Odds ‘n Sods:

I was recently given a braided paracord belt, hand made by Ridgerunner Belts. I was impressed by the quality of the construction and its sturdiness. In my estimation it has a bit too much stretch to be useful for a pistol belt, but otherwise it is a very practical belt. (Pistol belts should be thick and stout, so that they don’t “give” vertically, when you draw your pistol.) I’ve found that one advantage of paracord belts is that you can insert the belt buckle toggle anywhere along their length, at about 1/4 inch intervals. This means that in addition to getting a “just right” fit as a waist belt, the same belt can be used for various utility “tie down” purposes like securing items to a vehicle roof rack. Yes, this opens up a lot of possibilities.

This belt is just one example of the creativity that is going into modern paracord braiding. There are a lot of new patterns being developed, with varying degrees of difficulty for unraveling, if the paracord or its internal strands are needed in extremis. (See the many recent YouTube instructional videos.) I predict that the popularity of paracord braiding will soon exceed that of macramé, in the 1970s. And I’d like to suggest that the new paracord art form ought to be called Paracord Tacramé: tactical macrame. This is a fun, mildly addictive, and relatively inexpensive hobby that creates truly practical gifts. BTW, one of our advertisers, Camping Survival, sells paracord in umpteen colors.

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Reader Stephen C. sent this piece from Oz that subtly gives survivalism a bad name: ‘Bad bush tucker man’ Malcolm Naden captured after seven years

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This headline ran in The Independent: Hippies head for Noah’s Ark: Queue here for rescue aboard alien spaceship. Thousands of New Agers descend on mountain they see as haven from December’s apocalypse. JWR’s snarky comment: I don’t mean to rain snow on their parade, but if the Mayan Calendar Crowd’s goal is to be safely above 1,230 meters of elevation, because they envisioned giant tsunamis in their dreams or while watching some Hollyweird movie, then why don’t they just check in to the La Quinta Inn, in Silverthorne, Colorado? The elevation there is 2,660 meters. There, they’d be safe from even giga-tsunamis–more than twice as high as their peak in the Pyrenees. That seems a lot more hospitable than camping out on a barren mountaintop in France, in December. In Silverthorne, or better yet in Leadville (3,094 meters), they could call for room service to deliver extra blankets and mugs of cocoa, instead of calling for paramedics and rescue helicopters.

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G.G. suggested this slide show at the Popular Mechanics site: The Ultimate Survival Preparedness Kit for Your Car

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I heard that ATI now makes their Strikeforce series adjustable stocks for Saiga and SKS rifles. (See Mike Williamson’s recent review of the Strikeforce stock for the AK.)

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.

Prepping on $10 a Week, by S.W. Michigan Fred

Have you seen the latest reality television show, “Doomsday Preppers”, from National Geographic?  I made a mistake a few years ago – after 20 years of successfully resisting the cries and moans of my children, I gave in and allowed cable television to be installed in my house. Should have known better, but as they say, that’s a whole ‘nother subject.  Now, every week, National Geographic brings us “Doomsday Preppers,” Animal Planet serves up “Meet The Preppers,” Discovery beams in another episode of “Doomsday Bunkers” and the new pay-to-view internet network GBTV fires off a round of “American Preppers.”  Can some kind of copycat show from TLC be far behind? I guess maybe the good thing about these shows is that I no longer am tempted to confide in my friends about my efforts to be prepared for fear they might profile me into the same category as the folks they’re watching on television.  Better to keep it under the radar anyway.

I don’t really watch the shows but I’ve seen little bits and pieces of them as I walk through the room when they’re on and seeing the barns and bunkers filled with years’ supplies of food and water can give a guy a real sense of inferiority.  Am I doing enough?  How can I ever be as prepared as the stars of those shows?  Is my family at risk because I’m not taking this all seriously enough?  My total larder isn’t up to the level of what those guys spend in a single episode!  My steel trash cans filled with vacuum packed bags of rice, beans and oatmeal seem like just a thimble-full compared to the warehouses of canned goods kept by the celebrity preppers.  Since I’m not being paid thousands of dollars an episode to parade my efforts in front of a voyeuristic audience, I just don’t have the disposable income to lay up that kind of stash overnight.  Am I going to be a failure at this?  Not a chance.

In spite of the fact that we’re experiencing 8% real inflation and even though I live in a state where the economy is in a deep ditch and I subsequently haven’t had a raise or a bonus in four years, I’ve still been able to squeeze $10 a week out of my budget to engage in the process of laying up the things I might need WTSHTF.  I would dare say most people waste more than $10 a week on things like soda, fast food and movie rentals.  Think about your own expenditures for a moment.  How much could you save just by brown-bagging your lunch?  Plenty – like $5 or more per day!  Or kiss Starbucks goodbye and take your own coffee from home – treat yourself to a really nice travel mug and some quality beans and you’ll still save.  My wife and I do the cash-in-envelopes budget thing so on pay day I go to the bank and take with me our cash for the week.  In that cash is my $10 for prepping.  Lately I’ve been swinging by the nearby discount grocery store and grabbing ten bucks worth of rice, beans, peanut butter or cooking oil, and when I get home after work, into the larder they go.  Or some weeks I’ll stop at a big box department store and grab a couple 2-packs of propane cylinders or a gallon of Coleman fuel.  If I skip a week because the beans and rice are piling up on the kitchen counter waiting for me to vacuum pack them with the FoodSaver, I’ll grab a box of ammo or a couple replacement chimneys and spare wicks for my oil lamps.  While the 15-minutes-of-fame guys on TV might be spending $1,000 a month on supplies, I can’t do that.  But $10 a week is $500 a year and that’s a measurable step in the right direction that almost anyone can afford.  It would be nice to do this all overnight but you’ll be surprised at how your stockpile grows if you just are consistent and disciplined about working your smaller scale plan.

Sometimes, we’ll save up our $10 weekly allowance and splurge for something special or bigger.  We live about an hour from a large settlement of Amish folks and they have a great mercantile in their community filled with items designed for simple living.  My wife and I took a Saturday awhile back and drove there for the day.  We came home with an awesome stoneware crock for making sauerkraut and a pile of re-usable canning lids.  I was drooling over the hand powered grain grinders but we’ll have to save a little longer before I can come home with one of those!  They also sell basic foods in bulk in that community.  We came home with a 25 lb. sack of oatmeal for $11.25 and a big brick of Strike Anywhere matches.  If you’re fortunate enough to live near a store like this you can find almost anything you need for off-the-grid living at very reasonable prices.  If you don’t, just click on one of this blog’s banner ads and send a little business to one of them.
     I’ve also learned that the local big box membership warehouse isn’t necessarily the best place to find things on the cheap.  I assumed that if I bought a big bag or rice there that would be the cheapest way to go.  Wrong.  My wife the Coupon Queen showed me that it’s actually cheaper to buy in three-pound bags at the discount grocery – 30 lbs. for $16.90 versus about $25 at the “club”  store. Shop around and save.

