Reader RBS recommended this piece over at the Alpha Rubicon site: Introducing the Prepping & Survival Mindset to Others
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Chris F. mentioned that Bardin & Marsee Publishing produces a Waterproof Bible. They are printed on plastic, they are tear resistant and 100% waterproof.
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El Jefe Jeff E. sent this: USDA Reports Food Shortages: Wall Street ‘Caught Off Guard’ by Severity.
"What doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"- Micah 6:8 (Carved in stone at the entrance to Baylor Law School)
Today we present another entry for Round 29 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 29 ends on July 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.
While I have been searching the web for preparedness information I have yet to see much mentioned of the most emotionally and physically draining process of triaging the casualties produced during a crisis event. While we are busy with our stockpiling of food and materials, weapons, and seeds, we seem to have left out some of the really horrific tasks we may be called upon to perform. Even if we are fully engaged as “preppers” we don’t take time to understand the implications that illness and injuries will have upon our lives in drastic times. Most of the general population has never been placed in a situation that requires triage, nor have been placed in a situation where they personally may need to make decisions quickly and efficiently. Those decisions may mean refusing medical assistance to victims. There may come a time when there are no emergency rooms, emergency response teams or 911 at our beckon call. Who will call the shots in a disaster? Who decides who lives and who dies? Could you manage a triage event within your own family?
In the general population, there are but a handful of trained medical personnel. These are doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, police and fire personnel and even veterinarians. In large scale events, such as earthquake, flood, and severe storms, these persons are usually at the forefront of helping others. Remember too, that in any given scenario, some of these people will have been killed or are injured and will not be available to perform their duties. Others will be totally focused on their own families and will simply not respond to the calls for help. In times of disaster, there are really very few heroes.
The act of triage will vary greatly depending on the type of incident and the scale of the disaster. The larger the scale of the incident the smaller the circle of care the responder can provide. The assessment of the victims also becomes shorter and the criteria you use for estimating survival must become much more precise. You, as the responder, may have no more than a few seconds to view the casualty, make a determination of survival chances, and move on. The most important issue to remember is that in triage the victims are prioritized from the least to most sick or injured. This is exactly opposite of all of our usual thinking in respect to medical care, but is the only way to assure the survival of the largest number of victims. This rule applies to a mass casualty event or dealing with your own family members.
At first glance, this may seem very cruel. However, in a major disaster our thinking must turn to the fact that if we assist the extremely injured we will likely prolong their suffering while using medicine and supplies in an effort that is doomed from the beginning.
The type of event will determine the magnitude of the triage. There is a big difference in how you need to respond depending upon the circumstances you are facing. Most of the time, we are likely to find ourselves in a limited field of action such as a traffic accident, a localized fire or flood, or weather related event. In a first responder situation you can make your initial reactions removing people from any immediate danger. This you can apply to all the victims you encounter. If you know that additional help is on the way then continue to provide comfort and emotional support but refrain from anything else but life saving techniques such as CPR or putting pressure on a major bleed. When help arrives, relinquish your role immediately. That, by the way, is not always easy to do as we can emotionally take ownership of a situation very quickly.
If you find yourself in a larger scale event you must switch your mind set to who can you help that will ensure the greatest return (largest number of survivors helped) for your efforts. This is the area that requires you to do some advance mental planning. If you have never seen a casualty producing event, know that your senses will be assaulted at every turn. The cries for help will be in your ears constantly. You may encounter violence from others as they demand you attend to their victims. You must remain calm as self detached as you organize your mind.
There will be very specific issues that will help you prioritize your care. First identify any others with any medical expertise. If they are more prepared, relinquish authority to them and follow their orders. If you are the one making the call, ask for help from any of the ambulatory persons in your immediate area. Assign them the task of separating the people into groups as you assign the victims a number beginning with the least injured and most responsive, as you categorize the victims. You will use the numbers one through five to determine level of survivability. If you have something to mark the victims like a ball point pen or marker of some kind take it with you. If you must, you can mark the victim in their own blood. Make sure you have the victims out of any other harms way. As you encounter each person, visually scan for the following. Are they breathing? Are the conscious? Are there any large arterial bleeds going on? You can tell if bleeding is arterial if the blood comes out in spurts instead of a constant flow. Are there large open or gaping wounds or extremities missing? Can they move their extremities? A person is usually moribund (dying) is they are not breathing well, have weak irregular pulses, have mottled skin starting at the feet and legs, are cooling rapidly, and are not conscious or are losing consciousness, and or are bleeding out. These unfortunate folks receive the category five designations. In all but extraordinary situations these folks are the least likely to survive for long. Place the designation number somewhere on their skin where it can be readily seen by others, usually the forehead. Move on. The process continues for each victim. Those assigned to move persons into the groups one through five should continue to do so.
