A Wilderness Hide Location for a Planned Evacuation, by J.I.R.

A period of lawlessness may prevail after any major interruption of services. We all know this and try to plan. But have we really realistically faced what this means? Once the food trucks stop arriving, US cities and towns have less than a week before food riots and general looting begins. If things get really bad, there are going to be literally millions of people starving, thirsty and sick, willing to do whatever it takes to survive. The simple math points to a huge die-off unless the government can maintain control and re-institute some emergency measures. In the worst case scenarios, almost any preparations you can make seem woefully inadequate. The challenge may come down to surviving the die-off and not becoming one of the unmarked graves.

Face facts, this throng of hungry, desperate people are going to be heavily armed, just like you. Many of them are going to have military and law enforcement experience. Also, remember that every piece of military equipment in the government’s arsenal is going to be owned and used by someone. Those machineguns and rocket launchers and mortars are not going to just evaporate. [JWR Adds: It is noteworthy that with very few exceptions, National Guard and Reserve units have not stored live ammo at their local armories since the 1960s. Looters might eventually cut their way in to arms room vaults, and they’ll indeed find mortars, machineguns, and grenade launchers, but not mortar rounds, grenades, or belts of machinegun ammo. Their ammo is stored only at active duty installation Ammo Supply Points (ASPs).] The point is, the teeming population is not just going to die off quietly and go away until all of the food they can locate is gone.

Whether these hungry people come at you as small gangs of thugs or as ad-hoc governments equipped with arm-bands, they are going to systematically look for food and supplies. If you are anywhere near a population center, you are going to be looted and perhaps killed. No matter how many buckets of nitrogen packed wheat you have cleverly stored in your basement, you are almost certainly going to lose it all when the local “committee” searches your house for “contraband” or “hoarding”.

Single family dwelling homes and apartments without power are nothing more than inconveniently located caves. They are impossible to hide and very difficult to defend. Any determined group of raiders (or whomever) are going to pick your bones if you try to “Custer” inside a modern American home. The very fact that you are living there will be proof that you have something they want. If it looks deserted, they will still search the place thoroughly looking for food. When that happens, you will either have to fight to keep your possessions or you will have to evacuate or “bug out”. Where will you go? What will you need to carry? Most “Bug out Bag” plans that I have seen don’t measure up. A planned evacuation is a lot better than a “grab stuff and go” emergency. Your current home can be expendable if you plan for it.

For folks with military training, or the willingness to learn, a compromise can be to set up a semi-mobile encampment. This concept is based on a Long Range Surveillance (LRS) “Hide site”. Sort of a patrol base for extended stay. For an explanation, see the Wikipedia page on LRS. Most LRS hide sites are used for a maximum of two weeks, but their occupancy can be extended for months with additional supplies. If you use your head setting up a hide site, you can avoid having to fight to keep your things. It’s much better to hide than fight. Setting up a site is relatively simple if you follow sound tactical principles. With a little luck and discipline, you can stay invisible for extended periods.

The reference document for LRS hide sites is US Army FM-7-93. Appendix E contains a lot of good source material. While most of this field manual will not be appropriate for simple survival, it contains a lot of good ideas if you have no experience and have never considered this topic. You don’t have to create a site as extreme as the FM describes to have a survivable hide site.

The location you select is the most important factor. Ideally, you need a patch of wilderness that offers nothing that anyone wants. Parks and national forest lands are good choices. The only resources there are firewood and perhaps game animals. If you can find an area that has neither of these, you are better off still. The point is this: Find a place where nobody is going to go looking for something they need. Desperate people are not going to walk randomly, they are going to drive if they can and walk if they must. They are going to follow lines of communication that have a reasonable chance of taking them to resources. If you can find a place that is isolated away from roads and undeveloped, you are half way there.

You need to choose an area within half a tank of gas to your home, but a mile or so from the nearest road or anything most people would want. It needs to be close enough to a creek to carry water and as rough and remote as you can find. At such a site, you could conceivably remain for months without being detected. With a little planning, you can build a hide site in a matter of hours and it will be stronger tactically than any normal dwelling. Plus you can make it as undetectable as your imagination and discipline will let you.

If you already have a well stocked retreat or working farm with dozens of acres, consider pre-positioning most of your goods in hidden caches on your own property, and setting up a hide site in advance. When (not if) your retreat is attacked, you will have someplace to run and supplies that remain available. You can even use your existing well or water supply if you plan well. Remember, if you make your retreat too comfortable, someone may take it from you and keep it. Try to make it look like any other house without water or power and looters will probably just move on once they sack it. You can move back in later and tidy up the mess instead of having to fight. Hide your comforts and supplies well.

I recommend “digging in” three different sites, within rifle range of each other, all of them concealed and preferably booby-trapped. (LRS teams always carry a lot of mechanicals, like Claymore mines. Finding them is hazardous to your health and killing them is even harder). The basic hide site is low and hidden. Any tarps you use must be as close to ground level as possible and well hidden from view by covering them with dirt and debris. Setting up inside stands of scrub brush is a common tactic. Digging most of it underground is also common. The goal is to make the site as invisible as you can make it, even from close range. You want a casual intruder to walk right by it without noticing anything.

1st site. A kitchen area/living area/kill zone with fighting positions dug-in for emergencies. Make it as hard to find as you are able. Use brush and natural terrain features to mask it from casual view. If attacked or discovered, the guard post (described below) will be your ace in the hole. If your site is discovered or someone approaches, dive for cover and wait them out. If your kitchen area remains undiscovered, all is well, but If you absolutely have to fight, being dug in with a real fighting position will give you a major edge and your guard post will come as a very nasty surprise.

