Letter Re: A SurvivalBlog Reader at Front Sight

Dear Mr. Rawles:
As I write this, I am returning from the four day Defensive Handgun course at Front Sight. I would like to share my thoughts on the whole thing with you and your readers, plus maybe share some advice that others may find of value.

First off, if any of your readers are on the fence about signing up for the class, I strongly urge them to do so. When Front Sight says they will get you to a point where you can deliver two shots to the thoracic cavity from a concealed holster in 1.4 seconds, they aren’t kidding. You will see a marked improvement in your shooting skills in a remarkably short amount of time. Bad habits you may have developed over the years will start to fall away, and you’ll find yourself adapting to the “Front Sight way of shooting” relatively quickly. While I didn’t graduate with distinction (May I never see another Type III malfunction ever again!), I did finish the shooting portion of the exam just 11 down, and finished up second in the class shooting tournament. And no, I still can’t believe I shot the hostage in the finals.

If you do decide to sign up for the class, here’s some good advice for you to follow.

1. It’s okay to be overwhelmed at the end of the first day. They are going to throw a ton of new information at you on that first day. Everything from your stance to the way you do a chamber check will be under intense scrutiny, not to mention the fact that you’re fighting years of muscle memory that fly into the contrary of how they are trying to teach you. Don’t worry about it though, it will get easier. Just do your dry fire practice, do it correctly, and you will be good to go on the second day.

2. The Nevada desert is a harsh, inhospitable climate, even in March. It doesn’t matter if it is hot or cold, the desert will dehydrate you if you’re not careful. Believe me, I learned this the hard way and almost ended up in a hospital emergency room because of it. I didn’t take care of myself as I should have, and it ended up being a pretty painful four days as a result. Even now I wouldn’t say I am still not at 100%. Learn from my mistake and make sure you drink lots of water and Gatorade.

3. Do not expect to do much of anything but go the academy, shoot, clean your weapon, and sleep. You are going to be at the academy for anywhere from ten to twelve hours a day, a good chunk of it on the firing line. You will learn a lot, but it will be a very intense experience. I suggest you have all your logistics in place before the training starts so you don’t have to worry about it. Get your food, laundry, water, and everything else you may need taken care of before the training starts so you won’t be wasting valuable rest and relaxation time later. Also, if you can help it at all, buy your ammo, holsters, and anything else you may need before getting there. The pro shop is well stocked, but it is not cheap. Save yourself a lot of money and come fully prepared.

Remember, none of this is meant to scare anyone off. Believe me, even after my battles with dehydration and the like, I would take this course again in a heartbeat. It’s probably the best instruction you’ll ever get in the art of pistol shooting. I can’t recommend it enough! Sincerely, – Tim R.

Letter Re: Successfully Trolling Craig’s List

Mr. Rawles,
At the risk of turning on my local competition to the positive aspects of the free section of Craig’s List, I thought I would mention a few of the things I’ve picked up in the past couple of weeks. These include:

A new round oak dining table and four oak chairs
Three boxes of canning jars with lids
A commercial fishing net (40′ x 60′), to be used for keeping birds and other critters out of the garden
36 Concrete cinder blocks (approximate value $130)
Remington electric chain saw (yes, it works!)
30+ wooden pallets (can be used for the usual “pallet” stuff, or for use as firewood/kindling)
Commercial nursery went out of business; so I got more than 1,000 plastic seed starting pots in 3 or 4 sizes (filled my pick-up to the brim).
5 Commercial toilets (out of a church – they were remodeling; two for my current residence, and two for our retreat, plus one spare, for parts)
4 Large two-drawer cabinets
A 25 foot fifth-wheel insulated trailer for moving gear and supplies up to “der bunker”, and subsequent use for weather tight storage. (Try to get insulated containers versus single wall, as there is almost no “sweating” inside)
The list goes on. . . .

As this current economic crisis gets worse, more and more folks are going to be displaced, and not having the money to move their possessions they either just abandon them, or place free ads on Craig’s list or elsewhere.
In addition, Craig’s List is a good source for many other items at very reasonable prices.

Keep your eyes open. On the more valuable items you have to be quick, sometimes responding within minutes. On many items we realize as survival oriented, most folks don’t have a clue, so you might have more time.

