Notes from JWR:

Please keep the residents of Tellico Plains, Tennessee in your prayers. That is the small town nearest Ready Made Resources. (SurvivalBlog’s very first advertiser.) The tornado missed the Ready Made Resources buildings, but I heard that about one third of the town was flattened. For any readers that have orders pending in the current Ready Made Resources’ sale on Mountain House canned freeze dried foods, be advised that there may be some brief shipping delays, but rest assured that you will get your products. Once again, please pray for those that were in the path of the tornado.

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I just noticed that we are rapidly approaching the milestone of 40 Million unique visits for SurvivalBlog. Many thanks for the publicity, folks. I have no doubt that the links in your web pages and in your e-mail footers are helping to drive traffic to SurvivalBlog. Thank you for spreading the word!

How You Can Help Defend South Sudan

An event happened last summer that was hardly noticed by the global media. Following a lengthy civil war and free elections, the new nation of South Sudan was born. This fledgling nation has some tough challenges ahead of it. Marauding Islamist guerillas (the Janjaweed) from the north have had an ongoing campaign of burning villages, wholesale murder, and rape. The raiders even still take some slaves. The Janjaweed has been supported by the Sudanese government in Khartoum. After terrorizing Darfur and creating millions of refugees, according to intelligence analysts they are expected to next turn their attention to South Sudan. The latest twist in regional politics is that the new government in Libya is islamist–replacing Gaddafi’s largely secular government. This will likely put further pressure on Chad, the Darfur region of Sudan, and South Sudan. The people of South Sudan need both your prayers and your tangible support.

I highly recommend watching the documentary The Devil Came on Horseback, about the Sudanese genocide in Darfur. It is now available as a “Watch Instantly” streaming video on Netflix. You won’t appreciate the true gravity of the situation in Darfur and South Sudan until you have watched this film.

Looking at this situation strategically, what South Sudan needs is to establish well-trained and equipped village militias, to stop the marauders. The Janjaweed has been successful in their campaign of terror simply because in most villages, there was nobody shooting back at them. Once the villagers do start shooting back–accurately–then the Islamist raiders will stop. It is just that simple. But this will takes arms and training. This is where the American missionaries can help.

What is Needed:

  1. Prayer. Lots of it.
  2. Rallies and speeches aren’t enough. South Sudan needs boots on the ground. If our government doesn’t have the conviction to provide this, then our citizenry will.
  3. Organization and support infrastructure. The American volunteers need to have a support team–mostly in the U.S. These can all be volunteer retirees. Of immediate need are: a trustworthy banker, a travel coordinator, a logistics coordinator (preferably with some warehouse space near a major airport), a publicity coordinator, a South Sudan embassy liaison (someone that lives inside the D.C. beltway), and a congressional lobbyist (also someone that lives inside the D.C. beltway.)
  4. Logistics and fundraising volunteers in other friendly countries (particularly South Africa, Israel, Australia, Canada and England.)
  5. Copious funds need to be raised to arm the villagers. (Weapons, ammunition, web gear, cleaning equipment, HESCO bastions, et cetera.) Some of this could come from government grants. Some of the equipment could come from the south Sudan government, by way of the US government’s FMS program.
  6. Funds need to be raised for volunteer American Mobile Training Teams (MTT)s and a small support team in the nation’s capitol, Juba. This will include travel expenses, vehicles, weapons, field gear, fuel, meal stipends, and training expenses.)
  7. The MTTs need to be equipped and first get some brief “train the trainer” experience in the U.S. to master “The Way of the AK.” (AK armorer skills, marksmanship, and effective employment.)

Issues and Challenges

  • Unity of purpose. The volunteers will undoubtedly have a variety of faiths. The president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, is a Catholic. The nation itself is a conglomeration of animists, Christians of various denominations and a few muslims. There are a variety of tribal factions and more than 60 indigenous languages spoken in the country. Please pray that everyone involved finds unity in the common purpose of defending South Sudan.
  • Full cooperation of the new South Sudan government is needed, to provide visas, carnets, end use certificates, et cetera.
  • Help is needed from American companies, and companies abroad. Donated gear, or gear that is made available “at cost” would be greatly appreciated.
  • War on a shoestring budget. This volunteer program will have to accomplish a lot with minimal support. Please pray for a lot of “loaves and fishes” miracle moments.
  • There is presently great difficulty in identifying friend-from-foe, in the region. I recommend that all weapons and magazines used by the villagers and the MTTs be painted in flat Multicam colors. The MTTs should all wear Multicam uniforms. (Note: The South Sudanese are mostly blacks, while the Janjaweed raiders are mostly lighter-skinned arabs. The villagers, the JEM, the SLM, and the Janjaweed all wear a civilian tribal clothing and a mish-mash of camouflage uniforms. They are armed with an odd assortment of weapons, mostly AK-47s and and AKM variants. The Janjaweed, as proxies of the Sudanese government have also been given some M14s and G3s. The south Sudanese also have a mix of small arms including AKs and G3s. There is a similar motley assortment of vehicles. The risk of having volunteers shot by mistake must be avoided.)
  • The Janjaweed’s modus operandi is to shut down cell phone transmissions just before raiding a village. So reliable HF radios need to be provided as a backup to the existing cellular networks.
  • The new government is poorly funded and not yet fully organized. They are focused on securing foreign aid and quelling internal disputes among various ethnic and tribal groups.
  • The Janjaweed is mainly mounted on horseback, giving them superior mobility. (Essentially it is a war between mounted arab nomads and peasant farmers and herdsmen. It is sort of a modern-day Magnificent Seven situation. But in this case the trainers will receive no pay.)

Key Goals:

  1. Share the gospel of Christ.
  2. Make every penny count. Create an all-volunteer organization with virtually no office overhead. (I recommend that it be modeled on The Gideons, where the volunteers actually pay annual dues.)
  3. Every man in a village with reasonable acumen will be trained as a minuteman style soldier. They will be trained to the best of their ability, preferably to the level of expert marksman.
  4. Develop resilient, redundant communications.
  5. Foster respect for the sovereignty of the South Sudan government.
  6. Security, peace and prosperity for the villagers.

My Hopes For Your Personal Mission:

  1. Volunteer your time.
  2. Encourage your Christian relatives with Iraq or Afghanistan combat experience to volunteer to go to South Sudan as missionaries. They will be “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition” type missionaries. Particularly needed are: marksmanship trainers, armorers (with AK-47, G3, and M14 experience), infantry small unit tacticians, commo specialists, and medics.
  3. If you can’t spare the service of your sons and daughters, then send some money, AK-47 magazines, and .30 caliber rifle cleaning kits. Details on where and how to to do this will follow.
  4. Even if you can’t spare a dime, please pray for South Sudan and Darfur. Please make it part of your daily prayers.

Pat’s Product Review: Columbia River Knife Tool / Crimson Trace Tool

As many SurvivalBlog readers know, I like getting as much value for my hard-earned dollars as I can. One of my favorite knife companies that provides value for my dollars is Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT). CRKT has been value driven since their inception about 16 years ago. Their owner, Rod Bremer, continues along those lines today. On top of it all, CRKT has one of the biggest selection of knives and tools on the market today, just check out their latest catalog of more than 95 pages of goodies.
 
