seems natural for me to imagine that the author grew up in a family that practiced many of these skills as a general way of life; and that when he was introduced to permaculture, its principles and practices provided him an underling theory that was consistent with his own background and experience, and it then in turn provided a basis for extension of his adult philosophy and practice.

The author, Jason Akers, is an active, practicing homesteader. He grew up on a farm and as an adult has practiced and developed his self-sufficient skills. He has received training in permaculture design; and now hosts the Self-Sufficient Gardener Podcast.

Jason’s book has struck a great balance in providing a very healthy amount of content without becoming dry and encyclopedic–not to say that there aren’t some drawbacks to this form. Because of the breadth of coverage undertaken in the book, there are not many subjects covered in great depth. In other words, for those of us that enjoy reading in great detail about a subject; it does not replace books that cover very specific subjects. Generally, it is a survey of techniques with an emphasis on successful and practical approaches. The great value of the book is that it efficiently and naturally provides general descriptions of many practices to achieve food independence, with the very useful words of experience from someone that is practicing what he preaches.
Buy Read Learn Enjoy

Letter Re: Alternative Treatments for Auto-Immune Disorders in the Absence of Traditional Health Care

Dear James,
I’m a long time SurvivalBlog reader, first time responder, and serious prepper.    This article by J.F. has some excellent information but there is a glaring omission.  In most auto immune diseases, there is an assault on your body that invokes a response by your immune system. At times, such as the case of the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, your body gets confused by various threats and “brings out the big guns, namely a cytokine storm that effectively neutralizes the threat.  Unfortunately, this also does “collateral damage” in the form of severe oxidative stress to surrounding tissue.  
 
Vitamin D3 is well known to be an immuno-regulator, meaning it prevents a harmful over reaction of the killer T-cells sent in to take care of the problem.  Vitamin D makes your immune system work smarter, not harder.  How much dosage does a person need to properly regulate their immune system?  The key is to get your blood level of Vitamin D between 50 and 100 nanograms per milliliter based on a 25(OH)D blood test.  For most people this means taking 5,000 international units a day.  (Your typical multi vitamin has 400 units.)  Some who spend a lot of time outdoors and have certain dietary habits might need a little less than 5,000, but the blood test is the ultimate arbiter.  
 
Optimizing your vitamin D to this level has many other benefits, so we’re not talking about introducing an unnecessary risk.  It’s good for you whether or not you’re concerned about pandemics or your immune system.  And it’s quite inexpensive, normally 5 to 10 cents a day (US). 
 
For those who don’t want to take my word for it, Dr. John Cannell is arguably the leading authority on Vitamin D’s role in regulating the auto-immune system, so a google search of his name and “auto immune” will lead you to all the authoritative sources you could possibly want. (I just did it and got 668,000 articles.)  Best of luck to everyone in the coming times. – Big Blue

JWR Replies: Readers must be warned that Vitamin D is fat soluble. Unlike the water soluble vitamins, excess fat soluble vitamins are not easily excreted by the human body, and can build up to toxic levels. Consult your physician before mega-dosing any fat soluble vitamins for more than just brief periods. (Two or three days.) The acronym KADE should be memorized: Vitamins K A,D, and E are fat soluble, and special care must be used in their dosing. In contrast, the water soluble vitamins are rarely a problem, since the body can easily get rid of any more of them than are needed for complete nutrition and a sufficient immune response.

Recipe of the Week:

John E.’s Lefse
                        
Lefse is also known as Norwegian flatbread, or “Norwegian tortillas.”

Growing up in a mostly Norwegian community, I learned at an early age the joys of a warm rolled lefse fresh from the griddle that had been slathered with butter and sprinkled with sugar.  In later years I enjoyed them rolled with thin sliced gouda cheese, summer sausage, and a little mayonnaise with mustard.  Lefse in both forms was a welcome snack while sitting in the middle of a snow filled slope after several hours of skiing.

My grandparents always boiled more spuds than they would use for a meal and make lefse with the leftovers.  When the potatoes in the sack were getting too soft and were going bad, they would boil them up and use them in lefse. Instead of leaving the bread moist and flexible, they would be  allowed to dry to a cracker like state and were stored in open stacks in the pantry.  They keep for months. 
Getting them flexible enough to roll at a later date was easy enough.  The dried lefse round would be layered between a damp(not wet) cotton towel and left in the warming oven till it was flexible.
By the way, the boiled water from the spuds was never thrown away, it was used to ‘strengthen’ soups or to make bread.