One thought I had on the pallets for firewood/kindling is that while they are readily available now, in the future they may be less easily found. Now they can be cut into smaller pieces with a skill saw and/or electric chain saw, stored in fifty-gallon plastic trash cans for next winter, or whenever you might need them. Once TEOTWAWKI happens, going outside to hunt firewood may not be such a good idea.
So, if you have Craig’s List in your area, keep checking the free section every now and then. There is no telling what you might find. – Chet

JWR Replies: I’m also a big believer in Craig’s List. One important note: In the long run, Craig’s List only works if folks “return the favor.” Be charitable whenever you have things in profusion–even when it is just zucchini squash.

Economics and Investing:

I spotted this linked at Drudge: White House Agenda on Track Despite Worsening Deficits. ($9.3 trillion in deficits projected!) Just as I warned, the Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB) is becoming uncontrollably self-perpetuating. (“If Industry X is deemed worthy, then why not Industries Y and Z?” Down and down we’ll go–down the road to ruin.)

From reader HPD: GM, Chrysler May Need Additional Aid, Rattner Says

MVR flagged this commentary from the National Post‘s Terence Corcoran: Is this the end of America?

“N” mention a piece by Simit Patel, over at the Seeking Alpha blog: Fed Intervention, Market Response Confirm: We’re on the Path to Hyperinflation

Items from The Economatrix:

More details on the most recent bank failures.

E.L. mentioned a Marc Faber interview with the McAlvanys.

US Seizes Top Credit Union Clearinghouse “Regulators seized the top clearinghouse for U.S. credit unions, citing a critical deterioration in the finances of the provider of services to thousands of retail credit unions….It also seized Western Corporate (WesCorp) Federal Credit Union of San Dimas, California, another corporate credit union with $23 billion in assets.”
The Big Takeover (Warning: Some foul language!) “The global economic crisis isn’t about money – it’s about power. How Wall Street insiders are using the bailout to stage a revolution.”

Obama Price Controls Coming? Brush up on what wage and price controls were like under President Richard Millhous Nixon, in the early 1970s. An excellent book on the subject is: “Government By Emergency “, by Dr. Gary North.

Dollar Declines Most Since 1985

Hungary’s Prime Minister Quits Amid Worsening Crisis

Fears Grow as Taxpayers Just a Paycheck or Two Away from Ruin

US Banks Lost $32 Billion in Fourth Quarter

Collapsing Markets Expose Ponzi Scam Artists

AIG Warns Staff To Travel in Pairs After Death Threats

California Unemployment 10.9%

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Kevin A. notes that the recent “Do it to save Mexico” spin on civilian disarmament proposals is still being touted: California Senator Diane Feinstein Urges Tougher Gun Laws to Prevent Mexico Violence

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An old friend of mine sent this: EBay’s Omidyar: Obama-backing Hamas-talking billionaire in Hawaii, expecting disaster

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Reader Greg I. mentioned that he just got one of these fashion statements. (See today’s Quote of the Day.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." – President Barack Hussein Obama, describing conservative rural residents, in a presidential campaign fundraising speech in Pennsylvania, April 6, 2008

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 21 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value!
Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses.
Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing

Round 21 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Walk!, by Snolden

If you value your existence and your life, then walk! I am an Air Force brat who did nine years active duty in the Navy. In other words I moved a lot. Eleven states in the first 33 years of my life. I traveled to all fifty states and a few countries. Every one is different, and areas within each are completely different from the part that you live in. Most people that lived in places I have been do not walk any further than a few hundred yards a day. A mile is a “long walk” for most folks. A good portion of the rest walk or run several miles as a work out, but that is with 6 ounce sneakers, shorts and an iPod as their only loadout.

Post SHTF or even during a week without power, you will be subjected to environmental conditions that your body cannot adapt to unless you have experienced it before. The environment that you find yourself in can affect your decision making. Cold, hot, humid or other; these conditions will prevent you from living. You will have to carry a lot of things a long way to make do, even if vehicles are working. You must condition yourself to this level of exertion.

