Note from JWR:

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

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

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

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

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

Everyday Carry Items, by J.C.R.

As I watched this past weekend several different television shows chronicling the events of September 11, 2001, a thought crossed my mind.  Sometimes events happen so fast in our lives that we don’t have any time at all to prepare and all you are left with is what you have on you and what you know.  Most often that “event” is not life-threatening but more of an inconvenience than anything else.  There have been lots of times when having something as simple as a safety pin would have made all the difference in the world.

As I watched people not only pouring out of the World Trade Center’s but also those that we already on the streets of New York that day with only what was in their pockets or purses I began to wonder what would be some of the minimal necessities.   

Let’s start with the men only because I can relate to them better…I am one.  Our options are really limited to what is in our pockets, in our wallets, on our wrist, or on our waist.  If you had to get yourself to safety or just take care of some minor emergency, we had better choose wisely considering size and weight.  If some gadget you have chosen is too heavy or bulky, you are not likely to have it on you all the time.  For instance, I am a typical accountant and it would look so out of place for me to be walking around with a multi-tool hung off of my belt.  However, it you were an IT professional, it might just blend in with your normal attire and thus give you many more options.  I’ll list out the items in order of importance should the need arise.

The first thing that ever man should consider and choose wisely is a good pocket knife.  I am not talking about a cheap knife that just will not hold an edge but neither am I talking about some type of collectible either.  Personally I have been carrying the Victorinox Executive.  This is of the Swiss Army variety.  The knife is about 3” long, ¾” wide and only 3/8” thick.  I have switched back and forth between this knife and just about every other brand and type on the market.  Because of its size though, I always go back to this knife within a couple of days.  Wenger also makes a good brand and I would recommend you stick with either one of these brands.

The Victorinox Executive comes with both a 2” blade as well as a 1-½” blade.  They are razor sharp right out of the box and are easy to sharpen when that time comes.  You couldn’t skin an elephant but it will tackle most everyday task you’ll run across.  It also has a 2” nail file, a set of scissors, tweezers, and a toothpick.  In addition to that, it has a unique blade to Victorinox that they say is an orange peeler.  In over twenty years, I have never peeled and orange with it, but I have used it a miniature saw and it works wonders on light stuff.  The point of the file can be used for Philips head screws and the point of the orange peeler can be used as a flat-head screwdriver.  Without a doubt the scissors get used the most in my urban environment.  I can tell you this though; I feel in love with this knife when I watched a guy work on the carburetor of his lawn mower and then file and gap the spark plug using the nail file.  Obviously he used something else to get the spark plug out, but I was hooked for life.  I have personally used the orange peeling blade to “knife” open a janitors closest to get toilet tissue and then the file to open the toilet paper dispenser in the restrooms at church.  It was way easier to just go that route than to hunt down the janitor.  The uses for this little knife are limitless.  As with any pocket knife never use it to pry anything open as you will more than likely snap the blade into two pieces.  I know what some of you knife guys are thinking…I carry a big this or that with a pocket clip that I’d rather have for the tight spots.  Don’t get me wrong, when I am in the woods or out in the yard, I carry a different blade as well.  What I am talking about here is our everyday carry knife that you will forget it is there until you need it.  Swiss Army knives have gotten a bad rap for all of the cheap knock-offs that we all see at guns shows and hardware stores for a couple of bucks.  But you will not regret carrying either of these brands and you too will find hundreds of uses.

The next item you should always carry is some extra emergency cash.  Make sure it is not all in either small bills or large bills…mix it up a bit based on how much you want to carry and how thick you can stand your wallet.  We do have to sit on it all day you know.  Lots of things can be had and small conveniences can be purchased with cash.  Maybe as a general rule, you should carry enough to file the gas tank up plus a quick meal.  The trick here is to hide it your wallet, never forgetting it is there but not looking at is as mad money when the next “deal” comes around.  Never let anyone know you have it or friends all over the office will be hitting you up for a few bucks here and there.  If you do spend it, put it back as quickly as you possibly can.  It would really suck if you found yourself in a situation that a few extra bucks would ease the stress a hundred fold and your wallet was empty.

My next critical item is a fully charged cell phone.  I have placed this below just below the emergency cash for a reason.  With extra cash, you could buy a few minutes of cell time from a co-worker or even a stranger.  You could have a trunk full of cell phones but you can’t trade that for a bottle of water or gas in the car.  With this you can let loved ones know you are okay or headed to the hospital.  In the time of a crisis, information will be critical…both getting it and giving it.  Cell phones have all kinds of extra features that may help you.  The greatest one is the contact list.  About a year ago I was faced with a situation that could have been life threatening and I was shocked at how hard it was to dial 911 in the midst of the crisis.  I can’t imagine trying to remember an out-of-state contact person for a regional emergency, so store all your numbers there.  Also remember that you can almost always get a text message to go through before you can get an actual phone call to work.  We just experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake on the East Coast and we were a state away and the cell phone circuits were jammed from all of the traffic, but my text to the house made it fine.

Another key item comes in the form of two key pieces, a paracord keychain with an attached Photon II Beta light.  This serves a couple of purposes.  I have some cordage if I ever need it but also don’t send out any “alarms” from others as you leave your keys lying around.  The Photon II Beta light is of the button variety about the size of a quarter.  Be sure and get the one with the locking one switch because sometimes you need both hands.  You can lock it on and lay it down.  You’d be surprised at how much light these little buggers put out in the pitch black dark.  You never know when the power will go out but you can calm down a lot of folks just by providing a little light.

