Letter Re: Encapsulate Your Own Potassium Iodate

Dear Editor:
With several Japanese reactors threatening to meltdown, knowing that I am downwind and would have less than a few days’ notice, I quickly did some research on how to protect my family. The choices for thyroid protection (apparently the most common disease) are either Potassium Iodate (KIO3) or Potassium Iodide (KI).

I found an old SurvivalBlog article that showed that KIO3 has advantages to KI. So I placed an order for enough pills to cover our family, plus extras to give away. But while doing some additional research I happened upon the bulk form of KIO3 at PureBulk.com. I then found an article describing the process of capping your own supplements from powder.

I knew I’d need a capping machine, some caps, a precise scale and some filler to balance out the capsules. Without the filler it’s next to impossible to get a consistent dosage.

For about $75 I bought the following items, enough to give the recommended adult dose of one 170 mg pill for fourteen days to at least thirty people:

1 – Potassium Iodate 100g (KIO3-00100)
1 – EDTA Calcium Disodium 250g (EDTAC00250)
1 – Scale, Digital Gram, Blade Series, 0.01g x 100g (BLADE)
1 – The Capsule Machine & Tamper (0) + 500 Gel Caps (CAPMC0+500GEL)

On the plus side, I’ll have the machine and scale and experience for capping my other supplements. I’m on quite a few supplements so this will save even more money.

Alternatively to EDTA, you can use Dextrose for a filler, though I couldn’t find any on PureBulk.com. EDTA is very harmless (found even in baby food) and has the added advantage of chelation which is the process of removing heavy metals from your body, something which could potentially be found in the fallout. The amount of EDTA per pill should be 330 milligrams, or one twentieth the daily maximum of a person weighing 200 lbs; check your other medications for EDTA before you proceed, to make sure you’re not getting too much.

I plan on keeping the bulk powder in the refrigerator until needed, though I will produce a practice batch first — I don’t want the moment of panic to be the first time I attempt this.

Follow the procedure to get precise measurements. There are some YouTube videos which also show some of the procedures.

I am no doctor, so consult yours for advice before proceeding as KIO3 interacts with your thyroid. Do some research, too.

Enough pills for 30 adults, for $75 bucks. Not bad, eh? – C.D.V.

JWR Adds: That sure beats the current very high prices on eBay, where folks are re-selling products that originally came from one of our advertisers. (One seller had a $1,000 per bottle asking price!)

Economics and Investing:

John R. recommended a piece over at Lew Rockwell’s site by David Stockman: Why Deficits Do Matter.

Tamara over at the View From the Porch blog mentioned this: Normal Interest Rates Would be a Disaster for U.S. Debt. “None of this can go on forever. The Fed can’t print money forever. The U.S. can’t borrow huge fractions of GDP forever. Austerity is coming. The only question in my mind now is whether we’ll have a currency collapse and hyperinflation first.”

Greg in Vermont sent a link to a piece in the leftward-leaning Washington Post, where columnist E.J. Dionne tells us — citing Al Franken as an expert— that the U.S. is not broke. Greg’s sarcastic comment: “Whew. Glad to read everything is really okay!”

Items from The Economatrix:

US Trade Deficit, Unemployment Worsen  

Debit Card Spending Limit Banks Consider a $50 Cap  

Debit Card Spending Limits  

Utah Legislature Goes for Gold, Silver as Currency Options

Odds ‘n Sods:

Japan earthquake and tsunami death toll expected to exceed 10,000; survivors worry about dwindling supplies, food.

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Robert J. flagged this: Japan ‘overwhelmed by the scale of damage’ 1,000 bodies are found scattered across coastline; body bags, coffins in short supply. Here is a quote: “”I never imagined we would be in such a situation” Watanabe said. “I had a good life before. Now we have nothing. No gas, no electricity, no water.” He said he was surviving with his family on 60 half-liter bottles of water his wife had stored in case of emergencies like this. He walked two hours to find a convenience store that was open and waited in line to buy dried ramen noodles.”

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Loyal content contributor J.B.G. sent this: Photo Gallery: The Day After the Tsunami. J.B.G. notes: “Don’t miss the picture of the empty supermarket shelves, near the end.” JWR Adds: The Japanese invented kanban (“Just in Time”) inventory control, now used in both industry and in stocking retail stores. They are now experiencing one of its key drawbacks.

   o o o

Bob G. sent an amazing series of “before and after” pictures from Japan with a “sliding window” views–just hover your cursor over the far right, and drag the “after” view across. The tsunami devastation is incredible.

