Letter Re: A Test Load-Up Shows a G.O.O.D. Inadequacy

Hello Mr. Rawles;
First and foremost, thanks for the site, the info is invaluable and a must read every morning

I am writing to add a few simple thoughts (perhaps state the obvious) on the subject of survival vehicle – really just some comments on G.O.O.D. I recently sold my house and am in the process of trying to get into a better situation, and during the move decided to attempt a “live” exercise. I took the opportunity to see how quickly I could load up my truck and bug out.

I wanted to time the load of my truck with all the gear and supplies I have been stockpiling for the past year, and guess what? Yep, I could not get it all in. Never mind my better half and three kids! Many readers may find this amusing (I did as it was not real), but if it was a real situation I would have been in a real bad way. So I suppose this is just a simple reminder to not only plan and prepare, but use the gear you have on a regular basis if possible, and practice often.

I made some necessary simple adjustments (cap and hitch rack), and feel foolish in hindsight. But you don’t know until you try it for yourself.
Thanks again and all the best.- Editor of TheTraderBlog.com

JWR Replies: Your experience is not unique! I’ve heard similar reports from other readers, and BTW, I emphasized this shortcoming my novel “Patriots” . This predicament underscores the great importance of pre-positioning the vast majority of your logistics at your intended retreat. Don’t just guess about fitting “all the rest” in your vehicle. Instead, try doing an actual “test load” to check for volume and compatible box dimensions. And allow room for each family member bringing a lot of clothes. Oh yes, don’t forget the pet paraphernalia. OBTW, you can use empty boxes or tote bins of the same dimensions as your full ones for your test load, to save on back strain.

Letter Re: Military Surplus Field Telephone Commo Wire Variants

Dear JWR:
In the 19 March Odds ‘n Sods you noted that:

Ready Made Resources just got in another small batch of 1000-foot long rolls of WF-16/U (2-pair) commo wire.This type of wire is fairly scarce on the surplus market. It can be used with TA-1s, TA-312s, and the newer TA-1042 (DNVT) digital field telephones.

Just so, and WF-16/U works as well with the older and long-standard pre-WWII through Vietnam era EE-8 “bag phones”.which my maternal grandparent helped develop while a Signal Corps officer at Ft. Monmouth.The old double-E-Eight is also compatible with the TA-1 and TA-312, though I’ve never tried one with DNVT equipment. They will however also function with the surplus early German field telephone equipment also in use from WWII to the 1980s [we had one in our bunker on the West German side of the five-kilometer militarized zone on the Iron Curtain in 1982, and very much still in use in the Balkans and elsewhere. The German units are available from Cheaper Than Dirt as their item # KEY123 for around $60 a pair.

TA-312 Field Phones are available from Fair Radio [ http://www.fairradio.com/ ]as their item # 3856 for $110 each, and they have in the past had parts and WD1-TT wire for the EE-8s as well. My own pair of EE-8s came from the Dayton, Ohio Hamfest, probably originally from Fair Radio.
Cheers! – Archy

Economics and Investing:

A recent headline grabbed my attention. It mention the “bottoming” or real estate price. That made me chuckle, because we are nowhere near the bottom yet. I did some searching, and I found a chart posted last year at the Calculated Risk blog. If you thought the subprime mortgages caused a lot of foreclosures, just wait until the Option-ARM resets peak in 2011. Methinks that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

Reader HPD mentioned this at Forbes that quotes Peter Schiff: CPI Rises Despite U.S. Recession

GG sent this: Merkel adviser warns US on inflation spiral

Items from The Economatrix:

House Approves Bill to Slap 90% Punishing Taxes on AIG Bonuses

France Braced for Huge Street Protests Over Economic Crisis

The Federal Reserve is Now Playing a High-Risk Game with Inflation

AIG Will Not Exist in Four Years, Says Chairman

Gold Futures Rise to 4% on Fed Announcement

Fed Launches $1.2 Trillion Effort to Revive Economy

Consumer Prices Rise 0.4% In February

Rogers: US Bailouts Add Risk to Depression

Dollar Crisis in the Making (Pt 3): China Inoculates Itself Against Dollar Collapse

Value Cross-over (The Mogambo Guru)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Hawaiian K. and Chris were the first of several readers to mention an article about statist politics: Who owns Colorado’s rainwater? (In Hawaii, where rainwater catchment is the norm, a law like that would probably trigger a revolt.)

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HPD spotted this: Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production

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Perhaps there are few survival nuggets in a news article on the life of Popcorn Sutton, a moonshiner from Maggie Valley, North Carolina.(A tip of the hat to Matt H., for the link.) Judging from his picture, who would have ever guessed that he was secretly a moonshiner?

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Markku sent the link to this photo essay: Scenes from the recession. (Don’t miss photo #31, “The Gold Party”)

Note from JWR:

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

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

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

The 19th Century Home Retrofit, by Y. Cornelius

By now most SurvivalBlog readers have gone about your preparations for your ideal home or retreat cabin, all storage food and tools acquired, fuel stored, generators ready, PV panels carefully concealed and hooked up to the battery bank. You and your family or group are ready to handle the coming collapse, but are you really? Are you ready to do without? Without that generator when the fuel runs out, or a critical piece is worn out and a new one cannot be had? At some point your supplies will be used up, storage fuel consumed and there may not be any to refill your tanks or more realistically you may be priced out, or it will be too dangerous to “run-the-gauntlet” and get more. Can you manage in your place without electricity? Can you cook with wood? Do you have space enough to process the abundant food you grow and must preserve either by canning or other means? Can you move throughout your buildings without being seen from the outside?
My point, is your place set up to function as a 19th century homestead?

