Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 18 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article in the next 60 days will be awarded 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 18 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entries. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

The Summer Kitchen, by Boltlady

Reality set in when I received a copy of JWR’s novel “Patriots” from my sister. I was hooked. I could see not only the possibility, but the likelihood of what could happen. The sheer realization of how pitifully unprepared I was for any type of disaster launched me into high gear. I organized the bug-out-bags, bought the camo & the ammo, and stocked an emergency medical kit. You know the drill.
But now that the basic preparations are in place and the panic has subsided, my thoughts have turned to the retreat. What does happen when the world as we know it comes to an end? When there is no electricity and those without solar-power are long-term without any power? Well, when the MREs are long since gone and retreat life has become…well, life…, I envision spending time in my summer kitchen.

The concept of the summer kitchen literally dates back a thousand years, yet these practical outdoor kitchens are still used today all over the world. Its purpose historically was quite simple – prepare food during warmer seasons without heating up (or burning down) the house. However, for a retreat setting, you could benefit greatly by expanding its duties.

Drawing upon a number of these older ideas and uses, this new summer kitchen goes well beyond the original ‘cook-only’ area, to a multi-purpose building that includes a smokehouse, a root-cellar, and a wood shed. Because of the strategic importance of the kitchen, this should be one of the first structures built in a retreat. While our family is still praying and saving for our retreat property, the limited population in the area where we would like to buy suggests that we will purchase land without any existing buildings. Given the versatility of the Summer Kitchen, we could easily sustain ‘camp’ with it on weekends while working on the rest of the property.

Whether you’re building on a distant site, or adjacent to your existing home, careful consideration should be given to the positioning of your summer kitchen. Choose a site that will allow a cool summer breeze to pass through the kitchen, as well as carry away any smoke from the cook-stove.

The design I have determined to be best for my summer kitchen is a three-part building. The center section, which houses the kitchen facilities, is approximately 20’L x 15’W, and is flanked on the right and left by a pair of 6’ x 8’ rooms. The three sections share a common wall at the back, with the pitched (gable) roof-line over the center section rising about a foot higher than those of the end rooms. Buried directly beneath the main kitchen lies the root-cellar. The balance and form of the structure lends itself well to the retreat setting. Click here to see a drawing of this floor plan.

Materials for your Summer Kitchen should be chosen based on function – not style. Although it is often easier to scavenge wood materials, I have chosen to build my summer kitchen primarily out of masonry block. For me, masonry materials are not only durable, but simple to maintain. (Note: If you have a block manufacturing plant in your area, try contacting the manager to inquire what they do with the seconds – that is the less than perfect, but still perfectly usable blocks. You may be able to purchase these at a reduced price.)

The roof-line, composed of stout 2” x 6” trusses, rests upon the block walls. Here in the Northwest, a metal roof is a must. Metal works well to shed the often heavy snow-load in winter, and reduces the risk posed by forest fires during dry, summer months. Topping off the roof of the summer kitchen is a small cupola. While the cupola may appear as an unnecessary extravagance, its true function is realized through added ventilation of heat and smoke.

Let’s take a virtual tour. You enter through symmetrically located, 36” doors on either the front left or front right quarters of the kitchen. The large doors provide smooth access even when carrying a sizable load. Running along the entire length of the front wall, between the doors, is a 28” deep counter top. All the counter tops in the Summer Kitchen are concrete. When poured and polished, concrete counter tops are incredibly durable, surprisingly attractive, and affordable if you do it yourself. The cupboards below store pots and pans, dishes, and canning supplies.

At the far end of the counter, near the left-side door, there is a dumb waiter. This pulley-driven, counter-weighted, mini elevator lifts or lowers your canned goods, and other finished products, to and from the root-cellar for easy storage. The box, (a 32” square, 36” high) which resembles a cupboard itself, has a load capacity of 100 pounds, and is manually operated by a handle on the side.

