Fire: Your Partner in Survival, by D.P.

Eons ago when people lived in caves, one of their most important tools was fire.  Its ability to keep them warm, cook food, provide light, and scare away predators was of the utmost importance.  I’m not going to go so far as to say that a societal upheaval will mean returning to a stone age existence, but when the systems that keep our everyday life humming along go down, fire will once again have a huge impact on our ability to survive.

This fact was brought home to my wife and me two winters ago, when a February blizzard knocked out the power to several counties.  It was early evening – the lights flickered a few times, and then the house was plunged into darkness.  Everything became eerily quiet, save for the wind howling outside and snow pelting against the window.

Then there was another sound – the reassuring popping of a log in our big airtight Franklin stove which continued to throw off its heat, oblivious to the fact that the juice was off.  For the next thirty-six hours we used it to keep us warm, melt snow to flush toilets, and even did a some cooking over its coals.  While other folks along our country road bundled up in sleeping bags and shivered until the outage ended, the disruption to our lives wasn’t nearly as great as it could have been.

If you live in a northern climate, staying warm is important for nearly half of the year.  Did I say “important”?  Make that “vital” because without a way to keep the temperature in your home or bug-out place at a life-sustaining level, you will die of exposure!  Your gas or oil furnace will be fine… as long as your fuel supply lasts or the electricity doesn’t fail.  These are finite resources, however, and during a long-term disruption of goods and services, your pilot light will go out at some point (probably just when a January blizzard comes howling in). 

The only logical solution is to turn to wood heat, or more precisely, a wood-burning airtight stove (fireplaces are fine for ambiance, but horribly inefficient for warming you since most of the heat goes up the chimney).  The next question, then, is where will your wood come from, and what skills and tools do you need to convert it to usable fuel for your stove? 

Log Logistics

The countryside is full of burnable litter.  Next time you’re out and about, take a look around.  Fallen branches and even a downed tree or two are common sights in any woodlot or park, or along rural roads.  Most of it, though, is too small to keep a fire going with the BTU output that’s needed to warm your home.  Real “firewood” consists of pieces of thick branches or trunks that have been cut and split to a size of about 16” long and roughly 5” or 6” in diameter.  Anything smaller will require re-stoking the stove every few hours, while bigger pieces may smolder unless the fire is wastefully large.

At present, I get most of my firewood supply from a local landowner, who doesn’t like downed trees lying around and sees it as a favor when I clean up the woods for him.   After a big summer storm, city folks without saws will gladly offer you a tree that’s toppled in their yard.  Likewise, a downed tree across a rural road usually belongs to the first one who’s there to cut it up.   During bad times it would likely be possible to barter for timber with a landowner who doesn’t have the tools or know-how to utilize it himself -probably working together and then sharing it.  State or federally-owned hunting land and wildlife areas also have downed timber, which can often be claimed by anyone with the gumption to go get it.

If we ever arrive at a point where vehicles and trailers are no longer available, all of your wood will have to be hauled by hand.  That means that laying in a good supply now, when you can still move it efficiently, would be a good idea.  Having a sizable woodpile to begin with puts a buffer between you and calamity.  Get your wood from the more distant locations while you can still truck it, and leave the easier pickings for when you may have to move it manually.  

Wheel barrows are, in my opinion, a poor way to transport anything heavy for any distance due to their chronic balance problems.  With their single, small, pneumatic tire, they are not made to move loads over uneven ground.  Take one into the woods and roll over a few blackberry brambles, and the tire will inevitably puncture and go flat.  A better alternative is one of those “game haulers” with large, hard rubber wheels.  They’re made for going over rough terrain easily, and can handle a maximum load with a minimum amount of effort (they can also haul around a lot of other heavy stuff that might need moving).

Burning Questions

Literally any wood will burn.  One year we survived two months of a Wisconsin winter heating with willow – a wood near the bottom of the BTU list.  Likewise, this past winter we used a fair amount of box elder – another low grade tree.  Woods like this certainly will throw out enough heat to keep you warm, but they burn fast, requiring a larger supply.

The “primo” varieties include oak, hard maple, locust, hickory and apple.  Next down the line but still good, are ash, birch, cherry, and hackberry.  Unless there is nothing else available, however, avoid any of the evergreen species, since their resin content tends to start chimney fires, spit sparks, and can flash back when you open the stove door.

Firewood should season for at least six months after being cut green (a year is better) although a few varieties, like ash and locust, will burn without much drying.

 

How much is enough?

We’ve just been through a mild winter here. Spring has arrived and, after checking the wood shed, I see that we’ve gone through about six cords of mixed hardwood (a stove cord is a stack four feet high, eight feet long, and 16” deep).  A bad winter, like last year’s, would probably have required another cord.

A household could get by on a lot less, though.  For one thing, we have a large stove and heat the entire place with it.  The fire is usually lit in November and doesn’t go out until late March.  A smaller stove heating a smaller area would take far less fuel.  And if our wood supply had been limited, instead of basking in 70 degree temperatures all winter, we could have stretched the supply by burning less – in an extreme case, just enough to keep the place at 50 degrees.  This would have been uncomfortable, but it would have enabled us to survive.

Cutting Remarks

If you envision doing your cutting with a chain saw after society falls apart, picture those last precious (and irreplaceable) drops of gas disappearing into its tank.  Even if you’ve stocked a large supply of fuel and bar oil, gas has a shelf life, and how many chains do you have?  The other problem with a chain saw (besides the fact that, being a machine, it will need unobtainable replacement parts at some point) is that it makes noise.  This broadcasts a message to anyone within a mile that someone’s cutting a pile of firewood that could be pilfered from the producer as soon as he’s finished the work.

Long-term survival requires stepping back into the 19th century and taking up the hand saw.  Do you have one capable of cutting through a 30 inch tree trunk?  Probably not, but realizing the need for producing burnable chunks suitable for splitting that will hold a fire all night should inspire you to get one.

A crosscut saw capable of handling tree trunk needs to be either a one or two-man model 48” – 56“ long.  If you’ve got a partner, go with a two-man type.  I’ve got one that can be set up either way, with add-on handle on one end that converts it from a solo saw to a duo.

There are two basic tooth types – “Lance” and “Tuttle”.  The former is designed more for softwoods, so go with the latter.  One company that carries a good assortment of saws in various designs for serious cutting is the Traditional Woodworker.

Also consider buying a second smaller, less cumbersome saw with a standard tooth arrangement for doing the medium cutting jobs.  This one would probably have a 24” – 30” blade with 4 ½ to 6 teeth per inch.  Such a saw could also be used in a pinch for the big stuff.  For cutting up smaller branches for kindling or your cooker (which will be discussed shortly) bow saws work fine.  They’re cheap, so get a couple of different sizes and a number of spare blades.

 

Staying Sharp

But having an assortment of saws isn’t going to keep you cutting indefinitely.  No matter how good the steel is, that blade is eventually going to get dull.  A good stock of files will be important for keeping your saws working efficiently.

Do you know how to sharpen a saw?  Are you familiar with things like “Fleam”, “Rakers” and “Jointing”?  Do you have a tooth setter in your tool box?  Becoming proficient at sharpening your cutting tools is a skill you can’t overlook (the afore-mentioned saw dealer also sells an excellent book by Harold Payson on setting and sharpening hand saws).  And besides keeping your own tools chipping away efficiently, being the local “saw sharpener” can make you a vital asset to a small community of survivors.

Glad you Axed that

Axes can play a role in firewood production, too.  They’re not as efficient as a saw, but a century ago lumberjacks used them to take down mature trees.  Felling a tree with an axe, however, requires a lot of skill as well as effort, something you will soon discover when tackling anything bigger than a mid-sized aspen.  I’ve found that the best use for an axe is limbing a downed tree.  Just remember to stand on the opposite side of the trunk, and chop off the limb from the root end of the trunk towards the top. 

Like saws, axes come in several styles and sizes.  The “limbing” axe, with a 25 inch handle is also good for cutting up small limbs on a chopping block, while a full-sized axe can be used for splitting smaller pieces with a straight grain or, if you have to, felling a tree.

One more thought on axes:  Like any edged tool, keep it sharp!  The old saying, “a dull knife is a dangerous knife” holds true for axes as well (and you can do a lot more damage to yourself with one).

Wedge Issues

To round out your wood processing equipment you should have a good splitting maul, two or three wedges and a sledge hammer.  If you’re lucky enough to get into some straight-grained ash or oak, the maul alone will do the job, but often you’ll need the encouragement of a wedge or two to get many pieces to split to the size you desire.

Not all wedges are the same.  Get one that has a narrow entry edge for efficiently starting a split, and a wider one to open it up when you bury the first wedge (which often happens).  I like the model made by True Temper which has two built-in “wings” near the top for my second wedge.  The wings open the crack far enough to allow the head of a sledge hammer in, so you can continue to pound on the wedge until the split is complete.

A couple of final thoughts on cutting firewood:  If you don’t know what you’re doing, standing timber can kill you in a heartbeat.  Any written description here of exactly how to take down a tree would not be adequate, so go out and find someone who works in the woods, and ask if you can tag along sometime to learn how it’s done.  Some of the important things they’re likely to point out are:

  • The “hinge” (the uncut area between the notch and the felling cut) controls the direction which the tree will fall.  If you cut through it, the tree can go anywhere (including in you lap).
  • More branch weight on one side will influence a tree to fall in that direction.
  • A dead branch near the top that comes loose due to vibrations while cutting can be lethal (that’s why they’re called “widow-makers”).
  • Be aware of wind direction.  This can influence a tree’s fall – especially if it’s leafed out.

 

What’s Cookin’?

Fire is important for more than just keeping your core temperature above 98.6 degrees. In the event of a prolonged TEOTWAWKI catastrophe, everyone will need some way to cook food and boil water.  White or bottled gas, however, is not the answer, since eventually your supply will run out.  At that point you’ll once again have to turn to wood.

A traditional campfire will work, but is hugely wasteful of your hard-earned fuel resources.  The best option is to use something that will give you a big boost in efficiency over an open fire, and that “something” would be a well-designed wood-fired cook stove.

Some Preppers’ stocks of provisions include large amounts of freeze-dried food which doesn’t need to be “cooked” per se, but does require a cup or two of boiling water.  The most effective way to do this is with what is known as a “Kelly Kettle” (sometimes called  a “volcano kettle”). 

The Kelly Kettle is an odd-looking aluminum or stainless steel stove that resembles a cross between a miniature milk can and a bowling pin.  It has a small fire chamber in the base which draws air from below, and the heat rises through a long chimney.  Surrounding this chimney is a hollow jacket that holds water.  The heat coming up it contacts a far greater surface area of the water than it would if it were merely concentrated on the bottom of a pan, and brings it to a boil in only a fraction of the time.

Another thing that makes the Kelly Kettle a great survival tool is the fact that it can be fueled with just about anything that burns.  Collect the wood chips from where you’ve been cutting and splitting your stove wood, break up small, fallen branches or twigs, or use pine cones or even bark – it’s all the same to the Kelly Kettle.  The bottom draft arrangement (the same principle as a Dakota fire) will make just about anything you put in it burn hot and fast.

For your actual cooking needs or for heating larger amounts of water, a special stove based on the Kelly Kettle will work far better than an open fire.  The only problem is that as far as I know, there isn’t such a stove on the market.  This means you’ll have to make your own.