The next item is something that I am sure almost everyone wears every day.  That is a belt.  It could serve as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding or something to secure a splint with.  Let’s not forget that keeping your pants up while you run for cover in mission critical.

A watch is another invaluable item and one most of us wear every day.  Most cell phones have a clock feature but imagine talking to the 911 dispatcher on you cell phone while attending to a woman in labor.  It is so much easier when you can look down at your watch.  In the event of a disaster, there will be all kinds of reasons to monitor the time and you’ll want to save your cell phone battery for more important tasks.  In a real bad situation, you may not want anyone around you knowing that you have a working cell phone, but no one will question your watch.

Lastly for men, I carry a Fresnel Magnifier in my wallet.  It is the same size of the credit cards and you will forget it is even there.  This is good for seeing small splinters in children’s hands, reading small print, or starting fires.  Doesn’t take up much space but provides lots of opportunities.  Once could also carry a miniature BIC lighter for fire starting.  I have one in the desk drawer and one in the car and choose not to carry one in my pockets.  I want to be prepared but not over-burdened every single second of the day.  One last item that I see older men carrying that us younger guys is a handkerchief.  This would be a handy item as many of the folks running away from ground zero were covering their mouths.  Wet it and it keeps out smaller particles and might help you escape a smoky room.  It could be used as a quick bandage or something to use for signaling.  This is another item that has so many uses it is hard to list them but you’d be glad you had one.

While these ten or so items may not be what actually saves your life or the lives of others, they will in fact form the basics of any survival kit you put together.  It will give some comfort in knowing that you have these items on you at all times.  Ask around at how many men you meet that don’t even carry a pocket knife…it will surprise you.

Now for the women.  We have saved the best for last because they have so many more options.  I am obviously not a woman and really look forward to reading their responses as it could help to better dress out my own wife’s purse. 

The very first item to consider is the pocket book or purse itself.  If it is too big, then you are not as likely to carry it or keep it with you as best you can.  If it is too small, it will not serve much of a purpose.  I will acknowledge that there are several instances when a huge pocket book will not work and something slim is more befitting the circumstance.  But again, we are talking your everyday run-of-the mill purse.  After you decided to carry what you like, let’s put a few helpful items in it.

I will still stick to the pocket knife as being your number one item to add, only because of its usefulness.  My wife also carries the same pocket knife mention above in her purse.  It is big enough to handle all we ask of it but not big enough to have her flagged as someone to be worried about.  Both of those brands mentioned above also have pocket knives in all kinds of colors, so you may want to choose the pick one for Breast Cancer Awareness.  Then if you have to pull it out, you’ll also earn bonus points for caring, as you should.

Just as stated above, extra emergency cash should be our second item again for all those same reasons.

Add to the pocket knife and extra cash would be thirdly the fully charged cell phone.  I can’t say enough about being able to get info in and out for everyone involved in a tense situation.

We’ll also stick with the Paracord key chain and attached Photon II Beta light.  You’ll need to be able all of the goodies in your miniature BOB.  I noticed at the last gun show we attended that there was a booth that had all sorts of items made from paracord.  And guess what they had…key chains made with the same pink colors as that used in Breast Cancer Awareness products.  Bonus points again for caring while maintaining OPSEC.

This is where we’ll mix it up a little since we have a little more room to work with.  I would add a very small first aid kit.  What I have in mind here is something along the lines of the Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight .3 or .5 kits.  I think one is around $9 and the other around $15 or so.  You could put together a similar kit for a lot less so it comes down to convenience.  Either way though, is very familiar with what is in the kit so you’ll know if you have whatever item you’d be looking for.  If you use a band-aid out of it, be sure to replace it as soon as possible.  To this first aid kit, I would add several safety pins of various sizes.  In either of the Adventure kits, they’d be enough room.

Separately but in the same location I’d add a very small sewing kit, such as those often given away by hotels.  This will not be a life saver but could very well save you from some embarrassing moments if something breaks and you are stuck with it for a while. 

Now we are down to the miscellaneous items.  As in the above section, a watch is something we take for granted until we don’t have it.  I would also be sure to throw in a miniature BIC lighter and either a handkerchief or small packet of tissues.  To round out this very basic kit you could toss in one of those flat ACR whistles that’s US Coast Guard approved.  Let me tell you those things are loud.  Most women already carry some Blistex or some other type of lip balm.  Top this off with several pieces of hard candy for comfort and you have the makings of a miniature BOB that will take care of most minor emergencies as well as possibly get you from point A to point B with a little less stress.

Making Your Water Filter Last, by F.J.B.

Making Your Water Filter Last, by F.J.B.

When my four boys were young, we did a lot of backcountry hiking. Usually the trip was only a day or two and didn’t require a lot of gear to pack. Each of us carried our own water. I remember one hike we took in the middle of August. It was a two-day trip with daytime temperatures nearing 110 degrees. We were out surveying on a huge western ranch.

My wife was concerned about our having enough water (in the high desert). To address her understandable concerns, I took along an Indian water-tank back pack. This is similar to the 5-gallon, 90G Indian Pump Fire Extinguishers  that backcountry fire crews use.

