Disaster in the Deep South: Death toll from severe storms rises to 17
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C.A. in Oregon mentioned: Price of Tomatoes Has a Lot to Do With These Thefts
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F.J. suggested this, over at Lifehacker: Download Emergency Medicine Manuals for Free
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Sun’s Storm Season Finally Heating Up. (Thanks to Steve S. for the link.)
“Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
He giveth to the beast his food, [and] to the young ravens which cry.” – Psalm 147:7-9 (KJV)
Today we present another two entries for Round 34 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:
First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).
Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.
Round 34 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
I’m an amateur caver, all the caves I know of I found through a local college caving course which I’ve taken a few times. We learned from our instructor, a former Marine, with lots of experience, that most cavers are very zealous when it comes to locations of caving sites. Largely because graffiti pop-culture day-hiking tourists are so devastating to pristine cave environments, serious spelunkers will not share that information beyond their associations. I would not expect to find that kind of information resource online. Serious cavers simply won’t breach their own operational security (OPSEC) to do that. IF anyone were to find a source online, I would expect that database to cover already known tourist and day-hiker caves. I’ve been through enough such caves to see what unsteward-like conduct will do to an otherwise gorgeous environment.
Which brings us to the question, from a prepping or survival standpoint, are caves a viable option? I’ve been giving this some thought. I am presently deployed to Balkans and, unfortunately, separated from my lists, notes, and references. What follows is strictly off the cuff from my own personal experience over the course of a few semesters of adventure caving and my own hiking encounters. My intended audience are the souls who have little to no experience with caving in any capacity and who are considering utilizing natural caves as part of a bug out, retreat, or cache plan.
Caves and Mines are not a good first choice for a bug out, retreat, or cache. That is my bias, up front and as a general rule I believe that statement to be accurate. To be clear, I am a prepper that happens to enjoy recreational caving, climbing and rappelling. What follows are some pros and cons that should be taken into consideration.
Education
Caving is not as simple as grabbing a flashlight, bottle of water, sneakers, a sweater and heading to the nearest dark hole in the ground to explore. Recommended: If you are interested in prepping possibilities of caves or mines, first search out a local intro level class to caving/spelunking. The safety considerations are identical whether you are a day hiker wanting to casually poke around, or a prepper wishing to factor this into your contingency plans. An intro level class by an experienced recreational caving specialist is the best way of learning about recommended equipment, planning, and especially safety. What I cover in this article is by no means exhaustive and is directed to a specific audience: preppers who may consider including caves or mines as part of their G.O.O.D., Retreat, or Cache plan.
Underground terrain may be of the man-made (mine tunnels) or natural (lava tube) variety. Naturally occurring sub-terrain being perhaps a little safer than man-made: how old are those tunnel braces? Regardless of which you choose to venture into: the subterranean world is a hostile environment. Surface temperatures in excess of 90 degrees Fahrenheit will still yield subsurface temperatures in the high 50s or low 60s. Do not expect to find food or water and be warned that even your air supply is suspect. Any waste generated must be carried out: it will not decompose below ground. Cavers have to carry everything in and pack everything out. Light, food, warmth, water, insulation, etc… You can dehydrate underground and become hypothermic (all that cool rock and air will just suck heat out if you aren’t careful).
Safety
It is never recommended to enter a cave solo. Once well underground it is YOYO time. Cell phones and radios won’t work deep underground. Our instructor shared this story with us: a group of cavers entered a local lava tube. From parking lot to end of tube took 30 minutes at a totally unhurried pace, maybe 2,000 meters total: 3/4s of which was underground. One caver fell and broke a leg. Someone had to go above ground for help. After the ranger station was notified, it took 12 hours to extract the injured person, 8 hours of which were spent by the SAR team extracting the casualty: a young Boy Scout. Litter-bearing in a cave environment is way more complex, exhausting and time-consuming.
Now, in this same cave, another day group entered once-upon-a-time. On their way out, one of their party, wearing a hard hat, took a step up and received a concussion after smacking a boulder directly above her. In a different cave, a day group stopped to take a break: a man put his hands on the roof above him to rest, little did he know that when he dropped his hands to resume movement a 70-lb chunk of rock would have been dislodged just enough by his unsuspecting contact to fall.
On a recreational day trip this is how I would roll:
Four people minimum, with a “surface watch:” someone dependable who will call for SAR after “x” hrs if not informed of our safe return. Hardhat, sturdy boots (steel or composite toes would be a good idea) elbow and knee pads, leather gloves, eye-protection, headlamps, hand light, back-up light source (another head or hand light), extra batteries, first aid kit, a layer of warm clothing, extra socks and a dry shirt, day’s worth of food and water, a fully charged cell phone that is off, waste “#1” bottle (wide mouth is always better: think empty Gatorade bottle…) waste “#2” bag (Foil zip-lock recommended: plastic will not retain odor completely), as well as climbing harness, rope, webbing and rappel/climb protection equipment as necessary (which will depend on cave environment), for each person.
Why four people? In the event of serious incapacitating injury, one person stays with casualty and two people go for help. Admittedly, you could get by with a party of three but IMHO two heads are better than one (especially in an emergency) and what happens if an injury befalls the party going for help? A four-person team allows some redundancy on this score. A three-person team leaves everyone exposed to a single catastrophic point of failure in the event Murphy strikes twice in the same cave.
Obviously in SHTF situation, you might not have the luxury of setting out with a picked team, and will certainly have no access to front-country emergency care if something were to go terribly wrong.
