Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing that is more important than his personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertion of better men than himself." – John Stuart Mill

Letter Re: Keeping a Low Profile is Crucial for Preparedness

Jim,
My missus and I have been into “prepping” for about 15 years. Our house has a basement and it is practically wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with shelves–with just narrow aisles in between. The shelves are chockablock with storage food (all labeled and organized “FIFO“-style), medical supplies, assorted “field” type gear, tools, barter/charity stuff, ammo cans, propane cylinders (that fit our camp stove and camping lantern), reels of field phone wire, paper products, and so forth. Following the example of Mr. Whiskey (from your “Profiles“) we have recently built up 27 sets of designated “charity duffles”, each packed in a cheap Made-in-Taiwan nylon duffle bag. Each of these contains a Dutch Army surplus wool blanket, a Chinese knockoff of a Leatherman tool, a pair of gloves, a pile (“watch”) cap, a half dozen pairs of socks, a thrift store man’s jacket, room for four days worth of food (which we would pack from our FIFO inventory, as needed), a collapsing plastic water container (the type that Campmor sells), a waterproof match container, a tube tent, and a hand line fishing kit. (“Teach a man to fish…”)

When we moved back to California in 1998, we picked our house specially because it was built in the 1940s. It is the oldest and sturdiest house on the block. (The neighborhood built up around the house, when the property was subdivided in the 1960s.) It has a basement and its own water well, which is now “off the books”–since the house is now on “city” [metered] water, but the well is still functional with a 24 VDC submersible well pump. I have four flush roof-mounted Kyocera PV panels (cannot be seen from the street) and six deep cycle batteries. The cables are run series-parallel to provide both 12 VDC and 24 VDC outputs.

Even though we live in a standard suburban neighborhood, none of out neighbors are any the wiser about our preps. At the core, I consider my preparations my own business. When the time comes to hand out the charity duffles, we will do so through an intermediary, like our church. (We are Methodists.)

After seeing what happened to that guy in Norco last year, I am glad that I keep a low profile. The specific measures that we have taken to keep a low profile are:

1.) We take no UPS deliveries at our house. Nearly all of our mail-ordered goods are sent to our private mail box at the local UPS Store (it was formerly a “MailBoxes, Etc.”) From there, we take the boxes home in our minivan.We are always sure to unload the van from inside my garage, with the garage door shut. All of the empty boxes have the “to” and “from” address labels cut out with a box cutter knife. I discard the flattened boxes in the cardboard recycling dumpster behind the office where I work. (I’m a sales engineer for a medium-size company.)

2.) We don’t subscribe to any shooting or hunting magazines. We get all of the gun information we need online. To “stay in the fight” politically, I do make regular anonymous contributions to the GOA, JPFO and CRPA [The California Rifle and Pistol Association, a firearms rights organization], via Post Office Money Orders. (BTW, I do the same for the SurvivalBlog [10 Cent] Challenge. Shame on any of you that read this blog regularly but don’t pony up the 10 pennies a day!)

3.) We access all web pages via Anonymizer, with no exceptions.

4.) Most of of our preps purchases are either made F2F, with cash, or with Post Office Money Orders if ordering by mail. This eliminates the “trail of paper” from writing checks or using a credit card. We buy a lot from Nitro-Pak, Ready Made Resources, Major Surplus, and Lehman’s.

5.) All of our guns, ammunition, gun gadgets, targets, and cleaning supplies are bought “private party”, mainly at SoCal [(Southern California)] gun shows. Also, needless to mention, these are greenback transactions only! In California, we can still at least buy rifles and shotguns that are more than 50 years old without having to buy through a [licensed] dealer. We have two [M1] Garand rifles, and a FN.49, also [chambered] in .30-06. I’m still looking for one or two more of those, but they are scarce, and even harder to find private party. We also have three [Winchester] Model 12 pump[-action] 12 gauge shotguns, two of which have had their barrels shortened to 18.5 inches. Handgun buys in California all require paperwork, but by Divine Providence I bought several Glocks and [Colt Model] 1911s when I was living in Arizona for a couple years, back in the late ’90s. [JWR Adds: That loophole was recently closed for Californians. Anyone moving into the state must now register their handguns. Drat! But at least there was a grandfather clause.] There is isn’t much to do out in the desert except shoot, so I bought a lot of guns when we were there.

6.) We signed up for an identity theft and credit report checking protection plan three years ago. I noticed that SurvivalBlog just started running an ad from Comprehensive Risk Solutions. Their service has more bells and whistles and a lower subscription cost that our current provider, so we will switch [to them] when our current subscription lapses. [JWR Adds: I highly recommend this service. It is cheap insurance to prevent what would otherwise be a very costly incident.]

7.) We use a TracFone whenever calling a mail order vendor. (No calling history paper trail.)

8. ) We don’t mention our preps to anyone outside of our family. We have coached our kids from an early age to keep their lips zipped.

9.) Whenever we have anybody visit our home, the basement door stays closed and locked. (It is a keyed deadbolt lock.) The basement has no windows. Most of our friends and relatives don’t realize that we even have a basement. (Basements are actually rare in California tract neighborhoods.) To anybody that visits, the basement door just looks like a locked closet.

10.) We don’t leave anything “suspicious” out where it can be seen in our house and garage.

These precautions might seem kinda “over the top”, but put yourself in my shoes. In the People’s Republic of California it pays to be a bit of a Secret Squirrel. I does cost me about $300 per year to get my mail and packages at the UPS Store, but I consider that a small price to pay for my privacy. I plan to retire to the mountains of central Nevada in nine years, but for now, I am making do in my present circumstances. – F.L. in Southern California

Letter Re: Is Grain Sold as Seed or Animal Feed Safe to Eat?

