Letter Re: Gardening Year-Round

Knowing how to garden and grow one’s own food (or at least a significant portion of it) is one of the most important skills a person can have, especially during a “hard-times” survival situation. Fresh vegetables are a vital part of one’s diet, and they can be a great help in extending the length of time your stored emergency food lasts.

I’ve always been interested in how people centuries ago survived through long winters. Clearly, storing food grown and raised during the warm months was a universal strategy. However, people also raised food year-round in winter gardens. France, especially, has a centuries- old tradition of winter gardening. Appropriate crop selection, planning, and the use of low-tech weather protection allowed for fresh vegetables throughout the year. There are over thirty cold-season crops that can be easily grown for salads, soups, stews, stir-fry and more. Vegetables like carrots, parsnip, miner’s lettuce, cabbage, salsify, celeriac, leeks, onions, escarole, mache, tatsoi, sorrel, radish, and mizuna can all grace your table and can bridge the gap between the Fall harvest and the first crops of Spring. The reason winter-gardening is not common in the U.S. is simply because we have no tradition of it. Our winters are colder, and European immigrants may have assumed that their customary gardening methods wouldn’t work here. Or it may be that plentiful game and fishing opportunities in the New World led people to put their energies towards those food sources during the cold months, allowing the knowledge of winter-growing to gradually die out.

Now, you might think “well, that’s fine for Europe, but I live in the northern part of the U.S. I have to shovel snow all winter, so there’s no way winter gardening could ever work for me”. You’d be mistaken. It’s the amount of sunshine (the day-length), not the cold itself, that’s the limiting factor. Even the coldest parts of the continental U.S. get plenty of light in the wintertime due to our favorable latitude. Eliot Coleman, the author of the book Four-Season Harvest (which I highly recommend) lives in Maine and has successfully grown winter crops in unheated cold frames, greenhouses, and low plastic-covered tunnels for decades. He and his wife have extensively researched and tested traditional winter-gardening techniques, incorporating modern advances while still keeping things as low-tech and inexpensive as possible.

Here are the very basics: Plants do little actual growing during the winter months. Most of their real growth occurs during the fall, after which the rate of growth slows down markedly. Your protected winter-garden space becomes a bit like a giant version of your fridge’s crisper drawer. The trick is timing your planting so that your cold-tolerant veggies will have enough time to grow before serious winter weather hits. Once the weather turns cold there’s very little work you have to do. You don’t need to water or weed. You just go out and harvest fresh, green plants as you need them. There are a few salad plants that will actively germinate and grow during winter, and you can fill in “gaps” in the garden with these greens as you harvest other veggies. In January and February you can plant more cold-season crops. They’ll germinate and grow because by then the days will have become long enough again to support active growth. This will allow you to continue to have fresh vegetables until your (more familiar) Spring veggies mature and are ready for harvest. Needless to say, summer crops would follow those planted in spring, and the growing cycles would repeat. Crop rotation and building and maintaining soil fertility are especially important when you are growing year-round, and “Four-Season Harvest” covers these topics as well.

I encourage anyone out there who is interested in learning to grow food year-round to read Mr. Coleman’s book and give it a try. It’s economical, lots of fun, and has the potential to significantly increase your likelihood of maintaining food stores during difficult times.

Two other gardening books, oriented towards growing during the warm months, are also well worth a read. Carol Deppe”s “The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times” and Steve Solomon’s “Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times” deserve a place on any prepper’s bookshelf. They focus on choosing plants and gardening methods that are sustainable and that require the least amounts of external inputs (water and fertility). Combine these warm-weather concepts with winter-gardening and you have a very “solid” foundation for growing and harvesting food on a continual basis throughout the year.

Remember, though, success in gardening depends on experience as much as know-how. A book on a shelf doesn’t help you unless you put the ideas into practice. It takes time and effort to learn what works and doesn’t work in your particular geographical area. So read and learn, for sure…then go out and grow stuff! – J.S.

Economics and Investing:

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) sent this: No new $10s, $100s being printed instead

Brzezinski: Middle Class Unrest To Hit U.S. (Thanks to S.T. on Philly for the link.)

Dennis C. sent us this: World Food Prices Climb on Sugar, Dairy Costs

As Plastic Reigns, the Treasury Slows Its Printing Presses

Top 10 Most Valuable U.S. Coins Found in Pocket Change

Items from The Economatrix:

Government Eases Foreclosure Rules For Unemployed

Retailers Post Strong June Sales

Retail Sales and Jobs Reports Send Stocks Higher

Job Outlook Rises as Reports Suggest More Hiring

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mark H. sent this from Michigan: Julie Bass of Oak Park Faces Misdemeanor Charge for Vegetable Garden

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Six Months After Tucson Shooting, White House Readies Gun Control Stance. Any new “controls” would erode our Second Amendment right, so please be vigilant and ready to deluge your Congresscritters with calls, letters, e-mails,a nd FAXes. Most likely, they’ll go after the mythical “Gun Show Loophole”, even though Mr. Looney Loughner bought his gun at gun shop, with all the requisite Federal paperwork.

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US and Russia stir up political tensions over Arctic. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the link.)

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Congress Wants Automatic Wage Deductions To Pay Down The Debt. Here’s the kicker these contributions won’t be tax deductible.

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Olav sent this: Scientists monitor Iceland’s Katla volcano amid flooding.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Behold, I have told you before.” – Matthew 24:21-25 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 35 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 Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 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.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, 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.

Personal Information Hidden in Plain Sight, by C.C.

Information is what makes the World go around, or at least it seems that way at times. Any Government  organization, blog or web site worth a grain of salt will suggest that you keep copies of important documents such as Birth Certificates, Drivers License,  Bank Account Information, List of Medications etc. in your emergency kit. It  is also suggested for people that are going on trips that they have this information available as they travel just in case wallets or purses are lost or stolen. If your wallet or purse is lost or stolen it is going to be to your advantage to have the information available to lock out your credit card and checking accounts quickly.

