Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 41 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

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 41 ends on July 31st, 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.

An Overview of Neighborhood Defensive Strategies for Worst Case Situations, by Johnny N.

We’ve read about it in books, watched it in movies, or seen it on the news: People joining together to defend their neighborhood.  The point of this article is to review the general details needed to correctly accomplish this difficult objective.  Successfully defending a neighborhood in a societal collapse is extremely difficult, and it’s not even close to being as easy as it is commonly portrayed.  As you read this, please remember the golden rule of security: it is like being pregnant…either you are or you’re not!  Being partially secured is not much better than being completely unsecured. 

Overview and Expectations

The first part of a neighborhood defensive plan is deciding the type and size of the opposing force.  The majority of potential threats will be related to your demographic location.  Are you located close to a prison or juvenile correction facility?  Are you on the outskirts of a major city that has a high population of gangs or slum areas?  What if your neighborhood is rural but suburbs are located in every cardinal direction? 

Next, how large or small of an area is going to be defended?  The manpower and resources required vary drastically depending on the size of the defended region.  Do you need to defend a single dead-end street, or must two square blocks be secured?  As the defended area enlarges, all other defensive requirements are greatly multiplied.

Finally, how long do you plan on defending the area?  Is it going to be for 12 hours, 2 weeks, 1 month, or 2 years?  The manpower and supplies required expand exponentially the longer the defensive plan.

Knowing Your Neighbors

Now that the decision has been made that a defensive plan must be created, the question needs to be asked: who will participate?  In modern society, we seem to have lost the connection between our neighbors that we had prior to the internet, iPads, cell phones, and other technology which insulates us from each other.  Today, most people have no idea who their neighbors are.  You need to get out and build relationships with the people that live in your area.  This enables you to determine who is reliable and like-minded, who to avoid, and even if you even have registered criminals living close.

The next step is more difficult:  how do you address your defensive strategy to the people you have determined may be “Okay?”  If you are direct, will it turn people away?  Should you start the idea by forming a neighborhood watch?  With the nation becoming the Nanny State, be careful how you approach this topic.

Most importantly, be careful about personal details discussed with acquaintances.  Remember to practice OPSEC (Operational Security).  You should not tell anyone except your most trusted confidants the details of your level of prepping, the supplies you’ve stored, or your defensive tools.  You should never refer to yourself as a “Prepper.”   A good saying to remember is:  “You cannot un-ring a bell,” meaning that once information is provided, it cannot be taken back.  Be friendly, be polite, but be vague about your personal preparations.

Be aware that as a result of your quest to find like-minded people, you are by default putting yourself in the leadership position of your group.  You need to think long and hard about this detail.  Is this a responsibility for which you’re prepared or should you pass this important role off to another person that would be a suitable leader?  If you decide to continue the role as leader, be prepared for the duties that follow.  You will be the person in charge that everyone looks to for answers.  Furthermore you will also be the person that fingers are pointed at for blame.  As Shakespeare says in “Henry IV, Part 1:” “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

Who To Select For What Position
Personalities are just as important to a position as the actual position.  Do you want someone manning a checkpoint who only asks “Will we get to shoot someone”?  On the other hand, do you want someone at a checkpoint that refuses the concept of ever being confrontational no matter what the situation is?  You are looking for someone the military refers to as a “quiet professional”.  For defensive positions, you want someone that has a calm temper, sound mind, and possesses logical thought and reasoning: definitely NOT the Rambo type. 

The other consideration is a difficult.  No matter what good intentions people have during table times, you do not know what they will do in hard times.  You cannot blame them, but when faced with danger, people might choose their family’s safety over their sense of duty.  Once you know your potential group members better, you will get an idea of who man their post and who will flee.   In my professional experience, I have found that the people that talk a good game are not always the ones that will stand up and fight.  On the other hand, in many cases the person you think will run away turns out to be the most reliable person on your team.

The Plan: What Is Needed
This section is not about tactical drills, fighting techniques, or weapons handling.  It’s a general discussion to provide a concise and realistic concept for creating your area security plan.

A perimeter must be established around the defended area.  Two perimeters will actually be created: An extended perimeter (EP) and an inner perimeter (IP).  
I have found that the best way to plan the perimeters is to print high resolution screen-prints of the area using Google Earth.  These screen-prints should include the surrounding regions and be printed on true photo quality paper which is then laminated.  In this way permanent markers can be used for planning and then the printouts can simply be cleaned with rubbing alcohol for reuse later.

First you must create the EP.  This is the defensive line that intercepts the first presence of a threat.  All points of entry must be secured (roads, paths, trails, etc.) by establishing barriers & defensive fighting positions.  These positions must not be visible from a distance.  Avoid being out in the open on a road, instead be off to the side and within cover.  When possible, remove anything outside the position that can be used as offensive cover.  Do not make it easy for the possible threat!  

An additional question to consider for preparing a position or check point is what type of barrier do you want to use?  Such items as cars or farm machinery can be used to make movable barriers should you want to keep the ability for friendly vehicles to pass.  Another important detail is the need for designated areas for bathrooms and locations for rest and sleep.  If possible, a good idea is to build a shelter to protect you from the elements.  People’s motivation and enthusiasm can quickly disappear when they are made miserable by the elements.           

Once the positions are set up and all points of entry are secure, observation post (OP) is required if you have the manpower for it.  This position should preferably be in an elevated location and forward of the OP to spot threats before they get to the defended area.  Simply put, they are the early warning system.  3 people staffing the OP are the minimum requirement.  After 1 hour, it is difficult for the average person to stay 100% alert in an observation position.  You need a rotation established to keep one person watching, one resting, and one “at the ready.” 

Creating range cards is the next step to establish sectors of fire.  The last thing you want to do is be in a position where you might have to engage and risk casualties via friendly fire, range cards can prevent this tragedy.  In addition to factoring in the skill of your team members, you must consider the geography.  If you are in an urban area, there will be houses and neighboring communities outside your perimeter.  Knowing the range of your weapon is part of this as well.  For example, a bullet from a firearm as small as a .22 LR travels up to 1.5 miles.  A 5.56 mm NATO round exceeds 3,000 meters.  Keep these details in mind when planning your sector of fire. 

Outfit each OP and checkpoint with the following minimum list of items:

  • PPE (Personal Protection Equipment: body armor, eye protection, etc.)
  • Form of communication and signal between OP and residences inside the IP
  • Defensive Tools
  • Appropriate manpower
  • Retreat route to IP (Primary & Secondary)
  • Optics
  • Food, water; stimulants
  • Runner between posts (reduces the need for a guard to be absent)
  • Lights

Pulling guard duty is extremely tiring.  Maintaining focus for extended periods of time becomes difficult and eventually staying awake is challenging as well.  Remember, you will be under a great deal of stress, and stress will wear you out just as fast as physical activity.  Stimulants are a good to have on hand, but there are good and bad stimulants.  Coffee and other liquid diuretics should be avoided.  They quickly cause urination, and since you should not urinate inside your position, you will be forced to leave your position which allows you to be seen and heard by the enemy.  Possible alternatives are caffeine gum or pills, natural vitamins, or similar.  In the past, as a Ranger, I found a method that sounds a little extreme but works.  Take a can of long cut snuff, add a capful of whiskey, and let it sit for a few days.  Insert the tobacco in your mouth and while the residue is on your fingers, rub your eyes.  Trust me, it is as unpleasant as it sounds, but it’s nowhere near as bad as being the person that fell asleep while on guard duty.    An important detail to factor in is the “crash” that happens after the substance wears off.  Remember, the more powerful the stimulant, the greater the crash.

