Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We, in our rush toward God knows what, acquire, or spend our earthly span trying to acquire wealth, culture, fame, luxury, scientific efficiency—and more wealth. We surround ourselves with telephones, tickers, jazz, orchestras, subways, bootleg gin, dress clothes, taxicabs, motor parkways, science, glittering hotels, psychoanalysis, alarm clocks, forty thousand brands of phony religion, squawking movie palaces, nickel-in-the-slot divorce. We call it civilization. But we know darn well there’s something wrong with it.” – Charles F. Chapman, Editor of Motor Boating, magazine, excerpt from his commentary of March 1931, as quoted in the book The Legend of Chris-Craft by Jeffrey L. Rodengen

Note from JWR:

Mondays are usually product review days at SurvivalBlog. Today we are posting two: One by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio, and one by SurvivalBlog Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson.

Pat’s Product Review: Just Water Brand Ceramic Drip Filter System

The past several months, I have been buried in products to test and evaluate for SurvivalBlog readers. While this is a good thing, it’s also a “bad” thing – some products take quite a bit of time to test. My time is limited each day, and I do my best to give all the products a fair and honest evaluation for SurvivalBlog readers. And what you read in my articles, are findings based on my testing and my final opinion of the products. No one pays me to feature their products in my SurvivalBlog articles. I know a lot of folks believe that gun and knife companies pay magazine writers to write about their products, and that simply isn’t true, at least in my case. I’ve been writing magazine articles for 20 years, and I’ve never once had any company offer to pay me to write favorable things about their products, and I don’t know of any other reputable writer who has been offered money to write favorable things about anyone’s products.

Chad, who runs the Internet Prepper web store contacted me about a month or so ago, and wanted to send me one of his Ceramic Drip Water Filter System, made by the Just Water Company. Chad e-mailed and asked: “Pat, I’d really appreciate an honest review of the filter system…” That’s refreshing to hear from someone. I’ve had a few companies contact me, and asked me if I would give their products a favorable review and asked what I was going to say about their products – before they even sent me their products. I make no promises to anyone, other than I’ll give their products a fair shake and write an article. I’ve also been asked if I can guarantee them that the article will appear on SurvivalBlog. I refer them to Jim Rawles, he is the editor of Survival Blog for that answer. (Be advised that the editorial calendar is packed, so there are often delays.)

Chad told me that he is a USAF veteran, and he picks and packs each filter order personally. They ship from Dallas, Texas, usually the next business day via Priority Mail. True to his word, my sample filter arrived in short order, via Priority Mail.

Some water filtration systems can cost hundreds of dollars. Some are as little as $15 – but they don’t all filter well, and they don’t filter a large volume of water, either. There are many products on the market these days, and you are only limited by your imagination and funds, when it comes to water filtration systems. Like most folks, my funds are limited, and I carefully shop around for the best products for my budget.

The Just Water Company had their Ceramic Filter Drip System tested by Johns Hopkins University and a number of other independent labs, and they all concluded that it exceeds FDA and NSF standards for filtering water. Cooper was kind enough to send me a copy of some of these reports along with the sample filtration system. Keep in mind that this filtration system does not remove viruses – so if you are concerned about this in your water, it’s best to add a bit of chlorine to the water. However, most water filtration needs are easily met by this system, including the removal of Giardia and Cryptosporidium – two of the really nasty bugs in water, that can kill you.

Johns Hopkins noted in their letter that the treated water should be protected from recontamination in a safe storage vessel – which is part of this filtration system.

Okay, what I received from Chad was the filtration system, which consists of the silver-impregnated ceramic water filter, with a “sock” pre-filter that goes over the filter for keeping out larger particles that could clog the ceramic filter. The system also comes with a spigot and other neat things for getting this filtration system up and running. What this system does not come with are two standard 5-gallon plastic buckets. Those you must purchase yourself. No big deal here, the local big box store had food grade buckets for under $10 each. You will also need a drill and a couple drill bits in order to make the two buckets into a complete filtration system. It doesn’t take any special handyman skills to drill a couple holes in the buckets to connect the upper bucket to the lower, and install the spigot. You’ll also need a rubber band or two. I won’t go into the details of how to get this system up and running. You can read it on their web site – but it only took about 10-minutes of time to get it all up and running . It was a piece of cake!

