Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer." – Thomas Paine, "Common Sense", 1776

Notes from JWR:

Today, our family celebrates the resurrection of our savior, Jesus, The Christ. I pray that you recognize him as your savior, too.

Our first article was written by an old friend, who is an American ex-pat presently living somewhere in east Asia.

Some Offshore Retreat Considerations, by P. Traveler

Moving to a new area is a challenge, as any city-bred person from the US East Coast could tell you after his first winter in Wyoming. And the job market is not exactly as promising, either, at least for office workers. Yet, many make the move, and come to regret having waited so long before having done so. An even more difficult move is to go from the country of your birth and to explore a new life somewhere else. Many of our ancestors did this, however, and under far more difficult circumstances than you would face today. Just think of the “coffin ships” that the Irish came to North America on.

Before considering this big step, you should ask yourself what you are trying to achieve and what types of disasters you are hoping to survive. Is it a local disaster, such as flooding, or the disaster of your country going down the drain? You can prepare for almost all natural disasters without the need to move. However, if you are worried about something along the lines of serious civic unrest or even a civil war, then you may want to consider a more dramatic move. For example, if you had been living in the Soviet Union when it came crashing down, but had had German ancestry, you could have moved to Germany. Would you have done so?

Once you have decided to pursue the possibility of moving, you should consider the fact that serious trade-offs will be required, as there is no perfect place in this world. You will have to weigh and balance many new issues in a way that you don’t now. For example, some countries often have low crime, but may seem a bit regimented, such as Singapore. Other countries may be relatively free, but lacking in modern infrastructure.

1. Review all the issues that would apply if you moved within your country. They still apply – only more so. If you can’t handle the snow in Idaho, you won’t do much better in Switzerland. If you can’t afford a house plus a retreat in the Western US, then you probably won’t be able to pull it off in Costa Rica, either. Yes, it’s true that prices are lower in less-developed countries, but the days of the dollar being as good as gold are long gone.

2. Make a list of needs, wants, and can’t haves for everyone in the family. Without their buy-in, you’ve got a problem. You need a reasonable balance for them in their new home, too. You may happy to find a paradise that has both good tax and gun laws, but your children may not care about that, and they’re unhappy about going to a school that teaches in a foreign language.

You should set your priorities of what you can live with, and live without. Do you need TV programs from your home country? You realize, of course, that those might not continue anyway if things get really bad. Do you need first-class hospitals, such as the Mayo Clinic? What is your definition of good medicine? Some folks think the US has a great system, while others disagree. It’s clearly the case that some of the less-developed countries have modernized quite a bit in the last 20 years, and that could make a move to, say, Mexico a lot safer in this regard now than then. Indeed, medical tourism is a fast-growing business due to the low costs in places such as Costa Rica or India. Are you willing to experiment a bit? I have had good results with Chinese herbal shops in Asia, but you may feel that is too risky.

A possible list of must “haves” is:
-Taxes are no worse than where I am now.
-A hospital where at least some of the doctors speak English is within close range.
-Some form of self-defense is legal.
-Phone and Internet service is available.
-Violent crime is uncommon.
-Many schools teach in English.
-The type of business I want is legal for an immigrant to operate.
-Good agricultural land is available and not too expensive.

A possible list of “wants” is:
-Phone and Internet service is inexpensive.
-The government is pro-American.
-The currency is stable.
-A wide variety of churches and religious materials is available.
-Properties with gravity-fed water supply are available.
-Acquiring a second citizenship is not too difficult.
-The country is considered to be a tax haven and has laws that guarantee financial privacy.
-US-style fast food and supermarkets are available.
-Cyclones are rare.

A possible list of “can’t haves” is:
-Religious oppression is common.
-There is widespread hostility towards home schooling.
-A high probability of civil unrest exists, such as Pakistan.
-The country’s language would take many years to learn, such as Chinese.
-The country has high anti-American sentiment or very poor political relations with the US, such as Venezuela.
-The pollution is unbearable.

Then you need to do some long soul-searching about your lists, as we all have a tendency to overestimate our strengths and underestimate our weaknesses. You may think that learning Phasa Thai will only take a year or so, but most Westerners living in Thailand would say that’s highly unlikely.

As you can imagine, one man’s must have is another man’s can’t have. You may want something that doesn’t exist in a country, but that product might be available on the Internet – for now. Not if things get rough, though. As most of the world eats a lot of rice or beans, you might have to change your diet. Can you do without pancakes and maple syrup? Can you give up venison in exchange for fruit bat?

3. Consider the possible differences due to geography, history, or the thinking of people in the culture.

German-speaking Switzerland and parts of Germany may seem very similar, but their mindsets are not. The historical experiences of Switzerland have led the public to have a jaded view of government, and big neighbors with big armies. Even if gun rights or financial privacy are limited in Switzerland, it will be a lot better than in Germany.

Chile and Brazil illustrate a similar situation. In Chile, the government is relatively effective and not particularly corrupt. In Brazil, government is, shall we say, a bit different, and authorities in Rio de Janeiro have often ignored the laws from Brasilia.

