Thinking About Weapons, by Jon W.

“Just think–it may be a new experience.”  For many of us “just thinking” may indeed be a new experience if it means making TEOTWAWKI survival choices purposefully and rationally,  We need to apply that quote and really think before deciding what and how much to buy as part of our survival plan. This is especially true when it comes to choosing firearms because they are our primary survival weapons.

Calm and logical thought processes are vital to selecting tools key to surviving in an “end of the world as we know it” scenario.  But the advice many give about selecting firearms seems to suggest shortsighted, poorly researched decision-making processes that waste resources.  Sometimes I am amazed and even dismayed by some of the choices “preppers” make about the type, quality, and quantity of their weapons.

In general, prepping for survival presents us with the worst possible dilemma:  Having to prepare for the unknown.  We don’t know exactly what a crisis is going to be, when it will happen, how serious it will be, or how long it will last.  Nevertheless we must prepare.  The old saw goes that we should “prepare for the worst and hope (pray) for the best.”

This tool, of all the of  thousands of weapons available in America today, should be the one most capable of providing a reliable, effective, general purpose weapon that will put meat on the table and prevent the survivalist–and those who depend on him from becoming . . . meat on the table.  You need a force multiplier, the one weapon you will grab when SHTF time comes to help you survive for however long and through whatever happens.  

And you must be able to feed it, clean it, and fix it, for however long the storm lasts.  

This is the gun you will grab from the ready rack when the alarm sounds that “Charlie is in the wire!”  This is not choosing what tie to wear to work today.   It is not “Oh my!  We are under attack.  Let’s see, what shall it be today, my AK has a lovely camouflage paint job that matches my Cabela’s camouflage jump suit, but my AR-7 .22 is so much lighter and convenient to carry.  Decisions, decisions.”  We are talking about having a weapon and web gear loaded and ready for instant action to defend your life. 

There is no “perfect” weapon that will do everything for everyone in every situation.  Is that Mosin-Nagant really your first choice?  If not, what are you doing with it?

It would be wonderful if someone invented a gun that can knock an elephant down every time with one shot but has no recoil.  How about a gun that has a hundred round magazine, but weighs just ounces.  A gun small enough to conceal but with thousand yard match accuracy and costing less than a hundred dollars.  It just ain’t hapnin’ any time soon.  So whatever weapon you choose is going to be a compromise. This compromise should be based upon your well thought out and researched evaluation of all of your perceived conditions of use.  

There are several factors to be considered.   They include but are not limited to the following:   Who will be using the gun?  There is no doubt that the Smith & Wesson .500 Magnum is a quality and formidable weapon, but it probably isn’t an ideal choice for the average sixteen year old girl.  Where will the weapon be used?  Your weapon choices might differ depending on locale, an urban setting versus a desert or mountainous region, and so on.     

A “lone wolf” with no dependents to worry about may make choices without considering their effect on anyone else.  If, however, you are a member of a group or family unit then there are several things to consider that may influence your decision.  

In a group situation (as pointed out in the novel “Patriots”) selecting a single weapons platform that everyone carries has distinct advantages. Having all weapons fire the same ammunition, use the same magazines, share the same operating system, and use the same spare parts simplifies logistics, training, and support functions.  So the weapon of choice should be one everyone in the group will be able to manage and accurately fire down range.  Remember, every weapon put on the line can be a force multiplier that may mean the difference between life and death for members of your group.  

The ability to carry substantial quantities of ammunition is an obvious plus, as there is no telling when you will be able to restock.  Thirty round magazines are a very good thing.  There is no greater pucker factor in combat than realizing your weapon is between “empty and walk” and you now have to disengage long enough to reload. The fewer number times you are forced to reload the better, and that means carrying more rounds.  

The .308/7.62×51 is a great round but twice the weight of a .223/5.56, so for the same weight allocation, with the former you can only carry half as many rounds. The 12 Gauge round, for example, is heavy, bulky, and decidedly short on range.  Close in the 12 Gauge is a real stopper, but if the zombies are in range, so are you!  I personally don’t plan on letting anyone get within shotgun range in a SHTF situation.   Not when there is a better choice.

The 5.56 is powerful enough for both thin-skinned game and defense and pound for pound arguably provides the best bang for your buck. I simply don’t understand how or why someone could logically choose any weapon platform over the AR for defense, at least not here in the United States.  I would no doubt choose an AK if I lived in the former U.S.S.R., but I don’t.  

More than twelve million ARs are in civilian hands in the United States.  This doesn’t count those held by law enforcement, the National Guard or Army Reserve, and the active military.  There is more .223/5.56 ammunition in this country that any other caliber except .22 Long Rifle.  There are more spare parts, more accessories and more people trained specifically on the AR platform than on any other weapon.  

Buying anything other than an AR platform weapons system in the U.S. would be like buying Nitrous Oxide-assisted powered Lamborghini while living in Alaska.  It will look cool, until the snow falls, but where are you going to get fuel, where do you find parts, and who’s going to work on it?

The concept of a “survival arsenal” completely escapes me.  I like guns, I have lots of guns, but they are not all part of my survival plans.  Most of them will go into a hole until “normal” returns.  In a SHTF situation I can’t imagine having enough time to deal with all of those guns?   If they are not already in a hole they are going to be left behind for the bad guys.  Understand that in a true SHTF, “end of the world as we know it” situation, you are going to be “married” to your survival weapon 24/7. Get caught without it and you may not get another chance.  Under what circumstances are you planning on putting down that nasty old AR or AK with the thirty round magazine and picking up your trusty Mosin-Nagant tent peg?  I believe in charity and having good trading material could provide a way of filling in holes in your prepping inventory, but is it really a good idea to trade weapons and ammunition that could be used to kill you and yours, to people who didn’t even have the common sense to buy a weapon before the SHTF? 

This concept of a “survival arsenal” seems to have started in the 1970s with [Mel Tappan,] one of the early “survivalist” writers. He was a stock broker who (to the best of my knowledge) never fired a shot in anger, retired to Oregon and then wrote a book.  I am no doubt committing some kind of sacrilege by criticizing this guy as he seems to be revered by most as some kind of Grand Poobah Guru of “survivalism,” but I just don’t think the guy had a clue.  He seems to have made this stuff up as he went along with no thought to the consequences of what he was advising.  

The lists of suggested firearms in his book are wonderful for a gun dealer’s retirement plan but a terrible waste of money, and almost unmanageable for a survivalist.  He points out (correctly) that you must store sufficient amounts of ammunition, and spare parts for each gun.  Then in his examples of “actual batteries I have helped clients to select” he recommends a survival battery for a couple (that’s two people) in their late thirties consisting of fifteen (15) different types of ammunition and thirty seven (37) different makes and models of firearms.  

The point here is that we are preparing for a worst case scenario where we may be forced to abandon everything we own except what we can carry. We are not opening a sporting goods store, and this is not a contest to see who can accumulate the most stuff.  How are you going to transport all of those guns, all of that ammunition and all of those spare parts in a “bug out”?  It would be an interesting exercise to figure out how much all those guns and the spare parts and just one thousand rounds of ammunition for each would weigh and cost in today’s dollars.  

If you really want an “extra” gun or are buying for friends or relatives who may show up, then buy another AR or whatever the rest of the group is carrying, and stock ammo and parts for it. Most of us have a limited income and are hard pressed to come up with the money for daily living costs while at the same time we try adding to our store of backup supplies   I have lots of stuff I really need to do more than trying to find and buy parts and ammunition for thirty seven different guns that I don’t need, can’t use, can’t bug out with, and don’t want to trade into the hands of morons who weren’t smart enough to buy their own when they had the chance.  Just a side note here, one of the “recommended” guns for this “survival battery” was a Perazzi over and under shotgun.  Are you kidding me?