Another thing I like about CRKT is the fact that they were one of the first knife companies to do collaborations with custom knife makers. Rod Bremer is always asking me to keep an eye out for some hot new talent out there, that might be of interest to CRKT. I’ve introduced Bremer to a couple custom knife makers, and they are now doing collaborations with CRKT. What do you, the consumer, get in a collaboration of this type? Well, you get the opportunity to purchase a knife designed by some of the top talent in the knife making field, and you can get that knife or other tool at a price point that is very affordable. Certainly when compared to buying a custom made knife, at hundreds of dollars more. And, make no mistake, CRKT is producing top-quality knives, at very affordable prices.
 
CRKT teamed up with Crimson Trace Corporation a year or two ago, to produce a couple of quite handy tools. Crimson Trace is the leader in lasers for firearms, and their lasers, unlike some other makers lasers, are all turned on “instinctively” – meaning you don’t have to “think” about turning the laser it – when you grip a firearm properly, the laser comes on. I’ve tested dozens of Crimson Trace products over the years, and have been very impressed with ’em all. And, for those of you who are aware, the guy handling the PR/Marketing for Crimson Trace these days is Iain Harrison – if his name sounds familiar to you, its because he was the winner of the television show “Top Shot” a couple years ago. I’ve talked to Iain and have found him to be a very down-to-earth guy, who loves shooting. And, he’s doing a great job at Crimson Trace promoting their products.
 
I chose to review the Crimson Trace/Columbia River Knife & Tool, Picatinny Tool for SurvivalBlog readers for this article. My only regret is, I didn’t review this tool sooner than this. Sometimes, reading the copy in a catalog or looking at the photos just doesn’t do it for me, so I passed on requesting a Picatinny Tool sample when CRKT first came out with them. That was foolish of me!
 
If you own an AR-15 style rifle, with (or without) a Crimson Trace laser on it, you need this tool. I’ll quickly go over what all is on this tool, there is a knife blade, partially serrated, AR ejector pin punch, 8mm wrench, scraper, hex bit driver with small flat head, Phillips, Torx 20 and Hex 3.32 bits .028 and .50 Allen wrenches and a pocket clip. All of this is in a very compact folding knife that easily clips to your pants pocket. And, you don’t need to have a Crimson Trace laser on your AR-15 style rifle to appreciate this Picatinny Tool, either.
 
If you have a scope on your rifle, the 8mm wrench will help you keep the screws tight on your scope mount. The interchangeable driver bits will also help keep things tight on your rifle as well. If you happen to have a Crimson Trace laser on your AR, then you have two Allen wrenches available to you to adjust the laser’s aim.
 
One part of an AR that most folks completely neglect is keeping the tail portion of their bolt cleaned up. Now, I have lost track of the number of ARs I’ve seen, that have been well-maintained and properly lubed, with the exception of the tail of the bolt – where carbon builds-up. Sooner or later, that carbon build-up is going to cause a serious malfunction, putting your out of action. I’ve seen some AR bolts where the carbon build-up on the tail was so thick and so burned on, I couldn’t clean it off, no matter how hard I tried – when that happens, it’s best to simply replace the bolt. Honestly, it only takes a minute or two, to scrape the carbon off the tail of the bolt each time you clean your guns, so there’s no reason not to do it. One thing I’ve seen people do is use a brash bore brush for cleaning the carbon off the bolt. Don’t do this! Many folks have lost their gas rings on the bolt – the brass brush catches on the gas rings, and sure enough one or more of the gas rings goes south, never to be found again – putting your AR out of action until you replace the gas rings – and everyone who owns an AR should have three or more spare gas rings.
 
The Picatinny Tool’s scraper makes quick and easy work when it comes to scraping the carbon build-up off an AR bolt. I know, some folks like to use a fired piece of brass – and it works – but the new Picatinny Tool, with the scraper tool makes the job faster and easier. For this one tool alone, it’s worth the price of the Picatinny Tool.
 
I’ve also had Crimson Trace lasers get out of adjustment – it doesn’t happen often – but it does happen. And, for the life of me, it takes me forever to find the Allen wrench in my pile of Allen wrenches, to find the right size to adjust the aim on the laser. I have several dozen Allen wrenches, and its a chore to find the one I need. With the Picatinny Tool, you have the size you need on-hand, in your pocket, at all times.
 
The knife blade on the Picatinny Tool is a combo edge, as already mention. The blade length is 2.75″, which is handy for a lot of small chores. Ever drop your AR on the ground and get a burr on the pistol grip or the stock? Yeah, I’ve do it once or twice myself – I don’t baby my firearms, they are tools. When you get a burr on one of the plastic parts on your AR, you can use the knife blade to cut that little burr off, so it doesn’t irritate your hand or cheek. I know, you say you can take care of this when you get home with a small file – but what if you can’t get home? Yeah, that’s what I thought…
 
The fold out pin on the Picatinny Tool – great for clearing jams, or for pushing out stiff take-down pins, too. There’s just a lot of different uses for the Crimson Trace/CRKT Picatinny Tool, and you really should have one, if not in your pocket, then at least in your shooter’s box or tool kit when you go to the range.
 
I always like to save the best for last, and that’s full bolt retail – it’s only $50, and like all CRKT products, you can usually find them deeply discounted at various outlets. I plan on getting a couple more Picatinny Tools for each of my family members – I think it’s “that” important to have.

Product Review: FLIR Scout PS24 Thermal Imager, by Kip R.

The price of thermal imaging has dropped to the range of Gen III night vision – about $2,000.  My bug out location has a valley with a stream at bottom and a wooded hillside, plus surrounding pastures and woods.  I wanted the tactical advantage to be able to tell if predators (particularly 2 legged) were in the trees at night.  I purchased an FLIR PS24 handheld from Sportsman’s Guide, member price $1979.97, and shipping is often free if you wait for a coupon code sale.  After waiting about five weeks, it shipped factory direct from FLIR.  My darling wife asked: said “How much did you pay for that?!”  I had to make it my only Christmas gift this year…

The unit is hand-sized, 12 ounces, pretty rugged and advertised watertight (although I did not try to submerge it).  It has lighted push keys for On/Off, Display Brightness, Display color select, and 2X zoom/Freeze frame.  The color selection is White on black background, black on white, and white on black with varying levels of red highlight.  I like the first “red” setting, called “I1“.  There’s an eyepiece focus tab for +- 2 diopters.  The unit has an internal Lithium battery, and a USB-Firewire cable with an AC power supply for charging.  When off, the brightness button toggles an LED for use as a flashlight.  There is an auto-shutdown after 5 minutes if no buttons are pushed, and a 4 second boot-up when turned on.  When it first arrives, you need to charge it about 5 hours before use.  An LED indicator lights yellow when charging, and green when fully charged.  It comes with a wrist lanyard, soft rubber tethered lens cap, and black soft pouch.  A MOLLE belt carry pouch is available via mail order.  The manual says its range of operation is -4 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.    The unit can be tripod mounted.  The manual says that a man is detectable at 350 yards.

Performance is amazing!  While the screen resolution is not a crisp as a GEN III NV, the thermal response is fantastic.  With it, I was able to determine that my stream has a contributing spring on my property – the water showed a warm underground inflow as bright white.  After standing on the deck for about one minute, step back and your boot prints are clearly visible on the deck, as is your hand print on the railing.  You can pick up thermal leaks on your cabin doors and walls – where calking or insulation is needed.  Retained heat from stone walls is evident, as well as septic tank covers – even when buried under a couple inches of soil, IF there’s no snow cover.  You can see a thrown cigar butt in the grass long after red ash fades.  The advantage to a hunter seeing game come in range during low light would be considerable.  Finding a downed deer in brush would be much easier.  The retained warmth from mechanical equipment like cars or electrical equipment like camera pods show up clearly.  I’d expect you could also find “warm” electrical junction boxes with the unit, thus potentially saving yourself from a home fire risk.  There is no difference in the unit operation daylight vs. night, but of course cold weather makes the thermal contrasts sharper.

