Odds ‘n Sods:

Ian R. sent this:  Crises make automakers rethink lean parts supplies

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News from the Philippines: Rabies kills 67 people in three months.

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Camping Survival just received a truckload of Wise Foods buckets. Feeling overstocked, they created an unprecedented 10% off coupon code just for SurvivalBlog readers.  The coupon code is “wiseblog“

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson forwarded this: Your computer may be at risk, FBI warns–Thousands of PCs infected by hackers could lose Net access

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G.G. flagged this piece about solar flares: Feds and Utilities Face Off Over the Electromagnetic Pulse Threat Coming in 2014

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 40 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 40 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Preparing a Covert Gearbag or Warbag, by Racker

This site is known for material geared towards protection and preparation for some ultimate tests of social interaction. While we may be working to prepare ourselves for a high end threat, keep in mind that there are levels between normal and end situations; we may not go from normal to end in one quick swoop.  We must be prepare for various levels and react accordingly when we or our families are threatened. Knowledge and our equipment are tools to better prepare us to deal with any serious social situation.

After writing a previous article on Weapon Use, Slings, Web Gear, and Associated Weapon Equipment, I thought I would elaborate a little on the covert aspects of weapons carry and related gear. Again, most of this is based upon my experience of “blending in” while wearing plain clothes as a detective and non-uniformed Sheriff’s Deputy as well as off-duty handgun carry.
 
Disclaimer: I am not advocating that anyone break the law. In your home or on your own property the described items are usually legal. Please confirm as location and the laws vary so you must check your state and local laws regarding how you would utilize firearms and under what circumstances. I offer this information for consideration but the ultimate decision would rest upon the person possessing and using any firearm and in some states, even the possession of types of semiautomatic weapons and the magazines used. And, remember, depending on the timing and end result of the situation, you will probably have a review and investigation of your actions by law enforcement as well as a review by a prosecutor. This is where training and topic study comes into close play.
 
What do you grab in the middle of the night or when you see you are about to be in a possible gun fight? Personally, I have always scribed to a quote from author Robert Heinlein, “Always keep your clothes and your weapons where you can find them in the dark.” Hopefully, if authorized to carry a handgun, you at least have a good concealable pistol with an extra magazine, and a good flashlight. I advocate it is also nice to have at least your trousers and some shoes on in these situations (heaven forbid we shock someone who sees an armed but undressed person). At the very least, you can typically carry a weapon in your home or on your own property. A better idea in a serious social situation is to also have a long-gun along with some extra magazines/ammo backed up by the pistol. What we carry and how we carry it is a part of blending in and we would at least get hard looks if we are seen carrying a long gun (or any gun) in most neighborhoods, but we should have equipment available to handle most situations (just balance safe storage with reasonably fast access to your weapons).
 
I should also comment on law enforcement response time. The law enforcement officers I have dealt with have always tried to quickly get to people in need in cases of possible violence. But most of us do not have a cop living next door and in many parts of the country, with reduced local budgets requiring reduced numbers of first responders, we have fewer cops and response times to reports are getting longer or put off due to other calls-for-service. Even if you can call but are told that a response will be “extended,” you should have a practiced plan (with the proper equipment) to protect yourself and your family until they arrive (“Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute’s warning.” – Standing orders of Rogers Rangers, circa 1758.
 
Take a look at yourself in a mirror. In any scenario you picture yourself in, do you dress like G.I. Joe or do you intentionally wear natural earth tone, low key clothing? Cargo pants are common but a camo pair may cause people to look closer at you. The whole idea is that your attire and equipment should not look like a soldier or cop. If you carry a long-gun in a bag, is it a baseball bat bag or a custom gun bag? Can you have someone modify a sports bag, case, or even a cloth briefcase to hold your carry gear, attachable to you, and allow access to your equipment and mags? For a canvas or nylon briefcase, try finding a stiff piece of material that fits in the case and sew MOLLE strips or loops of webbing on both sides to hold mags upright as well as other “nice to have” gear. Add some “D” rings and detachable straps so the bag can hang from your neck with another strap around your chest/waist.    
 
Long before we had “active shooter” protocols or plans, while working for a Sheriff’s Office, I carried my “warbag” in the trunk of my unit (a marked patrol unit or an unmarked unit). As an operator on SWAT, this included my camo uniform and all my equipment in a parachute bag along with a SMG or AR. For the AR, I carried three 30-round mags, and a 20-round mag on the stock and a military cloth bandoleer with seven loaded 20-round mags (in the carbine or rifle, these mags let you get closer to the ground when someone may be shooting at you). When I went into plainclothes, I usually reduced the gear to an issue Remington 12 gauge Model 870 shotgun and ammo carried in an over-the-shoulder strap bag at a minimum and a rifle when authorized or needed (bad guys may not recognize some rifles but they respect the big hole at the end of the shotgun barrel).
 
