Letter Re: Sport Shooting for Preppers

As C.K.’s article points out almost all of the publications that cover prepping acknowledge the need for self-defense, but very little ink gets spent on developing or maintaining real proficiency.  His suggestion that readers consider either practical shooting (USPSA) or defensive pistol shooting (IDPA) really hits the target.  The follow-up letter by Sean from COS advocating hunting as another way to develop and maintain skills also hit the mark.

Many articles and even most of the survival fiction stories provide descriptions and explanations for the “right” guns to buy.  “Survival Gun Selection” on the left side of survivalblog.com is an excellent overview of the equipment and rationale, but even this article avoids two other gun issues that are critical, especially for those of us with a wife who carefully monitors our combined survival investing.

Those two issues are:

1.) How many rounds should be put aside for each type of weapon for self-defense or hunting assuming TSHTF and ammo is no longer readily available?

2.) On some kind of rolling forecast, how many rounds should be budgeted for maintaining proficiency for each year between now and when TSHTF?

My wife knows that I would rather buy an extra 500 rounds of 40 S&W than another two cases of Mountain House Chicken a la King.  But seriously, how would you make the argument for the number of rounds to keep on hand?

For example, we have four hunting rifles in .223, .243, 7mm-08, and .308 for most North American hunting plus a .375 H&H mostly for bear.  Following the same reasoning as in Sean’s letter, we draw for resident permits each year and usually get a deer and an antelope and occasionally an elk.  Even with pre-season practice and testing my own hand loads, it is really hard to justify more than 40 to 50 rounds per year for each of the bigger calibers.  The .223 with a big NightForce scope sees a lot more action since it is used for varmint hunting throughout the year.

Our primary carry pistols are all in .40 S&W.  Without participating in regular matches as C.K. suggests, we do extended shooting sessions about twice a month with 40 to 50 rounds per gun.  Just for skill maintenance, we go through 600 or more rounds per year per pistol.  We also have several 1911s that have been displaced by the high capacity polymer pistols, and they probably see no more than 100 rounds per year apiece.  At those same practice sessions, we also shoot at least two 30-round magazines of 5.56 through our M4rgeries.  For the pistols and the ARs, we use the drills we learned at Front Sight at the 4-Day Defensive [handgun and rifle] courses.  (Very inexpensive course certificates, thanks to eBay, and highly recommended.)

In your novel “Patriots”, shortly after most of The Group gets to the retreat in Idaho, the characters perform an inventory of their supplies (food, tools, supplies, clothing, guns, and ammo):   “As for ammunition, we are in excellent shape – in all nearly 300,000 rounds, almost half of which is .22 rimfire.   …Joe Schmo on the street probably only has a couple of hundred rounds on hand, on average.”

On my first reading of the book several years ago, I thought this was a bit excessive.  Now, I am not so sure. 

Take out the .22 LR (150,000 rounds) and divide the remaining 150,000 rounds by 12 or 15 people.  That leaves 10,000 to 12,500 per person.  Split that number between hunting (maybe 10% – 1,000 rounds across all hunting guns), defensive pistol (say 30% or 3,000 rounds) and defensive rifle (the remaining 60% or 6,000 rounds).  If half of the defensive pistol ammo was intended for skill maintenance, those 1,500 rounds would last for only 4 or 5 years of practice.

When my son and I attended the 4-Day Defensive Handgun Class at Front Sight earlier this year, we each went through 720 rounds in four days.  A year ago and prior to the classes, it would never have occurred to me that the two of us would chew through almost 1,500 rounds in just four days – in practice!.  Then, I got on the phone with my oldest boy who had served with the 1st Marines in Fallujah.  I was stunned to learn how many rounds went through the average rifleman’s M4 in a single firefight.  He told me that he usually felt under-equipped with only eight 30-round magazines on his gear.

My next thought is that we are talking some serious money.  Let’s say 3,000 rounds of 5.56 primarily for practice at $350 to $400 per thousand plus 3,000 rounds of higher quality 5.56 at $500 to $600 per thousand.  The AR-15 ammo could set you back $2,500 to $3,000.  Assume roughly the same cost per round for .40 S&W (9mm a little less and .45 ACP a bit more) for practice and for high quality defense rounds for your carry pistol, and we can add $1,250 to $1,500 for your primary handgun.  The hunting ammo will likely run $20 to $30 per box of 20 except for the .223 which in a pinch could also use the ammo for your AR.  The 1,000 rounds of good quality hunting ammo could set you back another $1,400 to $1,600.  Enough ammo to feed the whole battery can easily nudge into $5,000 or $6,000.

