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.

The Power of Three, by Jerry S.

Since we have all been reminded of the principle the “two is one and one is none”, it brings me to the conclusion that being prepared is really about “having a backup for your backup”.  So if “two is one”, then “three must be two”.  That has led me on a quest to discover at a minimum, three different ways to approach the problems we’ll face in a disaster situation.  If you are new to prepping or just want a different perspective of looking at things, maybe this will help.  To get us started, the first thing you should be thinking about is the three most likely events or disasters you are likely to face in your area or region.  It wouldn’t make much sense for you to study up on and prepare for a tsunami when you live in the Oklahoma.  Just like winter storms may not mean much where you live but hurricanes may be the norm. I have tried to break everything down in digestible categories.  Make a list of the sections below as well as any that I may have left off and list as many ways of replacing how it is done in your home right now.  If you can’t think of at least three ways, mark that area as needing more work.  

Knowledge:
After you identify those events that are most likely to put you in a tailspin, we need to look for resources to educate us on how to prepare for those specific life-changing events.   As someone that loves to read and likes having the material around later for reference, I started reading all I could find on the subject.  You should have a lot more than three books, you could have three books just on first aid and not cover everything.  One thing that I have done was to search out what I think are three of the best non-fiction books on preparedness, because most of ideas and skills will be learned from them. The list could go one for pages as to which books are best, but the ones I think will serve you for the longer term are When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes by Cody Lundin, The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery , and either the SAS Survival Handbook by John “Lofty” Wiseman (for outdoor survival) or Preparedness Now! by Aton Edwards (for urban survival).

Add to those three books, the best three fiction books on preparedness.  For this list I feel like the best book on the market with a financial collapse as the setting is Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles.  For those of us that are concerned with a total grid down scenario that could be caused by an EMP, then there is One Second After by William R. Forstchen. If you would like to read about life after a nuclear exchange, Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank would be my choice.  Each of these have almost a cult following and are revered in the prepping world as definitive works on the subject.  So for a little more that $75 you would be on your way to the wealth of knowledge needed for your family’s survival.  OBTW, I just received the Survival Blog Archives CD in the mail.  I am enjoying reading and in some cases re-reading articles that are tried and true from real-life people.  These books aren’t listed in any particular order, but I might would purchase one fiction and non-fiction at a time or in pairs.  The fiction you will obviously read straight through and the non-fiction can act as your reference material for acquiring the skills we’ll talk about later.

Food and Water:
Many arguments have been made as to what comes first, food or shelter.  That is not an issue I’d like to debate in this article.  Hopefully as you prepare, you can cover several areas at the same time in different degrees.   Both FEMA and the Red Cross recommend having a three day supply of water on hand for emergencies.  The more you store the better off you’ll be should an event last longer than three days or visitors show up needing help.  You should also be able to immediately identify where you can find at least three different sources of water once what you have is depleted.  In addition to locating various sources of water, you need to know at least three different methods of treating water to make it potable. Some methods are easier than others and some require that you purchase additional equipment.  You’ll pick up ideas from the books listed above on where to find water and the SAS Survival Manual as well as When All Hell Breaks Loose both has excellent chapters on how to treat it.  Choose what works best for you but don’t limit yourself to just three methods.  Remember, with three we are just covering the basics.

For life sustaining food, we need to learn at least three ways to obtain food outside of our pantry.  For most that means fishing, hunting, trapping, gardening, bartering, scavenging, etc.  Mastering those skills takes lots of time but if you don’t start today, you’ll find yourself out of time to learn and very hungry.  To take the pressure off of you, make sure you start building a deep pantry.  For beginners, let’s start with 3 days, working our way to 3 weeks and then 3 months worth of food storage.  You should start working on this today as this could be a critical deficiently in your plans.  Just think, with very little money and one trip to the store you could have 3 days covered pretty quickly.  The goal should be one year’s worth of food with lots of heirloom seeds for resupply, but for now we are just trying to get you started.  Now that we have food, we should focus on the three best methods of preparing it and preserving your food.   I would start with the basics though and go from there.  For cooking, think about cooking with grid power, barbeque grill, camp stove, and an open fire.  Charcoal stores well if kept dry.  While it would be difficult to convert a charcoal grill to propane would take nothing much to burn charcoal in the propane grill once the propane is all gone.  It takes some practice to get good at cooking with a solar oven or Dutch oven.  Don’t count them out, but look for the most logical way to cook right now and learn to cook with those methods once you have the faster or easier alternatives covered.  They definitely have their place, but take care of the basics first and work your way up to these.  For preserving food, learn canning and dehydrating now while your life doesn’t depend on it.  Don’t forget about smoking or curing your meats as well.

This brings us to point or skill that we must master.  For lack of a better place to include it, I’ll cover it in this section.  We have to learn how to make fire.  This is an area that I think instead of learning three ways to make fire, you should learn maybe six ways.  Look for the easiest ways to accomplish this with lighters, matches, and a fire-steel.  But don’t stop there.  We have all seen the lone survivor on television trying to make fire by rubbing two sticks together…let this be your last resort because you know so many more ways to make it happen. For probably less than $10, you can scratch this category off the list.  Check out Firesteel.com.  They have great prices on firesteel and you can get just about any size you’d want.

Shelter:
Without shelter, being exposed to the elements can get you killed no matter how well rested, feed, or watered you are.  Learn at least three ways to provide shelter for you and your family.  It can be as simple as a tent, or living out of your vehicle, but explore as many ways as possible to put a shelter over your head.  Now try to think of ways to do it with the least amount of resources possible.  When you think about shelter, don’t forget about how you would keep it heated or cooled.  The book When All Hell Breaks Loose has a great section on creating micro-climates within structures to do this very thing as well as a poor man’s sleeping bag made out of newspapers and trash bags.

Another area that doesn’t get covered as much as some ideas in the blogs is where you’ll be staying.  We cover retreats in great detail, but what about those of us that don’t have that as a luxury?  It should be the ultimate goal, but what about the time between now and then?  Well a simple solution would be to have at least three alternate places to “stay” or “rest up” while you recover from whatever drove you from your home.  This location could be shared with you by any number of friends, family, or neighbors.  Be willing to offer the same accommodations to them as well.  Letting someone stay at your house while repairs are being done on theirs will pay dividends in the long run.  The number one goal for my family is to not have to show up at a FEMA center or shelter.  Let’s learn to ride out the storm with our own resources.  From what I have read, I promise you the experience of being stuck with hundreds if not thousands of refugees is not going to be pleasant.

 

Survival Kits, Bug-Out Bags, Etc.:
So much has been written on this particular area, I will not try to add anything to it except to say that you should have at least three kits or BOBs.  Some refer to a Level I, II, III or Tier I, II, III, etc.  My thoughts on this area is maybe a “Get Home Bag” for getting to the very place where maybe all your supplies are, a “Vehicle Kit” for each car, and maybe a “Get Out of Dodge Bag” for the time that you may have to leave immediately with only what you can carry in your arms or on your back.  I always enjoy reading articles about this topic as well as viewing the videos on Youtube.com.  There is always something to take away from seeing what someone else is doing. 

