Note from JWR:

Great news! The recently-completed SurvivalBlog archives database will allow us to produce an archive CD of all of the SurvivalBlog posts from 2005 to 2010. It will be fully searchable, and will be provided in both HTML and PDF. Effectively, it will emulate SurvivalBlog offline, on your PC or Mac. With this CD-ROM, you’ll always have access to the SurvivalBlog archives, even if the Internet is not available. And if you are on-line while using the CD-ROM, then the links to external web sites (from both HTML and PDF) will be fully functional.

The amount of information on the archive CD-ROM is immense. The HTML file has 44.6 megabytes of text and the PDF is more than 7,200 pages long! (So I don’t recommend printing a hard copy.) The new CD-ROM should be orderable from our Cafe Press store within a couple of weeks. (Please be patient.)

The Archive CD-ROM project is now in Beta testing. I’ll post an announcement once the CD-ROMs are orderable. The price should be around $20. Subsequently, we also plan to produce annual update CD-ROMs, with additional bonus materials.

America’s Transition to Preemptive Law Enforcement

There is a disturbing trend in American law enforcement and in our courts: They have been enforcing nonexistent laws, misapplying laws, arresting people who are obviously innocent, and arresting people on suspicion that they might be thinking about doing something illegal. This is similar to the policing philosophy in England, where police often preemptively detain people and seize household goods “for the safety of all concerned”. In my estimation, this is just one notch below arresting folks for “thought crimes” (a la Orwell’s novel 1984) or “pre-crime”, (a la Philip K. Dick’s novella that became the movie Minority Report.)

Here are some recent examples:

  • In 2006, Ward Bird of Moultonborough, New Hampshire was legally carrying a firearm on his own property when he warned a mentally disturbed woman trespasser to leave his property. She later filed charges against him and he was convicted of “Criminal Threatening.” (The jury was not allowed to hear about the woman’s mental history nor her long history of filing frivolous lawsuits.) His sentence was later commuted, but he didn’t get the full pardon that he deserved. As a convicted felon he can no longer vote or own a gun for the rest of his life.

The most recent article about Rev. Henry bothers me for several reasons:

1.) From the report, all of the guns seized seem to be perfectly legal, and the largest number of any category seem to be .22 rimfires. (I counted 54 of them listed.) This is hardly some would-be mass murderer’s arsenal.

2.) The report listed all of the guns by serial number. So they obviously ran traces on them. But there was no mention of any of the guns being stolen or in an illegal
| configuration.

3.) Since when is being a clergymen incompatible with being a gun collector? If it were, then they’d have to defrock more than 70% of the ministers who live in the southern and western United States.

4.) Why did the police lay out just the black guns from Henry’s collection for the press photographers? (I guess that the majority of guns with wood stocks looked too mundane and nondescript, hmmm?)

5.) Why would the guns and ammo even be seized at all, without a criminal charge or even reasonable suspicion to believe that a crime had been committed?

6.) Why do the police so consistently store seized guns by tossing them in garbage bins, resulting in lots of dings and scratches? Would they treat someone’s collection of Meerschaum pipes, antique radios, or Hummel figurines the same way?

7.) What exactly constitutes “too many” guns? (Where I live, 230 guns would be considered “a real nice collection”, but in Texas, Rev. Henry would just be considered a novice collector.)

8.) Since statistically cars kill more people than guns each year, then why is a big collection of fast cars cause for admiration, but a large gun collection cause to suspect the worst? (Unless, of course you are an anonymous millionaire.)

Conclusion

I urge SurvivalBlog readers to be vigilant. If you see or hear of incidents of “pre-crime” policing going on in your community, then speak up about it quickly and vociferously. Cell phones equipped with built-in video cameras are now ubiquitous, so film everything if you witness a questionable encounter with law enforcement, or have one of your own. Offer to help with the legal defense of those that are wrongly accused. Write letter to the editor of your local newspaper. If the “pre-crime” policing trend is allowed to continue, we can kiss the Fourth Amendment goodbye. We must be just as steadfast about the Fourth Amendment as we are about the First and Second Amendments!

I also urge law enforcement officers to show restraint when in doubt about the innocence of a suspect. You never know when you are going to push a wronged person the wrong way. You might end facing a Brian Christine, or a Gordon Kahl, or a Joe Stack, or a Carl Drega. Whether they are right or they just feel that they’re right, sometimes people are willing to stand up and fight to the death if they believe they’ve been wronged.

