Letter Re: A Simple Way to Encrypt Your E-mail Using Apple Mail and GPG

Dear SurvivalBloggers:
There are a number of ways to encrypt or read encrypted email.  This one is about the easiest to get installed and running on your Macintosh computer, that I’ve run across. It uses the native Apple Mail program, and adds a OpenPGP Encryption and Signature option.

All you have to do is install the program from the dmg file, and enter a password.  There’s a GUI key interface for importing existing keys into it.

Of course not all emails need encryption, but that OPSEC sensitive email you need to send to loved ones or group members is a perfect example of when to use it.  Once installed, you choose what gets encrypted. 

Application: GPGTools (Developed by the GnuPG group.)
Download: https://github.com/downloads/GPGTools/GPGTools/GPGTools-20111224.dmg
Main Web site: http://www.gpgtools.org

Include in the install program are the following (from their web site):
 Compatible with OS X Lion.
 All applications are 64-bit compatible.
 Integrated GPGMail (OS X 10.5 to 10.7, Universal).
 Integrated GPG Keychain Access (OS X 10.5 to 10.7, Universal).
 Integrated GPGServices (OS X 10.6 to 10.7).
 Integrated GPGToolsPreferences (OS X 10.6 to 10.7).
 Integrated MacGPG 2 (OS X 10.5 to 10.7, Intel).
 Integrated MacGPG 1 (OS X 10.5 to 10.7, Universal).
 Integrated Enigmail (Thunderbird 3 to 8).

There’s even a screen-cast of the install, encrypting email, and using the Apple ‘Services’ feature for text edit encryption,  if you want to watch it before installing: http://www.gpgtools.org/screencast.html though I’ll warn you: it goes by so fast you should be ready to hit the pause and rewind buttons when you start it.

Steps [with Apple Mail closed]:

1. Download the GPG dmg file.
2. Have a password in mind
3. Open the dmg by double clicking the file in your web browsers Downloads window
4. Double Click the GPGtools.mpkg file and select an install location
5. When asked enter your email address, and name.
6. When asked, enter a password, then re-enter it when asked.

When completed, you can close the GPG Keychain Access application and start your Apple Mail.
When you select a ‘new’ email, you will see an OpenPGP section under the “from” drop-down list. Also you can get to the encryption/decryption options under “Messages -> OpenPGP” in your menu bar. This will allow you to sign and encrypt  and decrypt your email.

In addition, this bundle of GPGTools works with Apple’s Services, allowing for encryption of ‘Services’ aware applications.
If you open your System Preferences -> Keyboard you can click on Keyboard Shortcuts -> services and click the OpenPGP items under “Files and Folders” along with “Text” allowing you to encrypt any text file you open with textedit.
When you open textedit the next time you will see “Textedit->Services->Open PGP”  in the menu bar.

The toolkit also comes with a command line interface for encrypting just about any type of file you want, but that’s a little out of scope here.
For more information on the CLI, using public key servers, and general GPG information, check out this set of How-Tos.

Hope this helps, – Robert X.

Letter Re: Traditional Telephony WTSHTF

Jim:
I would like to begin this story by telling you why I felt it was needed. I was reading the blog and saw the post from R.H. “When the lights went out in the southwest” and how they had a very hard time getting in contact with his nephew. And also a recent post on CME and nuclear power plant failures and grid down type situations. And it got me thinking about how little some people know about how the traditional communications grid in this country works.
 
To qualify my position on this subject I will tell you that I’m a network technician for a very major telephone company (Telco) that serves all of Jim’s American Redoubt states and many others. I have 11 years here and love my job and I have been everything from an installer/repair tech to the guy that splices the cable and installs high speed data lines. 
 
So where to start? I would like to tell you all there is to know about how this stuff works, but I don’t want to bore you all to tears so I’m going to leave most of the technical terms and stuff like that out. I’ll start with R.H. and his trouble getting in touch with his nephew. 

In his story he talks about getting texts and some calls on his cell. So we can assume that he had a signal from a cell tower and his cell phone was in good working order. But there was a problem with one town not getting or sending cell calls and texts. This was possibly a tower that served that area had lost grid power and had no battery or generator back-up. Or it was over loaded with call volume. See in a typical cell site there are pretty much three major components that make the whole thing work.
 1. The tower, This guy sends out and receives radio like signals to and from your cell phone.
 2. The switching equipment in the building on the ground. This takes the signal and turns it into a call or SMS message and routes them out to the world. 
 3. The tower’s connection to the world. This is typically a couple T-1s or a fiber optic connection. 
 Sometimes part #2 or #3 will become over loaded with volume and that’s why you’ll get that message “sorry but all circuits are busy” when you try to make a call. The switch may not have enough spots free to connect you out but the tower can make a connection to your phone. Or the T-1 or fiber connection to the world doesn’t have enough bandwidth to handle all the calls if its being overloaded with calls. This is why sometimes you can send a SMS message but not make a call. Because the message needs less bandwidth to send compared to a voice call. 

Visualize bandwidth like a pipe. If its big enough to handle the traffic on a normal day but all of a sudden you start cramming more stuff in it it just can’t fit sometimes. Like trying to use a garden hose to fight a house fire, its just not big enough sometimes. Now land lines are a little bit different, and have some advantages for preppers over the cell phones. Don’t get me wrong they both have good and bad sides. If you have a land line great but if you don’t I’ll let you know why you might want to consider getting one.
 
First off the whole problem of signals and battery power on your end are almost nil. If you have a hard wired or “corded phone” it will use the electric signal that’s on the line from the Telco‘s own equipment. Assuming everything is working correctly at the central office, or some of the more rural areas are served thru what we call “pair gain” or a R.T. (short for Remote Terminal) more on this set-up later as there is a difference between Central Office (CO) based and R.T./pair gain based services. 

Second, the whole bandwidth issue is not as bad because the CO for your area is where most cell towers get their fiber/T-1’s from. Now CO switches can also become bogged down buy call volume also but most of the time they have extra capacity built into them because of this. And if you are making a call to another line that is from the same office the switch will make the connection in the same office. A long distance call or one that has to be sent to another office is more susceptible to volume problems due to the trunk lines used to connect the CO’s to each other becoming overloaded.  
 
Third, The COs have a big generator that kicks in when the office loses grid power. The offices I work out of have either a 72 hour supply of diesel fuel or run on utility-piped natural gas. But the diesel is most common as you can see the disadvantage to the gas option, I only know of one that is like that. Additionally, hey also have a 8 hour back-up battery bank. 
 
