Useful Tidbits on Radiation and Journalists–The Season of Isotopes and Misanthropes

Many readers have been sending me questions about radiation. One, from a reader in Los Angeles asked: “Mr. Rawles, Should I sleep in my basement for the next few weeks?”

Please don’t over-react, folks. I must state, forthrightly:

1.) The gamma emitters at the Fukushima reactors (and more importantly, their spent fuel ponds) are a long, long way from America.

2.) In my opinion, the only significant risk to health here in CONUS is possibly a chance that a bit of radioactive dust (with isotopes like Strontium-90 or Iodine-131) could end up deposited on pasture grasses and then subsequently become concentrated in cow or goat milk. (Remember what I posted the day after the first news report about the Fukushima reactors–about keeping powdered milk on hand? Stock up.)

3.) It won’t hurt to spend a little extra time washing fresh fruits and vegetables.

FWIW, I was stationed TDY in Stuttgart, Germany and was working a live intelligence mission with the 2d M.I. Battalion (AE) in the Spring of 1986. So I was down-wind when Chernobyl melted down. Been there, done that, got the isotopes. But I still ate a lot of white spargel, after Chernobyl. Coincidentally, we were bombing that same misanthropic dictator in Libya, then too. (Operation El Dorado Canyon.) History doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes. So I think of early springtime as the season of Isotopes and Misanthropes.

Radiation, By The Numbers

Here are some useful numbers to file away in your Key References binder:

First, for those not familiar with the term Gray–the standard unit of measurement for radiation, and Sievert (“Sv”–the now standard unit for an absorbed dose) that replaced REM (Roentgen Equivalent, Man), and RAD (Radiation Absorbed Dose). The metric SI system makes a lot of sense, but some of us are still wet-wired for the Old School units of measurement. So for us Blast From The Past era dinosaurs who still think in Roentgens, conversion from Grays to RADs are as follows:

1 Gy equals 100 rad

1 mGy equals 100 mrad

1 Sv equals 100 rem

1 mSv equals 100 mrem

 

And here is how Sievert numbers relate to REMs (found at Wikipedia):

1 Sv (Sievert) = 100 rem

1 mSv = 100 mrem = 0.1 rem

1 ?Sv = 0.1 mrem

1 rem = 0.01 Sv = 10 mSv

1 mrem = 0.00001 Sv = 0.01 mSv = 10 ?Sv

Now what does the foregoing really mean, in terms of human health? That is best visualized with a good summary chart, posted over at Next Big Future. Please take the time to look at that chart, and ponder it.

To Journalists, All Math is Fuzzy Math

I must warn you, folks; beware when watching news reports in the mainstream media that mention anything related to radiation. Keep in mind that most of these people are hired because they look handsome (or pneumatic) and have pleasant speaking voices, not for their technical knowledge.

Remember that in general journalists:

  • Are typically mentally challenged when it comes to any sense of scale, (like 10x and 100x multiples). They find logarithmic scales particularly daunting.
  • Are clueless when it comes to decay rates.
  • Have little understanding of fallout deposition rates versus distance.
  • Have no concept of distance and the inverse square law.
  • Don’t understand the difference between alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. For instance, I once had a reporter ask me about “Tyvek gamma ray protective suits”. (No, I’m not making this up.)
  • Have no sense of proportion when it comes to a momentary dose of radiation versus cumulative doses. (Back during the First Gulf War, I spent some time repeatedly trying to explain the difference between a dosimeter and a ratemeter, to a reporter. She kept saying: “But they look the same.” Then I had her look through each type pen, and she she exclaimed, “Oh, I see, they have different thingies, inside!”)
  • Only vaguely “get it” when you try to explain concepts like inhaled dust versus isotopes deposited in thyroid glands, via the food chain. (And subsequent food or drink ingestion.)

Pat’s Product Review: Smith & Wesson Model 329 Night Guard Revolver

Make no mistake, I really like .44 caliber handguns, and in particular, .44 Magnum handguns. I still remember getting my first .44 Magnum handgun, back in 1974. Like many guys, I loved the Dirty Harry movie series, with Clint Eastwood. So my first .44 Magnum was a S&W Model 29, with a 6.5″ Barrel. I can still recall the first cylinder of ammo I fired on the gun shops indoor range – my hand stung! Before reloading another 6 rounds, I noticed that the grips on the Model 29 had cracked – on both sides – from the recoil. Luckily, the gun shop stocked grips and I was back in business. I actually carried that S&W Model 29, in a shoulder holster, like Dirty harry Callahan did, when I was working as a Private Investigator, back in Chicago, Illinois.

Over the years, I’ve owned more than my share of S&W .44 Magnums in one guise or another. However, one that really caught my attention is the Model 329 Night Guard.  

I was impressed with the Model 329 Night Guard for several reasons. One is that the gun is only 29.3 oz total weight, the other is, the barrel is only 2.5″ – we’re talking small and light-weight – for a handgun meant to handle the .44 Magnum round. I requested a sample from Paul Pluff at S&W, and in no time at all, it was in my hands. The darn Night Guard felt like it was gonna float out of my hands in was so lightweight – I kid you not. The Night Guard comes on the S&W “N” frame – this is a large framed gun, to be sure. It still holds 6-rounds of either .44 Magnum or .44 Special ammo, so you’re not giving up anything there in the way of fire power. The frame is made out of a Scandium alloy, and the cylinder is stainless steel – and the entire gun is finished in a nonsense matte black color. S&W intelligently added the XS night sight – that is tritium for night work – it’s a big sight and easy to pick-up in the Cylinder & Slide u-shaped rear sight. This set-up is extremely fast to pick-up, believe me.