As you step through the right side door, just to your right is a wrap-around, 28” deep counter extending to the back wall and then left approximately ten feet. Centered in the counter along the back wall is a deep, stainless steel, double sink. The sink utilizes a high arching faucet that swivels flush against the wall allowing easy access for even the largest items.

Food preparation and clean-up require an adequate water source. The water supply to the sink can be provided for in several ways. Options include gravity-fed plumbing from an external water source, or from a 55-gallon drum on a stand outside the back wall. It may even be possible to mount the tank in the rafters above the kitchen. Since the water tank is filled using a hand-crank transfer pump, the positioning of the tank is quite flexible. Hot water may also be achieved by plumbing a line from the reservoir on the wood-burning stove.

Beyond the end of the counter, in the back left corner of the main room, is the heart of the kitchen – the wood cook-stove. It is coved in masonry block to reduce the space required between it and the walls while minimizing fire hazard. (You should always follow recommended clearances when fitting your stove.)

For those of us who follow recipes with instructions like “bake at 350 degreesÀö” or “simmer over medium-heat”, cooking with wood-heat may prove to be a challenge. For this reason your choice of cook-stove is vital. One of the best stoves for a summer kitchen is the ‘Pioneer Maid’ wood burning stove available at Lehmans.com. (Situated in Amish country, Lehman’s is a fantastic resource for functional, non-electric items.) This stove is not some dainty, long-legged beauty meant to invoke nostalgic memories of yesteryear. This is the workhorse of Amish country cook-stoves. With its oversized, temperature-controlled wood box, an eleven gallon reservoir, warming oven, enameled cook-top and oven lining, and more than half of its weight made up of stainless steel, it will be the hardest worker you have come canning season. With all its amenities, yet high price, a frugal builder may spend more on this stove than the entire structure.

In the center of the kitchen you will find my beloved want-ad find – my 36” square, maple butcher’s block. This serves as the perfect prep counter. It is well-suited for butchering small livestock or dressing out an elk. For the retreat setting, or even your local gardening co-op, you should prepare for a ‘canning party’ of six or more people. By forming an assembly line of friends to complete large tasks, mundane retreat chores should become much more bearable.

Next, there are the adjacent rooms. The room to the left, nearest the stove, is firewood storage. A large sliding door gives easy access when putting up wood. It will hold two to three cords of wood, cut and stacked. When the time comes to fire-up the cook-stove, wood can be transferred to a small rack just inside the left side door of the summer kitchen.

And on the right, we have a smokehouse, in perfect company with our kitchen. When you enter the smokehouse through the insulated, sheet metal lined door, you find that the interior is very simple; a concrete slab floor with a smoke pipe in the middle, a removable workbench, a barrel of salt, and several adjustable hangers overhead. Multiple vents are designed into the soffits surrounding the smoke house. Extending four feet further right, and connected by a 6” concrete pipe, you have a 30” x 36” firebox lined with firebricks. A 24” diameter tapered concrete plug forms the lid, which forces the smoke up the pipe and into the smokehouse.

Finally, on the backside of the building you will find the access door leading down to the root cellar. The concrete stairs land in the middle of the room. One side of the cellar has a poured concrete floor. The other side remains open to the earth and is then covered with 6” of gravel. The exposed area lends coolness to the room. Along the block walls, lining the concrete foundation stands ample shelving for canned goods.

While I have included here a general idea of the design for my root cellar, the subject of root cellaring would easily fill a book. Many things must be taken into consideration regarding your particular location. Humidity, temperature, ventilation, annual rainfall, ground water, and the types of products to be stored, are all factors that influence the type of root cellar that would be best for you.

Like any aspect of preparedness, if you do not plan ahead, the logistics could be anywhere from difficult to impossible. So if you already have a retreat, I suggest building a summer kitchen. Equip it. Practice in it. Enjoy it. When you remember that God provides you with everything you need, self-sufficiency is a truly fulfilling journey.

Two Letters Re: Advice on Versatile Pasture Fencing

Jim:
Having raised cattle most of my life, I would agree with your recommendation [posted on July 30th] of the woven wire fence, with one exception.

