Suburban Survival, by “Jim in Texas”

We all know that to be fully prepared we need a great survival retreat we can bug-out to. We all dream of the perfect retreat, were we will go post-SHTF. If you are like me however, this is simply not reality. I have no remote, armored, fully stocked retreat to go to in a disaster. Like millions of Americans I live not in the country, nor the city, but the area in between, commonly called the suburbs. Though all suburbs are different most of them share similar qualities, small, less than acre lots, single family houses with well maintained front lawns, a community club house and pool, cul-de-sacs, and middle to upper income residents. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance to the person who will be remaining in his/her suburban home during and after a SHTF scenario. I know that this is not ideal, but it is reality. Effective suburban survival depends on many factors including, individual preparations, community advocacy, and post-event leadership/disaster psychology. If one can make all of these three things work than they can effectively raise their own, their family’s, and neighbor’s chance of “making it through the storm”.
The number one most important thing is getting your family squared away. Now I’m not going to go into much detail in this part because the information is out there, but at minimum this should include adequate food, water [filtration], water storage, defense, medical supplies, tools, et cetera. One other import factor is getting your family educated. By that I mean getting first aid/CPR certified, taking firearms instruction, and numerous other relevant courses some which will be mentioned later.
The second most important thing in suburban survival is community advocacy. The fact is that if you are like me you have no “retreat” to fall back to. Your own neighborhood is going to have to be your retreat. All your neighbors are going to become part of your survival community. Think about that for a second, step outside your front door, look down the street, and realize that those other families are all going to be a part of your extended neighborhood survival community. Community advocacy has two parts; your relationship with your neighbors and educating your neighbors. This first party is easy, get to know your neighbors/community members. Steps to do this include
1. Meet and greet those neighbors you haven’t met. Just stop by and introduce yourself
2. Have neighborhood block parties – Christmas/Halloween/Fourth of July, or whatever
3. Go to community events-homeowners meetings, pool parties, etc.
4. Take an active role in community
If you develop good relationships with your neighbors now it will make things post-SHTF a little easier.
The second part is community education. According to a study by the DHS only 30 % of suburban households were adequately prepared for a major event/disaster. If the rest of the members of your survival community (the neighbors) aren’t prepared your community is doomed to fail. How can you improve this number? While I am sure there are numerous ways, the way that has worked for our neighborhood and thousands of others around the country is the CERT Program. If you haven’t heard of the CERT program is the Community Emergency Response Team. CERT training is designed to get communities to be self reliant during a catastrophic event /disaster when government services are not available (which we all know they won’t be). CERT is government funded and every participant gets free training, training materials and a small disaster kit. But the best thing about CERT is it gets people thinking and excited about survival. In my neighborhood 60 families went through the CERT training, and for most of these people it was the first time they had seriously thought of self sufficiency. From there the program spread, more neighbors became interested. If you can get people thinking, then you have most likely succeeded. People are more likely to do something if others are doing it. In fact on the same DHS study 75% of all respondents said they would be more likely to prepare if there was organization at the neighborhood level. Here are some steps that are proven effective at educating your neighbors:
1. Start some sort of community advocacy program be it CERT or others like it
2. Post disaster prep information in neighborhood newsletters/bulletins
3. Have neighborhood round table meetings on disasters
4. Go door to door handing out disaster prep cards and info
5. Work disaster prep into other organizations- PTAs, churches, women’s clubs, et cetera.
6. Get kids involved – they have great enthusiasm.
But for the preceding it is vitally important to do all of this in a positive way, no doom and gloom, but just the be prepared attitude. If others are well prepared you will be too. Remember the old adage: “a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.” Getting the members of your community squared away drastically improves your chances.