Don’t let the kit get so big and heavy that you never have it with you.  What good is all that stuff 10 miles from where you need it.    Think of all of those displaced people in Japan that would love to have what they could carry on their backs as extra provisions.  If you hunt a lot, then maybe a small survival tin should be in your hunting coat at all times.  A great little kit for that is the Altoids Survival Tin.  Google it and you’ll find all kinds of neat things to stuff inside of it.  As you read the fiction books and watch television, make mental notes of what would have been helpful to have for certain situations.  Look for items that can serve a multi-purpose.  Tin foil and Duct-tape pop in my mind here.  There are some great videos on Youtube.com that cover every known kit you can imagine.  Lots of great articles have been written in the blogs as well.  You can’t use what you don’t have, so always be thinking about this.  Bug-Out Bags are in a constant state of evolution and are updated as other situations come to mind.

Lights and Power:
Try thinking of three ways to provide lighting.  There are Kerosene lanterns, battery powered lanterns, candles, flashlights, headlamps, etc.  Each one has its place during a crisis.  Try working on your car in the dark while holding a flashlight in your mouth.  A headlamp would be great for this.  A lantern works best when trying to provide light for a larger area but requires a larger supply of wicks, oil, or batteries.  It doesn’t matter what the disaster is, life doesn’t stop when the lights go out.  For some, that is when things really get scary.  Nothing adds moral like being able to see when it is dark.

Well where there is light, there must be a source of renewable energy.  Even candles require wax.  When it comes to items that are battery powered, rechargeable batteries are the way to go, but they must be recharged.    Enter the power source.  Think of three ways to generate power.  This could be a small setup for solar power to recharge small batteries and maybe even a deep cycle battery or two…or three.  Keep three sets rechargeable batteries on hand for each device that you’ll be using.  One in the device, one ready to use and you’ll have one charging when the time comes.  The most obvious source of power would be a portable generator.  Keep in mind that fuel will be in very limited supply and you’ll want to stretch it out as long as you can.  There have been many great articles on solar power and generators, but think outside the box.  In January there was a great SurvivalBlog post that described converting a gasoline generator to a tri-fuel generator for less than $200 and just about anyone can install the parts. Don’t forget about wind power as well. Often this is a little harder to wrap our minds around but at least consider printing off some plans and maybe purchasing the key components now while they are available.

Communication:
If you have taken any leadership classes you’ll remember that more and more people complain about the lack of communication they receive from their higher-ups, even in the digital age we live in.  In an emergency situation, communication is critical but is also the last thing considered in the immediate area affected.  This is definitely not a situation where “No news is good news”.  It should also be noted that communication is just as much about listening than talking.  Just ask those we live and work with about it.  For this, let’s think about three different ways to both get and give out information.  What comes to mind are scanners, shortwave radios, handheld two-way radios, CB radio, etc.  As you think more about this, more ideas will pop into mind.  Think about your emergency contacts for instance.  We all should have a local emergency contact person(s), someone that is regional, and someone that is national.  During Katrina, local calls where impossible but if you were lucky you could make a long-distance call to relatives or friends.

Travel:
Always have three different routes to get home from work or school.  It is not likely that a disaster will be severe enough to affect all three routes at the same time.  Have three modes of transportation as well (think vehicle, bicycle, walking).  Most of us wake up every morning with one mode already attached and ready to go, our feet.  Take care to put good boots or shoes on them, they may be your only way out.

Firearms, Security, and OPSEC:
As with all other areas, we’ll leave the detail to the experts and further reading on your part to determine what options are best.  The objective here is to get you to think about all three areas in units of three.  For firearms, three separate calibers of firearms are the basic level.  After reading many posts here and elsewhere it seems to come down to the .22 rifle, a shotgun, and a center-fire rifle of some type.  Owning these three and being able to safely use them will put you ahead of most people.  There are many out there that claim they’ll just take what they need, but you never hear about them practicing with their firearms.  They may be the ones getting the surprise. 

When we think of security we should think in terms of layers.  There hasn’t been a fortress built yet that can’t be penetrated, given enough time.  What we are looking for is an immediate deterrent and setup for alerting us when there is a problem.  For your home or retreat, what three things can provide the best security for the time and money that we have to dedicate to this area?  It might include fencing, bars over windows, thorn bushes, lighting, dogs, etc.  With three layers out there, it would be difficult for someone to get through all three quickly without tipping you off.

For force multipliers we can also apply the rule of three.  Think of the three most affordable things you can use as a force multiplier. Perhaps the best force multiplier is not letting anyone know you are there and what you have.  Camouflage, Binoculars, scoped rifles, high capacity magazines, communications, etc. increase your chance of surviving in case you get pushed into a corner.

Miscellaneous Items:
What would be the best three barter goods?
Create at least three caches of goods.
Think about the three most useful skills to attain?

 

In closing, I hope that this has given you more to think about and do.  Preparing yourself and your family is more about knowing and doing and less about spending and having.  Search the blogs for the details and realize that more can be done with a mind that thinks outside of the box than someone with a truckload of equipment but doesn’t know how to use it.  Lastly, always be on the lookout for three families to prep with.  Surviving any type of disaster is much more bearable with a core group of people with a good mix skills.  Just think about all the resources that six adults with the right attitude could provide.  It is true that there would be more mouths to feed but also more help for every area.  If you had two other families that you were close to and felt like you knew each other pretty well and had to provide practically everything else as far as provisions go, you’d be better off mentally than trying to go it all alone in a rabbit hole somewhere.  Once you identify those that your family would be most compatible with, ease them into the mindset of prepping so that you don’t have the burden of prepping for families outside your own.  Now that we having you thinking about doing everything in units of three, think of how far ahead you’d be if we had five different alternatives for solving problems that will arise right after a critical event.

A Guide for the Herbal Medicine Closet, by Heather F.

So you stock up on a year’s supply of medications. What then? There comes a tremendous sense of confidence when you know how to find and grow your own “medicines”. I have to begin with my very favorite herb and actually most common “weed”; though, weed is a dirty word in my vocabulary! You will find that most of the plants we consider nuisances are some of the most beneficial herbs for healing. This article has an emphasis on herbs for respiratory ailments.

Herbs You Can Find Growing Wild:

Plantain can be found virtually anywhere in the United States and every continent except Antarctica. And no, I’m not talking about the banana. Over 200 varieties and all equally potent. Long-leaf is the most common in the US. Plantain is a powerful astringent. Used by our ancient ancestors to heal–the bites of mad dogs, staph infection, snake bites and venomous creatures, bee stings, abscesses, boils, congestion in the lungs, the list goes on forever! We had what we believed to be an breakout of methicillin-resistant staph (MRSA) over a year ago, and using only plantain (external and internal), tea tree oil (external), and clove (internal) we were able to completely eradicate it! NO antibiotics, NO topical creams….and not a single breakout since. I would never want to be without plantain! Can also be used for earaches, and has been said to restore quite decayed hearing when it’s infusion is placed into the ears.
It’s Uses: expectorant, astringent, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, anodyne, styptic, diuretic, the list goes on.
How to use it: Direct Poultice: If you’re outside and you get stung by a bee, spider, snake, anything you want to pull the venom out immediately, grab a few leaves (it usually grows anywhere, though you may have to walk around a while to find it) chew them up in your mouth until they are nice and juicy J and then place on the area you want to draw the poison out of. You will be amazed at how quickly this helps with pain!! I am highly allergic to bees, and every year somehow I get stung. If I apply plantain asap, usually there is very minimal swelling, and very little pain.
Infusion: You have a chest cold and you need help getting rid of lung congestion. Gather a large handful of leaves and pour boiling water over. Let sit at least 30 minutes…the longer the better. Drain the liquid-this is what you drink. Sweeten if you need to. It also helps with lung congestion to make a poultice from the leaves and place on your chest for as long as you can bear to leave it on.
Tincture: Winter is coming and you want to store some plantain in your cupboard for that upcoming cold/infection. Of course you can dry the leaves if you want. However, a tincture is much more potent. Fill an entire mason jar full of the leaves, seeds, roots, and pour vodka until they are completely covered. Let macerate for 5 weeks, shaking the jar once a day, and keeping it out of sunlight in a cool place. Drain liquid out. For just external uses you can do the same thing with olive oil. And if you don’t want to use alcohol, you can substitute it for apple cider vinegar.