Letter Re: Advice on Shotgun Shells to Store

James: Some of your SurvivalBlog.com posts recommend storing 500 rounds per shotgun, but does not mention which types of shells.

How much should I stock of the following: Slugs, 00 Buckshot, #7-1/2 birdshot, #8 birdshot.

How many of each? Any other 12 gauge ammo type?  Also, what shotguns do you use?   Thanks for publishing a great blog! –  Jim B.

JWR Replies: The ratio of shells that you store all depends on where you live.  Do you live in duck country?  Quail country?  Rabbit country? Deer country?

If you live in duck country, then you should buy mostly #2 or #3 birdshot. (I used to use #4 lead shot, until steel or tungsten shot became mandatory.) In grouse country #6 birdshot should be your priority to stock. I like to keep a lot of the #6 size shot on hand because it can also be used to shoot rabbits. The #7-1/2 or #8 birdshot is preferred by most shooters for grouse, doves, ptarmigan, and pigeons, but I generally use #6 birdshot because of its greater versatility. (I’ve also found that my Saiga semi-auto shotguns are not reliable with smaller shot, but they cycle exceptionally well with #6 birdshot when the gas port is set to “1”–wide open.) I do have a couple of cases of #8 shot 1-ounce low base loads that I keep on hand for garden pest shooting, but that is mainly when I don’t have a .22 rimfire handy.

I generally prefer #4 Buckshot for self defense–not 00 or 000 Buck. I only have about 100 rounds of 12 gauge rifled slugs, since rifles are more appropriate than shotguns for deer hunting here in The Un-named Western State. BTW, I’m planning to test the new Hexolit slugs, once I find a stocking dealer in my region. That might become my preferred self-defense load, to alternate in my magazines with buckshot.

FWIW, I do not recommend any of the exotic shotshell loads that are heavily marketed at gun shows and in gun publications. “Dragon’s Breath” for example, is just an over-priced novelty item. I do have a few tear gas “Ferret” rounds, but I wonder if a situation that warrants their use will ever arise.

You asked about shotguns. I’m mainly a rifle shooter, so I don’t own many shotguns. Here at the ranch, our family has:

  • A Remington Model 870 Marine (corrosion-resistant variant) 12 Gauge with a black fiberglass stock and foreend.
  • A Remington Model 1100 “Youth” 20 Gauge.
  • Several restored Winchester Model 1897 12 Gauge. All of these are 1898 production, so they are Federally-exempt antiques.
  • Several Saiga 12 semi-autos. Some of them are waiting for the forthcoming Kushnapup bullpup stocks, while one is about to be converted by Tromix Lead Delivery Systems into a folding-stock gun. (Since left-handers cannot use bullpup shotguns.) All of our Saigas will soon be fitted with Monster Brakes that I ordered from Carolina Shooter’s Supply. The barrels will be cut and the brakes will be high temperature silver-soldered on by a gunsmith, yielding a 18.5-inch barrel length when completed.

Letter Re: Do-It-Yourself Campfire Starters

Dear Mr. Rawles,
First thank you and thank you again for your wonderful web site. I feel I have learned so much by reading it. I developed lots of important ideas good not only for emergencies but for more “mundane” preparedness.

I want to share with you and your readers how I make simple and inexpensive fire starters for the fireplace, grill or campfire.

I get a pound of Gulf Wax [canning paraffin] ($3 dollars per box) and melt it in a mason jar in a pot of boiling water. I then take finely shredded office paper (free) and stuff it into egg cartons until they are about 3/4 full. Then I top off each compartment with the melted wax. I can make about thirty of these with a pound of wax.

They light easily and burn for about 12 minutes. They give off a lot of heat and I can start even slightly damp wood with them.

I compared the heat given off by fire starters with sawdust and drier lint by seeing how long I could hold my hand over the flame. The paper ones won hands down (no pun intended). Plus, I don’t worry about synthetic fibers from the drier and I don’t worry about wood preservatives or coatings in my saw dust. This is a must when starting my grill.

The cost is about ten cents each. Of course it would be less with waste wax from candles. I’ve heard crayons work too.