     You might be asking, “Okay, but from a practical standpoint, what can I really lay up for $10 a week?”  Well, here’s what I’ve been doing:

Item
Unit Cost
+/- $10 Purchases
Rice     3 lb. bag @ $1.69  6 bags = $10.14
Dried Beans 1-1/2 lb. bag @ $1.99 5 bags = $9.95
Vegetable Oil  48 oz. bottle @ $2.49 4 bottles = $9.96
Olive Oil    17 oz. bottle @ $3.49   3 bottles = $10.47
Flour 5 lb. bag @ $1.65  6 bags = $9.90
Sugar 4 lb. bag @ $2.39 4 bags = $9.56
Peanut Butter    18 oz. jar @ $2.29 4 jars = $9.16
Wood Matches 3 ea. 250 ct boxes @$2.89  9 boxes = $9.18
Coleman Fuel  1 gal. can @ $9.68 1 gal. = $9.68
1 lb. Propane Tanks    2 pk. @ $5.37 4 tanks = $10.74
Ivory Bar Soap  10 pk. @ $4.27 20 bars = $8.54
Winking Owl Cabernet $2.69/bottle (really!)  3 bottles = $8.07
Coleman lantern mantles 2 pk. @ $2.37 8 mantles = $9.48
Oil lamp wicks 5 pk. @ $2.07 25 wicks = $10.35
Chlorine bleach 96 oz. bottle @ $1.19 8 bottles = $9.52
Toothpaste  $1.79/tube   6 tubes = $10.74

The key is to be consistent and disciplined and make that $10 purchase every week.  A few months into it you will be amazed at what you’re accomplishing.  A year down the road, you’ll be experiencing a lot less dread about facing an uncertain future.  Two years . . . well, you get the picture.  Obviously there is much more to be done before I can call myself “prepared” for a grid down situation or the collapse of civilization as we know it, but I’m not convinced that we never really “arrive” anyway.  I’m finding it’s more of a journey.  I’ll do it this way while the lights are still on and look for new ways if and when they go out. 

Not to digress too far from my main topic of $10 prepping, but we’re also doing additional things on the home front that will help us be further prepared.  We left the city six years ago for four acres of paradise in the country.  Even though I hadn’t yet begun prepping at that time, I thought now that I was a country gentleman I should do something country-gentlemanish so I put up a little chicken pen and bought some chicks at the local tractor store’s “Chick Days.”  We’ve been raising birds and selling pastured eggs at our roadside stand ever since – a child could do this and succeed at it.  And since my favorite food group is bacon, a couple years later my oldest son and I trenched in some “hog panels” and built a shelter out of an old pickup truck camper shell and put in a few feeder pigs.  I now raise premium Berkshire pork for our freezer and for a few friends and family.  Food, water, shade and six months – that’s about all it takes to raise a hog.  Now we’re constructing a cow pen and I’ll be picking up a recently-weaned Angus steer next month.  It’s comforting to know that I can actually raise livestock and the meat is just so much better than the factory farm stuff you get at the store.  By the way, the livestock operation doesn’t fit into the $10-a-week scheme but rather comes out of our grocery budget.  I’ve also started gardening at almost zero expense.  Last year I grew 64 tomato plants and my wife canned over 160 quarts of various tomatoes, juice and sauces.  We also canned copious amounts of sweet corn and green beans.  There’s a real learning curve to gardening, though, so start now. You’ve heard it before – if you wait until the grid goes down you’ll starve to death before you master growing your own food.  Start with a few tomato plants, some beans, a few zucchini and a potato barrel.  Just take it one step at a time and eventually you’ll get somewhere.  Once again, it’s about being consistent and disciplined.

Like the Good Book says, “A Prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”  (Proverbs 22:3) Prudent or “simple” – what’s it going to be for you?  While $10-a-week prepping won’t get you on TV, if it’s all you can afford (like it is for me) I believe it will earn you the title of Prudent.  While you won’t be a celebrity like the television preppers, you will be at least somewhat supplied in the event of TEOTWAWKI.  And if that day doesn’t come for awhile yet and you’re consistent and disciplined between now and then you’ll be a lot more than just somewhat prepped.  You’ll be ready to face an uncertain future with one less thing to worry about.

Prophetic Words and the Ultimate Prepper Must Have, by Charles D.

I have always been minded to prepare.  From an early age, I was a boy scout, trained to “always be prepared”.  When my wife and I were newly married and living in a large metropolitan area, I felt impressed to purchase a 72 hour emergency kit of MREs, emergency radio, first aid, and radiation poisoning pills.   In the event of a large catastrophe, a city is about the worst place to be, so I wanted to be as prepared as possible. 

I recall the Katrina-fueled (no pun intended) gas shortage during 2007 in which the gas stations in the city we lived in were all but empty.  Thousands of cars lined up to be refueled; rage enveloped many city streets; price gauging was rampant; heightened paranoia and anxiety were present.  A city utterly dependant on oil came grinding to a halt and it wasn’t a pretty sight.  Soon we felt the need to move (for a variety of reasons, one being our neighbors door being kicked in by thieves and two, we did not want to raise children in a city). 

Upon moving to the area we live in now, I again purchased a 72 hour kit that included MREs and water. I began to stock up on potable water. I purchased rain barrels and a reputable filter system (namely the Katadyn pocket filter.  Very portable, has a washable filter, and lasts forever).  We do not have access to a well or even have a nearby water source within a ½ mile on a map, which was a sobering discovery.   For the suburban prepper, rain harvesting, filtration, distillation, and conservation are an absolute must.  I filtered some rain water recently and boiled it for a minute to kill any bacteria.  The taste was rather flat, but I didn’t get sick! 

I discovered that Costco sells incredible dehydrated food in large quantities for a very low price.  I purchased non-GMO seeds: the kind that WILL reproduce seeds.  I purchased an excellent seed vault on Amazon for only $40.  Upon making this seed purchase, I realized how deficient a farmer I actually am, and how greatly I need to procure legitimate farming skills. 

I soon discovered that a rocket stove is a must-have.  It uses wood only, they are easy to light, and are protected from the wind.  The directed heat these things put out is incredible and you’re utilizing an unlimited fuel source: wood.
I immediately bought an ax, some good files or a sharpener, and a hatchet. 
Gloves, paracord, tarps, an iron skillet and bivy sacks are also items I’ve recently bought.  In the event of earthquakes or powerful storms, your home or shelter may be destroyed.  Tarps, paracord, and even a quality tent on hand will make a huge difference.  Gloves may be an often-overlooked item, but consider the implications if you injure your hands and there is no medical care to be found.  The same goes for purchasing waterproof quality boots/foot wear. I also purchased medicine (aspirin, children’s Tylenol) for my children, as it will be in short supply in a SHTF situation.

Granted, these are bare minimum purchases, but I was still operating under the assumption of great trust in my government and thereby simply being prepared for any eventuality.

But I digress.  Something happened to me that eradicated my misplaced trust. I began to make these purchases in January of 2012 out of a deep spiritual conviction that is still planted firmly in my heart.

At the end of 2011, I felt impressed to pray and fast.  Considering I am a full-time minister, this was nothing new in some respects.  But this time, it felt different.  God clearly laid on my heart to skip a meal for the first 40 days of 2012.  For whatever reason, God really wanted to get my attention. 

As I began my fast, the first two weeks had nothing to do with survival or great impending change. My prayers were centered around my community, my church, people I know, family, friends and the like.  As I continued my fast, the weight of the sin of the world became clearer and clearer, crushing my soul with the levels of selfishness and evil that are in the world.  I felt led to pray “intercessory prayers”: prayers you pray for people/situations/areas/towns when they don’t even know they need it. 

