Letter Re: A Do-It-Yourself Freestanding Shelf Cold Frame

JWR:
A key to survival will be having a handy way to start seedlings any time of the year, or perhaps to even have a micro-greenhouse for Winter vegetables.  A cold frame is great for this and you can make one for yourself very easily  My wife and I have been starting a lot of seeds recently and I thought I would pass on a simple homemade cold frame idea I had.  This cold frame requires no tools and only about an hour to assemble.  If you buy the materials, you can purchase everything for about $100.
 
I started with an old set of poly garage shelving that I had stored in the garage.  The set I have is a sturdy set made by Continental (I have no affiliation with this company) which sells for $81 or more, though you can find other brands for less.  The shelves are ventilated and the entire set is made of poly with no metal parts, so outdoor s it won’t deteriorate due to rust, and when not in use, they store disassembled in a very small space.  Amazon doesn’t have it in stock at the moment, but this is the one I use.  I like these because they are very sturdy and can handle the weight.  The second item needed is a 15” roll of mover’s stretch plastic wrap.  This wrap adheres to itself and is used by movers to protect furniture, and may be purchased online or at your local U-Haul (again, no affiliation) for about $17.  You may also want to purchase some clear packing tape to keep your creation from unraveling in the breeze.
 
Step 1: Assemble Shelf
To assemble your cold frame, first assemble the shelving unit.  The unit consists of four shelves, with a total of 12 round legs to support the shelves.  As an option, you can combine multiple units to add additional shelves, but beware of the tipping hazard and secure your unit when finished.  The shelves assemble by simply slipping the legs into the four corners of each shelf, requiring no fasteners. 

Step 2: Wrap bottom, sides, and top
Use the stretch plastic to wrap the shelf unit on the bottom, sides, and top first, leaving a bit of overlap on the sides in the front and back, making sure you overlap layers for adhesion, and stretch it to fit snugly. 

Step 3: Wrap front and back, leave a gap
Next, wrap the left and right sides of the shelf unit leaving a 12” gap in the center of the front and back, again overlapping with the sides.  Wrap these in the direction of the back, away from you, starting at the top and ending at the top.  It’s best to use a continuous loop all the way around.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 and 3
Repeat these two wrapping steps (steps 2 and 3) to create an overlapping second layer of plastic.

Step 5: Wrap the “Door”
Finally, wrap the 12” inch center section in the opposite direction, but this time, start at the bottom, go up the back, and over the top, ending at the bottom of the shelf unit at your feet.  Leave about two or three feet of extra plastic wrap at this point wrapped around a dowel or old broom handle.  This will allow you access to the cold frame by opening this last section, with a handy place to roll up the plastic.  Wrapping the “door” in the opposite direction will help to prevent unwrapping the rest of the plastic when you open it.  You can open the “door” partially and weight down the roller to allow ventilation, or roll it up and put it on top of the unit as needed.  When closed, tuck the broom handle next to the bottom shelf and hold in place with a log or rocks.   This unit is very light and may be moved indoors if needed due to extreme cold, or moved to different places on your property if the amount of sunlight needed varies.  Place your seedlings and starter trays inside and begin planning your harvest!
 
Options you can add include baling wire for extra security holding the unit together before the wrapping process (though you may have to deal with rust later), and if you are setting it up in a windy area, you might want to anchor it to the ground or a wall.  If you need to use the top shelf inside the frame, you can extend the wrap higher using a light spacer such as a couple of milk cartons on each end of the top shelf before wrapping it up.  If you do this, add a board between them to suspend the plastic wrap “roof.”
 
Best Regards, – Ron in Florida

Letter Re: Ammunition Manufacturers in The American Redoubt

James, 
I am trying to facilitate my move to the American Redoubt area and am planning some income sources. I make knives, holsters, and pouches for other accessories but I am looking to expand what I can offer to help support my family when we move. My question is for you as well as anyone else you know in that area. I am an avid reloader and was wondering what the ammo options are like in the American Redoubt region. I’m curious about local places that offer a decent selection at a good price. From a few years of experience in construction in Montana (when I wasn’t paying attention to ammo suppliers), goods and services tend to be more expensive than what I am used to where I currently am. I suspect due to higher cost of transport and lower availability. This has led me to guess that local ammo suppliers may be more expensive and have less supply than more populated areas. I am also curious about suppliers that also accept barter for other goods and services.

Any information you could pass along on the availability of local ammo dealers and where they may be lacking would greatly be appreciated. Thanks and God bless! – G.A.

JWR Replies: The best way to buy or barter for ammunition is directly from manufacturers. There are a surprising number of small ammo and reloading component makers in the American Redoubt, and more moving in each year. Western Montana seems to be the current hot spot for ammo makers.

The prices from these makers are very competitive. The higher cost of shipping components is more than offset by the business friendly, gun friendly, and hunting friendly environment. Overall, there is a very low cost of doing business in the Redoubt states. (These advantages include inexpensive manufacturing and warehouse space, very inexpensive electricity from hydroelectric power (as low as 4 cents per kilowatt hour, commercially), low labor costs, and low taxes. The only downsides are slightly higher heating costs, and typically a one day delay to get anything to or from anywhere via UPS.

In Idaho:

Let’s of course start with the big one: CCI, in Lewiston, Idaho

And consider that Idaho’s state government is actively courting ammunition and gun manufacturers.

And here is just a sampling of makers:

PNW Arms (Potlach)

Steele Components (Lewiston)

Xtreme Ammo And Brass (Caldwell)

Garnet Ammunition (Coeur d’Alene)


In Montana:

The ammo business is hopping!

