G.G. flagged this: Obama’s Budget Puts 2012 Deficit at $1.33 Trillion.
Courtesy of Kevin S.: Straight Talk with Tyler Durden: The U.S. Is Free-Falling Into Bankruptcy
Items from The Economatrix:
Bad Home Loans Top $72 Billion In “Colossal Failure”
Mortgage Giants To Pay $25 Billion In Foreclosure Settlement
S&P Threatens US With Another Downgrade
Possible Next Debt Bomb: Student Debt Pushing More People Towards Bankruptcy
I’ve warned readers about the OPSEC perils of going on camera for documentary television shows. Apparently this gent put a target on his back: Doomsday Prepper Declared Mental Defective…. Government confiscates his Guns. Please pray for Mr. Sardi.
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Video of some ncredibly short takeoffs and landings: Doyle, Cuzoom Win Annual Valdez STOL Competition. (Thanks to RBS for the link.)
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Kevin S. suggested this WRSA blog piece: Shoot Until The Target Changes Shape Or Catches Fire
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Troy H. sent a link to a military vehicle dealer in England, “For the prepper that has (almost) everything”: TanksForSale.co.uk
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?
The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law.
But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” – 1Corinthians 15:50-58 (KJV)
We’ve just about finished our migration to SurvivalBlog’s dedicated server in Sweden. All the DNS links should be fully propagated within 24 hours. You will also notice that my very talented #2 Son’s recent work solved some chronic problems that had plagued our old server’s database configuration, in Utah. For example, all searches of the archives (using the Search box) now work the first time. Also, the Permalinks now work with both dashes and underscores.
There is no need to update your links or bookmarks. “SurvivalBlog.com” still works fine, but the server is now in Sweden. Hopefully this will make us less vulnerable to DNS attacks. Please note that we still highly recommend NetFronts for web hosting. They have exceptionally good customer service and uptime. We simply felt to the need to “Get Out of Dodge”, with SOPA or Son-of-SOPA looming on the horizon.
Be sure to bookmark our IPV4 address: 95.143.193.148
I should also mention that since Google and the other search engines depend on IP address based back-links, our search engine ranking took a big hit, temporarily. So I’d greatly appreciate it if readers would establish links to SurvivalBlog from their web sites, blogs, and e-mail footers. A text link works just as well as a graphic link. Many thanks!
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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.
Most of us take for granted the fact that if were cold we can find someplace warm to retreat to. In the event of a catastrophe that luxury is going to be one of the first things that goes by the wayside. Animals adapt to their environment or they perish, survival of the fittest. I’ve talked to a few folks that have a couple tons of food and ammo stashed that have never even thought about the clothes situation. So, What can we do as smart animals to prepare for that day?
Unfortunately a lot of people have no clue at all how to dress themselves for cold and inclement weather. Usually we put on what we have that we think is the warmest and hope for the best. That is not going to work when there is no warm house to run to and warm up in! Get rained on and your sol. Yeah that nice brown popular work gear is great but at most it’s used 12 hours and then you have a chance to dry it and you out. Try spending a few days in it without drying it out and see how comfy you are!
The best way to stay dry, warm, and comfortable is layers, and they have to be layers of the correct material. Cotton is pretty much useless for staying warm. It holds moisture, does not breath well, and is not a very good insulator. Cotton is good for warm days and summer time, It’s cheap and easy to obtain. So don’t plan on getting any usable service out of any of your cotton clothes in the winter.
The fundamental key of staying warm is to simply stay dry. Wet clothing dissipates body heat at a phenomenal rate. The saying “If your wet your dead” in the winter is pretty self explanatory. So in order to stay dry we need to fist keep the moisture and sweat our bodies produce away from our skin. We do this by our base layer. It is clothing that is designed to allow moisture to pass through it without absorbing it. One of the early forms of this is silk. Yes, that luxurious cloth does have some functional value! Silk is expensive, and is not very stretchy or conforming. Silk blends however are very conducive to functional base layers! I’ve found silk base layers to be functional and comfortable but they don’t seem to be as durable as I’d like. Just as effective and more affordably priced, and more durable, are base layers made from polypropylene and the like. There are a variety of manufactures out there that each have their own magic blend so shop around. Just keep in mind the intended function of the base layer is to keep you dry, not to keep you warm. As a side note there is “base layer “ underwear available from a variety of manufactures. This extends the wear time of your pants and tops base layers by letting you change your skivvies once a day or so… One key to look for on your base layers are pants and tops that are large enough to cover your lower back with no gaps. And they need to do this in all positions so bend over twist lift your legs up do some PT and make sure they don’t work their way down or up. FYI, women’s bottoms seem to ride a bit higher than men’s on the backside. Your base layer needs to fit like a second skin, skin tight is what you want. This prevents it from working and moving around and bunching up in places.
So now that we have a good moisture wicking base layer on lets talk about the insulation layers. Again, anything cotton is useless so don’t bother, even a cotton T-shirt can cause you problems. The old standby for insulation is good old wool. It’s plentiful, and has some insulation value even when wet. The cons are it’s itchy, and tends to be heavy. Luckily technology has provided us with a cheap and extremely effective material called fleece. Fleece is a form of spun plastic, often times made from recycled plastic bottles. It’s extremely lightweight, durable, available in varying densities and thickness, and is just plain comfortable. It dries quickly and does not hold water well so it even maintains some insulation value when it’s wet! About the only negative I can think of is the fact it tends to melt quickly around fire so br extremely careful if you try drying it out over an open camp fire! Again the key is layers so throw on a couple layers of it depending on how cold it is outside and your activity level. You can also mix it up with a layer of fleece and then a wool sweater. Other options include fleece jackets and vests. These are handy as they usually have some pockets. Jackets and vests are good calls when it’s cold on sunny days when there is no wind or precipitation. Layer up, you can always take some off if your hot, or throw an extra layer in the pack and add it if your cold.
The last layer you should put on is your first layer of defense against the elements, and yes, you need to think of this as war against mother nature and all that she can bring because that is exactly what it is. If she wins you die, simple fact. This outer layer is your coat and bibs. Now I know you all think that you have plenty of coats and pants for winter so let me offer you a test. Put on your best coat and bibs /pants and stand outside and let someone hose you down with the garden hose for ten minutes ( obviously not spraying you directly in the face but pretty much everywhere else). Take your stuff off and see how dry you are. If your not completely dry then your gear is junk. Sorry but that $500 you spent on that hunting coat was more for the name and the funky camo pattern on it!