2nd site. A Guard post/sleeping area/fighting position well hidden. It should overwatch both other sites and have a good field of view covering likely avenues of approach. These two sites should be able to provide supporting fire for each other. You also need to provide a covered egress route of some kind in case you have to evacuate the site. Radios to communicate between fighting positions are very handy and so are night optical devices of all kinds. During hours of activity, this site remains manned by a guard with a rifle. At night it is the only manned site. One person stays on guard and everyone else can sack out.

3rd (or more) sites. A cache for most of your stores within rifle range but completely concealed. If you lose your entire hide site, you can always double back in a few days and pick up your stuff. The third cache is a life saver if you really have to run for it. This site should be completely undetectable. That means buried and carefully camouflaged. A good reference for establishing a cache is Army TC 31-29/A

A Fourth site for the truck(s) and other vehicles should be established about a mile away. Make your vehicles look abandoned and drain them of fuel. Make no mistake, they really are abandoned. You may be able to recover them, but you will probably lose them. Once you occupy your main site, you must not keep visiting your vehicles. [JWR Adds: It doesn’t take long to remove their batteries. This further disables the vehicles to discourage theft, and those batteries could come in handy. And even more elaborate measure os putting vehicles up on blocks and removing their wheels to hide them separately. That will truly make them look abandoned, and make it very difficult for the vehicles to be stolen. ]

You should be able to carry water to the kitchen area and purify it, do all your cooking and eating and living there. Generally do anything there that is hard to hide. Sleep off-site at the sleeping area in case the main base is discovered and attacked at night. If you have at least three adults, you can keep a guard at all times and still get all the chores done. Fewer people means you will only occupy your sleeping site at night. Six or more adults would be needed to make a hide site into a fortress, so you are depending on stealth for most of your protection. If you are alone, stealth is all you really have.

Cover your tracks. Don’t wear a path between your sites. You don’t want discovery of one site to lead to discovery of the others. This goes double for your water source. There should be no way to tell someone is using the creek, well or pond. This takes a lot of discipline.

Your kitchen area is the hardest to hide. Smoke from cooking fires is the biggest danger. You can avoid detection by using a propane or other type of cooking stove and cooking only non-smelly foods. (Odor from grilling meat can carry for miles, but simmering cracked wheat is not so bad.) If you plan to cook something smelly, consider cooking it up to a mile away from your hide site to avoid detection. In any case, no food should be eaten or prepared in the sleeping area. The sleeping area and guard post must remain undetectable at all times.

If the kitchen area is discovered while you are sleeping, you can either choose to fight or give them the kitchen. You may be able to lay low and avoid detection even if a whole gang shows up and discovers your kitchen/living area. They will only get a portion of your stocks and everybody gets to live another day. If you have access to Claymore mines and/or M16 bounding mines, you can probably use the kitchen as a kill zone and wipe out many times your number in bad guys, but remember, stealth is your biggest defense and any fighting entails a lot of risk.

Strangers that stumble upon your site can be dealt with in several ways. Simply hiding is a good approach if you can pull it off. If hiding is out, you will either have to talk to them or fight. If they are hunters and seem fairly well provisioned, be friendly and show them as little of your site as possible. Under no circumstances, show them your main food cache. Everyone has limits, so don’t tempt them. They should not see anything they are willing to fight to possess. A couple of buckets of food are probably not worth getting shot over. If they are a small group and desperate, consider adopting them. Most people are pretty decent and if they see a good reason to team with you, they will do it. If you are all trying to survive and they see you as an ally, you are probably fairly safe. The added security of a few extra people could be a real plus. If your site has been compromised, remember, you can always move. You can even leave your cache in place and simply move your other two sites a couple of miles and you may be safe again.

You will need some supplies and equipment to hide in relative comfort. The suggested bug out bag for this scenario is a whole pickup truck load of stuff: Even if you wind up going to a shelter or a community center, you won’t be showing up hungry with your hand out.

Weapons: In order to fight realistically, you will need a good rifle and of course ammunition for anyone in the group with skill. I personally prefer an old scoped Ishapore 2A1 [Enfiield] chambered in 7.62mm NATO, but almost anything will do as long as it is robust and you are skilled with it. Also a pump shotgun with lots of buckshot can be a real killer in a night fight. Night sights of some kind on the rifle are really useful. Modern thermal sights can be devastating. With luck and discipline you won’t ever need to shoot anything, but having any firearm is much better than having none at all, and a rifle always beats a pistol at long range.)

An extra rifles to cache, with ammo, might be handy if you can keep them weatherproof.

Lots of buckets of storage food (Keep it all cached except one or two buckets at a time). 10 or more 5 gallon buckets of food per person is not excessive. The more food you have with you, the longer you can stay.

A case of MREs for each person, stored in the sleeping area. Also, your packs need to be wherever you are at all times. Remember to store water in the sleeping area. More than you think you need.
A main kitchen and backup stuff to keep cached. (in case you lose the kitchen).

When you are setting up your site, you will have to make multiple trips from the vehicles, but the more food you have, the longer you can stay hidden. Multiple caches can be strung out along an escape route or the route back to the trucks. Also, you will need basic camping gear and water purification, field sanitation supplies etc.

For each adult:

Backpack with frame : This is your last ditch bag and should be near you at all times.
Water filter (PUR backpack model) is a good one
polar pure Iodine crystals in every pack. They are light, cheap and essential.
Several plastic garbage bags. These have multiple uses. You can’t have too many.
2 x canteens with cups. This allow you to carry some water and cook if you must.
6 x MRE in the pack (12 more at the cache or sleeping site)
P38 can opener
2 butane lighters
2 camping candles or other heat source
Box of self striking fire starters are sometimes handy

* LED light and spare batteries (rechargeable) can come in handy
*Someone should carry a 4 watt solar battery charger. These are important to have along [to charge batteries for night vision, communications, and intrusion detection gear.]

