Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 13, 2020

4

September 13th, 1951 was the birthday of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Hurricane Preparedness–Floridian Style, by R.L.

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Florida. The name conjures images to people from around the globe. Sure, most people imagine the beautiful beaches, Disney, NASA, the Daytona 500 and others, but one cannot think of the State of Florida and not think hurricanes. Hurricanes are not concerns for Florida residents only, no way, as we have witnessed many of the most destructive hurricanes in the United States impacting states such as Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, Texas, even New York State! The reality is that a major hurricane (Category 3 or above) is going to wreak havoc and devastation anywhere the storm impacts. This article is not about the destructiveness of hurricanes or a plan for surviving a major hurricane, instead, I’d like to shed some light on the unique challenges that major hurricanes pose to residents of the State of Florida.

I am a Floridian, born and raised. I’ve lived my entire life residing in this state. I grew up near Cocoa Beach, have lived in Tallahassee and currently reside in Jacksonville. I have been an active participant in most every hurricane since my birth in 1979. During that time I have hunkered down for storms, evacuated for storms, witnessed the destruction of homes, roofs, windows and trees due to hurricanes. I have lived without electricity for days and weeks, and unfortunately witnessed friends and neighbors who have suffered complete losses due to hurricanes. There is no other way to put it….hurricanes are horrible. They destroy, kill and devastate. And yet, with God’s grace, we overcome. Along the way, I have learned a few lessons that I would like to share.

In case you were unaware, the State of Florida is at the extreme southeastern portion of America. In reality the state is a giant peninsula. Florida is surrounded by water on three sides with over 1,300 miles of coastline. The waters of the Southern Atlantic, Straights of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico are warm year round and are perfect breeding grounds for storms to strengthen from Tropical Storm to major hurricane overnight. In addition, unlike other states that hurricanes impact, due to the peninsular shape of Florida, evacuation routes are limited to just two Interstate highways and a handful of State Highways and local routes. Florida also boasts a population of nearly 22 million people, the majority of which reside on the peninsular portion of land mass. In other words, when evacuations are ordered, gridlock ensues.

The population grows every year in the state with many new residents who have no clue when it comes to hurricane preparedness and evacuation. State and local officials do a fantastic job of making sure that residents receive the information needed with regards to storm shelters, flood zones, items to prepare and evacuation routes, but unfortunately the implementation from residents come too late in my opinion. So what to do?

Continue reading“Hurricane Preparedness–Floridian Style, by R.L.”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” – Rev. 11: 15-19  (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 12, 2020

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After nearly 40 years of riding across millions of American TV and movie screens, the cowboy actor William Boyd, best known for his role as Hopalong Cassidy, died on this day in 1972 at the age of 77.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Relocating to The Yaak, by L.S.

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I could type for hours with stories of Cougars, Grizzly Bears, Wolves, The Elements, and Cantankerous Neighbors. Allow me to introduce myself. I am a resident of Yaak, Montana. It is a tiny little town in the extreme northwest corner of Montana, not far from the Idaho state line. For the most part, I have raised and am raising six children here in these wilds. I have been married for 30 years.

This article focuses on my experiences in the Yaak River Valley–commonly called “The Yaak”–but it encapsulates some truths that are applicable to moving to nearly any rural area in the United States.

We are the exception to the norm. We moved up to the Yaak River Valley in our early 20s and we figured out how to live. Most don’t. Most folks come up here with a lot of “citified” ideas and ideals. They don’t last long. Now, more than ever, it is important to know how to get along with your neighbors.

For years, I stood back and shook my head wondering what people were thinking. After 25 years of homeschooling, my eldest two are now nurses serving our population locally. They have provided us with 6 grandchildren. Three of my children own land in Lincoln County. After working primarily in Emergency Medicine for 25 years, I became a Real Estate Agent. At first, I really questioned why after all those years, feeling fulfilled in Health Care, that I would do such a thing. It hasn’t been long on the job that I realized I am specially tailored to do what a lot of people can’t. I get along with the neighbors. I can go most places in this county helping folks buy and sell which is not the case for many. I understand how we think.Continue reading“Relocating to The Yaak, by L.S.”

Editor’s Prepping Progress Saturday September 12, 2020

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’m still out of state, helping an elderly relative. I’ve also been helping another relative move to a high elevation retreat property. This travel has given me sufficient time for blog writing, editing, hunting for additional antique gun inventory, writing gun descriptions for my Elk Creek Company online catalog, and plenty of exercise. But I’ll be very happy to get home to the Rawles Ranch.  I plan to resume taking orders for Elk Creek Company on October 2nd. Thanks for your patience!

