Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 32 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 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 “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 32 ends on January 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.

Zen and the Art of Basic Rifle Marksmanship, by Doc in South Carolina

So, you’ve decided to prepare for WTSHTF because you want you and/or your family to be safe. And to more adequately defend your safety, you’ve read every survival book and blog ever written. You’ve stockpiled non-hybrid seeds, bought a brand new shortwave radio (while still paying for your smart phone with some sort of “survival” app, no doubt), stacked fifty pound bags of whole grains about your bedroom as both emergency food and added fortification, and bought the most expensive and elaborate firearms recommended by whichever “Mall Ninja” managed to bombard the ill-informed public with the most convincing (albeit speculative) argument. I jest…(kind of). Stockpiling necessary supplies is an outstanding idea (I’m doing it). And SurvivalBlog.com is a reliable source of valuable information in a world where reliability and value of information is rare. However, what I’ve noticed about most “survival” sites, excluding SurvivalBlog, is that everyone out there seems to have the best idea for what weapon you should purchase to protect you and your family. If you want to trust the opinion of a stranger with little weapons training and even less knowledge of you and the situations you may potentially encounter, that’s your call. But I’m not going to do that. I can’t pretend to know what you may personally experience in the future. Some situations call for not only different weapons, but the employment of completely different tactics all together to address them. I can’t cover them all in 1,500 words. I won’t even try. What I can tell you is, as a former U.S. soldier, I know a lot about what it’s like to have to work with what you have (ever cleaned an M16 with a battle buddies tampons? I have…). Which is why in both my weapons collection and my preparedness I follow one simple philosophy, “Any weapon is better than no weapon.” Don’t misunderstand, weapon selection is very important. For example, I don’t recommend a .22 LR as an anti-personnel weapon. Great for small game, but grossly inadequate for self-defense. However, I’d gladly plink at an assailant with a “poodle-shooter” than throw rocks at them. My confidence (and lack of desire to scour the globe looking for the most over-priced H&K USP or Winchester Model 70 I can find) comes from one simple asset:

TRAINING! My point here is you aren’t going to die if you can’t afford a registered select-fire M16 with an ACOG and an assortment of accessories you aren’t trained to use and will most likely never be in a situation to need in the first place. And you don’t have to pay top dollar for a competition grade over-priced Model 1911, for crisis or grid-down defense, a less expensive G.I. style one will work, trust me. You also don’t need a venerable arsenal of weapons. Nothing wrong with having a large number of weapons (I do), but there is an old adage in the shooting community that says, “Beware the man with one gun, as he probably knows how to use it.” And that is why I’m writing this. Lots of people are more than happy to tell you what or how many guns you “need.” But you only need one person to tell you how to use the one you have. And that information is far more valuable than a shopping list written for you by someone else. A dozen people can tell you to go spend $1,500 on a Kimber Tactical Warrior Elite with Crimson Trace laser grips (or whatever). Unless someone teaches you to use it effectively, it’s just an expensive paperweight. And you end up just as dead.

Now, why am I qualified to talk about marksmanship? Well, I’ll expound on that a little bit. I am an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Army. I served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician. Like all soldiers, I am Infantry qualified. Rifle marksmanship is paramount. Also, as an EOD tech, I am trained in handgun employment and long-range, big-bore rifle shooting, as well. And my credentials as an “expert” hang proudly on the dress uniform that I used to wear. And I have trained over 200 hard-charging, fighting men and women who use the guidance I gave them to defend themselves, others, and (to some extent) American freedom in countries across the globe. If that doesn’t qualify me, I don’t know what does. So, (since you’re still reading), let’s get started. First, as I can not presume to know what kind of weapon you have. I’m going to discuss rifles. Because, rifles are the most versatile of the three primary options you will have. Also, this will be covering the basic use of a rifle with iron sights. The fundamentals are basically the same for use of a hunting weapon with an optic (scope), but scopes get dropped, bumped, and damaged with real world use. So, they may not always be your option, even if you have them. Also, as a side note, most popular hunting rifles aren’t equipped with factory iron sights, so if a hunting rifle is all you have, then protect that optic! For a diagram of parts for your rifle, see your owner’s manual. And remember, you will have to practice this before TEOTWAWKI.

Firing position – There are three major firing positions: standing (off-hand), knelling, and lying (prone). I recommend the prone position to start, as it is the most stable. However, it is not always an option in a real situation. Kneeling is a rapidly obtainable position if on the move, and more stable than off-hand (standing). But, we’re going to shoot prone for starters, until you get the hang of the basics. Stack two or three sandbags forward of your body, halfway between you and the muzzle of your weapon. These won’t be there WTSHTF, so don’t rest your weapon on them. Only your hand, if you must.

Now, you have your rifle, your sandbags, and a stable firing position.. There are a few more things. We call them “fundamentals.” They must be practiced religiously until they become muscle memory.

Sight picture – Proper sight picture is important. Whether it’s standard, notch-type sights, or a military-style “peep” sight. We’re talking fundamentals, though. So, whatever your sights look like, you must align the front and rear sights, first. Practice this anywhere (unload the weapon and keep your finger off the trigger. If I have to tell you to follow basic firearm safety, you probably aren’t smart enough to survive a socioeconomic collapse…). Focus on your front sight. That’s the key. Now, lets add the target. When you sight your rifle, your front and rear sight should be aligned, with the front sight covering your target. Your front sight should be clearly in focus, and your target should be a blurry silhouette. If your target is in focus and your front sight is blurry, you’re doing it wrong. But, don’t touch off that first round yet. There’s more.

Breathing – I know, you breath a million times a day without thinking about it, right? How ‘bout you chill out and maybe you’ll learn something today, “High-speed.” Notice that breathing while shouldering your rifle moves the sights? See, there’s a reason this is part of the fundamentals of marksmanship. You can’t stop your breathing. Breathing moves you off target, though. That’s okay. We can work with that. It’s simple, you have to fire when your sights are on target. That should be around the middle of your breathing cycle. Inhale deeply, let it out until you’re on target, hold it, fire, exhale, repeat. If you hold it too long, you’ll fatigue and begin to shake, so practice it. You’ll get the hang of it. One more fundamental.

