Notes from JWR:

Jenny of The Last Frontier blog has reported the tragic death of her husband, in an accident. Please keep Jenny and her two young sons in your prayers. She mentioned that they are moving back to their homestead for the rest of the winter. I’ll post word if I hear about a memorial fund. (She hadn’t been posting to her blog much in the past couple of years because of the high cost of flying in propane for their genset. She and her husband built their Alaska homestead on a limited budget.)

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Today we present another entry for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 44 ends on January 31st, 2013, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Arctic Survival Footwear, by Richard M.

In a survival situation whether this is a crashed airplane, lost on hunt or a collapse scenario where normal items become scare, inexpensive or both knowing how to construct your own arctic survival footwear could be the difference between life and death, comfort or pure agony!

I was reading this old book called “THE ARCTIC SURVIVAL GUIDE” written by Alan Innes-Taylor for the Scandinavian Airline System in 1957, it has a lot of good info in it, and I believe most of it is the same info that is in some of the old US AIR FORCE Arctic Survival Manuals from the same period. Among the various survival techniques described in these books are some very primitive yet effective techniques. These include:

MOOSE HOCK SHOES
One way to get a nice pair of shoes is to use a method of footwear as old as the caveman.
For this you can use the hock skin of caribou, moose, elk or any large game animal.
Basically look at the animals foot, where the bend is that area above and below is what you are going to use, tailor it to your own foot. 
CUT A: Will be the area above the bend that will be body of the boot that goes up your leg, make sure it is long enough to make it med calf so it will be like a legging of sorts
CUT B: Will be BELOW the Bend and will be sewn up to keep your toes from hanging out!
• You will want to cut Areas A & B all the way around and deep.
• Separate from the Leg and pull it off over the hoof, you now basically have a L shaped piece of hide.
• In a less immediate survival situation you could clean and tan the hide, for long term use.  In a survival situation, try to scrap the loose bits of meat off as best you can, but this is about survival and getting home, so a little left on there is ok, just not optimal.
• At part B (the bottom end) sew that up with whatever you have (This is why a Paracord Belt would be great! the fibers from a piece of paracord would work perfect!)
• Then poke holes with the bottle opener/leather punch (if you have  a Leatherman handy) or just holes from a knife will work fine to create holes for laces.
• Then take the laces from the destroyed boots if possible or paracord(see another use, I’m not kidding about how useful that stuff is buy Spools!)
You know have a decent footwear.  Don’t discard this as “gross” or too “primitive living”, try walking on a nice day through the woods with just socks, now imagine that in Arctic, cold weather survival situation!
Since the Moose provides you with four hocks, you can make two pairs of these shoes, and be able to change them out whenever you need to, definitely take advantage of the material to make a second pair.

Note:  The Book “ARCTIC MANUAL” which was written by  Vilhjalmur Stefansson for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944,  is an excellent resource for many different arctic survival needs, recommends caribou for homestead/primitive living boots.

“The sole, shoepac type as always, is of August or September bull Caribou, and form the back skin.  October hides are sometimes used but as said, the skins get thinner as the season advances…August or early September bootsole is so durable that on snow exclusively, or on snow and grassland, one pair of soles will carry you a thousand miles at least.”
Pretty neat stuff right?

Your Moose hock shoes will work fine, but what they lack is insulation, this leads me to the next thing to consider…

GRASS LINING/INSOLES
Simple grass has been used by northern natives and hard living European hunters/trappers, etc for a long time to help augment the insulating factor of your socks, or to preserve your socks as well.
The biggest killer in an arctic environment is not the cold as much as it is inaction or getting wet.
When you walk around for awhile you start to perspire (sweat) For a quick walk in the woods, this is ok, but in a true survival situation you will want to slow your pace enough to keep you warm and conserve energy as well as to control your perspiration.  If you have good insulating boots and socks your feet will perspire, making your socks wet and when you stop that wetness will turn ice cold.

Grass insoles are good for three things
• Good dry grass will absorb the perspiration and your socks will be dryer
• The Grass will add another layer of insulation to keep your feet warm (as you get colder your body will make sure the core stays warm and your extremities such as your hands and feet will get much cooler)
• The grass can provide more cushion to your feet AND insulation if you are wearing improvised footwear like the moose hock shoes mentioned above.
How to make the insoles
• You will want to take ANY tall grass that grows throughout the north.  Grasp large handful in both hands (the guide mentions a “sheaf” of grass, basically enough so both your hands, on on top of each other, aren’t touching) twist it in opposite directions.  take that bundle and fluff it up into oblong shapes so it is “fluffed up” like a nest (this is so there is air insulation in between the grass).
• Make sure this oblong shape is “foot like” but wider than your actual foot and a inch thick, carefully put that into your shoe/boot.

