Cold Weather Survival Tips, by David in Israel

James,
Winter is coming [in the northern hemisphere]. An important skill is treating and preventing cold exposure, especially if a person is disabled and on the ground. The ground steals heat through direct conduction and by absorption of moisture.
Always go out well fed, include plenty of protein, copious warm hydrating liquids, and fats. Together these break down in a heat generating reaction as well as providing large amounts of energy for more heat generation.

Have a way to make a warm drink. A Thermos is skimping, better a small stove that is easily lit and kettle that will let you melt snow and make hot water to drink, this saves your body from having to heat
your drinks and also raises your core temperature if you get chilled or worse. Cold drinks bring down body temperature and the metabolism required to heat it to body temperature nearly requires as much water as you are consuming, un-melted snow is actually hydration negative due to the metabolism [required] to bring it to body temperature.

Insulate from the ground, dry grass leaves, seat pad foam, clothing, whatever. The ground will steal your body heat quickly.

Share warmth with a friend or more, huddle, hug, stack up as injuries allow.

Protect the heat loss areas. Cover first the head, then armpits, groin, trunk, and finally the extremities.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Writing in the September, 2007 issue of The American Rifleman magazine, Walter J. Kuleck reports that there is a logistical support problem for the thousands of M14 rifles that have been issued to US troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kuleck writes: “…there is essentially no support available through Department of Defense channels–no parts, accessories, magazines, tools or documentation beyond a new Preventive Maintenance [PM] Magazine comic book and a 40-year-old manuals printed from on-line PDF files. The Army has made some efforts to buy back parts surplused decades ago and to purchase new walnut stocks, for example. Most components, however, are either acquired by individuals using personal funds or by combat units directly from stateside sources or scavenged from cannibalized rifles.” I have heard from three different “designated marksman” soldiers that are SurvivalBlog readers that they’ve had to beg relatives in the states to buy spare M14 magazines and mail them to their APO address, because they were issued an M14 with just a scant few magazines. One of them told me that he was issued his M14 with just one magazine. What a sad state of affairs. Our troops deserve better logistical support!

   o o o

AVS suggested an MP3 file of a sermon by Dr. Robert Dean of West Houston Bible Church, on our Founding Fathers and Genuine Freedom.

   o o o

Stephen in Iraq sent us this article on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD): First it was honeybees. Now it is decimating native Bumblebees.

   o o o

By way of SHTF Daily comes the story of a modern day ghost town: ‘Nobody expected this to continue’ — it didn’t Phoenix suburb shows what can happen when gambling on housing boom. Just as I had predicted, the folks upside down in their mortgages are starting to just walk away.

Note from JWR:

The bidding is still at $500 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction, for a scarce pre-1899 antique Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant rifle from my personal collection. This rifle was rebarreled by Valmet during WWII, and is in excellent condition. It comes with a replica bayonet, original sling, and original muzzle cap. Since the receiver for this rifle was made in 1898, it can be mailed directly to the winning bidder’s doorstep, with no FFL paperwork! The auction ends on October 15th.. Just e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: Night Vision Gear for a Long Term Collapse

Sir:
I’d appreciate your advice. I am in the process of getting my family dialed-in for a long term collapse. (My main concern is a post-Peak Oil economic collapse.) Since I expect “the problem” to last at least 5 or 10 years before the economy gets reorganized (at a much lower level, and prolly much more dispersed and localized), I have worries that if I get a Starlight scope or goggles that they will be inop[erative] within three or four years, given constant use. From all that I’ve read, even the best [light amplification] tubes eventually burn out. I’m also worried that it would take 40 or 50 rechargeable batteries–even those gee whiz nickel hydride “no memory” batteries to last me [through the scenario]. What is the best alternative for someone looking at a 10+ year problem, yet still wanting the advantages of Starlight-type technology? And is there anything else that is low tech (other than friggin’ bells on strings) that I can use for night time defense of a retreat out in the wilds? Thank You Sir, – Allen D.

