Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable, when using our forces we must seem inactive, when we are near, we must make the enemy believe that we are away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is superior in strength, evade him. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

If he is inactive, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand." – Sun Tzu, The Art of War – Translation by Lionel Giles, 1910

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.

Getting My Lists Together, by Old Dog in Wisconsin

A Life Altering Moment
There are times in one’s life when everything changes.  For me it was it was in early May, just two months ago.   My wife and I were visiting my parents in Florida, and taking the opportunity to check out places where we thought we would like to retire in a few years.  We have been traveling to the west coast of Florida from Wisconsin for over 20 years and were trying to finalize the community we would choose.  As I am still employed, life is basically good.

After another round of exploring we chose to escape the midday heat by visiting a large bookstore.  On one display table were several copies of JWR’s “How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It“, Cody Lundin’s ’When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes, and a several other related titles.  I sat down with both books, and “armed” with some coffee (yeah, I drink hot coffee is all weather conditions) decided to look at these books more closely.  I was immediately hooked.  Holy Cow! Talk about opening a new door and finding something completely unexpected.

From “How to Survive TEOTWAWKI” I found SurvivalBlog, and from there discovered the previously (to us) unknown universe of preparedness, survival, and everything else.  I showed my wife the material, and she was “hooked” as well.  I think our conversions were “easy” because of our ongoing domestic conversations related to the shifts in the economic and political climates of the past few years.  In one day we were both in sync on our beginning to understand what preparedness means and how unprepared we actually were.

Getting Lost
The Internet is a journey of 1,000 clicks.  For me, every new term needed to be looked up.  From there I would find a site that had a whole bunch of new information, new terms, and new searches: rinse, repeat.  Night after night, even stealing a long lunch at work, I would read a new blog or forum entry with an unfamiliar term or concept,  and from there look up “Ka-Bar” or “Dakota Fire Pit” or the shelf life of Butane lighters and find myself on another blog site being introduced to even more new concepts, lists, ideas, problems…..arghh!

This education process was enlightening and at the same time frightening.  I feel like we have come late to the party.  The sheer volume is overwhelming, and the clock is ticking.  We are not millionaires, and at our stage of life (late 50s/early 60s) we have finite energy plus a few preexisting conditions that limit our “bugout” options. Let’s see, we have both read “Alas, Babylon”, “One Second After”, “Patriots”, and “The Road”.  Our library now includes “Boston’s Gun Bible”, “SAS Survival Handbook”, “The Encyclopedia of Country Living”, “Where There Is No Doctor”, “Where There Is No Dentist” and several other titles. We read as much as we can when we can. 

I downloaded JWR’s “List of Lists” and on first read said to myself “this is cool”, but felt a bit overwhelmed by the detail.  I ordered and read the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course”.  There are more details on what needs to be consider, but I am still feeling overwhelmed.

I was lost.  I know that the journey of one thousand miles starts with a single step, but I didn’t want to head off in the wrong direction.  I am not in a position to waste any time, effort, or money.

But then I remembered something that I had come across a week or so earlier.  Where was it?  As I use www.delicious.com to save my bookmarks on the net, any sites that I want to revisit are bookmarked, tagged, and readily searchable.  I found it in a few minutes.

It was a post on another survival web site.  The author provided an easy acronym for a person to remember when they get lost.  “S.T.O.P.”:  Stop, Think, Observe, and Plan.  For all the survival old-timers this is grade school stuff, but to the newly initiated it is fresh material.  After some thought it does make perfect sense.  I was lost in the jungle of preparedness and needed to STOP.

Getting Un-lost
My subconscious must have been working on this for some time, because I immediately knew what I had to do for myself.  I also realized that my work might be useful to others in a similar position, those others coming late to the preparedness party.  I asked and received JWR’s permission to modify his List of Lists.  I reformatted the spreadsheet to meet my needs, and the remainder of the article explains my modifications.

“Stop” I did, literally.  The web site recommendation was to try to relax for 30 minutes.  After reading “One Second After” I allowed myself to stop for 30 seconds.  

“T” usually means think, but for me it means “Take Inventory”.  I am not just counting boxes of ammunition or crackers or air filters, I am also taking inventory of my skills.  What skills do I already have, and which ones do I need to learn, or which ones am I willing to outsource to others or go without if I have to.  The admonition is repeated time and again in books and magazines and here at SurvivalBlog and others, that it is your skills and your attitude that will be your primary tools for short and long term survival and sustenance.  One can have all the hardware, but if it stays in the wrapper and you don’t know how to put it together or use it, then it will not help you when you need it.  I know I am preaching to the choir here, today I quickly found https://survivalblog.com/letter-re-gaining-situational/ and https://survivalblog.com/after-10-yearssome-observation/ for example. 