Thick rubber grips come standard on the Night Guard, and when I touched off the first round, I sincerely appreciated the thick rubber grips.   Ok, my Dirty Harry days are over – you won’t catch me carrying a full-sized all-steel .44 Magnum on a daily basis, while going about my routine. However, I think the S&W 329 Night Guard has a real niche in the scheme of things. If you live out in the boonies, or make it a habit of being out in the woods on a regular basis, or as a hunter, the Night Guard really shines. When loaded with .44 Magnum ammo, the Night Guard can handle just about anything you might run into – including elk, black bear and moose. I wouldn’t knowingly go looking for big Alaskan Kodiak bears, but I believe the Night Guard would sure discourage ’em if they came after me.  

If you live in the city, and your state allows concealed carry, I think the Night Guard deserves a close look. I don’t advocate carrying the Night Guard loaded with full-power .44 Magnum for self-defense. Full-powered .44 Magnum loads might over-penetrate a human body, and you might hit an innocent bystander or loved one if your round penetrates the human body. My long-time friend, and fellow gun writer, John Taffin, has forgotten more about .44 caliber handguns than I’ll ever know – he literally wrote the book on .44s and I trust anything he tells me when it comes to .44s. John strongly recommends carrying .44 Special rounds for self-defense, when carrying a .44 – and we’re talking about self-defense against a two-legged critter. And, full-powered .44 Special rounds are fully capable of taking small and medium-sized game as well. One of the nice things about a .44 Magnum is, you can load the rounds up or down, in power, according to your needs. Or, you can shop around and find just the right powered load in a factory round, that can handle just about anything you might run into.  

Okay, so how did the Night Guard fair in my testing? Well, to be honest, I was more than a little apprehensive before I touched off that first round in the Night Guard. I had a variety of .44 Magnum ammo to test, including 240-gr JHP rounds from Black Hills Ammunition (www.black-hills.com) and 240-gr SP rounds from Winchester (www.winchester.com) and some .44 Special round from Buffalo Bore Ammunition (www.buffalobre.come) in the guise of their full-powered 180-gr JHP load. Black Hills Ammunition also provided some of their .44 Special 210-gr flat point lead “Cowboy loads” for testing. Now, John Taffin tells me that, you shouldn’t shoot anything more than around a 240-gr full-powered load through these lightweight Scandium framed guns, and when experts talk, I listen. I had some 300-gr JHP rounds from Black Hills, and a variety of +P and “heavy” .44 Magnum loads from Buffalo Bore, but as advised, I didn’t test any of these rounds in the Night Guard.

One thing you have to take care with, in light-weight framed big bore revolvers is, “bullet jump”. That happens under the recoil of these light revolvers – the bullet can possibly jump forward from the case and tie-up your revolver, and it’s not a quick or easy fix. If you reload your own ammo, and you want to shoot it in light-weight revolvers, you want to put a heavy crimp on the round, so the bullet stays in place under the heavy recoil.   The target was set-up at 25-yards, which is about as far as you’re gonna want to shoot this snub-nose Night Guard. Once I touched off that first round, it got my attention, no doubt about it. One saving grace on the Night Guard are the extra-thick rubber grips, that really help absorb the recoil under full-powered .44 Magnum loads. I’m not (too) ashamed to say, that at 25-yards, all my shots didn’t hit the target. I caught myself flinching several times because I thought the recoil was actually going to be worst than it was. To be honest, the recoil wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be – but it did get my attention. After a couple cylinders full through the gun, I was hitting the target 6 times out of 6 times, and most groups where around 4-inches – give or take – if I did my part.

The Winchester white box .44 Magnum loads are a little lighter loaded than most .44 Magnum loads, and I don’t have a problem with that – they were the lightest recoiling .44 Magnum rounds tested.   I fired the Buffalo Bore and Black Hills Ammunition .44 Special loads next. The Buffalo Bore .44 Special loads are full-powered loads, and they were a bit hotter than I thought they would be. The Black Hills .44 Special Cowboy loads were sedate, cruising along at about 700 feet per second – they were a real pleasure to shoot, and I could shoot them all day long. Then again, they aren’t meant to be a man stopper – they are cowboy action shooting competitions and just fun plinking.   The S&W 329 Night Guard isn’t for everyone. I found the thick rubber grips were at the far end of my reach for double-action shooting. I don’t have overly large hands, just “average” sized. If the grips were any thicker, I wouldn’t have been able to fire the gun double-action – so if you have small hands, or if you’re a woman, I don’t think the rubber grips that come on the Night Guard will work. Then again, you can replace the grips with some thinner “Combat” wood grips – however, that will increase the felt recoil substantially. S&W sent me one of their leather belt slide holsters along with the Night Guard, and I packed the Night Guard on a regular basis for several weeks, and didn’t even know it was on my hip. I carry concealed on a daily basis, so I’m used to packing something on my hip. I loaded the Night Guard with the Buffalo Bore 180-gr JHP load for serious self-defense work against two-legged critters. However, if I were out hiking in the mountains – the gun would be loaded with either the Buffalo Bore, Black Hills or Winchester 240-gr loads for defense against 4-legged critters.  

