Off Grid Cooking Solutions, Part 3, by V.W.

I have really come to enjoy researching and testing off grid cooking ideas and possibilities.  Last year I had purchased a few products that I felt were going to be the back bone of my preparedness efforts. Over this past winter, I began thinking that it was necessary to actually try out the ideas and suggestions from videos I had seen and articles I had read.  I ordered a few products to round out my supplies, and I became so enthusiastic with all the possibilities that I wrote “Off Grid Cooking Solutions, Part 1” and “Off Grid Cooking Solutions, Part 2.”

I had mentioned that it is very easy to build a brick rocket stove that performs fairly well.  Two downsides of that method is lack of portability and efficiency. Depending upon the design, it will smoke more than a professional stove during cooking, which could prove to be problematic for security reasons.  (You won’t want others to be aware you are cooking and the less smoke, the better). One thing that really concerned me is that I kept reading of the potential danger of bricks exploding.  I stopped by a business that builds outdoor fireplaces for patio use.  The owner had heard of rocket stoves being made from regular brick, but he warned against their use.  They are not made to withstand the heat like fire brick does.  If they get wet (and most people leave them set up outside in the elements), the steam building up inside as the bricks are heated can actually cause them to crack and even explode.  He felt the risks were not worth it.  The cost of the safer yellow-colored fire brick was $3.50 each.  The design I like and seemed most promising required 28 bricks.  The price to purchase the bricks would be about $100, which is close to the cost of a commercially made product. 

My brother’s father-in-law provided me with reinforcement of what I was told.  He formerly worked in a blast furnace, and he was well versed in the dangers of heat on regular brick.  He said that even moisture from dew was enough to seep into the porous bricks.  Then in a super-heated environment of the “rocket” effect, the steam will build up and could actually make the brick explode.  It’s much the same idea of not using river rock to line your camp fire because the rocks could explode.

I have seen various videos of people building and using these stoves as an economical solution to non-electric cooking.  At my suggestion, a friend built one for emergency use for her family.  However, the risks do not seem worth the potential danger.  Unfortunately, it can be compared to Russian Roulette.  You can use the stove many times and not have any problems.  Then one day when the circumstances are ripe, disaster strikes.

I wanted to inform those that are using and relying on them of these concerns.  Because of the possible danger, and because of the portability and efficiency of a professional model, I would strongly urge that people go that direction. 

In continuing my off grid cooking journey, I contacted afterburnerstoves.com to let them know about my article.  I had bought my “SuperPot” from them (which is a pot that is made specifically for the StoveTec rocket stove) and I wanted to let them know I had tried it and really liked it.  I also relayed my experience with using a rocket stove and thermal cooker together, which is now one of my favored emergency cooking methods.

It turned out that that they had just received a new rocket stove which recently came on the market. Several days later, Chris Horrocks contacted me and asked if I would be interested in testing it out.  He was wanting a completely unbiased opinion (someone who wasn’t in business and had an investment to protect) who could experience the operation of the stove and give an opinion.   I felt honored to be asked and was glad to do so.

I received the stove, which is part of the new SilverFire line, and I got ready to try it out.  Unfortunately for me, we were experiencing the coldest and wettest spring that I can remember and it was difficult to even find a day suitable to get outside.  And that is where the trouble began.

In the previous year when I had worked with my StoveTec, I chose a few nice days to go outside and perform tests.  I experienced great results.  Satisfied that my stove would be an asset in emergency situations, I put it away in readiness should I need it.  I am so glad that is not the end of the story…

The rocket stove is ideal for cooking in emergencies because its fuel consumption is so little compared to woodstoves or campfires.  However, the stoves must be used outdoors, or perhaps in a garage with the door open for ventilation.  I discovered that days that are cold, damp, and windy proved to be bigger obstacles than I thought, due to my inexperience.  However, in a crisis, you must be able to cook in whatever the weather conditions may be.

The difficulty began when the theories and possibilities I had in my head met the reality of the situation.  What I thought I knew flew out the window!   I was working with damp wood (we had a lot of rain) and the cold wind just would not stop.  I wasn’t getting great results, even with my original stove, and I was frustrated.
Operating a rocket stove is actually basic, easy, and fun.  However, the reality of weather has to be dealt with and a few tactics employed in order to be successful.  I happened to pick more difficult conditions to work in.

I repeatedly had to contact Mr. Horrocks for advice because I was flailing a lot.  He   explained that a person at the equator in very hot weather would have an easier time of it than someone working with damp fuel in cold and windy conditions.  There really is a learning curve.  But, he also estimated that 80% of his customers never test out their stoves before storing them away in their preps. 
I believe that if I had to go through what I just did in testing out the stoves, but was in a crisis situation, my stress level would have gone through the roof.  I think that is an aggravation which is easily avoidable.   It is my opinion that everyone should test things out for themselves and try various recipes and pots in differing weather conditions.  The experience gained is more valuable than ideas and untried theories.  Although “doable,” it is much easier to learn in a more relaxed atmosphere.

I was the one who encouraged folks to get out there and hone their skills.   I felt so humbled because I was having such difficulty.   As I had not done much testing, but rather had spent my time researching, in reality I was an “armchair prepper.” Why does this all even matter?  Let me give you a scenario which someone could likely face.  Say you live in the Midwest where tornadoes often strike.  You live in the suburbs.  There’s been a few days of rain.  The weather briefly warms, but a cold front approaches.  They collide and result in a storm which produces a large tornado.  Fortunately, your home is spared, but there is great damage in the area and much of the power lines are down.  The power company works round the clock to restore the electricity, but it takes three weeks until your home has power again.  Meanwhile, the weather is unseasonably cool and rainy.

You have food, water, and a way to light your home.  You have invested in a rocket stove and have a way to cook the food to feed your family.  You previously saw a couple of videos that showed a person lighting up a few sticks to cook a meal, so you get everything ready and are confident that you have things handled.  With the cold wind swirling around you, you try to light the stove.  No go.  The fuel is damp and just doesn’t want to light.  You get some more tinder and remember the trick you heard of cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly, which when lit creates a flame lasting several minutes.  Finally, you have a fire going.  But then it goes out.  You battle it for a while, but finally the fuel is dried out enough that it starts to catch. 

You didn’t find that many sticks for your fuel, but you think that you have enough because rocket stoves really don’t require that much.  You are preparing a large pot of vegetable beef stew to use up some meat you had in the freezer before it spoils.  But you just can’t get the pot up to a boil.  After an hour of standing in the cold wind, you finally are seeing progress, but now you are out of fuel.  Family members are scouting around for more sticks.  Thankfully, even though what sticks they do find are really damp, the hot fire dries them out enough to catch and you finally have enough heat to cook with.  You didn’t think it would take this long or be this hard. You’re cold and discouraged.  You realize that you have to do this two to three times each day.  There’s got to be a better way!