My wife and I are going on a cruise later this year and I have been looking for a way to have that information available, close at hand but not visible, and yet as secure as I can make it. After all, with identity theft what it is today, you sure don’t want to take a chance of all that information falling into the wrong hands.

The first thing I wanted to do was find a way of keeping a USB drive, flash-drive, thumb drive, or whatever you choose to call it on my person but be discreet about it. I went on eBay and did a search on “flash drives” and wow!  There are a multitude of drives that don’t look like drives at all. There are USB drives that look like soda can key chains, transformer toys, broaches, jewelry, Legos, etc…etc… and they are cheap. You can also get the Gold Standard of  secure USB drives made by Ironkey, if you can afford that. For my purposes I wanted something that looks like it can be worn with casual clothing and not be to dressy or flashy. After all I am seeking to be discreet and I don’t want something that screams “Look at Me!” I sure don’t want anything that stands out enough to make me a good candidate for a mugging while on vacation.

There are many programs available both free and for purchase that will encrypt your data, your USB, or both.

There are USBs that come with Password protection built in, such as the 1GB Cruzer Micro U3 Smart USB 2.0 Flash Drive but, with  these you will lose the “hidden in plain sight” factor but you may gain in the ease of use category. You can find many Secure USBs by many different companies by doing a web search for “Secure USB”

I would also suggest you do a web search on “securing USBs” and see what the real experts have to say on the topic. Several of the articles I read by security experts said they actually prefer buying the cheap USBs and then using their favorite encryption programs.

I chose two different styles of shall we say “camouflaged” USBs for my wife and I. For myself I chose what looks like man’s bracelet with a leather band a nice looking metallic top on it. The top has enough room to have  “Dad” or maybe a name on the top to more personalize it. I suppose if you need a hint for the password for the encrypted files (more on this later) you could have a cryptic hint only you would understand engraved on the backside. For my wife I also got her a matching bracelet but she thinks that it is too big for her wrist, That’s okay, I have a backup plan, I also bought a drive that looks like a
gift card/credit card. I stayed away from the cards that actually looked too much like a credit card and went with a card that has Snowy Country scene on it but no name or numbers. This card can be stored in my wife’s purse or it has a slot cut in the top and it would fit nicely on one of those shoe string lanyards that you see badges attached to.

The Men’s bracelet pulls apart at the top, the clasp seems to be strong and secure so I am not worried about it just coming apart and falling off under normal conditions.  The Credit/Gift Card USB has an almost invisible tab on the edge in the center of the card. To open the tab you push on the back side of the card to create a slight bend in the card and the working end of the USB folds out from the card.

To make my USBs secure I have done several things. First I put a few files on them that you might expect to see on a USB.  There is a Music folder, a Picture folder, and various otherwise useless .pdf files but, I also have included a small portable program that will open the .pdf files should I need to access any of my personal  information and for some reason the host computer does not have Adobe Reader.

The second thing I have done is to hide the encryption program, in this case “True Crypt”, inside a music folder with several albums. To me the title “True Crypt” sound like the name of a modern day band and therefore might escape initial scrutiny if found.

The Third thing I did was  encrypted each .pdf file with a different password from the one used by True Crypt to access these files. So that I can remember The passwords for each folder encrypted, the password contains the folder name plus a random password I have memorized. You not only have to open the encrypted portion of the USB (also known as a container) with a password but, to see the files you must have the password for each folder that has encrypted files within it.

Fourth I use a keyfile in addition to the password that enables access with True Crypt. You can have the correct password but if the keyfile you choose does not link to the correct file on your USB drive there is no access granted. I chose a keyfile from a folder with pictures in it. More than one keyfile can be chosen to help secure your files.  The keyfiles can be .jpg, .mp3, or many other type files. The first 1,024 bits of information in the keyfile must remain the same to be a usable keyfile so don’t choose a file that will be altered in anyway if you should choose to add this extra layer of protection.

All of the programs that I have loaded on the USBs have been downloaded from www.cnet.com.
All of the programs that I have chosen to use are free. I download from CNET because they guarantee malware and virus free downloads. I know there are some programs out there that you could pay for and they might be a little easier for the more computer challenged among us but, for a free program True Crypt get high marks from both the customers and the CNET editors. None of the programs other than the encryption program are hidden on the USB. All of the other programs on the USB that facilitate either opening or viewing my files are out in the open in the first layer of info that you can see when exploring the USB.

I have a program called Open Office Portable. This is a open source program that will read and save spreadsheets, word documents, etc. whether in the Open Office format or the Windows Office format. It is capable of going back and forth between the two. The “Portable” means it is a scaled back version and made to run from the USB. When you have lost your I.D. or boarding papers you  can’t afford to have documents that will get you home or help at an embassy sitting on your USB unable to opened because they don’t have a program on the Host computer that would allow viewing.

This is the list of programs I keep on my USB in unprotected mode:

Open Office Portable– This program is a free alternative to Microsoft Office and it will read and save documents in either format.

SumatraPDF 1.6- This is a .pdf file reader that is small and does an excellent job of reading .pdf files without all the useless extra bells and whistles larger programs will have.

True Crypt- With True Crypt there is an option in the tools menu to set up a “Travelers Disc”. This option allows you to set aside a portion of the USB for encrypted data storage or encrypt the entire drive.  With True Crypt I can tailor the passwords for access to the folders on my wife’s USB to passwords she will be able to remember and not have to depend on her remembering my particular process for choosing passwords. The section of the USB set aside for encrypted data is referred to as a container. True Crypt allows you virtually hide a second layer of encrypted information by creating a container within a container. I haven’t done this but I have read about it. I am not carrying National Security secrets so I don’t see any practical application for me with this option at this point.