Wildlife shows up white hot, easily visible 150 yards away.  Closer, animals show tinges of red in the eyes, head and chest.  I could immediately see five deer in the pasture, and when nine deer then collected in the trees I could see them move off single file up through the trees across the valley, 200 yards away.  Note that with a GEN III ITT monocular I could not see any identifiable shapes or movement in the trees, but with thermal the deer were easily visible.

Detractors
You can hide from thermal imaging. I found that glass acts as a mirror; a white-hot candelabra bulb is not visible through a double pane window standing only 2 feet away – all you see is your reflection in the window.  Thermal images reflect off still water as well.  I’d expect a space blanket “hide” to shield a thermal signature about the same.  I found that the soft rubber eyecup is easily dislodged – I almost lost it in the grass – I’d recommend that you use black electrical tape to secure it to the unit.  Battery life is good, about 4 weeks of use 10 minutes per night.  The manual states that the unit has to be returned to the factory for battery replacement.  Fog or falling snow does decrease the sharpness of the thermal contrast on the screen.  I was not able to test the effect of smoke by the time of this review.

If I could have only one, either the GEN III NV or the FLIR thermal, I’d go with the GEN III but only if it was weapon-mountable and [used in conjunction with] a good NV compatible red dot scope.  But as a hand-held only unit, the FLIR is superior, especially if you need to know where anything warm-blooded is at night.  I called my darling wife out to the deck the night the deer were playing ‘follow-the-leader’, and she spent a while observing them.  Afterward, she asked, “Do you think we should buy a second one of these?”

Your Kidneys in TEOTWAWKI, by Dr. Bob

Kidneys are pretty important, and often an underdog in the grouping of organ systems.  Without functioning kidneys, none of us can live for more than about a week, making the kidneys pretty important from a survival standpoint.  Seems interesting that a person can literally be brain dead and survive–but without kidneys you can’t.  Kidneys often get lumped into the “random organ” category and people often think of them like their gall bladder and appendix.  Kidneys are more like lungs if you are looking for a good comparison.  You can live with one, you can’t live without two, and you really would prefer to have two that work.

There are three major issues to address when it comes to kidneys and TEOTWAWKI:  infection, stones, and failure.  Infection of the urinary system can progress to kidney infection and cause a much more serious problem called pyelonephritis.  Untreated pyelonephritis can damage the kidney directly or indirectly through severe scarring, causing kidney failure.  Kidney stones can obstruct the urinary system and can then cause both infections and kidney failure.  Stones can also cause rupture of the urinary system, which causes a much more serious infection called peritonitis; which can also be cause by pyelonephritis if the infection also breaks through the urinary confines.  Kidney failure itself does not really increase the chances of stones or infection directly.  So, all three of these issues have some connection and the big concern for preppers is preparing for the worst and trying to plan for the best.

Infection affects women many times over more than men.  This is due to the relative distance of the urethra to the outside world.  Obviously, if you think about it, men have a longer urethra and therefore more space between the bladder and the bacteria that cause bladder infections.  (Even the least fortunate men).  There are certain preventive measures that women can take to reduce this risk of bacterial invasion.  First, hygiene.  Girls need to be taught careful front to back wiping to minimize E. coli exposure.  Sexually active women need to try to urinate immediately after intercourse to “flush the system” of the bacteria typical to such activity.  Certain types of birth control methods also have a higher rate of UTI prevalence, like spermicides.  Fluids, fluids, fluids is the best possible approach to help reduce the risk of an infection.  Higher rates of UTI are known to occur with urine holding and dehydration, and although no study has actually proven that urinating more often reduces risk of UTI, it just makes common sense.

Once an infection hits, most women know to hit the fluids and hit them hard.  This often works to clear the infection without antibiotics.  After about 24 hours of flushing, most women will know which way it will play out.  If the infection needs treatment, luckily most E. coli are killed by a large group of antibiotics.  This group includes Sulfamethoxazole/TMP (Bactrim), Nitrofurantoin (Macrobid) and Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) as first-line options; and Amoxicillin, Cephalexin (Keflex), Azithromycin (Zithromax or Zpack), Doxycycline, Amoxicillin/Clavulanate (Augmentin) and Levofloxicin (Levaquin) all as second-line or alternative options.  Most of the time when men get a UTI it is in fact not a UTI but is and STD.  This is not universal, but it is a concern for any presenting male with urinary symptoms.  Sometimes a prostate infection can mimic a UTI in men, but not very often.  In fact, in the “Bible” of antibiotic recommendations, the Sanford Guide, men are not listed at all in the UTI section, but show up only in the pyelonephritis section with an asterisk for “look for obstructive uropathy or other complicating pathology”.

Stones are a real fear in the post-collapse environment.  Kidney stones cause pain and blood in the urine, but can also obstruct the system and then become a real risk to life.  There will be no lithotripsy (sound therapy) or surgery available to correct these types of large stones.  Prevention of stone formation is a must for those that have had a kidney stone in the past, or develop one at any point in the future.  The research-based knowledge bowl of UpToDate, one of my most reliable information sites medically, states that:  “…from the viewpoint of diet, increasing the intake of fluid, dietary calcium, potassium and phytate and decreasing the intake of oxalate, animal protein, sucrose, fructose, sodium, supplemental calcium and supplemental vitamin C may be beneficial”.  Some of these issues need a little more description or definition.

Increasing fluid is simple.  Water seems to be as good as anything else, and the only thing to perhaps avoid is grapefruit juice.  Contrary to popular belief; there is no reason to avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, or soda pop to reduce the most common form of kidney stone formation.  The research has not proven that high animal protein diets, oxalate-containing foods (spinach, rhubarb, nuts, legumes) sucrose, and fructose can cause stones; but avoidance of excessive consumption of any of these in the diet are recommended.  Avoiding supplementation of Vitamin C and Calcium may also help reduce the risk of stone formation.  Stone formers should not supplement their diet with either Vitamin C or Calcium unless avoiding an outright deficiency is the reason.  There is also some evidence that low-sodium diets may help reduce stone formation and that high-potassium foods like fruits and vegetables help prevent kidney stones from forming.  All these things should be taken into consideration if there is a kidney stone history in you or anyone in your prepping family.

Kidney failure is broken down into two separate categories:  acute and chronic.  There are many different subtypes of each, but the basics are fairly simple.  Acute kidney failure is defined as:  the abrupt loss of kidney function resulting in the retention of urea and other nitrogenous waste products and in the dysregulation of extracellular volume and electrolytes.  Without a lab to check these buildups in the blood, the basic definition of acute kidney failure is that urine stops with an identifiable cause:  loss of volume, infection or inflammation, injury, toxins (including medications).  The treatment for kidney failure is fluids, plain and simple.  Helping flood the kidneys is the best hope they have for recovery, and when they do start to recover, for a faster recovery.  Whether the fluids are IV or by mouth, it doesn’t really matter, keep those beans wet and you will improve your survivability markedly when facing acute kidney failure.

