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.

Economics and Investing:

AmEx (American Ex-Pat): suggested this: Case Shiller 100 Year Chart (2011 Update). JWR’s Comment: Methinks house prices still have a lot farther to fall. Unless you find that “perfect” retreat property, don’t buy into a falling market!

Carl T. sent this: Losing 84 Cents on Dollar Reveals Runaway U.S. Public Pensions

John B. suggested: The Real Silver High

China trims holdings of US securities in February. Sometimes it is these “minor” news articles that speak volumes. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

G.P. recommended this piece at the NIA web site: The Truth About Silver and Inflation

Items from The Economatrix:

Why Silver Is Still The Best Revenge

Awaiting The “Zero Hour” Of Available Credit (The Mogambo Guru)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Roman recommended: Your bike – the coolest part of your disaster kit

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Non-Retreat Locale: Riding Along With the Cops in Murdertown, U.S.A.

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Vin Suprynowicz chimes in: The enormous disconnect between ‘mainstream’ professional reviews and viewer response to ‘Atlas Shrugged The Movie, Part I’. Bottom line: Statists hate this movie and the novel that it was based upon. The fact that that a 54 year-old Libertarian novel is presently ranked #6 overall on Amazon, and #1 in Political Fiction no doubt has the posteriors of the statists chaffed to a shade somewhere between pink and red. (Which, by the way, also describes their politics.) Oh, and reader P.I. noted that the reviewers at the Rotten Tomatoes web site gave it a miserable 8% approval rating, while the general public rated it at 85%!

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Not only is this ad a gross distortion and fear mongering, they don’t even know the difference between a “clip” and a “magazine”. Take note of the “little girl” target poster that the Brady Bunch commissioned especially for the commercial. What sick puppies, they are!

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One of my recent consulting clients was bemoaning the fact that his rural Kentucky retreat property was at the base of a mountain and had a northwestern exposure–definitely sub-optimal for siting photovoltaic panels. But he mentioned that there was a fairly large year-round creek with a waterfall on his property, just 200 feet from his planned home site. Anywhere that there is that much “fall” is a great candidate for micro-hydro power! He will soon be buying some 6″ diameter PVC pipe that will originate with a screened creek diversion and a Harris Pelton wheel DC generator. The creek diversion will be 54 vertical feet and 119 lineal feel from the Pelton wheel, so I expect that it will really hum. (Large diameter pipe is best, to minimize friction losses.) There is nothing quite like an alternative power system that generates electricity 24/7/365.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“…the afternoon of April 19, [1943] two boys climbed up on the roof of the headquarters of the Jewish Resistance there and raised two flags: the red-and-white Polish flag and the blue-and-white banner of the ZZW (blue and white are the colors of the Flag of Israel today). These flags were well-seen from the Warsaw streets, and the Jews managed to hold off the Germans for four entire days in their attempts to remove them. Stroop recalled:

‘The matter of the flags was of great political and moral importance. It reminded hundreds of thousands of the Polish cause, it excited them and unified the population of the General Government, but especially Jews and Poles. Flags and national colors are a means of combat exactly like a rapid-fire weapon, like thousands of such weapons. We all knew that – Heinrich Himmler, Krüger, and Hahn. The Reichsfuehrer [Himmler] bellowed into the phone: ‘Stroop, you must at all costs bring down those two flags’.” – From an account of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising that began on April 19, 1943

Notes from JWR:

After many months (my apologies!), we’ve finally corrected the link to our map of SurvivalBlog visitors. You’ll always be able to find the map down at the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar. OBTW, please note that some of those locations might not be accurate, because of VPN Tunneling. (Speaking of which, if you are serious about your privacy, I recommend the Strong VPN service for both your e-mail and web browsing.

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Today we present an article by SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor, Dr. Cynthia Koelker. She hosts the medical prepping site Armageddonmedicine.net.  Today she writes about prevention and treatment of potentially lethal infections.