Generator radio AM/FM/Weather (with cell phone charger and LED light) This is a critical piece of equipment, so have two of them, but be careful not to play it out loud. Ear buds or head sets will keep you from giving your site away. Boredom is your biggest enemy and a radio can be a great way to stay entertained and silent [when not on a watch shift.]

A good sleeping bag is a must. It’s cold underground or when you aren’t moving.
Insulating ground pad is also a must.
1 emergency blanket/poncho
1 poncho liner (Army. Great piece of gear!)
1 x large drop cloth and a roll of heavy plastic are handy for underground living.
1 hat and wool glove inserts
1 set of thermal underwear (tops and bottoms)
An extra set of clothing. BDUs or other outdoor wear and a spare pair of boots (Clothing can be rolled up inside a plastic sheet and put into a laundry bag and carried outside the pack). Remember, extra socks and underwear are always needed!

Ka-Bar sheath knife (7 inch) or equivalent.
Leatherman Multitool or a Swiss army knife
Small machete (at least one in the group is very handy and has multiple uses).

Medical Stuff (I recommend keeping this with your last ditch bag)
Spare eyeglasses if needed
First Aid Kit for minor wounds
sewing kit
aspirin
Imodium for emergency treatment of diarrhea (packets of salts are even better)
iodine swabs
burn cream (not much is needed, but if you need it you will be glad you have it)
Anbesol
Chap stick or petroleum jelly
white tape
emergency blanket (cheap is fine)
Scalpels or Razor blades
Safety pins
Large bandages (2 or 3 can be life savers if someone is shot)
Dental floss
hand sanitizer
Insect Repellant
small lock blade knife
tweezers
Prescription medication
ID cards, credit cards, cash on hand

A pistol of some kind. I highly recommend the Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum and a couple of speed loaders.

Other stuff to load in your truck or large car:
A bicycle! You can load a lot of stuff on a bicycle and cut down on the number of trips required from the vehicles to the hide site. Bike tracks are a giveaway, so make sure they start at least 25 meters from your vehicles and erase them as well as possible after the last trip. Whatever you use, be prepared and willing to haul everything by hand from your vehicles to the site. Without a bike or dolly, its going to require something like 12 trips. You can improve on this by using a cargo carrier of some kind. Vary your route between the vehicle and hide site to minimize your tracks. You might want to unload and then move your vehicles to avoid anyone tracking you.

Shovel, crosscut saw, axe or hatchet and pick axe (army E tools are light, but not as good as full size tools). All tools should be loaded in a bag that you can sling or tie to a bike.
100 ft roll of repelling rope may be very handy. 550 cord is also handy.
A roll of wire for rigging noise makers and rigging brush and shelter

Food: You will want 10 or 11 buckets for each member of your group:
6 buckets of wheat, 2 buckets of beans and 4 gallons of oil.
2 buckets of rice (and a bucket of sugar if you wish). and 2 pounds of salt. Spices and bullion are
very nice to have, but beware of odors!
This will be the bulk of your provisions and will weigh something like 400 pounds per person! Don’t begrudge the weight. It will get lighter soon enough.
*24 rolls of toilet paper (in a plastic bag) You will miss this if you don’t have any.
At least one grain mill. Two is much better. You can hide the extr aone in your cache.

(Split between 2 Duffel bags per 2 people): (this is your kitchen/living area stuff)
24 x MRE
Sterno stove + large candle heater in a can (12 face-inches of wick makes a lot of heat)
Fuel (10lb, paraffin to recharge cooker. Each pound will burn several hours with care )
If you are going to burn wood for fuel, use a hobo stove to minimize smoke and light.
4 pots. (2 for cooking, 1 for cleaning and one left with the food cache.)
A dutch oven is really handy. You won’t regret the weight long when you cook with it
Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Gatorade powder
Tobacco (2 x 6 oz cans with rolling papers) (for those with a monkey on their backs)
Water, 6 liters (12 x 1/2 liter plastic bottles)
plastic bags. 20 heavy trash liners and 20 freezer storage bags
Spare batteries (12 x AA. Mostly for charity)
Soap, washcloth and towels (2 large ones)
4 large Poly Tarps (camo) and 550 chord
Fem pads (for that time of month. Include at least one bag per female per month)
Deck of cards
Bible and other reading material. Boredom will get you killed. Depression will too.
It might be worth the weight to carry a lot of books. Reading is a quiet activity and could keep you from going out of your mind!

In a suitcase or preferably another bucket that’s waterproof (keep in the sleeping area.): Hat and wool glove inserts for each person. Extra clothing is good to have.
A wool sweater and outer cold weather gear. Blankets will be handy.

If you can manage to set up a hide site with these few essentials without anyone observing you, you can probably stay hidden for up to 200 days with care. That six month breather will allow you ample time to assess the conditions of the local area and plan your next move. More importantly, if a major population die-off is going on, a well stocked hide site will allow you to miss most of it. Hiding outdoors is not easy or comfortable, but it may be your best way to keep breathing.

[JWR Adds: Even the best defended retreat can’t expect to hold out against a determined and well-equipped fighting force. If you hear that the muy malo hombres (or a nearby polity with kleptomaniacal intent) is heading up the road, abandoning your retreat may be your only choice.

As I have mentioned time and again in SurvivalBlog, pre-positioning supplies at your retreat is essential. You will not have time to pack. If you are fortunate, you will have time to put on your shoes. Having a hide prepared a half day’s hike from your retreat, with food and gear already there, means you could avoid having to choose between an untenable fight and starving in the woods. Having a hide prepared could give you a couple weeks in safety to see what develops. You could then return to (or retake) your retreat, or abandon the area entirely, at your discretion.]

