Three Lessons from Russian History, by R.M.B. in Tennessee

I returned to the United States in 1999 after spending an extended period of time in Russia. The country has a deep, fascinating and sometimes terrible history. However, of moment to this submission are three events that, in my opinion, are very beneficial for each of us to consider and contemplate as we go about our business of preparing. These three events are so significant because I believe that these events are illustrative of what may occur in a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI scenario. By examining what actually transpired in a modern first world civilization during times of SHTF/TEOTWAWKI we can divine–to some extent–what would transpire in our own culture/geographic locations under similar circumstances. Thus, an evaluation of these three events can provide us with data for practical application as we prepare ourselves, our families and our communities.  These three events are also important to consider in my opinion because they are illustrative of what–again, in my opinion–are the most likely scenarios of SHTF/TEOTWAWKI. 

The three events are, in chronological order: the siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), the financial crisis of 1998, and the war in Kosovo.  I lived in Russia during the last two of these three events, and I know individuals who lived through the first. I will address each of these events below.

Lesson #1: The Siege of Leningrad

During World War II, the capture of Leningrad was one of the three primary goals of the Nazi forces on the Eastern Front. The city held political, strategic and emotional importance as it was the former capital of the Russian Empire, the seat of the baltic fleet and home to numerous munitions factories, and the Russian bastion of the arts and sciences.  Hitler was so fixated on the capture of this city that he actually had pre-printed invitations to the victory celebration to be held in one of the great hotels of the city. 

The Nazi forces–at least 350,000 strong–approached the city of approximately 2.5 million souls during the summer of 1941.  At the approach of the Nazi forces, 1.4 million individuals were evacuated from the city. Those who remained–men, women as well as children–were soon to be subjected to a long and brutal two and a half years. The Nazi advance was stymied through the resistance efforts of both soldiers and civilians, and the Nazis had yet to reach the city boundaries by the fall of 1941. However, by September 1941 the Nazi forces had successfully surrounded the city, although they were unable to break through the outer defenses.  Nevertheless, the Russians could not claim victory.  For a period of 872 days the Nazi forces laid siege to the city, bombarding its citizens with shelling and machine gun fire. I have personally strode past the signs that stand as monument to this day that declare “During shelling periods, stand on this side of the street to avoid death.” I have personally visited on many occasions the cemetery where over 500,000 victims of the siege rest interned. The 500,000 figure may seem high, but it is estimated that over 650,000 souls perished during the siege. During January and February of 1942 alone, between 7,000–10,000 died per day of starvation. 

So, you may be asking yourself, what’s the point of this history lesson? Here it is.

During the time of the siege, the government seized control of the food sources. Rations were handed out–to those who could reach the supply tents, as many died on the way to the supply tents from cold and starvation—that consisted of 125 grams of bread mixed with sawdust. Those who were lucky killed and ate pigeons. Many resorted to cannibalizing the dead (this is a documented truth; there are much more sinister rumors, however, that there were groups who would actively kill in order to cannibalize). Although we may not ever face a military siege of the type described above, a prolonged food shortage would result in the same effects as seen by those in Leningrad during the siege. Such a prolonged food shortage could arrive in this country–or any other for that matter–by means of many things. A natural disaster such as a major earthquake or tsunami; a shortage of fuel to transport our food; a collapse of the fiat currency system; a famine; choose your own peril. The practical lesson for me to take away here is that any number of events could cut off our food supply. If that happens, then people will die and resort to otherwise unthinkable acts. So, the lesson to us is to stock our larders deep and tall, and prepare to produce our own food supplies to the extent we can. 

In summary, Lesson #1 is: food supplies for entire populations are fragile. Once that supply is disrupted the unprepared will die and/or live in unimaginably horrible circumstances. Thinking that the government or the goodwill of others will sustain you is folly, as seen by what transpired in Leningrad. Stock up on food and water, and prepare to produce your own food to the extent you can.

Lesson #2: The Financial Crisis of 1998

The causes of the Russian financial crisis of 1998 are complex and varied. I do not purport to understand all of these factors fully, and the factors that I do understand I will not attempt to explain in detail. I will, however, attempt to summarize the causes of the crisis before describing the aftereffects. The Russian economy was being driven primarily by selling commodities on the foreign market, as well as borrowing on the foreign market. However, when the Asian crisis occurred and commodities prices were decimated, Russia had difficulty paying the interest on its debts. Does the thought of a market segment collapsing, leaving said market in a spot where it is hard pressed to pay the interest on its debt, sound familiar at all to anyone? Anyone? In any event, the Russian stock, bond, and currency markets collapsed in the early fall of 1998 as a result of investor fears that the government would devalue its currency, default on domestic debt, or both. Again, sound familiar to anyone? (QE?) Markets tumbled, as well as the value of the ruble, and banks closed as there was a run on the banks as people tried to withdraw their money to buy tangibles before prices and inflation decimated the value of their fiat currency. Literally in the span of one month the value of the ruble as compared to the dollar had decreased by 2/3.  Therefore, when people were finally able to access their money, it would only buy 1/3 of what it would once buy. Can you imagine having $100 in the bank today, only to go tomorrow to try and withdraw it and find that the bank was closed, and when you do manage to finally withdraw your money, it is only worth $33? That is devastating. 