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Nature Girl sent us this: Troopers: 800 motorists rescued after North Dakota blizzard. Nature Girl’s comment: “The part about the town suddenly ‘more than doubling in size’ caught my attention.”

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When politicians start talking about “Commonsense Gun Control”, watch out! Obama’s phrase “porous background checks” is politician speak for “private gun show sales”. Read between the lines, folks: The gun grabbers’ real goal is to institute the equivalent of a “No Fly List” for all gun purchases, even those transacted between private parties that both reside in the same state. There are two huge problems with this scheme: 1.) It is attempting to regulate intrastate commerce that has never been and never should be in Federal jurisdiction, per the interstate commerce clause and 2.) If the horrendous false positives rate of the TSA’s “No Fly List” is any gauge, then this will be a disaster.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We defy augury; there’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all..” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act V, Scene ii

Notes from JWR:

Notes from JWR: I’ve been deluged with questions from readers–especially in Alaska and Hawaii, about the risk of radioactive fallout from Japan. First, I must mention that the trans-Pacific fallout map purported to be from Australian authorities now circulating is a fraud. I don’t think it is likely that any significant radiation would make it to Hawaii, Alaska or the west coast of CONUS, even if there are multiple melt-downs in Japan.  But as I’ve written previously, keep your potassium iodate or iodide handy, buy some dehydrated milk, and keep close track of radiation levels. Pray hard, folks! Do not start taking potassium iodate or iodide until you receive confirmed word that there are harmful levels of radiation in your area.

Even in the absence of other radiological effects, be forewarned that we might have to forego fresh dairy products for a few months. (Since Strontium-89, Strontium-90, Cesium-137 etc. tend to concentrate in milk.) It is a good thing that most SurvivalBlog readers have lots of instant milk powder on hand. If a dairy products shortage does develop, then please be generous with those that are truly in need.

Be sure to read this article in the SurvivalBlog archives: How To Prepare for Radiation Emergencies, by KLK.

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Today we present another article by SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor, Dr. Cynthia J. Koelker, She is the author of the practical book 101 Ways to Save Money on Health Care and the Editor of ArmageddonMedicine.net. She is presently writing a new book, Armageddon Medicine, which should be published in late 2011.

Medication Dependence and TEOTWAWKI — 10 Tips for Survival, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Thyroid disease, diabetes, heart disease, back pain, asthma, COPD.
If you suffer from any of these chronic illnesses, you may be medication dependent.  What will you do when the supply of pharmaceuticals dries up?  Do you have enough medication stockpiled for the rest of your life?  What are the consequences of doing without?  Will you die or merely suffer?  Is there any way to prevent what appears to be inevitable?
And if not you, what about your parents, grandparents, and other loved ones?
Although complete answers to these questions would require hundreds of pages and perhaps years of study, here are 10 tips to help medication dependent persons survive TEOTWAWKI.

