Odds ‘n Sods:

I had a couple of queries from SurvivalBlog readers about this news article: Google map mystery of giant lines spotted by satellite in Gobi desert. My guess is that it is a radar MASINT test field. (Note the variety of bistatic angles.) Without delving into the compartmented codeword realm, I can mention an open source reference to something analogous: the imaging target field at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Here, I’ll remind you that I wrote a series of articles about Fort Huachuca for Defense Electronics magazine, back in 1988. Hans Halberstadt, a well-respected and seasoned military photographer accompanied me there for a series of briefings and interviews. When a slide picture of their half-mile long resolution facility was shown as part of an unclassified post facilities overview presentation, Hans burst out laughing. He quickly mentioned the field’s palm-size equivalent, at home in his studio. The Gobi test field, I believe, is something similar, but built for radar MASINT tests. It was constructed on a grand scale. Oh, BTW, the extensive pattern degradation at the lower edge of the field was apparently caused by the Gobi desert’s rare flash floods. This probably indicates that the test field was built some time ago.

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Readers Ron N. and Jamie L. mentioned this piece by Paul Bedard: Obama Pushing Shooters Off Public Lands

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A great little article over at one of my favorite blogs, View From The Porch: But it’s just a .22…

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F.J. spotted this: Prepare Your Bicycle and Your Body for Winter Riding

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 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 37 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

First Aid: From Sprained Ankles to Gunshot Wounds, by Big Country

As an avid outdoorsman, survivalist, Eagle Scout and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in training I know the importance of first aid and how it can mean the importance of  life and death. The proper first aid training is crucial in an ever changing world. I will discuss how to make a proper Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) that you can use for self and buddy aid. How to treat sprains, broken bones, environmental emergencies, bleeding control and sucking chest wounds.

IFAK- Choosing the right bag or case is very important. Make sure it can hold all of your gear and is easy to use for one handed operations. If you are on a limited budget Wal-Mart sells multi use hunting bags and cases or you can check out Coleman’s Army Surplus. Another good bag is the Condor tactical Rip-Away EMT pouch that has MOLLE attachments that can be mounted on a backpack, vest or an optional shoulder harness. This pouch also has a Velcro design which lets you take off the pouch itself without removing the whole pouch from your equipment. This product is only $20. The contents of your first aid kit may vary depending on your personal needs. My kit contains medical tape, an LED penlight, several packs of Quikclot clotting sponges, several pairs of latex powder free gloves, tourniquets, bandages, alcohol prep pads, EMT/trauma shears, tweezers, tongue depressors (they make good finger and wrist splints) various sizes of ACE wraps and an assortment of bandages, gauze pads and Band-Aids. You can find these items at your local Wal-Mart, outdoor supply center or if you’re brave enough go to your local Emergency room and just ask for supplies and use a cover story on why you need the supplies. If you want the combat grade supplies just shop online.
 
The essence of First Aid: Stop life-threatening danger, protect an injured or ill person from further harm, and get proper medical help for the patient.

ABCs:
Airway- Open up the airway by the lift and tilt method, tilt the head up and lift open the mouth this creates an open airway for the patient if you believe there is a neck injury thrust the jaw forward

Breathing- Check for signs of air movement, the chest will rise and fall or you may be able to hear shallow breathing if not, then start CPR.

Circulation- Check for a pulse this can be checked by placing two fingers on the carotid artery in the neck (this is used for non-responsive patients or if you can’t find a radial pulse in either wrist) To check for a radial pulse place two- three fingers in the notch below the thumb, you may have to move around until you can find it. Do not check with your thumb because your thumb has a pulse of its own. Also check for major bleeding, open up clothing and examine your patient. This all together should take no more than 15-20 seconds upon initial contact.

Basic First Aid

Shock- When a person is injured or under great stresses his/her circulatory system might not provide enough blood flow to all parts of the body. Warning signs: feeling of weakness, confusion, fear, dizziness, quick weak pulse. Rapid shallow irregular breathing, vomiting, extreme thirst. Restore breathing and circulation, control bleeding, treat pain and treat wounds. Lay the patient down and elevate his or her feet 10-12 inches up to restore blood flow to vital organs. The new doctrine and theory says not to elevate the feet but most medical professionals still suggest doing this. If there is no head, neck or spine trauma then elevates both the feet 10-12 inches and the torso 30-45 degrees also. Also keep the patient warm with blankets, clothing and etc. Even if there are no signs for shock treat for it anyway. 

