Letter Re: Prospects for the UK after TEOTWAWKI

Jim,
“PJ”s letter concerning rising crime in the UK seems to pin it directly on the poor, the Traveller Community and immigrants. The “Traveller Community” for example, isn’t just made up of “gypsies”, many white, middle class kids are joining it because they regard life in the UK as becoming increasingly twisted due to misplaced priorities (which is hard to argue with). By the way, I just read today that ethnic “gypsies” have asked for recognition of their own holocaust during WWII, something that is conveniently forgotten by people like PJ who need to have a foreign scapegoat to blame the ills of society on.
I also find it interesting that he speaks of “under resourced Police forces” when the U.K. has become the literal manifestation of “Big Brother”, with surveillance cameras everywhere continually peering at it’s disarmed people. I don’t know about you but I don’t want our government to use questionable statistics of rising crime to eliminate our rights to privacy. [Rant snipped.] Be very careful about these scapegoating letters as they’re invariably racist, between the lines or not. Roman immigrants to Israel were responsible for the death of Jesus, yet nowhere in his message is “blame it on the foreigners”…..unless I’ve badly misread the New Testament. Best Regards, – A Reader

JWR Replies: I don’t want this to degenerate into ranting and flame wars, but this issue needs to be addressed, and I intend to do so, with just this one reply. I suppose that if either of us lived in England, we might have a different opinion about crime. Here is a snippet on comparative crime statistics that I just found on the web: “According to Interpol, the number of crimes per 100,000 residents for the UK in 1997 was 8,576.46, for the USA that year it was 4,922.74. For 1998 in the UK it was 9,823.28. Interpol does not have USA data for that year, nor does it have 2000 data for the UK. In 2000, however, the USA saw 4,123 crimes per 100,000 residents. In other words: UK crime rate is twice as high as USA’s and rising. USA crime rate is half the UK’s and falling.” So I can see why the average Englishman might be more fearful of crime than we are. (Although, ironically, the risk of getting murdered here in the US is higher than it is there. But England clearly has higher rates for nearly all other crimes–both violent and non-violent.)

Upon re-reading PJ’s letter, I can see that there are elements of it that could be construed as racist. I’ll withhold any judgment on PJ, but there are indeed some racist tendencies in England, just as there are here in the US. Back in the 1950s England had a low crime rate. But these days it has an unacceptably and uncomfortably high crime rate. But it is criminal individuals, not racial, ethnic, or religious groups that are to blame. We don’t paint with that sort of broad brush on SurvivalBlog.

Odds ‘n Sods:

A nightmare for the intel analysts in Z Division: A defiant North Korea conducts a nuclear bomb test

  o o o

North Korea’s bomb ‘would kill 200,000’

  o o o

The folks at The Pre-1899 Specialist told us that their recently acquired batch of 8 x 57 pre-1899 Turkish contract Oberndorf Mauser rifles is going fast. This is by far the nicest batch of Turks that they’ve ever had. Since they were all made between 1894 and 1896, they are Federally exempt “antiques” –which means no paperwork required for delivery to most of the 50 States. (They come right to your doorstep, with no pesky 4473 form required!)

Letter Re: Prospects for the UK after TEOTWAWKI

Jim
The Times Online article that you cited regarding the Woman victimised by yobs highlights a very real danger that will present itself when the normal order of things breaks down. The UK has a massive underclass of welfare dependant, socially excluded individuals who live in inner city areas. It is by no means a problem exclusive to the inner Cities. There are council sink estates in most parts of the UK. Many of these individuals are the result of multi generation benefit dependency. They are often poorly educated and lacking any real prospect of meaningful employment. In addition there is a growing Gang culture that is not restricted to ethnic minority groups. The use of firearms and violence by these gangs is becoming commonplace.

Another group that is likely to become a problem in the event of social breakdown is the Traveller Community. [Also called gypsies, in the U.S.] These groups of itinerants travel in Caravan convoys throughout the UK. They generally camp on waste ground close to commercial estates where they can steal with impunity. Protected by human rights laws, there is little that the Police can do about them. They also have a reputation for extreme violence.

The UK’s growing problem with illegal immigration is another area of concern. Police forces throughout the UK are reporting a steady rise in crime, particularly sexual assaults on women.

