Economics and Investing:

AmEx sent this: Debts Rise, and Go Unpaid, as Bust Erodes Home Equity

item: TARP Billions Shipped Overseas Can’t Halt Global Slowdown

David B. suggested this article: Judge orders Wells Fargo to pay back $203 Million in fees

Taleb Says Government Bonds to Collapse, Avoid Stocks. (Thanks to G.G., SurvivalBlog’s Poet Laureate, for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Fall After Cisco Earnings, Jobless Data

Jobs Picture Dims as Unemployment Claims Rise

Mortgage Rates Hit 4.44% as Economy Sours

Oil Price Slide Continues on Grim Economic Data

Markets Dive As Depression Fears Grow

Stock Market “Perfect Storm” Cuts Pension Income Two Thirds

Fed Starts Attempt to Placate Markets

JC Penney Cuts Outlook on Consumer Weakness

US Dollar Now Ripe for Catastrophic Devaluation

Odds ‘n Sods:

Sergio suggested this one: U.S. warned of threat worse than Katrina, plague, WWII; Millions could die: ‘This is clearly not something you ever want to experience’

   o o o

Andrew R. spotted this: Car hacks could turn commutes into a scene from Speed.

   o o o

Sheryl N. sent this news item: Quarter of Russian crops lost in drought, Medvedev says

   o o o

M.O.B. forwarded this piece from The New York Times: Judges Divided Over Rising GPS Surveillance

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Now there was no food in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, “Give us food; why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” And Joseph answered, “Give your cattle, and I will give you food in exchange for your cattle, if your money is gone.” So they brought their cattle to Joseph; and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the asses: and he supplied them with food in exchange for all their cattle that year. And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year, and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are my lord’s; there is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be slaves to Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s; and as for the people, he made slaves of them from one end of Egypt to the other. Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh, and lived on the allowance which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be slaves to Pharaoh.” – Genesis 47:13-25

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 30 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, 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 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 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, and B.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 30 ends on September 30th, 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.

Wheat Germ: Forgotten Super Food for GOOD and Long-Term Storage, by Kitchen Maven

2

Wheat germ is an excellent G.O.O.D. food, as well as superb for long-term prepper storage. It’s feather light, loaded with protein and healthy fats, high calorie, nutrient dense, contains a wide variety of vitamins and trace minerals, and is very filling. Wheat germ is genuinely the most nutritious cereal in the world. And per meal, it’s fairly cheap.

Throw a cup of it into a Zip-Loc bag perhaps with some nuts and dried fruit. When you want to eat, add a cup of milk (or water if necessary), let it sit a minute or two, and you have a substantial meal that can even be spooned right out of the Zip-Loc bag;

One cup of wheat germ weighs four ounces, and has as much protein as a six-ounce sirloin steak. Twelve ounces of wheat germ contains 105 grams of high quality protein; enough daily protein for a large adult male doing hard labor. And unlike MREs, it will keep you regular.

What is a good portion size? That depends on your size, appetite, and activity level. For a small, sedentary female, half a cup would be more than plenty. Big, active guys will eat twice that. Wheat germ is to regular cereal as cheesecake is to regular cake – a lot richer and more filling. A solid meal, not a snack.

Before the 1970s, health food was about maximizing health, rather than avoiding diseases. One of the most popular foods from this period was wheat germ. Unfortunately, the health food field is incredibly faddish. Wheat germ got shoved aside by newer discoveries, and was gradually forgotten.

Wheat germ is the secret ingredient that gives whole wheat flour its superiority over white flour. You can think of wheat germ as a form of whole wheat that has had all the empty white flour taken out – because that’s what it is. It contains some bran, which adds fiber, but no white flour at all. (As a result, wheat germ contains only about 40 percent carbs, of which 25 percent is fiber – very low carbs for a grain product.)

Not only that, but it comes in vacuum packed, glass jars with metal tops – perfect for prepper storage. Unopened jars will last for years if kept in a cool, dark place. In the freezer, it seems to last indefinitely. I had some for about four years in the back of my freezer, and when opened, it smelled as fresh and sweet as ever. (Bad wheat germ can be identified instantly, because it smells unpleasantly rancid. Trust your nose, never mind the expiration date.)

Once the jar is opened, wheat germ will keep un-refrigerated for weeks, depending on temperatures (always sniff test), and for months if kept chilly.

Extremely fresh wheat germ smells slightly sweet, acceptable wheat germ has almost no smell, and bad wheat germ smells rancid because the high quality oils will eventually oxidize. Since wheat germ is a major source of Vitamin E, which is a natural preservative, it lasts longer than you would expect.

Many people who think they dislike wheat germ actually dislike rancid wheat germ. Keep it in the refrigerator, once opened. There’s a reason it’s sealed in expensive vacuum packed glass jars instead of cardboard boxes. For preppers, the added protection against bugs, mice and moisture is a bonus.

