Odds ‘n Sods:

C.D.V. sent this: Scientific Basis for New Madrid Seismic Hazard is Sound

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Reader K.A.F. sent a link to a TMM Gulching Forum thread that might be of interest for anyone considering a move to the American Redoubt states: Technology Companies (Jobs) in Bozeman, Montana.

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Chester B. was the first of three blog readers to send this link: Can You Spot the Sniper?

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Ding-Dong, Osama is Dead. But be prepared for the effects of some retaliatory terrorist attacks on American soil, by sleeper cells.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle! Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." – Frederick Douglass

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 34 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 34 ends on May 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.

Plan B: Offshore Retreats, by Phil J.

Little has been written in SurvivalBlog about moving one’s wealth and family off shore in planning for a US currency collapse. I can share a few insights since my wife and I have done this as a backup plan. (Plan B).

The whole story is a little more complicated and too long for a blog post, but through a five year search and good fortune we ended up buying a ocean front Condo in Panama about 80 kilometers west of the canal.  We took the plunge in December 2005. We bought at “pre-construction”, and took possession of our place in October 2009.  We have spent the last two winter seasons there and love Panama. As a lifelong Prepper I had many questions about how this would work as a retreat location and safe haven for our family. If you have considered getting out while you can here is what we have learned so far. 

Positives:

Panama was run by the USA for the better part of the last 100 years. For a Latin American country the roads, water and infrastructure all work and remain in good repair. If you are looking for a little USA away, it’s great place.

The drinking water in 90% of the country in good to excellent, no additional treatment required. Our area has abundant water as does most of the country. The canal is fed 100% by rain water (240 inches per year in the rain forest). The canal is also the second largest employer and revenue producer in the country after banking.

The country is about the same land mass as South Carolina and has a population for only 3.3 million, including all us ex-pats. The economy is growing at 6% and very stable.

Food: is abundant and amazingly inexpensive compared to US prices. We keep our budget under control by buying where the locals shop and eating what the locals eat. I bought Beef filet (mignon) for $3.25 per/pound last week. From the same hole in the wall butcher I get my Pollo (chicken) for .99 cent per pound. They grow everything and fresh fruit and veggies are available year round, cheap. As we tell our visitors, if you want to eat like you’re at home, it will cost about the same as home, if you eat local it will cost about a third. Our place is located in a small fishing village, and fresh fish and shrimp are available every morning. Most of the fish cost $1 a pound. For those that care, beer is cheaper that soft drinks (.40 cents) and good wines from Chile and Argentina run $4 to $7 per bottle. Food is a fraction of the cost and abundant. In the time we have been there we have seen food inflation start to show up but it’s more in the cost of imports than local foods.

Power/utilities: This season we had very few power outages, in 2010 we had several that lasted a day or so, this year it was not much of an issue. As far as I know all power is produced from fossil fuels imported from our friends in Venezuela. One would think that with all the rain Panama has that hydroelectric power would be huge, but all the water goes to powering the canal.

Electricity is more costly (at .42 cents per kilowatt-hour) if we use air conditioning a lot we can spend $250 a month. We pay $38 per month for cable television and Internet. The service for those has been excellent. We use Magic Jack to stay in touch, we love our Magic Jack and it is our primary phone number where ever we are. For $20 per year it is the best communication value going. We can call any phone in North America at no cost. Water cost runs $6 per month average.

Taxes: One of the big pluses for Panama is the tax situation, to attract Baby Boomers to retire here they forgive all property taxes for up to twenty years on the house or condo, the only tax paid is the land tax, $54 per year in our case. There is not an income tax in place at this time.

Health Care: This last year my wife and I joined a group health care plan through our church in Panama (non-denominational English speaking) for $1,200 per year. It is better coverage than the plan we have from my employer in the US. Also visitors to Panama all get free healthcare for any emergency service for thirty days while in country. Every Doctor we have met is US or Canadian trained, care is very good.

Banking: When we first learned of Panama we were glad that they use the US dollar, it was a big advantage to us when we bought and at the closing of our property in 2009. However now with the failure of the dollar just around the corner, I have many concerns and have questioned several insiders in Panama. They claim to have in place a plan to move to the Balboa, Panama’s trade currency. The banking system is very strict, and was one of the harder things for us to get established.

Goods & Services:  You can buy anything in Panama City, but there are stiff import tariffs on most home products, so expect to pay more for most consumer goods. We shipped all our goods in a 20 ft container in 2009. From Tennessee it cost us $4,700 USD. We moved in one day. Best money we spent.  You are allowed one container when you apply for the pensioner’s visa program in Panama. They allowed us to import these items with little or no duty. (Everything we sent down could have been bought in country).

Language: We were surprised to find that most of the people do not speak English. Even in Panama City. So that has been one of the biggest adjustments for us. We have learned enough to get by but it’s not pretty.