My wife’s reaction was that much money could buy a whole lot of beans and band-aids!

How about the benefit of your wisdom for all of us in that same predicament?  How many rounds is a reasonable budget for skill maintenance?  Assuming as I do that ammo will be one of the very first things to disappear from stores, how many rounds of quality defensive ammo is enough?

Your current thoughts would be greatly appreciated. – Don M.

JWR Replies: I’ve always made a distinction between ammo for target practice, and ammo for TEOTWAWKI. The latter is always kept in reserve. Aside from target practice ammo, I consider 1,000 rounds per handgun and 2,000 rounds per battle rifle a bare minimum. Here at the ranch, one entire wall of JASBORR is lined with heavy duty ammo can shelves, but much of that ammo is for training or is intended for eventual barter.

Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this: The Media Won’t Touch this Story About the End of the US Dollar

Coincidentally, M.E.W. noted one large paper that just did: How US debt risks dollar doomsday: The US dollar is getting perilously close to losing its status as the world’s reserve currency. Should it cross the line, the 2008 financial crisis could look like a summer storm.

Mac Slavo: What is America’s Economic Breaking Point?

Items from The Economatrix:

The Illusion of an Economic Recovery

Jim Sinclair Has Something to Say

US Economy Grows at Tepid 2.2%, Misses Estimates

Oil Prices Rise On Improvement In US Manufacturing

Odds ‘n Sods:

Another Self Reliance Expo will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 18-19, 2012. There should be a half-dozen SurvivalBlog advertisers with booths there.

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Tim J. suggested this article: More families building their own tornado shelters

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Courtesy of Chris M.: Lockdown–The coming war on general-purpose computing, by Cory Doctorow

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Seed for Security has announced a new bonus offer. You will receive a free Garden Bean Collection with the purchase of two Garden Bean Collections. This is a $14.99 value. Included in this collection (all seed counts are approximate): Jacob Cattle Beans or Soldier Beans (150 seeds), French Horticulture Beans (150 seeds), Provider Green Bush Beans (150 seeds), and Grandpa Neff’s Mix (150 seeds).

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Motive Force: Homeowners decide to have some fun demolishing their home, so they rented an APC to take it down, KARE reports.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"What is the meaning of a gold standard and a redeemable currency?  It represents integrity.  It insures the people’s control over the government’s use of the public purse.  It is the best guarantee against the socialization of a nation.  It enables a people to keep the government and banks in check.  It prevents currency expansion from getting ever farther out of bounds until it becomes worthless.  It tends to force standards of honesty on government and bank officials.  It is the symbol of a free society and an honorable government.  It is a necessary prerequisite to economic health.  It is the first economic bulwark of free men." – Walter E. Spahr, Professor of Economics at New York University

Notes from JWR:

Today we present another entry 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.

A Second Look at the Mosin-Nagant Rifle, by Frog

I got myself into prepping and survivalism after the turn of the century, so my main resource was the Internet. That in and of itself was a whole learning process, as well — but the scope of this article will focus on what appeared to be an amazing find in that great, infinite Google. $80 for an accurate, reliable, rugged bolt-action repeater that was on-par with a .30-06, ballistically… and had dirt-cheap ammo, to boot? There had to be a catch, and oh, how the forum-goers toting $5,000 AR setups assured me (and plenty of people in similar metaphorical boats) that it couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn (from the inside), it blew up, all the bolts stuck, the triggers were horrible and couldn’t be fixed, and the corrosive ammo wasn’t worth the trouble.

Boy, how I learned how wrong they were. Though I’ve had a fascination with the rifles for quite some time, I ended up acquiring other weapons first, as fate would have it. However, I’ve since gotten my own example, and no longer have to bother friends or roommates to get a chance to toy around with one (although an acquaintance at gunsmithing school had a beautiful 91/30 he’d refinished the wood on, himself).