Mr. Rawles
I got a You Tube link that shows “Five gallon bucket storage techniques” and was wondering if the “deer wheat” mentioned in the video was edible or able to sprout and also make wheat berries? I went to my local feed store and they can get the “deer wheat” in 50 pound bags either as “seed” or “feed”. If this “deer wheat” is okay for human consumption, then which would be the better buy, “seed” or “feed”?

JWR Replies: Typically “seed” grain is treated with insecticides and fungicides, but “feed “grain is not. Any whole grain (without fillers, additives or byproducts) sold as animal “feed” is probably fit for human consumption, but don’t count on it. (See the scholarly study “Contaminants and toxins in animal feeds”, for example.) The FDA food handling standards for human consumption generally don’t apply. Thus, there could be excess pesticides, insect parts, insect excreta, or other contamination, including the risk of micotoxins, . This is not to say that grains packed for human food are perfect. I’ve found much more than just chaff in the wheat that I bought from food storage vendors over the years, including pebbles and small dirt clod! But at least the screening is more thorough with these grains that with animal feed.

The only way to be sure about safety for human consumption is to check with the feed mill/packaging company, for each product.

Perhaps a reader that works at a feed mill or perhaps someone with a background in food inspection would care to share their knowledge.

Three Letters Re: Advice on Uses for a Disused Underground Cistern

James,

If the location is right, install what looks like access to a septic system. I’d use it for a big cache or a root cellar. Seal the entrance with concrete which can be busted out with a sledge hammer, or perhaps use lumber or brick to cover the walls of the entrance and use the original access for another purpose to hide it’s original intent such as a cache of lesser importance.
– E.L.

Jim,
You wrote: “In particular, ideas on camouflaging the entrance trap door would be appreciated.”

I wasn’t able to clearly visualize the trap door in the garage. But if the trap door is near a wall, or is recessed at or just below the floor level I might cover the area with one of those 1/8 inch thick oil drip catching sheets of metal available at most auto stores, etc.

If I didn’t need regular access to the entry, I would add some Kitty Litter to the metal sheet and perhaps set a push lawn mower on top of that.

A little easily-visible used oil added to the kitty litter for effect would probably help too. – KMA

 

Sir,
The first thing I would do is make sure this is not an old converted septic tank. If it were I’m sure you would already know that! If it is going to be an occupied shelter: The first thing I would do is to make an emergency exit to the ‘room’. Dig a tunnel from the outside of the garage down to the room about half way up a wall from the yard and fill with sand. About a foot down from the yard hole place pressure treated plywood then dirt then grass. Keep a small axe, a sledge hammer, cold chisel, hack saw with metal cutting blade and a small folding shovel in the room at all times. If you ever get trapped in there you can break the wall out, let the sand fall out in the room, dig some sand out, and escape. You must always have an alternative exit an any situation.

The second thing I would do if its a room is coat the walls, floor, and ceiling at least twice with a waterproof sealer.

The third thing I would do is run a six inch PVC pipe out one wall and have it come out in the yard, screen the yard end and place a large planting pot over it with false bottom with holes in the pot. For heavier safety you could build a cement planter with holes that look like weep holes. Place a false bottom in it, and fill with plants. Inside the room you can add a hand crank squirrel cage blower. [JWR Adds: And a HEPA filter if you want the space top double as a fallout shelter.] You will need to repeat the same for exhaust air. What comes in must go out. Air, water, food goes in and comes out!

The fourth thing I would do is stock it up: water, food, blankets, sleeping bags, guns, ammo, sealable drums for poop bags, first aid and all the goodies.

The fifth thing I would do is start spending nights in it–first one, then two, then three. Make it familiar. You may find you freak out after a few days, and yet it takes weeks for radiation half life to dissipate. Get used to it, you don’t want to do that under stress.

The main entry can be concealed with a lightweight fake shelf made from balsa wood. A metal plate can be hinged, fastened to the floor, covered with a rubber mat, and the light shelf bolted to the metal door from below. You can glue stuff to it to make it look like a used shelf. Rings can be welding to the under side of the metal door so chains can be installed to hold it down to keep the ‘bugs’ out. Just a quick thought. – Jesse

Odds ‘n Sods:

Here in The Unnamed Western State (TUWS), a BMW or a Lexus is not considered a status symbol, but a Caterpillar tractor is. In winters with heavy snowfall, nothing beats a Cat for plowing out roads. Anyone with a large Cat with a versatile blade is is considered the “go-to guy” after a major snow storm. If you own a Cat and your neighbors don’t, then after the first hard winter they will consider you indispensable.

   o o o

John T. flagged this from Fortune magazine: ‘It’s going to be much worse’ Famed investor Jim Rogers sees hard times ahead for the United States – and a big opportunity looming in China. His comments on the Federal Reserve being out of control are noteworthy. John also mentioned this from Fortune: Eight ways to recession-proof your job

   o o o

The Memsahib very quickly high-graded my Kaito KA-1102 compact shortwave radio for her own use. (She did so after she discovered that it has better reception of FM stations than any of our other radios.) We live in a remote region where daytime reception is pitiful, so we’ve come to appreciate the quality of these little radios. They are a lot of radio for very little money. So now I’ll be ordering another Kaito from Affordable Shortwaves for my own use. This recent experience adds credence to the old prepper’s adage: “Two is one, and one is none.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Competition is the life of trade…In a controlled situation, people take what they can get. In a competitive situation, people get what they want.” – William C. Durant, founder of General Motors

Note from JWR:

Today’s first post is for the benefit of the many folks that have just recently found SurvivalBlog. (Our readership has quadrupled since February of 2006. We now have nearly 10,000 unique visits per day.) This is something that I wrote and originally posted in September of 2005.