My wife and I bought an old New England farmhouse many years ago, it is nothing fancy and looks like so many others in our area, it is a traditional connected farmhouse meaning that the buildings are all linked-up, yet they have different roof lines and are of different sizes. It is best summed up as a “Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn” and this is the title of a wonderful book written by Thomas C. Hubka which details the reasons for the ways structures developed. (If you want a leisurely read on the history of these buildings, I highly recommend this book.) Anyway, we bought this type of farm house and have been in the process of renovating it over many years, although the renovation could more reasonably described as going back to the future. One of the many wonderful things about an old house, and when I say old I mean over 150 years old, is the ability to reuse much of the lumber in the walls, floors, and ceilings or the masonry whether it is brick or stone, Ours is a timber frame with some masonry on the exterior and is incredibly well built and has a brilliant house plan. I realize that many people are not up to the task of going through this sort of process, but you could build your current retreat or home to some of these specs. Our home for example was built just after the War of 1812 it was fully functional for a family of eight with room for boarders/labors and or relatives. The kitchen is large while many of the adjacent rooms are small (less space to heat) all the rooms are situated around two large central fireplaces and have thimbles to allow for a small wood stove in each, the rooms can be closed off when not in use, thus not taking valuable heat from other areas. In the basement there is a large hole in the floor; it was a cistern, but was allowed to fill in with junk, perhaps it was considered a “sump hole” by later inhabitants since there was evidence of long overworked pumps in under the silt and gravel. I have cleaned this up and now have a source of water right in the house, (this water will still need to be treated since it is technically surface water being only ten feet below grade), but it still offers water for cleaning or for our animals.

There is a large “root” cellar to store food stuffs and canned goods. (It could double as safe room or vault if needed and may well have been at one point since the opening is nondescript and hidden from plain sight). Also there is a summer kitchen, at first I wondered why this was necessary, it appeared to be redundant, but further study enlightened me to the fact that this area was a vital part the home complex. First it served to allow a large un-insulated cook area that was necessary during the harvest time to allow heat to escape from the constant fire in the cook stove during the canning, it was also a place that field labors had their meals prepared and ate without having to clean themselves up much and not dirty up the regular kitchen. The buildings between the summer kitchen and barn (sometimes it is one long building divided only internally or there are up to three distinct roof lines and end walls that divide them) any how these areas were used in a variety of ways to allow a small cottage industry to occur, in-fact these were simply work areas that were sheltered from the often harsh and wild weather we experience. One could be for wood storage, for tools (a sort of machine shop), or areas for processing wool from sheep. The point is not to recreate that lifestyle but to utilize that mindset and build similar multi-purpose structures.

Our Home:
We have “renovated” our home to fully function without electricity. Now, we have multiple generators, a significant storage of fuels and food. I and am currently finishing up with the PV panels and battery bank/inverter set-up, going through all the motions to secure some sense of normalcy; but in-fact we do not “need” those items to exist here, they are an extra. We can heat with wood and with a solar hot water system connected to baseboard radiators as well as a copper coil running through the wood fired furnace [for when there is not solar gain or during a heavy snowfall]. (The hot water moves via thermo-siphon no electricity needed only check-valves to keep the hot water moving in one direction). Our kitchen is “modern” but if the power is out we can cook on our wood fired cook-stove, it is about 120 years old and with a little “TLC” is now fully functional not to mention beautiful to look at. We can also bake in a bee hive oven built into the massive central chimney which I rebuilt and lined with modern flues. I left one of the original fireplaces, installed airtight doors and an exterior air vent, while on the other side made the other fireplace into a large wood storage container.

Overall, your retreat needs to be functional without electricity, things will eventually break, or you simply run out. Focus upon knowing how to live your life with little to no electricity or “conveniences”. The primary goals must be on heating your home and preparing food without petrochemical fuels, most modern homes are particularly horrible in this area. Change your mindset; you cannot store enough for the really long haul.

Three Letters Re: Some Thoughts on the Survival Vehicle

Mr. JWR,
I’m surprised this hasn’t been addressed more thoroughly, but the first point of consideration should be whether the vehicle will be diesel or gasoline (since most vehicle models don’t have a diesel equivalent). I know this topic has been done before here, and even led me to investing in a diesel, but apparently it’s worth rehashing.

The disadvantages of gasoline are substantial. Gasoline is difficult to store safely (as it is so combustible). Its useful life generally expires in about 12 months (so should you not have access to your stabilized cache, you can expect your vehicle to become useless before a year is out). It is more common, which means it is more likely to be stolen. Gasoline generally gives fewer miles per gallon. Gasoline engines usually wear faster than diesel engines, and require more servicing (oil changes at 3,000 miles rather than 6,000, with expected engine lives also greatly reduced). The only advantages I can see to gasoline is that you’re more likely to find spare parts and mechanics who can work with them, and that it’s less temperature-sensitive. [JWR Adds: Diesels are also very unforgiving if you ever run one completely out of fuel. Re-priming can be tricky.]

