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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Letter Re: Constructing an Aboveground "Root Cellar" in Florida

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Jim:

In regards to running a small “window” air conditioning unit off of a solar powered
system, I can convey some of my experiences. I have a total of 3,160 watts of solar
panel power on the roof; about 1,700 watts feeds my 24 volt DC “house” system
(mostly lights, computer, entertainment system, ½ of the kitchen outlets, and the
fridge) while the remaining panels are wired for a totally separate 48 volt DC water
heater system. Two 2,500/5,000 (peak) watt inverters are used for each system,
each “slaved” to the other of the same voltage to synchronize the alternating
current frequencies and amp loads. Importantly, each inverter has “soft start”
technology to “soften” the instant high amp draws from motors, compressors, etc.
I have run my small bedroom air conditioning unit (rated at 700 watts) successfully
using only the solar powered system, but will only do so when the battery bank has
been almost fully charged and the sun is still out. Once the sun starts going down
and the air conditioning unit load gets transferred to the battery bank (capacity of
about 2,100 amp-hours), I would guess that I’d have maybe 2-3 hours of operation
before the inverters shut down from an undervolt condition (considering all of the
other system loads; lights, fridge, etc still in use at this time). If you wanted to run
a similar sized air conditioning unit (and nothing else) continuously from only solar
power/ battery banks, you’re looking at a whopping system- I’m guessing 3,500 to
4,000 watts worth of panels, and at least 5,000 amp-hours of battery bank capacity.
Even at that, you’d better hope for at least 4 hour’s worth of sunlight every day.

I’m basing this “guesstimate” on my lessons learned from my 40-gallon water

heater system- it draws about 4,000 watts and drains a fully charged 3,300 amp-
hour battery bank (down to the 44 volt undervolt inverter alarm) after about 30
minutes of combined total usage (or about three normal showers’ worth of water
heated). The feel of a bit of freedom from the electric company makes it all worth
it, but the most enlightening aspect of this whole “project” of mine towards
electrical self-sufficiency has been the quantity of deep-cycle batteries needed for a
system that can “get you through the night” (I have a total of 50 now, and need
more!). If you are just getting started on planning your own solar project, don’t
forget to add in the cost of all those batteries! - Wayne E.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Constructing an Aboveground "Root Cellar" in Florida, By R.R.L.

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First , to tell you a little about myself. I was a prepper in anticipation of Y2K, had
the property, cabin, most of the works and of course nothing happened. (my family
thought I was nuts) We all went back to our living. Unfortunately sold our property,
because of an illness. I never thought of continuing on for future problems. I was
awakened by talking with my brother earlier this year when he told me about
SurvivalBlog. So needless to say I am a prepper once again, but this time my whole
family is.

I am preparing my parents home to "shelter in place" because they are too old to
move now or when the SHTF. It’s a concrete block home, my dad built plywood
covers (I know, he needs metal) to fit over all windows when a hurricane comes
through. The property is only one acre but in a very rural area. We have started a
garden and trying to talk him into chickens. He grew up on a farm so he has an idea
of what to do.

My father is a builder of furniture, homes, or anything you can think of. I knew that
because of the humidity and area we needed a safe place to put our food storage,
we called it an "above ground root cellar". But it is really just a controlled
temperature pantry room--a heavily-insulated shed.

So last summer dad drew up the plans and got it built. We have a barn/shop with a
lean-to. It is a a two car garage type building. We built "above ground root cellar"
adjoining the barn under the lean-to but didn’t go all the way up to the roof, so that
we could double insulate it. Inside, it measures approximately 6’x10’. It is insulated
on all the walls, including the roof. Two of the walls already existed from the barn
which were constructed of 2x4s. We also used the same 2x4 construction for the
other 2 walls. We used R-13 batting on everything because 2 - 2" solid poly foam
pieces would not fit between the 2x4s. For the outside walls - we put 15 pound
roofing felt on the 2x4s, then 7/16" oriented strand board (OSB) on top of the felt.
All the inside walls were sheathed in 1/2" plywood. On the ceiling we used 1/4"
plywood and with a double layer of R-13 insulation -- that ended up being 6-to-8
inches deep. The insulation inside the door is 3" and again we used R-13.

Just a note: Because my dad is a carpenter, we used what he had on hand, without
buying much of anything, so you could substitute here and there.) My father used
to build freezers back in the 1940s (when they had wooden doors) so he knew how
to build a freezer door out of wood with rubber around it with insulation. The walls
are lined ceiling to floor with storage shelves. We were originally going to leave the
floor dirt but decided to lay down a floor of concrete patio steps.

We placed a small room size air conditioner near the floor. We leave it running, set
to 62 degrees at all times. Initially, we had problems with dampness, then we
placed some charcoal on tin plates, that cured our dampness. If we have more
problems we thought of a dehumidifier; not sure if that would work. We place
everything in there right now but will have to divide it up later as we get more
items. At present we place our potatoes, apples, and onions on the floor in crates.
These last us two months or more. So we are extending our fresh food shelf life, so
we can buy in quantity or harvest large quantities from our garden.

You can’t easily see the cellar door in the barn/shop; but we are planning to build
shelves in front so it will be hidden.

We are also looking for a solar backup for the cellar because we don’t want to
depend upon the air conditioning if and when grid goes down. There was only
about a $20 difference in our light bill, so not bad.

We only have a six month supply of stored food, but we are buying a little more
each month, gradually building our stocks. I know it’s not enough but it is more
than most people have stored.

If anyone could help us out with some information on a solar system to run small
room size air conditioner, we’d appreciate it. I’ve read some books on it, but I'm
confused on what we need, besides panels.

JWR Adds: Air conditioners draw a lot of current and are hence some of the biggest
power hogs of any alternative energy system. The key specification for a
refrigerator, air conditioner or other device that includes a compressor pump is is
the locked rotor amps (LRA) rating. The LRA rating is the peak load (expressed in
Amps) that the air conditioning unit will draw from your inverter, right when the
compressor starts up. Even a small air conditioner can have a high LRA. A typical air
conditioner might draw only 30 or 40 amps in the middle of a cycle. But on start-up
it may have a LRA of 70 amps. Multiplying this by 117 volts, this means that the
inverter must be able to supply a peak load of 8,190 watts. Yikes!

Unless you have a strong background in math and electronics, the process of
"sizing" and specifying the components of an alternative power system is best left
to professionals. Your key part of the sizing process is adding up all of the loads.
Each electrical or electronic device should have a rating expressed in either Watts
or Amps. You will provide an aggregate Amp figure, a brief description of your daily
routine (how many hours per day each device is used, and seasonal differences)
and an estimate on the number of direct sunlight hours available for your solar
array's location. A system designer can then determine your system requirements,
namely: how many PV panels, what size and type of inverter, and how large a
battery bank is needed. In the hopes that you will buy system components from
them, the folks at Ready Made Resources offer free consulting on alternative energy
system design. You can reach them at: 1(800) 627-3809.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Letter Re: Advice on Backpacking Solar Panels

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CPT Rawles:

I realize that you aren't an advocate of fully-mobile retreating. Yes, I can see the
wisdom of having a well-stocked fixed retreat. But since I'm still in college (due to
graduate in 2011), my situation is different. Until a get a job, I can't afford a retreat,
and I'm not in any sort of a group. So I'm approaching the whole preparedness thing
coming from the viewpoint of "just what I can fit in my car", with the back-up plan of
"just what I can carry on my pack", or perhaps pushing/pulling a small deer cart, like
you've mentioned.

My question is: What sort of solar panels can I buy that will charge a goodly-sized
base camp battery, for [charging] trays for all my AA, C, D, CR-123, and 9-volt
batteries. (These are for my radios, flashlights, and the combination laser/light for
my SIG P250 pistol.) I'm a kinda power hog, so I need at least 20 Watts of charging
power. I need something that is lightweight, sturdy, compact non-breakable,
weatherproof, and affordable. (Like, under $350.) Am I dreaming? Oh, FYI, I'm good
with a soldering iron. (I'm a E.E. major.)

Thx, - H.L.G. in Texas

JWR Replies: The panel that I recommend is the Brunton 26 watt foldable solar
array. These use amorphous solar cells, so the panels are flexible. These are much
less prone to breakage than glazed monocrystalline panels. Add a small charge
controller, a 3-to-5-pound gel cell, some Anderson Power Pole modular DC
connectors and a couple of battery charging trays, and you will be all set.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Letter Re: Priority and Redundancy in Retreat Electric Power

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In an attempt both to think through the issue and to stimulate other to do likewise, I
present my personal analysis of our family's current and future electric power
usage. First some background: We live in a 2,400 square foot two-story home the
suburbs of a southeastern city. Currently there are 3 of us, with one child away at
school. Our summer temps are as high as 95F and winters can drop to the 20s.
Currently is is between 50 and 80, which is great - windows often left open.

We have grid power, for which we pay $150-300/month. Additionally, I have

recently installed 720 Watts of solar photovoltaic on a south-facing roof which gets
6-8 hours/day of direct sunlight. This is tied through a charge controller to a bank of
eight L-16 6 volt lead-acid batteries set up in a 24V configuration (4 in series,
paralleled with 4 more in series). This system drives a Xantrex inverter and serves
mostly as an emergency standby for absolute essentials. The batteries can also be
recharged from the grid or from a generator. The generator (5 kilowatt diesel),
when running, operates more systems, as well as charging the batteries in the solar
system (if needed).

So, we currently have three layers of electrical power:

1) Solar running a few lights, television, radio, and the central heat blower motor
(we have gas heat) and, most important, the controller for the on-demand gas hot
water heater,

2) Generator (perhaps an hour a day) running more lights, computers,

router/modem, one window heat/AC unit, refrigerator, freezer and microwave, and

3) Grid - running everything else (washer, dryer, range, central AC compressors).

A separate system (three 12 Volt deep-cycle car batteries with float charger)
powers the CB/ham communication gear.

Although not nearly approaching off-grid, this arrangement lets us have essentials
during a grid failure, with additional luxuries during brief generator runs. During the
day, when we require little power, the solar system can run the house with energy
to spare, leaving the batteries fully charged for evening use.

We are overly dependant on piped natural gas; and, although we have reserves of
propane for cooking, we would need to provide for heat and warm water in other
ways if gas pumping stations were off-line. Also of interest, our potable water
drums are arranged to backfeed into the house's plumbing after the water main is
turned off. We use a 24 volt DC water pump designed for boating (fed by the
battery bank) with a built-in pressure sensor that actuates the pump when water
pressure falls (from opening a spigot).

I would welcome any readers' comments on better optimizing our power use and
prioritizing our demands during emergencies. In closing, please get you final
preparations ready soon - things are deteriorating faster than you think! - J.B. in
Tennessee

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Being Prepared - How Hurricane Andrew Saved My Life, by Richard in Miami, Florida

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I am by nature a positive person. On the other hand, I fully recognize that we live in
a very dangerous world. Ignoring the reality will not make you safe – that would
only be an illusion of safety. I sincerely believe that far too many of us live in a
fantasy world shaped by what we see on television, and reinforced by our very
limited exposure to the world outside our immediate communities. Also, many of us
are so caught up in the daily rat race that we don’t stop to think about much else.

To me, being prepared begins with being aware of the real risks that we face daily,
or may someday come our way. The fact the something “bad” has never happened
to you does not mean that it never will, or that you are somehow immune from such
things. I will give you an example. In 1992 I lived in southwest Miami-Dade County
with my young family. Florida is known for its long history of deadly hurricanes, but I
had lived through many hurricanes, and my limited experience had taught me that
hurricanes were nothing more than some wind, rain and a day or two off from
school/work. The reality is that hurricanes have tremendous potential to kill people
and destroy property. If you are taken by surprise (unprepared), a hurricane and the
resulting aftermath can seriously change your life, or possibly end it. In August 1992
Hurricane Andrew turned out to be one of the most destructive in US history and I
was completely unprepared. I lost my house, most of my personal property and
almost my life. After Andrew passed through my neighborhood, I had little more
than the clothes on my back. At that moment I realized just how badly I had failed
myself, and my family, by my lack of preparation.

We were lucky to survive, but the lessons I learned will stay with me for the rest of
my life. I will never make that mistake again. Today, although I am 1000% more
prepared than back in 1992, I still feel it’s not enough. Very few people understand
this and many make fun of me. But they have not had death knock at their door as
I have. They have not felt the fear and desperation of seeing the storm, literally
and figuratively, coming their way and not knowing what to do because they had
not taken the time to prepare and plan.

I don’t know what the future will bring, but I know that whatever it is, it will be
unexpected, sudden and it may be very bad. Next time it probably won’t be a
hurricane – that would be too easy. After Andrew and Katrina, few of us take
hurricanes for granted. But given our present social, political and financial
environment - anything is possible. Ten years ago we thought our biggest threat
was from outside terrorism. Today, I sincerely believe that the biggest threat comes
from within our own borders.The economy, complacency, willful blindness, and
people who refuse to recognize that we have turned a corner. A corner that will not
allow us to go back to the way things were. But, I can hear it already: "Maybe if I
just go about my business and not think about the gloom and doom – everything
will be just fine."

After Andrew I saw a population that very quickly deteriorated. The thin veneer we
call civilization was quickly lost in the confusion and frustration. Looters were in my
neighborhood within hours of the storm. People were fighting over water,
flashlights, plywood, etc. Generators that sold for $300 a week before were
fetching $1,000 or more - if you could find one. People were stressed to the
maximum, nerves were on edge, and the essentials were all in short supply.
Andrew was a relatively compact storm that left most of North Miami-Dade County
untouched. I got in my car and drove an hour north to my cousin’s house in Fort
Lauderdale and saw that his place was just fine. He took us in and gave us
everything we needed; for which I will be eternally grateful.

But, just imagine a larger scale event where there is no place to drive to for relief or
safety; unthinkable right? Imagine that you are unprepared - No Food, water, or
medical supplies. What then? This is why I prep, this is why I devote, time, effort,
money and a lot of planning to prepping, so that I don’t have to face that “what
then” scenario. In retrospect, and to give it a positive spin, Andrew may have saved
my life.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

A Rude Awakening, by Ruth E. in Hawaii

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Power outages are quite common here in Hawaii. It seems like a couple of times a
month, the lights flicker, get dim, and then go out. Sometimes they stay out for an
hour or longer. We recently had a blackout on one whole side of our island, which
truly woke me up to the possibilities of an endless blackout (worse-case scenario).

Usually I come out of an anxiety session unscathed, but since I currently belong to
an emergency preparedness group, I have been reading tons about the many
scenarios that could happen to our island home including tsunamis, earthquakes,
flooding, volcanic eruptions (we live close to the Big Island), terrorist attacks and
many others. This time, when the lights went out, and stayed out for longer than I
thought they should, my worrying just would not stop.
What if the lights never came back on? How prepared was I to deal with it? What if
this was really the beginning of the end of the world as we know it? Sure, I had a
few cans of Spam and tuna, a couple of gallon jugs full of water, oh, and a first aid
kit. In fact, I even have a 72-hour kit for my husband and I. But what if I was unable
to dry my clothes that were now waiting in the washing machine. I don’t even have
a clothesline or clothespins! (Pretty trivial, right?) Going further, where was that
recipe of how to make my own soap when it ran out? Mental note: Get a clothesline
and learn how to make laundry soap. That was just the beginning of my worries.

Surely, if the electricity went out for an extended time, or indefinitely, it would
cause pandemonium. A majority of the food we eat is brought in from the mainland,
New Zealand or Asia on ships. Would we be isolated from the rest of the world? It
would be a dog-eat-dog scenario, seeing who could get to the stores the quickest –
that is if they were even open. If it was a worldwide disaster, we could not expect
others to help us for a long time, if ever.

And, if I was one of the lucky ones to get a supply of canned foods, did I know where
my manual can opener was, since the one we use every day would be useless? As
our freezer would no longer keep our meat frozen, how were we going to cook it?
We could have a big feast, at least until the food spoiled – unless we knew a way to
preserve it. Mental note: learn how to preserve meat, and purchase a couple more
can openers, and put them with my emergency kits.

Thanks to a garage sale, I have a tiny little barbeque grill. Also, since living in
Hawaii, we have learned how to make an underground oven. My husband can start
a fire with the husk of a coconut (lucky me, right?). We are saved, I gloated to
myself thoughtfully! Also, as an artist, I have quite a bit of artwork with frames that
I have spent hours on. I wondered how long it would be before all of the art became
fuel for a fire to cook our dinner. Mental note: Get an ax to cut up art for firewood,
and store it safely

If it truly was TEOTWAWKI, I tried to think of the good things about living on an
island, as well as the bad. The good part is that it never gets very cold here, so we
will not freeze to death (highly unlikely). We can go fishing in the ocean, which is
vast, although we don’t even own a fishing pole or fishing net. Mental note: Get a
fishing pole and fishing net, and learn how to fish with both.
Another thing that is beneficial about living in Hawaii is that we have temperate
weather. It is not too hard to grow certain types of food all year round. Luckily, I
have a little square-foot garden going in the back yard. Black-eyed peas, lettuce,
beetroot, and Swiss chard are doing well; at least we would not starve to death right
away. But, I could not just run down and buy more seeds, so I would need to know
how to harvest seeds Mental note: Learn how to harvest seeds.

Water – what about water? Luckily in Hawaii it rains quite frequently, and I have a
bucket that catches the runoff from the roof. I have also purchased some water
purification tablets, which is a start in the right direction, but it would be beneficial if
I obtain knowledge of how to distill and filter water. Now that water is packaged and
sold, there really is no reason not to have a supply of on hand, except perhaps
storage space. Mental note: Learn how to distill and filter water, and store more
drinking water.

Fortunately, my husband manages a small farm plot near our home. Certain crops
grow here in the islands better than others. I have become accustomed to eating
many different types of food. Being from Utah, I used to be a meat and potato,
white bread, white rice girl, (which we now know is not healthy), so I am glad that
my tastes have broadened to include taro, poi, tapioca root, green bananas, pele
(wild hibiscus), and many other island foods. We also have experimented with many
different spices, and I can stand my food pretty “hot”. I am thankful that I have
been able to adapt to many different types of cuisine.

Also, I have recently learned how to sprout beans. This knowledge has helped me
realize how easy you can grow a miniature garden in your own home with mung
beans, clover, fenugreek, alfalfa, barley, sunflower and wheat. I also learned that
when sprouting, the seeds, grains or legumes provide a large amount of nutrients.
With these small seeds and beans, we can store quite a bit of food in a small
amount of space.

I love candles, so I have quite a few decorative ones, but they are not the long
burning emergency candles, and obviously won’t last very long. I also have a
kerosene lantern and a flashlight, but am very unsure how long the matches,
kerosene, and batteries I currently have will last. Yet, another mental note:
Purchase humidity proof matches or lighters, emergency candles and safely store a
supply of kerosene.
I realized how dependent we have become on technology, which may never work
again if things go downhill. My biggest worry is that we will be unable to
communicate with our children and grandchildren who live miles away. No e-mail,
no cell phones, no Facebook. Would we even be able to find out what was going on
locally? Where is that old radio? Do we have enough batteries to keep it running?
Do I know which frequency emergency instructions would be broadcast over the
radio? Maybe we will have to rely on a ham radio operator. Do I know who in the
neighborhood is trained in this skill? Mental note: Find a ham radio operator and
make friends. Meantime, purchase a small emergency radio and a generous supply
of batteries, or get one that you can crank, or even better, get both.

Another worry that snuck into my mind was how well did we know our neighbors?
Would we be able to share with them? If we ran out of something, could we ask for
it without them scoffing (or worse, shooting) at us? Online banking would be
impossible, and there would be no way to withdraw all the money we have been so
carefully saving each month to pay for anything. If things should get really bad, we
may be forced to barter our possessions for necessities. Memories of Mad Max
surfaced in my mind. Would we be survivors like Max himself with the new world
order, or be annihilated by the gangs that no doubt would surface? Mental note: Be
kinder to our neighbors.

I realized that it is a given, we all must die, but would we prefer to die of starvation,
or by our own ingenuity be able to help ourselves and others delay the inevitable?
Could we keep our minds focused – which led me to another worry – my
medications. Since I take a few prescription medicines on a daily basis, what would
I do when they run out? I cannot stock up on my medications because the insurance
won’t allow me to get more than a few months supply at a time. Do I know enough
about natural remedies to offset the lack of medication? I have quite a few herbs in
my garden. Would I know which herb was for which ailment? I also have an essential
oil family emergency kit that I am learning how to use. Mental note: Learn which
herbs and oils help which ailment.

How long would it take for us to get used to the new normalcy? Would we have to
experience a severe mental shift, or could we just stay calm and take things as they
came? Would we feel afraid, become dismayed or lose faith and feel betrayed? My
husband and I are Latter Day Saints and have had a lifetime of warnings from our
church leaders telling us “if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear”. How seriously have
we taken their advice? Mental note: Heed their advice, now!
Worrying can be a good thing. It can move us to action.

Luckily, the lights finally came back on, I said a prayer of gratitude, and went down
and cooked myself a delicious breakfast.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Letter Re: Getting Started in Self-Reliant Living

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Editor's Note: The following letter, suggested by a SurvivalBlog reader, is reprinted

with permission of Backwoods Home magazine--which was one of my favorite print
publications, even a decade before they became SurvivalBlog advertiser.

Dear Jackie,

I have to disagree with your Ask Jackie column answer to Joe Leonetti's questions
about getting started in self-sufficient living in Issue #124 (July/Aug 2010). They
missed all the most important points that a "city" person would have to master first.
Here are my own suggestions:

Joe, forget thinking "self-sufficient" and start thinking "frugal;" if you have the
consume-and-spend mindset so prevalent today you'll need to do this anyway to
prepare for retirement. The excellent news is, many things you'll need to know no
matter where you live can be learned and practiced right in the middle of town, and
little by little. For instance:

*Start by preparing all food and beverage at homethen with no frozen foodsthen
from scratchthen from storage foods (e.g. canned goods) then with only a stove (no
microwave, other gadgets)then without refrigeration (for ingredients or leftovers). If
you're an average urbanite, you'll save a boatload of money that will help you to...

*Get out of debt completely. Debt is a chain that will imprison you to your current
job forever. It may be the single most common reason why people fail at a
simplified lifestyle change. Pay as you go with cash, use credit cards only for car
breakdowns and other emergencies, and pay the plastic off every month. And
speaking of cars...

*Trade your late-model, banker's-dream for a used, great-condition vehicle that will
serve you well on rougher roads (my advice: one without a computer "brain" where
everything goes when it goes) and start learning to maintain and repair it yourself.
This is a rough lesson but your vehicle is your only lifeline in remote living and doing
work yourself will save you more money than almost any other single thing. A car
repair class (or full course at your local community college) will also teach you what
tools and equipment you'll need. Then get the car totally paid off. While this is in
progress, start learning how to...

*Live without electricity, unlimited running water and central heating. Practice
washing laundry, dishes and yourself using very limited quantities of water; use
only electronics that have solar chargers; get up with the sun, go to bed when it's
dark, use a flashlight or battery lantern in between. You'll also find that you need to
adjust many household choices to accommodate the new regimethe type of clothes
you wear, wearing them more than one day, your soaps, your hairstyle, and a whole
lot more. You'll also need a wooden drying rack, a charming rustic decorator touch
for any contemporary condo. Boy, will you ever feel sorry for yourself at times, but
once you get good at it, it's also very empowering. And very soon you'll figure out
that...

*You won't adapt to everything, so find out what is crucial to continuing and then
keep going. Concentrate on paring down your present lifestyle to as little expense,
as little stuff and as little time as possible, and then it's all forward progress. You
can also whittle transportation expenses if you investigate public transportation,
or...

*Get a durable pair of walking shoes, a big backpack (used) and create a sturdy,
homemade wheeled wire shopping cart, maybe even a bike and bike cart. These
things may be your lifeline if the car goes kerflooey one time too many. Do
shopping on foot or by bike several times a week, in all kinds of weather; you'll be
out in it anyway if you build or garden in a remote area. And speaking of which...

*Now that you're outside more, start practicing being comfortable inside with no
central heating. Turn the thermostat down to 60 and wear long underwear, warm
vests, heavy socks, hats, and gloves inside the house. Heavy bedclothes are good
here, too, especially a rectangular sleeping bag zipped open for use as a comforter.
Scout out every thrift store in your county and find these gems there; if your
present lifestyle permits, you'll need a good selection of warm clothes if you...

*Purchase a used, self-contained (bed, toilet, kitchen) travel trailer or camper and
learn your skillscarpentry, wiring, plumbing, gas piping, whateverrestoring it. You
can use this for living in when you first move onto your rural landthat's where the
warm clothes come in. When it's ready, take it out camping frequently for practice.
As you sit in the silence, you will also realize that...

*Urban areas have lots of entertainment, but rural areas do not have sports
stadiums, multiplex theaters, opera halls, megastores, even chain video rental
places. You can't work all the time and you must learn to entertain yourself in other
ways; with solar chargers you can still watch a DVD (for free, no less) obtained
from...

*Your regional library that participates in an inter-library loan system, without which
you won't consider moving to the area anyway. Get over any attitudes about
libraries being for students and go apply for your card. Then order every book they
have on camping, outdoor living, bike repair, cooking from scratch, wood-stove use
and the basic design and construction of small homes. Libraries also stock popular
DVDs and CDs, magazines and newspapers, and may have public-use computers as
well as free wireless access for your own laptop. College libraries may be open to
public use as well, and their inventory might include a selection of more specialized
periodicals geared to their high-tech classes. Your taxes are paying for it, so you
might as well get your money's worth.

*Lastly, you stated that with your background it would be very easy for you to get
into teaching. Begin now getting the proper certification and begin job hunting for
weekend or evening teaching spots; it may be harder to break into the field than
you anticipated, and if you ever suddenly need new employment, nothing works in
your favor like an established track record.

*Now, are you still with me, Joe? Have you thrown down the magazine and run away
screaming yet? The majority of these lifestyle-changes can be done even if you're
presently living in a high-rise condo with a view of Manhattan. Bear in mind, the
very best hedge against future money troubles is the ability to live well on very
little. Think ahead to retirement (just how much will you collect on Social Security?)
and start planning now for a total lifestyle that is exactly what fits you and
sustainable well into the years ahead. - Liz C. in Washington

(Reproduced with permission of Backwoods Home magazine from Issue 125,

Sept./Oct., 2010.)

Monday, September 13, 2010

Letter Re: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Ike, by John in Texas

Permalink

Jim,

I really appreciate the people who share their lessons learned on SurvivalBlog.com,
so I thought I would share my experiences and lessons learned from Hurricane Ike.

Hurricane Ike hit Houston on Friday night September 13, 2008. The hurricane was
classified as a strong category 2 with maximum sustained winds of 110 MPH. What
was unusual about this hurricane was the large size of the storm. Hurricane force
winds extended 120 miles from the center.

Gas stations in our area ran out of gas the day before the storm (Thursday). I
waited in a very long line of cars only to find out that the station had run out of
Regular gas. I was happy to pay extra to fill up with Premium. The gas station was
a zoo with everyone in panic mode. It was all the owner could do to maintain order
with people complaining about credit card issues, the station running out of
Regular, and how people were taking too long to buy gas. I will never again wait
until the last minute to buy gas. Grocery stores were also crazy. The grocery stores
we visited had all run out of bottled water and batteries. People were buying
canned goods and ice in large quantities.

On Friday morning I finished installing our plywood storm shutters on our most
vulnerable windows and bringing everything inside that could be damaged by the
high winds. In the afternoon we continued with our preparations inside. We
charged all of our batteries, filled up our camping water storage bags, and got all of
our battery lamps ready. I also setup inverters and car batteries in the house for
backup power.

Our home is about 70 miles north of the coast. The high winds and rain started to
hit around 9 PM on Friday night. We went to bed early to try to get some sleep
before the strongest winds of the storm hit. Around 1 AM the wind was making so
much noise that I was no longer able to sleep. The house was making a lot of
strange noises due to the high winds. It was at that point that my panic started to
build. What made me feel uneasy was the fact that my family and I were
completely on our own. If we had any kind of emergency, I would not be able to call
anyone for help. What helped me to calm down was keeping busy reviewing all of
my preparations and walking around the house checking for problems.

Our power was intermittent most of the night and finally went out around 2 AM.
The television weatherman said that when your electricity goes out, that is when
you know the strong winds are approaching. That is exactly what happened in our
case. I continued watching the news with a battery powered television. A television
is very helpful to track the movement of the storm. Since television stations in our
area no longer broadcast analog television signals, I had to find another solution to
receive digital television with backup power for future storms.

As I watched the eye of the storm pass near our home to the East on television, I
thought the worst was over. To my surprise, the strongest winds hit our house on
the back side of the storm. During the peak winds, I heard a loud crash and our
entire house shook. I ran upstairs and found a tree had hit our house. I was
amazed at the damage. The roof framing, roof decking, shingles, sheet-rock,
insulation, and tree branches had fallen into my son’s bedroom. The larger tree
branches had come through the roof like spears. Fortunately, I had insisted that
everyone sleep down stairs during the storm. As the hurricane force winds raged
outside, we rushed around in the dark trying to find something to catch the water.
We needed a lot of bins and buckets to catch the water falling from such a large
area of the roof. This kept us very busy for the rest of the night as we were
constantly bailing the water out of all of the bins. We were able to catch enough of
the water that the sheetrock downstairs was not damaged.

As the sun came up, we were able to see the damage outside. Most of the large
pine trees near our home had been blown down. The tree that hit our house was a
large pine in our neighbor’s yard. The tree had broken at mid-height and the top
part of the tree was still connected to the bottom half. A second tree in my
neighbor’s yard has snapped (clean break) and the top half landed in my back yard.
A third tree had landed on the roof of the house behind ours and the top part was in
our yard. We also had a mature queen palm that had blown over. The trees all fell
in different directions. I do not think it was a tornado from the hurricane that blew
down the trees since the damage was so widespread in our neighborhood. The
funny thing was that I had cut down all of the tall pine trees in my yard after I
realized how dangerous they could be if they fell on the house. All the pine trees
that hit my house and landed in my yard were all from my neighbors and all of the
cleanup efforts and repairs were my responsibility. My neighbors paid none of the
cost to remove the trees or repair the damage to my home and yard.

The day after the hurricane hit, I called insurance company and told I was on my
own and I could not make any major repairs before the Insurance Adjuster arrived.
We started the cleanup process by removing all shingles, roof decking, tree
branches, sheet rock, and insulation that was in the room. The contractor (thick
plastic) garbage bags we had worked great for this cleanup. I highly recommend
everyone keep a few boxes of these contractor bags for emergencies. We then
pulled up the carpet and removed the wet pad. We used fans to circulate the air
and help dry the room out. We learned from a previous flooding that if the house is
not dried out quickly, a strong musty odor will develop. Since we could not put a
tarp on the roof due to the tree, we hung a tarp inside the room to catch all the
water and funnel it into a large bucket. The tree company we hired to remove the
trees in our yard used a 100-ton crane to remove the tree on our house.

We started running our generator the first day using gas. The only gas I had was
two years old with Sta-Bil gas stabilizer added. I was amazed the generator ran well
on two year old gas. I now rotate my gas yearly and put it on my calendar so I
won’t forget. Our generator has a natural gas conversion kit installed. After the
rain stopped, we moved the generator to our back yard and connected it to natural
gas. The generator ran flawlessly for 13 hours per day on natural gas. I remember
praying that our generator would keep running since we were totally dependent on
it for all of our power. I strongly recommend a good quality generator and maintain
it well for best reliability. My natural gas bill went up $100 and my electricity bill
went down $200, so I actually saved money running the generator.

Our generator is 7,500 Watts, so supporting the electrical load of the entire house
had to be done carefully. We powered everything in the house except the central
air-conditioning. The generator load monitor we had was very helpful. As long as
we kept the load under 50%, we had no problems. When the load was at 70%, we
sometimes had problems. At 90%, the generator circuit breakers would trip within
a few seconds.

While working in our yard near the generator, I started to feel the effects on Carbon
Monoxide poisoning (headache, nausea, and fatigue). I realized what was
happening and went indoors to recover. I am now extra careful when working
around a running generator. We also use Carbon Monoxide detectors in our house
when running the generator.

All gas stations and stores in our area were closed after the storm since there was
no electricity. Stores reopened slowly as emergency generators were brought in.
When the grocery stores opened, they had none of the basic items (eggs, milk,
orange juice, bread, hamburger, etc.). After the storm we lost electricity,
cable/internet, and phone service. We had no problems with water, sewer, and
natural gas service. Many of the nearby neighborhoods had no water and one had
limited sewer service. I was surprised that phone service went down after 24 hours.
After about a week, the phone company restored service with portable generators
they connected to the phone system equipment in the neighborhood. We had no
power for 10 days. Neighbors asked us to charge their cell phones, laptops, and
DVD players. We setup a table in front room with power strips for them to use. The
item most requested by my neighbors was ice. I made extra ice before the storm
and filled many 1 gallon freezer bags. After two days, neighbors started to clear out
their refrigerators and freezers. We had many offers to take their frozen food.
Several of our neighbors had electric stoves and could not cook. They came over to
our house and used our gas stove to cook dinner.

We decided to shut down our generator at night to keep a low profile and so we did
not disturb the neighbors (too much). At night I used our inverters to power our
refrigerators and freezers. I was disappointed that we were only getting 3-4 hours
of run time from a standard car battery. On the third night, the inverter I was using
for our large freezer stopped working. I took the inverter apart and found many of
the internal components had been damaged. The operating power of the freezer
was within the rated load of the inverter, but the surge current was not. I am now
more careful about overloading inverters. I also purchased larger deep-cycle
marine batteries to extend my run time. With our generator not running for 11
hours at night, I found the freezers were able to maintain a safe temperature, but
the refrigerators were not. I solved this problem by adding blue-ice to the
refrigerators at night.
Many of our neighbors and friends told us they were going to buy a generator and
prepare for the next hurricane. None did. As soon as the power came back on,
they forgot all about it.

My wife does not support my preparation efforts. She has always told me that our
generator was a waste of money and a hurricane is never going to hit Houston. As
our neighbors and friends told us how smart we were to buy a generator, I thought
to myself I have finally won this argument. Unfortunately (for me), I was mistaken.
She still says the generator was a waste of money and a hurricane is never going to
hit us again.

We spent more time preparing than anyone else on our street and ended up with
the most damage to our house and yard. Just because you are prepared, don’t
assume everything will go well for you. This is my biggest lesson learned from the
storm.

The entire process of filing an insurance claim, hiring contractors, completing all
necessary repairs, and negotiating the final settlement with the insurance company
took well over a year. Overall we were blessed that the damage was not worse, we
did not have to move out of our home, we had a good test of our emergency
preparations, and we learned a lot from the storm.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Second Wave: Survivalist Turned MZBs, by Dave in Florida

Permalink

For many years I have been working towards self-reliance. I like to use the older
term self-reliant simply because I feel “survivalist” doesn’t describe the lifestyle
properly. I don’t intend to just “survive” but “thrive” – would that make me a
“thrivalist?” Yes, I know that was a bit corny. In all seriousness, let’s assume you are
an average Joe living in perilous times. What I have to say is speaking to a
revelation I have had over the recent years based on my over confidence and belief
that somehow I was different than the average Joe just because I know the big one
is coming.
My History:

Before getting to the point of my article let me flash back to the beginning of my
journey. My official introduction to the concept of survivalism was done unknowingly
by a friend and group of survivalists that were preparing for Y2K. I was invited to
come out to a friend of a friend’s cabin on acreage in Southern Georgia where we
were going to “camp out” for the weekend. Before the weekend, my friend called
and said “by the way, bring a holster for your handgun, and a sling for your favorite
rifle, a backpack with essentials, a good pair of boots, plus anything else that could
be carried on a hike.” I didn’t quite understand the request but of course complied
figuring we were simply going to hike too our campsite.

Immediately upon my arrival I was overwhelmed and excited with what I saw.
Throughout the property were small cabins being constructed by individual
members of the group along with bulk storage areas for fuel, food, ammunition, and
other essentials. Again, this whole concept was very new to me though it seemed to
strike a cord in my inner being as something that was necessary and logical
considering my concern for Y2K. I followed my friend as we made our way to where
our campsite would be and a long the way I heard several conversations discussing
weapons types, plus and minuses, creating group standards, food storage, and so
on. Of course all of these conversations seemed odd to me at the time yet
captivating.

The moment everything settled everyone began discussing practicing a patrol.

Immediately everyone around began forming up two columns (apparently
something they had done before). Having been in ROTC throughout high school I
immediately followed suit. A gentleman took charge and then proceeded to instruct
us that we were going to perform a practice patrol of the surrounding land and that
each column of the formation would be independent squads. We then moved out as
a group and individuals from each squad volunteered to be squad leaders and
forward scouts. After we were well out of camp the squad leaders led their squads
around a predetermined patrol path utilizing forward scouts and practicing noise
discipline along with hand signals. At this point I felt like a complete fish out of
water to say the least – and was thinking “what in the heck has my friend gotten me
into!?”

As the patrol continued, I did my best to comply with my fellow squad members. I
had a limited knowledge of hand signals so I was at least able to keep in step with
my squad for the most part. Several points a long the way the forward scout would
stop the squad to listen – after being satisfied there were no threats we continued
our patrol. We stayed off of most trails and pushed our way through the thick
Southern Georgia swamps. The patrols were mostly uneventful but exciting. I was
fascinated with the whole concept of this exercise and felt energized though we
hiked with weighted packs through tough terrain and over significant distances. We
returned from the patrol and discussed as a group the issues, weaknesses and
strengths of our different packs, slings, harnesses, and various tactical equipment.
The weekend itself continued at this tempo with several more “hikes” as we called
them and intense conversations about the possibility of disaster this coming Y2K
pursued. I met some very interesting folks and maintained several of those
relationships even till this day.

After Y2K came and went without the slightest indication of catastrophe the group
slowly broke apart and no longer met and personally my interests in the subject
dwindled but not entirely. I continued my interests in shooting and somewhat
frequently made it to the range with my friends and still had several conversations
on the subject but really did not formulate or act on any concrete plans.

Life happened and other things took priority. I met my wonderful and present day
wife and have been blessed with five children. Our lives were that of a typical family
with not the best priorities but I would say better than average. We led a fairly
frugal life but a comfortable one. Several years ago, the same friend that introduced
me to the “group” back in 1999 recommended I grab the novel "Patriots" by James
Rawles and “give it a read.” The moment I began reading the book I couldn’t put it
down. Immediately I was consumed with the aspect of survival laid out in a way I
never really conceived though I had experienced different aspects of it, but never
congruently. My interests were reinvigorated and I began to consume more
information on the topic resulting in research and many more conversations with
different friends.

As a father of three at the time, my concept of survival changed significantly. I now

had a wonderful wife and three children (with more on the way). I didn’t want to just
“survive” but to thrive in post-catastrophe. I felt it is my responsibility as a father
and husband to make sure my family had the best possible life. Fortunately, my
wife is and was always very intelligent and open to the concept. Slowly we talked
about the prudence of being prepared as a family. I remember initially feeling
almost powerless at the task ahead. We had a fairly large family and no real
resources to throw at the problem.
Shortly there after we were met with financial hardship when I took a significant
loss in work. I lost a major client while retaining some smaller clients causing a huge
deficit in our income versus expenses. This went on for 18 months. We lost just
about everything including our home. The sense of depression was significant and
further amplified by the concern of a coming catastrophe. Then everything
changed. We reached a point where after serious soul searching we knew we didn’t
want to embark on the typical American life represented as nothing but shallow
consumerism. We wanted self reliance not just for our own family security but for
the wholesomeness it would bring to our children. Life no longer became about
shallow possessions but about meaningful content and the pursuit of happiness by
our achievements.

With God’s grace, work came our way again almost like God had waited for us to
learn this lesson before he gave us another chance. My wife and I spent two years
looking for land that was both remote yet still close to family in our native home of
Florida. We finally found the right community and area of Florida where self reliance
was still a way of life, most people kept gardens, and agriculture and ranching is
still the line share of business. Our credit was destroyed from our previous hardship
so we had to use cash for everything. It seemed at every step of the way God
provided opportunity and a means assuming of course we were open to it. We are
by no means a perfect family but our path was indeed more wholesome and proper
this time round.

A Revelation

Again, I began to formulate self reliance and survival in to our plans. After much
thought and discussion with my wife we felt having a food supply of not just of
stored food but active production was critical. With that in mind we have labored
the past year turning our virgin land in to a farm and ranch using self sufficient
methods of farming and ranching modeled after Joel Salatin and others in the
Polyculture movement. Most TEOTWAWKI scenarios suggest a grid down situation
where fuel and byproducts of fuel such as fertilizers and pesticides would become
scarce – though that being the case most “typical survival plans” utilize fuel,
pesticides, and fertilizers stored in bulk to support their eventual plans of gardens
and food production. One really has to ask the question “is this sustainable?”

I find the concept of supplying a remote retreat where there is no current food
production, to where one would “Bug Out” and survive whilst planting a garden for
long term survival to be flawed and likely resulting in disaster. For the past year my
wife and I have had the benefit of an income, hardware stores, the Internet, and
many other things that would not be available post-catastrophe to help us achieve
self reliance. We are no where near the point of producing at least 20% of our
nutritional requirements. Sure there is a wealth of knowledge on farming and raising
animals for food in books and on the Internet but the common-sense “every day
stuff” is not spelled out, nor could it be grasped without actually doing it. Not only
will the thousands of survivalists turned farmers learn food production from the
school of “Hard Knocks” they will also be under constant threat of starvation when
their food stores are exhausted, let alone the other stresses, including defending
the retreat.

Let me create the proper image of the “average survivalist plan”. Let’s say you
have 24 months of food stored up and of course every gadget imaginable. Six
months have now passed and you decide it’s time to start on your farming
endeavor. Lest we not forget you have a full time job of retreat security. Imagine
working stressful 8 to 12 hours days 365 days a year and then coming home to
work on your homesteading projects – I can tell you from experience it is hard to
muster the energy today even though I am just into my 30s. Getting the picture?
Most of us have great reasons why we shouldn’t begin this phase of our survival/self
reliance plans now but are you really willing to bet your life on your first-timer’s
success?

It isn’t until you begin planting a garden do you realize the seeds you bought are
not optimized for your agriculture zone or even simple infrastructure items like near
by water sources for irrigation, compost bins, and garden fencing to keep the
critters out are in place let alone the right tools. Sure you may have gotten a handy
list of these items but invariably it was written by someone that lives in an entirely
different agricultural zone, soil conditions, and garden pests all together. Do you
have a true understanding of the time investment to get these infrastructures items
in place? How long to mature your compost and sources of nitrogen and carbon to
feed your piles? Or even the proper garden spot that has ample sunlight. Oh - you
need to remove a few trees to make room for your garden – got tools for that too?
Each job will dovetail into other jobs you may not have even anticipated, let alone
the tools and supplies you never realized were necessary. Ask any homesteader
how long it took to get up and running – I can guarantee you most will tell long
stories highlighted by serious trial and error over years of work and effort. Each
homestead is different; there is no one universal method to success.
Especially if you plan to grow without pesticides and fertilizers – like an artist it
takes much practice to master the conditions in your area to be a consistent
grower. Imagine the stress you would feel having your first season crops fail or
produce very little. Do you even know what plants are indigenous to your retreat
area? Remember – simply observing your large local farms is poor indication of this.
They typically practice monocultural growing methods which are highly dependent
on farming equipment and copious quantities of pesticides and fertilizers – all things
you will eventually deplete. You really need to research what grows locally without
much help from bug protection and soil augmentation. You really should adjust your
diet to reflect not only seasonal foods but indigenous foods of your retreat area.
Otherwise, most folks will simply try and fail to grow things they like to eat now,
regardless of season and feasibility.

Another example of a lesson learned that could easily result in devastation of your
group’s food supply would be predators – the four legged variety. Do you have traps
available for capturing predators like fox, coyotes, raccoons, or possums? A good
meat bird (non-broiler) or egg layer takes a long time to raise – imagine losing half
your flock in one night! Not long ago my wife and I awoke to a massacre of our
chickens. The strange thing was there was no sign of the chickens in the form of
body parts or feathers just simply they were gone. The only evidence was a small
hole dug in to the coop. We have two German Shepherds that slept only 150 ft.
from the chickens and they didn’t even stir other than a few random barks that
evening. Only after many nights of sleeping in the dining area where we had a view
of the chickens did we finally catch a glimpse of the predator – a fox. I had my
Ruger 10/22 ready but the fox was too sly and on top of that I couldn’t make out his
silhouette in the pre-dawn hours for a good shot. This brought forth the realization I
need night sites or a good scope to shoot in low light conditions. It took three
separate occasions before I managed to get a good shot and bag our predator.
Imagine if we had depended on this flock of chicken for our egg and meat
requirements and the possible ramifications of its loss--ranging in seriousness from
inconvenient to starvation!

On the subject of chickens, how do you plan to raise them? Do you realize most
modern chicken breeds have had their broodiness bread out of them making you
almost entirely dependent on incubation to hatch eggs? Do you have an incubator
and a means of powering it for the incubation period of anywhere from 21 to 28
days? What about a heat source for your newly hatched chicks, ducklings and poults
while they grow in their feathers and can maintain their own body heat? What about
the source of your eggs and chickens in the first place? What’s the likelihood you
would be able to come about them without having to make dangerous hikes far
from the retreat to locate and obtain them through barter? Personally, I would
prefer to let a broody hen do the work of hatching and raising chicks but this is
something you don’t just do since finding good broody hens is at best hit and miss
these days. [JWR Adds: For broodiness, we've had the most success with Bantam
hens. Bantams lay small eggs, but they don't object to sitting much larger fostered
eggs.] As you can see this will take time to master – time is invaluable when the
clock never stops ticking on your food supply.

I know – homesteading and self-reliance just isn’t exciting and sexy to the average
survivalists. Typically, our focus is on tactics, guns, and exciting conversations on
possible scenarios that may or may not come to pass. As survivalist we normally are
avid researches to the point we neglect to really practice or act on the mountains of
information we have read or debated. Do you believe that some how you will be
exempt from the newbie mistakes of most homesteaders and farmers? Do you
realize the convenience of a hardware store or even a quick Internet search will not
be there to assist you?

As survivalist, have we not accepted the principle of self-reliance and independence

from a system that we all believe may/will eventually fail us? Do you live in denial of
this lesson based on the actions of your every day life? If you truly believe we are
living unsustainable lives and this world is on a crash course to a catastrophic end
then perhaps you should consider changing your own life now?

A Second Wave of MZBs

My greatest fear should the Schumer hit the fan is that well-armed survivalists who
are ill-prepared in the food production capability will become the “Second Wave” of
Mutant Zombie Bikers (MZBs). They will threaten those who survived the first 6, 12
to 24 months of chaos. We all know too well how desperation will lead even the best
of men. Let alone desperate men that are well armed, trained, and experienced. It
is my hope by exposing these potential flaws in common survival planning that I will
protect my family and others from a deadly Second Wave attack or at least
decrease its intensity.

Possible Solutions
So what to do? Unfortunately the answer is not all that easy. If you are planning to
but out to a remote retreat you may want to consider finding one close enough to
allow frequent trips for building infrastructure while the hardware stores are still
open, doing test plantings to determine what really grows best while the Internet is
still up to research your results.

As we begun our own homestead these have been the things of our focus:

1) A reliable water supply capable of operating with out grid or petroleum power
machinery. [JWR Adds: Nothing beats gravity-fed Spring water.]

2) Chicken, goat, and other small livestock shelters.

3) Construction of fencing for pastures, paddocks, and gardens.

4) Compost piles and other soil enrichment

5) Support buildings for harvest and animal processing

6) Storage areas for harvested plants and animals

7) Planting of orchards [vineyards, berry patches] and other plants that takes time
to mature

This is just a very general list to get started. We have had a year to work on this
“grid-up” with help from friends and family with no fear of MZBs and we have hardly
made a dent! Can you tell me without hesitation that you could plan every aspect of
this operation in advance, in just one trip to the hardware store, years before
needing it, without having done it before? Sure, the human spirit is very capable
when under pressure but unlike our Savior you will not be making wine out of water.
I doubt even the most experienced farmers and ranchers placed on virgin land
would have immediate success. Sure the pioneers were able to do it but they had
the benefit of everyday knowledge learned firsthand or that was passed down by
the generation of pioneers and farmers before them. Common man is completely
out of touch of these once generally known survival skills and therefore will be
subject to a learning curve.

If it is absolutely not in the cards to be near or live on your retreat then I would
strongly suggest you consider a 3 to 5 year food supply to give you enough time to
establish your future homestead. I can guarantee that you will not have all of the
required tools, skills, and supplies therefore the ability to adapt, substitute, and use
what is at hand will become the rule of the day.

Let me jump back to what I said in the beginning about thriving instead of surviving.
If you truly believe in self reliance and the prudence of preparedness then why not
act with your principles and embark on what you feel to be necessary and
wholesome? Make the life change and increase your odds of survival by living it now
and not later.

Another option to consider if you have formed a group is to allow the most capable
member(s) of the group with the most flexibility to live on the retreat property and
where they will engage in daily infrastructure improvement/homesteading activities.
If local work or income is not an option, then perhaps a small monthly donation from
all group members would subsidize members manning the retreat. In the mean time
group members could make frequent trips to the future retreat to assist in major
infrastructure projects, plantings, and harvests of crops. This would even allow the
opportunity of animals to be kept at the retreat. Think about the benefits of stored
food costs that could be saved by actively growing your own as a group? You could
also establish your pastures and raise meat cattle to provide a source of fresh meat
for the group and sell the excess to processors as another means of revenue
generation. The same could be done with chicken, goats, and so on. Make this an
investment that will pay for itself in what it generates for the group. There is no
reason a retreat needs to be a liability constantly requiring capital to maintain. If
you are successful at this then you know without doubt not only will you have a
secure retreat but a productive one capable of supplying your group of its basic
needs. Besides, wasn’t this the reasons for homesteads in the first place?
A third option is to find a self-reliant minded homesteader that is looking to find
others to populate their homestead turned retreat should catastrophe happen. At
least in this case you have a viable farm / homestead with active and a history of
successful production. Nothing is more critical than the long term aspect of survival.
If you are literally just making ends meat and simply survive versus thriving then
how do you intend to come to the aid of others and participate in the rebuilding of
our communities?

I understand these may not seem like realistic options. But they still do not change
the reality of the situation and the points I bring to the table. I fear most have
severely under estimated their long term plans and have only focused on short term
survival. Survivalism is really self reliance in the sense of traditional homesteaders
and the Patriot farmers who founded this nation. It is time to reject today’s shallow
society and embark on true substance filled journeys bound to bring true happiness
and fulfillment.

A lot of folks will read this and either take it for what it is which is “my real life
experience and revelations on the matter” or they will discard it for more
interesting topics on survival while ignoring the elephant in the room. Don’t be the
latter, take a serious look at your plans. Boilerplate survivalism is not the answer –
to be honest it is more like consumerism. You will have to analyze your personal
situation and take the proper steps to experience first hand what your challenges
will be. Don’t take my advice or anyone else’s for that matter. Go do it yourself and
graduate from the school of “Hard Knocks” before TSHTF and while you still have
the luxury of failing.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Home Design Choices for the Prepper, by S.L.S.

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When purchasing or building a home, there are no shortages of choices that must
be made. From type of home and features needed to financial matters, literally
hundreds of choices must be made. Though some decisions may not have a direct
impact on your prepping (the color of the countertop will not matter in a SHTF
scenario) many will have a direct impact on the sustainability of your home, your
financial well being and thus, your ability to prep. This article’s purpose to introduce
the new homeowner-to-be some of these choices and to give you some background
on each so that you may further investigate those that interest you. It is not
intended to be a how to build a house guide!
As the host of The Homeowner’s Friend Podcast, I have explained many of the items
I will cover in this article in greater detail. Like with any choice having to do with
finances or big-ticket items, you need to research these items yourself carefully.
Though I believe my information to be true, it is ultimately up to you to make the
best decision depending on your particular circumstances. I make no warranties,
expressed or implied.

I have worked on and have toured many homes under construction and found most
to be of the generic cookie-cutter variety - perfectly suitable to the "grasshopper"
lifestyle. Long on features like Jacuzzis, fancy kitchens and large spaces but short on
practicality, strength and sustainability. Any home built or purchased by a prepper
must be, above anything else IMO, sustainable to the greatest extent possible.

By sustainable, I am not trying to save the planet (though that is a definite by-
product), I am trying to make your home require the least amount of external inputs
necessary to keep it functioning. This has everyday advantages and is even more
valuable in a SHTF scenario. In normal times, it saves you money and/or effort. An
efficient home simply costs less to operate, leaving more money for “bullets and
Band-Aids”. In a SHTF crisis, it is easier to maintain comfort in the home and will
save precious resources, hopefully allowing the few you have or can obtain to get
you through till things get put back together.

In this article, we will look at the major systems of your home, which consist of the
water system, both fresh and waste, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
(HVAC), electrical, construction, and security issues. Most have at least some effect
on the others and must all be properly integrated to obtain the most sustainable
design. For example, HVAC and insulation are related as is the water system and
your gutters. Both can be designed to compliment or help each other.

I will not look at home styles in this article as that could be one of its own. However,
I will mention that as Americans, most of us desire to live in a larger home than we
currently occupy, but actually need less home than we have now! We need a home
that is comfortable and safe. We all desire a nice home, but a definite balance
needs to be struck as the larger and fancier the home, the more resources
(including money) it will require to operate, maintain and defend if necessary. When
the gas is flowing, its easy to heat 5,000 square feet - but nearly impossible when
the gas stops flowing! Remember most families (with 4-5 kids no less) survived in
800 square foot ranch houses in the 1970s just fine! Today, most home are two to
three times that size - and are occupied by smaller families.
I am also going to focus on the most common type of home, the above ground
standard framed home. Certainly, many interesting types of homes exist, such as
subterranean, Earthship, straw bale, dome, yurt, etc., but again, I am not intending
to write a book! Many of the systems, however, are common amongst all types so
much of the discussion will be valid, whatever your choice.

Also, I will not cover locations. I have several podcasts on this topic, as it is an in
depth topic in itself. From choosing a community to a specific lot, many
considerations have to be made. Please though, investigate the area and lot
carefully. Are there water problems, bad soil conditions, bad neighbors, high taxes,
bad schools, a declining tax base or increased foreclosures? Is it a twenty mile
commute to get to a job or store? As I mentioned in the podcasts, sometimes the
cheapest land may prove to be the most expensive after you take into account all
the variables!

Fresh Water

Water basically comes from two sources, wells and city mains. City water is supplied
from wells or reservoirs, is filtered and treated, and pumped into the system. Extra
water flows into the high water tanks to provide static pressure for the Town
([roughly]1 PSI for each feet of height (or "head") when the pumps are not needed
or in time of high demand. Typically the tanks hold a day or so worth of water, so
even in a power outage with no generator backup at the water plant, water will
continue to flow for a day or so unless people hoard it. A very reliable system in
normal times, but vulnerable in a SHTF scenario. I prefer my own water system, as I
can control it - but currently we are on city water, with some backup stored and
more unfiltered available locally.

Wells are perhaps the best for the prepper as this option allows you to basically
operate your own water company. Two main types exist, dug and drilled. Dug wells
are often 3 or so feet wide and several feet deep, often made of stone or a large
pipe. These are installed over an active spring and can provide ample quantities of
great water (or not). They are vulnerable to surface water contamination and as
they rely on surface water bubbling out of the ground, as the surface water levels
drop in dry times of the year, yields can suffer. In some areas, these can not be
used as a water supply for a new home because of the risks involved.
Drilled wells are drilled into the earth using (usually) heavy well drilling equipment.
These go down hundreds of feet (300-to-500 feet is common) into deep ground
water sources typically found in cracks between the layers of rock. The top section,
which goes from the surface through the soil and loose rock down to the solid bed-
rock is lined with a steel pipe, called a well casing, that is cemented into the
bedrock. This isolates the vulnerable surface water from the cleaner deep ground
water. Ground water levels are also more stable, providing a more reliable water
source for the homeowner.

In most cases, except in springs that are above the level of the house, a pump
system is required to push or pull the water out of the well and into the home. Jet
pumps are the most simple and pull the water from the well. These work well, but
are best for more shallow wells. Submersible pumps located in the well under the
water level, are clearly superior as it is easier to push than to pull water and are self
priming (something you will appreciate if you sometimes run out of water). They are
also more expensive and difficult to install, however. Storage (pressure) tanks are
used to allow the pump to cycle at reasonable intervals. Rapidly cycling wells (more
than once per minute with a moderate flow or so) indicate either a bad or
undersized storage tank. Both types of pump have foot valves at the input to keep
the home water (which is under pressure) from running back into the well.
Occasionally, you are lucky enough to find an artesian well, which is basically a
drilled well that is naturally under pressure. In this case, just pipe it to the home and
you may not need a pump!

Using a simple generator or solar-powered pump, one can have water without the
use of a grid. Be advised, many standard pumps are 220 Volt AC (VAC), so small
inverters and generators will not work. A water storage tank can also be installed at
the highest part of the home or land and used to supply water pressure between
generator or sun fueled pumping sessions. Since well water is generally safe to
drink without filtration or treatment, even during most SHTF scenarios, it makes the
most important life sustaining item easy to provide.

Inside [city limits on metered] city water supplies, however, it may not be practical
(or legal) to install a well just for emergency use. As an alternative, one can store
potable water in an installed tank (approved for storage of drinking water) in the
basement or yard and use a pump to supply it to the home. 12 Volt RV pumps
(preferably the kind with the attached storage tank) are ideal for this coupled with a
generator or solar recharged battery. Simply pump from the tank into the drain at
your city water hookup or other cold water hose fitting, with the city water turned
off to keep from also supplying your neighbors! Using just a few 55 gallon tanks and
a pump like this, you can go a few days if you conserve - utilizing your normal
household faucets. You could even take a quick shower, if needed. If you have a gas
water heater with a pilot lamp, you can even have hot water.

Refill the water tanks with portable tanks hauled in a vehicle or behind a bike in a
trailer. Fill the storage tanks by hand or with another pump and battery at local
streams or other water bodies. Filter the water as you pump it with a simple RV
filter and add some bleach to eliminate most water born bacteria or other
contaminants. The EPA recommends to add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular,
unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it
stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Many books and Internet sources cover the
finer points of water filtration, so I will not dwell on it here. You can also take
advantage of roof water using a cistern buried in the yard or a pool to provide non-
potable water for watering plants or flushing toilets. Be creative!

Waste Water Systems

If you are on city water, you are likely also on a city sewage system as well. If your
on a hill, this may work even in a SHTF scenario (but understand it will exit
somewhere downhill from your house - perhaps in another house..) but if you are
not that high, it may back up as the pumps that keep the stuff flowing to the
treatment plants shut down. Worst yet, it may back up into your home if you are
lower in the system. Remember what flows down hill. This is why I never
recommend having a gravity drained basement toilet or shower below grade (in a
basement), as this is a prime release point in a backup - even a clog in your own
drain pipe to the street can cause extensive damage. If you want to install a fixture
below grade, use a sewage basin and ejector pump to raise the waste water to a
higher pipe, a pipe that will only overflow from fixtures on the first floor - something
that is much less likely to happen as they are higher than the ground level. It is also
a good idea to install some sort of valve on your sewer hookup in the basement
where it enters the house to stop any backups from entering your home. Some of
these are even automatic.

If the city system is backed up, you will not be able to get rid of waste water without
installing a basic septic system yourself. This may be something you do so quietly if
you know what I mean. Just a “T” on the outlet from the house with some valves
where you can temporarily pipe the waste into a couple of buried 55 gallon drums
buried outside to settle out the solids and into some stone to drain the water will be
better than nothing. And remember, gray water from sinks and showers can be
used to water your garden or other plants, if you use biodegradable soaps. If you
are building your home, installing this “T” will be easy as will separating your drains
to take advantage of the gray water availability. Again, to meet codes you may
want to plan for, but not execute, this till needed.

Of course, those homes with septic systems will not have these problems, unless
you have a pump chamber as part of your system. Because of elevation issues,
sometimes a pump is required to push the water that flows out of the house into the
septic tank or even from the septic tank to the leach field. These tanks (especially
those after the septic tank) are usually large and can accommodate some usage
without power, but will eventually fill. As you run your generator, make sure these
can run as well to keep things flowing.

Heating and Cooling

As for heating and cooling, choose the most efficient system that is practical for
your area. There is a limit to this, though it may be hard to understand. In Florida, it
makes sense to spend more on a super-efficient air conditioner because you will use
it all year and the electricity saved, at today's rates, will offset the initial added
expense before the system is obsolete. In northern climates though, where air
conditioning is only used for 2-3 months in a year, you may never save enough to
make it worth the added expense. In a heating system, the reverse will be true.
However, I recommend pushing the limits of the practical savings limits a step or
two as fuel will only get more expensive (and it may skyrocket soon..) and in a SHTF
scenario, fuel will be nearly impossible to get. Our installer indicated most folks go
with a 12-14 SEER air conditioning in our area. For a couple hundred bucks more, I
went with the [moore efficient] 16 SEER - 2 stage unit to account for future fuel
price increases - putting me just above the norm.

Air conditioning systems are quite straight forward, and are powered
overwhelmingly by electricity, save the few by natural gas, so I will not talk to much
here about them, except to push the efficiency ratings as mentioned above.
Remember that central air conditioning is a big load for a generator to handle (more
on that later) but a portable window unit, strategically placed, will provide relief
while on generator power if needed. Buy one (they are cheap these days) for this
purpose ahead of time and store it, even if you have central, if extreme heat is a
life/death situation in your area.
Heating is much more complicated. With having to choose both a fuel source and
system type, the options are many. Let’s first briefly cover fuel choices. This is a
choice dominated by both personal opinions and local availability. Natural Gas, for
example, may be the best option - except if it is not in front of you house! Also,
regional differences in costs may also effect your decision. You must also
understand the cost of the fuel and its relationship to BTU output (or heating power)
per unit of fuel and the common efficiency ratings of appliances. For example, oil
has about 140,000 btus per gallon, whereas propane only has 91,600 and natural
gas, about half of that. Gas and propane burners can easily hit 95% efficiency while
oil units generally peak out in the 86% range. Also take into consideration costs of
maintenance. Oil units need regular cleaning (which can cost $100 or more,
depending on the dealer, location, equipment, etc.) whereas gas and propane ones
really need minimal maintenance (but should be inspected for safety regularly).

A comparison chart is generally useful to try to compare each effectively by

comparing an expected BTU use per year, the quantity of fuel needed for each
category and its costs, including installation and maintenance costs over the life
expectancy of the equipment. Some web based resources are available to help with
this, try this calculator.

Propane is my favorite, from a prepper’s standpoint. Propane can be stored

essentially forever, as it does not go bad. Large underground tanks can be installed
to supply your needs for a full year, or more. This also allows the home owner to
take advantage of off-season purchases, which may save quite a bit of money each
year. One warning: leased, rented, or company owned tanks are often a rip-off. With
them, you are typically required to buy the gas from only the tank owner and they
know it! Buy your tank if at all financially possible, then you can shop for the best
deal on propane.

Propane is the most versatile fuel, from heating, hot water, cooking, grills, drying
clothes, fireplace logs and gas stoves, it can be used in many areas of the home in
normal times. Some of these appliances, such as stoves, water heaters, and some
space heaters even operate without any electricity - check for availability. When the
power goes out, you will be glad you can still use these appliances as usual.

Oil would be my second choice, but it is hard to store in large quantities. Buried
tanks are basically too expensive due to regulatory requirements and insurance
companies hate them. Having more than two tanks of fuel (500 gallons) in your
basement takes up significant space and again invites insurance headaches. You
cannot cook with it, so you still need an electric range or a separate gas system and
stove. I am also not aware of an oil burner that can operate without power. One nice
feature, is you can burn diesel or kerosene in a pinch, which can be bought or
bartered for locally and hauled in 5 gallon buckets and dumped in your tank - try
that with propane! Learn how to prime your equipment though, as this is necessary
when you run dry. Oil is also pretty safe, compared to propane - leaks are less of a
problem.

Natural gas is my favorite, except that you cannot store it and availability is limited
geographically - it is mainly in the cities and suburbs where lots of customers live.
Also, if the gas mains are shut down for some reason - you are out of business.
Being underground, disruption is infrequent - but definitely possible, especially if we
have transportation or grid failures or terrorist attacks. It has all the other
advantages of propane, however, so it is still a good fuel. It is also mainly
domestically sourced, which is also an advantage.

Wood is ideal if you have access it and if everyone in your home who will have to
use it is healthy enough to cut, split, and move it - remember the strongest person
may not be able to do these things in a SHTF scenario if they are hurt or worst. [JWR
Adds: As I've mentioned in my writings before, cutting firewood with a chainsaw in
the midst of societal collapse presents a security dilemma. A gas chainsaw can be
heard for miles, and it leaves the ear muff-wearing operator vulnerable to attack. To
be safe, any wood-cutting party will need an accompanying security detail.] You can
easily heat with wood and some (including me) argue it is the best heat. You are
also able to cook with it on most standard stoves and certainly on wood fired
kitchen stoves. If you have trees on site - it can be next to free, save for some and
gas for the saw and splitter. Expect to get around 1 sustainable cord per acre per
year in a good forest lot. You can stack an ample quantity in the back yard and can
always get more. It is not always as easy to regulate as some other fuels, but if the
cost is low, who cares?

A simple wood stove will likely heat your home quite well. If you are in a northern
climate and are looking at wood to provide your main source of heat and hot water,
I recommend using an indoor boiler, such as those made by HS Tarm which I have
no relationship with. They are real efficient, can be used with storage tanks to allow
a clean hot burn - while saving that excess heat you are not using for times when
the stove is out. They can easily provide enough heat to keep the house warm (in a
controlled, efficient manner), heat hot water, and even heat outbuildings. They have
marginal power requirements though, so plan for that. Outdoor furnaces and boilers
are great too, but they are less efficient typically and if not run hot, can really
smoke up the yard. Many places have outlawed them. However, please make sure
your wood burning appliance is installed correctly. Many homes burn each year,
sometimes killing family members, because of improperly installed wood stoves.
Follow the manufacturers instructions, use quality materials, and get a permit for
the stove and inspection after it is installed, if applicable in your area. Some fire
departments will also do a courtesy inspection as well, call to inquire. Should a fire
start, these inspections / permits will protect you from the wrath of the insurance
company!

I will not even mention electric heating, though it would work in some warmer
climates, I guess. It is just too expensive and vulnerable to power failures to make
my list, sorry! Heating plants themselves come in two flavors powered by your
choice of fuel, hot water (hydronic) and hot air (furnaces). Hydronic systems utilize
boilers to make the hot water used to heat the building. Boilers are more expensive
to install, especially counting the plumbing required to distribute the heat, but can
be better regulated with the ease of having multiple zones powering various types
of heaters. For example, you can use baseboard heaters, antique steam radiators,
forced air heaters (such as Modine units which are popular in basements and
garages), and even the newer popular in-floor radiant heating systems or any of
these in any combination. The boiler can also make your hot water either by using a
coil within the boiler itself, or in a separate tank heated by a separate zone of the
boiler (most efficient).

Furnaces heat air, which is blown though the home. These systems are typically
more simple and less expensive to install than boilers and are easily adapted to also
provide air flow for air conditioning as well. Installing the air ducts is relatively
simple, once designed, especially with today's flex-duct. Using electrically operated
valves, the units can be zoned as well or in larger installations, multiple units can be
installed.

Becoming more popular, are hybrid systems, as I like to call them. These utilize a
boiler to make the heat and air handlers with heat-exchangers (radiators) in them
and often air conditioning coils as well, installed in the home to provide warm-air
heat and air conditioning. In a two floor home, one might be installed in the attic for
the second floor and one in the basement for the first. These systems can also use
in-floor radiant or baseboard heat as well, as a boiler is utilized. These can be
expensive to install, but do provide a nice option for the homeowner with a larger
home, especially those with a wood boiler!

Again for the prepper, the choice of how to heat and cool the home must be made
with a lot of thought to the future. Higher efficiency means higher complication and
more expensive and specialized parts than their simple lower efficiency
counterparts. However, I feel it is worth it as the money saved can be significant.
Most of today's equipment by reputable manufacturers will work fine for years. I
have personally owned Burnham and Buderus boilers and Trane / American
Standard (same company) for hot air and air conditioning systems. Others are fine
as well, I have just used these and think they are top notch. Again, I have no
relationship with these companies.

Hot Water Heaters

Water can be heated with electricity, gas or oil. Stand-alone tank heaters come in
all three flavors, and work well. Any boiler can be adapted to heat water with either
an internal coil or external tank as previously mentioned. The best option, in my
opinion, is the tankless heater powered by propane or natural gas. I have a Rinnai
and love it. These units provide hot water when you need it and shut down when
you do not. They save gas by not cycling to maintain water temperatures as do
normal tank heaters. Since most people sleep 8 hours and are at work for at least
another 10 with commute times, hot water is only used a maximum of 6 hours per
day - why heat the water the other 18? From a cold start, my Rinnai puts out hot
water in about 3-4 seconds and will do so until either the water runs dry or the gas
tank empties! It puts out enough hot water to run the dishwasher, and two showers
(I have tried this). The flame level varies according to the flow rate and selected
temperature - its quite high-tech actually! The slight lag in hot water generation is
noticeable, but just barely and sometimes a brief shot of cool water comes out as
the hot water in the pipes flushes out, then revealing the 2-3 second warm up
period, but again, it is not a big deal at all. The other downside, is that they require
electricity. Just a little bit, but when it disappears, the water goes cold instantly. I
was told a small computer UPS will both protect the electronics and keep a tankless
hot water heating going for quite some time after the power drops - a good idea.
The savings are more than worth these minor inconveniences.

Electricity

Nearly every home has commercial electric service and we have become reliant on
it in nearly every aspect of our lives. From our alarm clock, lights, razor and coffee
pot to our heat and air conditioning, entertainment, security and communications,
we use it in ways that we do not even realize! Electricity is not only a convenience
though, it is also a life saving necessity in many cases. Having some sort of back up
power is vital for the prepper - especially where young and old persons are present.

A generator is the ideal solution for short to medium term use. I will categorize
them into two groups for our discussion, portable and permanent. Portables are just
that, portable. They can be moved from place to place on wheels or via back-grunts
and can usually produce 1,000-10,000 watts or so. Trailer mounted ones are
available and can certainly run much more, but their costs are beyond what most of
us can afford and they are larger than necessary. Permanent generators are
installed outside or in a specific room and are powered by a fixed fuel source. These
are generally larger, from around 10,000 watts and up. Though these are nice, I feel
they are more than most people need and the portability of the smaller units is nice,
quite frankly. However, both certainly will do the job. Remember that generators
are a mechanical device and can break. If you have the funds, it would be best to
have two - perhaps a larger primary unit and a smaller backup.

Without fuel, generators are useless. So many people I speak with have a great
generator ready to go, but I find they have no fuel stored, save for a few gallons for
the lawn mower. I tell them that without fuel, they have no generator. When the
SHTF, the gas stations will either be closed or will have lines of cars from one to the
next. Having an ample amount of fuel on hand is crucial.

Most units run on gasoline, with some running on diesel or propane / natural gas (or
some combination of the above). Gasoline ones are cheapest, and are fine for
emergency use. Heavy use units are generally diesel, as they are generally more
long lasting and are also typically better on fuel. Propane / Natural Gas ones are
great because of the low maintenance and, if you have propane or natural gas
anyway, the availability of large quantities of fuel may already be available.

My generator is a 4,000 watt unit and it burns .5 to 1 gallon each hour or so,
depending on load. Running it 3-4 hours per day, you would need perhaps 2-4
gallons. To make it a week, I should have at least 20 gallons, or 4 - 5 gallon cans
full. This should be a minimum to shoot for - a week's supply to keep your unit
running for 1-2 hours 2-3 times per day. This allows you to pump water, charge
batteries, cool the refrigerator and keep the freezer frozen, and do some other
chores. If for medical or other needs it needs to run more, then plan for it.

With any fuel (except propane), rotate, rotate, rotate! I buy fresh gasoline in the
spring and fall after dumping the old fuel in my car. Today's gas, with ethanol, can
cause problems if you let it sit around too long, from the many reports I have read.
With equipment too expensive to ruin, I rotate it every 6 months regularly. To help
negate this risk, I add Sta-Bil to keep it fresh. The maker indicates a one year
storage time is possible with its use, so being conservative, six months should be no
problem at all.

This brings me to my power system sizing discussion. Most feel larger is better, and
in some ways they are true. However, larger also is heavier, more expensive, and
more demanding on fuel. My home can run on 2,000 watts fine all day (except for
the air conditioner). I intend to buy a Honda inverter generator in the 2,000 watt
size range. These run at variable speeds, depending on load, and supply clean,
computer grade electricity. Because of this, they can run as long as 9.6 hours on 1
gallon of of fuel - something that I feel is so valuable in a SHTF scenario. My 20
gallons will go weeks instead of a days, that is a definite advantage. These are only
110 VAC, though, making them impractical for those on a 220 VAC well pump.

Look at the loads you must power, and understand they don’t all have to run at the
same time. Some lights, a refrigerator, a fan, a furnace, and even some non-heating
small appliances all added together do not add up to 2,000 watts in most cases.
Your big loads include your well pump (220 Volts) and anything with a heating
element. Even these can be used, if some of the others are shut down. With careful
planning, a huge unit is not always necessary.

One can use extension cords to tie the generator to the loads, but this is both a pain
and somewhat dangerous as well. As such, I recommend that any new home be
wired for a back up generator at the very least. If you must wait to buy the
generator, fine, but at least install the transfer switch while the electrician is
installing the service. The best way is to switch the main with a large knife switch
made for the purpose. These will have three positions, up (typically) will power the
house from the commercial mains, the middle will turn off all power and the bottom
will feed the house from the generator. Interlock kits are also available to be able to
safely back-feed power into your panel via a regular circuit breaker while preventing
you from turning on the back-feed breaker without first shutting of the main
breaker. See Interlockkit.com for details. In either case, the mains are disconnected
while the generator is feeding the breaker box. This is an absolute necessity for
safety’s sake.
A heavy cable will then be run from the panel to a convenient location outside the
structure where a jack will be installed. A jumper cable will then be used to connect
this jack to the generator itself, completing the path to your panel. Electricity
travels easily, so place the plug where it will make your life easy for hook up.
Remember also that you will have to protect your generator from theft, so take that
into consideration in determining its location. You may even wish to bury the cable
out to a “dog house” where the generator can live and operate, if well ventilated
with a lift-up roof and opening side panels for example.

Another option to consider, is a battery backup system charged with either the
generator or, better yet, a renewable source such as solar, wind, or water. With a
modest bank of batteries, an inverter, and a DC power source to charge these
batteries (with the necessary charge controller, etc.), this system can provide an
amount of electricity basically forever. This power can be piped into the breaker
box, just like a generator would. 12 Volt appliances are also available, eliminating
the need for the inverter while being more efficient. Many people live off-grid with
these kinds of systems and they are truly sustainable, as they will operate for years
with no external inputs. Certainly, having some level of non-petroleum based
electricity makes tremendous sense in a long-term SHTF scenario. Again, entire
books have been written on this subject, so I will leave it at that.

Lastly, for a prepper, it would be good to install emergency lighting in your home.
This can be accomplished by either buying commercially available battery back-up
emergency lights like you see in every commercial building, or installing a battery
bank, several 12 volt lights, and a switch or relay to turn it on when the power fails.
In either case, it will provide better lighting for short term emergencies in an
automatic way. Definitely an advantage and not very expensive.

Building Structures

My first recommendation, if you build a home (and I strongly recommend this as the
option for your permanent home as you can control the variables better), is to
consult a competent architect or engineer (or at least a real knowledgeable
carpenter) and ask them for the details on how to build a home that will survive the
calamities that are common in your area. In the Southeast, that may be hurricanes -
in California, earthquakes and fires. No home can hold up to everything, but, for
example, you will be surprised how much stronger a roof system can be made with
some simple wooden braces or metal strapping! The building codes often require
these things, but many times you can improve upon the codes yourself - going
above and beyond the required elements. These kinds of improvements may mean
you still have a home after a storm instead of a pile of rubble.

Secondly, insulation is your friend. This amount needed varies by location (more
insulation is needed in Northern climates than the in South, for example) but is
necessary everywhere. The “R” value is the measurement of insulation that is used
in the industry. A higher “R” value resists the transfer of heat more than a lower
one does. This is not the only factor to consider, however. Air transfer is also very
important.

The most popular insulation, fiberglass batting, has great “R” values but allows air
to flow through it basically unimpeded. With a house wrap (like Tyvek) this is
minimized, but hard to stop completely. It is also hard to install perfectly. Look in an
un-sheet-rocked attached garage at the back side of a typical house wall insulation
job in any subdivision and you will see gaps in the bats around the wires, pipes and
even along the sides of some of the studs. These areas are not insulated at all.
Though it is easy to install and cheap, it is not always the best choice.

My favorite is sprayed-in foam. This goes on like a spray paint and then almost
immediately expands to fill all voids in the wall. It comes in different densities which
have different “R” values, but all forms are at least as good as fiberglass. What they
excel in is stopping air infiltration and assuring uniform insulation values. By filling
all voids and gaps, it stops all air infiltration ensures an evenly insulated wall
system.

The effective insulation value of foam can be double that of common fiberglass -
and as a bonus, the foam adds greater rigidity to the home (especially the higher
density versions) - adding to its strength. It is, however, messy and needs to be
applied by an expert and costs 2-3 times as much as fiberglass insulation.

Is it worth it? In my opinion it is. My current home uses 500 gallons of propane to
heat it annually whereas my last home (smaller) used 700-to-800 gallons of oil to
heat it. Being that oil has more BTUs per gallon than propane, our new home with
its foam insulation is performing twice as well from my calculations. This saves us
substantial money each year and allows us to eliminate debt, save for the future
and live a better life, as Jack Spirko would say. If things go bad, I know my home will
be the easiest to heat in my entire neighborhood! A small wood stove, run
intermittently, will keep us comfortable with little effort.

The most popular framing material is wood. It is inexpensive and easy to work with
and is quite versatile, especially with today’s engineered options. With common
carpentry know-how, anyone can build with wood. Metal framing including I-beam
structural members and lightweight metal wall framing options exist and are great
where wood eating bugs are plentiful or high-winds are likely. They also allow for
longer open spans as well, but often require the help of an engineer to build. Some
homes are built using stone or block and insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are a great
option as well. I don’ have the room to investigate each, but they each have their
advantages depending on your skill set and location. I cover these to some extent in
my podcast.

Choose siding and roofing materials for your area and home design. Concrete board
siding (Hardy Plank for example) is gaining popularity but is expensive. Vinyl is final,
cheap and easy to install. In a fire prone area though, you may kiss the concrete
siding after a wildfire! Roofing choices include metal or tin, fiberglass, wood and
other more exotic materials such as concrete, plastic or slate. Each have their
advantages, but it is hard to beat fiberglass shingles for ease of installation and
lasting value. However, metal is the ideal choice in areas with high snow loads or
fire danger. On flat roofs, a membrane is hard to beat as they will not leak if
properly installed. Again, simplicity will save money and allow for easier
maintenance for the homeowner so choose wisely depending on your location and
needs.

Lastly, design your home smartly with ample room for your needs, but not in
excess. Allow room to store your supplies - a basement is a great option if feasible.
Don’t skimp on the structure of the home - these things are very hard to change
out. Skimp, if you must, on interior treatments such as flooring, cabinetry, and
lighting. These things can be upgraded as your budget does the same.

Security Concerns

Lastly, build to defend if this is a priority of you. A home that is smaller and perhaps
two floors is easier to defend than a rambling ranch. Fewer points of entry and a
second floor definitely are advantages. Storm rated windows are harder to break
and heavy metal or wood doors are harder to penetrate - look at the options. Storm
shutters are also a great option as are metal grates, if you think they are necessary.
Sometimes, a row of thorny briars, a fence / gate and a big dog will make a criminal
think twice. Remember though, if they want to get in, they will. And if they are mad
enough, they can just burn you out - this is hard to prevent. Remember that your
best offense is to just look like every other house, or one that has nothing to offer.
Don’t pick a style that will make your house stand out on the street.

Alarm systems and or video monitoring / recording systems are also a big plus. A
security system can alert you to danger from either a bad two-legged creature or
fire, smoke, high water, low temp or any number of other perils. This information
can be reported to a central station by the alarm or even to cell phones on some
systems. This can, and has, saved many properties from fire. Personally, I installed
a system that saved a home from a kitchen fire. Minor smoke damage and some
charred wood was the result, whereas the whole house would have gone up without
the early call by the system to the fire department. Also, early warning to occupants
is very important. If your sleeping, a warning of a break in can buy you the time to
prepare to handle the threat, rather than having the threat wake you up by opening
your bedroom door.

In conclusion, read books, listen to podcasts like the Homeowner’s Friend Podcast
(HofPodcast), and talk to friends who have build. Get their recommendations and by
all means, try to do the project (or at least parts of it) yourself. I never went to
carpenter’s school - I hung around with my father and brothers and did things
myself - there is no better institute of higher learning than the school of hard nocks!
Build a chicken coop, dog house or storage shed first, to get the basics down. Once
you have these skills, they can not be taken away and will make your life better till
the day you leave this earth. Good luck! - S.S. of the HofPodcast.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Community Crisis Planning for Societal Collapse, by J.I.R.

Permalink

I believe that in a severe crisis, most of the problems are going to have to be solved
at the local level. State and federal government are too big and dependent on
technology to survive a severe crisis once the grid drops and all services start to
erode. Local governments, too, are ill prepared to assume this crushing
responsibility, but they are much more resilient because their scope of control is
smaller. Most of them have never even considered what they would do.
This article is a discussion piece to stimulate thought on the subject of small
community recovery after TEOTWAWKI. I hope it will also be useful as a rough
blueprint or checklist for local community leaders, or at least a starting point for a
comprehensive plan. I wrote it from the perspective of a fictional town mayor. Most
of the issues I mention apply to many levels of local government and law
enforcement. I realize that A mayor never acts alone or has absolute power. They
have a lot of people helping and advising them. I am hoping you will help yours
make and implement the right decisions and that this paper will help in some small
way.

Before I start spouting off about what I think will occur, I need to tell you who I am. I
am a retired Army Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence Warrant Officer. I
spent over a decade working on Army planning staffs at various levels, and was a
professional action officer on the USAREUR DCSINT planning staff for more than four
years. I got the rare opportunity to see many failed states and regional crisis and
how people, communities and economies react. But I have never held any office in
local government. Also, unfortunately, I am not a wizard who can see into the
future. The following are my own conclusions and suggestions drawn from my own
experiences. I may be wildly wrong, or overlooking factors that seem obvious to
you, especially if you have a lot of experience in local government. So, take this for
what it's worth. Hopefully, it will provide a basis for discussion and planning and
generate a dialog. I am hoping to hear corrections and other ideas. I am never
insulted by disagreement, so if you see things differently, I would be very happy to
hear it.

First, we need to define what kind of crisis I am talking about. I am talking about a
large scale disaster of some kind that effects a huge geographical region and forces
local communities to solve their own problems and precludes getting help from
outside. I am talking about an event that would cause a complete failure of basic
services such as finance (banking) or the electrical grid and prevent the
Government from repairing it quickly enough to prevent a general cascading
breakdown of other services. I will use a major EMP event as my example because
that would be just about a worst case event. Some of what I say will be applicable to
regional or short term events, but some of it won't.

I believe that most communities are doomed. Many American and European
communities are artificial constructs entirely dependent on modern society to keep
them running. You can tell if your town cannot survive by looking at the population
density, arable land, water supplies and other resources. If your community is in a
desert and trucks in all their water, you can't possibly survive long term. If your
whole population is suburban or urban and you have no working farms or farmable
land, then you are doomed. Sorry. If you live in a doomed community, I don't know
what to tell you. For this article, I am assuming a smallish town with a good water
supply and a lot of working farms that don't require electric irrigation. Even a
perfectly situated town will have huge problems and may not survive a major EMP
event. Anything less than perfection is going to require superhuman effort, no
mistakes and a large touch of luck.

Somebody has to take charge quickly:

Anarchy is the dirtiest word in the English language and should be avoided at all
costs. Whenever I see some teenager wearing a T-shirt espousing anarchy, I get a
strong urge to show him a little anarchy by beating him up and ripping it off his
back..and then ask him if he still thinks Anarchy is "cool". I have seen chaos and
virtual anarchy up close and I was frankly astonished at the depravity of mankind.
Without law and order of some kind, the strong will take from the weak. The cruel
will torture and kill wantonly. Rule of law is essential to any progress or recovery. I
am writing this in the firm belief that when our society crashes, some communities
will maintain order and some vestige of humanity. That's going to require a delicate
balancing act because the two concepts are not mutually reinforcing and can be at
odds with each other. Communities are going to have to make some very hard
choices if they are to maintain order and survive. Lets hope they can maintain their
humanity and Christian values while they are doing this.

Let's imagine that you are the mayor of a small town when this horrible event
occurs. The lights go out, most cars don't work, and personal battery powered
electronics malfunction. How quickly would most small town mayors realize it was
EMP? I am guessing that most of them will figure it out within minutes or hours.
There are enough smart folks around to advise them even if they are not
knowledgeable. So what are your actions going to be?

What are your resources? The town owns some land and some buildings, some
vehicles and maybe some utility equipment. But by far, your biggest asset is a
limited amount of capital in the form of authority and good will. You represent a
body of voters, which gives you more legal legitimacy than anyone else. You have a
police force of some kind and the authority to spend money on behalf of the
government...sort of. Your authority is real, but it's based on some fairly fragile
cornerstones. Some of them may not exist anymore. The monetary system may be
completely wrecked. You may not be able to pay anyone for anything. The Federal
and State Governments are both out of communications and may not exist
anymore. Any indecision or misstep on your part could destroy your authority,
leaving nothing in it's place.

What, exactly is your authority? Where does it overlap with county or other
governments? What gives you the authority to maintain order? Impose martial law?
Appoint armed deputies, Set up roadblocks? Commandeer fuel and food stocks? The
Army NCO academy teaches that there are five types of power that an individual
can wield. You will need to use all of them.

a. Legal: You have limited direct "Command authority" in a military sense. Unless
you have a body of laws to back you up, you can't lean on your command authority
too much. Check on this, but your town is unlikely to have bylaws giving you much
power in an emergency. Instead, you have to assume that you possess Delegated
authority. You are the representative of both State and Federal government and
have to assume their roles and responsibilities until you can re-establish a chain of
command. In the absence of orders or directives, you are free to "assume"
responsibility and authority. At least that's a good legal theory and may be enough.
If this were ever tested in court, it might not be upheld, but by that time, the crisis
will be over, right? Everything you do is "Legal" until you are overruled by a
court...or ousted by a mob of your constituents. Your real authority is your mandate
from the people. It rests on your ability to make sound decisions and convince
others that you are doing all the right things. That buys you more authority in a
crisis than all the documents ever printed.

b. Coercive: Unfortunately, brute force is always a factor. As long as you maintain

control over the police force or sheriff's department, you have authority. You must
gain firm control of your police and public employees first, before you try to do
anything else. Without them, your authority can be dissolved by a few hot-heads
with weapons. You are going to be forced to make some very unpopular decisions
and part of your community is going to be extremely angry with you. Get your
troops in place first or you won't keep your authority long. You must also be very
careful not to abuse this authority or let your troops abuse it. A good way to do this
is to immediately beef up your police force with out of work, solid citizens. You can
take on a fairly large number of deputies from the community. That gives the
community a sense of ownership in the police and helps prevent excesses.
c. Reward: You will initially have almost no ability to reward anyone. If the finance
system is gone, you have nothing to trade for goods and services. You will need to
change this immediately by setting up some kind of economy for your town. (This
topic is covered below). If you don't lick this problem immediately, your police and
city employees are going to stop showing up for work very quickly. They have to
feed and protect their families somehow.

d. Charisma: Unfortunately, (or fortunately perhaps) personal charisma and

magnetism are much more important than we like to admit. If you can sway a crowd
or argue persuasively, it doesn't matter if you are right or wrong. This sword cuts
both ways, of course. You are going to have to face very charismatic personalities
around town and persuade them to go along with you, or at least stay neutral. You
need to gain the immediate support of community and church leaders. Figure out
who can cause you political trouble and approach them to get them on your side or
otherwise neutralize them, or you will be facing a "minority party" that will
eventually oust you.

A good tool for dealing with dissension is to trap your opponents into stating a
preferred way to resolve some problem and then enlist them to oversee it. There
are a lot of ways to "skin a cat". Let them try their way if it can work. Pull them into
your administration. Remember, you are all on the same team at some level. Find
that level and stay on it. I believe that in a crisis, everyone has a tendency to follow
anyone with a firm voice and the appearance of a plan. Just be sure you have a
good plan and you will keep dissension to a minimum.

e. Expert: Knowledge is power. Anyone with unique and useful knowledge has value
and power. It's much easier to sway an audience if you have a degree in the topic or
an acknowledged expert in your corner. You should surround yourself with experts.
When a new problem arises and an expert or two are identified, pull them into your
circle of advisers. Doing this not only makes you a better leader with better
decisions, it gives all of your followers the sense that you are open to suggestions
and good ideas from any quarter.

So, you take charge quickly and start issuing orders. What are those orders?You
have a lot of things to worry about, and all of them are urgent and critically
important. The following is my list of issues that you need to address immediately
and some suggestions on how to address them. Local conditions, laws, resources
and public opinions are variables that effect how you must react. Think it out in the
context of your local conditions and try to at least have a tentative plan to put
forward immediately. The venue for putting forth your agenda should be as
transparent as possible, either a public meeting or a written decree or order. That
way, everyone not only knows your decisions, they know the reasoning behind
them. If you can get consensus from a town meeting before you put out an
emergency decree, you will have less trouble,but some of these issues require
immediate action.

1. Communications:

Without communications, you are powerless. You must be able to communicate

with your police department and other public service folks, the people of the town,
the county seat, the State, and lots of others. Unfortunately, a big EMP event will
wipe out electronic communications in a blink and leave you isolated, just when you
need to be at the center of activity. There are a couple of things you can do to
mitigate this if you plan ahead, but you are still going to have to somehow establish
some kind of communications with your neighboring towns and other polities...and
hopefully higher echelons of government.

Mitigation:

If you can store some short range radio equipment and maybe some old-school TA-
312 or TA-1 type telephones in a Faraday cage, they will be worth their weight in
gold. Even a few old telephones (and wire) can enable you to keep in touch with the
town down the road, or your own guard posts. Another thing to add to your Faraday
cage is a couple of battery-powered shortwave receivers. These will allow you to
catch long range HF broadcasts from working stations possibly overseas. Shortwave
may be your most reliable source of news. A ham radio rig, if it survives, might be
very useful too.

Actions:

If you don't have working radios, think back to a time when radio and even
telephone didn't exist. Our founding fathers didn't have those luxuries and still
managed. The solution is a central, easy to find headquarters, official written
communications, and messengers. You will need plenty of paper, (with your office
letterhead if possible), envelopes and some kind of official seal you can use. You
might even consider a wax seal, like they used in the 18th century, but a notary
seal (or something similar) with your signature over the top will look a lot more
official than a blank paper. You will also need carbon paper or a working copier, but
probably won't have them.
Small communities in the past used church bells, beacon lights, gongs, bugles,
whistles, sirens and flags to communicate locally. These methods require some
planning, but they still work.

Public notice boards were a major tool of government in the days before electricity.
Designate a board outside city hall or somewhere convenient and section it off into
five sections (or more if you wish). Post public policies and directives in one section
and "good advice" such as water purification procedures in another. A third section
of the notice board should contain a calendar or event log to keep people advised
on upcoming events. (Also, you should somehow let people know what day it is). A
fourth section of the board can contain news items picked up on the shortwave or
from other communities.

The fifth [and very large] section should be made open to the public. Remember,
they have no reliable communications means and may need to link up with missing
relatives or communicate privately with other community members. A board is a
good way to do this and can substitute for a public mail service. Set up a drop box
for personal messages (controlled by someone at city hall or at the post office or
whatever) and maintain a list of people with "refugee mail" on the public notice
board. That way, if someone wants to send a letter or something to anyone else,
they drop an envelope in the drop box and write the addressee's name (and a date)
on the public board. When the addressee picks up his mail, he crosses his name off
the list. Any person traveling to a nearby town can carry mail to that town.

You may need to regulate your public notice board by requiring people to date their
notices and limit the time something can remain posted. Otherwise, the public
board will quickly get out of hand, no matter how big it is. Try not to get too
draconian. Allow people to post anything they want (subject to whatever constraints
make sense to the town). Your board may be the best and only information service
most people have.

You should also expect to do a lot of face to face meetings with crowds and
individuals. Consider setting up a weekly town meeting where you can put out
orders and public service information in person and invite discussion. Town
meetings used to be a great source of entertainment and gave everyone a chance
to blow off some steam about things that bothered them. When electronics fail,You
will need to be able to do a lot of business face-to-face. If you move your
headquarters to an easily accessible area, like downtown main-street, or near a
marketplace, everything may be easier. Unfortunately, messengers and face to face
conversations require working transportation of some kind (as discussed below).

2. Building an emergency economy

You are going to have to set up some kind of economy to replace the crashed
finance system. You are not going to be able to rebuild the crashed economy, but
will have to build an entirely new system, almost from scratch. If you get this one
wrong, everything else will fall apart very quickly. This is a huge undertaking, but it
must be done quickly. You simply cannot use the existing financial system or hope
to rebuild it. About 4/5ths of your town will need food and most of the town's food
will be owned by a very few individuals or controlled by a store manager in the case
of a corporate chain store. If you allow the market to "work itself out", these few
store managers or individuals will suddenly control all the wealth and be able to
charge people anything they see fit...or withhold critical resources as the whim
takes them. Some people will have nothing of value in the new economy [except
their labor]. How will these people buy what they need? "Money" is not the fiat
currency we are used to dealing with. It is something of value exchanged for
something else of value. Any finance system has to be able to allow people to
exchange what they need for what they have or it will fail. In this example, the likely
results might be a riot and immediate looting.

Mitigation: None possible? I don't know how you can prepare your town for a total
financial crash. If anyone has a suggestion, I would love to hear it.

Actions:

We might as well deal with this topic right away. Are you going to try to have a
strictly capitalist system? If so, a lot of people who don't currently have exactly
what they need, or anything that happens to be valued in your new economy, are
going to die. (More likely, they are going to revolt and try to take the resources they
need.) A free market is a wonderful thing, but it requires time, security and
communication to form. You won't have any of these. People who don't have food
won't wait long enough for you to form a fully functional free market system, which
could take months or years. Without perceived equitable distribution of "wealth" in
the form of whatever your community members need, you will have violence and
mayhem very quickly. A free market capitalist trade system will never get a chance
to form without a precursor system to hold it up until it gets established.
In my humble opinion (after seeing many different monetary systems over the
years) there is no alternative to adding a very large socialist component to a post-
collapse emergency economy. If you don't strictly regulate critical resources, they
will not be distributed equitably and many people will needlessly suffer and perhaps
die. Even if that's okay with you, consider what you would do in their shoes. Would
you watch your family starve while there was food on the shelves down at the Wal-
Mart? Not very likely. You might decide to gather some like-minded folks up and
storm the Wal-Mart. If the police try to stop you, what will you do? You will fight to
the death because there is no valid alternative. For that matter, the police force
may be leading the charge. What are you planning to pay them with? Patriotism?
Whoever controls the food and other scarce resources controls the reins of power. It
simply cannot be left in the hands of random individuals.

To avoid total anarchy in a societal collapse, you will need to form a centrally
controlled economy in the short term, designed to equitably re-distribute and
manage critical resources. You will need to slowly build a free market as you are
able, but trying to do it immediately will undermine everything you must accomplish
during the crisis.

In order to form a centralized economy or even pay for the services the town is
going to desperately need, you need to gain control of most of the "publicly
available" critical shortage resources and use them as your basis of wealth. Scarce
resources are the basis for a currency system. At a very basic level, Food is cash.
Once you have a warehouse of food under your tight control, you can pay for labor
and other commodities and resources with that food. A better system might be to
pay for labor and services with "ration cards". That ration card entitles them to eat a
single meal at a community soup kitchen, or entitles them to a set amount of grain
or other commodity on demand from the town warehouse. In essence anyone
needing community resources "works for the community" and gets to eat at the
mess hall...and earns a little surplus to use for other necessities. This arrangement
will also give you a huge manpower pool to work with almost immediately. You may
find that you will need most of them.

Avoid giving "handouts" to anyone. You need everyone to work as hard as they can.
You need them to use their incentive. Handouts that compete with the local
economy are counterproductive and destroy human dignity.
Without machinery, manpower is your biggest resource. Cherish each unemployed
citizen. Make them work for their pay and use them to build capital for the future
(see below), food production, military duties, messenger services, trash collection or
anything else that needs doing. Remember, these are not freeloaders, they are solid
citizens who want to work and feel like they are part of a larger effort. Don't worry
about having so many people on "welfare". Most of them will get to be self sufficient
as fast as they are able. Pay them a slight surplus and they will feel that they are
working toward something and not living hand to mouth. You may find that they
invest the surplus and build your free market economy for you.

If you let private citizens keep their food and fuel and other scarce resources and
only confiscate and control corporate or "large retail or wholesale stocks" (explained
below), any citizen with resources can also hire help at roughly the same rates you
are paying, which helps the whole community and drives down demand for public
stockpiles. (You have established a minimum wage of 1 ration card per hour).
Everything else could be bartered using food or the town ration cards as currency. If
you establish a set value for your ration cards and a safe marketplace in town
(perhaps even a market day, where other communities can join in the trading), you
have the beginnings of a free market with as little pain as possible and almost no
stink of socialism. Since food is established as the gold standard, you also add
incentive to immediately start farming, hunting, and otherwise adding to the public
larder.

So where do you get the resources you are going to control? I am not talking about
collecting up everyone's food and gasoline. That would be an economic disaster in
the long term. People need to feel secure in their property rights or they won't be
willing to invest in the future. And you need a lot of private investment to get your
community through the crisis. You will need to collect taxes later, but not until there
is a harvest or something to collect.

You have to be careful which resources you initially confiscate and only gather large
retail or wholesale stocks meant for re-sale. Anything owned by an individual for his
own use is his property and must not be touched. Any critical and scarce commodity
owned strictly for resale should be confiscated for the common good and held by
the community. Make sure you provide a receipt to any owners you can locate or at
least keep records of what is taken. This will allow much easier accounting if
someone ever tries to rebuild the old

economy.
Our free enterprise system has provided the opportunity for some families and even
individuals to amass huge fortunes. It also allowed groups of individuals to
"incorporate" to form legal entities that own vast resources. In normal times, this is
an overall goodness that generates wealth and (at least in theory) raises everyone's
standard of living. In normal times, an individual is free to own thousands of acres
of land and all the minerals under it. He is allowed to farm it, bulldoze it, burn it,
deny it's use to others or use it pretty much any way he wants. It's almost certain
that critical resources in your community are "owned" by a corporation or private
investor. In theory, a single individual can legally "own" all the arable land in a
community and prevent anyone from farming it, even if they are starving.

In an emergency, I feel that this cannot and must not be allowed. Moral imperatives
and common sense must prevail over law in some rare cases and this is one of
those cases. Private property for use by the individual is morally different from
corporate property or privately owned property that is held for the "wealth" it
generates. If someone "owns" something and has no intention of ever using it
himself (or even seeing it), he cannot morally control it in an emergency. I believe
that corporations are legal fictions that have exactly as much validity as the rest of
our complex finance system. When the dollar crashes and all the banks close,
(IMHO) they cease to exist in a moral sense.

Any corporate or investment property belongs to the state in an emergency. Did

that sentence scare you? It does me. But I believe it will come to pass. The state
has the ultimate responsibility to answer to the people and has legal power over all
corporate entities. The government's charter (by constitution and a huge
jurisprudence system) is to provide for the common defense and promote the
general welfare. In normal times, this is best accomplished by jealously guarding a
clearly documented body of property rights for individuals and corporations. But this
is not a universal law of nature. If corporate interests collide with public welfare
needs, the government has the right and the responsibility to negate corporate or
individual rights for the common good.

As mayor of a community, you are going to have to make some hard choices and
convince others that you are right. One of these choices might be to confiscate
corporate property and redistribute it as needed for the common good. That
specifically includes local merchants who hold stockpiles of needed resources
meant for resale, such as gas station and grocery store owners. The whole retail
system with it's complex accounting and "ownership" laws are part of a finance
system that no longer exists after a severe EMP event. You (and your community)
need to sit down and determine a whole new set of ownership rules. I urge you to
think hard about this and perhaps appoint someone wise and respected to arbitrate
individual cases. Farmable land owned by a absentee landlord is easy; he's not
there and owns it only as an investment, therefore it now belongs to the
community. Large corporate holdings, like the stock of a chain department store are
easy matters. That corporation is dead and gone and the goods now belong to the
community. A large Agra-business hog farm is easy, confiscate the hogs and their
feed. But what about a silo of corn owned by a Co-op of local farmers? What about a
local farmer with 1,000 acres of standing corn clearly meant for commercial sale?
What about a rancher with 100 head of cattle? You really have to be careful where
you draw the line between private ownership and "retail goods", but draw it you
must. Your new government is going to need a lot of capital to survive the
tribulations coming.

3. Transportation and fuel

Your police and city vehicles may not work after an EMP event. In my opinion, the
testing of EMP effects on vehicles outlined in the congressional EMP report "2008
Critical National Infrastructures Report" was flawed. Their simulator was only
capable of generating 50kv EMP and only generated a E1 event, not the (perhaps)
more damaging E3 wave. The cars were tested only until they exhibited a fault of
some kind and then the testing was halted. Many of the vehicles showed some kind
of failure or "faults" at lower voltages, but were never subjected to high voltage
EMP, yet the conclusion includes these cars as having survived with no permanent
damage.

Also, there is no reason to assume that 50kv is the upper limit in a real world HEMP
event, it was simply the limit of the test gear available. I believe the test gear used
was strongly influenced by the Master's degree thesis by Louis W. Seiler, Jr., "A
Calculational Model for High Altitude EMP, report ADA009208". That thesis, while
brilliant, computes E1 gamma burst for the peak EMP at ground zero for a burst
above the magnetic equator, where the Earth's magnetic field is far weaker than it
is at high latitudes (nearer the poles). Further North or South, the magnetic field
lines converge (increasing the magnetic field strength). It's generally accepted that
the peak EMP is almost directly proportional to the power of the Earth's magnetic
field. That means that real world voltages in real world equipment may easily
exceed 50kv. In fact we have some evidence of this. The Soviet above-ground
warhead test #184 produced ground zero EMP intensity estimated by Soviet
scientists at 350 kV. Also, remember that the cars used in the commission's testing
were older cars build between 1986 and 2002. Have cars gotten more EMP resistant
since then? No. My conclusion is simple. A lot of cars may not survive a real world
event.

If a lot of vehicles survive, fuel stocks may be depleted almost immediately unless
you take steps to protect them. I know this sounds draconian, but the police force
and emergency vehicles should have priority for fuel and the only way to assure this
is to implement some kind of rationing plan immediately. Fuel stocks are a public
resource owned by private citizens. Once they are gone, your community may
never get any more. This is a case where you are going to have to exercise some
emergency powers and appropriate property from private citizens. If possible, you
should "pay" for the fuel immediately. If you cannot, at least make sure you give the
rightful owner a receipt so you can pay him back later if someone manages to re-
build the economy.

Mitigation

Keep your town's vehicles in good shape and look into storing them inside a
shielded garage when off duty. Being indoors may prevent some of the damage. If
you are able to afford it, buy a reserve fuel supply for the police department. I don't
know how much this would cost for a specific town, or how much fuel it should hold,
but if you could somehow talk the town into the merits of a municipal reserve to last
even a few weeks, it might someday prove very useful. If you bought two tanks,
sized to last the police department a month or less, you wouldn't have any extra
expense for fuel additives. You could rotate your fuel.

Actions

As distasteful as this is to Americans, I can't see any alternative likely to work. You
need to seize and ration all bulk stocks of gasoline, Diesel, propane, fuel oil, coal
and other fuels used or held by the town. The town will desperately need these fuels
for heating, emergency services and agriculture. You may also be forced to
confiscate privately owned vehicles if yours are damaged or you need specialty
vehicles (like fuel tankers, for instance). You need to work out a method of doing
this without stealing. Any time you confiscate resources from any private citizen,
you need to somehow reimburse them as fairly as possible. A better approach may
be to exclusively hire them as the driver and let them retain ownership.

Your town may also have a stream of refugees pouring through or past it from a
nearby city. This is a very bad situation that has to be dealt with immediately. If
they have access to your town's fuel stocks, they will drain every drop in a day or
two. This may need to be your first order in an emergency. Every hour you delay
may be critical. (Refugees are discussed below).

Another distasteful, yet lucrative opportunity you may have is to confiscate fuel
(and other resources) from passing highway traffic. Whether you call this piracy or
taxation, If trucks are still moving on the big highways, they may contain resources
your town really needs to survive. I am not suggesting that this is a moral or
desirable option, but someone in your community is bound to bring it up. Think out
your position in advance and be ready to argue your point. Personally, I believe that
any interference in long range commerce or transportation is detrimental to all of
society and also undermines the very laws that prop up your own authority. No
matter what you call it, the act of a government stealing is a slippery slope.

4. Water and sewage

Modern towns are very wasteful of water, but can't survive without it for more than
a few days. Most people have never thought about how to purify water or deal with
waste. If you don't do something quickly, a lot of your citizens are going to start
defecating outdoors and many of your citizens are going to drink unsafe water. The
results will be catastrophic in terms of public health.

Your town may be in good shape, but probably not. You will want to get some
expert advice on this immediately. Many towns rely on pumped water, often from
towers in or near the town. If so, you have a few days until the tanks run dry. You
will need to figure out a way to keep this system going if you can. You still need to
add chlorine and get the water high enough to maintain water pressure. If the
machinery for doing this is broken, you need to set a crew working on water
immediately.

Some towns won't be able to keep their water flowing and will have to use extreme
measures to provide water for their people and deal with wastes. You may have to
haul water to a central point and purify it manually, or even set up public latrines
and wash points. Without ready supplies of water, most private residences are
going to be uninhabitable in the long run. The folks with homes you cannot supply
may need to move closer to your water point.
Mitigation

Talk to your water providers now and get them thinking about it so they can come
up with options for you. Ask them to do a formal assessment of your town's
situation and resources and suggest mitigation strategies for emergencies. What do
they need to manually run their system during a power outage? If they can't run
manually, you might consider buying a backup generator to run pumps and
machinery. (Make sure you budget for a good Faraday cage to protect this
generator and keep it disconnected and keep all cables inside the cage until
needed). You may need to stockpile fuel or extra chemicals or buy extra equipment
that can be run manually. If your town can't afford any of this, You may need to buy
some mobile water tanks for the town. Any of these preparations could be very
useful during a whole range of situations and natural disasters.

Actions

These will depend on your town's system. But you need to keep your eye on the
ball. You need to provide at least a gallon of water per resident every day, just to
keep them alive. You will need much more than that to keep them healthy in the
long run. You also need to tell the community how to get pure water and warn them
against drinking or using tainted water. Is your area dependent on irrigation
agriculture? You will need to figure out how to supply that water too.

5. Solid waste disposal and burial of dead.

Without fuel, trash collection and burial can be very laborious. These problems
would be a lot simpler if everyone lived within easy walking distance of town, but
unfortunately this is almost never the case in the US. You may need to solve this by
distributing simple instructions on how to do it using old-school techniques. Old
homesteaders had an outhouse to deal with sewage, a compost pile to deal with
organic waste and a burn barrel (or fireplace) to get rid of burnables. Anything else,
they threw in the "trash pile" out back. (The solid trash pile for non-rotting, non-
burnable trash was often a used outhouse cesspool, which was then covered over
with dirt). On the bright side, municipal rubbish volumes are going to diminish and
be replaced mostly with compost-able plant waste. Anything that can be recycled
and reused, like old cardboard boxes will be treasured and kept. Our throw-away
society will be over.
Burial and funeral services used to be handled very locally at the neighborhood
church or even on your own property. Embalming and cremation are modern
innovations that will be too expensive to maintain. [JWR Adds: The only exceptions
will be in heavily-timbered regions or in coastal communities that are in driftwood
deposition zones. There, perhaps there will be plentiful firewood for use in outdoor
cremation pyres.] You will need your medical people to oversee and recommend
procedures for burial. Make sure they consult the church leaders or you may make
problems for yourself.

Actions: Check with a local doctor and have him recommend procedures for waste
disposal. Find a way to distribute them and encourage people to follow the
procedures by explaining why.

6. Food. (Short term provisioning)

This is going to be a real problem. You need to provide some minimum of calories
and nutrition for all your citizens until the community can grow (and the free market
can distribute) all the food needed by the community. This is going to be a tall
order. Most people don't store a substantial amount of food in their homes and will
quickly be dependent on town stocks. Most of the food in most communities is
owned by very few people or corporations.

The only way you are going to save a substantial percentage of your population
over the short term is to gain control of and ration most of the food centrally. You
are going to have to locate and safeguard as much food as possible. you will need
to establish a warehouse of some sort and guard it well. Pre-historic villages and
other primitive cultures always locate their food stocks in the center of their living
space to ensure it is guarded. This might be a wise choice. You may be able to use a
church, school or other public building close to the town center for this purpose. If
that building also has a substantial kitchen and cafeteria that you can get working
again, it will save a lot of transportation problems.

Don't be shocked if your town is forced to fight some other town to keep the food
you stockpile. Historically, when food gets scarce, communities fight and take what
they need. Be ready for this behavior. I would station my police force inside my
granary, in the center of town if possible.
Sources of food you can confiscate or otherwise control:

a. Department stores and food stores: Large food stores are the most obvious place
to look for food. They will not last long whether you confiscate the food or not.
People are going to either buy or loot everything in a matter of days or even hours.
Unfortunately retail stores don't maintain much stock these days. If it's not on the
shelves, it's probably not in the back room either. With modern stocking practices,
nobody maintains a well-stocked warehouse on site anymore. The non-refrigerated
foods should all be salvageable, but if you hurry, you might be able to make use of
much of the frozen foods and fresh produce or even salt some away using other
preservation techniques before it goes bad.

b. Co-ops and large commercial farms: These may have livestock and large
amounts of feed grain and other dried foods on hand. Whoever manages these
establishments are also probably experts at food preservation, storage and a whole
range of agricultural issues. Seek them out and get their input and help to secure
their food. You want to avoid spoilage and loss as much as possible and these
people can help. Hire them. You may need to keep the grain right where it's at (and
guard it) or provide power (if possible) to dry out the grain or you may need to
provide manpower to manually harvest crops. Listen to your experts.

c. Feed stores: Most animals in your community are going to have to be slaughtered
during the first year. Save as much edible feed as possible for human consumption.
Most feed mixes are good for humans to eat. Even the big bags of dog food should
be preserved. You will probably need them. They are mostly grain and if ground into
flour and thoroughly cooked, all of them are safe to eat. Alfalfa pellets and other
"non-human-food" products may be used to feed livestock.

d. Pet stores. Bird seed is nothing but grain and oil seeds. Most pet foods are edible
and should be saved for human consumption. The issue of what to do with pets is
going to be a hard one, but logic dictates that the community refrain from using up
useful food stocks on animals unless they add substantially to the local economy.
However, keep in mind that people get very emotional about their pets. If you try to
get people to give up their animals, they may lynch you. (Your commissary should
sell the pet foods, just like they do people food. If the pet owners work hard enough
to support their animals, you should not try to get heavy handed. Any other
approach will put you at odds with part of your population.)
e. Regional distribution centers: If you are fortunate enough to have one or more of
these in your reach, you should act immediately to secure them. These centers
typically have very substantial stocks of food on hand. Unfortunately, much of this
food requires refrigeration and will go bad very quickly. The centers with dried and
canned goods will be in big demand very quickly, so you need to dispatch work
parties (with lots of trucks) as quickly as you can organize them.

f. Standing commercial crops: Depending on the season, one of the first tasks you
need to tackle may be to help farmers with their harvest or planting or other tasks.
Modern farms are only manageable with the aid of heavy machinery. Without this
machinery, even routine tasks are not possible. Without combines, farmers couldn't
possibly complete their own harvests. Without security of some kind, their crops
may never make it to maturity. Refugees would strip them bare without your help.
You can strike a deal with farmers to bring in their crops and help in return for some
kind of payment in kind or a cut of their crop and others in the area. (Remember,
most farmers are mono-crop farmers with little use for 60 tons of corn with no
market). They may be more interested in what you can provide in the form of
machinery, power or labor. Talk to them, explain your situation and strike a deal
that benefits both of you.

g. Lakes and rivers: Fishing resources are very limited, but important sources of
food in many areas if you can protect them. You need to prevent poachers from
destroying their production capacity by over-fishing (maybe with dynamite) or
polluting water resources.

h. Bakeries and food processing plants: Processing plants usually have very limited
stocks of food on hand, but may have quite a lot depending on what they are
making. They may also have usable machinery that can be converted to use.

i. Colleges, Libraries and bookstores. These don't contain food, but they contain
knowledge about foraging for wild plants. You may be able to extend your resources
by sending out forage parties to collect locally growing wild resources. If you get
lucky, you might be able to gather a large harvest of acorns or maple seed or some
other highly prolific food species. Appoint someone (maybe a survivalist or old
hippie) as "wild food forager" and cross your fingers.
Things to watch for are large grain mills and industrial cooking equipment. You may
also find water pumps, power generation equipment, specialized vehicles, lathes,
mills, presses and other industrial tools. If you can repair the EMP damage, power
them and get them working, they can speed the recovery of your community and
really enhance your economy.

Actions: Appoint a good commissary officer. Someone is going to have to oversee

collection, storage and disbursement of not only food supplies but fuel, tools,
fertilizers, seeds and other resources. Your commissary officer needs to be a very
smart, honest person and he or she will need a fairly large staff. They are going to
have broad powers, so find somebody that is morally good. Whoever you appoint
needs excellent people skills and the meticulous attention to detail of a banker. This
same person is really in charge of your whole economy and will probably be in
charge of printing currency if you use it. A bank manager might be a good choice. If
you have political opposition in the community, this is an excellent place to put
them if they are up to the job. Once they are "holding the baby" they will be on your
side and won't be able to accuse you of any misbehavior.

