Hi Mr. Rawles,
I read your reply reharding “EcoBeam Construction for Ballistic Protection”.
Three years ago, a friend of mine and I shot a concrete wall until we made a nice size hole in it. This was just to see how much small arms fire it could take. [We used handguns.] Here is a web page I made about it with photos.
Readers will get a idea what you meant about sand and and gravel being better at stopping small arms fire than even reinforced concrete.
Take care, – Wes
Eric mentioned that Rock Port, Missouri is the first US city to be 100% [net meter] wind-powered.
o o o
Burma death toll worse than Tsunami. We may never have an exact count, but the previous estimate of 100,000 dead may have been a huge understatement. And to make maters worse:
UN halts aid to Myanmar after junta seizes supplies.
o o o
I found an insightful article by Devvy Kidd linked over at the Bull (Not Bull) blog site: Do You Have a Plan?
o o o
A reader in Iraq mentioned that US Marine Corps soldiers in fairly significant numbers are bending their field uniform regulations. They are wearing desert tan Nomex flight suits instead of their desert pattern utility uniforms. The reason? Worries about flash burns from IEDs. There have been some reports of their standard utility uniforms burning and causing some severe burns with complications. Since Nomex is highly flame resistant, it offers better protection from flash burns. The consensus seems to be: “I’d rather risk getting an Article 15 [non-judicial punishment for the uniform violation] than risk a long stay in the hospital.”
“Remember the ancient saying: ‘[Si] vis pacem – para bellum’ – if you want peace – be ready for the war. Within the whole history of our civilization, no one disproved it. So let the weapons be not the means of terror, but the way to defend peace, democracy and law. I wish you all health, success and fruitful work. With best wishes,” – Mikhail Kalashnikov
The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $270. This auction is for four items: A FoodSaver GameSaver Turbo Plus heavy duty food vacuum packaging system (a retail value of $297) kindly donated by Ready Made Resources an autographed copy of : “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation”, an autographed copy of “SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog”, and a copy of “The Encyclopedia of Country Living”, by the late Carla Emery. The four items have a combined retail value of around $395. The auction ends in six days–on May15th. Please e-mail us your bids, in $10 increments.
We were sent a review copy of “Surviving A Disaster – Evacuation Strategies And Emergency Kits for Staying Alive”. This slim paperback (just 57 pages) is a basic overview and introduction to Getting Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) It was written by Tony Nester, a wilderness survival teacher in Arizona. Nester has also written the books “Practical Survival” and “Desert Survival”.
The book covers Bug Out Bags (BOBs), basic first aid kits, home evacuation gear, water, food, and so forth. It is mainly written about preparedness for evacuation in the case of a short-term natural or man-made disaster, not TEOTWAWKI. However, it does cover ‘minor’ disasters fairly well.
Positives:
Negatives:
If you’ve been prepared for a decade or more, then you probably don’t need this book. However, if you are new to preparedness, or have friends and relatives that are unprepared, this might be a good starter. It does not have that intimidating ‘survivalist’ look, and starts with the basics.
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I recently read your novel “Patriots“, which was a very positive experience.
For more than a year I have read most anything I can get my hands on concerning survival, as I started feeling led by God in the direction to prepare for something…not knowing what the something may actually be.
I recommend buying the “Forever” postage stamps, as a hedge against inflation. [JWR Adds: This is the last week to buy the “Forever” stamps before the upcoming rate increase.]
Hurricane Katrina gave my family and I just a small taste of what I am afraid we may all face in the near future. And no one is going to be bringing FEMA trailers by the thousands, and sending Red Cross checks etc. We were one of the lucky ones that did not loose our home, minimal damage, and we are located only 1 1/2 blocks from the beach. My only response, God was watching over us. Our home was two feet higher than the tidal surge, dropped 8 huge trees in our yard which all missed our house. We spent 2 weeks without electricity and water, and months in a neighborhood that looked like a scene from a war zone. We learned a lot, luckily we had prepared, didn’t loose our stuff, and had spent a lot of time camping in the past. But people are already forgetting the hard lessons we learned during that time.
Do you recall the scene out of [the movie] Star Wars? The Cantina scene where there was some bloodshed, the music stopped, a hush fell over the room, they dragged the bodies out, all was quiet for a few moments, and then all at once the band started playing, people started talking, and laughing, and right back to how things were. I think that is how the majority of people in the US are today. I am very afraid that they are all just partying it up, like in the days of Noah, and one day it will come down like the rain. Sincerely, – Nancy G. in Mississippi
Residents of the US state of Louisiana can purchase needed items free of sales tax as they prepare for the 2008 hurricane season.
