Letter Re: How Can I Make and Store Dog Food?

James,
I read the blog regularly and have noticed people mentioning the value of having a large dog on a property–for protection, extra set of ears, etc. Having recently purchased a German Shepherd puppy and seeing the costs of dog food rising, plus the looming dangers of hyperinflation and disruptions of supply chains, I’m wondering if anyone out there can share the recipe for a nutritious food for a large breed puppy/dog–especially a food that can be made from common items and stored. Otherwise, when the storm hits I may have a great dog, and no suitable food for her. Probably many people out there are wondering the same thing. Thanks for all that you do to assist people like me. – Scott S. in Colorado

JWR Replies: Dog food–as we now know it–didn’t become popular until after World War II. Dogs didn’t starve before then, although their diets were not nearly as uniform as they are in the present day. In the old days dogs were just fed table scraps, butcher scraps, and the occasional excess milk and eggs (in judicious quantities, of course, to avoid making a dog vomit.) Most dogs can revert to this traditional diet, especially if the transition is made gradually, over the course of a couple of weeks. Here is an illustration: Two decades ago, The Memsahib and I temporarily foster-homed a “rescue” Great Dane that at first refused to any dog dog food unless it had fried beef livers mixed in with it. Transitioning that pampered pooch took more than a month. My first attempt at having it just going “cold turkey” was a failure, as the dog starved itself for three days. Bad idea! So then I decided to just gradually reduce the amount of beef liver that it got each day. By the third week, it was down to just a bit of beef liver juices. I simultaneously tapered its daily ration by 30%, to increase the dog’s appetite. Finally, after a month, the dog was on a pure diet of moistened dry dog food, and was soon back to a full ration.

There are are several recipes for “do it yourself” dog food on the Internet, but in my estimation, that is only a stopgap, for true preparedness. There is no way to store enough dog food for a couple of large dogs for an extended disaster situation unless you have a huge budget. And unless you live in a permafrost zone, this would also require a huge backup generator and a couple of chest freezers. That just isn’t practical for most of us. You really need to be ready to transition your dog to a traditional diet. This necessitates keeping a two month supply of your dog’s currently-used food on hand, to effect a diet transition. In warm climates, rancidity can be a problem, so if possible store two-thirds of this supply in a food grade plastic bag, in your freezer and rotate it, just as you do your other frozen foods.

Using the worst cuts left over from our from deer and elk butchering, (such as the strips from between ribs, and pieces from near the knee joint that are too sinewy to include in our elk-burger and Bambi-burger), I have made “dog jerky”. This is made just like any jerky for human consumption but with a bit less salty brine, and no fancy seasonings. As with our other jerky, it is dried in our old workhorse nine-tray Excalibur dehydrator. If you will be feeding a dog jerked dry meats that are lean (such as venison or rabbit), then don’t neglect adding essential fats and oils. You should do so only shortly before they are used. (Again, to minimize risk of rancidity.) OBTW, some of my dehydrator recommendations as well as some important notes on fats and oils are included in my “Rawles Gets You Ready” family preparedness course.

Most of our stored cooking oil here at the ranch is in the form of frozen olive oil, and a bit of coconut oil. We’ve never had problem with plastic oil bottles rupturing, when frozen. Most of our stored fats are in the form of butter, again, frozen in our chest freezer. But we plan to experiment with using some canned New Zealand butter, next year. (That is available from several SurvivalBlog advertisers, at a surprisingly affordable price, considering that it is shipped from the other side of the planet.)

When times get Schumeresque, I plan to transition our dogs to a diet of table scraps, dog jerky, and butcher scraps. This will be supplemented with small amounts of excess milk and eggs from the barnyard. Oh, and one word of warning: Never let a dog watch you break eggs and put them over its food. Dogs are intelligent! Crack the eggs, whisk them, and pour them over the dog’s food, while the dog is in another room. You do not want to train your doge to become an egg thief!

Wound Irrigation in Austere Environments

TEOTWAWKI will result in a lot of wounds, including not just lacerations but scrapes and burns as well.  These will happen regardless of if the injury is the result of a disaster or if post-crash efforts lead to injury.  This is bad enough, but you could be in even more trouble if infection sets into one of these wounds. 

A lot of preparedness/survival-types focus on suturing, including having access to suture material and instruments to allow for laceration repair. While this is all well and good, you shouldn’t focus too much on actual wound repair without first being sure that you can provide wound closure with minimal risk for infection. Additionally, abrasions and burns are also at risk for infection and will benefit from good cleaning.