 There’s a plan on a survival blog for a pipe stove with a “rocket elbow”.  I followed the basic design and tweaked it just a bit.  My version consists of an eleven inch length of  6” stove pipe nested inside a twelve inch piece of  8” stove pipe.  A vent (1 ½” diameter piece of exhaust pipe) goes from the bottom of the inner pipe and sticks out an inch past the outer one.  This tube serves both as an air intake and a chute to add fuel.

The interior pipe is closed off at the bottom using a removable standard 6” stovepipe cap and then cement is poured in the space between the two pipes.  This acts as insulation as well as giving the stove more weight, and hence, more stability.  Several one inch deep scallops are cut into the top rim of the outer pipe to allow smoke to escape, and what’s left supports the utensil you’re cooking with.  Like the Kelly Kettle, the fact that it draws air from the bottom and has a long chimney, will make the fire burn with a hot, focused flame.  A stove such as this also allows one to utilize easily collected scrap wood as fuel.

Following the basic design concept, it might be possible to build larger stoves for bigger cooking tasks.  The only drawback I’ve noticed with mine is that because it uses small pieces of wood that burn quickly, it needs to be fed often and hence, can’t be left unattended for long.

A bonus to cooking with wood is that the ashes the fire produces can be used as soap to clean up with.  Since they contain lye, merely mixing them into a paste with clean water and using it as a scouring compound will allow you to keep utensils clean long after your supply of soap has run out.

Light my Fire
.
The best “starter” wood to get a fire going – whether it’s you cooker of wood furnace – is dry cedar.  If you can find an old telephone pole lying around somewhere, saw it into short lengths and then split each round into thin pieces. Unless you hit a knot, the straight grain of cedar splits easily into extremely thin sticks which take a flame in seconds.  I call this stuff “fire candy”.  It catches quickly and burns intensely for starting a fire, as well as rejuvenating one that is nearly out.  If you can’t find cedar, something like well-dried aspen or willow is also a good starter.

Don’t forget that before you can burn anything, you’ll have to have a way of starting your fire.  A large stockpile of traditional matches, metal matches and butane lighters take up little space and have no maximum shelf life.  If you run out, though, you’d better be good with a fire bow or a magnifying glass.

And for each fire you light, you’ll need some tinder to get it going.  A supply of newspapers and dryer lint will work, but know that when it’s gone you’ll be reduced to hunting for old mouse nests.

If and when arrives “keeping the home fires burning” will be right up there with food and water.  Prepare for it now!

Survival Basics: The Tropics, by G.S.

Sometime in the not so distant future our lives will be turned upside down by yet another natural or manmade emergency. Start now by doing your research and figure out which type of emergency is most likely to affect your life. Then get ready! Once the stores close their doors and the gas stations are no longer pumping gas, it’s too late! Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Remember that the survival basics are similar even if the emergency or climatic conditions are different. I’m going to talk about survival in the Tropics.

I was born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands. We came back after 12 years of schooling, working and military service on the USA mainland. I wanted to raise my family on a relatively small island in the Pacific Ocean. Why would I do such a thing? Hint: It was 72 degrees below zero wind chill factor for two weeks during my last of seven winters in Montana! Island living has many advantages:

  •  year round growing season
  • plenty of wild game
  • fruit trees and,
  • let’s not forget to mention the milder warmer climate.

The downside of living on an island is that you’re really on your own. Especially when the commercial ships and planes stop coming over. This could be a blessing during a pathogen type emergency, but that’s another chapter.

I’ve noticed the way residents on a small tropical island do things are usually quite different. Different from how folks would do things in more populated areas. You have to adapt a different attitude for living and dealing with the same people that inhibit that island.  You’re going to interact with those neighbors more often. Similar rules and considerations would probably apply to behavior in a combined family retreat during a TEOTWAWKI or SHTF situation.

Another major consideration is that the resources on an island are very limited. They are very dependent on a robust commercial system. Most of our consumer goods (95%) are shipped here from the Mainland USA. People here are starting to realize some important things. If that “commercial system” went down even for 3 days, the islands would quickly run short of food and other essential goods. A concerted effort is being made by a growing number of residents to think sustainable. They are planting gardens and exploring ways to be more self-sufficient. The island inhabitants did it before us and we still have a long way to go. However, I’ve always felt that the more citizens that are prepared for emergencies the better.

Since you probably don’t own a retreat to bug out to and your emergency supplies are minimal, your emergency plans may include your home or apartment serving as your shelter in place location during a short-term emergency. Now let’s say the emergency lasts longer than expected and your power and water supply have stopped; you better have a plan B and C for moving out. Now comes the hard part about spending your hard earned money. It’s expensive, but gear that you may not use very much but will certainly be a game changer in any emergency. Consider the money you spend on essential gear as an investment and purchase the best equipment you can afford since replacement parts may be next to impossible to get once the stores close their doors and remember, your equipment doesn’t have to be fancy just functional and rugged.

Food:

Basics concerning food start by storing as much food as you can afford and have room for and don’t forget to rotate your food supply since they all have expiration dates. One-week supply of food and water should be the minimum amount to have on hand at any time. Energy bars and vitamin supplements should also be stored along with your food supply. If you live in a tropical area harvesting food from the ocean, rivers and streams will involve diving, spearing, netting or fishing and having the correct equipment is vital. Local residents have been living off the bounty from the ocean for centuries and knowing how to be such a hunter-gatherer will be life saving information.

Freeze-dried or MREs:

Choose these types of prepared foods if your plans include moving to a different location since these foods are lightweight making them easier to carry on your back and are worth their high price when you consider how heavy can goods are.   Supplement your diet with whatever you can find along the way if on the move.

Note: Basic ocean food gathering tools including a spin casting fishing rod, swim fins, facemask, spear, underwater flashlight and dive knife should be part of your gear if you live or plan to move to a tropical environment. Optional gear: wet suit, booties, SUP surfboard or small canoes to reach deeper water and assorted nets. Know your limits! Once in the water you’ll need to constantly watch out for big waves, sharp coral and strong rip currents.

Drinking Water:

Clean drinking water is essential to life for us humans and we need to drink at least 2 liters a day to function and more water is required if the climate is hot or your physical activity high. Even if there are clear flowing streams or rivers in your area, precautions should be taken to avoid drinking the water before treating. Pre-filter your unclean water with a cloth or handkerchief and then bring to a boil before drinking if no other purification methods are available. Consider a solar distiller before drinking salty and contaminated water. Drink water before you’re thirsty to avoid dehydration and heat stoke and add Gatorade type powder to your drinking water to keep your electrolytes balanced when under a heavy load.

Source and filters:

There are so many portable water filters and purification kits around not to have several on hand. Another method of purification is desalination which renders salty and contaminated water safe through evaporation and can be done with readily available materials such as copper tubing and cooking pots with tight lids. Always purify your water when in doubt since getting diarrhea from drinking contaminated water will take the fight right out of you and lessen your chances of survival. Know where your drinking water comes from and always stay alert for other sources of water. Don’t compromise your water sources by bathing or dumping wastes upstream. Rule: Take care of the natural resources and it will take care of you.

Fire:

Prepare yourself to cook on open fires, small camping stoves or underground and think out of the box when preparing your meals. Consider solar ovens that are easy to build with readily available materials. You’ll be surprised at what looks edible when you’re really hungry! Watch your fires carefully since the Fire Department will probably be very busy during a major event and not be able to respond to every call, so include a fire extinguisher with your gear.

Methods and materials:

Have at least three different methods to start a fire on you at all times. Carry lighters and magnesium fire starters, which will provide you with many fires then learn the basics for fire making and practice them. Remember that burning green stuff means you’ll be making plenty of smoke, which may attract unwanted guests.

Note: Cooking meat, fish and starches underground is a method locals have been using for centuries. After the pit is dug large enough to fit whatever you’re cooking, add enough river rocks (make sure rocks are not wet before putting them into the fire) to cover the bottom and a few extra for the top, which have been heated over the fire until red hot. Food that has been covered with leaves (Hawaiians use ti leaves) can be added to the pit along with other items which are then covered with the extra rocks, banana leaves, dirt and allowed to cook for up to 8 hours. One of the advantages with this cooking method is that once the food is in the ground there’s not much else you have to do until its time to dig everything up and eat! Smoking feral pig meat in homemade smokers and dehydrating fish in a simple screened box under the sun are some of the other ways to preserve food here in the islands.

Shelter in place or move on:

Deciding where and how to shelter could change daily with your situation. Having sufficient supplies at home is the right thing to do, but there may come a time when moving to a safer location is your only option. In that case, go light, fast and stealthy. Make sure you have all the basics together before changing locations and think water, food, shelter and security. Add items like .22 ammo, lighters and small knives that might have barter value along the way and don’t forget to choose the correct sleeping bag for use in colder climates. Plastic tarps and garbage bags have multiple uses as raincoats, rain catchers and shelters.

Moving on:

Transportation will be challenging as everyone tries to move away from the danger. Vehicles are great as long as they have fuel and the roads are passable so keep enough fuel, tools and supplies in your vehicle at all times in case you have to move out. Traveling on foot will be a true test of your physical fitness, planning, know how and survival instincts. Make use of whatever resources you find along the way and stay out of sight whenever possible.

Medical training:

Knowing how to treat bleeding, breathing and shock emergencies will make you and your survival skills more valuable. Stay up on your training since these are perishable skills and learn the rules of triage because when resources are limited, the patients with the best chance of making it will become your main priority. No one said this was going to be easy!

Basic first aid:

Sign up with the American Red Cross, CERT (Community Emergency Response
Team) groups or local community colleges for basic first aid, CPR training or EMT
classes and keep a good first aid manual available for easy reference.

Equipment and Treatment:

First aid kits are an important part of your supplies and should include a pair of EMT scissors, which are great for exposing wounds and other cutting chores (used to call them penny cutters since they could cut a penny in half). Clean and dress your wounds immediately to avoid infection, since a severe infection could mean death without the proper antibiotics or hospitalization. Preventive medicine is the best medicine.

Note: Assemble your medical kits in different sizes so that they can be used at home, in your vehicle or out in the field. Include Quik Clot, trauma dressings and emergency blankets for trauma wounds. Having the proper training and equipment to handle basic medical emergencies will certainly be a lifesaver if a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation occurs. Teaming up with individuals who have emergency or clinical medical experience is also highly recommended.

Security:

Protecting yourself and supplies from bullies and others not so well prepared could be an issue during any extended emergency, since the Police may not be able to respond to your urgent calls. You can share and starve or protect your essential supplies. Remember, you are not responsible for everyone’s welfare and you won’t be able to help anyone (including yourself) if you become a victim! Be ready to make some tough decisions and THINK SAFETY FIRST.

Weapons of choice:

Figure out what caliber weapons are right for you. Decide how much ammo you can carry and if you’ll be able to resupply from other sources. Consider a handgun and long gun for personal use and keep your weapon at your side at all times. If you decide on just one firearm; select a rugged accurate rifle for hunting and protection. Learn how to use your weapon, then practice shooting and reloading!

Note: Basic gear for a youth might include a Marlin 22-mag lever action rifle, which is adequate for the small game like wild chickens. Rifle holds 12 rounds in its tubular magazine and should be equipped with a 4-power scope. Kukri knife is good for camp type chores and the Cold Steel Hunter knife is ideal for cleaning game. Optional gear: IR red dot sight, Ruger Stainless Steel .38 caliber, speed loaders and wire screen chicken traps which can be baited with bird seed or fruit.

