Odds ‘n Sods:

Ferd was the first of several readers to mention a news article that illustrates both the current over-reliance on GPS and the need to keep outdoor survival gear packed in your car: Couple stranded three days after GPS leads them astray.

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Our friend Tamara (the editor of the very entertaining View From The Porch blog), suggested this piece about weather whiners. OBTW, Tamara refers to the new Avatar movie as “White Guilt in 3-D. aka Dances with Aliens.”

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Best Prices Storable Foods (aka The Internet Grocer) has announced an End-of-Year Blowout Clearance Sale, with the following discounts:

15% off Canned Dehydrated Foods (*excluding* Milk, Morning Moo and Wheat). Code is DEC15.
15% off Mountain House on any order. Free shipping (48 states) on orders over $150. Code is MH15.
15% off Canned Meats, full cases (including Mixed Cases, but not Sample Cases). Code is MEAT15.
15% off Life Sprouts. Code is SPR15.

NOTE: Their shopping cart will accept only one discount code. They will know to apply the other codes if you qualify for them. Sale items for sprouts, meats and Mountain House is limited to the items in stock (Ground Beef–both sizes–is out-of-stock until January). If you qualify for free shipping, don’t panic when the cart “charges” shipping. They remove those charges manually before your card is charged. They a are offering (48 continental US states) for year units only. If you’ve been toying with the idea of getting a Year’s Supply
for 1, 2 or 4 (or a 3 Month Supply for 1), they’ve adjusted pricing for them to allow for free shipping in the continental US

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Reader M.P. mentioned this Scientific American article: Bugs Inside: What Happens When the Microbes That Keep Us Healthy Disappear? The human body has more microbial than human cells, but this rich diversity of micro-helpers that has evolved along with us is undergoing a rapid shift–one that may have very macro health consequences

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We’re on a journey – and we don’t know it – back to a nation of communities where your character really matters, and where character rests on whether your deeds comport with truthfulness. Many will be dragged kicking and screaming upon that journey, and many a dark night will be passed in the cold and damp on the way. But it will take us to a place where the hearths are burning brightly and the estranged spirits of our national character await a reunion with us: fortitude, patience, generosity, humor. That will be a Christmas to live for and remember” ! – James Howard Kunstler (Author of the post-Peak Oil novel World Made by Hand)

Notes from JWR:

The unabridged audiobook of “Patriots” is scheduled to be released on Thursday (December 31st.) Please wait until Thursday to order a copy.

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Today we present another entry for Round 26 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

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 HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $249 value.

Second Prize: 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 $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 26 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Antibiotic Use in TEOTWAWKI, by GeorgiaDoc

I am a board certified Internist, and I’ve read with interest the SurvivalBlog articles on antibiotics. I believe that the one by FlightER, MD was the most informative, but a little over the head of most lay people. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, I think this might be helpful to lay people.

I think it would be wise to have both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications on hand. But they are worthless if not used correctly. That is the problem if you are not trained and experienced in recognizing infections, and thus providing the correct antibiotic for the identified infection. I can describe the most common infections one would most likely encounter, and the best antibiotic to use in each circumstance. Please note, that if medical personnel are available, seek medical advice first, because a mistake could cost you your life if you have a serious infection. My advice is only for use in a situation where seeking medical advice is impossible, like TEOTWAWKI.

PREVENTION (Adults)

Preventing infection is better than treating an infection. The biggest advance in health was the improved sanitation in the early 1900s. Disposing of waste as far as possible from living and cooking and eating areas will prevent the common diarrhea illnesses that kill many when modern medical care is not available.

Any wound, even the most minor scratches should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. If dirt and debris is in the wound, do your best to scrub and irrigate with water to clean it out as best as possible. This simple thing will prevent most wound infections. Antibiotic ointments help, but simple washing and copious irrigation of open wounds is the most important.

Good hygiene helps as well. Bathing regularly as much as possible. Wiping after going to the bathroom from front to back for the ladies to prevent urinary tract infections. Brushing your teeth to prevent cavities and gum and dental infections. Having a single intimate partner to prevent STDs. We all know about condoms.

Keep your skin in good condition. Use sunscreens to prevent sunburn, and skin cancers. Use moisturizing cream to keep your skin in good condition as well. If your skin is damaged, dry, scaly which can easily happen if you are doing a lot of manual labor, or out in the hot sun, you are less resistant to skin infections. This includes the feet. If you sweat a lot, take your shoes and socks off twice daily and fan dry them to prevent fungal infections. If your feet are dry and scaly, then use a good moisturizing cream.