For identification, go here.

Elderberry can be found throughout North America. It prefers moist ground, so you will usually find it alongside creeks, rivers, and streams. An infusion made from the berries is an excellent remedy for cold and flu season. An infusion made from the flowers is a wonderful eyewash for conjunctivitis. Elderberry is absolutely wonderful for the respiratory system! A powerful immune-booster. Every time I feel a cold coming on I go straight to elderberry tea! Typically within a few hours I feel myself again!
It’s Uses: Leaves: emollient, vulnerary (topically), strong purgative, expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic. Flowers: diaphoretic, anti-catarrhal, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory.
JWR Adds: Elderberry contains a cyaniad producing glycoside in that is particularly dangerous to small children. It also contains an alkaloid that is toxic in fruit that is not ripe, so beware of that as well. As with any herbal remedy, reserach it well before use!

Berries: Diaphoretic, immune-building, laxative, anti-rheumatic.
How to use it: Syrup: Place around 5 oz. Fresh berries, or 3-4 oz. dried berries in a mason jar, cover with boiling water. Allow to sit over-night. Drain out the liquid, and reheat slightly. Add about ½ c honey. Now you have your infusion. If you have it I add about 15 drops of grapefruit seed extract (GSE). It adds many benefits in aiding your immune system as well as preserving your infusion longer. Adults take 1-2 tablespoons every few hours, children around 2 tsp. Store in your refrigerator. Will last at least a month.

For identification, go here.

Honeysuckle If you can’t find  Elderberry near you, or the birds get to the berries before you can,  Honeysuckle can work quite nicely as a substitute. The flowers are traditionally used for bacterial dysentery, urinary disorders, eliminating toxins from the body, colds, fevers, flu, asthma, coughs, chest congestion, and laryngitis. It can be used as an external wash for boils, infected wounds, swelling, scabies, tumors, and rheumatism. The flowers have components that help to lower blood cholesterol, as well as being anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-tuberculostatic.
How to use it: You can make a tea from the flowers. The berries, however, are toxic. So stay away from those. The leaves are fine as well, however the flowers are much more potent.
Tincture: Fill a mason jar with flowers, cover with brandy. Shake once a day, keeping in a cool, dark place, for around 5-6 weeks. Strain though a cheesecloth or a T-shirt, and you can add (but not necessary) 10-15 drops of GSE.
Syrup: The same way as the elderberry syrup, only fill the entire jar with flowers.

Mullein Is another of my favorites. It grows throughout the Northern tier and Eastern half of the United States. It is a strong, self-sowing biennial. You will find it particularly on road sides (though I wouldn’t gather mine here), waste grounds, pasture fences; it typically grows in poor soils, and even sandy soils. The leaves  are used for asthma, allergies, bronchitis,  coughs, croup, pulmonary diseases, mild sedative, antihistamine, swelling, pain, and the list goes on. The seeds  rapidly pass through the intestines and have been used successfully in intestinal obstructions. However, some say that with repeated use they can be toxic. They have a pretty strong narcotic effect as well. Dr. Christopher states that it is the “only herb known to man that has remarkable narcotic properties without being poisonous or harmful. Great painkiller and nervous soporific, calming and quieting all inflamed and irritated tissues.” They are also used in asthma and infantile convulsions. The Flowers are excellent for earaches and ear infections.

How to use it: Poultice from the leaves. Tear a few leaves pretty finely, pour just enough hot water to barely wet. When it cools enough to touch, apply to affected area.
Tea: Put one or two leaves in hot water and allow to steep for around 20 minutes. Remove the leaves, and sweeten if you need to.
Infusion: Gather the flowers every day (there will be new buds each day) and place in olive oil. Place in a warm spot, but not to where the sunlight is hitting it directly. What I do is place it either in the sun under a cardboard box, or in my car under a blanket or cardboard box. Shake daily and allow to infuse for about 3-4 weeks. Strain though a cheesecloth or old T-shirt. This is what you use for ear infections. Works like a charm!

Preserve the leaves by allowing to dry. Just KEEP THEM OUT OF SUNLIGHT. I cannot emphasize this enough. It applies to all herbs, and it is very important because the sun creates oxidation, which eventually leeches out all the minerals and nutrients in the herb.

For identification, go here.

Red Clover is absolutely powerful. It relaxes the nerves, and the entire nervous system. Can be used as a sedative. It has also been used quite successfully to fight cancer. It is a marvelous preventative for health problems, and a great wash for sores. It is especially good for pertussis (whooping cough), and it can be drunk freely. It is also wonderful externally for burns, sore, athlete’s foot, and ulcers. An anti-spasmodic and expectorant, also good for asthma.
How to use it: Tea: made from the blossoms. Place 4-5 blossoms in a cup of hot water. Steep for 20 minutes. Sweeten if desired.
Tincture: Fill a mason jar with only the blossoms (the other parts are not harmful, however, it is the blossoms that are the most potent), cover with vodka. Let sit in cool, dark spot for 4-6 weeks, shaking daily. Strain through cheesecloth or old T-shirt.
Preserve the flowers by drying.

For identification, go here.

Blackberry Is known to prevent fluid loss during dysentery. It is also well known for stopping gastric bleeding. Regular consumption of the berries (can make a tincture) can aid in killing off the free radicals that are linked with the development or heart disease and cancer. However, the leaves and roots are wonderful too! Absolutely wonderful for colds and flu. It is also used for fever, arthritis, gout, pain, and infections.
It’s Uses: Astringent, tonic, alterative, anti-emetic, hemostatic, anti-abortive, parturient (leaves).
How to use it: Tea from the leaves and woody part of the bramble is wonderful for diarrhea. Tea from the berries is wonderful for colds and flus.
Leaf Tincture: Fill jar with leaves and roots, cover with either cider vinegar or vodka. Process goes as all other tinctures. Used for fever, arthritis, gout, and diarrhea. Used topically for pain. 1 tsp./hour until fever drops.
Berry Tincture: Same as above, only with berries instead of leaves and roots. Used for colds, flu, and infections.

Herbs You Should Grow at Home:

Not that you shouldn’t be trying to grow any of the others. Red Clover, for example is an easy, important herb that you can and should be growing now. It’s in the other list, however, because it can easily be found in the wild.

Oregano is used for coughs and colds, degenerative arthritis, rheumatism, upset stomach, urinary tract infections, sore throats, infections, fever, vomiting, jaundice, and asthma attacks. It is an antiseptic, antiviral, and anti-microbial. Strong anti-oxidant.
How to use it: Tincture made from the leaves for coughs, rheumatism, bronchitis, asthma, infections, and sore throat.
Tea  3 cups of boiling water over 1 cup fresh leaves (or half cup dried leaves), steep 20 minutes. Take ½ cup three times a day.
Infusion Made with olive oil from the leaves is a powerful antiseptic externally.

