Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Phil B. wrote to warn us about LBW Eyewear, for failure to deliver orders. They are a discount  mail order eyeglasses company that was mentioned previously in SurvivalBlog. As it turns out the BBB has LBW Eyewear listed with an “F” rating, with “8 resolved/closed and 8 unresolved/no-answer complaints.” Avoid them! OBTW, the Zenni Optical company has a better reputation for reliability and customer service than LBW Eyewear.

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KAF sent us a Wall Street Journal link: The Taliban’s Atomic Threat

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Greg C. pointed out this article on the “cleaner, greener” rhetoric of neo-environmentalism: Seeking to Save the Planet, With a Thesaurus

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Properly speaking, of course, there is no such thing as a return to nature, because there is no such thing as a departure from it. The phrase reminds one of the slightly intoxicated gentleman who gets up in his own dining room and declares firmly that he must be getting home." – G.K. Chesterton.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include:

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

Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Responding to a CBRNE Event, by J. Paramedic

CBRNE is an acronym for Chemical-Biological-Radiological-Nuclear-Explosive events. [It is most commonly spoken “Sea-Burn”] This article gives a general guideline for responding to such incidents, geared toward the individual or small group with basic medical/trauma care abilities and little to no rescue capability. Some details about each type of event are also included. Note that I am a paramedic; my training is geared toward that venue, and this essay reflects that. However, many of the same principles are relevant to anyone forced by circumstances to respond to such incidents, not just public safety personnel.

Deliberate Attacks Versus Accidents
Most CBRNE events will be accidents or natural occurrences – chemical spills, pandemics, etc. Some, however, may be deliberate attacks. The most likely candidates are explosive devices, which are relatively cheap, do-it-yourself, low-risk endeavors. Chemical, biological, radiological and especially true nuclear attacks are expensive and high-risk. For example, creating a nuclear device requires obtaining plans, a large team of scientists in multiple specialties, esoteric materials, and so on. And that is just to build the device – a delivery system is still needed. Bringing these elements together is expensive, difficult and time-consuming, and likely to attract unwanted attention. Overall, the cost and risk-to-body-count ratio is much better with conventional arms and explosives; accordingly, these are the most likely forms of deliberate attack.

Safety
The first priority must always be making sure that you and yours do not become victims. If you become injured, you cannot help others; furthermore, you require assistance, which draws resources away from other victims. Consider the following:

Scene Safety: Look for fires, unstable structures, weapons or dangerous persons. Look up, down, and all around – remember that not all threats come from ground level. If you do not have the training or equipment to help safely, then wait for those who do. Leave the area if necessary. Do not try to provide aid in an unsafe area – move victims if necessary. In some cases, you may even have to leave them behind. Remember, you cannot help others if you become a casualty.

Contamination:
CBRNE events pose a high risk of contamination. Do not expose yourself to chemical or infectious agents or to radiation. If you do not have appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) – do not approach the incident site. PPE is discussed in more detail later. Keep in mind the “Rule of Thumb” – get far enough away from the scene that you can completely cover it with your outstretched thumb. Remember to go uphill and upwind of the affected area.
Secondary Devices: In the case of a deliberate CBRNE attack, be aware that there could be additional threats or devices waiting for responders. While these are generally directed at police, fire, EMS or other official agencies, if you are trying to help, or have the bad luck to be at the scene, you share the danger.

Organization
In the case of CBRNE event, public safety agencies – police, fire and EMS – will have initial responsibility for scene management. Whatever you believe the long-term consequences will be, initially these agencies will be functioning. What follows is a description of their organizational model. If they are on the scene, you will be expected to function within that structure, if you are permitted to assist at all (for safety and liability reasons, you may not be). However, even if a CBRNE event occurs where public safety agencies cannot respond, the principles of this structure are still appropriate for your own use.

Overall responsibility for managing a given event will, at least initially, fall to a single person, designated as Incident Command. If the event can be managed with less than 7 or so responders, this person (and perhaps a Safety Officer) may be the only command personnel needed. However, a CBRNE event is likely to require a considerably larger response. It has been found that a single individual cannot effectively direct more than 3-7 people; 3-5 is an even better number. This is referred to as an effective span of control. Accordingly, for an event of large size, additional levels of organization will be introduced in order to maintain an appropriate span. Regional or functional divisions are used as necessary. For example, the Incident Commander may appoint a Rescue Chief, a Medical Chief, and a Fire Suppression Chief for a large-scale response. (Note that regional or functional elements and leaders are appointed by Incident Command. Some are standardized across the nation, while others will vary geographically depending on local organization, preference and tradition.) Each of these individuals will in turn direct about 3-5 subordinates. Depending on the number of responders, each of those subordinates could in turn direct a team of 3-5 responder, et cetera. The keys are that (1) each responder reports to one and only one supervisor, chief, or other leadership element; (2) each leader directs no more than 3-5 subordinates directly; and (3) overall responsibility for the scene falls to a single Incident Command. It is essential that there is no freelancing – a disorganized response can lead to inefficiency, an unsafe scene, oversights or mistakes resulting in poor outcomes, additional injuries [, needless contamination] or even deaths.

Zones
Geographically, a scene will be divided into three zones: a central hot zone, a surrounding warm zone, and a safe cold zone.
The hot zone is the immediate site of the incident, and may expand based on wind, spill or rainwater runoff, etc. Only trained responders with appropriate equipment should be in the hot zone. Depending on the incident type, this could mean fire department, HazMat or other type teams.
The warm zone surrounds the hot zone. Operating in the warm zone may also call for specialized training and equipment, but not always and not as much. Decontamination, which is discussed below, is usually performed in the warm zone.
Finally, the cold zone is the [ostensibly] safe area surrounding the warm zone. Basically this is the rest of the world. Additional resources and treatment centers will normally be located in the cold zone.