4. You simply must visit a country for some length of time before considering a permanent move. Can you handle the cleanliness standards there? Are you starting to pick up the language after a few weeks? Are your kids fascinated, or disgusted? And make the effort to stay in a representative location, so no Hilton hotels. Consider a home stay for studying the language.

A visit will let you discover things that travel guidebooks won’t say. For example, I know a woman who was the wife of an American diplomat. In one South American country, this couple had to worry about their child with blond hair and blue eyes being kidnapped, and this child’s memories of life there are very different from her sibling, who has a darker complexion.

5. Be honest about your financial and work situation-for both you and your spouse. If you need good luck in your business to make it past three years at a location, you probably shouldn’t go. Also, do not be surprised if it costs you twice as much as you expect or takes twice as long as it should.

6. Be honest about your family’s desire to move. A big cause of failure is family strife about being in another culture.

7. Study the country and region you are considering moving to. Has it changed since you visited 20 years ago? Many readers of this blog would like Australia as it was 30 years ago, but would you like it today? Are different technologies practical or required? A tropical island may not have much of a power grid, and you may want to consider cyclones when building anything. For that matter, if you are from a country with a large population, it can be hard to keep in mind the idea that the capital of a tropical country may only have 50,000 people.

Open your eyes to the fact that a lot of possibilities are not really discussed in the mass media, or that the way things are presented gives a misleading impression of how the people in a country actually live. 80% of the Japanese population lives in the big, urban centers – so there are a lot of empty spaces (and houses) that are quite cheap. If you are single and contemplating New Zealand as a location, you may want to look into house sitting or working on a farm. If I were young, I would seriously consider a working holiday visa there to check it out. A friend moved to Israel after the dotcom bubble burst, and has enjoyed it immensely, and done quite well in the Information Technology business.

An under-appreciated topic is the reality of laws on the ground versus theoretical laws. In many cultures, theoretical laws from the capital are not the way you would actually have to live. This is especially relevant with regards to visas, weapons, and building codes. [JWR Adds: The Philippines come immediately to mind, on that point.] This most definitely doesn’t mean you should buy a passport in another name with a bribe, but it’s just a fact of life that many countries have the perspective that governments are corrupt and lousy, so you have to do what you have to do. In any case, you simply should not rely on a government’s web site for any important decision without verifying what they say with locals, preferably ones who aren’t trying to sell you something. And the same applies with many law firms who just parrot the government’s story, too.

8 – Make a list of how your choices would fare with different scenarios. For example, how do you think your home in rural Texas would do if the US or the whole world had a 1930s style depression? How about a dollar collapse or horrible inflation? Or a repressive national government? Now, how would you fare if you lived in Vanuatu if similar things occurred? And don’t think that an article you read about a nearby country is really all that relevant. New Caledonia could have major strife if the world economy got really bad or France has continuing unrest, as the relations between the French settlers and the locals are not very good in the best of times, while Vanuatu might be perfectly fine. As a general rule, urban areas have dramatically more problems now and will have even more potential problems if the balloon goes up, as a lot of rural areas around the world are largely self-sufficient, and do not contain large numbers of disaffected immigrants from poorer areas.

9. If you do decide to make a move, don’t rush things. You may want to build up your skill sets first, language being an obvious one. Also, certain skills might be required to get a visa. For example, New Zealand offers a lot of bonus points in their immigration system for immigrants with qualifications in desired fields. A credential might mean the difference between getting in, or not.

10. Expect the move to be a lot of work. Much more than if you moved to a rural area in your home country. Just the visas alone can be a major headache in some countries.

11 . Be willing to not do it. You always have the alternatives of getting more prepared where you are or moving to a better location in your home country. You can also improve your skills or bank account.

12. Have a backup plan, and perhaps a secondary backup plan if your first backup plan goes bad. If a family member becomes terminally ill back home, what will you do?

For resources, I recommend EscapeArtist.com. It has a large collection of articles written by immigrants living in different countries. It is not oriented towards survival topics, but it some writers discuss self-sufficiency, as that’s one of the aspects of adjusting to life in a less-developed country. And, of course, your starting position should be to review everything written at the Rawles Ranch. You can also gather information regarding countries at the CIA’s World Factbook.

Four Letters Re: Use of Force in Retreat Security–Planning for Rules of Engagement

James:
First, thank-you for posting my question on SurvivalBlog. Second, thank-you for posting your thoughts. They are well thought out and very well presented.
Your response sparked an additional couple of thoughts:

Dogs have been man’s early warning and engagement system since the dawn of history. A barking dog tells the potential visitor that he lost any advantage of stealth and that he is facing a team. Two barking dogs are even better. Dogs over 50 pounds also represent a physical threat.

The second thought is to split the axis (axes?) of confrontation.
Killing flies by clapping one’s hands over them is a great parlor trick. Flies, and other vermin, have very highly developed strategies for dealing with threats that come from one direction. That is why they are almost impossible to slap with one hand. However, it is comical how they lock-up when confronted with a threat from two directions. You actually have to slow down your “clap” so they can become airborne. They are almost paralyzed.