Four Letters Re: In Praise of Betadine

Hello Jim,
A. Woofer should be commended for his excellent article on Betadine. An excellent way to use/carry Betadine in a small personal first aid kit is Betadine swab sticks. There are normally used for skin prep before minor surgical procedures. Take care, – Jeff in Ohio

Jim,
I’m writing to take exception with the author’s affinity for using Betadine in open wounds to “prevent infection.” While the liberal application of Betadine was relatively standard practice in the Emergency Medicine community when I started practicing 20 years ago, recent studies have changed this practice considerably.

As the author himself points out, “It kills everything”. While this may be the desired effect against microorganisms Betadine is also cytotoxic, meaning it kills healthy cells of the patient as well. Studies have shown that this delays healing, increases scar formation and may lead to chronic wound formation – wounds that never close or heal. Other studies comparing Betadine with wound cleaning detergents (Shur-cleanse) or tap water or sterile water overwhelmingly conclude that tap water is the best agent for wound cleaning. While this may sound far fetched it has changed the way many Emergency Departments (including my own) treat wounds. A couple of good references for anyone interested in this subject would be:

Durani P, Leaper D: Povidone-iodine: use in hand disinfection, skin preparation and antiseptic irrigation. Int Wound J 5:376, 2008
Moscati RM et al: A multicenter comparison of tap water versus sterile saline for wound irrigation. Acad Emerg Med 14:404, 2007

You can find these journals available to the public at any medical school library.

Additionally, the author briefly mentions irrigation using a pin-hole in a plastic bag filled with irrigating solution. This too has been studied recently, along with other field expedient irrigation methods, and the conclusions are that you cannot get enough pressure using this method to dislodge debris from a wound. It requires 15psi for irrigation to have the desired effect. These pressures are best achieved in the field setting using a standard syringe and flexible IV catheter along with copious amounts of clean water.

I commend the author for teaching first aid techniques to lay people. I do this myself and know first hand the amount of work involved in preparing and presenting quality training. We owe it to our students to incorporate (into our teaching and our practice) the latest changes in the field so that what we teach is better than what we ourselves were taught years ago. – PA Matt

Sir:
Readers should be reminded: Don’t confuse Betadine solution with Betadine soap. Both are available, but the soap should not be used to purify water. Betadine solution can be used as stated in the article. Please note these soaps and solutions should not be used on persons having a history of anaphylactic reaction to iodine or shellfish. Hibicleans (Chlorhexidine), manufactured by Regent, can be used for wound cleansing instead. Hibicleans is not as broad spectrum as Betadine solution, but is the standard substitute. – Mike in Tennessee

 

James Wesley:
Just finished reading the information from Woofer on betadine for wounds. About a week ago, my spouse took a tumble and fell about three feet into some planter boxes filled with dirt. He had some big belly scratches and a nasty arm gash. He was covered in dirt. Immediately had him shower with soap and water to get rid of the dirt and then I poured betadine on the wounds, bandaged up the big gash, and took him to the Emergency Room (ER). Apparently, these days the family physicians no longer want their patients to come to the office for such things like they used to do. As the ER physician told us, “this is new medicine and the doctor’s office wants to churn through patients and suturing takes time.” It was debatable about the arm gash being sutured or not but instead the ER physician cleaned some and then used wound glue to close it. The ER did nothing to my wound cleaning job for the belly scratches. Guess I must have done as good a job as the ER physician would have done. (Husband got his first tetanus vaccine with diphtheria. We don’t like vaccines but these were some pretty nasty dirt filled wounds. I told the ER doctor that I was worried about both tetanus and ‘flesh eating disease”. She responded that tetanus and ‘flesh eating disease’ are the same thing. It sure doesn’t appear to me to be the same bacterium but maybe one of your readers would know?) Within a day the belly wounds were healing very, very nicely. I think the the arm gash will leave a dented scar but it too is healing up pretty nicely. It has been many, many years since I had a first aid class. Looks like I did the right things.

I had planned to use the Thanksgiving weekend to get my first aid supplies organized so that I could pull out a container for wound treatments, one for colds, etc. Instead, I was running from one location to another to pull things together. Also, I had only been focusing on the wounds as the visible impact and a possible concussion but didn’t think of possible broken bones nor internal injuries.

What would I have have done differently? I wish had had my supplies readily available instead of my hunting for my supplies for wound treatments. I wish I had taken the refresher first aid, advanced first aid, and the wilderness training program. And, wish I had done a better overall accounting of the situation to ask about broken bones or think of possible internal organ injuries. Finally, I have several first aid books but again I would not have been able to locate them easily and I would have had to read through them instead of as, Woofer, pointed out being very familiar with the written materials.

I was prepared for a modest crisis but would have been ill prepared for a major crisis simply because I was not and am not well organized. Some things are here; other things are there — and in a crisis one doesn’t want to be running here and there gathering things together. Regards, – Still Getting Ready

Economics and Investing:

HPD highlighted this one: 100 Ridiculous Projects Funded by the American Recovery Act

SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this piece in the Wall Street Journal: How to lose $127 million.

Items from The Economatrix:

Greece Teeters on Bankruptcy

Federal Budget Deficit for November Hits $120.3 Billion

Geithner Says Treasury Faces Losses from Autos, AIG

Stiglitz Urges “Powell Doctrine” to Fix Jobs Picture

Market Jitters as Spain Joins Dubai on Danger List

Food Stamps Go to a Record 37.2 Americans

Note from JWR:

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.

A Prepared Christmas, by Hunkerdown

As most folks are running around fiercely to holiday parties and the malls in search of the perfect gift, even in these troubled times, it dawned on me that this is a unique time of the year that preppers can share our enthusiasm for our lifestyle. I started my preparedness journey (Yes, ‘journey’, as I’m now sure there is not a final destination. Can you ever be too prepared?) a little less than a year ago, and through sites like SurvivalBlog, have spent many hours educating myself about the numerous issues we may face in TEOTWAWKI. I often find prepping hard to discuss with friends and family, for the risk of seeming odd or simply being ignored, but I do care enough that I want them prepared.