Decontamination
Decontamination will be necessary when it is likely that victims or responders have been exposed to chemicals, biological agents or radiation. The most common method of mass decon is gross decon. Essentially, victims are instructed to disrobe (it is estimated that in many cases this can remove up to 90% of contaminants) and are run through a large “shower” area, then given clean garments. On a smaller scale, you or your family members can self-decontaminate by disrobing and showering. It is recommended that garments that must normally be pulled over the head be cut off, instead. In some cases more detailed decon may need to be performed, for example a wound contaminated with radiological material. In this case, wash the specific site with soap and water, making sure not to contaminate others or other areas of the body while doing so (wear appropriate PPE). Note that victims should in most cases be decontaminated before receiving medical care or first aid. The exception is an immediate life-threatening condition, such as a severe hemorrhage, which may receive preliminary treatment prior to decon.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
This discussion will deal with two forms of PPE: medical PPE and chemical protective gear. It is essential to wear appropriate PPE in any CBRNE event to avoid becoming contaminated or spreading contamination to others.
Medical PPE includes gloves, masks, gowns and eye protection. Follow the Universal Precautions philosophy – assume that everyone is a potential carrier of dangerous infections, and behave accordingly. Wear gloves whenever providing treatment, and change them between patients. Also be aware of the following “special” situations:

Splash protection – when “splashes” are anticipated (for example with childbirth, massive hemorrhage or vomiting) wear eye protection, a mask and a gown
Contact precautions – some infections, such as certain MRSA varieties, can be passed skin-to-skin, and call for contact precautions; wear gloves and a gown
Droplet precautions – infections spread in mucus or respiratory secretions may be transmitted over short distances by coughs and the like; wear a surgical mask when in close proximity. (The CDC says within three feet [but coughs can project droplets 10 feet or more.])
Airborne precautions – infections with airborne spread, such as tuberculosis, call for an N95 mask; ideally, the patient should be in a negative pressure room

Chemical Protective Equipment comes in four levels:
Level A calls for a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and a sealed chemical protective suit. Note that no single suit type protects against all forms of exposure. Generally, Level A protection is used only by trained HazMat Technicians.
Level B calls for an SCBA and a non-encapsulated (non-sealed) chemical protective suit, such as a Tyvek suit.
Level C consists of a filter-type respirator and chemical protective clothing, gloves and boots (same as type B).
Level D includes standard work clothes – uniforms, surgical scrubs, turnout gear – which give some skin/splash protection, and no respiratory protection.

Triage
Once proper PPE is in place, the response has been organized, and the scene has been rendered safe, care for victims can begin. After safety, preventing or minimizing the loss of life is the highest priority. A CBRNE event is likely to produce a large number of victims, and could easily exceed response capabilities. When this happens, the goal must be to do the greatest good for the greatest number.
Haphazardly rendering aid to random victims will result in chaos and poor treatment priorities, which will in turn lead to unnecessary loss of life or poor outcomes for victims. It is important to apply triage procedures. “Triage” simply means “to sort,” and refers to sorting victims into groups based on severity. The first competent care-giver to arrive at the scene of a mass casualty event should begin triaging – sorting – victims. The following categories are pretty much universally recognized:

Red or Immediate – These persons have severe injuries, but are likely to be able to be saved. The are “salvageable.” Given the seriousness of their condition, they receive treatment (and transport to the hospital, if available) first.
Yellow or Delayed – These are the people with serious but not life-threatening injuries. They are the second group to receive treatment, after the Reds/Immediates.
Green or Minimal – These are folks with only minor injuries. After all the reds and yellows are taken care of, they can be taken care of.
Black or Expectant – These victims are dead or expected to die. Any victim who cannot breathe on their own should be triaged into this category. If manpower or resources are limited, they should not be expended on these victims, who will probably not survive anyway.

Once triage is completed, treatment can begin.

Treatment
Some comments specific to incident type will be included later. For now, consider the following general assessment and treatment priorities (note that this is a mere overview; detailed first aid skills should be sought elsewhere):
Mental Status – Assess whether the patient is awake, unresponsive, confused or lethargic, etc. An unresponsive patient should be considered Red/Immediate. A confused patient will probably be Yellow/Delayed, assuming no additional problems are found. Next check the ABCs:
Airway and Breathing – Check to see whether the victim is breathing. If not, open their airway by tilting the head or (if injury is suspected) by lifting the jaw forward. If the patient does not breath on their own at this point, consider them Black/Expectant. If they do, ask whether they are having difficulty breathing and listen to their breath. Difficulty breathing, rapid breathing or strange breathing sounds indicate at least a Yellow/Delayed patient. Severe or progressive difficulty breathing indicates a Red/Immediate patient.
Circulation – First, if a patient has no pulse, they are dead, and are Black/Expectant. Second, check for bleeding. If bleeding is found, it should be controlled. Place direct pressure on the site; this should control the bleeding. You may have to maintain pressure for several minutes, then place a dressing and bandage. If the bleeding does not stop, and is from an arm or leg, apply a tourniquet. In the past tourniquets were viewed with great caution, but it has been found that they can be safely used for up to several hours without long-term negative effects. At any rate, one cannot worry too much about an arm or leg when a victim – possibly a loved one – is bleeding to death. Finally, keep a bleeding patient warm (cover them with a blanket) and elevate their feet; this will help combat shock.

Those of you with CPR training will notice that I’ve omitted rescue breaths and chest compressions from this discussion. That’s because (1) in a mass casualty situation victims needing these interventions will be Black/Expectant, and will not be treated; and (2) unless high-level follow-on care – paramedic, ER and/or ICU – is available, CPR alone is unlikely to save a cardiac arrest victim. And I simply don’t have space to include such details here. I do, however, recommend that everyone seek out first aid and CPR training, at a minimum.

Finally, remember that scene safety comes before treatment. If necessary, move the victim. In general it is good to leave trauma victims in place, in case there is some spinal damage. However, when the scene is unsafe, you have to move.