For any wound, infection prevention after injury consists of “irrigation” because as the poison control folks say: when it comes to pollution, dilution is the solution!  Irrigation not only aids in prevention of infection, but also increases the chances of a wound healing without too much pain, functional impact or cosmetic disfigurement.

What should you use to irrigate wounds? In most health-care settings, sterile solutions such as saline are used. Under the best of circumstances, these are expensive. After the Schumer hits the fan, they will probably be in very short supply. If you have access to stored saline, you are in good shape, but what happens if it has run out or you don’t have any?  Lucky for us, there are alternatives.
One “solution” is to make saline with water treated with bleach.  Clean contact lens solution, bottled water or tap water can be treated with household bleach, resulting in a solution that is sterile and non-toxic. The residual bleach may actually have bacteria killing effects as well.  Simply add a tablespoon of table salt to each gallon of clean water to make a suitable solution for wound irrigation. 

There are even options if the grid is down and we can’t rely on delivery of clean water, either from a tap or in a bottle.  Military doctors in one study took surface water from lakes, ponds and creeks. The water was “non-turbid”, so you may need to let it settle and/or filter it.  Next, they treated it with 1 teaspoon (or 5 mL) of common household bleach in each liter of water. This killed 99% of the bacteria in the samples, and even the 1% left was thought to be contamination from the air picked up during testing. Their technique gives us a field-expedient method for obtaining water suitable for irrigation of wounds.
You can also purchase distilled water in advance, store it at room temperature, and make your own irrigation fluid later simply by adding salt (a tablespoon, again) to each gallon.  When stored in a refrigerator at or below 48°, home-made solutions like this were sterile at least 3 weeks after they were made. Theoretically, using sterile (bleach-treated) water derived from the sources above could even be used in place of distilled water as well.  Thus you can replace expensive or unavailable sterile saline without buying it from your pharmacy. Researchers used this fluid safely as peritoneal (abdominal) dialysis fluid as well. 

You don’t need to worry about adding antibiotic to the irrigation solution either.  A physician from the University of Missouri showed that patients with compound fractures of their legs did better if they were treated with irrigation solutions made from non-sterile tap water and Castile Soap rather than water containing bacitracin, a common antibiotic.  Researchers from SUNY-Buffalo also showed that straight tap water was just as effective as sterile saline irrigation in preventing infections in lacerations closed in their emergency room. [JWR Adds: Castile soap is multi-purpose, and a has a long shelf life. Stock up. watch for it a discount stores, or find discount Internet vendors. Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Castile soap is a standby, here ate the ranch.]

Once you have your solution prepared, you need to use it to wash the wound. In general, burns and abrasions should be washed until they’re free of visible dirt. Lacerations, on the other hand, may need a little bit more work: It’s best to irrigate them through a syringe and intravenous catheter or needle such that you get good pressure, in order to the blast germs out of the wound. The textbook standard is 50 mL per centimeter of length; this converts to about 4 ounces for each inch long the wound is (not how deep it is.)  Obviously, if the wound was grossly contaminated, you need to make sure to rinse it under pressure (ideally with pulsatile flow like from a WaterPik) until the wound is clean, with no foreign bodies left behind. Only then should you think about suturing a wound closed. [JWR Adds: Wound drainage is subject unto itself. My general advice, based on that reiterated by several experienced trauma doctors that have contributed to SurvivalBlog is to delay wound closure for an extended period, and even then a drainage tube should be left in place, even longer.]

If you don’t have a suitable syringe and catheter set-up for irrigation, one austere alternative is the ubiquitous 2 liter soda bottle; just be sure to clean it well beforehand, and don’t use one that held anything besides drinks!  Next, drill two small (1/16th inch, for example) about 1/8th inch apart in the lid.  Put your solution in the bottle and then cap it tightly with your modified.  Now, simply squeeze the bottle while sweeping the stream across the wound.  Keep in mind that if you don’t know the person is free of disease that you must use personal protective equipment to protect you from body fluids.
Finally, in a severe pinch, remember that we all have our own supply of sterile saline with us:  yes, I am talking about urine.  Dr. Gene Lam, then a Battalion Surgeon in the US Army, was held captive by North Korea.  He describes many ingenious and heroic medical improvisations, including use of urine to rinse off burns and other wounds.  Just be sure that the person “donating” the urine has no pain or burning on urination, cloudy or bloody urine, or other signs of bladder/kidney/urinary infection.  Place it in your irrigation container and use it immediately as well. 