The inaugural 2008 Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday takes place on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25. The holiday is an annual, statewide event created by the Louisiana Legislature to assist families with the important job of protecting their lives and property in the event of a serious storm.
During the two-day holiday, tax-free purchases are allowed for the first $1,500 of the sales price on each of the following items:
• Self-powered light sources, such as flashlights and candles;
• Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, and weather-band radios;
• Tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting;
• Ground anchor systems or tie-down kits;
• Gas or diesel fuel tanks;
• Batteries – AAA, AA, C, D, 6-volt, or 9-volt (automobile batteries and boat batteries are not eligible);
• Cellular phone batteries and chargers;
• Non-electric food storage coolers;
• Portable generators;
• Storm shutter devices – Materials and products manufactured, rated, and marketed specifically for the purposes of preventing window damage from storms (La. R.S. 47:305.58).
The 2008 Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 25.
The sales tax holiday does not extend to hurricane-preparedness items or supplies purchased at any airport, public lodging establishment or hotel, convenience store, or entertainment complex.
For more information, visit the State of Louisiana web site.
Jim,
I have been enjoying and appreciating the letters and replies throughout the blog, and I am compelled to respond to “Advanced Medical Training and Facilities for Retreat Groups”. The letter contained very accurate and useful information, but I must comment on medical skills available to survivalists.
First of all, need to say that I am a professional Emergency Medical Technician – and have been for 25 years. I have treated dozens of real-life gunshot wounds, hundreds of knife wounds, and thousands of other cases of trauma that I would prefer to not remember.
As a 911 responder, I appreciate the faith that the general public has in my knowledge and skills. The word of an EMT or Paramedic is trusted – and we don’t take that trust lightly. This is a part of the reason for this letter. In our existing EMS system, EMTs are very good at arriving as quickly as possible and providing life-saving treatment until definitive care can be provided. In a TEOTWAWKI event, the shortcomings of EMT skills will be readily apparent. My crew and I are as good or better than anyone at stopping bleeding, splinting, providing IV support, protecting airways, and rapid transport. However, final treatment of a gunshot (or fracture, or chainsaw laceration, or what have you) is completely out of the realm of experience for any EMT or Paramedic.
A gunshot requires the cessation of bleeding – often requiring surgery. Usually gunshots also involve bone fractures or organ damage – and require surgery. An antibiotic regimen is also required – of which EMTs have little to no experience. All of this is typical for the most simple of gunshots. My fear is that in TEOTWAWKI, people too readily equate a physician’s knowledge and skills with that of an EMT. To put a number on it, Physicians attend medical training for 12 years or so. EMTs typically have two months of medical training.
Now – before I begin to get hate mail from other EMTs – let me say this: For the treatment of traumatic injuries in the pre-hospital setting, no one does our job better. I promise you I can do more effective CPR than most any doctor. I can intubate in the field better than most any respiratory technician. But my training and skills are limited to pre-hospital care. Of course, an EMT will have basic useful skills in a hospital or clinic setting but they pale in comparison to those of a physician. To state otherwise is foolish.
So, as a professional EMT for 25 years, the plan for my retreat is as follows:
1. Have a good relationship with a physician (preferably a surgeon) at the retreat
2. Have a RN, Veterinarian, or Physician’s Assistant at the retreat.
3. Know where other surrounding physicians are located
4. Have a method for transporting severely injured people to the physician,
5. Have adequate, in-depth barter stock to pay for surgery
6. Lastly – and I mean very last – would be to use a scalpel to open up a family member.
Barter stock would be best that is applicable to the physician’s skills: surgical tools, antibiotics, rubbing alcohol, sterile bandages, pain killers, sutures, and so forth. Also beneficial for barter would be other high value items from gold or silver coins, firearms, or even a fifth of whiskey.
The short of it is this: EMT skills are extremely valuable in the niche that they are designed. However, they are not designed for long term care. For my family, I will be providing life-sustaining care to include cessation of bleeding, splinting, IV, treatment of shock, pain management, and antibiotics – and they I will do whatever I can to get them to a surgeon. Anything else is second best. Yes, I have several great books that provide great information, such as “Emergency War Surgery” and “Where There Is No Doctor”. But to plan on performing these techniques without adequately exploring all options to get my wounded to a physician, is foolish. – BES in Washington
Reader D.K. mentioned this item that first appeared in the AMA’s Morning Rounds e-newsletter: Hospitals in Cities Most at Risk of Terrorist Attack Do Not Have Capacity To Treat Injured, Report Finds
o o o
Eric mentioned that the US Federal Reserve has now resorted to desperation measures to pump liquidity in the midst of the global credit collapse: We read in The New York Times: Fed Takes Steps to Add Liquidity. The piece begins: “The Federal Reserve announced new steps on Friday to help ease tight global credit markets by increasing the size of its cash auctions to banks and allowing financial institutions to put up credit card debt, student loans and car loans as collateral for Fed loans.” Yikes!