Use insect repellant to prevent insect borne infections.

Make sure you have had a recent tetanus booster. In TEOTWAWKI, vaccinations will be difficult to obtain, so make sure you are up to date. You should update your tetanus vaccine every 10 years. The current tetanus vaccine includes diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Make sure you get this triple vaccine, called Tdap (“T-DAP”). All three of these are rare in the US because of our vaccination campaigns. In some parts of the world where vaccines are not available, these are major killers. Also get your influenza vaccine every year, and ask your Doctor for the pneumonia vaccine. Pneumonia is one of the most common, serious infections, and prevention is always best.

TREATING THE MOST COMMON INFECTIONS (Adults)

PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE MANY DRUG INTERACTIONS, SIDE EFFECTS, AND POSSIBLE ALLERGIC REACTIONS. I CANNOT DETAIL ALL THE POSSIBILITIES IN THIS SHORT ARTICLE, SO ALWAYS CONSULT A PHYSICIAN IF POSSIBLE. A PDR IS A GOOD RESOURCE TO HAVE IN TEOTWAWKI. PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NEVER TAKE DOXYCYCLINE, CIPRO, AVELOX, LEVAQUIN, AND BACTRIM. THE SAFEST ANTIBIOTICS IN PREGNANCY GENERALLY ARE AMOXICILLIN, AUGMENTIN, ERYTHROMYCIN, CEPHALEXIN, MACRODANTIN.

If prevention fails, these are the infections you are most likely to encounter.

1. Common cold. Symptoms are: runny nose, sore throat, cough. You might get a little achy, fatigued, even have a low grade fever up too 100.5 or so. Just take some cough and cold meds. It will go away by itself. Please do not take antibiotics for this. It is a total waste of your resources. Antibiotics will not help, and may make you worse if you have an adverse reaction.

2. Cellulitis . This is a potentially serious infection. It usually arises from an injury, like a cut, or puncture wound. It is easily recognizes as an expanding area of redness. It is warm, and tender to touch. As it enlarges, you will eventually develop a fever, and have chills. Swollen lymph glands may appear nearby. This may also develop into the classic “red streak” going up an arm or leg. This is called “lymphangitis,” but is a type of cellulitis. The idea is that it is expanding/enlarging, usually quickly, over hours you can see a difference. This is life threatening, and requires antibiotics. It might have been prevented by washing a wound, and applying antibiotic ointment, but now it is too late for that. Systemic antibiotics are necessary. This is usually a type of streptococcus (“strep”) infection, similar to what causes strep throat. It is sometimes Staph. The best antibiotic for this is Cephalexin (Keflex), or Erythromycin if you are allergic to Penicillin.

3. Sinusitis You will know you have a sinus infection if you have sinus pressure or pain, discolored drainage, and swollen glands in the neck. Sometimes a fever will be present. Usually Amoxicillin will work for this, or Augmentin. If you are allergic to penicillin, then Bactrim is a good choice.

4. Bronchitis This is almost always viral, and does not require antibiotics, unless you have chronic lung disease, or if you are a smoker. In that case, Amoxicillin will work for this, or Augmentin. If you are allergic to penicillin, then Bactrim is a good choice.

4. Pneumonia Pneumonia is not easy to diagnose, even for a Medical Doctor without x-rays, but if you have a cough, and fever above 101 degrees F, I would assume it is pneumonia, especially if you are having chest pain or shortness of breath. The best choices here are Avelox, Levaquin, and Azithromycin. If these are not available due to cost, Amoxicillin, and Augmentin will usually work, as will Erythromycin.

4. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) The symptoms are painful urination, and the feeling of needing to urinate frequently, and an urgent feeling to urinate. In women, this is usually a bladder infection, and three days of Cipro, Bactrim, or Macrodantin will usually work. If there is also flank pain, and fever, I would assume it is a kidney infection, and treat with Cipro or Bactrim for two weeks. For men, unless you have some abnormality in your bladder or kidneys, it is almost always a prostate infection (prostatitis). A fever may or may not be present. This requires 30 days of either Bactrim or Cipro.