Again, you may be asking “Okay, but what does this boring history lesson have to do with anything?” Here is is.

When (not if) fiat currency loses its “value,” those holding said fiat currency to the exclusion of tangibles lose. And lose big. 

I recall that many of the folks who had cash on hand foolishly went out and spent it on things like watches, televisions, and other electronics. They foolishly thought that the government would provide the necessities like food and water for them. So, they figured, they could buy “nice things” and the government would take care of them. What they saw literally two days later would turn their world upside down. Within days of the collapse there were–without hyperbole–guards with machine guns guarding the food in grocery stores. The food had been piled up in the middle of the floor and the guards encircled it. You had to show your cash to even be admitted entrance to the grocery store. People began to starve. Fights in the streets began to break out over bread and sugar. Long lines were created if there was even so much as a whiff that a store had cooking oil. People began foraging in the woods for mushrooms and berries. A barter economy started up on the streets. 

That is what post financial collapse Russia looked like. And it looked that way for several months. No food. People spending the overwhelming majority of their fiat currency to buy meager morsels of bread. So, what’s the lesson here? I suppose there are a few. First, fiat currency systems are fragile and subject to systemic failures. Second, and as stressed above, stack your larders deep and tall. Third, if you do have cash on hand, don’t buy stupid things. Fourth, don’t be fooled: folks will fight for food. In Russia they do not have an armed populace; we in the USA do. The fists I saw flying in Russia over a bag of mushrooms could easily be bullets here in the USA flying over a box of Uncle Ben’s Rice. Stay off the streets, practice OPSEC, and  be prepared for violence because it will happen. Finally, a financial collapse can happen suddenly and quickly and have ruinous effects in almost no time at all. 

In summary, Lesson #2 is: fiat currency systems are fragile. In the event of a financial collapse, the only safe haven is in tangibles. Stock up on beans, bullets and Band-Aids, and avoid the madness because madness will happen. 

Lesson #3: The Kosovo War (1998–1999)

As many readers will recall, in the mid-1990’s there was escalating violence and tension between the ethnicities and religions in Yugoslavia (for you younger readers, Yugoslavia used to be a country in Eastern Europe). During 1997 and 1998 there was a full blown war between different groups vying for power, and reports of genocide.  Due to various reasons, NATO refused to sit by and let this fighting and slaughter continue, and NATO began a sustained bombing campaign in spring and summer 1999. As a combination of the ground war between the various ethnicities, and the bombing campaign of NATO, over 1 million souls were displaced, and fled the region, becoming migrant refugees. 

During that time period I was living in a Russian city that was close to the border. Tens of thousands of refugees from this region found their way into the city and the outlying region. As you might expect, they were not welcomed with entirely open arms. As you will recall, Russia was still recovering from the financial crisis. It did not have money to spare. These refugees took up shelter in apartment buildings and other edifices that had been abandoned and condemned. I saw families living in concrete blocks where the foundation had sunk into the earth, resulting in the concrete floor having a strange tilt to it such that a marble would roll from one side of the room to another. There was no running water or plumbing or heat in these edifices. The families huddled under blankets to keep warm, and cooked over open fires, often made with discarded tires. Deplorable living conditions. And yet, they had shelter. There were many more who bedded down in the fields around the cities. As these refugees would wander the city looking for food and work, they were turned away on more then one occasion by the force of fist or boot. 

So, again you ask, what’s the point? Well, here it is.

The golden horde is a reality, and they will descend like locusts. This particular horde was unarmed, but I do not imagine that that would be the case in the USA. The golden horde in the USA would –I imagine–also take up residence in any edifice they could. Look for whatever food they could. Fight for whatever food they could. So, the practical lesson here is, I believe, the golden horde will come, and it is to be avoided. It will be massive. They will work together as they are in the same boat. They will be after resources such as shelter, food and fuel. So, practice OPSEC. Better yet, G.O.O.D.. 

Summary of lesson #3: in times of crisis, the Golden Horde will materialize. It will be massive. It will descend upon wherever it assumes there are resources. Stay out of its way to the extent you can G.O.O.D. Practice OPSEC. Be prepared for their violence. Stay safe.

Finally, it cannot go without saying that during any of these times of crisis people look to God. While that is wise, it is wiser to look to God before such a crisis. If he warns you to build an ark, then guess what? You should build an ark. 

Overall, these are three modern lessons of SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenarios that actually happened. They all actually happened in a First World country. They are all things that could easily be repeated. Practical lesson: prepare accordingly. 