Your coat and pants/bibs needs to do two things, one it needs to let moisture out, and two it needs to keep any moisture on the outside on the outside. Lucky for us humans we’ve invented just such a material, Gore-Tex is the most popular, been time tested and proven, and is what I prefer. Not to say that there are not other materials out there that can’t do the same job. I just prefer to stick with what has worked in the past. The next technical feature you need to look for are taped and sealed seams on the jacket and pants. It will look similar to a good tent that is taped and sealed only it will be a much better job usually. This is an important feature as it actually makes the coat waterproof. No leaky seams that can leak water or air. You would be surprised at how much air can permeate the holes made by a sewing machine when it’s a 40 MPH wind! Another feature is a built-in hood, usually made from the same materiel as the coat. These typically roll up and stow in the collar of the jacket when not in use. The hood is a huge component to keeping you dry when it’s raining or snowing as it’s your “roof” to keep it out of your neck! It also provides a complete barrier from the top of your head to the bottom of the coat against wind, blowing snow and rain. Another must have feature is under arm zipper vents. These allow you to ‘vent’ heat during physical activity, even when it’s raining! So when you find yourself heating up you open the vents up. If you have a fleece jacket with under arm vents as well then the next step is to open them up. This allows you to quickly cool down without removing any insulation layers. If it’s not enough then you will need to shed the fleece jacket or a layer underneath it. A good coat will also have a powder skirt, this is an elastic flap inside the coat that you snap together around your stomach before you zip up the coat. This is the sealing mechanism between your coat and bibs to keep out blowing wind and snow. Seems like a minor trivial thing, but it is very important. It keeps all the cold air from getting inside your jacket from the bottom and wasting your body heat. The cuffs will also have velcro sealing bands that allow you to seal the ends of the sleeves to the same end. The zipper should also have a full length closure flap / gusset for sealing off the zipper against wind and rain. A good coat will also have a number of handy pockets here and there to stash your gloves and hats and what not. Do not get in the habit of using this space as stuff space for all the things you think you might be needing. Use these primarily for your jacket accessories, hats, gloves, glasses, face protectors and the like. You need to start thinking of the coat as an important survival tool, and the tool needs to be filled with all the things you need with it so when you grab it in a hurry and run your not forgetting anything. The best coat and bibs in the world are going to be useless if you forget your hat and gloves. Most coats have a couple inside pockets for a small sidearm or radio, but much of that needs to be on your pack or utility harness, not on or in your coat.
Snow pants or bibs, this is the question.
Snow pants are nice if your never going to bend over or fall down on your backside. Even if your sitting they tend to leave a gap at the back, and that is not good! So from my experience pants are pretty useless in long term winter exposure. Bibs are the way to go, they fit higher up around your back and chest, and have suspenders to keep them in place. You may not be the suspender type of person so let me explain why it’s so important. Suspenders allow you to adjust your bibs to the point that they are not bunching up in the crotch and choking you to death. This allows you to move your legs and your body in all positions very freely without stretching your bibs all out of proportion or even ripping them open. And no matter what position you find yourself in that spot on your lower back is always covered! The height of them also bridges over the seams between your top and bottom layers under it so all your seams are not in one place making things a lot more comfortable. The freedom of movement that bibs give you in normal circumstances is critical when you need to do things like run and jump a long distance or scale a rock face or jump off a vehicle quickly.
Another feature of bibs is they usually have zippers along the outside legs, this lets you vent excess heat like your coat does. There are fleece pants that also have zippers on the side as well for more ventilation options. The cuffs are also specially designed with an internal cuff to seal out air and snow like the one inside the jacket. Cuffs should have adjustable velcro closures to allow different boot sizes as you may be wearing packs for snowshoes one day and the next you may have on cross country ski boots. Even if your home or in camp and have on work boots or something it’s important to have the option to seal them up to keep the draft out. The zippers should also have closures over them like the coat. Now most of us are accustomed to cargo pants pockets and may think that you need these in the snow pants. I’ve found plain no pocket snow pants is the way to go as they shed snow and rain much better. The other factor is that if your on snow shoes or cross country skis the last thing you want is a bunch of stuff chaffing your legs back and forth every time you take a step. Stick it in your pack. Again, make sure the bibs are constructed of a breathable fabric such as Gore-tex.
The Hands:
Treat your hands the same way as your body, layers. Everyone seems to think that they need gloves as well. Sad truth of the matter is if it’s cold out there are no gloves that are going to keep your fingers warm and toasty very long. If you want them to stay warm and dry then use mittens for your outer layer. Now were not talking the knitted red ones grandma used to make, were talking full on technical gore-tex with leather or abrasion resistant palms and thumbs. They should also have nice long gauntlets with shock cord closures on the cuffs to seal them up over your coat. Your also hook those cords to your coat sleeves so you don’t loose your mitts when you pop them off to do something. What works best is a good wicking base layer glove, these are really thin, and offer little or insulation value. On top of that you can place a fleece glove for insulation. Best to have a selection of different weight fleece gloves for different activity levels and conditions. Fleece gloves with leather palms and reinforcing are nice as you can shed your mitts quick and then have the dexterity to use your fingers. The leather give some protection against them getting wet when you grab things. For those really cold days a thick pair of fleece mittens that fit inside the liners will be warranted, and much appreciated by your fingers. Now the top layer mitts are not going to fit tight, probably even when you have the thick fleece mitts on, this is no reason for concern as they were intended to work that way! Ice Climbing and mountaineering are by far the best type of gloves to get. If your going to go cheap on something don’t let it be hand protection….
Now for the head. We all know that our heads radiate and disperse heat more than any other part of our body, so it’s critical that we insulate it to prevent all our precious body heat from escaping. Again, same principal, layers. Nice long “balaclava” wicking head liner to start the layer, then some fleece, maybe a fleece neck gaiter, nice fleece or wool hat to top it all off. Helmets – ski or snowboarding are also very nice in some situations. Just make sure you can close all the gaps between your torso and the head, the neck is a very annoying place to have a draft! Your hood on the coat completes the outer layer in time of moisture or precipitation. Make sure you have enough layers to cover and insulate your face right up to your eyes. If it’s really cold nasty and windy out your going to want everything covered… and I mean everything. Frostbite can happen in a few minutes if conditions are right, and the tip of the nose is where it’s going to occur, and you not going to know about it till it’s too late. Have extra so you can rotate them out if they ice up from heavy breathing. Goggles are a must, have at the minimum two pair of each ( Daytime and nighttime ) so you can rotate them when they ice over or fog up bad. If they are fogging up you need to vent your head a bit more to prevent it. Have some clear goggles for when it gets dark, and a couple shades for the daytime is nice as well. Yellow/orange tinted ones provide greater clarity in the snow during the day, but can sometimes not provide enough shading to protect your eyes. If it’s nice out sunglasses work just fine, goggles are for inclement weather and let you seal your face up completely against it. Gently clean iced up goggles off and place inside your coat to dry them off. Remove and let cool before you put them back on.
If your going to be out in the sun a long time and it’s nothing but snow cover you should really have glasses with protection on the sides. Mountaineering “glacier” sun glasses have these or you can quickly fashion something from a scrap of cloth or leather. This prevents the reflection of the sun off the snow getting into your eyes. What happens if your on a snow pack on a sunny day without glasses, or with poor ones, is that you basically “sprain” your eye. This feels like someone took a 3” long needle and jabbed it into each eye. The treatment, drugs to dilate your pupil and staying out of the light, rather lengthy recovery as well. Get a few pair of good cheap polarized sunglasses for everyday beating around in, and have a good pair of glacier glasses or two to use on those really sunny days on the snow!
The Feet. Treat your feet with the same layering technique we’ve been talking about all along. The exception is that fleece socks don’t seem to be that great of an idea! Get some good thin wicking liners and then some nice insulated socks. Most of us seem to have a pretty good handle on this so I’m not going to go into detail. Just make sure you have plenty of socks, and boots, to keep your feet dry and warm! Pack type boots are a favorite of mine and have proven themselves time and again.
Your layers should depend on your activity level, dress for the least active you plan to be and then shed layers as you or the day heats up. Look for options like vests and fleece jackets that have zippers under the arms for vents. Try to keep from sweating as much as possible by shedding layers and venting. Antiperspirant on the feet is also a neat trick to keep them from sweating quite so much if it’s available. Try to stay away from “fashionable” Brand names and stick with time proven companies that have been outfitting climbers and mountaineers for a few decades. North Face, Marmot, and Patagonia are names I trust. If you want warm fleece the Patagonia stuff is the bomb in my opinion, paddlers in 33 degree water do seem to know how to dress for it! About the only ‘house’ brand stuff that I’ve found and trust is REI’s stuff. They make some pretty decent items that are reasonably priced. Make an opportunity present itself to test your gear, see how long you can last on a single digit day and you’ll either impress yourself at your ability or scare yourself from the fact of how ill-prepared you are for cold weather survival. Stay warm!