JWR Replies: There are a couple of alternatives that I can suggest. First, is buying a brand new “low hours” Gen 2 or Gen 3 night vision scope that uses standard type AA batteries plus a spare intensifier tube, and of course plenty of spare batteries. My recommended suppliers for Starlight weapon sights and goggles are JRH Enterprises and Ready Made Resources. For full mil-spec units as well as spare intensifier tubes, talk to STANO Components. For additional rechargeable batteries at a discount price, contact All-Battery.com. As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, every well-prepared family should also have a small PV panel for battery charging.

One lower technology alternative to Starlight technology, as described in my novel “Patriots”, is tritium-lit scopes, such as those made by Trijicon. I am often quoted as saying that I consider them “the next best thing to a starlight scope.” I still do. We have six of these scopes on our rifles here at the Rawles Ranch, including three ACOGs. The half-life of tritium (a gaseous isotope of hydrogen) is 11.2 years, meaning that through radioactive decay they have one-half of their original brightness after 11.2 years. So the practical effective life of a tritium scope is 22 years, and the practical effective life of tritium iron sights is 33+ years. (The latter are much too bright for my liking when new from the factory. We have three Colt M1911 series .45 ACP handguns that were retrofitted with factory-fresh Trijicon iron sights in 1994. Now, some 13 years later, in my opinion they have only just now “mellowed” (by radioactive decay) to the point that I consider them practical for tactical night shooting. I probably won’t have them replaced until around 2024. Trijicon scopes and iron sights are available at quite competitive prices from CGW. (One of our advertisers.) Tell them that Jim Rawles sent you.

Letter Re: Advice for Newbie on Food Dehydrating, Canning, and Storage

Sir:
I started reading SurvivalBlog just two months ago,following a recommendation by an elder at my Baptist church. Your blog has become a daily habit. I just recently signed up for $3 a month for the 10 Cent Challenge. Right now, I’m “peeling back the onion layers”–going through the [SurvivalBlog] archives. I am blown away by how much knowledge you have amassed there, all free. Thank you!

I’m feeling more than a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of what I now realize that I need to do, to prepare for my family [for] disasters. I wasn’t raised on a farm, or even in the suburbs with a vegetable garden. (Although I now live in the ‘burbs, I’ve never planted anything but flowers and ornamental bushes.) At the core, I’m from the Microwave Swanson’s Dinners and Pop-Tarts culture. I don’t have Clue One about how to do canning or dehydration of fruits and veg[etables]. Where do I start? What brand of home sealer or vacuum packer gizmo do you recommend?

Most importantly: My wife and I have two teenage boys, and they eat like horses. I have a pretty big budget (I’m in middle management and make six figures), so I don’t mind just buying most of what I need off the shelf–although I would like to get one of the Excalibur dehydration units that you mentioned. That sounds like a fun project my family on weekends. But for the storage food, I really don’t know where to start. Can I buy most of my food for storage at a “club” store like Sam’s Club or Costco? (We are already Costco members.)

Also, how to I calculate the storage [life] of foods? (I don’t want anything to go bad before we use it up.)

Thanks for your time, and all that you do in putting SurvivalBlog together. It is an amazing resource. – Bruce L.

JWR Replies: Don’t feel overwhelmed. Just make a “list of lists” and start preparing systematically. A good starting point is to get a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. It is tailored for someone walking into a Costco–or similar “Big Box” store–and buying a one year food supply right off the shelf. I even organized it based on the layout of a Costco store, and I talked specifically about what items are available in each section of the store. There are a surprising number of foods sold at “Big Box” stores that have long storage lives. The course binder includes an appendix on the anticipated storage life of dozens of different foods, and it differentiates between the various packaging methods.

Home canning is a subject that would take a book to explain in detail, so for this letter I’ll suffice with a couple of good references: The first is the book The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery, from Sasquatch Books. Be sure to get the ninth or later edition. Mentioned at our Bookshelf page, and also available through our Catalog page if you can’t find a copy locally.) The second book on canning that I recommend is Keeping The Harvest. by Nancy Thurber, Gretchen Mead, and Nancy Chioffi. (Published by Storey Books.)

