SurvivalBlog Reader Survey Results: Conveniently Bypassed Areas

The following are the first batch of responses to our survey about areas that might be bypassed by looters and refugees, WTSHTF:

There are many islands off the east coast that in my opinion would be avoided by most and are rich in natural resources. Particularly Virginia and believe it or not New Jersey–one that comes to mind that I’ve visited in NJ is Island Beach State Park. And don’t forget Acadia in Maine.

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In Arizona: The Santa Rita Mountains are south of Tucson, just east of I-17, and are used as a landmark for everyone coming across the border from Mexico. The Chiracaua Mountains are southeast of Phoenix. They are more inaccessible. Anyone wanting to make them a retreat locale needs to study up on the terrain and weather of the location. Summer highs of 110 are common and the phrase “it’s a dry heat” is a reality. A better location would be the strip of land between the north rim of the Grand Canyon and the state line. It is difficult to get to and not near any major freeway. To the north are the badlands of Utah and to the east is the Navaho Nation.

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There is a nice little quadrangle of Appalachia between four interstates, also known as the Monangahela National Forest in West Virginia. Bordered by major G.O.O.D. interstates 81 to the east and 68 to the north, it’s also bordered by I-79 to the west, and 64 to the south. If you have a retreat there, or have friends or relatives there, it’ll be about as safe as can be this close to Washington, D.C., but if you don’t, then mountain folk will take less kindly to fleeing urban zombies, If you aren’t known, then you won’t be welcome!

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James Hancock County Tennessee is a small county near the Virginia and Kentucky line that is really overlooked. There is not one foot of rail line here and you don’t go thru here to get to anywhere. No four lane roads lead into or out of the county and the total population is around 6,000. There are a few more counties west of here that are just as inaccessible. The downside is Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the fuel Plant at Erwin are relatively close ( by nuclear disaster standards ) but it a beautiful area where land is cheap and the people are friendly. We have more livestock than people and the Clinch river has the largest variety of fresh water mussels in any river in the nation.

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The Illinois Valley in southwestern Oregon. Cave Junction is the “Big Town” in this area. Grants Pass, Oregon is past the northeast end of the valley, and Crescent City California is past the southwest end. Tiny towns are here and there. It is rural, open carry [of firearms] is very common, and real estate prices are presently low. Unemployment is high, but if you can bring your work with you, then you can do just fine.
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West Texas (from Fort Worth to Midland/Odessa), the Hill Country (west of Austin down to west of San Antonio)

Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York

Various islands in the 1,000 Islands Region in Upstate New York (St. Lawrence River area)

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I recommend the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (“BSF”) in eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, roughly 40 miles west of I-75. There is very rugged terrain inside BSF, so few roads through it. The area around BSF is lightly populated with tiny settlements along rough winding roads that dead end at the river gorge. Poor access to jobs, fuel, food, medical care, etc.

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The Owens Valley (US 395) corridor of the Eastern Sierra California. I believe that the military bases of the Mojave Desert is almost certainly going to be turned into a giant refugee camp due to the I-40, I-15, I-5, and US 58 interstates and associated railways. This is particularly true of the USMC logistics base in Barstow and Edwards Air Force Base. However, once one travels further north to Bishop, California, one should be able to travel all the way through the Owens Valley and into central Nevada.

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In the Great Lakes region:

One good bypassed area is southwestern Wisconsin, between the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers – Crawford, Vernon, and Richland Counties in particular.Look at the topo maps – it’s full of hills.

There really is no reason to go through there. Major highways are far from that area. The Mississippi has some traffic, but not the Wisconsin River – that’s really just recreational.

The very small nuclear power plant in La Crosse has been long shut down. Ft. McCoy is well East of La Crosse.

Door County, Wisconsin – North of Sturgeon Bay (only 2 bridges) – Washington Island, ferry access only plus airfield. Lots of boat harbors
Problem – Nuclear Power plants to the South, Two Rivers and Kewaunkee, expensive tourist area along the Green Bay side of Peninsula

Beaver Island – Lake Michigan – A huge island, 36 sq. miles with seven lakes on it. It took me four hours to drive perimeter, two airfields, long ferry ride and only from Michigan side

The uppermost portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) – North of Houghton/Handcock Michigan – the growing season here is actually better than to the South of it!
Only one bridge, and it’s a raise-bridge, so it can be shut off from traffic in moments.