The biggest concern you have to be aware of it that, you make sure there are no leaks between the two buckets – or the water will get re-contaminated – as pointed out by Johns Hopkins. And, if you’ve installed everything correctly, there won’t be any problems.

Okay, I’m the first to admit, that I’m not the most patient person in the world – far from it. In the instructions that came with the filtration system, it talks about the flow rate you can expect from this simple system, which is about 3/4 to 1 gallon per hour. The flow rate increases as the ceramic shell and mixed media inside the ceramic shell become saturated with water – this can take a couple of days for the flow rate to really get going. So, don’t try to rush it – there’s nothing you can do to make the filtration system flow faster to start with – a couple days is what it took in my case – just as advertised.

With daily use, you can expect a year’s worth of filtered water with this system. When the flow rate decreases, this indicates that the “sock” and the filter might need to be cleaned. All that is needed is a pair of rubber gloves to remove the sock and rinse it in clean water, and a green Scotch-Brite pad to gently rub the surface of the ceramic filter. Rinse with clean (filtered) water and you’re good to go for another year – or whenever you see the flow rate decreasing. You should be good for another year or so, depending on the turbidity of your water source.

The two 5-gallon buckets that you stack on top of one another takes up considerable counter space,. However, anyone can find a suitable place for this simply filtration system in their home. And, if the filter is only going to be used in a SHTF scenario, then who cares if it takes-up some counter space? Clean water is vital to your survival.

My water well has a large filter between the well and my house, and I have to have the media replaced every couple of years. We have what is commonly called “rust bacteria” in our water – and it comes out of the well brownish and it doesn’t taste very good at times. Still, even with the big filter installed, we used a water filtration pitcher for our drinking water that removes the taste from this rust bacteria. So, I had a little something to compare thise Ceramic Filter Drip System to. I ran this system for couple weeks, and found that our drinking water actually did taste much better, that the water from the filtered water pitcher.

And, as mentioned above, if I were concerned about viruses in my drinking water, I’d add the appropriate amount of plain hypochlorite bleach to the water before drinking it. That is no big deal in my book.

You can get all the information you need about the nasty stuff that this filtration system removes from the water you run through it from the web site. The one important thing to remember is to never use any kind of soap when cleaning the filter, pre-filter sock and buckets, as it will ruin the filter.

I like to save the good news for last, and in this case, the selling price for this water filtration system is only $29.97 – and no matter how you look at it, that’s one of the best bargains around. Why would you spend hundreds of dollars or more, each year, for that bottled water, that isn’t nearly as clean as most people think it is? Personally, I think you are throwing your hard-earned money away when you purchase bottled water – and a lot of this is water from the same tap water you already drink – it’s just placed in a plastic bottle – and you’ll spend a buck apiece for this water – that you can already get out of your own tap. If you feel the need to drink bottled water, then buy a couple of bottles, and after you’ve emptied them, fill ’em up with filtered water from this filtration system. You’ll find the water taste better than what you spent a buck for at the big box store. Just think of the savings on not buying bottled water alone. And, think of how much you’re going to appreciate this filtration system when the SHTF and your only source of water might be a puddle of dirty rain water in your back yard?

The bottom line is the quality of the filtered water that comes out of this simple and inexpensive system. I don’t care how stretched your finances are, you can pull together $29.97 plus shipping for this system and another $20 or less for a couple 5-gallon food grade plastic buckets, to assure your family of clean drinking water for a year or two. It’s a great investment, especially for those on a tight budget, as many are today.

Michael Z. Williamson’s Product Review: Taurus Model 445 Ultralite Revolver

Amid the huge selection of autopistols these days, it’s nice to see there are still some basic, reliable revolvers for those who prefer them.

The Taurus 445 is not a deep concealment gun, but is a good carry gun that fits easily in a pocket or hides well on a belt.  It’s light weight (at 22 ounces), has a 2″ barrel, and a 5-round cylinder.  It’s comfortable to handle in adult hands, and pleasant to shoot, recoil being heavy but well-dispersed and not sharp, despite the gun’s low weight.  It has Taurus’ proprietary “Ribber” grips that offer great purchase and retention, and help damp the recoil.  .44 Special is an easy to find, reliable stopper, that doesn’t sacrifice controllability.

The trigger broke cleanly at 11 pounds double action, 4 pounds single, and was quite crisp.  Release and ejection were positive and easy.