  1. Understand what your medications are actually accomplishing for your disease and the consequences of doing without. In my experience, few patients understand the physiology of their particular disease and the purpose of their medicine.  If you are on heart medicine, ask your doctor why.  Is it to control the heart rate or make the heart pump stronger?  Is it meant to limit chest pain or decrease the likelihood of a heart attack?  If a certain medicine is unavailable, is there an older (less expensive) generic?  Will you likely die without nitroglycerin? For COPD patients, will you suffocate without your inhalers? Diabetics, will you dehydrate without insulin or metformin? For thyroid patients, without Synthroid will you develop a goiter?  Or will you grow sluggish, gain weight, and end up in a coma?  (For thyroid patients, these questions are answered in detail in my new self-study course “Hypothyroidism – Answers for the End of the World” . Armed with a better understanding of your disease, you’ll be better able to evaluate your options.
  2. Understand your treatment goals.  For the atrial fibrillation patient, do you understand why you’re on Coumadin rather than aspirin?  If you’re also on a beta-blocker, do you know why?  As a heart patient, what is the purpose of your nitroglycerin patch?  Is avoiding chest pain the same as avoiding a heart attack?  For diabetics, what is your current goal of therapy?  How will this change when home blood sugar monitoring is unavailable?  Is the aim of thyroid replacement therapy to lower your TSH or make you feel better?  Are pain meds to help your back feel better or allow you to work harder? Ask your doctor the specific purpose of each medication you’re taking.  Just knowing “it’s for my heart” isn’t enough to plan your future.
  3. Research treatment options beyond pharmaceuticals and try them out now.  It amazes me when an asthmatic chooses to sleep with their cat and wheeze, rather than ban the cat and breathe.  If medication weren’t available to open the airways, would they make the same choice?  Or, if you’re allergic to the world and can’t escape, would rinsing your nose with saline work as well as medicine?  It often does.  Or, ever wonder if eating half as much would cure your diabetes?  (If you don’t find out now, you may when the food’s gone.) Can’t live without Prilosec?  GERD (acid reflux) would be markedly reduced if people would elevate the head of their bed, eat less, limit spicy, fatty, and acid foods, and avoid alcohol and tobacco.  Narcotics aren’t the only option for a bad back.  Heat, exercise, and massage can work wonders in a motivated patient.  Medicine is not the answer for everything, though it often seems simpler to pop a pill than to make lifestyle changes.
  4. Research over-the-counter alternatives to the prescription medication you’re on now.  OTC drugs can be stockpiled much more easily than prescription drugs.  Excellent OTC meds that could easily be substituted for certain prescription medications include Prilosec OTC, Prevacid, ranitidine, topical antifungals, meclizine, Azo, naproxen sodium, ibuprofen, cetirizine, diphenhydramine, bacitracin, and pseudoephedrine, among others.  Asthmatics may want to purchase Primatene Mist (which may be unavailable after 12/31/11) for emergency use in case their albuterol runs out.  Anyone taking Plavix should have a back-up supply of aspirin. Don’t forget to ask your physician if an OTC might substitute for your prescription medication.
  5. Consider substituting an older drug for a newer medication too expensive to stockpile.  Since your insurance will not cover medications beyond three months in advance, how will you afford them (assuming your doctor is willing to prescribe them)? Many of these drugs are $200 a month, which most people find unaffordable.  Though not every drug has a $4/month alternative, many of them do so, or at least a generic form that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
  6. Ask your doctor about vaccines that may improve your condition or prevent future problems.  Anyone with a heart, lung, or immune problem should certainly have a pneumonia vaccine and the newer TDAP vaccine, which includes a booster for pertussis (whooping cough).  Though the annual flu vaccine is aimed at the current year’s expected strain, there is also a cumulative effect, so receiving the vaccine annually may help not only in the short run, but in the long run as well.  Consider vaccines to hepatitis A and B if you haven’t yet had them. Also, make sure your family is up-to-date on their own immunizations, for their personal protection as well as your own.  Infections uncommon today will re-emerge when the number of unvaccinated individuals increases.   
  7. Seek a permanent remedy now if one is available.  Atrial fibrillation patients may want to consider radioablation.  Spinal stenosis sufferers may choose to undergo surgery now, while it is an option.  It only makes sense for every asthma and COPD patient to quit smoking immediately.  Hyperthyroid patients may want to consider surgery or radioactive iodine treatment sooner rather than later.  Physical therapy (or manipulation under anesthesia) may resolve a frozen shoulder that otherwise might plague you the rest of your life.  Allergy desensitization shots may enable you to get off allergy or asthma medications altogether. If you suffer from any chronic condition, ask your doctor if a cure exists, no matter how involved.
  8. Acquire supplies you may need in the future.  A COPD patient should consider purchasing a nebulizer.  An arthritis or back pain sufferer may be wise to find a used wheelchair or walker.  A diabetic may want to buy additional needles and lancets for future use.  Think about your environment and what accommodations you would need if electricity, heat, light, or running water were unavailable.
  9. Try a dry run.  Ask your physician if it would be safe for you to do without your medication while being monitored medically.  Do not try this on your own!  As a COPD patient, do you really need three inhalers, or would a single inhaler work as well?  If so, which one? Can you monitor yourself using a peak flow meter? As a heart patient, will you develop chest pain or become short of breath without nitroglycerin? For back pain or arthritis patients, since doctors won’t prescribe a lifetime supply of narcotics, can you get off them now or try an alternate therapy?  For thyroid patients, will your TSH climb 10 points or 100 if you discontinue your medication? Don’t try this experiment without your doctor’s approval and understanding, but do express your concerns.  The doctors I know don’t envision the world as a permanently stable environment.  Your questions may take additional time with your physician, so make the receptionist aware when you schedule.  Please don’t tack these questions on as your doctor is heading for the door.  Your doctor will feel rushed and the questions won’t receive the attention they deserve.
  10. Consult with a fellow prepper health professional, or perhaps a seasoned physician.  Treatments come and go, and newer is not always better.  Older treatments (such as Armour thyroid) do work, but may require a modified approach for optimum treatment.  Switching now, when monitoring is readily available, may be easier than later, when guesswork will replace laboratory testing. Younger doctors may have head knowledge but no practical knowledge of older treatments.  A retired physician may be a gold mine of information.