Bayfield/ Madeline Island Wisconsin – Remote, but cold area . (Once the lake freezes, you can drive to island, but then there is period of weeks when you can’t drive and boats can’t make it, so there is an ice air boat.

Wisconsin’s “Northern Highlands”. Wisconsin has over 15,000 lakes and is second only to Florida for fishing licenses This is an area of forest, with some agriculture, potato country (first plant patent) and wild rice – hunt, fish, camp – it’s all here. If not on a lake, land is reasonably inexpensive.

Letter Re: Life Under South Africa’s Gun Laws, by Joe Ordinary Voortrekker

This article is a response to a large and glaring preparedness dilemma for myself. Being a law abiding citizen I cannot willfully put myself or my family into a situation where we can be held legally liable for the commission of a crime. If I had a ‘run-in’ with the law because of my beliefs on firearms and freedom, it can and will put my family at risk. Unfortunately we live in a country where the liberty of its
citizens is at the mercy of the State. South Africa is for all intents and purposes a ‘Free and democratic’ country. However, our government is an openly socialist government. They require the dependency of its citizens, every law that is passed is to ensure a more conformist and dependant populace.

One of the laws that was passed was the Firearms Control Act of 2000. It is another of a long stream of attempts to remove the right to bear arms in South Africa. This act and the previous one allow for highly controlled and restrictive legislation. Below, I will give a brief overview of the pertinent points as it relates to the rights of individuals to keep arms. It is however, the root of my dilemma. No
matter how many or types arms I would like to possess, or what types and amounts of ammunition I would like to keep, I am controlled by the State every step of the way with 101 different [regulatory details.]
Before I get to South African firearms legislation, let me give you some insight as to where my thoughts stem from. Basically, after reading through the Profiles of survivalists on SurvivalBlog,
and the recommendations of the most esteemed JWR. I could see no way that I could become ‘squared away’ on the arms and ammunition side. Our laws in South Africa are just too restrictive! That however has changed, as there is a way. All it took was a little bit of lateral thinking and a copy of “Patriots” . Well actually the other way around, the lateral thought came after the second reading of “Patriots”.

In this article I’m going to talk from a South African perspective and relate this information from our view. What I am hoping and intending is that it will get people to think through their firearm purchases and utilize every aspect or at least as many aspects as possible of the law for their own benefit. The South Africa situation may or may not apply to you, however this article is not intended for the US readers of SurvivalBlog, but more to people that live elsewhere and to give them the hope that there is potentially a way. The idea is to think laterally and use the rights that have been allowed you in every way possible.

Here is a brief synopsis of how the South African Firearms laws are applicable to ordinary citizens. For the ‘casual’ owner, people are restricted to a maximum of four firearms. The breakdown is as follows:

  • One Handgun
  • One Shotgun
  • One Rifle (Not Semi Auto) (With associated proof that you hunt)
  • One Casual Sports shooting firearm ([another] one of any of the above)

Only one of the first two (Handgun/Shotgun) may be designated a self defense firearm and there are legal ramifications if you shoot someone in self defense with another firearm. If you are a dedicated
sportsman/hunter/collector you are able to increase your firearm collection, but always under strict monitoring and conditions. And you have to have proof, proof and more proof.

Also we need to re-license every 2, 5, or 10 years depending on the type of license. Along with additional costs, competency tests, fingerprints, home/safe inspection and vetting of you by your family and/or neighbors, etc etc ad nauseam. The way that I see this is that the Government wants the public disarmed, and they are making it harder and harder and a real pain in the sphincter to re-apply for their licenses, so most guys just give up and hand their weapons in.

With Ammo, you may only possess a maximum 200 rounds of any of the calibers that you are licensed for. Possession of a single [loaded] round of any other caliber is illegal unless you are a licensed cartridge collector. (This is another painful exercise, and will not assist in stockpiling ammo) As for components. Bullets, brass cartridge cases and magazines are not regulated. However primers and propellants are. With primers, no more than 2,400 of any size. In addition, so are some spare parts, barrels, sears etc. (BTW, a spare barrel is considered a firearm in South Africa [, since pressurized gun parts are regulated. Effectively, the barrel rather than the frame or receiver is considered the “firearm”])

As an aside, I have watched the debate on concealed carry in the US with interest. In South Africa we are legally bound to carry [handguns] 100% concealed, no open carry, unless you are in Law Enforcement. So the question is with laws like this, how does one stockpile firearms and ammo? And what is the best way to get the maximum out of the minimum we are allowed to possess.
The only way that this can be done is to prepare for possible scenarios that may develop in the future. This is the tack that we have taken:

1) Get legally diversified with the correct calibers.
2) Keep only calibers that allow you to maximize your long term defense potential
3) Stock up on unregulated items that will allow for barter even if it’s not one of your calibers.