Lefse
4 cups boiled riced potatoes (run it through a ricer to eliminate lumps)
1/3 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
2 ½ cups flour

Mix all but the flour until it is light and cool, then add flour.  Let the dough age and cool for an hour or so.  Don’t handle too much.  Roll out on a slick surface dusted with flour and cook on a large griddle until it has tan spots and then turn over.  Make small batches at first until you get the feel of  the dough.  It works best if one person handles the dough and another handles the griddle.  A broad thin spatula works best (for me) and there are griddles and tools specific to making lefse available if you want to get real serious about it.

Chef’s Notes:

I should mention that there are many different recipes on the Internet including ones for instant potatoes and also no potatoes–instead using barley flour.
To get a taste without the work, quite often you can find lefse some supermarkets.  Albertson’s, to name one, usually has Gudrun’s brand lefse in the freezer or check for a local Sons of Norway Lodge as they quite often have fund raisers where they sell homemade lefse.
Enjoy!

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Potato Recipes

Celtnet Norway (Norwegian) Recipes and Cookery

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics and Investing:

Jim W. recommended this “must watch” interview that mentions the coming derivatives implosion: Greg Mannarino – People Are Going to Suffer on a Biblical Scale

Marc Faber – The Most Dangerous Trend Facing The World Today. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)

G.G. flagged this: Regulators close small bank in Minnesota for total of 41 US failures so far this year

Items from The Economatrix:

June Food Stamp Recipients Hit All-Time High As Three Times As Many Americans Enter Poverty Than Find Jobs

8 Reasons Why No One Should Ignore The Coming Economic Collapse

Unemployment Benefits Claims Fall 12,000

Inflation Fears, Looming Fiscal Cliff Send Gold Soaring

Odds ‘n Sods:

I’m pleased to announce that my old associate Todd Savage has officially launched www.SurvivalRetreatConsulting.com. Todd is both a former real estate agent and a Marine with a good tactical eye. He offers his on-site services for selecting and upgrading retreats in Northern Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Northwest Montana. His rates are quite affordable.

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R.B.S. sent: The power of the Sun: Now NASA reveals Video of a 500,000 mile ‘solar whip’ that caused an aurora on Earth

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Another Sustainable Preparedness Expo will be held on September 30, 2012 in Spokane, Washington.

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Reader Pierre M. wrote to mention that the by-subscription intelligence firm STRATFOR offers several of their reports free of charge to non-subscribers.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I was born and raised in that religious atmosphere which for three hundred years has never varied in its extreme devotion to peace. Yet I know that peace comes in the modern world only to those nations which are adequately prepared to defend themselves. The European Allies are now paying in blood and disaster for their failure to heed plain warnings. With adequate preparedness they might have escaped attack.” – Herbert Hoover. May 27, 1940, from the recently-released book, Freedom Betrayed: Herbert Hoover’s Secret History of the Second World War and Its Aftermath

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) 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. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 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.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 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.

Alternative Treatments for Auto-Immune Disorders in the Absence of Traditional Health Care, by J.F., RN

Many preppers are carefully strategizing the health care needs of themselves and their families. They are doing a great job of planning for a lack of conventional medicine, by stocking up on prescription medication where possible, finding alternate sources for antibiotics, collecting over-the-counter supplies and supplements and stockpiling the necessary items for inevitable wounds, rashes, skin infections and the like.

But what about those folks with chronic illnesses, who rely upon daily medications and/or the newer injectable biologic answers to auto-immune disorders such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus? What solutions, hopefully temporary, can be offered to those with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or thyroid disorders?

This material is offered as a stop-gap for people suffering from auto-immune disorders. And people with auto-immune disorders often have secondary conditions of Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and thyroid disorders. I should know: I am a Registered Nurse and I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis.  That said, I want also to add the disclaimer that I’m NOT a physician but I’ve done my best research on how to manage these chronic conditions in the event that traditional health care is unavailable. I’ve tried some of them now – and found I’ve been able to reduce my prescription medications in half! Let me share with you what I’ve tried myself.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: We know this isn’t the wear-and-tear joint destruction of normal aging, but instead the body makes too much of an immune system response so that it attacks its own joints, vessels, and organs. An easy description appears on the Arthritis Foundation web site:

“Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a form of inflammatory arthritis and an autoimmune disease. For reasons no one fully understands, in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system – which is designed to protect our health by attacking foreign cells such as viruses and bacteria – instead attacks the body’s own tissues, specifically the synovium, a thin membrane that lines the joints. As a result of the attack, fluid builds up in the joints, causing pain in the joints and inflammation that’s systemic – meaning it can occur throughout the body.”

