Next Steps: Prepping for the Middle Expertise, Middle Life, Middle Philosophy Preppers, by A.L.G.

Salutations! And for those of spiritual and religious bent, Blessings, from my wife and I in these troubled time.

A few weeks back, after my assistant’s grandson returned to his school year, he brought home a “bug” as the kiddies often do. My assistant naturally fell ill, and a week later, sure enough I found myself on my couch with my wife good-naturedly giving me some grief (and chicken soup…) With some time on my hands, and not much energy to actually do anything, my mind started turning as I laid there and watched an earthquake hit D.C. and a hurricane beginning its topsy turvy track towards some portion of the East coast a week later.

Thankfully, all of my friends and family out East were safe in both events (my first concern, as the wife and I live in the suburbs of Chicago.) After sending my assistant an email asking her to check on our customers and business contacts (it turns out the bug was strep throat, and after calling immediate family and best friends, I really did not want to physically speak any more,) I began contemplating the status of our preps.

All the books I have read or perused written on our lifestyle (I use that word very deliberately) seem aimed at those who know nothing about prepping/survival and are starting from square one, – giving the reader a course of recommended actions to take, to ensure their long term viability. There are several philosophies in the range of books and manuals, some are urban survival guides, some advocate a move to secure locations (the better half and I have a long term plan to follow Captain Rawles to the American Redoubt area, but that is 2-4 years away from being executed) some are of the hunting in the wilderness variety, and others are shall we say, more militant.

Not a single book I have read really addresses where we are in life currently. I can only assume as the popularity of survival/prepping has increased exponentially over the past few years, that others are now in the boat that the wife and I find ourselves within. Namely, having our basic preps complete, a plan for the future, but the feeling that we can do more today, and not quite knowing what it is. What follows, as I am in no position to write a full book, are just a few thoughts I had while laid up on the couch for half a week watching our economy continue its slow collapse, a shocking geologic event hit the East coast, and a hurricane heading towards heavily populated areas.

Jack Spirko over at The Survival Podcast has many times mentioned his idea that what he provides is a “framework” from which to operate. As a sometimes business consultant and coach, this idea resonates with me – give folks a flexible system to adapt and adopt to their particular custom circumstances. There may be 99% overlap between my checklist and yours, but that final 1% is mine or yours – not both of ours. That said, on the couch, I realized we (the lady and I) had not rebuilt a framework in a looooong time. Something like a eighteen years of prepping – well before the word was coined and it was just survivalists – multiple checklists, plans to be executed in binders, financial acumen and execution, food storage, BOBs, armament, BOLs, continuing education, new skills, laughter, failure, success, etc. We had gotten older, our plans somewhat evolved, but I no longer know what I am doing day to day, why, and in what priority; to embrace the future with a sense of excitement and hope that we shall prevail.

The business metaphor I might use, is that of an established successful small business that has some contingency plans in place, but plods along executing the activity of its business every day – with absolutely no innovation program to address the future. We are merely relying on an old business plan. Rather ironic as my business consulting revolves around innovation topics. The shoemakers son goes shoeless!

This is primarily a mindset issue – we need to move from prepping caused by fear (healthy to begin the journey and get us off our rear ends,) to a sense of accomplishment at what we have done so far, and then further into a sense of comfort in doing what needs to be done going forward. We need to move from our checklist which we keep searching for holes as we move from beginner to intermediate middle of the road, to a martial arts type flexibility of “flowing” with the energy of life as we tweak, improve, and search for new arenas and opportunities. We need to expand our focus from the immediate concentric circles that may never be 1oo%; to the next adjacencies where we are not really playing actively (business metaphor – I own the market in my town, lets look at the same business in the next town as we expand, which we had not considered doing previously.) Further business metaphor, we own this town, and the next, we better look at additional products or service lines to provide to our customers who already love us.

So how does this shifting in mindset, translate into direct actions (if you are still reading my ramblings, I assume you do feel like you are to some extent sharing my disquietude,) we can take in our current lives?

Well, I am sure of one thing, that is the fact that I do not have all the answers, but here are some further thoughts I had on my sick-couch, as I began this mental exercise (and yes, now that I am well, I am taking action on thought.)

First, let’s re-examine the question of why we prep? I can’t remember the last time I actually formally created a threat analysis matrix! All action comes from the, “Why.” It is long past time to revisit the old business plan!

I am an idiot. Everything I do is based on a document (the long lost threat matrix) from another era (remember the days of plaid flannel shirts, grunge rock like Nirvana, Waco, and Clinton coming into office) Really? The last time I thought holistically about threats was in 1993? Somebody please grab a crowbar and remove my palm from my forehead where I just smacked myself silly! My mindset and planning is entirely out of date, or maybe not, but I need to know and not assume.

Years ago, I created a matrix that listed all the various threats I was going to plan for, and from there took action to mitigate. As the years passed, and a new threat was discovered, I just tweaked purchases and plans accordingly. It is high time I start again (on paper at least) from scratch to ensure my actions and investments are aligned with multiple scenarios of what might be.  Who knows, perhaps not much is different, but considering how the world has changed, I am confident I will be finding many holes and fallacies in my thinking. The end result of what preps are in place may well be the same – but I need to examine the foundation for cracks, and I certainly need to shock myself out of an 18 year mental rut.

Second, I need to look at the CARVER matrix for each specific threat I identify  within my mission planning. Yes, I am a business guy, but I freely take the best planning tools and frameworks from other arenas (in this case, the military.) Again, my plans may or may not change according to this holistic re-examination of our planning and SOPs. I do know however, that I will feel much better updating everything to today’s (and tomorrow’s) environment with a fresh look at it – as opposed to plans that have been updated and tweaked on an ad-hoc basis over the years.

Third, one concrete task I stink at will be given a weekend and just plain knocked off the to-do list. Namely, examination of all food expiry dates and rotations to ensure the system is operating properly. I also intend on traveling to our caches and performing maintenance on all items stashed away (unpacking, checking of expiry, re-lubing, updating as necessary according to our inventory lists.)

Fourth, I will focus on (business metaphor again) human resources over the coming year. This is perhaps one of the most important, difficult, costly, and painful tasks in business and likewise in prepping. What do I mean by this? Two things.

First, for the family “on board” with the lifestyle, I will re-examine our planning, communications, and joint training to ensure it is operating smoothly.

Second, I wish to expand: Easier said, than done.

