Identify And Secure Your Retreat Like An Engineer, by JAD

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Area assessment and planning is a key component of determining where to establish your secured retreat location. Establishing a retreat is not enough; you need to have clear objectives for what that area will accomplish for you or for those in your network. In order to establish your secured area and to determine the objectives necessary to allow it to function, you must assess and plan. Your planning must consider varying threats, uncertainty in threat duration, and likely enemy strength. Effective planning requires beginning at a macro level and reducing the scope until all details are captured.

The work in determining areas for a retreat has already been done by people with a higher level of knowledge than myself. An example is Joel Skousen’s book Strategic Relocation. His analysis is extremely in depth and is a wealth of knowledge, but it does not offer much information below the State level. The following principles are used by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to assess the feasibility of locations for FOB site selection.

I will be breaking these tested principles down to assist with retreat site selection. The following can be referenced in a multitude of U.S Army field and technical manuals, but I will direct your attention to USACE publication EP 500-1-2, which is open for public distribution. My favorite resource is GTA 90-01-011 (JFOB 6th Edition). This publication is For Official Use Only but is an amazing resource for everything referenced in this article, blast wave mitigation, tower construction techniques, and much more.

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Letter: Water After Irma, by RV

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HJL,

It was 4 am and the flow of water from the tap conspicuously lacked vigor as I begin the tooth brushing process. We just had Hurricane Irma visit as a tropical storm. Many, including schools, are without power. My mind leaps to the conclusion that the water treatment plant is also out of power and I am in a real fix. No way I am filling my 50-gallon barrel on such a tentative flow. I curse the utility for not warning us that they could not process water. I also think, “Of course.” So I start thinking about hauling. All my collapsible 5-gallon bladders are stored at a secondary location. I come up with two urns totaling 7.5 gallons of capacity and a 5 gallon capacity plastic jerry can. There is a stack of bottled water cases.

A Plan

I do the math, and all my toilets are older, 2.5 gallons flushers. There’s not enough capacity in my hauling capability. I resolved to replace those two 2.5 gallon water closets with low use models. One point three gallons is the current standard in Georgia. I further resolve to have a five gallon jerry for each water closet and a 5 gallon collapsible cube with spigot for each sink to facilitate hand washing. Maybe I don’t fill the cubes all the way. A 12vdc water pump that I can run from my truck parked next to a creek or lake is another gadget that might be worth having for filling that barrel this weekend and looking for a hand pump to go with it.

Turns out, there was a main break just outside my subdivision so my apocalyptic assumptions were all wrong. We had water that afternoon. What was apocalyptic about it all was the nasty sticky red clay and silica sediment left all down the street, my yard, and drive way as well as my neighbor’s. Pressure washer to the rescue. My weekend, however, is shot!

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 “HJL”. I found the Family Information Binder article particularly useful today.

2008 EMP Report

Reader P.S. sent in this link to a PDF version of the 2008 Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack. This is the report that is so often referenced. Yet people have typically not read it or even looked at it. You may want to grab a copy of this for reference. The report is pretty comprehensive in looking not just at the immediate effects of an EMP attack, but also at the secondary and tertiary effects. This is also the report that gives the 90% fatalities comment due to aftereffects.

Family Information Binder

Reader P.S. also sent in this link to an article on creating a Family Reference Binder that will contain critical information. Having a hard copy of critical documents that can be accessed quickly and easily when you have to bug out is a tremendous advantage. You will find that the binder will be your go-to information source even when you are living normally at home. It’s similar to these articles that have run on SurvivalBlog before so you may want review them as well:

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:10-13 (KJV)

Hidden Storage For Strategic Tools and Security Items- Part 2, by Old Bobbert

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Today, we are continuing with instructions for making a hidden storage area in your bedroom closet.

Temporary Wood Screw Handles

Again, the two long wood screws, which are protruding about 1-1/2 to 2 inches, will be your only handling devices. Go easy with them. They both recently finished a remedial bite-back class for wood screws lost in the big city.

Free the Piece of Drywall

Hold one of the two wood screws continually, while you finish the cutting and finally free the piece of drywall. Gently re-position the cut-out piece of drywall out of the way and on the closet floor leaning against the wall. Do not lay it flat where there could be a danger of anyone stepping on it. Make sure that the visible portions of the wall studs are clean and free of any old drywall mud.

Measure Between Wall Studs

The next step is to carefully measure the top and the bottom distances between the two now-partially-visible wall studs. Write the numbers of the measured lengths in pencil with very large easy-to-read numbers on the back side of the existing drywall, forming the other side of the wall.

“Nervous” Part of Project

Now we will do what is most likely be the single most “nervous” part of this entire preparedness project. Do not worry. Following these simple directions will/might/should/could/maybe, we hope, enable you to be successful and quite proud of yourself. You will need to trim/cut the two 24-inch pieces of 2 x 4’s to the exact lengths you measured earlier. Mark the top piece with the old “top” on a narrow side of the piece. Mark the bottom piece as a bottom the same way. (If you actually measure these pieces, they will be slightly smaller than 2 x 4, because 2 x 4 is the measurement for rough cut untrimmed/unfinished lumber. They work just fine for most of us, and I know of no reason it will not work for you, I think. That’s unless you have a sad history about being left alone at a construction site. Do you?)

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The Editors’ Preps for the Week

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

JWR

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers,
This week we were amid much smoke from regional fires. We were trying to homeschool, but harvest time chores got in the way.