This is where the difference between CO-based service and R.T.s kicks in. First off the R.T. is usually connected to the CO by a dedicated group of T-1s that have one time slot per line in the R.T. so you don’t have the problem of “all circuits are busy” or a fiber optic connection that is for our sake the same. The trouble kicks in when these guys lose grid power, They typically have a 8-to-24 hour battery back-up in them and that’s it. We have to go out with our trucks and charge them back up with the gensets on our trucks. You can see where that could get tricky. Most newer DSL service is provided by a R.T. and some of them don’t even have a battery back-up as the companies are not required to have it on them by most regulations. My own line is like this, the dial tone is provided straight from the CO but my DSL comes from an R.T. So when my part of town loses grid power the phone still works but my DSL doesn’t. This is something you might consider if you are using a VOIP type system. 
 
The next thing you might think about is 911 service, your land line is tied to your address so if you call 911 from your land line the dispatcher on the other end knows where the call is coming from as soon as it’s received. This is why a 911 hang-up still brings the cops to your house. The cell phones are getting better about knowing where you are with GPS and other things being used to tell where you made the call from. 

I’m not to well-versed on how reverse 911 works with the cell’s but I do know it works well with the land lines. This could be a double edged sword for preppers as the cell or land line could give up your location if you want to be all secret squirrel, but I have personally installed lines to addresses that are something like: “County Road 21 pole 5 second gate on the left.” We don’t care where the house is, just where the N.I. (short for Network Interface) is. I have seen these little gray boxes on fence posts and we take it to there and the customer takes it past that point. There are other ways around this but it usually requires you to use VOIP to get a fake area code and number. I know of guys that use this type of stuff but that’s for another post.

This is just some info on why, during a short term SHTF you have problems using traditional communications. Be it a hurricane or another 9-11-01 type situation you’ll be better prepared for them. In a TEOTWAWKI type of scenario your pretty much doing the YOYO thing but I hope this helps for the minor emergencies you run into in you lives. 
 
And you can always stop one of us out on the road and ask questions to find out info on your setup. I would have to say that maybe 50% of the guys I work with are preppers and even more are ex-military so we would not think it strange at all if you wanted to know how it works! Hope this helps, – The Phone Guy

Recipe of the Week

Ken E.’s Chicken and Stuffing
 
Ingredients:
 
1/2 lb of Chicken or 2 Chicken Breasts.
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup.
1 box of instant stuffing.
3 sticks of celery.
1 cup of water.
 
In a crock pot, or Dutch oven place the raw chicken and chopped celery and can of cream of mushroom soup set on low heat. cook for 3 hours or until chicken is just past pink. In a separate container add the stuffing mix and 1 cup of water and mix well. Add the stuffing to the chicken and soup mixture. Serve. This makes a meal for two healthy adults, or two kids and two adults when adding a side dish.

Chef’s Notes:

Our family of four likes to double the recipe. This amount of food gives me the ability to bring it for work the next day. The left-overs can be eaten hot or cold I have done both.
 
In the recipe I stated that the pot needs to be set at a low heat. I know that if you’re out in the sticks, without electricity and you are cooking with a fire. It might be a good idea to cook the chicken first then add the other ingredients after the chicken is done. Cooking the ingredients with the chicken allows the flavors to intermingle.

Jenn in Arizona Added This Suggestion:

“I have made this dish in my crock pot several times. I would like to suggest to those who do not like Cream of Mushroom soup to try using either Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery soup. You can also use the same amount of chicken broth in place of water. This usually tastes better. Also, one other thing I like to do as the recipe I have calls for is to add a little butter in pieces to the top of the stuffing mix. I also did a search not too long ago and someone suggested you can prepare turkey this way, as well.”

Note From JWR: Translating Old-Fashioned Measurements — Small Increments:

The following are rough estimations of some small increments often found in old recipes:

Tad: 1/4 Teaspoon
Dash: 1/8th Teaspoon
Pinch: 1/16th Teaspoon
Smidgen: 1/32nd Teaspoon

(Of course, you mileage may vary, since these were not standardized measurements, and the terminology might vary significantly!)

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Reader Bob. B. suggested to taking a look at the oft-cited The Provident Living (LDS) Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness web page. He suggested; “Especially look at the ‘Dry Pack Handouts’ label in the right-hand list. Great recipes for basic foods.”

My old friend Fred the Valmet-meister sent me a link for a web site devoted to cowboy dutch oven cooking and sourdough “start” as well as some sourdough recipes.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you have tested extensively? Then please e-mail it to us for posting. Thanks!

Economics and Investing:

John Williams of Shadow Stats says: “This is end of the world type stuff”. He recommends stocking up on barter items.

A bunch of links, all courtesy of Kevin S.:

Presenting The (Only) Four Outcomes To The Global Public Debt Crisis

On The Failure Of Inflation Targeting, The Hubris Of Central Planning, The “Lost Pilot” Effect, And Economist Idiocy
A National Debt Of $14 Trillion? Try $211 Trillion

US Closes 2011 With Record $15.22 Trillion In Debt, Officially At 100.3% Debt/GDP, $14 Billion From Breaching Debt Ceiling

Items from The Economatrix:

Why Is Global Shipping Slowing Down So Dramatically?

The Federal Reserve’s Explicit Goal:  Devalue The Dollar 33%

Why Our Currency Will Fail

Foreclosure Deal to Spur New Wave of Home Seizures, Help Heal Market

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yishai sent this from Oleg Volk: Survival Lasers 300mW red kit — Tool or Toy?

   o o o

By way of Tam’s View From The Porch Blog: George Lucas: Han Never Shot First

   o o o

Our SurvivalRealty spin-off site has hit critical mass, with 87 listings, including its first in Hawaii. Extended page advertisements there cost just $30 per month, and no sales commissions are charged. Congrats to my #1Son for building the Internet’s most popular web site dedicated to survival retreat properties.

   o o o

F.J. sent this: Build a Secret Closet Door for $200 or Less

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Perceive and believe. Don’t engage in denial. And stay calm. Don’t panic. If you’re going to die, you’re going to die. Suck it up. In a truly dire situation…, you have to let go of thoughts of your own death and simply do what needs to be done: Act deliberately and in the right direction.”  – Lawrence Gonzales

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry 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.

Some Transportation Alternatives, by Douglas H.

Transportation is so easy today, its laughable.  I can take a flight from Seattle, Washington to Hong Kong and arrive 13 hours later.  Before oil was processed to produce fuel, a trip from Seattle to Hong Kong took several months on a boat in cramped conditions and meager rations.  Millions, if not billions, of people take our current methods and modes of transportation for granted.  What if these modes of transportation were suddenly not available because of (insert scenario here)?  If you can’t think of a scenario, I’ll list a few:  Peak Oil, World War III, End of the Petro dollar, and/or a societal breakdown.  If cheap gasoline were no longer available, how would you get around?  This article will attempt to address concerns of what could happen and what a survivalist/prepper can do to become more prepared to get around in a post-disaster world. 