Accessories:

Rifle slings and holsters will free your hands up to do other things. Add extra ammo, magazines and a good gun cleaning kit to your load along with flashlights with rechargeable batteries. Consider adding a lightweight flexible portable solar panel, deep cycle battery and inverter to recharge your batteries or else plan on carrying plenty of extra batteries. Stock up on plenty of ammo and reloading equipment. Lee has several styles of portable reloading presses that are field-tested, reliable and lightweight.

Note: Basic gear for a woman might include a .223-caliber rifle with a 3×9 power scope, extra 5 round magazines and a Lite Hunter knife. Optional gear: Beretta .380 semi auto, holster, extra 13 round magazines, pepper spray, push knife, bullet bandolier, 12” Ontario machete and a IR red dot sight.

Environmental considerations:

Prepare for temperature extremes in your area by keeping the proper rain gear and cold weather gear close at hand. Don’t forget gloves, hat and extra socks if you’re in cold wet weather. Include a sharp machete, heavy-duty ponchos and paracord with your gear to increase your chances of survival in the tropics since these items are essential for shelter, water collecting and jungle clearing when on the move. Learn about the edible plants and animals in your area (e.g. feral pigs, chickens, goats and deer are common here) and how to prepare them. The oceans are full of opportunities both good and bad so know your limits before getting into the water and learn to identify the edible sea life in your area.

Cold, hot or tropical:

Select the proper clothing for your climate. Military spec clothing and gear will last longer in the field, which is important since replacements may be hard to come by. I recommend good old Army boots with sure grip for hikes on loose ground and slippery muddy trails. Don’t forget the needle, thread and duct tape to make repairs.

Note: Climatic conditions in tropical locations can range anywhere from hot dry desert heat to cold wet rain forests or freezing snow covered mountains. The temperature variation in the tropics can range anywhere from 30 – 90 degrees F. Each zone will need different strategies, equipment and know how.

Long-term vs. short-term emergencies:

Figure out what supplies you’ll need to survive in your area. Food, water, shelter and security items will be your most valuable items. How long will your supplies last? Remember at least 2 liters of water and 2000 calories minimum for each person per day. Purchase freeze-dried products or MREs for their longer shelf life and lighter weight if your plans include moving on foot. Make sure you add several means of gathering food in case the emergency last for a while.

Calculate supply limits:

How much food and water you carry will depend on whether you’re in a vehicle or walking. Separate your essential camping supplies from your home essentials for quick access and have a plan B in case the vehicle breaks down. A good backpack, worn sturdy boots and good physical fitness will be essential if you have to move on foot. And remember that living off the land by scavenging and hunting is hard physical work, so start getting in shape now!

Note: Gear for your alpha male might include a Remington .30-06 with a 9×40 scope designed for hunting larger game like wild pigs, which are abundant here. Optional equipment: night vision, range finder, 12 gauge pump shotgun, .45 ACP pistol, a 10/22 semi auto rifle and wire snares. Check your wire snares that you set up along pig trails frequently.

[JWR Adds: In the tropics it is best to opt for as many stainless steel guns as possible. Use synthetic stocks.]

Resources in your area:

Find out what kinds of people, plants and animals live in your area before something happens. Knowing who and what resources are in your area will be critical in developing your shelter-in or bug out plans. If gangs or druggies have a habit of hanging out in your neighborhood…plan to move out early! Locations near seashores, reservoirs, lakes and rivers offer plenty of opportunities for food gathering, if you know how and have the right gear.

Hunting and gathering:

Learn about hunting, trapping or gardening skills. Think of dumpster diving as a means to resupply and don’t forget about the bow, arrow or crossbow for hunting quietly. Gunshots may bring unwanted attention or guests your way, so stay alert!

Note: Resources like banana, coconut and breadfruit trees are common in the more tropical areas. Parts of these plants can be used for eating, cooking food and made into shelter material. Learn what plants grow in your area and how they can help you during an emergency. Storing seeds from your garden will come in handy once things settle down and you can plant them. Avoid GMO seeds since they can’t reproduce themselves.

Communications:

How will you get the information you’ll need to decide where to go and what to do? Portable communication equipment will function if you have a power source or rechargeable batteries with some way of charging them. Take all information from a single source with a grain of salt and use your common sense. Good communications is always one of the most important aspects of any emergency. Humans need that personal interaction with others and hearing news events or where to find supplies will be helpful during any type of emergency.

Local or International News:

Will the local radio or authorities be able to broadcast event information Are there any ham radio operators in your area who will be able to monitor world events? Police scanners can be a useful source of local information during emergencies.

Note: Compact rechargeable communication gear you might consider before the electricity goes down includes a simple crank AM/FM radio, rechargeable FRS/GMRS radios, ham radio, rechargeable battery pack, solar photovoltaic panel, and AC/DC inverter. Don’t forget the AA, AAA rechargeable batteries and charger!

Basic equipment:

Well-built firearms, knives (small size for cleaning game), sharpening devices, fire making devices, water-purifying kits and food-gathering materials are just some of the basic gear you’ll need. Carry these items in a sturdy backpack.  Remember that compact is better if you’re on the move. Don’t forget the fishing line, hooks, lead weights and snares and include a change of clothes that will protect you from the outdoor climate extremes in your area. Stay dry since hypothermia is a real threat even in the tropics. You will be outdoors for an excessive amount of time. Add a long brim hat, bandanas, sunglasses, and sun block lotion. Supplies may be few and far between: Add extra eyeglasses and any necessary medications.

Note: Researching the poisonous critters or dangerous plants in your area should be part of your threat assessment since you’ll likely be spending more time in the great outdoors. We have all kinds of biting insects, barracudas, thorny plants and big sharks here in the tropics and knowing how to avoid these types of threats will increase your chances of surviving the next crisis.

Threat assessment:

Narrow it down! You can’t prepare for every possible threat out there.  Example: Water, food, shelter and security should come to mind for starters. The same basic necessities are needed for your survival.  It doesn’t matter if it’s for a hurricane or a more extreme situation like a pandemic or EMP event.

Prepare yourself mentally to do whatever it takes to survive during the emergency situation and be hyper vigilante for opportunities to resupply. Do what you can for others along the way without becoming a victim and protect yourself with whatever means are available. Consider teaming up with other trustworthy people who have different survival skills to increase your security and your available skill sets.

Research and practice your survival skills before an emergency happens. Start your functional physical fitness training now. This will enable you to perform those everyday survival chores without hurting yourself. Try hiking or walking with a backpack. Prepare simple meals on a fire. Learn to enjoy the outdoors for practice and outdoor skills building.

After a short emergency it’s great to get out there and help each other recover. However, if the emergency is more severe and lasts longer don’t be surprised if people get desperate and dangerous. Protect yourself and loved ones by researching, preparing and training now.
Remember that you are responsible for your own safety during any emergency. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

See also:

Survival Spearfishing, by Daniel B.

Selecting Footwear and Foot Care Basics, by K.B.

Three Letters Re: How to Take Control of Your IRA

James,

The recent article by Gordo on Individual Retirement Accounts was informative.  Another, at the SHTFPlan blog was also quite useful. The video linked in the article urges viewers to get out of their dollar-based tax-deferred retirement accounts.

There seem to be two options available for protecting your tax-deferred retirement accounts:

1) Cash out, take the early withdrawal penalty, and pay income tax on the withdrawn amount
2) Create a self-directed IRA entity and transform the account into a hedge against the dollar

The IRS will let you acquire specific gold and silver coin and bullion, but you cannot take physical possession of these assets without causing the early withdrawal penalties to kick in.  More info here.  If you pre-convert your IRA funds into physical gold/silver, you will at least have hedged against the dollar.  When you are confident of when the SHTF event is going to occur, you can then order physical possession of your gold and silver coin/bullion assets, and gear up for the tax hit, and assume the IRS is going to be very, very busy.  

Note today’s headline about the IRS. 

Regards, – Curtis R.

 

JWR:
That was a nice IRA article in today’s blog.  I do quite a lot of advising on IRAs and “Checkbook LLCs”.  After tax season is over, I will add to that discussion.  Advising 98% of layman to go out and get a CBLLC for their IRA is very dangerous – those are very, very easy to muck up, and the penalty for a “prohibited transaction” is that the IRA goes away, resulting in taxation of the entire balance, along with severe penalties.  That doesn’t mean I am against CBLLCs, very much to the contrary, under the right circumstances, with good advisors and – importantly – clients who heed their counsel.  We like using them for real estate.  I do think that they are limited where gold & silver are concerned (in a depository vs. physical possession, I do not think CBLLC legally gets around that issue), but I think ammo (probably not a “collectible” unless you are dealing with vintage stuff), to name one example, might be a whole ‘nother story.  Also, one would want to balance present-day considerations (want to stay legal pre-SHTF) with TEOTWAWKI considerations (penalty for early withdrawal of ammo from IRA may be a minor consideration in certain situations).  My consistent experience:  IRA “self-dealing” rules are very subtle and very often crossed by laymen with CBLLC control of their IRA, with disastrous results.  This is especially true of clients with a strong independent streak who confuse common sense with tax law. Might that describe some of your readers?  When clients sometimes say “that’s not justice”, I respond with “No Ma’am, it’s the law and has little to do with justice”.
 
We are seeing much more IRS activity overall, including formation of a new “unit” to look at IRAs.  Also seeing more deliberate traps for the unwary, I will provide a few examples post 4/17.  To name one:  IRS now asks on Schedule E and business returns:  “Were you supposed to file 1099s?  If so did you?”.  The trap:  Answer “no” or ignore the question, get audited, and 1099 penalties have doubled in the last few years.  Answer “yes” when it ain’t in fact so – well, now you have committed civil fraud (liar, liar!), big dollar penalties to follow.  Just one more deliberate way for the system to extract a toll, err, I mean engage in “revenue raising.”  Hopefully I can add some value in a few weeks, I think your blog is excellent and I recommend it and your books to many like-minded friends.  Your site introduced me and my family to Appleseed, that alone was an invaluable benefit.
 
Cordially, – J.M.H.

 

 
Sir:
I must mention the potential threat of governments nationalizing your IRA to save Social Security. Other countries have already done this. 
 
The US government has been allowing people to convert their IRA to a Roth IRA for a prepayment fee over two or three years – they really need the money. 
 
The Roth IRA will never be taxed again and you have some fairly good assurances in the way the laws are established.  Once you get the IRA over to a Roth you can manage in any way as an IRA and after the specified retirement age, there are zero capital gains.
 
You can also take any principal contributions back out after five years.  This allows you to use for kids college or maybe a rural retreat!
 
I did this and invested the after fee / tax monies into a privately held business venture that I feel far more confident in being able to keep my finger on the pulse of things.  Please note that the conversion has allowed the plan to be open to anyone but historically a Roth only allowed contributions from those making $150,000 or less – so to contribute more in the future would require this level or less of adjusted gross income.
 
Anyone under the age of 35 or 40 should seriously consider this plan b/c of the enourmous tax advantage of buying in with Zero future taxes.  Roth IRAs have also been the plan for the “average Joe” so changing the rules would be political nightmare and there is not much money in them nationaly due to the restrictions and lack of employer plans that offer Roth IRA.

