Letter Re: The Lowly, Forgotten Knee Pad

Hello Mr. Rawles,
After perusing the contents listed in survival kits, Bug Out Bags (BOB), and Get Out Of Dodge bags (GOOD), it seems to me that they all have one common glaring omission. That omission is knee pads. It occurred to me recently while fixing a roadside flat that so many survival/TEOTWAWKI tasks require one to get “down and dirty”, i. e., working on one’s knees. Knee pads can remove a lot of the “pain and suffering” from tasks such as firestarting, fence building/mending, emergency roadside vehicle repair, chainsaw sharpening, and a whole host of other tasks. Not to mention saving wear and tear on those high-dollar Multicam britches.

There are many different brands and types of knee pads, and the range of choices is truly vast. However, for my BOB and vehicles, I went with simple foam pads from Home Depot that are about 1/2 inch thick, cheap, weigh almost nothing, and are far better than nothing at all. – Larrynaz

Letter Re: Comments on Matt Bracken’s Night Fighting Primer

Hi James,
I followed a link that you recently posted: Matt Bracken: Night Fighting 101. Matt Bracken wrote a fine article. He is correct that the deer hunter that proceeds to his hunting area in the dark has already approached quite a lot of what he suggests.
 
I would like to suggest this concerning chain link fences. Having assembled perhaps 800 feet of chain link fence, I learned how to break it in two and to reweave it together. If you have to separate a portion of chain link fence laying on the ground it is a snap. It is not under lateral tension and has no gravitational forces influencing it. Standing fence is more difficult but can be unzipped if you know how. All chain link fencing comes linked at the top and bottom in paired strands.
Each strand has a loop in the top and has that loop hooked into the adjoining strands loop.
To break a fence you must unhook the loops at the top and the bottom.
Doing so allows you to use the very top piece of the strand you choose as a crank.
 
Matt Bracken suggests you cut the fence and remove the strand. This is very difficult to do if you cut off the top strand especially if the fence is under lateral pressure.
Repeated cutting is noisy. If you intend to replace the strand to hide the fact that the fence has been penetrated you will need the uncut strand to reweave it.
 
It is much easier to un-loop the top and bottom by use of a grasping tool to turn the strand.
The best tool without a doubt is a pair of Vise Grip Pliers (7 to 9 inch size).
You can clamp it on and use it with gloves under cold or wet conditions.
Once clamped on the Vise Grip will not fall on the opposite side of the fence.
You will lose considerable time recovering it in the dark and could break the silence barrier alerting people.
 
After you clamp the Vise Grip on to the top strand you just turn the Vise Grip in a cranking motion and the strand will begin to come out.
On a 6+ft fence you will find that you soon cannot crank this long strand coming out standing on the ground.
You will have to remove the Vise Grip and reattach closer to the top of the fence.
Even then at some point you will soon have 3,4 or 5 feet of wire making a big circle above you and arching down in a big curve.
It will catch on anything close especially tree and shrubbery branches.
You will need a second person to catch it when it comes around each time or to untangle it.
You could severely injure a persons eye or give them a significant skin scratch with the whipping end.
Control that end by having some one to catch it.
 
Be sure to carry out these operations with a good set of gloves on. Fencing of all types and tools will eat your hands up quickly. Avoid wounds that could impair you during the next 48 hours.
 
Better to remove tree branches before or select a spot in the fence that is entirely clear of woody obstructions.
As you remove the wire the other option is to just cut off  18 inches at a time.
But be sure to leave enough to clamp the Vise Grip onto each time.
If you decide to cut off the section being removed it can be cut into 4/5 pieces to use to wire the two ends back together again after you pass through.
 
This is a very simple maneuver to accomplish.
But only if you have the tools.
AND..if you have practiced this removal at night on a vertical fence under lateral pressure.
First do it in the daylight and then at night.
 
I believe that someone who has mastered this operation could unzip the fence put 10 people through it and have it put back together again in less than 15 minutes.
 
Putting it back in reverse order is really easy.
The first time you try it you will make every mistake you can.
That is the only way to break a chain link fence and reweave it, practice.
 
I have my doubts that a small block and tackle will lift the bottom of the fence as a useful method.
the top rails off the fence are not that strong.
Usually supporting line poles are 10 feet apart.
The top rail will bend downward and the bottom of the fence will come up 6 inches and you have left a very prominent  bend mark on the fence that something happened at that point.
 
You want stealth and ease of penetration and crossing.
 
This method takes practice and is rather easy to do once you figure it out.
 
The best three tools for penetration of a fences are: (1. Fencing pliers); (2. Vise Grip Pliers); and (3. A roofing flat pry bar.)
With these you can present your self prepared for barbed wire fences, chain link and wood fences.
Having your fencing pliers handles covered with electrical tape you could also handle some electrical wires. For that I have two sets of WWI-vintage insulated wire cutters marked 40KV.
 
