Pickup Bed Liner Coatings for Full Body Paint on Bug Out Vehicles

Jim,
I’ve seen a few trucks near my home in in Idaho sporting full body paint jobs using a Rhinoliner type application. I didn’t get any pictures but here is a link to a photo os a Jeep in Arizona with this job done to it. Seems like a good, durable long term solution for scratches and weather damage. Regards, – Jason M.

JWR Replies: I agree that it is a durable finish and it also is quite flat, which makes it less reflective. Two potential drawbacks that I can see are: 1.) Until this type of “paint” job become more commonplace, it might make your vehicle stand out from the crowd, which could be an OPSEC issue, and 2.) There are very few things in nature other than shadows that are large blobs of black. So don’t expect any camouflage advantages if you use a black bed liner coating. (Most bed liner companies still offer only black coatings.) But the good news is that more and more companies are starting to offer color options. Flat brown would be great, almost anywhere!

Economics and Investing:

Europe could be in worst hour since WW2: Merkel. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the link.)

Over at American Thinker: US building firewall to protect against European debt contagion

Dollar Teetering on the Abyss

William Weytjens: Platinum: The “Cheapest” Precious Metal

AmEx suggested this at The Daily Beast: Europe’s Disaster is Headed Our Way

Items from The Economatrix:

The Banks That Swallowed Europe, Western Civilization Based on Debt

Eurozone Sketches Out Stability Plan as Fears Linger Over Greece and Italy

Why the Dollar and Euro Collapse are Guaranteed

Gerald Celente on Alex Jones Show

Odds ‘n Sods:

R.B.S. sent this: Swapping chicken pox-infected lollipops illegal.

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K. & D. recommended this: New urine powered fuel cell in Britain power to the people?

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Keeley was the first of several readers to mention this: Copper sword stolen from statue at Lincoln’s Tomb

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Nolan sent this article from Canada: Couple retires in Rimbey home built from 30 steel shipping containers

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Reader Bill N.was researching windmills and found a maker in Texas that has a short description of how the older generation water-pumping windmills worked. Bill notes: “This design is over 100 years old and is totally mechanical so it would work in grid-down situations or if there was an EMP attack. Maintenance consists of changing the gear oil yearly and periodically checking to ensure that bolts are tight.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"All officers of the law are creatures of it and a creature cannot become bigger than a creator, and whenever an officer undertakes to set himself up as superior to the law or superior to the citizens, whose servant he is, his usefulness as an officer ceases." – Code of Conduct, Texas Rangers, circa 1875, as displayed at the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame, Waco, Texas

Note from JWR:

By coincidence, both Ready Made Resources and Safecastle just started their last 25% off Mountain House sales of the year. Both companies offer free shipping, a wide selection and competitive pricing, so you might want to place your order with the closest company, just for the sake of shipping efficiency. (Ready Made Resources is in Tennessee and Safecastle is in Minnesota. I suppose anyone west of the Rockies should just toss a coin!)
Note that because of the large volume of orders expected and the upcoming Christmas shipping rush, please allow up to thirty days for delivery. Both companies are confident that your will get your delivery before Friday, December 23rd. I highly recommend both companies, since they both have excellent customer service. These contemporaneous sales end on Friday, November 19th, so place your order soon!

Pat’s Product Review: U.S. Tactical Supply

For much of my adult life, I’ve lived in rural areas – and I prefer it that way. Even now, I live halfway between two small towns in Oregon, and I don’t especially enjoy going to town for much of anything. I prefer to do a lot of mail-order shopping for many things I need or want. Over the years, I’ve been disappointed in many mail-order companies, their products and their customer service. I’ve done a lot of mail-order shopping from one particular company for the past 15-years or so, and that company is CDNN Sports and they have excellent service and their products are as-advertised. And, in most cases, orders ship the same day. So, it took a lot for me to look at another mail-order company.