The things going for Panama go on and on, besides the best winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere, great people and a large conservative ex-pat community…..the people of Panama have been welcoming, helpful and friendly.

Negatives:
Transportation: Rental cars are a rip-off. They require third party liability insurance from everyone @$13 per day. Gas is very expensive. @$4.56  There is no rail system but one has been suggested for Panama City. Buses go everywhere country wide and 90% of the people rely on them for their daily commute. Cars are expensive, new or used. And insurance is high for full coverage. An 8 year old SUV will run $15,000 to $20,000. The roads are getting better every day but right now there are only two bridges over the canal to serve the entire southern end (Pacific Coast) of the country. Traffic, especially in the mornings is extremely heavy.

Housing: In a real collapse situation I would not feel safe living in a high rise anywhere. The view and amenities are great but without power it could be a trap with little or no defense. A single family home in a gated community would have major advantages here. There are several communities in our area better suited to a survival situation than our beachfront location.

Language: After two years in this community I don’t feel that a foreign country, even one as “user friendly” as Panama would be a safe bet for White Bread Ex-pats who don’t know the system or how to deal, barter or trade in the culture. If we possessed the proper language skills I would say we could make it….maybe.

Banking: If a currency collapse happens our income from the good old US of A is going to dry up and we won’t be as welcome as when we had greenbacks to spread around. I would feel stronger about Panama as a first choice if they were on their own currency.  

Weapons: It is legal to own long guns, and hand guns require a permit. Ammo is expensive compared to the US. There is not the system for tort liability in Panama. We have learned that Panamanians are responsible for their own safety and conduct, and injury related suits just don’t happen. The US had a large military presence for 70+ years and many nationals served in some arm of the US military so most of the national population is armed.

Security: It is difficult to tell where the Police and Army start and end. There are numerous road blocks and check points that seem to have neither rhyme nor reason. Only one time have I been asked for an ID or Passport (Last Week). At most “stops” the Anglos are waved through without question. Would this be the case in a TEOTWAWKI situation? I don’t want to find out. As a general rule we feel very safe, very low crime, and no violent crime to speak of against ex-pats.

With, health care, low cost of living and stabile Government I give Panama 8.5 out of 10, as a place to live and retire. Will it work in a SHTF situation? Yes, perhaps…

Pat’s Product Review: Blackhawk Products Clothing and Gear

For those of you, who are not familiar, with how Blackhawk Products came to be, here’s a little history: Former US Navy SEAL, Mike Noell, was operating in Iraq. He had to hump a ton of gear by foot in an enemy minefield. The pack failed, dumping his gear into the mine field.  Noell promised himself, that if he got out of that minefield alive, he was gonna make stuff the way it needed to be built, so none of his buddies would have to go through a similar equipment failure. Upon returning to the private sector, Noell started Blackhawk Products in 1993 – and as they say, the rest is history. As I’ve said before, I won’t write about junk – period! And in my book, Blackhawk Products is making some of the best gear, clothing, footwear, etc., on the planet. I’ve been testing a lot of their gear for several years now, and none of it has even come close to failing me – as a matter of fact, every piece of gear, clothing and footwear I’ve received for T&E, has far exceeded my expectations.  

I particularly like the Lightweight Tactical Shirts from Blackhawk, their short-sleeve version. I used to wear a covering photo journalist vest in the summer months, to cover my sidearm. However, it looked out of place for a number of reasons. I now wear the Lightweight Tactical shirts over my t-shirt (my “uniform” of the day is usually a t-shirt and cargo pants). I leave the shirt untucked and unbuttoned, and it doesn’t look out of place, and it covers my handgun nicely, I might add. These shirts come in several colors; black, khaki, olive drab and navy.   Features of these shirts are: durable 5.1 oz poly-cotton ripstop construction, Dupont Teflon DWR finish that resists stains and dries quickly. Concealed collar stay buttons and anti-roll collar inserts, and many more features that are too numerous to list in this article. Check it out on their web site for complete information. Now, remember, quality doesn’t come cheap – the short-sleeve version of this shirt retails for $46.99.   Most days, I can be found wearing cargo pants from Cabela’s – been wearing a certain type for more years than I care to remember. However, when I’m afield hunting, hiking or teaching a firearms class, I’ll more than likely be wearing the Blackhawk Lightweight Tactical Pants. They are not only sharp looking, but they are tough as nails. These pants are a cargo-type, and they have a large hidden zipper pocket behind the right hand front pocket. There is also a top opening mag pouch pocket on each leg. Front thigh pockets have size zipper pouch and hook and loop top to secure valuables. There is also a hidden expandable waistband, that slides to increase waist size by up to 4″ for increased mobility – especially after that heavy lunch that you know you shouldn’t have had. There are rubber gripper strips in the waistband to keep a shirt tucked in.  