I am now in the “Take Inventory” phase of my becoming un-lost.   Tools, skills, books…there are 34 pages of checklists (including additions I have made), a lot of detail because that is what is required.  Several of the lists are generic and need further development by each person to meet their individual requirements. When this phase is completed, I will know what I have, and I will know what I know.  The last part sounds silly, but seeing it on paper makes prioritizing future actions a whole lot easier.  If others find my work useful, they too will build their own lists.

“O” is for observe.  I am going to bend the definition a bit and say that observe means to understand the market for each item you decide to purchase.  My dollars are finite, so I cannot be spending them foolishly.  My Dad always said “never buy anything the first time you see it”.  To help me in my purchase decisions, I created a worksheet that can be used to help evaluate the best option available.  I will explain this in more detail a bit later as I describe the modifications I have made to the JWR’s List of Lists .

“P” means plan, but for my purposes it has the double meaning of Prioritizing and Planning.  No sense in worrying about a year’s supply of food when I don’t have 30 days yet.  Back to the basics, first things first, second things second.  My priorities will be different from yours, but I need to identify my requirements before I start sending dollars out the door.

With my resource and skills inventory in place, I now can prioritize our acquisitions of material and skills.  I will be using savings to front load the absolute priorities.  Then I will enter a phase of long term budgeting and procurement.  Wishful thinking will not put three years food supply up for two people.  I need to develop the discipline of buying appropriately, getting what I can when I can.  When I refer to priority development, I have several competing needs that need to be addressed at the same time.  I might have the money to buy three years food supply, but I can’t neglect first aid supplies, getting a proper BoV, finding a retreat location, etc. 
If TSHTF today I would not be in the best place.  But I would certainly not be in the worst either.  I have resolved that every single day I will make progress on at least one of my unfulfilled items.
 

My Changes to the JWR’s List of Lists
I made one major change to the JWR List of Lists, as well as several small ones, and one set of additions:

The most noticeable change is the addition of five columns in each list: “Own”, “Qty”, “Buy”, “Priority”, and “Notes”.  I realized that I needed to know what I had before I went of acquiring what I needed.  How many times have I gone to the grocery store and bought something I thought we needed, and came home to find three other packages waiting.  I suppose in the new paradigm that is a good thing.  But I really don’t need to spend any more money on screwdrivers when I know that I don’t have a water filter.  That’s an easy enough call, but for many other items I cannot with certainty say yes or no. There are more than enough new things to get without purchasing items that I already have.  I added the “Priority” column so that I could highlight the items that should be targeted for the next round of purchases.  The “Notes” column is for just that, though some may be pre-filled with some of JWR’s comments from his original list.

Other changes were more cosmetic.  I developed the modifications in Google Documents.  I did this to allow non-Microsoft Office users access to the material.  I eliminated some blank columns at the end of each sheet, and added the name of the sheet to the top row of each.  The large comments that JWR placed at the top of some lists have been moved to the bottom.  I added very few additional rows to the lists that JWR prepared, but they are there so I hope I don’t confuse anyone with their insertion.

The current version of the Google software does not allow internal linking.  Navigation to the sheets is done by using the tabs and arrows at the bottom of the screen.  Another feature of Google Docs is that when you print a document, it creates a PDF file which you can either print or save.  An individual sheet or the whole workbook can be printed.

The Appendices
These were created for my own purposes.  At this time I am solely responsible for their structure and content.  I am hoping that others may find them useful in their quest for more complete preparedness.
Appendix A is the Acquisition Worksheet.  I developed this for formalizing a comparison of non-standard product offerings.  I wanted to end my “back of the envelope” notations when trying to determine what to buy.  This is important stuff and I didn’t want the notes thrown out accidentally or confusing when read later.  What do I mean by non-standard products?  Here are two examples.  Up until two months ago I didn’t even know paracord existed.  Not only does it exist, it has a multitude of uses.  I started searching for a reliable place to buy it from, and then discovered that it comes in all sorts of types (civilian, military), strands (4,5,7, are there more?), and of course lengths and colors.  I thought I found an inexpensive source selling 50’ lengths for less than $3 each.  It seemed a “reasonable” price, I could put one each into our BOBs.  Reasonable, until I discovered that their shipping cost was almost $7 each.  I have to go back and do more research for paracord.  Another example is bulk winter wheat.  There seem to be several viable sources, some ship in 5 gallon buckets, some in 6 gallon buckets.  I need to find out the unit costs and the freight costs to determine which offering is better. 

Appendix B is really a placeholder for me to develop my personal bag inventories.  It has been not stressed enough that outside of key basics, it is better for each person to build their own list of BoB, vehicle BoB, Everyday Carry and Get Home Bag contents.  I also found an excellent reference for a medical supply bag and have noted that source.  If I need to do this, I am guessing others need to do this as well.  There are plenty of examples out there.  I am already getting started on my BoBs.