God Bless, – Bennington

Economics and Investing:

John R. sent a Seeking Alpha article with some confirmations of my warnings to SurvivalBlog readers since 2006: Derivatives: The Real Reason Bernanke Funnels Trillions Into Wall Street Banks. Here is a quote from the article: “Of course, Bernanke tells the public and Congress that the reason we need low interest rates is to support housing prices. He doesn’t mention that $188 TRILLION of the $223 TRILLION in notional value of derivatives sitting on the Big Banks’ balance sheets is related to interest rates. Yes, $188 TRILLION. That’s thirteen times the US’ entire GDP, and nearly four times WORLD GDP.”

Some insightful commentary from Charles Hugh Smith: Travesty of a Mockery of a Sham, Phase II

Imprisoned economist Martin A. Armstrong opines: The Egypt Crisis Will Engulf The Arab World, And Then Spread To Europe.

Items from The Economatrix:

MetLife Profits Fall 74% as Derivatives Loss Widens  

Odds ‘n Sods:

We are happy to welcome our newest advertiser, Missouri Storm Shelters. They have some innovative designs (pre-fabricated, bolt-together, and poured concrete), competitive pricing. They ship their metal shelters nationwide.

   o o o

Finally! Atlas Shrugged (Part 1) will come to theaters on April 15th.

   o o o

A recent post over at the Paratus Famila blog, is great reading: Country Wisdom.

   o o o

Curiouser and curiouser: The leaked campaign to attack WikiLeaks and its supporters. (Thanks to David D. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Americans are in the process of ruining themselves. They are transforming assets into liabilities, trading the real wealth that was built up over generations for the quick fix of debt. The ‘equity’ they own in their homes has fallen to its lowest level since the government began tracking it in 1965. The asset – the home – has been replaced by mortgage debt.” – Bill Bonner (Editor of The Daily Reckoning)

Notes from JWR:

Brother, Can You Spare a Terabyte? I’m still searching for an offshore server where we can house a mirror site for SurvivalBlog. The plan is that it will be automatically updated daily, fully mirroring the blog. Our current dedicated server in Utah (with the fine folks at NetFronts) works great. It is currently humming along nicely with 99%+ up-time, processing about two terabytes of SurvivalBlog bandwidth monthly. NetFronts has exceptional customer service and I have no plans to change my relationship with them. I anticipate that a SurvivalBlog mirror site will use just a fraction of the bandwidth of that used on our primary server. The goal here is to have redundancy in case the blog site is maliciously hacked, or it is shut down by a misguided bureaucrat who can’t understand the First Amendment. Ideally, the mirror server would be located in a stable country that does not have close ties to the U.S. government. Perhaps in Finland, Switzerland, Sealand, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Thailand, an island nation in the Pacific, or a nation in the southern tier of South American countries. Please let me know of you know of a company with server space that is available inexpensively. BTW, I am not presently looking for a mirror site in the U.S. or Canada. (My thanks to the several readers that have offered.) It is a question of priorities: I need to get the offshore mirror set up first.

—

Today we present another three 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 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.

Packing Your Bug Out First Aid Kit, by J.V. in Tacoma

The contents of a bug out first aid kit should not only contain band-aids and other such dressings for minor wounds.  The bug out first aid kit should also contain a vast amount of items in various classifications to be discussed below.  The use of these items has been historically documented, however care should be used in their administration and these items should be used only as a last result when no other means of medical care are available.  Persons should use these items if death is imminent and the risk of using these items would not sufficiently out weigh the potential benefits of their use.

During a survival situation, regardless of length or severity, one must constantly use what is commonly referred to in the military as operational risk management (ORM) goes through the steps to determine if the risk outweighs the potential benefit.  This type of determination can best be envisioned by determining whether one should bug out or hunker down in place.  Every single aspect of survival must be weighed to determine if the benefits are greater than the potential risks, this includes advanced medical techniques.

One of the first most important things that anyone can have in their bug out bags (or more specifically in a unit standardized location on their person) is a quick application tourniquet.  These range from varying styles and applications, though my preferred one is the Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT).  These can be had for anywhere from $15 to $20 from various web sites and various police supply stores.  Items such as these are extremely effective when used in an ambush situation where someone has sustained a wound to the extremities.  Ideally the injured person would be able to place this on himself and continue to put lead down range.  Remember what I told you last time, the most effective preventive medicine is overwhelming, well-aimed firepower.  Another way of stating this is if you kill all of the enemies you will not have to mop up as many bodies and blood of your comrades as if you didn’t defeat them.