7. Heat and shelter:

When winter hits, you may be faced with a grave heating fuel shortage. People
staying in private homes may not have access to heating fuel at all. The town
council is probably going to have some number of refugees to care for and they
require heat too. Your community may use oil, gas, wood or something else for
heating and each of them pose their own problems. You will need to think this issue
out in the context of your own community situation and come up with some kind of
solution. The most efficient solution, of course is to co-locate everyone in a few
larger buildings and heat them at 65-68 degrees. Setting up a shelter has it's own
problems, but it's easier than trying to heat 500 single family shelters. The public
shelter model of setting up in a big gymnasium can work, but it provides a very
efficient vector for respiratory and other diseases. If you can provide each family (or
multiple families) with a classroom or office room of their own, they will be much
more comfortable and resistant to diseases.

Providing a warm place to sleep may be all you can manage. Some homes are going
to be difficult or impossible to heat once the power grid goes down and the oil
trucks stop delivery. You should make every effort to conserve liquid fuels that will
be needed for spring planting and emergency machinery.
Mitigation: Location specific. You may be able to encourage your citizens to switch
over to an alternate fuel source (like wood, if your community has a lot of forests
nearby). Stockpiling fuel for the town may be a good idea if you can afford it, but
this is a temporary solution. Look around your town for some suitable shelter
buildings and food storage facilities and check out their heating and ventilation
equipment. You may be able to improve your chosen buildings or buy alternate
heating systems for them within your budget constraints. Laying in a large supply of
cots and blankets is a good idea.

Actions: You should immediately set up a shelter and cafeteria of some kind after
the emergency. Schools are probably your best choice for this. You will probably
have homeless almost from the start, so you need to get this done quickly. Home
fires are bound to be more common and some people who live too far from town
will need to move closer to the cafeteria. The more people you can get to move into
your shelter, the easier it will be to heat. (Each human radiates roughly the same
heat as a 100 watt light bulb. It adds up fast.) Make things easy on yourself and
appoint someone competent (a school principal for instance) to administer your
lodging and cafeteria. The principal already has a staff dependent on the city
payroll. You will probably have to feed your teachers and school staff anyway, so
hire them to administer your shelters. Administration of a shelter is a big, frustrating
job, so make sure you appoint someone level headed to oversee this effort.

8. Security and public order:

Whatever your town's current situation, you will probably need to greatly expand
your security forces. In fact you will probably need an Army. During normal times,
your town doesn't have it's own foreign policy or the need to defend itself. With a
general society collapse, that changes. Your town will need the ability to fight off
raiders or even other communities.

a. Some of your own civilian population is going to get unruly. Even a small
percentage acting up can overwhelm your current police force. You need some way
to punish them and bring them in line. Jails are inefficient and expensive and not
very effective at curbing bad behavior. I suggest a simpler system of corporal
punishment (whipping or caning) and for serious infractions or repeat offenders,
expulsion from the community. Find a judge or other competent person to set up a
simple system of justice that fits your circumstances, take a vote at a town meeting
to get public buy-in and then appoint someone to run it. Your police force should be
distanced from both judgment and punishment. Judgment and punishment should
be accomplished by a different group, perhaps a randomly selected jury or
something equally simple and fair.

b. You are going to have additional requirements for officers (or someone) to act as
"messengers" to put out policies and community information. Without electronic
communications, much more of your business has to be done in person.

c. You are almost certain to have extensive guard duty requirements. You will need
to provide point security for foodstocks, livestock, roadblocks and critical resources
like fuel, power generation, etc. Your uniformed police force is too valuable to bog
down with these security positions. You need to hire out of work locals to augment
them with a reliable guard force. (I recommend handing this responsibility over to
your military...see below).

d. You may need to put a 24 hour presence at roadblocks or traffic control points to
divert refugees away from your town. (see below for a discussion of refugees).

e. You may face a threat from outside polities. If so, you will need an Army or you
will be destroyed. You may have to mobilize the entire population to fend off other
communities. (see below for a discussion of inter-community politics.)

Your security forces are your "face" to the community. They will represent the town
and embody your decisions and authority. You need to keep a tight reign on your
police forces or some of them are going to be tempted to take unwarranted liberties
and abuse their authority.

One of your first actions should probably be to call your security forces and
emergency responders together and reaffirm your covenant with them. You need to
reassure them that they are still going to be paid and their families taken care of.
You need to get buy-in from them and make them feel they are part of something
important and bigger than mere survival. Let them know your plans and your
thoughts as clearly as possible so they can represent you well. You should also let
them know that you will tolerate no misbehavior. They are your knights and have to
act the part.
You should also set up some kind of "military" arm to deal with extraordinary
requirements. Call it a militia or a town guard or whatever you want. In essence it's
an army. If you have any doubts about the loyalty of your police chief or sheriff, the
military arm should report directly to you or one of your representatives rather than
falling under the police. All of your authority rests on the shoulders of your security
forces, so you can't tolerate any dissension in the ranks or misbehavior. Choose
someone loyal and skilled with a military background and good people skills to head
up your military. Hopefully you have a retired officer or senior NCO available.
Whoever it is will have to be able to effectively give orders to perhaps hundreds of
people in an emergency, so choose someone charismatic and smart. He will also
need an excellent grasp of tactics and the ability to plan for small scale military
operations. Let your military commander hire his own personnel, arm and train
them and instruct your commissary and police force to assist him in anyway
possible.

Your military commander's first task will be to do some kind of terrain analysis and
COA products to determine how to defend the community and try to predict future
issues. His second task will be to build an effective military force. It should probably
be a small offensive force backed up by a larger irregular militia comprising most of
the town. He will need to set up some kind of training program and be able to pay
people to participate. Military training is hard work, so don't expect anyone to take
it seriously or work at it if you are not paying them. You can put your military
commander in charge of all the guard duty requirements to assist the police as well
as messenger duties.

9. Foreign relations and refugees:

Every community is going to face the same challenges you have. I expect most of
them will fail and fragment. I also expect a huge outpouring of refugees from every
city in the USA. City based communities have huge challenges that small towns
won't. They have limited options and maintaining order will be desperately hard,
perhaps impossible. Every community and group of people are going to face
terrible, unsolvable provisioning problems. The ugly truth is, most citizens of the
USA are going to starve to death after a society crash. It's simple arithmetic. There
will not be enough food for everyone to live. Even if most of them last through a
whole season until the first harvest, there is no chance that the first [post-collapse]
harvest is going to be bountiful enough to sustain everyone.

The following is going to read like science fiction [a la Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank],
but I call em like I see 'em. If anyone can find a flaw in my analysis, then please tell
me about it. I believe you can expect large polities to attempt to take resources
from smaller ones. If you are the mayor of a city with 100,000 or more people, you
have no other choice. During normal times, the countryside (agrarian areas)
produce all the food consumed by cities. Once the provisions stop arriving, your city
is going to starve very quickly unless you can procure more. Your normal sources of
supply are perhaps a thousand miles distant and might as well be on the moon.
Your actual chances of sustaining your population long term are zero. If you are a
smart leader, you will attempt to save most of your people by sending them to
other communities that have more food and water. If you are not so smart, you will
attempt to take what you need to keep going from the surrounding countryside and
small nearby communities. The best a small community can hope for is that all the
large polities (cities) nearby will fail and fragment quickly. If they don't the small
communities may be forced to take in refugees or surrender food stocks to support
the cities. Either way, the city people are mostly doomed, but if this occurs, so are
the small communities.

A medium sized city could potentially muster an enormous army. I am not saying
every city is going to manage the level of cohesion, organization and discipline
needed to do this, but it's at least a possibility in some cases, especially for cities
that have a military base nearby. You also need to consider smaller polities like
boroughs or neighborhoods or even church congregations making demands on your
community. How will you react when the mayor of a nearby town or city asks you
for provisions?

Another probable development I expect to see is the "professional army". Groups

may attempt to provision themselves by threatening small communities and
extorting "protection" from them. This is another layer of taxation you probably
can't afford, but if you choose not to pay, you must be prepared to fight. Think
about it and make sure you discuss your concerns with your security leadership so
they can form plans.

You can also expect to see a large stream of refugees pouring out of heavily
populated areas. If they have vehicles, they will move outward from the cities along
major roadways until they can't get more fuel and then stop. If the finance systems
are still working, this refugee stream may burn up most of the available liquid fuel
in the USA in a few days. If your community lies on a major line of drift, you can
expect to have many thousands of thirsty, hungry refugees knocking at your door
hoping for a handout. These are going to be US citizens, mothers and fathers, sons,
daughters, and grandparents who are desperate and begging. If begging stops
working, they will get hostile and dangerous. Maybe very dangerous.
I know this is a very disagreeable topic, but almost every refugee is doomed and
you are powerless to change that fact. Think it out carefully and you will see that
you simply cannot feed everyone. You are going to have to prevent refugees from
consuming your community resources or you will perish with them. You need to
stop the stream of refugees from entering your community. Once they are inside
your community, they will exponentially harder to deal with. Effectively killing
someone by evicting them from your town while looking them in the eye and
listening to them beg is going to be hard to do. If you get soft hearted and let too
many stay, you will be condemning your community to slow death by starvation.
Discuss this topic with your community leaders, especially your security leadership
and make them see that there are no alternatives to a strict quarantine. You need
to have a plan and execute it immediately or you may be overwhelmed within
hours.

One final note on turning back refugees: Do it as far from town as you can. The
refugees are going to be truly pitiful and seeing this level of misery will cause your
community a lot of pain and distention. You need very hard men to man your line
and you need to be careful to leave the refugees another place to go. Don't block a
major road. Instead, block a turn-off. It's okay to be as humane as possible and
provide water at the roadblock, but you simply cannot afford to give away food or
medical supplies. The only people you can let into your town are town residents. All
others will have to continue down the road. The men on your roadblock are going to
crack up fast, so rotate them often and watch them. This will be the most traumatic
thing they have ever had to do.

10. Long term provisioning:

You need to appoint someone to oversee food production. This should probably be
completely separate from your commissary department. You need someone with
expertise in farming and more specifically, small scale gardening. They need to
organize and assist everyone in the community with planting their own gardens and
teaching such basic topics as drying, pickling and canning produce. They will also
have to oversee a lot of coordination to grow and harvest grain crops and figure out
the most efficient ways to store surplus.

Mitigation: Heirloom seeds and fertilizers are going to be in very short supply. If you
can somehow trick (or talk) your town into stocking up on these, perhaps as part of
a 4-H or school project, your town will be much better off. If you have any say in
public plantings for parks or landscapes, try to plant as many food bearing plants as
possible. An apple tree is just as attractive as a pine or elm and produces fruit every
year.

Actions: Every piece of arable land in the community needs to be planted with
something edible ASAP. Without power machinery, this is going to be a real
challenge. Every lawn and every empty lot should be dug up and worked in order to
build soils, even if it's not planting time. Working leaf litter and plant materials into
the plots needs to begin almost immediately. The "Garden Czar" will probably take
up the lion's share of the spare manpower in the town just planting city owned lots.
He will need to procure hand tools by the hundreds and garden seed, both of which
may be in short supply. The tools can be loaned or rented to citizens as needed for
their own plots and the seed will need to be rationed out carefully until a stock of
good seed can be built up.

The town's citizens may have no horticultural knowledge or gardening skills and will
likely not be conditioned for long hours of manual labor. The sooner they start
getting their hands dirty the better. Try to hire some skilled gardeners to assist and
advise your citizens with their own plots. Building a surplus and a working economy
depends directly on their success at working small private gardens.

You may need to pass some resolutions about gardening to prevent land from
sitting idle. You can't afford a scrap of idle land as long as you have any seeds left
to put in the ground.

11. Building a manufacturing capacity. At some point, equipment and tools will
begin to break down. Before that time, you need to establish a manufacturing base
that can support your community.

You will eventually need a machine shop capable of founding, forging and
machining metal parts and tools. You may need this immediately to repair critical
equipment for pumping water or grinding grain et cetera A simple blacksmith shop
will be needed to create plows and simple hand tools like hoes and scythes that you
are likely to need. You may also need a small foundry and machine shop to create
replacement parts for critical machinery. Keep a lookout for likely skilled individuals
and hire them to build the town a metal working capability. [JWR Adds: As science
fiction writer S.M. Stirling aptly pointed out in his Dies the Fire novel series, leaf
springs from abandoned cars and trucks make ideal steel stock that can be used to
re-forge into crossbows, plows, small hand tools, knives, and even swords. Leaf
springs should be very plentiful for at least one or two generations in a truly post-
collapse society.]

You should have someone begin building hand plows and other animal and human
powered agricultural tools ASAP. You will need as many as your metal shop can
manufacture and I guarantee you will be able to trade surplus plows to other towns
within a few months.

You will eventually need to replace or repair clothing. You will have a long grace
period while you go through existing stocks from department stores, but within a
few years, you will need new fabrics. Appoint someone to worry about fabric
production. How do you build a loom? In less than four years, you are going to need
a source of fiber and a fabric production capability, especially in cold climates.

Other manufacturing capabilities may be needed as you go along. You may wish to
set up a pottery shop or produce adobe brick for building materials or set up a
sawmill for lumber and firewood. Brainstorm this with your staff or at a town
meeting.

12. Preserving:

A lot of irreplaceable things are going to be destroyed or lost if you don't make
some kind of effort to preserve them.

a. Animals: A lot of people are going to be very hungry. Most of them are going to
die. I expect most species of large animals in the USA and Europe, including
livestock, to be slaughtered for food until they are scarce or even extinct. Think
ahead. You are going to need draft animals desperately in a few months. You simply
must preserve as many animals capable of filling this role as possible. Dogs are
peerless burglar alarms. Cats keep vermin numbers down. Once all the chickens are
gone, where are you going to get eggs and poultry? Saving even a small breeding
stock of all the useful animals in your community is going to be hard when people
are literally starving to death all around you.
Actions: You are going to have to put livestock under guard or they won't last long.
Someone will poach them. Any private farmer trying to keep livestock is going to
find out just how sneaky hungry humans can be. Someone also needs to start
training your working animals immediately. It takes time to produce a working plow
team out of average untrained cows or horses.

b. Knowledge: If you don't take steps to prevent it, people will burn most of the
books in your town for fuel. I recommend keeping your library open for business.
Your town or local school libraries may turn out to be very important for both
entertainment and reference.

c. Records: You need to secure public and as many private records as possible.
Without them, repairing our current culture will be much more difficult. Birth
records, tax records, bank records etc. All of these may have

tremendous value in the future.

d. Art and historical treasures: If your town has any, you should safeguard national
treasures for future generations. The very fact that you are making this effort will
send a powerful message to your citizens.

13. Medical:

Your existing health-care facilities and drug supplies need to be safeguarded

quickly. You will have a very limited stockpile of opiates and other painkillers and
mind altering drugs that will be very attractive to some

criminal (or simply addicted) elements of society. Every pharmacy and clinic in town
should be carefully confiscated and put under guard. Don't forget the pet hospitals
and veterinarian clinics. Appoint a doctor or pharmacist to oversee this effort and
support them with whatever resources they require (if you can). Some drugs require
refrigeration and may not be salvageable if they are ever warmed.

Hire as many doctors and nurses as possible and set up a public health clinic near
the town center. Have them take charge of public health and start an outreach
program for self help and public sanitation. If your town has vaccines available, you
will probably want to use them up quickly before they go bad. Your community may
be able to avoid a lot of misery and casualties if you organize your health care.
Have someone in your manufacturing base or commissary department work with
them to replace or recycle medical supplies. Something as simple as a building
wood-fired autoclave might be beyond the capability of your health care folks but
easy for your artisans.

Also, hire as many pharmacists, chemists and any other scientists you can find. You
probably won't have too many of these once they are all accounted for. If you have
a few, don't be afraid of tasking them to do some very difficult tasks for you. They
are very intelligent folks and can perform miracles if you challenge them. Challenge
them to set up a lab and try to synthesize antibiotics, or opiates. Or challenge them
to figure out how to improve agriculture in your town or synthesize liquid fuel for
your vehicles, or explosives. They may surprise you with spectacular results. These
folks are valuable property, so try not to use them as unskilled farm hands or
guards. The same goes for engineers. Give them challenging work and have them
tackle real problems.

Conclusion:

I recognize that most of us are not mayors. We are probably not the ones who will
be called on to shoulder the numbing responsibilities of command during a crisis. I
really wouldn't care for that job, even in peacetime. When the balloon goes up, it
will be hardest on the leaders. Your mayor and police chief will need help. As a
prepper, you are in a position to provide that help. How many of the jobs that I
mentioned above could you competently fill? I implore you to help them. Having you
available as adviser (and commissary officer or military leader, experienced
gardener, metal smith etc) could literally make the difference between life and
death. Your efforts could make a huge difference to a lot of people.

If your community has any chance at all to survive, those odds will increase
exponentially if your leaders have a well thought out plan and make good decisions.
Community leaders will need to make timely decisions on a host of issues they have
never considered and have the conviction to act ruthlessly. You, as a prepper, have
the advantage of thinking about it ahead of time and working out all the details in
your mind. That and the skills you have learned can allow you to make a real
difference. Will you step up to the plate and try to save your whole community? It
seems like a superhuman job and daunting for a mere human. But if anyone can do
it, maybe it's you.
Win or go down swinging, - J.I.R.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Letter Re: DC to DC Converters

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Hi Jim and Readers,

Some of our TEOTWAWKI preparations tend to lean toward running electronic

equipment off charged DC battery sources. I work in electronics, and have built
several radio stations for ministries around the world, I have found that DC to AC
inverters especially the cheaper models are very inefficient to run higher powered
equipment. I have gone another direction when powering equipment off of 12 or 24
volt DC power systems. Many people will purchase a DC to AC inverter to run a
laptop through the supplied AC to DC converter. The newer switching supplies are
very compact and efficient, but when you convert from DC to AC the efficiency goes
down. So why not convert once, from DC to DC?

I have found a company that sells high end DC to DC converters. The Avel Lindberg
Company makes very good shielded and moisture resistant units. Their primary
market is the military, I have bought units used for certain weapons systems, that
are fairly well hardened for EMI / EMP. I have used them up to 300 watts and they
work very well with no maintenance for long periods of time. I also have converted
equipment like some of the small microphone and media mixers from the AC to DC
converters that are supplied with the equipment to straight 12 Volts DC by
removing the plus minus supply internally and the AC to DC converters and
installing DC to DC converters directly inside the units. The devices can be
purchased from Internet/catalog electronic parts dealers like Mouser, Allied
Electronics, and Newark. All of the above companies can be found with a search
engine to get access to their on-line catalogs.

The first thing to remember when converting something from one source to the
other is to check the supplied power cube for the output voltage and current rating.
Then order the correct DC to DC converter for the voltage and current rating
needed for your electronic equipment.

What I usually do is obtain Anderson Power Pole connectors before cutting the
power cable be sure to check with a digital volt meter or older volt ohm meter, the
polarity of the power plug of the supplied power cube. I then remove the cube from
the AC electrical source. Unplug it. Then cut the cable about a foot or two from the
units connector. Install the Power Pole connectors on both ends of the cut cable that
are left, insuring you set up the red positive, and black negative connectors
correctly.

Now take your DC to DC converter and install the appropriate red positive and black
negative connectors on it. Connecting the DC to DC Converter to the appropriate 12
or 24 volt DC power source and check your output when the pigtail connector with
the power pole with your meter again insure the voltage required and polarity are
correct. If it checks out correctly then plug it into your electronic device and
energize the device. The input source voltage to many DC to DC converter will
accept from 8 to 30 volts DC so it will be more versatile than the original power
cube.

Two of the benefits of making conversions like this will cut out the AC inverters from
the equation and the other is reducing the current drain a little bit on your battery
capacity.

I realize there are many people who would feel deliberately cutting a wire would be
fool hardy if they are not competent in electronics, or electrical devices . This can
be overwhelming to someone, so if you feel performing this kind of modification is
beyond your competency level please seek out someone who is competent.
Performing a modification like this is simple to some, but don't do it if you feel it is
beyond your capability. Blessings to all, - Dave with Martronics

Friday, July 30, 2010

How it Started to Where I Am, by C.C.

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Introductory biographical note: The author is 64 years old, father of nine children,
BSAE Aeronautical Engineering, Ex-Army Infantry Training Officer (1970-1974),
former Gym Trainer (1996-1997), Firefighter and EMT training and certification
(2009-2010), Real Estate Broker/Owner

Phase I
I began realizing my vulnerability in 1998-1999, when Y2K-induced turmoil was a
potential real possibility. I began, in all haste to find and prepare for the possible
disaster that might come when the clock struck 12:00 midnight and 2000 would ring
in. My first step was to find enough land that would be secure enough for my family
and to design a place we could live and that would handle any disaster, whether it
was of nature, man-made or God directed. My requirements were simple. It needed
to have relatively high elevation (1,500ft+ above sea level), close enough to a
populated city , but rural enough to not easily be found, basically within a 1 hour
drive. Secluded, but not to isolated, and not to far removed from all civilization, but
yet be sparsely populated and hard to find. It had to have access to running water
and have soil to grow crops.

I found a piece of property that was nearly 50 acres on the top of a ridge line, that
was part of a 1,000 acre tract, with only 15 other property owners, with tracts
ranging from 15 acres to 200 acres. The 1,000 acres was gated with one main,
electrically operated secured gate leading in and a permanently locked gate leading
out for emergencies only. The community had two 400 ft wells, with creeks running
through the 1,000 acres and touching my tract. One of the wells was at the bottom
of my property and had a 5 h.p. pump. The well was on a timer and delivered water
to multiple tanks at different locations on the three highest elevations. Gravity feed
then brought the water to the 15 property owners. I purchased an 8kw mobile
generator, for standby power, to run the pump, if we were to loose electricity for
any long period of time. The owner of the 200 acre tract reserved his for hunting
and kept it seeded, to attract deer, rabbit, bear & turkey. The developer of the
1,000 acres paved the main road coming up to about 1,500 feet and then graveled
from there to all the tracts ranging from 500 ft to 2,500 ft. My parcel sits at about
2,200 ft. ASL. All of the tracts are heavily wooded with hardwoods as well as
evergreens.

My next step was to design and start construction of an impregnable home

(fortress) that would withstand any disaster within the constraints of my budget. My
plan was to dig into the mountain such that only one side would be open and dirt
would surround the other three sides up to 12’. Because time was a factor, I knew I
could only get the basement part completed before the New Year would ring in. This
meant my roof would be the floor of the home that I would need to finish someday
in the future, if the world was still around after Y2K.

I sent my floor plans to the engineering department of a nearby university and

asked for help.

The dimensions I gave them were to be 37’X 52’ split lengthwise by a 12’
separation wall 12” thick of poured reinforced concrete surrounded by 12’ walls of
the same. To handle the load of a semi-truck driving over my roof, they told me I
needed 8” of poured concrete, reinforced with rebar, 10” on center and 6 by 6
[heavy] wire mesh. I added an 8’ wide X 5’ high fireplace on the open side of the
basement with large racks for grilling my kill. The basement floor was 4” poured
concrete that I ran one inch polyurethane tubing 4’ apart throughout the basement
floor, which ran into a plenum in the base of the fireplace and back to a
recirculating pump and holding tank. In addition, valving was added to reroute the
heated water into the hot water system of the house. A small, electric hot water
heater was added to the system capable of running from standard 120 VAC as
second water heater capable running at 12VDC from solar panels via deep cycle
storage batteries I purchased (4) 2’X 6‘ solar panels with frame, and a windmill.

Prior to having the roof poured I dropped in a 500 gal urethane water tank built into
a frame that raised the tank from 6’ to the roof. This would allow me for gravity feed
system in the basement.. I constructed two fiberglass shower stalls for two
bathrooms, a work/mechanical room, two bedrooms and a kitchen on one side of
the divided wall. Two metal framed doors secured this area from the large living
room that is between the divided wall and the outside open wall. There are two
metal doors exiting the basement. One is through a stairwell to the roof (future floor
of the main house) and the other through the open side.

I also decided to add one additional piece for security, as well as escape. At the
back of the basement going into the mountain I put in a 30’ X 10’ cleaned out metal
fuel tank (25,000 gal to be exact). This is what I called my Survival Tank. I found the
tank at a scrap metal yard out in the boonies and had a local welder cut one end
out and put in a double hinged door secured by 1” X 1” sliding bars that were
lockable with the largest master locks I could find. On the top of one end of the tank
I had him cut out a 3’ X 3’ square and ran 4 walls, 6’ up with a latchable top,
secured from the inside, as well as a metal ladder to go from the floor to the top of
the latch. I then had a floor frame put in that was 30” from the bottom of the tank
and added 2’ x 6” wood removable flooring. This is where I store all of the 5 gal
urethane storage buckets. From the 2”x 6” floor I built metal shelving with 2”x 6”
wood shelves to the roof of the tank. That left me with about an 8’ walkway front to
rear down the center of the tank. The hard part was getting the tank up the last
500’ vertical 30 degree incline to the homesite. For this I had to find the largest
wrecker in the state. We had to winch the tank up the 500’ and then drop it in the
ground before we poured the 12” back wall around it, leaving the welded doors as
the entry from the basement to the tank. The tank was now about 4’ underground,
with the escape hatch protruding above the surface. A few years later, after Y2K
became a no- event, I enlarged my floor plan above the basement and added an
additional 1,000sq ft and poured concrete over the entire area where the tank was
buried. With all this, an oversized septic system and drain field needed to be
designed. I have since changed the design of the house to have a castle look that is
an additional 26’ above the basement, using split face block that is reinforced with
rebar and filled with concrete. Other things that have been done are the purchase
and installation of an inverter system, solar array and windmill. I have a 600 gal gas
tank and 1,000 gal propane tank. I have an extra 5kva generator which has been
converted to be a dual-fuel system, i.e. gas/propane. After nine years I have the
walls up from the basement roof and hope to have a metal/concrete roof put on
before 2012, for what I hope is also a non-event.

Phase II

This is really a continuation of Phase I, but it is the process of preparing the list of
lists and then accumulating the items necessary to insure a plan A, B & C and in
some areas a plan D.

1. CACHES- I keep most of my equipment& supplies that I cannot easily replace or

want to safeguard the most, in the Survival Tank. But I have also build special
caches for firearms and ammo that I can bury in different locations, if for any reason
any of my residences become compromised. I did this by taking 8” X 5’ sections of
PVC pipe and capping each end. They are waterproof, can hold two rifles, hand guns
and ammo each and can easily be buried and retrieved.

2. EMERGENCY LIGHTING- Purchased wall-mounted LED kits that can easily be

mounted above telephone jacks, thus utilizing the 2nd pair of phone wires on a
12VDC circuit wired to a single automobile battery with a small solar panel for
emergency lighting.

3. EXERCISE/MILLING/12VDC GENERATOR- I purchased a Country Living Mill and

then found an exercise bike. I also mounted both the mill and a 12VDC automobile
generator, pre-1975, to a board with a 12 VDC battery. I can generate 12 VDC
power for my emergency lighting or charge up the car battery or grind wheat into
flour, while getting in our daily exercise.

4. TRANSPORTATION- Purchased a customized ’71 & ’74 4WD Chevy Blazers on

the internet. The ’71 was customized for brush firefighting and the ’74 was
customized as a dual fuel

5. GARDENING- I have just applied for a subsidy grant, and received it, from a
program launched in December 2009 by the Department of Agriculture, whereby I
will be reimbursed up to $3,300 for materials to construct up to 2,175 sf of high
tunnels for growing crops. A high tunnel or hoop house are miniature greenhouses
without all the fancy bells and whistles The grants are being awarded to 38 states
for the purpose of extending the growing seasons of food crops and most families
can qualify if they have a small tract of land to put them on. Last month I had a bob-
cat grade out about a half acre and will start planting in the fall for a early spring
harvest.

6. FOOD- Thousands of rations of MREs. Freeze-dried , dehydrated and raw

wheat, rice, sugar, honey etc.

Mistakes I have made:

Construction

1. I put 2-8’x10’ sectioned windows on the open side of the basement. Twice I
have had ATV renegades break in, through the windows, even through the metal-
doored tank, cutting the locks and thereby taking my guns and ammo and trying to
hot wire my dirt bike. I have since then boarded up the windows and put larger
Master locks on the doors. I have found that there is almost nowhere safe from a
dirt bike or ATV. A security system is my next step. Booby traps are illegal in most
jurisdictions.

2. Metal tanks, underground, will sweat, making large pools of water in the bottom
of the tank. It is difficult to control the temperature, but since I installed
dehumidifiers, everything stays dry and cool. Dampness accelerates the
deterioration of metal cans making them rust from both inside and outside the can.
Mold or mildew starts to take over everything from bedding, to books to any type of
paper products and boxes will fall apart over time Dampness also invites rodents
you do not want, as well as insects, so use plenty of rat bait and seal up all possible
points of entry. I also fog the place every time I leave.

3. If you are going to build an oversize fireplace make sure you find someone who
knows how to calculate the ratio of the flu and damper.

4. When building a basement underground, be sure you study up on removing

water from the walls created by hydrostatic pressure and have a good wall and
below floor drainage system.

Foods
 1. Rotation of Food- MREs do last more than 10 years [at temperatures under 60
degrees], with a few exceptions such as high oil content foods which begin to
deteriorate. Fruits break down and start to ferment or just go bad.

Hygiene

1. I'm not yet sure how to handle long term supply of female monthly needs or
what to substitute when supplies run out. [JWR Adds: I've had several readers
enthusiastically recommend washable fabric sanitary pads. Patterns for making
your own are available on-line. Or if you'd rather have someone else do the
repetitive sewing work, then I recommend a small, family-owned business called
Naturally Cozy. From all reports, their pads are very comfortable and made to last.]

Don’t run out of money, because your eyes are bigger than your wallet or borrowing
power is.

My Belief System

For those who believe, have repented and have chosen to follow in his teachings, he
has promised eternal life. Although all things are in God’s hand, and it has been
ordained as to the end and how and when it will happen, as Christians, we have a
responsibility to God, our families, our church and our fellow man to be prepared
both spiritually and materially. We may choose that “God will provide”, “ What is
meant to be, will be” or “God helps those who help themselves” attitude. Through
out the Bible, God gave direction, through his word, directly and indirectly to be
prepared at all times.

Most agree on at least the distinction that we live in an unprecedented time in

History. Before us, cities, kingdoms and nations have been destroyed by God or God
has removed his hand and blessings and they have been destroyed or have
destroyed themselves. God has, through his mercy, given guidance and direction
for us to be prepared for his second coming. He has warned us of upcoming famine,
destruction and the wrath that will be unleashed upon the earth before Jesus Christ
returns. [We've also been warned of] the possibility, if not the absolute certainty, of
some form of collapse in our system, as we know it. This may come in a variety of
forms - flu pandemic, economic depression, or an EMP attack, all of which are likely
scenarios. Regardless of the form, the result will be very similar and our concerns
are as well: How do we protect ourselves and our families and provide a living?
While stocking up on beans, bullets, and band-aids is the initial response, further
preparation encourages us to find a defensible, as well as productive retreat. But
then what? So you have your retreat (or not), you’ve stocked up on seeds and a
food mill, and “the event” actually comes. Are you prepared to provide for yourself
when the food runs out or if society never returns to “normal”?

Although it may be difficult to learn and find the time for, the ability to provide for
yourself provides incredible rewards. If we should need to return to a less
technologically “advanced” society, many people will not have the knowledge,
skills, and determination to do so. A few forward-thinkers will. Which do you want to
be?

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Thoughts on Beginning Preparedness, by B.J.H.

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Preparing for the end of the world as we know it is an understandably daunting task,
especially for a beginning prepper. The path to securing yourself and your family
should ultimately end in a self-sufficient rural retreat, but there are many steps
down that path. It is easy in the beginning stages of your preparation to feel
discouraged by the shear size of the task in front of you. The amount of information
to be taken in, the sudden awareness s of your vulnerable present condition, the list
of tools you never knew you needed, and the anticipated financial and sweat equity
costs are enough to shock some beginners into abandoning the task all together.
Understanding preparation in a more easily digestible form is a key toward creating
a successful preparedness plan. This article will discuss the proper mindset as well
as the initial steps necessary for the beginning prepper.

The social, political, and psychological themes encountered in TEOTWAWKI strike a

chord with many individuals in a society which has become so technologically
dependent, so economically interconnected, and so highly specialized. For the
average suburbanite who can't fix his own car, doesn't grow his own food, and has
never experience “hunger” greater than skipping lunch during a hectic day at the
office the breakdown of civil society is hard to conceptualize in anything more than
an abstract way. I've always been interested in end of the world scenarios, whether
in movies, television, books or video games. However, like so many Americans
actually moving toward self sufficiency was not a chief concern. After getting
married and settling in to law school I started go give more serious thought to my
own preparedness for a disaster situation. Maybe it was just a symptom of “growing
up” or perhaps being married focused me more intently on the need to provided for
and to defend my family, but in either case I began to take stock of my readiness
level and make a plan for improving it. I went to web site after web site and read as
many survival books as I could get my hands on. It became quickly apparent that
my level of readiness was pathetic.

I had the food in my kitchen cabinets, a .22 rifle and a .22 pistol (each with only a
box or so of ammunition), a hatchet that I used for yard work, an extra five gallon
can of gasoline which was of course only half full, some flashlights, and some old
boots. This was all the stood between my family's safety and disaster if a
TEOTWAWKI scenario unfolded. Comparing my own pathetic state to the level of
preparedness described in many of the books I read, I was even more discouraged. I
couldn't help but feel like I needed to go from average guy to hardcore survivalist
over night. I felt like I needed to do so many things to get ready, things that seemed
impossible: move my family to a wilderness retreat, learn a lifetime of survival
skills, buy thousands of dollars of new equipment. After the initial panic I marshaled
myself and began to analyze the situation more clearly. Like any major effort,
becoming prepared would be a process with both long term and short term goals.
Rather than buying piece meal the items I needed to survive a long term disaster, it
made more sense to me to start with a hierarchy of disaster scenarios and prepare
for each in order.

First on my list was a break in or home invasion scenario. This seemed the most
probable both because of the area in which I live, a few miles from a large city, the
current economic climate, and the possibility of this scenario even outside any
systemic breakdown. I began by inspecting and performing routine maintenance on
the locks of both my doors and windows. My home has an alarm system, so I called
the provided and ran a series of tests t o insure it was functioning properly. I also
check into how the system actually functioned. Like most alarm systems it simply
sends a signal along the phone line, making it easy enough for a burglar to either
cut the phone line or knock out power and enter more easily. I decided to create a
second level of low tech security. I purchased several sets of large sleigh bells at an
after Christmas sale, these not hang from interior doorknobs to provide extra noise
when doors are opened and close. I also purchase small wedge alarms that activate
a battery operated siren when the door makes contact with them. These are also
placed behind each door, acting not only as a door stop but an added alarm. I
finished off my low tech system with some standard door bars; they rest
underneath the door knob and prevent the door from being pushed open. I also
added security lights on both sides and the back of my home. The lights are
controlled from a panel in my bedroom for easy activation when something goes
bump in the night. While the system isn't foolproof it is much more secure than it
was before I started and all with relatively minimal effort.

In addition to preparing my house for the break-in or home invasion scenario I

recognized the need to prepare myself. I purchased a new 9mm handgun and a
shotgun. While I had been advised by many to get a .45 for stopping power, the
Walther P99 I purchased fit well into my hand and for me was both easy and
comfortable to shoot. The gun was placed in my dresser drawer and the shotgun in
a closet opposite the bed. Given the layout of my bedroom it made sense to retreat
into the closet if necessary and this made the shotgun placement seem sensible. I
also purchased 500 rounds of ammunition for each of my guns, a sufficient stockpile
which allowed me to go to the shooting range when I had free time while still
keeping good quantity on hand in between replenishments.

I also recognized that having guns didn't mean I knew how to use them, and so I
enrolled myself in an urban environment shooting class. I had basic guns skill, but
the class taught me about moving and shooting, shooting indoors including tactical
movement, and shooting from common positions like the driver's position in a
vehicle. The cost of the course was a few hundred dollars, but provided me with a
wealth of confidence in my ability to react to the break-in or home invasion
scenario. With one scenario off the list I could already sleep better at night, and
despite the distance still to go on my road to preparedness, the first step was done.

Next on my list was a natural disaster scenario with short term (one to two weeks)
power loss. Having grown up in southern West Virginia, I recognize that in rural
areas even a bad storm could knock out power for a couple weeks, suburban areas
of large cities might get a faster response, but if the disaster were of sufficient size
the delay in repairs could well drag into weeks just like it would in the hollers back
home. My first step was to secure a one month supply of food and water for myself,
my wife, and our puppy. These items constituted the beginning of our larder and
were simple items purchase in bulk from Sam's Club. I dedicated a closet in the
spare bedroom to the storage of these items. I felt the basement was too prone to
dampness and the attic to prone to high temperatures. I started with flour, rice,
pinto beans, canned tuna, sugar, salt, cooking oil, and powdered milk. Our water
supply consisted of a large stockpile of liter water bottles. We also purchased extra
food for our puppy and stored it in the same area. My wife and I made a decision to
augment this one month supply with new items at each trip to the grocery store.
Some of our first acquisitions included a stockpile of feminine products, toilet paper,
and paper plates an d napkins. These items all promised to make sanitation easier
in a disaster crunch. The purchase of a couple boxes of extra large contractor trash
bags rounded out this effort.

Next I started on items which would be needed in the natural disaster scenario, I
purchased a good radio. I wanted the most power options possible including a hand
crank, solar, batteries, and DC power. I also wanted the radio to cover the greatest
spectrum of bands including the weather alert band. After the radio I procured some
extra flashlights and batteries. Following the advice of a one book I got some
brightly colored duct tape and wrapped the handle of each flashlight for easy
location. I also set aside an emergency stock of candles in a small bin with some
lighters, matches, and empty coffee cans (to be used as candle holders). My next
concern was for heat and fuel. I stocked up on gasoline in safety containers and
stored this in the area of my basement at the farthest end from the bedrooms and
away from any possible ignition sources. I also bought extra propane for my grill
and extra oil for my Tiki Torch type lamps. We have a fire pit, and so I ordered two
extra loads of wood and created tarp covered storage bins in my back yard to hold
the stockpile. When acquiring new items I tired to focus on things that my family
would use regardless of a disaster scenario. Stocking up just meant having extra on
hand for when we needed it.

In finishing off my natural disaster efforts, I turned back to making my home secure.
While my alarm system had carbon monoxide and smoke detectors built in, this
wouldn' t do me any good with the power down. I obtained stand alone units. I also
purchased several more fire extinguishers and place them at strategic locations. My
intention was to be able to manage a fire on my own should emergency services be
tied up with a large scale disaster situation. While there is certainly a lot more that
could be done, with food, water, lighting, and heating secured I felt okay about my
chances in a short to natural disaster scenario.

I was feeling a lot better about the security and sustainability of my home in a short
term disaster scenario, but now I needed to make sure my wife and I could get back
to the house in an emergency. I was ready to take on the task of creating bug out
bags to keep in our cars and at work. The bags were surplus swat responder bags
with plenty of extra pockets and heavy duty zippers. The initial contents included
changes of clothes and boots as my wife and I both have to wear dress clothe s to
work. I also got heavy duty leather gloves and a set of protective goggles for each
back. Next came water and food, 4 liters of water and 8-10 protein bars. I then
added items for fire creation, including standard matches and lighters and a
magnesium strip sparker. I purchased a gas mask for each bag. While the gas
masks might violate the normal rule for things my family will use anyway, it seemed
like a better to be safe than sorry type item. Flashlight and extra batteries, a multi-
tool, and a first aid kits were also included. Each kit also contained a tarp for shelter
as well as parachute cord and tarp clips.

The final items considered the possibility of a shelter in place scenario with
biological components to the threat. I got several layers of plastic sheeting, duct
tape, and bright orange spray paint. The tape and plastic to block air flow in a
shelter area and the spray paint to make the position on an office or car window to
get emergency personnel's attention. These were the first version bug out bags we
created, and they have since been augmented with items like extra ammo (we both
got our concealed carry permits) and a small hatchet. We also make a concerted
effort to keep the gas tanks for the car full, and this combined with the bag contents
increases our changes of making it home if things go bad.

I am currently working on the next phase of preparedness, getting the home ready
for a longer term survival situation. My wife and I have stocked up on seeds and
have planted gardens for the la st two summers. We are increasing our food and
water supplies to deepen our larder as it were. I purchased items necessary to seal
off the house including plastic sheeting, plywood, nails and the like. Our next big
purchase will hopefully be a water filter .

Many readers will probably look at our current level of preparedness and feel it is
inadequate, I agree. Other might questions the preparedness decisions I have made
or the order in which I put my priorities above, that's probably fair as well. The main
point I hope to get across is not necessarily the specific plan for preparing, but the
more general attitude necessary for a new prepper. With each new phase of
preparation I am increasing my odds of survival and making my family safer. It's
obviously a long road, and even seasoned veterans still have to maintain their
training a preparation. My hope is that readers who are just getting into prepping or
who have considered the scenarios but haven't taken action can appreciate this
approach and implement it with success to overcome their initial anxiety. Good luck
to you all and God bless in your efforts!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Four Letters Re: The Off-Grid Dream

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James:

The guys over at TSLRF just mentioned: " There is a free service on Off-grid.net
called LandBuddy that connects you with people who are looking to live off grid,
people who are currently living off grid and people who want to help others live off
grid." That sounds useful, for J.S.L.'s situation. Here is a link to the full post. - Hector
R.

J.S.L.,

I'm here in your home of Pennsylvania, and wish you well. Although I wish I had
some Arizona property as well, I do not. I have some property away from my home
location that gives me some hope, should things become unsuitable for normal
living.

I also am involved in alternative energy for a living, and would recommend that you
do a full calculation of getting a standard hookup before putting any money down
on the alternatives. We have not become fully de-regulated here yet, but if you
follow Maryland's de-reg, you will understand the 100% jump that may occur. At the
current time, the payback is still 20 years on the equipment, based on my kwh costs
and extrapolating the cost expansion. As this develops, I'm looking at the same
alternatives as you.

If I were in your situation, I would be looking at all non required costs, for example
television, phone, heat (if you have firewood), cooling, etc.

As always, any spousal input is sometimes a holdback on putting the tv (dish) on

the not required list. I'm quite familiar with this situation.

On the garden, keep the chin up, read as much as possible online, and pray for rain.
We had about two months of no rain up here, but had public water backup to keep
the garden alive. The last week has drowned us in make-up rain. (I'm not overly
religious, but I did pray for some rain to bring us back from the bad situation, and it
appears to be provided.)
If things get too frail, come back to Pennsylvania, and give it another try. We are
making it here, even with the Associated Press's daily bad news. Take care, - W.H.

Sir,

Unless you have money to burn, one should not expect to set up an off the grid
home and have all the conveniences of a on the grid home.

First off, for one person a 300 to 500 square foot structure is more than adequate.
2,100 square foot home is too big for even a six person family. For initial cost
savings, use a generator for surge electricity needs, otherwise use a small solar
system to supply power for LED lighting and solid state electronics. Also use natural
lighting (skylights) and oil lamps to keep set up costs down. You can always expand
the solar and wind system as funds are available. Use a solar clothes dryer (clothes
line) and a manuals washing machine (tub and ringer) and dishwasher (sink, scrub
brush and hands).

I think starting off with an old motor home is a good idea and I would suggest
reading Thoreau’s book “Walden; or, Life in the Woods” to get a perspective on a
personal declaration of independence, simple living in natural surroundings and for
self reliance.

Mr.. Rawles:

J.S.L. should be able to sell his house to other preppers stuck in New York City and
its’ suburbs. His site is a lot less populated than ours. I would love a piece of
property in Pennsylvania. It is all about perspective. His grass is a lot greener than
our concrete jungle. He needs to place an ad in New York City area Craigslist or
something similar. Also the people with money in this area have plenty to burn.
Hard to believe but true. Although his home may not be an ideal site it is still a
better bug out site for someone living in an apartment in New York City. Peace, -
Celia

Saturday, July 17, 2010

The Off-Grid Dream, by J.S.L.

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I have endeavored to set my own off-grid plan into place. This is easier said than
done. A machinist by trade, unemployed by government design, it is becoming
more difficult to find the capital to go off-grid. Since late 2007 the job market in my
area has collapsed. The only way to find employment is through a "temp" agency
and the two jobs I have been lucky enough to get only lasted a few months each.
What is worse is the fact that many employers are now engaging in discrimination
against those of us that are unemployed, i.e. “unemployed need not apply”.

As of May 2010 I am embarrassed to admit that I must now use food stamps in
order to be able to continue paying the mortgage. As a single 45-yea- old owner of
a home that I can’t sell now due to the housing market collapse, almost all of my
finances go to trying to simply hold on to my home. Unfortunately this trend is not
sustainable for much longer since my unemployment has completely dried up. The
time is upon me to exercise a motto from my childhood, “be prepared”. I never
hunted before, but as of 2009 I have started to learn hunting as both a survival skill
and a sustainable off-grid skill in both archery and rifle. Having had success in my
first deer season I have gained some confidence that I can feed myself when the
grocery stores disappear. I have also begun gardening with non-GMO seeds. I have
been very fortunate to put back a few months of storable food from Ready Reserve
and e-Foods direct. I have also found some inexpensive tree covered property (5
acres) that is remote, about 23 miles to the nearest town (in Arizona) which is about
2,100 miles away from my home in Pennsylvania. Access to water will be a major
issue (about $10,000 to drill a well with no guarantee of hitting water, or put a
storage tank on the property and either haul or delivery.)

T here is also the issue of a permanent shelter. The best option I found in my
research would be an insulated steel building kit. These kits can be assembled over
a week-end with simple hand tools, but they are about $4,000 for one 20 x 30 x 12
kit from American Outback Buildings. This kit is the most complete of all I have
researched. With four of these kits and a 25 x 25 gazebo you end up with about
2,100 sq. ft. cross shaped, open floor plan structure. After all that you still need to
think about the interior--partitioning rooms, the inside plumbing, septic system,
wiring for electric and a power source.

I feel a combination of wind, solar and a back-up propane generator would be the
best system. Solar is expensive though, $6,000 to $12,000 for a strong system that
would include a hybrid inverter (pure sine wave is not cheap) that will
accommodate both solar and wind. Wind turbines are a bit easier on the wallet.
From my research the turbine price tag will be around $3,000. Don’t forget that
both systems will require batteries,. This brings into focus the voltage and total amp
hours you will need. Alternative power systems are typically built with 12 volt, 24
volt, 36 volt, or 48 volt battery banks. I feel a 24v system would work out fine for
my needs as long as I use propane for the stove. As you can see none of these steps
are cheap, (you get what you pay for) but in order to be truly off the grid you must
continue to move forward every chance you get.

Baby steps are all I can muster at present so I have also picked up an old, (1981)
cheap motor home (code name “plan B”). Just in case my plan doesn’t reach
completion before my home in Pennsylvania is taken away from me. Although I
continue to hope for the best (a new job at the hourly rate to thrive) I must be
prepared for the worst (foreclosure), but the more baby steps taken now makes
“the worst” less of an impact and easier to accumulate to further down the road.

I realize this off-grid topic is scary for anyone that seriously considers escape, but
“we the people” have been under constant assault since 9-11. Now there is
something new almost daily designed to instill fear into the populace of America
such as 2012, extremists, Russian spies, the Gulf oil spill, Iran, North Korea, the list
is endless. The question before each citizen is “how much are you willing to take
before you act?" Remember… the level of tyranny you will live under is exactly the
amount you are willing to accept.

I believe that getting off-grid, though scary can be achieved as long as you take a
small piece at a time (baby steps). That has been my philosophy these past three
years, I may not have achieved my dream yet, I may never see it complete but I
endeavor daily and have reached a plateau. If everything else fails right now and I
must vacate I have a piece of property, a way to get there and the survival skills to
make a go of it. Not that life would get easier should this scenario transpire. Point of
fact, life would get much rougher. I can only hope the world will step back from the
brink. This criminal government will relent from killing our “God given” rights,
corruption will stop and all the people of this world will join hands and sing “we are
the world”. I can hope. I do not believe that to be the case though. It seems the
situation is only getting worse and the bottom is nowhere in sight.

Survival preparation seems to be the only prudent move even if all that threatens
us dissolves. This is simply a compilation of my plans. I am sure that curve balls
will be thrown that I have not thought of in my wildest dreams. But I am also sure
that I will not allow myself to end up in some “tent city”. At an early age I was
homeless, I have been that far down that my next meal came from a dumpster, and
I carried all my worldly possessions in my backpack. I will not allow a repetition of
that at this juncture in my life. I am not an expert in any field, I know a lot about a
little, a little about a lot, but I don’t know everything about anything. I have not
thought of every obstacle I will encounter, though I have tried to account for every
contingency. I am prepared to address new challenges as they present themselves.
Put together what you can, while you can.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Letter Re: Advice on Building Harder Off-Grid Houses

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James,

The article on perennial food sources was both timely and excellent! Kudos. We are
already planning to introduce many of the species into our farm.

Next, a question. Since your book "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know
It" has caused me to re-think several things -- and after I have spent 20 years being
a prepper --I figured I should buy your book "Rawles on Retreats and Relocation".
Chapter 14 is of special interest to me right now as we are building a snug little
adobe house on the farm we just bought. We don't want to call it a cement bunker
do we?

Chapter 14 [of the book] is a good starting point but I was wondering if you have a
source of more detailed information. I've researched many different "housing
styles" around the world and across time. But turning them into a modern grid
independent house.
There is the crux of the matter: I was wondering if in addition to the books you
listed there might be others. Or if you know of a good architect you have worked
with to create a "green" off grid bunker?

We envision a semi-buried adobe style house that will have a full basement and a
bunker off of the basement (for NBC protection) as well as a flat roof. We are in a
low rainfall area. This provides a place to mount PV panels, and a flat roof with a
solid wall around it gives us a good "high ground" to defend the house from.

But we are open and interested in contacting anybody who might have professional
experience building such a retreat house.

JWR Replies: Three of SurvivalBlog's advertisers could assist you:

* Safecastle specializes in combination walk-in vault/fallout shelter/storm shelter

rooms, both below grade and above grade.

* Hardened Structures is an engineering and architectural firm that does "start to

finish" hardened retreat home design and construction management.

* Ready Made Resources can help you specify and assemble a complete off-grid
power setup. They do free consulting on alternative power systems.

I also recommend that you get a copy of the book The Secure Home by Joel
Skousen. Also, keep in mind that there are also more than 450 articles in the
SurvivalBlog archives that relate to retreat security. There are some real gems
there--everything from thorny bush and cacti plantings to ballistic hardening.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Practical Steps to Preparing a Family for TEOTWAWKI, by Mitch D.

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Author’s Background
I live in Northeastern Minnesota with my wife and four children ages: four to seven.
I teach and am a sports coach at the local high school in town (population 1,200).
We live two hours away from any type of big city, which in our case is Duluth,
Minnesota (population 85,000). My wife is a stay-at-home mom. Three years ago,
we built a new house four miles outside of town on 15 acres that my parents gave
us. Combined, we make just over $56,000 a year. In just this past year, my wife
and I have started making the transition to a more preparedness-minded lifestyle.
As I have scanned and read hundreds of articles online, I have found a wealth of
practical information, but little in the way of practical advice for families. I hope this
article helps young families that are either on a limited budget, may feel
overwhelmed in their initial stages of preparation, or both.

My Introduction to Preparedness

I didn’t know it at the time, but my introduction to preparedness came in 1999

when I sat at a large table with about 15 other men in a small town café for our
weekly bible study. A small portion of these men were worried about Y2K and urged
others to prepare. I thought they were “nuts.” I did respect them as Christian men,
however, and prayed for guidance. Looking back, I was a squared away 24 year-old
but was still spiritually immature. At that time in my life, I felt no urging by the Lord
to prepare for Y2K.

About ten years later in the middle of a bitterly cold 2009 winter night, the power
went out in my newly-built home. My home, at the time, ran completely on
electricity with no form of back-up heat. I was lucky to have in-floor heat on both
levels of my home, but the wind was howling that night, as the temperatures
outside kept dropping and eventually hit 30 below zero. With the wind chill effect, it
was probably near 60 to 70 below. My kids didn’t like how dark the house was,
even though we had flashlights on hand for each of them. I put my four children to
sleep early and piled on some extra blankets. At 7:00 p.m. it was 60 in the house
and I wasn’t worried as my new home was well-insulated and built tight. I went to
call my parents, who own the 20 acres bordering the western boundary of our
place. Our phones in the house, however, all depended on electricity so I decided
that my call could wait until the morning. When I went to bed at 11:00 p.m. it was
now 50 in the house and I just assumed the power company guys were having a
hard time in the wind and cold. I woke up in the early morning and noticed that it
was about 40 degrees in the house and still no electricity. I was now a little uneasy
as I didn’t need pipes freezing up on me. At 7:00 a.m. I bundled up the kids and
took them next door where I knew my dad had a gas fireplace. To my surprise, his
electricity was up and running. To make a long story short, it was just my place
without power as the wires from the transformer came loose when my box moved
from winter heaving. I called the power company and they had my box fixed within
the hour. Nothing bad had happened, but it did get me thinking about a few
questions:

* What if we were without power for a few days, a week, or even longer?

* What am I going to do to make sure I don’t have to be up all night worrying

about my children?

Later, I called up one of the men in my bible study from years back….one of the
“nuts.” We started talking regularly and then I started emailing back and forth with
his brother who lives in Alaska. Both guys are solid Christian men with a heart for
being prepared and ready. They borrowed me the book, One Second After by
William Forstchen. Reading that book gave me a sense of urgency. In addition, I
also teach Economics, Political Science, and Finance and am very weary of today’s
economy for numerous reasons. When I got to the point where I was ready to make
a commitment to preparedness for my family, here are the steps we took to get
started (these are in no particular order - just how they worked for us):

Step One: Get on the Same Page with your Wife

While my wife and I agree that the man is the spiritual head of the family, it sure
makes life easier in all respects when you both agree to commit to something
together. Depending on your circumstances, this may take some time, substantial
prayer, and even some tutoring. This may mean having your spouse read Mr.
Rawles' excellent book,"Patriots". It may mean having them read One Second After.
I have a friend of mine right now that would like to start preparing, but hasn’t had
the courage to bring it up to his wife yet. How is that going to work? It isn’t. We
need to be on the same page with our wives.

Step Two: Make a Financial Plan

I first thought to myself, “I can’t afford to buy any of these items. We live paycheck
to paycheck with a nice big mortgage payment on the 25th of each month.” My
wife and I then had to decide how serious we really were. Is this just talk, or are we
going to commit to being prepared? Do I want to watch my kids freeze to death if
TEOTWAWKI takes place? I suggest each family assess their own individual
situation and then plan out their finances in two phases if possible:
 * Decide if you can make a “down payment” to jumpstart your preparation.

* Then, factor in a monthly stipend for preparation goods and materials. Think of
it like paying a monthly life insurance premium, only this one will save your life.

Step Three: Evaluate Your Situation and Prioritize Your Needs

One thing to mention here: Just because you have something on your priority list of
preparation items, doesn’t mean you can go get it right away. You have to balance
your “priority list” with your checkbook. My wife and I won’t buy anything we can’t
afford. If we have to use a credit card to get it, we simply don’t! In our individual
situation we created this prioritized list:

* A Wood Stove to heat the house and to cook on in case of an emergency.

* Installation of a hand pump on our current well for water

* Back up food: Both short-term and long-term

* Learning new skills (Making our own bread from wheat, canning our vegetables
from the garden, using non-hybrid seeds, splitting our own wood, etc.)

* Buying some added security (Guns and ammo)

For example, we decided to cash-in a $6,500 investment that I could get without
paying a penalty. We first used some of that money to purchase a new wood stove
and a hand pump for our well. Heat and water were no longer concerns for us.
What was next for us? Back-up food. Each time at the grocery store we spend an
extra $50 on canned goods, rice, cereal, staples, toilet paper, etc. to build up a
rotating pantry that will last our family of six approximately three months.

The next step for us was the hardest: long-term food. In my humble opinion, once
you decide to buy long-term food, you have entered the official prepper stage. Now
you are in. We took $1000 from my investment and used half of it to buy a Country
Living Grain Mill and all of its extra parts. We then bought 1000 pounds of hard red
wheat, 200 pounds of rye berries, and a few other staples like wheat, sugar, etc.

My friend (from the bible study) and his wife then taught us how to make the
following: bread from scratch using the mill, corn meal mush from feed corn, and
bannock native biscuit-type bread). We then set up future dates to learn how to
make Ezekiel bread over an open fire, as well as many other helpful tutorials we
could use around the house.

Last, but not least, I used my tax return and bought a DPMS AR-15 and 1,000
rounds of ammo for an added sense of security. If anyone would have come over to
our place in a threatening manner and we had to defend ourselves, before that
purchase, I only had the following: a single shot Remington Model 37 Steelbilt 20
gauge shotgun, a Remington 30-06 Model 700 hunting rifle, and my .380 Bersa with
just one magazine. With some remaining money left over, I found two spare
magazines for my .380. I have much more on my wish list that we just can’t afford
at this time. I really don’t want to have to use any of these weapons, but if the time
comes where I must protect my wife and kids, I will be ready with the resources that
I have.

Don't Be Intimidated By What Others Have! Everyone’s financial situation and

priorities are different. My wife and I could have easily read what others have in the
way of supplies and knowledge and just said, “There’s no way we can do that.”
Instead, we just decided to do what we can with what we have. We have to give our
plan to the Lord and let him provide for us in the ways he sees fit. Start where you
can, and get on the same page with your family. What are you immediate needs?
Can you get them now? If not, now you have something to save for. If yes, that is
great. Now you can move down your list to the next priority. We are now currently
saving up for a case of freeze-dried butter powder and a case of freeze-dried egg
powder. My next big wish is to build an underground root cellar somewhere on our
property.

Step Four: Include Your Kids in Everything so They are Prepared

If I tell my kids that we are having a fire drill, they can get out of their beds, crawl
on the floor, open the window, take off the screens, and get out of the house in less
than one minute. All four kids also know to meet behind the shed if such a thing
were to happen. Our kids need to be a part of the process. If TEOTWAWKI happens
and our kids are so terrified that they can’t function, surviving will be twice as
difficult. I once did the fire drill while throwing pillows at the kids. That day we
taught them to be focused even if there is chaos all around them.

Our kids also help in the bread-making process, each to their own abilities. The
oldest can now turn the mill; one mixes the flour, etc. All four of our kids also know
where we store our food and they know not to tell anyone. We tell them, “Lots of
people don’t have extra grain. It is like bragging. Just tell people that dad’s hunting
and fishing gear is in that cabinet.”

As a kid I grew up hunting and fishing with my dad, but my dad always did the
“messy” work like gutting the deer and cleaning the fish. My wife and I are doing
our best to teach our kids how to fish, a healthy respect (not fear) for guns, the tips
to wood splitting, how to start a fire, etc. Our kids are too young to do a lot right
now, but we always take the time to teach the “how and why” of what we are doing.
Our kids love it and are now starting to ask if they can help. We never deny them
that opportunity.

Even if your kids are young, don’t underestimate what they can do. Here are some
things we have been introducing our four young children to:

* Fishing

* Stacking, hauling, cutting wood

* How to start a fire

* Lighting a candle in the house on their own

* How to identify animal tracks

* A respect for guns – an introduction to shooting with the Red Rider

* How to cook various meals

* A familiarity with our property and our trail system

* How to use walkie-talkies

* Fire Drills and places on the property to meet

* Camping skills and helping put up a tent

* How to use a compass

* How to use a slingshot

Obviously, I am not going to hand my three year old a 12-guage shotgun and let
him go in the woods. All of our boys, however, the four-year old included, can start
a fire from scratch in my wood stove or in our fire pit. As they get older, we
challenge them with the next level of preparedness. Not only are you giving your
kids invaluable skills for the future, you are helping them become self-sufficient and
not reliant on others.

Step Five: Use Discernment in Finding Like-Minded Friends

My wife and I have been fortunate to find an older couple to mentor us. We are
careful not to open ourselves up to just anyone. We live in a small town where if
one person tells others something, you can assume a large minority of town knows
about it. We have many close friends that have no idea about our level of
preparedness. When we see an opening in a conversation with someone we trust,
we will feel them out, and take it from there.

Step Six: Continue to Research and Don’t Get Discouraged!

I can’t believe how much I have learned in just a year’s time. SurvivalBlog alone
has thousands of outstanding articles written by people who have been preparing
for years and years. Use the internet and any other resources of information you
can find. Like many others, my wife and I have started our own little library of
books, articles, etc. We even learned how to seal up Mylar bags in our five gallon
buckets of food storage on YouTube!

In conclusion, if you are a beginning family or have a tight budget, don’t get
discouraged! Even if you just start by putting away $20 a month and save up your
funds for a while. Over time that money will grow and you will have a nice start to
your preparedness plan. Checking out books at the library is free. Take down the
notes you feel are important and then move on to another book. Before you know
it, you and your family will find that preparedness is a way of life.

Letter Re: Standardizing with DeWalt 18 VDC Power Tools

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James:

While DeWalt is a good choice for tools, in order to save at least 30% off your next
purchase look into the factory reconditioned web sites of DeWalt or in my case
Bosch Tools. I used the Bosch 12 volt DC drill, in a production factory setting 10
hours a day for a year as a test. The battery only needed swapping once a day. The
results were that I gave all our corded drills to the employees and purchased seven
of their 12 VDC drills for the production floor. Bosch also has the 6 foot drop test on
concrete test on their side.

Each unit had two batteries and charger and its built in circuitry it would charge the
battery without the battery developing a memory. These drills stood up to many
years of factory daily use and they came

with a one year total replacement and a two year repair warranty after that. I
purchased for personal use the 18 volt combo set. It came with a coupon for a hand
plainer that has come in handy. Each job is different and yes, there is a difference
between 12v, 18v and 24v as far as battery life. If weight of the tool is an issue,
then the 12 volt tools will take care of most routine jobs and will be lighter to
handle. You may

also look into a 12 volt[input voltage] charger that is available for both. I also
purchased a table saw, a compound miter saw and a router with table from the
Factory Reconditioned site at least a 30% savings. Choose the best tools you can
but more important save at least 30 % while doing so. Go to the factory site and
look for reconditioned tools. These will have a new factory warranty and you will see
the latest offerings.

I found out about Bosch through a open house at a welding supply house. I also was
able to acquire a neat ratchet set [made in Taiwan] that eliminates the need for
deep socket sets, called the GearRatchet. At these open houses at your local
welding [or tool] distributor you will find lots of new items to consider and you will
save money during the show on new tools and get some excellent food. In my case I
was also able to get an extra 5% off by purchasing as many tools as I could and
writing a testimonial letter about my experience with the company's tools when
negotiating with the sales rep. I have no financial interest in these companies. I
used to own a business and tried to buy the tools that passed the test of abuse and
time. When considering your tool purchase talk to those that use the tools daily and
when you purchase spending a little more can go a long way. I still have tools that I
purchased 40 years ago and used daily at work for 30 years. Regards, - Jeff B.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Letter Re: Lessons from the Yazoo City Tornado

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Dear Mr. Rawles,

I live in Albertville, Alabama. We were hit by a tornado Saturday night. The things
that I witnessed in Albertville were very similar to that of Yazoo City [which was
recently described by another SurvivalBlog reader.]

I would like to add to some things for you to consider:

The tornado in our town stayed above the ground for a large part of the destruction.
This means that if you had trees close to your house, more than likely, you are
going to have damage. Do not have trees too close or allow them to get too big.

A house with a hip-style roof will hold-up better than a gabled roof.

Asphalt shingles actually outlasted tin. Small portions of asphalt were missing in
some people’s houses as opposed to large sections of tin.

In this region, these storms always come from the West. Have as few windows as
possible on the west side.

More people will watch you work than help you work.

People will come in and try to take your stuff. We piled junk on the side of the road
that was destroyed. People had the gall to pick through our stuff as we were piling
more onto the pile. They were making a bigger mess than the tornado. I explained
that if they took one thing they were taking it all. The woman called me an
expletive and gave me the finger. An officer, who I know, witnessed the whole thing
and arrested the lady for hindering a government operation.

People will loot food and vice items quickly. Convenience stores and grocery stores
will be the first looted.
Never ever store anything you will need in an emergency situation in a portable out-
building. It will be scattered all over other people’s yards.

Do not park your camper in your front yard. It will be in someone else’s yard when
you find it.

If your area is impacted by a tornado, be prepared to be hassled. Even if you know

every officer in your town, other agencies will send officers to help and they do not
know you.

If the stuff you need is away from your house you might not be able to get to it for
many days. My brother lives on the other side of Albertville. He was not able to get
me the tractor he had borrowed until Sunday afternoon.

Join a Reserve Deputy Program if you can. The badge will help you get back to your
home.

Be on a first name basis with an electrician. When utility poles are snapped, they
will get your house's power lines ready to be re-connected.

The bottom line is that my family has been reading this blog for several years. If it
was not for SurvivalBlog, we might be one of the guys looking for help instead of
being ready to get to work.

I took the [November, 2009] blog post regarding generator preparation to heart, so
my generator was ready to work the next morning after the tornado struck.

Thank you Mr. Rawles and thank you to those who post here. I am a better person
for it. - JEH

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Letter Re: Standardizing with DeWalt 18 VDC Power Tools

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James,

I have ten of the DeWalt 18 VDC power tools and four of the batteries. This is an
excellent product line that has proven much better than some of the older 12 volt
and corded tools that they replaced. The impact driver, circular saw, and
reciprocating saw have already proven to be very useful. These are excellent
survival tools because you can get a lot of work done with them and a good set of 3
or 4 batteries without needing [120 VAC utility] power. DeWalt sells almost all of
their 18 VDC power tools as "tool only" kits that have just the tool without the
batteries and charger. These offers are usually about 1/2 the cost of the standard
package that includes a plastic case, one or two batteries, and a charger. Once you
have your first tool or two, you really do not need to pay for more batteries or
chargers. For example, my first DeWalt 18 VDC tool was the hammer drill with a
charger and two of the Li-Ion batteries. This cost about $325 at Home Depot. The
bare tool version of the same tool costs $139.99 at Northern Tool & Equipment.
[Use their Search box with the phrase "DeWalt tool only".] They have some of the
best prices and offer free shipping on DeWalt power tools. You can also get good
prices on refurbished or reconditioned 18 VDC Dewalt "tool only" buys, for even
less, including some like the 18 volt nailer that are not otherwise available as bare
tools. - Dr. R.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Letter Re: Standardizing with DeWalt 18 VDC Power Tools

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Dear James:

As a builder, I rely on 120 VAC current for everything, including charging the dozen
or so cordless tool batteries that we use daily. I recently purchased a DeWalt 12VDC
"car charger" and am in the process of streamlining my cordless tool collection. I
have a bunch of different tools and batteries from a variety of manufacturers, which
I'm liquidating. In going to an all-DeWalt power tool collection, I now have the ability
to charge all of my batteries (regardless of voltage) from a PV panel and voltage-
regulated jump pack. I'm sure other tool manufacturers offer car chargers for their
batteries too. In an extended grid down situation, I'll still have plenty of operational
tools, lights, and a radio as well. Thanks for all you do, - AdamElk
JWR Replies: I agree that cordless power tools made by Dewalt using 18 volt
batteries are a good choice, especially if you get the ones with their latest "Nano"
lithium ion battery technology. (The lithium ion batteries are still bit expensive for
now, but I expect those prices to continue to fall, with the economies of scale. )

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Turning the Corner, by F.J.B.

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Today there seems to be any number of reasons for the average American to turn
the corner towards preparedness and being self-reliant. Back in 1993, I would have
been able to give you just as many reasons based on my observations through the
1980s. Not surprisingly there are twice as many reasons for the average man to
not start around that corner. The reasons I have heard the most include the cost
factor and objections to living so primitively. Simply put: today's average American
is too poor and soft to endure hardships like camping, physical labor, and no TV.
These were the same objections we had to overcome and did.

My wife and I woke up one day in 1993 and realized that our children (ages 2-10-10-
12) were being raised by godless leftists in the government schools and on
television. We muddled through the rest of the school year and tossed out the
television. Instead, Renee quit her job to homeschool all of our boys. This was
decided over several weeks and Renee had some doubts as to her ability, but in the
end she made the commitment and I committed to supporting her as best I could.
We chose to use the A Beka books for most of the curriculum. Having made this
decision, it was about a year later that we realized the taxes we were paying went
to very few services we used. This started me down the path of finding a rural
home with lower taxes and more opportunity to raise animals and a garden. We had
envisioned a log home on a mountainside sloping to a meadow with a river running
through. Right about then I lost my job. It had been our plan to make these
changes with the money I had from my income in the building industry but losing
the job certainly put a damper on the plans.

Not wanting to continue with the old ways, we pushed forward. As it happened, I
lost my job in the spring of 1993. That summer we sold almost everything we
owned at the local flea market. Sometimes we were just exchanging things. A
lawnmower for a grain mill, a bedroom set for a rifle, but for the most part we saved
as much as we could. Selling the house didn't bring any real money to the table and
what we did have was soon spent on a used school bus ($1,500) that was going to
carry us all west to our promised land. I rigged a tow bar behind our bus for our
Jeep and one day in the fall with four boys, two dogs, and less than $3,000 we
headed west.

I could write a chapter on our adventure/nightmare traveling but I’ll save that for
another time. With less than $500 left, we ended up in northern Arizona in early
January 1994. We had picked up a GP Medium tent with an arctic liner and set it up
for the first time during a snow storm at a campsite in the national forest. Seeing a
concrete picnic table at one site, it was my thought that we should place the tent
over the table so we could have the comfort of the table inside. Seemed like a good
idea to me. After directing the boys at holding the tent posts for about an hour we
finally had the tent set up. My notion of enjoying the table was soon lost when
Renee pointed out that the cold concrete table and benches just sucked the heat
right out of us as we sat. Live and learn.

We learned fast and within a few months, my boys and I could set up a GP Medium
with liner and two woodstoves quicker than a company of soldiers. Staying in the
national forest (with a 14-day maximum stay) saved us what little money we had
left. It also helped that we had more privacy in the forest. It turned out that we
always seemed to have a crowd gather around when we set up camp. The GP
Medium tent is 16’ x 32’ in size and I guess seeing a man and four boys set it up
was worth watching. After the work was done and the stoves were burning we’d
often have someone knocking at the door post. Sometimes it was another
survivalist living in the forest looking for a home cooked meal and sometimes it was
just the curious having never seen a tent that big.

One day while in the forest at a camp we had just set up. I told Renee that I was
headed into the woods to do my business. I found a spot over a small hill and a
stand of boulders from the site. It was private enough and there was a nice view of
a small canyon just another 20 feet away. I was in the position with my paper and
trowel in the ready, just enjoying the beauty of the canyon and forest. As I was
there I got the strange feeling I was being watched. It really bothered me to the
point I had to start scanning the surrounding area to see who was there. As I looked
across the canyon I saw a large timber wolf standing still and staring right at me. I
quickly jumped up and pulled up my jeans, turning just in time to see the wolf jump
off the edge of the canyon and head towards me. Leaving my paper and trowel
behind as I leapt over the stand of boulders, I saw the wolf crest my side of the
canyon and knew it would be on me in an instant. Not turning back again I ran into
our camp yelling, “Wolf! Wolf! Get my gun!” Renee was at the tent door with my
GP100 as I reached her. I grabbed the gun and turned expecting to see the wolf, but
there was nothing. Once Renee and the boys stopped laughing at my adventure I
vowed not to leave camp again without my sidearm. Later, a ranger came by our
camp to log our stay. I asked him about the wolf and was told he was a regular to
that part of the forest and wouldn’t hurt anyone. Right.

Renee was the first to find work and I took up keeping the camp, cooking meals,
schooling the boys, and seeking a place to start our home.

It didn't take long to find affordable land in Arizona. The boys and I hiked for many
miles on an old ranch land until we found a 50-acre place in the middle of an old
60,000 acre ranch. It was a bit larger than a ¼ mile square and had several good
house sites. Further, it was "for sale by owner" and I was able to negotiate a
"delayed settlement", "owner financing", and the "right to occupy".

This allowed us to set up camp on the property and save enough money to make
the down payment in four months. Not having to deal with breaking camp every two
weeks was a great feeling. The boys got extra freedom to wander and I could put in
more permanent fixtures at our camp. We soon sold the bus and bought an old
pickup truck along with a trailer for hauling water to our property.

Renee continued working while I kept up with the boys and started planning our
house. Once we settled on the property, I started cutting the best looking junipers
for the post foundation of our cabin. I had found a solid outcrop of rock just below a
cow path along one of the hillsides near the center of the land. I dug down only a
few inches to expose the rock that would support the cabin. Not having to dig any
farther down than that, I placed the chainsaw cut juniper tree posts right down on
the rock and started the house. Almost every weekend the boys and I spent
searching for materials for the ranch cabin.

For the most part we used what we could off the land in timber and stone and paid
cash for the rest. We were lucky to have found a saw mill close by. It was an old mill
and the owner knew what he was doing. He sold us all the rough-cut ponderosa pine
we could haul at a time.

Once under roof we began our search for a woodstove. This was one of my biggest
concerns. Renee had given me specific details on what was acceptable after many
burned fingers and smoking pot holders. The stoves we had been using in the tent
were the standard GI issue stoves. When they burned they burned hot, sometimes
cherry red. They were also not an airtight stove that would keep a fire all night
unattended. And while they were relatively affordable, the stove we now needed
was always expensive. One day while in the big city 75 miles away from our ranch,
I noticed a metal recycling scrap yard. High on a pile of iron was the stove I had
been looking for! It was a Timberland Double Door with a large flat top surface
suitable for cooking on! This was God looking out for Renee (or me). I was ready to
drop a large sum of money on this right there. To my surprise, they only wanted the
going rate of scrap iron per pound (less the weight of the fire bricks) for the perfect
stove. We later added a kitchen addition to the cabin with a standing pilot propane
oven but the Timberland stayed on as the primary heat source for the home.

While building we used the water trailer as our water storage as well. Once the
cabin was finished Renee hinted that she wanted running water in the kitchen sink.
Being off grid with no well I had to come up with a workable solution. We bought a
2,500 gallon water tank at a ranch supply store. Placing this tank on the hill where
the bottom was above the height of the kitchen faucet I ran 2” pipe off the tank to
the outside wall of the kitchen. This gave us excellent water pressure to the faucet
entirely gravity flow. Hot water for showers and dishes was heated by both the
woodstove and the kitchen propane stove. Later, we added a propane instant water
heater to the system.

Showers were accomplished in a shower house we built off the cabin. A wood
decked walkway off the rear led to a small building with deck floors and a hook at
the ceiling. At first we had a canvas military water bag with a large daisy shower
head. The heated water was carried out and poured into the bag. We could take as
long a shower as two gallons of hot water would allow.

Being "off-grid" meant that, aside from the chainsaw, the boys and I were using only
hand tools to build our home. We could not afford solar power or generators until
much later and for the most part we lived as early Americans did. We worked during
the day, slept at night, used oil lamps when needed, heated with a woodstove, and
had an outhouse for you know what. The only real luxuries we enjoyed those first
years were a propane grill and our portable radio. For nighttime entertainment as a
family we listened to the AM radio shows. The boys enjoyed listening to KFI out of
Los Angeles and their Radio Classics like The Shadow and The Jack Benny Show.
During the day we hunted, killed rattlesnakes, and searched for arrowheads.

At one point Renee quit working and took up running the ranch while I worked
locally where ever I could. Renee started a small garden that kept us in tomatoes
and peppers to cook up with the average 18 eggs a day that our 24 chickens gave
us. Her 30 goats supplied enough milk for everyone and all the cheese we could
eat.

As the money came in we added on and upgraded and eventually got to solar
panels and a generator. We even had one of the first satellite uplinks for Internet
connection from our off-grid ranch.

It should be said that our sons are all men now. Two of them still live out west after
going to local universities and the oldest is now out of the US Army, having gone to
West Point. Our choices were not always the right choice but they were ours to own.
I am proud of the job my wife did homeschooling our sons and while three of them
do not actively live a survivalist’s life, they all know how to.

We are still survivalists. We sold our ranch and moved back east several years ago
after staying out west for about 14 years. It became clear to us that water is
everything for survival and the west has too many water issues. The ranch sold
quickly to a California family looking to get out of their situation and into a better
life. The lessons we learned have made us stronger and more ready to take on
what's coming. The funds from the sale of our ranch bought us a 100-acre mountain
farm sloping to a meadow with a river running through. Renee and our youngest
son helped finish a modest cabin with solar power, and as soon as I can I'll be
building that log home we had envisioned.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Letter Re: You May Not Need to Buy New 12 Volt Batteries

Permalink

Jim:

The 12 volt DC lead-acid batteries employed in most readers' vehicles, power

storage systems and backup supply systems are expensive, have finite life spans
and are a critical link in the timely operation of

equipment required to respond to short term and long term grid-down situations.
Aged batteries become unreliable, but are difficult to keep in a state of readiness
and when deemed "spent" their replacement puts a drain on already limited
financial resources.
Most people have battery chargers and the know-how to use them in an effort to
keep older - or infrequently used - batteries in a charged state so they can be relied
upon when needed. This is, however, time

consuming and the unpredictability of battery depletion, through sulfation and other
age-related deterioration, makes it difficult to keep your batteries in a constant
state of readiness in a cost-effective manner that is not manpower intensive.

If a battery has reached a truly terminal stage of decay, such as failure of inter-cell
connections, lead plate breakage or separations and similar situations that require
mechanical reconstruction, then the battery should be recycled - it's beyond repair
by ordinary mortals. But if the battery is mechanically viable and just badly aged,
there is a very good chance that it can be brought back to a very useful state with a
device that is relatively unknown but commercially available. I will not claim that it
can be made as good as new, but my own results were very satisfying.

A neighbor of mine - a Ph.D. Chemist - came across, researched and subsequently

purchased a device known as the Renaissance Charge Rejuvenator. He has already
brought a dozen lead-acid 12V batteries back from near useless states. I borrowed
the 'Rejuvenator' unit, and attached it to three different 12V lead-acid batteries of
my own over a 4-day period. In each case the battery, which had previously been
unable to retain a decent charge, was "brought back to life" and held a good charge
making it usable for employment as a car battery, a source of energy in an inverter
set-up or other traditional arrangements.

The Rejuvenator works best if you use it repeatedly, drawing down the battery
between applications. For my own batteries, I used the unit until it indicated "done"
(green light), then I placed a load on the battery and drew it down to about 11V,
gave it a rest period of about 8 hours and then ran the unit through another cycle to
charge it back up and apply a "second dose" of the unit's proprietary repair process.

The Rejuvenator is not exactly cheap at $200 (delivered) but if you bring two
"mostly dead" large capacity car batteries (or just one heavy duty tractor battery)
back to useful life you've pretty well paid for the unit and after that everything is
free. You might consider splitting the cost with a good neighbor or two.
I submit that readers would be well advised to do some research and consider
purchasing one of these units to extend the life of the many batteries they already
have in use, in order to avoid the high costs associated with replacement. I was
stunned when I counted and realized that I have fourteen 12V lead-acid batteries on
my ranch. Just as an aside, I have no vested interest in the company that makes the
units, and will receive no compensation if this recommendation should result in
sales for the Renaissance-Charge Company, though it couldn't hurt if you mention
that "Ted from Careywood" sent you. They may be inclined to give some sort of
small discount, though I have no control over that. In any case, the cost/benefit
analysis seems to make it a good deal, especially for those who use lots of battery
banks to avoid dependence on the electrical grid. Best Regards, - Ted

Friday, April 2, 2010

A Southwesterner's Experience in Family Preparedness, by C.F.

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I always assumed that I would relax when I retired from my life’s vocation. I have
now retired from working; however, there is no relaxation. As I absorb the news of
the day my other life long avocation, family survival preparedness, continues to
plague my mind. The current probability of a societal collapse looms ever closer.

I am sure everyone concerned about their family’s safety understands the problems
in America . I have been preparing for over 50 years to self sufficient that my
family, including children and grand children, would have the ability to survive hard
time and hunger.

However, something has happened the last few years that is going mostly
unrecognized by family survivalist and all other patriots for that matter. The game
has changed! The rules of preparedness are being radically altered, it is imperative
to understand the course change. America has shifted from a legal nation to an
empire (check your law dictionary).

It is true that my family has been relatively successful over the years in family
survival preparedness. We met or surpassed the survival goals set 40 years ago.
Suddenly, in the past few years, the game rules have changed causing a change in
thinking and direction of survival planning.
We purchased an 1,100-acre ranch (very inexpensively), located on the high desert
of the southwest region of the US in 1978. It has a small stream through it and a
several hundred gallon per hour spring on the canyon wall. It was ideal for the
purpose of survival. I took a full year off work and relocated the family from the city.
It was an exciting time of our lives. We lived in a tent at first, until we had built
something more substantial in which to live.

My wife had some funny female idea that the babies should take a bath every day; I
can still see, in my mind, my 4 and 5 year old girls carrying their little buckets of
water from the stream to heat over an open fire so they could meet Mother’s
requirement of cleanliness. In the beginning, we washed clothes in an open washtub
with water heated over an open fire.

Slowly, we built up a comfortable home that was self-sustaining; it was an

evolutionary process that occupied several years. I first placed several 50-gallon
barrels on the canyon wall and by mid afternoon, there was ample very hot water
for bathing and washing clothes.

The spring was diverted into a six-inch pipe, by the time it dropped a few hundred
feet down the canyon wall, we had 140-psi water pressure. We irrigate an entire
acre at one time with a ‘big bird’ sprinkler. Of course, that really made the big
house livable, once you get water under pressure it is a whole new world for the
family.

There were several years of experimenting with water turbines for electricity,
however, the cost of installation and maintenance soon become obvious, and that
was abandoned in favor a 5 kilowatt motor generator. That became the standby for
washing clothes and charging batteries in the winter. Of course, the most efficient
rig is a diesel motor generator but that too is expensive in upfront cost and long-
term maintenance. A propane driven generator is great to have also, but the
escalating cost of propane has proven the old standby gas motor generator proves
the most efficient.

Now, under the new rules of survival the possibility of gas, diesel, and propane
disappearing is high, so we must think sideways. If you can get the water under a
little pressure you can improvise a ‘home grown’ water turbine generator rigged
from a purchase ‘Pelton’ wheel and truck alternators. It works well, but requires a
lot of attention and the alternator wears down rapidly. Design the system where you
can change that component easily.

Over the years, we built up a large solar system that provides the power for the
house. In addition, satellite television has become the rage. That is a real blessing
for the family. Then we developed the satellite Internet, which expanded our
educational and information horizons tremendously. Out here, on the desert solar
power is the best way to go, however, the weak link is the batteries. They are
expensive and require a lot of attention.

That leaves wind power. Actually, it was not a hard decision; wind is not a player on
the desert. But perhaps you will be in a more advantageous location. Wind is good,
but it is also very expensive up front and wind turbines have to be maintained
continually.

We have several fruit trees matured and producing. We have built up several acres
of garden area.

Without the distractions of the city we immediately began home schooling all the
children. It was the best thing that every happened. The children did not have to
fight their way to and from public school. There were no drugs or teachers unions
demanding more money and less work.

I ran out of money at the end of the first year, as expected, so it was time to go
back to work. I encountered instant rebellion; no one wanted to return to the city.
We had a house with all the amenities of a city home. The result was that I went
back to work in the city alone, the family remained on the desert ranch. That was a
wonderful decision.

Analytically speaking it was a good project, even the home schooling went well. One
on my younger sons is now almost through medical school. We, of course, would
never cater to the AMA doctrines but still we needed a doctor in the family so he is
becoming a doctor to get AMA teaching plus natural healing concepts. Another son
is about half way through his bachelor’s degree, I expect him to become a computer
scientist and follow in his father footsteps.
All the children are successful hard workers, attributable to living and working away
from the corruption of the city. As far as education goes, I cannot imagine any
parent turning their precious children over to such a corrupt system, one that will
most certainly turn them into ‘functional illiterates’.

The children are grown now and I have a bevy of grandchildren wanting to go the
ranch. And, that brings us to the immediate problem. We did what we did because
of our desire to be free and raise our children outside the non-Christian society of
the cities. I always had in the back of my mind the possibility of a survival crisis of
some sort, however, I was able to function in society as it stood and stands to this
point.

I have always been a student of history and eschatology and, believe me;
something has changed in our country and society almost overnight. I will not bore
you with details of the analysis but please be assured we are the verge of national
crash that is going to rival the Roman Empire crash. It is going to happen! Do not
believe me, take the time to study and read, your conclusion will most assuredly be
the same as mine.

With that in mind, may I make a few suggestion learned from many years of playing
this survival games. I think it will surprise some of you.

This crisis is going to be far too severe and to long to get through on your food
storage alone. Whoa, does that shock you? Study and think about it for a few
moments. It is true you must have as much food storage as possible, but that will
not be enough! You will not be able to store enough food to get through the
upcoming holocaust. You must have non-hybrid seeds stored away. They will be
worth their weight in gold and you will need them to feed your family. You must
have enough hard storage to survive a year or so until you can get a family garden
going.

I will go so far as to say this, right now, this year start a family garden. If you live in
a home, dig up the yard and learn how to grow a garden. If you do not have dirt
immediately available, find a spot. Talk to your neighbors, look to you community
for a garden spot. If you are close enough to the country, go find a farmer and cut a
garden deal. The important thing is to put some seeds in the ground. Growing food
in an acquired education and you are going to need to know how to feed your family
when your food supply is gone.

Start educating yourself, stay current on news. The people that intend to destroy
this country are becoming very arrogant, they sense victory is near. Turn off your
sports television, put down your can of beer and learn to read the news, they are
telling us in advance, what they are going to do.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

A Personal Journey in Preparedness, by Mountain Man

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I’m fairly new to SurvivalBlog but now it’s an every day read. I wanted to write and
share my own journey of preparedness with you and your readers. After living with
three and a half million people for about 22 years, a move to the country was long
over due. I made the decision to get out of the city back in 1999, when I starting to
take things a bit more seriously with all of the talk about Y2K. I was really hoping
that something would have happened back then so I could test my skills at being
prepared for it. I fear that those skills will be tested in the not too distant future
none-the-less. Like you, I grew up in the age of bomb shelters and the threat of
nuclear attack. My father was a member of the Civil Defense and I remember a
small book that he gave me that showed how to build a fallout shelter in your
basement. I always wished he would have done that but it never happened. What a
great little fort that would have made for me and my brother, more on that later.

Anyway, I have wanted to live in the mountains since I was 12 years old so I headed
out to the Rockies in search of a good bug out spot. I found just the right spot out in
the middle of nowhere, 36 acres off a dirt road with the nearest Wal-Mart on the
other side of the mountain range. It took another 5 or 6 years to actually be able to
make the move. I was fortunate enough to start dating a like minded gal before the
move and the minute we started talking about bug out bags and storing food, I
knew I found myself a winner. We sold most of my furniture and put my home up for
sale and were finally able to make the big move to our retreat property and start
getting things situated.
Since we settled down we have been able to stock up on about two years worth of
food, medical supplies, gasoline and diesel etc. To date we’ve put up about a ½ ton
of wheat and a ½ a ton of corn, beans and rice. More than enough for us and
enough to share with those that haven’t or couldn’t do it on their own. I love making
things from scratch, so owning a welding and fabricating business has been a huge
blessing as we are able to make most anything right here in the shop. And those
things don’t necessarily have to be made from metal. We’ve been able to fabricate
everything from a well water retrieval bucket made of pvc to our own colloidal silver
generator to our bio diesel processing set-up. We converted an old exercise bike
into a pedal powered grain grinder and I’ve made a lead melting pot so we can pour
our own ammo and start loading it once we set up a loader. We have made a solar
oven, solar air heaters for the roof of the shop and will be putting together a solar
hot water heater real soon.

The shop has a small lathe, mill, drill press, cutting torch set up, MIG, TIG, Arc, and
Plasma machines with two generators, sheet metal bender, notcher, roller, English
Wheel and a ton of various hand tools. The hand tools will be a real important part
of the operation when there is no more power from the grid and the gas for the
generators runs out. We’ll be putting together a Faraday shielded box for some of
our electronics in case of an EMP. In this box we will store a spare computer set up,
radios, walkie talkies and anything with a circuit board that we don’t want to do
without. Granted, the Internet may become a thing of the past but we have a lot of
valuable information stored on hard drives and discs, we’re talking thousands of
pages of info, and if we have a working computer, then we can access that info
when needed.

Speaking of information, our survival library is currently at over 75 books, so at

least some of our information is accessible without a computer. A few of the books
and magazines that I would personally recommend would be “Dare To Prepare” by
Holly Deyo, "The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It” by John Seymour, The
Foxfire Book Series and The Mother Earth News magazine.

Every library should have books on gardening, first aid, holistic medicines and any
skills that you might consider learning. It could be hunting or fishing or re-loading
ammo or carpentry, canning, raising livestock or whatever peaks your interest.
‘Never stop learning’ is a good motto to hold on to. We try to learn something new
every day. And this blog is a great way to do that.
We’ve been able to put in a huge garden, two greenhouses and I take a deer right
off the land each year to put in the freezer. Moving here really has been a dream
come true. Many of our friends here in the mountains feel the same way as we do
about what the future holds and it amazes us as to how many people are getting
ready for what’s to come. And yet we only discuss it with a select few from our
church.

We have always felt that this was our bug out retreat since we left the hordes, but
lately we’ve been wondering what we would do if we had to bug out of here. So, as
soon as the ground thaws this spring, we start the next big project, an underground
bunker. Dug into the side of our mountain, it will be made out of cinder blocks with
the roof made out of ½” thick channel iron, since we just happen to have a bunch of
that laying around. Then the entire thing will be buried under about 2 or 3’ of soil
and will have two steel doors and even a periscope that I’ve made out of two 90-
degree fittings and a couple of mirrors that we found at the hobby store. That way
we will at least have a small view of the outside world if we have to hunker down for
an extended period of time. Our biggest problem will be concealing everything with
the proper camouflage, the tube that the periscope will be housed in, a solar panel
to help keep the battery charged, a wire antenna for a radio and one of the steel
doors will all be outside of the shelter. I‘m enjoying the other posts on this site of
other shelters and would like to see more folks write in with their ideas. There are
some pretty talented folks on this site.

My father has been a Ham for as long as I can remember and before too long I will
be getting my Ham radio license and that will be another big asset for this whole
effort. We’ll even try to install a transceiver in the shelter so we can keep in touch
with the outside world.

I’ve read quite a bit on this site about obtaining skills for when TSHTF and couldn’t
agree more. One of the first things I did when we got settled in was to join the local
Search & Rescue team and Volunteer fire dept. and not long ago I got involved in a
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The training that I’ve received from
each of these has been invaluable. Skills like wilderness first aid, CPR, rock climbing,
rope rescue techniques, evacuation, firefighting, use of radio and much more. It
takes a lot of personal time but I urge others to make the commitment and learn as
much as they can. Being involved in these organizations might also give us a heads
up with some advanced information and that could come in real handy.
Another thing we’ve done here is to load up a number of six gallon buckets with all
sorts of items that we might need if we had to evacuate the house for some reason.
These buckets hold some emergency supplies like food, bottled water, meds,
blankets, tarps, rope, fire starters, gloves, socks, knife, flashlight, spare batteries
and a small Sterno stove to heat water with. It’s amazing how much stuff you can
cram into a six gallon bucket if you do it right. These buckets are buried
strategically throughout the property. We keep the locations handy so we can get to
the nearest bucket, dig it up and at least have some supplies to work with. In each
bucket taped to the lids are the locations of the other buckets. Chances are pretty
slim that anyone would find any of the caches by accident, being that all the
buckets are buried on our own property and well camouflaged. All of the containers
have a good seal around the lid to prevent moisture from getting in and when we
bury them we have a piece of plywood cut in a circle that is an inch or two larger in
diameter than the bucket. This helps keep the dirt off the lids when we need to dig
them up. Each bucket is buried only a few inches below ground level and we stash a
small garden shovel nearby underneath a rock, bush or by a tree trunk to make it
easier to get the buckets out in a hurry.

As far as transportation goes, we have a gas powered pick up, a diesel pickup and a
1970s-vintage Jeep that has no [microprocessor] electronics in it that would be
affected by an EMP. We burn vegetable oil in the diesel during the summer months,
the harsh winters here make it a bit too thick to use, even with the additives we put
in to help thin it out. I would also suggest that you get a good bike for each family
member, know how to tune it up, know what the most common items are that
would break and how to repair them. Have the right tools to carry on the bike and
know how to use them. Here in the mountains we are a long way from anything and
someday a bicycle might be the fastest way to get there. But in a big pinch there is
always foot power. You obviously need to have good packs that fit well and a couple
of comfortable pairs of hiking boots. You also need to maintain good physical health
if you plan on hoofing a lot.

We try to teach others to be prepared as well. Not necessarily for TEOTWAWKI kind
of thing but for the more common ‘what if’ scenarios like bad weather, power
outages etc. We feel that if we can get our family members to consider those
scenarios then they will be able to use that knowledge in case things really do hit
the fan. It’s pretty frustrating knowing that my loved ones will not leave the big city
and are pretty clueless as to how to survive when things take a turn for the worse.
All we can do is pray for them and hope that they get a clue before it’s too late.
I know some readers will be thinking that we have it made being able to have a
retreat, vehicles and a business that allows us to fabricate most of the things we
need. Much of the emergency items we have were purchased from yard sales and
thrift stores. We also barter for a lot of items and services. No doubt we’ve been
blessed but it was not easy in any sense of the word. When we first got here we
lived in an old camper with no water, shower or toilet for 14 months. We started out
with a bucket for a toilet until we could get a port-a-potty hauled in. That was
reason for celebration! It took about a year to get our place built and has been an
ongoing struggle the whole time. But it has all been worth it. Being out in the
middle of nowhere, we had no idea how we would make a living. It took about two
more years to make a name for ourselves in the fabricating business. But word of
mouth is the best advertisement in tight knit localities like this. We depended on
miracles almost every month (and still do) when we didn’t know where the money
was going to come from to pay the mortgage. It was a big leap of faith moving here
but that’s what we were led to do. That leads me to one more item to mention
before I close and that is faith in God. As many others have stressed, getting
yourself right with God is the most important thing you can do. Faith has brought us
this far and we continue to build our faith as things start to look darker and darker
by the day. Pray for each other for knowledge, provision, wisdom and discernment
and that we’re on the other side of the fan when it finally hits!!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Letter Re: Questions on Backup Generators

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Jim,

Thanks for the great blog. I have purchased several items from your sponsors and
appreciate your screening them for us.

I live in suburban Detroit and am looking to find a small farm. Values are still
declining here. Until I can make a move, I'm stuck living in suburbia. Currently I own
a cheap gas generator and am looking to upgrade. Should I go with a diesel or tri-
fuel generator? Can you suggest some sources? God Bless, - Bob P.

JWR Replies: That all depends on how many hours you intend to run the genset.
Because they run at lower RPM, a diesel is preferable for a genset that will get "high
hours."
Another factor is the local ordinances on fuel storage. If you cannot legally have a
2,000 gallon diesel tank, but you can have a 2,000 gallon propane tank, then your
choice is clear. If ordinances are very restrictive fuel tanks, then you might consider
a "plumbed-in" genset, running on utility-piped natural gas. (The best solution, of
course is to move somewhere out in the country, where there are no fuel storage
restrictions. But I recognize that family and work obligations might preclude such a
move.)

Do comparison pricing via the Internet. Generator sales is a very competitive

market, especially in the current recession. And, since shipping costs are
substantial, it often pays to find a vendor that is fairly close by.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Letter Re: The Daylight Savings Time Home and Survival Checklist -- Renew Your
Preparedness Measures

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Dear JWR,

On March 14th at 2 a.m. it is the Daylight Saving Time change time in most of the
US. So now is a very good time to check some things that you haven't thought
about in a while. I'm sure you heard the Public Service Announcements to change
the batteries in your smoke alarm and to test them. That is certainly a good thing to
do, but is that the only thing you should do this time of year? Grab a pen and paper
and let's look around your home.

Batteries and Battery Powered Equipment

Since you're changing some batteries already, this is also a great time to check the
batteries in your flashlights, radios, and other battery powered equipment around
your home and cars. Turn them on and see if they still work and if you still know
how to use them.

First Aid Kit

Hopefully your first aid kit didn't see much use, but you need to check it for expired
food and medications, put what needs replacement on your shopping list. If things
have migrated to all parts of your home, bring them all back together into one
central location. Update any contact information, medication changes or allergies in
your document kit.

How Are Your Vehicles Doing?

You probably use your car every day but have you taken the time to really look at it
recently?

Check your tire's pressure and look for signs of wear. Use a penny to check your
tread depth, if you can see the top of Lincoln's head you need new tires. Look in the
wheel wells for signs of rust.

Pop the hood and check the fluid levels and not just the oil and windshield washer
but brake, steering and radiator. Look for leaks and worn belts.

Get a helper and make sure all the lights work.

What Did the Winter Do To Your Home?

How well has your house and property weathered the winter? You might want to
start another page and call it the Honey Do list.

Check under sinks and around outside faucets for water leaks. Drain your hot water
heater. Not only will this clear the buildup of mineral deposits and silt, it will make
the hot water heater more efficient and give you more available hot water and
faster too, but also more drinking water in case of an emergency.

Look around the foundation, driveway and sidewalks for cracks in the concrete.

Check your foundation, deck and fence for damage or rotting with a pocket knife,
particularly around the base of posts. Small piles of sawdust indicate signs of
vermin or insect intrusion.

Grab your binoculars and inspect your roof for missing shingles and flashing.

Test your lawn mower, generator and other gas powered equipment and their fuel.

Oh and don't forget to set you clocks the night before. "Spring forward, Fall back."

Friday, March 12, 2010

It is All About the Means of Production, by Mark. B.

Permalink

From the beginning of time, ownership and control of quality farm land and raw
materials have been closely associated with wealth creation and prosperity. What
can you grow or raise? What resources and commodities do you own and control?
How much metal, stone, glass, and wood do you own? Do you have the means,
knowledge, tools and skills to produce valuable items from this land and these raw
materials?

As America was settled, the pioneers knew very well the fundamentals of non-
electric, independence away from the city and just how critical natural resources
were to survival. If a parcel did not have fresh water and tillable flat bottom farm
land, it was left alone and many years later those same lands are now national
parks, national forests, and BLM lands owned by the government.

The primary questions in the minds of those early settlers should also be the same
questions in the minds of today’s long-term prepper families. Those questions are
simply, “Will this parcel of land support our life?”, and “Do I have ownership and
control over the means of production of my food and fuel on this land”?

All along the Blue Ridge mountains, the real estate agents have a phrase they use
concerning land value, that phrase is, “the steeper, the cheaper”. It is well known
that when you see land advertised as “good hunting land”, that the property really
will not support its residents. It is too rocky and hilly, and will not support decent
crop production for man and livestock. It is only the last few generations of fearful
city type suburbanites and armchair survivalists that have elevated the notion that
mountain land remoteness equals security and that is the number one quality to
look for in a “retreat”. But mountain living leaves much to be desired in security in
many important areas and ways. Never be deluded into thinking that you are safe
high up in the woods and that no one will know you are there. It bears reminding
everyone of the biblical verse and truth:

Matt 5:14 “A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid”.

Caves and mountains are where you go to if you are on the run, and need
temporary shelter from pursuit, just read the Bible and look at history. People only
lived that way out of destitute desperation, because everything [needed to support
life] must be hauled in on a continual basis in order to survive. Those locations are
not an assured long term sustainable solution in many cases. The primary reason is
that very little livestock feed can be produced. Be careful that your homestead
location does not separate you from the critical means of production, and forever
tether you to others for the things you should be producing yourself. If possible then
always opt for sustainable systems capabilities in your land purchase decisions as
the most important criteria. I encourage forward thinking preppers to expand their
retreat and homestead plans to the realities of true societal and monetary system
independence. Be willing to transition to an agrarian lifestyle now, and take control
over all the means of production of two things in your life: food and fuel. Get to the
place where you own the finished goods and things you cannot grow or raise each
year such as salt, tools, and ammo. Owning a lifetime supply of salt is something
that is not too difficult. You are trying to reach the point where a yearly cycle in food
and fuel production is all you have to worry about. This gives you the freedom to
stay out of the cities and towns for basic supplies others will be clamoring for; for a
great many years. This starts not with the question of how remote is my land from
society’s "zombies", but “will my land support life, and do I own all the means of
production”? The litmus test is really drawn not at the backyard 4x4 square foot
garden level, but rather: can I grow feed for my livestock and my family’s fuel
production on this parcel? This is really what the means of production are all about.

It is ownership and control over the means of production of food and fuel that will
ensure you and your family of long term survival in a TEOTWAWKI scenario.

Be willing to ask the questions of a pioneer settler with his family in a covered
wagon in 1850. “Will this land support life”?, “Can I grow feed for my poultry flocks,
dairy and meat animals, aquaculture ponds, and humans”? “Is there a surface fresh
water source on this land”? “What about timber and material resources”? Do I have
the tools, knowledge, skills, and finished goods for these systems and processes?
These are the basics of life and questions that a century ago would have been
common knowledge to all, but today’s modern city sheeple prepper wanna-bes too
often overlook and discard. Just like we are spoiled with instant everything, we think
of every shortcut possible to “instant survival”. At some point you must get to the
place where your “retreat” becomes your “mini-farm”. Otherwise, you are simply
camping with a can of food.

“Can I produce all my own fuel from this land?” is the second part of the means of
production mindset. There are six primary farmstead fuels that wise people should
all be in the process of utilizing for their energy independence. They are: wood,
charcoal, methane, ethanol, producer gas, and beeswax. Study these fuels, learn all
you can and purchase now all the means of production for them on your land. Do
not look to the left or to the right. Turn the television off and spend your free time
developing these systems and learning the skill sets needed for their production,
storage, and use.

Many today will never voluntarily choose an agrarian lifestyle or pursue the
ownership and control over the means of production. Instead they will rely solely on
commercial packaged food and fuel produced by others who are wise enough to
own the means of production. They must haul each load to their retreat, with no
hope of new supplies while they keep their city office jobs and suburban comforts
till they believe they will “bug out” and be "safe". Lord, help them all is all I can say.

While having the courage to pursue the ownership and control over the means of
production instead of mere temporary “preps” is essential, the real challenge for
First World urbanites is the shift in practicing and mastering the skills surrounding
those means. It takes work and that is a four letter word when everyone wants to be
a musician, artist, writer, or celebrity. Choose the agrarian/skills-based lifestyle now
even with all the learning curves and mistakes you will make, before you are a
fleeing refugee of this empire collapse, and can only wish you would have chosen
this path and secured these means sooner. All of the suffering and sacrifice you
endure now in becoming skilled and truly prepared, is nothing compared to all of
the suffering and sacrifice you would endure later if you are not already skilled and
prepared.

I'll close with two more Bible verses:

“Wise men lay up knowledge.” (Prov. 10:14)

“Fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1:7)

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Some Needful Things

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I'm often asked by my consulting clients about my specific gear recommendations.
I've noticed that I repeat mentioning a lot of these, so to save time in my
subsequent consulting calls, I'm posting the following list (in no particular order):

* Gamma Seal Bucket Lids. We use these constantly with our bulk storage wheat.
rice and beans.

* K & M Industries waterproof match cases. The best, made by a Mom & Pop
business

* Gerber Omnivore LED Flashlights. These can use AAA, AA, or CR-123 batteries.
Sadly, they're made in Mainland China.

* Maxpedition gear bags. Incredibly tough and well-made.

* Dakota Alert infrared intrusion detection alarms. We leave ours on 24/7/36, here
at the ranch.

* Leatherman Wave Multi-Tools. These need no introduction.

* Wiggy's sleeping bags. I've used their FTRSS bags for 20 years.

* Buttstock-mounted ammo/utility pouches. Get one for each long gun.

* Anderson Power Pole D.C. Connectors. These sure beat those enormous
cigarette lighter plugs that pop apart unexpectedly

* Save The Rain Downspout Diverters. These pay for themselves just saving
water for gardening, and may prove crucial someday!

* Columbia River Knife And Tool (CRKT) Tanto Pocketknives. My everyday carry
knife. Buy several, because they will get "borrowed" and never come back.

* Berkey water filters. After 15 years of family camping trips, ours now has a few
dings and scratches, but it is still going strong.

* Break-Free CLP . We use it on all of our guns.

* AN/PVS-14 night vision scopes. They cost more, but they're the best.

* Parachute cord. 1001 uses!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Two Letters Re: Thermoelectric Generators for Wood and Coal Stoves
Permalink

James,

To follow up on an earlier letter and your reply, Thermoelectric Generators (TEGs)

work by generating power from the movement of heat from the hot side to the cold
side of a dissimilar metal junction. An important consideration is that TEGs can
become heat saturated or worse if you can melt your TEG, so don't just throw it in
the middle of a fire!

I followed a design from "The Boy Electrician" by Alfred P Morgan 1913. It uses
German silver wire and copper wire with hammered junctions, there are better
combinations but this was easy to get. It would make enough electricity to run a
small radio like the kind found on dollar store crank radios or a few LEDs. Modern
TEGs are much more efficient and use a solid state Peltier–Seebeck chip. Be sure to
buy a high temp solder chip, since the ones used in coolers will melt at much lower
temperatures. These solid state devices can also be used with lanterns. In my
experiments, I used one attached to a home made brass reflector on a kerosene
pressure lantern and produced less than a watt at 3 volts. But several can be
ganged [together in series,parallel, or series/parallel arrangements] for higher
voltage or amperage. TEG lantern/radios are available.

Shalom, - David in Israel (SurvivalBlog Correspondent in Israel)

James,

Since I have messed with TEGs for some time, I ran across the guys at Hi-Z
Technology. Check out the work they and others have done with their product. -
Robert, in Nashville, Tennessee

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Letter Re: Thermoelectric Generators for Wood and Coal Stoves

Permalink
Hello

You folks do an outstanding job of informing those who want to learn! I was just
wondering if there was information about homemade thermocouples out there. I
was watching my woodburner last night and it has one of those little fans sitting on
top that start to spin when they get hot and was wondering if I could find plans to
build a bigger version of the thermocouple. I envision something about the size of a
briefcase . In a grid down situation this would be set on top the woodburner that
would be going for heat and cooking and hopefully produce enough power to run a
few lights and charge some batteries etc. Is there anyone who has an information
source that could tell me how to go about building this?

Thank You, - Rich N.

JWR Replies: In my opinion thermoelectric generator (TEG) technology has been

pitifully under-developed, given its potential for using otherwise wasted heat.

Here is a video of one experimenter's project. And here is a commercial TEG site. I
also found a web page for a commercially-built stovetop fan that is powered by
thermoelectricity, marketed by Sportsman's Guide.

I encourage readers to do some experimentation with TEGs. Given their irregular

voltage output, it would of course be wise to route the power through a charge
controller into a battery bank, for later use with a stable output. If nothing else, it
will give you the means to trickle charge a few small batteries even when the only
fuel you have available is firewood.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Three Letters Re: Some Real Life Battery Data

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Dear Jim,

I have some comments on the comments regarding batteries:

Nickel Iron (Ni-Fe) batteries do indeed have very long shelf and operating lives. But
they also have some significant downsides. Similar to NiMH cells (they are not the
same) they have a very high self-discharge rate. In some cases approaching 40%
per month. If you have a large solar array that is always making excess power, you
are all set. But if you are charging with a generator, and have a large bank to keep
power available for extended periods, you will waste a lot of the generator's output
on self-discharge.

Ni-Fe batteries also do not like high charge/discharge rates, which means you may
need a larger bank of them for the same type of service. This effect gets worse as
the temperature drops. If you have a big bank, you will also need to waste more
energy keeping them charged. Basically, there is a penalty for having your battery
bank too big for the application. You would want to make the bank last you no
longer than a week or so of typical service, thus limiting the amount of energy
wasted to keep it charged.

On the plus side, you can leave the battery discharged for long periods without any
problems and they will not freeze (in any sane temperatures). That's good for a little
used location. There is only currently one importer in the US that I know of.

There's no conspiracy to keep them out of the market, it's just that most
applications work better, smaller or cheaper with lead acid. As the cost of electricity
goes up, no one wants to use them for standby applications anymore due to the
energy cost with keeping them charged. But as photovoltaic solar power becomes
more common, perhaps there will be a revival of the technology.

Regarding lead acid cells with no acid, there are several issues with drying out a
new battery for storage. If any acid is left it will cause undesirable changes to the
plates. If you attempt to air dry the battery, the air pumped through the battery to
dry it out will lead to oxide forming on the plates, ruining the battery in the drying
process. There's at least a few patents out there to address some of these issues,
but none of them are ideal. Realistically, you would need to discharge the battery,
then partially re-charge it, dump and flush the acid and then use inert gas to dry out
the plates. Probably not worth the effort, and the required discharge/charge levels
would vary based on

interior construction. Not likely to be economical or produce reliable results.

It's too bad that none of the manufactures sell "green" batteries that have not yet
been converted, but the required acid mixture and charge cycles to form the plates
are most likely a proprietary process that they have no interest in sharing.

You can make your own batteries, but they won't have anywhere near the capacity
of a commercial product. Consider that the standard car battery has dozens of
square feet of surface area and has been optimized over years of experience. Home
made batteries, especially large ones, can lead to seriously unpleasant accidents.
Having seen smaller batteries explode due to internal shorts, I would want nothing
to do with a 5 gallon bucket of H2SO4 and rolled up sheets of lead.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned simply not using batteries at all. If you live
in a sunny location, one can simply use electricity when the sun is shining or the
wind is blowing. Not perfect, but virtually guaranteed to work even after sitting idle
for 10 years. Regards, - Cactus

James Wesley;

I found an interesting short video linked at Silver Bear Cafe about Nickel-Iron Edison
Cells--a design battery I hadn't about previously. I thought you might enjoy it.
Thanks for the web site and all of the information. Regards, - Joe

Sir:

Monday's post mentioned the Nickel-Iron Edison battery. During its evening
broadcast on 1-29-10 The Intelligence Report described a method to build your own
Ni-Fe battery was discussed in the second half hour of the 8 PM broadcast. It was
also mentioned where one could get Nickel without having to resort to melting
nickels. At The Intelligence Report's web page, click on "archives" in the left hand
part of the screen. Scroll down to 1-29-10 then click on the "8PM" to download the
mp3 file.

Great job with the blog! Thank you for the work you are doing. - Mr. C.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Letter Re: Some Real Life Battery Data

Permalink

Jim,

I have been following with interest over the last several days this thread on
batteries and feel I have some information to share. To begin with, the only solution
to a long term lead-acid battery bank is to make your own cells. Lead has a
perpetual shelf life and oxidizes very little over time if protected. Contrary to the
confusion established by the battery manufacturer cartels, both plates begin as
simply pure lead (Pb). It is only after the initial charge is applied that the positive
plate changes chemically due to the sulfur ion action. While home made cells will
not have the high ampacity to pound ratio of commercial cells, they would have
qualities most suitable to the long term prepper; namely serviceability and parts
replacement. In addition, the positive plates could be made as thick as one wanted
to prolong their life span. One could make them in 3 gallon HDPE buckets using
standard stud mounted battery posts on the lids. The electrolyte is simply 30%
sulfuric acid to 70% water. The plates need maximum surface area exposed to the
electrolyte so one must drill many holes or corrugate the lead sheet to increase the
surface area. Older plumbing stores still sell large sheets of lead for roof vent stack
flashing. Or if one is handy with metal fabrication, a grid plate mold could be
fashioned from steel and lead cast into it. Wheel weight lead-alloy will work too.
Additional compounds such as antimony are not essential in a home made cell
when you have a room full of replacement plates stacked up. They can be either
coiled or flat plates. Do not expect the performance of a commercial cell from these,
but when sustainability is all important, performance can be compensated for. Just
add more cells to the array bank.

However, the real solution to perpetual deep cycle sustainable battery power for the
long emergency lies not at all in the lead-acid cell. It lies in the lowly Edison cell. A
little known fact is that there are still banks of Edison cells in deep cycle
applications today over 80 years old. Edison cell plates are nickel and iron and use
lye and water for the electrolyte so they are alkaline and not acid cells. The plates
do not corrode over time and they can be stored dry forever before filling and
charging. All those nickel [US five cent coin]s that everyone is saving could
[conceivably be melted down to provide the material for] the nickel plates for your
grandkids batteries if you are wise today. Edison had over 50 patents on these cells
and at the turn of the century entire fleets of delivery trucks used these day in, day
out hauling massive loads with electric motors running on Edison cells. They were in
direct competition with standard oil and big oil plans for gasoline vehicles so they
had to be stopped. The electric car industry was eradicated as gas vehicles could go
so much faster. Exide eventually bought all the dies and machinery and was still
making them until they sold everything to china some years ago. The only importer
now from that china plant to the U.S. is a company called beutilityfree.com which is
where I bought mine. They only order like 4 times a year and it takes 3 months to
get here and they are pricey, but I personally felt the investment was justified and
truly multi-generational for my family. Companies like Eveready began several
years ago making what was touted as "new technology" and called the cells "nickel-
metal hydride" or NiMH as we all know them today. When they first hit the shelves, I
just laughed and told my wife, "Look honey Edison cells in AA size". - Dad4Him

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Letter Re: Some Real Life Battery Data

Permalink

Hello Jim -

I took interest in your response to the post by Steven J S "Letter Re: Some Real Life
Battery Data" and the concept of storing "dry batteries". From my long and
intensive research on this, you are absolutely correct. Finding a true dry battery
(one that was not flooded and then emptied) is nearly impossible. Perhaps some
other SurvivalBlog readers can provide some help on this topic, but I have found
that in order to truly get a dry battery - one that has never been flooded with acid -
one would almost have to work at the manufacturing factory or component supply
level - i.e. be an insider in the industry. My interest in this topic, as I am sure most
of your readers', is in the area of deep cycle and commercial batteries. I do have a
small solar generation system, and would love to be able to buy shelf-stable
batteries to put up for the future. I find that I get about seven years out of my
Trojan L-16s [before they sulfate to the point that they will not hold a charge.] It
frustrates me that I can't store extra batteries for future use. Really, most all the
companies (Including Trojan) that I have talked to tell me that they can not (or will
not) sell true dry batteries to the general public.