I’d like to share my experience in moving to the American Redoubt area. This is our true, and inspiring story of how we came to move to Idaho.
I must confess. I have no real prepper skills other than the ability to really connect with people on a personal level, being a nice guy, and I’ve mastered the skill of knowing I don’t know anything. I couldn’t give anyone survival lessons on any topic. The fact is, most of you would probably consider me a horrible prepper. My family and I have no carpentry skills, mechanical ability, construction aptitude, electronic communications know-how, medical training, or military or law enforcement experience. We really are a couple average people, but we are trying to prepare ourselves for an uncertain future. I think perhaps there are more people like us out there than most realize. Hopefully our story of relocating to the redoubt will inspire others like us and you can take courage from some of our experience. Since I have no other real skills, our relocation was the only information I could relay with any credibility. I probably won’t win any contests, but that’s ok. I just want to share our story.
A Little Background
Since 1984 I had lived in Western Oregon. I was six years old when my parents moved the family there. My wife was from the central valley area of California. After meeting during our college years we moved back to the Willamette Valley in Oregon where I grew up. Our family currently is comprised of me, my wife, a chocolate Labrador Retriever, and a Beagle. We are both approaching our mid-30’s and have been married over 11 years.
Our Situation
I desperately wanted to move away from Oregon for many reasons. Mainly, I grew weary of moral decay and an almost absolute guaranteed defeat at the ballot box of candidates I thought would be most truthful, honest and fight for less government. I tired of Marijuana Awareness Week, pride festivals, cross-dressing mayors, and big government in general. I’m trying to keep this a-political, but for me, it was a huge reason why we left. We also had family in Idaho. That was also a huge draw.
If you are thinking about moving to a redoubt state, you may have some feelings of self disappointment or self defeat. You may think (like me) that by leaving, all you do is make things worse by leaving your city with one less solid American family. You may ask yourself, “How can I make a difference and change hearts and minds, and make America better if I abandon my station and cut ties?” Believe me, I struggled with those same thoughts too. In these situations, be on your knees and find out what the Lord wants you to do, then do it. If you never feel any answer either way, then make the decision, and then make it right. We did, and our story follows.
Career Situation
From 2004 to 2008 I was selling real estate in Oregon before the bubble burst. We were living high on the hog then with a brand new home, two late model SUVs, a boat, and lots of credit to make those purchases. In 2008 we relocated further South along the I-5 corridor to take a new job as a pharmaceutical representative—which was a breath of fresh air after the start of the housing collapse—with a good salary, medical & dental benefits, and a company car. Well, that job wasn’t nearly what it seemed to be on the outside. It was a great way to provide, but spawned complete professional unhappiness inside me. I was miserable. I applied and took the Border Patrol tests, but in the end, my wife wasn’t on board with it. Living on the Southern Boarder in the middle of nowhere and the perceived constant danger and perils of the job were too much for her. So, I interviewed with the FBI for almost eight months, only to be turned down at the final stage of interviews. It was a discouraging time. About then, the pharma company I was working for another set of layoffs. Many in the industry called these years ”Pharma-geddon” . The interesting part was that they offered sales reps a chance to volunteer to be laid off, so that those who really bought into the company line could stay and they’d have a more loyal sales force. Offered by the company was a minimum severance pay that equated to five or six months of pay and continued health benefits for a few months time also. I knew in my head and heart that I wanted to take the voluntary layoff. I discussed it with my wife. We also prayed about the decision. In this particular instance, we never really felt divine intervention in getting an answer to prayer. However, we did feel that perhaps this time, the Lord was just letting us make a decision on our own, based on our own sincere heart-felt desires. He would make it right, whatever we chose. To us, it was our ticket to ride away into the sunset. A new dawn, in which we’d have about five months of income from the severance to secure other employment. We also prepared ourselves mentally that this could be a horrible decision in the short term and could lead to a lot of financial pain.
The Decision to Relocate
We made the decision to request the voluntary layoff. I did, and it was granted. Family members and friends thought we were insane, making a decision like that. They saw my well paying job, benefits, and current 9.7% national unemployment as all the reason a person should stay put given such circumstances. To a large extent, I agreed. Logic and reasoning said don’t do it. This is something that many will have to face on the road to relocation…possible doubters, and self doubt. We don’t all come from families or have friends who see things exactly as we do. And even in this community of preppers, there are various degrees of readiness and enthusiasm for how far you take your preparations
Our plan since my wife was working was for me to travel to Idaho and stay at my in-laws home for a few weeks at a time while my wife stayed back and tried to sell the home. That way we wouldn’t have to give up her income stream at the gift store where she was working. This would enable me to get my feet on the street at the desired location in Idaho where we wanted to live. I would stay a week or two and start turning up stones, making contacts, and applying for jobs. I believed that if I encountered something positive in the job market, it would look better for me if I were already “living” in the area of the job, versus having an employer looking at my resume and assuming I lived in Oregon, still had a house to sell, and therefore “probably not a great candidate” to consider, yada yada yada. If necessary I was willing to take a near minimum wage job if I had to in a worst case scenario.
Our Housing Situation
“What about our house situation?” you might ask. Like several other million persons around the country, we were also upside down in our home. We purchased at $275,000, and we now had our poor home on the market for $249,900 just two years later. Our down payment was completely obliterated and then some. We would literally be penniless after the move and a possible sale on the home. Surprisingly we got on offer on the home within 7 days, even before I left to seek work in Idaho. However, coming to agreement with the buyers would mean bringing to the table at closing almost every penny we had in the bank. We would essentially be moving with no reserve funds at all. However, we considered ourselves extremely lucky to have even received an offer at all, yet alone in the first week. As you can see, my wife and I were really motivated to see this through. Again, some would say we were off our rockers. To us though, things seemed to be falling right in place, as if it were a confirmation from the Lord that we were making the right choice. A few days later I was in Idaho looking for employment and trying to follow up on any leads. I had been there 3 or 4 days when I got a response call from a sales position I had applied for online. It offered a pretty good salary, especially for the cost of living in this area. I interviewed for the job, nailed it, negotiated up a few thousand dollars in the compensation and was hired and working in the Eastern Idaho territory during the first week of July, 2010. So you can understand the timeline here, formal notification of being laid off in Oregon was on June 15th. So, in just over two week’s time, our house had an accepted offer, I had interviewed for and accepted a new position, and we had relocated to Idaho. I had begun work the first week in July after Independence Day. And I still had over 4 months of remaining pay coming to me from the previous job. Truly we had made the correct decision and we were being blessed.
The little miracles were too much to overlook. This was at a time when the average time on the market for homes was many months—if you sold at all—and those who were unemployed were now getting benefits for 99 weeks and the nation was setting records for average time spent unemployed by the jobless.
Was there Pain?
Yes, there was pain involved. We left my widowed mother behind. Sometimes I felt as though I was abandoning my responsibility as a son to always care for her and be near enough to support her in her life. She’s only in her 50’s and works full time, but it was still an issue we had to wrestle with. It was difficult to do. Many considering relocation have to ask themselves if you can leave those loved ones behind, either because they have no desire to come, or are not otherwise in a position to follow. If you ask me, the last thing you should do is try convincing them to come by saying the world is coming to an end and they need to join your retreat group. That is, unless they think exactly the same way you do. Another small little miracle with the above pain I describe is that my brother and his family have since moved nearby also. Not only that, but I am proud to say that my aforementioned mother has a job interview out here in Idaho this coming Monday.
