Covert Home Power for When The Grids Go Down, by Tom H.

There is much written about the Power Grids going down (for whatever reason) and how to prepare for that event. Recommendations have been made for the installation of a generator, solar panels, battery banks, inverters, automatic system switches, on and on and on. These systems range from a simple inexpensive plug in inverter for your car 12 VDC socket (which may power a lap top or a cell phone battery charger) to an extremely complicated self-sufficient system that will operate your whole house. The simple fact is that most people will not install such systems for a variety of reasons ranging from cost to placement and sometimes simply knowledge. Short of installing a complete off the grid system, almost every other solution will require some sort of hassle and inconvenience. If it is winter, the problem is compounded as it takes very large amounts of electricity to run electric heaters, electric stoves, etc.(anything that produces heat). The idea is to do what is absolutely necessary; conveniently, inexpensively effectively.

Many will buy a generator, fill its gas tank, start it to make sure it runs, place it in their garage, put a full five-gallon gas can in the corner and think they have the solution in hand. Over the course of a year, the gas will turn to kerosene, or worse, (gumming up the carburetor and eventually making the gas in the can useless). They will have forgotten how to start the gen set and connect it to the house; dust will gather on both. Without considerable effort and knowledge, this set up becomes useless. Any generator use will produce noise when in operation; broadcasting to all within ear shot that you are producing electricity and potentially make you a target. If you live in a small neighborhood in a city, as most do, this will be of particular concern.

With a little preparation, no ongoing maintenance and very little cost there is a more effective solution to powering part of your house, one or more appliances at a time, and not bring attention to yourself and enjoying the use of electrical power. This is particularly valuable if the power outage is in the winter. Powering only your furnace will keep you warm and keep your pipes from freezing. Most people reading this are already somewhat prepared in the areas of food, first aid, etc.

What Do I Need ?

In its most simple form, you will need the following:

  1. Heavy duty automotive jumper cables in the largest cable size (diameter of the wire) that you can get.
  2. A 12 VDC to 120 VAC inverter. For $200 or less you can buy this at a discount store, many auto parts or sporting goods stores, and a myriad of other places. Thy typically range in size from 1,000 watts to 2,000 watts in capacity, and are about the size of a small briefcase. The larger size is preferable to the smaller ones as they provide more power and therefore will power more items at the same time.
  3. A 120 VAC extension cord. This should also be of the largest wire diameter (gauge) that you can find.
  4. A replacement 120 VAC plug for the extension cord.
  5. Extra stored gasoline for your car.

What Do I Do With This Stuff?

First, locate the main power disconnect (breaker or switch) that connects your house to the Grid. This is normally on or in the meter box. Turn it off. In this condition, even if the power comes back on, you will have no power coming into your house. This also duplicates a Grid down condition. Under no circumstances turn the main power disconnect back on while the inverter is attached to the house.

Turn off all the sub-breakers in your house. (Hopefully you will have identified which breaker powers what items or rooms in your house). Do not turn off the main breaker in this panel. This second main breaker must be in addition to and separate from the main house power disconnect.

Next, cut the receptacle end (female) off the 120 VAC extension cord and install the replacement 120 VAC plug (male) to the cord. Make sure it’s wired correctly. (Black to black, white to white and green to green). You will now have a cord with a plug on both ends.

The shorter you can make any DC cables, the better. (There is significant “line loss” in DC cabling, but not in AC cables.) Make the cords and cables as short as you can between the inverter and car. Do not modify the jumper cables unless you have the tools to do so correctly.

[Editor’s Strong Warning: Putting AC power into an outlet in your house might seem like a simple solution, but it can create a dangerous “back feed” condition that could electrocute a power lineman, when an attempt is made to restore power to your neighborhood! It is ABSOLUTELTY ESSENTIAL that you turn off your home’s main circuit breaker before energizing your home’s wiring with any alternative power system. The main breaker should be “tagged out” with a prominent warning sign, or better yet both tagged out and “locked out” physically. The best and safest solution is to have a qualified electrician install a proper bypass circuit breaker panel that will eliminate any risk of a back feed! – J.W.R.]

Place the inverter on the ground in front of the car. Connect the inverter to the posts on your car battery (pos + to pos + and neg – to neg -) with the jumper cables. Make sure the connections are as tight as possible. After making sure the main power disconnect is off, plug in one end of the extension cord to the inverter and the other end into any 120 VAC outlet in your house.

At this point you should start your car. (Warning: Do not run your car in your garage, or you may get carbon monoxide poisoning.) When you then turn on the inverter, you will have 120 VAC going into your house to the breaker panel. Your car battery will start to discharge and may not have enough juice to start it later, so do not turn on the inverter without the car is running. As you turn on a breaker, it will send power to whatever is plugged into the outlets on that circuit, and those items will operate, unless they require more wattage than the inverter produces.

As long as you have fuel to run the car, the car alternator will charge the battery, which runs the inverter, which then produces 120 VAC power to your house. A car that is quietly idling, parked in the driveway, is not going to stand out. A car can often be idled safely for many hours in cold weather, but in warm weather, over-heating may be a problem.