I hope this article has been a way to get you thinking about how you can keep your important personal information with you, hidden in plain site and secure at the same time. There are many options available, and you can spend a few dollars or you can spend hundreds of dollars making your information secure. Unless you are a government agency, a spy, or are carrying around banking or corporate information, you probably won’t have to worry about your information if it is encrypted and you lose the USB, after all how many people walking around out there have the knowledge, the tools, or desire to try and crack into your password protected or encrypted files. Chances are if a USB is found it will be reformatted by anyone who finds it when they come up against the security measures you have put in place to protect your USB. – C.C. in East Texas

Two Letters Re: The Rude Awakening of a Spider Bite

Two Letters Re: The Rude Awakening of a Spider Bite

Dear Mr Rawles:

Fitzy describes a classic presentation for a staphylococcal furuncle, which in this day and age is often caused by cMRSA (community acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) colonizing a patient’s skin.  These typically start as small “pimples” or “bites” on the skin surface, usually in areas of warmth and dampness, but any area of the body can be affected.  Most cases start as infected hair follicles or in areas of micro-abrasion or injury, not due to bites.

It sounds like his doctor started him on doxycycline when bactrim or clindamycin might have been more appropriate.  Size of the lesion can be variable, but they can easily become as large as a hands-width, are tender, red, and warm to touch.  A central “pimple” may appear and spontaneous drainage can result, especially if hot compresses are applied.  While oral antibiotics such as clindamycin or bactrim are usually used given resistance patterns of the organism, doxycycline or minocycline can also be used, while serious cases may require hospitalization and administration of intravenous antibiotics, including “big guns” like vancomycin or daptomycin.  Fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin are not as useful than they were years ago because resistance is common, and cMRSA is usually resistant to other common anti-staphylococcal antibiotics such as keflex.  Most patients are surprised that antibiotics are actually adjunctive therapy to surgical drainage, which should only be performed by trained medical personnel or someone very familiar with anatomy.

This problem is often seen amongst household contacts, and attempts at control included frequent washing of sheets, avoidance of use of common towels, and basic hand hygiene.   Attempts at elimination of colonization in a households utilizing strict hygiene practices, oral antibiotics, chlorhexidine or equivalent washes, and nasal antibiotics are at best  50% successful. 

As for bites, most reactions are localized and do not require treatment.  Utilization of anti-histamines or topical steroids may be beneficial in more involved reactions.  Anaphylaxis to spider bites is rare and such cases require immediate treatment with epinephrine, and then perhaps intravenous anti-histamines and steroids.

I have never treated a brown recluse spider bite.  However, in my limited understanding, the bite of the brown recluse spider, fortunately rare, can result in severe manifestations of tissue death around the bite, and may require extensive surgical debridement and long-term wound care with physical therapy if limbs are affected.  Prevention stems from control of insects in and around habitations and outside structures where you are likely to be working. Sincerely, – G.S., MD

 

James Wesley:
Fitzy raises several issues in your letter that I would like to address. I have also attached links to a few articles regarding Brown Recluse Spiders that might be helpful. Without intending to second-guess your physician or trying to make a diagnosis in a patient that I have not seen and examined it sounds as if you had an episode of cellulitis, likely due to Staphylococcus (Staph) or Streptococcus (Strep) and not a spider bite at all.

The type of spider that is known to cause necrotic (dead tissue) lesions in the Western Hemisphere is the Recluse Spider, most commonly the Brown Recluse Spider. The main direct effect of a Brown Recluse Spider bite is not cellulitis with redness and swelling but death of the tissue or necrosis. Cellulitis can occur as a secondary complication of a Brown Recluse Spider bite but an ulceration or open sore should be a definite part of the clinical picture. Black widow spiders are the other most common type of poisonous spider but their bites cause muscle and abdominal cramps and are unlikely to cause necrosis and cellulitis. If you had no ulceration and sloughing of the skin and underlying tissue I would question whether you had a Brown Recluse Spider bite or a different cause of your cellulitis.

Additionally if you were in Pennsylvania at the time of your presumed envenomation, you were almost certainly not likely bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider. The range for the Brown Recluse is the Midwest and Lower Great Plains; Brown Recluse Spiders are rarely found outside this area. You may have been bitten by some type of arthropod (insect) which caused the cellulitis you had but it is hard to attribute the infection to a Brown Recluse.

The issue of using steroids, either by direct local injection or systemically (oral or intramuscular or intravenous injection) is one that has been kicking around the medical profession for a long time. Although in theory it makes sense, unfortunately steroids have never been proven to be effective in the treatment of Brown Recluse Spider bites. The method that you describe of very small dose local injections is unlikely to provide any significant treatment to a Brown Recluse Spider bite for one major reason: the amount of steroid that is injected is far too small to penetrate as deep as the venom does (and very quickly) and so will not spread into all of the affected tissue. Injecting larger doses of steroids can cause serious side effects, including destruction of the tissues especially if injected on the face or neck and all of the systemic adverse effects of steroids.

The other drawback to steroid injection into the area of envenomation is timing. By the time the decision is made to inject the site usually several hours have passed and the enzymes from the spider venom are already well on their way in causing damage to the tissue. The breakdown of the tissue and ulcer formation is the end-result of the venom and by the time this is seen it is far too late for steroids to help. Using steroid injections any time a person has a small area of redness and swelling that MIGHT be a Brown Recluse Spider bite will overuse the steroids greatly.