Sprained Ankle: Don’t remove your shoe it will help support your ankle if you must keep walking. Wrap the ankle and shoe/boot all with an ace bandage or triangular bandage (handkerchief, etc.) Once done traveling remove the footwear and raise your leg and apply ice packs or cool towels to help reduce swelling. To wrap the ankle start the bandage at the bottom of the persons shoe or boot and wrap around several times. Once that has been completed start the bandage in a “figure 8” motion. This will help support the ankle. This method can also be used for sprained wrists.
 

Broken Bones: Two types – Closed and Open. Closed fracture is a fracture in which the bone did not break the skin also referred to as a simple fracture. Open fracture is when the bone pierces the skin also referred to as a compound fracture. To treat closed fractures simply splint the broken bone to immobilize it from moving. a good saying is “splint it where it lies” you can simply use tongue depressors for fingers and smaller breaks, tree limbs that are as straight as possible or even a thick magazine you can also buy Sam splints at local outdoor retail shops. Cushion under a splint is also good in which it helps it fit better you can use a sleeping pad, cloth, roller bandages or whatever is handy at the time. Once the splint has been placed bind the two splints together. Compound fracture: wrap the bone exiting the skin with gauze or sterile bandages the risk of infection are much greater with broken skin. After treating the piercing bone splint the leg or arm to prevent further harm. If bleeding is present control the bleeding first.

How to make a sling: Support an injured hand, arm, collarbone or shoulder with a sling made from a triangular bandage or neckerchief. Tie an overhand knot in the largest angle of the triangle. Place the sling over the chest with the knot at the elbow of the injured limb and one over the opposite shoulder. Bring the free end of the sling up and over the other shoulder and tie the two ends together behind the neck using a square knot. A square knot is simply using two free ends of a rope or bandage and using the right free end placing it over the left taking it under and then left over right and pull together just remember “right over left, left over right”

Some key notes when splinting: Assess the patient’s Pulse, Motor function and Sensation (PMS). If there is a fracture in the leg check the pulse in the foot to make sure there is still blood flow getting to that part of the body if not you have a more serious problem on your hands. With the Motor function see if the patient can wiggle his/her toes or rotate he foot again do not cause any further harm to the patient. Last is the Sensation seeing if the patient can actually feel you touching his or her foot, pulling of leg hair and etc. All of these will provide crucial information about the extent of the fracture. When splinting make sure the splint itself extends several inches beyond the joints above and below the injury. After splinting check the PMS again.


Environmental Emergencies:
Hypothermia

(The following table is reproduced from an excellent paper on Environmental Emergencies by Capt. Tony Carraro.)

Stages of Hypothermia:

Body Temperature

(Fahrenheit )

Body Temperature

(Celsius)

Symptoms

99-96

37.0-35.5

Shivering

95-91

35.5-32.7

Intense shivering, difficulty speaking

90-86

32.0-30.0

Shivering decreases and is replaced my muscle rigidity. Jerky movements are produced, thinking is less clear, comprehension is dulled

85-81

29.4-27.2

Becomes irrational, loses contact with the environment, pulse and respirations are slow

80-78

26.6-20.5

Loses consciousness and doesn’t respond to spoken words. Heartbeat slows the cardiac arrest occurs.

First Aid for Hypothermia: Remove all wet clothing from the victim and change him/her into warm dry clothing. Don’t have him/her perform exercises; it’s okay in the beginning stages of hypothermia but the further it progresses the worse it becomes. Place warm water bottles underneath the armpits, and the groin area. Also apply a stocking cap to the patient’s head. All of these areas are the most at risk places to lose warmth. If necessary place yourself in a sleeping bag with the person. If he/she is awake and alert gradually give warm liquids at a slow rate.

Frost Bite: Get the patient out of the cold environment. Warm the affected area gradually. If this does not help heat water to between 100 degrees Fahrenheit – 105 degrees Fahrenheit. You should be able to stick your own finger or hand in there and not feel any discomfort. Do not apply any pressure to the frost bite area.