I urge you to invest some time with your stove.  Try out some recipes that your family enjoys.  Use a cast iron or stainless steel pan and fry hamburgers, a steak, or eggs. The amount of fuel to fry a few burgers is less than making a large pot of chili or stew in a Dutch oven or large pot.  Note that difference. Once your food is up to a boil, you can actually keep it simmering for hours by adding just one stick at a time.  Give that a try.   Take a large stock pot filled with water and bring it up to 150 degrees (the recommended temperature for pasteurizing) which may be needed for safe drinking water.   Keep track of how long that took.  Keep on going and see how long until the water boils.  You will need hot water for various tasks such as washing dishes, laundry, and bathing, so it is best to know how to do it as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

If interested in using a pressure cooker or canner, try that out as well.  I have canned tomatoes and green beans, so I do have a little experience in that area.  Canning is just a simple process with numerous steps to follow.  But if you have never canned before nor worked with your rocket stove, I would think it would be pretty overwhelming to begin for the first time in a crisis situation.
I would suggest cooking on the rocket stove in fair weather as well as windy and colder conditions.  One thing to consider is that as the rocket stove is working to bring a pot and its contents up to a boil, a cold wind will work against progress.  You must add heat to the cooking pot at a higher rate than the wind takes away.  The wind will speed the heat loss, so you need a wind break or shield, as well as more fuel to provide the heat required.   In those conditions, a shallow pan heats up faster than a taller, narrow one due to a larger surface area of the taller pot that is assaulted by the wind.

In dealing with wind, I have found two things to be invaluable.  The StoveTec comes with a pot skirt that directs the heat up the side of the pots and helps the stove to operate more efficiently.  I have seen some videos where people have placed shallow frying pans on top of the pot skirt, but that actually is not how they work.  They are designed for a taller pot to be placed on the stove and the adjustable metal skirt wraps around the sides, thus guiding the heat up the sides of the tall pot.  StoveTec also has the SuperPot which essentially does the same thing, but also gives the advantage of not having to clean off soot from your cooking pots.  In my testing, they both are a beneficial aid to get your pot heated quickly, especially in cold and windy weather.

The new SilverFire stove does not come with a pot skirt.  Because it is an improved design, it has a hotter and cleaner fire and quickly heats up to provide an efficient cooking flame.   It is my experience that a pot skirt does make a difference in colder, windy conditions, so I wouldn’t want to be without one.  I am assured, however, that the SilverFire will have its own SuperPot, which is currently in the making.  It is slated to be available during summer of 2013.

I would suggest finding several locations for cooking.  Where will you prepare meals when the sun is hot and bearing down?  You would want to cook in the shade, if possible.  If there is a stiff north wind blowing, is there a southern portion of your home or a building that would provide you with a wind break?  Is a garage or shed available during rainy, cold weather?  Do you have so much stuff packed in there that it would be a fire hazard to cook with a rocket stove?

As far as fuel is concerned, I suggest that you stay ahead of the game.  If there is a crisis and you live in a suburban area, and all you can find are a few wet sticks, you are going to have a little difficulty. Thankfully, it does not take the time to “season” fuel sticks like it does larger wood pieces for use in home heating. Even in urban areas, trees continually shed small, dead branches.  It is such an easy thing to gather them throughout the year.  Consider storing them in a weather-protected area so that they don’t get wet.  A tarp will keep your fuel dry and ready to go should you wish to have an ample supply ready.  You could also keep handy a large bucket or two of larger sticks and twigs, which could be stored in the garage.   And pallets make excellent fuel for rocket stoves.  Many businesses in my area just give them away.  They can be disassembled and a small hatchet used to split them into fuel sticks – all at no cost to you.  Although any biomass can be used, sticks give the longest and most trouble free operation due to their mass, and they are my fuel of choice.

One thing I discovered in performing my tests is that fuel made from lumber or dry sticks versus wet sticks performs differently.  The bark on the wet limbs acts as a fire retardant due to the moisture it holds, and is harder to start a fire with.  Since I live in an area with a lot of trees, limbs will be what I will commonly use.  But I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting the results I saw on videos.  I was able to overcome this when I added drier sticks in the stove coupled with more tinder, and then used more sticks for a hotter fire.   On one of the first days of testing, I worked for an hour to get a small stock pot of 10 cups of water up to a boil.  Last summer I had accomplished the same task in just minutes.  It was taking way too long.  But with the right technique and a pot skirt, it took only 15 minutes.
If the only fuel available is wet sticks, this actually is still doable.  Using more dry tinder (any biomass) to produce heat and get a bed of coals going will aid in getting the sticks to burn.  As the fire progresses, the sticks will dry out and will burn more easily.

As I continued my tests, the day I was able to easily start my cooking fire without the assisted means of cotton balls and petroleum jelly, I was happy.  I know there are serious survivalists out there who could almost sternly gaze at a small pile of tinder and get it started.  Not so with me.  But I discovered that with the right amount of either paper strips or dried leaves coupled with plenty of small twigs to create a bed of embers, my fuel sticks really got going.  And I only used one match on a very windy day.  I simply struck the match slightly inside the door so the wind wouldn’t immediately blow it out.  It quickly lit the paper, which in turn caught the tinder, resulting in enough heat to catch my fuel sticks on fire.  I was able to start cooking in about one minute.   Victory!

You may be wondering what all my testing resulted in when I tried out the new SilverFire stove and compared it with my StoveTec.  There actually was not a clear “winner,” as each stove had advantages.  My observations formed my opinions, and I realize that a controlled lab test would actually give more scientific findings.  But I will let you in on what I experienced:

The StoveTec is a solid stove that sits very securely either on the ground or a table, and it can take quite a bit of weight.  It can handle large pressure canners and heavy Dutch ovens with ease.  It fires up quickly, and coupled with either the pot skirt or SuperPot, it works very well.  One nice feature is that it remains cool to the touch on the outside for a prolonged period of use.  However, the insulation and cast iron top are slightly fragile if dropped, so caution needs to be taken when transporting it.   I love using this stove and wouldn’t want to be without it.

The SilverFire is almost half the weight of the StoveTec (12½ pounds), and it has an inner insulation that will not break if dropped.  It also has a thicker cast iron top which is more durable.  Those features make it very portable.  It is made from stainless steel, will not rust, nor does it have paint to scratch or peel off.  It also fires up quickly and is very efficient.  It is both a rocket stove and a gasifier stove, which means that it uses primary air (from vents located on the base) and secondary air (from vents in the interior fuel chamber).  I noticed the combustion process lead to less soot on the bottom of the cooking pots, which attests to it achieving an efficient burn.  However, due to the design of the base, it is somewhat less stable and if nudged or hit from the back, could possibly result in the stove falling forward during cooking operations.  I was easily able to overcome that potential problem by placing a small wedge just under the bottom front.  A SuperPot of its own is in the making, which will help it be even more efficient in cold, windy conditions.  Therefore, I find that it also is worthy of having in my preps. 

Given the choice, one or the other, or both, I would actually say:  Both!  If any of you already have a StoveTec but have the financial means to add the SilverFire, that would be my recommendation.  If you plan on “bugging in,” the StoveTec is great and can handle all of your cooking needs.  But should you need to “bug out,” the lighter and less fragile SilverFire would be advantageous. Either would give you great results and will cook your food.  Why both?   Remember the wise saying concerning preps that “one is none and two is one?”  Having both would be a great peace of mind.

Before I conclude, I want to turn your attention to the AfterBURNER Stove Corporation. The help I received from them is invaluable.  They are a family owned business and mainly sell rocket stoves and accompanying merchandise.  They treat their customers like gold.  They have a 100% money back guarantee for one full year from date of purchase, a full year bumper to bumper warranty, a free lifetime ceramic burnout guarantee on all StoveTec stoves, and a lifetime discounted replacement plan for accidentally damaged stoves. They work hard to educate and inform their customers on the use of their stoves, provide instructional videos, and are planning additions to their web site to aid in addressing various aspects of stove use and other products.  As a customer, they want you to USE your stove and gain experience, which will help you in a crisis situation.  They are available to you to develop the skills you need for success, and they offer lifetime support on any of their products via phone or email.  I would hope that customers will take advantage of that while it is available.  In a crisis, you might not be able to reach them.  They work hard to earn and keep your business.  On top of all that, they guarantee the lowest online price.   
You might think that since I got a stove to test that I am just giving them a commercial.  Not so.  I informed them that although I would test the stove and would be happy to report my findings, I would be giving it away to a friend who only had a brick stove (which I now believe could be dangerous).  I did not receive any personal gain – except for the knowledge, experience, and improvement of my skills.  I feel like I made a friend. And that was priceless.