Pat’s Product Review: Benchmade Auto Stryker 9101

Right off the bat, I’ll tell you, I like tanto point knives, for some strange reason. Maybe its because of that secondary cutting edge, or maybe its just the cool-factor. What we have here for review is the new and improved Benchmade Stryker automatic folder, Model 9101. For those of you in free states, where you can legally own an automatic knife, this one is worth looking at. If you live in a state that won’t allow an automatic knife, then Benchmade has several manual opening folders in the Stryker line-up as well.  

The new Auto Stryker incorporates a larger and stronger locking button, open back spacer design for easier maintenance, and increased spring force. Personally, I never found the original Stryker lacking in anything – but sometimes improvements are warranted. the blade material is 154 CM – which is one of my favorites. The aluminum handles are black anodized, with a tip-up pocket clip that is reversible from one side to the other. There is also a sliding safety on the top of the handle – it locks the blade in the closed or open position – I’ve never used the safety. The blade is 3.60″ long – which is about perfect for a folder to be carried for self-defense and utility work. Weight of the Stryker is only 4.20-oz.   You can have the Benchmade Stryker with a plain edge, or a partially serrated edge – the choice is yours. I find that a partially serrated blade has more utility use than a plain edge does – just my two cents worth. There is also a lanyard hole in the butt of the handle, and I find these useful if you are operating over water – you don’t want to drop your knife and have it lost, when it might be needed the most.  

Now, I’m not advocating bringing a knife to a gun fight – that’s foolishness. However, there are still some areas of the country where you can’t legally carry a handgun for self-defense, but you can carry a folding knife. And, believe me, a knife is better than a sharpened stick or a rock any day of the week. Over the years, in my martial arts classes, I’ve taught knife-fighting to my advanced students, and they found it very difficult to defend against a knife attack – and these were trained martial artist. So, they know the effectiveness of using a knife, even a small folding knife for self-defense.   Benchmade warrants the Stryker for your lifetime against defects in material and workmanship. the Auto Stryker doesn’t come cheap – then again, quality never comes cheap if you buy junk, you end up buying junk several times over. When you buy quality, you only have to buy it once. The Auto Striker from Benchmade retails for $250.

Letter Re: U.S. Treasury Seeks Input on New Coinage Compositions

Mr. Rawles,  
The U.S. Treasury has announced that it is seeking public comment on revised compositions for U.S. coinage. They are seeking comments from us mere citizens about what we think of changing the metal content of coins to even cheaper metals than the copper, zinc and nickel currently used.  I think that all Survival Blog readers should comment – let the Treasury and the rest of The Powers That Be know that we don’t like how they’ve already debased our currency, and we don’t want them to do it to an even greater extent.  

Of course, the Treasury will have to either change the content or change the stated value of the coins (or do away with them altogether). As you know they are already losing money just on the metal content of the nickels, and [the currently-produced copper-plated zinc] pennies aren’t far behind.  The rest are profitable, but less so than if they used low-grade stainless steel or aluminum.  Maybe nickels will use 5% nickel on the surface, just for show (like the Potemkin Village that is our economy) and aluminum or whatever underneath.  

It is just so sad and so aggravating to see our nation’s wealth disappear right before our eyes, but that is just a reflection of the deterioration of our values over the last 50 or 75 years.  Our currency is faith-based, and our word literally isn’t worth the paper it is printed on any more, so of course they can’t continue to make nickels out of nickel, let alone use copper for pennies and silver for dimes and above, any more. – Paul W.

JWR Replies: In 1964, nearly all U.S. silver coins were replaced by silver-plated copper slugs. Soon after, paper Federal Reserve Notes (so-called “dollars”) were no longer officially redeemable for silver. Since that time U.S. currency has been pure fiat–nothing but an empty promise. It can be exchanged by the government, but only for other worthless tokens–not for genuine specie. Author Boston T. Party summed this up well when he described the Federal Reserve Note as an “I.O.U. Nothing“.