5. Gonorrhea and chlamydia For men, the symptoms are painful urination, and a discharge. We always assume both gonorrhea and chlamydia are present, and treat for both. Ideally, this would be treated with an injection of ceftriaxone, or oral Suprax (cefixime) 400mg, and a week of doxycycline. In TEOTWAWKI, I would try a single dose of Cipro 500mg orally for the gonorrhea, and a week of Doxycycline 100mg twice daily. Resistance to Cipro is being reported, so it is not ideal treatment. If you have Azithromycin, a single oral dose of 1 gram (1000mg) will take care of Chlamydia, so the simplest regimen would be Cipro 500mg orally, and Azithromycin 1000mg orally as a single dose. For women, the symptoms are pelvic pain and discharge (PID), and sometimes fever. Please do not treat this at home unless you have no alternative. This is a serious infection, and it is easy to confuse this with appendicitis, or other serious, life threatening conditions. The only oral regimen recognized for PID is Levofloxacin 500mg daily for 14 days.

6. Boils These are easily recognized. They are enlarging, painful cysts. Like giant pimples, they usually come to a head eventually, and open and drain pus. The best treatment is to open them, and drain using a scalpel. Do not squeeze them, because if they rupture internally, you have converted a minor thing into a serious thing. It is best to apply heat, and take antibiotics until the boil is “mature.” It will come to a head (have a white point in the center) and can be easily drained, or will become fluctuant (mushy feeling) where you can lance it open to drain. The best antibiotic today is Bactrim, as this is almost always a Staph infection, and many are resistant to other antibiotics. These are MRSA Staph infections.

7. Impetigo These are superficial skin infections. They are weepy, crusted patches on the skin. Children are most prone, but adults can get it also. It is usually strep or staph infections, and the best antibiotic is Cephalexin, or Augmentin. Erythromycin will work also.

8. Middle ear infection The symptom is a painful ear. Sometimes also a fever. It is not always easy to differentiate it from “swimmers ear,” which is an infection in the ear canal. If the ear hurts, and there is not obvious swelling and tenderness in the ear canal, I would assume it is a middle ear infection. Amoxicillin, Bactrim, Augmentin, Cephalexin would all work.

9. Swimmers ear This is the other “earache.” The ear hurts, and if you look in the ear canal, and compare with the normal ear, the canal will be obviously swollen, sometimes swollen shut. If you gently wiggle the ear, to put some traction on the ear canal, it will be very tender. Middle ear infections will not be tender. Antibiotic ear drops are needed here. If you want to conserve money for supplies, have some antibiotic eye drops on hand. These can be used for eye infections, and will also work in the ear. DO NOT TRY THE REVERSE. DO NOT PUT ANTIBIOTIC EAR DROPS IN THE EYE. IT REALLY HURTS!!!

10. Toothache This is always caused by mouth bacteria. They are always sensitive to penicillin, so Amoxicillin is best. Erythromycin is a good alternative if you are allergic to Penicillin .[JWR Adds: But of course don’t ignore treatment for any underlying cause of the ache such as impaction!]

11. Pink eye This is usually viral. So cold compresses, and artificial tears will do. If the drainage is especially foul, discolored, then it could be bacterial, and antibiotic eye drops may help. Sulfacetamide ophthalmic solution is inexpensive and should work fine. Ofloxacin if you are allergic to Sulfa.

12. Diarrhea illnesses These are usually viral infections, and will resolve on their own in a few days if left alone. Just take Imodium, and drink plenty of fluids. If you are having a lot of abdominal pain with the diarrhea, or are having blood tinged diarrhea, and running a fever, it could be a bacterial infection, so in TEOTWAWKI, I would try Cipro. This will treat most of the bacterial causes of diarrhea. Remember also, these are usually sanitation failures. So good sanitation, and hand washing are good preventatives.

13. Cold sores/ genital Herpes These are caused by essentially the same virus. They are easily recognized as clustered small blisters, and are very painful. The blisters are easily ruptured, so sometimes all you see are small ulcers. The key thing is that they are very painful. Acyclovir is effective for cold sores on the lip, and genital herpes. Acyclovir also works for shingles.

14. Influenza Influenza is usually only seen in the “flu season.” It is also easily recognized. It is like a cold on steroids. It is a respiratory illness, causing a cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, muscle aches, and fever. Fever is usually 101 F or higher. One hallmark of influenza is extreme fatigue. If you are not exhausted, you are not likely a “flu” victim. Tamiflu is effective, but must be started within 48 hours of onset of illness to be effective.