Chronic renal failure (CRF) occurs in all of us if we live long enough, as kidney function decreases slowly with age.  Men have normal prostate growth which can worsen to the point of complete urinary obstruction over time.  Kidneys lose blood flow as we get more plaque build-up and our vessels age.  More microclots can form in the kidney the older we get, which affects overall function.  Basically–like lungs, hearts, brains, skin, eyes, muscles and guts–kidneys age with us too; with a decrease in overall function that can sometimes contribute to a natural death.  Obviously, there are certain conditions that contribute to increased risk of early kidney function, like diabetes, but there are risk factors for faster kidney failure that you might not be aware of:
• Greater protein levels in the urine
• Higher blood pressure
• Black race
• Lower serum HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
• Obesity
• Smokers
Now, the higher protein level and low HDL will not be known WTSHTF, but if you already have some kidney condition or concerns, it would be helpful to know these levels and track them to improve your kidney function while the grid is up.  When the grid does do down, obviously those with severe kidney failure that are on dialysis would not survive.  Those on the verge of dialysis would also not likely recover and likely would worsen quickly under the stresses of TEOTWAWKI.  If you end up having CRF in a post-grid world, there isn’t really going to be much you can really do about it, and there will be no way to monitor the progression either.  Fluids help kidneys recover and also stay functional.  With chronic renal failure, you don’t need to pour the fluids in aggressively or get an IV started like you do with ARF; but proper higher fluid intake does keep CRF folks ticking longer and healthier than a “hit and miss” fluid approach.

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

Chased Far From Reality: A Super Bowl Nuke Conspiracy Theorist Run Amok

I feel compelled to respond to some recent disinformation by David Chase Taylor, a fringe conspiracy theorist: Alex Jones Cancels Speaking Tour 3 Days After Exposure As Possible STRATFOR Double Agent. This is an atrocious hatchet piece and a good candidate for a libel or defamation lawsuit. Not only does it unfairly and inaccurately libel Alex Jones, but it attempts to put me in a bad light, as well.

To begin, Stratfor is not an “Israeli intelligence agency” nor a “private Zionist intelligence agency” as Taylor claims. It is simply a private intelligence analysis service that covers global events, run primarily for investors. Some government agencies around the world are indeed subscribers to Stratfor’s reports, but that is typical of governments gathering open source intelligence.

Furthermore, just because Stratfor in headquartered in Austin, Texas and was started the same year that Alex Jones got his start in talk radio does not mean that they are part and parcel. Correlation does not necessarily imply causation. 

And Alex Jones’s announced decision to curtail his publicity tour a few days after Taylor released an unsubstantiated rant against him doesn’t mean anything, either. In fact, his decision to cancel the later dates in his publicity tour was actually based upon his concern about a financial crisis precipitated by the upcoming Greek “credit event.” He stated this forthrightly when he interviewed me last month. Again, correlation does not necessarily imply causation. 

In January, David Chase Taylor heralded his certainty that there would be a “Zionist” nuclear terrorist attack at Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011. Then, after that non-event, he then claimed that he personally “…did indeed stop, or at least postpone, a state-sponsored nuclear terror attack upon America.” I think he deserves some sort of post facto Al Gore personal achievement award for that.

Lest there be any conjecture, I need to clarify some facts: Following completion of a special background investigation (SBI), I did indeed hold a top secret clearance (granted by Fort Meade on 16 May, 1983.) And I did indeed work as a U.S. Army intelligence officer. I was read on (“briefed”) to several Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) codeword programs for six years. But I was read off (“debriefed”) from access to all SCI compartments in 1990, and my security clearance lapsed a few years later. (I did have one Periodic Reinvestigation (PR) in the late 1980s, but that PR update to my clearance has long since lapsed.) I resigned my commission in January, 1993–just after William Jefferson Clinton was sworn in. I was then a Captain, pay grade O-3. My association with the U.S. Army began in September 1979 when I took my first ROTC courses, and ended in January, 1993 when I resigned. I have had no contact with the intelligence community since I left the Army. However, I did apply for an industrial secret clearance in 2005 (under an e-QIP Investigation Request), but I left the defense industry before a clearance was ever granted. At the time, clearance requests were moving at a snail’s pace, so I was never granted another security clearance. (I quit my salaried job as a technical writer in the Spring of 2006 to become a full time blogger.)

For the record: I have never been an agent of a foreign government. I am presently not an employee, asset, operative, or contractor for any intelligence agency or law enforcement agency of any government, nor am I working as an employee or contractor for any firm operating on behalf of any agency in a proprietary relationship. I no longer hold a security clearance. Since 1990 I have not been tasked by any agency nor had access to compartmented codeword programs, and I was formally debriefed in 1990. My only remaining nexus to the intelligence community is that I’m still sworn to secrecy and that I’m still subject to travel restrictions to certain countries. That is all.

David Chase Taylor has some odd beliefs that I have great difficulty reconciling with reality. Among other things, he believes that the 9-11-2001 attacks were carried out by the Israeli Mossad. He believes that the July 22, 2011, bombings and shootings in Norway were perpetrated by the Israeli Mossad. Further, he believes that Alex Jones has Mossad “handlers” but also believes that Jones simultaneously works for the Obama Administration. Sorry, but extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. David Taylor has not provided any proof. I think that most neutral observers would call Taylor’s web site a collection rambling rants and diatribes, with a marginal readership. (BTW, the Alexa Traffic Rank for Truther News is # 17,147,276. That speaks for itself.) His site is largely dedicated to far-fetched conspiracy theory attacks on Alex Jones and Israel. Just count the number of times the word “Zionist” occurs in this web page, for instance. Among other things, Taylor claims that Alex Jones has a net worth of $50 million. That is absurd conjecture. Taylor’s request for asylum in Switzerland has apparently been ignored because it is groundless and unsubstantiated. His visa status in Switzerland is tenuous, at best.

Mr. Taylor is apparently lashing out at patriots, constitutionalists, and his fellow 9/11 “truthers.” Please pray for him.

While I don’t share some of Alex Jones’s beliefs, I still have respect for what the man is doing, and I certainly don’t think that he is a “Zionist Tool.”

Oh, and let me make a preemptive statement, for those who might claim: “There’s no such thing as a former intelligence officer.” I’m in fact about as former as you can get. For many years, I’ve been on the outside, looking in.

Letter Re: Upgrading Your House Window and Door Security

Mr. Rawles:
Although filtered HVAC systems make for comfortable and healthy inside air quality, even the most efficient draw heavily on AC mains. Insulated airtight walls and windows reduce heat loss and in windy areas reduce dirt infiltration. I would never consider powering a cooling system with solar power but heater blower motors can be so powered. This works well for dual stage furnaces that switch from heat pump to natural gas or propane for emergency heat. Fireplaces are as old as houses but rather than just building any old firebox, I researched fireplace design.

When building my ranch headquarters on the prairie, I thought about using bullet resistant glass but this was ruled out considering light loss and real value per cost. Instead I choose windows meeting Dade County, Florida hurricane specifications. Windows and importantly their frame extrusions and locks meeting these requirements are tested for shatter resistance and high wind load. Of course no window is better than the house framework into which it is mounted. Although not highly bullet resistant, these style windows present a considerable obstacle to someone seeking unlawful egress by breaking a window.

Windows meeting Dade County requirements are available in single or multiple pane configurations and in casement or sash design. Due to high wind loads in the Texas Panhandle I choose casement windows because the harder the wind blows, the better this type window seals. In retrospect, I should have included at least one sash window per house side. Sash windows are better suited for use with external shutters and afford easier egress in the event an emergency evacuation is required.

