One Family’s Relocation to The American Redoubt, by Recon

I’d like to share my experience in moving to the American Redoubt area.   This is our true, and inspiring story of how we came to move to Idaho. 
 I must confess.  I have no real prepper skills other than the ability to really connect with people on a personal level, being a nice guy, and I’ve mastered the skill of knowing I don’t know anything.  I couldn’t give anyone survival lessons on any topic.  The fact is, most of you would probably consider me a horrible prepper.  My family and I have no carpentry skills, mechanical ability, construction aptitude, electronic communications know-how, medical training, or military or law enforcement experience.  We really are a couple average people, but we are trying to prepare ourselves for an uncertain future.  I think perhaps there are more people like us out there than most realize.  Hopefully our story of relocating to the redoubt will inspire others like us and you can take courage from some of our experience.  Since I have no other real skills, our relocation was the only information I could relay with any credibility.  I probably won’t win any contests, but that’s ok.  I just want to share our story.

A  Little Background
 Since 1984 I had lived in Western Oregon.  I was six years old when my parents moved the family there.  My wife was from the central valley area of California.  After meeting during our college years we moved back to the Willamette Valley in Oregon where I grew up.  Our family currently is comprised of me, my wife, a chocolate Labrador Retriever, and a Beagle.  We are both approaching our mid-30’s and have been married over 11 years.   

Our Situation
I desperately wanted to move away from Oregon for many reasons.  Mainly, I grew weary of moral decay and an almost absolute guaranteed defeat at the ballot box of candidates I thought would be most truthful, honest and fight for less government.  I tired of Marijuana Awareness Week, pride festivals, cross-dressing mayors,  and big government in general.  I’m trying to keep this a-political, but for me, it was a huge reason why we left.  We also had family in Idaho.  That was also a huge draw. 
If you are thinking about moving to a redoubt state, you may have some feelings of self disappointment or self defeat.  You may think (like me) that by leaving, all you do is make things worse by leaving your city with one less solid American family.  You may ask yourself, “How can I make a difference and change hearts and minds, and make America better if I  abandon my station and cut ties?”  Believe me, I struggled with those same thoughts too.  In these situations, be on your knees and find out what the Lord  wants you to do, then do it.  If you never feel any answer either way, then make the decision, and then make it right.  We did, and our story follows.

Career Situation
From 2004 to 2008 I was selling real estate in Oregon before the bubble burst.  We were living high on the hog then with a brand new home, two late model SUVs, a boat, and lots of credit to make those purchases.  In 2008 we relocated further South along the I-5 corridor to take a new job as a pharmaceutical representative—which was a breath of fresh air after the start of the housing collapse—with a good salary, medical & dental benefits, and a company car.  Well, that job wasn’t nearly what it seemed to be on the outside.  It was a great way to provide, but spawned complete professional unhappiness inside me.   I was miserable.   I applied and took the Border Patrol tests, but in the end, my wife wasn’t on board with it.  Living on the Southern Boarder in the middle of nowhere and the perceived constant danger and perils of the job were too much for her.   So, I interviewed with the FBI for almost eight months, only to be turned down at the final stage of interviews.  It was a discouraging time.  About then, the pharma company I was working for another set of layoffs.   Many in the industry called these years  ”Pharma-geddon” .  The interesting part was that they offered sales reps a chance to volunteer to be laid off, so that those who really bought into the company line could stay and they’d have a more loyal sales force.  Offered by the company was a minimum severance pay that equated to five or six months of pay and continued health benefits for a few months time also.  I knew in my head and heart that I wanted to take the voluntary layoff.  I discussed it with my wife.  We also prayed about the decision.  In this particular instance, we never really felt divine intervention in getting an answer to prayer.  However, we did feel that perhaps this time, the Lord was just letting us make a decision on our own, based on our own sincere heart-felt desires.  He would make it right, whatever we chose.  To us, it was our ticket to ride away into the sunset.  A new dawn, in which we’d have about five months of income from the severance to secure other employment.  We also prepared ourselves mentally that this could be a horrible decision in the short term and could lead to a lot of financial pain. 

The Decision to Relocate
We made the decision to request the voluntary layoff.  I did, and it was granted.   Family members and friends thought we were insane, making a decision like that.  They saw my well paying job, benefits, and current 9.7% national unemployment as all the reason a person should stay put given such circumstances.   To a large extent, I agreed.   Logic and reasoning said don’t do it.  This is something  that many will have to face on the road to relocation…possible doubters, and self doubt.   We don’t all come from families or have friends who see things exactly as we do.  And even in this community of preppers, there are various degrees of readiness and enthusiasm for how far you take your preparations

Our plan since my wife was working  was for me to travel to Idaho and stay at my in-laws home for a few weeks at a time while my wife stayed back and tried to sell the home.  That way we wouldn’t have to give up her income stream at the gift store where she was working.  This would enable me to get my feet on the street at the desired location in Idaho where we wanted to live.  I would stay a week or two and start turning up stones, making contacts, and applying for jobs.  I believed that if I encountered something positive in the job market, it would look better for me if I were already “living” in the area of the job, versus having an employer looking at my resume and assuming I lived in Oregon, still had a house to sell, and therefore “probably not a great candidate” to consider, yada yada yada.  If necessary I was willing to take a near minimum wage job if I had to in a worst case scenario.

Our Housing Situation
“What about our house situation?” you might ask.  Like several other million persons around the country, we were also upside down in our home.  We purchased at $275,000, and we now had our poor home on the market for $249,900 just two years later.  Our down payment was completely obliterated and then some.  We would literally be penniless after the move and a possible sale on the home.   Surprisingly we got on offer on the home within 7 days, even before I left to seek work in Idaho.  However, coming to agreement with the buyers would mean bringing to the table at closing almost every penny we had in the bank.  We would essentially be moving with no reserve funds at all.  However, we considered ourselves extremely lucky to have even received an offer at all, yet alone in the first week.  As you can see, my wife and I were really motivated to see this through.  Again, some would say we were off our rockers.  To us though, things seemed to be falling right in place, as if it were a confirmation from the Lord that we were making the right choice.  A few days later I was in Idaho looking for employment and trying to follow up on any leads.  I had been there 3 or 4 days when I got a response call from a sales position I had applied for online.  It offered a pretty good salary, especially for the cost of living in this area.  I interviewed for the job, nailed it, negotiated up a few thousand dollars in the compensation and was hired and working in the Eastern Idaho territory during the first week of July, 2010. So you can understand the timeline here, formal notification of being laid off in Oregon was on June 15th.  So, in just over two week’s time, our house had an accepted offer, I had interviewed for and accepted a new position, and we had relocated to Idaho.  I had begun work the first week in July after Independence Day.  And I still had over 4 months of remaining pay coming to me from the previous job.   Truly we had made the correct decision and we were being blessed.

The little miracles were too much to overlook.  This was at a time when the average time on the market for homes was many months—if you sold at all—and those who were unemployed were now getting benefits for 99 weeks and the nation was setting records for average time spent unemployed by the jobless. 

Was there Pain?
Yes, there was pain involved.  We left my widowed mother behind.  Sometimes I felt as though I was abandoning my responsibility as a son to always care for her and be near enough to support her in her life.   She’s only in her 50’s and works full time, but it was still an issue we had to wrestle with.  It was difficult to do.  Many considering relocation have to ask themselves if you can leave those loved ones behind, either because they have no desire to come, or are not otherwise in a position to follow.  If you ask me, the last thing you should do is try convincing them to come by saying the world is coming to an end and they need to join your retreat group.  That is, unless they think exactly the same way you do.  Another small little miracle with the above pain I describe is that my brother and his family have since moved nearby also.  Not only that, but I am proud to say that my aforementioned mother has a job interview out here in Idaho this coming Monday. 