I would have no problem carrying the Night Guard with full-powered .44 Magnum loads, as a back-up to whatever rifle I might be carrying while out hunting big-game during hunting season. The Night Guard would make an excellent back-up gun to any sort of “battle rifle” as well. If you love the .44 Magnum like I do, then the Night Guard deserves a close look. I used to think, that if I were limited to owning only one handgun (heaven forbid!) then it would be some sort of .357 Magnum revolver. However, the older I get, the more I’d be likely grab a .44 Magnum revolver of some kind, and have it loaded with .44 Special loads for “social” work, and .44 Magnum loads for wilderness tasks.  

The 329 Night Guard isn’t for everyone, it will take some dedicated practice to get your rounds on-target. And, I found myself quitting after firing a 50-rd box of ammo for the day. I would catch myself flinching as I approached the end of a box of ammo – that is, .44 Magnum ammo. And, if you have smallish hands, the grips that come with the gun simply aren’t gonna fit your hand properly. Make no mistake, the gun really does recoil with full-powered .44 Magnum loads, and if you are recoil sensitive, this gun isn’t for you – unless you load it with .44 Special rounds – that really helped tame the recoil. Retail price on the Night Guard is $1,049 – then again, quality doesn’t come cheap – and the Night Guard is high-quality in my book. If you’re looking for something a bit “different” for self-defense, survival or back-up to your big game rifle, then take a look at the 329 Night Guard. I just find it hard not to like a good ol’ .44 Magnum revolver for many types of “chores.”

Two Letters Re: Sailboats as Alternative Bugout Vehicles

Dear Jim,
One huge disadvantage of sailboats is that one must comply with the firearm/weapon laws of every port one plans to visit.  This means in most cases, nothing larger than a pocketknife, and not even flare guns in some jurisdictions. 

I would be uncomfortable with this in peacetime.  In a SHTF scenario with no coast guards to interdict pirates/smugglers/desperate refugees, I’d consider it suicide.

The alternative is to carry credible weapons in violation of local laws.  This is a poor survival tactic.  If you are entering, or arriving from, a nation in distress, expect that your boat will be searched.

Also consider that harbors are somewhat limited and very predictable.  There are no terrain features to hide behind at sea.  Offshore anchorages can be limited and distant.  Hijackers have only to wait for your arrival, effectively leaving you besieged at sea, unless you have fuel/food to get to another port without similar problems.

Boats require ongoing expensive maintenance even when not in use, more so than dry land and a sealed retreat do.

The time to use a boat to bugout would be during a predictable slow crash, before things bottomed out, and only to avoid things like airports, aircraft damaged by EMP, etc, or restrictive police and border guards.  A boat might offer some less monitored options for escape from such a nation. – Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large)

 

Mr. Rawles,
I would like to point out a few potential negatives that must be considered when looking to bug-out in a sailboat (or any other marine vehicle) that I think were overlooked in the article posted by StudioMan. On the surface it seems like a good idea but I think there are also some major problems with the idea, similar in scale to bugging out in an RV on the land I think, something you yourself advised against doing if I recall. 

1. Spare parts/repairs/maintenance. Just like any other vehicle boats will need ongoing and regular maintenance in order to be seaworthy, though potentially less than a trawler or other motorized boat. The average sailboat’s hull is made of fiberglass these days (not simple to repair in the case of damage) and the sails and rigging are no longer made of natural materials as they were hundreds of years ago. In order to just maintain this gear, never mind repair or replace it, scavenging would be required in the event of a catastrophic collapse of society, and at a minimum expensive trade would be required in a soft crash. If the owner of the boat doesn’t have the skills himself to affect the repairs it would make things even more costly or simply impossible and could potentially leave them stranded or worse in a place not of their choosing.

2. Fuel. potentially a minor issue if the owner actually sails the sailboat most of the time, but there will be times when sailing is not the best option and getting underway with power might be more advisable. Engines need fuel, fuel will be expensive or difficult to acquire without exposing oneself to danger on shore.

3. Defense. Yes pirates are, today, restricted to areas of the world easily avoidable by just paying attention to maritime news sources. After a collapse though anyone living by the shore with a boat is a potential pirate, everywhere. The sailboat owner may be able to efficiently travel the globe with little to no fuel use but that is at a very slow pace, the bad guys just need to have enough fuel to shoot out to the sailboat, take what they want, and get back to shore. Today’s Somali pirates successfully ply the waters ranging out to hundreds of miles from shore without any high tech gear, unless the owner keeps to the deep ocean chances are someone will find them at some point, and sailboats do not have the speed to get away. Sailboats in most cases also do not have the capacity to house a sizable crew in order to help repel boarders.