Situations like yours in a long-term TEOTWAWKI situation are certainly going to be a challenge. It will be difficult to store enough antibiotics, even for medical professionals, to manage many episodes of cellulitis. As has been reported in the press recently there has also been an explosion of drug-resistant Staph. The reasons for the development of drug-resistance are many but in large part resistance is due to the abuse of antibiotics for illnesses that do not require or respond to antibiotics and using antibiotics for a bacterial infection for too short a time to get rid of the infection completely. Viral illnesses, such as the common cold, influenza and most cases of bronchitis, do not need antibiotics which will not treat the virus in any way. I cannot tell you how much time I waste trying to convince patients of this fact and they are always unhappy when they don’t get their antibiotic prescription for their viral illness. (This is one of the main reasons your physician will be hesitant to give you a prescription for antibiotics to store in your preparations even if they understand your concerns about the upcoming hard times—we have concerns regarding the inappropriate use of antibiotics causing those antibiotics to quickly become ineffective as well as potential allergic and adverse reactions. If you ask your physician for antibiotic prescriptions, also ask for some very specific guidelines for when those antibiotics are to be used.)           

Good hygiene, both of the body and the home environment whatever that may be, to decrease the risk of infections is a good practice now and will be a critical task in times when medical care will be more limited. – Ladydoc

Some Useful References:

Hygiene Facts

Causes of Necrotic Wounds other than Brown Recluse Spider Bites

Brown Recluse or Fiddleback Spider

Brown Recluse and Other Recluse Spiders

Letter Re: Making Good Use of the Hissing Well

Mr. Rawles,
A s a distributor of oil and gas parts, it warmed my heart to read R.J.’s article. I would note a couple of things, however. First, when you reduce the pressure of gas you also reduce its temperature. In the aforementioned case, that pressure reduction would drop the temperature by around 10 degrees F. Ordinarily this isn’t a problem, but in the winter an already-cold regulator could seize or internal parts could break. With higher pressures, the problem becomes much more significant.

To solve this problem, most installers would use two regulators with some pipe between them. Each pressure drop is then made a little more gently and the gas has time to reclaim some ambient heat from the intervening pipe (which is often artificially heated) before hitting the next regulator.

Also, when using a safety relief valve, please buy a valve intended to pop 25% or more above your normal operating pressure range. (i.e., don’t operate at 150 psi and install a relief valve set to pop at 165). While it might work, it’s more likely the valve will never re-seat after the first pop. – Z.M.

Economics and Investing:

Loyal contributor F.G. sent this: U.S. banks are now closing faster than they are opening

Brett Arends: The next, worse financial crisis Commentary: Ten reasons we are doomed to repeat 2008. (Thanks to John R. for the link.)

More FDIC Friday Follies: Three More Failed Banks: Signature Bank and Colorado Capital Bank (both in Colorado) and First Chicago Bank and Trust (Illinois)

Three Tea Party-Backed Senators Bet Economic Recovery on Gold

Scott E. suggested this from Mines magazine: Sourcing Rare Earths and Critical Minerals

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Sink After Dismal June Jobs Report

Silver Bullion Eagle Coins Reach Highest Demand In History

Gold Ends With A Gain Of More Than $30 An Oz.

Silver Bottoms Amid Subtle But Bullish Factors

Odds ‘n Sods:

The Spin Begins! Peter P. sent two more articles about the ATF’s Gunwalker scandal: Justice Department Obstructing ‘Fast and Furious’ Gun Probe, ATF Director Says, and Democrats to spin Fast & Furious probe into gun-control rally. Included in the comments was a link to another interesting piece: Pravda on the Potomac: Washington Post Again Covers for Government on Gunwalker

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The moral decline of the Mickey Mouse State continues: Legislature Passes Mandatory Homosexual History Bill.

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Art forwarded this: Sneaky Water Reservoir in Swiss Urban Park is Disguised by Green Grass

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F.J. recommended an article over at Cool Tools: Screw Pliers

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 35 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 Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 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.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, 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.

Making Good Use of the Hissing Well, by R.J.

When shopping for our retreat property a few years ago our family was looking for something that could sustain several families besides our own and have as many features common to a retreat that most readers would recognize as desirable for TEOTWAWKI.  Water, security, location, population, soil, and local wildlife (four and two legged) were all things we were concerned with.  When we came across our current retreat property we were shown what was supposed to be a 400 foot deep, 10 Gallon Per Minute (GPM) well.  Luckily we were serious and bought a new pump and had a well test done before we purchased the property.  The well test was done and it turned out to be 1 GPH! (Gallon Per Hour) We used the fact that the well did not produce as advertised to great advantage in bargaining the price down!   One thing we noticed right away about our “no water well” is the constant hissing noise that came from it. After asking questions from the well company we were informed that it was the well was producing methane, and not just a little. After doing some research we found that in our state it is perfectly legal if to use methane out of a private water well as long as it does not serve any commercial purposes. Needless to say we bought the property.

Let’s start off with some disclaimers and warnings on safety before we get started on our hissing well. Natural gas is primarily methane.  It is extremely flammable and explosive. The greater the pressure, the greater the risk. It is also the cleanest burning of the fossil fuels.  Great care needs to be taken while working around methane.  Any combustion source can set off a gas well.  Fire extinguishers and wet blankets need to be on hand and safety procedures need to be planned and in place if and possibly when the well catches fire. Also first aid for burn treatment should be covered before attempting anything described below.  Our family is above average when it comes to technical skills such as welding, construction, machining, fabrication and industrial arts.  Also we are blessed with medical training of both my mother and father.  Even then we still had two very close calls when harnessing the earth’s natural gas for use at our retreat, both of which could have been deadly had we not been prepared and were able to think under extreme, life threatening circumstances.

The first incident happened while removing our new pump that we bought for the flow test from the well.  Since the crane had to be fairly close to the well to lift the pump out, the well company truck had to back fairly close to the well.  Since this was a very deep well this was quite the job.  Unfortunately we forgot about the methane.  Since the truck used a regular gasoline engine for powering the crane while lifting the pump, methane was ingested into the motor and ignited.  When this happened the motor produced a backfire that lit the well.  We had a 30-50 foot flame coming out of the ground quite unexpectedly.  Removing the oxygen from the fire will put the flame out.  Luckily this was surprisingly accomplished quite easily with a CO2 fire extinguisher.

