Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader D. in Colorado has kindly reformatted Dr. Koelker’s OTC medication information to fit on three cards. Have this PDF printed double-sided on card stock and laminated, then cut them out and put in your medications bag or kit.

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David S. sent this useful map of U.S. military installations. JWR Notes: There are only a few military targets in the American Redoubt. But note that the star designating the location Malmstrom, Air Force Base (AFB) in Montana doesn’t tell the whole story. They actually have missile silos scattered through nine counties in central Montana. Ditto for the dispersion of Minot AFB, in North Dakota, and Warren AFB, which straddles the the state lines of Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. When looking for retreat properties, avoid any locale that is within 30 miles upwind or 250 miles downwind of the outer limits of active missile fields. (The missile fields in South Dakota and Missouri have both been deactivated and hence are no longer in the Russian target structure.)

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Here Comes the Sunstorm: Electric Grid Is Vulnerable to a Big Solar Blow; Officials Spar Over What to Do. (Thanks to Mark A. for the link.)

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Local police boost arsenals with free military weapons. (Thanks to Rick M. for the link.)

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Island DIY: Kauai residents don’t wait for state to repair road

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"When you have zero rates that go on indefinitely, you are inviting future problems." – Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Hoenig, warning that an extended period of ultra-low interest rates can trigger speculation, in a May, 2012 interview.

Note From JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 40 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. 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 40 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants, by Slim

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors survived for generations by gathering the food that nature provided. Some of those plants contain natural remedies to many common problems, and in fact are where many modern pharmaceuticals come from. 

In this article we will be discussing various edible plants mostly found in the north east United States, as well as a few others.

Provisos: Before getting started you should be warned that some plants can be highly toxic. We will cover some common look-a-likes, but you should never eat a plant unless you are one hundred percent sure of what you’re eating. Wild poisonous plants often resemble non-poisonous varieties, and also often grow side by side. Some edible plants can have non-edible parts. It is up to you to make the right decisions when applying this information in the wilderness. With that in mind, once you can identify wild edibles accurately you will find that natures garden is full of delicious and healthy food, fresh and at your finger tips. Also, I’ve included a few definitions at the end of this article you may find helpful.

Common Dandelion

AKA: Lions Tooth, Priest Crown, Swine’s Snout
How To Spot It: One yellow flower on a hollow, hairless stem,or spherical cluster of white “parachute” seeds, no leaves other than basal leaves with large teeth pointing toward the base. There are no poisonous look-alikes, however other edible relative can look similar when young. 
Cautions: Dandelion root should be avoided for those with an irritable bowels or stomach.
Uses: Use young leaves or flower tops in salads. The taste can be slightly bitter, so use sparingly. Light cooking will increase the bitterness, however further cooking (about twenty minutes) will make the taste almost disappear, especially when combined with a sauce or spices.
Notes: Dandelion root contains a substance called inulin.  Inulin has very little impact on blood sugar levels, and—unlike fructose—is not insulemic and does not raise triglycerides making it increasingly popular among  diabetics and potentially helpful in managing blood sugar-related illnesses ; Dandelion has also been known to be especially beneficial for treating chronic hepatitis and gall stones.

Japanese Knotweed

AKA: Monkeyweed, Hancock’s Curse, Water Weeds, Elephant Ears, Donkey Rhubarb, Japanese Bamboo, Pea Shooters, Fleeceflower, American Bamboo
How To Spot It: Tall, bushy plant with a bamboo like sheathed stalk. Alternating triangular leaves, green and/or red-ish in color. Hundreds of tiny white flowers grow on long lacy spikes in the spring and summer. Mature plants can grow to be nine to twelve feet tall. It’s interconnected root system often creates a dense bamboo like thicket. There are no poisonous look-alikes, however it could be confused with Giant Knotweed, which is used the same way except it is much less common, or wild Asparagus or Rhubarb (a relative), which of course are also edible.
Cautions: Do not eat large quantities of Knotweed raw. It contains substantially more oxalic acid than cooked Knotweed which could potentially cause problems in a survival situation. Smaller portions, however, are fine.
Uses: Collect the young shoots, discard the leaves, discard the rinds of older shoots and chop or slice the stalks.Has a nice sour flavor. Use in fruit dishes or pies just as you would Rhubarb. Also excellent addition to soups, stews, jams, or applesauce.
Notes: The large hollow stalks contain some fresh drinking water. To collect it chop the plant at the base the hold it upside down. Take a stick and poke through the inner wall of the joint, opening the ‘chambers’ one at a time, then simply pour the water into your mouth. ;  Larger quantities can act as a laxative, breaking down fats and stimulating digestion, which of course, could possibly be fatal in a survival situation. ; Extracts of this plant are currently being tested to help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, dely the onset of Alzheimer’s or slow its progression, and to help treat or lower the risk of certain types of cancers.

Poor Man’s Pepper

AKA: Virginia Pepperweed, Peppergrass
How To Spot It: The small spicy annual grows six inches to three feet tall, beginning with a ‘basal rosette’ in early spring. The narrow stalked basal leaves grow two to five inches long and soon the lobes become deep, sharp teeth that usually point toward the leaf tips. A long, wiry, branching flower stalk grows from the plants center mid-spring to fall with similar, but smaller, lance shaped toothed leaves tapering toward the base. From spring to fall the plant is covered in tiny, white four petaled flowers at the tips. In summer and fall the flowers are replaced with flat, circular seed pods, slightly notched at the tip, and containing many yellow-brown seeds. There in no no colored sap when you break open the stem, and the plant has a short, white taproot. There are no poisonous look-alikes, however it could be confused with other edible species.
Cautions: It should not be given to very young children, or others that may be sensitive to spicy foods.
Uses: The leaves, seeds, pods, flowers, tender part of the top of the stem, and taproot are all edible raw or cooked, and make excellent addition to salads, stews, soups, ground as a seasoning for meats, etc. The flavor can be compared to horseradish or wasabe. They tend to lose a little of the kick when cooked. 
Notes: The Poor Man’s Pepper is actually not a pepper at all, rather a member of the mustard family. ; The leaves contain notable levels of vitamin c, calcium, iron, and potassium. ; A ‘tea’ made from the leaves has been used historically for diabetes, to expel intentional worms, as a diuretic, and to ease arthritis. The seed pods have been used to treat coughs and colds, to help break up and expel fluid built up in the chest.

Field Garlic

WARNING: THIS PLANT HAS A POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKE

AKA:  Wild Onion, Meadow Leek, Onion Grass, Wild Garlic
How To Spot It: Long, unbranched, hollow, rounded basal leaves six inches to two feet tall, with a strong onion /garlic smell, growing from an onion like bulb. In late spring consisting of stalkless, green or red-ish bulblets grow on top of a single long leafless stem, one to three feet tall. Each bulb has a curved side and a straight side, project a tiny green shoot upward, and lilac colored, six petaled flowers bloom from them. Later the bulb falls to the ground as the plant dies and turn into new plants next year.
Cautions: Field Garlic should not be confused with the highly toxic plant ‘Star of Bethlehem’, which also has a long linear leaf resembling various wild onions, except it has no odor, a white stripe running down the length of each leaf, and the six-tepaled white flowers don’t resemble that of any other edible plant.
Uses: Collect the leaves in early spring or fall, when the young plants are most tender. Consume them raw or cooked just as you would chives or scallions. The underground bulbs are more onion tasting in seasons with cold weather, and more garlic-like in seasons with warmer weather. Use them accordingly raw or cooked. The Young bulbs growing from the plants have an almost spicy taste and should be used when still young, before the skin toughens.
Notes: Field Garlic is a blood purifier, diuretic, and expectorant. Raw bulbs can help to lower blood pressure. It is also used to prevent worms in children and animals.