Hyperthermia

First Aid for Hyperthermia: Some signs and symptoms of hyperthermia are muscle cramps usually in the legs and abdomen. Weakness or exhaustion, rapid shallow breathing and a weak pulse. If the patient has moist, pale and normal to cool skin remove the patient from the heat if not possible lay him/her in a shady spot with their legs slightly elevated. Remove or loosen the patient’s clothing to help cool down the patient. If he/she is awake and not feeling nauseated have him or her sip cool drinks of water. Apply cool moist towels under the armpits and forehead. You can also apply instant cold packs if water is scarce which in times of emergencies it will be. Also be sure not to cool the body too quickly or you’ll send the patient into shock.
In any emergency survival situation you’ll come across people with weapons .Whether this be bow and arrows, firearms, knives, stones, baseball bats or even old fashioned tomahawks all will cause trauma. With this come soft tissue injuries and a number of other life threatening injuries. In the matter of external bleeding there are three types: Arterial which is the spurting of blood, pulsating flow and bright red in color. Venous (veins) which is a steady flow and dark red in color all the way to simple scratch or nick which is a cause of your capillary bleeding which is slow and has an even flow to it. A person can bleed out in a matter of seconds to minutes without the proper control of bleeding.

The simplest way to control bleeding of any aspect is to apply direct pressure. If the bleeding is mild and not too severe apply a sterile dressing with adequate pressure to help clotting. If the bleeding is severe or spurting quickly apply direct pressure with your hand DON”T WASTE TIME. Once bleeding has been controlled apply a pressure bandage. Never remove a bandage that has been placed to stop/control bleeding this can destroy clots and or skin. If the bandage has become soaked in blood apply another bandage directly over it and hold direct pressure.

Application of a tourniquet: This is to be done as a last resort. Have your partner or the patient (if he is responsive) hold and maintain direct pressure until the tourniquet is in place. Select a site no further than two inches from the wound. The tourniquet should be placed in between the wound and the heart (above the wound). If you do not have a tourniquet you can use a triangular dressing or a cravat. Wrap the bandage around the injury and tie a knot over the pad. Slip an ink pin, stick or anything hard into the knot and tighten until the bleeding is controlled.

Sucking Chest Wound

When the chest cavity is open to the atmosphere it is commonly called Sucking Chest Wound. Each time he/she breathes air can be sucked into the opening and the patient will have difficulty breathing. Some signs and symptoms of this include a “sucking” sound when the patient inhales, has a wound to the chest, and gasping for air. When treating someone with a sucking chest wound maintain an open airway. Apply an occlusive dressing that is at least two inches larger than the wound itself. If there is an exit wound also apply the same type of dressing to it also. When creating this dressing tape down all sides except for one this will create a flutter valve to help with breathing. When the patient inhales it prevents air from entering the chest cavity upon exhaling it allows trapped air to escape through the untapped section of the dressing. While preparing the dressing quickly place your hand over the wound this will provide crucial lifesaving moments. If an occlusive dressing is not available you can use a section of your latex glove, packaging from sterile bandages, and a section of a trash bag or plastic grocery sack. There are also many types of chest seals on the market today for less than $20.

With all of this information I hope it will provide you some basic knowledge of how to treat and respond to non-life and life threatening injuries. In some instances without the proper advanced level of care required for situations such as sucking chest wounds and internal injuries such as a broken femur that punctures the femoral arty they are sure to die but with the proper first aid you may add several minutes to days and months of life that they might not would have if it wasn’t for you. Study, take courses and save a life.

Letter Re: A Surgeon’s Observations on Survivalism

I read with interest the data on food inflation recently on your blog. This confirms my own recent observations about food and hardware store items. Additionally, I have observed a drastic shift in the behavior of the people around me.

When you think of survivalists you don’t generally picture of a bunch of guys and gals in surgeons scrubs discussing weapons. But they do, now. I have been a surgeon for over twenty years, and in the last two years much has changed. Conversations that used to begin with, “Have you ever seen a case of…?” now begin with, “Gold is up $40 per ounce today”, or “I just bought the new Ruger .38 Special…”. It is telling of the times that instead of medicine we do talk survival–both personal and professional.

