Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 36 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, and C.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 36 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Environmental Emergencies, by K.G. EMT-P

One of the most often overlooked and underestimated issues regarding first aid are environmental related injuries.  In the event that ambulance services and advanced medical personnel are unavailable, there are measures that a person can take to alleviate symptoms, prevent organ damage, and possibly save a life.  From my own personal experience as a paramedic, I have found that these emergencies are usually unexpected even in people who are in relatively good medical condition.

Environmental injuries are problems we don’t usually encounter on a regular basis in our daily lives.  While our bodies can usually compensate for extreme environment exposure, the natural protective mechanisms that our body provides can sometimes prove to be inadequate.  When these extremes are too much for our bodies to handle, the result may lead to shock and even death. 
There are basically two extremes that a person is likely to encounter; extreme hot conditions and extreme cold conditions.  Heat related injuries, or hyperthermia (abnormally high body temperature) can result in heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke.  Cold related injuries, or hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature), can result in chilblains, frostnip, or frostbite.  Another environmental injury not related to hot or cold conditions is trench foot, also called immersion foot, which is similar to frostbite.

There are preventative measures that should be taken in order to ensure that the chances of these types of injuries occurring are avoided.    Dehydration is a symptom that presents early and can be avoided by drinking plenty of water.   Wear proper attire accordingly for the environment you expect to be exposed to.  Wear loose, light colored clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat to provide shade in hot weather.   In cold weather, make sure to cover all exposed skin, and layer clothing to provide dead air space to act as insulation from the cold.  One should be careful to not layer to the point of sweating.  If sweating occurs, you should begin removing layers, as sweating will quickly lead to hypothermia.  Monitoring the amount of physical exertion in extreme environments, getting plenty of rest, and maintaining a proper diet are also important factors in regulating body temperature.

While anyone can be affected by these extremes of climate and temperature, it is often those with certain risk factors that are at a higher risk of developing an environmental illness.  Risk factors include:

  1.  Age of the individual – Children and elderly are at higher risk because of their inability to tolerate variations in temperature.
  2. Current health of the individual – Fatigue, hypoglycemia, malnutrition, and other chronic health issues such as diabetes, cardiac related illnesses, respiratory disease, and mental instability can interfere with the body’s ability to recover from environmental exposure illness.
  3. Medications – Many medications can affect body temperature.  For instance, diuretics can worsen hyperthermia; beta blockers affect the heart rate and can interfere with the regulation of body temperature.  Anti-psychotics and antihistamine medications can also alter the temperature in certain deep tissues of the body.
  4. Level of acclimatization – This is the person’s ability to adjust to changes in environmental conditions, or climate.
  5. Length and intensity of exposure – Factors such as humidity and wind can contribute to the susceptibility of environmental illnesses, and accelerates the effects of exposure on the human body.

Heat Related Injuries
Signs, symptoms and treatment of heat related injuries are best described as follows:

  1. Dehydration – This occurs when your body does not have as much fluid as it needs, and usually leads to other heat related disorders if not addressed immediately.  Signs and symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, blurry vision, decreased urination, skin loses elasticity, and altered mental status (confusion, disorientation, etc.).  Note:  Thirst is a poor way to identify the level of dehydration.  Treatment includes rehydration by drinking fluids if the person is conscious and able to hold fluids down.  Encourage them to sip small amounts of water frequently, rather than to take large amounts at once.
  2. Heat cramps – This occurs when a person’s muscles are overexerted while exposed to hot temperatures.  Signs and symptoms are sudden painful cramps of fingers, arms, legs, or abdominal muscles, weakness, feeling dizzy, moist and warm skin.  Treatment consists of removing the person from the environment by placing them in a shaded area.  If the person is alert, have them drink a sports drink (such as Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) if available, or substitute by mixing a solution of 4 teaspoons of salt to a gallon of water.  Salt tablets are not recommended because they may cause stomach irritation.  You may even try massaging the painful muscles, and placing moist towels on the forehead to reduce body heat.
  3. Heat exhaustion – A mild reaction to heat exposure.  If not treated, it may lead to heat stroke.  Signs and symptoms include increased body temperature, skin is cool and clammy with heavy sweating, and breathing will be rapid and shallow with a weak pulse.  Other symptoms may include diarrhea, weakness, headache, anxiety, numbness and tingling, impaired judgment, and sometimes loss of consciousness and even psychosis (hallucinations or delusions).  Treatment for heat exhaustion includes placing the person in a shaded area, lay them on their back with the legs elevated, remove or loosen tight clothing especially around the neck and wrists, and cool them by fanning but not to the point of causing them to chill or shiver.  If the person is conscious, have them drink a sports drink if available, or substitute with the salt solution mentioned above. 
  4. Heat stroke – This occurs when the body is unable to regulate its core temperature, and can cause damage to kidneys, liver and brain.  Signs and symptoms are lack of sweating, hot, red, dry skin, but may still be moist from prior sweating, deep respirations that become shallow, rapid respirations that become slow, a rapid pulse that may slow down later, confusion, disorientation, unconsciousness, and possible seizures.  Treatment includes removing the person from the environment to a cooler environment, attempt to rapidly cool the person by removing the clothing and placing a wet sheet over the body.  Fanning and misting with water may also be necessary, but be careful to not cool to the point of shivering.  Please note that cold water immersion or sponge baths should not be attempted, as this can cause a rapid change in body temperature and result in shivering causing further complications.  If the person is alert and able to drink, fluid therapy should be attempted with a sports drink or using the salt solution.  Seek advanced medical care if available.