BVAC

The Hunting Shack

Mark X Presses

Montana Gold Bullet

Buffalo Bore. (Oft-mentioned in SurvivalBlog.)

Montana Bullet Works

And there is a detailed listing at the Montana Shooting Sports Association web site.


In Eastern Oregon:

Nosler Bullets

Rimrock Ammunition

Laser Cast

In Eastern Washington:

Cowboy Bullets

In Wyoming:

Fine Ammo (The makers of Extremmuntion)

CheyCast

Mount Baldy Bullets

There are also MANY Redoubt-based small companies listed at the Corbin web site. (Just search on the Redoubt telephone area codes: 208,509, 406, 307, 541, and 458.)

In my experience, the gun and ammo makers in the Inland Northwest have a very loyal fraternal spirit. They do their best to give each other business. There is a very active gun show circuit in the Redoubt and the dealers do a great job of helping each other out. Even out-of-state vendors like Miwall get into the act, and attend a large number of shows in the Redoubt.

Since ammo vendors typically “go out heavy and come back light” when selling at gun shows, it is a natural for local manufacturers to drop off wholesale ammunition orders to the vendors directly at gun shows. This of course saves money on transportation costs.

Odds ‘n Sods:

M.P. mentioned that the last free version of Ham Radio Deluxe, used for communicating with various digital modes, is available here.

   o o o

California’s mobile hospitals are losing funding and time. (Thanks to Sean B. for sending the link.)

   o o o

Security Slackers Risk Internet Blackout on March 8.

   o o o

Joe M. sent this one: Daylong traffic jam on Interstate 10 leads to motorist horror stories. [JWR’s Comment: If just fixing some potholes caused this, then what will the major freeways look like when the Schumer hits the fan?]

   o o o

Mysterious illness kills thousands in Central America. It sounds like dehydration was a contributing factor in many of the deaths. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! (Thanks to R.C. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Freedom is not a place to visit, or a thing to be achieved. Freedom is a commitment, a way of life that will endure only as long as men love it for themselves and their children, more than their weariness, or their fear, or vain comforts.”  – Michael Case

Pat’s Product Review: North American Arms .22 LR Mini-Revolver and Guardian .32 Autopistol

I’m not a fan of “mouse calibers” for self-defense! However, I’m a firm believer in having some sort of back-up piece to my main gun. I still remember when I saw my first North American Arms (NAA) Mini .22 LR revolver. I want to say it was in the mid 1970s, and I was at my favorite gun shop in a southwestern suburb of Chicago. I was good friends with the fellow who worked there, and he always wore a baseball cap. He took his baseball cap off, and revealed he was carrying, in a pocket, sewn into the brim of the hat: a North American Arms mini-revolver in .22 LR. I was really taken with the itty-bitty gun because of the compactness of it, and how easily it could be concealed.
 
Needless to say, I purchased a NAA mini-revolver on-the-spot that day. I took it to the indoor range at the gun shop and had a blast shooting the little gun. I did find out though, that the gun was ammo sensitive, and there were some misfires with certain brands of .22 LR ammo. I carried that little gun in my jacket pocket, as a back-up to a .357 Magnum Colt snubby revolver that I carried in my duties as a Private Investigator. I also worked another gig as a plainclothes store detective, and one of my duties was taking the weekend cash receipts (sometimes as much as $50,000) to the bank at the far end of the mall parking lot. I carried the bank bag stuffed inside of a store bag, so it looked like I had just purchased something from the store. I also kept my hand in my jacket pocket, on the little NAA mini-revolver. There never was a problem going to the bank.
 
I don’t recall what I did with that little NAA mini-revolver – probably traded it for something else. It was just recently that I received a new NAA mini-revolver for testing. These little guns only weigh 4.5 oz, so you hardly even know you’re carrying one. I also requested an inside the pocket holster for my sample. Neat holster, in which, you could also carry 5 spare rounds of .22 LR ammo. Now, make no mistake, you can not speed reload the NAA .22 LR if you fire all 5 shots. However, the extra ammo is there should you have an opportunity to get behind cover and reload the gun. Loading takes time, you have to remove the cylinder pin and cylinder from the revolver in order to load it, and it takes longer to reload, as you have to punch out the empty brass.
 
The NAA mini-revolver is made out of stainless steel, and that’s a good thing for a gun you are gonna carry in a pocket. You can also get a holster to carry it on your belt. However, I think pocket carry is the way to go. They also make a grip that looks to all the world like you’re carrying a folding knife in your pocket – all you see is the clip on the outside of you pants pocket. Neat! [JWR Adds: Consult your local and state law, of course.] With a 1-1/8″ barrel you’re not gonna get a lot of velocity out of this gun, nor are we looking at any sort of long-range accuracy, either. This gun is meant as a last-ditch back-up to whatever else you might be carrying in my humble opinion. The NAA .22 LR fires single-action only, which means you have to cock the hammer for each shot. The sights – well for me, forget about it–they are too small. Then again, this little revolver is for up-close and personal use: sort of “stick it in their face or ear” and fire it.
 
I only fired the mini-revolver at 10 feet, as I believe this is a realistic distance for a back-up gun of this size and caliber. I wasn’t getting itty-bitty groups – not gonna lie about that. However, I was able to put 5-shots into a head-sized target, and that’s good enough for making someone wish they had picked on another victim.
 
NAA makes a variety of mini-revolvers, from .22 Short through .22 Magnum, and there are all manner of barrel lengths as well as methods in which to carry these guns. They even make a belt buckle holster, if you care to carry the gun in the open – few would be the wiser looking at the belt buckle with the gun on it.
 