A big dose of painful medicine is that our house deal ended up falling apart after three months of trying to make things work out with the buyer.  Basically there were circumstances outside our control in the lending world because of the huge financial crisis.  This prevented the buyers from buying our home in the end, even though there wasn’t anything wrong with their credit worthiness.   We had been in Idaho nearly three months now.  It was a crushing blow.  Miraculously we were able to purchase a new home before our home in Oregon ended up slipping into foreclosure.   Thirty-five thousand dollars upside down in the home, no prospects of selling, and a decreasing job market actually led to a strategic default.  We weighed all options including renting it out.  The going rent rates wouldn’t have come close to making the monthly mortgage payment.   I’m not proud of it, but we followed the course many others had paved.  We tried doing it the right way and were willing to come to closing with our entire savings, but after that sale fell apart, we lost all motivation to continue the fight.  I am truly sorry for contributing to the housing/foreclosure problem across the country.  I am also in no way advocating this course of action to anyone.  Some states even have laws on the books and they can come after you for deficiency judgments.  This was just a tough decision we had to make. 

It’s been several months since the bank auctioned off the old house.   I have checked my credit about 3 or 4 months ago, and just as recently as early this month to see what the damage has done.  Before, our credit was in the 800s.  Three or 4 months ago it was up to 695, and this month it’s already up to 737 according to the credit report subscription online I signed up for to monitor our credit.  We really have bounced back, even from that huge black eye.  Our current mortgage, car payment, and student loans that we continued paying on brought our score back up rapidly.  We were taken by surprise by this.

Some may say that we carried out this entire move on an assumption that we could sell the home, and that we used the quick sale as partial confirmation from God that we were doing the right thing.  They may say that perhaps you made a mistake, because in fact, the house didn’t sell.  So this must not have been such an answer to prayer after all right?  To us, however it’s just the opposite.  The quick sale was an extra boost of confidence to get us out the door to Idaho.  As I said before, we were prepared for possible pain our decisions could bring that were unexpected.   That leads me to life in the redoubt since arriving.

Life in the Redoubt
We’ve been living in Idaho for 19 months now.   We don’t have a ranch entrenched on a well positioned hill with 50 acres that’s off the beaten path.  I only own four guns thusfar and not enough ammunition.  I’m not off the grid.  I could go on.   Like I said, you’d probably say I was a horrible prepper.  However, we do own a home on an acre in a smaller city of about 5,000.  We live in a subdivision of 1 acre properties.  Life over here is so much different in many ways in the general thought process of the public and your neighbors.  I’ll never forget going into a newly opened gun shop in town. (I bought a Remington 870 tactical.)  When I told the owner where I had moved from, he said “Welcome to the free world!”  In fact, I went in to get my concealed carry permit and all I had to do was sign a piece of paper and pay $60 at the local sheriff’s office.  It came in the mail about 3-4 weeks later.  It really did feel like I had entered the free world.   There was no requirement to take a class or anything.  Honestly, I don’t carry yet.  I’m waiting to take my defensive pistol class later this year before I tote a firearm.  Remember what I said about knowing that I don’t know anything?  I know my limitations, which is why I am going to take a class before carrying.

There is a much different feeling over here as to being self sufficient, relying on each other and being prepared.  It certainly feels like a more traditional American values part of the country.  Sure you can find misfits, stoners, and criminals everywhere, but here, it’s much less.  Neighbors seem generally eager to help one another in projects and being involved in a sense of community.  For fundraising, the Boy Scouts of America come out on every major patriotic holiday and post American Flags out front on your property.  Being in an agricultural area, there is also an abundance of people who have real skills from growing up on the farm, operating and fixing machinery, or operating their small business as some sort of contractor.  Lots of trucks and cars around here with the name of the owners business painted on the side.   Outdoorsmanship which you’ll find very common in the redoubt states also provides another great source of knowledge, skills, and resources to learn from.  I’ve taken up hunting since moving to Idaho.  I’ve shot, gutted, and eaten my first grouse.  It’s also very common to see big gardens over here in our 1 acre subdivision.   It is quite a big hobby around these parts.  They say when you move out here, you have to become a part time farmer. 

We planted a pretty good garden ourselves this year for the first time. We even attended a regular gardening meeting where we’d swap ideas, know-how, and visit the gardens of those who attended the meetings to learn different techniques and strategies for better yields, storage ideas, and ground prep ideas etc.   Boy was it a learning curve that first year.  We managed however to yield several bags of food for freezer storage.  We felt really good about that.  There is something extremely gratifying about putting a seed in the ground, harvesting and then eating what you have cultivated. 
The rest is just details really.  We’ve beefed up food storage through the LDS dry pack cannery locally, and we have many of the basic essentials of heat, clothing, shelter, and food.  We also put together our G.O.O.D. bags last year. 

Would we do it all again?
Absolutely.  We’ve never looked back.  One thing I didn’t tell you earlier is that back in Oregon, after I left  5 out of 7 sales reps ended up getting laid off in my territory.  So, statistically, the odds turned out heavily against me that I would keep my job anyway.   Plus, we took charge of our own destiny before someone could tell us what our destiny would be.  That was empowering.

Thanks for listening to me as I’ve told our story of relocating to the American Redoubt.  I know you must have read much of what I said and realized I’m somewhat of a convert to this growing movement.  Hopefully you’re not ashamed of my ignorance and lack of real prepping talent.   I believe however that my wife and I represent the crowd you are trying to attract and educate.  We are people of like mind, varying skills, a strong belief in God, salvation and serving our fellow men.  Thank you for letting us be a part of your Survivalblog.com community.  My only hope is that something I have written above will inspire or enlighten someone else in a similar situation.  Godspeed.

Letter Re: Kel-Tec SU-16 Rifles

James,
I ran across the info on your sight about the Kel-Tec SU16. I wanted to share my knowledge of the rifle with you. First of all, let me state that I have AR-15s and I enjoy them so I am not telling anyone to ditch their AR.

I have the SU16A model with a Trijicon Accupoint 2-10 power 56mm scope on it. The rifle cost me $570 including tax. When you take the rifle apart you realize it’s a hybrid between an AR-15 and an AK-47. The first thing I did was replace the extractor with a heavy duty DPMS extractor for an AR-15 as some of the parts are interchangeable with the AR-15. The trigger configuration is all AK, which means you could drop the thing out a tenth story window in to a vat of pig swill and it will still work. I use cheap ammo, Wolf 55gr FMJ. I have put about 2000 rounds through this thing and not one misfire, mis-feed, jam or any other problem. I haven’t had any problem with any AR mags I have used in it.

For the accuracy I find it to be excellent. At 50 yards I can put the bullet in almost the same hole sometimes, and I am not exaggerating with that statement. At 100 yards center-mass is a breeze. I have a competition AR from Bushmaster that I used to use constantly, I now use the Kel-Tec all the time, it is my go to rifle. I can’t attest to the other models’ durability but the A model is extremely durable, you could easily use it for butt stocking, but it may not work that well due to the lightness of the gun as it only weighs about 4.5 pounds unloaded, so you definitely will not become fatigued from carrying it around.

I love ARs, but a good one is upwards of $1,500 to $2,000. With the price of this rifle and it’s reliability and accuracy I would urge people to add it to their bag of tricks. Also there is no recoil, a little bit of muzzle flip but nothing horrible, I would suggest a JP Recoil Eliminator on the end and the darn thing won’t even move. The “C” and “CA” models come with a threaded barrel so install is really easy with some [green] Loc-Tite.