Although I highly recommend that every family that is serious about emergency preparedness have a rocket stove, I just as strongly recommend that you work with it and build your skills.  It will serve you well in a crisis, but it is so much easier to deal with the learning curve before it’s actually needed.  Your stress level will already be high in an actual emergency.  Why make it harder for yourself than you have to?  Because it’s so much fun to operate, and can be used right now for backyard cooking, picnics, camping, and hunting, it’s a win/win situation.  So why not go out and get cooking today?

Three Letters Re: Studying Guerilla Warfare Tactics

Dear Captain Rawles,
I would like to thank Al H. for his letter on the importance of studying Guerrilla Warfare tactics and also for his mention of one of my book, Contact!: A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival

There were two purposes in writing ‘Contact’: firstly, to pass on tactical self-defense information to aid the survival of law abiding prepper folks in a post-SHTF situation. The second was to give information on how to tactically fight a resistance campaign, although at the time I left some of the reasons for the tactics a little unsaid. Its all in there, from the tactical side of a resistance fight.

I would also like to make your readers aware that I recently opened up my tactical training site in West Virginia. I have begun running weekend courses and more information can be found on my web site here and testimonials and AARs from recent training can be found here. I hope this shows Al H. that some are stepping up to the training plate.

I am providing West Virginia and East Cast based training, and John Mosby, also known as Mountain Guerrilla, is based in the Idaho/American Redoubt area.

I also publish information and free tactical training articles on my blog.

I also have a novel available, titled Patriot Dawn: The Resistance Rises. The book was designed to ‘bring to life’ the tactics in ‘Contact’ and it describes what an insurgency might, or could, look like. It may be an eye opener for some. The book has a newly redesigned cover which is currently showing on the Kindle version on Amazon, not the paperback, as Amazon.com catches up. As well as the tactics, the role of the auxiliary is portrayed around the general setting of a resistance campaign.

I hope this helps. Live Free, Die Hard. – Max Velocity

 

Hello James,
I just wanted to write a brief response to Al H.’s Studying Guerrilla Warfare Tactics. Responding or replying to anything of this nature is not generally something I would do in the name of anonymity. However, I would like people out there to know that most of what Al says is true, but I, and many others, have and will continue to be preparing for and studying mobile guerrilla operations, including but not limited to recruiting, training, setting up communications, auxiliary and hit and run operations. With the hopes that these skills will never be needed, I and others that I have met, have received preliminary training in person from ex-military who are the experts, in mobile guerrilla operations, hit and run tactics, and force multipliers. There are many like-minded people out there; I believe they just don’t broadcast. With the preliminary training that I had received in the past, I then had the option to continue studying/training on my own (in small groups) or forget what I had learned.
   
Again, I believe most of what Al has said to be true, but there are more of us out there than people think. Sincerely and Gratefully, – S., RN

 

James;
You’ve mentioned it many times in your blog, but the foundational training for both regular and irregular warfare is marksmanship training! And you’ve also made many mentions of the [Project] Appleseed shoots [organized by the RWVA]. I can’t think of more cost-effective way to instruct Citizen Soldiers than to do a few weekends of Appleseed shoots and an Appleseed boot camp. Only then, after you have laid down that important groundwork, go on to take yourself some top-notch training from an outfit like Gunsite, if you can afford it. Train, train, and train some more! With My Best Wishes, – Gandy D. (Warrior, semi-ret’d.)

JWR Replies: I concur. Knowledge conquers fear, and fearless warriors conquer tyrants.

Economics and Investing:

The inevitable Liberty Reserve case fallout: World’s Largest Bitcoin Exchange Announces That Anyone Depositing Currency Will Need To Be Verified. ( A hat tip to Jim W. for the link.)

R.B.S. sent: Nine Worst Recession Ghost Towns in America.

The bottom line is food: We Are Now One Year Away From Global Riots, Complex Systems Theorists Say. (Thanks to Bob G. for the link.)

Andre D. sent: German Finance Minister Schaeuble Warns of Revolution

Items from The Economatrix:

There Is Now A 100% Chance Of A Market Collapse

Basel III:  How The Bank For International Settlements Is Going To Help Bring Down The Global Economy

Will It Be Inflation Or Deflation?  The Answer May Surprise You

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader J.W.B. sent this article: Two Letters Addressed To Mayor Bloomberg Found To Contain Ricin. JWR’s Comment: When politicians strenuously attempt to ban guns, a few disgruntled folks will try to ban politicians. When they do, they won’t necessarily use only guns to do so. Human bodies are fragile and there are many ways of bringing about their demise, such as: bombs, poisons, light aircraft, UAVs, VBIEDs, incendiaries, neurotoxins, hallucinogens and dissociatives, chemical weapons, radioisotopes, small arms, electrocution, drowning, archery, oxygen-displacing inert gasses (and other forms of asphyxia and atelectasis), rockets, blunt instruments, various medical procedure “accidents”, cellular-level dehydration agents, ship scuttling, aircraft sabotage, flammables, intentional introduction of diseases and parasites, binaries, architecturally-embedded klystron tubes and other microwave emitters, navigation system overrides and other malicious computer code or virii, transdermal carriers such as DMSO, liquid metal embrittlement chemicals, HVAC system sabotage, poisonous snake/insect/fish/shellfish venom, vertigo-inducing drugs, and good old-fashioned defenestration. And then there are the innumerable and unpredictable combinations thereof, and with the New Century’s technology, nearly all of the aforementioned can be electronically time-delayed or remotely-controlled. So be advised that any devious attempts at depriving The People of their God-given rights could bring on the wrath of God. Of course folks like me because of our Christian restraint vent our outrage only via the ballot box and the soap box. (In my case, I’m presently standing on a 21st Century Electronic Soap Box.) But politicians should beware there are other people with far less restraint and with access to other boxes. Many of them got their training at taxpayer expense whilst on multiple deployments to nasty corners of the planet, as instruments of contemporary foreign policy. And some of these people are quite literate. They might have read Erasmus of Rotterdam, who echoed a Greek myth in Hesiod’s Theogony, about an intricately carved box…

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Double whammy? D.P. sent: A ‘concerning’ development: New China bird flu resistant to Tamiflu. And meanwhile we read: New virus called ‘threat to the entire world’. Far greater detail on the Novel Corona Virus (NCoV) can be founds here.

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Sue in Idaho sent: 10 States with the most natural disasters.

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Y2K: Much Ado About Nothing?

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Reader Charley S. sent: Task Forces Offer Hoarders a Way to Dig Out. Charley asks: “How many steps is it from ‘Hoarders are crazy and must be helped’ to ‘Preppers are a public-safety hazard and must be stopped’?”

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Obama’s “Fast and Furious” Gun-running Scandal Grow

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The Bank collects all taxes, fines, loans and interest, and the price of all properties which it sells and auctions. The Bank never goes broke. If the Bank runs out of money, the Banker may issue as much as needed by writing on any ordinary paper." – From the rules to the board game Monopoly.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 46 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) 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.) 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 and 10 TAPCO polymer magazines (5 AR and 5 AK) courtesy of Armageddon Armory, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) 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.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 46 ends on May 31st, and the queue is full. But get busy writing and e-mail us your entry for Round 47. 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.