The main entry to my ranch headquarters is via a courtyard. Courtyards provide enhanced security and reduce wind. Inside the house, I designed a ten foot long entry foyer to further reduce heat loss and wind borne dirt infiltration. A second reinforced entry door was located at the end of the foyer for increased security. All external and bedroom doors are dead bolted and equipped with Rocky Mountain cane bolts. Internal doors are 2 7/8” thick mahogany. I chose sturdy Cantera metal clad exterior doors with of course a Dade County glass specification.

Portions of the house perimeter walls were constructed of fiberglass entrained, rebar reinforced, poured in place concrete. Now concrete is an extremely poor insulator so I framed with 2x6s, filling the framed in walls and ceiling with spray in insulation. Not wanting to introduce a fire hazard, I tried to burn a small piece of the insulation and was impressed by its flame resistance. I cannot recommend this insulation highly enough. A bottle of water was left inside all winter long in the unheated house during construction and it never froze even when the outside temperature dropped to -10F. Chilly this house might be if unheated, but one could live there without supplemental heat.

After product comparison, I choose two Lennox high efficiency furnace/heat pump systems with emergency propane back up. I added Lennox UV lights to these systems to reduce mold and bacteria along with Lennox HEPA electrostatic filters, and humidifiers.

Predominately downwind and several hundred yards down hill from the house I poured another concrete structure to house several 900 gallon propane tanks (propane is heavier than air). This propane fuels the HVAC emergency heat and kitchen appliances. The ranch headquarters has two fireplaces, both of Rumford design that may be unfamiliar to your readers. I equipped one with a fireplace crane in case I ever wanted to cook in it. Even though I have all sorts of backup electrical power options for the HVAC systems, I bought a Sopka Magnum cookstove for post-Schumer installation. These stoves offer a high value to cost and can burn both wood and coal.

Having a house that won’t freeze inside when unheated during the coldest winter is of incalculable value. Chilly it may be but with down and wool, one could live and thrive. Having multiple heating/cooking options are essential when Schumer hits the fan. The value of good insulation is apparent to anyone who has cut wood for heat.

I hope these comments are of value to anyone considering new construction.

Sincerely, – Panhandle Rancher

Letter Re: Earthquake Resistant Residential Architecture

Hello James:
Attached is an e-mail I sent to my daughter.  Her boyfriend is from Honduras and she dreams of doing missionary work there.  I thought it may be of interest to some of your readership.  I left out a great deal of information on building site selection (her boyfriend already owns five acres) and foundations.  There seems to be differences in opinion regarding firmly anchored and sand-bed isolation between footings and walls.  Most of my information was gleaned from the book Technical Principles of Building for Safety (Building for Safety Series) by Coburn.

Dear X.:
I did a little bit of reading this weekend regarding safe house construction in earthquake and hurricane prone regions.  I thought of you since you might be spending significant amounts of time in that part of the world.  Some sobering pictures of what an earthquake can do to masonry structures (Italy) 

Key points for concrete block construction (very common in Honduras):
1. Don’t build the house out of masonry, use wood which is lightweight, strong and flexible…..but if you cannot…..
2. Single story construction (probably the single most important thing)
3. Use thick blocks (at least 8″ across).  Use good blocks (should ring when blocks are struck with hammer or another block, mortar should be mixed on-site, in small batches by somebody who knows his business.
4. Simple rectangular outline.  Long, skinny houses shake to pieces while those that are closer to square in outline stay together
5. Small rooms.  No room larger than 15′ by 15′ (5 meters by 5 meters)  (probably #2 in importance….especially for bedrooms)
6. Use concrete block for interior partition walls to tie exterior walls together.  See note below about corners.
7. Door and window openings small, minimal number and evenly spaced around the building.  It is advantageous to have the tops of the windows and doors at the same elevation (see note on ring-beams)
8. No window or door openings in walls within 3′ (one meter) of an outside wall or inside partition wall
9. The strength is in the corners (see points 4,5 and 7).  Reinforce the corners with steel wire, mesh or rod laid horizontally in mortar as the walls are built.
10. Build with two ring-beams.  One even with the tops (lintels) of the doors and windows, one along the very top of the wall.  Ring-beams can be cast of concrete/steel rod or constructed of wood.  This is a picture of a structure with FIVE wooden ring-beams
11. Use a light-weight roof that is well tied together (plywood sheathing is recommended) but steel is OK.  See picture from line above.
12. Roof should be relatively steep, 30-to-40 degrees is recommended.  Flatter roofs can act like airplane wings and lift off more easily in high winds.
13. Roofs should not extend more than 24″ past wall
14. Hip roofs tend to be most resistant to blowing off.  House with five ring-beams is also a hip roof house.
15. Put the bed in the middle of the room.
16. A decent article about how to make an existing house safer. 

 

Recipe of the Week:

Keri’s Whole Wheat Bread
1 ½  cups hot tap water
3 Tablespoons oil
¼ cup honey + molasses to equal 1/3 cup 
     (or about 1 ½ Tablespoons molasses)
½ Tablespoon salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
½ Tablespoon **active dry yeast

Put ingredients in the order your bread maker requires. Dry ingredients first or liquid ingredients first.  I use the dough setting and then bake in the oven.   When dough is ready to shape,  pour out dough and stretch into a rectangle.  It will be a little sticky.  On floured board, roll up loaf like you do for cinnamon rolls.  Pinch the ends.  Put in greased and floured loaf pan hiding the pinched ends at the bottom, let raise 30 minutes to an hour.  Don’t let the dough over raise or it will get a sour yeasty smell and taste and can deflate while baking.  The bread will raise a little as it bakes.

Bake 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.  I have a big loaf pan, if you use a regular size pan, you may need to make 2 loaves and bake 25-35 minutes.  You will know when the bread is ready because it will smell done, and when you thump the bottom of the loaf it will sound hollow.

Kitchen blender directions:

Grind about 3 c. of wheat to make 4 c. whole wheat flour.  In 5-qt. mixer bowl, combine water, oil, honey, molasses and salt.  Mix. In a small bowl, mix 1 ½ c. flour with yeast.  Add to liquid.  Mix for 5 minutes on speed 3.  Change to dough hook.  Add remaining flour and mix on speed 2 for 5 minutes. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until double in size.   Stretch dough into a rectangle.  Roll up loaf like you do for cinnamon rolls.  Pinch the ends.  Put in greased and floured loaf pan, let raise 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Bake 350°F for 45 minutes.  I have a big loaf pan, if you use a regular size pan, you may need to make 2 loaves and bake 30-40 minutes.  You will know when the bread is ready because it will smell done, and when you thump the bottom of the loaf it will sound hollow. 

By hand: 
In large bowl mix with a heavy spoon or hands: water, oil, honey, molasses and salt.  Stir in 1 cup flour and yeast.  When all ingredients are well combined add the rest of the flour stirring in one cup at a time (approximately 3 more cups).   Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5-10 minutes. This step is very important to loaf quality and will make your arms and shoulders get very strong 🙂

Because you are using your hands to knead, the dough will be very sticky.  You may find that you are adding more flour to make the dough workable. This is normal, but add just enough flour to make a smooth and elastic dough.  Too much flour makes the finished loaf dry.  Try not to use more than 1/2 cup. 

** I use active dry yeast, instant dry yeast or compressed yeast.  It is different than the yeast our grandmas used.  It does not need to be proofed and mixed with the water beforehand.  It is added with the flour and works perfect every time.   It may not seem like 1/2 Tablespoon is enough, but it is.  