What I have described is not the ideal, most efficient way to do this, but it is the least expensive and simplest way to have power while not alerting scavengers. As long as you have gas for the car, you are in business.

There Is A Catch

The inverter will only run items which do not exceed the wattage rating of the inverter. For example, if you bought a 1,500 watt inverter, it will only run 1,500 watts total at the same time. (e.g. fifteen 100-watt light bulbs). This necessitates you do a little homework. As you can see, you can quickly overload the inverter. Your electric oven, your electric dryer, and some other appliances will not work. (They require too much power, and are often on 220 VAC circuits.) [JWR Adds: And keep in mind that the peak current draw comes with an electric motor’s start-up.]

Your furnace may take 1,000 or more watts to run the blower, the microwave may take 1000 watts, the your refrigerator another 1,000 watts, and so forth. You must know how much power is consumed by each item in your house, or you will quickly overload the inverter. If the tag on the appliance doesn’t tell you how many watts it takes, it may tell you how many amps it draws. You can convert amps to watts by multiplying the amperage (it may say 2 amps) by the voltage (120 volts). This item will draw 240 watts. The amperage listed is almost always more than it actually takes.

As you can see, this arrangement will allow you to run individual appliances at the same time, but no more than the inverter will handle. You must do a inventory of every item that is plugged in and know what breaker controls each. If you have your refrigerator plugged into the same breaker as your furnace, the inverter may not power both at the same time. You will then need a bigger inverter. Unplug every item in your house that is plugged into an outlet, and know how much power you are using for every item. It may be that all you need to operate concurrently is the furnace and a few lights, or the refrigerator and a few lights. Do the math. You may not want to run lights anyway, as this will only draw attention to you.

If and when the grid power supply returns to normal, disconnect the inverter, from the car and then the house, turn your main house to grid disconnect back on, and you are back to normal.

A little organization, planning, and thought will allow you to continue on through a emergency without a lot of expense, undetected by the outside world.

Two Letters Re: Survival Tools

Good day, Sir!
What a pleasure it was to see that a like minded individual spoke out about this often neglected aspect of preparedness. It was gratifying to find that your “survival tool set” matches my own core tool collection almost exactly. However… I’m not certain how you get all of that into one toolbox!

I have a two-tray box exactly as you describe with virtually identical dimensions…and there is no way you’re going to get all those tools in that one box. I presume you are referring to your “road box” with that description. In my own collection, the 1/2″ set has it’s own box…as do the pliers/grips, drivers, bicycle tools, my number two 3/8″ set came with it’s own box, et cetera. Besides what’s on your list, I’ve also got a set of Torx bits for working on newer GM and a 1/2 impact driver (the handheld kind that you hit with a hammer) with a selection of impact bits and sockets. In addition, I’ve collected a few oddities that have allowed me to minimize my spending on personal transportation. I spent just $1,000 this year on vehicles. I bought four, killed off two, sold one, and am currently driving the fourth as it’s engine has been overhauled (by me) and it came with an almost-new transmission (and a pristine body, which is why I bothered overhauling the engine). To do this, I’ve also obtained items like a ring compressor, coil spring compressors, brake tools, ball joint fork (actually makes a good pry bar in some situations where a crowbar doesn’t work as well), and some simple diagnostic tools, like a timing strobe. I’ve been debating whether or not to invest $100 or so on an OBDII reader.

I’ve also made the habit of picking out any free information I can find on things mechanical. The Briggs and Stratton mower I purchased a few years back came with a code to the B&S web site where you could download a free brochure on small engine maintenance. I’ve used this information to keep the mower running like new. You probably know that it’s possible to kludge together a gas powered generator with nothing more than a good 4-5 horsepower mower engine, an auto alternator, and an inverter. I got the inverter at a wholesale liquidators for 20 cents on the dollar. It’s only a 400 Watt unit, but that will keep a few lights burning. I plan to tinker with it until I feel confident to move up to a more powerful home built rig.

Anyway, enough about me. I enjoyed the article and I will be visiting your site regularly in the future! – Brian S.

Sir:
As a former aircraft mechanic and elevator tech, I thoroughly agree with the survival tools articles, which I saw on LewRockwell.com. Also consider the kind of vehicles you want to keep running. I like old air cooled VWs because they are simple and designed to be maintained by the owner. One of mine has 700,000 miles on it. If there is an electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear weapon there are no computers that will fail. The simple carburetor is easily modified to run on alcohol. They will even run on kerosene if warmed up on gas first. In the 1970s many were modified to run on propane, see the MotherEarthNews.com article under “transportation”. They even have an article on running cars on wood gas from firewood! A local company converts them to electric power. Many American cars from the 60’s are simple too. I also have a 1967 Chevelle with a Straight 6 engine and 3 speed transmission.

Pick up a copy of HotVWs magazine for parts sources and info. – Pat from Florida

Economics and Investing:

Jim B. recommended this video on the Federal Reserve: The Dollar Bubble.