Our under resourced Police forces are already struggling to deal with this state of lawlessness. In the event of a major socioeconomic collapse they will be completely overwhelmed in a matter of days.

The vast majority of people in the UK are unarmed and will have no means of defending themselves or their families. In addition many people are terrified of using violence in self defence because of the legal ramifications. We can only hope that the current state of relative stability remains in place for as long as possible. – PJ

Letter Re: Long Term Underground Storage of Guns

What do you consider “long-term? If it’s anything over a year and you expect to store the guns in a damp climate, you will have to protect them from more than just ordinary conditions. Way back in 1999, when everybody was worrying about Y2K I conducted an experiment in gun storage.

First, I bought a four-foot long piece of 6” dia. ABS pipe. I know, most people think PVC is best, but I’ve seen too many pieces of PVC that have cracked when hit or bent over a piece of rock. ABS is much more flexible and resistant to such problems. I also bought two caps for the pipe. I didn’t buy a screw-on type cap since I was experimenting with truly long-term storage. A screw-on cap would be fine if you were planning to take the gun out and use it occasionally but counterproductive if otherwise.
Next, I bought some oxygen absorbing packets. These are pretty common in some areas of food preservation like bags of beef jerky and can be bought from a variety of sources in a variety of sizes. I cleaned and oiled the gun just as if I were putting it in the safe until next week. I then determined just how much oxygen I was going to have to absorb. The inside diameter of the pipe divided by two and squared, then multiplied by pi and the length gave me the volume of air. Since normal air is comprised of only about 16% oxygen: (6”/2)2 x 3.14 X 48” x 0.16 = 12.2 cubic inches O2

This is no time to be nit-picky, toss in a little extra O2 absorbent, just don’t let the packets come in contact with the steel of your gun. Some plastic film cans with holes cut in them work well here. Glue the caps on both ends of the pipe and bury it or whatever tilts your windmill. Within a couple of days nearly all the available oxygen is trapped in those packets and no longer available to form rust on your precious gun. I left mine, a Chinese SKS and some ammo, in the tube for a full year in a wet climate before I checked it. I had marked the outside of the tube so I’d know where to cut without harming the gun. When I started sawing I was a bit apprehensive. The SKS was a cheap gun but I still wasn’t interested in trashing it or finding it covered in rust. But when I broke through the inner wall of the pipe I was rewarded with a “hiss” as air was sucked into the pipe and when I finally took the gun out it had no rust anywhere and was perfectly serviceable, which fact was proven by firing off a clip of the ammo I had stored with it.
Now, I realize my experiment only lasted a year and I’m extrapolating that it will work for longer periods of time. But since rust is oxidized iron and the oxygen is removed from the enclosed atmosphere and since I found no rust anywhere on the gun, I believe it is a safe assumption to make. – D.Y.

The Memsahib’s Quote of the Day:

“It is one of the great ironies of our modern “civilized” era that in most of the places where you don’t feel the need to carry a firearm for self defense you can legally do so if you choose. But in most of places where you do indeed justifiably feel the immediate need to carry a gun, they are banned.” – James Wesley, Rawles

Letter Re: Apex, N.C. Chemical Plant Fire as a Case Study in G.O.O.D. Realities

Jim,
My wife and I woke up at 5 a.m. (Eastern time) to NPR (you have to know what the enemy is up to) with the lead story a hazmat fire at a haz waste recycling company in Apex, NC, several miles to the east near Raleigh, NC. Something over 16,000 residents of Apex have been urged to evacuate so far as a large plume of a chlorine-like smelling substance moves through the area.
All local, state and federal agencies have been called in to assess and 300 firefighters so are are waiting until daylight (7am-ish) to go in assess and then fight the fire or at least the contain the contamination. Authorities have decided to let the fire burn itself out for now until morning since it was first reported 10pm (Eastern time) last night. Several police and one firefighter are being treated for inhalation problems Currently there is an adjacent petroleum co. next door where four tanks have also caught fire and exploded, exacerbating the situation…all schools in the apex area have been closed for the day.
If you follow local links (wral.com) and (newsobserver.com) you may get some updates on how this thing develops and is resolved…the large plume of whatever it is may shift soon due to a cold front coming through and more evacuations may result…the anticipated rains and storms with the front may be a mixed blessing….the morning commute from the SW of Raleigh should be a nightmare as the downtown Apex area is locked down….some will stay in their homes, i am advised but many left late last night….the haz waste handling facility handles discarded pesticides, paints, etc….and the heavy growth in the metropolitan area around raleigh, nc has led to many homes/some subdivisions being built near the complex (EQ recycling)……
My purpose is to notify you of a real-time scene here in NC that might be monitored for lessons learned about choosing wisely where to live, knowing your roads and how folks got by either staying shut in or leaving in a hurry….we are told that apex residents were called by phone late thursday evening by using a ‘reverse 911’ calling system that phones each home with the alert to evacuate. Was this a terrorist action? Probably not, but a wake up, nonetheless. Regards, – Redclay