There will be a set of rules you can follow to help make decisions. If breathing or cardiac function is severely compromised, there are obvious severe head injuries with loss of consciousness, brain tissue or spinal fluid coming from a wound, ears, or nose, or the inability to move body parts from the neck down, if there are chest wounds that make a sucking sound with each breath, or abdominal organs can been seen you must assume that these persons need more care than you can provide.
The next category four, the person will display some consciousness, is breathing on their own with some distress, have a irregular heartbeat, have bleeding that is likely to respond to direct pressure over a long period of time, have no organs visible but they complain of severe abdominal pain or have abdominal swelling and great tenderness, they can respond to you at least a little, can move at least some of their extremities upon command, or have broken bones protruding from the skin. These people have a poor long term survival probability, but if advanced care should become available might survive.
Category three will appear injured and may have multiple wounds, but they are conscious and can move upon command. Breathing and heartbeat are not compromised, they may have broken bones, but they are closed fractures that help limit infection. If wounds are covered they will stop bleeding with pressure. They do not complain of chest or abdominal pain. They may appear confused or combative.
The category two victims are alert and responsive, may have significant number of smaller wounds that respond to pressure dressings or splinting, but have no major compromise to breathing or circulation and can in most circumstances move by themselves. They may be more physically and emotionally reactive due to their heighten adrenaline levels and may pose more danger to you or themselves because they really don’t understand they are significantly injured.
The highest survivability group, category one, will appear banged up or a little hyperactive due to adrenaline, but has no compromise in mobility or thought processes. These folks may just need a little time to physically and mentally regroup before being able to move on their way.
Once the victims have been categorized, the process of treatment can begin. The least injured are cared for, starting with category one and moving forward. Patch folks up and move them to a more secured location if possible. Try to keep them from the dead and dying, especially if they are agitated. If family members are kept together they may be able to comfort one another, but if faced with a dying family member may pose a real problem with demands for care you can not provide. They might have to be forcibly removed from the area. As you balance the care you give with the supplies you have, it may become necessary to re-score patients. People with significant internal injuries will deteriorate as their adrenalin levels become depleted. If water and food are not readily available even the moderately injured may fail more quickly. Always use your supplies working from least injured or sick to the worst. It will not be easy and you will make mistakes. Do your best and move on.
In the event of a medical disaster such as a pandemic, most of us will become more and more isolated as the contagion progresses. The basic triage rules still apply. Use what you have for the least sick, isolated the sick people from those who are not yet showing signs of illness. Allow a limited number of caregivers to the ill. Remove the dead quickly and dispose of bodies rapidly.
Most of us will never face the prospect of a large regional disaster, but we should all have worked out plans in advance. This includes care of the dead and dying. Not all victims die quickly or easily. If you have never seen a death, you may be horrified at what you experience. As a registered nurse, I’ve witness many deaths and though there are similar physical traits that can be recognized as landmarks, the time it takes a person to actually expire varies greatly. It will depend on the nature of the injury or illness, the physical strength of the individual, and the will to live.
For the most part, when we are mortally ill or wounded we separate from life in various stages. Violent injuries and severe contagion may accelerate the process. Severe loss of blood, injuries to the brain, lungs, or heart normally cascade through the death process more quickly. A person who is dying will gradually begin to lose contact with people and surrounds through loss of consciousness. They may babble, groan, experience restlessness associated with air hunger. They may sigh frequently or gasp. The body begins to shut down vascular flow to the extremities in order to preserve the brain and core organs. This will produce a blue or blue-black mottling of the skin on the arms and legs. A person may, for a while, go in and out of consciousness and question what is happening to them. Be honest. Tell them that they are dying but that you are with them and will continue to be with them. Ask them if they want spiritual care. Pray with them. As death approaches most people if told become more inward and self-oriented. Even if lied to about their status, most people know they are dying. If lied to they become distrustful and fearful. Even if not easily roused, keep talking to the person, as hearing is the last physical sense to cease functioning and you can provide great comfort.
Once comatose, a person may display distressed breathing patterns. The pattern called Cheyne-Stokes may occur. It is a pattern of repeating periods of rapid breathing that slows and then stops momentarily then proceeds with a gasp for air. As this pattern worsens, the person may have a throaty rattle when they breathe. During this time, it can be very distressing for the viewer, but remember the person is not aware in any way. When death occurs, there may be some spasmodic movement of the extremities, the chest, or the throat. These are reflexive in nature and the person is not in distress. When the heart stops, the person will likely have a bluish gray cast to the skin. If the eyes are open, the pupils will dilate and become unresponsive to light and become cloudy.