15. Animal bites Animal bites are considered infected from day one. Most Doctors initiate antibiotics immediately. The best thing to try to prevent infection is to thoroughly cleanse the wound. If the wound is open, that is actually better, because you can more easily irrigate copiously with water. Sterile saline is not necessary. If you have clean tap water, that is fine. Use liters of irrigation. Bandage the wound, apply antibiotic ointment, and immediately start antibiotics. Augmentin is usually used because of the bacteria which usually cause the infection.

Antibiotic Medications to have on hand in TEOTWAWKI

OTC antibiotic medications

1. Bacitracin or Double antibiotic ointment (do not use Triple antibiotic, or Neosporin ointment, these are highly allergic).
2. Povidine (Betadine) is a great solution to cleanse wounds. It contains iodine. Those who are allergic to iodine should avoid.
3. Hibiclens This is a good alternative as a cleansing solution for those allergic to iodine. Several gallons would not be too much.

Prescription antibiotic medications

1. These antibiotics are relatively inexpensive, and would be effective for almost anything you would encounter: Amoxicillin, Cipro, Bactrim DS, Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Cephalexin, and Sulfacetamide Ophthalmic solution.

2. If you have antibiotic allergies, or if you want a more complete armamentarium of medications, I would include: Augmentin, Zithromycin, Avelox, Suprax, Macrodantin, Acyclovir, and Tamiflu.

This is the usual doses for adults of the antibiotics mentioned

Amoxicillin 500mg three times daily for 10 days

Augmentin 875/125 twice daily for 10 days

Cipro 500mg twice daily for 10 -30 days

Azithromycin 250mg take 2 tablets the first day, then 1 tablet daily after that for 4 days.

Avelox 400mg daily for 10 days

Suprax 400mg as a one time dose

Macrodantin 100mg twice daily for 7-10 days

Acyclovir 400mg three times daily for 5-14 days

Tamiflu 75mg twice daily for 5 days

Doxycycline 100mg twice daily for 10 days

Bactrim DS 1 tablet twice daily for 10-30 days

Erythromycin 333mg three times daily for 10 days

Cephalexin 500mg four times daily for 10 days

Sulfacetamide eye drops 1 drop in affected eye four times daily for 7 days. For the ear, 3-4 drops in the affected ear 4 times daily for 7 days

Letter Re: Update on the Linda Rawles Memorial Fund

Jim,
Your blog readers continue to be generous and devoted to efforts in Zambia through Anchor of Hope Charities. Your wife’s memorial fund continues to bring much prosperity to the children. [As of mid-December,] $12,692.43 has now been raised. There are several of your readers now making repeat donations. One generous check came recently for $1,000! This is amazing to me.

These donations continue to keep us busy! By us I mean two of us at Anchor of Hope Charities – and Ronnie and Kennedy Mvulo, the Zambian couple who run the orphanage. We are busy negotiating with local vendors, purchasing supplies, and coordinating the building efforts. We are also making plans for our next trip in May. Our hope is to have a medical team available to offer services to those in the surrounding communities. I would venture to say that 1,000 local people will end up camping out, waiting to see our US doctors and dentists. It should be an amazing experience for both Zambians and Americans.

It’s funny, Jim. Because of all the work that’s being done in the area, people are starting to take notice. They too want to be a part of the work. We are starting to see local donations of work and some supplies.

I cannot express to you what an impact we are making. But I’m truly grateful. My best to you and our readers. – Judy Kendall, Director, Anchor of Hope Charities

JWR Replies: I am most profoundly gratified to see such an outpouring of charity to such a worthy cause. I urge anyone that has not yet donated to go ahead and do so. For readers in the US: If you make a donation before December 31st, it will be deductible for the current tax year.

Economics and Investing:

Charley S. recommended this R. Taggart Murphy article over at Japan Focus: In the Eye of the Storm: Updating the Economics of Global Turbulence

Damon sent this: Burlington Northern’s Tepid Outlook is a Warning

Several more readers have suggested that I link to this 30 minute YouTube video: The Dollar Bubble, which was mentioned once before in SurvivalBlog. It features clips of Peter Schiff, Ron Paul, Dr. Marc Faber, Gerald Celente, and Jim Rogers.