It weighed 40 pounds full and had an ineffective baffle that allowed constant sloshing. It was a good thing we weren’t climbing any goat trails, or I would have been lost by having fallen over the edge due to the pull of the water in the tank. As it was, I couldn’t walk a straight line, and anyone who might have seen us would have wondered what that drunk guy was doing out in the sun with those nice boys. 

My first experience with a pocket water filter was much later. One of our sons wanted to hike the Grand Canyon with some of his friends on their Christmas break from college. They had it all figured out: what to take, the route, the timing. As I was told, “It’s all good, Dad.”

I was not going to be tagging along but still needed to be sure they were thinking straight. The day they dropped over the rim for their 7-day hike, we first had to get their backcountry permit.

The ranger asked how much water each man was carrying and made sure they knew that water was not available on the route they were taking. Upon hearing this, I knew they didn’t have enough. A park outfitter had just opened that morning, and I dragged all of them over to it while I went inside.

The only water filter they had was as pricey as it could be at the rim of the Grand Canyon at the last minute. I think I paid $350 for the kit, which was about three times what it would have cost anywhere else. It was a MSR filter kit. I gave it to my son and asked him to pack it. He reluctantly did, and they started on their trip. It was dark and snowing as they dropped over the canyon rim.

Seven days later it was still dark and snowing when I met them all back at the top. It was clear they were pretty well spent. I had forgotten about the water filter until one of the group said to me, “I can’t thank you enough for giving us that water filter before we left. It may have saved our lives. We were out of water on the second day, and the only water we could find was from muddy puddles in rock crevasses.” Needless to say, I was very happy to have sent it with them, too.

The filter stayed in my son’s pack for years before I came across it again. It hadn’t been touched since the day their trip had ended. This meant, of course, that it hadn’t been cleaned either. So, I took it down and cleaned it up but, I got a good look at the filter when I did. It was completely covered with thick dried mud and a greenish dried algae of some sort. They really did have a water emergency while on their trip.

We have all read the incredible things our water filters can do. They are truly a great accomplishment of modern man. The instructions on my Katadyn Micro filter state, “ Suitable for turbid and extremely turbid surface water. Makes the water clear (particles will be removed). Suitable for questionable tap water. Suitable for safe tap water (drinking water quality).“

I am certain that all of these statements are true.  All of the instructions for my other various countertop gravity water filters were the same or similar.

Lake water, river water, water from a creek, rain water, water from a small puddle in a depression in a rock; all are acceptable sources for drinking water through our filters.

It was nearly 10 years ago that I first purchased a Berkey countertop gravity-feed water filter. At the time, I had no practical experience nor idea as to how long the filters would last. Knowing that at some time I would indeed need to replace them, I went ahead and ordered extra candle filters. We have used our countertop water filter daily over 10 years, feeding it only tap water. I have cleaned the filters several times (it is amazing to me how filthy tap water is) but am not really any closer to needing the replacement filters.

This may lead us to conclude that if we filter only clean, or clear water, our filters should last a good long while.

But seriously, once the Schumer hits the fan (SHTF) we may not be able to replace our filters. This means we should take care to only feed our water filters clear water, or at least water that is less turbid. Even though the filter can accept a wet mucking mess and render unto us life’s elixir (drinking water), we need to respect our investments better. Putting anything other than clear water through our water filters will have us cleaning and sanding them down too often and greatly reduce their life.

There are several precautions we should take.

First, we can take care when filling a bucket in the lake or river. Don’t kick or stir up any sediment and try to just skim the surface for water. Getting water from a clear mountain spring would help as well. Our goal is to harvest the clearest possible water we can find to run through our water filter.

Sometimes this may  be difficult to achieve. Without a stable environment to store unfiltered water in, we are subject to the stirred up sediment that rain, wind, and other local activity can produce. In order to keep a continuous supply of relatively clear water to run through our filter we need to have stable water storage.

This can be accomplished easily with the use of 5 gallon pails. After carefully filling a pail, let it sit undisturbed overnight before running it through the filter. This will allow heavy sediment in the water to settle to the bottom of the bucket.

Inspect the water in the top half of the pail. You might decide to let the water sit another day to allow any additional sediment to settle. 

This process may take days if the lake or river water is high in turbidity. This may be due to a recent rain or just be the natural state of the water source. Having a series of 5-gallon pails would keep you from running out of clear water in this case. I keep seven pails set aside for just this purpose. As each pail meets your “eyeball” standard of clarity, it can then be either filtered (from the top of the pail) or added to a larger unfiltered storage container such as a 55 gallon barrel.

After filling the 55 gallon barrel and allowing the additional settling of any sediment, water can then be gently scooped or ladled out off the top.

In the old west it was common for the cowboy to knock the side of the water barrel before using the ladle to quench his thirst. Some folks thought this was for good luck but in reality it was to make the pollywogs dive for the bottom of the barrel before he used the ladle. Keep your water barrel protected from mice, frogs, and pollywogs. 

At our retreat, we do not yet have a well and use water from a spring on our property. We do not filter water that is used for bathing, or washing clothes.

Reserving your filter for water which is intended for cooking, drinking or medical use, will also help extend its life.