Confronting men with evil intent from a single direction does not present them with much of a dilemma. They would level their arms and start shooting. Good-bye lights, good-bye dogs, good-bye people who are down range, good-bye to people and objects in unhardened buildings.

I think the ideal situation would be to have a couple sets of flood or spot lights pointing inward from different corners of the garden/stock corral/asset to be protected. Then release the dogs from one point (another family member would very helpful here) and post-up with a shotgun at a good strategic point that is in a different position than where the dogs were released from. Lights, dog, shotgun should push the bad-guys down a reasonable line of retreat. That is, it should push them toward the road or where their vehicles are. Most opportunist will gladly bail out if they are not cornered.

A couple of key points:
-I don’t want to paralyze the intruders, just like I don’t want the flies to freeze.
-I want them to leave if they are opportunist.
-If they do not leave, then they reveal evil intent or extreme stupidity
-The overload of stimuli gives me strategic advantage

Thanks, – Joe and Ellen

JWR Replies: If you want to throw attackers off balance, there is nothing quite like the flash and sound of explosions on multiple flanks. Some Tannerite might prove useful.

Spotlights and floodlights are very vulnerable to rifle fire. If you are using them to distract, then only turn them on for about five seconds each. If you mount any floodlights on your occupied structures, then use only the IR variety, which only give off a very faint glow to the unaided eye.

There are a variety of fireworks that can be used to create distractions or diversions. Keep in mind that many fireworks can be set up to be ignited electrically, using model rocket igniters (such as Estes “Solar Igniters”), which are available from most hobby shops. The flash and sound of M-80 firecrackers (aka “cherry bombs”) is not too much unlike the sound of rifle fire.

For the full psyops effect, don’t discount the effectiveness of voices or music on amplified loudspeakers to un-nerve your opponents. At the risk of sounding trite, might I suggest a little Johnny Cash or some Credence?

Jim,
I just read the letter regarding use of force. Since I’m a cop, in Colorado, and a trainer of lethal and non-lethal force – it might help to know that the use of force model is moving away from the escalation principle and towards the ‘toolbox’ principle. You pull the appropriate tool out of the box for the job at hand. For instance, in many many areas of the country an officer need no longer justify his actions concerning use of force by explaining the escalation from the typical ‘command voice’ to use of potentially lethal force.

Accompanying this is a simplified assessment of the threat at hand. With alarming results, police officers are trained to expect the worse case, take action to neutralize it and de-escalate their use of force, rather than use the stair step approach to using greater and greater force. It revolves around the Saucier v. Katz supreme court decision. Wherein “The Court plainly stated that while uses of force by police occur that are clearly excessive or clearly appropriate, a gray area remains in between. The Court went on to say that when an officer’s use of force falls within this gray area, deference must be paid to the officer and qualified immunity granted.” There are essentially three other court cases that apply in determining whether an officer used excessive force – but Katz is the most applicable to the question of how we train police officers in deciding what force to use, it was a precursor to the ‘toolbox’ approach.

One of the pivotal elements of determining in what constitutes excessive force for anybody is what they perceived at the time of the threat, and what training they had in recognizing a threat. Pre 9/11 a box cutter was just a simple slicing weapon, now it’s considered a ‘terrorist threat’ to possess one under the right circumstances. [JWR Adds: In the aftermath of any use of force, do not hesitate to admit that you were frightened. If you can honestly say “I was very scared!”, and “I was afraid that he was trying to kill me!”, then do so, repeatedly, for the record. This may carry considerable weight at a later date, if you ever have to go to trial–either criminal, or civil.]

Rather than concentrate on the use of force of any kind, I would recommend people seek training that helps them recognize threats of all kinds and more importantly how to articulate their perception of the threat. It’s true that most people who misuse force, in my experience, could probably have avoided criminal prosecution if they had just known/learned how to articulate their assessment of the threat. The examples are endless really, I won’t go into illustration here.

While a multi-generational SHTF situation is in your opinion unlikely, I must point out that our mere technological advancements do not preclude this, I think it simply makes us more complacent because of our perception of the layers of social and technological protection we believe insulate us from it. Rome probably believed itself the pinnacle of modern civilization, I would imagine that the fall that preceded the Dark Ages had it’s own ‘it will never get that bad’ detractors also.

I have a different view of things. I’m pretty certain that the three people running through my orchard armed with knives were shouting, “Kill them!” and not there to cut fruit. In Colorado, for instance, our ‘Make My Day Law’ from which the Castle Doctrine seems to have sprung, states that deadly force may be used when a person believes that the person about to commit the illegal entry is there to commit any level of harm to the occupants of a dwelling – and most importantly, it takes away the burden of proof from the citizen to substantiate why they believed it.