Baking Whole Wheat Bread With Your Storage Wheat, by B.B.

You should plan to be dependent on stored food until your second crop comes in. Wheat is the least expensive and longest-lasting and most nutritious of the basic foods and should be the backbone of your stored foods. Figure on a pound per person per day, thus about 700 pounds per adult-size person over the two-year storage plan. This is about a loaf of bread per day, which will nicely supplement the other stored foods in your larder.
You want “thrice-cleaned, Turkey-red Hard Winter Wheat”, with moisture content at less than 10%. Store it in food-grade plastic buckets; treat it with dry ice as explained elsewhere in SurvivalBlog.
The simplest and most familiar way to eat wheat is by making bread. What follows is not a “survival” version of how to make bread, but unless you get your family used to eating whole wheat bread—and with this recipe, they will!—the wheat which ought to be the backbone of your food storage will not be much appreciated.
In a survival situation, you can prepare the bread dough described below, then eliminate the baking process in steps 5-7 by going right to the “Navajo bread” explanation at the end. And you won’t need bread pans either. Also, check abebooks.com for copies of Dian Thomas “Roughing It Easy” for ideas on survival cooking.
Homemade whole-wheat bread is often hard and chewy—sometimes better as a doorstop than as something to eat! Store-bought whole-wheat bread has a much better texture because commercial bakers use a secret ingredient. You can use the same ingredient and make bread that that will be far superior to store-bought and that your family will rave about. And you can make it from scratch to cooling rack in about 60 minutes! Trust me on this. Take note of the time for each step below and you will see what I mean.
Over the last several years, I have baked numberless loaves (100+) using this recipe. I often give one loaf of every 4-loaf batch away because I like the reactions I get. Early in my bread-baking career, one recipient told me she ate half a loaf at one sitting! I was pleased, but not surprised. My kids have done the same. Also try the variations you’ll read later in this paper; you’ll find people standing at your side waiting impatiently for the next bite.