In the earlier NAA mini-revolvers, it was only safe to carry 4 rounds in the 5 round chamber, for fear of dropping the gun and it landing on the hammer and firing the live round under the hammer. On the new guns, you can safely load all 5 chambers and then put the hammer on half-cock, and there’s no fear of the gun firing if you drop it. I have a friend who is a gun writer, and he routinely carries a NAA mini-revolver in his front shirt pocket – as a back-up to a .357 Mag revolver in his right front pants pocket. I’d like to see NAA devise some kind of “holster” carry for carrying this little gun in a baseball cap. Sure, you can devise a little pouch and sew it into a baseball cap yourself. But I’d like to see a professionally done “holster” for this type of carry. The last place anyone would look for a gun on your person, would be inside a baseball cap.
 
I literally had a blast testing the little mini-revolver. I fired a couple hundred rounds through it. This was not all in one session, as loading and reloading are slow. I fired four different types of .22 LR ammo and had zero failures to fire. The trigger pull is a bit stout, then again, this isn’t any sort of target gun, it’s meant for close-up, last ditch, self-defense us–as well, as just shooting fun. Full retain is only $199 on this little gun, it’s worth checking one out if you are looking for a last line of defense. It’s better than a sharp stick or better than throwing rocks. Sure, the .22 LR isn’t any sort of man stopper, but it would sure make a bad guy wish he that were some place else when the chips are down and you are unloading on him.
 

The Guardian .32 Autopistol

The second sample I received from NAA is their Guardian .32 – this is their .32 ACP semiauto pistol. I had previously tested the NAA Guardian in .32 NAA caliber and .380 ACP, and really liked both of ’em. I did an article for American Handgunner on those two samples, and they were great performers. I was especially taken with the .32 NAA  a proprietary round, but it had lots of power behind it. So, I was anxious to test the Guardian in 32 ACP. The .32 ACP is on the smaller frame – the size of a .25 auto – we’re talking a very small automatic pistol, with 6+1 rounds of .32 ACP ready to go. Again, I personally wouldn’t carry this as my main gun, instead, it would be a back-up to whatever my main gun might be. Yes, I consider the .32 ACP in the “mouse gun caliber” category. However, with the right load, the .32 ACP can get the job done for you. In my case, I requested some Buffalo Bore Ammunition .32 ACP hard cast +P 75 grain ammo for testing in this little gun. Tim Sundles, who owns Buffalo Bore ammo, believes that this is the way to go if you’re carrying a .32 ACP, as his Flat Nose +P round will really penetrate and break bones. I’m not about to argue with him. He knows his stuff.
 
I requested the base-line Guardian .32, nothing fancy – just as basic as you can get. You can also order one with various types of sights on it – and take a close look at the NAA web site to see what’s available. The basic sights on the base-line Guardian .32 are really small, in fact too small for my aged eyes to see, especially if doing any rapid-fire. However, I consider the Guardian .32 as another close-up, last ditch weapon. My shooting was done at five yards, and I think that’s a fair distance for this little gun. I could get 3-to-4 inch groups (point shooting) at that distance, under rapid-fire conditions. I will say though, that the Buffalo Bore +P loads let you know you have something in your hand – the little 13.5 oz gun really bucked. The 10 pound trigger pull was a hindrance – at first. However, after firing the gun a few times, I didn’t notice the heavy pull. Again, this isn’t a target gun, you can’t stage the trigger – it’s aim and fire. Don’t try to stage the trigger or you’ll pull the sights off-target.
 
The Guardian .32 is a double-action only pistol, and the trigger pull is long and heavy. It’s nothing you can’t learn to shoot in short order, though. The 2.49″ barrel isn’t going to take advantage of all the velocity offered by the Buffalo Bore ammo +P load, but you are still getting +P power out an itty-bitty semiauto pistol, that will surely get someone’s attention if they are hit with this round. NAA was also kind enough to send me a spare magazine and an inside-the-pants shark skin pocket holster. The Guardian .32 comes with one magazine, that has an extended base on it – and it was enough to get 1-1/2 fingers on the gun for a grip. With the spare magazine with the flat base on it, I could only get my thumb and one finger around the gun. The extended base magazine is definitely the way to go.
 
Like the 22 LR, the Guardian .32 is made out of stainless steel, and the grips are some sort of hard plastic. You can also get all manner of grips as an option from NAA. And I’d look at getting a pair of wood grips, that are a tad thicker, for a better grip. NAA also offers all sorts of holsters for the Guardian .32 as well. They have a great selection of accessories for all their guns – and they make about 70 different models and variations of guns.
 
The magazine release was a bit stiff on my Guardian .32 sample, then again, this gun isn’t made for speed-reloading. It took a sure press on the magazine release button to drop the magazine.
 
What I really liked about the NAA Guardian .32 is the fact that it is very well-made. It’s not like some cheap $50 .25 ACP handgun. This gun will last you a lifetime, and, should you have any problems, NAA has a lifetime limited warranty and they’ll take care of it for you. Full retail is $402 on this little gun. Yeah, a little bit steep, but you are getting a high-quality pistol – not some cheap piece of junk. And, the Guardian .32 is fully capable of handling +P loads.
 
As for accuracy, I was getting 3-to-4 inch groups, rapid-fire, at 5 yards. That’s good enough to put ’em all inside of a person’s head, or into the vitals on the upper torso, too. I liked this gun – a lot! It’s a great little gun to drop into your pocket, when you are walking out to get the mail or answering the front door.
 
Yep, no doubt about it, the .22 LR and .32 ACP are mouse calibers in my humble opinion. But no one ever said there isn’t a place in the grand scheme of things of this smaller calibers. If you’re looking for a last ditch back-up gun or two, take a look at the NAA .22 LR or the Guardian .32 – they are both well-made, high quality pieces, that do have a place in the self-defense line-up.