Specific Incident Types

Explosives Events
Remember that explosive devices can also include some biological, chemical or radiological (“dirty bomb”) contaminant; and that there could be secondary devices waiting for responders. (Note that explosives will usually destroy any included biological or chemical material, making explosive dispersal of such agents unlikely to succeed.)
Explosives create blast-type injuries, which are classified as follows:
Primary Blast Injuries: pressure-related injuries from the blast wave, these can affect internal organs such as the intestines, lungs or inner ear without visible external injuries
Secondary Blast Injuries: these are injuries from objects (shrapnel, debris, etc.) striking the victim
Tertiary Blast Injuries: if a blast is powerful enough to throw a victim into the air, they will sustain injuries from striking the ground or other objects
Quaternary Blast Injuries: all other injuries, including burns and the like

Here are some basic treatment ideas:
Bleeding should be controlled by direct pressure and, if necessary, tourniquet.
Broken bones, sprains, etc., can be splinted
Burns should be covered with clean – preferably sterile – sheets or dressings; do not put any salves or chemicals on any but minor burns, as they will have to be washed out later – very painful for the victim
Victims with neck or back pain or tenderness, or loss of sensation or movement, should not be moved unless absolutely necessary, as they may have suffered spinal injury, which may be worsened by movement. However, this is much less likely than television and first aid instructors would have you believe.

Chemical Events
Chemical events require proper PPE; otherwise, follow the “Rule of Thumb.” Remember that wind and water run-off can spread contaminants. Also remember that chemical events may not be immediately apparent. Multiple victims with quickly-developing symptoms, as well as dead flora or fauna in the area, are the most likely signs.

A special note should be made for organophosphates. These produce a condition commonly called SLUDGE (salivation, lacrimation, urination,
diarrhea, gastrointestinal distress, and emesis), which in layman’s terms is the sudden onset of soiling yourself, peeing on yourself, crying and vomiting everywhere. They merit special mention because these are the type of exposures for which Mark I kits and other atropine/2-PAM kits are indicated, as well as valium for possible seizures.

Biological Events
Biological events can be difficult to detect, and to protect against, because often there is no scene. Generally, multiple victims will present with “flu-like symptoms” or other complaints to multiple health care providers. The main signs are multiple patients with similar complaints, especially when the symptoms, the demographics, or the season are unusual. For example, large numbers of healthy young people complaining of flu symptoms in the middle of summer, clustered in certain areas, is a sign of an exposure or pandemic. Isolating the source is a matter of finding “common ground” between the victims – think of lots of people suffering from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating at the same restaurant.

Speaking of flu-like symptoms, I thought it might be timely to share with you the following guidance that I’ve received from my EMS agency regarding the current “Swine flu” –

1. Suspect swine flu in a person who:
– has a cough, runny nose or sore throat; and
– has a fever more than 101.4F; and
– has been to an “endemic area” in the last 7 days
Endemic areas currently include Mexico and affected areas of the USA.
2. Distance is considered adequate protection; however, if one must approach a suspected swine flu patient, a surgical mask is recommended.
3. Only if one must be in a confined space with a suspected swine flu patient is an N95 respirator recommended.
These recommendations come from our medical director based on CDC and other agencies’ information and advice.

Victims of a biological agent (i.e., an illness) can often be treated, depending on the agent; preventing further spread within a population can usually only be accomplished by isolation or – on large scales – by quarantine.

Nuclear or Radiological Event
As noted previously, deliberate nuclear attacks are relatively unlikely, due to their expense and risk when compared with conventional methods. “Accidents” are also rare, as modern-day reactors and the like are designed with multiple redundancies and dead-man’s-switches. We are many years removed from the technologies of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, or so experts say. Smaller radiological events are more likely. Of course the first thought in most minds is the “dirty bomb,” a conventional explosive with radioactive material.

Radioactive materials are usually divided according to the following types:

Alpha particles cannot penetrate clothing or often even skin; however, they are very dangerous if somehow introduced into the body
Beta particles can be absorbed by protective clothing
Gamma rays are stopped only by several inches of lead [or several feet of earth or concrete], and easily penetrate human beings, damaging organs along their paths.

The severity of radiation exposure will depend on time, distance and shielding – a shorter exposure, over a greater distance, with more shielding in between, will be less severe than the opposite. Radiation effects various bodily systems. Inhaled radioactive material can damage the lungs. Radiation can also produce severe burns; these will present as severe itching, but over time will reveal significant damage.
In evaluating the severity of radiation exposure, the easiest reliable measure is time to onset of vomiting. If a victim starts vomiting within one hour of exposure, their exposure is severe. Beyond two hours, exposure is probably mild to moderate.
You may find it useful to stock geiger counters, personal dosimeters, or potassium iodide (KI) for your family. Information on all of these topics is already archived on SurvivalBlog, so I will not go into them here.
Otherwise, without specialized facilities, the best you can do for a victim of radiation poisoning is to decontaminate and treat symptoms as they arise. Remember that with a sufficient dose of radiation the victim can themselves become a source of radiation, and pose a contamination risk.

Summary
In the case of a CBRNE event, essential include a scrupulous eye to safety, an organized response, careful use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and decontamination to prevent spread of contamination, triage of victims, and the best treatment available. Remember that you will probably not be able to do as much as you would like. You must do the greatest good for the greatest number. Finally, remember your priorities: after safety, preventing the loss of life comes first. Then you can worry about protecting property and/or the environment, and long-term recovery. These topics, however, are beyond the scope of this essay. I hope you find the information contained here useful in your preparations, though I hope you never have to use it in a true CBRNE event.

Mexican Flu Update:

SurvivalBlog reader Laurence W. wrote to warn that it is premature to post early estimates that the Mexican Flu is mild. “It may or may not be. There are not enough data points yet to speak authoritatively.
All one can correctly say is that it is too early to tell.” He cited recent some well-informed discussion threads in the Flu Wiki Forum and the PlanForPandemic.com Forum.

Reader Laura C. recommended visiting the US Archives Online Exhibit of 1918 Flu. Photographs and Letters.

141 Cases, 19 States “The World Health Organization is warning of an imminent pandemic because scientists cannot predict what a brand-new virus might do. A key concern is whether this spring outbreak will surge again in the fall.”

Farmers Fear Pigs Might Get Flu from Us

Swine Flu Originated on California Border?