The next step is to plan your IP.  The purpose of the IP is to provide the last line of defense in case the EP collapses.  In the center of it are your supplies and non-combatants.  People that are classified as non-combatants are: children, elderly, and those that are physically unable to actively defend the lines.  If you are fortunate to have medics or doctors in your group, keep them there as well.  Why risk the few people who are medically trained on the front line? 

The previously mentioned list and other details also apply to the IP.  The IP however has no defensive fallback plan.   If the EP collapses, and all positions retreat to the IP, you are in serious trouble.  At this point there are then two choices:  retreat if possible, or, re-enact The Alamo. 

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
            Think of SOPs as your team’s play book.  SOP’s are living procedures and thus always evolve.  Some details will change over time and others will not.  It is important that everyone knows what the group SOPs are, and they should always be available for reference.  SOPs must thoroughly cover all operational aspects of your group, thus they require a great deal of time and thought to create.  Listed below is a simple starter list of topics:

  • Escalation of presence and force (amber, red, black)

At what point will it be decided that the neighborhood needs to get together?  Will you start by being low-profile and later have the appearance of a hard target?  How will the activation process be initiated?

  • Established combat load for guard force (for each threat level)

At the Amber level, do you want people to have assault style weapons slung over their shoulder?  At Red level, do you want people in tennis shoes with only a pistol in their waist band?

  • Dealing with noncombatants at checkpoints

How do you handle people that want to pass through?  What about people that want to enter?  What if they are people living in your neighborhood that do not want to take part in the defensive plan? 

  • Dealing with LEOs

What image do you want to give Law Enforcement Officers? (should they still be active) 

  • NEO Plan (Noncombatant Evacuation and Repatriation Operation)

If a retreat is something you see as being inevitable, how are you going to evacuate your children and elderly?  Where are they going?  What equipment and manpower will be needed for this?  At what point will this be needed before it is too late?

  • Roles and responsibilities

What roles will be needed in your plan?  What is expected of them?  Will people be cross trained with a certain level of standards for skill set?

  • ROE (rules of engagement)

At what level of force will you meet each threat?  Will it be able to be justified later in time?  Was it an equal level of force? 

  • Outline of leadership

This is needed!  Without it, there would be no organization within the group.  Who is in charge?  Who is next in command?  Who is in charge of the positions?  Who is in charge of the people within the IP? 

  • Dealing with prisoners and casualties

What will you do with people that might have to be detained?  Will they be treated humanely and have proper quarters to keep them?  What will you do with casualties (friendly and not friendly)?  What about their supplies?  What will done with their bodies? 

  • Escorts and convoys

If the situation dictates the need to lock an area down, but stores are still open with what few items they have left, how will personnel move their safely and back?  Will one small group go into the store while another guards the vehicles?  Will you take the same route back and forth?

  • Passwords and information security

Do you have a challenge and password made for the IP/OP?  What about a running password?  Are passwords put in code phrases or left with normal verbiage?

  • Situations Dictating Actions

At what point do you collapse the EP into the IP?  When will you start evacuation (if possible)? Under what conditions will a retreat be called?

Other Considerations
Another form of protection that is usually overlooked is CYA (cover your a**).  If all hell has broken loose, and you are forced to protect yourself and the people around you, you need to protect yourself for the possible future ahead.  What I mean is that when the environment stabilizes, you may be made to answer for your defensive actions.  What if you are accused of assaulting someone who walked up to your check point?  If lethal force was used, was it justified?  Can you remember the name of the officer who visited your EP?  These facts should all be documented in a logbook.  Any and every incident should be logged, no matter how large or small.  You want to be as descriptive as possible.  When you are writing this, imagine you are trying to tell a judge your side of the story, because you very well could be using this logbook to do just that!  Ensure dates, times, who was involved, what happened, what actions were taken, and how every means possible was used prior to any type of force are all recorded.  This should be written down as soon as possible while the information is still fresh in your mind.  Details are the key to an effective report.

Another serious consideration is that after you have the area secured, what happens to the families that live inside the established perimeter that do not want to be part of what’s going on?  Will you protect them should the need arise?  What if they have family members attempting to break into the perimeter?  Are you going to deny access?  These are very difficult questions to plan for and there is a fine line between doing the right thing and self-declaring martial law on your street. 

The last point to consider is not specifically related to the previous discussion.  It is about the image you present to others.  It is not just about the clothing you are wearing.  Nuances ranging from body language, physical approach towards someone, facial expressions, and your overall demeanor can greatly affect the tone of the interaction you have with other people.  You most likely will meet more people that are non-combatants then are threats.  Is the head-to-toe camouflage approach the one you want to give as a first impression?  By appearance alone, you made yourself a potential combatant to others.  What type of reaction do you think you will get from police if they see you in all the latest tactical gear with a military style rifle slung over your shoulder?  What about the mother with kids in hand that you encounter?  At this point in time, everyone will have at least some level of fear in them.  Anybody that says differently has never been in a threatening environment.  Why escalate the situation if not necessary?  There is a time and place for camouflage and other gear, but in most cases dressing in practical civilian clothing (like cargo pants and overly large shirt concealing items you might have on you), along with a friendly but cautious personality will be most effective.  Simply put, when it comes time to decide how you want to appear and act towards others, ask yourself how you would react if you came across someone who looked and acted just like “you?”  Personally, if I was approached by someone dressed like ninja, armed, and had an attitude…I will be reacting much differently than if they seemed approachable and wearing earth tone non-tactical clothing.

Conclusion
You need to think long and hard about the realistic possibility of accomplishing this objective.  Yes, in movies and books it seems easy to accomplish:  most of the time the “good guys” always win.  After reading this article you should realize that it is much more complex then it seems.

The amount of manpower, supplies, and equipment needed are extremely difficult to obtain for a long term defensive strategy.  To provide a real life example, while living in an unsecured area (Red Zone) in Iraq, we needed a guard force of over 100 men to protect a large house 24/7.  That sounds like a lot, but as mentioned previously, a position does not have a single person; a guard rotation is required.  In our case roughly 50 men per 12 hour shift were necessary for the EP and IP to view in all cardinal directions and to provide protection for the non-combatants. 

With that in mind, how many people will you need to guard a small section of your neighborhood?   Continuing with another personal example, I was part of a force that guarded an urban compound in Baghdad which covered a space roughly 1 by 2 city blocks.  To protect it in a high threat environment we needed 300 static guards (12.5 hour shifts 7 days a week), 9 Quick Response Teams (consisting of 6 men on each team), and enough gear, supplies, ammo, water, and food to sustain everybody.  This doesn’t even consider the resources and supplies needed to establish a secured perimeter.

Another factor that hinders the ability to guard a neighborhood is the group of people available.  You will probably find more people not interested than those that are interested.  The people you do find will be in various ages and physical shape, some might have military or police training, some will not.  It will probably be a “ragtag” group.  Many will like the idea of defending their territory, but will not or cannot plan or practice.  Chances are you will not be fortunate to find yourself living in a community of ex-commandos ready to take tackle this matter head on. 

In conclusion, the reality of defending a neighborhood is that it is not practical and is better left as a fantasy.  I’ve only touched on a very few factors to consider, and there are so many more factors working against you.  It will be nearly impossible for a group of citizens in various states of health, with little or no training, even if they are enthusiastic, to successfully defend a neighborhood.

Water Collection and Storage Issues, by Brian J.