If you had this “ideal” battery and were in the middle of a SHTF situation and decided to go hunting, would you leave your defensive gun at your retreat and take your bolt action scoped hunting rifle along?  What if you ran into a flock of Ducks? I guess we need to take along a shotgun too, just in case.  How many rounds of ammunition do you carry for these guns?  And what happens when while out hunting you are confronted by a group of aggressors?  Your force multiplier is at home in the rack and you are armed with what amounts to a single shot rifle and a shotgun with birdshot.  

Or do you pack your battle rifle and full combat load of ammunition, your scoped hunting rifle, and your shotgun along.  Then you use one of them to shoot a deer. Now you have 150 lbs of meat, three guns, and all but one round of ammunition to haul back to camp.  Sounds like fun to me.      

Everything you choose to carry with you in a bug out is a compromise.  It would be nice if we could each carry ten guns, twenty gallons of water, thousands of rounds of ammunition and food for a month, but unless you plan on bringing your pet elephant along to share the load, you are just going to have to make some, logical, tough, informed, well thought out choices.  

(Note; If I lived in big Bear country I might carry a slug or buckshot loaded shotgun. One of us will definitely be carrying a “stewpot gun”–say, a Ruger .22 pistol–for small game.)  

An example of choices to be make and another one of my unfathomables is some people’s fascination with handguns.  I have a Springfield Armory XD in .45 ACP, great gun.  However, the gun, plus forty rounds of ammunition in three magazines, magazine pouch, and a holster weighs four and one half pounds.  

Now, I can choose to carry that handgun or, for the same 4-½ pounds of weight, I can carry one hundred and seventy-five (175) extra rounds for my AR.  That’s either forty rounds of .45 ACP or 175 rounds of Green Tip Steel Core 5.56mm going down range. The same holds true for my wife’s AR, and the ARs of my two sons.  For those of you not keeping track that’s a total of seven hundred (700) extra rounds between the four of us in addition to our basic combat load in magazines versus a total of one hundred sixty rounds of pistol ammo.  Or better yet, eighteen pounds (18 lbs.) of whatever we want.  Can you say, “Duh?”

The bottom line here is to analyze your situation, research the weapons offered on the market today, read SurvivalBlog and any other legitimate source you can find, talk to “experts,” then buy the one weapon that you feel is the best tool, of the best quality, that you can afford.  Then buy all the ammunition, and spare parts you think you will ever need to keep it running, and perhaps even some lightweight accessories you might want to make your weapon truly “yours.”  

Learn to shoot it, clean it, and repair it until you know it like your own body. And then pray.

JWR’s Comments: The logic that you’ve employed is a bit fuzzy. To clarify a key point: Having different guns for different tasks does indeed make sense at home or at a fixed retreat. That is what Tappan was advocating. In his book Survival Guns, Tappan was not addressing “Bug Out ” situations. He was primarily explaining gun selection for fixed retreats. G.O.O.D. situation would give a completely different complexion , because of weight and space constraints. Only in situations where budget or transportability are overriding concerns is it crucial to simplify to just few guns or just one gun.

It is also noteworthy that Mel Tappan’s detailed “battery” recommendations in many cases were based on adjusting the lists of guns that his consulting clients already owned. Many of Tappan’s clients were wealthy. That explains the reference to the Perazzi shotgun.

There is indeed a temptation by gun enthusiasts to buy more guns than needed. And that is often at the expense of other very important preparations. (Food, fuel, commo gear, medical gear, et cetera.) That sort of over-indulgence is a mistake. But to over-simplify is also a mistake. An AR-15 is not the answer to every self defense and hunting situation and circumstance. As someone who lives in Grizzly Bear country, I can state forthrightly that reliance on just a cartridge that was originally designed for varmint hunting would be foolhardy. (This echoes a statement in your e-mail.) In sum, balance is key to preparedness.

Every family needs to tailor their firearms selections based upon their budget, their terrain, their local fauna, and the sorts of personal security risks that they envision for their locale. A family firearms battery for someone living on a rural ranch in the northern Great Plains would be substantially different than for someone living in a forested Eastern suburb. Concealability is also an issue for many folks, especially those living in areas where open carry is either restricted or where it is simply uncommon.

I will be addressing these issues in a book that I’m presently writing: Rawles on Guns and Other Tools for Self-sufficiency. I hope to complete that book in about 18 months.

Letter Re: U.S. Air Force Final Phase Out of BDU Uniforms

Jim,
Woodland pattern battle dress uniforms (BDUs) were phased out by the Army years ago, but the U.S. Air Force has allowed their personnel to wear them longer, even as they transitioned to other camo pattern uniforms.  Final BDU phase out for the Air Force is reported to be November 1st, 2011, so the availability of this used gear will continue to taper off, even in base thrift stores. 

Note that with two forms of identification, most Americans can access a base to visit a thrift store.  Military base thrift stores are usually operated as private, charitable organizations and have limited hours and days. – W.J.

Economics and Investing:

Chris Martenson: The Economy Is on The Ropes and Going Down–We are down to the wire in terms of time to prepare

Miek F. flagged this bit of Agenda 21-style nuttery: Gas Tax Should Yield to Mile Fee as Cars Evolve: James M. Whitty

Items from The Economatrix:

Tightening The Noose:  France Bans Cash Sales of Silver & Gold Over $600

Wall-Street Protestors:  Over-educated, Under-employed, Angry

Geithner Plan For Europe Last Chance For Catastrophe

Consumer Confidence Remains Weak In September

Stocks Rise For Third Day On Optimism About Europe

Odds ‘n Sods:

Once again, the American Redoubt shines, as a safe place to live: Firearm-related crimes interactive map.

   o o o

S.D. sent: Meet the Zetros: Apocalypse-Ready Motorhome

   o o o

Reader C.K. wrote to mention an illuminating article about the Red Dawn remake controversy: Libertas Sees the ‘Uncensored’ Version of MGM’s New Red Dawn

   o o o

G.G. was the first of several readers to send this: As Federal Crime List Grows, Threshold of Guilt Declines

   o o o

The Federal Reserve Plans to Identify “Key Bloggers” and Monitor Billions of Conversations. So not only does the NSA (a government agency) keep tabs on bloggers, but so will a new intelligence arm of a private banking cartel? Charming. (A tip of the hat to B.B. for the link.) OBTW, please don’t write me to claim that the Federal Reserve is an agency of the government. It isn’t. Ben Bernanke’s Band of Fools is no more “Federal” than Federal Express (FedEx) or Federal Cartridge Company.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Waking up at the start of the end of the world,
But it’s feeling just like every other morning before,
Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it’s gone,
The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour
And I started staring at the passengers who’re waving goodbye
Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?

I believe the world is burning to the ground
Oh well I guess we’re gonna find out
Let’s see how far we’ve come
Let’s see how far we’ve come

Well I believe it all is coming to an end
Oh well, I guess, we’re gonna pretend,
Let’s see how far we’ve come
Let’s see how far we’ve come.”

– Matchbox 20, Let’s See How Far We’ve Come. (Lyrics by Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Kyle Cook, and Brian Yale.)

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. Note there now isn’t room to post articles received in the last few days of the contest, so any received after today will be “rolled over”, for posting in the next round.

The Ice Walking Survival Stick, by Carmen G.