Trigger squeeze – That’s right… “squeeze.” Yanking or jerking the trigger will pull your shot off target. Misses are a waste of ammo. It only takes three muscle to squeeze the trigger properly. Not your whole arm. You want to apply smooth, even pressure straight back on the trigger. Don’t worry about speed. It’ll come with practice. Remember, “Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.” Also, don’t wrap the trigger with your finger. Use the first pad of your finger only. And don’t anticipate the shot. It’ll be a more accurate shot if the discharge surprises you.

That’s about it, folks. It’s easy. And accurate rifle shots not only defend your home, but can put food on your table. Seek formal training if you have the option. Shooting is best learned with an instructor correcting your errors as you make them. Also, you cannot learn to fire a rifle accurately by reading. It takes practice. Lots of it! Shooting is also a perishable skill. If you shot at cans with your grandfather 20 years ago, and haven’t picked up a weapon since, you probably need to brush up. But don’t worry. If too much trigger-time could kill you, I’d be dead. Happy shooting. Once, you’re all stocked up as Mr. Rawles has instructed, and are proficient with your weapon, you can just sit back and enjoy TEOTWAWKI.

Big Rig Survival, by R.E.V.

Virtually everything you use, have or need with the exception of the air you breath has at some point in its life been touched by a truck (aka Big Rig). Without the estimated 3.5 million truck drivers, America as we know it literally stops.          

In an emergency, whether it is natural or man made, preparedness for the truck driver is paramount. A Hurricane Katrina like situation or a economic crash as portrayed in JWR‘s novel “Patriots” allows the prepared truck driver to not only survive but possibly prosper and contribute to the revitalization of our homeland.          

Big Rig Survival can be broken down into three parts. 1) The Driver; 2) The Tractor and 3) The Trailer.          

Obviously, no matter what Big Rig combination we are talking about, without a functioning driver it is simply a free standing store open to anyone who has the determination to get in and take not only the cargo, but the cab contents as well.          

You need to take care of yourself. Physically, mentally and spiritually. If you vapor-lock because you are in poor shape, severely over weight, a heavy smoker or just plain lazy you are not going to get your cargo where it is sorely needed. You won’t get home to any loved ones you may have waiting for you and worst case, depending on what you are hauling you may hand over to an enemy not only items they sorely need, you give them at least a psychological victory if you are found by the side of the road incapacitated.          

There are many good books and sites that talk about getting into shape or staying in shape. I will only touch on some important, possibly neglected items that can easily affect a professional driver.          

The number one thing a big rig driver can do to help themselves get and stay in shape is to get off their fat butt and walk. (Preferably not in sweats and cowboy boots.) Walking is the best all around exercise one can do. Start with short distances and expand from there. Park your rig in the back of the truck stop and walk to the convenience store. Not only will it help your health, your rig is less likely to get damaged.          

If you are having trouble getting motivated, then get a dog. Not only do they need exercise they provide security for your tractor.          

Take care of your teeth. It may not occur to you but teeth care can save your life. An abscessed tooth, especially in the upper portion of your mouth puts infection millimeters from you brain. Ignoring it is not only painful, it has killed truck drivers in their bunks while they sleep. If you have all of your teeth, make sure you brush and floss. It is cheap insurance that pays tremendous dividends. If you have a cavity, get it taken care of. Yes it is cheaper with dental insurance but even if it has to come out of your pocket, what is cheaper in the long run. If you have problems with your teeth or what’s left of them look to the future and what enables you to survive. Get them pulled and depending on your pocket book and insurance replace with dentures or implants. Keep this in mind though, there are pros and cons for either prosthetics. Implants require additional surgery and chances for infection. Dentures act as a covering while healing but need adhesive to act totally like the teeth they are replacing. Either make it much easier to eat.          

For those drivers who are type II diabetics, take extra care to get it under control through diet and exercise. If you do then when the medicine is no longer available you can survive since you won’t need it anymore. If you don’t it can turn into type I and insulin not only can derail your career, it will kill you when insulin is not available.          

If you wear glasses or contacts, get or keep an old pair of glasses or two. If buying new, look to getting sports or the old “birth control” glasses the military issued or some of us wore in our youth. Looking good is not a survival prerequisite.          

If you have a hernia that you’ve had for years, get it taken care of now. If your knees are bad, look to getting replacements. The prosthetics have come a long way and last much longer. Make sure you request a “sports knee”. They are closer to what god gave us and allow more freedom of movement. It is a major investment in yourself but freedom from pain medication and the ability to move in a Schumeresque situation makes it worth it.          

Mental conditioning is valuable too. As a professional, you know how to keep looking around as you drive: forward, dash left mirror, forward, right mirror and so on. You know how to watch for four-wheelers who don’t care that you can’t stop as fast as they can or can’t stand being behind you. Now you need to start expanding your situational awareness. Depending on the nature of the future emergency you may find yourself driving in, hijacking is a very real possibility. Practice scenarios in your mind for evade and escape, defensive maneuvers and offensive tactics. Relive some of those experiences where you wish you had no money cares or concern for your commercial drivers license(CDL). You may have to actually do them in a time of lawlessness. Even though real world application may not be practical at this time, visualization is a tool widely used by both the military and civilian law enforcement. Athletes of all schools use it also. If you can see it and believe it you can realize it.          

Road rage and getting mad at everything and everybody only hurts you. We can only be responsible for ourselves. Letting others dictate our reactions to the world puts us in a poor survival mode.          