So here is the question I have for the chemists out there in your readership base.
Would it be possible to buy some freshly manufactured batteries, and then remove
the acid yourself and store separately? How difficult is it to evacuate a battery? Can
the plates then be neutralized by adding an alkaline solution to stop the small
amount of sulfation that has/would take place if the batteries plates were not
neutralized? Should the battery then be flushed with fresh water? There has to
some way to accomplish this and produce a shelf stable storage strategy for what
will become very precious assets in the future. Any help your readers could offer
would be much appreciated, and of course, all the safety precautions you
mentioned in your first must be strictly adhered to when doing this type of work.
Thank You, - Fullclip

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Letter Re: Some Real World Battery Life Data

Permalink

Hi Jim,

There are batteries becoming widely available these days with the lithium/iron-
phosphate chemistry (different than the lithium/cobalt chemistry in laptop
batteries). These lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4, or LFP) cells were first used in
Dewalt brand lithium power tools. The main advantages are a vastly improved cycle
life (2,000 - 7,000 cycles versus 500-800 for lead acid and 500-1000 for NiMH), high
discharge current closer to lead acid, better deep-cycling performance, they won't
explode like laptop batteries and need no maintenance, venting or caustic chemical
refills and they operate at almost 100% efficiency. If you topped these batteries off
once per year they should remain good for a decade or longer.

The only downsides are the price, which is higher than lead-acid (in Dollars per
Amp-Hour) but less than other lithium or metal-hydride batteries. There is also the
need for a programmable charger, which can be expensive. The cut-off voltage is
unique, unlike lead-acid, NiCd and NiMH batteries, and the batteries will be
damaged from overcharging. I've been using a disassembled Dewalt battery pack
for my portable radio rig, with this "Dapter" charger. For a house-size battery bank,
you could use the Outback Flexmax line of charge controllers, which are
programmable from a PC. Most charge controllers support only lead-acid or have
fixed settings for only the most common battery types. - Jeff M.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Letter Re: Some Real World Battery Life Data

Permalink

Jim,

The recent article by 'Cactus Jim' got me thinking about a type of battery rarely
mentioned, the 'dry-charged' lead acid, where the end-user fills the battery with
acid after purchase.
Initial impression is that this type, if kept sealed in a temperature and humidity
stable environment, could last indefinitely, only being flooded and charged when
needed. Battery acid is stable and does not deteriorate if kept sealed.

Our local NAPA auto parts store stocks small (motorcycle/garden tractor) units and
will special order most any size 12v battery. Price is the same as for the equivalent
wet-charged units except the acid must be purchased

separately.

If you have any experience with these batteries perhaps you could relate the info to
your readers. - Steven J.S.

JWR Replies: Be advised that most of the "just add acid" batteries sold by
automotive parts dealers are identical to standard production batteries, but merely
"spun dry", after the batteries are factory tested. This leaves traces of battery acid
that will cause some sulfation of the battery plates. Also, most of these batteries are
designed for engine starting --not true deep cycle duty. But conceivably if you can
get dry-condition storage batteries from a battery vendor (such as your local Trojan
dealer), then you could leave one of these batteries on the shelf for a couple of
decades, add acid, and it would still have a 5+ year service life. In a long-term gird-
down scenario, that sure beats the alternative!

When storing carboys of battery acid for this purpose, keep in mind that you' and
your helper will need to have the appropriate safety gear, to wit: an apron, heavy
rubber gloves, goggles, boots with thick uppers (or better yet, rubber "mud" boots--
called "Wellies" in the UK), and a full-coverage heavy long sleeve shirt. OBTW, one
trick that my father taught me to keep plastic acid funnels from tipping: Clamp the
funnel's lip "tab" in a pair of Vise Grip pliers, to use as a handle.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Some Real World Battery Life Data, by Cactus Jim

Permalink
Battery technology has come a long way in the last 10 years since Y2K. Back in the
late 1990s, I stocked various types and brands of batteries for long term storage or
use. Batteries ranged from store purchased alkaline, rechargeable alkalines, NiCd,
generic deep cycle marine

batteries, gel-cell sealed lead acid, lithium and even the ubiquitous flooded lead
acid Trojan T-105 floor scrubber batteries. I wrote dates on all the batteries and
rechargeable batteries had logs kept of use and maintenance.

In most cases enough batteries were purchased to allow for a reasonable statistical
sampling, thus providing a real level of confidence in the results. Note that the word
battery and cell are often used below in singular, even though the same test was
repeated multiple times on

different units. All voltages and times are given as composite averages of the tests,
removing clear outlier data, such as an obviously failed cells that leaked electrolyte
during storage.

10 years later, most of those batteries were still in my possession, untouched (with
a some exceptions) and I decided to run controlled experiments on them to see how
they fared. Each battery type is discussed by type and brand if applicable. Finally,
as technology has

provided for improvements, some additional battery types are discussed that have
only received short term testing due to being recently brought to market.

All batteries were stored in 60-to-75 degree F conditions with <50% relative
humidity.

Generic Alkaline

These are what you find at most stores on the shelf, having virtually eliminated the
old carbon-zinc batteries that were still sold in the 1990s. An extensive selection of
all standard sizes was tested, including Energizer, Energizer commercial use (not
sold via retail) and

Duracell. The cells offered 2-4 year lifetimes based upon their expiration dates. All
were stored for 10 years, with the exception of the commercial Energizer D cells,
which were 12 years old at the time of testing.
Several of the Energizer cells (2 out of a lot of 50) had developed leakage failures
during storage, in one case contaminating a co-packaged battery. This matches my
anecdotal experience with this brand, with several case leak failures damaging
equipment that had Energizer brand

batteries left in them for longer time periods (1-2 years). I expect these are design
related failures since even newer batteries of this brand leaked, spanning a sample
period of five years.

Interestingly, the commercial Energizer batteries, of which I had over 50, did not
have a single failure. They also performed slightly better even though they were
older. No failures were seen with the Duracell alkaline batteries, but there was a
smaller sample available (20 of each

type).

The aged batteries were tested on a constant resistance tester that tracked battery
voltage until the cells were completely depleted, to a voltage of 0.2V, which would
not provide even the smallest amount of usable light in a flashlight. Initial current
drain of approximately

1/20th of manufacturer recommended maximum was used. (12 Ohms for AA cells,
2.75 Ohms for D cells)

The output voltage of the 10 year old batteries started out at approximately 0.1V
different from a brand new battery and maintained this difference until the battery
chemistry failed, leading to a rapid decline in voltage. For AA batteries, the usable
lifetime (to the 0.9V mark) was 18 hrs for the 10 year old battery vs. 22 hrs for a
brand new cell. The voltage discharge curves tracked each other with the noted
0.1V difference. At the 18 hr. mark, the old cell dropped to under 0.2V a matter of
minutes. The new cell soldiered on, declining slowly from

0.9V at 22 hrs to 0.2V at 27 hrs.

The commercial Energizer cells matched their retail cousins almost identically to the
0.9V cut off. However, they did not exhibit the sharp 20 minute decline to 0.2V once
the battery chemistry started to fail. Instead they provided another 5 hours of
possibly usable output with a slow decline between the 0.8 and 0.2V marks. This
would be indicative of a slightly longer life span in an intermittent on/off usage
where the voltage would creep back up to a more usable range during the off cycle.

When batteries were tested at high loads, the 10 year old units showed excessive
voltage droop very quickly. This matches with published manufacturer
recommendations that alkaline cells should not be used in high current draw
applications.

All working cells showed an open cell voltage of 1.4V before being connected to a
load.

Conclusions:

Alkaline batteries are usable well beyond their expiration dates.

Alkaline batteries properly stored for 10 years will still provide functional capacity of
75-80 percent with lighter loads such as flashlights and radios.

There will likely be a fallout rate with some percentage of cells showing complete or
partial failure during storage. Thus large packs of batteries should be broken up into
smaller packs to limit the amount of damage one leaking cell can do and extra
batteries should be purchased to take into account such failures.

Batteries sold for commercial use may be built better and will last longer than stuff
sold into the general retail market.

If the battery shows a voltage of 1.4V or so after storage, it's still probably usable.

Nickel Cadmium Rechargeable

The entire lot of 1990's era NiCd batteries were found to be unusable, showing
shorts or inability to take a charge of any capacity. This technology has drastically
improved over the last ten years, although such batteries are still of limited long
term storage use due to rapid self discharge and not having a design criteria for
long life. There are also many variables that affect the durability of NiCd and NiMH,
both from a cycle life and long term storage standpoint. My anecdotal evidence
points to cheap batteries not lasting long (as little as 0-3 months for cheap no-name
brand packs) and expensive brand name cordless tool packs still going strong after
eight years of light use. The well known self-discharge and memory problems are
still issues with this chemistry.
Conclusions:

Not suitable for long term storage.

Expensive portable tool packs might have long life spans with periodic use and
charging.

Probably acceptable for daily use, but there are better alternatives available in
NiMH.

Cheaper than other rechargeables.

Rechargeable Alkaline (no longer made)

A group of Eveready rechargeable alkalines were also tested. This technology was
produced for a few years but never really saw commercial success. The batteries
had low self discharge, thus being ready to go after longer storage periods but
could also be re-charged. The recharge

cycle was unusual in that if the battery was heavily discharged it's recharge cycle
life was very short, only 16 cycles or so. With shallow discharges, the battery could
be "topped off" hundreds of times. Looked like a perfect fit for long term storage,
provided that could be topped

up once a year.

The 10 year old AA and D cells were fully charged before testing. All fell significantly
short on both voltage and life, even compared to 12 year old alkaline cells. Starting
voltage was only 1.2V and within minutes was 0.2V lower than the 10 year old cells.
The cells chemistry failed at the 22 hr mark vs. 28 hours for the 10 year old cells.

Conclusions:

Be careful with new untested technologies.

Nickel Metal Hydride

No Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) cells were used in the long term test due to their
very high self discharge and the technology being in it's infancy in the 1990s.
However, this chemistry deserves mention due to some recent innovations.
Although NiMH batteries have higher capacity and most of

the memory effect has been overcome, they continue to suffer from very high self-
discharge. A fully charged battery can be at 50% in under a month of sitting idle. In
general, the higher the capacity of the cell the faster the self discharge.

Recently a new internal construction was designed that allows NiMH cells to retain
up to 80% of their initial charge up to year later .[JWR Adds: These are also
sometimes marketed as "Low Self Discharge (LSD)" batteries.] I have been
extensively testing these over the last year with very good results. No outright
failures to date, good capacity compared to alkaline batteries, very good tolerance
for high current drains such as radio transmitters and good shelf life.

These cells are often sold as "pre-charged" or long shelf life NiMH. Duracell Pre-
charged and Eneloop are the two most commonly available brands.

Conclusions:

A technology to watch, may replace alkaline batteries in many applications.

Long term life span is currently unknown or unpublished.

Lithium primary batteries

Non-rechargeable lithium batteries are the king of long term storage. They have
been around for decades and are well understood, with devices still working 20
years after installation. There are many different chemistries that are used, with the
actual type not disclosed to the consumer, so be aware that not all lithium batteries
will have long shelf life.

The CR123A battery size almost always comes in a chemistry that will allow for 10+
year storage without a problem. I'm still using up my 12 year old batteries and even
in bulb style Surefire lights they last so close to a new cell that it's hard to tell the
difference. No tests were

performed on this stock of batteries since they are so well understood and
quantified.
I had a limited stock of AA lithium cells from the 1990s and they too appear to be at
80+ percent capacity. When they reach 15 years I will test a few and see if the
group test should be put at the 15 or 20 year mark. Note that the 1.5V batteries use
a different chemistry than the 3 volt CR123, thus they may have a shorter life span,
but that remains to be seen. At 10+ years, they are still the top choice with the
exception of price.

Conclusions:

Low weight.

High capacity and high current.

Best for low temperatures.

Extensively verified 10+ year shelf life.

Available in AA, AAA, CR123A and various non-consumer sizes.

Industrial/commercial availability in 9V but metal body versions are slightly

oversized.

Lead acid gel cells

Gel cells are a type of truly sealed lead acid battery. They are commonly used in
backup devices such as emergency lights and alarm systems. Typically seen as 6V
or 12V batteries with connecting tabs, but available commercially in over a hundred
different sizes, shapes and

voltages.

The small batch (5 units) of lead acid gel cells I had from 1999 all died various
deaths over the last 10 years. All were 12V 7Amp Hour packs of the commonly
available 5.94 X 2.56 X 3.70 size. All showed degraded performance (over 10%
capacity loss) after the 5th year, even packs that

were 100% unused and one pack that was under a constant charge. All were trickle
charged at least once a year to 13.8V to make up for any self discharge and four of
them were used intermittently for various purposes from charging a motorcycle
battery to powering GPS in aircraft. None were
ever subject to severe discharge cycles or overcharging.

Each cell was charged and then test discharged to 50% once a year to check
remaining capacity. Charging was done by constant voltage to 14.2V and discharge
test was done at 1/20 capacity, constant resistance to 50% state of charge, as
indicated by voltage.

At the seven year mark the first cell had a complete failure. The last unit, which had
been installed in a trickle charging backup application failed this month.

Conclusions:

Realistic safe life span of five years.

After the five year mark, sudden failures may take the battery out of service without
warning.

Require yearly charge maintenance due to self discharge.

Very high current capacity, allowing for use to minimally re-charge much larger lead
acid batteries.

Often used inside of car self-jumpstart packs and for backup batteries in alarms and
lighting.

Flooded lead acid batteries

I'm going to skip right past car starting / dual use batteries as they are 100%
unsuitable for any long term application. While I have had certain vehicle starting
batteries last eight years, there has never been any consistency between brand,
size or use. I consider any car start battery over 2 years old to be suspect. The fact
that they can be seriously degraded or destroyed by a single deep discharge makes
them worthless in any situation where one must depend upon them. Even the
consumer branded "deep-cycle" batteries are suspect from my experience.

The long term test batteries encompassed two large deep cycle "maintenance free"
Energizer batteries from Wal-Mart and a bank of 24 Trojan T-105 6V industrial units.
All were maintained as they would be in an industrial setting with water level,
specific gravity and voltage checks each month.
The Trojans were connected to a grid-tied solar system and kept at peak charge for
the first three years of their life. They were more heavily discharged at least once a
year during power outages or for testing. In 2002 the system was converted to use
the batteries each day for a period

of 6 hours, with cycling to 25-50% depth of discharge each day. Although their
capacity is currently at about 60% of rated and there has been one hard cell failure
in the bank, they continue to function.

The deep cycle batteries from Wal-Mart didn't make it past two years. They were
used a few times a year to power tools and lights through an inverter. Note that
"maintenance free" often means that there is just a slightly larger reservoir of water
and acid in the battery. If you want

to try and use these, cheap batteries you should pop off the top caps with a
screwdriver and re-fill the water just like any flooded lead acid battery. I consider
any such off the shelf consumer batteries as a poor choice and false economy
compared to a commercial battery such as the

Trojans.

Conclusions:

Buy true commercial/industrial batteries.

They cost more, but even my bottom of the line T-105s lasted five times longer than
the cheap "deep-cycle".

Flooded batteries require maintenance (water & charging) or they will fail.

Note: Flooded batteries make hydrogen gas and a fine mist of sulphuric acid when
being charged. These must be vented to prevent explosions and corrosion of
battery terminals other any nearby items.

AGM

Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries are a type of true maintenance free lead acid
battery. They have no ports to add liquid and will re-combine any generated gas
internally. The military and aircraft industry use this technology due to low self
discharge (1-3% per month) and no liquid to
spill.

They have only recently become widely available, both in starting applications and
for deep cycle use. My actual test time with them has been limited to only two
years.

I have three units in starting applications. All are in vehicles that sit for extended
time periods (6-12 months), but then get used frequently, thus creating a cycle of
many starts followed by long periods of inactivity. I have had one internal cell
failure on the most used

battery in it's first year. The two others have worked perfectly, allowing me to start
a car that had sat idle for six months as if I had been driven the previous day.

One unit was subject to a severe discharge, showing less than 3V when
disconnected. The unit was charged overnight on a commercial bulk charger and
then load/capacity tested back down to 10V. All indications were that the battery
suffered no damage and it was returned to starting

service.

Current specifications for heavy industrial AGM batteries and accelerated life tests
indicate life spans of 20+ years even under heavy use. This would not seem
unrealistic given that old industrial telecom backup batteries are often sold after 20
years of service with buyers reporting acceptable capacity of these 20 year old
batteries.

There are many cheap imports being labeled as AGM. As it's difficult to tell the
difference between a gel-cell and AGM battery from the outside, stick with brands
that have been making AGM for commercial use.

Conclusions:

Expensive.

May be the best longer term / large capacity battery technology if weight, space
and price are not an issue.

Stick to name brand and industrial battery makers.

Heavy industrial AGM batteries are very expensive but will offer a real 20+ year life.

Contact Corrosion

When batteries are placed inside and object that is subject to motion, and left there
for extended periods of time, there is the strong possibility that atmospheric
oxidation various types of corrosion will occur. Basically the contacts will become
dirty and poor overtime,

leading to the dreaded weak or intermittent flashlight output that magically restores
itself when you bang the light a few times. Even sealed flashlights will develop this
problem, especially if subject to temperature cycles or vibration, such as storage in
a car.

This can be addressed in several ways. The batteries can simply be replaced every
year. The contacts can be gently cleaned once a year or whenever low output is
noticed. Never use an abrasive to clean contacts, as you may scrape away any
protective coating that has been

plated on. Coatings such as gold, silver or nickel are often very thin. The contacts
can be safely cleaned by rubbing with with a pencil eraser or clean sheet of paper.
The batteries contact areas can also be cleaned in this fashion. Finally, you can
place fabric or paper barriers between the batteries and the contacts to prevent
metal to metal contact until you want to use the device. Note that this can be useful
if you have devices such as radios that slowly drain the battery even when powered
off. Some newer electronics use solid state ON/OFF switches or run a clock or
memory retention device from the battery, thus slowly draining it. You will want to
verify that any any stored settings on the device are saved even without a battery
present before disconnecting the battery in this way. If the settings are stored for
two weeks, it should be okay to leave the battery out indefinitely.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Three Letters Re: Lessons Learned From an Ice Storm

Permalink

Dear Editor:

With regards to the battery powered carbon monoxide (CO) detector, I just want to
second that. When my family went through the Nov. 2007 ice storm that took out
the power to half of Oklahoma, we were running off our generator for two days. The
first night I put it outside, but close to the house to help shelter it from winds. Our
CO detector went off in the middle of the night. We ended up having the fire
department come out and check things. It was determined that the CO came in
through either the dryer vent, which was close to where the generator was, or
through the attic. Our home was built in the 1960s and has attic vents on the sides.
We ended up moving the generator about 10 feet farther away from the house and
didn't have any problems after that.

We've also found that one of the plastic kid pools works well with some duct tape to
provide a temporary shelter for a generator in case of rain. Thanks for running the
site, it's a wonderful resource. - Chad in Texas

James;

I really enjoyed reading "Lessons Learned from an Ice Storm", by G. in the Zarks. I
went through a similar experience when I first moved to the hills, and resolved to
buy a generator so I wouldn't lose all my perishables (not to mention my mind).

Connecting the generator to the home electrical system was easy enough: simply
purchase a transfer switch or a "double throw switch" or a "break before make
switch" to the tune of about $200 bucks at any contractor supply house. These
handy devices are mechanical switches that route your generator power directly to
your home electrical system, and physically separate this source of power from
commercial power, thereby preventing the generator's electricity from feeding back
into the power company's lines and injuring their linemen trying to restore the
system after a power outage. Plus, you don't have to worry about tripping over all
those pesky extension cords running to your refrigerator or freezer or whatever.

Next, hire yourself a licensed electrician to install said switch. This cost me under
$200, but this was over 10 years ago, so YMMV. Knowledgeable, experienced
electricians able to do this work are common in the Ozarks, as many make their
living installing transfer switches on chicken houses.
When I bought my generator, all I could afford was a 6,500 watt gasoline-powered
screamer. I wish I could have bought something bigger and better (read: diesel), but
just couldn't come up with the bucks. Consequently, I am unable to power
everything in my (unfortunately) all-electric house simultaneously. This necessitates
careful load management. For example, I can run a couple of lights,my well pump
and hot water heater at the same time, so hot showers are possible. Once showers
are done, the well pump and water heater circuits are turned off and the
refrigerator or freezer or what ever else needs doing are turned on.

Not the best situation, but until I can come up with the money to buy a larger
generator, it sure beats sitting in the dark and cold praying the power comes back
on soon. - L.H.

Mr. Rawles:

Re: The article "Lessons Learned From an Ice Storm, by G. in the Zarks" in the
Friday, February 5th posts of SurvivalBlog, can I offer the some lessons I've learned
in 40+ years as an Ozarker?

First, I listened and learned as much as I could from the fast-dwindling group of
Ozark natives when I moved here. Second, I learned to watch the weather and know
something about it. I didn't waste my time with the media weather female
meteorologists or guys outstanding in the rain. I looked at the weather maps,
remembered my years of experience here, and the stories told me by those whose
experience preceded arrival of power lines and pavement. About 8:00 the morning
the big ice storm was to hit the Ozarks, I committed to not being here when it did.
Experience told me I'd be iced in for some time and the come-latelys would be in
the ditches or otherwise draining the resources of our overtaxed and under-staffed
sheriff's deputies, volunteer fire, and EMT crews.

It took me just two hours to load up and be on the road in my 16 year old
conversion van, further converted to a self-sufficient home on wheels kept well
stocked. That included preparing the house for what was ahead too. RV antifreeze
in all drains and traps including washing machine and dishwasher, drain the water
lines and shut off the electric water heater. Since the house is primarily heated by
wood, two electrical strips were left on at low level to keep the inside above
freezing. Six inch walls and a modest size make my house easy to keep above
freezing and at adequate food storage levels, even in below zero times.

I called my sister-in-law, who lives a few miles away, and told her to drop by when
conditions allowed to clean out the refrigerator as appropriate, and check for
damage from trees in my 10-acres of hardwoods that surround and hide the house.
She did, about a week later when the others who live down my road had cleared a
path. The storm had given a war zone background to the beautiful mountains and
valleys, but nothing hit either my house or two metal-clad outbuildings. A melted
quart of ice cream was the worst clean-up problem.

I met the leading edge of the storm about 75 miles south of home, on the crest of
our mountain range, where ice began appearing on the antennas on the van. I was
out of danger on the flat land another 25 miles south and headed toward Texas via
the shortest and fastest route. Once there and rested up after an overnight in a
state Hospitality Center parking lot, I began a leisurely 30 days in the Lone Star
State's state parks and other favorite and cheaper Texas camping places. With
middle seats removed, my van contains a bed, 40-quart chest-type Engel 12 and
120 volt refrigerator with efficient rotary compressor. I can cook on either
microwave or propane stoves. There's a Porta-potty tucked under the table holding
the microwave, and food, water, coo ware and other

necessities in cabinets made from Sauder kit furniture units all bolted together and
anchored to the mounts that held the middle van seats. Plastic storage units fit
elsewhere for other supplies. Solar power panels, discreetly mounted inside the
luggage rack on the roof to be invisible to any but someone climbing the van's
ladder, keep the refrigerator going through a deep cycle battery. The 190 watt solar
system also powers a 750 watt modified sine wave 120 volt power supply that runs
the microwave for limited cooking such as my 2-minute oblates, 60-second brown
and wild rice and meals. The 120 volts can run the laptop computer's TV module
when TV stations are in range. Its own batteries handle e-mail. Some Texas State
Parks are sources for free Internet hookups.

The van also is outfitted with three amateur radio and two scanner radios and
antennas, to keep friends advised of my whereabouts beyond cell phone range or
need, and keep me appraised of what is going on around and above me.
What I've learned from my resourceful and self-sustaining Ozark native friends is
not to rush out and stock up after the first warning from the Weather Channel but to
be ready to adapt to what ever may be coming, and to know if and when it is
coming by experience, monitoring the real news sources of public service and other
early warning media.

"Lessons learned from an ice storm?" Really be prepared. Prepared in priority.

Power outages, winter storms and summer tornadoes or hurricanes, New Madrid
acting up, heat, cold, rain or snow; I can ride them out or bug out in hours or less.
Financial collapse, civil unrest, madness spawning something else; look for me gone
in these less-likely but slower moving crises. I'll be out there somewhere,
identifiable from the next vehicle only by license plate, if you happen to come upon
me camping or rolling down some highway or back road. - Vern M.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Two Letters Re: Lessons Learned from the Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2010

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Dear Editor:

The Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2010 is now melting away and as usual there were
lessons learned. Many of these should have been “known” before but we are never
as prepared as we should be. In that vein I am going to rehash several things that
went right, a few that went wrong, and others that we can improve on the next time
that “life as usual” is not.

First, the setting: I live in Southwestern Oklahoma and have been here for almost
three years. About January 22nd we started getting word of an impending ice/snow
storm scheduled to hit on about January 28th. As the storm came together we
received updates that refined the details. The reports of January 27th were
remarkably accurate to what we would receive as well as the specific times that
each type of precipitation would start to fall.

In our town it started to rain at about 7 a.m. on January 28th. As the temperature
dropped that rain froze on metal objects, then on trees and plants, and finally on
roads. At approximately 3 p.m. the rain changed over to sleet and ice pellets and
by 9 p.m. we were getting snow. Unfortunately an inch+ of ice and two inches of
sleet/ ice had already destroyed many trees and power lines (both the small
distribution lines in town and the major transmission lines into town) were down.

Electricity went out about 11 a.m. and was restored by 3 p.m. It went out again at 4
p.m. and would remain off at our house for the next six days. This power outage
was universal for every house in town and every town within a 30 mile radius. I
should mention that throughout the storm we had full water, sewer, and natural gas
service. There was concern at one point that the sewers would back up, (the sewer
lagoons are at an elevation where the sewage has to be pumped to them) and
those concerns brought about the possibility of the city turning off the water to
prevent sewer backup but power was restored before this eventuality.

Second, the good news list. Now that we are settled into what we hope is our last
home, we keep on hand sufficient food to last for approximately six months. With
reasonable rationing we could go even longer. We have a good rotation system and
keep on hand about four months worth of food that we eat every day and two
months worth of emergency type rations.

We enjoy camping and backpacking and have all the equipment to do both
activities year round and be comfortable. This includes lighter weight stoves,
packs, tents and sleeping bags and water purifiers to campsite sized Coleman cook
stoves, lanterns, Dutch ovens, tents, cots and heavy sleeping bags. While most of
this equipment was not used it was comforting to know that if the situation
continued to deteriorate, that we could adapt.

We bought a standard frame house with brick veneer when we moved to Oklahoma
which is approximately 35 years old. We haven’t spent money on kitchen,
bathroom or carpet upgrades but we have put 20 inches of blown insulation
throughout (to include over the garage and the porches) and we replaced all of the
original double pane aluminum frame windows with energy efficient vinyl frame
windows. Realizing that it is possible to do better, we were still pleased that during
one seventeen hour period without any heat source in the house, outside
temperatures from 17 to 26 degrees, and 20 mph winds, the temperature in the
house only dropped five degrees from 67 to 62.

The house has two hot water heaters-one electric that services two bathrooms and
one natural gas that services the kitchen and laundry room. It was very easy to
take hot water to the bathtubs and perform personal hygiene. Showers were
courtesy of the two gallon watering bucket that my wife uses to keep the sun room
flowers fresh.

The regular phone system remained operational throughout the storm and recovery
period. However, folks that only had cordless phone systems could not access the
lines. In some cases phones with integrated answering systems could dial out but
the phones would not ring if the ringer depended on plug in electricity. We have
one of the old style rotary phones that works perfectly on the telephone line current
and were able to send and receive calls.

We topped off all the vehicles and gas cans a couple of days before the storm. I
anticipated trouble getting more fuel trucks to town. What I did not think about was
the gas station could not pump gas without electricity anyway. Ultimately one old
fashioned gas station in town hooked up a generator and could run receipts in his
office. Credit cards did not work so cash or an established charge account with the
owner was the way to do business.

Third, what we can do better. We have a lot of candles. I have not done an
inventory but there are boxes of them. We discovered that candles that are about
an inch in diameter are optimal. Larger candles, 2-1/2 to 4 inches burn down in the
center and leave a candle rim that blocks light. Ultimately they just shine a small
circle of light on the ceiling. We also learned that the best candles put out very
little light. We have a couple of antique oil lamps but they are for decoration and
did not have wicks in them. We are going to acquire more oil lamps, maintain
them, and keep sufficient oil on hand for 4-to-6 months.

In the brain dead category we have Coleman stoves and lamps that are dual fuel.
Unfortunately I gave all of our Coleman fuel to the Boy Scouts so we failed in “Being
Prepared”. We shifted to our propane stoves. I need to point out that these stoves
should not be used indoors. We cooked outside on the patio. When we do get
around to remodeling the kitchen I am going to replace the stove top with a gas
appliance. While we did not bake, we did have the capability by placing a Dutch
oven on the propane stove.

In the final analysis we look at the Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2010 as being the most
lavish camping trip that we have ever been on. We never felt as though there were
any true hardships and after the initial storm period we spent a lot of time outdoors
enjoying the snow and volunteering at the local Red Cross warming/feeding center
doing whatever was asked of us. We look forward to implementing a few changes
and the next opportunity to test our preparedness.

Hello!

I am new to reading your blog and love it! I wanted to comment on the ice storm
post. I live in Oklahoma so we know all about these ice storms. I started reading a
lot of blogs on prepping and storing food during the holidays. I decided to make a
menu and strict food budget so I could afford to buy extra food for long-term
storage. I bought a month's worth of food this January. I also bought my first water
storage container - a 7 gallon Aqua-Tainer from Wal-Mart. Last year, I had a gas
heater mounted on my dining room wall, preparing myself for the next inevitable
ice storm. A few days before the storm, I bought emergency candles and I am so
glad I did! We didn't lose power (thankfully!), but our little town was cleaned out of
generators, candles, Coleman stoves, propane, kerosene....everything. I went to
Wal-Mart a few days later (when power was still out all over the county) and the
shelves were completely empty in some areas. That was a wake-up call to me. In
just a few short days, stores can be emptied. It is wise to not wait until the last
minute. I am a single mom and a teacher and I know how difficult it is to come up
with extra money to help become better prepared. I am doing a little each month
and will sleep soundly knowing that my kids will be warm and fed if anything
happens. By the way, the ice storm hit seven days ago and people are still without
power.

Thanks for the wonderful blog and such useful information! - Kay in Oklahoma

Friday, February 5, 2010

Lessons Learned From an Ice Storm, by G. in the Zarks

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While watching the local weather over the last few days, it has become apparent
that a winter storm is heading for our part of the world, bringing with it the distinct
possibility of not just snow, but significant amounts of ice. As I pondered this, it
brought to mind our recent experiences with ice storms over the last few years,
most notably in January 2007. I thought some of our “lessons learned” were worth
sharing with others.

We had been blessed with several years of reasonably mild winters leading up to
the 2007 storm. Unfortunately, the good times often seem to lull people into a state
of complacency, characterized by an artificial sense of well-being and overall lack of
awareness. This is, of course, what the late Colonel Cooper referred to as Condition
White.

I freely admit to being somewhat guilty of the “All is Well” syndrome where the
weather was concerned also. While I have spent my entire adult life trying to make
sure my family is prepared for the myriad of difficulties we experience, I must
confess that when the weather man said “Chance of ice,” I didn’t really take him all
that seriously. I failed to properly evaluate the nature of the threat. In that
particular instance, I didn’t think through the potential ice storm scenario to any
great degree, because I considered myself and my family to already be prepared for
this event. At the very least, I should have gone through the mental exercise of
“what if” and reviewed the supplies I had in contrast to what I was likely to need in
this situation. In a real emergency, “All is Well” can get you killed.

The ice came. In the early hours of the morning I awoke to find the power had gone
off. This was, frankly, no surprise to me. Temporary interruptions in the grid caused
by weather are far from unusual here. What I couldn’t know at the time was our
power would not be back on for 8 days. Neighbors not far from us were out for 13
days. In contrast, power in the closest town was only out for hours.

Upon waking, I immediately got up, woke my wife and told her the power was out,
and took a hot shower before the water in the tank had a chance to cool. My wife
did likewise. A hot shower can become an unbelievable luxury in a surprisingly short
period of time when the power is out. (Yes, our hot water heater is “gasp!” electric.)
Also, I filled the bathtub and several buckets with water in case the generators
failed at the local water district. I already had several cases of drinking water and
approximately 200 gallons in drums in the garage as well. These are standard
precautions on our part, regardless of the time of year.

Heat was the next issue we tackled. Our home is all-electric, but we supplement the
electric furnace with portable kerosene heaters in order to keep utility bills
manageable. I isolated the living room, which is where we spend most of our waking
hours, by stapling blankets over the doorways leading to our hallways and kitchen.
This five-minute modification allowed me to more efficiently heat the living room
with a kerosene heater, and minimized heat loss into the unused areas of the
house. I used the same “compartment” approach at night when heating the
bedroom. Of course, kerosene heaters should never be left unattended for any
period of time, and a battery-powered CO detector is a must.

A second important lesson regarding heat is to have ample fuel supplies on-hand to
handle an emergency. We were burning kerosene on a daily basis before the storm.
When the weather forecast seemed ominous, I asked my wife to pick up an extra
container of kerosene on her way home from work, since I work long shifts and
would not be away from work before the station closed. She forgot, and we faced
the storm with less than 5 gallons of kerosene. On the heels of the ice came
painfully low temperatures for several days. It became clear that we would not have
sufficient fuel for our heaters to last throughout the cold snap. Furthermore, a large
percent of the local population had turned to kerosene heaters in the absence of
electricity. Local suppliers soon ran out of kerosene. As a result, I eventually found
myself standing in line for approximately four hours in order to purchase 10 gallons
of kerosene, when it became available. Fortunately, I did have enough cash on hand
to make the needed transaction. ATMs were only intermittently operational. The
wait, outdoors in single-digit temperatures, with a few hundred other unfortunates,
was by far the most valuable lesson I received during this time. The helplessness,
anxiety, and shame associated with my lack of preparation have impacted me
deeply. By the way, I now buy kerosene in 55 gallon drums. No more queues for me.

That covers water, shelter, and heat. Our next issue was light. I keep several Dietz
lanterns and two Aladdin lamps along with several gallons of high-grade lamp oil on
hand. Illumination was not a problem. In addition, I have a wide variety of Surefire
brand flashlights and spare lithium batteries for nighttime chores around the house.
All of the above were put to good use. I was even able to supply some of my
neighbors with Dietz lanterns and oil during the time we were off-grid. Several
valuable lessons concerning light were learned. First, the Aladdin lamps are
excellent, albeit somewhat expensive. They are bright when used according to the
instructions. So bright, in fact, that I recommend anyone planning on using them
also spend the extra money for lamp shades. They are definitely bright enough to
read by without undue eyestrain. They also give off significant amounts of heat,
which was helpful in the cold temperatures. They would be less pleasant to utilize in
hot weather, however. I was actually able to boil water by holding a metal cup over
the top of the chimney for a brief time. This was an excellent technique for
preparing some of the freeze-dried Mountain House food we ate during the event.
Buy at least twice as many mantles and chimneys as you think you will need, as
these are the most fragile parts of the lamp. Also, read the instructions.

Dietz lanterns are excellent tools for the money, but are significantly less bright
than the Aladdins. They are easier to use when you are moving around as they have
handles and can be carried while lit. All the standard precautions apply when using
anything that is actively burning while you handle it.

Surefire lights are also outstanding illumination tools. The major shortfall is battery
life. I discovered that when you are using them as a primary illumination source,
you will go through a surprising number of batteries. The good news is the batteries
generally have a shelf life measured in years, so you can afford to stock up without
worrying too much about discharge rates. Don’t buy CR-123 batteries from places
like Wal-Mart; they are too expensive there. Instead, order them directly from
Surefire’s web site. You can get them in bulk for less than $2 per battery. The
battery life problem can also be mitigated somewhat by buying the newer
generation of LED lights, as opposed to the older ones with the xenon bulbs.

Food was not an issue due to pre-existing stocks. All our cooking was done outside
on a propane burner from a turkey fryer. Coffee prepared in an enameled percolator
was definitely the biggest morale-booster from day to day. We even had friends
over for “Mountain House night” to provide a little levity and fellowship in an
otherwise dreary situation.

The same morning that the power went off, I removed all perishables from the
refrigerator and stored them in a Rubbermaid tub in the cold garage. That food was
prepared and eaten first. The freezers were left closed as much as possible, and
wrapped with blankets for additional insulation. I keep a 5kw generator with the
tank drained along with several gallons of stabilized fuel (religiously rotated) and
sufficient oil. My only purpose for the genset is to keep the freezers frozen in just
such situations. Only one of my freezers in indoors, the others being outside. It was
only necessary to run the generator for a couple of hours every two to three days to
maintain the integrity of the frozen food. In retrospect, it would be advisable to
have the ability to connect the genset to portions of the house (with the appropriate
safety measures, of course) for added flexibility in using a limited number of electric
appliances.
During the crisis, I had two different coworkers whose homes were “cased” by
potential thieves. Each home was rural and isolated, with no neighbors in direct
line-of sight. Fortunately, in both cases, when the armed homeowners confronted
the would-be thieves, they wisely ran away.

Keep in mind that, while the power was off for several days, this was in fact only a
pseudo-disaster. Roads remained passable, and within a day, Wal-Mart was open for
business. Within hours they sold out of bottled water, candles, lamps & lamp oil,
manual can openers, flashlights, batteries (D-cells were the most in demand), milk,
bread, and most foodstuffs that don’t require preparation. Over the course of three
days, I watched my closest neighbor make at least two trips to Wal-Mart per day,
returning with armloads of white plastic bags each trip. Also, within days, there
were enterprising individuals selling small generators out of the back of tractor-
trailers. You could hear the rattle and hum of Briggs & Stratton engines in almost
every direction.

On a personal note, the experience was also a validation of the preparedness

mindset for my wife. While she has always been supportive of my efforts to prepare,
she was from time to time also prone to grumbling about the amount of space
occupied by our preparedness supplies. More than once during the storm, she would
say something like “Gee, it would be nice if we had…” upon which I would go to the
back room, rummage around and return with the item she was requesting. By the
end of the storm, her most frequent comment was, “I’m glad you’re my husband.”

Lessons Learned:

* An "All is Well" attitude will get you killed. Take threats seriously.

* Have your water taken care of now. It will be one less critical thing to worry
about in an emergency.

* Keep fuel in sufficient quantities for emergencies.

* Batteries, batteries, batteries.

* Be able to cook outside.

* Thieves and looters will come, even in rural areas.

* It’s not really a disaster if you can still go to Wal-Mart.

Letter Re: I Thought that I Was Ready!

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I have just returned to my house after 6 days without power. I Thought I was ready.
I had plenty of beans, Band-Aids, bullion and bullets. What I didn’t have was the
stuff I needed to get through the first week of a massive power outage. We still had
water, even though I had an additional 50 gallons of fresh, treated water for myself,
The Beautiful Wife (TBW) and the pets. We had enough short term food that we
were able to provide a chili meal for some of our friends and coworkers that were
doing without. We had more money of all kinds than we needed. What I hadn’t
planned for, was the first week. We had enough flashlights, but a headlight would
have served much better. Cooking with a flashlight leave the cook one hand short. I
knew that I had a Coleman propane camp stove, but I had neglected to put the
propane and the connector hose with the stove. I had a Coleman lantern for light,
but I had used the last pair of mantels and had not replaced them, you know, I’ll get
them on sale or when we go to town next. And then I forgot! I would have paid three
times what the cost just to be able to read after dark. Same thing for the propane, I
had one for the grill, one for the stove (Oh, yea, I don’t know where that one is), and
a spare. Oh, the spare is in the travel trailer, and has an inch of ice over the storage
door. Hummmm! Thank goodness for deicer. Oh, yea, I had to go dig that out of
storage in another box.

Have a list! Know what things you need to rotate, replace, use up, whatever. Make
sure your BTW or your closest friend knows where that list is, and what it means.
Abbreviations on a list that have meaning to you, are worthless to your partner,
unless they know what they stand for.

Drill! Work with your partner to fine tune the list. We both knew where the spot
flashlight was, we thought! We had moved less than a year ago, and the spot
flashlight we both thought we knew the location of, well that was in the old house.
We found it in the travel trailer on the fourth day. Have a scavenger hunt and find
random items on the list. Where is the fire extinguisher, the spot flashlight, the
propane for the stove? What do you need to splint my broken arm from a fall in the
ice? How am I supposed to get you to a medical facility without a phone?
I have been reading SurvivalBlog for a year now, and I thought I was doing pretty
good. Boy, was I wrong!

Keep up the good work and God Bless. - Ray B.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Letter Re: The Importance of Testing "Dead" Batteries Before Recycling Them

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James-

I wanted to share a money saving tip that applies to inexpensively preparing for
TEOTWAWKI. With so many digital devices depending on batteries these days, most
of us are conditioned so that, when a device like a digital camera or other smart
gadget tells us the AA or AAA batteries need replacing, we simply toss out the
“dead” ones and put in fresh batteries. But are the batteries really dead? Usually,
not all of them are.

I have a handy little Canon digital camera that we use around the house for
insurance documentation, family photo opportunities at parties, pictures for
craigslist ads, etc. It uses four AA batteries. Yesterday, while taking some pictures,
it issued its standard low battery warning. I took the four “dead” batteries out and
replaced them with fresh batteries. I didn’t discard the old batteries. I have a 40
battery rack with tester. I tested each of the four batteries. The tester indicated one
battery was completely dead, while the other three still had useful voltage. Without
more sophisticated battery testing equipment, I could’t know how much useful
amperage was left. So I did an experiment. I placed each of the remaining “good”
three batteries in a cheap, single cell AA LED flashlight ($1 each on clearance from
Home Depot during the holiday season). I left the flashlights on. For about six hours,
each of the lights worked at very good brightness. After that, they continued to
produce useful light for another 3 to 4 hours. That’s nearly 30 hours of useful
utility/reading/navigating-in-the-dark light from three “dead” batteries most of us
would discard without a second thought. How valuable would 30 extra hours of
battery powered light be if the power grid was down for an extended period? Very
valuable!

I’m putting a simple system in place to take advantage of this: I will now test all
“dead” batteries. Ones that still show good voltage go in a plastic bucked, to be
used for non-critical, single cell LED flashlight duty. Front-line flashlights
(emergency kits, cars, gun mounted lights, gun safes, etc.) will still always get fresh
batteries. But the ones I keep in tool boxes, kitchen drawers, etc., now use the
“dead” cells. I don’t expect they’ll store forever, but I will keep rotating them and
using them until they are truly dead. My fresh battery supply will last longer, and I
will save money that can be put toward other preparations.

Keep up the good work. - Rich S.

Two Letters Re: A Simple Off-the-Shelf Solar Power System and Off-Grid Power Tools

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James,

Your readers recently bring up good points about the advantage of battery powered
tools with solar recharging. The advice to use an inverter connected to a 12v deep
cycle battery and regular corded AC tools was good advice also, since the batteries
may not last very long.

Having just recently purchased a set of Ryobi one+ tools myself, I found a seller on
ebay selling an adapter for the one+ tools. It plugs into the tool in place of the
battery then you can plug an AC DC power supply into it. This will give the best of
both worlds. Use of the Ryobi batteries, then once the batteries no longer hold a
charge, you can connect an AC/DC power supply to your 12v deep cycle battery and
basically have a corded tool.

Search eBay for "EX-One use AC adapter replace Ryobi One+ P103 Lithium" or
seller "lcdpayless". The adapter is only $20 but doesn't come with the AC/DC power
adapter. I am not the seller and I haven't ordered one of these yet. I just thought
your readers with Ryobi One+ tools might be interested to learn of this possibility
for backup power for their tools. - D.L.

Sir:

A clarification for your readers on the article titled: A Simple Off-the-Shelf Solar
Power System and Off-Grid Power Tool., The “Bill of Materials” for this project
included; “Interstate Marine/RV 12 volt battery #27DC-1 ($68 from Sam's Club)” I
spent some time on the internet trying to find exactly what this battery was, given
that there aren’t any Sam's Clubs nearby.

A search of Interstate’s web site leads me to two conclusions:

1) The part number cited is a Sam’s Club number and not likely to be useful
elsewhere.

2) Interstate only makes (in Group 27) Start Only duty or Start/Deep Cycle duty
batteries for marine use, neither of which is optimal for this application.

The best type of marine/RV battery to use for this application is one rated for true
“Deep Cycle” duty. Deep Cycle batteries tolerate more frequent and deeper (more
than 10%) discharge without early failure. These are not often found in warehouse
stores. My local BJs had one this week, but this is the first time in over two years
that I’ve seen one there and I live in a “seaside community”. Deep Cycle only
batteries are not often found for under $100.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Two Letters Re: A Simple Off-the-Shelf Solar Power System and Off-Grid Power Tools

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James-

Thanks for the interesting article on the Ryobi 12v solar setup.

Just wanted to chip in some advice on Ryobi batteries: Of the name brand cordless
tools, Ryobi seems to have the worst NiCd battery quality. When used carefully,
they will work well for a couple of years. If pressed hard, they will die a much earlier
death. I have found that some packs will have a bad cell, dramatically shortening
the entire pack’s life after only a few months. I’ve experienced this with 9.6v, 14v,
and 18v Ryobi setups. Even the healthier packs, when pushed hard, particularly
with a high drain device like a circular saw, die a quick death. To maximize the
useful life, do not push them to the point where the battery pack gets hot and is
completely drained. Such hard use guarantees the pack will lose capacity and cease
to hold a charge for extended periods of time.

Ryobi’s latest 18v sets (“ONE+”) can be powered by either their lithium or NiCd
packs. If the purchaser can afford the lithium setup, it is a better investment, as the
lithium packs last longer in use, hold a charge longer, and have much better shelf
life. If you cannot afford the lithium battery packs with the initial purchase, consider
adding them later, as the same 18v charging setup you describe will work with
either type of battery.

Also, Home Depot’s Rigid cordless tool line currently come with a lifetime warranty
that includes the lithium battery packs, and they will replace the batteries if they
fail to hold a charge, regardless of the reason. The Rigid line may be a good
alternative for those purchases who intend hard use for their cordless tools. The
Rigid line is typically twice as costly as the Ryobi line, but they do occasionally go
on sale and represent a better value for people who wear out their battery packs.
Regards, - Rich S.

Sir,

With regards to A Simple Off-the-Shelf Solar Power System and Off-Grid Power
Tools, I must object to a portable tool solution based on short ("2-3 years")
rechargeable batteries which are fundamentally non-replaceable after TSHTF as
opposed to a contrasting setup using inverters to operate 117 VAC-conventional
power tools - all other parameters being identical. Just skip the 18 volt rechargeable
tools and batteries and DC-to-DC chargers and stick with regular AC tools.

In order to prolong the deep-cycle lead-acid batteries into the "unlimited" range:
stay within the top 10% of the battery capacity. Not only will you not have to worry
about replacing high-technology 18volt portable batteries every three years, but
you won't even have to worry about replacing deep-cycle lead acid every seven
years neither. - R.S.

JWR Replies: I agree with the simplicity of your approach.

Sadly, there is no such thing as a "forever" or "unlimited life" lead-acid battery.
Even if they are kept fully charged, they will eventually sulfate. That chemical
reaction is inevitable, and can at best just be delayed. One evidence of this
telephone companies spending millions of dollars rotating their deep cycle batteries
that they they use for backup at the Central Offices (COs). IIRC, they are replaced
once every eight years. And those batteries only rarely get drawn down. ("Cycled.")
If there were some way to make lead-acid batteries have unlimited life, the phone
companies would have implemented it long ago.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A Simple Off-the-Shelf Solar Power System and Off-Grid Power Tools, by K. in Texas

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This article is written for those who have no experience with solar power and would
like to set up a simple beginner system. I have been using this system for over a
year and have found it to be efficient. My goal was to put together a system which
is easy to use and does not require a lot of technical knowledge.

EQUIPMENT LIST:

1. BatteryMinder #SCC-015 Solar Charger 12 volt with 15 watt solar panel ($150
from Northern Tool and Supply)

2. BatteryMinder #BC2410 battery clip assembly ($10 from Northern Tool and
Supply)

3. Interstate Marine/RV 12 volt battery #27DC-1 ($68 from Sam's Club)

4. Battery box for group 27 size battery ($10 from Wal-Mart)

5. Vector #VEC005 12 volt battery clips with accessory outlet ($6 from local
hardware store)

6. Ryobi #P130 18 volt vehicle battery charger ($40 from Home Depot)

7. Ryobi #P824 18 volt tool starter kit with drill, circular saw, two 18 volt batteries,
house current battery charger, and case ($89 from Home Depot)

8. A two or three level heavy duty shelf

Obviously, you can purchase your equipment wherever you like. If you would like to
support SurvivalBlog, you can purchase the BatteryMinder solar charger and battery
clip assembly from Northern Tool by starting at the "Affiliates" link on the
SurvivalBlog main page, left side, third item from the top. Northern Tool also carries
a number of battery powered tools. While at the blog's the "Affiliates" page, you
may also want to look at the Allbattery.com site to see what is available in the way
of rechargeable batteries and chargers which may be used with this system. The
aforementioned equipment reflects the exact hardware that I use, so I know it
works. The prices give you an idea of what your system could cost. I have listed
Ryobi brand tools because I've used them for a number of years and found them to
work well. You could use other brands such as DeWalt, Black and Decker, etc. I
suggest you purchase tools which use at least 18 volt batteries.

SETUP: Begin by reading and heeding the instructions with all of the listed
equipment. Let's start with the BatteryMinder Solar Charger (item #) and follow the
instructions on setup. The instructions are four short pages on how to wire the
system, position the solar panel, and how the system works. I leave my system set
up 24/7 so that when sunshine is available the system is charging/maintaining the
12 volt deep cycle marine battery and even on a cloudy day some charging activity
is going on. I positioned the solar panel near an exterior door of my garage so the
wire from the solar panel to the charge controller can be run under the door to a
three level shelf just inside the door. This way, the charge controller and the battery
condition indicator are not exposed to the weather. I placed the BatteryMinder
charge controller and battery condition indicator on the shelf one level above the
lowest shelf.

Next, place the Interstate 12 volt marine battery (item #3) into the battery box
(item #4) and place both on the bottom level of your shelves. In order to use
battery clamps do not place the box top on the battery. The battery comes with two
types of posts on the positive and negative sides, one post is larger, smooth sided,
and designed for a battery clamp and the other post is threaded. The
BatteryMinder's battery connections are the spade style with holes, these can be
fastened onto the threaded posts, remember red to positive, black to negative.
Northern Tool offers an optional accessory, item #2 in the Equipment List, which
replaces the spade style battery connectors with battery clamps. These make it
quicker to disconnect the system from the battery. I use the battery clamps instead
of the spade style connectors. I connect the clamps to the large, smooth sided
posts, again, red to positive, black to negative.
At this point, you have assembled the BatteryMinder system and hooked it up to the
12 volt deep cycle marine battery. When the sun is shining the battery is being
charged/maintained. Now you are ready to hook up the Vector 12 volt battery
clamps with accessory outlet jack (item #5). It's easy, just hook the Vector battery
clamps to the unused post on each side of the battery, in my case, I use the
threaded posts, again, red to positive, black to negative, I know, it's getting
repetitive!

Last step - place the Ryobi vehicle charger (item #6) on the shelf above the bottom
shelf. It needs plenty of space for air circulation because it puts out some heat when
in use. Just plug the Ryobi charger male end into the Vector accessory female
outlet.

OPERATION: With the Ryobi vehicle charger hooked to the 12 volt deep cycle
battery just plug an 18 volt tool battery into the vehicle charger and wait until the
green light comes on. Ryobi says a cold tool battery could take about 1 hour to
charge. With the 12 volt deep cycle battery at full charge, you will have no problem
charging 4 to 6 tool batteries without discharging the 12 volt deep cycle battery too
much. That number of fully charged batteries would be able to do more work than I
care to do at one time. If you charge a number of 18 volt tool batteries at one time,
be sure to use the battery condition indicator to check the 12 volt deep cycle
battery. If the indicator says "Good" you are okay, but if the indicator shows "Fair"
or "Poor" you should stop charging tool batteries until the BatteryMinder has had
time to catch up and fully charge the 12 volt deep cycle battery. On the battery
condition indicator "Good" means the 12 volt deep cycle battery is holding a charge
of 12.5 to 13.2 volts, "Fair" is 12.0 to 12.5 volts, and "Poor" is 11.5 to 12.0 volts. My
BatteryMinder maintains a full charge on the 12 volt deep cycle battery of about
13.1 volts. Be sure to disconnect the Ryobi tool battery charger when not in use, it
does use electricity when not charging a tool battery.

Use of tools - I have found that I use the drill the most, followed by the circular saw,
reciprocating saw, and jigsaw. With occasional daily usage, the drill battery will last
2-3 weeks on a single charge. I have found these tools so useful I packed away my
corded drill and circular saw. Ryobi and others have a number of other tools which
use the 18 volt batteries.

Other uses - Of course you can use this charging system for other things besides
charging 18 volt tool batteries. Anything that calls for a 12 volt DC car charging
source can be charged, i.e. cell phones, rechargeable batteries, laptop computers,
MP3 players, etc. You can also use this system to run 12 volt DC gizmos, just
remember, use the battery condition indicator so that you don't too deeply
discharge your 12 volt deep cycle battery.

MAINTENANCE: Not much. Other than checking the condition of the 12 volt deep
cycle battery the only other thing to check is the level of water. Just fill according to
the battery instructions using distilled water. If you were to use a sealed battery you
can forget the distilled water. The 18 volt tool batteries last about 2-3 years with
fairly steady use so they will have to be replaced. Once this system is placed into
use you can stagger your purchases of new 18 volt tool batteries so that all of your
tool batteries don't die at about the same time.

CONCLUSIONS: With careful monitoring, I expect the 12 volt deep cycle marine
battery in this system to last seven years or more. There are no moving parts so
unless an electronic part fails, the rest of the system should last a long time.
BatteryMinder says you can maintain 2 parallel connected medium sized 12 volt
batteries at the same time. Also, you could rotate any number of 12 volt deep cycle
batteries, one at a time, to maintain a bank of fully charged 12 volt deep cycle
batteries. The ability to have power tools available when there is no grid power
could prove to be very useful. Even if you have a generator, it is very handy to have
fully charged tool batteries available without using the generator to recharge the
tool batteries. In the event that there were no new 18 volt tool batteries available,
with proper battery management, you could still have the use of power tools for
several years.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Letter Re: Suggestions on LED Flashlights

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Mr. Rawles,

Just a suggestion about something you and your readers might be interested in. I'm
not affiliated with the vendor in any way, just a very satisfied customer.

4Sevens' 2-AA Quark light is good for 30 days continuous on low, and a couple of
hours at 200 lumens. These are by far the best LED lights on the market at this
time. I hang around the flashlight-nerd subculture, and have 4Sevens lights in all
my survival packs. Obviously, you can recharge LSD AA lights with solar chargers,
and they'll run off of regular AA and lithium AA batteries too.

This light, on high, is probably brighter than any light a normal family owns, many
times brighter than a Mag-Lite, and much smaller. Pocket sized. Personally, I
suggest their sporadically available warm white LEDs. You can't tell when meat is
cooked with a blue-white LED, which is the norm at the moment from other vendors.
You can tell rare from well done with the warm white LEDs. When I say "blue" LEDs,
I refer to what passes for "white" LEDs these days. They are basically blue-white in
spectral output, and have poor color rendition. None of the mass-marketed LED
lights currently is warm white, but that is what you want, if you want to be able to
make out colors at night. (You do.) 4Sevens sells some "warm" lights, as does Fenix.

The second best thing out there is Fenix. Their TK-20 is warm white, uses AAs, and
will throw a spot at 100 yards. (No, I'm not exaggerating, I used Fenix lights on
safari while night hunting. They work. My professional hunter kept mine as part of
my tip, and he's thrilled with it.) You can also run one over with a truck, and it will
still work fine. I know! (Oops!)

Anyway, 4Sevens and Fenix are 2-5 years ahead of Home Depot and Wal-Mart as far
as LED lights go, and forever away as far as quality is concerned. Surefire makes
great lights, but they are also way behind in efficiency, though they are very well
made. My Surefire 6P, heavily modified with parts from Candlepower Forums, is
1,000 lumens, but only for 3 minutes. Still, for current urban uses, it is the bomb.
Way better than Surefire's 120 lumen best effort. Mine is blinding in daylight, and
obviously, it owns the night, if briefly.

But I digress. 4Sevens has some incredible lights. They are Surefire-priced ($60-ish),
but use AAs and LEDs, have sapphire coated scratch proof lenses, have anti-
reflection coated lenses, to get the light out, are waterproof, are small, and use the
latest generation LEDs.

I cannot imagine a better solution for illumination, if one can recharge LSD AAs.
Anyway, check them out. The 2-AA is the best. The single-AA versions burn up too
much power in the voltage converter. The 2-AA is the way to go.
One other note. Tritium vials. Tritium vials are not commonly available here in the
"land of the free", but are still easily obtainable [if you look at secondary market
sources such as eBay]. The 1.5x5mm glass vials are easily inset into survival
equipment (green is by far the brightest), and they last 30 years or so. Useful to be
added to any equipment one must find in the dark, in a hurry. Use clear nail polish
to set the vials; epoxy turns translucent in short order. Also [large military surplus ]
tritium map reading lights [commonly called "Betalights"] can be found without too
much trouble. - Nemo

Letter Re: An "Energy-Independent" Village in Germany

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Mr. Rawles:

As an engineer interested in long term sustainability I was most interested in the

item from Troy H. mentioning Juhnde, Germany. I took a look at their web site and
ran the numbers to look at whether such an installation is commercially viable.

The capital costs listed were EU 5,400,000 or about USD $7,900,000 at present
exchange rates; It's not clear when the overall system was constructed but the hot
water pipeline system was built around 2005. Apparently, and I will have to look
into this further, all of the capital costs were from public funds. This translates out
to about $10,395 per resident in capital expenses, excluding operating and
maintenance costs. Amortized out over 20 years, straight line amortization with no
interest cost, the principal cost would be ~$520 per resident per year. If you
included reasonable capital costs, a 20 year fixed 6.0% mortgage would cost $74.51
per month per resident. It might be possible to play with the financing costs and
rates to find a sweet spot, but I thought that was sufficient for a first assessment.

Assuming an average family of four, this would mean about $3600 per year (about
$2,080 for principle and $1,500 interest) for heat and electricity capital cost plus
the unknown operating costs, which I would estimate by rule of thumb for large
installs at 50% of the amortized capital expenses. That is $5,400 per year per
family, not for housing but just for heat and electricity.

If we include the return from the electrical power (an estimated annual surplus of
2,500,000 kWh) that is a total annual savings of $150,000 at $0.06 per kWh or $197
per resident per year, for an estimated net cost of around $4,600 per family for heat
and electricity. (Obviously, electrical costs vary tremendously and affect the
analysis)

My costs for my home's physical plant, which include a propane furnace with
electric heat pump and associated tanks, duct work, woodstove and chimney, etc.,
were about $13,000 to support a family of four. My annual energy cost, electricity,
propane, and the costs of cutting/splitting wood are about $1,400 per year. (Yes, I
have good insulation, and I also don't have a huge house, and I turn off the lights!)
Plus an allowance of $500 for repair and replacement. Using the same logic and
rates, my mortgage cost for heating is $93.14 per month or ~$1,120 per year
capital expenses plus $1,900 in operating expenses including preventative
maintenance (PM) and repair allowance. This totals $3,000 per year.

What this analysis tells me is that interesting as Juhnde is, it is not economically
sustainable. Sustainable designs have to be sustainable from an economic
perspective as well as a technical and biological one. A truly sustainable solution
offers economic benefits and a competitive advantage. Now, a highly productive
society such as present-day Germany may be able to afford to subsidize a 50%
increase in energy costs and a 25% reduction in crop output, at least in a small area
over the short term, and this example may be useful as a 'proof of concept' test
bed, but in my judgment this is not a viable long term solution for the USA. The real
push behind this may be found in the proud statement that the village has reduced
it's carbon output by 60%. Regards, - Larry

JWR Replies: Also missing from the grand cost accounting equation are the costs of
the fossil fuels used in producing and transporting the crops used in biodigesters.
Traditional agriculture in a partially forested region (for firewood) with good topsoil
and reliable rains provides a much better shot at true local mutigenerational
sustainability. But of course that flies in the face of the uber-greens that are fixated
on carbon emissions. Talk about missing the forest for the trees. Our forests are
enormous solar energy collectors, renewably providing countless billions of BTUs,
there for the taking.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Two Letter Re: Some Observations on Fortifications Versus Camouflaged Retreats

Permalink
James:

Just a quick observation about the wisdom of sheltering in a missile base or some
other Cold War-era fortification. While Chris is correct that history demonstrates
that fortifications can and will be breached by enemy forces with the resources and
determination to maintain a well-conceived siege, I question whether after
TEOTWAWKI the marauders most likely to be challenging such a retreat will have
the resources to see a siege through to a successful conclusion.

Presumably, the scarcity of resources is precisely what would make a fortress such
an inviting target. Unlike the armies that successfully overran ancient fortifications,
there is little hope of people armed only with conventional weapons successfully
breaching the walls or blast doors of a structure designed to withstand anything but
a direct hit from a sizable nuclear warhead. Additionally, the barbarian hordes in a
post-collapse scenario will not have the luxury of sitting in place indefinitely, waiting
for those hunkered inside such a bunker to exhaust their own resources. Unless a
well-organized and well-armed assault force happens to catch the owners of the
fortress completely unprepared, I think that even taking into account the risks of
living underground for prolonged periods these sorts of shelters offer the highest
degree of security for their owners after TSHTF.

Keep up the great work, - D.

Dear Editor:

Ah, so sorry to sound the defeatist, but the self-sufficiency plans outlined in the
recently-posted article by "Chris" would not stand up to scientific scrutiny by folks
that actually work with closed-cycle environments.

(A) The article refers to producing methane for power by "dissolving" milkweed in
water, and even accelerating the breakdown by immersing the milkweed in salt
water and running a current through it.
In point of fact, merely "dissolving" milkweed will not produce methane. Methane is
produced by the decomposition and fermentation of organic matter. Said
decomposition requires a number of things: (1) a warm, moist environment, (2) a
low oxygen content in the biomass being fermented, (3) one or more bacterial
cultures that decompose biomass – these are usually found in moist, or semisolid
matter, not a salt-water solution. Decomposition bacteria do *really* poorly in salt
water. It's the reason "salt-curing" is the preservation method of choice for meat in
the absence of refrigeration.

One must also ask, if the milkweed is being fermented for methane to generate
power, where is the electricity coming from that would be passed through the
saltwater solution to supposedly accelerate the dissolution of the milkweed? Hmm?
It would be a good idea to *produce* more power than one must consume in the
production of the power.

Certainly it would be possible to produce methane from compost, and that would be
a good means of providing an emergency fuel source and heat source in cold
weather. However for power generation, if we assume that the author is thinking of
using a methane-fueled internal combustion engine connected to an alternator, it is
first necessary to *compress* the methane. One kilogram of solid waste subjected
to anaerobic fermentation will produce about 120 liters of methane – a year. A
natural gas (i.e. methane) fueled generator producing 5000 watts (a very small
home – just enough for lights, a fan and one small refrigerator – uses approximately
2 kg of methane per hour. Methane weighs about 2 kg per cubic meter, so the 120
liters of methane produced as above would weigh about 0.02 kg. To keep a
methane-powered generator going for a single 24-hour day would require 2400 kg
of compost, and could only run the generator for one day out of 365. Continuous
operation would require a compost pit containing >800,000 kg of compost. Nearly
a thousand metric tons of fermenting waste would hardly count as inconspicuous.

Then there's that compression problem again. Absent a compressed methane

supply, the only possible means of power generation would be external combustion
of the methane in an open flame and boiling water. All of which presumes that
sufficient methane can be collected from a compost pit the size a small town and
transported to the burner, but alas, that would also require some means of
*pushing* the methane into the pipes leading to the burner. This means fans or
pumps, and like compressing the methane or electrifying salt water, would waste
the very power being generated.
(B) Next the article turns to air and water filtration, and is on its strongest
foundation. It is true that algae are a great technique for scrubbing the air of
excess CO2 and enriching it with oxygen. This is the stuff of which long-duration
space flight is made. Better yet, algae is biomass, and can be composted for
methane! However, there are still many issues with the *implementation* of this
plan. First, algae consume CO2 and produce O2 during the day, but a little
acknowledged fact is that *all* plants consume O2 and produce CO2 at night when
chlorophyll is deprived of the sunlight required to power photosynthesis. The
efficiency of this cycle is about 2:1 given 12 hrs day and 12 hrs night. Thus for
every two liters of O2 produced during daylight, one liter will be consumed the
following night. Unless the algae is grown under artificial sunlight lamps – but
there's that pesky problem again of consuming all of the power in the process of
generating the fuel to generate the power…

However, what is the efficiency of algae-based air "freshening"? One can assume
that it is not entirely necessary to produce *all* of the breathable air. Certainly
*some* air will be derived from the outside unless it is completely contaminated
with fallout, biological weapons or zombie virus. For the sake of argument, let's say
we need to produce enough breathable air for a single person each day. That way
one person can be completely sealed into the bunker, or additional people can be
supported by supplementing with outside air. A single adult male runs about
20,000 liters through their lungs each day. That's 16 one-liter breaths per minute.
About 1000 liters of O2 are consumed and 1000 liters of CO2 exhaled. That's
between 0.03 and 0.05 kg of each per day, or 15-20 kg/year. One square meter of
algae will consume about 10 kg of CO2 per year and produce about 8 kg of O2,
assuming the ideal light and temperature. So, two square meters of algae under
artificial sunlight, with flowing water in the tank, plenty of nutrients on the water –
oh, and plenty of water – will likely scrub the air of excess CO2 and enrich it with
O2. But there's still that pesky problem of power to operate the lights and pumps,
and the fact that while algae will enrich the air, this is still a far cry from filtering it,
and any biological or radiological contaminants that need to be filtered out lest they
kill the inhabitants of the bunker would also kill the algae. Not to mention what to
do with the excess biomass of algae that needs to be skimmed from the tank
weekly – add it to the 5 square mile compost farm, probably.

It should be pointed out at this point that there *are* industrial and systems for not
only reducing CO2 and producing breathable air, but also turning algae and yeast
into biofuels. They are called bioreactors, and work at very high densities. Efficient
units are quite large and small units take days to weeks to produce enough fuel to
power a vehicle or generator for a few hours. Finally, the inconvenient truth of
renewable fuels is that it takes power to make power (fuel). Bioreactors require
*almost* as much energy as they produce just to operate the lights, fans, pumps,
stirrers and cooling systems. They have been proposed mainly as a way of reducing
industrial waste CO2 or to convert grid-supply electricity into portable fuels for cars
and trucks. While such systems have been considered for arcologies, Mars missions
and orbital facilities, it is primarily because they can tap into the abundant electrical
power produced by the nuclear and next generation solar power plants proposed for
those installations.

(C) So what's this about using a Tesla coil for water filtration? A Tesla coil?
Seriously? A TESLA COIL? No.

[JWR Adds: I believe he was referring to using a Tesla coil to generate ozone, and to
use that to purify water. That can work, but the power requirements are
considerable. A simple ultraviolet light (like those use by koi pond enthusiasts)
works just as well, and uses just a tiny fraction of the electricity. ]

First – where does the power come from to generate the electricity output by the
Tesla coil? The piddly little 5000 watt methane-powered generator wouldn't even
power a Tesla coil enough to raise the hair on your forearm even after rubbing it
with a cat for an hour. Tesla coils used for those fancy demonstrations are usually
powered by industrial generators providing 50-100 kilowatts of electricity. Powering
that will take a compost heap the size of Rhode Island.

Second, electricity kills living cells. That's clearly the idea behind using electricity
for "filtering" the water. Unfortunately those algae above are living cells. Run the
electricity through the algae tank and there goes the air supply. One could argue
that the Tesla coil will be "downstream" from the algae tank, and not directly in
contact. Still, the insidious thing about electricity is that it tends to short to ground
through water – if there is *any* possible connection – such as through the water
pipes, the algae will get electrocuted. Not to mention the sad end for a person that
survives civil collapse and retreats to a hidden bunker only to be electrocuted the
first time he reaches for the water tap.

Third, did I mention that Tesla coils consume *power*?

(C) Waste treatment. Recycling and recapturing useful compounds out of liquid
and solid waste is an excellent idea. Set up the filters, composters and separators.
Unfortunately I see no provision for disinfecting the waste. See, urine and feces do
not just decompose on their own without help. Community wastewater treatment
plants ferment semisolid waste using specific bacterial cultures. Solid wastes *are*
compressed and either used as fertilizer or burned for fuel. However, before either
can happen, they must be sterilized. A considerable amount of the "bulk" of solid
human waste is live and dead bacteria. Of those, the most common danger is e.
coli. Without even getting into the problems of typhus and diphtheria which come
from food and water supplies contaminated by human wastes - or salmonella which
comes from animal wastes - e. coli is particularly hazardous because it is so
common. The human body has a number of defense mechanisms for dealing with
e. coli – at least in the regions where it is most commonly encountered – skin, groin,
etc. But e. coli in the mouth, eyes, ears or nose can cause serious infections that
can cause cannot be easily treated, and if untreated can cause death. As for
performing the waste treatment in airtight containers, sorry, but no. Unlike
composting, which is an *anaerobic* process, waste decomposition is an *aerobic*
process. The reason for this is precisely because the most hazardous of the waste-
borne bacteria thrive in low-oxygen situations. The reason wastewater treatment
plants constantly stir waste in huge tanks is to ensure that the material stays
oxygenated to reduce the growth of infectious bacteria. Better to dig a latrine pit,
fill it with lime, and lose out on recycling than to have a waste system that kills the
user by virtue of insufficient sanitation. Again, as with all of the concepts presented
here, it can be dome properly, but the proper means involve a sufficiency of power,
air, water and space.

(D) Finally, the author references the "very negative biological effects" of deep
underground environments on the human body.. From this it can be assumed that
the author is referring to experiments where individuals have lived underground or
in sealed environments for extended periods. Yet, aside from lack of sunlight and
exercise, the primary effect of living underground is not necessarily detrimental to
humans. What mainly happens is that in the absence of a defined day-night cycle,
the human body makes up its own. Without a sunlight-induced 24-hr clock, the
human body will fall into a natural 26-29 hour day. As long as the subject remains
isolated from the outside world, this cycle will continue, remarkably stable, and fully
functional, not at all detrimental to health. However, even a small dose of sunlight
each day will set up a conflict between the external and internal clocks. Insomnia
and sleep disruption can occur until the subject is fully immersed in either the
outside or inside environment. Other problems with living underground have been
more due to temperature, humidity, molds and air contaminants than merely the
fact of being underground.
To summarize, the concepts presented in this article are not practical. They are the
result of looking at some popular ideas in the press without considering the real
world implications, or even carefully working through the biology, chemistry or
physics of the problem. Other "neat ideas" and exercises of the imagination are
more appropriate to cartoon or fiction than a serious blog about practical survival.
It is one thing to sit and ponder ideas on the basis of "wouldn't it be interesting if
this worked?" and another to consider how likely the idea will result in sickness,
malnutrition, disease and death. None of the idea presented here would even meet
the authors first stated intent, to live in seclusion - in secret – with none of the
ravening hordes aware of the authors existence. Each idea would require *space*
that a secret hide-away could never afford, *power* that could never be generated,
*resources* that would be obviously diverted away from public view and into the
hide, and *emissions* of noise, heat and effluent that would certainly call attention
to such a secret base.

Sincerely, Dr. T.R., B.S. (Biology/Chemistry), M.S. (Aquatic Biology), Ph.D.

(Physiology/Pharmacology)

Friday, January 15, 2010

Letter Re: Some Observations on Fortifications Versus Camouflaged Retreats

Permalink

Last night I watched Jesse Ventura's "Conspiracy Theory" show which centered
around the government's cover up of the coming 2012 scenario. The show featured
people converting missile silos to survival bunkers. Historical precedent will quickly
point out a glaring problem with this approach.

Consider that relative to the technological level of their day, European castles were
more heavily fortified than any bunker being built today (by virtue of the fact that
your average monarch of Medieval times had far more resources available than
anybody seeking to build a shelter). Still, no castle ever withstood siege indefinitely.
No matter how much planning, preparation and defense was put into a stronghold,
it was eventually overrun, and in these cases the incentive to do so was a fraction
of what it will be in the coming scenarios. Today the ante has been upped; more
tech exists to create these bunkers, but the same level of tech exists to break down
their defenses and it all comes out in the wash. Bunkers will suffer the same fate
that any medieval castle suffered, if people know they exist. Given the social chaos
that's going to hit well before the 2012 solar event(s), history will repeat itself. If
people know a shelter exists, it's going to become a target when they become
desperate enough (which isn't going to be long). Being holed up in one of these
places, you just became a resource for every starving person who didn't plan ahead.
Hordes will gather in desperation to raid a shelter and retrieve whatever is inside.
What's actually inside doesn't matter; what will drive these hordes will be what they
think is inside.

The best possible defense is to be invisible. People won't raid what they don't know
is there. My own plans are quite meticulous in the area of staying hidden. Nobody in
town (a rural Central Georgia town) knows that I even know what a shelter is. The
subject is never discussed. Building is done in secret. Rammed Earth construction is
used for the shelter itself because I don't have to go out and purchase an inordinate
amount of materials which people will be wondering what I did with. What I do need
to purchase is broken up among various hardware stores in the metro Atlanta area
so that I don't spend too much time or money in any given store.

What about covert power sources? Here is one theoretical approach: Milkweed
grows just about anywhere; it grows very quickly and breaks down even faster in
salt water. Since salt water is an excellent conductor of electricity, putting current
through the water may help the milkweed break down even faster. The goal is to
generate methane with the milkweed dissolving in an enclosed container. Methane
can run a generator. Organic trash goes into this container as well.

Air filtration has outside air running through several stages of an algae-rich water
system; exhaust air goes through the same system. Algae converts CO2 to oxygen
quite efficiently. A very high voltage Tesla coil in the filtration water ionizes the
water and breaks down impurities; this is applied in a later stage of filtration, after
the incoming air has passed through the algae-rich water stage. Further filtering
(charcoal, etc.) as a final stage completes the process.

Waste is recycled. Like a septic tank, solid waste is separated from liquid waste. The
solid waste is dried (in an enclosed airtight container), pulverized, then burned to
help heat the shelter. Handling of liquid waste is still being explored; ammonia and
other chemicals need to be extracted but can be bonded with other elements to
produce something useful.
Go too deep underground and you get into very negative biological effects on the
human body. These are very subtle and gradual to start, but with prolonged,
consistent immersion in a deep underground environment, they do intensify.

From the beginning of time, history has shown that unless you have a Mongol horde
behind you, you're going to fall if there's any reason to attack you. The Maginot Line
was simply marched around and France fell in a few days. The Normandy defenses
took a lot of American lives but still fell in a matter of hours. Those attacking you
will not be restricted to isolated individuals wandering onto your land. If it's
perceived that you have goodies inside (i.e. food), you're going to face mobs and
hordes that your little home defenses are not going to compete with. Staying
hidden is your only real defense. The government thinks they're going to be safe in
their massive bunkers, but they hired countless contractors who helped build the
things. These contractors, in desperate times, are going to gather together large
assault forces (not difficult to do when everybody is starving) and go after what's
inside. My guess is, nearly every government bunker is going to be overrun well
before the 2012 event(s) ever occur because social breakdown is going to hit well
before that time and the necessity of raiding these shelters will be extreme.

Historical precedent says that you're not going to fight your way through this, no
matter what you do. If people know you're there, they're going to come after what
you have, in droves. The best option anybody has is to avoid being attacked in the
first place. The only way to do this is to remain hidden. - Chris

Sunday, January 10, 2010

A Preparedness Plan for a Single Woman With Children

Permalink

I’ve been reading SurvivalBlog for almost a year. I am thankful for the advice that I
receive each day. I have had a “be prepared” attitude for about 30 years, although
the past two years have thrown several speed bumps and roadblocks my way. Two
years ago my son and his family were in a life threatening accident. I spent almost
every penny I had saved toward retirement to help my daughter-in-law recover.
This year I fought for and won custody of three of my grandchildren from my
daughter. So now, instead of planning for TEOTWAWKI for just myself, a 50
something divorced woman, I now am the proud “parent” of three elementary aged
children. Even with these changes to my situation, I am still actively preparing. I
wanted to share what I am doing with your readers, so that those who are still in the
thinking stages rather than the action stage can see that it’s not too hard to begin.
Years ago I decided to create a written plan. I started with my basic premises.
First, I assume that I will live where I’m at forever. I live 10 miles from a city of
100,000 and 15 miles from a city of 500,000. While it’s really close to a lot of
people, it’s not in the direction that the masses of people would head toward. I
have five acres with a good house, a good well, a great climate for growing food and
lots of storage. With that in mind I need to set up the house and yard to fully
sustain me and now the three grandkids. I also need to make some changes along
the property boundary to make it less welcoming.

Second, I assume that when I retire from my government job that my pension
income will exist. That doesn’t mean that it won’t be reduced, I expect the
government to steal some of my pension. (Most people just think that we are given
money but I put in 20% of my income into this pension fund) I also expect to receive
some social security benefits and plan to start collecting my money as soon as I hit
the minimum age. Barring any additional family disasters, I also plan on having
cash on hand. I am working hard to cut my expenses to almost nothing. That way I
can retire sooner and live prepared rather than being in a state of getting prepared.

Third, I assume that the weather patterns may fluctuate as they have throughout
time, but I will not buy into any of the global warming and cooling as something that
we can truly prevent. If the environmentalists wanted us to change our habits and
become more energy efficient, I wish they would have just come out with that
statement. Or, they should say that we can alter our microclimate (planting trees
lowers the temperature around our homes, paving roads and parking lots raises the
temperature in the city, lakes add to the humidity) rather than trying to scare
people into believing that we are destroying the world.

Fourth, I will practice, as I know that when you practice, the act becomes second
nature. Times of trouble is not when you should be learning new things.

Fifth, I do not panic. Part of this is because I practice. Part is because I do not allow
myself to be influenced by the news story crisis of the day. I behave very level
headed and am rational. I know that my attitude and my actions will influence
those around me to be either calm or crazy. I vote for calm.
Sixth, I trust God. I know that God expects me to take care of myself…or at least to
prepare myself to take care of myself. I can not say I don’t need to be educated, or
prepared, or dedicated because God will provide. I am expected to work hard. God
will take care of me if I try to take care of myself.

The first thing I did in my quest for independence was to determine what I really
needed. The stuff. I also figured I probably have 30 more years to live, although I
hope I’m blessed with much more. Now I have three more people in the house.
How would I figure how much I need? I decided to keep track of what I did and what
I used. I started by going through my entire house, room by room, and making an
inventory of everything.

Let’s start with household items. There are items that can last forever: dishes,
glasses, pots, pans, furniture. There are items that are used up daily, weekly,
monthly, and yearly. Well, how much do you need for the next 30 years? I started
keeping track of what I was using. Keeping track of exactly how much food
purchased, how much toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, etc. was used in a
year gave me a very good idea of what I would need for 10 or 20 or even 30 years.
Then I just started buying extra. It was simple. Every time I went to Costco I’d buy
an extra laundry detergent, bleach, dish soap, 409, Simple Green, vinegar, etc. I
probably have a 10 year supply on hand without any pain at all.

I don’t have a basement but I do have a huge garage. It holds my truck, tractor,
freezer, tools, and what seems like miles of floor to ceiling shelves. It looks like a
mini Wal-Mart. Now that I have the grandchildren, I have devoted space for bins of
clothing. The bins include the basics in every size: jeans, t-shirts (long and short
sleeve), sweatshirts, jackets, socks, underwear, hats, gloves, and shoes. I also sew
and have fabric, thread, and am well stocked with sewing supplies. I keep it very
organized. I witness my friends buying things that they know they have somewhere
in their homes but they are so disorganized they have no clue what they have or
where to find it.

I’m not going to discuss weapons to any real extent. This topic is definitely best left
to someone who knows what they are talking about. I really get into this topic on
this blog so as to learn more. I do have a .22 pistol, a .22 rifle, and a 12 gauge
shotgun. The last thing I shot was a rooster who was roaming my yard and
continuously tried attacking me. I know I should have more protection and I also
need to involve the children in gun use. Maybe this summer we will all go to gun
camp and then set up a practice target in the back yard.

Change your diet! Stop eating instant boxed stuff. If nothing else, you will save lots
of money. Learn to cook. Learn to bake. You can buy a pound of yeast at Costco
or Sam’s for the same price as three small packages of yeast at the grocery store. I
love the 5 minute bread recipe. 6 cups flour, 3 cups warm water, 1 ½ tablespoon
yeast, 1 ½ tablespoon chunky salt (kosher, sea, etc.). Mix it together with a spoon.
Let it rise an hour. Put some flour onto the counter and pour the dough onto the
flour. (At this point I like to add Italian seasoning to half the dough) Shape into
individual rolls or two round loaves. Bake 350 for 15 minutes. Noodles are another
one of our favorites. Flour, egg yolk, water, salt. Mix and roll out. Cut into whatever
shape you want. We use the pizza cutter and make crazy shapes. Boil for about 10
minutes.

My garden is my hobby but also something that I’ve set up to feed myself, the
grandkids, and my animals. Since moving to my property 12 years ago I’ve planted
fruit trees and plants with most of my spare money. I have oranges, grapefruit,
lemons, limes, kumquats, apples, avocados, cherries, peaches, nectarines, pears,
plums, apricots, kiwi, figs, olives, loquats, mulberry, blackberries, raspberries,
almonds, asparagus, and probably some others that I’ve forgotten. I’ve been
canning for 30 years now. If I can’t can it or freeze it we eat fruit and vegetables in
season or we don’t eat them. The only fruit or vegetables I buy are bananas,
pineapple, and mushrooms. I have lots of gardening tools, at least one for each of
us so we can all work together: shovels, rakes, hoes, hoses, irrigation parts. I also
have seeds on hand. It is crazy to spend the money on the latest fad of “non-hybrid
seeds in a container for only $150.” Sure, it will grow you a garden, but is it what
you like to eat? Will those varieties do well in your area? Go to your local nursery
and pick up seeds of vegetables you eat. Have a garden like mine. Each year I let
some of the beets go to seed in the beet section of my garden, I smash a pumpkin
on the ground in the pumpkin section, I let broccoli go to seed, etc. I don’t have to
replant the entire garden each year. The stuff just comes back. I do replant the
corn, eggplant, and peppers. I do save seed each year to make sure I have a
several year supply of all my vegetable seeds.

We have sheep and goats for meat and chickens for eggs. Although they are easy
to raise, I don’t raise rabbits or hogs due to religious dietary restrictions. I don’t
have enough property for a steer because I don’t want to have to rely on buying
hay. I don’t milk the goats because I don’t have time. I do buy beef and chicken
from the store but know that at any time those purchases can stop and we can
provide all our meat needs.

I have a 500 gallon propane tank that never has less than 250 gallons in it . The
propane is used for cooking, heating the house, and the hot water. We don’t use
much for heating the house. I try to keep the heater turned off during the week.
Since I am at work and the kids are at school, I don’t need to waste propane heating
an empty house. On the weekends I use the woodstove. Worst case scenario, I
would use wood to cook with, heat the house with my wood stove, and at some near
future point, set up a solar hot water system.

We are on a well so we aren’t relying on city water. My next project (with money
from my tax return) will be to set up a solar power system to charge batteries for
running the well. We don’t usually have much wind so I don’t think a wind
generator would work. I’d also like to set up solar for a backup for my appliances. I
don’t need a huge solar system since we use minimal amount of electricity. We
really do conserve on electricity. My electric bill is only about $40 a month for the
refrigerator, freezer, washer, dishwasher, microwave, television, computers, and the
kids leaving all the lights on.

Fortunately, we don’t get sick often. I keep a good stock of vitamins and OTC
medicines. I haven’t been able to convince our doctor to write a prescription for
extra medications but I have been able to stock up on some. I do have a large stock
of supplies for injuries. I have a rescue bag in each vehicle plus a large supply at
home. I do want to remind people that even minor injuries can use up lots of
supplies. You need lots of gauze, gauze, and more gauze. And, gloves, gloves, and
more gloves. Rescue workers will change their latex gloves every 5-15 minutes.
Read the articles already posted about medical supplies. Go through your cabinets
and see what you use. Buy lots of them.

We have a great library at home. Classic books, new books, survival books, cook
books, just about all topics for all reading levels. I also have school books: math,
science, grammar, and history for each grade level. We also have games, puzzles,
and cards. Lots of indoor activities for the kids to do.
We have tons of office supplies: paper, pencils, erasers, pens, paint, crayons and
markers, tape, staples, and glue. Whatever amount you think you need, double it,
or triple it! Take advantage of the end of summer back to school sales.

Exercise and being active is important. This past summer I made an obstacle
course for the grandkids (and me). We have tires to run through, a sprinting area,
cones to zigzag around, ropes to climb up trees, nets to crawl under, and a cross
country running track. I also set up a tetherball pole, a basketball hoop, badminton
and volleyball net, croquette, whiffle ball, and a soccer goal. We also go hiking and
bike riding. They think it’s just for fun. I know that being in good condition helps
keep the mind in good condition.

Three months ago I purchased a 23 foot used travel trailer. It has a stove,
refrigerator, full bathroom and a tank that holds 40 gallons of propane. This winter
we took it on a trip to Colorado and Oklahoma and didn’t turn on the heater, just for
fun. Our sleeping bags (from MajorSurplus.com) kept us warm although I’m sure
the grandkids would have liked it warmer than 30 when they got up in the morning!
The trailer held all the clothes and food we needed for our two week trip. It was
great practice. I have more to do. I plan on planting some non-inviting plants in the
front along the road and along the sides and back of the property as well: probably
cactus, blackberries, some itchy thistle, or even poison oak! I really need to get
backup power. I also would like a holding tank for several thousand gallons of
water. I’d like to hire someone to dig a pond. Our water table is 12 feet so the
pond would have to be deep in order to hit the water table. I need weapons for
protection, not just for shooting roosters and possums. It all takes time and money,
but this is an example of what I have done with not too much money, just some
common sense and dedication.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Letter Re: Well, Well--An Amazing Find

Permalink

Dear Mr. Rawles:

I have owned my retreat for some years and as unbelievable as it may sound, I
found a water well that I didn't know I had. When I bought the land in the 1990s, I
knew that there had been an old house there at one time, but assumed that they
had either used a cistern, or drew water from the stream that runs through the
property. However, I found the well. It had an old Gould's 1HP pump at the end of
120 ft. of 2" galvanized pipe. The well had been capped for years, or so it looked
when I opened it. Incidentally, there is water at about 60 ft. down. There is no
record at the county [offices], nor with the local water management board, for this
well. I do not intend to report this find either. They know about the well I drilled a
few years ago when we

A question: How can I best develop this well for use and still maintain strict OPSEC?
My retreat is shielded from a county road by a large grove of trees, so from the road
nobody sees anything, not the house, the barn or anything! The well is about a half
mile from the county road in a grove of trees.

One bit of advice: Recruit a veterinarian, physician or even a dentist into your Group
if at all possible. They are out there, and are not all of us Liberal Socialists.

Regards, - Robert F., MD

JWR Replies: Congratulations on your find! If you use a poly service line, you can
install a well pump by yourself. (The pipe is flexible and fairly lightweight. Since the
prices of photovoltaic panels have dropped dramatically in the past two years, you
should probably go ahead and put in a PV system, with inverter, to power an AC
well pump. (The line loss for a DC well pump hanging at 100 feet would be
tremendous.) Bob at Ready Made Resources (one of our advertisers) does free-of-
charge consulting on alternative power system specifications. They can let you
know how many panels you'll need, the inverter specifications, et cetera. If you
install cistern for gravity flow to your house, you can even install a PV system
without any batteries, that is simplicity itself: when there is sun it pumps, and when
there isn't, it doesn't. (A float switch will stop the pump whenever the cistern is full.)

Friday, January 1, 2010

Letter Re: Photovoltaic Pathway Lights for Emergency Lighting

Permalink

Dear Jim:

First, thank you for your informative site. I know you`ve helped me, and many
others fill in the gaps in knowledge for preparation for times to come. I live just
three miles from the San Andreas Fault , so even if the Schumer doesn`t hit the fan,
"the big one" could come at any time. Thus I`ve been prepping for many years, but
it was a wind storm that helped me think of this trick.

The local utility power recently went down and the girls broke out some
candles,while I grabbed a couple of battery powered lanterns. Candles are great,
and would not be with out them, but have inherent fire danger, I had just purchased
a dozen solar yard [pathway] lights, on close-out sale for about $30 [for all 12]. With
all the lights down in the neighborhood they seemed very bright all of a sudden, so I
twisted off the fat Frisbee-shape tops ,and brought them inside. I started placing
them throughout the house, and was able to bring a little light to each area, they
are not bright, but you could walk around the entire house,with out bumping it to
anything ,without any other supplemental lighting.

I started playing with improving the lighting produced by them when I realized what
a great safe reusable alternative they could be. One easy way is to set them on top
of a glass,and set a piece curved foil behind them, or place them in front of a
mirror, I even made a little chandelier with four of them that was bright enough to
play games under. I became so enamored with them that we use them every night
now instead of leaving any lights at all on to make your way to the bathroom, et
cetera. Another use they have is you can recharge your size AA batteries for
flashlight or radio with them, they also are not going to attract a lot of attention,
people may think you have a couple candles going, and [that you] are [just] as
unprepared as they are. Meanwhile, you'll save on propane and white gas.

I hope this is of help to others. If you give it a try then I'll bet you`ll put a few in the
house at night. Thanks for everything you do Jim, and may the Lord bless you , your
family, and your readers, - Steve K.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Letter Re: Covert Home Power for When The Grids Go Down

Permalink

Hello,

I just wanted to pass along a link to a company that sells new made in USA
alternators for common vehicles, 190 up to 270 amps, and brackets and belts to run
duals. the base model 190 amp puts out a 130 amps at idle ( factory puts out
maybe 60 amps, on a full size truck) these things look built to last, and would run
an inverter a lot better than stock, never mind worrying about burning out your
electrical system. I will be getting one of these soon! As usual just an interested
consumer, not affiliated with company at all. I saw this at the DieselPowerMag.com
blog. - Matt Bradley

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Three Letters Re: Covert Home Power for When The Grids Go Down

Permalink

Sir:

I am not an electrician, and I set as system like this up at my house three years ago.
It kept our food cold, and the house tolerably warm for three days when the power
was out. But I endorse a couple of important differences.

First, letting your car run at idle will run down your battery. The alternator doesn't
reach full output at low RPMs, so you need to kick up the throttle a little bit. How
much will depend on your car. I watch the volt-meter built into the inverter, and set
the engine at about 1,500 RPM, because that's where the voltage stays high enough
for the inverter. Also, make sure to check the output of the alternator. (I looked it up
at an online auto parts store.) When my inverter runs at full power, it draws 100
amps at 12 volts. If you have a small alternator (smaller car), then 1,500 RPM may
not even be enough to power the inverter. That means you're drawing amperage
out of the battery when the inverter runs at higher power.

Second, I would never power the house by using an extension cord with two male
ends. JWR was right to point out the danger of potentially back-powering the grid
when plugging in a hot extension cord from the inverter. Even with the main
breaker turned off, the neutral is still connected to the grid. Can you imagine the
liability you would incur if you accidentally electrocuted a local repairman who was
trying to get your neighborhood back online? He may even be one of your
neighbors. I've made mistakes in my life (no one seriously injured because of them)
and I can't justify the risk of injury when it's so easy to avoid. Because the average
1,200-1,500 watt inverter will only power one or two major appliances (or one
furnace blower), I recommend that you plug those items directly into the
unmodified extension cord from the inverter. Yeah, you gotta move the extension
cord around a bit, but you won't hurt anyone and you don't need to worry that you
might ruin your inverter when the grid does come back up.
Remember, the main objective is to survive the ordeal, hopefully stay warm, and
not accidentally hurt anyone else in the process. - Dave in Missouri

Dear James,

I'm sure Tom H. meant well with his article on using power from a car to power a
house, but I have some serious nits to pick.

1. When talks about getting the "largest cable size you can get", it really opens a
door for disaster. Electrical cable needs to be sized for the current it will be carrying.
If the cable you find is too small, you risk creating an electrical fire. If it's too big,
you've wasted money. What you need to do is to have a handle on the power and
current that the cable needs to carry, and size it appropriately.

Remember, Power (watts) = Current (amps) x Voltage (volts).

Add up your power requirements for a given voltage, and then determine your amp
load.

Current (amps) = Power (watts) / Voltage (volts).

Here is a link that gives conservative estimates for the current carrying capabilities
of various American Wire Gauge (AWG) wire sizes.

2. When adding up the wattage you need to support, don't go by the tag value on
appliance alone. These are maximum values possible, and probably do not
represent the power used under normal circumstances. This is a case where there is
no substitute for actually measuring the power draw. The good news is that it's easy
to do with a Kill-A-Watt (plug-in power meter). Before TSHTF, test each of your
appliances by plugging the Kill A Watt electricity usage monitor into the outlet, and
then the appliance into the Kill A Watt. You can see the power being used at that
moment, and the power consumed over time. For good measurements, use a Kill A
Watt or similar meters.

3. Assuming the proper breakers are thrown, and the proper wires sizes are used,
the weak link in this system is not the inverter but the size of the alternator output.
The system cannot sustain more continuous power output than the alternator can
provide. The battery may act as a 'surge protector' by supply the difference when
the demand is larger than the alternator can supply, but that will quickly drain the
battery.

It would be wise to find out ahead of time how big your alternator is and plan
accordingly. The good news is that there are after market alternators available for
some trucks and 4x4s which are designed to output more power to run tools
through inverters at remote work sites. Best Regards, - Bear in the Sierra

Mr. Rawles,

There are so many problems with the vehicle/inverter backup system presented in
today's article that I felt I had to comment. You are to be commended for pointing
out the foolishness of the power cord backfeed method, that can get someone killed
in very short order. But there are other reliability/safety concerns the author does
not address. These include vehicle alternator issues (overheating from insufficient
air flow, diode current ratings, etc.), SLI battery limitations, connection issues,
ground bonding, and transient inverter loading concerns.

For the record, I am a degreed electrical engineer and certified reliability engineer,
and have over twenty years of experience with power inverters ranging from a few
hundred watts up to 300KW (that's right, 300,000 watts). Best Regards, - John in
Colorado

Friday, December 18, 2009

Five Letters Re: Covert Home Power for When The Grid Goes Down

Permalink
JWR -

The article written by Tom H. contains some dangerous advice and overlooks some
important issues. He wrote:

"Next, cut the receptacle end (female) off the 120 VAC extension cord and install
the replacement 120 VAC plug (male) to the cord. Make sure it's wired correctly.
(Black to black, white to white and green to green). You will now have a cord with a
[male] plug on both ends."

Such a modified power cord [commonly called a "disaster cord" or more aptly a
"suicide cord'] is extremely dangerous, and should never be made. If one end is
plugged into a power source, the other end now has exposed electrical contacts and
anyone touching them is in danger of electrocution. Don't take the chance of killing
your child, spouse, or even yourself by having such a cord around where someone
could try to use it.

Tome also wrote: "After making sure the main power disconnect is off, plug in one
end of the extension cord to the inverter and the other end into any 120 VAC outlet
in your house."

Most homes in the USA have what is known as 120/240 volt single phase power
coming into the house from the electrical company. A few may have 3 phase power.

Back feeding a 120 volt outlet with power will only energize 1/2 (or 1/3 if you have 3
phase power) of the 120 volt loads in your house. If your furnace, refrigerator, deep
freezer, or other critical load is not on the same "leg" of your power panel as the
outlet you are back feeding, it will not get power and will not run. Worse, if a load
such as a furnace has motors that run from 240 volts, single or 3 phase, and power
is applied to only one leg of the motor, it could damage or destroy the motor.

JWR added this advice: "The best and safest solution is to have a qualified
electrician install a proper bypass circuit breaker panel that will eliminate any risk of
a back feed!"
This is certainly true, and may be the only easy way to be both safe and meet
electrical code when providing backup power to a furnace. There are some other
solutions that are safe, however.

Here is an easy solution if your furnace only requires 120 volts AC at some
reasonable amount of current. If you are competent to work on your own electrical
panel (a working knowledge of electricity is a useful survival skill), you can
determine which breaker powers your furnace, and disconnect the wire to the
furnace from the breaker. Mount a small electrical box with a single 120 volt outlet
on it next to your breaker panel, and feed it from the breaker that former fed the
furnace. Drill a hole in the box next to the outlet and bring a short power cord with a
male plug on the end out through a grommet (to protect the cord from damage as it
exits the box). Run the other end of the cord into the breaker box and wire it safely
to the power wires going to the furnace. When the short power cord is plugged into
the new outlet, electrically the furnace is hooked up just as it was before you
started.

If you unplug the cord from the outlet, and plug the cord into an inverter or
generator, you can safely power the furnace with zero danger of back feeding the
power lines. Back in 1999 I made such a modified power feed to my furnace, and
tested it with an inverter powered from a pair of golf cart batteries. Because the
furnace was a low power consumption type (hot water heat) I was able to get
around two days of power for my furnace before the batteries needed charging. A
large 50 amp battery charger would recharge the pair of batteries in a few hours.
Therefore, I would only need to run my generator when I needed to recharge the
batteries, or when I needed more power for appliances such as the deep freezer or
refrigerator. If I kept the doors shut on the deep freezer and refrigerator, a hour or
so of power

twice a day from my generator would keep them cold.

Tom wrote "A car that is quietly idling, parked in the driveway, is not going to stand
out. ... As long as you have gas for the car, you are in business."

While most inexpensive generators make more noise than an idling car, they also
use far less fuel. If you spend the extra to get a very quiet generator such as many
of the modern inverter/generator sets, you can have both the quiet and low fuel
consumption.

Blessings on you and your family! - RAR

Jim:

I think that Tom presented a very inventive idea, but I have personal reservations
about it. I haven't actually tried this in a real world test scenario, so these are just
theoretical observations:

1.) Under normal circumstances, the higher the load placed on the alternator, the
more energized it becomes. As the current draw on it increases, the mechanical
resistance required to turn it becomes higher. The engine RPM increases to
compensate. Higher RPM, more sound. (If you ever want to see the max amount of
power your alternator can put out, try to find instructions on how to "full field" it. I
would not recommend doing this on a vehicle with computer controlled anything!)

2.) Power loss because of clip on jumper cable connection will be high. A secondary
effect of this will be high heat problems in the DC side of the wiring, possibly
enough to melt the insulation off the wire.

On a side note, when looking at jumper cables to carry with you, buy the larger
cables (Lowest number AWG). Trying to jumpstart one of my vehicles in 25 degree
cold that had been sitting for three months took me two pairs of "el cheapo" 12
gauge cables. Larger diameter cable = lower resistance and heat buildup = more
electrons streaming into your dead battery

One way to decrease this would be to replace your vehicle battery cable connectors
with marine style terminal ends (The ones with the wing nut and post on them) and
securing the inverter to the battery with actual ring terminals. The more surface
area you can get in the connection, the better. Be warned however, most marine
style terminal ends I have used have a noticeably smaller inside diameter than
regular automotive terminals. They will require some force to go over your auto
battery terminal posts.

3.) If a running generator will make you a target, a running vehicle will as well. -
A.R.

Dear Sir,

As someone who has both solar photovoltaic/battery bank and multiple generator
standby power options at home, and at a remote airfield location without grid
power, I would like to offer my opinion on the article "Covert Home Power for When
The Grids Go Down" offered by Tom H on Thursday December 17th 2009:

The use of a vehicle based generator system does offer a number of potential
benefits, most importantly the regular running, maintenance (hopefully?) and fuel
replenishment aspects, not to mention a large and safe fuel storage capability - you
do always keep your tank at least half full? Without these important activities the
author is correct that small gas powered generators become nothing more than
"garage queen's" - and expensive ones at that after a year or more in storage.

As with all things in life there are also unfortunately an equally if not larger number
of negatives/limitations associated with vehicle based generator methods. The
relative fuel economy of a small gas or diesel powered engine, compared with a
typical car/pickup engine (and its' 12V electrical generation capability) is vastly
different. The much larger vehicle engine capacity and all of the accessories
attached to it (water pump, air conditioning pump, power steering pump, and all of
the associated drive trains/belts for these etc.) take power, and this comes from the
engine and the fuel, increasing consumption. When was the last time you had a
vehicle with a pull cord "re-coil" style starter option found on most small gas
engines?

There are other issues too, such as leaving your vehicle engine running (not overly
covert?) and the risk of vehicle theft as most modern engines will need the key in
the ignition to run (especially bad if someone is looking to G.O.O.D. and needs
functioning transport with available fuel). If you do choose this option, do you have
a spare key to lock the car with the engine running? You may want to consider
fitting a wheel clamp or similar to deter someone driving off - you may already have
one if you own a larger trailer or caravan/camper?

Connecting to the vehicle battery with jumper cables often stops you from fully
closing the hood, or risk a short circuit if you do, so a raised hood may be another
give away and can increase the noise signature of the running engine too. The
longer the cables (and I agree that thicker is better) the greater the power loss, so
shorter cables are better, but this then places the inverter at greater risk of being
stolen - you also need to protect the inverter from any water/moisture ingress -
even next doors dog relieving itself! Consider permanently fitting a high power 2
pole connector to your battery (e.g. Google "Anderson SB connector") under the
hood and a matching end on your jumper cables. This can then be used to jump
start other cars, power your inverter (winch, any other 12V appliance), and stops
people from borrowing your jumper cables as they only work on your car now! This
method also reduces any risk of polarity reversal/short circuit accidents.

One option seldom considered when using a vehicle based generator is the "extra
battery method". Take a large car or truck battery (or leisure battery) and connect
this using the jumper cables to the vehicle battery. This can be located inside the
(ventilated) garage and you can use slightly longer and/or thinner jumper cables
with this method. Connect the inverter (also now in the garage) to this second
battery and it provides a "reserve of power" for heavy starting loads - recharging
from the running vehicle once this is passed. Remember that 2,000 Watts of power
from the inverter is around 200 amps at 12 VDC (there are losses in the inverter) so
you are placing a considerable strain on the vehicles electrical system - how many
vehicles are capable of continuously producing this amount of 12v power from their
alternator system, and even if they are the considerable heat generated will not be
so easily dissipated as there is little if any air movement that would come from a
moving vehicle in normal operation? The radiator fan will cool the engine, but by
doing so will blow hot air into the engine bay where the alternator is housed, right
next to a really hot engine too. You may want to check the continuous rating of your
vehicle's alternator output, and factor in the cost of repairing/replacing it verses the
costs of a separate generator?

There are some very special instances with hybrid vehicles where they are capable
of generating much larger amounts of electrical power (e.g. Toyota Prius), but these
are the exception rather than the norm. If you have a Prius/Lexus then Google
"Prius UPS" for details on these systems - they can even automatically start/stop the
engine as power is used from their onboard battery systems, increasing fuel
efficiency and running time. These really are the best vehicle based generator
systems if you already have such a vehicle.

There have been many articles on the use of back feed "suicide cables" to power to
grid down locations, and whilst these are functional there are considerable risks
associated with this method. The best option would be in install a power inlet and
transfer switch if at all possible. If you are going to use a back feed cable I would
advise you to set up a check list of actions (for both connecting and
disconnecting/returning to grid power), and follow these in strict order to ensure
you do not cause a dangerous condition - remember it may be dark/cold when you
are doing this and you may not remember exactly from memory what is needed -
pilots (amateur and professional) use check lists, and they regularly practice their
emergency actions, so take a hint from people who really need to get things right
first time! I would also attach a brightly coloured plug or label/streamer to the "live"
end of the back feed cable as a reminder not to touch this when the system is back
feeding power. The location you choose to plug this in must consider risks from
people tripping over the cable and pulling it from the receptacle - exposing the live
pins. Anywhere that children may be able to access it is not even considered in my
opinion!

A couple of options not considered are small diesel and propane powered
generators. Diesel fuel stores for much longer than gas (especially with anti fungal
compounds added) and once warm the engine can run on a variety of different
"fuels" including cooking oil, heating oil, even clean engine oil at a push, but if you
do not have anything else that is diesel powered it can prove difficult to "rotate"
your fuel supply" (even if that is only every 2 - 3 years) and they can be much
harder to start in cold climates. Propane stores almost indefinitely, you can use it on
your gas grill in the summer and this can also provide standby heat and cooking
facilities all year. A few medium sized propane bottles (a minimum of 2 - use one,
plus a full spare) can be safely stored in a garage or shed, and far more safely than
gas (petrol) IMO. The down side for both of these being that the generators are
typically more expensive to purchase initially.

Please do not think that I am being negative with my comments. Any system is
better than none, and vehicle based systems can and do work so long as you
acknowledge their limitations in running time, security and power available etc. (I
would not aim for much more than 800 to 1,000 watts continuous, even if you do
buy a bigger inverter [~1,500 Watts] to allow for "start-up" surges). The
components required for vehicle based systems can also be "recycled" into a more
permanent fixed solar/battery/generator system as time and funds permit.
Whilst "modified sine" inverters are much cheaper than the "pure sine" variety, you
should be careful with electronics/motors working from modified sine power.
Ordinary filament light bulbs work fine, but some compact fluorescent lamps can
flicker or make high pitched noises on modified sine power. Some items such as cell
phone chargers and other "transformer-less" wall-wart power cubes can fail quite
spectacularly on modified sine power, as can some satellite/cable boxes in my
experience - if you can afford a pure sine inverter then this is the choice to make.

Finally it should be remembered that any small engine (gas/diesel/propane) can

also provide considerable distraction when trying to get them to work after periods
of storage, when after a few minutes it should have become obvious that it isn't
going to start and that you should abandon it for now and implement plan B, only
returning to it when this is working. (You do have a plan B, right?)

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time, and I hope and
pray that the true meaning and message of Christmas will support you all over the
holiday season following your loss of the Memsahib. Kind regards, Ian H. - NSoB
(Nanny State of Britannia)

Jim,

The Army sent my organization a cheap generator several months ago as part of a
bigger system. About a dozen of them went out to various Army posts to be used by
civilian trainers, some of them have no military background. This week, several of
our sites tried to start their little generators and were shocked that they were
inoperative. (I am just as guilty as they are. We have all ignored our generators
since September.)

There are basically two types of internal combustion generators out there, main
power generators and backup generators. The difference in cost between the two
types is substantial. Heavy duty power plants are more than ten times the price of a
backup generator, so as a compromise, many of us wind up owning a backup
generator of some kind. There are lots of little micro-generators around 1 KW, but I
am not talking about those. They are really too small to be much help, but the
larger ones can be very useful for keeping refrigeration or pumping water or any
number of tasks when the grid is down.

The typical backup generator is about 6 HP gasoline rated for something like 3,500
watts and costs from 300 to 600 dollars. The following is specifically written about a
"All Power" AGP3002D 3,500 watt gasoline generator, but since it's is a typical
survival generator this will also apply to many different models and sizes. I am
talking about any generator too big to carry but small enough to wheel (and has
wheels). If it has convenience outlets instead of a wiring collar, and it's big enough
to to run a freezer, I am talking about your generator. These are not top-of-the-line
generators, but they are a pretty good if you take care of them and use them within
their limitations. They are basically backup generators intended for short duration
events. They should be fine for short duration crisis and in a total collapse, unless
you have made a substantial commitment to storing fuel, your cheap generator will
easily outlast your fuel supply.

There are two basic approaches to backup generator maintenance: You can
maintain it constantly ready for action, or you can mothball it between missions.
Most people don't really need to be able to push a button and have their generator
come to life. In fact, if they can get their generator up within about half an hour,
that's probably just fine. Also, most people need a backup generator very
infrequently. Maybe less than once a year.

Mothballing is probably the best choice for most people.

To mothball a generator, drain out all the gasoline. You can let it run dry or drain it
from the fuel filter (or disconnect the fuel line). Be careful. Gasoline is explosive.
When you try to start it later, you will have to keep pulling the starter rope until you
suck fresh gasoline though the system....be patient and keep pulling.

You can leave the oil in the engine (and probably should) but if it sits for a year
without starting, you will need to drain the oil and replace it with new stuff before
you use it. Look at the oil before you use it and use common sense. If your oil is
ever black for any reason, it needs to be replaced immediately. The engine only
holds a little over a half a quart (.6 liter for the model I have). Use regular 10W30
oil. No need to get fancy.
Protect the generator from the elements while in storage. You can leave it in a
garage and haul it out when needed. If you must store it outside, you are risking
weather damage and theft. Most of these things are not really made to sit outside in
the weather, so try to store them in some kind of shelter.

When the grid power goes off and stays off long enough for you to use your
generator, Oil it, fuel it and start it up. Plug in your stuff and smile smugly at your
own cleverness. You should start it up at least once a year and it should work when
you need it. That's pretty much all there is to mothballing.

Or, you can maintain your generator ready to use on short notice. That requires
more work. Regular maintenance requires you to run it under load for about an hour
per month. You will need to follow some steps to do it safely.

You should follow this procedure whenever you run the generator for any reason.

1. Put in fresh gasoline. For maintenance run-up, about a pint of any kind of
unleaded should be enough. Don't use much because gasoline has a short shelf life
and turns into varnish (or technically....gunk) in a few months. You ideally want to
burn through all your gasoline every couple of months, so only add a little and then
run it almost dry every month. I think old fuel may be the most common cause of
failure in small engines. Don't leave old gas in your tank or you will be sorry. I don't
know much about fuel preservatives, but they seem to be unnecessary unless you
are storing a lot of fuel. If you have only a few containers of fuel for emergencies,
you can rotate them and burn the fuel in your car or truck. I only keep about 20
gallons and rotate my fuel every month. On my model, there is a fuel filter (glass
bowl type) in the back. It has a drain plug for removing water. If you have a fuel
filter bowl you really need to check this when you refuel and drain out the water if
you see any. (it will be the lower layer...duh). My tank is sized to run the generator
about 8 hours under a 1,500 watt load. It holds 4 gallons, so I can expect to need
about a half gallon per hour of use.

2. Check the oil level, You will need to change the oil after the first 20 hours of
operation and then every 100 hours thereafter. There is often no oil filter so this is
really important. You may need to siphon or pump the old oil out if there is no drain.
The oil level is usually checked at a cap or plug at the bottom of the engine. There
is no dip stick on cheap gas engines. The oil plug is slanted into the base of the
engine so that when the generator is level, the oil level should be exactly as much
as it will hold with the oil plug out. (like a lot of lawn mower engines.) If a few drops
spill out when you open the plug, that's perfect but basically, if you can touch the oil
with your finger without inserting it past the first knuckle, (an inch or so below the
top) you have enough. Even dirty oil is much better than no oil. If you ever run it
without oil you will be very sorry.

3. Check the air filter periodically and wash it with soap and water when it's dirty.
(if it's a replaceable filter, you will need spares). The manual on mine says to clean
it every 60 hours, but in a smoky or dusty environment, you may need to clean this
filter every time you refuel.

4. Ground it! Generators are dangerous. You are supposed to ground it using a
long grounding rod. You might be ok strapping it to plumbing, but a dedicated
ground rod is usually safer. If you are in doubt, wet the ground around the rod with
salt water (or any water)...about 10 gallons to increase conductivity. Sand is a
terrible conductor. If you hit bedrock, drive it in horizontally for it's full length
instead of leaving it sticking out. This is potentially lethal, so don't screw it up. If you
get a kid killed, you are really going to feel bad.

5. Turn on the engine switch (mine is on the control panel, but it can be
anywhere. Push the choke as far as it will go if you have a manual choke. (Mine is
hidden by the air filter. It will be on the same side).

6. Pull the starter rope fast but smoothly until the engine starts. (crossing your
fingers seems to help). When the engine catches, let it run a few minutes and then
push the choke back to the run position. Let it run 5 minutes before attaching a
load.

7. Attach a load that draws at least 1,000 watts. An electric space heater or even
an old steam iron will work for a load. I have always heard that running a generator
without a load is bad for it, but I am not sure if this is just superstition or if it is fact.
I have always used a load because I am a primitive, superstitious primate. If
someone knows the definitive answer, I would love to hear it.

My generator is rated at 3,500 watts, but that's a lie. That's the start up surge
capacity. My maximum rated load is only 3,000 watts, and it's not really big enough
to run that much. My system is designed to run for long periods at half load, which
is only 1,500 watts. That still sounds like a lot until you start counting up the watts
you need. To figure out wattage, multiply volts times amps and that gives you
watts.
Example: a typical Mr. Coffee (drip coffee maker) draws 7.5 amps at 120 volts. 120
times 7.5 is 900 watts.

Get a heavy duty extension cord for safety. Thin, long cords add a lot of resistance
and can heat up under a heavy load. Your cord will need to be pretty long to reach
outside to the generator, so get a good one.

Your generator is going to be noisy. If you are hoping to hide a cheap backup
generator, forget it. They are much louder than expensive power plants of the same
size. You might even need to wear hearing protection if you are working near the
engine. I do. Hiding any internal combustion engine will be even harder if
everything else in the area is quiet.

Cheap engines are not overly efficient, so they stink. They also put out copious
amounts of carbon monoxide. You may want to set it up downwind and far enough
away to not be annoyed. Under no circumstances run this thing indoors. Without
adequate ventilation \a gas engine can kill you in minutes. - JIR

Hi Jim,

Just a few additional caveats to the article: Covert Home Power for When The Grids
Go Down.