Bicycle
I want to first consider one of the most efficient methods of transportation: the bicycle.  The technology in making bicycles has changed very little over the past hundred years.  This is because the main concept is so simple and so efficient.  The main advances in technology for the bicycle have been the materials.  Expensive bicycles in today’s world are made out of light-weight, durable metals and plastics.  You can find cheaper bicycles, but they tend to be made from cheaper materials, which tend to be heavier and less durable.  As far as the type of bicycle I would go with, it depends on the terrain around you.  If speed and lightness is your requirement, a road bike may be for you; however, if there is rugged terrain around you, or if you want to go off-road a mountain bike would be best.  If you don’t have much cash, a cheap bike can be found at almost any department store for around a hundred bucks.  I would, however, pony up a little more dough for a lighter, heavier-duty one at a bike store.  Be sure you know how to repair your bike.  Talk it over with your bike mechanic and purchase the tools you will need in order to fix your bike.  The most common things are brake pads, tires, inner tubes, chains, and cables (for the shifters and brakes).  Be sure to have a few spare wheels, tires, inner tubes, and as mentioned before, chains.  As always, there are pros and cons to using a bicycle for transportation.  The upside is the light weight, effort to energy ratio, speed, low cost and ease of maintenance.  The downside is low cargo capacity, the need for roads or a trail, and they are also easy to steal.  One thing to consider is in a TEOTWAWKI situation, in almost every garage around the United States there is a bicycle, and sometimes spare parts.    So if you’re short of cash, you can skimp in the spare parts area and focus on something more important.

The Horse
People I’ve spoken to often praise horses as a main mode of transportation come TEOTWAWKI.  This is most likely due to the prevalence of the horse in books and movies of the old west.  While they do provide fast transportation, horses need a high level of care.  Horses often weigh around a thousand pounds and require a high input of feed to maintain energy levels.  Horses need plenty of grazing land and a fence or corral in order to be kept.  They also need to be fed during the winter, and the availability of hay or alfalfa will probably be almost nonexistent, depending upon where you live.  Unless you plan to ride bareback they also require a saddle and bridle which require maintenance.  Something else to consider is how others will see you.  Not many people will be riding around on a horse, and if people see you riding one, they perceive you as being wealthy.  You may then immediately become a target for theft or worse. 

If you do intend on living off of the land and traveling often, a horse may be the right mode of transportation for you, for the horse can graze constantly when you’re not traveling.  If you have a group with you, a buggy or wagon can be beneficial.  The issue is obtaining one post-disaster.  Be sure to know where you’re going and the land around you for horses need to be watered just as you do. 

Our Own Two Feet
People have been walking from place to place since…well, as long as we’ve existed.  Our own two feet are wonderful machines of transportation.  The only problem is they need to be covered, unless you’ve lived your life barefoot and don’t intend to walk on random sharp objects.  What you can do now is purchase several pairs of well-fitted hiking boots and other footwear you will need.  Tennis shoes wear out quickly, but you can run faster in a pair of tennis shoes than in boots.  The important thing is to purchase what you think you will need, and to be on the safe side, buy a few extra pairs and store them away.  If you have a bug out bag, it might be wise to throw in one of these extra pairs of shoes. 

Socks are often overlooked when prepping.  If you can afford it, buy several dozen pairs of socks that are suited to your environment.  The colder the environment, the thicker the sock you want.  Consider wool versus cotton as well.  Some people prefer one over the other, you will have to make your own choice.  The ability to wick water away from your foot is a definite must.  When walking long distances, or hiking, moisture is the enemy; water-wicking socks help remove moisture away from your skin, keeping your feet dry.  In your first-aid kit, also be sure to have some mole-skin; the best cure for blisters.  Mole-skin can be found in any first-aid section of most pharmacies.  Another addition to consider for your first aid kit is a spray or lotion for combating foot fungus.  If your toenails are yellow or unusually thick, then they are infected with fungus and need to be treated.

Waterproof boots are a must-have if you live in or near a wet environment.  If a flood happens and you don’t have a pair, you’ll regret not purchasing them.  They also work great in the mud.  If you happen to live in a snowy environment, you will want to purchase a good pair of snowshoes, and skis for cross-country skiing.  The ideal way to transport goods in a snowy or icy environment would be a sled and a team of sled-dogs, but they require a lot of upkeep and training.  A simpler way to transport goods would be a travois, which I will cover next. 

Travois
A travois is easy to build out of natural materials, and can be used to transport a load of goods, or even a person.  It is built by crossing two long poles or straight pieces of wood.  These two pieces of wood are bound together at one end; strips of leather, 550 cord, or rope will do, while a net or piece of canvas can be secured along the length of both poles, forming a triangle.  The narrow end of the triangle then leads to a person or draft animal to drag the travois after you’ve loaded it with goods.  Native American Indians used travois extensively, carting around goods, and even their tepee homes.  They also made smaller travois to be used by their children as well as dogs.  If a harness is made, it can actually be easier on your back if you use a travois instead of a large backpack.  You can also transport an injured person on a travois stretcher. 

Two-Wheel Carts
Hand cart have been used for centuries, and they are more efficient that a travois. They also don’t leave a rutted trail like a travois. They are relatively stable and can carry surprisingly large loads. Modern carts include garden carts and deer carriers. Modern carts use bicycle type tires, so you will have to plan for patching tires, just like with a bike. And like a bike, the tires can be treated with Slime, internally, for self-sealing of minor punctures. There are also “airless” foam-filled tire available,m although these have greater weight and rolling resistance than air-filled tires..

Water Transportation
Water transportation used to be the main method for transporting large amounts of goods before the invention of gasoline and diesel.  It is still the main method of transportation, but by use of large oceangoing barges carrying thousands of tons of materials, commodities and products.  What do these barges rely on?  Fuel. 

If you live by a body of water, or the ocean you definitely want to consider using water transportation.  Canoes, kayaks, floats, tubes, and row boats in general are excellent ways of traveling on the water.  They also provide a platform to fish from in deeper waters.  Live near a lake?  You most likely already have a kayak, canoe or small waterborne vessel.  If you don’t, put that on your priority list.  If you’re thinking about a kayak, there are several varieties.  Recreational kayaks tend to be shorter and wider, offering more stability.  They are, however, much slower than the racing kayaks, which tend to be slimmer and lighter.  There are lighter recreational kayaks, but will cost more money due to the materials used.  If you’re into SUP (Stand Up Paddling), that’s okay, but a SUP board is more for recreational use than practical use.  The only practical use I can see for a SUP board is for spear or bow fishing, and even then it’s not very practical.