As we start to age, we have to compensate for arthritic knee joints, arthritis, and the inability to balance oneself on level ground, never mind walking on a wooded trail.  When finding myself in the situation of not being able to work as a Building Inspector, I decided to do something about it.  My problem was not being able to walk on uneven or ice-covered ground in order to inspect construction sites.  Those sites were the equivalent of an Appalachian trail minus the view in my mind.  My solution was to use a broken rake handle and insert a Philips head screwdriver with the handle ground down to fit into the hollow end of the handle,  thus presenting me with a pointed tip that resembled a very large ice pick with a five-foot long handle.  The tip was ground to an extremely sharp point and protruded out six inches from the bottom of the handle.  The idea was simple hold the stick with the point on the ice and walk by holding onto the slip proof staff.  The making of the ice stick just morphed into a great home project, by using materials that were just lying around the workshop looking for the right application.  By using material, that I had stored in the shop made my wife feel   like I was finally going to get rid of my stuff taking up room.  Her idea was that I would be making more room for her stuff in my space.  Ha , Ha! Thanks to many survival readers’ ideas and letters to survival blogs,   I was able to build new stuff out of old stuff and just wound up with different   stuff.  When   the last two major storms hit, my stuff proved necessary and practical: my wife has been quiet about that.  (I still check   the   trash cans for my stuff).  I do not expect that to last long but I believe I will survive her encroachment of her replacing her stuff where mine used to be.  By my warped thinking, she is investing her surplus stuff for use on my survival projects.

I started the ice stick by gathering the materials and finding the required hand tools under mountains of   hardware saved over the years.  All of the items were going to be projects someday and this was the day.  The first thing I picked up was a broken fiberglass rake handle that was cut off square at the bottom where the steel rake used to be.  The top already had a black plastic rubber handgrip on the end.  The length was ideal approximately 5’ long and the 1 ¼” diameter staff was made for the hand and it was strong enough to support my weight while leaning on it. 

In one survival handbook that I came across was a sketch of two Ice picks with the wood handles drilled through to attach corded loops.  This was done so that a gloved hand could slide through, grip the handles, and prevent the dropping of or losing the picks.  The purpose of the picks was to save yourself if you fell through thin ice and you could pull yourself out.  In addition to this, if you fell on the ice you were to lie flat (spread eagle) and by using the picks pull your way onto thicker ice.  With this in mind,  I decided to do the same thing with the walking stick.  Keep me upright in snow and on ice and having the ability to reach unto to the ice to test it.  The pick evolved into a large Philips head screwdriver, modified to serve this purpose.  Modifying the screwdriver was simple with a side grinder and a coarse sanding disk.  Take the screwdriver handle and sand the outer surface until it fits snugly into the bottom of the handle.  The next step was to drill through the fiberglass and plastic screwdriver handle (above the steel imbedded in the plastic) and through to the other side.  Then turn the handle until you are able to drill another hole an inch above the first one, then repeat the drilling again in the opposite direction.  After removing the burrs, push through each hole a 1/4″ stove bolt with a washer between the bolt head and the pipe.  When the bolt comes through the other side, complete  the connections  by capping each bolt with another washer, lock washer, and bolt cap.  For the top of the newly created “Ice Walking Stick”, I secured a Para cord wrap with a hand loop, enabling the user  to  grasp the stick with a gloved hand and not drop it on the ground or in the snow.  The idea was also to be able to reverse the pick end to a rounded plastic screwdriver handle for non- icy days.  

I was very happy with my walking stick and it had served me very well until I joined Mr. Charlie Richie’s family of survivalists and became a fan of Richie’s magazine, “The Backwoodsman”.  A month after I emailed my Ice walking stick illustration to one of my favorite web sites,  I picked up “The Backwoodsman Volume 32 No. 3, May / June issue.  On page 53, you will find the article “The Survival Walking Staff” by Raul Limon.  This article was the survival staff, minus the “Carmen Touches.”  After reading the article, I realized that we have been walking around in the woods for years.  I am just catching up to those who used hiking sticks since man walked this world almost erect.  With that new insight from Charlie Richie on how can we improve if possible on what has already been proven to work through trial and error?
 
As I have enjoyed reading and mentally experimenting with the ideas presented to everyone from all of the subscribers, members, and bloggers (who are genuinely open friendly and sharing).  I wanted to present to them my version of the Ice Walking Stick and ideas for the survival kit.  Therefore, after reading the article it was time to reinvent the wheel or the stick in this case.

The second version of the walking stick that I created was an ice stick with all the survival necessities to protect you in an emergency bivouac in a 1-1/2″ diameter PVC pipe, with the ice pick at one end, and a screw cap at the other end, with everything else inside the waterproof stick.

I have taken ideas from every issue of Charlie Riche’s magazine and any information presented from the following sites:
BackwoodsmanMag.com, TacticalIntelligence.net, Jack@survivalpodcast.com , Joel@surivalcashe.com , and ErichJeckel@gmail.com, TheSurvivalMom.com, TheEpicenter.com, OffgridSurvival.com, Les Stroud and Bear Gryllis DVDs as well as many military handbooks, outdoor survival manuals.  

By taking, the concepts presented,  in each article I built onto the idea and added my new enhancements, hence the term “what is old is new again”, but with a twist.

The stick was assembled with off-the-shelf PVC pipe, fittings, glue, and miscellaneous hardware items. 

The material list for my first generation stick is as follows:
·        1 ½” dia. 5’ – 0” long  schedule  40 PVC pipe
·        1 ½” PVC  female cap socket joint
·        1 ½” PVC  socket female x threaded adapter
·        1 ½” PVC   threaded cleanout plug
·        One Philips head 3/8” diameter steel shaft x 6” long with a plastic handle (clear plastic preferred to be able to see the steel shaft imbedded in the handle).
·        (2)  ¼” dia.  x 2 ½” lg. stove bolts
·        (4) ¼” washers
·        (2) ¼” lock washers
·        (2) ¼” bolt caps
·        1 small can of PVC solvent and glue
·        A dust mask when cutting or grinding the plastics
·         Safety glasses for cutting, grinding and drilling
·        SS machine screw 1” long with a two (2) washers and  a nut
·        Duct tape (heavy duty plastic coated recommended)
 
To start the stick, work with the screwdriver   first, using a side grinder with an abrasive sanding disk to round off the screwdriver handle.  The handle should fit snugly into the bottom of the pipe.  Insert the handle until the beginning of the screwdriver is flush with the bottom of the pipe. Set the pipe on a vise to hold it in place for drilling.  Mark on the outside of the pipe where the steel shaft lies within the handle before drilling.  Knowing were the end of the pipe is drill about a half inch clear of the shaft a 5/16” diameter hole through the assembly.  Rotate the pipe a full 90 degrees and drill another hole about  ¾” above the last hole working toward the top of the pipe.  You should have the holes running North and South and East and West. The screwdriver handle can  be switched   from the ice pick end to the rounded screwdriver handle end by just reversing the position of the driver.  The bolts will secure the driver in either position for ice, road, and or sidewalk as needed.  Install the stove bolts washers and nuts to the pipe. 

Take the PVC cap and drill a hole directly through the center of the top of the cap.  Use a drill bit the same diameter as the screwdriver, then push the cap onto the tip and up an onto the pipe end.  This will close off the bottom of the pipe and keep moisture out from snow or water from creek crossings.  I thought of gluing this cap, on but that would mean always having the pick end out and not being able to change to the blunt tip.  I glued the pipe cleanout fitting on the  top of the pipe and then screwed the threaded male plug  (hex head) into the cleanout.  To keep from losing the plug on the ground run a metal screw through the plug with glue on the screw threads, and place the washer and nut on tight to the underside of the plug.  The screw head extended above the cap about a half inch with a fender washer to hold a cord attached to the plug and was then tied off to the hand loop to keep from losing the plug.  On a cold day, I would not want to look for the cap if it drops into the snow.  For extra cordage run a length of parachute  cord around the pipe and duct tape the ends only under a few turns of about  of duct tape.  This also forms a grip and tie off for the hand loop.  The hand loop should be large enough to slide a gloved hand through the loop.