I just wanted to share this with you and your readers since I have a lot of range time with this weapon and definitely trust it. I would add though that these rifles are getting really hard to get. – Jon G.

Economics and Investing:

Washington Footing the $1.6 Billion Cell Phone Bill for Millions of Low Income Americans

Chris Martenson: Why Our Currency Will Fail

If The Euro Breaks Up — Scenarios For Greece, PIIGS And Total Collapse. (Thanks to F.B. for the link.)

Reader Andrew M. mentioned the latest edition of KGS Night Watch newsletter that discusses possible economic collapse in Iran

Items from The Economatrix:

G.G. flagged an interesting article from the blogosphere that originated in Switzerland: On Banknotes.

B.B. sent this: Food Prices Rose Most in 11 Months, May Climb in February

Bernanke: Recovery Depends On Consumer Spending

10 Things Every American Should Know About The Federal Reserve

Odds ‘n Sods:

I mentioned this gizmo once before–back when it was in development–but this stove now appears to be ready for production: The ultimate in low tech meets? The wood stove USB device charger. (Thanks to Geoff S. for the link.)

   o o o

Bloomberg Reloads Against Guns. JWR’s Comment: These Big City Nannystaters don’t know when to quit. Haven’t they noticed that the crime rates in the U.S. are declining across the board, even as private gun ownership has reached a new high, and while restrictions on firearms carry–both openly and concealed–are gradually being rolled back? Guns in the hands of the citizenry aren’t a crime problem. They’re the solution. It is time for Mayor Bloomberg and his statist cronies to retire to Cuba. (That is, at least those that haven’t already been forced to resign or convicted and sent to prison. The number of members of Bloomberg’s “crime fighting” group that have been convicted of felonies is alarming. And BTW, since convicted felons permanently forfeit their right to own guns (per Federal law , they’ve at least been successful at disarming themselves.)

   o o o

Some great commentary from Bill Whittle: Why We Suck.

   o o o

Just for fun: Sheep-Herding Swedish Bunny Becomes Online Hit.

   o o o

I heard that Ready Made Resources now stocks RADTriage Radiation Detector cards. These fit in a wallet, or clip on to a badge holder.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two 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 American Redoubt: The L.A. Times Gets it Mostly Right

You may have already seen this article that ran in the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, February 8, 2012: The American Redoubt, where survivalists plan to survive
When society collapses, they intend to be armed and well fed in the high country of the Northwest. James Wesley Rawles is their guru on the subject. First, I must mention that this news story was run almost immediately before and with a link to a piece about a racist would-be parade bomber (the classic “guilt by association” editorial approach, but in this case, just guilt by geographical coincidence and a two-way hypertext link, to provide none-too-subtle nexus.)

In all, the article was better than most of the hatchet jobs that seem to prevail whenever the topic of survivalism is discussed. At least the reporter got her facts straight about the geography of The American Redoubt. One quibble is the semantics of a photo caption, that read: “Chuck Baldwin, speaking in Reno in 2011, is a conservative preacher and radio host who has bought into the survivalist message of James Wesley Rawles.” The phrase “bought in” has some negative connotations, in modern usage. It is noteworthy that photo captions are often used by agenda-driven editors for shading, after reporters have turned in an otherwise objective article.

My other gripe is a misquote. I was inaccurately quoted as calling myself “non-racist”. I actually said, in full: “I am non-racist and in fact an anti-racist“, which is much more direct and forthright. For the record: I despise racism!

Preventing, Identifying and Managing Infectious Disease, by Nancy S.

It is of extreme importance in any TEOTWAWKI situation that precautions be taken to prevent contracting or spreading infectious disease. If infectious disease is contracted, it is important to be able to recognize and manage it. This article will present some infectious diseases to be aware of, how they are contracted, what measures to take to minimize the risk of infection, and what to do if you have been exposed. 

Infectious or Communicable? 
Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites that invade the body. Commonly confused with communicable diseases, infectious diseases, not surprisingly, cause illness through exposure to an infectious agent, even if it cannot be spread from one person to another. Comparatively, a communicable disease is an infectious disease that can be spread from person to person. 

For example, while the common cold can be transmitted between people with little to no contact, an infectious disease such as malaria can only be transferred to a person from a vector – in this case, a mosquito. Malaria cannot, however, be transmitted from person to person and is therefore not communicable. 
 
Illness caused by an infectious disease pathogen can range from a minor cold, to life threatening hepatitis. The virulence of the microorganism and one’s general health typically determine the severity of the infection. Other sensitivities, such as autoimmune suppression, or pediatric or geriatric status, can be a factor in susceptibility to infection as well as the ability to overcome disease.
  
Infectious Diseases
The infectious diseases that pose important risks during a TEOTWAWKI situation pose serious threats not only to you and your loved one but to the community. While local circumstances and conditions can raise different risks, some infectious diseases to be aware of and prepared for include:

Influenza is a virus that causes upper respiratory infection. Spread quickly and contracted easily, the cold can knock you down for several days. With emerging mutations of the flu appearing every year, and with the expected emergence of a disastrously virulent strain, you must make an effort to prevent contagion. Prevent infection by maintaining good hand hygiene and avoiding touching your face, including rubbing your eyes.

Norovirus, [often and erroneously] called “the stomach flu,” causes severe gastrointestinal distress and, thus, results in dehydration due to vomiting and diarrhea. Influenza is caused by the influenza virus and is correctly referred to as the “flu”. The flu is a serious illness can can lead to complications and death in many people with risk factors associated with certain chronic diseases or conditions. The common cold is caused by completely different viruses. Contaminated food, water and surfaces spread the virus, which are the leading cause of food poisoning.

While norovirus is typically not serious for otherwise healthy adults, in a TEOTWAWKI situation, the dehydration it causes can lead to death. Even in normal times, Norovirus can be a severe illness among those who are elderly, very young or have certain chronic conditions. Deaths have occurred because of complications that resulted from pre-existing conditions. To prevent contracting it, make sure all surfaces and hands used for food preparation are clean. Wash your hands correctly before every meal. Always. Never touch bathroom doorknobs with your bare hands. While you cannot ensure that others will do the same, limit your exposure by reducing the number of times you eat food prepared by others. If you do become infected, rehydrate soon and often. Restore electrolyte imbalance by consuming cell salts or another source of electrolytes. Provide team support to the beneficial flora in your gut by taking a supplement such as HMF powder.

Cholera is caused by a bacteria that affects the small intestine and results in severe diarrhea. Found in contaminated water and food, it typically occurs in regions under heavy distress. Ensuring clean water and sanitation are essential for preventing cholera and other water-borne diseases, such a giardia in the event of a failure of municipal water systems. In any TEOTWAWKI situation, you must be prepared and vigilant about the safety of all water you consume or use for food preparation. Learn about and be supplied for performing water purification on your own.

Staph exists on the skin of a large percentage of the population but does not necessarily pose a risk until it enters the body through a break in the skin surface. An fairly recent emergence of Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureas (MRSA) poses a life-threatening risk from the bacteria that comprise the staph group. Any staph-related infection is serious and should be avoided and quickly treated.