Prayer can be your most effective tool in getting on top of any situation. Whether you believe in Him or not, He believes in you and you can talk to him 24/7/365. Kneeling is not mandatory nor is closing your eyes (especially if you are driving). You can just talk. You can yell. You can say anything you want to him and he will listen. Oh, by the way. Take some time to listen. He does answer.          

Music can be a powerful tool in your physical, mental and spiritual health. Numerous studies and papers plus experience show that music affects your heartbeat, blood pressure, alpha, beta, delta and theta waves. Why do you think high school and college sports bands play while the athletes fight? The music inspires man to greater heights.          

Tractor Survival can take many forms. The number one rule in having a tractor survive in any future catastrophe is that as of 2011, have or buy a pre-EGR engine. Typically this means nothing newer than 2003. The reason being is that exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technology is the number one cause of diesel engine problems. It is an attempt by the EPA to reduce pollution. 2004 was the first federally mandated year for EGR followed by 2007 and then [further changes in] 2010. Stricter levels of various gasses brought about selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology and today we have diesel particulate filters (DPFs) that requires diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) which means that if you don’t use the DEF your DPF will foul-up faster and your engine will de-rate. Fuel mileage has decreased since the mandate of EGR technology and overall it has hurt rather than help.          

Two ways to achieve this goal of having a truck that will have as few problems as possible: One is to buy a glider kit and put a pre-2004 engine in. It is cheaper than buying new but still around $100,000. (New will cost you $130,000-150,000.) The second is to buy a pre-2004 truck and have your engine rebuilt by a quality shop. For information on gliders and quality shops, become a “Friend of Kevin Rutherford“. His web site, LetsTruck.com has info, forums and links to products that can help your tractor last and make money while we can. Kevin Rutherford is also offering a class on big rig maintenance and repair scheduled for the spring of 2011. Being able to do your own minor repairs and preventative care is paramount to surviving where others will not.         

As far as security for yourself, your tractor/trailer and load, please listen carefully. As far as federal law goes there is no prohibition concerning carrying a firearm in your cab. Most, but not all states allow carrying of firearms in your cab also. 37 states have reciprocal agreements concerning concealed weapon permits (CWPs) with at least one other state and several honor all. Check Google for numerous information sources. Trucking companies may have prohibition on carrying firearms and there is no law saying they have to let you carry.          

As to what type of weapon, there are numerous experts that can help or advise far better than I. My simple rule is, find something comfortable and become expert in it.          

Non-firearm protection for a trucker can be a tire thumper, ball peen hammer, side handle baton (PR-24), straight baton or numerous incarnations thereof.          

Security for your tractor can be found in man’s best friend. Don’t think bigger is necessarily better. A Rottweiler can be a great deterrent but also due to it’s size be a detriment. There is only so much room in your sleeper. Plus they need a lot of food. What you are looking for is a warning system. There, a Jack Russell Terrier or miniature Dachshund are perfect. Maybe they can’t eat an assailant but that’s your job, not theirs. They will key off you and let you know if an undesirable has approached your home on wheels. One highly dismissed aspect of dogs is one your life could hinge on. Listen to them!!! You may be fooled by a person but they can’t be. Their overall senses dwarf ours and if they don’t like a person, it is 99% because that person has a hidden agenda, is plotting harm to you and yours or is just plain evil. Dogs do not lie.   Watch any post apocalyptic movie with or without zombies and you see numerous configurations of protection for a tractor/trailer. Most you cannot use on our highways at this time. Being able to work now and still be ready for what comes will take planning and providence. Remember, you will in all likelihood be on the road when TSHTF. Preparation is the watch word for survival.          

Most truckers with sleepers carry only a minimum of equipment, clothing and food. A G.O.O.D. bag you carry in a side box or under the bunk should be an absolute minimum. Being able to survive for extended lengths on the road is important to getting back home or getting to somewhere you can be safe. A little ingenuity can provide massive dividends. Setting up an inverter provides you with electrical power to use a refrigerator, microwave, crock pot and/or a electric skillet. The one drawback is you can run your batteries down overnight if you are not running the truck. One way to avoid that problem is to use a solar collector to trickle charge during the day. Small solar collectors can fit on your dash while larger ones can be mounted on top of your sleeper and provide more than a trickle.            

An APU (auxiliary power unit) can be invaluable to survival. Make sure you have one that has extra power outlets and can recharge your batteries. If $8,000-12,000 is a bit out of your reach at first, an inexpensive generator can also do most of the same things for just a few hundred dollars.          

MREs, self-heats and dehydrated foods allow you to survive but being able to eat something fresh or nicely cooked is possible with the above accouterments. Don’t forget you can cook on your diesel engine too.          

Of course tools to do repairs and other work are a must, Once you know the most common things that need doing on a big rig you can put together a tool kit or box. The main rule to follow is quality is worth the extra money. Buying “Made in China” is just asking for failure when you most need an item to work. Craftsman, Crescent, Husky and Kobalt are all top of the line tools. Snap-on, Mac and the like are up there, too.          

A little known fact is you can run almost any air tool off your big rig’s air tank. Plumbing a fitting off your air tanks is not difficult. You can even run right off your glad hands if need be. You may have to up the cutoff level on your compressor but 125 psi will not be hard to do.          

Setting up you tractor/trailer with all these additional items will cost you in weight which could affect how much you can haul which in turn could affect your pocket book. You have to decide for yourself whether the time has come for a change in priorities.          

Depending on the nature of the catastrophe, these are indispensable items:

CB Radio – preferably with Single Side Band (SSB). A multi-channel scanner; a GPS unit either hand held or dash mounted; a mobile ham radio. These and other items can be helpful and allow you to find others who might be in a similar situation.          

Your trailer and load security depends on the type of trailer you haul. Dry van, flat bed or reefer all do different things. Reefers can haul what a dry van can but also can haul produce or frozen food. You can also reverse the normal cooling and turn it into a 48 or 53 foot low heat oven. The down side is it takes diesel to run it. Depending on availability, the fuel needed to run the reefer could get you just that much further.          