Running the 120 VAC electrical system from your automobile may seem like a
relatively easy thing to do, but there are some hidden issues one must be aware of.

One issue is called Power Factor which happens when a reactive load (such as a
motor) is running. In simple terms you can not simply multiply the current and
voltage to get an equivalent power draw from the system. Depending on how the
output of the inverter is designed and protected, you can even destroy the inverter
outputs. This may happen with a motor that is two large, or by simultaneously
running multiple motors. It's best to check the inverter users manual or contact the
manufacturer for proper operation of inductive loads like motors.
Another issue that was already mentioned is inrush current on a motor when it is
starting. The additional power is used to take a physical piece of material (the
motor shaft and get it moving from a stopped position. Overcoming the inertia can
take a bit of extra power. A good rule of thumb is 5 to 6 times the running current
draw , keeping in mind that a 1 HP motor at 120 VAC will draw at least 6.5 Amps
when running under a load. Motors may have this specified on the name plate as
Locked Rotor Amps or LRA. A 1 HP motor under load can draw as much as 40 amps
(4,800 watts) on startup. This can simply mean that the motor won't start, or can
mean you've destroyed your inverter.

Even an incandescent light has some inrush current, so it is better when using more
than one at a time to turn them on separately.

Back on the DC side you can do the simple math, but there can be a problem here
also. A 1,500 watt inverter at full output will draw about 125 Amps (1,500 Watts / 12
Volts). A typical automobile alternator is rated at 50-75 Amps and the higher output
alternators can output 100 or more. Keep in mind also that when supplying the
higher power, the automobile engine may be more than just simply idling.

The main thing here is to know the limits of your system, which will typically be your
alternator and DC power source, and know those limits (preferably by testing)
before you need them. - LVZ in Ohio

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Covert Home Power for When The Grids Go Down, by Tom H.

Permalink

There is much written about the Power Grids going down (for whatever reason) and
how to prepare for that event. Recommendations have been made for the
installation of a generator, solar panels, battery banks, inverters, automatic system
switches, on and on and on. These systems range from a simple inexpensive plug in
inverter for your car 12 VDC socket (which may power a lap top or a cell phone
battery charger) to an extremely complicated self-sufficient system that will operate
your whole house. The simple fact is that most people will not install such systems
for a variety of reasons ranging from cost to placement and sometimes simply
knowledge. Short of installing a complete off the grid system, almost every other
solution will require some sort of hassle and inconvenience. If it is winter, the
problem is compounded as it takes very large amounts of electricity to run electric
heaters, electric stoves, etc.(anything that produces heat). The idea is to do what is
absolutely necessary; conveniently, inexpensively effectively.

Many will buy a generator, fill its gas tank, start it to make sure it runs, place it in
their garage, put a full five-gallon gas can in the corner and think they have the
solution in hand. Over the course of a year, the gas will turn to kerosene, or worse,
(gumming up the carburetor and eventually making the gas in the can useless).
They will have forgotten how to start the gen set and connect it to the house; dust
will gather on both. Without considerable effort and knowledge, this set up becomes
useless. Any generator use will produce noise when in operation; broadcasting to all
within ear shot that you are producing electricity and potentially make you a target.
If you live in a small neighborhood in a city, as most do, this will be of particular
concern.

With a little preparation, no ongoing maintenance and very little cost there is a
more effective solution to powering part of your house, one or more appliances at a
time, and not bring attention to yourself and enjoying the use of electrical power.
This is particularly valuable if the power outage is in the winter. Powering only your
furnace will keep you warm and keep your pipes from freezing. Most people reading
this are already somewhat prepared in the areas of food, first aid, etc.

What Do I Need ?

In its most simple form, you will need the following:

1. Heavy duty automotive jumper cables in the largest cable size (diameter of the
wire) that you can get.

2. A 12 VDC to 120 VAC inverter. For $200 or less you can buy this at a discount
store, many auto parts or sporting goods stores, and a myriad of other places. Thy
typically range in size from 1,000 watts to 2,000 watts in capacity, and are about
the size of a small briefcase. The larger size is preferable to the smaller ones as
they provide more power and therefore will power more items at the same time.

3. A 120 VAC extension cord. This should also be of the largest wire diameter
(gauge) that you can find.
 4. A replacement 120 VAC plug for the extension cord.

5. Extra stored gasoline for your car.

What Do I Do With This Stuff?

First, locate the main power disconnect (breaker or switch) that connects your
house to the Grid. This is normally on or in the meter box. Turn it off. In this
condition, even if the power comes back on, you will have no power coming into
your house. This also duplicates a Grid down condition. Under no circumstances
turn the main power disconnect back on while the inverter is attached to the house.

Turn off all the sub-breakers in your house. (Hopefully you will have identified which
breaker powers what items or rooms in your house). Do not turn off the main
breaker in this panel. This second main breaker must be in addition to and separate
from the main house power disconnect.

Next, cut the receptacle end (female) off the 120 VAC extension cord and install the
replacement 120 VAC plug (male) to the cord. Make sure it's wired correctly. (Black
to black, white to white and green to green). You will now have a cord with a plug
on both ends.

The shorter you can make any DC cables, the better. (There is significant "line loss"
in DC cabling, but not in AC cables.) Make the cords and cables as short as you can
between the inverter and car. Do not modify the jumper cables unless you have the
tools to do so correctly.

[Editor's Strong Warning: Putting AC power into an outlet in your house might seem
like a simple solution, but it can create a dangerous "back feed" condition that could
electrocute a power lineman, when an attempt is made to restore power to your
neighborhood! It is ABSOLUTELTY ESSENTIAL that you turn off your home's main
circuit breaker before energizing your home's wiring with any alternative power
system. The main breaker should be "tagged out" with a prominent warning sign, or
better yet both tagged out and "locked out" physically. The best and safest solution
is to have a qualified electrician install a proper bypass circuit breaker panel that
will eliminate any risk of a back feed! - J.W.R.]
Place the inverter on the ground in front of the car. Connect the inverter to the
posts on your car battery (pos + to pos + and neg - to neg -) with the jumper
cables. Make sure the connections are as tight as possible. After making sure the
main power disconnect is off, plug in one end of the extension cord to the inverter
and the other end into any 120 VAC outlet in your house.

At this point you should start your car. (Warning: Do not run your car in your
garage, or you may get carbon monoxide poisoning.) When you then turn on the
inverter, you will have 120 VAC going into your house to the breaker panel. Your car
battery will start to discharge and may not have enough juice to start it later, so do
not turn on the inverter without the car is running. As you turn on a breaker, it will
send power to whatever is plugged into the outlets on that circuit, and those items
will operate, unless they require more wattage than the inverter produces.

As long as you have fuel to run the car, the car alternator will charge the battery,
which runs the inverter, which then produces 120 VAC power to your house. A car
that is quietly idling, parked in the driveway, is not going to stand out. A car can
often be idled safely for many hours in cold weather, but in warm weather, over-
heating may be a problem.

What I have described is not the ideal, most efficient way to do this, but it is the
least expensive and simplest way to have power while not alerting scavengers. As
long as you have gas for the car, you are in business.

There Is A Catch

The inverter will only run items which do not exceed the wattage rating of the
inverter. For example, if you bought a 1,500 watt inverter, it will only run 1,500
watts total at the same time. (e.g. fifteen 100-watt light bulbs). This necessitates
you do a little homework. As you can see, you can quickly overload the inverter.
Your electric oven, your electric dryer, and some other appliances will not work.
(They require too much power, and are often on 220 VAC circuits.) [JWR Adds: And
keep in mind that the peak current draw comes with an electric motor's start-up.]
Your furnace may take 1,000 or more watts to run the blower, the microwave may
take 1000 watts, the your refrigerator another 1,000 watts, and so forth. You must
know how much power is consumed by each item in your house, or you will quickly
overload the inverter. If the tag on the appliance doesn't tell you how many watts it
takes, it may tell you how many amps it draws. You can convert amps to watts by
multiplying the amperage (it may say 2 amps) by the voltage (120 volts). This item
will draw 240 watts. The amperage listed is almost always more than it actually
takes.

As you can see, this arrangement will allow you to run individual appliances at the
same time, but no more than the inverter will handle. You must do a inventory of
every item that is plugged in and know what breaker controls each. If you have your
refrigerator plugged into the same breaker as your furnace, the inverter may not
power both at the same time. You will then need a bigger inverter. Unplug every
item in your house that is plugged into an outlet, and know how much power you
are using for every item. It may be that all you need to operate concurrently is the
furnace and a few lights, or the refrigerator and a few lights. Do the math. You may
not want to run lights anyway, as this will only draw attention to you.

If and when the grid power supply returns to normal, disconnect the inverter, from
the car and then the house, turn your main house to grid disconnect back on, and
you are back to normal.

A little organization, planning, and thought will allow you to continue on through a
emergency without a lot of expense, undetected by the outside world.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Two Letters Re: Generator Experiences During a Recent Nor'easter

Permalink

Jim:

The letter about Generators today inspired me to write this email. I have owned
generators for around 20 years for emergency backup and portable power uses. I
use my generator primarily for powering sound equipment in the field. As a result I
looked for a quiet generator. The very quiet generators all run at 1,800 RPM, but it
is expensive to make a generator that runs slow and quiet, and the affordable
portable generators all seem to run at 3,600 RPM.
When I purchased my current generator 10 years ago, Coleman had just started
using the Briggs and Stratton "Vanguard" OHV engines in their generators. These I
found to be significantly quieter than the

typical generator engine, though not as quiet as a 1,800 RPM engine.

With regards draining the fuel, I have found the key is shutting off the valve in the
fuel line under the tank and letting the engine run until it starves for lack of fuel. It
is not necessary to drain the

fuel tank or take other steps in my experience as long as the valve is closed and the
engine run dry of fuel. My current generator has had fuel in the tank for its entire
ten year life and starts on the first

pull every time. Of course Sta-Bil. or Amsoil's gas stabilizer is always added to the
fuel.

The most important issue for long generator life is clean oil. Oil gets dirty from dirt
in the air. The engine on my generator has a dual air filter with both a pleated paper
filter and an oil soaked foam filter. The combination seems to do a good job in
keeping the engine oil clean.

It is also important to use an oil that does not break down under use, and that keep
water in suspension so it does not rust engine parts. I use Amsoil's Synthetic Marine
Oil in my generator, but when my current stock of oil is used up I will probably
switch to the new Amsoil Synthetic Small Engine Oil. (I recommend Amsoil Synthetic
Oils for all your cars as well.)

I have a plastic storage bin that holds spare air filters, spare spark plugs, and oil for
my generator along with the needed spark plug wrench and a fuel siphon. I keep
one or two 6 gallon gas cans out in

my shed (not in our garage or house for safety). Since all our vehicles have full
tanks of fuel, I can always use the siphon to refill the gas cans.
Running the generator under load every few months is an excellent idea. Always
start and stop a generator with no load connected. If your loads are connected
during start up in particular the voltage

surges as the generator engine gets up to speed and settles to a constant running
speed can destroy electronic equipment, and is not good for any equipment. Get
the generator running at a steady speed,

and then plug in your power cords. Likewise disconnect the power cords before
stopping the generator

Blessings on you and your family! - RAR

Mr. Rawles,

I live in Florida and have had quite a few encounters with week long power outages
due to hurricanes. Four years ago I converted my portable generator to run on
natural gas for only a little more than $200.00. I don't have to worry about ethanol
contamination in the carburetor anymore. The conversion is also able to run on
propane, or back to gasoline with only the re-gapping of the spark plug. It has a pull
start and only takes one or two pulls to start after sitting in storage for months.
Here is the web site where I ordered the kit. - Jim H

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Letter Re: Generator Experiences During a Recent Nor'easter

Permalink

Greetings Mr. Rawles,

I just wanted to pass along a quick reminder to your readers who took the time and
expense to buy a backup generator, but haven't taken the time to periodically test
and maintain it. Here in southeastern Virginia, we are still recovering from what was
called the "Atlantic Assault" by the hyperventilating reporters on the Weather
Channel. To be fair, though, this was indeed a whopper of a Nor'easter that gave us
flooding only a foot or so less than Hurricane Isabel in 2003. We lost power the
evening of November 12, but luckily got it back 29 hours later even though we were
told to expect several more days of grid-down living. But here's the kicker: on my
street, only two of the four houses with generators could get them started. Of three
other friends I checked with after the storm, there was one other [like me] that
could not start his generator. So what's going on?

As many boaters unfortunately have also discovered, infrequently used engines are
suffering significant damage to their carburetors from the ethanol in our gasoline
supply. Extra precautions to completely drain fuel tanks, fuel lines, and carburetor
float bowls are absolutely essential before putting the generator away for storage.
Ask me how I know...

I was also guilty of insufficient testing and maintenance, but I discovered my

mistake well before this storm. In early June I pulled my generator out for its yearly
testing at the beginning of hurricane season. Yes, I know. Testing my backup power
source only once per year was pretty stupid. Anyway, no amount of cord-pulling or
carburetor cleaning would induce my generator to start. The gasoline had stabilizer
in it, and even draining the old gas and using fresh didn't help. I eventually got tired
of messing with it, and I bought a replacement carburetor via eBay for $70. After
installing the new carburetor, along with a new in-line fuel filter from the marine
parts store, the generator started on the second pull and ran like new.

I now have a standard monthly testing cycle for my generator that runs it under
load for about half an hour. I also have a standard routine for servicing my
generator after each use. This routine includes draining the fuel tank, pulling and
draining the fuel lines, and fully draining the float bowl of the carburetor. I even
leave the lid off the fuel tank for a few hours -- in a well-ventilated space -- to let it
completely air dry. And I also have a new schedule for changing the engine oil.
During heavy use, I change the oil every once three days (about 50 hours) of
operation. Otherwise, I just change it once per year. Remember that oil is cheap and
it's the life-blood of a small air-cooled engine.

So my generator was one of the ones that worked during the recent storm, and I
was able to run 12-gauge extension cords to two of my neighbors to keep their
refrigerators running, too. It was nice to be in the position of being able to help
others rather than needing help myself. I hope your readers can learn from my
mistakes and how I corrected them. - Mike in Virginia

Monday, November 16, 2009

From David in Israel: Off Grid Alternatives to Utility-Supplied Electricity

Permalink

James

One of the most troubling things I see when speaking to people about going off grid
is how badly they want to keep all of their electrical appliances and just spend many
thousands of dollars on a battery bank more appropriate for a U-boat and solar cells
or generators to keep them topped off. Having had a minor role in a micro-satellite
system design proposal one thing you learn when confronted by limited power
supply is to either economize or do without.

The appliances you own for on grid use are not efficient. They are built to be
inexpensive or if you are better off durable, even the fancy electrical appliances out
of Europe with the Energy Star are in reality a big waste of power once you are
paying by the off grid watt for solar panels and battery banks. There is no reason a
normal family shouldn't consider an off grid option for their home. Even in a national
emergency and societal breakdown it is very rare for supplies of diesel fuel,
gasoline, kerosene, and LP gas to be unavailable for long periods at some price.

Dryer - Enemy number one especially in a large family, a solar clothes dryer is
under $5 at nearly every hardware store, ask for a clothesline. Folding indoor drying
racks are very popular in Israel. Even in winter indoor drying can be assisted by
using a fan, it will also keep the air humidified. After trying the above and finding
you just can't make it there are LP gas heated clothes dryers, but these still need
mains power for the drum motor.

Oven/Stovetop - There is no reason to use electrical power for cooking. Excellent

caterer grade ovens and stoves are available at most appliance stores which run
totally on gas. Some may use an electrical ignition or thermostat but nearly all can
be retrofitted either with a piezoelectric (no battery needed) spark starter or can
just be lit with a match avoiding the danger of the old style pilot light since they
now are equipped with a thermal safety. Most people find they actually prefer gas
once they are used to it as it is a more even heat. We have had good success using
MSR camping kerosene burners when the gas to our home was unavailable for a
few weeks.
Hot Water - Nearly any off grid home will benefit from the addition of a solar
collector in addition to a well-insulated gas water heater. Think about turning down
the thermostat or using a secondary gas instant heating system and low flow
shower heads to stretch your hot water supply.

Heating - Most stores and contractors can provide a wide variety of wood, pellet,
gas, kerosene, or oil-fueled stoves and furnaces and space heaters. Insulation is key
to keeping your alternative heat system from breaking your bank account.

Power Tools - Some older large shop tools can be powered by a PTO shaft or belt
system. The possibilities from a gas motor, to steam, to hydro and beyond are
limited only by your imagination.

Water pressure - In many areas there is not enough wind for a windmill to keep a
water tower full so an electrical or gas pump might work better once all factors are
evaluated. If your retreat is located below the summit of the hill it would probably
be much easier to install a pool or cistern on the summit to provide pressure for
firefighting operations even if your pump is destroyed, for every foot of elevation .
433 pounds of water pressure is required for filling your tower or cistern and this
pressure is returned when water is used in your home or property. Anyone living in
a wilderness area should have in addition to a gravity fed water system of at least
1,500 gallons and a 300 gpm capacity, and at least one portable reservoir. There
are portable swimming pools that are the same as US Forest Service uses for
firefighting, and a gas powered portable pump for emergency firefighting.
Descending water can be run reverse through some pumps generating electricity
making it a very effective and inexpensive way to store electrical power once your
battery banks are full.

Refrigeration - Most readers if their inventory their refrigerator will find mostly
leftovers or things which actually will last until consumption without refrigeration.
There are high quality kerosene and LP gas powered absorption refrigerators, some
with secondary mains power optional, available from a few suppliers even in the US.

For those with the skills required to build and test a system which can withstand
250 psi anhydrous ammonia, copying the old Crosley Icy-Ball chest refrigerator-
freezer is a thrifty option. Since anti-drug manufacturing laws make obtaining
anhydrous ammonia difficult, an icy-ball can be built with drains on the absorptive
water side to self distill ammonia from cleaning solution. A warning: Ammonia is a
dangerous respiratory irritant and any homemade system should be used with
caution and kept and recharged outside in case of leakage. One DIY design includes
a shutoff valve to keep the ammonia from reabsorbing until the valve is opened
allowing it to be stored in a charged condition.

Before refrigeration people would buy eggs and milk fresh in the city or if they could
have chickens and a cow or goat would produce their own. A chicken is easily
consumed by even a small family once cooked, in less than a day.

A water evaporation cooler cabinet is another very cheap option for keeping food.

Lighting - Gas mantle lighting once found in most urban homes is not difficult to
implement using either camping lamps and piped gas or better yet certified indoor
lamps. While in college I worked in a gun and camping shop which sold a reverse
fitting for refilling disposable Coleman LP gas cartridges from the older non-tip over
shutoff bulk tanks making camp lights highly practical for hanging. It must be
remembered that gas lighting presents an increased fire hazard so precautions
including avoiding clutter and considering the floor and wall surface must be taken
into account. Battery powered florescent and LED lights and LED nightlights are also
useful for reading and small tinkering. Metal halide lighting is much more power
friendly than incandescent if large areas require illumination for security purposes.

Communications - Your radio communications system should have a redundant

battery bank and power supply should your services be required in an emergency. It
should be remembered the operating rule of just as much power as required and
the usage of low power consumption modes like CW. Tube systems are notoriously
wasteful of power and tubes have limited life so these should be kept as backup
systems in most cases. Only power up satellite Internet systems after you have
typed up all the e-mails and set them up to send immediately after going online.
There are offline viewers which will call up all the web sites you normally visit and
grab them all for later viewing.

Television sets, satellite receivers, and large stereo systems are wasteful of
electrical power if left on. A small notebook computer for occasional movies and an
MP3 player for music will save many valuable watts. Unplug or employ a disconnect
switch [or power strip with switch] on all electronics unless they are in use. This will
protect them from power surges in addition to eliminating sleep-state power draw.
[Also know as a "phantom load."]

Telephone - If your retreat can obtain telephone service a secondary redundant

system connecting you to selected neighbors can be set up in some areas by
ordering an old style alarm or bell line to one central home, this is usually cheaper
than a line with actual telephone service, and should work in most telephone
systems even if the central office with its redundant power goes offline but the
wires are still intact. The Telephone company will either splice the wire pairs at the
neighborhood box or at the closest central office, officially only for alarm systems, it
is possible to set up anything from long run Ethernet or simple voice lines with an
old style "everybody rings" party line. This will not save off grid watts but is a good
way to add redundancy to your retreat.

Safety - Install at least two combo carbon monoxide sensing smoke alarms in your
home in addition to a smoke alarm in every occupied room. In these alarms, install
long life lithium batteries and check on the first of the month and every time you
change to or from daylight savings. DO NOT use rechargeable batteries for your
smoke and carbon monoxide alarms!

Due to the higher fire risk using flame-based alternatives to electricity I even more
strongly recommend installation of fire sprinklers in all rooms, flame hoods over all
cooking surfaces with automatic sprinklers that have a manual activation, and at
least two standpipe and hose cabinets with 100 gpm gravity flow minimum per
standpipe, ABC-rated fire extinguisher, gloves, goggles, and Nomex face shroud.
Install outdoor standpipes and stocked hose locker for wildfires, a charged mobile
phone for 911 (BTW, you need not have an active calling plan to use a cell phone to
call 911 in the USA) and if you have to retreat from interior firefighting. Most
importantly have an evacuation and rendezvous family accounting plan and
volunteer with the local volunteer fire department, learn when the fire is just too big
to fight by yourself.

With an engineering eye it is often possible to reduce your home or retreat

electrical requirements to an inexpensive few hundred watts once alternatives are
considered. Shalom, - David in Israel

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Solar Electric Vehicles for TEOTWAWKI, by Pete Montgomery

Permalink

Having been a “prepper” for more than 25 years, growing up in Florida where you
had to be prepared for the inevitable annual hurricane, I have experienced many
powerful storms, with the associated loss of power and the joy of waiting in line for
gasoline. These experiences have cultivated a growing interest in solar power and
how it relates to providing power in an emergency situation. Until recently
photovoltaic (PV) power solutions were out of reach and electric transportation was
just a pipe dream. I always wished that I could have a motor vehicle that didn’t
depend on the “grid” for its power, i.e. gas, diesel, bio-diesel, ethanol, etc. With
recent advances in PV technology and electric vehicle technologies, that wish is now
a reality.

In the mind of the “prepper”, PV power has always been a viable means of providing
power to his or her retreat, dating back as far as the early 1970s. Early visionaries
put largely inefficient banks of PV panels on their homes or barns to utilize the sun’s
endless power. However, back then, the primary drawback was the enormous price
tag and limited power that first generation PV panels produced. Until recently PV
options have remained principally out of reach; however, with the advancements in
solar technology and falling prices, as well as tremendous increase in quality and
efficiency of PV panels, energy directly from the sun is now reliable and affordable
for the average consumer.

With never-to-be-seen-again Federal Tax incentives, PVs are certainly worth a closer
look. Just think of the uses for solar on the family farm/retreat or even the home in
the suburbs. Power the well, produce all the power needed for the home and sell
what you don’t need back to the grid for peak prices. The uses are virtually endless
around the home but what about getting around on the homestead? Why not take
advantage of the sun’s limitless power with the vehicle you drive?I’m not talking
about those fancy space-age looking gizmos that you’ve seen gliding along on the
Salt Flats someplace in Utah. We have developed something more functional and
far more cost effective for the average person or family that wants an alternative
means of transportation.

The new PV vehicles that are being produced by several manufacturers in the US
are classified by the IRS as Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs), most of which can be used
on any road, meaning, any public road that is posted 35 mph or under and allowed
by local ordinances. These LSVs are quickly gaining national attention and are
completely “Street Legal”. Likewise, there is an “off-road” or ATV classification of
the LSV, which can be driven on or off-road while still qualifying as a “Street Legal”
LSV. You must be a licensed driver to operate a LSV on any public roadway.

The uses for this type of vehicle on the retreat are endless, not to mention they are
a lot of fun to drive. What’s even better is the “fill up” is free; all you have to do is
park your LSV in the sun to let it recharge, free of charge. [JWR Adds: Keep in mind,
however, that it would take more than two days of full sun to recharge a LSV's
batteries that have been deeply discharged. Also, like any other lead-acid deep
cycle battery bank, you will need to buy a new set of batteries once every 4 to 7
years, because of inevitable sulfation.]

This year I had the opportunity to go to work for Long Drive Solar, LLC a company
that markets and sells street legal, PV electric hybrid, low speed vehicles (LSVs) for
“on-road” and “off-road” use. As long as you have sunlight, you have reliable
transportation.

The product line starts with vehicles that may appear similar to a standard golf cart
all the way up to 24-seat trams. These vehicles are powered by strong 5.5
horsepower motors, use Curtis charge controllers and a powerful 48-volt battery
bank with eight large 6 VDC batteries, (8-Trojan T-145s, producing 260 amp hours),
self-adjusting drum brakes, turn signals, headlights, taillights, brake lights, horn,
seat belts, and DOT-appoved windshields. The factory installed 210 or 230 watt
solar panel is state-of-the-art, giving you higher performance, greater range, and
substantially longer operating time between battery charges. Long Drive Solar has a
wide range of on and off-road tires for just about any terrain or environment. Every
vehicle has a 120 VAC plug-in charger, in case you ever need a conventional
charge. However, under normal usage, you’ll find that the sun is all you need to
keep your vehicle fully charged and ready to go.

Options include just about anything you can think of including AM/FM radio, CD
player, wood grain trim, etc. But the one that I like the best is the 12 VDC to 120
VAC power inverter. This lets you have a 110 power outlet anywhere you can take
the vehicle, as the solar panel acts as your own personal portable generator. Most
models sold by Long Drive Solar have been certified by the IRS and are GSA
approved.
So what’s the difference between a standard golf cart and a Low Speed Vehicle
(LSV)? Golf carts are not street legal [in most jurisdictions], and most have a top
speed of around 10 mph, whereas the LSVs (by law) must travel between 20 and 25
mph. The golf cart motor is normally just 3 horsepower, while our LSVs are 5.5
horsepower, and up. There are many additional difference, so when you go to buy
your LSV, make sure you get the right vehicle for your money.

Long Drive Solar has several models to choose from but the one that works best for
a retreat application is unquestionably the Scout. The Scout is designed for on or
off-road or trail use. It has 8” ground clearance to the axles, and an unusually-high
19" ground clearance to the bottom of the deck, off-road knobby tires, brush
guards/bumper, front basket, and top rack (if you don’t use solar, however, I
strongly suggest the solar option). The Scout comes in 2, 4, and 6 seat
configurations and can also have a box body on the back for hauling hay, firewood,
garden produce, or other items. This is clearly the way to go for a rural retreat.

One of the most frequently asked questions is how far and how fast will these
vehicles go. As previously stated, to qualify as an LSV, the vehicle must go between
20 and 25 mph. As to “how far”, most standard golf carts have a range of about 20
miles on a single charge. Our LSVs are constantly charging the batteries through
the solar panel and have an average range of 80-100 miles [in a day] on a single
charge. That mileage may vary depending on terrain and driving conditions. Either
way, you can count on a minimum of at least a 30% increase in performance. I’ve
driven the one I have for several months and I have never had to “plug it in”, not
once.

Federal and State Tax Credits

With the Federal and State governments pushing to implement “green

technologies”, this opportunity is just right for those interested in buying a vehicle
that is a self-sustaining, affordable means of transportation. Although a vehicle like
this costs between $7,000 to $10,000 dollars (with a solar top), thanks to Uncle Sam
and your local State government you get an early Christmas present in the form of
huge Tax Credits. Depending on which State you live in, you could get your “dream-
come-true” off-road vehicle for a net cost of zero; that’s right, zero. If you happen
to live in Oklahoma, you have the ability to capture up to 120% of the actual cost.
Yes, you can actually make money by purchasing one of these vehicles. Other
states, like Georgia, Hawaii, and Florida benefit in the 70-80% Tax Credit range. Go
to www.dsireusa.org and http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ to find out what your
State offers as Tax Credits.
Note that the largest part of the Federal Tax Credits expire on December 31, 2009
and will likely mot be renewed, therefore, all electric vehicles must be purchased no
later than December 31, 2009, to take advantage of this tax credit. Individual State
Tax Credits vary, some end at the end of this year, while others extend until 2015.
Please check with your local State Tax Commission on the time lines.

So where can you buy your LSV?

Here’s where I get to plug our company and some of our competition. If you go to
our web site LongDriveSolar.com, you can find a lot of good info and can take a look
at some of our products. Long Drive Solar has its corporate offices in Atlanta,
Georgia. We also have a large Dealership in Oklahoma City and dealer
representatives located throughout the US. Please give us a call or contact us
online. Some of the other companies that provide quality products are Tomberlin
Vehicles, Eco E ATV, Bad Boy Buggies and several others. Note: Long Drive Solar is
the only company in the US that sells a factory installed solar system on most
models of their LSVs.

Beware before you buy: When you go to buy your vehicle, make sure that your
dealer provides you with certification from the IRS that their vehicle (and
specifically the model you are buying) qualifies for the Federal and State Tax
Credits. Make sure you check with your tax accountant regarding any paperwork
you will need to get from the dealer, so that you can legally take advantage of the
tax credits.

One other important note: All electric vehicles are not created equal with respect to
the Federal tax credits. The IRS has many different levels of tax credits on the same
vehicle. The amount of credit depends on the amp rating of the battery bank; the
higher the amp rating, the higher the credit, so make sure you’re getting the most
power and the highest available tax credit for your dollar.

For those of you that lean toward the “green movement”, and believe me I’m all for
renewable energy, these vehicles can help with your LEEDS certification points as
well as helping to offset your personal carbon footprint.
If you have always wanted a reliable means of transportation with a renewable
source of energy it would be well worth your time to take a look at the new forms of
sustainable transportation on the market today, as well as the once-in-a-lifetime Tax
Credits that could make your solar vehicle absolutely free [after you complete your
taxes for 2009]. Believe me, my solar LSV was looking mighty fine when gas was
pushing $5 per gallon.

From my perspective this type of transportation is something to consider. Just

remember, do your homework and buy the best you can afford because one day
your life may depend on what you have invested in.

If you would like to learn more about any of the products or technology talked about
here please feel free to contact me at: pmontgomery@longdrivesolar.com

Friday, November 6, 2009

Two Letters Re: How to Capitalize on Urine, Car Batteries, Wood Ashes, Bones and
Bird Schumer

Permalink

Jim:

Car batteries are designed for one thing and one thing only - delivering a bunch of
power for a very short period of time. Said time is measured in seconds, not
minutes, hours, or days.

I have been living "Off the Grid" for fifteen years, and can assure your readers that
vehicle batteries can only handle 3-5 complete discharges before they are useless,
i.e., after but a few discharges they cannot be recharged and expected to hold said
charge. Ergo, they are the wrong choice for any task where discharge exceeds the
constant charging input into the battery. They will not last, and the monies and the
time procuring and cabling such will have been wasted.

If one intends to utilize batteries and a charger of whatever source to power lights
or equipment of any sort, only use "Deep Cycle" types as the plate construction
used in these is designed for multiple deep-discharges. The number of discharges
varies given the size of the battery itself, and can range from as few as 100 to well
over 2,000. Yes, in the case of batteries, size matters.
Another little hint: When engaged in the mathematics of power generated in
relationship to end use, whether from solar, microhydro, wind, or fuel powered
generators, remember that when using a battery to "store" generated power, factor
in a loss of 6% of the power produced due the requirements of the chemical
reaction in the battery. Period. And never forget that "Volts X Amps = Watts". If you
don't model your production and usage with these numbers in mind, say goodbye to
your batteries.

On the way out the door, one more bit of advice, this on "Phantom Loads." Many of
the appliances we buy today are never actually "off", even though one believes
such is the case. A few decades back, the appliance manufacturers decided to
stroke our egos because having to wait a few seconds for an appliance to "warm
up" was frustrating. Now such a wait would border on a personal insult. We demand
"instant on" from everything, and this comes with a price. Even "off", many of your
appliances consume power. Either you pay the power monopoly for it, or if "Off the
Grid", you deplete and perhaps even destroy your batteries.

The easiest way to find how much your favorite appliance is robbing you is to buy a
little device called a Kill-A-Watt [electricity usage monitor], about $30.00 or so,
available at hardware stores and places like Lowe's and Home Depot. One plugs it
into the wall and then you plug the appliance into it, with the appliance still "off".
Much to your surprise and then chagrin, a little digital readout tells you how many
"watts" that appliance uses when it's "off". Pardon the pun, but the results will
"shock" you. That television that is presumed "off" may well be using 30-40 watts
constantly, 24-7-365. Add in stereo components, computers, printers, and all those
other things that we believe make life worth living and pretty soon we're talking
about real money. And if you are dependent on a battery bank, well, you get my
drift. It's more than just money.

Solution? Whether "Off the Grid" or dependent on a power monopoly, put all such
appliances on power strips, and when you want them truly off, shut down the power
strip. Then "Off" really means "Off". There's no point in paying for something your
aren't using, and if out there pioneering, ignoring this will destroy your batteries,
Good Luck! - J. Mo

James,
I noted with concern one item in the recent blog article: How to Capitalize on Urine,
Car Batteries, Wood Ashes, Bones and Bird Schumer, by Jeff M. He recommended
using car batteries for lead to cast bullets from. As a caster myself I have learned
that this is an extremely hazardous thing to do. The lead plates in car batteries are
impregnated with arsenic and calcium to aid the the chemical reaction to generate
electricity. Melting these down will generate arsine gas which is highly poisonous.
He also recommended using lead wheel weights. [Traditional lead alloy] wheel
weights [made before the recent switch to zinc] are the preferred metal for most
bullet casters. While they contain about a quarter of a percent of arsenic they do
not contain calcium and do not generate arsine gas when melted. Safety First!

God Bless, - Jim E.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

How to Capitalize on Urine, Car Batteries, Wood Ashes, Bones and Bird Schumer, by
Jeff M.

Permalink

Throughout the last few centuries, mankind has been building and building up,
combining raw materials and energy to create... stuff. This stuff is scattered all over
urban population centers, and many of it can be used for basic life-sustaining
purposes. I thought I'd write in and share some information I've gathered over the
years in my work and in my hobbies, as it relates to sustaining life if you're trapped
in an urban area. I'm enumerating the primitive uses of some very basic
components for those interested, this wasn't meant as a guide for building any of
this stuff, further research is definitely necessary and DO NOT try any lab chemistry
without becoming an expert first and observing all the appropriate safety
precautions. [JWR Adds: Handling strong acids and bases also necessitates wearing
goggles, extra long gloves, long sleeves, a safety apron, having proper ventilation,
and having an eye flushing bottle (or fixture) and neutralizers close at hand!] I hope
this inspires others to share similar uses for modern waste.

Many urbanites will not have enough room to grow self-sustaining gardens in the
soil in your backyard, with the limited growing season, and even if you did it would
become a target for looters. Construction of a greenhouse in your backyard with
adequate security may be a worthwhile compromise. Using hydroponics in your
greenhouse will maximize your yield. Hydroponics requires that you're moving fluids
around in a growing medium, and this movement requires electricity in the simplest
setup. It also allows you to maximize your space by eliminating huge buckets of soil.
One downside to hydroponics is that it requires more advanced technology, and
most often an energy supply. Another downside is a requirement for more specific
fertilizers.

Car batteries can be used to power your food supply and your home, a typical setup
is a very sturdy shelf to hold rows of the deep cycle variant. You can calculate how
much energy you'd need to power your appliances but a better setup for survival
would be to only power a single DC circuit, with some very energy efficient
appliances; LED lights, laptop computers, radios, flashlight battery chargers. I have
a circuit wired in my basement which can be switched to backup power, so for me it
would just be a matter of wiring an extension cable out to my greenhouse.

The equipment to build a battery backup system is widely available, it's very
mature technology and has been very easy to afford with the increased usage of
solar energy. Solar panel prices have also dropped almost 40% in the last couple of
years. I recommend that someone with the cash to spend, who has already bought
a long-term supply of food and other essentials, build themselves a photovoltaic
backup system to keep your electronics running for years, using deep-cycle marine
batteries for storage. It happens to be the cheapest form of storage, the deep cycle
batteries are available from Wal-Mart and Costco at the best prices.

I recommend some form of sustainable electricity. Most fuels will go bad with time,
the easiest fuel to reliably store is propane and many homes are equipped with
propane and natural gas powered backup generators. Propane is extraordinarily
cheap right now as well. A 300-to-500 gallon propane tank can be bought used for
around $500 in most places, and propane is selling in my area for $1.79/gallon.
Propane is produced from natural gas and, along with coal, are the two fossil fuels
we're least likely to see a shortage of. Regarding solar, you don't need a 5,000 watt
solar panel farm to power your essentials. Just one large solar panel on a pole will
be enough [to provide charging] for your odds and ends DC-powered electronics.

If you intend to use scavenged car batteries for home power, you will need to come
up with a scheme to charge them. If you charge a random collection of batteries off
of one charger some of them may overheat and explode. You need to have an
individual charging circuit for each of them, a temperature probe is good but not
necessary. The best way to do this with a generator setup is with a multiple-bank
charger or charging station, or with multiple charge controllers in a solar setup. It
would be a good idea to have backups, so you might as well have one charge
controller for every battery. If you're running a generator, it is especially important
that you use a battery backup system, as it allows you to use the energy more
efficiently to charge up a battery bank which you can use for days to power efficient
appliances.

Another interesting thing about car batteries is what you can do with them if you're
not using them for power. Car batteries contain two main ingredients, sulfuric acid
and lead. Sulfuric acid is used in many industrial processes. It's a source of
elemental sulfur, and these strong acids are used to convert many other substances
to something usable.

Hundreds of years ago people made saltpeter for formulating black powder by
urinating in a jar and adding straw to it (almost too easy, huh?). A more industrious
method would be to mix straw and manure into a pile and urinate on it regularly to
keep it moist. This was called a "niter-bed". After a year, run water through it and
then run the resulting mixture through a wood ash filter, and then air dry the
resulting mixture in the sun. Any failed batches could always be used as [the basis
for a larger quantity of] fertilizer. Your urine contains nitrogen in the form of a
chemical called urea, which means it also makes a good fertilizer (1 part urine and
10 parts water immediately applied makes a decent fertilizer). The urine/straw
mixture would change over the course of a few months to contain nitrates, mostly a
chemical called potassium nitrate, or saltpeter. Wood ash contains mostly
potassium compounds and can be used to convert remaining nitrates to potassium
nitrate. Potassium nitrate is a powerful oxidizer. Mixed with a fuel it forms the
ingredients of many fireworks such as bottle rockets. Black powder is made with a
mixture of 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulfur. Sulfur can be
found on the electrodes of the car batteries, or it can be produced through
electrolysis of the sulfuric acid. A good rocket fuel is 60% potassium nitrate and
40% powdered sugar, should you have a need for rockets, perhaps as a signal flare.

You can buy potassium nitrate over the counter from the hardware store (Lowe's
and Home Depot). It's known as stump remover and is available in 1lb bottles. If
you're doing that last minute shopping, it might be a good idea to swing by the
pesticides shelf and buy all the stump remover while you're getting your fertilizers
and everything. Potassium nitrate has an NPK rating of 13-0-38.

In the 1890s, widespread use of "smokeless powder" was adopted, which is about
three times as powerful as simple black powder. This was a result of a substance
called nitro-cellulose or guncotton, which is which can be made from cellulose and
nitric acid and some other chemicals by means of nitration. Nitric acid is a very
useful substance. Nitro-groups or nitronium ions can be added to certain chemicals
to create explosives. Compounded with hexamine fuel tablets (Esbit fuel), it forms
[the equivalent of ] RDX explosive. Compounded with glycerine, it forms
nitroglycerine, that with added stabilizers forms dynamite or blasting gelatin. (Not
to be confused with trinitrotoluene (TNT), which is generated by the nitration of
toluene.) The most useful application of nitric acid though is in making smokeless
powder, commonly just called "gunpowder" today, which is a compound of
nitrocellulose and a number of other proprietary ingredients. It can be made from
cellulose and nitric acid and some other chemicals by means of nitration. [Reader
M.H. Adds: Doing any of this will take considerable study and storing some other
chemicals, since nitric acid just by itself will not (to any significant degree) nitrate
organic compound such as glycerine, hexamine or toluene. For details, see the book
titled "Chemistry and Technology of Explosives" by Urbanski (available online).]

The government has made it difficult to purchase nitric acid without a valid reason.
You can make it out of sulfuric acid, from the car batteries, and potassium nitrate,
from the niter beds. You will need some basic lab equipment to do this, a glass
distillery connected to a vacuum pump (a vacuum distillery), and a hot plate. With
the leftover parts of the car battery, mainly lead [and wheel weights as a source of
antimony for hardening], you can mold lead bullets. The lab equipment required to
perform some of these reactions is useful in many other processes, such as an
ethanol distillery, so it may be something you'd want, regardless. Take care that
you don't cross into illegal territory with your experimenting. Potassium nitrate and
black powder aren't controlled substances, but at some point gunpowder becomes
classified as an explosive and requires a permit to manufacture. [JWR Adds a Strong
Proviso: This summary information is provided for educational purposes only.
EXTREME safety measures must be taken, and all the legalities and zoning issues
must be researched, permits obtained, et cetera. Also, be advised that the
instructions presented in many of the published references on do-it-yourself
explosives making have insufficient safety margins. For example, the set of
directions on making nitroglycerin in the book The Anarchist Cookbook, could best
be described as a "recipe for disaster." It will get you killed or at least maimed, in
short order!]

Another interesting thing I'll mention is that handgun calibers and muzzleloaders
are better suited for lead bullets with no copper jacket, since they travel through
the barrel slower they can be made softer. Forming a copper jacket around a bullet
is difficult and expensive. [JWR Adds: One notable exception to this is making
jackets for .22 caliber bullets, which can be made with discarded .22 LR brass and
lead wire, using commercially available forming dies.] I think it's also worthwhile to
own at least one muzzle-loading black-powder rifle, and bullet forming equipment.
Manufacturing guncotton is not nearly as easy as black powder. You can no longer
readily buy black powder [in gun shops] today, it is less stable and more expensive
to ship. Even the modern muzzle-loader propellants (like Pyrodex) are smokeless
powders. So, you may find black powder is all people are using one of these days,
as they can make it in their backyard. Either stockpile thousands of primers or use a
flintlock style rifle.

I mentioned that urine can be used as a fertilizer, nowhere is this more true than in
a hydroponic system. Plants need three main chemicals to grow, all three of which
must be in a soluble form. urine is easily the best source of nitrogen in soluble form.
Potassium can be gathered from wood ash easily by running fluids through it.
Phosphorous is the hard part, and many fruiting plants need phosphorus, so it is the
area where you focus the most energy. Bone has phosphorus in it, and a commonly
used fertilizer for plants is bone meal in the form of calcium phosphate. Bone meal
has an NPK rating of 4-12-0. Bat guano is one of the best sources of phosphorous,
and bird droppings ("Bird Schumer") can similarly provide a good supply. Be careful
with bird droppings though, many contain diseases especially pigeons. You may
want to boil it first. Match heads can also be used for their phosphorus content, if
for some reason you have thousands of matches with no barter value.

Back to urine fertilizers: When you urinate into the water your urine and many other
nitrate fertilizers begin to break down into ammonia, which needs to be filtered out.
If you've ever maintained a koi pond you know this can be accomplished with the
use of a bio-filter. Another way to do it is with an aquaculture setup, which means
connecting a fish hatchery to a hydroponics setup. The fish and the plants thrive off
of each other. This has evolved into it's own industry called aquaponics, and has
proven to be a commercial success, mainly to serve as leafy plant production on top
of a primarily fish producing setup. If you get sick of eating that dried corn, try
feeding it to a 55-gallon barrels full of Tilapia. Tilapia has been the preferred fish
stock as it will eat a wider range of things, but the temperature must be kept warm.
It's possible that even in colder climates a greenhouse would provide sufficient
trapped heat to keep the fish alive.

Many of these techniques can form the foundations of exciting hobbies such as
model rocketry, aquaculture, hydroponics and gunsmithing. I strongly encourage
you to absorb some of these hobbies in your life, if they appeal to you. [Do plenty of
research, and get lots of practice,] especially when it comes to something sensitive
like fish or hydroponics. Beginner's mistakes could spell the end of you if you're
depending on this for your urban survival. I've opted to fortify my suburban home
on a quarter acre and optimize it for survival, with over two years of food storage
for me and my family to get started and enough energy to cook it. If this is all you
can afford then make the most of it!

Letter Re: Making Do at a Rural Vermont Retreat

James,

While I could wish to be west of the Mississippi, my wife and I will have to retreat
where we are. My elderly parents are nearby, and my wife has made it very clear
she has moved for the last time. Vermont is where we will be for the foreseeable
future.

We live within a rural town of approximately 2,000 residents. We are about seven
miles outside of a twin-city with a population of 28,000. We lack like-minded
neighbors both in faith and preparedness. We hope our far-flung family will be able
to rally here, but are realistic about their chances. Not an ideal location, but we
work with what God have given us.

We own 60 acres, mostly wooded with some pasture, up and three miles out of
town on a dirt road. Our home is close to the middle of the land, at the end of an
1,100 foot driveway and it is not visible from the road. The driveway could be easily
blocked if necessary. We have cleared good areas around the house without giving
up our privacy. We heat with any of three sources, wood, pellets, or oil. Our
neighbors include a medical doctor and a nurse/midwife and two miles down the hill
is a dairy farm with 400 head.

We have three spring-fed ponds, (one is stocked with trout), a deep artesian well
and a developed spring with a concrete cistern. We use a small greenhouse to
extend our short growing season and have apple trees and blueberry, raspberry and
blackberry bushes. We can and dry fruits and veggies, I hunt and we both cook. We
have about 18 months of food in storage (dehydrated, canned, frozen and grains)
and expand our larder as we are able. We used to be cold weather tent- campers
and have all of the equipment that goes along with that sport in both propane and
white gas.

Our arsenal is varied, deep and redundant. It includes four muzzleloaders and
supplies; they are hunting and hobby rifles, but they will still put food on the table
or provide defense in a pinch.
We have much on our “things to do” list. Fuel storage is a problem in quantity due
to permitting issues. We do have the fuel oil tank in the cellar for the tractor, but
gasoline will be limited to our cans. Our only generator is small, only able to power
the pellet stove, a couple of lights and a radio. We do hope to add solar in the
future. Our home is not as defensible as I would like due to glass windows and doors
and we lack man-power for long term survival.

We will never be as ready as want to be, but we will be as ready as we are able. Our
greatest assets are Jesus and each other. - B.C.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Letter Re: Thoughts on Preparedness in a Diverse Community

Permalink

I just met this past weekend with a group of " preparedness folk." They are on a
farm about 30 miles from here. I have become interested in the subject after
reading One Second After (a New York Times best seller, highly recommended!) and
some writings by James Wesley, Rawles. I was surprised at who they were and the
mindset I encountered. A few observations:

1) The root idea is that whether or not some disaster hits, we are far too dependent
on a very fragile and tenuous energy and distribution grid. Raising your own
chickens, goats, vegetables, rabbits, turkeys, pigs and cows is preferable (and more
nutritious and tasty!) to standing around in a Kroger (think "post-Katrina") looking at
the empty aisles.

2) They were "green" but green in a good way, and not the fashionable mindless
silliness coming out of the "environmentally conscious" crowd. (Sorry if my
contempt shows here)

I am talking about using a local stream to turn a box of old alternators from junked
cars to produce current to charge batteries, building a steam fired boiler to run a
generator, and lots of other cool ideas that are scavenged from junkyards....,
including using a scrapped walk in cooler from a convenience store for a chicken
coop (no insulation needed, and less heat source needed during cold weather).

3) The mark of an "advanced" society is division of labor, with the dependency on

each other coming from specialization of labor being more efficient and less costly.
However, we have evolved into a society of urban dwellers who produce nothing
necessary for root survival needs. Cities are extremely dependent on everything
being trucked in, and the ones who make the most money are the ones most
efficient in distribution rather than production (think "Wal-Mart"). If that distribution
system is disrupted, due to a failure of the electrical grid or a fuel supply disruption,
we would be helpless. These folks recognize that.

4) I did not meet any tin foil hat folks, which surprised me. There were realtors,
veterinarians, an auto parts distributor, a programmer, a cop, and a contract
security guy (a "Blackwater" type, although he never worked for Xe). They were just
normal folks living their lives, but concerned about the potential for future instability
of a calamitous nature.

5) I was surprised at the political make-up of the group. I expected to see a bunch of
rabid Republicans, fearful of antichrist Obama and the New World Order, blah, blah,
blah. Rather, they were amazingly cynical of any politics, and were just as critical of
Reagan (for different reasons) as Obama. Their attitude was more that of folks just
trying to live their lives while being confident that their best shot at any change
would come from being fiercely independent and doing what they could to remain
so.

6) I was probably the biggest Bible Thumper out there. No religious zealotry at all. In
my life, I have encountered a lot of religious whack jobs. I expected this crowd to be
a magnet for them. It wasn't

7) I was also surprised about their attitude about guns. I expected to find a bunch of
hyperventilating folks screaming out "Molon Labe!" as a password or something to
enter the farm. Instead, I encountered a crowd of mostly ex-military guys who
understood that guns are tools. They all hunt (mostly deer, but also squirrel, turkey,
dove, and some varmints), and they all believe that they have a duty and a right to
protect their families themselves and their freedoms and rights against all who
would challenge them. Their attitude was that you would no more expect to defend
rights and freedoms without guns than try to change a tire without a jack. Especially
enlightening to me were the remarks of the contract security guy who worked
security in Kosovo. Rather than sitting on his pile of weapons fervently wishing for
social collapse so he could play "Rambo" or something, he just emphatically
declared that if you ever lived in a society where the social order even partially
breaks down, you will want to prepare for it here, but no one in his right mind would
wish it.

7) The final funny observation is how close these guys are with all the ex-hippie
counterculture who have moved south from Chapel Hill as the area has become
completely yuppified. In fact, one of the guys there at the group was just a total
stoner who had essentially moved down to smoke his own hydroponic, live cheaply,
eat his own "organic" produce, and shoot, prepare, and jerk his own venison. The
two types of "fringe" groups have a sort of affinity for each other, even if many
other ideas are polarized apart.

The whole group of folks were not now living on the farm. There are only three
families there. However, they are all affiliated with it and looking to it as a kind of
resource/preparedness area in the event of:

1) a major earthquake (we sit on a huge fault line in North Carolina. I never knew
that)

2) a failure of the oil distribution system

3) a major currency collapse (my bets are on this one as having the best odds)

4) a major terrorist attack on the US.

5) ..... you fill in the blank.

My wife and I are not moving down there (smile), but we are interested in some
people whose ideas about simplicity and "back to nature" mirror what we would like
to see ourselves. I think "survival" is an improper goal for a Christian. We are
supposed to be "dead" already, having surrendered all this stuff anyway. I do think
that "working with your hands so that you may have something to share with those
in need" is a proper goal for myself, though. I am looking forward to interacting
more with these folk.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Letter Re: A Safe Method for Connecting Home Backup Generators

Permalink

JWR,

I've mentioned before a gizmo called a Generlink which allows a lot of flexibility
when using a generator for backup power. This device is installed behind your
power meter and, depending on the capacity of your generator, allows you to power
any circuit in your home via the selective use of the circuit breakers. It's especially
useful in that nothing has to be re-wired in the house to safely use your generator.
It does require some planning for installation in that your power company will have
to agree to it's use and will probably want to install it, mine was installed by my
local power co-op for free. Regards, - K. in Texas

Monday, October 26, 2009

Letter Re: Survival Notes from the Dominican Republic

Permalink

Jim,

I've recently read several of your books and found them both interesting and
educational. I would like to offer some personal insights based on my experiences
from living in a small rural town one of the larger Caribbean islands. Most of my
notes are cheap solutions used by people in developing nations all over the world.
There may be better ways, but these work and cost next to nothing.

Water:

There is something especially disturbing about opening the faucet and hearing a
sucking air sound. Not being able to shower, flush, or wash dishes is the worst.

One or more 55 gallon drums and 5 gallon plastic buckets are essential items to
have. When you see that hurricane on the news, put the barrel it in the shower and
fill it up right away. Add a few capfuls of bleach to make it keep longer. Expect the
quality of water from the town water supply to drop. Rainwater collection should be
set up right away. If possible the roof should fill a large cistern with a pressure
pump. A gravity tank should be put on the roof.

Washing up from a bucket is easy enough. A small plastic cup and a five gallon
bucket makes is easy. If the water is cold don’t try to heat up all the water. Bring a
good sized cooking pot to a near boil and add it to the cold water. A person can
wash easily in 2 gallons of water.

Pouring about two gallons of water rapidly into a toilet from a 5-gallon bucket will
flush a toilet.

Washing dishes from a bucket without using gallons of water is tricky. It takes some
practice to do it right. If you don’t stack your dirty plates and wash them right away,
you only have one dirty side and no dried food.

It is very easy to contaminate your water supply. Dirty bucket bottoms and careless
bathing are common causes, be vigilant.

Food:

Our community is an exporter of meat, milk, eggs, rice, vegetables and we have a
365-day growing season. Most families have a garden plot to supplement household
food. Storing food is always wise but not nearly the problem it is in some other
locations. Much of our farming is done with hand work.

Power:

We have daily blackouts here and most houses have invertors with battery backups.
Since we have occasional power most people do not have generators but just
charge when the lights are on. Most businesses have diesel generators.
A 2.5 KW inverter system with 4 deep cycle batteries will keep a few lights on, a
laptop and a fan or two for about two days and costs about $2,000. The better
systems run on 24 VDC. Here we are all very aware of vampire appliances [aka
"phantom loads."]. All those VCRs, TVs, microwaves, wi-fi boxes, alarm systems,
clocks, all pull a significant load. You need to learn your house circuits and unplug
and turn off the breakers for things you don’t need. Low wattage bulbs are
essential.

Running a generator for about 4 hours will charge most battery systems. Your
generator will need to be at least twice the capacity of your inverter. Operating like
this you can have basic lighting for the cost of about 2 or 3 gallons of gasoline a
day. Running a refrigerator off a battery backup system is just not cost effective.
Many people have put up both solar and wind systems as a way to produce some
additional power to keep the batteries topped off.

A few simple solutions: Computer UPS systems usually operate on a 6 or 12 V

battery. It is very easy to open one up and connect a large battery by running wires
through the back of the case. This will give a much longer run time. While you have
the case open, take a pair of pliers and crush the annoying power alarm beeper.
The charger on these systems is very small and will take a very long time to reach a
full charge. An off the shelf battery charger will speed things up. Alternativel,y your
car can be used to charge the batteries (12 VDC only)

Guns:

While being armed is important, life is so much easier when there isn’t a conflict in
the first place. Some people always seem to have problems wherever they go and
need to pull out weapons while others seem to walk through the valley of death
without a care in the world. Spend some time researching body language, and read
books on interpersonal relationship skills. Besides improving your life right now, it
could change a potential fatal firefight into a new friend.

Police:

When we have a crime wave, the police set up road blocks coming into and out of
town. Rarely does this cause any real problems for honest people but you do need
to have your paperwork for your car or firearms on hand. A smile and a friendly face
makes things go much smoother. Acting aggressive or angry will get a messy and
thorough search of your person, passengers and your car at a minimum. Knowing
your local police makes a big difference. Sometimes we are asked to “help them
out” which is code for a bribe. Either pay it with a smile, say sorry but you can’t
today, plead poverty, or turn back. Fighting it just is not worth the trouble.

Crime:

Most traveling gangs are small and short lived. They rarely survive an encounter
with police. It is very hard for a crime group to survive outside of their own
neighborhood where they have local knowledge, a place to sleep and the support of
family and friends. On the flip side the crimes committed by these people are
usually the most brutal.

Local criminals gangs are much harder to control. Often these are well-connected
individuals or gangs who are very good at remaining undetected. Some of them are
drug smugglers, cattle thieves or burglars. Persons who are well liked and respected
in the community are usually left alone. If you see large gangs forming, seriously
consider leaving the country as it is a no-win situation.

Home Security:

This is a very safe country, but it is safe because people here do no depend on the
police and protect themselves. With that in mind I have noted some of the more
common security precautions here.

My experience here is that a house with lights on and occupied is the house that is
left alone. Your best defense is to be the least interesting but hardened house in a
occupied community. Vacant houses attract soft criminals and people who need a
place to sleep. Most Dominicans always have someone home in the house. Night
time home invasions are rare but they do happen. People who do this time of crime
are extremely dangerous experienced and hardened criminals.
Isolated houses are at the worst risk for the most serious attacks. A gated
community, walled yard, electric gate, bars on the windows, dogs, even armed
security guards are all common place here. Country people live in small groups of
three or more houses with the fields surrounding them.

Your most vulnerable time is being ambushed entering or leaving your home or car.
When designing your landscaping, don’t build easy ambush points for attackers.
This sort of thing doesn’t happen much in a small town.

Protests/Strikes/Riots:

Occasionally when the power or water is out too much, the citizens will organize a
protest/strike/riot. Often the organizers are union leaders or other non-
governmental community leaders. The usual format is to shut down the with road
blocks and burning tires. Much of the bad behavior is more for show than reality but
trying to pass the road blocks will result in getting your vehicle wrecked by the
strikers. It is important to know why people are protesting and to be sympathetic to
their cause (in many cases it is well justified). Their intention is to cause just enough
of a disruption to get government the government to resolve the problem without
getting arrested. Trying to pass the roadblock means that you are disagreeing with
the reason they are striking. Know your local area for alternate routes and don’t try
to travel during strikes.

Dogs:

Good dogs are essential. A pair of large dogs of a known breed are a very significant
deterrent. Rottweiler, Doberman, German Sheppard, pit-bulls are recognized and
avoided. Dogs differ widely in personality. Be sure yours matches your needs. Be
aware and realistic of their shortcomings. I know too many people who depend
entirely on a easily circumvented dog for security. Professional thieves routinely
outmaneuver, poison, or shoot dogs.

Don’t overlook the value of small "yippy" and intelligent dogs like Chihuahuas. They
are light sleepers, a second set of eyes and ears and are cheap to feed. They often
work well with the bigger dogs.
Watch your dogs. If your dogs suddenly become sick, it may mean they were
poisoned and you should expect a robbery that coming night or the following day.
Look for your dog before you pull into your drive or get out of your car. If there has
been an intrusion it may be hurt, nervous, missing or dead. This will often be your
first indication of an awaiting problem.

Community

After a disaster (hurricane, flood, earthquake) the best thing for everyone is to keep
the community together. Building a good reputation and personal relationships with
neighbors and community leaders will make all the difference when resources are
scarce and people are scared. The people who are capable leaders and community
contributors often get first dibs on any help that does arrive and the right to make
decisions on how goods are distributed.

Filling sandbags, organizing relief, passing out information, providing power,

clearing roads, etc will make friends and build relationships that are not soon
forgotten. This sort of thing can really bring a community back together in a hurry.
We all depend on each other and leadership through positive action is a great way
to rebuild. Just as looting is contagious, when people see others working together
and helping, they are apt to join in. I have seen this numerous times here.

Transportation

Propane is subsidized here and is significantly cheaper than gasoline. Many people
have adapted cars and trucks to run on both fuels using a special carburetor. As
propane stores well this is a good emergency option for transportation, cooking, and
power generation. Additionally propane machines can run on biogas and syngas.

While horses are very common here there would be a shortage if things really went
bad. They did become proportionally more valuable as the price of fuel shot up.
I rarely see wood gasification mentioned as a alternative fuel supply. (See the
Wikipedia page on wood gasification) This is an excellent modification that was used
heavily in Europe in the 1940s. In my opinion, for most people this is the best
solution to combustion engine power after a complete breakdown. Both alcohol and
biodiesel require working farmland and refineries.

Post crash employment:

Anyone who can provide alternative sources of food, power, fuel or light will do well.
A little Google work will show what technologies work on a small scale and provide
business opportunities both now and after. Additionally, people here who can repair
things never seem to make much money here but they always have work and food
on the table.

Currency and hyperinflation:

After a major bank failure here, the currency here devalued by a factor of four in
about two years. As the slide begins there are lots of opportunities to buy up things
at old prices as many people price things based on what it cost them, not what the
replacement value is.

As prices shot up, wages lagged way behind. Interest rates sky-rocked. Food prices
shot up. Skilled labor prices went through the roof. The economy stopped dead
because it becomes impossible to price things and nobody wants to work.

At the end of the slide the asking prices for everything got just crazy high, and the
bid prices so low that almost no transactions took place except as acts of
desperation.

Three years later, the currency has stabilized. Interest rates on loans are still slowly
retreating. Merchants learned to price goods on replacement cost. Prices are often
quoted in USD instead of local currency. Asking prices never really came down, but
bid prices slowly rose up and as the spread reduces the economy starts to move
again. Salaries are paid in local currency, but pegged to the USD for stability.
I wasn’t expecting to write such a long letter but maybe some of this will help
people prepare and know what to expect. Sincerely, - S.H.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Two Letters Re: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes Ike, Rita, and Katrina

Permalink

Mr. Rawles,

I just finished reading Patriots, all I can say is thank you. A few things I'd like to add
to what TiredTubes said about hurricane preparedness:

First, when my wife and I first moved to Florida we had little knowledge of
hurricanes and their impact. However, due to great parents we had been brought
up to always be prepared. So we read and made preparations for ourselves. We
lived in an apartment at the time (now we live in a 1960 block home with hurricane
panels and a new tile roof) and I asked the apartment manager about logistics of
preparing the complex for storms. I could easily tell that this manager of about 200
units had never been asked this question. I asked if maintenance installed the
hurricane shutters or do the residents? If the residents do where are they located?
At which point in time is the decision made to batten down the hatches? Just blank
stares, no answers. I should point out our plan was to protect our valuables as best
we could but we would be bugging out. If you live in an apartment or condo
complex get the info on the managements plan, and if they don't have one, offer to
help form one it will likely come out better if you do.

Second, help other areas after a hurricane, more specifically go to areas affected,
even if it requires some travel. The reason is two-fold: A) It's what a Christian, or
any moral person should do if able to. B) If you have not experienced a hurricane
first hand you will glean countless lessons just cleaning up in the aftermath. Soon
after moving to southeast Florida for school the west coast of Florida was hit by
hurricanes Charley and Frances. My wife and I both drove over to help out with our
church group. Take your own gas, food, water, ice, tools especially the tire plugger
and 12 VDC compressor, supplies you want to be a help, not a burden. If there is
room take extra supplies and come home in an empty vehicle. With a little common
sense I learned things that I'd never have thought of had I not seen the aftermath.
You can develop an eye for weaknesses, something a book or web site can't provide
alone. A small example is the fact that I was the only one on my street who took
five minutes to dig his mailbox up out of the shallow sand and put it in the garage
(what's that crazy guy doing?) but then it didn't end up as a missile like some
others, when we were hit.

Third, creature comforts. When we were hit by hurricane Wilma (not necessarily
high on the Affairs Hurricane scale but 3rd costliest hurricane in US history) we were
prepared but lost power for 17 days. Thankfully the freezer stayed cold, the lights
stayed on and the gas supply lasted. However, at the time my wife was pregnant
with #1 daughter and not feeling well, what added to her discomfort was the fact
that most generators cannot run a central air conditioning system and it was hot
and muggy. A fan can only do so much for an expectant mother. For us relief came
in the form of a friend who had a window air conditioner unit which our generator
could handle. This provided a room where my wife could comfortably rest and I
could have decent sleep to recover from the post-hurricane cleanup. The units are
not excessively expensive and can provide a welcome relief.

Thanks again, - Steve B.

Dear Editor,

Be sure to test any UPS/generator combination before you have to rely on it. Many
off-the-shelf UPS units will not accept or pass on incoming power that is not pristine
in terms of frequency and voltage. Many lower end generators do not put out
pristine power.

I have tested several combinations of generators up to $500 and UPS units up to

$200, none would work together reliably.

Higher-end UPS units such as those for commercial data centers can usually be
configured for a wider range of incoming power quality, from puritanical to
promiscuous.

Bidding on eBay might land you a deal on a 2KW or greater commercial UPS that
needs a new set of batteries. Batteries are not expensive, though they are almost
always sealed lead-acid types that will need to be replaced every five years or so
given gentle treatment.

It is no substitute for a proper battery bank and inverter. -Vlad

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Lessons Learned from Hurricanes Ike, Rita, and Katrina, by TiredTubes

Permalink

In September, 2008, Hurricane Ike--a Category 4 hurricane--pounded the Gulf Coast

of the southern US. Some coastal communities like Crystal Beach no longer really
exist. Inland, life was severely disrupted. For those of us on the South Coast
hurricanes are a frequent reality. We were quite well prepared, but used the
disruptions and dislocations as a test and opportunity to tune up our preparations.

1. Be ready to help others and to accept help We didn't need much during Ike, but
the power went out before a neighbor finished boarding up his house. My 1 KW
inverter, hooked up to his idling truck provide the juice for a Skilsaw and a few
lights; allowing him to finish. Usually it is skills and not "stuff" that helps others and
yourself. Besides strengthening a neighborly friendship, the number of damaged
houses was probably reduced by one.

2. Keep your stuff squared away.. I repaired a few generators during and after Ike. I
observed that every one suffering from lack of use; i.e. gasoline that resembled
turpentine in the carburetor. People were at a complete loss to understand this. My
daugher-in-law owned one of the generators that I repaired. She ignored my
admonition to change the dirty oil ASAP and then once every 50 hours. Early in the
next week it [ran out of oil and] threw a rod. She was in the dark for another week.
Just a $2.99 quart of oil would have saved discomfort, ruined food, etc.

My portable genset, loaned to my daughter, was ready to go; fresh oil, filters,
valves set, exercised, load tested. It started on the first try. I came to check it and
change it's oil as soon as it was safe to travel. The first thing that I did was turn it so
the exhaust faced away from the house! She had placed it so that the starter rope
was in a convenient spot. At least she had, like I had asked, chained and locked it to
a foundation pier.
After every hurricane Darwin gets a few through accidental carbon monoxide
poisoning. Don't join them. If you have a generator, get a carbon monoxide detector
in case the wind changes and wafts exhaust in your windows.

Our own [permanently-installed] genset uses natural gas (a tri-fuel generator) which
in the majority of cases is superior and much cheaper to operate. Over the 11 days
that we didn't have power it consumed $100 worth of natural gas. I estimate that an
equivalent amount of gasoline would have cost more than $300. I stopped it every
75 hours for oil and filter. If your genset doesn't have an hour meter, then add one.
There are some inexpensive self contained hour meters made for lawn equipment
that work very well and require no hard wiring. It's really the only practical way to
keep track of operating time, without which, intelligent maintenance is impossible.

I noticed that many generators, some still in the box, on Craigslist following
Hurricane Ike at bargain basement prices. I recommended to a friend he latch onto
one of these and purchase a dual-fuel gasoline/natural gas carburetor] kit. Ants can
profit from short-sighted grasshoppers.

It goes without saying have all your vehicles filled up and serviced so they can be
depended upon with out much attention. Pay particular attention to cooling
systems, oil changes, tire pressures, belts and battery terminals.

Develop a pre-event SOP: When we hear of a hurricane in the Gulf, we pick up loose
items like branches that can be thrown by high winds and cause damage (aviators
call this rubbish FOD), trim trees, check prescriptions, recharge everything
rechargeable, treat the swimming pool with "shock" chlorine, get all the laundry and
dishes done, get all the trash out for pickup, take “before” pictures, etc., etc., etc.

3. Have backups for your backups. The portable generator above was our backup to
the natural gas-fueled genset. Then an inverter and ups. After that is a 100 Watt
solar array I've been tinkering with to provide power for security lighting,etc.

My daughter spent up to two hours a day foraging gas, mostly waiting in lines. She
found out that the problem with gasoline-fuel generators is gasoline! It's expensive,
in short supply (when it is needed most), and it takes gas to go and get gas!
Needless to say I rounded up the parts and the portable is now a dual fuel machine.
Had it been able to use natural gas then she could have stayed home and been one
less person waiting in line. And the machine still retains the capability to burn
gasoline!

Since gasoline became hard to come by (it was impossible to get for a week after
Rita) but diesel fuel was plentiful we did any necessary traveling in my old diesel
Mercedes (which is EMP proof, BTW).

One important word on generators: Treat yours like it is the last one you'll ever get.
Try and get a good one, I prefer either a Honda or Briggs Vangard engine. My
Vangard portable is approx 10 years old and absolutely dependable. The difference
is methodical maintenance. Keep the manuals, and read 'em ! Keep the oil changed,
keep a fresh spark plug, keep spare [oil, air, and fuel] filters. Most importantly run it
under load once a month. Unless it's new, pull off the cowling and clean all the dirt
and dust from fins on the cylinder jug. Closely examine the starter rope, the fuel
lines, et cetera. Replace 'em if they ain't perfect.

If you get a permanently installed generator carefully consider installing a manual

transfer switch and other upgrades. With the exception of automatic "exercising"
fully automatic generators these add a layer of complication and cost.

Don't store gasoline in the machine other than enough for one periodic test run.
Develop a ritual on test runs: such as every other payday, or the last Saturday in
the month, to reduce it to a ritual. I run mine monthly whilst cutting the back yard
lawn. (The mower makes more noise.)

For storage between test runs: On portable gensets [with the ignition off, slowly ]
pull the cord until you can feel that the engine is at the top of the compression
stroke. This is where the engine feels like you are pulling it through a "detent". It
puts the piston at the top of the bore and closes both valves. This protects the
cylinder from moisture. If you store gasoline then use stabilizer, after six months
burn it in your car and replace it. Few experiences are worse that trying to clean out
a carburetor by a dim flashlight whilst being consumed alive by salt marsh
mosquitoes. Trust me on this. BTW, I've had better results storing "winter" blended
gas, since t has more light fractions and starts easier year round.
If you use gas cans; stick with metal, preferably safety cans. Plastics are slightly
permeable and it will go bad much faster in a plastic can. On that note, [in humid
climates] don’t keep spare spark plugs with the machine. This is because in outdoor
storage the insulators can absorb moisture [and the metal parts can corrode]. Keep
them inside or in a sealed can with some silica gel. An old one-quart paint can is
ideal.

If you have a dual-fuel machine, then break the engine in on gasoline and make
sure it operates properly on both fuels under load. Keep the necessary connectors
for gas operation on the machine so that you don't have to go searching for that
3/8ths-inch pipe nipple with a flashlight.

Use high quality oils, and have enough. Don't forget to also store plenty of 2-stroke
[fuel mixing] oil and chain oil if you intend to use a chainsaw. Maybe store some
extra for your neighbors that are less prudent. I use Rotella brand synthetic oil and
Wix brand filters, and have had good results with them.

Make sure you have enough oil, filters and plugs for at least two weeks (336 hours),
or longer. Don't forget about your equipment after the crisis is over: There are
valves to set, oil and plugs to change, etc. Even if you own two generators and have
enough flashlights, automatic emergency lights, et cetera, things can, and may
likely go wrong. Small children usually do not take kindly to being plunged into total
darkness. Unless it is TEOTWAWKI, keep the candles in the cupboard, especially if
there are small children about.

4. Double your plans for helping other people. Several relatives from coastal areas
evacuated to our house (approximately 50 miles inland). I keep a 55 gallon drum of
stabilized gasoline to fill up their cars to get them home. This was a lesson learned
after the Rita evacuation cluster. How much food you will go through will surprise
you. It finally dawned upon us that we almost always eat dinner (lunch to you
Northerners) and sometimes breakfast away from home. So what we consumed
whilst hunkered down seemed out of proportion.

We also sent some food home with people to hold them over. I was able to "lend" a
retired neighbor enough generated power to keep his freezer, television, and fan
going. He was genuinely happy. This also meant that he was one less person in line
for ice, food, and so forth.

5. Keep a dial up phone line around, after 24 hours the cell phone tower generators
started running out of propane, the cable modem (and the cable) went down with
the power. Remember how to make that dial-up modem work.

If you're not a Ham radio operator, then find out where the local hams conduct their
emergency nets, and listen on your shortwave radio (HF) or scanner (2-meter and
440 band) and you'll know a lot more that the local television news truck can find
out.

If you have cable television, then keep a traditional antenna handy. If you live near
a major market the local AM news station, then it is probably a good bet. Have a
good UPS, plug the computer and the desk lamp into it. If you have a cordless
phone, plug it into the UPS too. The UPS will take the "bumps" out of the generator's
power; your computer will thank you. Make sure you test the UPS periodically by
plugging in a 100 Watt lamp and pulling the plug on the UPS. I find I need to replace
that UPS battery about every 2-to-3 years.

6. Plan for the guests. Have plenty of soap, have a small flashlight (preferably with
rechargeable batteries) for each guest. Have things other than television to keep
youngsters occupied. Try and get plenty of rest. You'll probably be plenty busy after
you can poke your head out again. In this vein don't forget dishwashing supplies,
laundry supplies, baby supplies, etc. If it's a predictable event such as a hurricane,
have all the dishes and laundry done. before it hits.

A television in a room by itself will keep the racket contained from those who want
to read, play games or just sleep. If you have the space, then a “quiet room” where
people can just rest, read, be alone, have some privacy or get a fussy to baby to
sleep cuts down on contagious stress.

7. Make sure you are medically prepared. Have a rather complete first aid kit that
includes a backboard and splinting materials. There will be plenty of cuts,scrapes,
bruises, sunburns and sore muscles in the aftermath. Have Band-Aids, 4x4s,
neosporin, peroxide etc. Have plenty of acid reducer and immodium on hand (stress
and unfamiliar cooking), have at least two weeks of prescription drugs on hand [and
preferably much more for any chronic health issues]. Have a good assortment of
Tylenol, cold and sinus preparations, BenGay [muscle ointment], good
multivitamins, etc.

8.Be extra, extra, extra careful. You getting sick or more likely injured can really
mess things up for everyone you have prepared for. Not to mention that the local
fire/ambulance is probably already overtaxed. Be extremely careful handling fire
and fuels. A lot of us are not entirely fluent in using chainsaws, small engines, fixing
roofs, trimming trees and moving debris.[JWR Adds: safety equipment including
heavy gloves, kevlar chainsaw safety chaps, and a combination safety helmet with
face shield and muffs are absolute "musts"!] Don't get in a hurry unless there is a
threat to life. Be hyper cautious, be very aware of your surroundings and things that
can go wrong. Don’t toil alone. Make sure you have a clear path to beat a hasty
retreat if things go wrong. Wear those gloves, safety glasses, boots and maybe a
hard hat.

Don't overtax yourself. Getting a fallen the tree off of the roof today avails you little
if it triggers a heart attack or heat stroke. Ask God's assistance and start over
tomorrow.

Keep fire extinguishers near the gas generator, in the kitchen, and near the camp
stove.

Avoid using candles at all costs, and absolutely prohibit smoking indoors for the
duration. Have more than enough battery smoke detectors around.

9. Be ready to make temporary repairs.. The missing shingles, damaged windows,

etc. Have some plywood, a few 2x4s, some Visqueen polyethylene sheeting, batting
boards, duct tape, a tarp, some nails, and so forth around. If you happen to have a
good cordless drill, then you'll find sheet rock and deck screws are very superior to
nails. If you're squared away then you already have this stuff , but a neighbor might
be in need, so buy extra.
Debris creates flat tires for quite some time after many events. Have a tire plug kit
and a 12 VDC compressor in each vehicle. Repairs to structures, especially roof
repairs guarantee nails in tires. Be ready for them..

Have everything rechargeable recharged. Make sure you have some traditional non-
power tools, I have a handsaw that I've had for decades, a good bow saw, ax, maul,
sledge and an old eggbeater style hand drill still get regular use.

10. If I had my choice of just one utility it would be running water. Fortunately
where we reside is served by a well run rural utility district which has prepared well
for hurricanes. Failing this, in addition to stored water I have a portable gas utility
pump (Robin brand) that can pressurize our water system from our pool and has
sufficient capacity for a fire line. The pool got a good jolt of shock a day before the
storm hit.

11.Keep some cash money handy. For a few days [with no utility power] there were
no functional ATMs, and no way to use credit or debit cards.

12. Keep a low profile. About a week after Ike a passerby indignantly asked "How'd
you get your lights turned on?" This showed his ignorance on several levels. He
seemed to think someone just had to flip a switch downtown and "shazam!" his
lights are on. I couldn't make him understand there has to be an unbroken physical
link between a power plant and consumer, this seemed to aggravate his obvious
helplessness. Telling him that we had been making our own juice seemed to irritate
him. I wonder who he voted for? People with this mindset (that the world owes them
something) could be a genuine liability in a real catastrophe. (BTW on a news show
during a piece about energy, I actually heard a lady refer to natural gas as “just
another dirty fossil fuel”) and not be challenged on the facts. Little minds scare me.
I think that the hyper-liberals would love to use the heavy hand of government to
force the ants take care of the grasshoppers. Keep a low profile. The best advice I
ever heard on the subject (I believe it was Howard J. Ruff ) was to "keep your
principles public and your actions private".

13. Keep a notebook, keep a record of what happened, but especially keep a record
of preps you overlooked or screwed up, or stuff you ran out of, or skills that need to
be added or honed. That's where most of the preceding information came from!
Also keep tabs on what's scarce after an event. Gas was scarce, but diesel plentiful
after Rita. In contrast, after Ike there was plenty of fuel, but few operating stations
due to lack of power. (There was a "mandatory evacuation" during Rita which
turned out to be a fatal traffic jam for a few poor souls which quickly emptied the
filling station tanks.) Out our way the local Wal-Mart made a heroic effort and
opened up on locally-generated power, two days after Ike. The sheriff’s department
was there to “maintain order”. (Let’s just say that they actually wear brown shirts
here.). This event was a lifetime opportunity to study the varied behaviors of people
under stress.

There were plenty of canned goods and auto supplies. But fresh fruits and veggies
were a little thin, no meat due to lack of refrigeration for a few days, batteries,
Coleman fuel, trash bags, paper plates, disposable diapers, formula, and nails
evaporated. The pharmacy was closed.

Even with the numerous mistakes we made, we were able to stay safe, secure and
comfortable and help others while "victims" were standing or idling their car
engines in lines. It was an opportunity to try things out under more or less
controlled conditions. WTSHTF there will not be controlled conditions!

Letter Re: Lamar Alexander's Solar Homesteading E-Book

Permalink

Jim-

Your recent link to an item in the Preparedness Forum (100 things that go first...)
led me to other parts of the forum where I found a link to Lamar Alexander's Solar
Homesteading e-book.

Besides the videos/pictures etc. an e-book is offered for $5. What a bargain! It is full
of useful practical ideas, for example: a barrel-in-a-barrel digester that he uses to
fuel his gasoline generator which he had converted to run on natural gas; how to dig
a "driven-point" well; a solar dishwasher. And on and on. Your readers will want to
get this e-book! BTW, I have no connection with LaMar Alexander. - Bob B.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Letter Re: Getting Self-Sufficient in Wyoming

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Dear Mr. Rawles,

I was recently given your novel "Patriots" by a like-minded friend in Wyoming. I read
it once for pleasure, then twice with a highlighter, notepad, and Google. It's a
wonderful resource, and I'm looking forward to the new book ["How to Survive the
End of the World as We Know It"]. Reading "Patriots" left me proud to be an
American, and revitalized something I felt I had been losing in the recent years. This
is a wonderful country, and I have faith that there are still a bunch of decent God-
fearing people who will stand up for her when needed.

I was 20 when I moved here from Baltimore, to run a cattle ranch that my father
had the foresight to buy in the late 1980s. It became the working family "retreat"
where I lived full time, and my parents lived half-time. I am forever indebted to Dad
for my life. He was my best friend in more ways than can be counted. He passed at
age 68 in late 2007, of a digestive cancer. I will always wish I had more time with
him on earth.

Life in Wyoming has been wonderful for me, as I developed good self-sufficiency
skills and eventually (starting 1995) built a passive and active solar/wind charged
earth-bermed home. I remember back in 1984, when Dad (in the
computers/operations research field) bought our first PC - an XT with dual 5.25"
floppies and 128K of RAM. The first thing I did as a teenager was make my lists of
things I'd need to go survive in the woods! I have no idea where those thoughts
came from - it was absolutely natural. I'm currently forty, and pretty shocked by
current events and economics.

What are we doing? Is hyperinflation around the corner? There are two things my
dad taught me long ago, that I always use to analyze everything...

1) Nothing is free.

2) If you have to lie to accomplish your goals, maybe you'd rather reevaluate your
goals!

Now I'm building marine-grade expedition campers that can operate far from
civilization, and restoring old mechanical diesels in my spare time. Next spring and
summer my projects will be a good root cellar, a rebuild of my wind charger, and a
new small barn for our goats and chickens.

Thank you for the inspiration. I hope one day to shake your hand. God Bless, -
Darrin in Wyoming

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Letter Re: A Nation of Improvisers--More About Everyday Life in Communist Cuba

Permalink

First our prayers are with your family in these dire times.

The first thing about surviving in Cuba was that we did not see it as "surviving", it
was more like living, we did not know anything else, as the media in Cuba is tightly
controlled.

I remember as a child we did not have glue so we made glue out of Styrofoam and
gasoline, just mix them up in a glass container that you could close to preserve and
that's it (if you go a little crazy on the gas it would be too liquid and take forever to
dry). Canning was done basically with pressure cookers because there was nothing
else, so all the knowledge of our grandparents was very handy and since you can't
buy a new house we all live together, so it was very common to live in the same
house with your parents and grandparents and sometimes your uncles and your
cousins. You learn not

to throw away anything useful, screws, bolts, nuts, washers, you never know when
you will need them and there is no hardware store available. Food scraps went
either to the pigs or chickens or if you did not have any, you give to someone that
has, that becomes a bartering tool you can say you will take care of the food and
get some part in the profits when they are killed.

I know that a lot of people are amazed at how we kept old cars running, but trust
me, it wasn't that big of a deal, a little bit of ingenuity goes a long way. I'll go later
into more detail.
We were born with the system, so there was no getting ready like we are doing
now, and believe me, no matter how ready you can get, if the S*** really hits the
fan and it's TEOTWAWKI, you will run out of things, and even if it doesn't and we are
stuck in the middle, then you need people because there is no way you can learn
everything.

Your best bartering tool is your knowledge, if you have a trade, mechanic,
electrician, construction, carpenter,... that is a life saver, the people that had a
harder time were teachers, musicians, economists, etc.

They could not trade their work for nothing. For instance if you are good working
with metals you will find someone to get the metals and that person will join with
you and you can make parts for cars, if you are a welder you can also join in,
remember that old cars were very simple, no hydraulic steering, no power nothing.
It was basic carburetor, spark plugs, distribution and engine. An alternator is not
that hard to fix, it basically a motor, the parts that wear down can be made again,
maybe not the same quality as the originals but they will do. You can also adapt an
alternator from another car (we had Russian cars coming in, including some WWII
jeep-style Russian vehicles), they are mostly 12 VDC (some trucks are 24 VDC).

A good mechanic will make an adapter so you can use the transmission from a
Russian built jeep and make it work with an old American car.

My trade was electronics (we use to call electronics to anything below that 24 volt
and electrical anything above) so I will get in when they needed the electrical
system of the car fixed, again it is very simple; remember no computers or anything
like that in those cars. Here is a link of how a car alternator and a bicycle dynamo
were used in the mountains to produce electricity, no means to store it so it was to
use immediately, but when there is no power even a radio is an amazing thing. (See
this YouTube segment: La Cuchufleta - Alternative Power Generating in Cuba.)

I also fixed radios and television, I used to buy old radios and television and use the
parts to fix the other ones.

Later on when computer UPS [devices] became available, by available a mean

people started to steal them from the government and sell them in the black
market, then we can hook up a battery and get electricity when the power went off,
which was very common. No deep cycle batteries, just whatever battery you could
get.

Other people were real artisans; they would make shoes with leather and old tires,
and let me tell you, they were super nice and expensive.

The hardest thing of all was to get food, because you need food to survive, you can
live barefoot but not on an empty stomach, at least not for a long time.

When you were able to buy rice (the amount they give in rations, every family had a
ration book, was minimal, so again black market) you would buy a good amount as
much as you could afford because maybe next month the guy was in jail or it was
impossible to get.

The rice you got was not stored properly so you always had to first put it on a table
and go slowly through all the rice to search for small stones and foreign objects,
then you put the rice in water and keep moving the rice with your hand and look for
bugs, worms, they float and would come to the surface. I still remember as a child
that grandma would call the children to "escoger el arroz" (that is what the cleaning
process was called).

Milk was always boiled first, that way you could use the top which has more fat to
make butter (you saved it till you had enough). If for some reason milk was spoiled
and not drinkable you would make a dessert with it, I have to get you the recipe if
you are interested.

After you ate the inside of oranges and grapefruits, you would use the rind and cook
it in water with sugar and it was an excellent dessert.

To have some variety, you will get spaghetti, crush them and leave them in water,
next day it was kind of a soft mix in the bottom, get rid of the excess water, add
sugar and an egg and you could make pancakes.
Alcohol is consumed in Cuba in enormous quantities, I have no statistics, but it was
relatively easy to make with a small homemade distillery (again quality is not a
great concern), and I guess it's a good way to forget the problems, although it
brings another problems.

People would fight for the simplest of reasons, and there is no 911, and you better
not be the weakest link because your family is in for a rough time because no one
will respect you. Criminals would typically give you respect if they know you and
you respect them and they knew it was not going to be easy to take on you or your
family. If not you would be the target of thieves all the time.

Those are my experiences living in a country in permanent crisis, you would have
times when power was on for whole days, and times when power was on for only 8
hours a day, times when it was relatively easy to get meat, or bread and times
when it was almost impossible. There is no planning, everyday will bring a new
challenge and you have to adapt, and only your knowledge, wits and Faith are going
to help you through.

Unless we go down into total collapse - War, in which case all bets are off and
nothing will ever prepare us for that because it would be the law of the jungle,
whoever is stronger will survive and then you better have a strong group of
family/friends or you will have to join a group, because alone you are pretty much
gone.

Read the accounts of Somalia and Serbia so you have an idea. I know more of
Somalia because my father served for two years (in the 1970s) in the wars between
Ethiopia and Somalia, Cuba sent troops there to fight on the Ethiopian side.

I'd also like to respond to a misinformed comment in the article "Developing Our
Family's Survival Strategy, by FBP". Cubans cannot grow 70% of their own food as a
country, let alone in the cities. Cubans eat a lot of rice, beans and potatoes, there is
no place in a city to grow enough of that to supply a family, much less a whole city.

The population density in Havana City, Cuba is 7,908.5/sq mi,

By comparison:

Detroit, Michigan - 6378.1/sq mi

Los Angeles, California - 7876.8/sq mi

So can those cities provide more than 70% of their own food? - ILR

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Two Letters Re: Construction Without Electricity

Permalink

Jim:

The recent Construction Without Electricity article reminded me of a stint spent with
the Amish here in southwestern Missouri. I worked making buggy wheels, but one of
my duties was to ride a stationary bike which powered a one cylinder compressor so
they could spray paint the buggies. The buggy shop owner wanted to run a
compressor off his windmill to a pressure tank but the community said that was
going too far. With that kind of set up you could run all kinds of air tools. It smacked
of being "too modern". So I rode the bike. - Anonymous

Sir:

Regarding the article by Curtis M. (Construction Without Electricity): as a long time

devotee of antique hand tools I must mention that one of the most important items
to own when using cutting tools (saws, chisels, drills, planes, etc) is a proper set of
sharpening instruments. This would include sharpening stones, files, gauges and
fixtures. Without the ability to sharpen a tool, it will quickly become useless. In
addition, learning the techniques for sharpening the various types of tools will allow
a person to save time and render the best possible edge. Thanks with prayers and
best wishes to you and your wife. - Jacketch

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Letter Re: Battery-Powered Dirt Bikes

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Dear Mr. Rawles,

Your family is in our prayers, and we hope everything is going as well as possible.

Imagine my surprise today as approximately ten dirt bikes drove by me up the

street, but weren't making any noise. I expressed surprise to the friend in the car
with me, who responded with, "Oh yeah, there's a company that makes battery
powered dirt bike motorcycles, just around the corner."

Out of curiosity, I headed around that corner and discovered that they were having
a large open house, with free dirt bike rides, information on their products, and free
hot dogs. Naturally, always looking for a way to "store" food, I eased over to the
BBQ grill for a hot dog. At the same time, I admired the appearance of their
motorcycles. As it turns out, they have lithium ion batteries packed into a container
about the size of a pick-up truck battery. These will power the bikes for
approximately two hours. If you're wealthy enough, you can have an extra, charged
battery nearby that you can easily swap out for another two-hour run. It seemed
eerie watching these bikes drive around, making only the amount of noise that a
small child's remote-control car would make. They have three or four models, some
for the street and some for off-road use, and one that is a hybrid. They aren't cheap,
as they vary in price from $7,000-9,000K. They sort of reminded me of when I was a
kid, when the first Honda Trail 90s came out, but with a lot less noise. As I plan my
retirement home in Oregon, I anticipate it will be off grid, with solar panels
providing most of the power, and these battery-powered bikes would fit right in,
especially since my property is rather steep. One of the salesmen indicated that
they sold two bikes to a couple of farmers in Northern CA who like the idea of being
able to approach someone tampering with their crops fairly quietly on a motorized
vehicle.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Letter Re: Preparedness for Living on a Chesapeake Bay Island

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Mr. Rawles,

I am just now (pretty late in the game, I know) becoming aware of the impending
collapse and have begun reading your blog regularly (it is the first thing I read in the
mornings now). I realize now that I must prepare as much as I can and have a
question about my current location. I live on an isolated (no bridges, ferry and
airplane transport only) Island in the Chesapeake Bay. It is somewhat densely
populated for its size, but everyone knows each other and most residents hunt and
fish and have their own boats. Many residents are quite self sufficient and the crime
rate is virtually non- existent. I realize we are downwind of several nuclear targets
(DC is only about 70 miles away as the crow flies) but this area (the Delmarva
Peninsula) and this island in particular are sparsely populated. I recently bought a
house here and cannot afford to move anywhere anytime soon, and if I could, I
could only get to rural western Virginia, West Virginia, or Eastern Kentucky at the
furthest. The only benefit of my current locale is that in the event of a collapse, it
would be isolated and looters would be unable to get here. On the other hand, there
would be 500+ residents and little or no fuel to power fishing vessels after current
supplies run out. The climate is mild and we could get by with little or no heat in the
winter. Much of the surrounding land is swampland and not conducive to
agriculture. There are few firearms on the Island other than a few shotguns for duck
hunting. I currently own a Glock 21 (.45 ACP) for personal protection and am looking
into rifles. I would like an M1A but probably could not afford one. How could I make
my current situation more suited to riding out a crisis? Any response will be greatly
appreciated. Very Respectfully, - R.T.

JWR Replies: A few things come immediately to mind:

* You should stock up on fuel for your own use, and for barter.) Coleman white
gas has a 6+ year shelf life, and can be used in engines as well as lanterns and
stoves.

* Stock up on two-cycle fuel-mixing oil. (For chainsaws and older outboard

engines.)

* Have a large propane tank installed, and make sure that it is has a wet leg. (So
that it can be used to fill smaller containers.)

* If you don't have one already, get a tri-fuel generator, and a photovoltaic power
system if you can afford it.

* You need a long gun for defense. Even if it is just a well-used "beater" Mauser,
Mosin-Nagant, or Enfield bolt-action, that is better than nothing. And in essence,
what you currently have is almost nothing.(Don't bring just a pistol to a rifle fight!)

* Stock up on non-hybrid gardening seeds. (Several of my advertisers sell them.)

Also, build up your topsoil!
Your situation is unusual, but not unique. Make the best of the local resources, and
organize with your neighbors to provide a common defense.

One could safely predict that in the event of a "slow slide" depression, you may see
a situation develop similar to that of present-day Roatan Island (off the coast of
Honduras), where burglars and even home invasion robbers commute to the island
from the mainland via ferryboat.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Construction Without Electricity, by Curtis M.

Permalink

I watched the second episode of the [reality television show] The Colony, [that is
currently airing on The Discovery Channel]. I found one part of it especially idiotic.
They had a bank of automobile batteries for electrical power [to power an AC
inverter.]s They did not have a way to charge the batteries yet, and they were still
using a circular saw and a Sawzall to construct different things, among them was
using a Sawzall to cut tread out of tires for shoes. They were building some thing
out of plywood and they were cutting the plywood with the circular saw. All jobs
that could be done with a handsaw, the tires are best cut with a hack saw. I
remember back when I entered the work force, I worked for my father in
construction. The circular saw had just taken hold but mainly they used hand tools
in construction. I can remember using a hand saw till I thought my arm was going to
fall off. It was not that circular saws were not around, they were, but cost so much
that labor was cheaper. I can remember visiting jobs that my father was on and
seeing several men using a ripping hand saw to rip 2x6s and 2x10s. Could you
recognize a ripping hand saw if you saw one? They have fewer teeth per inch than a
cross cut. A cross cut saw can be used to make a rip cut, but it will be slower.
Ripping is where you cut with the grain of the wood. I remember my father’s
carpenter’s tool box. It contained three hand saws; one cross cut, one rip saw and a
cross cut that came to a point instead of being blunt, two planes, one door plane
(large) and a pocket plane, a set of wood chisels, a plumb bob, a framing square
and a nail set. There was also a tape measure and a folding carpenter ruler--it was
an 8-footer. He also had a 16 oz carpenter’s hammer and a roofing hatchet and a
brace and bit. How many people know what a brace and bit are? It is a hand drill
used mainly for wood. (But with the right bit metal is not out of the question, it also
depends how much labor you are willing to do.)
Seeing this episode of The Colony got me to thinking about hand tools and the fact
that when TSHTF there will probably not be any electricity. Having experience using
hand tools and a system of cordless power tools to use in an emergency would be a
good thing. My favorite cordless power tools are Dewalt brand, specifically the
[later variety with the] 18 volt battery. I checked the Dewalt web site and found 47
18-volt tools with a few duplicates. Dewalt makes a battery charger that runs on 12
volt DC current. I have a portable battery pack that can jump a car’s battery or run
12 volt devices i.e. Dewalt 12 volt DC charger. I can charge two 18 volt batteries
before charging the battery pack. The battery pack can be charged by a variety of
ways. Bicycle power or photovoltaics or a generator, or plug it into my truck.
Currently I have a Dewalt drill, circular saw, Sawzall, and two lamps. Hand tools are
two hand saws (cross cut), a set of chisels, framing square, speed square (smaller),
a set of mechanics tools, assorted files, draw knife, three hand axes, key hole saw,
a set of duct tools (to make air conditioning ducts) assorted clamps, saw horses,
and several utility knives. Tools that I want to acquire are a good brace and bit with
bits, a one man cross cut saw for cutting trees, and wood planes.

Another power source is air-powered equipment. The bicycle [frame] that runs an
alternator could also be used to propel an air compressor. I know that there are
drills and sanders, nail guns, and water pumps that are air powered by air. I think
that a person could have both air powered and cordless equipment and use the best
equipment for the job at hand. As shown in The Colony, having an old lawnmower
around could be a power source by removing the lawnmowers blade and putting in
a pulley and belt to run an alternator and an air compressor and tank. The
lawnmower could provide two power sources, electricity to power cordless and air
for air powered equipment. Most lawnmowers will run on Coleman fuel. Coleman
fuel has a longer shelf life than standard gasoline. By having a lawnmower that runs
on Coleman fuel, and supply of Coleman fuel, and using it to keep your cordless
batteries charged up you could extend your supply of other fuels. Also the
lawnmower is a simple engine that could be run on wood gasification. Now you have
a power source of almost endless power; as long as you have wood you have a
power source. [JWR Adds: Coleman fuel is quite expensive per gallon. In my opinion,
if your goal is battery charging, the same funds that you'd use to buy a generator
and Coleman fuel would be much better spent on photovoltaic panels. Well-sealed
ones can remain serviceable for decades, and of course there is no expense for fuel,
or worry about running out of it. Gasification is not very reliable, and of course you
are still dependent on an engine with a limited service life.]

Most old hand tools can be salvaged. Old hand saws that have some rust on them
can be oiled and scrubbed with steel wool and sharpened and returned to service.
The same with old chisels for either wood or metal. Hammer heads can have there
handles replaced. Old shovels can have there handles replaced. Same with axes,
sledge hammers, picks. This can build a group of tools to use, at the same time
saving money. Places to find old tools are Goodwill [thrift stores], pawn shops, and
recycling centers.

As long as we are talking about salvage, here is a story from 30 years ago: One
Friday while working for my father put me to cleaning up lumber, 2x4s and 2x6s. He
gave me an old paint can and told me to save all the nails I pulled from the lumber.
This was a large pile of lumber. I remember almost filling the can with 16 and 8
penny nails. Then on Saturday morning he woke me up early for a Saturday and we
went to our hog farm. When I got in the truck I saw a couple of saw horses and the
can of nails. First thing he put me to doing was straightening out the nails and we
worked on the feed room using salvaged lumber and nails. Almost anything can be
reused!

I can not tell you what you need for tools. I would think this list is a good starting
point; a couple of handsaws, a couple of hammers, set of chisels, brace and bit and
drill bits, mechanic's tool set, sledge hammer, framing square, straight edge, a
couple of wood planes, cordless tools, a DC charger for the aforementioned cordless
tools, and a couple of heavy duty jacks. Of course you'd also need a couple of
shovels, pick, post hole digger and gardening tools. I think this would be a good
start. I know that not every one will have the needed construction experience to use
said tools but each group needs some one that has construction experience, that
way you have a lead person on construction or repair/remodel project. Side bar: a
great place to pick up hand tools is eBay.

If you do not have construction experience you feel you need then build a library of
books on construction. This will give you the basics, but a better solution is to
volunteer at Habitat for Humanity. A couple hundred hours spent helping build
some one a home will go a long way. If you belong to a church or other place of
worship volunteer when a building or remodeling project comes up, as I have. The
other way to get experience is to check out your local community college and take a
couple of courses in construction.

I remember going to a family reunion and seeing a table that my grandfather built. I
was told that he built it with hand tools and that he did not use nails. The table was
80 years old when I looked at it. He did an excellent job. The joints were tight, and
the table was in good condition. You could tell it was put together by someone who
knew what he was doing. I wonder how much I have built will still be around in 80
years. Having a tool box filled with hand tools and experience with said tools could
be vitally important when the electrical power go’s off line. Having other ways to
generate electricity will also be important.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Letter Re: Grid Beam Construction

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Hi Jim, Memsahib,

"Gridbeam" is a building system that's been getting some attention recently among
do-it-yourselfers. I've seen references to it on Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools and the
Makezine web site. Gridbeam is described as a sort of "Erector Set system for
adults". It's simply a length of squared wood, aluminum or steel with precisely
drilled holes [at regular intervals] along its length. Holes are drilled in both
directions so that they intersect in the beam's middle. Sections are simply cut to
desired length and pieced together. Additional pieces can be designed and added
on to connect pieces at different angles; otherwise all of your constructions are
going to have a very square shape to them.

Although the proponents of the system seem to be suggesting that all sorts of
things can be made from it, I see it as being most useful for basic functional
constructions and low-tech prototyping.

Pros:

-Can be used for basic furniture, shelving, workbench.

-Prototyping of "ideas" for construction: build something, take it apart, re-size it.
When it's put together how you like it, leave it as-is or take measurements to build a
more aesthetically pleasing version.

-All pieces can be re-purposed later if needed.

-Design is non-proprietary and patent-unencumbered. The originator of it is simply

trying to get the word out. You can take the idea of Gridbeam to any machine or
woodworking shop and ask them to make it for you; if you're handy, you can make
it yourself.

-Assembly of pieces is fairly simple.

Cons:

-Most of the things you'd make with this aren't going to be especially attractive.

I haven't used this myself at all, so I can't provide any sort of informed review. Take
it for what it's worth. A quick web search will show other references to it.

Keep up the good work on the site, and have a nice day. - Brian

JWR Replies: I'm also a fan of grid beam for prototyping. The basics are a stack of
grid beam stock, a bucket of nuts and bolts, a socket set, and a Sawzall. (Or a
hacksaw if you aren't in a hurry). Just keep in mind that because of the perforations,
the lateral (bending) strength of gridbeam is a bit less than that of standard square
stock of the same dimension. As I mentioned in the blog last month, the reader-
generated KK Cool Tools web site has posted a review of the recent book How to
Build with Grid Beam. This echoes my advice on building a very versatile stationary
bicycle frame for generators, grain grinders, and even meat grinders. While welding
is a great skill that I consider a "must', with grid beam you can fairly rapidly
reconfigure prototypes.

Oh, and I'd also add one item to the "Cons" list: Sharp corners and protruding
hardware. Be sure to file or grind down any rough edges and the protruding ends of
any bolts--especially those that have been shortened!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Preparedness Beginnings, by "Two Dogs"

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I am a retired Marine Corps officer and Naval Aviator (jets and helicopters),
commercial airplane and helicopter pilot, and most recently, an aircraft operations
manager for a Federal agency.
I graduated from numerous military schools, including the U.S. Army Airborne
(“jump”) School, U.S. Navy Divers School, Army helicopter, and Navy advanced jet
schools. In addition, I have attended military “survival” courses whose primary
focus was generally short-term survival off the land, escape from capture, and
recovery from remote areas. Like most Marine officers, I attended The Basic School,
an 8-month school (only five during the Vietnam era – my case), which is still
designed to produce a second lieutenant who is trained and motivated to lead a 35-
40 man platoon of Marines in combat. This course covers everything from field
sanitation to squad and platoon tactics, artillery and other ordnance delivery,
communications, reconnaissance, intelligence, firearms training, and much more.
Later, I attended the Marine Amphibious Warfare School and the Command and
Staff College, both follow-on schools and centered upon the academic study of
tactics and strategy as they applied to the missions of the Marine Corps. I flew
helicopters offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and across the U.S. I found out first hand
how thoroughly corrupted is the federal bureaucracy and the government, in
general. Not a pleasant experience. I’d rather have been flying. I have bachelor's
and master's degrees.

As a result, my wife of forty years and I seem to have been moving endlessly from
place-to-place. Nevertheless, I have tried in each place to do what I could to
maintain a level of self-sufficiency for my family that varied greatly with locations
and personal finances. My intention here is to try to share some of the less-than-
perfect ways that I have tried to accomplish that end.

Only in the last few years, primarily as a result of the political and fiscal situation in
the U.S., have I begun reading some of the huge amounts of literature about how
one can prepare for serious long-term off-the-grid survival. I have found that the
preparation required to be ready for that contingency seems to be endless. I do not
want to talk about all of those preparations. Others have done so very well, and
besides, I’m not there, yet. What I would like to do is to talk to those, perhaps like
me, who are not true survivalists in the commonly referred-to sense, but who are
genuinely concerned about the future of this country, and might desire, like me, to
begin to prepare. Perhaps my elementary and simplistic efforts might be of help to
someone else who is beginning to think about the subject of preparedness. There
are many scenarios that might require this, but the two that I am thinking most
about are economic collapse and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. I’m building
small Faraday boxes, but not doing much else for EMP.

My thinking on begins with my own estimation of the basic problems: shelter,

water, food, fuel, and security. I view these as the most critical needs, whether
living in a tent or other outdoor shelter or here in our rural home in West Virginia.
Here I have and often take for granted what I have -- shelter, well water, a small
stream, a pond, a rain barrel; canned, dried, frozen, and freeze-dried foods; fuel for
the generator and portable stoves, kerosene heater and lanterns; factory-made and
reloaded ammunition for any one of several firearms. Edible plant books.
Gardening books. Encyclopedia of Country Living-type books. Reloading books.
Hunting books. Tracking books. A few novels devoted to the “what ifs” of the future,
including Jim Rawles' excellent "Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming
Collapse", for example. Books to fill an entire bookcase. The Boy Scout Field Book
sits right there next to the military survival manuals, as do Tom Brown's Field
Guides, the The Foxfire Book series, a canning book, field medical books, and quite
a few others.

Those are the basic things about which I think. I have been thinking about them for
quite a while, in fact, longer than I even realized. Perhaps I’ve been thinking about
them ever since I was a young lad. For example, my very first “survival book” was
the Boy Scout Field Book, the original of which I still have (circa late-1950s edition).
It is still a great reference if one is looking for an all-in-one manual for starting fires,
making simple shelters, recognizing game tracks, tying knots, and much more. I
note that it is still available on Amazon.com. (It’s probably been scrubbed to favor
the politically correct, but don’t know [JWR Adds: Yes, I can confirm that
unfortunately it has been made politically correct--with the traditional woodcraft
skills showing any injury to innocent and defenseless trees duly expunged. So I
advise searching for pre-1970 editions!] ) One does not necessarily need the SAS
Survival Handbook or the U.S. Army survival manual. I have them and have read
them. They do cover security problems, but then don’t cover other topics. Alas,
there appear to be no “perfect” manuals, and the Boy Scout Field Book is no
exception. But it’s not a bad beginning. And so I was beginning the journey even
before I knew that I was.

I think that my first education in “survival” came at about fourteen. That’s when I
first shot a .30-06, an old [Model 19]03 Springfield. It pretty much rattled my cage.
Mostly, my older brother and I used to track and shoot small animals in the deep
woods of Missouri as youngsters. We were “issued” ten rounds of .22 LR ammo by
our father, a retired USAF pilot, to be used in a bolt action, single shot, .22 rifle with
open sights. One would be surprised what that meager handful of loose
ammunition could do for one’s choice of shots, one’s ability to be patient in waiting
for the shot, and for one’s great satisfaction at having brought home six or eight
squirrels for the cooking pot, having used just those ten rounds – and sometimes,
but not often, less. My point is that the knowledge of firearms is, in my view, basic
to the notion of preparedness and in surviving in the wild. And it need not be exotic
or overly complicated in nature. One can surely attend modern schools that will
teach one to double-tap a cardboard target or silhouette at seven yards with a
semi-auto pistol, as well as basic and advanced tactical rifle courses, but very basic
survival skill with a rifle can be had without much cost if one is committed to
learning the skill and if one disciplines oneself. Start with only one round, and work
up from there. As Col. Jeff Cooper used to say, “Only hits count.” In a purely off-
the-grid survival scenario, I can envision that .22 LR rounds would be very precious,
indeed.

Consequently, and even though I own handguns and rifles that will shoot .45 ACP, .
44 Magnum/.44 Special, .357 Magnum/.38 Special, .380 ACP, .223, .25-06, .270,
7mm-08, .308, .7.62x39, .30-30, .30-06, and .45-70/.457 WWG Magnum (a wildcat),
I shoot a .22 rifle and pistol more than all of the others, combined, and normally at
least twice a week. And I’m hoarding them, as well as shooting them. I have the
capability to reload all the calibers (except .22 LR/Magnum, of course) above, as
well as shotgun ammo in 12 and 20 gauge. I wasn’t really thinking of “survival”
when deciding to do this about twenty years ago, but was interested only in having
the capability to shoot more, and to do it more cheaply. Yet it appears that much of
that ammo could be used for barter. I had never even considered this until reading
some of the recent “survival novels.”

My apologies. I’ve wandered into the weeds here, as I could do forever on my

favorite subject. Suffice it to say that whatever firearm one chooses – and make no
mistake, one is necessary in my opinion -- there are all kinds of reasons to choose
one over the other, depending on the situation and the person. One must endeavor
to shoot it well. Owning a firearm is of almost no consequence, at all, unless it is
properly employed. Personally, I prefer a M1911 .45 ACP pistol and a 7.62 M1A
SOCOM, while my wife is comfortable with the milder .38 [S&W] revolver and 20
gauge. pump shotgun. I won’t even begin to get into the debate over .223 vs .308
and 9mm vs. .45 ACP. Suffice it to say that in Vietnam I had the opportunity to see
the effects of all of these, and I chose for my own security the .308 and .45 ACP.

Having got my favorite subject out of the way, I’ll talk about one that is likely even
more important. Water. It is amazing how complicated this can be, and how many
choices one has to solve this problem. I have not yet solved it. I have put up a rain
barrel, and plan to get a couple more. It’s amazing how rapidly a 55 gallon barrel
will fill in even a moderate thunderstorm. I got mine from Aaron’s Rain Barrels.
http://www.ne-design.net/. I’ve camo-painted the first one to make it recede into the
bushes that surround it.
We have a very shallow stream down the hill that I need to dam so that it keeps
only about a foot-or-two deep pool for gathering some water. It flows into a large
pond, of which we own half (The owner of neighboring property owns the other
half.). But that’s over a hundred-yard trek downhill with empty buckets, and the
same distance uphill with full ones. Now, while that is okay for a backup, in my
thinking, because I’m going on 63 years, I prefer to have something closer. So my
next “big” purchase will be a Simple Pump that allows one to drop a pump and pipe
though one’s existing well casing down to below water level and extract water by
means of a hand pump or DC motor attached to a battery which, in turn, will
connect to a solar panel. This is much, much cheaper than a Solar Jack. At $1,200
for the hand pump capability (I’ll add on the DC and solar later), it’s a bargain, for
me. See: http://www.survivalunlimited.com/deepwellpump.htm.

I’m not recommending it for anyone, yet, as I haven’t got one. It has plenty of good
reviews, and I’m willing to try it. My apologies, but I am just talking about how I, for
one, intend to solve my “water problem.”

I’ve also started collecting clear plastic soda bottles for use in Solar Disinfection
(SODIS), see; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection. I’ve set up a
rack for putting out the bottles in a sunny place. Again, that’s a backup, but I’ll use
it.

I have bought three different water filtering devices, the best of which is the Swiss-
made, all-stainless Katadyn Pocket Microfilter. It works wonders in that shallow
stream and pond down the hill.. [JWR Adds: The same Katadyn filter model is
available from several SurvivalBlog advertisers. They deserve your patronage first,
folks!]

With the exception of the Simple Pump, these solutions are relatively cheap and
effective, if not producers of great volume. So far, they are what I’ve come up with.

I won’t go much into the food problem. It isn’t quite as complicated as the water
problem. I’ve either got to have it [stored], grow it, or kill it. I’ve started storing all
kinds of Mountain House freeze dried #10 cans (with expiration date dates in 2034),
two-serving meals from Mountain House (expiration dates circa 2016), and
numerous grocery store-type canned foods (expiration a couple years), in addition
to dried beans, rice, Bisquick (sealed in plastic bags with desiccant inside), salt,
sugar (Domino, which are sold in one-pound plastic tubs), olives, peanuts, wheat,
etc. Basically hit-or-miss, so far. I need to get this “food problem” organized and
do it right. But it’s a start. I think we’ve got only about a 60-day supply now, for
two.

I’ve got two Coleman two-burner stoves. One is a butane stove, and the other a
dual fuel (white gas or unleaded gas), as well as several small backpacking stoves,
the best of which is a MSR Whisperlite International, which uses virtually all fuel
(unleaded, white gas, kerosene, diesel, and maybe even corn oil). I was heavily
into backpacking when we were stationed in Hawaii in the late 1970s, and still have
all the gear. After having one knee replacement and hedging doing another, I’ll not
be backpacking if I can help it. Nevertheless, I have two bug-out bags with
essentials in them, ready to hit the trail if need be. I’ve saved up and bought two
good Wiggy's bags and a couple of his poncho liners.

Concerning backpacking stuff, I can recommend a book that I read back then called
The Complete Walker, by Colin Fletcher. I haven’t read it in at least a decade, but its
import is such that I remember much of it. He emphasizes simplicity in gear. That
is to say, don’t pack a tent if you can get by with a tent fly – which you cannot in
cold weather. I’ve still got my old three-season tent, but am saving up for a four-
season. And he emphasizes: don’t worry about pounds – worry about ounces. That
is to say, if one is packing tea bags, remove the labels from the bags. Ounces.
Remove all packaging material unless it is absolutely necessary (usually never).
Don’t carry a “mess kit,” nor a knife, fork and spoon set. A spoon will do (I’ve done
it) along with a pocket knife. Now I have so many knives of so many types that I
can’t remember them. Personally, I’d go for a multi-tool. But it’s heavy. I never
used to carry a weapon while backpacking. Of course, it was (and is) illegal in
Hawaii, but I think one would be remiss in not doing so today. There was so much
good advice in that book that helped me in the USMC, if nothing more than when
packing my helicopter before a mission, or a car, trailer, or truck to move across the
country. “Think ounces, not pounds.” I always think about Mr. Fletcher’s advice
when I pack.

Anyway, I think I’ve got the camping stove angle covered in spades. That is, until
the fuel runs out. Same goes for kerosene heater and lanterns (5). My plan is to
pull out our pellet stove and replace it with a free-standing wood stove. Pellets are
nice, but they must be bought, and the price is getting exorbitant, according to my
pocket book. They likely will be non-existent in a crunch.
I connected a 12,000 Watt/50amp gasoline generator when we moved into this
house nine years ago, as I have with every house in which we’ve lived for the last
two decades. I’ve got it wired through a transfer box to the circuit-breaker panel, a
job that I did myself. It works, and it’s safe. The main reasons for having this were
to run the 220V[olt AC] well water pump and to run the refrigerator and our free-
standing freezer during power outages. But I’ve got it wired, anyway, to nearly
every circuit in the house, except the other 220V appliances – water heater and
heat pump. It is somewhat selectable. That is to say that I can choose which
circuits I want to power by engaging or disengaging the switches on the transfer
box. The problem is that it uses gasoline. So in a long-term outage it would soon
become useless. I’ve had the propane gas company come out to estimate what it
would cost to get a dedicated 100 gal propane tank for the generator. It would be
about $500, but then, in addition to the 50+ gallons of gasoline, butane tanks, and
white gas that I keep stored in a separate outbuilding, it would make a great
explosion when hit with a tracer round.

Which brings me to the subject of security. We live in a split-level home on about

ten acres of forest. The property is surrounded by other similar-sized properties of
seemingly like-minded individuals. I gleamed this because everyone out here
shoots. The sweet sound of gunfire can be heard at times in a full circle. West
Virginia, at least, has still got its priorities straight in this regard. But I digress. This
is a frame house with half of it below ground in front, but framed in back, which
faces the forest. The forest, itself, is a maze of downed pine trees blown over by
the wind, interspersed with small saplings, vines and low brush. Not a likely avenue
of approach for anyone but the most determined. For those who are determined,
the downed trees would make excellent cover and concealment. So I have a
security problem to solve there, as well as at the front.