 

Lobelia is probably the most vital plant that you should be growing. Especially if you or your child, or someone you know, has asthma. I have asthma and this is what I rely on for TEOTWAWKI. Inhalers will be hard to come by, and I know what a down hill slide asthma can be when you have nothing to treat it. Lobelia can be balanced by taking it with cayenne.
It’s Uses: Anti-asthmatic, anti-spasmodic, expectorant, emetic, bronchodilator, nervine (a Stimulant, in small doses, but a Relaxant, in large doses), diaphoretic, diuretic, cathartic, and astringent.
How to use it: Tincture: Fill jar with herb, and cover with apple cider vinegar. Lobelia’s components work the absolute best with apple cider vinegar. It is important that you don’t allow it to get too warm, either. The structure of lobelia is lost when it is heated even slightly, so take care. It only needs to macerate for two weeks.

The tincture can be used for such a wide variety of ailments. Such as asthma, croup, infections, boils, sedative, lockjaw, ringworm, hepatitis, and convulsions. It is excellent for convulsions. Can be rubbed on the body or placed in the mouth and the body will absorb it quickly, relieving convulsions. Rubbing the tincture on the shoulders of a restless child is wonderful for helping him calm down and go to sleep. It also helps to rub on the gums of a teething baby. Especially good for croup and respiratory ailments.

Preserve through drying.

JWR Adds: Be adviswed that Lobelia is poisonous in high doses.

 

Comfrey I would not want to be without this marvelous herb! A powerful allantoin and traditional healer. About a year and a half ago I had a complete humeral spiral fracture. Needless to say it was extremely painful, and I had been told that it would take at least 10-12 weeks for it to heal enough to have moderate use out of it. Everything I read, most sufferers from this break never had 100% use of their arm even after two years of healing and therapy. Not to mention the lingering pain they had on cold or wet days. After 1 week of healing I was able to begin applying comfrey poultices to the break (I had a removable cast). After only seven weeks I was able to remove the brace that supported my arm, and I had no pain! I didn’t even do physical therapy (other than daily push-ups in my workout regime). My arm is now stronger than it ever was, and I have no pain from it whatsoever!
It’s Uses: Mucilaginous, vulnerary, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, anti-psoriatic, astringent, expectorant, anti-tumor, cell proliferant, nutritive, and hemostatic. Amazing healer.
How to use it: Poultice made from the leaves applied to cleaned wound. Will heal extremely quickly. Even better if combined with plantain. The plantain removes the toxins, while comfrey heals.

Neither of the lists is by any means exhaustive. There are so many herbs I would love to write about, but these are some of the top of my list.

Remember, when dealing with herbs, you are being your own doctor, so be sure to:

  1. Do the requisite research.
  2. Identify the plants with absolute certainty.
  3. Label tinctures clearly with ingredients and dates prepared.  

 

The American Redoubt Proposal — Criticism, as Expected

For those that have requested it, I turned my American Redoubt post into a static page. I also added a map to illustrate the concept.

To answer some of the critics who have recently bashed me at a survival forum, I added an important point of clarification: I do not, nor have I ever advocated asking anyone already living here in the Redoubt States to leave, nor would I deny anyone’s right to move here, regardless of their faith, (or lack thereof).

I forgive the people that try to put words into my mouth, or dream up nonexistent sub-texts, or try to make me look like some sort of racist. I refuse to either retaliate or get into an endless debate with them. They can attack me repeatedly, and I’ll keep forgiving them, repeatedly.

Clearly, I have shown through all of my writings dating back for four decades that I’m an ANTI-racist. My stance against racism is abundantly clear in my Precepts page. Yet still people fling mud, reflexively. They seem to erroneously assume that devout Bible-believing Christians must have some secret racist attitudes. The truth is, there is only one race, the human race. That is what the Bible teaches. May the Love of Christ surround our enemies.

Letter Re: The Importance of Acquiring First Aid Supplies in Depth

James:
Tom L. points out that it took a while to find steri-strips and latex gloves needed to treat a wound so not to cause an infection. I would have to indicate that [bulk-packaged] latex gloves that you find in Wal-Mart or Walgreens are not sterile gloves. They are gloves that protect the wearer, not the one being treated though they are cleaner than bare hands. Proper washing of the wound with sterile saline water would be the best procedure and use the steri-strips for the closure under such late night conditions. Truly sterile gloves that surgeons use are individually packaged and wholly different that the boxed bulk gloves you can find in pharmacies. Watch the wound for any sign of infection and treat with appropriate antibiotics if necessary. This will probably include a discussion with you physician unless you have a copy of “Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics” or “Sanford’s Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy” Pocket Guide and a cooperative physician who has given you a prescription for a broad range of antibiotics for your TEOTWAWKI pharmacopeia cabinet. My physician who is a prepper as well, is trading suture training for amateur radio instruction/training. Very fair deal. – Frank B., 14 Miles From Asphalt

Letter Re: Buying Stock in Apple (Not the Corporation)

JWR:
A few things to take into account when thinking of apple trees.  I planted three trees about five years ago and they are still far from being fruit bearing.  I figure they have about five years more before they are capable of bearing fruit.  This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t use them, but its defiantly a plan ahead thing.  

Another thing to take into account is that they require a bit of yearly maintenance to keep them bearing decent sized fruit.  An un-pruned tree bears a fruit that is about three fingers wide.  A properly pruned tree bears fruit that is closer to the size of what you see in a store.  It can take a few hours to trim a single tree with a trimmer. But with hand trimmers it takes about half a day per tree.  This is something that only needs to be done once a year, normally in the yearly spring. 

 Bugs are also a major issue that apple trees will run into the trees need to be sprayed once a year.  In a SHTF situation your not going to have bug spray handy but there is an easy natural way to take care of problems like this.  Buy a few pods of Praying Mantis eggs.  The Praying Mantis will eat the bugs that give you problems and not harm the plants you are trying to protect.  Because you are controlling them by nature; on the years that the bug populations are an issue then more of your predators will take care of the problem, and on the years where you are light on pests then you’ll be lighter on the predators.  As a nice by product you’ll also have less of other insect pests as well.

Apple trees will produce a nice amount of fruit for the last half of summer and the first half of fall.  During the Winter and spring you’ll need to have canned any excess from the year before.  Also Apples shouldn’t be your only source of food.  You need vitamins and minerals for more than one source.  While your researching the trees that you want also research things like Black berries and other fruit sources that will allow you to have a variety of food.  You can easily make sure that you have a variety of food that will return without the need for replanting on a yearly basis.  With the example of black berries you can easily make a couple of short fence rows that goes through the tree rows and plant the black berries to grow on them.

Cross pollination between tree types can be your blessing or curse.  If you research different trees and find that the fruit of one apple tree that will grow powerfully in your area; but you in your quest for the perfect Apple your find that this Apple is way to sweet for your taste.  Then you stumble on another that you find is to sour for your taste.  You can plant these 2 trees within your planting range.  (apple trees are suppose to be planted within around 15-25 feet of each other, or at least mine are.) So your trees will cross pollinate and give you a resulting fruit that is a combination of the original trees.  This is also where your curse comes in.  If your neighbor likes sour fruit and you like sweet fruit then you might end up with a combination because some of his trees are close to some of your trees. 

Some plants to look at:

  • Apple trees
  • Blueberry
  • Blackberry
  • Raspberry
  • Hazelnut
  • Almonds
  • Cashew
  • Cherry
  • Pear
  • Fig Trees
  • Pomegranate

Also as an advantage of keeping things like this going is that you’ll attract small wildlife such as rabbits and Squirrels.  Which is another nice food source. – W.P.