I do indeed recommend the Excalibur brand dehydrator. If buying one of them these days, I would opt for their big 600 watt ED-2900 model. We have a smaller, older model here at the Rawles Ranch that has been in regular use for about 20 years. And I expect it to last 20 more! (They are quite sturdy.)

For packaging the foods that you dehydrate, I recommend the Food Saver brand vacuum sealer, made by Tilia. These, coincidentally, are available at Costco stores. Stock up on plenty of extra bags. We prefer to buy the bag material in continuous rolls. We just cut them to size, as needed. We also use ours quite a bit to evacuate the air from canning jars, using the Mason Jar Adaptors. We use large 2 quart Mason-type jars to vacuum pack lots of foods–mostly grains, beans, and dehydrated goodies. OBTW, as a back-up for periods when grid power is not available, I also recommend buying a Tilia hand-pump sealer. They are a bit more time consuming to use than the 120 VAC “Food Saver”, but they work well and cost just $20 if you shop around.

Letter Re: Advice on Survival Retreats and Bug Out Vehicles

Hi Mr Rawles,
I saw the letter from someone that was considering an Isuzu Rodeo as a BOV. That is an awful decision. They do not get “30-35 MPG”. (Look up the EPA ratings). They are not reliable, they are cheap because of their poor quality, and parts are rare.

If I were buying a BOV (which I’m not, because I’m in college at the moment.) I would aim for a 1997 Ford Explorer with the V-8, which is compatible with the Mustang’s 302 for after-market parts (however, transmissions on the V-8 were upgraded in 1998 because of an issue with the clutch). The pre-1996 second generation V-6 Explorers had notoriously bad automatic transmissions (which is what caused mine to be junked at 233,000 miles, everything else was solid), but the 5-Speed automatic was much improved. Towards 1998 and 1999, as demand for Explorers was going up quality took a backseat to building as many as possible (this is a rule of thumb I follow for SUVs made from 1998 to 2000 during the dot com boom).

As a second option, a Ford Excursion or Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon with a diesel would be a good option simply because they were the only major SUVs sold with a diesel and diesel has its inherent advantages, but with less maneuverability and off road handing due to longer wheelbase, and higher weight, the excursion weighs in at over 7,000 pounds. A stock Ford Excursion is useless in mud (firsthand experience), if one plans on using it as a BOV, upgrade the suspension and tires. I would steer away from any newer generation SUVs (2002+ Explorer, 2003+ Expedition, 2000+ Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban, 2002+ Trailblazer/Envoy, etc.) because they were redesigned to get better rollover ratings at the expense of off-road capability, something that literally 99% of SUV owners never did.
Land Rovers should be turned away from because of awful reliability and rare parts. Toyota Land Cruisers and Sequoias are venerable, but are rare. Luxury SUVs such as the Lincoln Navigator, (identical to the Ford Expedition, a decent BOV but built at the wrong times), Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon Denali, Lexus RX or GX, will draw added attention, and one would be wise to avoid that “He has a Luxury SUV, I bet he can afford tons of extra food.” They may have more options and be more comfortable, but every regular SUV counterpart had similar options, but without the Luxury nameplate.
Jeep Cherokees (discontinued) and Grand Cherokees are both very good SUVs in terms of handing off road, but were not as common as the Explorer, my logic being, its better to have a BOV that one can find parts for easily, they are however, more reliable. Some newer models are not “trail rated” and should be avoided if it is to be used as a BOV. Regards, – Sam

JWR Replies: For the record, according to All AutoReviews.com’s review of the 2008 Isuzu Rodeo, the two wheel drive version (with 2.2 Liter engine) gets 19 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway, while the four wheel drive 3.2-liter, V6, 205-horsepower engine gets a pitiful 16 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway. That is a hair less than a 4WD Ford Explorer!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“When the music stops, in terms of liquidity, things will be complicated. But as long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance. We’re still dancing.” – Charles Prince, CEO of Citigroup, as quoted in The Financial Times, July 9, 2007

Note from JWR:

To anyone looking for the Claire Wolfe’s Blog discussion forums (“The Claire Files”), be advised that the forums were recently sold, simply because they were too time consuming for Claire to maintain. They are, however, still quite active, under their new name The Mental Militia Forums. (A poor name choice, in my opinion.) The same folks still post there.

