Note from JWR:

All eyes are on Japan! I just got a link to video of explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant. The Japanese nuclear experts’ conclusion: Meltdown Caused Nuke Plant Explosion. I don’t expect many radio-isotopes to make it to the continental United States, but just in case: Keep your potassium iodate or iodide handy, buy some dehydrated milk, and keep track of radiation levels. Pray hard, folks!

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Today we present another two entries for Round 33 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 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), 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 33 ends on March 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 the Inevitable Collapse of Society–The Birth of a Prepper, by D.C.

I’m not a skilled writer but I’d like to share my story. I’m currently 35 yrs old and am located in the upper Midwest. There’s no real threat where I live of flooding, hurricanes, forest fires, or earthquakes. My only major concern is a food crisis brought on by a hyperinflation of the dollar, nuclear EMP or a solar flare catastrophe.

I work an average of 50 hours per week at a factory. My pay is meager. However – I don’t waste money like most people do (cell phones, cable/satellite, full coverage car payments, dining out, etc, etc)  and so I have the extra money to do the things that I do. I’m married with four children and also have my widowed mother.

Until about 5 or 6 years ago I had never managed to accumulate much in life, living paycheck to paycheck. This was because of my spending habits and lack of concern of the future. I never prepared for Y2K basically because I didn’t believe it. On September 12, 2001 I did however spend about $600 at our local discount grocery. As I was loading up the shopping-cart I wondered why there was nobody else doing the same. I bought canned fruits, canned vegetables, and canned jack mackerel. $600 dollars worth. It took me years to eat all that food. I finally polished of the last few cans in late 2006. That was interesting. 

Then sometime in 2007 I happened upon an informational video by Ross Perot. Indisputable facts that we’re screwed. I must stress that. The facts presented in the video are indisputable. There’s no hype, no fancy footage, no opinions, no political finger-pointing, no drama. Just dry monotonous facts. But it was the tipping point in my life when I realized that I had to begin to prepare for the inevitable collapse of society.

I began by first studying food shelf life. And calculating costs. One of the first things that caught my attention was botulism. Which actually doesn’t concern me much anymore but it did at the time. I also happened upon Grand-Pappy’s “How To Survive Hard Times” and the Survival Acres web site.

I began buying #10 cans and 6 gallon buckets of dehydrated foods from Survival Acres (Everything. Beans, rice, flour, sugar, you name it). I bought a hundred pounds of non-dehydrated canned cheddar cheese from The Internet Grocer. However their canned meat prices weren’t as competitive as their canned cheese, at the time. After many, many days of Internet research I realized it was cheapest just to buy these canned meats from your local grocery store or nearest cannery (non-dehydrated canned pork, beef, etc). We drove 2.5  hours to the nearest cannery. Canned “Treet” is cheapest at your local discount grocery store. To purchase it in bulk you’ll have to special order from the manager. I want to give credit to Emergency Essentials for their reasonably priced canned freeze-dried meats. My most recent purchase was from Costco. I bought their four-person One-year Supply of canned dehydrated food. And I bought 48 lbs canned clarified butter (ghee) from Camping Survival. Also, I have found no other more convenient source for bulk sugar than Wal-Mart. Just buy a heaping grocery-cart full of bags, wrap it all in a couple of garbage bags and keep it in large storage containers. I found all of those items at Wal-Mart.

 As I said in the beginning, I work 50+ hours a week and have little time for self-preparing my own preserved foods. Cheaper it may be but honestly who has the time? I also should mention that I’m one of those preppers stuck in the suburbs. I have no bug-out option. Below is a list of my current emergency provisions. I’ve estimated this to be about an 1 year supply for 14 people. Or a 6 month supply for 28. (or a 3 month supply for 56). Should there be a nuclear attack and nuclear fall-out, considering that nuclear fallout has a half-life of 80 days, then i imagine that i could ration this food and feed over a hundred people for that amount of time. Lack of water would be the problem in that type of scenario. God help us.

I purchased the Treet because it is an inexpensive canned meat. I reason that I can make “ham & beans” with it, or “dirty rice”. Treet has added preservatives so it’s my hope that this will extend it’s shelf-life. The canned cheese is mainly a comfort food. The imitation maple syrup flavoring is obviously to make pancake syrup. The TVP wasn’t my choice. It came with the 4-person One-year Supply. It could be saved for last or reserved for barter. I bought the toothpaste at an auction.

I also bought about 200 boxes of nicotine gum from the same auction. I regret the purchase of dehydrated peanut butter. The shelf-life is reportedly only 5 years. It’s intention was for peanut butter brownies or bread. You’ll notice that it would appear that I have an insufficient supply of salt (considering that salt is imported). However, the  chicken/beef bouillon is mostly salt. Which gives me nearly 75 pounds of salt.

The regular unleaded gas is intended for cooking purposes only. The air-rifles are reserved for hunting small game, if possible. They’re nearly silent when fired compared to a real rifle. The amoxicillin tablets were purchased from a pet supply web site. The antifungals were purchased mainly to treat rashes. If nobody is taken daily baths/showers then perhaps this would be a wise thing to have around. (vaginal antifungal creams are excellent for diaper rashes, fungal skin rashes, jock-itch, athletes foot, and the like). The menthol extract was bought on eBay. Crystalized menthol is nothing more than mint extract. Mint has been used by humans for thousands of years and it’s medical uses are countless.