My rifle is a round receiver Tula, 91/30. I was lucky enough to get one with an excellent bore, bolt, and all the accessories (oiler, tools in cloth wrap, sling, bayonet and two ammo pouches), while paying only $90 in-person. $80 online is still a perfectly fair price, even after transfer and shipping — though I would advise anyone purchasing multiple specimens, or other qualifying weapons, to consider a Curio and Relic license, if that is in your interest.

The rifle’s main detriment that I’ve determined thus far? The sights. They’re not bad — though I’m biased, and apparently an abnormality when it comes to American shooters raised with traditional American guns, for the most part. However, the majority of my open-sight shooting since adulthood has been with an AK variant, which has very similar sights, anyway. That doesn’t change what they are, though; crude, dark, and on some guns, not even adjustable to make your point-of-aim the same as point-of-impact. A $5 part fixes this, and I suspect that the better quality sample you acquire, the less likely the phenomenon is. If you’re new to Russian sights, try to remember that it’s something you get used to. There’s nothing directly ‘wrong’ with them; they’re not always as precise, and they’re just different.

In the course of my life to date, I’ve fired three Mosins, including my own. They have all been 91/30s, and I have never seen any of them malfunction, not that bolt actions are particularly susceptible. A common story I found online, initially, had me worried about ‘sticky bolt.’ Don’t believe everything you read, though; degreasing the gun (with one of a variety of methods, or multiple, ideally) will eliminate this problem nine out of ten times. My rifle’s action is as smooth as my Mauser. Sticky bolt happens when cosmoline is not completely removed from the gun, and subsequently heats up and turns to a very sticky, unfavorable substance. Removing it is slightly harder after that happens, but still easy, in any case. Make sure you remove all cosmoline before shooting your rifle at all. While it won’t wreck the gun, it’s just not a good idea to let it build up.

Another problem mentioned for the guns is the relative difficulty of mounting a scope. A traditional job can be done to flop the bolt handle and fandagle a mount like the sniper Mosin variants had, and while those are fine, they are not my recommendation. The Brass Stacker mount goes over the rear sight, solidly locks, and allows a scout-style scope to be mounted — my choice being a Simmons Prohunter in fixed 4x power. The mount is superior to similar ones not only in quality, but in that it allows the rifle’s iron sights to stay on the rifle, unchanged. Any weapon you have for real-world use should have iron sights, even if it also has an optic. Right now, that translates to being able to keep hunting if your scope malfunctions; post-SHTF, that could mean still making accurate hits instead of area-effect fire after an optic goes down. Regardless, a scope is not necessary with these weapons; [the Finnish army marksman] Simo Hayha demonstrated that well enough. My strategy thus far is going to be to scope two rifles (for me and my lady-friend), and keep the rest with iron sights, mainly as backup and hand-out weapons.

If you’ve never shot a Mosin, and you get an opportunity to, accuracy test it and you’ll be surprised. Obviously, surplus ammo is less accurate than current-manufacture, but a scoped 91/30 will absolutely keep up with other surplus rifles. I wouldn’t feel under-gunned shooting it against a Mauser, assuming it wasn’t sporterized. If you picked a good rifle and use good ammunition, 1 MOA isn’t uncommon with quality optics. Iron sights, expect whatever your proficiency level is; my rifle outshoots me, and I’m not a terrible shot, by any means.

One unfortunate thing that is true of Mosins is that the stripper clips suck. No bones to pick about this one; rimmed casings make them awkward. Some are completely unusable, others just difficult, but they’re nothing I’d ever trust my life to. Furthermore, they’re expensive! While SKS stripper clips are cents a piece, Mosin ones can be as much as $3-5 per clip! For an $80 rifle, that’s not worth it, to me — but they’re unreliable, either way, and I thusly recommend sticking to hand-loading [the internal magazine on] these [with individual cartridges]. For what they are, if you’re doing everything correctly, an absolute speed-reload shouldn’t be as necessary as with other weapons. Make your shots count and learn to load by hand as quickly as possible.