How does one expand? In business, you write a job description, post it somewhere soliciting interest, interview, background and reference check, psyche test, try to take into account variables such as cultural fit, personality type, alignment of goals,  (illegal in business but not in prepping – religious views,) dither over the decision, and then jump – hoping it is a pillow at the bottom, and not rocks.

Human resources management is an art, not a science. I have the pleasure and honor of collaborating from the innovation side with some of the worlds leading experts in HR/workforce topics/and academic theorists, there is no one right answer. You play, sometimes you pay (and hopefully, sometimes you get paid.)

On an ad hoc basis over the years I have met like minded preppers at national gatherings, I have hosted events locally hoping to identify others in my community and participate(d) in numerous internet forums. Again, there is no right answer. I am however, definitely changing my mentality from one of laissez faire.

This years project is to do the hard work of building, once the re-examined plan is in place.

I will keep talking to people. I will keep making new contacts. However this time, I will be taking notes on which of these contacts I will deliberately continue with in private discussion to better ascertain suitability for placement in an extended secure network and community. However, it brings me back to the foundation document I am holistically re-building. I am now creating a “job description.” The military has their various “slots,” business has its “roles;” why do I not have a listing of the skills, personality types, attitude, etc. I am looking to identify with contacts? Operating with no framework is only marginally worse than operating from an 18 year old framework that hasn’t [been] updated.

Years ago, we were all individual survival types, as we went from wacky to not quite mainstream, we have flipped the problem to not identifying our own (other preppers,) to rather, there are so many choices, who do I want to associate with and trust? Yes, the racist militia survivalist the media portrays, shares some preps with me, but is diametrically in opposition to my values. (Also, in my experience, those guys lack a sense of humor, and tend to dislike educated Jewish-background preppers… )

The fifth and last thought I had on the couch that I wish to share in this rambling article, is that of why (there it is again, I believe in answering, why?) I am looking to add folks to my network?  The why, of course informs the who, and the what. I am not lonely, nor overly narcissistic in needing the affirmation of others, so why do I feel the need to expand in terms of human resources, instead of just adding prep supplies?

I should add, that I am not looking to build a retreat per se for TEOTWAWKI in “Patriots” style. That may be the best solution, but for any number of reasons, impractical for me today. My focus is more of a loose mutual aid network, or borrowing from defense thinking, a cellular structure. Today, the network provides expertise and occasional meetings to share skills, knowledge, and good times. Tomorrow, it may be logistics support mid-bugout.  In TEOTWAWKI the network may be the immediate surrounding neighbors and community wherever we can make it, if as in the case of some characters in Patriots, we haven’t yet bugged out.

So, several reasons for the “why” of network and community come to mind.  Perhaps as I continue my examination and organization over the coming months, I will submit a follow on with my findings for my personal what and who…

Practical Why?
I am maturing (read that as getting old(er) and creaky(ier.) With maturity comes the conviction that I can not do it alone, and what’s more, I like to outsource [or delegate] tasks that I dislike or that can be more efficiently accomplished by giving them to others better suited for them (or, in a business sense, more economically pay others to do, freeing one to create more value by focusing on other higher worth activities.)

Reality Why?
I am, as of many years past, disabused of the lone wolf mentality endemic in some militant survival books, and on a more pop culture basis fostered by some action movies that focus on a hero. Captain Rawles certainly seems to agree with this on a macro level in his novel “Patriots” where much of the book focused on the group and it roles – as opposed to one dude in the forest fighting a guerilla war and surviving on grubs and hunted meat.

Social Why?
I know my personality type, that is one of gregarious sociability. I enjoy the company of others. I can also make a case of the total being greater than the sum of its parts. If you are an introvert, well, instead of community, your focus in prepping may be better directed at fortress building for your homestead. Bison over at Bison Survival seems to take that approach. Great for him, not so much for my family.

Redoubt Why?
For me, the American Redoubt move a few years out, is not meant to take us just to an area of lower population, but a move to an area where what population exists is of a similar mindset.

If you will, I want to go home.

Home Why?
Home is where we find comfort and solace, not to mention support. I can find this in suburban Chicago, but I also want the lower population, economics, and politics of the Redoubt. Hence, a number of factors in confluence, as I search for a communal home to get old in.  Yes, the geography is important, but a completely barren landscape of isolation is not where I see us in the future; small community is where we will flourish. After all, what is prepping and survival but the desire to grow old gracefully and pleasantly, sharing joy, while watching the future generation flourish?

I end this article as a direct wish from the far better half and I, that this article perhaps be of some assistance to you in the words that resonate (go ahead, ignore those that do not.) We also wish: That you find success, and ways to improve yourself and your community. That you find peace of mind in the midst of turmoil. That our once great nation innovates and rebuilds itself. That you maintain your sense of humor. That your health improves. That your children make you proud. That our dogs have fleas that are easily banished, and that the skunk spray easily rinses off (my dog-ownership week has been a bit extreme.) That our appropriately dirty children (come on, more playground, less Play Station, you know its better for them) come home with, and transmit nothing worse to us, than strep throat. That whatever your personal spiritual or religious affiliation, you extend and receive good karma, blessings and tidings – as we extend to you.

May God bless us and the United States of America.

Letter Re: Making Cow Pie Fertilizer “Tea”

Letter Re: Making Cow Pie Fertilizer “Tea”

I’m writing to describe how to make cow pie fertilizer “Tea.”

This mild natural liquid fertilizer solution is for use on continuous production vegetable plants and ornamental’s.
Use it just like you would when watering. It does not burn plants, the nutrient value is about 1-1-1.
Materials:
-We use a 325 gallon metal caged water tank (this tank will never again be used for potable water), sitting on a small portable trailer that can be pulled with a riding mower, tractor, or ATV, you can also use a non-toxic 55 gal. drum or even smaller containers, like 5 gallon buckets if you only have a few plants.
– For one 55 gallon drum, use two old clean panty hose legs, placed one inside the other (for added strength when you retrieve them for refilling and reuse) multiply this hose requirement if using larger than 55 gallon containers.
– some 1/8 inch poly rope, 2 feet longer than your container
– dried cow pies (barter with a cattle rancher for a few bucketfuls if you don’t have any of your own.)

Note: Wear rubber gloves when handling any animal dung. [JWR Adds: And of course show special care in washing produce from your garden with warm soapy water.]