TEOTWAWKI in a Two Bedroom Apartment at the Edge of Town, by Melanie C.

Making it through a worst case scenario in a two bedroom apartment is not my idea of a good chance of survival.  I read about others who are relocating to the American Redoubt or who have acquired sizeable land out away from town.  Those who have bunkers or cellars lined with shelves of log-term storage foods and an arsenal of weapons and ammo to protect it all; who have chickens and goats and a place to plant those seeds that come in the long-term storage can.  Then I look at myself and think, “Can’t do that, can’t afford that, maybe I should just lay down and die when it all hits the fan”, but that is not my nature.  So I fight back with whatever I have, and besides the Lord is on my side.  In the book of Nehemiah the Bible speaks of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and enemies who are always present; from this and many other passages I gain courage, “When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses” (Nehemiah 4:14).  “Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.” (Nehemiah 4:17).  So I intend to prepare my family the best I can and trust the Lord to be over all.

We live in the western side of Washington State and it would not take much to make it into the American Redoubt area, but without necessary funds it seems impossible.  My husband and I also care for my brother-in-law who is 63 but mentally developed to about that of a twelve year old.  Bringing him with us in a long term bad situation would be disastrous; abandoning him is out of the question. 

We live on the edge of a smaller town and are in a relatively good location for urban surviving.  Our apartment complex is a small six unit building in a neighborhood of houses.  The railroad tracks are about four blocks from the apartment complex.  If we had to grab our get-out-of-town bags and run I think we could make it through the neighborhood to the tracks.  Once there the forested area quickly becomes thick, another mile and you hit the river.  We fish this river in the summer.  Along the river is a corridor of thick forest, meadows and farmer’s fields for miles, and it passes through several state parks and national forest land.  In my twenties (or even thirties) this would have been my go to escape route, but we are not there anymore and my brother-in-law would not even make it past the railroad tracks.  So it seems to me I need to simply face my reality and do with it what I can.  So here is my plan.

A two bedroom apartment doesn’t have a lot of storage space but I have been rearranging as much as possible to accommodate boxes of #10 cans.  A box holding six cans stacked on another box of six cans and then covered with a cloth becomes a small inconspicuous table.  The upper shelf of the linen closet holds lighter weight items.  Filing or bankers boxes stack well and are placed under the desk in the second bedroom and on the shelf in the bedroom closet.  The lowest shelf of the bookshelf in the living room holds regular sized can items, coffee, quick cook pasta meals you buy at the grocery store, and other short-term storage items.  This shelf is then draped over with a simple spring loaded curtain rod and an old pillow case.  This keeps it out of view and keeps the dust off.  These items typically have a shelf life of one to two years and need to be rotated to maintain freshness.  My brother-in-law occupies another apartment in our six unit building and a few things are stored there that would be specifically for his needs, you just have to convince him to leave them alone.  If he thinks they are old or in his way he will simply throw them in the dumpster.  The trunk of the car currently holds a get-home-bag, in case I am at work when it all comes down, and extra toilet paper.  Toilet paper is bulky.  I am sure we are not the only family with similar difficulties or restrictions for making it through TEOTWAWKI and yet feel the urge from the Lord to “prepare now”, and I hope some of this encourages those. 

Fortunately, we live on the second floor on the end apartment.  This will make it easier for us to defend ourselves if it comes to that.  A few weapons have been acquired, a .357 Magnum carbine for home defense and .380 semi auto pistol (I know, some of you are screaming, “that won’t get you anywhere”, well this is what we have to work with and besides David killed Goliath with a stone and I’m not that great with a slingshot).  Then there is the .22 Winchester rifle for small game, a .22 magnum revolver (my personal everyday concealed carry), and another .22 LR revolver small game capable.  I know it is not much and writing it down and looking at it seems puny, but I have to live in my reality and like it or not, this is it.  We have a few hundred rounds of ammo for each weapon and have great difficulty finding any more anywhere.  For this reason practicing with these weapons is very limited.  I do have a slingshot by the way and practice with it.  I bought it from A+ Slingshots and like it a lot.  My accuracy is increasing and the slingshot will put a marble through a pop can at 75 feet.  My thought is that if I need to gather small game in a quiet manner this would work well.  Whatever resources I have I intend to use them.

The river is close by and I believe we could gather water there if needed and fish.  A large container could be strapped to the bicycle and I could take the neighborhood roads a mile and a half to the river gather water and return.  My biggest concern would be doing this with bad guys around, nevertheless the resource is there.  There is also a meadow alongside the river where I have gathered Nettles in the spring.  This is another resource available just outside of town.  Learning about a few wild edible plants that grow in your area can make a difference.  Another that is easy to find here is Cat’s Ear, It grows in the small lawn next to the apartment complex.  The lawn is never sprayed so I don’t have to worry.  I prefer the young flower buds to the leaves but both are edible.  Learn a few for yourself, you might be surprised at what grows outside your front door or very close by.  Neighbors can also be a great resource.  We have one neighbor that we are like minded with.  They have a house and a few fruit trees and raise chicken.  Currently we buy our eggs from them and they let us gather the extra fruit when they have it.  I believe they will be a great resource for safe barter in the future.  Having this relationship established now gives me a greater since of confidence.

There is one other place where I have a few things stored.  Last fall we purchased a used 17 foot camper unit.  It is kept outside the apartment and we have worked hard to seal up the leaks to keep it dry inside.  Inside the camper are a few very difficult to get to storage areas and I have a few #10 cans wrapped in plastic bags stored here.  The camper also has a propane operated stove and refrigerator and a 30 gallon water tank.  These could make the first week much easier.

We have managed to acquire and hide some silver and gold.  I cashed in a small IRA early (paying the penalty for early withdrawal), and paid down some of our debt and purchased some silver and gold.  Not knowing what the real scenario will be, we diversified and bought some bullion, some old 90% silver currency (junk silver), and a few small pieces of gold.  We also have a small stash of cash on hand.  Some may not be able to do even this much, but do what you can.  Our neighbors who live in the apartment complex likely have nothing stored away even for a weekend power outage.  It has occurred to me that we may be feeding them too.  Part of me says let them be, they have made their own bed and part of me says, am I not required by God to help my neighbor if I have the power to do so, therefore I prepare with the possibility in mind.  I can dream all I want about what I would like the situation to be, but I am still left to deal with the truth at hand.

Another way I have been preparing for my probable reality is in cooking.  Just for fun, a few years back, I began making homemade pop can alcohol stoves and can wood stoves.  I have become very good at it and feel I can make a stove to cook on with just about any kind of can.  The secret is to learn how fire works and what it requires to burn efficiently.  A small amount of wood in a home-made double walled can stove burns with very little smoke.  Some designs of alcohol stoves will work even on 70% isopropyl alcohol you have in the first aid cabinet.  Denatured alcohol form the hardware store is much better.  We also have a small hibachi type charcoal grill for when the propane goes out in the gas grill and the camper unit.  Acquire different ways to cook.  There are many resources on the internet to teach you how to make a can stove, the Zen Backpacking Stoves web site is a great resource to start with.