All of the aforementioned techniques are only for a truly Schumeresque situation!  If you have access to the usual care systems, that is the way to go.  Otherwise, if you must provide your own wound care, the cornerstone of good care is meticulous wound preparation with copious irrigation. When you’re in the Schumer, making your own irrigation fluid will work in place of commercially made irrigation solutions and gives a lot of advantages in the fight against infected wounds.

Influenza Pandemic Update:

Andre sent this from Radio Nederland: Madagascar! Slovakia closes borders with flu-hit Ukraine

Bobbi-Sue mentioned that respected surgeon and fiction author Robin Cook thinks a mix of avian and swine flu could be the next global plague on the scale of the Black Death. In a piece in Foreign Policy magazine, he details why.

Belarus Has 1/4 Million Swine Flu Cases

Suspect H1N1 Death in Romania on Border With Ukraine

US Pandemic Options Include Crippling Home Modems

WHO Silence On Ukraine Sequences Raise Pandemic Concerns “In the days post shipment, cases in Ukraine have quadrupled to over 1 million and the reported fatalities have grown from 30 to 174. The clinical presentation of 90 of the fatalities was classical H1N1 linked hemorrhagic pneumonia, which led to the “total destruction” of both lungs. These fatal cases were hospitalized 3-7 days after disease onset, highlighting the rapid progression of the infection in a large number of patients, suggesting genetic changes in the H1N1 virus.”

Over 2,000 Health Care Workers In Ukraine Ill

1918 RBD Polymorphisms In Ukraine H1N1
Ukraine: Over 1 Million Cases

WHO: Animals Need to Be Closely Monitored for Flu. Swine flu found in Denmark mink.

Spread of Swine Flu in Ireland “Intense”

Economics and Investing:

Reader O.J.W. spotted this: Why the price of gold is rising

Ryan mentioned this: Report: 10 states face looming budget disasters

Jason H. and “Oxy” were the first of dozen readers to mention this article: Peak Gold? Barrick shuts hedge book as world gold supply runs out

Items from The Economatrix:

Fed Officials Warn Weak Recovery Won’t Spur Jobs

Why Gold is Shining Brighter

Gold Bars Selling Like Hotcakes at Harrod’s

Gold Hits New Record, Now Eyes US $1200

Jim Willie: Ultimate Conditions for Recovery

Failure Written into “Too Big” Policy

Job Openings Remain Close to Record Lows

FDIC Boss: Big Banks Still Aren’t Lending Enough

Median Home Prices Fell in 80% of US Metro Areas in 3Q

Senate Dems Move to Curb Fed’s Power

Housing Plan Reaches 1 in 5 Borrowers

Ex-BofE Kingpin Says Don’t Buy US Treasuries as Fed May Raise Interest Rate

Odds ‘n Sods:

D.F. in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula suggested this solar homesteading and woodworking web site: ManyTracks

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Jimmy suggested a YouTube clip on inexpensive heat and light: A Common Man’s Grease Lamp. It uses Australian beeswax and petroleum jelly mix, sold under the brand name Murray’s Beeswax. Buy a jar for each of your survival kits. OBTW, it will likely melt in a hot car trunk, so be sure to store each jar in two thicknesses of Ziploc bags. Or, if you live in a hot climate, perhaps re-pack your supply in a small water-tight container with an o-ring seal, like a Pelican micro case. (That is somethimg that I already carry my tinder and matches in, as part of my outdoor survival kit.) Stock up before the US Dollar slips further against the Aussie Dollar.

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Another State (Ohio) Introduces Firearms Freedom Act, similar to those enacted in Tennessee and Montana.

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this: Power for U.S. From Russia’s Old Nuclear Weapons

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint." – Isaiah 40:31

Letter Re: It Takes a Village for Perimeter Security

Jim:
I’ve been reading your blog for some months and went out and purchased “Patriots” as soon as I learned about it. Good job, I very much enjoyed it and will probably read again and again as I often do with books I enjoy.

After reading your ‘Precepts’, I thought I would drop you a note. because I have always appreciated anyone that agrees with me.

First, I am a retired cop and a retired soldier so I have studied people in one career and weapons and equipment in another. I have been to a number of Third World countries and learned that what we have now is unbelievably good and where we might be going is will be unbelievably, well, sad.

I decided a very long time ago that the best place to live for my family would be a rural town. I did not want kids to grow up in an urban setting and having grown up myself in a suburban setting, I didn’t want to inflict that on them either.

So we moved. It was a shock at first. The nearest fast food was almost twenty miles away in any direction and the nearest traffic light is seventeen miles away, even today, twenty-five years later.