So, go for a walk. Please use common sense and know your limitations. For those with physical limitations, you will have to toughen your mind more than those of us without. The demands on the body are going to be extreme for some even when all parts of it work correctly. I would like to challenge all of you to “honestly” walk 10 miles carrying a light bag. By “honestly” I mean in the clothes that you will be wearing post-SHTF. This will probably be some form of boots, belted pants, long sleeve shirt and jacket. If you can’t do this right off, then work up to it but nearly everyone will be able to do it. Ten miles should take 3-5 hours at the most depending your individual condition. Then do this again next month, in a different locale [, over different terrain]. I recommend a 5-7 minute break every 45 minutes as the optimum. [Depending on the weather and personal preference,] breaks of 10 minutes/hour or 5 minutes/30 minutes might work better.

For example, walk 10 miles around your city this month. Next month go to a trail in the woods. Walk. Anyone that has been in the Army or Marines will laugh at this distance. Many people in the Third World walk this far every day just to go to work or school. Then they turn around and walk that far back home. A pace of up to 12 minutes per mile is a good goal if you are in good shape. When backpacking I shoot for 15-20 minutes per mile including time spent for breaks. That works out to a little less than three hours for 10 miles. That is a very comfortable pace I can keep up for days.

The point of this exercise is to learn the techniques that you will need to walk. Everyone can walk, right? Nope, they can’t. Most people don’t understand about layered multiple pairs of socks, proper lacing of boots, proper waist belt adjustment on a pack and the other items that you only learn by walking (proper is different for each person and can change between the start of the hike to the end of the hike). For the average person with 10 pounds of belly fat, I would start with a 20 pound pack. That is only one gallon of water, a change of clothes, a lunch and a few emergency items plus the weight of the pack itself. You can start lighter or heavier, this is your challenge. Bring extra socks, moleskin, an ace ankle wrap and Band-Aids the first few times [or whenever you switch to a new set of footwear]. You might need them before you make it back.

Please only walk one day a week, to begin your training regimen. You will get serious blisters if you are not used to it and try to walk 3 or 4 days in a row. Just in that first walk you will learn what you like and don’t like about your shoes. For instance, you may find that you need to wear different underwear, an undershirt, and perhaps a different hat. You will realize that it isn’t that hard and it will encourage you to go further. Once you build up calluses [, stamina] and find your individual pace, then you can go all day. Now you can get through the long walks that are inevitable when SHTF and your body will remember. This conditioning will free up your brain to focus on decision making– unimpared decision making. Weather extremes can still get you but you have a baseline experience level. I recommend that you walk year round to learn how the weather affects you (But I realize this is unlikely, especially in extreme cold and heat for many people.)

General guidance for a maximum backpack weight is 1/3 of your body weight for medium distance hikes. 1/4 of your weight (1/4 of 200 pounds is 50 pounds, in my case) is far more comfortable. This may seem like a lot but with the right boots/socks and pack it actually is easy. And since you are already walking 10 miles straight now, you will quickly find out what qualities to look for in your gear. Some things can be fixed for free. For example, I don’t lace the top holes in my boots. This lets my feet breathe a bit more. I have learned how to load”my pack for maximum comfort.

Okay, now for the good news. Once you can do this for a few days straight with about 20-30 pounds on your back, you don’t have to do it all the time to maintain the conditioning. I find that a 5-6 mile walk once every week or two with a 15 pound pack and “first line gear” maintains my long distance conditioning for months.

Long distance walking does not replace aerobic conditioning, it simply allow yours feet to get used to the abuse. You still need to aerobically condition your body for maximum cardiovascular health. In parting, I was amazed at the amount of heat produced by my feet the first time I walked ten miles on a hot day in boots.

Letter Re: Ammunition Shortages in U.S. Might Become Chronic

Hi Jim,
A man with the Customer Service department at Midway explained that backorders are expected to continue and there appears to be no reduction in demand. Browsing their web site, I see ‘expected’ delivery dates pushing further into the future, and up to six weeks delay for the less expensive and common caliber hunting bullet, mostly .30 caliber bullets. Many premium bullets are also on ‘back order’ since my last visit. And now, even less common caliber bullets are backordered as well as other reloading components and reloading tools. The shortage at Cabela’s also continues. The Civilian Marksman Program (CMP), advises that delivery could take 100 days for their still inexpensive M2 ball (.30-06) for the M1 Garand [and many other] rifles.