Wheat germ is cheap. People look at the price and say, “That many dollars for one lousy jar of cereal?!” But a 20-ounce jar contains ten small meals, or five big ones. Depending on the size of the portions you generally eat, divide the total price by five, or by ten, to get the per meal price. At current prices, that ranges from less than 70 cents to $1.40 for a meal. As I said, wheat germ is cheap.

And you can get it at Wal-Mart (top shelf, baking aisle, not cereal aisle). Most supermarkets carry it on an eye-level shelf at the end of the cereal section.

Wheat germ is incredibly moisture absorbent. You must add a volume of liquid equal to the volume of wheat germ, not less than that. One cup of wheat germ requires one cup of milk. At first you will see tiny flakes floating in the milk, and grumble, thinking you’ve added way too much. But wait. Within a minute or two, the liquid will be completely absorbed, and the wheat germ will be soft, like hot cereal.

You can gobble it down without waiting if you like – if you enjoy chewing sawdust. Most people do this only once.

In an emergency, you can eat wheat germ dry, eating a small pinch at a time. Wait, and let it moisten in your mouth before swallowing. It tastes fine; you just have to eat it slowly.

For G.O.O.D. bags, keeping two- to four-ounce single size servings Zip-Loc bags in the freezer/fridge, and putting these inside a larger Zip-Loc bag, you with multiple meals within a five-second grab time.

For added longevity once on the road, if you expect to keep them more than a couple-three weeks in hot weather, you may want to pre-package them in small Mylar Zip-Loc bag with oxygen absorber packets (Walton Feed carries them). You can put powdered milk, cocoa powder, sugar, nuts, dried fruit, sunflower, flax or chia seed, or whatever pleases you in the Zip-Loc bag with the wheat germ.

To transport the glass jars, consider rolling them in a double layer of bubble wrap, and taping it snugly to avoid breakage..

Wheat germ tastes like wheat – because it is wheat. Like pasta, you could eat it plain, but probably wouldn’t want to. It tastes okay, but boring. You can add practically anything to it, and you can add it to practically anything. As with most wheat products, it glories in humbly being a base for other things.

Most people sprinkle a tablespoon or two into everything from soup to cereals to spaghetti sauce, mix it into meatballs, or add it to baked goods. You can replace one-third of the flour with wheat germ. It’s a great nutrition booster. However, it’s also a food in its own right.

My mama was smart and sneaky. She never bought sugared cereals. But she had a special treat for us…if we were good children, when we came home from school, we could have wheat germ as a cereal, mixed with milk and lots of chocolate syrup…oh my. Down it went.

Consequently, I grew up thinking of wheat germ as a regular cereal, not as something to sprinkle. To this day I eat it that way, usually with nuts and blueberries. It is nutritionally the best of all cereals, and can be eaten hot or cold.

So what do you put in your wheat germ? Whatever you love best. What do you put into the wheat germ of a spouse/offspring you are introducing it to? Whatever they love best. My mama’s idea was really good.

The following information was provided to me by The Quaker Oats Company. I highlighted some information. Folic acid is essential for pregnant women to prevent birth defects; four ounces of wheat germ meets the new FDA requirement.

Information is for four ounces (133.4 grams):

Calories 415.18
Total Fat, g 10.84
Saturated Fat, g 1.88
Polyunsaturated fat, g. 6.78
Monounsaturated fat, g. 1.42
Cholesterol, mg. 0.0
Sodium, mg 6.75
Potassium, mg 1243.66
Total carbohydrates, gm. 56.0
Dietary fiber, g. 13.48
Soluble fiber, g. 1.21
Sugars, g. 12.36
Protein, g. 35.64
Vitamin A, IU 144.02
Vitamin C, mg. 6.8
Calcium, mg. 57.04
Iron, mg 9.46
Vitamin E, IU 42.96
Thiamin, mg. 2.23
Riboflavin, mg. 0.88
Niacin, mg. 6.33
Vitamin B6, mg. 0.68
Folic acid, mcg. 443.37
Vitamin B12, mcg 0.24
Biotin, mcg. 32.77
Pantothenic acid, mg. 1.59
Phosphorus, mg. 1281.75
Magnesium, mg. 355.12
Zinc, mg. 18.16
Copper, mg. 0.7
Manganese, mg. 21.64

Letter Re: Wife Rescue–Another Tale of GPS Over-Reliance in the Backcountry

Dear Editor:

I am writing this hoping to let others learn from my families’ ordeal. Our summer camping trip almost became a search and rescue operation.