My husband and I went on a weekend trip to eastern Washington a few weeks back and rented a cabin on the Columbia River.  We picked up some beer along the way, the kind that says “tools required” right on the cap, and once at the cabin to my dismay I discovered I had no bottle opener.  Normally I would have had every type of camping gadget/equipment with me but it wasn’t intended to be that type of a trip.  I did get the bottle opened and drank my beer; the next day I purchased two simple bottle openers for a dollar apiece at the local store.  I seems a silly lesson, but this made me realize that I needed to do something more about preparing food without electricity.  No coffee grinder, microwave, oven, electric mixer, blender, you get the idea.  I have started looking through the local thrift stores for old time cooking gadgets.  There are many great things available, bottle openers, can openers, meat grinders, hand turned mixers and egg beaters, cherry pitters, apple slicer corer peelers; you would be amazed at what you can find.  It would be great to find a hand grain grinder and a coffee grinder at an affordable price.  Tools are also available at the thrift store, hand powered drill, saws, axes, hammers, and so on, at great prices.  Get now what you think you may need.  You may need to make it through right where you are.

Letter Re: Studying Guerilla Warfare Tactics

Dear Mr. Rawles,
So few understand insurgency and its intricacies that if the SHTF there would be no leaders in the towns and cities to teach the people who would become the auxiliary, the underground, and the guerilla units what they need to know to be successful that we would have an “epic fail” from the very start.  Insurgency is more than picking up a weapon and shooting, in fact that is a small part of insurgency.  
Most people can’t even define insurgency, and that includes the so called experts in survival.  The fault doesn’t lie with the people, the fault lies with all of the professionals, the teachers, the web sites, and the blogs that are supposed to be teaching the people what they need to know to survive in a post event society.  If people don’t understand insurgency they will die and all the prepping will have been for nothing.
I always recommend two books for people to “begin” learning the tactics and strategies of insurgency:

Along with these books you should read a tactical manual such as Contact!: A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival by Max Velocity, and a general SHTF preparation book like “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” by James Rawles.  These books will get people started but you professionals need to start teaching this material in seminars, and courses, and online courses.  

If the people don’t understand how to run an insurgency it will be over before it begins!  If the people were aware of the importance of insurgency they would be ready, willing, and able to learn and master these skills.  Right now they just don’t know that they don’t know.   So who will step up and fill this void?  Who will put together the regional and traveling teams, and the on line courses necessary to teach this most important subject?

Yours Truly, – Al H.

Economics and Investing:

Reader Bob J. sent: Step Inside The Connecticut Gun Factory That Is Leaving The State In Protest. The article includes a nice collection of photos. And you have to love a battle rifle where the magazines only cost as little as $1.50 each.

This does not bode well for Bitcoin: Prosecutors crack down on virtual money firm

Robert G. sent: The Fiat End Game: Preparing For A Way Forward

Further evidence “spot” metals prices have become irrelevant: US Mint Resumes Selling One-Tenth Ounce Gold Coins… At A 40% Premium To Spot. Thanks to Jim W. for the link.

Items from The Economatrix:

America’s Bubble Economy Is Going To Become An Economic Black Hole

Inflation, Deflation Or Hyperinflation In America & Effect On Gold And Silver Prices

A Tale Of Two Countries:  One Will Survive, One Will Not

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader JBR sent: Automated License Plate Recognition technology is advancing at a gallop. JWR’s Comment: For potentially dark days ahead, it is prudent to think through countermeasures such as mud splotches that obscure a couple of license plate digits, or of course out-of state registration. (Just one more reason to set up a family trust.)

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Readers may have noticed that my FAQ articles are living documents but they are only sporadically updated. Most recently, I updated the European Ammo Box Translations FAQ with a detail that was kindly sent to me by reader Christoper B., who wrote: “…you have a question mark for the abbreviation ‘RDF.’  You may find the explanation of that term here, which reads in part, ‘It was supplied as Lot 2 of 1928 by a supposedly unidentified maker with the code ‘Rdf.’ – the Rheindorf factory of Dynamit Nobel.'”

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One of the members of my local shooting club recently received another large order from the cleverly-named vendor United Nations Ammunition Company, in Arizona. This time he bought their linked USGI .50 BMG ammo, but he has also previously bought some of their .308 ammunition. Both types of ammunition were linked four rounds of ball alternating with one round of tracer. This is brand new, 2012 production, from Lake City Arsenal!

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Off to Leavenworth: Another one of Mike Bloomberg’s “Crime Fighting” anti-gun mayors goes to prison today: Former Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo will report to prison camp on May 30th. I find it ironic how many members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns can no longer legally own guns, because they are convicted felons. (So they consider our guns to be legal guns, while in fact it is their guns that are truly illegal guns. Herr Dr. Freud had a word for that.) Oh, and some related news gives new meaning to the word mercenary: Top Republican Strategist Cashing Checks To Help Destroy Gun Rights… Speaking of liberal claptrap, see: This Is How the NRA Ends: A bigger, richer, meaner gun-control movement has arrived. And let me get this straight: If 3 million guys and gals join a club that lobbies congress and contributes to election campaigns, they say that is unfair political pressure and an evil “gun lobby.” But if one billionaire pays 90% of the bills for a club joined by 975 mayors that lobbies congress and contributes to election campaigns, then that is just good “activism”?

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Backlash: Lawmakers facing recall bids over strict gun laws in Colorado.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 46 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) 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.) 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 and 10 TAPCO polymer magazines (5 AR and 5 AK) courtesy of Armageddon Armory, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) 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.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 46 ends on May 31st , and the queue is full. But get busy writing and e-mail us your entry for Round 47. 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.

My Prepping Perspective, by Jenny O.

Waking up to the sudden realization that my safe, comfortable world as I have always known it to be was not the result of watching any “end of the world” movies or documentaries, or from reading something about it or from a friend convincing me.  I feel it was a gift, a freebie wake-up call from the heavenly powers that be.   I can’t help but think that I am supposed to be a survivor…..at least long enough to keep my children alive and healthy until they are grown and can then survive without my assistance.  My husband on the other hand, has been given no such gift.  He is in denial of anything going askew with the easy way of life he’s always known.  I have tried in vain to convince him of a very dire economic future.  Having information from very reputable sources placed in front of him does no good as he ignores it or explains how it’s all wrong.  I feel though, that on some level he is aware but is afraid to acknowledge the reality of it.  I fully understand that a highly unpredictable future can be too much for some people to stomach – but it’s a future, I feel in my bones is going to be encountered.  Nonetheless, it’s a difficult situation for a marriage to be in whether the one who has awakened is the husband or the wife.  But, I would bet my home-made rain barrels that it’s definitely tougher to be the wife, or female significant other who is the enlightened one.  Men for centuries have usually had the final “say-so” in most situations and our society still predominantly leans that way.  As strong and independent a person as I think I am, I still find it hard to go against my husband’s wishes.  When he comes home from work and sees the box or two of preps that have been delivered and sitting on the kitchen floor, or knows that I’ve made another run to the Thrift Store and scored more wool sweaters and blankets for the girls, I acutely feel pain when he winces or shakes his head in an “I give up!” manner.    Our marriage is still a good one, but because of my prepping it has a few dings, dents and rust spots that I wish were not there.  And let me state it clearly right now, that although my husband is still asleep as far as the reasons for prepping go, he has been one of my best life supporters, and has done more for me than anyone else could.  He has always been there for me when I was going through (and currently am) some of the worst life decisions a person has to make.  For all of those reasons and more, I will forever be loyal to him and will not allow myself to wallow in self-pity for more than a couple of minutes just because he and I are not on the same page about prepping.  My hope in writing this piece is that I can bring to light some areas of prepping that are not often thought about, plus show my empathy and understanding for those preppers who don’t have the support of their significant other.
 