Letter Re: Survival Architecture: Building a Retreat that is Defensible, Sustainable and Affordable

James Wesley:
On March 25, we saw a post by Phil M. indicating that “At a point of 6′ below the surface of  the earth, temperatures stays constant at around 60°F.”  This may only be true for very specific locales.  For most locations, constant ground temperature reflects the average yearly air temperature for the locale, and ground temps are only constant at a depth of about 30 ft. and below.  At depths above 30 ft., ground temperatures begin to increasingly modulate up and down following seasonal air temperature.  In areas of the world with seasonal temperature changes similar to the United States, temperatures at a 6′ depth can swing +/- ~10°F from the constant for a given locale, and at the surface, soil temps may swing as much as +/-20°F or more from the locale’s constant.  Ground temps generally reach their maximum in August and reach their minimum in February. 

For example, here in Northwest Florida, the constant ground temp at 30′ is ~69°F  (water from a 200′ well is only slightly cooler at ~67°F).   In August, the soil temperature 6′ down will be close to 79°F, and in February, temperature at that same 6′ depth will be close to 59°F.

Readers can get a general idea of what  their own U.S. locales may look like at a Virginia Tech web page.

JWR Adds: In northern latitudes, the ambient ground temperature can also be depended on for year-round food refrigeration.

Economics and Investing:

US Finances Rank Near Worst in the World: Study. (A hat tip to C.D.V. for the link.)

J.B.G. flagged this: Worst Texas Drought in 44 Years Eroding Wheat, Beef Supply as Food Rallies

Commentary from Ireland: Default or not to default? Now that’s a no-brainer

Items from The Economatrix:

Just Not in Time Manufacturing: Toyota Tells US Plants “Prepare to Shut Down” 

Breaks in Supply Chain: Disaster in Japan Sends Ripples Through Global Economy

Fed Officials See U.S. Recovery Taking Hold  

Gold Fields: Gold at $1,500 Possible 

Durable Goods Orders Fell 0.9% in February  

Odds ‘n Sods:

No Great Surprise Department: Tokyo Shops Ration Goods as Workers Injured at Nuke Plant

   o o o

More statist elitism: California: Concealed Carry For Politicians, But Not For The People. Methinks the denizens of the Sacramento Capitol Building have forgotten who it is that they represent.

   o o o

Ten minutes of exciting footage: Exclusive: France 24 Reporters from the front line in Libya. What they lack in skill, they partly make up for, with enthusiasm. This is the quintessence of “a steep learning curve.” (Thanks to Christian L. for the link.)

   o o o

My #2 Son sent this: Hack Obtains 9 Bogus Certificates for Prominent Websites; Traced to Iran. #2 Son says: “The implications are huge!”

   o o o

Reader M.E.W. sent this: Severed From the World, Villagers Survive on Tight Bonds and To-Do Lists

   o o o

What do you call looting when a government does it? Emergency plans in Louisville raise eyebrows. (Thanks to Pat M. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee [as] a bird to your mountain?

For, lo, the wicked bend [their] bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

The LORD [is] in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne [is] in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: [this shall be] the portion of their cup.

For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.” – Psalm 11 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 33 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 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), 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 33 ends on March 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.

Survival Architecture: Building a Retreat that is Defensible, Sustainable and Affordable, by Phil M.

Have you designed and built your own survival retreat yet?  If not, read on.  Designing and building a survival retreat that can provide protection can be affordable and also provide more than adequate shelter and warmth to not only keep its inhabitants alive, but comfortable.

To understand how this is achievable we must first understand what sort of materials are available and how each of them apply to defensibility, sustainability and affordability.  Secondly, we must understand how the arrangement of these materials into form, or design, can lend themselves  to defensibility, sustainability and affordability.

Materials
A major problem with conventional building materials is that they are easily penetrated by small arms fire.  As seen in this video (credit to YankeePrepper on Youtube for posting it), tests were conducted  on conventional residential building materials to see how they stood up against typical rounds from small arms fire (9mm, 5.56, .30 cal., etc.).  These conventional residential materials  could not withstand rounds that could be owned and fired by any citizen.  Additionally, conventional building materials are not always the most efficient material to consider when looking to build a structure that requires a high degree of self-sustainability.

Rammed Earth

The demonstrations see at The Box ‘o Truth web site show that the small arms rounds fired at simple boxes of sand don’t penetrate more that 6″ when fired from about 25 yards.  This report  further illustrates that a 5.56 round fired from 200 yards cannot penetrate more than 2 layers of sand bags (about 18″ deep).  But remember, we aren’t talking about loosely packed sand, we are talking about rammed earth construction or CEB (compressed earth block which is similar to adobe).  This study shows that rammed adobe construction can withstand rounds of 7.62×39 ammunition from 20 meters and sustain penetration of only 1-1/2″ to 2″.  Repairs can be made simply by slapping on more mud. Additionally, earth is fireproof making it safe against incendiary attacks.

