Letter Re: An Urban/Suburban “Stay Put” Survival Strategy

Hi again Jim,
I felt I must respond to David’s earlier post regarding self defense weapons and Buckshot’s suggestion of a .30-30 lever action as being your sole means of self defense. While many of your readers may live in rural areas with ready access to hunting and lower population densities there are many millions more like myself who live in major urban areas and make our living here. Many of us have a dream of some remote survival retreat well stocked and self sufficient with water and food but its not a reality at the moment.  Depending upon the situation, bugging out with just a few possessions and without a well prepared plan is a recipe for disaster in my opinion. Therefore we must make due and create our survival retreat within the cities and try to make it as invisible as possible. A plan for survival in the big cities must include a long term food storage plan, water storage and purification alternatives, self defense preparations, radio monitoring/scanning and communications, mobility and recon, sustainable gardening, energy production or storage, medical preparations, financial preparations and probably the most important is a spiritual preparation for the possibility of some very bad times to come. Plan your urban retreat with a well thought out self defense plan based upon a group or neighborhood watch.
  It is estimated by authorities in Southern California that there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 known gang members and thousands of other nefarious characters running around terrorizing our neighborhoods. There is a thin blue  line between civility and anarchy  in our society as evidenced by the many events of the recent past when our cities erupt into a crazed anarchy over things such as court decisions, racial differences, earthquakes or whatever it may be. There is a proliferation of modern high capacity weapons in the hands of many of these characters and/or gangs. If you live within a large urban center and cannot bug out because of many reasons including the possibility of the roads being jammed with cars or closed completely then you must consider staying put and standing your ground. I don’t mean brandishing your weapons in front of your neighbors and being the big man on the block with all the guns ready for the bad guys to come. What I mean is to keep them hidden and ready while carrying your concealed Glock or something similar if the situation erodes to the point of feeling that they may be necessary. Remember, your neighbors may not be your best friend in the worst of times. Regular training in the use of your weapons and tactics is a must. But when it comes down to it and you must use your rifles and shotguns then be prepared to use overwhelming force with surprise and finality. Self loading semi-automatic rifles in .308 cal. with lots of magazines  are my rifle of choice for men and AR or AK series for smaller stature persons or women. We can still purchase Mini-14s , M1As, SKS, and many other California legal semi autos here in California. Research the laws before proceeding with your purchases. Trijicon or other red dot sights make sighting easy for almost anyone to use. Body armor is also a must and should be purchased for anyone carrying a weapon and others in the group if you have the funds.
  Again, I cannot emphasize enough about keeping your weapons hidden but ready. Many authorities do not take kindly to rogue groups with guns and will confiscate them if found and possibly arrest you. Make your plans to hole up and hunker down while listening to the scanner, shortwave, amateur radio, AM/FM  etc. while setting up your LP/OP and  doing some short range recon. Have a communication plan for your family or group and rally point. Try to remain invisible to your neighbors and authorities as long as possible. Stay off the streets and do not go around sightseeing or trying to gather those forgotten items you may feel you need. If you don’t have them now and the situation is not life threatening then just stay at home. There will be thousands of desperate people looting and shooting each other as the situation gets worse. Prepare now. Try to prepare to stay at home for longer and longer periods of time with your stored supplies. And while not possible, work toward self sufficiency in as many areas as possible. Develop and learn a wide range of skills such as shooting, auto mechanics, gardening, sewing, cooking, amateur radio, EMT, motorcycle riding, swimming, home construction, plumbing, accounting/financial planning, camping,etc,etc,.And teach your kids these skills. I also am an urban search and rescue volunteer and carry official ID to assist me with passage through most disaster areas.
There are lots of books and info on the internet about all of these subjects. I am not an expert but I am always learning!
  In the event of a total collapse of our society such as the one you wrote about in “Patriots” I am not sure what we will do. I am considering several options, but more about that later. – Anonymous  in  So. Cal.

Letter Re: Request for Advice on Dog Breeds

James:
I’m writing in response to a subject that is very of interest to me. And I do understand some of your recommendations (I.e. Poodles are great family dogs and the standard size could be used for bird hunting, if field breed (but very hard to find), and  I was especially impressed by your recommendation of the Airedale Terrier, Which one of the best all around breeds a century ago but sadly is used mostly for show these days. They are very intelligent and can be head strong when this circumstance may require bid ability.
My suggestion to L.P. in Utah would be to look into English Shepard’s and American Working Farm Collies, Both of which are all purpose, Land Race Breeds in North America. That watch over the kids, work the livestock and hunt small game. These are the dogs that built our country before the dog shows started standardizing and specializing the Breeds. There is an active community working to reestablish these breeds. And though not AKC (yet), there are serious, responsible breeders out there. And if you Google either breed you will find them. I truly believe that these would be the Ideal Homestead dog. And before you say it, True all of the hunting info that I’ve seen has been hunting small game (such as rabbits, raccoons and squirrels) and vermin. But I have distinct memories of my father talking about old farm collies out performing high priced modern retrievers bringing back ducks in North Dakota in the 1940s. If that’s true I’d bet that some of those genes are around still, If you look hard enough. There once was an all-around breed of dog and there can be again.
As a starting point I would suggest checking out the American Working Farm Collies web site to find out more about the breed and see what you think. And as I’m also very interested in the subject, I’d like to post the question to their form (with your permission of course) to see if any of their lines show any interest in “birding”, They do everything else. Thanks for your time. Sincerely, – D.A.