A big dose of painful medicine is that our house deal ended up falling apart after three months of trying to make things work out with the buyer. Basically there were circumstances outside our control in the lending world because of the huge financial crisis. This prevented the buyers from buying our home in the end, even though there wasn’t anything wrong with their credit worthiness. We had been in Idaho nearly three months now. It was a crushing blow. Miraculously we were able to purchase a new home before our home in Oregon ended up slipping into foreclosure. Thirty-five thousand dollars upside down in the home, no prospects of selling, and a decreasing job market actually led to a strategic default. We weighed all options including renting it out. The going rent rates wouldn’t have come close to making the monthly mortgage payment. I’m not proud of it, but we followed the course many others had paved. We tried doing it the right way and were willing to come to closing with our entire savings, but after that sale fell apart, we lost all motivation to continue the fight. I am truly sorry for contributing to the housing/foreclosure problem across the country. I am also in no way advocating this course of action to anyone. Some states even have laws on the books and they can come after you for deficiency judgments. This was just a tough decision we had to make.
It’s been several months since the bank auctioned off the old house. I have checked my credit about 3 or 4 months ago, and just as recently as early this month to see what the damage has done. Before, our credit was in the 800s. Three or 4 months ago it was up to 695, and this month it’s already up to 737 according to the credit report subscription online I signed up for to monitor our credit. We really have bounced back, even from that huge black eye. Our current mortgage, car payment, and student loans that we continued paying on brought our score back up rapidly. We were taken by surprise by this.
Some may say that we carried out this entire move on an assumption that we could sell the home, and that we used the quick sale as partial confirmation from God that we were doing the right thing. They may say that perhaps you made a mistake, because in fact, the house didn’t sell. So this must not have been such an answer to prayer after all right? To us, however it’s just the opposite. The quick sale was an extra boost of confidence to get us out the door to Idaho. As I said before, we were prepared for possible pain our decisions could bring that were unexpected. That leads me to life in the redoubt since arriving.
Life in the Redoubt
We’ve been living in Idaho for 19 months now. We don’t have a ranch entrenched on a well positioned hill with 50 acres that’s off the beaten path. I only own four guns thusfar and not enough ammunition. I’m not off the grid. I could go on. Like I said, you’d probably say I was a horrible prepper. However, we do own a home on an acre in a smaller city of about 5,000. We live in a subdivision of 1 acre properties. Life over here is so much different in many ways in the general thought process of the public and your neighbors. I’ll never forget going into a newly opened gun shop in town. (I bought a Remington 870 tactical.) When I told the owner where I had moved from, he said “Welcome to the free world!” In fact, I went in to get my concealed carry permit and all I had to do was sign a piece of paper and pay $60 at the local sheriff’s office. It came in the mail about 3-4 weeks later. It really did feel like I had entered the free world. There was no requirement to take a class or anything. Honestly, I don’t carry yet. I’m waiting to take my defensive pistol class later this year before I tote a firearm. Remember what I said about knowing that I don’t know anything? I know my limitations, which is why I am going to take a class before carrying.
There is a much different feeling over here as to being self sufficient, relying on each other and being prepared. It certainly feels like a more traditional American values part of the country. Sure you can find misfits, stoners, and criminals everywhere, but here, it’s much less. Neighbors seem generally eager to help one another in projects and being involved in a sense of community. For fundraising, the Boy Scouts of America come out on every major patriotic holiday and post American Flags out front on your property. Being in an agricultural area, there is also an abundance of people who have real skills from growing up on the farm, operating and fixing machinery, or operating their small business as some sort of contractor. Lots of trucks and cars around here with the name of the owners business painted on the side. Outdoorsmanship which you’ll find very common in the redoubt states also provides another great source of knowledge, skills, and resources to learn from. I’ve taken up hunting since moving to Idaho. I’ve shot, gutted, and eaten my first grouse. It’s also very common to see big gardens over here in our 1 acre subdivision. It is quite a big hobby around these parts. They say when you move out here, you have to become a part time farmer.
We planted a pretty good garden ourselves this year for the first time. We even attended a regular gardening meeting where we’d swap ideas, know-how, and visit the gardens of those who attended the meetings to learn different techniques and strategies for better yields, storage ideas, and ground prep ideas etc. Boy was it a learning curve that first year. We managed however to yield several bags of food for freezer storage. We felt really good about that. There is something extremely gratifying about putting a seed in the ground, harvesting and then eating what you have cultivated.
The rest is just details really. We’ve beefed up food storage through the LDS dry pack cannery locally, and we have many of the basic essentials of heat, clothing, shelter, and food. We also put together our G.O.O.D. bags last year.
Would we do it all again?
Absolutely. We’ve never looked back. One thing I didn’t tell you earlier is that back in Oregon, after I left 5 out of 7 sales reps ended up getting laid off in my territory. So, statistically, the odds turned out heavily against me that I would keep my job anyway. Plus, we took charge of our own destiny before someone could tell us what our destiny would be. That was empowering.
Thanks for listening to me as I’ve told our story of relocating to the American Redoubt. I know you must have read much of what I said and realized I’m somewhat of a convert to this growing movement. Hopefully you’re not ashamed of my ignorance and lack of real prepping talent. I believe however that my wife and I represent the crowd you are trying to attract and educate. We are people of like mind, varying skills, a strong belief in God, salvation and serving our fellow men. Thank you for letting us be a part of your Survivalblog.com community. My only hope is that something I have written above will inspire or enlighten someone else in a similar situation. Godspeed.
James,
I ran across the info on your sight about the Kel-Tec SU16. I wanted to share my knowledge of the rifle with you. First of all, let me state that I have AR-15s and I enjoy them so I am not telling anyone to ditch their AR.
I have the SU16A model with a Trijicon Accupoint 2-10 power 56mm scope on it. The rifle cost me $570 including tax. When you take the rifle apart you realize it’s a hybrid between an AR-15 and an AK-47. The first thing I did was replace the extractor with a heavy duty DPMS extractor for an AR-15 as some of the parts are interchangeable with the AR-15. The trigger configuration is all AK, which means you could drop the thing out a tenth story window in to a vat of pig swill and it will still work. I use cheap ammo, Wolf 55gr FMJ. I have put about 2000 rounds through this thing and not one misfire, mis-feed, jam or any other problem. I haven’t had any problem with any AR mags I have used in it.
For the accuracy I find it to be excellent. At 50 yards I can put the bullet in almost the same hole sometimes, and I am not exaggerating with that statement. At 100 yards center-mass is a breeze. I have a competition AR from Bushmaster that I used to use constantly, I now use the Kel-Tec all the time, it is my go to rifle. I can’t attest to the other models’ durability but the A model is extremely durable, you could easily use it for butt stocking, but it may not work that well due to the lightness of the gun as it only weighs about 4.5 pounds unloaded, so you definitely will not become fatigued from carrying it around.
I love ARs, but a good one is upwards of $1,500 to $2,000. With the price of this rifle and it’s reliability and accuracy I would urge people to add it to their bag of tricks. Also there is no recoil, a little bit of muzzle flip but nothing horrible, I would suggest a JP Recoil Eliminator on the end and the darn thing won’t even move. The “C” and “CA” models come with a threaded barrel so install is really easy with some [green] Loc-Tite.
I just wanted to share this with you and your readers since I have a lot of range time with this weapon and definitely trust it. I would add though that these rifles are getting really hard to get. – Jon G.