I am not an economist, but sleep better nights having converted most of my savings to gold and recently platinum. I would make your readers aware of the options of storing precious metals overseas at reasonable costs through Delaware Depository, or through a simple Canadian lock box. It is not considered a foreign account because technically it is just storage. I heard gold economist Ian McAvity say that it is wise to be like a dog and bury a bone in many back yards because you never know in which backyard you might end up…and one bonepile should be outside the legal confines of the US. I would also point out that platinum is not a metal the feds will likely confiscate, it will never lose all value, and takes less room to store than gold. At present the price is very much below the 200 day moving average, and is quite a bargain, If you believe in some sort of industrial future, which I do. In general, and I find this interesting, my physician friends and I, when discussing diversification of assets no longer talk about stocks or bonds but about silver vs gold vs platinum or palladium.

I do not see much info on medical preparedness in your blog, but I am insuring that I have three months supply minimum of our prescription drugs, and I am stocking up on Cipro, Doxycycline and Erythromycin–those cover most big infectious diseases as well as germ warfare diseases. I am also buying topical neosporin, Vitamin D (10,000 IU daily dose), Vitamin C 500 mg, Iodine 12.5 mg tabs (iodoral), and anti-inflammatories. I have a supply of bandages, mercury thermometers, Clorox and splints. As a surgeon, I am saving “out of date” but perfectly good, surgical supplies, and other medical items in case I find myself making house calls out of a black bag for barter. I began doing this after reading about the collapse of the Argentinean economy as experienced by a white collar engineer. Even if you are not a medical practitioner, if you have the supplies, someone else can supply the expertise–like distributing combat medical gear to the combatants. Based on the history of monetary collapse elsewhere, it was three months of chaos before some basis for buying and selling could be restored. It is critical that people plan for medical necessities because the supply of medical items will be as affected as food–if not worse. Pharmacies and hospitals have grown accustomed to daily resupply of their stocks. Diabetics and anyone who needs life saving medications especially must think ahead. Insurance plans may not pay for ahead of time medications, but you can often get cash discounts, and can simply purchase the meds outside of any insurance plan. (You may discover it is cheaper than your co-pay!) Where shelf life is not the issue, stock up. Shelf life is greatly underestimated for most drugs, and with refrigeration and rotation of stocks you can keep things longer if needed. – H.L., MD

Letter Re: The Occupy Protests as an Illustration of Refugee Camp Living

Mr. Rawles,

I wanted to stress for G.R. in Texas that refugee camp living is far worse than anything experienced at Occupy Wall Street. Those were comparatively small encampments of comparatively wealthy people (in a global perspective, I work with populations who make less than $1 a day), with largely similar ideological frameworks, in cities that provided a fair number of basic services.

I’ve visited several refugee camps supported by tens of millions of dollars in foreign aid and I can say that when you have more than 10,000 people together aid money is barely enough to get basic supplies out to people. Logistics break down in disheartening ways. Even in supported camps in Haiti rape by gangs of men is endemic, rats are out of control, sanitation is completely inadequate. People in these camps are hopeless and stuck without work, completely dependent on ever decreasing handouts from NGOs or money from relatives. Some of these people had good work before the quake and just lost everything, pharmacists, accountants, nurses.

I know plenty of people who hiked out of Port Au Prince after the earthquake to get to buses to other cities, largely they did better than the people who stayed. But of the roughly 500,000 that left the city in the two weeks after the quake about 200,000 returned to live in the camps when they had nowhere to go and no options for food.

I honestly suggest people make global networks of friends now that they know can rely on in times of crises to help them get back on their feet. Making these agreements reciprocal helps. I would rather take my chances starting a new life from scratch in another town or country not affected by a disaster with the help of a friend than spend a day in a true refugee camp. In a refugee camp it doesn’t matter if you are skilled or trained, you are not in control of your destiny. I hope all people who plan to bug out of a location have several friendly destinations in mind to get to. Sincerely, – Peter H.

Letter Re: Staple Foods Storage By The Numbers

JWR-
Dr. Ted is incorrect. "Dropping below 15% protein risks Kwashiorkor – it’s the reason why those starving kids in the television commercials have fat bellies – lack of protein actually causes more fat to be deposited!"

More fat is not deposited. [A swollen belly in these cases is a symptom of] edema (fluid) that collects in the abdomen or feet. It comes from the capillaries when there is a lack of protein in the diet and the liver cannot produce enough albumin. Thus the blood is hypo-osmotic and fluid is lost into the peritoneum, also called third-spacing. – J.W.M.