But here’s the good news: People with ‘ramped up’ immune systems are better able to fight infections, which will be a favorable condition in a collapse situation! Before learning about prepping, I was already concerned with the amount of ‘chemicals’ I was putting into my body to treat this condition, so began researching alternative treatments. First of all, I went on a Gluten Free, Low Glycemic Index, Anti Inflammatory Diet. (Sometimes, I cheat…) Diet modification might be difficult to do in a collapse situation and I plan to eat gluten/wheat if need be until such a time as I can return to my usual diet.  Gluten Free and Anti Inflammatory Diets have been in the news for a few years now as solutions for auto-immune diet therapy. So stocking up on Gluten Free pastas, flours and mixes, and steel-cut oats was self explanatory. But in putting aside food stores for a Low-Glycemic Index diet for a collapse situation, I have included dried sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, along with other ‘slow burning carbs’ such as brown rice instead of white rice, steel cut oats instead of flaked oats, quinoa (a grain with a low-glycemic index as well as high protein), and rice pasta, along with dried black beans as opposed to other dried beans due to the low-glycemic index of black beans.

The Low-Glycemic index diet resulted from research conducted at the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Harvard-affiliated Boston Children’s Hospital in which obesity prevention was the primary focus but study outcomes determined not every calorie is an equivalent calorie. This study found that the Low-Glycemic index diet had similar metabolic benefits to the very low-carb diet without negative effects of stress and inflammation as seen by participants consuming the very low-carb diet. As inflammation is part and parcel of auto-immune disorders, it stands to reason a Low-Glycemic index diet will (1) reduce inflammation, and (2) achieve improved metabolic use of calories in a stressful situation such as a collapse situation. Low-Glycemic index diets are beneficial for diabetics as well, and results of this study can be viewed at the Journal of American Medical Association’s journal site.

Another aspect of the Anti Inflammatory Diet includes adding ¼ teaspoon of Tumeric twice daily in your diet. Tumeric is expensive; start buying it now. You can add it to powdered eggs for a scramble or on rice/grains/beans and some people have been known to put it in a cup of warm water and drink it (though, I find it is better on foods.)  Saffron, also very expensive but get it if you can, when added to rice has been known to reduce inflammation and adds a buttery flavor to rice. Cardamom seeds, 1 teaspoon of crushed seeds per cup of water taken one to four times daily, have been shown to reduce inflammation (and has antibacterial properties.)  According to Dr. Sharol Marie Tilgner in her book, “Herbal Medicine: From the Heart of the Earth,” California Poppy infusion is used for its anti-inflammatory properties, anti-spasmodic properties, and has been used as a substitute for its cousin the Opium Poppy. California Poppy infusion ratio is one heaping fresh tablespoon per cup of water, or 1:1 fresh liquid extract 1-4 times daily. Arnica tablets, taken under the tongue, have been used as an adjunct for pain in hospice patients. All of these remedies are available in herbal specialty stores or online and do not require prescription.  If you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest there is an abundance of wild Feverfew – it’s bitter, no doubt about it, but chew a little leaf for a headache or make an infusion of 1 teaspoon dried leaves per cup of water up to four times daily for its anti-inflammatory properties. Of course, as with all herbal remedies, don’t use if you’re pregnant or might be pregnant. 

Don’t forget to put aside Sea Salt for your diet rather than regular table salt – it contains less sodium so reduces the ‘water retention’ properties of inflammatory conditions as well as fluid retention in high blood pressure conditions. Vitamin C, 1000mg daily, has been shown to reduce inflammation in blood vessels – something that occurs in auto-immune disorders and cardiovascular disease. Put some good, old Ibuprofen in your kit: My rheumatologist has me taking 600mg up to three times daily, which is a safe ‘prescription dose’ if you do not have abnormal liver lab values or liver disease. Of course, 325mg of aspirin daily helps prevent blood clotting that can cause heart attack but use caution if you are taking a prescription blood thinner or using herbal alternatives that thin the blood (such as Feverfew.)  I wish I had a distinct reference for this but this is just knowledge I’ve acquired in my career over the past 20 years and carry the knowledge with me!

People with auto-immune disorders often have secondary endocrine conditions. I have not acquired these secondary conditions yet, but my home apothecary for use in a collapse situation contains herbal medicines, and I’ve initiated some of them to stave off developing high blood pressure or Type II diabetes as described in the next paragraph.