Continue reading“Editor’s Prepping Progress Saturday September 12, 2020”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.

Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?

It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.

The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.” – Proverbs 20: 17-30 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 11, 2020

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It has been 19 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 Al Qaeda terror attacks on the United States. Looking back on the days before that fateful day, make me wistfully long for the freedom that we enjoyed.

Today is also the anniversary of the Benghazi Embassy attacks, in 2012. (Those events were recounted in the recent Hollywood film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.) Please remember the sacrifice of J. Christopher Stevenson, Sean Smith, and CIA (former Navy SEAL) agents Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Between them, Woods and Doherty reportedly dropped at least 60 of the attackers, before their position was overwhelmed. Please also remember the spineless worms in Washington, D.C. who decided to not back up the embassy staff when they were in dire need of help. Eventually, they will pay for that. Time wounds all heels.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Active Assailant Response: Plan to Survive, by J.M.

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Introduction

Your personal safety, along with that of your family or your extended group of like-minded individuals, is probably a top priority for you. As a self-prepared individual, this is part of your nature. You are committed to ensuring the security of those you care about, not only in your normal day-to-day activities, but also in preparation for an unanticipated threat.

Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, an unexpected incident may include an attack on your place of work or a public setting you happen to be in at the wrong time. With the riots and looting taking place in so many of our cities, it’s not hard to imagine these vicious behaviors degenerating in the near future to include the use of more advanced weapons to carry out a widescale attack.

Although hopefully unlikely, such attacks are indeed possible, including one involving an active assailant or shooter. Preparing for one is an important step in defending yourself and those who depend on you. This requires you to stay aware, have a plan in place, and know when to run, hide, or fight. This article addresses actions and responses you can take to protect your life and the lives of others in case of an active assailant situation.

Stay Aware

Readers of this website are more cognizant than most people about the evil that men are capable of inflicting on the weak and unwary. As a precaution against such depravity, we’re all responsible for taking certain steps to make our homes, property, and personal workplaces as secure as possible. If this isn’t something you’ve already done, now is the time to act. There can be no more delay.

As an individual you have an important role to play. The first step to staying safe is being prepared and aware. Throughout the course of your day, it’s important to trust your instincts if something looks or feels wrong. Recognizing early signs of trouble may help to prevent a potential attack.

Being inattentive or indifferent to your environment is a dangerous mindset. Even the most experienced people can become complacent, especially when doing tasks that have become routine. To overcome this tendency, you should deliberately and consistently use situational awareness to be alert to any potential threat so you can react without being taken by surprise.Continue reading“Active Assailant Response: Plan to Survive, by J.M.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the declining effectiveness of economic stimulus measures. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Alex Kimani: Gold Could Be Heading To $5,000

o  o  o

Gold Forecast: Gold Prices Will Rally Back To New All-Time Highs

Economy & Finance:

Reader C.M. suggested this essay by Brandon Smith: The Economy Continues To Unravel Despite All Stimulus Measures. Here is a brief excerpt:

“Fed members and government officials demand hard lockdowns, depleting public savings and destroying small businesses. Then, the public has to beg the Fed and the government for more and more stimulus measures so that they can survive. The people and the system become dependent on a single point of support – fiat money creation and welfare. Yet, the evidence suggests that this strategy is failing to do much of anything except stall the inevitable for a very short time.

If the goal was really to reduce the pain of the pandemic as much as possible, then the strategy should be to keep the economy as open as possible and let the virus run its course. By initiating lockdowns, all we are doing is extending the economic damage over the span of years instead of months. We can deal with the comparatively minimal deaths associated with the virus; we cannot handle the disaster that is about to befall the financial system.”

o  o  o

On Fumes of Stimulus: California Starts Sending Out $900 Lump-Sum FEMA-Funded Unemployment Payments on Labor Day

o  o  o

Swiss regulator starts enforcement proceedings against Credit Suisse over spying scandal

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 10, 2020

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On September 10, 1776, George Washington asked for a spy volunteer. Nathan Hale stepped up to the challenge of an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City. Unfortunately, the British captured and executed him. He is probably best known for his last words before being hanged: “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” He has long been considered an American hero, and in 1985, was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut. It is good for us to remember that every American patriot and hero from the times leading up to and during the American Revolutionary War would have been considered traitors to the crown and would have suffered much the same fate as Hale had America not won her independence.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

A Primer on UVC Light – Part 2, by Dr. David J.

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(Continued from Part1.  This concludes the article.)