Another thing that everyone should consider, as I previously mentioned, is a surgical kit.  These can be had from numerous sources on the Internet.  Be sure to get something that is stainless steel and can thus be sterilized with high temperature steam, such as that found in a dishwasher.  I do not recommend using a dishwasher a a sterilization method in a Rule of Law situation, however it will suffice if that is the only means of sterilization around.  Ideally I would boil the stainless steel surgical instruments in water over an open flame for one hour.

Along with a surgical kit every bug out medical kit should contain some spray bottles of Diethyl Ether, also known as Diesel Engine Starting Fluid.  This was originally used as early as 1846 as an anesthetic.  This will be of untold importance when the need arises to handle appendicitis (to be covered in a later article), Caesarean section deliveries , and even the resetting of broken bones.  Hand in hand with the Diethyl Ether should be some extra large coffee filters, at least two packs.  One simply places 10-15 coffee filters together and sprays the ether on them for approximately 2-3 seconds then immediately places it over the nose and mouth of the individual to be sedated, allowing them to breathe in the fumes.  This will allow for a numbing effect similar to that of modern anesthetics. [JWR Adds This WARNING: Please see the many warnings about ether that have been published in SurvivalBlog! Ether and chloroform can be very tricky to use, with a high risk of accidentally killing your patient. Ether is also very flammable, and it has some of the same un-even dosing and side-effect issues as chloroform. I would recommend it only for someone with current training in anesthesia, and only as a last resort if no modern anesthetics were available. Also note that engine starting fluids sold commercially are not pure Diethyl Ether. They commonly include other fractions including petroleum ether (naptha), unspecified “petroleum oils”, and heptane. They should not be used medicinally!]

Survivalists should be cautioned against the use of Chloroform as an anesthetic.  Although it is effective as an anesthetic it also has some unfortunate side effects that are difficult to manage in a kitchen table surgery scenario.  Side effects include intense vomiting, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, headache, confusion,  cardiac arrhythmias, kidney and liver damage. [JWR Adds: See the preceding warning. It has also been identified as a carcinogen.]

Survivalists should also have the books mentioned in previous articles, Emergency War Surgery, Ditch Medicine, and the U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman handbook.  This books will prove invaluable when dealing with problems ranging from splinters to abdominal eviscerations (guts hanging out).  One should also be well versed in various surgical techniques that may become vitally important.  Various techniques to study would be appendectomies, cesarean sections (discussed in a later article), tooth extractions and treatment of gunshot wounds in various parts of the body.

The bug out medical kit should also contain some sort of anticoagulant/blood stopping devices.  Many such devices are readily available both online and at police supply stores.  These devices range from Hemcon, Quik-Clot, Celox and Zeolite.  There has also been some progress shown in some of the potato based products, however these have yet to be released to the civilian market.  Something to consider when using a hemostatic agent such as those listed above are the need for both water to minimize heat transfer, gloves to prevent the person using the agent from getting burned, and the need to surgically remove the particles once the bleeding has been stopped and operational time permits.

I would highly recommend the survivalist from using hemostatic agents except in the case of sever uncontrollable bleeding to the neck, face, or head.  These agents are not to be used, under any circumstances, in the chest or abdominal area as they may interact with the lungs and/or be absorbed by the organs in the stomach area.  For most cases of bleeding on can use a tourniquet and be just fine, however hemostatic agents are useful in the neck, face, and head provided the airway is still intact and the airway will not absorb the particles.

Every bug out medical kit should also contain a basic complement of medicines.  Whether the medicines have expired or not will have some effect on them, however most medicines can be equated to nuclear materials.  The FDA recommends medicines to expire in half the time of their half life.  That means that if you double the time the FDA states the drug is to expire after manufacture it will be half as effective (more or less there is a little more involved than this, but this is just a dummied up version to illustrate a point), if you expand that time frame out again it will now be ¼ effective.  So on and so forth throughout the life of the medicine.

Some medicines to consider would be anti-histamines such as Benadryl, sudafed, and dramamine.  Pain relievers such as Motrin, Tylenol, and Aleve.  Cough medicines such as Dimetap, Guaifenesin, and Dextromethorphan.  Also one should include at least a 3 month supply of any medicines they take on a regular basis such as heart medicines, cancer medicines, asthma inhalers and any other medicines taken on a regular basis.  One might also consider the benefits of including such medicines as are beneficial in the treatment of nuclear exposure. 