From July 8th to the 18th, several friends and I ventured into the mountains of Arizona for a leisurely cooler [high country] camping trip. During the first half of this trip I had my three daughters with me, while my wife had stayed home near Phoenix. She planned to come up the last weekend of the camping trip as she is not a big fan of camping.

I had planned ahead for her and made arrangements with a family member for her to borrow their [Toyota] FJ Cruiser [compact SUV] with four wheel drive. I did not want her to have to drive the almost 30 miles of dirt road to our camp in her minivan. Along with the FJ came a GPS system.

I was even courteous enough to my wife and met her at the beginning of the dirt road and let her follow me back to camp so she would not get lost with my directions.

Everything so far had worked out great. On Saturday afternoon my wife became bored with the whole camping idea and decided she wanted to drive into Payson, Arizona and do some window shopping and just goof around in town.

I went to the GPS and looked up the directions for Payson for her. I knew she would have to drive at least 20 miles on a different dirt road and then follow the signs on the highway to Payson. Altogether a 50 mile drive or so. The GPS was indicating it wanted my wife to travel a different route that would add many more miles onto the trip.

To overcome this I gave her verbal directions to the Rim Road and told her to go East on it. At that point the GPS would recalculate and tell her to follow the known route to Payson. Or so I hoped. I kissed the wife and sent her on her way with two of my daughters, a GMRS radio, and her cellular telephone. She left camp at about 1 p.m.

At about 3:30 pm I decided to drive to the edge of the Mogollon Rim and make a cellular call and see how she was doing and make sure she arrived safely. I figured the trip would have taken maybe just over an hour without heavy traffic.

When I made the call she answered and sounded upset. She explained to me she followed the GPS directions from camp and the GPS had taken her to Payson through Winslow. Her trip took 2½ hours. She also explained to me that she only had a ¼ tank of gas when she left (plenty to get to Payson on the Rim Road) and had almost run out of gas following the route through Winslow.

My wife was very upset and said she was not planning on staying too long as the majority of the afternoon was now over. I began to tell her how to get back to camp and give her directions. She was still upset from her first trip and said she would just follow the GPS back to camp. When I tried to give more directions she hung up on me.

I went back to camp but worried about her and the girls for the rest of the afternoon. I was not sure what time she was planning on leaving Payson and therefore had no expected time of arrival for her. I decided that I would attempt to call her at 7 p.m. if I had not heard from her or seen her arrive.

At 6:45 I was worried and chomping at the bit. My friend drove me to the edge of the Rim to make a cellular call and attempt to reach her. I made 4 separate calls. Each time I could hear the phone connect but did not hear anyone on the other end. Shortly after the call would be lost. The fifth time, the phone connected and my wife’s upset and concerned voice was finally heard.

She begged me to come find her. She said she had followed the GPS and was lost somewhere on the Mogollon Rim. My own concern set in and I asked her to provide me with some kind of direction she was could be found. She was only able to tell me that the GPS said she was on the forest road #91.

I knew that road; it was not too far from our camp. The problem was that this road continued for several miles taking her possibly farther back into the woods. I immediately told her to stop the truck and sit in it and wait for me. The call was then lost. I was getting pretty panicked at this point and my buddy knew I was.

I told him we needed to go and find her. We went to where the 91 began and headed north. After driving 3-4 miles we began to hear what sounded like a “call” tone on the mobile GMRS radio in the truck. The bad part, the trucks radio could pick up the distant call but she would be unable to hear us if we called to her. We tried and got no response. The “call” tone continued over and over and eventually stopped. We didn’t even know if it was from my wife.

After driving almost 10 miles on the 91 I heard my wife’s voice come across the GMRS radio. She asked if I was out there. I cleared her back and she heard my transmission. I knew that with the small handheld radio she was using we had to be within 2 miles or so from her.

I talked with her on the radio back and forth to calm her as we continued down the forest road looking. Eventually we came out of a canyon and right on top of the ridge was the FJ parked in the middle of the road with the headlights on. I was overjoyed and calmed.

During the drive back to camp, I asked my wife what had occurred. She said after speaking to me and hanging up on me, she drove to Show Low, Az. She said she thought I had told her to drive there and then use the GPS to drive back to camp following its directions.

She drove to Show Low and then followed the GPS through Taylor and Snowflake and back to Winslow. There the GPS took her through the forest roads for over an hour. She was still following the GPS directions but felt she was lost.

She had made numerous attempts to call me on my cell phone but either got no response or had no service. She had all but given up when her cell phone rang and it was me calling her. The GPS directions were correct, that is to say it was taking her back to our camp, over a hundred miles out of the way.

My wife blew the whole ordeal off and blamed me for the whole issue. As we were driving to find her I began thinking and my thoughts fell on how little prepared she was for this ordeal.