From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a “List of Lists”

Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then draft prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or in a spreadsheet if you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out a hard copy for use when the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor your lists to suit your particular geography, climate, and population density as well as your peculiar needs and likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat in a coastal area is likely to have a far different list than someone living in the Rockies.

As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create truly commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on Friday evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main (or propane tank), and shut your main water valve (or turn off your well pump.) Spend that weekend in primitive conditions. Practice using only your storage food, preparing it on a wood stove (or camping stove.)

A “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” will surprise you. Things that you take for granted will suddenly become labor intensive. False assumptions will be shattered. Your family will grow closer and more confident. Most importantly, some of the most thorough lists that you will ever make will be those written by candlelight.

Your List of Lists should include: (Sorry that this post is in outline form, but it would take a full length book to discus all of the following in great detail)

Water List
Food Storage List
Food Preparation List
Personal List
First Aid /Minor Surgery List
Nuke Defense List
Biological Warfare Defense List
Gardening List
Hygiene List/Sanitation List
Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
Power/Lighting/Batteries List
Fuels List
Firefighting List
Tactical Living List
Security-General
Security-Firearms
Communications/Monitoring List
Tools List
Sundries List
Survival Bookshelf List
Barter and Charity List

JWR’s Specific Recommendations For Developing Your Lists:

Water List
House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this is another good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal roof.)
Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don’t buy big barrels, since five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that most people can handle without back strain.
For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a couple of heavy duty two wheel garden carts–convert the wheels to foam filled “no flats” tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for those carts around your retreat, such as hauling hay, firewood, manure, fertilizer, et cetera.)
Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a long way. Buy some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If you can afford it, buy a “Big Berky” British Berkefeld ceramic water filter. (Available from Ready Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure spring water at your retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good filter could be a lifesaver.)

Food Storage List
See my post tomorrow which will be devoted to food storage. Also see the recent letter from David in Israel on this subject.


Food Preparation List
Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an oversize skillet and a huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several huge kettles, because odds are you will have to heat water on your wood stove for bathing, dish washing, and clothes washing. You will also need even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or 6 gallon PVC buckets–for water hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying. They will also make great barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr. Gary North: “Nails: buy a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!”)
Don’t overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.

Personal List
(Make a separate personal list for each family member and individual expected to arrive at your retreat.)
Spare glasses.
Prescription and nonprescription medications.
Birth control.
Keep dentistry up to date.
Any elective surgery that you’ve been postponing
Work off that gut.
Stay in shape.
Back strength and health—particularly important, given the heavy manual tasks required for self-sufficiency.
Educate yourself on survival topics, and practice them. For example, even if you don’t presently live at your retreat, you should plant a vegetable garden every year. It is better to learn through experience and make mistakes now, when the loss of crop is an annoyance rather than a crucial event.
“Comfort” items to help get through high stress times. (Books, games, CDs, chocolates, etc.)

First Aid /Minor Surgery List
When tailoring this list, consider your neighborhood going for many months without power, extensive use of open flames, and sentries standing picket shifts exposed in the elements. Then consider axes, chainsaws and tractors being wielded by newbies, and a greater likelihood of gunshot wounds. With all of this, add the possibility of no access to doctors or high tech medical diagnostic equipment. Put a strong emphasis on burn treatment first aid supplies. Don’t overlook do-it-yourself dentistry! (Oil of cloves, temporary filling kit, extraction tools, et cetera.) Buy a full minor surgery outfit (inexpensive Pakistani stainless steel instruments), even if you don’t know how to use them all yet. You may have to learn, or you will have the opportunity to put them in the hands of someone experienced who needs them.) This is going to be a big list!

Chem/Nuke Defense List
Dosimeter and rate meter, and charger, radiac meter (hand held Geiger counter), rolls of sheet plastic (for isolating airflow to air filter inlets and for covering window frames in the event that windows are broken due to blast effects), duct tape, HEPA filters (ands spares) for your shelter. Potassium iodate (KI) tablets to prevent thyroid damage.(See my recent post on that subject.) Outdoor shower rig for just outside your shelter entrance.

Biological Warfare Defense List
 Disinfectants
Hand Sanitizer
Sneeze masks
Colloidal silver generator and spare supplies (distilled water and .999 fine silver rod.)
Natural antibiotics (Echinacea, Tea Tree oil, …)

Gardening List
One important item for your gardening list is the construction of a very tall deer-proof and rabbit-proof fence. Under current circumstances, a raid by deer on your garden is probably just an inconvenience. After the balloon goes up, it could mean the difference between eating well, and starvation.
Top Soil/Amendments/Fertilizers.
Tools+ spares for barter/charity
Long-term storage non hybrid (open pollinated) seed. (Non-hybrid “heirloom” seed assortments tailors to different climate zones are available from The Ark Institute
Herbs: Get started with medicinal herbs such as aloe vera (for burns), echinacea (purple cone flower), valerian, et cetera.

Hygiene/Sanitation List
Sacks of powdered lime for the outhouse. Buy plenty!
TP in quantity (Stores well if kept dry and away from vermin and it is lightweight, but it is very bulky. This is a good item to store in the attic. See my novel about stocking up on used phone books for use as TP.
Soap in quantity (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, cleansers, etc.)
Bottled lye for soap making.
Ladies’ supplies.
Toothpaste (or powder).
Floss.
Fluoride rinse. (Unless you have health objections to the use of fluoride.)
Sunscreen.
Livestock List:
Hoof rasp, hoof nippers, hoof pick, horse brushes, hand sheep shears, styptic, carding combs, goat milking stand, teat dip, udder wash, Bag Balm, elastrator and bands, SWOT fly repellent, nail clippers (various sizes), Copper-tox, leads, leashes, collars, halters, hay hooks, hay fork, manure shovel, feed buckets, bulk grain and C-O-B sweet feed (store in galvanized trash cans with tight fitting lids to keep the mice out), various tack and saddles, tack repair tools, et cetera. If your region has selenium deficient soil (ask your local Agricultural extension office) then be sure to get selenium-fortified salt blocks rather than plain white salt blocks–at least for those that you are going to set aside strictly for your livestock.

Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
“Buckshot” Bruce Hemming has produced an excellent series of videos on trapping and making improvised traps. (He also sells traps and scents at very reasonable prices.)
Night vision gear, spares, maintenance, and battery charging
Salt. Post-TEOTWAWKI, don’t “go hunting.” That would be a waste of effort. Have the game come to you. Buy 20 or more salt blocks. They will also make very valuable barter items.
Sell your fly fishing gear (all but perhaps a few flies) and buy practical spin casting equipment.
Extra tackle may be useful for barter, but probably only in a very long term Crunch.
Buy some frog gigs if you have bullfrogs in your area. Buy some crawfish traps if you have crawfish in your area.
Learn how to rig trot lines and make fish traps for non-labor intensive fishing WTSHTF.

Power/Lighting/Batteries List
One proviso: In the event of a “grid down” situation, if you are the only family in the area with power, it could turn your house into a “come loot me” beacon at night. At the same time, your house lighting will ruin the night vision of your LP/OP pickets. Make plans and buy materials in advance for making blackout screens or fully opaque curtains for your windows.
When possible, buy nickel metal hydride batteries. (Unlike the older nickel cadmium technology, these have no adverse charge level “memory” effect.)
If your home has propane appliances, get a “tri-fuel” generator–with a carburetor that is selectable between gasoline, propane, and natural gas. If you heat your home with home heating oil, then get a diesel-burning generator. (And plan on getting at least one diesel burning pickup and/or tractor). In a pinch, you can run your diesel generator and diesel vehicles on home heating oil.
Kerosene lamps; plenty of extra wicks, mantles, and chimneys. (These will also make great barter items.)
Greater detail on do-it-yourself power will be included in my forthcoming blog posts.

Fuels List
Buy the biggest propane, home heating oil, gas, or diesel tanks that your local ordinances permit and that you can afford. Always keep them at least two-thirds full. For privacy concerns, ballistic impact concerns, and fire concerns, underground tanks are best if you local water table allows it. In any case, do not buy an aboveground fuel tank that would visible from any public road or navigable waterway. Buy plenty of extra fuel for barter. Don’t overlook buying plenty of kerosene. (For barter, you will want some in one or two gallon cans.) Stock up on firewood or coal. (See my previous blog posts.) Get the best quality chainsaw you can afford. I prefer Stihls and Husqavarnas. If you can afford it, buy two of the same model. Buy extra chains, critical spare parts, and plenty of two-cycle oil. (Two-cycle oil will be great for barter!) Get a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps. They are expensive but they might save yourself a trip to the emergency room. Always wear gloves, goggles, and ear-muffs. Wear a logger’s helmet when felling. Have someone who is well experienced teach you how to re-sharpen chains. BTW, don’t cut up your wood into rounds near any rocks or you will destroy a chain in a hurry.

Firefighting List
Now that you have all of those flammables on hand (see the previous list) and the prospect of looters shooting tracer ammo or throwing Molotov cocktails at your house, think in terms of fire fighting from start to finish without the aid of a fire department. Even without looters to consider, you should be ready for uncontrolled brush or residential fires, as well as the greater fire risk associated with greenhorns who have just arrived at your retreat working with wood stoves and kerosene lamps!
Upgrade your retreat with a fireproof metal roof.
2” water line from your gravity-fed storage tank (to provide large water volume for firefighting)
Fire fighting rig with an adjustable stream/mist head.
Smoke and CO detectors.

Tactical Living List
Adjust your wardrobe buying toward sturdy earth-tone clothing. (Frequent your local thrift store and buy extras for retreat newcomers, charity, and barter.)
Dyes. Stock up on some boxes of green and brown cloth dye. Buy some extra for barter. With dye, you can turn most light colored clothes into semi-tactical clothing on short notice.
Two-inch wide burlap strip material in green and brown. This burlap is available in large spools from Gun Parts Corp. Even if you don’t have time now, stock up so that you can make camouflage ghillie suits post-TEOTWAWKI.
Save those wine corks! (Burned cork makes quick and cheap face camouflage.)
Cold weather and foul weather gear—buy plenty, since you will be doing more outdoor chores, hunting, and standing guard duty.
Don’t overlook ponchos and gaiters.
Mosquito repellent.
Synthetic double-bag (modular) sleeping bags for each person at the retreat, plus a couple of spares. The Wiggy’s brand Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System (FTRSS) made by Wiggy’s of Grand Junction, Colorado is highly recommended.
Night vision gear + IR floodlights for your retreat house
Subdued flashlights and penlights.
Noise, light, and litter discipline. (More on this in future posts–or perhaps a reader would like to send a brief article on this subject)
Security-General: Locks, intrusion detection/alarm systems, exterior obstacles (fences, gates, 5/8” diameter (or larger) locking road cables, rosebush plantings, “decorative” ponds (moats), ballistic protection (personal and residential), anti-vehicular ditches/berms, anti-vehicular concrete “planter boxes”, razor wire, etc.)
Starlight electronic light amplification scopes are critical tools for retreat security.
A Starlight scope (or goggles, or a monocular) literally amplifies low ambient light by up to 100,000 times, turning nighttime darkness into daylight–albeit a green and fuzzy view. Starlight light amplification technology was first developed during the Vietnam War. Late issue Third Generation (also called or “Third Gen” or “Gen 3”) starlight scopes can cost up to $3,500 each. Rebuilt first gen (early 1970s technology scopes can often be had for as little as $500. Russian-made monoculars (with lousy optics) can be had for under $100. One Russian model that uses a piezoelectric generator instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These are best used as backups (in case your expensive American made scopes fail. They should not be purchased for use as your primary night vision devices unless you are on a very restrictive budget. (They are better than nothing.) Buy the best starlight scopes, goggles, and monoculars you can afford. They may be life-savers! If you can afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/PVS-4, with a Gen 2 (or better) tube. Make sure to specify that that the tube is new or “low hours”, has a high “line pair” count, and minimal scintillation. It is important to buy your Starlight gear from a reputable dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and scammers. One dealer that I trust, is Al Glanze (spoken “Glan-zee”) who runs STANO Components, Inc. in Silver City, Nevada. Note: In a subsequent blog posts I will discuss the relationship and implications to IR illuminators and tritium sights.
Range cards and sector sketches.
If you live in the boonies, piece together nine of the USGS 15-minute maps, with your retreat property on the center map. Mount that map on an oversize map board. Draw in the property lines and owner names of all of your surrounding neighbor’s parcels (in pencil) in at least a five mile radius. (Get boundary line and current owner name info from your County Recorder’s office.) Study and memorize both the terrain and the neighbors’ names. Make a phone number/e-mail list that corresponds to all of the names marked on the map, plus city and county office contact numbers for quick reference and tack it up right next to the map board. Cover the whole map sheet with a sheet of heavy-duty acetate, so you can mark it up just like a military commander’s map board. (This may sound a bit “over the top”, but remember, you are planning for the worst case. It will also help you get to know your neighbors: When you are introduced by name to one of them when in town, you will be able to say, “Oh, don’t you live about two miles up the road between the Jones place and the Smith’s ranch?” They will be impressed, and you will seem like an instant “old timer.”