o o o
US diplomat: 100,000 may have died in Myanmar cyclone. The article begins: “Bodies floated in flood waters and survivors tried to reach dry ground on boats using blankets as sails, while the top U.S. diplomat in Myanmar said Wednesday that up to 100,000 people may have died in the devastating cyclone. Hungry crowds stormed the few shops that opened in the country’s stricken Irrawaddy delta, sparking fist fights, according to Paul Risley, a spokesman for the U.N. World Food Program in neighboring Thailand…” We also read in The Globe and Mail: How the ‘rice bowl of Asia’ was emptied. We can expect even more severe shortages of rice, globally.
o o o
Joe S. suggested this piece over at the LATOC site: The U. S. Electric Grid: Will It Be Our Undoing?
“Civilised man has marched across the face of the earth and left a desert in his footprints.” – from Topsoil and Civilization by Vernon Gill Carter and Tom Dales (available for free download)
It never fails that when the mainstream media writes about survivalists, they try to lump us together with racists and tin foil hat whackos. Failing that (since the whackos represent such a miniscule fraction of “survivalists”), they will often trot out a psychologist or other “expert”, to try to convince the general public that preparedness is irrational and that it is evidence of some deep-seated paranoid delusion. This was the case in the recent BBC news article titled: “Do you need to stock up the bunker?”. The article focused on Barton Biggs, who is a well-known and relatively mainstream hedge fund manager and economic commentator. Biggs recently became a convert to survivalism, and that got the liberal media all in a tizzy. “Well, we mustn’t have that!” they grumbled. So it was time for the “expert” gambit. The BBC rolled out this nay sayer:
Frank Furedi, the British-based author of The Culture of Fear, says people should calm down.
For all the talk of a global bird flu pandemic, in the past five years there have been 200 human deaths from bird flu. In the same period more than six million people have died from diarrhoeal diseases and more than five million in road accidents – these would seem to be more pressing, practical problems to solve.
“What’s interesting about the ‘new survivalism’ is that its focus is everything,” says Prof Furedi. “Unlike previous alarmist responses to a crisis which focused on one main threat – for example, nuclear war – today’s survivalism is driven by an unbounded imagination of anxiety.”
“The new survivalism can also be seen as a highly ritualised affectation,” says Prof Furedi. “Through self-imposed restraint and expressions of concern for the future of humanity, the individual sends out signals about his own responsible behaviour.”
“The affectation of survivalism is one of the most interesting features of our ‘culture of fear’ today.”
I have a self-diagnosis to report to Professor Furedi: One of the “highly ritualised affectations” that I have is the desire to put food in my stomach at least once per day. This is a deep seated desire. I also have a corresponding deep seated fear of missing too many meals. Clearly, I must be suffering from “anxiety” and have irrational delusions.
I suggest that Professor Furedi make some changes at his Ivory Tower. First, he needs to stock it with some canned goods.
Mr. Rawles,
Last month I wrote to SurvivalBlog about what do one would do medically in TEOTWAWKI, when all systems are down. I had received three very good replies, and have ben thinking about what was said. I want to thank those people for their valued replies. Now, I have more questions and concerns.
From what I’ve read concerning medical advice leaves me wondering. All of the advice given has stated to get a good quality Field Surgical Kit, and two books: “Emergency War Surgery”; and, “Where there is no Doctor”. Then these articles went on to [imply that] when a medical emergency arises, grab your surgical kit and the Emergency War Surgery Manual, and handle the situation. This is where I am concerned.
First: The human body is not like the family car. Both are made up of many complex parts that must work together to provide transportation, in the sense of a car, and life, in the sense of the human body. There are numerous maintenance manuals for the car, and the repair of your auto can be learned in a short time. However, This is not the case for the human body. The human body is composed of many systems, that are inter-related. It takes a highly trained individual to repair us, and sometimes, complex medical instruments to help him do his job. The skills are not learned over night or in the quietness of your family room. They must be used and practiced on a continual basis in order to do the job properly. Anyone that says he can operate on a human being with a Field Surgical Kit in one hand and an Emergency War Surgery Manual in the other, in my humble opinion is wrong! This individual is about to break the Cardinal Rule of Medicine: First, “Do Thy Patient No Harm!”