GRASS LINING
If you have socks (hopefully a couple) use this to further your insulation.
• Put your first sock on
• Using the same method for the insoles put that in your second larger sock and roll it down so it is very short
• Carefully put your foot in, and try to have overlap over the edges onto the top of your foot with grass.
• Pack loose grass around the open space all the way up the sock, rolling it up as you go.
Now the picture in the book shows parachute fabric as the outer layer, this is a military manual and is for pilots that have to bail out of their aircraft, so they would have this available.  This same method would work perfectly with the moose hock shoe, depending on the size of the moose and the room you have inside.
At night or long periods of rest take these out and dry them.  Discard them if possible in place of new grass if you can find it.
If you cant find dry grass, make a wooden “grate” and attempt to dry the grass on that, you could take rocks and put them in the fire to warm them and then place them under the grate to dry the grass or just set them near enough to dry but don’t let them catch fire of course!
 
The Hudson Bay Duffle

Another form of insulation for boots or improvised footwear could be the “Hudson Bay Duffle”

The Hudson Bay Company had a trade with the Natives for insulated socks.  They would make triangular pieces of fabric from soft blankets and sell them for use inside of Moccasins.
All you need is some piece of cloth cut into a triangle, and you stick your foot in that with it pointing towards one point of the cloth.
Edge 1: Is the point in front of your foot
Edge 2: Is the point to the left of your foot
Edge 3: Is to the right of your foot.
• Edge 1 would go straight over the top of the foot
• Edge 2 and 3 would be wrapped OVER the instep
The “completed” Duffle would look rough but useable.
This would then be eased into the moccasin and firmly lashed. DONE

This has a few advantages over socks:
1. Depending on material it could be washed and dried quickly
2. Foot can be placed differently to help even out wear, and avoid holes that may form in the heel
3. It can be made from any soft material, from jackets, to multiple shirts, blankets, etc.
You can definitely use this if you have an extra blanket in your pack that you can cut a piece from, then use Grass as an insole and then put inside the Moose Hock shoe.
I would definitely try to get your hands on these books if possible, check out local libraries or see if libraries in other areas would loan them to yours so you can check them out. 

Letter Re: Coban Wrap a Must for Medical Kits

Dear James:
I’m a long time reader and love the SurvivalBlog site. I really wanted to point out one little thing that  I think is a very important item in any kit: Coban Wrap. (Sold under several brand names.)
 
I’m a former medic and now live in the northeast on the water. I have young kids and we do some of boating and spend a fair amount of time on the remote rocky beaches of the area. When we got here earlier in the year I put together a little first aid kit focused on multi-use items and scalability and try to keep it with me especially when we’re far from emergency services. I broke into the kit a lot this summer and the one thing that stood out was how glad I was to have Coban.
 
Coban’s a self adhering wrap and I’ve been impressed its versatility for a while. This last summer I used it many times.
Here’s what it came out of the kit for this summer (these are off duty situations):

  • Foot laceration. Happened in the ocean, nasty cut. Coban kept pressure on and sand out. It really helped with the long walk out.
  • Compression wrap on a metal door to forearm collision. Was told it helped a lot.
  • Ankle sprain.
  • As [the equivalent of] an Ace bandage on my own sprained knee while wade fishing. This got me through the half mile walk home over a very rocky shoreline.
  • Stabilization of a large fishhook in a young girl’s foot. Seemed to calm her down and let her parents get her to the Emergency Room.
     

That’s what I actually used it for in just one 2-month period as a civilian… In more dire trauma situations it’s an extra hand when there are multiple wounds and holds things together a lot faster than tape. Many problems big and small can be addressed with a roll of Coban and a trauma pad and I keep both of them even in my smallest kit.
 
Suffice to say that I think the versatility of Coban is worth noting especially since it is rarely supplied in stock first aid kit lists. I’d urge folks to consider adding it to their kits.
 
Best Wishes, – Frank L.

Letter Re: Making Our Bug Out Bags Work: Shaving Weight

Hi James:
I can attest to the veracity of the recent article Making Our Bug Out Bags Work: Shaving Weight. My journey to cut weight was spawned by a previous article from your blog.

This past May I went camping and hiked 22 miles in 3 days with my bug out bag. The weight was around 41 pounds which is considered light by most standards. I’m 31 years old and in pretty good shape, run 10-15 miles a week and exercise. But just that amount of weight was tougher than I expected, it exhausted me, and caused me to get blisters on both feet.  So for all those people with 50-70 pound bags I suggest they wake up to reality and actually test out their system.

Since then I’ve cut the weight of my pack down to 28.5 pounds total, with four days of food and one day of water, sleeping system, tent, pad, first aid, minimal gear, rain gear, clothes to sleep in, and a 2nd change of clothes.  My base pack weight (minus food, water, fuel) is 17 pounds. I can tell you that is a huge difference. I’ve also started walking with my pack each week to build up those back muscles that rarely get used. Yesterday alone I did 6.2 miles without a problem and the week before I walked a total of 13. 

I suggest everyone with a bug out bag go walk 5 miles with it as it currently is. Upon returning I bet everyone will be ready to cut weight! “Ounces Equal Pounds and Pounds Equal Pain”. – Regards From Joshua H.

Economics and Investing:

Over at Guerillamerica: The American Redoubt: New Byzantium

Some ominous news, from England: Tax hitmen to track your spending: Up to two million people are to have their credit files secretly checked under a crackdown on tax evasion to be unveiled by George Osborne to help raise another £10 billion. (Thanks to Greg C. for the link.)