Chef’s Notes:

A little trick is to oil a liquid measuring cup before you measure the honey.  Pour 1/4 cup of honey in your measuring cup, then add the molasses until it measures 1/3 cup.  The honey mixture will pour right out.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Carla P. recommended: How To Smoke Meat on a Gas Grill

Shelf Reliance (one of our advertisers) publishes some handy recipes on their web site.

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

Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers mentioned this over at Wired: 1 in 8 Chance of Catastrophic Solar Megastorm by 2020

Dr. Cynthia Koelker is leading a disaster medicine training conference March 29-31, 2012 in Akron, Ohio.  Tuition is $350 for three full days of hands-on training. The trainers will include Dr. Koelker, Tom from Midwest Native Skills Institute and Jim from Ohio Farm Museum. The training is oriented to training laymen that will be the only source of medical care available, without access to hospitals, doctors, or other health care professionals. Classes will include Clinical Procedures Without Electricity, Suturing and Minor Surgery Splinting and Casting, and Treating Infection and Illness. Wherever possible a hands-on approach is taken, including laboratory procedures, clinical skills, suturing, splinting, and casting. Lehman’s Hardware is less than an hour south of Akron and there’s an LDS Cannery half an hour north, so a person could make a week of it.  

   o o o

Stories of survival emerge from tornado victims. Any family in tornado or hurricane country that doesn’t have a storm shelter ins unprepared.

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A reminder reminder that Ready Made Resources’ sale on Mountain House canned freeze dried foods ends on March 14th, so order soon. You’ll get a 25% discount and free shipping on case lots.

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Alan W. mentioned a great article in Backwoods Home magazine: Affordable Firearms, by Massad Ayoob

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Matt Bracken’s first novel Enemies Foreign and Domestic is now available as an e-book in Amazon Kindle’s free library, but probably just for one more day. Download your copy, ASAP. And by the way, if you don’t own a Kindle device , keep in mind that free Kindle Reader software is available for both PCs and Macs. (With my aging eyes, I prefer a 15″ screen, anyway.)

Note From JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 39 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 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), and E.) 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 F-50 hand well pump (a $349 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.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 39 ends on March 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.

Generational Preparedness, by S.D.

Articles written as personal memoirs always have a special way of reinforcing why preparedness is so important to me. They inspire me to continue learning, and make me proud to call myself a prepper. Hopefully my story of growing up to live among the modern generation of preppers can do the same for you.

I remember my high school shop teacher, and the day he wheeled a television into our room and turned it on. His face was flushed as he changed the channel to a news station, and we watched as thick smoke rolled out of the World Trade Center. Then, on live television, a second plane hit the towers. Everyone but me was convinced it was a terrorist attack. That’s me…the eternal optimist. I get that from my father, which is probably why I remember the most about that day what he said to me. “Watch. The world will never be the same for you, from here on out.” He is the one who planted the seeds of “prepping” in me and told me to always listen to my inner voice, which has saved my life on more than one occasion and my sanity on many more.

Now I am married to a US Marine and have three small children and struggle to understand the changes I see in the world around me. I also remember the ridicule the Y2K preppers were subject to in the media and not understanding why someone would get ready for such an event. (To be fair, I also struggle to understand individuals or groups who prepare for a single event without accounting for anything else.) Why would people stockpile food, water, ammunition for something that would only impact computers? Needless to say, I understand now, but many people don’t.

Sometimes I wonder if the modern prepping movement is simply our way of seeking a more substantial way of life; sustainable roots in a world where we are busy with unfulfilling jobs and spend free time wasting away in front of television programs. Or on a more personal level, my way of motivating myself out of depression and the redundancies of raising a family, moving, setting down roots and keeping my possessions in manageable order.

I’ve come a long way in a few short years from my road trip to meet my then-fiancé after a deployment with a trunk full of everything I owned, cooking food from a can (more on that later) and living paycheck to paycheck. Now I’m a mother, a wife, a member of whatever community I happen to belong to at the moment and someone who chooses to “prep” with a positive and realistic attitude.

Living in coastal North Carolina, the biggest concern was hurricanes. My husband (eventually we did get married) and I grew up in New England in wood-stove heated homes, so the idea of being fairly self-sufficient wasn’t entirely new to us. But our home wasn’t made for even the smallest hurricane, so I tried my best to do what I could with a limited budget. I had supplies in the house for us and a sort of “bug-out list”, because I simply could not afford a separate cache of supplies I would need in an emergency and ones I used on a daily basis. I still do this today, everything I might need written in a notepad in a special place. I have two “levels” on my list, one for a half hour evacuation and one for a two hour evacuation.

In Okinawa, I began to relax a little bit. Living on an overseas base, you cannot have a firearm. I began to have the attitude that my family and I were at the mercy of our government and enjoy the island. Then, we were hit with a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, and it changed me forever. Nothing broke. No one was injured. We did not even lose power. But there is something about the earth moving in such a momentous way under your feet and your children’s feet that can change you. And I know I was not the only one. So once again, I began preparing.

I made friends and even worked out in town, learned as much of the language and culture as I could, and even brought food to the homeless and learned where they went at night to be “safe”. On such a small and populated island, such information could be priceless. The experience there enriched my life, but I still tried to approach much of what I did in a twofold way. I left friends but also the promise of employment.

My preparations there were not in complete vain. My husband and I decided to renew our vows on one of the many subtropical beaches after life handed us some tough cards, and I went with my children early to get ready for our friends. Suddenly, a man in uniform knocked on my hotel room door and told me I had less than ten minutes to evacuate. A massive earthquake (the massive earthquake) had just struck mainland Japan and we were under a tsunami warning. I had to walk on foot alone to the designated waiting area, and I had my bug out bag and supplies packed in my car. It took me less than ten minutes to get up that hill and my children and I were comfortable during our wait, which lasted over five hours. We were even able to give some things to others to help them. In that time, I realized how different I looked at things than most people. The first thing I thought when we got up the hill was “Hmm, I wonder where all of these people are going to go to the bathroom?” No one else seemed content with anything other than to pace or complain. My kids were happy and protected from bugs, hunger, thirst, etc. For a short time, anyway.

When we were reunited with my husband and our guests (who were forced to wait on low ground immediately outside the base gate during this time-do not trust the military to even take care of their own if TSHTF), we turned on the television and watched the footage of the tsunami effecting the mainland. It has almost been a year, and my experience has cemented in me something I don’t believe will ever leave me. I am a prepper now.

Now, our family lives in the Midwest. I learned about the unique natural disasters our region might face and have reaped one of the benefits of the area- guns again! I am learning how to balance a stockpile of food and healthy eating with the need to move on short notice.

I also learning how to maintain a positive outlook on things even when I wait for my “supplies” for two months in an empty house, and how to teach my children what they need to learn in today’s world and the own unique world they occupy as military children. And, maybe someday, adults in a world even I won’t be able to recognize, one way or another.

I am reading, reading, reading. I read anything and everything I can that seems realistic about prepping. Even when I might feel that the skills I can give my children are scarce, I am reminded through books that we can learn new things together. We are currently awaiting a couple of books about clouds and identifying weather. Fun and practical.

One thing about military wives that is definitely true is our ability to network and get stuff done (GSD). We talk, we do what needs to be done, we support one another, and many times we shake our heads at the complaints of “regular people” together. We can become family when needed, provide support to one another in ways friends generally wouldn’t on short notice, and learn from each other. This can be good or bad. I have a friend who subscribes to the prepper mentality also, for different reasons than me, and who was a “disaster buddy” while we were overseas. (In the event of a natural disaster or military event, we couldn’t count on our husbands to be there). She stockpiled, but was not neat about it. As much as I hate to admit it, I contribute the recent loss of her entire shipment of household goods to not keeping the house clean. Mold. You can bet that I keep my house and possessions clean and in good order.