The town I chose was twenty miles from the nearest Interstate and even a couple of miles from nearest state highway. It is in the center of one the largest agricultural areas in the country and has its own grain elevator and storage business.

That means at any time of the year, there are upwards of 5,000 tons of corn and soybean stored within the town limits. You know, “the perimeter”.

I had often thought that if given the means, I would like to own a house on a hilltop with cleared fields of fire and a view of the surrounding area. But that wasn’t practical and as time has proven, it wasn’t even smart.

If you’re going to have a survival retreat, it would be best if you already lived there. If the necessity ever arose, I don’t think I would want to have to fight my way out of the city or suburbs.

In “Patriots”, you describe a survival group that spent a great deal of time preparing for the “what if?” I did the same thing but I chose was to have all those skills that you searched for and recruited all ready present.

Farm communities already have a host of survival skills that are needed ready made. In our town, of less than a thousand, are welders (and equipment) fabricators (and their tools) food, fuel, military veterans, plenty of weapons and folks that have already spent a lot of times together dealing with blizzards, electrical storms, and power outages and all those things that bind a small community together.

We have some good people here and should the occasion arise, I think we could make a pretty good stand. Organization is key, of course. To that end, I have been active in the town in the past , my last police job before going back in the Army was Chief of Police here. I made a pretty good name for myself and I continue to help out in the town whenever I can.

Someone that I have absolutely no respect for once said, “it takes a village” and in this case, she was right. We are far away from the nearest urban areas, have food and water available and our folks every day work skills translate very quickly into survival skills.

I wanted to share the thought because I think most people who are planning to attempt to escape from the urban areas when the SHTF may be much better served if they would make that escape before it happens. My very best to you, – JCH

Letter Re: The List of Lists

Jim:
I’m writing this to thank you for your blog, novel and preparedness course. Reading those has revitalized my prepping efforts, which had gone dormant since Y2K fizzled. Since then, I had the nagging feeling that I should be preparing, but I wasn’t–until I stumbled across your novel in a local bookstore. Then I got back on track. (BTW, it was mis-shelved in with the “how-to” books! Or maybe it wasn’t mis-shelved, since its a novel that doesn’t fit any mold!) And it wasn’t until I read through your “Rawles Gets You Ready” course that I had any real sense of priorities. If I had to name just one thing that I found the most useful in all you’ve written, it would be your big “List of Lists”, which you have as a part of your prepping course. Those lists really helped me to crystallize exactly what I had to do, and in what priority. Like you suggested, I’m custom tailoring my lists, to match up with my locale. (I live at 5,900-foot elevation, which makes gardening a huge challenge. I’m heavy into sprouting, these days.)

I’m now working my way back through your blog’s archives. I’m amazed at how much is there, and all with the level of detail to do really concrete things to get ready. The thing I love about your blog and your prep course is that it is all hard facts, and tested ways of doing things by people that have “been there, done that”–not just vague generality and “this might work” sorts of guesses. Thank you, Jim, ever so much! – Stan in Colorado

Letter Re: Why I Began to Prepare

James Wesley,
In September 2008 a chain of events began which got me thinking about food storage and survival. Living in a small bedroom community to a moderately large city we’ve always had food, water and electricity, except for an occasional day or so when we have a storm. However things changed when Hurricane Ike rolled through the Ohio Valley (along the Ohio river). We had power outages and destruction city-wide of the magnitude of what you would normally see from a tornado that hits part of the town. But in this case a city of 1.5 million was without power for weeks and 24 Kroger’s grocery stores had to throw out all perishable food in dumpsters and were closed for close to a week. Add all of the businesses and school and transportation closings food wasn’t being delivered. Although our problems were never as bad as Katrina or Galveston it really drove home that we were not prepared.

During the storm I couldn’t stop thinking of “my kids”, Boy Scouts in the poorer part of the town. They had no utilities and little food. I was a day away from taking a cook stove and setting up a mini food kitchen at a church near where they live. But what could I buy in bulk at Sam’s that they could cook on a fire for them live off of? Rice and beans, beans and rice, as Dave Ramsey says. (But I hate Dave’s arrogance).

An then the stock market crashed 9/29/08. So in three weeks what was a reality only on television had come to my town… to my front door. A probable economic meltdown. A lousy choice of Presidential candidates, one that was very anti gun, and the other that was looking to close the “gun show loophole” as well as not being versed in the world political arena. It felt like end times.