Medicines for the treatment of anthrax exposure include ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin, and doxycycline.  These medicines have efficacy for treatment of plague, tularemia, brucellosis and Q Fever.  Medicines for the treatment of Ricin poisoning include activated charcoal (which has many other uses in an end of the world medical sense).  A good web site to consult in regards to symptoms and treatments for many CBRNE agents is the eMedicine library.  Another good resource is the Army web site for CBRNE training.  One will notice that in addition to the distance courses offered online they also offer the opportunity for civilians to attend the classroom based courses for a minimal fee.

This list is not an all inclusive list, however it is designed to give the survivalist ideas that not most think of when it comes time to organizing a survival medical bag.  Due to the very nature of survival and different mindsets and preparedness/knowledge levels individual kits will vary greatly.  As stated previously the individual survivalist (or survival groups) must evaluate their own ORM and determine what types of items they would be most likely to use in the event of a complete breakdown of the health care system.  They must then determine what is beneficial, or potentially beneficial to them and load up the supplies accordingly.

It should go without saying, however given the current state of the entire world’s IQ I feel the need to emphasis that any medications or tools included in the bug out medical bag should be known backwards and forwards.  The survivalist should strive to understand not just the intended uses of such items, but also the side effects, alternative uses, possible interactions and means by which the devices work.  One should endeavor to understand all the finer aspects of the molecular interactions that medicines have on the body, for each medicine used.  It is instrumental not just for the individuals survival but also for that of the group.  The survival medic must endeavor to learn all they can about anatomy and physiology, molecular biology, pharmaceutical biology, neurobiology and pharmacological interventions for common diseases and injuries.  Being a survival medic is a life of constant, never ceasing learning and understanding of the greatest system of them all, that of the human body and it’s interactions with the world we currently or may in the future live in.

The Truth About Survival and TEOTWAWKI, by T.H.

If you are reading this, it is because you are already aware of many of the events that you may think could be the catalyst for TEOTWAWKI.  Many think it will be something that quickly turns the whole world upside down and causes the Golden Horde to attack your retreat, threaten your family, steal your food supply and rape, pillage and burn the neighborhood;  all by tomorrow night. It’s something envisioned on a national rather than regional or local scale. Some attempt the overwhelming task of preparing for the national event.  More prepare for the regional or local event.  Most prepare for nothing.  They are soon to be the fabled Golden Horde, but it’s unlikely that they will do so by tomorrow night, justification for those who do nothing.

In today’s world, it’s easy to become an alarmist, emulating “Chicken Little.”  Riots, Police Actions, Political Upheaval, Food Production Crisis’, Energy Crisis’, Stock, Market Crisis, Peak Oil, etc., etc., etc.. Everything is a crisis;  if you are an Internet surfer, you’ve been  exposed to many more crises that never hit the mainstream media.  Most promoting these ‘crises’ are doing it for the money.  A few are doing it because they know it’s coming and they don’t want to be alone and unprepared when it happens; they just don’t know when, or in what form it will occur.

‘Survivalists’ / ‘preppers’ are a special breed, but many have focused on TEOTWAWKI to the point that their creditability is sometimes lost in their enthusiasm. Some get obsessed to the point, they don’t enjoy the other parts of their lives. Their friends, relatives and associates may think they’ve lost their minds, as it gradually, or immediately, becomes a way of life to them.  I know this applies to me. I write this article as a personal attempt to bring a little reality to the table, and thereby focus on the attitude and mindset that controls most of this.

The likely events that may ultimately cause TEOTWAWKI simply will not occur instantaneously or overnight, but are rather a series of smaller events in succession; unless it’s a EMP blast, or an asteroid impact and pole shift.  Instantaneous or overnight events are regional or local in nature, like a Katrina or an earthquake, a dirty bomb or a riot in Egypt. They are devastating to those that are in them, but not to the general  population of the areas adjoining the devastated area. They are a shorter term disaster, and preparation for those types of events is something that is a short term, finite duration, event. Those events are life changing for those immediately affected, but again, not for the population as a whole. By their very nature, they are easier to prepare for than a true TEOTWAWKI scenario.  Some will die, but most will likely live. There will be some looting, a few shootings, some arrests, a few will go hungry for a while, but most will live and to most  it will be just a bad memory.