4. One will have to land sometime and local intel will be lacking.  For repairs, resupply, scavenging etc eventually one will have to make landfall. Because the sailboat crew is mobile on the boat all landfall will be into what must be treated as hostile territory. Intel will be old at best, nonexistent at worst on the areas where they are forced to stop and will put the crew at risk. Things may look fine but there is no way of knowing that perhaps thirty miles inland a nuclear reactor’s spent fuel rod pool might have burned off a year ago, or the river’s mouth they are currently navigating in might have four or five sewage treatment plants that, due to not being in operation or manned, have been leaking filthy runoff from rain flooded facilities directly into the river for a long time. In the case of a full blown TEOTWAWKI event I myself would do my best to stay away from any major river or bay myself due to the potential of it being polluted from any number of potentially deadly sources.

5. Potentially the most important point for me: simple survival is a short term goal, long term ‘healthy’ goals should not include perpetual solitude (saying safe out in the deep ocean) or limiting social interactions and responsibilities.  Yes, obviously if I was on Long Island in New York and a catastrophic event occurred I would use a boat with my family without much thought as opposed to trying to navigate by land through New York City and the outlying masses of humanity. But I would then simply head to wherever is the next step on my bug-out plan, ditch/hide the boat and be off towards safer areas inland. Outside of an initial survival tool I think the boat would act as a limiter and as a divisive object as far as the goal of finding others and creating a positive social circle. In order for a healthy rebuilding of people’s mental states as well as the state of society children and adults alike will need to learn how to deal with real world problems not how to just run away from them perpetually. Learning this on a well controlled and properly vetted retreat with like minded people would make that goal a bit easier.

Thank you for your time,  – I.B.

Letter Re: An Approach to Medical Supply Storage

Mr. Rawles,
I thought you might want to mention a product with your readers. I must admit that I am kind of a gear head and am constantly trying  to come up with better ways to organize and store my preparedness supplies. The one storage issue that I have always been indecisive about was how I wanted to store my medical/trauma/surgical supplies. There are lots of great professional bags and military medical cases out there, however their cost just didn’t seem reasonable to me or my budget.  One day while checking out the latest and greatest tools in my local home improvement store I came across what I feel to be a great, economical solution. The Stanley “FatMax” 28-Inch Toolbox. A “Eureka” moment!

Although the idea is not new and I have kicked around the idea of using tool boxes in the past, none really seemed to fit the bill. This tool box is constructed of what seems to be a heavy plastic polymer, is large, deep and has a handy tray which spans only half the storage space allowing the placement of large bottles of alcohol, betadine, wound irrigation solutions etc on the open side. There is enough clearance under the tray for 4×4 pad boxes etc. I will use the handy tray for surgical instruments, syringes, etc.

Although these boxes may be a little large and heavy for a bug out by foot, they would be very manageable for a bug in, vehicle/wheeled bug out or pre-established retreat. In fact, I am getting a second to add the remainder of my supplies. Some great features of these boxes are that they have a tough integrated waterproof seal, heavy duty lockable metal latches (for those with children), comfortable rubberized handle are stack-able and extremely heavy duty. The latches area a bit stiff due to the tight waterproof seal (watch your fingers) however I believe they will become smoother over time. (Be aware when under noise discipline because they due tend to make a significant snap if not latched slowly)

These tool boxes are manufactured in the USA. Mine retailed for only $37.07 including tax which to me is an acceptable cost considering the value of the contents within. I will add identification medical stickers to the boxes and also hang tags from the handles with content expiration dates so I can easily rotate the contents as need be. Keep the fire burning. – Big Mike

Letter Re: Comments on OC Pepper Spray

Mr. Rawles,
Your books are truly eye openers. Thanks for your work in the preparedness field.

Regarding your recommendation of getting OC with at least a 12% concentration, as an OC instructor, I recommend that buyers ask: “12% of what?” A 12% concentration of a 250,000 Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) spray may prove ineffective. The true test of an OC spray is the SHU rating. I recommend a minimum 2,000,000 SHUs. The concentration only affects recovery time.

The 5% is great for training. You should recover in 15-20 minutes. Anything over 10% is great for application to the faces of bad guys. It takes as long as 45 minutes to recover. Just my two cents. Thanks again for the lessons that SurvivalBlog provides. – Brian M.

Economics and Investing:

New at The Daily Bell: Bill Bonner on the Failing US Bond Market, the Coming Hyperinflation and the End of the Dollar Reserve System

Mike H. spotted this: Russia: quake boosts used car prices

Items from The Economatrix:

Strong Economic Data Points to More Hiring  

Stronger Economic Reports Help Stocks Rebound  

Geithner Worries Japan Will Dump Treasuries to Raise Cash 

Unemployment Rises In Nearly All Metro Areas  

The World’s Best Gold Experts:  “Buy And Hold” 

Inflation Watch:

Reader Bryan E. reports: Wholesale prices rise 1.6% due to biggest jump in food costs in over 36 years.

Reader Greg C. notes: “I live in the Tampa Bay area in Florida.  Today I went to a fast food restaurant to grab a quick lunch and noticed a sign saying they would only put tomatoes on your sandwich if requested.  Curious, I inquired about it and they said that a case of tomatoes went from $20 to $50 due to the freeze in Mexico.  That got me to thinking.  If even low levels of fallout hit the farms from Japan, how much more will produce prices increase?  Thankfully I live in an area with nearly year round growing and my garden is doing well including my tomato plants.”