Security-Firearms List
 Guns, ammunition, web gear, eye and ear protection, cleaning equipment, carrying cases, scopes, magazines, spare parts, gunsmithing tools, targets and target frames, et cetera. Each rifle and pistol should have at least six top quality (original military contract or original manufacturer) full capacity spare magazines. Note: Considerable detail on firearms and optics selection, training, use, and logistic support are covered in the SurvivalBlog archives and FAQs.

Communications/Monitoring List
When selecting radios buy only models that will run on 12 volt DC power or rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs (that can be recharged from your retreat’s 12 VDC power system without having to use an inverter.)
As a secondary purchasing goal, buy spare radios of each type if you can afford them. Keep your spares in sealed metal boxes to protect them from EMP.
If you live in a far inland region, I recommend buying two or more 12 VDC marine band radios. These frequencies will probably not be monitored in your region, leaving you an essentially private band to use. (But never assume that any two-way radio communications are secure!)
Note: More detail on survival communications gear selection, training, use, security/cryptography measures, antennas, EMP protection, and logistical support will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.

Tools List
Gardening tools.
Auto mechanics tools.
Welding.
Bolt cutters–the indispensable “universal key.”
Woodworking tools.
Gunsmithing tools.
Emphasis on hand powered tools.
Hand or treadle powered grinding wheel.
Don’t forget to buy plenty of extra work gloves (in earth tone colors).
Sundries List:
Systematically list the things that you use on a regular basis, or that you might need if the local hardware store were to ever disappear: wire of various gauges, duct tape, reinforced strapping tape, chain, nails, nuts and bolts, weather stripping, abrasives, twine, white glue, cyanoacrylate glue, et cetera.


Book/Reference List
You should probably have nearly every book on my Bookshelf page. For some, you will want to have two or three copies, such as Carla Emery’s “Encyclopedia of Country Living“. This is because these books are so valuable and indispensable that you won’t want to risk lending out your only copy.

Barter and Charity List
For your barter list, acquire primarily items that are durable, non-perishable, and either in small packages or that are easily divisible. Concentrate on the items that other people are likely to overlook or have in short supply. Some of my favorites are ammunition. [The late] Jeff Cooper referred to it as “ballistic wampum.” WTSHTF, ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver. Store all of your ammo in military surplus ammo cans (with seals that are still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick to common calibers, get plenty of .22 LR (most high velocity hollow points) plus at least ten boxes of the local favorite deer hunting cartridge, even if you don’t own a rifle chambered for this cartridge. (Ask your local sporting goods shop about their top selling chamberings). Also buy at least ten boxes of the local police department’s standard pistol cartridge, again even if you don’t own a pistol chambered for this cartridge.
Ladies supplies.
Salt (Buy lots of cattle blocks and 1 pound canisters of iodized table salt.)
(Stores indefinitely if kept dry.)
Two cycle engine oil (for chain saw gas mixing. Gas may still be available after a collapse, but two-cycle oil will probably be like liquid gold!)
Gas stabilizer.
Diesel antibacterial additive.
50-pound sacks of lime (for outhouses).
1 oz. bottles of military rifle bore cleaner and Break Free (or similar) lubricant.
Waterproof dufflebags in earth tone colors (whitewater rafting “dry bags”).
Thermal socks.
Semi-waterproof matches (from military rations.)
Military web gear (lots of folks will suddenly need pistol belts, holsters, magazine pouches, et cetera.)
Pre-1965 silver dimes.
1-gallon cans of kerosene.
Rolls of olive drab parachute cord.
Rolls of olive-drab duct tape.
Spools of monofilament fishing line.
Rolls of 10 mil “Visqueen”, sheet plastic (for replacing windows, isolating airspaces for nuke scenarios, etc.)
I also respect the opinion of one gentleman with whom I’ve corresponded, who recommended the following:
Strike anywhere matches. (Dip the heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.)
Playing cards.
Cooking spices. (Do a web search for reasonably priced bulk spices.)
Rope & string.
Sewing supplies.
Candle wax and wicking.
Lastly, any supplies necessary for operating a home-based business. Some that you might consider are: leather crafting, small appliance repair, gun repair, locksmithing, et cetera. Every family should have at least one home-based business (preferably two!) that they can depend on in the event of an economic collapse.
Stock up on additional items to dispense to refugees as charity.
Note: See the Barter Faire chapter in my novel “Patriots” for lengthy lists of potential barter items.