We’re talking about a lot of features in a pair of pants: reinforced hems on leg cuffs and hand pockets increase durability in high wear areas, too.The front pockets are “angle cut” and have flat edges for proper placement and orientation of knives. There are also extra-wide reinforced belt loops that will accommodate the Blackhawk CQB Rigger Belt (that I also recommend), and other belts up to 1.75″ wide. I’m sure many of you have seen news footage of private security Operators in Iraq or Afghanistan wearing these types of pants – there are a lot of look-a-likes, but only one Blackhawk Lightweight Tactical Pants on the market. The look-a-like pants are cheap in price and workmanship. The Blackhawk pants are $59.99 per pair – and well worth every cent. Colors available are: black, khaki, olive drab and navy. For my money, there’s nothing better, and these pants will get you through some tough times when needed. Make sure to check out Blackhawk’s web site or ask for their catalog for full details on these, and other pants they sell.

I’m extremely picky when it comes to footwear – as is anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet or in the field. It might interest you to know, that approximately 95% of the footwear sold in the good ol’ USA is made in China. Heaven help us, if we get into a war with China – the entire country will be barefoot inside of a couple of months. Now, with that said, you can get as good as you want when it comes to footwear from China… if you want cheap hiking boots for $19.99 from Wal-Mart, then I’m not gonna stop you from buying ’em – but your feet will suffer, as well as your chances of long-term survival. When it comes to footwear, please do yourself and your loved ones a favor, and buy the best you can get – even if that means saving up to buy better footwear. Footwear from Blackhawk is made in China, but, it is made to their specs – no junk – simple as that!

I have several different pairs of boots from Blackhawk, and the one pair I wear more often than the other is the Waterproof ZW7 side zip boot. I can live without the side zip, but they are only offered with this feature. I live in Oregon, on the wet side of the state, so it only makes good sense to me, to purchase waterproof footwear. I have the 7″ tall, desert tan version of this boot, and they are extremely well-made, to be sure. When you put these boots on, walk around, and then put on a cheap pair of boots, the qualify is obvious – Blackhawk wins, hands down. I really like the Vibram multisport oil resistant TC4+ compound outsole on these boots – they grip in all sorts of weather – snow, rain, rock and muck. The waterproofing comes from the Sympatex lining, and it also helps wick moisture away from your feet, to help keep ’em cool and dry in the summer, and warm and dry in the winter. Retail price is $179.99 – once again, quality doesn’t come cheap – you get what you pay for. There are a lot of rip-offs of this boot – but only one quality boot – the one from Blackhawk.

I also have the Blackhawk Black Ops Boot – this is a similar boot to the ZW7 side zip boot, except no zipper (yes!) and a taller boot – and come in your choice of colors – so long as you like black. This boot is a little less money, than the ZW7 – these retail for $169.99 – don’t ask me why they are cheaper – they just are. So, if you are a police officer, security officer, in the military (where black boots are allowed) or just looking for some to hell and back boots for the end of the world, these are the ones to pick in my humble opinion.

My youngest daughter is a combat medic in the US Army – she was issued two pairs of desert tan boots in Basic Training – one pair was too small and the other pair was too big – but you can’t tell that to the supply sergeant they know exactly how to fit boot and uniforms. It was this way when I first joined the military in 1969 – and it is still that way today. My youngest daughter wasn’t able to wear anything except mil-issue boots in Basic Training. Once she got to AIT, she was given some latitude in boots. I immediately ordered her a pair of the Blackhawk Desert Ops Boot – they don’t come in women’s sizes, so we had to adjust accordingly. And, before I forget, it appears that Blackhawk doesn’t normally stock the smaller size boots – my daughter had to take a man’s size 6-1/2 and it was a 6-week wait to get ’em – so be advised if you are a female and you want this particular boot. The Desert Ops Boot is similar to the Waterproof ZW7 boot – except they aren’t waterproof, and there is no side zipper – which I don’t like to start with.The desert tan color complies with the US Army regs on proper color. They also have this same boot in greenish color – which I understand is acceptable for the US Marine Corps – but don’t quote me on that – I could be wrong. My daughter loves her Desert Ops Boot – said they felt like her running shoes from the moment she put ’em on. She has also “sold” a lot of these boots to her fellow soldiers – they saw my daughter wearing these boots, asked her about ’em, and immediately ordered their own from Blackhawk – so my daughter is a walking, talking advertisement for Blackhawk Products. Retail price on these boots is $169.99.

I also wanted to mention the Blackhawk Special Operations Medical Back Pack – my youngest daughter, being a combat medic – carries. It was mine – at one time – but she had more use for it than I did. When she arrived to her permanent duty station, she was the only medic who had a medical back pack – the other combat medics were going to the field with their medical supplies packed in cardboard boxes – I kid you not! Of course, they all wanted to know where she got her back pack from – and she told them. Well, several months later, all the combat medics in her unit now have Blackhawk medical back packs – the other medics have a slightly different version than my daughter has – however, they are all Blackhawk Products medical back packs.