Earth has one of the highest R-values because of its high thermal mass.  When built at least 12″-18″ thick, not only does it provide excellent ballistic protection it has the ability to retain almost all of the heat generated inside of it in the winter and keeps almost all of the heat out in the summer.  In fact, temperatures of 70 degrees can be maintained in the winter and 80 degrees in the summer with little to no air tempering (conditioning) needed.  By combining earth with a good wood burning stove and passive solar radiance for the winter and adequate ventilation in the summer even more bearable temperatures can be achieved (more on design later).

Rammed earth can be very labor intensive.  Formwork must be erected and layers of earth are either hand or hydraulically compressed into place.  CEB on the other hand has a variety of options for machines that compress earth into blocks that are easy to manage and set into place by hand.

Salvaged Shipping Containers
The  USA annually imports more goods and materials than it exports from countries overseas.  These goods are transported in steel shipping containers which are currently stored in shipping yards.  The expense to ship these containers back empty is sometimes more costly than to sell them at scrap prices.  For the container itself and shipping,  8′ wide by 40′ long by 9’6″ high shipping container can be delivered for about $2,000-$3,000.

These containers are rated to hold tons (literally) of equipment while listing and bobbing on huge freight liners.  So for approx. $6.25 per square foot you have a structurally sound, fireproof and storm proof shell delivered to a location of your choosing.  Get some buddies who know how to weld and you can have a quick structure that you can either bury underground [with sufficient reinforcement, as previously discussed at length in SurvivalBlog], stack in multiple levels for a multi-storied structure, or build at surface grade and berm up earth alongside it.

Shipping containers come in a variety of sizes, even down to 8’x20’x8′.  These small modules could be pre-fabricated at a convenient location and could include bare necessities for living such as a sink, small oven, a commode, or even a  few bed racks.  Furthermore, something as small as 8’x20′ could be loaded onto a trailer for a bug-out type situation.  This module could be set down anywhere and act as a temporary retreat.  The best thing about shipping containers is their modularity.  As you built your survival retreat and as funds become available, you can simply add on to it and expand it by simply adding more containers.

Tire Bale Survival Retreats
This is a relatively new concept in creating wall structure for a survival retreat.  By compacting as much as 20 tires and wiring them together, very large building blocks can be made to create structure for exterior walls.  Tires can be found by going  to any recycling facility to see if they have some.  You might even be able to get them for free.  The big advantage to this type of material is that it can be very quick to erect and all one would have to do is finish it with stucco.  The tires could also be filled with sand creating a higher heat mass and better ballistic protection.

More Exotic Materials
There are variety of materials that one can use to construct a survival retreat when considering sustainability.  In a TEOTWAWKI environment there will be an abundance of materials that are no longer of use to the average person.  These materials can be scavenged and reused for the purposes of creating shelter.  For example, bottle structures have been constructed for quite a long time.  Not a very defensible material, but it does posses strong R-value.  Recycled 15″x15″ carpet tiles were use to create the walls of this survival retreat.  Discarded car windshields scavenged from a local landfill compose in a shingled manner form the roof of this community center.

Design Considerations
The arrangement of materials in a fashion that takes advantage of the natural laws of physics and the local environment is just as crucial as picking the correct materials.  By utilizing the surrounding context of the property the structure is placed on to the greatest effect you will reap many benefits.

Passive Solar Heating
Keeping warm in the winter is a life threatening challenge if there is no way to burn fuel for energy.  If there is fuel for burning it will most likely be in short supply.  One way to mitigate the amount of fuel used is to take advantage of passive solar heating.  Put simply, using the sun to generate heat and putting that heat where it needs to go. The most design way is to have as many south facing windows as possible that allow the sun in the winter to shine directly onto a thick slab floor and walls with high thermal masses.  In the summer, awnings should be placed to keep the sun from shining in through the windows.

Air Circulation
Utilizing natural air circulation to cool structures in the summer is crucial for survival as well.  The most common way to address this is by taking advantage of convection currents.  In short, heat rises,  so by allowing the heat to vent through a high point in the survival retreat allows it to escape.  But you must also allow for an air intake at a low portion of the survival retreat as well in order for cool air to be drawn in by the vacuum created from the escaping heat.  By orienting the air intakes in the direction where breezes commonly come from in the summer, air is forced into the structure causing more ventilation.

Going Underground
Building your survival retreat underground could be one of the best options if you have the time and money.  Digging big holes in the ground isn’t necessarily expensive in itself, but installing the proper system to prevent flooding in your retreat can get very costly.  However, going underground is the best way to ensure a consistent temperature in your structure.  At a point of 6′ below the surface of  the earth, temperatures stays constant at around 60°F.  Not to mention the fact that you have protection against hurricanes, tornadoes, nuclear fallout, and gunfire.

Take the High Ground
If you have land with a high point overlooking a large area of land, build there.  Throughout history forts, castles and defensive positions have always take advantage of building on the high ground for the simple reason that it is harder for an opposing force to attack uphill than it is downhill, and it is easier for a defending force to defend the high ground.  When faced with a potential threat, having the high ground could prove an invaluable advantage.