Appendix S is the area where I hope I can get some help from the SurvivalBlog community.  What I did was create a set of categories and lists “off the top of my head” on what skills might be needed in different SHTF scenarios.  I am guessing I left a few holes, and comments are welcome.  I will gladly update this appendix with solid input.  This is an area where I (for myself, and you, well, for yourself) need to be hypercritical of your knowledge and experience.  Your self-assessment can be as glib as Sully’s response “I read a manual” in ‘Avatar’, but reading is not doing.  Recent articles on notes from a first hunting trip  https://survivalblog.com/lessons-learned-from-a-novice/, desert gardening https://survivalblog.com/starting-your-desert-backyard/,  developing a G.O.O.D. vehicle  https://survivalblog.com/my-good-vehicle-by-matt-m/ all provide examples that for every skill there is at minimum an article’s worth of experience derived for each example.  [LOL, article’s worth? How about several books or college degrees worth of experience?]   But even reading this expertise is not doing.  Quoting Sully again, “It’s like field stripping a weapon: just repetition, repetition”.
Do you own and want to keep a dog?  Do you clip your pet’s nails or take the dog to a groomer?  That’s a new skill you will need.  It sounds easy, but you don’t want to injure the animal.  How heavy is your BoB?  How far have you carried it?  Are you fit enough to get home with your GHB?  There are general skills, and specific skills.  Which ones do I (and you) need to know?  That is for each to decide.

Even though I would consider myself a suburban creature (10 miles from a large enough city that I want bugout from if necessary), I grew up next to and was literally raised on a farm.  I have tended chickens and cows and pigs.  I have raked and scythed hay manually and with machines.  It is very hard work. That’s why I now work in IT.  I listed the basic farm animals as a starting point for skill requirement definition.  As there are many articles, books, and web sites discussing these animals for homestead living, there are plenty of resources for those that are new to self-sufficiency.  These again are noted for people to think about which animals they may want to raise, and then for each my next section covers the basics (I think) for the care of those animals.  Read this at Grandpappy’s site for a non-sugarcoated summary.  As I skim the skills list “one more time” I see that I am missing things already.  I could spend weeks polishing this off, but I am sending it in now.  Additions will have to wait for V1.2.  Your input is welcome.
Appendix W contains two sets of web sites.  The first part consists of web sites that I have come across in my first 60 days of preparedness education and enlightenment.  As I have found these sites useful, I am hoping that others will get value from them as well.  The second list of web sites are taken from JWR’s original list and summarized here for completeness.  The Tools List is the only page that has kept JWR’s original site references intact.

Access to the Updated List of Lists
As stated earlier, I decided to develop this in Google Docs spreadsheet format to give as wide exposure as I could.  The one caveat is that if you do not have any kind of Google account, you will be asked to create one when trying to directly access the file.

I have created a public folder that can be accessed here.  The spreadsheet JWRLoLv1.1 is found there.  Click on the link, and you will be asked to login to your Google account.  Once logged in you will be able to use the File menu to copy the spreadsheet into your own documents folder, or export the file to a file type of your choice. [JWR Adds: Some readers have had difficulty opening the file. I will post a copy directly to the SurvivalBlog server sometime in the next few days, and will post a link.]

Utilizing the List of Lists
My version of the “List of Lists” will be a living document.  I will keep a current “master” in a three ring notebook.  As I update my inventories the updates will be hand written.  As needed other notes will be added as well.  I will keep my working acquisition sheets in another section, moving the completed sheets out to a permanent file.  I will update the computer version once or twice a month so that the hand notations don’t become confusing or forgotten.  A new “master” will be printed which will replace the old version.  I can easily determine how much I have of what, how much I want to target, and how much to buy, setting new priorities for the current period. 
For those familiar with spreadsheets, navigating the Google versions is not that difficult.  Most of my customizing of the sheets will be adding or deleting rows.  Click into the row “header” just left of the first cell, then right-click to get a context menu.  Of the several options, two will be to add a row either above or below the selected row.  If you want to insert multiple rows, select that number of row headers (for example 5) and then you will be asked to insert 5 rows above or below the selection.  There is also a shortcut after the last row for easy addition of rows at the end.  For those that want to customize the columns, follow a similar sequence.

Feedback Welcome
If there is enough feedback on the structure of any of the lists themselves I will update the existing version.  As I said previously, the Skills List is open to all suggestions.  The Firefighting List had no items from JWR’s original.  Perhaps some professional firefighters can make some suggestions.  I think that there could be some specific “grid up” and “grid down” checklists for fire safety.  It is a universal requirement (ever practice a family fire drill?).  This will get added into a newer version.  Any suggestions can be sent to me at taodnt@gmail.com (“teaching an old dog new tricks”).  I am never too old to learn.  I will post the changes, and anyone knowing the link to the folder can get the new version any time.  I will also pass a note to JWR so that he can announce the updates as they are made.  Thanks for listening and I hope you can benefit from my efforts. 