I’d like to once again remind SurvivalBlog readers, that you can always buy cheaper products, but you buy cheap again and again. When you buy quality, you buy once – of course, we all know that boots and clothing wear out. However, Blackhawk Products will outlast cheaper knock-offs by a big margin. When we talk about survival, we’re talking any number of different scenarios – from a breakdown out in the boonies, to the end of the world as we know it. As for me and my family, we want the best – we don’t want to be like Mike Noell was – standing in a mine field, and have our gear fail us – perhaps costing us our lives. If you have to wait a little longer, to buy the best – then wait and save your pennies, and get better gear. In future articles, I’ll cover some other Blackhawk Products that I’m sure will interest SurvivalBlog readers.   – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Making Wheat Jerkey

Jim:

Here’s a wonderful wheat recipe that can be tailored to your own taste buds. Enjoy!

Wheat Jerky
Makes two dozen strips. Recipe can be doubled.

1 c raw gluten,  made from washed wheat flour.
14 oz. of liquid bouillon, using beef soup base, or ham, or chicken, or 1/2 beef and 1/2 ham, or bacon  flavor 6 oz. water
1 tbsp. Maggi or Kitchen bouquet (natural coloring)
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of sea salt

Optionals: add 2 tbsp. honey (for a touch of sweetness)                 
1/4 tsp. tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper (for a dash of hotness)  

Begin with the raw gluten.
Roll it out into a slab shape to a thickness of 1/8 inch.
Cut 1 inch wide x 6 inch long strips of the rolled gluten. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Drop the strips of cut gluten into the liquid, slowly stir gently and lower the heat, and simmer until most of the liquid is gone.
Drain the strips well into a strainer.
Put the strips back in the same saucepan and add 2 more Tbsp. of liquid smoke, and coat the strips well.
Place the jerky strips on a wire mesh cooling rack set onto a flat cookie sheet or, on your dehydrator mesh racks.
Dry in the oven at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes. 
Strips will shrink a bit. Dehydrator setting on “meats”, and dry for 1 hour.
Test for moisture and consistency (to your liking) to adjust the requisite dehydration time.

Remove when done, cool thoroughly and store in a closed container.

Economics and Investing:

J.B.G. suggested this piece in The Washington Times by Arnaud de Borchgrave: Geneva Gnome’s Global Dread

George S. mentioned some interesting news: North Dakota does today what no other state is able to do — cut taxes

G.G. sent this inevitable bit of news: Thefts rise as price of gas goes up

Items from The Economatrix:

Critics Say Fed Policies Devalue The US Dollar

Thanks to Obama, Gas Jumps in a Flash

Will Silver Go Above $50 and Stay There?

Bernanke Holds First Press Conference in Fed History

Odds ‘n Sods:

After I recently wrote bemoaning the defunct annual book “Passport to World Band Radio”, Gordon F. wrote to recommend the World Radio & TV Handbook. It is now the only major published reference for shortwave radio listeners that is still updated regularly. And on a related note, Reader F.J. suggested this free e-book: Radio Monitoring — A How To Guide.

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SurvivalBlog readers up in Montana will be pleased to hear that a no permit required (aka “Constitutional Carry”) concealed carry law was passed in their state senate. It is expected to be signed into law by the Montana Governor. An article based on a MSSA press release mentioned: “Concealed carry outside city limits (99.4% of Montana) has not required a permit since 1991. Open carry [outside of or] inside city limits has never required a permit in Montana.” JWR Adds: It is noteworthy that Arizona and Alaska, and Wyoming already have “Vermont style CCW” , and I expect several other states to enact similar legislation. The appeal of American Redoubt is continuing to grow!

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After a long delay, Prepared Pro finally has in captivity another small batch of Mountain House long term storage foods in #10 cans. For the first 24 hours of their club-exclusive product release that starts Monday, members will be limited to six cases each.

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Nanny State Holland: GPS Company TomTom Sold Drivers’ Speeding Data to Dutch Police. (Our thanks to Jamie W. for the link.)

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G.G. mentioned: Ham Radio Volunteers Worry About Spectrum Plan

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 34 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 34 ends on May 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.

Helping Friends and Family Gear Up, by L.D.L.

As I sit here this evening, I am watching the aftermath of recent Missouri and Alabama tornadoes, Midwest flooding and western fires on television.  In the southeast, hurricane season will be upon them and there is always the possibility of an earthquake throughout the US. The news carries stories of our county’s continuing financial decline and overwhelming debt. I watch as the value of gold, silver and other precious metals climb and the value of our dollar continues to drop.

The next segment of the news has reports of increasing gas prices, increasing taxes and increasing crime. The growing unrest in the Middle East threatens to push the cost of a gallon of gas to more than $6 not to mention destabilization of the entire region. No, we here in the US get comparatively little of our oil from the Middle East any longer, but that doesn’t stop the instability there causing our gas prices to rise here.