Okay, so I just mentioned that one needs to have the correct calibers This is, as everyone knows a very subjective statement. So how did we decide what the correct calibers are? In a scenario where there is true TEOTWAWKI then there will be a source of readily available arms and ammunition. Courtesy of our Law Enforcement and Military. Looking at these services, we see that the following calibers are the most common.

12 Gauge Shotgun,
5.56 NATO (AKA .223)
7.62 NATO (AKA .308)
and 9mm Parabellum (9x19mm [“Luger”]).

My logic and methodology here is to maximize my options in terms of usable and obtainable ‘components’ while still keeping within the framework of our legal system. I have also decided that we will not
apply for further weapons licenses as I do not want nor require the additional infringement of my privacy nor the ‘red flags’ that come with owning a ‘large’ firearms collection. So based on the highest
OPSEC possible in this situation, here is what we have done.

For a handguns I have chosen a .45 ACP my wife a 9mm Parabellum
For shotguns we have both chosen 12 gauge Pump actions
For casual Sports Shooting my wife has chosen a .22 LR pistol, and I have a scoped and suppressed .22LR rifle.
For hunting rifles I have chosen a .308 and my wife a .223
So our choices above keep us [both] at the four gun limit, no additional background checks and gives us a broad spread of calibers that will allow us to store primers, powder, and some ammunition.

On the unregulated side we have and are currently stocking up on the following. Virgin and fired brass in all of the above calibers, in addition to this we add any fired brass that we can scrounge. Various design and weight bullet moulds with the same methodology, factory made bullets in rifle and handgun calibers. Reloading dies, in any and all calibers that we can get. However we do concentrate on the dies for the brass that we have. (There is no point in having dies and no brass.) Cleaning kits and components, and lead and tin stocks, as well as reloading presses. For [rifle and pistol] brass reloading, we have standardized on Lee brand turret presses and the single stage RCBS Rockchucker as most can be had at very reasonable prices on the secondhand market here. For shotgun shell reloading we have standardized on Lee Load All.

Now the logic behind this. If ever the SHTF in a big way, we will be able to drive off most attacks, however if this degenerates into an extended and protracted “Patriots”-like scenario we should have all of the ‘makings’ to use captured weaponry as well as being able to supply and reproduce the correct ammo for such captured weaponry.

There are a few points to remember.
1.) Pressure and primer differences in military and civilian ammo. Know what you are doing or don’t do it!
2.) Always stay within the law, while the law is the law. Becoming an illegal ‘arms hoarder’ will get you into a heap of trouble, which only leaves your family at risk.
3.) OPSEC, OPSEC, OPSEC don’t brag around the braai (Barbecue) as to what you will do when TSHTF. Or what you have stockpiled, hidden, buried etc. Personally, I find that very few people in South Africa have a preparedness/survivalist mentality. If you start discussing what you are doing be circumspect in every aspect.

Finally, as an aside, Just this last week we were given detailed information about the preps of a ‘new age’ religious Doomer (“The sky is going to fall in 2012”) that lives just outside a small town over
400 kilometers away. This person has told her family about her preps and this news has now traveled all over the country. We now know almost everything that she has done including evacuation and storage details. The family (rightly?) believes she is a nutcase and actively ridicule her preps. [An OPSEC breach like this presents] a very scary scenario.

Economics and Investing:

Barron’s mentioned a “Buy” indicator on Smith and Wesson. I second the motion, but to be more specific: Make it one of the early stainless steel S&Ws with the pinned barrel and recessed cylinder. (“Pinned and recessed.”) For revolvers, you can’t go wrong with an early production Model 629. I like the 6″ barrel length, (except for concealed carry), but the Barron’s didn’t give any details. What? You say he only owns S&W stock? You can’t stop a charging grizzly with a stock certificate. Invest in tangibles!