Later, I put an AR and the same ammo load in my unit – with the ammo and gear in a sports bag that could clip onto my body for carry. In that bag, the AR mags and two extra pistol mags were quickly accessible, the adjusted bandoleer easy to put over my shoulder, a radio in my back pocket, my old Cold Steel Tanto in place for quick access in the bag along with a full water bottle and some snacks. Oh, my protective vest was either under my shirt or in the bag as well.
 
After I retired, I used the same bag for a while but I have now transferred the mags and gear to a plain over-the-shoulder black nylon bag. It can carry up to 220+ rounds in AR mags (30 and 20-round mags) plus other gear. One bag is marked, “Nintendo” and a new one is marked, “Old Navy.” I got these and others at Goodwill for about $2 to $3 each. This bag goes with my red-dot equipped 5.56 carbine that is carried in a sports bag. Even if someone sees the bags, they do not think tactical.
 
For my “serious duty,” extended tube, Remington 870 shotgun, I have a similar black nylon bag that says, “AAA” (in red letters). I took a black felt-tip pen and shaded the “AAA” a lot darker. It still does not look like an ammo bag, and it carries a selection of Winchester PDX12 (“buck and ball”), 00, slug, and #4 12ga. Ammo in smaller pockets. You can equip other bags of this type for each weapon you have.
 
In any social context, long-guns should be primary and any support or added a level of protection comes from handguns (while some may say it should be the other way around, for now, this is reality). For the handgun, obtain good quality holsters, pistol (trouser) belts, and mag pouches. Next, ensure you have a good and tested sling on the long-gun. All your gear should work together for you and not against you.
 
I wish to make a point here that your gear does not have to look, “Tacticool.” Until we reach an end of normal social actions, if you need to carry and use your weapons, think covert – not overt on you own property. Wearing a military or tactical looking rig draws a lot of attention; some of it unwanted. At first glance, most cops see weapons as an immediate threat and treat it that way until they know better. Think, plan and train for this. Think out how you will react to reduce the chance of a melancholy end to a law enforcement encounter. If there are no cops involved, run through scenarios in your mind — and with trusted advisors when you can. Obtain training or practice these scenarios. Remember, where a firearm is aimed is a big part of any situation. Can you record a confrontation on a cell phone or on a recorder so that you know about it but anyone being confronted does not know about the recording? This may help you protect yourself by knowing it is recorded but document the confronted person’s verbal responses and actions (you can do this by calling 911 and setting the phone down). As to what you should say, it should be clear, firm, but not profane or overly aggressive. I sometimes use the words of others to set the tone for these kinds of thoughts. Here are two: 1) “A kind word only goes so far, a kind word and a gun goes a lot further.” –Al Capone (1924) and 2) “Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready.” – Theo. Roosevelt (San Francisco, CA, May 13, 1903). Between these two men, there is a lot of room for the reader to determine a fair course of meaning (both being fairly determined men but at different ends of the social spectrum). 
 
If you lawfully carry a handgun, practice with it until you know where it is on your person, how to gain access to it (pulling up a vest or coat, etc.), where the extra mag or speedloader is, where your flashlight is (set to the beam you want when you turn it on), where your folding knife is, how you will retrieve and show ID if confronted by a peace officer and become comfortable (as you can) with all this gear. It is too easy to telegraph carry by constantly pulling up a gun belt or otherwise broadcasting your gear to even bad people. The idea here is that people (even ex-cons) do not know you have your gear ready for use. Really, this comfort level is not as easy as it seems. Again, practice it until it is easy then add layers of other covert gear that go with a long gun.  
 
By the way, if it is not too warm or raining, a long light jacket or a blanket or Clint Eastwood western type serape will cover most long guns as well as what you may be wearing around your waist. In cold or wet weather, a rain coat or other long coats will cover a long-gun if slung with the sling over the shoulder and the weapon nestled under the strong side arm.
 
I have found that most people, when they do practice with their weapons and related gear, they do so in daylight. We need to think beyond daylight and practice during hours of darkness. With any weapon, target identification is a primary function in a confrontation; before pulling a trigger, know who will be shot due to that action. It would be better if the target was illuminated by a source not attached to the shooter but as a last resort, there may not be an alternative to holding or using an attached light to perform this identification.
 
If someone comes looking for you (in any serious social situation), access is always an important consideration with carry equipment and should be considered by anyone defending themselves or their family. Find the time to practice changing mags and other equipment from these bags. Practice weapon functions without looking at it in daylight and in the dark. Practice until it is automatic and done with little thought (trained “muscle memory”).
 
So, in addition to you short gun and extra mag, have quickly at hand:
1.  An accessible carbine or shotgun with a good sling (and, my preference, a good red dot sight);
2.  A useful amount of proper mags and ammo;
3.  A manner of carrying this gear that does not make you look like G.I. Joe; and
4.  A strong and sharp knife, extra pistol mags, a good flashlight, water and energy food.
 