Daylily

WARNING: THIS PLANT HAS A POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKE

AKA: Tiger Daylily, Orange daylily, Ditch Daylily
How To Spot It: This perennial produces large, showy flower yellow-orange in color above a basal rosette of long, sword shaped leaves. Six to fifteen short stemmed, upward facing,  funnel shaped flowers stem from a slender, unbranched , smooth stem, three to four feet tall. During flowering, buds grow on the same branch as the flowers, which wither and die the same day they bloom. Other species while still edible, are not as tasty.
Cautions: This is not to be confused with Daffodil or Iris, which are both toxic to humans. By identifying the plant by its flowers, you can avoid confusion, as Daffodils and Iris look nothing like the orange Daylily.
Uses: The flowers and buds are a good source of beta caratine, vitamin c, and iron. Cook the larger, unopened flower pods in recipes that call for green beans, as the flavor is similar. They cook in about fifteen minutes. Be sure not to eat the green base of the flower, as the taste is rather unpleasant. Flowers and the pods can also be batter dipped and deep fried for a delicious side dish or snack.
Notes: The Daylily is an important herb in ancient Chinese medicine. An infusion is made from the flowers is used to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as a sedative, to reduce fever, as a pain killer, and to ease childbirth. The rhizomes and tuber has shown antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties. Research is also being done one how to use the Daylily to treat cancer.

Common Mallow

AKA: Buttonweed, Cheeseplant, Dwarf Mallow, Roundleaf Mallow
How To Spot It: The plant, which arises from a long, slender taproot, can creep along the ground or grow upright. The crinkled, rounded to heart-shaped, toothed, slightly hairy basal leaves grow up to three inches across, with five to seven shallow lobes. The leaf stalks can grow up to seven inches long, and the leaf is notched where it connects to the stalk. Flowers are white to pale-pink with five petals, have a bushy column of many stamens surrounding one pistil, and are under one inch across. Pink lines run through the petals, which are notched at the tip. At a quarter-inch across, the tiny, flattened, segmented fruits resemble a wheel of cheese. There are no poisonous look-alikes.
Cautions: Common Mallow could possibly be confused with various ivies if only ID’ed by the leaves, so be sure to look for the distinctive fruits and flowers.
Uses: A good source of vitamin c, iron, and calcium. The leaves, flowers, and fruits are good cooked for about 10 minutes as you would cook okra. The fruits are also excellent raw.
Notes: Tea made by boiling the root is said to be internally soothing. It has been used by natives to treat skin sores, stomach and dental ulcers, digestive irritations, as well as sore throats and coughs, Although thorough medical testing has yet to be done and results are not confirmed.

Garlic Mustard

AKA: Jack-by-the-hedge, Garlic Root, Hedge Garlic, Penny Hedge, Poor Man’s Mustard
How To Spot It: This common, highly invasive woodland biennial has a distinct garlic smell when crushed. The sprouts of new plants resemble alfalfa sprouts, each with a singular red-ish stalk about two inches tall, and a single strap shaped leaf about half an inch tall. The thin white taproot smells and tastes like horseradish. By mid-spring plants grow to be one to the and a half feet tall, slightly hairy, with more pointed, alternate, deeply veined triangular leaves. A flower bud resembling broccoli gives way to clusters of white four-petaled flowers. The flowers are replaced with long, green, four-parted seedpods curving upwards, about an inch long.
Cautions: Not to be confused with the Common Blue Violet or Henbit Deadnettle which can look similar when young, as always ID the plant through multiple means and be sure of what you are eating.
Uses: The leaves taste like garlic. Young leaves near the flowers are better tasting than the basal leaves, although both are pretty good. Cooking can add a bitter taste, some lightly sauté them for 5 minutes at most. The seeds have a wonderful spicy flavor and don t need cooked or crushed (cooking actually ruins the flavor, so ad them to your dish near the end). The root is used just like horseradish, and again, should only be cooked lightly if at all.
Notes: Crushed Garlic Mustard is a good topical treatment for bug bite, as well as bug repellent, and as a disinfectant. 

Shepard’s Purse

AKA: Mother’s Heart, Lady’s Purse, Pickpocket, Rattle Purse
How To Spot It: Shepard’s Purse begins with a basal rosette of stalked, lobed-to-deeply toothed, lance shaped leaves up to nine inches long, and broader towards the tip, coming from a slender white taproot. Unlike similar plants, the leaves point outward and the is no white sap when broken. In mid-spring long, wiry stalks branching from the base grow from eight inches to two feet tall. Smaller, alternate lance shaped leaves, sometimes with teeth, meet the stem with two small pointed lobes at their base. Tiny stalked flowers grow inside four oval sepals, with four white petals. The flowers eventually form long-stalked, flattened, heart or triangular shaped seedpods.
Cautions: Because of possible effects on the blood, this plant is not recommended for women who are nursing or pregnant.
Uses: Mid-spring the flowers, buds, and tops of the stems are all edible and similar in taste to broccoli. Leaves can be cooked ten to fifteen minutes and are great additions to salad soups and stews. It provides vitamins a,c,k,b1, b2, b3, choline, inositol, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. The also contain fumaric acid, which may help inhibit cancer.
Notes: There is little evidence of any beneficial medicinal use, however historically it has been used to ease childbirth, lower blood pressure, and as an astringent.

Lady’s Thumb

AKA: Persicaria, Redleg, Gambetta, Adam’s Plaster
How To Spot It: Growing with slender branching stems, it usually reaches a height of one to two feet tall and can create a dense brush.The pointed, lance shaped leaves grow from one to four inches long. A darkened triangular spot often appears toward the leaf’s center. Tiny white or pink flowers form in dense clusters about two inches long. This plant has both fibrous roots and a tap root. There are no poisonous look-alikes.
Cautions: Don’t confuse this with Smartweed, which can look similar and while non-toxic, has a horrible taste.
Uses: The leaves are the best parts, although the flowers and stems are also edible but can be unpleasant. They taste similar to lettuce, and can be used raw in salads and on sandwiches, as well as added to soups, casseroles, and stews.
Notes: This plant is rarely used in herbal medicine. 

Asiatic Dayflower

AKA: Yazhicao, Duckfoot Herb, Tsuyukusa, Dew Herb
How To Spot It: This hairless plant with distinct blue flowers grows from one to three feet tall. The simple, smooth edged leaves resemble grass grow three to five inches long. Their stalkless bases wrap around the stem to form a sheath. It has two upper blue petals, and a lower, smaller translucent-white petal. Two short sepals fuse to partially enclose two small yellow-green elongated seeds.
Cautions: It could possibly be confused with Virginia Dayflower which is also edible but larger, and grows more towards the south. Also similar is Spiderwort, which has three blue petals, not two, and is much larger. The leaves of Spiderwort are also edible.
Uses: Strip off the leaves, flowers, seeds, and tops of the stems. Add to salads or other vegetable dishes. The taste can be compared to string beans
Notes: It has been used in ancient China as an anti-inflammatory, and also to sooth a sore throat. It can also be used as a pigment or dye.

Definitions

  • Basal Leaves – Leaves at the plant’s base
  • Basal Rosette – A circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at the base of the plant, near the soil
  • Diuretic – A substance that increases the rate or urination
  • Expectorant – A substance that helps bring up mucus and other liquid from the lungs, bronchi, and trachea
  • Iris – The female fertilization organ of a flower
  • Rhizome – A horizontal stem, usually underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes, also called rootstock
  • Sepals – Modified leaves that lie under the more conspicuous petals of a flower
  • Stamen – The male fertilizing organ of a flower
  • Taproot – A straight tapering root growing downward and forming a base from which other roots spring

Have a good time in the wilderness and remember to always be safe!

A Concentric Circle Preparedness Plan, by Second Hand Lion

As a professional project manager for a large international corporation, my position requires me to mitigate the risks of unknown variables that can alter the success of large and small projects. Donald Rumsfeld quote that ‘we don’t know what we don’t know” comes to mind. It is my job to insulate our company from cost overruns, time delays, or catastrophic project failure by identifying those variables and reducing their impact. These principles of project management applied to small personal events to those effecting us globally has led me to recognize some concerning trends in the preparedness community.

My observations have evolved as I have reached out or involved myself with various groups, whose vision and goals were to help other become aware of the fragile society and economy and how to prepare for it. I have discovered that the vast majority of people prepare themselves and their families, then stop at that point, thinking they have what they need to weather the storms of life. That discovery is what led me to move people beyond a personal stockpile of “stuff” and develop a Concentric Circle Preparedness Plan.