Randy K. suggested this item: by the ever-cheery Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Gulf petro-powers to launch currency in latest threat to dollar hegemony

From J.S.: More countries at risk of default.

Items from The Economatrix:

World Losing Faith in Debt-Laden UK

The True Danger Lurking Behind 0.00% Treasury Yields and the 1-3-6 Rule Part I

The Return of Gold and Silver Eagle Rationing

Airlines in Deeper Trouble than Forecast

EU/IMF Revolt: Greece, Iceland, Latvia May Lead Way

Bond Price Crash is Surest Bet in Town

Poll Reveals Trauma of US Joblessness

Odds ‘n Sods:

Cheryl sent a link to a piece by Claire Wolfe, in Backwoods Home magazine: Circle of Friends: The Importance of Other People In Our Preparedness Plans

   o o o

Dan in Colorado mentioned this supplier of some hard-to-find food items, such as honey locust beans: Wild Pantry.

   o o o

Tord mentioned that there is yet another Robin Hood film is in the works. This one is directed by Ridley Scott (who created Blade Runner, Blackhawk Down, and Gladiator.) It stars Russell Crowe, and it has a big budget, so it will mst likely be worth watching.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction." – Thomas Jefferson

Notes from JWR:

My sincere thanks to the dozens of SurvivalBlog readers that have made contributions to the Linda Rawles Memorial Fund. The folks who operate the orphanage and school in Zambia have expressed their thanks. Your contributions are doing a lot of good for a very worthy charity! 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.

—

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.

Prepping as an Active Duty Servicemember Overseas, by M.B.

As a member of the Armed Forces stationed overseas, and for those civilian government employees likewise stationed, we face unique situations as we attempt to get ready for TEOTWAWKI scenarios. First, when you are stationed overseas, usually for a 12 to 36 month tour, whatever happens back home seems magnified in your mind because you are so far away and feel helpless to do anything about it. Mental preparation is of utmost importance if you get a sense of panic after reading about all the horrible things going on back home.  It is important not to panic when you see special sales for prepper items on the blog as this leads to impulse buying and frustration if the vendor does not ship to FPO/APO addresses. I think we tend to go into panic mode because in the military exchanges and commissaries overseas, it is common to run out of a given item and it may take months if ever to get restocked.  I am a mental health professional and just as I would counsel my clients, I suggest to my fellow military bloggers, the first thing I would advise is read as much as possible, take a deep breath, and realize that you are limited in what you can do.

The second piece of advice is, ask God to open your eyes to what you can do.  There are a lot of things we can do that give us unique advantages over our stateside friends.  What country are you in?  Get out and see the local surroundings.  You will have unique shopping opportunities so see what that country is known for producing and see how cheaply you can get it there.  Remember, whatever is not contraband gets shipped back to the States when you leave at Uncle Sugar’s expense.  (Check out the local Costco or Wal-Mart as their inventory likely will stock things particular to that country that you can’t readily purchase as inexpensively back in the States.  What things do the local nationals do that strike you as odd or weird?  I have found that much of what initially appears ‘weird’ actually makes good sense.  For example, in many Asian countries the custom of removing one’s shoes upon entering a house may strike American’s as strange but upon second glance, this practice makes a world of sense.  Imagine being limited in terms of medical care and trying to control the spread of disease.  Now imagine where you walk everyday and what you pick up on your shoes – everything from doggie doo to spittle and worse.  Now imagine what you’re bringing into and spreading throughout your home with those shoes.  Enough said!  For every custom you observe your host nation practice that leaves you scratching your head, ask “why” and you would be amazed at how much you can learn.  In particular, since most countries don’t have the same amount of stuff to waste and space to store their stuff, they live frugally compared to our standards and if you observe long enough you walk away with a wealth of knowledge and innovative ways to do things.

What is offered at your base?  Many of us, even if we don’t carry weapons have the opportunity to go to qualify on a weapon, and for free.  Each service probably has its own point of contact – for my base it’s the Security Chief.  Most overseas locations have a very active Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program which offers everything from tours and trips to the practical such as Auto Hobby and Wood Hobby Shops which allow you to develop automotive and wood working skills for free to very cheap. The Family Service Centers normally offer free to very cheap classes on budgeting, child care, local culture, retirement preparation, to name a few.   Additionally, the base is the place to look for unique bargains.  Most bases both in the States and overseas have a local thrift shop that carry items at bargain basement prices and make Goodwill prices look like Nordstrom’s.  What courses does the base hospital or clinic offer?  There are generally health promotions courses going on that focus on particular diseases, CPR, etc.  Also, contact Military One Source for tons of free information and literature.  It is a clearinghouse and referral source for military beneficiaries.