Letter Re: Hunkering Down Close to an Urban Area

Hi Again Jim,
I live along the coast of Southern California about 20 miles from the core of Los Angeles and have no way of bugging out if TSHTF and have therefore made plans to bug in and hunker down with my survival family and a few very select friends. I have a 1/4 acre place with a small raised bed garden and about 10 fruit trees and have been following this web site for a while now with great interest. You may share with other readers if you feel there is interest. Regards, – DC

Letter Re: Salt Blocks and Free Firewood

Mr. Rawles:

I wanted to say what a great and informative site you have, I just recently found it, and have started reading the archives. I haven’t read much but I haven’t seen anything on putting out salt or trace mineral blocks to attract deer. I think it would be helpful to have several on hand.Ours is in the pasture behind the house and many mornings we could have shot from the deck. I think it’s a good idea to put them out now so the deer will have established a routine of visiting them.

Also concerning firewood, my husband owns a tree service, and is always looking for somewhere to dump wood. He has several people that let him dump wood that is suitable for firewood, so that all they have to do is work it up, and burn any leftover brush. It’s a blessing to both. He dumps there when he is in the area to save fuel and time, and they don’t have to search for wood. So some of your readers may want to contact a local tree service if they have an area where a dump truck won’t get stuck and will have easy access without having to wait on a gate to be unlocked.   Thanks, –   L.F.

JWR Replies: I did indeed bring up the topic of salt blocks for attracting game several months ago, but it bears repeating. In a survival situation, why “hunt” when you can have the protein come to you, and you then can pick and choose the healthiest looking critters? My advice is to buy plenty of salt blocks, including extras for barter and charity.

Odds ‘n Sods:

When on a recent trip into town, my #2 Son recently pointed out a snazzy Hummer 1 (H1) SUV that was driving alongside us. I mentioned their $80K+ price tag and their pitiful fuel mileage. I added “at least they have high ground clearance and a low center of gravity.” Always ready with his sharp wit, #2 Son replied,”Yep, low center of gravity, but a high center of poverty.”

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Russia to supply AK-47s and Mi-24 Hind-D attack helicopters to Afghanistan? I think that the Hinds might be a bad idea, they might evoke too many bad memories from the 1980s.

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 The global derivatives market blossoms to $285 Trillion dollars. Not billion, trillion. Talk about a ticking time bomb!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. This is not to say that firearms should not be very carefully used, and that definite safety rules of precaution should not be taught and enforced. But the right of citizens to bear arms is just one more guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible.” –
Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (D.) Minn. “Know Your Lawmakers” Guns magazine, February, 1960, p. 4.

Letter Re: Do-it-Yourself Ethanol Stills

James,
Check out this link: http://www.dogwoodenergy.com/. It’s for a company that manufactures stills for producing ethanol. Ethanol can be used for use as a diesel fuel extender. The downside is that the still must be registered with the BATFE, including the street address and the location [of the still] on the property.

As an aside on diesel fuel: I worked for an earthmoving company in Florida and they maintained diesel fuel tanks on the premises. One of the problems they had with diesel that they didn’t have with gasoline was that bacteria would grow in diesel and clog the filters. It wouldn’t grow in gasoline. Just something to be aware of. – Mark A.

JWR Replies: There is a commercially-made diesel additive called “PRI-D Diesel and Kerosene Fuel Saver.” It acts as both a fuel stabilizer and antibacterial. Diesel treated with PRI-D will store for at least five years. Both PRI-D and PRI-G (for gasoline) are available from Ready Made Resources (one of our first and most loyal advertisers), Nitro-Pak (one of our affiliate advertisers), and several other Internet vendors.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mat the Prop Wizard alerted me to an amazing on-line magazine for do-it-yourself projects, called Make Magazine. It is a fantastic resource that everyone who reads SurvivalBlog should bookmark. For example, one recent story was on how to inexpensively convert any digital camera into an infrared night camera.