Getting a Mosin quickly teaches you about corrosive ammo. I’m still learning, on that account, but the method I’ve been using is to disassemble the gun, spray the metal parts down with Windex to soak, and then let more Windex flow through the bore. Apparently, the ammonia is thought to be good for removing corrosive salts, but I can’t attest to that. Some people use hot water to the same effect, and I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable doing so. In any case, after your corrosion-cleaner of choice, clean the rifle as normal — though, thoroughly, especially if you don’t shoot often or are going to store the rifle for any length of time. Better safe than sorry. Surplus ammo has acceptable, although certainly not outstanding accuracy. Don’t be afraid of corrosive ammunition if it’s your first experience with it. Again, it’s just different; take care of the gun and it’ll take care of you.

While the rifles aren’t light, they’re very well-balanced. A fiberglass stock would help, but again, I don’t recommend getting that simply because of the price. Recoil is stiff, but not overly so. If you’ve fired a .30-06 in a similar configuration, a 91/30 is nothing new. Carbine variants will blow your hat off and singe your hair, though. While they’re very cool, I find the longer rifle makes more sense because of the role I’ll be describing for it to fill — and again, because it’s much less expensive than its smaller cousins.

With all of this being said, what is a Mosin, to a prepper? I have to preface by making it clear that I understand there are better alternatives, but it needs to be said that there is not a better value in a centerfire survival weapon, especially to a newcomer into survivalism. A Mosin is a budget marksman’s rifle, or sniper rifle if outfitted properly. For under a hundred dollars, you have a full-power centerfire rifle with inexpensive ammunition that can take down game animals, and easily incapacitate any threats — and better yet, at range. While a 12 gauge shotgun can be similarly inexpensive if a good deal is found (and I recommend a Remington 870 per person in your group’s arsenal), a Mosin allows you to effectively neutralize threats at a greater distance, with greater accuracy, and significantly less expensive ammo.

Ambush is the prepper’s friend. Guns-blazing shootouts are not what you want, whether it’s a roving band of outlaws, or coalition forces you’re having to deal with. In most situations, distance is preferable, and this also allows greater use of stealth and camouflage, and potentially using the landscape to your team’s advantage, as well. Ground forces fear snipers, and deploying snipers effectively makes for an insane force multiplier. An $80 rifle and a little training will take you a lot farther than a spendy AR and no experience.

While I have to encourage everyone to find the autoloading carbine of your choice (I recommend the AK most of all, though I prefer the FAL, excepting its price tag), remember that the longest-serving rifle in history isn’t obsolete just yet. They make great gifts and backup weapons, and are easy to encourage new preppers to invest in. Inexpensive, reliable, accurate, and fun as Heck to shoot. If you’re new to shooting, get one and practice on the cheap. If you’re seasoned, get a few and hide them away — along with a few spam cans of ammo, of course.

Letter Re: Low-Cost Knives for Long-Term Survival

Mr. Rawles,
I am writing with regards to M.B.’s piece. I have had the 12″ Ontario machete (economy version) with the the “D” handle for the past two years. I would completely agree that this is an uncomfortable handle which can be difficult to obtain a proper grip on.

However, I solved this problem cheaply with a little bit if DIY, by folding some tough tissue paper and wrapping it around the handle two or three times. I then wrapped the handle and tissue in electric insulation tape, using about two layers of tape.

Since doing this, the machete is much easier to handle and I can get a much firmer grip on it. It has received regular use on the trail, mainly for chopping large kindling or clearing brush, and the new grip has even survived being submerged in water (after I slipped at the side of a river and fell in) without any damage or ill effects to the new grip.

Thank you For the great blog! Regards, – Stephen C.

Letter Re: Home Water Storage in Water Cooler Bottles

Hello.
I am a brand new prepper. Within the last year I have been introduced to the world of Prepping and preparedness by a co-worker of mine. I have been reading up on as much as I can, but despite my efforts at increasing my knowledge and awareness of disaster preparedness, I am woefully un-prepared for even the slightest disaster or minor interruption of my accustomed lifestyle. I am beginning to acquire some extra food items, and I am making small steps toward expanding my food and water storage.