Conclusion
The purpose of this essay was to enlighten readers to building survival structures in the spirit of our ancestors.  They built with what they had and what did the most effective job.  Although there are many modern technologies that can augments these structures such as solar, wind power, and geothermal heat recycling, these are expensive technologies to add.  If the reader does not have sufficient funds for these technologies it is the hope of the writer that the materials and building techniques mentioned above will provide an edge of survivability in his or her endeavor to build a survival retreat.

Online Resources:

Firearms Penetration:
Box o’ Truth
FM 3-06.11
Yankee Prepper YouTube Clip on Rifle Terminal Ballistics

Rammed Earth and Adobe Construction:
DIY Rammed Earth
RammedEarthHomes.com
Rammed Earth Engineering
Adobe, pressed-earth, and rammed-earth industries in New Mexico

CEB Construction:
UDC Inc. CEB Page
Fernco CEB Machines
AECT Compressed Earth Block

Underground Homes:
Underground-homes.com
Undergroundhousing.com
Wikipedia’s Underground Living Page

Exotic/Alternative Materials:
Bottle Houses
The Rural Studio
Tire Bale Houses

Passive Solar Heating:
Passive-solar-design-manual
Wikipedia’s Passive Solar page
Solar Space Heating

Air Circulation:
Natural Ventilation

Shipping Container Architecture:
Zack Smith’s Shipping Container Architecture reference page
Wikipedia’s Shipping Container Architecture Page

The Basic Family Vehicle G.O.O.D. Kit, by Kirk S.

Many of the posts in this forum have discussed the vehicle Bug Out Bag (BOB), however it’s been my observation that most of them are not designed for a family.  As an example, many articles have discussed having a full change of clothes including shoes.  I can attest from my personal experience that packing a single change of clothes, including shoes, for a family of five takes a large duffle bag.  Fitting a large duffle bag inside the trunk of our vehicle along with our BOB would take up most of the room in our trunk.  Extra clothes are a part of our household Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) kit but not our BOB.  Below I’d like to offer my personal observations for creating a vehicle G.O.O.D. Kit for a family of five and the reasons why I chose those items. 

As the items that are needed in a BOB may change slightly by locality, I’d like to set the stage.  I live in Southern California but my family and I travel routinely.  We also live within fifty miles of a nuclear power plant.  Temperatures can range from 25 degrees in the winter to 125 in the summer where we travel.  As such, I’ve loaded my BOB keeping the basics in mind.  Shelter, water and food are my primary focus.  Other items can, and should, be added as weight and space permit. 

Shelter provides us a safe place from being exposed to the elements – hot, cold, windy, wet, etc.  Being exposed to extreme elements can kill people faster than not having food or water.  Children are even more susceptible.  That makes shelter a priority.  We have a total of six emergency solar type blankets in our BOB.  Three of them are the classic silver mylar style that are small enough to fit in a pant pocket.  The other three are the sturdier kind with a plastic backing as these are more durable and more resistant to tearing.  Remember that we’re preparing for as many different contingencies as possible.  Our emergency may only be a few hours such as a vehicle stuck in the snow or it may last weeks such as a societal breakdown, earthquake, or terrorist event where the only time you have is to load your family in a car and leave.  I’ve chosen six blankets, even though my family only has five members for several reasons: 1) if one blanket gets torn or destroyed, I have a backup; 2) if I have an extended family member over I can provide them some minimal protection; 3) they can provide shade in hot desert environments; and 4) it could be a good barter item.  These are small and light enough that I think it’s worth having an extra.

As a quick side note, I think it is important to be the first one out in an emergency with minimal supplies versus having a fully stocked emergency trailer but stuck in traffic with thousands of other people because you took extra time to get ready at home.  Having a tent and sleeping bags would be ideal but not if it may delay me to the point of keeping me in a danger zone.

To supplement my emergency blankets, I’ve added a heavy duty 12’x20’ tarp.  Using compression straps, this fits nicely on the outside of my backpack.  I chose brown for concealment reasons should I have to shelter in a non-urban environment.   Tarps can be used for a variety of reasons – makeshift tent, collecting rain or dew for water supplies,  privacy in a group setting, shade in the desert, etc. 

My last items to supplement for shelter are fire starters and tinder.  While technically not shelter, they do provide protection from the cold so I’ve added them as a shelter necessity.  They can be used for other purposes such as food preparation, water purification (directly through sterilization or providing charcoal), tool/weapon preparation, light, morale booster, etc.  I keep a set of storm-proof matches and a magnesium block for my fire starters.  I recommend saving the matches for times when the magnesium starter won’t work.  My own experiences with magnesium blocks and strikers is that they take patience and skill.  Practice now so that you are ready and know what to expect.  I have several sets of matches just in case I really need them but also for barter or charity.  Again, they are small and light enough that a second or third box of matches isn’t an issue in my pack.  I also keep a small box of commercial wax fire starters for tinder.  All of these are stored in a plastic Ziploc.  This helps organize my pack and also provides another level of protection from water.