Other Considerations:
Underground does not equal hard to find or easy to hide. I have a few Army buddies who find caves by poring over topographical maps in search of depression features, which they will then poke around the vicinity to find caves. Also, on topographical maps, mines are often marked. That secret cave or mine may be on every map for savvy eyes to find and explore.
Know your cave! One cave I’ve explored has five possible ways in and out (one is a water feature–stale, no circulation–which I would drink from only as a last resort). Another cave allows for a 90+ ft rappel entry, two access points on foot and numerous opportunities to fall. A cave with multiple entries allows for egress options, but will pose a security risk—especially for someone going solo or a small group. A single access point allows you to clear your immediate area and be reasonably secure in what direction trouble may be expected from. Such restricted access, however, may also serve to trap you.
Cave environments will vary from dry/dusty to moist/damp. If you had to lug a bullet launcher, take the appropriate measures. Underground is not the place to engage in a kinetic lead dual. Sound will be amplified in an enclosed space; infrared enhanced night vision would be a must in a total dark environment, but would only be an advantage against an adversary that is not similarly equipped. Ricochets are a concern of course, but sound and impact bouncing off of surfaces may have greater adverse affects if a roof or wall falls in. Of course…smoke, gas, and hunger would serve just as well to flush someone out of a cave, as would sealing all points of access to otherwise neutralize occupants.
Caves for Preppers:
With all that in mind, let’s look at retreat, G.O.O.D or cache possibilities.
Retreat:
Better than nothing as a last resort. Would still have the logistical burden of pre-positioning preps on site, which would only work if this site was on land you owned. Even at that, a day-hiking trespasser might happen along upon your preps anyway if left inside unsecured. A cave-in or collapse would also be most uncool, too. If you locate a cave on your property free of human traces (and animal for that matter) and which does not also appear on the latest survey map, then such a cave might be worth exploring as a temporary retreat, especially if the alternative is a tarp shelter under a tree.
Caves are fun to explore, and do generally provide excellent shelter from the elements (wind and precipitation), but would make a poor living environment long-term post-TEOTWAWKI for anyone but a small group of healthy active adults.
I can hear it now… what about those cave dwelling tribes of yore in the Southwest? Those tribes (many active, fit healthy adults) took many years to carve their homes out of cliff sides. A very defensible position considering they also stored their own food, as well as the level of war making technology available at that time.
G.O.O.D: If you have Leather Personnel Carriers (LPCs), i.e. boots) bug out route planned sound-of-music style it might be worth identifying caves along the way that might serve as a layover point. This is more likely to be practical immediately after SHTF. Besides competing with animals, other folks may have the notion to squat in any available shelter as time goes on. In an immediate SHTF moment, I don’t think there is going to be an urgent push to go check out every known cave to establish cavemansteads or hunt down displaced persons or survivors. Hope is not a good plan, however, and I would plan on cave-layovers to be brief: a night or two tops. Pick terrain that permits long visibility, exercise strict light and noise discipline and have more than one egress to choose from if possible.
Cache: A cave would make a pretty decent landmark; unless serious upheaval takes place it probably won’t be going anywhere. Do not leave a cache in the cave, unless you are willing to lose its contents. Flooding, animals, hikers, etc… better to leave a small cache discreetly somewhere nearby. So if you had to G.O.O.D in LPCs on short notice, you could take a route that allows you to equip, shelter, and rest periodically on the way to whatever-your-final-destination-of-choice is. This mitigates the possibility of discovering that “oops, someone beat me to the cave” and is now: either in possession of your cache or squatting unsuspectingly on it. In such a case, simply acquire stash and move on. Your object, hopefully, being to get to a safe haven (a la American Redoubt?) rather than pick a fight.
In Closing
Caves and Mines are not a good first choice for a bug out, retreat, or cache. Unless I know more about the structural integrity of a particular mine tunnel or cave, I wouldn’t venture further than the entrance unless compelled by urgent need. Nor would I trust the contents of an emergency cache to reside in a cave or mine under any circumstance—I prefer not to accept exposure to so many factors that could be mitigated by simply burying a stash in the general neighborhood. I also like having options: putting shelter and supplies in one basket doesn’t allow for enough flexibility if a carnivore or someone else should claim that shelter space for home territory. Caves make better choices than mine tunnels: they are less likely to be explicitly identified on a map than mines and have less risk (not to be confused for no risk) of collapse.
Caves could be useful to preppers. Just be aware of the risk already inherent to subterranean environs and redundantly cover each base to mitigate risk as well as leave enough flexibility so that you have options if/when/ever the time should come to operationally test your plan.
If you have good knowledge of an area, have put in the sweat equity to know what is available around you, and implemented ways to support your goals while mitigating risk, caves could be a useful option… or a death trap.
Raising chickens is a wise investment in your survival, especially if you are now living on your rural retreat. We live in the deep southern United States, so it would be much different the farther north you live. I can only speak out of my own experience, so you will have to take what I say, combine it with all the other things you have read, heard and experienced on the subject, and modify it for where you live.
Housing
You need to have plenty of room for the chickens to live. If your chickens free range every day, less pen space is required. We keep our chickens in 10’x10’Xx6’ dog pens with chain link fence. The roof is recycled roofing tin, attached with recycled electric fence wire. In a pen that size, I keep one rooster and about 12 hens. If they never free ranged, they would need about twice that much room.
Down here, we don’t worry about winter temperatures, since winter is very mild and short. In the winter, we give them a wind break by tying either roofing tin, recycled plastic feed sacks or other tarp-type material onto the sides. We have chickens that are cold and heat tolerant, though the heat is the biggest concern.