One thing that I have been thinking about of late, is the topic of water storage. I have already determined that when the SHTF I will be bugging in, as I have a family with two young kids, and really nowhere else to go. I need to make room in my house for all of my appropriate storage needs. Right now I have a small water cooler in my house, and use the large 5 gallon bottled water jugs. As I was pouring myself a glass of water the other day, I wondered if it would be possible to use those 5 gallon water bottles for my water storage. What I would like to do is to store an extra bottle every time I have the water delivered until I obtain a suitable amount for storage. I was also wondering if I could re-use the empty bottles as well for additional storage. As I look at the bottles, I don’t think they are meant for long term storage.

My question is: Would those water bottles be a suitable method of long term water storage, and is there a way that I could provide for a better seal around the opening that would allow them to be used for long term storage? Thank you for putting up this blog, and all of the valuable insight that comes with it. I would appreciate any advice on my question. Thank you. – Matt B.

JWR Replies: Yes, those work fine. In my experience, the plastic caps that come from the spring water companies are adequate if you tape them on. But be sure to first lightly chlorinate the water. The bigger issue is exposure to sunlight. Be sure to store your water in a dark place such as a closet, to prevent algal growth.

To make water that has been stored many months more palatable for drinking, you can aerate it. This can be accomplished with a wire whisk or a hand-crank rotary egg beater. Or, lacking those, you can just rapidly pour the water back and forth between two glasses several times.

Economics and Investing:

Gary S. spotted this: The Next Metal Crisis: Copper

The cascading waves of debt implosion – 5 charts looking at debt leverage, velocity of money, and contagion impacts from the European crisis.

25 Horrible Statistics About The U.S. Economy

The Daily Bell reports: Austerity Staggers, Germany Blows Up?

Items from The Economatrix:

Maybe No Housing Rebound For a Generation

US Slowdown Intensifies Global Economic Crisis

Signs of Slowing Economy Drive S&P Down in April

Five Banks Fail in Worst Week Since April 2011

Odds ‘n Sods:

There will be a new Survivalist Show held in Mesa, Arizona, on May 19th. This one-day show will be held at the Commemorative Air Force Museum, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the museum. As a bonus, attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the war bird museum at no extra charge. For information, call Lance Baker at: (480) 229-5691.

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Rhonda T. mentioned an interactive summary of state self-defense laws that was posted by CNN: Expanded self-defense laws

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Our newest advertiser, Be Prepared Now, has a kit of 27 varieties of non-hybrid survival vegetable seeds packed in a heat sealed Mylar bag available for $40.49. They also have a waterproof first aid kit with sutures for $22.49. Their shipping is always free.  To get these prices, use the coupon code SurvivalBlog (one word). This coupon code will give you 10% off all their merchandise.

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Hopefully not a bellwether, HandgunLaw.us reports that New Mexico has just dropped concealed carry permit reciprocity with Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia from the list of states they honor. Presumably, this is because of differences in testing standards for permit holders. New Mexico will now only honor CCWs from five states: Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota and Oklahoma. The last thing we need is “trade war” on CCW permits! (Thanks to Tim M. for the alert.)

Notes from JWR:

Today we present another entry 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.

—

But first, a publishing update from your editor.

Publishing Schedule Update From JWR

Here are some updates on my upcoming book release dates from Atria Books and its subsidiary Pocket Books division:

Founders Cover

 

To explain: “Founders” is the second sequel to “Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse”. It is set contemporaneously to the first two novels, but in different geography, with some crossover characters. This novel details the epic cross-country trek of Ken and Terry Layton that was just briefly described in “Patriots”. There are also storylines at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, and in the vicinity of Fort Knox, Kentucky.

I am presently drafting the non-fiction book “Rawles on Guns and Other Tools for Survival” for Penguin Books as well as two more novels in the “Patriots” series that will be published by E.P. Dutton. (Penguin is a subsidiary of E.P. Dutton.)

Special Note: Please wait until the actual release dates of each book to order, to give them the best position in the Amazon and Barnes & Noble sales rankings as well as on the New York Times bestsellers lists.

Make Yourself Valuable After TEOTWAWKI, by Dalton M.

Most people spend time perfecting their bug-out bag, or their bug-in kit, ensuring they can adequately survive on their own in the event of a catastrophe here. Many envision themselves in the role of “Eli” from the recent movie The Book of Eli, a lone wanderer who fends for himself as he travels in a post-apocalyptic world. I am of the opinion, as are many true preppers, that it will take a community to not only survive, but to prosper in a TEOTWAWKI scenario.