A flat bed can haul irregular shaped items or oversize things like poly tanks and multiple Hummers. All trailers have their good and bad points. Securing a load on a flat bed is different than in a dry van or reefer. You can lock the doors on van trailers while flatbeds, even when tarped leave the load exposed to theft or damage. With a van trailer you can fortify the walls and rear doors for added security.          

One absolute rule you should always follow to give yourself the best chance at surviving both now and in the coming catastrophes. When it comes to tires for both tractor and trailer, virgin rubber will always beat re-caps, period. Do not run re-capped tires anywhere on your rig. Legally you can’t on the front wheels (“steers”) but anywhere can lead to failure at the most inopportune time. Virgin rubber, unless made wrong in the factory will always outlast re-caps. Get the highest number ply tires you can get. The greater the number of plies the better, since a high-ply tire will be less likely to succumb to piercing and road damage.          

Have a plan for what and where you can go when things go bad. If you are an [unscheduled] over-the-road (OTR) driver, you might think about have multiple caches across this nation. Develop relationships with like minded individuals or trusted friends and leave pre-thought out items with them.          

There is so much more detail that could be gone into but if you have learned anything in this short dissertation, then the intent has been accomplished.          

If you are on the road when things go wrong you must decide if you are going to hunker down or head for a relative safe place. If you are prepared, physically, mentally and spiritually you can survive. Remember to always look up, so you won’t fall down.

About the Author: R.E.V. is a retired police officer/firefighter/paramedic who currently drives a big rig around our nation.

Avalanche Lily’s Bedside Book Pile

I’ve had another busy week of homeschooling, re-organizing the house, and several days of fun outdoors in the snow, so I haven’t done as much reading as usual.

Here are the current top-most items on my perpetual bedside pile:

  • Today, I finished watching Volume 3 of the Homesteading for Beginners DVD series. This particular DVD covers cooking with long term storage foods, home canned meats, vegetables, and self-raised dairy products, in great detail. Erin Harrison is very down to earth, warm and friendly as she demonstrates, with easy-to-follow steps, how to cook her all-natural recipes. As you watch the video you feel as though your right in the kitchen with Erin and her five children. The only sad part is that we can’t partake in the tasting of all of those wonderful foods they are making. Erin’s videos make me want to get outside and get my gardens in and get myself into the kitchen to do more cooking and canning. I highly recommend these videos! They are wonderful to watch with your children. You and your children will learn so much from Erin and her family. You’ll want to watch these videos over and over.
  • I’m more than halfway through reading The Rancher Takes a Wife. It is a sequel to the book Grass Beyond the Mountains, by Richard Hobson. (Which I reviewed in a previous column.) Rich is an excellent writer. He has given me many chuckles in his accounts with working with his cattle, horses as well as his relationships with his bride Gloria and his fellow ranchers. One lesson that women can learn from this book: when participating and helping your husband in his line of work, obey his directions! It may save your life and keep you from too many heart-pounding incidents. (Rich’s wife Gloria almost got herself killed on at least three occasions by angry cow moose protecting their calves, because she didn’t obey Rich’s command to get down and be still and quiet. Instead she used her own judgment, leapt up, screaming and began running away. A mad mother moose always charges creatures in motion when protecting her young. Luckily, their dog Bear came to the rescue each time and warded the moose away from his people.) These books are a bit survival-related because it carefully illustrates how, in order to operate a cattle ranch 200 miles from the nearest town, one has to plan very carefully for food, tools, clothing and cattle needs for four to five month stretches of time between provisioning trips to town. Rich had some very good descriptions of their shopping trips from which preppers could glean. Some of the conversations between Rich and his fellow ranchers remind me of the relationship that James Herriot had with his boss Siegfried Farnon, in the All Creatures Great and Small book series. I am enjoying Hobson’s books. If you’re interested in cattle, horses, dogs, wildlife, ranch life interactions and stories of people testing their stamina then you’ll enjoy them, too.
  • The next item on my reading agenda will likely be Joel Rosenberg’s nonfiction book Epicenter 2.0: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future.

Letter Re: Making Swimming Pool Water Potable?

1

James Wesley:
I’ve got a question for your readership, the answer to which may save a great number of lives.

The metropolitan Phoenix area is one of the half-dozen most populous in the United States. Between 3 and 4 million people live there. The river which Phoenix was built on (the site of a previous civilization whose population vanished around 500-600 years ago) is now dammed upstream, and usually bone dry. The population is mostly dependent on grid-up well-pumped or canal/dam-diverted water for its entire supply.

Some 3.5 million people are going to be in a world of hurt if the grid goes down.

One bright spot: given the high temperatures, swimming pools are very common, even in working-class neighborhoods. A hike to the top of any of the several urban park mountains in the city reveals dozens or hundreds of backyard swimming pools scattered everywhere. These manmade cisterns will presumably hold several thousand gallons of water even after a SHTF event.

If the grid goes down, these are going to be the best available source of water for millions of people.

What is the best low-tech, grid-down way of de-chlorinating, or otherwise rendering drinkable, swimming-pool water?

Thanks! – K.F. in Phoenix

Letter Re: Railroad Routes for G.O.O.D. Ways Out of Town

Jim,
While you and other readers have touched on some of the safety and legal concerns regarding the use of railroad tracks as G.O.O.D. routes, I’d like to add a couple of points.  

My wife and I live in a city surrounded by major rivers, so my plan assumes that in an emergency situation it will be difficult – if not impossible – to get a vehicle across any of the bridges out of town.  Thus, we have to be prepared to travel roughly 100 miles on foot. A couple of years ago, as I was planning the route my family would take to our retreat area, I realized that old, mostly inactive railroad lines offered a far more direct route than the country roads that we would otherwise utilize.  I tentatively included travel along these tracks as an option.  Last year, I committed myself to a practice evacuation to assess firsthand the strengths and weaknesses of the route I’d selected and to make any necessary adjustments.  Sure enough, what looked easy enough on a map proved to be far more challenging on foot – especially the railroad tracks.