Washington Footing the $1.6 Billion Cell Phone Bill for Millions of Low Income Americans
Chris Martenson: Why Our Currency Will Fail
If The Euro Breaks Up — Scenarios For Greece, PIIGS And Total Collapse. (Thanks to F.B. for the link.)
Reader Andrew M. mentioned the latest edition of KGS Night Watch newsletter that discusses possible economic collapse in Iran
Items from The Economatrix:
G.G. flagged an interesting article from the blogosphere that originated in Switzerland: On Banknotes.
B.B. sent this: Food Prices Rose Most in 11 Months, May Climb in February
Bernanke: Recovery Depends On Consumer Spending
10 Things Every American Should Know About The Federal Reserve
I mentioned this gizmo once before–back when it was in development–but this stove now appears to be ready for production: The ultimate in low tech meets? The wood stove USB device charger. (Thanks to Geoff S. for the link.)
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Bloomberg Reloads Against Guns. JWR’s Comment: These Big City Nannystaters don’t know when to quit. Haven’t they noticed that the crime rates in the U.S. are declining across the board, even as private gun ownership has reached a new high, and while restrictions on firearms carry–both openly and concealed–are gradually being rolled back? Guns in the hands of the citizenry aren’t a crime problem. They’re the solution. It is time for Mayor Bloomberg and his statist cronies to retire to Cuba. (That is, at least those that haven’t already been forced to resign or convicted and sent to prison. The number of members of Bloomberg’s “crime fighting” group that have been convicted of felonies is alarming. And BTW, since convicted felons permanently forfeit their right to own guns (per Federal law , they’ve at least been successful at disarming themselves.)
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Some great commentary from Bill Whittle: Why We Suck.
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Just for fun: Sheep-Herding Swedish Bunny Becomes Online Hit.
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I heard that Ready Made Resources now stocks RADTriage Radiation Detector cards. These fit in a wallet, or clip on to a badge holder.
“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” – Amos 3:7 (KJV)
Today we present another two entries 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.
You may have already seen this article that ran in the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, February 8, 2012: The American Redoubt, where survivalists plan to survive
When society collapses, they intend to be armed and well fed in the high country of the Northwest. James Wesley Rawles is their guru on the subject. First, I must mention that this news story was run almost immediately before and with a link to a piece about a racist would-be parade bomber (the classic “guilt by association” editorial approach, but in this case, just guilt by geographical coincidence and a two-way hypertext link, to provide none-too-subtle nexus.)
In all, the article was better than most of the hatchet jobs that seem to prevail whenever the topic of survivalism is discussed. At least the reporter got her facts straight about the geography of The American Redoubt. One quibble is the semantics of a photo caption, that read: “Chuck Baldwin, speaking in Reno in 2011, is a conservative preacher and radio host who has bought into the survivalist message of James Wesley Rawles.” The phrase “bought in” has some negative connotations, in modern usage. It is noteworthy that photo captions are often used by agenda-driven editors for shading, after reporters have turned in an otherwise objective article.
My other gripe is a misquote. I was inaccurately quoted as calling myself “non-racist”. I actually said, in full: “I am non-racist and in fact an anti-racist“, which is much more direct and forthright. For the record: I despise racism!
It is of extreme importance in any TEOTWAWKI situation that precautions be taken to prevent contracting or spreading infectious disease. If infectious disease is contracted, it is important to be able to recognize and manage it. This article will present some infectious diseases to be aware of, how they are contracted, what measures to take to minimize the risk of infection, and what to do if you have been exposed.
Infectious or Communicable?
Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites that invade the body. Commonly confused with communicable diseases, infectious diseases, not surprisingly, cause illness through exposure to an infectious agent, even if it cannot be spread from one person to another. Comparatively, a communicable disease is an infectious disease that can be spread from person to person.
For example, while the common cold can be transmitted between people with little to no contact, an infectious disease such as malaria can only be transferred to a person from a vector – in this case, a mosquito. Malaria cannot, however, be transmitted from person to person and is therefore not communicable.
Illness caused by an infectious disease pathogen can range from a minor cold, to life threatening hepatitis. The virulence of the microorganism and one’s general health typically determine the severity of the infection. Other sensitivities, such as autoimmune suppression, or pediatric or geriatric status, can be a factor in susceptibility to infection as well as the ability to overcome disease.
Infectious Diseases
The infectious diseases that pose important risks during a TEOTWAWKI situation pose serious threats not only to you and your loved one but to the community. While local circumstances and conditions can raise different risks, some infectious diseases to be aware of and prepared for include:
Influenza is a virus that causes upper respiratory infection. Spread quickly and contracted easily, the cold can knock you down for several days. With emerging mutations of the flu appearing every year, and with the expected emergence of a disastrously virulent strain, you must make an effort to prevent contagion. Prevent infection by maintaining good hand hygiene and avoiding touching your face, including rubbing your eyes.
Norovirus, [often and erroneously] called “the stomach flu,” causes severe gastrointestinal distress and, thus, results in dehydration due to vomiting and diarrhea. Influenza is caused by the influenza virus and is correctly referred to as the “flu”. The flu is a serious illness can can lead to complications and death in many people with risk factors associated with certain chronic diseases or conditions. The common cold is caused by completely different viruses. Contaminated food, water and surfaces spread the virus, which are the leading cause of food poisoning.
While norovirus is typically not serious for otherwise healthy adults, in a TEOTWAWKI situation, the dehydration it causes can lead to death. Even in normal times, Norovirus can be a severe illness among those who are elderly, very young or have certain chronic conditions. Deaths have occurred because of complications that resulted from pre-existing conditions. To prevent contracting it, make sure all surfaces and hands used for food preparation are clean. Wash your hands correctly before every meal. Always. Never touch bathroom doorknobs with your bare hands. While you cannot ensure that others will do the same, limit your exposure by reducing the number of times you eat food prepared by others. If you do become infected, rehydrate soon and often. Restore electrolyte imbalance by consuming cell salts or another source of electrolytes. Provide team support to the beneficial flora in your gut by taking a supplement such as HMF powder.
Cholera is caused by a bacteria that affects the small intestine and results in severe diarrhea. Found in contaminated water and food, it typically occurs in regions under heavy distress. Ensuring clean water and sanitation are essential for preventing cholera and other water-borne diseases, such a giardia in the event of a failure of municipal water systems. In any TEOTWAWKI situation, you must be prepared and vigilant about the safety of all water you consume or use for food preparation. Learn about and be supplied for performing water purification on your own.
Staph exists on the skin of a large percentage of the population but does not necessarily pose a risk until it enters the body through a break in the skin surface. An fairly recent emergence of Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureas (MRSA) poses a life-threatening risk from the bacteria that comprise the staph group. Any staph-related infection is serious and should be avoided and quickly treated.
Hepatitis is a disease that causes inflammation of the liver. Not only can infected persons not have any signs or symptoms for years, but the pathogen can survive outside the body for days. Hepatitis A is transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Hepatitis B and C are blood-borne and both are very hearty viruses that can survive outside of the body and remain viable for quite a while. Hep A and B both can be prevented by vaccinations. Hep B and C can both be treated depending on the type of Hep B or C. (This is a simple explanation for a complex viral disease) Hep B and C is commonly transmitted through IV drug use, tattoos, and possibly sexually.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial respiratory infection spread by a patient’s sneezing or coughing. If an outbreak occurs in your area, take precautions to avoid infected persons and locations and used recommended protection for filtering respiration. In some parts of the world, the disease has mutated to resist every single antibiotic formerly used to treat it.
Salmonella can be contracted from contaminated chicken and eggs as well as from the handling of reptiles. Thoroughly wash all chicken meat and eggs before use and safely contain all remnants and packaging. Follow the handling of chicken products and reptiles with thorough decontamination of the hands.
