Gauze and Water: A Combat Medic’s Guide to Preparedness Medicine, by Walker

First a little background: I am an Army Medic with combat experience. I have been a prepper since before I knew what prepping was. I teach wilderness survival and self reliance to the youth in my community as well as hunt, smith and homebrew. This is my personal take on the medical supply situation on a thirty six to seventy two hour bag basis. I have noticed that there have been several articles not just on this site but just about every other site I frequent about first aid kits and the ideal supply list. First off I have to say that many Americans may not be able to afford, let alone use 90% of some of the things I have seen listed. Now, granted, a band aid is a band aid and Neosporin is a cultural must in most American homes, but the addition of a c-collar or a NPA can be downright dangerous in the hands of a mall ninja. Secondly, some of these items are mostly hard to get and expensive. A collapsible liter is an item that I have seen recently, they can run you more than $100 apiece. C collars that are high quality can be $45-$50 dollars or more, and Lidocaine is something that you have to have a prescription for in most places. My third and final point is that a well stocked first aid kit is going to weigh in at upwards to 45-to-55 pounds… trust me I know. (I carried one for a total of 26 months in the desert.)

Now that I have gotten the rant out of my system, I will get down to brass tacks. Statistics show that in a disaster situation the three most common injuries are orthopedic injuries to long bone and small joints, lacerations to face, head and hands, and hypothermia. Once you get out beyond thirty six hours there will be infections, dehydration and stomach illness to worry about. So, in a nutshell I have eliminated most of the supplies that you would think to put into your gargantuan bugout bag.

The title of this article is “Gauze and Water.” This is an old medic’s [half-joking] guideline when packing for short jaunts into hostile fire territory. It eliminates the need to carry all the superfluous gear that we would normally take with us and it helps movement by lightening the medic’s load into something that is tolerable. For example, my jump bag has very few things that would be considered “advanced” first aid gear. My list is as follows:

  • One IV kit with 1000 ml normal saline
  • Four roller bandages (Kerlix)
  • Two medium Israeli combat dressings
  • One abdominal dressing
  • Two S.A.M. splints
  • One roll of three inch silk tape
  • One Combitube airway
  • Two rolled Mylar blankets
  • Three triangular bandages
  • Two C.A.T. tourniquets

With this kit I can treat up to five seriously injured patients to include airway and C-spine consideration. As most statistics show, combat wounds these days are primarily gunshot and shrapnel type wounds that cause severe blood loss. This method of injury causes the body to go into Hypovolemic shock and can kill in a matter of minutes if not seconds. Secondary injuries are long bone and digital injuries from blasts and vehicular damage that translates into bodily injury. Hypothermia comes in the later stages of shock and also as we all know is a big killer. Mostly we can treat any bugout situation as a combat situation in that your life is more than likely on the line.

For the seventy two hour period we can add in some Neosporin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Vagisil, and some Loperamide to treat about ninety nine percent of the small injuries and illnesses that may occur. Tylenol and Ibuprofen can be taken together as they are processed through different organs in the body but do the same thing, they alleviate pain and ease damaging inflammation. Ranger cocktails are 625 mg Tylenol and 800 mg ibuprofen every 6-8 hours. This combo can bring pain relief to most injuries that may occur. Neosporin or Bacitracin can be used to prevent and to treat some minor wound infections. The Vagisil is for fungal infections, such as athletes foot, jock itch and yes, vaginal yeast infection. Loperamide is a medication that is used to treat diarrhea. Again, please keep in mind that I am a medic and not a doctor so please do not let this serve as medical advice, this is just to inform you of treatments that are used for minor upsets and illnesses.
Off all the equipment in the list so far, the most challenging things to acquire and utilize will be the IV kit, and the Combitube airway. These are advanced interventions and as such , it would be best if you took a course to teach you the proper methods and indications for use. As for everything else there is nothing there that does not belong in a basic first aid class. With it you can stabilize most any patient, whether it be yourself or a loved one in a bugout situation. Special consideration must also be taken for anyone in your family or group that may take sustainment medications, such as High Blood Pressure meds, Diabetes meds, Neurological disorder medications or even contraceptives. Most of these medications can lead to a serious health issue or even death if the patient does not take them. Also consider that if you are taking anti anxiety medication or anti depressants and you aren’t taking them during this high stress bugout situation then you may experience a nervous breakdown at the wrong time or perhaps a psychotic break. Either way it will not be pretty or beneficial to the situation.

Now that I have outlined a more practical…. let’s say, concise, first aid kit. I want to relate a story about some of the injuries that have been treated with this very same “Jump Kit”. On patrol in Iraq, my unit was hit with RPG fire and a small arms ambush from about two hundred meters away. As you would expect, there was more than enough chaos without hearing “Doc!” coming from three different directions. As I made my way around our position I noticed that there were a total of four men hit. Two were serious head and facial trauma from the RPG blast, one was a bullet wound to the leg and the other had impaled his right forearm on a piece of rebar. Because I was more concerned with the soldiers with head and facial wounds I threw my tourniquets at the soldiers tending the bullet wound and the impalement so that they could perform the task of stopping serious blood loss from occurring.

Upon reaching the two soldiers that were injured in the blast I saw that one was conscious and the other, not. Since the one that was conscious could still talk, one must assume that his airway was fine so I moved on to the unconscious soldier. He had severe lacerations to his head with some bruising around his left temple as well as a large chunk of flesh from his lower jaw was missing. I immediately secured his airway with the combitube and applied a Kerlix to stop the bleeding from the jaw wound. With a little help from a ventilation bag, we kept the patient alive while I dressed his wounds and the other head trauma patient. Once that was done I assessed the other injured soldiers and used the S.A.M. splints to secure and pad the impalement and used one of my Israeli dressings and my last Kerlix to dress the gunshot wound. Once the dust had settled and we were ready to evac, I used one of my Mylar blankets to ensure that the soldier that was intubated was covered and warm. I still had not used up a few of my supplies and I didn’t have to drain the evac crews supply when they resupplied me.