To be covert, you need to think about how many mags and ammo you think you need to carry to support both the short and long guns. Think minimum with more available close by.
 
In any serious social situation, you do not want to run out of ammo until you have cleared the threat or you can back out of range. Figure out how you can carry your weapon in your version of a, “plain brown wrapper.” Find a para-rigger or knowledgeable show repair person to help you modify your gear to meet these carry needs.
 
So, in review, train and practice with all this gear. If you have knowledgeable friends available, talk through your scenarios and ask their advice. Discuss how to react now to these situations and you will be better prepared for any future eventuality; consider a non-tactical bag with a over-the-shoulder strap to hold your gear or a smaller size briefcase kind of bag that you can sew “D” rings on each corner and attach a strap to go around your neck and another around your chest to hold you gear. Until you can wear tactical gear in the open without gaining negative attention, a covert set may be better for your welfare and still meet your threat set needs.     

Keep your musket clean and your powder dry.

Letter Re: An Expat’s View of Overseas Relocation and Expatriation

CPT Rawles,
I want to provide a counterpoint to AmEx’s letter about the futility of permanent expatriation. 

I too have taken a job overseas, after much effort, and am establishing myself permanently in a particular country in Asia.  I agree with AmEx that renouncing one’s US citizenship is probably a bit much, I think he severely underestimates the danger that the US government will (I believe) present to it’s citizens.  While I am still a US citizen, my wife, who earns all our non-salary income privately, and our children are not.  This is something we worked out years ago to limit the reach of my government into our lives.

America was indeed founded on the principles enumerated in the Constitution and Declaration, but to our current government, many of those principles are dead letters to the very body entrusted with defending them – as surely as the Nazis rejected the principles of Frederick the Great and Bismarck and Tojo and his cabal rejected the liberal Taisho democracy that Japan enjoyed prior to WWII.  We are far down that slippery slope.  Were civilization to implode due to a catastrophic event and the government to cease to exist, perhaps the Redoubt option would be the best for everyone.  I subscribe to the slow-burn theory that the government, like cockroaches, will be the last entity standing in almost any event and will present more and more of a strangulation menace to the few remaining “others” (Christians, producers, landowners, etc) the worse the situation gets.  One only has to look at the numerous examples of super-state (multi-cultural, vast landmass, centrally controlled) emergence in the 20th century (China, Germany, USSR) to realize that, despite political rhetoric to the contrary, the America is not longer “exceptional.”  

To believe otherwise is to ignore the repeated Biblical examples of a Godly nation (Israel) turning to wickedness, losing God’s favor and being subsumed by tragedy, to the fatal detriment of even the most righteous citizens.  Two examples of emigration also stick out in my mind:  that of Joseph and many of his kin being called to Egypt after their land was blighted and of Jesus’ parents after tyranny descended on their land.  Yes, I am aware that Joseph’s descendants were eventually enslaved and Jesus’ family eventually returned home but the message is clear that strategic withdrawal is not un-Biblical or unpatriotic (a concept which is not part of Biblical Christianity anyhow, as Jesus’ answer to the Caesar tax question demonstrates).

Perhaps not unremarkably, my plan of action is similar to AmEx’s in that I too am preparing a homestead in the Redoubt for my parents and other family members, because, like many, they cannot or will not leave the place of their birth (now I am also reminded of Lot’s wife).  As an aside, the BIA and IHS are always looking for highly skilled people and you get to work with some very resilient people who have been on the edge of consumer society for a long time, earning good money, safely ensconced in the Redoubt area.

We are preparing in-place.  We have settled in a country that is very used to the deprivations of war and occupation (but now seem to be safely past that) and whose rural folk are much closer to their pre-Industrial roots that even those of the US.  We have sourced a military-engineered hardened structure and, proximately, lots of cheap, arable land with helpful neighbors in a culture which values solidarity and politeness as the highest virtues.  We feel safe, we are safe, as safe as one can be, but not all our family will join us, hence the Redoubt plan for our family.  I am a big fan of the Redoubt idea but I am more frightened of what the government is becoming and much less sanguine about the prospect of libertarian improvement than AmEx.