The other item for crossing barbed wire fences is to have a piece of scrap rug 36 x 40 inches.
Place it over the fence to protect your clothing from being ripped.
Roll it up with cord or a strap and it is easy to carry.
 
Encountering chain link and wooden fences is more likely in urban areas.
Barbed wire fences in rural areas.
For gates an alternative is to consider a bolt cutter.
 
If you expect to have to cross many barbed wire fences perhaps a set of standard parallel-jawed  8 to 10 inch wire cutters would be considered.
Often called side cutters by some people.
Barbed wire is usually held to the posts with a soft straight line iron wire or an aluminum preformed clamp type wire.
The aluminum wire is larger in diameter but it is soft necessitating the larger size wire cutter.
 
Fences are perhaps the most formidable and most often encountered barriers.
If you are skedaddling, then many will be on the road or in the street.
They are the mullets that the sharks will find queued up and available for harvest.
You must make your trail across the barriers and stay off the roads in a skedaddle.
 
In a patrol mode you want to stay out of sight. Thus you must penetrate the fence or go under it.
 
Safety is what you get from pre-planning an exit or movement overland. Unplanned normal kind of exit will put you in the territory of the bad guys.
 
Carrying tools is heavy but being the recipient of a bullet, a machete to an extremity or a club to the head is even heavier.
 
Stealth and patience will get you to your goal.
 
Chance favors the prepared! – J.W.C.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yet another reason to avoid social media: Circuit Court Orders Brandon Raub Released, Dismisses Case Against Marine Arrested, Detained in Veterans Admin. Psych Ward over Political Views, Song Lyrics Posted on Facebook

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Some interesting demographics can be seen in this article sent by Kevin S,: Marriage and Divorce: A 50 State Tour

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Reader H.L. sent this: Insight: Experts hope to shield cars from computer viruses

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I spotted this clever product in the Jeffers Vet Supply catalog: H2Go Bag

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S.S. in Mississippi sent this useful reference: U.S. mineral concentrations maps by county

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The mobs of great cities add just so much to the support of pure government, as sores do to the strength of the human body. It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigour. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution.” – Thomas Jefferson, 1781

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

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

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, 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.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Where are You in Your Preparedness? , by B.L. the Texican

I hope that what I have to say will help someone that is just getting started with their survival preparedness situation, SurvivalBlog has helped me in streamlining our preparations, and I believe in giving back some of what I have received.  I have read many different blogs and forums, and come away with the impression that most of the blogs are for the arm chair survivalist that do not try anything for themselves, but only go on what they have read or heard.  SurvivalBlog.com is one of the few that have individuals that seem to have tried what they say they have done and shared their experiences.

My experience with a survival mind set started almost a decade ago, but only limited for a few weeks or month at most.  That all changed several years ago when I started really looking at the way our country was headed.   I will admit that I still have a long ways to go, but with God’s help, and if the world will hold together long enough, I will get to where I desire to be.  If not, then my family and I will survive with what we have on hand for a long time.

FOOD

We do have enough for me and my family for at least a year, longer if we just go to two meals a day.  My youngest daughter is almost 17, and I have 4 boys that range in ages from 19 to 33, then two older daughters and their families.  You can imagine the appetite of young men so I have taken that into account.  Only one son is married and has two small children.  I have endeavored to teach my children to always be prepared for as much as possible, if only for a short time.  Again, that has changed over the last couple of years.  We live in a hurricane prone area, so it is imperative that we always have plenty of food on hand that can be eaten with little or no cooking.  I am not talking about MRE’s.  I do have two cases of MRE’s that I obtained during the last hurricane that was not eaten, but I like to store what we usually eat daily, and eat what we store. I read that on a blog and it made sense to me.

It was very difficult to get my wife onboard, but during the last hurricane a few years ago, she and my daughter went to my sister’s house because it was further away from the coast than our old house (built in 1925).  My sister and her husband had nothing to eat but a few bags of chips and some crackers, and two bottles of soda.  They did not even have matches to light the one decorative candle that was in their house.  My brother-in-law had unplugged the refrigerator before the hurricane hit so it would not be damaged from power surges.  Hence, all the food that was in the refrigerator and their freezer was ruined before it was truly needed.  When communications was restored about two days later, my wife called and talked to one of our sons.  He told her that we still had cold milk, and were eating fine.  At the time, we only kept about two months’ worth of food on hand.  It was two days later before she and my daughter were able to come home, and a month before we had electricity restored.

It was at that point that my wife fully came on board with storing extra food.  There are times that she will say “I think we have enough”, but we are still building our “lauder” as she sometimes calls it.

There have been times that we were only able to add one or two cans or a bag of rice and beans every two weeks or so, but every little bit helps.  There have even been a few times that we could not add anything, but had to use what we had stored just to make it for the week or two before we could buy something.  In those cases, we were very glad we had something to fall back on.