Second: For those either setting up a retreat or are already living with theirs, I ask this question: Are you prepared for medical emergencies? I’m talking about a specific area for treatment (i.e. disease and trauma)? If you do not, then now is the time to prepare for that need. A treatment facility need not be very large–about the size of a two-car garage. Inside this structure would be an operating suite, intensive care unit for two patients, and a small laboratory. You will need specialized training to utilize each area. You can add wind or solar power systems, running water, or whatever you feel is necessary. It takes a lot of work and effort to build something like this. It will also be expensive to supply the right equipment.
Third: If you are a member of a group, you may be in a better position to set up a treatment facility, and to find a General Practitioner Physician/Surgeon. Finding such an individual is like having gold in hand. This individual would be the most important member of your group. He would take care of all the aches, pains, sniffles and sneezes.
Think about these things and give me your feedback. It will be valuable information to all the readers. In advance I want to thank you for your replies. – DS in Wisconsin
Not every retreat group is blessed with finding a doctor to be part of their group. In the absence of a doctor, I recommend that at least one group member get EMT training. This is best accomplished by volunteering with your local Emergency Medical Service. These are usually paid positions, so the pay offsets the training expenses.
JWR Replies: Regardless of whether or not your group has a medical professional, I recommend that all adult group members get as much training as time allows. Start out by taking the Red Cross basic and advanced courses and their CPR course. Then take the field medic course offered by Medical Corps. Several SurvivalBlog readers have taken this course, and they all have all commented to me about how impressed with their training. In fact, one of our readers from Hawaii flew all the way to Ohio to take this course, and he reported that it was worth the expense. Their upcoming class (May, 2008) is full, but get on the waiting list for the next one.
I also recommend the Practical Medical Course taught by the Western Rifle Shooters Association. (This course is subtitled: “Field Expedient Medical Care for Outdoorsmen in Austere Environments.”) Coincidentally, they have one scheduled for May 16-17-18, 2008 in Brookings, Oregon. Check their web site regularly, for announcements of other course dates and locations. This modestly-priced training, led by an Emergency Room doctor with 35 years of experience, will teach you many things that the Red Cross doesn’t teach you! For example, their classes place an emphasis on treating gunshot wounds.
Only the largest and best-financed groups could afford to set up a surgery suite and lab like you described. It is a worthy goal. But keep in mind that even modest medical training, instruments, facilities, and logistics are better than no preparation–which sadly is the state of 98% of American families.
We’ve tallied the 75+ reader responses to our recent poll on your favorite music with a survival or preparedness theme. Based on the responses, I can see that a large number of our readers are rock-‘n-roll fans. The Top 10 tunes mentioned were (in descending order of popularity):
1.) “Silent Running”, by Mike and The Mechanics
2.) “Its The End Of The World As We Know It”, by R.E.M.
3.) “A Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams, Jr.
4.) “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire (Buffalo Springfield ‘s rendition of the same song was also mentioned.)
5.) “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult
6.) “Riding the Storm Out” by REO Speedwagon
7.) “Bad Moon Rising” by Credence Clearwater Revival
8.) “Lawyers, Guns and Money” by Warren Zevon
9.) “The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash
10.) “We Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who
Other songs not in the top 10, but still mentioned by more than one reader included: “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty, “Thank God for the Renegades” by Steve Vaus, “Everybody Knows” by Leonard Cohen (a cover by The Duhks was also mentioned), “Going by the Book”, by Johnny Cash, “Political Science” by Randy Newman, “Copperhead Road” by Steve Earl, “March of Cambreadth” by Heather McDonald, and “You Do Your Thing” by Montgomery Gentry.
Just to cheer you up after all this Gloom und Doom, listen to this song that was mentioned by three SurvivalBlog readers: “Are the Good Times Really Over for Good?”, by Merle Haggard.
Hard numbers: The economy is worse than you know
o o o
UBS reports first quarter net loss of $11 billion, cuts 5,500 jobs
o o o
Just as I had warned you, folks: Penny prices pinched by rising cost of metal. The article begins: “Further evidence that times are tough: It now costs more than a penny to make a penny. And the cost of a nickel is more than 71?2 cents. Surging prices for copper, zinc and nickel have some in Congress trying to bring back the steel-made pennies of World War II and maybe using steel for nickels, as well.” (A hat tip to Paul in Kentucky for sending us the link.) A reminder: You still have a brief window of opportunity to salt away some rolls of nickels at face value.
o o o
Rumors of shortage prompt rush on rice in Anchorage area. This confirms my previous writings about the vulnerability of Alaska to shortages, because of its dependence on sea and air freight for necessities.
"Political Correctness is just Tyranny with manners." – The late Charlton Heston, in speech at Yale University