As you might imagine, given the proximity of the rivers, much of the terrain we’d have to cross is frequently muddy and difficult to negotiate.  From that perspective, the railroad tracks would seem to be a God-send because they are built to remain high and dry above even flood-stage waters.  But as I considered more carefully I decided that while the tracks might offer some conveniences, their potential dangers made them unacceptable as part of our bug-out route.  First, being elevated above most of the surrounding terrain makes you an easy target.  Second, the elevated sections of track are sometimes eight to ten feet above the normal ground level, and the embankments beside the tracks are exceptionally steep and covered with gravel; it would be very dangerous to jump off the tracks in these places if some threat required taking cover.  Third, even with a map of out-of-service rail lines it may be impossible to predict what has become of the tracks since they were abandoned.  At one point the map indicated that the tracks would provide bridges to cross over some wetlands, but when we arrived there the bridges had long since disappeared and we had to go nearly a mile out of our way to get around a lake.

So the lesson I hope my fellow readers will take away is that you should at the very least put eyes on any railroad track you’re considering as part of an evacuation plan and carefully consider whether that specific track is really suitable for they way you might use it. – Rollie D.

Economics and Investing:

Reader J.B.G. sent this great video clip about silver market: Off-the-Grid Economic Indicators

Speaking of silver, I noticed that spot silver dipped below $27.40 per ounce on Monday. Buy on these dip days!

G.G. flagged this: An Ugly Side Effect of New 1099 Law: More Tax Evasion.

The latest from The Daily Bell: ‘Super Stagflation’ End Game?

To stop “Global Warming”, they say: Brits Ponder Fuel Rationing. (Thanks to Chris T. for the link.)

Lisa L. sent a lesson in how not to do offshore banking in Panama: American Arrested in Mexico for Carrying 150 Gold Coins; Coins Seized. (And he still must answer to U.S. authorities about exceeding the $10,000 cash or equivalents reporting limit.) So much for “financial privacy.”

Items from The Economatrix:

Silver Investors: Pick Your Poison  

The Next Great Bull Market Of The Decade  

Debt Bondage From The Economic Treason Of Banks

UK:  Soaring Petrol Prices Will Damage Economy

Odds ‘n Sods:

Kathy N. sent this: Postal Service Eyes Closing Thousands of Post Offices. (This could have an impact on our readers with small town retreats who run mail order businesses–or those who plan to.)

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Reader Jack C. sent this: Police suspended for failing to show up during storm. Jack asks: “If public safety employees won’t come to work during inclement weather, then how will they react during a TSHTF scenario?   I think we already know the answer to that question but this is interesting nonetheless.”

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K. L. wrote to note: “Ron Hood of Hood Woods and The Woodmaster fame has been diagnosed  with a very aggressive form of prostate cancer. I read about this in his latest issue of Survival Quarterly magazine. According to the message, the Hood family will be in hiatus with publishing  their magazine and maybe other projects as Ron battles this illness. I have no doubts that Ron will pull through with his usual style and grace. However, all of the readers of SurvivalBlog may want to include Ron, his lovely wife Karen and their son Jesse in their prayers.”

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Montana Lawmaker Proposes Bill Where Feds Need Permission from Local Sheriff to Arrest Citizens or Seize Property

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F.G. and Ben L. were the first of a dozen readers to mention this: Government ponders the need for 140 million MREs for New Madrid earthquake zone. The RFI‘s synopsis: “The purpose of this Request for Information is to identify sources of supply for meals in support of disaster relief efforts based on a catastrophic disaster event within the New Madrid Fault System for a survivor population of 7 M[illion] to be utilized for the sustainment of life during a 10-day period of operations.   FEMA is considering the following specifications (14 M[illion] meals per day)…”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"We are soldiers who devote ourselves to arms not for the invasion of other countries, but for the defense of our own, not for the gratification of our private interests but for public security." – General Nathaniel Greene

Notes from JWR:

The queue for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is now full. There will be two entries posted each evening between now and January 31st. Any entries received this week will be posted and judged in Round 33, which begins on February 1st.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 32 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 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 “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 32 ends on January 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.

Incorporating Preparedness into Your Everyday Lifestyle, by Mike M.

My foray into prepping began over a decade ago after I became hopelessly lost in the Adirondack Mountains.  My birthday falls on October 24th and on this particular year, the day was uncharacteristically warm.  I felt the urge to take advantage of my good fortune by scouting out some new area for the upcoming deer season.  Telling no one of my intentions that day, I jumped into my four-door beater sedan that I fondly called “The Kevorkian” and resolved to boldly go where no man had gone before.  I went off the beaten path and drove the Kevorkian down some back roads that snaked their way through the Adirondack’s 6.1 million acres of woods.  I parked along the side of the road, locked the door, and walked into the woods wearing a T-shirt and jeans. I did not have a map, a GPS, or even a compass. I had no food, water, or anything remotely resembling survival gear.  I made up for this by carrying mass quantities of hubris and I would almost pay for my youthful indiscretion with my life. I wandered the rugged terrain for a few hours when I came to the base of what could be interchangeably termed a large hill or small mountain. After reaching the top I stopped to look around and catch my breath. The trees at the top were so crowded that there was no view to speak of.  Having walked for several hours now, I decided I had gone far enough and it was time to go home. I tried to find the side of the mountain that I came up to retrace my steps and panic suddenly welled up in me as I realized that I couldn’t.  In case you have never experienced the initial feeling of fear that comes with realizing you are lost in a 6 million acre forest then it is worth a superficial description. There is a characteristic lump in the throat that makes swallowing as difficult as getting conjoined twins into a kayak. Then there is the very fascinating sensation of your sphincter muscle loosening without your express or implied permission. This gives way to sweating like your diffusing a grenade and a heart rate that is higher than…. Well.. Something that is really high. The initial shock and fear passed after several minutes and gave way to a moment of clarity. I sat down and developed a plan. I oriented myself using the sun and walked in as straight of a line as I could until I found a river. I followed this river until I saw some posted signs and then, after about 15 miles and several hours of walking, I came upon a house just before dark. I knocked on the door and was almost in tears when a man opened it.  I explained that I was lost and had been walking all day. After conferring with the man as to my location, I determined that I had been walking parallel to the road I parked on for the last 12 miles.  I walked back to my car and returned home that night more exhausted than I’d ever been but with a tremendous sense of relief. The seeds of a prepper lifestyle were sown that day and I’ve thought long and hard about how different the outcome of day’s events could have gone had I chosen a different azimuth.