Accuracy is respectable.  Weather was about 60F, humidity about 45%, altitude 300 feet, no wind.  I found it easy to shoot 2″ groups at 10 yards standing.  The sights picture was easy to get, and the gun shot right to point of aim laterally, a little low vertically.  Since this is a snub revolver for close defense, I didn’t test longer ranges.   

It shot reliably and easily, and I burned through a box of 50 rounds in very short order.  A gun that’s fun and easy to practice with is always a benefit.

The stainless alloy is very weather-resistant.  Even after a wet range trip with no cleaning for two days, the gun was untarnished and cleaned easily.

Speedloaders are available. 

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $539, but is available from about $450 at many retailers.  Taurus offers a free one year NRA membership with purchase.

Disclaimer Note From JWR (per FTC File No. P034520): Michael Z. Williamson received a test gun for 90 day trial, which was returned at the end of the test period. SurvivalBlog accepts cash-paid advertising. To the best of my knowledge, as of the date of this posting, none of my advertisers that sell the products mentioned in this article have solicited me or paid me to write any reviews or endorsements, nor have they provided me any free or reduced-price gear in exchange for any reviews or endorsements. I am not a stock holder in any company. I do, however, benefit from sales through the SurvivalBlog Amazon Store. If you click on one of our Amazon links and then “click through” to order ANY product from Amazon.com (not just the ones listed in our catalog), then we will earn a modest sales commission.

Offshore Relocation: There Is No Perfect Place

I recently read a captivating Daily Bell interview of investing author Ron Holland, wherein he described his reasons for emigrating to Canada. In the interview, Mr. Holland stated: “I left the United States for an exciting business opportunity based in Canada but the increasing authoritarianism in the United States combined with the TSA assaults at airports do make America a threatening jurisdiction to live in or to conduct business in. Add in the threats of a real or contrived future crisis with exchange controls, a run on the dollar and an out-of-control sovereign debt situation makes me very happy to be on the outside of the American financial iron curtain and barbed wire, looking in instead of the other way around.” Ron Holland is correct in many of his assertions, but in some ways, he is simply trading one form of oppression for another. Canada’s gun laws stink. There, unless you fall under an exemption for law enforcement or are a member of a competitive shooting team, it is illegal to possess a magazine for a semi-auto centerfire rifle that holds more than five rounds or any magazine for a handgun that holds more than 10 rounds. There is no “grandfather” clause. If Canada’s gun laws were more lax then a lot more people would consider emigrating there. But, sadly, Canada’s guns laws are much more restrictive than here. And their income tax rates are only slightly lower than in the States. So I frankly can’t see any substantive advantage. As for the TSA’s x-rays and groin gropers, I’ve greatly curtailed taking commercial flights. And for the few that I do take, I’ve scheduled flights that originate from small regional airports. My connecting flights are at larger airports, but by then, I’m already inside the security cordon. I drive most places in my SUV. If I ever fly internationally again, it will be out of a Canadian airport. I’d love to have my own private train car, but I’m not in that league.

All people seem to have differing views of what they consider acceptable, comfortable, and “right”. For example, I once had a long conversation with a friend visiting from England who considered the patchwork of laws in the 50 United States confusing and “chaotic.” His comment was prompted when I was driving him to a tourist destination and I pulled over before reaching a state line to unload my pistol. He was astonished to hear that the guns laws in the U.S. weren’t uniform. I personally consider it an advantage that Americans can vote with their feet and move from one state to another at will, to take advantage of differences in tax laws, guns laws, or homeschooling laws. But he saw it it as confusing and somehow “unfair.” In his estimation, he’d rather see everyone living under identical laws, even if that meant some of them had to give up part of their freedom. If I have to choose between oppression and a little anarchy, then by all means give me anarchy. (Here, I must explain that though the terms are often mistakenly used interchangeably, there is a difference between anarchy and chaos. Anarchy is the absence of any government, while chaos is a state of confusion and discord, whether a government exists or not. By the Libertarian definition, anarchy is a good thing.) My desire to maximize personal freedom is one of key reasons that I originated the American Redoubt movement.

Which Liberty is the Key?