Mr. Rawles,
My wife and I began prepping approximately two years, prepping for what exactly is still unknown. We first were concerned with the economy going South (and still are) and begun to stock up for this type of event, as well as work on our debt’s. We quickly begun to realize that our path was not a straight one with no intersections, the deeper we got the more work we found was needed to compensate for a host of problems that could arise, and before we knew it, we were preparing for a multitude of scenarios. Each time you start to feel good about where you are the more you find you need to improve upon. I am not going to go deep into all aspects of what we have learned and prepped for, but instead  focus on one that we are realizing could be devastating our chances of survival if the cards got stacked against us.

Water
We all know the human body needs allot of water and will soon perish without it, however, water for human consumption is not the focus of this article.
 My family lives in a suburban community close to cities, nuclear power plants, and we are very dependent on the public infrastructure. (We do know that this is not the ideal situation, but for the time being we are not comfortable with moving to a more secluded, less populated area. It is on our minds every day, and until we are ready to make the jump we are preparing to hunker down and make the best with what we have.) Back to the topic. This summer has been very hot so far in the United States, wild fires and droughts are in the news daily. Here we have not had more than few passing sprinkles of rain in over five weeks and the daily temperature for at least 15 days was over 90 and a few days topping a hundred.

Imagine this scenario for a moment. The grid goes down for an extended period of time for whatever reason, the public water supply screeches to a halt, home wells do not pump without electricity. You have made reasonable preparations to sustain you and your family and neighbors through a bad period but forgot to factor in summer heat and droughts and the effect they will have on your gardens, orchards, and livestock.
 You are probably not in a position where your garden and animals are your only source of food but someday it could be, and the survival of your family could depend on your ability to manage the situation and do

In the United States at the moment our corn crop is on the verge of collapse for 2012 due to severe droughts, other crops are also in peril but the corn is what I have been hearing the most coverage on. This is going to have major impacts on the cost of food, fuel, and any products that use some form of processed corn in production.
This is what inspired me to write this article, lately I have been watering my vegetable garden and other plants and trees from my carbon filtered outside hydrants, (carbon filters to reduce the chlorine content of the municipal water supply.) My reserves of water to do this job is depleted and now I am paying for my water to keep things alive and productive. Heavy mulching is a big help in the garden. But what if I did not have this abundant water source?

Unless you have a creek, spring, or other water source close by, what do you do? You certainly do not want to tap into your stored drinking water supply unless you have thousands of gallons at your disposal. Without reliable water your garden can quickly become a new compost pile and all you can do is hope for a better season next year, if you can make it until next year!
 We have 220 gallons of rain water that we collect from the roof to water the garden vegetables and herbs. This has been quickly depleted recently and we have not had any rain to refill the barrels.
I collect gray water for the fruit trees and other perennial plants we have on our small  suburban lot, but without running tap water this is not going to be in any great quantity because if you are using your stored emergency water you will be in serious conservation mode.

If you or a neighbor have a shallow well as well as the necessary tools and equipment on hand to convert to a manual pumping well this would be a great option. I have neighbors on wells, however, they exceed 200 plus feet deep. A more expensive option is to purchase a generator and store sufficient fuel to power the well, most pumps are 240 volts and can be over one horsepower so size the generator accordingly. Do not get caught up with the desire to power every electrical appliance that your heart desires, this would quickly deplete your fuel reserves. I have a friend who converted his Honda 6500 watt generator to multi fuel, he can burn gasoline, propane or natural gas. He has stored 500 gallons of propane as well as a few cans of gasoline. In a long term emergency, (you generally will not know if it is truly long term until it has been a long time down) you could use the generator just to power your well to get your water containers refilled and maybe recharge some battery powered devices, get a job done using power tools, etc.  Conservation is very important.
Most people have a tank type water heater that could be drained for use as well as the tanks on the back of toilets, however, this should be deemed potable in most cases and used for human consumption. (Do not use toilet tank water for human or pet drinking water if you use bleach tablets or other cleaning agents in your tank.)

Do not forget the water that is in nearly all canned goods, this is potable but if you have your drinking water covered well you could salvage this small amount to use in other areas. Every little bit helps here.
We have a creek about a quarter mile away as a crow flies and this would certainly be an option if I could get a vehicle there and have a way of getting the water into a container on my vehicle and safely get it back to my property.

A few people in the area have swimming pools, however I would not recommend going onto private  property in a crisis as this may lead to confrontation. This is an area that you should address before it becomes necessary. Maybe this neighbor has a large garden or animals also and has not thought through this scenario. You could educate them as well as secure some bonus water in the process.

If you have the space, you could build a fish pond into your landscaping, maybe you are not ready to raise tilapia fish or another breed to eat, you could just have a few goldfish swimming around in your new tactical water reserve disguised as a simple “keeping up with the Jones’s” addition to your yard. Who knows maybe you will become Jones and the neighbors will build ponds to keep up with you and without knowing it they will be serving the needs of you and other neighbors.

I have not found a good option yet to remedy this situation except to store as much water as I possibly can safely. I have no basement or garage, so space is an issue to contend with. I do currently have a few 55 gallon barrels that I store outside, and keep treated and rotated. Winter time I drain them down by a third and have not yet had a barrel failure. Underground storage is an option, but you need to have a way to get the water out of the tank when you want it. Have a manual backup pumping method available, and a backup to your backup.

In the early stage of a crisis, short or long term, you hopefully have time to react even if only a little bit. Fill any container with water before you lose service. Bathtubs, sinks, buckets, washing machine, milk jugs,
Tupperware, barrels, wheel barrel, fill the fresh and gray water tanks in your camper,  line your truck bed with a good heavy water tight tarp and fill it full.

Do what you can to make life easier, even if it is short lived. Anything to help you transition to the new reality.

This article is intended to be an eye opener to make you think more than a how to guide, as I have no good long term solution at the moment, and I am sure I am not alone in this area. Like most people these days, I was raised in a family who did annual small garden farming more as a hobby than anything else and was reliant on the infrastructure to supply us with life’s most basic needs.

My wife and I  have started from scratch and are  trying to learn the ways of the past and teach it to our children so we do not have to be dependent on anyone but ourselves, in today’s world that may not ever be possible but we can try.   <</p>

Letter Re: Cinder Block Safety Concerns

JWR:
I have read plenty of entries on your site about people using concrete block (“cinder block”) for square foot gardening and raised bed gardening.  I didn’t know how to post this so, I thought I would just email you this information.
 
I have been in the Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) (Concrete Block) industry for almost 11 years.  I started as a yard hand and have recently worked my way up to Plant Manager and Site Safety Manager (two hats due to downsizing and the economy).  I see many people write about using these CMUs or cinder blocks to build raised beds and also to plant directly inside the cells of this block.  I am offering a warning of the possibility of poisons in this product and stressing that I would never grow my food in it.  The product Fly Ash is used as a Portland Cement replacement for up to 30% of the cement used to manufacture these products.  For those of you unaware, Fly Ash is a by product of burning coal.  The EPA is and has for the last year been doing a study to decide whether or not to label Fly Ash as a Hazardous Waste due to the high levels of mercury, arsenic, and lead; leaving some “Industry Folk” to refer to concrete as the “New Asbestos” or the “New Lead Paint”.  Though there is no definite date set for a decision the ball has started rolling.  The EPA knows this product is unhealthy, I know this product is unhealthy (and wouldn’t dare chance putting it into my children’s mouth), and now you can make an informed decision on how you feel about it.  Just google “Is Fly Ash Toxic” and you will see all the information available on this material allowing you to make an informed decision of your own.  With all the trials and tribulations we face I would hate to know that I was poisoning myself with the very food I prepped to save me.
 