Over the years I have researched survivalism in great depth.  The bug began with wilderness survival but has since branched out to disaster preparedness. I have made numerous bug out bags and mini carry kits in altoid tins and small cigar tins. The issue is that every time I wake up and get dressed I must make a conscious decision to place that item in my pocket and inevitably, it would be forgotten and left at home. My philosophies have since changed to try and incorporate survival and preparedness items into my every day carry items. Lets discuss everyday wear or carry items common to most people and what can be incorporated into them:

SHOES: Merrill hiking sneakers are my everyday shoe. I removed the laces and measured out an identical length of seven-strand 550 [nylon parachute] cord and melted the ends with a lighter so that they don’t fray. These laces have held up extremely well and they represent almost 50 feet of usable cordage with the strands removed. 550 cord comes in numerous colors to match your shoes or boots and is an indispensable asset to have in many survival situations. Next, I purchased several ferrocerium rods of varying lengths and diameters through an Internet wholesaler. These rods are also called “Swedish steel” or “metal matches” by some and they are able to create sparks when scraped with a sharp edge. I removed the inserts from my Merrill hiking shoes and cut out the outline of a small rod roughly 1/8 inch in diameter and 2.5 inches in length into the bottom of the sole. The rod fits perfectly in place and after the sole was reinserted, I couldn’t feel it at all. I duct taped a small two inch piece of jig saw blade to the bottom of the other shoe underneath the sole in the heel area. I made sure the duct tape fully covered the blade and that the blade lay perfectly flat on the heel portion so that when the arch flexed the blade did not try to dig into my foot. The square edge of this small jigsaw blade is what will be used to scrape the metal match to create a spark. Both additions add virtually no noticeable weight and did not change the feel at all. This will enable me to start a fire almost anywhere and they work even after being submerged in water.

WALLET/PURSE: My wallet contains a Victorinox Swiss Army Card. These are the same dimensions as standard credit card but a little thicker. These great little gadgets give you scissors, tweezers, a knife, pen, light, toothpick, and magnifying glass. In addition to this I carry some individually wrapped water purification tablets and an unlubricated condom. In a crunch, you can place the condom inside a sock to hold a quart of water and then add the iodine tablet to it.  A few Band-Aids and packet of triple-antibiotic ointment finish off the wallet. If you happen to be a woman and you carry a purse on a daily basis then you are not nearly as limited as the average guy. Man bags and fanny packs seem to be an assault to the masculinity of most of us men but if you are willing to sacrifice your dignity for the sake of preparedness, then God bless you. Purses or Maxpedition bags can carry a huge amount of survival gear to include some food and water. These can be set up more like a small bug out bag. Comprehensive lists for bug out bags can be found all over the Internet and as such it is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that a purse gives a woman a huge opportunity to prepare for almost any need i.e. First aid, self defense, food, water, shelter, communications, etc.

KEYCHAIN: Key chains may not be the most discreet way to carry survival gear but they are one of those ubiquitous items that we always seem to have on our person regardless of where we go. This makes them an ideal candidate for our discussion. I recommend using a carabiner to hold your keys since they hold more gear and are a valuable survival item. Make sure they are rated to handle a load. The spine will typically say “not load bearing” or “not for climbing” on the spine if it is not. Let’s discuss the gadgets you can have on your keychain         

FLASHLIGHTS: There are numerous flashlights to be found that are designed to be small and fit on a keychain. With the advent of the LED and their improvements in technology, there is no reason not to carry a small LED flashlight on your key chain. It is an inexpensive and inconspicuous way to ensure that you have enough light at night to cope with a survival situation. A caveat is to ensure you only purchase a light that be locked or switched into the on position. I made the mistake of purchasing a small light that would only illuminate if I held the button down. This meant that I would only have one free hand to start a fire or engage in other life saving tasks. Having a light that can be switched on ensures you can free up both hands.  Some of these lights even have little clips that can mount to your hat so you don’t have to hold the light with your teeth.

MEDICINE: Waterproof pill bottles designed for your keychain can found all over the internet and in most drug stores. These can house critical medication like nitroglycerin tablets if you have a heart condition. I have water purification tablets in one, aspirin and anti-diarrheal in another and a small fishing kit in a third. Of course waterproof matches can be fit in these containers as well.  I warn you not to place so much gear on your keychain that it creates the temptation to remove things. The entire idea behind this is to seamlessly integrate survival gear into your everyday lifestyle so that it is there when you need it and it does not involve consciously deciding to carry it. You may have to create a cover story for your friends when they ask why you carry so much “junk” on your keychain but remember that it is only “junk” to the uninitiated we call “sheeple”.          

MISCELLANY: You can also carry a small compass, multi-tool, whistle, pepper-spray (where legal), pocket knife, or Swedish steel (redundant to what’s in your shoe) if you so desire. My advice is to conduct a web search on the phrase “Keychain survival kit” and see what is out there. You will be amazed by what your find.