Prayer and fasting can also be a powerful mirror to the soul, and I saw myself as being no exception in needing forgiveness.  I pressed on and sought the Lord.

Soon my prayers were expanded to the world: praying for world events, nations, leaders, and decisions.  I can’t fully explain it, but after two weeks of praying and fasting, God made it clear to me: start getting ready, and with urgency. 

I felt my eyes being opened.  I saw the governments of the world dealing with what they have: a losing hand, encumbered with debt so great there will eventually be no bail out for the USA – the world’s largest economy.  Their actions are telling of a deeper problem: our leaders have no hope, and they are spending and leading in a way that is indicative of that belief.  I asked myself, “If I managed my own finances as the government manages theirs, what would that say about my priorities?”  It would say that a) I am a complete idiot when it comes to managing money or b) we’re already screwed, so let’s rack up the credit card and spend like there is no tomorrow, because I believe they know this is the case.  The government has shown a shameful appreciation for both “a” and “b” characteristics these past few years.

In that same time period, Congress and President Obama passed the National Defense Authorization Act, essentially codifying martial law.  The most alarming aspect is that there is currently no need for such an Act to be passed, unless there is a future event they are aware that will occur and we are not.

I began to watch online videos of reputable individuals stating dreams and visions they have received, telling of a future cataclysm of epic proportions, each person unknowingly corroborating the other’s accounts.  If you know me, I am not a person who normally goes along with such things unless I am very convinced, as many “prophets” are unreliable.  However, prophets are certainly present in our world today, as they have always been, and God has shown throughout history that they play an important role in foretelling coming events.  Many of them have been having dreams for years leading up to this age in history, and their dreams are increasing with great frequency. 

I thought of Joel 2:28
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
   your old men will dream dreams,
   your young men will see visions.

Many of these prophets speak of asteroids that trigger worldwide earthquakes, famine, and flood.  The apostle John speaks of an asteroid referred to as “wormwood” that will strike the earth and render 1/3 of all air and water as poison (Revelation 8:10-11).  John also accounts that on the day of the Lord (when Christ returns) the “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty,” are hiding in rocks and caves, pleading for mercy.  Every knowledgeable prepper out there knows that the government has been on an absolute bunker construction frenzy over the past 25 years.

In the Bible, a call to fasting can either be a) in response to a grievous social/national/personal event or b) in preparation for a coming famine, problem, or situation.  Consider Joseph in the book of Genesis:  God warns Joseph of the coming famine, to stock up on seven years worth of grain so the people of Egypt would not starve.  Likewise, God warned Noah to prepare by building an ark.  Many forget that Noah built the ark for 40 years.  Imagine the ridicule he and his family underwent as they pressed on, trusting the Lord in absolute faith, and in the end, their faith was justified.  God uses prophets to warn of impending doom.  If we ignore the crazy prophets out there and listen to the real people of virtue, then more might be prepared. [Editor Notes: Some references to modern day prophecy deleted for lack of a track record.]

Likewise, if we believe that God is a God of mercy and love, then God would warn us of impending doom or problems.  While God may not always warn us of personal issues in the future, He does have a track record of warning his people en masse (see Joel 2:28 again).  When I see thousands of people waking up to the fact that something is coming, I don’t see paranoia (as in Y2K), I see a deep instinct kicking in that is there by design. 

For example, when cows begin to play, it is usually going to rain.  Animals are aware of upcoming changes. Consider the signs of dolphins beaching themselves at Cape Cod (as they did in late February), thousands of birds mysteriously dying, bees just completely disappearing.  Animals know something that we would also know if we would listen: get ready.

So what does this have to with prepping?  Everything.  I believe that not only does God want us to prepare ourselves physically: ammunition, water, food, medicine for personal use as well as corporate goodwill, but God also wants us to prepare ourselves spiritually.   If we do not know Christ, God wants us to know Him.  If we do not have peace with God, then God wants us to know that peace.  All of the physical preparation in the world will still not account for your soul being lost when this life is over.  As Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but on the Word of the Lord” and “What good does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?”

More than anything, a living relationship with God is the ultimate prepper “must have”.  God bless each of you as we prepare for the future, trusting in God for whatever may come.  I pray for peace in the world, but I must believe the words of Romans 8:22 “For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”   The changes that await the earth are ultimately for good, although that may be hard to believe when they come.  God loves the world, and I believe God is calling certain individuals to be prepared, not just to survive, but to hopefully thrive in a much different society and world.

Letter Re: How to Take Control of Your IRA

Jim,
I’d like to correct some misconceptions regarding both precious metals and “collectibles”, some of which have been repeated in recent letters from readers.
 
First, regarding collectibles:  This term has a specific meaning under the Internal Revenue Code.  Its definition is found in 26 U.S.C. Section 408(m)(2), which says:
 
(2) Collectible defined
 
For purposes of this subsection, the term “collectible” means—
 
     (A)any work of art,
     (B)any rug or antique,
     (C)any metal or gem,
     (D)any stamp or coin,
     (E)any alcoholic beverage, or
     (F)any other tangible personal property specified by the Secretary for purposes of this subsection.
 
Note that firearms and ammunition aren’t listed.  Item (F) clearly allows the Secretary of the Treasury to designate other tangible items as “collectibles” but as of today, this hasn’t been done – so the term “collectibles” only includes the specific items in the list above.
 
Second, and perhaps more importantly for your readers, is the misconception regarding gold and silver and taking physical possession of it.  The simple fact is that you MAY take physical possession of certain gold and silver held by your self-directed IRA.  The applicable law is 26 U.S.C. Section 408(m)(3), which says:
 
(3) Exception for certain coins and bullion
 
For purposes of this subsection, the term “collectible” shall not include—
 
(A)any coin which is—
 
(i)a gold coin described in paragraph (7), (8), (9), or (10) of section 5112(a) of title 31, United States Code,
(ii)a silver coin described in section 5112(e) of title 31, United States Code,
(iii)a platinum coin described in section 5112(k) of title 31, United States Code, or
(iv)a coin issued under the laws of any State, or
 
(B) any gold, silver, platinum, or palladium bullion of a fineness equal to or exceeding the minimum fineness that a contract market (as described in section 7 of the Commodity Exchange Act, 7 U.S.C. 7) [2] requires for metals which may be delivered in satisfaction of a regulated futures contract,  if such bullion is in the physical possession of a trustee described under subsection (a) of this section.
 
This law seems to trip everyone up and I’m uncertain why, as it is very clear.  I will paraphrase it in the simplest language I can so it is crystal clear:
 
     (3)(A) The term collectible does not include U.S. minted fifty, twenty-five, ten or five dollar gold coins, U.S. minted one dollar silver coins, U.S. minted platinum coins or a coin issued by any state.
 
     (3)(B) The term collectible also does not include gold, silver, platinum or palladium bullion meeting certain fineness requirements if the bullion is held by a trustee.
 
 
The important point here is that the requirement that precious metals be held by a trustee ONLY applies to bullion, not to coins that meet the requirements of (3)(A).  
 
Finally, note that the coins in (3)(A) are all U.S. coins.  Foreign coins, even if they exceed the fineness requirements of their U.S. counterparts, are considered bullion and will need to be held by a trustee if kept in an IRA.
 
Best, – Matt R.