James K. sent this from McNewspaper: Invest in gold bullion or gold-mining companies?

Yishai sent this news from the small island nation of Curacao: Police Baffled: $11.5M in Gold Bars Burgled in Bold Boat Heist

Items from The Economatrix:

Even Without U.S. Cliff, World Economy Teeters

Manufacturing Shrinks To Lowest Level Since July 2009

Fitch:  “Fiscal Cliff” Significant Risk To U.S. States

The Insourcing Boom

Odds ‘n Sods:

Great news for California residents! Some Berkey water filter products can once again be shipped to California.

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I heard from one of the Bulgarian consultants to the translators of my books that the Bulgarian edition of Patriots and the Bulgarian edition of How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It are now available online. For the latter book, there have been 12 foreign publishing contracts to produce editions in 11 languages. The German, French and Spanish editions are also already in print, and I expect the Russian, Portuguese, and Korean editions to be released soon. It is amazing to see the popularity of the preparedness movement, worldwide.

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James C. sent this: Bubblepack window insulation.

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I just heard that Duncan Long’s e-book, “You Can Survive the Very Worst Manmade and Natural Disasters: A Handbook for Self-Reliance” is available FREE on Amazon.com, but only through December 6, 2012.

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More ethnic cleansing in Sudan: Scorched Earth Near Al-Abassiya

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity."  – Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 44 ends on January 31st, 2013, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Making Our Bug Out Bags Work: Shaving Weight, by Big Bob

We could endlessly debate which threats are of immediate risk during a wilderness bug out. However, one of the most important is rarely discussed, avoiding injury. A quick sampling of Youtube videos or forum “bug out lists” quickly gives the impression that in the survivalist community, we carry too much weight. Many people plan to carry 60-70 pound packs for days at a time, while covering 15 miles per day. For some readers, this is feasible, but for most people, myself included, it is not. When talking about the dangers of bugging out, I often read about mudslides, wild animal attacks, bullet wounds, and a plethora of other comparatively unlikely events. Rarely does anyone talk about overexertion, and when they do, it is always in the context of physical fitness. Fitness is important; if you are not fit, it does not matter how many pounds of rice you have on your back. However, lowering your pack weight is one of the best ways to increase mobility, possible distance covered, and overall energy levels, all skills that should be high on our list. Every ounce does count; ask anyone who has gone on a long distance backwoods trip with 30lbs and then again with 35 pounds. The difference almost seems unbearable by day six. Every ounce you save is an asset towards your survival. Injury on a bug out makes you a liability for a group or a target for aggressors; it should be our number one priority to avoid it.

There is a large cultural difference between ultra-light backpackers and climbers on one hand and preparedness-minded individuals on the other. There is some overlap, but overwhelming, the climbers and ultra-light backpackers I have met have been gun-averse yuppies. However, these are communities that have a rigorous culture of shaving ounces and they have valuable things to teach us. Some things obviously do not translate (e.g. they do not have to carry guns and ammo); however, many things do. I have tried to provide some practical skills for shaving ounces off your pack. Yes, some of them are more expensive; however, simply saving the change in your pocket each day can make up the difference. Furthermore, a philosophy of weight vs. use can be the difference between life and death in the bush.

As a brief side note, stop buying military surplus. What? Blasphemy! We need to look at why we value military surplus items. The answer is, on face, simple. Military gear is made with two ideas in mind: price-point and durability. For many preparedness-minded individuals, the combination of rugged and cheap is too good to pass up; however, military surplus always comes at the expense of weight. If you have no plan to bug out or have a vehicle in your plan, weight is not as much of an issue. However, for backcountry bug outs using your own two legs or an animal (like sled dogs or a horse), we need to seriously weigh the price-point versus the weight. It is imperative, and literally a matter of life and death, that you are not buying military surplus merely to “look tactical.” Many of the tips explicitly compare military surplus items with alternatives in the civilian market. This is not because I have any qualms, per se, with surplus items; it is because we have to always compare value to weight and sometimes, surplus items just do not hold up. If it is all you can afford, by all means buy it, but understand the drawbacks. Surplus items are not the “end-all, be-all” of survivalism.

What a mess! How are you cooking?

Most of the pack lists I see legitimately have more pots and pans than I have in my kitchen. You do not need a frying pan, you do not need a one-gallon pot, and you most certainly do not need a Dutch oven. 95% of all foods that you carry on your back can be cooked in a 1-liter cylindrical pot, which also doubles as a cup. Your basic foods are freeze-dried food, which requires boiled water, and stews. Bacon and eggs should not be in your bug out plan, nor should peach cobbler. Lose the heavy mess kit with 18 various pots and pans and get one, single pot. You will be surprised that you never did so before. On that note, invest in a pot. Yes, invest. A 1-liter titanium pot is expensive, no one will tell you otherwise. However, I went through five “quality” mess kits before I plucked up the balls to drop the dough on one. It drops your whole mess kit to a fraction of a pound and it will last you a lifetime. I have met tons of people who will spend over $1,200 on a custom 1911, but would never spend $70 on a good pot. Their reason is that “it will last me forever.” Good point, I will almost certainly be able to pass my titanium pot onto my kids. Consider it a lifelong investment and save for a month or two if necessary. If it just is not an option, you still need to forgo the heavy mess kit and get one, solid pot that you can work with; of course, weight and durability are your main concerns. I am a big fan of stainless if you cannot drop the money on titanium, but I still think, after three years now, that it was the best $70 I have ever spent. On the utensil route, buy a cheap plastic set for under $3 that legitimately weighs nothing. I prefer hardened plastic to disposable options simply because they are more durable and cost virtually nothing; however, budget minded people may forgo the purchase altogether.