We have a dog, which is essential to the life of the farm. He stays in his own 10’x10’x6’ dog pen with metal roofing, while the chickens are out free ranging. When the chickens are shut up in their pens, he roams free, checking for skunks, possums, other dogs, etc. He keeps them from digging under the dog/chicken pens.
Nesting Boxes
The hens need a quiet, dark place to lay their eggs. Five gallon buckets make wonderful nests. Wash it out well, then cut a hole in the lid, with a lip, to hold the nesting material inside. Put the lid on the bucket. Make sure it’s dry inside, then put in some straw, grass, leaves, etc. It has to be refilled often, since the hens throw the hay about, to try to camouflage themselves. If you wish, a nesting box can be made from wood or metal. Dimensions and building plans can be found in various places.
Feed
In a SHTF scenario, chickens could be fed table scraps, corn or wheat, and free ranging. While it’s ideal to keep commercial feed in front of them, they can make do with whatever they get to eat. They get a lot of green grass and minerals and bugs by free ranging. I haven’t tried to feed them without commercial feed. There are recipes around for substitutes for the essential nutrients, but I haven’t tried them. I do know that my chickens are healthier and happier when they free range, and it saves a lot of feed (money). Some people don’t want the chicken poop all over the yard, but chickens can be trained to stay out of certain areas. If you have compost bins around your trees and borders around your flower beds, you might want to make them tall enough that the chickens can’t scratch out everything. Compost and chickens make a great combination, since the chickens are more than happy to aerate the compost for you, and they get lots of bugs and other nutrients from it. They do not, however, discriminate against flowerbeds- that’s one way to find out which flowers are edible; the chickens must be trained to leave them alone by firmly and consistently being shoed away. They also like grapes, blueberries, pears and apples, so beware. Remember, they have a very small brain and a very short memory. They operate mostly on habit.
Chickens love cracked corn. You can lead them like puppies with corn chops, so keep it on hand, but try to not feed them too much— fat hens don’t lay too well. When training them to come back into their cage after free ranging, throw some corn inside the pen. If you can get a few to come eat the corn, they will call the others. After a while, they will come to you when you come out to the back yard, expecting to be fed. When training them to follow you into the pen, it’s helpful to pull their feed about 2 hours before close, then lead them back in with corn and feed. If you are fattening some to eat, such as roosters, feed them only corn. It will fatten them up like nothing else.
Roosters
Having chickens is a (fun) time commitment. You must maintain your relationship with them. If you are not out and about with your rooster enough, he will think you do not belong near his pen or hens, and will attack you. You must consistently and firmly pick him up if he attacks someone, to show him that he may be boss of the hen house, but not of you.
Having a rooster has many benefits. He is very protective of his flock, and when they are free ranging, he is constantly on the lookout for dogs, hawks, owls, possums, etc. Often he will send out a warning call if he isn’t familiar with some sound, and all the hens will hunker down and be very still and quiet. If you have a big problem with varmints, I suppose you couldn’t free range. It is important to keep the roosters’ spurs trimmed. I personally do not like the idea of removing them, since I do want him to be able to fight, but I don’t want him spurring me or my family or the hens, so I believe in trimming them, similar to trimming a cat’s nails. I pay attention to the phases of the moon, not to worship it, but to be able to understand phenomenon in the physical world. It is a good thing to trim the rooster spurs close to the new moon, to cause him as little pain and blood as possible. If you cause him pain, he will cause you pain. It’s best to do the trimming after he’s gone on the roost. Take a file, nail clippers, scissors, or a veterinarians’ nail trimmer, and another person with you into the chicken pen. Take the rooster off the roost, tuck him under your arm and hold his feet, one in each hand. The other person should trim off his spurs. Cut close to the end, then round it off. Next month do it again, and so on, until they are shorter. Work as quickly as possible, then put him back on the roost. If you do draw blood, don’t worry, it will dry and he will forget. The next morning, he will be crowing his cheerful wake up call just like always.
Hens
It is a good thing to have a broody hen to be able to maintain your flock if you have no electricity. However, if allowed to free range, a broody hen will often make a nest in some secluded spot, away from your peering eyes. Just follow her when she goes to lay, or watch where she comes from when she cackles, to be able to find her eggs. I haven’t had a hen hatch any eggs, since they are less people friendly when they do. A broody hen is much more self-sufficient, which is a good fit for a survival situation.
Hatching Eggs
I started out with Rhode Island Red chickens, since they are supposed to be a dual purpose chicken (eggs and meat), and my husband liked them. The Rhode Island Red roosters tend, however, to be aggressive. I then tried some Barred Rocks, in a different pen, while keeping the Rhode Island Reds as well. The Barred Rocks are much more docile, and make better meat chickens. And they lay as well as a Rhode Island Red. I am going to try some Buff Orpingtons now. They are supposed to always be broody, though the Barred Rocks are sometimes broody. It is possible to take the eggs off of one hen and give them to another that is broody, so a Buff Orpington or broody Barred Rock can hatch Rhode Island Red eggs. It is important if you want to hatch chicks to have a heritage breed, which all three of these breeds are. A heritage breed reproduces well, generation after generation. It is ok to in-breed chickens, though it is better if you don’t. If you are worried about it, you can get a new rooster from time to time to introduce new blood. Hopefully, you can find one of the same type, to keep your flock of the same breed. In a survival situation, it is a very good thing to start with as healthy chicks as possible, so that they will require much less maintenance with limited resources. Free range eggs make stronger, faster growing chicks. I have hatched caged eggs and also free range eggs, and much, much prefer the free range eggs. I won’t go into the details of how to hatch eggs, as the instructions are readily available. It’s a lot of work to replicate the conditions that a hen provides.