I believe that you’ve mentioned the possibility that “Ballistic Wampum” could be more useful than silver for the purposes of barter. The ammunition and component shortage is making a me believer. If events unfold as they might, the shortage could become increasingly severe and chronic. It may actually now be easier to obtain silver than bullets or certain and popular loaded ammunition. Over the last two years, I’ve done better with ammunition than silver, and have decided to trade in silver if necessary, for bullets. In memory of the Lone Ranger, silver would be a poor substitute for lead as the sectional density of a sliver bullet would be significantly less and therefore less effective. As I am no Lone Ranger, I would need all the advantages possible, and rather have the good stuff.

More folks are waking up everyday, and I suspect most of them will feel the need to protect and feed themselves. Many of those folks will be without the means to do as they discover that they cannot afford buy a good supply or any supply, and if able, may find that shipment could be months into the future. The Fed’s recent action makes continued and escalating hyper inflation a given. If delivery in months away, prices might change, or delivery might become impossible at some point. I’d error on the side of caution. – E.L.

Economics and Investing:

U.N. panel says world should ditch dollar. (Kudos to Laura H. for the link.)

The Appenzell Daily Bell reports: AIG world of $1.6 trillion derivatives trouble

England may be unable to sell all of its bonds: UK overhauls debt issuance protocol. In related news: Dollar falls sharply on Fed statement. And, meanwhile in Japan: BoJ ramps up purchase of government bonds. Sounds like a race to the bottom, to me. (Thanks to G.G. for all three of those links.)

Three More Banks Go Down: Teambank, Paola, Kansas; Colorado National Bank, Colorado Springs, Colorado; FirstCity Bank, Stockbridge, Georgia. And in the same week: Two corporate credit unions taken over by government

Items from The Economatrix:

Post Office Offering Early Retirement to 150,000 Employees, Cutting Managers

Is Obama/The Fed Manipulating the Stock Market?

Stocks End Week in Slump

Fed to Pump Another $1 Trillion Into Economy

13 Companies Getting Bailout Money Owe Back Taxes

New Jobless Claims Have Topped 600,000 Each Week for Past Seven Weeks

Greenbrier Resort Files Bankruptcy

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Mike S. sent this: Gun sales going ballistic: Fears of regulation, crime spur sales of firearms and ammo. Here is an important paragraph was buried near the end of the article: “One northern Warren County resident found out recently the government is paying attention to such ammunition sales. West said a customer of his recently stocked up on .223-caliber rounds, a caliber often used in assault-style weapons. The customer bought 1,000 rounds a few months ago through a mail order company. Shortly after the purchase, he received a visit from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, whose interest was apparently piqued by a large-scale purchase of that caliber.” Think OPSEC, folks, especially if you live in one of the more populous gun-grabbing Nanny States!

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French-speaking SurvivalBlog readers may be interested in this blog: Réseau de préparation et prévention du Québec.

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Brett noticed this article: Texas county plans to deal with unthinkable

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day [that] the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

And he said, The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer,

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: [he is] my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

I will call on the LORD, [who is] worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. – 2 Samuel 22:2-4 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 21 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value!
Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses.
Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing

Round 21 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Emotional Stressors During Societal Collapse by Campcritter

As determined men and women of yesteryear made their way west to make for a better life, pioneer women often kept journals of their life on the great prairies or sent letters home to their sisters back East. In those letters they described the silence as the most unwelcome guest. These brave women wrote about being left for weeks on end alone, lost in an endless sea of grass with only the wind for company while the men hunted or went for supplies. In some cases the quiet was so severe that it became unbearable and the women developed mental problems. One young mother in 1853 wrote, “Silence is an evil creature, it stalks you by day, watching, waiting, ever vigilant. By the dark of the moon it strangles your thoughts and slips away with your sanity.”

Imagine now, that we are about six weeks into a societal collapse. You are sure you have prepared yourself fairly well. You’ve made all the plans and stocked all that needs to be stocked and you feel pretty confident that you and yours can weather whatever comes, right? After all, you have given lots of time and energy to making sure that you have everything that you need. You have provided for your physical well being, but have you taken the time to consider what happens to the family’s emotional stability when life as we know it suddenly takes a turn south?