I’ve started buying rolls of barbed wire and baling wire. Unfortunately, I do not
have access to dynamite, which we used to be able to buy in a hardware store in
the 1960s. We used it back then to blow stumps while clearing the land for our
house. I am thinking of buying a bunch of used railroad ties to build cover in the
back; I’ve thought also of bricks and sandbags. Problem is we’re reaching the point
in all of this where the house would begin to look like a fortress, of sorts, to all but
the most ignorant observers. So there’s a line here concerning security versus
“normalcy” that I must cross sooner or later. Inasmuch as my wife is a few years
older than I and is on constant medications, I’m afraid that finding a retreat (if we
could even afford one) would be out of the question, as access to doctors, hospital
and pharmacy are a necessity. Nevertheless I’ve got the bags packed and gear
ready to throw into the pickup (Toyota 4x4 – like to have one of those older model
American trucks, but I think they are getting rare, at least around here. And what
there are will likely go to the Cash for Clunkers Program….grumble, grumble. What
will they think of next?).

So it looks to me as if we are here for the duration of the crisis, or sooner, if they try
to take the guns from my cold, dead hands. Speaking of, I still have to build a
cache or two for guns and ammo and a few other necessities.

And since I’ve more-or-less made that decision (here for the duration), I’ve thought
of organizing the apparently gun-loving neighbors. I’ve begun to buy walkie-talkies,
if not field phones and commo wire. I’ve got solar panels and several batteries
(need to get a mega deep cell or two, however) to run the small battery chargers
and the CB radio. My shortwave is up and running.

I will have to wait to talk to the neighbors, whom I rarely see, much less know. I can
just imagine the words that would come out of their mouths if I were to mention to
them the notion of forming a security “company” and establishing a perimeter.
“That old retired Marine down the road is nuts!”

So that’s what I’ve got to say. I do hope it at least stimulates some thought for
those who are starting out trying to prepare, as I am. All of this shows me that one
“problem” in this “survival” business leads to several more, and they in turn lead to
even more problems. Lots to do. So I’m glad I’m retired. I’ve got time to think
about it. If I were rich, I could do a lot more and likely in a far away place, but as it
is, we do with what we have. I have to use the lessons taught to every Marine:
Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.

Long Live America. Keep the Faith. - “Two Dogs”, Col. USMCR (ret.) in West Virginia

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Gear Up -- Appropriate and Redundant Technologies for Prepared Families

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I frequently stress the importance of well-balanced preparedness in my writings. All

too often, I've seen people that go to extremes, to the point that these extremes
actually detract from the ability to survive a disaster situation. These range from
the "all the gear that I'll need to survive is in my backpack" mentality to the "a
truckload of this or that" fixation. But genuine preparedness lies in comprehensive
planning, strict budgeting, and moderation. Blowing your entire preparedness
budget on just one category of gear is detrimental to your overall preparedness.

Another common mistake that I see among my consulting clients is an over-

emphasis on either very old technologies or on the "latest and greatest"
technologies. In the real world, preparedness necessitates having a bit of both. At
the Rawles Ranch we have both 19th century technology (like hand-powered tools)
and a few of the latest technologies like passive IR intrusion detection (Dakota
Alerts), photovoltaics, and electronic night vision. My approach is to pick and choose
the most appropriate technologies that I can maintain by myself, but to always have
backups in the form of less exotic or earlier, albeit less-efficient technologies. For
example, my main shortwave receiver is a Sony ICF-SW7600GR. But in the event of
EMP, I also a have a pair of very inexpensive Kaito shortwaves and a trusty old
Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio that uses vacuum tubes. Like my other spare
electronics, these are all stored in a grounded galvanized steel can when not in use.

Here is my approach to preparedness gear, in a nutshell

* Redundancy, squared. I jokingly call my basement Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker

of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR)

* Buy durable gear. Think of it as investing for your children and grandchildren.
And keep in mind that there'll be no more "quick trips to the hardware store" after
TSHTF.

* Vigilantly watch Craigslist, Freecycle, classified ads, and eBay for gear at
bargain prices.

* Strive for balanced preparedness that "covers all bases"--all scenarios.

* Flexibility and Adaptability (Examples: shop to match a 12 VDC standard for

most small electronics, truly multi-purpose equipment, multi-ball hitches, NATO
slave cable connectors for 24 VDC vehicles, Anderson Power Pole connectors for
small electronics--again, 12 VDC)

* Retain the ability to revert to older, more labor-intensive technology.

* Fuel flexibility (For example: Flex fuel vehicles (FFVs), Tri-fuel generators, and
biodiesel compatible vehicles)
 * Purchase high-quality used (but not abused) gear, preferably when bargains
can be found

* If in doubt, then buy mil-spec.

* If in doubt, then buy the larger size and the heavier thickness.

* If in doubt, then buy two. (Our motto: "Two is one and one is none.")

* Buy systematically, and only as your budget allows. (Avoid debt!)

* Invest your sweat equity. Not only will you save money, but you also will learn
more valuable skills.

* Train with what you have, and learn from the experts. Tools without training are
almost useless.

* Learn to maintain and repair your gear. (Always buy spare parts and full service
manuals!)

* Buy guns in common calibers

* Buy with long service life in mind (such as low self-discharge NiMH rechargeable
batteries.)

* Store extra for charity and barter

* Grow your own and buy the tooling to make your own--don't just store things.

* Rust is the enemy, and lubrication and spot painting are your allies.

* Avoid being an "early adopter" of new technology--or you'll pay more and get
lower reliability.

* Select all of your gear with your local climate conditions in mind.

* Recognize that there are no "style" points in survival. Don't worry about
appearances--concentrate on practicality and durability.

* As my old friend "Doug Carlton" is fond of saying: "Just cut to size, file to fit,,
and paint to match."

* Don't skimp on tools. Buy quality tools (such as Snap-on and Craftsman
brands), but buy them used, to save money.

* Skills beat gadgets and practicality beats style.

* Use group standardization for weapons and electronics. Strive for commonality
of magazines, accessories and spare parts
 * Gear up to raise livestock. It is an investment that breeds.

* Build your fences bull strong and sheep tight.

* Tools without the appropriate safety gear (like safety goggles, helmets, and
chainsaw chaps) are just accidents waiting for a place to happen.

* Whenever you have the option, buy things in flat, earth tone colors

* Plan ahead for things breaking or wearing out.

* Always have a Plan B and a Plan C

If you are serious about preparedness, then I recommend that you take a similar
approach.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Community Disaster Recovery--Asking the Right People the Right Questions

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I was pleased to see this post over at the Mountain Steps blog: A letter to our
county commissioner about emergency preparation for hyperinflation. It is
commendable to make such inquiries, but it is essential to ask detailed questions.
Especially when contacting elected officials, vague, general questions tend to elicit
vague, general answers, and hence most likely no action will be taken.

It is also essential that you do some research first, to direct your inquiry letter or
phone call to the right individuals. Flunkies don't create or change policy, they just
implement it. You need to direct your letter to someone that has the authority to
make policy, and has the budget to implement it. (In some cases, this will mean
separate contacts to whomever controls the purse strings.)

I recommend that you ask detailed questions, such as:

Do you have a back-up generator, and how many days of fuel do you keep on hand?
What is your contingency plan to implement before that fuel runs out?
Can you continue to operate without grid power? If not, then what contingency
plans do you have?

Is the city's water supply gravity fed, from end to end? If not, then what contingency
plans have been put in place to provide water to utility customers, in the event of a
grid power interruption longer than 48 hours?

And ask:

Are electrically-pumped filters used, or traditional gravity filters?

Then, if you discover that the water system is mostly via gravity, but it uses electric
pumps only for pressurized filtration, then ask: If electrically-pumped filters are
used, then has a disaster contingency waiver been established with the USEPA, (for
turbidity and other standards), to allow bypassing of filters in the event of a grid-
down emergency situation?

Similarly detailed letters or phone inquiries should be made to your local irrigation
district, your fire department, power utility, phone companies (both cellular and
land line), refinery, hospital, kidney dialysis clinic, coal mine, National Guard,
grocery store, et cetera.

Do not expect the grid to magically stay up and running, Assume the worst case,
and plan accordingly.

OBTW, one key word to search for when estimating the resiliency of your
community's infrastructure is co-generation. Find out where the co-gen plants are,
and their capacity!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Letter Re: Power Failure Alarms

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James;

I need your advice. I am worried about power failures, and even EMP while I'm
sleeping. This could take out my security system, and leave my family vulnerable. Is
there any sort of device that'll alert me if the power goes out? Thanks, - Nolan S.

JWR Replies: There are fairly inexpensive commercially-made plug-in power failure
alarms available via mail order for under $15. (Or under $20 each at larger home
improvement stores.) I recommend buying one for each bedroom, and one for your
generator house. (The 86 dB alarm is not loud enough to be heard from far away,
but having a light on for you at your generator house on a dark, snowy night is a
very welcome sight!) Needless to say, these are a must for sleep apnea patients
that use a CPAP machine, or for anyone else that uses other 120 VAC medical
devices for chronic health issues. These alarms work fine for houses with grid
power, or for houses with backup generators. (The alarm will trip before an auto-
start backup generator kicks in.) If you have a grid-tied alternative energy system,
you would of course need to plug one of these into an outlet that is exclusively grid-
powered. If you live off-grid, you won't have any way of knowing, but then again, if
your level of concern for such an event will probably be minimal.

If your specific concern is a power failure in the event of EMP, then you could always
wire up a battery-powered traditional buzzer with a "normally closed" relay. (When
the grid power is disconnected, the relay closes, and energizes the DC buzzer
circuit.) That is 1920s-era technology that would be EMP proof.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Survey Results: Your Favorite Books on Preparedness, Self-Sufficiency, and Practical

Skills

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In descending order of frequency, the 78 readers that responded to my latest

survey recommended the following non-fiction books on preparedness, self-
sufficiency, and practical skills:

The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery (Far and away the most often-
mentioned book. This book is an absolute "must" for every well-prepared family!)
The Foxfire Book series (in 11 volumes, but IMHO, the first five are the best)

Holy Bible

Where There Is No Dentist by Murray Dickson

"Rawles on Retreats and Relocation"

Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage

Stevens

The "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course

Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage and

Physical Survival by Jack A. Spigarelli

Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times by Steve Solomon

Tappan on Survival by Mel Tappan

Boston's Gun Bible by Boston T. Party

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by
Suzanne Ashworth

Survival Guns by Mel Tappan

Boy Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911 (Most readers recommend getting
pre-1970 editions.)

All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the
Long Emergency by Matthew Stein

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition by Abigail R.

Gehring

Preparedness Now!: An Emergency Survival Guide (Expanded and Revised Edition)

by Aton Edwards

Putting Food By by Janet Greene

First Aid (American Red Cross Handbook) Responding To Emergencies

Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage

Stevens

Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson H. Kearney (Available for free download.)

Cookin' with Home Storage by Vicki Tate

SAS Survival Handbookby John "Lofty" Wiseman

Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables by Mike Bubel

Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen

Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide by Carol
Hupping

The American Boy's Handybook of Camp Lore and Woodcraft

Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton

98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive by Cody Lundin

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by
Suzanne Ashworth

Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss

Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management by Maurice
G. Kains

Essential Bushcraft by Ray Mears

The Survivor book series by Kurt Saxon. Many are out of print in hard copy, but they
are all available on DVD. Here, I must issue a caveat lector ("reader beware"): Mr.
Saxon has some very controversial views that I do not agree with. Among other
things he is a eugenicist.

How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier

The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman

Tom Brown Jr.'s series of books, especially:

Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival

Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking

Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Field Guide)

Total Resistance by H. von Dach

Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies by Hugh Coffee

Living Well on Practically Nothing by Ed Romney

The Secure Home by Joel Skousen

Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen

When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikesby
Cody Lundin

The Last Hundred Yards: The NCO's Contribution to Warfareby John Poole.

Camping & Wilderness Survival: The Ultimate Outdoors Book by Paul Tawrell
Engineer Field Data (US Army FM 5-34) --Available online free of charge, with
registration, but I recommend getting a hard copy. preferably with the heavy-duty
plastic binding.

Great Livin' in Grubby Times by Don Paul

Just in Case by Kathy Harrison

Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson H. Kearney (Available for free download.)

How to Survive Anything, Anywhere: A Handbook of Survival Skills for Every

Scenario and Environment by Chris McNab

Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance by John & Martha
Storey

Adventure Medical Kits A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicineby

Eric A. Weiss, M.D.

Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Green

Resource for Every Gardener

Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook (superceded the very out-of-date ST

31-91B)

Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition by Paul S. Auerbach

Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Longby
Elliot Coleman

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition by Abigail R.

Gehring

Government By Emergency by Dr. Gary North

The Weed Cookbook: Naturally Nutritious - Yours Free for the Taking! by Adrienne
Crowhurst

The Modern Survival Retreat by Ragnar Benson

Last of the Mountain Men by Harold Peterson

Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness by John
McPherson

LDS Preparedness Manual, edited by Christopher M. Parrett

The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other
Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century by James H. Kunstler

Principles of Personal Defense - Revised Edition by Jeff Cooper.

Survival Poaching by Ragnar Benson

The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep
Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses by Eliot Coleman
Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Net Producer-Net Consumer Equations for Self-Sufficiency: Getting Out of the Pit

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In a recent phone conversation with one of my consulting clients, I was asked why I
placed such a large emphasis on living in the country, at a relatively self-sufficient
retreat. I've already discussed at length the security advantages of isolation from
major population centers in the blog, but I realized that I've never fully articulated
the importance of self-sufficiency, at a fundamental level.

In a societal collapse, where you are in "You're on Your Own" (YOYO) mode, it will be
very important to be a net producer of water, food, and energy. This will mean the
difference between being someone that is comfortable and well fed, and someone
that is shivering, hungry, and thirsty, in the dark.

If you were to create computer models of a typical suburban home as compared to

a small farm, they would probably present two very different pictures:

A typical suburban home is an energy pit. It generates hardly energy other than a
bit of garden waste that could be used as compost, or fuel. A farm house on
acreage, in contrast, can often be a net producer, especially if the farm includes a
wood lot. (Standing timber that is suitable for use as firewood.) Properties with near-
surface geothermal heat, coal seams, or natural gas wells are scarce, but not
unheard of. I've helped several of my clients find such properties. For some further
food for thought, see this article by Lester Brown over at The Oil Drum web site: The
Oil Intensity of Food

A typical suburban home is a food pit. Just picture how many bags of groceries you
tote home each week, month, and year. Compare than with the net volume of food
produced by a small farm, or the meat produced by ranch. (For the latter, a ranch
that is large enough to produce its own hay and grain is ideal.)
A typical suburban home is also a water pit, dependent on utility-piped water. But
with a spring, or with well water and a photovoltaic or wind-powered pump, you can
be a water exporter--charitably providing surplus water to your neighbors.

There are are of course some work-arounds for these limitations, such as installing
photovoltaic power systems and rainwater catchments cisterns. But it is nearly
impossible for a family to be a net producer of water, food, and energy, when living
on just a small city lot.

Consider the inherent limitations of life on a "postage stamp" lot:

Limited acreage means that your house will always be a net importer of home
heating fuel. Unless you live on acreage where you have a wood lot for firewood,
you'll end up on the wrong side of the production-consumption equation.
Photovoltaics are practical for lighting and running some appliances, but the big
energy loads like space heating, hot water, and kitchen range cooking exceed what
PV panels can produce, unless you are a millionaire. Yes, there are substitute
energy sources, but most of those--such as propane-but those-are also "imported."
Hmm... Perhaps it is worth the extra time and effort to find a retreat property that
has a natural gas well, a coal seam or that is in a geothermal zone. At least buy a
property with a wood lot, so you can heat your home and water with firewood.

Limited acreage and a location inside limits usually means restrictions on raising
livestock. You might find a property that has been exempted or "grandfathered",
but without the room required to grow animal feed crops, you will still be a net
importer. (You will be forced to buy hay and grain, rather than grow it yourself.)

In many jurisdictions, it is illegal to have a private water well in a neighborhood that

is served by a public water utility. This usually has more to do with maintaining a
monopoly, rather than any genuine worries about a public health issue. There are of
course exceptions, such as older houses with wells, that pre-dated the advent of a
water utility. In many jurisdictions, the owners of these wells benefit from
grandfather clauses. If buying such a property, make sure that the grandfather
clause exemption is transferable. (Otherwise, you will have to cap the water well.)
One of the great ironies of urbanized life in modern-day America is that there has
been a great inversion. In 1909, it was dirt poor farmers that lived on acreage, while
wealthy people lived on city lots. But now, in 2009, owning acreage is something
that most people only dream of, for retirement. In the more populous coastal states,
the price per acre of land that is within commuting distance of high-paying jobs has
been driven up to astronomical prices.

Have you ever stopped to think why there are large Victorian-style houses falling
into disrepair in some Inner City ghettos? This is because at one time, those
neighborhoods are where rich people lived. They were nice, safe neighborhoods,
and were conveniently close to work, shopping, and schools. But times (and
neighborhoods) change. These days, most of the wealthy have long-since moved to
suburbs or to the country.

If you decide that you must stay in the suburbs, then I recommend that you at least
relocate to a stout masonry house that is on the largest lot that you can afford.
When you search through real estate listings, some key phrases to watch for are
"creek", "grandfathered", "mature fruit trees" (or "orchard"), "secluded", and "well
water." Another key word to watch for is "adjoins". It is advantageous to own a
property that adjoins park land.

As I've often written, I recommend moving to a house on acreage in the country--

that is if you can afford it, and your work and family situations allow it. But I'll close
with one admonition: Don't bite off more than you can chew. There is no point on
living on acreage if you have a large mortgage, and no working capital remaining to
build up the infrastructure for genuine self-sufficiency. In fact, that would be "the
worst of both worlds", since you would have higher commuting costs, a bigger
mortgage, and perhaps even a bigger annual tax bill. Owning non-productive land
may be worse than owning no land at all.

Friday, July 3, 2009

From Mike Williamson: Some Useful DIY Home Power Technology Web Links

Permalink

The following links will be of interest to anyone interested in do-it-yourself (DIY)

power generation and 19th Century technology. Most of these come from Lindsay
Publishing. [JWR Adds: They are also one one of my favorites!] :
Generator and Inverters

Wood into Charcoal and Electricity (although the generator design is at best a temp
make-work design while you scrounge to build a better one).

Gas Engines and Producer Gas Plants

DIY Wind Turbine Power Plant (The best DIY design out there, although you might
find a cheaper copy elsewhere).

DIY Machine Shop (This is a Gingery design, not suitable for those that are clumsy)

Other Wood Gasifier DIY Books.

A FEMA-designed wood gasifier that will hold you over while you build something
better, if you are lazy and wait until it is almost to late. Not even remotely the best
design but it is quick and fairly easy to build. It is titled: "Construction of a Simplified
Wood Gas Generator for Fueling Internal Combustion Engines in a Petroleum
Emergency/"

I hope that folks find these useful. - Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog's Editor at
Large)

Prefabricated Garden Sheds as Instant Shelters and Storage Spaces for Retreats

Friday, June 19, 2009

Letter Re: Advice on Deep Water Wells in a Grid-Down Era

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James,

I know that I have seen posts about deep water wells, but when I search I really
don't see that many applicable posts. I am looking at a property where water [static
level] is about 400 feet down. In a "grid-up" scenario, this isn't really a problem, but
I am looking for "grid-down" options for using a well at this depth. Not knowing
much about the specifics of wells, I am not having much luck searching with Google,
either. Would you be able to cover some deep well basics and some options for grid
down/solar/backup pumping, specifically for deep wells?

Thanks so much for the blog. I have been an avid reader (pretty much daily) for two
years and have several copies of your book to loan out to friends. - John C.

JWR Replies: As per your request, here are a few deep well basics:

Solar and wind power are the best solutions for deep wells in a grid-down collapse.
If you live in an area with reliable winds, a windmill used in conjunction with a large
gravity-fed tank or cistern, is relatively inexpensive and trouble-free. Photovoltaics
are getting less expensive with each passing year, but system complexity is an
issue, especially with systems that use a battery bank. (To maintain water pressure
during hours of darkness, you will either need to store water in a gravity-fed cistern,
or you will need a battery bank, so that you can operate your well pump. )

Deep wells can be pumped with submersible AC pumps, but not submersible DC
pumps. This is because the "line loss" (voltage drop) in DC cabling is tremendous.
Even with fat, heavy gauge DC cables, if you start out with 24 Volts DC (VDC) at
your battery bank, you will likely be down to just two or three volts at 400 feet!
Given that sad fact, there are two good solutions:

1.) Use a DC-to-AC inverter top-side, and run AC cabling down the well shaft to an
AC well pump. (Note: Many of these pumps require 220 VAC, so you will either have
to use a much more expensive 220-capable inverter, or replace the pump with a
120 VAC model. (You may be an electrical neophyte, and asking "What type of
pump do I have?" Take a quick look at your AC circuit breaker box. If the breaker
labeled "Well Pump" is a pair of breakers that are ganged-together with a wire loop
so that they'll be actuated simultaneously, then the chances are 99% that you have
a 220 VAC pump.)
or,

2.) Install a jack ("cricket") type pump or a windmill to actuate the sucker rod pump
cylinder. Traditionally, sucker rods were made from hardwoods such as white ash.
More recently they've been made with metal or fiberglass. Even with ash wood,
their service life is measured in decades. The pump cylinders are made of brass and
will last many decades. However, the pump leathers will eventually wear out, so you
should consider buying a couple of spare sets and storing them someplace safe
from mice and moisture/mold. Unfortunately changing all of the leathers on a down-
hole sucker-rod actuated pump means yanking the entire sucker rod and then the
weight of all 400 feet of your service line. That is a lot of weight, requiring a heavy
duty hoist and of course all the usual "mind your head, fingers and toes" safety
precautions and protective gear. Lifting a 1-1/2" or 2" diameter 400 foot long pipe is
no problem for a pump company, but it would be a challenge for a typical rural
family working with an improvised hoist. I recommend that you watch your pump
company man carefully as he installs the pump in your well for the first time. You
will notice that the crucial piece required is the flange that catches the pipe unions
on each 20+ foot long section of service line pipe as they are raised or lowered in
the well casing.

I've previously owned a jack type pump, and in my experience I found them
problematic. I would much rather use an AC submersible pump.

Shallow wells (say, 50 feet or less) can be pumped with a DC submersible pump. I
generally advise my consulting clients to "hang" both an AC pump and and a DC
pump, one above the other in the same well casing, for the sake of versatility an
redundancy.

Letter Re: Pros and Cons of Propane Storage

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James,

Having a lot of propane on hand has some serious issues. Homeland Security via
"Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act" (EPCRA) requires anyone
that has more than 10,000 pounds of virtually any hazardous material (except for
explosives and radioactive materials that have their own unique requirements), to
report that quantity to the State Homeland Security Office, the local Fire Marshal,
and the Local Emergency Management Manager yearly. These reports are open to
anybody that wants to see them. (Now you know how the bad guy knows where the
stuff is, all they have to do is ask and the Emergency Manager has to give them the
information by law). I am not making that up, either. I am a member of the Local
Emergency Planning Committee (a county wide group with members appointed by
the state) which is responsible for looking about, finding illegally stored material
and requiring compliance. To comply with the act, I file what is known as a Tier II
report to the three agencies listed above yearly listing propane, diesel, and gasoline
quantities on hand and a set of plans of the operation showing where such is stored.
So if being off the radar is important to you [then keep under 10,000 pound limit.] I
always try to work within the system. Of course if the system fails, all bets are off
anyway.

After several years of working on the project (more pointedly, working with the
vendor), I have the capability to pump propane from a pair of 1,000 gallon tanks
that are connected on the bottom for propane liquid connection. The skid based
12,000 pound full unit has a 240 volt power supply to the electric pump that does
the work moving liquid propane from the storage to the smaller tank it is filling. If
the grid is up, the pump will run on it, when the grid is down, I have an automatic
generator that kicks in (that just happens to run on propane) that will power our
main well and power the [electric] propane pump motor.

Of course with propane, there is always a security problem. You know, someone
sitting up a high hill with an API bullet just waiting for the right time to set off the
show. Big white tanks make an easy target. Hopefully, we will have our perimeter
secure if there is that need. Take the advice though. Camouflage the tanks asap if
Schumer gets spread by the fan. Otherwise, white or silver reflects heat very well
and keeps your propane tanks happy.

I have also purchased a 250 gallon propane tank that I fabricated onto a skid using
2x6 rectangular steel incorporating a pair of forklift ports. I can pick this tank up
with a diesel powered skid steer and since I had the small tank plumbed on the
bottom for liquid with the proper connector, I can feed liquid propane by gravity 250
gallons at a time to any tank on the ranch. It is very difficult to talk your local
distributor to participate in this kind of project because they are turning you into a
potential competitor. But because I live 15 miles from the nearest asphalt road and
over 60 miles to the nearest town. Power outages for a week are not uncommon. If
the whole grid went down for a year, we would still have power periodically as we
fill the stock tanks and keep the freezers cold. Overall, I believe we have a bit over
7,000 gallons of propane which would power our "headquarters" for many months
and maybe years if used part time. It will keep indefinitely if kept comfortably cool
with no additives needed.

Yes, I have a propane powered vehicle. However, if you put propane into a vehicle
to use as fuel, you should be paying state tax on that propane (and federal no doubt
soon). Therefore I would never suggest such an action unless you know your local
state tax collector personally. I, of course fuel my propane powered vehicles at the
local propane fill operation. Unlike Agricultural Diesel (Red) and Residential Fuel Oil
(Green), Residential Propane has no marker to trace where it came from. The last
time I filled my truck with propane, it was 2.70 a gallon with residential use propane
being (summer rate) at $1.49. The trick of course is having the right nozzles. Being
able to fill vehicles and small 25/35 pound tanks (BBQ tanks), is a really handy
thing. Good luck getting those nozzles. They are worth more than silver by weight
and they are made only of bronze. Again, the trick is to get your local distributor
work with you. You can't just find this stuff on the internet, I know because I tried.

Propane fired vehicles have several advantages. Because propane is such a clean
burning fuel, combined with synthetic oil in your crankcase, you don't have to
change the oil very often. Perhaps several years between oil changes if you only
use the vehicle sparingly. I have put over 10,000 miles on an oil change before and
it really didn't look dirty though it may have lost some of it's lubricating qualities.
Synthetic oil is more expensive but doesn't break down and stays much cleaner
than oil in engines fired with gasoline and especially diesel fuel tanks. Propane wins
hands down.

Another advantage, when there is the next mass evacuation, lines will form at any
gas station that is open. There won't be any lines at your local propane distributor.
Heck, if you get the right adaptor, you could hook a BBQ tank up to your vehicle.
(That is illegal by the way but in a pinch......).

Most propane conversions enable dual fuel use. Either regular gasoline or propane
may be used by my personal conversion. Just flick a switch, (hit the solenoid with a
tech-tap once in a while) and your off running on the other fuel. My pickup has a
600 mile cruising range now. Two gas tanks, and an 80 gallon propane tank. Your
power is reduced slightly but your mileage is similar to using gasoline.
Propane conversions are available for most gasoline engines including lawn
mowers, boats, automobiles (there are even donut shaped tanks made to fit in the
spare tire area), and trucks. Trucks enable a larger tank to be mounted forward in
the bed. Mine fits nicely under a short tool box and it is impossible to see unless you
look over the bed. It sort of just blends in.

Having said the preceding, it may not be easy to find someone who has the
technical savvy to do an installation on your vehicle. Also, they tend to be fly by
night guys who recycle many parts over and over again and do it as a sideline. (I'm
not saying there aren't professionals out there, just a heads up). I would call the
conversion about a 6 out of 10 if you like automobile work. About two days of
dedicated "spare time" will do most conversions. Just make sure you don't route the
propane hose next to an exhaust line or you might be driving a flare down the road
and make the papers. So much for staying off the radar.

A good neighbor asked me if I was afraid when he saw that I was a "survivalist". I
said "no, I am prepared". (My nearest neighbor is 4 miles away). Now he is also
working on contingency planning with fall back plans to me if he fails. The guy
shoots running coyotes at 300 yards, that skill might come in handy if coyotes
become a problem. Signed, - Frank B. (15 miles from the nearest asphalt road)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Letter Re: Portable Oxygen Condensers

Permalink

James,

I recently installed an AuraGen system similar to the current listing on eBay

(#330329068735) onto a customer's Bug Out Vehicle (BOV), a 1986 Chevrolet
Suburban 1 ton (modified with some parts that were originally incorporated in the
M1008 CUCV). This customer also is afflicted with COPD and uses a 110 VAC
Oxygen generator. The Auragen, being a military designed system is far more
durable, far more rugged, and most importantly, far more versatile than an inverter
placed into any vehicle electrical system. Being a mil-spec unit,.EMP is also not an
issue as it meets the military requirements for such use in medical units for power
generation.
At around $1,700 on eBay the end user can add about another $500-to-$600 for
install and miscellaneous parts. I personally have a PTO drive system in my own
vehicle and have used it in several situations where, as some say "The Schumer has
hit the rotating impellers", LOL, powering some mission critical communications,
networking, and telecom facilities for other NGO customers. These are not cheap,
but what price is reliable power when lives depend on it? Best Regards, - Bob S.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Two Letters Re: Protection from EMP Effects for Photovoltaic Panels and
Communication Gear

Permalink

Jim,

I'm not very certain Solar Panels or photovoltaic (PV) Modules if you prefer) are up
to surviving electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Solar Panel manufacture is akin to
basically creating large scale photosensitive semiconductors and few manufacturers
will quote even static electricity resistance, much less EMP resistance. Additionally,
most PV modules have bypass diodes to protect cells. Some designs put these
diodes in the junction boxes, while others incorporate them more integrally in the
PV assembly.

Obviously the controllers are at great risk, but the modules themselves are not free
from risk.

About the only references to PV and EMP you can find are discussions concerning
space deployed PV Modules being at risk to solar flares, which have many
characteristics of an EMP event.

I just made some queries with contacts at University of Manchester and Michigan
Tech. They told me that there that almost no EMP test results have been released to
public domain, but that their Aerospace departments feel that PV Arrays are
vulnerable at the junction level as well as the wiring diode matrix and controller
levels.
The [PV-powered] satellite literature repeats the observation that even a minor
solar flare can wipe years to decades off of the life of a PV array and a full coronal
mass ejection (CME) will take the array out. Though an EMP [cascade waveform] is
not exactly the same radiation, the corollary is there.

Several of the Disaster Shelter Builders state that PV Panels are at risk in EMP and
include shielded storage for "after the event panels." I wonder whether that is
marketing hype or good science? For now, this is the best that I can find. - Steve W.

Mr. Rawles,

There is a very detailed 4-part article about EMP protection for Amateur Radio
equipment. It's a study that was done by the ARRL in the mid 1980s. Product model
numbers and such have changed, but the basic concepts haven't. If you want to just
skip to the recommendations, go to "Part 4 of "Electromagnetic Pulse and the Radio
Amateur".

In a nutshell, they make the following recommendations:

1. Your equipment will not survive a direct lightning hit no matter how well
protected. EMP or near-misses can be protected against.

2. Install a high-quality surge protector on all AC power cords. You'll need to shop
around to find one with the highest possible rating.

3. Install coax surge protectors (available from most ham radio suppliers) within 6
feet of the radio equipment to be protected.

4. Install a grounding antenna switch and keep the antennas grounded when not in
use. (Note: antenna switches are often used when folks have multiple
radios/antennas, such as a CB and ham radio or a 2 Meter VHF radio and a scanner.
Make grounding the antennas part of your checklist when shutting down the station
after use.

5. Get a piece of Copper plate or thick sheet metal, install it on the wall or
workbench your equipment is on, and attach all equipment grounds and protection
devices to this. Install a good Earth ground, per their guide. This basically consists
of 2 or more standard electrical grounding rods connected with #6 solid Copper
wire that is buried. I've found that the electrical panel bonding lugs sold in [building]
contractor stores work great for this.

Finally, the book Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson H. Kearney [Available for
free download] states that equipment such as hand held radios with short antennas
(less than 14") should be okay against EMP. Grid connected electronics would be
more vulnerable, and stuff with long antennas worse still.

Here are some quick links to EMP protection devices:

Solar Panel charge controller protection.

Coax lightning protection (manufacturer)

Cheers, - JN-EMT

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wood, the Alternative Energy for the Rest of Us, by Bill S.

Permalink

Solar and wind electric generation systems are affordable and efficient, but there
are a many areas of the U.S. where wind systems are not feasible, and few localized
areas where solar systems are not feasible. A diesel powered generator with a large
underground tank is reliable, but under adverse conditions the tank could run dry.
Fortunately there are two systems capable of generating electric power with wood,
a fuel readily available in most parts of the country.

Gasification is a process of burning wood or other solid biomass in a specialized

combustion vessel (basically an upside-down wood stove) that generates hydrogen
and carbon monoxide (CO) gases as by-products of the high temperature
combustion. The exhaust gases can then be used to fuel an internal combustion
engine. Gasifiers were used across Europe during WWII to power tractors, trucks
and buses when gasoline was not available. The return of gasoline after the war
caused gasification to drop off the radar. A group of American pioneers have
revived the technology and made great strides in bringing this lost technology back
to the market.

All Power Labs in California sells do-it-yourself kits and complete gasifier systems,
known as gasifier experimenter's kits (GEKs). GEKs have been used to power cars
and generators, it is potentially a complete solution. GEKs are operating around the
world. GEKs is an open source project, that is, the plans are free and users are
encouraged to experiment and share their knowledge. The design and operation of
the gasifier requires wood blocks/chips, pellets or similar sized fuel. Split firewood is
not an option when operating on a small scale.

The other option is small scale steam. Steam engines powered the industrial
revolution and were in use well after the advent of petroleum products and the
electrical grid. Mike Brown in Missouri manufactures a range of small scale steam
engines, from 1-to-20 horsepower.

Operating a steam engine requires specialized knowledge and skills, steam is

dangerous in inexperienced hands. Mike Brown has a package of instructional
materials for sale and will insist you do your homework before purchasing of one of
his engines.

Steam engines require a boiler to generate the steam to drive the engine. Boilers
can be made from copper tubing and junkyard scrap for a few hundred dollars
providing there is a metal worker in the neighborhood; plans and a how-to video are
available from Mike Brown. ASME-certified boilers are available in limited quantities.

Both systems will generate electricity when gasoline, diesel and propane fuels are
unavailable, the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing . These systems are
best suited for short term backup power or as a supplement to a solar/wind system.
Neither system is “off the shelf” ready, they both require back yard engineering
skills and American ingenuity Both systems require a stock of wood or other solid
fuel to operate for any extended time. They both require tending and maintenance.
Relying on steam or gasification for a year-round supply of electricity for a retreat is
unrealistic in most cases . Note however that life in the future may become very
unrealistic.
But will these systems power a retreat? If you had a 3 hp steam system the answer
is yes. I did some rough calculations; in which I could be off by ±25%. I am
assuming a battery bank for storage. A 3 hp system steaming for 6 hours per day
for a month would generate approximately 400 KW. For comparison, 400 KW is less
than one half of what the average American household uses in a month, but far
more than most solar or wind systems will generate. We get by on less than 400 KW
per month and the retreat is all electric, including hot water, range and refrigerator
and I run many power tools in the shop. 400 KW is a huge amount of electricity in
terms of the creature comforts it can provide. Under emergency conditions 100
KW/month would drive a well pump, laptop, lights, radios and cell phone chargers.
[JWR Adds: Don't forget that when drawing DC power from a battery bank, that
inversion to AC with a modern inverter is about 80% efficient in typical use, and
they can be about 90% efficiency under optimal conditions. To understand the
concepts of kilowatts and kilowatt hours (KWh), see Wikipedia.)

If oak were used for fuel it would take 13 cords of firewood per year (that is a lot of
wood). At $225 per cord it would cost approximately $3,000 per year plus many
hours of manual labor. This is not what the modern American considers
convenience, but under lock-down conditions you may be the only one within 100
miles that is powered up after a week. Under emergency conditions you will be at
home with enough time on your hands to stoke the fire every hour. I have not done
a similar analysis of the gasifier. A gasifier is a very efficient use of biomass, I would
expect you can achieve much the same results as a steam system. GEK users will
be happy to share what they know.

Gasifier

Pros: Technically within the range of the do-it-yourselfer. Will power many internal
combustion engines. Will burn chipped/blocked wood and forest scrap, walnut shells
and more. Waste heat from the gasifier and IC engine can be used to heat water
(which can be used to heat a home). The exhaust gas from the IC engine is water
vapor and there is no smoke, the smoke has been converted to a combustible gas.

Cons: Requires small, consistent-sized fuel such as dry wood chips. Generates
carbon monoxide (CO), a deadly gas although this gas can be used to fuel an
outdoor stove. Cannot be installed within a living space (same with steam). Limited
supply, however plans are free and a gasifier can be built with scrap steel and
junkyard parts by any welder/metal worker.

Cost: Approximately $1,000-3,000 (not including engine, generator or storage

batteries).
Steam Engine

Pros: The most reliable and simple of backup systems. Quiet. Steam can be used for
multiple purposes including space and water heating and making bio-fuels,
including alcohol. Can be powered with both solid and liquid fuels.

Cons: Requires a good bit of self-study. Potentially hazardous. Limited source of

supply for engines and boilers although both should last a lifetime and be worth
their weight in silver should it come to that.

Cost: Approximately $7,000 for 3 hp engine and boiler (not including generator or
storage batteries), the greater part of the cost for a manufactured boiler.

Steam engines are precision machines available in limited quantities. Cost aside, it
could be months before you take delivery, but remember patience is a virtue. If
time and money is of the essence then the GEK is the best bet; a team of garage
mechanics could have a GEK up and running in a week. GEKs can be manufactured
from plans without royalties, potentially a great business opportunity.

Letter Re: Questions on EMP Protection

Permalink

Hello Jim,

I recently finished reading [the recently-released novel] One Second After [by
William R. Forstchen].The potential realities of this story can grab you. [In the novel]
a young girl who dies because her insulin supply deteriorated. Lack of adequate
refrigeration degraded the quality and effectiveness of the insulin.

I was reviewing some bug out literature and ran across a list of equipment that
included a portable 12 VDC cooler unit. This would be great for transporting heat
sensitive pharmaceuticals during a move of some distance.

My question is this: What effect would an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack have
on this kind of machine? Does it contain modern circuitry that would be susceptible
to the EMP effect?

The second question:

Are solar panels susceptible to EMP effect?

I am referring to just the panels and not associated secondary storage, control and
electrical connections.

The third question:

The chargers that come with solar panels, spotlights, hand held radios, scanners
and the like seem to be simple transformers.

But do they contain any circuitry that an EMP wave would destroy?

I read your site every day. Cordially, - JWC in Oklahoma

JWR Replies: In answer to your questions:

Even if your refrigerator has some microcircuits, it is probably not at risk to an EMP
waveform, especially if it is running from a stand-alone 12 VDC power system.
(Generally, devices that are connected to grid power are at greater risk of EMP
coupling.) But just to be safe, when your compact refrigerator is not in use, you
should store it in a galvanized steel garbage can (with a tight-fitting lid), to act as a
protective Faraday cage.

Solar panels themselves are not at risk, but charge controllers and possibly
inverters are, because they use microcircuits. Since protection via zener diodes is
not always reliable, the most practical solution is to buy a couple of spare charge
controllers, and store them in ammo cans.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Letter Re: Sale on Inexpensive Solar Rechargeable Lights

Permalink

Dear Mr. Rawles,

This sale ends Saturday so maybe it's too late to share it, but True Value Hardware
stores around the country are selling boxes of six (6) solar powered pathway lights
for $11.99.

These would be great to use for an extended power outages - just bring them in
inside each night without the pole. There's two LED lights in each one, and they will
shine for 8 hours. I tried them out last night and was able to read with two of them.
Using all six lights in the box lit up my small house enough to where I wouldn't need
a flashlight or lantern to get myself safely around.

I just thought I'd share since the price was so low. Wouldn't this be great for those
living in apartments? - Rod McG. in Virginia

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Letter: Re: Long Term Health Care Needs in TEOTWAWKI

Permalink

Good Morning,

You may have addressed this previously, but I could use your help on this issue. Our
six year old daughter has significant medical needs (none requiring electricity
thankfully) requiring us to shelter in place. We live outside a major metro area and
probably wouldn’t want to be on the roads anyway. Any comments for those of us
who fit this bill? Thanks - Jeremy

JWR Replies: Yes, this has been addressed. See this letter in the archives, from
2007. OBTW, be sure to follow the back-links there for the previous SurvivalBlog
article on mid-size photovoltaic systems for medical needs such as sleep apnea
CPAP machines and small refrigerators for insulin storage.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Letter Re: Home and Ranch Methane Gas Generators

Permalink

Jim:

I saw the following post concerning Gober ("dung") gas, dated 27 April, 2009, over
at Michael Yon's web site:.

"During breaks from tracking training – I was sweating like crazy in the jungle
heat – I asked many questions about Afghanistan and Nepal, and he talked about a
simple way to make many of the Afghans lives easier. Most Afghans don’t even
have electricity. When he was about fifteen years-old, his dad installed a “Gobar
Gas” (methane) generator next to the house in Nepal. The generator is simple: the
owner just collects human and animal waste, and through a fantastically simple
process, the contraption creates methane, which is then used for lighting, cooking,
heating in the winter. It also creates excellent fertilizer, all while improving
sanitation. What’s the catch? None that I’ve heard of. He said that his dad made the
first Gobar Gas system in his village, and today it would costs maybe $300 total
investment. Between their own toilet and four cows, they create enough methane to
cook, heat and light the house. More than two decades after his dad made it, the
thing is still working and doesn’t cost a single rupee to operate. When the other
villagers saw it work, hundreds of Gobar Gas systems popped up around the village.
I’ve seen these systems in use in Nepal, and photographed one about five years
ago. It worked like a charm. But this Nepalese man, a British soldier, never saw a
Gobar Gas system in Afghanistan, but he is certain that the idea would take hold in
the villages. My guess is that the only real disadvantage is that the idea is incredibly
effective, simple and cheap, and so we probably wouldn’t want to get involved."

Wikipedia has an entry on Gober Gas.

Regards, - Larry

JWR Replies: The usual safety (for piped explosive gasses) rules apply, and of
course the usual sanitation rules must be enforced, but this looks like a great set-up
for anyone that keeps livestock. Aunty Entity would be proud.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Letter Re: Bike Frame-Mounted DC Power Generators

Permalink

James,

Just a follow-up to the question about bicycle power: If you do a Google search on
the phrase "bicycle power generator" then several interesting options come up. One
is a web site that offers free plans.

JWR Replies: Just keep in mind that every hour spent trudging away on a bike frame
generator is an hour that you could also use doing something else productive. Dollar
for dollar and hour for hour, photovoltaic panels are the way to go--they make
power every day with minimal maintenance. I consider bike-frame mounted
generators fairly specialized devices for peculiar circumstances, such as when
someone is cooped up in a fallout shelter. My general advice is: Yes, go ahead and
build one, but make it readily adaptable to multiple purposes, by using perforated
box beam construction for the back half. This is similar to the construction method
often used for hobby-built electric go-carts and similar projects. With perforated
steel box beams, you will minimize the amount of welding needed to fairly quickly
reconfigure the back half. For example, you could attach various pulleys and V-belts
that can in turn be attached to a Country Living grain mill, a meat grinder, or a
metal grinding/sharpening wheel.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Letter Re: Learning the Details of Self-Sufficiency

Permalink

Jim,

I'd like to add an additional perspective on the letter on "Learning the Details of
Self-Sufficiency" -- the conscious competence learning model. I'd like to pull back
the shade a bit on why 'just buying stuff' and reading books isn't going to cut it
when the balloon goes up.

Many folks are 'buying things', reading books, searching the internet with the
thought that when the time comes, they will begin living the self-sufficient lifestyle
in the country. The aforementioned letter points out the folly of this approach. I just
want to take a step back and look at why so many people are taking an
unproductive approach -- it has to do with how people assimilate new skills.

With a new skill set (like self-sufficient living in this example) a person at first is
unconsciously incompetent (stage #1). Here a person doesn't even know what they
don't know. They certainly don't understand the ramifications of not having mastery
of the things they don't know. Most people stop right here. They feel safe. In fact,
it's not until they go a bit further into consciously incompetent (stage #2) when
they begin for the first time to understand some of the things at which they are
incompetent; and begin to realize the impact of their incompetence on their desired
outcome.

Stage 2 lasts a long time because the more a person learns, the more necessary
skills they uncover, which skills they have no experience whatsoever. It's not until
you actually eat the beans you've canned, which were stored in the root cellar you
made; which beans grew in your garden, which garden you protected from insects,
which plot you cleared from the forest, fenced from the deer, amended the soil,
selected the correct variety of bean seed, planted at the correct depth,with the
correct spacing, at the right time of year, with the proper sun exposure, etc. Then
and only then will you have begun to have some gardening experience -- for beans.
Then you can begin to appreciate that beans are not carrots. Carrots have different
needs, and hey, wow, I wonder if all these different vegetables, grains and fruits
have different requirements? Gee, what would happen if I grew my garden in
'compost' I bought from a local garden center and the entire crop failed, and I
couldn't buy my veggies from Wal-Mart? Last example was a true story for me as a
local nursery sold me 10 yards of 'compost' which [later] tested almost zero for N, P,
& K. My crops bolted and died within three weeks.

Stage 3 is conscious competence. This is when you can perform a skill reliably at
will. I can put up more beans this year, I know how to do it; I know how many rows
of what dimension and how much seed I need. I want to put up some dilly beans, I
know how to do that too. I can cook using the blanched and frozen beans I grew last
year.

Stage 4 is unconscious competence. This is where you aren't even aware of the
skills you are using to produce the desired result. People who reach this level of
expertise often can't teach another person how to do what they are doing because
so much ability (not knowledge -- big difference) is assumed. Have you ever seen a
craftsman produce a beautiful result, and make it look easy? Then you tried and
found, "Hey, this is harder than it looks!" That's what stage 4 is, and where you
need to be before you risk your family's life on homesteading in the midst of a
crisis.

We've only talked about beans so far; how about production quantity gardening for
the 20 or so veggies, fruits, and grains you're going to need? How about producing
pork? Chicken? Rabbit? Lamb? Can you breed, select, grow, cull, harvest, process,
store, and prepare all of these? How about dairy operations? Retreat security?
Redundant water systems in place? Redundant power systems in place and
functioning? Productive relationships with neighbors? Suppliers? I'd like to give you
a more complete list, but I've been doing this for years now, so I don't even know all
I know!

If you aren't doing these things right now, then you won't be any good at them in a
time of need. The only way to gain new skills is by doing. Take advantage of
whatever time we have left before things get much worse, and go do it! - Mr. Kilo

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Two Letters Re: Pedal Power for Electricity Generation and Water Pumping

Permalink

James:

As for using a bicycle as a PTO device, imagine being asked to pedal uphill for hours
on end, going nowhere, summer or winter, until the power comes back, this is the
slavery of powering off of your bicycle, it works to provide some feeble current, but
there are much better ways to spend your man hours and food calories. Notable
exceptions are using a small wheel generator for bike lights or small battery
charging like mobile phones as you travel, BTW you will need to add a rectifier and
voltage regulator circuit since bike generators produce AC power, an inexpensive
friction generator will wear on your tire, but hubs dynamos are expensive around
$50 plus requiring a wheel rebuild. You could power an old belt drive Singer sewing
machine, or flywheel for light machine shop tools, since these do not require such
exertion, there are plans available for using a broken bicycle to put the pedal drive
under your work table. If you want electrical power, then go with solar, wind, or a
water wheel. Don't be an energy slave. To move water make a water tower, cistern,
or pond on a hilltop and pump using wind power, since it will be gravity fed you
have available water in the storage and the pump will run every time there is wind
refilling the storage. Other options are using a water wheel pump, or the very
reliable inertial pump.

All the best to you and the family - David in Israel

Jim:

Back Home magazine published an article on a bicycle powered water pump in their
March/April 2009 issue (#99). The issue is available online for $3.75. - Matt

Monday, April 20, 2009

Letter Re: Pedal Power for Electricity Generation and Water Pumping

Permalink

Hi Mr. Rawles:

Thank you so much for your efforts on this blog as well as Rawles Gets You Ready. I
have a question that I haven’t seen addressed. Are there products out there based
on pedal power? Meaning, I can’t afford a real alternative energy system or a large
storage area for gasoline. What I’d like is a way to keep a few deep cycle batteries
charged to power my rechargeable AA-size batteries (do they make rechargeable
batteries in any other size?), my cordless power tools and other objects. There must
be alternator/bicycle systems to do that but I can’t find any. Also, I’d like to power a
water pump by bicycle so that I can draw water from my well or the creek a couple
of hundred yards away. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks, - Joe F.

JWR Replies: Yes, there are several proven products. See the SurvivalBlog archives.
For battery charging, it is probably best to use a fairly large generator to charge a
pair of 6 volt DC deep cycle batteries. Then, you can use that battery bank as a 12
volt power source for an automobile-type charger for AA Batteries . As I've
mentioned in the blog before, I recommend standardizing with 30 amp Anderson
Power Pole Connectors for all of the small (low current) 12 volt DC devices at your
retreat and in your vehicles. These genderless connectors are vastly superior to
cigarette lighter-type plugs and jacks.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Letter Re: The Importance of Spare Parts and Maintenance for Preparedness

Permalink

James Wesley:

One subject that I think is under rated in preparedness discussions is spare parts.
We all are focused on our armaments and basic survival materials to the detriment
of being able to continue to use our tools and equipment when they inevitably
break. Even in the best-case scenario of a sever depression spare parts will be often
unavailable through normal channels. A good example of this is to be found in cars.
When I was young in the ‘50s and early ‘60s there was an abundance of cars made
in the late ‘20s and ‘30s in remarkably good shape that were shoved into barns
because of breakdowns, often minor, for which parts were not available during the
depression. These cars were hauled out by enterprising young men returning from
WWII and Korea and turned into hot rods or just driven into the ground when parts
again became available in the ‘50s. As our economic system becomes ever more
complex and specialized, and as that built in disaster of “just in time” production
and distribution is used more and more, the inevitability of interruptions in
materials and basic goods becomes even more probable. Having spent a lifetime
living on farms, and particularly here in the western Upper Peninsula ("U.P.") of
Michigan where the nearest farm supply stores are down in Wisconsin a day's drive
away, I have developed an acute appreciation of the necessity of having a good
inventory of parts on hand. So combine a disruption in supply with a remote refuge
location and the problem could become insurmountable and be very inconvenient if
not life threatening. So think in terms of two different plans: parts and maintenance.

Spare Parts

In the parts department do you have spare wicks and globes for your oil lamps? And
lots and lots of mantles for gas lights which I do not recommend for the reason that
they are so fragile that bugs break them. Do you have extra leathers for your water
pumps? And handles for your axes, splitting mauls, hammers and saws? These have
a way of getting broke when used with regularity; particularly when you are tired or
exhausted which we will be if we are in this situation. I heat with wood and do not
own a wood splitter. I do it by hand and have never broken a maul handle except at
the end of the day when I am tired and miss the block of wood with the head and hit
it with the handle. So count on breaking things when you are tired or in a hurry. Do
you have extra chains for your chain saw and blades for your bow saw. A good bow
saw [or bucksaw] is definitely a tool to have if gasoline is scarce or unavailable, or if
you want to cut wood without attracting attention. And do you have the files and
sharpening stones to keep them sharp by hand and the teeth properly set? You
might also want to practice these skills because they are skills. And boot laces,
gloves, wool socks and other warm and durable clothing that you do not often use
and replace but that will become something that you will use every day under
adverse conditions. Anyway you get the point. Stock up on daily used items. For
instance, last week the local hardware store had leather palmed work gloves on sale
at two pairs for a buck so I bought 50 pairs. I’ll use them eventually even if nothing
goes wrong, and if it does I’m covered and I’ll have some great bartering material.
Buy what you know you will need and may be able to trade to those less provident.

Maintenance|

Maintenance is always a neglected area of planning. Most people are poor at

maintenance as a matter of course and some cannot even seem to consider it. Look
at your home, equipment and tools and determine what you need to do to keep it
working, particularly under adverse conditions. Do you have the tools, manuals and
knowledge to fix things. Is your shop supplied with lubricants and grease to keep
the place running. My granddad liked to say “grease and oil are cheap and parts
and labor are expensive”, During the 1980s I was a Trustee for the United States
Bankruptcy Court and I handled most of the farm cases here in the U.P. because I
knew the business and could milk cows. One of the things that struck me most was
the almost universal lack of grease guns on these bankrupt farms. It changed my
feelings about my fellow farmers plight to a great degree in many cases. A lack of
daily maintenance is a precondition to disaster. I own a lot of old equipment that
gets used hard, but it is well maintained and seldom breaks down because of
grease, oil and general maintenance. And maintenance of the area around you is
also important. Recently a most excellent article was posted in SurvivalBlog dealing
with keeping the place neat and clean. It is well worth re-reading and considering. A
neat environment helps keep you safe from injury and has an important
psychological component. Which leads to another point about neatness. Keep your
stored goods organized so you can find them. Plastic bins and totes with labels
make things easy to find and protects them from vermin, dirt and corrosion and
makes taking inventory a snap.

So get the spare parts you will need, and some to trade, and get them organized.
And maintain your home, tools, equipment, mind, body, marriage and family and we
will get through this time to come. And if we are wrong about the future we will still
be the better for it. - Ken S.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Is it Enough?, by Axman

Permalink

I remember the Great Gas Crises of the 1950s. I filled several metal five-gallon cans
with gas and put them behind the seat of my 1941 Plymouth 6-cylinder Business
Coupe. I got 21 miles per gallon with that peppy little car!

When Kennedy’s Cuban Missile Crises came about I dug a foxhole in my Mother’s
back yard -- which she later filled in and used as a flower bed.

Then the Cold War with Russia, where we rattled ballistic missiles at each other. I
actually built an above-ground fallout shelter out of a retired metal dumpster and a
piece of conduit big enough to crawl through. A hill of dirt left over from a
construction job finished it. My shelter looked like an earthen igloo, built in the high
desert above Phoenix, Arizona . It lasted about 7 years, until the new owner of the
property took it down.

One day at a gun store I met a man who was high up in our regional electric
company. I asked him what would happen if the Russians nuked Phoenix. He replied
that if we were lucky, our electricity would be out for a few weeks to a few months!
If they scored a direct hit, then it could be years before the power could be
restored!

Convinced, I went right home and started assembling my own small solar electric
system! Several years later the Berlin Wall was taken down. But I kept my 'Small
Electric Company' operational. I still use it every evening! In addition I picked up a
pitiful little generator some guy had taken out of his motor home.

Eventually Y2K came on the scene. I sold my little noise maker and replaced it with
a new Coleman 3,000 watt, no frills, short run generator. It is just big enough to run
the wife’s washing machine and any of my shop’s tools one at a time. This machine
was a great comfort as the year 2000 came closer. I figured on running it just 2 to 3
hours per week during the crisis. That way, I would not have to store large amounts
of expensive, flammable gasoline. I still maintain this generator in good working
order by using it to power my electric chainsaw 2 or 3 times each year as I cut wood
for our stove.

During the pre-Y2K months an old Baptist turned-Mormon school chum convinced
me to start a food storage program. So I went out and bought 3 or 4 cases of
Ramen noodles. In time I learned to hate Ramen noodles! My thrifty wife insisted on
recycling or rotating them through my digestive tract! I think I have finally got her
convinced to save the last case for our neighbors who fail to prepare for the big
one! I now buy canned pinto beans, pork and beans, canned corn, green peas,
green beans, potted meat, Vienna sausages, stuff I like or can at least tolerate! I
figure on keeping 6 weeks to 3 months supply of food and water on hand and
rotating it every 3 years, keeping it no longer then 5 years.

This is an ongoing thing and saves us a few dollars as the price of food continues to
rise. Uncle Sugar just keeps printing money and devaluating our Dollars, thus higher
prices!

Now along comes the Mega Depression of 2009, [minor rant snipped] so this then is
my biggest challenge, just to survive this coming period of economic disaster,
political turmoil, and civil unrest. I am in the process of improving the latches on my
exterior doors and outfitting a designated bug out vehicle capable of sustaining our
lives for 30 days. I am teaching my wife to use a battle rifle and improving my rain
water barrels. I instructed my financial advisor to prepare my investments for the
worst, plus taking some independent action of my own in the way of trade goods,
reconstruction skills and a small investment in precious metals. I have talked up the
need to prepare with friends, loved ones, and neighbors. Is it enough? Only time will
tell.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Letter Re: A Carrington Event Space Storm--A Natural EMP Equivalent

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Jim-

New Scientist magazine article recently published an important article titled "Space
storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe." The article outlines possible scenarios
for the risk of solar storms that could severely damage national grids and vital
electrical and electronic systems. The effects would be catastrophic and devolve
societies into a desperate survival situation for individuals.

One quote from the article:

"Over the last few decades, western civilisations have busily sown the seeds of their
own destruction. Our modern way of life, with its reliance on technology, has
unwittingly exposed us to an extraordinary danger: plasma balls spewed from the
surface of the sun could wipe out our power grids, with catastrophic consequences."

Could off-grid standby equipment such as power generators or solar cells also be
damaged? See the National Academy of Sciences report. (After registering, you can
download a free PDF file of the report): Best Regards, - Gregg T

JWR Replies: I've received more than 20 letters in the past 48 hours from readers
concerned about this article. In my opinion, this natural "EMP-like" effect is just
another reason to get prepared. The probability in any given lifetime is quite low,
but the impact if it were to happen would be devastating.

Most home non-grid-tied photovoltaic, micro-hydro, and wind power systems will
probably be safe from a Carrington Event. (The field strength and coupling effects
will be roughly analogous to that of nuclear EMP.) If you have a microprocessor-
controlled battery charge controller, then one fairly inexpensive measure is to buy a
spare. But for most of us, buying a spare large inverter is cost-prohibitive. In the
event that your large (whole-house) inverter get fried, then perhaps your could plan
to revert to DC-only system, and store a couple of spare small inverters for crucial
AC loads.

As with any other "EMP redundant" radios and other electronics, you should store
your spares in ammo cans, all-metal cookie tins, or similarFaraday cage structures.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The 19th Century Home Retrofit, by Y. Cornelius

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By now most SurvivalBlog readers have gone about your preparations for your ideal
home or retreat cabin, all storage food and tools acquired, fuel stored, generators
ready, PV panels carefully concealed and hooked up to the battery bank. You and
your family or group are ready to handle the coming collapse, but are you really?
Are you ready to do without? Without that generator when the fuel runs out, or a
critical piece is worn out and a new one cannot be had? At some point your supplies
will be used up, storage fuel consumed and there may not be any to refill your tanks
or more realistically you may be priced out, or it will be too dangerous to “run-the-
gauntlet” and get more. Can you manage in your place without electricity? Can you
cook with wood? Do you have space enough to process the abundant food you grow
and must preserve either by canning or other means? Can you move throughout
your buildings without being seen from the outside?

My point, is your place set up to function as a 19th century homestead?

My wife and I bought an old New England farmhouse many years ago, it is nothing
fancy and looks like so many others in our area, it is a traditional connected
farmhouse meaning that the buildings are all linked-up, yet they have different roof
lines and are of different sizes. It is best summed up as a “Big House, Little House,
Back House, Barn” and this is the title of a wonderful book written by Thomas C.
Hubka which details the reasons for the ways structures developed. (If you want a
leisurely read on the history of these buildings, I highly recommend this book.)
Anyway, we bought this type of farm house and have been in the process of
renovating it over many years, although the renovation could more reasonably
described as going back to the future. One of the many wonderful things about an
old house, and when I say old I mean over 150 years old, is the ability to reuse
much of the lumber in the walls, floors, and ceilings or the masonry whether it is
brick or stone, Ours is a timber frame with some masonry on the exterior and is
incredibly well built and has a brilliant house plan. I realize that many people are
not up to the task of going through this sort of process, but you could build your
current retreat or home to some of these specs. Our home for example was built
just after the War of 1812 it was fully functional for a family of eight with room for
boarders/labors and or relatives. The kitchen is large while many of the adjacent
rooms are small (less space to heat) all the rooms are situated around two large
central fireplaces and have thimbles to allow for a small wood stove in each, the
rooms can be closed off when not in use, thus not taking valuable heat from other
areas. In the basement there is a large hole in the floor; it was a cistern, but was
allowed to fill in with junk, perhaps it was considered a “sump hole” by later
inhabitants since there was evidence of long overworked pumps in under the silt
and gravel. I have cleaned this up and now have a source of water right in the
house, (this water will still need to be treated since it is technically surface water
being only ten feet below grade), but it still offers water for cleaning or for our
animals.
There is a large “root” cellar to store food stuffs and canned goods. (It could double
as safe room or vault if needed and may well have been at one point since the
opening is nondescript and hidden from plain sight). Also there is a summer kitchen,
at first I wondered why this was necessary, it appeared to be redundant, but further
study enlightened me to the fact that this area was a vital part the home complex.
First it served to allow a large un-insulated cook area that was necessary during the
harvest time to allow heat to escape from the constant fire in the cook stove during
the canning, it was also a place that field labors had their meals prepared and ate
without having to clean themselves up much and not dirty up the regular kitchen.
The buildings between the summer kitchen and barn (sometimes it is one long
building divided only internally or there are up to three distinct roof lines and end
walls that divide them) any how these areas were used in a variety of ways to allow
a small cottage industry to occur, in-fact these were simply work areas that were
sheltered from the often harsh and wild weather we experience. One could be for
wood storage, for tools (a sort of machine shop), or areas for processing wool from
sheep. The point is not to recreate that lifestyle but to utilize that mindset and build
similar multi-purpose structures.

Our Home:

We have “renovated” our home to fully function without electricity. Now, we have
multiple generators, a significant storage of fuels and food. I and am currently
finishing up with the PV panels and battery bank/inverter set-up, going through all
the motions to secure some sense of normalcy; but in-fact we do not “need” those
items to exist here, they are an extra. We can heat with wood and with a solar hot
water system connected to baseboard radiators as well as a copper coil running
through the wood fired furnace [for when there is not solar gain or during a heavy
snowfall]. (The hot water moves via thermo-siphon no electricity needed only check-
valves to keep the hot water moving in one direction). Our kitchen is “modern” but
if the power is out we can cook on our wood fired cook-stove, it is about 120 years
old and with a little “TLC” is now fully functional not to mention beautiful to look at.
We can also bake in a bee hive oven built into the massive central chimney which I
rebuilt and lined with modern flues. I left one of the original fireplaces, installed
airtight doors and an exterior air vent, while on the other side made the other
fireplace into a large wood storage container.

Overall, your retreat needs to be functional without electricity, things will eventually
break, or you simply run out. Focus upon knowing how to live your life with little to
no electricity or “conveniences”. The primary goals must be on heating your home
and preparing food without petrochemical fuels, most modern homes are
particularly horrible in this area. Change your mindset; you cannot store enough for
the really long haul.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Life's Lessons and the Foundations of Preparedness, by A.B.

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We may soon depend on all of what we have learned over the years. Putting all of
the threads of knowledge together into a tapestry of self-sufficiency, and survival
capabilities, is part of the lifelong quest for our family’s security. We learn from
many sources and experiences such as: family, church, friends, teachers,
teammates, co-workers, reading books and SurvivalBlog, and hopefully from our
mistakes.

Preparedness Skills from our Grandmas and Grandpas

The foundation for preparedness begins with my childhood in Michigan. We lived in

Lansing where my great-grandmother was next door and my grandmother lived
next door to her. My father was born in great-grandma’s house after the family
moved to the city during the early 1900s. My sisters and I spent weekends and
summers alternately at my mom’s family dairy farm, which was just outside of the
city, and at my dad’s family cabin “up north”. These were the richest times of my
life. We knew all of our grandparents and some of our great-grandparents very well.
My great-great-grandfather still lived in the old log cabin when I was born in 1956.
We have been fortunate to have had five generations alive consistently from then
until now. The wealth of love and knowledge you gain from your extended family is
irreplaceable.

The “old timers” told stories of hardship during the great depression and the dust
bowl era (we live an area that was the largest prairie east of the Mississippi.)
Memories of crop failures with tales of early and late frosts were passed down.
There were also hunting and fishing stories passed down as we learned to hunt and
fish with older family members. There were bigger than life lumberjack stories and
stories from Prohibition and the World Wars. I learned to safely handle and
accurately shoot a .22 rifle with peep sights when I was six or seven years old. I
walked the roads with my grandpa squirrel hunting. We ice fished on local lakes and
went to Tip-Up Town USA every year. All of this adds to ones persona and the early
experience helps awaken the necessary “survivalist” traits.

On a working dairy farm you rapidly learn about life (and death). Animal husbandry
and caring for the land lead to sustainability. Animals do become food and
harvesting the crops sometimes seems little reward for the hard work. The milking
must be done every day and chores do not wait. As a kid I learned to drive tractors
and pick-ups to and from the fields. We mowed, bailed and then stacked the hay in
the mow. Alfalfa, oats and corn were the field crops. Pigs, chickens, and sheep were
raised along with the dairy cows and we cleaned the barns and spread manure.

Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation such as when to plant,

where to plant, when to harvest, and how to raise the animals. There were many
topics of conversations at the Sunday breakfast table. Many things are debated and
discussed after chores and before Church. Most times the conversations continued
outside the Church after the sermon. It was the only time you saw the other
farmers. When you are a little guy you tended to be quiet, pay attention and learn.

Grandpa was a farmer and Grandma was a one room school teacher. Grandma also
taught vacation bible school during the summer break. Us kids learned how to tend
good gardens and helped preserve the food we raised. We took care of the barn
animals while the uncles milked. We hauled water to the bull pen and helped milk
as we got older. Survival skill sets from the farm come from being part of a close
knit community with a solid work ethic. There are strong religious underpinnings
with good people engaged in caring for one another as well as the animals and the
land.

Preparedness from "Roughing It”

The log cabin “up north” had a well-house for getting water and an outhouse for
getting rid of water. There was a wood fired cook stove for heat and kerosene lamps
to play cards under. There was a red checkered oilcloth on the table with cane
chairs around it. The place was originally homesteaded by my great-great-
grandfather in the late 1800s (a few electric lights were added at some point.) We
used to go up on Friday night after Dad or Grandpa got out of work. The next
morning started with an awakening trip to the outhouse and then fetching a bucket
of water from the well house and kindling for the wood stove. On a cold morning
you stepped lively until the fire was going.

Once the stove was hot, Grandma would cook buttermilk pancakes on a griddle that
my great-grandmother had used in the lumber camp. Eggs and bacon sizzled in a
cast iron skillet. Clothes were washed on a washboard in a wash tub and then hung
out to dry. You took a bath in the river. During the summer we would fish morning
and evening and water ski on the nice days. The family summer vacation was spent
camping in a tent along the river or at a state park. The old cabin was also used for
small game hunting in the early fall and deer camp in the late fall / winter. We
would take walks in the woods and look for morels and other edible things like may
apples, hickory nuts or raspberries and huckleberries. Animal tracks were learned
and followed with hopes of a glimpse. Life was considered sacred unless needed for
food and being a part of nature became obvious. A leave no trace and waste
nothing ethic was being born.

Opportunities for further wilderness and pioneering skill development were provided
by Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. My mom and dad were actively involved in Scouting
when I was growing up. Teamwork and sharing responsibilities for the group were
learned. Outdoor cooking and keeping things sanitary were heavily emphasized.
Food poisoning is no joke – we had one patrol that damn near killed us with their
meal. We learned to wash our hands and boil the crap out of everything. Hiking and
backpacking skills were beginning to be developed in the Scouts. We day hiked a 20
miler once a year on the Johnny Appleseed Trail - the Scouts version of the death
march. You had to carry a full pack if you wanted the patch. We also hiked the
Pokagon Trail in northern Indiana and learned to camp in the winter.

While living in Pennsylvania (later in life) I started winter backpacking with a few of
my buddies. We went in the winter both for the solitude it offered, and to learn the
special skill sets required for survival in the cold. There are beautiful views from
Seven Springs and other spots along the Laurel Highlands Trail during the winter.
This experience then led to the development of technical mountaineering skills. The
books Basic Rockcraft, Advanced Rockcraft and Knots for Climbers were memorized
along with study of the book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Skills were
practiced and ingrained.

My first solo backpacking / climbing trip came in the summer of 1980 in the Organ
Mountains of southern New Mexico. I later solo climbed most of the 4,000 and 5,000
footers in New England (many in winter). I met a like minded climber on one of
those hikes and we made a summit bid on Mt. Rainier in June of 1998. I also began
the solo circumnavigation on the Wonderland Trail that year. I set the first tracks
both that year and when I completed the circuit in June of 2001. Map and compass
skills were required. Primitive camping while carrying everything you need to
survive for two weeks is a tough proposition. It was tough in my 30s and 40s. It’s
even harder now that I am in my 50s. G.O.O.D. to the deep woods is doable but it
would be a hard life.

Responsibility and Teamwork

We learned to be responsible and self-sufficient during our childhood. We learned to

play without other kids around and had chores to do for our allowance. I learned to
gather the wood and light a fire as soon as I was old enough. You pumped the water
and filled the reservoir if you wanted warm water for washing up. You learned to
use guns and knives as tools while you learned hunting techniques and cleaned the
game for the table. Being a responsible hunter meant taking ethical shots and using
what you kill. Catching and cleaning fish, then cooking or smoking them were all
part of being a good fisherman. To go along with these survival skills you also need
the ability to share knowledge and work as a team.

Most of the skills you learn will help you to fend for yourself one way or another. The
only problem is summed up with the statement “no man is an island”. You will need
others sooner or later. My sisters and I developed basic teamwork skills while
setting up camp. The girls helped mom and I helped dad. We had a “system”. This
was carried further in Scouting. Some Patrols set up tents while another set up the
kitchen. These valuable lessons were used later in life as I went through boot camp
and during service in the military. I served on small boats as part of a search and
rescue team in the USCG.

Teamwork helps to overcome the steep learning curve and high risk of being a self-
sufficient survivalist. You can do things as a team exponentially quicker and safer
than you can by yourself. Your bunkmate becomes your partner in boot camp and
later becomes your shipmate. You learn “one hand for yourself and one hand for the
boat”. As a team you can survive what would kill you alone. In a bad storm
someone has to steer while someone bails out the boat. One person couldn’t do it.
Avalanche in the back country is another perfect example - by yourself you are
probably dead. Doing things alone is great - but it may cost you your life. Skill and
knowledge can’t cover your a** like a buddy. It’s nice to have someone else on the
rope with you; they are your only hope.
Teaching everyone at least something you know and learning from everyone
something you don’t know can only make the group stronger. If someone gets sick
or is tired someone else can step up. CPR is a good example here. In the back
country one person can’t help himself. One person helping may bring back the life
but it better happen quickly. Two people allow you to send someone for help while
rendering aid until you are too tired to continue. Three people allow almost
indefinite support. Two can alternate CPR while waiting for the one who left for help
to return with the defibrillator. If help is real far away, then it’s done. There is a
point of no return. Remote locations usually cross that point which is a distinct
disadvantage (unless the SHTF).

Without teamwork you will usually die if something bad happens. Everyone has to
be a good shot. Everyone needs to be able to render first aid. The group is only as
strong as the weakest link and precious resources are spent covering someone’s
a** that’s not up to speed. Teach and learn and cross train. Remember what you did
as a kid and don’t sell the kid’s of today short. Teach them the skills they need and
allow them to grow into the responsibility. Being part of a team or extended family
that functions like a team is fun. The action of being responsible for one another is
at the root of any team.

The Prepared Family

The family is the primary source of knowledge. Some survival skills to learn right
along with reading, writing and arithmetic are: swimming, knot tying, fire building
under all conditions, where to get water and how to make it safe to drink, safe gun
handling and accurate shooting, hunting in fields and the woods, fishing in rivers
and on lakes, first aid, camping, boating, gardening, making things “homemade”.
You can’t start learning or teaching these things too soon.

10 years ago we moved back home to Michigan after living all over the USA. I had
come home for my Grandpa’s funeral and was returning to New England. Something
was wrong and I couldn’t put my finger on it. That’s when the light came on and as I
drove it became apparent that I was going the wrong way – both figuratively and
literally. We were chasing the so called “American Dream”. Losing my grandfather
and returning to the north woods had shown me where home really is. It is with
family and God and where your roots are. I had drifted away from the true values I
had learned early in life.
I resigned my position, cashed out the 401(k), and bought the homestead from
grandma. We planted 24 fruit trees and installed irrigation systems for the gardens.
We pruned the grape vines back and tended to the asparagus beds. My wife
renewed the old flower beds and I have replaced the split rail fence. We re-roofed
everything. The folks put down another well up the field and had another septic
system installed for their travel trailer. We had a 100 amp power drop installed and
we also buried a power cable from the field to the trailer for a 12 volt system (small
scale solar and wind).

I once again could use guns after living in the tyranny of Massachusetts. (I refused
to get an Firearms ID card so my guns never left the house in 16 years.) I taught a
niece and nephew to shoot with the same .22 that grandpa used to teach me with
almost 50 years ago. My nephew, now an 8th grader, got his first deer this past
year. No one believed him when he came home and told them. He did it on his own.

Things have now come full circle in our life. My grandma lives with us in her old
house through the summer. My sisters are both Grandmas themselves now and
they are taking care of our mom and dad. The kids have great-grandparents and a
great-great grandmother. My understanding wife of thirty years and I live here on
the homestead as stewards of the family heritage. The whole family gets together
up here once or twice a year. We know how to provide for and take care of each
other. If the SHTF my sisters and the rest of the family will head up here to the
homestead and once again adopt the ways of our Great-Great Grandpa and
Grandma. Everything we have learned through our lives will serve us well. Skill sets
from the north woods and from the farm are derived from living simple, living
manual and living with nature as part of nature.

We used to fall to sleep on a feather tick mattress while listening to rain tapping
over our heads in the loft of the old log cabin. Bedtime stories were told as we
drifted to sleep and the whippoorwills sang into the night. We didn’t think that the
day would come that just about all of what we learned from our family and from our
life would come into play. Thank God for our tight family and all of the distilled
knowledge passed down to us. I now live in a home built over the site of the original
log cabin and now we have 7 generations since my great-great grandparents first
cleared this piece of land. It looks like we will be talking of another “Great
Depression” soon and the complete cycle renews. Do we learn from our mistakes?

Preparedness Skills and Materials

We’re preparing for the future and I hope to teach what I can to as many people as I
can before it’s over. We can survive well if we draw on one another’s strengths and
knowledge. It starts with the family and moves out to the extended family then to
the neighbors and on to town folk and into the blogosphere. Many people have
grown up in similar circumstances and have similar experiences. We must practice
our learned skills and trades all of the time to stay fresh and perpetuate our way of
life. We must keep acquiring new skills and more materials for survival.
Preparedness is a constant quest.

Survival trades that I've learned:

ASE Certified Master Auto Technician

Journeyman Machinist and Apprentice Welder.

Experience with all aspects of house construction from framing to finish work,
including house wiring and plumbing for water, gas and DWV systems.

Professional ditch digger and home brewer of beer.

Survival tools, equipment, and material acquired over the years:

Comprehensive set of Snap-On hand tools, diagnostic equipment and garage.

Several redundant computers and complete wi-fi coverage with satellite internet.

All of the carpentry, plumbing and electrical tools needed to build a house.

All of the tools required to garden both manually and with gas engines.

Fence building tools and supplies.

5,500 watt gas generator.

Wood stove and saws, axes, mauls, wedges.

Stores of food, bits of gold and silver, books and manuals, and lots of lead.

Survival firearms battery:

Auto-Ordinance Model 1911A1 .45 ACP (I qualified Marksman in USCG)

Stag Arms AR-15 with 20” Bull barrel, 5.56 (I qualified Expert in USCG)

Marlin .22 WMR (squirrel / varmint gun)

Mossberg .22 LR (shot this since 1962)

Ruger M77 Mk II .270 Win. (my deer rifle)

Winchester Model 94 .32 Win. Special (got my first deer with Grandpa’s gun)

Mossberg 12 ga. 3 -1/2” Ulti-Mag in Camo (turkey / duck / goose gun)

Winchester Model 1897 12 ga. 2-3/4” (I've shot this gun since 1969)

Reloading equipment and supplies (loads for Barnes Bullets)

Survival Quest 2009 (the final pieces I'll need for grid down and "zombies"):

Ruger M77 Mk II .300 Win Mag with optics

A manual water pump (the old pump is gone)

Wind turbine and photovoltaic panels for water pumping and power generation.

Battery bank and inverter

More kerosene lamps

Night Vision for the AR-15

Radios

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Cold and Dark--An Account of an Ice Storm, by Steve S.

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Preparations

In January, 2008, the outlook for people in the United States appeared bleak. I told
my wife that we needed to stock-up on food because I felt that the supply lines
were thin and vulnerable. I began my preparations by Internet search. I found JWR's
SurvivalBlog and I bought a copy of his novel. In the meantime, I started buying
cases of canned goods. I bought food that we generally ate. I looked at the
expiration dates of every purchase. I tried to buy what would last through 2011. Not
much would, so I bought with the idea of buying more later, looking for one year at
a time.

The pantry was full. I had read Jim's book, and had found many links on the
SurvivalBlog that helped me know how much of what to buy to be balanced. I
bought a freezer at Sam’s Club and filled that also. I noticed that food prices were
increasing at an alarming rate in August. They were up 18% on same item
purchases, on average. Later that figure would reach 35%. I only talked about this
to a trusted few. My wife was starting to wonder about me.

Soon thereafter, a Harbor Freight store opened in Jonesboro, Arkansas, my home

base. There, I purchased several more items I saw as essential. I got a two burner
propane stove with a center grill feature. I bought some LED flashlights, ropes,
staple guns, and other miscellaneous items. Being a hunter and former U.S. Army
officer, I had a lot of camping (survival equipment) on hand. Sleeping bags were
there, polypropylene long johns, butane lighters, three 20 gallon and one 100 gallon
propane tanks were filled. I use them for my barbeque grill. I told my wife that we
should buy a generator. She said that if I thought we should buy it, that I should. I
didn’t.

I found some water barrels at a local food processing plant. I now have eight 55
gallon drums. I found 4 red 35 gallon chemical barrels that were set aside for
gasoline. I had about six 5 gallon gas cans to operate my 4 wheeler, fishing boat,
and sundry other small engines like lawn equipment and field water pumps.

Day to day, I am an NRA certified training counselor/instructor. Starting in

November 2008, my business started to boom. I had a 300% increase in Arkansas
concealed carry classes. That hasn’t stopped to this day. I have a 35 acre facility
that is a former bean field, surrounded by thousands of farmland acres and two
liquor stores. I have a 1,200 square foot building for classroom and office space, a
52 foot trailer for storage. My plan for survival guns was simple. All guns were to be
military calibers. Handguns would be .45 and .38 calibers. Rifles would be .22
rimfire, 7.62x39, .308 and .30-06 calibers. Shotguns would be 12 gauge. Stocks of
ammunition were increased starting early in 2008.
Shelter, food, security. What is left? Communications. I bought a set of 25 mile
range pair of Motorola hand held communicators with recharger on sale for $38.
Stores of batteries were laid in. Cell phones. Transportation was what we already
had. 2001 Dodge Durango 4x4 and a 2005 Chevrolet 4x4 extended cab pick-up.

The Storm

January 28, 2009. KAIT –TV weather in Jonesboro, Arkansas is forecasting a wet
winter storm cold front with frigid weather following out of the Northwest. When it
began, the outside temperature was about 27 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing rain
collected on everything in near biblical quantity.

I was awakened in the early morning of January 29th and you could hear branches
starting to snap with a sound like gunshots. Outside, you could see flashes of light
as one by one, the transformers on the light poles blew out. The power was off. It
was time to go to work. First, open the flue and light the gas logs in the fireplace.
Inside the house, the temperature had quickly fallen to about 40 degrees. I thought
to crack a window for ventilation draft to reduce the chances of carbon monoxide
poisoning. Then I set up a propane heater and went about blocking off all rooms
except the den and kitchen, which were adjoining. I used 4 mil plastic to cover two
entrances to the den. The temperature quickly found about 62 degrees. We placed
a carbon monoxide detector in the room to keep us from being statistics. The
propane stove was set up over the electric range for cooking and a 20 pound bottle
of propane was connected to it. I started thinking about how I should have bought a
generator.

By morning, we felt isolated in our home. Very few vehicles were moving. The world
outside looked like a war zone with ice-laden limbs and the things they crushed.
With no electricity, the phones didn’t work. We ate breakfast normally. The whole
world became our refrigerator. No cable TV so we cranked up the radio and began
to listen to the results. Reports of some break-ins started coming in as people
abandoned all electric homes for the designated shelters in town. Outlying areas
quickly ran out of gasoline and propane. Stores emptied out their goods and shelves
became bare. Generators and flashlights were nonexistent. Batteries and power
supplies followed suit. Many businesses were unable to sell anything as their
computers were down and lights and heat were out. Sadly, no one has a backup
plan for how to sell anything without electricity. Gas cans were a faint memory. I
checked on our neighbors to make sure they were coping, and to exchange cell
phone numbers. The telephone system actually works without outside electricity if
the type of phone you use doesn’t need 110 volts from the grid. We had one
emergency phone for that reason, and it was operational. I wondered how many
people knew about that?

The day passed relatively uneventfully. We had everything we needed to exist in a

minor disaster. Some people didn’t. A few died for their lack of preparedness.

After the passing of the first day of “survival,” tree limb removal became the
priority, while everyone fought what southerners call severe cold. It was the 30th of
January. The temperature was unrelenting with nighttime lows of 9 degrees and
daytime highs of 20. I was able to venture out for things that would be nice to have,
like a generator. You see, with a generator, our gas furnace would work. All you
need it for is the electric blower. It was the only hole in the preparations. I went in to
the local Lowe’s, after checking a couple of other stores. In the back of the store
there was a line of about 13 people. I asked why they were there. There was a truck
inbound with 75 generators. I got in line. Twenty minutes later I was in the electric
department buying the necessary wire nuts and power cords needed to hook my
[newly-purchased] generator to the power panel in my house.

When I got home, the first thing I did was to disconnect the house from the grid by
turning off the main breaker, outside the house. You must do this before attempting
to connect a generator to your power panel. Failure to do so could kill workmen
repairing downed power lines and connecting transformers. To get things
operational quickly, I used the cord provided with the generator, which used four
grounded plug outlets. To operate the [selected] areas to connect, I bought 10
gauge wire. We turned off all appliances and I pulled out the circuit breaker for the
selected rooms. I disconnected the wire from the circuit breaker and wired it
directly to each wire with a male plug on the other end to mate with the wire from
the generator. I did this for the heater circuit, the den wall circuit, the kitchen wall
circuit, and the master bedroom wall circuit. The heater kicked on.

I offer one final note about using a generator. The operation book has a chart in it
showing the watts used by each type of appliance. You must calculate the [load]
amount used by your appliances. It has to add up to less than your generators
running wattage rating.

We were on a main highway in town, and we had our electricity hooked to the grid
after spending only a few nights without. Many in town were without electricity for
three weeks. In outlying areas, some are still not connected. The line crews working
to restore power were fantastic. Limbs still line the highways and yards a month
after the event began.

Lessons Learned

It was nice to be confident in the preparations that we had made. It was also easy to
see the holes in the plan. I now have the generator that I knew I would need when
the grid goes down. After the fact, I also bought the connections necessary to hook
up the generator just by turning off the main breaker, plugging the generator to an
installed wall socket, and cranking it up. Cell phones go down after only a few days
without a charge. I bought a portable power battery for that purpose. If we had
been out of power long term, the generator would have had to have been used on a
part time basis, at night. That means that daytime operations would have been
using only one or two rooms, again. When power goes down, the best fallback is
natural gas, if you have it. I am in the process of planning where to install additional
natural gas stubs for appliances that can be added. The natural gas hot water
heater was a blessing. It was on from the start. The warmest place in the house was
the utility room where the water heater is located. Remember to have books and
games for those evening hours when you would have been watching television.
Make sure all of your gasoline cans stay filled and stabilized. Make sure all of your
propane bottles stay charged. Make sure you have plenty of batteries for radios and
flashlights. Make sure you have enough essential medicines. Roger’s Rangers rules
#1 rule is "Don’t fergit nuthin!"

I may have missed a few issues, but I want to talk about future plans. I am going to
install photovoltaic panels to run an emergency LED lighting system. This would be
a small solar panel, probably 45-60 watts [and a deep cycle battery], as a precursor
to getting a more comprehensive system. LED lights use very little electricity and
they are very long lasting. More technology will be added as it becomes available.
Reducing reliance on the grid is the ultimate goal.

Final Words

You can war game and "what if" emergency situations as much as you like. It is
good to exercise your plan. The problem is that real situations have a way of waking
you up to the holes in your plans. Do not wait to begin planning for the next
disaster. People in tornado and earthquake zones know about being ready for these
things, but Mother Nature will have a surprise for you no matter where you are.
Prepare for the worst and pray to God that it doesn’t happen.
Saturday, March 14, 2009

Letter Re: Selecting Retreat Properties--Pros and Cons of Buying Remote and Off
Grid

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Jim:

To follow-up on your recent article, a very big “Pro” to buying off-grid land that was
not mentioned is that you will not have strangers having access to your property. I
am specifically referring to the Meter Reader for the utility company. I have
“country” property on the Grid and have to furnish the Meter Reader a key to
access the property to read the electric meter. The Meter Reader comes once a
month to read the meter. I have not figured a way to deny them access. (Maybe you
have a suggestion on how to prevent the meter reader from accessing the property)
This stranger therefore has access to the property and also has a key to the gate
and obviously has some knowledge of what is physically located on the property
since he traverses the property to get to the meter. Being off grid puts you in a
position to be able to keep everyone off of the property which to me carries a lot of
value. - Carl D.

JWR Replies: Don't forget the propane delivery truck. But at least that can be
scheduled for once every couple of years, at your convenience, and you don't need
to give them a gate key.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Selecting Retreat Properties--Pros and Cons of Buying Remote and Off Grid

Permalink

I recently had a consulting client that hired me to do a search on his behalf for a
rural retreat property in southwestern Oregon. In the early stages of the search, he
asked about the pros and cons of buying undeveloped "off grid" properties that do
not have utility power poles nearby. This summarizes my reply:

From the standpoint of setting up a rural, self-sufficient retreat, an off-grid parcel is

actually advantageous, for two reasons:
1.) They are generally more remote and away from natural "lines of drift" and hence
are far less likely to be in the path of the Golden Horde.

2.) Off-grid properties sell at up to a 30% discount versus comparable properties

that have grid power. On a large acreage, this savings is often enough to pay for
installing a photovoltaic power system

The downsides:

1.) Off-grid properties tend to be at higher elevation, since it is just the "way out in
the hills" properties that don't have power poles nearby. Most of the low river
valleys have long hence had grid power. There are a few exception that I've
encountered

2.) The property is unlikely to have line of sight to neighboring residences. That can
raise the risk of burglary if your retreat house is left unoccupied for extended
periods of time.

3.) There is remote (30+ minute drive to the nearest town), and then there is very
remote--a one hour+ drive to the nearest town, part of which might be on either US
Forest Service road or a road that you have to maintain yourself. This could isolate
you from commerce and social interaction especially in an era of fuel scarcity.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Depression Proof Jobs for a 20 Year Depression - Part 2: Developing a Home-Based

Business

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Yesterday, in Part1, I discussed the "safe" and counter-cyclical occupations for the
unfolding economic depression. Today, I'd like to talk about one specific approach:
self-employment with a home-based business.
I posted most the following back in late 2005, but there are some important points
that are worth repeating:

The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell me that they live in cities or
suburbs, but they would like to live full time at a retreat in a rural area. Their
complaint is almost always the same: "...but I'm not self-employed. I can't afford to
live in the country because I can't find work there, and the nature of my work
doesn't allow telecommuting." They feel stuck.

Over the years I've seen lots of people "pull the plug" and move to the boonies with
the hope that they'll find local work once they get there. That usually doesn't work.
Folks soon find that the most rural jobs typically pay little more than minimum wage
and they are often informally reserved for folks that were born and raised in the
area. (Newcomers from the big city certainly don't have hiring priority!)

My suggestion is to start a second income stream, with a home-based business.

Once you have that business started, then start another one. There are numerous
advantages to this approach, namely:

You can get out of debt

You can generally build the businesses up gradually, so that you don't need to
quit your current occupation immediately

By working at home you will have the time to home school your children and they
will learn about how to operate a business.

You can live at your retreat full time. This will contribute to your self-sufficiency,
since you will be there to tend to your garden, fruit/nut trees, and livestock.

If one of your home-based businesses fails, then you can fall back on the other.
Ideally, for someone that is preparedness-minded, a home-based business should
be something that is virtually recession proof, or possibly even depression proof.
Ask yourself: What are you good at? What knowledge or skills do you have that you
can utilize. Next, consider which businesses will flourish during bad times. Some
good examples might include:

Mail order/Internet sales/eBay Auctioning of preparedness-related products.

Locksmithing

Gunsmithing

Medical Transcription

Accounting

Repair/refurbishment businesses

Freelance writing

Blogging (with paid advertising) If you have knowledge about a niche industry
and there is currently no authoritative blog on the subject, then start your own!

Mail order/Internet sales of entertainment items. (When times get bad, people
still set aside a sizable percentage of their income for "escape" from their troubles.
For example, video rental shops have done remarkably well during recessions.)

Burglar Alarm Installation

Other home-based businesses that seem to do well only in good economic times
include:

Recruiting/Temporary Placement

Fine arts, crafts, and jewelry. Creating and marketing your own designs--not
"assembly" for some scammer. (See below.)

Mail order/Internet sales/eBay Auctions of luxury items, collectibles, or other

"discretionary spending" items

Personalized stationary and greeting cards (Freelance artwork)

Calligraphy

Web Design

Beware the scammers! The fine folks at www.scambusters.org have compiled a

"Top 10" list of common work-at-home and home based business scams to beware
of:

10. Craft Assembly

This scam encourages you to assemble toys, dolls, or other craft projects at home
with the promise of high per-piece rates. All you have to do is pay a fee up-front for
the starter kit... which includes instructions and parts. Sounds good? Well, once you
finish assembling your first batch of crafts, you'll be told by the company that they
"don't meet our specifications."
 In fact, even if you were a robot and did it perfectly, it would be impossible for
you to meet their specifications. The scammer company is making money selling
the starter kits -- not selling the assembled product. So, you're left with a set of
assembled crafts... and no one to sell them to.

9. Medical Billing

In this scam, you pay $300-$900 for everything (supposedly) you need to start
your own medical billing service at home. You're promised state-of-the-art medical
billing software, as well as a list of potential clients in your area.

What you're not told is that most medical clinics process their own bills, or
outsource the processing to firms, not individuals. Your software may not meet their
specifications, and often the lists of "potential clients" are outdated or just plain
wrong.

As usual, trying to get a refund from the medical billing company is like trying to
get blood from a stone.

8. Email Processing

This is a twist on the classic "envelope stuffing scam" (see #1 below). For a low
price ($50?) you can become a "highly-paid" email processor working "from the
comfort of your own home."

Now... what do you suppose an email processor does? If you have visions of
forwarding or editing emails, forget it. What you get for your money are instructions
on spamming the same ad you responded to in newsgroups and Web forums!

Think about it -- they offer to pay you $25 per e-mail processed -- would any
legitimate company pay that?

7. "A List of Companies Looking for Homeworkers!"

In this one, you pay a small fee for a list of companies looking for homeworkers
just like you.

The only problem is that the list is usually a generic list of companies, companies
that don't take homeworkers, or companies that may have accepted homeworkers
long, long ago. Don't expect to get your money back with this one.
 6. "Just Call This 1-900 Number For More Information..."

No need to spend too much time (or money) on this one. 1-900 numbers cost
money to call, and that's how the scammers make their profit. Save your money --
don't call a 1-900 number for more information about a supposed work-at-home job.

5. Typing At Home

If you use the Internet a lot, then odds are that you're probably a good typist.
How better to capitalize on it than making money by typing at home? Here's how it
works: After sending the fee to the scammer for "more information," you receive a
disk and printed information that tells you to place home typist ads and sell copies
of the disk to the suckers who reply to you. Like #8, this scam tries to turn you into
a scammer!

4. "Turn Your Computer Into a Money-Making Machine!"

Well, this one's at least half-true. To be completely true, it should read: "Turn
your computer into a money-making machine... for spammers!"

This is much the same spam as #5, above. Once you pay your money, you'll be
sent instructions on how to place ads and pull in suckers to "turn their computers
into money-making machines."

3. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)

If you've heard of network marketing (like Amway), then you know that there are
legitimate MLM businesses based on agents selling products or services. One big
problem with MLMs, though, is when the pyramid and the ladder-climbing become
more important than selling the actual product or service. If the MLM business
opportunity is all about finding new recruits rather than selling products or services,
beware: The Federal Trade Commission may consider it to be a pyramid scheme...
and not only can you lose all your money, but you can be charged with fraud, too!

We saw an interesting MLM scam recently: one MLM company advertised the
product they were selling as FREE. The fine print, however, states that it is "free in
the sense that you could be earning commissions and bonuses in excess of the cost
of your monthly purchase of" the product. Does that sound like free to you?

2. Chain Letters/Emails ("Make Money Fast")

 If you've been on the Internet for any length of time, you've probably received or
at least seen these chain emails. They promise that all you have to do is send the
email along plus some money by mail to the top names on the list, then add your
name to the bottom... and one day you'll be a millionaire. Actually, the only thing
you might be one day is prosecuted for fraud. This is a classic pyramid scheme, and
most times the names in the chain emails are manipulated to make sure only the
people at the top of the list (the true scammers) make any money. This scam
should be called "Lose Money Fast" -- and it's illegal.

1. Envelope Stuffing

This is the classic work-at-home scam. It's been around since the U.S. Depression
of the 1920s and 1930s, and it's moved onto the Internet like a cockroach you just
can't eliminate. There are several variations, but here's a sample: Much like #5 and
#4 above, you are promised to be paid $1-2 for every envelope you stuff. All you
have to do is send money and you're guaranteed "up to 1,000 envelopes a week
that you can stuff... with postage and address already affixed!" When you send your
money, you get a short manual with flyer templates you're supposed to put up
around town, advertising yet another harebrained work-from-home scheme. And the
pre-addressed, pre-paid envelopes? Well, when people see those flyers, all they
have to do is send you $2.00 in a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope. Then you stuff
that envelope with another flyer and send it to them. Ingenious perhaps... but
certainly illegal and unethical.

From all that I've heard, most franchises and multi-level marketing schemes are not
profitable unless you pick a great product or service, and you already have a strong
background in sales. Beware of any franchise where you wouldn't have a protected
territory. My general advice is this: You will probably be better off starting your own
business, making, retailing, or consulting about something where you can leverage
your existing knowledge and/or experience.

---

In closing, I'd like to reemphasize that home security and locksmithing are likely to
provide steady and profitable employment for the next few years, since hard
economic times are likely to trigger a substantial crime wave. After all, someone
has to keep watch on the tens of thousands of foreclosed, vacant houses. (If not
watched, then crack cocaine addicts, Chicago syndicate politicians, or other
undesirables might move in!)
Sunday, February 22, 2009

Perspectives on Prepping on a Very Low Income, by Kuraly

Permalink

I was raised in a missionary family, on nine different mission fields around the
world. At the age of nineteen, I went out to serve the Lord on my own in the former
Soviet Union. I had no formal Theological training, but was accepted by the
missionary societies of my denomination because of my experience under my
father and my willingness to go to dangerous areas.

I married, and my wife and I have now six children. A few years ago, due to some
changes in my theology, I fell out of favor with my denomination and had to return
home to the USA. I was faced with a situation of suddenly having to feed and care
for a large family with: 1. no formal education/training/skills of any kind and 2. very
little understanding of the southern American culture that I found myself living in. I
was forced to take very low-paying jobs and survive on a low-income.

With our savings we were able to buy a small rural house and 7.5 acres in the
southeast. We were able to pay cash, I wanted it to be ours with no strings
attached, regardless of what the future held. I figured that at the very least we
would have a roof and some plantable land. I bought in the area my parents lived in
to help care for them as they progressed in years.

Our income is very limited. I work at just above minimum wage. I work a full-time
job and another part-time job. I am thankful that the Lord provides.

As I studied current events I became concerned about the possibility of a world-wide

economic and/or societal collapse of some kind, or a societal break-down here in the
USA resulting from any number of possible reasons. I had witnessed the chaos of
the nineties in the former Soviet Union, had watched doctors and physicists sweep
streets and live off of potatoes and bread for months on end, and I was concerned
about my responsibility to feed my family should a similar collapse happen here.

What can you do when you have very limited means? Actually there is much you
can do. It amounts to setting goals and getting your family on board with you. The
first thing I did was (after my wife and I had many long talks and she began to see
things in a similar way), I gathered the family around and explained everything to
them. I explained about our limited means, exactly how much money was coming
in, how much went to utilities, fuel, etc. I explained what I believed the dangers
were. I explained what we needed to do as a family. Let me interject here that after
being born and growing up on a third-world mission field, they were far from spoiled
children! They were accustomed to living in tight quarters, washing in cold water,
eating cheap, and basically just "roughing it."

My first priority was for two weeks worth of provisions. We began to buy a few extra
cans of food when we went shopping. I set a goal of 20 dollars per week for
prepping. Some weeks ten dollars of canned goods and/or dried foods like rice,
beans or noodles, and ten dollars in ammo or medical supplies. Some weeks just
food, some weeks just extra gasoline. We bought gas cans at thrift stores and
garage sales for a dollar apiece, Large scented candles (better than nothing) at
closeout sales and garage sales for 30 and 50 cents, and just about anything we
could scrounge that might come in handy if the lights went out. It did not take us
long to build up enough supplies to last two weeks in an emergency. We had
enough gasoline to drive to work for two weeks (if needed), enough food for our
family plus a little extra, and candles, radios, batteries and other odds and ends to
get by.

I had also along the way added to my ammunition stocks for my Winchester .30-30,
and my bolt-action .22 LR.

After we reached the point where we felt we had enough for a two-week
catastrophe, we began to focus on the six-month time frame. This opened up many
entirely new possibilities. since the food required for this amount of time was such a
major expense, we had to make sure that it would last for several years. This raised
the issue of long-term storage in buckets, mylar bags and oxygen-absorbers. We
had to save for months to buy an order of oxygen-absorbers and mylar bags on e-
bay! We found low-cost buckets and began to fill them with rice, feed corn, corn
meal, noodles, beans etc. Anything that was inexpensive. We taught the children to
like corn-meal mush and grits since they might get quite a bit of it one day!

Gradually we worked our way up to 30 buckets. At this point I made a strategic

decision. I decided that we needed to invest our extra funds in gardening. Not
entirely stopping the food storage, but reducing it in favor of procuring means and
experience in growing and canning our own food. We began to buy canning jars and
lids to put away in the attic for the future. My father gave us a tiller with a blown
engine which we were able to get fixed, and we began to garden. The first garden
was not very well thought-out. Some things grew, some did not. But we learned. We
learned first-hand what pollination means and about soil fertility. We learned about
bugs and blight. We gained valuable experience.

We also invested in chickens, and watched some of them die, some of them be
eaten by neighbor's dogs, some get eaten by our dogs, and the hardy survivors
begin to lay eggs. We watched them eat their own eggs and learned to give them
calcium. We let half of them free range and half range in portable pens that we built
which have an open floor that we could move each day to fresh grass. We learned
how to make them roost and lay where they were supposed to.

We bought some rabbits and learned a lot, real fast! We experimented with many
types of portable cages for rabbits which would allow us to move them from one
grassy spot to another without giving them time to dig a burrow. Sometimes we
would wake up and find rabbit carcases torn to shreds, because a neighborhood cat
had gotten to them. My kids handled most of this, and they learned things the hard
way.

If you haven't figured it out yet, We were totally green. I spent my life traveling and
overseeing the translation of Christian literature into foreign languages. My wife is a
musician. We had zero experience at any of this, and no one around that we knew
to advise us. We had to learn everything from scratch. We bought a goat and
promptly saw it attacked and killed by a stray dog. That hurt, financially as well as
emotionally. After sending the dog to join the goat "on the other side", I bought
another goat. and then another. These have survived. We have learned to care for
them.

Gradually I am seeing my children grow confident in their relationship to the

animals under their care. Gradually we are learning the needs of these animals and
how to make them produce for us. If we had had some kind of hands-on training, it
would have saved the lives of a lot of animals, but we didn't. I am happy to
announce a much higher survival rate for animals that we bring home now.

I felt like I needed a greater firearms capability (what man doesn't?). I thought long
and hard. At first I bought a Mosin-Nagant since they were so cheap ($75) and the
ammo was dirt-cheap as well. I then began to consider what type of semi-automatic
I could afford. I looked at the prices of ammo which was very critical since I would
have to train my entire family to shoot. At the time the best deal for us appeared to
be the SKS rifle. It was cheap (a good quality Yugo[slavian SKS] was less than
$200), dependable, semi-auto and the ammo was very cheap at the time. I later
added a cheap 12 gauge pump, and last but not least, a 17 round Bersa Thunder
9mm. After purchasing these guns I began to pick up ammo for them when I could
find it on sale. I have gradually gotten up to about 500 rounds for each of them.

I then turned my attention to our home and it's defense. While we live in the
country, we are close to our neighbors 100 yards +/-, about five miles from a small
town, about 15 miles from a large town, and about 90 miles from Atlanta (upwind
fortunately). My greatest concern is our proximity to the road. The house is only
about 65 feet from the dirt road in front of our house. A looter or burglar/rapist
could be at the door or windows before the dog barked. In response to this my next
expenditure is to be fence posts, fencing, and barbed wire, along with a row of
thorny bushes in front of the wire next to the road.

Our house is a soft target, offering no ballistic protection. My remedy/forlorn hope is

to have plenty of sand and gravel on hand, and to start checking the thrift stores for
pillow cases to buy and store. perhaps we would have time to bag up sand bags and
at least harden up certain corners or rooms of the house. We also have several
large piles of sandstone (we live on top of a mountain) which could be placed
strategically and then perhaps sand bags on top of that. We could also cut logs and
add that to the mix.

Our water supply is a [grid-powered] electric well. This is one of my biggest worries.
We have made it a priority to buy a generator at least strong enough to run the well
and freezers for an hour or two a day. I know that this is only a temporary solution
but is about all we can handle right now. I am very thankful for the non-fiction
writing contribution about the siphon pumps for wells such as mine, that offered up
new possibilities which I have not had time to address yet. We also have a neighbor
1/4 mile away which has an artesian spring on his property, though it has extremely
high iron content. I have purchased two 330 gallon plastic livestock watering tanks
and several drums which I can fill at the first sign of trouble. I can also load them on
my little trailer and pull them down to the neighbor's to fill up from his well. I just
need to check on the ramifications of the high iron content.

I am also trying to fill up as many containers as possible with gasoline. I add Sta-Bil
and plan to use/rotate it yearly (as long as the price stays low). I would like to keep
at least 250 to 500 gallons on hand at all times. I buy old gas cans at yard sales and
just found a source for cheap 55 gallon drums with sealed lids ($3). I may start
using them instead.

Our immediate plans are to build more pens and raise more chickens and goats,
maybe a pig or two. We also look forward to planting a much bigger garden this
spring and maybe use some of our hard-won experience of last year. We also want
to involve the kids in martial arts classes if we can afford it, as well as herb-
collecting hikes from the local community college field school (which are free and
fun). We want to spend more time with them in the woods and in the garden so that
they feel comfortable there and begin to think about survival from their own
perspective. We also are beginning to exploit the library for free resources for them
to study on various topics.

The future of this country looks grim. As Christians we have "read the back of the
Book" and we know Who wins. Our responsibility is to be good stewards of the
talents we have, perform our duties as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers,
and ultimately, to trust Him for that which is beyond our vision and power.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Two Letters Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale

Permalink

Jim,

For starters I would like to say that Jim you are dead-on with your Delta Junction
recommendation. I live near Delta. And it is some of the finest farm land in the
world. everything grows amazing here. Some of the information in the previous
letters is wrong and I would like to clarify them . The growing season may be a little
shorter in days of light, but in total hours of light it is much longer than other
places. It gets light here in May and gets dark at night again in late August. Some
vegetables will grow great, some don't do so well, Corn doesn't like it, but potatoes
grow without trying. And as for isolation, that's the idea. Things are harder to get,
but you learn to live with less and enjoy it more. As for power, at least in the Delta
area you do not need to worry about that in the winter, solar is awesome here in the
summer, but in winter the wind is ever present. I have four wind generators that I
built from old car alternators and Fan blades. I never had a loss in the battery bank.
I live off of their grid anyway, so I am used to adapting.

As for the wood situation, certain types of trees do incredibly well here, And they
grow faster not slower, I have trees that I know weren't there ten years ago and are
over twelve feet tall, Spruces grow well here, and birch is my main heat, I have a
fair sized house, and a new, catalyst stove and burn 5-to-7 cords of wood per
winter.

Fuel is more expensive here, but it fluctuates like anywhere else, buy when the
price is low, and stockpile it. In this area it is common for people to have a couple of
1,000 gallon tanks buried in their yard, Moose and caribou ar always around as a
meat source, as with buffalo in this area. (Yes we have buffalo in Alaska). Along with
Many other species of flora and fauna.

On the other hand Alaska is not a place for those who can not take care of
themselves. In this area it is not uncommon to see the temps dip below -60,F. I have
seen -72. It is dark all winter, And the stores never have what you want. There is
plenty of water though, my well is thirty feet deep, and the pump is set down to
twenty feet, My suggestion for people who are thinking about moving to Alaska is
simple, Unless you have lived a subsistence lifestyle for a while, are used to
constant extreme weather changes, and can do it on your own, stay where you are,
or find some place else. As for me, I will never go outside [Alaska] again, you can
keep it. - Z. in Alaska

Mr. Rawles

I too am a long time reader and this is also the first time I have written. I urge all of
your readers to take head to Mr. Galt's letter concerning Alaska as a retreat locale.
It is harsh up here. I live in Delta Junction area and love it. We have been here for
over 10 years now and have our place set up pretty well. We live off grid and in the
bush, hunt, fish, trap, mush dogs etc. etc. I wouldn't encourage anyone to try to
move here and set up a retreat this late in the game. We just went through a couple
weeks of -50 to -60(Tok recorded -78) temperatures then 70 m.p.h. hour winds that
blew down many trees and damaged a lot of structures. These things are a regular
occurrence. A lot of Russian immigrants have moved from the lower 48 into the
Delta area. Most of the ones I have met seem to be good people but most live off
welfare. When the welfare stops we'll have problems. The bad bunch of them are
thieves already not just the Russian but Americans also. The Russian community
has a bad reputation for it though. Anyone planning to move here and find a job
might be in for a rude awakening.

The local jobs don't pay enough to live on the grid and the government jobs stay
filled mostly. Delta is profiting from a small military bubble economy brought about
by the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program but with you know in office
now all that could come to a screeching halt at anytime. Because of the GMD
program everyone around here thinks their land has gold on it and prices it
accordingly.

Yes, Delta does have a big farming community. Most of the farmers get buy living
off of government programs and are deeply in debt. The ones that don't live off the
program hurt. Most farms lay dormant wile collecting CRP checks. I have heard that
there will be no more new CRP contracts in the future. The fertility of the farm land
has gone way down too because of the climate here. The cold doesn't allow much
time for plant matter to decompose plus it's hard to have crop rotation with only
Barley. (Barley, hay grasses, potatoes, and carrots are the main crops grown here.)
For the last three years we have had a frost in the middle of August that pretty
much killed any vegetables that were not in a green house.

Wells in Delta are any where from 40 to 450 feet in depth. If you buy land where
there is bed rock you may drill 450 deep and still get mastodon pee to drink. Wells
are at $50 a foot this year. Better plan on how to get water out of the well when the
power goes down. Currently heating oil is 2.23 at the pump in town, more if its
delivered. Diesel is currently $3.69. It hit $5 last winter. Fire wood from Delta
Lumber is $180 per cord until they run out for the winter other sources are up to
$250. The people from Delta lumber are great people and will work themselves silly
trying make sure no one goes cold. I have seen one add for firewood for $300 per
cord. Dry firewood is a must because -50 the soot form green wood builds in the
chimney thus creating chimney fire. A friend of mine got burned out at -50 for that
very reason. They didn't get in enough dry wood for the winter. Luckily they were
able to run to separate garage and no one suffered any cold injuries. Finding a place
to cut fire wood now is getting hard to find.

Most people here are enjoying high power bills now since Golden Valley increased
their rates. The average size house power bill is running $300- $400 [per month] in
the winter maybe less if your really frugal. You have to keep your vehicles plugged
in. In a diesel that is like running a 1,500 watt electric heater. Wind power is a
possibility if your turbine can withstand the wind. Closer to the mountains it has
been 100 mph. The wind here isn't steady it is really gusty, not good for turbine.
Rent is running around a $1,000 and up for a three bedroom home. Certified sewers
are from $6,000 to $16,000 depending. Cost to build is running around the $150 per
square foot range and going up.

If you don't know how Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) will affect you, then you's
better find out before you try to make a permanent move here. Cabin fever has
been the demise of many people who move here and plan to live the wilderness
experience. The only cure for it is to be outside. It don't matter what the the temp is
you got to get out side when it's light. SAD has be the cause for suicide, alcoholism,
and drugs. People do the latter two to cope. I personally have never had it. I have
too much work to do. People who don't procrastinate and get all there chores done
and food stores in order for the winter and plan to stay in the cabin for the winter
suffer the worse. We don't procrastinate but we don't stay in either. The cabin is
only a place to warm up, eat and sleep. Living is done outside the cabin. We trap,
mush dogs, care for the horses, cut more fire wood when it's not too cold, fire up
the blacksmith forge, build some log furniture. It is easy to get lazy and lethargic
during the winter. You have to fight the urge daily. We had a couple move in not to
far from us. I told the lady to make sure she kept the windows uncovered in the
winter. Well, they were the lazy type and didn't ever have enough wood cut so they
covered the windows and blocked out some of the cold but mostly the light. They
made it though one winter but the next one they didn't. They pulled up [stakes] and
left middle of the winter.

As much as I love living here, if I were looking for a retreat locale this late in the
game then it would be some place more hospitable. We did move here for the lack
of people and when things get even worse I expect people to start migrating out of
Alaska especially the interior. It requires a lot of hard work to live here more
especially so if your living off the land. How would you like to cut 20 cords of wood
with a hand operated saw and axe when you run out of gas and or you saw goes
down? Running chain saws in the sub-zero weather is hard on them. Better get
extra clutches for them. What about when the mosquitoes bloom and you have run
out of bug dope?

Hunting is decent here. The Russian community poaches a lot of the moose in the
Delta management area. They do it to eat. I am not knocking them for that. When
the SHTF it will be even worse therefore even we will have to start going further into
the bush to hunt using sled teams to get there. If you plan to have dogs and sled
they require a lot of food. [Here they eat mostly] fish. The salmon that makes it this
far inland is [best -suited for] dog food. It is pretty beat up by the time is gets here.
The flesh is a faint pink to gray color as they are close to the end of the life span.
Anyone planning to come to Alaska to survive the upheaval better have there you
know what together or they won't make it. This land is unforgiving and the least
mistakes get big in a hurry. Sorry that my letter has gotten so long but I want
people to know what they are getting into if they come here thinking it's paradise. It
ain't. but it's the life we love. People here are willing to help if you are not stupid.
Our favorite saying around here is "If you gonna be dumb then you'd better be
tough" - C.B.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Letter Re: Alaska as a Retreat Locale

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Mr. Rawles,

Although being an avid reader, this is the first time I have written your site. The
letters posted on your site today respecting Alaska as a retreat locale raised a few
possible issues in my mind. First of all, let me say that Alaska is my favorite place in
the world, and I wouldn't have it any other way. However, as a retreat locale, one
may want to think twice unless the situation forces their location there. Also, it is
important to remember that the conditions and terrain in Alaska are very wide
ranging, depending where you are. The climate can range from arctic in the north to
relatively mild in the south. I have heard the climate in the south compared to that
of the mid-Atlantic states on the East coast.

Most parts of the state are totally without agriculture, but there is some in the
Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The growing season is usually around 100 days long, and
can produce huge vegetables because of the length of the days. Some vegetables
do well there, such as potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

Therefore, if one intends to do any kind of farming in Alaska, the "Mat-Su" Valley is
where it is possible. However, there is a major drawback to this fact, from the
perspective of retreat logistics. The Mat-Su valley is one of the most densely
populated areas of the state. It has, as of late, been converting to suburban
communities for workers who commute to Anchorage. As we all know, the suburbs
are a bad, bad place to be WTSHTF. And even if one were to build a retreat in a
section of the valley not yet suburban, there is no way to know that it would remain
so for the next five years or more.

Prepping before the SHTF is made more difficult by the state's isolation. Building
materials, fuel, food, guns, ammo, medical supplies and any other product must be
shipped in from the [continental] US or elsewhere. This makes these products not
only more expensive, but generally less available, especially outside of the urban
centers. Ordering off the web makes them easier to get, but the shipping is still
expensive. Fuel of any kind is the most expensive in the nation, and ammo is pretty
over-priced, too.

Fuel, as one letter pointed out, is a major problem. Getting by without fossil fuels is
a main goal of most preppers, and it may prove more difficult in Alaska. Solar is out,
at least during the winter. Not only is there very little light, but it is less intense than
elsewhere, due to the oblique angle at which it hits the state (as it is so far north). I
don't know a lot about wind, so that may be a possibility. If it was, any parts would
be difficult to get. As K.L.'s letter says, firewood is a possibility, but this raises three
issues.

As he says, with no gas or diesel = no power tools to cut [and haul firewood]. Any
broken hand tools would be irreplaceable, and even having extras is likely not
enough when you plan to cut by hand and burn firewood for a very extended period
of time. Hand cutting firewood is also time consuming.