Toddler Who Died in Texas Visited Houston Mall Before Onset of Symptoms

Swine Flu Starting to Look Less Threatening

First Genetic Analysis of Swine Flu Reveals Potency

Confirmed Number of Global Swine Flu Cases: 367 and Counting

Economics and Investing:

Three more failed banks taken over by regulators. (Thanks to Laura H. for the link)

Items from The Economatrix:

US Families Rely on Handouts in World’s Richest Country

Flu Heightens Mexico’s Economic Sickness

Government Nervous About Stress Test Results

S&P Downgrades Seven Dubai Businesses

US GDP Poised for Epic Collapse

US Empire Built on False Prosperity Collapsing

The Impending Mother of All Oil Shocks

Credit Crisis Bank Stress Tests: If You Believe the Banks are Recovering… “They allow Goldman Sachs to bury the fact that they left December out of their financial results deep in their footnotes. Shockingly, Goldman lost $1.5 billion in December. They continue to allow banks to report one time gains as part of ongoing operations, but billions in losses that are recorded quarter after quarter are not from ongoing operations. The morons on CNBC report whatever the banks say, no questions asked.”

Gold Consolidation Ending as US Treasuries Paper Bubble Bursting

Stocks Rise On G20 and FASB Hopes, Can Pigs Really Fly? “Ladies and gentlemen, the Total Credit Exposure to Capital ratio is one of the most telling capital adequacy ratios known to man. If ever there was a failing grade on a “stress test” – HERE IT IS IN SPADES!!! The aforementioned measure of capital adequacy, [1,056.4] in Goldman’s case, is so TOXIC – in fact; one can only wonder if regulators might have required radiation suits and Geiger Counters to safely measure the TOXICITY of Goldman’s books. Goldman’s figures stand out almost five times worse than those of Citibank and Bank of America and 11 times those of Wells Fargo.”

US House Prices Measured in Gold

US Treasury Bond Debt Bubble Bursting “Total net borrowing needs for the second quarter are now up to $361 billion. That’s up 27-fold from $13 billion a year earlier and more than double the previous estimate of $165 billion. We just learned the Treasury will start selling 30-year bonds every month, as opposed to eight times a year. And speculation is running rampant that the U.S. will soon start auctioning off 50-year bonds! All this issuance is needed to fund a federal budget deficit that’s projected to hit at least $1.75 trillion this year and $1.2 trillion in fiscal 2010.”

Economy in Meltdown Due to Imploding Derivatives Monster and Toxic Debt “The Swimming Naked Prophecy – It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked – Warren Buffet (2007).”, and ” The name of the game in town is milking the system, using every trick possible to make some incredibly rich and leave everyone else holding the bag. According to her [Nomi Prins’] knowledge, investment banks have sold up to 30 times every mortgage in America.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

O praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord. – Psalm 117

Letter Re Advice for College Students Living Abroad

Hi,
I’m a student from Singapore studying overseas in Australia and I’m also a Christian. I have been following your blog for quite awhile, and there are some things I would like to ask.
First, what advice can you give to students studying overseas? As a student, I stay on my own in a rented place, and probably will have to move every six months or so, so stockpiling food and goods are only feasible for about a month or two worth of food, as I will have to shift everything I own on my own to my new place whenever I move. That being said, I have roughly about a month’s supply of food stored up, but it is mostly in rice. If things go bad, I won’t be able to eat well, but will survive (I stocked up on some vitamins as well. Not healthy I know, but better than nothing.). Additionally, what kind of food should I buy and store? Currently, I am thinking about baking hardtack, as they are easy to make and store well. I also have about 20 liters of water, and am able to purify more than 100 liters of water using water purification tablets and I also have a bottle of plain bleach.

As I am not in my home country, and if anything happens, I have no ‘safe’ place to go. Other than going into the bush, which will not happen, as I have no bush skills, the only choice I have is to hunker down and try, if possible, to get a flight/ship back to Singapore. With such limited options, I am worried about what to do WTSHTF, which is ever more likely, given the current swine flu going around. While I do know a family staying in a relatively rural area, I do not know if I am able to get there as their acreage is quite a distance away from my place and I have no transportation. Also, I am not sure if they are prepared and stocked up for any crisis, so there is no guaranty that they will be able to take me in. I would greatly appreciate some advice over this issue, as it is the most important issue, and also advice on whatever you think I am lacking in below.

Supplies: I have managed to gather some stuff over time, some medicine/first-aid(learned some first-aid when younger, and still know the important stuff), lights (some military stuff, since I have done my national service, a couple of wind up torches as well for backup/indefinite use), fire starting equipment (lighters, matches, fire starters, candles, no flint due to being unable to find someplace that sells it), lightweight cooking equipment (billycan, metal bowls and tins, utensils). Not much, but been trying to convince my parents to send over some more supplies I have, which are mainly military stuff (nothing illegal, but will raise some questions; excuse is they are for paintball, etc). Additionally, for food I have about 10 kg of rice, plus enough canned food for a week (or more, if I ration it), 6 liters of packet milk, about 20 packets soups, cooking spices (very good for making whatever you have taste better), salt, etc. For toiletries, I got plenty of toothpaste/toothbrushes, toilet rolls (about 2 months worth), soap/shampoo, etc.

Self defence: Nothing much, since there are strict airport rules, and can’t get a gun over here or in Singapore either. I keep a Swiss army knife on me all the time, but that is mainly for use as a tool, as normally there won’t be any time to take it out. I learned tae kwon do when young (almost got my black belt, but was unable due to circumstances), and am trying to learn more methods and techniques of fighting. If it comes down to a fight, I am fairly confident that I can hold my own against one or two people, but I have been trying to improvise weapons that will allow me to escape. I have been trying to find a place to learn Krav Maga, which is an Israeli martial art designed to teach you to fight anywhere, any how, and any time, against multiple opponents that may or may not be armed, with various weapons. They focus on being ready to fight at all times using whatever it takes to survive (aka all the dirty fighting techniques). I think that it is a very useful martial art to learn, as it is the most realistic form of combat, and teaches you how to improvise on the spot (They have two rules: 1. survive, 2. Try not to hurt your sparring partner.). In any case, I think the most important thing to have is to be aware of your surroundings and people that are around you. An armed man is hard to be beaten, unless taken by surprise, and an alert man is hardly ever taken by surprise. As a side note, I recently bought a slingshot, not that I expect it will be of any good for defence, but rather more for hunting small animals if things really go south. Just need to get around to practicing with it.