Foods: where you can make a real difference

One of the most important lessons I have learned is that your larder and your bug out plan need drastically different food choices. No food in your pack should have water in it; it doubles the weight because you are already packing water. Throw out the cans and find freeze-dried options. You do not need to spend $20 per meal on expensive pre-packaged food. Learn to freeze-dry your own food; it is actually easier than you think. If you do want to go the MRE route, strip them down. Excess packaging adds weight and many of the items will be doubled-up in your pack. Most of the items are unnecessary and while it may seem like nothing, every ounce counts. Lastly, expandable foods like rice and pasta weigh slightly more but pack tons of calories and cut water weight on a budget. All of this literally shaves pounds off your pack for essentially the same price.

Water: How do you carry it?

Most of the conversations on water deal with how it is procured. However, an equally valuable conversations needs to happen around how we carry it. This is where surplus can be handy; you need one or two 1-quart plastic canteens. Surplus canteens are great for this; they are cheap, durable, and relatively lightweight. However, you need more water than 2 quarts. Collapsible plastic water reservoirs are a great way to save weight and space as you move through water. Unless your pack has a purpose-driven holder for a Camelbak type system, I would forgo it to avoid the extra weight of effectively carrying it. Canteens are tried, tested and relatively lightweight. Use cordage to hang the canteens over your shoulder to get the weight off of your hips. All of this seems like a worthless endeavor for a few ounces; however, empty canteens are wasted weight and have fewer uses than an empty, clear water bladder.

Sleeping systems, not sleeping bags

Where do you live? Before you pack your sleeping system (and I use the word system intentionally), you need to analyze the weather. Prepare for the worst; however, if it rarely freezes where you live, you do not need a sub-zero bag. Over packing for the climate is a surefire way to add on unnecessary weight. Sleeping bags are a big investment but the technology has come a long way in recent years. I finally decided to trade in my 8-year-old mummy bag for a newer model and was shocked by the weight, and price, advances that have been made in recent years. I bought a new bag for half the cost; it weighed ¼ what my old bag did and compressed into about a fifth of the size. That is serious value for the dollar and online shopping can be your friend on this front. Lastly, consider your entire sleeping system. A tent and pad might add weight over a tarp but cut weight off of your sleeping bag. Research how your entire system works together. A heavier pad may wash out the weight instead of going 15 degrees colder on your bag and give you added comfort. If you live in alpine or plains environments, a tent that cuts the wind can literally shave pounds off of your sleeping bag. Do not just say, “lighter is better,” but understand how the system works together.

Guns: where everyone has an opinion

This is where I tread into dangerous ground. Everyone has an opinion and thinks their gun is best for the job. I will merely try to offer some guidelines; however, when thinking about carrying a gun, there are two main factors only occasionally discussed: total gun weight and total ammo weight. I have hiked around with a steel-framed, full-sized sidearm and will never do it again. You may love that 1911, but know your abilities. If by day six you wish you had brought something else, that is bad news. Some people have no problems with hiking around with a 70 lb pack and another couple hanging on their hip; I am not that person. I get fed up with it and you should know if you would as well. For rifles, switch out wood stocks for synthetic to cut pounds. I’m confident with my .270 Winchester but if you want to go with a semi-auto, explore your options. Consider a carbine and lose the fancy accessories like laser dots. These seem like nothing but after a week they seem like a lot more. Secondly, consider ammo weight. A .416 Rigby packs a punch but the thought of lugging around ammo for it makes me shudder as I type this. You may love your .45 but consider how much ammo you could carry for the same weight with a 9mm. The obvious caveat is to pack what you shoot well; backcountry hiking with a gun is always a compromise. I have a friend who cannot shoot anything other than his 1911 any better than my grandmother can shoot a .416 Rigby (do not ask me why; he can shoot someone’s finger off with the 1911 while drunk and blindfolded). That would warrant the extra weight; however, understanding what you shoot well is coupled with understanding the weight drawbacks of a certain caliber. “Stopping power” should not be your only consideration.

Caching: make your time easier

Let us hypothetically say my bug out plan included a 100-mile cross-country ski trek through unplowed snow. Carrying 7-10 days worth of food is a lot of weight but you need the food nonetheless. Creating multiple cache points full of some food, water, ammo, and emergency medical supplies can cut weight and strategically increase your options. Have multiple bug out plans with multiple cache points along each, giving you versatility. This cuts weight off your pack for the immediate time and gives you adaptability. These do not need to be $1000 worth of food, water, and ammo, simply a resupply along the way.