Blessings, – J.D. in Texas

Economics and Investing:

B.B. suggested: Don’t fear the fiscal cliff — fear the welfare cliff

Sue C. spotted this item: Political feuds, denial drove San Bernardino to bankruptcy

SurvivalBlog’s G.G. suggested this by humorous economic commentator Richard Daughty (“The Mogambo Guru”): So Freaking Obvious (SFO)

Items from The Economatrix:

When Bankers Get Nervous, Watch Out

Retail Purchases In U.S. Unexpectedly Decrease 0.5%

Oil Declines From Seven-Week High Amid Global Economic Concern

Fewer US Companies are Planning to Hire

Odds ‘n Sods:

Game Over. The Score:
Bad Guys With Masks and Guns: 0
Old Guy with Pocket Pistol and Guts: 2
Read a description and see video clips: Charges unlikely against man who shot robbers

   o o o

OSOM recommended a great primer on tri-fuel conversion of small generators: Don’t Depend on Just Gas…

   o o o

An emigrant who grew up in East Berlin asks: America, Where Art Thou? (Thanks to J. McC. for the link.)

   o o o

F.J. liked this Do-It-Yourself project: Replace a Kitchen Cabinet Drawer with a Produce Storage Drawer

   o o o

A North Carolina television station wraps up the Charlotte Prepcon: Survivalist convention prepares public for emergency situations. BTW, after the great success of the first convention, another one is scheduled for September 8th. They’ve asked me to do another hour-long teleseminar.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 41 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

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 41 ends on July 31st, 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.

Dying and Death in a Collapse Situation, by Irish Eyes

Many Americans have never experienced the death of someone close to them, and our current system of dealing with death makes sure that family and loved ones have as little contact as possible with the dead, and often very little with the dying.  Our culture reacts to the topic of death much like the Victorians reacted to the topic of sex.  We avoid even using the word “died” or “dead”, preferring euphemisms such as “passed”.   With the more widely spread use of hospice and palliative care teams, families are learning that helping their loved ones through the dying process can be a rich and healing time.  However, the dying process is still rather reminiscent of childbirth 30-40 years ago, when fathers and other family members were shut out, and the mothers in labor were left to labor alone and in pain, or drugged.  Too often the dying find themselves in similar situations, isolated from family and away from home.

Contrast the process of dying in our not so distant past, and in current non-westernized cultures, with that of many American families today.   In the past, the family would be responsible for caring for their loved one through the dying process, preparing the body for burial, sitting in vigil with the body as everyone told stories and remembered the person, and finally committing the body to the ground with prayer and other important rituals.   Now, often due to anxiety about the whole process, the family often chooses to have the person die in the hospital, be whisked away by funeral home personnel to be attended to.  Cremation avoids the uncomfortable issue of being in the presence of a dead body, and if cremation isn’t done, the body certainly must not be seen as that might be too “creepy”.

Those readers who saw the movie Places in the Heart may remember Sally Field’s character tenderly washing and preparing the body of her husband for burial.  Indeed, this was the norm not so long ago and continues to be the norm in non-westernized cultures, where caring for the dying and the dead is a way for the family to perform the final actions of kindness and respect for their loved ones.

What happens when it all comes down and we must, of necessity, figure out what to do with the dying and the dead?  In the past, there was a process which was taught elder to younger.  Now we are cut off from that wisdom and must sort out how to manage a painful and devastating situation.  We must learn again about the dying process, how to help our loved ones and ourselves through this final transition, and what to do afterward.  Caveat- none of this is offered as medical advice, and trained medical persons should be consulted when they are available.

Preparing to care for the dying:

As hard and sad as the topic of dying is, we must prepare for managing these situations in a collapse situation, and help our loved ones, and ourselves through.   There may be no option to simply call the doctor, funeral home, our pastor or priest, or the ambulance.  Preparing emotionally and spiritually is the vital first step.  Then, we can make the practical preparations.  You’ll want to assemble a comfort in dying kit, much as you would assemble a childbirth or first aid kit.  Here are some steps:

  1. If possible, collect medications ahead to assist with pain and anxiety such as liquid morphine and ativan, and learn how to use them safely.
  2. Constipation can increase pain and overall discomfort. Make sure you have laxatives, stool softeners and enema supplies.
  3. Adult diapers or continence supplies can be comforting to both the dying person and caretakers.
  4. Lotions for skin dryness, and lip balms
  5. Small mouth sponges for comfort during dehydration
  6. Include pads for beds such as Chux
  7. Sometimes in the dying process the body’s ability to clot blood is impaired, leading to bleeding through the mouth, nose, rectum and skin.  This can be very distressing to both patient and caretakers.  Having dark colored sheets and towels set aside in your kit can help.
  8. Nitrile gloves, N95 masks and eye protection in the event that the illness is contagious.

 

Preparing to care for the caretaker

Walking with someone through the dying process, as hard as it is, can also be a powerful, deep, and rewarding experience.  It is truly a privilege to help someone through the passage of death and into their new lives, free from their weary physical bodies.   Grief can be like a tsunami, running us over and we feel as though we will drown in our sorrows.  Helping someone we love in practical ways, praying with them, and holding their hands gives us strength as well.  How do we try to get ready for this experience and get through it?

  1. Grow strong in your faith.  Pray, read scripture, recall God’s promises
  2. Take breaks. You cannot help someone else over the long haul if you exhaust yourself.  Arrange for practical care in shifts.
  3. Don’t forget to eat
  4. If you can’t sleep, try to rest
  5. Share your own sorrow with others and reach out for help
  6. Gather your own resources in terms of Bibles, prayer books, and other things which comfort you.
  7. Don’t keep children away, but do explain to them what is happening at a level of their understanding.  Children are comforted by being included and made useful, such as fetching things.  Children become anxious when they are not told anything and often their worries about what is going on are worse than the truth. 

 

What Happens in the Dying Process and How to Support the Dying

A very wise teacher once told me that the dying need two things, comfort and company.  They also need honesty.  It will become obvious to them and to you that they will die from their illness or injury.  Pretending is easier, but it also denies them the dignity of acknowledging their time is short.  It keeps the dying from being able to talk about their own fears, make their own plans, talk openly with their loved ones, and reconcile with God and old enemies.  Follow their lead as they come to their own recognition of mortality, but try to be brave and allow the hard conversations to happen.

In the natural process of dying by illness or disease, there are some consistent signs and symptoms which can be recognized.  To use a natural pregnancy as our example, the mother and her doctor or midwife may be aware that labor is going to start soon even if they don’t know exactly when.  They may note symptoms such as increased Braxton Hicks contractions, an extra burst of energy, loss of the cervical mucus plug, change in the position of the baby etc.  Likewise, there are signs and symptoms that someone is in the process of dying, even if it’s not known exactly how long that will take or how soon it will happen. 

Early Stage Changes and Symptoms

Decreased appetite or no appetite.  This is the body’s way of gradually shutting down systems.  In certain cancers, blockages of the stomach or intestines can cause pain and discomfort during eating and avoiding intake helps with comfort.
What to Do
Don’t force food, but allow the person to choose their own intake
Experiment with textures, sometimes liquid or very soft food is more easily tolerated

Even if the person refuses food and water, they may welcome a small sponge soaked in water to moisten their mouth and a balm to keep lips from becoming uncomfortably dry.

Increased fatigue and weakness and increased in sleeping.  Some of this may be connected with decreasing intake, but some may be related to decreasing oxygenation and failing organ systems.
What to Do
Allow the person to rest and sleep as they need to. Don’t attempt to wake them up or stimulate them to stay awake.

Assume the person can still hear you, even if they appear to be sleeping.  Speak gently and softly to let them know you are there and what you are doing e.g. changing bed linens.