Raising Chicks
When the chicks first hatch, it is important to get them into a brooder box. You can buy fancy expensive brooders that work very well. Or you can make your own, if just for a few chicks, from a cardboard box and light. Put a thermometer in the area by the light. The ideal temperature for very young chicks is 95° to 100°F. Have an area where they can get away to cool off— a long narrow box is a good shape. In my commercial brooders, I have a red fabric homemade curtain to separate the heated area from the “cool” area. They can easily go under it to regulate their temperature. You will learn the difference between a frantic “I’m too cold” chirp, and a calm, happy chirp. If you hear the frantic chirp, and see them hovered under the light for a long time, you might put in a bigger wattage of light bulb and drape a towel over the box, being careful to not touch the light with the towel. It is very important to keep the box clean. In a homemade brooder, you have to change the paper out at least twice a day. A paper towel is a good choice to cover the floor, placed over newspaper to be absorbent. Newspaper is too slick for the chicks to walk on. The commercial brooders save a lot of cleaning by putting the absorbent newspaper under a net wire floor.
Chicks can be started on straight corn meal instead of commercial chick starter, but when they get to be about 3-4 months old, they will need lot more foods with more protein. Always make sure that the feed and water are clean, and make sure that they are always available. If you are using plastic water troughs, add a few drops of vinegar to the water. It helps to clean the digestive track of the little chicks, though free range eggs hatch healthier chicks that don’t have too much trouble with that. Baby chicks can’t free range. They are so vulnerable to cats, varmints and older chickens. If I was having the hen raise them, she would stay in a small pen and not free range during that time.
Problems
This isn’t going to cover nearly all the problems, but here are a few.
Cannibalism. This is where the birds (young or old) peck each other and draw blood. I used to have problems with this, until I found out that they only do this when they are terribly deficient in meat. Free range chickens get plenty of bugs and small creatures for protein, so they don’t peck each other. Whenever I have any kind of meat or animal bones that I don’t want, I feed it to the chickens. The bones can either be beaten up with a hammer, if you have a strong arm, or pressure cooked for an hour or more in vinegar water.
Thin Egg Shells. This is the result of a calcium deficiency in the hens’ diet. The cheap and easy way to fix this is to save all your egg shells after using the eggs, wash and dry them, and grind them up. Feed this to the hens. The more effective solution is to buy oyster shells and feed to them. I add both to their feed. It saves a broken egg if you happen to drop one or two.
Blood spots in the eggs. This is the result of bacteria in the water. Always keep fresh water available to them. Better yet, save your rain water to give them— they prefer it. Add a little vinegar to their water, if it is in a plastic container. Vinegar will rust metal containers, which will produce more blood spots in the eggs. A simple solution: cut a hole in a milk carton and put some water in it, and add a little vinegar.
Ant Killer
Here in the south, we have these wonderful (yeah right) creatures called Fire Ants. I have yet to find any way to get rid of them other than to put fire ant killer on them. I have to be really careful about it around the chickens, though, because it will kill chickens. It is poison, wrapped around cornmeal. If it is put down in the ant mound, the chickens won’t bother it, but heaped on top, the chickens will eat it before the ants get to it.
You have to love the chickens to do a good job raising them. Mine get every little scrap of meat or vegetable I can save for them. They love carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, apples and pears, peaches, etc. And they fight over any little scrap of meat. They love anything made with flour (whole wheat or white), corn, oats, etc. They will clean up termites if given the chance (so I hear). Chickens are so much fun to keep. They are an investment in my sanity during a SHTF scenario since I enjoy watching them. Farm raised eggs also make a wonderful cash crop. You would not believe the demand among people who aren’t quite ready to take the plunge into farm living, but want the best of both worlds. Before my first batch of chickens hatched, I had people asking me for eggs. I have planned to make a little sign for our road, advertising eggs for sale; I might get to that if I ever have any excess eggs. Store bought eggs simply do not compare with farm eggs. The shells are thicker and the yolks are usually a dark, deep orange. The eggs have 4-6 times as much vitamin D, 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more Vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more Vitamin E, and 7 times more beta carotene than caged eggs. And no one will ever be able to convince me that caged chickens are happier than my free range chickens, and happy animals make happy meat and eggs.
Mr. Rawles-
I continue to enjoy your blog. I read with interest Pat Cascio’s review of the MGI Hydra rifle.
I can think of a one very good scenario where such a system is very valuable: In a political environment where licensing restricts the number of guns that one can own. The Witness brand semi-auto handguns are popular in Europe for this very reason. One receiver can support several different caliber conversions. Unfortunately, those same places usually take a dim view of private ownership of AR-15 style weapons platforms, so other restrictions may prevent ownership in any case.
For most people, the Hydra is a solution in search of a problem. The caliber conversion costs as much or more as entire, good quality firearms. Certainly as much as complete uppers in various calibers for the AR-15 platform. For the cost of a Hydra rifle and a single caliber conversion, one could purchase two good quality AR-15s in different calibers. Or an AR-15 and a very high quality bolt action rifle with good optics. Or a rifle and two good pistols. And so on. The parts swap process, although described as reasonably quick, is not conducive to portability or longevity. Loose parts get lost in the field. In SHTF times, servicing the Hydra platform to replace a broken part could prove very difficult or impossible. I appreciate Pat’s reviews, but this one seems like a product that preparedness-minded folks should avoid, unless they have a lot of spare money that doesn’t need to be going to other, more appropriate preparations. Thanks, – Rich S.