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The U.S. National Weather Service Hurricane Center predicts a more severe hurricane season in the Atlantic and Caribbean this year than last year. They predict 8-to-10 named hurricanes, with 4-to-6 of them major, just part of a 10 year crescendo in hurricane activity. Oh boy…

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The market conditions are said to be in an “eerily similar” to those that precipitated the “Black Monday” October 1987 stock market 508 point one-day drop.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Most people, sometime in their lives, stumble across truth. Most jump up, brush themselves off, and hurry on about their business as if nothing had happened." -Winston Churchill, 1874-1965

Poll Results: The Best Jobs for a Deep Recession or Economic Depression?

Here the reader responses that we have received thusfar on our poll: “The Best Jobs for a Deep Recession or Economic Depression”:

“Tenured college or university professor.”

“Locksmith. When the economy is good people need to protect their new ‘stuff’ and when the economy is bad people need to protect their old ‘stuff’. Crime does pay if you ar a locksmith. For twenty three years through good economic times and bad I always had work.”

“I suggest public accounting. Why? The flurry of bankruptcies that will ensue. Bankruptcy work is very profitable for accountants. Also, if the last depression was any clue, there will likely be a whole new pile of legislation enacted to “Deal” with the depression (pun intended). And hey, accounting is already a lucrative profession because of the Sarbanes Oxley Act. Yes, yes, I know welding is a useful skill, and it would be great to be a self sufficient organic farmer, but in a depression, as the poll describes, companies will still be running, they’ll just be doing very badly and somebody will have to count the beans. Somebody will ALWAYS be counting the beans.”

“I’d vote for what I do right now – professional handyman, but my emphasis is on “can do” work – I don’t do kits. I fix things, and make sure they stay fixed.
Others:
Midwife.
Folk musician.
Any kind of mechanic – automotive, Diesel, electronics, machinist, Babbitt bearing specialist, etc, but they have to concentrate on how to do true repairs, not just how to install a kit.
Tinkerers that can build things from junk – tractors, farm equipment, rolling gates, fencing, tools, etc.
Blacksmiths and metalsmiths.
Knifemakers and tool makers.
BioDiesel specialist – vehicle modifications, fuel production ( a sideline business I’m looking at right now)
Any of the construction trades
Farrier
Large animal veterinarian
Low tech chemistry specialist
Pest control specialist
Septic system specialist
Various forms of security consultants/contractors
Butcher
Baker
Mist specialist 🙂 [JWR Adds: Actually that last one, given in jest, is a good idea. There will always be a need for someone to pump septic tanks.]”

“Well, if one can stand feeling like a vulture, auctioneers do very well during economic downturns. Let’s face it, if someone can’t pay their bills, their stuff is going on the auction block. With tougher bankruptcy laws, I can only imagine it would make things better for that occupation. Also a good occupation during a downturn would be furniture movers. In good times, people are moving up. In bad times, people are: moving down, being put out on the street or going where the jobs are. The more dislocation a downturn causes, the more people will have to move around.”

“There are probably others but here are a few:
Health Care Specialty/Field; Nurse, Doctor, Pharmacist
Government (Essential Services): Law Enforcement, Firemen, Teachers (K-12), Military
Utilities (Essential Services): People that keep the electric, and gas lines working…”

“ANY GOVERNMENT JOB
Upper Corporate Management
Doctor, Nurse, and health care field
Undertaker
Wal-Mart employee”

Letter Re: Request for Advice on Dog Breeds

James:
We want to buy a puppy, partly for our daughter, and partly for the whole family. Is it possible for a single breed of dog to be in charge of watching the house and herding our sheep (we’ve had 4H sheep in the past, and I plan to build up a flock of about 20 on our 17 acres), and perhaps even doing some pointing/retrieving? (I hunt pheasants, quail, and sometimes grouse.) Or am I expecting too much from just one dog? Am I dreaming? – L.P. in Utah

JWR Replies: There are a few breeds that are quite versatile. But herding and hunting are probably mutually exclusive. Don’t laugh, but the breed that I recommend for your family’s situation is a Standard Poodle. This breed is very intelligent and can be trained to do just about anything except pull heavy loads. They were originally bred for hunting. If you give them an even trim, they don’t even look like a poodle, so they aren’t recognized as such by most folks. Another very versatile breed to consider is the Airedale Terrier–the largest of the Terrier family. Both breeds are highly intelligent. The Airedale is more stubborn though. It is a better dog for an assertive family. Regardless of your eventual choice of breeds, buy only from a reputable breeders–preferably from proven hunting lines, and be sure to get a health guarantee.

BTW, intelligent breeds are a mixed blessing. Intelligent breeds tend to be problem solvers. They excel in solving problems such as: “My master has gone somewhere. How can I escape from this yard?”

Plan on investing a lot of time in bonding with your puppy, and thoroughly training it. Get the best references available, and if possible enroll in an obedience course. Both you and your dog will learn a lot.