The Top Five Lethal Infections — How to Prevent and How to Treat

In choosing the top five infections in which preppers should be well-versed, I have employed the following criteria: 

  • The infection must be potentially life-threatening
  • The infection must be potentially reversible with treatment
  • The infection must be common now and likely to continue into the future.

Based on the preceding, these five are a good place to start educating yourself.

Pneumonia.  Pneumonia is often confused with bronchitis.  Both cause cough, fever, and difficulty breathing.  However, with bronchitis, the breathing tubes are narrowed, thus decreasing airflow.  Occasionally (primarily in patients with asthma or COPD) the airways will be so swollen that sufficient air cannot enter the lungs.  In these already-compromised patients, bronchitis may be life-threatening, but for the most part, acute bronchitis is self-limited and will resolve without antibiotics. In contrast, with pneumonia the tiny air sacs where gas exchange occurs are filled with infected fluid.  If fluid obstructs the membrane which allows oxygen to enter and carbon dioxide to escape our blood stream, the body may be deprived of life-giving oxygen.  Untreated, pneumonia is frequently life-threatening, especially in the elderly, the young, and those with other chronic breathing difficulties.  Sometimes bronchitis leads to pneumonia, or both problems can be present simultaneously (bronchopneumonia). 

As with most illnesses, there is a broad spectrum of pneumonia illnesses.  Some pneumonia is viral, and antibiotics do not help.  Pneumonia where only one lung is involved is usually bacterial and has a high enough fatality rate to warrant the use of antibiotics.  Untreated, the bacteria (commonly pneumococcus) may invade the blood stream, causing sepsis, widespread infection, and death.  Death may also occur from hypoxia (lack of oxygen causing suffocation).  It will be difficult for the layman to distinguish viral versus bacterial pneumonia (it’s difficult enough for doctors, who don’t always know either).  Diagnosing pneumonia by physical examination alone and distinguishing it from bronchitis is a whole article in itself, but one-sided chest pain is a strong argument for pneumonia in a patient with fever and cough.  (Blood clots, pleurisy, and heart problems may cause similar symptoms, however.)  Prevention of community-acquired pneumonia is 2-fold:  limiting spread via droplets and/or direct contact, and prevention of aspiration.  In the elderly, who have a decreased ability to clear their lungs, inhaling food particles or microbes frequently leads to pneumonia.  Having these folks eat slowly and remaining upright until the stomach clears after eating may decrease the likelihood of pneumonia.  Proper hand-washing for everyone and isolation of any infected patient should decrease the spread within the community. 

As for treatment, there is no single antibiotic guaranteed to work. What you have on hand may influence your choice of antibiotic.  Hospital doctors frequently prescribe IV medication, later switching to oral meds when the patient begins to improve.  You probably won’t have this luxury.  The strongest antibiotics (which you should probably reserve for the sickest patients) are Avelox, Levaquin, Biaxin, and Augmentin.  Appropriate first-line choices to treat pneumonia include erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, doxycycline, amoxicillin, and cephalexin.  Other possibilities include penicillin, ciprofloxacin, any cephalosporin, possibly trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or tetracycline.  The length of treatment is another concern.  Five days may be sufficient in a patient making a rapid recovery, but 7-10 days is more typical, and a very sick patient, or one with underlying asthma or COPD may require two weeks of continuous, full-dose therapy.  With a limited supply of antibiotics, rationing will likely be a necessity, and you’ll have to decide early on what criteria you plan to use.

Kidney infection.  Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is primarily a disease of women and the elderly, and occasionally children.  Usually, but not always, kidney infection starts with a bladder infection, with symptoms of frequent urination, burning, or abdominal pain.  The bacteria may ascend the ureter and lodge in the kidney, commonly causing one-sided back pain, just under the lower posterior ribs.  Untreated, the bacteria create a cesspool of infection, which may enter the bloodstream, causing sepsis and death.  In older men, the underlying cause is often an enlarged prostate.  Elderly men and women (and sometimes younger people as well) with a kidney infection may not exhibit specific signs, but rather simply appear ill or not themselves. 
Prevention is aimed at cleansing the urinary system by drinking plenty of fluids.  Having a more-than-adequate supply of potable water may be life-saving for the patient prone to kidney infection.  Women should always empty the bladder after intercourse, and should never hold the urine when they feel the need to go.