JWR Replies: One downside to having a lot of fruit trees and berry vines is for those of us that live in bear country. Bears can be very destructive. They often knock down fences and tear limbs off of fruit trees. In many states it is illegal to shoot a bear in defense of your crops and trees, unless you have a current bear tag and it luckily coincides with bear season. But thankfully most states sanction the killing of bears when a human life is in immediate danger.

Economics and Investing:

The convenient fiction that the U.S. is worthy of a “AAA” credit rating continues: S&P Cuts U.S. Ratings Outlook to Negative. How long can Uncle Sam dog-paddle in a sea of red ink? (Thanks to M.E.W. and several other readers for the link.)

Deborah B. sent this: U.S. Taxpayers on the Hook for Portugal Bailout

Items from The Economatrix:

Builder Outlook Falls Ahead of Spring Season

Poll:  US Economy Improving Despite Global Events. (If they sprinkle around enough hundreds of billions in quantitative easing funny money, it has to have some impact on the economy…) temporarily.)

Morgan Stanley Defaulted On Loan And Walked Away From Commercial Office Building In Japan (This is a good indication of what the outlook for Japan’s future really is.)

Odds ‘n Sods:

There is an excellent new blog that I can recommend called the Preparedness Advice blog. It is chockfull of useful information. Unlike so many other blogs that are long on diatribes and short on practical skills, the Preparedness Advice blog is full of clear, concise, level-headed advice. This one has been added to my blog roll.

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Reader K.A.F. sent this: Video: Atlas is shrugging already

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Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) spotted this: Georgian woman cuts off web access to whole of Armenia: Entire country loses internet for five hours after woman, 75, slices through cable while scavenging for copper.

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If you’ve been waiting to buy a Finnish M39 variant of the Mosin-Nagant rifle, I just heard that Pat Burns is running special 10% off sale. The sale even includes a few Finns that were built on pre-1899 antique receivers. For those, there is no FFL required to order, but state laws might apply. (See my Pre-1899 FAQ for details on the legalities.)

Notes from JWR:

There a have been several new property listings added at our spin-off web site, SurvivalRealty.com A few of them are truly exceptional off-grid properties. Please take a few minutes to see the new listings.

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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.

Buying Stock in Apple (Not the Corporation) by Mike M.

In my journey as a prepper, I’ve been able to amass quite a bit of bulk food.  Present estimates place the tally at roughly two tons.  As of late though, I can’t help but look upon all that food like sand in an hourglass. It is disturbingly finite and in the grand scheme of things, a fleeting resource.  I come from a large Italian family and I already know that in a post fan scenario I would be shepherding at least 12 family members. My Christian convictions would not allow me to turn them away. This makes a measly few tons of food woefully inadequate for any long term survival situation. I realize that for my family to be truly self sustaining, I must secure a renewable food supply. I have a double city lot (100 ft x 120 ft) on the outskirts of town which doesn’t amount to much arable land. There is an apple orchard about 10 miles from our home where I take my family to pick apples each fall.  During each visit, I’ve always been amazed by the tremendous volume of fruit that can be produced by a single tree.  This was the catalyst that drove me to some exhaustive research on the survival potential of the apple.

Bear with me for a little math as I drive home the value of the apple as a survival crop; the daily caloric requirement necessary to sustain life is a moving target based on your body mass and your base metabolic rate. I’ve seen many figures quoted on minimum caloric requirements, from 700 to 1,200 per day. I’ve read that during WWII, the Jews in the concentration camps were given just over 700 calories per day and we all know the horrible outcome of that scenario. One look in the history books at the gaunt faces and haggard eyes of those poor emaciated souls is enough to convince me that 700 calories is decidedly not enough.  

For the sake of argument, let us assume that a diet of 1,500 calories per day will be sufficient to keep us alive (albeit a little hungry). One “dwarf” apple tree will reportedly produce between 3-5 bushels of apples per year once fully mature. A standard size tree will produce between 5-10 bushels. With a bushel averaging 45 lbs in weight you can expect 135 – 225 lbs per year from a dwarf tree and 225 – 450 lbs per year from a standard size tree. One medium sized apple is roughly 80 calories. At roughly 126 apples per bushel you would net 30,240 – 50,400 calories per tree per year from a dwarf tree. To contrast this, my research showed that one pound of wheat yields 1,429 calories. This means that one dwarf apple tree would generate the caloric equivalent of 21-35 lbs of wheat per year. The average life expectancy of a dwarf apple tree is 15-20 years so that single dwarf tree can be expected to generate 604,800 to 806,400 calories over the course of its life time. A standard sized tree will live much longer (80-100 years) with a productive life of 30-40 years and producing between 1.5 million to 4 million calories over the course its life time for a single tree.  (Did I mention that they only cost about $22, shipped?)

The square footage that would be required to grow the equivalent amount of wheat as the dwarf tree (calorically speaking) would be roughly 1163 square feet (I will spare you the math). I purchased 15 dwarf trees which will be planted in a single row spaced 8 feet apart along the 120 foot stretch of my property line. This small micro orchard will generate between 453,600 to 756,000 calories in a single year and a best case scenario of 15 million calories over an assumed 20 year life span. It would take 10,580 lbs of wheat to generate that many calories. The local LDS cannery sells bulk wheat at 30 cents per pound (not including the cost of mylar bags, O2 absorbers and food grade 5 gallon pails). This would cost $3,174 for the caloric equivalent in wheat. Considering I only spent $336.96 delivered for all 15 trees, it seems like a fair amount of calories for my money. Apples will give my family much needed vitamins which may be deficient in a storage diet comprised largely of bulk staples.  Apples contain vitamin A, vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, as well as fiber which we can all appreciate after a diet of MREs. Apples are also very rich in antioxidants which help to eliminate free radicals (linked to causing cancer and Alzheimer’s). It’s worth noting that calorie crops like wheat also need to be replanted every year and you must set aside a portion for seeding purposes whereas apples are less labor intensive and I can even plant edible crops beneath them as companion plants.

GENERAL INFO: A member of the rose family, there are 7,500 varieties of apples worldwide. Of these, 2,500 varieties are grown in the U.S. and roughly 100 are grown commercially. Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, California, and Virginia produce the majority of the country’s commercial apple crop. I was surprised to learn that most commercial apple trees are actually two separate trees grafted together. Apple trees grown from seed will be genetically unique from the fruiting parent so germinating a seed from a supermarket bought apple could very well yield a crab apple tree. Rather than choosing what’s behind “Door number three”, commercial growers propagate apple trees by grafting a young branch (scion) of a successfully producing tree to a hardy rootstock. There are over 20 different rootstocks for apples. Combine 20 different rootstock possibilities with 2,500 different cultivated varieties (cultivars) and you can see how selecting the correct apple tree for survival purposes can be intimidating.  Let’s distill the issue down to the most important factors you must consider when growing apple trees.