I will close by reminding readers that almost without exception, our relatives came to the US or colonies fleeing economic oppression or political tyranny.  Were they bad people or unpatriotic?  No.  They were survivors – the namesake of this blog.  Many of their relatives who stayed in place died in the ensuing wars, like all of my French great grandmother’s male cousins in WWI, or starved to death, like all of our Irish relatives from County Cork (the non-emigrating branch died out completely as far as we can tell), or our Scottish relatives whose lands and claims to culture were stripped from them during the Highland Clearance – their only recourse to subsistence was to be conscripted into British wars of empire.  Our descendants all left – some chose the “right” country: the US; some chose the “wrong” country: South Africa, Mexico, or Cuba.  Survival is hard – you must learn a new language and adapt to a new culture.  Survival is sad – you must leave others behind.  Survival is the only way to carry on the torch of freedom, birthed by our Founding Fathers, after the flame has been extinguished in the country they founded, 200 years hence.  Freedom and devotion to God isn’t a geographical space, it is the philosophical space in which you raise and care for those closest to you. – J.T.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Dave T. mentioned that both Facebook and Apple are locating data centers in Prineville, in eastern Oregon. Dave’s comment: “This shows that even IT folk might be able to find jobs in The American Redoubt area, and makes me wonder if survivability factors into these companies’ desire to locate there, along with considerations like inexpensive power, inexpensive land and tax incentives.” JWR Adds: Both Oregon and Washington have implemented special tax incentives to lure new data centers. Both Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Rackspace are building data centers in Morrow, Oregon, and Google set up one of theirs an hour’s drive down river in The Dalles. Sabey Corporation’s new data center is in Quincy, Washington. (Quincy is east of the Cascades, between Ellensburg and Moses Lake.) Dell Computer also built a data center in Quincy. All of these data centers utilize very inexpensive hydroelectric power from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Depending on volume, big commercial customers pay as little as 4 cents per kilowatt hour. There are many other advantages to setting up shop in The Redoubt: Low crime rates, low labor costs, unobtrusive governments, geological stability, geographic isolation from urban risks (such as rioting, copper wiring thefts, and vandalism), relatively mild weather, a strong work ethic, reduced workman’s compensation claims, low cost of living for employees, et cetera.

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Drought forecast for Southwest, California ‘not optimistic’. (Thanks to C.D.V. for the link.)

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this amazing aurora video: Celestial Lights

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I noticed that the layout of The Apartment Prepper’s Blog has been revamped. You’ll find some very useful info there.

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James C. pointed me to an interesting interview: Secrets of Survival with Joel Skousen. He describes in detail his excellent book Strategic Relocation–North American Guide to Safe Places. His comments on the perils of relocating overseas begin at the 19:45 mark.

Notes from JWR:

To support the blog’s bandwidth costs and other expenses, we have greatly expanded our SurvivalBlog Amazon Store. We did our best to select gear that is made in the United States and Canada. Here how it works: If you click on one of our Amazon links and then “click through” to order ANY product from Amazon.com (not just the ones listed in our catalog), then we will earn a modest sales commission. 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 earn a commission. Thanks!

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Today we present an article by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD, SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor. She is the author of the book Armageddon Medicine, and the host of the medical prepping site ArmageddonMedicine.net.   

How to Talk Your Doctor into Prescribing You Antibiotics, by Dr. Cynthia Koelker

First of all, don’t use those words.  Doctors don’t want to be “talked into” something that they may not want to do.  You’ll need a better approach.
 
Secondly, if you tack your request on to the end of an office visit, it will not be granted.  At this point your doctor is ready to move on to the next patient and will not appreciate the delay.  You don’t want your doctor irritated with you when you ask him a favor.
 
So how does one meet with success? 
 
Basically you need to enter the doctor’s “world” and see things from the physician’s perspective.  Every doctor I know faces time constraints.  As a group we feel pressured (and aggravated) when we’re asked to do the work of two or three problems in the time allotted for one. This results in one or all problems being insufficiently addressed.  A request for antibiotics for TEOTWAWKI requires discussion, not simply jotting an Rx for amoxicillin. Next, the doctor-patient relationship is one of trust.  If your doctor has reason to distrust you (missing appointments, being untruthful, misusing your meds) he probably won’t trust you with extra antibiotics either. 
 
If a patient were coming to me with such a request, I’d prefer the conversation go something like this:
 
Patient:  “Hi Doc, thanks for seeing me.  I’m here for my (back, sore throat, etc.) and have one other question for you.” (This sets the stage with an appreciative tone and also the expectation of exactly two problems – not more.  Doctors always like to know at the beginning what they’re facing.  Two is the limit most are happy with.)
 
Patient:  “I’ve had (the first problem) for (time period). It seems to be getting (better/worse).  It might be due to (heavy lifting/infection/etc.) I’ve tried (OTC meds/rest/exercise) which has (helped/not helped).  In the past (what has helped.)  I’d like (pain meds/X-rays/blood work/etc.) or whatever you think might help me.”  (Keep it short.  Be as exact as possible. Don’t drag in extraneous information or what your Aunt Matilda advised.)
 
Doctor:  (Doctor addresses problem and prescribes solution.)
 