To many, some liberties are are more important than others. If someone truly wanted economic freedom, then they might consider Monaco, The Bahamas, or Vanuatu, since those countries have no personal income tax. (Just ask Mitt Romney.) But of course getting residency in Monaco would require a lot influence with the right people, and for citizenship, even more so. It is too bad that there isn’t a recognized individual right to keep and bear arms in Monaco or The Bahamas, and that Vanuatu is in peril of rising sea levels. In terms of freedom from government surveillance, many Third World countries have the edge, but property crime and murder rates are higher–sometimes much higher. If firearms freedom is your concern, then countries like the U.S., Finland, Switzerland and the Philippines are some of the best, at least for full citizens. (Yes, I know that firearms freedom is even greater in Yemen, Pakistan, or Somalia–where you can buy machineguns and hand grenades at the local bazaar–but who would want to actually live there, given their high crime rates and their dislike of Westerners in general and Christians in particular?)

Tradeoffs are part of the human condition. And emigration decisions are always a collection of tradeoffs. Facebook founder Eduardo Saverin recently bailed out for Singapore for tax reasons, but that nation has perhaps the nosiest police on the planet and stiff penalties for violating their strict gun laws. McAfee Software founder John McAfee chose Belize as his hidey hole, but despite lavishing millions of dollars on the local gendarmerie, he still ran afoul of local gun laws. And multimillionaire actor Mel Gibson bought an island all to himself in Fiji, but he will still be taxed as part of the One Percent. Furthermore, there are no guarantees that laws can change, after you have moved to a perceived safe haven. The bottom line is that these is no single “perfect” country. Perhaps the Perpetual Traveler crowd has it right. But then, that approach doesn’t usually provide a well-secured deep larder, for the event of a global economic collapse or other widespread disaster.

I’ve decided that I’m staying put in the United States, and fighting for my freedom. Of course I’ll always have a Plan B and Plan C. For me, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the right to keep and bear arms are my priorities. If any of those three key liberties are substantially degraded here in the U.S. and I see no way of fighting to regain them without ending up behind barbed wire, then I will definitely consider voting with my feet. Note, however, that my situation is unusual. As an international journalist and commentator, I can accomplish much more by agitating for change via the Internet than I can than as just one man with one rifle. So it will only be if and when the statists try to muzzle me that it will be time to move. But again, for now, I’m staying.

Letter Re: Weapons-Based Martial Arts for Survival

James:
If you are going to carry a weapon, in many jurisdictions within CONUS, it doesn’t matter if it is a pistol, knife, or brass knuckles, all are illegal to carry concealed without a permit. (These laws vary widely, depending on blade length regulations, and so forth.) In fact, in some jurisdictions such as California, concealed carry of a “martial arts weapons” (Liberal oxymoron–aren’t weapons martial by definition?) is a felony, but having a Glock tucked into your waistband is a “Class A” misdemeanor [for the first offense.] Therefore, if you are going to carry, then why not carry something truly deadly (such as a pistol). Yes, a knife can be employed nearly instantaneously, but how many of us have actually seen a knife used with ill-intent? How about a machete? Nasty business, this is. You’d better have a solidly sorted spiritual point-of-origin on these matters.

As to a martial arts system that instructs the use of an artificial (non-organic) weapon as a primary source of combat, what happens when the novice loses his knife/stick/nunchaku? What then? Without the underlying principles of motion, the beginner is wolf-bait…any system of martial arts worth its salt will emphasize the principles of applied motion, as in Newtonian Physics. Any hand-held weapon should only enhance the attack, not substitute for it. Now projectile weaponry is another matter. Just my hard-won $2.83 worth (that’s $0.02, adjusted for inflation, before taxes) – Bonehedz

Recipe of the Week:

Big Ben’s Chicken Asparagus Rice Casserole

Sometimes spontaneity can yield a pretty good result.  This recipe was thought up on the spot at fish camp one night, and the result was a quickly emptied  pot. 

3 cups Jasmine white rice
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 lbs fresh asparagus spears
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Combine rice and 6 cups water.  Mix in soups and chicken breasts.  Cover and bake for 1 hour on low heat (275-to-325 degrees F), stirring occasionally.  Trim root ends of asparagus.  Mix into chicken and rice gently along with the cream and half the cheese.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and return to low heat for another half an hour. 

Chef’s Notes: Feeds six hungry folks.

 

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Recipe.com. (The Granddaddy of all recipe web sites.)