Here are my current provisions:

(non-dehydrated) 270 lbs canned – Treet 163 lbs canned – chicken 126 lbs canned – hamburger   84 lbs canned – beef   84 lbs canned – pork   60 lbs canned – seafoods 100 lbs canned – cheddar cheese   48 lbs canned – clarified butter (ghee)

(freeze-dried)   25 lbs canned freeze dried – beef   25 lbs canned freeze dried – chicken   58 lbs canned freeze dried – sweet peas   10 lbs canned freeze dried – broccoli     2 lbs canned freeze dried – pineapple     4 lbs canned freeze dried – mushrooms   12  oz canned freeze dried – blueberries   12  oz canned freeze dried – blackberries

(TVPs) 27 lb canned – bacon TVP 30 lb canned – beef TVP 25 lb canned – chicken TVP 10 lb canned – taco TVP   7 lb canned – sausage TVP   7 lb canned – ham TVP   7 lb canned – sloppy joe TVP

(dehydrated)* 123 lbs canned powdered – milk   80 lbs canned powdered – eggs   41 lbs canned powdered – butter   39 lbs canned dehydrated – potato flakes   20 lbs canned dehydrated – potato slices   80 lbs canned dehydrated – potato dices   90 lbs canned dehydrated – potato granules     9 lbs canned dehydrated – sweet potato   46 lbs canned dehydrated – onion   58 lbs canned dehydrated – carrots   24 lbs canned dehydrated – split peas     6 lbs canned dehydrated – celery   20  oz canned dehydrated – bell peppers   50 lbs canned dehydrated – sweet corn   75 lbs canned dehydrated – great northern beans   45 lbs canned dehydrated – pinto beans   21 lbs canned dehydrated – refried beans   24 lbs canned dehydrated – kidney beans   21 lbs canned dehydrated – small red beans   22 lbs canned dehydrated – black beans   10 lbs canned dehydrated – lima beans   33 lbs canned dehydrated – lentils 185 lbs canned dehydrated – egg noodles   68 lbs canned dehydrated – macaroni   35 lbs canned dehydrated – spaghetti 332 lbs canned dehydrated – rice 200 lbs canned dehydrated – hard wheat   18 lbs canned dehydrated – wheat cereal   18 lbs canned dehydrated – cracked cereal   24 lbs canned dehydrated – barley   30 lbs canned dehydrated – oats   31 lbs canned dehydrated – banana slices   19 lbs canned dehydrated – apple slices   10 lbs canned dehydrated – apple chips   17 lbs canned dehydrated – apple sauce     3 lbs canned dehydrated – strawberries     3 lbs canned dehydrated – raspberries     8 lbs canned – imitation blueberry nuggets   18 lbs canned dehydrated – peanut butter   78 lbs canned dehydrated – fruit drink   26 lbs canned dehydrated – chocolate drink 400 lbs canned – flour   94 lbs canned – cornmeal 200 lbs canned – instant pancake mix   47 lbs canned – whole grain pancake mix   20 lbs canned – brownie mix     6 lbs canned powdered – cheddar cheese   26 lbs canned powdered – cheese blend     6 lbs canned powdered – baking cocoa     9 lbs canned – baking powder   64 lbs canned – baking soda   24 lbs canned – beef bouillon   30 lbs canned – chicken bouillon   20 lbs canned – salt 500 lbs canned – white sugar 233 lbs canned – brown sugar   48 lbs canned – tomato powder     3 lbs canned – chili powder     6 lbs canned – garlic powder     4 lbs canned – black pepper     2 lbs canned – cinnamon   10 lbs canned – coffee     8  oz  pure vanilla extract     1 gallon imitation maple syrup flavoring   10 lbs Jello instant banana pudding 200 packs of Kool-Aid   *some items are not canned, they’re in buckets.

Gear:
1 cast-iron dutch oven     1 Coleman portable camp oven     3 Thermos type thermal cookers (available @ homedepot.com)     3 Coleman dual fuel single burner camping stove   35 gallons Coleman cooking fuel (white gas)   80 gallons regular unleaded gas   20 gallons kerosene     5 emergency kerosene lanterns   50 lantern wicks   75 large candles     2 emergency flashlights 250 disposable lighters      3 buck saws      2 two-man lumber saws

Archery, fishing gear, 3 semi-automatic rifles 3 tactical shotguns 3 semi-automatic handguns 6,000 rounds ammunition 2 spring piston air-rifles 2,000 air-rifle pellets

12  economy size buckets of detergent     2  gallons bleach     6 large bottles isopropyl alcohol     6 large bottles hydrogen peroxide   50  tubes toothpaste     1  big berkey  water filter w/ 8 extra ceramic filters   70  bottles migraine headache tablets   12  bottles amoxicillin tablets   12 suture needles   10 boxes Nyquil   10 boxes antihistamines     5 cans antifungal sprays     5 boxes vaginal antifungals     3 bottles antifungal powders   10 jars petroleum jelly     1 lb pure crystalized menthol extract   25 cans mosquito repellent 200 boxes nicotine gum 300 gallons distilled water    

120 ounces silver   10 ounces gold (fractional)

My home is paid for.

If need be I will take in select friends and extended family so that together we can defend our liberties. I will never allow an unconstitutional search of my home. Nor a forced evacuation.

I intend to Live Free – or Die Trying.

Herbal Medicine for Preppers, by Chris S.

Being able to take care of our own medical conditions is very important. Sometimes we can’t get to a doctor, can’t afford it or perhaps there will be a breakdown and there are no doctors available. I’ve found it invaluable to know what to do on my own when out on backpacking trips and an injury or sickness shows up.

In cases like this having a good knowledge of herbal medicine and having a few things on hand can mean the difference between agony and wellness or even life and death. I’ve used herbal medicine for over 20 years for livestock and pets as well as friends and family members. Having children around has provided plenty of opportunity for using herbs whether it’s a scrape that’s bleeding or accidentally eating something poisonous from the cupboard, not to mention a few colds, headaches, bruises and broken bones.

Living on a farm with livestock has also been an education. In the years I have used herbs I have never had to call in the veterinarian, everything encountered has been treatable with herbs and there have been many notable successes to prove the effectiveness.

This is a basic overview of the herbs and formulas I use regularly. It’s not intended to be a complete course in herbal medicine. I do not have all the answers, I just have a small amount of experience that may help someone someday. These are basics, I have used many things that work wonderfully but I find myself grabbing these basic things most often and am sure that if I had these few herbs on hand I wouldn’t be completely helpless, in fact, I feel incredibly rich. With that said, here’s the favorites from my herbal medicine bag.