I have her minivan at home set up with a full emergency kit/BOB kit. The kit could sustain her and the girls for at least 72 hours had they needed to use it. When my wife borrowed the FJ she left this kit in the minivan. I also knew that the FJ did not have any such kit in it. They had no food or shelter aside from the truck. I believed they may have had several bottles of water.

The Mogollon Rim is a large escarpment that extends from Flagstaff to the New Mexico border in a crescent shape. The Rim is the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. The elevations range from 7,000’ to 8,000’. This area is crisscrossed with innumerable forest roads. She could have been anywhere in eastern Arizona.

What made matters worse; my wife is not a prepper. She thinks I am loony but allows me to continue with our families preparations as she believes I will be around to do it all if the SHTF. I know that had I not found her, and she would have wandered off the 91, she and the girls could have been lost for a long time and needed further professional rescue.

In the end everything worked out but it could have turned out very bad. I am trying to make my wife realize how bad it could have been. I am also trying to plan on ways to keep this from happening again in the future.

By the way, my wife has a new acronym translation for GPS: Giant Pile of S***.

Regards, – J.M.J.

Letter Re: Advice on G.O.O.D. Bags

Sir:
I have a bad back and knew I would have to have more than a small back pack. So I found a game cart on eBay that will haul up to 800 lbs. It has a steel frame and two hard rubber tires (no air) on each side, a canvas sling for packing items, and only cost around $100. I can pack a lot on it in waterproof bags, cover with a tarp and bungee it down and it works great. Goes right over rocks, logs, etc with just a little help. I can push it or pull it, and can even haul an injured person on it if necessary. It still stresses my back but surprisingly not as bad as a heavy backpack, and I can keep going a lot longer. Meanwhile, I can use it as a garden cart or for moving heavier things around the property. Since I would be bugging out with a partner and we have practiced with the game cart, I feel it could be a big help if we have to bug out on foot, depending on circumstances and weather. On the downside, it will leave somewhat of a trail on all but the hardest ground, and that’s not a good thing.

I’ve looked at a lot of canvas wheeled suitcases, and came to the conclusion I could use one of those if necessary. So I made a wooden frame for one after removing the plastic wheels and attached heavy duty swivel wheels to it. Then I replaced the plastic pull handle with some heavy nylon pull straps attached to the wooden frame, along with a wood handle. After that I sprayed the whole suitcase with waterproofing spray several times .I also cut down a pair of old skis and they can be screwed down to the frame rather quickly if its snowy weather. – Prepper in the Rockies

Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this: Californians’ income falls for first time since WWII.

Also from G.G.: US Federal Reserve starts ‘QE-lite’ to placate markets.

Don W. sent us this: Mexico’s Crashing Oil Industry

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Fall for Fourth Day After Retail Sales Report

In a Sluggish Economic Summer, No Easy Fix Ahead

Auto Sales Boost Otherwise Weak Retail Sector

Aid Helps States Avoid Layoffs, But or How Long?

Jobs Picture Dims as Unemployment Claims Rise

Mortgage Rates Hit 4.44% As Economy Sours

Oil Price Slide Continues on Grim Economic Data

Markets Dive as Depression Fears Grow

Stock Market “Perfect Storm” Cuts Pension Income Two Thirds

Fed Starts Attempt to Placate Markets

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 30 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, 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 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 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, and B.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 30 ends on September 30th, 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.

Effective Partner and Small Team Tactics, by Officer Tackleberry

Please consider the following scenarios:

  • You are sitting at a table in a local restaurant with your family, significant other, and/or friend when a person enters the business and starts shooting.
  • You are shopping with your family at Christmas time and several subjects enter the mall and start shooting.
  • The “Crunch” has happened and it’s now full-blown TEOTWAWKI.   Looters are present and have forced their way into one of the buildings on your homestead.  The 911 system doesn’t work and the area police force is non-existent.   It’s up to you and one other person from your homestead to find the looters and remove them.

These scenarios, plus many others, are very probable.   Unfortunately, the first scenario has happened in the U.S. several times in the past few years and the second one has occurred hundreds of times in other countries.   Our responses need to be thought out and trained for, especially if you plan on having an armed response.

Some of the training necessary to prevail in these types of situations means being willing and even somewhat comfortable with shooting a target that’s next to or behind a loved one or another innocent person.  How prepared are you and your loved ones to do this?

Disclaimer
Before I go any further with this article, I need to provide a disclaimer.  To many of you, this will be common sense but I still need to write this.
Training and using a firearm can be very dangerous, especially when it’s done carelessly and without proper supervision.  A person can be severely injured or killed with a firearm and they need to be respected at all times.
 Treat every firearm as if it’s loaded and always keep pointed in a safe direction.
Use proper safety equipment, such as eye and ear protection.
Please get quality firearms training from a reputable instructor/training center before doing these training drills live-fire.  If you do these drills live-fire on your own range, have a knowledgeable safety person present whose sole purpose is to watch those doing the drills and to stop the drills any time something unsafe occurs.
The #1 rule of firearms safety is that the gun will not fire unless pressure is put on the trigger.  So, keep your trigger finger away from the trigger and the trigger well until you are ready to fire the gun!