Meanwhile, the advantages of diesel are substantial, for our purposes. Diesel is not nearly as combustible, and so safer to store, and will last longer. It’s less likely to be raided (and someone who does steal your diesel supply won’t be getting far if they’re foolish enough to use it straight away). The engines are generally simpler than gasoline engines and more tolerant to abuse. Most important is the availability of fuel. Sure I can’t siphon out of my neighbor’s car (not that I would anyway), but when the gas stations are out, truck and train depots are more likely to have left over fuel. And when the diesel is out, I can still run on jet fuel, kerosene, biodiesel (which I can make at home), waste vegetable oil, waste engine oil, even coal dust.

Assuming even the least crises we might face, such as a localized natural disaster, the gasoline infrastructure is very fragile, and very quickly that will run out, with gasoline theft very common. When the gas pump goes dry, however, I’ll still be brewing my own biodiesel out of vegetable oil I can pick up at the store or even make myself. (And I’m not aware of any [fire] code concerns regarding storing vegetable oil in the home). Diesel is renewable, gasoline is not (even ethanol production is a losing proposition).

The caveat to this is to buy older. Newer vehicles are getting increasingly temperamental, especially the newest models. Apparently the 2007s and later fall under new EPA standards, and in many cases the standards are so stringent that the vehicle will even bleed fuel into its own oil supply rather than release oxides into the atmosphere. That means biodiesel will literally eat the inside out of the vehicle. 2006 and earlier on most models should be fully biodiesel compatible, with older models working better (although generally less efficient).

Thank you for your fantastic blog. Keep up the good work! – Dieselman

 

James:
Those were some really good ideas. I’ve done some of those modifications. I would add to the list three items:

1. I have three historic vehicles and one ironic thing about old school technology is that the PSI ratings for various applications on older machinery is not what it is on modern vehicles. For example, I once lost a tiny plug (off of a ’58 International Tractor) that would be impossible to find (or worth it for that matter) so I crammed a piece of cork into it and its been there for years still doing a great job. So, I save all cork from my household for emergency leak stoppers. BTW: cork when burned makes good instant facial camouflage so that’s another reason I keep it stockpiled.

2. I read / subscribe to antique tractor, car, and motorcycle magazines to pick up DIY information. A tip I picked up but haven’t used was from another old car nut. Keep a tampon handy for radiator leaks. It’ll provide a good temporary fix that will get you home.

3. Road flares. Besides the intended purpose, they also do a great job at starting fires if the wood you are trying to light isn’t exactly seasoned and dry. I also used them as a law enforcement officer to chase away the bad guy’s dog so I didn’t have to shoot the dog. (I have five rescued dogs and numerous other rescued animals so I try to avoid any unnecessary force against animals.) [JWR Adds: In my experience, nothing beats a lit 15-minute road flare for crowd control. Nobody wants to mess with them.]
Good luck, – FLHSPete

 

Hi Jim,
I wanted to add my two cents to the Bug Out Vehicle (BOV) thread going on. I’m sure my thoughts on the subject will appear weak and lazy, but give it a look see anyway. This comes from the perspective of those that want to continue much as they do now, and who possess the ability to do many of the repairs that would be necessary for any truck, no matter how well “prepped” theirs might be via the aid of auto-mall-ninja pimping.

Plenty of people will chose to keep existing trucks, or SUVs as their BOVs. The reasons are many, but usually include the lack of funds to keep an extra vehicle around, and personal preferences. Most will not use a specialized vehicle as their full time rig, but they might consider modifying them for BOV off-road, or inclement situation usage. For those that can’t, or won’t buy /build /modify their way into a full-blown Mad Max vehicle, there remain options for existing trucks and SUVs.

My personal rig is an F-250, 7.3 turbo diesel, early 2000s vintage. It is a crew cab, (4 full doors, independently operable, unlike extend cab units which require the front doors to be open before the rear can), with an insulated shell, and factory step bars to aid getting in and out of the cab. (We also have an older 90s stretch minivan with seven passenger seating and storage, and a pair of five-passenger SUVs).

I’m not overly concerned with EMP, so computer damage from that doesn’t rank high on my list. While having spare components is part of my plan, the fact that they cover EMP possibilities is purely coincidental. Spare computer and sensor parts for the 7.3 International engine run the list of the usual suspects as they pertain to common repair activities. CPS, ICP, IPR,… etc. The acronyms are part of the learning curve for do-it-yourself repairs. Whatever breed of horse is in your stable, you better learn his particulars. For Ford truck owners, an excellent source for tech, tips, real world repair stories and cures, go to the Ford Truck Enthusiasts (FTE) web site. They have a world of excellent information, and them boys and gals help members immediately, when there is an issue. All the special parts names (IPR = Injection Pressure Regulator etc.) are in there, and descriptions of what they do. All of these components are available now, from multiple sources, and will fit in a .30 caliber-size ammo can (which will fit behind the rear seat no problem).