What to Do When the SHTF in a Suburban Setting

This first key is understanding disaster psychology and how people react to disasters. There are four phases the people will most likely go through:
Impact Phase – During the event and right after – people do not panic, the may act numb, unemotional, and dazed
Inventory Phase – After the event – people begin to asses the situation, the realize that life is no longer normal, many panic, go into shock, act unrationally, be uncooperative, unable to focus, and feel hopeless.
Rescue Phase – After they have calmed down – The natural survival instincts kick in, they begin to act rationally, become cooperative, responsive, willing to take direction, eager to lean how to improve their situation.
Recovery Phase – The person thinks they have a plan for their survival, feels in charge of himself. Depending on the person and how prepared they are, they may not experience all of these phases but they generally do. Now the first thing to do after the SHTF is to take care of emergencies be they medical, fire, or structural. Afterwards, start organizing on the community level. This is where leadership plays an important part. When people realize that there will not be any assistance from the government or a deus ex machina, they will look for guidance. It is critical to develop a leadership structure early on. Having a structure helps people feel normal; it helps to eliminate the feeling of chaos. Place the most qualified/best leaders into leadership positions. You will be surprised who lives in your community. There will be doctors, EMTs, police officers, military veterans, ham radio operators, people who grew up on farms, artists, and countless others whose pre-SHTF job will help your community. Remember you need your community, just as your community needs you. If you need more information on leadership, just search the Web. While the needs of your community will be different from the next, basic things that need to be taken care of include
1. Communication (internal and external)
2. Security
3. Logistics
4. Medical
5. Administration
6. Community (entertainment, community bonding, day care)
7. Operations
While I will not go into detailed descriptions of each of these tasks (I have another article on that) the goal is to set up effective leadership. There are however numerous problem which must be solved by the leadership if this community is to be effective and [answer] hundreds of other questions.
1. What to do about people with no supplies
2. What to do about Bad Apples – selfish, bitter, dangerous people
3. The flow of refugees from the city
4. How to get new supplies
5. When to abandon ship
While this is not the ideal “retreat” post-SHTF it is the reality that many of us will be in. By taking steps before hand you can increase your odds of your family making it through. Now some may say this community thing will not work, but it has in post-Katrina New Orleans and in Bosnia during the 1992 civil war, and I am sure in many other places. I hope this at least gets you thinking, which is the first step.

David in Israel Re: On Gun Laws in Israel and War Worries Update

In answer to your queries about gun laws in Israel: The gun control laws in Israel are draconian. You must have a “valid reason” to keep a gun at home. Sadly in the West Bank our cousins (the Arabs) give that reason. All of Israel law is a combination of Ottoman Empire, British occupation, and Israeli passed laws, also the radical leftist Supreme Court which has empowered itself to strike down laws it does not agree with and to generate law by judicial declaration. We do not have a constitution for the state of Israel.
These rules may change as the firearms regulation is moving to the police ministry from the ministry of interior. By law they are already empowered but interior still has the funding so police will not take over.
Competitive shooters must now lock up weapons at the club vault.
You used to be able to own two long guns for hunting but insurance is unavailable so no new long gun permits. However, current holders can still keep these guns.
Here are basics on handguns: Three years of citizenship, doctor’s letter, one day of class, and shooting exam required, you must have what is deemed a “valid reason” to get this permit. Valid reasons for handgun permit include: three years with police reserve unit, military officer over captain, or residence in “higher risk” area like the West Bank.
The police will ask publicly that licensed owners carry when there is increased levels of terrorism. I am guessing 40%-to-60% of men in the West Bank carry a handgun as do many women. In settlements you may be able to join the anti-terrorist squad and be issued an army M16. Combat soldiers must carry a firearm and magazine while on leave.

War?
Looks like tings are getting hot again the last two days, missile strikes all along the north and near Gaza hits in the major city of Haifa, Two dead in Tsfat from missile strikes. Our friends from Tsfat are coming to visit with us for Shabbat. We are stocking up a little as if this goes hot it will disrupt regular commerce.
Iran is clearly being both the Gaza and the Lebanon/Syria troublemaker–likely a ploy to take the heat off of their nuke program. Iranian representatives were in Damascus to confirm the treaty which considers a strike on Syria an act of war against Iran. Syria has occupied Lebanon for over 20 years and while they pulled out military units last winter, they still manipulate the government of Lebanon.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Multiple mutations reported in Indonesia’s Asian Avian Flu Strain.