I live in a suburban Missouri neighborhood which has experienced very little crime over the years. If you listen to the local police scanner, crime in our area consists of the occasional DUI, Speeder or Petty Theft from an open garage of a kid’s bike. The police here will turn out if there is a report of a party or a house being toilet papered as a tenage prank.. Pretty boring from a law enforcement standpoint, but last weekend every Police Officer and Sherriff’s Deputy in the county were two streets over for a hostage situation. We recently had our first bank robbery and crime has begun to move out of the city, across the river and int to our quiet suburban neighborhood. As the economy breaks down, the crime rate goes up.

And yet, I remain hesitant to discuss preparing for TEOTWAWKI scenarios with my friends and neighbors. They like many people they would rather keep their heads in the sand and ignore reality than face something that monumental. They think that those who prepare are “a little loony”; a little over zealous. Even my own family thought that I might be a little over the top, that is until recently.

With all of the recent disasters they have had an epiphany. I have also changed how I approach the subject. Instead of talking about the proverbial  “when the Schumer hit the fan” situation, I now refer to the recent Earthquake in Japan or the Tornados that hit St. Louis to provide a reason for some basic preparation that they can identify with. Rather than looking at the really big picture, I can refer to the small picture and motivate my family and friends to make some preparations if only to cover the short term. Of course I recommend those preparations be able to support them for 7 to 10 days versus the usual 3, but even this is an easier lift than it used to be.

All of us have probably experienced this same feeling of awkwardness trying to convince those we love and care for to prepare for the inevitable.  But depending on how we frame our recommendations and our reasons determines if we can get their buy in. Done right, it will work. It has worked for me.

Once you get their (usually tentative) Buy-In, the next challenge is to get them to make appropriate preparations. You must help them tailor a Go Bag to not only their needs, but the most likely situations or possible disasters. Two guiding principles I try to follow are to make it familiar and make it as small as possible. For some reason, the smaller the kit, the more they will accept it.
In my situation my wife teaches at a school about 20 miles and across two major river bridges from our home. My daughter, on the other hand, goes to school at a local university and doesn’t have to cross any major bridges and is less than 10 miles away from home. So the kit I will build for my wife will be different than the one I build for my daughter.

To make my wife’s situation more challenging, she decided that after all of the minivans and Soccer-Mom cars she wanted a convertible sports car now that the kids are grown, so that is what she drives. A beautiful and dependable car, but it offers little security or ground clearance. Broken road material could bring this vehicle and her escape home to a screeching halt. Though not as small as some, but because it is a convertible it has very little trunk room. This means it has very little room for a Go Bag.

Now normally I would have a small bag in the car to get you to your bigger bag at home, but considering that if the bridges are down due to an earthquake, she may have to survive for quite a while with just this bag. Here the situation dictates a larger kit, but storage space limits it.

My only big advantage is that she usually carries a case of bottled water in her trunk. Other than that, though she likes to camp, (in a nice campground) the idea of survival is a bit beyond her. So, making the contents or her Go Bag very self explanatory and familiar will make it useable for her. Yes, it is limited and there is a bigger one at home, but you have to work within the parameters given.

With the contents of the bag, I included instructions with how to use the contents and the possible optional uses for each. Radio channels for the handheld radio in the kit and points of contact are listed. I also included short notes of encouragement. As someone who has taught wilderness survival for the past 38 years and urban survival for the past 20 years, I revert back to my training when I am faced with a situation. My wife, daughter, son and friends haven’t the training or experience that I have so they don’t have that to fall back on. Anything that I can do to lessen or relieve their anxiety and overcome their stress will greatly increase their probability of survival and success. Besides, the little notes will be appreciated by them especially if things get difficult.

By taking a different tack on the need for preparation, and then adjusting my expectations to meet my wife’s expectations, I was able to get her onboard. By making the kit contents familiar, I was able to make it user friendly. This results in making my wife more comfortable with the concept of survival in an emergency and reducing the expected anxiety.

As a side note I also include a few treats to help support morale. Things like small family pictures. For young Grandkids I include a small stuffed animal. A small, soft throw blanket can add comfort for her should she have to sleep in an unusual location, like her car. Including food that is familiar and she likes along with rationing instructions makes survival easier. A piece of candy is always a morale and energy booster. Remember, in a real emergency people will be scared and experiencing many emotions. Anything that you can do to mitigate those fears and lessen those emotions will go a long way to help them survive the situation.