It doesn’t matter if you have very little at this point.  The time to start is now.  Even if you have to do as we did during our lean times with just a few cans of something or a bag of rice and/or beans.  You need to get something to hold you over during a natural disaster or the eventual TEOTWAWKI.

FIREARMS

I have been an avid hunter all my life until the last decade or so.  Hunting leases just became too expensive for my budget.  I did try hunting the National Forest for a few years, but they are a dangerous place.  You think you are alone, and then a bullet hits a tree just above your head.  I decided that was enough of the National Forest for me.  My sons’ still hunt the National Forest on occasion, but they too are not having very good success.

Because of where we live, I had built a range in my pasture years ago.  I have taught all my children how to shoot firearms from the time they were about 4 years old.  At that age, they do not have the concept of how to aim, but they enjoyed shooting with their dad.  In my opinion, you can never be too young to learn gun safety.  As they grew, their marksmanship also improved, and the enjoyment of just shooting.  I still have the Chipmunk and the youth .22lr rifles that they learned with.  My granddaughter that is now 3 years old has been shooting with her mom, dad, and papa using that same Chipmunk.  That is the first thing she wants to do when they come to visit.

All my children now have their own .45 ACP Glock or XD .45 handguns, a 12ga. Mossberg pump shotgun, a .22 lever action rifle, and a main larger caliber rifle (MBR).  My wife can handle the .45 ACP, but prefers her 9mm Glock, and a 20 gauge youth 870 pump shotgun.  She is not into rifles yet, but I am still hoping that one day she will ask me for one.  I do have a few extra rifles that have been in the family for a long time that she might be able to handle, but I would like to get her something she will enjoy and not be afraid to shoot.  We also have several .22 LR handguns that we use for just plinking on occasion.  We try to train with the handguns and rifles at least once a month depending on the funds available for ammunition.  Ammunition can get expensive with that many shooters at one time.  I do reload all our handgun ammunition only, and replace all that we use during our practices. 

I was striving for everyone to shoot the same make/caliber/ga. to cut down on the different types of ammunition that I would have to have on hand.  I would interject here that it doesn’t matter what you decide for your family.  It is what you and your family are comfortable with.  My daughter, who is almost 17 likes the Glock, but the XD45 fits her hands better.  It is all in your size, training, desire, finances, and ability.  Do not buy cheap, since cheap will get you hurt, or killed, or will break down when you need it the most.  If you do not have the funds to get everyone their own firearm, buy quality, and each learn to use that quality firearm until you are able to purchase another.

At this point, I would like to say that you cannot go wrong by storing factory ammo for all your firearms.  I trust my reloads but do not count it as part of my stored ammunition.  I have not had a malfunction with any of the reloads that I have made, but that is not to say it will never happen.  I am only human, and could make a mistake.  I have read about various amounts of ammunition that should be stored for each firearm, but your comfort level may be different from mine.  Personally, I am trying to store at least a thousand rounds of factory ammo for each firearm that we have.  I am not quite there yet, but getting closer.  At this time I have switched my priorities again.  I am trying to build our food supply to a much larger level.  That is my number one priority so the ammunition storing will be a little less for now.  I am comfortable with what I have on hand, but not so much with our food supply.  I believe that it could be over a year to years before everything settles down again, if ever.  We also have lots of seeds for the garden.

MEDICAL/PERSONAL HYGIENE

My family has been truly blessed in that none of us have to take any type of medications.  Therefore, it has been relative easy to stock what we think we might need.  We have stocked Band-Aids and bandages of various sizes.  Antibiotic creams and anti-itch creams, and large quantities of various types of aspirin are in our stores.  I just recently purchased a blood pressure kit and a stethoscope.  You just never know when you might need this.  Along with the various salves and creams, we have items for stomach problems and for dry eyes.  We are not as far along in this area as I would like, but we need so little (right now) in this area.  We have lots of tooth brushes and tooth paste, dental floss, oral jell, emergency dental repair kits, and some mouth wash.  Not to be left out, a lot of TP, and personal things for my wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law.  Also we have some preventives.  That is all I will say about that.  Soap and shampoo will be at a premium, so we have quite a bit of that along with alcohol, peroxide, and disinfectant washes.  We have also saved any prescription antibiotics and pain killers from the past.  Most of these were for tooth ailments, and from my daughter-in-law.  Babies are always taking medications for something, so she has saved them for me.

All my family’s teeth have been taken care of, and kept up with regular cleanings and any minor dental decays have been fixed.

We also have some medications and things for small children, including dozens of cloth diapers.  The cloth diapers can be used for almost anything. 

Needless to say, we do have other things for medical and personal hygiene, but this is just to give you a rough estimate to what we have on hand for a healthy large family.  We didn’t collect all of these preparations overnight.  Everything takes time.  Just remember that you can only take one step at a time.

