Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin S. liked this PDF: Guide to Sustainable Utility Free Living

   o o o

After eight months of R&D with military contractor, KI4U is exclusively releasing a new product, The RADSticker™. This is an inexpensive, peel & stick postage stamped sized, instantly color changing radiation dosimeter.

   o o o

Mike H. mentioned a Daily Oklahoman newspaper editorial: Americans are petrified about their future.

   o o o

Kelly D. flagegd this: Top 10 Public Health Disasters of the 20th Century.



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The next amendment is,’A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.’ One of the ordinary modes, by which tyrants accomplish their purposes without resistance, is, by disarming the people, and making it an offence to keep arms, and by substituting a regular army in the stead of a resort to the militia. The friends of a free government cannot be too watchful, to overcome the dangerous tendency of the public mind to sacrifice, for the sake of mere private convenience, this powerful check upon the designs of ambitious men.

The importance of this article will scarcely be doubted by any persons, who have duly reflected upon the subject. The militia is the natural defence of a country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people. The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms had justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpations and arbitrary power of rulers; and it will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them. And yet, though this truth would seem so clear, and the importance of a well-regulated militia would seem so undeniable, it cannot be disguised, that among the American people there is a growing indifference to any system of militia discipline, and a strong disposition, from a sense of its burdens, to be rid of all regulations. How it is practicable to keep the people duly armed without some organization, it is difficult to see. There is certainly no small danger, that indifference may lead to disgust, and disgust to contempt; and thus gradually undermine all the protection intended by this clause of our National Bill of Rights.” – Joseph Story, “A Familiar Exposition of The Constitution of the United States“, paragraphs 450 and 451 (1840)



Notes from JWR:

The recent Agence France-Presse article “Apocalypse now? In US and abroad many are prepared” was a bit of mixed bag. To begin, I must mention that I hardly deserve to be called “the patron saint of survivalism”. Only one man deserves that title: Mel Tappan. The article included a biting subtext that I’ve seen before from statist journalists. It sounded condescendingly anti-survivalist and anti-Christian. (One data point: The journalist’s name is Sara Hussein. That is one of the reasons that I declined to do an interview for the article. I suspected that it might be a hatchet job.) I should also mention that for some reason Sara Hussein also described me as being “anti-tax”. I don’t recall ever articulating that view per se in any of my writings. But I’m happy to go on record as being opposed to unequal or unfair taxation schemes. I could handle flat, reasonable taxes. I’ll also go on record that the planned Federal tax increases that go into effect in the U.S. in 2011 are likely to delay any economic recovery.

—-

Today we present another entry for Round 29 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, 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 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, and B.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 29 ends on July 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.



The Essential Gun for Survival, by Cory M.

At least one firearm chambered in .22 Long Rifle (LR) rimfire should be part of every survival plan.  If you do not currently own a firearm or if a .22 is not part of your current arsenal it should be high on your “next to buy” list, if not at the top.  The .22 is essential to your TEOTWAWKI preparation.  From providing food for the family to [marginal] self defense, the .22 will work for you.  Here are a few reasons the .22 LR is so important to your preparation and survival.

Practice
Whether or not you are currently familiar with firearms practice is vitally important.  Practice now can mean the difference between life and death later.  Any great musician or sports star doesn’t wake up one day with great abilities, they have practiced and practiced.  When all of a sudden the world ends as we know it you are not going to magically be proficient with a gun, you must practice now.  There is no caliber better suited to practice with than the .22.

It is inexpensive to shoot.  With ammo prices sky rocketing the last few years many gun owners are unable to afford the price of ammo to practice with their larger caliber firearms.  The .22 on the other hand is still very affordable to practice with.  Where I live you can buy a box of 550 .22 LR cartridges for around nineteen dollars.  I keep several thousand rounds, and when I shoot one box up I go get another.
The .22 is also ideal to practice with since there is virtually no recoil.  If you are an inexperienced shooter it is easy to pick up the habit of flinching.  Flinching happens just before the trigger is pulled in anticipation of the recoil. This will cause your shooting to be very inaccurate.  With the .22 having no recoil shooters are less likely to pick up this habit.  Since the .22 has no recoil you can shoot hundreds of rounds without your hand or shoulder getting sore. 

The .22 also comes in about every firearm style imaginable.  It can be found in bolt actions, single shots, semi auto rifles, pump actions, lever actions, revolvers, and semi auto pistols.  By practicing with the .22 the fundamentals of shooting can be obtained with your favorite style of gun.  Once you get the basics down of breathing, trigger control, and sight with the .22, switching to a larger caliber gun of the same style you practiced with will be much easier.