Four Letters Re: Creating Secure Perimeter Fencing with Plant Life

Hi–
Great blog and great books! I just finished “Patriots” and enjoyed it.

I wanted to add a suggestion, FWIW, re: botanical perimeter fencing. I’ve seen stretches of “trifoliate orange” (Poncirus trifoliata) that are truly impressive in their effect of being -but not looking at all like- the botanical equivalent of razor wire. It is well adorned with a most ferocious array of thorns. It produces smallish bitter-tasting fruits that, if of no other use, are good as an anti-scorbutic. It is not native to the US, but in my opinion, bogeymen aren’t usually well-versed in the finer points of native lansdscaping. Best – Shan

 

Sir,
A thought on the fencing of property. Before the fall happens, local laws still must be met. Here in Ohio we have a Partition Fence Law.
Fencing must meet a standard and it is very specific. It tells what type of posts, the spacing, the wire, and the upkeep of the fence. Living fences are generally not allowed with two exceptions. Also the fence line must be kept clean three feet each side of the line and both property owners are liable for the expense of the fence and it’s upkeep. If a violation occurs with the fence, the township trustees get involved and it can end up in court. All this will happen before there is no law enforcement. Here Ohio, we are saddled with some very restrictive laws, maybe other place can secure the perimeter in advance but we can’t.
Thanks for the blog and may God Bless. – An Old River Rat in Ohio

Mr. Rawles,
Thank you for the time and resource you provide with Survival Blog. I am a newly awakened soul who saw the specter of economic disaster late last year. I have a
long way to go, but the process is underway.

It is with some interest that I read the essay on Perimeter Fencing with Plant Life. I have recently begun to consider ways in which to conceal my home from the nearest roadway, and bamboo is the method I selected.

I have researched a number of different species and selected those that will provide dense screening as well as food (human and animal), fiber, and building material. My home will slowly disappear from sight over the next five years. If I elect to stop maintaining the perimeter of my groves, the property will take on an abandoned, unmaintained look. A livestock gate at the driveway will complete the illusion.

I was surprised to see the author of the essay select clumping bamboo as part of his perimeter plan. In my research, clumpers will not move far beyond their original planting site for many years, and they do not do well in the US beyond zone 9. His other plant selections are excellent, and I will incorporate blackberries into my property as well.

I would not want to rely on any static defense alone, no matter how painful the plant material might be to move through. I would want livestock guardians as a secondary defense to sound the alarm against intruders. Sincerely, – Jason T.

 

Good day, sir.
Of the aforementioned plants, bamboo can be used to create the following (and much more).

Baskets, bird cages, blinds, boats, bridges, buckets, charcoal, chopsticks, armor (hand to hand), cooking utensils, fans, fences, firewood, fishing rods, food steamer, furniture, garden tools, hats, incense, musical instruments, pens, pipes, roofing, scaffold, tableware, toilets, toothpicks, toys, umbrellas and walking sticks.
Having watched the BBC series “Victorian farm” I’ve seen the trouble Victorian era Europeans had to go to in order to craft or repair even small fences. Bamboo (to me) stands out for that very use alone.

In a stitch you could also de-thorn some of the blackberry reeds and use them for weaving or a basic twine (while they’re still supple).

Kind regards, as always. – The South Aussteyralian

Economics and Investing:

Federal budget gap through June tops $1 trillion amid GOP resistance to more government spending. (Thanks to KAF for the link.)

Thanks to Brett G. for flagging this one: Fed Warns Economy May Take Five or Six Years to Recover

Items from The Economatrix:

Obscure Weimar Collapse Book a Cult Hit

Central Banks Start to Abandon the US Dollar

Top for Silver $100 Per Ounce?

Stocks Mixed After Disappointing Retail Sales Data

Home Loan Applications Down 2.9%

Retail Sales Drop 0.5% in June

Oil Dips Below $77 as US Crude Supplies Rise

Watchdog: Small Banks Struggling Despite Bailouts

A Modern Day Gold Rush

Silver’s Historical Correlations with Gold Suggests a Parabolic Top as High as $714 Per Ounce!

China Stocks Tumble, Dragging Down Other Asian Markets

Irrational Gold Selling (The Mogambo Guru)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers have mentioned a new magazine, called The New Pioneer, now available at news stands, and by subscription. It’s premiere issue was just released. Reader G.S,. described it as “Kind of a combination of Pioneer Living, Mother Earth News and Backwoods Home.” The magazine is edited by Nancy Mack Tappan, the widow of Mel Tappan. It’s published by Country Almanac, part of Harris Publications. When I recently spoke with Nancy, she mentioned that Harris does not yet have a promotional web page for the magazine. Check it out at your local news stand. Editorial mailing address: New Pioneer Magazine, P.O. Box 1050 Rogue River, OR 97537. Editorial e-mail: newpioneermag@hotmail.com. Subscriptions and single copy sales: (212) 462-9536. Ask for single copy sales.