While building our retreat property we built it from the underground up.  Using the opportunity while we were laying out our septic, cisterns and fresh water system we also laid gas piping to the old well along with pipe to a propane tank.  This was an important first step as all liquid lines need to be at least four feet down to prevent freezing. Some forethought and planning went into this because digging four foot trenches all over the property was quite the chore, even with the backhoe. Our State law says that we had to cap the old well permanently when we drilled the new water well.  Because of this law we removed all well components except the outer case from the old well.   Since our well was producing hundreds of cubic yards per minute of gas we had to be extremely careful of how to permanently cap the well.  We had many long discussions about how best to not kill ourselves nor draw attention to what we were attempting.

One of the problems we had to overcome is blocking the flow of gas so we could effectively work on the well.  After much thought we used a Cherne inflatable rubber plug lowered into the 7” case and inflated with compressed air, we were able to block all flow of gas and hold the gas pressure.  Next, we used a pipe bung fitting and drilled a hole above the rubber plug and welded the bung in place. (Note, any welding should be done by a professional welder that respects the nature of what they are welding and the danger in it).  During this welding process we had our second incident that caused some excitement.  While welding, a small leak was created in the inflatable plug that was placed in the well casing and it started to creep up the case to the area of the hot weld.  This then caused a gas leak that ignited and the welder found himself in a ball of flame.  Thankfully, being a professional he did not panic and we were there to put the flames out in a matter of seconds.  Even then he had a small 2nd degree burns and some facial hair missing.  One saving grace was that he was wearing a proper welding attire of heavy leather and 90% of his body was covered.  lease learn from our mistakes and respect what you are working on!

Next we removed the rubber inflatable plug and put a 1” fitting and Gastite tube venting the methane about 50 feet away from the well.  Since we were trying to cap the well we used a large wooden plug (think: wine cork) coated with Liquid Nails for additional sealing, this wooden cork was driven into the well casing with a sledge hammer until all flow was stopped from the well case.  Testing with a small lighter to make sure no gas was seeping around the well head we were then ready to cap.  With a pre-made plate cut to the diameter of the well case and with all rust and corrosion removed from the well casing and cap, we welded the cap onto the well without incident.

After successfully capping our well and proving to the state that it was a sealed water well, we constructed our condenser system and regulators in a six foot pit around the well head.  After the gas leaves the well case we use a older American made air compressor tank for condensing any moister in the gas from 400 feet down.  We mounted this tank vertically.  The pipe from the well casing comes into the upper side of the tank. On the bottom of the condenser tank we installed a Midwest Control Automatic Float Drain (AFD-50).  What this piece does is purge water that is built up in a chamber.  When the water height reaches a point it has a float that opens the valve automatically draining the water.  This unit was chosen because there is no AC electricity or batteries required.  It is also made of stainless steel.  The final addition to our pit was 1/2” steel walls on the sides and rocks on the bottom for drainage.  The pit was then covered with a sheet of steel and a vent with a layer of dirt covering the steel.  We then added some “junk” on top so that nobody would accidentally drive over our well.  The “junk” also made some good camouflage!

The next item to tackle was pressure.  After talking with local gas well workers in the area and asking seemly innocent questions we found that for the area the pressures can range from 10 PSI to 200 PSI on wells in the region.  This is pressure is found in most shop air compressors and regulators in this range are extremely easy to come by.  A word of caution though is that the regulators are something you do not want to skimp on.  Buy quality!  After much thought we chose to use multiple pressure regulators and regulate the pressure down to what most homes use; between ¼ PSI and 2 PSI.  We chose to regulate the gas out of our condenser tank to 10 PSI and then drop to the operating pressure of 1 PSI next to the main building.  Use a high quality gas regulator such as those sold by Midwest Gas Equipment Inc. The final item in dealing with pressure is a safety pop off valve. Much like an automotive fuse that opens when there is too much electrical current, a safety pressure pop off valve is something you need to install if considering a gas well to vent pressure in case of overpressure of the system.  These are fairly simple pieces that are readily available for most air compressors.

On plumbing our retreat for gas we used propane.  This is because on all outward appearances our retreat blends with the local area norms.  This mainly was an OPSEC concern as we did not want to be the only place in the area with no propane and have questions asked.  We have a 1,000 gallon propane tank that was purchased and filled when we need to. But if and when the SHTF, we have a tested plan in place on not only running refrigerators and freezers on natural gas but also a Generac 5875 [20 kilowatt] natural gas-fired generator for producing electricity for the main building and shop at our retreat.  This is done by closing and then opening ball valves to switch over the propane to natural gas.  Our appliances also require using different gas jets for natural gas versus propane.   This is an important feature in gas powered appliances that should be researched before you buy a gas powered appliance.

A very important consideration you need to keep in mind when dealing with natural gas or methane is that you cannot smell it.  Since natural gas is lighter than air and is odorless we felt natural gas detectors were a must indoors.  These were placed very high in our main building as this will be the first place the gas will accumulate if there is a leak. Getting gas from a gas company, an odorant is put into the gas to make it “smell like gas”. This it is not the case when it is coming straight from the ground. The Natural Gas detectors are wired to the electrical grid but we have backup ones that use batteries for the occasion when the electrical grid goes down. We felt that redundancy was important for safety reasons.

In looking back at the project it could have gone smoother but as with some plans nothing goes the way you think it will. Education and Knowledge about what you are working on is a key component of undertaking a project like this. Harnessing the resources God as provided us with has been a challenge.  WTSHTF we realize our natural gas system may fail, our retreat overrun or any number of disasters may make it impossible to use.  Educating ourselves while resources and parts are available we feel is the key to having a better chance of surviving whatever may come. In closing if you ever decide to undertake this type of project when working on something like this safety should be your top priority.