Now for the challenging part – what do you do about making purchases from back in the States and where do you store them?  First, when you see something you’d like to order, decrease your frustration by going to the company’s drop down boxes to see if there is even a listing for FPO/APO addresses in both the “Billing” address and “Ship To” sections.  If there is none, don’t waste your time trying to order online.  E-mail or call the company and explain your situation.  For example, I have a great relationship with Shelf Reliance and Arbogast.  While they have no FPO/APO drop down box and there is a time difference of almost a day, when I receive Shelf Reliance’s sales notices I shoot them an e-mail (they’ve given me a particular customer service representative whom I deal with exclusively) listing the items I wish to buy and then call in my credit card number during their working hours.  Some items cannot be shipped by a company to an FPO/APO address because of import/export laws (i.e. certain electronics cannot be shipped from say Radio Shack to an FPO address, it can however be shipped to a friend in the States and they can mail it to you with no problem).  Other items cannot be shipped to such addresses period (that may include food items), so it is important to check with your post office and find out what can and cannot be shipped.  Also, find out from the Household Goods office what items would be considered contraband to ship back to the U.S. in your household goods shipment.  Get educated before you spend your hard earned cash and have to leave your purchases behind.

Is there someone you can ship your order to back in the States and who is willing to store what you ordered until you return to the states?  Arrange your leave with great care.  When I went to my Mother’s this summer for 21 days, I coordinated my purchases of grain, mylar bags, food grade buckets, etc. to arrive a few weeks prior to my arrival.  I spent a good portion of my leave in her basement packaging foods and storing things. Again, coordination is crucial, as you don’t want a ton of wheat arriving two weeks after you return to your overseas assignment.  Also, it gives you a chance to examine your merchandise and handle situations if you receive defective merchandise.

If you are considering firearms, know your state laws.  I never owned any firearms and knew nothing about them.  While I didn’t purchase ammo, I did purchase a shot gun and a rifle to keep at my Mom’s.  This was a challenge because most of us who have been in the military for any length of time, have had several moves and probably no longer have a home address in the state from which we joined the military.  In my case the most recent state I lived in before going overseas was North Carolina and even though I own property there, that didn’t help.  To purchase a firearm in the state of Virginia, I needed to show some type of bill addressed to me at my mother’s house.  Fortunately her cable bill is in my name, so with that, a copy of my military orders, and my military ID, I was able to purchase the firearms.  Find out in advance what the requirements are for the state you plan to purchase firearms if you are still stationed overseas.

Business affairs – no matter how routine it may seem, read thoroughly every bank statement.  In preparation for leaving the States I got a safe deposit box at Marine Federal Credit Union. I had to have an account there with a minimum balance. Having met those requirements, another wrinkle has been added to the mix.  Recently the credit union schooled me to “Escheatment”.  In other words, my account is considered dormant because I have not had any withdrawals or deposits (interest deposits don’t count) for one year and this Dormant Account Notice was to inform me that in the State of North Carolina any account that is inactive for a period of five years will be claimed by the state.

If you want to buy gold or silver, most dealers will not ship overseas.  Either have it delivered to someone you trust impeccably for safe keeping stateside; place your order so that its delivery coincides with your travel back to the States; or visit a local dealer when you are in the States and make your purchases.  Finally, when we are overseas we get a fairly decent cost of living allowance (COLA).  Get financial counseling on base as many people are able to get on a financial plan to get out of debt while overseas.  If you are out of debt, treat the money as an extra pay check and use it towards your prepping plans.

In addition to annual leave (vacation), take advantage of opportunities that present themselves when you go on Temporary Additional Duty (TAD/TDY). Recently I was sent to Honolulu.  Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (hours and directions are available on the web) is fantastic!  On Saturdays and Sundays vendors are there that sell real flea market type stuff.  The touristy items are at the beginning of the swap meet but if you go all the way into the Meet’s Netherlands, you will find at least two vendors who sell military gear at bargain prices. I got mess kits for $1 each, cold weather gear, mosquito netting, and the list goes on.  One vendor also has a store in town but the best deals I got were from the older gentleman and his wife who only sell at the Meet.  Another place for good deals is the Marine Corps Exchange in San Diego.  Because the Marine Recruit Training Depot is there, when recruits drop out, the gear is cleaned and resold in the uniform shop very inexpensively (duffle bags for $2).  Some items can only be purchased by those still on active duty so research it; and retirees, make friends with some active duty folks.  Look for prepping opportunities when you get to travel to other areas.  I have ended up with so many great buys that I always travel with an empty duffle bag to either bring stuff back (some airlines will allow military travelers to check as many as 3 bags at no charge). Sending things back by snail mail with insurance is also a reasonable way to ship.

I am a single female prepper who has had to look at things from both sides of the aisle. Being stationed overseas is difficult, but you can think outside the box and make progress on prepping instead of waiting until you return to America.  One downside is that sometimes I don’t always get the best deals as I’ve had to weigh “’buy now’” and have it” vice “wait till I get back and maybe the Schumer will have already hit”.  For me the peace of mind of having some of the basics while they are still available outweighs waiting for a better deal, so I make the best of a so-so situation.  Hopefully these thoughts will help my active duty counterparts.