Hopefully I have shown you that there is no need to go out and buy everything and the kitchen sink to stock a great first aid kit. Don’t concern yourself with band aids, the uses of kerlix are amazing and with the silk tape with the kerlix you can make miles of band aids of any size and configuration. The minor upsets that may plague you can be no greater than what you have prepared for with the few meds you will have to carry. And with all that space saved you can carry extra water and socks, and perhaps a small flask of scotch to sit back and relax with… or sterilize a wound with. So now, go out and prepare for your personal disaster and be prosperous. Think logically, and do not let prepping become all consuming, you still have a life to live.

How to Find Helpful People Around You, by K.W.

I have lived in the UK for the last 25 years, but the first 25 years of my life I spent in what is now called an ex-Soviet block country, so I have a view from both sides.
In the Eastern Europe people would generally be more interdependent, for the simple reason that the society was less commercialized. In the West you can usually buy anything you need, so the biggest issue is to have money to purchase goods and services. In the East there was more reliance on the informal means, especially when times got tougher. Younger people, who have less money, by necessity would use these methods more.  If the society were to simplify itself and our relationships became more local and reciprocal, then those interpersonal skills would become more important than they are now.
Over the years I found that it is useful to know WHO to help. Helping others should be a two-way street. Unfortunately some people will use your help without appreciating your effort and they would not help you back if or when you need it. This note is about how to identify those who are not like that.

LIMITATIONS. I need to mention that there will be people you would always want to help without asking for anything in return – either because they are important to you or you know that they are in absolute need. Alternatively you are helping because you think that an idea or an organisation needs supporting. Or you are interested in the work itself and want to gain experience. This essay is not about those cases.

PURPOSE.  This essay is purely on how to test your acquaintances to find people who are perceptive to sharing and helping. It also saves time and is fun to do. You want to identify those who appreciate the effort others expanded for their benefit and who are willing to pay back in a way they can.

STEP 1. ASK FOR HELP.  
The fastest and easiest method is to ask somebody for help. It should be something small, that is well within their capability to do, but not something they think they have to do for you. You want them to exercise their judgment. If they do it – you thank them, reciprocate at a later date and they get onto your mental list of helpful people.
Unfortunately  I found it quite hard, as I am not good at asking for help, so I haven’t developed the techniques in this area.

STEP 2. SET-UP AN EXPERIMENT.
This step is of limited use, but it still can give you an insight into how people operate. It is to set-up an disguised experiment, testing if people reciprocate. You set up a common resource and tell people that they are free to use it, but they should replenish what they have used. Then you discretely observe it over a prolonged time and make a mental note who replenished the used resource. You might find (as I did) that very few people will. While they would always pay back the money they borrowed, they don’t think of a common good the same way.
Example – some months ago I set up an informal scheme at work, where I put some chocolate on one of the cupboards and invited people to help themselves. I told them that if they think they have eaten a whole slab, they should buy a new one and replace it. This was running for several months. Many ate the chocolate, few replaced it, so you could be forgiven in thinking that the experiment was a failure. But it had some other benefits: it provided a nice atmosphere, nobody (but me) would take the last piece (which shows some appreciation) and if I identified some people who would have a communal spirit, that would be a bonus.
Another method would be to notice who buys drinks in a pub and if people buy their share. This is less likely to be meaningful, because there are relatively strict social rules about it (at least in the UK), and you want to test peoples’ hearts, not their adherence to the rules.
NB. This experiment is not worth doing unless the participants are all local – if they live far away, their helpfulness is of limited use if conditions deteriorate.

The following steps are dealing with what to do when somebody you know asks you for help and you are in a position to exercise choice; you are not obliged to help them. If your acquaintances know you as a practical person, you probably will be asked to help them quite often. When you are – this opens an opportunity for a new experiment.

STEP 3. ASK A ‘MAGIC QUESTION’.
When you are asked for help, say that you will help them, but first that person has to do something small to facilitate it. Usually there are some things that have to be done in preparation for the main work. Note that the person’s effort you are asking for can be small in comparison to the bulk of work required.
There are two reasons for this approach: first is to weed-out people who ask you to help them because they can’t be bothered to do it themselves and are too stingy to pay somebody else to do it as a part of their job. Secondly, if it is important to them, you want to help them.
You will be surprised how many people give up at this stage. If they do give up, it shows that they just wanted to use you as a source of free labour; you gain this new information and save yourself time and effort. Also people in this frame of mind don’t appreciate the efforts of others, so helping them would not be an investment either.
If they jump through this hoop, you know that the project is important to them (because they were prepared to invest some effort in it), so your work is more likely to be noticed.
Example 1:
Q: Could I borrow your wallpaper stripper, please?
A: Sure, but would you ring me tonight and remind me to put it in the boot of my car? Otherwise I will forget. My memory is pretty bad.
Example 2:
Q: Could you come to my house and put-up some shelves, please?
A: Sure, can you write which tools of (xxx type) you have? Also you will need to buy (screws, ….. –list here). Let me know when you are ready.
Example 3:
Q: Could you set-up my web-site, please?
A: Sure, I think the best approach would be if you designed it on a piece of paper, together with its functionality. If you need any patterns or pictures, would you collect those in one folder too? Let me know when you are ready.
Example 4:
(At a campsite)
Q: Would you be so kind and darn my socks, please?
A: Sure, but only if they are clean.
Note that in each of those cases you come out as a really helpful guy, even if that person doesn’t take you up on the offer. This is a ‘magic question’.
The beauty of the ‘magic question’ approach is that it doesn’t only apply to voluntary arrangements – it can also be used at work or in any other interpersonal exchanges: (Does the client really need this project to be done so quickly? Does my child really want that toy so badly? Does my wife really want that wall painted?).
The ‘magic question’ technique should be practiced whenever the opportunity arises, then it becomes a second nature. Children are perfect test subjects for practising the skill, because they ask for help a lot. They will also enjoy helping with the execution.