As you probably know, it is not about gear, but knowledge for those who are trained. For those who are not, it is all about instructions. Helping family or friends prepare for a disaster is much harder than helping yourself. Where as you may and probably do work at learning all you can about preparedness and survival, the person you are helping usually has little or no knowledge so it will take some work to support them. It can be frustrating, but remain calm and charitable. What you do now will pay off in spades when the SHTF. Take your time; add a little knowledge here and there. When you can reference the survival use of a piece of equipment, do so. It makes the understanding of the use of the piece much easier and easier to recall when needed.
As you write instructions use simple clear instructions. Pictures go a long way to support clear understanding. Using familiar items decreases the fumble factor. If they can identify an item they are much more likely to succeed in its use; odd or unfamiliar items significantly increases anxiety. These items are always more likely to be discarded or left in the kit and not bothered with. One other tip I would make is to use the best quality items you can afford. In my personal Go Bag, I have Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) fixed blade and folding knives. Yes, there are more expensive knives out there, but for the price, these are excellent and I would trust my life to these. Buying cheap may save a few bucks, but if the item breaks or fails to function when needed what is the real cost? Besides, you want to make things as easy as possible since everything else is going wrong. Don’t do anything to add to their concerns. Should the SHTF there will be enough to worry about.

I will mention firearms here as an example of adjusting your expectations. I am armed every day. I always have a small concealed carry pistol with me and I keep a larger fighting handgun in a gun vault in my truck. Because my wife teaches in a public school, she is unable to carry a firearm on campus so the compromise was a Taser. It is not the best option, but it is one of the compromises that you have to make sometimes. This is just one example of adjusting your expectations. Her Taser is backed up with a couple of cans of Pepper Spray, but that is the best we can do. In all reality, she is not really supposed to have those on school property, but it was a reasonable compromise. Sometimes compromise is good.

So the next time you want to introduce your family or friends to the ideas and concepts of emergency preparedness and urban survival, take a lesson from my experience. Carefully consider your approach. Make sure that you reference emergencies that they can identify with. Use emergencies that are likely and realistic for your location. Adjust your expectations to meet theirs. As you help them with their preparations, use supplies that are familiar and they can use (a Bic Lighter is much more familiar than a Blast Match for most people); so their chance of success with them is significantly improved. And lastly include instructions describing how, where and when to use each of the contents. A listing of local and out of area contact numbers reminds them to make the call if they can. Notes of encouragement are optional, but can’t hurt. Good Luck and God Speed.

Tangible Investments for the Future, by Donald V.

Until recently, I had been confused on how to invest my savings, in anticipation of future currency inflation.  Our family is truly blessed by the Lord and we have a small farm that is our retreat.  We have also made stocking up on beans and bullets a regular and routine practice; for which I am very thankful.  While these items allow me to sleep at night; especially after reading the news, any extra that we put away will likely be used for charity; and thus I do not feel that these items are an investment and in a true schumer scenario, aside from self-preservation.  My guns have some value, however my definition of an investment is something that will gain value or grow wealth over time that is easily tradable.  Included in my definition of an investment is something that will gain value with or without a Schumer.  At this time, my guns are not something I am looking to trade in the near future unless I am desperate.  Buying guns are also a large ticket item and is not something that is easily invested on a monthly or even quarterly basis.  Finally, sadly enough with changing gun laws there could be a time when it is difficult to sell firearms at a profit or as an individual.

So for the last several years I was “plum lost” on investing.  The stock market is at a fictitious high; like a crack addict standing up on a cliff and looking for his next hit.  While I still work for the man and have one of those sucker-you-in matching 401(k) plans, it feels like I am tossing good money down the drain so this is a minimal investment.  I have bought gold and silver over the years, not much mind you, not nearly what I would like or should have bought, but I have bought some and I also purchased several hundred dollars in nickels to set aside.  But the trick to investing is buying low and selling high and as metals continue to hit new highs, I still occasionally buy metals but feel like I’ve missed the train.  Investing is something I’ve enjoyed in the past and I’ve made a few bucks in the stock market but for anyone who understands the historical actions of the market, it is in a strange trance waiting for a break.  Any dollar going into the market is a fool’s errand right now.

One of our largest investments has been education.  The most important aspect of the equation is preparing my children.  We have been homeschooling for several years after a short but unsatisfying stint with the public school system.  The best part about homeschooling is that education becomes a way of life and you are constantly considering lessons for your children.  Often, while you are trying to give them that next life lesson hoping it just might stick; you find you learn a few new tricks along the way.  This weekend was one such lesson, one that I want to share with you as it changed another aspect of my preparations and became a new investment.

As I said; we homeschool so my wife is at home with our children constantly.  Understandably, she needs a break every once in a while or she goes loco and so we (the children and I) planned on being out of the house on Saturday.  Work has been a drag and uninspiringly I had a zoo outing planned.  Fortunately it rained and our last minute decision was to instead head to an auction. 