The last important items to think about are the care of the dead body. As we have seen in photos from Haiti, that in a regional event, the number of dead may preclude the normal death rituals a society performs. As we saw bodies flung onto trucks and then unceremoniously dumped into mass graves, our spirits were assaulted. These sights will be all too common if mass disaster occurs.
The way to dispose of the dead in an attempt to prevent the spread of disease and those are cremation and mass burial. In a SHTF situation we must understand that it takes energy to do either task. If confronted with the responsibility what should you do? How will you choose the method? How much energy will you be able to expend?
If it is only one body, say of a family member or neighbor, a traditional ground burial is probably the most energy efficient and emotionally suitable. The body should be buried a minimum of four feet below ground, not within 150 feet of your ground water source. The time it takes to dig a place big enough is measured in hours. If in the winter it could be days depending on the weather and ground conditions. The more help you have the better and faster the job will go. If you plan a cremation, you must have a large supply of wood. But in a TEOTWAWKI event there might not be enough fuel to spare. [So cold storage, followed by burial after the ground thaws would be logical.]
We must be able to face the responsibilities of making hard choice of life and death. Our family’s survival may rely on our abilities to function in the most distressing situations with a calm head and prepared spirit. If you are called upon to triage an event remain calm, put your plan into work, and don’t look back.
James
The most important aspect of arid farming is water preservation. Israel has developed and taught the world techniques to make even the most dry areas bloom without wasting water. There is plenty of information available from US university agriculture outreach services on the Israeli system.
The technique is simple but there is variation on the theme. Cheap perforated irrigation tube is buried along the rows. plastic sheet is laid down and the seeds are planted through a hole poked in the plastic sheet. Between raised planting rows sand, gravel, or dirt is laid onto the plastic to hold it down, these valleys have perforations to allow absorption of any rain. Plastic undersheeting might be required if the underlying soil is something like sand which will quickly drain your irrigation water away. The soil layer must be thick enough to both hold moisture and not overheat your seeds in the longest days of summer. Best growth in most plants happens around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21C). Use of an electronic moisture probe will help you know how much water to use without tearing up the plastic and adjust the valves to get even irrigation. If you are using sand to essentially hydroponic garden you will need to add liquefied nutrients or compost to the soil through the irrigation system or add it to the sand before the plastic goes down at planting time. The equipment to do this is cheap here in Israel, not sure about in the US although improvisation using blown garden hoses or cheap pipe seem reasonable.
It is important to cistern any water runoff on your property during rainy times, adding a collection ditch downhill from parking areas and collecting from gutters is important considering that a long term public water system failure or depletion in an area is a real local TEOTWAWKI scenario. In some parts of the US collecting rain water is illegal so check the laws before you get a visit from a state bureaucrat and possibly a heavy fine. – David in Israel
Dear CPT Rawles:
The article “How Long Can You Tread Water?” was indeed a scary analysis of the advent of either an EMP attack, or a natural sun storm which would create the same series of events. There is no doubt that our society would
come unglued in many parts of the nation. There is also no doubt that eventually, urban gangs will fan out across the countryside in search of food, women, drugs, liquor, weapons and gold. If your farmhouse is in their
avenue of advance, it will be taken.
As in all military activities and survival of TEOTWAWKI will be very military, good OPSEC is a force multiplier beyond the realm of most anyone’s imagination. It is essential that preppers keep the lowest profile possible
as you have advised on numerous occasions.
Having worked in Europe for a number of years, I can tell you that there are no plans to protect, provide for or evacuate either military or DOD civilian employees in the event of anything like a EMP attack. We would more or less be on our own and would from necessity, be forced to abandon our jobs in order to see to our families. All of the highly vaunted programs designed to protect and evacuate family members are nothing more than words and empty promises. Think of it as Senator Schumer himself, making promises to provide for your welfare back home in Kansas in the event of a disaster! It ain’t going to happen!
I currently live in Kosovo and have had the opportunity to speak with many different Kosovars concerning their experiences in the 1999 Balkans War. You readers will remember that this war was, as Bill Clinton so aptly
stated, “To prove that Americans are willing to die, to protect Muslims.”
TEOTWAWKI was the rule of the day in 1999 Kosovo Province. Many of the events depicted in “How Long Can You Tread Water,” happened again and again. Many rural Kosovars had laid-in supplies of food, remembering Communist Yugoslavia days, when shortages of everything were the norm. They are also some very tough, weathered and experienced survivors. Yet, when TSHTF it got very violent for nearly everyone in Kosovo. Roaming gangs took what they wanted, killed whom they wanted, raped whom they wanted, on and on. It wasn’t just the Serbs creating all the trouble either. The Albanian Kosovars perpetrated the most heinous of crimes imaginable, but they are our “allies” today, so we don’t talk about that so much! Bill Clinton is a national hero in Kosovo.