Economics and Investing:

Reader F.J.R. suggested this from The Washington Times: Currency control efforts worry Argentines

Guess How Many Americans Don’t Have Enough Saved To Cover A $1,000 Emergency? (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

B.G. spotted this: Fed Surveys: Economy in Worse Shape Than Feared, Recession Odds Spike to 50%

Sign of the times: Complete, and Ongoing List of U.S. Retail Stores Closing in 2011 Calendar Year. (A hat tip to Kyle L. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

US Companies Feeling Impact of European Crisis. JWR’s Comment: Just wait until there is the inevitable global cascade of margin calls.

Europe’s Woes Pose New Peril to Recovery in the US

Buffett:  European Concerns, US Housing Woes Linger

Gold Demand Doubles Amid Economic Gloom

Odds ‘n Sods:

By way of Tam’s blog: Superhydrophobic spray means no more clothes to wash. This somehow reminded me of the classic Alec Guinness movie The Man in the White Suit.

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George S. sent this: 22 Signs That The Thin Veneer of Civilization That We All Take for Granted is Starting to Disappear

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AmEx (American Expatriate) sent this: When the Cashier Asks for Your Zip Code. AmEx notes: “With your name and zip code they can do a reverse lookup and determine your address. That is a real breach of OPSEC.” JWR Adds:To minimize any paper trail, I try to make prepping purchases with cash as much as possible and when asked for my ZIP code, I answer “Sorry, but I don’t live near here.” (Which is always true, since I live way out in the hinterboonies, 20+ miles from the nearest store.) That usually stops all but the most pushy sales clerks.

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I just heard from a reader that The Cadet newspaper at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) recently carried a cadet-authored article about SurvivalBlog. That warms my heart.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"There are no great men. Just great challenges which ordinary men, out of necessity, are forced by circumstances to meet." – Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey

Notes from JWR:

If you have had the chance to read “Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse”, I would greatly appreciate you posting a review on the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble web sites. Just a brief paragraph or two would be great, thanks!

—

Today we present another entry for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 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 37 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Learning To Prepare, The Hard Way, by Barbara L.

I cannot even remember a time when I wasn’t a “prepper”.  Although until a few years ago, I had no idea of what I was preparing for.  Before the dawn of my awakening, I had serious urges to learn how not to kill plants and flowers. I wanted to grow my own food eventually, so I started with a trip to the local Big Box store, and bought some bare root fruit trees. Now in my mind, they are already dead, so if I could resurrect them, and keep them going, I was on my way. If they didn’t survive my over-nurturing tendencies, then I wouldn’t feel bad, as they were dead already! To my surprise, all but one survived the first year, and I tasted the sweet success of peaches fresh off the tree!  What I didn’t know then, was that you always thin out the fruit the first year or two, or all the branches break. I learned the hard way.  That summer I built two 4×8 raised bed garden boxes, and planted up a storm. I read nearly every garden web site, watched all the you tube videos and read all the books that I could get my hands on, and learned about proper drainage, shading, and organic pest control. It is all a balance act as I found out, but I am now eating most of my diet from my garden. Quality garden soil is the key. Everything else can be managed. 

Along the way, I found articles  and blogs on TEOTWAWKI and WTSHTF. I read Bible prophecies, Hopi indian prophecies, and listened to those whom I trust, warn of impending disasters, and world wide trouble. Economic collapse, social unrest, changing weather patterns, and evidence of global disasters increasing in intensity, and frequency, answered any questions I might have had about the urges to prepare that I had been experiencing for many years.   In a disorganized way, I started buying long term food storage, beans, rice, wheat, and canned meat. At the time, I did not have a wheat grinder, and had absolutely no idea of what I would do with it, when the time came.  A plan would have been the smart way to start, but I eventually bought a hand grinder.  It was not until the electric grinder that I found at a yard sale, came into my life years later, that I actually ground the wheat to make bread.   Another lesson learned along the way : White wheat? Red wheat? Which do I use for bread? Gluten? Why do I need to add that?  Gluten needs to be added to make it rise better. After a few flat loaves, I asked  questions. Once again, I learned the hard way. I also did research, and learned that the nutritional value of wheat is increased by up to 700% by sprouting. What a find that information was, for my long term food storage plans. I will sprout my wheat, and throw it into salads! 