Basic Whole-Wheat Bread (makes 4 loaves)
Of course it’s best to use freshly ground whole wheat, but you can start out your adventure in bread-making with whole wheat flour bought at the store. Yeast from Costco comes in good-size “bricks”—see the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course for details.
4 1?2 cups very warm water
1 cup honey
1?4 cup yeast
1?2 cup oil (Canola is best)
6 cups whole wheat flour (more flour will be added later; see below)
Slightly mounded 3/4 cup of gluten flour (the “secret ingredient”: available in the baking/nutrition/organic section of larger groceries or from a nutrition store). Warning: you want gluten flour, not “high protein” flour
1 1?2 teaspoons salt
4 to 5 1?2 cups whole wheat flour (store-bought whole wheat flour may take less because it will be more “packed”—fresh made flour is more “fluffy”
4 greased or oiled bread pans. I use my fingers to spread the grease, or a paper towel to spread the oil, into every corner. Do this well to unsure the loaves will release from the pans. I’ve also used “Pam” with good results.
1. Combine the water, honey and yeast; let this mixture “work” at least 5 minutes. I have a kneading machine, so I use its bowl for this. No kneading machine? Use a large mixing bowl.
2. Then add the oil, the 6 cups of whole wheat flour, the gluten flour and the salt. Beat in your kneading machine (or electric mixer, or by sturdy wooden spoon) for 7 minutes. This will result in a pancake-like batter.
3. Continue to beat, adding 4 1?2 cups of the 5 1?2 cups of flour; checking for stickiness and adding only enough to cause the dough to clear the bowl—meaning the dough will pick up dough off the sides of the bowl (the batch will feel slightly sticky when touched).
4. Either knead with your machine or turn out onto an oiled board or counter (a tablespoon of oil spread around with your hand. Machine-knead or hand-knead for at least 10 minutes. I rub my hands with oil to keep the dough from sticking too much. For hand kneading, you can also add a little flour (just a little—you don’t want tough bread!–if needed to prevent too much stickiness. At the end of ten minutes, the batch should be elastic—you’ll know what that means after your first bread-making experience. It will feel “alive”.
At this point, you can continue with steps 5-7 or go right to the “Navajo bread” section below.
5. Mold* into four loaves and put in the four pans. Let rise in the oven with the oven temperature at 100o (just warm), for 15 to 20 minutes (but no longer or else you’ll get air pockets in the bread).
6. Turn the oven up to 350o and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. There’s no need to remove the pans and wait for the oven to reach 350—just turn the knob to 350. To test for doneness, turn out one loaf and tap on the bottom: a hollow sound tells you it’s done. To turn out a loaf, use oven mittens to hold the pan inverted and to catch the loaf. If the loaf bottom is still a bit “squishy”, return it to the pan and continue baking. Keep the oven door closed during this test or you’ll lose too much heat. Don’t over bake; the loaves will be browner than they look in the dark oven.
7. Turn out on wire racks to cool; rub a stick of margarine or butter over the tops to keep the crust from getting too hard.
* to mold: shape the batch into a round ball and cut into quarters with a long knife. Shape each of these into a ball. Then with the heel of your hands press on the sides of a ball to shape it into length to fit your bread pans. Press into the pan and then press it down so it fills the pan end-to-end and side-to-side. There’s no need to do this perfectly.
Stand back and feel proud; try to wait a little before you cut yourself the first slice. You deserve it! And you are going to love the toast this bread makes!
Navajo bread
Flatten a fist-size ball of dough pancake thin to 1/2 skillet size; fry on both sides in hot oil. Use this as a base for a tostada.
Or, flatten loaf-size ball of dough pancake thin and cut into small pieces the size of the palm of your hand and fry both sides in hot oil; serve with butter and honey. Yum!
P.S. Gluten flour can be stored for as long as ground flour if you use the same techniques for storage.

Letter Re: 20 Pound Propane Tanks and Differing Valve Designs in the U.S.

Mr. Rawles;
Saw a post concerning propane tanks dumped along roadways.
People need to be careful if they go and salvage these propane tanks as the folks who make meth amphetamine ("meth") use the propane tanks to hold anhydrous ammonia to make the meth with. If the tank has been painted some color other than white and the valve on the tank looks bluish green then it has [or has had] anhydrous ammonia in it. The tanks have a tendency to explode as they are not designed for the pressures anhydrous ammonia put on the tank as it expands when transferred from the tanks designed to hold it. I will send a CD on meth waste found along the road that our company made. (They made it because we have had employees injured after coming across meth lab waste along the roadway. The worst case I heard about was a mower running over a container and the person spent 10+ days in the hospital and it cost the company some $10,000 to [repair and] decontaminate the mower. – Ron from Ohio

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." – Matthew 5:14-16

The Survival Rucksack (Backpack) – Part 2, by FDG

1

(Continued from the October 6th posting)

Let’s talk about each of these priorities individually.
Security: Safety and protection from predators, either two legged or four. Safety also from natural disasters such as wildfire, storms, earthquakes, etc. Consider the tools needed for the job.