The fun part was filling the newly-hollowed pipe with skinny survival gear that fit into the pipe cavity and could slide in or out quickly. My shoulder pack is my extended stay bag and contains full size back up gear and more.  Remember that anonymous famous saying that “One is none routine”, and of course my favorite: “It is better to have it and not use it rather than to need it and not have it”.  The meaning has changed substantially from its original meaning, I think.  With this in mind, my walking stick serves more than one purpose other than assisting me while walking on snow, ice or rough terrain.  The stick provides a feeling of confidence that should a problem arise you have assistance available and at hand.

The contents ‘of the Ice Stick is as listed below
·        ¾” copper pipe nipple about 3” long  with caps at each end just pushed on the ends containing waterproof matches
·        Rolled up  cotton pads soaked in paraffin wax (fire starter) (Note: Makeup remover round cotton pads split open, filled with Vaseline, closed shut then dipped in wax to seal.)
·        Round plastic  propane and flint lighter
·        Wax coated cotton  tipped sticks (short double ended homemade mini torches) (Note: Mini torch consists of cotton tipped swab with a paper stick with both ends dipped and coated with candle wax. When lit is lit has a very bright light and last about five minutes of intense heat.)
·        Fishing line and small hooks in a small plastic container
·        Swiss small army knife
·        Reciprocating saw blades metal and wood
·        Small plastic bottle with four days worth of  meds inside
·        Steel and flint fire starter combo
·        ¼” triangular style 6” long metal file
·        Small led flashlight and extra  AAA  batteries
·        Steel 30 # leaders with swivels for constructing snares/ fishing
·        Small bottle of liquid type bandage
·        Sewing tube with nylon  braided line and large  needles
·        9 volt battery for igniting steel wool
·        Rolled up steel wool in plastic wrap
 
When you carry the walking stick, you can provide more room in your bug out bag.  The shoulder bag provides the shelter, food, ammo, cleaning kit, axe, saw, field first aid kit, and basic specialty knives.
 
Your imagination will run away with different packing items and uses for the stick. Enjoy and be safe.

Vision Preps for Disasters, by Josh D. in Georgia

As anyone who makes preparations for the survival of themselves and their family knows the number of things you have to take into account when planning is truly vast and can be overwhelming at times. Food storage, reusable resources, home defense, and do-it-yourself medical care are just a few of the things that must be researched, prepared, and enacted to ensure that you are safe and ready for whatever may come. The number of articles giving advice and urging action are equally numerous throughout dozens of blogs, web sites and books. Within all of this however I have seen almost no Information on preparing for something that is essential to almost 60 percent of the American public, Prescription Corrective lens. This really shocked me as it seemed like an item that would be on the forefront of anyone who uses glasses mind, given the level of helplessness that would arise without the corrective lens we rely on.

Glasses are used by a large percentage of people on a daily basis for the essential task of granting usable vision. Anyone who wears glasses will understand exactly how important they are to effectively any activity. I myself am nearsighted, without my glasses I legally cannot drive, without my glasses I am effectively helpless, unable to see more than 3-4 feet in front of me in any usable way. In our current society that’s not a problem, Contacts, Lasik vision surgery, and old-fashioned prescription lens give people like myself the ability to see at almost 20/20 vision with a short examination and a wait of a few days for your lens to be delivered, granting you full functionality as a member of society. Now picture a broken world, roads badly maintained, little to no trade or contact with anyone more than a few miles away, and 0, that’s right 0, access to the specialized equipment and even more specialized skills needed to manufacture prescription glasses. Imagine trying to effectively forage for food and resources while unable to see more than a few feet away from you, or if far-sighted without any close up focus, this takes a situation already extremely difficult and turns it into one where you have little chance of independent survival, and worse in many perspectives, can find yourself a burden to those who love you. Taking this problem, something with such a widespread applicability, as lightly as many people do is simply unimaginable. To truly drive home how dangerous this is and how crippling it can be, think on what could happen if your attacked by unknown people, its late at night your glasses are on the table next to you but in the dark you can’t find them, you grab your home defense weapon, always kept ready and loaded and run to see what’s wrong, as you reach the door  you come to a horrible realization, without your glasses you can’t distinguish between your children, your wife, your mother, your father, and whoever it is that has penetrated your defenses, now you are truly helpless, unable to use your carefully prepared and lovingly cared for weapon to protect your family for fear of hurting that very family.

Considering the gravity of this problem the solutions are actually fairly simple to enact and can lead to either a complete resolution or at the very least the reduction of the problem to negligible risk. There are three main things that can be used to nullify this problem, Lasik, Glasses, and contact lens, each of which has their own pros and cons
Lasik is overall the best option as it is a permanent solution to the problem, and completely removes the risk associated with. The procedure has become easy, quick to perform and easy to heal from leading to its continuing increase among the general population. Despite these benefits there are some downsides that can eliminate lasik as a usable solution. The biggest hurdle for most people to overcome is the expense, Lasik is considered elective surgery by almost all insurance carriers, and as such the full cost must be borne by the patient themselves. A basic Lasik surgery, for a simple prescription change generally cost around 300-600 dollars per eye, while a large prescription, with astigmatism and other complications, can cost upwards of $1,500 per eye. I don’t know about most of you but I definitely don’t have an extra $600-$1,200 lying around much less $3,000. Taking all of this into account Lasik can be seen as a good investment for many people who can afford it and as a goal to work and save towards for those such as myself.

The second solution is one familiar to anyone preparing themselves and their family for periods of unrest and lawlessness, namely building up stores of necessary tools and materials, in this case Glasses and contact lens. The expense is once again a stumbling block; glasses are expensive ranging from a hundred to several hundred dollars a pair at traditional retailers with contact lens costing nearly $30-$100 for a 3 month supply. A solution I have found and frequently employ is online discount eyeglass retailers. My preferred point of sale is Zenni Optical, due to their low cost and general high level of quality but there are several other retailers as well. At Zenni you can get most prescriptions for 6.99 a pair and can get progressive or bifocal glasses for only $40-60, which as anyone who lives with corrective lens can tell you, is a significant savings. By using online retailers you can purchase several pair for under a hundred dollars, and with each pair you will receive a hard case, cleaning cloth and pay low shipping, making them perfect to put in several different locations for all eventualities. I myself have ordered some 30 pairs of glasses from Zenni and several pair from Goggles4u another of the online retailers. I keep several pair throughout my house along with five pair in a secure location away from my home, I have a pair in my car and one in my BOB along with the pair I keep with me at all times.

When you place your order you simply take the prescription given to you by your doctor and input it into the fields provided on the order page, then choose whatever styles and materials you like along with any add-on’s such as non reflective lens coatings and things of that nature. Make sure you ask your doctor to do a full eyeglass prescription for you as you won’t have the technicians at the store to take Pupillary Distance (PD), which is the distance between the pupils of your eye, and facial measurements all of which are necessary to ensure a comfortable fit. The only real downside to using Zenni in particular is that they have almost no customer service available, a trait which seems typical for the entire field, for instance except in instances in which they’re manufacturers made a mistake in the prescription or the glasses are broken upon delivery they will only offer 50% in a refund. Despite this the overall quality of the lens and frames are very high, I’ve only had one pair in which the prescription was off and it was quickly replaced for shipping costs only. When I compare the $6.99 glasses I receive from the bargain retailer versus the $239 per pair I last purchased from Lenscrafters. I can see no difference in the quality of the lens and with the frame the pair from the online store is actually sturdier and less susceptible to scratches and bending. In short I would seriously recommend checking out these online stores in order to build up a cheap store of eyeglasses to protect your vision.