One simple way I have found to bring others into the loop, is to focus my Christmas presents on items that will bring exposure to the subject and be useful for everyday preparedness or TEOTWAWKI. Rather than giving a fruit cake that no one wants (although I do understand the shelf life to be quite long!), I am putting thought into each person and finding a gift that works for them.

For my father, who is an over-the-road trucker in the Midwest, I have assembled a Bug Out Bag (BOB). He has the basic safety gear and tools for his rig, but he does not carry food, fire starters, or extra clothes that may be necessary if he is stuck in a snow storm for several days. I have purchased a sturdy pack from a surplus store and have stocked it with bottles of water, MREs with heaters, candles, lighters, matches, emergency blanket, portable radio, flashlight, batteries, and other essentials. I’ve also included some wool socks, gloves and a toboggan vacuum sealed. I vacuum sealed them so he doesn’t get the urge to use them in a non-emergency with the thought of putting them back that never actually happens (i.e., it must be an emergency if he is going to break the vacuum seal). I used this trick with other items in the bag as well, so they don’t ‘wander off’ and are protected from the elements. I will have him add a flannel shirt and other appropriate clothes at the time that I give it to him.

For my mother, who is an avid gardener and cook, I purchased a grain mill, 45 pounds of hard red wheat, and a book about cooking with wheat. She loves to bake bread, but has traditionally used store-bought ingredients. Now she can experiment with the mill before a TEOTWAWKI situation and I have also added a much needed prep item to our inventory. My mother lives 200+ miles away, but that is my current BOL (bug-out location), until I can buy my own land.

Instead of more clothes or a trip to the day spa for my girlfriend, I have purchased her the same 9mm pistol that I carry. Some may think this is like giving her a vacuum cleaner or exercise videos, but it is not. Over the past year, she has learned to shoot, obtained her gun carry permit, and started shooting with me in our local practical pistol matches with my gun, which she likes. She enjoys the activity, is quite proficient, and will enjoy having her own and I will feel more at ease as well.

Stocking stuffers can be great opportunities to help others with preparations too. Little things, like pocket knives, flashlights, NOAA radios, multi-tools, etc, are handy items that everyone needs. Other great gifts are books and magazine subscriptions on the subject of preparedness or really any skill (carpentry, gardening, alternative energy, canning and preserving). My college friend is getting “Patriots”, as he loves a good story and I think the first chapter will challenge his thinking on the world around us. And for women looking for a gift for their man, most would probably love a gift certificate for a gun training course. Hint, hint, if you are reading this, honey.

All the above are items that are purchased, and cash may be tight at home. But you don’t have to spend big money to get your point across or to be thoughtful. You could give friends or family homemade soup or vegetables that you have canned, and a handmade gift certificate for teaching them canning and preserving methods. You can give them packets of seeds so they can do container gardening and give them an opportunity to learn a skill. The possibilities are endless if you package the gift the right way.

I do not have children, but do have a niece and young cousins. For the little ones, how about camping equipment made for kids, and a trip to go camping with you, even if just in the backyard. Or maybe a compass and some maps, and teaching them how to properly use them to find a hidden treasure (your choice on what the treasure will be). A rod and reel and a fishing trip are things that will not only teach them useful skills, but will give what kids need most; more time with parents or mentoring adults. Think about what you wish you knew growing up, and give the gift that will last a lifetime. I’m fairly sure their skills with the X-Box will not help them much if the SHTF.

So, if you are going to celebrate the season by exchanging gifts, why not help those you care about and who may not have a preparedness mentality yet. This can also pertain to birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or other special occasions. I’m sure you believe, as I, that this shows more thought and caring than the latest fad clothing or cool new techno gadget that will be rendered useless by an EMP.

Two Letters Re: Tourniquets in Combat Medical Planning

Sir,
That was a great article on the revival of tourniquets. One very important point that the author briefly touched on is the ability of the wounded individual to apply the tourniquet without assistance.

The central tenant of it’s use by our forces in the field today is that the wounded individual must be able to tend to his own ‘blowout’ while everyone else continues to engage and suppress the enemy. Otherwise the risk is that one wounded troop might multiply into more if the enemy gains fire superiority and/or individuals expose themselves to aid a wounded comrade.

Individuals who carry these devices as part of an individual first aid kit should practice applying it to arms/legs at varying heights while laying in awkward positions. – Greg L.

 

Mr. Rawles,
I have read your blog for several years and found some interesting concepts in the posts. A little about myself: I am a 34 year old former soldier. I spent seven years in army special operations including three years at 1/75th Ranger. I have worked on large cattle operations throughout the west since returning from Afghanistan after my last deployment and subsequent ETS. I have also been a lifelong “survivalist,” or “prepper” to use the newest term du jour.

In regards to the recent post by Robert U, entitled “Tourniquets in Combat Medical Planning.” It was a well-written overview of one aspect of the TC3 protocols. I would respectfully disagree with his conclusion however that “many of the advanced skills taught in TCCC are beyond application by the average person due to both the medical knowledge required and the materials used…”

That’s nonsense. The TC3 protocols are being taught to 18 and 19 year old kids right out of high school. The average thirty-something “survivalist” can certainly wrap their head around those skills as well. Both the Care Under Phase and the Tactical Field Care phases should be implemented into any serious survivalists preparation training.

Not just the tourniquet, but the application of Israeli Battlefield Dressings, priMed gauze bandages, etc, HemCon agents like Quickclot and others, the use of a naso-pharyngeal airway, and others are relatively simple to teach and to learn. All are legal to use in most jurisdictions due to the fact that they all apply to the traditional “ABCs” of first-aid.

Even the use of needle decompression of tension pneumothorax is a simple skill set to teach and learn.