First off: Exercise. I mean it! Keep moving, it helps level blood sugar, lower blood pressure, forestall cardiovascular disease and keeps you fit for unfortunate situations. Secondly, a cup of Green Tea steeped at least three minutes, taken at least twice a day has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels up by up to 40 points. Cinnamon, either in capsules made from the bark or in liquid extract form, has been shown to stave off Type II Diabetes. I use the capsules made of bark as my reading on Cinnamon tells me to use caution with infusions as it is easy to overdose. My herbalist friends insist it’s an alternative treatment, but my endocrinologist friends tell me it won’t work, so my philosophy on this particular item is to give it a try because in a collapse situation you may not have an alternative.

According to my herbalist friends, Hibiscus Tea, one cup steeped three to five minutes twice daily has been shown to reduce blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic, Niacin or Flush-Free Niacin or Niacinamide, available over the counter, has been shown to increase High Density Lipids (good cholesterol) and may help reduce cholesterol, along with a low fat diet. I suggest also taking Omega-3 Fish Oil capsules to further assist in lowering cholesterol. Many of the medications prescribed for Rheumatoid Arthritis can cause high cholesterol (it’s all about homocysteine converting to cholesterol in the liver, a pathophysiology lesson best given another day) but what we don’t know is this: If you stop taking your Rheumatoid Arthritis medication because of a collapse situation, will your cholesterol come back down? Because this isn’t known and I can’t find it in my research anywhere, I’ve stocked up on Hibiscus Tea and Omega-3 Fish Oil in the event I can no longer get my Pravastatin!

This leaves the topic of thyroid disease, typically low thyroid. It leaves you with a slowed metabolism, weight gain, fatigue, and you feel like a blob.  I don’t have thyroid disease and can’t speak to actual alternative therapies, but in my local herbal supplement/infusion shop I find infusions and capsules that are said to increase thyroid function. From a pathophysiologic standpoint, I do not understand how you resurrect a nonfunctioning gland, but I plan to add the herbal remedy to my current apothecary as I am the household medic and you never know – it can’t hurt, and it might help. If you have a thyroid disorder, do your best to stock up on prescription medication.

As with traditional, currently available medicine, people with auto-immune disorders need to balance rest with activity, and avoid stress. I do not need to remind you a collapse situation will be a stressful situation and in order to take care of others you must take care of yourself.  It is my hope these suggestions help you find ways to take care of yourself – and others –  in an unfortunate situation. Until then, take your prescription medications as directed and save the alternatives for such a time as prescription medication is unavailable. God bless!

 

References:

  1. What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Accessed August 23, 2012.

2. Ebbeling, C., Swain, J., Feldman, H., Wong, W., Hatchey, D., Garcia-Lago, E., and Ludwig, D. Effects of Dietary Composition on Energy Expenditure During Weight Loss Maintenance. JAMA 2012; 307(24)2627-2634. Retrieved August 23, 2012 from JAMA.

3. Niacin to Boost your HDL, ‘Good,’ Cholesterol. Retrieved August 23, 2012.

4.  Tilgner, S., Herbal Medicine: From the Heart of the Earth, Second Edition; Wise Acres, Copyright 2009.

Two Letters Re: Prepping with Fangs: Dogs for a Survivalist

James:
As a reformed “slip and fall” attorney, I would like to point out some issues related to dog ownership. I have defended homeowners and sued homeowners relating to dog bites.The article about the decision to pick a certain breed, Doberman Pincher, was well written and informative but I would like to add some additional points, too often overlooked, about dog ownership. For sure, I would check with my homeowner’s insurance carrier to see if you have coverage for a dog bite, and secondly, if there are specific breed coverage exemptions. Often you will be unable to insure the risk of ownership for breeds such as Pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dobermans, etc. For me ownership of a breed that cannot be inured is a deal breaker. One quick way to jeopardize your retreat and possessions is to have a dog bite victim sue you, even if the “victim” was an uninvited “guest” or even an invited visitor for that matter. A small yapping dog will alert you just as well as a Pit bull. A couple/few midsize mutts (insurers will consider Pit bull mixes the same as a full blooded Pit bull) would work well. You can’t earn a living breeding mutts but there some perfectly good breed choices that can be insured. Aside from the monetary levels of liability insurance coverage, the best feature of a policy is the contractual right to have the insurer hire an attorney/law firm to defend you. This all relates to basic asset protection and if you are considering buying/breeding a dog consider the ramifications of a dog bite. Also, before you move, check out the homestead protection level of the state you may move to.

The American Redoubt states vary in degree of asset protection via homestead exemptions. I won’t be moving there, but Texas is real good in this regard. Idaho $100,000, Montana $250,000, Washington $125,000, Oregon $40,000 and Wyoming $20,000 (I’m not moving to Wyoming). There is a whole lot more to this. I have been on both sides, plaintiff/defendant, and have seen people lose most of their assets. This is one of the most overlooked areas of “survival.” If you want a pack of Dogo Argentinos, a great defense/offense, make sure you are not going to lose the shirt off your back. Thanks and God Bless. – Attorney John M.