Letter Re: Advice on Survival Retreats and Bug Out Vehicles

Hello,
I have been reading your blog and I find it very useful in many ways. I have a couple of questions for you:
1) For a secure compound or retreat would a multi family area (with like-minded people of course) be something useful? And if so, how would you bring it to the attention of members that would be willing to invest in something like this? [JWR’s replies are in-line, in bold.]

Yes, a multi-family retreat can be viable, but only if there are clearly delineated rights and responsibilities. These should spelled out formally–either contractually or covenantally–lest there be any later disagreement on what was intended. Typically this is is done by taking a large farm or ranch property and subdividing it into a set of contiguous parcels that are deeded to individual families. I’ve seen these done with some areas left for common use, but that generally causes disagreements–usually about grazing rights and unintended livestock cross-breeding. (The classic European “Tragedy of the Commons” is all too commonplace, even when it is just a three or four family group retreat.)

It is probably best to first try to find local buyers for your group retreat. If there are some like-minded friends at your church, that would be ideal. Failing that, you can advertise at the SurvivalistBooks.com’s “Groups” page. It is a free service. If you use it be sure to place a book order , to “do your bit” to support their efforts.

2) I just built my first Bug Out Vehicle (BOV). It is a one ton Chevy old body style 4×4 crew cab pickup. I have just put a multi-fuel Hummer engine in it with a very good transmission, 2 ton springs all the way around, a 2 ton rear end with a 2 speed in it. 24 volt DC system. There are 2 winches–front and back. I boxed the frame. I added A removable [fording] snorkel tube, under the hood air compressor and welder, and an [120 VAC] inverter system in the cab with an outlet also available in the back of the bed. Now the question is there anything that I have missed?

It sounds like all that you have it pretty well “dialed in”. You might add a pivoting spotlight. Don’t be complacent and plan to rely entirely on your two winches. There may be situations where you need to pull your rig sideways. I recommend also carrying at least one come-along (ratchet hoist), a shovel, an axe, a tow chain, and and two Hi-Lift jacks. If you live in a forested area, also carry a chainsaw and accessories. If you life out in the desert, carry a couple of sheets of PSP (steel “runway mats”.) Depending on the range that you need to travel to your retreat, you might consider adding another fuel tank. Assuming that your pickup already has dual tanks, the third tank would typically mounted in the cargo bed. If you plan to use a cargo bed tool box, then get an L-shaped tank.)

3) Next because of growing family now I need two BOVs. I have been looking into the SUVs for my wife and the [Isuzu] Rodeo is looking very good. You can pick them up cheap. The parts are inexpensive, and they are a good little 4×4. You can buy a whole spare”crate” engine with everything from radiator to computer for around $600 brand new. They get around 30- to-35 mpg which on a full tank is around 500-550 miles. What are your thoughts?

I consider the Isuzu Rodeo essentially an “expendable” light duty vehicle that is good for only 15 years of service, even if you switch engines past 150,000 miles. Beyond just planned obsolescence, they are built to fall apart. I suggest that you buy something more durable. Perhaps a Ford Explorer. (OBTW, some of these are also available “flex fuel”–so they can burn E85 ethanol ) if you shop around.) At least you have a chance of making an Explorer last 25 to 30 years. Granted, they only get 20 miles to the gallon, but they are far more durable and they can carry a load. We’ve used our Explorer to tow large livestock trailers and a 10 foot long box trailer that at times has been outrageously loaded with green firewood. That is something that I would never dream of doing with an Isuzu Rodeo.