Appropriate antibiotic treatment of kidney infection usually begins with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, or nitrofurantoin.  Again, Avelox, Levaquin, and Augmentin should probably be reserved for the sickest patients.  Amoxicillin is generally the first choice for pregnant women.  Cephalexin (or any cephalosporin) will usually work.  I generally don’t use penicillin, doxycycline, tetracycline, or the erythromycins, but they are sometimes effective.  Because nausea is a common symptom of kidney infection, it is best to avoid any antibiotic that has nauseated the patient in the past.  Duration of treatment should be about 5 to 15 days, with the shortest length of treatment reserved for those patients who seem to get well overnight.  If the chosen antibiotic has made zero difference by 3-4 days, a different antibiotic should be tried, generally one from a different class. 
      
Diverticulitis.  Diverticulitis is a disease of the middle-aged and elderly, those who have been on a western (American) diet long enough to have the little pouches bubble out (like tiny hernias along the colon), where food gets stuck and infection may occur.  The colon is chockfull of germs.  Normally the bacteria don’t have a chance to invade the wall of the colon during their transit along the gut, unless they get trapped in one of these pockets where an abscess-like infection may form.  If the pouch swells and bursts, the patient is a dead man (without emergency surgery and antibiotics).  You cannot wait this long to treat this infection.  There are no specific tell-tale signs, but the problem is more often left-sided than right, and is rare in people younger than about 35 or 40.  A little diarrhea or dark, maroon (bloody) stool may be present.  Urinary symptoms are generally absent.  Doctors themselves are not always sure if diverticulitis is present, but the risk of waiting outweighs the risk of treating when the diagnosis is suspected. 

Ideally prevention of diverticulitis begins in childhood with a lifelong diet high in plant fiber.  For anyone reading this article, your colon may already be riddled with the pouches (diverticula), so your best hope is to prevent the infection from starting.  Many patients find that eating popcorn or other small, hard objects sets off their symptoms (though this is medically controversial).  If I had diverticulitis, I would at least be meticulous about avoiding popcorn. 

Antibiotic treatment should ideally include a combination of metronidazole plus either ciprofloxacin (or Avelox, or Levaquin), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or possibly Augmentin.  Minimum length of treatment is one week, though two or even three weeks is sometimes necessary.

Clostridium difficile colitis.  Until we run out of antibiotics, we will continue to see c. diff. colitis, also known as antibiotic-related colitis.  This infection is very rare in patients who have not taken antibiotics, but more and more common in those who have.  It causes terrible diarrhea with an obnoxious odor, and may begin any time during or after a round of antibiotics.  Untreated, the infection can cause dehydration, sepsis, and death.  Prevention is aimed at limiting antibiotic use to those infections where antibiotics are essential.  The only readily-available oral drug for c. diff. is metronidazole.  Oral vancomycin is also effective, but much more costly. Conscientious hand-washing among patients and caregivers will help limit the spread of the disease.  As the use of antibiotics decreases, the incidence of c. diff. will decrease as well.

Cellulitis.  Lastly, cellulitis, or soft tissue infection, is theoretically almost entirely preventable.  As long as the skin is completely intact, without a scratch, blister, crack, or abrasion, cellulitis is quite rare.  But probably everyone reading this article has some little imperfection.  Looking at my own hands, I see a few tiny nicks, not to mention the dry skin caused by a long winter with forced-air heating.  A microscopic crack is sufficient to allow a microbe to invade, and the skin is always home to a variety of bacteria, usually non-virulent staph.  Upon invading the skin, the bacteria reproduce, causing either a localized pimple (or larger abscess, like a water balloon) or a more invasive infection, spreading through the tissues like a sponge.  The soft tissues in and under the skin swell, and become tender, red, and warm.  With cellulitis, the infection may spread to the lymphatic vessels or veins, enter the bloodstream, and, as with the diseases above, cause sepsis and death. Most cellulitis is caused by typical staph and strep germs, though other bacteria are not uncommon. 