I now have some practical experience with water filters. We have used our Berkey for many years and have had no issues with it. Several years ago I bought an Aqua Rain counter-top model for our in-town house to filter our tap water for drinking and coffee. The candle filters have held up fine but the stainless steel tank is not a good quality. Ours actually developed a stress crack from use and has split down the side. At $300 we had hoped for a bit better quality and Aqua Rain does not stand by the product either. I ended up replacing it with another Berkey.
As for pocket water filters nothing comes close to the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter. It has a 20 year warranty and can filter up to 13,000 gallons of water. All in a compact size for your BOB.

So remember, having good gear, planning ahead, and having extra food-grade buckets and drums along with our water filters will have us all staying clean and enjoying a glass of cool, clear, and hopefully pollywog-free, water through TEOTWAWKI.

Two Letters Re: Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids and Hygiene

Mr. Rawles,
 Another comment on home made laundry soap. There is a difference between Sodium Carbonate and Sodium Bicarbonate and using the wrong one will make a difference in the quality/effectiveness of your product. If you are having difficulty locating Sodium Carbonate you may want to consider checking with your local swimming pool supply store. Soda Ash (sodium carbonate) is a commonly used chemical to raise the pH in swimming pools. – W.V. Willard

Mr. Rawles:
There are several easy solutions, and a few economical difficult ones. I make my laundry soap out of grated Ivory bars, Borax, generic Oxy-Clean, and baking soda. My laundry soap works way better than the store bought detergent, is cheaper, and takes less per load. There will come a day when those ingredients are not available. I’ll probably then just use homemade lye soap and boil the clothes after scrubbing them on my passed down washboard.
 
The solution to toilet paper is to use fabric rags and re-wash them (in my homemade laundry soap). It’s a fairly easy solution. I have a dispenser in my bathroom where I have big rags and little rags in two separate compartments. I have a little canister with a lid, into which I put the soiled rags. I like it better than toilet paper.
 
Instead of paper towels, I use fabric towels. Again, these solutions are boringly old fashioned, but amazingly foreign to our present culture.
 
For soap, I use old fashioned lye soap, made my yours truly. I use store bought lye at this point in time, but later, when we will be heating with wood, I will take the ashes and run rain water over them to make lye. I use the lye soap to wash my skin and my hair.
 
For shampoo, I use this mixture right now:
Step 1: Wet hair. Use a tiny amount of dandruff shampoo, scrub into scalp. Wash out.
Step 2: In an empty shampoo bottle, fill it up with water, and squeeze some (only 2 squeezes) of your favorite shampoo into bottle. I use generic Pantene moisturizing shampoo. Shake up. Squeeze a little bit onto your hair. Lather. Rinse.
Step 3: Take a bar of lye soap. Rub in hair. Lather. Rinse.
Step 4: In an empty conditioner bottle, fill it up with water, and squeeze some (I’m talking 2 squeezes) of your favorite conditioner into bottle. I use generic Pantene moisturizing conditioner. Shake up. Squeeze a little bit onto your hair. Lather. Rinse.
Step 5. In an empty spray bottle, put about 1/4 of bottle in vinegar, fill up with water. Spray all over your hair.
 
I have long, thick hair to my waist, but I use very little shampoo or conditioner. The key is to use a lot of water. The shampoo is actually damaging to your hair. All shampoos contain several strippers; that’s what makes hair tangly and dry. The lye soap contains glycerine, a natural by product of the chemical change that happens in the soap making process. Glycerine is very good for hair and skin. Few store-bought soaps that I know of contain the glycerine. The vinegar is also very good for the hair. Someday I will make some vinegar. From what I read, it’s fairly easy to make if you have the apples.
 
It is very confusing to me to understand the thinking behind the large stores of stuff (paper, etc) that people talk about having. What will happen when they run out of those stores? Why not learn to cope without them now? Is it really self-sufficiency to just go buy everything in large quantity? I don’t know, maybe it works for some people, it just doesn’t make sense to me. I understand that I will probably still have to buy some things, but I want to be producing or have non-perishable things for most of what I need. – Mrs. A.L.

Economics and Investing:

Reader Larry W. recommended this commentary from Howard Gold: Lehman Brothers II crisis is coming soon

John R. sent us several links to some recent Zero Hedge articles:

Interactive Infographic of the Doomed European Financial System
 
DSK Says Greece Is Done
 
Is September 20 Greek Default Day?
 

Items from The Economatrix:

Is China Ready To Pull The Plug?

Is Revolution Hitting US Streets Tomorrow?

The Economic Collapse – Part 1

Mayor Bloomberg Predicts Riots In The Streets If Economy Does Not Create More Jobs

Odds ‘n Sods:

Gail H. recommended this over at The Art of Manliness: How To Shave Like Your Grandpa

   o o o

Jonathan B. was the first of several readers to send this: Farmers flee as world’s deadliest volcano rumbles

   o o o

Another sign of the times: Father and daughter burned in alleged electrical theft.

   o o o

F.G. sent this: Smoking Bans Are No Match For New Yorkers

   o o o

Jasper recommended some practical advice over at Lew Rockwell’s site: Journey to the U-Pull…

The Home Medical Kit Revisited, by Dr. Bob

Medical supplies are an essential part of survival and planning can really save you some headaches. You cannot have too much gauze nor too many Band-Aids. Seriously, if you have the room then keep buying them. Sterile gauze is worth having a small amount of, and non-sterile a much larger amount of. band-Aids of all shapes are recommended, I really like the Nextcare tattoo type because they stick so well and help with blister protection as well as all sorts of small cuts. I am not really a big band-Aid person as I like blood and scars, but to each his own. If you feel the need to stop bleeding, nothing beats good old fashioned pressure.  There is an old saying in medicine:  “all bleeding stops eventually”s.  I guess it is supposed to be partly humorous but also is meant to calm those that tend to freak out dramatically at the site of blood.  Pressure on wound for a good two minutes stops the majority of bleeding wounds from knives, sharp edges, and puncturing.  Holding pressure directly is the best way to approach bleeding, then after it slows or stops, then wrapping it with a nice tight bandage with gauze between will stop 95% of non-horrific injuries.