Woven wire fence will turn most types of large livestock. However, if you are fencing tough ground, i.e., extreme hills, swamp areas, areas where fence will be run through woods, etc., and the pasture will be somewhat limited in acreage (as opposed to fencing wide open areas out in the western U.S.) then I recommend using 16 foot long, 10 line, 4 gauge cattle panels. Yes, they will cost more. However, if a tree falls on a woven wire fence—you have a mess. (I have been there and done that.) If it falls on a cattle panel, you pull it out, put in a spare, and use the damaged panel for some other purpose around the farm.

We have used these panels with bison, cattle, horses, and some sheep. They last. Plus, it is quick to put up and quick to take down—use plastic zip ties to attach panel to post and you can have an area temporarily fenced in hours, not days. Here is a link to one of the many stores that carry them. Thanks, – “Straightblast”

 

Mr. & Mrs. Rawles:
When I read your reply about fencing and gates, I thought about the difficulty that I had when I tried to determine if cattle guards would keep sheep in. I could get no affirmative answer from anyone, but I went ahead and installed them. So just in case the subject ever comes up, they do indeed work. In fact, you cannot entice the [flock] leader with food or drag him towards one, so they are smarter than some may think. – Brock

Letter Re Preparing for a Dam Breach

Howdy Mr. Rawles,
The article written by A.B.S. is very well written and gives one a lot to think about. There is an item for one’s Bug Out Bag (BOB) that I find useful in flood prone scenarios, but is rarely mentioned: A Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

A PFD or ‘life jacket’ for each member of your party with their BOB in flood prone areas or situations is cheap insurance to keep you afloat. Granted, when you are in the drink, things are already going wrong, but staying afloat would be a key to staying alive!

Also do not forget to make sure that each PFD fits the intended wearer correctly. For the children one of those PFDs that keep them face up should they find themselves in the water will give the parents peace of mind. Love the blog and the books! Wishing You 73s – ZA

Odds ‘n Sods:

Eric found this one: Stressed banks borrow record amount from Fed. And coincidentally, reader Jeff S. sent us a link to a Fed chart that he calls “The Hockey Stick of Doom.”

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Eric also sent us this: Small farming is the future.

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Paul from Kentucky flagged this: Zimbabweans dug out coins squirreled away years ago. The government has lopped off 10 zeros, with the new currency! The article begins: “Zimbabweans dug out coins squirreled away years ago in jars and cupboards and headed for the shops, where lines built up as overburdened tellers more accustomed to counting mounds of hyper-inflated dollar notes instead were juggling silver.” Paul’s comment: “I guess this is what happens when paper money is worthless. Back to using silver. Does this ring a bell for what you have been warning us about could happen here, with the US dollar?”

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EMB found this interesting site–a company that makes secret doorways.

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Cheryl N. found us three interesting economic commentaries : The Con In Central Bankers’ Confidence, Credit Crunch Reaches Downward Spiral Critical Mass, and from The Mogambo Guru Inflationary Horror Movie — Inflation at 12.6% in June!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The decisive Revolutionary battle of Saratoga was fought near there on the bluffs and hills overlooking the Hudson in 1777. You wonder what the heroes of that battle would think of what we have become. What would they make of the word "consumer" that we use to describe our relation to the world? What would they think of excellent river bottom-land that is now barely used for farming – or, where it is still farmed (dairying if anything), of farmers who will not even put in a kitchen garden for themselves because it might detract from their hours of TV viewing?" – James Howard Kunstler

Note from JWR:

Today we present the first entry for Round 18 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Starting with this round, the contest prize list has been expanded. The prizes now include:

First Prize: The writer of the best contributed article in the next 60 days will be awarded two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value!

Second Prize: A 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 18 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entries. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Arthropod Borne Diseases, by A.B.S.