JWR Replies: One other legal circumstance would also make the MGI Hydra a good choice: Locales where particular cartridge chamberings are restricted. In Mexico and France, for example, there are restrictions on having firearms chambered in currently-issued military calibers. This explains why both AR-15s and Mini-14s have been chambered in .222 Remington. It also explains the popularity of Colt M1911 pistols chambered in .38 Super. (Both 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP are restricted in Mexico.) A rifle with quick-change barrels would be a real advantage, especially if laws were to change rapidly. Your rifle could easily be adapted quite rapidly.
Jim,
I’d like to put my two cents in the coffee discussion. I work with a major coffee roaster and I know we and probably no other roaster in the country packages stale coffee. When beans are roasted they can be exposed to oxygen for a long time with out going stale. However, when the beans are ground they do have to be packaged quickly or they will go stale. If our ground coffee is not packed within 28 hours it is sent to the compost center.
The comment about the coffee being packed stale because other wise the bags would "blow up" is misleading. After the coffee is ground is gives off a lot of CO2, as it gets older less CO2 is released. If you were to put fresh ground coffee into a sealed bag, the bag would in deed expand greatly. That is why most if not all roasters have a one way valve built into the bag, the CO2 is released as the coffee outgases and no oxygen is allowed in the bag to make the coffee stale.
Our coffee has a printed shelf life of nine months, but it would take a real coffee expert to tell the difference in taste if the coffee was several years old. – L.C.
I’m sure that most SurvivalBlog readers watch precious metals prices closely. Friday on the COMEX was amazing: Spot gold at $1,486.40 per ounce and spot silver at $43.05 per ounce! At this point, it is best to wait for a big retracement before buying any more.
Big banks are government-backed: Fed’s Hoenig
Reader G.P. suggested this Daily Mail article: $5 gas by summer? Prices near $4 a gallon as frugal Americans cut back at the pump (and some even start stockpiling food)
Goldman Sachs Calls the Top in Oil and Metals: Clients Advised to Close Positions. JWR’s Comment: Given the market fundamentals, I’m dubious. But as I recently mentioned, this would now be a good time for anyone that bought gold at less than $750 to sell up to one-third of their gold and immediately reinvest the proceeds in other tangibles, to diversify.
G.G. sent this: U.S. Deficit to Rise to Largest Among Major Economies, IMF Says
Larry T. recommended this article: Chinese Real Estate Bubble Pops: Beijing Real Estate Prices Plunge 27% In One Month
The latest FDIC Friday Financial Failure Follies: New Horizons Bank and Bartow County Bank, both in Georgia.
Items from The Economatrix:
Stocks Edge Higher But Leave Banks Behind
Rising Gas Prices Push Wholesale Costs Higher
Senate Report: Goldman Sachs Behind Economic Crash (But the government helped too by not providing oversight)
Americans Saving Money By Purchasing Old Military Equipment. (A tip of the hat to Sue C. for the link.)
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Timothy R. flagged this: New Bill is Direct Threat to Ham Radio
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Frequent content contributor Pierre M. sent this: Yellowstone Supervolcano Bigger Than Thought. Be sure to follow the infographic link.
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Safecastle is conducting a non-fiction video and article writing contest that will last from March until the end of 2011. SurvivalBlog writing contest winners are automatically included in the judging. Safecastle is giving away more than $12,000 worth of gear. Some of the prizes include: Joey-XP Teardrop Trailer, list price of $7,065, an EcoloBlue 30 atmospheric water generator, list price, $1,500, a Katadyn Pocket water filter, value $320, and an Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrators, value $275. For details about the contest, visit this forum thread. Questions or comments about the contest can be posted here.
“[There is] treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.” – Proverbs 21:20 (KJV)
April 15th is traditionally Tax Day here in the U.S., although this year it falls on Monday the 18th, just so that everyone can can both celebrate Emancipation Day and have a fun-filled weekend of self-flagellation assessment. The good news is that April 15th is also opening day for the new Atlas Shrugged movie.
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Today we present another entry for Round 34 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:
First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).
Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.
Round 34 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
Preparing for an uncertain future when living in an apartment or a condominium (“condo”) can be a struggle. When the Lord has not chosen to give you land to work with, you work with what he has given you, knowing first and foremost that he is your first retreat, and no matter what happens, “All things work together for the Glory of the Lord…”. There are many limiting factors when you do not have the smallest amount of land. And if you are reading this, you probably agree that our future has many uncertainties from economic, to natural, to spiritual. I would like to share a bit of my families walk in this world that the Lord has chosen for us.
Our Situation
As a starter, I have been married for 12 years, and have two wonderful children who are not in school yet, although when the time comes, we will likely do home-school. Our finances are poor, weighted down by circumstances beyond our control, and poor spending habits from our youth, so living on a budget is a new thing for us. We have lived in our condo, that is for all intents and purposes, an apartment on the top floor, with neighbors beside and below, for five years. Our condo is in a cold climate, with a very abbreviated growing season, but with much hunting and wilderness close by. Still, as you might expect, the condo is in a small city, about 80,000 population, and not in the best neighbor hood. During our time here, we have learned many lessons, and would like to share those with you.
Setting Goals
Before you start anything, it is wise to have a plan, and a destination. Our goal over this time has been to prepare for any situation that may arise, so that we will be self sufficient for 30 days minimum in our condo, and then have resources to contribute should we be forced to relocate.