Letter Re: National Defense Resources Preparedness

JWR,
Thank you for posting the article regarding Executive Order-National Defense Resources Preparedness. It was a very illuminating article regarding where our country is currently at economically, politically, and militarily. I understand that some of the vague language used in government documents often allows the government to exercise more power than may be found on the surface of the writing. The best example in this document is, as you pointed out, Section 201b. However, I think we may be getting ahead of ourselves in saying that the government will show up in times of peace and magic away our preps. I would also like to point out that this type of Executive Order is not WHOLLY unprecedented, as you say in SurvivalBlog. 

There is a very interesting book called The Homefront U.S.A: America during World War II  by Allan M. Winkler, a renowned WWII expert. I think that it should be a mandatory reading for all Americans that label themselves as Patriots. In this book he goes through the many changes implemented by FDR’s Administration which allowed America to quickly mobilize its armed forces and prepare for war with Germany and Japan. Of note in the book are discussions regarding business, industry, and the best allocations of manpower. Mr. Winkler describes in sufficient detail the formation of the War Manpower Commission, whose soul purpose was to determine how workers could best be used. The Selective Service (the draft) fell under the authority of this commission. The commission at first did not have much power, but by 1943 was able to direct where people should be finding jobs (true, they could not mandate it, but many people found themselves in complete agreement with the commissions assessment of their skills and followed their decrees). You may know that by the end of World War II the unemployment rate was 1%, and most of those unemployed were unable to work due to disabilities. What you may not know was that over 500,000 small businesses between 1940-1945 failed. Big Business ruled during World War II, under a Liberal Democratic President, fueling the so-called “Arsenal of Democracy.” So how was the government able to achieve such a low rate of unemployment? They offered incentives and fair wages (even in the face of some inflation), even to women, Black Americans, and Latino Americans (“fair” is a relative term as these groups still made less money than white males). The point I am getting at is that the government understood that to have a successful wartime economy, people needed to be making money. Indeed, despite rationing at home, most folks that lived on the home front of WWII quite enjoyed themselves after the previous decades economic woes. I would wager that if people had experienced the war with little pay and no luxury, the effort to support our troops would have been equally different, perhaps with disastrous implications. 

Furthermore, Mr. Winkler mentions agriculture in his book. While the number of actual farms and farmers shrank during WWII as others went to work in factories, the amount of crops grown and distributed grew. Many of the nations policies regarding agriculture were formed in this period of mobilization, and many resources were allocated to the boon of these farmers.

Even in the face of hard decisions and unpopular political sanctions, equal rights groups made large advances.

I know that Barack Obama is no Franklin Delano Roosevelt, not by a long shot. However, even though BHO is unpopular among your readers, I do not believe it is his notion to throw working class America under the bus and steal everything they have dedicated their lives to.

I believe that if the government DID try to force people into jobs with no compensation (as is provisioned for in Section 502), we would have reached a truly desperate point in whatever struggle we faced as a nation. I also believe that in times of total war, such as this executive order hints at, our nation would unite as we did after December 7, 1941, or September 11, 2001. We would be willing to accept the terms our government was providing, even if we did so grudgingly. Many of your readers have named themselves as veterans of our Armed Forces, you yourself served, and as the title of your first novel implies we as preppers mark ourselves as some of this countries most ardent patriots. I believe we would step up if our turn came to aid this country in a time of war. At least I hope we would. The current prepper mindset seems to say that the end is near, but wouldn’t it be amazing if somehow we pulled together to save this country? It is easy to read this document in a time of relative peace (because even though our country has troops deployed, it is nowhere near the 16 million men and women that served between 1940-1945) and despair that our President is quickly turning into a dictator. I am not naive enough to say that our country is not in dire straits, but I will still approach this document with an open mind. Yes, some of the implications are certainly worrisome, but I think that our country is a long way off from a time in which our Government would make such totalitarian moves.

I am not urging anyone to lower your state of readiness, and I am by no means a fan of who our politicians have turned into in this day and age. If there was a man in the upcoming election even half the man that FDR was, you can bet that I would be voting for him. What I am urging, instead, is to keep an open mind to the decisions our government makes. I myself will approach this executive order the way I approach everything else in life, with cautious optimism. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Right?

Keep Safe and God Bless. -The Cautious Husky

Economics and Investing:

T.L.S. suggested this interview: Greyerz – Gold Will React to the $120 Trillion of Additional Debt

Kurt T. sent this: Bernanke says gold standard wouldn’t solve problems. Statists will always oppose any measure that limits their ability to spend beyond what they tax.

Worried About $6 Gas Prices? Try $8

U.S. Treasuries: This Is The End?

Items from The Economatrix:

Gold Up On Central Bank Buying Talk But Outlook Weak

Meredith Whitney:  “Tidal Wave” Of Muni-Bond Defaults Still Coming

Central Banks Pounce On Falling Gold

Dire Finances Leave Detroit Stalled

US Stocks Decline as Energy Shares Drop on Profit Concern

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Lee M. suggetsed this useful chart: Food Storage Shelf Life

   o o o

Cheryl sent this: Protect Your Computer Now

   o o o

Chris M. spotted this: How one man escaped from a North Korean prison camp

   o o o

The latest from Nanny State California: Rocklin Considering Banning Residents From Smoking Outside Their Own Homes. And in Nanny State North Star State: Minnesota man arrested, jailed for home siding code violation. And meanwhile in Nanny State Britannia: Schools ban children making best friends. (This sounds too much like something out of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”, from his “Welcome to the Monkey House” collection of short stories.)

   o o o

Some good news: Court Sides With Idaho Property Owners Over EPA. (Thanks to D.V. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“When a man hath no freedom to fight for at home,
Let him combat for that of his neighbours;
Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome,
And get knocked on the head for his labours.
To do good to Mankind is the chivalrous plan,
And is always as nobly requited;
Then battle for Freedom wherever you can,
And, if not shot or hanged, you’ll get knighted.” – George Gordon, Lord Byron, November 5, 1820

Note from JWR:

Today we present two more entries for Round 39 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 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), and E.) 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 F-50 hand well pump (a $349 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.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 39 ends on March 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 Prepper’s Guide to Beginning Ethanol Fuel Distillation, by Mr. C. in California

A Very Important Introductory Note: Owning a still is legal in the United State according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). It is not legal to use your still to Distill Ethanol Fuel without a permit nor is it legal to Distill Spirits for personal use. I created my still after watching countless YouTube videos and reading various reference web sites. I made one small batch of Distilled Ethanol Fuel, less than 1 liter, which I later found out was illegal in the US because I did not have a permit for it- even though it was a one-time experiment! Well- I now have a permit. After going through this process I believe, that every serious prepper would be well served by reading this essay in full, making a simple still , and then deciding on whether to legally test the process or just have it as a backup tool.

Now to begin formally- Every serious prepper should understand the basics of distilling and have a small still set up and ready to use, just in case. Why? Well a still is a terrific multi purpose tool to have at your bug-in location. With a still you have the ability to produce Ethanol and make Spirits, both for trade and personal use. You can also use a still to make Distilled Water – useful in a number of ways. If you want to get specific, a still is a tool that will help you separate liquid substances through the application of heat. Upon different boiling points of your mash, different liquids will be released as vapor. A still will create the environment for the separation and then using a cooling process, will return the separated vapor back to liquid form for collection.

In the event of a protracted failure of the current social contract or an extended period of hyperinflation, you will have a both a tool and trade. With enough investment in time and materials you will have a renewable source of fuel for your non-diesel vehicles. If you are like me, it is just fun to learn and potentially very useful in case TSHTF.

Since this is a Beginner’s Guide, I’m only going to share some very basic information about stills and the capabilities of Ethanol. Disclaimer: I am also a beginner at Distilling Ethanol . I am fairly certain I am not the only Survival Blog reader to experiment in this direction but it looks like several years have passed since the topic has been addressed and not to the level that any prepper could start out with and ‘take to the bunker’ in my opinion. Let me say that there are definitely a lot of folks who know a whole lot more than I do (especially about various yeasts, mashes, enzymes, still design and basically everything about Ethanol Fuel production) but I do feel comfortable relating the basics to an audience. Please keep in mind this is a Beginner’s Guide, and there are a very, very many ways to skin this proverbial cat. This is a quick and dirty bang-up that just about anyone can put into use over the course of a weekend like I did- as a proof of concept . You will not learn truly efficient production of Ethanol Fuel from this essay, but you will be exposed to possibilities and resources to guide you further in your studies and I encourage you to study further.

My goal is to give the SurvivalBlog community enough information and resources to quickly and legally work through a proof of concept Ethanol Reflux Still with capital outlay of less than $100 and to provide enough information so that even if you do not work a still, you will be able to tell if someone else is actually doing enough of a correct process to not cause you problems.

Why do you want to have a still? Well for me the ability to produce Ethanol was of terrific importance. The ability to produce Spirits was a vague intellectual interest as well, but most importantly is the idea of personal responsibility and self sufficiency that I believe many preppers share. Sure- we stock pile food and ammunition but those are non-renewable resources. If you don’t have the capability or desire to grow your own food and raise your own livestock you still need some sort of useful skill that will allow you to retain your capital resources and focus on growing through other sustainable enterprise. Distilling Ethanol for fuel seemed like a good choice to investigate further. After all – garbage is eternal .

So what is so great about Ethanol? Here is my short list.

Ethanol is a clean burning fuel (much cleaner than even bio-diesel) that can work in your vehicle and can be used as a cooking fuel. Ethanol mixes very well with Kerosene – allowing for an extension of supply. 100 years ago Ethanol mixed with Turpentine was often used for lighting (Just in case you don’t store kerosene). Ethanol can also be added to gasoline (It must be dehydrated first!) and with the correct supplies and purifying process you can even make your own E85 (85% Ethanol and 15% Gasoline) fairly easily and at a greatly reduced cost than what you experience at the pump.

(Read: potential to extend supply of existing gasoline and to further create your own Fuel if that supply is exhausted. Some Survival Blog readers are sure to have non-Ethanol unleaded gas stored for a rainy day due to its extended storage life. How about planning on adding Ethanol on an as-needed basis? Just a thought. For me, it is the potential of 50 gallons of Fuel at 17 MPG +/- or 100 Gallons of 50% Ethanol Mix at about 14 MPG – the math kind of speaks for itself there as long as the supplies exist to create the Ethanol Fuel as needed.)

Many vehicles sold today are Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) that are designed by the manufacturer to run either Gasoline or E85 or any mix between the two. If you don’t have an FFV vehicle you CAN re-chip what you do have if it is electronic and whilst you may experience more maintenance- you will certainly save money in fuel costs if you are making your own fuel at a reasonable production level and have close enough to the same mileage per gallon. If you have a carburetor in your vehicle you can account for the lower temperature, slower burn of Ethanol Alcohol by retarding your timing, having a multi-fire distributor and increasing the Air to Fuel ratio. If you run straight (100%) Ethanol Alcohol as a fuel there are more considerations involving fuel lines, jets, gaskets, cylinder compression and filters. (I am only brushing the surface here as this topic could easily be its own essay but I will say that it greatly surprised me to find that the first automobiles were all fueled by Ethanol and not gasoline.)