Ace wrap is great to have for a large variety of reasons, including holding together splints, wrapping larger injuries, and making a sling. It can be rewashed and used over and over until its springiness is lost. Getting a variety of sizes from 1 inch to 6 inch is the best idea, with more of the middle sizes like 2 and 3 inch. Chemical ice packs are really a good idea if there is no grid and therefore no ice. How many is a guess, most of the time if you had access to cool or cold water from creeks or springs that would eliminate most of your need for an ice pack. If you won’t have access to these cooling sources, then you need to make room for more chemical ice packs than someone with a nice cold creek or spring on their property. Splints are as simple as 2 sticks wrapped with duct tape, to fancy and expensive blowup units. My favorite are the simple moldable foam splints available at any medical supply store.

To close small wounds, super glue gel or steri-strips are good for largely non-mobile skin like the forehead or mid arm, leg, etc. If it doesn’t bend much, it’s non-mobile skin. For mobile skin, sutures might help, but if you don’t or can’t get them, then gauze and pressure is your best bet. Super glue gel is easier to control than the watery stuff and doesn’t stick you to the person you are trying to help as much.  If the wound bleeds then the gel will just run all over and do absolutely no good.  If the bleeding from a wound just keeps oozing slowly, you have to use sutures or steri-strips to stop it and close up the wound.  Even steri-strips are very tricky with bleeding as they won’t stick to blood.  You have a solid 8 hours to repair any injury, so the key to wound closure is SLOW DOWN and relax unless you see pumping blood shooting out of you or your pal.  Sometimes, wrapping a wound and coming back to it an hour later makes all the difference in the world.

Besides having the supplies to repair and care for these flesh wounds, you need to have a person available with a stomach for the job. Someone in your small tribal society will be the medical person, so make sure they know how to use the supplies and that they are available.  The “Mary Gray” of your group (see Jim’s novel “Patriots”) needs to train another secondary person to be an assistant or a primary medical person if the 1st choice is missing or gone.  There is nothing worse than everyone freaking out because of blood and the person with the stuff and stomach being a long way away. Don’t wrap any bandages or gauze over super glue wounds for a couple hours, of course. Sutures are nice, but you need the little pliers or needle driver to use them, don’t forget that. Same with a curved needle and thread, it has to either be big enough for your hotdog fingers or get a pliers or driver. The little pliers needed for this is different than the mighty pliers listed in non-medical supplies for pulling teeth, they will not be interchangeable.

So, to sum up, get a good-sized bag for all these supplies as you may need to move it to a person rather than the person to your supplies.  Pack it in order of importance, when you run out of room keep the remaining supplies on the shelves in your prepper area with the food and ammo in a cool, dry place.  Gauze, band-Aids, Ace wrap, chemical ice packs, splints, tape, steri-strips, super glue gel, sutures or curved needles, pliers or needle driver all go into the bag.  The bag necessary for these items is really not that big and will not be that heavy.  Keep two ice packs in the bag and lots of backups on the shelves.  Keep one splint in the bag, a variety of band-Aids, a variety of gauze and ace wraps, and a “set” of supplies for wound repair with backups for all these items on your shelves.  There are certainly many more items that others recommend and that may be fine for some folks, this is a basic non-medical layperson recommendation.  With a skilled, proficient medical person in your group your needs may be much more sophisticated, expensive, and extensive.  Most people are not going to be performing surgery and pulling off blood-typing and transfusions.  For those of you out there that will comfort and pray over the GSW victim WTSHTF, these recommendations will work.  Questions and comments are always welcome. Stay strong.

JWR Adds: Dr. Bob is is one of the few consulting physicians in the U.S. who dispenses antibiotics for disaster preparedness as part of his normal scope of practice. His web site is: SurvivingHealthy.com.

An Overview of Handloading .45 ACP by Pat Cascio

I’ve had numerous requests from SurvivalBlog readers for some articles on reloading, and in particular, on how to reload. It is beyond the scope of any single article to teach anyone how to reload in several easy steps. There are many videos and reloading manuals available that can teach you, step-by-step, how to reload. There are also some on-line courses you can take to teach you how to reload. There isn’t anything magical about reloading, it’s really pretty simple and enjoyable – I’ve been reloading for more than 40 years now, and I personally find it a relaxing way to spend my time.

It doesn’t take a lot of money to get started in reloading, either. You can get a simple, single-stage reloading press, powder scale, reloading dies, etc. for about $100 – add a couple good reloading manuals, primers, powder, brass and bullets and you’re ready to get going. One of the best things about reloading is the savings you’ll get by rolling your own ammo – you can reload most ammo less expensively than you can purchase it off your sporting goods dealer shelves. Plus, you can tailor loads to your own particular guns if you want the absolute best accuracy from a particular gun.