In all the preparedness information out there, there seems to be an expectation that ones emotional response to real world stressors are somehow less important than the physical. Or maybe people are not wanting to deal with that which is yet unknown and frankly, just too scary for most of us to comprehend. What happens to the emotional intellect when forced to shoot another human being for the first time or watch helplessly while a loved one dies of an illness or a massive wound. How about dealing with feral pigs, dogs and any other typically domesticated animals? Can you let your children out of your sight to play in the yard or do you live with constant fear they may become a meal for a once beloved family pet or the zoo animal that hasn’t eaten in a week? These are real life situations that need to be discussed along with beans, bullets and band aids. Even Tom Brown, “The Tracker“, writes of feral dogs of his youth while living in New Jersey.

Now that the stores are not being stocked you have used up all that was in the cupboard and freezer and have broken into your stored rice and beans. Everyone in your household has been about four weeks without McDonald’s, potato chips, Spaghetti-Os, wine, beer and cigarettes. The family complains of being gassy and bloated and by now the cravings are so bad that even the neighbors lawn ornament is beginning to look good. Tempers are just one spark away from ignition within the family unit. Depression sets in as Sissy hysterically cries, “I’m never ever going to use a flush toilet ever again!” It becomes apparent that holding this unit together is going to be a real challenge. Isn’t it is amazing how a change in diet can trash the family dynamics?

My field of study for the past 25 years has been in Holistic Nutritional Sciences. This field is centered around the whole body and everything that goes into it, air, water, plants, the soil plants are grown in and the health of animals that are used for food. Current research indicates there are definite changes in body chemistry when one gets off the processed and junk food hamster wheel. As chemicals, heavy metals and other toxic particles leave the body there is what has been described as a healing crisis and it can be all too real for the ones that suffer through it. Think for a moment, you have suddenly been forced to do without coffee or cigarettes, a real nightmare for some. What will you feel like in a few days? Your children have been forced to do without their favorite French fries or soft drinks. What will be their mood in a week or so? If you have ever been witness to a loved ones kicking of the habit you will appreciate that it is not always a pleasant happening. These are a few of the more obvious, lets take a look at some lesser known problems with our modern situation.

Currently there are about 3,000 substances added to food that are on the FDA’s generally regarded as safe (GRAS) list but the GRAS can not guarantee that an additive is 100% safe for every human because not every human has the same biochemistry. Food colors seem to be most problematic for young children in that they can be toxic to the nervous system, kidneys or liver. And don’t get me started on genetically modified foodstuffs, it makes me screaming mad. I can’t say anything good about altering the perfection of the natural world. The fact that this brand new life form was not studied long term and released into the unsuspecting publics food supply makes me nuts. Were humans really meant to eat a corn plant with say, a petunia’s DNA? Of course, that’s a much simplified version but I believe there are some things that we just weren’t meant to ingest. Genetically modified ingredients in infant formula being number one on my list to scream about. My list to scream about on the subject of GMOs just scratches the surface here ,but that rant is for another day. ( hint: get as many open pollinated seeds as you can ASAP. That means yesterday. If you don’t have a garden get open pollinated vegetable seeds anyway, they will make great barter in the near future. Most seeds are viable between 2 and 5 years.)

An application of malefic hydrazide is routinely sprayed on potatoes and onions to keep them from sprouting but did you know that this potentially toxic chemical is sprayed on tobacco products in the U.S., and some chemicals such as propylene glycol, glycerin, or sorbitol are not always listed on a label. Aspartame as in Nutrasweet and Equal has been shown to be a precursor to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. What happens to the body when it doesn’t get it’s daily dose of acrylamide (a carcinogenic chemical created when potatoes and corn chips are baked or fried at high temperatures) or when the body is deprived of high fructose corn syrup from soft drinks? For some people they can have the same painful withdrawal symptoms as from coffee, cigarettes or drugs. I have seen people become depressed, angry, foggy in the head, sluggish and almost manic when taken off processed foods. Raw foods do an excellent job of cleaning out lots of toxins that accumulate in our fat. (See Power Foods by Stephanie Beling, M.D. and Rawsome by Brigitte Mars)

More and more young people are becoming diabetic, something very rare at the turn of the century. My neighbors eight year old child has to be monitored for high cholesterol, it’s just shocking! Students are under much more stress these days than ever before which can result in emotional eating and behavioral problems. More cravings with less food available could be overwhelming to children who aren‘t understanding why they can‘t have a second helping. Even my own grandchildren are such fussy eaters, what happens when they no longer have access to their junk foods and are forced to eat “real food”? And by the way, their idea of what real food ( pull it out of the freezer and pop it into the microwave) is and my knowledge of whole real food doesn’t line up. Where as there lies the problem. When at Grams house you need to adapt or go without. (wink, wink, I have been know to bend just a little, sometimes.) Also, eating a constant diet of freeze dried storable foods and garden produce can have an undesirable set of problems all it’s own. Much more water needs to be taken in or the system seems to get painfully backed up.