Letter Re: Advice on Ammunition Storage

Jim,
What is the best way to store handgun ammo? I have a military surplus ammo can with a good rubber seal on it. However would it be a good idea to wrap it in plastic before putting it into the ammo box.
Also is there anything I should keep it away from while in storage. Thanks, – Motor Oil Man

JWR Replies: The two crucial things to remember for storing ammo in milsurp cans are:

1.) Use an ammo can with a nice soft gasket, and,

2.) Drop in a commercially-made silica gel packet (or a homemade equivalent) in the can if you live in a humid climate. This will dry the air that is sealed inside the can.

Some additional guidance:

DO NOT coat cartridges with oil or grease. This can cause a dangerous pressure condition if you forget to remove the lubricant before loading and firing a cartridge. As has been documented by the good folks at Box O’Truth, the oft-mentioned risk of “deadening primers of loaded cartridges” with oil or oil vapors has proven to be erroneous, with some recent scientific tests. BTW, I must admit that I was guilty of spreading this dezinformatsaya myself, until reading the test details.

Plastic wrapping the boxes has little utility, that is unless your expect the ammo’s cardboard boxes to become collector’s items in a few decades. (Wrapping the boxes will keep them looking pristine.)

Just be sure to keep your ammo cans in a fairly dry place, so that the exteriors don’t rust. (For this, salty water is the worst offender.) If left in puddles, ammo cans will eventually rust through, given enough time. In a humid coastal (high salt) climate, it might just take a scratch through a can’s paint bring its eventual ruin.

Letter Re: Infrared Imaging Countermeasures

Mr. Rawles,
There are several proven, low cost techniques that can be used against thermal/infrared imagers. But none of them last an extended period of time. While they are not fool-proof they certainly do work well enough to frustrate the US military in Afghanistan.

The first method being used is for men to lay down in a small depression in the ground and cover themselves with a heavy wool blanket every time they hear an engine overhead — be it a helicopter or the lawn-mower whine of a drone. This technique is well documented based on visual surveillance of groups of Afghans. All they did was to prop up the edges of the blanket with twigs to let their body heat escape around the edges of the blanket. This disrupts the pattern of the human body such that there is a warm spot but it does not look anything like a person.

A step up from this is to use one of the Space Blankets available on the market to do the same thing. They reflect heat right? If you have one of the heavier ones laminated to a ground cloth they can be used over and over again. In fact there is a poncho version of the space blanket that is very effective for this purpose even if you are moving about.

For shelter areas you can use mass (think of adobe houses) to diffuse the heat signature such that while the whole house will glow a bit it is impossible to see inside the house. Similar methods can be used in the field. For example, when digging a fighting position always use overhead cover if possible and pack the overhead cover with dirt or stones. This, combined with the use of blankets or tarps to screen the “windows” will render most thermal imagers unable to track you.

Finally there is always deception. In one exercise with a law enforcement team, we created a large number of “false” positives for them to track using small candles and Mylar balloons. Since aluminumized Mylar is the primary component in the space blankets, if you direct a small heat source onto the exterior surface, the whole surface will reflect the heat source and appear to be a large heat signature. (The aluminum can also be used to fool radar — the balloons can be strung in a line so many feet or inches apart — and as long as that distance apart is close to the wavelength of the radar beam the balloons appear to be one large solid target. I found this out many years ago when I was living very close to the largest helicopter base in the Argentine army just outside Rafael Castillo. We could float a string of balloons and get an almost immediate response …)

Another trick is to place a small candle (120 hour candles work well for this) under a piece of metal about the size of a hubcap or 20 gallon drum lid — as the candle burns it heats the entire surface without any hot spots but rather fairly even heating. To the poor chap looking through the thermal imaging gear now sees a heat source that is about the same size as a person’s head and is not moving the way an animal would when a helicopter is overhead. So it has to be checked out.

Then there is my favorite one. Simply lay down to take your nap amongst a herd of goats or a flock of sheep. – Dr. D.

JWR Adds: Another method of infrared camouflage is to encamp in an area with numerous natural hot springs and pools. Since these are often associated with natural salt licks, these areas tend to attract wild game. Thus, not only will the hot springs themselves create distractions, but so will any deer (and similar-sized hoofed animals) that are in the area.

Economics and Investing:

I found this linked over at The Drudge Report: Democrats plan nearly $2 trillion debt limit hike

Damon sent this: Cleaning up after real estate debacle

Larry mentioned this BBC piece: Greece ‘faces sinking under debt’

Items from The Economatrix:

Bankruptcy of US Now Certain

Gold and the Last Real American Dollar

Hedge Against Hyperinflation, Hard Assets Should Continue to Appreciate During 2010

Marty Weiss: Stock Market, Gold, Commodities, and Economic Forecasts for 2010

Darryl Schoon: Deflationary Economic Depression 2010, Ready or Not, Here it Comes!