Withdrawal from others and from usual activities and interests.  It is normal for the dying to begin a process of being more internally focused.  This does not mean they don’t care for you or necessarily want you to go away.
What To Do
Follow the lead of the person in determining whom they want to have around.

Decrease the stimulation in the room e.g. keep the noise down and avoid too many persons in the room at once.

Loss of bowel and bladder control.  As the muscles begin to loosen and relax, a person may not be able to avoid accidents.  The decreased appetite experienced by many may decrease bowel and urine output. 

What To Do
Keep the person as comfortable as possible, changing out soiled or wet garments and bedding.

A pad under the person may keep the bedding cleaner.

Try to take a matter-of-fact attitude with the person, who may be embarrassed or feel humiliated by this loss of function and independence.

Itching.  This may happen as a result of kidney failure, or with dehydration

What To Do
Lotions may relieve itching briefly
Benadryl may offer some relief.

Increased pain.  As some disease processes progress, pain will increase at the same time as the person’s capacity to manage may decrease.

What To Do
You’ll want to try to anticipate ways to help with pain ahead of time by stockpiling medications if possible.

Explore methods such as gentle massage, warm and cold compresses, and position changes.

 

Late Stage Changes and Symptoms

Mental confusion.  This may be related to decreased oxygenation of the brain, or to changes in the brain itself e.g. with metastases of cancers to the brain.  Fevers with infections may lead to delirium and hallucinations.  People who are confined to one room may become confused when they lose track of routines to mark times/days.  This symptom, known as “sundowning” can become worse in the evening.

What To Do

Keep the shades or curtains open so that the person can tell if it is day or night.  This helps keep them oriented.

Gently orient the person when you enter the room, telling them who you are and where they are.

Some may talk of seeing and hearing long departed loved ones, or angels, or may see things you aren’t able to see.  Don’t try to argue with them or convince them they’re wrong.  Simply listen.

Even if they seem asleep, assume they can hear you.  They may enjoy hearing scripture read or passages from favorite books..  Pray with them.

If the person becomes agitated, don’t restrain them or try to reason with them.  Simply continue to quietly and gently respond with reassurance.

Towards the end of the dying process, some individuals seem to have a burst of clarity, become brighter and engaged with others, are able to say goodbyes.  This period may last a short time or for a day or two.

Swelling of extremities such as feet and ankles.  This may be caused by the kidneys failing or lack of circulation.  There is little to do and this is generally not uncomfortable.

Labored breathing and gurgling sounds during breathing. Breathing may become very fast or shallow.  Breathing may stop for a few seconds to minutes, only to have the person suddenly take a large gasping breath. This may be very distressing to others but usually does not mean that the person is in distress or is uncomfortable.

What to Do
Allow secretions to come out of the mouth, wiping them gently.

Suctioning secretions (assuming this would be available) can sometimes increase the secretions and isn’t recommended.

Coolness in fingers and toes, mottled bluish coloration.  This means the circulatory and respiratory systems are shutting down.

How Do You Know When A Person Has Died:

  1. No breath or pulse able to be detected
  2. Pupils dilated
  3. Jaw may be relaxed and mouth slightly open
  4. Bowel and bladder release
  5. Skin is cool to the touch and pale to bluish in color.

 

Before burial (if this is possible for you in a TEOTWAWKI situation), wash and dress or wrap the body.  Coffins will be a luxury in many situations but bodies may be buried without one.  The public health implications of where you locate your cemetery is a whole other article, but obviously beware of contaminating water sources and bury the dead deep enough to discourage animals from digging.

May God give us the strength to manage these hard and sad tasks with His grace and love. 

Some Experiences with Handling Trash, by Belle

An introduction of personal circumstances always seems necessary, so I’ll get that out of the way first.  My husband and I, along with our three children, moved from a moderate sized Texas town of 200,000 to a small spread out community of about 1.500.  That population of 1,500 lives in an area of about 40 square miles.  Our location, of which Mr. Rawles would not approve, is hot and dry. We are learning new ways in all areas of our lives to make this living situation work.  We and our 3 teen-aged children love our community and the new freedom that we have found here.

My husband is a man of many, many skills. A natural problem solver, he can look at most situations and fabricate some kind of solution.  Whether it is plumbing, construction, economics or world politics, he sees the situation in mechanical terms. While he can find or fabricate solutions for most construction, plumbing and solar converter problems, he can’t fix the problems that we see in the political and economic world.  So we do the next best thing.  We prepare.

I, on the other hand, am not particularly mechanically inclined.  Until I married my husband, I was a city apartment dweller with my mother and my brother.  If there was a problem, we called the apartment manager.  I’ve also always known the convenience of the city. Until this last move, I’ve never lived in a city or town without a university.  I’ve never lived without the convenience of grocery shopping at a moment’s notice. Until I met my husband, I did not garden and I’m still not that good at it.  Based on my mother’s experiences, canning was to be avoided at all costs.  Growing up, my mom and I were not in the category of the worst consumers, but we did consume our share of convenience. Compared to our friends at the time, we were down-right frugal.  Compared to what I know now, we had a long way to go before we could be called frugal.   Of all the things that I have “given up” to live where we live, convenience is what I miss most.  But, I’m not willing to move back to a town or city of any size to regain “convenience”.  My husband and I are blessed that we are of one mind about the need to prepare. We don’t take that blessing for granted, either. GOD put us in this new community for a reason and we will be here until He moves us.

While I miss conveniences like “in the mood” grocery shopping, the consistent, orderly removal of trash is a mark of civilized life that I miss very much.  Now, I realize that much of rural America still burns trash. Many have sloughs, or ditches that need filling and are filled with trash that cannot be burned, but I’ve never had any experience with this.  I’ve never separated my trash except for a few forays into recycling.   Before my husband and I moved to our current home, I could clean out the refrigerator, pick up around the yard, put the usual refuse of daily life into the trash and it was gone.  I could, twice a year like clockwork, clean out my children’s closets and make piles. One pile was trash and one was given to an organization such as Goodwill and another might be given to friends.  But wherever it went, it was out of my house and out of my life with immediacy that I never gave much thought.  And yes, we did recycle to a degree.  For whatever reason, our former town seemed to make recycling harder, not easier, so I did some, but not as much as I could have.
We arrived in our new community in December of 2010. We brought a burn barrel with us and we burned our trash and recycled what we could locally for about 3 months.  We were living in a 34 foot long trailer at the time, and we had no running water, so we used paper plates and picnic type utensils and cups.  We used a lot of water bottles. By March, our area had been a full year and a half without any measurable rain and some areas were suffering from fires, so our county instituted a burn ban.  If you are familiar with burn bans, you know that sometimes they don’t include every type of possible fire. Sometimes it is a charcoal fire burn ban, or just fireworks, or no open-pit burning. This burn ban was all inclusive. It included welding and any type of fire whether it was grilling on a gas grill or burning trash in a barrel.  So now what??  At first, I was pretty naïve about what a problem trash can be. We had no idea how long we’d be in the ban, so we started with Band-Aid solutions.  My husband used the Kubota tractor to dig/push dirt and rock into a berm and we piled our bags up against that berm. By this time, we were dry camping in our shipping container house.  Let me tell you, trash really piles up for 5 people in this situation. We had limited water by now, none running in the house, but hoses from a well outside.  I moved us away from disposable plates, etc. to dishware and cutlery as soon as I could, but we still made a lot of trash.  We quickly outgrew the berm idea and when we found our first rattlesnake with a mouse bulge, we knew that we needed a better solution.  We built an enclosure out of t-posts, cattle panel and plywood for the top and moved the trash pile.  What this gave us was an enclosure to contain the trash so that it wouldn’t spread out.  We could throw the bags in at the top and not get too close to the pile.  That was a year and half ago and I still have remnants of that pile that need to be burned.  At its largest, the current trash pit was 8 x 8 x 5.  It still has that basic outline, but it is no longer bulging at the seams. 