For that reason, the shorter term, regional or local events, are the ones that people can get their minds around; as these are the events they see on tv, but seldom, if ever, in their own home town. They can’t relate to and picture them actually happening to them, where they live. In Egypt recently, some that I know, made up all the reasons why they’d  be ok if they just stayed away from the demonstrations. If they don’t get involved, they needn’t prepare for anything.  The rest of the country is okay, they say. They also believe that someone else will help them if they just stay out of the frey.  Still, some will be a little prepared, and most will not be prepared at all.  In the US, the unprepared are still involved in American Idol, Dancing With The Stars or some other form of entertainment which justifies their denial and therefore no reason to think about what those crazy  ‘preppers’  are doing. After all, look at Egypt, it’s all back to normal now.

Those who envision and see the reasons for the ultimate national disruption are the ones that people think are crazy. I’m one of those. TEOTWAWKI will be on a national and likely a world wide scale. — But, it will start small; a little here, a little there until a series of seemingly small events kicks it all off.  It will be exactly  like the frog in the pot, who is positive he’s just sitting in a recreational hot tub with a thermostat that will keep it below 106 degrees.

Here are a few “Reality Checks”:

Peak Oil: It doesn’t mean we’ll run out of oil by Friday. It simply means that fuel and everything else will get more expensive. The question here is how much, how soon. Nothing to go crazy about today,  but without planning for it, it will affect everything in your life, unless you’re independently wealthy. Try to picture anything in the room that you’re sitting in that was manufactured and got to you without oil being used somewhere in the cycle. There is nothing.

Food Shortages: You’ll have steak, a baked potato and salad this week and next. It will quickly  become much more expensive because of Peak Oil and all that it brings:  more expensive fertilizer, farm machine operating expenses, processing and delivery expenses,  etc, etc, Droughts, floods, climate change and all the rest of the ‘crises’ will also cause shortages and subsequently higher prices; maybe even limited or no availability. That doesn’t yet mean you won’t be able to get it, if you’re independently wealthy. Grains are up 70% in 2010, (both cows and people are grain fed) and the U.S. reserves are at an all time low.

Civil Unrest: Most riots are short lived. Nothing to worry about, just keep your head down and keep a low profile. But wait, maybe the riot is caused by empty fuel tanks at the gas stations. Maybe it’s caused by empty store shelves because of high fuel prices or lack of fuel availability for trucks. Maybe it’s caused because of higher taxes and decreased services — fewer cops and higher crime. Or perhaps other causes? Today, it could be almost anything, but likely because of lack of something.  Again, not a problem if you’re independently wealthy.

Yellowstone Volcanic Eruption: What happens when the ash has spread throughout the mid-west and southwest from border to border a five million people are dead, and the rest are slowly suffocating while they are out searching for fuel and food or water? Not a problem if you are independently wealthy and have built and provisioned a underground bunker in Kansas. But have a way to get there before the ash settles.

Hopefully, I’ve made my point.  Anything can happen, and the likelihood of something occurring that could be catastrophic to you and yours becomes greater every day because of population, weather, the economy and politics.  You may have noticed that I kept writing: “unless you’re independently wealthy”.  All that wealth does is give you a little bit of time. It’s not the end-all cure-all for your future problems. The facts are that “it” , whatever “it” is, may not be available at any price, get it now or plan to do without it. Get some junk silver while “it” is still available, but before hyperinflation makes it too pricey. Slow methodical preparation is the answer. Just don’t let it become obsessive. You can still watch American Idol, just do your daily preparedness task first.  Let Mr. Rawles get you started. Make your own lists as he recommends, and do it now. You won’t be sorry. Whether it’s local or world-wide, you’re in the pot and the thermostat is broken. 

Being Prepared: A Tale of Two Hurricanes, by N.D.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
In August of 2005 Hurricane Katrina had slammed into the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi.  I really don’t need to tell you the destruction and subsequent aftermath of that storm as it is well documented for all to see.  We had lived in New Orleans for sixteen years and had moved to Houston five years prior to Katrina so were used to living in hurricane alley. We thought….

September of 2005, a month later, the Houston area was threatened by Hurricane Rita.  Rita was the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. The paranoia at the thought of it hitting Houston after the devastation of Katrina was intense in the Houston area. The local government started to issue evacuation orders for the coastal area’s three days prior to the forecast landfall date.  There were no planned evacuation times or schedules so everyone got on the road as soon as they were packed up.  People as far as fifty miles from the coast were evacuating because the local leaders never came out and said who was most at risk.
 