Since it would need to be done in the summer, it would take up time for farming
and other chores. This might not be a problem if you are part of a large retreat
group, however. Also, felling trees, in any way, especially by hand, is extremely
dangerous. I would strongly recommend a logger certification class for anyone
planning to possibly use firewood as a retreat fuel. Although the course will focus on
mechanical forestry, the safety principles are the same universally.

Third, unless one has a retreat on a very spacious lot, it is possible to run out of
firewood to cut. Trees grow much slower in Alaska People who do not heat their
homes in this manner would be surprised at the amount of fuel a wood stove can
use in a winter. For instance, to heat the house on my family farm, it takes roughly
10 to 15 cords to get through the winter, with a little to spare for safety's sake. And
that is back in New York, not Alaska. Imagine cutting that much firewood on a 25
acre lot for five years or more. One may be able to cut off of their property, but that
is a bad way to meet the neighbors, especially after TSHTF.

This letter ran much longer than I planned, and I would like to go on further, but
time prevents me from doing so. In short, think twice about a retreat in Alaska. It is
absolutely possible, but would present much greater difficulties than other feasible
places. In the lower 48, one can find the same type of isolated area, but with:

Better farming conditions

Lower prices in general

A climate not requiring huge amounts of fuel for the winter

Ability to travel through the US without crossing international borders (If they still
exist after TSHTF)

And so forth...

If you think you can do it, then go for it. My wife thinks I'm trying to keep it all for
myself. - J. Galt

JWR Replies: Thanks for that input. I have my doubts about the viability of the Mat-
Su Valley in worst-case collapse. Its proximity to the hungry, teeming masses of
Anchorage is troubling. Alaska cannot feed its population, even in today's economy,
and one can only wonder what it would be like grid-down, with no fuel available.

I encourage anyone serious about living in Alaska to look at the Delta Junction area,
in Alaska's interior. I haven't been there since the summer of 1980 (when I attended
the U.S. Army Northern Warfare School), but it struck me as a very productive
agricultural region.)

Monday, February 2, 2009

Retreat Building Lighting Systems, by The Old Yooper

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Lighting systems in a retreat home (not connected to the grid).

My home does not fit the definition of a retreat. I built it about 30 years ago in the
UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) when the idea of a retreat location was not on my
radar screen. Only by coincidence has my home worked out to fit a retreat
definition, better situated them many, not as good as some. It is quite secluded, the
only house at the end of a dead end dirt road. It has never had grid power run to it.
The utility company wanted as much money to run the power lines through the
woods back to my cabin as the cabin cost me to build. It’s not that I didn’t know
that when I built the cabin, I just did not think it was anything I needed to have at
the time. This is not that unusual in the UP as it may seem to most people. There
are lots of homesteads too far off the beaten path to have grid power connected up
here in the UP. The cabin is 2000 sq. ft. with three bedrooms, two baths, living
room, kitchen and dining room. Also a full basement, not included in the square
footage above. It is as modern as most houses today except for how every thing
works. I will only concentrate on lighting in this essay. In later essays (if anyone is
interested) I can explain cooking, refrigeration, heating, electricity, etc. I hope you
don’t mind my folksy/personal writing style; it’s just the way I am.

Today we are heading into a monumental depression of historic magnitude. No one

truly knows how bad it will get or how long it will last. I think it was Benjamin
Franklin that said “prepare for the worst and hope for the best” and that’s as true
today as it was over 200 years ago. I know the subject of lighting may seem
somewhat mundane and even silly to some, put a few candles away and we will be
OK, they hope. But without sustained, reliable lighting, day to day life can get pretty
difficult at best. It’s important to try to keep your home as normal as possible in the
hard times ahead for you, your family and whoever may be seeking refuge with you.
All lighting systems take energy of some form just as cooking and heating do, this is
the first thing to keep in mind when planning for your lighting systems.

As Mr. Rawles has said in the past “two is one and one is none”. I have learned this
the hard way, by experiencing a failure in a system. I have four, separate, distinct
and independent (from each other) lighting systems in the house. So a failure of one
or even two will not make my lights go out.

The first lighting system is AC electric. The cabin is fully wired for 110/220V AC
power, normal household electrical current. Supplied via gas generator, wind
generator, and inverter/charger battery bank system, again if anyone is interested I
can go into greater detail about the electrical systems in another essay. For the
most part the electric lights in the house are compact fluorescent with a few
exceptions. One of the exceptions are the under-cabinet 10 watt halogen lights in
the kitchen. Ten watts is not much but there are 13 of them under the cabinets. I
must admit that they are nice to have on and 130 watts is not all that much either,
however I tend to forget about them being on and along with the TV and lights on in
the living room, bathroom and a bedroom (kids, you know how that is) the batteries
are drawn down much too fast. Well I can’t use the kids excuse anymore, it's
grandkids now. We all know how electric lights work; you flip a switch and the lights
come on. That is true with inverter power also, as long as you use the right inverter
system.

Just to be clear about electricity, it is by far the most convenient and at the same
time the most susceptible to failure of all the lighting systems I use. I have run out
of gas, aggravating at the time but not a major problem, unless gas becomes
unavailable? I have had generator and/or inverter system failures; yes even the best
will not last indefinitely. The worst electrical failure I have experienced was lightning
hitting the phone line coming into the cabin. The phone lines are underground but
the lightning hit it anyway. It followed the line into the house, blowing every phone
jack off the walls and ruined all three of my phones. It also crossed over to the
electrical wiring and fried most every thing plugged in to wall outlets. NOTE: I have
plug strips supposedly with electrical breakers built into them, so I can turn off the
TV, stereo, and the like so they will not run down the batteries. All modern
electronics and appliances use power even when there not in use. [JWR Adds: These
are so-called "phantom loads", typically caused the microcircuits for clocks and
other sub-modules.] The lightning went across these plug strips as if they were hard
wired in. This was a major system failure. My homes owners insurance covered all
repairs and replacements. However in a TEOTWAWKI there would be no insurance
and no repairs or replacements unless I fixed them myself and, spare parts would
be out of the question.

My second lighting system is propane gas. The cabin is plumbed for gas lights in
most of the main rooms down stairs and the master bedroom and bathroom
upstairs. These are gas mantle lights. To light them I use a Bic lighter under the
mantle and turn on the gas, and I have instant light. When I first installed the gas
lights, I would use a kitchen match (wooden matches), to light them. I soon
discovered I was very good at poking a hole in the mantle with the match; I soon
switched to a Bic lighter. Mantles cost about $7.00 each. They are about as bright
as a 65 to 70 watt incandescent light bulb. I have two styles of gas mantle lights in
my home. The first and the ones I started with are Humphrey gas lights; I only have
two of them. These are good dependable well made lighting fixtures of sheet metal
construction; the only drawback is there a little homely. As far as I know there is
only one style, a wall mount fixture. Humphrey gas lighting fixtures can be found at
most propane distributors and country hardware stores.

The second gas lighting fixture and the one I prefer is Falks gas lighting fixtures.
These are a much more elegant lighting fixture made in Canada out of solid brass.
There are three styles of Falks lighting fixtures to pick from. A single mantle wall
mount, double mantle wall mount and a double mantle chandelier, I have all three
styles in my cabin. Both the Humphrey and Falks gas lights use the same globes
and mantles. I have several spare mantles and globes on hand at all times. Falks
gas lights can be ordered from Lehman's. The cost for the single Falks gas light is
about $80 US and $75 US for a Humphrey gas light. Gas lights are just as bright as
electric lights.

When I installed the gas lights I used 1⁄2” soft copper tubing for main runs and 3/8”
soft copper tubing off the main run for a single lighting fixture. If you put in gas
lights never use hard copper tubing that requires soldering the joints. Only use soft
copper tubing and flare fittings that are designed for gas applications. Use a soap
swab to check for gas leaks at every connection. Never use a match to check for
leaks. If there is a leak (and there will be some) at a connection you can have an
instant blow torch on your hands, and that blow torch can just as well be in your
face. If you do not know how to install gas fixtures have a licensed plumber do
them.

Both Falks and Humphrey gas lights use about .085 lb of gas per hour per mantle. I
think a little math is in order here.

One gallon of propane weighs about 4.23 lb.

A 20 lb. propane tank (type for gas grills) contains somewhere in the neighborhood
of 4.7 gallons of gas. If you did the math you will find that it isn’t exactly 20 lbs., the
numbers aren’t carried out properly to the last decimal place.

Therefore a 20 lb. propane tank will run one mantle light for approximately 234
hours of continues use. If you ran a gas light for 5 hours a night one 20 lb. tank will
last for 47 days. However refilling 20 lb. tanks is the most expensive way to buy and
store propane gas.

A 100 lb. tank will run one mantle light for approximately 1,176 hours of continues
use. And if you ran a gas light for 5 hours a night, one 100 lb. tank will last for 235
days more or less. I’m sure someone will check my math to see if it works out and
that’s Okay, I make lots of mistakes.

I have a 500 gallon propane pig (tank) for gas, which is kind of a lot for just lighting.
I also use propane for other things in my cabin. The last time propane was delivered
last October it cost $2.49 per gallon. At that price it cost approximately $0.05 per
hour to run one light. Also propane will store for ever with no degradation of the gas
(it doesn’t "go bad"). You can’t say that for gasoline, kerosene or diesel. A side note:
I am told that we are in a deflationary spiral, but the only things that I can see going
down in price is real estate and gasoline. Food, clothing, repairs of anything and the
stuff you need day to day haven’t gone down at all. (Just a little whining).

My third independent lighting system; kerosene lights. I use two types of kerosene
lights in the cabin. The first is Aladdin lamps. I have four Aladdin lamps, one is a
Majestic Table lamp, and three Genie III shelf lamps one of which is in a hanging
fixture in my bedroom, and the two others are on each end of the fireplace mantle.
Aladdin lamps can be a bit temperamental to operate. All Aladdin lamps are mantle
lamps similar to Coleman Lanterns however they use a round wick like an old
kerosene lamp. The temperamental part, the wick must be trimmed evenly all
around the top. If it is not you will get flame spikes (I call them horns) coming up
into the mantle and if, (not when), these little fiery horns touch the mantle it will
start building up with carbon. All you have to do is turn down thee wick so the horn
is not touching the mantle and the carbon will burn off the mantle. However if you
don’t turn the wick down, the mantle will continue to build up carbon and eventually
put out copious amounts of lovely black soot, to coat your ceiling and fill the air with
a witches' brew of noxious gas and smoke. On the bright side, Aladdin lamps will
generate the equivalent of a 50 watt incandescent light bulb and at the same time
will put out about 2,700 BTU’s of heat, that’s a lot of heat in the summer time from
one lamp. In the evenings in the fall and spring of the year, I can heat my cabin with
nothing but Aladdin lamps (if it’s not too cold out). A log cabin retains heat very
well, and all my windows are triple glazed. If you would like to try Aladdin lamps
they are available at many country hardware stores and Lehman’s by mail order.
After making it sound awful, I like my Aladdin lamps, it just takes a little practice to
learn how to use them. If you are going to use Aladdin lamps you will need to stock
up on Aladdin Chimneys, Mantles and Wicks. There are two types of Aladdin
Chimneys. The first is the Lox-On Chimney; I’ve had them last for years and also
had them break in a week. In my opinion the Heel-Less Chimney is superior, it
allows the glass to move as it heats up and cools off without breaking. For about
$12.00 a Gallery Adapter will convert a Burner to use a Heel-less Chimney. Newly
manufactured Aladdin Lamps come with Heel-Less Chimneys.

I have several table and wall mounted old fashion kerosene lamps. I also have one
very ornate Victorian hanging library lamp in my dinning room. It is solid brass with
a ruby red hob nail, glass shade, and lots of prisms. If it sounds like my cabin is old
fashioned, it is. One rule of thumb in lighting any kerosene lamp, light the wick with
a low flame and let the lamp and kerosene in it heat up. As the kerosene gets hotter
its viscosity goes down and flows much faster. As the kerosene flows faster the
flame will get bigger and bigger. There is no reason for the chimney to soot up if
you just start with a low flame and let the lamp heat up. After the lamp is hot you
can adjust the brightness. If you plan on using kerosene lamps stock up on wicks
and chimneys. The wicks are consumables and no matter how careful you are
chimneys break. Almost forgot, every time the lamps are filled the wick should be
trimmed, I trim the wick just to clean it up flat across its top and I cut a small 45º
angle off each end of the wick, so the flame will have a domed appearance. If that is
not clear just experiment with it, you will learn as you go.

How mush kerosene should be stored? I am told that kerosene will last for about 15
years before it goes bad. In 2008 I used about 30 gallons of kerosene; I use more in
the winter then in the summer. In a TEOTWAWKI I would be mush more
conservative than I am right now. If you’re going to use kerosene as one of your
lighting systems I would suggest storing from 100 to 200 gallons in 55 gallon plastic
drums.

The last lighting system is just old fashion candles. Several years ago I was able to
acquire about 200 pounds of wax from a company I worked for. The company
applied wax to one of the products they manufactured. When they had a product
change on the coating machine they had to purge all the wax out of the machine
and put in a different formula for the changeover. The purged wax was pumped out
into five gallon buckets and discarded. It is amazing how much stuff is thrown away
that could be used in a grid down situation. All this wax I have stashed will someday
have to be made into candles. There are two basic ways to make candles. The first
is to mold (cast) them in a candle mold. I have had one of these for a very long
time; it casts 8 candles at a time. The candle mold is simple to use. Just feed a pre-
waxed string (wick) through the hole in the bottom of each candle mold, bend it
over so it will not come out. Tie the other end to a rod across the top of the mold
and fill the mold with wax. Let the wax solidify, dip in hot water and pull out the
candles. Trim the string off the bottom of each candle and store in a cool place until
needed. Candle molds can be made fairly simply to just about any length and
diameter you desire. I have made 1” diameter x 14” long candle molds. Use hard
copper tubing, or PVC plastic pipe would work also. Cut to the length desired and
chamfer both ends inside and out side (de-burr it). Take a cap that fits over the end
of the tubing and drill a hole in the center of it to fit the size of wick you have, or
make. Use the same procedure for casting candles above. After the candles are cast
and hardened put the molds in vary hot water to loosen the wax from the mold.
Remove the mold from the water and using a wooden rod with an end on it that fits
the full diameter of the candle push the candle out of the mold and let cool. The
ends of the candle will be flat, but this is not a drawback in my mind.

The second way to make candles is by dipping them. This way is a little more
cumbersome [and time consuming] and I don’t recommend it. But if anyone is
interested in hand dipping candles, just Google the subject to learn how.

One more safety concern, never melt wax in your house and never on your kitchen
stove. Melted wax is highly flammable. A wax fire is almost impossible to put out
with water; it just spreads the fire over the kitchen and all over you, and anyone
that is with you at the time. Do not take this warning lightly. I make candles outside
away from any buildings on a nice summer day. - The Old Yooper

Letter Re: Lessons from the January Ice Storm

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Jim:

The Ice Storm that just plastered Kentucky brought some reminders of just how bad
things can get and how being prepared - in advance - is critical. Within a few hours,
everything became coated with a half-inch to an inch of ice: roads, cars, trees,
power lines - everything. Throughout the night, we heard crashes as our neighbor's
trees lost massive limbs. We knew it was only a matter of time before trees limbs
(which are not properly trimmed back by our utility company in an attempt to cut
costs) collapsed on power lines and caused widespread outages. In the morning,
everything had turned to crystal. About a quarter million people were without power
in our county, but almost everyone in the western half of the state had lost power.
Our county actually did a good job of plowing and salting roads. Unfortunately, it
didn't help as hundreds of traffic lights weren't working. Traffic was snarled badly
and travel times easily doubled. Hundreds of businesses are closed and loosing
money every day the power stays off. Looking for a generator at the local big box
home and garden center? Forget it, quickly sold out. Ice scrapers, gone. Gas cans,
gone. Driveway salt, gone. Snow shovels, gone. The sales guy told me they weren't
going to get restocked for the rest of the season.

My daughter called from the university she attends about a four hour drive to the
West. Their whole city was without power and water. The university asked students
to leave, if possible, and those who couldn't were sheltered in the campus
auditorium. They didn't have any cots so you had to sleep on the floor or in the
auditorium chairs. She wanted me to come pick her up, so as I headed out the next
morning on a full tank of gas, my plan was to stop at each significant town on the
way to check their power and gas pumping status. Each stop was the same as the
next - dead. As I neared the half-way point on my gas gauge, not one city on the
way had electricity. It's as if a nuclear ice bomb had been dropped on the state. I
turned back.

It's amazing when you fully realize how dependent our society has become on
electricity. We are being told it will take up to 7 days to completely restore service
in our county, which is completely urban. Out in the rural areas, they say it will be
two weeks or more. Temperatures have been dropping into the teens at night. Lots
of people I know have no alternatives to heat their homes or cook food. Fireplaces,
like mine, are electrically controlled gas logs. I can't even light it manually. I've
learned a lesson: get what you need before you need it. Get extra. I will be buying a
dependable generator once this crisis passes. My next home will be better equipped
with alternative sources of heat and power. - J.S.

JWR Replies: Events like the recent ice storm underscore the need to be self
-sufficient: Think things through, and prepare systematically: Wood or coal fired
stoves with a horizontal cook top. Kerosene lamps and plenty of fuel, a backup
power generator, again with plenty of fuel. Extra stored fuel for your vehicle (which
would have allowed you to make that 8 hour round-trip). Often overlooked in winter
is the need for a backup water supply, and water filtration, even if it mean melting
buckets of snow--which is agonizingly slow and laborious.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

The Community Retreat, by Kathy Harrison

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Establishing a retreat seems to be the dream of many survivalists but realistically,

evacuating to a retreat is not a proposition that is readily available to very many.
There are generally problems with finances as well as family commitments to
contend with. Many folks, like me, have spent years in establishing perennial food
plants, compost piles, garden plots, building small businesses and, most
importantly, forging important community ties that would not be easily broken.
Therefore, we would be well advised to explore how to approach ways to turn our
own residences into retreat communities.

The location of the community is of the utmost importance. Pulling off such a feat
off in a large city or an affluent suburb would be pretty difficult. A small town in a
rural location with a high proportion of families who already raise food and livestock
is your best bet. Such a town is likely to have a well-developed sense of community,
strong family ties and a faith-based community. You will also likely find a diverse set
of necessary skills. Such communities are generally located in areas that have
climates suitable to growing food crops. Hunting is often a part of the local culture
so firearms ownership is not seen as a problem. It has been my experience that a
large number of survival-minded folks find themselves living in this kind of locality.
The question then becomes, “how do we locate like-minded families and establish a
network of support, with possibility of barter arrangements and the sharing of skills
and tools in such towns?”

We began by attending a film series a few years ago. Free showings of films such as
The End of Suburbia, King Corn and Life At The End Of The Empire were shown.
Each film was followed by a discussion group. Setting up this kind of series can
happen at a library or house of worship. Out of this format, a core group formed, all
with the sense that life as we knew it was unlikely to be sustainable for the long
term and that we needed to take steps to prepare for the eventual change. We
began meeting on a monthly basis. We are a diverse group; some more interested
in the implications of Peak Oil, some with financial collapse. Others are the local
growers of organic produce and the breeders of heritage breed livestock. We have
no membership list, no rules of order, no dues and no criteria for coming to our
monthly meetings. We do follow a loose agenda to ensure that we get some
work20accomplished but much of our time together is devoted to chit chat about
current topics and sharing ideas.
One of our most successful endeavors has been our "101" classes. This is a series of
free workshops devoted to helping people learn valuable skills from others. We have
had classes in raising chickens, canning produce, cheese making, mushroom
propagation, herbal medicine, knitting and many other subjects. The object is to
make all of us less dependant and share skills that might otherwise be lost.

Recognizing that energy shortages are likely, we set up a panel of people already
alternative sources of energy. This was remarkably well-attended and led to a day
long event where folks opened their homes to people who wanted to see each
system in operation. We saw underground homes, photovoltaic systems, solar heat
collectors, wind powered homes and a couple of places that had been off-grid for
years. The tour ended with a pot-luck soup and bread dinner.

We consider helping each other as a given. We have helped each other get in our
winter wood supply, can an abundance of bulk purchased chicken and traded off
tools, vehicles and equipment. When my husband scored some very inexpensive
sap buckets, he bought enough for many other group members. When I found
myself overwhelmed with peaches, three of us processed 50 quarts in an afternoon.
A couple of us are really interested in wild foods. Together we gathered fox grapes
and put up 20 gallons of juice, harvested and dried over 100 pounds of wild
mushrooms and canned 35 quarts of wild applesauce. We are still eating the
fiddleheads we froze last May. Out latest project is to take a firearms safety course
together.

When a major ice storm left our town without power for over a week, we saw an
opportunity to check our preparedness level and hone our skills. Many of us were
also able to provide help and provisions to those who were less prepared including
the elderly in our small town.

We still have work to do. We realize that we are not as well prepared for medical
emergencies as we would wish so some members are researching becoming EMTs
and First Responders for our local volunteer fire department. We also see the
wisdom in becoming more involved in our town government.
I know this is not the kind of preparedness one generally reads about on sites such
as this but I think for many, this is the most realistic. Should the worst happen, we
will be prepared to ride it out with friends and neighbors, bonded together with
common purpose and presenting a united front. - Kathy Harrison

Monday, January 19, 2009

Letter Re: Advice on Two-Way Radio Communications

Permalink

Mr. Rawles,

I have read "Patriots," and am finishing up your ["Rawles Gets You Ready"]
preparedness course and I have a question: What brand, or type of two-way
communication do I look for. I live in Kansas, about as far inland as we can go. I
have several family members in the same small town and would like something that
we all could communicate with. Ready Made Resources recommends a GMRS
system, is that something to consider, or are CBs the answer?

I appreciate all that you post on your blog, consequently, I have just purchased the
"SurvivalBlog: The Best of the Blog" book to look back on what I have missed since I
started reading late last year. I have found your articles to be so beneficial to me
and have recommended your site to others. Sincerely, - Thea

JWR Replies: I expect the Citizen's Band (CB) to be quite crowded with "chatter" in
the event of a widespread disaster. And it will probably remain crowded if the power
grid stays up. If you want a low-power system (assuming that you don't have a large
PV battery charging system), I would recommend MURS band radios. Inexpensive
used MURS band handi-talkies are available from MURS Radios--one of my
advertisers. The MURS band radios have have comparable range to GMRS band
radios, but the MURS band has far less traffic. (In many rural areas the band is
essentially uninhabited.) Most transmissions in that band require no license.

If you want a higher-power system, I would recommend buying using Marine Band
radios on eBay. (There, search on "Marine Band Radio".) These do not require a
license except for "vessels over 65 feet in length". (But be advised that there are
FCC restrictions on "inland" use. Reader Don K. mentioned that only radios that are
"Type Accepted by the FCC for part 80 use may transmit on radio frequencies in the
Maritime Radio Services. Equipment used for Land Stations must be specifically
approved by the FCC for this use; most shipboard equipment is not approved for
Land Station use. Fines by the FCC can be and usually are substantial.")

Since most Marine band radios draw more current than a MURS handi-talkie, you
will need a more capable backup power system for battery charging. I suggest a
couple of large 6 volt DC deep-cycle ("golf cart") type batteries for each radio. The
beauty of the MURS band and the VHF Marine band is that they are both essentially
"private bands" in many areas. But of course don't consider them "secure", since
they can still be detected and monitored with a multi-band scanner.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Hurricane Lessons Learned and Some Advice on Getting Prepared, by Ken on the
Gulf Coast

Permalink

Sometimes it is not an option to relocate so you have to get prepared wherever you
are located. I am located on the Gulf Coast 60 short miles from New Orleans,
Louisiana. We were ground zero for Hurricane Katrina, so I have a first hand
experience of what can happen I will describe some things that I did right and some
things that I did wrong.

We were unable to relocate to a place like Idaho as we had elderly parents who
could not and probably would not relocate to a more appropriate survival area.

My mother was born in 1930 the daughter of a sharecropper in the Louisiana delta.
They lived a survivor lifestyle as a matter of everyday life. She instilled in me a fear
of having absolutely nothing. Until her

death in 2007 she refused to run a dishwasher or air conditioner. She could not
bring herself to waste electricity, water, or anything for that matter. She would not
waste anything.
Although not as dedicated to thrift as my mother, I did inherit her fear of hunger,
and vulnerability to the unexpected. She died in fear of depression era conditions
returning. When she died I lost a valuable

source of survival information.

Because of my mother's influence, the day after Hurricane Katrina, we were one out
of 75,000 or so who had lights and running water 36 hours after the storm. The
following is what most people did wrong:

A lot of people had generators, the problem was that they only had a couple of cans
of gas. So they were all without power in less than 24 hrs. All of the gas stations
were disabled. No gas means no

power!

Nobody had enough food, they recommend three days, it took almost three days
just to get the roads clear.

No guns! I had friends who did not "believe in guns" that ended up borrowing some
weapons.

No dogs! Without dogs, you have no warning of intruders. Alarm systems don't work
after the batteries are dead.

The following is what I did right:

I had a natural gas generator installed. I was up and running less than 36 hours of
the storm. It was also a mistake to select natural gas as a fuel source. Upturned
trees broke gas lines all over the region, it was only blind luck that left me with gas
pressure. A propane system would have been better.
I had drilled a water well. I was able to provide water pressure to my house, city
water was out for weeks. I tied the system back to the house by a simple water
hose going from a faucet on my pump to one on the house.

I had lights and water. Here is what I did wrong:

I evacuated the elderly mothers and dogs to an area 100+ miles north. Electricity
was out over the entire state, my motor home generator powered my sisters house
where I left our parents and dogs. I left the dogs at my bug out location before I
returned to the disaster area.

Mistake #1: I sent my dogs elsewhere.

The other thing I was unprepared for were refugees. I call them refugees because
they would have gone hungry without the food in my pantry and freezers. I was
totally unprepared for the 16 families looking to me for food and direction.

Some other things I did wrong:

I did not have enough food. I fed a lot of people. In a real end of life as we know it
scenario, I would have been forced to choose who I would have to turn away. It's
one thing to take care of people when you know help is on the way, quite another
when there is no help in sight.

Weapons: I loaned my old shotguns to all the people who did not believe in the
private ownership of guns. When gangs of illegal aliens and welfare recipients' were
roaming the streets, the folks who didn't believe in guns didn't hesitate to request
assistance.

I did not have a fuel source independent of the grid.

The following are changes that I have made:

I now have a Bluebird Bus motor home. It has a huge fuel tank that I can use to run
the house if the natural gas generator quits. It’s diesel generator can put out 12 kw
for a long time.

I have a much larger store of food.

I have a photovoltaically-powered water supply.

I have a bug out vehicle that has a 1,200 to 1,500 mile range. It has a propane
refrigerator. It has a water

system that can provide water pressure to my house.

I have dogs. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, thieves were cranking up lawn
mowers and pushing them up next to running generators after the storm. They
would then shut down the running generators and leave the running lawn mowers
while they absconded with the generators. You cannot stay awake 24 hours a day.
Dogs do not miss much if anything. I can’t recommend a breed of dog, but the
following work for me: Miniature Schnauzers, Australian shepherds, Catahoula Curs.
If you live in the south and have some land you cannot beat a Catahoula Cur. An
Australian Sheppard is a close second for all climates.

I have ten acres and good soil, I am putting in a very large garden. However, I do
not feel that I can overcome the huge welfare population we have here, If things get
out of hand, I plan to bug out. I now have an RV that has a tremendous range. It has
a propane refrigerator, and full facilities. I can literally live on the side of the road
for weeks or months. It is equipped to pull a full-size 4WD with trailer. I have several
bug out locations within four hours where I can evacuate to. When I leave I will have
dogs, food, tools, and arms. I also have shortwave radios.
You have to develop a survival mentality, you have to add to your preparation
everyday. Each trip to Wal-Mart is an opportunity to add to your supplies. The one
thing I learned is that when the storm hits, its too late to think about being
prepared. You have to think: if a disaster strikes, how long can you feed and protect
your family? I add to my provisions every day.

Start to prepare now. Think: food, food, and more food, ammo, bandages, and
unless you can go without sleep 24 hours a day don't forget the dogs!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Letter Re: Red Dot Sight Battery Longevity

Permalink

JWR,

I have a red dot sight battery, lithium Energizer CR2032, which was stored in it's
original packaging in a refrigerator since May 1996, almost 13 years ago. I recently
opened it and have been testing to see if it would still work, at present I have about
11 hours of use on it. I know this is anecdotal, but the point is, if you use red dot
aiming devices and it uses one of these type batteries, it is probably worthwhile to
store a good supply of batteries for long term use. Regards, - K. in Texas

JWR Replies: Lithium batteries should be stored in a refrigerator. But reader Shirley
A.--who is an audiologist--mentioned that this is a bad idea for zinc air batteries. She
notes: "...do not store zinc air batteries in the refrigerator. The batteries are inert
until the tab is removed. Once air reaches the hole(s) on the back of the batteries,
they become activated, hence "air-activated" batteries. The humidity in a
refrigerator will cause the protective tabs to become loose, thus allowing air to
reach the holes and activating the batteries.They will all go dead in a short time.
Zinc air batteries should be stored in a cool, dry environment, like a dresser drawer.
For the same reason, don't store your batteries (or your hearing aids) in the
bathroom."

Monday, January 12, 2009

Letter Re: Advice on Storing and Recharging Hearing Aid Batteries

Permalink
JWR,

Thank you so very much for what you do! Your blog is the best resource on the net
for preparedness info, news and views that I know of! My 8 year old daughter wears
hearing aids in both ears,. How long can I reasonably expect hearing aid batteries to
store? In the event of TEOTWAWKI, I would be heartbroken to see my little girl
unable to utilize one of our most precious senses. I imagine many elderly folks may
have the same problem. What a very dangerous predicament to be in, the world
falling apart, and you can't even detect someone speaking to you, or creeping up
behind you...

Any info will be greatly appreciated, once again thanks! - Matt C.in Northern Ohio

JWR Replies: You probably missed the link in SurvivalBlog a few months ago for a
clever little photovoltaic button battery charger. Buy two or three of them. And of
course buy a four year supply of batteries, and store them in your refrigerator.
Rotate your supply religiously, using the FIFO method, once established.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Letter Re: Field Test with a MURS Band Dakota Alert Intrusion Detection System

Permalink

James;

I just recently purchased a MURS band Dakota Alert and Radio setup from [MURS
Radio] that advertises on your site. Needless to say I got a screaming deal! I live in
the Pacific Northwest, literally in the middle of dense woods. My radios and sensors
arrived during one of the best snowfalls we have had in a while. All of the trees
were loaded [with snow]. The temperature was in the very low 20s. Our terrain is
mountainous.

Here are my results (which may be helpful to your readers who may be thinking
about purchasing them):

[Dakota Alert MAT] Sensors: Solid transmission to Base station (located in a metal
building) at 3/4 mile. Longer range not tested (It was cold, and I did not require
longer range.)
 Hand held transceivers [handi-talkies (HTs), [also made by Dakota Alert] to and
from base station, solid to 1/2 mile, sketchy at 3/4 mile.

Sensors to HT solid transmission to 1/2 mile sketchy at 3/4 mile.

HT to HT solid at 1/2 mile sketchy at 3/4 mile.

Problems:

The sensor does not have enough transmission time to finish the third [repetition of
the] "Alert Zone 2" message due to [an error in] the speed of the person recording
the message. I contacted the manufacturer about it, and they said that all their
current units are all this way. No one wants to be #2. (All other alert messages are
fine) This is not a problem, but one does have to chuckle.

A cold vehicle (just started) dose not always activate the sensors. This is not a
tactical problem but is an annoyance.

Suggestions:

BNC connectors and pull up antennas are leaky. In addition to the manufactures
suggestion to add a packet of desiccant inside the sensors, I highly suggest
wrapping the BNC connection and each segment joint of the antenna with COAX-
SEAL.(A hand moldable plastic.) This will insure total water proofing of the unit. I
plan on disguising my [chromed, collapsible] antennas by covering them with gray
heat shrink [tubing] and a little magic marker action, then sealing the BNC with
coax seal.

Since I live off the grid It makes no sense to run the base station (which is 12 Volt
DC) off my inverter. I wired it up to my 12V distribution network that I use for all my
comm devices Ham, CB, etc. Just to play it safe I contacted the manufacturer about
the maximum voltage the unit could handle as I charge my batteries at 14.4V. They
recommended some sort of voltage regulation device. You could "fab"one up or as
they suggested, use a [voltage] regulating cigarette lighter plug. They said the unit
would function at the higher voltage but it would be hard on it, and reduce it's life
expectancy.

The only drawback is that there are only four alert messages, limiting the number of
sensors you can use at one time. If you need more than four sensors you will need a
second receiver. I plan on calling the manufacturer and suggesting a "record your
own message" modification. I am totally pleased with these units. Thanks for listing
them. - John

JWR Replies: Thanks for the review. Here at the Rawles Ranch, we also use MURS
band Dakota Alert transmitters in conjunction with some gently-used Kenwood
transceivers. We bought all of these components from MURS Radio. Programming
the transmitters to match our MURS frequency was quick and easy. We have been
very pleased with their sensitivity and reliability. These are great products that
provide a low-cost solution for detecting anyone entering our property.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Six Letters Re: Home Invasion Robbery Countermeasures--Your Mindset and

Architecture

Permalink

Greetings Mr. Rawles,

I read your blog everyday and am learning so much. Thanks for your dedication to
helping prepare us for the future.

In reference to the recent article on home security, we lived in Argentina for three
years and we could all learn from their security measures. The first house we lived
in had steel shutters, as did everyone in the neighborhood, and they were all shut
at night. The doors have locks that automatically lock when you leave the house.
The small front yards usually have tall steel fences with the same height gates. The
gates were also locked at all times. Homes that didn't have shutters of some kind,
had bars on all the windows. Big dogs were also the norm. The back yards were
usually walled in by concrete block walls sometimes 10 feet tall. At our second
house, one of our neighbors had concertina wire around the top of their walls.

It is a normal custom to clap your hands to alert someone you were at their front
gate. It would be very rude to try to enter someone's front yard without being
invited first, and is usually not possible due to the locks and dogs.

But, as new houses were being built, we were seeing less and less of the shutters
and bars, more American style houses were being built and that's a shame.
It was very difficult at first to live with these kinds of security measures, but after
awhile it became normal and comforting to know your house was secure. Gun
control is very strict and very few folks have guns, so home security was very
important.

Just wanted to share those observations with you. Thanks again for your hard work.

Warmest Regards, - Beverly A.

Hello James Wesley, Rawles:

Feed lot panels are extremely useful for hardening windows against dynamic entry.

For those who are not familiar with the product, feed lot panels are welded wire
product. They are typically 16 feet long. The height varies but is typically 54" high.
The wire is very stiff (typically #4 or #6 gauge) and the wire is galvanized for long
life. The panels are inexpensive and semi-rigid.

We recently replaced a 13' x 69" bay window with a 60" by 60" picture window (one
pane) flanked by a couple of 60" high by 24" wide double hung windows. Our
primary goal was to increase energy efficiency by reducing cold air infiltration
during the winter and to improve our cross ventilation during the summer.

I had some fairly extensive conversation with the contractor regarding my desire to
have sufficient "beef" beside each window to be able to run several 5" x 1/2" eye-
bolts beside each window (with the eyes of the bolts aligned in the vertical
direction), slide the trimmed-to-fit feedlot panel over the eye-bolts, and then drop a
cane bolt through the openings in the eye bolts.

(Minor detail notes: Roof overhang requires that cane bolts be inserted from
bottom, but "drop in from top" is a more natural word picture. Also desirable to use
a cushioning material to hold panels away from frame of window to eliminate
scarring. Rubber or vinyl garden hose is a possibility.)
He was very happy to comply. Each window is framed in with 2x4s next to the
window frame, but then a 4x4 was bracketed into the top and bottom headers
immediately beside the 2X4s on each side of each of the three windows. Wood is
cheap.

Feed lot panels can be defeated. But defeating them requires time and tools...not
something typical home invaders want to expend/lug around. Feed lot panels also
help protect windows against airborne, flying trash during extreme wind storms.
They may be ugly, but they are cheap, durable and relatively easy to install, given
proper tools and some time and the foresight to have enough wood to bolt into. -
Joe H.

Jim,

I've already made numerous changes to my home and property to thwart / limit any
would be thefts and boosting the overall security. A number of ideas came from
your web site. Thanks.

Other than the simple measures of installing a Radio Shack microphone/speaker

and, locking the doors of my barns with snap links and walking out the front and
locking that door, I am worried for my horses if someone should try to force their
way inside and manage to stay very quiet. I'm very impressed with my $149 Radio
Shack investment, you can hear everything and my house is 300 feet away.

Can you offer any additional advice on making barns more secure? I'm more
concerned about the horses than all of the tack and saddles. But those items aren't
cheap either. Thanks, - Pete in Florida

JWR Replies: I do have one specific recommendation: Buy a MURS band Dakota Alert
infrared intrusion detection system. (Available from MURS Radio, one of our
advertisers). Put one Motion Alert Transmitter (MAT) out at the end of your
driveway, and one "watching" the front of your barn door. We use Dakota Alerts in
conjunction with matching frequency Kenwood MURS band hand-helds here at the
Rawles Ranch on a daily basis. We have been very satisfied with their quality and
reliability. In our experience, this combination is ideal for detecting intruders on
likely avenues of approach.

Dear Mr. Rawles,

First, as always, I am compelled to thank you for your service to all those who would
learn from your knowledge and efforts. My 2009 10 Cent Challenge contribution is
forthcoming, but it is only a small token of my appreciation in light of all that I have
learned from your excellent blog.

I wanted to add a note of my reality to your recent excellent comments on the sorry
state of home architecture in our country today. I live in a typical recent-
construction, middle class, Metro Atlanta home with a brick front facade, and
Hardiplank (a concrete-like product molded to look like wood siding) on the
remaining three sides. It is essentially three stories, with a "daylight basement"
comprising the first story. Many of the "weak links" that you pointed out exist in my
home, but we did install a fairly comprehensive alarm system.

Last February, while my wife was at work and I was taking my son to daycare (it
was 11:15 a.m.), thugs broke into our house by kicking through the basement wall!
Evidently, the crooks suspected, or noticed, our alarm system, and tried to bypass it
by going through the wall. It would have worked if the dummies hadn't opened the
basement door preparing to depart with their loot. Of course, opening the door set
the alarm off, and they fled never having made it out of the basement. They did
steal an old rifle that I had recently bought, and had left in a storage closet awaiting
a good cleaning. All in all, we were very fortunate.

I write not to simply share my story (which is, unfortunately, not very uncommon),
but to point out what I learned:
1. Though Hardiplank, and similar products, have many virtues, resistance to
invasion is not one of them.The concrete feel and appearance gives a false sense of
security. I was shocked to learn that the only thing between my "inner sanctum"
and the bad guys was the Hardiplank, fiberboard sheathing, and drywall! Even if
your 1st story sheathing were 5/8" plywood it would present a much more
formidable barrier!

2. If I had heeded my instincts, the burglary could have been avoided. I try to live in
"condition yellow", though I slip into white more than I would like. That morning,
while buckling my toddler into the car, I noticed a rough-looking young man walking
slowly up the sidewalk. By the time I had buckled my seatbelt, he was ambling back
down the street in the opposite direction. All of the alarms in my head went off, but
I didn't call the police to investigate (something that they encouraged me to do in
the future while discussing the event). I did, however, step back inside and turn on
the alarm, which I didn't usually do for such short trips (things are different now). If I
hadn't turned on the alarm, I would have probably walked right into a home
invasion in progress (stupidly in condition white!) after dropping my son off. As it
was, as soon as I got the call from the monitoring service, I knew exactly what had
happened, and who had done it! During the frantic 3 mile drive home, my main
concern was, "what will I do if I arrive before the police?" At the time, I had no
firearm with me, which leads me to my final point.

3. Any time you walk into your home [after an absence] in condition white, with no
way to defend yourself, you invite disaster. Yes, I know it can be terribly stressful to
admit to yourself that our society has "come to this", and some people would rather
just play the odds and hope it doesn't happen to them. I feel that God was watching
over me that day (by the way, the police were on site when I got home - it had only
been 20 minutes since I left the house) and gave me a second chance. I guess I
could remain in condition white, and hope it doesn't happen again, but I have
responsibilities. God gave me a second chance, and I am committed to learning
from this experience. You'd better believe that I will arrive home in condition yellow
to orange, looking for any hint that something is awry - especially if my family is in
tow! Oh yeah, and my next house is going to be as solid as I can afford, and then
some!

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas, and will have a terrific new year.
Best Wishes, - SH in Georgia
James;

I have been an advocate for survivors of violent crimes. I would like to point out
some things that I have been tracking for almost a year now. (I have 'home
invasions" as a google search alert and get messages on this topic many times a
day). First, I have noticed that most of these invaders are not so much interested in
carting away ill-gotten booty from the residence that they have invaded as much as
the first object is to terrorize and torture those in the dwelling. This is a major
change in the high level of deprived violence of these burglars who are now being
reported as "home invaders". The attacks are sadistic, whereas, twenty years ago
true sadistic attacks were more rare as the goal seemed to be to steal and leave.
Second, these sadistic home invasions are world wide. I have not yet figured out
why this is so. It is, however, concerning that no place seems safe from this bizarre
rise in sadistic violence. Perhaps it can be linked to violent video games? I am not
sure what else could link these acts world wide. Third, unlike violent home crimes in
years past, the home invaders are attacking during the hours when it is more likely
that the residents are home. (Most of these invasions seem to take place between
11 PM and 5 AM). Clearly, unlike in early times when the criminal element wanted to
avoid the residents, this new class of thugs want that violent encounter.

I think this does require that decent folks to have a change in understanding what is
taking place. These criminals are not just getting the pleasure of taking your
property but they want to cause you and your family extreme fear, terror, and pain.
Passive conduct by the victims that might have allowed these thugs to rob your
home and leave you alone might have worked twenty years ago, but I think today's
home invaders first literally will want a pound of your flesh. On a positive note, I
have also read of numerous residents who have successfully fended off the invaders
by being properly protected within their homes. I am 'surprised" that the media
doesn't seem to do much coverage of these heroic deeds of the victim defending
himself or family members from these sadistic invasion. - Advocate for Survivors of
Violent Crimes

Dear Mr. Rawles.

Regarding your post on Tuesday December 30, titled "Letter Re: Home Invasion
Robbery Countermeasures". I would like to see you elaborate on the
"Countermeasures" portion of the title. Specifically, could you show some real
examples that people could use as "force multipliers" similar to this . Maybe you can
do a post on with and without grid power in SHTF scenarios.

For example I live in a suburb of a city of about 80,000 people. I live on a corner lot
and have a fenced in back yard. What low-tech methods could I deploy to allow full
coverage around the perimeter of my property to signal of coming trouble. It would
help if the ideas were designed to not create an abundance of false alarms and not
alert the surrounding neighborhoods like a trip alarm.

I don't have a retreat location but I'm getting my finances in order to allow a
property purchase soon. If TSHTF tomorrow, I would need some simple ideas to
keep my family safe as long as possible.

BTW, I read your "Patriots" novel and it was awesome! I am about half way
thorough your "Rawles Gets You Ready" course and it too is great. Thanks, - Steve
F. in Louisiana

JWR Replies: A corner lot is problematic. Depending on the landscaping that is

prevalent in your neighborhood, if it would not look too out of the ordinary then you
might consider planting a "decorative" thorny hedge around as much of your
perimeter as possible, and install a gate across the front of your driveway. Make
both the maximum height that you can get away with, without being branded as the
Neighborhood Paranoid Poster Boy. The gate should have a spiked top of some sort,
to discourage gate jumpers. Just inside the gate, position a passive infrared Motion
Alert Transmitter (MAT) for a Dakota Alert. You should also plant thorny bushes
below each of your windows.

Motion-activated floodlights are inexpensive and very easy to install.(They are

available at home improvement and hardware stores such as Home Depot and
Lowe's.) If the power grid goes down, you really should bug out ASAP, but if you are
forced to stay, then solar-powered floodlights might suffice. (But note that their
reviews mention that they have a short service life. So it is best to just test them
but not mount them outdoors until needed.) Under those circumstances, a pair of
night vision goggles would be a must. (And if you have those, you might want to
retrofit your floodlights to use infrared bulbs. Being battery powered, your Dakota
Alert system will continue to operate without grid power. But of course keep plenty
of spare batteries on had for all of your flashlights and other home security and
communications electronics.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Letter Re: The Recent Storm in New England--A Ready and Able Family

Permalink

Hi Jim.

I have been a long time reader of your blog and have spent quite a bit of money
with many of your terrific advertisers. I am writing to tell you about the serenity of
my day in the midst of the hard hitting ice storm up here in New England. Thanks to
the information you present in your blog and the preparation that I have taken over
the last few years, all I had to do to prepare for this storm the day before was two
things - fill the fire wood box and fill the bath tub for toilet flushing water.

I already had food stocked up. I had drinking water available. I had heat via a wood
stove. I had a generator. I had plenty of fuel for the generator. (I was even able to
loan a spare generator and fuel out to a friend.) I had fresh batteries for the
flashlight and radios. I had a scanner to listen to all the emergency calls in the area.
(You will realize how under-prepared your neighbors are by all the assistance calls.)
I had plenty of alternative lighting (candles and LED lights). I had sufficient
quantities of ice melt and sand on hand.

The great thing was that I wasn't stressed out before, during or after the storm. My
family mentioned over and over how terrific it was to be prepped. I was fortunate
that they were on the "let's get prepped" band wagon with me over the last few
years. I got to enjoy the ice sculptures of the day and was able to help out someone
else, too. The simple fact of all this is that by being prepared you get to relax a bit
during a potentially stressful time. This wasn't an end of the world scenario but
nonetheless the preparation was almost the same. Being prepped for any
emergency isn't that hard to do and the resources you collect over time are useful
in nearly any condition. It was actually a bit fun to see all this preparation fall nicely
into place. Thanks for all you do! - Relaxed in New England

Friday, December 5, 2008

Letter Re: Some Disaster Preparedness Information for Asthmatics

Permalink

Hi Mr. Rawles,

My son has asthma and I have had the unfortunate experience of not having power
when he needed a nebulizer treatment. Please inform you readers of the absolute
necessity of having power inverters and testing your needed appliances before an
emergency. Not knowing how sensitive a medical nebulizer is and knowing that
some equipment is sensitive to modified sine wave power from the cheaper
inverters was terrifying. Having the power out and an asthma attack at the same
time was bad enough.The prayer that I said when turning on our only nebulizer
plugged into a gizmo (my wife's word, not mine) that was attached to a car running
in the driveway with jumper cables was unique to say the least.

Buy good inverters and test [them with your various electrical and electronic
equipment] before the storm.

I now have several and we insist on our young drivers keeping their cars full of gas.

My point in writing you was to inform your readers that everything in their house
can be ran in a emergency. Nebulizers are not very power hungry and can be run
with very inexpensive equipment. - GB

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Letter Re: Some Disaster Preparedness Information for Asthmatics

Permalink

Dear JWR

I am fairly new to prepping but as a lifelong asthma patient I quickly realized that I
cannot depend solely on my current nebulizer WTSHTF. This is because it plugs into
a wall and does not have any other alternative way to work when the grid goes
down. When I did some research, however, I found a beautiful thing.

There are now handheld nebulizers that have both AC and and DC car adapter
abilities as well as a rechargeable [gel cell] battery. They cost around $200 or
slightly more but I can tell you that this is a bargain compared to dying of an
asthma attack because there was no power and the hospital is not an option for one
reason or another. For other people who will want to do this kind of prep for
themselves or family members with asthma a prescription is required for the
medicine and also the nebulizer.

The most common issue though is to acquire this unit, it seems to be on backorder
from most of the local places I have tried. So for preppers I advise start the process
now if you need one of these. I was just told today by one company that they
haven't yet received their order that was placed in August .

Respectfully, - SKT

JWR Replies: This is a similar requirement than the CPAP machines needed by some
folks with sleep apnea. (This has been discussed previously in SurvivalBlog,.,and
elaborated on further in a subsequent letter about refrigeration for insulin.)
Thankfully, most nebulizers have fairly modest current requirements.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Letter Re: Advice on an Inexpensive Solar Battery Charger?

Permalink

Hi Mr. Rawles:

In your comments to the family living in Trinidad & Tobago, you wrote: "As your
budget allows, buy a small solar charger for your AA and AAA NiMH batteries."

Do you have personal experience with any of these solar chargers? Can you
recommend any? Many thanks, - Larry T.

JWR Replies: Depending on your budget, solutions can run from "micro", to "mini",
to "maxi." These inexpensive solar chargers sold by Ready Made Resources (one of
our long-time advertisers) work fine as a "micro" solution., but be advised that they
are not waterproof. I recommend setting these up on a windowsill, inside a south-
facing window. In my experience, it is best to buy at least two of these chargers,
since they charge slowly, via "trickle charging".
Moving up to the "mini" solution, there are these 6.5 watt flexible (amorphous),
photovoltaic (PV) panels. Even modest-size PV systems with a small deep cycle
battery bank can make a huge difference in providing small scale lighting and
battery charging for crucial security measures such as radios and night vision
equipment. There are so many LED lights, battery charging trays, and various
pieces of electronic gear available that will run directly from 12 VDC or from a DC-
to-DC converter, that you might be able to skip the expense of a full-up system with
a large AC inverter.

If you have a bigger budget, Ready Made Resources (RMR) and other vendors can
also supply larger pre-packaged PV power systems, either with or without an AC
power inverter. (Without an inverter, they will provide only 12 volt or 24 volt DC
power.) RMR even has experience designing "maxi" systems--6 KW or larger. (BTW,
they offer free alternate energy system design and consulting.)

Keep in mind that starting January 1st, grid-tied PV systems will be eligible for a
30% Federal tax credit in the US. Many states also offer their own tax credits. In
some states such as Florida and California, the combined Federal and state tax
credits may reduce your expense by as much as 70%, when all is said and done.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Letter Re: Finding Abandoned Properties, Post-TEOTWAWKI?

Permalink

Dear Mr. Rawles,

I recently became a fan of your blog and wanted to commend you for your work in
educating the masses. While I don't have a retreat, I'm using a different strategy
and hope for your input. I live in western Maryland. Historically we are fairly
disaster-proof from natural disasters enjoy all four seasons. My plan is to prepare
(as best we can here) and after a disaster, claim a better vacant property.

Two other thoughts: I recently purchased David Blume's book "Alcohol Can Be a
Gas" and intend to fuel my own flex fuel vehicles and have a barter tool. Secondly,
I'm trying to rig some way to attach a bicycle to a generator and store energy and
provide exercise for my family - Thanks, Mark W.
JWR Replies: I regularly get e-mails like yours, mostly from preppers on tight
budgets that have hopes of finding "abandoned" properties. It would take an
incredible "worst case" situation with massive de-population before properties
would be totally abandoned. A vacant property still has an owner--or at least has
heirs of a deceased owner. And unless government totally disappears in some
anarchic spasm (which is highly unlikely outside the Horn of Africa), there would still
be due process and the normal legalities of properties being seized for property tax
delinquency, and then being sold at auction to the highest bidder. Science fiction
novelist Robert A. Heinlein said it best: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch
(TANSTAAFL).

I recommend that you plan more realistically. You can prepare on a modest budget
by teaming up with like-minded people in your area and buying contiguous parcels
in a covenant community to provide a local bartering base and mutual security.
Abandoned properties are more the stuff of daydreams than reality. But given the
continuing collapse of the United States real estate market, who knows? There may
be some very inexpensive foreclosed or even tax delinquent parcels available at
auction in rural areas in just a couple of years.

There are several brand of bike generator stands on the market, including the U-
Gen.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Letter Re: A Suggested Checklist for Preparedness Newbies

Permalink

Here's a beginner's list I made for my [elderly] father today:

Food

{Brown pearl] rice does not store well. Neither does cooking oil so that needs to
be fresh. No, Crisco doesn't count.

Coconut oil would be your best bet.

Wheat berries - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store
 Beans - 400 pounds - bulk order at your local health food store

Mylar bags

Spices

Salt

Country Living grain mill

propane tanks, small stove and hoses to connect

freeze dried fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat if you can find them.

Water

500 gallons of water [storage capacity. Rainwater catchment is a common

practice in Hawaii]

Water filter

Cooking

Cast Iron Cookware

Firearms

FN PS 90

10 PS 90 magazines

5.7 handgun

10 FN 5.7 handgun magazines

5.7 ammo
 Training: Front Sight four day defensive handgun course. (Note: eBay sometimes
has course certificates for $100!)

Body armor: Nick at BulletProofME.com

Medical

Personal medications

Augmentin antibiotic

Up to date dental work

Painkillers

Bandages

Iodine

Anti-fungal spray

Finances

$10,000 cash in small bills

100 one-ounce silver coins (GoldDealer.com or Tulving.com)

Transport

Gasoline in 5 gallon cans or better yet, this.

Gas stabilizer

Mountain bikes

Air pump

Miscellany

Flashlights

Rechargeable Batteries
 Battery charger

Hand held walkie talkies

Topographical map of your area

Spare eyeglasses

Shortwave radio

Home generated power

12 volt battery system

Good backpack

Good knife

Good compass

Good shoes

Bar soap

Toothbrushes

Dental floss

Toilet paper

Fishing kit

Salt licks

Connibear traps

Regards, - SF in Hawaii

JWR Adds: The following is based on the assumption that SF's father also lives in
Hawaii: Because of the 10 round magazine limit for handguns, I recommend that
Hawaiians purchase only large bore handguns for self defense--such as .45 ACP.
Both the Springfield Armory XD .45 Compact or the Glock Model 30 would both be
good choices. The "high capacity" advantage of smaller caliber handguns is not
available to civilians in Hawaii, so you might as well get a more potent man stopper,
given the arbitrary 10 round limitation.
Monday, November 3, 2008

Adapt to Survive, by Elizabeth B.

Permalink

You are incredibly mistaken if you think you can store up enough to see you through
bad times. You are wrong, dead wrong. When I say store up, I’m talking, food,
provisions, tools, barter equipment, and whatever.

The key to survival will be adaptation, just like in nature. Those who survive will be
those who can readily adapt to a changing environment. I know many of you are
sitting on little mountains of barrels, cans, packages and feel like you have an edge.
Simply put, you will not be able to squirrel away enough.

What happens when the stash runs out?

I was shocked to read this week (October 31, 2008) when a SurvivalBlog reader
wrote:

“Is there a good book that you can recommend on food storage for someone like
me that is on a budget and wants to "do it myself”, but not go so far as ‘grow it
myself?’ ”

How long will the bad times last? Who knows? What will you do when the stash runs
out? Barter those silver and gold coins that no one can eat?

Survival skills depend on knowledge and practice. If you have children, take them
out of soccer and dance classes and immediately put them in Girl Scouts or Boy
Scouts. Look until you find a good troop or better yet, join up, take the required
training, and begin your own troop. You will influence more lives than you can
possibly imagine. You and your children will have outdoor living experiences that
will see them through the rest of their lives. Did you ever cook your food over a
wood campfire and lie on the ground scanning the night sky for meteors with the
smell of smoke and coyote yelps lingering in the air? Scout troops teach children
community living and cooperation, both critical survival skills.
Read everything you can until you become familiar with survival concepts and
theory. Then you need to begin to practice, practicing daily. First of all, move out of
your apartment into a house. If you can’t afford to buy, then you shouldn’t be
storing food. Rent if you can’t buy. You don’t have enough room to practice and
store your supplies in an apartment, no matter what anyone says.

Here is a short list of skills you and your loved ones need:

* Water: Harvesting, storage, filtration, sterilization

* Gardening: How to plant, save and store seed, make soil, propagate.

* Fire: Get rid of that propane tank and charcoal briquettes, practice fire-starting
with a variety of materials that you find. Build many types of fires. Accumulate a
couple of iron items such as a good grill or tripod, dutch oven, lifters, and work
gloves … learn how to cook over coals, on a plank, in a box oven, in a trench, in a
hay box, in a tin can, in a rocket stove…know how to dry and smoke … know how to
build a fire anywhere on any surface and how to improvise safe surfaces. Buy as
many matches as you can. Matches are an excellent storage item. They’ll never go
bad and will be a high demand item.

* Shelter: Practice making shelters from as many materials you find on hand for a
variety of conditions. Sleep outside in different weather as often as you can. You’ll
grow to love it and will discover the night sky.

* Solar cooking. Make solar cookers from boxes, aluminum foil, glass jars. Practice,
practice, practice throughout the changing seasons

* Tools: Know how to clean, sharpen, store tools; get very familiar with your ax and
saw and hammer and pliers. Feel free to stock up on nails and screws and wire.
* Cooking: Unfortunately, the current generation of young adults really knows
practically nothing about tasty and thrifty food preparation. This is easily remedied.
You eat multiple times a day. Look on each meal as a practice event. If you have
children, shut down the smorgasbord of choices for each picky eater. Everyone
needs to know how to eat beans and rice with a few additions such as meat for
flavoring, herbs and spices to make each meal new and palatable. Make soup a
daily fare. It won’t matter if you have thousands of dollars of food stored if it is not
familiar foods that people enjoy. There is no SPAM or tuna in my storage. I won’t eat
SPAM, and I’m morally opposed to eating tuna due to depletion of our oceans and
crashing fish populations. Learn to eat more simply now, today. Eat each meal at
home, don’t eat out. Practice serving vegetarian meals at least once a day. Terrific
cookbooks like Apocalypse Chow and Backpacker's Recipes can point you in the
right direction. Can you bake bread in a dutch oven? Can you make pasta with
wheat and a pasta machine?

* Food. I saved this topic for last because it is so huge. First, buy some sturdy
gardening tools from Craig's List. The older ones are better. Read up, talk to
gardeners, go to free community gardening events, and begin now, yesterday was
already getting very, very late to learn this skill. Food is going to be much more
important than just stashing and hoarding. Real freedom comes from being
responsible for your own food. When you are out of the apartment, you’ll be able to
prepare for your chickens. True, you might not be able to house them right now due
to city or HOA regulations, but the time will come. Be ready for your little chicks and
their fabulous eggs. You need to plant fruit trees specific to your zone which will
thrive. It takes three years or so for fruit production. In my incredibly tiny area I
have pomegranate, olive, apples, figs, blackberry, strawberries, and bananas. Look
on every square inch of your yard as an opportunity for food supply. Practice
container gardening -- you never know. Composting and mulching cannot be
overstated or overlooked. You should never throw another scrap of fruit or
vegetable away again. Get a dog for the other food scraps, friendship, and
protection. Invite wild birds into your garden. Learn what the sun requirements are
for specific plants and what your garden can supply. Include edible native plants
that you know you can serve in a pinch. I have mesquite, roses, cacti, lilies, and
edible flowers. Learn to eat a huge variety of foods. Learn to prepare a huge variety
of tasty foods. This will truly be the key to survival in the future. My Great
Depression-era father thought that pickled pig’s feet, cornbread crumbled into
buttermilk, pinto beans with cornbread, and greens were some of life’s greatest
pleasures. Picky eaters will not be survivors. Complainers will not be survivors.

Finally, forget the batteries. They won’t last forever and you can’t buy/store enough
for the rest of your life. You are contributing to the toxic waste stream by buying
batteries. If you just insist on having a flashlight, then go buy a case of Faraday
flashlights that work on the principal of magnetic induction. A radio is actually a
terrific idea. Get a hand crank dynamo or solar radio. Like I said, ditch the battery
idea. Prepare to adapt to a new life. [JWR Adds: Be warned that most of the
Chinese-made "dynamo" hand crank radios on the market are very flimsy and are
unlikely to last more than a month of daily use. I recommend the BayGen radios,
made in South Africa. They are built to last.]

Critical issues such as waste removal, weapons, spirituality, residual recycling, and
community need to be in the back of your mind, but that is for another essay.

As you reach for an item in the store, ask yourself this question: What if I could not
buy this today or ever again, would I miss it? What could I use instead? Can I do
without this today and forever? Rethink your lifestyle and prepare for another test
of adaptability that may be thrown at humanity. Throughout time, we have been
tested whether it has been by ice ages, wars, famine, or plague. If you can adapt,
you can survive.

I’m only speaking in generalities because it is up to you to adapt to survive. You

need to find out the information for yourself and think of new ways to live. Survival
is not only about surviving, it is about living and enjoying life. It’s impossible to
teach someone everything there is to know, at some point you have to depend on
yourself. Check YouTube.com for endless videos on any subject in the world. I’ve
improved my vegetable growing methods by learning from experts on YouTube. In
the end, your existence will depend on your own mind and your own heart and your
own hands.

[JWR Adds: While Elizabeth has made some excellent points, she has overstated her
case for adaptation. There are some critical uses for both propane tanks and
rechargeable batteries that justify their inclusion in preparedness planning.
Granted, they represent finite supplies. But I'd rather have them in reserve for a
critical situation and not need them. The inverse is not appealing. (Needing them,
but not having them.) Imagine if you needed to conduct impromptu surgery. Would
you prefer to perform a surgery by the light of fat oil lamps?

I disagree with her assertion about not storing extra tools. Tools will be worth their
weight in gold. A lot of things can be improvised and adapted, but high quality
tools--especially those with tight tolerances cannot. You can probably improvise a
plow, but you cannot improvise a Unimat lathe. And consider this: With a Unimat
lathe (in properly trained hands) and given enough high speed steel stock you can
build just about any tool including another Unimat lathe. Thus a "stored" tool can be
eminently useful for "adaptation."

Lastly, keep in mind that preparing to survive in a warm southwestern climate is

considerably different than in cloudy, cold northern climes. The colder the climate,
the deeper the larder that you'll need. (Since growing seasons are short, and in
some years with early frosts you will have hardly any garden yield. Stored fuel
(firewood, coal, et cetera) is similarly important in cold climates. There may come a
year when you cannot cut a fresh supply of firewood--say you break a leg or have a
major illness. That is why it is very important to have several years worth of
firewood on hand.]

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Good Compsec Practices for Preppers, by T.

Permalink

Compsec is a subset of OPSEC that is concerned with computer security. It can not
be ignored if you plan to use computers now and after a SHTF situation.

The personal computer is a powerful tool to help cope with any disaster or survival
situation. The capacity for enormous data storage in a very small footprint makes it
a valuable resource when the grid and net go down. You will have all the
information you need at your finger tips; first aid and medical info, maps and
topography, equipment and firearms manuals, personal records and pictures, and
the list goes on and on. Just be sure you have back ups of your data on hard drives
and DVDs and a spare system or two stowed away in an EMP-shielded cabinet.
Laptops make sense as spares due to their transportability and lower power
consumption.[JWR Adds: Like all of you other spare small electronics, any spare
laptops should be stored in 40mm ammo cans, for EMP protection.] Make sure you
have spare batteries and chargers, hard drives, etc. Consider having the rugged
laptops that are shock, water and dust resistant. Here are some examples:

Dell Ruggedized Laptop

Panasonic Toughbook Laptop

See the recent article on how to power your PC with solar energy in Computer
Power User magazine's November, 2008 issue. The article is titled: “Get Off The
Grid”.

Solar Laptop chargers are available from:

Basegear

Ready Depot

[JWR Adds: Compact photovoltaic power systems are also available from Ready
Made Resources, a loyal SurvivalBlog advertiser.]

Here are some sites with useful information that you might want to stow away
before TSHTF:

USGS Topography Resources

KI4U Library

First Aid References

EquippedToSurvive (PDF)

NIH Medline

eBooks

There are many other treasure troves of information on the Internet. Look around
and gather those free files now[, and make backups on CD-ROM].

You don't have to spend a fortune on software; if you leave Microsoft behind and
enter the world of Open Source software where you will find a plethora of great
software ranging from the LINUX operating system to office automation, databases,
and hundreds of useful programs. Consider that most viruses and malware are
written for Microsoft products, so open source is generally more secure for that
reason alone. Check out these web sites for some alternative ways to go:

Ubuntu

Red Hat

SourceForge
Tucows

If you prefer to stick with the tried and true Microsoft, do indeed follow their security
recommendations and make sure you get all the updates installed as soon as they
come out. I recommend using the automatic updates for the operating system and
software packages as well as virus and spyware scanners.

Scott McNealy, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems once said, “You have no privacy
[in the Internet era]. Get over it.” That is definitely a true statement. There are
gigantic databases all over the world with data on any minutiae that may have been
recorded from many diverse sources which can then be correlated by high power
computers to produce a pretty good picture of you as an individual should someone
wish to. Some of the data is obtained legally from public records and news sources;
some is obtained illicitly through hacking or purchasing outright what should be
private information. The data may also come from spybots and Trojan horses right
on your very own personal computer.

Anything that is stored on a computer that is connected to the internet is

susceptible to data harvesting. Anything you posted to an on-line message board, or
an email you sent, or a form you filled out, may well still exist somewhere on the
internet even after it seemingly is gone. In the unthinkably large database of Google
it may live a long, long time or on a back up tape in some obscure data center
somewhere. It may even attain near immortality in the “Wayback Machine”, a
database that archives web pages.

Even though using the internet can be hazardous, there are ways to make your
surfing safer. By all means install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and update it
frequently. Another essential is to have a firewall. Most operating systems now
come with firewalls so make sure it is enabled. It can be made even more secure if
you do the homework.It’s not a good idea to leave your computer running on-line
24/7 unless you have a specific reason to do so. It gives the hackers a lot of time to
work on cracking your system and once cracked hackers can use your PC in their
zombie army to launch more attacks and collect more data, all in the dead of night
while you sleep. You won’t notice the hard drive and network activity.

Use strong passwords, it’s a pain, but weak passwords are easily cracked and once
that is done, you have absolutely no security at all. Change passwords regularly
because even a strong password can eventually be cracked by brute force cracking
which simply tries random character patterns until it finds the one that works. If you
use words that can be found in a dictionary or even words slightly modified, be
aware that these are much faster to be cracked.

You can learn about strong passwords here:

Microsoft Password Checker

LINUX Password Checker

Free Ultra-Secure Password Generator from Gibson Research

Pay attention to security settings on your web browser. I use the Firefox browser
because it has better security features [than others like Microsoft Internet Explorer],
such as clearing of private data when exiting, the ability to manage individual
cookies, and the ability to disable the “HTTP referrer” information that tells the next
web site you visit where you just came from.

Whatever browser and operating system you use, make sure that it is as secure as
it can be and still be functional for your needs. The basic philosophy of system
hardening is to close all the open doors, install locks, and only open up those that
you absolutely must in order to operate. There are many open doors and loosely
guarded doors in an unsecured system which comes right from the manufacturer
that way. You need to look into all the setting and options that are available with
what ever hardware and software you have, and then start tightening up as much
as possible.

Another problem with most PCs running a Microsoft OS is that they become laden
with junk over time. As you install new software and hardware your registry grows
to a huge size and you accumulate startup programs that start up when you logon
and run even if you may not need them. They make the login slower and slower as
they accumulate and some of them may even be spybots reporting back to home
base of your activities. I’m willing to bet that most PC users are running software for
programs they never even use anymore.

Here are a few sites to learn about how to clean your PC of these start-up parasites:

Info on start-up programs

This a database of good, bad and optional programs that might be running on your
PC.
Microsoft registry cleaner. There are other commercial products available, be
careful to select the option to make backups before you clean up the registry. The
cleaners occasionally clean too much and break a program that you need.

Here is a cleaner I have used successfully.

Visit these web sites to give yourself some good security check-outs:

Tons of good compsec information.

Free Tools and Utilities.

The Junkbusters site will tell you if your browser is giving out too much information.

Gibson Research. Click on the services tab and select Shields Up! to give your
system a security check up. Check out all their other good security info.

This page will tell you about your Internet "persona" and check out other good
information.

Surf anonymously. This will help keep those who do not have a need to know, out of
your affairs. Just remember that ‘somebody’ will know what your internet IP
addresses is, and that ‘somebody’ is the anonymity provider or proxy server. It can
be traced to your PC.

Here are two free anonymizers:

CEXX.org

ComputerBytesMan

One note of caution about encrypted files and web sites that your browser accesses:
The browser will copy it to cache and it will be in clear text allowing anybody to read
it or a Trojan to copy the page back to its home base server. The solution is to clear
browser cache immediately after accessing encrypted pages.

Using a search engine link will provide the web site you visit with all the search
terms you used to make the search. Instead, copy and paste the link into the
browser navigation bar for a little extra anonymity. If you have a Google account
and have logged in to check your Gmail then it is possible for Google to link your
login to your searches thus reducing your anonymity even more. [JWR Adds: I
recommend that SurvivalBlog readers go a step further and use the Scroogle
Scraper intermediary portal to do any Google searches.]

I hope this information has been helpful for those preparing for those tough times
ahead that lay ahead. I do believe the personal computer can be a powerful survival
tool if, or should I say when, the TSHTF. Visit Set2Survive.com for more information,
links and resources.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Prepping: A Labor of Love, by Sparky

Permalink

My preparedness journey began when my mother in law was dying, and we had to
get out of the house for a while. At a flea market, on the bottom shelf, was a book
titled “Making the Best of Basics”. The cover caught my attention, and before we
went home that night, I had read and re-read the book. I am a union electrician,
subject to layoffs, and my husband is a self-employed painter. The idea that I
needed to prepare came easy for me. I thought I had done well, always buying extra
for the pantry. But water? Oops. I hadn't thought about that one. So, I started doing
the things in the book, and my mind was always going, and the lists got longer.

When I started to realize that I had a lot to do, I shared my thoughts with my best
friend. Instead of laughing, she got on board. We discussed my home as the retreat.
Although it doesn’t fit every need, it has a lot to offer. We are on a gravel, lightly
populated road, about 20 minutes from a medium city. We have a well, and two
acres. Our home has a basement, where we are working to get things organized.
We know most of our neighbors, and have a community here. One neighbor plows
our drive when it snows, and has for two years now. We treat him to his favorite
brew on occasion to thank him, and I have even taken him a bowl of hot soup when
he arrives.

Worst case scenario, we could have as many as 30 family members here, with
varied skills, but it is a momentous task to try to prepare for that many people.

Last spring, my friend and I built raised garden beds that are still producing. We
used recycled bleachers for the boxes, old shelving and other “trash” for the
trellises. An old hog waterer with the waterer cut out, set in the ground at the
proper angle, with a double pane window on it, became a cold frame. We also have
the supplies to expand the garden next year. It is actually a very pretty garden!

I have dried tomatoes, onions, cabbage, apples, mushrooms, eggs, plums; canned
anything that I had time to, and jellied, with new recipes for dandelion jelly, zucchini
jam, and cantaloupe jam. My three garage sale dehydrators run most of the time. I
have studied new and old methods of drying. I keep sodium metabisulfite, but also
use the older method of using salt and vinegar rinses to preserve color. I have
learned a lot, and my family is scrounging for jars for me. The supply is dried up
here, mostly due to the awakening of some of the sheeple.

After consideration of a generator, it was decided that the best route for us was to
just ready ourselves to be off grid. Second-hand shops have provided hank crank
blenders, food processors, meat grinders, and other kitchen helpers. A friend helped
build an Amish [summer canning] kitchen from some table legs, wood, and a
Freecycled propane cooktop. One plus to this that we didn’t consider—the stove is
lower in height, which is helpful when working with canners. One thing that we did
consider—a hundred gallons of propane will work this stove, or the propane stove in
the kitchen, for a year and a half. A couple of extra tanks are on the list to obtain!
By putting the cooktop outside, we don’t heat the house up, which now helps the air
conditioning bill, and will definitely help later, when it is just hot, and there is no air
conditioning. We can also use it in the barn or basement if the weather
necessitates. We also have propane heaters, and for emergencies, canned heat.
(The latter is a 1-quart steel paint can, with a roll of toilet paper with cardboard liner
removed, 16 ounces of alcohol. Directions for making these can be found on the
LDS preparedness sites [such as www.ProvidentLiving.org.].)

We have been learning to save our own seeds, and I have been studying some
animal husbandry, expecting to get some small livestock. We also have laid in a
supply of sprouting seeds, and use them.

I now store water, and using the PACE system means that we have several means
of getting more. For now the well is primary, the hand pump is alternate, the stored
water is contingent, and the rain water, pond water, etc. would be the emergency.
However, we also have our eyes on a pump that would be inline, and pressurize the
tank. This will happen soon if things hold out a while! Although I store drinking
water, I also started saving detergent bottles for non-potable water. I don’t even
rinse them. When we are without water, and have dishes or laundry to do, those
bottles will work perfectly, even offering up the remnants of the soaps in them.
Solar and human generated power are ideas that I am investigating, and if time
permits, we should have minimal power, with minimal outlay. I hope that my
electrical abilities will help here! Several years ago I installed some solar powered
flood lights on my parents’ home, and now plan to put some both on and in my
home. I do understand that during the probable turmoil, their use would be limited
to avoid the target on our backs. However, eventually things will settle, and they
would be of great use. By eliminating the motion sensor and photo-eye, and direct-
wiring a switch, these lights could work in the house as well, and would need only a
path for the solar cell wire, i.e. through a window. This would be fine as a temporary
fix until more permanent work could be done.

I was able to find a supplier locally for wheat, where I am the only customer. Not
only do I grind flour, making our own breads when time permits, but we sprout it for
both us and our dogs. Incidentally, our older dog was having some health issues,
and I started adding sprouts to the dog food. Within a couple of weeks, he was
acting like a puppy, and his chronic halitosis had vanished.

I also found a neighbor who grows corn, who took my order for about 10 bushel,
when the moisture content is down and we can store it. Guess some cornbread with
all those beans would be a welcome thought.

I found an article for a vacuum pump, which is worth sharing. I had seen build-it-
yourself pumps, but with all the preps, building one was not in the time allotment.
However, you can go to your local auto store, and get a brake bleeder, with a gauge
and several attachments, very reasonably. I obtained the mason jar sealers, and
now seal all my dehydrated foods with vacuum on them. Just put the conical end on
the bleeder, press it into the jar attachment, and pump away. When you remove the
pump, the jar seals. A mason jar will hold 20 inches (Hg) of vacuum, which, by the
way, will collapse a five gallon bucket. Don’t ask me how I know. Seal your buckets
with a little less vacuum!

My friend and her mom got on board early, and are both also prepping. We are in
the process of getting a community inventory, so we know what we all need to work
on. My mother was supportive, but not overly helpful until this month. Along with
jars, tins, and the usual things on my list from garage sales, she has started getting
winter clothes, socks, etc. She also gave me a nice check to help with whatever we
need, and pledged to give more. My husband has become more supportive as the
economy teeters, and is also now actively engaged in the OPSEC end of our needs.
Our children are like most kids, struggling to survive. However, they also pick up an
extra bag of rice or can of beans when they can, and send it. I have given them
ideas on putting things away when you can barely afford to eat. Every week, get at
least one item. Even on a bad week, you can afford a box of salt, rice, beans,
pudding, or a can of milk. They also know (thanks to SurvivalBlog) what they need
to look for, and when to get headed home.

If you had told me 10 months ago how very many hours I could find in a day, week,
or month, to do all these things, I would have laughed. Now I look at the garden,
and see not only hours spent with my best friend, laughing as she learned to use a
drill, but the many meals we ate, and will still eat, from our bleacher boxes. I walk
to the basement, and see the supplies there. I see the full jars of home processed
foods, and enjoy just looking at the fruits of my labor. I see the first aid box, and the
many other medical supplies, and feel some peace. I look in the closet in my office,
and find sleeping bags, blankets, and other items to help out family when they are
forced here.

I don’t throw anything out any more, without asking myself if it has another
purpose. My family has lists of things that they are to watch for, and I often come
home from visits with the car full of goodies.

Remember, having all your supplies means nothing if you don’t know how to use
them. Eat wheat, sprout seeds, grow a garden, learn to use the canners, and lay in
a supply of jars and lids. Learn to cook with your essentials, stay warm with less
heat, and amuse yourself without television.

Are we ready? Not by a long shot! The more I know, the more I know that I don’t
know! But knowledge is power, and I do know that when things happen, I am much
more prepared that most, and we have a plan. Your blog site has been invaluable,
and as times become more unpredictable, you are the first thing I check when I log
on. Although I struggle with the fears of not having enough done, I know that we will
not panic. What we have begun is a new way of life that takes what we have today,
and builds on it for tomorrow. Lists will be filled, and peace grows. God is good, and
gives us much. It is our responsibility to use it wisely. He can only guide our steps if
we start walking. Then we have to count on Him to take care of the things we can’t.
Thanks again for what you do! Sparky

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Letter Re: Some Practical Notes on Third World Living

Permalink

Jim,

As this is not a competition entry, it has not been reviewed by an outside set of
eyes yet, and I'm sure its kind of disorganized, but this is some info about third
world life, as I can see it here, after things stabilize.

My wife is from Peru. She was born during the Peruvian hyperinflation and transition
to its next fiat currency, the Nuevo Sol. (Yeah, we're young whippersnappers) She
recently started to help out in getting ready. What helped her was comparing the
current economic climate here to Peru. This allowed her to correlate things that
occur in her former patria with our situation. She is a source of info on the Third
world medium sized city way of life.

In Third world Peru, everyone cooks with propane camp stoves, with big seven
gallon bottles. There is no space built for an American style range, even in nice
houses. All water is boiled before ingestion, except [commercially] bottled water.
Trucks come with semi-clean water and people line up to fill up their buckets for
washing and drinking. (after boiling) Hopefully you have a big tank on your roof to
gravity feed it through your pipes, as the power goes out regularly, and your
personal well and pump wont work.

Everyone had bars on every window and door. Houses not made of cement block
are broken into through the walls. They're also too cheap/poor to put enough steel
in the buildings, so they fall down easily in earthquakes. Re-bar is [used] only in the
corners. Nobody has an exposed to the street yard. A courtyard inside larger places
is the norm, off street parking, if you can afford a vehicle, is a must, or you wont be
parking anything soon. Inyokern told me this concept: When things go really sour,
everyone steals everything so often that everyone ends up with the same trash that
nobody wants to steal anymore. e.g. I have a nice bike, it gets stolen, I get a new
bike but not as nice as the first, it gets stolen, I buy the worst looking bike I can find.
It stays. This is very true. People with nice hats walk around with a hand on their
head. Political corruption is the norm. Most any government official can be bought
for a couple hundred nuevo sols. Farmers carry guns. People walk on your roof at
night.
Just about everyone is self employed. Selling food in the streets, tricycle and moto-
taxis, home based Liquor stores, etc. Often if you sell higher "dollar" stuff, your
customers don't even come in your building, money and product are exchanged
though the door bars. Keyed locks on both sides. There is no such thing as a big box
store. Even disposable diapers are bought one at a time.

People wear sandals called yanki. These are said to be made out of used car tires,
but most tires I know of are steel belted, and you can't cut that with a knife. My two
pair are made from rubber mining belt I think, as the tread pattern is cut by hand.
The poor wear them, and they supposedly last a loooooong time.

In Peru, the power goes out all the time. Candles are common. People don't stock
up there, the stores I guess have sufficient on hand to handle the outages and
subsequent candle runs. The stores here are obviously not prepared for that.

Traffic in her small town is nearly non existent, but traffic in Lima is suicidal.
Regards, - Tantalum Tom

Letter Re: AVGAS as an Alternative Source of Gasoline During Spot Shortages

Permalink

James,

I’m sort of reluctant to share this because, well, I might need to do it someday and
its value is in the fact that most people don’t know it.

During Hurricane Ike my uncle, who lives in Houston, acquired use of a generator.
That’s an interesting story in itself so I’ll divert for a second and elaborate: He didn’t
own a generator but his next door neighbor did. Unfortunately, the neighbor had
never run the generator and when they needed it, it wouldn’t start. My uncle is a
trained mechanic (former career) and was able to fix it. In return for his help, the
neighbor allowed my uncle to run an extension cord over to his house to keep the
fridge and freezer going. This underscores the importance of having practical skills.
Even if you can’t afford to store a lot of tangibles, having valuable skills can allow
you to barter work for the things you need. I know you’ve said that a million times.
Well there’s a shining example of the truth in it.
Back to the point I wanted to make: They didn’t have enough gas for the generator
and quickly ran out. The stations were out, and even if they had gas, there was no
power to pump it. So… My uncle is also a private pilot and flies out of a local
general aviation airport. Almost all public airports sell AVGAS, [(aviation gasoline),
one grade of] which is just highly refined 100 octane gasoline. It works fine in both
cars and equipment [such as generators]. Nobody was flying in or out, which left the
airport well stocked with gas and apparently, they also had a way to pump it. He
drove up there and bought all he wanted. The only people who thought to buy
avgas were other pilots. They bought all they could use. No lines, no competition,
no fighting.

I’m not suggesting this as an alternative to keep a sufficient supply of fuel on hand.
But it’s an additional resource if your supply runs out. As I read about the gas
shortages in the southeast (right now), all I can think is that there are probably
dozens if not hundreds of pilots gassing their cars up with avgas… and doing it very
quietly. Best, - Matt R.

JWR Replies: Thanks for that reminder. (Using AVGAS in ground vehicles has been
mentioned a few times in the blog.) Just keep in mind that there could be road tax
issues, at least in most English-speaking countries. Also, most AVGAS (such as
100LL), is made in leaded formulations and those are not compatible for use with
many of the newer vehicles that have catalytic converters. (Since leaded
formulations quickly degrade catalytic converters.)

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Letter Re: My Hurricane Ike Experience

Permalink

Dear Mr. Rawles,

First of all, my heart goes out to all those who truly suffered with loss of life or
property as a result of Hurricane Ike. I only had the minor inconvenience of being
without electricity in Houston for five days. (There are still over one million in
Houston and the surrounding area without power.) So I had a taste of what it is like
to be off-grid and learned a few things to share with your readers. It seems a lot of
people here had generators which burn lots of precious gasoline. But after a few
days the gasoline runs out. We toughed it out. I did have small camping-type
battery powered fans and several flashlights but can't imagine what we'd do in a
situation without power for the long term. You can have only so many batteries and
then what? We had water drawn in bath tub to use for flushing toilet, as water
plants use electricity to pump water. Also had many frozen plastic milk jugs in
freezer and big igloo to keep some things cold for a couple of days. Ice was very
hard to come by. Grocery stores were closed for a couple of days and there were
lines just to get into the stores when they did open. They let in a few people at a
time for crowd control. I was lucky to have my nonperishable food stockpile.
Remember to have extras for relatives. Gas stations were slow to reopen and had
hours to wait when they did open. (Many buying gas for their generators). We had
full tanks in advance of the storm. One important item we used was the car charger
for the cell phone. Be sure to have one that fits your current phone model. Also,
many don't realize that cordless land line phones use electricity so you need to
have a standard corded phone (which I had) if you want to even find out if your
land-line works. To heat water for coffee we used sterno called Canned Heat and it
worked very well. I know this is merely a temporary solution to heating. I told my
husband recently that I wanted to buy a camp stove and now he may agree with
me. And of course no television or computer which is really tough. I used my
television band radio a lot to get information.

I am now more afraid than ever of what it is going to be like if the power goes off
frequently or stays off in a worse-case scenario. Luckily I didn't see civil unrest, but
what if power stayed off longer? If there was any way, I would move out of the city.
Since I can't leave, I will continue to prepare the best I can. Please continue to
remember the trapped-in-the-city dwellers when you post ideas for survival. I think
we need the most help. Thanks for all you do, - Nancy B.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Letter Re: Tropical Storm Ike's Devastation Works its Way North to Ohio

Permalink

Hi Jim,

We live in Columbus, Ohio and had 76 m.p.h. winds on Sunday. We have been
without power until late today. Our neighborhood looks like a war zone. Many trees
on homes and in yards. There is some good news in that we shared our generator
with neighbors. Others in the neighborhood were doing the same. Some of the kids
set up a barbeque stand and were selling hot dogs and hamburgers for cost. This
helped many to have meals. Everyone helped to clear trees and limbs from the
roads and yards. Schools are still closed for Wednesday and many intersections still
have no signals. The majority of people are using common sense. In general the
west side of Columbus seemed to get hit the worse.
Let me say that we rode this out without much trouble. We had plenty of gas for the
generator and batteries for all of the flashlights and push on lights. We had water
stored but it was not needed. We had the right tools such as pots and pans etc. that
could be used on outside fires.

This was not the case for many. I went shopping for a few things and while at the
store a family was there buying emergency supplies. The mother commented to me
that she didn't know what she was going to fix to eat since she had no power. I
asked if they had a grill and she said yes. I told her to either buy or use some cheap
pots and pans and use the grill to cook. She looked at me and was so surprised and
said she would not have thought to use the grill. I could have told her a few other
ways to make meals but she moved on. I saw so many people trying to find ice as
well as generators. Camping items such as lanterns were all sold out in stores. I did
notice that several stores had raised prices on these items but most were sold out.

I have never been one, however, to own guns and always felt that I would not need
one. Well that has all changed as of last night. We had the generator chained to the
deck with heavy chains and locks and thought it was safe. We had been watching
television using rabbit ears and I got up to go to the other room. When I returned I
saw a car pull up in front of the house. We were the only house [in the
neighborhood] to have lights and it could be seen from the road. You could also
hear the generator from the road. The car moved on when the driver saw me
standing and looking out the window.

We decided we needed something in case they came back trying to take the
generator. The only thing we found was a length of heavy pipe. We got it and then
did not sleep for fear of losing the generator. I will be getting a gun and taking
safety classes to ensure proper use so that our property will be defended if needed.

We thought we were prepared but now have found a few items we still need to get
to be better prepared for next time. We have you to thank for helping us to prepare
as well as we did. Sincerely, - Melanie & Rick

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Letter Re: Tropical Storm Ike's Devastation Works its Way North to Ohio

Permalink
Hi James!

I heard you this morning on WLW [in Cincinnati, Ohio] radio when you did your quick
interview. Nice job.

It is amazing here in Cincinnati the level of chaos that exists. The power is still out
to over half a million people. My power just came back on about 10 minutes ago,
but I'm waiting until it stabilizes before shutting down my emergency power system.

We had quite a mess with lots of downed trees and power lines, but overall it wasn't
as bad as Houston - thank God! There has been quite a run on gasoline, and a bit of
gouging here. About 50% of the grocery stores are down without power. [The]
Krogers [grocery store chain in the region] has over 50% of their stores closed and
are predicting quite a loss in frozen/fresh foods at those locations.

I've been well prepared for quite a while, so no long gas lines for me, plenty to eat,
power and we've enjoyed a couple of days Internet free, which I might add hasn't
really been that bad! Maybe this will be a wake up call to more people locally to get
prepared. One can only hope. God bless you and yours! - Larry in Cincinnati, Ohio

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Letter Re: Generating Photovoltaic Power When Grid Power is Available

Permalink

Jim:

I agree completely with your comment that [photovoltaic] solar systems should not
be grid-tied to run the meter backward [to isolate the photovoltaic system from
potentially devastating coupled electromagnetic pulse (EMP).]

When the grid is available to home or retreat, I believe it is worth connecting. It is

the easiest way to deal with barns, 220 volt tools and wells, but some thought to
solar wiring can go a long way. Many custom homes and retreats were built with
home-run wiring before the price of wire jumped so high. A number of these homes
and retreats can be solar-controlled simply by DPDT switching circuit wiring at the
fuse box.

Think of two modes – solar when the grid is up and solar when the grid is down. The
thing many people have not thought through is how to utilize their solar power
when the grid is up and they make the lazy choice to grid-tie to realize the value
from their solar system. Grid-up, I run a server and a large desktop computer from
solar. Grid-down, I only run my laptop and have to control my well (dual 110 volt
inverters) versus my refrigerator and chest freezer so they do not run at the same
time. Grid-up, all my barns, refrigeration and 220 VAC is on the grid and most other
110 VAC is off-grid. When I leave the property, the grid tie is broken (I don’t need
the well then.) and all phantom loads, lighting and refrigeration are solar run.

All my computers are hooked to my computer network by wireless cards. My

television is wireless as well. This was very difficult to do because I have Charter
[Communications, Inc.] high-definition cable [television service.] It took a broad-
band wireless repeater between the converter box and the television. My solar
system utilizes all available solar power and protects me fairly well from EMP. My
home/retreat has well-insulated metal siding and metal roof for some added fire and
EMP protection. - SAR

Friday, September 12, 2008

Letter Re: Build it Yourself Farm and Homestead Equipment

Permalink

Mr Rawles

While looking for plans and ideas for a new outbuilding for my home. I found this
little gem solid information buried deep in the Countyplans.com web site. It has
probably has around 150 plans to build everything from a Turret Lathe and Mill to
Cement Mixers and Tractor Scoop Loaders. This stuff is in PDF format, download
able and free. The plans are reprints from old do it yourself magazines and are past
copyright so there isn't any legal issues with the downloads

Now a lot of these equipment plans would not pass the government's current nurf
world standards for safety so use them at your risk. Anyone who has ever work
around farm equipment knows to keep on their toes or you might end up with a
interesting new nickname. Glad to hear the Memsahib is back in charge, our prayers
are with you and yours. - Henry S.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Hurricane Iniki - Some Lessons Learned, by B.

Permalink

Hurricane Iniki, which struck the island of Kauai on September 11, 1992, was the
third-most damaging hurricane in U.S. history and provides some valuable insights
into how people react when an entire self-contained community loses most of their
creature comforts. By way of background, Kauai is the fourth largest island in the
Hawaiian Archipelago. It, along with a small, privately-owned island off its western
coast make up the County of Kauai. The population in 1992 was about 50,000.

On September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki made a direct hit on the island with winds
upward of 150 miles per hour. Approximately 70 percent of the buildings on Kauai
were destroyed or damaged. Telecommunications and electricity were lost and not
entirely restored to all areas for six months. Due to early warning and good Civil
Defense planning, there were only a handful of deaths attributed to the hurricane.
The hurricane missed the rest of the state except for brushing the leeward coast of
Oahu.

National Guard troops from other islands were on Kauai eight hours after the
hurricane had passed. Within three days, there were approximately 1,000 National
Guard personnel on the island. The command and control element reported directly
to the mayor of Kauai County and to the Governor. These lessons learned are from
the personal recollections of a member of the command and control element.

Most striking was the number of relief agencies that arrived on-island within a week
to two weeks after the storm. At one point there were 5,000 relief workers
representing 80 different governmental agencies and private organizations
supporting a population of 50,000. The 1:10 ratio of relief workers to residents was
one reason that there was almost no looting or lawlessness in the aftermath of the
storm. This ratio of 1:10 would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in more
densely populated areas or disasters that affect larger geographical regions (as we
saw following Hurricane Katrina) . In New Orleans, the military response was initially
focused on rescue or recovery and not on law enforcement.
Military planning is built around “operating systems” i.e. maneuver,
communications, etc. To facilitate planning, the operating systems inherent in all
civilian communities were identified, assessed and tracked to determine their
current status to coordinate support and to help estimate how long before each
system would be brought back on-line.

These systems were:

* Water

* Food

* Communications and electricity

* Sewage treatment and waste disposal

* Traffic control and public safety

* Medical Services

Each of these operating systems presented unique challenges and insights as they
relate to disaster planning.

Water - There are few private wells on the island. The County owns the water
system, which consists of reservoirs in the mountains and some wells that service
the drier parts of the island. The first priority for Civil Defense was to install
generators at all pumping stations. In most areas water was back on-line within 3-
to-4 days.

Food - MREs, supplied by the Federal government, were available within a few days
after the storm. They became the main source of calories for most people. However,
the novelty of eating MREs quickly wore off and distributing food became a high
priority. Feeding stations serving a hot lunch were set up at various locations
around the island using military cooks and idle chefs from the various resort hotels.
However, headcounts changed daily and it was difficult to ensure that sufficient
food was available at each location.

Communications and electricity - In 1992, there were few cellular phones. Nearly
everyone relied on land lines for their telephone service. The hurricane downed
perhaps a third of telephone/electrical poles on the island. Crews were flown in from
as far away as the east coast and worked months to repair the damage.
Replacement poles were obtained from the mainland and shipped to Kauai.
Reportedly, the base yards in several western states were emptied of poles to
support the recovery operation for a community of 50,000. It should be noted that
Hurricane Andrew had hit Florida three week before Iniki and the two areas were
competing for some high priority items like telephone poles and the, much prized,
blue plastic tarps used as temporary patches for leaking roofs. There were
microwave relay sites on the island to transmit communications signals from Kauai
to the other islands and, then, worldwide. Some of these sites had only minor
damage and were quickly repaired. Others were destroyed and replacement
equipment was flown in from Oahu or the mainland. Within a week. telephone
service was available to the public via mobile phone trailers that were set up around
the island. However, telephone service to individual homes, like electricity, was
delayed for up to six months as crews replaced downed poles.

Sewage treatment and waste disposal - Kauai is a mix of public sewer systems and
[private] septic systems. FEMA provided generator support to the Kauai County
sewage treatment facilities and sewage never became a major health issue. Waste
disposal was more challenging. The hurricane created a lot of destruction and
debris. County sanitation workers had been furloughed to take care of their families.
The County landfills were initially closed. People began to dump trash along side the
roads. About three weeks after the storm over 1,500 active duty soldiers were
brought to the island with their equipment and went door-to-door cleaning up yards
and hauling away debris. A new landfill with an expected life of ten years that had
been opened shortly before the storm was completely filled within a couple of
months.

Traffic control and public safety - It became apparent within the first few days that
the Kauai Police Department was overwhelmed. A decision was made to free-up
police officers whenever feasible to take care of their own families. Restoration of
electricity to key intersection was given high priority so that traffic signals would be
operational. Interestingly, there was little civilian traffic for the first week since few
businesses were operating and most of the roads were blocked by downed poles. A
military police unit was flown in to provide traffic control as needed. However, as
conditions improved, people adapted to driving without traffic lights and were
generally courteous to other drivers when arriving simultaneously at intersections.
Few accidents were reported. Looting was minimal due to the large presence of the
military. The Honolulu SWAT deployed to Kauai and operated at night in high
priority areas such as near jewelry stores, banks, etc. Two looters were arrested
within the first week following the storm. In what amounted to lighting justice, they
were charged, tried and convicted, and incarcerated within a week. The case was
widely publicized and served as a great deterrent. The fact that access to the island
was tightly controlled for the first month also stopped any outsiders from taking
advantage of the situation. The lesson learned is that highly visible military and
police presence coupled with quick convictions served to keep criminal activity at a
manageable level. However, the local police department, as we saw in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is probably incapable of maintaining law and order.

Medical - All medical personal who live on Kauai were affected by the hurricane and,
with the exception of emergency rooms, normal medical support ceased. State and
County Civil Defense had air evacuated most expectant mothers and dialysis
patients to Oahu a few hours before the hurricane struck. Interviews with doctors
from the various relief organizations uncovered a pattern of medical emergencies.
The first few days saw broken bones from falling off roofs, nail punctures and similar
wounds. After about a week, diabetics and people on mood altering prescription
drugs started to show up at the clinics looking for medication. These were followed
by people who had ran out of medicine for chronic maladies like high blood pressure
and epilepsy.

Drug addicts presented a special problem in that their regular supply was disrupted.
No illegal drugs were getting on the island because the airfields and seaports were
controlled by the military. Initially, addicts turned to known drug dealers and, if
necessary, broke into the dealers’ homes looking for drugs. As a last resort, they
started to appear at medical aid stations. Typically this occurred 7-10 days after the
storm.

Medical challenges provide some of the most relevant lessons learned for people
interested in preparing for a breakdown in local, regional or national government.
As any infantryman will tell you, the welfare and location of the unit medic is always
on your mind. If you don’t believe you have any skills to offer a group, you should
develop your first aid and medical skills. There will always be a need for a “doc” to
take care of group members. Research and build your own medical kit. Talk to
emergency room workers and find out how they triage incoming patients. Research
and memorize the checklists that first responders use as they assess patient needs
and prioritize casualties. Research the process doctors use to diagnose patient
complaints and symptoms. Medical equipment and a confident air could be your
passport to safety. One of the most prized items turned out to be generators.
Without the immediate influx of generators from FEMA and the military, life of Kauai
after the hurricane would have been much tougher. Generators pumped water,
cleaned sewage, provided electricity to medical facilities, and refrigerated
perishable food that had been barged and flown to the island. In many instances,
relatives of Kauai resident living on the other islands or the mainland bought
generators and have them shipped to the Kauai. Military and civilian generators
arriving at the port on Kauai were occasionally stolen by enterprising homeowners
who simply backed their trucks up and drove off with a generator that had been off-
loaded and staged for pickup by the legal owner. Apparently some local residents
felt that it was worth the risk to provide refrigeration and lights to their families. The
willingness to risk jail to obtain a generator can likely be traced to the desire to eat
fresh food. MREs quickly lost their savor, especially for children.

Kauai residents would tell you that the most stressful time came immediately after
the hurricane when all communication was lost and people were restricted to their
immediate neighborhoods by the downed poles and trees. They simply did not know
if they were going to get any help because they did not know whether the other
islands had been hit by the storm. A communication plan that is well thought-out
ahead of time would be a great psychological boost following a catastrophe. In
addition to a good electronics, something as simple as a bulletin board that is
updated every few hours would help the cohesiveness and bonding of the group.

Finally, I need to say something about the way people reacted and adjusted
following the storm. In 1992, people in their 70s and 80s had lived through the
Great Depression and World War II. They proved to be tougher than one would
expect . They usually had a better attitude and often adapted better to living
without television, electrical light and refrigeration than did many younger people.
Military people found the duty easier than most field training exercises. Military
veterans had often endured tougher times and also quickly adapted. In general, the
more outdoor oriented people were, the easier their transition and recovery. Some
folks could not cope with the dramatic changes in their routine and committed
suicide. Others left the island; never to return.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Letter Re: Advice on Photovoltaic Power Systems

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Greetings! I'm a long time reader, first time writer. I have been interested in "off-
grid" photovoltaic power systems as a way to generate power should the grid go
down. I'm pretty well versed on electricity and concepts, but what name brands
would you recommend for the main components (panels, charge controller,
batteries and inverter)? Though I have heard of things like Trace, Xantrex, gel
battery and pure sine wave, my practical knowledge is limited. I apologize if this has
been covered before - point me in the right direction and I'll check the archives.
Also, have you ever heard of a dual setup where one could run their house the
standard, "on-grid" way and then flip a switch near the breaker box to have all the
outlets in the home powered by solar? Keep up the good work! - Josh in Illinois

JWR Replies: All of the major brands of monocrystaline weatherproof photovoltaic

(PV) panels are essentially comparable in terms of their rated output, service life,
glazing strength (impact resistance), and ability to withstand the weather. Most
have similar warranties (although some are slightly better). For these reasons, PV
panels should be considered a commodity, and as such, the price per watt should
be the main determining factor in picking a brand. (Although if you are like me, you
might prefer to buy an American-made product.)

Batteries are another commodity, at least if buy traditional lead-acid deep cycle
("golf cart" type) batteries. Because of their high shipping weight, I strongly
recommend that you buy the batteries for your system from a local dealer, such as
your local Interstate Batteries dealer. Be sure to do some comparison pricing before
you buy. If the dealer offers a "core" credit and you are buying an entirely new
system, be advised that dealers are often not particular about what you provide
them for your trade in. (They are essentially just looking for a source of lead plates
for recycling.) If their core refund terms are based strictly on battery weight or the
combined number of Amp hours capacity, one trick is to ask around locally at
venues such as Craig's List, for free used car, truck, and tractor batteries. (Batteries
that are so old and sulfated that they will no longer hold a charge.) Part-time
mechanics often have a dozen or more such batteries available, free for the taking.
Depending on the size of your system, if you have a strong back and aren't afraid to
get your hands dirty, this can save you several hundred dollars.

As for inverters: Inverter technology varies considerably, depending on maker. The

Trace brand inverters are now sold under the Xantrex Technology name, and they
still control a large portion of the market. Their major competitor in the US is
Outback Power Systems, an up-and-coming company that was started by a group of
former Xantrex engineers, following some serious disagreements with the Xantrex
corporate management. The Outback brand holds a slight margin in inverter
technology.

Charge controller technology is still advancing, but all of the major brands are
roughly comparable. Just be sure to get a controller that can handle your
anticipated needs, even if you eventually add a few panels. Also keep in mind that
the more "bells and whistles" on a charge controller equals greater vulnerability to
EMP. (They are fairly inexpensive, so it is wise to keep a spare, stored in a Faraday
cage enclosure, such as a a steel ammo can.)

Ready Made Resources (one of our most loyal advertisers) offers free consulting on
alternate power system system siting, load requirements/system sizing, and so
forth. Be sure to take advantage of this very generous free service. They can design
true "turn key" system for you that will require no upkeep other than periodic
battery maintenance. A grid-tied system can be set up to provide "automatic
failover""--meaning that there will be no interruption of power to your home or
retreat more than at most a few moments, in the event of a power failure.You can
also design a system that will allow you to sell power back to your power utility--the
much-touted "meter running backwards"--depending on your local laws and power
company policies.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Letter Re: Low RPM Diesel Generator Availability

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Dear James -

Thanks for the great article link on "growing fuel" and thanks again for all the
information at SurvivalBlog!

Low speed diesels [that were recently mentioned in the blog] such as the Lister and
Listeroid clones are fantastic, but sadly that ship has sailed. The anemic dollar, high
metal prices, rising shipping costs and the hassle of US Customs have pretty much
halted importation. Also, word is that [the US] EPA will soon (if they haven't already)
re-block importation of these marvels because they don't meet emissions
requirements for stationary engines. As to that, Listeroids are extremely efficient so
they might just meet standards - it's more likely that the cost of certification is
prohibitive.

Sadly, the annual total emissions of these stationary power plants are meaningless
in the grand scheme, and that's obviously not the real purpose of such inane
regulation. Anyway, there are emissions-legal alternatives (the Yanmar, Weichai, et
cetera.) but they're more expensive and not widely distributed. Also, they're less
suited to running vegetable oil fuels and may require a bit of modification for this
purpose. To make matters worse, I'm told by the folks who sold me my Listeroid
that the Chinese expeller presses that press the oil from seeds have likewise soared
in price and are practically impossible to come by.

Yet another indicator of how late it really is [to prepare]. Regards, - Fred H.

JWR Replies: Lister clone engines do pop up on the secondary market here in the
US. Watch for them vigilantly at Craigslist.com and in newspaper and "nickel" paper
classified ads. Note that not all sellers will use the correct terms Lister or Listeroid in
their ad titles, so also do searches on "low RPM Diesel" or "one cylinder diesel".
OBTW, SurvivalBlog reader Glenn recommends Central Maine Diesel as a source.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Letter Re: Advice on a Mini Photovoltaic Battery Charging System

Permalink

Hi Mr. Rawles,

I had a question about the article titled Letter Re: For Want of a Battery. In it you
said to connect the Northern Tool & Equipment Solar-Powered Trickle Charger — 5
Watt Item # 339973, with this battery pack . How does the panel connect to the
battery pack? And does your recommended Accupower AccuManager 20 Battery
Charger (a battery charger for AA, AAA, C, D, and 9 volt rechargeable batteries
connect to the 12 volt battery pack via the cigarette lighter plug? Also, could you
please tell me how many AA batteries you could charge from one 12 volt battery
pack. Thanks for your time and your blog. Signed, - LZ

JWR Replies: Unless it already has one installed, you would have to wire a cigarette
lighter-type plug on to the lead wires from the photovoltaic panel. Those are
available for any electronics supply store such as Radio Shack. Typically with DC
wiring the red or white wire is positive, and that would go to the "tip" terminal on
the lighter plug. (Note: Be sure double check the polarity with a volt-ohm meter
before plugging it in!) One nice thing about jump packs is that they have a built-in
charge controller. If you upgrade to larger capacity storage--such as a standard car
battery or better yet a pair of golf cart batteries--either add a charge controller to
the circuit or be very careful about checking voltage regularly during charging so
that you don't "cook" your battery.
I own an AccuManager 20 Battery Charger. They were designed by a company in
Germany, but I was sad to see that they are now made in mainland China. However,
they do work well. They are a "smart" charger-- so they will not over-charge your
batteries. They come with both a 12 VDC cord (with cigarette lighter plug) and a
120 VAC adapter. The charger has six "channels", so it can simultaneously hold four
AAA, AA, C, D cells, and two 9 VDC batteries.

You can recharge at least 20 AA cells from a jump pack that is fully charged. With a
five watt photovoltaic panel it might take two or three days to charge your jump
pack. A 10 watt panel (or two 5 watt panels wired parallel) works much better, and
a 20 watt panel works even better still. Your ability to "make do" with a smaller
panel depends on your budget, how many batteries you need to keep charged, and
your time available to re-position the panel to keep it in full sunlight throughout the
day.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

After 10 Years--Some Observations and Lessons Learned by a Y2K-Era Prepper

Permalink

It was June, 1998. Y2K was a salient topic of conversation. It got my attention. When
the electricity went off and there would be no water to drink, and no fuel to move
food to the JIT grocery stores, I could see things getting very ugly. I had been willing
to fight for this nation as a member of the US Army. Now it was time to fight for my
household. I bought a Springfield Armory M1A. I bought a safe to store it in. I bought
another M1A (for the spousal unit of course!) I bought ammo. Lots of it. I bought
gear. I bought food. I became awakened to the idea of being self-reliant.

That was 10 years ago. Y2K didn’t cause a global melt down. (Although I have a
friend in the service that sat in a command bunker holding his breath at Y2K – the
government didn’t know what was going to occur.) I have not had to live through or
endure Hurricane Katrina. No participation in the 9/11 attacks. In fact, I can’t claim a
campaign ribbon for any disasters. Am I upset or sorry that I have changed my life
to follow a path of self-reliance? Most definitely, absolutely not!

Let me share with you the good and the bad of what I have done in the last ten
years. So often, people new to self-reliance are like ants at the foot of a mountain
staring up with their head touching their back wondering how in the world they will
ever be able to replace modern society and be able to take care of themselves
WTSHTF. Well, truth be told, you can’t do it overnight unless you’re Warren Buffet. I
am walking, talking living proof, however, that you can make significant progress.
Let me show you!

In order to show you that you do indeed have cause for hope, let me share a few of
my screw-ups. How about the initial purchases I made while in a state of “marked
concern” when I became “self aware” with regard to self – reliance. The money I
invested in self-reliance was my spousal unit’s “down payment on a house”. Do you
think this view of “my nest” versus “the world may end” led to some intense
“discussions”? You bet your last dog flea it did. For much of the intervening 10
years I have been the one prepping while my wife harbored a severe grudge against
the entire topic because I spent our money for the house down payment on crazy
self-reliance materials. A grade of “F” to me for consensus building. She is just
beginning to come around in the last two years. Poster child example of a bucket of
wet sand. (If two guys fight, they belt each other like two crazed wolverines.
Eventually they realize they were stupid for fighting, shake hands, forgive and are
back to being friends. Kinda like a cow urinating on a big flat rock – big splash and
splatters, but it dries up pretty quickly. Get in an argument with a gal and it is like
pouring water into a bucket of sand – the surface may dry after a bit, but it stays
wet down in that bucket for a long time.)

I very religiously squirreled away Gillette Atra razors because that is what I used
each day. The handle that you click onto the blade cartridge gave up the ghost after
many years of faithful service. The stores don’t sell them anymore! Now I have
three dozen packs of five cartridges with no way to use them to shave! Fortunately,
I did find a second/spare handle in my stores and will be able to use them up. Did I
re-learn some valuable lessons? You bet!

Two is one, and one is none.

You need to see what you have (inventories!)

Store what you Eat/use – I did great on the cartridges, but forgot spare handles!

In the run-up to Y2K I bought a dozen 6 volt golf cart batteries to be able to set-up
some kind of power system in the house. Great intent. No photovoltaic panels No
wiring until last year. They have been “stored” sitting on pallets in a friends storage
building for 9 years because I have not been able to get to the replacement power
system yet. I could have used that money for a higher priority item.
The spousal unit and I built our home last year. We did many things very right.
Some learning experiences occurred, however. Maybe chief amongst them is my
underestimation of the massiveness of the size of this endeavor! I joke with friends
about not being free from the To Do list to be able to get into trouble for at least
five years! Fix the septic pond berms. Sort out the “scrap” lumber. Put a deck on
the back of the house so the [building] code Nazis will give us the permanent
occupancy permit. Fix the leaking pressure tank in the basement. Fix the DR
mower. Mow. Clear 30 trees dropped to get the septic pond clearance (not done
with that one yet). Cut and split and stack firewood. The list goes on. Don’t get me
wrong – I would not trade my homestead back for city living for anything. Was I able
to foresee the "second & third order effects” of the change to a country homestead?
Nope. Not even having read Backwoods Home magazine for 8 years. Thank God I
listened to my in-laws and did not try to finish the upstairs interior construction
while living downstairs!

Prior to Y2K I tried very hard to create a group. It failed in many ways. Had Y2K
caused the feared problems, we would have been road kill. Okay, we would have
been the third or fourth critter on the highway run over by life, but we were
nowhere near ready to deal with WTSHTF/TEOTWAWKI. The Yuppie Queen and her
husband went right back to spoiling their princess/daughter, buying Jaguars,
clothes, and hair implants. You know - living the typical American city life. The other
couple moved out onto 20 acres in a very rural county and raise goats and
chickens. I am on 20+ acres and moving in a self-reliant direction. Two out of three
ain’t bad!

I endured the gauntlet of multiple careers trying to find a fit for who I am.
Thankfully, my spousal unit was trained well by her farmer parents. We never
carried any debt other than the mortgage. One thing we did do smart was under-
buy on our home with a condo (sixplex) in town. No car payments. No credit card
payments. We kept 3-6 months of expenses in savings. One business venture was
as a franchisee for Idiotstate. Massive mistake. Four years with no income for me
and a net loss of $60,000 overall. What preps could you get done with an extra
$60,000? I am certainly not happy I put one in the “L” column. I am not proud of
failing. I am proud of jumping into the fight and giving it my 110%. As they used to
tell me in the military, “What an opportunity for character building!” Learning lesson
for me was that I should never have stopped Soldiering. I simply have green blood. I
have returned to the Army by working as a tactical/leadership contractor at a
nearby Fort and getting reappointed into the National Guard. Will a deployment
take me away from directly protecting The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)? Yes. Does
staying employed doing what God designed me to do mean we’ll have a steady
income? Likely. Does a pension check from age 65 on make us better able to care
for ourselves? You betcha. The world may not disintegrate in 30 days. It may
actually remain fairly normal. One has to prepare for that contingency as well.

By now you have to be thinking “What a knothead! This guy couldn’t find his fourth
point of contact if you put one hand on a cheek!” Well, not so fast there Skippy! I
have a thing or two that should go in the “W” column. I should give you a massive
dose of hope! Let me describe to you in a quick overview where I have come to in
my 10 year quest to become more self-reliant. First, about our home…

Home

Your home is your castle, right? Well mine actually kinda is. It sets on a chunk of
land that is 20+ acres. The terrain is rolling and 95% wooded. It butts up against a
cemetery to the north, a 900+ acre conservation area to the south, a river to the
west, and a section line to the east. The home is an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
structure. The walls are 1” of concrete fake rock veneer, 2.5” of foam, 8” of
reinforced concrete, 2.5” of foam, 5/8” of sheetrock. It is “round”, being made up of
12 wall sections each 8 feet in width. Two stories with a basement. About 1,800
square feet of living space. (2,700 with the basement, however, that area is not
finished yet.) Geothermal heating/cooling and a soapstone wood stove. Metal roof.
No carpeting – oak floors and tile. The wellhead is inside the home so I don’t have to
worry about winter breakdowns or freeze-ups, nor losing access WTSHTF. We are
running at top speed towards the 20% equity checkpoint in order to get rid of the
bankster-invented Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) extortion racket. (We have a
credit rating of 804, so the “risk” the bank incurs by carrying our note is a freaking
joke!). It suits our lifestyle very, very well. Our intent was to have a very low
maintenance home. Having lived here one year in two more weeks, it looks like we
have a very big check mark in the “W” column. More details on the design/floor plan
in a future article!

Weapons & Training

We have an M1A set-up for combat, and one set up for long-range precision work.
The Glock 21 [.45 ACP] is the base pistol for the household, with one for each of us
and a G30 [compact Glock .45 ACP] as back-up. The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)
doesn’t carry a rifle or carbine, just the pistol. (More on that later.) Training for both
of us includes Defensive Handgun 1 and Team Tactics with Clint and Heidi Smith at
Thunder Ranch. I have also had General Purpose, Urban, and Precision Rifle with
Clint. I completed a special symposium at Gunsite (pistol, rifle, shotgun, carbine). I
am an NRA Certified pistol, rifle, and home defense instructor. I have several other
weapon platforms as a “Dan Fong” kind of guy. The two rifles with accoutrements,
and the four pistols with same were certainly not cheap. Nor was the training. I do,
however, know how to properly employ them now.

Food & Supplies

The spousal unit & I could stretch the on-hand food to cover two years. Canned
freeze dried is 45% of it, bulk buckets is 45%, and “normal use” food is the last
10%. We have built a rolling rack set of shelves for the 3rd part to ease rotation of
the canned goods with each grocery store trip. No, I haven’t found the secret spy
decoder ring sequence on how to rotate the bulk and freeze-dried stuff with our
normal, both of us work, lifestyle. The sticking point for this area I see is that
WTSHTF, Mom & Dad in-law, Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law with wife and two
princesses (one with hubby), and my Mom & her husband will show up on our
doorstep. That makes for an even dozen mouths to fee

Security

Now for a bit more detail. First topic up, IAW my military training, is Security. The
base of everything here is God. I have chosen to bend my knee to Jesus Christ as
my Lord and Savior. I can amass all the weapons, ammo, food and “stuff” you can
imagine, but He is the one ultimately in charge. I am charged to be a prudent
steward of His possessions - my family, property, vehicles, food, weapons, ammo,
etc.. I am definitely striving to be the ant storing things for the winter. If you ain’t
right in this area, it will really matter in eternity.