Place the barrel or stationary container for easy filling access and to watering the garden plants!
Fill container with water. Fill an old unused panty hose leg with several dried cow pies, tie it off and then tie the rope to the tied off hose and put it in the water. Leave the rope tied off to the lid of your container, so you can retrieve and reuse the hose again later. It is now brewing just like tea, and when the water turns a medium deep brown, it’s ready to use.
As the water level lowers, just keep adding more water.
When the color of the tea lightens just pull up the rope, untie the hose and add more cow pies. Don’t forget to retie that rope.
If you decide to totally refresh your cow tea and remove your panty hose to start again, hang your hose up under a tree to drip dry first, and then untie the opening, dump any used dung fiber in the compost heap, and refill the hose and reuse with a fresh full water tank. Plants being hardened off for transplanting, if shallowly submerged in this liquid in a tray overnight, will root easier, stand firmer, grow stronger,and have to be watered less in the new soil. – Regards, – K.A.F.

Economics and Investing:

Jerry P. sent this: Greece, Europe struggle to contain debt crisis

Porter Stansberry: Enough Already, Let’s Return To The Gold Standard
 
Amid Market Turmoil, Gold Stocks Find Heavy Accumulation

Willem Weytjens: Gold 1980: Deja Vu?
 

Items from The Economatrix:

International Oil Prices Fall as Demand Eases

Fear of Greek Default Hurts Markets in US, Europe

Bank of America Cutting 30,000 Jobs

The Gold and Silver Precious Metals Tsunami

Odds ‘n Sods:

 

Alt-Market’s Safe Haven State Project has selected Montana as their prime destination. And not coincidentally, Brandon Smith (the founder of Alt-Market) recently relocated to northwestern Montana. Congrats! If you aren’t familiar with it, Alt-Market is an information and community web site that has an emphasis on sound money, preparedness, and barter networks. Check it out.

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Argentina: Surviving without money. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.)

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Steve M. sent this: Gun store owner had misgivings about ATF sting. This whole fiasco has a rotten stench…

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Tamara (of the always entertaining View From the Porch blog) reviewed Mike Williamson’s new sci-fi novel. (“Rogue”.)

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Karl W. sent this disturbing news article about “justice” being meted out in Kentucky: Amish men jailed for not displaying buggy safety signs. Now the judge can sleep soundly, knowing that these evil-doers are safely behind bars–where they will be sleeping along with thieves, murderers, and rapists. We need less government!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is the greatest absurdity to suppose it in the power of one, or any number of men, at the entering into society, to renounce their essential natural rights, or the means of preserving those rights; when the grand end of civil government, from the very nature of its institution, is for the support, protection, and defence of those very rights; the principal of which, as is before observed, are Life, Liberty, and Property. If men, through fear, fraud, or mistake, should in terms renounce or give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the grand end of society would absolutely vacate such renunciation. The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave." – Samuel Adams, 1772

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.

Odds And Ends That You Won’t Want To Be Without, by Sonny Jim

I believe in having all the “big” things, to prepare for the possible breakdown of civil society.   I have a large home outside of a small mid-west town, and expect 12 people to arrive to hunker down, if things do fall apart.  I need to be able to feed and supply of them, perhaps for years.

So I have 1,200 gallons of Kerosene.  This is intended for heating the home for 3 winters, and I have 3 Kerosene heaters to do the job.  The Kerosene is stored in in 3 large 330 gallon plastic totes, half buried in my back yard, hidden by a wood pile, as well as four 55 gallon drums buried under my deck. I have a hand-crank pump to get fuel from either type of container.  I have treated it all with PRI-D, and I expect it to last for decades.  I have stored more PRI-D just in case.

I have 12,000+ pounds of food on site.  Along with lots of canned goods and dried meals, I have barrels of white rice, rye, Triticale, 5,000 pounds of hard red wheat, pinto beans, and 250 pounds of popcorn.  I have another 4,000 pounds of wheat in a barrels in a second location.

I bought the rice, beans and popcorn at Restaurant Depot in 50# bags, and the rest as “seed” from a local grain dealer, for around $14 per 60# bushel.  It’s mostly stored in 55 gallon drums, with liners, and dry ice to drive out the oxygen.  Some is also in 6 gallon buckets. 

I have 300 gallons of water.  100 gallons of this is instantly drinkable, in 1/2-liter bottles.  I also have 100 gallons in two water heaters, and 110 gallons in two 55 gallon drums in my basement.  I could filter and/or disinfect this water if I needed to drink it, but it’s intended for washing and toilet flushing.  I also have 1,000 coffee filters, and various-sized of commercial filters, to handle drinking water for the foreseeable future.  I have a 165 gallon tank collecting rain water from my downspouts as well, for gardening.  I bought that for $20 off Craig’s List.

I have 36,000 rounds of ammo and eight guns.  I try to double up on calibers, so I have two rifles that use .223, two hand guns that use .40 S&W, and a .22 rifle and .22 pistol.  Much of the ammo is stored in sealed 4-gallon buckets with desiccants, but I always keep about 500 rounds in magazines ready to go.

I have bags of silver, mostly in junk pre-1965 coins, as well as gold in 1 oz coins.  I don’t know if this will be needed for actual spending during a breakdown, but it should transport a chuck of wealth thru a hyperinflation.  Once there is a new currency, I can exchange the silver a little at a time to buy items I need. 

I also have Canadian dollars, which I think will do better than US currency at holding it’s value.  And I have it in a Canadian bank, and I renewed my passport, in case I need to bug out for real.  I’m just a few hours from the border.

But I don’t just want to survive if TSHTF.  I want to thrive.  So over the past few years I have gathered lots of other items that I don’t want to be without, when there is no store to run to.  Once you have the big things, be sure to look for these “little things”, to make life easier. 

I have way too many of most of these items for our own use, unless things stay broken down forever, but I like them for trade items as well.  Barter may become very important.

I bought small 400 bars of soap.  These are individually wrapped hotel-size bars.  I paid $17 on eBay, or 4 cents each.  I want to be clean post-apocalypse, and these should trade well.  To help conserve water, I also bought a bucket of 500 Clorox disinfecting wipes.  Then I added 40 tooth brushes, at 5 for $1.  Dental hygiene will be important, and they should be trade well too.