Another problem that we encountered in our situation was recycling.  In our area of the country, we have about 8 months of glorious weather. We can be hot during the day, but the nights cool down significantly.  We have 4 months during the summer when the heat is constant and a real challenge.   So most people live here during the 8 winter months and leave for the 4 summer months.  We don’t have many of our services, like recycling, during the summer.  And if we store recyclables during the summer and hit the recycling trailer with it when it reopens in the fall, it is too much for them to handle all at once.  Our closest town is 80 miles away and they have recycling services.  We do bag our recyclables, which at the moment, is mostly aluminum cans and metal food cans.  We have bags of them, but in order to get them to town, we’d have to take the diesel pickup rather than the more fuel efficient sedan.  So we haven’t done this yet. But, at some point, we’ll have to.  It isn’t a good solution to the problem, but we’ll do what we have to do.

A third problem that I have found is finding a home for things that I no longer use or things that no longer work and are not considered trash.   What do you do with the laptop power cord that will no longer charge the computer?  What do you do with the items that you thought would be useful in your new home, but are not? Thrift stores: We have a couple, but they really are overrun with stuff.  They consistently ask residents not to drop off any more things until they can clear out merchandise.  Garage Sale/Flea Market: also an option, but most people are looking to get rid of stuff, not buy it.  Also the organized flea market is only available in the winter months. Free cycle: Our nearest town is 80 miles away and most people won’t drive this far to get it, but it could happen.  Recycle/Re-purpose: seeing an item’s potential outside of its normal use is not one of my gifts. I rarely think outside of the box, so this is a skill that I need to develop and if you have stuff like I do, you need to develop it too.  Store items for Barter: Yes, but storage is a very big issue. We downsized our home considerably and I gave away about 2/3 of what we owned before we made the move.  But what I didn’t count on was how much room prep stores and food stores actually take.  We had only just gotten started with our preparations before we decided to move.  So before I store something that someone else may need someday, I’d like to get my own stuff organized and stored properly.  Beyond re-purposing and storing for barter, the only solution that I can think of for items like this is to bury them.  The solution before burying it is not to buy it in the first place.  I wish I’d seen that one coming.

The initial strict burn ban lasted a full year and we are still under a partial burn ban that prohibits some types of trash burning.  At the moment, we can burn trash in a barrel if it is enclosed. We put our burn barrel in our first outdoor shower that we had constructed out of cut-out shipping container walls.  In our small community, one business built a metal structure out of roofing tin.  On the roof he installed two whirligigs for exhaust.  We don’t know what he used for air intakes, but it couldn’t be that hard to figure out.  We are saving that idea for future use.  Anyway, with our small enclosure and our burn barrel, we can burn our current trash and we are making some in-roads into the stored trash. 

As I read survival articles and literature, I don’t find much space given to the disposal of trash.  I’ve shared our experiences, now I’d like to share some insights.  Not so much solutions because there is only one solution that I see.  I’d rather let you see some of the issues and then tailor your own solutions.  As I’ve hinted above, the three options for dealing with trash are: burn it, bury it, or recycle/re-purpose it.  But, the ultimate solution to the trash problem for those of us who prepare for more desperate times is to plan for it.   In a grid down or TEOTWAWKI situation where security is paramount, what are you going to do with your trash?  Just so we are clear, I am not talking about a natural disaster where you can see that normal services will resume sometime in the future.  I am talking about a grid down situation where you are completely on your own.  In this situation, your decisions might need to include OPSEC, medical concerns, hygiene, and environmental pollution.  Critter control, future sewage needs, and the logistics of being out and about around your retreat need to be addressed.  In order to plan for this, you’ve got to look at what preparations you’ve got in place.  You need to look at your location.  What food/pantry store do you have in place?  What are your security needs?  What are your sewage plans?  Identify your biggest trash challenge.   Is it diapers or paper plates?  Is it tin cans or plastic water bottles?  You can deal with it as long as you’ve identified the challenge and the solution ahead of time and then planned for it.

I think most people consider burning trash to be the best alternative in most situations.  So does your location support that decision?  Do you live in a rural area? I can imagine scenarios where you could burn trash in a city, but that means things are pretty bad.  In a rural area, you may not want anyone to know that you are still in place.  Smoke can be dealt with to a degree, but you’d be hard pressed to burn trash on a regular basis and cover up the smoke smell.  As for environmental concerns, there are not that many.  You just don’t want to burn toxic stuff that will foul your air.  For example, we have blue foam boards that we’ve used in construction.  I don’t burn these.  I believe we do need to make some accommodation for the environment.  We won’t have the EPA breathing down our necks, but we should take care of the land and air that will take care of us.  Some things don’t burn.  You will have to deal with ashes and charred debris.  Have you got somewhere to dispose of that?  You can’t burn aerosol cans or batteries, so you will have to have some alternative plans for them. 

You can bury your trash. We live in an area where the landscape will not recover from this type of intrusion.  You’d see our pit, the tracks from the Kubota tractor, our car tire tracks, whatever, for 100 years.  That is more of an environmental impact than we’d like to make right now and it isn’t very secure, but it remains an option for us long term.   For one thing, we have enough land to do it and we have earth moving equipment. I’ve read articles that recommend you have shovels or hand tools to bury your trash. I’m telling you, from experience, a shovel will not be much help long term when confronted with mounds of bagged trash.  You are going to be digging a very large hole.  If you have the equipment to dig a large hole, do you have the parts and experience to maintain and repair the equipment? You may have ditches or sloughs that run through your property.  If you dump your trash in these and then plant native grasses in and around the refuse, this could help with erosion problems.  My in-laws do this and have corrected some erosion issues on their farm land.  But, my mother-in-law is very diligent about moving grass clumps into the dump area.  Again, this is not an option for us, but you need to evaluate your own landscape.  You also have to consider the environmental impact of burying as well.  Again, we may not need to be as obsessive as the EPA has become, but we don’t want our rivers to burn either.  Consider rain runoff before you choose a spot to dig.  Consider where your well is located; consider winds, critters and future land use before you dig.

You can recycle your trash. I’m not talking about municipal recycling programs because in this scenario, there would be no municipal recycling programs. I’m talking about home-grown, common sense recycling. What can I do with the water bottles or water jugs that I’ve stored and that are now empty?  What can I do with all of the #10 cans as they are used? I’ve seen a chicken shed roof that was “shingled” with tin can lids and the walls reinforced with flattened cans.  Walls can be built with cans and filled with dirt; bottles cans be used for windows, etc., but that is only if you still need structures around your retreat.  Some items from your pantry might be done away with entirely. I found a washable “paper” towel pattern online, and let’s face it ladies, washable pads from Naturally Cozy just makes sense, doesn’t it?  While there are few op/sec or medical/hygiene issues with recycling, there are logistical issues.  Where are you going to store used items like used tin food cans or the #10 cans that we all love so much? Have you got storage for used items?  There comes a point where you just cannot use another #10 can to store nuts/bolts/thread/yarn/seed packs/ etc.  Then what?  Think about diversifying your food and pantry storage as you rotate.  I used some of my dehydrated vegetables to make soup mixes. I repackaged them in Mylar bags which store flat and can be reused until they are too small and at that point, they aren’t much trash.  I also put some mixes into gallon glass jars.  I don’t recommend this if you are not rotating your storage.  There are literally thousands of recycle ideas on the internet. You just have to look for them.  Look at your storage, see what you have the most of and then go hunt up some ideas.  Plan ahead for what you’ll need and what may be used as barter (think glass jars—you cannot have too many!)