Patient:  “Thanks, Doc, I’ll do that.  Now my other question is this:  I’m very concerned about where our country is headed.  It doesn’t look like we can trust the economy, and I’m worried that if things go really bad, we’ll all be on our own.  I want to be able to take care of my family and have stocked up on food and other essentials, including a medical kit.  One thing I’d really like to have on hand is a supply of antibiotics, just in case.  I certainly would not use them unless no doctor is available.  Do you think you could help me out?  I do promise not to use them as long as you’re here to help me.  Could you write me a 10-day supply of generic Keflex, Cipro, and a sulfa drug?  From what I read, that would be a good place to start.” (Again, be concise, direct, appreciative, respectful, reassuring, and specific in your request.  You may want to bring along this article to share with your doctor.)
 
Doctor:  (hesitates)
 
Patient:  “If you’re worried whether I’d know how to use them, I have (a PDR/Sanford Guide/other reference book) to guide me.”  Shows you’re serious and have looked into the matter.
 
Depending on the doctor’s reaction – watch his or her face and body language – you may want to downgrade your request at this point to a single antibiotic, or ask the doctor which one they’d recommend to have on hand.  This engages the doctor in the process.  If it’s a no-go, still thank the doctor and try again on a return visit.
 
You’re even more likely to meet with success if you schedule a visit for this specific purpose only.  Don’t try this with a surgeon, ER doc, or Urgent Care physician.  It needs to be someone who knows you, most likely your family doctor.  If it’s the only request you have, they’re more likely to grant it.  Insurance may or may not pay for such a visit.  You need to consider this ahead of time and explain that you’ll pay cash if needed. 
 
A 10-day supply of these three antibiotics costs only about $12 at the discount pharmacies, and in fact may serve to cover more than three illnesses.  Although doctors always advise to finish your antibiotics, patients often don’t and most of them are okay.  Five days of antibiotics is often sufficient for sore throats, skin infections, respiratory infections, and urinary tract infections.  (More specific recommendations may be found at my web site.)
 
I’ve chosen cephalexin (Keflex), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to recommend because these cover most infections you’re likely to encounter.  Cephalexin is good for strep throat, ear aches, respiratory infections, some community-acquired pneumonia, some urinary infections, and most skin infections.  Ciprofloxacin is effective against urinary infections, some respiratory infections, infectious diarrhea, not to mention anthrax.  Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole usually covers outpatient methicillin-resistant staph infections of the skin and elsewhere, as well as urinary infections and many respiratory infections.  This list is by no means complete, but does include the most common infections. 
 
If your doctor agrees to your first request, on your next visit request a second set.  Three other antibiotics to consider include erythromycin (good for pneumonia, respiratory infections, pertussis, certain STDs, some skin infections), doxycycline (also good for respiratory infections, tick-borne illness, Chlamydia), and metronidazole (good for C diff, certain STDs, diverticulitis (in combination with ciprofloxacin or a sulfa drug), amoebic and certain helminthic infections).
 
A few more tips to find your doctor in a receptive mood:
 
1.      Schedule your appointment early in the day, preferably within the first hour.
2.      Try to avoid your doctor’s busiest day of the week – ask the receptionist for advice.
3.      Avoid holidays – though your doctor may feel more generous around Christmas.
4.      Try scheduling on your own birthday – and bring up this fact if it seems appropriate.
5.      Schedule when disaster is in the news – tsunami, earthquake, pandemic, etc.
 
Of all the above considerations, most important are 1) the relationship with your doctor and 2) designing your appointment to allow time for the discussion.  If you take your request seriously, so will your doctor.  If you act like it’s a joke, your doctor may merely laugh.   

– Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Pat’s Product Review: Buck Knives CSAR-T Folder

I know a little something about being a first responder to an accident scene. In another life, I was a paramedic, and later in life, I was a police officer. So, I’ve been to more than my share of accidents, and one thing that was usually needed in many traffic accidents, was a good sharp knife, that could cut a person out of their seat belt, or cut some of their clothes off for urgent medical care. So, I appreciate a good sharp knife, more so than most folks do.
 
Buck Knives (www.buckknives.com) has been around since 1902. No matter how you look at it, that’s a long, long time for any company to stay in business. I can’t remember exactly when I saw my first Buck knife, but I remember it was one of their fixed blade hunting knives in the 1960s, and later on the famous Buck 110 folding knife, which is widely copied by many. It says a lot when other companies copy your products – it also cuts into the profits of the company that originated with a knife design, too. Imitated, but never duplicated!
 
Some months ago, I received the Buck Knives Responder CSAR-T folder. This is a collaboration between Buck Knives and TOPS Knives – two very well-known knife companies, to be sure. I was immediately impressed with how stout the CSAR-T folder was. It struck me as being US Marine-proof. A lot of folks say, if you want to see how well a product is made, give it to a US Marine – if there is a way to destroy it – they’ll figure it out. If a US Marine can destroy the CSAR-T folder, in the course of their duties, I’d be surprised!
 