To reflect the true value of the U.S. Dollar, I suggest that henceforth all U.S. coinage be made of plastic or aluminum. That way, they will be conveniently recyclable when the U.S. Dollar inevitably becomes worthless via mass inflation. That might spare the government the shame of the seeing its currency and coinage littering the streets.

SurvivalBlog’s Michael Z. Williamson wrote to mention that the editor of The Don’t Tread On Me blog humorously suggested that the U.S. Mint begin issuing Chuck E. Cheese tokens, in this missive: In Pizza We Trust.

Here is a footnote to this tale of monetary woe, courtesy of AskDefine.com: “On April 2, 1792 Alexander Hamilton, then the Secretary of the Treasury, made a report to congress that [was] the result of his task to scientifically determine the amount of silver in the Spanish Milled Dollar coins that were then in current use by the people. As a result of this report, the Dollar was defined (See the Act of April 2, A.D. 1792 of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Section 9) as a unit of measure of 371 4/16th grains of pure silver or 416 grains of standard silver. (Standard silver being defined as 1,485 parts fine silver to 179 parts alloy; See Section 13 of the Act.)”.

I’ve said it before: Stock up on nickels now, before their composition changes. Your children will be glad that you did.

Letter Re: The Real Value of the U.S. Dollar

Dear Mr. Rawles

The Inherent Value of U.S. Paper Currency I have recently decided to obey the law–Gresham’s Law and start converting my paper dollars into “Golden Dollars” including the Sacagawea and Presidential Dollars as well as into the Kennedy Half Dollar. I am mostly doing this for symbolic reasons but I have found that it is a way to get people to talk casually about concepts like inflation, fiat currency and fiscal policy without scaring them off. A US dollar weighs 1 gram, on average. From Earth Works Recycling‘s web page we find that paper is worth between 0 cents per pound for white paper to 1 cent for phone book paper to 2-¼ cents for newspaper. Being generous let’s assume that your US currency is worth the price of newspaper. There are 453.59237 grams in each pound. That means that each dollar is worth .00496 cents or 4.96 X 10-5 dollars. Or looked at another way it would take 20,139 dollars to be worth a dollar. Compared to this, according to Coinflation.com each Golden Dollar is worth 7.3 cents. The inherent worth of a Golden Dollar is 1,472 times more than a paper dollar. Don’t even get me started on silver. In closing, to paraphrase the American Express ad: “Worth of a Dollar… 4.96 X 10-5 dollars… Cost of preparedness… priceless.” – Mr. Bennington

JWR Replies: As I’ve mentioned several times in SurvivalBlog since early 2006, I recommend stockpiling U.S. five cent pieces (“Nickels”) as a hedge on inflation. Unlike the Sacagawea Dollar that has a base metal value of less 1/10th of the coin’s face value, a nickel a base metal value of around 6.7 cents. (135% of face value.) Whenever you can obtain a circulating coin with that much genuine value at face value, then it is worth stocking up.

Mass inflation is coming, folks! Get prepared.

Letter Re: Advice on Classic Books for Homeschooling

Mr. Rawles,
This is in response to Paula S.’s recent letter requesting information on classic books for homeschooling. I just returned from a homeschool convention in Memphis where I was introduced to Memoria Press. They have curricula for parents interesting in providing their children with a classical education. I have looked at the early elementary sets–they include books for the kids to read aloud and other books to be read aloud to the children. You do not have to buy their material to see the list of books that they use–the lists are posted on their web site under each curriculum description.

Sonlight is another homeschool curriculum that relies heavily on “living books” for the student’s education. You can find all of the books that they use listed on their web site. They offer a free catalog which is filled with useful information.

For history, there is a series called Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer which has four volumes and is designed to be read initially in Grades 1-4 and then repeated in middle school and high school with the addition of classic books in the middle and upper grades. Story of the World is appealing because it teaches history in chronological order from ancient times to present day. You can find these books on Amazon or at the publisher’s web site.

I hope you find some of this useful. – Leigh C.

 

Captain Rawles:
A couple quick recommendations for books:

I highly recommend “The Story of the World” by Susan Wise Bauer for kids of all ages. We’ve been using this to teach our kids for years. Fascinating for adults and young kids alike. There are audio books, activity books, etc… very comprehensive and easy to comprehend but the stories are not just about America, though it does cover modern times including the United States. Even my youngest will spout out knowledge about world history that most adults don’t know. The books do get some criticism for a lack of distinction between legend and fact. In my opinion, this is something easily dealt with by a simple discussion with the kids about the material. Teaching logic and critical thinking won’t hurt either.