My “awakening” just happened, out of the blue.  One day I was blissfully unaware of any potential economic, political, environmental or other such trouble, just happily skipping through life and the very next day I was aware.  Boom!  Just like that.  My day of “catastrophic awakening” was in early December, 2009.  Now in early 2013, I feel I am far better prepared than most in my middle class neighborhood, but still not where I need to be to feel really good about it.  I am coming to the conclusion that that place of comfort is unattainable.  It’s been quite an adventure, and a process from which I get little rest.  If I’m not actively doing some sort of prepping activity I’m thinking about prepping.  I closely watch the economy to see if I need to hurry my prepping up or can I wait until the credit card flips before using it again.  Though I still very much enjoy life, and participate in non-prepping activities with my friends and family, I can’t help but miss the days of blissful ignorance when I was totally unaware of impending DOOM.    I must continually read, study, buy, make, plan, think, save, and use my  imagination in anticipation of various disastrous scenarios  and prepare for them for all of us…….alone.  My husband’s only contribution is paying for most of it.  He complains frequently and loudly and I ache frequently and strongly.  Buying extra food and all the hundreds of necessary items on a tight budget is a work of art in itself.  I think only a woman can truly understand the logistics of it all.  If it were just he and I, I might not even try to prep.  But I have kids…… and that changes everything.

Another heavenly gift I was given was the desire to never become pregnant.  That didn’t mean I never wanted children, I most certainly did.  I simply never felt the need to have my genetic code replicate itself in the form of human that was half me, and half somebody else.  Even back when I could still get pregnant I felt an inkling of a looming, foreboding future. My environmental courses while attending the college didn’t help me culture a positive attitude about our world.  Why should I bring more people into an already “overly-burdened with humans and their endless problems” planet?  Adoption was the answer for me.  I won’t bring any more people in but I will be more than happy to raise those already here.  So after completing grueling reams of paperwork, background checks, intrusive home studies, and a “wait and hold-your-breath” for acceptance from a certified adoption agency, we were finally off to China to adopt the most precious two baby girls in the world!  I am determined that these two kids will not only survive life, but will have the best chance at the best life that I, and the “heavenly-gifter” (God), is willing, to provide.   I’m sure I share this deep, primitive instinctual drive with many mothers across the globe to protect their offspring even to the point of death.   Fathers, no doubt, are also deeply driven to protect their children, but my experience is from a mother’s perspective.   I’ve read many blogs about the perfect prepping relationship and living situation.  Sometimes when I start reading one of those blogs and realizing it’s another “preppers heaven” situation, I stop reading and look for something else that I can use.  I sometimes find myself having fleeting feelings of jealously mixed with a tad of resentment towards those “blessed” preppers who have it so good.  But in the final analysis, I’m really happy for them and can only imagine what it’s like to have someone to readily discuss world events, prepping needs, scenarios, to practice skills with and to have the same desires and needs concerning getting ready for an eminent catastrophe of some sort.  I don’t have that.  And, I’m probably never going to get that.  But what I have is enough…..I was given the gift of waking up and the means to prepare for the future and that is all I can ask for.  I am very grateful.  We are all exactly where we are supposed to be though I sometimes have to remind myself of that.  I’m here where God wants me to be and here is where I’m staying until God says it’s time to move.

So here’s our family situation.  The four of us are suburbanites living in a two story brick house with an unfinished basement.  And it’s the basement that may be our sanctuary.  It’s dimly lit, cold, cluttered, and just plain dirty but I pretty much enjoy being there.  It’s where I feel my prepping call the strongest, and where I can readily see the fruits of my prepping labor.  I feel a little bit closer to my Higher Power when I’m in the basement.  I receive more spiritual encouragement being there than anyplace else.  And I need that encouragement since I find it nowhere else except on my favorite survival web sites (Survival Blog my most favorite) and other blogs from my fellow internet preppers and friends.    I look around the basement and notice the windows and French doors and see all the work I still have to do to make them as secure as possible from break-ins.  I study various ways of protection but all are more than I can afford.  So, I must think, ponder, mull over and dream about effective ways of providing very inexpensive home security.  I feel that sometimes I’ve been guided to the right places at the right times.  I was at Lowe’s when they were selling “imperfect” lumber at 90% off and loaded my husband’s pick-up truck with it, and unloaded it alone when I got it home.  It took me two trips to get it all.   So now I have plenty of lumber of various lengths and sizes.  I bought four (4), metal zinc 6 and 3/8” bar holder brackets and have bolted them to the wall studs ,two on each side of the French doors and rammed two (2), 2×4’s through them directly across the doors.  I realize that all one needs to do to easily enter the basement via the French doors is to break the one of the many glass panes, slide the board out of the brackets and proceed to kick the door in or bump the dead bolt.  To prevent this I have screwed two (2), 2 and ½” screws deeply into the exposed wall studs next to the end of each 2×4 board.  I can pull outwards on the end of the boards to release them over the heads of the screws to slide them out of the brackets, but I can only do this if I’m already in the basement at the inside of the doors.  I was surprised at how well this worked!  Someone on the outside would have a hard time trying to slide the boards out of the brackets due to the stud screws stopping them.  I know I can’t keep them out, but I sure can slow them down some.   Hopefully long enough for me to grab my shotgun!

All sorts of projects are in the works and a few have been completed.  My rain barrel project was at first very intimidating but I persevered and now have three (3) of the plastic blue 55 gallon water barrels daisy-chained together and collecting off of one downspout.  And they are nicely hidden behind the huge cedar tree I took as a seedling from my grandmother’s yard several years ago.  I had read many different plans by many different people on how to make rain barrels but none of them really made clear sense to me.  So I ended up taking a little from this plan, and a little from that plan and created my own plan along the way.  The jigsaw I bought my husband for his birthday several years ago finally got used to saw the tops off of each barrel.  And I had to make a lot of trips to the hardware store and think and ponder as I stood in the PVC section playing with all the different parts and connections trying to figure out something that would work.  (The guys working at the hardware store got used to seeing me drop by nearly every day and are still interested in all of my various projects.) Then I had to decide on the best hose to use (radiator hose) to connect my barrels together, and solve a dozen or more other small but very important details.  I had some minor leaks of course at first.  After taking the barrels apart and trying rubber vs. metal washers, and with a little swearing they finally held water-tight and have been for water-tight about three years now.  They even survived a couple of hard freezes with thick ice on the top. 

Water is so extremely important.  It’s the most important thing to have, in my opinion, after shelter.  I should build more rain barrels, and I will, but only after some other things are done first.   I must admit that I’m very proud of myself for building these all by myself.  It was kind of a hard chore but a necessary one.  Hubby was surprised I did it but I wasn’t!  When I’m in the basement I also see the many 2 liter water bottles that I’ve spent hours washing and filling up with tap water just in case of a water shortage.  I used some of the lumber I got at Lowe’s to make separate shelves for my canned food and home-bottled water.  I have to keep as much on the cheap as possible so I bought  masonry concrete blocks for a little over one dollar each  and made shelves using some of that lumber.  I’m tall, 5’10”, and the top shelf is at head level.  Canned food and bottled water weigh a lot so these shelves have to be strong.   They are great to see what I have in order to keep them off the floor and to rotate in and out. 