Day to day carry: I carry with me a Swiss army knife, some medicine/first-aid, water purification tablets (for 20 liters), a small LED light, a lighter and some money in small notes in a small pouch close to me everywhere I go. Planning to add on another pouch with more medical supplies, especially for this swine flu outbreak. I also have a SOG multi-tool that I can add on, but chose not to as people will really question what I am doing with 2 knives and all those stuff. Also, wherever I go, I also bring along at least 1 liter of water, a torch, a poncho, additional first-aid supplies, hand sanitizer, a bar of soap and a couple of cereal bars. If I am on a long trip (more than a day or a few hours by car), I would bring along additional stuff, like more fire starting equipment, extra food, extra water, a spare torch, and a spare change.

Skills: I learned basic first aid when young, learned tae kwon do, crude fire making (not too good), cooking, sewing (very basic, mainly for repairing/modifying clothes) and cycling (although my area is very hilly, so I hardly cycle). I am trying to learn more skills, like bushcraft, Krav Maga, hunting (doubt I will be able to), and brush up on my fire starting skills, although in light of the recent bushfires, it may be a bad idea. Also I am handy with simple repairs (mainly a crude temporary fix), and like to innovate and make new stuff.

Swine Flu: I have been trying very hard to raise my stock of food and medicines ever since I heard about the swine flu, but due to time (university) and financial constraints, I can only stock up so much. I have been buying paracetamol tablets, aspirin, face masks (box of 100, plus various other dust masks), anti-bacterial hand gel, hydrogen peroxide, and am looking for surgical gloves, proper N95 equivalent face masks, Sambucol, more water purification tablets, antibiotics, Betadine, bandages, etc.

Economic crisis: I have been looking around for a place to purchase silver bullion with whatever spare cash I have, but have been unable to find a dealer. I am hoping to get at least 150 ounces of silver in 1-ounce to 10-ounce bars before the economy gives way, which I suspect won’t be long. I pray it doesn’t happen, as my home country will be hit really hard as it is focused heavily in the financial sector, but being a realist, I think eventually my family will have to move over to Australia, as at least it has farmland, natural resources and a very social welfare-focused government as well.

Thanks for all your effort to educate people about the coming world situations and how to prepare for it. What you are doing can mean life or death to many people in the future when the world crashes and burns. – DieReady

JWR Replies: By all means, do team up with a rural family, if you can. If you cache a large quantity of food with them, you will be assured of being welcome there WTSHTF, since you will be a benefactor for the family. In such circumstances, food is a much better investment than silver! If you can pre-position your storage food and most of your gear there, you can plan to bug out via mo-ped.

There are two ways of looking at obstacles to preparedness: 1.) As reasons to give up, or 2.) as challenges and opportunities for growth. For example, your hilly terrain can be seen as an opportunity to build strength and endurance, rather than as an excuse for not bicycling. And just because you can’t find a local martial arts center that teaches Krav Maga, don’t lapse into inactivity. Study whichever art is available locally. Just be sure to find the best full contact dojo in town. Furthermore, don’t look at airport security restrictions as a the lowest common denominator for your self defense preps. If you are going to be in Australia for an extended period of time, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t go ahead and purchase a few key “dual use” self defense items, such as a half dozen 15 minute road flares, a machete ., and a six-C-cell black MagLite ..You might also see if these is a local archery club–perhaps affiliated with your local university. Practice at least twice a week with your slingshot! They can indeed be quite useful if you take the time to practice. For your silver purchases, be willing to look further afield for dealers, or if need be, to buy from a reputable mail order dealer. Concentrate on the positive aspects of prepping, shepherd your available funds, train consistently, and you’ll make progress!

Note from JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. is now at $760. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes:

1.) A Three-Color Desert Camo Interceptor OTV (Outer Tactical Vest) size XL only, and a spare Woodland camouflage outer shell, kindly donated by BulletProofME.com. These items have a combined retail value of $960!

2.) A vehicle detection system, which includes: one MURS Alert Probe Sensor (MAPS) with 50 foot probe cable and one MURS Alert Hand Held (M538-HT) transceiver. The MAPS unit’s probe can be covertly installed under the surface of a driveway or road to detect vehicular traffic and a voice alert is sent to the hand held transceiver when a detection occurs. Donated by MURS Radio. Retails for $303

3.) Two cases of Yoder’s Canned Bacon, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com. (12 cans per case.) A $276 retail value.

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

5.) Three Garden Security Collections, and two Garden Bean Collections, donated by SeedForSecurity.com. With included free shipping to any US postal address, this is a $100+ retail value.

6.) Two America Stone knife sharpeners (with belt pouches), donated by the manufacturer. (A $60 retail value.)

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $1,800. This auction ends on May15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

Letter Re: The Rush Has Begun for Flu Prep Logistics

Aloha James,
To confirm your take on the need to prepare ahead of time, I realized last weekend that this current event (Mexican Flu) would be a good opportunity to actually measure public reaction to an emergency. Thus, once the government announced a health emergency on Saturday, I began watching the shelves at three local drug stores and Amazon. Here’s what happened in Honolulu, Hawaii (a city of 800,000 and an international airport hub).

Saturday – all shelves full of flu meds & masks
Sunday – masks half gone, some in the back of the store, shelves full of flu meds
Monday – masks half gone, none in the back of the store, shelves half full of flu meds
Tuesday – masks gone, back ordered, shelves half full of flu meds
Wednesday – while I was sitting in my kid’s dentist office, two employees of other businesses in the mall came by and asked the receptionists for masks. Both said they looked everywhere and couldn’t find any. The receptionist could only spare one each. Stores still running half full shelves of flu meds.

Watching Amazon – on Saturday you could buy the surgical N95 masks (green ones), by Monday they were sold out and white N95s were $13.98 for 20. By Wed, the white ones went up to $15.99, and other merchants were selling theirs for $59.99 for 20, with one merchant advertising their “last box” of 20 for $299!

If this doesn’t convince people to stock up and stock up early, I don’t know what will. Three days; that’s all it took for the city to run out of masks, and I can only surmise by this, that it would only take a few more days to run out of flu meds if the news reported someone locally had the Mexican Flu. I hope fellow readers get the point.