Part of your security is weapons. There are sheeple, wolves, and sheepdogs. I am
definitely in the 3rd category. In today’s world your “teeth” are your firearms. I plan
from a Boston T. Party paradigm of having a battle rifle. Hence, the M1A. Were I
starting over today, I would likely go with a FAL, but now "I will dance with the one
that brung me". Or maybe just accept the brilliance of the M1 Garand at $620
delivered to your doorstep from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). I do
have two of these. Hard to argue with .30-06 ball. I renovate Mausers as my hobby
and so have a .35 WAI scout rifle. A second one in the more common 7.62x51
chambering is in work now. I laos have a Mossberg 835 [riotgun], two Ruger 10/22s
(one blued, one stainless), Ruger MKII stainless .22 LR pistol, S&W 625 pistol in .45
ACP/.45 Auto Rim, a few Enfields, and a couple of Mosin-Nagants round out the field.
Let me detail for you the path to get to the Glocks. I think it may save you some of
your money. I received a Colt Gold Cup [M1911] .45 ACP pistol from my Dad as a
graduation gift from the Hudson Home For Boys [aka USMA West Point]. Great
intent. A weapon as a gift – how can you ever be wrong in doing this?! However, a
terrible choice as a combat weapon. The Gold Cup is a target pistol. Tight
tolerances. Feeds only hardball, and that can be tenuous proposition. I carried it on
the East-West German border leading patrols. The rear sight broke twice. The front
sight shot off once and tore off twice. It was a jammomatic. I hated it. Sold it to a
guy that wanted to target shoot.

Took that money and bought a stainless Ruger P90DC. Sack of hammers tough.
always goes bang when you pull the trigger. Inexpensive as far as handguns go.
After some marked de-horning, you could even make it run in a fight without
shredding you at the same time. One marked problem. Two [different weight]
trigger pulls [for first round double action versus subsequent round single action.].
This started to teach me to throw the muzzle down as I pulled the trigger in double
action. This nasty habit caused a problem when you were firing the 2nd through X
rounds, as now it operates as a single action. TLSU had a heck of a time with it at
Thunder Ranch. Clint loaned her his G21. No more trigger problems.

Still bowing at the altar of the 1911, I bought a Kimber Compact to carry instead of
the Ruger. (I still have the Ruger – it is still “the gun that my Dad gave me” and no
one buys the P90 used for anywhere near it’s initial cost, so I can’t sell it without
taking a significant bath on it.) The Kimber was going well. Then I got a little too
aggressive at slamming magazines home in the shortened grip and jammed it. Then
the recoil rod unscrewed itself during an IPSC run and seized the gun while messing
up the trigger. Off to Kimber. Free warranty work and 48 hours without my self-
defense pistol. Now I have no confidence in the pistol. I Loc-Tite’d the recoil rod and
staked it so it wouldn’t come undone again. Then I sold it.

Glocks cost roughly one-half of what a Kimber does. Crummy factory sights, but all
my pistols wear tritium anyway. No ambidextrous safety required. My short fingers
are mated to big palms, so I can handle the grip. TLSU has been trained on the
Glock Model 21 (G21). It ain’t an issue of psychological derangement like many
guys get about their 1911/Glock/H&K/Springfield, but it is a comfortable and
working relationship between Glock & I. I have a G21 and a G30 for both of us. They
always go bang accurately and they have never rusted. I am not pleased with
Gaston [Glock]’s refusal to take responsibility for any mistakes they make in
manufacturing. No problems with the G21 however. A pistol is what you use to fight
your way back to your rifle, which you shouldn’t have laid down in the first place.
M1As hit my safe because it is what I knew from the service. They also fire a full
power cartridge, 7.62x51. It makes cover into concealment. I don’t have the other
10 guys in an infantry squad fighting with me so I can maneuver under their
covering fire. I have to hit the bad guy with a powerful blow once and move on to
the next wolf/bad guy. Mouse guns firing rabbit rounds don’t scratch that itch for
me. To each his own. My two are old enough to have USGI parts and good quality
control. Here are the mods I made to my “combat” M1A. Maybe they will help you:

Krylon paint job to disrupt the "big black stick" look

M60 [padded] sling

Front sight filed down so that zero is achieved with the rear sight bottomed out

Handguard ventilated

National Match trigger group, barrel, and sights (came as a “Loaded” package
from Springfield)

Rear aperture drilled out to make it a ghost ring

Skate board tape on slick metal butt plate

For the “Surgical” M1A (it shoots1/2 minute when I do my part):

National Match loaded package

Trigger assembly additionally tuned at factory

Unitized gas system

Factory bedded

Stainless barrel

Swan rings and QD bases

Leupold M3 3.5-10x40 scope

Handmade leather cheekrest

Other weapons - I have two M1 Garands. Both were bought from the CMP. One is
stored offsite with a "Bug-In Bag" (BIB). One is a Danish return, less wood, that I re-
stocked. TLSU has claimed this one as hers. Ammo from the CMP is cheaper than
any other cartridge out there, save the communist surplus stuff. An M1917 Enfield
(also from CMP) is in the safe, along with a 2A, a #3, and a #4. A VZ24 is stored
offsite. The first Mauser I renovated is sitting there as an additional .30-06 with a
Trijicon 3-9x40 tritium-lit scope. A Remington 700 with Leupold VX-II scope is in the
safe, but likely to be sold soon. A Mosin-Nagant (M44 or M38) ride in each vehicle.

I formerly had [Ruger] Mini-30s. I could never find any 20 or 30 round magazines
that would function reliably. I sold them and got SKS carbines. When I quit holding
out for TLSU to become a Warrior and carry one, I sold them off to fund other toys. I
am pondering the purchase of an AK folder because it is a sack of hammers tough
and can be transported discretely. I don’t know if I have ever come out on the
positive side when selling a gun. Now I have to re-buy an AR-15 to have one for
training purposes. The SKSs could be useful for arming the family showing up on
your doorstep. Hindsight being 20/20, I would caution against selling any gun you
buy. (The 700 mentioned above is a 2nd precision weapon and I have no AK to train
with. Still deciding.)

Ammo is required to feed these weapons. I have over 10,000 rounds of 7.62x51. I
have over 10,000 rounds of .22 LR. No, I don’t think these amounts are enough.
Now that the costs of ammo have risen to heart stopping levels, I really don’t feel
like I bought enough in the past! I need to plus up the quantities/smatterings of
other cartridges that I have like .30-30 Winchester, .270 Winchester, .40 S&W.

The location of my home is the best I could get balancing competing requirements.
It is as far from the city as we can get and still stomach the drive to work. It is
between two major line of drift corridors – 12 miles to the major one, 8 miles to the
secondary one. It is bordered by neighbors on only one side. The folks in the
cemetery don’t say much. The critters in the wildlife area are more vocal - the
ducks, turkeys, geese, hoot owls, loons, coyotes sound off regularly. We don’t mind.
About 95% of the property is wooded. A few hickory, lots of oak. walnut,
(unfortunately) locust trees are all there. The local river comes out of it’s banks
about every other year and blocks our driveway for several days, but never comes
near the house. The German Shorthair is long in the tooth for security, but she is
there. A new pup is in the pipeline.

I would feel a great deal more secure if the homestead was picked up and dropped
into Idaho or Alaska. It is about as good as we can do, though, staying near a major
city so we can have decent paying jobs. There are some improvements we can
make though. I just bought a weather alert radio from Cabela’s today. Tough to hear
tornado sirens when you live miles away and have 1 foot thick walls! We need a
driveway monitor/alarm. Again, the superior insulation of the walls means we hear
nothing outside. I can see the utility of sandbags if things got really ugly. Some
more land line communication assets would be useful. I think an AR-15 for training
people would be useful, as would an AK. Overall, I think we have done pretty well in
the security arena.

Our Home

We started the 10 years in a condo. It was part of a six-plex set on a small pond. I
hate Homeowner’s Associations and their covenants! We could afford the mortgage
on one of our two paychecks. Good thing! I didn’t get a paycheck for four years. We
scraped by. Two years after re-entering the job market we built our house. We
worked on the plans for five years. Beware! Finding a property piece and building a
non-shoebox home on it is not for the feint of heart! You effectively are funding the
construction of a mini town. You build and maintain mini roads (your driveway). You
must build and maintain a mini sewage plant (Your septic system/pond). You must
build and maintain a mini water plant. (Your well.) You must perform mowing and
tree removal for the mini parks of your town (Your “yard”/acreage). I will write a
separate article detailing our construction woes.

Let me highlight some of the self-reliant features of the house for you. We did not
want to spend a constant stream of Federal Reserve Notes [FRNs]on maintenance.
We used insulated concrete form (ICF) construction for the structural strength and
the energy efficiency. The metal roof should outlast us. The geothermal and the R-
50 walls of the ICF are paying us back the initial investment in construction costs.
We opted for no carpeting due to the track in mud nature of the property, having a
dog, and me having allergies. Wood and tile floors don’t hold dirt like carpets do.
Less fire hazard as well. We used commercial steel doors for the exterior and
security-need spots. They have ASSA [high security] locks. They have peepholes.

The basement has a 10’ square root cellar for the storage of canned produce from
the garden. It also has a safe room/shelter. 12” of concrete overhead. The well head
is enclosed in it. Land line telephone and power service into it via buried lines. Food
stored in it. DC wiring in place to the attic for when we get to the photovoltaic [PV]
system. We also ran DC wires to each room in the house for the use of LED lighting
off of a battery system. The soapstone wood stove augments the electrically driven
geothermal. (In spite of several damaging thunderstorms this past year, we have
not lost power so far – great job juice Coop!)
The stairwell was kicked out onto the W/NW of the house. This shields the house
from the hottest part of the day’s sunlight, and the coldest winter winds. We made
the stairwell an extra foot wide. What a huge nice difference that foot makes to
walking up and down each day, not to mention moving stuff up or down them! The
mud porch/entry was set up for coming in with muddy boots, or for snow covered
coats. We should have made it 1’ wider, as it can be a little tight. The bench is great
for donning/doffing boots. The tile is easy to clean the muddy paw prints, human or
canine, off of.

Windows were one of the few areas that caused some fireworks. TLSU wanted a
green house in order to take advantage of the great view of the property. I wanted
firing ports to defend against mutant zombie hordes. I am still hugely uncomfortable
with the nakedness the windows leave us with. Yes the view is great, but what
about when we experience incoming rounds, or more mundanely, when someone
comes out to the property while we are away from the house all day at work and
they help themselves to our stuff? Some relief is in sight, however. We are pricing
Shattergard vinyl film for the ground floor windows.

Things That are Still Need on the Home

The great thing about the R-50 ICF walls is that they are R-50 and pretty tough. The
bad thing is that they are R-50 and pretty tough. We can’t hear anything without a
door or window being open. Hence the just purchased weather alert radio for us
from Cabela’s this week. It is kind of eerie waking up at 0200 hours and having no
idea if the thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm or if it is a tornado. The television is
useless when the rain is so heavy that the dish won’t get a signal. With regard to 2-
legged varmints, a driveway MURS Alert system is on the purchase list as we have
had multiple invited guests show up, beat on the front door, and have to walk
around to the living room windows to get our attention so they can be let inside.
Okay for invited guests – certainly too close for uninvited varmints!

The entry hallway was one of TLSU’s “must haves” in the house layout. It has
worked out well in terms of traffic flow and such. The security door at the foot of the
stairs is a tough choke point to deal with at 0500 in the dark. No light installed there
means nothing is visible through the peephole. I will have to install a camera and/or
light so I don’t open it to let the dog out in the morning and get rushed by 2-legged
varmints.

So far, the only commo needs are between myself and TLSU. When the sister-in-law,
brother-in-law, parents-in-law and my Mom show up and we start pulling security,
we will need to be able to talk more. I have an old set of TA-312 [field telephone]s
and wire for the primary LP/OP, but obviously will need more in this area. Just not a
sexy/fun area to spend FRNs on for a combat arms kinda guy, but I am working on
the self-discipline needed.

We did look ahead and sink the FRNs into running 12V wires in the home for future
installation of PV panels and batteries. Obviously things like the Shattergard film,
more food, more Band-aids, etc., are of a higher priority though. We are working our
tails off to reach the 20% equity mark to get rid of the PMI extortion as well. I still
have an ASSA lock to install on the shelter door, and one to put into the basement
door. Other projected door enhancements include armor plates for the front, outside
basement, shelter, and outside storage doors. There just never seems to be enough
$ to go around, does there?

The other major source of fireworks during the home design/build was on-demand
water heaters. Having taken a 30 minute hot shower with one in Germany for 5
marks while on an FTX, I well understand what a brilliant piece of technology they
are. TLSU, having never been outside of CONUS cannot give up on the electric water
heater. She still doesn’t believe that the electricity will ever go out for more than an
hour or two. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to draw hot water at the kitchen sink,
and take a hot shower from a propane fired on-demand heater? She doesn’t get it
yet. Obviously not something to break up a marriage over. We really did very well
on the whole house building thing. The opposite of what everyone warned us about.
I am pretty proud of that performance!

Food

We started a garden this spring. So far, it is an endeavor run by TLSU. Spinach,

onions, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, beets, and some herbs. I have not been able to
convince her to expand the size. She wants to learn in steps and I am the whacko
that orders 100 seedlings at a time from the conservation department, which then
overwhelms us in the planting department. For example, the first iteration of this
tree-planting endeavor, we got them the Thursday before Easter weekend. Friday
night and all day Saturday we planted our buns off. TLSU was indeed a great
Trooper about it, planting right along with me. Sunday was spent at church and
pigging out at family’s homes for Easter. Monday I had shoulder surgery to grind off
bone spurs and remove cartilage chips. Too much, too fast. But at 7 FRNs per 12
seedlings, how can you argue? I have to admit though, that after two years of the
100 seedlings, I am ready to give it a rest. This year we settled for seven apple
saplings. Initial inspection of the cherry, pecan, oak, walnut and persimmon
seedlings around the house reveals about an 80% survival rate. Only another 10
years and we will be getting food from them!

The initial freeze dried and bulk storage food needs to be rotated. Anyone figured
out how to do this kind of at home cooking when the two of you work? The
canned/”normal” food is now being rotated with each grocery store trip. We have
canning jars for this year’s veggies and the root cellar has a robust collection of
shelves to store them on. How much is enough? I don’t know. Four geographically
separate and secure stashes of three year’s worth of food for all of the family? Who
knows!?

Medical

I have Boo-boo kits just about everywhere now. You know, the band-aid and
antibiotic salve with ibuprofen kit that handles 90% of life’s issues in this area. Now
comes the high-dollar investment stuff. The combat blow-out packs for gunshot
wounds or serious car wrecks. I did go along on a buying trip to a medical
warehouse and got some catheters, sutures, gauze pads, etc.. I did get in on the
last great iodine buy before our loving big brother government banned the sale of
iodine to us mere citizens. (It is a stewable ingredient to make drugs, you know –
“we must deprive/punish all to protect you from a few. Oh, well, you don’t need to
be able to sterilize water anyway – we’ll take care of you on that too….”)

TLSU and I eat very healthy food – locally raised beef with no antibiotics or growth
hormones. No growth hormone dairy products from a local dairy. Spinach from the
garden. There are sugar detectors on the doors. Also, no chips allowed. We get to
the dentist regularly. We both do Physical Training (PT) . She jogs 3 miles, 3-4 times
per week. I run over lunch at work about 4 miles, 4-5 times per week and lift
weights twice per week.

“Needed Still” list includes: Blow out kits, more bandages, more hospital type stuff,
more medicines, syrup of ipecac, more antibiotics, more feminine stuff (think of a
vaginal yeast infection with no drug store open), drinking alcohol, poison Ivy soap
and remedies, athlete’s foot cream, more baby wipes, more hand sanitizer, all forms
of baby stuff, get the bone spur ground smooth in my other shoulder and the
cartilage chips taken out, get rid of the cat (allergies).
Vehicles

We still have the same vehicles we had in 2001. A 1998 Toyota Corolla bought with
30,000 miles, and a 1999 Ford Explorer bought with 45,000 miles. Both were paid in
full when bought. Both avoided the 25% loss of value when driving a new car off the
lot. The Corolla gets 37 MPG. I hate it. Every bit of plastic on it has broken – the car
door locking mechanisms, the trunk lock, the ventilation system fan. It gets 37 MPG.
I can’t find anything to touch that. The Ford is too big to get decent mileage, and
too small to really be a useful truck. It is paid for and has AWD/4WD. It always
starts. Both vehicles have BIBs and gas masks in them. Both have trunk guns. Both
have roadside gear to help ourselves out of a jam. We are saving for the
replacement of them both. We are going to be saving for quite a while. We need
more cash in the BIBs and Bug Out Bags (BOBs)

All of the preps in this section were done via Cabela points. I bought gas and paid
for business expenses - everything I could pay for with a credit card was paid for
with the Cabela’s credit card. You get points at some sickening rate of $.01/FRN
spent, $.02/FRN in the store. However, when you buy $6-8,000/month of stuff
between personal and business stuff, it adds up! The gear for the BOBs & BIBs,
weapons gear and parts – a significant percentage – 85%+ - came from Cabela
[credit card bonus] points. When I got birthday or Christmas monetary gifts I spent
them on self-reliance items. We did this never incurring any interest penalties
because we zero the balance out each month. Our BOBs are set-up to sustain us for
10 days. They are packed in Cabela’s wet bags for load out in five minutes.
Originally I sought to wear a tactical vest and ruck. After two unsuccessful winter
BOB campouts where I could barely waddle one mile with both of them on at the
same time, I dropped the vest. TLSU’s back is in tough shape due to scoliosis, so
she is not humping any mammoth rucks with the extra three mortar rounds and can
of 7.62 linked. We also decided that the G21 was what she could carry and dropped
the SKS and chest pouches of 10 round stripper clips. Her ruck is a Camelback
Commander. That is as big of a ruck as she can hope to carry without killing her
back. We are not leaving home to go on a combat patrol in Hit or Fallujah. We are
fleeing some kind danger and have every intention of avoiding additional
entanglements, to include government hospitality suites in stadiums.

The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)

I started self-reliance the wrong way. No consensus development. I saw a danger

and acted. I am a male/sheepdog/warrior type. I am not sure that I could have ever
persuaded her to participate in any meaningful manner before Y2K. She has only
recently begun to do so after eight years of seeing me provide for and protect her. I
was, however, stubborn/strong enough to do what I thought was the right thing and
to heck with what was popular. Most “males” check their gender specific anatomical
gear at the wedding alter and continue on in sheeple status. I get that females are
the nurturers. I get that they work from an emotional starting point, not logical. Not
wanting the tornado to destroy the house or the hurricane to wreck your and the
adjoining three counties is, at best, the French method of addressing life. TLSU is
finally helping me to rotate food via the grocery store purchases. She no longer rolls
her eyes or sighs disgustedly when I spend my Cabela points to buy gear. Once I
explained to her that I was planning to shelter and feed her parents and siblings
and that our one year of food wasn’t going to feed all of them for very long, she
started to get on board. She even likes spending the points off of her Cabela’s card
now. She is running 3-4 times per week and gets some PT from work outside in the
garden. She has come a long way. As best as I can tell, she will not ever be a
warrior. We have come a substantial distance from sleeping on the couch each time
a self-reliance topic hits the table of discussion though. A definite and growing
check mark in the “W” column!

Skills

Skills that I have acquired:

Rifles – renovating Mausers and training at Thunder Ranch helps your ability to
use these tools immensely.

Soldering – fixing plumbing leaks myself vs. paying a plumber $200 to show up
and start billing me for work

Building – I invested 13 full work weeks of time during the building of our home
helping the contractor. Some of it was the nubby work of cleaning up the scrap and
sawdust. Some of it was banging in joist hangers. I laid all the tile and 95% of the
wood flooring in the house.

Fix-it – the DR Brush mower has long passed it’s warranty period and while
performing quite admirably, does need attention every now and then. The 1974
F100 demands attention regularly. Each of these repair work challenges teaches me
a little more about mechanical items and taking care of things myself.

Sewing – Yes, my dear Grandmother taught me to sew buttons, and my Mom

taught me to survival sew/repair things. A 1960 gear driven Singer sews nylon gear
though!; )

Skills still needed:

 More First Aid – it appears that a first responder or wilderness 1st aid course may
be in the cards for this year.

More Hand to Hand – my goals and objectives list has had this goal on it for
several years. Good news – I got started on knocking it off the list. Bad news, it
revealed an “old man” shortcoming in my shoulder. Good news, I am getting the
shoulder fixed (hopefully) during “normal” times versus after Schumerization. I just
may get ambushed and not have my trusty M1A in hand. Having unarmed defense
skills means never having to be a steak dinner/victim.

More riflesmithing – each birthday or Christmas gift of money has been partially
apportioned to the purchase of gunsmithing tooling. I need more practice with the
tools I have. I still need more tooling. I recently secured Parkerizing gear, but have
not gotten the metal stands for the tanks built. Still, progress is progress and I can
already do more to maintain weapons than 95% of the population.

Knife making – I just cringe at the idea of spending $300 for top quality knives.
CRKT is my friend. Even better is learning to assemble the scales and blank myself.
Eventually, knowing how to forge blanks myself would be useful.

Mill lumber – with 95% of my property wooded, I have the material to be self-
reliant with regard to my lumber needs. I need a way to saw the tree into lumber
though. First, the mill, then the skill to use it. Then I have the gear to diversify my
income and help others.

Have I always done the smartest thing? Absolutely not! Much to the crazed
satisfaction of a former operator buddy, I have cycled through the “best/high dollar”
gear approach to the “sack of hammers USGI/AK” school of self-reliance. Don’t get
me wrong – I ain’t surrendering my Kifaru rucks anytime soon! However, there were
a great number of FRNs spent on those self-reliance tuition payments! Have I
learned a lot? Absolutely, yes! Am I better able to maintain my independence and
protect and provide for my family? Absolutely, yes! Could you do better than I did?
Good chance. Have you done as much as I have in the last 10 years? Only your
freedom, loved ones, and the quality of your life post-TEOTWAWKI depend on the
answer to that one.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Letter Re: For Want of Battery

Permalink
Hello Jim,

To follow up on your recent post, I just wanted to let readers of the blog know that
Northern Tool & Equipment is having a sale on their solar panels right now. All-
Battery.com is also having a major sale on battery chargers and some other items
as well. These can be significant savings for anyone needing these items. - Jeff in
Ohio

Friday, June 13, 2008

Some Preparedness Implications of Rapidly Escalating Fuel Prices

Permalink

The recent jump in fuel prices are going to have some far reaching effects on our
economy. There is speculation that crude oil may soon spike to $150 to $170 per
barrel. As prepared individuals, we need to adapt our plans, accordingly. It is
noteworthy that many of us long hence foresaw these dark days, and installed
underground fuel tanks, bought alternate fuel vehicles, multi-fuel generators, and at
least one vehicle just for the sake of fuel economy. (If you look at the Retreat Owner
Profiles--most of which were written in late 2005 and early 2006--you will see a
remarkable number of fuel-efficient "secondary" vehicles.) SurvivalBlog readers
plan ahead, and it shows.

In a recent issue of The Daily Reckoning, Bill Bonner wrote: "Just on Thursday and
Friday of last week, wholesale gasoline prices went up 33 cents. No typo. That’s 33
cents, in two days. So let’s round it out and add another $500 to the annual
gasoline bill to operate one average automobile in the US of A. If you are a two-car
household, make that number $1,000. Just from a two-day spike. And that does not
count the impact on diesel (killing trucking and agriculture) and jet fuel (killing
airlines)."

Effectively, the recent price jumps will be like inflationary snorts of cocaine. Sooner
or later, the higher cost of fuel will be "passed through" to consumers. Can you
imagine what will happen to the retail price of just about everything if and when the
price of gas tops $5.50 per gallon? Transportation cost increases are significant, but
will impact some product prices more than others. The heavier and bulkier the item,
or the farther it must travel (all the way from raw material to your doorstep) the
greater the impact of the fuel price jumps. (One hint: If you've been planning to buy
a gun vault, then buy it soon, and do so locally, from inventory that your dealer
already has on hand. If you delay, it will likely cost $200 more, this time next year.)
What will happen to Fed-Ex , UPS, and US Postal Service rates next year? It won't be
pretty. OBTW, if you are thinking about setting up a home-based mail order
business, then you'd had better consider focusing on small and lightweight
products, such as used DVDs.

Think through what the fuel prices will do for various product prices and availability
(think: spot shortages), and who they will affect life at your retreat.

I predict that there will be a long lag time while the price of propane catches up to
the prices of other fuels. The cost of electricity will also lag behind, especially in
regions that have predominately hydroelectric power. In the long run, however,
prices will undoubtedly catch up. Exploit this lag time to build up the alternative
energy potential of your retreat. Think through you options, do some comparison
pricing, and then get busy. (Consider the merits and drawbacks of photovoltaics,
wind, micro-hydro, bio-gas, biodiesel, geothermal, wood-fired steam/co-generation,
and so forth.)

Vehicles

If you are planning to buy additional vehicles for your retreat, consider the
following:

One of your vehicles should be a very fuel-efficient runabout. (Something like a

used Geo Metro or Toyota Corolla--but for serious preparedness planning avoid the
high cost and complexity of a hybrid.) If you need four wheel drive, consider buying
a used Subaru. Notably, Subaru all-wheel-drive cars are the most popular cars with
America's contract rural mail carriers. Also consider getting a mo-ped or motorcycle
for handling some of your errands in the current pre-Schumeresque times.

Look for a fleet surplus propane-powered pickup. (Utility companies often use these.
Watch for auction announcements.) If you could get one that is 4WD, that would be
ideal. But even if you can't find one that is 4WD, one option is finding a 4WD of the
same year and the same maker as your 2WD propane-engine truck, and then
combining parts to create a "Frankentruck." Not only would this be great
mechanical experience, but it will leave you with another nearly complete vehicle to
cannibalize for spare parts. Another option, albeit more expensive, is converting an
existing 4WD to propane. Because Propane tanks are large, this is best
accomplished with a 4WD pickup. (I have seen pairs of 47-gallon capacity "torpedo
tanks" installed above the wheel wells in a pickup box. This allows nearly full use of
the pickup bed space.) Since a propane conversion will likely void a warranty, it is
best done with an older vehicle that is "out of warranty". Speaking of propane, don't
miss the recent piece by FerFAL, (SurvivalBlog's correspondent in Argentina),
posted at his personal blog site: Alternative fuel for your car. It describes a gaz
naturel comprimé (GNC) conversion done on his Korean import car.

Own at least one E85-compatible "Flex Fuel" vehicle (FFV).

If your budget allows it, consider getting an electric vehicle. (Several times in
SurvivalBlog, I've mentioned Bad Boy Buggy electric ATVs as well as ATV
suspension conversions for electric golf carts.) An electric ATV makes an ideal "at
the retreat " utility vehicle, particularly for someone that has a large alternate
power system with a battery bank.

Here is one vehicle possibility that might at first seem counterintuitive: There will
probably be thousands of used recreational vehicles (RVs) hitting the market in the
next few years--some for pennies on the dollar. Budget-minded preppers might
consider buying an older RV to live in, while building their retreats. Just keep in
mind that the resale value will likely drop to nearly nothing if gas prices continue to
escalate, so only buy one if you can truly get it dirt cheap.

Horse Power

For the really long term, learn as much as you can about horses, and change your
purchasing plans is this approach matches your needs and the pasture carrying
capacity of your retreat. There is a lot to this: horsemanship, hay cutting (preferably
horse-powered), hay storage, pasture fencing, a barn, tack, veterinary supplies, and
so forth. Here at the Rawles Ranch, our saddle horse Money Pit may soon have
some new friends in the pasture.

Hay and grain prices have been sky high for a full year now, so this has pushed the
price of horses down tremendously. At present, in much of the western US, good
saddle saddle horses are literally being given away. Just ask around. If you are not
yet an experienced rider, then limit your search to older, gentle "bomb proof" mares
or geldings. If you have plenty of pasture and hay ground, take advantage of the
current low prices for horses. Buy them while they're cheap. Watch your newspaper
classified ads and Craig's List for horses as as well as tack, hay mowers, and a horse
trailer. In addition to saddle horse, think in terms of working horses. So while you
are searching for saddles, also look for wagons, buck boards, horse collars, long
reins, log chains, and other work horse tack.

Fuel Storage

Storing extra fuel is a natural for family preparedness. If you use propane, consider
buying a larger tank. That fuel will be like money in the bank. Ditto for gasoline and
diesel fuel. (See the SurvivalBlog archives for details on fuel stabilizers and and
antibacterial additives. (The latter is for diesel. Yes, bacteria will actually grow in
diesel fuel.) What size tank(s)? The bigger, the better. That way you can buy during
occasional dips in the market as well as have a reserve that will help ride through
any spot shortages. Consult you local fire code for any limits where you live. I
generally prefer underground tanks, for both OPSEC and fire safety.

Generators

Needless to say, flexibility will be your goal with your backup generator(s). Various
diesel generator and tri-fuel generators have already been discussed at length in
SurvivalBlog. Despite its current high price tag, diesel is still a viable fuel for
standby generators. Keep in mind that you can legally burn less expensive off-road
(untaxed) diesel, biodiesel, and even home heating oil in your diesel genset. (Of
course consult your state and local laws before doing so.)

Retreat Locales

Higher fuel costs will likely change the way the at you look at your retreat, and
where it is located. If you are retired, self-employed, or if you telecommute, the
impact won't be nearly so great. You can simply adapt your lifestyle to make trips
into town less often. But if you have a daily job "in town", then the impact could be
substantial. The whole concept of "public transportation" is foreign to folks that live
in places like Wyoming or the Dakotas. Even carpooling can be difficult for people
that live in lightly populated areas. OBTW, speaking of carpooling, I predict that
both carpooling and ride sharing will undergo a great resurgence in the next few
years. The information networking power of the Internet will undoubtedly be put to
full use in matching drivers/riders and destinations. The carpooling networking sites
like SpaceShare and eRideShare will probably become very popular.

Remote properties will seem even more remote when gas tops $5 per gallon. This
has both positive and negative implications. The good news is that it will make
remote properties more affordable and will also make them less likely to fall prey to
"commuter criminals" and looters. But the bad news is if you are trapped in a
corporate job and must commute to work. Ditto for farmers and ranchers that must
get what they produce to market.

If you have not yet bought a retreat, then you might want to make the new fuel cost
paradigm a more important part of your locale selection process. As I've mentioned
before in SurvivalBlog, if you do some concerted searching, you might be ale to find
a piece of land with a low-volume natural gas well, or a surface coal seam. Another
possibility is finding a property with a large year-round stream and sufficient change
in elevation ("fall") allowing installation of a micro-hydro system. If you are an
adherent to Peak Oil theory, then you might consider buying a retreat that is close
to a community in a truck farming region--someplace that can expected to be self-
sufficient in the event of chronic gas and diesel shortages. There are of course
security trade-offs, so such a decision might be a momentous one to make. (Since
most survivalists value having "elbow room".)

Monday, June 9, 2008

Letter Re: For Want of a Battery

Permalink

Mr. Rawles:

I was working through my "List of Lists" yesterday, and a thought struck me like a
lightning bolt: Without batteries--lots of rechargeable batteries--I'm hosed. There
are so many items that I'll depend on in an emergency that need batteries: My
weather radio, Kenwood MURS handhelds (thanks for that suggestion, BTW),
starlight scope, and my flashlights. (And thanks also for your suggestion of IR
[flashlight] filters). Without [those battery-powered items as] "force multipliers", I'd
be at huge disadvantage to looters, who could be wandering the countryside in
droves, if and when it all hits the fan. So, with that realization, I'm investing in a
small [photovoltaic] solar panel [for battery charging], and a boatload of NiMH
batteries. Do you still recommend All-Battery [as a supplier]? And who sells a small
panel--say 5 to 10 watts--that is reliable and weather-tight?

The battery situation reminds me of that old poem: "For want of a nail, the shoe was
lost..." Thanks In Advance, - George L.

JWR Replies: Yes, All-Battery.com is an excellent source. If you can afford to, buy a
triple or quadruple set for each piece of gear that takes batteries. (Even if you don't
use them all yourself, the extra batteries will be ideal to keep on hand for barter
and charity.) You are correct in mentioning the NiMH low self-discharge (LSD)
technology (such as the Sanyo Eneloop). It is currently the most reliable
rechargeable battery on the market.

As I've mentioned in the blog before, if you cannot afford a large battery bank of
deep cycle batteries, then at least buy a "jump pack" 12 VDC gel cell unit. These are
available with either110 VAC (US/Canada) and 220 VAC (UK) utility power charging
cords. You can then plug in a 12VDC "smart" battery charging tray (using a DC
power cord with cigarette lighter plug.) That is far more efficient than using an AC
inverter and then a DC transformer (like those in most home battery chargers) That
way you are just changing one DC voltage to another DC voltage--instead of a DC
inverted -to-AC-and-transformed-back-to-DC proposition. (Which is very inefficient.)

To keep your "jump pack" charged, I recommend the small PV panels available from
Northern Tool & Equipment--one of our Affiliate Advertisers. Once you are at
Northern Tool's web site, search on Item # 339973.

Two Letters Re: Advice on Backup Power for a Ranch in Western Canada

Permalink

Hi Jim,

Regarding the Canadian who was wondering about wind power versus diesel. The
Windmill is a good idea if he uses an Amateur Radio "Crankover" type tower, better
than the crank up towers [usually sold for small] windmills. However, there is a
caveat: If [the reader in Canada] goes with wind power, then have a spare. If he can
[afford to] put up two windmills, then buy three, when he buys them[, which will
provide one as a spare]. Even a bird hit on a reasonably modern power generating
windmill will cause mucho damage. Just my humble opinion.

I had L-16 battery problems at the ranch this year for the first time in 10 years.
Then I figured out the -60 F temps for nine nights was likely the cause. Oh well, stuff
happens, corrective actions are underway. Regards, - The Army Aviator

Dear Jim,

Things have changed a bit [in recent years on wind generator reliability]. Yes, old
school turbines with folding vanes are a pain, but there is a wind unit on the market
that is darn near bullet-proof (in fact, I came up with a mod for that too.) They have
been flown in hurricanes and are being used in Iraq, where high gusts and
debilitating dust are the norm, never mind broiling heat. They keep ticking over, no
problems and turn out juice in slow to screaming wind. They are the Hornet Series
[from Hydrogen Appliances]

Essentially, they took a standard wind genny and beefed it up, almost to Russian-
type specs. They just built everything another 20-50% thicker, wider, etc. then they
had to. They are little beasts.

For any maintenance issues that might come up (rare) the best bet is to install them
on a tip up tower. They can be lowered and raised with a come along or horses or
whatever if necessary. Regards, - Mosby

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Letter Re: Advice on Backup Power for a Ranch in Western Canada

Permalink

Hello,

I'm debating with myself. Do I install wind power or purchase and fill another diesel
tank? The wind power would be the best investment, but my concern is the wind
tower would be a giant sign that a prepared person lives here. I live in the middle of
the Canadian west 10 miles from a town of 1,000 people 40 miles from a city of
25,000 people and 250 miles from a city of 400,000 people. I own 1,000 acres and
my yard is in the middle. Does the distance from large population give me enough
protection to install the wind power?

I think the only drawbacks of my location is winter and the government. We are
working on changing the government. I also think plenty of water is a good trade for
winter.

OBTW, I would be willing to lease land at a discounted price to any reader who is
interested.

Thanks for your help. - Ethan.

JWR Replies: I only expect fuel prices to continue to escalate, so simply adding more
diesel tank storage space might be a mistake. But so might be getting a wind
generator. Let me explain: As I describe in my preparedness novel "Patriots:
Surviving the Coming Collapse", small wind generators are generally more trouble
than they are worth. They tend to fail in high winds, usually in the dead of winter. If
a wind generator's automatic prop feathering mechanism, or its tail-vane flipping
mechanism fail, a generator can run over speed during high wind gusts, and tear
itself apart. This happens with alarming frequency. Who wants to climb a tower and
work with hand tools to swap brushes or other parts at a time like that? For the past
25 years, the cost-per-watt for photovoltaic (PV) panels has come down steadily, but
meanwhile both the cost-per-watt and the reliability of wind generators has
remained about the same. Also consider the safety factor. Raising or lowering any
large wind generator from a tower is a tricky operation. In the present day, I would
recommend hiring a crane company to do so. In the event of TEOTWAWKI, where no
mechanized help would be available, you would have to do it yourself, and that
could be a real risk. And of course there is the OPSEC factor if there are any public
roads with line-of-sight to your property. That is probably not an issue--since your
home is in the middle of a 1,000 acre parcel, but it could be a issue for many other
retreat owners.

Even at your high latitude, it might be more cost-effective to use PVs. Talk it over
with an alternative energy pro, like Bob Grizwald (with Ready Made Resources) or
Steve Willey (with Backwoods Solar Electric Systems.)

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Letter Re: Can I Burn Home Heating Oil or Kerosene in a Diesel Engine?

Permalink

James:

Your article today about diesel vehicles still providing long term cost savings was
quite interesting. The question I have, and perhaps [shared by] some of your
readers is this: is home heating oil and kerosene acceptable fuel for a diesel
engine? - Thanks, - Jim G.

JWR Replies: Home heating oil burns fine in any diesel engine, but in may countries
it is not legal to do so in a vehicle that is driven on public roads. This is a "road tax"
issue. Aside for a red dye additive, the formulation of home heating oil is almost
identical to the diesel that was made before the recent advent of Ultra Low Sulfur
Diesel (ULSD). The only significant difference between the two is the Federal
standard on ash content.

Kerosene is a different matter. Kerosene has insufficient lubricity to be used just by

itself in a diesel engine. I have also read that it burns hotter than diesel, so it might
harm injectors. However, this is largely a non-issue in all but exceptional
circumstances, since kerosene typically sells for as as much as one dollar more per
gallon than diesel. But in an an emergency, it is presumably safe to mix as much as
20% kerosene with your diesel and not cause excessive engine wear. And, BTW, the
aforementioned road tax is also an issue for kerosene.

To explain the road tax: In the US, Canada, the UK, and several other countries it is
not legal to use dyed (untaxed) fuel in a vehicle that is driven on public roads. Of
course if you are using the fuel in a generator set, or in an off-road vehicle such as a
tractor, you can't be accused of cheating on the road tax. The two types of diesel
fuel are distinguished by the dye additive. In the US, there is no dye added to road-
taxed diesel. Enforcement of these statutes varies widely, but the fines can be
substantial, so stay legal.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Technology After TEOTWAWKI, by JLG in Texas

Permalink
"A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for
waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers." (Proverbs 24:5-6)

Most survivalist planning focuses on physical needs—food, shelter, clothing, first

aid, self defense. While the physical essentials rightly belong at the top of the list,
there's almost always some empty space left in the locker/bunker/trailer/back-of-
the-truck for...something. What to put in there?

Human beings are social animals, and we need each other; God has woven this into
our genetic code. A "Lone Ranger" survivalist might have an edge in the short-term,
but a group of survivors has a distinct long-term advantage—if they can overcome
the challenges. Other than basic supply-scale issues, the primary challenges facing
larger groups center around communication issues—making sure everyone is fully
informed and knows The Plan. Communication helps build trust, and trust-based
relationships are exactly what you need as a survivor—whether you're dealing with
your family, or with the family down the road, in the next county, or across the
globe.

One of the reasons I enjoy being a technology consultant is the fact that technology
brings people together. Postal mail, telephone, fax, mobile phones, email, text
messaging, videoconferencing, two-way radios...you name it, it's basically about
human communication. As I formulate and revise my overall survival plan, I find
myself evaluating various technology gadgets in this light: Would this gizmo
(whatever it is) provide communication benefits to me if I were in survival mode,
and, if so, is it feasible and reasonable to utilize it in that capacity? Note that what is
"feasible" and "reasonable" are almost completely subjective, depending on the skill
set of the particular individual or group—those who have a "techno-wiz" or two in
their midst can obviously support more complex technology than others. By
evaluating your group's capacity for utilizing technology, and carefully selecting
from some proven technologies, you can improve your survival capabilities in
numerous ways by improving your ability to communicate within your group of
survivors, be it large or small, and increase your access to outside resources. Here
are some ideas:

Get your ears on. The mobile phone infrastructure may or may not be operational,
and even if it is, your survival retreat might not have decent reception—so don't
count on it. If your group consists of more than one person, odds are that you will
need to split up at some point, and radio communications give you a huge
advantage in almost every situation—especially if you run up against an aggressor.
Anything is better than nothing, so at least grab a set of inexpensive "bubble pack"
FRS/GMRS radios. Better still, see if you can develop a relationship with a like-
minded radio guy in your area, and draw upon his expertise. Find yourself an expert
and get educated.[JWR Adds: See the ARRL for a directory that will include a ham
radio club in your area.]

Get eyes in the back of your head...or house. A good survival retreat includes a
security system, and this is a great place to leverage technology. D-Link, TrendNet
and others make decent network cameras, both wired and wireless, for around $100
each. You can string network wires through the trees, direct-bury, or go wireless.
Virtually any inexpensive wireless access point (e.g., Linksys/Netgear/D-Link
cable/DSL routers, Apple AirPorts, etc.) can be used to provide a basic
communications network for wireless cameras. Using multiple cameras with
software like Security Spy for Macs or NCH Software for Windows, one person with a
laptop computer can cover a lot of ground just sitting in a chair. You can even
configure the software's motion detection features to alert you (by making a noise,
flashing the screen, etc.) when anything moves, so the man on duty doesn't have to
keep his eyes glued to the screen. Much of this equipment runs on 12 VDC, so it's
perfect for photovoltaic-powered systems.

Own the night. Get some night vision equipment. Others have written extensively
and with much more knowledge on the subject than I possess, but if you can see in
the dark, you have a huge advantage over the guy who can't. Find yourself an
expert and get educated. 'Nuff said. [JWR Adds: One night vision gear vendor that I
recommend is JRH Enterprises.}

Get connected. What happens to the internet after TEOTWAWKI? A safe assumption
is that the Internet will be unreliable at best, and possibly unusable. This may be
true to varying degrees on a global or regional scale, but understand that the
internet itself is simply a conglomeration of smaller networks. If you've built a
security network like the one mentioned above, you can use point-to-point wireless
links to connect your survival retreat with your closest like-minded neighbor (you do
know your neighbors, right?), so you can communicate more quickly and easily.
Remember, there is strength in numbers—especially when you can maintain good
communications. What's more, if you build a "mesh" of interconnected networks, if
just one location has internet access, those communication and information
resources immediately become available to the entire mesh. Remember all those
survivalblog.com articles you always meant to print out but never did? If the server
is still online, now you can get to them!
The least expensive wireless point-to-point equipment is generally going to be a
pair of weatherproofed 802.11b/g radios hooked to a directional antennas. The
disadvantage to this configuration is that 802.11b/g is a "line-of-sight" technology
that uses microwave frequencies—so, anything that would heat up in a microwave
oven will attenuate the signal. Thus, if your two locations are separated by foliage
or terrain, you'll have to get those antennas up over the treetops. Not only is that a
hassle, but it's also a very easy way for non-friendlies to locate your retreat. In that
case, you'd be better off utilizing more specialized equipment from a manufacturer
like Motorola or Trango. It's pricier, but it's non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and will shoot
through trees.

Light 'em up! A good solar power system is a great addition to a survival retreat in
any case, but it becomes a necessity if you want to leverage electrically-powered
technology. A basic solar power plant is comprised of one or more photovoltaic (PV)
solar panels, which generate electric current whenever they're exposed to light, one
or more deep-cycle batteries to store the excess power for later use, and electronics
to regulate the voltage and manage the battery charging. Power is usually delivered
at 12 VDC, which can be converted to 120 VAC using an inverter—though it's more
efficient to simply use equipment that will run on 12 VDC. Don't skimp on
photovoltaic gear, and I recommend sizing your solar panels to at least double your
usage projections. For one thing, you'll always want more juice than you think you'll
need. For another thing, many vendors quote solar panel performance based on
best-case conditions, and even if they regionalize their numbers for the amount of
daylight in your area, they typically use an average length-of-day instead of the
shortest length-of-day, and they either ignore or underestimate the effects of cloudy
days, dust coating, bird feces, etc. on PV panel performance. Solar power is quiet,
too, so you won't be giving away your position with a noisy generator. [JWR Adds:
One alternative energy system vendor that I recommend is Ready Made Resources
Also, don't overlook the references available at SolarDoc, at Backwoods Home
magazine, and at Home Power magazine.]

Protect your equipment against electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The general effects of
EMP are fairly well documented, but the specific effects of EMP on various types of
electronic equipment, and the most effective ways of protecting that equipment,
are not so well-documented. EMP is surrounded by misinformation, urban legend,
and simple unknowns. Most "experts" on EMP seem to agree that the most
straightforward way to protect equipment is probably to store it inside a "Faraday
box," which could be made by lining the inside of a metal filing cabinet with several
layers of newspaper, or wrapping a cardboard box with a couple layers of heavy-
duty aluminum foil. Stored in these containers, your electronic equipment is
reasonably protected against EMP. Note that I said "reasonably." When we're talking
about EMP, we're talking about nuclear attack, and survivability—for electronics and
people alike—is obviously highly dependent on where you are in relation to ground
zero, so all you can do is make reasonable preparations and pray to God for grace.

Only you can determine whether or not the benefits of these technologies are worth
the money and effort in your particular survival plan. If you decide to utilize any
particular technology, I highly recommend building and testing the system now,
before it's needed. And, of course, you should always have a "Plan B" for those
times when—not if, but when—the technology fails. EMP, rainwater in the wrong
place, a broken wire, and a dead battery all have the same end result—dead
equipment—and you need to plan for it. Note, too, that the ideas presented here
were kept to a basic level of information due to the limited scope of this article—
each topic would easily merit a fairly lengthy book, if not a complete volume, in
order to be explored to a satisfactory degree—so I strongly encourage you to seek
further knowledge in those systems that are of interest to you.

Again: Find yourself an expert and get educated. If you're an expert in one or more
survival fields, find someone who wants to be educated and teach them. Being a
survivalist doesn't mean you have to be antisocial. Remember that part of your
survival plan should involve building relationships with like-minded people who
have, among them, a diverse enough skill set to be able to handle the widest
possible range of survival tasks. One of the primary uses of communications
technology, aside from its immediate tactical use, is to build and maintain these
kinds of relationships even (or especially) in a survival scenario."Two are better
than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his
friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no-one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm
alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of
three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Here is a non-exhaustive list of Internet resources, to help get you started:

Night vision:

Sideroad.com

N)Vision

Optics Planet
Point-to-point and outdoor wireless:

Radio Labs

Trango Broadband

Motorola PTP

MoonBlink Wi-Fi

Teletronics

Photovoltaic power:

Solar Power Directory

Solar-Electric

EMP protection:

AusSurvivalist EMP Protection Pages

Faraday Cages

1997 Military EMP Hardening Handbook

Parrhesia.com EMP Hardening Handbook

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Letter Re: Advice on Stocking Up on Batteries

Permalink

Sir;

I was wondering: How many batteries should I store for all my radios, flashlights,
smoke detectors, and so forth? I'm also planning to get night vision goggles, soon. I
assume rechargeables, right? If so, what kind [of rechargeables], and who has the
best prices? - T.E. in Memphis.
JWR Replies: I recommend buying mainly nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.
Stock up plenty of them, including some extras for barter and charity. Unlike the
older Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) technology, NiMHs do not have a "memory" effect.
(The diminished capacity because of the memory effect has always been one of the
greatest drawbacks to NiCds batteries.) The best of the breed are the latest Low
Self Discharge (LSD) variants, such as the Sanyo Eneloop.

One discount supplier with a very good selection that I can enthusiastically
recommend is All-Battery.com. They also have great prices on "throw away"
batteries, such a lithium CR-123s.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Two Letters Re: Observations on a Tour of a Telephone Company Central Office

Permalink

James:

The batteries are why the phone still works when the power goes out. That is if you
still have an old style (hard wire) phone and not all cordless phones. The cordless
phones need 120 VAC power to run the base station. You should maintain at least
one all wire somewhere in your house.

I believe the [common design for COs is that the] whole building is built in such a
way that it is a big Faraday Cage. It would take a pretty close proximity EMP to take
one out. The EMP

danger is in the above ground wiring [and antennas].

Most of this kind of engineering is done for lighting protection, but it is something of
an EMP protection as well. That is [on reason why they are continuing to switch to
underground wiring, even on expensive long[er] distance routes. The switch to fiber
optics helps here also, even though the main rationale for its adoption was capacity
and cost.
The phone companies are some of the most engineering conservative utilities in this
country. When I worked with them, everything was "double built". 100 percent
redundancy.

And they are learning a lot fast about “hardening” their properties. Some of the
upgrades I have seen done inside those little brick buildings spread around the
country make them into pillboxes. - Keith S.

Hi Jim,

I saw the stuff about phone Central Offices (COs) and thought I would contribute a
bit as well since this is a part of my area of specialty. Many times people have these
nearby and are unaware of them. They look like a generic office building - most
have few or no windows and are most often brick, concrete or concrete block. They
are generally unobtrusive and sometimes do not even have the company logo on
them. They are made this way because they house what is considered critical
communications infrastructure and because they are supposed to be semi-secure
and protected against all but the very worst mother nature can dish out. They are
also a desirable target for terrorists, etc. As far as I know it is a Federal felony to
disrupt the operations of one of these buildings so batteries, generators, and so
forth would be strictly off limits in all but a true TEOTWAWKI situation.

This link has pictures of COs. If you look at the Kansas page you can see the COs
that might exist in a small town - where they may serve at most a few hundred
customers. The one's listed under California (619) might serve a few thousand
customers. These buildings will generally not be more than about 3 to 5 miles apart
in suburban areas and even closer in urban areas so they are quite common, but
most people do not have a clue where or what they are.

They do have large battery back-ups and larger one's have generators. The larger
one's will also have fuel reservoirs of either diesel, propane or gasoline depending
on the location, company policy, etc. These are required to keep the system up if
the grid goes down - however they are only meant for a few days operation at best
on generators. They do change the batteries our regularly because they have to
keep the grid operational. [Their surplus battery sales are] a decent way to get
good, used deep cycle batteries. The best money can buy. Regards, - Tim P.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Letter Re: Observations on a Tour of a Telephone Company Central Office

Permalink

Hi Jim,

I just came back from a tour of one of our local phone company’s central office (CO)
and this is what I learned: Besides finding out how our phone lines work, I found out
that the hardware there runs on 48 volt DC power. There is a large battery bank in
the basement and the batteries are charged by the grid. It is made up of large clear
cylinders and you can see the acid level and the plates inside. In the case of the
grid going down it has a generator back up. Many of these offices are unmanned. I
also found out that there are many small remote units around that run on a couple
of deep cycle batteries for back up power around town. In the case of a prolonged
power outage the technicians will cycle through the remote units with generators to
charge up the batteries.

I was also surprised at all the circuit boards. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) would
easily take out [these microcircuit boards, and hence wipe out] all the phone
circuits.

I know that society would have to totally break down in order to make use of these
resources but I bet not too many people know about the battery banks. Just
something to keep in the back of your mind because every town will have
something like this. - Adam in Ohio

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Letter Re: Biodiesel, Retreat Vehicle Fuel Flexibility, and Power Generation

Permalink

Hello Jim,
I am a prepper who is trying to do so on a very tight budget (wife, four kids, and two
jobs just to make ends meet-you get the idea). Here are some random ideas that
others might find useful.

1) Try drying your own fruits and vegetables for food storage. Whether homegrown
or bought. This can be done inexpensively and dried food takes up very little
storage space.

2) Consider making your own biodiesel. I am in the early stages of doing this myself.
It's not that hard. Just pay attention to detail and do it right. Besides saving a lot of
money now this will also allow you to build up a large amount of fuel storage for
vehicle and generator use inexpensively. This will become much more critical as
fuel prices skyrocket in the future.

3) You need a diesel vehicle to use the biodiesel in. In addition to a diesel truck,
think about getting an older Mercedes Benz diesel car for an everyday driver and
second BOV. Don't laugh. The W123 chassis cars, specifically the 240D and 300D
models made from 1977 to 1985 are built like tanks, lots of space and they are
fairly simple to work on. I am not mechanical at all and plan on doing all the work on
mine. DieselGiant.com has great pictorials and do-it-yourself DVDs to help you.
These cars have no computers so they should be EMP-proof.

4) If you have a high quality roto-tiller such as a Troy-Bilt or BCS brand (and you
should if your serious about food production) it could be used to earn money/barter.
If things get really hard gardening will make a dramatic comeback. Most people
don't have tillers and there should be a good market tilling ground for people.
Assuming you have enough fuel/spare parts this could make you indispensable in a
small town.

5) A recent [SurvivalBlog] post talked about a vehicle as an improvised generator.

While probably somewhat inefficient in terms of fuel consumption versus electricity
produced it sounds perfect for someone on a budget.

I have two questions: Will running the inverter straight from the battery prematurely
wear out the starter battery in the car or should the inverter be wired directly to the
battery cables? Will using this set up overwork the alternator and cause early
failure?

Some Useful Web Sites:

UtahBiodieselSupply.com

B100Supply.com
MercedesShop.com

DieselGiant.com

Look at the eBay Motors listings if you want to see what these Mercedes vehicles
look like.

This is just my little contribution to the blog and I hope others find it useful., - Jeff S.

JWR Replies: I recommend having at least one diesel tractor, one utility pickup or
quad, and one diesel car at every retreat. Although they are fairly scarce, in my
experience, a pre-1986 Mercedes diesel 300D series station wagon (on the W123
chassis) is worth looking for. These share a common drive train with the much more
common 300D series four-door sedans, so parts are readily available.

Ready Made Resources (one of our most loyal advertisers) offers an affordable
small-scale biodiesel making system. The recent spike in diesel prices will give you
a big advantage in bargaining for a price when buying any diesel vehicle.

In answer to your questions: As long as the engine is left running at low to moderate
RPMs, then using a vehicle's alternator as a power source--for either DC loads,
and/or to run a small 120 VAC inverter--will not cause excessive wear and tear on
your battery or alternator. You may have to rig a manually-controlled set-throttle.
Just keep in mind the usual safety precautions, such as carbon monoxide venting,
and making sure that the transmission lever does not get bumped into "drive". To
conserve your precious fuel, it is probably best to buy a bank of deep cycle ("golf
cart") type batteries that you can charge whenever you run the engine.

Rather than using jumper cable clamps, for safety it is best to attached heavy
gauge battery cable and terminal lugs, Use a detachable high-amperage-rated 12
VDC polarity-protected "Pigtail" block connector, in parallel with your vehicle
battery cables. That way you can quickly disconnect and still be able drive your
vehicle without a time-consuming cable un-bolting procedure. Ideally, your battery
bank will be the heart of an alternative power system that will also--as your budget
eventually allows--include some photovoltaic panels. (This online primer is a good
starting point.) As previously mentioned, in SurvivalBlog, for 12 VDC devices
"downstream" from your battery bank that draw 30 amps or less, I recommend
standardizing with Anderson Power Pole connectors rather than flimsy cigarette
lighter plugs and jacks.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Letter Re: Alternative News Sources When The Grid Goes Down

Permalink

James

In the early 1990s--before Internet was ubiquitous--I remember a well-connected

VHF packet remailer network that was nearly on par with the old Fidonet dial up
network.

Unfortunately while many hams played with packet 15 years ago, the complex
mailbox routing networks are now mostly replaced by the Internet. I don't expect
any data network resembling the Internet to evolve if the grid goes down. This is
not to say that local networks using sound card data modems on CB or FRS radio or
with Wi-Fi gear might not spring up, but it would be a low priority in both electricity
and time.

HF amateur radio and shortwave radio will be the way to get your world news if the
grid goes down. Buy a radio that will receive upper and lower sideband (USB/LSB) or
you will be limited to megawatt commercial AM stations. (SSB is used by the power
poor.) Set up a proper antenna length for the band you are listening to, an antenna
tuner is not good enough. Even if people do not want to obtain their amateur
licence it is advisable that they obtain PSK-31 sound card software and a connector
cable to decode low power PSK data signals. PSK-31is nearly as good as Morse code
for punching through noise, much better than voice mode. For those operating out
of a backpack look at this PSK terminal device. No laptop needed!

Amateur satellite (AmSat) is fun and a great way to talk worldwide without needing
HF gear but if the grid ever fully went down I would expect satellite tracking stations
to lose control of their satellites as the employees are detained protecting their
families. Most AmSat gear is piggybacked on commercial satellites and is powered
from the main buss, amateur controllers have no way to maintain the main systems
on the host satellite.
Look a few months back in the SurvivalBlog archives for the article on Earth Moon
Earth (EME or "moon bounce") propagation for an exotic and often difficult
alternative to HF radio.

My plug for getting your license in the United State is: There is no longer a Morse
Code test requirement! Anyone can memorize the question pool and easily pass the
tech and general

exams now, what possible reason could any survivor not want to get licensed and
on the air.

Worried about expensive gear? while I put down the tuna can transmitter for use as
a survival set, it is a great way for a family to build a first transmitter

But if you want an actual usable Morse-only radio transceiver with even minimal
long range survival utility, but easy and small enough for every member of the
family to build and hide in a Tic-Tac breath mints box for under be $10 the Pixie
takes the prize. If you search the net there are several sources for the pixie kit. -
David in Israel

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Letter Re: Surplus Ambulances as BOVs

Permalink

Dear Mr. Rawles,

Perhaps an overlooked, but wonderful option for a BOV is an ambulance. You can
often find used ambulances on eBay or at [fleet dispersal] auctions. They often have
fairly low miles, have been well maintained and are most often diesel. They come
with lots of storage compartments and equipment built in, as well most have
propane fuel systems, generators, inverters etc. There is usually at least one "bed"
in them as well. The outside storage compartments are often ready to go for the
prepper as they are often diamond plate on the interior and have webbing for
securing items in place. They are easily "hardened" and easy to drive. It is easy to
remove the outer lights and replace them with other more TEOTWAWKI appropriate
choices. You will of course want to have it painted....LOL.
We have taken our lovely BOV to the ATV park here and put it through some serious
tests. I personally love the looks I received when driving a muddy ambulance (pre-
paint job)....but like most prepper wives I am not your average soccer mom. It has
some disadvantages as it is a pretty heavy beast, but I feel very confident in its
capabilities. We also have a 4x4 Durango that we are currently working on for a
second BOV. However, the ambulance is by far and away our favorite. - Prepper
Mom in Washington

JWR Replies: When shopping for a surplused vehicle such as an ambulance at

auction, look for one that is built on a pickup truck frame rather than a cargo van
frame. Not only are they more sturdy, but the chances are much better that you will
find one that came from the factory with a front differential to provide four wheel
drive (4WD). (I am leery about buying a van that was converted to 4WD unless I
know the details about who did the conversion. There are a lot of unqualified "shade
tree mechanics" out there!

Needless to say, all of the usual caveats and disclaimers about buying at auction
apply. If you aren't familiar with inspecting vehicles (checking for leaks, inspecting
tires, hoses and belts, checking for exhaust system leaks, examining dip stick
colors, et cetera) then bring someone that is experienced along with you for "advice
and consent" before bidding.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Letter Re: Observations on Chest Freezer Efficiency

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Hi Jim,

I was reading Monday’s letter regarding “Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator”, and
a thought came to mind when the author mentioned super-insulating a freezer for
extended cooling durations. There are basically 2 types of freezer; the upright and
the box, (what we call around here, the “coffin” freezer). Given the same basic
amount of insulation included with each type, to the point where both manage the
loss of cooling at the same rate, the “coffin” appears to be more efficient during
access.

Cold air sinks. When the door of an upright freezer is opened, the cold air inside will
pour out, much like you would expect water would pour out of it in the same
circumstances. The cold sinks and falls out the front, and is replaced by warmer air
from above. While the contents of the freezer chill the incoming air immediately,
and give the impression that things are staying cold due to that same recently-
chilled air passing over your face, in reality, heat is being absorbed by everything
inside the freezer.

When you open the door of a box freezer, the cold has nowhere to go. There is
disturbance of the upper layer of air as the door opens, and there is also a heat
exchange effect at the boundary of the two layers, the vast majority of cold air
remains in the box. A box freezer thus saves on the energy needed to take the
temp down to its set level after opening the door.

Here’s a tip for preserving low temps for those with upright freezers. Keep as much
food as possible inside the freezer. The more frozen stuffs you have, the less space
warm air has to occupy. Cold food loses temp much much slower than displaced air
does, and with this practice in place, the door may remain open for longer periods
as junior tries to decide on rocky road or vanilla (the only real flavor on earth…) ice-
cream. The remaining low volume of air will chill much faster after the door has
been closed, and the energy required to do this will be less as well. This is good for
post-TEOTWAWKI as well as everyday living.

We prefer our “coffin” for bulk storage. It’s easier to keep our prey “on ice”. - Randy
in Central California

JWR Replies: I agree wholeheartedly that it is important to keep a chest freezer full.
Not only will it mean less cold air spilling out, but their thermal mass will also
provide more of a time lag before defrosting, in the event of a power failure. Here at
the ranch, we fill up any extra chest freezer space with used one-gallon plastic milk
jugs that have been 3/4ths-filled with water.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Letter Re: Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator

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Hello Jim and SurvivalBlog Readers:

I have enjoyed reading the vast knowledge shared on this topic and the awakening
you have brought to us about our fragile economy! How can one put a price on a
wake up call?,… well, it’s easy, renew your 10 Cent Challenge! Admit it, your year is
probably up, but the education is still coming to you!
I have not seen any talk on your site about a "miniature" diesel genset. My thought
is that while the large Lister type genset's are proven to last, ... their will be a time
when running something with a much lower noise signature, vibration signature,
and fuel consumption will be necessary to survive. It seems foolish to fire up
5KW,10KW, 25KW, etc... Watts of power, when you may only need enough to run
your furnace and the freezer. Fire up the big boy for pumping water and what not
once a week, and pump as much as you can into storage containers. Not to mention
that diesel engines last longer when left running, not starting and stopping all the
time. Whereas the gas unit would not know the difference.

My thought is this,. at today's price of diesel, one could afford to buy a 1,000 or
2,000 watt Honda portable unit with the savings of storing 200 stabilized gallons of
gasoline vs. diesel. The Honda units are totally amazing! Almost silent running, easy
to start, easy to throw into the vehicle, and the 1,000 watt unit will easily run a
freezer and furnace for a day on less than a gallon of gasoline. Use your head and
run the generator only as needed, (10 minutes or so several times a day to keep the
freezer going), and you just greatly extended the days in which you will have
portable power. Since the freezer is so important, it will be worth considering super
insulating your freezer when not running.

In a post-SHTF scenario where we would be very vulnerable early on, and while
gasoline is fresh, we could consider using the little guy first, expend your gasoline
fuel supply, barter off the genset after that, then use caution and go with your
primary Lister type genset. At the rate of one gallon of gasoline per day, you would
have 200 days of run time before even really counting on your diesel genset. Use
your head and run the gasoline genset 6-10 times a day for shorter duration, and
you could have 400 days of gasoline portable power.

Given the cost of gasoline versus diesel, it appears that you would obtain more
kilowatt hours per dollar in this scenario. It seems like the big genset could be very
valuable in offering you the ability to weld, etc... at a time when most will have
already been wearing out their big gensets and consuming their fuel. Here you sit
with everything fresh and ready to go. Might make a fine job opportunity to be able
to [arc] weld, run 220 VAC equipment, etcetera, all many moons after the onset of
TEOTWAWKI.

I know this thought defies what has been discussed, but a few hundred gallons of
gasoline stored almost pays for the Honda generator in savings over buying diesel
[fuel] at today's prices. Thought I would put it out there for thought, of course, run
the figures with an expert to make sure you are not starving the electric motors
which would prematurely burn out the appliance.

All the best! - The Wanderer

A Flooded Basement - Friends You Can Count On, and Lessons Learned

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Mr. Rawles,

Once again, thank you for your research and SurvivalBlog posts. I have been a [10
Cent Challenge] contributor for a couple of years and have gotten more than my
money's worth. Thank you.

Last night my group and I met at my home. Here in New Hampshire we received a
record amount of snow fall this year. (Over 108 inches!) That is the fourth largest
every recorded. Yesterday it was warmer then normal there for a lot of snow melt.
Last night it rained. As the group was getting ready to head to the range for night
shooting I went to my basement to get my ammo. I found 18 to 24" of water down
there. All the water was running in off the roadway and into my basement.

Thank you for your writings. [Because of advice in SurvivalBlog] everything was in
Mylar bags in five gallon buckets, floating. I went to turn on my submersible pump
that I have not had to use for years and it did not work. I started bailing with
buckets. We attempted to get a siphon going with out success. My son went to
Home Depot--one of the few stores still open--and was able to rent a large 2"
diameter pump. That emptied the basement in about two hours.

The hot water heater was damaged. I had sand bags that we used in the basement
to keep the water in one area once it started to rain again. It was like a water fall
coming in the basement at time. The sand bags worked great creating a pool in that
area for the pump to work. We dug a trench out side in the driveway to get the
water to go into the back yard. Using spades, shovels and axes that we had on
hand. We dug out the culvert that that the highway department should have kept
opened and that I should have kept checking. Once that was open it stopped raining
but it should keep the water out with everything else we did.
One of the members of our group is a tech for a propane company and he was able
to get the hot water heater up and going with the tools and supplies we had on
hand. He was able to make sure the furnace was going well.

A couple of lessons: You need good people that you can trust. We were going over
our bug out plans and storage plans for the retreat prior to heading to the range.
You have to plan for the future but live in the here and now.

We have different people with different skills. Once is a propane tech, one is a
mechanic, one an administrator, one good in first aid and one security - defensive
person. All of them have various skills that are needed. I had a stash of cash on
hand to purchase or rent the pump and anything else needed last night.

Having a good working pump would have been invaluable. I have a stream that
flows all year long in my yard and I could even use a good pump for fire control if
needed. That will be on the list now.

I once again thank the Lord for his providence. - New Hampshire Hillbilly

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Letter Re: Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator

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Jim -

Great blog! I wanted to point out an important calculation everyone missed -

internal combustion engines produce less power at higher elevation. Generators are
(of course) rated at sea level. It's important to de-rate generator capacity by 3.5%
per 1,000 feet of elevation or your generator will be undersized. (A 5,000 "label
watt" generator is [effectively] only a 4,000 watt generator where I live at 6,000
feet.) Density altitude on a warm summer day can easily be 2,000 feet higher than
that. My rule of thumb: after sizing for load, size generously for elevation or you'll
be buying twice. Hope this helps everyone...

Other food for thought: You don't need to run all your big loads simultaneously. If
the grid stays down, it'll be a blessing just to have refrigeration - it doesn't need to
be like today where we run everything at once while blow-drying the dog! There's
no reason you can't shut off the freezer if you need the well pump. The simplest
transfer switch allows you to control power to various loads, and this allows you to
use a smaller generator to accomplish everything. My genset is home built using a
Listeroid (Lister clone) diesel engine and generator head purchased separately. This
generator (significantly oversized to run a MIG welder, lathe, mill or
compressor/plasma cutter combo) cost me less than $3,000 including truck freight
and welding up a stout steel frame (probably $4,500 now, given the weak dollar,
steel prices and current shipping rates). Based on decades of British Empire
experience with these beasts in third world countries, I expect it will give 30,000-to-
50,000 hours of service with minimal maintenance. It gingerly sips fuel and is easily
operated on biodiesel or waste vegetable oil without modification.

Regards, - Fred H.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Four Letters Re: Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator

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Mr. Rawles:

I saw that you recently posted my question to the blog, so I thought I'd update you.
I ran the tests again and got what I believe to be a more accurate assessments.

My second test showed the refrigerator consuming right at 2.7 KWH (2,700 watts)
over a 24 hour period for an average of 112.5 watts-per-hour. Now mind you, that
includes all the hours we were asleep and so no one was opening the door, using up
ice, etc.. During hours of heavy usage it was using about 150 watts-per-hour.

Test #2 for the chest freezer yielded the following results: KWH usage for the full 24
hours came to 1.02 KWH or 1,020 watts. This is an average of 42.5 watts-per-hour.
Mind you, this freezer basically only gets opened once per day when we take out
whatever we're defrosting for dinner. All in all, I'm pretty happy with those results.

The next step is to test our other refrigerator and our upright freezer and to
calculate the Amp Hours required (how many deep cycle batteries I'll need) to build
my homemade UPS system.
FYI, I found a really good deal the other day on a 4 KW emergency gasoline genset,
and went ahead and bought it. My next big purchase will be a tri-fuel conversion kit
from US Carburetion, so I can run her on propane. I know you guys usually endorse
diesel as a primary genset/retreat fuel, but I really like the stability and shelf-life of
propane - in my area, I can rent a 300-gallon tank (I own two 100-gallon cylinder
tanks) from the propane provider for around $50 per year and fill it a little at a time
as opposed to making an expensive all-at-once fuel purchase. My logic there being
that I can dump a little in each month, so that it'll be full when I actually need it to
be. - JSC in West Virginia - A "10 Cent Challenge" Subscriber

Dear JWR:

I was catching up on SurvivalBlog this weekend and noted the article on generator
set sizing. The main issue here is that there is a significant difference in the average
electrical energy consumption of an appliance and its peak usage. This issue is
compounded by electrical devices such as motors which are not purely resistive (i.e.
inductive load) and thus have up to 3 times the energy demand to start as opposed
to running. This is commonly referred to as “starting current” verses “running
current”. When sizing an electrical generator, one needs not only to calculate the
total energy consumption of all electrical appliances one anticipates to be running
simultaneously, but also to cover the starting current for the item with the heaviest
draw. Most electrical motors are labeled with their electrical current needs,
commonly listed as starting or peak current and continuous current. In regard to an
appliance which doesn’t list this information (such as a refrigerator), the owner
needs to use his Kill-A-Watt [meter] to determine the current used while running
(typically 3-5 amps) and multiply this by 3 to get a good estimate of the starting
current demands.

The process should be to add up the total draw for all the appliances, and then
double the highest one and add that also to the total. This will give a rough estimate
of the peak current draw, in Amps. To convert Amps to Watts, one simply needs to
multiply by the operating voltage (typically 120 or 240 Volts). This assumes that no
more than one heavy draw appliance starts at the same time, but to cover all the
starting currents would require a much larger generator.

Several years back, during an ice storm, we were living off of an emergency
generator rated at 5,000 Watts (6,200 peak Watts ). One should disregard the
“peak” rating of typical portable emergency generators since they are uniformly
overrated (I have noticed that recently, peak rating is what is listed, look for the
“continuous rating”). Our water heater (a purely resistive load, hence no “starting
current”) consumed 4,500 Watts. In order to take a hot shower, we needed to turn
off all other circuits and allow the water to heat up. After an hour, the water heater
was disconnected to allow the well pump to be operated to provide water through
the water heater to the shower. This constant switching of loads was a real
nightmare.

As a caveat, typical consumer portable electrical generators are not up the rigors of
continuous use. Their fuel economy is atrocious; our 5 KW unit uses about 5 gallons
of gas in an 8 hour period. They are also typically powered by the equivalent of an
air-cooled lawnmower engine. Consider taking your lawnmower into heavy wet
grass and mowing continuously for 200 hours. After a week of trying to keep this
loud and hungry beast fed, thankfully the power came back on-line. We went with a
diesel powered 15KW unit which would even cover the arc welding unit and it uses
about 1/4 gallon of fuel per hour during typical household test uses. The gas
generator seemed to use virtually the same amount of fuel regardless of the load,
but the diesel unit just sips fuel when it is just loafing along, with consumption
roughly linear with the load.

When choosing a generator for long term use, I would make several
recommendations:

First, if you pump water or want to run a welder or air conditioning unit, you will
need at least 10 KW and 120/240VAC capability.

Second, get a unit with double windings so it can run at 1,800 rpm instead of 3,600
rpm (to make up 60 Hz AC power). This vastly improves fuel economy and noise
level as well as longevity.

Third, the unit needs to be water cooled. While some air cooled units are built for
longevity, they are the exception.

Fourth, think of fuel storage requiring long-term stability. This effectively rules out
gasoline, and leaves us with NG/LPG or diesel.

While electrical generators are very useful and highly recommended, their Achilles’
Heel is fuel availability. We store adequate diesel fuel to run the generator full time
for approximately two months use, which would extend to one year or more with
limited part-time use, but it is still a finite resource. They can be useful as a bridge
for short duration (till the power comes back on or we learn to live without). Except
in the hottest climates, running a refrigerator or freezer a couple of hours twice a
day is adequate with limited door opening. Once the foodstuffs in the freezer and
refrigerator are used up, you will still need a manual pump for your water well in
TEOTWAWKI. Hope this helps, - NC BlueDog

Sir,

The Kill-A-Watt meter is a great tool but [KSC] really didn’t give it a chance to work.
If you want to find out how much power your refrigerator uses over the course of
the day leave it plugged into the meter for a few days at the minimum.

Most watt meters have the option to see how much power is currently being used
by whatever is plugged into it. You’ll want to look at that while the appliance is
cycled on. The refrigerators and freezers that I’ve dealt with generally don’t use
more than about 150 – 200 watts while running, figure they use about three times
that during startup.

In your situation, figure 600 watts startup power, times four appliances would be
around 2,400 watts. I’m guessing that there will be other things that you will want
to run also (lights, grain mill, battery charger etc.) so you may want to go with a
3,500 watt generator but as long as you aren’t looking to power your whole house
from top to bottom with it you don’t really need a huge generator. - MercCom

Jim-

Here's a helpful site for figuring power requirements.

By the way, we all have useful generators sitting in our garages--in our car and/or
truck. An inverter will let you tap that power. COSTCO has a 1,000 watt inverter for
$65. If you use good sense in using power, and keep your vehicle tank(s) full, you
can ride through a temporary power failure. Not bad for $65. But you also will have
to buy or make up a pair of cables that will clip to your battery. The provided cables
have useless terminals (closed end type) for the battery end of the cables. - Bob B.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Letter Re: The "Invention Nation" Documentary Television Series

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Jim,

I don't know if this has been posted here or not. I have finished watching a series on
the Science Channel called "Invention Nation". The show primarily feature inventors
who are inventing ways to "go green". Many of these inventions and ideas fit in
perfectly with being self-sufficient. Some of the topics are; used cooking oil for
diesel engines, solar power technology, passive solar for heating homes and water,
bicycle generators, etc... The series will rerun starting in March and may be worth a
look for the preparedness minded. See the Invention Nation web site. Thanks to you
and your family for all you do. - Randy G.

Letter Re: Sizing a Retreat AC Power Generator

Permalink

Mr. Rawles:

In attempting to size an emergency generator for my home, I have run across some
interesting questions that I hope you and/or your other readers will be able to help
me with. I lived through the blizzards of the 1990s here in the southern West
Virginia coal camps, and I will never forget us and all of our neighbors being without
power and unable to get out of our own driveways for 23+ days in 1993.

It marked the very beginnings of my awakening to the necessity of being properly

prepared. With that in mind, I am attempting to set my home up with the ability to
keep a bare minimum level of electrical appliances running in the case of a long-
term outage; namely 2 refrigerators w/ freezers, a chest freezer, and an upright
freezer (all just a few years old, so fairly energy efficient).

I am gauging the power being used by these appliances using a Kill-A-Watt. And,
honestly, I'm afraid that I am doing something wrong. My number seem awfully low.
The first test I ran was on my chest freezer; after two hours of measurement, the
freezer had consumed just 0.05 KWH or 50 watts of power at 25 watts per hour. I
was surprised, but not terribly because the lid was not opened during the span of
the test.

Next, I tested the refrigerator in my kitchen. It is a an Energy Star compliant

Whirlpool brand 25.55 cu. ft. model with water and ice in the door. As a result of the
chest freezer coming in lower than I expected, I purposely skewed the refrigerator
experiment with the hopes of over-estimating the true usage. To that end, I was
sure to be a bad boy and do things such as holding the door open and staring in like
a goober for five minutes. I also refilled the dog's water bowl from the door (forcing
the pump into action) and virtually emptied the ice bin as crushed ice through the
door (a big cup of ice water is yum!) to force the ice maker to have to run and make
more. But, even with all that, my two hour test yielded a cumulative KWH usage of
just 0.13. A measly 130 watts at 65 watts per hour.

Researching this online, I'm finding sites that estimate the typical household fridge
uses between 150-250 watts per hour with peaks upward of 700+ watts. Am I doing
really well on efficiency or am I missing something? I'll wait to hear back before I
run the remaining tests. Thanks! - JSC

Friday, February 22, 2008

The "Come as You Are" Collapse--Have the Right Tools and Skills

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In the Second World War, the United States had nearly two full years to ramp up
military training and production before decisively confronting the Axis powers. In
the late 1970s, looking at the recent experience of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, the
Pentagon's strategic planners came to the realization that the next major war that
the US military would wage would not be like the Second World War. There would
not be the luxury of time to train and equip. They realized that we would have to
fight with only what we had available on Day One. They dubbed this the "Come as
you are war" concept.

In my opinion, the same "come as you are" mindset should be applied to family
preparedness. We must recognize that in these days of rapid news dissemination, it
may take as little as 10 hours before supermarket shelves are cleaned out. It make
take just a few hours for queues that are literally blocks-long to form at gas
stations--or at bank branches in the event of bank runs. Worse yet, it may take just
a few hours before the highways and freeways leading out of urban and suburban
areas are clogged with traffic--the dreaded "Golden Horde" that I often write about.
Do not make the false assumption that you will have the chance to make "one last
trip" to the big box store, or even the chance to fill your Bug Out Vehicle's fuel tank.
This will be the "come as you are" collapse.

The concept also applies to your personal training. If you haven't learned how to do
things before the balloon goes, up, then don't expect to get anything but marginal
to mediocre on-the-job training after the fact. In essence, you have the opportunity
to take top quality training from the best trainers now, but you won't once the
Schumer hits the fan. Take the time to get top-notch training! Train with the best--
with organizations like Medical Corps, WEMSI, Front Sight, the RWVA/Appleseed
Project, the WRSA, and the ARRL. Someday, you'll be very glad that you did.

The come as you are concept definitely applies to specialized manufactured

equipment.You are dreaming if you think that you will have the chance to to
purchase any items such as these, in a post-collapse world: razor wire, body armor,
night vision equipment, advanced first aid gear, tritium scopes, dosimeters and
radiac meters, biological decontamination equipment, Dakota Alert or military
surplus PEWS intrusion detection sets, photovoltaics, NBC masks, and semi-auto
battle rifles. Think about it: There are very few if these items (per capita) presently
in circulation. But the demand for them during a societal collapse would be
tremendous. How could you compete in such a scant market? Anyone that
conceivably has "spares" will probably want to keep them for a member of their
own family or group. So even in the unlikely event that someone was even willing to
sell such scarce items, they would surely ask a king's ransom in barter for them. I'm
talking about quarter sections of land, entire strings of well-broken horses, or
pounds of gold. Offers of anything less would surely be scoffed at.

Don't overlook the "you" part of the "as you are" premise. Are you physically fit? Are
you up to date on your dental work? Do you have two pairs of sturdy eyeglasses
with your current prescription? Do you have at least a six month supply of vitamins
and medications? Is your body weight reasonable? If you answer to any of these is
no, then get busy!
Even if you have a modest budget, you will have an advantage over the average
suburbanite. Your knowledge and training alone--what is between your ears--will
ensure that. And even with just a small budget for food storage, you will be miles
ahead of your neighbors. Odds are that they will have less than two week's worth of
food on hand. As I often say, you will need extra supplies on hand to help out
relatives, friends, and neighbors that were ill-prepared. I consider charity my
Christian duty!

I have repeatedly and strongly emphasized the importance of living at your

intended retreat year-round. But I realize that because of personal finances, family
obligations, and the constraints of making a living at an hourly or salaried job, that
this is not realistic--except for a few of us, mainly retirees. If you are stuck in the Big
City and plan to Get Out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) at the eleventh hour, then by all
means pre-position the vast majority of your gear and supplies at your retreat. You
will most likely only have one, I repeat, one G.O.O.D. trip. If there is a major crisis
there will probably be no chance to "go back for a second load." So WTSHTF will
truly be a "come as you are" affair.

With all of this in mind, re-think your preparedness priorities. Stock your retreat
well. If there isn't someone living there year-round, then hide what is there from
burglars. (See the numerous SurvivalBlog posts on caching and constructing hidden
compartments and rooms.) Maintain balance in your preparations. In a situation
where you are truly hunkered-down at your retreat in the midst of a societal
collapse, there might not be any opportunity to barter for any items that you
overlooked. (At least not for several months. ) What you have is what you got. You
will have to make-do. So be sure to develop your "lists of lists" meticulously. If you
have the funds available, construct a combination storm shelter/fallout shelter/walk-
in vault. It would be virtually impossible to build something that elaborate in the
aftermath of a societal collapse.

A closing thought that relates to your retreat logistics: The original colonial Army
Rangers, organized by Major Robert Rogers during the French and Indian Wars of
the 1750s had a succinct list of operating rules. The version of the "Rules of
Ranging" recounted in the novel "Northwest Passage" by Kenneth Roberts started
with a strong proviso: "Don't forget nothing." That is sage advice.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Letter Re: AA Cells and Mobile Power

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There was a discussion about batteries a few days back on SurvivalBlog. The writer
advocated using AA NiMH cells almost exclusively, with adapters for devices
requiring C and D cells. While I do agree that this is a good approach for some
devices, there is certainly some merit to having full size 10 Amp Hour (10,000 MAH)
batteries in high [current] draw or long term use devices. Not only is capacity

significantly higher on larger cells, but the maximum safe current draw is higher
too.

Good NiMH C cells have 2-to-3 times the capacity of AA cells, and NiMH D cells have
4-to-5 times the capacity of AA cells. They can be charged in a reasonable
timeframe on a good quality charger like the MAHA MH-C801D. If you shop carefully
you can find 10AH NiMH low self discharge D cells for around $10 each (As an
example, see Overstock.com). Thanks, - BR

JWR Replies: I recommend that SurvivalBlog readers be very careful when shopping
for size C and D NiCD and NiMH batteries. Many of the batteries on the market have
no more capacity than a size AA. (With those, essentially you are getting the same
"guts" used in a size AA cell, but just in a bigger "can.") Look carefully and the MaH
ratings before you buy! Also, be sure to buy only brands (such as Sanyo's ENELOOP)
that have "Low Self Discharge" (LSD) rates.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Letter Re: Keeping a Low Profile is Crucial for Preparedness

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Jim,

My missus and I have been into "prepping" for about 15 years. Our house has a
basement and it is practically wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with shelves--with just
narrow aisles in between. The shelves are chockablock with storage food (all labeled
and organized "FIFO"-style), medical supplies, assorted "field" type gear, tools,
barter/charity stuff, ammo cans, propane cylinders (that fit our camp stove and
camping lantern), reels of field phone wire, paper products, and so forth. Following
the example of Mr. Whiskey (from your "Profiles") we have recently built up 27 sets
of designated "charity duffles", each packed in a cheap Made-in-Taiwan nylon duffle
bag. Each of these contains a Dutch Army surplus wool blanket, a Chinese knockoff
of a Leatherman tool, a pair of gloves, a pile ("watch") cap, a half dozen pairs of
socks, a thrift store man's jacket, room for four days worth of food (which we would
pack from our FIFO inventory, as needed), a collapsing plastic water container (the
type that Campmor sells), a waterproof match container, a tube tent, and a hand
line fishing kit. ("Teach a man to fish...")

When we moved back to California in 1998, we picked our house specially because
it was built in the 1940s. It is the oldest and sturdiest house on the block. (The
neighborhood built up around the house, when the property was subdivided in the
1960s.) It has a basement and its own water well, which is now "off the books"--
since the house is now on "city" [metered] water, but the well is still functional with
a 24 VDC submersible well pump. I have four flush roof-mounted Kyocera PV panels
(cannot be seen from the street) and six deep cycle batteries. The cables are run
series-parallel to provide both 12 VDC and 24 VDC outputs.

Even though we live in a standard suburban neighborhood, none of out neighbors

are any the wiser about our preps. At the core, I consider my preparations my own
business. When the time comes to hand out the charity duffles, we will do so
through an intermediary, like our church. (We are Methodists.)

After seeing what happened to that guy in Norco last year, I am glad that I keep a
low profile. The specific measures that we have taken to keep a low profile are:

1.) We take no UPS deliveries at our house. Nearly all of our mail-ordered goods are
sent to our private mail box at the local UPS Store (it was formerly a "MailBoxes,
Etc.") From there, we take the boxes home in our minivan.We are always sure to
unload the van from inside my garage, with the garage door shut. All of the empty
boxes have the "to" and "from" address labels cut out with a box cutter knife. I
discard the flattened boxes in the cardboard recycling dumpster behind the office
where I work. (I'm a sales engineer for a medium-size company.)

2.) We don't subscribe to any shooting or hunting magazines. We get all of the gun
information we need online. To "stay in the fight" politically, I do make regular
anonymous contributions to the GOA, JPFO and CRPA [The California Rifle and Pistol
Association, a firearms rights organization], via Post Office Money Orders. (BTW, I do
the same for the SurvivalBlog [10 Cent] Challenge. Shame on any of you that read
this blog regularly but don't pony up the 10 pennies a day!)
3.) We access all web pages via Anonymizer, with no exceptions.

4.) Most of of our preps purchases are either made F2F, with cash, or with Post
Office Money Orders if ordering by mail. This eliminates the "trail of paper" from
writing checks or using a credit card. We buy a lot from Nitro-Pak, Ready Made
Resources, Major Surplus, and Lehman's.

5.) All of our guns, ammunition, gun gadgets, targets, and cleaning supplies are
bought "private party", mainly at SoCal [(Southern California)] gun shows. Also,
needless to mention, these are greenback transactions only! In California, we can
still at least buy rifles and shotguns that are more than 50 years old without having
to buy through a [licensed] dealer. We have two [M1] Garand rifles, and a FN.49,
also [chambered] in .30-06. I'm still looking for one or two more of those, but they
are scarce, and even harder to find private party. We also have three [Winchester]
Model 12 pump[-action] 12 gauge shotguns, two of which have had their barrels
shortened to 18.5 inches. Handgun buys in California all require paperwork, but by
Divine Providence I bought several Glocks and [Colt Model] 1911s when I was living
in Arizona for a couple years, back in the late '90s. [JWR Adds: That loophole was
recently closed for Californians. Anyone moving into the state must now register
their handguns. Drat! But at least there was a grandfather clause.] There is isn't
much to do out in the desert except shoot, so I bought a lot of guns when we were
there.

6.) We signed up for an identity theft and credit report checking protection plan
three years ago. I noticed that SurvivalBlog just started running an ad from
Comprehensive Risk Solutions. Their service has more bells and whistles and a
lower subscription cost that our current provider, so we will switch [to them] when
our current subscription lapses. [JWR Adds: I highly recommend this service. It is
cheap insurance to prevent what would otherwise be a very costly incident.]

7.) We use a TracFone whenever calling a mail order vendor. (No calling history
paper trail.)

8. ) We don't mention our preps to anyone outside of our family. We have coached
our kids from an early age to keep their lips zipped.
9.) Whenever we have anybody visit our home, the basement door stays closed and
locked. (It is a keyed deadbolt lock.) The basement has no windows. Most of our
friends and relatives don't realize that we even have a basement. (Basements are
actually rare in California tract neighborhoods.) To anybody that visits, the
basement door just looks like a locked closet.

10.) We don't leave anything "suspicious" out where it can be seen in our house and
garage.

These precautions might seem kinda "over the top", but put yourself in my shoes. In
the People's Republic of California it pays to be a bit of a Secret Squirrel. I does cost
me about $300 per year to get my mail and packages at the UPS Store, but I
consider that a small price to pay for my privacy. I plan to retire to the mountains of
central Nevada in nine years, but for now, I am making do in my present
circumstances. - F.L. in Southern California

Thursday, February 7, 2008

From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Start With a "List of Lists"

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Start your retreat stocking effort by first composing a List of Lists, then draft
prioritized lists for each subject, on separate sheets of paper. (Or in a spreadsheet if
you are a techno-nerd like me. Just be sure to print out a hard copy for use when
the power grid goes down!) It is important to tailor your lists to suit your particular
geography, climate, and population density as well as your peculiar needs and
likes/dislikes. Someone setting up a retreat in a coastal area is likely to have a far
different list than someone living in the Rockies.

As I often mention in my lectures and radio interviews, a great way to create truly
commonsense preparedness lists is to take a three-day weekend TEOTWAWKI
Weekend Experiment” with your family. When you come home from work on Friday
evening, turn off your main circuit breaker, turn off your gas main (or propane
tank), and shut your main water valve (or turn off your well pump.) Spend that
weekend in primitive conditions. Practice using only your storage food, preparing it
on a wood stove (or camping stove.)
A “TEOTWAWKI Weekend Experiment” will surprise you. Things that you take for
granted will suddenly become labor intensive. False assumptions will be shattered.
Your family will grow closer and more confident. Most importantly, some of the most
thorough lists that you will ever make will be those written by candlelight.

Your List of Lists should include: (Sorry that this post is in outline form, but it would
take a full length book to discus all of the following in great detail)

Water List

Food Storage List

Food Preparation List

Personal List

First Aid /Minor Surgery List

Nuke Defense List

Biological Warfare Defense List

Gardening List

Hygiene List/Sanitation List

Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List

Power/Lighting/Batteries List

Fuels List

Firefighting List

Tactical Living List

Security-General

Security-Firearms

Communications/Monitoring List

Tools List
 Sundries List

Survival Bookshelf List

Barter and Charity List

JWR’s Specific Recommendations For Developing Your Lists:

Water List

House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this is another
good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal roof.)

Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don’t buy big barrels, since
five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that most people can handle
without back strain.

For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a couple of
heavy duty two wheel garden carts--convert the wheels to foam filled "no flats"
tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for those carts around your retreat, such
as hauling hay, firewood, manure, fertilizer, et cetera.)

Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a long way. Buy
some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If you can afford it, buy a “Big
Berky” British Berkefeld ceramic water filter. (Available from Ready Made Resources
and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure spring water at your
retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good filter could be a
lifesaver.)

Food Storage List

See my post tomorrow which will be devoted to food storage. Also see the recent
letter from David in Israel on this subject.

Food Preparation List

Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an oversize skillet and a
huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several huge kettles, because odds are
you will have to heat water on your wood stove for bathing, dish washing, and
clothes washing. You will also need even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or 6 gallon
PVC buckets--for water hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying. They will also
make great barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr. Gary North: “Nails: buy
a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!”)

Don’t overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.

Personal List

(Make a separate personal list for each family member and individual expected to
arrive at your retreat.)

Spare glasses.

Prescription and nonprescription medications.

Birth control.

Keep dentistry up to date.

Any elective surgery that you've been postponing

Work off that gut.

Stay in shape.

Back strength and health—particularly important, given the heavy manual tasks
required for self-sufficiency.

Educate yourself on survival topics, and practice them. For example, even if you
don’t presently live at your retreat, you should plant a vegetable garden every year.
It is better to learn through experience and make mistakes now, when the loss of
crop is an annoyance rather than a crucial event.

“Comfort” items to help get through high stress times. (Books, games, CDs,
chocolates, etc.)

First Aid /Minor Surgery List

When tailoring this list, consider your neighborhood going for many months without
power, extensive use of open flames, and sentries standing picket shifts exposed in
the elements. Then consider axes, chainsaws and tractors being wielded by
newbies, and a greater likelihood of gunshot wounds. With all of this, add the
possibility of no access to doctors or high tech medical diagnostic equipment. Put a
strong emphasis on burn treatment first aid supplies. Don’t overlook do-it-yourself
dentistry! (Oil of cloves, temporary filling kit, extraction tools, et cetera.) Buy a full
minor surgery outfit (inexpensive Pakistani stainless steel instruments), even if you
don’t know how to use them all yet. You may have to learn, or you will have the
opportunity to put them in the hands of someone experienced who needs them.)
This is going to be a big list!

Chem/Nuke Defense List

Dosimeter and rate meter, and charger, radiac meter (hand held Geiger counter),
rolls of sheet plastic (for isolating airflow to air filter inlets and for covering window
frames in the event that windows are broken due to blast effects), duct tape, HEPA
filters (ands spares) for your shelter. Potassium iodate (KI) tablets to prevent thyroid
damage.(See my recent post on that subject.) Outdoor shower rig for just outside
your shelter entrance.

Biological Warfare Defense List

Disinfectants

Hand Sanitizer

Sneeze masks

Colloidal silver generator and spare supplies (distilled water and .999 fine silver
rod.)

Natural antibiotics (Echinacea, Tea Tree oil, …)

Gardening List

One important item for your gardening list is the construction of a very tall deer-
proof and rabbit-proof fence. Under current circumstances, a raid by deer on your
garden is probably just an inconvenience. After the balloon goes up, it could mean
the difference between eating well, and starvation.
Top Soil/Amendments/Fertilizers.

Tools+ spares for barter/charity

Long-term storage non hybrid (open pollinated) seed. (Non-hybrid “heirloom” seed
assortments tailors to different climate zones are available from The Ark Institute

Herbs: Get started with medicinal herbs such as aloe vera (for burns), echinacea
(purple cone flower), valerian, et cetera.

Hygiene/Sanitation List

Sacks of powdered lime for the outhouse. Buy plenty!

TP in quantity (Stores well if kept dry and away from vermin and it is lightweight,
but it is very bulky. This is a good item to store in the attic. See my novel about
stocking up on used phone books for use as TP.

Soap in quantity (hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap, cleansers, etc.)

Bottled lye for soap making.

Ladies’ supplies.

Toothpaste (or powder).

Floss.

Fluoride rinse. (Unless you have health objections to the use of fluoride.)

Sunscreen.

Livestock List:

Hoof rasp, hoof nippers, hoof pick, horse brushes, hand sheep shears, styptic,
carding combs, goat milking stand, teat dip, udder wash, Bag Balm, elastrator and
bands, SWOT fly repellent, nail clippers (various sizes), Copper-tox, leads, leashes,
collars, halters, hay hooks, hay fork, manure shovel, feed buckets, bulk grain and C-
O-B sweet feed (store in galvanized trash cans with tight fitting lids to keep the
mice out), various tack and saddles, tack repair tools, et cetera. If your region has
selenium deficient soil (ask your local Agricultural extension office) then be sure to
get selenium-fortified salt blocks rather than plain white salt blocks--at least for
those that you are going to set aside strictly for your livestock.

Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List
“Buckshot” Bruce Hemming has produced an excellent series of videos on trapping
and making improvised traps. (He also sells traps and scents at very reasonable
prices.)

Night vision gear, spares, maintenance, and battery charging

Salt. Post-TEOTWAWKI, don’t “go hunting.” That would be a waste of effort. Have
the game come to you. Buy 20 or more salt blocks. They will also make very
valuable barter items.

Sell your fly fishing gear (all but perhaps a few flies) and buy practical spin casting
equipment.

Extra tackle may be useful for barter, but probably only in a very long term Crunch.

Buy some frog gigs if you have bullfrogs in your area. Buy some crawfish traps if
you have crawfish in your area.

Learn how to rig trot lines and make fish traps for non-labor intensive fishing
WTSHTF.

Power/Lighting/Batteries List

One proviso: In the event of a “grid down” situation, if you are the only family in the
area with power, it could turn your house into a “come loot me” beacon at night. At
the same time, your house lighting will ruin the night vision of your LP/OP pickets.
Make plans and buy materials in advance for making blackout screens or fully
opaque curtains for your windows.

When possible, buy nickel metal hydride batteries. (Unlike the older nickel cadmium
technology, these have no adverse charge level “memory” effect.)

If your home has propane appliances, get a “tri-fuel” generator--with a carburetor

that is selectable between gasoline, propane, and natural gas. If you heat your
home with home heating oil, then get a diesel-burning generator. (And plan on
getting at least one diesel burning pickup and/or tractor). In a pinch, you can run
your diesel generator and diesel vehicles on home heating oil.

Kerosene lamps; plenty of extra wicks, mantles, and chimneys. (These will also
make great barter items.)

Greater detail on do-it-yourself power will be included in my forthcoming blog posts.

Fuels List
Buy the biggest propane, home heating oil, gas, or diesel tanks that your local
ordinances permit and that you can afford. Always keep them at least two-thirds
full. For privacy concerns, ballistic impact concerns, and fire concerns, underground
tanks are best if you local water table allows it. In any case, do not buy an
aboveground fuel tank that would visible from any public road or navigable
waterway. Buy plenty of extra fuel for barter. Don’t overlook buying plenty of
kerosene. (For barter, you will want some in one or two gallon cans.) Stock up on
firewood or coal. (See my previous blog posts.) Get the best quality chainsaw you
can afford. I prefer Stihls and Husqavarnas. If you can afford it, buy two of the same
model. Buy extra chains, critical spare parts, and plenty of two-cycle oil. (Two-cycle
oil will be great for barter!) Get a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps. They are
expensive but they might save yourself a trip to the emergency room. Always wear
gloves, goggles, and ear-muffs. Wear a logger’s helmet when felling. Have someone
who is well experienced teach you how to re-sharpen chains. BTW, don’t cut up your
wood into rounds near any rocks or you will destroy a chain in a hurry.

Firefighting List

Now that you have all of those flammables on hand (see the previous list) and the
prospect of looters shooting tracer ammo or throwing Molotov cocktails at your
house, think in terms of fire fighting from start to finish without the aid of a fire
department. Even without looters to consider, you should be ready for uncontrolled
brush or residential fires, as well as the greater fire risk associated with greenhorns
who have just arrived at your retreat working with wood stoves and kerosene
lamps!

Upgrade your retreat with a fireproof metal roof.

2” water line from your gravity-fed storage tank (to provide large water volume for
firefighting)

Fire fighting rig with an adjustable stream/mist head.

Smoke and CO detectors.

Tactical Living List

Adjust your wardrobe buying toward sturdy earth-tone clothing. (Frequent your local
thrift store and buy extras for retreat newcomers, charity, and barter.)
Dyes. Stock up on some boxes of green and brown cloth dye. Buy some extra for
barter. With dye, you can turn most light colored clothes into semi-tactical clothing
on short notice.

Two-inch wide burlap strip material in green and brown. This burlap is available in
large spools from Gun Parts Corp. Even if you don’t have time now, stock up so that
you can make camouflage ghillie suits post-TEOTWAWKI.

Save those wine corks! (Burned cork makes quick and cheap face camouflage.)

Cold weather and foul weather gear—buy plenty, since you will be doing more
outdoor chores, hunting, and standing guard duty.

Don’t overlook ponchos and gaiters.

Mosquito repellent.

Synthetic double-bag (modular) sleeping bags for each person at the retreat, plus a
couple of spares. The Wiggy’s brand Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System
(FTRSS) made by Wiggy's of Grand Junction, Colorado is highly recommended.

Night vision gear + IR floodlights for your retreat house

Subdued flashlights and penlights.

Noise, light, and litter discipline. (More on this in future posts--or perhaps a reader
would like to send a brief article on this subject)

Security-General: Locks, intrusion detection/alarm systems, exterior obstacles

(fences, gates, 5/8” diameter (or larger) locking road cables, rosebush plantings,
“decorative” ponds (moats), ballistic protection (personal and residential), anti-
vehicular ditches/berms, anti-vehicular concrete “planter boxes”, razor wire, etc.)

Starlight electronic light amplification scopes are critical tools for retreat security.

A Starlight scope (or goggles, or a monocular) literally amplifies low ambient light
by up to 100,000 times, turning nighttime darkness into daylight--albeit a green and
fuzzy view. Starlight light amplification technology was first developed during the
Vietnam War. Late issue Third Generation (also called or “Third Gen” or “Gen 3”)
starlight scopes can cost up to $3,500 each. Rebuilt first gen (early 1970s
technology scopes can often be had for as little as $500. Russian-made monoculars
(with lousy optics) can be had for under $100. One Russian model that uses a
piezoelectric generator instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These
are best used as backups (in case your expensive American made scopes fail. They
should not be purchased for use as your primary night vision devices unless you are
on a very restrictive budget. (They are better than nothing.) Buy the best starlight
scopes, goggles, and monoculars you can afford. They may be life-savers! If you can
afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/PVS-4, with a Gen 2
(or better) tube. Make sure to specify that that the tube is new or “low hours”, has a
high “line pair” count, and minimal scintillation. It is important to buy your Starlight
gear from a reputable dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and
scammers. One dealer that I trust, is Al Glanze (spoken “Glan-zee”) who runs
STANO Components, Inc. in Silver City, Nevada. Note: In a subsequent blog posts I
will discuss the relationship and implications to IR illuminators and tritium sights.

Range cards and sector sketches.

If you live in the boonies, piece together nine of the USGS 15-minute maps, with
your retreat property on the center map. Mount that map on an oversize map
board. Draw in the property lines and owner names of all of your surrounding
neighbor’s parcels (in pencil) in at least a five mile radius. (Get boundary line and
current owner name info from your County Recorder’s office.) Study and memorize
both the terrain and the neighbors’ names. Make a phone number/e-mail list that
corresponds to all of the names marked on the map, plus city and county office
contact numbers for quick reference and tack it up right next to the map board.
Cover the whole map sheet with a sheet of heavy-duty acetate, so you can mark it
up just like a military commander’s map board. (This may sound a bit “over the
top”, but remember, you are planning for the worst case. It will also help you get to
know your neighbors: When you are introduced by name to one of them when in
town, you will be able to say, “Oh, don’t you live about two miles up the road
between the Jones place and the Smith’s ranch?” They will be impressed, and you
will seem like an instant “old timer.”

Security-Firearms List

Guns, ammunition, web gear, eye and ear protection, cleaning equipment, carrying
cases, scopes, magazines, spare parts, gunsmithing tools, targets and target
frames, et cetera. Each rifle and pistol should have at least six top quality (original
military contract or original manufacturer) full capacity spare magazines. Note:
Considerable detail on firearms and optics selection, training, use, and logistic
support are covered in the SurvivalBlog archives and FAQs.

Communications/Monitoring List

When selecting radios buy only models that will run on 12 volt DC power or
rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs (that can be recharged from your
retreat’s 12 VDC power system without having to use an inverter.)
As a secondary purchasing goal, buy spare radios of each type if you can afford
them. Keep your spares in sealed metal boxes to protect them from EMP.

If you live in a far inland region, I recommend buying two or more 12 VDC marine
band radios. These frequencies will probably not be monitored in your region,
leaving you an essentially private band to use. (But never assume that any two-way
radio communications are secure!)

Note: More detail on survival communications gear selection, training, use,

security/cryptography measures, antennas, EMP protection, and logistical support
will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.

Tools List

Gardening tools.

Auto mechanics tools.

Welding.

Bolt cutters--the indispensable “universal key.”

Woodworking tools.

Gunsmithing tools.

Emphasis on hand powered tools.

Hand or treadle powered grinding wheel.

Don’t forget to buy plenty of extra work gloves (in earth tone colors).

Sundries List:

Systematically list the things that you use on a regular basis, or that you might
need if the local hardware store were to ever disappear: wire of various gauges,
duct tape, reinforced strapping tape, chain, nails, nuts and bolts, weather stripping,
abrasives, twine, white glue, cyanoacrylate glue, et cetera.

Book/Reference List

You should probably have nearly every book on my Bookshelf page. For some, you
will want to have two or three copies, such as Carla Emery’s "Encyclopedia of
Country Living". This is because these books are so valuable and indispensable that
you won’t want to risk lending out your only copy.

Barter and Charity List

For your barter list, acquire primarily items that are durable, non-perishable, and
either in small packages or that are easily divisible. Concentrate on the items that
other people are likely to overlook or have in short supply. Some of my favorites are
ammunition. [The late] Jeff Cooper referred to it as “ballistic wampum.” WTSHTF,
ammo will be worth nearly its weight in silver. Store all of your ammo in military
surplus ammo cans (with seals that are still soft) and it will store for decades. Stick
to common calibers, get plenty of .22 LR (most high velocity hollow points) plus at
least ten boxes of the local favorite deer hunting cartridge, even if you don’t own a
rifle chambered for this cartridge. (Ask your local sporting goods shop about their
top selling chamberings). Also buy at least ten boxes of the local police
department’s standard pistol cartridge, again even if you don’t own a pistol
chambered for this cartridge.

Ladies supplies.

Salt (Buy lots of cattle blocks and 1 pound canisters of iodized table salt.)

(Stores indefinitely if kept dry.)

Two cycle engine oil (for chain saw gas mixing. Gas may still be available after a
collapse, but two-cycle oil will probably be like liquid gold!)

Gas stabilizer.

Diesel antibacterial additive.

50-pound sacks of lime (for outhouses).

1 oz. bottles of military rifle bore cleaner and Break Free (or similar) lubricant.

Waterproof dufflebags in earth tone colors (whitewater rafting "dry bags").

Thermal socks.

Semi-waterproof matches (from military rations.)

Military web gear (lots of folks will suddenly need pistol belts, holsters, magazine
pouches, et cetera.)

Pre-1965 silver dimes.

1-gallon cans of kerosene.

Rolls of olive drab parachute cord.

Rolls of olive-drab duct tape.

Spools of monofilament fishing line.

Rolls of 10 mil "Visqueen", sheet plastic (for replacing windows, isolating airspaces
for nuke scenarios, etc.)

I also respect the opinion of one gentleman with whom I've corresponded, who
recommended the following:

Strike anywhere matches. (Dip the heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.)

Playing cards.

Cooking spices. (Do a web search for reasonably priced bulk spices.)

Rope & string.

Sewing supplies.

Candle wax and wicking.

Lastly, any supplies necessary for operating a home-based business. Some that you
might consider are: leather crafting, small appliance repair, gun repair,
locksmithing, et cetera. Every family should have at least one home-based business
(preferably two!) that they can depend on in the event of an economic collapse.

Stock up on additional items to dispense to refugees as charity.

Note: See the Barter Faire chapter in my novel "Patriots" for lengthy lists of
potential barter items.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

AA Cells and Mobile Power, by Brandon in Utah

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The size AA battery is the ubiquitous form of mobile power that is presently
available. There is a large amount of off the shelf devices that use AA cells. They
are available everywhere at low cost. They are cost effective and very safe for
lighting. The breadth and depth of equipment available in a portable format is
unparalleled by any other type of battery. I will cover the known factors on how to
care for and use this resource to help end users get the most out of their
equipment.
To start, some general information that covers all types of cells. Cells do not like
heat. Heat increases the chemical reactions occurring inside the cell, and thus the
self-discharge and other chemical reactions in cell. A cell will lose it's charge and
lower it's life span. Keep them cool.

Cells shouldn't get wet. Keep them away from moisture. You should avoid
circumstances that will result in condensation on the cell.

Do not drop or roughly handle them. Especially in the case of rechargeables, you
can break the separator inside the cell and you may end up with complete cell
failure. Inside of a device they're a little more durable, your device will provide
some impact protection and buffering.

Do not store your batteries inside of your device for long term readiness. There is a
good reason they never come this way from the manufacture in the package. It's
not good for your battery and you run a much larger risk of cells leaking or venting
into your device. On a short term basis in a device that sees regular use, leaving the
battery in is fine.

Matched cells perform better. A battery will only perform as well as the weakest
cell. Avoid mixing brands, dates, and especially chemistries and you will get the
most out of your cells. The more cells a device has, the more matches cells you
need to provide. So it's easier to feed devices that use a smaller number of cells.

In general, take care of them and they'll serve you well.

Primary (use once) cells are the most straight forward. They usually have expiration
dates printed on the cell or package. It's important to note that this date is an
average amount of time for a specified failure rate. "Fail" is defined as having less
than ~85% capacity (depends on manufacture), thought it can also mean complete
failure with 0% recoverable capacity. The closer a battery is to it's expiration date,
the less capacity it will have and the more likely you are to encounter completely
failed cells. Even with expired cells though, they often work. I wouldn't choose to
use them in really important applications, but they are still useful.
"Heavy duty" cells generally are not worth messing with - they are cheap, light
weight, and low capacity. They seem to only be made to sell to the "lowest possible
price" consumers. I would never buy or store them.

Alkaline are the best bang for the buck primary cells. You can pick up a pack of 48
cells for around $10 at COSTCO last I checked (Duracell is believed to be the OEM
for Kirkland brand cells). The price has gone up approximate 10-15% in the last
year, which seems likely to continue. Alkaline's are good performers under
"average" conditions. They do not like low temperatures, and they do not like high
current draw (cameras, some flashlights, and possibly other devices). Once you
place a battery into a device, I recommend you use it up. Do not return [primary]
cells into storage once you've started to use them.

Lithium cells provide the widest temperature and current rating of all primary cells,
though you pay the most for the best performance. I do recommend having a few
for important gear, red dot sights, night vision,and so forth, [reserving them]
especially for emergency winter use.

Rechargeable cells are much more economical for the regular user. Unfortunately
they require better understanding to maximize their useful life. So I'll go over NiMH
extensively and also address NiCd.

In a quick overview of the current tech of AA cells. NiCd is the most durable battery
chemistry, it has capacities ranging from 600-1000 [mil-Amp Hours] (mAH) It has
the best temperature performance envelope, endures heat and over charge best,
will operate with more cycles. NiMH is the most common consumer cell these days,
mostly due to the capacity advantage which run in the 1800-2700 mAH range at
present. NiMH also has a new variant on the market I will dub low self discharge
(LSD) cells. LSD cells are in the range of 2000-2100 mAH as of this writing and have
many advantages over traditional NiMH that mostly come from an effort to stabilize
it. They are new, so some data points are not borne out over years, but current
evidence indicates that they perform as advertised. I recommend LSD cells for most
people over all other varieties, I'll go into more detail why below. First, the brands
and types currently on the market. The top brand in my opinion is Eneloops (2000
mAH) from Sanyo, it simply does the low-self-discharge thing better than the
competition. The rest of the field seems to originate from a single manufacture or
the same licensed design, but there are a bunch of competing cells. Rayovac
Hybrids, Hybrios, Titanium Enduros, and a bunch of others (2100 mAH). Given
equivalent, or near equivalent prices, I'd pick the eneloops.
In both types of chemistry, the higher capacity cells are more fragile than the lower
capacity cells. It's an engineering trade off. The 2700 mAH whiz bang top-of-the-line
cells are not your best bet for good durable cells, they are actually fairly fragile
(chemically and physically) because of this trade off. Around 2000 mAH is not only
cheaper (usually) but yields a cell that will see a longer service life, more cycles,
and less likely to fail if dropped. Lower than 2000 in NiMH does not appear to hold
significant advantage in durability in most respects. LSD cells appear to be at least
as durable as their 2000 mAH NiMH counterparts.

Standard NiMH cells have an approximately life span of 3 years. Cheaper brands
may have less. NiCd cells have an estimated 5+ year life span. Much beyond these
points or even before them (especially with high capacity cells), increased internal
resistance, lowered capacities, and higher self discharge are the norm. NiCd doesn't
exhibit a large amount of this and usually fails with internal shorts (complete
failure) or excessively high resistance. These numbers are very temperature
dependant, colder storage conditions will lengthen the time, warmer will lower it.
LSD NiMH cells currently have no data in this regard, they're advertised as having
better longevity than NiMH cells, and I would tend to believe them due to the
engineering trade offs picked. However, they've only been out for about 1.5-2 years
now. To date, my oldest cells (1.5 years old), lightly used, perform like new - so far
so good.

Self discharge is one of the biggest inconvenient things about rechargeable cell use.
NiMH cells discharge by themselves very quickly. They discharge on the order of a
couple of months when new and the rate increases significantly with age and use.
NiCd cells have about half the self discharge rate and this usually won't vary much
up until cell death. LSD cells shine in this regard, the self discharge slows down
after a charge to almost a stand still in a little over a months time. LSD cells will
retain around 85% (Eneloops) to 80% (rest of the field) charge after a year of
storage at around 70 degrees.

Keeping the voltages up during use is important for many devices and one of the
principle reasons rechargeables deliver poor performance in some devices.
Standard NiMH suffers from voltage sag over time. It will start out at a nice high 1.4
volts fresh off the charger. Soon it finds it's way to 1.3-to-1.2 v open voltage. If left
on the shelf it will fall over time. Many devices require a minimum voltage to
operate correctly, if this minimum is above what your battery can deliver under load
your device will shut down (can be 1.2v per cell, and NiMH will often fail to meet this
under less than ideal circumstances!) If you experience significant performance
difference between primary cells and rechargeable cells (especially older ones) this
is likely the problem, especially combined with self discharge "usable capacity"
drops very quickly. NiCd cells can suffer from a form of voltage sag, it is not as
pronounced as NiMH but it can also happen in mid-discharge and is related the over
marketed term cell "memory". This problem can usually be corrected with a couple
exercise cycles and a good top off charge. LSD cells retain their voltage very well on
the shelf, like their charge, and also deliver better than average voltages in normal
use anyway. You will usually see much better performance from LSD cells in these
voltage sensitive devices than NiMH or even NiCd. If you've been frustrated with
rechargeables in the past in some of your devices give some LSD cells a try!

The most common method to kill cells is poor charging practices. I can't stress this
enough, especially with NiMH cells, buy a good ["smart"] charger. Usually cells are
allowed to "cook" on a standard charger for far, far too long. Remember, heat is
bad! It's normal for them to get warm at the end of a charge cycle (not burning
hot!). If they continue to stay warm (or worse, hot) for several hours later, you have
a [traditional "dumb"] charger that is cooking your cells. I recommend a Maha-
C9000 as a good high end charger. On a lower budget I recommend a Duracell 15
minute charger. {To be ready for various circumstances,] I prefer to have both
chargers available. The C9000 is a slower charger (relatively) but it will not cook
your cells, you can leave them in the unit. The unit has options that allow you to
easily exercise cells and see if they are improving. You can match cells to obtain the
best performance from them and identify poor performing cells quickly. It also
charges individual cells rather than pairs, which is better for them - especially a
mismatched pair. The Duracell 15 minute charger is a quality unit that also allows
"busy you" to not walk away for hours waiting for, and forgetting about, your
batteries. You will be less likely to forget about them and allow them to be cooked
on the charger. Some good charging technology goes into the 15 minute chargers,
so while they are a little rough compared to a good slower charge - they are
actually very good at what they do, especially compared to the cheap junk
[chargers] on the market. Fast charging is also fairly energy efficient, reducing the
power required to get a full charge. Both of these chargers run on 12 volt DC input
so they can plug directly into 12 volt systems allowing for use in a car or directly off
a battery based [alternative energy] system (PV, wind, etc).