Patrick S. sent this: The Fed Chairman says there’s no inflation. Patrick’s comment: “He is lying through his teeth”

J.D.D. sent this: Global food prices pushed by three-factor engine. This article was reposted at the National Inflation Association (NIA) web site, and the NIA editors added the following: “This article just came out about three factors driving food prices higher, yet they forget to mention all of the monetary inflation being created not just by the Federal Reserve, but by all central banks around the world. It is because of this monetary inflation that even once agriculture inventories build, Americans shouldn’t expect to see much of a decline in agricultural commodity prices. Also remember that if the BLS reports 4% food inflation, it means we really have food inflation of approximately 10%.”  

US Cost of Living Hits Record, Passing Pre-Crisis High

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yet another member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns civilian disarmament cabal is now facing trial: Monticello mayor indicted. He is accused of selling fake Nike shoes, Timberland boots, counterfeit music, and pirated movies. (Well, at least it wasn’t something more serious such as bribery, misappropriation of campaign funds, corruption, extortion, mail fraud, wife beating, influence peddling, felony theft, child pornography, attempted child sexual assault, child enticement, conspiracy, money laundering, perjury, assault, fabricating evidence, and filing false tax returns–like the others. Yes, these are the sort of people in Mayor Bloomberg’s “crime fighting” group.)

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A reminder for audio book listeners, until March 22nd, Audible.com has my best-selling non-fiction book “How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It” on sale for just $4.95 (for Audible members, otherwise $7.49). It is normally priced at $13.99, so get your copy before the sale ends!

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Add this to Utah’s list of state symbols: an official firearm The John Moses Browning-designed M1911, of course. By the way, when are they going to make John Moses Browning’s birthday a holiday? (Thanks to David L. for the link.)

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K.A.F. mentioned: Deal Reached to Lift Wolf Protections in Two States.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The history of government management of money has, except for a few short happy periods, been one of incessant fraud and deception." – Friedrich Hayek

Note from JWR:

Today we present another three entries for Round 33 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. as well as a guest article by an old friend. 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.

Sailboats as Alternative Bugout Vehicles, by StudioMan

As we have all seen, the last few months has seen its share of really large natural disasters, on all of our major continents. Thru the Internet I was able to watch the hurricane that hit Australia via the numerous surf cameras available along the coast. It was amazing to see them drop out one at a time, while some of them that were on the edge of the storm never went down. A few of the web cams were attached to buildings overlooking breakwaters, or in marinas where you could see the sailboats and yachts being tossed around by the wind.    

That led me to the thought of a Sailboat as a bugout vehicle. A group of us gets together every couple of years and charters a couple of sailboats in the San Juan islands for a week at a time. You get all the joys of boat ownership and someone else gets to clean the boat when you are done.  Living on board a boat for any length of time gives you a great appreciation of the work sailboat designers have done to make living aboard easy. In addition, there is a group of people that are known as “cruisers” who have left the land for a life at sea. Some of them cruise around the world, following the summer around the globe, and some overwinter in nicer spots, either way they are not tied down to anything, and often will sail until they are broke, and then work in the port they stop in until they can get the larder restocked for their next journey.    

A good introduction to this lifestyle can be found by reading “Cruising in Seraffyn”, by Lin and Larry Pardey. Larry built his sailboat Seraffyn by himself and he and Lin set off for the world. no motor, no electricity, just some food, charts and compass, a sextant, chronometer, kerosene lamp and some supplies.    

A sailboat is basically a recreational vehicle (RV) for the water. It provides everything you need to live :shelter, transportation, power, safety, and security. Lets look at some of these a little closer:  

Shelter- by their very nature a sailboat is designed to keep you warm (or cool) and dry in any kind of weather, the cabins are designed, depending on the length of the vessel to sit 6 to 8 comfortably, and can provide 2 or 3 separate staterooms. Depending on where you are sailing you can pump your waste directly off the boat into the water, there is no need to pump it out, and if the Schumer hits, no one is going to worry about where you are dumping your holding tank. you can find coal or wood burning marine heaters, and also heaters that use diesel or kerosene. there are DC powered microwaves, and ammonia fridges that run on almost nothing, keeping your food cold and fresh.  

Power :  Most sailboats more than 30 feet long have a 3 or 4 cylinder diesel motor and either an auxiliary genset, or the ability to switch battery banks so different banks are charged by the engine’s alternator.  There are many boats set up with solar panels, and many boats use wind generators, or they will use a tow behind generator. I know of several cruisers who have not plugged into grid power for two years or more.

The small diesel engines in sailboats literally “sip ” fuel and so it lasts avery long time. depending on the operating curve I have used less than a quart an hour getting where I wanted to go. The sailboat’s systems are set up very efficiently and run completely on DC power. LED technology has brought about a great revolution in marine lighting, reducing power needs 60 to 80% for lighting.  Most boats have fairly sophisticated electrical monitoring systems so at the touch of a button you can see all the parameters the you need to know about on a continual basis. Most vessels also have Marine Band radios, GPS and electronic charts, and other forms of navigation and communication equipment. A chart, sextant, very accurate clock and compass are still necessary in case of a complete power down situation, and all sailors should be competent in their use.    