Still, so many other skills needed to be mastered…..it still seems overwhelming at times.   I often find myself thinking back to the days when I was a young girl and staying with my grandmother out in the country.   She was a real country woman who could have taught me a lot of self-survival skills.  I watched her work in her huge garden, then canning the vegetables she grew.  She even made her own soap from wood ash and lard out in the yard.  I just took it all for granted…….but at least I still have the memories.   My grandmother would be proud of me now.  I’ve learned to pressure can, garden, dehydrate veggies and fruit, sew, (build rain barrels!), make soap (but not yet out of wood ash and lard) and am still working my way up the learning curve.  I need to learn how to quilt, make pottery, hunt (dread that but will if I have too), fish for real – not pleasure fishing, and a ton of other skills.  I also think about skills I need to have in case we need to find a new community to live in.  I want to be found useful enough for us to be allowed into a safe situation.  I’m a music teacher by trade, and even have a Reiki II level training in healing.  I’m always trying to improve myself to become more useful by way of skills.    Women are naturally useful in many ways but those who only have training in artificial human-made vocations such as law and economics may be in for an extra hard time if they don’t get practical training in everyday life skills.   Same of course, goes for men.

Though I speak of possible future community acceptance, right now bugging out is not a viable option for us.   Being a woman, I see things perhaps, somewhat differently from most men.  Instead of focusing on BOLs, BOVs, guns, and ammo to a great extent, I prepare for life right here, where we are in our suburban neighborhood.  All of our lives are here, everyone we know and love is nearby.  To “bugout” is not realistic for us, at least at this point in time, so I am preparing for life right here.   I’ve read many pros and cons about bugging out, and feel leaving would definitely not be in our best interest.  If we had a place to go to maybe we would bug out.  But for us to hit the road when all hell breaks loose with nowhere to go would do us no particular good.  My plan is, as a woman who is doing this without any input or advice from her husband, is to stay put for as long as we can.  Danger lurks greater out there for women and children than for men.  I think about situations that probably few men think about.  Most of them probably aren’t overly worried about getting raped, though it may cross their minds concerning the women in their family.  I especially fear something bad happening to my girls such as getting raped, or murdered or both.  Women have deep fears rarely expressed, even to each other.   By far most of our fears relate to our children’s welfare and all the dangers involved.  And all of these fears can happen right at home too.  I feel my ability to protect is far superior from behind walls with a loaded shotgun than walking out in the open with my kids at my side and all I can carry on my back.  Such exposure I cannot tolerate.  Also, I have to have faith in something greater than myself that we will be alright.  If I do the footwork (prepping) I can leave the results of my prepping to God.  I didn’t wake up suddenly with a desire to prep for no good reason.  Nor did anyone else who is preparing for disaster whether it be small, great, or somewhere in between.  Those of us who have awoken have done so for reasons that may exist far beyond our immediate ability to grasp them.  Who knows what the Universe has in store for us, but hopefully very wonderful things!  If preppers are fortunate to be living with others of like mind, then their jobs are much easier and much more enjoyable. However, not all of us live in such a good situation and have to carefully balance prepping duties and marriage duties ever so carefully.  Some of us face outright hostility, and others, like me, endure mostly silent scorn.  And this hostility, whether overt or covert, can cause some irrational feelings to be felt.  On rare occasion, I have found myself actually wishing the economy would suddenly crash, or that a CME would race towards earth causing destruction of our electrical grid, or even a pandemic to occur just to prove to my husband that I was right!   But that kind of thinking is crazy, and I know it’s just my ego.  At least I realize it when it happens and can see it for what it’s worth.  I’m only human……we’re all only human and so I don’t berate myself about having such thoughts.  I guess if God, or whatever our personal Higher Power is, wanted everyone to have help from our spouses or significant others, then we all would have their help.   This is definitely my solo learning journey. 

Prepping is now a way of life for me.  It’s something that I have come to enjoy for the most part, despite having to do a lot of it in secret.  It’s futile to discuss world economic or political situations, or anything that might lead to reasons why I prep.   He and I just aren’t on the same page and attempts to discuss differing points of view always lead to bad feelings in the both of us.  Also, I can’t share even little things like my great news about all the wonderful clothes I bought for next to nothing at my favorite thrift store, in larger and larger sizes for the girls as they grow. Or about the nearly brand new Timberland boots I scored for only 4 dollars at Goodwill!  I bring home my items in secret and store them away in secret without telling anyone.  I check all my favorite web sites everyday for bargains on the things I feel are necessary.  The headlamps, two for the price of one, the large spools of dirt cheap sewing thread, the solar battery chargers and rechargeable batteries, the manual floor sweepers, the survival books, the oil lamps, ceramic water filters, the heirloom vegetable seeds and more – all ordered off the internet in secret.  The other items such as soap, OTC medicines, antibiotics, toothpaste, toothbrushes, boxes of salt, lamp oil, wicks, propane tanks, candles galore, ammo, slingshots and replacement bands, bicycle tires and tubes, toilet paper, tools, etc…. are all secretly stashed away in the bowels of the basement.  Some special items that I have purchased I feel are very important and would like to list them here.  These are spring-loaded rat traps, fly strips, essential oils, flea control, colloidal silver generator, distilled water, canning jar lids, self-clumping kitty litter by the 40 lb. buckets (the empty plastic buckets can be used for other purposes), fire extinguishers, several rolls of 12 ml. window film and tubes of clear latex caulk.  I feel these items are especially important.  Flies and rodents will be a BIG problem if garbage is allowed to accumulate and ugh, I hate to say it, but if dead bodies are inside and outside of houses the flies will be super thick.  Flea outbreaks will also be a bad problem if SHTF and will be carriers of disease.  I want to keep my pets as flea-free as possible for as long as possible so I buy extra of those small tubes of flea control that you squirt on their backs.  Also, in the last month I was able to purchase a rocket stove and thermal cooker which should save a lot on fuel.  I am very concerned about hygiene if the grid goes down and I plan on using the kitty litter in makeshift 5 gallon toilet buckets, if we can’t flush toilets or there is no water.  Having plenty of pre-packaged adult washcloths, gallons of hand sanitizer gel and other cleaning supplies is extremely important.  If you manage to survive the first round of SHTF trials and tribulations, you certainly do not want to succumb to any diseases afterwards due to unsanitary hygiene.  I bought a lot of these items from Sam’s Club and many others I ordered from Amazon.com.

I have placed the window film on all the lower level windows and all the basement windows (finally finished that since I started writing this piece!) and carefully caulked the edges with clear latex caulk to give them added strength for resistance to break-ins.  Security is always first and foremost in my mind.  I even tried out my home-made water purifying system on myself to make sure it worked.  I took some really nasty rainwater out of one of my barrels and ran it through my ceramic filtering system (I leak tested it first), then added a little bleach, stirred and let it sit for a while.  I poured myself a tall glassful of the filtered water and chug-a-lugged it down.  I got sort of scared for a moment, but the deed had been done and now I just had to wait and see if I got sick or not.  I am happy to report that I did not have any problems whatsoever!
Another thing I have done to try and protect my two girls is to buy larger sized boys clothing at the thrift stores.  I have even gone so far as to buy boys underwear to complete the desired look.  I plan on turning my girls into “boys”….at least temporarily.  If the situation gets bad enough, I will cut their hair short, and dress them as boys.  Boys get sexually attacked too, but not as often as girls.  I will even turn myself temporarily into a man.  I guess my husband will just have to deal with it for a while. (LOL.)  At least he’s aware of that possibility so it won’t come as a total shock should it happen.  If women don’t look like easy targets, then they won’t be as prone to attack.  And temporarily looking like a man is a small price to pay for safety.  At least that’s how I see it.  I also practice with my 12 gauge shot gun.  I don’t get to shoot it as much as I would like, but I try to keep reinforcing muscle memory by using the fake metal shells I bought from the gun store.  Quick loading and racking practice…..over and over. 