4) I’m considering an off-grid property in an old mining district. It has some hot springs. Your thoughts? Thanks, – C.D.

Be sure to have the drinking well/spring water analyzed for both bacteria count and heavy metals before making an offer on the property!

Letter Re: A Reader’s Perspective on Assembling a Survival Firearms Battery

James:
As far as a perfect survival firearm you are right there is no one fire arm, I have seen many people give there opinion on this and in calibers also. As far as I am concerned there is only one all round weapon of perfection, that would be the 12 gauge shotgun with the many different types of ammo offered for slugs to bird shot it is an all around must have in the pending days. As for a protection in a high capacity fire arm I would be trust anything less then a 7.62×39 it has enough stopping power where one round will stop a threat. Which is what your looking for unless you have all the ammo in the world to waste. Now the other thing that you would want to think about is servicing and repairing your weapon now the best in this area is the AK-47. Their design is perfect for rough usage and great for field use they all fire when wet, in sand, in the heat and the cold. Their ammo is also is fired by the SKS which is a great scout gun, and “starter” gun for the people that have kids that are just getting to the age to shoot. The next model which is my personal favorite is the M14 which has the same great “fire every time and in every circumstance” as the AK. It chambers the .308 which is a sledgehammer of a round and is a easy round to find.

Next is the pistol category now this one is a touchy subject with most because of persons opinions they like a revolver or an auto it really isn’t a dime’s difference between the two except you can get the larger calibers in the revolver. Being able to hit your target is the most important thing. If you are using a pistol for you main protection gun then your not using the correct tool for the job. Now in a revolver I personal like the .45 “Long” Colt or the .41 Magnum for their stopping power and I do have both in the Ruger, which I prefer because of price. As far as autos go, I also like the P-series models by Ruger. They are a double action and for the price you can not beat them. And there are aftermarket magazines that are very easy to obtain. Bottom line you should find what guns feel good to you and shoot them regularly because that is only way you will become good with them. Please try to keep your armory down to 3 to 4 calibers. It is nice to try to have ammo that will work in multiple weapons. Please remember when you see ammo on sale of different calibers you should buy it–you might be able to use as trade.

In my personal armory I have:

12 Gauge Shotguns:
Browning Auto-5 with 3 barrels–nice to have extra barrels if you have to alter one.
Remington 870 pump with 8 shot magazine tube
Coachman style double barrel
Remington 1100 auto with 2 barrels

Rifles:
Remington Model 700 BDL 25-06 (a great caliber)
2 Semi-auto M14s .308
Remington Model 700 BDL .308
2 AK47 rifles
3 SKS rifles
Remington Model 700 BDL .338
Savage Model 99 .308
.22 [Long Rifle] bolt action
[Ruger] 10/22 [.22 Long Rifle]
Now you can see that I have a lot of the of the 700 BDL models.This is because they have the same “feel” as my my shotguns, and I used to shoot trap.

Handguns:
Ruger .41 Magnum
Ruger 45 Long Colt
3 Ruger P85 9mm with 20 15 round magazines and 10 30 round magazines
2 Ruger P90 45 ACP with 10 15 round magazines
1 Calico 9mm with a collapsible stock with 50 and 100 round magazines
2 Thunder Five .410/ 45 Long Colt (My wife carries one at all times)
2 Browning 22

Miscellaneous Ammo for Trade:
I have these varieties of ammo that I have found on sale–acquired for barter
30-06
.270
.300 Short Magnum
.243
7mm Mauser
.357 Magnum
.44 Magnum
20 Gauge
.25 Automatic [ACP]
.30 Carbine
I do not have a lot of this ammo, but I do keep it for trading purposes.