Fuel is a very important consideration in the present environment. As an example of how producing Ethanol Fuel could help me personally, I drive an old Full Size Jeep with no electronics – I would just need to retard the timing a bit and possibly fiddle with the choke if I put a Ethanol mix into it – I do not plan to go E85, I might try out a 25% Ethanol mix and then see if 50% Ethanol mix worked well with minimal changes to the motor, fuel delivery and ignition systems. If I did a 50% Ethanol mix then the price to fill my tank drops about 25% according to my estimates- but the trade off is the time spent managing the operation safely and consistently.

Ethanol stores well – in an airtight container it will sit for years- if left open to the air it will suck moisture out of the atmosphere and gradually lose potency. Ethanol is a common solvent and even has medicinal properties, most commonly used to cleanse wounds (but ouch! it stings). You can also whip up Alcohol stoves out of tin cans if you decide you need a cooking surface quickly or power an actual alcohol stove – which delivers a nice constant heat… Quite a few uses really.

Best of all, in my opinion, Ethanol alcohol comes from the fermentation of yeasts that eat sugar out of starches and cellulose. While corn is traditionally thought of for a mash to produce ethanol (mostly for economic concerns for production), in reality it can be produced (though not as efficiently) from almost anything that you might normally compost from your leftovers…if you have the right enzymes to facilitate the breakdown of starches and cellulose into sugars. Some examples would be Beets, Carrots, Potatoes, Sugar Cane, any Sorghum grain, Artichokes and especially for those of you in the Midwest, Switchgrass is apparently an excellent producer of Ethanol. You can literally create Ethanol Fuel out of garbage with the right process and enzymes- again it wont be as efficient as with, say, Sugar Cane (which is what Brazil uses) but you get the idea. Many Ethanol producers clean and sell the waste mash as feed for livestock- depending on what you are fermenting this may also be a possibility for you. I don’t have any livestock so after I was done with the mash, it went to the compost bin (where it would have been anyway), but if you ramp up to a serious production level Ethanol operation, you can usually use the leftover corn mash as hog feed at the very least. Yeast eats sugar and not corn or vegetable matter. Your mash uses temperature and maybe enzymes to help release the sugar from the starch or cellulose so you have a better idea of what your waste material is if you choose to use it as feed.

See the Wikipedia page on Ethanol for more information about this useful substance.

I recently made my first Reflux Still at a cost of $75 in one afternoon. This was not a ‘Production Still’, but served as a test in theory. With this small still, I can distill 5 gallons of corn mash or sugar water into approximately 1 liter +/- of Ethanol Fuel, which was my main purpose. There are many types of stills, very basic ones are functionally no different than a Pressure Cooker or Stock Pot with a hose poking out for the Steam/Condensate to pass through and a bucket of cold water to help the Ethanol Alcohol go back into liquid form. More advanced types, such as the Reflux Still I made, have a length of (usually Copper or Stainless Steel) pipe with non reactive stuffing in the pipe like glass or stainless steel marbles. I used Stainless steel scouring pads. This extra ‘stuffing’ helps greatly to catch condensate and ‘purify’ the end result. The general pot and tube method may be able to generate as high as 75%-80% ethanol which is not fuel grade but fine for Spirits. Most of the online videos showing folks making Rum or Spirits use this method which is illegal and not practical for producing Ethanol Fuel. The Reflux Still method can go as high as 96% which is much closer to fuel grade (100% Alcohol) for sure. My test run using baker’s yeast had about ½ cup of the first Ethanol distillate that measured almost 90% alcohol but the results quickly lowered in Alcohol percentages, just to give you an idea.

My simple Reflux Still is a 30” length of 1 inch copper pipe stuffed with 2 stainless steel wire scouring pads-cut in half (solid core ribbon and not covered thread). There are 2, 1-inch 90 degree elbows soldered to the top to form an upside down U shape. The water cooling jacket is formed from the other side of the upside down U shape. There is a 1 inch to ½ inch reducer that is soldered to a 12 inch length of ½ inch copper pipe which provides the outlet for the Alcohol. The Water Jacket (for cooling) consists of 2, 1 inch to ½ inch Reducer Ts that are capped and soldered together with ½ inch holes drilled in the caps. 2 additional lengths of ½ inch copper pipes are soldered to the Reducer Ts to form the Water Inlet and Water Outlet. Each of the 3, ½ inch pipes protruding from the water jacket are fitted with ½ inch male adapters to fit hoses onto.

The main Reflux Chamber is added to a 2 gallon Stock Pot which has a 1 inch hole drilled into the cover. I supported the Still Reflux Chamber by adding a 1 Inch T section to the bottom of the Reflux Chamber and bolting the T wings to the Lid. The lid is held onto the Stock pot by three Vice grips set firm but not crazy tight. Now a lot of folks will use a pressure cooker here for the gasket seal and safety valve (which is more energy efficient and more recommended than what I did). I used the vice grips and coated the Pot Lid and top of the Stock Pot with a flour and water mixture to provide a seal of sorts that will still vent a bit without blowing up. If you decide to use a Pressure Cooker (again, recommended but keep in mind you will be at 15 psi rather than the 1-3 psi that I am with my set up – just a thought.) then you will probably spend more than $100 for your Proof of Concept unless you get lucky at a Thrift Store – remember you will have to drill through the lid – some of the older cast aluminum pressure cookers are quite thick.

If you decide to use a Stock Pot (or a 55 gallon steel drum for that matter) and are concerned about a buildup of pressure – a very simple pressure release valve to consider using is another scrap piece of pipe sticking up out of the lid with a weighted can over it (maybe a ½ oz or 1 oz fishing sinker weight for example- heck even a small rock would work)…this will bubble up and release your steam when/if the pressure gets high enough (1-3 psi was my target, rather like a normal pot lid) and allow you to proceed with extra caution and safety.

I used Lead Free Solder and Flux and also used JB Weld on the hole in the Stock Pot Lid. The capabilities of JB Weld go to 600 degrees, far above the 170 – 215 degree temperature your pot will cook mash in.

Now with your still ready- you can make a quick mash and get to producing Ethanol.

The first step is to thoroughly clean everything! If you use a plastic bucket for the mash to ferment then use a non abrasive cleaner, but clean everything at least two times! Make sure the bucket is a food grade. If you have a glass carboy great – clean it. I also steamed the inside of the Reflux Still for 30 minutes before I got the mash cooking.

Quick Mash- Mix a 5 pound bag of corn masa (not flour- you want it grainy but not clumpy!) with a 5 pound bag of sugar in a plastic 5 gallon food grade bucket. Add bottled or filtered water to close to the top of the 5 gallon bucket. Stir it around real good and add a packet or two of some simple baker’s yeast. Stir it around some more getting it good and oxygenated. Then cover it and let it sit for 2-3 days. (If you feel the need for a one-way vent then a simple way to do it is to drill a small hole in your bucket lid and tape a surgical glove over the hole then use a needle to poke a small hole in one of the fingers. You will see the fingers of the glove partially inflate while the mash ferments.) Agitate the mash again real good after 2-3 days by shaking the bucket- you don’t need to open it. The yeast is done fermenting the sugars to alcohol when all the sediment stays at the bottom and is no longer partially suspended. This usually takes about 4-5 days.

Now you are ready to distill the Mash.

Get yourself a heat source and don’t use your kitchen range unless your family is particularly forgiving of strange and potentially foul odors permeating your home. Ideally you have a something like a propane turkey fryer element or an electric hotplate set up in a safe and controlled environment. Get a bucket full of ice water and a small submersible pump for the water jacket. Create a closed loop of cold water in to the water sleeve and hot water back into the bucket. Apply your heat and monitor temperature. I found that a handheld digital infrared thermometer worked well for my one-time experiment unless you want to spring for some pipe surface thermometers at additional cost. It does require you to be more hands-on, constantly watching and measuring temperature, but this was only a one-time proof of concept test – you can always grab a good book or a friend and a deck of cards and remember to manage your production run as safely as possible.

Since the Reflux chamber of my simple still was only secured with vice grips, I also tied 2 safety guides to the U bend at the top of the pipe just to be extra sure that the apparatus wouldn’t tip over unexpectedly- you might want to do the same. Be on the lookout for steam leaks – Alcohol vapor can be explosive so be sure to test your still and carefully monitor for Steam leaks- if you have a leak that you didn’t catch when boiling water you should stop and fix it before you continue your production, especially since this still is attached directly to the mash pot, which is being heated. Be Safe!

The alcohol will begin to boil off at about 170 degrees. My Reflux still showed signs of boiling closer to 180 degrees F. The water jacket part of your still should bring the temperature down to about 70-80 degrees F at the outlet which is about perfect for the Ethanol to turn back into liquid form. As the alcohol level decreases, the temperature of the mash and the (Stock Pot) will increase. When your mash pot reads close to 215 degrees then your mash is done producing Ethanol and is starting to produce Steam Water. The entire production run for this small still should last about 2.5 hours, I stopped at about 100 minutes. A larger Mash Pot will of course take longer to heat…my advice is to do what I did, start small to get a feel for it, and of course get an ATF permit first to be legal and check with your County for additional requirements.

Now a quick note on using Ethanol as fuel for your car. Do not take your Ethanol from this production and pop it in your gas tank! Fuel Grade Ethanol is 100% alcohol and the very best you can get with any still is going to be around 96% alcohol. My still’s total production from this experiment averaged only 76% Alcohol when totaled together– you don’t want that anywhere near your engine! To make sure all of the water is out of the Ethanol you need to treat your batch with Zeolite chunks (which is a molecular sieve that absorbs the extra water content). Zeolite is expensive – expect to pay north of $100-$200 for enough of the type 3A gravel chunks to be worthwhile but it is infinitely reusable, soak your Ethanol in the Zeolite chunks overnight and strain out the 100% Ethanol- Dry your Zeolite chunks over your BBQ periodically and you are good to go. Also Invest in a hydrometer to double check your alcohol percentages (and look like a mad scientist when doing it- I put on a white lab coat for full effect) – a hydrometer is usually around $20 and recommended to make sure you are fuel grade before adding Ethanol into your gas tank. Water in your gas tank is bad!

Ok- so you have made Ethanol. Would you be surprised to learn that nearly the exact same process is how you go about making Spirits? (Remember- the ATF says distillation of Spirits for personal use is ‘impractical’ due to numerous permits and taxes that are to be paid) Molasses makes Rum, Potato makes Vodka, so on and so forth. There are additional nuances for each type of Spirit but now you know the basics for sure. Your simple production run of Ethanol from above “could” be divided and proofed down (watered) and flavored to make Schnapps or homemade Kahlua for example, so your quick and dirty production is potentially not worthless…it is just very strong and somewhat impure drinking alcohol. So for about $10 in raw materials for the mash – depending on what flavoring you use and how strong you like it- you can probably get 3-4 bottles of homemade Spirits which is, again, not legal to make for personal use according the ATF, but in the event of the End of the World it is reasonable to assume the ATF may either overlook your transgression or be otherwise occupied.

Now I do feel compelled to state that this simple Ethanol still is designed for Fuel and not Spirits- it will certainly kick out trace amounts of other alcohols that are not good to digest – like Methanol and Butanol let alone having JB Weld holding some seams…so just keep in mind this is not the right set up or process for making quality Spirits, at a very minimum you would want to proof the product down to 40% Alcohol give or take and you would need a series of food grade charcoal filters to help clean up the Product before you should even consider drinking it(and I’m not sure I would even trust that too much), you will see what I mean if you tackle this experiment using my quick examples! For making Spirits really drinkable the process is called ‘polishing’ and normally takes anywhere from 1 week to a month of soaking activated carbon in the Distilled Ethanol and then filtering the carbon dust out of the Alcohol to remove the bad stuff that gives to ‘yuck factor’ to moonshine and turns the product into something more like Vodka, tasteless and odorless.