Fresh Garlic
One of the few herbs that I use almost exclusively fresh. Freezes well too. One of my favorite antibiotics, illnesses and parasites just can’t bear to stick around when you are taking lots of garlic. For ear infections I make a garlic oil by soaking crushed fresh garlic cloves in olive oil, leaving in a warm place for 24-36 hours. Applied by dropper into the ears and held in place with cotton this has always worked for my family. Garlic works through the combination of chemicals in the plant that when combined work effectively. The goal is to combine them, and this is best done with fresh garlic. As distasteful as it may be the most effective way to use garlic internally is to chew up whole fresh cloves. Swallowing them (chopped to a manageable size) is a close second. Garlic products like pills and powders are okay but I prefer fresh. Garlic taken internally is a must as well to help fight infection.

Fresh Onions
For a bad bruise there’s nothing better. Simply slice a thin piece of onion to cover the bruise and tape it on the bruised area as soon after the injury as possible. I’ve used this many times when one of the children runs in crying after being smashed up and with the onion slice in place they are soon out running around like nothing had happened, no bruise. For tender skin I will put a little olive oil on the area before the onion as this helps keep strong onions from burning the skin.

Powdered Charcoal
Do not be caught without a good supply of finely powdered charcoal. Fifty pounds would not be too much, it’s free so there’s no reason not to have plenty. You can buy activated charcoal for some absurd amount of money in small containers but the stuff you can make yourself works just fine, I’ve saved many of my livestock that managed to eat something poisonous with it. Powdered charcoal has a mechanical action, it’s not some miracle thing, it just has microscopic pores that somehow absorb immense amounts of poisons and hold it fast. I use it internally and externally. Internally for any ingested poison, for instance, when my dog eats the rat poison, or externally for things like snakebite or spider bite. For cases of blood poisoning I clean the wound and keep a charcoal poultice on the area 24 hours a day until the red line is gone. This has worked well for everyone I have used it on.

Making charcoal is easy, simply make a nice hot fire with clean hardwood, willow is very good but most any other non resinous hardwood will work fine. Don’t use old barn boards or treated lumber. Once the wood chunks are red coals use tongs or something as effective to place the coals in an airtight and fireproof container, a metal can with a tight lid works good. Leave this filled with the coals and sealed as well as practical in the fire, adding more wood to keep the fire burning fairly well. The coals will not turn to ashes in the can because there is no air for them to burn. After the fire has died down, usually an hour or so, I take them out and let cool. Once cool I grind it all up to powder in a blender. The finer the powder the better. Be forewarned, this makes a terrific mess.

Cayenne
My number one herb. Stops bleeding, heart attacks (almost instantly) and shock. A couple of pinches of cayenne powder in a glass of water will almost always stop a bloody nose, you have to drink the cayenne water though. I’ve had kids balk, thinking it will burn, it won’t. I’ve tried it too many times and I know there’s no burning.

Raspberry Leaves
I keep some raspberry leaves on hand, especially when I travel, if I feel like I might be getting a cold or flu I have a few cups of strong raspberry leaf tea and usually this takes care of things.

Yarrow
Yarrow works like the raspberry leaf, I like the taste better. Adding a little honey to a cup of yarrow tea makes a really nice drink and it’s really good for you too.

Ginger
I like ginger tincture for motion sickness but the powder is good for adding to a hot bath. A hot ginger bath taken when sick really helps and increases the circulation quickly to help the body cleanse toxins and fight infection. Good for frostbite, colds, flu etc. Just beware, it’s rather aggressive on delicate skin and can burn. If taking a ginger bath you would do well to cover delicate areas with Vaseline.

Slippery Elm
Thank God for Slippery Elm bark! It has so many uses, for people that can’t keep food down a slippery elm gruel (powder mixed with enough water to make something like oatmeal) will usually stay down and is extremely nourishing, you can live for a long time on nothing but slippery elm bark and water. For deep wounds, large gashes or bullet wounds packing the wound and area with slippery elm bark powder mixed with water to make a paste will heal things up nicely. Don’t remove, just keep adding and keep moist by covering with a bandage and some plastic. You can moisten the dressing with comfrey tea for even better effect. I also like adding a little marshmallow root powder and/or comfrey root powder to the slippery elm for a stronger effect. Often this will heal so well there will be no scar, I have proven this on myself but it’s hard to convince people because there’s no scar to show how bad the injury was.

Comfrey
One of God’s healing gifts. I plant comfrey everywhere because I never want to be without it. The leaf and roots have the same properties but the root is stronger. I’ve used it on cuts, burns, broken bones, sprains, etc. Comfrey is also a highly nutritious feed for livestock and will help build strong bones. I feed it to my horses.

Alfalfa
Highly nutritious. When there’s been a lot of bleeding I give lots of alfalfa to help build back up. It does thin the blood a little so wait until after the bleeding stops!

Kelp
Extremely nutritious, high in all kinds of minerals the body needs for health and for growing. I feed it to my livestock and there’s a very noticeable improvement in their health and energy. When food is scarce or poor quality I’ll be supplementing with kelp and alfalfa. A side benefit is that kelp is extremely high in usable iodine and works well as an inexpensive substitute for potassium iodide during a nuclear incident.

Yellow Dock
High in iron and highly nutritious. I use it when I need a blood builder or for anemia.

Beets
High in iron and other blood building nutrients. For cases where a blood transfusion is needed but unavailable a daily dose of beet juice, carrot juice, wheat grass juice, alfalfa juice, comfrey juice, bee pollen and slippery elm will often work instead to help the person recover without the transfusion.