Any restrictions to the TC3 phases that would apply to the general survivalist would be as a result of legal restriction to access to narcotic analgesics and by-prescription anesthetics. – Cowpuncher

Letter Re: Sources for Lactated Ringer’s Solution?

Jim:
You recently mentioned Ciprofloxacin in your blog. Cipro is an antibacterial, a fluoroquinolone. It’s useful for urinary tract infections, bacterial (not viral) sinusitis, post-inhalation exposure to anthrax, traveler’s diarrhea, and in combination with other drugs for abdominal infections. Resistance to various sexually transmitted diseases and some bacteria that cause pneumonia (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) is increasing.

Ringer’s isn’t usually given with dextrose. It can be, but not normally. Ringers is an electrolyte (salt) solution, dextrose is used to replace (just) water or water and add some carbohydrates. Electrolyte solutions are used in cases of electrolyte depletion or dehydration (often combined with electrolyte depletion), normal saline is often given more or less interchangeably with Ringers (in fact, all I carry these days is normal saline).

And for trauma supplies (not drugs) a good source I’ve found is ChinookMed.com. Regards, – Flighter, M.D.

Economics and Investing:

Reader P.D. sent this: 10 Countries most likely to default. (It is notable that because of the size of its economy, they listed California among the list of “nations” at risk of default!)

Russ J. recommended a link from Nathan’s Economic Edge. to an MP3 recording of John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics. Russ’s comment: “His conclusions, if they prove out, could easily land us all in a “Patriots” scenario”.

El Jefe Jeff E. sent this: U.S. Homeowners Lost $5.9 Trillion Since 2006 Peak. Jeff’s comment: “Home foreclosures topped 300,000 in October for the eighth straight month, and still growing. As you know, the bulk of foreclosures are working its way through the system like a gopher in a garden hose.”

The folks at The Daily Bell linked to this Telegraph article: Volcker Sees No Value in Derivatives. Here is a key quote: “He said credit default swaps and collateralized debt obligations had taken the economy ‘right to the brink of disaster’ and added that the economy had grown at ‘greater rates of speed’ during the 1960s without such products. When one stunned audience member suggested that Mr. Volcker did not really mean bond markets and securitizations had contributed “nothing at all”, he replied: ‘You can innovate as much as you like, but do it within a structure that doesn’t put the whole economy at risk.’ He said he agreed with George Soros, the billionaire investor, who said investment banks must stick to serving clients and “proprietary trading should be pushed out of investment banks and to hedge funds where they belong”.

Items from The Economatrix:

Americans Want Money Spent for Jobs, Send Bill to Rich

Government Program Has Only Helped 31,000 Borrowers So Far

Stocks Rise as Trade Deficit Narrows in October

Goldman Sachs Execs Won’t Get 2009 Cash Bonus. They are receiving restricted stock awards instead

Natural Gas Prices Surge as Crude Fades

High-Stakes Duel Between Ron Paul and Bernanke Intensifies

An Obvious Question About US Government Gold Supplies Goes Begging

First Dubai

S&P Overvalued by 100%

Official Chinese Paper Calls for More Gold Reserves

Odds ‘n Sods:

FEMA Suggests Disaster Readiness Christmas Gifts. (Thanks to Lisa E. for the link.)

   o o o

The Suburban Survivalist suggested a good video of Mike Rowe (of “Dirty Jobs” television fame) speaking about what he’s learned of the value of work.

   o o o

On a recent trip to a more populous region, I noticed that some people just don’t know how to drive in the snow. Even with chains on, the Nervous Nellies creep along at 5 to 10 m.p.h. on straight and level roads. These folks even cause accidents, by forcing those approaching them from behind to apply their brakes.

Note from JWR:

My brief interview with G. Gordon Liddy on Wednesday went well, and it is now available as an archived podcast. Please skip past the vulgarity of his brief opening humor segment.

—

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.

Preparedness Considerations for Surviving in Florida, by The Rucker

Most of the books and preparedness literature available seem to assume that our post-TEOTWAWKI lives will be in a place where we can expect cold winters and the four traditional seasons.  I understand the attraction of relocating to a mountain retreat in a lightly populated northern or western state, but like many others my current preparedness plan is for in-place survival.  I just so happen to live in tropical Florida.  I believe that many of these same considerations apply for those living in southern Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas.

There are both challenges and advantages to choosing a tropical location like Florida when considering long-term survival.  Generally accepted approaches to water storage, food storage, food sources, shelter, power, health issues, tools, clothing, and security issues must all be re-examined in light of the environmental differences between Florida and the mountainous northern states.  The plans presented in most preparedness books must be adjusted to account for these differences.

The humid subtropical zone that contains Florida and much of the southeastern United States requires different tactics and equipment than those used for the semi-arid west and continental northern regions.  In Florida, the debate rages on where to draw the ‘freeze’ line.  This is the imaginary line south of which, usually, it will not freeze.  Some put this at about 80 miles north of Orlando; others as far south as Lake Okeechobee.  In any case, the winters are very mild in Florida. Temperatures in much of Florida are rarely below 60 for more than a few weeks.  The humidity, however, is often extreme.  This means that we need to be less concerned about storing cold weather gear like sleeping bags, warm clothes, and fuel for heating and more concerned about protection from sun, insects, mold, fungus, and heat.  On the plus side, the climate here also means an extended growing season.