Both Albanian Kosovars and Serbian Kosovars agree on one thing. The only thing that ended the reign of terror and destruction, was the entry of the United States and NATO into the fray. We brought an end to the ethnic
killings between Muslims and Christians, with our armed presence. We brought tons of food, medicine, building materials etc. Without outside help, this country would have continued to self-destruct.
Who will come to our aid, in the United States, when the Schumer hits? What is most likely to happen, is an intervention by European and Asian nations in efforts to gain resources, and recover some losses they will experience
as a result of our collapse. Efforts to “save” Americans from the debacle will most likely not be too extensive. The United States is hated and despised by most of those whom we have done so much to free and elevate to
our standard of living. If our population dies off, so much the better for the new colonial powers that will be only too happy to exploit our resources with no environmental whacko interference.
When the Schumer hits, I have no doubt as to the extent of death and destruction that will ensue. “Patriots”
what we can expect. One aspect that must not be forgotten in our preparations is our Spiritual Lives. The old saying, “Get right with God,” has new meaning to me. All the provisions you can assemble, all the plans
you make for the survival of you and your loved ones is moot, if you fail to seek and obtain God’s protection.
The Bible tells us not to “Tempt God.” So continue to prepare, get your beans, band-aids and bullets ready for the day we all shudder to see arriving. But don’t forget your Creator either. He will protect whomever
He chooses to protect anywhere, anytime. Make sure that you are one He chooses to protect. – Michael in The Balkans
Mr. Rawles,
In response to Andrew B’s posted reply, I regretfully must disagree with all seven of his points. My recent time in the Army and contacts at State, Justice and numerous other Department, plus a stint in logistics provide the following rebuttal:
1. If fuel production is halted, no one is going to get further than one tank of gas outside the city limits.
This assertion turns a blind eye to a basic tenet of warfare: In a “me-or-you” situation, those who have firepower and the will to use it can and will seize the assets of those without. Given the constant reports of gas station robberies, the gas station clerk would be well-advised to fill their own vehicle and get the heck out of Dodge ASAP. Given their glass windows, high visibility and easy access, gas stations are not a defensible position. The halt of fuel production would not stop the seizure of fuel from the deposit areas where supply trucks stop, nor from fuel depots. An enterprising crew of only a few criminal members can seize a full fuel truck, and at that point, their vehicles are now enabled well beyond “one-tankful” range. Even a 12-year-old who’s seen “Fast & Furious” could come up with that idea.
2. If fuel is still being produced then law enforcement will operate and food production will not be halted and the point is moot.
The mere availability of fuel does not mean law enforcement can continue to operate. Even now, while fuel is freely available to them, law enforcement officials are unable to prevent (or even respond to) most crimes. In the event of an EMP-type disaster, the tiny amount of ammunition carried by most law enforcement would be expended within hours or days at best. After that, they’re nothing more than guys with a shiny target attached to them, and in a vehicle which makes them a prime target for any and all criminals wanting to make a quick name for themselves.
3. There is a reason the US Army moves its [tracked] vehicles by rail. They can’t drive more than a few miles without the things breaking down.
This statement demonstrates an unwillingness to deal with the reality of the abilities of American military vehicles. Here’s a hint: If we blitzed through Saddam’s Iraqi National Guard tankers without breaking stride over miles of desert, driving on streets is a lot easier on the vehicles. The streets are not made to take that much weight on a constant, daily grind basis, but if you ever watch a military parade, you discover that tanks, APCs and other military vehicles can drive on them all day long without breaking a sweat. The Abrams can average 65 mph, and military tankers are trained to drive at the fastest speed possible when going from place to place for safety’s sake. Military truckers drive 100 mph through the Iraqi highway system to lessen the chances of being hit by a preplanned ambush. If US tracked vehicles needed to be repaired every few miles as Mr. B asserts, every tanker in the US Army would already be dead.
4. Existing gangs are mostly composed of ignorant teenagers who, while fiercely loyal and ruthlessly violent, do not possess the foresight or the organizational capability to run a sustained campaign based on
foraging.
This comment was well-fielded by Andrew S., although I would add that the current number two threat (after Al-Qaeda) listed by the FBI is…motorcycle gangs. Not organized crime, not cartels. Motorcycle gangs. A large number of gang members- motorcycle or otherwise- are indeed former military. The only difference between them and the military is the total lack of restraint on the part of the gang members. They are trained in tactics, and unlike most police officers, are usually veterans of numerous violent engagements. Those who lead gangs are ruthless, amoral, and require complete loyalty from their subordinates. Gang members can usually run circles around law enforcement because (1) they lack any restraint; (2) they will happily shoot you before you can think about shooting them, and (3) they enjoy it. I don’t know where Mr. B’s been living, but the gangs of today are well-organized, battle-hardened, and spend more time learning how to avoid being shot and win battles than 99% of the population.