A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn is also very thorough, although not for younger readers.

Thanks for all your hard work, – Matt B.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Nicole W. was the first of several readers to send this piece: US farmers fear the return of the Dust Bowl: For years the Ogallala Aquifer, the world’s largest underground body of fresh water, has irrigated thousands of square miles of American farmland. Now it is running dry

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Chad S. sent this piece datelined Worchester, Massachusetts: 2,000 rounds of ammo found during traffic stop. Oh, my goodness! They nailed this bad man with “…four counts of possession of a large capacity feeding device, and possession of ammunition without a Firearm Identification Card.” Cue the wailing, teeth-gnashing, and hand-wringing. I wish that hoplophobes would get real about guns and ammunition. They are obviously from an alternate universe. (The one where Earth’s axis is located at a university campus in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.) I’ve determined that it is not just the ownership of guns by their neighbors that bothers gun haters–it is the numbers. The last time I checked, it was impossible for an individual to shoot more than two guns at a time. (Inaccurately, at that, without lots of practice.) So what difference does it make if someone owns two guns, or two hundred? Does owning a dozen boom sticks somehow make someone evil? (More evil? “Eviler?”) And since when did a small gun collection become an “arms cache”, and a moderate-size gun collection–or anything more than an armload of ammunition–become an “arsenal”? If you include all of the .22 rimfire my kids go through, 2,000 rounds of ammo represents just a two or three week supply for my family or perhaps enough for a three-day weekend. And I’ve been known to buy twice that much ammo in just one gun show trip. Its a good thing that the Taxachussetts officials don’t have any jurisdiction here in The Un-Named Western State (TUWS). If they pulled me over they might suffer a fit of apoplexy and brand me as a one-man crime wave.

   o o o

Meanwhile, ‘Ol Remus spotted this news headline of abject horror from Across The Pond: .22 bullet found in Fossgate, York. (Here in TUWS, nobody would blink any eye unless the ammo was .50 BMG, or larger. And even then, after picking it up, the first question asked would be: “Now where am I going to find a gun to shoot this?”)

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Reader N.R.V. sent a link to an alarming video about the Islamazation of France, produced in 2010.

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Millions Without Food, Water, Power After Quake Ravages Japan. (Thanks to M.E.W. for the link.)

Note from JWR:

All eyes are on Japan! I just got a link to video of explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant. The Japanese nuclear experts’ conclusion: Meltdown Caused Nuke Plant Explosion. I don’t expect many radio-isotopes to make it to the continental United States, but just in case: Keep your potassium iodate or iodide handy, buy some dehydrated milk, and keep track of radiation levels. Pray hard, folks!

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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.

Preparing for the Inevitable Collapse of Society–The Birth of a Prepper, by D.C.

I’m not a skilled writer but I’d like to share my story. I’m currently 35 yrs old and am located in the upper Midwest. There’s no real threat where I live of flooding, hurricanes, forest fires, or earthquakes. My only major concern is a food crisis brought on by a hyperinflation of the dollar, nuclear EMP or a solar flare catastrophe.

I work an average of 50 hours per week at a factory. My pay is meager. However – I don’t waste money like most people do (cell phones, cable/satellite, full coverage car payments, dining out, etc, etc)  and so I have the extra money to do the things that I do. I’m married with four children and also have my widowed mother.

Until about 5 or 6 years ago I had never managed to accumulate much in life, living paycheck to paycheck. This was because of my spending habits and lack of concern of the future. I never prepared for Y2K basically because I didn’t believe it. On September 12, 2001 I did however spend about $600 at our local discount grocery. As I was loading up the shopping-cart I wondered why there was nobody else doing the same. I bought canned fruits, canned vegetables, and canned jack mackerel. $600 dollars worth. It took me years to eat all that food. I finally polished of the last few cans in late 2006. That was interesting. 

Then sometime in 2007 I happened upon an informational video by Ross Perot. Indisputable facts that we’re screwed. I must stress that. The facts presented in the video are indisputable. There’s no hype, no fancy footage, no opinions, no political finger-pointing, no drama. Just dry monotonous facts. But it was the tipping point in my life when I realized that I had to begin to prepare for the inevitable collapse of society.