What about those pioneer women? They didn’t have GMOs or cell phones. They certainly didn’t need a good detox diet but many did keep journals to help insure some sanity. Writing stuff down is almost like talking to a friend. If our world does the “Patriots” thing, we all will be pioneers in our own right. Picture a world of teens without their cell phones, blackberries, computers, music or anything else that makes them tick. The withdrawal symptoms from the “NEED” to communicate alone surely should scare even the hardiest amongst us. Taking care of the emotional person is very personal and challenging. Learn what you can about the food you have been eating and the world around your retreat and take charge now. The mental health you save may be your own!

A note to Grandparents: You are hereby requested to help keep our history alive. Talk to your Grandchildren about your history, our country’s history and how we got to this point in the world. Write it down if needed. Teach them all the skills that they will need in their future. Plant the seed early, grandchildren seen to respond to grandparents easily. Their world will be inherently different than the one we lived in. Teaching them how to garden, fix a roof, sew a shirt, harvest and save seeds, cook a stew, etc., everything that you know. What you don’t already know how it do, learn it together. They are going to need all the advantages that we can give them.

Favorites from my library:

Cookin’ with Home Storage by Vicki Tate (Excellent) [JWR Adds: Tate’s book is also one of our favorites.]

Staying Healthy with Nutrition by Elson M. Haas, M.D. There is a section in this book about detoxification and fasting. (Excellent) This one is my all time favorite, it is so worn. 1,141 pages

Never Be Sick Again by Raymond Francis, M.Sc. He tells why disease happens and how to avoid it.

Nutrition and Mental Illness by Carl C. Pfeiffer, Ph.D., M.D. Written in layman language, very interesting, surprising causes of some symptoms.

The Ultimate Nutrition Guide for Women by Leslie Beck, R.D. (Very Good) She tells women why they have health problems and how to deal with them.

Superpigs and Wondercorn by Dr. Michael W. Fox (About GMOs.)

Letter Re: Our Hurricane Rita Evac Proved a Point–Timing is Everything!

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I was in Kingwood Texas, a suburb of Houston, and as keeping an eye on the Hurricane Rita projected tracks. When the “yellow cone of death” was centered squarely on Houston, I started to seriously access my situation. That Tuesday evening, everything still seemed sort of normal. The wife came home from work about 5 p.m. and we took the dog for a walk around 6 p.m. When we passed the local gas station that normally has 0-1 cars in it and there was a line 10 cars deep, I knew it was “time.” I told the wife we were now implementing our “vacation” plans for Tennessee, and would be leaving as soon as I had the trailer re-packed. I brought the essentials and things I couldn’t live without if there was no Houston to come back too. For example, I brought the computers but left the monitors. (Monitors are replaceable, the hard drives and info on them, were not.)

We were wheels rolling by 9 p.m. Tuesday night, straight up Highway 59, with hardly another vehicle in sight. Just us and about 200-400 deer through the night, all headed in the same direction, that was weird… By Wednesday morning we were eating a lovely and peaceful Cracker Barrel breakfast about 20 miles East of Nashville and the waitress told us that Houston was basically having a riot on the freeways. Timing is EVERYTHING! We were 12 hours ahead of four million people leaving on the same roads, headed in the same direction.
I learned that deciding to bug out is like deciding to take in a reef in your sails when sailing that is: if you’re seriously considering it, then you should actually be doing it.
All the best and God Bless, – Edward T.

Letter Re: Storing Peanut Butter

Morning Sir.
I just wanted to add a quick note to the letter about peanut butter. As people purchase peanut butter, they should make sure it’s the “nothing but peanuts” variety. Most store brands and name brands are full of
sugar and miscellaneous garbage. A good natural peanut butter will have a layer of oil on top. I’ve always found it quite useful to pour off the oil and save it…how much of a premium people pay for peanut oil all on its own! The rest of the jar of peanut butter doesn’t suffer for the lack of the oil. – Carl H.