Recent attention on the West Nile Encephalitis outbreak has brought the need for more education and awareness to the threat of insects transmitting diseases to both humans and the livestock we use for food. Unfortunately most people are fixated on the West Nile problem and continue to ignore the myriad of other pathogens that can be transmitted by insects and other arthropods in North America. Most of the pathogens that are transmitted by arthropod vectors are of low virulence and due to exposure most of us have developed an immunity to them long ago. Unfortunately, with the migration of much of the population into areas of the country that had until recently been wilderness, the increasing introduction of new species of both pathogens and vectors into native ecosystem, and an increase in global temperatures, that is changing much of the habitat, an ever increasing number of cases are being seen in hospitals nation-wide. In this article we will discuss just a few of these diseases.

Plague
Many well known insect borne diseases occur in North America, but in such small numbers that most of the population is blissfully unaware anything is happening. One such pathogen is Plague. Better known as The Black Plague this bacterial disease swept through Europe and Asia during the middle ages killing an estimated 34 million people. While such large outbreaks are no longer a significant threat, several small outbreaks and single cases do appear annually. Most commonly transmitted by the bite of an infected flea, usually the Oriental Rat Flea. The largest known reservoir of Plague in North America is found in Prairie Dog towns around the Four Corners region. With 10-15 human cases in the U.S. and up to 3,000 human cases worldwide annually, Plague can manifest itself in any of three different forms.

Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs. This type of plague can spread from person to person through the air. Transmission can take place if someone breathes in aerosolized bacteria, which could happen in a bioterrorist attack. Pneumonic plague is also spread by breathing in Y. pestis suspended in respiratory droplets from a person (or animal) with pneumonic plague. Becoming infected in this way usually requires direct and close contact with the ill person or animal. Pneumonic plague may also occur if a person with bubonic or septicemic plague is untreated and the bacteria spread to the lungs.

Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague. This occurs when an infected flea bites a person or when materials contaminated with Y. pestis enter through a break in a person’s skin. Patients develop swollen, tender lymph glands (called buboes) and fever, headache, chills, and weakness. Bubonic plague does not spread from person to person.

Septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiply in the blood. It can be a complication of pneumonic or bubonic plague or it can occur by itself. When it occurs alone, it is caused in the same ways as bubonic plague; however, buboes do not develop. Patients have fever, chills, prostration, abdominal pain, shock, and bleeding into skin and other organs. Septicemic plague does not spread from person to person.

Mosquito Borne Diseases
The majority of the U.S. population is totally unaware of the majority of insect transmitted diseases. While West Nile is now a common household term, the more commonly occurring Jamestown Canyon, LaCrosse, St. Louis, Western Equine, Eastern Equine, and Venezuelan Encephalitis have never been heard of by most. These mosquito transmitted viruses are seen every year in the U.S., but due to the fact that most of the cases are asymptomatic or have very mild symptomology, coupled with the fact that most cases are in rural, often economically poor settings, these diseases get very little press. Though most cases are mild, acute cases begin with flu like symptoms that then can progress to inflammation of the brain. This can lead to coma or even death. Survivors of acute encephalitis often suffer varying degrees of brain damage.

Also receiving little press is the increasing occurrence of malaria that originates U.S. nationals that have picked up the disease while overseas and from infected persons that have recently migrated to the U.S. Several of these individuals have entered the country illegally, and therefore bypass needed healthcare due to fear of capture. This scenario is also being observed with several other diseases.
Dengue Fever also known as “break bone fever” is another mosquito transmitted disease that is of concern. Two versions of the disease can occur, with one version being a hemorrhagic fever. Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain explains the name “breakbone fever”. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults are usually sicker than young children.

Most dengue infections result in relatively mild illness, but some can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever. With dengue hemorrhagic fever, the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Bruising can be a sign of bleeding inside the body. Without prompt treatment, the blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome). Dengue hemorrhagic fever is fatal in about 5 percent of cases, mostly among children and young adults.