Fed is Said to Seek Capital for at Least Six Banks

Swine Flu Fear Catching Fast in Weak World Economy

Items from The Economatrix:

US Economy Shrinks More than Expected

Fed Takes Fresh Stock of Economy

Citi and BofA Must Raise Billions in Capital, Says Leaked Stress Test Stress test results and flu drive markets down worldwide

Gold Hits Four-Week High as Swine Flu Fears Grow and China Builds Reserves

Swine Flu Over Cuckoo Markets

Chrysler to File Bankruptcy as Talks with Creditors Fail

New Jobless Claims Drop Unexpectedly to 631K Continuing claims near 6.3 million

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Swine Flu Deflation

Shell Profits Skid 58% in 1st Quarter

Odds ‘n Sods:

Beth flagged this: Argentina’s wheat planting lowest in almost 100 years

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“John Smith” sent this informative video link: Obama Budget Cuts Visualization

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The mainstream media catches on to the consequences on the new “Made in Montana” gun law: Montana fires a warning shot over states’ rights (Thanks to Paula for the link.) OBTW, one tip for any SurvivalBlog readers that live up in Montana: Check out Sonju International in Kalispell. Get your order in early. You’ll of course need to be a Montana citizen and be able to show a Montana driver’s license. They make AR-15 lowers and a nifty AR-10 lower that can accept dirt cheap HK G3 magazines. Under the new Montana law, deliveries can begin after October 1st, with no Form 4473 or FFL! Does all this inspire you to move to Montana? Then talk to Viola Moss. (A Montana real estate agent that advertises on our SurvivalRealty.com spin-off site.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Amateurs talk about strategy, dilettantes talk about tactics, but professionals talk about logistics." – Attributed to various American military officers, but most frequently to General Omar Bradley

Mexican Flu Update

Cheryl wrote to mention an article that described using Vitamin D to prevent a cytokine storm The dose is 2,000 units of Vitamin D per kilogram (1 kg = 2.2046 pounds), once per day. Thus, for an average 150 lb. adult, the dose would be would be 136,060 units of Vitamin D. This is to be taken for three days. (I.U. Equivalence: 50,000 units = 1.25 mg) My Strong Proviso: The usual fat soluble vitamin (KADE) warnings apply. Don’t over-do a good thing. You should discuss vitamin D testing and replacement with your physician before acting on that doctor’s recommendations! Vitamin D supplement limits vary depending on body weight, diet, and exposure to the sun.

Today’s flu headlines:

WHO pandemic threat level raised to 5 out of 6

New Flu Strain is a Genetic Mix

First US Swine Flu Death, Cases Now in 10 States

France urges Mexican flight ban

Cuba Halts Mexico Travel (First Country to Do So)

Pandemic Risk Grows as New Cases Emerge US cases now at 64, Mexico 152 dead, over 2,000 infected

US Flu Deaths Seem Likely as Outbreak Spreads

Scary Advertisements From 1976 Flu Outbreak Today they tell us to stay calm

Mexico City Mayor: One more death, toll stabilizing

Letter Re: Adapting Family Food Storage for Gluten Intolerance

Hi Jim,
I wonder how many other preppers out there have the same issue we just discovered. My wife has always had trouble with her digestive tract. Recently we discovered that she is has Coeliac’s disease which means she is gluten intolerant. She can no longer eat gluten which it seems is in just about every type of prepared food. It comes from Wheat and is obviously in anything that has wheat in it, but it is also in lots of other things including vitamins, tomato paste, some candies, etc. It has been quite an adjustment for us!

This makes it difficult for us to store wheat as she cannot eat it. The rest of us can, but it is hard to have lots of wheat based meals that part of the family cannot eat. So, does anyone else out there have any experience storing wheat substitutes or will we have to stock up more on rice and beans instead?

Best Regards, – Tim P.

JWR Replies: This topic has been raised before in SurvivalBlog, but because Celiac Disease (aka gluten-sensitive enteropathy) is so commonplace, it is worthwhile to discuss it further.

The good news is that because gluten-sensitive enteropathy is so common, there are a wide range of gluten-free foods on the market, and their are a wealth of gluten-free recipes available online. The book Gluten-Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern is an excellent resource. Needless to say, to start, you will need to adjust your food storage program to have a much higher ratio of corn and rice rather than wheat, to accommodate having some family members that are gluten intolerant.