There are other areas that we could talk about having on hand, such as alternate power sources, heat sources, clothing, tools, retreats, children’s games, bug or ant solutions, or etc., but you may be able to only concentrate on one specific area at this time.  Start there.  Start where you are now, and do not get frustrated that it is going so slow, and you feel that you may only have a short time.  Something now for your family is better than nothing while waiting for a government that doesn’t have the resources to take care of the millions that depend on it now as proven by the Hurricane Katrina.   Your family is depending on you.

Three Letters Re: Adapting Preps as We Age

Hi Jim,
You were spot on in your response to he article by “Retread”.
 
However, for anyone who does choose to use .22 LR for self defense, like the writer of the article, I would go with the Mexican Aguila brand ammo. Due to necessity, they’ve had to invent some man-killer .22 LR (It’s legal for people there to own .22 LR, but not anything else. Not that people down there don’t own AR’s and AK’s, anyway).
 
My favorite solution for this man is the Aguila 60-grain rd., marketed under the name “Sniper Sub-Sonic” (SSS).I think the only reason they market it that way is simply because they couldn’t get a .22 Short shell crammed full of powder to move a 60-grain slug any faster than 900 fps.
 
This unjacketed 60-grain lead slug is just plain mean, and all of Aguila’s .22 ammo is Eley primed, which are some of the best primed rimfires (The primers are British, hence Aguila is actually owned by them). Also, the SSS round only loses approx. 100 fps at 100 yards, which means it doesn’t leave the barrel very fast, but it’s still moving at 100 yards (out of a 16-inch barrel).
 
Also, their “Supermaximum” cartridges (both solid and hollowpoint) move at about 1,750 fps, roughly 130 fps faster than US made Stinger .22 LR. Since I don’t like putting a rifle cartridge into a pistol (particularly .22 Magnum), I wouldn’t recommend putting Supermax into a pistol, since the excess energy makes it very inaccurate. – Joe Snuffy

JWR:
I applaud Retread in recognizing that each of us needs to assess our own circumstances as we age. From arranging the garden to minimize issues with “questionable” knees and backs to financial realities as we move into our later years. Firearms and ammunition can put a pretty good strain on the budget when trying to maintain skills over the long haul. However, I strongly agree with your assessment of [the unsuitability of] .22 LR as a defensive round. It definitely has a place in the survival battery but not in that capacity. I believe that handguns are a practical compromise when out and about working or otherwise conducting business that makes toting a long gun impractical. With that in mind I believe most of us subscribe to the bigger we can handle the better when we are away from our long guns. I have heard it said  the best we can hope for is to be half as good in a violent confrontation as we are at the range. To me that precludes depending so heavily on the accuracy required to be effective with a .22. My research and minimal experience leads me to believe the .38 or 9 mm are the smallest handgun rounds suitable for the task. Yes, I would want a .45, .357 or .40 S&W on my hip all the time but the cost of proficiency climbs as you work your way up the caliber chain. I have all of these stocked up but my mainstay for a potential SHTF scenario is the 9mm. I don’t know which model’s Retread experienced but a polymer  compact or full size pistol is easy to carry on the hip all day and a breeze to shoot (not most sub-compacts though). The ammo cost is more than the .22 but in bulk it is by far the cheapest of any other weapon you can carry. Besides your stockpile its common enough to supplement/barter after the flag goes up too. One more thing, an extra weapon in the configuration of your “full” caliber weapon but chambered for .22 is an excellent idea. Sight alignment, sight picture, grip and trigger pull are identical and differences in recoil between the .22 and 9 mm are negligible. – William J.

Mr Rawles,
One thing I’d suggest for someone looking for a firearm with less weight or recoil then a .22 rimfire would be to look at calibers smaller than 9mm. .380 ACP, .327 Federal Magnum, 7.62 x 25mm, or 9×17 Makarov would be (marginally) better choices than a .22 rimfire, simply because the bullets’ weights and velocities would make them more forgiving of less-than-perfect shots on either the head or center of mass against a threat target.

I generally tell people to shy away from these calibers, but they’re better than nothing.

If the shooter can get past the price and marginal trigger, a really decent alternative to .22 rimfire is the FN FiveseveN (5.7x28mm centerfire).

Cheers, – Kent C.

Economics and Investing:

The Commodities Survival Kit Guide: Gold, Silver, Timber, Farmland, Stamps, & Antique Guns

Why Investors Are Hoarding Silver

U.S. 2012 budget deficit $1.1 trillion: CBO (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

K.P. sent this: Heard the rumour China is buying 6,000 tonnes of gold? It may not be as crazy as it sounds

Items from The Economatrix:

Shhh…It’s Even Worse Than The Great Depression

Germany May Be The Country That Brings The Euro Crashing Down

Odds ‘n Sods:

In the market for a nuke-proof bunker? Try eBay

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Geoff S. spotted this: The airvent wall cache.