I’ve probably driven past U.S. Tactical Supply in Albany, Oregon hundreds of times over the past 5-1/2 years, and yet I never stopped in their small walk-in store. U.S. Tactical Supply is only about three blocks for one of the gun stores I regularly haunt, but for some reason, I never stopped in this neat little store. I recently purchased a S&W M&P 9mm handgun, and I like to get plenty of spare magazines for any new guns I purchase. Only thing is, no one had any spare 17-round magazines for the M&P 9mm – not even Smith & Wesson! Believe me, I called all over the place, and no one had these mags. Enter U.S. Tactical Supply. I just happened upon their web site while searching for the M&P 9mm mags. I didn’t even pay attention to where the store was located at first. Then it dawned on me, that I had driven past this stores hundreds of times. Now, my next problem: Would they actually have the magazines they advertised in captivity, and at the price (which is low) advertised. I checked, and they did!

Now, if you are looking for US military “style” clothing and gear, don’t waste your time at U.S. Tactical Supply – just go and waste your time and hard-earned money at some outfit like Sportsman’s Guide – where much of the clothing (and gear) they advertise in their catalog and web site is described as US Military “style.” Those knock-offs don’t even begin to come close to genuine US Mil-Spec clothing and gear. But if you want the best of the best, then take a close look at U.S. Tactical Supply. You can even request one of their small catalogs if you prefer shopping that way, instead of via their web site.

I hear from SurvivalBlog readers almost daily, and over the many months I’ve been writing articles for SurvivalBlog, I’ve learned you all are a pretty intelligent bunch. I’ve also learned that you prefer to get the best clothing and gear available – and that is commendable. I’ve also noted that many SurvivalBlog readers are interested in counter-sniper tactics and gear. Well, I’m here to tell you, look no further than U.S. Tactical Supply, for all your counter-sniping needs. Need a sniper data book, angle cosine indicator kits, ballistic cards, scope dope kit, Mildot, master, field density altitude compensator gear, camo accessories, tripods – you name it, U.S. Tactical Supply has it – and once again, it’s not military “style” – it’s all the real-deal.

Want the newest US Military multicam camo clothing? Yep, they’ve got it, and they sell it for well below what others are charging, Again, it’s the real deal – not just military “style“. I know a lot of SurvivalBlog readers are really into their Springfield Armory M1A rifles, and it’s always hard to find accessories for their guns – look no further. Need some type of AR-15 accessories – they’ve got what you want. For example, they have EOTech and Aimpoint brand scopes. They also sell registered ($200 transfer tax) suppressors for your weapons. Other product offerings include MagPul accessories and A.R.M.S. brand scope mounts.

If you’re looking for the new U.S. Military Danner hiking boots (U.S.-made). (These are the boots that the military is presently transitioning to.) U.S. Tactical supply has them.They are the only place I’ve seen ’em, to date. Need a really good tactical pack? Check out what U.S. Tactical Supply carries. Knives and multi-tools – how about Benchmade, SOG Knives and Gerber, for starters? Plus plenty of medical supplies and gear, too.

There’s just a lot of outstanding gear in the U.S. Tactical Supply catalog and on their web site–too many to mention here. However, be advised, that this is some of the best of the best military and law enforcement gear on the market. The only things that I’d like to see them add to their line is some Blackhawk Products gear and clothing, and some ammo made by Black Hills Ammunition.

You should know that, U.S. Tactical Supply is also a DoD supplier, as well as a GSA supplier. While the store front operation is small, their mail-order and walk-in service is second to none. These guys take a personal interest in giving their customers the absolute best service they can. In today’s world, that’s important to me – and it should be important to you, too. If you want cruddy customer service – walk into Wal-Mart or any of the big box stores – they could care less if they can help you find something. Walk into U.S. Tactical Supply, or call them with a question, and they will bend over backwards to help you out any way they can. These guys are serious about their gear and their customer service.

The guys are U.S. Tactical Supply didn’t know me from Adam, but they went out of their way to help me out. They even offered to hand-deliver one of their catalogs to me, after the one they mailed to me didn’t show-up. How’s that for taking care of a customer? And I’m 25-miles from their walk-in store! I have no vested interest in U.S. Tactical Supply – but I’m telling you, if you want the best gear possible for your long-range survival needs, then you need to check out their web site and printed catalog that U.S. Tactical Supply produces. If you want customer service that is the best around – give these guys your business – you won’t be sorry!