The goal behind this next step in preparing is to build a personal community, enhance your skills, resources and knowledge base and insulate you from the crisis with circles of defense. Concentric circles multiple your ability to survive. From small events, such as job loss, to major events, such as a global socio-economic collapse; adapting this along with a color code of awareness will help you identify what actions you should take and when.

Your Family Circle
This is your Primary Circle and where most people start and stop. They lay up food, water, medical supplies, fuel, shelter plans, guns, ammunition, maybe some cash and silver. They may develop some new skills such as sewing, canning, gardening, animal husbandry and acquire books as reference material. Yet they get to this point with a new level of confidence and assurance and falsely believe all is well or at least better. They may be prepared more than the masses but this is not the end of the journey. This initial circle is very important, because without it you become a refugee at the mercy of others or worse case FEMA.

Areas you should focus on are: Food, Water, Shelter, Fuel, Security, Medical needs, personal Hygiene, Currency/Barter skills, Gardening, Basic First Aid, etc. I would suggest finding a comprehensive list here on the List of Lists.

Extended Family Circle

This becomes your Secondary Circle and by its nature and mindset of awareness, an individual will naturally reach out to mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and cousins, your extended family. All of us have done this at some point or another and have our message both accepted or we are given the look (you know the one I am speaking of).  Developing the second circle is important to acquire trustful partners in a time of crisis. Additionally, a family member may have a farm to act as a retreat or access to skills and talents you neither have the education nor training, such as mechanic, nursing, welding, etc. Your extended family circle gives you a multiplier effect to your resources, tools and supplies that you may not have or the ability to purchase. Since typically, (family dependant) the trust factor is high in extended families, the sharing of information becomes less of a factor than in the outside circles. This second circle along with your family circle becomes the basis for your primary community of support and security.

At this point the creation of additional circles becomes more difficult as the trust factor diminishes and OPSEC issues arise. The benefits are great but I would caution and use extreme discernment in reaching out to others without a thorough knowledge of others ideologies and personal beliefs.

The following Circles are interchangeable in their position. For instance,  your Church Circle may well be more important or relevant to your personal situation than a Neighborhood or Friend Circle.

Neighborhood and Friend Circle

This can be broken into two separate and distinct circles. As you move to develop this circle the selection process of people to include should be done with care. Again, if you know your neighbors you can pick out the individuals that would be hostile to any mention of preparedness or political differences that may jeopardize your inter-circles. I know in our neighborhood we are surrounded by “opposing” ideologies that would expect us to share what we stored. An Occupy movement for my storehouse would likely ensure if they knew of our preparedness mindset. Nice people under normal circumstance but potential threats should the crisis develop beyond the point of stretching regional resources. We do not mention our plans or thoughts on preparing to these individuals. Choosing friends and neighbors under extreme situations is left to your discretion. There are advantages, you may have certain friends or neighbors who can add to your skill and knowledge base or those that you know are all ready preparing and the subject matter would not be threatening to them. These individuals become additional multipliers and another layer of security and insulation to mitigate risks of a crisis.

Reaching out to unknown neighbors is not a wise decision. One way to evaluate a neighborhood mindset is to start a Neighborhood Watch program. You will find out very quickly those that are armed, concerned about crime or possibly even have a similar mindset.

We have friends that have developed over the last year from our Homeschool Co-op. They have a farm with cattle, milking cows, a private shooting range. We are working together now to learn new skills, their location is not ideal for a retreat since it is a farm in the midst of a highly populated area, but the resources we have access to are beyond our individual efforts.

Church/Organizational Circle

I would hope your church would be supportive and what better core of individuals to build community support. I would say that in my experience depending on your denomination, that some church leaders may oppose preparing or at least look at you with the same look you get from skeptical family members. The groups I have been involved with have reached out to Churches with mixed results. The reason may vary from those that believe preparing is equal to not trusting in the Lord (which I believe He does) or that the Rapture will let them escape any major crisis (which I have no doubt He is capable to do). Unfortunately most automatically jump to a TEOTWAWKI situation and fail to see that hurricanes, tornados, ice storms, and job losses are everyday crisis’ people deal with. When they hear preparing, they hear Revelation events. That being said, I have found that most church members understand the principles found in scripture concerning preparing and are not opposed to it. The Joseph Principle, Noah, the Ant proverb, and the parable of the Ten Virgins are great examples.

The benefits of building the relationships in this circle are vast. Your trust factor should be higher than the population at large, the number of people (depending on your church) gives you access to more skills and resources of knowledge, a pre-structured community, access to large commercial kitchens equipment to feed large numbers of people and most importantly a support group of people of like faith.

Local Authority Circle

I know the mention to some will send shivers through your spine but bear with me. In no way am I suggesting you reveal your preparedness plans to local law enforcement. Especially in light of recently signed Executive Order — National Defense Resources Preparedness. If you are not familiar with this order I suggest you read it.

 

What I am suggesting is to make yourself acquainted with your local sheriff’s office or in my case we have a Deputy Sheriff that lives next door. He does not know that we are have a preparedness plan, in fact he does not even know that he is part of my circle, he knows who I am, and to some extent my views on life. Remember the crisis may be personal or global so mitigation of any risk is your goal and having knowledge and a personal connection with the local county sheriff or fire department may prove to be an extra layer of security. I would also add that including a Deputy Sheriff at your Neighborhood Watch Program actually provides you with information on the Sheriff in your county. You may discover that your sheriff is an Oath Honoring Constitutional minded Sheriff willing to assist citizens in his county to prepare.

By no means should your circles encompass any or all of these, you can tailor your concentric circles according to your own personal situation. But as you do, you will start to gain even more confidence in your survival skills, knowledge and resources.

How and when to engage these circles will be dependant on the event you are experiencing. Of course a job loss will not require you to engage the sheriff’s office but you may reach out to family, then your church, etc., yet a regional chemical spill may. Remember each circle provides a resource to mitigate risk.

Codes of Awareness

Now that you have a circle of security to insulate and mitigate risks to your family, establish a Color Code of Awareness. Information is key and if you plan to bug out it is imperative that you are the first ones out the door. While everyone else is watching Fox News to learn of the most up-to-date report on the crisis, then it is time to go. My personal opinion depending on the crisis will be that 80% of people have no where to go and will stay glued to the television for up to the minute news. The remaining 20% will have the sense to leave but 80% of those will hesitate because they are not ready, have nothing packed and no plan of action. That leaves us. The question my primary and secondary circles discuss on major events is What is the trigger? I still don’t have an answer for that question. We have thoughts and ideas and those are used to form a basis for decisions. But this is when we venturing into the “don’t-know-what-we-don’t-know-area”. We all have a sense in today’s world that events are upon us that can go badly very quickly. This unknown variable can only be provided with contingencies, a If this-Then this scenario, and in no way could every possible scenario be accounted for.  Under that unknown variable, we apply an OODA Loop.

Observation: You information do we have; what is going on around us, etc
Orientation: Formulate a plan around the Data you have received
Decision: Is the information valid, is it sufficient to make a decision, if not then more observation, reach out to your circles to uncover other information that will assist you
Action: Based on the information, is it a trigger event for you to implement a plan. What are the implications of delaying action?

Using an OODA loop for engaging your circles will help you from jumping the gun or crying wolf. The color code may also be used to determine when you call upon on more levels of your circles. Those decisions should be based upon your specific circumstance.

Code White
Means there are no potential hazards, ongoing crisis or crises on the horizon. Anything that happens would be a complete surprise. Personally we have never been in a Code White. With all the events going on politically, economically, socially a Code White would be a welcomed relief.

Code Yellow
Code Yellow means there is no specific threat but you are aware of some crisis that may be on the horizon. Example: A potential hurricane, snow storm. We have Code Yellow occasionally in North Carolina. In a Code Yellow we may contact those in our Extended Family and Friend Circle

Code Orange
Code Orange means there is a specific threat serious enough for us to have gassed up all the vehicles and be prepared to bug out. Bags are at the ready, Daily phone calls to members of our Primary Circle are made with location and daily plans. A sound like over kill but it is nice to be in touch with a spouse or children on a regular basis even if just to check in on each others status. The cause for a Code Orange in our operational book is terrorist threats, economic uncertainty, looming war, severe weather alerts, political uncertainty, etc. Yes, we seem to stay recently in Code Orange. We are in contact on a regular basis with Extended Family, Friends and Church Circles.