Thank you for your excellent blog. I’m on the June waiting list for my copy of Patriots and look forward to reading it. Keep up the great work! – KJ in Honolulu, Hawaii

Six Letters Re: Adapting Family Food Storage for Gluten Intolerance

James,

I found out last year I am gluten intolerant, and my little girl was symptomatic with me. In our case, we found we can’t tolerate any grains–not even corn or rice. Below are some ideas for those with either condition or who are on lower-carbohydrate diets for health reasons.

* In addition to beans, other carbohydrate-rich foods that you can store include potatoes, yams, peas, beets and tapioca. To avoid the additives found in some dehydrated foods, I have freeze-dried potatoes, yams, and peas. I also have some home-canned yams and plan to grow more. Beets are only available in regular cans. I have those, plus regular canned peas and potatoes. Tapioca isn’t as nutritionally rich as some of these others, but it’s nice to be able to have a treat and it stores well. (Most prepared puddings have problematic thickeners.)

In terms of rice, I did some research when I was eating grains. White rice is the least nutritious grain–eating it actually depletes your body’s nutritional reserves, which isn’t a good idea in a stressful SHTF situation (where the stress alone will deplete you of B complex). Brown rice is much better for you, but doesn’t store well. So I would suggest storing more corn than rice, and using rice as a treat or as a break from monotony.

* Don’t forget lentils. They aren’t used nearly enough in American cuisine (mainly soups). I have found some fabulous Middle Eastern and Indian recipes for them. They store well, and are a wonderfully nutrient dense food. The brown ones don’t always look that appetizing, so I often opt for the red ones. You can add these to tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce dishes to boost protein and not even realize they’re there. And like most anything else, they taste even better with cheese on top.

* To avoid the corn syrup present in nearly all canned fruits, I looked until I found a local store brand that uses only pear juice. (I can’t have sugar either, and won’t use artificial sweeteners.) I pay extra for a couple of other fruits at Whole Foods that are also canned in pear juice. I have also canned a variety of fruit. And I store some freeze-dried fruit instead of the dehydrated, which sometimes have some unfriendly additives and aren’t necessarily cheaper. Nice fruit is important when you can’t have a traditional breakfast. Canned or freeze-dried can be heated and turned into a compote, or put into a smoothie for a nice breakfast shake–one of my daughter’s favorites.

* Finding MREs for a bug-out bag was very difficult. One company makes gluten-free MREs, but they don’t run batches every year–so the MREs may last only a year or two. I finally found one Mountain House pouch entree that looked okay (chicken with potatoes), and opted for that, plus canned meat and pouch sides of veggies (potatoes, peas, etc.).

* Coconut flour has a shelf life of 1 year at room temperature, possibly longer if you have a cold basement. I have been experimenting with recipes and found it yields a result similar to wheat flour. Coconut pancakes are similar to buttermilk pancakes. It is not cheap ($7 / lb.) but you use a lot less of it per recipe than regular flour. Bob’s Red Mill makes some, and you can buy it in larger bulk quantities on the web. Due to the expense, for us it is a treat on weekends, birthdays, holidays, etc. But the results so far have been good, and the taste is scrumptious. It also works as a substitute for flour if you’re making oven-fried chicken or breaded things. Coconut flour is a carb[ohydrate], but it has a high fiber content (6 g/serving), which helps with blood sugar stabilization. Those watching carbs could top coconut pancakes with peanut butter (and a dash of honey or syrup), or heat up some frozen or canned fruit to make a simple compote that’s lower in carbs than maple syrup.

* Almond flour is a fabulous substitute for wheat flour, and yields results that are more similar to flour-based breads (rice and corn products tend to be dry). There are also two great books with wonderful recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (Grainfree Gourmet). However, it is twice the price of coconut flour, and is not suitable for using in a SHTF situation because it can easily go rancid if it’s kept out of of a freezer or a refrigerated environment. It is also not calorie-free. But it is really nice to work with if you’re watching carbs because it counts as a protein. For this reason, it’s my choice for “bread” for holiday meals.

* I have also had to change a lot of my condiments and sauces. Soy sauce, for example, is wheat-based. So I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. Most ketchups, barbecue sauces, and relishes include corn syrup. I found a barbecue sauce and ketchup that don’t, and now make my own ketchup with a recipe I found on the web. I also make up my own Worcestershire sauce. It doesn’t take long, and I know it’s safe to consume.

* Since I can’t use cornstarch to thicken, I use arrowroot–and have a lot of it on hand. I also use mashed potato flakes (the kind without preservatives that lasts about a year) to thicken soups and in place of cracker crumbs in recipes.

* Where I have been put on a lower carb diet, I have had to pay more attention to protein than many folks do in their preparations. I need protein, and can’t produce it myself. So I try to have an extra deep larder of it: dehydrated eggs (for scrambled eggs), canned cheese, freeze-dried cheese, freeze-dried cottage cheese (good with canned fruit on top), lots of salmon (for salmon breakfast patties), and lots of canned meat from Best Prices Storable Foods. After Hurricane Ike, we used some of our canned meat. It was great, and I didn’t get sick (unlike a friend who at store-bought meat with lots of additives). I can’t buy canned beef or pork in the stores–too many additives I can’t have.

* One critical change has been to play to what we can eat and truly enjoy. My husband loves pineapple. So I used the internet to find several recipes we can eat that use pineapple. They’re now family favorites–and safe for me and my little girl to eat. This really helps with the sense of deprivation, which can be an issue in sticking to any diet. Focusing on these new delicious finds has helped ease the pains of missing pasta, oatmeal, etc. So for morale purposes if nothing else, I’ve made sure our larder includes the ingredients for the “family faves” that we can eat.

* For snacks, we usually eat dried fruit and nuts. I have a good stock of both, especially the nuts, since I can’t grow them here (not enough room for a pecan tree). While they won’t keep long-term, they will keep a good year and I rotate my stock. Buying in bulk from www.nutsonline.com and www.bulkfoods.com has saved me a ton of money and yet let me make sure I’m getting fruit without syrups or sugar added.