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The Citizens’ Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) alerted us to the following: During U.S. Senate consideration of the Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 5441), Senator David Vitter will offer an amendment (# 4551) to “prohibit the use of funds appropriated under this bill for the confiscation of lawfully possessed firearms during an emergency or major disaster.” Hopefully this will prevent a repeat of the gun seizures that followed Hurricane Katrina. Our U.S. readers are urged to support this amendment. Please call your your Senators if you feel convicted to do so.  

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Hugo Chavez to Halt Citgo Gas Sales in U.S.

Note From JWR:

Please continue to spread the word about SurvivalBlog. Please mention the blog whenever you call in to talk radio shows or when you are on podcasts. Thanks!

Today we present another article for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $2,000) Second prize is a copy of my “big box” preparedness course, (worth $149) generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. If you want a chance to win, start writing and e-mail us your article soon. Round 5 ends on July 31st.

What is Considered of Value in the Poorest Nations, by SF in Hawaii

I have a book called Material World by Peter Menzel in which average families from around the world put everything they own on their lawn and you get to see what they own and how they live. While I purchased the book as a way to demonstrate to my kids ‘just how good they have it’ there are also some lessons for us survivalists.
I went through the poorest nations where per capita income was usually far less than $1,000 USD per year (and in the case of Mali, Africa, $251 per year). What I noticed was a pattern in both the kinds of belongings these families had as well as what was considered their ‘most valuable possession.’ I will now share with you these observations.
The possessions even the poorest could not do without were containers and blankets.
Moving up the income level came rugs, farm tools, spare shoes, mosquito nets and livestock.
When asked what their most valuable possessions were, answers were:
radios, bicycle/moped, treadle sewing machine, jewelry, holy book(s) relevant to their religion, an anatomy book, family heirlooms/photographs, and insecticide sprayers.
When can be gleaned from this information? These are real live survivalists trying to live in some of the most difficult situations imaginable. Most of their basic possessions revolve around food and warmth. Luxuries were a method of transportation, spiritual inspiration, information and entertainment (radio), portable wealth and a way of dealing with insects.
I already own a small insecticide sprayer (never used) which I was going to use as a backup shower (a luxury I find difficult to be without), but now am considering a second one for actual insecticides. I will also need to find out which flowers can be brewed for use as home grown pest killers (I’m not into toxic chemicals). How frustrating (dangerous?) to get your heirloom seeds into the ground and have them eaten by bugs before harvest. I’m also reconsidering a mountain bike. I have plenty of spare shoes in multiple sizes for my kids but I need to look at containers and farm tools again.
One last observation was that I don’t recall seeing one weapon in the poorer countries. Not even an old WWI rifle. Even a Kalashnikov can be had for the price of a quart of milk in many parts of the world. While some might argue that that means that they didn’t find it necessary, I would counter that their lack of weaponry was perhaps the cause of their poverty. Case in point, Switzerland with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world mandates an automatic rifle and ammo in every home in their country to protect against invasion.
Keep your powder dry – SF in Hawaii

Letter Re: Surplus Wireless and Hard Wire Seismic Intrusion Detection

Hi Jim,
I like your site! (And enjoyed “Patriots” quite a bit, too!) It was referred to your site by a customer in Louisiana. My customer mentioned that I could probably mention my remaining TRS-2 PEWS seismic intrusion detectors on your site.
We have about 30 detector/transmitters (DT-577 V(6) /TRS-2) left. @ $60/ea. (these run on a 9VDC ‘transistor radio’ battery for about two weeks, and are on 150.6 MHz)
Also have about a dozen of the R-1808 V(6) /TRS-2 Receivers (same frequency) @ $500 each. (These run on two each 9VDC batteries for a couple of days.) All of the PEWS gear is unused, and in original boxes. The Receiver includes an operator’s manual, programming instructions for the sensors, antenna, and headset.
This system detects vehicle or personnel intrusions within a 10 meter radius of the sensor, and transmits the sensor ID#, and whether it was a personnel or vehicle intrusion to the Receiver up to a mile away. I also have a couple of used PSR-1 ‘wired’ sets, with four geophones, at $350 per set. This gear, as well as other neat stuff is on my web site, www.meco.org Keep your powder dry. – Ira J. Moser, Owner, MECO, Tel.: (425) 788-0208, E-mail: ira@meco.org

JWR Replies: I consider intrusion detection systems a must for any serious retreat. Even just getting a photocell “driveway alarm” is better than nothing. BTW, please check with our paid advertisers for comparison pricing first, before buying big-ticket items like seismic intrusion detection systems or night vision gear. OBTW, one useful hint: You can use most 2 Meter Band amateur receivers as the receiving unit for many wireless intrusion detection sets that operate on frequencies between 142 MHz and 152 MHz.