Code Red
This is the most severe of Codes. This means the event triggering a Code Orange has a high probability, has effected our immediate area or has national implications. Events such as a terrorist attack on a major city, Urban Riots, Collapse of the Markets suddenly, outbreak of a regional conflict in the Middle East are classified as major non-weather events with devastating impact. In these cases we will have contacted multiple circles (if possible) and have initiated our evacuation plan of action.

I suggest that each of your Codes have a specific reason, specific plan of action, reasons why the Code would change either to less or more extreme level. Don’t trigger a Code without using your OODA Loop. You will prevent much heartache and stress if your Code decisions are based on sound Observation and Orientation.

As you see, once each circle is developed, you start insulating yourself and developing an increased probability of successful survival. We have lost too many years of not developing our personal communities. Communities in the past, survived because they developed these connections, if not by design but through necessity. Your survival can not be based on only your resources alone; you can not be an island unto yourself. It has been said many times before; if your plan is to scamper off in to the woods to survive by yourself off the land then your chances are slim if not zero.

This may seem hard but just as when you began preparing your inter-circle, it took a small step. Now you need to take another small step and call a family member and start building on your secondary circle today. Start with those family members that will be more accepting to your message or plans and branch out from there. There is nothing more motivating than early success and building early connections.  If that circle is complete, which I would assume it is, then start your next circle, you may never use it but like insurance its there if you do.

Two Letters Re: Cycling into TEOTWAWKI

Good Morning Jim,
I would like to add my wholehearted support to the article “Cycling into TEOTWAWKI” by Mine T. I have been an enthusiastic Cyclist for many years, and consider a well set up bicycle to be an excellent option for bugging out, when staying where you are is not an option. I also believe a bicycle will give urban preppers a considerable advantage to those attempting to get out of dodge on foot, or even by four wheeled vehicle. A bicycle can go just about anywhere, so the option of riding out of a city along footpaths, railway lines, drainage culverts, and in the UK, old Canal Paths, would be a definite possibility.
 
My current choice of touring bike is a Surly Ogre. The Ogre is the latest generation of 29” wheeled mountain bikes, which has been specifically designed for long distance off-road touring. (I have no connection with the company, other than being a satisfied customer). The Ogre is built in the USA, and could be described as the John Deer Tractor of Bicycles, thanks to its strength and  the unlimited set up options, including a huge number of mounting positions for water / Fuel bottles and accessories. It can be set up for Hub Gears, Trailers, Disk Brakes, extra wide tires, and just about anything else you could think of.  My choice of 29” Schwalbe Marathon tires really come into their own on long trips, on or off road.
 
I fitted my Ogre with Old Man Mountain front and rear racks http://www.oldmanmountain.com/  and Ortlieb Back Roller Plus Panniers (front and rear)in a subdued Hazel brown colour. These give me plenty of storage space for extended trips of a week or more.  By caching food and other supplies at strategic points along your bug out route, you could remain mobile for months at a time.
 
I will send you a full review of the bike and the other touring equipment I use later in the year, once I’ve had a chance to give it  a full trial.
 
All the best, – Andrew in England
 

 

Dear Jim:
MineT wrote a great article!   When you really think about it, a bike in the back of your car or truck is likely the most effective way to get home when driving is no longer an option due to blocked roads, car damage, etc., etc.

When a crisis hits you are going to want to get home immediately, if not sooner!   10 miles hiking is a 5 hour trek at 2 mph, 20 miles is a full day.  Biking on any kind of road surface at 10 mph is easy, so you would get home in just one or two hours.    And you when you get home you will have much more energy left to deal with the situation.

The problem  is the space – even with wheels off, a bike takes up a lot of room.  (A motorcycle, moped or electric bike would be even faster to get home if only you had the space to carry it around all the time.)   Bike racks outside the car are a possible solution, but leave your bike vulnerable to theft and the weather (and decrease your mileage).

For convenience and practicality I have my eye on a Montague folding bike that can be kept safe and discreet in the trunk. A nod to SurvivalBlog advertiser Ready Made Resources, they have a good selection and great prices:
[JWR Adds: I’ve owned a Montague folding bike for two years, and I love it. It is very reliable and folds up quite compactly.]

Regarding type of bike:  I would not even consider a road bike. [In disaster situations] you need the robustness and reliability of a mountain bike.  (Put slick tires on to reduce the weight and rolling resistance if you are mostly road riding.)

There is much less chance of flat tires on a mountain bike, and you have many more route options of road or trail surfaces that can be ridden.

Definitely install tire liner inserts, (e.g., Mr. Tuffys) and/or a tire sealant.  I do both on serious backcountry trips.

Reliability is the key when you are on your own. Regards, – OSOM

Economics and Investing:

Those #&%*#^@ derivatives! JPMorgan exec disregarded warnings on portfolio risk

MC in Florida suggested this Zero Hedge article: Japanese Pension Fund Switches to Gold for the First Time Ever

B.B. sent this: U.S. has Two to Five Years Before Financial Meltdown.

Items from The Economatrix:

Bank Runs Hit Greece. (Another news article quotes Greek President Karolos Papoulias: “[Greek Central Bank chairman] Provopoulos told me that of course there’s no panic but there’s great fear which can evolve into panic.”)

As Europe’s Economic Outlook Darkens, US Risks Grow

Oil Drops a Fourth Day on Rising U.S. Supplies, Greek Elections

S&P in Third Straight Drop

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yet another preparedness conference has been announced. These have been popping up like mushrooms this year. This one is near Portland, in Oregon City, Oregon. (That fun cliff-dwelling city with an elevator that connects its two levels.) PREPARE 2012 will be held at the Oregon City Pool Conference Center, 1211 Jackson Street, on Saturday, June 23, 2012, from 6-to-8 in the evening. The organizer of the event is Scott McSorley of Cascadia Preparedness Disaster Consulting.

   o o o

The Poster Boy for Bad OPSEC: Preppers do their best to be ready for the worst

   o o o

K.A.F. flagged this: Scientists Link Stomach Flu Outbreak to Reusable Shopping Bag

   o o o

Long-time content contributor R.B.S. sent: Man bitten by rattlesnake at Walmart in Clarkston, Washington.

   o o o

A new Ttabs ultralight flying video that shows some of the geology of eastern Washington: Rock Lake Washington and the Ice Age Floods – Trike Flying

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Save some cash, load up with gold and silver, and be patient.  Get ready for a crime wave — a large segment of the population will do ‘whatever it has to’ in order to obtain food.  Hungry men and women can be desperate and lawless.” – Richard Russell, author of the Dow Theory Letter.  

Note From JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 40 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. 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 40 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

An Introductory How To Guide to Wild Herbal Medicine, by P. Farms Mike

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional.  All advice given in this article should be discussed with your doctor before attempting to use them.  Please be cautious that all plants that you use have been properly identified before using them medically.

After a societal collapse, no matter the cause, store bought medicine will disappear.  If you are like my wife and I you have stored up medicines along with your food, water, and all the rest.  However, if the collapse will be long term then sooner or later you are going to run out of medicine.  About a year ago, after moving to the small town our retreat is in to start farming and setting up agriculturally, my wife and I began a discussion as to how we could supplement and even replace our medical supplies as they begin to run short and eventually run out.

The answer was surprisingly simple; plant-based medicines or herbal medicine.  Nature is our medicine cabinet!  Most of the pharmaceutical-grade medicines we have today are based off of plants and plant derivatives, so why not take it one step back in the process to the plants themselves.  Anyone who has begun a study of herbal medicines has heard the story about foxglove and how it was prescribed by herbalists in the past to help treat heart conditions.  Unsurprisingly, when modern science began studying this herb they discovered it contained a medicine that they extracted called digitalis.  Digitalis has been prescribed for decades for patients with heart conditions.