Shelter: Since we are speaking of this in the context of the Survival Rucksack, in my opinion, your shelter needs to be the kind carried on your back. Remember the tortoise? So what to carry?
My first choice is the Bivvy Sack. It should be made out of Gore Tex or some other high quality breathable material. The Bivvy sack (or bag) is nothing but a large envelope of breathable, waterproof material that zips up with you, your sleeping bag and hopefully some room left for your gear. I have slept in very rainy weather inside a good Bivvy, all the while staying warm and dry. The U.S. Military has been using them for some time now and they are available on the surplus market in new and used excellent condition.
Second choice, I would consider a good one man tent; a rugged one that is light weight. The problem here is that these can get quite pricey and are still heavier than a Bivvy or lightweight nylon tarp shelter.
My third choice shelter is an oversized poncho like tarp at least 7’ X 9’ in a drab color. I prefer a rip stop nylon material with several grommets around the edges and loops for suspending it from a tree. There is one available from some of the outdoor catalog companies called the SAS Shelter. Be sure to require that it is the authentic item. This is a reasonably priced item and it gives you a better field of view of your surrounding area than a tent.
Water: Real simple. To carry only 1 quart of water is folly. You need to carry an absolute minimum of two quarts; but a more realistic quantity is up to 4 quarts. I repeat, 2 quarts of water is the absolute minimum that should be carried by an adult. Two additional 1 quart canteens or a lightweight 2 quart jungle canteen can be carried empty when you are in an area that has ample water and filled as needed in drier areas. Water rehydration bladders are all the rage these days and they do work well, but they are a bit fragile. I would not rely on them solely as they are easy to puncture. Also keep in mind it is very easy for an adult to go through 4 quarts of water a day when carrying a rucksack in warm weather.
Food: Food is your final priority, but it is as important as any of the others; you can’t live without it, and it is the one hardest to replace. I know all the Rambo’s out there are laughing now, but trust me, food is harder to acquire than you might think. “ I’ll just kill me a deer or a bar”, Okay, but see how far Bambi goes when everyone out there has the same idea. I have hunted the High Sierras on several occasions and sometimes the only thing I saw were Chipmunks. Maybe I’m just a poor hunter.
I have taught survival in the Army and I have rarely seen anyone put on weight on one of these outings unless they had smuggled in a gas mask carrier full of Hershey bars. The best answer I know of is to carry as much high calorie, high protein, light weight food as you can manage. Of course, if you had a stash under a rock someplace that would be great, but then you would not need your rucksack would you. Always remember Murphy,s Law. “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”. On your back is where you want your food.
Now about the food. Question: How much food do I need in my rucksack?.
Answer: How long do you want to live? Pretty simple when you look at it that way.
I realize you can’t carry a one year supply of food around on your back, but if you carried the right kind you could carry: 3, 5, 10 or even 15 days worth without too much trouble.
Question: How many calories per day do I need?
Answer: You should plan on around 2000-3000 calories per day, depending on your activity. 2000 calories is probably plenty if you are hunkered down and not doing much. If you are beating the bush, carrying your rucksack, you can easily consume 3000 calories or more a day.
This of course is in mild weather. If you are in a very cold environment, you can easily add a third to a half more calories for the same period.
Remember, we are not talking weight watchers here. You want calories, that means fats, carbs and protein.
Weight, how much does this stuff weigh?
What type of food should I have in my Survival Rucksack?
Answer: The kind that keeps you going! This is usually Military type food. There are basically three types that will do a good job. They are: Freeze Dried, Dehydrated and flexible pouch (MRE type). There are also canned rations, which due to their bulk, weight and short shelf life are hardly worth considering.
The lightest to carry are Freeze Dried, (containing approximately 2-3 % moisture) and are easily the best tasting.
Dehydrated (containing approximately 5-10 % moisture).
Commercial “dried” (containing approximately 20% moisture) is another choice, but has a short shelf life.
MRE type foods are much heavier that the Freeze Dried or Dehydrated (usually about three times heavier).
Canned foods are even heavier than MREs.
Each type of food has its own unique qualities.
Freeze Dried normally tastes better and has the best storage life. Average preparation time for a Freeze Dried meal including heating water is around 20 minutes.
Dehydrated: Taste is not usually as good, but vegetables and pastas can be quite decent. Keeps well if in an oxygen free package. Average time to prepare a full meal including heating water is about 60 minutes.
MREs: Much heavier than Freeze Dried or Dehydrated but is the quickest of all to prepare. Just tear the envelope open and gobble it down. Taste generally considered fair (C – ). Short shelf life if stored in a hot environment.
Canned Food: Normally the least desirable from the stand point of weight and nutrition, even heavier than MREs. Very quick to open and serve (be sure you have a good can opener). Shelf life (about 1-2 years tops) is normally the shortest of any of the above listed foods. Very sensitive to heat.