Items from The Economatrix:

Schumer Urges Wall Street Banks to “Get That Money Out There”

US Stocks Rise, S&P 500 Reaches 15-Month High on Commodities

Berkshire Eliminates 21,000 Jobs as Manufacturing, Retail Slump

Japan Jobless Rate Climbs for First Time Since July

Retailers Shift to Post-Holiday Bargains as Sales Seen Falling

Storms, Falling Supply Drive Energy Prices Up

Treasurys Come Off Lows Following Auction

Last Decade Worst Ever in Stock Market

Even as the US Economy Recovers, a Decade of Joblessness and Flat Wages Could Lie Ahead

US Treasury Bonds a Ponzi Scheme Waiting to Crash

Odds ‘n Sods:

Tod sent us this troubling piece of news: First Case of Highly Resistant TB Seen in U.S.

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I recently got a chance to see the new movie The Road, based on the same-titled novel by Cormac McCarthy. Do not consider this movie a survival manual, since the tactical mistakes displayed were numerous. Most notably, large campfires were lit at night, in circumstance where it was in fact important to avoid detection. “Cold camps” or at least using small tin can stoves would have been much more appropriate! I don’t want to post any spoilers, so I’ll refrain from further comment on details in the movie. Despite the gaffes, the film is still worth seeing, and I even more highly recommend reading the novel.

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Reader F.G. noticed this National Geographic article: North Magnetic Pole Moving East at 37 miles per year. Even if you don’t get the most current topographic maps, then at least be sure to update the magnetic north declination data on the maps that you keep on hand and carry!

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Mark P. sent us this: Solar power coming to a store near you; Buyer be warned, however — the DIY part of solar goes beyond installation

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Science has come full-circle, taking a page from the medieval Church by using fear and persecution to silence sceptics. The oppressed have become the oppressors. Given that most professional scientific bodies and peer-reviewed journals have been active accomplices in this scandal, one wonders how many other so called scientific consensuses have been similarly engineered and waiting for their own ClimateGates before truth is known.” – Joanne Nova

Letter Re: Raising Meat Rabbits

Dear Editor:
Pam N. wrote an excellent addition to the blog that was posted on December 24th. Their is a couple of points I’d like to add.

Be careful keeping rabbits in an area without a lot of ventilation. Rabbit urine puts off an ammonia type smell that evidently can damage their health. We regularly get freezing weather in the winter and then as high as 110 in the summer and our rabbits stay outside all year round.

While it’s made very clear on the package not to use it on anything other than cattle, Ivomectrin is very helpful in treating rabbits. We have used it on dogs and rabbits for over a decade. The VetRX rabbit product should be in the vet kit as well.

Rabbits do require protein for good growth as Pam pointed out. However they will eat most any of your vegetable and fruit scraps, cut grass from your yard (non-weed sprayed of course), most whole grains and many deciduous (smaller) branches. Ours love fruit tree branches so at pruning time the trimmings are put right into a wheel barrow and go right to the rabbits. Whole green corn stalks are pulled apart and given to the rabbits after corn is harvested off of them, they love the green corn husks also. Our rabbit pellets go into 55 gallon drums that are kept outside near the rabbits. Usually they are rotated within a year’s time.

We separate the young from the mother at around 6-to-8 weeks. Most folks say to butcher then but their really isn’t much meat on them at that time. We put them into a separate larger cage that my son called “the playground cage” since the rabbits seemed to always be playing around in there. Usually they are kept another four weeks or so before they are butchered.

Their are several advantages and disadvantages to rabbits for the survivalist-

Advantages:

  • Small animal that can be eaten during one meal, thereby circumventing the need for refrigeration.
  • Small animal that could be taken with you during a vehicle bug out. Put 2-to-3 rabbits in one cage to conserve space. [JWR Adds: Sibling males that have been raised in the same cage together generally get along, but introducing a new male into a cage is almost certain to cause a fight, possibly a fight to the death. Also, does should always be taken to the buck’s cage for breeding, rather than vice versa! And if a buck is rejected by the doe, he should be removed from the cage immediately. Breeding age does should generally be caged by themselves, although if need be, their own offspring can often be left in the same cage with their mother until they are close to butcher size.]
  • They are normally quiet as compared to chickens, goats, etc.
  • Meat, fur and fertilizer, guts get put in the fish traps or given to the dogs.
  • Can withstand cold weather pretty well. [But very high temperatures can be a problem.]
  • Very little veterinary care required as compared to cows, pigs, etc.
  • Low initial costs compared to larger animals.

Disadvantages:

  • Cannot forage for themselves while in cages
  • Require regular care versus a flock of chickens allowed to free range that may only require a little bit of supplemental feed.
  • Not a lot of fat on the carcass. Domestic rabbit will have some fat on it but nothing like beef or pork. This is good for health now but may be a disadvantage if the SHTF.