Every member of your family that is mentally capable of shooting a gun should be taught the basics.  The ideal cartridge for this is the .22.  While some women may be scared of guns, the .22 is quieter, and as mentioned before their shoulder won’t get sore when learning now to shoot it.  For kids the .22 is also ideal, a father and their child can spend great time together shooting tin cans and also get valuable practice time in.
One last thing about practicing, I would rather own a .22 that I can hit a rabbit running with than a .50 BMG that I could not hit the broad side of a barn with.  Or what good are thousands of rounds of ammo but you can’t place the one round on target that will save your life?  If you are planning on using a firearm when the world goes into chaos make sure you practice weekly with it, because if you don’t the gun you are counting on will let you down due to operator error when you need it the most.

Transportation

You all know when things start to collapse there may be times when your G.O.O.D. plan with have to be put to use.  More than likely it will not be practical to take a whole arsenal of weaponry along.  So which gun will go, and how much ammo can you pack because what good is gun without bullets.  The .22 LR is the ideal caliber of gun to factor into your G.O.O.D. plan.

Ammo takes up less space with the .22.  Compared to 12 gauge shotgun shells you can pack 550 .22 rounds for every 25 shotgun shells.  That is a big difference, you could pack 2,200 rounds of .22 LR in the same space only 100 12 gage shotgun shells would take.  What good will that shotgun do you when it is out of shells? 

There are also several models chambered in .22 that are ideal for packing away in case of an emergency.  Henry makes a [AR-7] survival rifle that breaks down and all of the components fit in the stock, which floats in case it is dropped in water.  Marlin makes the Papoose which breaks down and fits in a small case.  With the Ruger 10/22 folding stocks are available in order to make them more packable.  Don’t forget about the pistols, all of which can easily fit in a holster on your side or in a backpack compartment. The .22 LR is also one of the most popular firearms in the world, so wherever you go there is a lot better chance that you could come across ammo for it than cartridges for other firearms.  The same thing goes for the gun itself, what if your gun breaks beyond repair and you still have thousands of rounds of ammo.  Finding a firearm chambered in .22 LR will be easier than almost any other caliber.

Many Applications

The .22 LR has many applications, in fact it is probably one of the most versatile rounds in the world.  Many guns have specific uses they are intended for.  Take for instance the 9mm, it is a good self defense round but it is impractical in many hunting situations.  Shoot a squirrel in the chest cavity and it will probably blow it apart.  The .22 on the other hand can be useful to take squirrels all the way up to whitetail deer if the shot placement is correct. [However, the hunting regulations in most states prohibit its use for taking big game.] A book by Peter Hathaway Capstick even claims elephants have been taken with the .22 LR.  While there are not many that would try such a feat, the .22 LR is capable of killing any animal in North America.

The .22 can also be used [marginally] for self defense.  There are some that may scoff at this statement, but they wouldn’t volunteer to take two rounds the chest with a .22.  If you have practiced, and you can place your shots correctly then the .22 can [under ideal circumstances] stop an intruder.  Anyone taking two rounds to the chest and one in the head won’t shake that off.  I would rather defend myself with a .22 than a snub nose pistol that I couldn’t hit anything with.

Proven

Who wants to put their lives and their family’s lives in the hands of a piece of equipment that has not stood the test of time?  The .22 LR has stood the test of time, in fact it has been around since 1887.  This cartridge is used in competition, training courses, hunting, and everything in between.  It has proved itself time and time again.  There are more powerful guns out there than the .22, but there are none that are more suited to survival than the .22.
I am lucky to have the gun my great grandfather used when he was a boy during the Great Depression.  My great grandfather’s dad died in an accident 1929, just before things got really hard for people all across the country.  Unable to make enough money my great great grandmother lost her house and was raising her children all on her own.  It was up to her boys to put meat on the table, the only gun they had was a single shot Stevens .22.  The gun is worn out today, it still shoots, but not as well as it did 80 years ago.  Every time I shoot the gun I think of how my great grandfather kept his brothers and sisters alive.  How he killed everything from birds to deer, and how things could be very different for me if they hadn’t owned that gun to provide for them.  While I am not planning on using this same gun to keep my family and I alive when it’s TEOTWAWKI, I am planning on using the same caliber of gun.  It has proven itself.