STEP 4. DO THE WORK TOGETHER.
 Once that person jumped through the first hoop, it is time to do some work. This becomes more job-specific, but the general rules are:

  • make sure that you are helping the person, not doing the job for them. So if there is any part of the job they can do – they should.
  • If possible, they should stay with you while you are doing the work. There are four reasons for this:  First – they learn how to do the tasks, so it improves the practical skills of the people you know. Second – they may be able to do smaller tasks, which are helpful (like bringing tools or making cups of tea). Third – they see how much effort you expanded; people who are not practical have no idea how long tasks take, so they are likely to underestimate your effort. Fourth: It is more fun (and safer in many cases) to do work, when there are helpers around.
  • If it is not possible for the person to help (for example in some highly technical computer work), then they still should be around, perhaps doing something else. For example they could cook dinner for you or paint a wall while you are working for them. This is not ideal, but at least they see how long things take.

You want to avoid the situation that you work on your own over several week-ends and the recipient complains that the project took so long, they would be better off going to a professional and pay for it. This may well be the case – why didn’t they?

STEP 5. APPRECIATION.
 For some time after the work is done (some weeks) tune into some signs of appreciation – a nice chat, a ‘Thank you’ note, or a mention of the results of the project and how well it works. A thoughtful and appreciative person would make a gesture showing that. If you lent something to somebody, the equipment should come back promptly in a state not worse than it was lent. It should be brought to your house, rather than you having to go somewhere to collect it.

STEP 6. RECIPROCATION.
Some time after the project is finished (weeks or months), ask the person for some (small) help. This should be something that is well within their capabilities. This could be running a small errand for you, or picking your children from school one day. Infirm people could be keepers of spare keys to your house or have a parcel delivered to their address when you are at work. Most helpful people would be delighted to reciprocate.
 Perhaps they can’t help you for good reasons – then they would normally say why they can’t help; it would be very specific and followed by an offer to do something else. But if they give you a feeble excuse (like ‘I don’t have time’ coming from a person with no children and no job), then you know they are just parasites and don’t help them again.

SUMMARY.
The techniques described above lead to more knowledge of the people around you, which you may have to rely on in hard circumstances. The usefulness of this approach is that it gives you the information about how helpful your neighbours and friends are, while building better relationships with the ones you want to keep. It also saves you a lot of time and effort, as vast majority of people are not willing to help themselves. If executed well it builds good will and the people around you don’t notice that you are testing them.
The technique (especially the ‘magic question’) should be practiced as often as possible, in as many unrelated environments and relationships as you can. Eventually it becomes a second nature. It allows you to concentrate your efforts on the tasks that are really wanted, rather than dissipate your energy, because the person you are helping can’t be bothered to do it for themselves.
This better focus and knowledge about the people around you should help you choose a stronger group of friends who have helped you in the past.

Two Letters Re: Places Where SurvivalBlog is Blocked From Viewing

James,
They are now blocking SurvivalBlog along with Zero Hedge and I Hate The Media from work where I work. Yes I’m on a government network. I assume that more of the alternative media sites are going to be blocked, shortly. I’ll send you updates as they are blocked.  Thanks for your time. – C. in Northern Virginia.

Sir:
I am a full-time National Guardsman. (Sorta a rarity.)   I just discovered a change when I tried to look at SurvivalBlog, as usual, on my lunch hour. It is now a blocked [by name] on our or computer network . I suspect that is because it has “blog” in its [domain] name. I was glad to read that your announcement that you are setting up a server offshore, and that you will also have a number of mirror sites with “dotted quad” addresses, available for alternatives.

I fear that some sort of crackdown on non-mainstream web sites is coming soon, in America. (You probably heard that there were another 150 sites blocked on Monday.) Thanks for setting up multiple ways to access [your blog]. My advice to fellow readers: Bookmark the dotted quad addresses of all your favorite news outlets and discussion forums, ASAP. Be vigilant. – The Non-Captain Kirk

Letter From Mike Williamson Re: No-Name AR-15s

Dear Jim,
To add to Pat Cascio’s comments on AR rifle construction, I thought I’d share the following:

This document explains the criteria.

This chart puts them all together

One of the very critical components is the buffer tube on carbines.  The aftermarket tubes are of 6061 aluminum, versus 7075, and are milled, rather than being hammer-extruded.  They are about half as strong as mil-spec, and have less gripping surface on the threads.  This is probably one of the most critical areas of failure on the rifle.

Please note that Knight’s Armament is not mentioned on this chart, but they will happily detail the internal redesign they’ve made that from all tests and reports is superior to the standard design and materials. However, it is also much more expensive.

The AR bolt carrier group is easily replaceable, but it’s worth the extra money for the stronger components of tougher alloys to increase operating life. In addition, I differ from most and always recommend the hard chrome finish on the bolt carrier group.  While on active duty in the 1980s, I got to handle both parkerized and chromed groups side by side, and there was no comparison.  The Army went away from the chrome for several reasons, one of which was cost, but I believe this was a huge error on their part.  The chrome finish is tougher, more durable, has greater natural lubricity.  Heat treated and parkerized steel has a static coefficient of friction of about .8 (1.0 is the baseline).  Hard chrome has a coefficient of .05.  It actually performs better with minimal lube, as the surface tension of the liquid increases drag.

I will disagree with Pat on one point:  It is certainly possible to get a very accurate and functionally reliable AR in the $600 range, but it cannot be as durable in the long term as one built with better materials, which will always raise the price.  I would advocate an inexpensive rifle over none, but when opportunity presents, it should be assigned practice, range and backup duties, with better rifles taking the SHTF role. – SurvivalBlog Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson

Economics and Investing:

John R. suggested a piece by Paul Craig Roberts: Bankers have seized Europe: Goldman Sachs Has Taken Over

Euro Meltdown: This One European Country Can Bring Down The Entire EU

Courtesy of J.B.G.: Italy Is Closer To Collapse Than Anyone Realized, And So Is The World

Also from J.B.G.: Should the Fed save Europe from disaster?