Transportation, safety and security: if you are a confident and proficient sailor and navigator, you can take your boat anywhere in the world. There have been times when sitting in the cockpit of our sailboat, anchored in some cove 200 miles from civilization, I realized that I had found safety. My biggest concern was whether or not I would get eaten by a bear if I went ashore. Depending upon where you are, you can find plenty of sea life to eat, a simple crab pot will in the right spot will net protein for a week, and a quick trip to shore will usually get you potable or semi potable water. On top of that there are many many top of the line reverse osmosis watermakers–both hand pump and electric–that can make gallons of water daily.  Excel Water Systems  makes excellent systems that can be adapted easily for use anywhere in the world. There are much smaller systems available than what they make but the are a world class operation and a lot of information can be found at their web site.    

There have been times when because of the wind and the weather, I have sailed and dropped anchor and not fired up the motor for days. And when I did use the diesel it was for convenience, not necessity. The Pardeys (mentioned above)  went around the world in their little boat without a motor or electricity. As far as security goes, I don’t think there will be a worry of zombies finding you when you are 50 miles offshore sailing to parts unknown, safe in your boat away from danger. I won’t discuss piracy here as most knowledgeable cruisers keep abreast of news that will allow them to skirt countries where piracy is rampant. (Somalia is an example. If you are worried about being seen, in a disaster situation sailing at night without lights could be done in relative safely, and with ease. All you need are a good set of charts, a compass and a tide table. it is easy to black out a vessel, and run on sail power alone.    

I am certain I have not exhausted all of the advantages of bugging out on a sailboat. Please chime in here if there is something I missed.

The Will to Survive, by Chris H.

The “will to survive” is the most important survival tool you will ever have. It is more important than a year supply of food, a Swiss Army knife, or a Bic lighter. What good would a lighter be if you have no desire to make a fire? How can a signal fire result in a rescue if you have lost all hope that it will and don’t bother building one? How can your next meal keep you alive if you are unwilling to go and find it? The most common factor identified in stories of extreme survival situations is the person had “the will to survive”. Peeling back the layers of their stories you will usually find that after the improvise tools they made, the tricks they used to find water, or the blessings bestowed upon them by the gods, they will always end by attributing their survival to their own will to survive. They never gave up!    

This “will to survive” is a mental state. A conscience decision. A commitment to yourself and others that you absolutely refuse to give up trying to survive, to the last breath, no matter what. It is a psychological game you must play within yourself in a survival situation. You must be in a constant state of positive thinking, confident in your abilities, always ready to solve problems, and forever holding on to hope. Thoughts of how bad an injury hurts, how far you must travel, or how long it’s been since you last ate, could be all it takes to mentally wear you down to the point of giving up. Once you give up, death is sure to follow. Never give up!

The will to survive can come from many things. It can come from a strong desire to see your family again, watch your kids grow up, or kiss your spouse. It may be you have a goal in life you haven’t met, a place you wanted to see, or a future date you looked forward to. It could stem from the unwillingness to lose or accept failure. It may also be rooted in confidence in your survival skills from years of study and preparation. Whatever the motivation you have that pushes you on and makes you want to live longer is where your will to survive will come from. Focus on it, and never give up!

It is natural to have feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, and even depression when faced with a life threatening situation. You might feel fear of death, anxiety over being lost, anger that you have found yourself in this mess, and depression from thoughts of not seeing your loved ones again. These thoughts can be detrimental. They undermine your will to survive. If not controlled and managed, these thoughts can lead to a loss of morale and failure to perform activities necessary to survival.  They can rob you of precious time, lead to poor judgment, rash decisions, frustration, and compound an already bad situation. It’s when you get to depression that you finally lose hope. Thoughts of, “What’s the point?” or “I can’t take anymore.” are basically thoughts of suicide, because you will be giving up and possibly surrendering to death. Never give up!

It is imperative to learn to identify these negative feelings, learn to control them, and understand that they are just that; feelings. And most importantly, you must know that they are your feelings, thus you own them and are in control of them. Only you can decide to react with fear or anger to a given situation or not. Your choice of feelings in a survival situation can be life saving or a death sentence. You might get the physical sensations of fear when in danger, but it is your choice to be afraid.

There is a big difference in feeling fear, and acting afraid. Fear is described as a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it or confront it, also known as the “Fight or Flight” response. Fear has a very distinct set of sensations. Butterflies in your stomach, hair on the back of your neck standing up, rapid heartbeat and breath, and heightened awareness. But none of those sensation can actually hurt you. A little fear can, in fact, be helpful. It can make you more cautious, aware, and ready for action. However, if not controlled, fear can lead you to acting afraid. Then you could be rendered unable to react at all. This is commonly called being “frozen by fear”. Just like a deer in the headlights, this paralysis can be deadly in a survival situation. Recognize these sensations and acknowledge the sensations as warnings to be more cautious, aware, and ready for action, not to be afraid and freeze up. Then take a deep breath and act.