* Another snack is fresh bananas with peanut butter on them, honey optional. I have also been stocking up on banana chips–these make a great substitute for crackers. Since I plan to nurse a new baby this summer and won’t be able to eat peanuts while nursing, I have also been stocking up on almond butter.

* Instead of granola bars, we eat fruit strips (100% real fruit) or Lara bars. Since these are rather pricey, I’m learning how to dry fruit and looking into recipes to make my own bars. But in the meantime it works, and they would be great in a bug-out bag. I always keep some in my purse and in the diaper bag. (Finding snacks I can eat while “out” is very difficult.)

* For “junk” or convenience foods, we often use potatoes and sweet potatoes. We make oven-baked fries, and buy the occasional bag of chips for garnishing stir-frys or giving crunch to a soup or salad (instead of croutons or crackers).

* When sick or overheated, I can’t rehydrate with Gatorade (sugar, etc.). So I either make my own Gatorade, or drink fruit juice and eat a fresh banana. We also store fruit juice in various forms (100% juice pouches for my daughter, bottles for when we’re sick or going through a heat wave).

* I also can’t start eating again after the flu or morning sickness with crackers or noodle soups. So I make my own Gatorade and use baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or yams. My toddler preferred oven-baked fries the last time she was recovering from the flu.

* I have also had to change our shampoo, lotions, and even over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to avoid grain products and sugar. For OTC medicines, I usually look for the dye-free packages, and these usually have fewer troublesome ingredients.

Since my 3-year-old daughter was symptomatic with me, and the doctor indicated my soon-to-be-born son will most likely inherit the genetic tendency, our whole family has switched to my diet. (My husband is a saint! He does get bread and normal food when he eats out with his clients.) With my daughter, it is much easier to simply not have “off-limit” foods in the house.

As a postscript, I found out I was gluten intolerant because I was eating what I was storing. I was subclinical–did not exhibit any of the traditional symptoms despite eating a “healthy” whole-grain diet for years–until I tried a homemade bread recipe that called for extra gluten. In my case, the results were catastrophic. However, I am so grateful to found out before I needed to rely on my supplies (and good medical care might be unavailable). Needless to say, I am a big advocate of using what you store. – CL in Houston

 

Sir,
After reading your post today Letter Re: Adapting Family Food Storage for Gluten Intolerance I remembered reading recently about Kamut a possible low gluten wheat substitute for individuals what are gluten intolerant. I did a quick search on your blog and could not find a previous article about Kamut so I thought I would drop you a note to let you know about it.
You can read more about Kamut at the Walton Feed web site.
Regards, – Eric in The Desert

 

Sir,

My youngest daughter and I are sensitive to gluten. We have discovered that “alternative” grains like millet, quinoa, and amaranth are quite good. All three can be cooked as is as a side for supper or as a “porridge” for breakfast. Also, all three can be ground into flour or purchased bulk as flour from different sources. Sorghum and buckwheat are also good alternative flours. Millet would be good for anyone to investigate storing. It stores for a long time with little preparation — one to two years. It can be stored longer with better preparation — oxygen absorbers, etc. You cook millet like rice. You rinse then boil or you can rinse, toast, then boil. But, you use less millet than rice per cup of water. So the millet goes a lot farther. Generally, you cook 1 cup of millet per 2-1/2 cups of water. I cook brown rice at 1 cup of rice per 1-3/4 cups water. However, because of this, when grinding and baking with it, your baked item may be a bit dry from the millet absorbing so much liquid. With a touch of practice, you can remedy that.

As you mentioned, there are many good sources for cooking gluten-free. Blogs are wonderful resources. You can find a lot of practical advice from people who are dealing with it on a day to day basis.

And here is an excellent blog on going gluten-free. – Emma

 

Mr. Rawles,

Another place to get gluten free recipes is Frugalabundance.com. I hope that this proves helpful to any SurvivalBlog readers that are gluten intolerant. Regards, – Gloria

 

Hi Jim:
I read Tim’s post yesterday about his wife being diagnosed with Celiac disease. As you may recall, I was the one who posted one year ago about my daughter being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and a month later, learning she and my other ladies having Celiac disease. I can certainly sympathize with Tim as it is daunting and overwhelming when a loved one is initially diagnosed. From our year long experience with this, here is what I can offer.

The blessing and curse of these times is Celiac. While so many foods include wheat and gluten as part of their overall production, many more foods are now Gluten Free. This is driven in part by a growing awareness of the Celiac disease, gluten intolerance in general, links of gluten and Autism and simple dietary issues. More foods than ever are gluten free. We began by eliminating all sources of gluten and wheat from the house. Any wheat or gluten in our house would cause my diabetic daughter to begin to violently throw up, causing dehydration and ketone spikes. So it all went away. What was usually a two or three grocery store ensemble has now grown to seven (7) different stores in our region in order to find the various things. One store carries some things, another store different things and so on. Our best sources for gluten free foods has been the local Fred Meyer (owned by Kroeger) and Whole Foods. Some products are now clearly marked as “gluten free” so spotting them has been easier. For instance, instead of a loaf of wheat bread, we now use rice flour bread made at Whole foods (about 65% more expensive that regular whole wheat bread). Instead of the usual wheat flour waffles on the waffle maker, it’s now waffles made with rice or tapioca flour from the local health food store (Manna Mills). The treat of freezer cookies are accomplished with a brand of gluten free freezer cookies from Whole Foods. Cereals are rice or corn based. All chips are either corn tortilla or pure potato and we eat far more rice eaten as a staple.

One of the things we have encountered is that the carb load on these are typically higher, leading us to better watch our weight and how much we eat. As I indicated before, our grocery bill went up over 50% in one night when we switched. Many of these foods have a significantly shorter shelf life, especially when processed. As an example, a loaf of rice bread in my cool, dry house will spoil within 36-48 hours. But we found many, many on-line and local resources to help us in making the correct food decisions. My girls religiously reading the labels, looking for any signs of gluten, wheat or wheat family products that could contaminate. There is a very good magazine called Living Without which addresses foods without certain items such as gluten or wheat. Amazingly enough, our local Kroeger owned store was found to have a sizeable gluten free section in the natural foods section. And of course, we eat less processed foods, more fresh fruit and vegetables.
Naturally, the shift from a wheat based survival foods platform to a rice based platform was expensive. Many survival, dehydrated and MRE based foods were given away as they all contained either wheat or gluten. I bulked up on more rice and shelf stable wheat free survival foods (very little out there, I must admit).