 

Jim:
I believe Dale has hit on some great points for taking care of the dogs. But the type or breed is something I need to address, there is another breed of dog to consider, it was breed in China for one and only one purpose to be a temple guard dog of both the building and the Monks who were non-violent believers.  The Chow has a undeserved reputation of being a mean and aggressive animal, as a SPCA volunteer and a part time breeder of chows, its a false conclusion.  The chows in this country have been bred to eliminate those type of characteristics and temperament.  Having said that, a chow has a very high pack mentality as it relates to its family pack (human & critters)  I have a few over the years and those chows have been devoted to even the cats in our pack. 
 
A chow is interesting in that even though its a med to  large dog, it requires very little “space” its pad will suffice and can exist with a person very well thank you in a small apartment.  It not a high strung or hyper dog, it very seldom barks or growls, but as their nature and training intended when it does you need to investigate. They are great with small children and infants, they will want to be close and have a very social inclination. You do have to watch non-family members interacting with the pack members(your family members) even horsing around and playing will put them into attention mode.    In China as a temple guard they were very respected and with good reason, they fear nothing, including mountain lion, bear or even an automobiles, ( I lost one of my males to a late night visitor who decided to explore my fenced back yard with 3 chows on guard, my male chow was killed chasing this person out on a highway and was hit by a truck).  I acquired a small female chow from the SPCA after her owner turned her in to them because they were fearful of her because she would just stare at them and they were intimidated by it.  I had her in my life for almost 15 years and the only time she even turned into a Zombie killer was the day a neighbors male 110-pound or so Rottie strayed into our yard from its home a mile away with the intention of showing that it was the king of the hill to my 55-pound female Chow.  The neighbors were all fearful of this rottweiler as it had caused problems with the neighbors animals and the owner was proud that his dog had that reputation.   What ensued next made me a believer in a chows capability as a guard dog, the rottweiler attacked my chow and she went ballistic on that male dog, I was sure she was going to be seriously hurt or killed, but after what seemed to be minutes and before I could secure any type of a weapon the rottweiler all bloody and looked like the preverbal jigsaw puzzle with a few pieces missing, left for anywhere except where it was and into contact with this thing that ate its lunch.  

Chows have a secret weapon, which I came to understand gives it such an advantage in a fight with anything, it possesses a extremely thick double coat of long hair which in a battle protects it from a bigger an even more determined opponent, while the opponent bites nothing but hair the chow is using it massive teeth to rip and shred critters with short hair and thin hide.   The next day I received a visit from the owner of the rottweiler, who was attempting to recover some money for the vets bills from the 50 or so stitches it had incurred.  He tried to sell his story that my chows had attacked his dog, at which time I pointed out it was his dog who trespassed on my property and attacked my female chow (my other chows were with my wife at the time who was out of town)  and my chow was forced to defend herself.  He was in disbelief that my little dog had almost destroyed his  bigger and meaner Rottie, to be honest at the time I was in shock myself that she escape a major injury.   So the lesson is make your own evaluations and choose the dog(s) that fit your family and situation.  Take a look at a Chow that was breed for one thing and it does that one thing very well.  Happy trails, – John in Arizona

Economics and Investing:

Canadian housing bubble goes into full mania mode – Canadian debt-to-personal income ratio near 145% while US at peak of the housing bubble was at 125%.

When Working Until 70 Isn’t Enough

Rex spotted this: Richard Russell: The World Can Fix Its Debt Problem By Raising The Value Of Gold To $10,000

The swan song of stagflation – Gas prices up over 100 percent from 2005 and incomes are stagnant. Ignoring a $16 trillion debt headline and repackaging food to hide stagnant incomes.

Items from The Economatrix:

Catherine Austin Fitts:  They’re Going to Depopulate or Bankrupt the Rest of Us

Wall Street Treads Water, Stays on ECB Watch

Record 46 Million Americans on Food Stamps

Rough Road Ahead?  September is Dow’s Worst Month

Odds ‘n Sods:

Signs of the times: Roadside solar panels nabbed. (Thanks to Brian M. for the link.)

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Mike Williamson mentioned this amazing cartridge made by shortening and necking down 20mm Vulcan cases: 14.9mm SOP

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Several readers mentioned this essay by novelist (and former Navy SEAL) Matt Bracken: When The Music Stops – How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence. Note that Matt Bracken isn’t a racist. He’s a realist.