Remember, the point of this essay is for Ethanol Fuel Production . Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the legalities, the YouTube videos that are everywhere about Distilling generally gloss over the legal requirements if they are mentioned it at all. It is a mess that you do not want to get involved with if, for some reason, the ATF does a check on your Homemade Liqueur Operation because you post it on YouTube and you are found to have homemade Distilled Spirits or Ethanol that has not been denatured. Then they find out you are a prepper and have more than three days of stored food, then they notice you have more than one magazine for your pistol and more than 50 rounds of ammunition in your house…I am sure you get the idea.

Here is how my production with baker’s yeast as first-time experiment turned out.

1.75 gallons of mash started to boil at 47 min at 182 degrees F. The chamber read 105F, between the water cooling pipes read 95F, the top read 111F and the jacket read 74F. After 10 minutes my product was filmy and pungent, and measured 89%-92% Alcohol. 12 minutes later the pot measured 189F, the chamber 111F, between the cooling pipes read 89F, the top measured 101F and the cooling jacket read 80F. At this point I have about 2 cups of product but the alcohol percentage for the second cup reads only 74% alcohol – far less film and stink. The temperature readings stayed approximately the same for another 50 minutes. The production of Ethanol was about 3.5 cups. Total alcohol measure of entire production was 76% Alcohol. So- I got about 3.5 cups of 76% Ethanol Alcohol after about 1.5 hours and could have run the production longer but decided not to. Note- Alcohol percentages in the output dropped considerably over time.

Now I need to try out champagne yeast or turbo yeast for extra alcohol content, et cetera to really see how much Ethanol fuel I could really net from capital outlay – but I think you get the idea here, making a quality Ethanol product isn’t just a wham-bang deal, its needs some precise expertise to make it really functional and worthwhile. Consider also that this simple Reflux Still also leaves something to be desired when compared to one designed by a professional…but it is pretty inexpensive and it works better than pot with a copper tube sticking out of it for close enough to a Fuel grade product to be workable in a pinch.

Now that you have done a simple run with your still, you are well positioned to explore using different yeasts for increased alcohol production (baker’s yeast obviously isn’t the best). If you work out an agreement with a local farm for example – you may be able to buy your bulk corn- mill it down and instead of adding sugar, add certain enzymes to your mash to facilitate a more natural breakdown of starches for sugars. After you are done with your production, the leftover corn mash can be rinsed and dried and used as feed. My understanding is that normally 100 gallons of mash will produce about 10 gallons of fuel grade Ethanol if you have a really tight process…which mathematically fits the production made from my test run of 1.75 gallons of mash to get about 3.5 cups of moderate to high proof Ethanol. Buy corn in bulk for about $7 a bushel (on the exchanges at least) which is about 70 pounds – just one bushel would net you about 40 gallons of mash give or take, or you can just use bulk sugar if you like. Enzymes are a little pricey as a capital outlay but last a long time. You could probably expect to get your fuel grade Ethanol cost down to between $1.50-$2 per gallon if you got serious with it, maybe less is you re-sold or bartered the mash as livestock feed.

Okay, now for some more specific legal considerations. Before you make anything with a still, you need to check with your County jurisdiction about obtaining a permit. You will also need to be registered with the ATF and in case of an inspection you will need to know how to denature your Ethanol so that it cannot be used for homemade Spirits. Form 5110.74 is the document for a Fuel Distiller and they will want to know the general layout of where your still will be located on your property. They do not want to see it in your back yard patio or in an attached garage or next to your least favorite neighbor’s bedroom window so keep in mind safety and practicality. Use an outbuilding 20-50 feet away from your home and other structures if at all possible. There is no cost to file for the ATF permit and they do not even require your social security number, however you will still need to invest time at the local level to track down the correct process for your jurisdiction.

For making Homemade Spirits by Distilling with the intent for personal consumption – again, be aware that it is NOT ok according the the ATF. Also I want to remind you all again that even a one time experiment such as this one (even if you are 12 years old and need a science fair project) can only legally be done by obtaining a permit through the ATF BEFORE you make Ethanol Fuel. I did not find out about the permit requirements until after my first batch because I watched too many You Tube videos so learn from my mistake. I do have a permit now, so I count it as a learning experience.

Now for some more End of the World considerations about distilling Ethanol Fuel. The process takes time and makes a stink. I found the smell noticeable at 20 feet and I can imagine it getting much worse if you are fermenting garbage because it is SHTF time. It might not be a good idea to have a still operating right next to your bug out location or biggest cache. Alcohol is, of course, flammable and Ethanol is particularly hard to see when lit unless it is mixed with Kerosene for example. It is fairly easy to separate your mash pot (which is on a heat source) from the Reflux chamber, unlike my quick and dirty example. This is recommended for safety reasons especially if you cannot watch your still while the Alcohol is being separated from the mash (but you should always watch your product run and have fire extinguishers on hand – I know- its pickle when you are dealing with the End of the World, but try to be as safe as possible under all circumstances, remember that alcohol vapor can explode and treat accordingly!). Fully off-grid Solar Stills could be engineered using mirrors, a Fresnel lens or a parabolic mirror but you will need to carefully consider temperature management. It would be fun to think through how to tackle that one!

I think I have covered all of the basics pretty well, and maybe a bit more than the ‘basics’ but these are the key points I feel preppers should be aware of regarding this alternative do-it-yourself Fuel Source and its capabilities. Incidentally, by reading this essay you now know a few key questions to ask someone else who might be making Ethanol Fuel or Spirits to see if they know what they are doing in case TSHTF, if they do not filter or polish for Spirits and have no idea about dehydrating the Alcohol for Fuel you know the quality will be lacking…which may lead to complications that would be otherwise avoidable.

Good Luck!

Some of the very best resources I have found to help you dig deeper:

Robert Warren’s Site on making your own fuel If you don’t go to any other link – go to this one, it is the best!

Home Distillation of Alcohol for a terrific breakdown of different stills and Home Spirit production

ATF Permit (Form 5110.74)

ATF FAQ for Distilled Spirits – Don’t do it! Read the penalties.

Mother Earth News Articles – Chapter 7 Distillation Process

Mother Earth News Alcohol Fuel Basics

Alcohol Can Be A Gas – Terrific video

Rainier Distillers – Excellent FAQ and source for Zeolite, Enzymes and Yeasts

How to Take Control of Your IRA, by Gordo

Do you have the majority of your savings stashed away in a 401k or IRA?  How many investment choices do you have available to choose from?  The usual scenario is maybe 10 to 20 mutual funds that your company offers in its 401k plan.  Then down the road you change jobs and that 401k plan converts to an IRA.  Most people just keep those funds in the same investment plan and do not even know that they have other options available to them.  If you are here on this forum you most likely have given some thought to protecting your assets from an economic collapse.  Digital dollars invested in stocks, mutual funds, bonds, etc may not be your idea of financial security for an uncertain economic future.   

On quite a few survival type forums I have heard of folks so frustrated with the lack of control of their IRA funds that they resort to taking the assets out of the IRA in spite of the 10% penalty and full taxation of the distribution.  Perhaps they desire to use this money to stock up on food, firearms, ammunition, and other supplies.  They may do this because they are concerned about the economy and wish to use their IRA funds to buy something they really need.  Unfortunately IRA funds cannot be used for those items.  But you can keep your IRA and invest in some tangible items such as land and gold or silver.  To have complete and full control of your assets you may need to cash your IRA in and take the penalties, but there is another way.

I classify IRA freedom and control into four levels.  Level 1 being the least control and level 4 being the most control. 

Level 1 IRAs.  This is where the vast majority of Americans stay at.  Level 1 IRAs are the severely limited mutual fund plans that most companies offer from firms like T. Rowe Price, Fidelity, USAA etc.  You get the standard 10 to 20 mutual funds to choose from and that is it.  You need to understand that you are very limited in your investment choices at level 1. 

Level 2 IRAs.  Brokerage accounts.  Most people do not even know that this option is even possible with an IRA.  Take that level 1 IRA and transfer the funds to a stock broker.  You can select a full service broker with higher commission and fees or go with an online broker such as Scott Trade, E-Trade etc.  With a brokerage account you have access to stocks, bonds, Mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and more.  There are thousands of choices at this level.  Your choices are much greater but you are still investing your money in digital dollars in the securities markets.  Maybe you are considering precious metals or real estate.  These are tangible investments that have real value outside of the digital dollar world.  Read on for level 3. 

Level 3 IRAs.  The self-directed IRA.  With a self-directed IRA, you can invest in Real Estate, Tax liens, precious metals and everything from level 1 and 2.  The problem with this option is that it is not really self-directed.  To have a self-directed IRA you need to transfer the funds to a company that specializes in this area and they act as the custodian of your funds.  They hold your funds until you select an investment and then they must approve that investment before any of your funds are released.  If you are into time sensitive real estate investments such as foreclosed or distressed properties that sell at auction, the custodial trust company may not approve the transaction in time for you to purchase the property.  And every transaction is assessed fees by the custodian company.  If you want to purchase precious metals, you cannot take delivery of the metal.  There are companies out there such as Swiss America that will help you to open a gold, silver or platinum IRA account.  You can transfer an existing IRA directly to them and they will set it up.  Again the precious metal is held in a secure vault in your name and you cannot take possession until you are 60 years old.  For some this may be an option.  One problem with self-directed IRAs is that you can quickly rack up so many fees in dealing with this form of IRA that it can be cost prohibitive.  And of course in a total economic collapse, you must consider the possibility of never receiving your gold and silver that is stored in a 3rd party vault somewhere.  Do you want the freedom to act fast on real estate deals and to physically hold your precious metals in your possession?  Level 4 IRAs may be for you.   

Level 4 IRAs.  The self-directed IRA with a Limited Liability Company (LLC).  Level 4 IRAs give you the most control of your assets.  This level is a bit more complicated than the rest and requires some paper work and costs initially, but in the long run you have the most freedom.  With this option, you form a single member LLC (you) with your state and act as your own agent.  It sounds more complicated than it is and there are companies online that will draft up the articles of organization to set up your specific LLC for the sole purpose of managing your IRA.  With a level 4 IRA you can invest in all 3 of the previous level investments and you can do it with check book control. 

Let me break it down into simple steps. For example: Step 1. You form a LLC with the specific purpose of managing your IRA.  Step 2.  Select a custodian which is a trust bank that is set up to deal with self-directed IRAs.  They act as the initial custodian of your IRA funds and are required to ensure that your IRA meets legal guidelines.  You initially deposit or transfer your IRA funds to this custodian bank.  Step 3. Select another bank of your choosing that has business accounts available.  At this bank you open an account under the business name of your LLC.  Step 4.  Transfer your IRA funds from the custodian bank to your business account LLC.