I began by first studying food shelf life. And calculating costs. One of the first things that caught my attention was botulism. Which actually doesn’t concern me much anymore but it did at the time. I also happened upon Grand-Pappy’s “How To Survive Hard Times” and the Survival Acres web site.

I began buying #10 cans and 6 gallon buckets of dehydrated foods from Survival Acres (Everything. Beans, rice, flour, sugar, you name it). I bought a hundred pounds of non-dehydrated canned cheddar cheese from The Internet Grocer. However their canned meat prices weren’t as competitive as their canned cheese, at the time. After many, many days of Internet research I realized it was cheapest just to buy these canned meats from your local grocery store or nearest cannery (non-dehydrated canned pork, beef, etc). We drove 2.5  hours to the nearest cannery. Canned “Treet” is cheapest at your local discount grocery store. To purchase it in bulk you’ll have to special order from the manager. I want to give credit to Emergency Essentials for their reasonably priced canned freeze-dried meats. My most recent purchase was from Costco. I bought their four-person One-year Supply of canned dehydrated food. And I bought 48 lbs canned clarified butter (ghee) from Camping Survival. Also, I have found no other more convenient source for bulk sugar than Wal-Mart. Just buy a heaping grocery-cart full of bags, wrap it all in a couple of garbage bags and keep it in large storage containers. I found all of those items at Wal-Mart.

 As I said in the beginning, I work 50+ hours a week and have little time for self-preparing my own preserved foods. Cheaper it may be but honestly who has the time? I also should mention that I’m one of those preppers stuck in the suburbs. I have no bug-out option. Below is a list of my current emergency provisions. I’ve estimated this to be about an 1 year supply for 14 people. Or a 6 month supply for 28. (or a 3 month supply for 56). Should there be a nuclear attack and nuclear fall-out, considering that nuclear fallout has a half-life of 80 days, then i imagine that i could ration this food and feed over a hundred people for that amount of time. Lack of water would be the problem in that type of scenario. God help us.

I purchased the Treet because it is an inexpensive canned meat. I reason that I can make “ham & beans” with it, or “dirty rice”. Treet has added preservatives so it’s my hope that this will extend it’s shelf-life. The canned cheese is mainly a comfort food. The imitation maple syrup flavoring is obviously to make pancake syrup. The TVP wasn’t my choice. It came with the 4-person One-year Supply. It could be saved for last or reserved for barter. I bought the toothpaste at an auction.

I also bought about 200 boxes of nicotine gum from the same auction. I regret the purchase of dehydrated peanut butter. The shelf-life is reportedly only 5 years. It’s intention was for peanut butter brownies or bread. You’ll notice that it would appear that I have an insufficient supply of salt (considering that salt is imported). However, the  chicken/beef bouillon is mostly salt. Which gives me nearly 75 pounds of salt.

The regular unleaded gas is intended for cooking purposes only. The air-rifles are reserved for hunting small game, if possible. They’re nearly silent when fired compared to a real rifle. The amoxicillin tablets were purchased from a pet supply web site. The antifungals were purchased mainly to treat rashes. If nobody is taken daily baths/showers then perhaps this would be a wise thing to have around. (vaginal antifungal creams are excellent for diaper rashes, fungal skin rashes, jock-itch, athletes foot, and the like). The menthol extract was bought on eBay. Crystalized menthol is nothing more than mint extract. Mint has been used by humans for thousands of years and it’s medical uses are countless.

Here are my current provisions:

(non-dehydrated) 270 lbs canned – Treet 163 lbs canned – chicken 126 lbs canned – hamburger   84 lbs canned – beef   84 lbs canned – pork   60 lbs canned – seafoods 100 lbs canned – cheddar cheese   48 lbs canned – clarified butter (ghee)

(freeze-dried)   25 lbs canned freeze dried – beef   25 lbs canned freeze dried – chicken   58 lbs canned freeze dried – sweet peas   10 lbs canned freeze dried – broccoli     2 lbs canned freeze dried – pineapple     4 lbs canned freeze dried – mushrooms   12  oz canned freeze dried – blueberries   12  oz canned freeze dried – blackberries

(TVPs) 27 lb canned – bacon TVP 30 lb canned – beef TVP 25 lb canned – chicken TVP 10 lb canned – taco TVP   7 lb canned – sausage TVP   7 lb canned – ham TVP   7 lb canned – sloppy joe TVP