So that you don’t get totally bored with eating rice and beans, look into the non-gluten “grains” available, such as Quinoa. Another possibility is Spelt. However, I should note that some allergy doctors contend that Spelt is too closely related to wheat for it to be trusted as a celiac replacement grain. Both of these grains are available in bulk from Internet vendors such as Walton Feed for much less that you’d pay at your local health food store.

The Lengthy List of Aliases

Gluten is found in the following: malt flavoring (from barley), hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, caramel coloring (non US made), Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (non-US made), dextrins (especially vitamins and medications), wheat starch and the big catch-all “natural flavors”. These could be anything, so you need to ask the manufacturer, and even then they may not be able to tell you with certainty whether of not they are gluten-based. Of these, MSG is the most difficult to identify because it is now pervasive in prepared foods, and can hidden under a profusion of aliases. These deceptive labeling practices have been flagged by the FDA. According to the book Battling the MSG Myth , some MSG synonyms include: Calcium Caseinate, Sodium Caseinate, Gelatin, Hydrolyzed Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Textured Protein, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Monopotassium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP) Yeast Extract, Glutamate Autolyzed Plant Protein Yeast food, Yeast Nutrient, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Autolyzed Yeast, Vegetable Protein Extract, Senomyx (a wheat extract that is often just labeled as “artificial flavor”), Calcium Diglutamate, Monoammonium Glutamate, Magnesium Diglutamate, and others! Beware of any ingredient that includes the words Hydrolyzed or Autolyzed. Similarly, beware of: Malted Barley Flour, Malt Extract, Soy Protein, Wheat Protein, Whey Protein, Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Corn Syrup, and Dextrose.

Letter Re: Home and Ranch Methane Gas Generators

Jim:

I saw the following post concerning Gober (“dung”) gas, dated 27 April, 2009, over at Michael Yon’s web site:.

“During breaks from tracking training – I was sweating like crazy in the jungle heat – I asked many questions about Afghanistan and Nepal, and he talked about a simple way to make many of the Afghans lives easier. Most Afghans don’t even have electricity. When he was about fifteen years-old, his dad installed a “Gobar Gas” (methane) generator next to the house in Nepal. The generator is simple: the owner just collects human and animal waste, and through a fantastically simple process, the contraption creates methane, which is then used for lighting, cooking, heating in the winter. It also creates excellent fertilizer, all while improving sanitation. What’s the catch? None that I’ve heard of. He said that his dad made the first Gobar Gas system in his village, and today it would costs maybe $300 total investment. Between their own toilet and four cows, they create enough methane to cook, heat and light the house. More than two decades after his dad made it, the thing is still working and doesn’t cost a single rupee to operate. When the other villagers saw it work, hundreds of Gobar Gas systems popped up around the village. I’ve seen these systems in use in Nepal, and photographed one about five years ago. It worked like a charm. But this Nepalese man, a British soldier, never saw a Gobar Gas system in Afghanistan, but he is certain that the idea would take hold in the villages. My guess is that the only real disadvantage is that the idea is incredibly effective, simple and cheap, and so we probably wouldn’t want to get involved.”

Wikipedia has an entry on Gober Gas.

Regards, – Larry

JWR Replies: The usual safety (for piped explosive gasses) rules apply, and of course the usual sanitation rules must be enforced, but this looks like a great set-up for anyone that keeps livestock. Aunty Entity would be proud.

Two Letters Re: My Experiment with a Field Gear Invention

Hello, Mr Rawles,
I´m writing to you in response to Mike B´s letter “My Experiment with a Field Gear Invention.”

Halfway´ through the second paragraph I began to smile since I instantly recognized the item he was writing about. How different outdoor culture can be from country to country. In Sweden this is called “sittunderlägg” and is somewhat of an household item among outdoors people. However, I would like to add some tips about the manufacture of the same. In Sweden they are made of closed foam, the same material as in the cheap camping mattresses. This has several advantages. First it´s cheap. A car mat can supply material for maybe one or two but a six foot mattress can be cut up to comfortably sit five or six people. Seeing both can be had for ten dollars or less the camping mattress saves some money, Secondly, weight. This I have not tested but I can´t imagine that car mats are lighter per square inch. Third and most importantly, closed foam insulates from cold. A car mat seat may be all right during summer treks but if you have to bug out in low or even sub-zero temperatures you would want to sit down without losing precious body heat.