Foreign Demand for US Long-Term Assets Slows

Greece Defies Europe as EMU Crisis Turns Deadly Serious

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader “+P+” sent another article on a theme that I’ve warned about: Police say suspected robbers rammed an SUV into a gun store in Avon, Indiana, and stole some weapons. Large masonry “decorative planters” should be a key part of your retreat’s defensive architecture!

   o o o

OSOM mentioned a treasure trove of Free Medical Books available to download.

   o o o

Tamara (writing in her View From the Porch blog) pointed to a piece (by way of the Blunt Object blog) about the Toronto police going ballistic over the apparent sight of a gun held by citizen: Police piece together fake Lego gun case, after armed takedown. Here is the Blunt Object blog editor’s summary: “So: Torontonian buys [a] Lego Glock kit online. Torontonian assembles said kit in his office. Other Torontonian freaks out, fails to notice Lego pips atop the slide, and calls the police. Toronto [Police Department]’s Emergency Task Force bounces Lego-Man off a few walls before discovering said Lego pips atop the slide.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"We pay too little attention to the reserve power of the people to take care of themselves. We are too solicitous for government intervention, on the theory, first, that the people themselves are helpless, and second, that the government has superior capacity for action. Often times both of these conclusions are wrong." – President John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.

Letter Re: Fitness Training for WTSHTF

When the Schumer Hits the Fan (WTSHTF) are you going to be physically able to handle the new pressures of life? If not, then now is the time to get your butt in shape. Getting fit and healthy is not complicated. Losing weight comes down to two basic things, eating healthy and exercise. Forget all the so-called fitness gurus who promise you that they can get you fit and trim only if you buy their expensive equipment. You don’t need it. Forget the drug companies that say the fat will melt away if you buy their pills. You don’t need it.

All you need is to exercise every day and reduce your daily caloric intake. If you are overweight then I would suggest you talk to a doctor before starting any fitness program. But there is no reasons why you can’t just get off your fat butt and walk around the block every morning. Walking is one of the best physical activities to lose weight. Break out the sneakers and hit the pavement. If you haven’t exercised in a while, just take a short slow walk around the block or down the road. As time goes on you will be able to go farther and faster, but for now just start slow.

Before you start any other exercises you need to get the junk out. I am not talking about your flabby gut, I am talking about food. You should all know what’s considered good for you and what’s bad for you. But if you don’t then I will break it down for you. Grilled fish, chicken, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, are good. Fast food, chips, cookies, ice cream, fried foods, lots of carbs, bad. Use you God-given gift of common sense and make the right choices for the food you put in your body.

Once you have a healthy diet planned and you have started a walking routine, you can move on to other exercises. Martial arts training is my preferred . Not only is it good exercise, but you will learn to defend yourself. This can get expensive, with monthly contracts, but there are always DVDs. I have trained in the martial arts for over 20 years, so I know the basics. Now, all I do is buy a different DVD every few months and watch it over and over and practice the moves until it is drilled into my head. A great style to learn for WTSHTF is Krav Maga. It is a very practical style and easy to learn.

Weight training definitely has its benefits. But if you are short on space or cash, then doing exercises that use your own bodyweight is the next best thing. I am talking about push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, dips, squats and lunges. Once again, start off slow with low repetitions and as you get stronger you can increase your reps.

People make fitness out to be some hard and mysterious thing. It’s not, eating right and exercising is all you need to get in and stay in shape pre and post-WTSHTF. Regards, – Brian B.

Letter Re: Deflation for How Long?

Dear Captain Rawles,
I recently saw the following excerpted comment at Zero Hedge and the argument makes sense to me:

In my opinion there is a flaw in the inflationary argument. It is only when money escapes into the general populace that the dilution effect on the currency actually occurs and drives up prices. By giving the majority of the new money directly to his buddies, Bernanke is simply changing the ratio of cash held in favor of the big banks and against the general populace. If the big banks fail to spend this money with wild abandon and instead hold on to most of it, inflation will be moderate or even nil.

Thus, I view the current Fed policies as simply a way to steal from Peter to enrich Paul with little or no inflationary impact whatsoever. At worst we may see inflation in equities (which we are seeing right now) but little or no general inflation since the money is not out there in the malls and grocery stores competing for common goods and services. It may take years for this extra cash to leak out into the general economy and meanwhile asset prices, like the entire housing stock of the United States, continue to fall.

Deflationary pressures may continue for far longer than many people expect. Or, as Keynes said, “the market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent”. – Dave R.

Three Letters Re: Sources for Prescription Medications?

Mr. Rawles,
As a physician I take significant offense to Lawrence R.’s letter regarding antibiotics. The fact is over 90% of infections presenting to US hospitals are antibiotic resistant in some form or other.
He is correct that some of the older medications may be effective and that is why bacterial cultures are performed to determine antibiotic resistance. He is sadly misinformed regarding the idea that we prescribe the most expensive or newest antibiotic available. We prescribe the least expensive antibiotic that is effective against the specifically cultured infection as long as a patient is not allergic to that class of antibiotic.

I wish him luck using penicillin for 90+ percent of soft tissue infections obtained outside of the hospital as the large majority of community acquired soft tissue infections are resistant to penicillin.
A good broad spectrum antibiotic which can be obtained very inexpensively is Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim otherwise known as Septra or Bactrim. This can be had at large chain stores for $5 for a two week supply and is widely used as there is low resistance to this class of antibiotic as of this time. This applies to localized soft tissue infections only, such as a cut, scratch, abscess or boil.
I had to correct this misinformation posted on your superlative blog. Thank you for your time, – Kevin C.