Jim gang cut piles and piles of five- to seven-foot long larch and red fir logs with the chainsaw. He alternated days, splitting several cords of wood. Meanwhile Lily and the children stacked it in the woodshed. We had to get them in before the expected rain comes. We still have yet a bit more to split. But we got this stacked and covered with tarps. Getting in our own wood supply really is an all summer-long affair, I’ve realized.

Harvesting the Garden

The weather forecast is about to make an abrupt change this coming week. We can officially say “goodbye” to summer weather and it looks like even sunshine, after Sunday. There appears to be a river of clouds developing over the Northern Pacific. That pattern looks like it won’t break much in the foreseeable future. Bummer! Lily loves the sun. Parts of Idaho and Montana at elevations higher than 5,500 feet are receiving their first winter snowstorm at the very moment I’m writing this.

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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 “HJL”. Are you planning on upgrading to a new iPhone X? You may want to think twice about that.

U.S. Customs

We are all familiar with the abuses of customs agents and the so called “Constitution Free Zone” near the Canadian or Mexican border. We’ve all heard stories of people who attract the attention (willingly or unwillingly) of the agents at these entry points and get beat up, tasered, abused and even have their property confiscated. But this is a new one for me. Reader G.G. sent in this article on a U.S. Citizen who was exiting the U.S. into Mexico and ran afoul of agents. He subsequently had his truck confiscated under the civil asset forfeiture laws. Apparently, he had a magazine containing 5 .380 rounds that he forgot about and was accused of weapons running. So far, it’s a two year running legal battle because he has refused to give in.

Is This Racist?

SurvivalBlog reader D.B. sent in this Paul Joseph Watson video asking the question “Is this racist?” The media gives a pass to rappers hanging white children, yet censures an accidental bad word uttered by a vlogger. Interestingly enough, the full video can be shown on YouTube, but a conservative vloggers comment can’t have an excerpt without the commenter’s video being censured. It’s a crazy mixed up world.

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water: that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day” Deuteronomy 29:10-12 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – September 15, 2017

Happy Paratus Day!

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On this day in 1944, the U.S. 1st Marine Division lands on the island of Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the Pacific, as part of a larger operation to provide support for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was preparing to invade the Philippines. Within one week of the invasion, the Marines lost 4,000 men. By the time it was all over, that number would surpass 9,000. The Japanese lost more than 13,000 men. Flamethrowers and bombs finally subdued the island for the Americans, but it all proved pointless. MacArthur invaded the Philippines without need of Army or Marine protection from either Peleliu or Morotai.

Hidden Storage For Strategic Tools and Security Items- Part 1, by Old Bobbert

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The following are some hints and instructions on making a storage space for locating your backup strategic tools and varied security items within your home. This space also makes them nearly impossible to find and confiscate. While reading, please note that my strong belief that we are usually far too serious about most everything even remotely classed as preparedness activity has strongly influenced how this article has been worded. Every word has been considered both for humor potential (very subtle and low key) and for serious value.

This article, as titled above, will be presented to the readers with as much innocent humor and smiles as may be possible. Remember as you read, laugh, and smile that this is actually a very serious topic. It could very easily save a life someday, perhaps your life or that of a loved one. So let’s us start at the starting point, and the humor may well go downhill from this point.

The Location

In your bedroom in a clothing closet with double doors, empty the closet completely. Step into the now empty closet and turn to look at a side wall. It will be easy to discern which wall is the side wall as it will be one of the two shorter walls. Do not look at a side wall that is actually a side wall that is also a part of the building’s exterior wall. Go for the other side wall. It will be the side wall that you can readily see a part of something else. However, if you actually did start in the closet with your wife’s clothes, stop everything right now. Put everything back exactly where it was and never admit to anyone what you nearly did to ruin a good marriage…yours.

Continue reading“Hidden Storage For Strategic Tools and Security Items- Part 1, by Old Bobbert”

Freeze Dried Friday:

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Welcome to Freeze Dried Friday on SurvivalBlog! We’ve been making so many things in the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer that we want to share some of them with you. If you have something wonderful you’ve prepared in your freeze dryer that you would like to share with SurvivalBlog readers, take a photo of it and send it in along with a description. We might just feature you here!

Tomatoes!

Man! We are in the tomatoes now. Two standard size freeze dryers are working 24/7 overtime this week and they are clearly not capable of keeping up with Mrs. Latimer’s Heirloom Roma tomatoes. We produced 32 quarts of freeze dried tomato sauce and another 40 quarts of canned tomato sauce. We are still anticipating about another week of harvest at this rate before it slows down.

I included a picture of both the freeze dried product and the canned product for comparison. All four of these jars came from the same batch of tomatoes. By the way, this is strictly tomato sauce with no other ingredients. The tomatoes come from the garden, get washed, cut in half and then run through the KitchenAid strainer. The sauce is then boiled in large pots on the stove to reduce the water content by roughly 50%. The goal is to have tomato sauce that doesn’t separate out into a weak watery tea with clumps of tomato pulp. Rather, it should stay well blended, even when canned. This makes it easy to create delicious tomato based sauces that don’t drown your plate in water.

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Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on market watcher Nick Giambruno and his comments on the looming U.S. pension crisis.  (See the Troubling Trends section.)

Precious Metals

Kitco video: As Bitcoin Plummets More than $500, Will it Mark a Return to Gold?

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Gold iPhones: Weight of Gold & Silver Recycled by Apple is Eye Popping

 

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