Two Letters Re: Bugging Out Abroad

James:
My wife and I traveled through Israel in 2007. For that occasion a lot of travel research and came upon the OneBag web site.

OneBag proudly announces that there are two kinds of flight luggage: “Carry-on” and “Lost”. This site is a superb resource of tested information on compact and efficient one bag travel for extended periods.

Through them I discovered an excellent US made carry-on/backpack by Mountain Equipment that masquerades as handled carry-on with hidden frame, full size shoulder straps and belly band .
Unzipping side zippers reveals the shoulder straps and belly band. The bag converts in seconds to a comfortable well supported backpack.

On our return from Israel we arrived for a layover in Paris and found ourselves in the middle of a nation-wide transit strike. Off to the side, we converted to back packs and easily hiked the 1/2 mile to the only train running to Gard de Norde and from there into central Paris for our overnight.

I have no relationship to MEI Packs or OneBag. The bags are all they promise. We will be using ours for a return this fall. – Dollardog

 

Jim;
I enjoyed the Bugging Out Abroad article. J. Has some excellent points and realized his deficiencies regarding where he stands with out precious metals and comms.  I to have traveled quite a bit in the past several years, and it is always a learning experience to figure out how to survive different situations in countries where, you are the foreigner and will need special skills if the SHTF while your over seas.  Over the past several years I have traveled mostly to countries where I can obtain a reciprocal ham radio license, or obtain a license in country. Ham radio is extremely useful to me doing Missions work. So if you have that bent it is easy to get information and start a licensing process long before you leave your own country, The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) has contact with other national clubs around the world where you can actually contact other Hams to help you out. Hams around the world are always gracious and helpful, and wish to meet there fellows from other parts of the world.  Whether I get my reciprocal or not, I always carry a 12 volt DC 100 watt HF rig with me,one of my radios fits nicely into my Bible zipper bag, It helps to keep the microphone and Key separate,  and an adjustable pre-marked lightweight  HF dipole antenna kit with my baggage. If ask about a license, I just show my American license. It usually works and I have only been ask curious interested questions. If I don’t have a local license, I simply tell them I will be going onto a country where my license is good and usually I am.
 
On carrying Gold and Silver. I never go anywhere overseas anymore without at least 4 or 5 ounces of fractional gold on me and separated in different places. I usually keep at least 2 ounces in fractional with my passport, Just incase the financial balloon breaks that should be enough to get me home..  You will almost always in Asia–Thailand, VietNam, Indonesia etc  find  places where you can exchange  gold for local currencies. Europe, Germany for sure even the banks will exchange for gold.

As  noted in James’s novel Survivors other countries are far more likely to trade for it than even here. It is really interesting I had to go to Afghanistan several years ago, and when I got off the plane the first thing I did in the restroom was get my K-Bar out an strap it on under my jacket.  I figured if anyone wanted to cut my head off, they were going to have to work for it.  That was really a scary place for a solo traveling American. Oh, I managed to keep it on me when I left on the old rattle trap civilian airplane, there was very poor security, and in my mind I’m sure that some of the fellows on the aircraft were terrorists. And the UN employees onboard were useless. Blessings, – Dave of Oregon

Economics and Investing:

Sue W. recommended: The Seven Rules of Bureaucracy

Gary Schilling: The Japan Train Wreck Is Accelerating. (Thanks to Michael W. for the link.)

Robert Prechter’s Dire Prediction For 2012

Items from The Economatrix:

Home Sales Show Strength, Prices Rise

Oil Prices Rise On Unexpected Supply Drop

Mish Shedlock: Highest Price Ever of Gasoline in March

Signs Of Recovery Grow In US Housing Market. [JWR’s Comment: With so many delayed foreclosures now hitting the market, we are still nowhere near the bottom, folks.]

Odds ‘n Sods:

Over at Total Survivalist Libertarian Rantfest, our friend Ryan reviews: Selco’s One Year in Hell

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I heard that because of some recent storm damage to their bridge, the spring Knob Creek Machinegun Shoot has been cancelled. The good news is that the October 12-13-14, 2012 shoot is still a “go.” OBTW, when attending events like this, I recommend that you wear one of our T-shirts (SurvivalBlog, Bennington Flag, or Long Live Rock n’ Roll)–because you never know who you might bump into.

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This Nanny plays favorites: Police to ignore California impound law amid concern of fairness to illegal immigrants. (In California’s Animal Farm, some are deemed “more equal that others.”)

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Government to keep information on Americans with no terror ties. (A hat tip to D.V. for the link.)

   o o o

You gotta love Rhodesian Ridgebacks. (Thanks to B.H. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, [even] unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
[It is] a faithful saying: For if we be dead with [him], we shall also live with [him]:
If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:
If we believe not, [yet] he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Of these things put [them] in remembrance, charging [them] before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, [but] to the subverting of the hearers.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane [and] vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” – 2 Timothy 2:7-16 (KJV)

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.

The Survival Value of Oral and Written Traditions, by K.B.

The importance of keeping a curriculum in your plans

In a TEOTWAWKI community, the lifestyle would be more or less the traditional one known to all communities in all times, cultures, and epochs: survival maintenance. Work never ends because, in a traditional community, work is life. Gardening techniques, clothing styles, earthenware, cuisine, tools, art, tapestries, house construction, and all the rest are not ‘pretty things’ at all but artifacts that emerge from survival. They are pretty things when we see them as a Goth’s furry booties in a museum or an Algonquin head wrap in a roadside souvenir shop. Likewise, education is practical, a lesson with a purpose and not as a diversion, and the learning that does not further community welfare is a dangerous one. All effort either contributes to the community welfare or works against it. Learning programs are no different.

Even if cataclysmic events pass after a short time – say, five to ten years only – and we are able to re-enter the society we left with its food stores and water treatment facilities, that is a gap of time that needs to be filled diligently and productively. Children should emerge in a better frame of mind and worldview than if they had been left in the pre-cataclysmic modern public school system. Would your TEOTWAWKI school program do that? This is what the prepper-survivalist strives for: coming out of difficulty stronger, wiser, and looking upon challenges, however fearsome, with the same look that Aristotle described on a ‘great man’: one who looks upon life the way an athlete looks upon a race.

The vital points of learning are in stories. Here are suggestions for designing an approach without electricity for any digital materials, cassettes, or videos. From the descriptions of TEOTWAWKI life that I have seen, it is difficult to imagine that your energy sources would be wisely spent on dvd or cd players, even for educational purposes. It’s likely going to be purposely selected tales and sing-alongs by campfire and candlelight from day one. A family or community must decide for themselves what is moral, good, bad, etc, in terms of reading material and because of the personal nature of that, I do not prescribe materials by name.

Reading the opening chapter of James Wesley, Rawles’ How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It, it is difficult to imagine that there will be much time for school learning concerns, at least in the beginning. In a real TEOTWAWKI scenario (is there any other kind?), most preppers and their children would find it difficult to focus on bookish pursuits. But eventually, if and when things settle down and preparations have paid off well enough that a small community can emerge and stabilize, life will have to go on and part of that maintenance is in the schooling of the young. It is what gives the idea that there is a future to work towards at all, for it would be equally difficult psychologically to go on with things if you and your family/community had the attitude that there would be no future.