The methicillin-resistant staph (MRSA) is a special problem.  Your main clue to its presence will be that drugs good for treating typical staph may not work. The best drugs for methicillin-resistant staph are currently trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or doxycycline.  For typical staph or strep, cephalexin or Augmentin are good choices.  The erythromycins and tetracyclines usually work as well.  Ciprofloxacin (as well as Avelox and Levaquin) are best reserved for cases in which none of the above antibiotics are effective, which may indicate infection with a gram-negative bacterium such as Pseudomonas.  Cellulitis should be treated for about 5 to 15 days, again with the shortest length of treatment reserved for those who respond within a day or two.  If the infection continues to spread after 24-48 hours (or hasn’t started to resolve the infection by 3-4 days) on a first-line antibiotic, therapy should be switched to that for methicillin-resistant staph.  If this makes no difference by 3-4 days, or if the infection continues to spread, switching to or adding ciprofloxacin is indicated.  If none of these therapies work, you might try combining all three, but odds of this working is really quite low, and treatment may be futile. 

In a future article I will address diseases common elsewhere in the world likely to spread in the U.S. if societal upheaval occurs.

Pat’s Product Reviews: Leatherman MUT Multi-Tool

Several weeks ago, I talked about some of the multi-tools on the market. I mentioned that SurvivalBlog readers should avoid the no-name, no-brand of multi-tools on the market. They are junk, and you don’t want to have to depend on one of these tools to save your life if TEOTWAWKI hits – that’s not the time to discover the cheap look-a-like multi-tool won’t do the job you ask of it.   My contact person at Leatherman alerted me to the new Military Utility Tool (MUT) that Leatherman is now producing. “Oh great,” I thought to myself, “she’s playing mind games with me – again.” My contact at Leatherman is always sending me yet another new multi-tool or knife to test and write about. She likes making my life miserable – just when I find the perfect multi-tool from Leatherman, she sends me yet another slightly different tool. Then I have to put it side-by-side with some of the other multi-tools and decide if I want to carry the newest and coolest, or one of the other ones I have. Just when I get comfortable with a particular Leatherman multi-tool, that I think will take care of all my needs, something new pops up.  

I’ve got to say, this new multi-tool from Leatherman, may just be the one I’m gonna start carrying. The MUT was designed, with input from a couple guys at the US Army Marksmanship Unit, down at Ft. Benning, Georgia. I really respect these guys – they are into guns. I took a two-week course from some of these guys in 1970, and was certified as a Coach and Rifle Instructor through them – still have the certificate hanging on my wall, too – I’m proud of it.   Let me put it bluntly, if you own any type of AR-15 style rifle, you need the MUT. Please go to the Leatherman web site, and watch the video that shows all the neat things the MUT can do.

The MUT isn’t just any ol’ multi-tool, although it does have a lot of the familiar tools you’ll likely use everyday. There is a knife blade, as well as a wood saw, and I like their wood saws, they allow you to cut through some pretty thick and tough brush – ideal if you’re making a sniper’s hide or building a shelter from the weather. The knife – it’s sharp – right out of the box, too. Many knife blades found on lesser multi-tools are dull and simply won’t take and/or hold an edge, no matter how hard you work at it.   The MUT has screw drivers – several of ’em, too. There is the standard flat and Phillips head screw driver on the bottom of the MUT. There are also some other driver bits – that are much longer – in the handle of the MUT. These are designed to reach into areas that require a longer screw driver. One driver bit even has a Torx head on it – for working on scopes.  