Water
The first concern of any prepping situation should always be water. It is the most vital component of any survival situation, second only perhaps to shelter. You can understand the difficulties of storing watering an apartment, but there are some things that can be done. The 5 gallon office jugs that are used in office are great for storing gallons of water, and can easily be stored in a closet. For 30 days and 4 people, it was decided that 30 gallons would have to do. Worthy of note, is that you should still add a cap full of water purifier to this, since it will be stored for a long period of time, and should be rotated about once a year. This provides a gallon a day, and could be supplemented by a nearby creek. This is the next step in our water prep plan, to have a water filter capable of handling raw water to supplement what is on hand. Also an option I have considered, is installing a large water tank in the condo (in a closet or under a cabinet) and have all the water run through it, so if the water goes out, there will still be a large tank of water we could draw from, and it will constantly be rotated and fresh. This will take some investment though, and handyman work, so for now, the 30 gallons and filter plan will have to do.
Food
Food storage is also an issue that has special considerations. Space being the most obvious. For living in an apartment, all the same food rules apply, but I would say that storage is a bit different. Here again, a converted closet fills in as a Larder. When an item is used up in the pantry, it moves in from the Larder, and you go shopping for the larder. But there is a catch for the apartment dweller, so everything is made mobile. Placing everything in 5 gallon buckets, that may or may not be sealed, but this makes them portable in case the need to relocate comes up. Also, there are no ‘root cellars’ or basements in apartments, and not in our condo. So keeping things cool dry and dark becomes an issue, and the 5 gallon bucks with gamma lids seems to work will, especially with mildew issues, that seem to happen.
Expanding food stores to a year or more is something else that is a important, but as the space is an issue, has to be handle carefully. We decide to diversify our food and store it within our community of friends, so if a retreat is necessary, we will have already been contributing to them, and relocating should be a little easier.
A surprise is that a garden is not out of the question. Although it is small, the association or manager may allow you to put up a small garden were flowers or anything else may grow. We setup a square foot garden behind our unit. Its not private, and pretty open to the neighborhood kids, but it is better then nothing, and also teaches us need to know stuff information for when the Lord decides we may have a home.
Fuel
Fuel is a large concern for apartment dwellers. It is dangerous to store, and very needed when temperatures can reach 20 below zero (Fahrenheit) all winter, and even colder, at times. Not to mention the need to cook, and power for other living needs. Our solution at this time is to make sure we can last for 30 days, and with this in mind, we have gotten a Big Buddy heater. This has the low O2 sensor on it, and in addition, we have a CO2 detector. In our apartment, we have ventilation vents, about 6 inches in diameter that allow fresh air into the house, but I don’t think I would rely on these. When push comes to shove, there are also the dryer vent, stove vent and bathroom vent that will allow rotation with outside air. At this time we haven’t tested our heating, and possibly cooking means, but with a little piping, a heating system should be available. As for storage, Some of the small enclosed fuel for camp stoves are kept in the house, but the large propane tanks that would be required for the heating are stored outside, at a friends house within walking distance.
Security
Security for some people is large concern. I personally believe it is taken out of proportion to other needs that may exits, that is why I mention it only after 4 other points. That being said, it is a priority, and I do believe that in a worse case scenario, we would be more like New Orleans then Japan. To that end, I do have arms in the form of:
I hope to add a large caliber revolver, later.
Of more import though is the operational security (OPSEC) of keeping what you are doing out of direct light of your neighbors eyes. With an apartment dweller, this is all the more important because of the close proximity of potential threats, especially, if like me, you do not live in the greatest neighborhood. This is best handled in the obvious ways. Keeping things low key, and moving equipment and food in small amounts. [JWR Adds: I advise apartment dwellers to use musical instrument cases when they transport their guns. Used cases can often be found for very modest prices at thrifts stores or via Craigslist. ] As a follower of Christ, it is still important to reach out to your neighbors, and form bonds with them that the gospel may be spread through love, but at the same time, there is no need to broadcast your preparation plans. Here the saying is best applied, loose lips sink ships.
Medical and G.O.O.D. bag
These two I will mention as they are important to any prepper, but only in passing as these do not differ greatly for an apartment dweller then with a home owner. But there are some points that I will bring up that I think should be made.
G.O.O.D. bags are easy enough to put together, and should include a mini set of everything you would normally make for prepping. I include at the end of this a simple list of our bob bags, a starting point that we used. We put these together for less then $150 over the course of two weeks. Special attention was placed on the weight, and should be a special note to an apartment dweller, as if it comes to bugging out, you will have to hike your bag out.
The First Aid kit or Medical Cabinet as I am coming to call it is also a priority, but does not differ greatly for the apartment dweller. There was recently a fantastic post about your first aid kit (What is a Well-Stocked First Aid Kit?, by K.M.), and I will simply reference it here and say that is what we are aiming for. For preparing, there will be a medical cabinet that is currently under construction, a first aide kit for the BOB bags, and a car kit, for any camping or out of the house needs.
Retreat and Community
It is apparent to me, as a condo or apartment dweller, making plans beyond 30 days would be unreasonable, as the logistics and OPSEC become more and more complicated and dangerous with each passing day. The time to move out to a retreat would be highly dependent on the situation. Should there be an event were a break down in society takes place, waiting 30 days may be suicide. But this is very situational, and should be handle as such. I would add to this only that you should not push it, if you wait until the last minute when the decision is obvious, it may be to late.