I worry about lighting, especially in the winter, so I bought 3 gross (432) votive candles from TheCandleDepot.com, for 30 cents each.  They burn 15 hours.  I also bought sixå of the 120 hour Nu-wick candles on eBay for about $10 each.  They cost more per hour of light than the votive candles, but you can put 3 wicks in them, and cook over them if needed.  So combined, I have about 7,200 hours of candle light.  I think the small 15 hour candles will be good trading items as well.

I bought 200 Fish hooks for $1 at a flea market.  Others will need them.

I bought 12 rolls of Vietnam-era trip wire, 160 feet each, on eBay, and 1,000 feet of 6# fishing line.  I want to have lots of trip wires and booby traps to protect the homestead.  I also bought 50 old-fashioned mouse traps, 25 cents each, to use with the trip wires.  (You can attach the trip wire to the “cheese spot” and rig a shotgun shell primer under the spring arm, and make a nifty trap or alarm. I put aside 100 shotgun shell primers for this too.)

I bought 100 tubes of Super Glue on eBay, for about $20.  Good for trading, good for quick small repairs, and also good for treating minor cuts.  In a pinch you can glue the cut shut.  Nice pocket size item for trading.

I bought 4 gallons of Barricade Fire Blocking Gel for about $250.  You can but buy it on eBay.  That’s a lot of money, but my house backs up to a woods.  If that woods starts on fire, I can quickly coat my roof and deck with this stuff, and it simply will not burn down.  Very important if there’s no fire department available because TSHTF.

I bought three Water dispensing Fire Extinguishers via eBay, from a guy who salvages old buildings.  Just $15 each.  They hold 2.5 gallons of water, and you pump them up with a bike pump for pressure.  You wouldn’t believe how far they throw a powerful stream of water!  They are like water cannons.   I could use them with a mixture of Barricade Gel to coat my roof will standing on the ground, if needed.  Otherwise, I have handy fire extinguishers that I can refill with water again and again.

I bought 1,200 doses of Antibiotics, from various Pet Med places on line, and Amazon.  I’m convinced they are the same as people meds.  I did my research, and settled on 200 doses of Cephalexin, 200 doses of Ciprofloxacin, 100 Metronidazole, 200 Doxycycline, 300 Amoxicillin, and 200 Ampicillin. 

I have them in the refrigerator until TSHTF, where they should stay near full potency for a decade.  After the electricity fails, they should still last for many years, and only slowly loose their punch.  After a decade, I may need to take double the dosage for the same effect, so I have stocked a good supply.  I hope to have a doctor to diagnose any problems, but in an emergency, I have some medical books, and may have to roll the dice in the face of a serious infection.

To help prevent illness, I also bought 100 of the N95 masks, and 200 pairs of rubber gloves.  (Don’t ask me why, but I also bought 300 unopened, empty insulin syringes, on Craig’s List for $20.)  I also bought four boxes of 100 count butterfly bandages, as well as many boxes of band aids, and 30 rolls of wrapping bandages. A primitive lifestyle can lead to lots of cuts and bumps, and I want to be prepared. 

I have all the standard over-the-counter stuff, purchased as Sam’s Club.  This included many bottles of Imodium, Benadryl, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Pepto-Bismol and Robitussin.  I also bought a gallon of Chlorhexidine for washing wounds, and Silver Sulfadiazine and Ichthammol, based on articles I’ve read on treating injuries.  I also tucked away 4 quarts of Hydrogen Peroxide and 4 quarts of rubbing alcohol.

I’ve also stocked up on bottles of vitamins.  If TSHTF, nutrition will suffer.  So I have 50 big bottles of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Acidophilus, and a good multiple vitamin.  This should handle my crew for years, and also allow some trading of bottles.

Having fire will always be important, so I bought 4,600 Strike Anywhere matches, in 32-match boxes.  These individual boxes should make great trading items, so I bought a gross of them.  I also bought more than 50 lighters, and spare fluid.

I am about to have installed a solar panel system and windmill to power the whole retreat, but I did buy 100 NiMH AA and AAA Batteries, and a small solar recharger.  All my little flashlights and tools use these, so I wanted a bunch.  There may even be a business opportunity, where you recharge batteries for people, and swap them charged ones for dead ones, as needed.

I hate bugs, so I bought 200 bottles of Mosquito spray!  Just 17 cents each from a guy who had overstocked.  Not aerosol cans, but the pump kinds, so they’ll never go flat.  I did the research, and the active ingredients seem to have a long shelf life.  Farming would be unpleasant without bug spray, as would summer nighttime patrolling, and the bottles should also command a great deal in trade.  And when they finally ban DEET, I’ll be all set.

I should get more, but I do have 10 bottles of sunscreen.

I’m obsessed with home security, so I bought 600 feet of razor wire (20 rolls of 30 ft each) and 10,000 feet of barbed wire.  (Remember to get the special gloves for handling the razor wire!)  I know wire won’t keep people out if it’s undefended, but we plan on it slowing the bad guys down long enough to shoot ’em.  Or just discourage them, so they move on to easier targets.  There are some good free PDFs on the net describing how to layout a good Soviet-style tangle foot obstacle.  Print one out and save it.

I may want to fortify defensive posts, and observations posts, so I have 500 sandbags.  Get the clear plastic self-sealing bags, from Home Depot, for about 35 cents each in boxes of 50.   They store/stack well, and self-sealing plastic bags have lots of uses besides home defense. (Such as human waste disposal.)

I expect we’ll need to build stuff after TSHTF.  The lumberyard is unlikely to be open if things really fall apart.  So I bought about 10,000 nails and screws.  I bought dozens of trays of them at an area flea market, for about $50.  

The attic above my garage was not floored when I bought my home.  I put in a pull-down stairway, and “floored” the attic with loose 8-foot 2X4s.  I put about 100+ of them up there, not nailed down. [JWR Adds: That approach is not recommended in earthquake country.] So now it’s a great place for me to store stuff like my barbed wire spools.  If and when I do need the wood for building, I can slowly un-floor my garage attic and have 100+ 2X4s for construction.  Until then, they make a fine, inexpensive floor.

I have 720 packets of various vegetable seeds.  I found a seed company distributor online, and ordered one of their vegetable variety display racks, at around 10 cent per packet.  These are the packs that sell for 59 cents. 

They are hybrid seeds, so the next-generation seeds collected from their veggies won’t always reproduce true.  But I look at it this way – they are bred to produce bountiful first generation crops, unlike heirloom seeds, so my early crops after TSHTF will be reliable and big.  And I have so many packs, I won’t need to save more seeds for decades.  Like all seeds, they should store well in my cool, dry basement, and the $70 they cost me wouldn’t have bought me all that many heirloom seeds.  I expect the packets will make great trading items too.