Right thinking requires selecting right examples

If we accept that learning must be geared towards practical survival, and if we accept that stories can transmit good examples and ideals necessary to survival (fortitude, perseverance, self-restraint, charity, respect towards authority, etc), then we may infer that the selection of stories is crucial to preparing children to survive, which in turn helps us to survive.

The one in charge of learning (in the home or for a small community school) will have to act as censor in the selection of stories for telling or reading. Let’s not forget that the word comes from the Latin ‘cencere’, which meant to give an opinion or assessment, to appraise. From the late-medieval period on it was used in ecclesiastical terms as ‘censor’ to mean a corrector or editor in the sense that what was printed was accurate and the stamp of approval was the word ‘imprimatur’ – (fit) to be printed. The TEOTWAWKI teacher will have to know what is ‘fit reading’. One of the disasters of modern education is the idea that children can be the creators of their own learning. Shall we allow them to create their own means of survival? We have been taught by mainline media to fear the word censor, but consider how often we as parents do this in practice: we censor what children eat, we censor the time they may be home or in bed by, we censor the language they may use towards their siblings, and so on. If we are willing to admit that a child’s outlook, temperament, and inclination are shaped in great measure by what is seen in the films and in print, then it follows that these things need censoring.

You have a limited amount of time to prepare the mindset of kids, to prepare by the age of ten or twelve in what Aristotle called ‘khreston ethos’ or a fitting outlook, what C.S. Lewis called ‘just sentiments’ – the frame of mind that is conducive to working when cold and wet, learning for tomorrow ‘just because it’s what we do’, accepting correction with humility, acquiring a fledgling sense of decorum, duty, and the like. Learning is not complete by this age but the basis upon which more advanced learning can take place is laid here. The mind at this age is the concrete slab foundation of the house and it had better be strong. If this is true generally in the comfy environment that we have at the moment, how much more true will it be in a perilous environment where the survival of everyone is contingent upon what notions are put into our children’s imaginations?

Stories – the foundation of community

Stories, as education, were never for diversion. Today, myths are considered to be fanciful stories for entertainment from a naïve past, but in fact they served as educational lessons to their original societies. ‘Little Red Riding-Hood’ was a tale to warn small children not to venture into the woods because in early-medieval times, that’s where roving Celtic bandits lived – and kidnapped children that drifted too far afield. This is how a little Romano-Briton boy ended up an Irish shepherd for fifteen years; he later became known as Saint Patrick. The genealogies of many traditions are thought of as being overly-attentive to family trees but in a traditional community, genealogies are historical time-lines. With the Internet, parents have great access to all manner of stories new and old to collect, print, and even use now without any TEOTWAWKI. Parables, proverbs, fables, and legends (including adventure tales) transmit lessons about survival-conduct, wise decision making, and right perspective. Right-perspective is not about your ideological preference or your favorite -ism; it’s about survival within your retreat.

The material of a prepper’s home school or community school might be in pictures or words but it’s what the stories are about that counts. Many societies of more primitive peoples without a written language are known for their generosity and peaceful way of life, and don’t forget that at the time of Nazi Germany, Germans were the most literate nation in the world. Even at the most practical level, such as the Bushmen of Africa, there is an ‘oral literature’ without which they would have difficulty making sense of the world around them and their place in it. Consider collecting a list of stories (tales, books, etc) classified under value-headings, ex: about family life, community life, work ethic, and personal responsibility. The goal is moral living generally, for all the camping supplies and solar panels and chlorine tablets and jerked beef and heirloom seeds come to nothing if strife, dissent, and selfishness reign in your retreat compound. Daily stories help in some measure (depending on how well they are integrated with other tasks in the day) to keep order. It would be difficult to teach children to participate in a tight community structure while feeding them some random assortment of disconnected stories that go against communal living. When it comes to tight community living, where every person young, old, and in between is a vital cog in the daily operation of things, moral stories are as important as clean water and defense. If you see nothing in common between the traditional stories of the Tlingit in Alaska, the Sanskrit parables of the ancient Indo-European Aryans, the myths of the ancient Greeks, and the tales of medieval Slavs, then know that it is their survival as communities.

Written word, spoken word

Wars and disruptions in The Grid can be temporary. However, if a TEOTWAWKI scenario happens, it would likely endure for many years because the very nature of TEOTWAWKI is big, not small. After fifteen years of travel, living and working on four continents, it is my impression that the Amish in the United States have the most balanced or holistic system of education: letters and stories that enforce the social ethos. There is a similar community in Europe (and some other countries, including the US) called Bruderhof with many parallels in approach but they are not as numerous. A number of small eco-communities (often downplayed as ‘communes’ by the western technocratic media) have grown in Russia and in Germany, but because of their nature and principles, they are not on the internet. They all value stories and art as part of the mechanism of community health. Should there be second and third-generation TEOTWAWKI communities, and should they lose most writing skills, they would still stand stronger than others as long as they carry with them the necessary Moral ABCs to survive.

Don’t let reading dominate. Use voice. In your curriculum, include many oral response/ performance activities that follow stories. Having kids read aloud helps with communication skills generally, can remove some speech impediments, assists memory, and also encourages self-confidence. Have them identify connections with previous stories. Ask how they are related and how they are different. You might also combine a spoken story with art/drawing activities. Traditionally, music is also combined with stories, especially for younger kids. Music in many societies is the means to teaching correct grammar because children internalize rhythm more easily than rules. The use of songs has long been known to work well in foreign language acquisition. Rhyme in music and poems is also a natural feature of language learning because it is an analytical activity. Incidentally, many traditional (non- or semi-literate) communities that I have seen in my travels have rich musical traditions without instruments. Voice and melody are the important elements.

For those who would develop writing in the curriculum, there is no great rocket science to making comprehension/response activities into learning pedagogies. Anything read or listened to has the basic pattern:
-Comprehension
-Elicit the moral/lesson of it
-Connect or integrate it with previous stories or real-life experiences (physical, emotional, ethical, creative, etc.)
This process doesn’t change much in terms of essentials all the way up to college work, only in depth and complexity. For example, the standard parts of an analytical college essay are:
-Summary of the main ideas (What the facts are, what the deal is)
-Interpretation (What they mean, how to look at it)
-Proposal (What we should do next, new ideas)
And at the higher level of formal research projects, it becomes:
-Review of the literature
-Research methods and analysis of the data
-Results and applications
Create a similar template for any story at any age level.

Children and especially adolescents should be encouraged to contribute materials for the library such as writing original short stories and reflections, writing down their experiences, noting humorous episodes from their days, and – importantly – reading each other’s stories or telling them dramatically. Humor will be a vital component in TEOTWAWKI society. Kids should be encouraged to draw scenes of hope and joy wherever their imaginations can find it. Book-making (for what they write and draw) is another basic and rewarding skill that can be worked into the whole process. Ink-making, carving out a quill, paper making can also be part of the curriculum because these things might in fact be needed.

Select your library now. Even if you don’t have children, some in your community might. Your library collection should not be too big. If each family in a community had a small library, it would make for a sufficient sharing system all put together. The library should also be portable. Having a community does not guarantee that its members will have the luxury of remaining in one place settled down. You might need to go nomadic. This lifestyle should also be somewhere in your selected stories so children can relate to it should the need arise. There are plenty of stories from nomadic cultures that help young and old alike to comprehend the life of traveling.