BELT: There are numerous plans on the Internet for making your own belt out of 550 cord. They look great and involve using a “double cobra stitch”. It took me about 15 minutes to learn the technique from the Internet and then about five hours one evening to make my first belt. I have since made three and they are an awesome piece of gear. The belt will give you about 75 feet of 550 cord depending on your waist size. There are two other belts that have survival value. The first is the rigger’s belt. These can be found at most Army/Navy stores or easily on the Internet. They can be used with your carabiner keychain (if rated for load) and some cordage to belay you if necessary. The second is the money belt. These belts have hidden pockets inconspicuously sewn in and you can hold emergency money or small items of survival gear.

WATCH: I have a Timex compass watch, which as the name implies, has a built in compass. The triple sensor watches like the Casio Pathfinder give you a compass, barometer, and altimeter in addition to the other functions. If you don’t own a compass watch then consider adding a compass to the band as an afterthought. [JWR Adds: If your watch has a steel case, you will of course need to remove the compass from the watchband before using it, to avoid a directional error.] My favorite watch is my Polimaster PM1208. It serves as a radiation detector and dosimeter in addition to telling time and looks just like any other watch. I am an active duty Marine and it is comforting to know that I have the ability to tell if I am being exposed to radiation and how much. This watch is very sensitive and actually detects the increase in background radiation I experience every time I fly.  There is a newer version out currently called the PM1208M. These watches are pricey but I have been thoroughly impressed with all my dealings with Polimaster and I believe they are worth the cost.

My wife would occasionally ask me why I needed something that I was carrying. My response was always the same “You don’t need something until you need something”.  My mind inevitably wanders back to the day I was lost in the woods and I think of how different things would be today. Set up your gear so that you will have it with you by default and you will never find yourself in a situation where you are kicking yourself for leaving it at home when your need it.

Formulating a Get Home Plan, by Doug in Virginia

There’s plenty of talk on this and other internet sites and blogs about get-home-bags.  What’s in yours? What’s in mine?  What should be in there, what should not.    All of it good information and some quite thought provoking.   I really don’t understand the folks that need fishing hooks and line in their get home bag (GHB), but then again everyone’s circumstances are different.   Just like “bugging out” implies a sense of urgency, to me getting home is just as urgent and I’m probably not going to stop and do any fishing.  I have no plans to “bug out” without a place to go.  But wherever I am, I will need to get home.  In addition to my get-home-bag, I need a plan.

I won’t pretend to have all the answers.  What I have are a lot of questions I hope will encourage you to formulate your get-home-plan.  I hope my hypothetical situation and queries will cause you to think of things and begin formulating decision points now, before you have to decide.

Consider that things are mostly normal.  Your two parent two children, 1 dog family is as typical as can be.  Both parents work and both children are in school.  You’re both preppers and you’ve got your bug-out-bag and your get-home-bag.  You’ve got food, water, fuel and the means to defend it.  Then on a random and typical Tuesday at 2:00 pm the world changes when a series of high altitude EMP detonations occur.    Now, I’m not expert in EMPs, and I can’t seem to find a definitive answer either.  Some say that an EMP will “fry” all electronics.  Some say cars and trucks will with electronic ignition and computers will be dead.  Others contradict this.  Others will add that the cars and trucks will be immune from the EMP if they weren’t running.  Some say airplanes will fall from the sky.  Others disagree, and say the planes will be fine but air traffic control, radio, and radar failures will be the cause of air disasters.  I don’t think we really know, and I don’t think we’ll find out till it happens.  Let’s assume the worst.  Let’s consider for now that after the EMP, everything electronic is dead.   The lights go out, the computers all crash at work, the heat or air conditioning is down.  While everyone wonders what happened you look at your cell phone and it’s blank also.  You pickup the phone in your office and there is no dial tone.  Someone in the workplace turns on a battery powered radio and if it works at all, it only picks up static.  You look out the window and cars are stopped and the traffic lights not working.   As co-workers are asking “what happened” you know that we’ve suddenly been plunged into the 1860s.  


Now what?   Here you are at work.  Your spouse is at work.  The children are in school.  How do you get home?  How do you get in touch with your spouse?  Who goes to get the children?  Will the school hold the children till someone comes for them?  Are the children in the same school or different schools?  Do you go for one child and your spouse the other?  Did you pre-arrange this?  What about the teachers at school.  They want to go to their home and family.  They’re as confused as everyone else and want to just get home.  Do you expect them to stay at school and maintain custody of your children?  Will the teachers divide them into groups and take them home?  How would you know?  How would you know where your child went?   Would the school turn the children out and hope the big kids will take the little kids home?   Can you imagine the panic?

Before we go on, let’s reacquaint ourselves with the 10-80-10 statistic.  This statistic asserts that in any given disaster or crisis, 10% of the people will perish because at a critical moment they either made the wrong choice, or were so gripped by panic and indecision, as to hasten their demise.  Eighty percent of the people are looking for direction.  They know things aren’t right, but because they’ve never been in this situation before, they don’t know what to do.  These folks are looking for leadership.  The final 10% assess the situation, pull themselves together and implement a plan, direct others, and survive.

Let’s continue.  Are you going to walk home?  By yourself?  Or are you going to posse up with others at work that live in your direction?  Will you leave now, or wait awhile to see what happens? Will you wait for the weather to improve?  How far home is it? How long does that take in ideal conditions?  How long will that take under these circumstances?  How does the time it takes to get home, impact your thoughts on the children and the school?   Will you walk part way and stay at a co-workers house overnight?  Can you do that with the unanswered questions about the children and your spouse?  What about the weather and time of year.  If it’s in the winter, darkness comes early and you’ll be walking in the cold and dark.  In the summer it may be a long hot walk.  Do you leave or wait?   Will it be safe for you to leave now, or wait until dark? Until 2 a.m.?  

Do you shelter in place at work?  Could you stay there not knowing what the status of your spouse and children is?  Do you have any provisions in your desk or locker at work to eat or drink?   What if an “authority person” (a manager, principal, security guard, etc) told you to stay in the building.  What if they said something to the effect: “You’re safer here than outside.  We should shelter in place until we have more information.  We’re waiting on instructions from the authorities.”  Would you defy this advice?  It might be advice given in such a manner as to intimidate you into compliance.   Is this the leadership and advice that 80% of your coworkers were waiting for? 