I have 50 red laser pointers with white LED lights included.  I buy these on eBay for under $1 each, batteries and shipping included.    I think the little white lights are handy for in your pocket or hanging on a nail.  And we will use the red laser lights, in the hands of some of the women-folk, to make any raiders think we have even more guns aimed at them than we do.  (I also want to rig up a sort of hand-held “laser light gun” with dozens of lasers, which can be used to blind siege folks.  People are very afraid of looking into one of those lasers, and being blinded, so they should be intimidating!)

I worry about a large group rushing the retreat, in greater numbers than we can shoot quickly.  Or at night or as a surprise attack using a distraction.  If a group crashes through multiple doors and windows at once, we could be screwed.  So I bought a 150 ft long heavy fishing net, 12 ft wide, on eBay, for $100.

I cut the big net into various sizes for hanging over all the doors and ground-floor windows.  These individual nets can be hung quickly with the hooks I have, and should secure all the entries long enough for us to defend them.  Even if you shoot my front door of its hinges, it’s just going to hang there in place, held up by the heavy netting inside.  Then I’m going to shoot you through it.

I bought 7 pounds of calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) for less than $20 from InyoPools.com.  Each pound will make enough chlorine bleach to disinfect 12,000 gallons of water.  I intend to make bottles of bleach in my 1/2-liter water bottles, and sell them as a business when TSHTF.  Each little bottle will itself disinfect 12 gallons of water for someone.  I’ll make some money, and save some lives at the same time.

I have stored 72 gallons of treated gasoline in twelve 6-gallon cans.  I empty one into my car each month, and refill it, to keep the stock of gas fresh.  I use the mid-grade without ethanol, in case I want to use it in small engines. 

I also bought 1 gallon of PRI-G, to rejuvenate 2,000 gallons in the future.  A few years after TSHTF, there will likely be lots of old “worthless” gasoline, that can be completely reconstituted if you have PRI-G set aside.  It costs about $85 a gallon on line, but I think it’s worth it–from www.Batterystuff.com.  Five years after a collapse, I still want to have a chainsaw!  (I bought several extra chains for the saw as well.  And 2 back-up chain saws, tucked away.)

Because I worry about bullets flying in through my walls, and I also worry about inflation, I have slowly accumulated 1 million pennies (400 boxes, $25 each).  Each box already has about $40 in copper (pre-1981 pennies make up about 30% of each box), so I’m ahead $15 the day I “buy” them.  I don’t sort out the good pennies. 

I have the unopened boxes stacked along the outside walls of the upstairs bedrooms.  I guarantee no rifle bullet is getting through the siding, the wall boards, and the boxes of pennies.  If we never collapse, I have a great inflation hedge in the pre-1981 copper pennies.  If we have deflation, my coins will increase in buying power.  And in a hyperinflation, if we get a new currency, the coins may be accepted as part of the new money, and avoid the inflation entirely.

Since they don’t make Sears catalogs any more, I have stocked up 200+ rolls of toilet paper.  I keep adding to the stash.  It takes up some space, but I don’t want to think about the end of the world without toilet paper.  Not with 14 people living in my home if things fall apart!  I also bought one of those handy 5-gallon bucket toilet seat tops, just in case.

I don’t expect your average thugs to have tear gas, but some left-over police state types may have some.  So I bought 10 Israeli M15 Gas Masks and 20 spare 40mm filters on eBay.  I can also use them if the woods behind my house is on fire, and I’m busy spraying Barricade Gel on my roof while the smoke surrounds me.

I also bought five canisters of Clear Out tear gas from one of your sponsors, KeepShooting.com.  $17 each.  (Remember to use the SurvivalBlog discount code “sb”!)  I figure I can roll a can down the stairs from my second floor if intruders do get in, and our gas masks will protect us from the effects, and allow us to fight while the tear gas gives us the edge.

I also bought a roll of 1,000 feet of 550 paracord for $36, from another of your sponsors CampingSurvival.com.  That stuff is good for so many things.  I added an 4-wheel block & tackle, so with the paracord I can lift some very heavy items.  I’ve practiced with it, and it’s fun to lift 100 pounds with one hand.  Don’t forget a few hundred cable ties as well.  Very handy.

Speaking of lifting things by hand, buy gloves when you find them inexpensively.  I also bought the expensive studded gloves for handling razor wire, and some “welding glove” for high heat, and some rubber coated gloves, but mostly you want a box full of more modest gloves.  Simple cloth hand-covers,  for doing regular outdoor tasks, will really save on the wear and tear, as well as precious water for hand-scrubbing.  At flea markets, I often see them for $1 a pair, so I have stocked up.  They should trade well too.  (If you find a couple nicer, leather gloves, stash those away as well.)

I continue to read survival blogs every day, and I am always looking for new items that will be both handy, and good for trading.  I usually buy them on eBay.  I also find the big outdoor flea markets offer a large variety of useful items.  And I watch Craig’s List for things I haven’t thought of.  I also love the Deal of the Day sites.  Each day, I stop by TodaysDOD.com, for a summary of all the deal site offers, and I often find bargains on stuff I think I can use.

Start a list of things you’d like to have on the shelf.  Add to it every time you read something interesting on the web.  Don’t rush out and buy them all at once, but check the items off as you come across them at a bargain price.  In a surprisingly short time, you will find you have stocked a lot of handy items for use, and for trading.  Good luck.

Two Letters Re: Skip Watching The Movie “Contagion”

 
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I too went and saw “Contagion” with my wife.  It has been interesting to read the various posts about this film, but again I have a different take.  The photography was good, the cast excellent, the script okay, the pro-government and big pharma propaganda was outstanding!  What we came away with was the understanding that the CDC can solve anything (except AIDS of course) and the big pharma can then come to rescue at any time.
Yes the movie did a good job portraying would probably happen during this type of event in terms of clearing out the stores, etc., and they did a good job of reinforcing the idea that perhaps going to the store to get supplies with all your friendly sick neighbors, was not the best idea.
I did hear a couple comment and say that they are just trying to scare us and that “they” (basically FEMA or some other government agency) would provide.  Personally, I thought they got a vaccine way too fast and the situation would actually be a lot worse than was portrayed. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.  – Energized

Greetings Mr. Rawles,
I am e-mailing you today because I disagree with the Tuesday (9/13) reviews of the movie “Contagion”.  I saw the movie and felt that it was a utter disappointment to anyone who thought they could use this movie to ether glean inspiration from, Learn from, or be used as a tool to warn others to prepare.  This movie failed on all three counts.  Indeed after the surprisingly utility of the movie, “The Road” I was hopeful that Hollywood had started to cater to our ilk. 