Marshmallow
I would venture to guess that in a time where the access to good medical care is unavailable and life perhaps is more dangerous with more chance of gunshot wounds or stepping on a nail, gangrene will be more common than it is now and we will be glad to know what to do with it. Doctors usually cut off parts of the body afflicted with gangrene, I have a better solution. Soak the area in a very strong tea of marshmallow 12 hours a day until all traces of gangrene are gone. For instance, if a leg or foot were affected I would use a steel barrel (clean) over a fire to make an immense batch of marshmallow tea. Keeping it warm, soak in the barrel as long as it takes, usually not much more than a few days. If you can’t get that much marshmallow you can use hollyhocks, which are from the same family. Another use for marshmallow is as a milk replacer substitute. When I was many years younger I raised three orphan lambs on a milk replacer made of slippery elm and marshmallow powder mixed with warm water until it would just barely go through the bottle nipple and a trace of kelp. When it was available I would add as much goat milk as I could in place of the water but it wasn’t always on hand. The lambs grew into some of my finest animals and won many trophies at the fairs.

Nettles
High in nutrients, good for when the food supplies are poor. Also great for allergies believe it or not.

Chaparral
When I need a strong blood cleanser I reach for the chaparral. Not only does it help purify the blood but it cleanses the liver as well as fights internal parasites and is an antibiotic. For regular body maintenance when conditions are less than we could wish for or for helping with infections.

Tinctures

Cayenne
If I could only grab one thing cayenne would be it. For stopping bleeding there’s not much that will work better. For bleeding I like to use the tincture internally and powder topically at the same time but you can use a teaspoon or more of the powder in a glass of water internally if you don’t have tincture. Cayenne evens out and stabilizes the blood pressure and once you have used it will be amazed at how well the bleeding stops, from nose bleeds to large gashes it works great and doesn’t burn like most people think it would. Also there’s nothing better for shock, a real stout dose internally for someone that is in shock will really help them pull through. Also works for heart attacks, while I’ve never had one myself if I thought I might be having one I would drink a half bottle of cayenne tincture immediately, then take more throughout the day. I have heard from people with experience that this works but I hope I never have to try it out.

Lobelia
If I had to pick only two tinctures that I could take with me the easy choice would be cayenne and lobelia. Lobelia is a lifesaver, and I mean that literally. In large doses (tablespoons) it causes vomiting, which can be useful in cases of poisoning. In smaller doses ( 5-10 drops) it stops spasms, such as cramps, seizures, involuntary muscle contractions. It’s also very effective at opening the bronchial tubes so when a child has croup or bronchitis I reach for the lobelia tincture.

Raspberry Leaf
Helps with making childbirth go much easier, at least that’s what I’ve been told by the women that have used it, being a guy I haven’t tried it myself. Also works great for anything I would use yarrow for.

Yarrow
I use yarrow constantly. Colds, flu, stomachache, headache. You name it, I grab the yarrow. Ginger About ten minutes after I get in a small airplane I am beginning to turn green and dizzy. Motion sickness is no fun but when I have a bottle of ginger in my pocket I don’t worry.

Elderberry
Cold? Flu? Along with garlic Elderberry works great. Alone it works great too but I like using garlic with it. Shepherds Purse Here’s a great one for putting a stop to excessive bleeding/hemorrhaging. Good in childbirth for instance.

Red Clover
A strong blood cleanser and blood thinner. Works good to help remove toxins in the blood, just remember your blood will not clot as well as usual. I made the mistake one time of castrating a bull calf that had been grazing on a rich clover pasture. He bled like a faucet.

Black Walnut
An extremely effective fungicide and vermifuge that I use for keeping my livestock free of internal parasites and problem fungus. I’ve used it just as effectively on people. Is also is a very effective dark brown stain so don’t be surprised if when you use it, for instance on fungus on your feet, you have brown skin for a while.

Parsley Root
Urinary tract problems? Anyone that has experienced this will appreciate parsley root.

Yellow Dock
Has a good quality Iron, easily used by the body. With a lot of bleeding for instance you might be glad to get a little boost to your iron levels to help recover. Also good when you feel tired all the time. Echinacea I use to turbocharge the immune system. Works good for things like spider bites too. One warning, I don’t suggest using more than two weeks at a time because the effectiveness wears off.

Usnea
Usnea is a parasitic plant that grows on trees in wet climates. Being an extremely powerful antibiotic it’s one very useful tincture to keep on hand and in your BOB. In my experience it’s more powerful than penicillin, cheaper too if you collect it yourself and make the tincture. Years ago I had a sheep with a retained afterbirth that had become infected. This usually results in death, and being one of my favorite ewes I reacted, probably overdoing things a bit but the ewe was completely recovered the next morning. First I manually cleaned out the afterbirth, then gave her via syringe and tube a large dose of raspberry leaf tincture to help her body clean out what I could not. Then I gave her several large syringes full of usnea tincture made with vodka. This resulted in the first intoxicated sheep I have ever met. Despite the obvious overdose she quickly recovered and the infection (which was serious by the time I found her) was gone.

Catnip and Fennel Mixture
Especially with a baby around, this can be a real favorite. A baby with colic or indigestion, screaming half the night can be a real miserable proposition for both baby and family and if life isn’t normal this could happen more often due to various upsets. A few drops of catnip and fennel tincture (or tea if you prefer, works well, just not as easy to carry in your pocket) has always worked for my family.

Preparations

Herbal formula for internal parasites
A tincture made of black walnut hulls, wormwood and cloves is excellent for getting rid of internal parasites. I’ve used it on people and animals with great success. Taking large amounts of fresh garlic along with this tincture has proven to be even more effective as not many creatures want to stick around when you smell like garlic.

Powdered pool chlorine
A little of this goes a very long way. You’ll need it for making a bleach solution which will come in handy for disinfecting. I suspect there will be plenty of applications.

Plantain and Chickweed Salve Made by gently melting beeswax and olive oil and steeping the dried herbs in this for several hours. The proportions of oil and wax determine how hard the salve is, you will need to experiment to see what works for you. I use it for any itching problems, healing skin ailments, bee stings, bug bites, etc.