Cold related injuries
Signs, symptoms and treatment of cold related injuries are best described as follows:

  1.  Hypothermia occurs when a person’s body temperature falls due to heat loss caused by exposure to cold weather.  A person’s body will naturally try to warm itself by producing “goose bumps” or shivering.  Signs of mild hypothermia are shivering, impaired judgment, slurred speech, and stiff muscles that cause uncoordinated movements such as stumbling or staggering.  Person’s with severe hypothermia will become confused and disoriented, possibly to the state of euphoria or a sense of well-being.  Shivering will stop, and muscles will become more rigid.  To treat for hypothermia, begin by removing any wet clothing.  Lay the person down on their back and cover them with blankets, and prevent from further exposure to moisture.  Heat packs may be used, placing them in the armpits and in the groin area or between the thighs.  If heat packs are not available, heated rocks from a campfire may be used.  Be sure to cover heat packs or rocks with a cloth to prevent burns.  You may also use your own body as a heat source to assist re-warming of a partner by simply lying next to them under the blankets.  If you are re-warming specific parts of the body, you may place the frozen areas like, hands or feet, on your chest or abdomen.  Take care to handle the patient gently, as rough handling may cause disturbances in the heart.  If the person is conscious and alert, you may give them something warm and sweet to drink.  Do not give them alcohol or caffeine.
  2. Frostbite occurs when tissues in the body freeze, typically in fingers, toes, ears, nose cheeks, or any exposed skin.  The person may complain of a burning or itching sensation.  The affected area will be red at first, which is known as frostnip.  As the freezing reaches deeper tissue, the skin will become white and waxy in appearance, hard to the touch, and blisters may form.  There may not be any pain at first, but could become numb, leading to severe pain as re-warming occurs.  Do not attempt to re-warm if there is the possibility of re-freezing, such as the need to continue walking from a dangerous situation.  Do not puncture any blisters, and do not massage or rub the frozen area.  Cover the area with loose, dry dressings and seek advanced medical care if available.

Trenchfoot
Also known as immersion foot, trenchfoot is similar to frostbite but does not require freezing temperatures to occur.  The term “trenchfoot” comes from World War I when soldiers were forced to stand in trenches with standing water.  Although today we don’t usually find ourselves standing in trenches, trenchfoot can still be caused by wearing boots and socks that have become wet, either from walking in rainy weather, or from our feet sweating.   The most important thing to remember is prevention.  Keep your feet dry and frequently change into clean socks.   If possible, waterproofing your boots with mink oil or other waterproofing products can help in the prevention of this environmental injury. 

While environmental injuries can encompass anything from altitude sickness to zombie infiltration, the topics discussed here are related to extreme weather conditions only.  Some other topics regarding environmental injuries you may want to investigate are chemical or radiation exposure, drowning or near-drowning, bee stings, snake bites, etc.  With any injury that might require first aid, prevention is the best medicine.  It is always a good idea to keep a well stocked first-aid kit handy.  I would recommend anyone and everyone to take a course in CPR.  An EMT class or other basic first aid training would also be beneficial. 

Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids and Bibles: Faith When the World Falls Apart, by Pastor Terry

As preppers we have all heard of the Three B’s those would be beans, bullets and Band-Aids. An alliteration for food, protection/sufficiency and medical supplies. We should know their importance and for the most part practice it as part of our lifestyle. In our home we utilize a fourth B, the Bible. Let me explain why we feel the Bible is just that important.

I am a bi-vocational pastor serving in the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. In case you don’t understand the meaning of bi-vocational I support my wife and I with a full time job while I pastor a full time church. Small rural churches utilize this type of pastorate very successfully. There is a stereo-type that is inappropriately applied to bi-vocational pastors, one that questions their qualifications. I have earned degrees in electrical/electronics technology and hold an earned Doctorate of Theology from an accredited seminary.

Why did I go through that seemingly self centered introduction? I feel it is important for you to know a little about me considering the subject I am writing about. “Faith when the world falls apart” you see it is easy for you and I to talk about our Christian beliefs when things are going well, but, when the world comes unraveled faster than a cheap sweater, our faith is subject to do the same. Just like you, I get up early, go to work every day, come home and take care of my homestead and family, plus I have the responsibility of pastor to a small group of Southern Baptists at a local church. In addition to this my wife and I are preppers.

Some see the pastor as a wimpy little man who is sickly, who preaches three times a week and is never heard from until he is called upon to do a wedding, funeral, baptism or similar activity. Unfortunately this all some people see of their pastor, but the pastorate is much more. It is about people. Likewise the Bible is about people and their faith in God along with His willingness to answer their prayers. Faith is arguably the most powerful force on the face of the earth. People put their faith in many things, each other, equipment, stores, weapons just to name a few. I want challenge you to think about these things a little differently, think of them as instruments of faith. If you are a person of faith (in God) then you know He can use anything or anyone to meet the needs of His people. For faith to be effective it must be understood and to understand it we need our Bible. Ideally a concordance and good Bible dictionary would make a wonderful trio but if you have a good study Bible handy and are willing to use it God can and will work miracles through it. As you read through my article think about the Bible as your fourth B.

We do approach prepping from a biblical world view, believing that at some time in the future the Lord will rapture the born again believers (the Church), removing us from the Great Tribulation spoken of in the book of Revelation. Furthermore we understand the Bible to teach prepping from both the old and new testaments. For example the book of Proverbs tells us in chapter 30 there are four things upon the earth that are little but extremely wise; the ant, the spider, the locust and the conies (small fury animals that live in the rocks of Sinai). Each of these are used to represent an aspect of prepping; the ants are not strong but they prepare their food in the summer when it is abundant, the conies make their homes in strong fortified places, the locusts have no leader but they work in groups to accomplish their work and survive and the spider is able to defend itself and establish itself in any area.