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Cause for concern: White House circulating draft of executive order on cybersecurity. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed:

For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” – 2 John 1: 6-11 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) 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. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 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.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 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.

Training Combatives: The How, What and Why of Acquiring Hand-to-Hand Skills

Disclaimer: the opinion presented below is garnered from my personal experience. I make no claims of omnipotence or omniscience. As with all things, analyze this information and use your judgment to make an informed decision on how to integrate the following material into your personal preparations. When it comes down to it, learning how to avoid a fight and effectively negotiate a resolution is as (or more) important than combatives training. However, I will leave the topic of practical negotiation to others who can espouse the finer points better than I.

I was motivated to write this article after gritting my teeth for the past few evenings while reading some related postings on survivalblog. There is a lot of ego tied up with certain martial arts doctrines (as with weapons, calibers etc.), especially when people have been practicing something for many years. Brand myopia generally afflicts people who have such a vested emotional interest in whatever they’re doing that they refuse to consider alternatives. My fear is that well intentioned people are recommending disciplines that are not necessarily the most efficient way to train hand-to-hand combatives. Unseasoned readers and general “noobies” to the whole self-defense/preparedness culture may be easily overwhelmed with useless information and misdirected. With all things in life, truth is found in the middle way. As a result, I’m offering my opinion, which can be best summarized as “Honor truth wherever it is found, and use what works.”

We all know that “preppers” take their physical self defense seriously. It is an essential part of being prepared and being an American. Many of us reading this have spent major time, money and effort acquiring the necessary rifles, handguns, and training to be able to competently defend ourselves and our families over a variety of distances. Many of us have learned that alertness and proper combat mindset are essential to self-defense when the need arises (alertness can help to avoid a potentially nasty confrontation in the first place, which is a good thing), and that training reflexively under pressure helps prepare our bodies and minds to fight effectively.

However, when you made the commitment to being armed and willing to kill to defend yourself and your loved ones, you shouldered a responsibility that does NOT end when the ammo runs out, parts breakages occur or you are separated from your weapons for whatever reason. If you’ve already made the commitment to self-defense to the point of being willing to do whatever is necessary, then you’ve probably realized that your rifle and handgun are simply efficient means to an end. It doesn’t matter what rifle or pistol you carry; they are simply tools that make you a more efficient fighter over longer distances. Regardless of caliber and model, the fact should remain that you are a well-regulated, moral, and dangerous person, with and without weapons.

Sadly, in my limited observations and experience in talking with other “preppers”, many people’s self-defense skills (and mindset) start with how much ammo they’ve got and ends with “…from my cold dead hands.” Unfortunately, few people consider the unpredictable nature of violence, or train the ability of being able to draw and fire a pair of hits in under two seconds with a sidearm—CCW permit holders are familiar with the additional time imposed by concealing garments on their draw-stroke, and should seriously evaluate their ability to defend against a trained aggressor with lethal hands (or lethal objects in their hands) at conversational distance. To be fair, law enforcement, vigilant citizens and concealed carry permit holders avert or stop many crimes from happening with their weapons daily in this country. However, the gray world of dispute escalation often places people in positions where yelling and arguing transforms in the blink of an eye into a wrestling match, the immediacy of which affords neither time or space for the deployment of concealed weapons. Ignoring the capabilities of a determined attacker at close range is foolish—and in my opinion, not enough emphasis in personal preparation plans is placed on responding to threats at close range.

Generally speaking, there are two types of close-range threats: armed and unarmed. Instantly assessing your opponents’ capabilities, the nature of their armament, and their intent is a valuable skill*. Though this is beyond the scope of this article, many of you have already been exposed to the “ability, opportunity, jeopardy” threat assessment process in shooting schools—in close combat, the rules still apply and the assessment process is the same. Your adversary’s physical condition, emotional state and body language should all shape your response. Having a certain amount of depth and flexibility in your hand-to-hand techniques will help you if your assessment is correct and certainly not hurt if your assessment is wrong. In short, a well-rounded close-range combatives skill set will possess the following:

  1. The ability to fight standing up
  2. The ability to throw and execute take-downs, as well as defend against the same
  3. The ability to fight on the ground

 

Broadly speaking, fights have two phases: the standing phase and the ground phase. Almost all fights start standing, but they usually end on the ground. The reason for this is that someone usually gets caught off balance and is tripped, stumbles or is thrown/taken down by their opponent. It is during the transition between the standing phase and the ground phase that the outcome of the fight is usually determined. The person who ends up on top has the advantage of gravity aiding their blows, while the person on the bottom usually cannot maneuver to avoid them, nor effectively strike back. Unless the person on the bottom has well developed grappling skills (jiu-jitsu, judo, wrestling), it is almost impossible for them to turn the tide.