If it sounds like I’m excited about this small company, I am! I like to give my business locally whenever I can. However, if this company were clear across the country, I’d still give them my business. If you’re like me, and you don’t want junk for your survival needs, then give them your business. And, unlike walking into one of the big box stores, most of the gear sold by U.S. Tactical Supply is Made In The USA, not China!

Letter Re: Proof of Staple Food Price Inflation

Captain Rawles,
First, continued thanks for your blog; I regularly read a number of web sites and in my opinion Survivalblog.com is ground zero for preparedness and socio/political/economic intelligence information. Second, I thought I’d pass on some additional proof (as if it wasn’t already obvious) of significant inflation in food prices.
 
We shop at the local Mormon (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) cannery near Denver for wheat, pasta, nonfat dried milk and other bulk items. For those who didn’t know, the Mormon canneries are open to non-members (at least for now) and the prices for bulk food goods is unbeatable. (See cannery locations). However, even this venue has experienced the ongoing inflation witnessed throughout our economy. (I grab an extra inventory sheet and date it whenever we visit to keep track of prices). Here are some numbers:

  November, 2010  November, 2011
Nonfat dry milk (25 lbs) $35.40  $47.20
White rice (25 lbs) $8.45   $13.00
Hard red wheat (25 lbs) $6.35 $11.45
Quick oats (25 lbs) $8.15 $15.95
Potato flakes (25 lbs) $22.10 $33.30

The average price increase is 63%, with wheat and oats almost doubling in cost the past 12 months. The Mormon canneries still have the best bulk food prices I can find, but stock up now, as food prices continue to rise and the Mormon church may not always sell to non-LDS members.
 
Again, thanks for all you do; may God bless you, your family and your ministry. – E.H. on the Front Range, Colorado

JWR Replies: Those numbers are skewed from the inflation cited by the major agricultural indices such as the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). I should mention that I got an irate letter from one reader who suspected that the LDS canneries were “price gouging.” I really doubt that. More likely, the LDS canneries held back on price increases until after they had operated at a substantial loss for too long. The figures that E.H. cited reflect several years of food price inflation, not one year. But even still, it is clear that food costs have increased substantially in the past decade, as the buying power of the U.S. Dollar has declined. It is wise to stock up on food in quantity if you enough have safe, dry storage space. Bulk storage foods are a good hedge on inflation. And of course even without factoring inflation, the per unit cost is substantially less than buying foods in small consumer packages at a supermarket.

Letter Re: Staple Foods Storage By The Numbers

James:
I love seeing articles that talk about the nutritional balance in diet.  Paul B.’s “Staple Foods Storage By The Numbers” is a good start, but I want to jump on and point out a few more details. 

Daily caloric intake recommendations depend heavily on activity.  Yes, the recommendation is 2,000 calories for an adult male with moderate activity (note – *not* exercise!), and 3,000 us reasonable in a survival situation given the need for hunting, planting, building infrastructures and defenses as well as defending.  However, if your plan is simply to hunker down and depend on your stocked resources, 1,500 calories is a better recommendation for adult males, 1,200 for females.  Children to age 10 or 11 need about 1,200 calories, regardless of activity level, teens generally need the same intake as adults, but add an additional 25-40% more calories for moderate to heavy exertion.

On the other hand, if you plan to have to walk or hike your way to a secure site, and are planning on a 3-4 mile pace for more than 8 hours a day, even 3,000 calories will not be enough. 
The type of exertion also alters the percentages given in Paul B.’s article.  Sedentary or low exertion requires lower calories and a higher ration of protein to fats and carbs.  The reason is that protein digests and is converted to energy by the body at a much slower rate than carbs.  Keep the fats down to 20%, boost protein to 40%, and stick to 40% (or less) carbs. High exertion levels require different food choices at different times of day – carbs in the morning, protein and fats at night.  The more you exert yourself, the more muscles need to be repaired.  Carbs are burnt fairly fast, but then the body converts stored fat and protein to energy – that needs to be replaced.  Extreme exertion requires a diet that is 30% fats, 50% protein, and 20% carbs!  Think marathon runner and triathlete levels of exertion – but if you’re working 16 hours a day gathering firewood, hauling water, hunting, tilling, plowing – you’re going to be burning muscle if you don’t replace it.