With contacts it becomes both more expensive and provides a shorter term benefit. Contacts have a usable shelf life of only a few years which limits the amount you can reliably stockpile as without regular rotation they will become less and less viable. Along with the lens themselves solution and proper maintenance materials must also be maintained. Contacts must be regularly removed and cleaned to prevent the buildup of dead cells on the surface of the lens which can lead to the formation of a corneal ulcer. With no regular medical service available what in our current society is a treatable condition could easily lead to partial blindness.  On the other side of the argument contacts offer several benefits over eyeglasses, ease of use, relative security from theft, and ability to work and do activities without worry of shattering or damaging them. By wearing contacts it is much more difficult for anyone who captures you or attacks your family to exploit them as they can’t be knocked off or removed as easily as glasses, a major tactical benefit. While wearing them one doesn’t have to worry about accidentally hitting them or knocking them loose through an incautious movement, thereby accidentally depriving you of corrected vision. In a world without optometrists and the ability to produce new glasses eyeglasses could have a great deal of value as a potential trade good, given that with many lower level prescriptions there will be some overlap among prescriptions, leading to possible theft of eyeglasses for trade.

To procure contacts I would again recommend taking advantage of discount online retailers, as the price is generally much lower than traditional brick and mortar companies. 1-800 Contacts is the company I use for all my contacts but I’m sure there are others available. By using them I save $10-$15 for each three month supply I purchase, which allows me to buy an extra several months every year without going over budget. By ensuring that I rotate my supply out each time I purchase new lens I can keep about a year’s supply on hand at all time, thus giving me a buffer between breaks in supply and a way to slowly move myself off of contacts without too much difficulty if the supply is completely cut off.

By using these methods and planning ahead anyone with a need for corrective lens can ensure that they have continual and unimpaired vision even though the ability to produce new glasses is no longer in existence.

Letter Re: The Google Earth Threat to Retreats

Dear SurvivalBloggers:
So you think that your residence, bug out location, or retreat are going to be easy to hide?

See this news article: Police: Burglar used Google Maps to case upscale suburban homes

Think operational security (OPSEC)!

I’ve noticed in my neighborhood who had “photo roofs”, who ran a generator during the recent Hurricane Irene, and who has “interesting” bulk food boxes put out for recycling. 

Now I’m not going to be part of the Golden Horde. I’ll be dead of a stroke if TEOTWAWKI happens. (Never been right before in my predictions.)

But if I see this stuff, the bad guys and soon-to-be bad guys will, too. 

Arrgh! – J.R.C.

Economics and Investing:

Commodities Are Down, But Far From Out

Tulare County [California] walnut farmers fight theft. (Thanks to Sean B. for the link.)

Kevin S. sent: A new supply risk index for chemical elements or element groups which are of economic value

Items from The Economatrix:

Silver Soars 26% In 26 Hours

Denninger:  I Hope You Have Taken the Last Couple of Years to Prepare

10 Million More Mortgages Set to Default, Expert Says

Global Financial Meltdown:  Investors Dump Nearly Everything Amidst Worldwide Market Crash

Oil Wavers on Weak Home Sales

Odds ‘n Sods:

Bob G. mentioned: Flower Pot Fridge. This incredibly simple “old school” evaporative refrigeration technology could be a life saver for diabetics, to keep insulin refrigerated in the event of a grid power failure.

   o o o

Michael Z. Williamson (our Editor at Large) pointed me to this: Things I Learned From My Patients. Mike describes it: “Emergency Room stories of interesting, frightening, horrific, educational, creepy and even disgusting things.  Very educational.  Language safe, but certainly some very adult references.” This web page is not for children!

   o o o

James C. noted that a classic Army training film is now available free, online: U.S. RIFLE, CALIBER 7.62MM, M14

   o o o

Ah, yes, Wisconsin, Land of Liberals Lakes: ‘Firefly’ and Anti-Fascism Posters Get Professor Threatened with Criminal Charges on University of Wisconsin Campus

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We’re not huntin’ trouble, we’re peace lovin’ people. 
But if trouble should find us, we’ll stand up and fight.” – Red Steagall, “Stand Up and Fight“

Notes from JWR:

We’ve just added several new items to the SurvivalBlog Amazon Store, including Dakota Alert passive intrusion detection systems, a Grundig Yachtboy shortwave radio, and some more optics including light amplification (Starlight) and thermal night vision gear. For anyone not familiar with our store, here is how it works: If you click on one of our Amazon links and then either search or “click through” to order ANY product from Amazon.com (not just the ones listed in our catalog), then we will earn a modest sales commission. Please shop with our our paid advertisers first. (See the ads in the right hand bar of the main blog page.) But if they don’t have what you are looking for, then you can shop via our Amazon store, and help support SurvivalBlog. Please keep our store links in mind for all of your Amazon.com purchases. Remember that you need to click on one of our SurvivalBlog Amazon Store links first, for SurvivalBlog to get the commission. Thanks!

—

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. Note that if there isn’t room to post articles received in the last few days of the contest, then they will be “rolled over”, for posting in the next round.

Building a Fire in a Post-Collapse World, by Entropy

Recently (based on a suggestion by a SurvivalBlog reader) I began a Meetup Group for Emergency Preparedness.  One of the Meetup events that I’m soon to host is entitled “To Build a Fire”.  Hosting this Meetup which I originally conceived as simply a fire building class has forced me to think logically about tactical fire building in a WTSHTF scenario where you are forced to build a fire for survival purposes.  I’ve synthesized these ideas into this article.

By “tactical” what I mean is “low observability” because technically no true definition of tactical perfectly fits this discussion.  However people should generally understand the points I’m making.

My experience with fire building includes six years in the Boy Scouts (attaining Eagle) in addition to years of post-Scouts camping and using working fires for various reasons on my property.

Inherently a fire is not tactical; however building a fire may be a requirement when no other alternatives exist.  Thus the question is posed: How can I make a fire as tactical as possible?

People may think that in the worst of future scenarios they can simply bugout and build fires for warmth & cooking.  My hypothesis is that using a fire in such a situation is the worst thing to do because of the high likelihood of negative outcomes, such as getting killed for your supplies.

Why do we build fires?

Much of the time it’s for pleasure: Inviting friends over to chow on good grub, or just hanging out in front of a warm bonfire and having a great time.  Other times a working fire is necessary for burning dead wood on your property or for other reasons.  When camping, fires are useful for cooking and to provide a lighted, warm, and friendly environment around which campers will gather.  Not as common are survival fires for sterilizing food and water, raising one’s body temperature, drying clothing, signaling, or repelling wild animals and insects.

Tactical strategies are generally not important for these types of fires and usually not even considered by the fire builder.  This can be a huge problem in a SHTF scenario because the effects of such fires tend to be highly observable.   Easy observation by sight, sound, and smell makes the pinpointing of a fire’s location simple, both during the fire and afterwards.

  • By sight: Fire, smoke, and general site destruction (broken or cut tree limbs, absence of normal levels of dead wood, footprints, trash).  Thermal imaging devices increase the chance a fire will be observed.
  • By sound: Preparation activities (breaking, sawing, or chopping fuel) and popping wood while burning.
  • By smell: Smoke and cooking food.

Tactical strategies are extremely important when building a fire in a SHTF or bugout scenario.  Starting a fire for any reason will attract people for miles unless extreme care is taken.  My recommendation is to not create a fire at all unless absolutely necessary for survival reasons.