What multi-tool wouldn’t come with regular pliers and needle-nose pliers? Well, the MUT has both, as well as hard-wire cutters – for cutting through thicker than speaker wires – and they are replaceable, should they become dull or damaged – great idea! Need to strip some covering off of a wire? The MUT has wire strippers, too.  

Now, here’s where some of the interesting tools come into play for those of you who own an AR-15 style rifle. There is a bronze carbon scrapper – for removing built-up carbon deposits on your bolt and inside the bolt carrier. I’ve seen some folks scrapping the carbon off their bolts and inside their bolt carriers with a pocket knife blade. Wrong! You will damage both the bolt and bolt carrier if you do this ’cause it removes material. The bronze scrapper won’t damage your bolt or bolt carrier. And, if you don’t clean the carbon build-up on the bolt and inside the bolt carrier, you are only asking for your AR to malfunction at some point.  

How many times have your had problems pushing out the pins that keep the upper and lower receiver together ’cause the fit between the upper and lower is extremely tight? Yeah, that’s what I thought – quite a few of us have had this problem. The MUT has a punch on it, that will easily allow you to push the two pins out that keep the upper and lower together, without damaging or marring the pins.   Here’s one feature I’m sure you’ll appreciate. Have you have had a jam, in which an empty case got caught between the bolt and the top inside of your upper receiver? It’s one heck of a jam, and not easily cleared, especially during a fire-fight. Well, the butt of one of the handles of the MUT is specially designed to “hook” the bolt – then you just give the MUT a good pull reward, the the bolt will come back and the empty brass will come out…why didn’t someone think of this sooner? This one feature on the MUT is worth having.   The butt of the MUT can even be used for an improvised hammer – it’s “that” tough. Matter of fact, the entire MUT is built Marine Corps tough – I don’t think a US Marine couple break the MUT if they tried – it’s one tough tool.   The screwdriver bits alone, are really nice to have when tightening a scope down on your rifle. However, sometimes, the nut on the other end of the screw can’t be held tight enough with your bare hand, and it turns as you are turning the screw to tighten it.  Leatherman thought of this, and included a separate wrench, that has the two most popular closed end wrench openings are included.  

If you need something to cut through a seat belt or light string or rope, the MUT has a “V” cutter on one end of one of the handles. It’ll easily zip through seat belts, web gear or other similar material, without having to open the full-sized knife blade on the MUT.   The MUT also has a set-up that you can use to attach cleaning rods, and use the MUT’s handle as the handle of the cleaning rod. Who thinks of these things? They are doing a great job, if you ask me.  

There are several different ways you can carry the MUT. There is a MOLLE sheath that you can thread through a MOLLE vest, for a very secure set-up. Also, the sheath can be adjusted for belt carry as well. If that’s not your cup of tea, they there is a (removable) clothing/pocket clip on the MUT itself, so you can carry it inside of a pocket, or hung from a tactical vest. One more mode of carry is the carabiner – if you want to clip the MUT to a belt loop on your pants.  

The MUT has a lot of different features that are designed specially for those of us who carry and use AR-15 or M4 style rifles. The MUT is also a full-sized multi-tool as well – not some itty-bitty one that won’t get the job done. I guess if I were to change or add one thing, it would be to add a file to the MUT. I use the file on my Leatherman Blast multi-tool all the time. The Blast also has a can opener, which the MUT doesn’t have. I’ll be honest, I’ve only used the can opener a couple of times on my Blast. If I didn’t have the can opener feature, I’d open a can using the knife blade. So, I can live without a can opener – albeit, it would be nice to have. The file: I’m not sure where Leatherman could put it on the MUT, but I’m giving it some thought.  