5. In the event of a power outage, jail cells will be locked shut, not open.
This assumes the outage happens at a convenient time when release hasn’t just occurred, or convicts aren’t in general release for exercise/meals. Prison riots are no joke, and are frequently planned in advance for months, waiting for the possibility of a power outage or other momentary vulnerability on the part of the prison staff. In the event of a power outage, electricity stops. Not “slams the doors shut” and then stops, but just plain halts. A realistic response would be for the guards to start shooting prisoners, and then get swarmed under when they ran out of ammo. This happens NOW in riots, let alone if all power went out.
6. In order to run a successful raid on even an isolated farm house takes meticulous planning, thorough preparation, lots of supplies, and the ability to perform small unit infantry tactics. If you’ve ever done it, you know that even in the best of circumstances, it is extraordinarily difficult, because it is physically demanding and takes real discipline.
Again, this was well-addressed with the “one guy, one match, one gas can” response. It also ignores the element of surprise, through which many settlements/houses/villages have been overrun by small armed groups. “Extraordinarily difficult”? By definition, this would be an extraordinary time. Shooting up a farmhouse (one constructed not for survival, but for light, visibility, visual appeal, and other peace-time oriented factors) requires very little of the requirements mentioned. If it were that difficult, we’d all be safe moving in with Dorothy in Kansas
7. The idea that the neighborhood gang is suddenly going to turn into a disciplined force, operating with military precision out to get Tom S. is simply delusional
paranoia.
The “neighborhood gang” in places as far-reaching as Wyoming, Iowa, and Montana has the local police living in fear. Why? Because the gangs are now moving (or already moved) up from California and other high-population areas to spread their influence and take more territory. They do so in a disturbingly organized, well-planned and diabolically methodical way. Establishing supply lines and other logistic requirements, they move from town to town, first establishing beachheads, then moving reinforcements into the area and quickly eliminating local competition. While they probably aren’t looking for Tom S., they certainly do operate with military precision. Ask any cop about the actions, tactics and movement plans of present-day gangs. You’ll get an earful on their deadly and successful abilities. I am no hysterical wild-eyeball. But it would be nearly criminal not to admit the reality of the situation with modern gang warfare. “I’ve got the pistol, so I’ll keep the pesos” is effective even in best-case scenarios. To attempt to write off the both the raw power and paramilitary ability of most gangs is to ensure an early demise. Why do we train? So that we are better-trained than the other guy. In this case, it’s your squad against a battle-hardened bunch of sadistic nihilists.
In other words, the other guy is training, too. Hope that your training is better. Telling yourself “he’s not trained” will only get you dead. – J.B .
KAF flagged this: Venezuela nabs two for trying to ‘Twitter’ a run on banks. Consider this fair warning on a new threat: “flash mobs” that could trigger crises including bank runs, and runs on key commodities. Do you remember how Johnny Carson made one offhand remark that sparked “The Toilet Paper Crisis of 1973”? The burgeoning social networks could be used to spread a panic far and wide, whether it is justified or not.
SurvivalBlog reader Tony B. sent us this: Dollar weakness reflects optimism. Tony’s comments: “How upside-down is people’s thinking when the value of the dollar falling is seen as a good thing, because people will pull out of gold and silver to hold counter-inflationary real money? Are people so obsessed with the numbers ‘Hey, I have 10% more dollars now!’ – that they don’t think about what these changes mean? ‘Why did the price of everything go up 15%?'”
S.M. spotted this: U.S. marks 3rd-largest, single-day debt increase, $166 billion jump spurs concerns over policy.
Two more items courtesy of S.M.: Deficit hits $1 trillion in June for second year, and IMF presses US to cut debt,
Items from The Economatrix:
Mortgage Applications Rise 7% as Rates Fall
The US: A Long Economic Winter Ahead
UK: 70 Top Graduates for Every Job Opening
Europe’s “Toothless” Bank Tests Making Matters Worse
Makow: Use World Currency to Renounce the Debt
The editor of the Rural Revolution blog mentioned a company that makes nifty fixtures that turn Mason jars into kerosene lamps. The editor wrote: “Specifically I purchased item # 10BR3273, which is a bulk purchase of ten fixtures. They come with wicks. (Here is a photo.) A package of 10 of them costs $22 plus shipping. I’m also buying glass globes every time I see them at thrift stores. These usually don’t cost more than $2 each. I’m also buying extra wicks.” For stability, the larger the jar, the better. With a two quart jar and a long wick, one jar of kerosene should last for weeks of daily lighting!