Rabbit, Hare and Squirrel Recipes

Do you have a favorite recipe that you have tested extensively? Then please e-mail it to us for posting. Thanks!

Economics and Investing:

Starting life in the negative net worth column. What the Fed does not want you to know about American net worth figures.

Dr Gary North: Panic in the New World Order

Yet another reason to keep a cash reserve at home: Millions affected by Natwest online glitch

The USD Trap Is Closing: Dollar Exclusion Zone Crosses The Pacific As Brazil Signs China Currency Swap

Forget the PIIGS, the EU as a Whole is Insolvent

Items from The Economatrix:

Welcome To Doomsday, Warns Wall Street Seer

Why Doesn’t The Stock Market Reflect The Imminent Global Depression?

Why Gas Prices Are Headed Below $3

Euro Risks Have US Businesses Readying For The Worst

Odds ‘n Sods:

Bill Buppert’s new e-book ZeroGov: Limited Government, Unicorns and Other Mythological Creatures is now available quite inexpensively, via Amazon.com. This is a collection of Buppert’s essays since 2003. Several of his essays deal with family preparedness. I highly recommend it.

   o o o

The latest scandal in the District of Criminals (DC): Fast and Furious, Executive Privilege, and a Suspected Cover-Up

   o o o

Over at Mac Slavo’s SHTFPlan blog: Here it is: An effective plan to convince your loved ones to prepare

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Phoenix boy, 14, shoots armed intruder while watching three younger siblings.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences." – Winston Churchill, November 1939

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 articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Emergency Response Preparedness Pre- and Post-TEOTWAWKI, by D.C.M. in Colorado

I recently witnessed an accident that gave me great insight into what it means to be prepared for an emergency situation and what it will mean post-TEOTWAWKI, when you cannot dial 9-1-1.  It was important for me to evaluate the situation afterwards and to share the lessons I learned with others.  I have numbered the main lessons that can be learned from my situation and I hope you will find a thing or two that might be helpful to you in the future.  

I was driving from Denver to Vail after work on a Friday this past May.  Less than 10 miles from my destination, in Vail Pass, the weather quickly turned to a damp snow which collected on the highway.  As you drive through Vail Pass you gain thousands of feet in elevation over only several miles and the difference in climate can be drastic.  

I slowed my front-wheel drive 2009 Honda Civic to around 45 mph since I had already put on my summer tires (Lesson #1- Have adequate tires for the terrain or be prepared to drive SLOWLY) .  A white Jeep Grand Cherokee passed me and lost control as we crested a hill which was nearly glare ice.  The driver managed to slow it down a bit so I anticipated they would go into the ditch in the median and come to a stop. But as the vehicle went into the ditch the car did a quick, full roll and I saw a body fly out of the driver’s door (Lesson#2- Always wear a seatbelt and drive with your doors locked!  If a vehicle rolls over, the doors can easily open).  I brought my vehicle to a stop, put on my hazard lights, dialed 9-1-1 and safely crossed the highway.  As I was approaching the Jeep, while giving the 9-1-1 Dispatcher the information, I could see the driver (heavy-set woman, early to mid 30’s) crawling on the ground about 20 feet from where her vehicle landed.  I told her “Ma’am you’re okay, help is coming, please sit down right there.”  She was sobbing, shocked, and hurt but she did as I asked.  

I then looked up to see the back driver’s side door open and a young boy (who I later learned was 8) stepped out.  There were two gashes on his face that were a least 5” long; one laterally across his forehead and another vertically down his left cheek.  You could see pretty far inside the one on the cheek and blood was dripping from both wounds pretty badly.  I have minimal emergency training but a good amount of time spent with young ones so I knew I didn’t want to freak him out any more than he already was.  I bent my knees and got to eye level with him, gave him a smile and a thumbs up and said “Buddy, you’re gonna be ok, everything is going to be fine.  Can you go sit beside your mom there?  I’m gonna get help, everything is okay.”  He immediately stopped crying, stared directly into my eyes like he was hypnotized, and sat down by his mom. I could tell he wanted her to go back to the vehicle.  She stayed there, in hysterics.   (Lesson #3- Don’t freak out the kids.  They’re already scared to death and you might be too, but your face  can’t show it.  That kid probably thought I was some kind of idiot, grinning and giving him a thumbs up, but it worked.)