Now a retreat is not like it sounds to to most, and perhaps I should not call it so, but for the lack of a better word. Here it means going someplace for the long term, a year or more. This could be a friends house, or perhaps a relative, but someplace planed far ahead of time, as dropping in on anyone only adds to your problems, and theirs. This will likely get you turned away, even by the best intentioned people, when it comes to choosing your family or theirs. So Planning ahead is important, probably the most important, and this leads into community.
By connecting with like minded people in your area, you can begin to plan ahead. Finding out what they need, and building relationships that will endure. You can learn skills that will add to the group, buy things to supplement what they have or add to needs that they may have already. This will provide you some place to retreat to. It is highly advisable that you pre-stage food and other things there ahead of time. This proves your commitment to them, and at the same time diversifies your assets, in case of fire or other eventuality, all your resources are not lost with your apartment.
Something else that can be considered in conjunction with the retreat portion is a trailer. Getting a trailer, or a pop-up camper, is a great way to expand your flexibility. You may not be able to keep it in your apartment parking lot, but by setting one up, you add to you storage space, add space to store volatile things best stored outdoors, and also provide a living space in case you are forced out at the apartment.
Don’t get down yet, there are some positives for being an Apartment Dweller!
Education-Training
This deserves its own special section. Lets face it, if the SHTF, then apartment dwellers are going to need someplace to go. But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Everyone can’t know everything, and as an apartment dweller, you can make yourself much more valuable to your group by learning and expanding skills that will be needed. In addition to two strong arms and like minded faithful Christian loyalty that any apartment dweller can bring they should also be able to bring other skills, like Sewing, woodworking, cooking with raw ingredients, baking, engine repair, and many others. Personally, I am focusing on butchering, as that is what is needed in my community. So I am gathering those skills, as well as some of the specialized equipment that demands. This coincides with planning ahead for your retreat, so people are not doubling up on skills, and invests you in the group, even if you don’t have your own dirt.
Communications
Communication is a point that is often overlooked in prepping. If a community wants to be effective in coming together and working together, then they will have to be able to communicate in a grid down situation. This is actually an asset for the apartment dweller. Communications gear, and ham radio training is relatively cheap, and with little creativity, is easy enough to keep out of sight. For the community, which is likely not in the middle of town, information will become more important then gold. This is were the apartment dweller can and should shine. Just like a scout that feeds information back, the apartment dweller can do the same, and holds a highly valued place in the system in which they support. Countless people have died for lack of good intelligence, and an apartment dweller can give this back to the group like no other.
Conclusion
I often wonder why the Lord keeps me where I am, I have tried to move into a house 5-6 times, and it just was not to be. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do your best to prepare. When “you see the red sky in the morning” you should prepare for the storm. And to those who may think that an apartment dweller has nothing to offer, think again, the Lord has placed us all exactly where he wants us. All things work together for the Glory of the Lord and those who serve Him!
As a final point, I have found very little for apartment preppers, so I have started my own little blog. Please drop by. If I get enough interest, I will keep up with daily posts and tips on prepping while on a budget and living in an apartment.
Appendix–My G.O.O.D. Bags Contents:
Bag X2 Waterproofing Clothes Base layers Fleece pants Fleece shirts Wool socks Hats Gloves Undies Diapers Covers for Diapers Re-usable wipes for diapers Ring Sling Packable rain coats/ pants x4 Gun and ammo Water Food 6-8 Mountain House meals Chocolate Blanket–wool or emergency blanket Fire Matches Magnesium or fire key Fuel, steel wool, fire sticks Propane cook top Camp cooking set Knifes Sharpening stone Leatherman Saw Hand axe Machete Tarp Compass Magnifying glass Mirror whistle Duct tape String & rope & hooks & Carabiners Documents – copies Cash Optics–binoculars Traps–rat traps Emergency radio Batteries Water filter Pencils, paper, books Waterproof cards Survival books Portable med kit Insect repellant Fishing box Sewing box LED Flashlights and headlamps Children’s bags – Blanket, bottle of water, food, book, and stuffed animal
Update, October, 2011: This review has been updated to NEGATIVE. To explain: In my original review, I had posted favorable comments on the MGI “Hydra” rifle system. I am withdrawing that positive review, and alerting SurvivalBlog readers to NOT purchase this product. While the sample I wrote-up in SurvivalBlog worked flawlessly, I have been informed of some serious quality control problems with current production Hydra rifles. Several SurvivalBlog readers who placed orders have received defective guns. One SurvivalBlog reader, after many months, finally did get a working Hydra. Another SurvivalBlog reader is still waiting. He returned his Hydra before he even took it out of the gun shop – it fell apart. And now, despite numerous attempted contacts, he can’t get any response from MGI nor have they offered a refund.
It would appear that we were all disappointed to one degree or another. So, be advised that I recommend that you DO NOT do business with MGI until they have corrected their quality control problems and have established a good reputation for customer service in rectifying their past mistakes.
As with many guns and calibers, there is a debate over which rifle is “better” – the AR-15 style or the AK-47. Once again, I’ve avoided this debate, and as I have said before, there is “no better” when it comes to certain guns and calibers. One of the things folks don’t like about the AR-15 style of rifle is the caliber .223/5.56mm – some say it’s not powerful enough to reach out there and touch someone compared to the 7.62×39 (AK-47) round. Many say the .223/5.56mm doesn’t penetrate deeply enough compared to other rounds, especially the 7.62×39 round. I’ll not disagree entirely to the above statements. Many feel that nothing less than a .308 Winchester round will do for their survival needs. We can debate which is “best” from now, until the cows come home, and the argument will never be won. I’ve been writing about guns and knives for about 18 years. And, any more, it takes a lot to really impress me in a new gun or knife. So many guns and knives are so much alike to another design, it can make your head spin. In steps the MGI Military “Hydra” modular rifle.