Another thing to keep in mind is storing supplies in your boat, kayak or canoe.  Keep a few gallons of water, dried food and fishing supplies in the storage compartments, because you never know when that may come in handy down the line.  You can even think of it as your bug-out-boat.

Others Animals
Some may think using a cow or a donkey for transportation isn’t very logical.  At first, I would agree, but it depends.  As a last resort, a light rider can ride a cow or donkey but it isn’t going to go very fast.  Cows of course also provide more than just a mount.  A dairy cow can provide milk, providing that it hasn’t dried off.  A cow can also be used for meat as we very well know, so don’t begrudge the cow as a mode of transportation.  Cows as well as goats can also be used as pack animals.  Be sure the load is evenly distributed along the animal’s back, making the animal more comfortable and less likely to give you trouble during the trek.  Goats also give milk as well as cows as well as offering meat.  Sheep don’t make very good pack animals. Horses aren’t widely known for their milk, yet there are people, mostly in Mongolia, that are known for drinking horse milk.  Unless you have previous knowledge of milking a horse, do not attempt to milk a horse!  Attempting to do so can endanger your life.  I once had trouble milking one of our goats (it did not want to be milked), I can’t imagine the amount of trouble a horse can give you. 

Oxen or other large draft animals can be used to pull a wagon for group transportation or carrying large amounts of supplies.  Needless to say these animals will need to be taken care of, and the wagon will need to be maintained and fixed.  This includes spare parts, tools and a knowledge of carpentry.  These animals can also be used on a farm, for plowing, if you have the land available, and cleared land with good soil for growing crops. 

Dogs
Man’s best friend can help you in a number of various ways.  They may not be able to carry much, but they can be given some food stuffs or other gear to carry, provided you have saddlebags that fit the animal.  Dogs, if trained, can be hunting companions as well.  They can aid in defense, and also be a wonderful companion.  They don’t take much to feed and generally take care of themselves very well.  If you also have several other animals, or a farm/ranch, dogs can also be trained to help protect your herd of animals.  Be sure your dog is trained, for domesticated dogs have been known to kill chickens, goats and other livestock simply because it is in their nature as a predatory animal. 

Hopefully this article points you in a direction you want to take for post-disaster transportation.  Once you have an idea, investigate your method further, and ask more questions of a subject matter expert.  The best thing is to adapt to your environment, now and in the future.  None of us have all of the answers, but if we adapt, and work together we will survive anything that comes our way.

How Police Training Can Help The Survivalist: An Officer’s Perspective, by N.D.

Something I have noticed among the “prepper/survivalist” community is a growing distrust of local law enforcement accompanied by the stigma of an “us versus them” mentality. I decided this would be a good place to start, and will provide some background on myself. I too am a survivalist. I am also a certified police officer in the state of Arizona. I am a double degree major in Criminal Justice, Homeland Security and Counter Terrorism.  From my experience, most in law enforcement are like me: they get into this line of work for a desire to help those in need. I graduated from the police academy in 2006 with a 4.0 GPA and was proud and determined to do well as a police officer and felt strongly about helping others in need. I knew I was not going to become rich by any means from this job, but that was ok. I had a strong desire to look back at my life and feel I’d made a difference for the better. I had always had strong feelings about protecting those in need, and regardless of the dangers involved, helping those in my community was a reward money could never replace. Handing an abused child a teddy bear after responding to a domestic violence call and being there to help them in their time of need is an experience in itself that can never be measured in financial terms. This is why we do this job, and it begins to define who we are as individuals. If there was ever a quote that defined the ambition of a police officer, for me it’s “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. -Edmund Burke. The first time I heard this quote I was inspired. Once it’s in your blood, you are never the same. Just like the athlete has an internal driving force to exercise and compete, the officer has that internal force that pushes them to want to help. If there is a cry for help in the middle of the night, we want to be there.
Because I feel most in law enforcement share such a passion, it should be understood by the “survivalist/prepper” that we are not robots, or mindless minions that do the bidding of a government body. The vast majorities of police officers are family oriented, conservative, and hold the oath to uphold the Constitution on behalf of the people of the United States very seriously.

The police officer and the prepper share more in common then they may realize. In fact, many police officers themselves are “survivalist/preppers.” Like the “prepper”, police officers prepare for the worst case scenario as well. Police live in a state of “worst case scenario” every time they go to work. Just like any given situation can turn bad requiring the preparedness of the officer to respond and survive, so too can the stability of our fragile society, requiring the prepper to respond as well in order to survive. In a sense, the police officer and the prepper share a common bond, they both want to be prepared to safely and effectively deal with any SHTF scenario that may come their way, and not become a victim of complacency.

Many have asked….will the police become enforcers? This question gets asked a lot. While I cannot speak for every officer, my answer is pretty simple. I am a family man first and an officer second. If a crisis scenario was to take place and my family was vulnerable, they take top priority. While police will attempt to do their best to keep order, you are your best defense. Never rely on the police as your sole source of defense. When things get bad and civil unrest reaches a point of violence and looting, people become vulnerable. It’s not that police won’t want to help, it’s the fact they simply may not be able to do so. Most police with families will retreat to their homes and place their family above all else when it comes to priorities. They are human like anyone one else, and will not leave their families exposed to the elements or outside threats.

Officer Safety Tips for the Survivalist

In the case of a massive crisis, or “the end of the world as we know it” scenario, people will be stressed, distrusting, and scared. Most people want to avoid conflict; however there will always be those that will try to prey on the weak and vulnerable, and at times, will try to pose as friendly people you can trust. By utilizing the techniques used by police for officer safety, the survivalist can sharpen their ability to negotiate and interact with strangers during times of crisis, and limit their vulnerability and loved ones to that of predators. Here are some aspects of our training that you might find useful:

Police officers are trained in a unique way. While those in the military are trained to be aggressive and engage threats at a distance, police officers are trained in the opposite. Police officers must deal with potential hostile people face to face, and most times within reaching distances. An officer never knows if the person they are dealing with is armed and ready to kill them at any moment, or if they are friendly. Because of this, police go through training to read body language, get close, and deescalate a hostile situation with lethal force being a last option, but not the least of options. In the event that someone poses a threat, officers are trained to neutralize this threat as soon as possible. The amount of stress and danger that officers go through in a dark alley with a strange man or men is very real. Now imagine having to do this with no training in a scary world changing environment. Because both scenarios are very similar in how a person must deal with unknown threats, officer safety tips can be of great value to the survivalist. If things get bad, you must be able to interact with those around you without escalating tensions in people who are already stressed out to overreact with hostility.

As Rawles states in one of his books, “Show restraint, but always save recourse to lethal force.” (Rawles, 2009).