Items from The Economatrix:

Occupy Wall Street’s Latest Plan: Refuse To Repay Student Debt

Hungary’s Debt Downgraded By Moody’s To Junk

Europe Bond Yields To Keep Stocks Spellbound

Why 2011 May Be A Jolly Year For Holiday Retailers

Odds ‘n Sods:

J.K. in Colorado mentioned: Another Family Lost In The Woods.

   o o o

Time to Stock Up on Lightbulbs. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

   o o o

G.G. flagged this: Guns Better Investment Than Gold?

   o o o

News from The American Redoubt: Historic Eastern Oregon hotel going to auction. (A hat tip to loyal content contributor R.B.S. for the link. His comments: “Union is cattle and natural resource area.  Yes, it would not be an easy go but if you don’t bring a Hollywood mentality with you to this part of the world, and are resourceful, someone with the right attitude might just make a go of it. It is probably a much better investment than Bruce Willis’ house that is for sale in Sun Valley for a mere $15 million.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The disciplined warrior, made irrelevant by by mechanized war, disdained and abandoned by the high-tech culture, is fading in American men. The fading of the warrior contributes to the collapse of society. A man who cannot defend his own space cannot defend women and children. The poisoned warriors called drug lords prey primarily for recruits on kingless, warriorless boys." – Robert Bly in Iron John, 1990

Pat’s Product Review: No-Name AR-15s

Over the past several months, I have been asked by many SurvivalBlog readers which AR-style rifle is the best. And, many readers mistakenly believe that some civilian brands of ARs are 100% “mil-spec.” When I explain to them that their civilian ARs, no matter who made them, are NOT mil-spec, and the facts to reinforce my argument, I don’t hear back from them.
 
So, let me explain why civilian ARs are not 100% mil-spec. Some AR makers mistakenly (intentionally?) advertise their ARs as being mil-spec, when in fact, they are only partially made up of mil-spec parts. Even Colt, who makes the M4 for the military, doesn’t produce a totally mil-spec AR-style gun for civilian use. One point of my argument is that, mil-spec guns are made to be select-fire, whereas, civilian M4gerys are semi-auto only. Secondly, mil-spec guns of the M4 variety usually have a 14.5″ barrel, and civilian guns, must by law, have at least a 16″ barrel. Additionally, if you look at the bolt carrier in most civilian ARs, they are not of the full-auto design, nor is the fire-control group. I could go on and on, but I don’t wish to receive hundreds of e-mails from readers wishing to debate this topic.
 
I’ve also heard from SurvivalBlog readers, who claim that only ARs made by the big-name gun companies are worth having, and the smaller, no-name ARs aren’t worth having – that they’ll blow-up in your hands, or they’ll fail when you need ’em the most. I’ll not argue that some ARs are better made than others, I concede that fact. However, just because your no-name AR only cost you $600, as compared to someone who has a similar Colt that easily cost twice that much, doesn’t mean they have a “better” AR than you have. Also please note, when I use the term “AR or AR-15” I’m using it as a generic term – everyone calls their AR-style guns by different names..
 
Most folks are shocked to learn, that most big name gun companies simply don’t manufacture every part they use in their guns – they contract many parts out. And, when it comes to ARs, and their parts, almost all of the AR makers have many of their parts made by someone else – who is also selling the same parts to a competitor down the road, or to a no-name AR maker. So, odds are, some of the parts in your brand-name AR, are from the same vendor that sold the same parts to the no-name AR maker. Once again, I’m not saying there aren’t better parts in some guns, or that some barrels are more accurate than others. Sometimes you get what you pay for, other times, you are over-paying simply because of the big name gun company selling a similar AR.
 
Over the years, I’ve probably owned more no-name ARs than those made by the well-known makers of ARs, and that’s a fact. I can only recall having a problem with one AR that I’ve owned over the years. This gun was made by Olympic Arms – however, someone put a different bolt/bolt carrier in the gun – they assumed, as do many folks, that it was simply a drop-in affair – it’s not! The after-market bolt and bolt carrier were over-sized and caused functioning problems. This was not the fault of the Oly Arms, it was the fault of the idiot who just dropped the parts in. I finally got the parts fitted properly, and the gun was 100% reliable after that.
 
I decided to do a mini torture test, on an no-name AR that I recently purchased at my local gun shop. This gun was manufactured by Superior Arms, and I had to do some research on the company. They’ve only been in business a few short years, but most of the reports I read on their guns were very favorable. This gun was used when I got it, well-used. The only thing I did to the gun was clean it and lube it, and check the orientation of the gas rings on the tail of the bolt – everything looked great.
 
I contacted long-time bud, Jeff Hoffman, who runs Black Hills Ammunition and requested 1,000 rounds of his 5.56 mm NATO factory seconds ammo, 55-gr FMJ. This ammo normally isn’t available for sale to the public. What we have with the Black Hills Ammunition factory seconds are reloaded rounds, and the cases might have tiny dents, or are discolored for whatever reason – they were picked out of the final inspection and classified as “seconds.” To be honest, you’d have to look very closely at a lot of the rounds to see why they were pulled during the final inspection process – which is a testament to how well Black Hills Ammunition inspects their finished products.
 
The reason I specifically requested the Black Hills Ammunition factory seconds was that I wanted to see if the Superior Arms AR would be up to the task of shooting this ammo. I figured if there were gonna be any problems, the factory seconds would cause them. Before heading out to do my mini torture test, I loaded thirty, 30 round magazines, which gave me 900 rounds of ammo to burn through, without having to reload more mags. Yeah, I know, I had 1,000-rds of ammo, but I just plain ol’ got tired of loading magazines, my thumb was sore!
 
Instead of going out to one of my usual shooting sports near my home, I headed deep into the Cascade Mountains – far from where people could hear my shooting. I didn’t want someone calling the local sheriff and reporting there was a shooting war going on near their houses. So, I was at least 15-miles from the nearest house for my testing.
 
The Superior Arms AR was clean and lubed at the start of my testing and no further cleaning or lube was done during my testing. I started out burning through the first couple of mags firing as fast as I could. I knew I couldn’t keep-up this pace for long – unless there was a Zombie hoard coming my way. So, I slowed down my pace, and towards the end of my 900 round test, my trigger finger was pretty tired, to say the least. It took me about an hour and 15-minutes to burn through all those magazines – maybe a little longer. Like I said, towards the end of the shooting, my trigger finger was tired, and the gun was extremely hot – even the trigger.
 