Rabies is caused by a virus that can be contracted through the saliva of infected animals through a bite or scratch. Rabies has a 99.9% fatality rate. Avoid all contact with wild animals whenever possible, particularly if they are behaving oddly. If you do receive an injury from such an animal, immediately seek medical care.
Tetanus is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium tetani. It can be contracted from a sharp surface contaminated with the tetanus bacteria that lives in the soil. While it is a common misconception that mere metal, such as a nail, is a habitat for the bacterium, reality is that the metal (or other object) must be contaminated from contact with the soil or other carrier. The average nail in your shed is not likely to pose a tetanus risk. Stepping on a nail in your garden does. Keep your tetanus vaccination current to prevent contracting this disease.
HIV is present in blood, semen and other body fluids of those infected and can be transmitted sexually (regardless of a person’s sexual orientation) as well. The virus can also be transmitted from mother to child, IV drug use, or through blood transfusions. HIV can result in acquired immune deficiency syndrome, commonly known as AIDS. However, a person may not know he or she is infected and may not exhibit signs or symptoms for years.
Routes of Entry
There are four major routes of entry for infectious disease pathogens to enter the body, including inhalation, ingestion, injection, and absorption.
Inhalation occurs with exposure to airborne pathogens, usually by coughing and sneezing. Aerosolized droplets containing pathogens can be breathed in, even if you are some distance away from the carrier.
Ingestion can happen when infected body fluids splash into your mouth. A person who is bleeding, coughing or sneezing can project pathogens this way. Eating food contaminated with salmonella or eating from contaminated surfaces or with contaminated hands can also put you at risk of infection. Don’t self-infect!
Injection can occur when the skin is punctured or cut by contaminated sharp objects. Jagged debris, nails or working with a patient’s needle equipment, such as a diabetic’s glucometer kit or an Epi-pen used to treat anaphylaxis, can put you at risk for infection. Similarly, tetanus can be contracted through puncture by a contaminated sharp object, and rabies, lyme disease and other infectious diseases can be contracted through puncture or the breaking of the skin from an animal bite or scratch.
Absorption occurs when tissues such as the nose and eyes come in contact with a pathogen, usually through rubbing them without proper hand washing.
Transmission
Typically, communicable disease pathogens are either airborne or blood-borne. Other infectious diseases, such as tetanus and salmonella, are generally contracted without any person-to-person contact.
Airborne pathogens, quite obviously, spread through the air. Blood-borne pathogens are transmitted through contact with infected blood or other body fluids containing blood. Bloody saliva or vomit, used dressings and dry wounds can all be sources of blood-borne pathogens. Other potentially infectious materials, known as OPIM, include fluids found throughout the body, such as nasal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, and fluid in the joints, abdomen and chest cavity. To maximize your safety, however, you must treat all body fluids as if they are infectious.
Exposure occurs through either direct contact transmission or indirect contact transmission. Direct contact transmission occurs when a person transmits a pathogen directly to another person. For example, getting infected blood in a cut on your skin can allow pathogens to infect you. Indirect contact transmission occurs from coming into contact with contaminated surfaces or objects then transferring pathogens into your body by, for example, rubbing your eyes.
Minimizing Risk
To minimize your risk of exposure to pathogens, you must take affirmative action to protect yourself. Not only should you avoid any obviously contagion-transmitting situations whenever possible, but, if you must assist in any kind of health or safety emergency, you should take precautions by practicing good hand hygiene, wearing protective equipment and treating all body fluids as if they are infectious.
Hand Hygiene
Contaminated hands are a leading cause of the contraction of infectious diseases. Hand washing and antisepsis recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should become common practice every day – don’t wait for a TEOTWAWKI scenario.
For visibly contaminated hands, wash with either plain or antimicrobial soap.
Wet your hands, then apply the amount of product recommended by the manufacturer. Vigorously rub your hands together for at least fifteen to twenty seconds, covering all surfaces. Rinse , then dry thoroughly with a disposable towel.
Use the towel to turn the faucet off and throw the towel away.
Use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly soiled in order to reduce the population of pathogens on your hands. For optimum effectiveness, the sanitizer must contain at least sixty-percent alcohol. Use the amount recommended by the manufacturer, covering all surfaces, then rub your hands together until dry. For additional protection, make sure to get the product under any rings, and under and around the fingernails.
Standard Precautions
The term “standard precautions” refers to infection control practices designed to provide protection from infectious body fluids. You should employ these precautions when assisting anyone with a medical emergency or suspected infectious disease whether or not he or she appears infectious. While it is typical in emergency medial response to use gloves, gowns, masks and protective eyewear during patient care, you should, at the very minimum, use gloves.
Gloves are highly effective in preventing contamination. However, because small, undetected holes can result in exposure, you should cover any broken skin and apply alcohol rub before putting gloves on. Careless removal can also result in exposure. To correctly remove them, grip the cuff of one glove and pull it inside out and off. Slip your un-gloved thumb or a finger under the cuff of the other glove. Pull the glove inside out and off so it contains the first glove inside it. Dispose of the gloves after one use so you don’t put anyone else at risk, then decontaminate with an alcohol rub.
To protect your face form contamination, wear wrap-around goggles. For full protection for the eyes, nose or mouth, full-face shields may be worn. Surgical masks can also help protect the face, have the added benefit of limiting inhalation of aerosolized particles and can also be placed on a sick patient. A HEPA or N95 respirator mask have a high level of filtering protection. Remember to throw away all disposable equipment after one use. You should also avoid eating, drinking, smoking or touching your face or eyes in any situation that poses an infection risk.
In addition, disinfect all surfaces and reusable equipment after working in the vicinity of a person who may have an infectious disease. Take each of these precautions seriously and get in the habit of using gloves, masks and goggles when working with dust or contaminants of any kind. This will help you familiarize yourself with the equipment and practiced in putting it on and removing it correctly and safely. The maintenance of an adequate immunization schedule can be an additional line of defense against many common diseases to consider.
If an Exposure Occurs
Make every effort to avoid exposure to infectious disease. If you become ill, you not only put your safety and survival at risk, you risk those in your family and community. The most powerful defense you have against contracting infectious disease is yourself.
Nevertheless, exposures can still occur, even when you have employed vigilant efforts to prevent it. If you do become exposed, you should immediately take mitigating steps. If your clothing has become contaminated, remove it as soon as possible. Wash all contaminated skin surfaces, especially your hands, and use a disinfecting product to further minimize risk. If your mouth, nose or eyes have been contaminated, flush them with water or saline. They optimal flushing period for the eyes is twenty minutes. In the case of exposure to serious infectious diseases, you should immediately seek medical care. For example, while you can provide self care from assisting a person infected with the common cold, any possibility that you have contracted rabies, tetanus, hepatitis, tuberculosis and other serious diseases requires immediate medical attention.
Because infectious diseases can spread so quickly from person to person and through communities, you should expect any TEOTWAWKI situation to pose a threat of infectious disease. While the risks of contracting diseases such a rabies may be of minor significance, your risk of contracting infectious disease spread from person to person is much more likely. You must be extremely cautious when providing emergency care for any injured or sick person. The same can be said for travel through any location frequented by others. Public transportation, buildings with air circulation systems and public service buildings such as grocery stores and schools are ripe grounds for transmission. Minimize your time in them and be aware of the extremely high risk that other people pose, particularly in emergency situations where resources are limited. You must be self sufficient and prepared to assume responsibility for your own health as well as being willing to prevent any illness you do contract from spreading to others.