So how do I approach the “4, B’s”? The answer is much like you do. We store food that is bought and grown in our small garden. Our goal is to keep at least one year stored. Sometimes we fall short sometimes we exceed but we are usually in the ballpark. We have medical kits and first aid kits; my wife has extensive medical training from her military service. She has put together supplies needed for simple colds and flu to minor surgery. We have firearms for hunting and home defense along with an ever-growing supply of ammo.  We also have traps, fishing gear, tools, hand powered equipment and many other necessities for a prepared homestead. Unfortunately pastors are viewed as weak and passive and sadly enough some are, but that wasn’t God’s intention for the pastor. We were to be leaders among His people and examples before the world. Look at your history! During the Revolutionary war England exclusively blamed the war on preachers and pastors, claiming they enflamed the attitude of independence by preaching it from the pulpits. This led to an attempt by the British government to destroy all remnants of religion that did not vow loyalty to the throne of England. Here in the colonies the result became known as the “Black Robe Regiment” a band of preachers and pastors who fought along side the citizen militia while providing spiritual support and encouragement. Pastors are still targets today, targets of the biased media, targets of those who begrudge our message and in an ever increasing role target of the political machine (if we don’t adhere to their doctrine). 

This is where the fourth “B”, our Bible ,comes into play. If you have a Bible in your house then your retreat should not be without one either, neither should your G.O.O.D. bag/kit be without one. When there is only you and a small group of like minded men and women in a stressful and possibly dangerous situation you will be strengthened, encouraged and given hope by God’s word. When personalities clash because of cramped living conditions time spent alone with the Bible can provide you with the spiritual insight you need to properly handle a difficult situation. If you are called upon to lead a group what will you base you decisions on, democracy is fine but how will you determine your vote? The Bible can provide insight into making every decision. The group as a whole may go a different direction but you can be at peace with your vote and how you arrived at it. When read and studied there are military strategies that can be used for retreat protection and defense as well. What about the need for group worship, someone can take a Bible with some study and prayer time and put together a very encouraging and productive study. After all when TEOTWAWKI comes, there probably will not be many churches open for normal services; many will take on roles as homeless centers, hospitals or hospices with the pastor being occupied in those capacities. Unfortunately many pastors will simply flee the responsibility they have committed themselves too, if you are in this situation someone may have to step up, without a Bible that will be hard if not impossible to do.

What about children? How will you calm them? Anyone who has visited vacation bible school or Sunday school has heard stories like Noah’s ark, Daniel and the lions den, or the Christmas story and Easter story. These and many more can be very soothing, educational and encouraging to children. The Bible can be used to guide them through activities or conduct plays as entertainment for young and old alike. Also children may not have our experience in life but they are very observant and can come up with very difficult questions, your Bible can be a source of answers and comfort for them during this time.

Most every prepper has stored firearms and sufficient ammo for protection of property and hunting game. We are prepared for the worst. Aren’t we? Have you ever shot anyone? Have you ever taken the life of another human being? How much thought have you given it? I’m sure some of our brave military have been in this situation and they understand the point I am trying to make. I’m not trying to soften anyone up. You see I too believe in protection of life and property and I will enforce it when and if necessary, I expect you will do likewise. After the adrenaline rush is over and you sit down alone and relive the event that just unfolded, how will it affect you? Having a Bible to rely on during this time can be crucial for the spiritual and emotional health of someone coping with a traumatic event such as a gunfight. Being able to show someone where God permits this action and does not hold that person accountable can be the difference between a person living a normal life or living under the question of guilt for many years.

Finally there is a topic that I believe is near and dear to each one of us, injury, sickness and death. During a social/economic collapse many things will take place, among them will be gunfights, sickness, disease and even death. If a friend or colleague of yours is shot and there is a possibility that it is fatal, can you give them hope to cling too. This may be all they need to survive, but could you provide it? In the case of influenza, dysentery, malnutrition, pneumonia or any other illness or disease could you comfort the ill or the family of an ill child? The Bible gives us a foundation and the words to provide hope to men and women in these situations and those similar to them. There are many instances where miracle recoveries have taken place because of faith that was provided from the words of the Bible. Faith is very powerful and it will be very necessary during TEOTWAWKI. Just as people will live during this type event they also will die. Conducting a funeral can be one of the most difficult things a pastor can do, what if there was no pastor available, but it must be done. What if you had to do it?  Without a Bible where would you get the words that would provide comfort to the family? The word of God is powerful and it could provide the difference between someone giving up or continuing to work for a better tomorrow.

I remember a line from the Clint Eastwood movie “Pale Rider” when the town boss gets off the train and asks his son about the gold panners the son tells his dad that they were beaten down until a preacher took up with them. Irate; the boss tells them: “That’s the worst thing that could happen, he can give them hope.” That’s what the Bible can do for you it can give you hope when life seems darkest. Make it the fourth B in your preps.

Three Letters Re: Basic Rifle Marksmanship–Is It That Basic?

James:
That was a great article on marksmanship and very relevant for me as this last weekend I participated in an Appleseed shoot.  The instructors are volunteers who did a great job (and refused any monetary tips).  It is a great organization!  They covered many of the topics you mentioned in this article.  For the first time in my life I feel like I finally have the fundamentals necessary to be a skilled shooter.