 He also wrote: “My father often told me, It is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it.’ I urge readers to use less than lethal means when safe and practicable, but at times there is not a satisfactory substitute for well-aimed lead going down range at high velocity.. (Rawles, 2009)

By using Officer Safety tactics, you can interact with people while maintaining a safe and strong position.  The following areas I will share with you are things to consider when the world as we know it ends.

Language: Known as “verbal judo,” refrain from making threats or being outright hostile. Don’t use harsh language or aggressive tones. This will cause people to immediately go on the defensive. In return, their immediate response of defense could cause you to misconceive their intentions toward you. The same holds true for you and their perception as well. This will cause immediate distrust between parties, causing tensions to quickly rise and possibly lead to unnecessary violence and loss of control. Remember to remain calm and to speak clearly, calmly, and respectfully. If you do all three of these when engaging in dialogue, it will give you the advantage and persona of taking control, but not in a hostile way. This will also help you understand the other parties’ intentions more clearly. If you are cool, calm, and collected, but the other party is strung out, edgy, and overbearing, it creates a clear picture of their true state of mind and possible intentions toward you. It also rules out the fact they are simply reacting to any aggressive language on your part, and may have ulterior motives.

Body Language: Often referred to as your “X-ray vision,” body language can be very telling. When interacting with a stranger, pay close attention to what they are not telling you with their mouth but are telling you with their body. When people anticipate confrontation, subtle behavior will begin to present itself. They may begin to pivot frequently, even if standing in one place. If they are wearing a hat, they may take it off, this is often a sign of preemption, reason being that a hat gets in the way and lowers a person’s situational awareness. People will often remove a hat even though they are not cognitively aware why they are doing it. Watch for the balling of fist, or clenching of their jaw. Their eyes may dart in many directions even though they are speaking to you. If it looks as if their trying to scan their surroundings, that’s because they are! These are all signals that one is preparing for confrontation, and may become aggressive.

Always Keep Your Strong Hand Free: Always make sure you keep your strong hand free. If you are right handed and have a holstered sidearm, always be sure that you use your left hand to hold objects, such as a flashlight. You never want to have your strong hand occupied if you need to draw your weapon in defense. The time it takes to drop the object in your strong hand can mean the difference between life and death. If it is dark and you need to hold a flashlight, always hold it in your weak hand.

Watch the Hands: When interacting with someone new, watch their hands! The hands are the instruments used to kill, and this is where the threat will come from. When speaking with unknown people, politely request that they keep their hands out of their pockets. Just because you cannot see a weapon, you must never let down your guard. Remember, a razor blade can do tremendous damage and is easily concealed in the hair, a hat, or even one’s mouth.

Are They Concealing a Weapon? When dealing with an unknown person, it is reasonable to be concerned if they are armed. The following are tips that are useful when it comes to determining if a person is armed:

  1. Determine a person’s strong side, and Pay attention. This can be done by observing their behavior. A right handed person may lead with their right hand while speaking. They will use it for subtle actions, i.e. scratching their face or holding an object. Another clue that can be observed is a wrist watch. Typically, a person wearing a watch will do so by wearing it on their weak arm. If you still have trouble figuring out what hand is dominant, you can count on the fact that the majority of people,( approximately 75%) are right handed.
  2. The two most common places someone will conceal a sidearm is by tucking in the front right, between the belly button and hip, or the small of the back. Unless the person has carried often concealed, and has a good holster to secure the weapon, most people will have an unsecured weapon tucked in a waistband. This can cause a weapon to move around and puts the carriers in a mental state of constantly having to reassure themselves that the weapon is still present by touching it through their clothes. They may even unconsciously touch it periodically for assurance, giving away the fact they are carrying. This is bad for them, but very good for you! Even as a trained officer, I have found myself doing this from time to time with a holstered weapon that is concealed. There seems to be an unconscious sense of security that needs to be confirmed at times by verifying the presence of your first line of defense, your side arm. A person may walk with a shorter stride on the side a weapon is located. If they take longer strides with one foot while shortening the other, especially the side of their strong arm, this may be a good indication they are carrying a weapon concealed.
  3. Are they wearing baggy clothing or does it fit the season? If they are wearing a jacket during a warmer part of the year, this could be a sign of an attempt of concealment. If you suspect a person may be carrying concealed, observe the clothing and look for any odd bulges or disruptions in the way a shirts falls against the body. While it may look normal for the most part, weapons often give subtle disruption to curves that say “here I am.”

Contact and Cover: When approaching a person or group of people, it is important to be friendly but stern in your presence. Standing upright and squared does much for those sizing you up for the first time. If you find yourself having to get close, always have someone there to cover you as a backup. In a crisis scenario, people may try to take advantage of perceived weakness.  Havening someone there as a lethal force alternative is paramount for safely interacting with individuals with unknown intentions. Remember….before you ever allow anyone to enter into your home, camp, etc. always check for weapons. In a crisis scenario, people become desperate and will do radical things in order to survive. Just like an officer must check for weapons before putting someone in a patrol car, the same principle applies here.

The proper way to do this is by having a cover person with you. Make sure your cover is at least half to the size of the group you are speaking with if possible. Remember. …if they approach you with a request, it’s your safety. If they refuse to submit to a pat down, send them on their way. There is no need to put you or your loved ones at unnecessary risk at such times. While searching an individual, have any others with them sit on the ground facing away from you. While being covered, and only searching one person at a time, have the person to be searched face away from you, and interlock their fingers on top of their head. Put your left foot forward between their legs and your right leg back. Wrap your hand over their interlocked knuckles and squeeze. Use your right hand to sweep their body on the right side and search for weapons. To sweep the left side, repeat the steps by reversing your locking hand and foot. Never go to your knees or kneel down. You must bend down to sweep legs, but never compromise your feet in how they are anchored or your locking hand while sweeping someone for weapons.

Protect Yourself When Conducting a Search: Don’t go fishing in pockets unnecessarily. If gloves are unavailable, use great care when sweeping an individual for weapons. Needles and razor blades pose a serious threat, and fishing without proper gloves could result in disaster. The gloves I recommend are Turtle Skin Severe Gear or Turtle Skin Police Search Gloves, they will protect from edged weapons and most importantly, they will protect you from needles!
 
Remember, your main concern is concealed firearms, but do not discount the threat of a knife either. Knives are devastatingly dangerous in the hands of a skilled person.

Body Armor: Body armor is paramount in its ability to save lives and becomes a force multiplier. While police are very familiar with the use of body armor, many civilians may not be. Kevlar body amour is legal to own and purchase by anyone in most jurisdictions. However, like any tool, it must be used correctly for the right purpose. Not all body armor is created equal. Kevlar body armor comes in many ratings, and it’s these ratings that indicate the level of threat they can deter. When it comes to soft body armor, the two common threat levels are level II and level IIIA. Soft body armor will NOT stop a rifle round. This requires hard plates, either steel or ceramic, and is rated from level III to IV.