If you do not go to auctions, I would recommend everyone to take a look at AuctionZip.com.  Type in your local Zip code and it will give you a monthly calendar with all the auctions in a radius from your home.  As you become familiar with the auction houses in your area you will find favorites.  Typically I like to check this site as well as the auction house sites to understand the type of auction (estate, farm, antique, etc.).  Most auction houses list a majority of the goods and always the best items as bait.  Good auction houses post pictures as well and large sales even have previews the day before.  Once I decide there is something of value, I try to price the goods I want on line (Craigslist, eBay, etc.) so I know what would be a good economic deal (although on this day, since it was a last minute decision I did not have my usual homework completed).  The one danger of an auction is that you can get caught up in the action–an auctioneer’s prized skill.  They make their money off commissions and want the highest price possible.  On the other side, you can buy coins and metal, old tools, farm animals, equipment, guns (depending upon local laws) and a whole lot more at reasonable prices.

So my children and I headed out for the auction, but since I am with my 9 and 6 year old, there is no urgent rush.  We have a lazy breakfast at the local pancake house, hit a church rummage sale (where my daughter dickered for a princess purse but decided a Hannah Montana doll was too pricey), followed it up with a construction company moving sale (where we bought nails by the pail for pennies) and then the auction last.  All of these different “stores” teach my children how to evaluate “stuff.”  We bargained, dickered and bid for different things throughout the day and only our breakfast was a predetermined price as we relished our off-the-menu blueberry pancakes.  It also teaches them the intrinsic value of well made goods versus just being “new.”  I could also go into the whole recycling spiel, but we are all fed that diatribe on a regular basis and this audience understands it more deeply than I can write in a one line tangent. 

In any case, the last place we stopped was an auction held at (but not by) the National Guard Armory a bit more than an hour drive away.  After oohing and ahhing over the tanks out front, we sauntered in during the late afternoon well past the auction’s prime.  Our timing was perfect.  Most people had left for lunch and there were only a handful of stalwarts out who had already spent quite a bit of money that morning.  Auctions are notorious at keeping a handful of good items to hold the crowds interest and this auction was no different but still the interest of the people there was obviously waning.  We arrived just before they started on a large batch of coins.  My son and I have been investing in metals and I had an idea of the current melt prices.  His eyes lit up as we approached the table and he pulled on my sleeve to get into the bidding.  Others were better educated than us and so nothing was free, but we got a few things that we knew were worth the greenbacks traded in exchange.  There were a series of foreign mint sets that the serious collectors had little interest so I let my boy who is the nine year old do the bidding.  I told him what I thought it was worth and if he wanted to pay a premium, he could feel free to do so.  He stepped in to bid and kept his eye on the prize, not getting flustered or suckered in and bought a set of pristine Deutschmarks minted in the 1970s. Afterwards, I received more than one compliment on the great job by my boy from the various gentlemen and auctioneers participating in the day’s events.  I also talked to a couple of the more knowledgeable coin guys asking why they paid more for certain articles and learned a few new tricks for my next auction.  When we checked prices later, we found the same Deutschmark set on eBay sold four to five times more than what we paid.  My son was delighted in his trophy.

After making sure my son was doing well, my daughter and I went and bid on some old tools (which were five feet away).  The Lord works in mysterious ways as I at that time I was in the middle of reading The Homesteader’s Handbook. Written in the 1930s, he has a section on tools and how to use them.  As this is a period piece, all the tools he referenced are now antiques, but it is a great list for vintage hand tools if you are worried about the lights going out.  At this lovely auction, I saw for the first time, a hand drill with a chest brace; something I had never even heard of until I read this book.  I had a small collection of older tools as I do like tools, but this auction had a good selection of well maintained hand tools from the late 1800s through 1950s.  I have a few buggy wrenches that we inherited from my wife’s grandfather and there were plenty of good examples in the auction.  My daughter and I won just about every bid (whereupon she would jump up and down excitedly until she just tuckered out and bunkered down with our winnings) on the older tools and only lost if something was lumped together with a power drill or other modern contrivance that I did not want.  We made a heavy haul on these older tools as well as some interesting odds and ends like a good conditioned butter churn and a bunch of candles at well less than a nickel each.  We evaluated our purchases on E-bay that night and realized that we got a better deal that we thought.  If I tried to buy the same tools on eBay I would have easily paid twice or more the amount.

One item we got was an old cedar chest that was no longer useable as a cedar chest.  It was still solid but it had a musty smell and was not the prettiest thing to see although at one time it must have been a beauty.  Sadly, it was just not restorable as it was covered with a wicker veneer and was missing bits of the trim. We won it in a bid that included a full set of encyclopedias and a set of pipe wrenches all for the low price of $1.  This is incentive to go find the auctions.