As the man of the house I realized how ill prepared I was to take care of my family. I had been talking about the future of gun control due to our potential next president but I didn’t have food storage or anything resembling survival preparedness on my radar.

In the beginning months I have put several $100 of short term food, can goods, bags of rice, beans, sugar, salt, etc “on the shelf”. I bought two Mosin rifles and then to celebrate the election of our new anti-gun President I went out and bought an AR-15 the day after the election. Then I bought an AK and then I bought another AK, then I bought son .22’s and on and on.

I began adding a few hundred worth of food each month to “the bunker” as we jokingly call the garage. My wife is actually impressed that we will have food on the shelf that she can go get when she doesn’t have something in the house. The goal of course is to pack away a year of food supply and then some.

As far as long term food I did order and receive 2 of the 5 gallon sealed Red Wheat buckets, but at about $150 delivered for both it will be slow for me to stock the long term, air sealed, supplies.

One of the first things I ordered was a dozen 100 hour emergency candles from BePrepared.com. Being a Boy Scout for over 40 years made be appreciate their domain name, but the final price of $3 each got me to order from them. I also got a very nice wheat grinder from them too. I looked at a lot of wheat grinders on the Internet but in the end came back to BePreparred.com and trusted their expertise and recommendation and ordered from them.

Next I just purchased received two of the Vario Katadyn Dual water filtration water filter hand pumps. As we do a little backpacking and camping I felt I could justify them with the wife. By the way the Katadyn’s came from ManventureOutpost.com.

Now a few times over the first 12 months of prepping I’ve ordered Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers and diatomaceous earth from SurvivalUnlimited.com. I purchased got a 20” 5mm bag sealer from DougCare.com. I’m now vacuum bagging many food items as well as stocking spices, cereals and other supplies like matches and such.

I’ve also read a lot in many forums about survival guns and have standardized the majority of my firepower on 9mm handguns and rifles, 12 gauge shotguns and a 22 rifle and 22 pistol for small food hunting. For 9mm handguns I already had two Rugers and a Kel-Tec pistols but I did add a nice Springfield XD9 to the collection. I’ve since been blessed to purchase a Springfield XD9 subcompact, which is now my carry gun. On the rifle side I also wanted to stick with 9mm and already had a Highpoint 9mm carbine, so I picked up an Olympic Arms AR-15 in 9mm [Parabellum]. For a shotgun I went with the Mossberg 500 Deer and Field 12 gauge with two barrels which is at Dick’s for $340. My son has a Remington 870. In the 22 family and I chose a Savage 22 LR Bolt action and a Savage semi-auto, each about $160 at Dick’s. For the pistol I got a 22 Ruger Mark III which I believe many forums list as a very reliable 22. My son and I also bought a few Mosin Nagant M44 rifles (WWII Russian surplus we bought at $80 each). We had been buying 300 round tins of 7.62 x54r ammo for $64 a tin every few months which now are selling for about $100 a tin. This are great rifles and a blast to shot. Many armies used a variation of these rifles for over 75 years and they have proven to be very reliable and extremely accurate at 300+ yards. Now that I have met my basic armory equipment list the goal is to sock away about 10,000 rounds of each cartridge or shotshell. After I get this all laid in and my year food supply then I’ll come back and look at different caliber guns, but for now I want to keep the ammo shopping list simple. The other thing I’m looking to do is duplicate all of the guns I purchase so I have parts if I have a breakdown of any kind. On my shopping list is to purchase a 5.56mm AR-15. I did just buy a 30-06 Winchester at a gun show recently. I noticed that with all of the ammo shortages .30-06 ammo never sold out at Wal-Mart. It seems to be good hunting ammo and capable of some good ranges.

Some other items I purchased are two small generators of the same make and model, once again so I have a backup. I also purchased an 1980s step van that has provided me with 6 months of storage and transportation for my Scout Troop. If things ever got bad I could dump the Scout gear and head to land we access to about an hour away.

I’m sure there are several other little things like that I’ve ordered over the year. I know that some of this makes me seem like a nut but I’m not going to be the man God wants me to be if I don’t protect and provide for my family, parents, and in-laws.

If my wife ever did the math on what I’ve purchased, more than $3,000 in guns, $3,000 in food, $1,000 on a generator she would be upset but I also know that she respects my desire to protect my family in the best way I can. She also knows that this has made me confident and secure in my daily life and that will go a long way to help me more successful in my job and life.

The biggest confidence builder for me was to take the two-day Appleseed rifle training program. I never had any experience hitting a target (I just pointed the rifle down range). Appleseed has given me all kinds of confidence and a skill to build on.