In any type of practical, real-world conflict, time will be your enemy. Your opponent may be younger and better conditioned than you, which favors them the longer the fight continues. They may have friends nearby who will help them. They may have a hidden weapon to deploy if given enough time. For this reason, the quicker you can end the fight, the better. This requires taking an aggressive, offensive role immediately.

The goal of any fight training you undertake should be to quickly push an opponent off-balance, kick or throw them to the ground, and disable them. Obviously, the first opportunity that presents itself for escape should be taken. It is difficult to deliver fight ending blows in the standing phase unless you are a trained striker with knockout power and your opponent is untrained and gives you the space to strike effectively. It is also difficult to end a fight by throwing someone or taking them to the ground, unless they land on something sharp or hard that knocks them out or breaks something. Various jui-jitsu ground grappling techniques for maiming limbs or choking someone unconscious can be very effective and quick if they are trained extensively. However, for most people, it is in the transition period between standing and being on the ground, the brief period of time when your adversary is falling, that a dominant position can be established with which to end the fight. Several crushing blows to the throat may be all it takes. Alternatively, the several seconds that it takes an opponent to recover from being thrown could afford you the time to draw and fire your concealed weapon, deploy a knife etc.

For these reasons, a practical martial arts program that spends time addressing each of these “fight phases” is a good starting point for someone looking to broaden the spectrum of their self defense responses. I can give general recommendations on what to look for and what to avoid:

Look for:
A clean, well organized gym/dojo with clear and up front fee payment schedules.
A curriculum that emphasizes practical techniques and instructors with a “use what works” attitude.
A curriculum that comprehensively addresses ground fighting and grappling.
An environment that fosters the personal testing and evaluation of techniques through sparring and open-roll grappling sessions (not only among students, but instructors as well—do they talk about and evaluate techniques outside of class?)
A supportive and fun learning environment.

Avoid:
Someone’s garage with dubious credentials.
Chaotic “we all teach each other” peer instruction type groups.
Gyms/dojos that are dirty and not well taken care of (seriously, MRSA and ringworm abound on dirty mats).
A one-dimensional curriculum that focuses exclusively on stand up striking, ignoring grappling and take-downs or vice-versa.
Instructors that seem manic, macho, aggressive/defensive, have various ego issues, are unwilling to entertain questions that challenge the utility or execution of particular techniques, or that you get a “funny feeling” from.

Generally speaking, a well-rounded mixed martial arts (MMA) gym should be able to provide a good solid foundation in all of the these fight phases. However, you should focus your training as much as possible on real-world type conflicts and be aware that stand-up striking, throws, and ground grappling are not ends in themselves. Your practice of these techniques should always focus on the transitions between these fight phases with the goal of disabling your adversary as quickly as possible while maintaining a dominant position. Muay-thai boxing with emphasis on knees and elbows, coupled with judo-style throws and wrestling take-downs, and finished off with Brazilian jiu-jitsu ground grappling would provide a solid combatives foundation for anyone seeking to improve their defensive capabilities. Further areas of specialty instruction relating to weapons disarmament (Krav-Maga) and knife fighting may have to be pursued in other venues, but the foundation you receive in MMA will carry over into any other martial arts program you pursue.

I recommend MMA for beginners because I have found it is the fastest, most efficient and economical way to train someone to lethal ability and give them an all-around combative flexibility that any single discipline cannot provide. Six months of going 2-3 times per week to an MMA gym should give you a good depth of standup striking, the effective use of several different throws and takedowns, a variety of ground grappling submissions and the ability to handle almost any conflict you may run into. Additionally, an MMA curriculum will allow you to understand the contributions made by many different disciplines to the art of fighting without succumbing to the narrow-mindedness of brand myopia. This should allow you to continue your journey into the world of martial arts with an open mind and allow you to rapidly develop effective ability in self defense.

On a personal note, I would highly recommend Brazilian jiu-jitsu and/or judo to women and children who may have doubts about the training the striking components of fighting. It’s fun to roll around and use leverage and technique to negate strength and weight disparities and has practical real-world application in situations when women and children are almost always outclassed by stronger, larger opponents. However, sooner or later, striking should be integrated into their defensive array, as it has its place in ground fighting as well.