I walked past the two of them to look in the vehicle and could see through the open door that there were two very small children in the backseat.  Having seen the injuries to the older boy, I had a natural aversion to walking up and looking at the two tiny children still in the vehicle but the Dispatcher asked me to describe the condition of all parties involved in the accident.  (Lesson #4-You might have to see some stuff that you aren’t prepared for.

Some people with military or emergency response backgrounds will already have experience with these types of situation.  I don’t really have much advice to give other than be ready for it and don’t freak out. )
As I looked inside the vehicle I saw two little girls under the age of 4, one still in her car seat, one on a booster seat, both still buckled in.  They were crying but physically unharmed.  At that point I felt truly blessed.  Seeing those two babies moving around, trying to get out of their seatbelts was the best possible scenario, and I had been mentally preparing myself to see the worst.  The injuries to the boy seemed most serious, but not life threatening.  At this point I had given 9-1-1 all the info she needed and she said help was on the way.  I also reached in and shut off the vehicle, which was now lightly smoking/steaming from under the hood.  
My priority was to tend to the boy’s wounds and stop that bleeding.  I had a small First Aid kit in my car that I knew contained some latex gloves and gauze.  I ran back across the highway to retrieve the kit from my trunk. (Lesson #5 – I probably should have brought that kit from my car in the first place, huh?  I had never trained for this situation and had to learn this lesson the hard way.  Unless you are in a profession where you do it on a regular basis, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about having to run into an emergency situation and care for others.  Any one of us might have to be a First Responder in a given situation, so be prepared for it.)

As I returned to the accident with my First Aid kit, other people had started to gather.  One couple had pulled over just as I did but didn’t have much means to help.  At this point, we received some more good fortune.  As I went to unzip my First Aid kit and apply gauze and pressure to the young boy’s wounds, I hear a man behind me say “I’m an EMT, is anyone hurt?”  I was really grateful for this because my training is limited to a First Aid course I took back in college that has since expired.  I then gave him my first aid kit and told him that the boy was the most seriously injured.     

Myself and another young lady at that point told the mother that all of her kids were going to be fine.  I now understand why she had not run back to the vehicle while she was still moving around as I first got there.  You could tell that she had it in her mind that her kids were seriously injured or worse.  (Lesson # 6 – Don’t assume the worst.  I understand this woman was traumatized and injured from being tossed from her vehicle, but her kids were okay.  Despite how awful the situation was, it was a wonderful thing to be able to give her that news.)
Another man arrived on the scene who clearly had some training and he began to take care of the boy with a medical kit he brought with him.  The EMT, myself, and a few others took the two girls from the backseat, wrapped them in whatever clothes we could take off our backs, and moved them into another car to keep them warm.  

As the first ambulance pulled up, I breathed a sigh of relief until it did a U-turn at the median and drove the other direction down the highway.  It stopped less than 300 yards up the road where another accident had occurred. Apparently someone else had called 9-1-1 before I did.  Several more minutes passed until the Vail Fire Department showed up with all of their medical supplies.  I wanted to wait there until help arrived but at this point I was ready to get out of there.  I had done all I could for them and they were now in much more capable hands.  Only after all the action had taken place and I was returning to my vehicle did I get a bit emotional.  

The main lesson (#7) that I took from the situation was to get some training.  Ideally, anyone who is serious about survival should get EMT training, but that requires a good amount of time which most of us do not have.  At the bare minimum, everyone should have First Aid/CPR training and keep it current.  These classes are widely available and inexpensive.  Your local Fire Dept or college will offer these first aid  several times a year.  
If you are part of a survival group, all of your members should have basic First Aid training and someone should be trained as an EMT or better with some serious research into field/survival medicine.  SurvivalBlog has a large section of First Aid/Medical related articles and JWR has several recommendations on survival and field medicine books.  Be sure to pick some up and share them with your group’s Medic. (You do have a group Medic, right?).