After you’ve secured your shelter, the next most important thing is to acquire water.  It’s important to know where and how you can acquire water if away from your home and also how to purify it.  However, depending on your situation (having to move away from a threat, injured in a vehicle accident, etc), you may not have the time or ability to acquire water.  Water should always be included in your pack.  I use the Coast Guard approved emergency water packets that come in the 4 ounce size.  I use these for several reasons: 1) they have a 5 year shelf life; 2) they are pre-packaged in 4 ounce sizes so that they are easy to ration and use for cooking; 3) they are easy to disperse to other family members if you need to walk any distance.  Remember that water is relatively heavy – one gallon weighs eight pounds.  Redistributing that weight can be useful.; 4) I am comfortable bartering in 4 oz increments; and 5) the packaging is tough and unlikely to break as opposed to plastic water bottles that from my experience degrade and break down within two years.

I store my water in three separate containers – 1) clear plastic Nalgene bottle (wide-mouth); 2) metal water bottle; and 3) a dry sack (which holds the majority of my water.)  Again, I have multiple reasons for storing my water this way.  The most important is that if the water packages do break, I haven’t lost any water.  It’s still in a safe container and hopefully consumable.  Secondly, I can use the two water bottles as part of my purification process if I find water along the way.  There are multiple ways to purify water, which I won’t go into here.  However, some methods include UV sterilization using the sun (a clear Nalgene plastic bottle) and sterilization by boiling (the metal water container.)  The second benefit to the dry sack is that if I find a large source of potable water the dry sack is a secure way of transporting it. 

Remember, this pack is designed for a family of five.  If I use conventional wisdom, a family of five needs five gallons of water per day.  At eight pounds per gallon, that’s 40 pounds of water per day.  A three day supply would weigh 120 pounds.  And that’s just in water.  No other supplies.  This is a daunting task and not realistic for securing in a car or traveling on foot.  That being said, my packs contain 128 oz. of water.  Many references state that the bare bones basic water needs are 12 oz per day, which accounts for three water packets per person per day for two days.  Assuming I find zero water within two days, I at least have some in which to live.  This accounts for 10 pounds of weight between water and containers.

I also have iodine tablets for purifying water that I may find on my travels.  If money and space permits, I would also include a water purifier, which I don’t have yet.  My personal preference are purifiers that use ceramic filters as they usually don’t have an expiration date and their storage is unaffected by temperature.  Remember that I travel to places where the temp reaches a 125 externally.  Internal temps in a car can surpass 160 degrees which membrane filters (and many other items) have trouble dealing with and may break down.

The final must have in a basic family BOB is food.  The core of my food supply are the 3,600 calorie Datrex food rations.  I’ve chosen these for several reasons: 1) they have a five year life span; 2) a single 3,600 calorie packet takes a quarter of the space of two MREs and has more calories; 3) within the main packet, the rations are individually wrapped in smaller packets making them easier to ration; 4) the smaller individual packets make them easier to barter; 5) they have the basic food needs such as carbs, protein and fats in a balanced formula along with vitamins and minerals; 6) my family likes the taste – we get the coconut flavored ones but there are others; and 7) there’s no preparation necessary other than opening the package.  I can store five 3,600 calorie Datrex rations and only take up a moderate amount of space.

I supplement the Datrex rations with Mountain House food packages.  These do however take up a lot more space and require water for re-hydration.  While Datrex bars may keep you alive, there’s nothing like a hot tasty meal at the end of a very long day.  I’ve stored these strictly as a morale booster.  People can survive and endure a huge amount of stress if their morale is high.

All of the above items need a place to be stored and easily transported.  While some people use plastic tote bins, I’ve found it difficult to carry them anywhere but a short distance.  A decent quality backpack is my choice.  I’m currently using the CamelBak Motherlode and the 5.11 Rush 72.  I’ve found both of these to be decent quality and modular.  Using MOLLE attachments or regular straps, I can add additional items to the outside of my pack as needed. 

There are certainly more items in my packs than I’ve listed here.  Remember, this is a basic pack for a family of five.  Additional items should be added as space, weight and finances allow.  Some suggested additional items are cash (nothing larger than a $20 bill), knives, medical supplies, maps, pencil (no ink unless its indelible) and paper, gloves, sewing kit (to repair clothes and backpack or suture if critical), camp cook set, shovel, playing cards, etc.  

It’s important to manage weight.  My packs weigh approximately fifty pounds.  This is a lot of weight to carry for an entire day if we had to walk.  It’s also the upper limit to what my wife thinks she can carry.  It does my family no good to create a BOB if they can’t take it with them (especially if I’m not there to help them.)  Another consideration is the amount of space we can donate in our cars.  I also keep an empty regular school backpack in the truck with my main BOB.  This allows me to redistribute the weight and reduce the weight I carry or allow me to add additional items that I may find/barter while away from home.  The second backpack also allows the children to be help out and feel useful.