Bowel Issues – Part 3, by Dr. Bob

IBS and TEOTWAWKI

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), is a difficult and tricky topic to cover.  First, let’s get some of the politics out of the way and then some pretty interesting facts about IBS to start with, then we will move on to some helpful management tips.  The actual definition of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is this:  a gastrointestinal syndrome characterized by chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of any organic cause.  Obviously, if there is no way to actually test for a disease, then there is a wide interpretation of who has it and why they do; therefore, the politics.  There are some folks that believe that IBS should be labeled as a psychiatric disorder.  Often IBS is treated (sometimes successfully) with anti-depressant medications or even psychiatric medications.  Therefore, there are many out there that just toss IBS on the pile of “made up” diseases and close their minds to other options.  There are others that think IBS will be discovered to be a specific autoimmune disorder as time and research progresses.  Again, some medications that help problems like RA (rheumatoid arthritis) help some of the patients that suffer from IBS symptoms.  Others feel that IBS is a mechanical problem and if treated with the right diet and bowel regularity can be cured.  Still others feel that most IBS is misdiagnosed and if the proper workup were completed, these patient would find many alternate diagnoses instead of IBS.
 
The facts are interesting though about IBS:
• Prevalence varies widely among countries and is usually higher in developed countries
• Younger patients and women are more likely to be diagnosed with IBS
• Females to males with IBS is 2:1
• Costs estimate to be up to $30,000,000,000 dollars for IBS health care impact [, including missed days of work]
• 2nd most common cause of work absenteeism after the common cold!
• 25 to 50% of all GI (gastroenterologist) referrals
• Emotional stress often worsens the pain
 
The great thing about IBS is that almost all of us could really be diagnosed with it based on the criteria.  You can have diarrhea, or you can have constipation.  Usually, the pain is accompanied by a change in your bowel habits, but not always.  It can be relieved by a bowel movement, but not necessarily.  The official criteria, call Rome III Criteria, are as follows:
• recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort
• at least 3 days per month for at least 3 months
• associated with 2 of the 3
? improves after defecation
? start of symptoms is with change in bowel frequency (increase or decrease)
? start of symptoms is with change in stool appearance
 
Now, not to get too personal here, but if we eat enough Thai food or Mexican in my family it’s IBS for everyone!  This is what makes IBS tough for people to live with when they have a bad clinical case of it.  Most of the people around them think:  “big deal, you have stomach cramps and bowel problems, who doesn’t get that?”  The problem, from this Family Practitioner docs view, is how much do the symptoms have a life impact.  Lots of people meet the criteria for IBS and it doesn’t really affect their day to day living.  In fact, estimates are that only 15% of people with IBS criteria actually go to the doctor to do something about it.  There are others though that are basically disabled by IBS.  They have severe pain with bad diarrhea and are suffering every day.  This is why lots of different medications end up being “tried out” on IBS patients with severe disease.  Doctors just want to find something that helps the patient.
 
All patients will IBS should have already tried to eliminate all lactose from their diets to see if their symptoms improve.  That should be the case now rather than later.  Some patients will notice specific foods that worsen their IBS symptoms, and all IBS patients should keep a food diary for 2-3 months and note all foods and all symptoms in that diary.  The trends can be reviewed and those foods that worsen symptoms be avoided.  Again, this should be done now rather than when there is limited choice in foods.  Food allergies can often be a cause of or exacerbate IBS symptoms, and if you have IBS get your lab panel done now to see if food allergies are one of the causes of your symptoms.  Be sure the panel includes gluten, which is another source of IBS symptoms for some patients.  Some other foods that are thought to worsen some IBS patients include:  fructans, galactans, fructose, sobitol, xylitol, mannitol, and even fiber.  The diary should help to clue a patient in if these worsen or cause their symptoms.

Physical activity does help many, but not all patients with IBS.  Moderate physical activity is recommended for patients with IBS symptoms, and in a study those that did exercise improved and worsened less than the patients that were inactive.  Psychosocial therapies can help some patients, but the politics really kick in when you recommend hypnosis, biofeedback, and psychotherapy to a patient with stomach problems.  These treatments will obviously not be available WTSHTF.
 
Medications really are a last resort for the management of IBS, and any medicine is only to be used with the lifestyle and diet recommendations already reviewed above.  Any medication would have to be life-long and there is a lack of any convincing evidence of therapeutic benefit.  That being said, there are many IBS patients out there that take medications that truly improve their quality of life.  Again, any management of IBS should be done now as trials of medications and adjustment of doses will not be possible at TEOTWAWKI.
 
So, what can a person do to plan for the future without a grid if they have moderate to severe IBS.  The plain answer is:  make sure you have completed all the steps to modify and control your IBS symptoms, then continue more of the same.  If you have IBS now and manage it with diet, stress reduction, and fluids; you will need to continue those things WTSHTF.  If you take a medication, either over the counter or prescription, and it helps manage your IBS. You should probably have stockpile quantities of those meds for when the grid is no more.  The message is pretty clear:  get moving on management of your IBS when the grid is up and you will be a lot better off if it does go down.  Like most prepping issues, planning ahead pays off ten-fold compared to the “what do we do now” approach.  Stay strong, – Dr. Bob

JWR Adds: A family member with chronic IBS reported that Peppermint, Anise, and Fennel teas allproved to be a tremendous relief. The great news is that you can grow your own peppermint, anise, and fennel in many climate zones. I recommend that you start growing a patch of each now, so you can help any IBS sufferers in your community. Just be careful not to let the anise spread–it can become a pernicious weed.