Pat’s Product Review: Buffalo Bore Ammunition

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I like it, when an ammo maker isn’t afraid to experiment, or push the envelop a bit, especially in handgun calibers. Let’s face it, given a choice, when things go bad, it’s better to have some kind of .223 Remington, 7.62×39 or .308 Winchester rifle in your hands. However, that’s not always possible, so we are “stuck” carrying some kind of handgun, and it’s usually carried concealed, for self-defense purposes. If I can get a little boost in power from my handguns, then I’m certainly going to take a close look at doing so.

SurvivalBlog readers have seen me mention Buffalo Bore Ammunition a number of times in my articles. I’ve only been shooting their ammo for eights months or so, as compared to some other big-name ammo companies. However, I’m extremely impressed with what I’m seeing coming out of Buffalo Bore these days. When Buffalo Bore was started, back in 1997, Tim Sundles, who owns and operates Buffalo Bore, was only making big bore loads, like heavy .44 Magnum and the like. He wasn’t making ammo for most handgun calibers, however that has all changed, and for the better.

One thing I like about Buffalo Bore is the fact that Tim Sundles, actually tests his ammo in real guns – not pressure test barrels. What better way to get a true reading of what ammo will do, than by testing it in real guns? Buffalo Bore ammo isn’t for all handguns, be sure to read the warnings on the Buffalo Bore web site, as to which calibers or loads shouldn’t be used in certain guns. The .40 S&W +P load that Sundles puts together shouldn’t be used in a straight-from-the-box Glock. The load is hot, and Glocks don’t have fully supported chambers – I’ve had some .40 S&W loads let loose in some of my Glocks chambered in .40 S&W. FWIW, it was not Buffalo Bore loads, rather reloads from UltraMax ammunition. Luckily, neither myself nor my gun were damaged – but it was a wake-up call, to be sure. I refuse to use any UltraMax ammo in any of my guns any longer. I contacted UltraMax several times about this, and never received a reply – that tells me a lot about them – they apparently don’t care! Tim Sundles tells me that the 4th Generation Glocks have a better chamber, but it’s still not fully supported. So, if you are intent on shooting Buffalo Bore .40 S&W +P loads in your Glock, then have the barrel replaced with one that has a fully supported chamber.

I’ve never been all that thrilled with the .380 ACP as a self-defense round, at least not as my main gun in that caliber. I readily admit that I like the micro .380s that are on the market, and they make a dandy back-up gun, to whatever my main gun might be that I’m carrying. Still, the .380 is marginal as a stopper if you ask me. I now carry Buffalo Bore 90 grain .380 JHP +P rounds in my Ruger LCP, and these babies let you know that you have something there that will get the bad guy’s attention. This load is screaming out of a little Ruger LCP at around 1,150 f.p.s. with a muzzle energy of around 270 foot pounds. We’re talking energy around that of some .38 Special loads.

Buffalo Bore also makes Full Metal Jacket .380 loads, for those who want a little more penetration in this round, as well as an all-lead round. I note on the Buffalo Bore web site, that they are now offering the .380 ACP round with the Barnes solid Hollow Point load – this should penetrate a bit more than the standard JHP round, without losing any weight or having the bullet come apart. I haven’t tested this load yet, but I will.

Many folks carry a 9mm handgun of some type, most like the idea of having a lot of rounds in their guns – I have no problem with that! With the proper loads, the 9mm is a good stopper. Buffalo Bore offers quite a few different 9mm loads, to include JHP and FMJ, in various bullet weights, as well as in +P and +P+ loadings. Now we’re talking serious attention-getting loads in your self-defense handguns. Once again, check the Buffalo Bore web site, to see if these loads are safe to use in your handguns, and also check the owner’s manual that came with your handgun, to see if these Buffalo Bore loads are safe to shoot in your particular model of 9mm pistol. Most gun companies will tell you to not use +P+ 9mm loads, and it’s not because these loads aren’t safe in their guns, it’s because they accelerate wear on guns fed a steady diet of these hot loads.

Most police agencies have abandoned the 9mm in favor of the .40 S&W round in their handguns. However, prior to the .40 S&W coming along, law enforcement was using +P and +P+ 9mm loads in their guns, and they had outstanding results in putting the bad guys down. When a new load came along, they all wanted it – and most police departments dumped the 9mm in favor of the .40 S&W or the .45 ACP. I find that I can shoot a 9mm handgun faster, and with more accuracy on-target, than I can with a .40 S&W loaded handgun. Recoil has a lot to do with it – not that I find the .40 S&W recoil to be objectionable, it’s just that I can get the front sight back on target faster with a 9mm than I can with the .40 S&W. Buffalo Bore has 9mm loads in 115 grain, 124 grain and 147 grain bullet weights, with +P and +P+ loadings in many of these bullet weights. I personally like the 124 grain JHP +P loading, as I feel it gives me the best compromise between deep penetration and bullet expansion. And, this is just my personal choice, you may want to go with one of the 115 grain JHP loadings for more expansion and less penetration. Or the 147 grain JHP with more penetration and less expansion. Truth be told, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the Buffalo Bore loads in 9mm. Buffalo Bore also offers some FMJ loads, and I think they would be great for carrying in your handgun when you’re out in the woods – you’ll want that extra penetration if you run across big game – where the vitals are buried deep.

I can often be “caught” carrying a good ol’ 1911 of some type – it’s my preferred handgun type and round for fight stopping power. I cut my teeth on a 1911 .45 ACP pistol way back in the 1960s, and it’s still my favorite type of handgun to shoot. I just find that I can shoot a single-action 1911 faster and with greater accuracy than any other handgun type – simple as that. Sure, the 1911 is bigger than many semi-auto handguns, and a bit harder to conceal, but it’s worth the effort if you ask me. If I knowingly head into harms way, and all I can carry is a handgun, the 1911, chambered in .45 ACP would be my gun of choice. Now wonder so many SWAT teams carry the 1911 chambered in .45 ACP. It’s a proven gun and proven round.