Less-lethal (no such thing as non-lethal (pepper spray has [on rare occasions] killed, Tasers too, beanbag rounds improperly used are ‘deadly’, etc.) force being available the most important thing to remember about their deployment is that no police force ever deploys less-lethal force unless another officer is ready to use lethal force if the less-lethal does not stop the threat. If you’re in a tussle and the taser is what you use, then it’s what you use – but if two officers (or more) are confronting someone and a Taser is deployed – one officer is designated [as] the backup in case lethal force is needed. – Jim H

JWR Replies: The Castle Doctrine actually got its start in Florida. Since then, many states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas have adopted similar laws. It is not surprising that the majority of the states are in the South or the West, where individualism and respect for property rights are part of the culture.

 

Jim,
About 15 years ago, I bought a house on 70 acres that was rural, but not remote. As I worked on the place, painting and getting it ready for me to move in, I was distressed that every time I went to the house, the door had been kicked in. Replacing the trim got to be an irritation so on Halloween, 1993, I drove down to my house and found the lights on. As I gunned the truck and drove over the front lawn, I saw two people run from my house. I got out with my Winchester Model 12 and yelled, “You get the hell out of here and don’t come back or I will kill you” and blew off a round of 12 gauge in the ground.
I searched my house and found a six pack of beer, some wine coolers and a blanket. Apparently, some kids were using my house for their love nest. I slept at the house that night in case someone were to come back and burn down the house. At about 11:30 pm, there was a knock at the door. Two County Sheriff’s deputies were there with the lights flashing. I invited them in and said, “There is the wine and beer, there is the blanket.” Things then took a turn.
“So you fired a warning shot,” he asked?
“Yes”, I said.
“So you shot at them?” he probed
“That isn’t what I said.” And then they jumped me, threw me on the floor and handcuffed me. I was dragged to the cruiser where I was strapped into the back seat. “We got him,” the County Mountie crowed to the neighbors assembled at the end of my 250 yard driveway. I was taken to the county jail where I was booked for reckless conduct with a firearm, a felony here in Maine.

For the next two years, I was in legal hassles with the County. The District Attorney didn’t want to press charges. The Sheriff’s Department didn’t want to back down. And I was wondering what country did I live in where the victim could become the criminal so fast. It all worked out in the end. But I would counsel your readers to think twice about firing shots. I know this about myself, I will pull the trigger. I just know better when to do it. The thing about it was that for the next 12 years that I lived there. No one came down my driveway uninvited, and nothing was ever disturbed in my house, garden or barn. – Gary B., in Maine

Jim,
My sincere thanks for your response to Joe and Ellen’s letter on “Rules of Engagement.” Most of the so-called preparedness experts out there talk only about “guns, guns, guns.” (Well, ‘cept for the “I’d never own a gun” uber-naive liberal-granola crowd.) Your are absolutely right about using less-than-lethal means, when [it is] safe and practicable. It sure beats getting your *ss sued off. by some ambulance-chasing lawyer. You truly are the survivalist voice of reason, following in the footsteps of Mel Tappan.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge in SurvivalBlog, Jim. I often feel like I’m getting free consulting. Oh, BTW, I’m re-upping my 10 Cent Challenge subscription for another two years! – C.T.M.

Letter Re: A Machine That Sorts Pennies by Composition

Mr. Rawles,
With a 70 pound weight limit, [USPS] Flat Rate [Priority Mail] boxes can be a fantastic deal, especially for small heavy items, as you mentioned. Up until this month, the two sizes available were 11″ x 8.5″ x 5.5″ and 13.625″ x 11.875″ x 3.375″. They cost $8.95 to send anywhere in the U.S.A. Now there is a third alternative, a larger 12” x 12” x 5-1/2” box that costs $12.95 to send (or $10.95 to an APO/FPO address). This is a real bargain.

I recently shipped a large quantity of these from Arizona to Alaska. Most of them contained quite heavy items, such as reloading lead, hand tools, and rocks. These boxes would have cost up to $50.00 each at regular parcel post rates.

The automatic handling equipment evidently knocks the boxes around. Heavy boxes get beat up a lot more than light boxes. If you ship a heavy box, it should be taped securely as you mentioned. It’s a good idea to tape all edges, and to wrap strapping tape around it in at least two directions.[JWR Adds: Be sure to cover any strapping tape with a couple of layers of opaque tape or Priority Mail tape, since strapping tape is discouraged by the USPS, for fear that it might gum up their automated parcel handling equipment.] You can ask the clerk to mark it “heavy” and sometimes they’ll run it through their strapping machine.

Incidentally, you can buy postage for Flat Rate Boxes online and just estimate the weight since you aren’t paying by weight anyway. Then you can have the carrier pick it up at your house. – K.L. – Alaska

Odds ‘n Sods:

Wayne V. mentioned a piece in The Financial Times: Central banks float rescue ideas. Here it comes folks! This is the “Mother Of All Bailouts” (MOAB) that I warned you about. It may cost literally trillions of dollars. This will be very, very expensive for those of us that pay Federal taxes. If the US Treasury can’t raise enough funds through taxation, they’ll monetize the new debt. That will generate lots of inflation, which is, of course, a hidden form of taxation.

   o o o

SF in Hawaii suggested this blog post: Seven of the Most Important Economic Events of the Last Seven Years: Collapsing the Economy in the Buildup to World War III

   o o o

Mark from Michigan sent us a video clip link to a very clever Glock pistol adaptation. Too bad that its just a prototype. This is enough to give a liberal politician like Chuck Schumer apoplexy.