This rugged folder has a heavy duty blade that is 0.120″ thick – it’s a modified tanto shaped blade, too – one of my favorite designs for a number of reasons. The stainless steel blade is made out of Buck’s time-tested 420HC, with a soft satin finish, that Buck calls a Zirblast finish. The knife is 5-1/4″ closed and weighs in at 7.0 oz (9.3 oz carry weight in the  included heavy-duty Nylon MOLLE-compatible sheath). There is also a pocket/clothing clip on the handle for carrying in a pants pocket, too. There is also a reversible tip-up carry option for carrying in the right or left front pocket of your pants. The handle scales are textured black G10 – some of the toughest stuff around for a handle material – it’s nearly indestructible! The lock on the folder is a liner-type lock, pretty strong, too!
 
In Buck’s press release, it says the CSAR-T is “tough enough to use for prying…” Okay, almost every knife company that I’m aware of, says to not use a folding knife (or even a fixed blade knife) for prying purposes. On a folder, the blade can easily separate for the handle – and it could cause serious injury to the user – on fixed blade knives, the blade can break. So, I’ve always been of the opinion that knives should be used for cutting purposes, and not as pry bars. Stupid me! Well, I here to tell you, I did some prying with the CSAR-T sample, and it worked, too. No, I didn’t attempt to lift my SUV with it, but I did do some pretty heavy prying and twisting into wood and while doing other chores, and the CSAR-T wasn’t damaged. I showed the sample around to a lot of folks, including a police officer, and they all commented on how stout the knife was, and that it would probably never break – I concur!
 
Of course, like all Buck Knives, my sample was very sharp right out of the box – I would have been surprised if it wasn’t. So, the knife is capable of cutting just about anything you run across. Now, that’s a good thing – however, I’d hesitate to use a knife this sharp for cutting away clothing on an injured person or cutting a seat belt – I wouldn’t want to lose control of the blade and cause more injury to the person. Well, Buck and TOPS thought about this. At the butt end of the handle there is an integrated glass breaker for tempered glass, and a very efficient seat belt/clothing cutter – that you don’t have to worry about losing control of the knife and cutting yourself or the person you’re trying to aid. You can’t get your finger into the seat belt cutter, either – its practically fool-proof. What’s nice about the glass breaker tip on the butt of the knife, and the seat belt cutter is that, you don’t have to deploy the main blade to use either of their extra tools – kool!
 
Buck and TOPS wasn’t content with all of the above, and wanted to add a little something more to the CSAR-T, so they added a bit-compatible handle cut-out, and you can use various hex tools – Buck offers this tool set as an option to match it all. So, you can do something other than just cut or break tempered glass with this folder.
 
I wasn’t about to attempt to break the tempered glass on any of my vehicles, and I couldn’t get anyone to volunteer their rig’s glass either. So, I found an old broken window in my carport – don’t know why I still had it there, but it was there. I took the CSAR-T sample by the handle and only lightly tapped on the glass, and it shattered into several pieces. So, I have zero doubts the glass breaker feature will break a tempered windshield on a vehicle. As to the seat belt cutter – I wasn’t about to cut any seat belts, either. But I did have some Nylon material laying around, that is almost identical to seat belt material. I’m here to tell you, this seat belt cutter simply zoomed right through this material like a hot knife through butter. So, this would be a great tool to have at an accident scene, where a person is trapped by their seat belt – and I’ve seen this happen numerous times, too. For some reason, the seat belt release won’t release – and you have no choice but to cut it to free the person.
 
I know, a folding knife isn’t meant or designed to be a throwing knife, but I just had to try my hand at it. The CSAR-T failed as a throwing knife…well, I just had to do “something” to prove this folder couldn’t do it all.  The knife is handle-heavy, and no matter how many times I threw the knife, I couldn’t make it stick – the handle always hit first. Ok, ok, it wasn’t a fair test as the knife wasn’t designed for this chore – but I still had fun and there was no damage to the knife either – that’s a good thing.
 
As a self-defense tool, the CSAR-T would really shine, too. There is enough blade length there to do some serious damage in slashing or stabbing techniques and the blade is super sharp. And, should you choose to not use the blade against someone, you can still use the knife as an impact weapon – striking first with the front of the handle – and if that doesn’t discourage an attacker, then strike with the butt end of the handle, where the glass breaker is – that will make a person wish they had chosen another person to attack.
 
Like many Buck Knives, the CSAR-T folder is a bit hard to find. Buck sells them as fast as they make them. And, to top it all off, there are a couple other CSAR models you can choose from, too. They even have some fixed blade models. Full-retail on the CSAR-T (Model 091) is $147 and you get a lot of knife for that money, and it has the Buck/TOPS name on it, too. Check one out, you’ll like it! – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: The Expanding Flash Mob Threat

JWR,
Last Easter weekend, a twitter message went out and in a few hours 20,000 people descended on Surfside Beach, Texas, population about 600. My LEO contacts tell me there were only six officers available. The crowd turned sour towards the locals who did not want them parking or defecating in their yards.