The Leatherman MUT doesn’t come cheap – then again, as I’ve mentioned before, quality is never cheap. And, the MUT is high-quality no matter how you look at it. If you want a multi-tool that can really take a beating, the MUT is for you. If you carry or use an AR-15 style of some sort, the MUT is a necessity if you ask me. I can see a lot of our military troops buying a MUT. I’ll have to hide my MUT from my youngest daughter when she comes home on leave from the US Army – ’cause I know she’s gonna want one of her own. Right now, the MUT is hard to find – they are selling like crazy. The suggested retail price is $180 — not cheap. They can be found on Amazon for as little at $110. Even that is fairly expensive. But as I’ve said, quality never comes cheap, and you are buying from the originator of the multi-tool – Leatherman!  – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Sanitation in Grid Down Situations

Hello James,  
I read the recent article on survival for apartment dwellers and I hate to burst a bubble but a major factor was left out: SANITATION. It’s incredible domino effect is truly mind boggling!   Back in 1999 I was involved in writing a white paper for the government on the effects caused by no running water.   I am afraid I know what I am talking about and it’s not a pretty picture.  In 1998 in Auckland, New Zealand there was a lengthy power failure that in turn led to several days without water and what happened after three days will blow your mind.  

People in general are not smart. Rather than try and conserve or make a plan once the water stopped flowing, they would flush their toilets. Without power from the force of water pressure the tank doesn’t refill. The domino effect is not only gross but staggering, what human beings that have never lived beyond modern conveniences will do is unimaginable.   What I researched and wrote about blew my own mind…when people were actually confronted with such a situation, they went where ever they could – they filled the toilet, the toilet tank, the tub, the shower, the sink – when the bathrooms became uninhabitable, they went in corners, boxes, bags, closets…most however left by the time they were using the tub. Guess how long that took? That’s right, the three days!   In such a structure (high up in a condo), if you do all the right things, in no way will that protect you from all those around you who did not. If anyone lives above you, remember, the pipes are clogged and the stuff is (figuratively) looking to escape out cracks and openings which means their “stuff” comes in though the ceiling of your place.  

Reality check: If you’re prepared and they’re not, where do you think they go for food and water? Are you going to shoot them all? Are you really a killer? That’s what it will take and if any form of police shows up who do you think they are going to take away, never to be seen again?   Truth is, for all you people who think you can maintain in you present homes that are located in cities and suburbs will be at constant war, an out come I’m not sure would be worthy of surviving for, an outcome where projections say only 10% survive…  

James, I just touched the surface of what I wrote about as I no longer have the papers, this was from memory. Imagine if you can, what I just described was happening in one condo complex – now multiply by the number of just apartments and condos in your area. Remember how these buildings have managers right? Wrong. They are the first to go! You will be on your own. And I haven’t even discussed the methane problem!  

The biggest problem in all these worse case scenarios is that they only know so much that they are capable of writing about to claim as a worse case – when in fact and in true reality the worse case scenarios are always incomprehensible, case in point today is what is happening in Japan. What was once thought of as sci-fi is now being considered as possible in both discoveries and disasters.   Well, take care – Dave B. 

Letter Re: Archives of SurvivalBlog

Dear James:
During the major winter storm here in Texas in January we experienced many hours without electricity. The power outages were caused by rolling blackouts and also by storm related damage. Our family made the decision to use the situation as an opportunity to “see what it would be like”.

One major thing that we noticed that we were totally un-prepared for was the loss of the Internet. We quickly discovered how many times a day we use the Internet as a source of reference and information. Our thoughts were previously about e-mail and news updates. Those we could do without, what made the difference was the loss of being able to reference information, solve problems, and answer questions.

Your blog is a major reference source for our family. The archives of information are used daily to answer questions and provide valuable information. Without electricity, we were without Internet, and without Internet we were without our info references.

Our family got an Apple iPad for Christmas and we are amazed at what can be done with this small piece of electronics. It can run up to 12 hours between charges. Millions of people in this country have purchased the iPad and similar electronic “notebooks” since their introduction.