I’ve grown up plinking with BB guns and .22 rimfires all my life and have always been a decent shot.  Assuming 95% of your readers will say ‘duh!’ to one of my biggest lessons learned over the weekend but when acquiring the target I would keep the sights exactly on target throughout my breathing cycle.  I was using a lot of muscle control to keep it on target.  I learned to allow the sight to drift up during inhalation and as I reach the bottom of my breath it should naturally fall back precisely where I wanted it. 

I had also always looked at a sling as just a way to carry my gun and have my arms free.  The instructors took us through a variety of methods that used the sling to stabilize the gun while shooting.  My favorite is to detach the sling from the stock, create a loop and slide it over your upper arm. This technique made the gun extremely stable. 

Not only do you get to practice shooting but they also give great stories on American history.  We were amazing marksmen back during the War of Independence.  The British wore their redcoats as did the officers but the officer’s colors weren’t nearly as faded as the typical solider and so the officers made for easy targets.  The disproportionate number of officers lost in battle was a testament to the militia’s marksmanship.

I started the weekend shooting fairly well and by the end of the day I was shooting much tighter patterns.  One woman thee had never touched the gun and as we were going through safety at the beginning of the day she asked what the muzzle was.  Her first shots were all over the target.  By the end of the day she was doing very well.  Check out the Appleseed program.  I wish this country was full of marksmen again! Regards, – James K.

 

Sir,
I feel compelled to respond to the post regarding rifle marksmanship. Sticking with the M16/AR-15/AR-10 family, my major points of contention include the reloading drill, malfunction handling, trigger-pull advice, and accuracy standard.

Firstly, the reloading drill described is that which is commonly taught for pistols, raising the weapon into your “workspace”, while allowing you to use your peripheral vision to guide the magazine into the pistol without taking your eyes off the target. Not only would raising a rifle in this manner be awkward (even with practice), it will be slow – much slower than with a handgun. Further, the difference between tactical and combat reloads should be discussed. A tactical reload is executed before the weapon runs dry, whenever you feel you have a second to top off the rifle with a spare mag. It is not done when a bad guy is staring at you, so you have the luxury of retaining the mag either in a magazine or dump pouch. The fresh magazine should be in your weak hand before you release the depleted mag in case your situation rapidly changes…you don’t want to have a bad guy pop around the corner when the mag well is empty and you’re still reaching for another magazine. A proper tactical reload involves gripping the depleted magazine, releasing it with the trigger finger, immediately inserting fresh magazine, then securing depleted or empty magazine, and it is easy to hold two AR/M16 mags in one hand using a “index finger and thumb” grip on the full magazines (bottom of magazine in your palm), and grabbing the partial mag between your index and middle finger This nearly eliminates the time you are standing there with, at best, one round in your rifle. The combat or speed reload is to be used when the weapon runs dry and a threat still exists in your immediate vicinity – drop the magazine using your trigger finger as soon as you feel the recoil buffer lock to the rear, while reaching for a fresh magazine with your weak hand. Better to lose or damage a magazine than catch a round in the chest because you took an extra second or two to fumble with your pouches.

Both of these drills should be executed with the weapon still in [the pocket of] your shoulder, pointed down range. Please note that he tactical reload works well with an AR-15/M16 because the magazine is easy to grasp with the support hand before it is released and falling through the air; it is not advisable for handguns or non-AR family rifles that don’t allow you to use your otherwise unoccupied trigger finger to eject the magazine.

Next, I take issue with the advised malfunction drill. “Immediate action” is sufficient to fix many malfunctions (failure to feed being relatively common, as it is possible to bump the mag release on
cover/obstructions). The memory aid we use is “tap, rack, bang” – slap the bottom of the magazine with your support hand to ensure it is fully seated, charge the weapon with the same hand while canting the weapon to take a quick glance at the ejection port/chamber area – and if you see no brass traffic jam, pull the trigger. If no “bang”, execute “remedial action”, releasing the magazine into your support hand, tilting the ejection port 45 degrees toward the deck, and operating the charging handle three or four times while shaking the weapon in an effort to clear a double feed or other malfunction. If one were to attempt an immediate action as advised, and the magazine has not been seated, “pulling the charging handle several times” will not solve your problem, as the bolt will continue to slide over the top of the next cartridge in the magazine. If the weapon experienced a partial-feed, pulling the charging handle once should eject a round and chamber another. If it double-fed or experienced another sort of jam, you have probably just made the problem worse with your multiple (and unnecessary) charging attempts. If “tap, rack, bang” doesn’t work – and it takes about 1.5 seconds to execute – take cover and pull the magazine for remedial action.

As for trigger pull, short-stroking is well and good for match shooting or firing deliberately on a target that is not poised to kill you, but it is not for saving time – if you’re trying to save “precious
milliseconds”, the implied condition is that your life may be saved by shortening the time between shots. If fractions of a second truly matter, trying to “slowly” short-stroke a trigger is counter-productive
and failing to reset it properly may get you shot. Slightly “jerking” the trigger is not likely to impact accuracy to a degree that will make a difference on a human-size target inside 100 yards. Short-stroking is
a deliberate shooting technique that should not be integrated with “combat marksmanship” training – it violates the “KISS” method.