Clove Oil
Ever have a toothache? Try getting a good nights sleep with one! At some point you will be willing to do just about anything to get a bit of relief and that’s when you will be thankful you put that bottle of clove oil in your bag. Put a dab of oil on your finger and put it on the gums around the affected tooth. In my experience the relief is very fast, the taste is a little overwhelming at first but you won’t care when you get the relief. It doesn’t last long so carry the bottle of oil in your pocket, ready for application whenever you need it. I recommend keeping several bottles on hand.

Making Tinctures
I’ve mentioned a long list of tinctures that I like to keep on hand but for some it can be too expensive to buy them all. Thankfully they are very easy to make yourself if you are so inclined. Here’s basic instructions for how I do it. I almost always use dry herbs. Fresh herbs can be used but their moisture content tends to dilute the alcohol a bit making it less potent. I like alcohol tinctures because they last virtually forever, never freeze in bad weather and are very effective as the alcohol can take the herbal properties into the system quickly. You take such a small dose that, unless you are giving insane doses like I did with the sheep, there’s no chance of intoxication, and tinctures taste so bad nobody would ever take more than needed accidentally. I use Vodka because it’s just alcohol, nothing added. I take the dried herb I plan on using and place it in the blender, cover with the Vodka, place the lid on the blender and blend until thoroughly incorporated. I then pour into a clean glass jar, put the lid on, label (very important) and place in a fairly warm place like the top of the refrigerator or by the wood stove for two weeks. Every time I go past or think about it I stop and give the jar a few shakes to stir things up a bit. You want to have enough alcohol to allow plenty of sloshing, not a mushy mass. After two weeks of this I strain into another clean jar, preferably dark glass, press out as much liquid from the herbs as possible, close up and label. That’s all there is to it. Since almost all tinctures look the same it’s extremely important to label them some way that won’t disappear with time and use.

Storage: Keep tinctures in dark glass containers. Cool is better but I’ve never had a tincture go bad even when stored in the car through hot summers and below zero winters. While there are many more herbs that I like to use these are the ones I grab the most. These, in a kit with some instructions would be a great addition to any bug out bag or car kit and for sure keep a supply at home.

Three Letters Re: The Earthquake in Japan and its Aftermath

Dear James,  
I just wanted to alert you to the possible impact of what is actually happening at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant.  The grid has gone down, and it appears that the emergency diesel generators have failed.  There is apparently no off-site or on-site AC power.  This is very similar to the scenario that I outlined in my article posted last September in SurvivalBlog (except for the precipitating event for my article described an EMP event).  We have a potential disaster worse than Chernobyl in the making.   In fact, even the mainstream media is now taking note.  Here is a blog article from today on Forbes that describes the possible catastrophe in the making.   I hope that this will inspire some of the people who said “that could never happen” to sit up and take notice.  I hope that more people will “wake up” and start to prepare for what really COULD happen here.    Thanks again for all that you do.   Sincerely – B.Z.

James,
I just finished watching an NHK World video of the tsunami wave rolling across farmland in Sendai, Japan.

A few things jumped out at me as I looked at the smaller details:

Several cars can be seen stopping on the roadways, turning around and trying to flee in the opposite direction when the drivers see that the wave has engulfed the road in front of them.  In one case, a driver can be seen evacuating his car and attempting to outrun the wave on foot.  I lost count of the number of people who were running or driving 100 yards or less from the approaching wave.  It was a somber moment to realize that some of those people I saw were likely overtaken by the flood and perished.

As the wave tore down houses and farms, the announcer mentioned that the earthquake had hit just an hour and ten minutes prior.  I was reminded how quickly disaster can strike and shocked at how many souls were still standing there when the first waves hit.  This is in a country with some of the most sophisticated and expensive earthquake and tsunami preparations in the world, and still the mass of people disregarded the warnings.

I watched one scene where cars were lined up trying to navigate down a road, again with the wave rapidly approaching from the rear.  Many drivers simply waited in line for the cars ahead of them to move.  A few drivers wisely decided to ignore the local traffic laws at that moment and cut over into the oncoming lane which was devoid of traffic (who wants to drive toward a tsunami?)  Amazingly, many drivers just continued to wait in line while those behind moved to safety.

Lesson: Make your G.O.O.D. plans and execute them at the first hint of danger.  We all theoretically know how quickly situations can disintegrate, but these videos are proof.  I’d rather have to come home and unpack than to be helpless because I waited a whole hour to see how bad it would get.

It’s sad to see such loss of life and to know that so much could have been avoided. – JCW

 

Dear Mr. Rawles,
My phone rang sometime after 4 A.M. After rousing myself from bed I heard a message from the local sheriff recommending a voluntary evacuation due to incoming tsunami. I woke my wife. When I looked at the clock I discovered I had two minutes before the tsunami hit. Not enough time to get to higher ground. Thankfully,  in southern Alaska the tsunami was tiny. However, it was a literal and figurative wake-up call. If it had been more serious my family and I could have been swept out to sea. I calculated that I had 7 minutes from the time I heard the message to the tsunami’s impact.

My family was lucky. I do not plan to rely on luck again. Every family member will soon have a b.o.b. near the door. We will practice evacuation.  I plan to run several drills in the middle of the night. I was surprised how slowly I moved and how sluggish my thinking was at that time of day. I read survivalblog everyday, but I did not take concrete steps that are necessary to protect my family.  I write this to hopefully remind others that it is not enough to know what to do in a disaster you must practice and have your gear readily accessible. You never know when the time will come for you to grab what is available and flee. Thanks, – T.A. in Southern Alaska

Two Letters Re: Some Woodstove Experience

James:
I’d like to suggest to Yvonne with the woodstove that she could mount a half inch thick [steel] plate to the top of her stove to get more cooking area.  The plate could hang out past the edges of the stove to give her more cooking area.  She could bolt or weld it on.  It sounded like she was tight on money, so this would be a cheap and easy fix. – Tim X.