Area Disinfection

For area disinfection, an unshielded UVC light bulb is put on a lamp and controlled either by remote control or timer. Many are purpose-built, but it is certainly possible to buy a UVC bulb and place it on your own unshaded lamp and use a generic remote control or timer.

The UVC rays will neutralize microorganisms in the air and all surfaces that the light strikes. It can also be used to disinfect strategically placed masks, clothing and other items. In my opinion, the strength of area UVC light is to purify air of respiratory pathogens, any surfaces disinfected are a bonus. Area treatment with UVC often requires that the space be aired out for several minutes after treatment.

UVC for area disinfection has been used for some time for infection control in ambulances, emergency rooms, veterinary clinics and other health care facilities. It is particularly useful in hospital burn units. With the COVID 19 pandemic it has seen more widespread use in dental and medical offices as well as some correctional facilities. It must be used in an unoccupied space.  I could see if being very useful in a home setting where one is caring for an ill family member. A bedroom could be disinfected while the patient is in the bathroom, and the bathroom disinfected when the patient returns to the bedroom. Any area where people congregate- offices, house of worship, daycare etc., could be disinfected when the area is cleared of people and animals.

The important question then is, how long does it take to disinfect a room? The answer, of course is, it depends. The air close to the lamp is disinfected quickly (seconds), the air further away takes longer. But how much longer?

I will try to keep it simple:

UVC light loses it strength according to the inverse square law (The same formula applies to dissipation of sound and to dissipation of nuclear radiation fallout.)   It gets technical, but the strength of the UVC rays drops by the square of the distance from the source. The bottom line is the light strength drops quickly with distance. To be effective in a large space, in a reasonable amount of time, the bulb must have high wattage. To completely cover a larger room, a UVC light may need to be moved several times.

The intensity of UVC light is measured in millijoules (mj) or milliwatts (mw) per square centimeter. The dose of UVC is then measured by the intensity per second.   Different pathogens are inactivated at different doses.

The virus on most people’s mind is the COVID19. According to the International Ultraviolet Association, COVID 19 is neutralized at between 10-20mj/cm2, a fairly low dose. They also say that 1000-3000 mj/cm2 to compensate for light blockage should really do it. There are other estimates available, but 1000-3000 mj/cm2, is a large dose. Any bacteria or virus that receives that dose is certainly harmless. MRSA is inactivated at about 50 mj/cm2 and C-diff is inactivated at about 100 mj/cm2. Here is a chart that shows dose to inactivate various pathogens, there are many others available:

So, this technical explanation doesn’t really answer the question.  How long does it take to disinfect a room? Fortunately, there is a simple solution. Dosimetry cards.   These are fairly inexpensive cards that change color with UVC dosage. Some are marked with the pathogen neutralized, others with the energy dosage. They can be taped up to parts of the room and checked after time intervals (1minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes etc.) For the frugal, they can be cut in half or quarters. They can be purchased form CUREUV, American Ultraviolet and other manufacturers.  They can also be used to evaluate other UVC devices, wands and ovens.Continue reading“A Primer on UVC Light – Part 2, by Dr. David J.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at the continuing nightly riots in Portland, Oregon.

Portland Surpasses 100 Nights of Riots

Over at the KOIN-TV web site: Night 100: Riot, Molotov cocktail, injuries, 59 arrests. Here is a pericope:

“The 100th night of protests against police brutality quickly accelerated into a riot in Southeast Portland on Saturday, with at least two people injured and 59 people arrested, including 16 by the Oregon State Police.

A rally and direction action march was organized for Ventura Park Saturday evening. Similar to previous nights, people gathered in the park before deciding on a destination to march to between 8 and 9 p.m. Demonstrators were still in the park when the Portland Police Bureau started making announcements over the LRAD, telling people a march was not permitted and they needed to stay in the park.

The group of a few hundred people decided to march down Stark Street toward the East Portland Community Policing Center, where they were met by a line of officers.”

JWR’s Comment:   Most other mayors would have declared a curfew after just a few nights. But apparently, the leftist mayor of Portland is Muy Sympatico.

Oh, and there is video of the rioters going Full Molotov. In British Football, they refer to these foul-ups as “Own Goal” scores.

Turkey Escalates Tensions with Greece

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site:  Turkey Escalates With Tanks & Armored Troop Carriers Deployed To Greek Border

India and China Agree to Ease Tension on Border

The Reuters news service reports: India and China agree to ease tension on border.

A U.S. Military Base on Palau?

Over at WorldNetDaily: Palau invites U.S. to build military base as China pushes into Pacific.
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