To counter the points made by the letters that spurred me to action, I will address the mistakes made by those in favor of the movie.  The first is Bill L.’s points on the witnessed events by the first character pointed out.  At each of these events there are real life examples on you tube that are far more accurate, and far less child friendly as the movie portrayed.  Indeed the perception given from this movie is that while looting is going on, you can calmly  walk into a grocery store, take what ever you want, and leave.  After all a simple shout is good enough to scare away the looters trying to steal your SUV parked around back.  

Bill later pointed out about Operational Security and the ransacking of the head of the CDC’s home.  Let me point out that in the movie these, “desperate people” did not hurt the wife, did not trash the place, and did nothing more than scare her while dirtying the place with scattered bits of paper and such.  Indeed this is another case of Hollywood trying to portray us as kooks by pointing out that should a pandemic happen, “Things won’t be that bad”

While Mama J. May have enjoyed the loose plot, multitude of characters, the constant reminders to wash your hands both verbally and pictorially with the constant pauses on places where people touch, and through a female character nagging male characters to stop touching their face and wash their hands.

I am not trying to be rude to Bill & Mama J, but this movie does more harm with no good, and should be avoided at all costs.

Kindly, – Braden A.

Economics and Investing:

Some serious gloom and doom from mainstream economic commentator Jim Jubak: Get ready for the next crash

Reader John R. sent several interesting items:

We’re All Greece – And On Fire – Karl Denninger

Europe Facts, Not Fiction: Usage Of ECB Deposit Facility Goes Parabolic, Sov CDS Wider Across The Board – Tyler Durden
 
The Last Haven Standing (Peter Schiff)

Items from The Economatrix:

Here We Go Again:  US to Breach “Transitory” Debt Ceiling on Monday

Gerald Celente Predicts “Winter of Discontent”

Here’s Why Greece Leaving the EU Could Cause Another Depression

Economy:  World Entering “Dangerous New Phase”

Waking Up to a Post-Growth Economy

Mortgage Rates Fall to 60-Year Low, But Few Qualify

Odds ‘n Sods:

Blackouts ahead? Texas’ power provider closing units over EPA rule. A tip of the hat to Marilyn R. for the link.)

   o o o

F.J. pointed me to this: Tiny Houses and Indoor Air Quality Part 1

   o o o

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) sent this : Wichita Police Score New Guns.

   o o o

Double-Murder Charges Dismissed Under Florida ‘Stand Your Ground’ Self-Defense Law. (Thanks to Steven in Texas for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

 “Our whole monetary system borrows prosperity from the future so that we can spend it today. When we do a bailout, we’re borrowing more prosperity out of the future just to prop up these zombie companies and zombie banks, and what that does is that all that prosperity is owed back just like our entire currency supply of the planet is all owed back plus interest. That means our prosperity is owed back plus interest.” – Mike Maloney

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.

Lessons in OPSEC: Hurricane Irene Versus Hurricane Isabel, by Gonzo

In 2003 I lived in what can only be described as “The Hood” when Hurricane Isabel arrived. Today I find myself in a middle class neighborhood for Irene. The difference between the two and how my neighbors are handling these semi-SHTF scenarios gives a very instructive view of operational security (OPSEC) and its effects.  These two hurricanes came ashore about the same place and the same strength, but its two different worlds I have seen the aftermaths effects on.

During Isabel I lived in one of the worst sections of Virginia Beach, the sort of place that other people who claimed they were from tough parts of town gave you a wide berth. I am talking deep Hood rat territory. In one year alone half of all murders in Virginia Beach happened within walking distance of my house. I used to tell people my mortgage was cheap, but I lost the savings in ammo costs.  I lived there for ten years and integrated with the local population to some extent and frankly, there are some things to learn from the Hood for all preppers.  The number one thing is that the Hood is one of the last places in America were the residents routinely live in a condition yellow environment.

This is the neighborhood where I first learned OPSEC without knowing what it was called. A good example of this was going to get some range time in. I knew intuitively that if I let it be known that I had a collection of guns in my home I would quickly become a target to every wannabe gang member on the street. So when range time came the guns went to the trunk of the car, not in nice hard cases or rifle socks, but in laundry bags and baskets. Few people had washing machines in this neighborhood. So the sight of people carrying laundry to their car to head to the laundromat was common. If I had something nice coming into the house, new DVD player, new television, etc, it came in the same way. You never left a product box whole and put it prominently in the trash, and never put a box out to the curb. You had to keep what you had hidden or someone would get the idea to take it.

This is our first big difference between Irene and Isabel.  If I wanted to I could go and brand shop a generator for my house right this minute. I just need to drive down any of my current neighborhood streets and look at the boxes at the curb. I could compare wattages and outputs. I can see the generator running right there in the driveway with a full can of gas right next to it all shiny and new.  The moment the power went out I knew who had a generator and who did not in less than 15 minutes. They are loud, out front, and proudly displayed.  Even better, there are no street lights and I can see all these people in their houses right now with the lights shining full blast, clearly marking which rooms are occupied and which are not. In suburbia what good is living in comfort if no one can see you living in comfort? During Isabel I did not hear a single generator in the six days that my neighborhood had no power.  To run one would have been bordering on suicide.

During Isabel no one showed off what they had. Maybe someone would bring a small cooler with a couple drinks outside, but that was all you saw. In my Irene neighborhood everyone has been out front on their grills all day cooking away and drinking their beer. A neighbor down the street has been having an after party of sorts. They have several large screen televisions setup in their garage and are watching the game while their generator runs and they cook out. They have several very large coolers filled with drinks they are dipping into. In my Isabel neighborhood you would have been overrun with a mini version of the golden horde as the neighborhood came around looking for a handout, and not taking kindly to you not sharing. 