Hepatitis is a disease that causes inflammation of the liver. Not only can infected persons not have any signs or symptoms for years, but the pathogen can survive outside the body for days. Hepatitis A is transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Hepatitis B and C are blood-borne and both are very hearty viruses that can survive outside of the body and remain viable for quite a while. Hep A and B both can be prevented by vaccinations. Hep B and C can both be treated depending on the type of Hep B or C. (This is a simple explanation for a complex viral disease) Hep B and C is commonly transmitted through IV drug use, tattoos, and possibly sexually.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial respiratory infection spread by a patient’s sneezing or coughing. If an outbreak occurs in your area, take precautions to avoid infected persons and locations and used recommended protection for filtering respiration. In some parts of the world, the disease has mutated to resist every single antibiotic formerly used to treat it.

Salmonella can be contracted from contaminated chicken and eggs as well as from the handling of reptiles. Thoroughly wash all chicken meat and eggs before use and  safely contain all remnants and packaging. Follow the handling of chicken products and reptiles with thorough decontamination of the hands. 

Rabies is caused by a virus that can be contracted through the saliva of infected animals through a bite or scratch. Rabies has a 99.9% fatality rate. Avoid all contact with wild animals whenever possible, particularly if they are behaving oddly. If you do receive an injury from such an animal, immediately seek medical care.

Tetanus is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium tetani. It can be contracted from a sharp surface contaminated with the tetanus bacteria that lives in the soil. While it is a common misconception that mere metal, such as a nail, is a habitat for the bacterium, reality is that the metal (or other object) must be contaminated from contact with the soil or other carrier. The average nail in your shed is not likely to pose a tetanus risk. Stepping on a nail in your garden does. Keep your tetanus vaccination current to prevent contracting this disease.

HIV is present in blood, semen and other body fluids of those infected and can be transmitted sexually (regardless of a person’s sexual orientation) as well. The virus can also be transmitted from mother to child, IV drug use, or through blood transfusions. HIV can result in acquired immune deficiency syndrome, commonly known as AIDS. However, a person may not know he or she is infected and may not exhibit signs or symptoms for years. 

Routes of Entry
There are four major routes of entry for infectious disease pathogens to enter the body, including inhalation, ingestion, injection, and absorption.
 
Inhalation occurs with exposure to airborne pathogens, usually by coughing and sneezing. Aerosolized droplets containing pathogens can be breathed in, even if you are some distance away from the carrier.
 
Ingestion can happen when infected body fluids splash into your mouth. A person who is bleeding, coughing or sneezing can project pathogens this way. Eating food contaminated with salmonella or eating from contaminated surfaces or with contaminated hands can also put you at risk of infection. Don’t self-infect!
 
Injection can occur when the skin is punctured or cut by contaminated sharp objects. Jagged debris, nails or working with a patient’s needle equipment, such as a diabetic’s glucometer kit or  an Epi-pen used to treat anaphylaxis, can put you at risk for infection. Similarly, tetanus can be contracted through puncture by a contaminated sharp object, and rabies, lyme disease and other infectious diseases can be contracted through puncture or the breaking of the skin from an animal bite or scratch.
 
Absorption occurs when tissues such as the nose and eyes come in contact with a pathogen, usually through rubbing them without proper hand washing. 
 
Transmission
Typically, communicable disease pathogens are either airborne or blood-borne. Other infectious diseases, such as tetanus and salmonella, are generally contracted without any person-to-person contact.

Airborne pathogens, quite obviously, spread through the air. Blood-borne pathogens are transmitted through contact with infected blood or other body fluids containing blood. Bloody saliva or vomit, used dressings and dry wounds can all be sources of blood-borne pathogens. Other potentially infectious materials, known as OPIM, include fluids found throughout the body, such as nasal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, and fluid in the joints, abdomen and chest cavity. To maximize your safety, however, you must treat all body fluids as if they are infectious.

Exposure occurs through either direct contact transmission or indirect contact transmission. Direct contact transmission occurs when a person transmits a pathogen directly to another person. For example, getting infected blood in a cut on your skin can allow pathogens to infect you. Indirect contact transmission occurs from coming into contact with contaminated surfaces or objects then transferring pathogens into your body by, for example, rubbing your eyes.
 
Minimizing Risk
To minimize your risk of exposure to pathogens, you must take affirmative action to protect yourself. Not only should you avoid any obviously contagion-transmitting situations whenever possible, but, if you must assist in any kind of health or safety emergency, you should take precautions by practicing good hand hygiene, wearing protective equipment and treating all body fluids as if they are infectious.
 
Hand Hygiene
Contaminated hands are a leading cause of the contraction of infectious diseases. Hand washing and antisepsis recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should become common practice every day – don’t wait for a TEOTWAWKI scenario.
 
For visibly contaminated hands, wash with either plain or antimicrobial soap.
Wet your hands, then apply the amount of product recommended by the manufacturer. Vigorously rub your hands together for at least fifteen to twenty seconds, covering all surfaces. Rinse , then dry thoroughly with a disposable towel. 
Use the towel to turn the faucet off and throw the towel away.

Use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly soiled in order to reduce the population of pathogens on your hands. For optimum effectiveness, the sanitizer must contain at least sixty-percent alcohol. Use the amount recommended by the manufacturer, covering all surfaces, then rub your hands together until dry. For additional protection, make sure to get the product under any rings, and under and around the fingernails.

Standard Precautions
The term “standard precautions” refers to infection control practices designed to provide protection from infectious body fluids. You should employ these precautions when assisting anyone with a medical emergency or suspected infectious disease whether or not he or she appears infectious. While it is typical in emergency medial response to use gloves, gowns, masks and protective eyewear during patient care, you should, at the very minimum, use gloves.

Gloves are highly effective in preventing contamination. However, because small, undetected holes can result in exposure, you should cover any broken skin and apply alcohol rub before putting gloves on. Careless removal can also result in exposure. To correctly remove them, grip the cuff of one glove and pull it inside out and off. Slip your un-gloved thumb or a finger under the cuff of the other glove. Pull the glove inside out and off  so it contains the first glove inside it. Dispose of the gloves after one use so you don’t put anyone else at risk, then decontaminate with an alcohol rub. 

To protect your face form contamination, wear wrap-around goggles. For full protection for the eyes, nose or mouth, full-face shields may be worn. Surgical masks can also help protect the face, have the added benefit of limiting inhalation of aerosolized particles and can also be placed on a sick patient. A HEPA or N95 respirator mask have a high level of filtering protection. Remember to throw away all disposable equipment after one use.  You should also avoid eating, drinking, smoking or touching your face or eyes in any situation that poses an infection risk.

In addition, disinfect all surfaces and reusable equipment after working in the vicinity of a person who may have an infectious disease. Take each of these precautions seriously and get in the habit of using gloves, masks and goggles when working with dust or contaminants of any kind. This will help you familiarize yourself with the equipment and practiced in putting it on and removing it correctly and safely. The maintenance of an adequate immunization schedule can be an additional line of defense against many common diseases to consider.
 
If an Exposure Occurs
Make every effort to avoid exposure to infectious disease. If you become ill, you not only put your safety and survival at risk, you risk those in your family and community. The most powerful defense you have against contracting infectious disease is yourself. 

Nevertheless, exposures can still occur, even when you have employed vigilant efforts to prevent it. If you do become exposed, you should immediately take mitigating steps. If your clothing has become contaminated, remove it as soon as possible. Wash all contaminated skin surfaces, especially your hands, and use a disinfecting product to further minimize risk. If your mouth, nose or eyes have been contaminated, flush them with water or saline. They optimal flushing period for the eyes is twenty minutes. In the case of exposure to serious infectious diseases, you should immediately seek medical care. For example, while you can provide self care from assisting a person infected with the common cold, any possibility that you have contracted rabies, tetanus, hepatitis, tuberculosis and other serious diseases requires immediate medical attention.