Finding yourself in a life threatening or survival situation can be frustrating. You might find yourself having to complete difficult tasks with very limited resources, very little time and with your life and/or someone else’s life in jeopardy. You may have some failed attempts at finding water, building a fire, or attracting attention. You might be unprepared, fatigued, or even injured. These set backs can lead to more frustration and anger. But cussing, stomping your feet, and throwing a fit will probably not help you. Luckily, anger is another feeling that can be made to be useful. If fear is the ‘flight’ in the “Fight or Flight” response, anger can be considered to be the ‘fight’. You can turn your anger in a bad situation into the “I refuse to lose!” attitude. Anger towards the unfortunate predicament in which you have been placed, can be redirected to give you an unwavering tenacity to try, try again. You can refocus anger to fighting against your crisis instead of just being angry at it.

Anxiety is probably not a feeling that will help you much in a survival situation. Physical effects of anxiety can produce heart palpitations, muscle weakness and tension, fatigue, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach aches, or headaches. Anxiety not only manifests physical effects, but those effects can lead to trouble concentrating, acting jumpy, being combative, paranoid, or panicking. An anxiety attack, in some cases, can cause hyperventilating and losing consciousness. All of which can be life threatening in a survival situation.

If you have lost the mental game completely you might find yourself at the most dangerous feeling; depression. The loss of all hope. Hopelessness often results in apathy, indifference, and even in some extreme cases, suicide. That is the complete opposite of the “will to survive”. Depression and hopelessness can leave you feeling you have nothing left to rely on but luck. Relying on just luck to save you gives you a very low chance of surviving anything. If you are lost at sea and are rescued by a lone passing ship, that can be plain luck, but struggling to stay alive and attempting to signal said passing ship, that is the “will to survive”.

As we know, knowledge is power. You can power up your “will to survive” right now. Start by educating yourself in survival techniques in different emergency or disaster situations you may face. Just having knowledge of dangers and the skills to deal with them, should they arise, increases your chances of survival exponentially. This could give you the confidence you need to face your challenges. Write down important numbers, make a plan, buy supplies, read a book or take a class. Do whatever you can to prepare ahead of time for a disaster or emergency situation. It can improve your outlook, your will to survive and your chances to survive it.

The will to survive is about having strength. It is not about how much you can bench press or your muscle mass. It’s a strength that comes from within. It’s a belief in yourself, a certitude in your chances, and a faith in your outcome. A strong conviction that your goal of surviving will be realized. It’s having the mental might to dispel all doubt, the spiritual courage to commit to the challenges, and the gut resolve to see it through.

Should you have to face a survival situation, keep what is motivating you to survive in the front of your thoughts. Focus strongly on that. It will give reason to your “will to survive” and block out any feelings of despair. Remember that your emotions belong to you and you are in control of the emotion you choose. The “will to survive” is positive thinking. The “will to survive” is controlling your fear and anxiety, redirecting your anger, and always staying optimistic about your chances. The will to survive can be empowered by increasing your knowledge of survival techniques and being prepared.  The “will to survive” is having the strength to NEVER GIVE UP! 

Three Related Disasters (Part 1), by Joe Refugee From Tokyo

Day One
Just another day for an American ex-pat in an office in a skyscraper in Tokyo, or so it seemed. There was a nice view in several directions, offering a chance to see a real panorama of the city. In just a few minutes, that view would include large fires and streets packed with cars and people walking. The reason, of course, is it was 11-3-11.  

The first inkling of trouble was a minor feeling of movement, and this lasted for perhaps a minute, and then things got worse. The shaking got to where it was time to not move, and then it was time to get under my desk. Finally, it was time to hold on to something to avoid being jerked around. This lasted for many minutes, far longer than any earthquake I had experienced in California or Japan.  

After things settled down a bit, we all got up and tried to figure out what had happened. Had we been at the epicenter of this? A co-worker said an initial reading was that it was 7.9 on the Richter scale. Bad, but not enough to expect the problems that were to come. Unfortunately, the numbers went up over the next hour or so, and the big shock was that television showed a tsunami wiping out a town after 30 minutes or so. About the same time, I noticed many big fires in the distance, and pointed them out to my co-workers.  

Right after the earthquake ended, the speakers in the building announced the earthquake and that the elevators were not in service. Phones were not working, but the power was. It was a tough choice, walk home for hours in Winter, along with millions, or wait and hope that the trains and subways might gradually return on a limited basis. As the epicenter was not that near Tokyo, I figured it was worth waiting a while to see what happened. But things got worse. This seems to have been a repeating theme throughout this. One problem seems to impact the next, overburdened system.  

For better or worse, I decided to wait for a few hours, and put up with the aftershocks. I also wanted the phones to come back so I could see how my wife was. The phones came back in a limited way after ten minutes or so, but not cell phones, which had troubles for many hours. But I could not dial out. Many co-workers or their neighbors had suffered some damage, but the real concern was closer to the epicenter, and along the coast. My wife had relatives impacted by both the tsunami and, later, the nuclear issue. The good news was her relative was evacuated from his factory before the water swept in. The bad news is that the economics of this tragedy are going to be practically at the level of fighting a war on your own soil, and this fellow is unlikely to have a job for quite some time.  