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HPF suggested a great video clip of an interview with legendary investor Jimmy Rogers. He predicts mass inflation, a collapsing dollar, and a continuing bull market in commodities. He also predicts trouble with Fannie Mae, and that US interest rates will eventually have to be jacked up to 20% again (a la the late 1970s). Citing the Japanese experience of the 1990s, Rogers correctly opines “It costs you more to prevent a recession than it does to have a recession. Recessions are a good thing. They clean out the excesses so you can start over.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Fear them not therefore; for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed: and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the housetops" – Jesus, in Matthew 10:26, 27

Letter Re: Use of Force in Retreat Security–Planning for Rules of Engagement and Levels of Force

James,

I finished my copy of the [post-nuke novel] “Malevil” [by Robert Merle.] One scene that was particularly well done was when the looter/vandals start destroying the wheat planting. I could see myself paralyzed by the dilemma: If they completely destroy my garden,then my family’s survival becomes less–perhaps very much less–probable. When I start shooting them their probability of survival drops to zero.

From my understanding of decision making, especially decision making under stress, it is very important to have crystal clear, absolutely unambiguous triggers or “switches”. Pull that trigger or switch and the pre-made decision is implemented.

Triggers need to be revisited as circumstances change. Rowdies pilfering pears from the tree in your yard should elicit a different response today than it would after TSHTF.
I can make the case that anybody who does not demonstrate absolute respect for another’s private property will imperil other’s lives post TSHTF. Post TSHTF, the margin for error will be very much less. The margin between a child surviving until the next harvest, or not surviving, could easily be as small as 25 pounds of corn or wheat. Under a “Malevil” or “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” scenario I think I would have few qualms about shooting. However, circumstances that are less absolute would be very difficult for me.

I suspect that you have given the topic substantial thought. Is there a short list of questions to “test” a circumstance-a short list that would be of use to the SurvivalBlog community? Thank You, – Joe and Ellen

JWR: Replies: One important yet sadly under-emphasized aspect of preparedness is access to less-than-lethal weaponry.

Having less-than-lethal weapons available to supplement your firearms is important for two reasons: 1.) To show restraint and respect for human life, and 2.) To keep you out of jail for reckless endangerment, assault, attempted murder, or murder. I cannot overstate the point that the chances of a full-blown multigenerational societal collapse are very small, Thus, the odds are that you will still have contact with functioning police and sheriff departments, and might end up answering to the criminal justice system if you use unjustifiable or disproportionate force in self defense.

Of course if someone is shooting at you, you have the right and duty to defend yourself and your family. (As a Christian, I found this piece by Brandon Staggs, and this Crusader Knight piece helped me resolve this issue with certainty.)

Do not endanger yourself unnecessarily just for the sake of employing less than lethal weapons. There could very well be a situation where you think that you are dealing with an unarmed intruder, only to have them then produce a concealed weapon. If that happens, it could easily get you killed. For that reason, I recommend concentrating on less-than-lethal weapons that you can employ from a distance. Anything “up close and personal” has multiple risks. One of the principles that is stressed again and again when training police officers and prison guards is that proximity increases risk. If you can maintain distance form your opponent, you will minimize your risk of being overpowered or killed. This also meshes nicely with the “defense in depth” approach that I stress with my consulting clients. By placing multiple barriers between your family and the bad guys, you will greatly increases your chances of avoiding harm.

Sometimes a display of force will be enough to discourage looters to go find easier pickings. One of my consulting clients is rancher in the intermountain west that has large a 3/4″-thick steel plate hung up on chains above his perimeter fence gate, which is 250 yards from his house. (He has a typical western ranch entry gate with a very high, stout crosspiece.) He’s told me is that his intention is that if miscreants stop and show signs of forcing his gate, he will used a scoped FAL rifle to apply several rapid shots to that steel plate. He calls it his “Go away” bell. Hearing that “bell” will be a clear message to the malo hombres: “You have 250 yards of open ground to traverse to get to my house. Do you feel lucky, or bulletproof?”

In hours of darkness, in genuinely Schumeresque times, it is likely that a semi-auto burst of tracers fired over the heads of a gang of looters might have a similar effect. One of my readers also suggested placing Tannerite targets in prominent positions around a retreat perimeter. Depending on the circumstances, that might be a good technique for getting ruffians to leave.

One strong proviso: The use of “warning shots” could be misconstrued. State laws on this vary widely. In some states, this is often considered justifiable, but it in others it is a potential felony. I would only recommend doing this in the midst of a true “worst case” societal collapse, only from a long distance (firing from cover), and only if no law enforcement were available to call. Do not do this in present day circumstances or you will risk getting sued or prosecuted!

Please don’t mistake any of the foregoing as sure solutions. Merely scaring off looters might not be sufficient. Certainly don’t use displays of force more than once, per customer. The first time should be their only warning. Be prepared, if need be, to follow it up with a genuine dose of RBC if they persist and thereby demonstrate that they plan to do you in.