Finally, work with your family so that they know what’s in the BOB and how to use the items.  While my family isn’t into prepping as much as I am, they do support me in it.  My wife has tried on the pack to make sure she can carry it, the family has seen an inventory of what’s in the packs, the family has eaten all of the food stored, and most importantly my family understand the reasons why we have each and every item in our BOB and when they could be used.  I have received a fair amount of emergency management preparation and recovery training but my family has not.  It does my family no good if they don’t know what’s in the BOB or how to use what’s there.  And the fact is, an emergency may strike when we are not at home together. I feel much better knowing that if I’m away from my family and an emergency like an earthquake or terrorist attack strikes, then they have a much better chance of surviving.

Letter Re: Some Useful Dry Measure Figures

Jim:
How much bulk fits in a 5 gallon bucket or a #10 can? I did some research and assembled this helpful guide:

Food Item #10 Can 5 Gallon Bucket
Wheat 5 pounds 37 pounds
White Flour 4.5 pounds 33 pounds
Cornmeal 4.3 pounds 33 pounds
Popping Corn 5 pounds 37 pounds
Rolled Oats 2.5 pounds 20 pounds
White Rice 5.3 pounds 36 pounds
Spaghetti 3.9 pounds 30 pounds
Macaroni 3.1 pounds 21 pounds
Dried Beans 5.6 pounds 35 pounds
Lima Beans 5.4 pounds 35 pounds
Soy Beans 5 pounds 33 pounds
Split Peas 5 pounds 33 pounds
Lentils 5.5 pounds 35 pounds
White Sugar 5.7 pounds 35 pounds
Brown Sugar 4.42 pounds 33 pounds
Powdered Milk 3 pounds 29 pounds
Powdered Eggs 2.6 pounds 20 pounds

Regards, – K.A.F.

JWR Replies: Thanks! That is a good table for folks to print out and add to their reference binders.

Letter Re: Minimizing Magazine Confusion

Mr. Rawles:

I think your readers may benefit from a recent experience of mine at the range. I was shooting several rifles and some friends were also shooting theirs. We noticed how similar (but not interchangeable)  many of the magazines were. In a stressful critical situation it would be very easy to try [inserting] a Mini-14 magazine in a M4gery or [inserting] a FN/FAL magazine in an M1A. Obviously it is best to keep them widely separated but if unfamiliar or under-trained persons were handling them, it could be a disaster.

Our solution was to purchase a color assortment of electrician’s tape and assign a different color to a type of rifle with it’s corresponding magazines. We placed a band of tape several times around the body of the magazine at the end away from the feed mouth. We also placed a color band around the wrist of each gun stock with the color matching the magazine color just in case someone who was not as familiar or nervous in a critical situation from putting the wrong magazine in a rifle rendering it useless. Some recently purchased synthetic mags proved very difficult at a glance to determine which rifle they belonged with.

I think the same problem may arise with handguns as well and I intend to do the same coding system with them. One will have to be careful not to get the tape where it will interfere with seating the magazine into the pistol. I would be interested if anyone has found another solution. Thanks for your blog. – Marty, a Montana Prepper

JWR Replies: Similarly, the base plates on pistol magazines and the adjoining area on pistol grips can be painted various colors.

Of even more importance is not co-mingling 20 and 12 gauge shotguns! If you own any 20 gauge shotguns, I recommend that you set aside those guns and all your 20 gauge shells for “hunting and target shooting only”. Keep them locked away in a vault, if and when times ever get inimical. Leave out only your 12 gauge guns and 12 gauge shells. This will greatly reduce the risk of the dreaded 12-20 burst. Yes, for many years 20-gauge shells have been made made only in yellow, but in the excitement of a defensive shooting situation–especially in low light–mistakes can happen. (For those not familiar with the phenomenon 20 gauge shell will often go part way down the barrel of a 12 gauge shotgun. If a 12 gauge shell is then chambered behind it and fired, then “ka-blam!”)

Letter Re: Sailboats as Alternative Bugout Vehicles

Dear James:
I found the question on using a sailboat as a bug out vehicle interesting, because I have been considering the same thing.

However, there are some major things to consider.

Piracy:
• There are a few spots known for piracy today, but in reality there are many others where fishermen are not above piracy of opportunity, i.e. they are like my Viking ancestors: trade where the target is strong, raid where the target is weak.
• Western style sailboats are magnets for pirates. They reek of wealth and comfort that the locals don’t have. Plus, they stand out from the local boats, being very noticeable. • On the other hand, any major emergency that will collapse our economy will most likely be worldwide, hence after a few months, the locals will have to ditch their motor boats for sail, as they most likely won’t have fuel either.