Make friends, even different ones

Climbers and ultra-light backpackers often will not share your desire to plan for a WROL scenario. However, they love the outdoors and shared trips can help you build valuable skills. I learned my technical rescue skills from anti-gun climbing and SAR friends, not from my survivalist friends. You will be surprised what kinds of people the outdoors can bring together, even with different political views. They also value saving ounces and have some amazing tips to add. Lastly, many of them are budget minded and gear focused. That means that they love new gear but often have to sell old gear to pay for it. Being first in line for top-notch used gear pays off in the long run.

The first thing you will learn when you get into the ultra-light backpacking game is how fast saving an ounce or two here and there saves pounds. You will never be able to hike with a 50 pound pack again knowing what you know. I have focused on the “biggies” where I see mistakes made in the preparedness-minded community. There are thousands of other ways to save weight, from stoves, to clothing, to pack style. However, I feel this has been a good introduction.

Letter Re: Welding, Post-TEOTWAWKI

JWR:
My favorite planned substitute for welding in TEOTWAWKI is brazing. It can be done with a carbon arc torch, an oxyacetylene torch or on a old fashioned forge. The latter is particularly attractive to me as it requires no gas or electricity to accomplish. I have a charcoal fired forge and find that by sandwiching two pieces of metal together around some flattened brass rod and flux then using tie wire to hold all in position. I can place the pieces in my fire and increase the air (turn the crank) until the brass melts and flows to the two pieces of metal. I stop the air (reducing the heat), let the brass solidify then remove the bonded pieces, cool, then cut and grind the tie wire off. It’s a lot easier then forge welding but not as quick and easy as using modern equipment. – Axman

Economics and Investing:

M.E.W. mentioned this New York Sun editorial: After The Dollar.

15 countries with no personal income tax. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)

David W. spotted this: Post-US world born in Phnom Penh. (15 Asian nations forman economic partnership that excludes the USA)

Items from The Economatrix:

Our Collapsing Economy And Currency

Next Up For A “Recovering” Europe:  A 30% to 50% Collapse In Wages In Spain, Italy And France

The Past 30 Days Have Seen The Largest Physical Gold Sales On Record

S&P 500 Will Drop 1.8% to 1,390 in 2013, Wells Fargo Says

Odds ‘n Sods:

Dogs That Are Not Trendy

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New York’s supernanny mayor Bloomberg spends millions to create a nationwide influence. (Thanks to Sean B. for the link.)

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So much for due process: Actually, the Newest Version of NDAA Makes it Easier to Detain Citizens Indefinitely

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A handy chart shows which foods to grow or store for vitamin nutrition value. (Thanks to H.A. for the link.)

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Oakland Crime Rate Soaring As City Loses Officers

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who think there are two kinds of people in the world and those who don’t.” –  Robert Benchley’s Law of Distinction

Notes from JWR:

The U.S. Mint’s report to the U.S. Congress with solidly-researched and tested recommendations for new coin compositions is due to be released in just 10 days–on December 14, 2012. Once Congress acts and debases the nickel (most likely switching to almost worthless stainless steel coin planchets), the window of opportunity will close. This may be our last chance to stock up on real nickels in quantity without any sorting. If you haven’t yet assembled your stack of nickel boxes, then do so NOW!

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December 4th is the birthday of Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, an AVG (“Flying Tiger”) pilot for the Chinese Nationalist government, WWII Marine Corps aviator, and Medal of Honor recipient. (He was born in 1912 and died January 11, 1988.) A proto-Redoubter, Pappy Boyington was born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and raised in Spokane, Washington. In 2007, the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho airport was re-named Pappy Boyington Field, in his memory.

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Today we present another entry for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 44 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

In-Extremis Travel; Red Light, Green Light, Yellow Light, by Will Prep

There has been a lot of debate over whether or not to remain in place or to leave your home and retreat to another location within the prepper community. Both have their advantages and disadvantages but that is not the scope of this article. I simply want to address the moment that all of us may come to, both the bug-in crowd, when they realize their initial plan is untenable, or the bug-out crowd, when they have made their decision to move to “higher ground.”
We all remember the game “Red Light, Green Light”, we played as kids and tried to outsmart the signal caller and get to our “destination” without the caller catching us. If we take this same approach and label the “signal caller” the economy/collapse, I feel we can apply the same basic principles to our decision making process in regard to leaving our current location for our safe haven, retreat, bug out location, etc.