Take self-care seriously and invest the energy of prevention into your protocols for survival and the protection of others. You will usually not be able to tell whether someone is carrying an infectious disease or even what specific risks they pose. But being knowledgeable and prepared are the best line of defense and management when faced with the risks of life-threatening disease.
Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
There have been dozens of articles on survival firearms on SurvivalBlog, and many of them focus on the “bare minimum” and/or doing the most with the fewest firearms. None of us wants to fall into the trap of over-emphasizing firearms at the expense of food, water, arable land, and other supplies for balanced preparation. We all know of “that guy” with 100 guns and a case of MREs who considers himself prepared for anything. This is especially important when you’re looking to bug out WTSHTF; it’s very difficult to reconcile leaving firearms behind and, say, 50 long guns + 50 handguns + ammo & accessories can easily fill a truck all by themselves.
I wanted to focus on firearms that can either fire multiple calibers without modification or with fairly minor modification — no unscrewing of barrels with special spanner wrenches, etc. There are two purposes behind multi-caliber guns (or MCGs) for the prepper: to increase the flexibility of the firearm to use found or bartered ammo, and to increase the utility of the firearm (reduced recoil, hunting a larger variety of animals, etc). The big reason behind most of these for the non-prepper is cost of shooting, which is related to the prepper concern of cost of stockpiling.
I am splitting MCGs into two categories, those that require no modification and those that do. Some of these are basic knowledge to old hat gun nuts, but talk to any gun store employee and they will tell you there is no such thing as “common knowledge” when it comes to guns.
If I get anything wrong please let me know! I’ve shot plenty of these but far from all, a lot of this is research. If in doubt, read the manual that comes with the gun, manufacturers are getting quite savvy at covering their butts with warnings against cartridges that will chamber but aren’t meant for the gun.
MCGs not requiring modification:
Most MCGs that don’t require modification to shoot multiple calibers typically just fire cartridges of the same bore diameter but differing power. Less powerful cartridges are often cheaper and put far less stress on the weapon (increased longevity). I list the longest cartridge first.
.22 Long Rifle (LR) / .22 Long / .22 Short: Nearly all revolvers and tube-fed, non semi-auto (bolt, level, pump) rifles that fire .22 Long Rifle will fire their older, weaker .22 Long and .22 Short cartridges just fine. Semi autos designed for the .22 LR won’t cycle these weaker cartridges but can be used as a single shot. The utility is questionable as .22 Long and .22 Short are much, much less common than .22 LR. .22 Short is fine for pest control in built-up areas but in a true grid-down SHTF scenario I think subsonic .22 LR will be much, much more useful. Also, the shorter cased .22 Long and .22 Short can build up lead in the chamber (making shooting .22 LR difficult until cleaned) and worse, with continued use can fire-cut the chamber directly in front of the case and ruin it for .22 LR shooting.
***I am not aware of a single firearm that can safely and accurately shoot .22 LR and .22 Magnum (also called .22 WMR) without modification due to the wider case of the .22 Magnum. .22 Magnum won’t chamber in a .22 LR gun, and while .22 LR will slip just fine into a .22 Magnum chamber, it will cause split cases, jammed cylinders, and other problems. There are a number of revolvers that can shoot both with a cylinder change that I’ll dig into later in the article.
.357 Magnum / .38 Special: Probably the most common MCG combination. Any .357 Magnum revolver and lever / pump action rifle will fire .38 Special. Both are extremely common. From a prepper standpoint, I believe one should always get a .357 Magnum versus a .38 Special gun, it’s going to be built much stronger, fires both rounds, and will be just a fraction heavier / larger. Most .357 Magnum semi autos will not cycle with .38 Specials. The newer Coonan Arms .357 Magnum pistols are built to use .38 Specials with a special weaker recoil spring.
The most unique variant of the .357 Magnum MCG is definitely the Phillips & Rodgers Model 47 Medusa revolver. These were low-production in the late 1990s and are exceedingly hard to find and expensive when you do run across one. They were designed to fire just about any non-bottlenecked pistol bullet (rimmed or not) in the .355-.357 bullet diameter range. This is 25+ cartridges and includes the .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .380, 9x19mm, .38 Super, etc. They are still in use by the Navy SEALs as they can be fired underwater. I consider this the ultimate long-term SHTF centerfire handgun, although parts are hard to stock up and a single gun might run you $1500 or more.
.44 Magnum / .44 Special: Pretty much the same dynamic as the .357 Magnum / .38 Special, although .44 Special isn’t very common and not a discount from “Wal-Mart” .44 Magnum for the shooter/stockpiler. .44 Special is much more tolerable and easy to shoot than full-bore .44 Magnum loads if you’re considering how to arm your less gun-savvy or smaller-statured friends WTSHTF. The only .44 Magnum semi-auto pistol I’m aware of, the Desert Eagle, won’t cycle .44 Special.
.327 Magnum / .32 H&R Magnum / .32 S&W Long revolvers: The new .327 Magnum will fire all three while the .32 H&R Magnum can also fire the .32 S&W Long. None are very common, the main selling point of the .327 Magnum is that the guns typically hold 6 cartridges versus a snub nose .38 Special or .357 Magnum that holds 5. Not much SHTF utility here.
.410 bore / .454 Casull / .45 Colt: There has been a recent crop of .45 Colt revolvers that can also fire .410 bore shotgun shells (Taurus / Rossi Judge series, S&W Governor, etc). I’ve had the pleasure of shooting an early Judge and think it’s a great pest control gun but fail to see the utility in it WTSHTF. Perhaps more useful are .454 Casull / .45 Colt revolvers as the .454 can be used on medium to large game along with predator protection while the .45 Colt is a better fit for self defense against two legged varmints. If you’re convinced you need a shotgun revolver, get a S&W Governor as it will fire .45 ACP as well, kind of a poor man’s Medusa in .45. The Taurus Raging Judge will fire .410, .454, and .45 Colt but is a big handgun and weighs more than 4 pounds, empty!
While any .454 Casull will fire .45 Colt, don’t try .454 Casull or .45 Colt in any .410 bore shotgun unless it explicitly calls for it. A good rule is any smoothbore .410 shotgun is only designed for .410 shotgun shells; you’re not going to hit anything smaller than a bus with a .45 Colt out of a smoothbore, and a .454 Casull round just might blow your gun/face up. (It has five times the maximum pressure of a .410 shotgun shell).
MCGs requiring modification:
The sky is the limit with MCGs that require some modification to shoot additional calibers. New cylinders, barrels, upper receivers, etc turn one firearm into two or more.
.22 Long Rifle conversion kits for semi-auto pistols and rifles: This is such a great concept that nearly every popular centerfire pistol and rifle has a conversion kit. Originally popular with military forces for cheap target practice, this has bled over into the civilian shooting community that likes cheap practice too. For the prepper, this allows one to use one gun for defense / big game hunting and quickly convert to hunt small game. Also, one can easily and inexpensively stockpile tens of thousands of .22 LR, in a long term SHTF scenario you can keep your guns running longer. I’d sure rather have a Model 1911 in .22LR versus a butcher knife spear for example. Below I have listed some common guns that have kits available.
1911s
ARs chambered for 5.56x45mm / .223
Mini-14s chambered for 5.56x45mm / .223
AKs chambered for 7.62x39mm
FAL and clones
G3/HK91 and clones
HK93/33 and clones
UZI
Glocks
Beretta/Taurus 92-style pistols
Browning Hi-Power
SIG-Sauer P series
CZ-75 series
.22 Long Rifle / .22 Magnum switch-cylinder revolvers: These are revolvers that will shoot both calibers with a simple spare cylinder. The most common is the well-made Ruger Single Six Convertible. Harrington & Richardson makes a cheaper knockoff that lacks the transfer bar safety and polish of the Ruger. Great utility to use two very common cartridges.