Because infectious diseases can spread so quickly from person to person and through communities, you should expect any TEOTWAWKI situation to pose a threat of infectious disease. While the risks of contracting diseases such a rabies may be of minor significance, your risk of contracting infectious disease spread from person to person is much more likely. You must be extremely cautious when providing emergency care for any injured or sick person. The same can be said for travel through any location frequented by others. Public transportation, buildings with air circulation systems and public service buildings such as grocery stores and schools are ripe grounds for transmission. Minimize your time in them and be aware of the extremely high risk that other people pose, particularly in emergency situations where resources are limited. You must be self sufficient and prepared to assume responsibility for your own health as well as being willing to prevent any illness you do contract from spreading to others.

Take self-care seriously and invest the energy of prevention into your protocols for survival and the protection of others. You will usually not be able to tell whether someone is carrying an infectious disease or even what specific risks they pose.  But being knowledgeable and prepared are the best line of defense and management when faced with the risks of life-threatening disease.

Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Introduction To Multi-Caliber Guns by J.S.

There have been dozens of articles on survival firearms on SurvivalBlog, and many of them focus on the “bare minimum” and/or doing the most with the fewest firearms.  None of us wants to fall into the trap of over-emphasizing firearms at the expense of food, water, arable land, and other supplies for balanced preparation.  We all know of “that guy” with 100 guns and a case of MREs who considers himself prepared for anything.  This is especially important when you’re looking to bug out WTSHTF; it’s very difficult to reconcile leaving firearms behind and, say, 50 long guns + 50 handguns + ammo & accessories can easily fill a truck all by themselves.

I wanted to focus on firearms that can either fire multiple calibers without modification or with fairly minor modification — no unscrewing of barrels with special spanner wrenches, etc.  There are two purposes behind multi-caliber guns (or MCGs) for the prepper:  to increase the flexibility of the firearm to use found or bartered ammo, and to increase the utility of the firearm (reduced recoil, hunting a larger variety of animals, etc).  The big reason behind most of these for the non-prepper is cost of shooting, which is related to the prepper concern of cost of stockpiling.

I am splitting MCGs into two categories, those that require no modification and those that do.  Some of these are basic knowledge to old hat gun nuts, but talk to any gun store employee and they will tell you there is no such thing as “common knowledge” when it comes to guns.

If I get anything wrong please let me know!  I’ve shot plenty of these but far from all, a lot of this is research.  If in doubt, read the manual that comes with the gun, manufacturers are getting quite savvy at covering their butts with warnings against cartridges that will chamber but aren’t meant for the gun.

MCGs not requiring modification:

Most MCGs that don’t require modification to shoot multiple calibers typically just fire cartridges of the same bore diameter but differing power.  Less powerful cartridges are often cheaper and put far less stress on the weapon (increased longevity).  I list the longest cartridge first.

.22 Long Rifle (LR) / .22 Long / .22 Short:  Nearly all revolvers and tube-fed, non semi-auto (bolt, level, pump) rifles that fire .22 Long Rifle will fire their older, weaker .22 Long and .22 Short cartridges just fine.  Semi autos designed for the .22 LR won’t cycle these weaker cartridges but can be used as a single shot.  The utility is questionable as .22 Long and .22 Short are much, much less common than .22 LR.  .22 Short is fine for pest control in built-up areas but in a true grid-down SHTF scenario I think subsonic .22 LR will be much, much more useful.  Also, the shorter cased .22 Long and .22 Short can build up lead in the chamber (making shooting .22 LR difficult until cleaned) and worse, with continued use can fire-cut the chamber directly in front of the case and ruin it for .22 LR shooting.

***I am not aware of a single firearm that can safely and accurately shoot .22 LR and .22 Magnum (also called .22 WMR) without modification due to the wider case of the .22 Magnum.  .22 Magnum won’t chamber in a .22 LR gun, and while .22 LR will slip just fine into a .22 Magnum chamber, it will cause split cases, jammed cylinders, and other problems.  There are a number of revolvers that can shoot both with a cylinder change that I’ll dig into later in the article.

.357 Magnum / .38 Special:  Probably the most common MCG combination.  Any .357 Magnum revolver and lever / pump action rifle will fire .38 Special.  Both are extremely common.  From a prepper standpoint, I believe one should always get a .357 Magnum versus a .38 Special gun, it’s going to be built much stronger, fires both rounds, and will be just a fraction heavier / larger.  Most .357 Magnum semi autos will not cycle with .38 Specials.  The newer Coonan Arms .357 Magnum pistols are built to use .38 Specials with a special weaker recoil spring.

The most unique variant of the .357 Magnum MCG is definitely the Phillips & Rodgers Model 47 Medusa revolver.  These were low-production in the late 1990s and are exceedingly hard to find and expensive when you do run across one.  They were designed to fire just about any non-bottlenecked pistol bullet (rimmed or not) in the .355-.357 bullet diameter range.  This is 25+ cartridges and includes the .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .380, 9x19mm, .38 Super, etc.  They are still in use by the Navy SEALs as they can be fired underwater.  I consider this the ultimate long-term SHTF centerfire handgun, although parts are hard to stock up and a single gun might run you $1500 or more.

.44 Magnum / .44 Special:  Pretty much the same dynamic as the .357 Magnum / .38 Special, although .44 Special isn’t very common and not a discount from “Wal-Mart” .44 Magnum for the shooter/stockpiler.  .44 Special is much more tolerable and easy to shoot than full-bore .44 Magnum loads if you’re considering how to arm your less gun-savvy or smaller-statured friends WTSHTF.  The only .44 Magnum semi-auto pistol I’m aware of, the Desert Eagle, won’t cycle .44 Special.

.327 Magnum / .32 H&R Magnum / .32 S&W Long revolvers:  The new .327 Magnum will fire all three while the .32 H&R Magnum can also fire the .32 S&W Long.  None are very common, the main selling point of the .327 Magnum is that the guns typically hold 6 cartridges versus a snub nose .38 Special or .357 Magnum that holds 5.  Not much SHTF utility here.

.410 bore / .454 Casull / .45 Colt:  There has been a recent crop of .45 Colt revolvers that can also fire .410 bore shotgun shells (Taurus / Rossi Judge series, S&W Governor, etc).  I’ve had the pleasure of shooting an early Judge and think it’s a great pest control gun but fail to see the utility in it WTSHTF.  Perhaps more useful are .454 Casull / .45 Colt revolvers as the .454 can be used on medium to large game along with predator protection while the .45 Colt is a better fit for self defense against two legged varmints.  If you’re convinced you need a shotgun revolver, get a S&W Governor as it will fire .45 ACP as well, kind of a poor man’s Medusa in .45.  The Taurus Raging Judge will fire .410, .454, and .45 Colt but is a big handgun and weighs more than 4 pounds, empty!

While any .454 Casull will fire .45 Colt, don’t try .454 Casull or .45 Colt in any .410 bore shotgun unless it explicitly calls for it.  A good rule is any smoothbore .410 shotgun is only designed for .410 shotgun shells; you’re not going to hit anything smaller than a bus with a .45 Colt out of a smoothbore, and a .454 Casull round just might blow your gun/face up. (It has five times the maximum pressure of a .410 shotgun shell).

MCGs requiring modification:

The sky is the limit with MCGs that require some modification to shoot additional calibers.  New cylinders, barrels, upper receivers, etc turn one firearm into two or more.