We work in the Medical Center in Houston and live 39 miles north of there, commuting across Harris County and through downtown Houston. I was ready to go whenever we got released from work but my wife being a nurse would be held longer even though she was not doing actual patient care. I was anxiously monitoring the traffic which was getting worse by the minute while waiting for her, I finally told her we had to leave or we were not getting home at all. Our usual commute on the way home is an hour and a half. This time it took us three hours only because I took every back road and side street I knew of to beat the mad rush on the freeway system which was rapidly turning into a parking lot.

We have several friends that evacuated and spent twenty or more hours stuck on the freeway. They told many tales of woe about their experience’s out there. There were gangs from the inner city traveling up and down the shoulders of the freeways causing hate and discontent.  Water and bathrooms were nonexistent.  People in recreational vehicles had people knocking on their doors to see if they could use the bathrooms. Every neighborhood off the freeway had people coming in to see if they could get something from the people that lived there. Some areas had sheriff’s deputy’s block the exits from the freeways so that people couldn’t get off and wander through their area’s. One of my friends finally put his pistol on the dash in plain sight just as a warning to people walking up and down the freeway begging for anything they could get.

My wife decided to go to the store and get some odds and ends the day before Rita was to make landfall. She came out of our subdivision and made a left hand turn before realizing the traffic jam that was still on the road. She called me in a panic back home because the road was full of people just sitting in their cars waiting to get out. I told her to go see what she could get and I would guide her home. She went to the Kroger in town and it looked like a store that had been plundered. There wasn’t anything much worth buying left.  I guided her home on some back roads and the lesson here is to learn as many routes as you can to your destination. You never know when it might mean sitting on a freeway for 10 or more hours and making it home to get your preparations done.

Hurricane Ike
Fast forward three years to September 2008. Once again the Houston area is under the gun from a major hurricane. This time because of the near miss with Rita officials are taking a less frantic position. The storm is supposed to hit to the west of Houston in a farming region of the gulf coast. The officials do call for the evacuation of just the immediate coastal areas but by all accounts are not worried by a direct hit on the greater metropolitan area.

Getting home was no problem. Many people that went through Rita said “to hell with it” and stayed home thinking we wouldn’t get the worst of the storm and were not going to spend the time sitting in traffic again. The local officials made it abundantly clear that the storm was only going to graze Houston.

We were safe at home when the storm veered north, straight at Galveston Bay.  That night it roared ashore and cut thru a wide swath of the area that was supposed to be spared.  We lost power in the wee hours of the morning. The next day we woke up to still no power and no water (our water company is on the same circuit as our neighborhood).  Fortunately the storm was followed by an unexpected cool front and made for a beautiful day.  I won’t go into the damage to our property.  I set up my Honda 2000 generator and plugged in the portable television and refrigerator and waited for the power and water to return.  About 8 p.m. the power came back on and we were all excited but, it went out two hours later.  By the third evening we were wondering when it would come back on. Thank God for being having bought the generator for our small truck camper.

I was getting cabin fever three days into this, and wanted to go up and check on our fifth wheel trailer up at the lake. We knew there were trees down and power was out across the region but decided to run up and see for ourselves. Thankfully there was no damage to our rig.  When we got home we went over to the neighbors for shared supper and to socialize.  While we were gone that afternoon,  a band of men (read thugs) from the subdivision were going around checking to see who had generators.  The story went  that the power went out the second time because someone had their generator hooked up to their house and when the power came back on it “back fed” through the main lines and killed a power worker.  So these guys decide to take it upon themselves and check everyone’s setup. One particular and well prepared, gentleman was the given the wrath of the gang.  The sheriff was called and told “he had to go over and disconnect this guy’s generator or we would never get power back”.   The poor man was told he should be prepared to “protect” his property.

The power did not come back on for a week. There was no food in the grocery store, if people got power they were not sharing and water was still an issue.  Generators were being sold for three and four times their normal price.  Gas was still four dollars a gallon if you could get it with the gas stations not having any power and being sold out quickly if they did. Getting gas supplies in took days as the refineries in the area were without power also.  The lines for “free” food and water were tremendous. People that didn’t even need it were going to get it. We were prepared and had bottled water and food in the pantry.  The cooler than normal weather we had been blessed with helped keep a bad situation from becoming worse.  If the normal heat that follows a hurricane had arrived it would have been a different tale for the Houston area.   When I finally was able to get to the web I learned that power in my area was going to be out for another week at least.  Fortunately, our local Wal-Mart had gotten some larger generators in and we were able to purchase one that is tested bimonthly to be sure it is “up and ready”

The news media was really funny. They would have a story about where you could get something and then at the end say “Check our web site for times and locations”. There were four million people without power, how are you going to check the web site if they even saw the broadcast?  The local news was all about the aftermath. We did not get any news beyond our local area and really didn’t think much of it. When we finally got national news we found out that the economy was collapsing.  We are now preparing for a different type of disaster….