—

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.

Letter Re: A Simple Way to Encrypt Your E-mail Using Apple Mail and GPG

Dear SurvivalBloggers:
There are a number of ways to encrypt or read encrypted email.  This one is about the easiest to get installed and running on your Macintosh computer, that I’ve run across. It uses the native Apple Mail program, and adds a OpenPGP Encryption and Signature option.

All you have to do is install the program from the dmg file, and enter a password.  There’s a GUI key interface for importing existing keys into it.

Of course not all emails need encryption, but that OPSEC sensitive email you need to send to loved ones or group members is a perfect example of when to use it.  Once installed, you choose what gets encrypted. 

Application: GPGTools (Developed by the GnuPG group.)
Download: https://github.com/downloads/GPGTools/GPGTools/GPGTools-20111224.dmg
Main Web site: http://www.gpgtools.org

Include in the install program are the following (from their web site):
 Compatible with OS X Lion.
 All applications are 64-bit compatible.
 Integrated GPGMail (OS X 10.5 to 10.7, Universal).
 Integrated GPG Keychain Access (OS X 10.5 to 10.7, Universal).
 Integrated GPGServices (OS X 10.6 to 10.7).
 Integrated GPGToolsPreferences (OS X 10.6 to 10.7).
 Integrated MacGPG 2 (OS X 10.5 to 10.7, Intel).
 Integrated MacGPG 1 (OS X 10.5 to 10.7, Universal).
 Integrated Enigmail (Thunderbird 3 to 8).

There’s even a screen-cast of the install, encrypting email, and using the Apple ‘Services’ feature for text edit encryption,  if you want to watch it before installing: http://www.gpgtools.org/screencast.html though I’ll warn you: it goes by so fast you should be ready to hit the pause and rewind buttons when you start it.

Steps [with Apple Mail closed]:

1. Download the GPG dmg file.
2. Have a password in mind
3. Open the dmg by double clicking the file in your web browsers Downloads window
4. Double Click the GPGtools.mpkg file and select an install location
5. When asked enter your email address, and name.
6. When asked, enter a password, then re-enter it when asked.

When completed, you can close the GPG Keychain Access application and start your Apple Mail.
When you select a ‘new’ email, you will see an OpenPGP section under the “from” drop-down list. Also you can get to the encryption/decryption options under “Messages -> OpenPGP” in your menu bar. This will allow you to sign and encrypt  and decrypt your email.

In addition, this bundle of GPGTools works with Apple’s Services, allowing for encryption of ‘Services’ aware applications.
If you open your System Preferences -> Keyboard you can click on Keyboard Shortcuts -> services and click the OpenPGP items under “Files and Folders” along with “Text” allowing you to encrypt any text file you open with textedit.
When you open textedit the next time you will see “Textedit->Services->Open PGP”  in the menu bar.

The toolkit also comes with a command line interface for encrypting just about any type of file you want, but that’s a little out of scope here.
For more information on the CLI, using public key servers, and general GPG information, check out this set of How-Tos.

Hope this helps, – Robert X.

Letter Re: Traditional Telephony WTSHTF

Jim:
I would like to begin this story by telling you why I felt it was needed. I was reading the blog and saw the post from R.H. “When the lights went out in the southwest” and how they had a very hard time getting in contact with his nephew. And also a recent post on CME and nuclear power plant failures and grid down type situations. And it got me thinking about how little some people know about how the traditional communications grid in this country works.
 
To qualify my position on this subject I will tell you that I’m a network technician for a very major telephone company (Telco) that serves all of Jim’s American Redoubt states and many others. I have 11 years here and love my job and I have been everything from an installer/repair tech to the guy that splices the cable and installs high speed data lines. 
 
So where to start? I would like to tell you all there is to know about how this stuff works, but I don’t want to bore you all to tears so I’m going to leave most of the technical terms and stuff like that out. I’ll start with R.H. and his trouble getting in touch with his nephew. 

In his story he talks about getting texts and some calls on his cell. So we can assume that he had a signal from a cell tower and his cell phone was in good working order. But there was a problem with one town not getting or sending cell calls and texts. This was possibly a tower that served that area had lost grid power and had no battery or generator back-up. Or it was over loaded with call volume. See in a typical cell site there are pretty much three major components that make the whole thing work.
 1. The tower, This guy sends out and receives radio like signals to and from your cell phone.
 2. The switching equipment in the building on the ground. This takes the signal and turns it into a call or SMS message and routes them out to the world. 
 3. The tower’s connection to the world. This is typically a couple T-1s or a fiber optic connection. 
 Sometimes part #2 or #3 will become over loaded with volume and that’s why you’ll get that message “sorry but all circuits are busy” when you try to make a call. The switch may not have enough spots free to connect you out but the tower can make a connection to your phone. Or the T-1 or fiber connection to the world doesn’t have enough bandwidth to handle all the calls if its being overloaded with calls. This is why sometimes you can send a SMS message but not make a call. Because the message needs less bandwidth to send compared to a voice call. 

Visualize bandwidth like a pipe. If its big enough to handle the traffic on a normal day but all of a sudden you start cramming more stuff in it it just can’t fit sometimes. Like trying to use a garden hose to fight a house fire, its just not big enough sometimes. Now land lines are a little bit different, and have some advantages for preppers over the cell phones. Don’t get me wrong they both have good and bad sides. If you have a land line great but if you don’t I’ll let you know why you might want to consider getting one.
 