As well as acquiring the physical preps to keep us healthy and happy for the duration, I have also been buying rolls of mercury dimes when I could afford too.  I don’t have many, but even with all the careful planning and scenario predicting, I will not think of everything.  I’ll need some way to buy those items I overlooked, if they can still be bought.  Barter is always possible, but I don’t spend any money on items to use for barter.  I know some people do, but I simply can’t spare it and really hope to not have to barter, at least not much.   Luckily I bought a boat load of .22 caliber rounds some months back so if that becomes currency I good to go.

And lest I forget, I want to tell you about some signs I have downloaded from the internet, printed out and laminated for future use, if necessary.   You can easily find, “BEWARE OF DOG”, the Gadsden flag symbol, and various bright orange and black infectious diseases warning labels all free and downloadable from the internet.  Of course you can create your own signs as you see fit.  I have made several “LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT” signs in various sizes and have all these signs nicely laminated and stored in a folder to pull out and attach to the doors and windows as needed.  I even made extra signs for the neighbors to use.  This is another step towards home security to warn and hopefully thwart off anyone who may be having thoughts of annoying me and my family in any way.  Also, having the signs in Spanish might not be a bad idea either.   Get these made now in case there is no electricity later to use your computer and printer.

Since I have been continuously prepping since late 2009, I have accomplished a lot bit by bit over the months and years.  I feel mostly alright about the preps, but I will always worry about security.  I think about what will happen to my neighbors who show no indications of any knowledge of what catastrophe(s) is/are coming down their pike in the near future.  Will they be prepared or will I have to make those hard decisions about sharing my preps and endure all the heart-ache involved in that?  Should I try to approach my neighbors and talk about disaster preparedness and get an idea on where they stand without divulging too much information about my situation?   Opsec is so critical to me.  I want too talk with them very badly and will most likely do so but I must be very careful with my words…..this is an area that will take much prayer and guidance before any discussions with my neighbors occur.  Having neighbors on board however, is a prep item that is better than anything else.  I am dreading the approach, but as calamity gets closer and closer I really must talk with them.  And if they feel nothing is bad is ever going to happen, then at least I will know better how to deal with them later should they come knocking on my door asking for some of my preps.

For women who especially are having a difficult time doing what they know is the right thing to do, while keeping the waters calm at home is in the very least, a challenge for which a gold medal should be awarded.  Ending a relationship that otherwise is very good, is a terrible loss.  In the initial months of my prepping I was concerned that our marriage might end, but after nearly 4 years I suppose we’re still solid.  I know that God put me and my husband together for very good reasons.   I have absolutely no doubt about that.   And my husband was born and raised in the country and knows a lot about hunting, fishing and those skills of which I am at a loss, so he most definitely will be very helpful when the time comes.  He will shine as a protector and warrior, as that will be his heavenly gift from God. 

I hope I have helped someone by writing all of this.  I am forever grateful for all the wisdom and good advice I have been freely given by those who contribute to this site and to the many other sites I have read and enjoyed.  I just wanted to try and give back as best I could.  God bless everyone and thank-you!

Three Letters Re: Bad as a Bullet: Tick and Mosquito-Borne Diseases

James: 
I live in Tennessee where mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks thrive.  There are two wet weather ponds near my home and if I go to my shooting range in the evening or early morning, the mosquitoes will make any quality time really miserable.  While working in the gardens and fields, one has to be constantly checking themselves for ticks.
 
Last year about April I read a short paragraph in Countryside Magazine from a gentleman (I believe from Maine) that has taken a Vitamin B1 tablet starting in April and takes them every day until the first killing frost in the Fall for the past 43 years.  He never gets bitten by mosquitoes, chiggers, or ticks.
 
I decided there was nothing to lose by trying it.  It took a couple weeks for the B1 to get through my system but from that point on through Fall I never had one mosquito bite or tick bite.  I had mosquitoes land on me (briefly), ticks crawled on me while on the range, in the woods, or in the garden, but not one bite.
 
I put this information out to everyone on my email list.  One of those people is a very good friend that also happens to be a doctor (M.D.).  He emailed me back to inform me that the Vitamin B1 “trick” was one of the first things that was taught in medical school.  He and I can only offer conjecture as to why this information isn’t put out en mass.
 
I buy cheap Vitamin B1 tablets at the local big box store.  I think the price is about $4.00 for one bottle that will last one person the entire Spring/Summer insect season.  Prior to this, I was spending at least 4 times this amount of chemical sprays that were marginal at best. – Carl in Tennessee 

 

JWR:
I prefer to anesthetize ticks with nail polish remover (acetone-type) on a cotton ball or pad for 5 minutes and just flick them off outside away from my house. Ticks absorb the acetone through their “skin” as well as breathe it. It takes patience but nothing should be regurgitated from the tick into your blood stream. You should not press hard with the cotton even though it itches. Although I hate to do it, dogs and cats need Frontline. – Stuart R.

 

Mr. Rawles:
A couple of notes on the recent article “Bad as a Bullet: Tick and Mosquito-Borne Diseases”:

A few years ago it was discovered that Lyme disease is under debate as a possibly preventable hereditary illness! I had Lyme disease when I was about 19. Back around 1991. I honestly don’t remember when it was. Unfortunately, I also discovered I’m allergic to tetracycline, which at the time was the primary treatment for the disease, so I was forced to stop treatment about halfway through the cycle. Many years later when my wife was expecting our baby, I was encouraged to be retested for the Lyme spirochetes. Lyme disease is still considered a vector-borne illness, but it apparently can be transferred to children pre-natally, from the mother, with the mother now being considered the vector [as well as a genetic tendency that can be passed from either the mother or the father.] I’m not kidding. Scary stuff. I was clean of the Lyme disease so presumably my child is okay as well, but I still (20 years after contracting Lyme disease) have rheumatoid arthritis symptoms because of having it as a teenager.

Secondly, regarding Silent Spring and Rachel Carson: I have read that while eliminating DDT (and similar insecticides) has benefited some people, more people have died from malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses than could ever have been injured by the insecticides. Rachel Carson’s primary concern was for birds’ reproductive systems, but humans are also sometimes injured by DDT. In the long term, however, more people are injured than helped by the absence of that particular pesticide. Consider this article in Audubon magazine regarding DDT. If even Audubon says DDT serves a useful role, then it might be time to overrule the Stockholm Convention and put it back into use.

Best, – J.D.C. in Mississippi

Economics and Investing:

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) spotted this: Passed from War to War’: Germany’s Small Arms Exports Double. Mike’s Comment: “This news story has been picked up by most German major papers. It is being seen as a way to attack Angela Merkel’s “Merkel Doctrine”. I believe it is safe to say that this might decrease the number of German Federal International Small Arms Export Licenses. This might impact the supply of H&Ks and Walthers in the US, which may push up retail prices.”

Mike also flagged this from Stratfor: The Growing Importance of the Arctic Council

The Japanese Financial System Is Beginning To Spin Wildly Out Of Control. (Thanks to Jim W. for the link.)

Long-term economic implications? Biodiversity Loss Becoming Major Threat For Farmed Plants And Livestock Breeds. (Saving heirloom seed varieties and raising rare livestock breeds is wise and could prove profitable.)

Back to Basics – Gold, Silver, and the Economy