Dear Mr. Rawles,
Tom in Juneau is correct. Tulikivi soapstone heaters from Finland are the cat’s meow. They are the gold standard for contra-flow masonry heaters and I am sure worth every penny. But, for many readers of this blog their price tag is just not within their grasp. So, I would like to suggest that there is more than one way to skin that cat.

I would like to encourage anyone who is interested in owning a safe, clean-burning, and efficient wood energy appliance, or anyone interested in learning to build the latter as a meaningful profession, to do an internet search for ” brick masonry heaters “, ” Russian bell heaters “, ” grundofen “, ” kachelofen “, ” Finnish contra-flow “, or ” ” Russian stoves “. I’m sure I left a few out, but the point is, there are many designs, plans, and workshops available for building, heaters, cook tops, bake ovens or any combination of these. Finding the proper hardware, however, may require another extensive search. But, hand building these things from primarily locally available materials is feasible.  A wonderful condensed history lesson for many masonry stove types can be found at Low Tech magazine. They have been around for quite awhile, apparently due to the need to conserve fuel. Sound familiar ?

I have never met Tom nor have I ever been to Alaska, but I share his passion and enthusiasm for these increasingly important energy saving inventions. Thank you, for allowing us the space to covey this message of hope and encouragement as we face increasingly unsustainable fossil fuel consumption levels. – Henry L.

Economics and Investing:

Five Things Every American Should Do, But Won’t’.

John R. suggested this at Zero Hedge: Paul Mylchreest’s Latest Must Read Report: Gresham’s Law Squared – Gearing Up For Game Over

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) suggest a piece by Charles Krauthammer on the Social Security fraud: Et tu, Jack Lew?

Items from The Economatrix: 

Libya’s Revolt Squeezing World Oil Supplies  

The Driver For Gold You’re Not Watching  

Unemployment Rate Falls In 24 States, Rises In 10  

Odds ‘n Sods:

Desperation, panic grip Japan after quake

   o o o

Commentary (via YouTube) from The Patriot Nurse: Who Will Die First When SHTF.

   o o o

So much for the propaganda that it was “gun shows” that were to blame for guns of U.S. origin getting into the hands of Mexican drug cartels: Indictments released in arrest of Columbus police chief, mayor and trustee in firearms trafficking case. OBTW, SurvivalBlog readers that study history will remember Columbus, New Mexico as a border town that was raided by Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s revolutionary army.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” – Revelation 3:10-13 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Please pray for the people of Japan! The magnitude 9.1 earthquake and subsequent tsunamis were terrible events.

Today we present another two entries for Round 33 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 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), 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 33 ends on March 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.

Considerations for Disabled Preppers, by Kevin R.

Over the last few years, I have seen numerous articles on everything imaginable . This has been the most informative site amongst “many” others I frequent. I am a Messianic Christian and partially disabled. I once weighed over 500 pounds and was written off for dead with severe sleep apnea. By the grace of God I have since lost 300 pounds. Many years spent in a wheelchair have pretty much weakened me from the knees down. If you see me in the mall I am probably zipping by you, but I cannot stand for long. I will never be able to run or jog. This article is written for everyone. Those that are disabled have to decide to what level that they can contribute once things go bad. Those that are not disabled” find someone that is!”.

Most disabled people have something that you do not, Time! Even though some of us are able to find and do some type of work, we have time to research much more than the average joe. (this can a beautiful symbiotic relationship) the biggest excuse I hear from joe America is that they do not have the time to plan and prepare. During times we all speak of, a disabled person can be an asset, however; they can be more effective in helping you prepare beforehand. I can tell you personally that most disabled people have disabled bank accounts as well. They would love nothing more than to be useful and prepared, but lack financial resources. We then have your average survival blog reader who may or may not have a certain level of financial security; but through wage earning; has little time to actually prepare. Surely these two types could be a marriage made in heaven. For the disabled person: Use this time to your advantage, the internet, libraries etc. are great resources. Most physicians are already aware of the daily challenges for the disabled. Having lived through Hurricanes Katrina and Ike I saw first hand the new awareness from the medical community. Approach your doctor, tell them your concern on prescription meds and the desire to have long term supplies.

Find things that you can learn (the more the better) to make yourself an asset in the post modern society ahead. Cooking, sewing, and household skill as you are able. Learn about dietary and natural remedies that may aid you when medications are not available. Set up contingency plans and reach out to those that would be mindful preppers but lack time. Just being yourself will minimize their number one excuse for not prepping. Find others who desire to know what you know. Offer to work out a deal with small groups. Organize these groups by assessing what information and projects would benefit them and leverage their time by you doing the foot work. Handle group purchase deals on supplies. Even if you cannot contribute financially, you can be worth your weight in gold by helping a group of individuals and families get their ducks in a row. You could do more in a year than they could in 10 years. Imagine yourself like an administrative assistant/organizer. It will not take long for you to show your worth long before the clock hits zero. On top of that, the skills you acquire will not only carry you into what lies ahead with sword drawn, but those you are grouped with will look to you, the moment things go south. Your hours and hours of research( your own and that your group requests) will far remove you from the hopeless/helpless mindset that is all too easy for us to fall into.

For the average Joe: Likewise, find people with more time than money. They need you too, and they have a precious commodity in time that you do not. If they need a computer, used ones are all over the internet dirt cheap. This is an investment for you and your family. Make lists of things you want them to research. Touch base with them on their findings and make plans accordingly. Disabled people feel detached and useless without good reason. They have more to offer you than you realize. Even if you approach it with selfish motives you would be crazy not to see their value to you. I have done little the last three years but research these topics ,and I do it full time. Since I can get around somewhat i can barter my services for books and products. We disabled people love to read, I am working on a degree in emergency management to be more effective.

Meetup.com is a great place to start prepper groups. I have met nurses, cops, mechanics, you name it. They value my opinion because I am honest and very well studied. Reach out to people like myself. We tend to get rejected by society as a whole ,so some are timid to reach out to you. Extend your hand and open yourself up to a gold mine of knowledge, desire and enthusiasm. Be the one to bridge the gap. It makes sense! Everyone wants to be wanted, but our unique situation can help you leverage your time and use “US” a force multiplier when thinking preps.