There is no one size fits all solution to trash in a grid down TEOTWAWKI scenario except to plan, plan, and plan.  There are as many solutions to the trash problem as there are retreat solutions. Don’t put this off, however.  You may visit your retreat often. You may practice bugging out.  But, if after the weekend is over, you haul your trash to the Dumpster in town, or burn it at your retreat without thought or worry, then you haven’t done all of your homework.  Trash will be a big problem for you if you don’t plan for its disposal ahead of time.  For most of us, trash disposal is one of those things that we regularly take for granted.  Don’t.

Letter Re: Coronal Mass Ejections and Their Consequences

Good Morning James,
The recent coronal mass ejection (CME) began interacting with the terrestrial magnetosphere earlier today. Though initially that interaction was rather subdued a rapid fall-off in the proton particle counters is actually leading to some rather elevated readings over at the Rice.edu monitor site. Polar convection, density and velocity are all registering in the yellow band, while the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) magnitude, angle and the dynamic pressure are all passed up into the red zones. It is worth remembering that a CME consists of hot, charged particles (ionized hydrogen primarily) and as such the situation is similar to the current in the wall of your house when a light switch is flipped on. At the fundament then a “current” of hot gas passing around the earth interacting with the geomagnetic field of same is virtually identical to an electric motor though the geometry seems different. It is the case that the total effect perpetrated on us, on the planet, by the passing of the electrically conductive cloud of hot gas and further, that gas’s interaction with the geomagnetic field is an inductive phenomena.

It is easy to forget that when talking about induction we’re not talking about relative magnitudes of the flow of the gas but instead the instantaneous rate-of-change of that flow as being central to the effects we here witness. Most especially the preceding applies when focusing on the magnetic aspects. To be sure, the incoming stream interacts with, and in part, is trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field, altering it’s velocity and transferring momentum as it does so to form the Van Allen belts above or heads, but it is the resulting magnetic fluctuations induced throughout that drive the actual changes in “earth currents” that were so ferocious during the Carrington Event.

If an X-20 erupted on the face of the Solar disk, even very near to the center thereof, the total effect upon us here some few minutes later (light-travel time scale) would be negligible though the subsequent arrival of the mass of ejected gas would be have frightening effects on our civilization.

If, on the other hand, an extremely high magnitude flare occurred – virtually anywhere on the face of the visible disk – say, an X-40 or greater – then a resulting EMP (like the detonation of a 20 megaton thermonuclear device high in the stratosphere) would likely have near-instantaneous effects on the distribution grid on the sun-facing side of the planet. It might well be the case that the installed safety subsystems at most generating facilities would act in time to prevent a catastrophic, effectively incinerating, effect on the facilities themselves, but it is a near certainty that the Very High Voltage transformers which upconvert energy from the generating facilities to voltages making long-distance transmission of electrical energy practical would be summarily annihilated. The problem that would arise in this circumstance is that there are now only two manufacturing
concerns left operating globally at present that manufacture these extraordinary pieces of machinery and the minimum lag-time from order to delivery is two years (presuming that all of the requisite materials are already on hand without supply chain interruptions and that they themselves have ample electricity available to them for the manufacturing itself). Simply losing the grids over one hemisphere would be bad, but losing them globally would be an incalculable catastrophe. Consider that if there is no way available to transmit electricity long distance point-to-point then how would we be able to remanufacture replacements for these units?
  

Leaving aside the fact that the effects would be the worst in the developed world, resulting in “flash” starvation of hundreds of millions of people – if not billions – as our wondrously efficient, woefully interconnected and critically dependent supply chains vanished like smoke in the wind, how could this happen then?

It could happen as the consequence of a large magnitude X-Flare followed by a subsequent – and necessarily, geoeffective – high magnitude CME. When the mass began interacting with the terrestrial magnetosphere enormous ground currents would be induced by the action of the hot sea of gas flowing around the planet. Also, as a consequence, large voltage potentials would be induced in the ground plane – to which every electrical device on Earth is directly connected. It would not be enough to simply throw the breakers in your fuse panel to isolate your house, business and so forth from Earth voltages and grid fluctuations. Fluctuations on the ground plane itself could/would easily destroy whatever yet remained attached. Disconnecting the ground strap from your your panel(s) to the ground plane would be equally necessary until the large scale fluctuations subsided beyond the event. The actual events involved in this would come upon us rather stealthily. As the ground currents surged there would be no blinding, instantaneous grid-wide failure, no. Instead, the currents through the ground plane traveling into the transformers would slowly, steadily heat the cores in their oil baths until the frail windings began to boil their insulating coatings off at which point massive shorting would occur. Given that the Earth itself is non-homogeneous in it’s make-up, it is also the case that the pattern of failure would be equally heterogeneous. Specifically, places like the eastern seaboard, especially, Eastern Canada would see the first failures (Canadian Electric companies have installed strip-mall sized buffers after the 1989 loss to Solar activity and are now relatively safe) due to the hard-rock underlying the region, the Laurentian Shield. But as one failure occurred there would be another, and another, ad infinitum as a cascade of failures shifted further of the burden to the remaining operational grid. The logical conclusion of this process would be the destruction of virtually every High voltage unit globally inasmuch as unlike a Solar EMP which would effect the “day side” only (approx.) the ground currents in the CME case would be global in character.

An enormous “buzz” has developed over the last few years relative to “EMP” events of Solar or instrumental origin but in the case of solar this particular effect would be limited except as noted above. Thankfully, we have a vast distance between us and our warm, somewhat tempestuous neighbor and it is this distance that along with the atmosphere and magnetic field in which life here is mainly cocooned that preserves us. The initial open-air testing of the hydrogen bomb in the 1950s early 1960s in the South Pacific is of course when first we became aware of the effects that an EMP pulse might have upon us. I have read a report – somewhere, it escapes me at the moment – that during one of the tests, in which one of the larger devices was detonated, that parts, if not all, of the island of Hawaii lost power, had equipment failures virtually simultaneously as the weapon was detonated. It is for this reason that I call “bull” on those harping on the possibility of a middle eastern agency deploying an “atom” bomb over the US to destructive effect. Hear me out.

Fission bombs have an upper limit beyond which – no matter how much more fissile material is added – simply doesn’t produce any further corresponding yield. Our scientists ran into this problem rather early on during America’s primal nuclear efforts, this led to the development of the H bomb, [fusion] thermonuclear weapons as it were. H-bombs don’t really have an effective upper limit as to the amount of yield which can be obtained…just build a bigger bomb. However, there is a catch: H bombs are really, really difficult to engineer. Without going into detail, suffice it to say that the geometry of the device and the timing of the explosives necessary to coax a fusion reaction out of ordinary, cold matter are formidable–extremely so. The largest thermonuclear device ever tested was the infamous “Czar Bomba”, the “King of Bombs” detonated by the Soviet Union circa 1960, which was designed to produce a yield of 100+ megatons TNT equivalent, but was actually only tested with two of it’s four cores in place for a nominal yield of 52 megatons. For any who need more about this just traipse over to YouTube and search for “Czar Bomba”, great footage BTW. But I digress, the probability that someone other than a major nation-state could develop atom bombs is crazy-high, it is only necessary to laboriously render out enough fissile material from uranium and then slap it together. But the converse is equally and inversely true for thermonuclear devices for the reasons lined out above.