Letter Re: Comments on the RWVA Appleseed Training Experience

I grew up plinking with a .22 rifle but was totally inexperienced with MBR rifles when I bought my FAL last summer. When I saw the RWVA Appleseed training schedule in SurvivalBlog, I decided to risk a possible cold weekend and attended Fred’s February 2006 training in North Carolina. I had the company of one other FAL shooter, an SKS shooter, a .22 shooter and a lot of M1A and M1 Garand shooters on the lower range line. Three or four families with children ranging in ages from about 10 up came to the training also and sported various calibers according to size. One family had thee kids, including two younger teen girls and a pre-teen boy – all participants. One Dad and son about 10 (who shot a .223) I remember because on the second day I was paired with them in a team exercise. But I had to get through the first day’s training. My point here is that there was a big turnout so for logistic reasons, Fred and company opened up the upper (parallel) range line for the family groups so all had appropriate instruction and coaching.

I was so discouraged after the first day. As Fred’s pre-shoot instructions said, I had sighted in my FAL ahead of time (using the built-in bipod). Using a sling is a fundamental rifleman’s skill and so, though tempted, I kept my bi-pod folded up the whole Appleseed experience. The sling makes sense because it can be used to stabilize a rifle when standing, kneeling or prone, whereas the bi-pod is fairly useless unless prone. But all the business with using the sling for stability was just not coming together for me. Question: Is it normal that changing from bipod where the rifle’s weight on the bipod pushes up on the barrel to using a sling where there is a downward pull on the barrel would change the point of impact by 12 MOA? Or is there something wrong with my FAL? (I’d readily agree to the “operator factor” explanation except, either way, I could hold a pretty good 2-4 MOA group.) If using a sling vs. bipod makes that much difference, is there another hardware arrangement where the bi-pod and sling attach to, say, the front handguard and not the barrel, so point of impact can stay the same shooting from either configuration? Anyhow, I was still getting my FAL, the sling and me sighted in FAR into day 1. Pshew. I had hoped to be way further along the learning curve. It had been a good full day of shooting but I was tired, befuddled, and frustrated. Certainly not satisfied.

But I went back for the second day. It came together. Just as Fred and company promised it would if you keep at it. Wow! Was I pumped by the end of Day Two! By the end of Day Two, I knocked down targets at 100, 200 and 300 yards. Iron sights. Yep, doing the sling thing. And I’m 53 years old and wear trifocals.

As I mentioned, in the later part of the 2nd day, we had some team events. I was paired with a Dad and his young son. As a team, we shot against the pop up targets at 100, 200 and 300 yards and against the clock, from the line, prone. For a time advantage, so we would not all three be shooting at the same target, Dad, the best long-range shot, started with the 300 yard pop ups, me the 200 yard ones and the young’un the 100 yard line. I got three of my four down before Dad got 4 at 300 yards down and helped me out. The next phase in the team experience was to walk toward the 100 yard berm and whenever the 100 yard pop ups appeared, stay standing and shoot till they were down. Then we kept advancing toward the 100 yard berm till the pop ups at the 200 yard berm appeared, at which time we knelt and shot till they were down. Sitting or kneeling is steadier than standing, so even though the targets were farther away, they went down in fewer shots. Then we ran (shoulder-even with each other so no one got ahead of anyone else’s muzzle) the rest of the way to the 100 yard berm where we climbed / crawled up, went prone and took out the pop ups at the 300 yard berm (now at a 200 yard distance).