During my testing, there was not a single malfunction or failure with the Superior Arms AR, and no problems with the Black Hills Ammunition factory seconds that I was using. Every round went off when the trigger was pulled, and every round sounded the same – no dudes or any problems of any kind. So, what did I learn in my mini torture test? Well, that it’s a lot more work than I thought it would be – starting with loading all those magazines, and then shooting all those rounds in one shooting session. I thought the gun might malfunction or have some kind of problem when it got extremely hot – but there were no problems to report with gun or ammo.
 
As an aside, the area I was shooting in, was about a 35-minute drive from my house – and the gun’s barrel was still very warm when I got home – so that hummer really got hot during my testing. Needless to say, it took quite a while for me to get the gun clean after that shooting session. Everything inside the gun looked good to go, for another shooting session, too. Oh yeah, I’ve gotta get back out to the area where I was shooting and police-up all that empty brass – one of these days. I suspect it’ll still be there when I get to it.
 
So, what did I learn? Well, this was only one gun, from a no-name AR company – so I can’t speak for all the other no-name ARs that are out there, as to if they’ll hold up to this sort of mini torture test – but I’m betting they will – assuming you start with a clean gun, that is properly lubed and in proper working order. I’ve gone out and shot 200-to-300 rounds at a time through an AR in the past – and that was fun. However, this shooting session was work, and it just killed me to “waste” all that Black Hills Ammunition .223 ammo, too. Jeff Hoffman has been supplying my ammo needs for 20-yrs now and always fills my requests when I tell him I’m just gonna “waste” ammo. Black Hills Ammunition are good people to give your business to.
 
My Superior Arms AR has the 11″ barrel on it, with a permanently attached 5.5″ flash suppressor on it. On a good day, I can hold about a 3″ group with this shorty barrel. And, a couple days after my shooting session, I tested for accuracy again, and it was still about a 3″ group gun – which is about as good as you’ll get with the shorter barrel. I just happen to like the look of this set-up with the shorter barrel and longer flash suppressor on it. I also know that it reduces the effectiveness of the .223 round much beyond the 150 – 200 yard mark, too.
 
So, if you are on a limited budget, don’t think you have to settle for second best when you look at buying a no-name AR. Check the gun over carefully – take it apart – and if a gun shop won’t let you do that – take your business some place else. Try the charging handle – see if it operates smoothly, and try the trigger-pull as well – not that most ARs are known for outstanding trigger pulls. Don’t be afraid to buy a no-name AR just because your best buddy has a $2,500 AR of some type that he is always hyping. Odds are, when you go out shooting with your buddy, your no-name AR will shoot just as well as his expensive AR does – if not better.
 
There’s nothing “wrong” with ARs made by the big name gun companies – and I’ve owned quite a few spendy ARs over the years – some shoot better than others – but not a whole lot better. Sometimes it depends on the ammo you’re using – many guns will shoot one brand of ammo better than another – so don’t be afraid to experiment if you aren’t getting the accuracy you’d hope for. I want to give an example of a big name AR maker – I recently purchased one of the Carbon-15 ARs that is made by Bushmaster – I liked the look of the gun and the light-weight. However, this gun simply would not group – it was more like a shotgun – it “patterned” instead of grouping. I traded the gun back to my local gun shop the next day and told them about the gun. They sold it at a gun show, and told the new owner, that the gun didn’t group well – he still bought it!
 
The only ARs I tend to shy away from are the parts gun -you know the ones I’m talking about. Someone bought an upper receiver parts kit, and then a lower receiver and put it all together themselves – those guns scare me at times – I’ve owned a few – they worked, but I still wasn’t 100% sure they would keep working, or had any knowledge of the person who assembled the gun – if they knew anything about how ARs work.
 
So, if you’re on a budget, take a look at the no-name AR that might be half the price of the big-name AR next to it – you might be surprised how well-made the no-name AR is, and how well it shoots, too. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Lessons From Latvian Bank Runs

James,
I recently read an article at Zero Hedge about a bank run in Latvia.  The run was apparently brought on by accusations of embezzlement, document forgery, accounting fraud, and abuse of authority by two shareholders.  (Honestly, this is not about the US Congress emptying the Social Security Trust Fund, or Congressional insider trading)  The information on the bank’s web site refers specifically to Jon Corzine and MF Global!  “Kinda like Jon Corzine, if not by the actual authorities, then by everybody else. And just like in the US where the lack of confidence in the system following the MF filing, so in Latvia the people have decided to hit the ATMs first and ask questions later. “
 
The pictures just by themselves make the article worth taking a look.  Coming soon to a bank near you? – S.M.

Letter: Type 1 Diabetes–There Has to Be a Way to Prepare

Mr. Rawles,
I’m writing this because there has to be a better way to prepare for everyone that feels the responsibility to do so without leaving type 1 diabetics behind.  I’m hoping you or someone reading this may have answers or can help in the search.  I had been prepping for a year or so in small but steady ways.  We had covered a lot of ground, everything from food storage to medicine, woodstove, small solar, guns, gardens, you name it and we continued to punch away at our personal list.  Then it happened, my son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  It’s hard to image a diagnoses requiring more dependency on medicine, especially for a family working to be as self-sufficient as possible.  My son is 16 and until this diagnoses he had been healthy, even athletic.  A total shock, and to make it even more stunning, one of his best friends, also an athletic child, had been diagnosed only six months earlier.  These kids have grown up together and now lighting had struck twice in the same place, simply unbelievable.  After a couple of months adjusting to our new life I went to work on prep. for the most important thing in our lives, the entire reason to prep. in the first place, my son and family.  I’m doing those things that seem to be the low hanging fruit (not to be confused with being easy).  We approached his doctor about having extra supplies on hand and were given a three month prescription versus monthly.  I’m working on the alternative refrigeration, but have a plan to use a forgotten family spring house in a pinch.  I’ll likely pull the trigger on a propane refrigeration system in the next few months (right after paying property taxes).  I think it’s also likely we can obtain some prescriptions for additional out of pocket supplies from our son’s doctor and I’ll be proceeding with that once I’m certain we can store it properly.  All this would help us in a short crisis, but I’m looking for a long term solution. 
 