Let’s assume for a moment that your current neighborhood is not conducive to building that community, or that, for whatever reason, the group around you fails to thrive. You may have to move on to another area. When you reach that area, you will likely be greeted as an outsider and any town you reach will likely be reluctant to let you into their community. You will likely be viewed as just another begging traveler who is looking for the safety of a group, but could end up being a free-loader who is nothing more than another mouth to feed, another potential trouble maker, or another carrier of disease.

What will you say to persuade a community to believe that it is worth their time to take you into their group? What do you have to offer that others can’t provide?

You don’t have to be a former Navy SEAL who can single-handedly defend the town. You don’t have to be a former military commanding officer-turned-mayor with the leadership skills to organize the community into an army.  In some cases, you don’t have to be strong or even that smart. All you need is a unique skill. Lacking that, you need to have a skill that can aid others with a similar set of skills in accomplishing a goal more efficiently or productively.

If you don’t have anything to offer, you could be turned away and left to fend for yourself.
Now is the time to build skills that will be useful enough to gain acceptance in that scenario. These skills may have nothing to do with your current reality, but if you take the time to learn as much as you can, you will be an asset to a community that will make your presence not only worthwhile, but necessary.

This isn’t a how-to. It’s likely that you won’t learn anything from reading this. The point of this is to help you consider, if you haven’t already, ways to make yourself valuable in a post-TEOTWAWKI situation. I’m simply going to mention a few skills that you can build now to reach that end. The skills I talk about are not listed in any particular order, and some may be much more important than others. This is just to stir some thought on what you will be able to provide in the event that you need to. Also, this list is far from all-inclusive. You may think of many other skill sets that are equally (or even more) important. If so, work on them. Build them. Your life, and the life of your community, may very well depend on it.

1) Communications – No matter what form of catastrophe has caused the collapse of society, communication with the world outside of your immediate area can be crucial. People will want to know what is happening beyond the horizon, the condition the government, the condition of other communities, or just, in general, what is going on. It is likely, however, that you won’t be able to just pick up the phone and call anyone. Telephone lines may be interrupted or completely disabled. A viable alternative is ham radio. The skills required to operate ham radio are not as common as they once were, are relatively easy to learn, and the equipment can be cheap (although it can get expensive if you want the “latest and greatest” gear).  Keep reference materials available. You may not be able to memorize everything. This skill alone may not be enough to grant you a position of esteem within a community, but it certainly couldn’t hurt your chances of being taken in as a member of the group.

2) Farming/Gardening – In many areas across the nation, this is a fading skill. The skills you can learn from maintaining a small garden in your yard could be critical when the SHTF. Even if you don’t have enough room for a small garden, read all you can on the subject and make a notebook or a manual. Make your own comprehensive version of “Farming for dummies”. The internet is bursting at the seams with information, but it’s likely that you won’t have access to it post-TEOTWAWKI, so make a survivable record of the information you think will be important. Gather information from multiple sources and record it all. Test out different methods if you can, focusing on techniques that don’t require heavy tools or chemicals. Find out how people did it a hundred years ago or more, and prepare yourself to mimic those methods. Set aside tools and seeds if you can afford it and if you have the storage space, but at a bare minimum, make yourself a written reference so that even if you’re not a farmer now, you have some hope of becoming one if the need arises.

3)  Food gathering – Do you know what plants in your local area are edible? Better yet, do you know which plants taste good? Information on the subject is available in book stores, camping/hiking stores, or online. Find the information and read through it. Don’t just read it from the comfort of your recliner – get out and take a walk with your reference material. See if you can locate the plants in the woods or even along roadways. Learning what they look like in the real world now, when you don’t need them, can save you from the time and effort of trial and error when you do. Once again, make yourself a survivable reference book on the subject. Try to include your entire state, maybe even the surrounding states. You never know where fate may take you in the event of TEOTWAWKI. Learn to not only identify these plants, but how to prepare them properly. Learn which local plants have medicinal properties and how to use them. The ability to keep others well-fed and healthy can make you a very valuable member of a community.