As you can see that I have tried to keep my armory in interchangeable ammo which keeps your money well spent and be able to use on multiple weapons. I recommend the .25-06 because it is a real tack driver and has great ballistics. The only drawback is I have not been able to find bulk ammo in this caliber and it can be quite spendy. – Chad

JWR Replies: Thanks for your input. When acquiring extra ammunition for barter, I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers first research which calibers are popular for deer hunting in their particular area, as well as what calibers the local police and sheriff’s departments issue. Concentrate on those calibers for barter.

I am not fond of the Ruger P-series pistols. They are a bit bulky and have unwieldy safety levers, but admittedly they are fairly reliable. I also dislike Ruger’s anti-gun ownership politics (particularly their advocacy of magazine bans), so I generally buy guns from other makers, when possible.

I noticed that you mentioned “10 30 round magazines” as some of your spares for your Ruger P85. Those are not made by the Ruger factory. My experience with aftermarket pistol magazines has been very disappointing. The quality control of most of the aftermarket makers is pitiful. Many aftermarket magazines refuse to feed reliably. I’ve even seen some that even refuse to be fully loaded. The “Brand X” or “no name” makers such as (Triple K, PMI, USA, etc.) are notorious for either under-heat treating their magazine feed lips. This eventually causes all sorts of failure to feed problems, even for magazines that start out life feeding fairly well. I highly recommend that you thoroughly test all of your spare magazines before depending on them for self-defense use!

A decade ago, I was fairly dogmatic about exclusively buying guns in standard calibers. But these days, I tell clients that it is fine to a have a rifle or two that is in a “pet” or oddball chambering–even for a wildcat cartridge–but only if they first stock up adequately on standard caliber guns and ammunition. (Such as .308 (7.62 mm NATO), .30-06, .223 (5.56 mm NATO), and 7.62 x 39mm.) After you own a couple of FALs (or something similar like an M1A, AR-10, or HK91) and several thousand rounds of 7.62 mm NATO, then by all means go ahead and buy your “.396 Belchfire (Improved) Magnum”. If you buy any rifle in an unusual caliber, then don’t neglect buying plenty of extra ammunition and/or reloading components. I agree that the .25-06 is a great choice for a long range deer and antelope rifle. Just be forewarned that your chance of finding .25-06 ammunition for sale after TSHTF will be just about nil.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Alphie sent us this: “Adding Insult to Injury Department ” news story: Lost your home? You may owe IRS

   o o o

Homebuilders: Lennar’s Loss Deepens the Pain

   o o o

DV sent us this item: Bird flu virus mutating into human-unfriendly form. The article begins: “The H5N1 bird flu virus has mutated to infect people more easily, although it still has not transformed into a pandemic strain, researchers said…”

   o o o

Found at the Drudge Report: Adventurer ends 13-year human-powered world trip

Note from JWR:

Today we are pleased to feature an excerpt from the published science fiction novel “The Weapon” by Michael Z. Williamson. You will recognize Michael’s name as a frequent content contributor to SurvivalBlog. The following biography is courtesy of Wikipedia: Williamson “was born in England, but his family emigrated to Canada, then the United States in 1978. He has served over 20 years in the United States military, in one form or another. Williamson’s first book, Freehold, was released in January 2004. The novel is set in a future wherein the UN is a Socialist empire. Williamson’s next novel, The Hero, was written with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo and takes place within the universe of Ringo’s Legacy of the Aldenata series. Both Freehold and The Hero were published by Baen Books. He also has a multitude of short stories published in various anthologies. Williamson has written or published five other works: The Weapon, a sequel to Freehold told from a different point of view; Better To Beg Forgiveness, a story set in the Freehold universe but outside the Grainne War series; and the “Target: Terror” series, which includes The Scope of Justice, Targets of Opportunity, and Confirmed Kill. In his free time Williamson also creates and sells blades and daggers. He is married and has two children.”

Though definitely not for children, I do recommend Mike’s fiction writings. I am eagerly awaiting the release of “Better To Beg Forgiveness”, expected late this year. The first several chapters of “The Weapon” are available for free download.