First off the whole problem of signals and battery power on your end are almost nil. If you have a hard wired or “corded phone” it will use the electric signal that’s on the line from the Telco‘s own equipment. Assuming everything is working correctly at the central office, or some of the more rural areas are served thru what we call “pair gain” or a R.T. (short for Remote Terminal) more on this set-up later as there is a difference between Central Office (CO) based and R.T./pair gain based services. 

Second, the whole bandwidth issue is not as bad because the CO for your area is where most cell towers get their fiber/T-1’s from. Now CO switches can also become bogged down buy call volume also but most of the time they have extra capacity built into them because of this. And if you are making a call to another line that is from the same office the switch will make the connection in the same office. A long distance call or one that has to be sent to another office is more susceptible to volume problems due to the trunk lines used to connect the CO’s to each other becoming overloaded.  
 
Third, The COs have a big generator that kicks in when the office loses grid power. The offices I work out of have either a 72 hour supply of diesel fuel or run on utility-piped natural gas. But the diesel is most common as you can see the disadvantage to the gas option, I only know of one that is like that. Additionally, hey also have a 8 hour back-up battery bank. 
 
This is where the difference between CO-based service and R.T.s kicks in. First off the R.T. is usually connected to the CO by a dedicated group of T-1s that have one time slot per line in the R.T. so you don’t have the problem of “all circuits are busy” or a fiber optic connection that is for our sake the same. The trouble kicks in when these guys lose grid power, They typically have a 8-to-24 hour battery back-up in them and that’s it. We have to go out with our trucks and charge them back up with the gensets on our trucks. You can see where that could get tricky. Most newer DSL service is provided by a R.T. and some of them don’t even have a battery back-up as the companies are not required to have it on them by most regulations. My own line is like this, the dial tone is provided straight from the CO but my DSL comes from an R.T. So when my part of town loses grid power the phone still works but my DSL doesn’t. This is something you might consider if you are using a VOIP type system. 
 
The next thing you might think about is 911 service, your land line is tied to your address so if you call 911 from your land line the dispatcher on the other end knows where the call is coming from as soon as it’s received. This is why a 911 hang-up still brings the cops to your house. The cell phones are getting better about knowing where you are with GPS and other things being used to tell where you made the call from. 

I’m not to well-versed on how reverse 911 works with the cell’s but I do know it works well with the land lines. This could be a double edged sword for preppers as the cell or land line could give up your location if you want to be all secret squirrel, but I have personally installed lines to addresses that are something like: “County Road 21 pole 5 second gate on the left.” We don’t care where the house is, just where the N.I. (short for Network Interface) is. I have seen these little gray boxes on fence posts and we take it to there and the customer takes it past that point. There are other ways around this but it usually requires you to use VOIP to get a fake area code and number. I know of guys that use this type of stuff but that’s for another post.

This is just some info on why, during a short term SHTF you have problems using traditional communications. Be it a hurricane or another 9-11-01 type situation you’ll be better prepared for them. In a TEOTWAWKI type of scenario your pretty much doing the YOYO thing but I hope this helps for the minor emergencies you run into in you lives. 
 
And you can always stop one of us out on the road and ask questions to find out info on your setup. I would have to say that maybe 50% of the guys I work with are preppers and even more are ex-military so we would not think it strange at all if you wanted to know how it works! Hope this helps, – The Phone Guy

Recipe of the Week

Ken E.’s Chicken and Stuffing
 
Ingredients:
 
1/2 lb of Chicken or 2 Chicken Breasts.
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup.
1 box of instant stuffing.
3 sticks of celery.
1 cup of water.
 
In a crock pot, or Dutch oven place the raw chicken and chopped celery and can of cream of mushroom soup set on low heat. cook for 3 hours or until chicken is just past pink. In a separate container add the stuffing mix and 1 cup of water and mix well. Add the stuffing to the chicken and soup mixture. Serve. This makes a meal for two healthy adults, or two kids and two adults when adding a side dish.

Chef’s Notes:

Our family of four likes to double the recipe. This amount of food gives me the ability to bring it for work the next day. The left-overs can be eaten hot or cold I have done both.
 
In the recipe I stated that the pot needs to be set at a low heat. I know that if you’re out in the sticks, without electricity and you are cooking with a fire. It might be a good idea to cook the chicken first then add the other ingredients after the chicken is done. Cooking the ingredients with the chicken allows the flavors to intermingle.

Jenn in Arizona Added This Suggestion:

“I have made this dish in my crock pot several times. I would like to suggest to those who do not like Cream of Mushroom soup to try using either Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery soup. You can also use the same amount of chicken broth in place of water. This usually tastes better. Also, one other thing I like to do as the recipe I have calls for is to add a little butter in pieces to the top of the stuffing mix. I also did a search not too long ago and someone suggested you can prepare turkey this way, as well.”

Note From JWR: Translating Old-Fashioned Measurements — Small Increments:

The following are rough estimations of some small increments often found in old recipes:

Tad: 1/4 Teaspoon
Dash: 1/8th Teaspoon
Pinch: 1/16th Teaspoon
Smidgen: 1/32nd Teaspoon

(Of course, you mileage may vary, since these were not standardized measurements, and the terminology might vary significantly!)

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Reader Bob. B. suggested to taking a look at the oft-cited The Provident Living (LDS) Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness web page. He suggested; “Especially look at the ‘Dry Pack Handouts’ label in the right-hand list. Great recipes for basic foods.”

My old friend Fred the Valmet-meister sent me a link for a web site devoted to cowboy dutch oven cooking and sourdough “start” as well as some sourdough recipes.

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

Economics and Investing:

John Williams of Shadow Stats says: “This is end of the world type stuff”. He recommends stocking up on barter items.