Another lesson (#8) to be learned is to always have some sort of emergency kit in your vehicle.  The EMT was helpful, but more helpful because I was able to provide him with some of the tools he needed to care for someone who was injured.  The trunk of my car contains:

  • Basic First Aid kit (gauze, bandages, rubbing alcohol, Neosporin, a few small splints, etc…)
  • Wool Blanket
  • Space Blanket
  • Fleece coat
  • Gloves
  • Road Flares
  • Zip ties
  • Small tool kit (screwdriver, wrench, sockets, etc.)
  • Strike anywhere matches
  • Small bag of food (granola bars and a few cans of tuna)

All of these items take up less than 2’x2’ of space in my trunk.  Keep in mind that my kit is tailored to my needs.  Someone who lives in coastal Texas or a desert in Arizona will have different items than someone who travels through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Now last but not least, it is important to put my experience into context.  What I described was how we were able to handle an emergency situation until the cavalry arrived, so to speak.  What if there was no 9-1-1 to call?  What if someone is seriously injured and the buck stops with you?  For most people in the United States, help is only minutes away and we live our lives with a notion of security because of that.  If you are reading this site, you are already acquainted with the notion that someday there may be no emergency services to rely on.  This will require us to have a greater level of training and to take much greater precaution in our day to day lives.  A minor injury today could be life threatening post-TEOTWAWKI.  Please evaluate your level of preparedness and take the steps to get the training and supplies that you need.  I hope my situation serves as an example that anyone could be in any situation at any time.  You don’t need to be a Doctor or an EMT to help someone, but you do need to be prepared. 

Making Assumptions, by Mudflap

Prepping is full of assumptions.  We prepare because we assume that something could go wrong in our lives and that it is our own responsibility to take steps to assure that we come out smelling like roses.  Others don’t prepare because they assume that nothing could go wrong in their lives and that someone else will take care of them.  We buy long term storage food because we assume that there will be a food shortage in the future.  Others barely have enough food in the pantry because they assume the pizza place will always be able to deliver and that they can send someone to the grocery store on the corner to pick up the smallest bag of sugar because they only need 1 cup to finish the recipe.  We stock up on spare parts, spare clothes, spare batteries, spare medicine, extra ammo, extra deodorant, extra cash, cans of fuel, etc, etc, because we assume there will come a day when we wont be able to just run down to the massive store that sells everything and get it all in one stop.  Others would have a very clean garage without the smell of gasoline, beautiful pantry cabinets so organized that everyone that comes over is so jealous as to how organized and clean their house is, because they assume that they can always run to the store no matter what time of day it is and get whatever is their immediate need. 

Assumption is one of the biggest banes for anyone that is concerned about safety.  I worked as a technician in the oilfield for one of the largest technology companies that is present on land based drilling rigs.  If there is a safety-conscious industry, it is the oil field.  Every company working in the oil field is required by law to do mountains of paperwork, proving that the company is safe.  There is so much emphasis on slowing down, being aware and not assuming anything.  Double check everything.  Don’t assume that there is not anyone behind your work truck,  have someone check and watch for you as you back up, or never park in a spot where you have to back up.  Don’t assume that the guy driving the heavy equipment sees you walking across the drilling location,  always take the extra time to verify your presence with everyone.  Working on the cattle ranch that my father and I run,  I also find that assumptions can get you killed.  It is a lot of fun working with my father.  We think very similarly.  This means that we work together very efficiently.  This also means that we assume to always know what, where, when and how the other is going to act.  These assumptions have almost left me ran over, squashed, banged, or hurt some other way on multiple occasions.  The same goes for him.  There have been times where my assumptions have almost gotten my father hurt.  We have discussed the situations and have made ourselves slow down and take our time.  The most important thing is for us to make it home at night.    We as preppers pride ourselves on our long trains of thought which are supposed to end in discovering every possible scenario and how to overcome them.  There are many times where we still make assumptions that could leave us in a whole lot of hurt.  The most present assumptions that I am finding around me has to do with electric generators.   

It was about five years ago that my part of the county had another “Ice Storm” scare.  Everyone that had lived thru the original “Ice Storm” back in the early part of the millennium knew what could be in store.  Generators flew off the shelves.  My parents went and purchased a brand new gasoline generator.  My in-laws did as well.  Last summer I helped my mother in-law clean out her garage.  There, still in the box was the generator.  I asked her if she had ever ran the generator.  Her reply was simple,  “No.  We’ve never needed it.”  I then asked “How do you know it will work?”  Another simple reply,  “Why wouldn’t it.  It’s brand new in the box.”  I made her help me get it out of the box and I tried to start the generator.  Do I need to tell you the result?  After a couple of hours exhausting my small engine starting tricks, the generator produced no more electricity than a rock would.  She insisted that we take it back to the store and get it replaced.  “Ma’am, we have a 30 day return policy.”  We called the company.  “Ma’am, the warranty has expired.”  The next step was to take it to a small engine repair shop, but we ran out of time that day.  Guess where the generator is.  In it’s box, back in the garage and it has never made it to the repair shop.    My parents have a similar generator sitting in the garage.  There is a major difference between the generators.  My in-laws have opened their box.  My parent’s have not even broken the tape on the box to make sure all the parts are there.  I have tried to explain to them that their warranty expired without even the box being opened to make sure that the box actually contains a generator and not a couple of sand bags.   