Several years ago I was driving home with my family from a wedding we had attended in Chicago. On the morning of our departure, there had been a fairly strong storm the night before that dumped a lot of water on the I-80/I-90 corridor. The weather was clear in the morning and when we left at 0800 in the morning for our return trip to PA, we had no idea what we were in for as the Interstate had become impassable on the east bound lanes. I am not one prone to panic but there was a growing uneasiness in the pit of my stomach as I realized we were in for a very long delay. As it turned out, the highway was closed for a majority of the day as the water had flooded certain sections out. Whether by dumb luck or by the grace of God (I choose the latter), I decided we needed to turn around and get off the highway pronto. I was in the far right lane and saw a cut in the retaining wall several hundred yards up and needed to get over quickly but this was problematic since it was a 4-lane highway which had become a parking lot. The long and short of it was I was able to inch over, very slowly, and get to the turn around and head west bound to re-assess our plan and get off the highway. This episode is one that will likely repeat itself throughout the country in the event of a catastrophe, man-made or natural disaster, and solidified my belief that I don’t want to be anywhere near a scenario like this if it does occur.  We got off the highway, made our way south to Route 30, but that was blocked as well due to the influx of the I-80 traffic doing the same thing we were doing. We finally made it all the way to the Indianapolis bypass before we could head east towards Pennsylvania. We arrived 14 hours later at midnight at our home, completely exhausted, when a normal trip should have taken us 8 hours. With three small children in the car who were thankfully sound asleep, my mind was made up that I would never again consciously put my family in a position like that and have since then thought long and hard about what I need to do to protect my family when we travel long distances; both before a SHTF event and even more so after that. The event shook me to my very core, not because we were close to any dangerous situations, but because it illuminated how quickly a situation can change from a normal family trip into one of potential disaster.

What I did wrong on that return trip was fail to plan. I had no extra food or water in the car, I did not have a full tank of gas when I left Chicago (I was just going to fill up on the highway when I left) and I had no means to protect my family if the situation required it since I didn’t even have a handgun with me. I was traveling to Chicago which has the most restrictive gun laws in the country. With that said, I do not see myself traveling to the Windy City ever again with my family until the gun laws are changed in favor of concealed reciprocity.  Although nothing happened during the trip, it made me realize how fragile the thin veneer of normalcy is in this country and how quickly it can turn into a volatile situation; putting you and your family at risk.
A lot of preppers have an exfiltration plan from their current situation to a safe haven if the SHTF and we are no different but we all need to drill down on our plans and ensure they are workable in a less-than-desirable socioeconomic catastrophe. Our plan is to bug-in but we have an alternate plan to bug-out to western South Dakota where we have extended family and a large self-sufficient ranch. The only problem is getting there in one piece. How do we do this? I have asked myself this very question and have come up with some ideas and wanted to share them with your readers and also look for feedback as I know that no plan survives the first volley of shots fired.

When will I go? This is what gave me the idea for the title of this article. Presently I can see three types of scenarios that involve traveling. The first level of travel is our current social situation, which I will call a “green light” scenario. There is little to no impediment to travel across the US with the exception of high fuel costs but essentially, if you want to, you can load up and drive from coast to coast. This will not last forever. Whether by man-made or artificial catastrophes, a pre-planned False Flag or Black Swan event, at some point in the future, our ability to travel freely within this country may very well be curtailed. This is the gray area of the decision making process. Obviously we would like to be able to pick up and go at our leisure but that is simply not realistic unless you are able to see into the future so I will concentrate on the “yellow light” scenario which is that some event has triggered a less than optimal travel scenario within the US and you will not have complete access to fuel, food, water and the expectation of security so you need to plan for that contingency. The “red light” scenario is one in which travel is essentially prohibited either by law, force or instability and there would be no expectation of being able to make it from point A to point B so I will concentrate on the yellow light scenario and the assumption that you are ready, willing and able to make this monumental move before it is too late.

Where will I go if I have to leave in rapid fashion? This is based on the premise that you have decided to leave your present location and move to a safer haven. If an apocalyptic event transpires, the looting and mayhem that happened during Hurricane Katrina and the Los Angeles riots will look like child’s play. Have an exfil plan from wherever you live, to a place of safety and make the decision to leave early and DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. Remember, this is a move to a place where you are going to settle for a long period of time. Family and friends who live in the country, away from large cities,  and who have land are your best bet but you must make arrangements with them well beforehand. Do not show up on their doorstep without talking to them about your plans long before you leave, and make sure they have agreed to this arrangement as well. Also, do not show up empty-handed if at all possible.  This may not be possible but as a prepper, you are doing your family a disservice if you are not ready to make a large scale move with your provisions from your present location to you safe haven. Think about how you will embark all your gear and move to your new location and have your family do at least a dry-run through.  The time to find out that you need an essential piece of equipment is not when you are doing this in prime time. The pre-planning for this move is probably the most crucial aspect of your entire relocation. Going back to my Chicago incident, had we simply looked at the local news or weather channel, we would have saved ourselves several hours even if the trip would have taken longer. We never would have gone near the interstate had we simply planned ahead. Bottom line, have a plan on where you are going to go, what are you going to bring, how are you going to transport it and when are you going to make the decision to leave?                 