Chagas
One disease that is becoming more of a concern among my fellow entomologists is Chagas Disease also known as American Trypanosomiasis. This disease is transmitted by the >Kissing Bug=, which blood feeds on the human victims as they sleep, usually biting the host on the face. The bugs are found in houses made from materials such as mud, adobe, straw, and palm thatch in Central and South America. During the day, the bugs hide in crevices in the walls and roofs. During the night, when the inhabitants are sleeping, the bugs emerge. After they bite and ingest blood, they defecate on the person. The person can become infected if T. cruzi parasites in the bug feces enter the body through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. The unsuspecting, sleeping person may accidentally scratch or rub the feces into the bite wound, eyes, or mouth.

The parasite causes damage to the cells of the heart. It is estimated that as many as 18 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America have Chagas disease, most of whom do not know they are infected. Another 500,000 people in the U.S., many of whom are illegal aliens, are thought to have the disease. Since the insects that transmit this disease are also found throughout much of the U.S. the possibility of transmission does exist.

Though not common, human cases of Chagas are appearing more often in the U.S. with many more veterinary cases in dog and raccoon populations. These animal populations then act as a reservoir for the parasite. While it is commonly thought that better housing found in the U.S. will prevent widespread rates of infection, this is not entirely accurate. A recent infection of an infant that occurred in central Tennessee happened when the insect entered the patients’ home. The infants mother happened to observe the insect on the child, and having just watched a broadcast about Chagas on television, recognized the insect. The mother requested a parasite screening by the family physician that isolated the organism. The child was then able to get proper medical care. A check of wildlife and pet populations in the area around the residence found high infection levels among the animals. If the mother hadn’t seen the insect, the child could have been infected for years without proper treatment. Transmission can occur when someone is bitten on camping trips as well as in the home. The disease can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplants, to fetus during pregnancy, and by eating feces contaminated food.

Ehrlichiosis
The presence of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease, and Tick Fever is fairly well known by many people throughout the U.S. Unfortunately these tick transmitted diseases are just the tip of the iceberg.

One tick borne disease becoming increasingly common is Ehrlichiosis. Human ehrlichiosis due to Ehrlichia chaffeensis was first described in 1987. The disease occurs primarily in the southeastern and south central regions of the country. To date six species of bacteria are known to cause Human Ehrlichiosis and are transmitted by three know tick vectors, the Lone Star Tick, Black Legged Tick, and the Western Black Legged Tick. Most victims of Human Ehrlichiosis have had underlying immunosuppressants, but this isn’t always the case.

In my home town in Tennessee an outbreak of Ehrlichiosis was detected in one of our more well know retirement communities. Researchers, including myself found that the majority of the victims had been exposed to the disease through tick bites that occurred while they were playing golf. The victims were generally older, but had been considered in good health. Patients with ehrlichiosis generally visit a physician in their first week of illness, following an incubation of about 5-10 days after the tick bite. Initial symptoms generally include fever, headache, malaise, and muscle aches. Other signs and symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, joint pains, confusion, and occasionally rash. Ehrlichiosis can be a severe illness, especially if untreated, and as many as half of all patients require hospitalization.

Prevention
The best way to beat these diseases is to prevent the initial infection. This is often easier said than done. Several things can be done to limit your risk of exposure.
– Wear long sleeved shirts when possible
– Tuck pants into boots or socks
– Use repellents such as DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-Toluamide) or Permethrin
(Note: Permethrin should not be applied to the skin, only to clothing. Studies have shown that DEET products containing more than 7% DEET should not be applied to the skin.
– Wear light colored clothing when possible to aid spotting ticks
– Self check thoroughly when you return indoors
– Keep screens on windows and doors in good repair
– Caulk cracks and other entry point on homes
– Use mosquito netting when camping. Information on these and other arthropod transmitted diseases can by found through the US Centers for Disease Control web site.
With the proper education and a little preparation, the risk from insect transmitted diseases can be greatly reduced.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers sent us this: MIT develops way to bank solar energy at home

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Eric forwarded this: America’s house price time bomb – Walkaways. I predicted this phenomenon, first mentioning it back in 2005.