NIJ Level Ratings

Type II
(9 mm;.357 Magnum)

New armor protects against 8 g (124 gr) 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 398 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1305 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 10.2 g (158 gr) .357 Magnum Jacketed Soft Point bullets at a velocity of 436 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). Conditioned armor protects against 8 g (124 gr) 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 379 m/s ±9.1 m/s (1245 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 10.2 g (158 gr) .357 Magnum Jacketed Soft Point bullets at a velocity of 408 m/s ±9.1 m/s (1340 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I and IIA].

Type IIIA
(.357 SIG; .44 Magnum)

New armor protects against 8.1 g (125 gr) .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose (FN) bullets at a velocity of 448 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1470 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 15.6 g (240 gr) .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets at a velocity of 436 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). Conditioned armor protects against 8.1 g (125 gr) .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose (FN) bullets at a velocity of 430 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1410 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 15.6 g (240 gr) .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets at a velocity of 408 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1340 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against most handgun threats, as well as the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, and II].

 

Type III
(Rifles)

Conditioned armor protects against 9.6 g (148 gr) 7.62x51mm NATO M80 ball bullets at a velocity of 847 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (2780 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, II, and IIIA].

 

Type IV
(Armor Piercing Rifle)

Conditioned armor protects against 10.8 g (166 gr) .30-06 Springfield M2 armor-piercing (AP) bullets at a velocity of 878 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (2880 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides at least single hit protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, II, IIIA, and III].

(National Insitute of Justice, 2012)
           
In conclusion, the police are everyday people. They do not look at survivalists as the “enemy.” They are family people like anyone else and would rather be there to protect and help you in the event of a crisis. In a crisis a law enforcement officer would be someone with a valuable skill set to have around, as they can provide training to those around them to become proficient in security and personal safety. If you are fortunate to know a law enforcement officer, ask them to teach you such valuable skill sets, more often than not, they will be more than accommodating in doing so. For those that don’t have such an option, my hope is that this article will provide others with some food for thought and arm them with the knowledge needed to help protect themselves and loved ones in the event of a “the end of the world as we know it”, or any other crisis.  

References

National Insitute of Justice. (2012, January 23).
Rawles, James W. (2009). “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”. New York: Penguin Group.

Two Letters Re: Introduction To Multi-Caliber Guns

Sir:
J.S. did a pretty good review of multi caliber weapons (“Introduction to Multi-Caliber Guns by J.S.“) but he forgot the time honored Thompson-Center (T-C) Encore and Contender, now owned by Smith and Wesson single-shot firearms.  
 
The Encore and Contender firearm lines not only allow changing barrels but to convert from pistol to rifle and back again by not only switching barrels but stocks, forearms and grips.  Encores are the larger frame and can handle almost any cartridge that you can.  You can buy barrels from 12 gauge to sub-caliber Hornet based wildcats and with either an offset barrel or a modified firing pin assembly even .22 LR, Long or Short.  There are also muzzleloading barrels in several calibers made for them.  
 
The Contender now being sold in the G2 version is a smaller frame than the Encore that switches between rim and centerfire cartridges with the flip of a lever on the hammer.  Earlier Contenders are not as strong as the G2 version and need to be checked for stretched frames if bought used.  The contender is a 20 gauge and smaller firearm with many common rifle and pistol rounds chambered in the many barrels that have been made for it.  Barrels are interchangeable between Contender and G2 Contender frames but not between the Contender and the Encore frames.   
 
T-C has just introduced a new multi cartridge rifle that is a magazine-fed bolt action repeater with a three-round magazine called the Dimension that has interchangeable barrels, magazines and bolts from .204 Ruger to .300 Winchester Magnum.  It is an interesting firearm that fills some needs. – Lowell K.
 

Captain Rawles,
I just wanted to add to the very well thought out and well-written article, Introduction to Multi-Caliber Guns by J.S. 

He mentions that the .454 Casull can also handle .45 Colt, the new Smith and Wesson .460 S&W Magnum revolver will fire .460 S&W Magnum as well as the .454 Casull and .45 Colt cartridges.   That gives you three options if you were considering a large bore revolver.
 
Keep up the good fight. Thank you – Brad M.

Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this: Obama’s Budget Puts 2012 Deficit at $1.33 Trillion.

Courtesy of Kevin S.: Straight Talk with Tyler Durden: The U.S. Is Free-Falling Into Bankruptcy

Items from The Economatrix:

Bad Home Loans Top $72 Billion In “Colossal Failure”

Mortgage Giants To Pay $25 Billion In Foreclosure Settlement

S&P Threatens US With Another Downgrade

Possible Next Debt Bomb:  Student Debt Pushing More People Towards Bankruptcy

Odds ‘n Sods:

I’ve warned readers about the OPSEC perils of going on camera for documentary television shows. Apparently this gent put a target on his back: Doomsday Prepper Declared Mental Defective…. Government confiscates his Guns. Please pray for Mr. Sardi.

   o o o

Video of some ncredibly short takeoffs and landings: Doyle, Cuzoom Win Annual Valdez STOL Competition. (Thanks to RBS for the link.)

   o o o

Kevin S. suggested this WRSA blog piece: Shoot Until The Target Changes Shape Or Catches Fire

   o o o

Troy H. sent a link to a military vehicle dealer in England, “For the prepper that has (almost) everything”: TanksForSale.co.uk

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?

The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law.

But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” – 1Corinthians 15:50-58 (KJV)

Notes from JWR:

We’ve just about finished our migration to SurvivalBlog’s dedicated server in Sweden. All the DNS links should be fully propagated within 24 hours. You will also notice that my very talented #2 Son’s recent work solved some chronic problems that had plagued our old server’s database configuration, in Utah. For example, all searches of the archives (using the Search box) now work the first time. Also, the Permalinks now work with both dashes and underscores.

There is no need to update your links or bookmarks. “SurvivalBlog.com” still works fine, but the server is now in Sweden. Hopefully this will make us less vulnerable to DNS attacks. Please note that we still highly recommend NetFronts for web hosting. They have exceptionally good customer service and uptime. We simply felt to the need to “Get Out of Dodge”, with SOPA or Son-of-SOPA looming on the horizon.

Be sure to bookmark our IPV4 address: 95.143.193.148

I should also mention that since Google and the other search engines depend on IP address based back-links, our search engine ranking took a big hit, temporarily. So I’d greatly appreciate it if readers would establish links to SurvivalBlog from their web sites, blogs, and e-mail footers. A text link works just as well as a graphic link. Many thanks!