Tools and Props
Many of these drills can be performed dry-fire, with an inert training gun such as a “red” or “blue” gun and with airsoft guns on a regular basis.  Make sure that you and your training partners check each firearm used for dry-fire training to make sure they are not loaded.  Also, keep all magazines and ammunition away from the “training area”.
Other props that are useful for training in partner tactics are cones and/or barrels for movement drills and a table and at least 2 chairs.  Having a booth to train with would be nice since most restaurants have them but you can use a couch or a love seat and a small table to a least practice the concepts.

The First Drill
The first drill is often referred to as “warrior inoculation”.  This drill is used by our military, especially in Special Forces units, and SWAT teams on a regular basis.  Fortunately, it has also made its way to some patrol officers, including myself, and I feel I am better off for it.

You start this drill by having you and your partner about 15 feet away from the target.  Your partner is directly in front of the target and you are 2-3 feet to their left or right.  Now you walk forward 5-6 feet.  With your back towards your partner, your partner now fires 2-3 rounds into the target.  Your partner’s bullets should not come anywhere close to you (I mean as far as inches go.  The bullets should still be 2-3 feet from you.), but you will feel the concussion of the gun being fired.  On your partner’s cue, you turn to face your partner.  Once your partner is sure you haven’t inadvertently moved into his line of fire, then your partner verbalizes he’s ready to fire.  Unless you object for some safety purpose, your partner then fires 2-3 more shots into the target.   Once the line is safe and your partners has re-holstered, you and your partner switch places and repeat the drill. 

Now, you may ask, why in the world would I ever do such a drill?  I’ve heard this objection voiced by several officers as well and the answer is pretty simple.  Where is a gunfight most likely to happen, in a flat open area devoid of any other people like the practice range?  Or, is it most likely to occur where innocent people and/or your loved ones are present?  This drill helps you and your partner get used to shooting at targets near “friendlies” and also keeps you from freaking out when your partner shoots a target near you.

The Weave Drill
The 2nd drill involves using cones, barrels, or some other barrier that’s set up at 10-foot intervals from the target, so the 1st one is at 10 feet from the center of the center target, the 2nd at 20 feet and the 3rd at 30 feet.  There should be at least 3 targets for the 2 of you to shoot and use steel targets if you can since they give instant feedback while you are moving.  That “ping” of a hit on a steel target is always reassuring.
Before the drill starts, you are on left side of the barriers, about 10 feet back from the last barrier, and your partner is on the right side, about 10 feet back from the last barrier as well.  On your command of forward, you both draw your weapons and move forward while shooting the targets.  Your partner should be slightly in front of you as you are both moving forward and as soon as you clear the first cone, you yell cross.  As he crosses in front of you, he keeps shooting the targets as you dip your muzzle towards the ground.  Once he is clear, your gun is back up in the fight.  This process is repeated all the way past the cone closest to the targets.
Once you are past the first cone, you start moving backwards using the same commands and safety precautions, only now the roles are reversed.  Your partner should now yell cross.
If you do this drill correctly, you use several critical skills.  You must constantly use your peripheral vision, good movement since a moving target is harder to hit, vocalization under stress and magazine changes while moving.
A quick note on pointing the muzzle towards the ground when your partner crosses in front of you:  This is known as position “sul” but rather than your hands being pulled all the way back to your chest, it’s done with your arms extended.  There are several articles/videos posted about position “sul” so you can Google it.  A quick description is that you lay the barrel of you gun across the back of your support hand and point it towards the ground.  This position allows you to get your gun back in the fight as quickly as possible.

Moving From Seated Position
Many of us eat at restaurants on a somewhat regular basis.  How many of you have thought about, let alone practiced, accessing your concealed firearm while in the seated position and engage targets while seated and while trying to stand up?  I personally believe that this is a very critical OPSEC training task for you and your loved ones in today’s world if you conceal carry a firearm.

Many contributors to this blog talk about discussing possible scenarios with your loved ones and even playing the “what if” game.  I couldn’t agree more, especially when in a restaurant, which has limited movement area and people are crammed close together all the time. 

For this drill, start with at least two of you on the same side of the table.  The first several times you do any of the seated drills, do it dry-fire and/or using Airsoft and make sure that the designated safety person is watching that safety rule #1 is being followed.  Keep your finger off the trigger and away from the trigger well until pointed at the target!  Draw you firearm and engage the target from the seated position.  Once you have practiced this several times, then do it while standing and moving away from the table.  Consciously train yourself to move the chair with your leg as you stand.