So the news got worse and worse, and many systems already went into a very limited mode. If you wanted something, it was probably a good idea to think about getting it then. Of course, it you got closer to the dramatic damage, it was too late, as most stores were damaged, and everyone was now working on dealing with issues of life and limb to care about keeping a store open that sells blankets for example. And it is a safe bet that a lot of folks were kicking themselves later about not having the supplies they needed. Not just for themselves, but for family and friends that had had their houses destroyed, and for those trapped en route on some trip.

My family did an inventory that night, and we discovered that our biggest flashlight was too old and no longer worked properly. It was probably time to re-read SurvivalBlog’s guidance on preparedness at that point. The good news is that my workplace gave out a survival kit with water, a high-tech blanket, flashlight, and a few other things. We also had candles and a mini-flashlight. Not that the power went out yet. That was later, but, if the quake had been closer, it is reasonably likely that even downtown Tokyo would have been dark and cold. All things considered, the supplies of food and medicine were sufficient, but it was obviously time to buy more. I had been more concerned with an economic or currency disaster than what happened, but still slept better over the next few days knowing that we had months of supplies.  

That night, I felt a bit seasick, but not so bad that it was a real problem. But the bigger problem for most of us was shock. Those who had family or friends in the worst-hit areas had a tough time keeping their minds on further preparations, which might be another lesson in why it is good to prepare ahead of time. I do not think I was thinking clearly on 9/11, and not on 3/11, either. The good news is that disaster drills and preparation are common in Japan. This made many things go smoothly. I suspect an inadequate number of disaster drills are done by local governments or businesses in the US. As an example, a very strong hurricane hitting Miami is just a matter of time. Are they better prepared than the one a couple of decades ago?

In any case, the systems in Tokyo went smoothly. I do not know about closer to the disaster area. It seems that they went reasonably well, but the strength and speed of the tsunami, along with the lack of much time, really made the fatalities a lot worse than was expected. People go through towns saying that everyone should evacuate to higher ground after earthquakes, but those in poor physical condition may choose to ignore the warning, and perhaps some wanted to clean up some of the broken jars and such before evacuating. Unfortunately, they did not have a minute to spare.  

Turning on the television that night, it was mentioned that the nuclear plants at Fukushima had been hit hard. This was to become a topic for later. At the moment, fires had to be put out, and the injured taken to hospitals. Nuclear plants have many backups, and they would not be built near oceans if they could not handle tsunamis, right?   (To be continued.)

Letter Re: Misconceptions on CDV-Series Radiation Meters

Jim,
There’s a lot of folks around the country who bought surplus Civil Defense radiation meters.

What they don’t understand is the CDV-715, CDV-717 and CDV-720 meters WILL NOT measure background radiation and are useless if they are watching for increased radiation from Japan. Only the CDV-700 will measure background radiation.

According to an LAFD document: “Radiological survey instruments, if available, are recommended for initial entry to the site. Before entering the accident area, determine the background radiation level using the CD V-700, or a similar survey instrument.”

Background radiation levels cannot be determined using the CD V-715 or other high-range gamma-detecting instruments; therefore, a ‘positive response on high-rage’ meters such as these should stimulate immediate rescue and medical intervention.

I found this misunderstanding by my fellow man to be of concern and thought you might post it. Best regards to you and yours, – John

Economics and Investing:

Readers in France or elsewhere in the EU might be interested in acquiring some of the new “10 euro des 26 régions” coins as both a silver investment and as an inflation hedge, with no downside risk. They are 10-euro coins, weighing 10 grams and are sterling silver (92.5% fine). These coins are available at face value in post offices, but are region-specific and some regions might have already run out. I’ve read that in Brittany the new collector coins are still available, and you can purchase limited quantities at their face value. A SurvivalBlog reader mentioned that he was able to get 20 of these coins with ease, in just one visit to a post office. He noted: “I’ve been told some post offices require you to make a purchase and accept them to you as ‘change”‘, though it wasn’t the case here. I just walked in, asked for the coins, got them and walked out. I certainly wasn’t asked to give any explanation, nor sign any form. The post office lady did warn me there was an obligation to use cash only, to get the coins. Even if their metal value didn’t exceed their face value (their silver content is worth about €7.50 now) they are still perfectly legal tender and can be used for any purchase–they are always worth €10. Cashiers, from my experience (I tested!) will just find them “nice!” and private business owners or private parties are more than eager to get them as keepsakes.”

Readers Greg C. and Jeff M. flagged this bit of bad news: Liberty Dollar creator convicted in federal court. Obviously, he shouldn’t have used used the word “Dollar” or the “$” symbol. But this case illustrates how heavy-handed a government that creates fiat currency can be when someone develops a more legitimate alternative. Here’s a quote that is ultimate in irony: “Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are simply a unique form of domestic terrorism,” U.S. Attorney Tompkins said in announcing the verdict. Greg’s C.’s comment: “I believe Ms. Tompkins is beginning her 2011 Comedy Tour next week starting in Las Vegas.  Technically, shouldn’t she be investigating the entire Federal Reserve if that really is her true position?”

New York Fed confirms intervention in currency markets. (Thanks to KAF for the news tip.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Worsening Nuclear Crisis Rattles Financial Markets  

New-home Construction Plunges in February  

Oil Prices Rise with International Tensions  

John Williams (of ShadowStats):  The Great US Collapse Nears

Global Markets are Slammed by Worries About Nuclear Crisis