Letter Re: Best Items to Store for Barter and Charity?

Mr. Rawles,
My wife and I are are in our 50s, (never had kids) and we live in a four bedroom house on 80 acres (mostly leased out [for farming]), eight miles outside a town of 20,000 population, in south-central Iowa. Two of our cousins and one nephew–all military vet[eran]s–that live in town are planning to come out [and live with us], if and when times get nasty. We have now have (or will soon have) all our basic preparations in hand, including a three year food supply for five people, which we got mostly through Safecastle and Ready Made Resources, plus some extra meats from Freeze Dry Guy, and some canned butter from Best Prices Storable Foods. We also took your advice and upgraded to a propane [chest] freezer. (That took a lot of searching, believe me!) It now holds almost a a side of beefalo, and almost 15 gallons of frozen olive oil. (Thanks for mentioning [fats and] oils–that was something that we had totally overlooked!).

My wife and I plan to book the four day handgun course and the four day rifle course back-to-back at Front Sight, with some sightseeing in Vegas, on the weekend in between [the two courses]. We are going in April–before the really scorching weather starts in southern Nevada. (We’ve been warned about the summers there!) Per your suggestion posts, we [standardized] with Glock 21-SF .45s and FN-FAL clones. With five of each–not to mention the rest of my [gun] collection, which was ah-hem substantial before I ever started reading your blog–we should be able to hold off a small army. We have well water, but have a very reliable windmill that pumps [water up] to a 850 gallon tank with its overflow piped to a 2,700 above-ground concrete cistern for irrigating our garden. Water is not an issue.We also have oversize propane and home heating [oil] tanks. (Large enough that they’ve each prompted comments from visitors. I’ve just told them that I like to buy in bulk whenever fuel prices dip.)

Now that we have all the basics covered, we are ready to acquire some stocks for barter, assuming one of your “Grid Down” collapses. We have plenty of [storage] space, since our house has a full unfinished basement. FYI, it has never had any dampness or flooding problems.What do you suggest as the most important barter [item] to stock up on? We also want to have extra items for charity. We plan to do that through our church, so that our family name never gets mentioned. – Karl in Iowa

JWR Replies: It sounds like you are “Away squared”!

For anyone living in an inland area, I consider salt the highest priority barter and charity item. Buy a lot of salt, in several forms. As space allows, buy 20 to 30 of the 50-pound plain white salt blocks from your local feed store. These are great for barter–both for folks with livestock and for people that want to attract wild game. Buy a couple of 25 pound sacks of iodized salt for your own use. Also buy 100 to 200 of the standard cardboard one pound canisters of iodized salt for small scale barter transactions.

The second highest priority for barter and charity is fuel. If you have an outbuilding that can provide safe and secure storage, then buy at least a 20 one-gallon gallon cans of Coleman stove/lantern fuel, 30 to 50 standard propane cylinders (the size used for torches and camp stoves) and 40 to 60 one-gallon cans of kerosene. You might also lay in a few extra welding cylinders (Oxygen and acetylene.)

Also store some bulk fuel. If you can afford it, also install a 300 to 800 gallon underground gasoline tank and a 600 to 2,500 gallon underground diesel tank. (And of course make sure that you have at least one diesel vehicle.) You should carefully camouflage the filler necks and hand pumps for those tanks, as I’ve previously described in the blog. (In the “Search” box in the right had bar, enter the word “wine”.) If you ever use any of your gas or diesel for barter, do not reveal how much you have stored, or the fact that you have underground ranks. All that your customers should be allowed to see is a few 5 gallon cans. Also, depending on the local circumstances, you might also consider getting a pair of used 80 gallon aboveground tanks (typical farm and ranch tanks on metal stands) clearly stenciled “Unleaded” and “Diesel” to leave behind your barn unlocked and nearly empty, as a decoy for burglars.

The third highest priority for barter and charity is common caliber ammunition. I have discussed this at length before in SurvivalBlog. (In the “Search” box in the right hand bar, enter the word “wampum”.)

Beyond, those three categories of high priority barterables, if you still have extra cash and storage space available, see my book SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog – Volume 1 and/or the SurvivalBlog archives for dozens of other barter items that have been suggested by blog readers.

OBTW, one of my consulting clients recently suggested buying several extra pieces of inexpensive night vision gear, such as first generation Russian monoculars. These would be in demand from any folks fearing nighttime attacks from looters. Since light amplification night vision gear is still relatively uncommon it would surely be a desirable item for barter. If you are looking for night vision gear, please contact our advertisers such as JRH Enterprises and Ready Made Resources, first.

Odds ‘n Sods:

We were recently somewhat “snowed in” and ran low on feed for our flock of assorted fowl. So the ever-resourceful Memsahib simply broke out one of our oldest 35 pound buckets of hard red winter wheat from the JASBORR. She soaked the wheat in water for 12 hours, and voila! Soft, plump wheat berries. She is also sprouting some wheat, which is even more nutritious. She mentioned that her maternal great-grandmother, at the turn of last century used sprouted wheat for chicken feed. This kept her hens laying eggs throughout the winter. Before the days of electrically-lighted hen houses, winter eggs brought a premium price.