Lastly, I read several blogs and visit several forums. SurvivalBlog is certainly where I start most evenings. Then I’ve got a list of about five forums that I try to read daily. I’ve added this forum to my list as it makes sense to support those around me and build friendships.

I’ve broken my Survival preparation list down into the following and listed each topic on a separate Excel Spreadsheet where I can collect information and do calculations on: Quantity, Food Shelf Life, Shelf Space, Cost Per Unit, and Equipment to Buy.

Lastly I signed up for Life memberships with the NRA and GOA, and $3 per month for your Ten Cent Challenge. Periscope up, head down. – Don E.

Economics and Investing:

FDIC Disowns Geithner Embarrassment. (Thanks to “Word” for the link.)

Morris suggested an editorial about the coming collapse in commercial real estate by Doug Hornig of Casey Research: De Nile is not just a river in Egypt

G.S. liked this: The gun that beat inflation; Commentary: How the Colt Peacemaker outshone gold. [JWR Adds: And you can’t shoot a burglar with a Krugerrand. Well, maybe you could with a Wrist Rocket, but that would take some explaining, in court.]

Items from The Economatrix:

Fed: GMAC to Receive More Bailout Money

Sprint Plans to Cut Up to 2,500 Jobs

Economists Seek to Fix a Data Defect That Overstates the Nation’s Vigor

Harmony in G-20 Starting to Unravel

UK: Financial Mess Isn’t Even at the End of the Beginning

Daddy, If Incomes are Down, Where is All the Economic Spending Coming From?

The New Faces of Day Labor

Landing a Job is Like Getting into Harvard

Odds ‘n Sods:

Joshua K. suggested this free instructional video: How to make your own powdered eggs.

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Several readers suggested this article: Blackout raises doubts over Brazil infrastructure. Reader Steven W. noted: “Knowing how fragile our grid system is, I thought the readers would find this article on yesterday’s power outage in Brazil interesting, especially the note about gunmen robbing people en masse, in Rio.. I work for a Brazilian company and have been to both Rio and Sao Paulo and can tell you they are not safe under normal circumstances and I cannot imagine what really happened during the blackout.”

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Ron B. sent me the link to some commentary from novelist Ralph Peters: Fort Hood’s 9/11.

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Chicago Mayor Daley Blames Fort Hood on America’s Love of Guns! One of the first few comments was priceless: “Does he blame 9/11 on a love of planes?” Perhaps Daley would like to disarm the US Army and just teach them how to use taunts, harsh language, and projected farm animals.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The mania for giving the Government power to meddle with the private affairs of cities or citizens is likely to cause endless trouble, through the rivalry of schools and creeds that are anxious to obtain official recognition, and there is great danger that our people will lose our independence of thought and action which is the cause of much of our greatness, and sink into the helplessness of the Frenchman or German who expects his government to feed him when hungry, clothe him when naked, to prescribe when his child may be born and when he may die, and, in time, to regulate every act of humanity from the cradle to the tomb, including the manner in which he may seek future admission to paradise." – Mark Twain

Notes from JWR:

Today, 11/11, is Veteran’s Day in the US (aka Remembrance Day or Poppy Day in Canada), when we honor the hundreds of thousands of men that have selflessly served, and often bled and died, in the defense of our Republic. If you have a relative that served, please send them a thank you note or e-mail, or give them a call , to thank them for their service.

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In response to my recent comment about the Federal Tax credit available for some electric vehicles, where I mentioned Eco E ATVs and Bad Boy Buggies, I received this contributed article. Although it is essentially promotional, it includes some very useful information. Please note that I have not made an endorsement of any particular brand. Do your own research on the specifications, reliability, and relative merits of electric ATVs from different makers! Take note of the Dec. 31st deadline to make a purchase and take delivery, and get verification in writing that the model you choose has been certified as eligible for the tax credit!

Solar Electric Vehicles for TEOTWAWKI, by Pete Montgomery

Having been a “prepper” for more than 25 years, growing up in Florida where you had to be prepared for the inevitable annual hurricane, I have experienced many powerful storms, with the associated loss of power and the joy of waiting in line for gasoline. These experiences have cultivated a growing interest in solar power and how it relates to providing power in an emergency situation. Until recently photovoltaic (PV) power solutions were out of reach and electric transportation was just a pipe dream. I always wished that I could have a motor vehicle that didn’t depend on the “grid” for its power, i.e. gas, diesel, bio-diesel, ethanol, etc. With recent advances in PV technology and electric vehicle technologies, that wish is now a reality.