ROOTSTOCK: The size of a tree (determined by the rootstock) will have an impact of how hardy it is, how productive it is (lbs of apples per year), and how difficult it is to harvest (you will need a ladder for a standard size tree). Apple trees come in three possible configurations: dwarf, semi-dwarf, and standard. A dwarf tree will grow to be about 10 feet tall, a semi-dwarf to 15 feet, and a standard tree to 20-30 feet depending on climate. Colder climates will produce shorter trees.  Most dwarf trees will also need to be staked as their root structure is not as beefy. Dwarf trees seem better for OPSEC as they are easier to hide from hungry passersby (unlike a 20-30 foot standard tree which telegraphs its presence to every hungry maw within line of sight). Dwarf trees also start producing in 3-5 years whereas you can expect a 5-7 year wait with a standard size tree. It will also be much easier to integrate any necessary pest management (IPM) strategies by companion planting directly beneath the dwarf tree or even placing a net over the tree. You can find a primer on the various rootstocks at the Cornell Cooperative Extension web site.

CLIMATE ADAPTATION: You must ensure you have a rootstock and cultivar that are well adapted to your climate. Thinking that you can go to Wal-Mart and magically pick out a tree that will produce like the ones you see in a commercial orchard is an unrealistic expectation. Remember, there may come a time when you and your family may rely on your micro orchard to stay alive and it would be quite a tragedy to watch your family starve because you didn’t do your due diligence to find a combination that was drought or cold tolerant.

DISEASE RESISTANCE/IMMUNITY:  Many nurseries will rate their trees resistance to the most common apple tree ailments: fire blight, apple scab, cedar apple rust, powdery mildew, and wooly apple aphid. I personally went with Geneva11 and Geneva 16 rootstocks with Freedom, Liberty, and Enterprise cultivars grafted to them. This selection affords me a high level of disease resistance. Pesticides may be hard to come by post fan so disease resistance is a must.

POLLINATION:  Apple trees as a general rule are not self pollinating. This means that you need another variety of apple tree that blooms around the same time so they may pollinate each other. (Side note: this biodiversity also provides added insurance that any diseases contracted may be limited to only one species vice wiping out a homogenous orchard) Some apple tree varieties are useless as pollinators. See the charts here to determine which varieties are compatible pollinators.        

KEEPER RATINGS: Many nurseries will rate apple varieties based on how well they keep in storage.  Enterprise apples will store for 6 months after they are harvested (late October). That means you could conceivably eat apples in late April of the following year without dirtying a single canning jar. Beware any cultivar that specifically states “Does not keep”. You can dehydrate and can them in mason jars but several hundred pounds of apples might require more canning equipment then you stock. See the links below for some specifics on cultivars and look for the “K” code to denote a keeper.
http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/apples.html
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/fruitingPlants/index_product.asp?dept=12&parent=7

MAINTENANCE: Apple trees greatly benefit from pruning. There are entire books on the subject and tons of how to videos online but this skill must be acquired to realize an apple trees full productive potential. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension has a great “how to” on the subject.

FERTILIZATION REQUIREMENTS: Apple trees should be in soil with a pH of 6.5. Nitrogen requirements are higher in young trees as they are focusing on greatly increasing their bio-mass. Older established trees will require less Nitrogen to facilitate fruiting. Either extreme (too much or too little) can be detrimental to the trees growth. The following table shows what to look for to determine if your tree is getting enough Nitrogen:

Indices for Judging Nitrogen Status of Fruit Trees

Index Point

Low Nitrogen

Normal Nitrogen
Terminal growth in non-bearing trees avg. less than 10 in. avg. 10 in. – 24 in.
Terminal growth in bearing trees avg. 4 in. – 12 in. avg. 12 in. – 20 in.

Leaf size

small, thin

medium to average

Leaf color

uniform pale/yellow-green

normal green

Fall leaf drop

early; leaves show red in veins

normal time; leaves green
to light green

Bark color

light to reddish brown

gray to dark gray-brown

Fruit set

poor; heavy June fruit drop

normal; 1-3 fruit/cluster

Fruit size

smaller avg./tree

normal

Fruit over-color

highly colored/earlier

normal

Fruit under-color

yellow color earlier

normal

Fruit maturity

early

normal

The Phosphorus content of the soil is harder to establish since the trees seem to pull it from much deeper in the soil than annual plants. A soil test is always a good idea to correct any deficiencies you may find.

Potassium contributes to improved fruit size, color and flavor. It is also a major factor in reducing winter injury, spring frost damage to buds and flowers, and helping to stave off disease. Permaculture practices like composting should be employed to minimize fertilizer requirements. Nitrogen fixing plants like beans and peas can be planted around the tree. In a survival situation, human urine can be diluted with water in a ratio of 8:1 and used as fertilizer. Tests show human urine has almost as much NPK as commercial fertilizers. The book Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants provides justification of this practice based on scientific evidence.

COMPANION PLANTING: This is also another topic that could command its own full article. Good companion plants for apples are:
Clover– Used to fix nitrogen and attract honey bees which are the prime pollinator of apple trees.
Chives, Garlic, Leeks– Prevents apple scab (chives only), deters aphids.
Peas/Beans– Fix nitrogen into the soil.
Savory, Chamomile, Thyme– Attract beneficial insects.
Comfrey– Compost cover crop.

NOTE: Avoid Black Walnut as its roots excrete a substance that inhibits the growth of other plants and trees to include apple.

In closing, raising apple trees is one of the most practical and cost effective solutions to ensuring our continued survival and that of our progeny.  Even if you have a silo filled with grain you are merely delaying the inevitable. The next evolutionary rung for us as survivalists is to work towards sustainability. Only then will we be able to rest our heads on our pillow at night and sleep soundly, comforted in the knowledge that there is no expiration date on our lives or that of our children.

JWR Adds: Each family should research which apple varieties do well in your particular climate zones. Buy your saplings only from well-established, reliable companies that cultivate top quality rootstock.

To insure rapid growth, invest your sweat equity in digging an oversize hole for each new tree. A familiar old saying is: “Dig a $10 hole for a $5 tree.”

Survival and Special Needs Loved Ones, by Mrs. H.

Although most survival enthusiasts are “of sound mind and body,” many of us have friends or family members who aren’t quite so lucky. Being the parent or friend of someone with special needs in everyday life is often stressful enough, let alone when facing TEOTWAWKI. Making preparations for their survival and long term care will help ease some of that worry in the event of a real emergency or extended crisis.

Obviously, the same basic needs should be met for everyone: food, shelter, water, heat, protection, and health care. With a special needs person thrown into the mix, though, your preparations should include extra measures, such as sanity savers, alternative medicines, extra safety measures, and so on. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Sanity Savers

Ever try to get an autistic child to calm down in the middle of an exciting event? It isn’t easy! As you can imagine, a survival situation may seem like a big game to many autists. Or, worse, they may balk and freeze at the worst possible moment. Either way, you need to learn ways to get your autistic child or friend to respond appropriately to danger. At the least, you need to get them to allow you to take the lead on cue.

Behavioral therapists can help you train an autistic individual to follow basic requests. The minimum they should know is when to follow you, when to stay down, when to be quiet, and when to run. If the therapist asks why you’re interested in teaching these commands, tell them you’re planning a trip to Disneyland.

Many special needs people will not eat unfamiliar foods, so keeping a stockpile of familiar meals and snacks will keep them from starving. Alternatively, you can introduce survival foods to their regular diet, a little at a time, perhaps one new food per week. If you make it seem like a treat to eat MREs, chances are good that they’ll believe you.

Finally, include practical play in your stockpile. Simple games, drawing paper, coloring books, and craft supplies will help keep special needs people busy while you attend to other matters.

Safety Measures

Many special needs people wander, whether they are autistic children to elderly adults with dementia. While electronic monitoring is fine in normal situations, your best bet in a post-SHTF situation is a well trained dog.