I hope this has shed some light as to why the .22 is so important to your survival.  I know there are calibers out there that are more powerful, will shoot farther, and are better adapted to specific situations, but there is no caliber that is more universal than the .22 LR.  I can stock more ammo, practice more, transport it easier, [marginally] protect my family, provide food for my kids, and perform more tasks with this caliber than any other.  So head down to your favorite firearm dealer or gun show, buy a .22 and lots of ammo.  Start practicing today, because as I said before, practice now can mean the difference between life and death later.



Letter Re: Finding a Job in Depressed Economy

Good Afternoon, Jim,
What can Christian people do if they have lost their income when the economy crashed in October 2008 and they still have limited funds? I am a professional and the market I serve is in decline. Suggestions? I have applied to hundreds of jobs with no reply. Thanks, – Paul S.

At this point, the prospects for economic “recovery” seem remote, especially with the planned tax increases (January 1, 2011) and the inevitability of higher interest rates.

I recommend that you start your own business, in something recession/depression proof.

Look through the 75+ SurvivalBlog articles in the “Self-Employment & Home-Based Businesses” category, starting with the oldest ones first.

And for some hourly and salaried job possibilities, see my discussion of “Three K” jobs.

Pray hard, and start digging a market niche!

Economics and Investing:

Frequent content contributor KAF flagged this: IRS starts mopping up Congress’s tax-reporting mess. KAF’s comments: “It’s becoming more and more apparent and important for preppers to make all purchase transactions of multiples of items in cash only. Read on…these new laws and IRS regulations are aimed at squelching any competitive incentives for trading with the small businesses of America. As a result, they’ll be thousands of small businesses closing in the next two years. And, this is what the Feds call building employment opportunities?”

Larry T. sent us this: Bank Fix for Unpaid Commercial Property Loans: ‘Extend and Pretend’

N.I.M. spotted another piece in The New York Times claiming that there has been a recovery. N.I.M. facetiously suggested: “I think that it’s safe for you to shut down the blog.”

Tom in Georgia pointed me to a great piece over at Zero Hedge on bank financing of the Federal Reserve. Tom’s comment: “This article has a good explanation of how the Fed may be continuing Quantitative Easing 2.0 while publicly proclaiming that it isn’t. The banks are using their cash reserves received from the Fed to now buy 10 and 30-year T-bills rather than the Fed purchasing them outright. This plausibly explains how the US bond market and equities can rally, while funds experience massive outflows all at the same time. The government Ponzi scheme continues.”

Thanks to S.M. annd J.D.D. for this one: Debt Commission Chiefs Give Gloomy Fiscal Outlook

The latest over at Dr. Housing Bubble: The rich do it too – Los Angeles County and million dollar distressed properties. 1,947 homes in L.A. County valued at $1 million or more are three payments behind or in foreclosure.



Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader E.B. was the first of several readers to mention this article that has some TEOTWAWKI implications: Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in three-month span.

   o o o

F.J. spotted a useful piece on emergency kits for cars.

   o o o

B.B. sent this article that shows that the First Amendment and the Second Amendment go hand-in-hand: Federal judge orders Osceola County sheriff to issue gun permit. (And to attend a course on the First Amendment.)



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The concept most fundamental to long term disaster preparedness, in retreating, is having a safe place to go to avoid the concentrated violence destined to erupt in the cities. When you have a growing apprehensive awareness that the time grows short for you to relocate away from areas of greatest danger, then choose [where you will live] carefully." – Mel Tappan



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 29 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, 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 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, and B.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 29 ends on July 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.



Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up, by Scott in Wisconsin

If the power grid fails for a weekend, dollar bills will always be accepted.  And I think it’s a good idea to keep at least $500 on hand in your home, in $5 and $10 denominations.  If the stores are open, but their credit card machines are not working, you’ll still be fine.

But what happens if things really fall apart?  It’s easy to imagine a time when cash will no longer be king.

What if an EMP knocks out all our electronic infrastructure?  If you’ve read “One Second After,” you get a feel for how quickly all our technology can go away.  And how useless cash would become almost immediately.

What if hyper-inflation destroys the value of those dollar bills you’ve tucked away?  If we see the kind of inflation that they have today in Mozambique, or that they had in Weimar Germany, that $500 in cash won’t even buy you a breath mint.

What if a virus sweeps the country, and kills millions?  Those who survive may have no interest in your paper dollars, preferring instead to have something they can use.

Suddenly, you may have no choice but to barter for what you need.  But barter is terribly inefficient as a substitute for currency.