Everyone knows that the weather in Florida can be volatile.  Those that live in Florida must be prepared for hurricanes.  If you don’t already own hurricane shutters or screens, this should be one of your first priorities to protect your residence over the long term.  Depending on the materials selected for these shutters, they could also provide additional protection for your family from other threats – such as gunfire.  A home generator is also almost a requirement for residents of tropical climates.  In many tropical areas like Florida, most of the power lines are still above ground and the utility power is frequently out when these lines are blown down.  These utility lines are gradually being moved below ground, but it is a massive undertaking that will take years.  If you choose to live near the ocean, make sure that your home is elevated above sea level as far as possible so that you are less susceptible to flooding associated with a storm surge.  Or, at the very least, store a good supply of sand bags.  Florida is known as the ‘Sunshine State’ and it does get a lot of sun.  Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas get more sun, but Florida is still eminently suitable for using the sun for power.  If you are near the beach, you can also count on being able to consistently generate power from the wind. 

The location of your home or retreat in Florida or any other tropical area may be critical.  As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of Florida at over 18 million.  As many as 11 million of these people live in the largest population centers like Miami, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach.  I probably don’t have to tell you – but, I will anyway.  Avoid these large cities.  Check the web site FloridaDisaster.org for the published evacuation routes.  These will likely be the same routes used for population migration out of Florida in the event of a major disaster or societal collapse.  Much of the traffic will have to go up the major north-south interstate highways like 4, 75, and 95.  Those living in close proximity to these routes will be at higher risk of looting, theft, and assault.  When looking for a retreat or place to live, look for the less populated areas that might be somewhat insulated from these migration routes.  You might consider living in one of the rural locations in central Florida or north Florida that are lightly populated.  I have chosen to live on a lightly populated stretch of the barrier island that runs the entire length of the state.  There are a limited number of causeways that control access to the barrier island from the mainland.  The island is narrow enough in many places to be defensible.  And, if necessary, evacuation by boat is possible using either the inter-coastal waterway or the ocean.

A sailboat can provide some additional benefits besides the option of escape or evacuation.  It can be used to store additional supplies.  It can be used for transportation and fishing long after a fuel shortage renders power boats useless or uneconomical.  It can be a self-contained mobile survival retreat when equipped with a desalination unit to provide fresh water from salt water and with solar PV and wind generator to charge onboard batteries that operate lights, radios, satellite GPS, fish finders, and other useful gear.  When anchored in a calm river or bay, it can offer a degree of security. 
One of the unique things about Florida is that the water table is very high – especially near the beach.  This makes it fairly simple to drill a water well, but it also means that very few Florida homes that have basements or cellars – it’s just too wet.  That means limited access to storage space for food and equipment. It also means that very few Floridians have access to below-ground shelter that would provide any decent level of protection from nuclear or radiological attack.  A garage can be used for storage, but this is often not a good choice either due to the high heat and humidity.  Near the beach, the high salt content in the air causes any exposed metal to corrode relatively quickly.  This means that the options for food and equipment storage are more limited.  One option is to set aside areas of the home that can be used for storage where the temperature and humidity are controlled.  Or, rent a climate controlled storage unit that is easily accessible to your home.  Another option is to build a climate controlled storage area in your garage or utility outbuilding.  This could also be useful as a fallout shelter if designed with enough shielding and HEPA air filtration.

Access to drinking water must be a primary concern of any preparedness plan.  However, in most tropical locations like Florida there is a lot of water available – fresh, brackish, and salt.  Many homes in Florida and other tropical locations have a large reservoir of fresh water at hand – the swimming pool.  But, care must be taken to ensure that this water source is protected from evaporation and contamination in the event that utility water is not available.  Make sure that you have a pool cover or a sufficient quantity of large plastic sheeting to cover the pool.  Head to the swimming pool supply store and stock up on the granular calcium hypochlorite that is used to treat your pool water.  This form of chlorine can be corrosive and reactive, so be careful to store it in a dry, secure place and rotate it as you would your food supply.  The same chemicals that are used to keep your pool clear and algae-free will allow you to disinfect your pool water for drinking purposes.  Filtering the water through an activated charcoal filter will remove the chlorine taste of the water.  A high-volume gravity-fed water filtration unit like those sold by Berkey, Katadyn, or AquaRain should be a key component in your long-term water plan.  Desalination units, such as those installed in some sail and power boats can provide a critical advantage in securing access to clean water.

As mentioned above, food storage can be a challenge.  Use plastic and glass to store and preserve your food supplies rather than metal cans.  Even stainless steel rusts eventually in the salt air.  Silica gel desiccant is your friend in a humid environment.  Use it to control moisture in stored ammunition, food, electronic equipment, and anything else that you don’t want to rust or corrode.   Batteries left in electronics or flashlights corrode quickly, so check and change them regularly or else store them without the batteries installed.  If you seal your electronics in Mylar bags with desiccant packs, you’ll protect them from moisture as well as protecting them from the effects of electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

Plan to establish a sustainable food supply. Even if you don’t already keep a garden, learn what grows and doesn’t grow in your soil and climate.  There is a wide range of soil types in Florida.  In sandy soil and humid environments near the beach, dietary staples might include the cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, plantains, coconut, date, heart of palm, citrus, peppers, and rice.  Other inland areas of Florida with richer, drier soil might better sustain traditional vegetables like potatoes, carrots, peas, beans, squash, and others.  Fishing opportunities abound in Florida and may provide one of the most easily acquired sources of protein.  Salt water fish can be taken from a boat, by snorkeling with a spear gun, or by surf fishing from the beach.  Traps can be set for crab and spiny lobster.  Rock shrimp can be netted from the river.  Bass, catfish, and many other species of fish are abundant in the rivers, lakes, and ponds.  Anyone that intends to remain in place in Florida should acquire the equipment and practice the techniques using cast nets, surf fishing and fresh water fishing with rod and reel.   Wild pigs are a real pest in Florida and can provide fat and protein in a diet.  Deer, turkey, duck, and goose are also available as are a variety of other water birds.  Alligator might be another source of protein for those near rivers or lakes where they live.