Now on to investing advice.  Investing has traditionally been more than monetary substitutes (metal, stocks, dollars, etc.).  Historically investing has been land, art work and other items of value; say antiques.  Some of these items like land and art are significant investments and made sparingly during ones lifetime.  Others should be made regularly.  Afterwards, my children and I spent a long afternoon cleaning and oiling these old tools, wrapping them lightly in cloth and placed in the aforementioned cedar chest with a handful of desiccant.  We have our modern tools to use for working around the house and I already have some of the older tools that we do use regularly.  The tools we put away were rare and valuable.  For me, as I explained to my children, this was a modern day treasure chest.  We have these tools if we ever need to use them, but if not, they are well protected and will only become worth more as they age.  It is a win-win situation.  It has changed the way I view my preparations and I am looking for more of these scenarios where I believe regardless of the situation, my family and I will be better off.  If the world hangs on as is against all odds, I can imagine the delighted look on my children’s or grandchildren’s face when they open this box, years from now, loaded with well preserved antique tools.  If the schumer hits the fan, I can picture the same delighted look (as well as one of relief or thankfulness) as these tools will provide the ability to do work that would be difficult at best without and any duplicates will make great barter items.

One last remark on these tools, every single one of them; all at least fifty years olds and some much older are American made.  Forged in Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago; these are places my children know and have visited. The last lesson my children learned is that the USA used to be the manufacturing capital of the world and the stuff that we did make was made for the ages.

While I didn’t plan this experience I was fortunate enough to a) be a prepper and realize the value of the equipment and b) be a homeschooler attentive enough to realize the value of the lesson.  My best advice, whether with regard to prepping or just living life is to always be observant and grab opportunities when available.  There are many great options everyday to become better prepared.

A last addendum: over the Easter Holiday I was traveling to visit my relatives and went to visit the local antique shops in their town square.  The goal was to add to my tool collection, which I did and bought a few more vintage tools.  However the big win was with silver coins.  Silver has skyrocketed so quickly, the coins were marked at coin value versus silver and well under melt prices.  Realizing this I quickly bought out the place of WWII Nickels, pre-’65 dimes, and a handful of quarters, half dollars and even a well priced Morgan [Silver Dollar].  Apparently I didn’t miss the train on silver investing after all and based on current market values I could have turned the silver over for a 20% profit.  Some (not all) had a collector value as well.  As indicated in my previous closing paragraph, there are great options every day for those who are observant and grab the opportunity.

Letter Re: Parachute Cord Bracelets

Hi Jim,  
After I saw Liam Neeson with a parachute cord bracelet at the beginning of the movie The A-Team, I thought “Okay, I got to get one.”   After waiting around for the vendor who makes those to show up at one of the local gun shows, I finally went on YouTube, and guess what? I learned how to make them myself. They’re not difficult to make. As a matter of fact, the company you linked-to yesterday (SportBraceletStore.com) makes a simple two-piece Cobra Weave. I crank those out like candy, using a simple jig I made using a carabiner, a C-clamp, and a plastic clothes hanger.  

Knowing how to make those will not only be a good post-collapse hands-on skill for barter, but also a moneymaker in the present. They cost me next to nothing in materials or time, as I now make them right there at my gun show table, between sales. At one show, I even custom made three of them for a family, while they waited. At $12 each, they move pretty well.   On the other hand, if your making watchbands, three-cord weaves, or “monkey fists,” those require some extra skill.   Cheers. – Jerry E.

Letter Re: Ruger’s Model 77 Hawkeye in .300 Winchester Magnum

Jim::

Congrats to Pat for writing a nice review. There are a few items I would have included that may make a difference to a shooter with this caliber, especially for new shooters:

1. when shooting in the prone, expect to leave a dust cloud marking your position. You can lay a wet burlap sack on the ground beneath the muzzle to assist in disguising your position. This is a powerful caliber, remember, there are no free lunches with anything firearms related.

2. Even if you reload, you will be paying more for this cartridge [, since the brass and primers are more expensive].

3. You won’t see this caliber on the shelf at every gun store or in many households or police departments. Supply should be a concern for this group.

4. A .308 Winchester gets the job done at or less than 600 yards if you are familiar with your firearm and the ballistic chart [for your particular load]. The .308 will even suffice out to 800 yards, for the overachievers. 

5. Identify the quality, weight and price of the scope you will need to hit anything over 800 yards before purchasing.

Shooters should ask themselves if they think they’ll need to take a shot at greater than 600 yards. I have no problem with “bigger is better” or the caliber. Everything Ruger makes is high quality. Good luck and happy hunting. – Pete in Florida

A Late April Snow and Wind Storm Illustrates the Need to Be Prepared

James,
Things can fall apart rather quickly.  Today’s example is why you always want to carry a survival kit (BOB) in your vehicle.  People are stranded all over western North Dakota on the last day of April.  Who would have anticipated this?  The weather service put out warnings that many ignored and those who stayed home are without power. A total of five major electrical feeds into the state are down which is unheard of.  What couldn’t happen, happened. Mile after mile of power poles are sheared off and snow drifts of up to 10 feet and zero visibility is slowing any attempts to rescue stranded motorists and stopping power company personnel trying to restore power.  Readers may listen to this interview with the power company manager by Jim Olson from KX news, Channel 13 out of Minot, North Dakota.  Jim Olson Interview

Thanks for SurvivalBlog. – Bob (At the end of the gravel road in North Dakota)