I see people lose friends, spouses, their pets, their things…have spent over 6 months in hotel rooms with my kids, have lived in airports for days with them in strange places, have traveled the world alone with them in the back of cargo jets, have slept on empty floors in empty houses for more months than I care to remember, have learned very quickly how to set out feelers in a new community and what my resources are, and have learned from the mistakes of those on my path. My kids are being raised to know the world does not revolve around them. And through it all, I am learning that the world really is changing. It really isn’t the same world as it was the day I went to school on September 11. And, on however small a scale, I have been ready for something I never expected to happen that did.

Being a prepper chose me, much like the lifestyle did as soon as I fell in love with a Marine. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A few special considerations I have dealt with:

-Healthy eating and prepping. I prefer to eat whole, fresh foods and use them for cooking. To me, there doesn’t seem anything wrong with continuing to eat this way, especially because it lends itself to advancing skills in cooking and preparing food anyway. Even if I might not make homemade bread or soup with the same ingredients WTSHTF, after years of cooking you learn that soup is just a bunch of stuff that tastes good together thrown into a pot and bread can be made with all sorts of things. Either way, I like to keep a large stock of some canned items, but like to add diversity in dehydrated and freeze-dried foods. There are usually no preservatives in these items and they can replace something you might have spent unnecessary money for at the grocery store in everyday cooking, like chives or even powdered milk to make bread, on a day to day basis.

-Children are the basis for many survival articles, but besides their material needs, they can actually be assets in a survival situation. I only know this from having survived with them inside empty houses, airports, and hotel rooms. Seriously though, everything you do can serve a dual purpose, and the way you raise and interact with your children is no exception. If your kids cannot go without television or their toys for a day, they will struggle in a survival scenario that much more. Boredom begets creativity. Force yourself to find ways to do everyday things without what you usually have to do them and the ideas will flow. Your kids will also adjust accordingly. Above all else, maintain a positive attitude.

-Go through your calendar at the end of the year and save it. Look at how many times you’ve gone to the doctor and what for, the dentist and what for, how many times you’ve eaten out, etc. If you have been to the dentist for fillings a couple times in a year, chances are an emergency dental kit would be a smart investment. If you are taking your child to the doctor for eczema often, maybe you need to stock up more on his or her supplies and anything else you’d need to deal with that in an unexpected environment, like clothes that can cover their skin or hold in moisture. Sometimes we can’t see what is right in front of us, but if you are like me and write down everything on your calendar, it can be right in front of you.

-Don’t burn bridges. There really is nothing wrong with acquaintances. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but if there is one thing being a military wife has taught me, its that it doesn’t always matter. Sometimes you will need someone, and they will need you, and you have to be willing to get over the petty things and work together. In Okinawa, I was stuck on the hill during the tsunami warning with my next door neighbors. They were the worst neighbors we’ve ever had and we’ve had some bad ones, and that includes roommates. You never know who fate might stick you with…it can be a small world (or in my case, a small island).

-If you can diversify nothing else, diversify your learning. I love reading. Luckily for me, my kids like listening to me and learning about pretty much anything. It might be too expensive for most people to become hardcore preppers, but buying or lending a book about tying knots and using your shoelaces to practice can be free. The more you learn, the more creative you get, and the more you realize how important your mind is. Don’t neglect it- it might be all you have someday.

Letter Re: Cap and Ball Revolver Options

James,
There are many states and cities where people are not allowed to have modern pistols, without massive red tape by state and local governments. But replicas of old frontier pistols of the cap and ball type slip under most restrictions and can still be ordered through the mail, and no BATF paperwork is required. (Be sure to check you state and local law before ordering one!) But what most people don’t realize is the fact that most of these good quality reproductions of the old cap and ball revolvers of the mid-1800s are very accurate and potentially as deadly as any modern cartridge revolver, once you learn how to use and maintain them.
 
I’m the first to admit, their a real pain in the rear to load and maintain, but once you learn the basics of loading and cleaning the old style revolvers, you have a very good defense weapon, living where options are limited. There are many types and styles that were developed from 1836 into the 1870s, many of the later cap and balls were later converted to cartridge revolvers to speed up the loading process, and allow the pistolero to keep the feel of the original revolver.
 
Colt was one of the first to build a reliable cap and ball revolver, starting with the Patterson, it was a 5 shot, in .36 caliber, With no attached loading lever, took forever to load, but was quite an advantage over the single shot pistols of prior use and production. But most of Patterson’s shortcomings were corrected with the Walker Colt. Which had a 60 grain chamber, in .44 caliber, making it the forerunner of the .44 Magnum in power. Then came Colt’s Dragoons first, second, and third model, a scaled down version of the Walker, but still more of a saddle pistol than a hip pistol but maintained the large chamber capacity. Then came the baby Dragoon in 1849, a .31 caliber with about 10 grain chamber capacity, that was very popular in the gold fields of California, because of it’s smaller size. Then in 1851, Colt finally got it right with the .36 Navy and the .44 Army.
 
The 1851 model is one of the most natural pointing handguns I ever picked up, And was the life long favorite of James Butler (Wild Bill) Hickock, in .36 Navy model. They have a 30 grain chamber capacity, same as the .44 Army, which is essentially the same revolver with bigger cylinder holes. Then In 1858, Remington came out with their cap and ball revolver in the same calibers as the Colt’s, and about the time of the Civil War, Colt came out with the 1860 model, which has the same size cylinder, but a longer grip for the people with bigger hands. I don’t feel the 1860 has near the good feel of the 1851 models, but they are good shooters. At one time or another I’ve owned each one of the above mentioned reproduction revolvers with the exception of the Patterson.
 
I have one rule about a pistol before I’ll carry it, it has to be accurate enough to hit a rattlesnake in the head out to 25 feet, and each one of these revolvers I’ve had were well capable of this requirement! Now if you consider going this option, I’d stay away from the brass frame copies, as prolonged shooting will loosen the rod the cylinder rotates around. They make good wall hangers, but I don’t feel they are near the quality of the steel frame copies.

And one suggestion I’d make, due to the long time involved in loading these old timers, it’s best to buy a pair, if you can afford it. There was good reasoning for the old timer packing two cap and ball revolvers. And if you see the movie, “The Outlaw Josey Wales” Clint Eastwood was packing 4 or 5 of these revolvers. I’ve got several books on Orrin Porter Rockwell, a frontier marshal in the Utah Territory, according to these books Port carried a pair of 3rd model Dragoon 44s in saddle holsters, a pair of 1851 short barreled .44s on his hips, and a couple Derringers, along with a bowie knife, skinning knife and a rifle in a scabbard on his horse, and there was mention of a 10 gauge shotgun he took along on his buggy trips and wagon, when he was hauling freight and the mail from Missouri to the Utah Territory. Porter was another frontiersman who packed the 1851 models until he died in the 1870s of natural causes. Well, enough history! Lets get to the fun part.
 
If you buy a cap and ball revolver, you’ll also need a nipple wrench, a powder flask, a straight line capper, a good set of gun screwdrivers, a small brass hammer or rawhide mallet. You’ll notice there is no back strap on the Colts, the barrel and loading ram are held on the gun with a wedge through the lower portion of the barrel. This wedge is also what keep the gun tight, as it’s tapered and  too hard a tap will make the gun too tight for the cylinder to turn. It takes a few times to get the feel of the right wedge position. I’m looking at the copy of the 1851 .36 right now, so that’s what I’ll use for an example.
 