Some myths exposed: A common myth is that MREs contain 3500 to 4500 calories each. Not so, an MRE contains approximately 1300 – 1500 calories, depending upon the menu. The misconception comes from the term “ration”, which is construed to mean one meal. The historical term “ration” as used by the military normally means “one day food supply”, hence the misunderstanding concerning calorie count. The truth is, two complete MREs in temperate weather will usually keep a man going pretty well for a full day.
Field strip your MREs: Get rid of the cardboard boxes they put everything in. Take out the things you don’t need. Example, the Tabasco sauce they put in almost every meal. The gum, tea, and the other things you usually won’t use. By doing this you will reduce the size to the point that you can put two meals into one MRE bag and save considerable weight in doing so.
Shelf life of MREs: The U.S. Army conducted extensive testing on the shelf life of MREs. They deemed them “acceptable”, for 130 months (over 10 years) when stored at a constant 60 degrees, which means they will sustain a soldier in a field environment, but they found that the MRE failed after just 6 months (that’s right 6 months) when stored at a constant 120 degrees. Now you say you will not store your MREs at 120 degrees. That’s right, but at a constant 80 degrees, they were only good for about 5 years. The point is, MREs are very sensitive to heat, so be careful where you store them. Automobile trunks, attics and garages are not good places for them. A few years ago I received a memo through official military channels that convalescing medical patients were not to be fed MREs under any circumstances, go figure.
Shelf life on Freeze Dried Foods: These are the best by far of any of the foods. They are far less affected by heat than the other foods and can last for several decades when stored properly.
In 1976 I packed a 55 gallon barrel full of Freeze Dried Foods for an expedition up Mt. Ararat in search of a large boat. The food was never shipped, as the intended user was not able to get clearance for his fourth ascent (the local communists did not care much for Christians.) I have dragged that barrel around for over a quarter of a century now, opening it every couple of years to supply pack trips and the food is still excellent. If you ever want to hear the rest of the story email me at: freezedryguy@lanset.com
Weights of: Food:
Fresh: About three pounds per day
MRE: About 2 pounds plus per day
Freeze Dried: About 1 pound per day
Dehydrated: About 1 pound per day
Dried: About 1 to 1 -1/2 pounds per day

Question: What is a good mix of the different types of food to carry in my pack, i.e. freeze dried to MRE, etc.
I like a mix of about 80% Freeze Dried with some dehydrated foods to 20% field stripped MRE items. Using this formula I can carry 15 days of food weighing in around 17-19 pounds.
The stuff that goes into your Survival Pack:

1 roll consisting of 1 undershirt, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of heavy boot socks
1 extra pair of socks (total of 2 pairs of socks)
Hat or cap
Gloves or glove liners for cold weather
6 empty plastic MRE bags or other strong plastic bags of like size
Vitamins, minimum 30 days worth
Prescriptions, minimum 30 days worth
Toiletries: tooth brush (cut down), small tube of toothpaste (1/2oz), dental floss, soap
Toilet paper (very important), 1 roll divided up into three separate bundles in MRE bags
Sleeping bag
Bivvy bag, tent or tarp
Sleeping mat (preferably self inflating)
Poncho (military)
Jacket with cold weather liner or sweater
Water Purification Filter (capable of filtering to less than 1/2 micron)
Pouch containing: 1oz plastic bottle of liquid dishwashing soap, small scrubbing pad
Tube of military bug repellent, pain medication,
550 cord (parachute cord), minimum of 30’
2 quart jungle canteen or equivalent
Nail clippers (small)
Web gear:
Harness or vest
Ammo belt
Knife
1 – 3 days of food
2 Military canteens, canteen cups and carriers
Butt pack if compatible with rucksack, if not, attached to rucksack
Survival kit carried on harness or in butt pack
Survival kit with: Fire starting materials, snare kit, water purification tablets, signal mirror.Now divide your equipment into three piles:
Pile # 1 Must have (mission essential, totally necessary)
Pile # 2 Nice to have but not totally necessary
Pile # 3 Not needed (non mission essential)