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Thanks to KBF for sending this: Bangladesh Hit by Bird Flu Outbreak

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Eric sent this: Disaster Preparation for Dogs

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An interesting discussion in progress, over at The Oil Drum: More Thoughts on Relocalization.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The wheels have come off. Structured finance, which has been the key to this credit bubble, has broken down. We believe that confidence in structures, ratings, collateral, issuers, counterparties, et cetera, has all been lost. Therefore we are in a very precarious position. Credit has driven the economy and has driven markets. Credit has to grow year-over-year in this credit bubble environment in order for the economy to grow. With structured finance having broken down, in our opinion, there is no way that credit will grow year-over-year any longer.” – David Tice of the Prudent Bear Fund, as quoted by Welling @Weeden

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 15 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Round 15 ends on March 31st, 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.

Keeping Ourselves Injury Free WTSHTF, by Bubba’s Wife

Some of us with desk jobs in the current economy (who possibly stop at Starbucks more than we should) have a bit more to do than just preparing our retreats. I will attempt to address the issue of keeping our bodies injury free, during the upcoming adventures. In the coming economy, there’s going to be a lot of hard, physical work and chiropractors will be hard to come by.

I believe that our family’s preparation plans are going to have to include a plan to bring our bodies up to a standard of fitness, flexibility and strength. Every family member is going to have to be at the top of his or her game, physically. Realistically, we don’t know how bad it’s going to get, so we need to prepare for the worst. In my mind, TEOTWAWKI could mean having to care for our families in a combative environment, without a reliable medic and perhaps far from our medical supplies. In that kind of environment we are going to have to rely on our bodies like never before.

The most important part of the preparation of our physical bodies is going to be flexibility. Thorough flexibility can and will prevent an injury that a stiff, inflexible body could suffer from for months. Have you known anyone sidelined for months or even years with a bad back? WTSHTF, that’s not going to be an option. Our survival will depend on being able to get it done, every day.
The second most important part of your preparation is going to be your “core” strength. This is the strength at the center of your body, mainly your abdominal muscles. A strong core means a strong back. Also, your balance and agility come from having a strong core.

The last, yet still vitally important, part will be muscular strength. Strong arms, legs, glutes, etc. will ensure that we are able to accomplish what we have to. We can be certain that there is some hard work ahead. It’s better to be prepared, than to discover too late that we’re not up to the task.

Before we head off to the gym, gung ho to “get in shape,” keep in mind that we won’t have an LA Fitness Center nearby to maintain our physique. So let’s build it, the way we’re going to have to maintain it. Realistically: at home, without equipment.

We aren’t aiming for a perfect physique. We don’t even need a pretty physique. We need a strong, flexible physique that does what it’s told. Like our children and pets, our bodies have to be trained to respond and comply without hesitation, and without letting us down.

Let’s start with flexibility: Every day, without fail, we need to spend some time stretching and limbering our bodies. This is not until we get to our goal – this is forever. Here are some stretches that should get every inch of our bodies limber: I got these stretches from “The Genius of Flexibility” by Bob Cooley (ignore the “Chinese Medicine” and “Energy Flow” Schumer– but the stretches are good.) You may find better stretches in your own health library. (YMMV)