You are now the manager of the LLC which is the owner of the self-directed IRA.  You act on behalf of yourself with complete checkbook control of your IRA assets.  The LLC can legally hold the assets of your IRA.  This kind of control is only possible at this level.  As the manager of the LLC you will have a checkbook from your account and can invest your assets as you see fit.  As long as the IRS agrees that what you are investing in classifies as an investment it is acceptable.  IRS publication 590 spells out what you can and cannot invest in an IRA.   Now you can purchase gold or silver bullion and take possession of the actual metal and store it yourself as you see fit.  Put it in your home safe, or put in your safe deposit box.  You could choose to buy gold and store it abroad in a Swiss bank.  As the manager of the LLC you are expected to secure the funds in a safe and secure manner.  With checkbook control you can shop around for the best prices on your precious metals.  If you can afford to meet the purchase amount minimums the Tulving company has the lowest premiums over spot that I have found. 

Now you can access all that money that was “trapped in an IRA” and take control of it and place it in a tangible, non-paper asset such as gold, silver or real estate.  You can also invest your LLC IRA funds in many other investments that you could never consider with a regular IRA.

With the self-directed IRA LLC, you have much more latitude to invest your IRA funds as you see fit.  There are still limitations.  For example you can invest in and physically hold precious metals such as gold and silver, but it has to be classified as bullion so that means .999 pure or better coins, rounds, bars etc.  So 90% silver pre-1965 US coins are not authorized.  Also you cannot invest in numismatic or antique coins. 

Check book control is a must for certain types of real estate investments.  If you find a property that is selling for cash or is up for auction you can buy it on the spot.  There is no custodial company permission required and no extra fees levied on your funds.  You are the manager and you give yourself the approval to purchase your investments.  Again IRS Publication 590 spells out the rules for real estate.  For example you can buy real estate as an investment but it cannot be used as a residence for you or anyone in your family.  Common sense applies here and if you always think of what you invest in as an investment that benefits your IRA, but not you personally then you should stay within the bounds of IRS approved investments of IRA funds. 

A word of caution.  You must stay within the limits of IRS approved investments.  If you do not, and you are audited by the IRS they can treat the illegal investment as an IRA distribution and disallow the entire IRA.  This event would trigger the 10% tax and your entire IRA would be taxed as a distribution for that tax year.  Again refer to IRS pub 590. You can also get investment advice from the company that you used to set up your self-directed IRA LLC.  They can offer counseling and guidance on any questions that you may have concerning whether or not a proposed investment is approved for IRA investments. 

One other nice feature of the self-directed IRA LLC is you can be a day trader or at least a frequent securities trader using IRA funds.  Normally if you have an IRA brokerage account you are limited in the buying and selling of securities due to the fact that it is an IRA and you usually have to wait a few days for the transaction to clear before you can use those funds again.  With the IRA LLC you transfer your funds (write a check from your LLC) to your brokerage and open a regular account. Since it is a regular account you can request margin so there is no waiting period and you can trade securities as often as you wish.  The best part is that these trades are still tax-free and you do not report any capital gains because the account is under the IRA investment management of your LLC.

I have just scratched the surface of what you can do with a self-directed LLC IRA.  You can also loan out money and charge interest, you can invest in a business, invest in tax liens and much more.  For the purpose of survival blog readers I have focused on precious metals and real estate, but there is so much more available.  For more information on the process just do an internet search of “Self directed IRA LLC with checkbook control”.  Don’t confuse this with a regular self-directed IRA.  They are completely different.  Be careful though, there are companies that will charge you 2 or 3 thousand dollars to set up your IRA LLC.  I found a company that charged around $500 to set up mine.

In summary, you do not have to be limited in your investment choices for your IRA funds.  If you have your money “trapped” in a regular IRA you can create a LLC and liberate your money to invest in some real tangible assets.

Pat’s Product Review: Benchmade CSK II – Combat/Survival Knife

As long-time SurvivalBlog readers know, I like big knives – be they folders or fixed blade. I believe bigger knives can do most chores easier and better than smaller knives can. Now, that’s not to say, that big knives can do all things better than smaller knives can – such is not the case. In a survival or combat situation, you need a knife that is capable of handling all manner of chores. Enter the Benchmade Knives CSK II, Combat/Survival fixed blade knife.
 
The Benchmade CSK II is one of those “just the right size” knives, for all manner of duty. The 6″ 1095 carbon steel blade can handle many tasks that a smaller fixed blade knife can’t handle. The blade thickness is 0.180″ and the blade is Cerakote  coated – giving it a great black powder-type coating that not only protects the carbon steel blade from rusting, but also gives it the stealth advantage of not shining during nighttime ops. The 1095 carbon steel is Rockwell tested at 58-59, which means the blade holds and edge for a decent length of time, as well as making it easy to re-sharpen. One of my past knife magazine editors told me that a blade can’t both hold an edge a long time and be easy to re-sharpen. I disagreed then, and I still disagree with him.
 
The CSK II has a clip-point blade, which is a great design for all manner of chores, from field-dressing game, to sticking it into things that need sticking. Enough said. The handle on the CSK II is a tactile soft surfaced, checkered Santoprene. This affords a great grip on the knife. It almost grips you back. I love the way it feels in the hand. Plus, there’s also a brass-lined lanyard hole in the handle. The handle also forms into a front lower guard, to protect you hand from slipping onto the blade.
 
The CSK II also comes with a MOLLE compatible leather sheath. The sheath is extremely well-made, too. And there’s just something about the smell of leather that I love. There’s also leather tie-downs on the bottom of the sheath, as well as on the top – should you really need to give the knife some extra security – besides the snap leather strap that retains the knife in the sheath. Now, while I love a good leather knife sheath, for my use in the very rainy climate of Western Oregon, I would prefer a Kydex sheath – something that can stand-up to the elements. I like to say we have two seasons in this part of Oregon: 8-months of rain, and 4-months of beautiful summer sunshine. The rain takes a toll on everything – even equipment that you take care of – it still succumbs to the elements. First thing I did with the CSK II was spray the sheath with some waterproofing spray – and I’ll continue to treat the sheath that way a couple times per year.
 
The CSKII only weight 7.5 ounces, so it’s a lightweight, considering the overall length of 10.75″, with the 6″ blade. During my test and evaluation of this knife, the only area where it fell “short” was in chopping things – then again, it didn’t surprise me here, consider the blade length and the light weight of the knife. If you need to chop tree branches of other material, you’ll want a longer blade knife, that is heavier. Other than that, this is one dandy camp survival and combat knife.
 
Often, people think of a “combat” knife, as something that is used all the time to take-out enemy sentries in the dark of night. Well, that does happen, but only rarely! Some of our troops went toe-to-toe with insurgents in a cemetery in Iraq, and they used hand-to-hand combat, some just using their bare hands, as well as folding knives and fixed blade knives. While the CSK II wouldn’t be my first choice in a blade for going one-on-one with someone, I wouldn’t feel the least bit at a disadvantage using this knife for self-defense. It’ll get the job done, no doubt about it. However, as anyone who has spent any amount of time in the military will tell you, that a knife, any knife, is used most of the time as a “tool” for opening ammo crates, cutting-up all kinds of things and just a lot of general cutlery duties at the camp. The knife is rarely used as a combat weapon – but it does happen.
 
Like all Benchmade knives, the CSK II came hair-poppin’ sharp out of the box, and I used the knife for two-weeks, for all manner of chores around the house, in the kitchen and on my small homestead. I only had to touch-up the blade once on a set of Lansky Crock Sticks. The blade was still sharp enough for most work. However, I find it best to touch-up a blade before they get too dull – makes for a quick job, instead of having to really work to put an edge back on a really dull blade. It only takes a minute or two, to touch-up a blade on some crock-sticks, instead of spending a lot of time trying to get a really dull knife back to a extra sharp condition. And, the 1095 carbon steel is easy to touch-up, no doubt about it. I find it much easier to sharpen than any of the stainless steels are.
 
There are other similarly designed blades on the market, that look very much like the Benchmade CSK II. However, remember, you are getting the Benchmade name on this blade, and backed-up with the limited lifetime warranty from Benchmade. You know when a product is stamped with the Benchmade name, that you are getting top-quality products.
 
I always like to save the best new for last, and that’s the full-retail price on the CSK II – which is only $105. If you shop around on Amazon and other web sites, you can find the CSK II deeply discounted. However, even if you paid full-retail, you’d be getting one heck of a bargain if you ask me. I’ve been writing about Benchmade Knives for about 15 years now, and have never been disappointed by their products. I’ve toured their plant a couple of times, and I’m always amazed at all the work that goes into a Benchmade knife. They even have a machine there that produces screws for all their knives, in-house. How many places can boast of making all their own screws for their knives? Last time I was at Benchmade, they were running two shifts, and owner Les deAsis told me that they would run three shifts if only they could find enough qualified people. They are picky, and it pays off in the end for the company and the consumer.
 
If you’re in the market for a new fixed blade knife that’s priced right, and can handle just about anything you can throw at it, then check out the Benchmade CSK II. You’ll like what you see. – Pat Cascio, SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor

Letter Re: Traumatic Brain Injuries

As a physician I would like to share my experience in evaluating and treating concussions (mild Traumatic Brain Injury- mTBI) in military and civilian patients over the last 3 years. In this article concussion and mTBI refer to identical injuries. This is a very pertinent discussion at this time due to the recent unfortunate shooting incident in Afghanistan by a US Military soldier diagnosed with TBI (traumatic brain injury). The Rand Corporation estimates there are over 350,000 US military men and women suffering from concussions symptoms (mTBI) and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from blast incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these wounded warriors are still trying to cope with their injured brain disabilities. Many are being redeployed after the diagnosis of TBI is made. They have not been able to return to a normal and productive lifestyle. In the civilian population concussions occur in more than 6 per 1,000 people each year. Common causes of civilian concussion are falls or blows to the head, motor vehicular accidents, bike accidents, sport injuries, or exposure to loud noises (explosion, etc). Most concussions (80-90%) resolve in a short period (7-10 days).

I was an active duty US Army physician from 1969 to 1971 and very familiar with military medicine. All of our recently treated concussed patients were months, some years, post concussion and still experiencing severe post concussion symptoms. One of my patients was a US Army Brig General concussed in Afghanistan by an IED explosion. His resulting concussion symptoms and cognitive impairment issues lasted for months before successful treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
           
In the past three years I have treated over 25 concussed (TBI) military patients for lingering concussion symptoms. I have been using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to treat these patients. None of these patients had life threatening head injuries. All had normal CT Scans/MRIs. Symptoms in these patients included cognitive impairment, loss of memory, headaches, depression, fatigue, anger and irritability, sleep disturbances, loss of multitasking and executive functions, and hypervigilance. All patients had successful results from HBOT therapy and either returned to full military duty, continued in school, or returned to full civilian employment.
           

The Department of Defense has developed criteria for the diagnosis of mTBI (Concussions) which must include one of the following

  1. Any period of loss of or decreased level of consciousness lasting less then 30 minutes
  2. Any loss of memory for events immediately before or after the injury lasting less than 24 hours after the event
  3. any alteration in mental state at the time of the injury such as confusion, disorientation, or slowed thinking lasting less than 24 hours
  4. transient neurological deficits (e.g. Weakness, loss of balance, change in vision, praxis, paresis or plegia, sensory loss, aphasia and
  5. Normal intracranial imaging.

All of our patients were previously treated by different agencies with medication only which gave them little or no relief in their disabling concussion symptoms. Our patients received a total of over 1400 HBOT treatments without any complications or adverse reactions.  Patients were all treated in a rigid hyperbaric oxygen chamber at 1.5 ATA (17ft) on 100% oxygen for 60 minutes. The hyperbaric mTBI protocol calls for a minimum of 40 treatments with up to 80 treatments if necessary. Treatment plans and the need for additional HBOT treatments are based upon the clearing of concussion symptoms and improvement in Neuropsychological (neurocognitive) (NP) testing.