This leads us to a second difference between Isabel and Irene. When the lights went out during Isabel, and the storm was past, the neighbors all went outside and formed groups.  These groups usually represented 5 or 6 houses worth of people gathering together.  In the strictest terms you could almost call these groups gangs, but in reality they were neighborhood watches. I was lucky that my next door neighbor was a lady by the name of Miss Wanda who had several teenage kids. Miss Wanda had been shot several times and grown up in the projects so I used her as a sort of mentor and a connector to the neighborhood grapevine.  We pulled several lawn chairs and benches into the yard between our homes and this became sort of a command center for our courts neighborhood watch. Once again I want to stress nothing here was planned; this was pure instinct of people who were used to dicey situations and knew that you had to keep an eye out. These were people, who would take every dime they could from the government, but did not trust their government and fully expected to be the last to receive any form of help. People talked and visited with each other, drank, and played music but you better believe every single person who traveled those streets was verified as needing to be there and was vouched for by someone else.  The neighborhood as a whole knew who should be there and people were strongly vetted.  

Have you ever been in a bad neighborhood and been frustrated by the groups of people walking slowly in the middle of the street who won’t seem to get out of your way? Thought they were just being disrespectful didn’t you. That’s not what was going on at all. You were being vetted. Your victim status was being evaluated, your profile was being noted, and your business was being judged. Only after all of these calculations are done will the group get out of your way, or rob you, or harass you. Once you have lived on a street for a while those groups won’t even slow you down, as you approach them at speed a gap will form and you can pass by, usually with a wave and a hello. New girlfriends would always complain about this at first when they came to visit. I would always tell them to give it a few weeks and these groups would learn they were supposed to be here and they would have no more problems. This is what happened every time and they would always comment on how right I was.  I should also mention here that you should never ask for directions. There is a reason that all the street signs are either spun 180 degrees or missing. If you don’t know that “X” Lane is the second street after the apartments then you probably don’t belong there. No one gave directions by street name, it was pointless, all directions where in the form of when to turn.

The teenage children worked as a system of runners between these groups. Again no one was designated as a runner, or overtly sent on this task. Simply information was passed as the natural flow of teenagers going to visit other teenagers happened. They would stop by and questions would be asked about other parts of the neighborhood, who was home, who had what, all very casual and noted. I found out things like Meatball’s sister with her three stomachs was mad because all the ice cream was melted ( I laughed so hard at this description at the time that I literally went down to one knee), who had hot water still and who didn’t, who had ice, etc. This news service was far more informative than the radio and television with their shrill hysteria. It was immediate and direct and concerned my local area. I even found out regional events on a very timely basis, like were the local FEMA depots were and what they were giving out, that there would be extra welfare checks for people who lost food because of the storm at this time and place, All of this beating the local news by several hours at the minimum.

Contrasting this with the aftermath of Irene and I get some disturbing changes. My neighbors throughout the day have been forming there little local cliques and then breaking up again, but are definitely not inclusive. Most disturbing is what I saw this night. No one is outside. Everyone is inside their homes, with the light they have plugged into their generators blasting out. They are running window unit air conditioners and have the windows closed. Meanwhile their generators are making such a racket outside I could literally run a tank platoon down my street and they would have no idea. If my Isabel neighbors decided to launch a raid to get supplies my Irene neighbors would be wiped out completely one house at a time. No one is talking, no one is coordinating. My neighbors have been kind, they have offered me lights, seeing my house is not lit up like a Christmas tree, and I can feel their pity because I do not have a generator. What they do not seem to realize is that I am doing these things by choice. My efforts at education have been rebuffed as to hard.  

If I had a chance these are the tips I would share with them, so I give them to you fellow preppers. 

  1. When a storm is coming you need to protect your windows. If you have a window break not only will you have glass flying but the structural integrity of your building is now compromised. The water getting in is the least of your worries. The wind having access below the roof can create a suction effect that will lift it off. You have to keep the wind going over your home, not into it, so it pushes down on the roof; it is very easy to create a lift effect not unlike a plane’s wing if you lose too many windows. At the minimum you should do is tape your windows. There is a lot of argument pro and con on this, but having lived through a lot of hurricanes I urge you to tape. Tape is not going to stop your neighbor’s garden gnome coming through the window at 100 MPH but what it does is give the glass more tensile strength against the windows pressure of the wind blowing on it. Also if you have double pane glass then for goodness sake tape both sides!
  2. Cover your windows if you can. The best is storm shutters, but these are actually hard to come by at this point. The next best thing is plywood. ½ inch will give you strength, but something as thin as veneer sheets will get the job done. All you want is a standoff between the windows and the windblown objects.  We are trying to avoid breakage. If you use plywood the urge to cut it into neat little sections should be avoided. At most, if you can, cut sheets in half for smaller windows. The reason for this is that after the storm large sheets can be used for repairs.  Only if the half sheets are going to offer too much edge to the wind and are not flush to the house should they be trimmed to fit.
  3. Make sure you pull all objects in your yard into a garage or they are tied down. This includes garbage cans and furniture. A storm can throw just about anything around. The time to move this stuff is not in 50 mile an hour winds. I was treated to the very amusing sight of my neighbors in the middle of the storm chasing their garbage cans down the street and all the empty beer cans spilling out of them. Bring it in or tie it down is the name of the game.
  4. Only use as much light as you need. During Irene I developed and tested a new system for lighting I like a lot. I bought some fake tea lights before the storm. These are the kind restaurants are using in place of candles these days.  They last for 60 hours off one battery and are about a dollar each. I placed these in each room I needed to navigate and they gave off enough light to find the fridge or the potty, which is all you really need, but gave almost zero light out the windows.  Next to each tea light I also set a flashlight or something similar. If I needed more light it was at hand, but most of the time I did not. The only thing I did not have that I have had before and missed has a light on a headband. In a lights out situation these are wonderful. It like having all the lights on because everywhere you look, magically it is lit up. They are excellent to read with.
  5. Prioritize using resources. You should make a list of what to use first. For this hurricane I had lots of neat gadgets designed to bug out with I never touched. I had a propane cylinder lamp and stove for example that are still in their boxes. The reason for this is I had charcoal and my tea lamps. I could not move the charcoal if I had to leave, so I used that first. I did not need the lamps light, so again it is still in reserve. My cases of MREs are still sealed because I was still going through my fridge when the power came on. Eat the items that will go bad first as the fridge heats up.
  6. Plan for long term usage of built in resources.  When wife and I heard the hurricane was coming we started making ice. We filled plastic coffee cans half full with water and froze them, we kept making ice cubes and putting them in bags until the freezer was full of ice. Then, when the power went out, we transferred some over to the refrigerator side.  I am happy to say that after two days my fridge was still at the same temperature it was when the power went out and I still had cold drinks.  The same thought went into my water heater.  I installed an 80 gallon tank in my house for this situation. During Isabel I had at least luke warm water for 6 days off of a 40 gallon heater, this time I had hot water for the duration of the outage. If I had gotten a message that tap water was contaminated I could have shutoff the valve to the heater and had 80 gallons on tap as needed. This storage capacity is the number one reason I will never have a tankless water heater in my home. I also had the ice for water and I filled all tubs with water before the storm to make sure I had plenty of clean water on hand in addition to my emergency stores bladders I had bought for SHTF scenarios.
  7. Your car is a generator and a cold room. After a hurricane it gets very humid and hot. You will be doing physical exercise clearing debris in uncomfortable temperatures and heat related illness is possible. Start your car and run the AC and cool off while you have no power. It is quick and not obvious. Make sure if you do, you maximize the gas usage by charging all your battery-operated devices. An inverter is great for this. I have one that plugs into my cigarette lighter. [JWR Adds: As I’ve mentioned before in SurvivalBlog, direct DC-to-DC battery chargers (available from RV accessory vendors such as Camping World) are much more efficient that using a DC-to-AC Inverter to in turn operate an AC-to DC battery charger!] Make sure the tank is full before the storm and this method can last for a long time. 