How often will the guy with goat you want, need the generator you have to trade?  And how, exactly, will he make “change?”  Most of the time, even when two people each have something the other needs, the two trades won’t be equal in value.  That may well kill a deal.

And how will you buy small items, like a dozen eggs, or a pail of milk, without a good substitute for currency?  You can’t trade a cow for some cheese.

Silver  and gold may step in and function as a true replacement currency.  Historically, people have looked to the precious metals when currencies or governments fail.  So it makes sense to have plenty of Junk Silver coins tucked away.

But you can’t eat silver, or drink silver.  And when you’re hungry or thirsty, it just may turn out that silver will be shunned just like dollars bills, with traders demanding something they can actually use.

I believe that, when dollars stop working, some new, useful items will begin to function as currency – a pseudo-currency, like cigarettes do in prison movies!

And if other items are going to become pseudo-currencies, it would make a great deal of sense to stock up on them now, while they are cheap and readily available.

So how can we determine what people may turn to as a substitute for currency, when the balloon goes up?

First, we need to consider just what makes a good item for trading, so that it can act effectively like a pseudo-currency.  Simply put, it should be like money, but also useful itself.

So it should be small, compact, lightweight, durable, long-lasting, and fairly divisible, like currency.  It can’t be fragile, or need care and upkeep.

It should also be so obviously useful, that someone will take it in trade even if they don’t need it immediately themselves, knowing they can use it, or easily trade it in the future.

And the genuine nature of the item must not be in doubt. (That’s one reason I favor junk silver over small bars.  No one is faking 1958 quarters.)  Such coins need to obviously be “the real thing.”

After looking over what I use regularly, what I have put away for a rainy day, and what I think others will also want and need, I’ve identified the following items as potential pseudo-currency:

32 count Strike-anywhere matchbooks.  I bought 120 boxes for $20. on eBay.  Just $.17 per box.  Fire is life.  The boxes themselves fit nicely in the pocket, and are lightweight.  So handy and useful.  It’s clear at first glance that they are genuine.  For small trades, 2 or 3 individual matches may even be traded, if they are strike-anywhere matches.  Otherwise, you’ll need the box for striking.

Cartridges.  .22 LR is very inexpensive now, but eventually may be hard to get.  I just bought a bunch of 50 round boxes, for $1.65 each, at Dunham Sports.  That’s just 3.4 cents per cartridge.  They should be highly sought after TSHTF for shooting small game, etc.  Like matches, individual rounds may trade for small things, and whole boxes for larger items.  Stock up on the size ammo you use yourself, as well as very common sizes.  I expect shotgun shells will also be very popular, and there are just a few common sizes to choose from.  Even if the worst never comes, you’ll have lots of ammo at 2010 prices, which may seem cheap a few years from now.

Candles.  I bought 144 of the 15-hour unscented white Votive candles for $48, or just $.33 each, at Candledepot.com.   I’ve seen 500 of the 6 hour candles for 20 cents each on eBay.  In either case, these are much smaller and cheaper than the Nuwick 120 hour candles.  (2 cents per hours versus 8 cents per hour).   They fit nicely in your pocket, and are lightweight and durable.  You get light, and can cook with them using several candles under a pan.  Others will want them, when the grid goes down.  If you’re looking for a business after TSHTF, I saw a Votive candle maker on eBay for $1,500.

Calcium Hypochlorite (granular chlorinating powder / pool shock)  1 lb bags cost just $3.50 at inyopools.com and will make roughly 12,000 gallons safe for drinking.   I’ve put away 4 bags.  
1/8 oz of the powder will make a gallon of Chlorine Bleach.  So each 1 pound bag makes about 1,000 pints of Bleach.  Each pint of Bleach will then disinfect 12+ gallons of water.
Pint-size plastic bottles should be very common, and part of your own water storage stash.  As a business, you could sell or trade pints of Chlorine Bleach that you have made with your powder.   A quick whiff of the bleach should convince your customers that it’s genuine.  Your customers can then disinfect 12 gallons of water that they acquire on their own.  You can have a business, and maybe save lives at the same time.

Seeds.  Once things shake out, many people will be anxious to get a garden started.  Seed packets are useful for you to have tucked away, and the perfect size and weight for trading.  And they have a long shelf life if kept cool and dry.  Sealed commercial packets will have instant credibility as being genuine. Plus, they’ll have instructions on the back. Watch for close-out sales after the planting season winds down and stock up on the most popular seeds.  Again, your trade items will make life better for others.