A pleasant side effect of MMA training (especially the open roll and sparring sessions which you should avail yourself of at every opportunity) is the physical conditioning, the increased self-confidence, the comraderie with your training partners, but perhaps most importantly, the aggressive “fight instinct” which inherently develops as a result of repeated close physical struggle against trained opponents.

I hope this article has been informative and will help to set people on the right path. Only so much can be written and hypothecated—the proof is in the doing. Get out there and train.

All the best,
Legionnaire

*Talk to an experienced peace officer or body language expert if you feel you could use more training in threat assessment. Ask your local law enforcement department about citizen tag-alongs with one of their patrol units. This is a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the types of threats that police officers face daily on the streets in your area, how they assess and respond to these threats, as well as your local department’s policies and attitudes when interacting with the citizenry.

Letter Re: The Barter Store — Update #2

JWR:
To make the most sense of this note, please refer to the SurvivalBlog archives for the December 22, 2011 original post with an update March 29, 2012.
 
The range of feedback to the post and update ranged from supportive to beyond hostile–which was more or less what I expected. Those critical to the “Barter Store” concept mostly missed the premises–that at least in some smaller, conservative towns/cities, small-scale commerce will help preserve order and civilization; security is handled and will not be a driving issue; that “preppers” have stocked up on and will be willing to sell/trade/barter some small/compact, useful, in-demand items to others who need or want them in exchange for either silver coin or similar items they forgot; and that your leadership could make a difference.
 
The suggested stocking list is relatively unrelated to your personal prepping list. For example, you don’t have to be a coffee drinker to realize others who are will be anxious to trade for it, if you have it available. So, we are speculating on those tradable and useful little things others have forgotten. And, even you–dedicated planner and prepper that you are–will forget an item or two you might need or want that you might be able to trade for (or barter or purchase) if you have a reasonable inventory.
 
Here are a few additions and modifications to our working list, with rationale (the numbers refer to the sequence we used on the previous posts)–
 
1. Alcohol. The original recommendation was to purchase a couple of cases of miniatures (airline-style bottles). These could probably be used as money as well as consumed, bartered, sold, or traded. I have noticed that the liquor stores sell these as multi-packs of ten (10) bottles as well as loose bottles. Instead of buying cases (too much $ to be spent for many preppers), you might consider keeping the cost down by putting away a few of the multi-packs. That way, you could also stock several different “flavors” without breaking the bank. You are not limited to hard liquor, BTW. Just about every supermarket or liquor store that sells wine also sells multi-packs of inexpensive red and white wines in single drink (one glass) bottles.
 
3. Tobacco. My US Army LTC son (who has just returned from his umpty-umpth trip to that nasty hole in the map) has pointed out to me that the troops will want snuff, not cigarettes. If there will be young men around (especially military, but not limited to them), add several dozen cans to your stock. These are also available (multi-packs of 12) in the “cage” at the wholesale clubs (too expensive to buy individually at the C-store).
 
4. Ammo. Do you remember I said this was mostly out of my lane? Plenty has been written elsewhere on SB about what you should stock, but I have a couple more thoughts: Put away some ammo (cans of .175 “field loads”) and CO2 cartridges for the pellet guns–useful for plinking doves, squirrels, …and rats. 
 
Here’s one so easy/cheap I’m surprised no one else has suggested it. I have a couple of inexpensive slingshots and extra rubbers I picked up at Wal-Mart, but you don’t need to purchase these. The Post Office (yes, the P.O.) uses big rubber bands by the ton to bundle mail. Next trip to the P.O., take a plastic grocery bag with you. Hand the bag to the friendly clerk and politely ask for some rubber bands for a “project.” They have a full mail cart of these somewhere in the back and you’ll probably get a bag full back. You can repackage these in Zip-locs for DIY slingshot construction. When I was a kid, we tried to make slingshots out of cut up inner tubes (remember those?). These never worked very well, but big rubber bands do.
 
21. Bikes. I thought of these as I was inventorying my Y2K leftovers (used almost everything over the years, but had some miscellany in a couple of boxes)–bike locks. When I was in basic training (BCT) a million years ago, someone asked the drill sergeant why we needed to secure (put locks on) our foot lockers. He answered instantly–“So we do not make thieves out of honest men.” After TEOTWAWKI, it would be a shame to lose a bike …just because it wasn’t locked. I have a couple of “Kryptonite” locks left in stock. There are plenty of combination lock cheapies out there to do the job–Ask any college student.
 
32. ED meds. Condoms–another wholesale club purchase. Wasn’t sure where to put this; this is as good a place as any.
 
Thanks, James, for the opportunity to continue to build our “stocking list.” All reader suggestions welcome – A.A.A.