Neurocognitive testing is used to evaluate the concussed patient’s post injury neurocognitive condition and track improvements made with HBOT therapy. Neurocognitive testing is an assessment tool that can be used to identify changes in a patient’s cognitive function and mood state as a result of some debilitating event. Neurocognitive testing has become the most important modality in management and determination of a full recovery in concussed patients. The military NP test used was the ANAM (Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics) test.

The ANAM was developed by the military to evaluate and follow the progress of TBI patients. A baseline NP test is performed before deployment with repeat testing following concussion injuries. During HBOT therapy the ANAM test is administered after each 20 HBOT treatments to document the progress and improvement in the injured brain. A different NP test is given to our civilian patients. All NP testing in done on an office computer and takes about 25 minutes. Report printouts are available immediately. These reports along with examination and discussions with the patient and family are used to determine if HBOT is indicated or needs to be continued.

There is controversy concerning the use of HBOT in the treatment of concussed patients. The majority of military mTBI patients are currently being treated primarily with prescription medications for their symptoms. Many of our military patients commented they were in a constant “brain fog” as a result of all the meds they were prescribed. They received sleeping pills if sleep was an issue, pain medication for headaches, antidepressants for depression, tranquilizers for anxiety and so forth. None of these medications treat the cause of TBI/PTSD which is the injured brain. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy through research and clinical use has demonstrated to be effective in repairing the injured brain. The current research is based upon both animal and human studies. There is a multitude of currently published medical literature demonstrating the benefit of HBOT in the treatment and repairing of injured brains.

Some of the criticisms in the use of HBOT treating concussions from different agencies are based upon the fact HBOT is not currently approved by the FDA in the specific treatment of mTBI. Many clinical studies are underway at this time studying the effectiveness of HBOT in the treatment of TBI/PTSD. The FDA will not approve procedures that are still in the clinical study mode. We as hyperbaric physicians have treated successfully hundreds of TBI/PTSD military personnel all with no adverse effects. HBOT is approved by the FDA to treat four types of brain injuries. These brain injuries include carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness (Bends), arterial gas embolism to the brain, and acute blindness from central retinal artery occlusion. We as Physicians are allowed to use treatment modalities not FDA approved as long as, first, we do no harm to the patient and there is benefit in the treatment. We as a group of Physicians believe it is a mistake to currently deny these thousands of brain injured military personnel treatments which have shown to be completely effective in treating successfully and permanently mTBI and PTSD. Most of us treating hyperbaric physicians have not been paid at all by the military or the VA for our services to these injured men and women. I believe I speak for the group that we perform this service because we know it works, we respect the military and what it stands for, and that our injured men and women deserve the most effective currently available treatment for their injuries after putting their life on the line for our country.

Dr. Paul Harch MD gave testimony to the US House of Representatives last year  pointing out that nearly all the medication being prescribed by Military Medicine and the Veterans Administration is being used “OFF-LABEL” as the standard of care for blast induced TBI and PTSD despite little or no research to support this prescribing. An estimated 120 combat Veterans per week or more than 10,000 overall have committed suicide according to the CDC numbers investigated by CBS News. The House Veteran Affairs Committee was told earlier that many of the suicides were related to the use of the FDA Black-Box drugs being use off-label  These drugs carry specific warnings about increased suicide rates

Our first mTBI military patients were treated with HBOT in 2009. The two Airmen were in an armored semi-truck when they were involved in an IED explosion in Iraq. Neither man lost consciousness but they were dazed and somewhat confused initially.  The both experienced the immediate onset of headaches. They were seen at an aid station later in the day, given acetaminophen, and returned to duty. Over a period of weeks these men began to experience debilitating concussive symptoms of severe headaches, memory loss, cognitive issues, anger/irritability issues and severe sleep disturbances. Upon returning to the US they were referred to our facility for HBOT by Col.(Dr) James Wright USAF Special Operations Command Surgeon and Board Certified Hyperbaric Physician.

Fortunately both men were given screening  neuropsychological tests (ANAM) before they deployed to Iraq. We were able to compare their post injury tests with the baseline NP tests. Post injury testing  revealed both men to be severely cognitively impaired from their concussions. Both men receive a series of HBOT treatments with NP testing after each 20 treatments. At the end of their HBOT treatments both men were completely free of all previous mTBI symptoms. Both airmen returned to their pre injury NP baseline scores after HBOT treatments. One man required 40 treatments and the other 80 HBOT treatments to return to their baseline NP scores. The Airmen are still on active duty. I recently spoke with both men and they are doing well without any concussion signs or symptoms. Col. Wright and I published a case report of these men in a major peer reviewed medical journal.  

There is a lot of attention currently in the press and on the Internet regarding our TBI wounded men and women. There is an ongoing study NBIRR (national brain injury rescue rehabilitation) sanctioned by the Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) using HBOT in concussed patients. There are 12 hyperbaric centers in the USA involved with this study. This study is an unfunded study and all treating facilities are providing the HBOT treatments to our injury veterans on their “nickel”. This study can be accessed by searching www.nbirr.org on the Internet and clicking on the “clinicaltrials.gov” box.

Dr. Paul Harch, Dr. James Wright, Dr. Bill Duncan, Dr. Rob Beckman and former Secretary of the Army Martin Hoffmann are currently playing  key roles  pro bono in an attempt to obtain funding for HBOT treatments for our wounded warriors.  These men are meeting regularly with top Military officials and members of Congress in this attempt.  The Navy League (www.navyleague.org) recently released a video on the use of HBOT treating TBI in military men and women.   At the end of the video both the  Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant  of the Marine Corps acknowledge at a congressional hearing their support for the use of HBOT in treating their TBI injured personnel.         

Links to all publications, videos, references and military patient’s HBOT testimonials referred to in this article can be viewed at our web site, www.flhbot.com.  I believe there may be a lot of response to this article. Some will be good, some may be critical.  The VA and military do offer a variety of other treatment modalities to our wounded TBI troops.  We believe the data and experience generated by the thousand of HBOT treatments used to successfully treat mTBI/PTSD warrants the acceptance by governmental agencies this method of treatment in our TBI/PTSD wounded men and women.

Respectfully, – Dr. Albert E. Zant MD (Eddie Zant MD)

Letter Re: Feedback on a Combat Medicine Course

Good Morning Jim,
I have to fill you in on this.  I spent the last three days in Ohio at Chuck Fenwick’s (of Medical Corps / KIO3) Combat medicine class and just posted this on my Facebook page.
 
“I’m the president of CampingSurvival.com. I spent the last three days at Chuck Fenwick and Dave Turner’s combat medicine class in Ohio and I highly recommend it. Check out the stuff we did, here. It was a great experience and I am so glad I got to meet some of the great people I did. We will also have some new medical/dental supplies on our site soon thanks to them. One real interesting part was sitting next to a 30-year veteran MD that confessed that she didn’t know most of what she learned at the class and hadn’t even sutured since medical school. Think about that!”
 
I met some great people from Chuck to Dave Turner, Tom Loomis (Dentist) Jean Paul, and others..  I highly recommend this class and hope to take his advanced class in July. 
 
So many things stick in my head and one is that I now feel competent at even taking care of my kids teeth such as a filling or extraction in a situation where the infrastructure has failed.
 
Thanks, – Tom

Letter Re: The Perpetual Light

JWR:
Thank you for all you do. I recently found SurvivalBlog, and have enjoyed it immensely!
 
I live close to Wiggy’s [in Grand Junction, Colorado]so when I read about their Amazing Perpetual Light on SurvivalBlog, I thought I would give it a try. This morning, I purchased three of their 4”x6” mini size. They only weigh 10.84 grams, 10.85 grams, and 12.15 grams each (for comparison, about the same weight as the combined weight of 3 or 4 pre-1982 copper pennies).

I let them charge in the sun (it is actually mostly cloudy, and hailing) for 30 minutes, and took them into a dark closet. After waiting for my eyes to adjust to the dark per the included instructions, the light from just one of them let me read 10 pt font just fine. The light from it is enough for me to see objects three feet away. It has been 1 hour since they were charged, and they are still glowing strong.
 
I will be buying more, and getting some of the bigger sizes. At first I was skeptical, but these really are amazing! (I am not affiliated with Wiggy’s, just a happy customer! I bought and like their 0 degree sleeping bag too.) – Brandon L.

Letter Re: A Different View of Alaska as a Retreat Locale

Mr. Rawles,
G.T. has some very good points regarding the feasibility of Alaska as a retreat locale.  Granted, the pros and cons of Alaska are almost as varied as such classic arguments as 9mm versus .45, and if I were there when TSHTF, I would probably beat feet for the American Redoubt as quickly as I could.  However, there are a couple areas of interest that his article did not touch on that may be relevant to the topic.

First is the feasibility of gardening.  It is true that for most of the state the summer is very short, as short as 2-to-3 months in some parts.  However, due to the high latitude of most of Alaska, those 2-to-3 months are a time when the sun never sets.  So, while the growing season may be very short, it’s also 24 hours a day, so the plants will grow faster.  I did an internship with last summer with a missionary aviation group based in Soldotna, Alaska, and I was amazed by the number of people who had open air gardens and greenhouses in a region I had thought was impossible to garden.  I was also amazed by the number and variety of critters that many people kept on hand.  I’m not sure of the specifics of how they keep them alive through the winter, but many of the same people I saw gardening also had chickens and rabbits.  There were even a few ranches with everything from horses to alpacas.  I don’t know how sustainable these ranches would be post-Schumer, but you could do a lot with only a few big animals.

As for hunting and subsistence, even in populated areas like Anchorage, game is pretty abundant.  It may or may not be able to sustain a population the size of Anchorage or Fairbanks, but in the Kenai/Soldotna area, they average almost a moose a day in traffic accidents.  I had a few close calls myself, and I was only there for two months.  Between commercial fishing of the Kenai River, and what residents put away for themselves, the number of salmon harvested was several million just on the Peninsula, and this is apparently sustainable, as the Alaskans fish the Kenai year after year.  Granted, that particular location is literally the best salmon fishing in the world, but there are other places in Alaska where one can still do well with rod, reel, or dip net.

Another thing I found out from a gent who ran an alternative energy/battery shop was how feasible it is to run a mostly solar power system in Alaska.  During the summer, there’s sun aplenty, but I had thought that the long, dark winters would put solar plans to rest.  As it turns out, the colder Alaska gets, the more efficient solar generation becomes.  I was informed that, if you keep your batteries warm and your panels and wiring cold, the resistance in the wiring drops off so much that you can actually generate more power in the short cold days of November than you can in the longer, but much warmer days of September.  Granted, you would definitely want some other form of backup power to get you through the darkest days, but that particular vendor said that he had personally helped over a hundred households go completely off grid, mostly by solar, in the last several years.  This was all on the Kenai Peninsula on the southern coast of Alaska.  G.T. was right about microclimates varying across a state.  Alaska is huge. ( Most map projections don’t give an accurate picture of it’s true size.)  These principles of gardening and solar power very well may not be valid in other parts of the state, especially up in the interior, but on the Peninsula, they seem to hold true.  Just some food for thought. – John in Spokane