Momentum was building, as guns were acquired, CCW permit obtained, ammo purchased, water tanks, 72-hour kits assembled, and a trailer for hauling what I needed out of town if it came to that.   I’m a single mom here, with two grown boys, and I was feeling a little bit lonely as I used what extra money I made, to purchase more and more food storage, for at least a year’s provisions. I personally knew of no one else doing this. I was feeling a bit like a hoarder, and occasionally had to do a reality check. Finding like-minded people on web sites, and blogs like SurvivalBlog.com was a tremendous help, to center myself.  Reading and re- eading the lists of organized ways to approach preparations has helped me move forward. I sure wish I had started that way.  Just after the real estate bubble burst, I saw the values declining so rapidly in housing, that I realized one of the most valuable pieces of advice given to me is to be debt free of consumer debts, and to own a house free and clear. I accomplished getting free of installment debt after a time, but the house mortgage was going to be a bigger challenge.  

I still had a little money in savings, but really felt uncomfortable with the money in the bank, after having narrowly avoided the markets’ mini-crash in the late 1980s, and read about savings and loans collapsing.  So I decided to use what I had, to build my emergency short term, or long term retreat on a piece of land that I had purchased some seven years prior when I had been buying things to prepare without knowing why.  This was a perfect plan, to secure a small home that would be paid for, off grid- independent of city utilities of any kind.  It would be for me, a great investment, and a place to retire to as well. I work for myself, so for me, this was it. This was the only retirement fund I would have, a place to live.   Construction started two months later, after researching plans found on line. Again,  planning was lacking, as there was urgency in completing this project, and the builder was pressed for time too.  But my cabin stands proudly, in a rural area, 165 miles from the nearest city, and 15 miles from a town of 20,000.   

There is a fantastic neighbor across the street, but the first line of defense, is a fence! So that went up right away with the help of one of my sons, and some friends.  In spite of broken bits for the rock drill, cuts, bruises, and sore backs, we made it through the excruciatingly long week of stretching fence, and barbed wire on top. I did the hard part – I watched, and made lunch for everyone! 🙂  

The house is equipped with a composting toilet because I bought property without doing a percolation test first.  (Learning the hard way.) The perc test determines if a septic can be put in, and in this case, there were too many rocks!  Water must be hauled, but there are underground tanks that can be purchased inexpensively, to hold plenty of water. (you can buy up to 10,000 gallon tanks) I presently have 1,200 gallons stored, in 300 gallon tanks,  but will be installing two 1,500 gallon tanks this next summer. Wells dug in this area run $35,000 and up.  When in conservation mode, the average adult uses three gallons or less per day for drinking, cooking and washing (heated over the stove- sponge bath I would suppose)  So I will have plenty of water for over a year. The water system is pumped with a 1/3 horsepower recreational vehicle water pump, and an extra pump is hidden away for emergencies. Water is run through the cabin with pex line, which is easy to work with. I installed an on demand propane water heater for the shower, and kitchen sink. The Berkey water filter sits proudly by the sink, and is always filled. Extra filters are in the pantry. 

The cabin has a ventless propane heater, and a cast iron wood fireplace.  A funny thing about propane I learned last winter: In extreme cold, regulators freeze, and propane heaters do not work, nor do propane stoves and ovens!  Last winter I went to the cabin to experience the Christmas season in the snow. Hah to me. the temperature had dropped to -15 degrees Fahrenheit and everything in the cabin when I got there at 9 p.m., was frozen!  I think of SurvivalBlog, where I learned “two is one, and one is none”. Oh thank goodness I thought, that I had just installed this new woodstove. I had not yet used it, but this was to be it’s maiden fire.  Funny thing about fire places and wood stoves… there is a bit of a learning curve. I was being conservative of electric, because I wasn’t sure of how charged the batteries were on the solar system, so I lit the oil lamps for light, which adds a cozy feel, and I set out to light myself a great fire! I remembered to be sure the flue was open, but I left the door open while I was attempting to defrost the cabin. I grabbed a cast iron pan from the kitchen, threw in a piece of chicken and some veggies, and shoved it into the wood stove.  Yum, dinner was great, but when I stood up and turned on the light to wash the dishes, I realized that the whole room was filled with smoke, and if I had installed a fire alarm, everyone within miles would have known what a dummy I was with my first fire!  