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Nearly a dozen readers sent us the link to the recent New York Times article on Suburban Survivalists. Coincidentally, the subject of the article is a SurvivalBlog reader. In an e-mail to me yesterday, she mentioned: “I must tell you something, funny or sad, depending on one’s perspective. The copy editor [from The New York Times] called several times for clarification about wheat. He could not understand what I meant by storing wheat or grinding it. He had no idea where flour actually came from. He could also not believe it when I referred to having several hundred pounds of grains stored. He thought that figure was way too high.”

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Luke N. found an article that indicates that the trend toward smaller portions for packaged foods that started in the UK has made its way to the United States.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!” – Winston Churchill

Note from JWR:

We’ve completed the judging for Round 17 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. First prize goes to Thomas G., for his article “The Tomato Rebuild–Machining Technology is Crucial to Modern Society”. He’ll receive two valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificates. (Together, they are worth up to $4,000!) Special thanks to Naish Piazza–Front Sight’s founder and director–for his generosity. Be sure to check out their web site and class calendar. The Memsahib and I can both vouch for the quality of their training, from personal experience. It is amazing!

Second prize goes to Ryan S., for “Packing The Vehicle G.O.O.D. Bag“. He will receive a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing.

Honorable mention prizes go to three writers: “Wolverine”, for “Checking Your Preparedness with the PACE System”, to the Y2K-Era Prepper for “After 10 Years–Some Observations and Lessons Learned“, and to C.G., for “A Citizen’s Band (CB) Radio Installation Primer”. They will all receive autographed copies of my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”.

Note to the prize winners: Please e-mail us to let us know your snail mail addresses, so we can mail you your prizes.

Round 18 begins today, and will feature the same prizes. So get busy writing and e-mail us your entries, folks! Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Letter Re: Remote Rural Retreats Versus Living in a Small Town

Dear Jim:
I found an interesting article that argues against a remote, rural retreat for an urbanite.

He reasons:
1. local kids with time on their hands will sniff out your retreat in their exploring
2. Any road to your place will get checked out eventually by kids, a utility employee, a hunter, etc., etc.
3. A remote place gives a thief all the time in the world to break into a cabin or recreational vehicle, pre-disaster.
4. When you are at a retreat, post-disaster, you are on the defense, the offense (potential looters) gets to choose the time of attack; you are vulnerable to long range sniping

His solution, a la Mel Tappan, is to live in a small town and get integrated into the local community. Your profile of buying, and growing, and helping out locally should be high, but your wealth profile, and preparations profile should be very low. Have lots of folks looking out for you, rather than relying on remoteness.

For a slow slide, grid-up situation this makes a lot of sense. I question how well this strategy would work if it is a true TEOTWAWKI situation where starvation is widespread…
But he brings up serious issues about how to keep your retreat unmolested – how likely is it that local kids would ignore fences? What measures can you take to prevent burglary?
Regards, – OSOM

JWR Replies: I concur that “in town” retreats make sense in a Grid Up situation, where law and order are maintained and there is still a functioning economy that keeps store shelves stocked. But in a Grid Down societal collapse, a mutually-defended cluster of farmsteads will probably be far more viable. With too many mouths to feed, even small towns may have their citizenry quickly degenerate into the worst sorts of savagery.

My position is that remote rural retreats can be quite viable, provided that:

1.) Your retreat has a full-time caretaker for the present day circumstances

2.) Your retreat is occupied by three or more families, immediately after the Schumer hits the fan (SHTF), and you are prepared to man a 24/7/360 defense. (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with full 360 degree perimeter coverage.)

For any readers that do decide to opt for “in town” retreating, I highly recommend that you set as key criteria a town that has reliable rainfall, preferably in a “truck farming” region, and

As I’ve stated many times, isolation just by itself will not protect you and your family in a time of lawlessness. In Schumeresque times it will take trustworthy friends and vigilant security to survive. I firmly believe that looters will not pick on well-defended retreats. They simply won’t want to risk taking casualties. Few would be that suicidal. Instead, they will prey on those that show no signs of an organized defense. Why would they want to try cracking a “tough nut”, when they could pick on granny, down the road?