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Australian police probe poisoning of seven million veggie plants; tomato shortage could double prices. (A hat tip to Chris L. for the link.)
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KAF was the first of several readers to send this: U.S. Tomahawk Missiles Deployed Near China Send Message.
“It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers! In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until it was too late. Accordingly, I’m readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I’ll, in turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials – after the fact.” – Robert E. Lee, 1863
Today we present another entry for Round 29 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 29 ends on July 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.
Last fall I was lucky enough to join a friend and his father on a hunting trip. It was their umpteenth trip into the woods, but my first. They had been going to the same place since my friend’s father had started hunting, almost 45 years ago.
We were hunting deer, and my friend and his father and both won in the lottery to hunt Does as well as Bucks.
(Note: they don’t use deer stands. It is more, “you cover this area and I’ll cover that area.” And while my friend and his father often just pick a spot and sit there all day long, I knew that I would be allowed to wander a fairly large area if I felt like, which I certainly intended to do).
I had asked for advice on what to bring and received plenty, so I was fairly well prepared. But like any survival situation, no kind of preparation compares to real experience. Though I’d grown up in a very rural area and had plenty of childhood experience roaming around the bush behind my parent’s house, I was ill-prepared for reality.
When you’re sitting in your cozy home, exercising on your treadmill, filling your bug-out bag in preparation for a volatile future, keep in my mind experiences as I list them here. Based on my very first hunting excursion, here we go:
On the first day of our hunting trip, though it had snowed heavily the night before, the weather report was for a clear sunny day, and clear sunny days for several days beyond. Temperatures were around freezing (0C/32F), so I wore my coat anyway as I wanted to be prepared for anything. About mid-morning, as the sun was rising, and I was enjoying one of the most beautiful mornings I’ve ever witnessed, with the light shining through snow-laden trees, I was beginning to think I should have left my coat at home. Because heck, my pack was heavy, what with extra pellet guns and all. But then the snow started melting. And it started raining. Yes, raining. It started slowly, just a drip-drip at a time, then it came down heavy. All that snow melted and rained on me for a solid 2 hours. Thank God I had my coat, because I would have been drenched in no time in very cold temperatures.
The knife – I know, I know. Another item talked about ad nauseam. But it’s just so important. I carry a Fallkniven S1, which I also used to gut my first deer. It is easily the best, sharpest knife I have ever used. After about 20 seconds of gutting, my friend said, “Holy cr** that’s a sharp knife.” (He has been hunting for 20 years). These knives aren’t for looks (though it looks great too, imo), but it’s a quality survival knife if there ever was one.
A compass – I don’t carry a great compass. I carry 3 lesser ones. They all do a good job, or more importantly, they agree with each other. I will buy a quality compass to compliment my collection when funds permit. When I was hiking around getting a feel for the land, I was checking a compass about every 30 seconds – way more often than I anticipated.
7-strand paracord – So many uses it’s ridiculous. I carried about 30 feet of it. Next time I will up that to 50’, maybe 100.
Boots – Wolverine Impala 600 Thinsulate. Another item I won’t skimp on. My feet run hot, so 600 is more than enough. Waterproof, tough as tough, but nice and comfortable. Keep your toes moving.
Leatherman Juice X – Not only is this a great survival tool, but I keep it on my hip for everyday use. And I use it, every day. My friends are so used to seeing it, they always ask to borrow it too.
And, of course, the garbage:
Backpack – I had a cheap backpack that carried a bunch of stuff. It was uncomfortable to wear, especially with a lot of weight in it. It was hard to adjust the straps, in fact a couple of them broke on day one, and threads were coming out all over.
As soon as I got back home, I ran out and purchased a Redhead Hybrid Illuminator Pack. It’s very functional, versatile, and comfortable. My shoulders thank me.
Thermos – On the first day, my two companions carried thermoses with coffee, and I was annoyed I hadn’t thought to bring my own. Mid-morning on that day, I really wished I had a couple cups of coffee to lift my spirits, because, as I mentioned above, it was raining on me pretty hard.
At the end of the 1st day I drove to the local Wal-Mart and picked up a thermos of my own. As we trudged through the woods on day 2 and I was thinking happily how much I was going to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, I accidentally bumped my pack against a tree. The sound of broken glass inside my thermos was unmistakable. As was the smell of coffee that leaked out of the thermos and drenched everything in my (cheap and non-water resistant) backpack.