Jim;
After reading the suggestion from Lawrence R about antibiotics, I think this email that I sent you back in 2007 bears repeating, with just a few changes.

Terramycin is a trade name for tetracycline, a common antibiotic. It’s value has changed over the years due to antibiotic resistance (not drug company lies)….but it’s useful as

* an alternative in PCN-allergic patients: syphilis, yaws, Vincent’s infections, and infections caused by N. gonorrhoeae, B. anthracis, L. monocytogenes, Actinomyces sp., and Clostridium sp.
* URI and lower respiratory tract infections; skin and soft tissue infections; Granuloma inguinale;psittacosis caused by Chlamydia psittaci.
* Typhus infections,Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, rickettsial infections, and Q Fever.
* Infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis.
* Urinary tract infections.
* Infections caused by Borrelia sp., Bartonella bacilliformis, H. ducreyi, F. tularensis, Y. pestis, V. cholerae, Brucella sp., C. fetus.
* Adjunctive to intestinal amebiasis cause by E. histolytica.
* Infections caused by susceptible strains of E. coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Shigella sp., Acinetobacter sp. Klebsiella sp., Bacteroides sp.

NON-FDA APPROVED USES

* H. pylori-related peptic ulcer disease (in combination with bismuth subsalicylate and metronidazole – a very large percentage of ulcers are caused by this bacterial infection).
* Gingivitis/periodontitis
* Acne vulgaris

As you can see, it’s useful for specific infections…..

There is no ‘one best antibiotic’ for all purposes. Antibiotics have to be administered based on the specific type of bacteria causing an infection. Administering the wrong antibiotic doesn’t just NOT work, it causes different bacteria that are not killed outright to become resistant to it – which can cause problems down the road. People have pathogenic bacteria in and on them all the time, when something causes them to go out of balance and cause disease. At the very basic level, antibiotics are based on the cell wall of the bacteria (which determines if it will stain pink or blue with the Gram microscopic stain process), and their shape. Once that determination is made, certain bacteria have been shown to be sensitive to certain drugs, for example Gram-negative bacillus (say, E. coli) is usually sensitive to the fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin (Cipro).

If I were to recommend a basic armamentarium of oral antibiotics, I’d have to pick at least five different ones. I actually carry these, plus 4 or 5 IV/IM only drugs, and pick the best drug for the problem at hand, because once again, the wrong drug isn’t just not as good, it’s no good and a waste of valuable, scarce resources that might be needed more appropriately for another patient.

1. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) 500mg twice a day
for infectious (bacterial) diarrhea (5 days max), anthrax prophylaxis (x60 days),uncomplicated UTI (7 days max), gonorrhea (1-2 tabs, once)

Given the incidence of certain bacteria that are resistant to ciprofloxacin, it is also wise now to also carry azithromycin

2. Azithromycin 250mg Comes in packs of 6 for 5 days dosage, take 2 the first day, then 1 a day until gone.
for bronchitis, pneumonia, or serious throat infection.

3. Ampicillin 500 mg 4 times a day for , or
amoxicillin-clavulanate 875 mg twice a day (Augmentin, very $$$)
for sinus infection, skin infection, or ear infection, GI, GU,

4. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 160/800mg (double strength) twice a day, 7-10 days or
doxycycline 100 mg twice a day, for 7 days for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, UTI, otitis media, sinusitus, bronchitis

Doxycycline is also a chloroquine-resistant malaria prophylaxis, take 1 daily starting 2 days before travel until 4 weeks (28 days) after return from endemic area, effective against Rickettsials (Rocky mountain spotted fever)

5. Metronidazole 500mg 4 times a day for 7-14 days
effective against Giardia lamblia and for dental infections, trichomoniasis

Augmentin is very good for animal (especially cat) bites, but is quite expensive. Amoxicillin is a synthetic penicillin, the clavulinic acid (clavulanate) contributes penicillinase (an enzyme some bacteria produce that inhibits penicillin effectiveness) resistance.

This list is in no way comprehensive, nor are the indications the only possible uses for the drug, or the only drug for a condition.

Take care, and keep up the good work. – FlightER, MD

Mr. Editor,
I feel compelled to write you about a couple of recent medical posts by other SurvivalBlog readers. One writer stated that Cipro is good for sinus infections. Generally this is not true. Given a severe infection and no other antibiotic options, [if it is] TEOTWAWKI, then sure go head and try it, but think of Cipro as a below the diaphragm antibiotic, urinary tract infections, diverticulitis (preferably combined with Flagyl, an inexpensive antibiotic/antiparasitic), and so forth. Physicians will sometimes try it for skin and soft tissue infections, such as cellulitis, but the results with this generally are quite poor in my first-hand experience.