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A presentation at DEFCON: Safe to Armed in Seconds: A Study of Epic Fails of Popular Gun Lock and Gun Safes. (Warning: Includes some foul language.) At the same convention: Defcon 19: DIY Non-Destructive-Entry.

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Dennis X. sent the link to this informative web page: Sea, Shipping Container Cabin, Shelter, Home

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I found this linked at The Woodpile Report (one of my favorite weekly reads): Mass grave in London reveals how volcano caused global catastrophe: Scientists search for the explosive source of a disaster that wiped out almost a third of Londoners in 1258

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"La deficit" triggered the French Revolution.  Government debt tripled between 1774 and 1789, much of it incurred by supporting the American Revolution." – From a National Geographic article on France, July 1989, p. 24

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

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

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, 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.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

When Your Prepping Plan Falls Apart – Picking Up the Pieces, by M.J.W.

I previously wrote about Leaving Suburbia.  I was so excited to be moving out of the city and into the country towards a more self-sufficient lifestyle, but I spoke too soon.  We were in contract on a piece of property, and at the last minute, the sellers backed out of the transaction.  We were left wondering where we were going to live.  We immediately began looking for another piece of property.  Meanwhile the home we had leased for almost four years, in preparation for this move, was sold out from under us and we had to move on short order.  Move where?  
We moved our belongings into temporary storage and moved in with friends who graciously offered us the upstairs of their home.  Yet, we felt like a couple of 2×4’s had hit us.  At the same time, a very close friend had two major heart attacks in quick succession and he was in cardiac intensive care on life support for a week.  He made it, but the emotional toll was heavy.  Additionally, my employer announced a global layoff of staggering proportions.  Another couple of whacks with a 2×4.  
Whack, whack, whack, whack… deep breath.  No place to live, in fear of being subject to a layoff, being the primary breadwinner, the prepper plan up in smoke…  What next?  Time to take a step back and re-evaluate our circumstances.  What are the facts that determine the direction we must take?
1.        I own a local business and it is not time to fold up and move out of State.
2.        I work full time from home for my employer – flexibility is good.
3.        If I lose my job, we will be in a world of hurt – risk acknowledged.
4.        There are no available properties that meet the prepper plan within reach geographically.
5.        We must live close enough to a major hospital due to health concerns.
6.        The real estate market is in a state of flux, but interest rates are low.
7.        The economy is about to go off a cliff or will continue at a slow, painful, bleed.
8.        Congress has no idea how to solve our problems and an election is pending.
9.        We are getting old – mid 50s – we need to build a realistic plan for our future.

Uncertainty prevails.
Anxiety is high.

I write to you because I think that there may be many of you who are encountering the same dilemmas.  Maybe walking through my decision-making process will help you with yours, or alternatively, help you avoid certain decisions based on flaws in my logic.  Net-net:  I chose to shelter in rather than move to the country.  I will tell you why.
The business – The advantages to the prepper of having a local business are many: active involvement in the community, a large number of friends who are like-minded (in relationship to your type of business), a large network of resources (we help one another).  The business has a good-sized warehouse perfect for storage and under extreme measures, an alternate “shelter in” facility.  There is low overhead associated with running the business.  Decision:  Keep the business and focus on reducing cost, increasing loyalty, and expanding low cost services.  

The job – I tend to freeze when I am under lots of stress, but my antennae are up.  I am now paying attention to exactly how my employer is working to solve its problems.  Will it go under or will it reinvent itself?  I am determined to meet my objectives and then some.  I have taken on more work, working longer hours, keeping my ear to the ground, ensuring that I add real value to the division, and endeavoring to be politically aware so another 2×4 does not hit me upside the head.  I am keeping an eye on the job market in my field to ensure my skills are sharp and in demand.  What else can I do?
What about property?  After much research, and emotional depression, I determined that now is a good time to buy, but choosing the property is critical.  Let me be clear.  Choosing the property to purchase is based more on future financial security now than my previous prepper plans.  I do not wish to be homeless in my old age with stockpiles of food and supplies and nowhere to put them.  Practicality and precaution will be my guides.  

Let me give you a little background on the property situation in Nevada.  We have an extremely contracted real estate market in Nevada with a significant number of homes in foreclosure resulting in very limited inventory – i.e., not much for sale.  It takes over 400 days for a home to make its way back onto the market after foreclosure in Nevada.  This is in addition to a one to two year foreclosure process.  The lack of inventory has caused a bit of a bidding war on available properties, which leads to false valuations, which we know will not hold.  Do not get caught in a bidding war unless you have done the long-term math.  I heard that the same thing is happening in California.

The fact that across the United States, “10 million properties with underwater mortgages, and a shadow inventory of 1.5 million” (6/26/12, Forbes ) makes one wonder if now is the time to buy at all.  It also makes one wonder what will happen if, and when, the banks start releasing properties, i.e., flood the market with properties for sale.  I believe that the banks will continue to dribble properties out into the market for sale at a controlled rate in order to avoid insolvency and to control the downward spiral in housing values.  