Did I really need the extra weight of a thermos full of coffee, when I was already carrying a water bottle? Well, if you can put up with the extra weight, it sure is a spirit lifter. I think next time I will carry some coffee grounds and a filter and make it on the spot. Best of both worlds.
I have some tips and ideas to add to Colleen’s wonderful article on desert gardening. I have successfully cultivated summer & winter gardens throughout the southwest desert regions of Arizona & New Mexico for the past 7 years. My methods are not necessarily in support of OPSEC in WTSHTF scenarios, but just desert gardening in general.
* Try to set up raised beds along the west or south facing side of the house or block wall – the walls retain heat all day and provide some radiated warmth during cold evenings.
* A very simple winter “greenhouse” method is to run two long PVC pipes crisscross over your raised bed into supports screwed into the sides of the bed, cover with heavy plastic sheeting (white or clear), and hold down with rocks or boards. Take it off during the day, put on at night to block frost. It does get cold here in the desert at night and sometimes even snows! But the 60-70 degree sunny days make up for it and allow for year-round growing.
* Check salvage yards, rebuilding centers, craigslist, etc for scrap wood cheap or free. I recently responded to a craigslist ad from a mobile home business that routinely offers tons of used boards & wood frames for free – perfect for building raised beds.
* I don’t use wood boards less than 2″ thick because they tend to bow & warp and are flimsy. If the wood is in good condition, I recommend coating it with linseed oil as this will help repel water and keep the wood in good shape.
* Don’t use railroad ties, as perfect as they may seem. These are generally heavily treated with chemicals & oils you don’t want leaching into your garden soil.
* I stick with bed sizes of 3′ x 3′, 4′ x 4′, or 4′ x 8′. You don’t want to build anything wider than 4′ in one dimension as it becomes hard to reach into the center of your garden. I now only build beds that are 12″ high – anything less and you will have plants that struggle. With a bed that’s 12″ high you can accommodate any type of plant, even root vegetables like carrots & potatoes.
* I always line the bottom of my beds with black, woven “weed blocker” material, two layers of it stapled to the bottom of the bed. I have learned the hard way when I fail to do this, as this nasty desert grass always manages to shoot up through a foot of soil and overtake my garden.
* I tend to cover most of my raised beds with some type of cage or screen to keep out birds, cats, and also provide a base for shade when needed. Making a cage out of chicken wire, PVC pipe, and zip strips is easy; they are light & can be moved from bed to bed. Make your cages at least 2 feet tall, anything shorter isn’t enough for most plants.
* I also use used, framed window screens (found a bunch at a rebuilding center for $1 each). They tend to be 3′ or 4′ long and 18″ tall. These make great sides for a wood framed cage or bed topper. I also lay them across the top of newly seeded beds for shade and to hold in moisture as plants start sprouting.
* With cages over the beds, you can also cover the entire thing with shade material during the most brutal periods in the summer: I found gauzy/woven drapery fabric spread over the entire cage provides nice shade while still letting sunlight in. You can find old drapes of this material at almost any thrift shop, usually for a buck or two.
* Many of the commercial black plastic composters are expensive. They are a good investment, but I’ve been equally successful composting with just a pit in the ground covered with cardboard and a simple box made out of scrap wood & chicken wire. With weekly turning & watering, you will have rich compost soil in a matter of weeks. I call it “brown gold”.
* Seek out local nurseries or other sources who sell compost or soil by the cubic yard (aka “a truckload”). I found a source in southern New Mexico who would load the back of my small pickup truck for $30 and that was enough to fill a 4′ x 4′ raised bed. Reserve your homemade compost for the top layer to give seedlings an extra boost.
* If you have roof gutters or a spot on the roof where water gushes down during a rain storm, get some rain barrels. I’ve had 55-gallon barrels completely fill with water in under 15 minutes during summer monsoons. Barrels can be as simple as just cutting holes in the top, wide enough to dip a watering can or bucket into, if you don’t want to install a spigot near the bottom. Make sure to cover the tops with a screen or lid when not in use so animals don’t fall in and to not attract mosquitoes. I have found clean, used barrels at flea markets for as little as $7 each. While I don’t know what they used to hold, after a few flushes I think they’re OK to use for irrigation water (but I would not use them for drinking water unless they were brand new).
* I do my main watering in the evening after the sun has gone down. With new plantings, I’ll do another watering in the morning so the soil stays moist all day. Once plants are substantial, I water carefully every 2-3 days and use shade covers during the hottest times.
* I keep all my seeds in their original packets, sealed in a Ziploc bag, in my freezer. I have seeds from two years ago that are still sprouting with this storage method.