When choosing clothing for a tropical environment like Florida, give preference to lightweight, breathable, manmade fibers that will keep you cool and still wick sweat from your skin.  Avoid cotton and wool fabrics that will deteriorate and mold in a hot and humid environment.  When working or hunting outside, long sleeves and long pants should be worn to protect from sun and insects.  Be sure to have wide brim hats for protection from the sun and rain.  Good rain gear is a must for each member of the family along with good, high-top, waterproof boots. Consider a set of rubber waders for those that might be fishing or hunting in the wetlands and swamps.  Mosquito face nets will become more and more necessary when the commercial spraying currently used to keep down the mosquito population is no longer available. 

There are some unique health issues to consider in Florida and other subtropical or tropical regions when man-made pesticides and fungicides are no longer available.  Malaria and other mosquito borne diseases are not currently a concern in Florida.  But, they could become a factor again when the means currently used to control them no longer is employed.  In other parts of the world, mosquitoes spread encephalitis, dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile virus, and other diseases.  Anti-malarial medications should be stocked.  Screens for doors and windows should be installed or repaired.  Standing sources of water where mosquitoes breed should be eliminated as far as possible.  Mosquito nets should be purchased and used to protect sleepers in bed during the night.  Be certain to stock mosquito and insect repellant with a high percentage of DEET. Ticks, fire ants, cockroaches, termites, and other insects are currently controlled only by extreme efforts using chemicals in many subtropical areas of the U.S.  Ticks carry Lyme disease, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever among other diseases.  Fire ant bites can produce fatal anaphylaxis in those allergic.  They destroy small ground nesting animals and birds and have had a very negative effect on the wild populations of dove and quail in Florida. These pests and others could all become significant hazards to our health, food sources and possessions when the current suppression methods are no longer available. Molds and fungus are also causes for health concerns for those in tropical areas.  Mold or fungus infections can be serious in humans and difficult to eradicate.  They can poison or destroy food and make our home unlivable.   To combat mold, keep fabrics clean and dry.  Avoid cotton and natural fibers in favor or man-made fibers that are more resistant.  Use a dilute solution of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) or quaternary ammonium compounds to kill or clean up mold or fungus.  Be sure to wear a filter or gas mask when cleaning up mold.  Breathing mold spores can have long term health consequences.    You may want to stock mold and mildew inhibiting products like paradicholorobenzene or paraformaldehyde powder from the drugstore.  Be careful to store these chemicals and all pesticides away from food and access by children.  Be sure to have a supply of sunscreen available for additional protection from the sun.  This is an area that you should research carefully as many of the chemicals and additives in sunscreen are harmful.

In a tropical environment, there are tools and equipment that can be very useful that may not be needed in other environments.  Each adult should have a good quality machete or woodsman’s blade.  Cold Steel produces a variety of heavy machetes that are suitable for the brush and growth in the Florida wetlands and swamps.  Cutting is done with the end of the blade, so get one that is long enough provide the leverage to cut relatively thick branches and vines without multiple cuts.  Besides clearing brush, they are also good general purpose tools for defense against snakes (or men), cutting wood, butchering, and many other tasks.  Monofilament cast nets are great for catching small fish that can be used for bait or just dried for food.  Crab or lobster traps and long-handled shrimp nets can provide an additional source of protein if you have a boat that can be used to drop them.   If you are near the ocean, snorkeling gear and a spear gun can allow you to harvest fish and turtles even if compressed air isn’t available for diving.  Fishing equipment – hook, lines, leaders, etc. – will probably take the place of some of the hunting equipment that those in other climates might acquire.  Consider stocking naval jelly for rust removal and plenty of paint for protecting exposed metal.   Firearms may be the most important tools to Florida residents in the event of TEOTWAWKI.  Florida has a large population and, at some point, a lot of them may be looking for food.  Prepare to be charitable.  Prepare to defend your family, life, and property, as well.

These are just some of the considerations for surviving in a humid, subtropical zone like Florida in the event of a collapse, but I hope that it will provide food for thought and a starting point for modifying the plans and recommendations published elsewhere to be more effective for this environment. 

Letter Re: Sources for Prescription Medications?

James,
I love your blog, I read it daily. Good article on the field craft of tourniquet applications. I do have one question to add–where can I get medical supplies for treating trauma? I love the fact that we have the blood clotting bandages available to the civilian–long live the free market. In the Army, I was a Combat Life Saver and I may be out of practice, but when truly required of me I am certain that I can start an IV to keep someone from going into shock. I have tried to find lactated ringers on the Internet, but they require a medical license (as would the needles and tubing sets I imagine) or a doctor’s prescription. How can one stock up on the supplies that can save some one’s life after the tourniquet is applied? I have considered having “the talk” with my doctor about prescribing such items, but that hardly seems likely without putting him in an awkward place. I searched the archives in your fantastic blog to no avail–are there any foreign distributors? I hate to think that I would have to “back door” to get supplies, but if it came down to preventing one of my family from going into shock and possibly death after grid-down, you better believe it is worth pursuing this during grid-up times.

Thank you for all that you do, – SBC

JWR Replies: Here in the US and other First World countries, to obtain USP-listed prescriptions medications there are few alternatives to finding a sympathetic doctor. (And, by the way, that must be one acting “within the scope of one’s practice”, so don’t expect your local dermatologist or podiatrist to be able to write you a scrip for Ringer’s or for an antibiotic medication like Cipro.)

One alternative often mentioned by SurvivalBlog readers is buying veterinary pharmaceuticals. A Strong Proviso: This is mentioned for educational purposes only. Buying veterinary medications is only recommended for absolute worst-case contingency planning–for when there is no other source of medical aid and supply.

One starting point for your quest is Jeffer’s. Among other items they sell a veterinary dextrose solution, by mail order, without a prescription. (IIRC, Lactated Ringer’s is often used with a 5% dextrose soliution.)