   o o o

More than 1,000 Exposed to Dengue in Florida: CDC. (A hat tip to frequent content contributor KAF for the link.)

   o o o

Cheryl (aka The Economatrix) sent us this: More And More Americans Preparing For Social Unrest

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"How complacent we become when we sit secure, hedged round by laws and protections a government may provide! How soon we forget that but for these governments and laws there would be naught but savagery, brutality and starvation. For our age-old enemies await us always, just beyond our thin walls. Hunger, thirst and cold lie waiting there, and forever among us are those who would loot, rape and maim rather than behave as civilized men.
If we sit secure this hour, this day, it is because the thin walls of law stand between us and evil. A jolt of the earth, a revolution, and invasion or even a violent upset in our own government can reduce all to chaos, leaving civilized man naked and exposed." – Louis L’Amour, Fair Blows the Wind

Notes from JWR:

Do you have any favorite quotes that relate to preparedness, survival, self-sufficiency, or hard money economics? If so, then please send them via e-mail, and I will likely post them as Quotes of the Day, if they haven’t been used before in SurvivalBlog. Please send only quotes that are properly attributed, and that you’ve checked for authenticity. Many Thanks!

—

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.

Creating Secure Perimeter Fencing with Plant Life

I’ve read enough about the Golden Horde, mutant zombie biker gangs, and the occasional parent who will do anything to feed their family to know that in a TEOTWAWKI situation not only do I not want anyone breaking into my house, I don’t want anyone to be able to get past the perimeter of my property. I live in a very rural area of the South, surrounded by a few neighbors that would do anything to help someone out, cotton farms, and cows. I’m as far out in the hinterboonies as is possible in this part of the US. Yet, if I were to construct a perimeter fence that would properly keep people out, everyone in the general area would be talking about “that strange anti-social family” since most properties in this area have only decorative fencing, simple electric fencing, or none at all. Neither my husband nor I really want to spend the 11th hour adding more barbed wire around the livestock pens, gardens, orchards, or the house. Because of this we’ve decided to take a slightly more natural approach to our perimeter fencing. In our area it’s not uncommon to see wooded areas with vast overgrowth so we’ve decided to create a perimeter fence that’s impenetrable and looks like an abandoned wooded area.

When creating a plant based perimeter fence there are three main criteria you need to consider:

1. Is the plant native or common to your specific area? (For example, at a retreat in the southwest various species of cacti would be perfectly appropriate whereas in my area that would be a dead giveaway that someone lives beyond the overgrowth)

2. Will it grow rapidly without much intervention? (This is very important; you don’t want to waste water that could be used for drinking, household duties, or your garden on your perimeter fence)

3. Will it be difficult to get through? (You want to be sure to use plants that are thorny and grow in extremely dense)
Another criterion that you can look at is will your perimeter plants provide you with additional resources. Because my retreat is in an area that allows for such a diversity of plant life to grow without human intervention I added on that final criterion to narrow down the choices. The plants my husband and I chose are Bamboo, Pyracantha, Blackberries, and Spanish Bayonet. So, the reasons why we chose these plants

Bamboo
Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant on earth, and an invasive plant at that. Some species can grow as fast as 48” in a 24 hour period. It is also an extraordinarily diverse plant that can be used in construction, cooking, even as medicine. For perimeter fencing having an invasive plant is a good thing because it means it will grow without much human intervention and it will become very dense, which is better for keeping people out. For my fence I went with a clumping variety instead of a running variety because it’s easier to contain clumping varieties. One great thing about bamboo is there are varieties that will grow from climate zone 4 to zone 11; you’ll just have to do a little bit of research to see which specific species of bamboo will work in your region. Also be sure to look around your area to see what sort of bamboo appears to be growing wild, remember, you want your perimeter to blend in. We’ve managed to make sure we get bamboo common to our area by scouting craigslist, freecycle, and various local classifieds for people offering up free bamboo plants. Because it is such an invasive species of plant, man people will give bamboo away as long as you’re willing to uproot it for them because they can no longer contain it.

Pyracantha
Pyracantha (sometimes called Firethorn) can grow to be about 20 feet high, produce edible berries, and they are covered in thorns. I’ve read a few articles that suggest cultivating Pyracantha around windows for home defense because of how densely the thorns grow. Where I live, beyond extra watering when first planting a Pyracantha tree they need no human intervention to grow. Another benefit is the berries, they attract deer and birds which make for excellent hunting and you can pick the berries to feed to chickens who don’t mind the bitter flavor. For human consumption you just need to boil down the berries to create a tasty jelly with about 40 calories per tbsp; 4 ½ cups of berries will produce approximately 2 cups of jelly. Pyracantha does best and is fully evergreen in zones 7 through 9 though with some research you can find strains that have been bred for hardiness in colder climates.