When resources are scarce, you may be tempted to skimp on fats and proteins and go heavy on carbs – after all, you need to lose weight and rely on that fast energy right?  Wrong.  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!  Also, lack of essential fats risks brain disorders (dementia), blindness, muscle spasm and heart attack.  Just as there are essential amino acids (proteins) that must be consumed in our diets, there are essential fatty acids that must also in our diet because our bodies do not make them.

One of the key deficiencies in Paul B’s analysis is consideration of the “completeness” of protein and fat sources.  There are 20 amino acids making up protein, and 10 of them are “essential” meaning that they must be eaten because our body cannot make them.  Likewise fats are made of fatty acids and there are “essential” fatty acids that are not (or are poorly) manufactured by the body.  Make not mistake – fatty acids are very important to the normal function of the body – particularly the brain, nerves and muscles.  Animal proteins such as beef jerky in Paul B’s example, are the best source of “complete” protein (meaning all of the “essential” amino acids are present), most vegetable proteins such as peanut butter are not complete with respect to all essential amino acids.  In the same manner, animal fats (especially fish oils) are the best source of essential fatty acids, and only very non-animal sources of fatty acids are complete with sufficient quantities of the essential fatty acids.  Note:  In a survival situation – there is no Vegan option!  Vegan diets are not sustainable without industrialized infrastructure – yes, you can stock – but once those stocks run out, they most likely cannot be replaced.  This is not to say that Vegan diets cannot be nutritious, but the four most complete vegetable protein sources are soy, quinoa, spirulina and chlorella.  The latter two come from algae and require large “ponds,” careful control of light, temperature, and water conditions.  Harvesting requires pumping, compressing, grinding, drying and more grinding – for a very small yield per single person effort.  The water the algae grow in is also considered highly polluted by today’s standards.  Quinoa is primarily a higher altitude crop, requiring temperature and humidity conditions not easily replicated at altitudes below about 2,500 feet a.s.l. – not something to be grown in everyone’s backyard plot.  Soy is the most universal, but a diet of more than 60% of protein from soy risks thyroid dysfunction and hormonal problems. 

However, survival stocks which include flour based on Spirulina (blue-green algae) and Chlorella are an excellent supplement.  Not only is it a complete protein-rich flour, but they both contain reasonable amounts of the essential fatty acids.  This part is actually very important – vitamins are not enough!  There are many essential nutrients that are not present in sufficient quantities in vitamin supplements.  Your best bet is variety.  Including protein-rich flour is an excellent way to convert back and forth between high carb, low protein and low carb, high protein diets. 
Again, animal sources are the best all-around source of vitamins and minerals, but watch the fats!  Not getting too much – but getting too little. Contrary to popular belief – -body fat does not come from the fat you eat.  Consumed fat is broken down into fatty acids and further converted to sugars.  Body fat and cholesterol is synthesized by the body when there is an excess of carbs!  Studies the trace the source of the carbon atoms in body fat depositions show that more of those carbon atoms come from the carbs and sugars we eat than from protein and fats.  However, fat does get broken down into its components, and if there are not enough of the “essential” fatty acids (or proteins) to make what the body needs, the excess “nonessential” fatty acids (and protein) is converted to sugars. 

Best sources of essential fatty acids are fish oils.  There is a lot of talk on Vegan boards about hemp oil and flaxseed oil – but there is an important issue:  hemp and seed oils do contain essential fatty acids Linoleic Acid (LA) and Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), but a large portion of the human race (esp. Asian and African populations) cannot efficiently convert ALA into the fatty acids necessary for appropriate brain function: eicosapentanoic acid – EPA and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid – DGLA.  Thus, these fat sources are not appropriate for everybody since large quantities of high-calorie oils are necessary to provide enough fatty acids for proper nutrition.  Also beware of low fat content, even of animal foods – for example, deer and many small game animals are very lean.  Diets heavy in venison and squirrel require fat supplements – some of the best sources are water fowl (duck, geese) and organ meat, particularly liver and kidneys.  One of the most nutritious and balanced foods is calf’s liver – just 4 ounces provides over 100% of most vitamin and mineral needs, complete amino acid and fatty acids, and approximately 50% of the recommended fat and protein content for a 2,000 calorie diet, yet contains only 300 calories!