Walking back up the hill I remember how I felt. It was a mixture of satisfaction that I persisted past my inexperienced frustration and had learned something new. No I had not just learned something, I had trained to a new level of competence. But that was only part of what I felt. I felt so proud of that Dad and his young son. The kid was ahead of us going back up the hill – full of energy – walking tall. I remembered back to when I was a boy and my dad took me and my brothers out plinking with the .22 rifle. I had felt tall on those days. I said quietly to this February ’06 Dad, “You have given him a great gift. He will remember this day out here with you the rest of his life. I know because I can remember like it was yesterday when my dad took me out and taught me how to shoot.” Then I spoke some even quieter words of thanks to the spirit and memory of that 1966 dad who had shown me how to handle arms safely and watched as I stood a bit taller.

What more worthy lesson can a boy learn from his dad than the skills of a rifleman who can, if necessary, defend his own life and that of his family? If your life has worth, and it does, it is worth defending.

Appleseeds. This February ’06 dad was a qualified rifleman. And his young boy will soon also be a qualified rifleman. Appleseeds. It is about learning the skills to defend a family or community. Or rebuff tyranny and start a nation as the dads of April 1776 did. It is a story Fred and company know and tell. It is not a history lesson they tell for you to only learn the story. It is a story they tell so you will train the story, that is, train to have the skills of the story. It is an inspiring story. It is a satisfying experience. – Kentucky’s Virginian

Odds ‘n Sods:

Okay, so it is a little techno-geeky and complex, but moonbounce EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) transmission does work.

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SurvivalBlog reader M.P. mentioned that the Sony ICT-B01 emergency radio is now available at JR.com for $40. While it doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles of the Eton and Grundig models, the Sony portables generally have the best proprietary radio integrated circuits, and they never sell them to other radio manufacturers.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that they plan to distribute terror and disaster alerts via cell phone. But this is hardly a “promised” technology for SurvivalBlog readers, many of whom already have active Alert System, Inc. subscriptions for terror and disaster alerts via cell phones and pagers.

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The skip is in! As of 1730 EST on Wednesday, the 6 Meter Band was showing a definite “opening” in propagation to Europe from the Eastern U.S. This is very unusual long range propagation for this band. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual… as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded, controlled, supervised, and taken care of." – Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp (Texas)

Letter From England Re: What Will Europe Be Like After TEOTWAWKI?

Hi Jim
Thanks for sending your novel (“Patriots”) so promptly. I’ve hardly put it down since it got here. It does make me wonder how things would pan out in Europe under similar circumstances. There are definitely less weapons in private ownership here in the UK, however criminals have no problem getting their hands on ex-Soviet weapons of all types. Not a good balance of power in the absence of law and order. Regards, – P.

Letter Re: Advice on Options for a Small Alternative Power System?

Hello,
I’m new here and am starting to prepare for long-term survival. I have tons of questions but will ask only one. Do you know, or have any recommendations, how one might use battery power to, say, power as DVD player. If so, what are the best batteries to buy for long-term storage and use? I realize a small power generator could be used, but that also makes noise and uses gas. Thanks for any help. – Andy

JWR Replies: There are two distinct approaches to alternative power systems. The first is the simplest, most efficient, and most cost effective: ALL 12 volt DC. But for this sort of system you need to get all 12 VDC lighting and appliances. Here is how it works: You charge your DC batteries from photovoltaic (PV) panels using a charge controller and draw current directly from them. DC appliances can be found at companies like Camping World.

The second approach is less efficient: Use an inverter to turn the DC voltage from your battery bank (typically 24 VDC) into AC power for standard 120 volt AC appliances.

A small DC-only system (two PV Panels, battery bank and charge controller) can be assembled for around $800 to $1,100.
In contrast, expandable AC inverter type systems start at around $1,500.

I recommend that you talk to Bob Griswald at Ready Made Resources. (One of our advertisers.) He makes both packaged and custom power systems for all budgets. Bob does free consulting on PV system design and sizing. He can be reached at: (800) 627-3809.