* Most importantly, don’t try to grow plants that don’t belong here. I tend to focus on growing plants the natives have grown here for centuries: squash, beans, corn, peppers, etc. I have also had success with leafy greens (in the winter), tomatoes, dill, cilantro, and broccoli (winter).
* On squash: I either have one bed reserved just for squash or else I grow it in rows or mounds on the ground away from everything else. Squash growing with other plants will quickly invade the entire garden – it really needs a lot of room to spread out or grow up (if you have vertical supports set up).
* Unripe butternut squash (very pale or white) growing late in the season can be harvested and placed on a sunny window sill (or out in the sun during the day) and they will ripen. One winter I had 30+ good sized (but unripe) butternuts that I kept out in the sun during the day and they did ripen in about a month. And when properly stored, squash lasts “forever”. I’ve stored butternuts in a dark cupboard for over a year and they were still edible, – V. in New Mexico
Mr Rawles,
Colleen M.’s advice on starting a kitchen garden in a low rainfall area is sound advice and I agree with the ‘challenge’ to avoid becoming technology dependant. I am fortunate to have a small Plan-B retreat which is amongst a community of small-holders in South Africa, but one challenge we have here is water. The irony is that there is a small seasonal stream the runs along our common land, but our government has passed laws that prevent us from using the water unless we pay a substantial fee per kilo-litre; well substantial for a resource that some of us have had a right to use since 1863! We have adequate rainfall for household needs, but many kitchen gardens in our community use recycled grey water. These systems vary from a buckets used by poorer families in our community, to more sophisticated systems relying on gravity (most of the homes are off-grid). The system I am installing is a shallow grey water soak-away beneath the planting beds to increase the moisture level in the soil. Regards, – Saffer
Dear Mr. Rawles,
As a native Arizonan and a resident of the city of Tucson for the past 32 years, I just had to send in a response to Colleen’s article about gardening in the desert.
1. Colleen didn’t mention that we have a year around growing season in the desert. Plant cool weather crops such as dill, tomatoes, lettuce, and other greens in September for harvest in October through March. In March plant warm weather crops such as peppers, corn, beans and squash for harvest in May through October.
2. The three sisters method of planting works especially well in the desert. The three sisters method is native corn, pole beans, and native squash. The beans replenish the nitrogen pulled from the soil by the corn, the corn provides a stalk for the pole beans to grow upon, and the squash shades the roots to retain moisture.
3. Do not use seeds purchased from Burpee, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. These seeds are hybrids that have been developed to grow back east and will not tolerate the desert climate. Instead go to Native Seed Search, They have spent the past thirty years collecting and propagating heirloom seeds from plants native to the Southwest. They are happy to share their expertise. Another local resource is the Tucson Botanical Garden. Every year they plant a demonstration garden showing the crops and farming methods of the local tribes.
4. Yes, shade is important but planting fruit trees is not the best method. The few orchards located in southern Arizona , such as the apple orchards near Wilcox and the former orange groves in northwest Tucson all depend on a specialized microclimate and heavy ground water irrigation. Instead, plant mesquite trees. They are native, drought resistant, fast growing, and the beans can be harvested and ground into flour.
5. It is better to use brick or cement block instead of lumber to build your raised bed. Most commercially available lumber has been chemically treated to be insect resistant. You do not want those chemicals leaching out of the wood and into the soil. Also, we have termites in the ground in Tucson and they love the lumber.
6. Do not get discouraged if your first attempt at a garden fails. Gardening is a hands on learning experience and even master gardeners are always discovering new things. Now is the time to get started; do not wait until the S has HTF.
Thank you for all your hard work, Mr. Rawles. God bless you and your family. – Julie in Tucson
An interesting piece, over at the Dr. Housing Bubble blog: Frankenstein real estate market – $3.5 trillion in commercial real estate debt and $10.3 trillion in residential real estate debt.
Items from The Economatrix:
AP Analysis: Economic Stress is Easing More Slowly
Investors Shake Off Slowdown in Services Growth
Deficit Hysteria in Times of Depression
New, Nearly Dictatorial Powers Go to Fed
Market Forecaster Sees Plunge to 1,000
I got this from an newspaper editor in Alaska: Bear Attack: A Firsthand Account. The editor’s comments: “We had one of our readers submit this article today about a mama grizzly bear and her two cubs. It is a great story about man’s best friend helping as well as the importance of having a deterrent like Bear mace.
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KAF flagged this: Louisiana’s New Law Allowing Churchgoers to Pack Heat
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There was an excellent 21-page article in the July issue of National Geographic about the current state of the power grids in the US.
"Prepared is good. Unprepared is for losers. Know it." – American musician and philosopher Ted Nugent, in a July 2010 essay, Self Evident Nuge.