When planning survival stocks, consider what your activity level will be, and what your food sources will be – if hunkering down, go for more protein and less fat and carbs.  If high exertion, go for far more protein and fats.  If all of your nutrition is going to come from your food stocks, make sure they are complete and varied.  If you plan on getting your protein by hunting and trapping, make sure you have fat and oil supplements. Survival stocks are just that – for survival – and not the time to worry about “too much” but rather to worry about “too little” of the foods and nutrition needed to survive.  – Dr. Ted

Letter Re: Guns and Combatting Home Invasion Robbers

Hello Captain,
Greetings from one of your neighbors in the American Redoubt. I couldn’t help but be bemused when I read the article about the elderly couple being beaten and robbed of their gun collection. Not because they got hurt or robbed of course. But because of a couple other points:
 
She yelled for her husband to "Call 911!" I guess that goes to show that wisdom doesn’t always come with age. Were that scenario to happen at my home, my wife wouldn’t answer the door. And I can’t remember the last time I answered the door without my ,38+P caliber AirLite in my hand. As I’m sure you are aware, it is a rather small gun. And I have rather large hands so it’s not hard for me to keep it out of sight in my right hand behind my back as I open the door with my left. No threat, the gun slips into my back pocket and the visitor never knows it was present.
 
If I’m not home? On the nights that I go to my night class, when I come home I find the door locked. As I unlock the door I say in a fairly loud voice, “It’s me honey.” You see, I don’t want to get shot. She wouldn’t open the door if she didn’t know who was there and I always notice when I come in that she has her Glock 34 on the couch with her.
 
The other thing I found funny was where the article says the couple “have since joined their daughter on the East Coast.” Nothing like jumping from the frying pan into the fire! At least in Colorado he had the right to self defense even if he didn’t exercise it. On the East Coast, he not only gets to get beat up but he also gets to get prosecuted if he tries to fight back.
 
Since I’m at it, I thought I would make another point. I see many people on this sight talk about being armed, what’s the best gun, best round, how they would use their gun to defend themselves in an attack, etc. I have even seen some talk about how they think they’re safe because they went to some gun class or school and spent an unbelievable amount of money to have some prima donna spend two days teaching them how to use a gun for self defense.
 
I have worked with guys, and being a commercial mason all my life I’m talking tough guys, that say they would simply shoot the bastard if he attacked their family members, or them, or broke into their home as the above referenced article reports. I invariably ask them, “Oh yeah, where do you keep your gun when you are at home? (I keep my AR-15, shotgun, Glock, 1911, and my Sog Fusion tactical tomahawk all in different strategic out-of-sight areas in my home when I’m home along with my AirLite in my pocket; call me paranoid? we’ll see who’s paranoid and we’ll see who’s dead when the bad guys come) Of course the answer is almost always, “I keep it in the gun safe” or “I keep it on my nightstand” or “in my nightstand.”
 
Then I ask, “So you think if someone kicks in your door while you’re relaxing on the couch watching television that you’ll be able to get up, run in the bedroom, grab the gun, and shoot the intruder, before he can get to you? Even if you did get to it in time, what makes you think you’d be able to hit him? Do you think that if you were lucky enough to round the corner on your way to the bedroom without getting shot first that the assailant wouldn’t grab your wife and put his gun to her head or knife to her throat? Then when you step back out into the room with your gun will you have the guts, the confidence, to take the shot? Or will you immediately drop the gun as the assailant will command you to do because you don’t want to risk shooting your own wife or aren’t good enough and/or don’t know exactly where to shoot to cut his brainstem so he doesn’t cut her throat or pull his trigger on his way down?”
 
(Don’t think for a minute that a gunfight will be like in the movies. FBI crime stats say that a man who is well oxygenated and pumped with adrenaline can keep firing on you for 14 seconds after his heart has been blown clear out. You better know how to brainstem him or your gun will likely be useless to you. Look up Ferfal on the Web. He has lived it in Argentina and he explains all about how the first thing the home invasion robbers will do is take a hostage.)
 
“Oh, I’d be able to hit him, don’t you worry about that!” they say.
 
“Yeah, right. Good luck pal.”
 