If I buy now, will I be able to sell out of necessity in the future?  This is the question on every potential homeowner’s mind.  Recent homeowners (within the last 2 years) are most likely underwater in Nevada already.  Have we hit bottom?  Probably not.  Is there a long-term advantage to buying property now?  Maybe.  Each individual must decide, according to his or her own financial situation, if it makes sense to buy property now or rent.  I am not a financial advisor, nor do I know anything about financial planning – it is not what I do for a living.  I am just a mid – 50s woman with a lot at stake and have done my own research.  I made the decision to buy because it makes financial sense for tax reasons.  After deducting the interest on the loan, property taxes, repairs, etc., my cost for shelter is about half of what it is to rent a comparable property.  It makes financial sense for me.  Will congress keep the tax deductions intact for years to come?  Probably.  My financial plan includes paying off a 30 yr mortgage in 15 with room to prep in the budget – and that’s a really aggressive goal that requires discipline.

The price of the property I am currently purchasing is low for the area and the home is a “fixer-upper”.  The area has historically held property values – relatively speaking – and doing much better than other areas.  It is an older, established neighborhood, with lots of mature trees and landscaping, custom homes on large lots, and a bit removed from the downtown areas.  Our friend calls it the “high rent district”, but I would call it a great deal in a great neighborhood with longtime residents who value their properties.  Nevadans are an interesting breed – primarily conservative, supporters of the right to bear arms, stubborn, opinionated, and with little tolerance for Bravo Sierra.  Most folks out here know how to shoot and own weapons.  If you can generalize about any group of people, I would say that I would rather be nestled in, sheltered in, with a group of longtime Nevadans than out in the wilderness on my own.  I believe this choice makes financial sense in the event that the balloon does not go up – practicality.

However, I have not given up entirely on my prepper plans.  The location of this non-HOA home allows for some views of what is going on below “in the city” because it is located in the foothills.  It is on over a third an acre and the soil is good – enough room to grow a sizeable, private garden.  It has a unique crawlspace under the home that could be a small bunker with slight modifications.  It is large, over 3,000 sq. ft., allowing room for the extended family to shelter in.  Behind the home is a “ditch”.  Ditches were built many years ago in order to provide irrigation for pastures, and they remain fully functional interwoven throughout residences in the foothills.  The runoff from the major streams and lakes run through these ditches.  It is not the perfect plan, but it is something.  One cannot count on the ditch being a stable water source, but with the right filtration system, one could move water from the ditch into containers if need be.  I consider the ditch to be on par with a well.  In parched Nevada, wells dry up, as do ditches and streams, but having one close is still a good back up to the backup plan.  The home has two wood burning fireplaces in perfect condition, providing an alternate heating source for our cold winters.  If I take my prepper blinders off for a moment, I can see how this property will work.

This decision did not come easily – to shelter in place rather than move into the country.  My plan was several years in the making and it went up in smoke.  My only other option was to uproot and move to Idaho and I am just not ready to do that.  I cannot express to you how difficult it has been emotionally to choose to stay local to the community.  However, it is practical and sometimes we just have to be practical.  I can turn this home into my prepper palace with the right effort and planning.

The disadvantage of purchasing a home not far from the city is the potential onslaught of city dwellers and the “Golden Horde” from California.  This home is nestled within a community of windy roads and not directly in the path of the major freeways or major traffic veins.  Is it vulnerable?  Yes, absolutely.  Will it be the first target?  No.  There will be some time to prepare for an onslaught once the full preparation plan is in place for holding ground if the SHTF.  Since the decision to buy has been made and the decision to shelter in is in play, how can the home be fortified in such a way as to not call attention to preparation efforts and not violate any neighborhood norms?  

Planned preps for the shelter in place strategy include fortifying the exterior.  Currently, Masonite siding is in place.  I am researching replacing it with a cement fiber siding.  I am thinking “bulletproof”.  There are a number of “view windows” and other windows that I would like to replace with a bulletproof glass or modify them per J.W.R.’s instructions.  I will replace the sliding glass doors completely by reducing the exposure area, building out the walls, and inserting oh so innocent looking French doors that are bulletproof.  I wanted to do solar, but I am thinking of strategizing around the fireplaces, which can be a source of heating, cooking, and light.  While the home is large, there is not enough storage spaces built in.  I am thinking about building in storage that doubles as built-in furniture with false doors and hidden spaces.  The crawl space can be fortified further, especially with a heavy locked door and will serve as a bunker retreat and good for storage.  Yes, there are lots to this and I have not scratched the surface.  No more planning around goats, chickens, rabbits, and acres.  Now it is all about being secure in an un-secure area.  Water storage is a prime concern, but isn’t that what hot tubs are for?  If I can make myself laugh, I can enjoy this process rather than panic about it.