Blackberries
We chose blackberries for a few reasons; one being that they are my absolute favorite berry and providing food is always a good idea when preparing for TEOTWAWKI, especially a food as healthy and diverse as blackberries. Blackberries are notable for their high nutritional contents of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid – a B vitamin, and the essential mineral, manganese and they rank highly among fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense contents of polyphenolic compounds, such as ellagic acid, tannins, ellagitannins, quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins and cyanidins. Blackberry root and leaves are also common in herbal medicines to help with ailments such as diarrhea, dysentery, and more. But the security reasons being that they are everywhere where we live, to the point where during blackberry season all you have to do is walk along any road in the area and you’ll be likely to pick enough blackberries in one day to feed your family blackberry cobbler for a year. They are extraordinarily invasive and require no human intervention to thrive. And they are extremely dense, thorny plants, since Pyracantha grow so tall their thorns only affect the upper half of a person, blackberries will take care of the lower half. Blackberries do best in zones 7 through 9; though you can grow blackberry bushes in slightly colder climates they’re unlikely to produce any fruit.

Spanish Bayonet
The final plant we decided to add to our perimeter is the Spanish Bayonet, named so because it’s leaves will puncture someone even through thick layers of clothing. The Spanish Bayonet becomes top heavy between 5 to 20 feet when the it topples over, then the tip curves upwards and continues growing. Meanwhile it readily sends out shoots around the base rapidly becoming a thick, impenetrable clump of bayonet like leaves. Though these provide no additional purposes beyond security, these are the sharpest and easiest plants to take care of in our specific area and therefore a very worthy plant to add into our plant perimeter fence. The Spanish Bayonet grows best in zones 8 through 11.

I always think getting your plants from a local nursery is best because then you know for sure the plant will survive in your specific climate and the conditions in your particular area, not to mention most local nursery owners are willing to help you and they’re a lot more knowledgeable than your average big box employee when it comes to the plants they sell you. Depending on how big of a perimeter you need to create and how much time, and money you have could make it difficult to get all of your plants from the same local nursery. If there are only 1 or 2 local nurseries and you’re unable to get all the plants you need for your perimeter from them I would suggest seeing if you can find a somewhat local nursery that you can order from online. For those on a budget, of which I am one, build up your perimeter fence over time. Simply find the weakest points of your property and start there. You can find plants for free or cheap on craigslist, freecycle, even by searching for garden club plant exchanges. Remember, you don’t have to use the same exact plants around the entire perimeter, just make sure whatever plants you use match the criteria you need. In fact, the more diverse your plant perimeter is, the more likely it is to resemble overgrown woods.

When creating your perimeter fence you’ll want to layer your plants in a way that provides the most protection. We’ve chosen to plant the Spanish Bayonet on the outside, then Pyracantha, Bamboo, another row of Pyracantha, and then let the blackberries run crazy throughout. Behind the plant perimeter we’ve constructed a sturdy barbed wire reinforced fence that will help keep our livestock in and provide an extra layer of security if someone manages to make it through the dense, thorny perimeter we’ve created. The major weak point to this is of course the point of entry through our driveway, after all, someone may not be able to fight their way through the plant life but who needs to when you can walk up a driveway and find the home easily? We’ve handled that problem by putting in a livestock grate and standard livestock gate that is chained shut and kept locked. By not maintaining the entry point into the property from the road it appears to be merely an entry to a livestock pasture that’s become overgrown from years of disuse. In case of TEOTWAWKI we can remove the grate, fill in the hole with barbed wire, tangle foot wire, or even create a punji pit using some of the bamboo from our perimeter fence.

Letter Re: Motorcycles as Bug-Out Vehicles

Sir:
While they certainly have disadvantages, I think that motorcycles might be helpful in certain survival situations. Two-wheeled vehicles are small, maneuverable, and are very fuel efficient. They’re able to navigate highways and roads that are impassible to cars due to traffic jams and broken down vehicles. Given two or three feet of clearance, a motorcycle can get through and around a lot of obstacles. A single motorcycle can carry two people (a driver and an armed passenger?) and hold a significant amount of detachable luggage (think B.O.B. on steroids). My Suzuki gets 60-70 miles per gallon. Strap a full gas can on the back, and the possible range would expand considerably.

Obviously, disadvantages would be increased exposure (to the elements and to gunfire/violence) and reduced cargo capacity compared to a car or a sport utility vehicle (SUV). It’s not the ideal travel solution, but it would have its advantages. The two-wheeled method, I think, would be of most benefit to college students or single people living in heavily populated urban environments. These are folks who likely rely on public transportation and may not even own a car a all. Their best bet for survival, as discussed elsewhere on the forum, is probably to get as far away from the city as quickly as possible. Roads are likely to rapidly become clogged with traffic, and those in a car run a real risk of getting stuck in place and running out of supplies and/or gas.