I would encourage people to not be intimidated by the newer setups. Start with a good, solid rig, such as the 7.3L. Buy the spares, and read up on how to change them out. It’s not that hard. You’ll be doing monkey work anyway no matter what the truck, if the poop smacks the blades, so what’s the difference? These days, there are a whole lot more of the newer Ford trucks out there. Parts galore! The parts houses have them in stock. If it gets really bad, and a little creative acquisition is in order…. well, use your imagination.

The 7.3 [liter] diesel is built by International, and has a minimum expected life usage of 350,000 miles. A couple of guys on the forum report that some trucks have gone 600,000+ miles before needing any real work. This engine simply keeps going, and the chassis is very tough to beat.

Diesel fuel is everywhere. It’s in: big rigs, delivery – FedEx and UPS trucks, rental trucks, farm tractors – trucks – agricultural water pumps – and fuel tanks, some busses, most service stations, railroad engines, earth movers and other construction equipment, military bases (who knows, they might go deserted…), emergency back up generators for some buildings…. It lasts a heck of a lot longer than petrol. Doesn’t matter how much gasoline is around for you, it will all be junk without proper treatment within a short period of time. [JWR Adds: Don’t overlook Home Heating Oil tanks as another potential source of fuel that can be burned in diesels in emergencies. (Although it would be a violation of road tax laws to do so on public roads.) IMHO, every retreat should have at least one diesel vehicle!]

As for transmissions, a manual is a good idea, but if you have an automatic, don’t despair. I’ve yet to see a 8,000+ pound truck be push-started without first parking on a hill. With your automatic, you need to be sure it has a fluid cooler installed. Change the fluid regularly and according to common sense. In a TEOTWAWKI world, requisition [purchase]s are off the cuff, and there are plenty of the common transmissions currently in service, and readily available.

Air bags used for load leveling really are a blessing. Take this setup, for instance. A 3?4-ton truck that occasionally pulls a heavy load may use “load levelers” commonly installed for use with travel trailers. These transfer a good portion of the load to the truck’s front tires, but not all of it. Air bag load assist units can take up the rest of the extra weight, and convert your 3?4 ton setup into something much more capable. They don’t get in the way, and are absolutely no liability. These accessories can level a burdened truck just fine, which is a dead necessity if you want a truck that will steer and brake predictably. A truck that sagging in the rear can be deadly in an emergency stop, especially on grades. The use of air bags allows you to keep a good ride when they are idling along. The best of both world there. At the most, if they fail, you are left with the factory load capability intact.

My truck [body] is two inches higher than stock. I like the increased visibility. I like the added travel in the suspension for towing off road. I like how it, just today, went over debris on the road that might have caused damage. The guy in front of me didn’t see it, and bang. I didn’t have enough warning time so I went over it [, without contacting it]. The guy behind me sensed something was up, but he couldn’t decide what to do, so his vehicle went bang, too. Does two inches help? It can. Today it did. It also makes servicing the truck in bad terrain easier. With a truck that has a little more uppity to it, you can get under it without the use of jacks, which are unsafe on sloped ground. I wouldn’t lower a truck for any reason.

For anti theft, one easy to install device is a common switch, rated for the current in the fuel pump circuit. I use switches to disable the fuel pumps. They are hidden, and out of the way. Not too many thieves will spend the time trying to figure out why the engine won’t start… something about panic and going to jail or getting shot.

In keeping with the current mission of trucks, we like our power windows and door locks. The window motors might become disabled at some point, but that’s not a problem, really. If we need them open right now, that’s possible with the glass breaking tools we carry anyway. In non emergencies, we can fix such things. Power door locks have never trapped anyone I know inside, since they all have manual overrides. They are a non-issue, too.

Back to our ‘lil F-250 for a moment. They are copious hand bars in it. Four on each side. Just inside the central pillars, are two very large such bars. We’ve found that these are just wonderful anchor points for harness attachments, which allow for someone to firmly anchor themselves if they need to be sitting on the window sill, hanging out the window for some reason. (Another opportunity to use your imagination.) These internal attachment points almost seem made for special occasions. – Anonymous from Californicatia

Economics and Investing:

John in Ohio forwarded this: At G20, Kremlin to Pitch New Currency. JWR’s Comment: Gee, so they propose replacing numerous un-backed fiat currencies (with free-floating values) with a single un-backed fiat currency of a “fixed” (constantly inflating) value. Cui bono? As I’ve written before: inflation is a hidden form of taxation. How do I vote for a genuine specie-backed currency? Only with a trip to my local coin shop or arms bazaar. Vote with your wallet. For our own protection, get out of paper currencies and into tangibles!

From The Appenzell Daily Bell: Banks pop on talk of [FASB] accounting rule relief. (I’ve mentioned delays in implementing the FASB 157 “Mark-to-market” rule, before. Given the severity of the current financial crisis, we can expect to see convenient delays and changes (convenient to the bankers, that is), for the foreseeable future.

Reader Brian F. sent this: Consumer prices rise by largest amount in seven months. Rather than typical inflation, this may be evidence of fixed overhead costs being distributed into a dwindling sales base. To explain: In a retail operation, the building lease or mortgage must still be paid, utilities must be paid, and sales clerks must be paid, regardless of sales volume. When sales volume drops, it is inevitable that some of the fixed costs must be passed along to customers. This does not bode well for traditional “bricks and mortar” retailers–especially the large department stores. In the long run, low overhead home-based Internet sellers may get a larger share of the market, as consumers search for bargain prices and are willing to wait a few days to have items mailed or shipped.