Disabled–But Not Helpless, by J.E.

“I would probably die.” my friend responded to the question of “What happens if there is a power failure while you sleep?”  His smile was closer to a grimace.  He was a fragile old man, out of the hospital for just a week, and would be using supplementary oxygen for the rest of his life.  His oxygen concentrator, used at night while asleep, required 115 VAC.  It wasn’t an idle question.  We had, on different occasions, discussed survival situations, including TEOTWAWKI.  (It is similar to deciding how high “up” is.)

Within days he had cobbled together an alarm that used AA batteries to scream a warning when power was lost.  It was plugged into the wall socket in his bedroom.  He purchased a heavy duty inverter for his automobile and got a much larger battery for his car.  He left an extension cord into the house from the vicinity of his car and could plug his oxygen concentrator into this auxiliary power supply in a matter of minutes.  Three months later, the power went off at 11 P.M. and stayed off until 10 A.M. the next morning.  His entertainment through that time was listening to the scanner and the emergency vehicles trying to cover other people’s problems.

Having a disability doesn’t necessarily equate with being helpless.  It should not absolve you from being as self sufficient as possible.  The ability to plan ahead for emergencies is critical for everyone and people with disabilities even more so.  You have to push your limits to find out what they really are and accept some pain now, when recovery is relatively easy, rather than wait for an emergency and discover just how vulnerable you are. Yes, there are people with profound problems that this may not apply to; however, you don’t know what you can do until you try.

Using my friend as an example:  He had a land line telephone for 911 capability, a cell phone, and later a satellite phone.  He leased the satellite phone for $500 a year that had 600 minutes on it-not that expensive.  The cell phone he used for inexpensive mobile calls and the satellite phone if he was out in the countryside and was out of cell phone range.  He also carried a GPS unit and on some of his meanderings through Wyoming and Montana, he would call his answering machine attached to the land line at home and leave GPS coordinates every hour so.  If he went missing, he could be tracked. 

He started the process of getting a ham license.

His station wagon had extra oxygen bottles, some medications, some food, several gallons of water, a sleeping bag, first aid kit, change of clothes, a chair, and a tarp.  On occasion, he would find a spot that he wanted to photograph at a certain time of day, stop, set up the chair, grab a bottle of water and a snack and wait for that instant when the colors and light were perfect.
For self defense he had a .22 Ruger automatic pistol, a 1911 in .45 ACP, and an M1 Carbine. He practiced regularly. (With a smile on his face.)

He only kept two months worth of food at home as he figured that if things went bad longer than that, he was not going to survive.  His judgment was based on cold hard facts about himself and his personal situation; it was his decision and he faced it head-on.

He did several things well:  He analyzed his immediate abilities and requirements for survival.  He asked himself hard questions about his personal abilities: physical, mental and medical.    He pushed himself mentally and physically to find his boundaries.  He looked at himself and his situation without any of the wishful thinking that is so easy to do and then planned accordingly.

The first reaction of most people, when discussing survival TEOTWAWKI, is “Of course survival is better than the alternative.”  Discussing specific situations, I have also had people flat out tell me that if something like the situation described in the novel “One Second After” occurred, they would prefer to not survive.  I am certain they would be the first people on my doorstep trying to claim guest privileges if they knew that I was prepared and stocked. 

Living it isn’t the same as merely reading about it.  When you are living through a disaster, it is like being nibbled to death by ducks.  You don’t see “the big picture” or how it will affect you, only what is happening to you directly.  It may be miserable but you can plod on.  Reading about it in a story, the writer gives overviews that allow you to grasp a lot of the pain and suffering on a larger scale.  You can grasp how hopeless it may be.  In a story, you can also see what a difference the addition of just a few items might make: a method of self defense, a real first aid kit, or maybe a large bottle of multivitamins.

You have to look closely at what you intend to accomplish in survival.  If it is just yourself, that’s pretty straightforward.   Even so, are you going to try to help the society around you rebuild or just dig a hole and pull it in after yourself?  Do you have family?  What are their requirements and expectations?  What about grandkids?  Some of these people will feel you have gone around the bend with your preparations. After all, life has been good and bad things only happen to other people.  Do you store provisions for them without letting them know?  What skills do you have that other people will need?  Can you motivate people–who don’t believe that prepping is needed–to learn skills that may be useful WTSHTF?

Pardon me while I state the obvious: Life is messy.  Don’t make your plans too tight, make sure there are extras you don’t think you will need.  Be a generalist.  Sometimes the disasters that come at you are nothing you would have ever expected.

TEOTWAWKI can be as personal as losing power and not being able to breathe, as unthinking as a tornado, or as broad a national disaster as the loss of the power grid.  Each one has its own problems and solutions.  Each one will have individuals with their own particular set of preparations and needs.  One size usually does not fit all.

What are your physical limitations?  If you have a condition that may require an ambulance, then living back in the hills might not be a solution.  Two hours on a snowmobile to get to the ambulance in the dead of winter would not be healthy if you have issues.  Can you overcome your personal limitations with planning and engineering?  If you can’t do stairs, can you get a house with a single level?  Can’t bend over?  How about elevated vegetable garden plots?  Put wheels on them so they can be shifted for sun or security.  If you can’t spade a garden now, then don’t plan on doing so after TSHTF.  Maybe Square Foot Gardening or modified hydroponics would be an answer.  Try them both for the experience.

Can you hide in plain sight if needed?  Take some classes or volunteer at a local theater and learn some set design.  In the worst case scenario, you could make your house look like a burned out hulk, complete with the sour wet ash smell so people would leave you alone.

Bug out?  If you have physical or medical limitations, being a refugee is probably going to be a real problem.  You will need to plan on leaving earlier, and on less notice, if it’s at all possible.  That means you need to stay as fully aware of developing problems as it is possible to be. A scanner and a current local map is a start.  Shortwave receiver?  Internet news feeds?  Local contacts in the emergency services group? Then where would be your bug out destination?  Close and semi-secure may be better than far away and highly secure.