The chamber holes are tapered towards the nipples. Most of the Colt style flasks come with a 30 grain spout on top, to throw a powder charge, you put your finger over the end on the spout, turn the flask up side down, open the lever on the side, filling the spout with powder, then release the lever, turn the flask right side up and the spout should be full of powder. The tighter you press the ball into the cylinder on the wad and powder charge, the better the explosion, remember the chamber holes are tapered. Before I learned about the Bore Butter soaked wads, about 18 shots was all I could get out of a pistol, the powder fouling would get so bad, it was hard to cock the hammer. But the wad serves two purposes, keep the fouling down, and prevents cross fire, I’ll get into that one later.
 
At this point let me inject that I file the spout down to where it throws a 22 grain charge for .36 and 25 grain charge for .44 caliber, as I use a felt wad soaked on T-C Bore Butter over the powder, then ram the ball down on top. Then after all six chambers are loaded, use the straight line capper to install the cap on the nipple.  Never put the cap on the nipple first, as you ram the ball home, the flash hole acts as a vent hole to allow the air out of the chamber hole when loading. Then on the back of the cylinder you’ll notice there are little pins on the islands between the nipples, and notice a small groove in the bottom of the hammer where it strikes the cap. Set the hammer down on one of these pins, a very good safety feature, and it can be carried safely with all six chamber holes loaded, and doesn’t have to have an empty chamber to set the hammer on, as with the Colt SAA .45.

You’ll notice there isn’t too much for sights on these revolvers, a post similar to a shotgun bead for the front sight, and a notch in the top of the hammer for rear sight. Most of the frontiersman that used these pistols were point shooters, shooting half way between the hip and shoulder, but unconsciously sighting down the barrel. Then If you have seen any of the old western movies made back in the 1930’s, you may have noticed most of the old cowboys threw the pistol back over their shoulder to cock it, then looked like they were throwing lead! Well, by cocking the gun back over the shoulder the spent percussion would fall off the nipple and down behind you, and not fall off down into the action and lock up the action!
 
I had an uncle that shot pistol this way, “throwing lead” I’d throw a marble out and he’d shoot it just as it hit the ground, he tried to teach this method to me, but I never could get the hang of it! But he never aimed and never missed a marble! But this way of shooting originated from the cap and ball days.
 
Now the dirty part… Cleaning these pistols isn’t easy, make sure all chamber holes are empty, then take the mallet or brass hammer, and tap the wedge out to the left, the wedge should have a little spring retainer that has to be depressed to completely take it out, but it will come out far enough to remove the barrel forward and off, you might use the loading lever to press the barrel off if it’s tight, just turn the cylinder to where the lever in on the wall between the holes.  Sometime the fouling makes this come off with difficulty! Then slip the cylinder off.
 
Take the nipple wrench and remove all 6 nipples, I usually take the nipples and drop them into a cup of hot soapy water and swirl it around. (Incidentally, I take the nipples and chuck them up in a drill and take a file or fine emery paper and sand the nipple to where the cap will slip on without cracking and can be slipped off with a fingernail), Then take a black powder solvent Hoppes #9 Plus or TC #13 and swab the barrel out, then swab the chamber holes out, wipe the rest of the gun down with the solvent. I’ve always use Hoppes #9 but any solvent you prefer will work. Make sure you dry the holes in the cylinder really well, light solvent then wipe dry.
 
Now take the nipples out of the hot soapy water wipe them down good with solvent. Blow through each one making sure the flash hole is dry and open, then I take a small drop of Hoppes and drip it on the nipple threads, careful not to get it into the flash hole, then screw them back into the cylinder snug but not tight, and once again holding the cylinder up to the light and make sure all flash holes are clear then reinstall the cylinder in the center rod and snap the barrel back in place and tap the wedge back in place, and your ready to load it again! About every  5th or 6th shooting, I disassemble the whole pistol and put all the parts except the grips, into hot soapy water and clean them all as above mentioned! Then put it all back together, without any extra parts left over, don’t laugh, it happens sometimes!
 
Note: Some Italian copies have #10 nipples and some have #11 nipples, be sure if you get two pistols they both have the same size nipples. I’ve had some that the nipples were very crude, and half way between sizes, these are the one I sand down to fit the cap properly then coat them with cold blue to prevent rusting.
 
Now for the cross fire. This is when the ball isn’t seated tight enough, or the sprue from a cast ball, isn’t seated straight up when rammed in with the loading lever, or too much gap between cap and nipple. One old collector told me it was common for the originals to have hairline cracks between chambers, from improper cleaning over the years, causing crossfire’s when fired! But it’s when two or more chambers go off at once! I have never experienced this mishap, but have talked to people who have, and it’s very scary, especially when all 6 go off!  back in the 1960s when I first started shooting cap and ball revolvers, my buddies told me to put Crisco over the end of the holes after you seat the ball to prevent crossfire’s. Well out shooting on a hot summer day, I had Crisco running out of the holster, down my pant leg down into my boot. So rather than put up with this mess, I went to a .454″ diameter ball mold instead of the regular .451″ diameter, shearing off a lead ring from every ball seated. This was a real bugger to seat, as I put the bottom of the grip on my thigh when I ram the balls home, and by the end of the day, I always had a bruise on my leg! Then when I started going to the Mountain Man rendezvous events, I learned about the felt wads preventing crossfire’s, then learned about the Bore Butter cutting down the fouling. Ahh, back to the .451″ ball and no more bruises on the leg!
 
I had to get a pair of 1851 Navy .36 calibers just to see what Hickock’s fascination was with this model. Less recoil right off, and just as accurate as the .44s, a real pleasure to shoot. Plus I can buy .375″ Balls instead of having to cast them. You can also buy the .451″ balls, but I have always cast my own. I can see that some of the shots Hickock was supposed to have made with these guns were very possible.
 
One word of warning, all these replicas are made strictly for black powder, or Pyrodex, never, ever use anything but black powder, as they will not take any nitrocellulose powders, the pressure is much too great. Black powder comes in 4 granularities, FG which is Cannon or large bore musket grade, FFG, which is rifle grade, FFFG which is pistol grade and small caliber rifles, And FFFFG which is the finest grade priming powder for flintlocks. I just buy FFFG and use it in everything from .58 caliber rifles down to the .31 Colt pocket pistol, and use it in some cartridge rifles and pistols. Cuts down on confusion, and with reasonable charges, works well in all calibers.
 
Now don’t get the impression that I’m strictly a cap and ball pistolero. I bought my first Colt 1911A1 .45 automatic when I was 16, and have never been without one since! Also love the S&W line of revolvers. But knowing what cap and ball revolvers are capable of, this might be a good alternative for the peppers who live in the non-gun zones, as these guns seem to slip through the cracks in the liberal laws. And they are inexpensive to shoot, for the price of a box of .45 ammo today, you can get a couple hundred shots for the same price with a cap and ball.

I recommend only buying the top of the line models. Though I haven’t bought from them, I see Cabela’s sells quite a few of these models. I get most of my supplies from Dixie Gun Works in Union City, Tennessee. There are several mail order houses that handle cap and ball revolvers, just judge the quality by the price. I have also picked up good quality cap and ball revolvers at a good price at pawn shops.

This might be a good alternative for some. And of course they are a lot of fun to shoot, if you are allowed to shoot at all in your locale. – J.M.