The smoke was so thick in the cabin that I had to sleep on the floor that night, because I couldn’t breathe!  Yes, I did open the windows a crack, to vent the smoke outside, but I realized that there was a flue adjustment, and the door was suppose to have been closed.  (No wonder the cabin was still cold, outside the four foot ring around the hearth).  I called a friend in a panic, who after having a great laugh at my expense, told me how to adjust it to heat the house comfortably. (yes I learned the hard way – again)  

The following day was sunny, and a bit warmer but still no propane. No worries, I have a solar oven. It worked like a charm to cook lunch, but I soon realized that if I was to survive with this thing, I had better plan my meals a day in advance, because the sun is out for a limited time. No planning dinner at 3 p.m. in my neck of the woods!   The sun… A funny thing about the sun I discovered. It never makes appearances when you need it! I had decided with the cabin, solar was the way to go. So I started small, with two 175-watt panels, and eight T105 batteries, and an Outback pure sine wave inverter. Great system if the sun is out all day. Some days it is not. Darn that jokester the sun. It seems to be out all day when I am not there, but when I go to visit the cabin, it is cloudy. The battery bank is drawn down too quickly, and then Wham! I’m out of juice. No lights, no water pump, no radio, no charging the cell phone.  During the summer, which is the rainy season, it happens this way every day.  So I learned two more lessons the hard way:   Lesson 1. Always have a water tank that provides gravity feed to a house. Lesson 2. Buy more panels to charge the batteries up faster, or a wind generator.  I also have a gas generator, but it does require gasoline, and I am 15 miles from town. Lesson 3. Always keep a spare can of gas handy.   So now I have a great log sided shed built behind the cabin, to house the back up generator, and the 25 gallons of gasoline, the stockpile of charcoal, the 8 gallons of oil lamp fuel, the tools, washer (which will be run with generator power, and gravity fed water), dryer for use when it is raining, and all of the camping supplies.  

I have built up to a two year supply of food, soaps, Clorox, medical supplies, hundreds of matches, and flints for when it is raining, and I am outside for what ever reason. Handguns, rifles, shotgun, ammo to hold off an army,  300 + seed packs 1/2 heirloom, and 1/2 hybrid to sell or trade.  I am finally taking inventories of all that I have stored, to best rotate, and plan for future needs. I have learned that vodka is used for making tinctures with herbs, and I may consider buying a couple of cases to sell or trade in an extreme situation.   I am designing my green houses, and a heating system to extend the growing season well into winter.  I am collecting books to read, mostly non fiction, and movies to watch on cold dark nights. I have purchased 4 more solar panels 190 watt each, and before they are installed, I will be pricing the tracking pole mount. It increases productivity by at least 30%. 

I now have two 55-gallon drums, and hand crank gas pump, which will all be assembled and filled next summer. I expect to fill one with diesel fuel for barter or to sell. Diesel lasts for years, and I have distant neighbors who use it.  A four wheel drive vehicle is a must in a rural area during winter.  I would love to learn about ham radio, and to be certified to operate one.   I have a 10×20 covered chicken run with a coop at the retreat location and a small flock of eight hens. They live in the city for now with me, but travel to the cabin and stay in the summer for extended stays. They seemed to enjoy their last summer vacation. I always have eggs to share with neighbors.  Last but not least, My son and I purchased an older kick-start dirt bike, kept in our home in the city, with a 72 hour kit nearby, and an off road map from point A to point B.   Next year my project is to learn to use those fishing poles I bought at the swap meet!  Respectfully submitted B. R. in Arizona

Letter Re: The Occupy Protests as an Illustration of Refugee Camp Living

JWR,
 
I found this article interesting: Protesters Coming Down With the “Zuccotti Lung”. Park conditions put demonstrators at risk for variety of sicknesses, officials say.

The weather and conditions at the “Occupy” protests are likely a microcosm of a post-Crunch refugee camp, along with the attendant diseases and problems associated with lots of people living close together in raw weather.
 
I think this should give pause to those who believe they can simply pack up and head out into the local woodlot and survive a Crunch-type event. You may leave home healthy, but inevitable contact with other folks will introduce the bugs that can end up killing you. A clean, warm, dry shelter at a fixed retreat goes a long way toward preventing or limiting communicable disease.
 