G.G. found this one: Fed to buy up to $300 Billion in long-term Treasury bonds, Fed will buy up to $300 billion of long-term government bonds; buy more mortgage securities. Back in the Stone Age, when I studied economics in college they called this monetization, and I distinctly recall my professor explaining that this practice was peculiar to South American Banana Republics. ¿Se habla Español, Señor Obama?

From reader HPD comes a link to some commentary by Mish Shedlock: Yet Another Incompetent Treasury Appointment

Odds ‘n Sods:

Some good news! The US military’s “fired brass destruction” policy change turned out to be very short-lived. It has just been reversed. To begin with, the policy change was intended only for military brass that is OCONUS, not in CONUS. (If you have a fast Internet connection, then see this PDF., but was apparently over-applied ) I also got some information from Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association (by way of a SurvivalBlog reader up in Montana): “I just received a phone call from the office of U.S. Senator Tester of Montana to inform me that at 5:15 (EST) today [Tuesday, March 17th] a letter cosigned by Senator Tester (D-MT) and Senator Baucus (D-MT) was faxed to the Department of Defense asking DoD to reverse its new policy requiring destruction of fired military cartridge brass. At 5:30, I am told, Tester’s office received a fax back from DoD saying that the brass destruction policy IS reversed. Others report to me that they are already seeing evidence of this on the Websites of entities that liquidate surplus DoD commodities. Our thanks go out to Senator Tester and Senator Baucus, and their staff, for getting on this problem promptly and making the reversal happen.”

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Ready Made Resources just got in another small batch of 1000-foot long rolls of WF-16/U (2-pair) commo wire.This type of wire is fairly scarce on the surplus market. It can be used with TA-1s, TA-312s, and the newer TA-1042 (DNVT) digital field telephones.

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The UK television series Survivors is moving filming location to Birmingham for Season 2. (What is unspoken in the cheery article is that Birmingham is an industrial city with portions in advanced decay, making a good post-apocalyptic backdrop.)

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“D” found a web site on non-electric cooling and refrigeration. The site also has some solid information on drip irrigation. D.’s comment: “I find it ironic that we teach people in Africa these technologies and yet there is such a paucity of these skills here at home.”

Notes from JWR:

The good folks at Ready Made Resources have very generously added a Warrior Aid and Litter Kit (with a retail value of $1,500) to the SurvivalBlog benefit auction that started on Monday. This brings the combined value of the auction lot to $2,800! The benefit auction lot now includes:

1.) A Warrior Aid and Litter Kit, donated by Ready Made Resources. This is an advanced medic kit package that includes a Talon II 90C folding handle collapsible litter, which normally retails for $560, just by itself. This truly a “full up” tactical trauma kit! This sophisticated medic kit normally retails for $1,500.

2.) A “be ready to barter” box of 26 full-capacity firearms magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 4 – Brand new “smoke gray” polymer original Bulgarian 40 rd. AK-47 magazines, 10 – brand new AR-15/M16 USGI black Teflon coated alloy 30 round magazines with stainless steel springs and the latest orange anti-tilt followers, 6 – new condition original USGI M14/M1A 20 round parkerized steel magazines, from CMI (the current military prime contractor) 6 – new condition original Glock Model 20 (10mm) 15 round pistol magazines–the latest production type with “SF” front magazine catch notch . All of these magazines are of recent manufacture (and hence are NOT legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $750, in today’s market. Note: If you live in a state where full capacity magazines are banned, then you must choose to: refrain from bidding, or designate a recipient in an unrestricted state, or re-donate the magazines for a subsequent auction.

3.) A large Bury ‘Em Tube (# 6L, 43″ x 6″ with a 5.1 gallon capacity), donated by Safecastle. (a $199.95 retail value)

4.) A NukAlert compact radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value). 

5.) An OPTIMUS Terra Cookset for backpacking, tent camping or even WTSHTF, donated by Safecastle. It includes the ultra-compact Crux stove, plus a special small cookset–all very portable and lightweight. (Fuel canister not included.) (a $95 retail value)

6.) A fresh, sealed case of full mil-spec MRE rations with ration heaters, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com. (a $94.95 value)

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $2,800. This auction ends on April 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

—

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

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

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

Life’s Lessons and the Foundations of Preparedness, by A.B.

We may soon depend on all of what we have learned over the years. Putting all of the threads of knowledge together into a tapestry of self-sufficiency, and survival capabilities, is part of the lifelong quest for our family’s security. We learn from many sources and experiences such as: family, church, friends, teachers, teammates, co-workers, reading books and SurvivalBlog, and hopefully from our mistakes.