Have you or any of your subscribers read the very inspiring story of Victor and Eva Saxl?  To make a long story short, during WWII Eva and Victor found themselves as refugees in China, and Eva a type 1 diabetic, was cut off from her supply of insulin.  Victor refused to give in to the inevitable and using the book “Beckman’s Internal Medicine” and access to a friends “lab” was able to produce a insulin which kept Eva alive as well as several hundred other diabetics in the same situation.  I’m not certain what would constitute a Chinese WWII era lab…  The full story of Eva can be found on the Internet.  I’ve tried in vain to find a copy of Beckman’s Internal Medicine or the exact formula and process used to make insulin the old way.  Either the insulin made by Victor or the formula invented in the 1920s by Banting and Best.  I’m sure this is something the drug manufactures and public safety officials do not want to be public knowledge.  After all a person could likely do considerable harm to themselves attempting to use a homemade insulin, but in an extended emergency, knowledge for anything that a person is dependent on for life shouldn’t be a secret.  If nothing else I would like to have this information available to provide to local health officials or those with resources, if it is ever needed.  To find the book and formula/process I’ve scoured the Internet without success.  I’ve also gone as far as contacting the Banting and Best Institute at the University of Toronto.  Banting and Besting being the scientist that discovered and refined the process for animal insulin in the 1920s.  Initially the professor I corresponded with seemed extremely excited about the Eva Saxl story and the Beckman’s Internal Medicine book.  He had instructed his staff to see if a copy could be found in the Universities archives.  However, after further inquires from him as to my interest in the book, his interest in sharing information chilled considerably.  Again, I can’t blame him as the dangers and liability might be considerable, but I also can’t give up.  I’ve also spoken to state health officials regarding the availability of insulin in a national or regional emergencies and while many hidden stockpiled emergency medicines would be available to some degree, those stockpiles to not including insulin. 
 
A few weeks ago I heard my son and his friend talking on the phone.  My concerns about a possible economic collapse aren’t any secret to my family.  They are also smart kids and can watch the news same as anyone that pays attention.  They were talking about what would happen to them and how they would get insulin.  My heart nearly broke when my son told his friend not to worry, my Dad will find a way.

Economics and Investing:

J.B.G. suggested this: Pictures From A Latvian Bank Run As MF Global Commingling Comes To Town

Also from J.B.G.: Deutsche Bank: If Merkel Doesn’t Budge, ‘Our Investment Advice Is To Dig A Hole In The Ground And Hide’

Clive Maund: Gold To Profit From Economic Uncertainty

From Wired: The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin

Items from The Economatrix:

Coming–Big Austerity Cuts

17 Quotes About The Coming Global Financial Collapse That Will Make Your Hair Stand Up

Death of a Currency as Eurogeddon Approaches

Update On US Banks And The Euro Area–Things Are Looking Grim

Odds ‘n Sods:

Steve M. sent a news article with this comment: “One more reason to live full-time at your retreat”: Neighbors helping neighbors—to break into vacant houses

   o o o

Scientists create man-made flu virus that could potentially wipe out millions if it ever escapes research lab. (A hat tip to F.J. for the link.)

   o o o

Jonathan B. sent this from northern California and southwestern Oregon: State of Jefferson Rises again!

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EPA targets families that generate heat off the grid using traditional wood-burning stoves. (Thanks to Steve M. for the link.)

   o o o

J.B.G. sent this from The Daily Mail: Think we’ve got it bad? Read about the British expats whose lives have become a nightmare in violent, chaotic Greece

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The first thing I did when I turned twenty-one was go out and buy a handgun. The reason I did that was because it made perfect sense to be armed and seemed totally foolish not to be. By the mid-1970s, I became aware of the fact that there was a growing survivalist movement – everything from food to firearms to retreat property – and that people saw themselves as somehow being able to survive a nuclear war or whatever else might lie in store, if somehow they could prepare. I always believed, as does [my fictional protagonist] John Rourke, that ‘It pays to plan ahead.'” – Jerry Ahern

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 37 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 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.), 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 37 ends on November 30th, 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.

Sleeping With the Friendlies, by Heidi C.

In comes TEOTWAWKI. You grab your B.O.B. pack and lay feet to a packed truck and trailer toward a predetermined secret house in the boonies. After a long day of inventory, greetings, and ears peeled to the radio, you amp down from that first frightening night of your uncertain future. You lay exhausted, in 1 of 3 bed sheet curtain bedrooms, and suddenly find yourself all and sundry, plummeted into a collage of personalities and lifestyles you thought you were familiar with – but are you? In what once was your quiet home, your new place is full of distractions. “Who is that snoring?” “Who is practicing their guitar?” “Did someone leave candles burning?” “Is that body odor?” “Is someone having intercourse?” It all may sound a bit humorous now, but it won’t be so funny if you find yourself in a bad situation because you really didn’t get to know who’s in your group, and you didn’t establish any social rules for the group. I have a degree in Communications with an ongoing interest in Theories of Societies. And since I have read very little about living in small groups in survival forums, I wanted to dole out some advice about the challenges of living in small groups, and molding your group members and organizational plan into a decent stronghold- whether they like it or not.

I live in North Idaho, and in my experience I have seen only one small survival group so far that has it pretty well together as far as knowing each other. They are more like a Squad. They camp together, do drills together, run “what ifs” and gun talk over beers together. But they’re young, full of energy and free time, and mostly single. But honestly, the majority of people like me are ‘regular folk’ coming together with a few (new?) friends and family who all agree that they should development a plan, some supplies, and a stronghold of sorts in case of TEOTWAWKI. The result is more like a small village rather than a squad. We understand the value of pooling our resources -I have a flour mill, my friend has a James Washer.  Plus, we create safety in numbers, hence the name, Stronghold. But, many people, like myself, have ‘default’ members who are not into emergency preparation. Some have elderly parents, or maybe an unimpressed teenager or a spouse that thinks TEOTWAWKI is a cute hobby that keeps you out of trouble. Sometimes we recruit friends of friends. And, you know there’s no way your wife is going to let her best friend get left behind, even though deep down you know she, her heels and Armani purse won’t fair well in the foxhole. But most of us don’t really have a moral choice to abandon these people if the SHTF. And that’s just the beginning of the difficulties. Now stuff them all into a small place, struggling to survive.