Parting advice – if you can’t move to the country, “shelter in” with your eyes wide open.  Everything I do now is through the lens of prepping.  SurvivalBlog has been and will be my “go to“ place for advice and ideas of other preppers.

The Snowball Effect, by Sarah B.

There is a certain amount of “snowball effect” when someone decides to invest in survivalist, TEOTWAWKI, or prepper knowledge.  The initial decision is not a light one, nor is a “set it and forget it” for the type that bounces from one fad to the next.  There are many different types of survivalists.  But all survivalists have one thing in common – a beginning.  Whether it is your views on the ever changing political arenas or natural disasters that have piqued your interest or even steered your choice to the survivalist lifestyle, the initial influx of information can be a bit overwhelming.

First off, TEOTWAWKI?  The End Of The World As We Know It.  It sounds simple, but your everyday life is filled to the brim with simple things you normally take for granted.  If your power goes out, you usually can count on it being restored before your freezer defrosts.  But what if it doesn’t?  Sure, candles around the house are great, but if a widespread, long-term power outage occurred, you’d be stuck trying to get anything you could just to warm up a can of beans.  That is, if you can get into your can of beans because your electric opener isn’t working either.  And your car is low on gas trying to find any kind of supplies, so you can’t get yourself to the hospital because you impaled your thumb trying to open the “stupid” can of beans.  Even if it was a TEOTWAWKI on a smaller scale, like a corrupted water system, you need to be prepared to provide for yourself and your family as others scramble around trying to find even a 12 ounce bottle.

You know your own personality and know how far down the rabbit hole this decision will take you.  Prepare in moderation.  You already have responsibilities in your life, albeit work, children, and maybe hobbies.  If you are thinking that becoming a survivalist is going to be a new “hobby” along the lines of hunting or snow skiing or scuba diving, there is some truth.  The truth to that statement is that you will spend a decent chunk of change committing to this.  If you choose to devote your time and effort to learning a new way of thinking, you will learn that survivalist gear is like good hobby equipment; some will buy the cheap stuff and come to find out later that cheap doesn’t equal good.  Along with this decision to survivalist, you’ll need to learn a lot and then disregard what you don’t need, want or will use. As stated above, you know yourself best and will need to weed out the useless-to-you information.

Prepare for situations that would be likely, but keep the worst-case scenario in mind.  Natural disasters happen frequently, whether it is a hurricane, tsunami wave, earthquakes or fires.  Hurricane Katrina and the recent droughts show how hundreds of thousands, even millions, can be brought to their knees.  Man-made disasters also occur along the lines of a bombing, terrorists or political corruption that can shut down governments that trickle down to public sector jobs and then to private sectors.  The tsunami triggered nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan was mostly glossed over in the United States of America, with the exception of the chance of sensationalism.  The natural disaster occurred in the dead of winter.  If you were in a similar situation and survived the initial onslaught, would you be able to survive the repercussions? If the weather conditions were survivable, would you be able to protect yourself from looters?

You will never see me, nor know my real name.  To me, my survivalist choices are best kept to my family and a few other families that we are close with.  Each family is responsible for their own level of skills, supplies and knowledge, but we encourage each other and pass on useful knowledge and places to buy or barter for good supplies.  Being involved with a group may not be for you.  I take pleasure in knowing that I will have friends to be with should we have to leave most everything behind.  However, we all take great pains in not being the ones to discuss it openly with others.  It’s not that we hoard our skills or knowledge.  I’d rather not have 15 friends knowing that I have a cache of ammo or a supply of food, because if my 15 friends know and TEOTWAWKI happens, I’ll have 15 people asking me to help them out.  My first responsibility is my family.  Lack of planning on their part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my part.  So, gather your supplies, skills and knowledge quietly.  Don’t sign up for a reality show unless you want trouble. 

There are as many different camps on where and how to start as there are name brands for toilet paper.  Being practical has to play into your launching point.  My personal preference is basic necessity.  You cannot build a sturdy house without a good foundation (although I’m sure some would argue that point) and the same is true for beginning preppers and survivalists.  Water is essential for life.  You can buy cases of small bottles, one gallon jugs, or water containers from canteen size to 5 gallons to 50 gallons.  If you are leaning towards “bugging out” or “heading for the hills,” then a 50 gallon drum probably wouldn’t be the wisest choice.  But quality should play a role in your decision.  A cheap 5 gallon jug with a flimsy handle could break and any loss of water in a TEOTWAWKI could be a point of life or death.  There are water purification tablets, water hydration packs, knowledge on how to find water in the wilderness, the list is practically endless.  Never forget, though, that your body will fail without water.