Here are some other non-lethal weapon options:

Pepper Spray Alarms – either trip wired or set off by electronic sensor. These can fill a room with pepper spray in seconds. One variant fires up to four times in sequence. A friend of mine has one of these mounted in the vented bottom of a mailbox on his porch. It is wired for activation (on command) from inside the house.

“Ferret” 12 gauge shells (These are shotgun shells, that instead of lead pellets contain large capsules of CS tear gas or OC powder. They form an irritant dust cloud, on impact. These are not very effective outdoors, but they are very effective in enclosed spaces. Say, for example, you saw an intruder enter your garden shed, but would feel endangered if you left your house to approach the shed to confront him. Two or three Ferret rounds fired into the shed would probably do the trick. (Passing through a sheet of plywood, in fact, is the best way to get full dispersal from a Ferret round.

CS riot control grenades. These are similar to a smoke grenade, but issue forth huge clouds of CS smoke. I see a few of these at gun shows, including some that were marketed by Smith & Wesson. They can be thrown, but also could also be rigged to be set off by pulling a cable or lanyard, from a considerable distance. Since most of these these are pyrotechnic, be forewarned that there is a fire hazard. Some of the latest ones use CO2 to propel a vapor.

Rubber bullets and beanbag rounds. These are deigned to bruise rather than penetrate. (This ammo was originally designed for riot control.) Be careful to aim fairly low to void any pellets striking you opponent in the face.

Speaking of these, I’ve heard of rubber bullets being used on moose and bear in residential areas. These critters often become destructive, typically tearing apart people’s fruit and nut trees. Rubber bullets and 12 gauge beanbags are a non-lethal solution.

Pepper gas and CS (liquid stream or fog) dispensers. These are risky because they requite proximity. But at least the dispensers are small and can be kept close at hand. Here at the Rawles Ranch we have occasional ursine visitors, so except in winter (when bears are denned up) all of the members of our family habitually go armed whenever we step more than a few yards away from our house. Before they were old enough to carry handguns, our children usually carried large 15% pepper spray (OC) canisters.

Tasers. These could be practical, but again, they are only useful with about 15 feet. I don’t recommend them unless you live in a gun-deprived locality.

Stun guns. Even worse than a Taser, these require direct contact. I don’t recommend them

Impact weapons (Batons, kubatons, walking sticks, et cetera) These are at the bottom of my list because they require immediate contact. They also require considerable training and practice. Their application in subduing someone is practically a martial art form, and is much, much more difficult than portrayed in movies and television. Too little force can merely be antagonistic or possibly result in a miscreant disarming you and use the weapon on you. . Too much force can be crippling, disfiguring, or lethal. (Any blows to the neck or head, for example, are potentially lethal, and if you use them, in the eyes of the law it would not be much different than pulling the trigger of a gun.)

You might also find some other weapon possibilities at the Less-Lethal.org web site.

Without having non-lethal weapons available, your only other choice would be attempting to use a lethal weapon in a less than lethal manner (typically, with warning shots.) Do not consider using a firearm with the intent to wound an opponent. By doing so, at the very least you will create an adversary that will most likely seek vengeance whenever and wherever he can get it: There is nothing quite like a vendetta, particularly during a period of lawlessness. He may later ambush you. He may snipe at your retreat from long distance. He may poison your well. He may burn your grain fields. He may even wait and later meet you in court, where he will have some nasty scars to display. I regularly get letters from readers, asking about using bird shot or the proverbial “shotgun loaded with rock salt”. Those are both likely to either get you killed, or get you sued out of all of your worldly possessions. In short: don’t consider using any intentionally maiming weapon.

Whenever you use amy weapon, you need to think through the implications. Even what looks like a “worst case” situation might suddenly and unexpectedly end. When order is restored, you could be facing your opponent in the most dangerous arena of all: the courtroom.

Think Through Anticipated Levels of Force

When police officers train, they typically learn force escalation. An officer doesn’t doesn’t use his service automatic on an unruly drunk. That would be considered grossly disproportionate force. Law enforcement officers have detailed rules of proportionate force and force escalation drilled into them from Day One at the academy. Civilians are not held to quite the same standards, but proportionate force and reciprocal escalation of force are both long-standing precepts used by the court system in judging guilt or innocence.

There might be a situation where uninvited guests are raiding your garden or fruit trees. If it is dark (quite likely), you may not be able to determine if they are armed. In such a situation, it might be better to have alternatives like trip flares or remotely triggered floodlights. Also see some of the recent SurvivalBlog posts on infrared (IR) floodlights and/or IR cyalume trip flares used in conjunction with Starlight technology (light amplification) night vision gear. These will give you a strong advantage and most likely send the ruffians to flight.

Is Mr. Badguy there to siphon the gas out of your vehicle, or steal the vehicle itself? Does he want apples from your orchard, or does he want to kill you and take over your retreat? Is he there to steal a couple of chickens, or to kidnap your daughter? Does a stranger merely want a handout or is he looking for the chance to carry out a home invasion?