Merry Christmas! – Robert (from HomesteadingAndSurvival.com)

Three Letters Re: Prepping for Fishing in TEOTWAWKI

James,
I was thinking about the fishing e-mails and thinking: why are we talking [about using hand-held] rods?

In a true TEOTWAWKI situation [where present-day conventions and legalities on sport fishing have gone by the wayside] I don’t want to be standing there for hours trying to catch dinner just like I don’t want to be sitting in a tree stand trying to shoot dinner either. Like hunting, which I tend to agree with you on (you do it all the time by carrying your rifle and being ready at all times — or at least some firearm capable of taking big game)…the same goes for fishing.

Should I find myself near a lake or pond that has fish in it I’ll rig up a trot/trout line and get it set across the lake or between to jutting trees etc. Then I’ll go back to surviving and check the line later in the day, even the next day. I don’t have to sit there and watch it so I can gather wood, work in my garden (should I be fortunate enough to have one) etc etc..

When I was young I remember an older native lady who used to set up multiple poles on the pier she fished from. It was up north in British Columbia and far anyone so no worries about getting in trouble with the law. The point is, she put multiple hooks in the water then went back into her little shack and waited out the day doing something else.

She always caught lots of fish and you’d never know unless you watched her pull them up or put the lines in…she often set trout lines from one wharf to another also and always caught fish on them.

How did I know? I was an enterprising young lad who spent hours with my rod and reel to catch one or two fish, while she caught 10 or 12.

So it’s just lines, hooks and gear of that sort for me with one or two compact rods to use if traveling.

Otherwise, why waste the time? – Erik

Sir,
While a good discussion on fishing gear please remember that post-collapse the “old” rules no longer apply.

There are two excellent methods for getting fish that have not been mentioned.
The first is courtesy of Larry Dean Olsen (primitive survival expert) and I have tried this myself and it works like a champ. Basically you trap a small rodent (ground squirrel, prairie dog, etc. that you would not eat) and hang it over a deep cut bank on a stream or lake. As flies come maggots will grow and gravity being what it is, they will drop off the carcass and into the water. This process takes three days at a minimum. But it conditions the fish to come to that spot for a “free” meal. Then using a large net or other means, the fish are relatively easy to catch.

The second is courtesy of my brother who worked doing fish surveys for the Division of Wildlife in the back country of Utah for a number of years while finishing his education. Basically you drive two copper rods into the bottom of the stream or pond and attach them to your vehicle’s electrical system (I use jumper cables). The 12 volt DC current acts as a magnet for the fish and you can pick and choose which ones you want for supper. Now I’ve only tried this in areas that are predominately populated by trout and char (brook and lake trout) so I do not know if it works on other species. – Hugh D.

Jim,
Many of your readers seem to think that hunting and fishing are going to be feasible ways to feed their families after the balloon goes up. I guess this is possible in very remote areas, but I would caution them not to count on it. Even assuming the disaster that caused the collapse doesn’t destroy wildlife (radiation for instance), wild game is a very undependable food resource.

The assumption is that without game laws, a resourceful fisherman can take many times more fish from a body of water than if he were following rules. This is absolutely true. Having fished with grenades in the past, I can vouch for the effectiveness of unrestrained fishing techniques.

Unfortunately, game laws are there for a reason: to keep the resources from being over-exploited. I participated in an exercise with a Tahan Pran unit (Irregulars attached to the Royal Thai Army) in 1986 and watched a platoon fish out an entire section of a fairly large river in just a few days. By the end of a week, they stopped throwing grenades in the water because there weren’t enough fish to justify the activity any more. This small group of people basically denuded several miles of river and harvested all the fish available, including minnows. We ate a lot of fish that week, but their technique was too effective for long term use.

Even a large body of water has a finite carrying capacity and I expect most of them will be exceeded after the balloon goes up. Even if nobody is fishing with dynamite, lots of people are going to have the same idea and most bodies of water are going to be exploited much more heavily than they currently are. Most lakes, rivers and ponds are stocked regularly with fish to keep anglers happy. Without constant re-stocking and feeding programs, the watershed will be dependent on native fish breeding to restock. This is a slow process at best. Add to that over fishing by lots of hungry people and I expect water resources to be quickly depleted in most areas.

Hunting is even more prone to over-exploitation. Shooting deer from a feeding station or spotlighting them is very easy, but the downside is that anyone can do it. Deer, bear, and other large game may be poached to extinction in most areas and are going to be scarce wherever there are hungry people. Even rabbits and squirrels are likely to be in short supply.