Several residents had to stand on their front porches with weapons displayed to keep groups of hundreds from passing through their property. Several rental beach houses were broken into and one contact said the volume of human feces and trash was unbelievable. The roads were impassable for hours, trapping the residents who may have wanted to evacuate.

Caravans of cars, ten or twenty in number, traveled at very high speed from Houston down Highway 288, virtually daring anyone to deter them. A lone Texas DPS officer pulled one of the caravans over. He was quickly surrounded by a large group of those headed to the beach party. One LEO had made two arrest at the beach, but threatening crowds intimidated the officer, who un-cuffed the suspect and released them back to the throngs.

The road from Surfside beach to Angleton, Texas, came to a standstill, a distance of about 12 miles. There were three reported shootings and one death within the mob. A very large convenience store, Buccee’s, was flash mobbed, the clerks were able to lock the doors and vacate the building.

The Brazoria County Sheriffs Department and the Surfside Beach LEOs are not talking much about any of this. I think they got surprised and are embarrassed.

Bottom line: never underestimate the rate a mob situation may develop, maintain a vigil, keep informed and have a way out and especially have a trigger point when to evacuate or seek cover.

Thanks for all you do. Yours truly, – Mark H.

Two Letters Re: Understanding Five Types of Electrical Losses in Alternative Power Systems

Hello Jim,
I enjoyed the article regarding off-grid power by Roger A. I’d like to add a few points  about the elimination of phantom loads and the use of inverters.
As defined by the author, “phantom loads are created by appliances that have been designed to still need electricity while nominally switched off.”
The elimination of these phantom loads reduces electrical needs in two ways; by eliminating the power needed by the appliance and the potential of being able to turn off the inverter. As pointed out in the article, inverters draw an average of 25 watts just to operate. Running 24/7 this can be a huge load for an off-grid system.

Jim, you suggested using a switched power strip for appliances with phantom loads. Excellent advice. Unfortunately, esthetics and forgetting to turn the strip off after using the appliance can reduce its effectiveness.
I’ve lived off-grid twelve years now. Here’s what I’ve learned to eliminate phantom loads.

Anything with a plug that includes a digital clock is a phantom load. Microwave ovens and clothes washing machines that use dial-timers are still available. Most of these appliances use no power when they are “off.”  Speaking of digital clocks, use a battery powered travel type alarm instead of the plug in type. Cordless shavers, toothbrushes and cordless power tools are okay, but should only be plugged in when the inverter is operating, for example in the evening when lights are needed. The chargers on some cordless devices can be destroyed when used with modified sine wave inverters. This is not an issue with true sine wave inverters.
The “entertainment center” (television, DVD, satellite dish receiver, etc.) is best served with a power strip. That dratted television is mostly a waste of time anyway, but I digress. The computer and its accessories should be plugged into a power strip, which is switched off when not in use.

Battery powered outdoor lighting units with LEDs and a motion detector work well for specific areas.
Refrigeration is tricky. I use a Sun Frost refrigerator/freezer. It’s a DC model, which means it runs directly off the batteries and no inverter is needed. These boxy units are available in 12 and 24 volts DC. They are very efficient and have a reputation for reliability. However, the non-standard size and high cost is off-putting to some.

Cordless phones and answering machines can be bought off-the-shelf, and then powered right off the battery system with an appropriate DC to DC converter. These are the devices you plug into your car’s cigarette lighter (12 volt DC) to charge your cell phone. Lighting can be had from 12 volt compact fluorescents or 12 volt LEDs. Pumping surface water (from tanks, pools or lakes) to a pressure tank or garden can be done with a DC pump. I’ve had good luck with Shurflo pumps. Available in both 12 and 24 volts DC, they are noisy and don’t tolerate any solids in the water, but are reliable and easy to maintain.
One important caveat when using low voltage DC is to fuse every single device. If you’ve ever dropped a tool across a car battery and watched it vaporize in an adrenalin-inducing instant, you’ll understand the importance. This can be as simple as an appropriate sized in-line fuse from an auto parts store.

Using low voltage DC calls for short wire runs from the batteries to the device and appropriately sized wiring.
Besides helping to eliminate phantom loads, there is another advantage in powering some appliances by DC, especially refrigerators, pumps and lights. Should the inverter fail, you would still have refrigeration, running water and lighting. Best Regards, – Dave S.

Jim,
Greetings from the suborned state of Colorado.
 
I’ve rewired a few houses, and while I’m not an electrician – I always used one to inspect my work – also swapped out a lot of panels on aluminum wired condo’s for fellow homeowners… 
 
Overloading a circuit has been a problem for all types of wiring since electricity was invented, circuit breakers are there to insure that the line draw never exceeds a certain level the level and draw are calculated based on expansion and heat loss for the types of wires used.  As the following chart shows, nearly all aluminum alloys have a rating of 13 (yes it’s a measurement, but for comparative purposes that’s not important) whereas most copper alloys run around 9.  The difference actually isn’t that great, platinum has a much better rating, but is also much more expensive.  The other factor that is overlooked is the ductility of various metals.
 