I posted the following in SurvivalBlog back in August of 2005. Since many readers haven’t worked their way through the Archives, it bears repeating:

Not everyone is suited to tackling the tasks required for self-sufficiency. Advanced age, physical handicaps, lack of trustworthy family or friends, or chronic health conditions could rule that out. If that is your situation, then you will probably want to establish an inconspicuous “in town” retreat rather than an isolated “stronghold” retreat.

If opting for “in town,” buy a masonry house with a fireproof roof and on an oversize lot. (Make that wood frame construction if you live in earthquake country.) Carefully select a town with a small population—somewhere between 1,000 and 3,000 if it has a true “end to end” gravity fed water supply, or from 200 to 1,000 if the water system is in any way dependent on the power grid. (The 1,000 upper limit is for fear of sanitation problems.)

IMO, towns any larger than 3,000 lack a cohesive sense of “our community”, and any town with a population smaller than 200 would lack a sufficient mix of skills and the manpower required to mount a sufficient defense in the event of a true “worst case.” I believe that it is best to avoid larger towns. At some point over the 3,000 inhabitant threshold, the “we/they paradigm” will be lacking, and in a true TEOTWAWKI it could be every man for himself.

The late Mel Tappan wisely opined that if your house is at the end of dead end of a road at the edge of town with no close by neighbors, then it might just as well be five or ten miles out of town–since it will be psychologically outside of the invisible ring of protection that will constitute “in town.” Post-TEOTWAWKI, the “we/they” paradigm will be forcefully if not painfully obvious. If you are “in town” you will benefit from a de facto Neighborhood Watch on Steroids. Make sure that your retreat is either clearly “in town”, or not. A property that is halfway in between will have none of the advantages and all of the disadvantages.

Tappan championed the concept of “small town” retreating: owning a mini-farm that is physically and psychologically inside of an existing small community. This approach has several advantages. Before making your decision, consider the following pro and con lists:

Advantages of “In Town” Retreats:

Better for a slow slide scenario or a “grid up” depression wherein the local agricultural and industrial payrolls may still be viable.
You will be a member of the community.
You will benefit from local security arrangements.
Ready access to local barter economy.
Ready access to local skills and medical facilities.

Disadvantages of “In Town” Retreats:

Privacy is very limited. Transporting bulky logistics must be done at odd hours to minimize observation by neighbors.
Fuel storage is severely limited. (Consult the local ordinances before you buy a home.)
Poor sanitation in the event of “grid down” situation, unless your town has a truly “end to end” gravity fed water system. (More on this in a subsequent post.)
You can’t test fire and zero your guns at your own property.
You can’t set up elaborate antenna arrays or your house will look out of place.
You can’t hunt on your own land.
You can’t keep livestock other than perhaps a few rabbits. (Consult the local ordinances before you buy a home.)
You can’t make substantial ballistic and anti-vehicular barrier retreat upgrades.
Greater risk of communicable diseases transmitted by casual contact.
Greater risk of burglary.
Greater risk of having your “hoarded” supplies confiscated by bureaucrats.

Advantages of Isolated Retreats:

More room for gardening, pasturing, and for growing row crops.
Lower house and land prices. (More for your money.)
Better for a total wipeout “Grid Down” scenario when virtually everyone will be out of work. (Hence the local payroll will be a non-issue.)
You can stock up in quantity with less fear of the watchful eyes of nosy neighbors.
You can test fire and zero your guns at your own property.
You can build with non-traditional architecture (earth sheltered, for example.)
You can set up more elaborate antenna arrays–and other things that would look odd in town.
Better sanitation in the event of a “grid down” situation.
You can hunt on your own land.
A place to cut your own firewood.
You can keep livestock.
You can make ballistic and anti-vehicular upgrades. (As described in my novel “Patriots”,.)
A “dog run” chain link fence around your house won’t look too out of place.
Virtually unlimited fuel storage. (Consult your county and State laws before ordering large gas, diesel, heating oil, and propane tanks.)
Much lower risk of communicable diseases. Particularly important in the event of a biological warfare attack—but only if the bug is spread person-to-person rather than airborne.