.22 Long Rifle conversion kits for semi-auto pistols and rifles:  This is such a great concept that nearly every popular centerfire pistol and rifle has a conversion kit.  Originally popular with military forces for cheap target practice, this has bled over into the civilian shooting community that likes cheap practice too.  For the prepper, this allows one to use one gun for defense / big game hunting and quickly convert to hunt small game.  Also, one can easily and inexpensively stockpile tens of thousands of .22 LR, in a long term SHTF scenario you can keep your guns running longer.  I’d sure rather have a Model 1911 in .22LR versus a butcher knife spear for example.  Below I have listed some common guns that have kits available.

1911s
ARs chambered for 5.56x45mm / .223
Mini-14s chambered for 5.56x45mm / .223
AKs chambered for 7.62x39mm
FAL and clones
G3/HK91 and clones
HK93/33 and clones
UZI
Glocks
Beretta/Taurus 92-style pistols
Browning Hi-Power
SIG-Sauer P series
CZ-75 series

.22 Long Rifle / .22 Magnum switch-cylinder revolvers:  These are revolvers that will shoot both calibers with a simple spare cylinder.  The most common is the well-made Ruger Single Six Convertible.  Harrington & Richardson makes a cheaper knockoff that lacks the transfer bar safety and polish of the Ruger.  Great utility to use two very common cartridges.

.357 Magnum or .38 Special / 9x19mm switch-cylinder revolvers:  Perhaps less well known are the switch cylinder .357 Magnums to fire 9x19mm (although more common in Europe).  Ruger makes a convertible Blackhawk single action.

.45 Colt / .45 ACP switch-cylinder revolvers:  Ruger also makes a Blackhawk convertible for these two calibers.

Rossi Wizard Series:  A couple of years ago Rossi came out with a line of single shot long guns that, with a barrel change, could convert to a large selection of rimfire, centerfire, muzzleloader, and shotgun cartridges.  Now one rifle could be an inexpensive .22 LR, a deer-slaying .30-06, a muzzleloader for that hunting season, and a 12g shotgun for birds — or anything in between.  Of course, the drawback is it’s a single shot, but the utility is hard to ignore, especially the youth models.  Find out what the most popular calibers are in your area and get a Wizard with those barrels just in case.

7.62x25mm Tokarev / 9x19mm switch-barrel conversions:  Although they can be tough to find, most pistols in 7.62x25mm like the CZ-52 and Tokarev clones have had 9x19mm barrels made for them.  Great way to make these handguns more useful in a SHTF scenario as 7.62x25mm isn’t all that common.

.40 S&W / .357 SIG switch-barrel conversions:  Most popular pistols in either caliber have a barrel available for the other.  If you have one, get the barrel for the other caliber.

I am aware of switch barrels to convert Glocks and SIGs in .40 S&W or .357 SIG to 9x19mm, not sure if there is another pistol this conversion is available for.

10mm / 9x25mm Dillon switch-barrel conversions:  There are 9x25mmD barrels available for 1911s and Glock 20 pistols (perhaps others but I’m not aware of them).  9x25mmD was designed for competition shooting and produces enormous flash and noise.  It does not have much SHTF utility, in my view.

In addition to 9x25mm Dillon, there are switch barrels for the 10mm Glock 20 for .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and even special order .38 Super (these are NOT the same as the stock Glock barrels for their respective models but are special fit for the Glock 20).  The Glock 20 is a pretty amazing gun that can fire 5 calibers with a barrel change and has a .22 LR conversion kit too.  And, since it shares the same frame as the .45 ACP Glock 21, you could get a complete .45 ACP slide & barrel for your Glock 20 to make it a Glock 21 (and then, naturally, get a .400 Cor-Bon barrel for it, see below).  Or go the other way and start with a Glock 21 and get all the Glock 20 stuff.  Great pistols, not a huge surprise they are so popular.  Apologize if anyone went cross-eyed trying to follow this explanation!

.45 ACP / .400 Cor-Bon switch-barrel conversions:  Many pistols chambered for .45 ACP have .400 Cor-Bon barrels available.  Most of the time these don’t require a new recoil spring.  The .400 Cor-Bon is a poor man’s 10mm and is simply a .45 ACP necked down to a .400/10mm bullet.  .400 Cor-Bon never gained much popularity, but there are some that convert their .45 ACP to a 6” barrel .400 Cor-Bon for hunting and predator defense.  For preppers, not sure it’s truly worth the money unless you want one handgun for human and predator defense.

SIG P250 Pistols:  The P250 is a pistol from SIG that can change calibers (.22 LR, 9x19mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, .45 ACP) by changing the slide and barrel assembly (and magazines) much like an AR upper.  More expensive than, say, a Glock 22 with a .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and 9×19 barrels but throw in the .45 ACP which a .40 S&W Glock can’t do.  With all of the kits you have a handgun that covers almost every common pistol caliber.  I’d still rather have a Glock 20/21 will all the accessories as described above.

The less common EAA Witness full sized pistols can switch between .22 LR, 9x19mm, .38 Super, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, 10mm, and .45 ACP by changing the slide assembly and magazine.  Each kit is about $200.

AR Upper Receivers:  I saved the best for last, this is where most of the MCG action has been in the last 10+ years.  An entire new family of cartridges has been created around the constraint of the AR-15 magazine well width and AR-10 cartridges like the .243 Winchester have gained popularity as well.  Buying an upper is almost always going to be less expensive than a complete rifle, and if you put a lot of money into a lower with an aftermarket trigger, high-end stock, and grip why not stretch that out to several platforms?  Of course, the big drawback is one lower, one shooter — bad if you need to defend your retreat and none of your buddies bring a rifle.  Some may come to the conclusion that 2-3 complete ARs are better than one lower and 5 uppers.  If you’re going to make the leap, I am of the opinion that a 5.56x45mm base rifle + pistol caliber matching your sidearm + 6.5 Grendel long barrel with scope + .22 LR conversion kit would be the most effective and efficient setup.  Note that, even pinching pennies with lower end upper assemblies, this will be almost $3,000 before optics.  For $2,500 you could buy a basic AR, an inexpensive pistol carbine like a Hi-Point or Kel-Tec SUB2000, a budget long range .308 bolt action rifle, and a .22 LR kit for your AR (or basic Ruger 10/22 rifle) and have 3-4 complete guns.  It’s not for everyone and your mileage may vary.  I honestly don’t see much utility in multiple uppers for AR-10s as, beyond .308 and .243, the cartridges are just not all that common. 

Now, the newly announced Colt CM-901, with its lower receiver that can adapt to both AR-15 and AR-10 size uppers, will be a great SHTF platform if it works as advertised.  You could have a CQB 5.56mm carbine and a long range .308 in one platform.

Upper calibers for AR-15 type guns (available non-custom):
5.56x45mm / .223 (of course)
.22 Long Rifle (although the conversion kits are going to be cheaper by a long shot)
5.45x39mm (super cheap surplus ammo but filthy and often corrosively primed!)
7.62x39mm
6.5 Grendel (great long range cartridge)
6.8x43mm SPC
.300 AAC Blackout (great for suppressed rifles)
9x19mm (also great for suppressed rifles)
.45 ACP
.40 S&W
10mm
.50 Beowulf
.450 Bushmaster
.458 SOCOM
.30 Remington AR
.243 WSSM (Olympic Arms)
.25 WSSM (Olympic Arms)
.300 OSSM (Olympic Arms)
.204 Ruger
5.7x28mm
.50 BMG single shot (not sure how great these are, but they’re available)
And more…

Upper calibers for AR-10 type guns (not all are current production):
7.62x51mm / .308 Winchester (of course)
.243 Winchester
.260 Remington
7mm-08
6.5 Creedmoor
.338 Federal
.284 Winchester
.450 Marlin
.358 Winchester
.257 Roberts
Entire WSM family
Entire SAUM family

I hope this detailed look into multi-caliber guns gives good food for thought, especially if you’re looking to build a small battery of flexible SHTF firearms that’s highly portable versus a huge, difficult to move stockpile at your permanent live-in retreat.