4) Food storage – My grandmother and her friends canned all kinds of things, but if you asked my wife how to do it, I’m pretty sure you would just get a shrug for an answer. Canning/preserving foods as a hobby is not only a good way to stockpile your own emergency supplies, but it’s also a great way to build the skill necessary to preserve food later, when you really need it. I’m not just talking about canning here. Preserving meat will be necessary too. Do you know how to make jerky? Nope, I don’t mean with your 9-tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator, I mean with a purpose-made, wood burning smoker, or even over a campfire. Hunting in the summertime or growing crops may provide more food than your group can readily consume, and knowing how to preserve that food for later may make the difference when winter comes and food is more scarce. My grandmother may not be there to show others how it’s done, so if you know how, then people will want you around.

5)  Mechanics – Even in the event of an EMP attack, (which would probably be the worst case scenario, technologically) older, simpler vehicles may still function. But if they break down, who will repair them? Or what if you want to use that engine to power a mill? Or to pump water? If you’re mechanically inclined, the skills necessary to maintain or build machinery will be highly sought after by any community.

6) Soap or candle making – In our modern world, we have grown accustomed to buying soap or candles, but before the age of Wal-Mart, making these items was the only way to get them. You may not get rich, or whatever version of “rich” exists after TEOTWAWKI, but both items will be in high demand if Wal-Mart ceases to provide them. Making soap or candles can be a fun hobby, a source of income even now, and can be a very useful skill to offer if it is needed in the future. Even if starting a new hobby like that is not your cup of tea now, making a reference guide from information found online or in books, and practicing enough to work out the details could be enough to give you something to offer later.

These are just a few ideas. Notice that I didn’t mention medical skills or security skills. Obviously medical skills (beyond the basics, which you should already know or be learning) are not something that you can learn in “on the side”. I believe that when it comes to security services, every able bodied individual in any community will most likely be recruited and trained for that task. Advanced knowledge or experience can definitely be an advantage, but that topic is covered a lot in other forums/articles/blogs, so any information I put in here would be rudimentary at best. I also didn’t mention blacksmithing, animal husbandry, gunsmithing, dentistry, carpentry and no doubt countless others. If you have specialized skills such as these, you don’t need to read this. You already have your ticket.

If you’re like most people, however, you might want to consider learning a set of skills, such as the ones I described or any other valuable skill that you come up with on your own, in order to make yourself a person who will not be a burden to your post-TEOTWAWKI community, but a valuable member who is worth feeding, supporting and defending.  

One more thing I’d like to mention is that no matter what skills you have to offer, your worth in a community will also be based on who you are and how you deal with others. If you are to be a worthwhile member of a community, it is equally important that you maintain a community mindset when it comes to using your skills. I’m not saying that you should give your services away, but always keep in mind that while your particular skills may be necessary for the survival of the community, the community as a whole is necessary for your own survival. Be the kind of honest and fair person that you would want to deal with and it’s likely that others will want to deal with you.

Two Letters Re: Motorcycle BOV

Jim:
This video shows why motorcycles are the answer to rural mobility. The 11 minute video is of a road that was washed out by storms, apparently in Japan. Much of it is overgrown and vanishing and the motorcyclist has to dodge quite a few downed limbs. – InyoKern

 

James,
I would like to thank Jeff H. for writing this article on the use of a motorcycle as a BOV as I was planning on doing the same in the near future.  He touched on quite a few very good topics.  But, from his submission, you can tell that he is a more experienced motorcyclist.  I would like to share my thoughts from a beginner/novice point of view.  The one difference of opinion that I have is concerning the bike’s size.  I definitely agree with the suggestion of getting a Dual Sport/Dual Purpose/Adventure Touring bike that is a 650 cc or larger when you need it to be your pack mule, or want to do cross country highway trips.  But, I don’t want the smaller Dual Sport bikes to be overlooked for a variety of reasons.  I just purchased a small Dual Sport bike a few months ago with the mindset of using it as a possible BOV, as well as a daily commuter.  The following takes you through the reasoning I took in purchasing a small Dual Sport Bike:
 