How can you determine their intentions? That is a toughie. But there are some red flags to watch for. If a party that is approaching your retreat dwelling is entirely armed men, then odds are that they have murder on their minds. But if a group includes women and children, the threat level is likely much lower. (They probably wouldn’t endanger them if they were expecting lead to soon be flying.) Are they dressed in normal clothes, or in BDUs and war paint?

Is law enforcement help available? If law enforcement evaporates at some point in the future, even people living inside city limits may be in a comparable situation.

There is an old saying: “When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail.” Make the effort to acquire non-lethal weapons. I’d hate to see a SurvivalBlog reader use excessive force, just for lack of a less-than-lethal arrow in his quiver. Use them, when possible, but again only if and when doing so won’t endanger yourself or your family.

Ironically, in many cases it is easier in the US to acquire lethal ammo than it is to buy non-lethal ammo and items like CS gas grenades. (Often, although they are legal to possess in most jurisdictions, because of company sales policies they can only be ordered on law enforcement letterhead.) So finding what you need might take a bit of looking and/or require the aid of sympathetic intermediaries. Two closing proviso: Consult your state and local laws before ordering any weapons, be they lethal, less-than-lethal, or non-lethal. None of the preceding should be considered legal advise. Consult your local laws and, as appropriate, seek qualified legal counsel.

Letter Re: “Ark” Storage Food Buckets as Sam’s Club (and formerly at COSTCO)

Jim,
I think I made a great purchase today. A division of “Inn on the Creek Foods” makes a six 1?2 gallon plastic bucket of instant food. The bucket is called an “ARK” and can be purchased at www.getyourark.com for $119 + $25 shipping and handling. Each bucket has 90 meals inside in 285 individually sealed pouches. The shelf life for this kit is listed as 15 years, and the buckets have a “Store until 2022” label on them. I saw on their web site that Sam’s Club was a sole source distributor of them if you didn’t want to pay for shipping, but only a few participating Sam’s had them. Fortunately one of the Sam’s was here in Tampa . I went down to the store to check them out, and perhaps purchase one or two. Imagine my surprise when I found a pallet of them marked at $19.81 each. A whopping $100 discount per kit! I asked a clerk to scan the item to confirm the price, and she confirmed the price at $19.81 claiming it was a discontinued item that they were no longer going to carry. So, being a Preparedness Oriented Person, and having read your novel twice, I purchased all I could afford which was 36 buckets! I paid $713 for 36 kits. I would have paid $5,184 for them if I had bought them on the Internet. I plan on keeping 12 kits, giving 12 kits away to family and close friends, and selling 12 kits either to friends or co-workers, or on E-bay. So, what do you think, good buy or not?

JWR Replies: This was covered in SurvivalBlog back in August of 2006. This product–or one remarkably like it–was originally marketed as a “three month food supply for one person.” There was at least one lawsuit over their claims– which focused on the number of meals and caloric content. It might be a product worth buying, but realistically, consider each bucket just a 15 to perhaps 20 day food supply for one adult. This product is not some miracle Lembas Bread out of a Tolkien novel. Survival requires calories, and calories require volume. If you were to believe their claims about “X days supply”, you would quickly find that the caloric content per “meal” would put you below the starvation level of the 1940s Nazi death camps. So take the manufacturer’s “Days supply” estimates, and divide by six. Be sure that you re-label the actual number of days supply before you distribute these for charity or for sales.

Letter Re: A Machine That Sorts Pennies by Composition

Sir:
Referring to your comment about sorting pennies in your post about nickels: “At present, sorting pennies simply isn’t worth your time. Although I suppose that if someone were to invent an automated density-measuring penny sorting machine, he could make a fortune. As background: The pre-1983 pennies presently have a base metal value of about $0.0226 each.) Starting in 1983, the mint switched to 97.5% zinc pennies that are just flashed with copper. Those presently have a base metal value of about $0.0071 each.”

A penny sorting machine has been developed by a member of the Gold Is Money information community. He goes by the name Ryedale. This machine automatically sorts the pennies into two piles according to composition. [It sorts out the earlier pre-1982 [95%] copper pennies from the newer copper-flashed zinc pennies.] It is exceedingly accurate and the cost isn’t too bad. It can process 3000 pennies in 10 minutes.

There is also another machine out there than can do hundreds of thousands of pennies at a time (from giant hoppers) in a very short span of time, but it is a commercial machine and costs about $10,000 apiece. Contact another member of Gold Is Money (member name SLV) if interested in learning more. – Ramsey

JWR Replies: Unfortunately, it is presently illegal to melt pennies for scrap. But I suspect that now that it has been more than 25 years since they were last minted, the restriction on melting copper pennies might be lifted.