Perhaps more serious is the topic of security. After TEOTWAWKI I expect fishing to be extremely hazardous. Water courses and lake shores are lines of drift and attract people. Standing around dangling a hook in the water seems to me to be a very dangerous activity and drifting around in a boat can make you a convenient target. You are vulnerable to rifle fire from basically anywhere on the shore. Tramping around in the woods is little better. If you run into anyone, you may find yourself on the receiving end of an ambush, or at best, in a battle, far from help.

Hunting and fishing are very time consuming (with the exception of traps and trot-lines). After TEOTWAWKI, there may be better uses for your time and energy. If you are truly isolated, hunting and fishing can be valid ways to put some meat on the table, but if you are anywhere near a population center, I would forget about buying fishing gear and use the extra money to store more food. – JIR

Economics and Investing:

The Other Jim R. mentioned a piece in the SHTFPlan blog: Hyperinflationary Depression – No Way of Avoiding Financial Armageddon

Markus suggested this piece over at 321 Gold: An Introspective Look at the Future of America Craig Harris.

A recent post from the Dr. Housing Bubble blog: Real Homes of Genius: Culver City Housing Bubble. Housing Shadow Inventory in Action. Countrywide Bank Owned home versus Duplex on Same Block. Foreclosure Holiday.

Items from The Economatrix:

Geithner: Tight Lending Threatens US Recovery

Global Food Crisis 2010 Means Financial Armageddon

Bob Chapman: The Credit Crisis is Not Over

Global Markets Face Rising Risk of a 2010 Double-Dip Recession

Fragile U.S. Economy Under Increasing Stress From Escalating Afghanistan War

US Dollar Breakout Means Gold Has Further to Fall

Odds ‘n Sods:

F.G. spotted this: New high-tech vehicles pose trouble for mechanics. Here is a quote from the article: “As cars become vastly more complicated than models made just a few years ago, Baur is often turning down jobs and referring customers to auto dealer shops. Like many other independent mechanics, he does not have the thousands of dollars to purchase the online manuals and specialized tools needed to fix the computer-controlled machines.” F.G.’s comment: “It sounds like that clean, 1965 Mustang, or 1978 pick-up truck may be a better investment than just being a nice vintage ride. You can still work on it yourself. “

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Freeze Dry Guy has introduced a number of novel scheduled buying club plans. This is designed to inexpensively and consistently set aside a supply of long term storage food for your family. These plans uses calendar-scheduled discount purchases, based on your available budget.

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Reader D.A.S. notes that Brownell’s has a article on different rust preventatives and their effectiveness. This great information for storing metal equipment and tools.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The degree of equality in education that we can reasonably hope to attain, but that should be adequate, is that which excludes all dependence, either forced or voluntary. We shall show how this condition can be easily attained in the present state of human knowledge even by those who can study only for a small number of years in childhood, and then during the rest of their life in their few hours of leisure. We shall prove that, by a suitable choice of syllabus and methods of education, we can teach the citizen everything that he needs to know in order to be able to manage his household, administer his affairs, and employ his labor and his faculties in freedom; to know his rights and to be able to exercise them; to be acquainted with his duties and fulfill them satisfactorily; to judge his own and other men’s actions according to his own lights and to be a stranger to none of the high and delicate feelings which honor human nature; not to be in a state of blind dependence upon those to whom he must entrust his affairs or the exercise of his rights; to be in a proper condition to choose and supervise them; to be no longer the dupe of those popular errors which torment man with superstitious fears and chimerical hopes; to defend himself against prejudice by the strength of his reason alone; and, finally, to escape the deceits of charlatans who would lay snares for his fortune, his health, his freedom of thought and his conscience under the pretext of granting him health, wealth, and salvation.” – Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet

Two Letters Re: Prepping for Fishing in TEOTWAWKI

James:
This is in response to the articles on fishing. Depending on where you are, I would assume that everyone and his relations will be sitting on the bank and hoping for a fish to bite. Fishing is hit or miss, unless you have a boat and have spent a great deal of time on the water, you will starve to death waiting for a fish to bite. You will be sitting exposed and probably looking over your shoulder.