In zeroing, I’d advise beginning at 25 yards/meters in order to ensure you’re at least “close”, especially if you don’t have the luxury of a 5’x5′ target board. It’s not necessary to fine tune at this range, but
if your rifle’s sights are significantly out of adjustment, you may be “chasing the paper” for a bit at 100 yards. Typically two or three rounds at 25 yards is sufficient before moving out to longer range. I am
worried that many inexperienced shooters will be discouraged by the 1 MOA “standard” in the previous letter – we are preparing for the unpleasant possibility of shooting people with an AR-15; if your weapon comes from the factory capable of firing 1 MOA, great. However, a 4-5 MOA battle-rifle or carbine will pretty consistently put a round in someone’s torso out to nearly 500 yards – which will be under rare circumstances anyway. More accuracy is better, but don’t beat yourself up over it – you’re not going to be required to shoot for the ten ring when a bad guy is down range trying to kill you. We are not talking about taking 800 yard head shots with our .308 “sniper” rifles. If you’re shooting for score, tight groups take a higher priority. If you just need to put a 5.56 through somebody’s lungs at 200 yards, don’t sweat it that you shot a four inch group on the range last week. Semper Fi, – Missouri Marine

Hi Mr. Rawles,
 I really enjoyed reading the Basic Rifle Marksmanship article.  It contains a large amount of good information but if I may I would like to offer a different take on some of what the author states.  He states that in your stance your dominant or strong leg should be slightly forward.  It has been my experience in both handgun and long gun shooting that your strong or dominant leg should be slightly behind your non-dominant leg.  This is a much more comfortable shooting stance and helps to keep your balance while absorbing recoil.  As for magazine changes he recommends pointing the rifle muzzle towards the sky while keeping your eyes on target.  I would advocate keeping your eyes and muzzle on target while executing your mag change.  Magazine changes can be critical to winning a gunfight and should be practiced often with your weapon of choice.  Many weapons are constructed so an empty mag drops free and why catch an empty mag when milliseconds are critical?  Let it drop and be reaching for your reload.  As for malfunctions I didn’t see anything about the most common malfunction which is a stovepipe.  A stovepipe, which is an empty shell casing that didn’t fully eject and usually sticking out at about a 90* angle is easily cleared by sweeping it out with your hand.
 
Lastly, I would like to offer a different approach when shooting from behind cover.  The author recommends getting up tight to the cover and placing your support hand against the building and using it to support your rifle.  When you brace against the building consider that your muzzle will be extending beyond the corner you’re shooting from and you can’t see around that corner.  This will leave your muzzle hanging out there subject to being grabbed.  When you get close to your cover it also becomes necessary to expose more of yourself to return fire.  Next time you go to the range try standing off 2-3 feet off of your cover.  The cover isn’t any less effective now that you’re a few feet behind it rather than right on top of it. You’ll find that less of you is exposed as you slice the pie and address targets from the outside in.  It also eliminates the opportunity for someone to grab your muzzle from the other side of the cover or barricade.  These are just another way of doing things.  I don’t claim to have the way just another method for our readers to try. – Carl L.

JWR Replies: I’d only add the proviso that those who are preparing to survive a major societal disruption (like most Rawlesian preppers) have more of “Third World” view of logistics. Unlike current circumstances–where there is a reliable supply of replacement magazines on short notice–we may have to adapt to an economy of scarcity. Magazines will become priceless and almost irreplaceable. A magazine that gets lost or scrunched will be cause for alarm or even mourning. I therefore recommend:

A.) Practice using a dump pouch, for empties. In TEOTWAWKI, saving you magazines will be worth that extra second, in all but the most dire lead conversations.
B.) Buy only top-quality magazines, selected for strength and durability. (For example, if you own an AR-15, your primary “carry” magazines should be HK steel “Maritime” magazines rather than the relatively fragile USGI alloy magazines, or buy PMAG polymer magazines which are famous for their strength.)
C.) Stack your spare magazines deep. You can never have too many. (And any that are truly excess to your needs will be very desirable for barter.) and,
D.) If you have an M1 Garand or other rife that automatically ejects clips or links off into the weeds, then buy a very large quantity of spares.

Letter Re: Small Scale Alternative Energy in Suburbia

Sir:
I had purchased two Schumacher brand Portable Power packs-essentially a [gel cell] battery with [just] an inverter without the extra buzzers and bells from a company that makes quality battery chargers.  It has a 400w inverter with a modified sine wave output.  During Hurricane Irene the only thing that I could get it to power was a standard lamp with an incandescent light bulb!  It wouldn’t run tools or electronics.  After some Internet research, I found that most units used the modified sine wave because it is a less expensive design.  Unfortunately, it may or may not supply power to the unit that you need to turn on and it could damage some electronics.

An inverter with a pure sine wave output is a much more expensive design (and is the same output as your house electric) and is typically larger.  It is often used in back-up power supplies for computer systems.  These are not portable.  Even the the top end Xantrex unit uses an inverter with a modified sine wave output.  If anyone has any advice on where to find a portable unit with an inverter with a pure sine wave output.  I realize that the typical generator uses a cheaper inverter and that may be fine for a few lamps and a refrigerator, but I want to run medical equipment, Televisions and a laptop during outages.  Any ideas? – Alan W.

JWR Replies: From what I’ve read, the term “pure sine wave” inverter is a bit of a marketing myth. Even the best inverters produce AC power with a slightly clipped or distorted waveform. (And for that matter, even utility grid power doesn’t have a perfectly symmetrical waveform.) But both Xantrex (formerly Trace) and Outback manufacture sine wave inverters that produce very “clean” power that works very well with even the most finicky electronics such as desktop (AC transformer) computers and laser printers. Some of their small, low-wattage models are ideal for small photovoltaic, wind, or microhydro power systems. To save money, look for sine wave inverters in used condition, via eBay or Craigslist. But be sure that they are guaranteed to be working. (Commonly called a “No DOA” Warranty.) Also, when sizing your system remember that the larger the inverter, the higher its “idle” current draw will be. Even without a load, they put a load on a battery bank. Again, the higher the wattage rating, the bigger the idle current draw.