After throwing out pile #3 (that goes back in your closet) load pile #1 into your rucksack along with pile #2, put rucksack on and see if you can stand up. If not, continue taking items out of pile # 2 until you arrive at a manageable weight. Now go out and walk around the neighborhood. Come home and continue taking stuff out of pile # 2 until you think you have it right (you’re getting the picture now). When you can walk at a brisk pace for 4 – 5 miles wearing your rucksack and it is not killing you, you are well on your way to becoming a bona fide“rucker”.
Loading your rucksack: In general.
Keep the load close to your back – heaviest items forward and high.
Weight of the rucksack and personal gear.
This is an individual matter, but generally the entire weight of your equipment should not exceed one fourth to one third of your total body weight. With practice you will probably find yourself
exceeding these weights, but be careful. With much training, specialized soldiers often carry from one half to more than their own body weight, but this is not recommended for the average mortal.
Once you have become fully infected by the “ruckers disease” you must be careful as you may become exposed to and infected by “The Crazy B**tard’s Disease“, also known as the “Ultra light
or minimalist backpackers infection” I used to have the disease and felt I had recovered from it by getting old. Worked really good for a while!
You have all seen these lunatics, usually running up mountain trails half naked, cursing the old folks (anyone over 35) for not getting out of their way fast enough, bota bag slung over their
shoulder now only about 1/2 full and carrying what you would think was only a day pack. Actually they have everything needed (except enough wine) for at least a few days while usually keeping
the weight to about 20 pounds or so.
I ran across one of these nut jobs recently; turns out he’s on my county SAR team. I thought I had fully recovered from the disease but it seams it lays dormant in the host until the death of
said host. After only one evening with this guy, I found I had been hopelessly reinfected by the “Crazy Bastard’s Disease” and have not been right since. I realized the severity of the reinfection
a couple weeks ago when I was cutting and trimming all the extra weight off my ALICE Pack and web gear. That was not the scary part, the scary part was when I found myself running into the
kitchen and weighing all the stuff I had just cut off; all 5 1/2 ounces.

WWWF: No, this is not World Wide Wrestling Federation, it is my own little acronym for Weapon,Web gear, Water, and Food. These are also the first things you pick up in case of emergency.
If this helps you to remember these things, then use it. This acronym describes those items
normally carried on a harness called web gear, LBE (load bearing equipment) or LBV (load bearing vest). I believe the combined weight of this gear should not exceed 25-30 lbs.
Conditioning Hikes: Warning, be sure to check with your doctor before doing this.
It’s a very good idea to get yourself in condition by using your pack, should you ever need it for it’s intended purpose. It is great exercise that can pay you big dividends while you train. Some of my most pleasant times are spent hiking at a brisk pace (and some times just strolling) with my pack down some of the local trails beside the old irrigation ditch.
A good standard to use for conditioning hikes is the one used by the U.S. Army: The Army Forced March
This is a very brisk walk that maintains a pace of 4 miles per hour. When you get up to that pace and can keep it up for 5 – 7 miles with a 35 lb pack on your back you can consider yourself to be in very good condition; probably better than 95% of the civilian population out there.
The Army considers 3 – 4 times a week to be ideal, with at least one workout to be on the light side.
Be sure to consult your doctor before you undertake such an exercise program.

As a side note, 35 years ago the forced march was 5 miles per hour with full gear. You had to run part of the way to keep up the pace.
They used to tell us “no pain – no gain”. Well, I’m here to tell you it does not need to be that way. Regularity and consistency in your workouts is the key and by the way, if you keep to it you should find that the term workout will change to “play out”, I can almost guarantee it. In addition to this, the confidence you will gain in knowing you can survive will in itself more than compensate for the energy
expended.
Remember what farmers say about machinery. A good machine will rust out long before it wears out. Keep the rust off! Now go do it! – FDG
e-mail: Freezedryguy@lanset.com, Copyright 2003.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yesterday, I visited a coin show in Sacramento, California. With the recent dip in silver and gold bullion prices, there were some eager buyers in attendance. Three different dealers all told me essentially the same thing: They think that we are witnessing perhaps the last big dip before the bull market resumes, to propel gold past $800 per ounce. Buy on the dips!

   o o o

Michael Z. Williamson mentioned this web page on a flu prevention breakthrough: a modified flu designed to fight the flu.

   o o o

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke says: Baby Boomers will strain the U.S. Social Security and Medicare systems.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution and the one which, united with that of personal liberty, has contributed more to the growth of civilization than any other institution established by the human race." – William Howard Taft

Note From JWR:

Today we a present part one of a two part article, courtesy of one of our advertisers, Freeze Dry Guy ("FDG"). As a former Special Forces trooper, he really knows his stuff.