This drill can be continued by having your partner move to the end of the table and eventually sitting on the other side of the table.  These parts of the drill become even more challenging for the person sitting at the end or on the other side because that person must turn towards the target and engage while moving.

Getting used to drawing your firearm from a seated position, engaging the target while standing and engaging while moving are key skills since there may be more than one attacker and/or you may want to draw the attacker’s focus away from your loved ones.

A booth would be great to get additional practice in but obviously most ranges don’t have them present.  This can be practiced in the home dry-fire and/or Airsoft using a couch or love seat and a table.  Also, think about how you would react to an attacker each and every time you are in a restaurant.

Conclusion
I know that there are many, many other drills that can be used to strengthen your partner tactics.  Many times, we are only limited by our imagination.  But please, in any and all training that you do, keep safety as the #1 priority of all involved.

I pray for God’s blessing on each and every one of you!

Letter Re: Medicinal Herb Gardening-Making Herbal Balms

After reading “Medicinal Herb Gardening” by Mrs. Celena J. I was prompted to write more about making medicinal herbal balms and ointments. They are easily made once you get the hang of it and different ingredients can be used for different applications. My two favorites are Healing Muscle Balm and Rose Balm for the lips and skin. My family and friends also love these two combinations and have found them very effective.

Healing Muscle Balm is a combination of infused oils of Arnica, Meadowsweet, and Comfrey leaf. These particular herbs help with reducing the inflammation and alleviating the pain of muscle injury and arthritic problems as well as encouraging healing of the injury. I add beeswax to harden the oils, coconut oil for increased absorption into the skin and Vitamin E. oil for a preservative.

Rose Balm is a combination of infused oils of rosebuds/petals and rosehips as well as Calendula for a soothing and healing ointment which can be used on rashes, eczema, and other skin irritations and is a wonderful lip balm.

INFUSING THE OILS:
It takes a couple of weeks to prepare everything.
1. Fill a quart canning jar with herb of choice. Flowers (dried roses, arnica flowers, calendula flowers) can be packed into the jar. I usually fill the jar half full of the leafy herbs (one herb to each jar) – it’s not an exact science.
2. Pour oil over herb or flowers to rim of jar.
3. Cap, label, and shake.
4. Place the jars in a very warm area – I use my garage here in the South. (I’ve tried a heating pad but never felt comfortable leaving it on when I’m not at home.)
5. Turn the jars upside down a few times at least once a day to move the herbs around and allow their medicinal qualities to infuse into the oil.
After 10 days to 2 weeks the oils are ready for use.
6. Strain the plant matter out using cheese cloth placed in a strainer and return the strained oil to the cleaned jar (don’t forget to label everything!)
7. Keep in refrigerator for freshness.

I’ve experimented with a number of oils and prefer Grapeseed oil with Vitamin E already added (I still add a few drops of Vit E oil.) Sunflower oil is also very nice. Olive oil hardens in the refrigerator and then I have to wait for it to soften up to make the balms.

These recipes use dried herbs and flowers. Fresh herbs (like St. Johns Wort) need to be treated a little differently but I’m not going to cover that here. Be sure you purchase the herbs (if you don’t grow or wildcraft your own) from a reputable company. I really like Mountain Rose Herbs and Herbalcom.com herbs.

GENERIC SALVE (BALM/OINTMENT) RECIPE:
Ingredients:
1 cup infused oils – choose your mixture (I mix them together in a large pyrex measuring cup)
1 oz of beeswax
large tablespoon of virgin coconut oil

1. Melt beeswax in double boiler (I have an old one just for balms)

2. (Fill another pot with water – just enough to sit the pyrex measuring cup in after mixing – bring to a boil and then leave simmering – see below)

3. Add oil mix slowly and stir as it melts into the beeswax

4. Pour beeswax/oil mixture back into the pyrex cup and sit the cup in the simmering pot of water (see above – this gives you a little more time before the mixture hardens) – add essential oils per preference – about 40 drops.

5. Pour (QUICKLY) into containers.

(I purchase 1.8 oz and 4 oz jars for this but you can use any jars at home if you’re not selling them or giving as gifts. The mixture will harden on the side of the glass measuring cup. I scrape that off with a rubber spatula and put it into a small canning jar for my own personal use.)

For lip balm you can use 2 oz of beeswax to one cup of oil (This would be to put in the lip balm tubes.)

RECIPE FOR HEALING MUSCLE BALM:
NOT FOR USE ON BROKEN SKIN
RUB INTO SORE AND ACHING MUSCLES
ARNICA infused oil 1/2 cup
MEADOWSWEET infused oil 1/4 cup
COMFREY infused oil – just a little less than 1/4 cup
Beeswax 1 oz (add large spoonful of coconut oil) drops of Vitamin E oil for preservative
Add several drops Spearmint essential oil (or essential oil of choice, blends for muscles are especially good.)