The fire problem was only peripherally caused by overloading, the more typical problem has to do with aluminum wiring and it’s expansion when heated and it’s ductility when expanded.  Simply put, when aluminum heats up it expands but when it cools down the metal loses it’s “memory” and does not shrink back to it’s original shape.  The ductility (or, essentially, the ability of a metal to return to it’s original form) of aluminum is fairly low, meaning that a given shear force (force exerted along a perpendicular axis) needed to cause aluminum to separate is lower – and it’s higher for things like iron – but even more importantly is the deformity curve,  for a given force a deformity is a permanent displacement of material for a given force, the curve for iron looks flat until you hit the absolute sheer strength (that needed to separate it), iron will resist deforming almost up to the actual point of sheer.  The curve for aluminum is fairly constant for deformity, at very low forces aluminum deforms permanently.

This permanent deformity problem only crops up over time, and only crops up at junctions where the wire is fastened, like the service box where the circuit breakers are and points in the loops where power is drawn out (outlets), it gets really bad if you join copper wire to aluminum as the copper expansion contributes to the aluminum deformation under heat/expansion stresses.   Joints where a steel screw join with aluminum don’t exhibit the same deformation problems as those where copper is joined to aluminum.   
 
so what is the real cause of fires in aluminum wired homes?  Well, it’s easy, over time the aluminum deforms and when it cools it fails to resume it’s former shape.  Screws like those used in outlets fasten the aluminum to the (usually) bronze or copper outlet or to the bronze/copper end of the circuit breaker.  The steel screw has a very high deformation curve so as the aluminum wire expands with heat in response to load and other environmental factors, the steel or bronze screws resist doing the same thing, and the aluminum deforms on a microscopic scale while the other materials generally don’t deform.  So expand/contract, over time and use causes a slight gap between the aluminum wire and the outlet box or connector, when there is a slight gap the electric current arcs across the gap (because it’s still close enough to do so) and eats away a little at the aluminum as the heat of the arc attempts to deposit the aluminum on the bronze/copper fixture – this weld fails as the metals are incompatible and the aluminum is lost – creating a bigger gap.  At some point the arcing will start to create flashing and the erosion rate increases – until one of two things happen.  The circuit fails due to the gap or the materials surrounding the junction catch fire.  If you’ve used steel junction boxes and your main panel isn’t directly in contact with your siding the failure isn’t catastrophic – but wait – a lot of junctions happen behind walls, such as when someone doesn’t have enough wire to make a full circuit (or are using up short lengths of wire) and these places are hidden and usually not protected by a steel junction box – the heat hits the building materials and you have a fire. 
 
But overloading isn’t the primary cause, it’s the nature of the materials and their application that is the primary cause – overloading just makes it happen faster! – Jim H. in Colorado

Recipe of the Week:

Jo N.’s Oatmeal Bread

I like this recipe because it makes three nice loaves with little effort.  You do not need to attend to the bread that closely so you can go off and do other chores while it is rising (2 times) and baking.
 
Today was bread making day for me, and this is an easy recipe that can be made with supplies we all should have on hand.
 
Oatmeal Bread (makes 3 loaves)
4 c boiling water
3 c oats (Quaker Oats, not instant)
7.5 to 8.5 c flour (regular is fine and is what I use)
2 packages yeast (4.5 t if you buy yeast in bulk, as I do)
2 T salt
4 T oil (I use olive but any vegetable oil will do)
1/2 c honey, maple syrup, molasses or combination thereof
 
Pour boiling water over oats in a large bowl and let cool.  Stir in 2 cups flour and the yeast. Place in warm, draft-free space, uncovered, and let rise until double in bulk (usually about 2 hours). Punch down and work in rest of ingredients, including enough flour to make a dough that you can knead.  Turn out onto flour-covered surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding flour as you go so dough is firm but pliable and not sticky.  You cannot over-knead this bread.  Divide dough into 3 parts and shape into loaves.  Place each in a greased loaf pan.  Allow to rise until double, again about 2 hours.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, but can take as long as 60 depending on your pans.
 
Turn out and cool.  I like to make two loaves of regular bread and one loaf of cinnamon raisin.  I do this by kneading in about 1/2 to 1 c raisins before shaping the loaf.  I pat the dough out flat (could roll, but then I need to wash rolling pin) and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  I roll up dough like a jelly roll and place seam-side down in greased pan and let rise and bake with other two loaves.
 
If you are skilled, you can bake the bread in a Dutch oven on a camp fire but I live in suburbia and a campfire is not allowed!  Bread is not like an oatmeal cookie with flakes of oatmeal.  It is a light colored, fine crumb bread that makes the most excellent toast.

 

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