Four Letters Re: Solar-Powered Versus Self-Winding Watches

Jim,
With all the discussion of wristwatch options, your readers who know that it is relatively easy to learn watch making skills. Your manual or automatic watch will need cleaning and lubrication after a few years, after all.
There is an online watch school www.timezonewatchschool.com that does not appear to be a big-profit operation, but devoted to sharing the craft. They make purchasing the necessary tools and parts easy, and for about $250, you get tuition, quality tools (screwdrivers, magnifiers, etc.) a Swiss manual movement to work on, and a case to put it in on
your wrist. The second course covers lubrication, and gets you another Swiss watch for about $250 total. (The movements arrive in perfect working order, so you have a watch to start with.) And the movements aren’t junk. One is the exact movement used in $4,000 Panerai watches (it only costs $80 without the fancy logos and finishing they add to
it.)
Maybe the best preparedness approach is to buy or make a quality watch you like, and then buy several extra movements, knowing how to clean and lubricate them over the years. That is lifetime time-keeping. – Mr. Bravo

 

Jim,
Mr. Bravo has a very good point in his letter about expensive watches. When I started in golf course maintenance in 1992, one of the first things I bought was a Timex “Ironman” digital watch. I wore that watch every working day (12 days out of every 14) and most of my off days for 13 years. YEARS. I replaced the band several times (stock up on extra bands or you’ll end up with a pocket watch) but never, not even once that I can remember bought a new battery. When it finally died last year, I just retired the watch with it’s missing buttons and all.It certainly cost me a whole lot less than a “good” watch would.
Just something to think about. – DD

 

My Friend,
With regard to the discussion of Solar Powered watches, I have a bit more to add. I purchased a Citizen Eco-Drive solar powered watch in 1999, just in case. Seven years later I’m still wearing that watch on a daily basis. It has never been in for repairs and has not required a new battery. It is accurate. I’ve never had a watch hold up this well.

If there is a more reliable watch of this type out there, show me. I would not hesitate to acquire another Eco-Drive watch, given my experience. – J.H.

 

 

Dear Jim:
What time is it anyway? Since we’re on the topic of time, visit this web site and look at the sections on the history and science of sundials both permanent and portable. BTW they also sell them. See: http://www.shepherdswatch.com/
Keep in mind that the portable units only work in relatively strong sunlight. Since you must have clear visual access to the sun, they are not useful in a wooded areas and early and late times of the day when the horizon is occluded by the local geography. For nighttime use, there is a unit that uses the date and the position of the big dipper relative to the north star to give you the time, but you can do a quick mental calculation and get the same results without the tool. Again, clouds can be a problem as well as light pollution in cities.
Yes, mechanical watches need to be cleaned and can be problematic (I also had one, a Tag [Heuer], that could never be fixed), solar watches and most modern watches require batteries that will wear our or are EMP susceptible. The original spring action watches (such as Timex) many of us grew up with, (if you can find them any more) will also have a lifetime (does anybody know the lifetime of these watches?) but may be the best option. If they last a year, then get 20 of them, Unlike battery watches, they won’t go bad if unused. When their time (no pun intended) is up, toss them and get the next one. Portable timepieces were invented to allow sailors to know their position on the sea (in conjunction with the stars). They are also required for the coordination of military strikes. If you’re not out on the open sea without a functional GPS, and not concerned about (para?) military coordination, ask yourself, do you really need to know what time it is? You should be able to get within an hour on dead reckoning the sun’s location in the sky. It’s not like in a TEOTWAWKI scenario, we’ll have to get to work on time. – SF in Hawaii

JWR Replies: I foresee the greatest utility for wristwatches in a post-TEOTWAWKI environment will be tasks such as :

1.) Coordinating tactical movement and rendezvous

2.) Coordinating guard duty shifts.

3.) Monitoring the pulse and respiration rates of medical patients (Via a sweep second hand or digital readout of seconds.)

4.) Various elapsed time/distance measurements. (Such as “metering” the gallons per minute output of a spring, again via a sweep second hand or digital readout of seconds.)

5.) 330 meters per second speed of sound “Flash to bang” range estimation. (Again via a sweep second hand or digital readout of seconds.)

6.) The old standby Bradford Angier “analog watch as compass” trick. (Don’t forget to compensate seasonally for Daylight Savings Time.)