Letter Re: Bivy Bags at C.T.D.

Hi Jim,
I noticed that at Cheaper Than Dirt that they have back in stock a GI Gore-Tex bivy sack that is worth much more than the $40 price, especially to wet-climate Pacific Northwest dwellers. (These have a forest pattern camouflage top cover). This is real USGI surplus, made in USA. They are almost-comparable at the 3-letter co-op is well over $200.

I’ve ordered four of these bivy bags, and all were in new or like-new condition. At my slightly chubby 214 pounds and 5′-10″, there is plenty of room. I’d say that anyone under 6′-0″ and 210 pounds should fit inside with a 4 pound sleeping bag just fine. The shell covers bag and head completely adds almost a whole season to the temp range of the sleeping bag you are using, protects you and your bag from the wet, even sleeping directly on wet ground or vegetation. – Karl in Portland

Economics and Investing:

More Quantitative Easing monetization, in England: BoE Injects $79.3 Billion More to Support Recovery

Yes, debasement is coming for nickels: U.S. Mint exploring alternative metal options. Stockpile some nickels at face value now, before the composition change! (If you wait, then you will have to laboriously sort coins.)

An eye-opening YouTube video on the housing crash: Folsom California On The Brink

Jim Rickards: “Chaos” To Dollar Endgame “Most Likely”

Items from The Economatrix:

Greek Talks Falter / Sprott Offering Memorandum / Jobs Report Analysis

Bernanke:  Job Market Remains Weak Despite Gains

Consumer Borrowing Rose $19.3 Billion in December

Dow Approaches 13,000, and Maybe a Record to Come

Odds ‘n Sods:

Definitely worth reading: Truth, Lies and Afghanistan. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.)

   o o o

Dimitri sent this example of horribly biased reporting from NBC by anti-gunner Jeff Rossen (who was featured in Michael Moore’s propaganda film, Bowling For Columbine): Rossen Reports: Anyone can buy guns, no questions asked. The article is replete with hyperbole and even a laughable reference to buying “..a 50-caliber weapon so powerful it could take down a helicopter.” If Rossen truly wants to protect helicopters from being downed, then he should campaign against aboveground power lines and telephone lines. (Since wire strikes kill several helicopter pilots each year, but there hasn’t ever been a single recorded instance of a helicopter shot down with a .50 BMG rifle in the United States.) Rossen needs to learn that technical feasibility does not equate with volition. My SUV is so powerful that it could go 90 miles per hour and mow down hundreds of school children in a March Of Dimes parade. But will I ever use it to do so? The same gasoline that I use to fuel my SUV could be used to make Molotov cocktails so powerful that they could be used to immolate dozens of caged kittens or fur seals with a single throw. But will I ever use it to do so? No. Get a life, Mr. Rossen.

   o o o

C.D.V. suggested an article on an alternative “tepee” method for stacking firewood piles.

   o o o

Tom from Camping Survival wrote to mention that they’ve re-stocked with Yoder’s canned cooked bacon. Their price is competitive and their shipping rates are often below cost.  The price is going up starting with their next shipment. You can use coupon code “survivalblog” for a 5% discount:Here is a link to a video that shows how the cooked bacon is packed in cans.

   o o o

How National Geographic misrepresented the foxhole atheist ‘Doomsday Prepper’, Megan Hurwitt. Here is a quote: “And something that Nat Geo didn’t mention? The producer offered me $1,000 to shoot my cat on camera.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We may be hunted like animals, but we will not become animals. We have all chosen this – to live free, like human beings, for as long as we can. Every day of freedom is an act of faith; and if we die trying to live then at least we will die like human beings.”  – Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski in the movie Defiance. (Screenplay by Clayton Frohman and Edward Zwick.) The movie was based on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans, by Nechama Tec

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), and E.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak F-50 hand well pump (a $349 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 39 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

A Hiccup in the Matrix, by R.W.S.

Southern California, September 8, 2011, 3:45 p.m.: Crud, my computer just shut down. It had been an uneventful day at the ranch studio to this point. I was finishing the day’s work on a project and looking forward to riding my horse before it got dark; now my computer flat-lines. Great…, what next?

Hit the television power switch on the remote, nothing… Power light on the plotter is off too, Huh? Went to the main breaker to see if the circuit to the studio had tripped. Nope, the wheel-of-debt inside the meter was not turning so the solution was not going to be “just the flip of a breaker away”. The problem just ratcheted up a notch.
Called San Diego Gas and Electric (SDGE) but could not get through, circuits were overloaded. Living in a rural area it is not unusual for the power to go out from time to time and take it in stride. We also have those raging Santa Ana wildfires  every year, but a quick scan of eastern mountains showed no hint of smoke and living near the airport where the tankers stage, I didn’t hear or see any tanker or helicopter activity.

Walked out to my truck and turned on the radio but no information about any power outage. Strange, must be a local power outage, or maybe just the transformer to my place.
Using my iPhone, I called a couple of neighbors. One not home, the other had no power either. The ratchet turns another notch.

Ok, so this is starting to look a little more serious than a tripped breaker.
Called my wife, who works in a corporate office downtown, and their power is out too. With no backup power, everyone was told to go home. A few minutes later, she calls back to say the security gates to the underground parking garage have no backup power so all the cars are trapped inside with no way out. Great…this situation is escalating from mere inconvenience to a “what next” event.

Cell phone rings, wife says a few of her co-workers with cars trapped in the garage had decided to stay in the building (being a biotech company they have good security), overnight if necessary, until someone could get the security gates open to the underground garage (or I come to pick her up). I reminded her that she had her Get Home Bag (GHB), just in case. Whenever we travel beyond our rural community each vehicle has a pack loaded with gear so we can hike back home (dreaded EMP event) and hers was in her truck. That meant she had MREs, water, first aid, hiking boots, sleeping bag, change of clothes, etc.

Now I am hearing sirens in town (a mile away). Even though I do not let my diesel tank get below the half way mark, I thought I would run into town to see what was going on and top off my tank anyway. What a shocker when I got to Main Street, to see the stoplights not working and lines already spilling out of the service stations into the street. There are only six stoplights in town and with none of them working the main street (small town and we really do have a Main Street) was a complete parking lot with stopped cars.

The parking lots for the two grocery stores in town were filling up too. I later heard that transactions could only be made in cash as the computers were out and they only had battery back-up lights. My ‘alert flag’ colors are starting to change.

Having been through the wildfire drill quite a few times, but well along in the Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids (BBB) departments I was comfortable as I drove back to my ranch watching others scramble to get in line at the few gas stations and two markets. The gas station lines were particularly futile since the pumps had no power anyway. Waiting in line was for the desperate people that were so low on fuel they had no choice but to park and wait.

Wife calls before I get back to the ranch to say someone managed to get the security gates open but now she is stuck in the gridlock of everyone trying to get home and every single stop light was out. What normally is a 40-minute commute turned into over a four-hour stop and go nightmare.
I now hear on my truck radio that the power outage extends beyond my small town and into other areas of San Diego, as well as east and north of the downtown area. However, no news on where or how it started the extent of coverage or estimate of when it will be back on. Fog-of-war starts to set in.