In hindsight, we are much more prepared now.  We have the means to protect our home and are constantly supplied with food and water. The whole experience was  very eye opening and we have been preparing for any eventuality ever since. WTSHTF in your everyday life you find out just what your made of. There are tons of things I will do different next time.  But don’t under estimate what your “neighbor” will do and stealth is the word in preparedness. They will take what you have and not look back.

Three Letter Re: Using Tea Candles for Urban Low Light

Dear Sir,  
I’ve been making “permanent” candles for years, using empty cat food cans, pipe cleaners, and store-bought paraffin wax. The cans are quite stable and, because of their volume, the wicks don’t “float” until they’ve been burning a long time. Rotating candles solves that problem. The wicks don’t burn up – they wick – unless you touch them and knock the built-up carbon off them. If that happens, you can easily repair them using lint from a clothes dryer – a good thing to have anyway. The candles must be fed to keep ‘em burning and to adjust the flame; the wax is the consumable. I’ve had many candles last literally years, and I always have ‘em handy, with some spare fuel, for emergency lighting. With inverted ceramic flower pots, they also make decent small-space radiant heaters, and will warm up a can of soup in a pinch. Hope this helps.   Thanks and best wishes,   – Rick O. in New Mexico

 

Greetings Mr. Rawles,

A fairly low cost alternative for low level lighting is the solar LED pathway lights. Just place them in the sun during the day, and they are good for several hours during the night. Just remove the charged batteries when they are not needed, or add a simple switch to turn them off and on. With minimal soldering skills you can replace the white LED’s with red, to make them easier on your night vision. Blessings, – M.I.A.

Sir;
Using candles as lighting tools should be considered as a last resort. A much better option would be a small capacitor with a solar charger, powering LED lights. I have been to too many residential structure fires that resulted from improper use of candles.  Often the candles pollute the inside of the house, so the occupants open windows, allowing winds to blow combustible fabrics into contact with candle flames. Usually I have seen this during periods of high-wind related conditions, that have blown down electrical utilities, thus leaving residents to figure out how to deal with the mess themselves. – “Split Hoof

Economics and Investing:

Pierre M. sent: Egypt Crisis Puts Spotlight on Weakness in US: El-Erian

A few industries are bucking the trend and doing well in the recession. The newspaper article from Montana highlights one: Bitterroot Valley ammunition makers see ever-growing demand. Don’t miss the comments on buyers’ concerns about “the world falling apart”, near the end of the article. (A hat tip to Mara for the link.)

More mainstream media feel-good journalism: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The World’s Battle With Inflation But Were Afraid To Ask. From their standpoint, inflation is a good thing. As if we’re supposed to feel good about being robbed, gradually… Memo to Mainstream Media: Please don’t sprinkle me with water from a toilet bowl and try to tell me that its raining.

Items from The Economatrix:

Global Credit Contagion on the Verge Again   

Gerald Celente: Official Unemployment Rate is an “Official” Lie  

10 Reasons Why it Has Become So Soul-Crushingly Difficult to Find a Job in America Today

Which Currency Will Crash First?   

3.9 Million Americans Ran Out of Jobless Benefits in 2010

Odds ‘n Sods:

“Word” mentioned some Kalashnikov training videos by a former Spetsnaz soldier who knows his stuff: Saulius “Sonny” Puzikas. I should mention that I take exception to his advocacy of taping magazines together, end-to-end. When you drop to a prone firing position (as you often must, if you value your skin) then there is a huge risk of either fouling the downward-facing magazine with mud, or bending its feed lips. Bad idea!

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Fred the Valmetmeister flagged this interesting article: Feds: Mobster fugitive captured in rural Idaho.

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Mark. G. in Michigan sent us an article from the Harvard Medical School web site that echoes what you’ve already seen in SurvivalBlog: Drug Expiration Dates – Do They Mean Anything?