The Hydra is a true modular rifle based on the ever popular AR-15, with a few new twists of its own. The Hydra can be set-up as your basic AR-15 style rifle – firing the .223/5.56mm round, and it comes with a free-floated barrel for added accuracy, as well as a quad-rail handguard and flat-top receiver for mounting your favorite optic, laser, red dot or regular sights. If that’s all the Hydra did, it would be a good rifle, it’s a big step above many of the economy AR-15s on the market, make no mistake about that. What we have in the MGI Hydra is a rifle/carbine that can easily and quickly change from one caliber to another – in about a minute and a half. The Hydra can change from a plain ol’ .223/5/56mm to a good number of other calibers in less than two minutes, with no special tools. That is the good news. The bad news is that in recent months, serious quality control issues have emerged.
My Hydra is set-up with the standard .223/5.56mm 16″ barrel. I also have conversion kits so I can use AK-47 mags, 9mm Colt AR mags and Grease Gun mags. I have four different calibers I can shoot through my Hydra, and I’ll be looking at getting the conversion kit so I can shoot 9mm Glock magazines – for this, I only need to purchase a mag well that takes 9mm Glock mags – I already have a 9mm barrel and bolt. I added a flip-up rear sight, and a LaserLyte green laser to the quad-rail. the LaserLyte green laser is bright – it can be seen in bright daylight, and is military tough. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio
Sir:
In the recent article Coffee in a Post-Collapse Society, the author is talking about Arabica coffee being only cultivated near the equator. Robusto green coffee can be grown in the southern states like Florida, south Texas (same latitude as Cuba, a coffee producing country) basically any place that citrus can grow, Robusto coffee can grow. Robusto coffee can grow at low altitudes although it is not know for it’s high quality taste. Robusto coffee beans that are used mostly for instant coffee and a blend with Arabica beans in espresso for a creamier foam.
Yields for Robusto coffee are about 1-2 pounds per bush. For more information, visit the Talk About Coffee web site.
Coffee bean trees are sold as ornamental plants in the south. Available at nurseries that sell ornamental houseplants. Regards,. – M.B.
James Wesley:
Following the link in the coffee article to purchase a [hand-crank coffee] grinder, I found it was no longer available [from that vendor]. But I found the same model, Kyocera Ceramic Coffee Grinder
Jim,
I’m not sure that T.R.’s comment about most ground coffee in stores being allegedly stale is the most important consideration in a post-Schumer-hits-the-fan environment. I hardly think that in the midst of a major crisis, people will complain that they aren’t getting freshly-roasted coffee beans–most people who drink coffee will be happy to get any coffee at all, as long as it doesn’t taste like it’s been exposed to open air for an extended period of time. Having said that, just because coffee is already roasted and ground doesn’t mean it necessarily tastes subpar, except to “coffee snobs” who should be happy they’re getting coffee at all when Starbucks should be the least of their concerns. There is good coffee out there, it just takes a bit of personal research to find what you like.
My coffee of choice, Cafe Bustelo (which should be easy to find in most major grocery stores across the U.S., and it’s very common in the Southeast and especially in Florida), comes in vacuum-sealed steel cans that require a can opener to open them–none of those flimsy foil flaps that are so easy to puncture. Not only is it pretty darn hard to compromise the vacuum seal in a sealed steel can under most normal storage circumstances, but the Cafe Bustelo cans, being all metal, are also very handy as storage containers after the coffee is gone. And at less than $3.50 a can at Wal-Mart, it’s a pretty cheap barter and/or personal item to stock up on.
And if things get bad enough, coffee could also be a type of “currency” that can buy you protection or get you out of a dangerous situation. I know that a lot of people are uneasy about the thought of this sort of bribery, but if it helps save the lives of your family or loved ones in an already-bad situation, it’s worth it. I’ve been reading Martin Gilbert’s book “The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust” and there are a number of accounts in the book of people in WW2 Europe doing whatever it took, even bribing officials with various items, to help save Jews and others. I think that given the economic Armageddon approaching the Western world, coffee will be just as valuable as it was in war-torn Europe. – S.C.
Hi Jim,
Just a note about today’s coffee post:
Coffee is a xanthine (same a theophylline, used to treat asthma). When I spent a year in rural Turkey (archeology dig), my allergist told me about using coffee for a vaso-dilator in a pinch. I found it helpful, and two Turkish coffees in the morning reduced my lung inflammation. This was 25 years ago.
Here’s a link to more recent studies. Thanks for all you do. Blessings, – Mary Beth
Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) mentioned this chart: The U.S. Misery Index, showing unemployment and inflation. Note that the numbers for the last 16 years are artificially low, because the back room boys have been monkeying with the inflation statistics. (They have been made artificially low, by the advent of hedonic adjustments.)
Reader RJK wrote: “Jefferson County, Alabama will be bankrupt by July of 2011 and the bankruptcy will exceed that of Orange County, California. The county is going bankrupt because the county commissioner engaged in [derivative] interest rate swaps that exceeded the level of debt. He and the investment advisors are now known by inmate numbers.”
Several readers sent this: Inflation, using the reporting methodologies in place before 1980, hit an annual rate of 9.6 percent in February, according to the Shadow Government Statistics newsletter.
Pierre M. spotted this: Budget tricks helped Obama save programs from cuts.
Items from The Economatrix:
Consumers Buy More Retail Goods in March
Job Openings Rise to Highest Point Since September ’08