Preparedness Skills from our Grandmas and Grandpas

The foundation for preparedness begins with my childhood in Michigan. We lived in Lansing where my great-grandmother was next door and my grandmother lived next door to her. My father was born in great-grandma’s house after the family moved to the city during the early 1900s. My sisters and I spent weekends and summers alternately at my mom’s family dairy farm, which was just outside of the city, and at my dad’s family cabin “up north”. These were the richest times of my life. We knew all of our grandparents and some of our great-grandparents very well. My great-great-grandfather still lived in the old log cabin when I was born in 1956. We have been fortunate to have had five generations alive consistently from then until now. The wealth of love and knowledge you gain from your extended family is irreplaceable.

The “old timers” told stories of hardship during the great depression and the dust bowl era (we live an area that was the largest prairie east of the Mississippi.) Memories of crop failures with tales of early and late frosts were passed down. There were also hunting and fishing stories passed down as we learned to hunt and fish with older family members. There were bigger than life lumberjack stories and stories from Prohibition and the World Wars. I learned to safely handle and accurately shoot a .22 rifle with peep sights when I was six or seven years old. I walked the roads with my grandpa squirrel hunting. We ice fished on local lakes and went to Tip-Up Town USA every year. All of this adds to ones persona and the early experience helps awaken the necessary “survivalist” traits.

On a working dairy farm you rapidly learn about life (and death). Animal husbandry and caring for the land lead to sustainability. Animals do become food and harvesting the crops sometimes seems little reward for the hard work. The milking must be done every day and chores do not wait. As a kid I learned to drive tractors and pick-ups to and from the fields. We mowed, bailed and then stacked the hay in the mow. Alfalfa, oats and corn were the field crops. Pigs, chickens, and sheep were raised along with the dairy cows and we cleaned the barns and spread manure.

Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation such as when to plant, where to plant, when to harvest, and how to raise the animals. There were many topics of conversations at the Sunday breakfast table. Many things are debated and discussed after chores and before Church. Most times the conversations continued outside the Church after the sermon. It was the only time you saw the other farmers. When you are a little guy you tended to be quiet, pay attention and learn.

Grandpa was a farmer and Grandma was a one room school teacher. Grandma also taught vacation bible school during the summer break. Us kids learned how to tend good gardens and helped preserve the food we raised. We took care of the barn animals while the uncles milked. We hauled water to the bull pen and helped milk as we got older. Survival skill sets from the farm come from being part of a close knit community with a solid work ethic. There are strong religious underpinnings with good people engaged in caring for one another as well as the animals and the land.

Preparedness from “Roughing It”

The log cabin “up north” had a well-house for getting water and an outhouse for getting rid of water. There was a wood fired cook stove for heat and kerosene lamps to play cards under. There was a red checkered oilcloth on the table with cane chairs around it. The place was originally homesteaded by my great-great-grandfather in the late 1800s (a few electric lights were added at some point.) We used to go up on Friday night after Dad or Grandpa got out of work. The next morning started with an awakening trip to the outhouse and then fetching a bucket of water from the well house and kindling for the wood stove. On a cold morning you stepped lively until the fire was going.

Once the stove was hot, Grandma would cook buttermilk pancakes on a griddle that my great-grandmother had used in the lumber camp. Eggs and bacon sizzled in a cast iron skillet. Clothes were washed on a washboard in a wash tub and then hung out to dry. You took a bath in the river. During the summer we would fish morning and evening and water ski on the nice days. The family summer vacation was spent camping in a tent along the river or at a state park. The old cabin was also used for small game hunting in the early fall and deer camp in the late fall / winter. We would take walks in the woods and look for morels and other edible things like may apples, hickory nuts or raspberries and huckleberries. Animal tracks were learned and followed with hopes of a glimpse. Life was considered sacred unless needed for food and being a part of nature became obvious. A leave no trace and waste nothing ethic was being born.

Opportunities for further wilderness and pioneering skill development were provided by Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. My mom and dad were actively involved in Scouting when I was growing up. Teamwork and sharing responsibilities for the group were learned. Outdoor cooking and keeping things sanitary were heavily emphasized. Food poisoning is no joke – we had one patrol that damn near killed us with their meal. We learned to wash our hands and boil the crap out of everything. Hiking and backpacking skills were beginning to be developed in the Scouts. We day hiked a 20 miler once a year on the Johnny Appleseed Trail – the Scouts version of the death march. You had to carry a full pack if you wanted the patch. We also hiked the Pokagon Trail in northern Indiana and learned to camp in the winter.

While living in Pennsylvania (later in life) I started winter backpacking with a few of my buddies. We went in the winter both for the solitude it offered, and to learn the special skill sets required for survival in the cold. There are beautiful views from Seven Springs and other spots along the Laurel Highlands Trail during the winter. This experience then led to the development of technical mountaineering skills. The books Basic Rockcraft, Advanced Rockcraft and Knots for Climbers were memorized along with study of the book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Skills were practiced and ingrained.

My first solo backpacking / climbing trip came in the summer of 1980 in the Organ Mountains of southern New Mexico. I later solo climbed most of the 4,000 and 5,000 footers in New England (many in winter). I met a like minded climber on one of those hikes and we made a summit bid on Mt. Rainier in June of 1998. I also began the solo circumnavigation on the Wonderland Trail that year. I set the first tracks both that year and when I completed the circuit in June of 2001. Map and compass skills were required. Primitive camping while carrying everything you need to survive for two weeks is a tough proposition. It was tough in my 30s and 40s. It’s even harder now that I am in my 50s. G.O.O.D. to the deep woods is doable but it would be a hard life.