Disadvantages of Isolated Retreats:

Impossible to defend with just one family.
Cannot depend on much help from neighbors or law enforcement if your home is attacked by looters or in the event of fire. You will likely be entirely on your own to resolve those situations. If and when a gang of looters arrives, it will be you or them–no second place winner.
Isolation from day-to-day barter/commerce.
A longer commute to your “day job”, shopping, and church.

A careful analysis of the preceding lists (plus specific localized considerations) should lead you to concluding which approach is right for you, given your family situation, your stage in life, and your own view of the potential severity of events to come. Pray about it before making a decision of this gravity.

These issues (and many other related ones) are discussed in my nonfiction book “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation”

Letter Re: Vision Care, Post-TEOTWAWKI

Sir:
Have you covered vision care in a TEOTWAWKI scenario? Eyeglasses, contacts, etc? I currently wear contacts and it’s super easy to stock up on extra contacts and a spare pair of glasses but it’s one more thing we take for granted. I guess Lasik is probably not worth it unless your insurance helps or you have the money to burn since that much money could go towards better preparations.

Thanks for your site! – Ben in Tenn.

JWR Replies:

Corrective eye surgery was discussed in SurvivalBlog in December of 2006, in this excellent article: Lasik Versus PRK Eye Surgery for Preparedness, by Simple Country Doctor.

I am a big believer in owning at least two pairs of prescription eyeglasses–or perhaps three pairs if you are like me and have a strong correction. (If you are prone to saying “I’d be useless without my glasses”, then get three pairs, including at least one pair with extra-sturdy frames–something similar to military issue BCGs.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Frequent content contributor Cheryl N. sent this. How Wall Street Wrecked Your Retirement. Cheryl notes: “Our dysfunctional financial system hit a new low last week when Citigroup, the hopeless wreck of Wall Street, announced it had lost $2.5 billion in the past three months–a cheer went up, and so did the Dow. Only $2.5 billion; people were afraid the losses would be much higher. Happy days are here again.” Meanwhile, President Bush very quietly signed a massive bailout bill, for individual mortgage holders, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. Just as I predicted, we are witnessing the near-continuous growth of the Mother of all Bailouts (MOAB). Perhaps I should start referring to those profligate spending politicians in Washington, D.C. as “The Moabites.”

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In a NewsMax piece, Ken Timmerman (one of my old associates with Defense Electronics magazine in the 1980s) reports: U.S. Intel: Iran Plans Nuclear Strike on U.S.. I trust Ken Timmerman. He is an old hand at Middle reporting. He was headquartered in Paris for many years, where he developed quite extensive contacts in both diplomatic and military circles. His MEDNews (Middle East Defense News) newsletter had a loyal following and was considered a key open source publication by the western intelligence community. I have little doubt that Iran will use nukes if and when they are able to obtain them. But I think that it may be a decade before their “home grown” nuclear program reaches the pint that they can assemble a bomb that will actually reach critical mass.

   o o o

A.V.S. found this at Time magazine’s site: Designer Bulletproof Fashion. Rather than buying over-priced “designer” vest/garments, I recommend that you buy more affordable standard body armor vests from reputable vendors. (One great one advertises on SurvivalBlog)

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Frequent content contributor Cheryl N. flagged this: Merrill Woes Could Spread. Here is a good observation included in the piece: “Sovereign-wealth funds from Asia and the Middle East and private-equity firms swooped in with capital infusions for many big banks during the winter when it appeared the worst of the housing meltdown was behind the market. But with many of those bets now under water, such investors might be reluctant to pour new capital in given the prospect of further troubles with so-called collateralized debt securities, or CDOs, which include bundles and bundles of now near-worthless home loans that were sold off to investors around the globe.”