What will I do for reliable transportation? This exodus will most likely be accomplished in caravans like the wagon trains out in the old west except this time it will be SUVs and trailers. You will need to plan for food/fuel & water from your location to where you want to go and you need to be able to do it without the aid of gas stations/rest stops or any other modern day convenience (remember, this is yellow light time).  Although there may be gas available while you travel due to multiple circumstances and the type of SHTF event that you are preceding or escaping from, you should absolutely plan for a self-contained move with no outside assistance. If the assistance is there, fine, but don’t make it a lynchpin of your plan or it will fail. For my own family, I will travel west to South Dakota where we have extended family. It’s about 1,500 miles from our home so I have to answer the question; how do I refuel along the way? You do not want to carry fuel in your car and to travel that kind of distance would require more fuel than there is room in the vehicle. In addition it is highly dangerous to do this, even in the trunk. I would recommend getting a small trailer capable of towing 1,500 to 2,000 lbs and make sure your hitch has the same capacity. Inside or on your trailer, you will need a fuel storage/delivery system that allows you to refuel quickly. 55 gallon drums are relatively cheap so I would probably need two of them to make the trip. Calculate your mileage, divide by the worst gas mileage your vehicle gets and that gives you the number of gallons you need. For me its 1,500 miles divided by 15 mpg = 100 gallons. (2) 55 gallon drums will give you 110 gallons so it should do it. For me, I would add 20-30% for detours and carry 150 gallons minimum to get me where I was going. If you want to go the path of least resistance and buy the red Jerry cans, that’s 30 containers to make 150 gallons. Although simple, it is not optimal in my opinion. I have been practicing refueling with them on a regular basis and they do have some drawbacks. First, they leak, plain and simple. No matter what you do, they will leak a little and sometimes a lot if you get the nozzle twisted around while refueling. Secondly, there is the storage requirement of 30 red 5-gallon fuel cans and most garages don’t have the room for that many and everything else we have stored in there. Can it be done, sure, but I think there are better ways, especially if you have the time to plan. Regardless of what container(s) you will use, I recommend that you buy a simple pump attachment for your fuel container and run a hose from the fuel to your gas tank. This avoids a lot of spillage with the “lift and hold in place for several minutes until the fuel can is empty” routine. I have a local Tractor Supply store which carries simple hand-cranked pumps and electrical ones as well. Using the Rawlesian computation of 2 is 1 and 1 is none, having multiple ways to pump fuel is probably a good plan to have!

I will travel with my 5 x 8 enclosed trailer with a towing capacity of 3k lbs. so I can bring more gear with me. (3) 55 gallon drums will weigh approximately 1300 lbs. so I’d have an extra 1700lbs to play with for supplies. As an alternative, you may have a vehicle in your convoy that does not have a trailer but is still part of the overall plan. I have a 2’ x 6’ platform trailer that hooks into my trailer hitch. The sides of this platform are 5” tall and can carry (12) 5-gallon Jerry Cans totaling 60 gallons. With a full 15 gallon internal capacity, I can travel 1125 miles on just what I carry on the platform combined with internal fuel and would only need 20-30 more gallons to make it to our destination. The additional fuel you carried in your trailer could easily make up this shortcoming.  In the military, we called this war-gaming; thinking of every possible thing that could happen and coming up with a plan to deal with it. Have everyone take turns acting as the “doubting Thomas” and have them try to shoot holes in your plan. If it is apparent that your plans need adjusting, make it so.

Do not travel anywhere near big cities (remember my Chicago episode!). Only use the stretches of highways and Interstates where they do not go near cities like New York, Chicago, etc. My route out west, by the shortest route, takes me right near Chicago but I will bypass to the south and add upwards of 200-300 extra miles just to stay safe. I expect the cities to be congested and potentially dangerous. In addition, always have an alternate plan that gives you the ability to change routes along the way with little backtracking required. This may require some detailed planning and I would even recommend that a few persons in the group travel the route and do a route reconnaissance beforehand. Let’s say you are traveling through Iowa on your way to Wyoming and the American Redoubt and realize that your original route is blocked or less than safe. Turning around and executing a “shift on the fly” route change should not be the first time you execute this. Practice it beforehand so you get the feel for how much time and effort it will take to get a 3 to 4 vehicle convoy going in another direction. Have each vehicle ‘commander’ take turns in executing a route change so everyone is comfortable in that position if the need arises for them to take over the navigation responsibilities.

What will I do for security? Bottom line, more crowds = more potential danger. Do not travel as a single family if at all possible. In the novel The Raggedy Edge by Michael Turnlund, there is an episode when the husband and his wife are trying to move through a roadblock and he has to make the decision to have his wife drive while he shoots from the passenger window. Don’t let this happen to you and plan for this contingency and how you are going to deal with it. If you have a convoy, you can set up a hasty blocking position and have a designated element envelop the trouble spot from the sides while the rest of the convoy sets up a base of fire.  Some of you may be reading this and saying to yourself, “I can’t handle this type of situation” and while that may well be true, you need to have individuals within your convoy who are capable of dealing with this situation or your bug-out to your safe haven may be cut very short.