2 cycle motor oil in pre-sized bottles.  When trouble comes, people will have lots of 2 stroke items like Chainsaws that they need to keep running.  They’ll probably be able to find gasoline in small quantities, but a little bottle of oil, just right for 2 gallons of gas, could be very hot for trading.

Rechargeable AA and D batteries.  When the grid fails, people will turn to batteries for lights and small appliances.  And they will quickly go thru the few regular ones they have lying in the drawer.  IF you have a supply of rechargeable batteries, and the solar set-up to re-charge them, and offer to swap Charged batteries for their Discharged batteries, you’ll have a sustainable business.  You charge a high price for their first rechargeable batteries, but then swap charged batteries for discharged batteries at a discount.  Stock up now, and you can keep the neighborhood happy and electrified.

Nails.   When things are unsettled, people will need to work on their shelter and Jerry-rig various contraptions.  Nails will be vital.  Individual nails may trade like individual cartridges or matches.  Wood screws should be stocked as well.  Watch for sales, and buy lots of boxes.  Hit the garage and estate sales too.   While there, pick up non-power tools for your own use.

Thread, straight pins, needles and safety pins.  When Wal-Mart isn’t open to sell you new clothes, sewing will be important.  And that will mean repairing what you’ve got, as well as making new items.  Who will still be making safety pins, when the balloon goes up?  Better to stock up now, and fill that need when it arises. Shop at Dollar stores or Wholesale clubs for bulk pins and thread.  Also watch the garage sales and estate sales.

Cable ties.  Lightweight, and so handy.   When people have to fend more for themselves, cable ties will be very handy.  You can buy a big tube of various size ties, for less than a penny each.  I see them at bargain prices at flea markets, but test a few out, to be sure they actually work!

Candy Bars and Cigarettes.  This one is tricky, since they have a shorter shelf-life than the aforementioned items, and are a more fragile.  Still, they are so desirable, that they will be traded, I believe.  If you have the skills and supplies to produce candies from raw ingredients, or can roll cigarettes, you should have an ongoing business.

These are just the things that come immediately to mind when I try to think of items that would work as currency, when dollars no longer work.

Look over what you use regularly, identify the small reusable ones,  and see if they meet the requirements of a Pseudo-currency.  Then stock up on them while they are available, and inexpensive.  If the worst never comes, you can always use them yourself.



Letter Re: Lessons Learned From A Novice Hunting Trip

Sir:
I would like to commend the author of “Lessons Learned From A Novice Hunting Trip”. Being a hunter and avid backpacker, I can attest to the validity of each of his points. I can add a couple of lessons I have learned over the years as well:

1. To get from point A to point B in terms of weight; you need more water than food, more food than junk. Long duration movement is physically taxing and every ounce must be worth carrying and purposeful. Don’t skimp on quality when your life may depend upon it, whether it be a pack, a knife, or a pair of boots. Be selective and do your homework. What’s your rear worth to you? Everything you carry is your life support system.

2. The forest or the desert is not your backyard. You are a potential food source for a myriad number of biting, stinging and sucking insects. They will find you. So you must protect yourself with the proper clothing or repellent and potential treatment.

And finally, his point on the abundance of game within the suburbs versus that in a natural setting should be noted lest any preppers lull themselves to thinking that the taking of game is easy where the competition for life is already a day to day struggle. The most experienced hunters I know don’t always come back from a hunt successful.

I know it’s been said ad nauseam, but what I cannot emphasize enough is that the most important tool you possess is what’s between your ears. You must use it in preparation, action, and contingency.

Always a pleasure to read these articles for perspective! – JWB, Jr.



Letter Re: Equipping My G.O.O.D. Boat

James:
I read your comments on The San Juan’s and Canadian Gulf Islands with interest. We have lived in the islands for 17 years now and have a fair amount of experience with the pro and con’s involved in being separated from the mainland. I liken it to being off grid in many ways. From the residents point of view we are dependent on the Washington State Ferry System for almost all of our consumer needs. This is fine as long as they are running, which during normal times is not a problem. However from the prepper/survivalists point of view, it’s a mixed blessing. In a SHTF scenario there will be no food, fuel, medical supplies etc. available in the quantities needed to support our population, however there will also be no transportation for the “Golden Horde” either, unless they have a boat, assuming they can obtain fuel. Islanders are a self reliant and self sufficient lot. Most of us have gardens and fruit trees. Many raise chickens and small farm animals and produce food products for sale at our local Farmers Market. The surrounding waters contain Salmon, Crab, Oysters and Clams. Bottom fish are available but are endangered. Our part of the world is a wet one so there is ample water most of the time. There is a strong sense of community here and the Island credo is one of helping thy neighbor. Our shores are readily defendable and we have an air strip for emergency evacuation if it is necessary. Assuming one has laid away the necessary supply of food and other long term survival gear, I can’t think of a better place to survive whatever problems might be coming our way.