You see, I’m rather well trained with handguns. And I have a couple of police officer friends who are tactical trainers who have blessed me with a bit of tactical knowledge. I have come to realize that most men think that the ability to use a gun is an inherent quality bestowed upon them just by virtue of the fact that they are male. The fact is, and I know you know this Captain, that that is an insane fantasy that has no basis whatsoever in reality. When a man (or woman) realizes his life is on the line and may end within seconds, and gets the accompanying instant and massive overdose of adrenaline, he will lose, at a minimum, 50% of his motor skills immediately.
 
With my back to the target and in surrender position (hands over my head) with the target nine feet away, I can turn, draw from my tactical holster, and place two shots in center mass in just under a second. I can do “Smoke and Hope” (do a web search on "Steel Challenge") in just over 4 seconds. I can do Vice Presidente in 5.5 seconds (three targets, two feet apart, two shots on each target, reload, two shots on each target). Not all alphas but all 12 shots on the targets.
 
The point is, these things are all done through psychomotor. They are done through programming. The conscious mind is only in the game long enough to make the decision whether or not my life is in jeopardy, whether or not to draw and fire; once the conscious mind makes the decision, the conscious mind is out of the game and the rest is done by the programming. The programming comes from constant practice. Similar to driving a car down the highway. You don’t have to consciously think about shifting, clutching, throttle, steering, it’s all handled by your subconscious mind.
 
I point this out to suggest to your readers that male machismo is not going to save you in a real gunfight. Two days of high priced training at some tactical school is not going to save you. If you want to survive a real deadly attack, you must train until these skills become psychomotor skills just like driving a car. As they say, owning a gun doesn’t make you armed anymore than owning a guitar makes you a musician. If you do not practice these skills to the point of transforming them into psychomotor skills, it is almost a guarantee that when you face death you will fumble the gun, miss the shot, freeze in place, fail to seek cover, fumble the reload, die.
 
My friend who is a cop, tactical trainer, and gun store owner has a sign on the wall of his store:
“YOU WILL NOT RISE TO THE OCCASION; YOU WILL DEFAULT TO YOUR LEVEL OF TRAINING”

If you don’t truly believe that and act upon it, all the guns and ammo in the world won’t help you. You will fail when the moment of truth comes.
 
The best way to acquire these skills? United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). After several months of shooting USPSA matches a couple times a month your handgun will become like a trowel in a bricklayer’s hand, like a hammer in a carpenter’s hand, like a scalpel in a surgeon’s hand.
 
Then you will know, like me, that if you kick my door in, I may get shot, and I may die, but I guarantee you two shots in center mass — with my doubletap splits down to 0.18 seconds — before you can blink your eyes! And I guarantee you that if you take my wife hostage, gun or knife don’t matter, if you are within 30 feet of me, and you’re going to tell me to drop my gun thereby giving me time to set up on you, I will take the shot, I will brainstem you.
 
Oh, and by the way, I nor my wife will be dialing 911. No need. There won’t be an emergency. We’ll simply dial dispatch and tell them they got a mess to clean up. Kicking in my door will be the worst — and the last — mistake the Mutant Ninja Home Invasion Robbers ever made.

God bless you and all your readers Captain, and may none of us ever have to drop the hammer on another human being. – Maddog

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

Jim –
I read with interest Dave in Oregon’s letter. This happened to a friend and co-worker: He had parked his pickup truck on the street, locked. Thieves broke into his truck, accessed the garage via the opener he had above the visor in the truck. Thankfully, this was in the morning when all were home, and the thieves were scared off by family members, but not before they stole his truck.
I would also add that many electric openers have a rope attached as a release if the power fails. However with a larger overhead door, say a standard two-car garage, when the door is down, thieves can push the door in far enough at the top to slide a hand in, grasp the release, and open the door.
Needless to say, if our vehicles are left on the street, the opener goes with the driver, whether in a purse or pocket. And I removed the release rope years ago.
Regards, – Dave in Colorado

James,
Regarding Dave in Oregon’s letter on Electric Garage Doors as a Point of Entry for Burglars and Home Invaders: Every electric garage door opener I have seen has a lock button on the control mounted in the garage.  Engage it (with some, you must press and hold it for three seconds) and it becomes impossible for someone to use a remote to open the garage.  There is a reason it says lock.  You can tell when the system is locked as a small light will begin to flash on the wall-mounted controller.  With most designs, you can still open and close the door using the main opener in the garage even with the system locked.
 