One of the things that my wife and I discovered as we began our quest into herbal medicines is that (unless you live in very cold or very hot climates) we are quite surrounded by medicines.  Not only medicines but vitamin supplements in plant form.  For example, we are surrounded in our area by red or crimson clover, a plant that was introduced to the United States as a cattle feed which has spread like wildfire and is now found in 43 of the 50 states.    The flowers of red clover are what gives the plant its name and are also where most of your medical and vitamins are located in the plant itself.   Red clover can be used as a tea or can be converted to a salve.  As a tea it acts as a mild sedative and also loosens phlegm so is excellent when you have a cold.  It is high in Vitamin C and niacin.  Also it contains the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, and chromium.   In ointment form it can be used to treat psoriasis and eczema.  

My wife and I spent this past weekend picking an entire bowl of the flowers.  The flowers can be dried for use in teas later, which is what we are doing.  You can also make a tea with it as soon as you pick it.  You boil your water, dump it on top of the flowers,  wait 30 minutes to steep, add honey and drink!  What could be simpler?  That is just one of hundreds of plants that we have identified in our area.

How Do I Get Started?

First:  Identify potential health problems you may face after a collapse.  Does someone in your family have asthma?  Then you would probably want to identify herbs in your area that can be used to treat asthma.  Worried that you will not have anything to treat a fever with once the Tylenol runs out?  Red clover is great for reducing fevers and has anti-viral qualities. 

Second:  Identify plants in your area.  This is as simple as starting with what you know.  My wife and I know without a doubt that the clover growing in our area is red or crimson clover.  We had questions about other types of plants so we went online to help identify them.  There are great resources out there that make this easy.  An example is:  RealTimeRendering.com.  If you cannot figure out what a plant is after searching in books or online, get in contact with a botanist at a local university.  If they don’t know they will help you find out and are usually extremely helpful.
Third:  Look up the medicinal uses for the herbs you have identified.  Sometimes the results will be disappointing and there is little or no value in harvesting the plant, such as the musk thistles that are abundant in the area where we live.  Other times you will hit a gold mine of medicinal uses, such as what we discovered with the abundant red or crimson clover.  Check out multiple sites and books to insure that you are getting proper information.

Fourth:  Find out what you have to do in order to extract or use the medicine.  Sometimes it is as simple as making a tea.  At this point, I feel I must give this warning:  BE CAREFUL OF INGESTING ANYTHING.  Please make 100% sure that you have positively identified a plant before using it as a medicine.  You want to help your family and poisoning yourself (or even them) by rushing or guessing will help no one.   Other times they are best used in poultices, salves, and in other types of applications.  Read up on the medicinal uses then look up how to make these online.

Fifth:  Be mindful that herbs will naturally reproduce themselves annually and that you should pick them fresh every year.  One of the herbal remedies I will give below (yellow dock) has a shelf life of about six months but can be harvested in the spring and in the fall so this is not a problem at all.  Just remember that herbs medicinal qualities will expire after a certain amount of time.

Sixth:  Compile all of your findings and share them with your group.  This will also give you a great deal of bartering power after a collapse PLUS would be an excellent form of charity that you could use to increase your reputation in your community.   Not to mention the simple fact that sharing your medical knowledge would be a very Christian thing to do!

Example of a herbal remedy:  Yellow Dock Tonic
There is a plant known as Yellow Dock (you can look up pictures of it on Google Images) that grows on the side of roads and in open pastures.  Since there are two different methods for harvesting and preparing this plant depending on whether it is spring or fall, I will tell you how to harvest and prepare this now.  The seeding part of this plant can be harvested in the fall after drying and used as flour.  The medicinal part of this plant lies below ground. 
Yellow Dock is a great medicinal herb with multiple uses, something you should seek in your medicinal plants.  It can be added to many other mixtures and remedies, such as the red clover tea.  A few of the many medicinal uses of Yellow Dock include, cough medicine, liver detox, digestive aid, gout remedy,  headache remedy,  depression remedy,  skin treatments for itching and eruptions (boils, poison ivy, psoriasis, etc.),  bowel infections as well as treating peptic ulcers.

Preparing Yellow Dock in the Spring:  To use this plant medicinally you need to grab a shovel and dig out the root system.  The root system of Yellow Dock is usually very well established and can go as far as twelve inches below the surface.  After you dig out the root you will notice that the roots are carrot like in appearance (but not color).  The top of the root system near the stem will be tough and barky.  You want to cut right above this hard bark portion of the roots near the stem.  The top half of this plant can be fed to your livestock (in moderation).  Our goats love them.
The roots should be washed over and over until all the dirt has been removed.    After this cut up the roots into ¼” sections and pile these up.  When you get to the top of the root that is difficult to cut with a knife you can stop and discard this section.  Once you have a nice pile (about 1 lbs or more) of the roots you can begin boiling water.  Place the roots into another pot that has a cover.  This pot should be small enough that your roots fill it almost to the top with a half an inch to an inch to spare.

Once your water has boiled, pour it on top of the Yellow Dock roots to where it is just barely covering them.  At this point, place the top on the pot and go do something else for an hour.  While you are waiting you can prepare a strainer and whatever you wish to place the root extract into.  My wife and I used an old vinegar bottle to place our tonic into.  The excess went into a mason jar.
After your hour is up, fill your tonic bottle halfway by passing the golden brown liquid extract through a strainer to remove any root parts.  Let it cool for a while.  Place the remainder of your extract into another bottle, also straining.  At this point you can throw the roots in your pot onto your compost heap as you have extracted all you can get from them.  Warm (not boil) some apple cider vinegar and pour into your tonic bottle.  Take a couple of teaspoons of this every day.  Remember to not overdo it as the mixture you have is pretty potent.

The foregoing is just one of many herbal remedies that you can concoct.  My wife and I have tried the two remedies recommended in the above article so speak from experience that they do work.  You may find that you have plants unique to your area with great medicinal uses!   In a collapse situation you will need any advantages you can get so start learning about herbal medicines today.
Final Words:  I can talk for a long time about herbal medicines but I urge you to get out there and start learning all of this yourself.  This post should give you a good idea of what to do and I sincerely hope that a few people out there will take it seriously.  God Bless and stay healthy!

Cycling Into TEOTWAWKI, by MineT

Cycling has many facets that could attract people preparing for the time when the comforts we have been so accustom to are no longer available. Pick your scenario for the drastic change in our future and a bicycle might be able to handle some of the chores that a computer controlled fossil fuel vehicle may no longer be capable of. If the family car is incapacitated, how will you get from point A to point B?

But one can’t expect to just shell out some money on a human powered urban assault vehicle, and one day just pick it up and head out towards the burning horizon as if it’s a normal evening sunset. I’m going to attempt to write this article to the person who’s looking to add this option by doing research, making wise purchases, testing equipment, and training properly, just like any other prepping should be done.

You’d think silly of me if I bought a firearm for self-defense, loaded the one magazine provided with ammunition I bought from a yard sale, placed it under my pillow, and then expected it (or me) to instantly be ready to fend off anything more than a girl scout ringing the doorbell with a wagon full of cookies. If you consider this a viable threat, I apologize for making light of it, and you might want to talk to somebody about that. But I digress. You should have done your research, talked the poor guy behind the counter at the local gun store into insanity, purchased a firearm and accessories based on your intended use, and budgeted for ammunition to test and train for the moment of truth. Cycling is no different, except for the slinging of lead and the fact that training is much, much cheaper. You should do the research, buy from a local bike shop (can’t stress this enough, as a working relationship with a good bike shop will pay for itself), and train, train, train.

This should lead to a high confidence level that you and your bicycle can reach its planned destination while carrying the gear necessary for the trip. Confidence will come from not only the tested gear, but the change in physical health that the training is going to afford you. I’m not going to assume you have already put in the amount of seat time it takes to get those sit bones in tune for a day of cycling past the no longer gas guzzling modern dinosaurs stuck on the road after TSHTF. To get there, you’ll need to add cycling to your current physical training routine. If a physical training plan doesn’t exist, cycling is the perfect place to start.

Cycling Out Scenarios

Immediate bug out
For us who are still looking for that perfect land to wait out the Apocalypse, we still consider abandoning our current digs for better ones immediately upon realizing that the grid is down and ain’t coming back soon. Walking doesn’t get us very far, and we’ve got to carry everything we need on our backs. It goes without saying that if this isn’t something you have trained for, you might still be able to look back and see your own mailbox before you decide where you’re making camp for the night.