Buffalo Bore has you covered in all manner of .45 ACP rounds, with JHP, FMJ and all-lead bullets, ranging in weight from 185 grain all the way up to their 255 grain hard cast bullet. The 185 grain JHP +P round screams out of a 5″ barrel 1911 at around 1,150 f.p.s. with 540-foot pounds of energy. Their 230 grain JHP load is coming out at about 1,050 f.p.s. with 490 foot pounds of energy. You can check out the Buffalo Bore web site for full details on the various .45 ACP +P loads they offer. And, don’t be misled by the numbers – the feet per second and the foot pounds of energy don’t tell the whole story – it’s real-life results that count, and the .45 ACP is well-documented in gun fights over the past 100 years and it gets the job done, so long as you put the bullet where it’s supposed to hit. I should mention, that Buffalo Bore also uses a low-flash powder in their handgun loads, and this is great for saving your night vision, if you have to fire your handgun at night.

The Buffalo Bore 255 grain hard cast .45 ACP+P load would be my first choice in a trail gun, if I were heading out to the woods for a day or hiking. It’ll penetrate deeply, and the bullet won’t come apart on dangerous game – you could do a lot worst than this round for a trail gun, if you ask me. On big, dangerous game, you have to have a lot of penetration in order to reach the vital organs, if you want to stop an attack.

I like the 10mm round, at least, I liked it in the original loadings – the current crop of 10mm loads have all been reduced down in power, to the point, where they are about the same as a .40 S&W round. Only a couple of companies make a full-powered 10mm load these days, with Buffalo Bore being one of them. The original 10mm loadings were approaching that of the .41 Magnum, and that gave one cause to sit up and take notice. I still remember my first 10mm handgun, it was the Colt Delta Elite, and you knew you had some real power in your hands. The gun was not only good for small to medium game hunting, it was also a great stopper in the JHP loadings. Of course, those full-powered loadings took their toll on lesser handguns, and the Delta Elite was really getting loose after a steady diet of full-powered loads. Colt discontinued the Delta Elite some years ago. However, I’m happy to report, they have re-introduced it, and they look better made than the originals do.

If you have a 10mm handgun, and you don’t load your own rounds, then you’ll want to contact Buffalo Bore and get some of their outstanding 10mm loads. The 180 grain JHP rounds are screaming at 1,350 f.p.s. with about 725 foot pounds of energy – we’re talking serious power from an autoloader. Want something that penetrates deeper in a 10mm load? Take a look at the 200 grain FMJ load, that is 1,200-f.p.s. with 640 foot pounds of energy, that will penetrate extremely deep on any animal. Buffalo Bore is also offering a 230 grain hard cast 10mm load, that should take care of most of your medium sized game out in the boonies.

As already mentioned, if you want full-powered 10mm loads, then take a close look at the Buffalo Bore line-up, they have what you’re looking for. Most big-name ammo companies are only offering 10mm loads that are reduced in power, down to the point, where their loads are no more effective than then .40 S&W is. The reason for owning a 10mm handgun is the major power-factor.

I have tested a lot of .44 Magnum loads from Buffalo Bore over the past eight months, and they have about the largest selection of .44 Magnum loads that I’ve ever seen. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, then you aren’t looking for the right load. I like the .44 Magnum, it has taken all manner of big game all over the world. While it’s not the ideal round for elephant, rhino or cape buffalo – it can take them with the right load, and of course, the proper shot placement. I like the idea of a .44 Magnum because you can load ’em up high, or load ’em down to .44 Special velocities.

Please read the warnings on the Buffalo Bore web site, about the use of some of their .44 Magnum loadings – not all loadings are safe to use in all makes and models of .44 Magnum handguns – be advised before making your selections.

If you’re in the market for a plain ol’ 240 grain JHP loading, then do yourself a favor, and walk into your big box store and buy something from them. However, if you’re in the market for some of the best, and most powerful .44 Magnum loads around, then you don’t have to go any farther than the Buffalo Bore web site. Are you looking for a 270 grain jacketed flat nose (JFN) round, at 1,450 f.p.s. with a muzzle of 1,260 – then Buffalo Bore has you covered. Want a 300 grain JFN load round, for deeper penetration? Then take a look at the Buffalo Bore round with 1,300 f.p.s. and a muzzle energy of 1,125. Want a bullet that will penetrate and stay together after hitting bone and muscle? The 305 grain lead flat nose with 1,325 f.p.s. and a muzzle energy of 1,190 foot pounds will fill your needs.

Are you looking for a bit more power in a .44 Magnum loading? Then take a close look at the Buffalo Bore 340 grain lead flat nose load, with 1,470 f.p.s. and 1,640 foot pounds of muzzle energy.  Want something a new and different? Check out the Buffalo Bore “Deer Grenade” – this round was developed for all manner of deer and the huge hollow cavity lead bullet with drop a deer in their tracks. Want something different for self-defense? I just received the new Buffalo Bore “Anti-Personnel” .44 Magnum load, which has a hard cast wadcutter bullet that weighs 200 grain. I’ve yet to test this load, but it appears to be one that will get the job done.