Traditional societies that have survived so long in natural TEOTWAWKI conditions – in Australia, Central Asia, South America, North America, Siberia, and many others right up to our day all share one thing in common with regard to the young: educating youth through stories that impart the values and character necessary to not only survival but constructive outlook and moral self-worth. It will be good for preppers to study something about existing communal groups that integrate traditional stories with living,. For example: kibbutz settlements, Amish communities, Eskimo reservations, monasteries, and other indigenous cultures around the world, both settled and nomadic, to glean information.  In such communities, things are not done frivolously. What works is kept, what doesn’t work is discarded.

This is the course of literature. What we list as ‘pretty things’ are just artifacts of survival taken out of their survival context. Real literature is that which promotes survival. It can become pretty afterwards for future generations to look back on when they are in the position of enjoying the accomplishments that their forebearers (re)built.

Bugging Out Abroad, by J. in The East

For the preparation conscious world traveler, life abroad means a unique set of considerations must be made to the manner in which you travel/live abroad.  After all, the primary objective of the prepper abroad should be to get back to their family and home.  It was, at least for me.  My time living in Asia during the outbreak of Swine Flu brought the fragility of the infrastructure I was living in to the forefront of my attention and garnered in me an appreciation for the self reliant upbringing my parents instilled in me and made all too frightening the prospect of being trapped in a city more densely populated than any we in the States could imagine.  A global pandemic, socioeconomic collapse, natural disaster, .etc whatever the catalyst may be that destabilizes the normal functioning of society, the added stress of being so far from home means a prepper worth his salt needs to consider several factors during their, what I will refer to as an: Overseas Bug Out (OBO).

In flight preparedness:  I can remember going to the airport and meeting my dad directly at his gate coming back from a business trip.  Now I’d wager that TSA would tackle a four year old that walked past the barrier without getting fully scanned or without a boarding pass. The fact of the matter is that global terrorism and the protectionist culture have turned air travel into a disconcerting ordeal for those of us that like to travel well prepared.  Fortunately hours on airplanes to and from the far side of the globe have aided me in developing a rather comforting system, that is flight friendly.

Most airlines allow you to carry two pieces of baggage onboard. I would encourage readers to take full advantage of this, but I’d urge them to consider their organization.  I usually carry a shoulder slung briefcase and a watertight sling dive bag that I bought while in Thailand.  In the briefcase go the delicate tools that can’t be checked and aren’t vital to life i.e. can be abandoned.  This means computers, e-readers .etc.  This bag goes into the overhead bin.  I’ve never been a stickler about this.  I only book aisle seats, anything I need I can get up and grab.  The dive bag however is never out of my reach and within it I keep my flight survival system.  I try to stick to as many key elements of survivability as I can.  With of course the exception of a cutting tool I’ve found that most others are easy to get by with.  First the dive bag is a great choice, it’s relatively watertight, it goes on fast, I can synch it down quick, and I can get out of it fast.  Now I know the odds of surviving a plane crash are minimal but my kit gives me peace of mind. It’s better to have and not need.  In the bag goes my water container, always a stainless steel water bottle.  I like those made by Guyot Designs because of their wide mouths. I always make sure to get two bottles of water once I’ve boarded to fill my bottle up with, then it goes right back in the bag.  With it I can of course carry water, but I can also boil water in an emergency. 

I carry cover, usually a military poncho and an emergency space blanket. I’ve always wanted to spring for a nice lightweight tarp but the poncho serves dual purposes by being wearable so I’m okay with it. Tarps can be pricey, so save money where you can.  I keep a ferro rod as well.  It’s just a small keychain version, comes with it’s own striker it only cost a couple bucks so I’ve never been concerned with it getting taken, it never has, it’s on my keys, it’s harmless. In addition to this I carry a large tightly wrapped bundle of cordage.  The choice is yours really, paracord or bank line whatever suits you.  I also exercise redundancy in this aspect of my kit. My Luminox watch has a paracord strap I made for it.  In addition to those life support systems I keep a small first aid kit.  In it are bandages, Tylenol,  Benadryl, gauze, antibacterial creams, cleaning swabs, eye drops, and a signal mirror.  In the name of redundancy I also carry an additional watertight pouch within which I add communications equipment and backup batteries for my electronics.  In it goes my cell phone, GPS device, solar charger with compatible cords, batteries, passport and extra cash.  In addition are added odds and ends like a small pack of Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, Now in order to keep all of this uniform and not a bouncing, jabbing mess when I sling it I usually have everything wrapped up in a warm sweater or fleece but this fluctuates depending on the individual. A blanket would work too. 

In regards to on plane defense I’ve recently seen a rise in “tactical” pens coming into the market.  Seems like enough Kubotans were confiscated at security that people are now trying to slip them by in the form of pens.  I’m sure people have flown with them but frankly I’m not shelling out $15-$50 bucks for something to get taken away.  In my opinion carry a normal sturdy pen or to be honest I think you’re just as good with a tightly rolled up magazine but hey, I don’t like to stand out. I would encourage others to stay low profile as well. So no tactical bags for me, no tactical pens, just common sense and a little redundancy.

Laws in different countries are always going to surprise you.  I once spent a summer in London with a pocket knife in my pocket everyday before I found out it was illegal.  Took me totally by surprise, to most of us it’s such a harmless tool we always carry for a variety of needs but it just goes to show you, you’ve got to plan ahead.  That being said, I never travel anywhere without a blade of some sort.  And not once has a blade been removed from my checked luggage, even big fixed blades. So you’ll miss your blades while you’re in flight but thankfully you’ll usually be reunited once you land.

This brings me into check baggage choices.  I’ve always opted for fast, man portable systems.  I don’t go for the big wheeling suitcases I don’t want to have to drag one of those in a crowded press.  So find yourself a sturdy hiking pack.  The realm of survival preparation leaves people the opportunity to be frugal in many places but your pack should never be one of them.  I sport a medium sized Gregory pack.  It has an amazingly flexible support system with a great amount of storage and extra pockets. Oh I love pockets! My other bag is a military surplus duffel bag.  The Gregory being faster and lighter is packed with all my essentials that couldn’t fly with me.  Clothing that suits a variety of weather conditions, MSR cook kit filled with fire making supplies i.e. large ferro rod and wet fire tinder, oatmeal packs and cotton bandanas, more cordage, night vision device, my knives, multi-tool, boonie cap, SAS Survival Handbook, extra pair of boots, and a bag of beef jerky.  And no, shockingly I’ve never been stopped or accused of espionage. All regular clothing goes into the big army duffel, it can be ditched in a pinch but it can also be carried with ease. 

What can be purchased locally:  My next point is what can you acquire in country?  Well that depends on where you are some places have more than others, some places all you’ll find are cheap knock off versions of name brand gear.  The fact is you’re only limited by your resourcefulness and ability to discern quality from junk.  I made some great scores while I was in Asia enjoying the excellent exchange rate.  I added a wonderfully compact mummy sleep system, a couple waterproof everyday carry bags,  some surprisingly quality knives, great rubberized binoculars, powerful flashlights with strobing features, and every time I traveled to a new country I made sure to purchase and prepay for a SIM card to pop into my international network cell phone to enhance my range of communication should the cell networks still be functioning.  Added with these were a healthy supply of international phone cards.  On a side note to this I’ve tried a variety of methods of carrying valuable documents and hidden cash with me while backpacking and traveling.  Belly bands are popular, as are ankle straps but I always felt like they were too well known and frankly uncomfortable.  I came across 5.11 Tactical’s holster shirt while Internet window shopping and it has by far been the best product for the job.  A sweat wicking t-shirt with pockets under either arm.  Within these pockets I would conceal extra cash, either my passport or a copy of it, or whatever I deemed important at the time.  Sometimes it’s just a safe place to keep something you don’t want to risking losing. Keep in mind that in many places genuine gear will be marked up in price due to the shipping costs from the U.S. or Europe.  A bargain conscious prepper would be wise to shop around and keep in mind it might be easier to buy online and have your family ship things over to you.