Food follows a second close to water.  Being able to feed your family during a prolonged disaster is essential.  Not one of you reading this would care to see a child or loved one die of starvation, but it is a real possibility in a TEOTWAWKI situation.  Again, the choices on food storage are plentiful.  There are the classic MRE’s (meals ready to eat), which could be useful in a “bug out” situation.   If the scenario calls for staying put in your own home, however, food storage could be a lot more feasible and, to be frank, a lot more tasty.  There are many articles on life expectancy of home canned food, store bought cans and storage of dry ingredients to make meals.  Be sure to figure in how your storage is affected by weather, i.e. if you live where the summers are regularly over 90 degrees and how it influences the stored food.  Garden seeds could be useful for long term crops.

It may sound contradictory, but cash will speak in a broken society.  If you have studied, stored and mastered skills, there may be something you missed.  It is the one tiny thing that will pop up and send your “plan” sideways.  This is where cash comes in.  If there is a lack of electricity, banks won’t have computers to tell them how much is in your account and they certainly won’t let you “borrow” it.  Bartering could also prove useful in this type of circumstance, but cash is king with most people.  The amount you decide to keep on hand will be something that you find reasonable, but a good jump off point is $500, in bills that are 20’s and smaller.  Why so much to start out with?  If you think gasoline prices are unreasonable now, just wait until there is no electricity to automate the pumps. 

Lastly, for a brand new survivalist, consider your own medical needs.  Are you one daily, weekly or monthly medications?  If you are, you may need to consider getting a month more and then rotating it so that you have at least a month’s supply.  Do you have allergies that need an over the counter or even a prescription for?  Buying a box or two and rotating the stock is wise and easy.  Women need supplies for their “lady days,” and that may include special medications.  You can take a basic first aid kit and expand it with more supplies to start out with.  If you have any unused elastic bandage wraps, arm slings or splits, make sure that you include them with the medical supplies.  You will be able to gauge what you need for your family in your own medical kit.  Consider keeping your supplies in a red storage tote or bin to signify that it is for medical supplies.  In a panic, it is a lot easier to yell to someone to “Grab the red bin!” than it would be for someone to read the labels. 

For a beginner, sometimes you just want someone to spell out exactly what you need and which order to buy it in.  Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way.  What is good for my family may or may not be good for you, but it can give you a general idea of which direction to go.  Checklists are abundant on the internet, but can either be missing something you need or want or the list can be bogged down with advanced supplies to be collected once the essentials are there.  As you advance past the beginning stages and gather your basic needs, you will branch out into a plethora of different areas.  But the basics will have you covered in case TEOTWAWKI happens much sooner than you expect.

Letter Re: Grain Mill Comparisons

Hi Jim
One thing that our family is fond of is bread – especially whole wheat bread.  I read Pat’s review of the Family Grain Mill from the perspective of someone who’s been-there done-that.  Our grain mill journey began with an attachment to the Champion Juicer – it does grind wheat but the flour is fairly coarse and the resulting bread is not what I had come to expect from the bread that typical (store bought) whole wheat flour yielded.

We wanted a mill that offered the user the ability to grind flour by hand if needed.  After a long search we opted for the economically attractive Family Grain Mill.  It was a marked improvement as far as the consistency of the flour on its finest setting, but still fell short of the store bought flour.  Additionally, our Kitchen-Aid mixer was at the minimum power requirement and although it was able to grind wheat, the mixer did warm up considerably.  Grinding by hand is certainly do-able, but it will be a family task to grind enough (fine) flour for a couple of standard sized loaves.  Most of the Family Grain Mill is plastic, everything fits well and the burrs are well-machined, but again, most of the mill is plastic – I don’t know if this mill will make it through generations.  However, one real positive feature of this mill is its ability to make rolled oats (with an optional attachment) – no comparison to store bought rolled oats.

We definitely wanted a mill that could stand up to our family’s needs for many years – our search continued.  Our search thus far had yielded adequate mills, each better than its predecessor, but still had us making flour that was substandard to store bought.  We found two that looked promising and neither was inexpensive.  The GrainMaker mill and the Country Living Grain Mill were the two that rose to the top – either, when reviewed, had accolades and some issues. 

We opted for the GrainMaker and have not regretted it for a moment.  The flour is just as fine as that in the store.  We have motorized it – deciding to use our time more productively until the power fails.  We have made everything from cornmeal to grits, cracked wheat beans, – whatever – easily.

Here are several reviews that helped push us over the edge to spend more than we ever thought we would.  (However when we compare what we spent leading up to the GrainMaker purchase, we would have been far better off saving our money to get this workhorse first.)

http://www.goodbadanduglycomparisons.com/page/2/

http://www.grainmaker.com/independent-reviews.html  – the grain mill comparison – this document is a very good reference for someone considering a high-end mill.

Also, I’m on a personal quest to make an excellent loaf of bread from only what we have stored for whatever comes.  No yeast (sour dough starter instead) and no white flour.  An appeal to your readers for a proven recipe would be very, very much appreciated.

As always – thank you for all that you do! – John T.