A bunch of links, all courtesy of Kevin S.:

Presenting The (Only) Four Outcomes To The Global Public Debt Crisis

On The Failure Of Inflation Targeting, The Hubris Of Central Planning, The “Lost Pilot” Effect, And Economist Idiocy
A National Debt Of $14 Trillion? Try $211 Trillion

US Closes 2011 With Record $15.22 Trillion In Debt, Officially At 100.3% Debt/GDP, $14 Billion From Breaching Debt Ceiling

Items from The Economatrix:

Why Is Global Shipping Slowing Down So Dramatically?

The Federal Reserve’s Explicit Goal:  Devalue The Dollar 33%

Why Our Currency Will Fail

Foreclosure Deal to Spur New Wave of Home Seizures, Help Heal Market

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yishai sent this from Oleg Volk: Survival Lasers 300mW red kit — Tool or Toy?

   o o o

By way of Tam’s View From The Porch Blog: George Lucas: Han Never Shot First

   o o o

Our SurvivalRealty spin-off site has hit critical mass, with 87 listings, including its first in Hawaii. Extended page advertisements there cost just $30 per month, and no sales commissions are charged. Congrats to my #1Son for building the Internet’s most popular web site dedicated to survival retreat properties.

   o o o

F.J. sent this: Build a Secret Closet Door for $200 or Less

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Perceive and believe. Don’t engage in denial. And stay calm. Don’t panic. If you’re going to die, you’re going to die. Suck it up. In a truly dire situation…, you have to let go of thoughts of your own death and simply do what needs to be done: Act deliberately and in the right direction.”  – Lawrence Gonzales

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.

Some Transportation Alternatives, by Douglas H.

Transportation is so easy today, its laughable.  I can take a flight from Seattle, Washington to Hong Kong and arrive 13 hours later.  Before oil was processed to produce fuel, a trip from Seattle to Hong Kong took several months on a boat in cramped conditions and meager rations.  Millions, if not billions, of people take our current methods and modes of transportation for granted.  What if these modes of transportation were suddenly not available because of (insert scenario here)?  If you can’t think of a scenario, I’ll list a few:  Peak Oil, World War III, End of the Petro dollar, and/or a societal breakdown.  If cheap gasoline were no longer available, how would you get around?  This article will attempt to address concerns of what could happen and what a survivalist/prepper can do to become more prepared to get around in a post-disaster world. 

Bicycle
I want to first consider one of the most efficient methods of transportation: the bicycle.  The technology in making bicycles has changed very little over the past hundred years.  This is because the main concept is so simple and so efficient.  The main advances in technology for the bicycle have been the materials.  Expensive bicycles in today’s world are made out of light-weight, durable metals and plastics.  You can find cheaper bicycles, but they tend to be made from cheaper materials, which tend to be heavier and less durable.  As far as the type of bicycle I would go with, it depends on the terrain around you.  If speed and lightness is your requirement, a road bike may be for you; however, if there is rugged terrain around you, or if you want to go off-road a mountain bike would be best.  If you don’t have much cash, a cheap bike can be found at almost any department store for around a hundred bucks.  I would, however, pony up a little more dough for a lighter, heavier-duty one at a bike store.  Be sure you know how to repair your bike.  Talk it over with your bike mechanic and purchase the tools you will need in order to fix your bike.  The most common things are brake pads, tires, inner tubes, chains, and cables (for the shifters and brakes).  Be sure to have a few spare wheels, tires, inner tubes, and as mentioned before, chains.  As always, there are pros and cons to using a bicycle for transportation.  The upside is the light weight, effort to energy ratio, speed, low cost and ease of maintenance.  The downside is low cargo capacity, the need for roads or a trail, and they are also easy to steal.  One thing to consider is in a TEOTWAWKI situation, in almost every garage around the United States there is a bicycle, and sometimes spare parts.    So if you’re short of cash, you can skimp in the spare parts area and focus on something more important.

The Horse
People I’ve spoken to often praise horses as a main mode of transportation come TEOTWAWKI.  This is most likely due to the prevalence of the horse in books and movies of the old west.  While they do provide fast transportation, horses need a high level of care.  Horses often weigh around a thousand pounds and require a high input of feed to maintain energy levels.  Horses need plenty of grazing land and a fence or corral in order to be kept.  They also need to be fed during the winter, and the availability of hay or alfalfa will probably be almost nonexistent, depending upon where you live.  Unless you plan to ride bareback they also require a saddle and bridle which require maintenance.  Something else to consider is how others will see you.  Not many people will be riding around on a horse, and if people see you riding one, they perceive you as being wealthy.  You may then immediately become a target for theft or worse. 

If you do intend on living off of the land and traveling often, a horse may be the right mode of transportation for you, for the horse can graze constantly when you’re not traveling.  If you have a group with you, a buggy or wagon can be beneficial.  The issue is obtaining one post-disaster.  Be sure to know where you’re going and the land around you for horses need to be watered just as you do. 

Our Own Two Feet
People have been walking from place to place since…well, as long as we’ve existed.  Our own two feet are wonderful machines of transportation.  The only problem is they need to be covered, unless you’ve lived your life barefoot and don’t intend to walk on random sharp objects.  What you can do now is purchase several pairs of well-fitted hiking boots and other footwear you will need.  Tennis shoes wear out quickly, but you can run faster in a pair of tennis shoes than in boots.  The important thing is to purchase what you think you will need, and to be on the safe side, buy a few extra pairs and store them away.  If you have a bug out bag, it might be wise to throw in one of these extra pairs of shoes. 