What about your car?  Are there things in your car you may need going home?  Extra sunglasses, a hat, a flashlight, sneakers from your gym bag, etc.  Your canvas grocery bags would make extra totes for the walk home.  Will you need them?   Are there things in your car that you should remove?  Things that have your name, and address on them.  Do you need to “sanitize” your car before you abandon it?.  Do you leave a note in the window that you left on this date and started walking home?   Are there things in your workplace you can borrow to make the trip home easier?  Fill your water bottles, grab some toilet paper, grab the coat out of so-and-so’s office.  Some trash bags from the office  will make an emergency poncho.  Do you need one?  Will you need one on the walk home?    What about that posse you formed to walk home?  Who’s in the group?  You know that the pregnant young woman is going to slow you down.  Can you turn your back on the pregnant 28 year old and head for home?  Her husband left last month on his second deployment to Afghanistan.  Is she still on her own?  The man weeks from retirement that works with you and lives a few miles away is also going to slow you down.  Are they on their own?   If some of the lesser-prepared members of your posse want to loot a more comfortable pair of shoes for the walk then would you agree with that behavior?  Do you wait for them or keep moving?   

What will you encounter on your walk home?   Some cars will be stopped in travel lanes.  Others will have drifted to the shoulder.  Others will have crashed.  Will people be hurt?  Will you stop and help?  Are they legitimately hurt or is it a trap?  People may be stranded along the road confused wondering what happened to everything.  Will you walk on by or have them join your group?  Will you walk the same route you drive or take short cuts through parks, power line right of ways, railroads, and neighborhoods breaking away from your group?   What is your walk-home from work route?   Can you walk it in the dark?   

What do you do when you arrive home and although 20 hours after the event, and you are the first one from your family there?  

Now, replay my series of questions with this assumption:  My car is fine and it will take me home, however, all power and communications are dead.  Stores are dark and without power.  Gas stations closed and without power.  Cell phones and land-lines are dead.   Do you keep enough fuel in the car to get home?  What about the lack of traffic signals, will there be crashes and massive congestion?  Do you have a different, perhaps longer or slower (but less likely to be congested), route home?  

Replay the scenario again, but this time you’re on vacation with your family, starting about 500 miles from home.  

I have lots of questions and no answers for you.  Your answers are different than mine.  Your situation is different from mine.  I’m working on finding my answers to my own questions, hoping it’s all a mental exercise, fearful that it isn’t. 

I hope you’ll reflect on the circumstances I described and begin developing your plan.   In closing, I’d like to add that getting home might be a secondary objective.  It could be that it makes more sense for everyone in your family to get someplace else first, a rally point, and as a group head home from there.  Explore your situation.  Look for solutions.  Talk it out. Formulate a plan.

Letter Re: Low Cost EMP Protection for Electronic Gear

Jim,
While working on my preps I found electrical specifications in the data sheet for the mylar-foil bags I was investigating for my food storage.  This reminded me that many computer components (e.g., motherboards, hard disk drives, and expansion cards) are packaged in mylar-foil bags for ESD protection.  I reasoned that since the ESD protection is provided by the conductive foil layer in the bag one should be able to use the same mylar-foil bags as Faraday cages to protect electronic devices and components from EMP.

One of the perks of my engineering career at defense contractor is that I work with genuine experts who deal with EMI and EMP issues on a regular basis.  I ran my mylar-foil Faraday cage idea past a co-worker to make sure I wasn’t missing something.  In addition to designing EMP hardened equipment this individual is very like-minded with respect to survival and TEOTWAWKI topics.  His response was that the mylar-foil bags offer good protection against EMP events due to their continuous and highly-conductive foil layer.

I think that mylar-foil bags offer several advantages when compared to the commonly recommended popcorn tins and ammo cans.  First and foremost, sealed mylar-foil bags provide the water resistance near that of an ammo can without the bulk and weight.  With one bag you can protect the gear in your BOB from both moisture and EMP!  Also, the mylar-foil bags can be much more space efficient, especially for irregular shaped devices.  Finally, these bags are inexpensive.  Even if you don’t have extras left over from your food preps you can visit your local computer store and usually find an assortment of them for the cost of your time.  

If you choose to use salvaged bags make sure to stick with the mylar-foil style ESD bags.  Avoid the bags that are clear, pink, or blue and those with printed patterns of conductive ink.  If you can find them, I would recommend the mylar-foil bags with “zip-lock” style seals.  These will allow one to periodically rotate the rechargeable batteries in their emergency gear without consuming material in the resealing process.  

A word of warning: DO NOT use electronics grade mylar-foil bags for food storage!  Bags that are not made specifically “food grade” for food storage may contain harmful chemicals and compounds that could leech into your food.

Many thanks for the great blog! Sincerely, – Kron

Letter Re: Minimizing Generator Noise

Hi Jim and readers,
After reading C.J.’s piece mentioning the negative attention he got from generator noise. I recalled how we reduced that awful noise in Viet Nam. We built a sand bag wall up about four feet high making an enclosure large enough to work around the generator comfortably for servicing and over lapped the door with a sand bag return wall, This insured good noise discipline, and a better work environment. The enclosure also makes an good firing position. Modern generators are nowhere near as noisy as the old Army 1.5, 5, or 10 KW generators, but the noise was reduced enough for us to be fairly confident it would not attract negative attention. With modern generator sets, the noise is way less than what we dealt with in the Army. Now, our military uses extremely quiet diesel generator sets.  But if you have an issue with noise, which would be a negative thing in a retreat environment. Thy the above trick and it will give you more confidence in your retreat environment. Also being able to hear other sounds besides the steady whine of an engine is very important when you life depends on it. Blessings, – Dave of Oregon