Letter Re: Is There Utility in Melting Silver for Ingots?

Mr Rawles:s
Silver alloys cannot be refined by just melting and skimming the dross from the top–no precious metal alloy can.  Silver alloys usually contain copper as a hardener, some of the new sterling used in jewelry is alloyed with other metals to keep it from tarnishing.  Simply melting silver will not cause the copper to rise to the top and oxidize. Separating silver from copper requires nitric acid and should not be attempted at home.  I’m not sure how some of the other alloys are refined.  Furthermore a home chemist will never get scrap silver refined to .9999 or .999 fineness (pure).  Also, as you brought up, what are you going to do with approximately 98% silver that you can’t do with 90% or 92.5% silver?

If you have large amounts of silver you want turned into ingots you can send your silver to a reputable refinery and trade your scrap for silver coins or stamped ingots.  A few refineries I have had good dealings with, or that have good reputations in the jewelry industry, Hoover & Strong, Pease & Curren, McGuire & Strickland and North American Metals.  You can find these companies on the Internet, I’m not affiliated with them except that I have sent scrap in to a couple of them. Regards, – Kestrel

Economics and Investing:

FOREX Crunch recently noted: Everything is going against French banks: a senior figure said that there are “signs of an institutional bank run” in France that may be followed by retail accounts, 
BNP Paribas is seeking for an investment in Qatar and a senior French EU official admits that the the government may need to help the banks.

John R. kindly sent this piece: Is the US Monetary System on the Verge of Collapse? (David Galland of Casey Research)

John T. pointed me to an article that illustrates that the IRS is getting desperate for revenue.

“DaddyO” suggested an interesting look at the derivatives bomb and just how deep and impending the explosion could be, over at Zero Hedge: Five Banks Account For 96% Of The $250 Trillion In Outstanding US Derivative Exposure; Is Morgan Stanley Sitting On An FX Derivative Time Bomb?
 

Items from The Economatrix:

How to Spot the Triggers of a Socioeconomic Collapse

Moody’s Cuts BofA, Wells Fargo, and Citi Ratings

IMF:  Financial Risks Rising in US and Europe

Fed To Shift $400B in Holdings to Boost Economy

Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) sent this: So much for “Secret” Data Centers.

   o o o

Jonathan B. sent this sad news from Nanny State Britannia: A gamekeeper fined and gun permits revoked – risks losing his livelihood…why?  Because he fell asleep while cleaning his guns!

   o o o

F.J. mentioned that Lew Rockwell re-posted a useful article from the 2009 archives of The Art Of Manliness: How to Build Sturdy Basement Shelves

   o o o

More about prescription drug shortages, from a Florida television reporter: Local doctors prepared for drug shortage

   o o o

File this under “What Justice?”: Massachusetts motorists must pay courts, even if they prevail. (Thanks to Richard S. for the link.) Richard’s comment: “Do nothing wrong, pay the state anyway (in addition to time and aggravation, of course), while everybody else involved in the festivities gets paid by you.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Confess [your] faults one to another , and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”- James 5:16 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 36 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, and C.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 36 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Keeping Honey Bees for Survival by The Bee Whisperer

Why Keep Honey Bees?
Wandering into the woods and staying lost for months is something I love to do. I have been an survivalist for 24 years, and have been keeping bees for more than 10 of those years. With these experiences under my belt, I have begun to teach people how to be a survivalist, and one subject I focus on is the art of beekeeping.

Before I tell you the benefits of having bees and some cheap ways to keep them, I suggest that you find a book about beekeeping to help you understand the terms I use and show you more details on how to keep bees for the long haul. One of the best books I have read is The ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture. I also suggest that you try to find some beekeeping courses in your area—not only to learn more about it, but to connect with peers and mentors. For my disclaimer, you should also research your local and state laws on beekeeping.
 
Apis mellifera, more commonly referred to as the honey bee, is one of the most beneficial insects in the world. Did you know that we have the honey bee to thank for one third of all the food we eat? Why, without the honey bee, we would mostly eat rice, wheat, and corn instead of the wonderful variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts we enjoy every day. Not only do honey bees help make more food from pollination, they make a wide variety of products as well.

The most recognizable product, honey, a sweet food made by bees from the nectar of flowers. Aside from its common use in sweetening teas, honey is used to treat burns, alleviate allergies, and use in IVs (intravenous) for blood transfusions. It is also well known as a key ingredient in king’s mead, honey wine and man’s first alcoholic beverage. It is great for cooking in place of sugar, and has more nutritional value than cane or corn sugar. Honey has an endless shelf life when stored at room temperature in a sealed container. Most raw natural honey crystallizes, providing the survivalist with an endless supply of sugar that never goes bad.
 
Bee pollen, or pollen from flowers that is collected by bees during pollination, is harvested and used to fight allergies and treating mild cases of hay fever. Medications that use pollen include Claritin (loratadine), Benadryl (diphenhydramine), and chlorophrenamine. Pollen is a great source of carbohydrates and is used to provide athletes energy boots.
 
Propolis, a resinous mixture that honey bees collect, relieves inflammation, viral diseases, ulcers, and superficial burns or scalds. It is also believed to promote heart health, strengthen the immune system, and reduce the chances of cataracts . Old beekeepers recommend that a piece of propolis be kept in the mouth as a remedy for a sore throat.
 