Forced bug out
All but the most fortified and mega-stocked castle-on-a-hill should have a bug out scenario at least in the realm of possibility, or have graves already dug. By the time stores run out, and the angry mobs have eaten each other, cycling can give you that 100+ mile range when the fuel pumps have run dry, and your Hummer is out of commission. You’ve got your maps and have contacted a community with your short wave radio; but how do you get there carrying what you need for the trip when cars are incapacitated and roads are impassable? Your cycle choice and training can step up to the challenge.

Cycling home
Many people who have prepared their suburban homes for disaster work in more urban areas due to the higher paying jobs. For them, being at work when the news gets bad is a concern. Trying to get out of a densely populated area in a car on limited road space due to everyone else trying to do the same might become problematic. If getting home by car is no longer an option, cycling can be a much faster alternative to hoofing it. A ten mile commute on back roads via bike is a 45 minute ride with limited training vs. half of a day. 35 to 50 miles and more is possible in the same time it would take to walk. With no impact on your joints from the ride, you might be of some good when you get there to bunker down and defend your home.

Shelter in Place
You might think in this scenario that a bike would be useless, but I’d like to argue the point. Exercise will still be important no matter where you find security. A cycle trainer can turn your outdoor bike into an indoor gym. Even if you’re 10 feet under concrete avoiding the nuclear winter, you won’t have to have memorized your favorite 90 minute exercise DVD to get in a good workout. You’re gonna want to keep that heart in good shape for when you pop the hatch and greet the new world. Also consider the power you’re generating with that spinning wheel. That could run a generator that keeps batteries charged or run small appliances. With a little ingenuity, this energy can be used in a number of ways. Hook it to a water pump normally run by a drill and you can move stored non-potable water up to a tank on the roof to flush the last working toilet in existence. This might be a topic for another paper.

Bike Choices

Road
Road bikes are very specialized machines for exactly what they’re named for; the road. If your plan includes pavement from point A to point B, and you train for the situation, a road bike can get you home in a hurry while your coworkers are stuck on clogged roads. I mention training due to the fact that these speed demons are to be ridden bent over and don’t have any creature comforts. 100 psi tire pressures, a rigid architecture, and a seat hard enough to deflect incoming artillery make for an uncomfortable ride if you aren’t prepared for it. The component sets are built for speed, not abuse. I’m not saying they are particularly fragile, just designed for the road. That being said, if you pick up road cycling as a hobby, you won’t blink at a 25 or 30 mile ride for fun, much less as a way home in an emergency.

Mountain
A mountain bike might seem like a better choice, and for most initially riding one is a lot easier. If you’re G.O.O.D plan is off the side of a mountain into the valley below, you can stop reading here and buy a downhill special. If crossing numerous unimproved sections of land is in order, this is your choice mode of transportation. But these bikes can be very inefficient on the road and can drain your energy much faster. Your level of comfort and durability go way up, and if the distance isn’t a factor, a mountain bike might be your choice. A general rule is the more suspension travel the more energy will be robbed from each rotation of the pedals. Also, picking an aggressive tread pattern increases the rolling resistance you’ll experience. Much like the road bike, if you’ve trained for it, this type of bike can do the miles.

Hybrid
The type of bike I ride is what’s considered a hybrid. This is a broad category. They can range from dual suspension to a rigid frame and forks. From a wider (not mountain wide) tire with 60 psi, to a slim road tire with 100+ psi. Many sport a flat style handle bar. It is the most identifiable feature, and a huge difference between it and the road bike. The other difference is that they usually sit more upright, making it a more familiar ride to beginners. Thinner tires and less suspension separate it from the mountain bikes. Commuter bikes fall into this category, and have some features that are attractive to someone who’s looking for all-weather reliability. Commuters don’t take days off just because the weather turns on them, and neither will you in an emergency situation. They can have better component sets, sealed bearings, and disc brakes for better performance in inclement weather. Hybrid and commuter bikes are often drilled out in places specifically designed for mounting racks for bags. This isn’t mandatory but will facilitate mounting these later.

As mentioned, tires for these semi-thin rimmed machines range from slick and stiff to knobbed and squishy. Depending on your planned route, road tires give you much less rolling resistance and more miles for your efforts. The tradeoff is in traction on any (and I mean any) dirt or gravel covered terrain. Also, durability is not their strong suit. If you do run road tires, you have to be careful of any debris or deformity in the road. Fortunately, there’s a whole sport based on good rolling and high traction tires. Cyclocross tires are perfect for both on and off road. They might not save you in an extreme downhill situation, but for general on and off road use, cyclocross tires are worth looking at.

Bug Out Cycling Gear

Safety
As with most of this paper, this is practical information for every cyclist, regardless of the situation. Number one: Do not ride a bike without a helmet. Bike helmets are very lightweight, and you won’t even notice it two minutes into a ride. Note: Cycling helmets are good for one impact. Get a new one if it ends up saving your skull from impact. Number 2: Lights should be used when cycling in any type of traffic or on public accessible roads. Unless you determine your bug out a “blackout situation”, a blinking red light to the rear and a blinking white light to the front should be flashing at all times. Work gloves and safety glasses are part of my B.O.B., and the ones I’ve selected to get me through Armageddon are just fine for commuting or escaping an urban disaster to get home. Glasses will help keep you in control if something hits you in the face. The gloves have a padded palm to give some comfort from leaning on the bars for prolonged periods of time. I have cycling gloves, but my mechanic style gloves get the call if I’m loading up my 72 hour bag and heading for safer ground.

Pedals/Shoes
Pedals come in three main flavors: platform, clips, or clipless. I’m going to eliminate clips altogether. I consider them the most dangerous of the three, and the least effective. I’m going to recommend cycling shoes and clipless pedals, because they put a lot more of your power to the ground and are safer than any other type of pedal. I’m not sure most who don’t use them would agree, but the ones who do will never, ever go back. If you plan on doing a “century” (cycle slang for 100 miles in a day), or just toolin’ around town, clipless pedals are head and shoulders above your other options. Conversely; platform pedals (the ones you’re used to from when you were a kid on your Huffy) offer you a shoe alternative that most clipless pedals don’t. The answer can be clipless pedals with a platform around them. That way, if you have to ride without your bike shoes, you can do so effectively. It’s the win/win situation we’re all looking for. They are available from different manufacturers.

Shoes for road bikes are once again designed only for riding, and walking in them can be kind of like walking in swim fins and sound like tap shoes. Shoes designed for mountain biking use the same pedal attachment (cleat) as the road shoes, but are designed to put your foot down when you need to, and walk around much better. When buying this combination, keep in mind that the cleat comes with the pedals, and not the shoes. There are a few different types of pedals with their own style cleat. Which of these styles is better is another subject for another paper. Most are great designs, but your familiarity with them is much more important than which one might have a slight advantage on the other. The cleat that comes with your pedals should bolt on to the bottom of whatever shoe you buy. If you buy both from a cycle shop (always recommended), they should make the whole shootin’ match work for you.

Self-Defense
If you are going to be out before the angry hordes are done looting and haven’t finished eating the majority of their own population, you can be a target for them. Much like settlers heading West, you’ll need a way of confronting the onslaught. Although you are going to want to give most of the carrying burden to the mechanical beast, some things might be better carried on your person. In fact, you might want to consider having to ditch the bike altogether if the scenario calls for it. Sure, this is a last resort, but so might have been bugging out in the first place. One thing I won’t be strapping on to my cycle is my primary firearm. This, a hydration system, and some other basic survival gear will be attached to me. I’ve worn plenty of MOLLE style vests in the past, and one that carries my sidearm cross draw in a retention holster is getting the call for this mission. Add some pouches for reloads and other must have stuff in just in case plan “C” is called into play. The rest can find room on the bike. Keep in mind that most panniers (a set of side bags) are designed to be removed quickly and have some sort of carrying handle. Loaded appropriately, and you could escape a situation quickly with quite a bit of your gear and leave behind the bike.