As always, thanks for a great blog! – D. from Sweden (Editor of Att Leva Efter 2012)

Jim,
The “Posterior Flap” described by Mike is popular among skiers, who use it to stay dry and warm while sitting on the ski lift. I believe some ski pants have the flap built in. There are also commercial “belt mounted” flaps available; so it may not be necessary to build your own unless you have unique requirements:

Economics and Investing:

From reader GC: Economy Shrinks at 6.1 Percent Pace in First Quarter

Unemployment Up Again in Chicago In March, But Many Cities Fare Much Worse (thanks to Ray L. for the link)

Linked at The Drudge Report: Phoenix leads nation in home price declines in February (Down 51%!)

Commentary from Michael Pento: It’s Stagflation, Not Hyperinflation-For Now

Items from The Economatrix:

Government, Chrysler Lenders Reportedly Reach Deal to Avert Bankruptcy

Shares of BofA, Citi Drop on Stress Test Concerns

GM to Force Over 1,000 Dealers to Close

China Admits to Building Up Gold Stockpile

Small Caps Rally, Lifting Stocks

Odds ‘n Sods:


America’s Most Dangerous Cities

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The Scientific American asks: Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization? (Hat tip to KAF for the link.)

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Frank S. sent us: When Did Your County’s Jobs Disappear? An interactive map of vanishing employment across the country.

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I just noticed that Wiggy’s is continuing their 25% Off Sale for their sleeping bags. Their FTRSS sleeping bags are fabulous. When I was having back problems, I gave my FTRSS the equivalent of three lifetimes worth of use, and it performed flawlessly. Wiggy’s bags are warm, tremendously durable, and American made!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“For a Westerner to trash Western culture is like criticizing our nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere on the grounds that it sometimes gets windy, and besides, Jupiter’s is much prettier. You may not realize its advantages until you’re trying to breathe liquid methane.” – Neal Stephenson

Notes from JWR:

The Tennessean newspaper (published in Nashville), recently featured an article about my novel: Survivalist author has end in sight

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Amazon.com is now so backed up on orders for “Patriots” , that they have sent e-mails to customers, asking if they want to cancel their orders or hang on until perhaps mid-June for shipment. (If you do cancel, and then re-order at the new lower cover price ($8.97), be advised that you probably won’t get your copies until late June.) My publisher tells me that there are now 40,000 copies in print, but it may take a couple of weeks to get them though the supply chain to customers. Amazon.com has now ordered almost 14,000 copies. Other large orders have recently been placed by Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Costco. Thanks for making the book such a huge success, and thanks also for your patience!

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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.

Mexican Flu Update

It has been reported that the incubation period for the Mexican Swine Flu is 4-to-5 days, and perhaps as long as 10 days in children. That’s the “hot” period when someone infected is shedding the virus. This is bad news for epidemiologists. With modern air travel, this means that there is probably no stopping the flu from making it to the far reaches of the globe. So now, all that we can do is wait, watch, and pray that it doesn’t mutate into a more lethal strain. Barring that, my guesstimate is that it will be every country with a couple of months. The crucial time will be next winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It is now Fall in the Southern Hemisphere, so their upcoming flu season might give us a preview of what will happen up here, next year. Are you ready to hunker down when the flu hits your town?

Here are today’s flu headlines:

The Government’s Forecast if Flu Problem Explodes: Two Million Americans Die “Ninety million citizens would get sick. The economy would shut down.”

DHS Sets Guidelines For Possible Swine Flu Quarantines

Official: US Flu Victims May Be Infecting Others Confirmed cases in Asia Pacific and New Zealand

Schumer Bragged About Cutting Pandemic Funding (Well, now we are all in Deep Schumer.)

Swine Flu More Dangerous than Bird Flu

Why Does the Swine Flu Kill Healthy People?

WHO Revises Scale For Pandemic Alerts

Mexican Reports: Flu Much Worse Than Reported “The truth is that anti-viral treatments and vaccines are not expected to have any effect, even at high doses. It is a great fear among the staff. The infection risk is very high among the doctors and health staff. There is a sense of chaos in the other hospitals and we do not know what to do. Staff are starting to leave and many are opting to retire or apply for holidays. The truth is that mortality is even higher than what is being reported by the authorities, at least in the hospital where I work it. It is killing three to four patients daily, and it has been going on for more than three weeks.” – Dr. Antonio Chavez

Two Swine Flu Cases Confirmed in Scotland

Swine Flu Boosts Demand For Face Masks, Antivirals

Swine Flu Warning Raised as Virus Crosses Continents Now at Level 4. Could become Level 5 in the next few days.