1. Knee to forehead: increases flexibility and strength of lateral leg, hip, torso, and neck muscles.
Lie on your back. Pull right knee halfway to your chest and place the left ankle over your right knee. Place both hands on the back of your right thigh, close to your knee. Stretch the muscles on your left hip and thigh by resisting your left leg and ankle against your right thigh, as you pull your right knee toward your chest with your arms. Repeat several times and switch sides.
2. Lateral bend: increases strength and flexibility of arms and torso muscles.
Stand with feet together and grasp your hands together above your head. Continuously contract the muscles on the side of your torso by pulling your left arm downward and using your right arm to lean over to the left. Turn your head and torso towards the ceiling. Return to starting position. Repeat several times, and then switch sides.
3. Thigh stretch: front of thighs.
Kneel on all fours with your hips aligned over your knees, and your hands and wrists under and in alignment with your shoulders. Bring your left lower leg and foot up against the wall with a rolled up hand towel to cushion your foot. Step up onto your right foot in front of you and lunge deeply forward, slanting your torso slightly forward. Contract the muscles on the front of your left thigh by pushing against the wall with your left foot while you bring your hips back next to your left foot. Return to starting position. Repeat several times then switch sides.
4. Forward bend: back of thighs and calves.
You can do this standing or sitting. Spread your legs shoulder width apart or wider, and bend forward. Grasp your ankles with both hands. Contract the muscles on the inside back of your thighs as you bend forward, straighten your legs, and pull your head down between your legs with your arms. Return to starting position. Repeat several times.
5. Central leg extension: back of legs and up spine.
Lie on the floor on your back. Bring your right knee up to your chest and bend your lower leg. Grasp hold of your right ankle and foot with both hands. Contract the muscles on the back of your legs and up your spine by kicking your heel toward your butt while you bring your heel up toward your head with your hands. Repeat several times and switch sides.
6. Child’s pose: back of shoulders and arms. Kneel on the floor. Curl your torso and head toward your knees and place your elbows and hand parallel to the floor in front of you. Contract the muscles on the back of your shoulders and arms as you pull backwards and push downward against the floor. Press your lower legs against the floor as you arch your back.
7. Lotus – inner thigh.
You can do this sitting up, or laying on your back with you feet up the wall. Bend both knees and put the soles of your feet together. Contract the muscles on the inside of your thighs by squeezing your thighs together while your hands press you’re your thighs open
Remember when stretching – inhale before the stretch and exhale through the stretch. Always stretch slowly, no bouncing or jarring – which could damage the muscle rather than strengthen it. (This seems completely counterintuitive, but give it a try – it works: if you contract your muscles through the stretch, you’ll get a better stretch and you’ll build muscle strength isometrically.) Stretch every day and we’ll all be limber as house cats in short order.
Once we’ve limbered up a bit, it’s time to start working the core. Remember we’re increasing our workout, not replacing anything. : o ) Core strength means balance, agility and a strong back Here are some simple abdominal exercises to get you started: I got these from “Body for Life for Women” by Pamela Peeke and can’t recommend it enough.
1. Crunches:
Lie on the floor, hands behind your head, knees together, feet flat on the floor about one foot from your bum. Push your lower back into the floor, then roll your shoulders up, keeping knees and hips stationary. When your shoulders come off the ground a few inches, hold this position and flex your abdominal muscles as hard as you can for a count of one. Slowly lower your shoulders to the floor, keeping pushing your lower back into the floor for the entire exercise.
2. Reverse Crunches:
Lie on your back with your legs and hips bent at 90-degree angles, and your arms relaxed at your sides, palms facing down. Pull your abs in, and lift your hips as if you were tipping a bucket of water that’s resting on your pelvis. Don’t lift your hips more than a 30-degree angle from the floor. Don’t use your hands to help you pull your hips up.
3. Hip Thrusts:
Lie flat on your back on the floor, with your legs straight up in the air directly above your hips, ankles together and feet flexed. Stretch your arms over your head and grasp the leg of something heavy/sturdy that won’t budge. Lift with the lowest area of your abs so that your hips rise off the floor several inches. Squeeze and hold foe several seconds at the top of the movement, then return to the starting position.
When we have become flexible, and have strengthened our abs and backs: it’s time to build some basic strength. It’s important to handle the flexibility and core training first, because a lack of either will shoot down our strength training in a hurry.
By far, the best method of strength training is calisthenics. No equipment is needed, and exercise can happen anywhere. Calisthenics use the weight of our bodies to build strength – so our equipment is handy at all times.
Again, we’re not replacing any of our current workout – we’re building on it. We’re not trying to build beauty pageant muscles. We want to build functional strength. We want to be strong enough to perform all of our tasks without injury. We want to be strong supple and ready for the unexpected. God designed our bodies to build and maintain muscle mass in response to the demands we put on our bodies. The more demand we put on our bodies; the more we can put on them.
Here are some calisthenics to get started with:
1. Squats:
With feet shoulder width apart, squat as far as possible. Bring your arms forward, parallel to the floor, return to starting position. Repeat.
2. Alternating lunges:
With your hands on your hips, take a step forward with your right leg until your front knee is bent 90-degrees and your back knee almost touches the ground. Push off from your leading foot and return to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg.
3. Push-Ups:
Do manly push-ups, up on your toes; girly push-ups, up on your knees; or even standing and pushing off the wall push-ups.
4. Pull-Ups/Chin-Ups:
Palms face out for traditional pull-ups on a bar to strengthen middle back muscles. Palms face toward you to do a chin-up, which strengthens that back and biceps.This is just a basic outline to get you started. I suggest that you buy a few books on stretching and strength training, just so you have somewhere to go after you’ve mastered the basics. The basics will definitely get you there, but you will probably want to go further. I strongly endorse “Body for Life for Women” and heartily recommend “The Pace Plan” by Dr. Al Sears both programs are short on effort and long on results. There are a lot of good Pilates books out there too.
So here’s my family’s plan, for everyone – even the preschooler and the dog:
Create a flexible body that can twist and bend without snapping anything.
Build abdominal/core strength, so our agile and graceful bodies can hoe a garden (or drag a casualty) without injury.
Build functional strength that will maintain our health and ensure that have that extra effort to give.

Letter Re: A Federal Reserve Balance Sheet Disaster

Dear Jim,
I just read on a[nother] blog about an imminent Federal Reserve disaster.

There’s no [mainstream] news coverage on it yet so this qualifies as a serious heads up.

Note the second numeric column. $40 Billion, has been since 1913, by law. Then notice it suddenly drops to $198 million and then two days ago the report lists the banks as minus $8.7 Billion, something which has never happened before.

How bad is it? Think Weimar Republic. The Fed can no longer stop inflation because the banks can’t secure new money with debt. People aren’t buying debt anymore. Ergo, hyperinflation is the natural consequence. Mark this day on your calendar. Best, – InyoKern

JWR Replies: In case you missed it, I mentioned the following in Friday’s Odds ‘n Sods: Hawaiian K. pointed out this Federal Reserve chart, showing that the Net Free or Borrowed Reserves (NFORBRES) of Depository Institutions just fell off a cliff. Let’s pray that there aren’t any bank runs soon, because the till is empty. It is a jolly good thing that the Fed is handing out so much cheap money these days, so the member banks can list part of these funds as “reserves.”

Letter Re: Question on Body Armor “Expiration” Dates

Dear Jim:
There is an “urban myth” that Body Armor “expires” after the official manufacturer warranty runs out. Actually, the standard five year warranty is simply based on the insurance companies legal need to limit their liability – not on the actual performance of armor. (I have a sneaking suspicion that manufacturers don’t complain too much about being able to sell new Body Armor every five years either!)

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has found that 10 year old used armor tests as good as new. Since we deal with a lot of Police Surplus we run tests on the oldest and worst looking vests we see (vests we would never sell because they are over 25 years old, on the old NIJ 0101.02 standard). Oddly enough, these old and beat-up vests always stop 9mm +P FMJ and .357 Magnum +P JSP for us.
Here is a direct link to data and photos.

Of course decertified Zylon vests are not to be trusted – regardless of age. However, good Body Armor lasts much, much longer than the five year warranty/insurance policy.
Thanks, – Nick, BulletProofME.com Body Armor