Socks are often overlooked when prepping.  If you can afford it, buy several dozen pairs of socks that are suited to your environment.  The colder the environment, the thicker the sock you want.  Consider wool versus cotton as well.  Some people prefer one over the other, you will have to make your own choice.  The ability to wick water away from your foot is a definite must.  When walking long distances, or hiking, moisture is the enemy; water-wicking socks help remove moisture away from your skin, keeping your feet dry.  In your first-aid kit, also be sure to have some mole-skin; the best cure for blisters.  Mole-skin can be found in any first-aid section of most pharmacies.  Another addition to consider for your first aid kit is a spray or lotion for combating foot fungus.  If your toenails are yellow or unusually thick, then they are infected with fungus and need to be treated.

Waterproof boots are a must-have if you live in or near a wet environment.  If a flood happens and you don’t have a pair, you’ll regret not purchasing them.  They also work great in the mud.  If you happen to live in a snowy environment, you will want to purchase a good pair of snowshoes, and skis for cross-country skiing.  The ideal way to transport goods in a snowy or icy environment would be a sled and a team of sled-dogs, but they require a lot of upkeep and training.  A simpler way to transport goods would be a travois, which I will cover next. 

Travois
A travois is easy to build out of natural materials, and can be used to transport a load of goods, or even a person.  It is built by crossing two long poles or straight pieces of wood.  These two pieces of wood are bound together at one end; strips of leather, 550 cord, or rope will do, while a net or piece of canvas can be secured along the length of both poles, forming a triangle.  The narrow end of the triangle then leads to a person or draft animal to drag the travois after you’ve loaded it with goods.  Native American Indians used travois extensively, carting around goods, and even their tepee homes.  They also made smaller travois to be used by their children as well as dogs.  If a harness is made, it can actually be easier on your back if you use a travois instead of a large backpack.  You can also transport an injured person on a travois stretcher. 

Two-Wheel Carts
Hand cart have been used for centuries, and they are more efficient that a travois. They also don’t leave a rutted trail like a travois. They are relatively stable and can carry surprisingly large loads. Modern carts include garden carts and deer carriers. Modern carts use bicycle type tires, so you will have to plan for patching tires, just like with a bike. And like a bike, the tires can be treated with Slime, internally, for self-sealing of minor punctures. There are also “airless” foam-filled tire available,m although these have greater weight and rolling resistance than air-filled tires..

Water Transportation
Water transportation used to be the main method for transporting large amounts of goods before the invention of gasoline and diesel.  It is still the main method of transportation, but by use of large oceangoing barges carrying thousands of tons of materials, commodities and products.  What do these barges rely on?  Fuel. 

If you live by a body of water, or the ocean you definitely want to consider using water transportation.  Canoes, kayaks, floats, tubes, and row boats in general are excellent ways of traveling on the water.  They also provide a platform to fish from in deeper waters.  Live near a lake?  You most likely already have a kayak, canoe or small waterborne vessel.  If you don’t, put that on your priority list.  If you’re thinking about a kayak, there are several varieties.  Recreational kayaks tend to be shorter and wider, offering more stability.  They are, however, much slower than the racing kayaks, which tend to be slimmer and lighter.  There are lighter recreational kayaks, but will cost more money due to the materials used.  If you’re into SUP (Stand Up Paddling), that’s okay, but a SUP board is more for recreational use than practical use.  The only practical use I can see for a SUP board is for spear or bow fishing, and even then it’s not very practical.

Another thing to keep in mind is storing supplies in your boat, kayak or canoe.  Keep a few gallons of water, dried food and fishing supplies in the storage compartments, because you never know when that may come in handy down the line.  You can even think of it as your bug-out-boat.

Others Animals
Some may think using a cow or a donkey for transportation isn’t very logical.  At first, I would agree, but it depends.  As a last resort, a light rider can ride a cow or donkey but it isn’t going to go very fast.  Cows of course also provide more than just a mount.  A dairy cow can provide milk, providing that it hasn’t dried off.  A cow can also be used for meat as we very well know, so don’t begrudge the cow as a mode of transportation.  Cows as well as goats can also be used as pack animals.  Be sure the load is evenly distributed along the animal’s back, making the animal more comfortable and less likely to give you trouble during the trek.  Goats also give milk as well as cows as well as offering meat.  Sheep don’t make very good pack animals. Horses aren’t widely known for their milk, yet there are people, mostly in Mongolia, that are known for drinking horse milk.  Unless you have previous knowledge of milking a horse, do not attempt to milk a horse!  Attempting to do so can endanger your life.  I once had trouble milking one of our goats (it did not want to be milked), I can’t imagine the amount of trouble a horse can give you. 

Oxen or other large draft animals can be used to pull a wagon for group transportation or carrying large amounts of supplies.  Needless to say these animals will need to be taken care of, and the wagon will need to be maintained and fixed.  This includes spare parts, tools and a knowledge of carpentry.  These animals can also be used on a farm, for plowing, if you have the land available, and cleared land with good soil for growing crops. 

Dogs
Man’s best friend can help you in a number of various ways.  They may not be able to carry much, but they can be given some food stuffs or other gear to carry, provided you have saddlebags that fit the animal.  Dogs, if trained, can be hunting companions as well.  They can aid in defense, and also be a wonderful companion.  They don’t take much to feed and generally take care of themselves very well.  If you also have several other animals, or a farm/ranch, dogs can also be trained to help protect your herd of animals.  Be sure your dog is trained, for domesticated dogs have been known to kill chickens, goats and other livestock simply because it is in their nature as a predatory animal. 

Hopefully this article points you in a direction you want to take for post-disaster transportation.  Once you have an idea, investigate your method further, and ask more questions of a subject matter expert.  The best thing is to adapt to your environment, now and in the future.  None of us have all of the answers, but if we adapt, and work together we will survive anything that comes our way.