Other Gear
Two other parts of your body that touch the cycle the majority of the time are your hands and your derriere. Gloves we covered, so we’ll deal with your sit bones now. You can buy seats with as much padding as you’d like, then add a gel cover to it, and even find a seat post with a little shock absorber in it, but there’s no replacement for seat time. They have seats out there that look like the came off a tractor, but they’ll still more than likely hurt your butt at first. Seat time, measured in minutes, not miles, will make this pain bearable. I prefer to just log the seat time with the saddle that came with the bike. I pay good money (not too much money) for good bikes, and I find the seat that came on it plenty good for me. Cycling pants have a pad built in to them, and they are effective. Cycling pants are also shaped for being bent at the waist, making them comfortable for long rides, but not necessary option for your journey. You can wear them under loose fitting clothing so that you have your pocket knife right where you normally wear it. My tactical shorts usually ride over of mine.

Carrying Gear

Racks
This is the metal frame that attaches to your bikes frame, forks, or both. Racks are available in many different sizes and carrying styles. Some are clip-on, and some bolt on to the bike. I’m not a fan of the clip-on, and wouldn’t trust them in a heavy carry or rough terrain situation to lug what might be equipment and supplies that prolong my life. Some only carry loads on top, some on the sides, and some both. This is going to be a personal choice based on how much each person can carry safely for the distance and terrain they must cover. A general rule is that you’d rack and pack the rear of the bike first, then the front as needed. I have done both, and prefer to rack the front first. I don’t even notice moderate loads on the front of my commuter bike, and prefer the ride of the weight low and forward on my bike. I had to look for specific racks that work with disc brakes with my last purchase, as my newest cycle is equipped with them. Suspension laden cycles will have some restrictions on what racks they can accommodate. Again, a good cycle shop will be able to help you with selection, as well as proper installation.

Bags/Panniers
I’ll tell you right off the bat these things can get downright expensive. But like with most things, you get what you pay for. Since I’m guessing you’ll be (as I will) moving the heavier, if not all of, your B.O.B. to the bags, the light duty bags are not what you’re looking for. Water containers can be affixed directly to the racks if you wish. Practice riding with all the extra weight in its place before the need arises. The higher you make your center of gravity, the more unstable your ride will be. The other nugget I’ll share is that I prefer to buy the racks and bags from the same manufacturer. Not necessarily the same place, as shopping around can save you some dough. As mentioned before, many panniers slip on and lock to the racks for quick on and off convenience. A slight difference in design between the racks and the bags can lead to relying on duct tape (once again) to arrive with what you departed with. There are plenty of options of where you want to put bags, too. Handlebar, trunk, sides, seat, and frame bags are a few of the choices. I have a seat bag with an extra tube and the tools to change it, along with a cycling multi-tool. I prefer these items to be out separate so that I don’t have to look for it when needed. Changing a flat on a bike is very fast with some practice. Looking for the tools can take as long as fixing the flat if you have to dig for the stuff.

Trailers
Why not a bugout bag (B.O.B.) for your B.O.B.? Google up the B.O.B. (Beast of Burden, in this case) cycle trailer and I think you’ll be impressed. I’ve personally talked with people who have crossed the country pulling these things loaded down with gear, and they praise them. The only complaint is that they’re so popular that replacement parts can be hard to come by. Their single wheel design and slim profile make them very agile, able to scoot through small places (like between abandoned cars) and down narrow trails. This is the only individual product endorsement I’m including in this paper. I’m currently experimenting with a two wheeled trailer I picked up second hand. The primary use for the trailer will be our pet, which we’ve prepped for on all the levels in which we’ve prepped for ourselves. But I will also be testing this for the carrying of supplies. Water will be placed low and flat of the bottom of the cargo area. Other cargo will be placed around, and our small dog will be strapped in and sitting up in the middle. If you have a small child, this is also an option. I’m going to suggest, nay demand, the same safety equipment for the young passenger (helmet) and the same lights on the rear and far left and right of the trailer. A flag also accompanies most trailers for visibility.

Bike Maintenance and Repair

Professional Maintenance
After riding your bike the first hundred miles or so, it’s time to take it back to the cycle shop for adjustments. I wouldn’t try this if you elected to buy from an individual or a big box store. New cables stretch and derailleurs will need tweaking. This is a service many bike shops offer for free. Unless you really want to learn a new skill (discussed later), I’d leave adjustments to the pros at the shop. They aren’t often necessary after initially tightening everything up. Just have it done occasionally and you’ll be ready when the ball drops.

Home Maintenance
Home maintenance is not too tedious. Cleaning and lubricating the chain is something you should do as necessary. A device to do this is about the only tool I have that is cycle specific. Keeping the bike clean, especially if you take it off road, is important to prevent unnecessary corrosion.

Repair
As for maintenance, I’d leave almost anything more complicating than flats to the cycle shop. One reason for this is the shop’s mechanic can spot other things you might have missed that are askew with your scoot whilst repairing whatever it is you drug it in for. That is unless you’ve done your homework in cycle repair and equipped your tool arsenal with cycle specific implements. That being said, cycle repair could be a post catastrophic vocation that might be in demand. If you do choose to develop this skill set, it might be a bartering tool with others who now realize that a bike is their best transportation option. You might just find yourself fixing old bikes and trading/selling them, effectively starting your own “The Day After” bike shop as an income stream while saving time and money now by tuning your own.

Parts
Again, as long as you keep your bike in good working order, even if the cycle shop falls within the quarantine area, you should be able to get where you’re going on your well maintained bicycle. Tubes and the few tools you’ll need to change a road side flat are a must. A chain is a key component that can break without any real sign of abuse. An extra one might be a good idea along with a chain tool. Chain tools are small and fairly self-explanatory, and come as part of cycle-specific multi-tools. Stocking up on spare parts can be part of your plan if you’re considering the after world bike shop we previously mentioned.

Replacement
Some parts will need to be replaced, much like a car. Unlike a car that has a check engine light, sometimes bicycle problems don’t present symptoms as fast and can easily be missed. Having an inoperative bike can make your five mile bug out plan change drastically, and make a 50 mile bug out nearly impossible. Tire wear is more obvious, and you’ll be looking at them more than most other parts. Tubes, unless you really are lucky, will be replaced because of occasional flats before they wear out. The less obvious parts are the chain and coated brake cables.

Testing Your Gear
Just as with the waterproof matches, the dehydrated mac and cheese, and the portable water filter you bought for your B.O.B., every piece of prepper gear must be tested. Not only for operability, but for the confidence you need to carry this gear in to TEOTWAWKI. Your bike is no exception. Find the weak links, and squash them. You have to know that when this piece of equipment is supposed to get you home (or where you’re going to call home) that when you lean on the pedals, it’ll project itself forward just like it’s designed to do.

Cycling Lifestyle

Cycle shops
A good cycle shop will pay for itself in professional advice, proper fitting you to a bike, proper mounting accessories to your machine, and continual tuning. Picking a bike off the shelf of a super store is a recipe for disaster. I wouldn’t buy a bike from a box store as a present for a total stranger; much less trust my plans for the future to one. As with any good gun shop, you should feel comfortable asking questions about gear. If they don’t have the time to answer them, then Google up another bike store in your area until you find one that does. Make sure the owner and employees are cyclists. Their real life experiences with gear will be your first test, but not your last. It should be obvious that they’re cyclists, by the display of their own bikes in the shop. Ask them why they picked the gear they run, and then learn from their answers. They’ll also most likely be your first clue to where the good cycling clubs meet.

Cycling clubs
A lot of what we do as preppers is enhanced by like-minded people, and cycling is no exception. Getting into a cycling club can make your whole experience better. There’s seat time, and then there’s seat time combined with a little healthy competition and camaraderie. There are usually ability groups to match all levels, so you don’t have to be able to do 20 miles at 20 MPH on day one. But you will improve quicker than you think if you work at it.

If you really want to be prepared to bike thru the now third world country at the end of your driveway, take up a discipline called cyclocross. Cyclocross racing is a fairly new sport, but is catching on quickly as it brings the other types of racing together in a strange and fun environment. This type of event invites inclement weather, provides terrain that varies from road to mud, includes obstacles that will force you to carry your bike, and will abuse your body (as much as you want). It takes place on a closed course designed to tax your cycling skills as much as your endurance. The events can be more about finishing than time, and more about fun than trophies. You’ll better know what your body will put out, and what your gear will put up with in this kind of situation. Consider it the cycling equivalent to practical shooting.