Beeswax, a natural wax produced in the hive, has long been called the ancient man’s plastic, and is used as such today. Common products you see beeswax used in include body creams, coating for  cheeses, cosmetics, fine candles, furniture and shoe polishes, modeling materials to create jewelry and sculptures, pharmaceuticals, among hundreds of other items. It is often mixed with other ingredients such as olive oil (sweet oil) and sometimes paraffin. For hundreds of years, beeswax was used as a sealant or lubricant for bullets in cap and ball, and firearms that use black powder. Beeswax was also used to stabilize the military explosive Torpex, before it was replaced by a petroleum-based product.
 
Apitherapy is the medical use of bee products—most commonly associated with bee venom therapy, which uses bee venom in the use of health conditions. The active component of bee venom is melittin, which has a powerful anti-inflammatory action. Bee venom is a complex mix of a variety of peptides and proteins, some of which have strong neurotoxic and immunogenic effects. The most well-known bee venom therapy is for autoimmune diseases and multiple sclerosis. Bee venom therapy is also used to treat arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, dissolving scar tissue (keloids), and herpes zoster, among other illnesses. Just a little sting and you have just been to the doctor.
 
As you have just read, the benefits of keeping honey bees for products and pollination is infinite. Not only can you use these products yourself, you can sell them to make money at local farmers markets or boutiques, or barter with clans around the woods. I recommend keeping three to five hives at your home or survival camp. The benefits of the honey bee can not be matched for the survivalist.
   
Now that I have told you some of the many the benefits of having bees, I am going to tell you the basic style of beekeeping and some cheap ways to keep bees. Again, my focus is on survival beekeeping, or “off the grid” beekeeping. I will give you a list of what you need, and then tell you how to make some of the items, or find them cheap. Once again, I suggest that you find a book about beekeeping to help you understand the terms I use and the different kinds of hives available for beekeeping. You can find books everywhere—used book stores and yard sales are the cheapest, and you may even find used equipment there as well.
 
As a beekeeper you must have protection. Beekeepers suits can be expensive—cost of protective gear ranges from $100-$200, depending on what you get (hoods and gloves, full body suits, etc.). Suits can be found online, in beekeeping stores, swap meets, or yard sales. However, if you’d like to take a thrifty approach you need to have:
 
·          High rubber boots, which can be found at farm supply stores or retail centers such as Wal-Mart. Make sure you own a pair that you can get in and out of quickly and can go over your pants.
·          Pants that can be tucked into your boots. I like to use duct tape to tape the boots onto the pants so your legs and feet are completely protected.
·          Long-sleeve shirts than can bed tucked in to your pants.
·          Hooded jackets, which can be cinched tightly around your face, so only your face shows.
·          A ball cap worn under the hood—the starting point of a screened hood. To make this, stitch screen over the top of the hooded jacket and then use duck tape all around the screen to keep the bees out. The cap pushes the screen away from your face.
·          Welding gloves that you duck tape the ends to the jacket sleeves so you’re all sealed up.
 
Another cheap way is to use a rain suit that you can duct tape your gloves, boots, waist, and stitch a screen over the face. Now that you are protected from head to toe, let’s focus on where you will keep the bees, or the bee hive. The most commonly used hive is called a Langstroth hive. It is made as an open top hive and holds frames that can be removed to inspect brood (aka baby bees or larva) and to pull honey out of the hive. You can order a pre-built hive or find plans to build your own hive from the internet. There are also many books on how build and use the Langstroth hive. I will repeat myself again: find a book and use it as a resource. And take any classes you can find in your area. I have been keeping bees for more than 10 years, and have lost hives over my learning experience. But just like any thing, you never know until you try.

          Now that you have your protective gear, a hive for the bees, and a book to reference, you are ready for the bees. There are nearly 20,000 species of bees—honey bees represent a small fraction of the species with between seven and 11 species and 44 subspecies—and they come from all around the globe. Bees can be ordered online, and from local bee clubs—most are shipped via UPS.  A package of bees can cost around $80-$200, depending on the species that you decide to purchase. The package weighs between three to four pounds, and has around 10 to 20 thousand bees inside, which is a good number to start building your hive. Bees can be installed into the hive in a manner of minutes—and if you take your time, you can watch them get to work in the hive immediately.
 
            Naturally, my favorite bee is the free bee. Free bees can be found when bees swarm, which happens when the queen bee leaves a colony with a group of worker bees in search of a new hive. They often gather in trees or the eves of houses, which leave them in harms way by people who do not want them around. By offering to collect swarms, you can get free bees for your hive. Put an advertisement in the newspaper, or local listing, that you are willing to remove swarms. When the swarm first settles down and forms a cluster, it is fairly simple to capture. Swarms normally last no more than 24 hours, so you must be ready. To capture a swarm, you’ll need: 
·          A box or a bucket with a lid. I use five gallon buckets that have a hole in the top laced with screen so the bees are able to breathe until you can put them into a hive.
·          A soft brush and a wide scraper. These help to move the bees, if needed.
·          A ladder to climb on to get to the bees so you are not reaching up in the air swatting at them—sometimes they are  high in the trees, or the roof of the house.
·          Your protective gear—you do not want to get stung when collecting a swarm of bees for your hive.
 