Getting compatriots involved: The Swine Flu outbreak generated an interesting reaction amongst the expats I was working with.  There was mild panic circulating disguised as sarcasm of course and interesting questions began to arise.  I saw it as a great opportunity to gauge my coworkers mindset concerning issues like disaster preparation and at the same time get a grasp of who I thought would make a good “OBO” group member.  Why? because traveling solo sucks, those of us versed enough in the subject know that.  I knew that If I had to get out of dodge and quick I didn’t want to do it by myself.  I didn’t think my language skills were adequate enough, and I wasn’t sure I’d have enough cash, kit, or support to do it solo.  So following the Swine Flu panic, I offered a topic up on our company web chat board:  “Zombie Outbreak! What would you do?” The way I see it people have to be approached delicately, no sense in getting yourself labeled the paranoid psycho right out of the gates.  Make it fun, innocuous, and then see who has a good head on their shoulders.  Follow it up with friendly chatting, bring the topic up at lunch or when the group is out sampling new restaurants, and eventually make it about something more realistic.  “We’re surrounded by 1 billion people that don’t speak our language and won’t take us in, they can’t even take care of themselves. What do you think?”  Let it go from there, my friends and I eventually developed a plan we were comfortable with, that wasn’t strict enough to not be adaptive to multiple scenarios.  As the veteran prepper it’s important that you remain the voice in the back of there heads urging them to make wise purchases, to keep their bug out bags prepped, and to stop digging into the emergency cash. I was much more comfortable after having found a group I could rely on. Thankfully we never had to put our plan into action, because an OBO in my mind is still a terrible crap shoot to have to endure. 

Geography: Geography needs to be considered.  The first question you should ask yourself is: Uhhh, where am I? After you’ve sorted that out start thinking about avenues of escape.  What kind of terrain will you encounter? what are the other transportation resources at your disposal? what is the social and political condition of the neighboring countries? are you likely to find assistance beyond their borders or trouble?  and lastly will airlines be in operation given the scenarios you’ve considered?  If you have the foresight to see the bubble before it pops then hop on a plane and get home but if you’ve missed your window, make sure you have a contingency plan.  I counted on the airlines being grounded and you should too.  I figured the airports would be a nightmarish press of bodies screaming in dozens of languages from all over the world. 

That being said make sure you’re documented with the U.S. Embassy.  If like in my case there is no embassy in your city then contact your consulate. That’s all I had.  It was located on the top floor of a shopping mall. I wasn’t banking on them  being able to help, but nevertheless whenever you travel/live abroad make sure the State Department knows how to contact you, you never know. 

So considering airlines will be useless, trains, boats, automobiles, bikes, and feet. Likely a combination of those are what will do it for you.  Frankly you have to know you’ve got the drive for it. It won’t be quick and it definitely won’t be easy.  I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing would stop me from getting home.  I wasn’t going to be stuck there, I was going to get to my family.  Know that your group members are equally ardent because you’ll be relying upon each other for support.

Multiple routes:  I like having backups.  It’s something my dad always stressed to me.  Have a plan B and if that fails, C and D ought to get it done.  Like I said if one avenue shuts down you need to know how to access the others, because what’s the alternative?  Wait the crisis out?  no luck there in my opinion.  Our initial plan was to beat feet east for the coast and board a ship. Failing that, drive, bike, or hike our way south over a relatively simple route and not too demanding terrain to the coast where we’d find yet another large shipping port where we’d be able to find passage or cross over into other countries if need be. I wanted to avoid the north and west at all costs as well as the countries to the northeast, the further north I went the colder it got and the further west the more difficult the terrain and further we’d be from the coast.  Overall sea passage seemed like the best most viable option and I’d wager you’ll come to similar conclusions.  That being said there was a great likelihood that loads of people would have the same idea.  That is of course contextual because depending on the nature of the events the greater majority of the population may feel that they can simply wait things out.  I felt like it was going to be a, cross the bridges as I come to them kind of thing.  You have to be willing to adapt. What I did make sure of, was that my group members and I had plenty of cash in multiple currencies and as many barter items as our systems would allow.

Cash/barter:  Cash is king, war is an extension of politics and politics is an extension of economics, and the accumulation and transfer of wealth is the most commonly understood international language.  It’s an undeniable fact and it is important to have plenty of spare cash on hand.  Ideally I would’ve liked to have had some precious metals with me but I’ve never had the luxury of having those.  The way I saw it,  depending on the scenario, paper currency would still be carrying a value and there were always barter goods that I was prepared to trade in exchange for transport should inflation be high enough to render my cash worthless.  This included nice watches and jewelry, valuable electronics, labor, whatever.  In hindsight I wish I’d made the jump and purchased some silver or gold coinage, those will always carry value. I would definitely encourage future travelers to keep that in mind!

Personal protection: Being abroad can make this quite difficult.  As I’ve said before, edged weapons aren’t hard to get by with.  They may not be something you can carry around when law and order is still in effect in some places but when TSHTF you’ve got them.  Firearms are basically out of the question.  We have the luxury of having relatively easy access to them here in the States.  My experience abroad is that firearms are few and far between. Unless by some bizarre twist of fate you come across one,  then you’ve hit the jackpot. The likelihood however is that you won’t.  You’ll likely have to resort to the natural instincts that allowed man to survive for thousands of years before the advent of firearms.  You’re really limited only by your creativity and resourcefulness.  This is another reason traveling in a group is essential.  Strength in numbers is a fact. A fight is a messy and chaotic occasion and no matter how many times you’ve seen Jason Bourne drop a half a dozen guys, the reality of a fight is bigger usually wins so carry a big stick, so to speak.  Check out sporting goods stores and hardware stores if they’re available, anything man portable and powerful.  Make your choices based on what you’re comfortable with, be realistic.  You want force multipliers, not anchors.  Along with this goes the survivalist mentality.  In the back of my mind is the old adage, “don’t be where the trouble is.”  This means when planning your route of escape keep in mind, evasion.  Given the circumstances, interaction with people is going to be a problem regardless of their intentions.  You could be faced with violence.  Or even harder to handle, the possibility of coming across a fellow expat that is stranded and in need of help. Actually consider for a moment that possibility how would your opinion change whether they were male or female.  My conscience wouldn’t allow me to leave somebody hopelessly screwed, but bringing them along would suddenly decrease your carefully planned resources. Everything in situations like this will have a cost. 

Interaction will however be unavoidable and you need to be prepared for the chance that someone will want what you have.  Treat the encounter like you would a bear.  Be loud and on the attack, speed and violence of action may be enough to convince the predators that you aren’t easy pickings. 