Alternatives exist that must be considered prior to igniting a fire to keep your sight, sound, and smell observability to a minimum:

  • Food: can be eaten cold
  • Water: can be filtered or sterilized by other methods
  • Hypothermia or freezing: body heat can be shared and/or shelters built.

Stoves can be used if raw food must be cooked or water boiled but only if you’ve prepared with such equipment.  (Read this as: prepare with such equipment!)

If no alternatives exist and building a fire in a SHTF world is required for warming people in critical hypothermic or freezing conditions or to remedy other survival problems, then you must: 1) Know how to build a fire (an extremely important survival skill.)  2) Control and limit the observability of your fire.

(My disclaimer) Prior to the next discussion pre-SHTF safe fire building practices must be mentioned.  These are:

1) Know your local fire ordinances. 
2) Remove combustible material from around your fire building site.  The larger the fire is the greater this requirement.  Don’t forget to remove overhanging branches.
3) Do not build a fire in windy conditions. 
4) Prepare a readily available and continuous water supply. 
5) Ensure your fire is “cold out” when you’re done with it.  After spraying plenty of water on the remnants of the fire, turning over all unburned fuel and spraying again, carefully put your hands in the wet ashes to ensure no hot coals remain.  Bonus: after rinsing the ashes off your hands you’ll notice they are nice and clean from the mild lye solution created by the water and wood ash.

My experience is that most people think they can quickly start a fire in the wild because they can light a barbecue or a fire in their fireplace.  Fire building in the wild, especially under survival conditions and with added tactical considerations, will be quite daunting.

Building a fire is fairly simple but without knowledge and practice is challenging.  In less than ideal conditions starting a fire is extremely difficult.  Watching SurvivorMan on television does not make you an expert and when a fire is needed for survival reasons it’s critical that one is made quickly. 

Three prerequisites are required for a successful fire: ignition, combustibles, and air.

Ignition: Creating the initial heat source which is then amplified during the next sequential fire building steps.  Many tools are easily available for igniting a fire, prepare your bug-out bags with several of these options and practice using them.  Examples are: Waterproof/weatherproof matches, lighters, and magnesium style striker tools (BlastMatch, etc.).  While its fun to watch Les Stroud igniting a fire using a fire bow, this takes long hours of practice, precisely the correct wood types, and a relatively long time to manufacture the tool and to produce an ember.  Use a match instead.

Combustibles: Generally described in three categories: tinder, kindling, and fuel.

  • Tinder is composed of the smallest or finest flammable material.  Its purpose is to amplify the ignition source enough so that kindling can be burned.  Examples are: Pine needles, dried grass, tree or vine bark (cedar, birch, or grapevine), mouse nests, bird nests, etc.  The list is endless.
  • Kindling is woody material that is the next size up from tinder, but smaller than the fuel.  Size ranges from about 1/8” to 1” in thickness.  Its purpose is to amplify the fire enough to light the fuel.
  • Fuel is the material that’s added to the fire after the kindling stage.  Generally smaller sized fuel is used in the early stages of the fire but as the coal bed becomes larger the fuel can increase in size.  The fuel’s purpose is to be the main working part of the fire.  It provides the direct heat or burns down to hot coals with which to cook food, warm bodies, or for other reasons.

When building a fire you must sequentially move in order from tinder to kindling to fuel.  Skipping a step will not work, especially in wet conditions.  Combustibles must be as dry as possible for effective fire building.  Techniques exist for dealing with wet conditions, such as using a knife to expose the dry insides of the combustible material; you should familiarize yourself with these skills.  Another tip is to use hanging dead branches as they tend to be drier than fuel on the ground.  Finding sap covered tinder or kindling is a bonus.  Pine or other sap is flammable and very helpful when starting a fire. 

Air:  At first you may not think air is much of a problem because we are building a fire on Earth, not the Moon.  However, when a fire is not properly constructed, too little air will flow into the ignited fuel and the young fire will not effectively burn or will go out.  This is the last thing you want to have happen if you are attempting to build a survival fire.

Airflow is controlled by the fire lay.  A fire lay is the fire’s method of construction and an effective fire lay is critical for starting a fire.  A mature fire usually ends up as a pile of fuel with a hot coal bed, so the fire lay eventually disappears.  If a mature fire goes out, it can typically be restarted by adding fresh fuel onto the hot coals.

Too many fire lay configurations exist to review in detail (teepee, lean-to, hunter’s, log cabin, etc.)  You should research and practice using different types so you know when to build a specific one.  Fire lays can generally be categorized as “above ground” or the less common “below ground.”

Below ground fire lays are superior for controlling and limiting the observability of your survival fire.   A below ground fire lay of particular usefulness in a SHTF world is the “Dakota Fire Lay” or “Dakota Fire Pit” (DFP).

A DFP consists of a jug shaped hole dug with a wide base and narrower top.  The lower part of the hole is connected to a smaller angled air intake tunnel.  The air intake entrance is dug upwind from the main hole.  In essence it’s a small wood burning stove built into the ground.  An above ground fire lay is used to start the fire within a Dakota Fire Pit.

As a Scout I never made a DFP because they were too time consuming to build.  I made one this week and it took me 75 minutes to dig and that’s with proper hand tools.  For a young Scout that’s too long when you can use an above ground method to prepare and ignite a fire within a few minutes.

Again, not building a fire is the best way to maintain your operational security, however if a fire must be built and you have the time the DFP is excellent for these reasons:

  • Minimal light and heat signature:  Most important for tactical considerations is that it produces the least amount of observable radiant light and heat because the fire is totally underground.
  • Efficient burning of fuel:  Little or no smoke is produced, again reducing sight and smell observability.  The design of the DFP is such that a draft is created to supply fresh air to the fire as it burns.  This configuration allows the fuel to burn completely which produces little smoke.
  • Quiet: The DFP is quieter than other fire lays because the sound of popping and cracking wood is suppressed.  When digging it I suggest using sticks or other non-metallic tools because when a metal hand tool is struck against a rock it’s quite noisy.
  • Safe for windy conditions:  A low chance of the fire spreading exists because (That’s right!) it’s underground.  Furthermore this fire is easy to light and maintain in such conditions because the wind has little effect on a below ground fire.  Wind actually improves the fire by blowing through the air intake and increasing the burning efficiency of the fuel.
  • Easy cooking: Lay a couple of green sticks across the top of the hole and put your pot on it, or create a green stick grill onto which meat will be laid.  All of the heat is concentrated with this fire lay instead of spreading out as with other types.  You’ll notice your food cooks more quickly than expected, a definite tactical plus.  You can also wait until the fire burns down and cook directly on the coals, or use the pit as an oven or smoker.
  • Simple site restoration:  Just fill the hole with any remaining signs of your camp and fill it with the dirt that was removed.  If no chip producing saws or axes were used to prepare the fuel, then the vacated site will never be recognized for the campsite it was.

If the ground is too wet, frozen, rocky, or otherwise unsuitable for digging, or if no time is available to properly dig a DFP, quasi-underground alternatives exist which aren’t as effective, but are better than above ground fire lays.

One example is the trench fire lay which is a simple trench dug in the ground into which the fire is built.  It’s not as efficient or secure as a DFP however it achieves some of the same results.

Any fire should be kept small to minimize the output of light and heat.  Small fires also reduce the amount of fuel consumed which means less fuel collection and preparation is required, ultimately translating into minimal site destruction.  Additionally, fewer calories are used by the people maintaining the fire which means less food consumption is necessary. 

Ideally no tools should be used for preparing the fuel.  It should consist of small pieces that don’t need further cutting, again minimizing site destruction and leaving few telltale clues (wood chips, saw dust, or limbs broken or cut from trees) that you occupied the site.  You want your location to be 100% unrecognizable as a camp after you depart.  Also the sound of chopping wood with an axe can be heard for miles, and sawing is quite noticeable in quiet woods too.