A rider on a motorcycle, however, would be able to keep moving past wrecks, through congestion, and over clogged bridges while folks in cars would remain trapped in traffic. Ideally, our motorcyclist would move quickly (before things became utterly lawless), would have a pre-planned route or routes, and would be going somewhere specific (to friends, family, a retreat, or even to a well-stocked storage unit some distance form the city). I think that staying alert and on the move would be key to avoiding trouble.

Another possible use of motorcycles as G.O.O.D. vehicles is as a “lifeboat”. Say you lived in southern Florida and you planned to get to your “safe haven” in your truck, RV, or SUV. You know that I-95 (the major route north) may become impassable at some point on your journey. A motorcycle could serve as a backup method that would enable you to keep moving towards safety, even if you were forced to abandon your primary vehicle. A ramp into a truck bed or a single-motorcycle mount to the back bumper of an RV or SUV would be all it would take to bring a light motorcycle with you. If you became irreparably trapped in traffic, with dwindling supplies and no way out, you’d be able to travel farther faster and with more “stuff” via motorcycle than you would on foot. Take care, – J. Smith

Economics and Investing:

Bill O’Reilly calls it: Economic Disaster on the Horizon.

Craig S. sent this: Americans credit scores at new low.

“Boosters” flagged this: Presenting The Wall Of Worry: The 50 Ugliest Facts About The US eCONomy.

KAF mentioned: Secret gold swap has spooked the market

Also from KAF: China to Fight Price Manipulation With Heavy Fines (Hoarding of goods will also be subject to fines of 2 million yuan.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Surge After Alcoa, CSX Report Strong Profit

Job Openings Drop in May as Hirings Stay Weak

Market Slump Expected to Dent Profits at Big Banks

Chinese Rating Agency Strips Western Nation of AAA Status

Euro Slips After Moody’s Downgrades Portugal’s Debt Rating

Gold Bullion Sales Soar, Central Banks Stock Up

US Retail Sales Likely Down for Second Month

Odds ‘n Sods:

Wednesday at noon Eastern Time will be EMPact America’s third show on EMPact Radio. Dr. Peter Vincent Pry will be joined by Professor Cindy Ayers. She is an expert on Islamic terrorism. Please consider listening to the show live and participating via their call-in line (917-388-4499) or live chat. (See the link on blogtalk radio). The chat feature is available during live show only)

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F.J. suggested acquiring some coin-sized pocket screwdrivers.

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this sign of the times article, from Oakland, California: Suffer These Crimes in Oakland? Don’t Call the Cops

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G.S. in the State of Jefferson recommended the latest National Inflation Association video on empty store shelves. It has some good advice, except for the bit about storing a six month supply of drinking water in bottles. The space requirements and cash outlay would be tremedndous! Instead, buy just a one week suply of water and a water filter to treat subsequently gathered water.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD [is] thy keeper: the LORD [is] thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” – Psalm 121 (KJV)

Notes from JWR:

To those who have asked, the anticipated release date for the first sequel to my novel “Patriots” is September of 2011. The manuscript has been submitted, and the editors at Atria (a division of Simon & Schuster) are now working on it. It will be It is tentatively titled: Veterans: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse. Unlike most novel sequels, the storyline of “Veterans” is contemporaneous with the events described in my previously-published novel. Most of this first sequel takes place in Arizona and New Mexico. There is also major sub-plot about a U.S. Army officer who is released from active duty and must find his way home 11,000 miles from Afghanistan, right in the midst of The Crunch. OBTW, I’m already drafting the second sequel, which should be released in September of 2012. Watch for further announcements in the blog, closer to the publication date.

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Today we present a guest article by Steve Collins, a staff instructor for Suarez International, Inc.

Why Not Carry the Big Gun?, by Steve Collins

Carry the gun you want to fight with if you have to! What ever happened to carrying actual fighting guns? If I never see another article touting a ‘lightweight, easy to carry all day’ such and such, I’ll be ecstatic. When a fight comes, I want a chunk of gun in my hand, not some featherweight Mattel toy.

I’m not going to tell you how to live your life, or what you need to carry. Some people simply can’t carry a bigger gun by virtue of the fact of where they work or they live in an Non-Permissive Environment (NPE) where the discovery of a handgun would be disastrous. But to purposely carry something small, because you don’t want to be inconvenienced by it, is just foolish.

Decades ago, mens’ fashions were such that one could carry a full size revolver or semi-automatic pistol in complete concealment without much fuss. Men wore full cut suits with large pockets. It was much easier to carry guns such as a Colt New Service, an N-frame Smith & Wesson, or a Colt Government Model [1911]. J.H. Fitzgerald, legendary professional shooter for Colt, used to carry a pair of cut down Colt New Service .45 Colt revolvers in each of his front trouser pockets. These were called ‘Fitz Specials,’ and were the precursors to today’s short barreled concealment revolvers.