If you don’t already have a service dog, start looking for one. Border collie and lab mixes make great service dogs; they’re highly intelligent, loyal, easily trained, and just big enough to look scary if they need to. They also have a natural herding instinct, which makes training to prevent wandering a lot easier.

Dog-training services are available throughout the country, and part of the dog’s training may be covered by grants or volunteer organizations. If you’d prefer to train your own service dog, there are literally hundreds of books on the subject, as well as online courses. Designing your own training regimen will allow you to customize your dog’s responses to common commands, hand signals, and sounds. For instance, you can scream “SIT!” at my dogs all day, and they’ll ignore you, but the second you say “Sit” and lift two fingers, then their tail is instantly on the floor. Teaching the dog to “fetch” people as well as objects will save countless hours searching for everything from your kid to your car keys, as well.

Other safety measures include glow sticks (attach to their bug-out bag so you can see where they are), leashes, simple alarms such as trip wires with small bells to alert you to when they leave or enter an area they aren’t supposed to go, floatation devices, and possibly restraints, if all else fails. Restraints should only be used as a last resort, to prevent the individual from harming themselves or others, and should be promptly removed when they have calmed down. If you feel that using restraints is inhumane, then you don’t have to use them. But you may wish you’d kept some handy if you find yourself with a 12 foot deep rushing wall of floodwater running down the side of your retreat and a screaming, hitting, biting child who can’t understand why they shouldn’t go play in the water.

Alternative Medicines

If your loved one must take a prescription to stay stable enough to function, you need to find some effective alternatives to those drugs. Prescription drugs can be stockpiled, and veterinary medications can replace some “people” drugs, but those may not always be available. Learn about and stock up on alternative medications as a backup to your backup plan.

Some alternative medications that everyone should stockpile anyway include garlic, chamomile, horehound, cloud mushroom, aloe, witch hazel, and boneset weed. Learn to grow and harvest medicinal herbs and plants, their proper uses, signs of overdose, and counteracting agents, if available. If you have a retreat, consider planting a medicinal garden in addition to your regular garden crops, or at least do a bit of seed bombing in the local woods.

“Lost Causes”

I prefer to think that there are no people who aren’t worth trying to save, and that those who can’t help themselves deserve to be helped. Everyone has a value, whether it’s a Down’s Syndrome kid who happens to have a strong back and a good humored outlook, or a doddering old neighbor who remembers how to make rope by hand but can’t tie his own shoes anymore. According to some people, that makes me a sucker, and might get me killed. I’m okay with that. If I die in the attempt to save another human being’s life, that’s the best death I could hope for anyway.

There are, unfortunately, some special needs people who simply cannot be saved in a SHTF situation. As heartbreaking as it may be to accept that, it’s best if you prepare yourself for this possibility beforehand. You may be able to manage their condition for a short while and keep them comfortable, but if your loved one isn’t ambulatory, can’t swallow or eat normal food, or absolutely cannot be controlled without constant drugging and restraints, you may be forced to make a very difficult decision. Your personal beliefs, morals, and individual circumstances should guide your decisions, but not your emotions. Unless you are very honest with yourself, and admit that there is a lot of resentment that goes along with caring for a special needs family member, you may make a decision that you will regret for the rest of your life. Admit to your resentments, and put them aside.

Also, be aware of the fact that many special needs people are more aware of their situation than you might think. Elderly people with dementia have moments of clarity and astounding insight, and may decide to take their own lives to save resources or spare themselves the indignity of having to rely entirely upon others for their care. The same type of behavior can be seen in people with several different mental and developmental issues.

While suicide is a risk for even “normal” people during a crisis, special needs people are at even higher risk. Watch for signs of withdrawal, depression, and hopelessness, and try to counteract those symptoms with gentle reminders that they were important enough for you to save. Keep a close watch on elderly people, who are more likely to attempt suicide than a developmentally disabled person.

Finally, consider the impact of the disabled or ill person on the rest of the group. If you absolutely cannot abandon your loved one for the sake of the group’s survival, that’s fine; but be prepared to take your loved one to another location as soon as possible, or someone else may harm them out of sheer desperation. As much as we like to think that won’t happen to us, it’s a very real possibility in crisis situations-the weakest members of any group often end up outcast, injured, or dead.

Even though many survival groups are made up of close friends and relatives, eventually, someone will bring up “useless eaters” in regards to your loved one. Expect it, and don’t get angry-it’s human nature. Being prepared to leave the group and take your loved ones with you is always a good idea. If you suspect that your group may turn on your disabled family member, have a backup plan in place in case you need to leave and establish your own retreat elsewhere. You may be able to re-join your group at a later time, or at least keep relations friendly between everyone. Simply showing that you are willing to sacrifice your own safety and comfort for the sake of your loved one and your group will often turn the situation in your favor, though. Whether in a crisis situation or not, no one likes to feel like a heel, and everyone likes to think that if they find themselves ill, injured, or incapacitated, someone else will be willing to stand up for them and keep them safe, too.

Product Review: Gamo Airguns CFX Combo

Airguns are a useful thing to have around for pest control and small game, can be backup weapons when necessary, and are legal in many places where regular firearms are not.  They are relatively quiet, inexpensive, and the ammunition (pellets) can be bought by the thousand for little money. The Gamo CFX Combo air rifle is a handy package, that includes a .177 caliber air rifle with muzzle brake/muffler and 4×32 telescopic sight.  It shoots 1,000 fps with lead pellets, and is actually supersonic (1,200 FPS) with PBA (Performance Ballistic Alloy) pellets.  These are harder metal and harder hitting up close, but do lose some accuracy as they cross transonic in flight.

Ergonomically, it’s quite comfortable, with rubber inserts in the forearm, cheek rests on both sides of the stock, and a recoil pad.  While not needed for recoil, this also improves shoulder contact and grip. Length of pull was comfortable for children and adults.  The grip has enough molded checkering to aid in hold, without being abrasive.  Weight is listed as 8 lbs, but it felt a lot less.  The balance is excellent.

The “iron” sights are bright fiberoptic inserts, .6 mm in front, .4mm rear.  This makes them clear and bright, though a little large for small game at the far reach of the range.  The scope has ¼ MOA adjustments, and is solidly mounted to a rail.  It’s not a standard 1″ rail, but an older ½” style.  Rings are standard 1″.

The 35 lb cocking force was a bit much for children (ages 10 and 13), but manageable by all adults, some easier than others.  Pellets seat easily, action is smooth.  The trigger is two stage and adjustable, but was consistent and crisp enough we didn’t make any changes to the factory setting.  It breaks at just under 4 lbs.

Our test range was limited by property lines to 87 feet.  Temperature was 75F, 75% humidity, and calm.  Once zeroed, using standard lead pellets, we were able to keep a consistent 3″ group for near 50 rounds, with most within 2″.  The report is a crack on par with a staple gun, and penetration was through 2″ of heavy closed-cell foam and 1″ into a tree.  This is certainly adequate accuracy and penetration for rabbits, squirrels, rats, feral cats and potentially larger game.

While not durable enough for real combat or rough use (Especially the scope), it’s well-built and reliable.  Nothing about it feels flimsy or questionable.  As a retreat tool, recreational shooter or primary trainer, it’s well worth the investment.  List price is $259.95, and as always, many retailers offer good discounts. Gamo brand airguns are made in Spain. – Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor at Large

Letter Re: My Experience With Social Collapse

People often discuss what would happen in a societal collapse and I wonder how many people have actually experienced one.  My experiences came from living in a foreign country…California.  19 years ago this month, I was living in Long Beach, California after my separation from the US Navy.  I was working in the medical field and came home one Wednesday around noon as usual for my early work hours.  The day was pretty uneventful with the exception of one little item.  The great state of California in all of its infinite wisdom had handed down a verdict of “Not Guilty” on a case regarding four police officers who had been caught on video tape beating a man 13 months before.  This ‘little incident’ would capture the attention of the nation and impact my life for the next six days.