As for turning off the main breaker that powers the door opener:  I’d be real careful about doing that before finding out what other electrical items would be affected by shutting off the breaker–like a freezer full of food. – S.M.

Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. sent this: Chinese ratings agency threatens US with new debt downgrade

C.D.V. sent this: Eurozone collapse ‘will send continent into depression’

G.G. sent this: Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Save: The economic collapse of Italy will destroy the euro. (Nouriel Roubini)

Items from The Economatrix:

Rate on 30-year Mortgages Below Four Percent for Second Time

Big Banks Plead With Customers No to Move Their Money

Death of the Euro

Odds ‘n Sods:

Joseph L. sent a news item to file under “Emerging Threats”: Police impersonators carry out string of robberies: Crimes involve robbers posing as plainclothes officers, immigration agents.

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Camping Survival (one of our loyal advertisers) has just announced a great new product. It is a combination flashlight, electric firestarter, magnetic tool, and wound cauterizer (The latter by qualified medical personal only.) Since these are just past the prototype stage, the price tag is fairly high.

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SurvivalBlog readers in Norway will find this of interest: A paramedic in Norway, offers advanced emergency medical training (also wilderness/remote medicine and mountain/expedition medicine) as well as emergency medical care for expeditions and other individuals who might need aid. He teaches his courses in English, Norwegian and German.

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Steve M. spotted this news story: Use of wood stoves on rise in U.S. (The US EPA is planning new rules.)

Notes from JWR:

We had some problems with our dedicated server from Friday to Sunday. They are resolved now. The Permalinks and RSS feed should now be working. Thanks for your patience.

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Today we present another two entries 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.

Not the End But the Beginning, by Rod in Texas

We all read and see in the media where the world is going. Many debate the “How” of the “end”: Economic collapse, solar flare, pole shift, “Planet X” and so on. I believe we should ignore the “How” and focus on what we as the human race will do “when this happens”, whatever “it” is? Let’s take a minute and think: Certain disasters will necessitate certain supplies, specific preparations, and or survival techniques. If you are like me you’ve dedicated yourself into the world of “The End” then you have most likely done your due diligence and prepared to one extent or another. Some with a fallout shelter under ground, to those with a closet full of food and bug out bag.

My whole vision of “The End” was, burned into my psyche by Francis Ford Coppola in his film Apocalypse Now.  The napalm burning up the jungle with the somber words of Jim Morrison’s, “The End‘ pouring over the horror of that image. Yet, in all of our fear and relentless preparation I came to have an epiphany. What are we doing for the future, for the next generations to come? The following is a brief  list of what I’ve come to believe is the true meaning of “Survival” and “Preparation”.

The Epiphany – Phase One
I am a spiritual person. I wouldn’t say I belong to any organized religion, because I find that when Men and power, over large groups of people where money may be included,… abuse tends to follow close behind. Now, I’m not saying all churches or pastors, priests or Imams are evil and corrupt. But I find that I personally don’t need a place to worship. God and Jesus and I have a close relationship. I’m not insane when I say we speak all the time. However, I do communicate with God daily. Perhaps being from a Lutheran background is why i worship this way. However you worship, and even if you don’t this will apply to all Preppers.

My vision came when I was collecting information on how to refine “Bio-diesel” from used fryer oil, some fuel anti freeze and lye. The whole process seemed so simple. I couldn’t believe you could run a regular diesel vehicle like this. I couldn’t believe you can make so much in 12 hours with household ingredients. I wondered: who else could benefit from this information?  I felt like part of surviving was making sure that other like-minded people, survive as well. I started to question the whole process?  What if someone else out there, with only some soup and a tent in the back of their truck, when “it” happens is out of fuel? What if I had shared, what I had just learned, and they had that small bit of information. Maybe that man is able to save his family by getting out of town and avoiding the riots at the pumps just because of one small act of sharing information with someone else. Someone else who doesn’t know that making bio-diesel at home is even possible? Naturally I did what many of us are doing. I read blogs for preppers. While online with some of you the epiphany turning into a calling. I know this may sound corny, but it’s true.  I feel now that the simple act of sharing information to trying to survive isn’t enough.