And in the event that there are no problems, it’s a great place to live either way. – Farmer Frank, The San Juan Islands, Washington



Letter Re: Triage Systems for Crisis: Making the Hard Calls in Life or Death Situations

Mr. Editor:
The first part of the Kathy S. article was well done in describing potential scenarios and the medical problems with triage.  I would take issue with her triage system and her method for establishing the categories.  The standard civilian approach is that of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS).  It has been used and taught in the military. In a mass casualty situation, it requires establishing who has the best chance of survival within the constraints of time, manpower and materials.  I am a retired Army physician (non-surgeon) who has been an ATLS instructor for many years prior to retirement.  The military system uses ATLS but has the Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook as the gold standard for survival medicine.  The 2001 edition was written by a friend who insisted that all of the specialist contributions use a common terminology so that the electronic version could be searchable.  It has some exceptions to the ATLS model in special situations.  It also has interesting information about how to do an appendectomy or to make jerky.
The first part of triage is the Primary Survey that establishes the basic medical points about a patient.  These are the ABCDE’s as follows:

A—Airway (including cervical injury)—can the person talk or breathe?  This is always priority one and sometimes is readily correctable and life-saving.  Severe face injuries may obstruct the airway and be easily corrected.  Sometimes tilting the neck back can open up the airway if no cervical injury is apparent (otherwise lethal).  An emergency tracheotomy might be possible with little skill.

B—Breathing—is the chest moving and air being exchanged.  Certain chest wounds could lead to a tension pneumothorax  that identified could be readily corrected with a needle.  It and cardiac tamponade might be difficult to distinguish without more advanced medical knowledge.  Cheyne-Stokes respiration would indeed be a pre-terminal event.

C—Circulation—includes bleeding that may or may not be easily controlled.  ATLS discourages tourniquets on the assumption of low velocity bullet wounds and access to advanced trauma care.  The SOFMH allows for
tourniquets when those assumptions are not met.  They should be loosened periodically to spare a limb.  Abdominal bleeds require much more intensive time, manpower and supplies than might be available.  IVs are needed to prevent shock if possible.  Some use of oral water may help if it can be consumed without choking, vomiting or aspiration.

D—Disability (Neurological evaluation)—assessing level of consciousness would be difficult for most with little medical knowledge to assess but clearly deterioration could be noted.  More advanced facilities would be required to treat, even acute epidural hematomas.

E—Exposure—covers environmental issues such as temperature, toxins, radiation, etc.

The triage system that I would favor would be a simpler one of I, D, and E.  It would be a situational determination in part and can shift with changes in circumstances.

I—Immediate is the highest category within the resources available.  An airway might be simple, quick and life saving. 

D—Delayed is the category of salvageable people to be treated  as time and resources permit.  It would also include the walking wounded, those with minor injuries who should wait on others with more serious injuries.  These should not be the top priority as Kathy S. suggested.

E—Expectant is a euphemism for those who cannot be helped in the given situation.  They should be cared for humanely by people available who can comfort and be a human presence to those not likely to survive.  This helps keep bystanders busy who want to help but keeps them out of way.

Obviously a lot of medical knowledge can quickly be required along with supplies.  One needs this training and the supplies to deal with it.  There is no easy way to cover all of these issues or all of the field expedients that might be helpful.  The first key is the Primary Survey and the triage designation to be able to proceed. – Steve T., M.D.



Economics and Investing:

Jimmy Rogers: ‘I don’t have investments in the UK’. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Disappearing Perk: Employee Stock Options

Americans May Be Slammed with Shocking Tax Hike

US Shopping Center Vacancies Approach Record High

Before The Bell: US Stock Futures Down Over Worries On Growth

Oil Prices Rise in Volatile Trade

European Banks are Worse than Wall Street

World Sovereign Default Risk Rose 30% as European Debt Crisis Deepened





Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"What doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"- Micah 6:8 (Carved in stone at the entrance to Baylor Law School)