The real reason I take keyboard in hand, however, is to reply to the posting of Lawrence R.. It pains me to see someone who appears to be a former Coastie (Semper Paratus) making the claims he does about antibiotic resistance. It is not my intention to start an argument or negatively toned debate on your excellent blog, but to state that antibiotic resistance is a lie is patently false. Resistance among some of the most common pathogenic bacteria to penicillins, cipro, and other commonly used antibiotics is a substantial problem physicians contend with every day. An internet search using the terms antimicrobial resistance and the name of their state, community, and perhaps even a local hospital may reveal tables of statistics with the frequencies of resistance to common pathogens to readers. Additional light reading may be found here. Lawrence’s comments that ranchers and farmers treating themselves with antibiotics devoid of trained medical advice is done “with no deleterious effects” is a disingenuous and potentially dangerous statement. Certainly, people – with or without physician advice, often in today’s world, will take antibiotics when they are not needed, and suffer no apparent harm. The lack of direct, obvious and immediate consequences does not turn this uneducated practice into a virtue. This practice is one of the primary reasons for the significant levels of antibiotic resistance prevalent today.

Further, complications from partially treated infections, delays in seeking proper medical attention for medical problems because one thought the antibiotic in the cupboard would take care of it, and direct consequences of antibiotics on the human system are all problems physicians help patients with every week. Ask the next woman you see about yeast infections with antibiotics and you may begin wondering how much Diflucan to stock at the retreat. Or, instead of that common but relatively minor example, ask one of my patients who now must be on antifungal medicines for the rest of his life because prior to seeing me he partially treated a series of sinus infections until a yeast infection took hold, ate into the bones of his skull, creating an infection in his skull which can be contained, yet never cured. Also, ask anyone who has had C. dificle colitis after an antibiotic course if antibiotics have no deleterious effects. C. dificile colitis can emerge up to a year after the last course of antibiotics. In a TEOTWAWKI situation this makes stockpiling some Flagyl especially helpful, though I have seen patients have to take it for up to 3-6 months for the colitis to be resolved. There are other antibiotics which can be used for this problem, but they are cost-prohibitive for stockpiling. Oh, BTW, think that the appendix has no meaningful function? It’s use is as a reservoir of normal colon flora to be used to repopulate the colon after a severe diarrheal illness. Since this discovery was made I have noted that the distinct majority of patients I have seen with C. dificile have undergone previous appendectomies. In either case, with or without your appendix, it is an unnecessary risk of health and “antimicrobial OPSEC” to randomly treat oneself without medical input from someone with relevant training.

In another vein however, my personal opinions about the ongoing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in TEOTWAWKI may be of interest. Most forms of antibiotic resistance mounted by bacteria require the expenditure of energies and resources by the bacteria themselves. Because we live in a world in which antibiotic exposure is unnaturally common, from prescription medications as well as the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in our food supply – reference Lawrence’s own assertion that the local feed store is an easy and ample source of antibiotics. (I have close family members and patients who are livestock farmers and have witnessed flagrant misapplication of antibiotics to livestock first-hand as well.) This environment creates a scenario in which a survival advantage for the bacteria who express the resistance factors is generated. Interestingly, in TEOTWAWKI, the world-wide presence of antibiotics in the ecosystem should rapidly revert back to the natural state, where microbes such as fungi, for example, who release penicillin naturally (the original source of the “discovery” of penicillins), will be the only source of organic antimicrobials. In this scenario the bacteria who are consuming their energies and resources to make antibiotic resistance defenses will be at a survival disadvantage to other bacteria who are not dividing their resources between survival & replication and antibiotic resistance. Thus, in relatively short order, measurable declines in resistant antibiotic populations could be expected. If this theory pans out, then the utility of Penicillin, Cipro and other stockpiled antibiotics, when recommended by your survival group’s medical officer, could be greater than present day patterns of resistance would suggest. Certain microbes will always be resistant to certain antibiotics, as inherency of their natures, but reviewing such examples may be tedious and unhelpful to those of us surviving, as the tools and opportunity to perform gram stains, cultures and sensitivity testing may not be practical.

On a final note, in addition to my specialty specific text books, Harrison’s Internal Medicine being the most well known of the comprehensive ones, I also keep for emergency/survival scenarios copies of Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine and Goldfrank’s Toxicologic Emergencies as well as DOD field manuals. Those two books are rather thick and heavy, so may be worth reading through and pre-positioning at the bug out site, or having at the site for the designated medical officer of your group. There is a field guide version of Wilderness Medicine which is easier on the wallet. The Washington Manual General Internal Medicine is another portable resource which should be excellent for your group’s medical officer. Medical libraries at medical schools and hospitals often have second hand sales of books that are outmoded by new editions and lightly used copies of these books can sometimes be found at bargain prices there. OBTW, other medical books at these sales can also make very convincing “book safes” if one has glue, sharp instruments, and time on one’s hand.

In parting, common sense is essential, but it isn’t a substitute for medical experience and training. Make sure your survival group has at least one experienced medical person, be they medic, physicians’ assistant, ARNP, physician or surgeon. The life they save may be your own! – Dr. G.