The radio newscaster talks in general terms about the power outage, but again no specific or useful information, just as it always is during the wildfires. During those, I did not evacuate and stayed to protect my property (yes, we did have looters). During those fires, one of the most frustrating things was the useless news coverage. Then, while watching the television news coverage (when the television had power), the smoke outside was sometimes so thick I could not see ten feet let alone down to my horse corals. I needed specific information (street names would have been nice) on where the fire was in real time to make go-no go decisions. Instead, the news broadcasters spoke of the fire only in general terms. Kind of like tornado news coverage on Fox News about a tornado in Oklahoma. Nice to know about as you casually watch television, however, a bit lacking if you are living the event and need information to make critical decisions, fast. Local news needs to do a better job at this.

After the last two Santa Ana fire experiences, I realized that Beans, Bullets, and Band-Aids did not address what I consider another critical category- Communications (comms). Consequently, I went down the ham radio road to fix that deficiency. I have my General license, which gives me access to High Frequency (HF) bands not available to a Technician license, a two band handheld radio, plus a HF mobile rig that will really reach out and touch somebody on HF bands. My son has the exact same license and gear and we routinely communicate with our dipole antennas (aimed at each other) from southern California to where he lives north of Los Angeles, without the use of repeaters, or computers. This met our comms goal of not having to rely on anyone to “help” us with our comms. All we need is our gear and a 12 volt DC battery.

Now it is getting closer to sunset. Check on horses to be sure they have water and feed. Filled extra water barrels for horses since during the last big Santa Ana fire the local water department generators stopped working. Set out flashlights throughout the house and studio. Also, set out candles and several kerosene lanterns just in case.
It is a warm evening so decided to set up comm center outside on the deck where I had a view of the surrounding area. Lit the kerosene lantern. Grabbed my handheld ham radio, car top magnetic antenna and a cookie bake sheet. The magnetic antenna centered on the bake sheet acts like the roof of the vehicle, which provides much better reception than the standard rubber-duck antenna. This way I can set up my UHF/VHF station remote from my vehicle. Added a writing tablet and pens, several flashlights, snacks, comfortable director’s chair and switched on the radio to see what was really going on.

As it gets darker, the reality of the situation starts to set in. Being a rural area, when it gets dark, it is not like being in the city, it is a lot darker. We also have dark-sky restrictions for outdoor lighting because of our proximity to the Mount Palomar Observatory, and with the power out everywhere, tonight, dark has become pitch black; the occasional vehicle on the road is the only light I see. I hear a few generators running and now see a few dim lights in the distance.
Scanning my programmed repeater frequencies, I find that someone has set up an unofficial network (“Net”) where, finally, some useful information is being provided. I quickly learn that the power outage extends beyond the San Diego area, into Mexico, east to Arizona, and up to the southern part of Los Angeles. The cause is still under investigation. Time to get the grid back up, unknown. Not good. Wife is still in traffic so using the “Find My iPhone” app, I monitor her progress in real time on the map display of my iPhone.

Listening to my handheld, I check FaceBook on my iPhone and see many postings about the outage, mostly questions and speculative assumptions being posted compared to the verified info I hear on my FT-60 radio.

The fellow acting as Net Control is doing a good job of fielding questions and passing information. Requests are coming in for ham operators to help out at a hospital; someone needs a prescription delivered to their house; is the local CVS pharmacy still open for prescriptions, can anyone stop by such and such an address to check on an elderly couple; water is needed for the volunteers directing traffic at the stop light locations.

A local emergency assistance group (ham operators) break out their generators and lights and set them up at the stop light intersections so those directing traffic are more visible.

The Net traffic is increasing and one of the owners of the repeater keys up her mike to say she is monitoring this frequency and eventually steps in as the Net control to give the first fellow a well-deserved break. A question is asked about the backup generator for the repeater and she tells everyone that it would run for at least a week with no problem. Later, things ratchet up another notch as she is replaced by a fellow who takes over as Net control and announces that this frequency will be restricted to essential communications only. At this point, we are very close to the repeater being commandeered for official emergency communications only.

As new information is transmitted, there was the recurring questions of “where did you hear this?” What is your source? Can you confirm, etc. Because it is the nature of ham radio operators to be precise in relaying accurate communications the information being passed was specific and useful, not at all like the local news. So having been monitoring Face Book while listening to the ham, I started posting information I thought useful to Face Book. Before I know it, I have quite a few Facebook friends posting that I am their source for useful and reliable information.

My wife finally drives up and describes the traffic nightmare she just went through. She sits and listens to the ham radio traffic for a short while then goes to bed. It has been a long commute home for her.

I stayed up monitoring the radio until after midnight. By then the radio traffic had slowed and there was still no information on the cause of the outage or when the grid would be back up. Nothing left to do but get some rest and see what a new day brings.
As we all know the power started being restored in the early morning and everything pretty much returned to normal by the end of the next day.

After Action notes for this short-term event:

  • Keep the fuel in your vehicle over half full at all times. Spare fuel cans are a plus.
  • Work on your BBB supplies. You can never have enough.
  • Have a Get Home Bag (GHB) in your vehicle. You never know when you will need it to get home. My wife is the only person at her workplace that had all the gear she needed to either stay at the workplace or make the trek home if it came to that.
  • Get a ham license, some basic gear and familiarize yourself with how this valuable asset works.

While this did not turn into a BBB event, having those preps adequately covered made this much less stressful.
I later heard that the grocery stores sold out of water and ice faster than anything else did but other shelves were starting to look bare as the night wore on.
On another note, a friend of a friend who owns a precision gun store in another city (AR and high-end sniper rifles) had to call the police because of attempted break-in attempts during this grid down episode. Were just these opportunistic thieves or more desperate types looking longer-term at the situation and opportunity?

This event was just a hiccup. It lasted less than 12 hours. It took everyone completely by surprise and happened as people were getting off work. Those that were prepared were able to focus on important tasks, those that were not prepared stood in line. Having BBB is fine. Having comms provided invaluable real time information about the situation.
There are three stages humans go through to make decisions in stressful situations: Denial, Deliberation, and Decision (DDD). How long a person lingers in the (Denial) “this can’t be happening to me” stages depends on many factors. Spending too much time in this stage can lead to bad consequences. Once they realize it is really happening to them, people will naturally Deliberate on how serious, long term, threatening their situation is. Timely and accurate information is critical at this stage. Do not let the ‘Paralysis of Analysis’ tendency creep in at this point. Get reliable information since it is important to get to stage three quick. Like stage one, Denial, the faster you get though the Deliberation stage, the faster you get to the most important stage. Now it is time to make a Decision. Good or bad, this is where the rubber meets the road; go-no go, bug-in, bug-out. Not having real time, accurate information can lead to wasting too much time going through the first two of the DDD stages or worse yet, not making any, or making the wrong Decision based on completely inaccurate, or out of date, information.

If you are reading this, someone thinks you have some interest and understanding of the need to be prepared. Regardless of where you are in your journey, have your basic BBBs covered. Consider though, how important it is to also have comms so you go through the DDD process faster, and make the correct Decision in phase 3. We all know knowledge is power. Good comms could be that knowledge that saves you or your loved ones life. Just ask any leadership military person about command and control.
Consider budgeting some time and money and get your ham license and some gear. I see more and more articles appearing in the blogs about ham radio. There are good reasons for this. I have never regretted going down that road and having the fourth leg of my prepping table supported by good comms. A four-legged table is a lot sturdier to stand on than a three-legged stool (Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, + comms). Hope for the best, but plan for the worst!