To summarize:  In a SHTF world a fire will draw unwanted attention.  Before you make that fire always think of alternative methods of eating, sterilizing water, or getting warm.  If a fire must be built, keep it to the smallest size possible to meet your needs.  Use cover (dense woods, low spots, cliffs or rocky areas, even buildings) to help hide your fire, and seriously consider digging a Dakota Fire Pit to maintain your operational security.  This type of fire lay minimizes observation by sight, sound, and smell thus reducing the chance of attracting attention.

Lastly: Practice this essential skill now!  Don’t assume you can build a fire in the wild. Identify and use native materials around your bugout sites and travel routes.  Practice in both dry and wet conditions and in different seasons.  Prepare your bugout bags with some of today’s commonly available fire starting tools (magnesium type fire igniters, paraffin & fuel type fire starters, etc.).  They increase your chances to successfully and quickly build a fire; however don’t think you can build a fire just because you pack them.

Survival Philosophy 101: The Caveman Survival Index, by Andrew M.

I still remember the first day in my Philosophy of Religion class back in the good ol’ college days.  My professor started the class with the question, “what is philosophy?”  Of course, being the smart-aleck that I still am today, I eagerly raised my hand and responded, “Philosophy is where you think really hard about something, and when you’re done, you know less than when you started.”

I got a few laughs (and some angry looks from the philosophy majors), but I was only half joking.  There is some truth to that statement.   What it really means is that, until you question your underlying assumptions, you probably think you know a whole lot more than you really do.  If your understanding is built on a shaky foundation, then, with the right type of shaking, your belief system will collapse faster than the Greek banking system.

For the 99% of readers who are not philosophy nerds, I need to explain that the philosophical process is very similar to the scientific method.  A philosopher starts by presenting a theory and then he or she looks for analogies or examples that logically negate that theory. In this way, you can’t really prove anything, but you can disprove a poorly formed theory. This may sound really boring so far, but by logically collapsing shaky theories in the “classroom”, you are less likely to be surprised by faulty thinking in real life.
When it comes to survival philosophy, this process could mean the difference between life and death.  If you don’t question your assumptions, then your beliefs may crumble when a real disturbance hits outside your expectations.  If you are sufficiently taken by surprise, you are more likely to make poor decisions or even panic in the face of the unexpected.  But “life and death” is a little overly dramatic for me.  In spite of my philosophical nerdiness, I am a practical guy, and there is a much-less-dramatic but still-important reason to philosophize on survival:  Questioning assumptions could be the difference between mere subsistence and relative comfort.

Of course, my tongue-in-cheek definition of philosophy is incomplete.  Philosophy only questions assumptions in order to help you gain clarity about those thoughts or beliefs.  Finding clarity about survival preparation is what this article is all about.  I am not going to give you any practical survival tips here.  Instead, my goal is to distinguish clearly between survival and luxury in an emergency situation.  I want to introduce a theoretical framework for maximizing your luxury without failing at that whole survival thing WTSHTF.  How this plays out in real life will look very different for different people, but I hope to introduce a way of thinking about prepping that helps you to be more purposeful about it.  With that in mind, much like my religion professor, I would like to start with a simple question:  What is survival?

This question is simple, but there is a big difference between simple questions and easy ones.  You might know survival when you see it, and you certainly know what the opposite looks like, but before we can talk about it intelligently, we need a solid definition of survival.  Well, Dictionary.com defines survival as “the act or fact of surviving”.  That’s wasn’t very helpful.  Okay, then maybe it will be easier to define it by what survival isn’t.  You might say that survival is “the opposite of dying”.  That’s a good start, but what about the man who dies comfortably in his old age, surrounded by friends and family?  Did he fail at “survival”?   Of course not.  Dying of old age is the definition of a successful survivor, but that definition doesn’t really help you learn how to survive either. 

See how this philosophy thing works now?  We theorized on a definition of survival and then we found an example counter to that overly simplistic definition.  Obviously the “not dying” view needs to be a little more specific.  Since everybody will die eventually, survival is only meaningful if it is discussed in reference to some specific challenge or event that threatens a premature death.  So let’s narrow our definition of survival to “not being killed during some challenge or event that is capable of causing premature death”.  Does that sound more reasonable?  It does to me. 

The first thing you should notice about this definition is that it doesn’t say anything at all about a survival kit or survival skills.  A survivor could just be lucky.  This definition is equipment-agnostic and skill-agnostic.  Either way, survival is definitely not something you carry in your pocket.  So now let’s work through a hypothetical situation and see if our definition passes the philosophical smell test. 

Let’s imagine that there is a TEOTWAWKI event: nuclear war, economic collapse, zombie apocalypse… it doesn’t matter what, but let’s say that this event wipes out the retail supply chain, health care services, coffee shops (take a deep breath… this is just a thought experiment), communication systems, and the power grid.  Some people will die off immediately either directly from the TEOTWAWKI event or because some critical life support was removed… obviously we can’t call them survivors.  Now other people survive the initial shock but are trampled during food riots at the grocery store or are killed by roving bandits:  also not survivors.  But what about you?  In this thought exercise, we’ll say that you grabbed the kids and hopped into your up-armored minivan.  You bugged out to that über-Rawlesian country bunker which is stocked with enough food and ammo to fend off the raiders for years.  Is that survival?  If you are a fan of SurvivalBlog.com, then you can’t possibly say no.  So this hypothetical version of you kicks back, raises some chickens, and sleeps soundly behind those two-foot-thick concrete walls somewhere in the wilderness.  You are a survivor.  You are “doing” survival, because you continually avoid death despite a series of hazardous circumstances.  So far, so good.  Our definition seems to be holding up to this scenario at least.

But what about me?  In our little experiment, I’m no country boy.  No, I’m a die-hard suburbanite.  I love my air conditioner, and I keep just enough food in my house to make it to the next paycheck.  When TEOTWAWKI hits, do I survive?  Don’t be too quick to say no.  My survival kit is far from Rawlesian, but I still have one.  Here are a few things on my list: 
-Backpack
-Hunting knife
-Bible
-Change of clothes
-Duct tape
-Several means of lighting a fire (magnifying glass, matches, lighter)
-My truck (yes, I consider that a big part of my kit, and it’s with me most of the time)
-My family and friends
-My air conditioner
-A cold refrigerator full of fresh food
-The gas station down the street
-A steady paycheck
-My bank
-The internet (just in case I forget how to tie a clove hitch)
-A complex system of delivering food and consumer goods to local retailers (so that I can buy stuff with my debit card when supplies are low)

As you read my list of survival items, you are probably thinking, “That’s the dumbest survival list I’ve ever seen! That’s not survival, that’s just you living your life!” Of course, you’re right.  My survival kit only works if a crashing Euro doesn’t drag down my bank and nothing disrupts my precious system of just-in-time retail supplies.   Remember what I said about philosophical foundations crashing in the face of the unexpected?  Well, whether we like to admit it or not, my survival kit describes the survival plan for the vast majority of the population.  It works 90% of the time, but under catastrophic circumstances, this kit fails miserably. 
So back to our TEOTWAWKI event.  My kit is pathetic, but remember that our definition of survival doesn’t mention any gear or skills.  For the sake of this thought experiment, let’s say that I adapt quickly to my new environment.  While my fellow urban dwellers are raiding the gas station for one last nicotine fix, I break into the library and permanently check out several books on native plants.  I fashion a sling from junk I find in my closet just before my house gets burned by a rioting mob.  The streets are not safe, so I take shelter in a drainage tunnel in the greenbelt behind what used to be my favorite subdivision.  While my fellow khaki-clad barbarians are killing each other in the streets, I play it smart and lay low.  When I get hungry, I use my sling to hunt birds and rodents, or I pick berries and dig up roots in the greenbelt.  Is this survival?  Well, I didn’t die.  I think this also counts as survival by our definition.