Medical supplies:  Super sizing my standard kit of level 1 first aid supplies I made it a point to include additions like Moleskin for the blisters that were likely to occur, considering our plan was for a maritime escape we needed to consider sea sickness and nausea aid for us landlubbers.  In retrospect I wasn’t pleased with the medical supplies we had access to while living there.  They were mostly herbal and traditional remedies and looking back, I think the prudent thing to encourage future preparation savvy expats to do is take the time to learn what you can about the traditional remedies at your disposal.  The most I was able to glean was a variety of teas for stomach aches, allergies, and bronchial congestion.  I was thankful for the fact that I had brought things like malarial medication, antibiotics courses, and more western medical supplies.  And while the transportation networks are still up and running have the family send you some care packages from home.  I stocked up as often as I could. 

Orienteering: Last thing to consider is how you’re going to get from A to B.  It’s easy to say I’m heading for the coast or I’m heading south to grab a sea plane to…etc  but unless you have an intimate grasp of the terrain and roads,  you’re going to need a map and if you’re going to avoid hazardous areas of population density you’ll need a means of orienteering.   Invest in a quality GPS device and compass and take the time to learn how to use them properly.  I had the benefit of a great collection of maps from the local outdoors store. Maps are something you’ll generally have to pick up locally.  Odds are your local REI won’t have terrain or road maps for the other side of the globe.  Should you find your map is written in a language you aren’t familiar with, be sure you have a quality dictionary to speed you on your way.   Remember that easily followed routes like rivers and train tracks can be great guidelines along your route but conversely they can lead to potential dangerous encounters with other people.  Never forget that you are in a foreign country. Depending on the region, you may stick out like a sore thumb.  You may appear to be a target of opportunity to some.  You’re foreignness no matter how slight it may seem to you will be obvious to locals and they may to choose to try and take advantage of you because they know your basically stranded.

Hindsight:  As they say it’s 20/20.  looking back there are still several things I wish I’d of had with me or had purchased abroad.  Number one is silver or gold coinage.  They’re small and concealable and carry a lot of buying power. While I did have cover in the form of my poncho, a tent or an integral bug net hammock system like a Hennessy Hammock would’ve been nice to have.  My reluctance was in the prices I encountered. Genuine gear cost roughly double what it cost in the States and the only other alternative was the knock-off stuff which I wasn’t going to rely on.  I would’ve liked to of had a means of procuring small game animals. Fashioning a bow takes time, a slingshot or slingbow system would’ve been a great lightweight addition to my kit and would’ve double as a defensive weapon as well.

Lastly I wish I’d of had a better grasp of radio communications equipment but this will hopefully encourage others to do so.  I’d stress again for expats to take full advantage of “care packages” from home while the shipping system is still up and running.  I’d add to always be considering your kit and how it can be improved and share those ideas with your group members. Redundancy is crucial. Make sure you cross train with group members, share ideas and information, and take advantage of local martial arts classes together, circulate back up plans and contingency plans.  I’d like to think my group was pretty squared away for most contingencies but I never allowed myself to get comfortable.  The way I see it, if you’re comfortable you aren’t doing it right anymore.  Caution ensures careful consideration and a more open mind to adaptability. 

I’ve always encouraged people to spend some time overseas.  But keep in mind that being abroad during a disaster scenario is a complex and challenging situation to potentially place yourself in. While some of the ideas I’ve discussed in this are similar to techniques and methods that can be applied within CONUS, being abroad is made all the more difficult by language barriers, overall distance of travel, lack of resources, and lack of communication with home. 

Being abroad is a wonderful, educational experience and the truth is that you can never fully appreciate what you have here until you’ve seen what the 2nd World and 3rd World live like.  And in seeing it, you’ll become all too aware of how important it is have a way home. 

Three Letters Re: Homeschool for Less Than $30 a Year

James:
We homeschool our three children and all of them have never been to a public or private school.
I would like to add to the homeschool article.  It is possible to educate younger children for minimal amounts of money, but when they get older there are things to keep in mind.  Colleges have entrance requirements.  They require high school students to have completed certain classes such as advanced math and science subjects. Two foreign language classes are also required. My oldest is planning to start dual enrollment next school year.  She just had to take the SAT at a cost of $50.  She may need to retake it depending on her scores – for applying for scholarships.  Also there is drivers education which is available now for homeschoolers at a cost of $60-to-$100, if I remember correctly.

Part of the beauty of dual enrollments is gaining both high school and college credits for the same class.  We are hoping one of those will be chemistry, saving us a lot of money in lab costs.  We did buy a used microscope this past year for her advanced biology course.  And there was also the dissection kit at around $40.
We do purchase used books.  This last year a friend let me borrow some of her books for one of my kids.  In two years when her younger child need them, I will let her borrow some of mine.
College costs are very scary these days.  Please pray for us as we have three kids, one of those seriously desires to go to veterinary school.  I know God can make a way.  He can make a way for you, too, if you desire to homeschool. Thanks, – Sisterpastor

 

CPT Rawles – 
I am pleased to see good advice being given about homeschooling.  I wanted to make a point to the community that I often make in person.  I am a public school teacher in one of the “best” jurisdictions in the country in terms of test scores and minority success.  Yet despite that, we are still what any reasonably educated person would consider a disaster of sloth and ignorance.

I strongly encourage all the readers of SurvivalBlog to find alternatives for their kids besides public schools.  As hard working as most of the teachers are, the place is an irretrievable cesspool of low morals, the celebration of ignorance and complacency, and generally soul-sucking.  To supplement my income (and my sanity) I “guest lecture” for a number of homeschool networks when I am not at the public school.  Without exception, the homeschooled students are more alert, inquisitive, literate, logical, and capable.  I wish this wasn’t the case because I put so much effort into my public school kids but the damage has been done by the time they get to me in high school – like a malnourished child who will be stunted for life despite great nutrition as an adult.  My child will never set foot in an American public school and I routinely urge parents of my students to do the same (drawing the ire of my administration and co-workers for some reason).  

Public education being “free” is not an excuse to put your kids in there.  As I tell the more bright public school students when they complain about the pace or their classmates “Public school is free and you get what you pay for.” – Jeff T.

 

JWR,
Kathryn T.’s entry, Homeschool for Less Than $30 a Year, was quite good. I would only add that, when purchasing used curriculum or books, a “sniff test” is highly advised. Simply open the book and take a sniff; you will easily detect any musty smells or odd odors. I failed to do this one year and ended up buying textbooks owned by a smoker. They reeked every time they were opened, and we didn’t study that subject that particular year until I was able to replace it. No money saved there.
 
Save yourself (and your lesson plans) the trouble. Sniff before you buy! – Home’s Cool Mom

Economics and Investing:

This hardly comes as news to SurvivalBlog readers: The new black gold: U.S. farmland. (Thanks to R.C. for the link.)

Bank of America: Show us your death certificate

Doug Casey chimes in, over at Zero Hedge: Its A Dead-Man-Walking Economy

Items from The Economatrix:

Americans Asleep At The Wheel Driving Into Debt Slavery

Bernanke Says Higher Energy Prices Constitute A Threat To The US Economy

Existing U.S. Home Sales Hold Near Two-Year High. [But for a dose of reality, read this over at Zero Hedge: New Home Sales Make It 12 Out Of 14 Economic Misses. Thanks to reader Damon S. for the latter link.]

Wall Street Mostly Slips, But Tech Keeps S&P a Four-Year Highs