RECIPE FOR ROSE SKIN SALVE:
1/2 cup rose petal/buds infused grapeseed oil
1/4 cup rosehip infused oil
1/4 cup calendula infused oil
Beeswax 1 oz (add large spoonful or more of coconut oil/few drops of Vitamin E oil to preserve)
Rose Geranium essential oil drops (Rose essential oil is extremely expensive to I use a rose blend with the rose geranium – a little bit of lavender added to that is also nice.)

An extra nice touch is to “double-dip” the roses. Infuse them for the two weeks – strain- and add the strained, already infused oil to another jar filled with the roses and let them sit for another 1-2 weeks.

Personally, I’ve had great success with both recipes. After smashing my big toe into a doorjamb, I used it liberally.
The toe turned black and blue but healed within a week and the nail remains in place. Also was very helpful for muscle spasms in the back (sequelae from injured toe incident.) And the Rose ointment is very soothing for chapped lips and minor skin irritations.

Letter Re: Practice Night Hiking to Get Ready to Bug Out to Your Retreat

Mr. Rawles:
A recent letter about reaching a retreat on foot caused me to think back over 20 years to when I was in the Marine Corps and I thought I would share some of what I’ve learned about trying to walk long distances with heavy packs in hostile environments.

In the Corps, as you can imagine, we ‘humped’ a lot (for you soldiers or civilians that’s Marine speak for road marching, rucking or hiking) and if I learned anything it was that walking long distances with heavy loads, weapons, communications equipment, water, clothes and food is tough for even the toughest at times.

First, despite the phenomenal shape we were in as Marines we generally never attempted long road marches without working up to them first. Sure, if we had to hump 20 miles we’d do it right then and there but if we had time (and presumably we as American’s still have time) then we wouldn’t attempt that without first working up to it.

To work up to such strenuous hiking we’d start with light gear (782 gear to Marines, or just Deuce Gear is I think TA-50 to Soldiers: standard issue web gear, combat gear, or field equipment.). We’d step off in Utilities (“Utes”, also called BDUs by the Army) and boots and hump a good 5 miles at a brisk pace. During these short humps we didn’t stop and kept about a 5 mile per hour pace. We called these ‘Utes and Boots’ runs if we dropped the 782 gear and picked up the pace. It is tough if you’re not used to it so starting off at a 3 mph or 4 mph pace might be better for a civilian trying to train up – but don’t forget to increase the pace later on when carrying light loads. Of course since we ran PT in formation at a very brisk pace (I once clocked our formation run at a 7 minute pace – that’s 3 miles in 21 minutes in formation) we could start off humping a 5 miler at a much faster pace than you might imagine. 5 miles an hour is tough and more like a walk/run then a walk but it’s doable, indeed we once humped 5 miles in 45 minutes but that was more a run than anything else – side note: don’t volunteer as a road guard when the commander decides to set records in Utes and Boots and 782!

To survive the beating your feet will get, powder them well and wear good boots – Marine Corps combat boots were not the best back then, but we mostly had them modified ourselves to improve the comfort and reduce the shock of long road marches. Any good cobbler/shoe maker can take a combat boot and change the sole, eyelets etc to improve the boot so don’t be afraid to have it done if you plan to wear military issue (unless the new ones are as good as I’m told).

Once we did this for a couple weeks (once or twice a week mixed in with regular PT schedule) we’d step it up to two 5 milers and a 10 miler. By this time we either ran the 5 miles or carried a heavier load (782 plus Alice pack with Air Alert gear — 2nd set of Utilities, extra socks, poncho and liner etc etc plus MREs). For the ten milers we carried the medium load also and kept a steady pace but stopped at 5 miles to change socks and powder our feet.

By the end of the 4th week we were hitting 15 miles with fairly heavy ALICE Packs etc and stopping 3 or 4 times for sock changes and foot powder and by the 5th week 20 miles was the norm.

By the end of about six weeks of serious humping (often spending part of the time in the field and humping from AO to AO) we were ready for anything and if deploying somewhere would take the MCRES (Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation Systems) test of 25+ miles in under 8 hours with no more than 10% losses. We generally did this at night since there had been too many heat casualties during the day in the summer.

In 1988 we did 32 miles in 7 hours and 50 minutes and lost 10% of our 2,000 man BLT (Battalion Landing Team). Humping 25-30 miles at a 4+ mile pace with a heavy load takes its toll and many succumb to heat exhaustion, sprained or broken ankles, twisted knees and worse and we were highly trained and very fit Marines but that doesn’t change the dynamics of humping long distance at night carrying a heavy load and injuries will happen.