In the mind of the “prepper”, PV power has always been a viable means of providing power to his or her retreat, dating back as far as the early 1970s. Early visionaries put largely inefficient banks of PV panels on their homes or barns to utilize the sun’s endless power. However, back then, the primary drawback was the enormous price tag and limited power that first generation PV panels produced.  Until recently PV options have remained principally out of reach; however, with the advancements in solar technology and falling prices, as well as tremendous increase in quality and efficiency of PV panels, energy directly from the sun is now reliable and affordable for the average consumer.

With never-to-be-seen-again Federal Tax incentives, PVs are certainly worth a closer look.  Just think of the uses for solar on the family farm/retreat or even the home in the suburbs.  Power the well, produce all the power needed for the home and sell what you don’t need back to the grid for peak prices.  The uses are virtually endless around the home but what about getting around on the homestead? Why not take advantage of the sun’s limitless power with the vehicle you drive?I’m not talking about those fancy space-age looking gizmos that you’ve seen gliding along on the Salt Flats someplace in Utah. We have developed something more functional and far more cost effective for the average person or family that wants an alternative means of transportation.

The new PV vehicles that are being produced by several manufacturers in the US are classified by the IRS as Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs), most of which can be used on any road, meaning, any public road that is posted 35 mph or under and allowed by local ordinances.  These LSVs are quickly gaining national attention and are completely “Street Legal”. Likewise, there is an “off-road” or ATV classification of the LSV, which can be driven on or off-road while still qualifying as a “Street Legal” LSV. You must be a licensed driver to operate a LSV on any public roadway.

The uses for this type of vehicle on the retreat are endless, not to mention they are a lot of fun to drive. What’s even better is the “fill up” is free; all you have to do is park your LSV in the sun to let it recharge, free of charge. [JWR Adds: Keep in mind, however, that it would take more than two days of full sun to recharge a LSV’s batteries that have been deeply discharged. Also, like any other lead-acid deep cycle battery bank, you will need to buy a new set of batteries once every 4 to 7 years, because of inevitable sulfation.]     

This year I had the opportunity to go to work for Long Drive Solar, LLC a company that markets and sells street legal, PV electric hybrid, low speed vehicles (LSVs) for “on-road” and “off-road” use. As long as you have sunlight, you have reliable transportation.

The product line starts with vehicles that may appear similar to a standard golf cart all the way up to 24-seat trams. These vehicles are powered by strong 5.5 horsepower motors, use Curtis charge controllers and a powerful 48-volt battery bank with eight large 6 VDC batteries, (8-Trojan T-145s, producing 260 amp hours), self-adjusting drum brakes, turn signals, headlights, taillights, brake lights, horn, seat belts, and DOT-appoved windshields.  The factory installed 210 or 230 watt solar panel is state-of-the-art, giving you higher performance, greater range, and substantially longer operating time between battery charges. Long Drive Solar has a wide range of on and off-road tires for just about any terrain or environment. Every vehicle has a 120 VAC plug-in charger, in case you ever need a conventional charge. However, under normal usage, you’ll find that the sun is all you need to keep your vehicle fully charged and ready to go.

Options include just about anything you can think of including AM/FM radio, CD player, wood grain trim, etc. But the one that I like the best is the 12 VDC to 120 VAC power inverter. This lets you have a 110 power outlet anywhere you can take the vehicle, as the solar panel acts as your own personal portable generator.  Most models sold by Long Drive Solar have been certified by the IRS and are GSA approved.

So what’s the difference between a standard golf cart and a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV)?  Golf carts are not street legal [in most jurisdictions], and most have a top speed of around 10 mph, whereas the LSVs (by law) must travel between 20 and 25 mph.  The golf cart motor is normally just 3 horsepower, while our LSVs are 5.5 horsepower, and up. There are many additional difference, so when you go to buy your LSV, make sure you get the right vehicle for your money.      

Long Drive Solar has several models to choose from but the one that works best for a retreat application is unquestionably the Scout.  The Scout is designed for on or off-road or trail use. It has 8” ground clearance to the axles, and an unusually-high 19″ ground clearance to the bottom of the deck, off-road knobby tires, brush guards/bumper, front basket, and top rack (if you don’t use solar, however, I strongly suggest the solar option). The Scout comes in 2, 4, and 6 seat configurations and can also have a box body on the back for hauling hay, firewood, garden produce, or other items.  This is clearly the way to go for a rural retreat.