I have a better solution and it is one that will work every time it is tried. Assuming you are operating in survival mode, a device my dad and, now I, have is a simple thing called a crawfish (crayfish, or freshwater lobster) rake. You make a rectangular wire basket with a long pole on the top and the end facing you open. You thrust it out into the water and let it sink. Then you rapidly pull it back in by letting it drag along the bottom. You dump it on the bank and poke through all the leaves and sticks for all the small fish (occasional big fish), crawfish, frogs, mussels etc. You not only have bait, you can also add this to a pot of stew or gumbo, it may not look good but I assure you it will be good for you. I am attaching a picture of one I’ve used for 25 years. You can probably describe it better than I can for your readers.

You can easily supply the protein needs of a family with what you can drag out of a ditch, or most any still body of water. The murkier the water the better.

Another devise is a minnow seine, one or more persons will have to get in the water. One end is secured on land, the other is walked out into the water and then in a wide arc as it is slowly walked until you get the other end on shore. Then you simply keep walking until the net and its contents are on shore. I recommend at least a 20 foot one.

There is also a device called a cast net, it requires practice, but is very effective at catching fish.

Webbing is very effective, this requires a boat or shallow water and is extremely effective at snaring fish, turtles, etc. I have a 100 foot one stored in a duffle that will go with us when we bug out.

A hoop net is another type of net. There is a company in Jonesville, Louisiana called Champlin Net Company. They have been making and selling nets for as long as I remember (Hoop, webbing, gill, and even baseball). [JWR Adds: OBTW, the large mesh commercial fishing netting (1.5-inch squares) is also perfect to use for the base layer for assembling ghillie camouflage ponchos.]

Although bulky, fish and crab traps are also effective. They can be hidden and out of sight, just remember where you deployed them. And don’t forget the trot line and simple lines tied to tree limbs that you run at intervals during the day and night.

Everyone likes to get out the rod and reels, but ask anyone who goes fishing how many trips they make to Wal-Mart or Academy Sports for supplemental gear for every trip. There may not be a sporting goods store to go to, so keep plenty of hooks, line and sinkers. Don’t just keep monofilament line, it goes bad from old age.

Hope this helps, catching a mess of fish is great and the eating is good. But using any or all the techniques I have described above will feed you every day. Thanks, – Ken G.

 

Mr. Editor,
No offense to W. in Atlanta – but that isn’t a TEOTWAWKI fishing article, it is geared more toward “what to consider before your weekend fishing trip” article.

First, my nephews catch just as many pan fish (from shore) on their $12 SpongeBob Squarepants and Batman poles as I do with my 10x more expensive Shimano/St. Croix rods. So while it’s a good idea to have some more expensive/reliable equipment, you might also consider getting a number of bubble pack rod/reel units too. More hooks in the water, lots of spare parts,
and cheap.

Regarding fly fishing – It’s difficult enough to remain semi-hidden when fishing from shore, but a fly fisherman flipping a 9′ rod around while wading in waist deep water can be seen from a great distance. It also puts you at a serious disadvantage tactically. Another advantage of the cheap bubble pack rods is their short length, making it easier to cast from the cover of weeds, trees, or rocks – albeit at less distance.

Some additional equipment I’d add would be:

1) Gill nets with mesh sizes appropriate for the fish species in the nearest bodies of water, and nylon rope for trot lines. Draped under the waterline after dark, these hopefully go unnoticed during the day for retrieval the next night. These also allow you to be ‘fishing’ while you’re performing other activities.

2) Minnow nets/traps for bait (and pet food).

3) Ice fishing gear, if applicable (or again, another use for the short bubble pack poles).

4) Devices capable of producing an underwater shock wave. (‘Nuff said).

Lastly, don’t forget to store lots of brine ingredients, seasonings, and freezer bags/wrap, cause at TEOTWAWKI we’re going catching – not fishing.

Merry Christmas, – Off-Grid Al

Letter Re: Root Cellar Alternatives

Mr. Rawles:
Just a quick note. For years my father-in-law used a refrigerator, stripped of motor and coils, buried in the backyard.on it’s back to ‘pit’ his potatoes

He would add some straw and store his veggies. The rubber seal was removed as was the [door latch] closure mechanism. A simple handle allowed access with no worry about children getting into trouble. A few holes allowed any water to drain. The local water table is many yards under the surface so that was never a concern. Only about one inch of the refrigerator’s body was above ground.

If use of a refrigerator is not allowed in your jurisdiction, then the trash cans might work. But I would suggest adding insulation prior to dropping the can in the ground.

As always, thanks for the blog and all the fine folks who write in. Thanks, – Hambone