As an aside, while I’ve been typing this, the polar convection graph over at stanford.edu has shot right up, as has the graph for interplanetary magnetic field. The figure being shown for the convection is nearly off the graph as it is currently scaled. It’s about 02:30 CST [Sunday, July 15, 2012] and as I look now the Polar convection is actually above the numbered range on the graph, like when your going faster than your speedometer can show you, the IMF being ‘way up there too. I expect that there might be some unhappy northern latitude utility company executives in the morning, the polar convection figure is still getting worse. If I read it right, pushing 280 Kv or more, been up there for quite a while now.

As always, May the Lord Bless and Keep us, His Children, everyone. – J.E.B. in Missouri

Letter Re: Retreat Ideas for the Disabled and Elderly

As a formerly disabled person I would like to share some ideas to help make survival more likely or at least less treacherous:

 * Keep a heavy duty luggage cart for bug out bags. They are versatile and can be used for many other things like hauling water. Wheeled backpacks with roller blade wheels will not be as durable and versatile.

*  Adult tricycle bikes are quite stable can help many get around easier and quicker while carrying some supplies too. These can be used by others as well to carry water and heavier supplies.
   
*  Foot-care should be top priority. If you are caring for someone who is elderly or diabetic check there feet often and make sure to keep moleskin, extra soft socks and that they own a pair of quality sneakers that are comfortable.

*  Meal replacement shakes That have a minimum of 19 grams of protein per serving, contain a minimum 25% of RDA on Vitamins and minerals per serving. Higher calories are better and low in sugar. Ideally you want something that only needs to be mixed with water or you can also add powdered milk.

   These can be used by everyone but will be especially handy for the elderly & sick.

*  For those dealing with incontinence it will not always be practical to stock up on or carry the required amount of supplies needed but the following items can help:

        Male external catheters (available online)
        Female urination devices like GOGIRL
        Plastic moisture barrier underwear
        Reusable (washable) incontinence pads & briefs for both men & women       
        Gentle laxatives
        Baby wipes & washcloths

 *   USB memory stick containing medical records

 *  10 parameter reagent test strips- an easy urine strip test that tests glucose, bilirubin, ketone, specific gravity, blood, pH, protein, urobilinogen nitrite, and leukocytes. They are inexpensive–only about $13 for 100  test strips and should be included in everyone’s emergency kits.

*  Back pain- Mueller adjustable lumbar back brace, Biofreeze or Salonpas, extra Ibuprofen or Aleve
    Knee pain- Patella tendon strap or full knee brace, Biofreeze or Salonpas , extra Ibuprofen or Aleve
   Neck pain- Inflatable neck pillow, Caldera relief neck rest, Biofreeze or Salonpas , extra Ibuprofen or Aleve

    You can also learn acupressure using your fingers or a knob like device
    Robin Mckenzie has written two very popular books on the subject titled Treat Your Own Back and Treat Your Own Neck

*  Book Recommendation: Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook by David Werner

*  Heart rate monitors for exercise. These can be used to monitor those with heart conditions and make sure that they
   take a break or practice calming exercises when needed. Some of these have custom alarms that will beep when your heart rate
   goes to high or too low.

*  Diabetic supplies may run out Cinnamon bark capsules, Fenugreek seeds or tea, and chromium polynicotinate
   can be used as a last resort. Cinnamon will also be pretty easy to come by and can be easily put into foods, drinks or
   emptied capsules.

Regards, – Tricia, Illinois

Letter Re: Effective Small Team Tactics for the Coming Collapse

Mr Rawles,
I have a few comments after reading the guest article by Max Velocity on small team tactics. I realize the author’s perspective is colored by his time in Afghanistan and Iraq, but there are some issues I have with his article.

The first is the Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) is not the same IED he described in the Off-route section. The EFP is formed by the Miznay-Chardin effect, not the Munroe effect. The EFP (Miznay-Chardin) is a solid slug or can be fragmented by various means, but is not a molten jet of metal (Munroe). The Munroe effect, or shaped charge, works best in contact situations (it is the kill mechanism by which the RPG works), where the warhead contacts the target. At distance, it often turns into what has been termed as an “incoherent spray,” where the jet breaks up before it strikes the target. This effect is so pronounced that vehicles in Afghanistan use cages to break up the spray inches from the armor, for those occasions where the warhead isn’t damaged to the point of malfunctioning. Miznay-Chardin charges use a shallow plate to form the slug, which is not molten, and lance thru armor. These devices are generally only defeated by more armor or reactive armor.

Second, a vehicle-borne IED doesn’t have to be so large as to affect the suspension of a vehicle to the point of noticing it. In places like Iraq and Afghanistan, the maintenance done on automobiles is spotty at best, and is generally only done to the point of keeping the vehicle running. Putting decent shocks in a vehicle is often a pipe dream. A charge of 200 pounds (about the weight of a person) will generally not affect the ride or stationary characteristics of a vehicle to the point of being noticeable, yet is a large enough charge to do plenty of damage.

IEDs are probably not a real threat to the G.O.O.D. crowd, because any benefit (other than just causing mayhem) would be lost, because a civilian vehicle’s contents would probably be irreparably damaged if it was attacked with an IED much larger than three to five pounds. I’d be much more worried about small arms ambushes (which were not really covered) and things like spike strips or caltrops. These things would immobilize a vehicle and allow the vehicle and contents to be recovered relatively intact.

The author’s point about forming a convoy is a good consideration, but my nuclear family (husband, wife, two kids) would be hard pressed to provide good on-road security for itself, because my sons are just over and just under 10 years old. I can’t expect them to perform even as well as a 16 year old. They can’t really drive, nor can they shoot with the level of fire they’d need to in a contact. You’d really need to band together with at least one other family, hopefully taking two or three vehicles.

The method of providing security is suspect as well, because not every vehicle suitable as a G.O.O.D. vehicle has a sunroof to provide something resembling 360-degree fires during a firefight. The author’s perspective is again colored by his experiences. I don’t own an armored pickup or SUV, and would have to rely on speed and my driving to get myself out of an ambush or attack.

And, to give you an idea of my experience, I spent a year in Afghanistan running missions outside the wire. Sincerely, – Major K.

News From The American Redoubt:

I am gauging interest in what might become a new weekly column with news from the American Redoubt region. It will feature news about events, business opportunities, Radio Free Redoubt, local bloggers, local vendors, demographics, and more.

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Musicians will find this of interest: PrairiePsaltery.com

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Another Sustainable Preparedness Expo will be held on September 30, 2012 in Spokane, Washington.

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One of the largest and best gun shows in the Redoubt region is scheduled for August 3-4-5, 2012, in Missoula, Montana. (This is Montana’ oldest and biggest show, organized by Hayes Otoupalik–an expert on World War I history who has amassed an amazing collection including aerial observer balloon baskets.) The show is held at the Adams Field House at the University of Montana. Wear your SurvivalBlog or Bennington Flag T-shirt or hat and see who you meet.

Economics and Investing:

Those pesky derivatives: How Jamie Dimon hid the $6 billion loss

The latest from Yohay at FOREX Crunch: US Gained Only 12,000 Jobs in May According to Bernanke’s Highlighted Indicator

Steven M. sent this: It’s Not Just Free Cell Phones… The Government Is Handing Out Free Air Conditioners Too. JWR Adds: Oh, and to make it even worse, the LG Global Electronics brand air conditioning units they are giving away are made in China. (“Your tax dollars at work.”)

Items from The Economatrix:

Jim Willie:  Extreme Danger Signposts

Gold 22% Rally to Record Seen by Eric Sprott:  Commodities

Buffet Says Muni Bankruptcies are Set to Climb