—

Today we present another entry 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.

Surviving The Cold, by The Other D.B.

Most of us take for granted the fact that if were cold we can find someplace warm to retreat to. In the event of a catastrophe that luxury is going to be one of the first things that goes by the wayside. Animals adapt to their environment or they perish, survival of the fittest. I’ve talked to a few folks that have a couple tons of food and ammo stashed that have never even thought about the clothes situation.  So, What can we do as smart animals to prepare for that day?

Unfortunately a lot of people have no clue at all how to dress themselves for cold and inclement weather. Usually we put on what we have that we think is the warmest and hope for the best. That is not going to work when there is no warm house to run to and warm up in! Get rained on and your sol. Yeah that nice brown popular work gear is great but at most it’s used 12 hours and then you have a chance to dry it and you out. Try spending a few days in it without drying it out and see how comfy you are!

The best way  to stay dry, warm, and comfortable is layers, and they have to be layers of the correct material. Cotton is pretty much useless for  staying warm. It holds moisture, does not breath well, and is not a very good insulator. Cotton is good for warm days and summer time, It’s cheap and easy to obtain. So don’t plan on getting any usable service out of any of your cotton clothes in the winter.

The fundamental key of staying warm is to simply stay dry. Wet clothing dissipates body heat at a phenomenal rate. The saying  “If your wet your dead” in the winter is pretty self explanatory.  So in order to stay dry we need to fist keep the moisture and sweat our bodies produce away from our skin.  We do this by our base layer. It is clothing that is designed to allow moisture to pass through it without absorbing it. One of the early forms of this is silk. Yes, that luxurious cloth does have some functional value! Silk is expensive, and is not very stretchy or conforming. Silk blends however are very conducive to  functional base layers! I’ve found silk base layers to be functional and comfortable but they don’t seem to be as durable as I’d like.   Just as effective and more affordably priced, and more durable, are base layers made from polypropylene and the like. There are a variety of manufactures out there that each have their own magic blend so shop around. Just keep in mind the intended function of the base layer is to keep you dry, not to keep you warm.  As a side note there is “base layer “ underwear available from a variety of manufactures. This extends the wear time of your pants and tops base layers by letting you change your skivvies once a day or so… One key to look for on your base layers are pants and tops that are large enough to cover your lower back with no gaps. And they need to do this in all positions so bend over twist lift your legs up do some PT and make sure they don’t work their way down or up. FYI, women’s bottoms seem to ride a bit higher than men’s on the backside. Your base layer needs to fit like a second skin, skin tight is what you want. This prevents it from working and moving around and bunching up in places.

So now that we have a good moisture wicking base layer on lets talk about the insulation layers. Again, anything cotton is useless so don’t bother, even a cotton T-shirt can cause you problems. The old standby for insulation is good old wool. It’s plentiful, and has some insulation value even when wet. The cons are it’s itchy, and tends to be heavy. Luckily technology has provided us with a cheap and extremely effective material called fleece. Fleece is a form of spun plastic, often times made from recycled plastic bottles. It’s extremely lightweight, durable, available in varying densities and thickness, and is just plain comfortable. It dries quickly and does not hold water well so it even maintains some insulation value when it’s wet! About the only negative I can think of is the fact it tends to melt quickly around fire so br extremely careful if you try drying it out over an open camp fire! Again the key is layers so throw on a couple layers of it depending on how cold it is outside and your activity level. You can also mix it up with a layer of fleece and then a wool sweater. Other options include fleece jackets and vests. These are handy as they usually have some pockets. Jackets and vests are good calls when it’s cold on sunny days when there is no wind or precipitation. Layer up, you can always take some off if your hot, or throw an extra layer in the pack and add it if your cold.

The last layer you should put on is your first layer of defense against the elements, and yes, you need to think of this as war against mother nature and all that she can bring because that is exactly what it is. If she wins you die, simple fact. This outer layer is your coat and bibs. Now I know you all think that you have plenty of coats and pants for winter so let me offer you a test. Put on your best coat and bibs /pants and stand outside and let someone hose you down with the garden hose for ten minutes ( obviously not spraying you directly in the face but pretty much everywhere else). Take your stuff off and see how dry you are. If your not completely dry then your gear is junk. Sorry but that $500 you spent on that hunting coat was more for the name and the funky camo pattern on it!

Your coat and pants/bibs needs to do two things, one it needs to let moisture out, and two it needs to keep any moisture on the outside on the outside. Lucky for us humans we’ve invented just such a material, Gore-Tex is the most popular, been time tested and proven, and is what I prefer. Not to say that there are not other materials out there that can’t do the same job. I just prefer to stick with what has worked in the past. The next technical feature you need to look for are taped and sealed seams on the jacket and pants. It will look similar to a good tent that is taped and sealed only it will be a much better job usually. This is an important feature as it actually makes the coat waterproof. No leaky seams that can leak water or air. You would be surprised at how much air can permeate the holes made by a sewing machine when it’s a 40 MPH wind! Another feature is a built-in hood, usually made from the same materiel as the coat. These typically roll up and stow in the collar of the jacket when not in use. The hood is a huge component to keeping you dry when it’s raining or snowing as it’s your “roof” to keep it out of your neck! It also provides a complete barrier from the top of your head to the bottom of the coat against wind, blowing snow and rain. Another must have feature is under arm zipper vents. These allow you to ‘vent’ heat during physical activity, even when it’s raining! So when you find yourself heating up you open the vents up. If you have a fleece jacket with under arm vents as well then the next step is to open them up. This allows you to quickly cool down without removing any insulation layers. If it’s not enough then you will need to shed the fleece jacket or a layer underneath it.  A good coat will also have a powder skirt, this is an elastic flap inside the coat that you snap together around your stomach before you zip up the coat. This is the sealing mechanism between your coat and bibs to keep out blowing wind and snow. Seems like a minor trivial thing, but it is very important. It keeps all the cold air from getting inside your jacket from the bottom and wasting your body heat. The cuffs will also have velcro sealing bands that allow you to seal the ends of the sleeves to the same end. The zipper should also have a full length closure flap / gusset for sealing off the zipper against wind and rain.  A good coat will also have a number of handy pockets here and there to stash your gloves and hats and what not. Do not get in the habit of using this space as stuff space for all the things you think you might be needing. Use these primarily for your jacket accessories, hats, gloves, glasses, face protectors and the like. You need to start thinking of the coat as an important survival tool, and the tool needs to be filled with all the things you need with it so when you grab it in a hurry and run your not forgetting anything. The best coat and bibs in the world are going to be useless if you forget your hat and gloves. Most coats have a couple inside pockets for a small sidearm or radio, but much of that needs to be on your pack or utility harness, not on or in your coat.