If you’re serious about survival, or serious about firearms, then you owe it to yourself to get involved in reloading. I make no claims as to being any sort of expert when it comes to reloading. My good friend, John Taffin, who is also a gun writer, is one of the best when it comes to reloading, and I often consult him when I have a question about reloading a particular round. I had a magazine editor offer me a regular column on reloading not long ago, however, I turned him down. As I said, I’m no expert when it comes to reloading. I do it because I enjoy it and find it very relaxing.

Most of my reloading is limited to only a few calibers these days. I reload the .45 ACP, .30-06 and .300 Winchester Magnum – that’s about it! I probably shoot the .45 ACP round more than any other caliber, so I’m only going to cover this round in this article – besides, it’s one of my favorite rounds. That’s not to say I don’t reload other calibers, but the above three are the calibers I’ve reloaded the most.

I don’t own a reloading library, instead, I have a couple good reloading manuals I consult, and my favorite is the Speer reloading manual #13, and one of these days, I’ll get #14. I also use the Nosler Reloading Guide, (5th edition). There is also a wealth of reloading information you can find on-line from a number of bullet, brass and powder companies – and it’s free information, too.

The .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) has been around since 1905 – that’s a good long time, and it has developed a solid following as a fight-stopping round. John Browning chose a 230 grain bullet at 850-feet per second for his 1911 handgun, and this is pretty much the “standard” for this round. Oh, to be sure, there are many ammo companies, like Black Hills Ammunition and Buffalo Bore Ammunition that produce some outstanding +P loads for the .45 ACP. However, I’ve never loaded my own .45 ACP ammo to anything except standard velocities.

Tim Sundles, who owns and operates Buffalo Bore Ammunition, turned me on to Rim Rock Bullets which is owned and operated by Frank Brown. Frank also manufactures the hard cast lead bullets that Buffalo Bore Ammunition uses in their rounds that use hard cast lead bullets. So right off the bat, I had a lot of respect for Rim Rock Bullets – if Buffalo Bore is using ’em in their ammo – then I knew they would be good.

Much of my own reloading for the .45 ACP has been either 230 grain FMJ, 200 grain SWC, 185 grain SWC and 185 grain JHP bullets. For shooting pleasure and target practice, it’s hard to beat the 185 grain SWC and 200 grain SWC lead bullets. My only complaint about using lead bullets in the past have been they were soft lead, and they really get a gun dirty and the barrel needs extra time to clean it – and I don’t enjoy spending a lot of time cleaning my guns – I’d rather be out shooting.

The Rim Rock 200 grain SWC bullet is lead, hard cast, so there is no excessive leading in your barrel – what’s not to like here? I wish I had discovered Rim Rock’s hard cast bullets long ago. And, truth be told, the hard cast bullets aren’t very much more money than soft lead bullets are. You can get 500 hard cast lead bullets from Rim Rock for $76.50 and that’s cheap enough if you ask me.

Okay, when reloading any semiauto handgun round, you need to put a taper crimp on the bullet – not a roll crimp. I’m not gonna go into great detail here, but most semi-auto rounds, like the .45 ACP headspace on the rim of the case. So the case mouth can’t be rolled over the bullet’s groove, like you can do on [straight-case] rimmed rounds. (Such as the .38 Special that headspace on the rim of the brass.) And it takes special care to get just the right amount of taper on the brass/bullet so the rounds will headspace properly. It’s a trial and error sort of thing, that you’ll learn as you get into reloading for semi-auto handguns.

Most of my life, I’ve only used single-stage reloading presses. This means you can only perform one reloading step at a time. You need to de-prime your old brass, then re-prime it, add your powder and then your bullet and seat it. It takes time to do each step. Usually what I’ll do is take about 500 pieces of brass and punch out all the old primers, then I’ll use a hand primer to seat new primers – at some point, down the road, when I’m ready to start loading the brass – and this could be months down the road – I’ll get my reloading dies all set and adjusted and start measuring and pouring powder in my empty brass, then seat the bullets. Like I said, I’m not gonna try to teach you to reload in this article. There’s more to it than this – and one step is to get a case tumbler to clean your old brass and make it nice and shiny before reloading it.

I like a single-stage press as I feel they give me more control and I can precisely load each round exactly the way I want it. I have several single-stage reloading presses, but the one I use most was given to me by a friend from Alaska (now deceased) and it’s an ancient single-stage press made by Pacific. I use this press because it works best for me, and there is the nostalgia there – it was given to me by a good friend. I also have several Lee brand single-stage reloading presses as well. The only time I used a progressive reloading press was when I worked for the late Col. Rex Applegate – he loved shooting .38 Special rounds and it was my chore to keep the good Colonel well-supplied in this caliber. Still, I prefer single-stage reloading presses for my own use. Sure, you can pump out hundreds or thousands of rounds faster on a progressive press. However, as I mentioned, I find reloading very relaxing and I’m never in a hurry to reload.