Washingtonians Prepare for Swine Flu

Flu: Worst Case Scenario

Swine Flu Epidemic Enters Dangerous New Phase “The virus poses a potentially grave new threat to the U.S. economy, which was showing tentative early signs of a recovery. A widespread outbreak could batter tourism, food and transportation industries, deepening the recession in the U.S. and possibly worldwide.”

40 Cases of Swine Flu in US to Date (No Deaths)

WHO Confirms Pandemic Alert Level Raised to Level 4

Swine Flu Cases Around the World

Swine Flu Fears Close Schools in CA, TX, NY

Americans Told to Wear Masks as Swine Flu Spreads Around the World

My Experience with a Field Gear Invention, by Mike B.

I would like to share with everyone something I have in my Bug out Bag (BOB) that I have yet to see mentioned in any post or forum on the subject. I stole the idea fair and square from survival expert Les Stroud (of Survivorman television series fame) and modified it to suit my needs and budget. This simple addition weighs very little, costs very little, and makes so much sense I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it for so many years.

In Les’s treks through the Canadian wilderness, he would often be seen wearing what looked like a tail. What Les had was a waterproof ‘flap’ that hung off of his belt which he tucked underneath his backside whenever he wanted to sit down. What this allowed him to do was sit on any wet fallen tree, rock or anything else that was hard but damp. While he was dressed in layers with his outer layer being water proof, Les regularly removed layers to avoid sweating. The effect was always having a dry place to sit, rest, or work.

Without any details on the construction, I looked around for a suitable alternative which would perform the same function and still be affordable on my budget. My answer was a common, everyday car floor mat. A simple, rectangular rubber mat with ‘carpet’ on the top was all I needed. Both the rubber and the carpet are extremely durable materials.

For a few dollars new and even less if you get one from the junk yard or ‘you-pull-it’ lot, all you need to do is poke a few holes along one of the short ends and tie it around your waist or through a few belt loops. The rubber underside is waterproof while the carpet side affords some level of comfort and warmth. This will not feel like your lazy-boy, but if you have ever had your shorts ride up on you because some part of them has soaked through, then this will be a welcome, light, and cheap luxury.

My original design was a rectangular mat that I picked up from Wal-Mart for about $10. I poked four holes along one of the short edges and wove a small rope through each hole so that the majority of the rope was behind the mat and not against my back. Unfortunately, this arrangement did not work out well because the mat was too small. The mat was designed for the back seat floor boards. I did not correctly account for the length of the L-shaped that would form between my lower back and the beginnings of the back of my legs.

My current version was more difficult to find: A longer rectangular mat that was designed to be used for the front seat floor boards. I was able to find it at K-Mart. (Nothing succeeds like success so it doesn’t matter where it comes from as long as it works.) I also replaced the rope with a ribbon style belt. Instead of cutting holes in the mat, I cut four slits and wove the belt through the slits. This keeps the mat closer to my body, is easier to put on and take off, and is generally more comfortable. Now the mat reaches from my lower back to just below my lower legs. This is more than enough length to give me a large footprint to sit on if a log or rock is especially large. The shorter version one only worked when the diameter of the log was small or the rock was about the same size as my backside. The new version lets me sit down in wet grass and leaves to rest or to sit on the bumper of my dew-covered car to adjust my boots.

You will need to size the mat for your height and the size of your backside and length of your legs. Remember to check that the mat will bend into an L- or Z-shape. You can get away with an irregularly shaped mat if you would like, I just thought that a rectangle would give the most coverage for the least amount of weight. An irregular mat may give you more dry space to put things down next to you.

The mat may tap you in the back of the legs as you walk (especially when walking up or down hill). You will either need to get use to that or, after attaching it around your waist, roll the map up and put a rubber band on one or both ends. The rubber bands allow for a quick unrolling before sitting. However, if you roll the mat up after you have used it, you may transfer some moisture to the carpeted side Personally, I just got use to it tapping me in the back of legs. Given the movement of my pack while I walk, it is hardly noticeable.