At the end of the 8 hours of walking with over 100 lbs of gear (I also carried the PRC-77 [14-pound VHF transceiver] for 7-1/2 miles during that march) I’d pulled some ligaments in my left foot and was dragging it, I had more bruises (from gear) then you might imagine and could barely get into the back of a 5 Ton for the ride to the barracks!

Planning on bugging out and carrying a heavy load might be something you can do, but I want you to understand the risks involved and the serious training required if it’s longer then a few miles that you have to walk carrying a heavy load.

Things you should consider if you plan to walk to your retreat even after much training:

1. Change your socks with dry socks every five miles and powder your feet with foot powder when you do – so carry extra socks and plan to dry the wet ones by hanging them on the back of your ruck if it’s dry out.

2. Bring along fruit to graze on if you can — eating an orange along the route will boost your energy and a banana will help with foot cramps due to electrolytes lost during the hump.

3. Plan to drink at least one gallon of water! You will sweat out massive amounts and must replace what you lose or you will cramp or worse. Perhaps keep some electrolyte mix and mix it up during the sock change break.

4. Plan points along your route that you can hole up in for a day or two in case of injury — it is possible you will sprain an ankle in the first 5 miles and will need to rest before moving on so doing so in a safe place is important. While you may not be able to rest for two weeks, even a two day break will give your ankle etc time to recover a bit and with a slower pace and perhaps a splint you may be able to continue then.

6. Carry a walking stick if possible and sling your weapon if you can (if in dangerous country do not sling [your rifle over your shoulder], instead carry using a ‘Swiss sling’ which keeps the weapon hanging comfortably in front of you ready for action).

7. Remember, the old saying: ‘If you can’t Ruck it, Truck it – if you can’t Truck it, Chuck It’. Seriously, carrying more than 50 lbs of gear for 10-25 miles or more is tough if you are not used to it. Carrying 100 lbs for 10-20 miles is very hard, carrying 150 lbs is for the best trained hikers only! You won’t make it 5 miles with that load if you aren’t prepared, trained, and well hydrated.

8. Keep first aid kit handy – concentrate on pain killers, mole skin (for blisters) and splint making materials. Expect injury, plan for it and if you make the long march without one all the better. But don’t assume you can make it! I’ve seen tough Marines collapse under a 100 pound pack after 15 miles with their eyes rolled up and feet kicking! We called that the ‘funky chicken’ and while that might not be nice it helps me stress a point: Do not think that can’t happen to you, it can if you aren’t prepared or went out drinking the night before and suddenly find yourself 15 miles down the road, exhausted, dehydrated and overheating.

9. Keep light snacks in your pockets in an accessible place (having some gum or a little hard candy can really help when you’re at the 15 mile mark and starting to seriously drag).

10. Make sure you have a good water filter or purifier handy because you will drink more than you think and may need an alternate source of water. Water weighs nearly 8 pounds per gallon so if you have just 4 canteens you’re now 8 lbs less gear you can carry. If you have two gallons (canteens and camelback maybe) then you’re carrying 16 lbs of water — think about it.

For those who have a chafing problem my advice is “work up to it”. While some Marines did try things like nylon stockings, Vaseline and other ‘fixes’ I found that briefs and Utilities were all that is required (sorry, but boxers were the worst thing to wear on a 25 mile hump) provided you trained that way and allowed the body to get used to the constant walking (rubbing). I lifted weights for many years like a lot of Marines and had big thighs but chafing wasn’t an issue after a month or two of constant humping in the North Carolina humidity. Your body will adjust usually. If it doesn’t then try spandex shorts – these will provide the relief you need, guaranteed.

Hydrate, eat lots of carbs before each hike and plan each one carefully and you will be happy you did if TSHTF and you’ve got to ruck up and step out. Semper Fi, – Erik M.

Cell Phone Outage-Induced Chaos Illustrates an Over-Dependence on Technology

James,
The cause of the recent cell phone outage in Kentucky isn’t being stated, but they are appearing to distance themselves from an CME or EMP event. Nevertheless, how much preparedness do most of these AT&T users demonstrate? (This could of course happen with any carrier.) One of my employees who has an AT&T phone said the only number her school age son has to reach her is her cell number, as an example. Why her son can’t have her work number I have no idea. An embedded terrorist cell springing into action and striking a school during such an event would evoke even greater terror than during a normal day.

That cell phones not working led to the 911 [police/fire emergency telephone service] being overwhelmed is laughable on an ordinary day like this. Should this happen on a broad basis, or during a natural [disaster or other large scale] emergency then the consequences would be significant. And, gasp police had to use their radios instead of their iPhones.

Best Regards, – G.