Blessings, – G.R. in Texas

Letter Re: Internet Privacy Practices For Preppers

Dear James,
I have accounts on Gmail, Yahoo mail, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like many people, I have found it convenient to stay logged in to my online accounts with my personal computer. While on LinkedIn a few weeks ago, I was “recommended” a business associate who I had not been in contact with for nearly 10 years. This alarmed me. How did LinkedIn make this association? So, I looked back through my Yahoo mail and found that I had corresponded with this business associate in 2001, via Yahoo mail.

Several weeks later, I was recommended a “friend” on Facebook who was a person I had talked to from a Craigslist post more than two years ago. It was related to a gold mining operation in Nevada, so recognized the individual right away. A positive conversation had ended without any further business relationship. However, what I found so alarming was that all of my correspondence with this individual had long since been “deleted.” There was no physical evidence of a relationship, but Facebook had mined the information from data not even available to me!
As a computer software professional, I have written applications to interface with Facebook data. There is a lot of information I can obtain about a person who is logged into Facebook and visits a web site application I have control of. I assume the other Internet software providers have similar data available to share.

The method of tracking online is referred to as “cookies.” Tracking cookies are set on your computer by nearly every commercial web site you visit. The tracking cookies from these web sites can be used by other web sites to find out information about your activity and who you are. If you are logged into a service provider, they can share information about you, without your knowledge.

While there is little you can do to ensure your online privacy, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. First of all, realize that ALL correspondence done on the “free” email providers is kept in a database indefinitely. Deleting it does not physically remove it. And in addition to that, consumers need to realize that if you choose to use a smart phone to browse the Internet, send/receive emails, send/receive text messages, etcetera, you are also giving out location data and even more precise personal data. Android-based phones are the most heinous offenders in the tracking of personal information. And don’t think just because you have a server-based, private email, that you are not being tracked. Any email you send or receive to users of one of these “free” email providers is also being stored in a database
.
The second, and most effective, way to help protect your privacy is to resist the urge to let your browser keep track of all your login information, and make certain all tracking cookies and other data are removed every time you close your browser. All browsers have a setting which claims to delete browsing data on exit. Just keep in mind that there is always some data stored, hidden on the computer, which will not be deleted. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can select Tools -> Internet Options and in the “Settings” for browsing history – you can choose to delete browsing history on exit. Each browser has different settings. Cookies are a convenience that presents a double-edged sword. Keeping cookies means that wherever you go on the Internet, providers can see information from your browser and share data with other providers.

Recently published information revealed that Google is processing large amounts of law enforcement warrants for personal data. Many of the warrants include information about people completely unrelated to any crime – People who have merely corresponded with an individual who is under some sort of surveillance. Don’t think that just because you live a clean and responsible life that your email and personal data have not crossed some line of surveillance. And just keep in mind that everything you do online can be tracked, stored and exchanged with others indefinitely without your knowledge or permission.

Thanks again to the SurvivalBlog editors for providing this terrific source of information.
Cheers, – Sheila in Cyberland

 

Letter Re: Electric Garage Doors as a Point of Entry for Burglars and Home Invaders

James,
To follow up on a couple of recent letters about Electric Garage Doors as a Point of Entry for Burglars and Home Invaders: Keep in mind that pulling the [emergency] disconnect rope on a garage door just leaves it in a position where it can be rolled up by hand.
 
The motor for our garage door is not hardwired, but plugs into a standard receptacle box in the ceiling.  I keep a power strip plugged into that ceiling outlet, and the garage door opener plugs into the power strip. The power strip  dangles about seven feet off the floor and is tied off to the garage door motor bracket. 
 
To disable the garage door opener, I just turn off the power strip. 
 
The overhead power strip is also a very handy place for plugging in work lights and tools.
 
When vacationing, I bolt the dolt closed by putting a thin 2 or 3″ bolt through the end of the garage door latch/lock/doorknob where it acts as a deadbolt by engaging the garage door track.  It seems all garage door latches have a hole drilled in them so they can be locked shut from the inside with a small padlock.   But a small bolt works just fine, and you’ll never lose the key.   Then turn off the power strip and put a piece of duct tape over the switch to remind you to UNLOCK THE DOOR before hitting the button or the garage door opener will try to rip out the top of the garage door.  (Yes, I know how to repair a garage door after making that mistake .) – H.C.