Even with pre-1982 pennies now worth nearly 2.4 cents, it is still not very economical to launch a business sorting and re-selling pennies. Just to pay for the cost of a coin sorting machine, you would have to sort out and sell more than 1,800 rolls of all copper pennies. Once the value of the dollar drops to the pont that pennies are worth more than four times their face value, then this might become a profitable venture for someone with a good strong back and plenty of secure storage space. Keep in mind that just one $50 bag of copper pennies (5,000 pieces) weighs just a hair over 34 pounds. A $50 bag of the newer debased zinc pennies weighs just over 30 pounds. Ideally, someone could take advantage of the US Mail’s “Flat Rate Box” available for Priority Mail. These have no weight limit! So it is conceivable that someone could use sturdy canvas bags inside these boxes, and some stout tape reinforcement on the outside of the box, and have 34 pounds of pennies mailed anywhere in the US for under $10!

Again, it is not currently very economical to sort copper pennies with the intent to re-sell them. However, if you can acquire some full rolls of copper pennies at or near face value, then it is certainly worthwhile to set them aside.

OBTW, if any readers would care to send their voluntary 10 Cent Challenge SurvivalBlog subscription payments in the form of either US pre-1982 pennies, or in US nickels (of any mint date), it would be greatly appreciated. Using a Flat Rate Box would be the most economical method. Thanks!

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mr. Yankee suggested an editorial by Greg Evensen posted over at News With Views: The Implosion is Accelerating, Prepare While You Can. Mr. Yankee’s comment: “I don’t know this writer but the piece sounds like [it was written by] a SurvivalBlog reader.”

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Chester mentioned that Jim Willie has some interesting comments on the Bear Stearns debacle, posted over at Kitco.

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This piece by Daniel Amerman is a must read: The Subprime Crisis Is Just Starting. (A hat tip to Kurt for sending us the link.)

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Thanks to Robert B. for spotting this: Researcher: [Ethanol Bacteria] Discovery could end energy crisis

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Men are expendable; women and children are not. A tribe or a nation can lose a high percentage of its men and still pick up the pieces and go on… as long as the women and children are saved. But if you fail to save the women and children, you’ve had it, you’re done, you’re through! You join Tyrannosaurus Rex, one more breed that bilged its final test.” – Robert A. Heinlein, “The Pragmatics of Patriotism” address at the U.S. Naval Academy, April 5, 1973, later published in the book “Expanded Universe” (1980)

Note from JWR:

The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction lot is now at $210. This auction is for four items: a MURS Alert Base station, a MURS Alert Hand-held transceiver, an earbud, and a Kaito KA-1102 AM/FM/Shortwave. These radios were kindly donated by the owner of Affordable Shortwaves and MURS Radios. The three radios have a retail value of $210, plus shipping. The auction ends on April 15th. Please e-mail us your bids, in $10 increments.

Letter Re: Using Natural Caves on Private Property

Sir:
My friend has a piece of property that has a cave. The initial opening to the cave is circular, about four feet in diameter. Inside the cave is a large room with a 20 foot tall ceiling and an approximately 70 foot long floor. We have been inside three additional smaller [side] rooms. Also, we have found a source of water deep in the cave. We spent the night in the cave about two weeks ago. It got cool at night, but no bats or other animals joined us.

The biggest potential problem I can think of is the relatively small opening. However, due to its small size, my friend and his wife walked by the cave hundreds of times before they realized it was an opening.

Would this make a good retreat when the stuff hits the fan?- Linda H.

JWR Replies: Caves do have their uses, particularly as expedient fallout shelters. Finding a cave with an unobtrusive entrance on a piece of privately-owned land that is under your control is very fortunate. I’m surprised that it wasn’t mentioned by the previous owners at the time that your friend bought the property. Keep in mind that caves are far from vermin proof, so you would need to store anything inside in sturdy, waterproof containers. Many caves are seasonally wet, so waterproof containers put up on at least 4×4 wooden blocks are also a must.

The existence of caves is often widely known by locals, so don’t consider anything you store there truly secure. It might be worth your time to make a “rock” door to camouflage the entrance. Start with a wooden framework of 2x2s, covered by doped fiberglass with a highly irregular “hilly” shape. Then prime, coat, and seal it to match any nearby rock outcroppings. There are now some amazing rock texture paints—pioneered by Zolotone–that look quite natural. One of the popular brands is “Roller Rock”, made by Daich Coatings. When applied with a rough-textured roller, these coatings can be very natural looking. These paints can be custom tinted. It is probably best to bring a sample of the local rock to the paint store, and have them match the color)

Before storing anything of value in the cave, leave your camouflaging “rock” door in place for at least a full year, using a telltale. (A twig wedged into the doorjamb–if it has fallen you’ll know that the door was disturbed.) Storing anything in the cave without taking that precaution is an invitation to theft. You might want to set up a Dakota Alert (or similar passive IR intrusion detection system) to see if anyone goes near the cave entrance. If you have welding skills, or you have a trustworthy friend that knows how to weld, then you might want to install a locking steel security door or barred gate back behind your “rock camouflaged” door. Just keep in mind that given enough time, a determined burglar can reduce nearly any barrier. (At this juncture I should mention that I get one or two e-mails a year from readers that have had their CONEXes broken into by thieves with bolt cutters or cutting torches.) But at the very least a locked security door will slow burglars down. It will also tremendously reduce your risk of an attractive nuisance lawsuit.