(dehydrated)* 123 lbs canned powdered – milk   80 lbs canned powdered – eggs   41 lbs canned powdered – butter   39 lbs canned dehydrated – potato flakes   20 lbs canned dehydrated – potato slices   80 lbs canned dehydrated – potato dices   90 lbs canned dehydrated – potato granules     9 lbs canned dehydrated – sweet potato   46 lbs canned dehydrated – onion   58 lbs canned dehydrated – carrots   24 lbs canned dehydrated – split peas     6 lbs canned dehydrated – celery   20  oz canned dehydrated – bell peppers   50 lbs canned dehydrated – sweet corn   75 lbs canned dehydrated – great northern beans   45 lbs canned dehydrated – pinto beans   21 lbs canned dehydrated – refried beans   24 lbs canned dehydrated – kidney beans   21 lbs canned dehydrated – small red beans   22 lbs canned dehydrated – black beans   10 lbs canned dehydrated – lima beans   33 lbs canned dehydrated – lentils 185 lbs canned dehydrated – egg noodles   68 lbs canned dehydrated – macaroni   35 lbs canned dehydrated – spaghetti 332 lbs canned dehydrated – rice 200 lbs canned dehydrated – hard wheat   18 lbs canned dehydrated – wheat cereal   18 lbs canned dehydrated – cracked cereal   24 lbs canned dehydrated – barley   30 lbs canned dehydrated – oats   31 lbs canned dehydrated – banana slices   19 lbs canned dehydrated – apple slices   10 lbs canned dehydrated – apple chips   17 lbs canned dehydrated – apple sauce     3 lbs canned dehydrated – strawberries     3 lbs canned dehydrated – raspberries     8 lbs canned – imitation blueberry nuggets   18 lbs canned dehydrated – peanut butter   78 lbs canned dehydrated – fruit drink   26 lbs canned dehydrated – chocolate drink 400 lbs canned – flour   94 lbs canned – cornmeal 200 lbs canned – instant pancake mix   47 lbs canned – whole grain pancake mix   20 lbs canned – brownie mix     6 lbs canned powdered – cheddar cheese   26 lbs canned powdered – cheese blend     6 lbs canned powdered – baking cocoa     9 lbs canned – baking powder   64 lbs canned – baking soda   24 lbs canned – beef bouillon   30 lbs canned – chicken bouillon   20 lbs canned – salt 500 lbs canned – white sugar 233 lbs canned – brown sugar   48 lbs canned – tomato powder     3 lbs canned – chili powder     6 lbs canned – garlic powder     4 lbs canned – black pepper     2 lbs canned – cinnamon   10 lbs canned – coffee     8  oz  pure vanilla extract     1 gallon imitation maple syrup flavoring   10 lbs Jello instant banana pudding 200 packs of Kool-Aid   *some items are not canned, they’re in buckets.

Gear:
1 cast-iron dutch oven     1 Coleman portable camp oven     3 Thermos type thermal cookers (available @ homedepot.com)     3 Coleman dual fuel single burner camping stove   35 gallons Coleman cooking fuel (white gas)   80 gallons regular unleaded gas   20 gallons kerosene     5 emergency kerosene lanterns   50 lantern wicks   75 large candles     2 emergency flashlights 250 disposable lighters      3 buck saws      2 two-man lumber saws

Archery, fishing gear, 3 semi-automatic rifles 3 tactical shotguns 3 semi-automatic handguns 6,000 rounds ammunition 2 spring piston air-rifles 2,000 air-rifle pellets

12  economy size buckets of detergent     2  gallons bleach     6 large bottles isopropyl alcohol     6 large bottles hydrogen peroxide   50  tubes toothpaste     1  big berkey  water filter w/ 8 extra ceramic filters   70  bottles migraine headache tablets   12  bottles amoxicillin tablets   12 suture needles   10 boxes Nyquil   10 boxes antihistamines     5 cans antifungal sprays     5 boxes vaginal antifungals     3 bottles antifungal powders   10 jars petroleum jelly     1 lb pure crystalized menthol extract   25 cans mosquito repellent 200 boxes nicotine gum 300 gallons distilled water    

120 ounces silver   10 ounces gold (fractional)

My home is paid for.

If need be I will take in select friends and extended family so that together we can defend our liberties. I will never allow an unconstitutional search of my home. Nor a forced evacuation.

I intend to Live Free – or Die Trying.