If you knew you were going to be in a fight, and couldn’t take a long gun, what would you want to have with you? I should think the biggest pistol you could control well and shoot accurately. That leaves out the keychain guns like the Beretta .25s, the Kel-Tec .32 and .380, the Seecamp .32 and the like. It also leaves out the 5 shot snubby revolvers. There are very few people, even gun people, who can shoot them well enough on demand to be effective with them. Yes, I have small guns, too. My Smith & Wesson 642 .38 Special has traveled many places with me, along with my NAA Guardian .32ACP. But they are not, in my mind, true fighting handguns. Please, please, spare me the “beware the man with one gun…” blah, blah, blah. The ones that spout that are trying to justify their unwillingness to look at armed conflicts as they really are. You don’t get to choose what kind of fight it will be; it’ll be a fight. You had better be prepared to handle it.

When folks go to the range, what do they normally shoot? The gun they like to shoot, which is normally a full sized pistol! They have no problem shooting a couple hundred rounds through them, but when they’re done, the big gun gets put away, and the little gun, which hasn’t been shot in six months or more, is the one chosen to protect life and limb. Do you see the problem here?

So, the answer is, carry the big pistol. By big, I’m talking about guns like a Glock 17/19 9mm, Glock 21 .45 ACP, the Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum, the 1911 .45ACP, the 4” K and L frame Smith & Wesson revolvers, etc. It’s not hard to carry or conceal them, as long as you put a little thought into it. This is not the place to cut corners; if you do, the whole process will fail miserably.

First, dress around the gun. Stop trying to look like the 17 year olds with skin tight jeans if you’re 40 and for cryin’ out loud, pull up your pants, Snoop Droopy Drawers! It isn’t attractive and it severely limits what you can carry concealed. Pick the gun and holster setup you are going to use, then shop for your clothes with them in mind. If you are using an inside the waistband holster, buy your pants a couple inches bigger in the waist to accommodate the holster. Get your shirts a size or two bigger to cover the gun and extra ammo on your belt, along with your jackets. If you wear a suit, find a tailor who isn’t afraid of guns, or who deals with police officers on a regular basis. Take the gun, holster and belt, and whatever accessories you are going to use to the tailor, they will cut the suit around it.

Next, having a quality holster and belt is critical. You spent a bunch of money on your pistol, why are you buying cheap holsters? There are many good holster makers out there; you don’t have to look really far to find one. Be ready to spend $100-to-$200 on a quality holster, belt and ammo pouches. Kydex is all the rage these days, and you can usually get these holsters at a lower price, simply because it’s less expensive and time consuming than leather to work with. It is also more water and weather resistant, especially if you are carrying inside the waistband. On the downside, they aren’t that attractive, they are hard on the finish of your gun, and if the holster is inside your pants, it can be hard to get accustomed to their rigidness. Leather holsters are easier on the gun and the body, and can be made as plain or as attractive as you want, but suffer from getting weather beaten, soaked in sweat and generally require more maintenance. Many of the leather craftsmen out there are backlogged, so you may have to wait some time to get their merchandise, also. Kydex makers can usually get their goods to you in a couple of weeks, or less.

If you don’t have a good belt, you’re setting yourself up for failure. I normally wear a 1-¾” nylon or leather belt, since I’m in jeans most days. If your belt loops won’t accommodate that big a belt, it’s an easy thing to find narrower belts that are designed to carry a gun. The cheap belts you find at the local super store out there won’t cut it. I know it’s a pain for gun shops to stock a bunch of belts in different sizes, but they are really doing the public a disservice by not having them there for people to try out. At the very least, it’d be good if the guys behind the gun counter had some knowledge about what is out on the market, instead of just what’s in the store and you will be lucky if they even know that.

Spare ammo carriers are given short shrift all the time, and I really don’t understand why. Probably because there is a segment of the gun carriers out there that doesn’t carry spare ammo! If you fall into that category, you need to go back to school, ‘cause you still haven’t figured it out yet. Carrying spare ammo is easy, whether it be on a six round loop carrier for revolver ammo, or a magazine pouch or two on your off hand side. The same holster makers will make ammo carriers to go with them, and you should buy everything at one time to make sure it all fits together.

Tell you what, next time you go to the range, do all your shooting, all your drills, with the little gun. Shoot at point blank range all the way out to 100 yards. See how difficult it really is. If you want to fall in with the ranks of the gun shop and keyboard commandos who have never been in a fight, who always rattle off the “all you need is a two-inch J-frame, ‘cause all fights happen at close range,” mantra, go right ahead. However, if you are willing to look at things objectively, and really think it through, you’ll see it’s better to have the bigger gun with you.

Stephen J. Collins
Suarez International, Inc. Staff Instructor
NRA Certified Firearms Instructor
Cellular: (706) 593-0783