Snow pants or bibs, this is the question.
Snow pants are nice if your never going to bend over or fall down on your backside. Even if your sitting they tend to leave a gap at the back, and that is not good! So from my experience pants are pretty useless in long term winter exposure. Bibs are the way to go, they fit higher up around your back and chest, and have suspenders to keep them in place. You may not be the suspender type of person so let me explain why it’s so important. Suspenders allow you to adjust your bibs to the point that they are not bunching up in the crotch and choking you to death. This allows you to move your legs and your body in all positions very freely without stretching your bibs all out of proportion or even ripping them open. And no matter what position you find yourself in that spot on your lower back is always covered! The height of them also bridges over the seams between your top and bottom layers under it so all your seams are not in one place making things a lot more comfortable. The freedom of movement that bibs give you in normal circumstances is critical when you need to do things like run and jump a long distance or scale a rock face or jump off a vehicle quickly.

Another feature of bibs is they usually have zippers along the outside legs, this lets you vent excess heat like your coat does. There are fleece pants that also have zippers on the side as well for more ventilation options. The cuffs are also specially designed with an internal  cuff to seal out air and snow like the one inside the jacket. Cuffs should have adjustable velcro closures to allow different boot sizes as you may be wearing packs for snowshoes one day and the next you may have on cross country ski boots. Even if your home or in camp and have on work boots or something it’s important to have the option to seal them up to keep the draft out.  The zippers should also have closures over them like the coat.  Now most of us are accustomed to cargo pants pockets and may think that you need these in the snow pants. I’ve found plain no pocket snow pants is the way to go as they shed snow and rain much better. The other factor is that if your on snow shoes or cross country  skis the last thing you want is a bunch of stuff chaffing your legs back and forth every time you take a step. Stick it in your pack. Again, make sure the bibs are constructed of a breathable fabric such as Gore-tex.

The Hands:
Treat your hands the same way as your body, layers. Everyone seems to think that they need gloves as well. Sad truth of the matter is if it’s cold out there are no gloves that are going to keep your fingers warm and toasty very long. If you want them to stay warm and dry then use mittens for your outer layer. Now were not talking the knitted red ones grandma used to make, were talking full on technical gore-tex with leather or abrasion resistant palms and thumbs. They should also have nice long gauntlets with shock cord closures on the cuffs to seal them up over your coat. Your also hook those cords to your coat sleeves so you don’t loose your mitts when you pop them off to do something. What works best is a good wicking base layer glove, these are really thin, and offer little or insulation value. On top of that you can place a fleece glove for insulation. Best to have a selection of different weight fleece gloves for different activity levels and conditions. Fleece gloves with leather palms and reinforcing are nice as you can shed your mitts quick and then have the dexterity to use your fingers. The leather give some protection against them getting wet when you grab things. For those really cold days a thick pair of fleece mittens that fit inside the liners will be warranted, and much appreciated by your fingers. Now the top layer mitts are not going to fit tight, probably even when you have the thick fleece mitts on, this is no reason for concern as they were intended to work that way! Ice Climbing and mountaineering are by far the best type of gloves to get. If your going to go cheap on something don’t let it be hand protection….

Now for the head. We all know that our heads radiate and disperse heat more than any other part of our body, so it’s critical that we insulate it to prevent all our precious body heat from escaping. Again, same principal, layers. Nice long “balaclava” wicking head liner to start the layer, then some fleece, maybe a fleece neck gaiter, nice fleece or wool hat to top it all off. Helmets – ski or snowboarding are also very nice in some situations. Just make sure you can close all the gaps between your torso and the head, the neck is a very annoying place to have a draft! Your hood on the coat completes the outer layer in time of moisture or precipitation. Make sure you have enough layers to cover and insulate your face right up to your eyes. If it’s really cold nasty and windy out your going to want everything covered… and I mean everything. Frostbite can happen in a few minutes if conditions are right, and the tip of the nose is where it’s going to occur, and you not going to know about it till it’s too late. Have extra so you can rotate them out if they ice up from heavy breathing. Goggles are a must, have at the minimum two pair of each ( Daytime and nighttime ) so you can rotate them when they ice over or fog up bad. If they are fogging up you need to vent your head a bit more to prevent it. Have some clear goggles for when it gets dark, and a couple shades for the daytime is nice as well. Yellow/orange tinted ones provide greater clarity in the snow during the day, but can sometimes not provide enough shading to protect your eyes. If it’s nice out sunglasses work just fine, goggles are for inclement weather and let you seal your face up completely against it. Gently clean iced up goggles off and place inside your coat to dry them off. Remove and let cool before you put them back on.

 If your going to be out in the sun a long time and it’s nothing but snow cover you should really have glasses with protection on the sides. Mountaineering “glacier” sun glasses have these or you can quickly fashion something from a scrap of cloth or leather. This prevents the reflection of the sun off the snow getting into your eyes. What happens if your on a snow pack on a sunny day without glasses, or with poor ones, is that you basically “sprain” your eye. This feels like someone took a 3” long needle and jabbed it into each eye. The treatment, drugs to dilate your pupil and staying out of the light, rather lengthy recovery as well. Get a few pair of good cheap polarized sunglasses  for everyday beating around in, and have a good pair of glacier glasses or two to use on those really sunny days on the snow!

The Feet. Treat your feet with the same layering technique we’ve been talking about all along. The exception is that fleece socks don’t seem to be that great of an idea! Get some good thin wicking liners and then some nice insulated socks. Most of us seem to have a pretty good handle on this so I’m not going to go into detail. Just make sure you have plenty of socks, and boots, to keep your feet dry and warm! Pack type boots are a favorite of mine and have proven themselves time and again. 

Your layers should depend on your activity level, dress for the least active you plan to be and then shed layers as you or the day heats up. Look for options like vests and fleece jackets that have zippers under the arms for vents. Try to keep from sweating as much as possible by shedding layers and venting. Antiperspirant on the feet is also a neat trick to keep them from sweating quite so much if it’s available. Try to stay away from “fashionable” Brand names and stick with time proven companies that have been outfitting climbers and mountaineers for a few decades. North Face, Marmot, and Patagonia are names I trust.  If you want warm fleece the Patagonia stuff is the bomb in my opinion, paddlers in 33 degree water do seem to know how to dress for it! About the only ‘house’ brand stuff that I’ve found and trust is REI’s stuff. They make some pretty decent items that are reasonably priced. Make an opportunity present itself to test your gear, see how long you can last on a single digit day and you’ll either impress yourself at your ability or scare yourself from the fact of how ill-prepared you are for cold weather survival. Stay warm!