.357 Magnum or .38 Special / 9x19mm switch-cylinder revolvers: Perhaps less well known are the switch cylinder .357 Magnums to fire 9x19mm (although more common in Europe). Ruger makes a convertible Blackhawk single action.
.45 Colt / .45 ACP switch-cylinder revolvers: Ruger also makes a Blackhawk convertible for these two calibers.
Rossi Wizard Series: A couple of years ago Rossi came out with a line of single shot long guns that, with a barrel change, could convert to a large selection of rimfire, centerfire, muzzleloader, and shotgun cartridges. Now one rifle could be an inexpensive .22 LR, a deer-slaying .30-06, a muzzleloader for that hunting season, and a 12g shotgun for birds — or anything in between. Of course, the drawback is it’s a single shot, but the utility is hard to ignore, especially the youth models. Find out what the most popular calibers are in your area and get a Wizard with those barrels just in case.
7.62x25mm Tokarev / 9x19mm switch-barrel conversions: Although they can be tough to find, most pistols in 7.62x25mm like the CZ-52 and Tokarev clones have had 9x19mm barrels made for them. Great way to make these handguns more useful in a SHTF scenario as 7.62x25mm isn’t all that common.
.40 S&W / .357 SIG switch-barrel conversions: Most popular pistols in either caliber have a barrel available for the other. If you have one, get the barrel for the other caliber.
I am aware of switch barrels to convert Glocks and SIGs in .40 S&W or .357 SIG to 9x19mm, not sure if there is another pistol this conversion is available for.
10mm / 9x25mm Dillon switch-barrel conversions: There are 9x25mmD barrels available for 1911s and Glock 20 pistols (perhaps others but I’m not aware of them). 9x25mmD was designed for competition shooting and produces enormous flash and noise. It does not have much SHTF utility, in my view.
In addition to 9x25mm Dillon, there are switch barrels for the 10mm Glock 20 for .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and even special order .38 Super (these are NOT the same as the stock Glock barrels for their respective models but are special fit for the Glock 20). The Glock 20 is a pretty amazing gun that can fire 5 calibers with a barrel change and has a .22 LR conversion kit too. And, since it shares the same frame as the .45 ACP Glock 21, you could get a complete .45 ACP slide & barrel for your Glock 20 to make it a Glock 21 (and then, naturally, get a .400 Cor-Bon barrel for it, see below). Or go the other way and start with a Glock 21 and get all the Glock 20 stuff. Great pistols, not a huge surprise they are so popular. Apologize if anyone went cross-eyed trying to follow this explanation!
.45 ACP / .400 Cor-Bon switch-barrel conversions: Many pistols chambered for .45 ACP have .400 Cor-Bon barrels available. Most of the time these don’t require a new recoil spring. The .400 Cor-Bon is a poor man’s 10mm and is simply a .45 ACP necked down to a .400/10mm bullet. .400 Cor-Bon never gained much popularity, but there are some that convert their .45 ACP to a 6” barrel .400 Cor-Bon for hunting and predator defense. For preppers, not sure it’s truly worth the money unless you want one handgun for human and predator defense.
SIG P250 Pistols: The P250 is a pistol from SIG that can change calibers (.22 LR, 9x19mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, .45 ACP) by changing the slide and barrel assembly (and magazines) much like an AR upper. More expensive than, say, a Glock 22 with a .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and 9×19 barrels but throw in the .45 ACP which a .40 S&W Glock can’t do. With all of the kits you have a handgun that covers almost every common pistol caliber. I’d still rather have a Glock 20/21 will all the accessories as described above.
The less common EAA Witness full sized pistols can switch between .22 LR, 9x19mm, .38 Super, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, 10mm, and .45 ACP by changing the slide assembly and magazine. Each kit is about $200.
AR Upper Receivers: I saved the best for last, this is where most of the MCG action has been in the last 10+ years. An entire new family of cartridges has been created around the constraint of the AR-15 magazine well width and AR-10 cartridges like the .243 Winchester have gained popularity as well. Buying an upper is almost always going to be less expensive than a complete rifle, and if you put a lot of money into a lower with an aftermarket trigger, high-end stock, and grip why not stretch that out to several platforms? Of course, the big drawback is one lower, one shooter — bad if you need to defend your retreat and none of your buddies bring a rifle. Some may come to the conclusion that 2-3 complete ARs are better than one lower and 5 uppers. If you’re going to make the leap, I am of the opinion that a 5.56x45mm base rifle + pistol caliber matching your sidearm + 6.5 Grendel long barrel with scope + .22 LR conversion kit would be the most effective and efficient setup. Note that, even pinching pennies with lower end upper assemblies, this will be almost $3,000 before optics. For $2,500 you could buy a basic AR, an inexpensive pistol carbine like a Hi-Point or Kel-Tec SUB2000, a budget long range .308 bolt action rifle, and a .22 LR kit for your AR (or basic Ruger 10/22 rifle) and have 3-4 complete guns. It’s not for everyone and your mileage may vary. I honestly don’t see much utility in multiple uppers for AR-10s as, beyond .308 and .243, the cartridges are just not all that common.
Now, the newly announced Colt CM-901, with its lower receiver that can adapt to both AR-15 and AR-10 size uppers, will be a great SHTF platform if it works as advertised. You could have a CQB 5.56mm carbine and a long range .308 in one platform.
Upper calibers for AR-15 type guns (available non-custom):
5.56x45mm / .223 (of course)
.22 Long Rifle (although the conversion kits are going to be cheaper by a long shot)
5.45x39mm (super cheap surplus ammo but filthy and often corrosively primed!)
7.62x39mm
6.5 Grendel (great long range cartridge)
6.8x43mm SPC
.300 AAC Blackout (great for suppressed rifles)
9x19mm (also great for suppressed rifles)
.45 ACP
.40 S&W
10mm
.50 Beowulf
.450 Bushmaster
.458 SOCOM
.30 Remington AR
.243 WSSM (Olympic Arms)
.25 WSSM (Olympic Arms)
.300 OSSM (Olympic Arms)
.204 Ruger
5.7x28mm
.50 BMG single shot (not sure how great these are, but they’re available)
And more…
Upper calibers for AR-10 type guns (not all are current production):
7.62x51mm / .308 Winchester (of course)
.243 Winchester
.260 Remington
7mm-08
6.5 Creedmoor
.338 Federal
.284 Winchester
.450 Marlin
.358 Winchester
.257 Roberts
Entire WSM family
Entire SAUM family
I hope this detailed look into multi-caliber guns gives good food for thought, especially if you’re looking to build a small battery of flexible SHTF firearms that’s highly portable versus a huge, difficult to move stockpile at your permanent live-in retreat.
Hi Jim,
I noticed that at Cheaper Than Dirt that they have back in stock a GI Gore-Tex bivy sack that is worth much more than the $40 price, especially to wet-climate Pacific Northwest dwellers. (These have a forest pattern camouflage top cover). This is real USGI surplus, made in USA. They are almost-comparable at the 3-letter co-op is well over $200.
I’ve ordered four of these bivy bags, and all were in new or like-new condition. At my slightly chubby 214 pounds and 5′-10″, there is plenty of room. I’d say that anyone under 6′-0″ and 210 pounds should fit inside with a 4 pound sleeping bag just fine. The shell covers bag and head completely adds almost a whole season to the temp range of the sleeping bag you are using, protects you and your bag from the wet, even sleeping directly on wet ground or vegetation. – Karl in Portland