Phase Two (The Realization)

I started collecting information: survival information, escape and evasion in urban areas, local edible plants, how to make a generator out of a car alternator and a lawnmower, etc. Solar power and hydro power, natural insulation, how to trap animals and caching, food and ammo. All became my hobbies. I’m sure many of you can relate to my hobby. I began taking tactical shooting, rock climbing, repelling and emergency medicine courses and classes. But as halloween approached every channel had a zombie movie scheduled. I am a long time science fiction fan–I love that stuff. But I started thinking about some of the classic disaster and dystopian sci-fi films like Logan’s Run, Escape from New York, and Night of the Living Dead. I also considered the more recent ones like The Road (which was originally a great novel by Cormac McCarthy), or I Am Legend.

This is where it all started to come together. This isn’t just about us, and our immediate survival. We as a race will survive. We have survived extinctions before, with no technology at all. So I believe we will again.

What about after our generation? What about the children who don’t know what  a television ever was or a computer? What about their children… they will know even less. I truly believe that it will be similar to the life of the people in The Book of Eli. Those younger people had no knowledge of writing or reading. Technology was almost like magic. So after our gardens grow, and our solar panels break down, and brushes in every generator wear out, then what? Where will we have left our future? They will be lost. Unable to repair or manufacture anything. This is when the truth of my new calling was realized: Survival isn’t about water filters, and gas masks. Of course we need all of these items to get thru the initial event or events. But what our legacy must be to leave the information for future generations to rebuild as quickly and easily as possible.

Phase Three (implementation and execution)

Now that I’m out on a limb, and most of you treading his probably think I’m a kook. Just think for a minute: I know I use many pop-culture references and movies to explain my calling. But I am an extensive reader. and I believe that movies and books are a direct reflection of the fears and desires of the people who make and watch them. There is truth in them. As educated survivors die, of whatever reasons if they don’t pass on their knowledge, to future generations it will all be lost to time.
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This is how the “End” can Become a “Beginning”.  We have made many mistakes as a people. We have also done many things right. My calling is to collect as much information about the most important and influential, inventions, theories, systems, philosophy, mathematics, linguistics, religions, etc. Once I’ve collected information I copy it onto flash drives, disks, paper and post on blogs. I try to get all of that important information in one place, so the next generation can have a better chance of having it to learn from.

I’ll give you all an example: I collected 20 GB of information on everything from mining and smelting iron and steel, to how to build a printing press. Now some future person who hopefully was taught how to read could reproduce words and ideas for others. He could make and build a printing press. That took 3,000 years for us to learn. The idea of losing that forever, is my biggest fear. I have collected info on how to make glass, filament and light bulb. Or how to make a battery, and how to farm wind and sun. How to build a chicken coop, et cetera. If you are follow my train of thought then you understand why this is important for all Preppers.

Conclusion

My wife and I don’t have children. But if we survive THE event that cuts the population by 80% then we will have a responsibility to the future. Beyond procreation. If we live to be old in our survival community, we would be teachers. We will all have to become teachers. You may not understand Calculus yourself. But part of your supplies should be stored information on multiplication tables through Trigonometry.  For the engineers and doctors that survive they will have the most responsibility to teach what they know to the next generations, But with volumes of reference materials, of all the sciences and arts in every community, the future doesn’t seem so bleak. Infrastructure exists. It will not last forever. We as a people have a obligation to all of those brilliant, hard working people who invented, designed and built the world that we live in today. We owe it to their children and your children to share and store as much knowledge as we possibly can. So in the future, some bright young boy or girl might find your, Flash drive, or disk, or notebook and it inspires them to rebuild the national power grid, or fix the generators at Hoover Dam. Or it may be as small as feeding two families instead of one through a harsh winter with canning techniques?

This is how “The End can be a Beginning” The beginning of the new American Republic. The way it was designed by the founding fathers to be. By the way the first piece of literature in my collection for the New Beginning was the King James Bible, The second was the Constitution of the United States of American and the third was the Declaration of Independence. Those are the three most important survival tools in your bug out kit.