Cycle commuting
If your plan includes cycling home from work, what better way to know how it’ll go than riding to work? I know there are those commutes that just aren’t feasible, but don’t count out 10 or 15 miles one way until you know what you’re capable of. Commuting every day isn’t necessary. Maybe you save it for casual Friday. Your attention to detail is different on a bike, and this gives you the best view of what you’ll experience when it’s time to get home under adverse conditions. I’m not going into a tactical discussion here, but you’ll want to take note of choke points and back routes that will provide better cover or concealment. It also feels good to pass a few gas stations knowing you’re not shelling out your hard earned money just to get to work. Plan your commutes by picking roads that are safe to ride on.  Skip roads that don’t offer you the room you need to bail out. You are considered a vehicle, and you have some right of way, but don’t put yourself in a situation where you’re trying to explain this to a Paramedic in the back of an ambulance. Review the cycling laws in your state, but realize you might be the only one out there who has. You will be able to pack almost anything you’d normally haul to work in the panniers that will carry your survival gear. My smaller front bags are all I usually need, and I’m much more prepared to work after getting the blood moving on a quick ride to work.

Healthy Lifestyle
Whether a quadruple bypass is in your past, or in your future, you won’t be overly welcome in a post-apocalyptic community if the procedure is imminent. Starting a physical training routine with cycling is easy and fun for almost anyone. After the initial investment, training is basically free and is as convenient as taking an afternoon bike ride. If the great outdoors doesn’t present many opportunities for pleasant riding, many indoor options are available. Adding cycling to a routine is a great idea if your joints are getting a little older. Even if you’re in above average physical shape, cross training on a bike is a great idea to change up your workout. Find a local spin class and see how fast you get into shape for miles of road. As preppers, if physical conditioning isn’t part of a routine, we won’t last long in the times we’re prepping for.

Conclusion
I’m hoping that by now you’re looking at this topic from a broader prospective by looking at the benefits of adding cycling to your lifestyle both before and after TEOTWAWKI. Most of the things I’ve mentioned here shouldn’t surprise you, but I hope were worth reading one more time. A few things worth repeating: You get what you pay for. Seat time, measured in minutes, not miles, is everything. Test all your equipment and strategies as with all survival gear. A great cycle shop will prove indispensable the same way a good gun store is for that type of gear. Last, a cycling lifestyle will benefit in more ways than one. If you live ten years longer because your heart doesn’t have to work as hard, you might just get to shoot some zombies that you would have missed if you flat line before they get here. Happy cycling.

Three Letters Re: Commercial Storage Space Thievery

Hi Jim,
To follow up on the recent letter on Commercial Storage Space Thievery, I had a very similar experience with my storage locker.  I have a locker from Public Storage in Saratoga, California and had the very same thing happen.  I checked out my unit one night and another lock was on the unit.  I had the Sheriff come by and they did the usual.  The problem I am having presently is the insurance company hasn’t really done much and its been three months [since I discovered the theft.]  I had all the receipts from Amazon.com and Costco.com so that isn’t the problem.  They keep dragging their feet while I still pay for insurance on the unit.  To add injury to insult, Public Storage just raised my rent. Best Regards, – Martin in California

 

Mr. Rawles and Steve S.:
I am a Resident Manager of a storage facility.  Many of my tenants are preppers.  We have not had any trouble in the seven years that I have been manager.
 
The secret to having a secured facility is to ask questions.  Here are some tips on selecting a safe place for your preps
 
1.        Does the manager live on property and is the resident close to the gate.
2.       Security – what form does it take
3.       Are the camera recording 24/7 or are they for show
4.       Entry into the facility – coded box and log
5.       Own lock – case hardened – round locks are the best as it takes a long time to cut and usually requires some type of cutting tool
6.       Limited Gate hours – 24 hour facility is just asking for trouble.  Thieves come in the night
7.       Fencing – easy or hard to climb
8.       More than one gate – how is the second one monitored
9.       Does the facility have alarms on the doors – newer places  have this. 
10.   Not a lot of corridors as the turning can keep someone from seeing
11.   Neighborhood/location –ask local police if there is a history of trouble. 
12.   How long has the manager been in charge – long term managers are usually the ones that have a secure facility. 
 
When putting preps/guns or such make sure it does not look like you are placing important items inside the unit.  If you are going to be out of the area find a family member or friend that you trust and have them check the unit at least once a month.  Units that are visited by the people who rent them are less like to have trouble.
 
If you, personally, don’t feel comfortable then do not rent there. 
 
Yes, both myself and my security/maintenance guy are preppers and we have learned many good lessons from this web site
 
Thank you for all you have taught us. – Texgalatheart

James,
I was dismayed to read Steve S.’s letter about thieves chopping locks off of multiple storage units. Like Steve, I chose a gated facility with cameras. However, there is an additional layer of security available at some storage facilities that your readers may wish to know about. The facility I chose has individually coded entry alarms. When I visit the facility, I must swipe an uniquely coded electronic key in order to open the gate. That key is coded to my individual storage units. If I do not unlock and open either of my specific storage units within ten minutes or so after entering the gate, an alarm goes off. Similarly, if either of my units are unlocked and opened without me first entering the gate, an alarm goes off.
 
Obviously one pays a price for the additional security (my facility also has on-site resident managers). However, my facility always has a waiting list so the price must be right (it was for me!). Just thought folks might want to know this technology is available and commercially feasible for storage facilities to implement! – David in Pleasanton

Letter Re: Deep Concealment Holsters

Dear Field Gear Editor:
I respectfully disagree with the use of the  Deep Concealed Carry Holster for most people who carry concealed firearms.  Gun fights happen in seconds and taking the time to rip open a shirt and cross draw may not be fast enough to survive.  However, anyone carrying a concealed  firearm should be well versed  in the concept of situational awareness and be prepared well in advanced that the use of a weapon may be needed.  Another problem with a cross draw in a highly stressful situation is the heightened possibility of muzzle flashing  someone other that the threat.  
 
I prefer and regularly use a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 or Summer Special 2  inside the waistband holster,  tucked slightly behind the hip.  This allows for a fast draw with the muzzle pointing at the threat and the concealment is excellent.   The other day I carried a full size 1911 for the day, wearing a T-shirt and loose un-tucked patterned shirt.   I passed several police officers, private security and many people, and not one person appeared to notice I was carrying a weapon.  I have in the past used only a T-shirt to conceal my 1911 using the Versa Max 2 with no issues, however the T-shirt needs to be on the larger size. Pat made a very good point  in that it does take time for the body to get accustomed to a holster.  There are those who do like a shoulder holster and for those who do,  the Deep Concealed Carry Holster may work well for you.  I believe a majority of the concealed carry users would be better off using a inside the waistband holster, tucked slightly behind the hip, like the Milt Sparks Versa Max 2.
 
Disclaimer,  I do not work for or represent any company or person involved in any aspect of the firearms business.  – Florida Dave

Economics and Investing:

The latest coinage debasement news, this time from The Philippines: Coin hoarding soon a crime? JWR’s Comment: With orchestrated currency inflation there comes the inevitable day when seigniorage costs advance to unacceptable levels, and the metallic value of any given coin greatly exceeds its face value. Rather than doing the honest thing–knocking a few zeroes off their paper currency–governments often resort to bans on coin melting and coin exportation. Anti-hoarding laws are much less common in First World countries as there are typically no limitations on the amount of a currency that someone holds in an ostensibly “sound” currency regime. The root of the problem is inflation. Honest money, pegged to–and redeemable on demand for–specie, is the solution. Debasement and the laws that go along with it, are just stopgap measures, designed to perpetuate larcenous governments. I use the word larcenous because inflation is a covert method of robbing us of the buying power of our savings. Currency inflation is effectively a hidden form of taxation.

B.B. sent this: Greek Depositors Withdrew $898 Million From Banks Monday

From J.B.G.: Moody‘s Investors Service has downgraded 26 Italian banks

Items from The Economatrix:

Jim Rogers:  Get Out of Stocks; Buy Gold, Silver and Agriculture

The Long-term Case For Commodities