How about using some technology to provide preppers with info when the SHTF. Is there someway that you can make the archives available so they can be downloaded to iPad or similar notebook and be available to folks even if the grid is down and internet is not working or available? All the great store of information would be available at any time. Please consider someway that this information and service can be provided so that folks can have it on hand for immediate reference at any time.

Also, I wonder if you have any update on Anchor of Hope and what is going on with the Memsahib Memorial Fund?

Thanks, – Bryan E.

JWR Replies: A five-year compendium archive of SurvivalBlog on CD-ROM (in both HTML and PDF) optimized for laptops and iPads is now available on CD-ROM, for $19.95. Using a Mac with a CD-ROM drive, the entire contents can be loaded onto an iPad. There is also a Kindle-optimized archive of SurvivalBlog.com Archives 2005-2010 is also available for $9, via the Amazon.com store.

I’m pleased to report that the Memsahib Memorial Fund has thusfar raised more than $35,000 for the Anchor Institute mission and school in very rural Zambia. It is an outstanding charity, because it has hardly any overhead, and the recipients are very deserving. With enough funds, one future project there will be the installation of a photovoltaic power system.

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

James,  

I have been a part time survivalist for many years.  I thought about the topic while still serving in the Army and after retiring I have moved, slowly, to position my family to be able to survive if the Schumer hits the fan.   

I live in a brick home on 1-1/2 acres, surrounded by vast farmland.  Work cooperatively with neighbors to develop cooperative relationships that would benefit all parties if the worst happens.  Have the guns and ammo thing covered.  Food?  Still working on it but think we could make it for six months or more in extreme situations.  

Then, last night, an event occurred that showed me one area I have neglected.  Medical supplies.   My 7 year old daughter fell and busted her chin open on a kitchen stool.  Not a lot of blood but I was faced with the “does it need stitches” dilemma.  I called the emergency room and was given the “we can’t make that call over the phone” line.  It was too late to take her to a doctor and too long before I could to leave it neglected.   

I searched the Internet for advice and decided steri-strips would fix the problem.  Of course I then had to find a store open at that time of night that carried the strips.   Long story short, I finally did get the steri-strips and latex gloves needed to treat an wound so not to cause infection but was left with many scary thoughts about medical preparations.   First, what books are in my medical library?  Hard copy books, not the Internet that would not exist in a worst case scenario.   

Second, basic medical supplies for simple injuries.  I am seriously lacking in that area.   

So this small incident drove home a sorely lacking area in my preparations for bad times.  I recommend that everyone check the status of their home medical supplies! – Tom L.

Letter Re: Bacteria-Infected Meat in U.S. Supermarkets

JWR,  
I thought I’d pass this along for your consideration to publish this link: Quarter of Meat Supply Contaminated With Drug-Resistant Bacteria.

This article may be alarming to some of our population, but to most of your readers I suspect it is not a surprise and many have even known or anticipated such an anecdotal report as we’ve been observing an increase in drug resistant bacteria for some time.   

What I took away from this article is the benefit of the extreme care it takes to not only raise animals for consumption (apparent source of pathogens) but thoroughness in dressing and processing animals whether it be field dressing, planned farm harvests or handling meat just prior to cooking/consumption.  It is most likely that folks raising their own meat will be doing so in considerably better conditions than cramped and filth laden feed lots.  However, since pathogens are not discriminating, it is worth pointing out the value of proper practices in raising and processing meat.   

In an effort to be proactive on this matter, maybe someone with farm experience in raising animals for consumption could comment on this.  Particularly someone with pathological training and experience, for example a veterinarian who would be making AB risk assessments on a regular basis.  Factually stepping through the process of husbandry to final preparation of meat for consumption would probably be quite useful and well received by your readers.  

Thank you for your work.  I submit that each and every one of us is a ‘survivalist’ whether we acknowledge it or not.  The difference is the breadth and depth of knowledge and skill to be as independently successful as one desires or finds necessary on life’s journey. In Liberty,  – Ricardo in In Indiana