Alright, so our definition of survival still seems to be holding up under two very different circumstances.  I think we can all agree that “not getting killed” is necessary to survival, but this definition doesn’t say anything about how you live.  While the prepper hunkered down in relative security with plenty of food and a good shelter, the urbanite survivor was barely getting by day-to-day and he will have to move out when the rainy season hits if not sooner.

Now take a look at my urban survival kit again, and be honest:  If it was possible to throw all that stuff into a bug-out-bag, wouldn’t you want to?  (I know, this is sort of a silly argument, but remember, this is philosophy… we aren’t constrained by reality).  If you have electricity, refrigeration, gas stations, and your friends and family with you, then it would feel more like a vacation than TEOTWAWKI, right? 

Obviously we can’t pack a retail distribution system into a BOB, but it does bring up an important point.  Preparation is about far more than mere survival.  Preparation is also about minimizing your loss of luxury.  I know that many within the survival community tend to hold “luxury” in contempt at least on the surface, but I think what should really be looked down on is not luxury but “wasteful, unsustainable luxury”.  If you are truly against all luxury, then you should be happy living like a caveman for the rest of your life.  Now ask yourself:  If I never took another shower the rest of my life, would I be ok with that?   Think about it.

At this point, I would like to introduce a concept that I call “The Caveman Survival Index” (CSI for short).  The CSI is a mental tool I use to determine my expected quality of life (i.e. level of luxury) during a survival situation.  At the very top of this index, you will find… me!  I am the ultimate modern urban survivor.  I thrive on the globally connected veneer of a stable information-based society.  I have air conditioning, social networking, coffee shops, and a smart phone.  My food comes from restaurants, and when there’s a problem with my shelter, I call a handyman who got good reviews on Angie’s List.  I don’t start fires… I microwave.  If I get cold, I crank up the thermostat!  Life is full of freedom and comfort, and I like it that way.

Now, at the bottom of the Caveman Survival Index, we of course find the humble caveman.  Caveman survival is what many people think of when they say “survival”.  The word “caveman” conjures up images of hairy men running naked through the woods and starting fires with sticks and rocks.  Isn’t this what a lot of survival schools teach you?  (Well, ok maybe they don’t talk about the hairy/naked part… that mental image is bad for business). 
Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing to know how to live like a caveman.  In an emergency situation, “Threat Level: Caveman” means that the only way I can avoid imminent death is by rubbing two sticks together to start a fire.  It means the only way I will eat is by killing rodents with a crude club or a sling… just like a Stone-Ager would do.  In a survival situation (or daily life for that matter), this is the last place I want to be, but without survival skills, many unprepared urbanites will hit “caveman” status pretty quickly after TEOTWAWKI.

Back to our thought experiment:  Let’s say that I (the unprepared urbanite) at least have some limited prep skills.  Before my beautiful house was burned by a hungry mob, I duct-taped my hunting knife to the handle of a garden rake.  With a little practice, I can use this makeshift spear to hunt larger game.  Plus, where I live, there is an abundance of flint lying around in the greenbelt behind my neighborhood.  If I find a hardened piece of carbon steel, then I just moved up the Caveman Index from “Caveman” to “Viking”, because I now have steel tools.  A Viking may still have to forage for roots and berries, but at least I am using a lot less energy to get a fire started and my meat is easier to come by.  It is important to note here that it is not only the tools that advanced me from Caveman to Viking.  I also needed the skills to recognize and make use of those tools.  If I don’t know how to start a fire with a flint and steel, then, when it comes to starting fires, I am still in Caveman mode even if I am surrounded by Viking materials.  Likewise, if I don’t know how to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, and TEOTWAWKI reduces me to Caveman living… I won’t survive.

So now do you see how the CSI works?  There is no comprehensive list of “levels” within the Caveman Index.  The CSI is simply a way of thinking about your current situation and how you want to change it.  The main point of the CSI is that you probably want to be as far from living like a caveman as possible at all times, but if you find yourself in a situation where you have nothing but rocks, sticks, and your own wit, then you’d better know how to survive at least long enough to improve the situation.  Personally, I hope I never need those skills, but if I do end up in a “Threat Level: Caveman” scenario, one of my first goals will be to get out of the Stone Age as quickly as possible. 

Now that I have defined survival as not dying during an emergency, and I introduced the Caveman Index for rating your quality of life during survival scenarios.  I would like to ask one final question:  How does this affect your preparation for emergencies? 

By our working definition of survival, the only requirement to achieve “survival” is that you have sufficient skills or enough luck to not get killed.  That’s not what most people would consider “good” preparation, because the caveman life is not much fun.  You don’t want to prepare for “survival”.  Instead, you want to prepare for luxury!  If you think in terms of the CSI, your preparations should really do two things:  First, you want to have the equipment necessary to minimize regression down the Caveman Index.  Second, if a sudden setback is unavoidable, you need skills that will help you rapidly climb back up to a comfortable level on the CSI. 

Ah, now this brings up another important point.  In addition to quantifying your general comfort level, the Caveman Index also helps to highlight the purpose of equipment versus skills when prepping.  In terms of the CSI, your skills can determine how far and how quickly you move up to a higher comfort level, but it is actually your “stuff” that determines how comfortable you are.  For example, a skilled marksman with no ammunition is still stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to acquiring meat.  Likewise, if you are surrounded by unfamiliar equipment that you don’t know how to use… well that’s equally problematic for escaping from the caveman lifestyle.  So you see that the CSI shows you the importance of matching your skills to your resources while preparing for an emergency.

The CSI also explains the behavior of those unskilled hordes of city-dwelling moochers.  Because it is not skill, but “stuff” that sets your living standard on the Caveman Index, you now understand why moochers want to steal all your stuff.  Theft and robbery are the only methods they understand for moving up to a higher standard of living.  Without the necessary skills to adapt to a survival situation, most moochers will rapidly waste their resources and regress to more primitive living… at least until they find another victim to take more stuff from.  So you see that many people will swing from living high-on-the-hog to living like a brute again and again WTSHTF.

Getting back to our TEOTWAWKI thought experiment, let’s take one last look at you, the ultimate prepper.  You are secure from the looters in your country bunker.  You are raising chickens and hunting with rifles.  You use a woodgas generator to power the light bulbs in your kitchen.  Maybe you aren’t updating your Facebook status anymore, but your life has not changed quite as drastically as all those urban savages.  You may not have 100% uptime on your electrical system, but most of the time you fall somewhere between “Late-1800’s Cowboy” and “1950’s Traveling Salesman” on the Caveman Index.  Even if you lose everything you’ve got, you won’t stay in Caveman mode for long, because you have the skills to move back up the ladder quickly by making the most of your available resources.

So now you see that good preparation helps you not only to survive but also to maintain a relatively steady and comfortable lifestyle in the midst of chaos.  I hope you will also agree now that luxury during survival is not necessarily a bad thing.  The CSI concept helps you to analyze your survival situation whether you are surviving a zombie apocalypse, an anti-banking riot, or getting lost in the woods.  When it comes to choosing what type of preparations to make, I hope that the Caveman Survival Index will be useful in helping you choose the right skills and the right equipment to maximize your comfort level in spite of TEOTWAWKI. 

And who knows, some day you just might let a philosopher join your survival colony! No?  Well, okay.  I wouldn’t either.