I’ve only touched the surface on some of the Buffalo Bore loadings and calibers. It’s not within the scope of a single article to cover all the various loads that Buffalo Bore offers. I’m sure, if you’re looking for a little more “oomph” in your handguns (and rifles) then Buffalo Bore will surely have something that will fill the need. I enjoy recommending a small company whenever possible…and in the case of Buffalo Bore, they are small (but rapidly growing) and the offer a line-up of ammo you can’t find any place else. I like doing business with the “little guys” whenever possible. They go out of their way to make the customer happy, and Buffalo Bore is doing it by offering a line of ammo that no one else offers. Expensive? Well, that depends on how you look at it…the best is never cheap, and quality is always worth the money if you ask me. So, checkout Buffalo Bore’s web site, I’m sure you’ll find something there that will catch your eye, and tell Tim Sundles, you saw it on Survivalblog. They deserve your business. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: The Rude Awakening of a Spider Bite

Mr Rawles:
Last week I dropped off to sleep and in the night with my legs uncovered due to the room being kind of warm. Some time during the night I was bitten by what was most likely a spider. as I awoke the next morning I started my regular work day. The initial bite was what I considered nothing more then an annoyance. I figured a mosquito might have got me, maybe a spider. I never really had a bad spider bite before. So I was sure it was just something got me, and it was something really itchy but not serious.

My situation as it started out, itching and burning and only the size of a dime. I expected it would be gone in a day or two and my life would return to normal.

Sadly that isn’t what happened. by the end of the first day my girlfriend noticed it wasn’t dime sized it was now quarter sized and she basically told me I needed to go and see a doctor – me being stubborn yet in pain I decided she was right. I left work early (now remember this is only the second day of having an unknown bite.) my doctor saw me, they gave me a tetanus shot and two scrips: one for pain killers, and one for docxytetra-something or other (I don’t have it in front of me, but it was an antibiotic).

The nurse told me as she drew in ink on my leg that if it gets any bigger with redness come back in ASAP, or call ASAP.

My next day was Friday, a day off for me. My girlfriend wasn’t impressed about this leg wound and she was worried about it- so she said it would be a good idea to come over to her place of work and have her friends (who lucky for me are nurses, have a look at it.) I almost decided to just stay home and wait it out because of the leg pain and getting in and out of the car- but I thought about it, and I wanted to have the nurses opinion on what it looked like to them. My doctor and his PA already said it looked like a spider bite, but I wanted to know what it looked like to the nurses. aside from that I had already paid for my doctor’s opinion, and these nurses would be okay with taking a look for free. The ink outline drawn at my doctors office was pretty close to being in the red zone.

The basic consensus on day three was get back to the doctor’s office. Call him right now! And get back there! You are in bad shape!

So I called – and was told to come in ASAP. So ASAP I dashed back to the doctors office.

Once there he took one look at what was yesterday’s quarter sized red swollen wound was now a half dollar in size. my whole calf was looking red, hot and swollen, it was impossible to stand now with out everything hurting. after taking about two minutes to really examine this mess, the doc said the words that I never want to hear again: “Sorry but it looks like your going to need to be admitted.” He directed me to the local hospital where his patients go. So back in the car and off I went to the hospital.

I’m not complaining about anyone doing anything wrong, or even suggesting that things are some how worse then I am making them out to be. But while at the hospital I was given 12 hour doses of IV antibiotics twice a day – I can say it turned the inflammation, pain, and progression of this infection back and likely saved my leg from more serious ends.

Now consider this, a spider put me in the hospital for four days. Friday to Monday. I am writing this Wednesday morning and I’m still hurting, things are looking like I’m mending. I am taking antibiotics 2x a day, but it’s going to be a while before i heal up.

Here is my big issue: What would have happened in grid down or no power/ no hospital- no help scenario?

I’m almost 40 and this is the first time I’ve ever had anything like this happen before, so it’s not common in my experience to be bitten by more then mosquitoes. I’ve never had a bite from a spider let alone one that became infected to the point of my needing serious medical help. I’ve slept on a ground cloth camping, with a tarp over head as a kid and woke up with slug trails on me, but never got bitten. Maybe I was just lucky? I don’t know.

Perhaps a doctor that reads SurvivalBlog could comment on this article: Spider Bite Treatment. (I’m not affiliated with them, I just read the information and would like to know if that would have been a better option- cortisone treatment at the bite site? ) I’d like to hear the Doc’s opinion on spider bites from treatment to prevention.  as stated in the article it would appear that doctors aren’t exposed to treating spider bites, and this information could be really useful as I might have waited too long to be seen because I didn’t know better, but it was never suggested to me as an option for treatment – just IV antibiotics, pain meds and rest…. what are my best sources of stable store-able antibiotics and/or cortisone? is that even an option?  I’ve seen in past posts about using fish antibiotics. I am not certain this would have been helpful in this situation, but like everyone else I’m still looking for ways to prepare.  

I decided to check out more about why this happened to me. I also decided to see about correcting or preventing this from happening again.

My first order of business I looked at my circumstances like a mystery: Why did that happen? How did it happen? One of my first courses of action is going to be get rid of that porch light!! (I plan on replacing it with a yellow light that won’t attract moths) Okay, I know it sounds crazy or even unrelated to a spider biting me in bed, but consider this – the light is left on at night for security- it attracts food sources that spiders eat- they congregate at my front door…- if I remove their food sources they will hopefully find someplace else to eat, and I’m really good with them moving on. 🙂

How did I make that connection? my first day out of the hospital walking in the kitchen I had a spider hanging off my arm just after opening the door. I’d say I walked in to his web and carried him in to my world by accident and he didn’t last long in my world. I don’t want to kill a beneficial living creature that eat pests. I don’t want them to accidentally kill me either.  

My next order of business is I plan to get this: Sawyer Extractor Professional Snake Bite & Insect Sting Kit. (BTW, I have no faith in the snake bite part of the kit -and have no plan to use that just because I think it’s a bad idea to cut/suck/cut a snake bite wound in an effort to extract venom. It seems time would be better spent doing anything but that.) After reading that spider poison is only in the skin (not in the veins) it makes sense that a suction at first detection of the bite would be really better then letting it get inflamed and letting the poison destroy the skin/tissue.

This has been an expensive lesson. Most of the expense has been measured in pain so it should be really easy to remember it. I hope by sharing this with you and your readers they can learn from my pain also. As this is one lesson that I would have loved to skip. Ouch! – Fitzy in Pennsylvania