Responsibility and Teamwork

We learned to be responsible and self-sufficient during our childhood. We learned to play without other kids around and had chores to do for our allowance. I learned to gather the wood and light a fire as soon as I was old enough. You pumped the water and filled the reservoir if you wanted warm water for washing up. You learned to use guns and knives as tools while you learned hunting techniques and cleaned the game for the table. Being a responsible hunter meant taking ethical shots and using what you kill. Catching and cleaning fish, then cooking or smoking them were all part of being a good fisherman. To go along with these survival skills you also need the ability to share knowledge and work as a team.

Most of the skills you learn will help you to fend for yourself one way or another. The only problem is summed up with the statement “no man is an island”. You will need others sooner or later. My sisters and I developed basic teamwork skills while setting up camp. The girls helped mom and I helped dad. We had a “system”. This was carried further in Scouting. Some Patrols set up tents while another set up the kitchen. These valuable lessons were used later in life as I went through boot camp and during service in the military. I served on small boats as part of a search and rescue team in the USCG.
Teamwork helps to overcome the steep learning curve and high risk of being a self-sufficient survivalist. You can do things as a team exponentially quicker and safer than you can by yourself. Your bunkmate becomes your partner in boot camp and later becomes your shipmate. You learn “one hand for yourself and one hand for the boat”. As a team you can survive what would kill you alone. In a bad storm someone has to steer while someone bails out the boat. One person couldn’t do it. Avalanche in the back country is another perfect example – by yourself you are probably dead. Doing things alone is great – but it may cost you your life. Skill and knowledge can’t cover your a** like a buddy. It’s nice to have someone else on the rope with you; they are your only hope.

Teaching everyone at least something you know and learning from everyone something you don’t know can only make the group stronger. If someone gets sick or is tired someone else can step up. CPR is a good example here. In the back country one person can’t help himself. One person helping may bring back the life but it better happen quickly. Two people allow you to send someone for help while rendering aid until you are too tired to continue. Three people allow almost indefinite support. Two can alternate CPR while waiting for the one who left for help to return with the defibrillator. If help is real far away, then it’s done. There is a point of no return. Remote locations usually cross that point which is a distinct disadvantage (unless the SHTF).

Without teamwork you will usually die if something bad happens. Everyone has to be a good shot. Everyone needs to be able to render first aid. The group is only as strong as the weakest link and precious resources are spent covering someone’s a** that’s not up to speed. Teach and learn and cross train. Remember what you did as a kid and don’t sell the kid’s of today short. Teach them the skills they need and allow them to grow into the responsibility. Being part of a team or extended family that functions like a team is fun. The action of being responsible for one another is at the root of any team.

The Prepared Family

The family is the primary source of knowledge. Some survival skills to learn right along with reading, writing and arithmetic are: swimming, knot tying, fire building under all conditions, where to get water and how to make it safe to drink, safe gun handling and accurate shooting, hunting in fields and the woods, fishing in rivers and on lakes, first aid, camping, boating, gardening, making things “homemade”. You can’t start learning or teaching these things too soon.

10 years ago we moved back home to Michigan after living all over the USA. I had come home for my Grandpa’s funeral and was returning to New England. Something was wrong and I couldn’t put my finger on it. That’s when the light came on and as I drove it became apparent that I was going the wrong way – both figuratively and literally. We were chasing the so called “American Dream”. Losing my grandfather and returning to the north woods had shown me where home really is. It is with family and God and where your roots are. I had drifted away from the true values I had learned early in life.
I resigned my position, cashed out the 401(k), and bought the homestead from grandma. We planted 24 fruit trees and installed irrigation systems for the gardens. We pruned the grape vines back and tended to the asparagus beds. My wife renewed the old flower beds and I have replaced the split rail fence. We re-roofed everything. The folks put down another well up the field and had another septic system installed for their travel trailer. We had a 100 amp power drop installed and we also buried a power cable from the field to the trailer for a 12 volt system (small scale solar and wind).
I once again could use guns after living in the tyranny of Massachusetts. (I refused to get an Firearms ID card so my guns never left the house in 16 years.) I taught a niece and nephew to shoot with the same .22 that grandpa used to teach me with almost 50 years ago. My nephew, now an 8th grader, got his first deer this past year. No one believed him when he came home and told them. He did it on his own.

Things have now come full circle in our life. My grandma lives with us in her old house through the summer. My sisters are both Grandmas themselves now and they are taking care of our mom and dad. The kids have great-grandparents and a great-great grandmother. My understanding wife of thirty years and I live here on the homestead as stewards of the family heritage. The whole family gets together up here once or twice a year. We know how to provide for and take care of each other. If the SHTF my sisters and the rest of the family will head up here to the homestead and once again adopt the ways of our Great-Great Grandpa and Grandma. Everything we have learned through our lives will serve us well. Skill sets from the north woods and from the farm are derived from living simple, living manual and living with nature as part of nature.