There are many problems with small groups living in small spaces. It’s no slumber party like sometimes glamorized in books and movies. Most real-life social structures of small indigenous tribes and even more modern communes share a lot of the same difficulties and issues that a small survival community may encounter. Here are the 2 most problematic challenges to keep in mind.

Too Close: This has many connotations, but it’s solely the biggest challenge in small tribes. Although today’s society complains about a world where people are too detached, it can be disastrous living too close. A relative can be too close. Close enough to not respect you and spend time arguing with you because you were always the “bossy sibling”. Too close that you hadn’t noticed how lazy your brother is. Too close so that you neglected to know that your aunt and uncle didn’t store any food. Too close that you hadn’t really considered the fact that your parents are 75 and really can’t do anything but drain food and medical supplies- God love’m. Or too close to dismiss your rebellious 14 year old.

Too close can also mean proximity. Close quarters can feel very claustrophobic with others around. Some like lots of light, some think your wasting light. Some want to stay up until midnight talking, some need to sleep early. Some snore. Someone might find it perfectly normal to walk buck-naked to the latrine at night. These are all the kinds of situations you don’t think about until you are there, annoyed, tired, and too late for civil organization.   

Too close can also mean ‘closeness’. No one wants to hear it, but it is a big problem in tight knit communities. They get very emotionally and physically close, through hardship and locality, and through no other explanation, inappropriate intimacy can start to take place if unchecked. This was a huge problem in small indigenous Tribes where they were in very small quarters (like huts and igloos). The movie The Beach has a horrific, but realistic version of what could happen in a small community living off the grid. Granted, they lacked spirituality, so if your group has higher moral standards, the better off you are. Just make sure you all share that standard – more on that later.

Lifestyle: ‘Too close’ covers some of these issues like noise, lights, talking. But lifestyles of individuals also account for diversities in hygiene, diets, education (survival), Religion, and Ideologies (surrounding survival).

For instance, you might shower everyday, but you’d guess your friends’ friend, never showers. Granted, you might find yourself having to squeeze in bowl baths just to make you feel relatively fresh, but come on! This guy doesn’t even try! Someone else’s bad odor wasn’t what you had in mind while sitting at the communal dinner table. And speaking of dinner, whose food is whose anyway? Is it communal? Is it separate? The group must have rules.

Do you know who in your group knows what about survival? Do they have a specialty? Do they get nausea at the site of blood? Have they ever built a fire? You may very well have never even gone camping with some of these people. Some may not like camping at all! How much do you know about them? Can you trust them?  Everyone must have roles

And finally, examine your survival ideology. If someone walked up to your stronghold, what ideology will they feel from your group? Are you militant? Ex-military? Or, are you passive and hope to sneak by TEOTWAWKI by quiet evasion? Maybe you’ll play the innocent group, pretending to be a gritty backwoods family getting by only because the family hunts and fishes, keeping instead large caches? If some of your group is militant, some passive, and some play gritty, has that been explained, established, or planned for? And are all of you God loving? God fearing? Do you have a son who is Pagan? Spirituality can be a direct hit on the group’s values and it needs to be addressed. Everyone must have joint core values.

All in all, the bottom line is that every group must have roles, rules, and joint core values. If you feel you are the one in your group with the most overall knowledge and desire to survive, and no one else is taking the lead. You do it. The starting place for peace in your “village” is an organized and watchful moral leader.

You obviously need a plan – back to rules, roles and core values. I’m not giving an actual plan- making strategy–there are many articles on the Internet for that. But leading your group into a few group games and activities over Sunday afternoons, a holiday, or planned game night, it will help get your plan together and help get your “uninterested” default members a little better educated and maybe even more interested!

ACTIVITIES TO DISCOVER YOUR MEMBERS AND AND IDEOLOGY: Below is a bunch of activities for your group. By looking at your people differently (as a survival member), you can better plan the roles, rules and the core values in order to write the groups organizational handbook. And take notes!

1. Identify 5 core values that the group agrees with:
Core values are the basis on which we perform work and conduct ourselves. Examples of core values are respect, integrity, security, acceptance, belonging, choice, community, compassion, power, privacy, freedom, helping others, faith, team work, contribution, et cetera.. They govern personal relationships but requires no external justification – hence, the value to you alone. If you don’t share values, you build separation. If you don’t respect others values, you can’t have good relationships. You can find lists of values online as a starter guide to print out. Ask everyone in your group to go through these values and write down the 10 top values, which have the most resonance to them. Make sure they are thinking of Work Values, not personal values (at this point). The goal is to link 3-5 values that all of you have in common. Incorporate and integrate those values into all areas of organizational rules. 

It helps if you think of the most fulfilling times in your life, the most content, the most self confidence. You might find something not on your list.  You will find that these are the few things in life that you will “stand up for” and argue about, quit your job for, yell at your boss over.

From that list, ask each member to pick three values, not on the work value list, that are personal values to them. These are the values we need not share, but we have to respect. In order to memorize their top values, create a  “nickname”, so everyone can memorize their personal value. Try to work in this particular value with the members role whenever possible. Appreciate that persons value. Let them take control of it. Let them influence you with it. If it is spirituality, maybe they want to head up a morning of spirituality for other members. Nickname him “soulman”. If it is teaching, allow them instruct. Call her “teach” If is it learning, make sure they have lots of opportunities. Call him “Utube.”  If it is nurturing or helping others, maybe there is a space for personal counseling in the group. Call her “Freud.” Freedom? “Martin”. Teamwork? “Baseball” Make it fun, and you can even do this exercise via e-mail.