This spring I purchased a tri-fuel generator with a well known engine and a well known power house.  I was very excited for the day it would arrive.  That night I went to fire it up.  It needed engine oil.  I didn’t have any.  I just assumed that it would come with some.  It was not till the next day that I was able to get some and fire the generator up using gasoline.  That was back in February.  It was just during this last week that I was able to find and purchase all the “not included” parts to be able to run the engine off of propane.  It was a good thing I didn’t need to run it using propane prior to this last week.  The next step is to get what is needed to connect the generator to the natural gas line that runs to the house.  Both my in-laws as well as my parents are always curious why I spend so much time working on the generator.  There is no need for it during the summer.  My answer is always, “I don’t want to have to worry about it when I do need it.” 

Walking down this long road of assumptions brings me to another recent event in my prepper world. I have a lot of new work boots in boxes.  The company that I used to work for would buy us new work boots every six months regardless of the condition of our present boots.  I take good care of my boots and they normally last me a long time.  Needless to say I was able to stock pile my work boots.  As a prepper, this is a great situation to be in.  I just recently had to get the pair that I have been wearing for over a year, resoled.  So, while they were at the cobbler, I got out a new pair of boots.  I had not even worn this new pair of boots for a full week when the sole on both boots just peeled off.  So much for assuming that a new pair of boots ought to act like a new pair of boots.  I have now worn all of my boots for at least a week to ensure they meet my expectations.  Now I am sure that my boots will function when they are needed.  Just as my boots could not meet expectations out of the box, it is imperative to wear and use your bug out bag and the equipment in your bag.  The very next day after my first outing with my new BOB, I ordered all new buckles for the lap belt.  The ones that the bag came with would just loosen on their own.  If I had not tested the bag I would have never known.  Making the 200 mile trek to my retreat with bad buckles would have been more eventful then it should been.    

As preppers, we purchase a lot of equipment.  Most of this equipment will not be used to any great extent until a crisis arises.  Do not assume that your equipment will work as advertised.  Test it.  Use it.  It is during these times of use that the warranty is important.  A warranty is there to protect you from a manufacturing fault and to ensure that everything works as advertised.  My final scenario has to do with an emergency water pump that my father and I decided to build this spring.  We had to replace the actual down hole pump that ran his sprinkler system.  While we were waiting on the pump to come in, we decided to build a hand powered water pump using ¾ inch PVC and a check valve. The design was simple.  The parts were easy to work with.  The PVC cement did not want to function as cement should.  We primed and glued.  The joints would just not hold.  We even let it set over night.  The joints would just come apart.  It took an entire week of working in the evenings after work and a new bottle of cement to finally get water to come out the top of the pipe.  It sure was a good thing we did not assume that PVC cement would work when we needed it the most.  Remember that assumptions are just that, assumptions. 

A crisis is only a crisis if a tried and true solution is not available.  Work with your gear and become familiar with every aspect of your gear.  It is only thru testing and training that your assumptions will be eliminated.  

Letter Re: Linking Up With Local Ham Radio Operators

James,

I’m in the process of gearing up my ham radio capabilities, as well as trying to coordinate with my neighbors.  I was listening to today’s podcast from survivalpodcast.com and they mentioned a web site called radioreference.com as a method of identifying what radio frequencies your local government entities operate on.  While I was on that site, I was excited to find an amateur radio search link where you can do a search of ham licensees, by ZIP code.

I looked up my zip code and was amazed at the number of ham operators listed there.  By registering on the site, you can pull up the address of each licensee and look them up.  You can note their geographic proximity to you so that you know where your extra eyes and ears are located.  You can also use your nearby ham operators as a basis for organizing your neighbors, as the ham operators might likely have a prepper mindset.

Regards, – Curtis in Texas