We used to fall to sleep on a feather tick mattress while listening to rain tapping over our heads in the loft of the old log cabin. Bedtime stories were told as we drifted to sleep and the whippoorwills sang into the night. We didn’t think that the day would come that just about all of what we learned from our family and from our life would come into play. Thank God for our tight family and all of the distilled knowledge passed down to us. I now live in a home built over the site of the original log cabin and now we have 7 generations since my great-great grandparents first cleared this piece of land. It looks like we will be talking of another “Great Depression” soon and the complete cycle renews. Do we learn from our mistakes?

Preparedness Skills and Materials

We’re preparing for the future and I hope to teach what I can to as many people as I can before it’s over. We can survive well if we draw on one another’s strengths and knowledge. It starts with the family and moves out to the extended family then to the neighbors and on to town folk and into the blogosphere. Many people have grown up in similar circumstances and have similar experiences. We must practice our learned skills and trades all of the time to stay fresh and perpetuate our way of life. We must keep acquiring new skills and more materials for survival. Preparedness is a constant quest.

Survival trades that I’ve learned:

ASE Certified Master Auto Technician
Journeyman Machinist and Apprentice Welder.
Experience with all aspects of house construction from framing to finish work, including house wiring and plumbing for water, gas and DWV systems.
Professional ditch digger and home brewer of beer.

Survival tools, equipment, and material acquired over the years:

Comprehensive set of Snap-On hand tools, diagnostic equipment and garage.
Several redundant computers and complete wi-fi coverage with satellite internet.
All of the carpentry, plumbing and electrical tools needed to build a house.
All of the tools required to garden both manually and with gas engines.
Fence building tools and supplies.
5,500 watt gas generator.
Wood stove and saws, axes, mauls, wedges.
Stores of food, bits of gold and silver, books and manuals, and lots of lead.

Survival firearms battery:

Auto-Ordinance Model 1911A1 .45 ACP (I qualified Marksman in USCG)
Stag Arms AR-15 with 20” Bull barrel, 5.56 (I qualified Expert in USCG)
Marlin .22 WMR (squirrel / varmint gun)
Mossberg .22 LR (shot this since 1962)
Ruger M77 Mk II .270 Win. (my deer rifle)
Winchester Model 94 .32 Win. Special (got my first deer with Grandpa’s gun)
Mossberg 12 ga. 3 -1/2” Ulti-Mag in Camo (turkey / duck / goose gun)
Winchester Model 1897 12 ga. 2-3/4” (I’ve shot this gun since 1969)
Reloading equipment and supplies (loads for Barnes Bullets)

Survival Quest 2009 (the final pieces I’ll need for grid down and “zombies”):

Ruger M77 Mk II .300 Win Mag with optics
A manual water pump (the old pump is gone)
Wind turbine and photovoltaic panels for water pumping and power generation.
Battery bank and inverter
More kerosene lamps
Night Vision for the AR-15
Radios

Letter Re: Private Gated Communities May Not be Gated After All

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I read Brad S.’s letter with interest today. About ten years ago I was working in property management for an apartment community in Lakewood, Washington. Not exactly a low-crime area, to say the least.

One of our selling points was the gates at each entrance of the community. My manager and I took over the property not knowing the sort of people the previous management team had rented to. Over the course of four months, we evicted dozens of tenants for being months behind on rent, among other things. When this process began, we noticed that we received daily complaints about our gates being “busted”.

Turned out disgruntled ne’er do wells whose pass codes had been deleted and locks changed were using their vehicle [bumper]s to push the gates open to get into the community. Because the gates open in the direction the vehicle is going (i.e. in for incoming vehicles and out for outgoing), these was extremely easy for them to do. One (non-criminal) resident actually got brave enough to slip outside one night and get video footage of a vehicle so that we could help the police try to track them down.

We went through thousands and thousands of dollars by the time we just gave up and stopped fixing them. It became a game for the nasties in the area and just wasn’t worth it any more. The police had a heck of a time getting anyone involved in the Neighborhood Watch in the area, but when they finally got mad enough about their rent money not keeping up “security”, people started cracking down on their former neighbors and current neighbors. Yes – current – even some of the punks who didn’t get evicted were still doing it just to infuriate my boss.

Additionally, most of the apartments set up like this will purposely lock the gates open during heavy commute hours (say, 0700-0900 and 1600-1800) just to save on the electric bill and keep lines from forming at the gate. This means that anyone and everyone who happens to notice this on a property can just time their visits appropriately and have full access to your community.

Unless you are the only family on your place with much better gates and a better system, such gates are nothing but a mental barrier to keep honest people honest, as they say, and to instill a sense of security and class in the residents. This doesn’t apply to heavy duty gates, especially those that slide from side to side on a track, vs the kind that open on a hinge with a small motor, of course. But in general, as somebody who got to write up about a hundred repair requests – skip ’em. They aren’t worth it if they are the generic “make you feel special and make your place look fancy” type of gates.

Thanks for all your hard work. – M.K.

Letter: Full Capacity Magazine Price Inflation and Scarcity

James,
I too purchased a PTR-91 [HK91 clone] rifle and ordered 50 magazines from PTR 91 Inc. The shipping was reasonable and when I received them, there were [actually some free “bonus”, for a total of] 55 magazines. They ranged from good to like new condition and had dates all the way from 1963 thru early 1990s. For $107 delivered, I got 55 magazines and a very big smile on my face. – M.E.K .