When collecting a swarm of bees in a bush or tree, put the bucket below the area the swarm is in and give the branch a good shake. Let the nest fall into the bucket. Use the brush to sweep the remaining bees into the bucket, and then place the lid on the bucket. If the swarm is on something that you cannot shake, take the wide scraper and place it so you can scoop the bees and place them into the bucket. Use your brush to sweep the bees on the scraper and drop them in the bucket as well. When you have nearly 90 percent of the bees in the bucket, place the lid on your bucket and look to see if the remaining bees start landing on the lid. They will start to land on the bucket and fan, which tells the bees that the queen is inside the bucket and they are moving. Let the bucket set for 30 minutes and let the bees inside and outside of the bucket collect on the lid. Then pop the top of the bucket so all the bees drop to the bottom of the bucket and take the lid off. Flip the lid and brush the bees on the lid into the bucket. Then replace the lid and take the bees to their new hive.
 
When you get to the hive you’re going to place the bees in, open it and remove four to five frames, or top bars, out of your way. Pop the bucket on the lid once more so the bees fall to the bottom of the bucket and open the lid. Then shake bees in the bucket into the hive. Once you have the swarm in the hive, replace the frames or top bars and cover the hive. You have successfully placed your bees into the hive. Be sure to check the bees in one week to see if they are building comb.
 
Now you have your bee hive. Read your book and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at ABEEFriendlyCompany@gmail.com. I would enjoy reading about your experiences and looking at photos of your work. If you reside in Wyoming, I often offer courses through my company, A BEE Friendly Company—details can be found on my business Facebook page.
 
As I said, I am a survivalist and love the outdoors and keeping bees will get you outdoors more. Like gardening, the work you put in makes great rewards. Keep your Head up and your powder dry.

Letter Re: Is There Utility in Melting Silver for Ingots?

Hello,
I am a fairly new reader to SurvivalBlog.  I must say I enjoy reading it and have found a ton of useful knowledge here. I have a question If you have time to answer.  I have a large amount of old U.S. Coins and would like to refine the silver out of them myself.  Is the possible for a do-it-yourselfer? If so, what is the best process for this?  I am also considering melting down some old silverware and jewelry.  I would want to cast my own mini bars or silver coins for ease of storing and bartering.  I have reviewed  Coinflation.com and have determined that I have a lot of coins in the pre-1965 range that contain 90% silver. (Which of course is worth about 25 times more than the face valve of the U.S. currency itself.)
 
For WTSHTF,  I want to be prepared as much as I am able to for my situation at hand.  I have already been stockpiling ammunition and canned goods. (I’m still a long ways from where I would like to be but I’m working on it one paycheck at a time.) – Trey H.

JWR Replies: I do not recommend melting any recognizable U.S., Canadian, or Mexican coins to cast into ingots. Here is my reasoning: First and foremost, coins have a known, well-recognized purity and value, which makes them ideal for barter. But privately-cast ingots will ALWAYS be treated with great suspicion, and the buyer may demand that they be assayed. Second, U.S. pre-1965 dimes, quarters and half dollars are 90% silver, alloyed with a hardener added, to give them sufficient durability for the rigors of day-to-day circulation. In contrast, silver ingots are typically cast as .999 fine (virtually pure) silver. So creating your own ingots would require a lot of time to not just melt the coins but also require adding nitric acid and extra time to skim away the hardener, which would be set aside as “dross”. Why risk chemical and heat burns and spend your precious time and your expensive fuel to melt coins to make them into something LESS recognizable, for barter? That simply makes no sense. Unless you are an expert artisan that is making jewelry, there is no point in melting silver coins. For barter, even silver jewelry is better left in “scrap” form — just “as is”. Furthermore, silver chains can be cut into incremental lengths with diagonal cutters or a cold chisel, to facilitate small barter transactions. This is much more difficult to do with thicker ingots, at least with any precision.

If you have a large quantity of scrap silver, them you are better off trading it to a well known reputable coin dealer. You can ask for either pre-1965 (90% silver) coins or .999 fine one-ounce silver “rounds”, in exchange. In the next few years, as silver advances past $50 per try ounce, I predict that 1/4-ounce and 1/2-ounce coins will be made in larger numbers than today. (A one ounce coin is simply becoming too valuable to be used for small transactions.)

Economics and Investing:

J.B.G. mentioned a recent piece by the ever-cheery Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Fear gauge enters the red zone.

Bama Man sent this: Chicago Tower Year’s Largest Muni-Bond Default

Rhonda T. sent this sign of the times: Spam Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More

From The Washington Post: World Market Fall Sharply After Fed Action on Bonds (Thanks to Linda U. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Peter Schiff On Obamanomics:  “There Are Not Enough Open Minds In The Capitol To Keep This Ship From Sinking”

S&P Downgrades Italian Sovereign Debt Rating; Fear of Contagion Spreads

Implosive Fusion of Global Financial Assets

IATA Says Airline Profits For 2012 to Drop 29%

30 Signs that the US Economy is About to Go into the Toilet

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader W.E.P. mentioned this: Feds tracking articles that include “zombie apocalypse”. [JWR’s Comment: Of course “zombie apocalypse” is often used as to describe other disasters. This leads me to ask: Are the spooks looking for clues or cues for socioeconomic collapse?]

   o o o

Reader D.V. and Stephen F. both recommended this article over at KK* Cool Tools: Homesteading Alone. (It is three book reviews, in one.)

   o o o

F.G. flagged this bit of bureaucratic nincompoopery: OTC inhalers to be phased out to protect ozone layer

   o o o

Greg C. mentioned Reason # 948 to Leave California: Orange County Couple Threatened With $500-Per-Meeting Fines For Home Bible Study

   o o o

Steve G. pointed me to an interesting piece on low-level encryption for generating passwords for web sites.