There are any number of good reloading powders you can find for rolling your own .45 ACP rounds, however, I’ve found that the ol’ standby of “Unique” to take care of a lot of my reloading chores – it’s been around forever and it’s, well…”unique” in that it is very versatile. The .45 ACP doesn’t have to be loaded to high velocities to get the job done all the time. For sheer shooting pleasure, I like to keep the 200 grain SWC load under 800 f.p.s.. I’ve found that with the hard cast 200 grain SWC bullets from Rim Rock, and 5.4 grains of Unique, I can keep these bullets moving along at slightly under 800 f.p.s.. Remember, when working up any new load, to reduce your starting load by about 10% and work your way up to the desired velocity you want – and keep an eye out for excessive pressure – one way is to look at your empty brass for flattened primers. Of course, this isn’t the only sign of over-pressured rounds. You’ll learn as you go along.

The Rim Rock 200 grain SWC is not only a good bullet for target practice, it’s also a good round for self defense and small to medium game out in the field. You don’t always need super-hot rounds in a .45 ACP to get the job done. Remember, you are already starting out with a bullet that is almost half an inch in diameter to start with – so it’s gonna make a big hole going in. The Rim Rock hard cast lead bullet is gonna give you some good penetration and it’s gonna hold together for you and not easily deform when hitting bone, either. I did some non-scientific testing on the Rim Rock bullets, shooting them into water-filled milk jugs, and it easily penetrated through three milk jugs – I ran out of milk jugs for more testing after several tests of penetration.  However, all the Rim Rock bullets looked as if they could have been cleaned-up and reloaded once again. (Tough bullets, to be sure!)

For target shooting, you can load the 200 grain SWC Rim Rock bullet down a bit, by using 4.9 grains of Unique powder, which will have that bullet traveling at slightly more than 700 f.p.s. and it’s a very accurate round for punching holes in paper and “killing” rocks and other targets of opportunity out in the field.

I tested the Rim Rock 200 grain SWC hard cast bullets in several different M1911s and there were no feeding problems – the rounds slid out of the magazines and into the chambers without any problems – not something I can say of soft lead SWC bullets at times.

I knew from the start, that these bullets would be good ones, if Buffalo Bore is using ’em in their ammo, then I knew they’d be good stuff. Frank Brown, at Rim Rock Bullets, is one of the good guys. Check out his web site, and I’m sure you’ll find some bullets you’ll want for your own reloading projects. Frank Brown deserves your business. As I said at the start of this article, I’m not “expert” when it comes to reloading, but I’ve been at it for more than 40 years, and I know quality bullets when I see ’em – the Rim Rock 200 grain SWC samples I had are high-quality in every respect. And, if you buy in large quantities, shipping is only $15 for up to 70 pounds of bullets – that’s a deal!

Redefining Dollar Stores, by Michael Z. Williamson

At one time, dollar stores (former called “five and dime” stores) sold closeouts, leftovers, seconds and special deals.  Increasingly, though, they’re selling purpose-made, second-rate, third world junk made just for that purpose.  I would never trust any tool from such a store–they’re of pot metal and guaranteed to fail.  They are not, in my opinion, “better than nothing”, because they cost money, give you a false sense of security, and don’t accomplish anything.

I would recommend finding both actual overstock and closeout stores, and thrift stores, as well as frequenting garage sales.  At the latter two, older tools without the shine and modern high-tech shaping are perfectly functional, usually better made, and often available even cheaper than at dollar stores.  You can often find kits missing one or two pieces, pick them up separately for a mismatched but complete kit, and have name brand quality for pennies on the dollar. – Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large)

Three Letters Re: Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids and Hygiene

Mr. Rawles,
 
I read the article regarding “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, and Hygiene” by Jason L. I thought I would contribute our family’s method of making laundry detergent. In stead of paying an exorbitant price for laundry soap, we make our own using Borax, Washing Soda, Fels-Naptha soap and hot water. This is the Duggar Family laundry soap recipe. I give proper credit to that family for the recipe, and it works great. Our clothes have a light clean scent and the monetary savings is tremendous. The simple and cheap ingredients make it very easy to store supplies to make literally thousands of gallons of laundry soap. Thanks for the great blog, as I visit it every day. – J.W. in Missouri 

Mr. Rawles:
My family’s initial solution to the toilet paper problem was simply to buy two cases every time we needed one case. This was an easy way to stock extra paper.
 
The house we live in now is partly constructed of poured in place fiberglass entrained concrete with # 6 rebar on 12 inch centers. Because every previous house I have ever lived in eventually became short of space, this time I constructed a separate 15 x 30 x 10 foot concrete building (walls and roof) with high security, outward opening steel doors. An internal concrete wall divides this building. Half of it houses a generator and large diesel tank. The generator portion has baffled electrically actuated steel shutters for cooling/ventilation when the generator is running and the exhaust flows through a hospital muffler exiting through the roof. The other half of this building is for storage and contains shelves, two freezers one stopping time on freeze dried food, a large refrigerator, microwave, and washer/dryer.
 
But back to the toilet paper. Our surplus was stacked on top of the freezers and refrigerator and by the time it reached the ceiling, we had a nice reserve. Because all things eventually reach the end (a pun of course), this nice supply of TP was deemed inadequate to meet our long term requirements. So I cast about for a better alternative to the left hand.
 
We stocked the following:
 
Product: Toilet Tissue, 1 ply, jumbo roll, 2000’/roll, 12 rolls/carton KC107223 by Kimberly Clark. Amazon price $ 65.72 from the Factory Depot
 
(2,000 foot/roll) x 12 rolls = 24,000 feet;
 
24,000 feet / (2 feet/average wipe) = 12,000 wipes;
 
12,000 wipes/ (1 wipe/average bowel movement every two days) = 24,000 days;
 
24,000 days/(365 days/year) = 65 years 8 months.
 