Last November, our family took a much needed vacation to Disneyland. It was one of our most positive eating experiences as we learned that Disney (and other major theme park enterprises) takes Celiac disease seriously. They had gluten/wheat free alternatives based upon breads made in our area by Energee Foods. My girls were able to enjoy pizzas made with tapioca flour crust. We were even able to communicate with the head chef for Disneyland food service for information. That made for a more enjoyable trip. A visit to a local Von’s and Trader Joe’s and we had a great gluten free vacation.
For Seattle, Washinton area SurvivalBlog readers, here is a list of local stores we have been successful in finding wheat free or gluten free foods at:

Costco – Rice chips, corn tortilla chips, beans (bulk and canned refried), rice, Robert’s gourmet foods like Smart Puffs
PCC (Puget Consumers Co-Op) – Commercially produced gluten/wheat free foods
Whole Foods – Wheat free bread, rolls, pizza crusts, Angeline’s
Manna Mills – Bulk rice and tapioca flours
Fred Meyer – Crackers, Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flours, cereal, rice cakes, soy crackers, etc.
Ener-gee foods – Local commercial based gluten free foods (products used exclusively at Walt Disney resorts)
Trader Joe’s – Wheat and gluten free frozen waffles, pancakes, chips, crackers

I wish Tim and the other Celica readers great success! – MP in Seattle ( a Ten Cent Challenge subscriber)

 

Hi There,
In response to your reader post about food storage and gluten intolerance, I would like to add that if you plan to mill your own grains, and plan to store wheat for those that can eat it, you will need to get two grain mills and never mill grains containing gluten on your gluten free mill. Mills are too difficult to fully clean and there will be traces of gluten left from milling grains such as wheat or barley.

Every coeliac has a different level of intolerance, but it is not worth risking problems. Gluten free grains suitable for beer making are probably also suitable for substituting for wheat and barley in other foods too. Some of these are millet, buckwheat, corn, rice, quinoa and sorghum. Just remember to only use your gluten free mill to mill gluten free grains and store both the whole grains and flour in separate dedicated containers.- The Anonymous Economist

Mexican Flu Update:

The first really good news on the flu outbreak came yesterday: Scientists See this Flu Strain as Relatively Mild. I am hopeful that the current strain won’t mutate into something more inimical. But be sure to be well prepared, and get in the habit of frequent hand washing, regardless.OBTW, if I were in a position of influence, I’d recommend that the custom of handshaking be temporarily replaced with saluting, as was done during the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic. (But alas, these days some segments of society might see that as overly militaristic and politically incorrect.)

Reader Pat M. suggested an interesting article in Science Daily on social isolation to prevent the spread of influenza. OBTW, to minimize “casual contact”, I recommend curtailing social events, and shifting to family wilderness activities such as hiking and rock hounding. If you are a target shooter, instead of going to public ranges do your shooting on remote BLM land, or on private land (with permission.)

The latest flu headlines:

The Binder sent us a link to a Newsweek article that suggests that the number of flu cases may be under-reported in Mexico: City of Fear; How the swine flu is terrorizing Mexico’s capital. An on-scene report.

Queensland residents told to stockpile food amid flu fear

WHO to Stop Using Term “Swine Flu” to Protect Pigs

Vaccine Promised as US Cases Passes 100

More than 40 Probable Cases in Illinois

48 Confirmed Cases in New York State

Three New Cases Confirmed in Britain

Swine Flu Spreads to 11 States, 100 Schools Closed

Pandemic of Panic

E-mail From Trucker to Steve Quayle

Government Issues Guidance on Facility Closure: School Dismissal and Childcare

More Than 300 Schools Now Closed in US “Closing a school alone won’t stop community spread. “If a school is closed, it’s not closed so kids can go out to the mall or go out to the community at large,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. “Keep your young ones at home.”

Hong Kong Confirms Asia’s First Case of Swine Flu (now known as H1N1) Detected in Mexican man who had come from Shanghai.

Security Agent Likely Caught Swine Flu on Trip with Obama

NYC Mayor Says Many Sick People Not Tested, Number of Cases Probably Higher

Doctor in Washington State Saw 22 Patients Before Falling Ill

Ft. Worth: Mayfest, Other Events Cancelled Over Flu Concerns

Harvard Medical School Cancels Classes Over Possible Swine Flu

Economics and Investing:

U.S. Bank Test Results Delayed as Conclusions Debated. Gee, do you think they’d be delaying the reporting if the results had been good?

Kevin A. suggested a recent piece on banking opacity, from Jim Quinn.

Items from The Economatrix:

Martin Weiss: A Depression is Unavoidable

Consumer Spending Dips

Trucking Bankruptcies Continue

Obama Blasts Hedge Funds as Chrysler Heads into Bankruptcy

Gold Falls Under Very Large Sell Orders

US Still in Deep Recession

Ford Reports 32% Decline in April

“Torture” of Mortgage-Bond Owners Carries Risk

Chevron Has Lowest Profit in Five Years

Hartford Financial Drops After Posting Loss, Cutting Forecast

Continental Airlines First US Carrier to Shrink Flying Due to Swine Flu

Dollar Libor Drops to Within Basis Point of 1 Percent

Odds ‘n Sods:

J.O.N. recommended a succinct and well-reasoned piece by one of the folks from The Survival Podcast: Modern Survival Philosophy

   o o o

Rob at MURS Radios mentioned that he is offering an additional $5 discount from your order total if you pay via US Postal Service Money Order (PMO). He makes this discount available because PMOs eliminate the delays for check clearance, and save him the merchant fees charged for credit card transactions. Rob mentioned that he has all his cataloged items in stock and ready to ship. (MURS two-way radios, driveway alert sensors, et cetera.)

   o o o

The latest from Nanny State Nippon: Lithium in water “curbs suicide”.