If a catastrophic meltdown does happen, there will probably be rogue elements that would prey on families and take their food, fuel and gear. Think: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. I would travel in as large an SUV as I could and have a minimum of 2-3 other vehicles that were going to the same place or area. Remember there is safety in numbers. If you already know who you might want to travel with you, start getting together on a regular basis to discuss your evacuation plan, much like someone in a flood zone, hurricane alley, etc. Sit down with them and discuss everything that could go wrong and have a plan to deal with it. The more prepared your group is, the easier it will be to make the decision to evacuate. Discuss emergencies, vehicle breakdowns, health issues, food, water, weapons, ammunition, and fuel. A previous article on Survival Blog discussed convoy security and this should be part of everyone’s plan. Don’t just talk about it, exercise you plan on smaller trips to uncover any potential problems you may have missed during the planning stages. Discuss how you will deal with a catastrophic vehicle breakdown where you might have to leave one behind. Also, now is not the time to discuss the issue of firearms and the right to bear arms. Deal with it, everyone will be packing heat and everyone will know it too. That’s not a bad thing. My guess is that a lot of folks will be scared but at the same time, we are a nation of mostly law abiding citizens, so take comfort in the fact that a lot of people are in the same boat. Always be cautious but do not be afraid to help someone who obviously needs it. This will be the cornerstone of the communities that will rise up from the ashes of this national emergency. 
Since everyone will need more human power to work their land and provide security, most reasonable and logical persons will understand the efficacy of allowing you to join them at their safe haven. This is where you trade your labor for a safe haven, a place to live, and the fruits that the land bears but negotiating on their doorstep when you show up un-announced is not the appropriate time to do this. Make sure they know you are coming so they can prepare as much as you should have!

What will I do for communications? Make sure that you have a communication plan and the ability to talk to those within your caravan. And do not rely on a single point of failure system either. Have a back-up and a back-up to the back-up. Cell phones will not necessarily be reliable if the power grid goes down but the portable walkie-talkie type radios will be invaluable. Some forward thinking folks may have SatPhones which, unless the Chinese shoot down our satellites, should work during this period. This is not to say that they will always operate. Whatever form of government remains may not have the ability to maintain a system of satellites that we currently have but it’s worth it if you have the money to purchase them now. The government may also be less than accepting of the type of communication that is going on via the grid and try to shut it down as well. If you live in a place where you absolutely know you will not stay in the event of a societal meltdown, send a SatPhone to the place where you will go and have your family and friends on both ends practice with and test the system to make sure it will work for you.  I will use the MURS hand held radios and have a full set of cheap walkie-talkies as a back-up (in addition to cell phones). That’s three modes of digital communications in addition to hand and arms signals. I would also recommend that you buy good quality headsets that have either a push-to-talk (PTT) capability or voice actuated (VOX) for hands free comm. I flew helicopters in the military and the VOX capability is a force multiplier in the cockpit since it is a multi-tasking nightmare at times.

What will you do if your transportation breaks down? Make sure you have a complete extra wheel/tire combo, not just the tire. If you get a flat, you will not have access to a garage to change your tire. I would have two extra wheels/tires as well as enough Fix-a-flat to re-inflate several tires. Remember to be completely self-sustainable and walk-through all the potential hazards of a long trip that you would normally take but add to this the fact that you cannot count on any water, food, or logistical support outside of what you can carry in/on or behind your vehicles. Several companies make roof racks that are specifically designed for carrying maintenance, camping, and survival gear and can easily be adapted to carrying tires and wheels as well. You may look like the Beverly Hillbillies but you are much less likely to be stranded on the road with an immobile vehicle. In addition, let’s make sure to practice changing a tire on the side of the road prior to having to do it in an in-extremis situation for the first time.

What should I do about carrying weapons? Some of you may be worried about carrying weapons in your car. If this scenario goes down, this will be out the window as law enforcement officials are just like you, they have families and concerns of their own and will not be worried about what is inside your vehicle if it is obvious you are relocating your family to a safer place. If it makes you feel better, apply for a concealed-carry permit.  The scenario that may be of a gray area will be if you have decided to bug-out well in advance of the collapse and it will be relatively easy travel to your safe haven. In this event, I would not advertise the fact that you are carrying an arsenal in your vehicles but make sure you have the ability to defend yourself and your family should the need arises. This will be a call on your part depending on when you leave.

With the exception of Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and a few other states, a state concealed carry permit is recognized in many other states. In addition, the US House has passed its version of the nation-wide concealed carry reciprocity bill, H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011. If the Senate passes it we will get a clear indication from the current occupant of the White House whether or not he supports the rights of gun owners across this country. I have a Pennsylvania concealed carry permit and an out of state non-resident permit, and I could drive all of the way to South Dakota and still be in accordance with state laws, with the exception of Illinois, with a loaded weapon in my car. Remember, your family’s safety is your primary concern. Do not let anything deter you.

At this point in time we are in a “Green Light” scenario in regard to CONUS travel but it will most likely not last indefinitely.  Start planning your exodus now and do not leave any details unattended or they will come back to bite you in the rumpus! Have a place already picked out, stage as much gear and supplies there as is humanly possible and work towards completing a self-contained move that includes all aspects of the move; vehicles, fuel, food, water, supplies, security, and communications. While this is not an exhaustive list by any stretch, it should give you a starting point. Blessings to all and Semper Prep.