One of the most frequently asked questions is how far and how fast will these vehicles go. As previously stated, to qualify as an LSV, the vehicle must go between 20 and 25 mph. As to “how far”, most standard golf carts have a range of about 20 miles on a single charge. Our LSVs are constantly charging the batteries through the solar panel and have an average range of 80-100 miles [in a day] on a single charge.  That mileage may vary depending on terrain and driving conditions.  Either way, you can count on a minimum of at least a 30% increase in performance.  I’ve driven the one I have for several months and I have never had to “plug it in”, not once.

Federal and State Tax Credits
With the Federal and State governments pushing to implement “green technologies”, this opportunity is just right for those interested in buying a vehicle that is a self-sustaining, affordable means of transportation. Although a vehicle like this costs between $7,000 to $10,000 dollars (with a solar top), thanks to Uncle Sam and your local State government you get an early Christmas present in the form of huge Tax Credits. Depending on which State you live in, you could get your “dream-come-true” off-road vehicle for a net cost of zero; that’s right, zero.  If you happen to live in Oklahoma, you have the ability to capture up to 120% of the actual cost. Yes, you can actually make money by purchasing one of these vehicles. Other states, like Georgia, Hawaii, and Florida benefit in the 70-80% Tax Credit range. Go to www.dsireusa.org and http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ to find out what your State offers as Tax Credits.

Note that the largest part of the Federal Tax Credits expire on December 31, 2009 and will likely mot be renewed, therefore, all electric vehicles must be purchased no later than December 31, 2009, to take advantage of this tax credit. Individual State Tax Credits vary, some end at the end of this year, while others extend until 2015. Please check with your local State Tax Commission on the time lines.

So where can you buy your LSV?
Here’s where I get to plug our company and some of our competition. If you go to our web site LongDriveSolar.com, you can find a lot of good info and can take a look at some of our products.  Long Drive Solar has its corporate offices in Atlanta, Georgia. We also have a large Dealership in Oklahoma City and dealer representatives located throughout the US. Please give us a call or contact us online. Some of the other companies that provide quality products are Tomberlin Vehicles, Eco E ATV, Bad Boy Buggies and several others.  Note: Long Drive Solar is the only company in the US that sells a factory installed solar system on most models of their LSVs.

Beware before you buy: When you go to buy your vehicle, make sure that your dealer provides you with certification from the IRS that their vehicle (and specifically the model you are buying) qualifies for the Federal and State Tax Credits. Make sure you check with your tax accountant regarding any paperwork you will need to get from the dealer, so that you can legally take advantage of the tax credits.

One other important note: All electric vehicles are not created equal with respect to the Federal tax credits. The IRS has many different levels of tax credits on the same vehicle. The amount of credit depends on the amp rating of the battery bank; the higher the amp rating, the higher the credit, so make sure you’re getting the most power and the highest available tax credit for your dollar.

For those of you that lean toward the “green movement”, and believe me I’m all for renewable energy, these vehicles can help with your LEEDS certification points as well as helping to offset your personal carbon footprint.

If you have always wanted a reliable means of transportation with a renewable source of energy it would be well worth your time to take a look at the new forms of sustainable transportation on the market today, as well as the once-in-a-lifetime Tax Credits that could make your solar vehicle absolutely free [after you complete your taxes for 2009]. Believe me, my solar LSV was looking mighty fine when gas was pushing $5 per gallon.

From my perspective this type of transportation is something to consider. Just remember, do your homework and buy the best you can afford because one day your life may depend on what you have invested in.

If you would like to learn more about any of the products or technology talked about here please feel free to contact me at: pmontgomery@longdrivesolar.com

Two Letters Re: Maintaining OPSEC in a Geographically Extended Retreat Group

James,
An idea for maintaining security: One could setup and run their own IP telephone server and use encrypted IP phones to communicate amongst their group. Asterisk is an example of an open source telephony server that runs on Linux. The server must be connected to the internet and has to be made specifically aware of the particular encrypted phones that the group uses. The phones must also have Internet connections. The entire comm channel is encrypted. If the server can be kept secure, then I think there is no point in the channel that is subject to monitoring. If someone were able to piece together all of the IP packets for a particular conversation they would then have to break the encryption.

I have not proven this out in any way, but to my understanding this could be a solution. Keep up the good work. – Michael W.

Sir,
Concerning the post, “Letter Re: Maintaining OPSEC in a Geographically Extended Retreat Group,” one answer might by Skype. Video calls need not be used, calls can be made from computer to computer or computer to phone, and conference calling is possible. For some details on encryption see this article. With Very Kind Regards, – Suburban Survivalist