If the dedicated prepper would stock a carton of 12 of these rolls per family member, all should have happy bottoms for a nice long time.
 
Sincerely, – Panhandle Rancher

 

James,
I’d like to comment on the article “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids and Hygiene, by Jason L” specifically on his plans to get a Wonder Washer.  Having owned one of these for more than ten years now I’d like to point out a few things about it people need to keep in mind.  First, the Wonder Washer is small compared to most washing machines we are used to using today.  I’ve used it on extended camping trips in our trailer and it works well enough for small items like socks and underwear.  I have yet to be able to fit a pair of heavy pants into it though nor would I be able to clean sheets from a Queen sized bed.  It works well enough for twin or single sheets or those lightweight sleeping bag liners that are sold.  I’d suggest getting a couple of water tubs and a laundry plunger and a washboard for larger items.  If you want to have your heavy clothes dry in less than a week during the most humid times of the year (here in Colorado we get a “monsoon flow” during parts of the summer and line drying becomes close to impossible) you also want to get a wringer.

I’d also add that the small size of the Wonder Washer makes it great for infrequent washing for one or two people, but with a family of seven at this point there is no way we’d be able to keep up with any laundry other than underwear and socks anyway.  Now, just imagine having an infant and all those diapers to wash as well. – Hugh D.

Letter Re: Magpul Dynamics The Art of the Tactical Carbine DVD Set

I also thoroughly enjoyed The Art of the Tactical Carbine DVD as an instructional video to become more proficient in carbine operation.  I also agree, Chris Costa’s drop pouch explanation is hilarious but at the end, he makes a more important point: “You, the shooter, have to determine what you want to do.”

In most of the training I’ve taken with tactical carbine and pistol operation, the emphasis has generally focused on winning the fight without much consideration for long term logistics.  This has given much credence to the practice of emergency reloads – dropping the mag to get the fastest possible reload and more rounds on target.  This has merit as civilians when we can just go out and buy new kit we’ve lost or soldiers and security contractors who can just go to a quarter master to replenish lost stores. 

In an “End of the world as we know it” scenario, AR-15/M16 and Model 1911 magazines likely will be worth their weight in gold as there probably will be few if any retail shops or bin rats available to resupply anyone.  If you watch the extra footage drill Chris Costa and Travis Haley perform, you’ll count no less than three mags dropped in under 60 seconds.  There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to win a fight and be able to collect your kit and even if you do, dropping mags does add fatigue that can eventually cause them to break or malfunction.

To that end, it’s important to consider that while dropping your empty magazines (or any kit for that matter) may allow you to perform a reload a few seconds faster right now, it may also turn your semi-automatic carbine or pistol into a single shot, breech loader six months in the future.

While there’s strengths and weaknesses to both the emergency/speed reload and tactical reload/reload with retention, it’s a good habit to get into not taking for granted the ability to replenish your kit and training yourself to recognize what circumstances would merit either techniques.

Economics and Investing:

America’s Poorest States. [JWR Notes: I was surprised to see Montana on the list. Of course up there they are strong on barter and self-sufficiency, and that economic activity simply doesn’t register in dollar terms. A large portion of the population in Montana cuts their own firewood, hunts, and has a vegetable garden. My consulting clients in Montana tell me that lots of transactions are paid for in firewood, shed antlers, and even frozen huckleberries.]

Ayn Rand Institute president Yaron Brook the annual Ayn Rand dinner: The Coming Collapse: “We Can Buy Time, But We Can’t Change the Outcome”

Deep in sewer debt: Jefferson County Approves Deal With Creditors. (A hat tip to Sue C. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Unemployment Rates Rose in Majority of States

Household Wealth Dipped in Spring

Oil Drops as US, Europe Clash Over Debt Crisis

Almost 1 in 6 Americans Living Below Poverty Line. (Of course keep in mind that the American definition of “poverty” includes living with cable television, a car, XBox, air conditioning, et cetera.)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Five Minutes and Twenty Nine Seconds of Terror: Dramatic New Video of Japan Tsunami

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Greg C. sent this: China Consolidates Grip on Rare Earths. Greg C. notes that China now dominates the world’s compact fluorescent bulb market, so they can charge what they’d like. And, by law, we will must buy these more expensive bulbs–we will no longer be able to buy traditional incandescent bulbs. Further, the fluorescent bulbs will contaminate our landfills with mercury. Doesn’t it feel great to be a part of the Green Revolution?

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File Under: “Most Ethical Administration in History”, “New Era of Responsibility”, “What Have You Done For Me Lately?: White House Pressure for a Donor?

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Camping Survival’s Paracord Giveaway is still in progress. Describe your favorite paracord project, or list some of your favorite uses for paracord and how you execute them, and you can win a 1,000 foot roll of top quality paracord. This contest will run through the end of September.

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Ryan S. sent this news from California: Gun control bill in Governor Brown’s hands. It is incredible that they want to ban the open carry of unloaded guns! California is such a lost cause. It is high time for conservative gun owners in California to vote with their feet. Gun control refugees are welcome in the American Redoubt.