Finally I want to mention the only item I did not have I wished I did. I wanted a kayak or something similar as a final backup. We had record flooding for Irene.  At one point I could have literally launched a kayak off my front porch and not stopped paddling until I reached England. Some form of ultra-stable boating device would have given me that extra sliver of peace of mind that if the flooding got too bad, I could still leave. I would have also liked some solar panel recharging devices and these have now moved up rather sharply on my too buy list.    
     
With the steps I outlined for you I could have held on in my home for at least a week comfortably. After a week I might have started to dip into my long term stores.  With my on hand emergency supplies I could have gone months more, but I like the fact that with a just a little operational security and forethought I built a buffer to keep me from consuming my emergency supplies. Rings of security are a great thing, if you keep quiet about them and don’t advertise them with a blatant display of consumption.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to hold out the welfare queens, whores, and drug dealers I used to rub elbows with as examples to be emulated. I do think though that when everyone is suddenly thrust to the edges of society, it is a good idea to steal a page or two from the people who have always been there.  Wherever you are today Miss Wanda I hope you are happy and doing fine because I am. Your Stickman learned his lessons well.

Two Letters Re: Skip Watching The Movie “Contagion”

Mr. Rawles,
I’d like to offer a different review of “Contagion” from the one posted by Matt H. First off, I don’t believe it would be wise to look for serious survival information in any [Hollywood] movie. We are talking about Hollyweird after all. Nevertheless there were parts of the film that examined what would happen in such a widespread crisis. One character alone witnessed a home invasion, looted businesses, sealed state borders and a local food riot. Another character, a health care professional, was kidnapped and held for a ransom of vaccine. A woman was trampled by stampeding people turned away in a pharmacy line. Then there was the CDC doctor’s wife who was attacked in her own home. The desperate home invaders did some homework and found out where the medical insider lived and assumed he had vaccine. In others words, a personal OPSEC failure. Aren’t these relevant issues we as preppers discuss on a regular basis?

Beyond that I also disagree with the statement that the film drones on and on. Far from it in my opinion. I found it quite tense as the characters scrambled against time, conflicting national interests, criminals and even a self-centered conspiracy blogger in the desperate  battle against a previously unknown virus. People are dying by the millions and there is no end in sight through most of the movie. I personally found it more frightening than any horror flick simply because the story is so plausible. In short I wholly recommend “Contagion” as a good way to spend a couple hours. Just don’t forget your hand sanitizer. Sincerely, – Bill L.

 

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I rarely  disagree with anything posted on your blog, but I must disagree with Matt H. and his review of the movie “Contagion”. My husband and I have been serious preppers for over 10 years and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The filming was fantastic. The actors wonderful. We enjoyed the plot and the multiple characters were not hard for us to follow at all. We found the scientific research and the process of tracking a deadly virus to be interesting. My husband reached out for my hand and gave me a wink as we sat in the theatre and were reassured that we would be sufficiently prepared for a year long social distancing scenario. I thought it was odd that the cell phones and [grid] electricity were still operational. But, hey, it’s a movie. And wouldn’t it be nice to have communication and power if you are required to spend an extended amount of time with cranky kids? – Mama J.

Letter Re: Bed Bunker Gun Vaults

Jim,
The Bed Bunker gun vaults that you just reviewed can exceed the structural capabilities of most standard wood frame houses. By the time you combine the weights of a king or queen size safe, two adults, the mattress, the bed frame, the linens, and the contents of the safe, you could very quickly exceed one ton of weight or ~60 pounds per square foot for a queen bed (add another 10 to 14 pounds per square foot for the structure of the building). Most wood frame construction is designed for 40 pounds per square foot and allows for 25 to 30 pounds per square foot of room contents. The size, spacing, and unsupported length of the floor joists have a major impact on the strength of the structure. The Bed Bunker assembly could be 175%+ of the design limits – this could be extremely dangerous to install on second floors (where most bedrooms are located), especially in areas where earthquakes are a concern, unless the structure has been reinforced. – Dr. Richard

JWR Replies: As reader Jim in Montana e-mailed me to mention, Bed Bunker vaults actually put far less stress on a floor than a traditional upright gun vault. With a traditional safe, the “footprint” is only 1/3 the size, so the load per square foot is three times as great. He also said that he was told by the company’s management that the Bed Bunker puts less of a load on a floor per square foot than a water bed or a full-size refrigerator. And, as reader Steve C. wrote me to point out, the Bed Bunker gun vaults do not rest on the bed frame but sit on the floor. The bed frame fits around the vault not on the bed. And if you put the vault directly on the floor without the screw-in legs, then the weight is very evenly distributed. Granted, even that might be too much for under-engineered (not up to code) floors, especially if you fill one of these vaults with ammunition. So if you have any doubts about shoddy house construction, then please consult a structural engineer before buying any type of gun safe, from any maker. But the bottom line is that a horizontal safe such as a Bed Bunker puts the least stress on a floor, and has the least likelihood of exceeding a home’s structural capabilities.