That night I sat down to dinner and to catch up on the news.  I was up until almost 0100 hrs that night even though I had to be at work at 0400.  Like many Americans I sat glued to the news, watching as residents of Los Angeles County initiated what is now referred to as “The 1992 Los Angeles Riots”.  I would like to point out that there was no Economic Collapse, no Natural Disaster, no Terrorist Attack, only the rendering of a verdict in a trial.  12 citizens handed down a verdict on a case after reviewing the evidence presented, and whether it was the “RIGHT” verdict or not, this was the catalyst for the events which allowed the “wolves” to wreak havoc.  I watched from a news helicopter’s camera as “The L.A. Four” pulled Reginald Denny from his 18-wheeler loaded with sand and beat him unconscious with the final blow of a concrete slab thrown at his head.  Next up on the news was the beating of another man named Fidel Lopez where they robbed him, beat him, and tried to surgically remove his ear in very unsanitary conditions. I watched as the news covered the burning of cars, and stores began.  Every channel covered people being pulled from their cars to be beaten, raped, or killed.  The entire time this was occurring law enforcement, paramedics, and fire departments held their positions just outside of the ‘hot’ areas for their own safety and to refrain from inflaming the situation any further.  (“When seconds count, the police are only minutes away”)

Thursday morning I woke up to the smell of smoke from the fires.  I got up and went to work, where we were very busy because some people called in “Sick”.   The mayor at the time in L.A. had imposed a curfew, and there was a call up of the California National Guard, but that took almost a full day to get them in place.  I had worked through my lunch break and was therefore unaware of events that had started to unfold in Long Beach where I lived and worked.  When I left work that day, there were plumes of smoke rising from different places around the city.  I went directly home and took inventory of what I had.  I found I was grossly unprepared.  I was a ‘sheeple’ and I still didn’t know it.  I stayed home that night, watched some of the news and then caught up on my sleep.  I remember watching the local Price Club (this was before it merged with Costco) in Signal Hill being looted of televisions and such.  That is until a couple of Signal Hill Police cars pulled up.  They had a reputation of being heavy handed and were known to carry a semi-auto rifle as well as shotguns in their cars.  Even people who had purchased items stopped and set down their stuff until they were released by the police.  The looters just dropped their ill-gotten booty and ran.

Friday morning I awoke to the same smoke smells and got up and left for work.   This time I didn’t quite get there.  I was stopped on the first major intersection by the National Guard.  They were armed with M16 rifles, and in full combat gear.  They had a Humvee and the road was blocked by K-rails (those concrete things separating most metropolitan freeway lanes).  I was on a motorcycle and had to pull over, remove my Helmet, and show both my Drivers License and work ID.  I was told to be sure to carry these “until the crisis is over”.  They did not detain me long, but I had to go through 2 more of these on my way to work.  Again people were “out sick” so work was again busy, but I took a short break mid morning to go up to the helicopter pad and see the city.  There were about 15 people up there looking at the fires burning across the city.  We casually tried to figure out what it was that was burning, and it seemed for the most part to be stores.  Now remember I lived in the neighboring city of Long Beach, not L.A. and this was still happening. 

I ended my shift and headed home after stopping in the bank located in the basement of the hospital to cash my check just in case.  I was very preoccupied with what I had seen from the helicopter pad on my way home and was thinking about the fires while stopped at a light.  It was at that time that my first wakeup call was delivered.  I felt something hit me in the back of my head, and then got a hard yank on my waist.  Though dazed, I was able to maintain my balance, the brake, and clutch on my bike. Heard a noise to my right and looked over my shoulder to see a 2×4 finish bouncing on the ground and then see a young man running into an apartment complex.  In his left hand was my fanny pack, with the cash from my cashed paycheck.  I was not about to follow him into that complex and felt lucky that I was wearing a helmet or I would have been on the ground.  I ran the red light and headed home.  Having gotten home, I went into the house, locked the doors, and started planning the next two weeks until payday came again.  I figured I had enough food, and had filled up my car and bike so was not worried about gas, but decided I better get my laundry done with the change I had on hand.

I gathered up my laundry and headed to the back of the apartments where I lived with my handful of quarters, when my second wakeup call was issued.  As I rounded the back corner of the apartments I came face to face with three upstanding representatives of society at the time.  One of them greeted me with the usual head nod and “What’s Up?”, while the other two representatives were nice enough to give me a preview of their fine cutlery products.  They asked for my money.  When I told them I had just been robbed and didn’t have any, they didn’t believe me.  It really should not have been that much of a stretch to believe considering what was happening, but giving them the benefit of the doubt (maybe they hadn’t stolen a television yet to watch what was unfolding) I showed them my quarters and told them that was all that I had left, and they were welcome to it.  They started to approach mentioning the possibility that maybe I had something inside my place they would like better.  That was when a neighbor I did not know, stepped out into this alley holding a very large hand cannon and invited the young men to leave.  His name was Ricardo and I will forever be in his debt.

I decided to forget my laundry and instead to go to a friend’s house since the news was reporting that gangs from the Oakland California area (a six+ hour drive away) were coming to Long Beach to join in on the festivities.  I decide that it was time to Get out of Dodge.  I left on Friday and did not come back until late Sunday night.  Luckily things had died down a bit, even though the California National Guard had shot and killed a person they said tried to run them down.  The curfew was lifted in L.A. the next day and things got back to some semblance of normalcy (as normal as Southern California can be I guess), and I decided it was time to move.

I went on very blindly and still held a sheeple-like “things will work themselves out” attitude and a “People tend to over react” attitude until about a year ago.  I read the novel “Patriots”, and while reading thought: “Wow, that sounds similiar to what I went through.”  My eyes are fully open now, and I have learned a lot.  This was a collapse of society that I experienced, and even when I was right in the middle of it, I didn’t see the danger for what it truly was.  Again, no war, no economic collapse, or no natural disaster occurred.  The police didn’t help, and as a matter of fact a few others were fired because while this was happening they decided to go into a city park and shoot their guns. 

The paramedics didn’t come to the rescue, because it was unsafe.  I was a Corpsman in the Navy (8404) and I had to go into fire to rescue men, they did not.  The fire department didn’t even come in to put out fires, if there was still civil unrest happening.  And it wasn’t even their choice, as they were ordered to stay out.  We had the military on our streets to maintain order (not peace). Some 53 people died during six days of widespread looting, assault, arson and murder. Therer was more than one billion dollars in damage and thousands of people were injured.  Neighbors assaulted neighbors, people burned the very stores they shopped in, and looters were everywhere. 

The next time that someone tells you that you are crazy, or fringe, or an alarmist, remember I was none of these…I was lucky.  What have I learned?  It is better to be prepared than be lucky.  It is funny what it takes to have your eyes opened.  For me, as a novel written originally in 1991 by a forward-thinking man, about a fictional circumstance brought about by exactly what is happening now… I hope this makes some people say “Hmmm”.  Capt. Rawles, thank you.  To my fellow preppers, fight the good fight, and God bless. – Brad M.