Having resources at a separate location in the event of emergencies is extremely desirable.  Maybe you can get some storage at the home of your relatives.  Your kids might be willing to “humor” you by letting you store stuff in their basement if they don’t quite agree with your prepping. That’s okay, as long as you can do it.  Having a large cache of supplies seventy five to a hundred miles away is a good thing.  Worst case, the kids or the relative can use those supplies even if you perish.

Bugout bag?  If you have a disability, it becomes much more important than before.  It almost certainly will need careful preparation and thought to compensate for whatever problems you have.  If you can’t carry it or drive it, can you wheel it? 

You have to plan and work at living a normal life now, while compensating for whatever disability you have.  The trick is to add the extras on top of that plan that will allow you to survive when disaster strikes.  Plan and implement for the most obvious and immediate threat first.  Then expand it.  Check with your city or county disaster preparedness group for their ideas on what the likely emergencies in your area would be, and then play “what if” scenarios with your imagination.  Don’t be limited by their ideas, use them as a springboard for your own.  Read some of the books like “Alas, Babylon”, “Life As We Knew It” or “One Second After.”  There is a great selection of books and information at SurvivalBlog’s Bookshelf Page.

All these preparations cost money and take time. It can be quite intimidating, so much so, that some people never get started. If that is your problem, use the “unraveling a sweater” approach:  Ignore the size of what you want to do and grab the first “string” that comes to hand and start with it.  Maybe it is as simple as buying an extra months quantities of your normal staple food purchases.  Once you have started, your preparations are much easier to continue.  Make lists.  Buy what you can and scrounge as much of the rest as you can.  If you are patient, observant and diplomatic, it is amazing what you will find free or nearly free.  Don’t forget garage and rummage sales; sometimes their prices are a penny on the dollar.  Look for closeout items in stores, often the prices are halved or less.  Sometimes on garbage pickup day, I see better quality stuff at the curb than in the second hand stores.

Let’s face it: in an area wide emergency there are going to be far more demands for “The Authorities” time and resources than there will be an ability to respond.  If you have prepared well, you can stay out of the way of disaster and listen to the scanner.  Whatever you do, if you’re going to need assistance in spite of all your planning, don’t wait till the last possible minute and then scream for help.  The chances are they won’t be able to get to you, or even worse, someone will be injured or killed trying to get you out of whatever predicament you are in.  Keep planning ahead and more importantly, act on the plan as quickly as possible.

During an emergency that does not involve you as an individual, unless you have specialized training that is needed; you can quite often help the most by staying out of the way and not needing emergency assistance.  Further, it is quite often best, if you have planned well, to be ignored or overlooked by the bureaucrats that invariably get involved during emergencies. 
If we’re lucky, we may never need any of these preparations at all.  We may be making a huge investment against future inflation and that, by itself, is not a bad result.
Yes, there is an element of selfishness involved, or call it enlightened self interest if you prefer.  The fact is, there is a time for selfishness and a time for selflessness.  Choose wisely.

Letter Re: Warren Buffett and the Hypothetical Cube of Gold

JWR,  
Last week, legendary investor Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway was asked in an interview (cited in blogs and articles now all over the Internet) why he was not investing in gold. Here was his reply:  

“If you took all the gold in the world, it would form a cube 67 feet on a side, worth $7 trillion. For that same amount of money, you could own other assets with far greater productive power, including:   All the farmland in the US, about 1 billion acres, which is worth $2.5 trillion.   Seven Exxon Mobil’s (XOM), the largest capitalized company in the US.   You would still have $1 trillion in walking around money left over.”    

I’m not sure that I get his point. Apparently, he is making the case that, at current prices, gold is overabundant compared to other assets and, according to the laws of supply and demand, there should be no upside.   What struck me was in inverse corollary: If all the gold in the world is worth $7 Trillion, then all the gold in the world would only pay down half of the U.S. National Debt.   To me, this indicates an extreme shortage of gold. (In reality, an extreme overabundance of dollars, which even when held in your hand are simply promissory notes  — not to mention Euros, Pounds, Yen, and so forth).

Like you, I’m really more of a silver guy, myself. – E.C.B. in Illinois  

Economics and Investing:

Bank of America says nearly half its mortgages are ‘bad’. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

Also from G.G.: Number of U.S. Expatriates Doubled in 2010. JWR Adds: I suspect that a lot of these were long-term ex-pats who had heard about the planned increases in the Federal income tax brackets. (Which thankfully were cancelled at the 11th hour.)

Tony B. recommended this essay by Seth Lipsky: The Floating Dollar as a Threat to Property Rights

Items from The Economatrix:

Unrest In The Middle East Continues / Silver Prices Exceed $36

Gold $1,500?  The World Is Changing  

Pocket Money (The Mogambo Guru)  

Unemployment May Be 22.1%  

Sharply Rising Oil Prices Having Widespread Effects In U.S.  

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mary F. wrote to note that the New York Times recently ran a piece about offgrid living, in Texas: A Glow in the Desert. It is about a New Yorker removed to West Texas and living off the grid. “When you work alone, you have to be patient. Progress is measured in the completion of small tasks, and construction takes years, not weeks. Safety is a colossal issue.” 

   o o o

Britain “The Era Of Constant Electricity At Home Is Ending”, National Grid Chief. (A tip of the hat to G.P. for the link.)

   o o o

Troy H. suggested this: Chernobyl, My Primeval, Teeming, Irradiated Eden

   o o o

KAF sent a link to a Washington Times Inside the Ring piece on China’s ASAT missile defense. Here is a quote: “Defense officials and private specialists said the cable further highlights official China’s duplicity in opposing U.S. missile defenses and promoting an international agreement to limit weapons in space at the same time it is secretly working on its own space weapons and missile defense programs.”