Design and Maintenance:
• Modern western style sailboats usually are fairly high tech. Even the mechanical systems such as winches and rigging require special tools for proper maintenance. If parts go bad, one often needs access to parts and materials that most likely won’t be available. Failure of one part can lead to a whole system being rendered unusable.
• Most modern western sailboats are built with deep fin keels because such make for faster boats. However, that limits sailing to deep waters. Many times places to anchor out and/or hiding holes along a coast will be shallow, where deep keels prevent access.
• Most modern western sailboats have deep, heavy, fin keels, which means that any maintenance or repairs that require access to underwater parts of the boat, will require specialized places to haul out as such repairs can not be done on a beach by beaching the boat.
• Despite what the fancy brochures state, most modern western sailboats are not designed as all weather, world-voyaging "blue water" boats: they are designed as fair weather, coastal boats. They are designed with the expectation that the owner/sailors on them will have access to weather faxes and other warnings to avoid storms, rather than designed to sail through them. Further, it is expected that most of the people who sail them do so during the summer, when the weather tends to be the best, when ocean crossing voyages can be made without encountering storms.
• Most modern western sailboats are poorly designed for anything other than personal comfort with some storage. One is often lucky to find one with room for a dinghy on its deck, let alone any other activity. Below decks has no room for storage of any trade goods, should an emergency last long enough that long term living on a boat would be considered.

When would a boat be useful?
• If you already have one, they could go up the coast when roads are impassible, or blocked by martial law.
• As an escape from the country to go to a nearby, friendly country
• As a temporary hideout, anchored out having a natural moat, best done where one can anchor away from cities and out of sight.

Final comments: I, too, have thought about using a sailboat as a bug-out vehicle, and taking all the above into consideration, have concluded that none of the boats I have seen on the market would suffice. So I have made a design that I think I could get in the water within two weeks from start of construction, assuming electricity is around to run power tools and I have access to parts. I cannot start building yet, because I will be transferred in a few months, and I am taking the gamble that the situation won’t deteriorate that badly before that time.

Reasons for designing and building my own boat:
• Seaworthiness. Needs to be able to go out in all but the worst conditions as weather warning systems cannot be counted on. • Shallow draft. So can go into out of the way places and/or be beached for maintenance and/or repair.
• Light weight. No deep heavy keel that limits what can be done.
• Nondescript in appearance. It will look like the work boat that it is, not like a luxury yacht. As such, local bad guys are less likely to target it.
• Even where the design is sophisticated (I’ve had to write computer programs for parts of the design), construction can be done with hand tools and most repairs can be done while sailing. There are no parts on it that I cannot build myself.
• Sufficient storage space for tools, supplies and even some trade goods. There will be more space available for such storage than living space, even on a fairly small boat.

Final comments in my favor—I have the (dis)advantage of being single, I have lived overseas and speak a few languages so I can usually melt into the local populations. I have a variety of tools, including a lightweight lathe/milling machine, sail makers sewing machine (better than most for almost all other sewing as well) and the skills to use them. I have done construction, from the laying the foundation to roofing, and almost everything between including furniture. So even if I lose everything, I still have something to trade. And with a boat I have a floating factory, cargo carrier, house and hide away.

Would a sailboat be a good bug out vehicle? Think it carefully through, it may or may not fill the bill. – Richard O.

Economics and Investing:

Commentary by Robert Samuelson at Real Clear Markets: Europe’s Debt Crisis Trumps Japan Tragedy

Iowa farmland values shoot up 25% in one year. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

Reader Greg C. flagged this: New Home Sales Dive to Record Low. (Slowest sales rate in nearly 50 years!

LFG suggested this commentary by Ted Butler: Silver Review and Outlook. Ted and I both prefer silver over gold.

Items from The Economatrix:

End Game  

Surviving A Societal Breakdown 

Investors Flock To Japanese Stocks After Quake  

Gold Just 1% Of Record Nominal High Of $1,444/Oz – Risk Of Dollar Crisis Increases By Day  

$36 Silver–The Banksters Waterloo?  

Odds ‘n Sods:

Sprouts: An ideal emergency preparedness food. (Thanks to G.P. for the link.)

   o o o

More about the politically-motivated attacks on Dr. Arthur Robinson’s family: “Lysenkoism” at OSU?

   o o o

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) recommended this piece: Bad*ss of the Week: Hideaki Akaiwa. (Warning: This article includes some foul language)

   o o o

Jonathan sent a link to this map: 10-Mile and 50-Mile Nuclear Evacuation Zones. (Compare that map with the data in my Recommended Retreat Areas static page, and the maps in my book “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation”.)

   o o o

This must have quite a story behind it: WWII machine gun found in Lithuanian mail. (BTW, there are still countless thousands of unregistered WWII guns tucked away in private homes, all over Europe.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I don’t subscribe to coincidence, Corporal. I believe that, no matter how random things might appear, there’s still a plan.” – Liam Neeson as Col. Hannibal Smith, The A-Team. (Screenplay by Joe Carnahan, Brian Bloom and Skip Woods)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 33 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 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), 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 33 ends on March 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.