2. Discuss ethical dilemmas: Make a list of things that one may encounter in a small survival group. Read it aloud at the next get together -you will get opinions!

a. After a week in the new camp, many members are “forgetting the rules” and relying on others to enforce them. What do you do?
b. Something is stolen from the root cellar. What is the call of action.
c. John pushes James, knocking him over after a grapple over jealousy. How do you handle it?
c. Aunt Mary shows up at your Stronghold, with nothing but a broom. What happens to her?
d. One of your members has a very loud voice. How do you handle it?
e. The cook is snacking on the food as she cooks it. Is that okay? How should it be handled.
f. Someone is walking down the road with a rifle. Do you sneak down and confront them as a united front, or do you stay low and let them walk by. Why?
g. Group Dinnertime. Is it needed, or should the couples have time together? When does close get too close?
h. Someone has a dog that barks nonstop. What to do?

3. Finding Your Voice: Here are a few non-board games that will help you know your members better.

a. Your Message to the World

In advance to your meeting, ask all members to write a 10 minute speech. This is whatever you want to say, if you had 10 minutes to talk to the world on prime time television. Make it fun.

b. 3 sentences to a fallen world
This is a message to the world, given on a ham radio to “who knows who” after an economic collapse of the country.  You hold a ham radio in your (probably trembling) hand, and say what?? Make it realistic by having them hold a two-way radio or ham radio to do it. Again, make it fun!

c. Role Models

If you could meet anyone from history or from literature, who would it be and what would you ask them. What is it about that person that you admire?

4. Board Games: Below are a couple of commercial board games give you an opportunity to learn more about each other in different ways and educate them on survival situations.

The Worse Case Scenario Survival Game: Find out how much each of you know about a variety of survival subjects and learn more. It’s also a great opportunity to discover a members hidden knowledge talent.

Hunting and Fishing Trivia: Another good learning tool.

Scruples: A great game to find out each other lines of ethics and values. Prepare for couple to bicker a bit, which is a great way to understand their relationship too.

5. Make a list of ROLES people can take on in your group. Suggestions are positions like communications, logistics, cooking, gardening, counseling, medic, hunting, gathering. There are many lists of roles for a survival camp online. Make a list and start feeling people out for roles they might fit into and enjoy. Your Dad may not be able to dig foxholes, but he might be a great source of wisdom and council for others. And he might make a killer Huckleberry wine! Look for the strengths in the members whose strengths might not jump out at you at first. The exercises will help you know them better. Offer up these roles to those people. You may find them more interest than you imagined. My daughter has an interest in identifying plants in the wild, so I asked her if she would be interested in heading-up wild foods and herbal remedies. The opportunity for learning and leadership made her jump more passionately into the subject.  

6. Find your N.U.T.s:
These are non-negotiable, unalterable terms of your organization. As a group, list at least five for the group. They are like your 5 commandments of an organization. For instance, you might agree: If you steal from the group, you leave the group. Period. No exemptions. If you are late for duty, you will pull a double shift when you get there. Period. No Exceptions ever. Make sure they all agree and sign it!

Using these techniques, and all your notes, you will be better prepared to start your organizational handbook of roles, rules and core values. It can help immensely with the peace kept at your stronghold, and give confidence, security and familiarity in a situation that can be very stressful.

HOW TO DEAL WITH “DEFAULT” MEMBERS: Whether my family and friends know it or not, they are members and preparing for TEOTWAWKI. I use the below techniques all the time and it is working. I had a friend call me the other day and asked me to watch a video they found on youtube. The info wasn’t new info to me, but I was thrilled because they were engaged, learning, and riled up!

Holiday Gifts: Give up the useless sweater, and buy them something you know they haven’t bought for themselves to survive. Like long-term food! Or a B.O.B. pack. My adult daughter wasn’t much on board with the survival thing, but I assembled her an awesome “camping” pack for her birthday last year. Among the predicable camping gear, was a complete B.O.B. pack – her friends were blown away and wanted one too! This year I’m assembling one for my brother in Seattle- a more urban-earthquake ready pack.

Books: Buy and Lend them books: Patriots, One Second After, and Back to Basics. Get the audio book if they don’t read much or drive a lot. Look for specialty books that might peak interests in their particular expertise. 

Movie Night: Plan a movie night with a twist. Instead of Tron, make it The Road, or The Book of Eli or The Beach. Talk about it. I’ve also burned Youtubes for my parents, with documentaries on our economic destruction, and also on things like ‘how to plan a long term storage food cache.” And I watch it with them. Dad has decided to build a root cellar (and he’s built 2 in the past!).

The Food Bank: Ask each family to throw in $10 a week (or whatever they can afford) toward your community food bank. Each week take your $50 or so, and buy beans, rice, and others in bulk. They may not want to go out and buy stuff, but they may have no problem paying you to do it. I do this at Costco!

Activities: Invite them on hikes and just for fun, show them how to use items in your pack. Take them out shooting with your guns. Show them your stash of food goods. Get them excited and curious. Talk politics and mention videos or newscasts that concerned you. Draw them in to look for themselves without shoving it down their throats.

Make them participate. They are your family and friends after all. Go to their house for dinner or invite them to dinner, and over the after dinner chit chat and drinks, hit them with one of my six outlined activities explained for establishing roles, rules and core values.

Plan for Them: I was quite upset when my best friend didn’t have any desire to store so much as an extra can of tuna. The whole family is family to me. My initial reaction was “well don’t come knocking on my door if the SHTF!” But in realty, I know they will, and I know I will them in. In reality, I would rather die myself than to turn them away knowing they will die. So, I reduced my pride, and my pocketbook, and just starting putting away stores for them- sometimes you just have to do it. (I am grateful, however, that a year later, she is finally starting to plan for herself)!

Just remember that you can’t change them, you have to heighten the strengths that they have already.  Incorporate the core values, use their strengths, and organize the group. Take the finished plan to a meeting or distribute them by email and ask for feedback. If you take it upon yourself to be a good leader, knowing and addressing the issues that come along with small group communities and good communications, they will treat you like a great leader.