Cost
First and foremost, I have never ridden/owned a bike for the street (a dirt bike here and there), so I did not want to invest too much money on something that I may not like.  For a larger bike, you will be paying more money up front.  The bike I purchased is a 2009 Yamaha XT250.  This bike sells new for about $4,500 (other bikes in this range can be had for under $4,000).  A new 650 starts around $6,000, and a can go up past $10,000 for the larger displacement bikes.  Add the insurance difference on top of that (especially if you are a young male like myself), the riding gear, and that makes for a fairly large investment for something you may not like.  Other than the initial purchase, you will be feeding this thing money in the forms of fuel and maintenance.  The XT250 only has about a 2.5 Gal fuel tank, but I have gotten between 70-75 MPG (roughly a 150+ Mile Range).  Each bike is different, but the average “High” MPG from the larger bikes I have seen is between 40-65 MPG.  The maintenance on a single cylinder, air cooled engine is not going to be as time/money consuming as a liquid cooled larger engine (there are some air cooled units though).
 
Ergonomics
A small bike is generally a light bike.  The XT250’s weight is somewhere in the 250-290 lbs, while a Kawasaki KLR650 is in the 430 lb range, and they just go up from there.  It may not seem like a lot, but if you are truly in a G.O.O.D. situation and your bike gets stuck in the mud or tips over, what would you rather struggle with?  Seat height is another consideration.  Most Dual Sport bikes are “dirt bikes with lights”, so they can be awkward for some people (especially those who are inexperienced or vertically challenged).  I am about 6’ with a 32” inseam, and when stopped at a light, I can get both feet flat on the ground comfortably.  When shopping for a bike, I sat on a variety of different Dual Sport bikes, and the larger bikes (like the Kawasaki 650) I felt quite uncomfortable while stopped (I either had to have the bike tipped to the side, or be on my toes) as I could only get one foot on the ground.  This in addition to the 400+ pound curb weight didn’t make me feel too comfortable.  This may be a non-issue for an experienced rider, but as a novice, I felt like I was going to tip over and I didn’t even have any riding gear on, no backpack, no extra luggage, etc.  If this bike is still too tall for some of you; the Honda CRF230M is a strong candidate, and a much smaller bike (I felt, and looked, like I was riding a kids bike).
 
Simplicity
It doesn’t get much more simple than a single cylinder, air cooled, carbureted, dirt bike.  The only electronics the XT250 has are the lights/signals, speedometer, electronic ignition, and the handlebar controls.  The only thing that is absolutely needed out of those is the ignition control box.  Most larger bikes have fuel injection at a minimum, and quite a few newer ones have ABS, Traction Control, Fuel Injection, etc.  Also, as far as fluids go, most small displacement, single cylinder, air cooled bikes only have the engine oil and brake fluid.  If the bike is liquid cooled, then you have coolant on top of that (as well as everything that is needed for the liquid cooling: Radiator, Coolant, Water Pump, Thermostat, Hoses/Lines, Complex Cylinder Head, etc.).  Fuel injection is nice, but adds another computer, a bunch of sensors, fuel injectors, etc.  Carburetors have their own problems, but it is possible to MacGyver them in the field if need be. 
 
Conclusion
I know that I just touched on a few choice areas concerning a smaller displacement bike; the main goal of this writing is to keep your options open.  There is a good reason that the XT250 and XT225 (the XT250’s Predecessor) are used worldwide as transportation.  These bikes are hugely popular in Europe and Asia.  They are not without their faults, but a very good alternative if the thought of a larger bike isn’t too appealing in your situation.  These bikes aren’t made for cross country highway cruising, but they can handle occasional highway use; the winds really push you around though (since the bike is under 300#).  Being carbureted there is a short warm-up period vs. fuel injected which is ready to go right away.  Please do your research about what bike is best for you; there are a lot of good forums out there about these bikes with first hand experience.  Reading about the extreme reliability and durability of the XT250 was the deciding factor (some people have logged more than 30,000 miles on a 2008!).  I am very pleased with this bike and will recommend it to anyone who is on the fence, but you just need to learn the limitations of whatever you choose.  This bike is very forgiving and not overly intimidating for the first time rider, but it is also a blast for the more experienced rider – “It’s more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow”!  And, for the sake of safety, whichever bike you choose, make sure that you use All The Gear All The Time. 
 
Resources
Adventure Rider Forums
XT225/250 Forums
Thumper Talk Forums

Regards, – O.V.