Do not charge cells when they are below freezing (32 F/0 C). You will damage them.
If you really need a charged cell, warm it up in your pocket (preferably the charger
too) and use the 15 minute charger. The charge cycle should provide enough heat
to keep it above freezing until it's done. Avoid chargers that come with your cells,
generally they are poor.
When brought out of long term storage, cells will usually need "exercise". NiCds
especially need fairly significant exercise before returning to full capacity. 5+ full
cycles may be required, rule of thumb is exercise until you stop seeing capacity
gains. This is easiest with a charger like the C9000 with capacity readouts. NiCds
should be stored discharged. NiMH cells should be stored with a charge. LSD cells
require significantly less maintenance and may not need any exercise at all and will
likely have a serviceable charge intact after storage, depending on the length of
time in storage and at what temperature.

NiMH cells like to be treated gently. When you're done with your device, recharge
the cells. The more shallow the cycle the better. Full cycles will wear on them the
most. Keep NiMH cells topped off and they'll last the longest. Occasionally you may
need to perform a deep cycle to restore some performance if the cell appears to be
waning. The more advanced NiMH care systems like on the Toyota Prius reportedly
keep cells at 60-80% capacity and only use about 20% depth in discharge cycles,
which seems to be the most chemically repeatable and stable region. NiCds stand
up to abuse a lot better, in fact a regular full discharge is good for them and will
help you avoid issues with the cells. It's not required for every charge, but once a
month or so should keep it's performance high.

I suggest avoiding C and D size rechargeable cells. They are expensive, there are no
LSD variants at present, your charging options are more limited, they take forever
to charge, and there are adapter sleeves readily available to make AA cells fit these
sizes. D sized alkaline cells are reasonable for storage and use for the price. C size
cells are usually overpriced and are often repackaged AA cells anyway - use the
adapters. COSTCO presently sells an excellent Eneloop kit that includes 8 AAs, 4
AAAs, 2 AA->C adapters, 2 AA->D adapters, and a cheap charger for $26.

Earlier generation NiMH cells had a very poor temperature envelope. There are
evidences that this has improved and the LSD introduction advertised even better
cold temperature performance. Unfortunately, to date, I am unable to find
information or a datasheet to quantify this. I've done a bit of my own testing down
to 0 F, the limit of my freezer, and have found no appreciable drop in capacity (old
NiMH tech struggled below freezing). I can't really quantify if LSD NiMH is inferior or
superior to NiCds at present, so suffice it to say they both do reasonably well in the
cold (just remember not to charge them when they are below freezing).

In summary, I don't see any reason to buy any non-LSD NiMH cells these days. LSD
tech has dramatically improve the performance and user friendliness of the cells,
and hopefully longevity, durability, and cycle life too. However, it is new and
relatively unproven tech. NiCd is the old known workhorse and there is good reason
why power tools and similar equipment still ship with NiCd cells. It's worth having a
few NiCds around as a backup because of their track record. For general use, the
Sanyo Eneloops are the way to go.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Prepare or Die, by J. Britely

Permalink

Throughout my life I have been caught unprepared several times and while nothing
seriously bad happened, it easily could have. I have been lost hiking. My car has
broken down in very bad neighborhoods - twice. I have been close enough to riots
that I feared they would spread to my neighborhood, been in earthquakes, been too
close to wildfires, been stuck in a blizzard, and have been without power and water
for several days after a hurricane. I managed to get myself out of each situation, I
thanked God, and tried to learn from my mistakes. I could have avoided these
situations or made them much less unsafe and worrisome if I had been more aware
and prepared. I have also tried to learn from the mistakes of others so as to not
learn everything the hard way. One group I assisted was a two hour drive into the
mountains, out of gas, wearing tee shirts, and had empty water bottles (at least
they kept them) (I have made each of those mistakes but not all at the same time).

I aspire to be more prepared the next time. My preparedness includes many

different aspects. In my opinion, the most important thing I have done is to learn as
much as possible about what to expect and how to deal with those situations. The
other important thing that gives me some piece of mind is that I carry and stock
away water, food, ammo, books, and other tools and equipment that should help
me survive a bad situation. Be prepared!

The other inspiration for my preparations is my family. Seeing my family suffer

from lack of water or food would be very hard for me, especially if some easy and
cheap preparations could have made a big difference. Recently, a few friends and
family have asked me about my preparations and how they might prepare. I didn't
have a good short answer because I have spent years learning and stocking away. I
thought of myself as more of a student than a teacher in this area, but now I think I
do know enough to give some basic advice and refer them to good sources for
more. Hopefully, they (and you) can learn from my mistakes without having to
waste time, energy and money on things that don't work. Of course, I haven't been
through every situation or disaster but I have made it through a few tough spots
without losing my head. My advice is based upon what I know to work and also
what sounds like it would work with the minimum fuss. I always prefer the cheap,
easy, home-made solution, but sometimes it is worth the cost to get a quality item
that is just too hard to improvise or where the manufactured solution is much better
(such as a knife). Keep it simple stupid (KISS) when you can. With persistence you
can get a lot done $20 at a time.

The purpose of this document is to give an overview of preparedness and the first
steps to take. I focus more on the why than the what so that you can tailor your
preparedness to your own situation and budget. I will also cite the best sources I
have found for more information. There is a lot of information out there in books,
classes, web sites, and forums. Most of it is good but it is also really repetitious and
overwhelming. This document is only about 15 pages printed out (you are printing
important information (not necessarily this) aren't you - since in an emergency you
may not have power and need to take the information with you). I try to keep my
important preparedness documents in an expandable file folder with a tie inside a
plastic crate.

What are you preparing for?

No one really knows what will be the next survival situation they will face or how it
will play out (will it get worse before it gets better?). It could be getting lost hiking,
the car getting two flats in the middle of the desert, a hurricane, a home invasion,
an earthquake, or a terrorist attack. You must assess your own situation and
determine what you need to prepare for. Of course some preparations will be
useful in many situations including everyday life, and these are the best type.

In order to get an idea of what to prepare for, look at the types of situations that
you or people similar to you have been through. Also, assess where you live or
spend a lot of time such as work and vacation. We need to learn from the past but
without fighting the last war.

I like hiking and being outdoors, so for me learning how not to get lost and how to
stay alive in the outdoors are high priorities. These skills may also come in handy if
I need to walk to safety during a terrorist attack because all of the roads and public
transportation are closed. Living in your house without power or water isn't too
different from camping except for the nice roof over your head and all of your stuff.
I have also taken a first aid class. It is pretty limited in coverage but still useful in a
variety of situations.
To assess the likely dangers to where I live and work I used several sources
including FEMA (free guide), DHS, Disaster Center, Emergency Essentials, Two
Tigers and CBS. Also, find your local emergency response office. But don't rely on
the government too much for planning or for help. As we relearned with the Katrina
response, their information and advice is far from perfect. And FEMA has always
said it will take 72 hours to respond. So the way I look at it, during Katrina, FEMA
(and local governments) failed to live up to its own low expectations. But even if
FEMA had been able to provide more food and water, you would still be much better
off taking care of yourself. Do you really want to be told what possessions you can
hold, when to eat, when to sleep, and live in close quarters with thousands of
strangers? Sounds like prison to me.

It's A Disaster is a good book that will get you started on a plan for most disasters.
Some of their plans are a little passive for me (don't take any risks and follow all
FEMA directions) and their kits lack some important things like knives. Still, it is a
very good book and a great start. Family and friends should be included in your
planning and preparations as much as they want to be, but be careful about telling
people who you do not trust or know well. You do not want to become a target in a
crisis.

I think one of the best sources for thinking about what you are preparing for and
what does and doesn't work is news and first hand accounts. These are some of the
best ones I have found. A few of them seem kind of glib and bravado but the advice
seems sound.

True Stories of Survival

Hurricane Katrina: http://www.frfrogspad.com/disastr.htm

Argentina thread 1: http://www.clairewolfe.com/wolfesblog/arg.html

Argentina thread 2 (some swearing):

http://www.survivalmonkey.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2715

Airplane crash: http://www.equipped.com/waldock698.htm

Ground Zero: http://www.equipped.org/groundzero.htm

Karen Hood's Survival Journal (a week in the wilderness)

http://www.survival.com/karen1.htm
Sailing to Hawaii http://www.equipped.com/0698rescue.htm

Tsunami http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/

Alaska http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/8017/index2.html

A list of stories

Priorities

The survival Rule of Threes:

* It takes about three seconds to die without thinking

* It takes about three minutes to die without air

* It takes about three hours to die without shelter

* It takes about three days to die without water

* It takes about three weeks to die without food

* It takes about three months to die without hope

* Try to have at least three ways of preventing each of the above (a backup to
your backup).

So the priorities are thinking, air, shelter, water, food, and hope. These are rules of
thumb and approximations. Also, you will likely start feeling really bad before you
die so you need to be proactive in addressing these needs.

Thinking

Basically, don't panic and do something stupid. This is easier said than done, but
you can build your thinking skill and confidence by playing “what if” games. After
reading about the risks to your area and the survival stories above, think about
what kinds of things could go wrong and how you would deal with them. The more
detail the better. What would you do if a cat 5 hurricane was projected to hit your
house? Where would you go? What would you take? Would it all fit in your car?
Do you have enough gas to get there if the gas stations are closed? What if you
don't have time to leave? What room in your house is safest (can you reinforce it
easily)?
If you are facing a serious situation but no immediate threat, take the time to
consider your options before rushing into a course of action. Take an inventory of
what you have on hand and what is around you. Think of how each item could help
solve one or more of your priorities.

Thinking about these things may be scary but it will be less scary when it actually
happens if you have thought it through. Focus on what you can do to improve
things and not on what you cannot change. Thinking can also be more long term as
in learning and planning. I suggest you read some of the sources below and then
come up with a plan for several types of situations that you are likely to face. But
don't delay, you can take some first steps outlined below, such as storing water,
right now. You can then read more, take classes and collect useful items.
Preparing is a process not a one time event.

Air

Having breathable air is not something you usually have to worry about, but it is an
immediate priority if you do. First aide can help with choking and bleeding (which
causes the body to not get needed oxygen). Hundreds of people die from carbon
dioxide and carbon monoxide poisoning every year because of gas leaks and
cooking or heating indoors. Being at altitude can also make it harder to breath.
Finally, a terrorist attack could put dust, chemical, biological, or nuclear
contamination in the air or force you into a shelter that needs ventilation. Be aware
of these dangers and have appropriate detectors if possible (smoke, carbon
monoxide, etc.). A wet cloth or hand wipe (carry on airplane) to breathe through
can help for dust or smoke.

Shelter

Shelter is mainly about staying dry and the right temperature, but you also want to
avoid sunburn, bugs, animals and other dangers. Your house is your usual primary
shelter but it could become damaged or you may have to evacuate. You should
have emergency repair items on hand such as tarps, lumber, shovels, nails, plastic
sheeting, crowbars, and a saw.

Your clothes are your first and most important layer of shelter outdoors. Clothes
protect you from heat, cold and abrasions. In general silk, wool, and synthetic
materials are better than cotton especially to keep you warm in cold wet weather. I
find cotton more comfortable especially in hot weather, so I compromise and wear a
cotton shirt and shorts, but carry a better shirt, pants and socks in my bag, as well
as additional layers and a change of underwear. This makes my pack a little
heavier, but I have been cold and wet in the wilds and that is miserable. For me, a
hat and sunglasses are indispensable. I try to always carry at least a light water
resistant jacket or poncho (with a garbage bag as a backup). For me, boots are the
only sensible walking shoes. Find some that are rugged and comfortable. Have
extra laces and a backup pair.

You can carry a tent, a tarp or garbage bag for resting and sleeping. A tarp can
make a simple shelter or an elaborate one. Rope, twine and tape are also useful.
You can carry some type of staff or tent poles or make them with an ax or saw.
Mosquito netting is necessary in some places.

You should have many ways to start a fire since most are cheap and compact. At
least have a lighter, matches, and flint. You can also build a firebed to sleep in if
you have inadequate shelter from the cold.

Water

This is a crucial area that can be helped a lot with very cheap and easy actions
before The Schumer Hits The Fan (TSHTF). This is probably the thing you can do
with the highest payoff for amount of effort. The only problem with water is that it
is heavy and can take up a lot of room. If you have storage room and are staying
home this isn't a problem but if you are on the move it can become a driving factor
in your progress. Long term solutions are also difficult if your primary water source
(city water or well) goes out and you are not near a river or lake.

Used plastic soda bottles and orange juice jugs with screw tops make very
convenient water storage containers. Just rinse them a few times with hot water.
Old liquor bottles and wine box bladders work well too. I also have several canteens
and rugged 5 gallon containers with taps. The five gallon containers weigh about
40 pounds each and are about as big as can be easily moved (larger drums can go
in your basement or garage or under a rain spout). A few collapsible containers
might also be useful because they can be stored and carried empty. Tap water can
last for years without going bad if kept in a cool dark place. But you should check
water that has been stored for clarity and odors. If in doubt, treat it with one of the
methods below. You can also freeze the plastic soda or orange juice containers
(these do crack sometimes when freezing) and use them in a cooler to keep food
cold if the power goes out before drinking it. If you know a disaster is coming fill up
any container you can including the coffee maker, crystal vase, bucket, bathtub,
sink, and kiddy pool (some of these could be spilled or contaminated but hopefully
some will make it).

Most sources recommend about a gallon per person per day. People consume
about 2 quarts in cool low activity environments but much more if hot or active.
You should have at least 2 weeks worth per person in your primary residence (but
why not have months worth if you have the room). If you are traveling by car, three
days worth per person is minimum (more for bathing), and if you are walking take
as much as you reasonably can carry but at least one days worth (several small
bottles are better for diversification if one leaks and also to let you know to start
looking for more water before you are on your last bottle). I also store extra water
for washing and bathing. Here the container doesn't matter quite as much. I use
old liquid detergent jugs. You should also have at least two methods of sterilizing
water.

The first step in sterilizing water is to get the water as clear as possible. If it is
cloudy, strain it with coffee filters, a clean cloth, or sand. Or you can let it settle
and pour off the more clear water.

The primary and most reliable method of sterilizing water is boiling. You actually do
not need to boil the water just heat it past 145 degrees for long enough. But if you
don't do it right you can get sick. So to be safe, boil it for 5 minutes if you can. If
you are walking, a metal cup (enamel or stainless) or a converted tin can is easier
to boil than a full pot. You can carry a backpacking stove or a Kelly Kettle. You can
use solar power to sterilize water (in a soda bottle) if no cooking is possible. Other
stoves are suggested below under food.

To sterilize water with bleach use 2 drops of plain unscented bleach per quart of
water (or 8 drops per gallon or 1⁄4 tsp per 2 gallons). If you don't have a dropper
you can wet a paper towel and then drip it (wear gloves). Let the water sit for 20
minutes and then smell it. If it smells like chorine then its good to go. If it doesn't,
repeat with the same amount of bleach. If that doesn't work try to find other water.
(Really bad water or salt water requires a still.) Bleach is cheap but does not last
forever - rotate. Dry Calcium Hypochlorite {sold as "pool shock" bleach) stores
much better than liquid bleach but requires an additional step of mixing a solution.
(It provides a very inexpensive long term solution to water treatment).
There are also Potable Aqua iodine tablets that are more compact for sterilizing
water. You can also use Tincture of Iodine. Iodine and chlorine are poisons so be
very careful (kill the bacteria not yourself. [Avoid ingesting chlorine or iodine
crystals!])

Any of the chemical treatments can make the water taste funny. You can use drink
mixes to make it taste better. I'm not sure if sports drinks are really better, but
Gatorade seems more thirst quenching to me than water. The powder form is more
convenient and cheaper. You can also make your own sports drink (1/4 tsp nu salt
(potassium chloride), 1⁄4 tsp salt, 3-6 tbsp sugar (to taste), juice of 1 lemon (or
orange), and optional flavoring (Kool-Aid) per gallon of water) or switchel.

Of course you can spend money for water if you want to. You can buy prepackaged
water or expensive filters. There are backpacking filters but I have found these to
be temperamental. A water bottle with a filter would be a good backup or a straw.
You can also go the more expensive route with a good gravity fed filter like this:
http://www.doultonfilters.com/gravity.html. This is a great looking solar still but
doesn't appear to be for sale right now.

If you are a homebrewer (or like beer), you can add some dry malt extract, hops,
and dry yeast to your stash. Beer is boiled as part of the brewing process. Then
the alcohol and hops act as a natural preservative. For the long term you can get
some sproutable barley, grow some hops, and culture yeast. If you or someone
with you doesn't handle alcohol well, skip this.

Food

Providing food can be as easy or complicated as you want. The easiest thing to do
is simply buy more of any food you normally buy that stores well. By store well, I
mean does not spoil. Foods like fresh milk, meat and bread do not store well.
Other foods like rice, dried beans and pasta all store well and are cheap. They
eventually lose some of their nutrition but this is gradual and will not make you sick
from eating “expired” food if you forget to rotate. I do not list exact rotation
schedules because every source is different. Some sources say grains only last one
year but most sources say 10 plus years and other credible sources say hundreds or
thousands of years. It all depends upon how it is packed and where it is stored
which is discussed below (vacuum packed, cool and dry are best) Canned meats,
fruits and vegetables store okay and are more expensive.
How much food you want to have on hand depends on what type of situation you
expect and how much you want to spend. Buying a month' worth of rice, beans,
salt, and pasta will not cost much (and is a good start). You will be a lot happier if
you add:

* canned or dried meat (Costco and BJs have multipaks of Spam, ham, tuna and
chicken for under $10)

* canned or dried fruits and nuts

* canned or dried vegetables

* dried potatoes

* canned or dried sauces (for pasta, chili, etc.)

* soup mixes (bean soups are cheap) and bullion

* dried onions

* parmesan cheese

* cooking oil

* ramen noodles

* peanut butter

* mayo

* vinegar

* sugar and honey

* powdered milk

* bread crumbs, stuffing, oatmeal, cereal

* flour, pancake mix, biscuit mix

* baking soda

* cocoa, instant coffee, tea, drink mixes, juice mixes (cranberry)

* lemon juice

* dry yeast
 * spices

Some of these can be eaten without cooking or water if you have to. Costco is great
for the rice, canned goods, bullion, yeast (2 pound box), cooking oil and spices.
Don't forget a can opener and other utensils. Of course you can do the drying
(wood or solar) and canning yourself for better quality and lower cost. The oil, flour,
baking soda and yeast (refrigerate the yeast if possible) do not store well and have
to be rotated more frequently than the rice, beans and pasta. You will be healthier
if you add some multivitamins. There are also luxury items like Powerbars,
powdered eggs, powdered cheese, powdered butter, food tabs, and meals ready to
eat (MREs).

To decide how much you need, you can simply scale up recipes and meals (print
some simple recipes that use your stored food). How much rice and beans would
you eat at a meal or in a day if that was all you ate? A lot probably (make a meal as
a trial). Now multiply that by the number of people and the number of days and
you have a ball park of how much to store. The problem is that you could end up
feeding more people than your immediate family. Who else would you not turn
away? (Anyone you wouldn't want to live with normally is not someone you want to
be stuck with in a crisis. That said there is some family I wouldn't turn away even if
they deserve it). Start with the cheap stuff (rice, beans, pasta, salt) and then slowly
keeping adding and rotating the other food until you have at least one months
worth. Do an inventory at least twice a year.

Store everything in airtight/waterproof containers inside a tough container in a cool,

dry, dark place. Some things come packed pretty well and can just go in a plastic
bucket or crate (cans can be dipped in wax). Other items should be vacuum packed
in small bags or large mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and then put in the plastic
bucket with a lid or crate (with a solid latching lid). If you don't have shelves, you
can make shelves out of the buckets or crates and 1”x12” lumber. Put 2”x4”'s
under the bottom shelf to keep it off the floor.

For years worth of food instead of months worth of food we need to move to grain
and grain grinders. The Church of Latter Day Saints are the experts here. They
also have storehouses that will sell to the public if you are polite. Of course you can
buy online but the shipping will be as much or more than the food. I went cheap
and was able to get about six months worth of food for one person for $100. I stuck
to grains (400 lbs/year), beans (40 lbs/year), soup mix (20 lbs/year), and milk (16
lbs/year) (I already had sugar (60 pounds/year), salt (10 lbs/year), oil (5
gallons/year), baking soda and yeast). I borrowed some of their equipment to pack
some of the food, the rest I packed at home in the mylar bags and buckets
described above. The milk is a sticky powder and very messy (think of spilling flour
and multiply by 100), repack it outside if possible. I also bought a hand operated
grain grinder to make flour from the wheat. Then I can make bread (scale this
recipe up to one loaf per day for a year as a cross check for a year's supply). This
would be a pretty miserable diet but I think it would keep me alive and healthy if I
had enough vitamins. Because of the sack size I have more of some things than
others so towards the end I may be eating paste. I hope to upgrade later. For
infants you need more milk, oil, sugar, and vitamins from which you can make an
emergency formula (breast feeding is better, then you give the extra food to the
mother).

For even longer food solutions you need to farm. Supplementing your food with a
garden or sprouting would also make things last longer and provide some healthy
variety. Its best to have some non-hybrid seeds on hand or save seeds from your
garden. Serious (expensive) seed packages are here. Have some fertilizer and
pesticides on hand but in the long run organic is the way to go.

For cooking you can use a wood burning stove, barbeque, or camp stove in the
short run (have some extra fuel on hand). The Petromax lantern is pricey but well
made and also has a stove attachment. If you don't have one of these or run out of
fuel you can build one: a coffee can stove, a bucket stove (avoid galvanized metal),
a alcohol stove, a collapsible stove, a tin can stove (simple version), solar oven
(portable version), or a clay stove (print directions for making at least one of these).
This is also a good commercial stove for those with cash to burn. These are much
more efficient than an open fire. You need a good pot or dutch oven for boiling
water and cooking. For more portable food you can go with MREs, make your own
or stock what ever you would normally backpack with.

Hope

Hope is different for everyone. It can be safety, comfort, companionship, or

normalcy. For me it is mainly hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I can
work hard and persevere if I know eventually things will get better. This means long
term planning. So I want to have what I need in the short term but also have some
hope for the long term (so I have gardening tools and seeds in addition to rice and
spam). You also want comfort items such as a book, Bible, game, coloring book,
pictures, beer, tea, or warm shower. Some of these can be dual purpose such as a
book about hiking or gardening, survival playing cards, or a novel about survival
and perseverance.

Equipment

There are lots of things you can get, but you can also just organize what you have
already. The number of lists seems endless and what you need depends upon the
situation, your skills, and your budget. Here is what is wrong with the DHS kit I
have already mentioned several items above and list some others here but being
comprehensive would take a lot of space (read the links and references for more).
Here are some basics.

All types of camping equipment and tools come in handy but can be expensive
(shipping can be expensive too so you may want to make your own, try your local
yard sales, craigslist, sporting goods or hardware store first). You may want a small
tent to carry and a larger tent to put in the car. Sleeping pads are as much for
insulation as for comfort (learned the hard way—you don't want to be in the cold
without some insulation between you and the ground). A hammock can be
multipurpose. You can try your local hardware store for lanterns or Lehman's (they
also have candle making supplies).

I suggest four knives for anyone responsible enough to have one (in general you get
what you pay for, but start cheap and upgrade later): a folding lock blade knife
(buck and gerber are both good reasonably priced brands), a Swiss army knife (with
saw blade) or leatherman type knife (pliers are handy), a solid full tang knife, and a
machete or short sword for brush. A kitchen knife can work until you get any of
these. A hatchet would also be useful. Keep them sharp.

You need several maps (local, state (small scale and large scale), neighboring
states, topographic and road) and a compass. A GPS is optional but very handy.
There are usually welcome centers along interstates and in some cities that hand
out free maps. The USGS is a good source for reasonably priced maps but
sometimes it is a bit hard to find what you are looking for. They have a catalog for
each state that really helps. They are also very friendly by phone but still prefer if
you order online.
You should have at least one non portable (plug in) phone that can be used with the
power out. Medicine, diapers and feminine products will be hard to get. A
generator is great but can be expensive and you must have enough fuel (I don't
have one but want one). Solar powered battery chargers are really slow but might
be the only option.

Change your attitude, don't be wasteful, and you can reuse many items. A tin can
becomes a cup or pot with a little work. Use both sides of a piece of paper and then
use it as insulation or tinder. Waste not, want not. This also minimizes trash as
there may be no trash pickup.

Organize your equipment and supplies into different levels and packages

Stuff you almost always carry

You should make a small kit that fits in your pocket or around your neck. This
should include:

* ways to make a fire (matches, mini bic, flint, etc.)

* a button compass

* a small knife or razor blade, broken hack saw blade, small file

* Swiss Tech Micro-Tech 6-in-1 Tool

* led light

* small candle (light or fire making)

* a saw

* short piece of wire

* parachute cord (as much as will fit)

* iodine tablets

* sturdy needle and thread

* individual salt servings

* food tabs, hard candy, bullion or individual parmesan cheese/sugar (if space
permits)
 * freezer bags (water)

* nails (assortment)

* trash bag if it will fit (poncho or tarp)

* dental floss (twine)

* Advil, Imodium, Benadryl, vitamins, band aids, SPF chapstick any other
essential medicine for you or your family (all labeled)

* fish hooks, split shot, fish line, safety pins.

* Survival cards can go in kit or wallet (you can make something similar).

Personal Fanny Pack (or vest)

This should be small enough and attached to you so that you do not put it down
even when you take a break. Take it with you on any hike, drive or emergency. A
large fanny pack works well or Ranger Rick suggests putting everything in a vest
and a bamboo walking stick. You can duplicate some of the items in your mini kit
but add substantially.

* Survival cards or pocket survival guide (or print some out).

* Knife of your choice (another one can go in your pocket or on your belt)

* Sharpening stone (or ceramic insulator)

* Fire materials (matches and tender (dryer lint, cotton balls in Vaseline, small
candles, etc.) waterproofed)

* Magnifying glass wrapped in bandana

* Pliers if your knife doesn't have them

* Compass

* Maps

* Metal cup (boiling water)

* 2 small bottles of water

* Freezer bags (organization, waterproofing and for more water)

 * Small camp soap (or traveler's shampoo)

* Iodine tablets

* At least 2 trash bags (clear for still and heavy black for shelter), or tarp and
poncho, or space blanket, or light weight jacket with hood (a shell that compacts) or
hat

* Rope, twine and wire

* Headlamp and extra batteries

* Candle

* Wipes (these are multipurpose and are more compact than toilet paper, keep
them in zip lock bags (add a little water if they get dry))

* Gloves and socks

* Small first aide kit (including prescriptions)

* Sunscreen and bug repellant.

* Whistle

* Snacks (powerbars, trail mix, food tabs, tea, Gatorade mix, bullion, beef jerky,
MRE)

* A GPS, FRS radio, am/fm radio, cell phone, or CB can go in here if it fits

* Mini binoculars (to spot landmarks, approaching fires, etc.)

* Notepad and pencil or pen

* A multipurpose tool is a good backup for the other items.

72 hour kit (or less)

To some, the 72 hour kit is everything they have in their house for disasters. I think
this should be what you take with you if you have to evacuate (even on foot). If you
can't carry 72 hours worth of food and water (that is a lot of water even if you only
plan 2 quarts per day), scale it down and put the rest in a car bug out kit that can
be used in your house or on the road. You can also make a similar kit for work or
other places you are likely to be in an emergency. It should be in a medium sized
backpack that you can easily carry (get a rain cover for the backpack (or make one)
—these really help in wet conditions). Again, repeat items in your smaller kits as
you see fit. Here are some suggestions:

* It's a Disaster! Book (or print out a similar one)

* Personal mini-kit and fanny pack or vest (attached to you separately from the
backpack)

* Water (as much as you can fit without making the bag too heavy, you can carry
some containers empty and fill them later)

* Changes of clothes (several underwear and socks, long underwear)

* Jacket, hat, and sunglasses

* Sleeping bag or blanket (and compact pad), hammock

* Soap and other toiletries (comb, nail clippers and razor)

* Small stove and/or lantern (or directions and supplies for making one of the
stoves above)

* Small tent or tarp and netting, plastic sheeting, tent poles and stakes
(multipurpose)

* Stuff sacks, mesh bags, pillow cases for organization

* Duct tape

* Hatchet or machete, folding saw

* Small shovel

* Rope, twine and bungee cords

* Backpacking pot/pan

* Cooking and eating utensils (kitchen knife, can opener, spatula, spoon, forks,
plates, cups)

* Foil

* Dish soap, sponge, dish pan or bucket (collapsible) (also a wash basin or
bucket), towel

* Food (Snacks and MREs as well as rice)

* Vitamins
 * Detailed road maps

* topo maps

* Extra ammo

* Pocket warmers

* A GPS, FRS radio (everyone with a list of channels to use), am/fm radio, solar
calculator, or CB (whatever you have that fits)

* Copies of important documents, phone numbers, extra credit card, cash, ID

* Comfort items (book, cards, bible, pictures, coloring books, games)

Car Kit

Keep this in the car if possible. I used to keep a lot of this in my car but since some
of it was stolen, I keep most of it in the house and load it up for longer trips. I have
something similar to the personal fanny pack that I keep hidden in the jack
compartment.

* 72 hour kit

* Flashlight and batteries

* Fire extinguisher

* Jumper cables

* Seat belt cutter and window breaker (keep within reach)

* Water (bottles can go under the seats)

* Matches

* Gloves

* Tarps

* Garbage bags

* Wipes
 * Maps

* Driving compass

* Rope and/or tow strap and bungee cords

* First aide kit (any medications)

* Siphon hose for water or gas (do not drink gas)

* Window washer/scraper

* Crowbar and other tools (hammer, saw, wrenches, duct tape, fuses, belts, and
screws)

* Ax, bucket and shovel (this is required in some forests)

* Engine oil

* Gas can (keep it empty and unused unless you have a place for it on the
outside of your car or truck)

Stuff you take if you have to Bug Out

This is stuff that is too heavy to carry in your 72 hour kit but something you can
throw in your car (in addition to what is already there) quickly if you need to
evacuate. You might be able to take it in a garden cart if you can't drive but travel
by roads is still safe. Here is an example to help you make your own kit (or here).
Pack it in crates or duffle bags. Here are some suggestions (what fits in your car
will vary):

* More survival books or books on camping/country/simple living

* 5 gallon water cans (full)

* Food (cans and other heavy bulky items)

* Cooler (grab some ice and any travel friendly fresh items that are still good like
cheese, peanut butter, apples, lemons, and bread)

* Large first aide kit

* Dutch oven
 * Stove and fuel or barbeque, Kelly Kettle

* Lantern (Petromax is good but expensive)

* Unscented bleach

* Tent and large tarps, rugs

* Blanket and pillows (sleeping pad, hammock, or cot)

* Paper plates, utensils and cups

* Paper towels and wipes

* Foil

* Solar shower

* Bucket toilet (you can store garbage bags, toilet paper, wipes, and soap inside
the bucket)

* Many garbage bags

* Laundry soap

* Clothes pins

* Soap and shampoo

* Ant traps and insecticides

* Fishing gear

* Radio and batteries

* Several extra fuel cans (enough to get to your destination without refueling)

* Propane heater with fuel

* Generator

* Small safe for guns and documents

* Bikes (on rack and with pump and tire repair kit)

* Frisbee or other games

First Aid and Medical Kits

Take a first aide class and more training if you can. For supplies, the place to start
is with a pre-made small portable first aide kit and a larger home or car first aide
kit. These are usually $10 to $20 on sale (but can be $100's if you want). You can
add items from your medicine cabinet and replace things like the cheap scissors
that usually come with them. However, these usually are not good for much more
than minor cuts and scrapes (going to a hospital/doctor may not be an option or
may take a while—so do your best until you can get to one). For more serious
injuries you probably have to make your own kit. The best book is Wilderness
Medicine, by William W. Forgey. His suggested kit in the back of the book is great (I
learned the hard way I needed some of the items that he recommends and figure
the other items are ones I may need in the future). Amazon and Moore Medical
have most of the items if you can't find them locally. For the house or car first aide
kit, I suggest a hard sided box like a tool box. Dental care is also important. A
toothache is really distracting. A little dental kit like this could make you a lot more
comfortable until you can see a dentist.

Other Kits

Make other kits as you see fit. I have a kit that is mainly in case of terrorist attack (I
live and work too close to a likely target). I have Jane's Chem-Bio Handbook and
what to do if a nuclear attack in imminent as well as Potassium Iodide (seven days),
plastic sheeting, duct tape, Tyvek clothes coverings, and a face mask (this is not as
good as a gas mask but its what I have). You can spread this to your other kits if
you want.

Security

Protecting yourself from criminals is as natural as buying a fire extinguisher to put

out fires (but more expensive). Get fences, dead bolts, and lock your windows at
night but if someone really wants to get in your home they will. Police take an
average of 11 minutes or more to respond to violent crimes 40 percent of the time
(sometimes hours), under normal conditions. A lot can happen in 11 minutes and
you are going to wait a lot longer in a crisis. When someone is kicking in your door,
it is too late to go buy a gun. You are on your own. Relying on the kindness of
someone breaking into your home is not a good bet.

If you are a gun person, pick your own gun. This advice if for those who don't own a
gun or don't shoot. I suggest a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun for every adult (check
you local gun laws). If I had to only have one gun it would be a shotgun because of
their versatility. A 20 gauge shotgun is more than enough for most purposes
including home defense and has less recoil than a 12 gauge. The Remington 870 is
a great choice but many people also like Mossberg. Take a class on using the
shotgun for home defense. For home defense ammo, I use bird shot. This will not
penetrate and stop a criminal as fast as buck shot but is also less likely to go
through a wall and hurt an innocent person. Make your own decision here based on
who is in adjoining rooms and how close the neighbors are. You can always load
bird shot as the first few shells followed by buck shot (keep about 200 rounds on
hand because it will be hard to buy in a crisis). The only options I recommend are
hearing protection, glasses, a cleaning kit, a sling (guns with slings don't get set
down in bad places as much) and maybe a light or night sights. I think the factory
stocks are fine.

Next on my list would be a .22. The Ruger Single Six is a nice revolver that is
convertible to either 22 LR or 22 magnum (This might be a better choice as the only
gun for some people). Also get a holster for it. Savage and CZ make bolt action
rifles that are great bargains. A .22 is a little small for home defense (it is less likely
to stop a criminal in his tracks) but a lot better than nothing. It is also important to
be comfortable with your gun and a .22 is fun to shoot so you are more likely to
practice (.22 ammo is very cheap and you can get 1,000 rounds for about $20). As
soon as you are comfortable with the .22 and your budget allows, you should
probably upgrade to a larger common caliber (.357 for a revolver, 9mm, .40 or .45
for an automatic pistol, 12 gauge for a shotgun, and .223, .308, 7.62x39, .30-30, or .
30-06 for rifles). Get a concealed weapon permit if your state allows them even if
you don't plan on using it (carrying a gun). Again, these take some time to get so
you have to get one before you need it even if you think that will be never. Also,
the required classes are really great and focus mainly on when not to use a gun.
Almost any gun range will offer such a class (and many others that are worth it too).
In general, buying a used gun is fine (simple guns are very durable) but for the guns
I recommend here, the premium for a new gun (gun store or some sporting good
stores) will probably be less than $100 and probably worth it to avoid any
mechanical issues to start with.

Learn the gun safety rules and locking up any guns not on your body is a good idea
and a necessity if you have kids (or adults who act like kids) in your home. For
pistols you can get a cheap keyed safe for about $20 (also good for documents).
Then you have to hide the key where you can find it quickly but no one else can. A
combination safe is better but a lot more expensive (practice opening it in the dark).
For long guns you can get a locking cabinet for about $100 (some cases have a
good lock and that is a good idea for taking with you in the car), put a lock on a
closet, or get a real safe for about $1,000. Trigger locks are generally a bad idea
because you can accidentally pull the trigger when getting them on or off.
If you decide against a gun, at least get pepper spray, a baseball bat, or a flashlight.
A self-defense class would be good too (martial arts classes are good but take a
long time to become practical). A bullet proof vest and helmet would be good but
neither is inexpensive. Finally, there is safety in numbers. Staying with family and
friends during a crisis is a good idea if resources and space allow.

First Steps

1. Buy some unscented bleach and start storing water.

2. Start accumulating food and other supplies. Initially, just buy more of the food
that you already buy that stores well. Re-pack as necessary. Get some food grade
buckets or plastic crates and find a cool dark place.

3. Start reading more about the risks that you face personally and ways to deal
with them. What is your plan to deal with each?

4. Organize your stuff into personal mini kits, personal fanny packs (or vests), one
or more 72 hour kits for each person for each location they spend time, a car kit, a
bug out kit, and your house stash.

5. Practice. This doesn't have to be a military style exercise. Try camping and
living without power and running water (in your backyard to start with). Load your
car with what you think you would want to take if you had to evacuate. How long
did it take? Did it all fit? Try driving back roads to get out of town. Go hiking with
your 72 hour kit.

6. Periodically take an inventory and revise your plans.

Books and other sources (in order of relevance and grouped)

Online Resources

SurvivalBlog (the best daily variety of all types of information at a good price too)
Alpha Rubicon (The "Mythbusters" of the survival world. Membership required for
most information, great information and more personalities than members)

Non-fiction

* It's a Disaster! ...And What Are YOU Gonna Do About It? by Bill Liebsch, Janet
Liebsch

* Wilderness Medicine, by William W. Forgey (a similar but slightly less relevant

online book is Where there is no doctor (ignore the socialist ramblings))

* Basic Essentials Camping, by Cliff Jacobson (He has other good books too)

* Backwoods Home Magazine

* The Encyclopedia of Country Living

* Homesteading

* U.S. Army Survival (Costco was selling this for $10)

* SAS Survival Handbook, by John Wiseman

* The Essential Wilderness Navigator

* Survival Simulator

* Survival: The Last Laugh by Ron Hood (first 5 chapters online)

* Make Your Own Groceries

* How to Survive Library

* The Merck Manual of Medical Information

* Physicians' Desk Reference

* Tactical Pistol Marksmanship by Gabriel Suarez (He has some legal problems
but this is a great first book for shooting)

* Survival Notes, Melbo

Fiction
Some of these are a bit far fetched and depressing (worst case) and mainly about
TEOTWAWKI (sing “It's The End of The World as We Know It, and I feel fine" ) (they
are fiction) but still give some good food for thought.

* Earth Abides

* Lucifer's Hammer

* Patriots by James Wesley Rawles

* Lights Out

* Alas Babylon

* The Rift

* Hatchet

* My Side of the Mountain

* Tunnel in the Sky

* The Edge

* Cast Away

Author's web site: www.PrepareOrDie.com

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Two Letters Re: Grain Storage and Preparation

Permalink

Sir;

We have what may be stupid question, however, we do not know how to grind
wheat. We would like to ask how to prepare wheat for cooking and use.We have
searched your great site but I did not find the answer on this. We would like to take
advantage of this inexpensive food. Thanks so much . Your work is appreciated. - EG
Mr Rawles,

My family and I are doing our best to prepare for the tough times ahead.
Something's brewing, I'm sure we all can feel it. One thing we'd love to keep a store
of is cracked corn. The versatility, caloric and nutritional value, etc., makes dry corn
a great prospect for our stores. We get it in 50 pound sacks from our local feed
store for only about $6.50, where 50 pounds of wheat now costs us $50 ($15 of
which is shipping). Please advise me how best to keep cracked corn. I know it won't
keep long in the paper sacks. I've looked into five gallon buckets with seals in the
lids, and we have a vacuum sealer. I would also like to know how dry corn holds up
with climate change. Here we experience temperatures between about 5 degrees F
and 120 degrees F throughout the year. Can corn be sealed and stored outside with
these temperatures? For how long at best? We're striving for five plus years if at all
possible, most likely not having electricity. As time is short, please try to get back to
me as soon as possible or link me to where you may have already answered these
questions. Thank you very much in advance for any help at all which you're able to
offer. God bless you! - Mitch

JWR Replies: For someone planning ahead for "grid down" circumstances, I
recommend getting a hand crank-powered grain mill. To make flour that is fine
enough for bread baking, you need to run wheat through a mill twice. The best mills
use stone burrs. Some of the less expansive mills use metal burrs. But these are
just fine for making corn meal. The meal burr mills such as the "Corona" are less
expensive but more labor intensive. With these you might have to grind wheat
three times to make fine flour. Here at the ranch we use a Country Living grain mill.
They are very efficient, and their crank wheels have a V-belt notch, which makes
motorizing or pedal-power converting them quite easy. OBTW, I heard that this
model will have a 15% price increase from the manufacturer on February 1, 2008,
so if you want one, get your order in soon.

Metal burr grinders are available from Nitro-Pak, Lehman's, and several other
vendors. Stone burr grinders are available from Ready Made Resources, Lehman's,
and many other vendors.

OBTW, in addition to buying yourself a mill for grinding flour, don't overlook the
easiest preparation method of all: soaked wheat berries. By simply soaking whole
wheat for 24 to 36 hours, it plumps and softens. When then heated, wheat berries
make a nutritious breakfast cereal.

Corn stores best in whole kernels. Once it is cracked, the inner germ is exposed.
This decreases its storage life and nutritive value by 80%. Running whole corn
through a grain mill at a coarse setting to make cracked corn is quick and easy. A
finer setting will yield corn meal.

Unless you have large scale grain bins, one of the most efficient means of storing
wheat and corn for small-scale animal feed or human consumption is to buy new
galvanized trash cans with tight-fitting lids. If they will be on a damp floor, put the
cans up on 2x4 blocks to prevent rust. When galvanized trash barrels go on sale,
buy a bunch. Another good storage method is 5 or 6 gallon food grade plastic
buckets with gasketed lids. These stack well, but be advised that they are not as
vermin-proof as galvanized steel bins or barrels. Determined rats have been known
to gnaw their way through plastic food buckets. So if you choose this method, be
sure to set traps, and check the buckets once every few weeks for signs of damage.
As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, do not use utility-type plastic paint
buckets. Even if bought brand new these can taint food, because they are often
molded using non-food-grade (toxic) mold release agents.

Grain storage is a crucial aspect of family preparedness. Grain will soon no longer
be cheap or plentiful, so stock up! Readers JP and Commander Zero suggested this
Financial Post (Canada) article: Forget oil, the new global crisis is food And
meanwhile, we read: Japan to Increase Emergency Stockpiles of Grains, Wheat has
jumped to $10 per bushel, but I anticipate that it will go much higher in the next
year. Stock up, in quantity. Buy plenty for your family and your livestock. A total of
200 pounds of wheat and 50 pounds of corn per family member are good figures for
planning purposes for a family without livestock. I also recommend buying plenty of
extra for barter and charity. You'll soon be glad that you did

Speaking of charity, if you store extra wheat and/or corn for charity, remember that
your charity recipients will need a way to process that grain. So be sure to be on the
lookout for a few inexpensive used grain mills. You can often find used Corona
brand mills (or similar) on eBay or on Craig's List

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Sources for Free Survival and Preparedness Information on the Internet, by K.L. in
Alaska

Permalink

Recent comments in SurvivalBlog provided excellent advice on using the public

library. You can gain lots of knowledge with no expense, then purchase only those
books you want to keep on hand for personal reference. Also, many colleges and
universities loan to local residents, so you can use them too, even if you aren't a
student.

If your local libraries participate, a great resource is Worldcat. It lets you search for
books from home, then go check them out, or get them through interlibrary loan.

What will happen to the Internet when the SHTF? There's no guarantee it will
survive. Even if the World Wide Web endures in some form, most of the individual
computers connected to it will not. Hopefully by then you will have already
downloaded all the free info that's going to help you cope with the new world.

You may want to download a copy of information on this web site or any other web
site with useful content. It would be a shame to face some disaster when all the
resources of the internet are no longer at your fingertips.

In preparation for a worst case scenario, it's a good idea to begin now to collect the
knowledge that will come in handy later. You can download whole books, save them
to jump drives, and keep an entire library in a very small space. All kinds of free
manuals, guides, tech tips, and schematics are available on the internet; for
everything from firearms to furnaces to computers to appliances.

All of the downloads listed here are in the public domain or allowable for copying.
Stay away from sites that may involve copyright infringement. If you use a file-
sharing site such as Limewire, Kazaa, or any site that uses bit torrents, you are not
only downloading, but also uploading. Your participation involves automatically
uploading to other users. If the file is illegal, you are distributing illegal material, not
just downloading it. Stay away from these and stick with the legitimate sites listed
below.
Keep in mind that some of this information you download might be illegal to use at
the present time. You can't practice dentistry on your neighbor just because you
have the book. Nevertheless, you have the right to possess this very vital
information. After TEOTWAWKI, all bets are off. The information you collect today
might save your life or the life of somebody you love.

Many downloads are in Portable Document Format (PDF) form, so to read them you
must have a suitable program such as Adobe Reader, which is the free version of
Adobe Acrobat. There are alternatives to Adobe that can read PDF files, if you
prefer. Some of these files are very large. If your internet connection is slow, it's
better to right click and download rather than try to read a huge file online.

Some documents you may want to print out. Others you can just leave on disc. Just
be sure to store your drives safely. Not included in this list are the many web sites
that are very good resources in themselves. Rather, these are the files you can
download for offline viewing at a later time. Download them while you still can!

Project Gutenberg was mentioned as a good place to go for eBooks.

The Smithsonian Institution is another great resource. They have digitized many
older books, maps, and documents in their collection.

Wikisource has a nice collection of free eBooks.

One way to search for books no longer in copyright is to use Google Book Search.
Check "full view." If it comes up in the search, it can be downloaded as a PDF file.

A good alternative to Google is the Internet Archive which includes books, images,
audio, and more. The Internet Archive also hosts the Wayback Machine, which
archives copies of an incredible 85 billion pages from the internet of years past.
Over 100,000 free eBooks can be accessed through Digital Book Index

2020ok is a directory of free online books and free eBooks

The British Columbia Digital Library has an impressive Collection, including

dictionaries, encyclopedias, and most importantly, the Holy Bible. It also has a
Guide to other digital libraries.

Scribd is an online document library of free research articles, eBooks, and other
content.

A great resource for home schoolers is the Internet's largest directory of free audio
& video learning resources maintained by LearnOutLoud.com.

Check out the postings of Home Schooling On-line Resources on the The Mental
Militia Forums, as well as the "Must Have" Books/reference material topic.

More than 3,200 pages related to the U. S. Constitution can be downloaded from
The Founders' Constitution

Firearms For any firearm you own or plan to own, you should have a drawing of its
Exploded View, which will help identify parts and how they fit together. One of the
most comprehensive collections of Exploded Views is the paper edition of the
Numrich Arms Catalog, which in itself is a gold mine of information and very
inexpensive for a volume of over 1200 pages.

But if you only need certain Exploded Views, there are many places on the internet
where you can download them for free:

Gunuts is a good place to start with hundreds of drawings. Another source is The
Okie Gunsmith Shop, which is apparently no longer operating, but you can still
download drawings and parts lists from its web site.Big Bear Gun Works has another
good list. For pre-WWII firearms, check out Gunsworld. For examples of specific
firearms manufacturers, see Remington, Browning, and SKB Shotguns

The book, The Defensive Use Of Firearms by Shane C. Henry is available as a

download from rec.guns. An enormous amount of additional gun information is
available on the rec.guns web site.

There are several good sources for Military Publications: GlobalSecurity.org has a
huge collection of Military manuals.

Try Integrated Publishing for access to millions of pages of engineering manuals and
documents.

The U.S. Army Materiel Command maintains the LOGSA web site for access to
thousands of Army technical manuals.

The U.S. Air Force maintains the Air Force e-Publishing web site.

As mentioned recently, The Small Wars Journal has a Reference Library of

downloadable military documents.

The Brooke Clarke web site has a good guide to accessing military field manuals

Surviving War and Nuclear Attack For a basic guide, download How To Survive A
Chemical Or Biological Attack.

Nuclear War Survival Skills, along with some other very interesting books, can be
found on the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine web site. This book includes
plans for the Kearny Fallout Radiation Meter (KFM). If you have not bought a
radiation meter, you should at least download the book for future reference. You
can also get the Free Plans from The Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Nuclear War
Survival Skills is also available on the KI4U web site as an online book, but not as a
download.

The Equipped To Survive web site has some free ebooks, as well as books for sale:
Survival, Evasion, and Recovery and U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76.

The Volunteer Center of Marin County, California has prepared A Guide to

Organizing Neighborhoods for Preparedness, Response and Recovery which you can
copy from their web site.

Medical Resources The Disease Net has a library of downloadable manuals on

survival, weapons, emergency medicine, and less serious subjects.

Virtual Naval Hospital is a digital library of naval, military, and humanitarian

medicine

The very important field manual, First Aid For Soldiers FM 21-11 can be downloaded
here.

One of the best medical handbooks available is the U.S. Army Special Forces
Medical Handbook ST31-91B. It can be downloaded free (as well as additional
essential guides) from Delta Gear, Inc.

A newer version of the Medical Handbook, plus more great material can be
downloaded from NH-TEMS (New Hampshire Tactical Emergency medical support).

The American Red Cross has some of their disaster guides online for download. For
most of their material, you have to go to the local office. Some of it can be copied
from the Earth Changes Media Survival Tips page.
The Red Cross Book, First Aid in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency book, The Ship Captain's Medical Guide

Hesperian makes available free downloads of its books for medical treatment in
primitive conditions. Two highly respected guides it publishes are Where There Is No
Doctor and Where There Is No Dentist.

Here is a direct link to the must-have book Survival and Austere Medicine: An
introduction. Australian Survivalist Online has several additional Files for
downloading.

The Department of Agriculture has a treasure trove of information for free

download. This agency maintains The National Agricultural Library, a collection of
free information on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition, and other related subjects.

Another USDA web site is the Cooperative Extension Service. Click on the map to
navigate to various Extension offices around the country. Don't limit your search to
just your own state. Many of them have invaluable information on animals, crops,
construction, food preparation and much more for free download.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) offers downloads
about preventing plant and animal diseases, among other topics.

The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) offers Fact Sheets about food
handling and preparation, and emergency preparedness.

Other Important Reference Resources The classic outdoor guides, The 10 Bushcraft
Books by Richard Graves are available on the Chris Molloy web site. Free manuals
for electronic equipment can be downloaded from eServiceInfo.com. Another source
is UsersManualGuide.com. For Ham Radio and Test Equipment Manuals, the KO4BB
web site has Free Downloads, as well as LINKS to many other web sites with free
downloads. A few examples of repair information for outdoor equipment are Penn
Reel Schematics, and Mercury outboard parts.

Paid Services In the unlikely event that you can't find free information on the Net to
fix that generator or whatever you need to repair, there are web sites that charge
for information. As a last resort, you can check Sam's PHOTOFACT service manuals,
or RepairManual.com. Hopefully, that won't be necessary.

The foregoing just begins to scratch the surface. Some of these free downloads are
also available as books or CDs from eBay, Amazon or from some of the survivalist
web sites. That is fine. Sometimes it is easier to just pay the money and buy the
book. But nobody can afford it all, and downloading gives you access to millions of
pages - much more knowledge than you could acquire through any other method.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Letter Re: Hunkering Down in an Urban Apartment in a Worst Case Societal Collapse

Permalink

Hello,

In the event of a disaster (I live in New York City) I intend to shelter in place until all
the riotous mobs destroy each other or are starved out. I am preparing for up to six
months. I have one liter of water stored for each day (180 liters) and about 50
pounds of rice to eat as well as various canned goods. I have not seen on your site
anything about heat sources for urban dwellers who intend to shelter in place. I'm
assuming that electricity would go first soon followed by [natural] gas and running
water. Do you have any recommendations for cooking rice and other foods in this
event.

I am considering oil lamps or candles, methane gel used for chafing dishes, or small
propane tanks. Because of the small size of my apartment and potential hazards of
storing fuel I'm unsure which would be best. Please advise. Thank You, - Michael F.

JWR Replies: I've heard your intended approach suggested by a others, including
one of my consulting clients. Frankly, I do not think that it is realistic. From an
actuarial standpoint, your chances of survival would probably be low--certainly
much lower than "Getting Out of Dodge" to a lightly populated area at the onset of
a crisis. Undoubtedly, in a total societal collapse (wherein "the riotous mobs destroy
each other", as you predict) there will be some stay-put urbanites that survive by
their wits, supplemented by plenty of providential fortune. But the vast majority
would perish. I wouldn't want to play those odds. There are many drawbacks to your
plan, any one of which could attract notice (to be followed soon after by a pack of
goblins with a battering ram.) I'll discuss a few complexities that you may not have
fully considered:

Water. Even with extreme conservation measures you will need at least one gallon
of water per day. That one gallon of water will provide just enough water for one
adult for drinking and cooking. None for washing. If you run out of water before the
rioting ends then you will be forced to go out and forage for water, putting yourself
at enormous risk. And even then, you will have to treat the water that you find with
chlorine, iodine (such as Polar Pure--now very scarce), or with a top quality water
filter such as a Katadyn Pocket water filter.

Food. For a six month stay, you will need far more than just 50 pounds of rice! Work
out a daily menu and budget for an honest six month supply of food with a decent
variety and sufficient caloric intake. Don't overlook vitamin supplements to make up
for the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. Sprouting is also a great option to provide
vitamins and minerals, as well as aiding digestion. Speaking of digestion, depending
on how your body reacts to the change in diet (to your storage food), you may need
need a natural laxative in your diet such as bran, or perhaps even a bulk laxative
such as Metamucil.

Sanitation. Without water for flushing toilets, odds are that people in neighboring
apartments will dump raw sewage out their windows, causing a public health
nightmare on the ground floor. Since you will not want to alert others to your
presence by opening your window, and no doubt the apartment building's septic
system stack will be clogged in short order, you will need to make plans to store
you waste in your apartment. I suggest five gallon buckets. A bucket-type camping
toilet seat (a seat that attaches to a standard five or six gallon plastic pail) would be
ideal. You should also get a large supply of powdered lime to cut down on the
stench before each bucket is sealed. You must also consider the sheer number of
storage containers required for six months of accumulated human waste. (Perhaps
a dozen 5 gallon buckets with tight-fitting o-ring seal lids would be sufficient.) Since
you won't have water available for washing, you should also lay in a supply of
diaper wipes.
Space heating. In mid-winter you could freeze to death in your apartment without
supplemental heat. As I will discuss later, a small heater or just a few candles can
keep the air temperature above freezing.

Ventilation. If you are going to use any source of open flame, you will need lots of
additional ventilation. Asphyxiation from lack of oxygen or slow carbon monoxide
(CO) poisoning are the alternatives. Unfortunately, in the circumstances that you
envision, the increased ventilation required to mitigate these hazards will be a
security risk--as a conduit for the smell of food or fuel, as a source of light that can
be seen from outside the apartment, and as an additional point of entry for robbers.

Security. The main point of entry for miscreants will probably be your apartment
door. Depending on the age of your apartment, odds are that you have a traditional
solid core wood door. In a situation where law and order has evaporated, the malo
hombres will be able to take their time and break through doors with fire axes, crow
bars and improvised battering rams. It is best to replace wooden apartment doors
with steel ones. Unless you own a condo rather than lease an apartment, approval
for a door retrofit is unlikely. However, your apartment manager might approve of
this if you pay for all the work yourself and you have it painted to match the
existing doors. Merely bracing a wood door will not suffice. Furthermore, if you have
an exterior window with a fire escape or your apartment has a shared balcony, then
those are also points of entry for the bad guys. How could you effectively barricade
a large expanse of windows?

If you live in a ground floor apartment or an older apartment with exterior metal fire
escapes, then I recommend that you move as soon as possible to a third, fourth, or
fifth floor apartment that is in a modern apartment building of concrete
construction, preferably without balconies, with steel entry doors, and with interior
fire escape stairwells.

Self Defense. To fend off intruders, or for self defense when you eventually emerge
from your apartment, you will need to be well-armed. Preferably you should also be
teamed with at least two other armed and trained adults. Look into local legalities
on large volume pepper spray dispensers. These are marketed primarily as bear
repellent, with brand names like "Guard Alaska", "Bear Guard", and "17%
Streetwise." If they are indeed legal in your jurisdiction, then buy several of the big
one-pound dispensers, first making sure that they are at least a 12% OC
formulation.
If you can get a firearms permit--a bit complicated in New York City , but not an
insurmountable task--then I recommend that you get a Remington, Winchester, or
Mossberg 12 gauge pump action shotgun with a SureFire flashlight forend. #4
Buckshot (not to be confused with the much smaller #4 bird shot) is the best load
for defense in an urban environment where over-penetration (into neighboring
apartments) is an issue. But if getting a firearms permit proves too daunting, there
is a nice exemption in the New York City firearms laws for muzzleloaders and pre-
1894 manufactured antique guns that are chambered for cartridges that are no
longer commercially made. It is not difficult to find a Winchester Model 1876 or a
Model 1886 rifle that is in a serial number range that distinguishes it as pre-1894
production. (See: Savage99.com for exact dates of manufacture on 12 different rifle
models.) You will be limited to chamberings like .40-65 and .45-90. You can have a
supply of ammunition custom loaded. A Winchester Model 1873 or and early Model
1892 chambered in .38-40 might also be an option, but I would recommend one of
the more potent calibers available in the large frame (Model 1876 or 1886 ) rifles.
Regardless, be sure to select rifles with excellent bores and nice mechanical
condition.

For an antique handgun, I would recommend a S&W double action top break
revolver chambered in .44 S&W Russian. None of the major manufacturers
produce .44 S&W Russian ammunition. However, semi-custom extra mild loads (so-
called "cowboy" loads, made specially for the Cowboy Action Shooting enthusiasts)
in .44 S&W Russian are now available from Black Hills Ammunition. The Pre-1899
Specialist (one of our advertisers) often has large caliber S&W double action top
break revolvers available for sale. The top breaks are very fast to load, and you can
even use modern speed loaders designed for .44 Special or .44 Magnum cartridges
with the stumpy .44 S&W Russian loads.(It has the same cartridge "head"
dimensions.)

Firearms training from a quality school (such as Front Sight) is crucial.

Fire Detection and Contingency Bug-Out. A battery-powered smoke detector is an

absolute must. Even if you are careful with candles, lanterns, and cook stoves, your
neighbors may not be. There is a considerable risk that your apartment building will
catch fire, either intentionally of unintentionally. Therefore, you need to have a "Bug
Out" backpack ready to grab at a moment's notice. Although they are no proper
substitute for a fireman's compressed air breathing rig, a commercially-made
egress smoke hood or a military surplus gas mask might allow you to escape your
building in time. But even if you escape the smoke and flames, then where will that
you leave you? Outdoors, at an unplanned hour (day or night), in a hostile big city
that is blacked out, with no safe means of escape. (This might prove far too
reminiscent of the the 1980s Kurt Russell movie "Escape from New York.") By the
time this happens, the mobs may not want just the contents of your backpack. They
may be sizing you up for a meal!

Fuel storage. Bulk fuel storage has three problematic issues: 1.) as a safety issue
(fire hazard), 2.) as a security issue (odors that could attract robbers), and 3.) as a
legal issue (fire code or tenant contract restrictions). I suspect that New York City's
fire code would not allow you have more than a week's worth of propane on hand,
and completely prohibit keeping more than just one small container of kerosene or
Coleman fuel. From the standpoint of both safety and minimizing detectable odors,
propane is probably the best option. (The odors of kerosene and chafing dish gel are
both quite discernable.) But of course consult both your local fire code and your
apartment lease agreement to determining the maximum allowable quantity to
keep on hand.

Odds are that there will be no limit on the number of candles that you can store. If
that is the case, then lay in large supply of unscented jar candles designed for long-
burning (formulated high in stearic acid.) I suggest the tall, clear glass jar-enclosed
"devotional" candles manufactured in large numbers for the Catholic market. You
can even heat individual servings of food over these if you construct a stand with a
wide base out of stout wire. Watch for these candles at discount and close-out
stores. We have found that the large adhesive labels slip off easily if you soak the
jars in water for an hour. Since their burning time is approximately 24 hours, and
since you might need two of them burning simultaneously for sufficient light and to
stay warm, that would necessitate laying in a supply of 360 candles! (This assumes
that the worst case, with the outset of a crisis in October, and your having to hunker
down for a full six months.)

Fire fighting. Buy at least two large multipurpose ("A-B-C") chemical fire
extinguishers

Cooking odors. In addition to the smell of fuel, cooking food will produce odors. I
recommend that you store only foods with minimal spices. In situation where you
are surrounded by starving people, just frying foods with grease or heating up a can
of spicy chili con carne could be a death warrant.
Noise discipline. Just the sound of moving around your apartment could reveal your
presence. For some useful background, see if your local library has a copy of the
best-selling memoir "The Pianist", by Wladyslaw Szpilman. (If not, buy a copy
through Amazon or request a copy via inter-library loan. It has been published in 35
languages. The US edition's ISBN is 0312244150.) The book describes the harrowing
experiences of a Jewish musician in hiding in Warsaw, Poland, during the Second
World War. Following the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising and forced deportation,
Szpilman spent many months locked in a Warsaw apartment, receiving just a few
parcels of food from some gentile friends. In his situation, the power and water
utilities were still operating most of the time, but he suffered from slow starvation
and lived in absolute fear of making any noise. His survival absolutely defied the
odds. There was also an excellent 2002 movie based on Szpilman's book, but the
memoir provides greater detail than the film.

Light discipline. If you have any source of light in your apartment, it could reveal
your presence. In an extended power blackout, it will become obvious to looters
within a couple of weeks who has lanterns or large supplies of candles and/or
flashlight batteries. (Everyone else will run out within less than two weeks.) And I
predict that it will be the apartments that are still lit up that will be deemed the
ones worth robbing. So if you are going to have a light source, you must
systematically black out all of your windows. But sadly these efforts will be in direct
conflict with your need for ventilation for your heating and/or cooking.

Heat. With the aforementioned restrictions on fuel storage, heating your apartment
for more than just a few days will probably be impossible. Buy an expedition quality
sleeping bag--preferably a two-bag system such as a Wiggy's brand FTRSS. Under
the circumstances that you describe, don't attempt to heat your entire apartment.
Instead, construct a small room-within-a-room (Perhaps under a large dining room
table, or by setting up a camping tent inside your apartment, to hoard heat.) Even if
the rest of the apartment drops to 25 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit, your body heat
alone will keep your demi-room in the 40s. Burning just one candle will raise the
temperature another 5 or 10 degrees. For the greatest efficiency at retaining heat,
your demi-room should be draped with two layers of mylar space blankets.

Exercise. While you are "hunkered down", you will need to maintain muscle tone.
Get some quiet exercise equipment, such as a pull-up bar and some large elastic
straps. Perhaps, if your budget allows in the future, also purchase or construct your
own a quiet stationary bicycle-powered generator. This would provide both exercise
and battery charging.

Sanity. .Hunkering down solo in silence for six months would be a supreme
challenge, both physically and mentally. Assuming that you can somehow tackle all
of the aforementioned problems, you also need to plan to stay sane. Have lots of
reading materials on hand.

In conclusion, when one considers the preceding long list of dependencies and
complexities, it makes "staying put" in a worst case very unattractive. In less
inimical circumstance, it is certainly feasible, but in a grid-down situation with
utilities disrupted and wholesale looting and rioting in progress, the big city is no
place to live. But, as always, this is just my perspective and your mileage may vary
(YMMV).

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Letter Re: Coleman Fuel--Uses and Storage Life

Permalink

Hi Jim,

According to Coleman's web site, Coleman fuel can be stored for 5 to 7 years. I
wondered if a chainsaw with the correct oil additive run on Coleman fuel. So I did a
web search, and this is what I found, over at the Timebomb 2000 (Y2K) Discussion
Forums, posted back in 1998] - E.L.:

Coleman Fuel the Final Word!

Boy What did I start? I have seen more rumors and half truths about Coleman fuel
since I posted that it did work on engines!! Coleman fuel is a very highly refined
version of gasoline! It has no additives in it. It comes in sealed metal cans and it
stores at least five years if you keep it cool and leave it alone til you use it! It will
work in all gasoline engines! You mix oil in 2 cycle [engine]s so that is not a
problem. In 4 cycle add 1/2 to 1 oz of ATF or Marvel Mystery Oil per gallon of fuel to
provide top cylinder lube. If you want to go one step further get some lead
substitute for the old regular burning engines. Okay?
Now I am going to provide you with a very basic primer on how oil and fuel relate to
the cracking (refining) tower. crude oil in:[the] lowest [fractioning] levels give you
motor oils then fuel oils. Here is how it is,, [from] top to bottom:

LPG (Much more done to refine but you get the idea), white gasoline, Racing gas,
Avgas, Gasoline, K1 kerosene, kerosene fuel oil, #1 fuel oil, #2 fuel oil, #3 fuel oil,
# 4 motor oils. Okay, now there are many other products made at various levels
and many other additives are introduced to provide the end products we use but
this gives you an Idea as to how the various fuels relate.

Now if you want to store some Coleman fuel for emergency use, then go ahead, do
it! If it burns gas it will burn Coleman! But if you want to use it try it now! Don't wait
to see if it will work, don't post over and over and over.Try it out for yourself!!! But
don't plan on it being your primary fuel. You can't possibly store enough [in one
gallon cans] to run generators on it. Most of you have no clue as to how much fuel a
gasoline generator really uses. Running a typical gas generator would run you at
least 5 gallons per day, every day, assuming you only ran it 5-6 hours per day! Do
the math! Store 20 gallons [of Coleman fuel] for your chainsaw. Another 10 for the
log splitter. But that's about it. if you need to use some for another reason for a
short term use go ahead! But if your looking for long term continuous use get a
diesel car, truck, generator, or whatever. - Rich H.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Letter Re: Sources for Gasoline and Diesel Fuel in a Grid-Down Collapse

Permalink

Dear Jim:

There have been a lot of posts recently about bug-out vehicles and such on
SurvivalBlog. Of course, every car or truck requires fuel, and in a sudden grid-down
situation there will be a bunch of fuel in underground tanks at most every gas
station, unable to be pumped out due to the lack of electricity. I have observed oil
company trucks filling these tanks, and it appears they simply pry up some covers
and drop the fuel into the tanks.

How deep are these tanks, and can the fuel be pumped out by some kind of
lightweight hand-cranked pump of some kind, directly into a vehicle tank? How long
a drop tube would one need to access the gas?

These questions, of course, bring up the moral aspects of pumping out the gas. In a
short-term grid down situation, like is presently occurring in Oklahoma, taking gas
without the station being open would clearly be theft. But at the beginning of a long
term TEOTWAWKI situation, one might wish to get the gas, and leave payment in
cash or junk silver, for example. What are your thoughts on this? Sincerely, - Mark in
Albuquerque

JWR Replies: Typical retail gas station fuel tanks are less than 14 feet deep,
including the height of the filler necks, so a 15+ foot draw hose is more than long
enough. Back in February, I posted details on a safe and cost-effective solution to
pumping gasoline from underground tanks without grid power. My design variant (of
a time-proven design that has been popular with some dirt bike enthusiasts for
more than a decade) uses a 12 VDC fuel pump and incorporates an in-line fuel filter.

Odds are that you will be able to find the station owner to make payment, at least
while there is still fuel in their tanks. In fact, any wise station owner will probably
hire armed guards, regardless of whether or not power is available. In a societal
collapse, with no re-supply in sight, they'd know that any significant quantity of
gasoline would have tremendous worth. But of course after the tanks were drained,
in a worst case scenario the station would probably be abandoned.

If you build two or more such pumps in advance, then you could probably use the
extras in barter--most likely to trade to a gas station owners for some of their fuel.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Storm After-Action Report and More Thoughts on Western Washington as a Retreat

Locale, by Countrytek

Permalink

Introduction

I'm a life-long Western Washington resident - except for five years in Kansas & two
in Berlin while in the U.S. Army. I'm the great-grandchild of Washington pioneers. I
love this state - the ocean, mountains and fertile valleys - but what it has become --
not so much.

This past weekend, (November 30 - December 1, 2007), the Olympic Peninsula of

Washington state was hit by an arctic front from the Gulf of Alaska, dropping 3-6" of
snow in our area. The weather folks told us not to worry, that it wouldn't last long,
because we had a "Pineapple Express" blowing in from Hawaii. (If this were the
other Left Coast, they'd call it a tropical depression -- but up here in the Great North
Wet, we don't rate such notoriety, so they just call it a "Pineapple Express.") The
West coast of Washington (and parts of the North coast) experienced sustained
hurricane force winds, with gusts as high as 130 mph in places. An aircraft landing
at Boeing Field in Seattle recorded gusts of 140 knots at 4,000 feet on his approach.

I took one look at weather conditions this morning, and decided that it was a good
day to hunker down and take care of me and mine. I called into work about two
hours later. (Days when they expect bad weather, I get up extra early.). They said
"Yeah, yeah, all the roads between here and there are closed . . . Have a great day!"
They were right. The embankment above U.S. 101 slid out and across both the
southbound and the northbound lanes. To make the picture complete, S.R. 8 was
closed by slides, as well, so going the back roads to get to 8 to go around the slide
on 101 was out of the question. My supervisor was more optimistic than me, and
spent about ninety minutes in traffic snarls before getting turned around to go
home.

So, anyway, for those of you who might be thinking that there are parts of the West
side of Washington state that might make a good retreat, here's the shakeout:

- U.S. 101 & S.R. 8 both closed by mudslides in multiple locations leaving only one
route on or off the Olympic Peninsula: S.R. 3 via S.R. 16 from Tacoma, crossing the
Tacoma Narrows bridge. (It wound up being choked down to one lane late in the
day, due to flooding and mudslides.) All alternate secondary and county roads
blocked by mudslides, flooding, fallen trees or washed-out bridges.

- At the end of the day, every river in Western Washington is above flood stage. The
Skokomish River (always the first to flood, and the last back in its banks) is in a
record flood from this event. (Mix heavy lowland snow with over 9" of rain and
unseasonably warm temperatures, and you get big water!) This means that you
have flooding in every county in Western Washington.

- My county (Mason County ) lost its main feed from the Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA), putting the majority of the county in the dark for about eight
hours. We had to wait for a BPA engineer to replace the blown breaker. I'm sure it's
much too complex for our county PUD engineers! (Funny! I live next door to one,
and across the street from another, and both seem pretty competent to me.)

- Three small towns in Lewis County evacuated due to flooding.

- 20 miles of I-5 closed South of Chehalis (Lewis County) due to flooding.

- Hood Canal floating bridge closed due to high winds

- All North-South rail corridors blocked by slides or flooding

- Tahuya & Skokomish river valleys isolated due to mudslides and flooding

- Fire district had three separate relief centers set up. The problem was, none of the
people who needed them could get to them, and rescue crews couldn't get to the
stranded people to rescue them. Entry into the isolated areas required a lot of
chainsaw and bulldozer work.

- One beach community was evacuated by Coast Guard helicopter due to isolation
by mudslides

- One death in Mason county, two in Grays Harbor. (Mudslide, falling tree, medical
equipment made non-functional by power outage.)

- As of this writing, there are still about 1,000 people who are stranded and un-
reachable by emergency services -- including a woman in labor. (And this is just in
my mostly rural county!)

- Very few grocery stores in Western Washington have backup generators, which
means that if the power is off for more than a few hours, all refrigerated foods,
dairy, and fresh meat must be disposed of -- and, of course, is unavailable to feed
hungry people.

Personal Actions:

- Had a breakfast of French toast so we got some warm food into us -- just in case.

- Went out and stowed anything liable to blow away, including our Christmas tree
and barbecue.

- Touched base with family and close friends

- Talked to my wife's sister and brother-in-law on their return from their jobs in the
Great Cesspool. (Known to the more urbane as Seattle.) They had to brave the
Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Always an adventure in high winds! [JWR Adds: This
bridge's predecessors was the one that was made famous by the movie of its wild
wind oscillation and collapse], drive to Bremerton, then back-track down S.R. 3 to
get to their house and rental house that were both flooding. They reported that
there were frequent encounters with water flowing over the road surface on S.R. 3.

- Talked one nephew out if taking the same route that my sister and brother-in-law
came in, tried to talk another out of taking the back roads back to his house. He
made it okay, but power is out and the creek is threatening. (God bless the man
who designed 4-wheel drive!)
- Loaned an extra 100' extension cord to brother-in-law sister so she could get
power from their genset to their house.

- The BPA breaker blew about 10 o'clock, so we munched cold rations and read by
sunlight until it was time to dig out flashlights and candles.

- Listened to local news on our hand-crank radio.

- Kept in touch with my brother-in-law's siblings via hard-wire phone (No cellular
service at all, which is not all that unusual here in "cell hell," and - of course -
cordless phones don't work when there's no power.)

- Gave ten gallons of water to my brother-in-law's sister when she came back into
town. (They're on a well and chose to power the freezers and refrigerator instead of
the well. they should consider getting a second [or larger] genset.)

- Lifted our Pepsis toward our next door neighbor's house after the lights came back
on an hour earlier than the last prediction.

- Checked the fridge and freezers to find everything as cold as if the power never
hiccupped at all.

- Made dinner.

- Sat down at the PC to check for road closures for the morning and to compose this
AAR.

This is yet another "100 year event." Funny, those "100 year events" seem to be
coming up every couple years nowadays. Global warming? Over-development?
(Much formerly absorbent ground is now capped by spec houses, strip malls, big
box stores and the asphalt that accompanies them.) Natural weather cycles? I don't
know. Could be a combination of all three.

Okay, that's the feed-back on one event. Here are my other observations on
Western Washington as a potential retreat locale:

Land: Due to the real estate bubble, this stuff is pretty precious. Good luck finding
good land below $10,000 per acre. Expect to pay more. Finding land of any size is
getting pretty difficult as well, as anything that's twice the size of the minimum
growth density (5-to-20 acres) gets sub-divided for spec houses or snapped up by
conservation Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs). (Look for that to change
somewhat now that the bubble has sprung a leak.) Expect unrealistic expectations
from the sellers. The past 30 years have been spent in pursuit of the mythical
California buyer (or green NGO) who can afford to drop multiple millions on the
"right" place. Reality may set in on that front too -- eventually. If you can find good
land at a decent price, buy it! It won't last long. Be careful about water -- especially
out here on the Olympic Peninsula. Either buy it with developed water (a working
well), or make the sale contingent on both being able to develop a good water
supply and being able to get a septic permit. (Yes! You can do this. Anything in
writing is legal in a land transfer in Washington state -- which means you need to
read and understand all that fine print. Beware of [restrictive] covenants!)

Several things you need to bear in mind when looking for land:

- 44% of Washington's land is in Federal hands.

- This includes the vast majority of the Olympic Peninsula - there's a narrow band
around the coast that's in private hands - except for the dozen tribal reservations
and the National Park.

- Big timber means something out here. Most of the large non-NGO private tracts
belong to one of the big three timber companies: Simpson, Weyerhauser or
Louisiana Pacific.

- NGO. Learn what it means. There are a lot of them out here. One stated goal is to
acquire all the private land on the Olympic Peninsula and SW Washington and
"rehabilitate it." (That means get rid of the unwashed.) Which brings us to . . .

Regulatory Environment:Welcome to the Nanny state! Forget about throwing up a

cordwood castle with "a little house out back." Those days are long gone this side of
the hump (and from what I've seen on my too infrequent trips over the hump,
fading fast on the dry side [of Washington], too). Forget about being able to put in a
gravity flow septic system. This is the land of the engineered system! Almost always
above ground, usually including one or more [electrically-powered] pumping
systems. If you buy developed land that includes an existing gravity-flow septic
system, the baby that puppy! You do not want it to fail! Because, if it does, you will
be putting in a very expensive engineered system to replace it.

System capacity is calculated by the number of bedrooms in your residence, so

having a wink wink "den" is not unusual around here. Get creative! You can have
sewing rooms, libraries, media rooms (Children are the ultimate media, after all --
they are you writ on eternity . . . or at least the next generation.), or whatever non-
sleeping purpose room you can think of -- just do not exceed the number of
bedrooms that your system is designed to carry. If you decided to "second-purpose"
some of those non-bedrooms, it would be wise to find out about - and make friends
with - the local septic pumping guy who can keep his mouth shut! (Hint: If he's one
of the County Planner's brothers-in-law, he probably ain't the guy you're looking
for!)

Think that's the worst? Not hardly! Ever heard of "Critical Habitat Zones" or "Aquifer
Recharge Areas?" This is new-speak for "We're taking your land, and you get to pay
for it!" It's a toss-up for which is worse, because basically what it means is that the
land-owner gets to pay for returning the land to some mythical "pre-aboriginal
state," Whatever in God's creation that is supposed to be -- and however some
pencil-neck with a PhD is going to verify it! Because - unless I miss my mark - the
only ones who are going to know what this land looked like before the aboriginal
peoples got here would be the bears and God! I don't think too many PhDs
hereabouts confer with either. Oh, yeah . . . Once you're finished paying for
restoring your land to it's long-previous pristine condition, you - nor none of your
kith nor kin - may ever set foot on it again. Did I mention you do get to keep the
inestimable privilege of paying taxes on said land that you were compelled to
improve in a way that you might - or might not - agree with -- and may never use
again? It boggles this country boy's mind, let me tell you!

I could go on and on . . . But at the risk of stretching your incredulity even further --
Let's jump to Politics!

Political Environment:

All policy is set by the Seattle set. If you think otherwise, you're delusional and
should seek proper assistance. Yes, we have some real conservatives hereabouts,
but not enough to matter. It doesn't help that most of the "loyal opposition" are
more interested in sticking it to each other (in one sense or the other) than fighting
the foes across the aisle. This state is the gold-bound proof to the theory that at
least 85% of evangelical Christians refuse to register to vote or go to the polls.
There are a lot of very nice Christian folk hereabouts - but either they don't vote, or
there's a complete disconnect between their faith and their politics. So now that
we've settled that little question, let's look at the characteristics of a typical denizen
of the Great Cesspool:

o Frequently seen at the statue of V.I. Lenin in Ballard

o Is a deep ecologist

o Supports radical feminism

o Believes that animals, trees and flowers are more valuable than children

o Is staunchly "pro-choice"

o Hung out/ sat-in upon / got lucky at "Red Square" whilst attending "The U"

o Has dabbled in Wicca, Earth Mother Worship, an Eastern religion, or is "spiritually

sensitive"

o Probably a union Democrat, or the spawn thereof

o Drives - or covets - a high-end Japanese or European luxury/sport sedan, SUV, or

hybrid vehicle

o Thinks most Christians need re-education, or at least intense sensitivity training

o Believes that the owning property is for the privileged -- not the un-washed.
(Guess which camp he/she/it falls in?)

o Rabidly anti-gun

o Radically Politically Correct (PC)

o Is certain that patriotism is a curable condition

o Voted for Kucinich and will vote for Obama

o Is convinced that Starbucks is a cultural center

o Thinks the U.N. is humanity's only hope

Public Education:

Perennially over-funded and under-performing. Case-in-point: The top-rated public

school district in the state has a 44% drop-out rate for boys. Girls do much better:
36%. Most districts turn out the barely-literate as their average students. What can
one expect from a system that comes up with concepts like "compulsory
volunteerism" Oh yeah, your kids can get extra credit for participating in an anti-
war rally or an Act-Up event. My advice to anyone moving here that has children -
or expects to have children - avoid the Washington public school system like the
plague! Fortunately, we still have a pretty much hands-off homeschool environment
here and some very good parochial schools. Raise 'em up right, teach them critical
thinking skills, and there just might be some hope for this socialist's paradise!

Media:
Bookmark your favorite conservative radio shows' web sites! Because you are not
going to hear them on the airwaves around here. To give you an idea which way the
wet side media leans: A cat getting shot with a BB gun will be reported with more
gravity and sympathy than the beating death of a child or the gang rape of a young
woman. 'Nuff said?

Culture?

- We got tons of it! As long as it's oh-so properly PC.

Crime:

- Can we say "methamphetamine?" Keep an eye on your back 40. It may sprout a
meth lab. (So might the neighbor's rental property.)

- High rates of burglary and car theft

- Robberies and home invasions up

- I.D. theft on the rise

Hazards

- The Economic Bubble os due to burst. We've always had a boom and bust
economy here, and it's been riding high for too long.

- Earthquake

o We're overdue for "The Big One." This is especially true for the Cascadia
Subduction Zone and the Seattle fault complex.

· Either of these could spawn dramatic Tsunamis. Avoid locating in low-lying costal
areas or areas prone to slippage. You really want to learn about the Cascadia
Subduction Zone and plan accordingly. An event on this system will be a regional
event -- from Alaska to mid-California. Outlying areas will be on their own - probably
for at least a month - due to bridge collapses and land slides. Also, aid will go first to
where it does the most good for the highest number. I'm thinking that means the
Puget Sound Metroplex, Portland, the Oregon I-5 corridor and San Francisco.

· We're talking a magnitude 9+ event with a duration of 10-15 minutes at the slip
point, which translates to a 6-8 magnitude event of the same duration in the heavy
population centers, possibly followed by a Tsunami measured in the hundreds of
feet.

· Historically, there's been an event on this system every 300 years or so. The last
one was in the mid-1700s. You do the math.

o Volcanoes

- All the major Cascade and Olympic mountain range peaks are volcanoes. Most are
active.

- The Golden Horde

o The Puget Sound Metroplex currently holds 3.5 million people. It is expected to
grow to ~ 5.2 million by 2025

- Most have supplies for no more than three days - if any at all

- Most are used to an upper-middle class existence with all the urban/suburban
amenities.

- Most are familiar with the Cascade and Olympic regions.

- Despite the anti-gun environment they foster and support, many will be armed.

- Many have off-road capable vehicles (The up-side is that 95% of those have never
actually taken their vehicles off-road.)

- Many have boats

- Many have quads or dirt bikes

- Many have RVs

- You won't need to worry about them during a Cascadia event or a Nuclear strike,
because they won't be able to get to you in the former case -- and most will be
vaporized in the latter.

· All other scenarios: Plan for and expect The Golden Horde.

- One more happy thought: Here on the Olympic Peninsula we see just as many
Oregon plates on the weekend as we do from Washington, so expect some of the
Portland Horde if you settle on the Peninsula or in southwestern Washington.

- And yet another: Many rural Washington counties contain prisons . . . What's going
to happen when the lights go out and/or the guards don't get paid?
- Terrorism

o Due to the high population and strategic location of the Puget Sound Metroplex it
is a high-value/high-visibility target.

- Nuclear First-strike Target List

o Primary

- Ft. Lewis & McChord AFB (Tacoma/S Pierce County)

- Bremerton Naval Ship Yard

- Bangor Submarine Warfare Center and Base

- Whidbey NAS

- Everrett Naval Station (Everett/Marysville)

- Fairchild AFB (Spokane)

- Hanford Nuclear Energy Complex

o Secondary

- Seattle

· Boeing

· Other heavy manufacturing & high tech

· Port

· Ship yards

· Transportation & communication center

- Tacoma

· Port

· Shipyards

· Other heavy manufacturing & high tech

· Transportation & communication center

- Everett
· Boeing

· Other heavy manufacturing & high tech

· Port

- Bellingham

· Port

- Portland, Oregon

· Port

· Transportation & communication center

- East Side Corridor

· High-tech & biotechnology

· Communications center

· Transportation corridor

- Cherry Point (Bellingham, Whatcom County)

· Petroleum Refinery complex

- Padilla Bay (Anacortes, Skagit County)

· Petroleum Refinery complex

o Tertiary

- Kelso/Longview

· Port

· Rail hub

- Aberdeen/Hoquiam

· Port

- Olympia

· Seat of Government

· Minor port
- Anacortes

· Minor port

- Moses Lake

· Long runway (Fighter & Bomber capable)

- SEA-TAC (Both the City & Airport)

· Long runway (Fighter & Bomber capable)

- Tri-cities (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick)

· Brain drain Battelle, etc. (Hanford staff/researchers)

If the nukes ever fly, the Western half of this state is going to look like we had
missile silos all over the place. Why? Transportation, military, high-tech &
communications.

- Pandemic

o Both SEA-TAC {seattle -Tacoma airport] and to a lesser extent, PDX (Portland
International) are international hubs -- and of course, Vancouver BC's airport is their
Canadian counterpart. Flights originate for the Pacific Rim countries, Europe, Mexico
and Central and South America.

o Washington sits in the mainstream of the Pacific Flyway for migratory fowl.

o Washington is a major poultry producer

Conclusion

So, are you wondering why I haven't run screaming for the hills of Idaho yet? Like I
said in my intro: I love this state. It has its problems -- probably more than its fair
share, for that matter. But, it is beautiful. One acre of good Western Washington
bottom land will support a cow and her calf well -- two will support a horse at a high
level of feed. It will also grow just about anything, and you are blessed with a long
growing season. Rain can be a bit problematic at harvest times -- but my ancestors
managed to muddle through somehow. There are a lot of nice folk, too . . . Just wish
they'd let me tell 'em how to vote -- and then actually do it!

Of course, I could just be living in the state of De Nile. - Countrytek

Monday, December 3, 2007

Letter Re: Preparedness for Less Than a Worst Case, From an Eastern Urbanite's
Perspective

Permalink

Hello Jim,

I am very new reader of your blog and am just now starting to go through the
archives. Based on what I’ve read so far, I commend you on putting together a
useful, fact-intensive blog on “survivalism” (whatever that means), that isn’t geared
towards loony, off-the-reservation, tinfoil hat-type readers, who believe that 9/11
was a plot masterminded by Halliburton.

That said, one problem I suspect I will have with your blog is that you consistently
seem to be preparing for an extreme, and more-or-less permanent, breakdown of
society—or TEOTWAWKI, if you will. In one of your blog posts, you noted that the
problem with preparing for TEOTWAWKI, is that “between now and then, you have
your life to live.” This statement is particularly true for those of us who don’t live out
West, don’t live in rural environments (let alone, gasp, urban east coast cities), have
young children, drive a minivan, and enjoy otherwise the soft, latte-sipping lifestyles
of Yuppiedom in the second Golden Age of American wealth.

My family and I fall into that category to a great deal. Don’t get me wrong: I e-
ticketed most of my courses at Gunsite, so I’m no head-in-the sand sheeple. And I’m
a pretty capable empty hand fighter. But I also grew up in the suburbs and didn’t
exactly spend my youth learning to trap, fish, hunt, or plant seeds. I am married to
a lovely wife who has no interest in learning to run a carbine, and we have a young
daughter who prevents us from grabbing bug-out rucks and heading off to the bush
for two weeks. In any event, if we ever managed to actually get from our 30th floor
apartment in Manhattan to the bush, I’m not sure we’d know what to do.

The point I’m making is that there are a lot of people like us—people who live in
cities, who don’t feel in the least bit at home in the outdoors, who aren’t going to
learn about land nav or plotting azimuths, who aren’t going to buy a bug-out retreat
in the country that is going to lie empty 52 weeks a year, and who are basically
screwed if TEOTWAWKI actually and truly arrives.
Barring TEOTWAWKI, it seems to me that we are infinitely more likely to face
moderately scary scenarios, like Hurricane Katrina and necessary urban evacuation,
some urban 1970s style civil disturbance but nothing like Mogadishu, high-intensity
individual criminal acts, a low-order terrorist event nearby and the accompanying
panic, or some other situation shy of the worst case scenario.

We urbanites can prepare for those events, while not being entirely distracted from
our workaday “ordinary” lives, or dedicating ourselves to trying to get off-the-grid. I
certainly have made some attempts to prepare. For example, I have no doubt that
we’re in the 99th percentile of Manhattan preparedness by virtue of the fact that we
own:

- a well maintained and fueled Honda CRV with GPS, local region street maps, XM
radio (for news), an empty 5 gallon gas can, and various vehicle repair tools

- a (legally permitted) pistol and shotgun, and enough ammunition for a firefight
and reload under civilian ROEs

- $4,000 in cash

- a week of MREs and water, full rations

- a PVS-14 [night vision] monocular

- soft body armor

- basic camping equipment

- various tools like a good knife, a pry bar, Surefire lights, chemlights, paracord, etc.

- a fully stocked medical kit, 30 days of scrip drugs, and a copy of “Medicine for the
Outdoors”

- personal hygiene gear

- a roll of 1mm poly sheeting and a ton of 100 mph tape

- full face respirators and disposable N100 masks

- GMRS radios, shortwave radio, a hand crank radio

- a ton of batteries

- a USB key and a 500 GB backup drive with all our important information

- 1 box of critical paper documents

- clothing suitable for the seasons

- baby stuff

Most of this gear is boxed, labeled, and stored in a single closet that we’ve
dedicated to SHTF equipment. The other stuff (car, guns, cash, key documents, etc.)
could be policed up in 10 minutes, and is written down on a checklist. If we had to, I
reckon we could shelter in place for a week, or we could bug out in an hour
(assuming, of course, Manhattan was not totally gridlocked).

I’d be very interested in your thoughts about what urbanites should be doing to
prepare for bad times, given the restrictions of space, limited knowledge of/interest
in outdoorsman skills, “Yuppie” lifestyle constraints, etc. Thanks. - D.C.

JWR Replies: For someone that lives on Manhattan Island, you are definitely quite
well-prepared!

Some preparedness upgrades that I'd recommend for you:

1.) Pre-positioning some supplies stored with friends or relatives, or perhaps in a

commercial storage space, at least 150 miles out of the city, on your intended "Get
Out of Dodge" route. (For that dreaded "worst case.")

2.) Adding a rifle to your firearms battery. With New York City's semi-auto and
magazine restrictions, you might consider a .308 Bolt action with either a small
detachable magazine, or perhaps a non-detachable magazine. A Steyr Scout would
be a good choice. Some semi-auto rifles that might be approved include top-loading
M1 Garands and FN49s. (No doubt easier if you are a member of a CMP-associated
shooting club.) If you can't get permit approval for any modern rifles, then there is a
handy exemption for long guns "manufactured prior to 1894 and replicas which are
not designed to fire fixed ammunition, or for which fixed ammunition is not
commercially available." You might consider a pre-1894 production Winchester
Model 1876 or 1886 in an obsolete caliber such as .40-60 or .45-90. (See my FAQ on
pre-1899 cartridge guns for details. Be sure to select rifles with excellent bores and
nice mechanical condition.
3.) A small photovoltaic panel for recharging your flashlights, radios, and night
vision gear batteries.(Along with a 300+ Amp Hour 12 VDC "Jump Pack" (such as
JCWhitney.com's item # ZX265545) and 12 VDC "DC to DC" battery charging trays
and the various requisite cords.)

4.) A supply of antibiotics.

5.) Consult your local fire code, and store the maximum legally-allowable quantity of
extra gasoline, assuming you have a safe place to store it. (I realize that most
Manhattanites have their cars stored commercially with no additional storage
space, and it can be a 20 minute car-juggling exercise just to get your hands on
your car, depending on how "deep" you are parked.) If extra gas will be stored in
your vehicle, then be sure to get one or more Explosafe brand fuel cans, and strap
them down securely so that they will maintain their integrity in the even of a vehicle
collision. You might consider upgrading to a mid-size 4WD SUV (such as an E85-
compatible Ford Explorer) and have it fitted with an auxiliary roof rack where you
can carry extra gas cans. (Again, I realize that most Manhattan parking garages
have height limitations, but do your best.)

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Letter Re: Detecting the Presence or Absence of Grid Power

Permalink

Editor:

If your retreat is isolated and you can not see any of your neighbors buildings, then
how do you know when the power grid is back on (re-energized)? That might not be
clear, so this is what happens: We have many power outages per year, which can
last from hours to days, last year power was out for (9) nine days. So I disconnect
from the grid, and start the generator. I have no way to know when the line is fixed.
And with the price of fuel; I am wondering is there some do-dad, thing-a-ma-gig, like
a light I could mount in a tree near the main line that would pick up electromagnetic
energy when the line is hot. Or some trick one of your readers may know about.
Thank you, - D.V.

JWR Replies: Here are a few possible solutions for you:

1.) Most of the common transfer switches for home generator sets ("gensets") do
not disconnect the grid power. Instead, the switch is in a sub-panel box with
breakers for several circuits that you want energized all the time. It acts as a
"mains" disconnect for that sub-panel only. Unless you have a large genset capable
of powering everything in your house, then that is typically just your refrigerator-
freezer and a few lights. Therefore, any electrical devices or lights that are on the
other circuits will be energized when the grid power is restored. You can simply
leave a table lamp and a radio on one of these circuits, both switched in the "on"
position. The light and radio will come on when the grid power is restored. This of
course won't be possible if you have one of the very basic "Wylie E. Coyote" or
"Disaster Cord" type system without a dedicated sub-panel. (I DO NOT recommend
this type of arrangement!)

Important Safety Note: As previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog, it is absolutely

essential that you do not inadvertently "back feed" the grid power line, or you might
accidentally fry the hapless utility employee that is working on restoring your
power!

2.) Many power meters have a status light, showing that the incoming grid power
line is "hot." The easiest solution is to ask your local utility if they have any meter
boxes available with status lights. They may be able to install one of these for you
free of charge or at nominal cost.

3.) If your utility can't or won't install a meter panel with a status light, then any
qualified journeyman-level electrician could rig a status light the meter box that
should meet the approval of your local power utility. (Of course be sure to ask, first,
since utilities have a long tradition of suspicion of any modifications to meter
panels. They don't like giving power away!)

4.) If your utility doesn't allow an indicator light at the meter panel, then you can
have one rigged at your indoor breaker panel to show the presence of
"mains"external power. It can be something as simple as a small neon tube. No
muss, no fuss. Again, any electrician can do this for you in just a few minutes if you
let them know what you need in advance of when they come to your house.
For those if us that live in the boonies that have photovoltaics or other alternate
power sources, there is also an inverse corollary to your question: detecting when
the grid power goes off. (Many of us wouldn't notice, otherwise.) I found a web site
with a fairly simple power failure alarm circuit diagram and assembly instructions.
(This is a little more complicated than just showing the presence of grid power. To
announce the loss of grid power requires a relay and a battery, as well as a lamp or
some sort of alarm horn/buzzer/annunciator.)

I should mention that there is nothing like the joy of watching a power meter run
backwards--knowing that for more than half of of each year that the power company
will be paying you for power. Selling power back to power utility is possible
throughout the United States. However, most pay you only the "avoided cost" rate--
typically 2 or 3 cents per kilowatt hour--rather than at the same rate that you buy it
from them. The latter is called "net metering" or "net billing." The utilities that
presently pay at the net metering rate are in the minority, but I predict that it will
be legislatively mandated within a few years.

There are essentially three types of photovoltaic (PV) power systems: 1.) Stand-
alone, 2.) Grid-tied, and 3.) Grid-connected but stand-alone capable. Of the three,
the only type that I do not recommend is grid-tied. These systems--typically without
a battery bank--leave you vulnerable whenever the power grid goes down. If you
want to sell power back to your utility, yet still be self-sufficient, then I recommend
that you install "grid-connected but stand-alone capable" system. (The same would
apply to wind power and micro-hydro systems.) For details on alternate energy
system hardware, siting/exposure, and system sizing, contact Ready Made
Resources. They graciously offer alternate energy system consulting free of charge.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Letter Re: Home/Retreat Power Generator Noise Reduction by "Jerry the Generator
Guy"

Permalink

Jim,

One thing to note about generator noise reduction. It's not just a matter of running
quiet by normal standards. It's a matter of running quiet when nothing else is
making any noise. With the grid down, a lot of normal background noise will be
gone. That was one reason for my choice of solar electric power over a generator. -
Raymond
JWR Replies: Remember that light discipline will be just as important as noise
discipline, post-TEOTWAWKI. It is important to have the materials on hand to black-
out your windows. Regardless of your power source, if you have power when
nobody else does for blocks--or miles, then your house would be a "come loot me"
beacon at night. Buy a stack of 1/2-inch plywood and two dozen 2"x4"x8' studs now.
Carefully measure and cut inserts for each of your windows, and label each of them
for quick reference. The edges can be wrapped with rags or old blankets. They can
be tacked in place (so that they don't fall inward) with finishing nails or power
screws driven in above, parallel to the sheet of plywood. At the same time, build a
framework of 2x4s so that you can make a relatively light proof "airlock"--something
a little bigger than a phone booth. It can be covered in opaque blankets. That way
you can open your front door without fear of a blast of light escaping. T o be
prepared for any overlooked light leaks, buy a few cans of expanding insulating
foam (such as Dow "Great Stuff", available at any hardware or building supply store
such as Lowe's or Home Depot) and some dark spray paint. Once you have your
blackout shutters up, do a check for light leaks. As a final test, look for light leaks
while wearing night vision goggles. (You will be amazed at what you missed!) It
takes considerable effort to make a house that light-proof. But perhaps that is
overkill, considering the capabilities of most would-be looters.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Letter Re: Home/Retreat Power Generator Noise Reduction

Permalink

Hi Jim-

I wanted to comment on the generator noise reduction article by Jerry. An easy and
relatively inexpensive solution that gives dramatic noise reduction for portable
generators: Rubbermaid-type plastic storage sheds. These sheds typically have
about a 5' wide x 2.5' deep footprint, a composite floor, and are an ideal size for a
typical, 2,000 to 7,500 watt generators.

To modify the plastic shed for running the generator inside, four important, simple
modifications are needed: 1) Cutting a small intake port on one side, and covering it
with any type of breathable, mesh screen, to keep critters out. 2) Cutting a 3" or 4"
round exhaust port on the opposite side from the intake. 3) Mounting a marine/bilge
type 12 VDC exhaust blower motor to the exhaust port and wiring it to the 12 VDC
circuit of the generator. 4) Placing an aluminum-faced fiberglass HVAC insulation
panel where the generator's exhaust will most closely hit the plastic interior wall of
the

shed. The exhaust is hot enough to melt the plastic without the insulation.

My setup has two 4" Rule brand marine bilge blowers wired in parallel, plugged into
the 12 volt panel outlet of my Generac portable generator. When the generator is
started, the blowers start. I have taken temperature measurements inside the
enclosure with the generator running, and it only varies a few degrees from the
ambient air temperature. The blowers exhaust a tremendous volume of air; heat
doesn't build up inside the enclosure because the air turns over so quickly.

The sound reduction is tremendous. The generator becomes a distant background

noise at about 50'. Much more than that, and it becomes nearly

inaudible.

Cutting a hole in the composite floor for some type of security fixture to lock the
generator to is also an easy project.

Hope this is useful. Regards, - Rich S.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Home/Retreat Power Generator Noise Reduction by "Jerry the Generator Guy"

Permalink

This article describes practical methods to eliminate four of the issues surrounding
generators and their use.

Relatively common objections to home generators include; (1) They are often very
noisy. This noise does/would bother both us and our neighbors.

(2) This high level of noise can serve as a “vermin attractor”. The vermin may need
to be discouraged via your “biped eradicator”.
(3&4) Moving a generator inside a building will create both fire and exhaust
hazards. I have read that after Hurricane Katrina there were several attempts to
perform what we used to call “five finger discount” of someone’s generator. The
following details some of the things that I have done at different locations to reduce
or eliminate both the operational and security concerns.

Background:

Generator noise comes from 2 different aspects; (1). Mechanical noise from moving
parts. (2). Combustion noise from the engine power. I have attacked each problem
with

a separate approach. The exhaust is hazardous for two reasons. (1) It is hot. The hot
surface can cause a fire if allowed to touch combustible items. (2) The exhaust
contains both carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Both gases can be lethal if they
not forced to leave the area where people or animals are found.

Solution # 1 - Mechanical Noise

I installed the generator into an insulated wood building. I used a shed / building
size of 8 foot by 12 foot. This size [ < 100 square foot area ] is below the typical
threshold where “approval” of the local planning and zoning [departments] is
required. The walls and insulation serve as a noise barrier to contain the mechanical
noise. There is a very real increase in mechanical noise when you enter this
building. This noise cannot be heard above the ambient noise level when outside
this building.

Solution #2 - Combustion Noise

The recessed immediate area around the exhaust port on most generator mufflers
is typically about 1.75 inch diameter. Two inch automotive exhaust pipe is typically
necked down [ reduced in diameter ] to approximately this size. This means a 2 inch
exhaust pipe can be a reasonably snug fit if inserted into this space. This fit is not
gas tight. I tightly wrapped the 2 inch pipe with high temperature Fiberglass
insulation. This high temperature material is commonly used to wrap steam pipes.
The wrapped pipe is inserted into a 3 inch type B double wall vent pipe. Type B vent
pipe is what is used for exhaust of home furnaces and hot water heaters. The 3 inch
vent pipe is mechanically centered into a 4 inch vent pipe. The 4 inch vent pipe is
inserted into two "thimbles", one inside and one outside the building. The portion of
the 4 inch pipe section, which is outside the building, has a perforated vent cover at
the end of the vent pipe. A person walking by doesn’t see anything that indicates
other than some natural/propane gas

fueled appliance is inside the building. The vent cover is removed and replaced by
an automotive “turbo” [ low restriction ] muffler when “silent” running is desired.
The muffler input 2 inch pipe is slipped onto the end of the 2 inch exhaust pipe.

The muffler end that is farthest from the building is supported on an H shaped
construction of pipe. This muffler reduces the combustion noise to a very low level.

My wife has stated if you focus on listening that you can hear the generator running
when inside the house if the vent pipe cover is used. The noise is reduced such that
you have to get within approximately 20 feet before engine noise becomes
noticeable when the muffler is installed. I have shown my noise reduction method to
several neighbors. All very favorably commented that “Gee, you don’t even know it
[the generator] is running until you got close to the building”.

Solution # 3 - Hot Exhaust

The half inch spacing gap between the 3 and 4 inch vent pipes allows some airflow
to cool the piping. The use of the two thimbles, with appropriate wall cutbacks,
holds the

vent / exhaust pipe assembly firmly in a fixed position. I measured the temperature
of the exterior of the 4 inch pipe to be approximately 100 degrees F. above the
ambient temperature. This multi layer approach reduces the risk of fire caused by
overheating the wall to near zero, in my opinion.

Solution #4 - Hazardous CO Exhaust

Readers will recall a previous comment that the generator / pipe “attachment” is
not gas tight. I has small amount of leakage of carbon monoxide (CO). This
“looseness” means that some small amount

of exhaust can enter the building. My solution is as follows. I slightly pressurize the
building by providing forced air via an 8 inch fan, [creating a "positive
overpressure."] This fan is located inside a wall vent from the outside. This forced
air has two benefits. It constantly supplies fresh cool combustion air to the
generator. It also flushes any exhaust, or fumes from fuel storage/spills, via an
exhaust vent to become diluted outside the building. The vents are located on
opposite sides of the building to periodically cause an exchange of the total volume
of the air inside the building.
JWR Adds: Anyone that has a portable (i.e. skid or cart mounted) generator that is
not bolted down or locked in a generator shed with a sturdy door should consider
securing it with a chain and padlock. You should preferably use a hardened bolt
cutter-resistant resistant bike and motorcycle security chain and a large, stout,
padlock that is warded to offer little room for bolt cutters to be used. Short lengths
of specially hardened chain are available from BikeNashbar.com (item # OG-BC).
Longer chains should be available from JCWhitney.com. There is an even larger
selection of hardened motorcycle security chains is available in England--where in
recent years nicking motorcycles seems to have become a national past-time.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Letter Re: The Fragility of the US Power Grid

Permalink

Hi ,

I read the recent statements about the power grid and have to tell you the
telephone network in in a similar condition. The reasons are the same as power
guy's statements.

I was a tech for the phone company for 26+ years, much of it as a lineman but also
in repair and splicing. Fiber optic cables are great but the electronics at each end
require [grid] power to run the equipment.

[Some other topics deleted, for brevity]

The point is that things are a mess.

You are doing a great job [with SurvivalBlog] to get people to take care of
themselves. - Dave

Friday, October 19, 2007

Letter Re: The Fragility of the US Power Grid

Permalink

Hello:

I enjoy your web site every day and am very close to the 10 Cent Challenge, I
promise. I work for a medium sized electric utility in the west and I can tell you first
hand how weak and ratty the executives have allowed the system to become. The
name of the utility game has now become 'defer maintenance to artificially inflate
the price of your stock and pay your executives large salaries with massive stock
options.'

In the old days we had over 250 guys in construction and maintenance staying on
top of pole change outs, system upgrades, prescribed maintenance, etc. Now we
have under 80 employees in that department and the system has doubled in size.
The company, as most electric utilities have done, now depends on contractors to
do the work, mostly to get away from paying for pensions and health care.
Contractors that will leave in a moments notice for a better deal and more money.

Recently we had a flood in our main SCADA control office (because no one cleaned
the silted over storm drains for years!) and most of the entire system for a city of a
million people was off for about 12 hours. When it came back up our protective
relays were out and the power kept going on and off. A large defense contractor,
who makes cruise, tomahawk, maverick and other missiles for our military had to
shut down production and send over 6,000 workers home because the power could
not stay on.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. G. Gordon Liddy wrote an article in Omni
magazine way back in the late 1980s that illustrated how vulnerable America's
electrical infrastructure really is. One man with a rifle can take out a substation
transformer that costs a million dollars and takes a year to be delivered, if you are
lucky enough to find one available. One company bought five substation
transformers from India for $12 million, because they are desperate, and all five of
them failed initial tests before they could be energized. They are now junk.

Buy a generator. Make sure that it will run on propane. The natural gas companies
aren't much better. - Cactus Jim

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Letter Re: The Fragility of the US Power Grid

Permalink

James:

An article posted on 10/16 on Internet Evolution has some sobering thoughts on the
state of network security of the US power grid. It is written by Ira Winkler, a former
NSA analyst and current security expert. His prognosis: “the power grid remains
incredibly vulnerable.”

Keep up the good work, - MP

JWR Replies: In my writings, I often refer to the national power grids (there are
actually three, eastern and western, and Texas) as the lynchpins of our modern
societal infrastructure. Any interruption for more than a few weeks could precipitate
a societal collapse. There is just so much of what we depend on for our modern way
of life that is dependent on grid power. The telephone networks have backup
generators, but those only have a limited fuel supply. Even the supply of piped
natural gas is dependent on grid power, since it is used to power the compressor
stations that pressurize the natural gas pipelines. I am of the firm opinion that
existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition.(SCADA) software
implementations represent a great vulnerability. The new generation Web-enabled
SCADA systems only compounds the problem. (Now, terrorists don't even need to
go on-site to inject a computer virus and foul up the power and water utilities'
switching and valve hardware. They can now do it remotely.)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Letter Re: Phone Line Power for Emergencies

Permalink

Mr. Rawles,

I found this web page interesting: Free Hidden Electricity.

Essentially this site has provided some basic information on how to tap the small
amount of electricity available in our land lines to use for charging batteries or
powering a lamp should the power go out (and not the phones) in a small
emergency scenario.

Within the discussions that follow the post are some legal and contractual concerns
and a link to a retail lamp product you can currently purchase for this application. -
Tanker

JWR Replies: There are some ethical issues raised by this Instructable video, since
telephone service contracts are not contracts to purchase power--however
miniscule the amount. But beyond that, there are also legal issues. If someone were
to leech too much of the current from their phone circuit's "on hook", "off hook" or,
"ringing voltage", it eventually would be noticed by your phone company. Read your
phone company service agreement carefully before improvising or purchasing any
such emergency device!

One follow-up post from "Myself" summed it up nicely:

"This might be useful, if it was actually running that big lamp shown in the photos.
Phone lines are fed with "talk battery" of 48 volts, and are current limited
somewhere between 20 and 80 milliamps. A large portion of that limit comes from
the resistance of the local loop, so as your current draw goes up, your available
voltage goes down. You'll be able to suck about a quarter watt from most phone
lines, if you're lucky.

Of course, going below 600 ohms of loop resistance (your circuit looks like a dead
short to the phone company) will cause the switch to think you're "off-hook", which
is to say, you've picked up the phone and are ready to make a call. It'll send dial
tone, and when you don't dial anything within a few moments, it'll send off-hook
warning tone, and after a few minutes of that, it'll disconnect your line entirely and
generate a trouble message. This means you lose talk battery and phone service.

Once that happens, the switch will periodically reconnect your line to see if the
trouble has been repaired. If you leave your "circuit" (and I hesitate to call it that,
did you even read the LM317 datasheet? If so, improve your Instructable [video] by
explaining its function!) connected for too long, you'll either get a knock at the door,
or simply find yourself without phone service for a long time.

Since this gadget violates about half of part 68 of the FCC rules, you're not allowed
to connect it to your phone line. They won't throw you in jail for it, but I'm pretty
sure they could confiscate your toys and laugh at you. I'd be truly surprised if
anyone levied fines against a clueless kid with a soldering iron, but stranger things
have happened. (I am not a lawyer.)

Incidentally, this concept is so old, and so laughable, that telco-powered products

are a staple joke in the industry. Congratulations on joining the prestigious ranks of
Dr. Drizzlenik and others who've discovered this revolutionary "hidden" source of
power!

P.S. A five-dollar solar panel will produce more power, more cleanly, and is
portable."

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Letter Re: Home Alcohol Distillation

Permalink

Jim--

I have been fascinated by the material in the book "Alcohol Can Be a Gas!". My first
walk-through was a bit disappointing because of what I thought was a lot of fluff
until I got to how to use alcohol as a fuel. Then I went back and read about distilling
alcohol. Then I realized the author was saying alcohol is a by-product (he uses the
term "co-product" to show all the products have value). Then he explains how a
small farm operation could be self-sustaining, power, heat, fuel and food. Sounds
like a survivalist's dream. I'm anxious to go back and read everything in the book.It
is 500+ pages. It is $46, but worth it (I don't have a dawg in this hunt.)

Chapter 12 "The micro-distillery farm" is the one that will get you thinking: waste
heat from the still warms the mushroom facility; mushrooms are growing on the
leftover mash; fish are thriving on the liquid part of the mash leftovers; earthworms
get 1/3 of the mash to make castings. Alcohol fuels all the machinery, plus heats
food, and on and on. Well, you've got to read it to catch it all. - Bob

Friday, October 5, 2007

Two Letters Re: Betavoltaic Batteries

Permalink
Jim,

Here is an article describing the challenges associated with betavoltaic batteries.

The recent buzz over the 30 year battery, while intriguing, is overly optimistic. As
stated in the article I linked to, betavoltaics currently have low efficiency, require
heavy shielding, and the energy absorption media tends to degrade due to the high
energy bombardment. I think it would be great if they could overcome these issues,
but it looks like it may be 30 years before we see anything like a 30 year battery. -
Mark D. in Utah

Mr Rawles,

Firstly I would like to say that after recently having found your site, I now read it
daily. Thank you for all your hard work. Hopefully I will be able to meet the 10 Cent
Challenge in the next few weeks.

Regarding the 30 year battery and betavoltaics, there are many basic problems
with such a battery design. I am not an expert in this field, however the article does
make some amount of sense on a fundamental level. I wouldn’t hold your breath for
a 30 year battery any time soon. Sincerely, - Derek from New York City (God help
me)

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Letter Re: Low Light Shooting Techniques

Permalink

Mr. Rawles:

Anyone who carries a sidearm for protection should watch these three videos by
Surefire: One Two Three. The first one covers principle of using light and flashlights
to your advantage. It also discusses the Harries and Rogers Surefire techniques for
shooting and advantages and disadvantages of both. The second one covers the FBI
and neck index methods of shooting. The last covers clearing techniques in a
building. I personally don’t like the Rogers Surefire technique because it requires a
specific flashlight and will not work if the switch is not properly adjusted. - Bill N.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Two Letters Re: Lantern Battery Disassembly

Permalink

Jim:

On Saturday 22 September 2007, you posted a web link from T.A. in Indiana for a
video on how to take apart a lantern battery and get 32 AA batteries out of it.

I tried that with a heavy duty Ray-O-Vac and it had four cells approximately the
diameter of C cell batteries but longer. Before people stock up on 6-volt lantern
batteries thinking they will break down for AA batteries, they need to disassemble
the brand they intend to buy to see how it is put together. The battery in the video
appeared to be a bargain brand and that may be the difference. - Bill N.

Sir,

This is a hoax. You cannot fit 32 AA cells inside a lantern battery, they are slightly
too tall. What you will find inside a 6V lantern battery are 4 large 1.5V cells tac-
welded together in series (they look like elongated D cells). Here is another video
for you.

Note: When possible, always assemble cells with the current rating needed in series
for the desired voltage. Having battery cells in parallel leads to power flow in-
between them during discharge. Unless the cells are exactly the same, differences
in capacity make the strong cells feed the weak ones, and so the capacity of the
total battery is less than what it is rated. If you have to connect cells in
series/parallel for needed discharge amperage, disconnect them as soon as
possible, and do not charge in that configuration. This is especially true for sealed or
non lead-acid cells.

My battery knowledge is from working as an engineering/research tech for a battery

firm. - JB

JWR Replies: My apologies for posting the link without first trying this "hack" myself.
From what I've read recently, the battery configuration varies, depending on the
maker and vintage of the lantern battery. Traditionally, they used four Type "F"
cells, which look like extra-long C-cells.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Letter Re: Les Stroud (aka "Survivorman") Off-Grid Living Videos

Permalink

James,

I'm not sure if you've mentioned this series before, but on YouTube there is a video
series called "Off the Grid" hosted by Les Stroud of Survivorman fame. He moves his
family out of the city and into the country in search of an off-the-grid home and
lifestyle. It's a fairly realistic look and (I think) good introduction to what it would
take to make the jump to living in the country and self-sufficiently.

The other videos in the series can be found linked from the first page, or just search
for "Off the Grid". Hope you enjoy this, and I think many of the SurvivalBlog readers
would too.

I hope you and your family are well, - Jason U.

The Memsahib Replies: Been there, done that. Got a few scars to prove it.

Friday, September 14, 2007

A Trip to the Yucatan--Observations of Mayan Primitive Living, by Michael G.

Permalink

First, a preface on my background: I can't decide if I should be a Cassandra

(Sunspot cycle, Peak Oil, suitcase Nukes, Mayan Calendar mythology) or a Pollyanna
(Y2K Flop, Heaven's Gate, 2003 Hindu prediction Flop, and the 6-6-06 Flop; not to
mention all of the countless predictions of the beginning of the "Time of Jacob's
Trouble," rapture, et cetera, that hucksters and zealots have hawked for thousands
of years). I believe whatever happens will happen and be over very shortly, and it
will either leave us relatively unharmed or (given that I live in a city and work at an
inner-city teaching hospital) will kill us quickly.

Given this indecision, my thoughts on preparedness lean more towards self

sufficiency and community building than fallout shelters, concrete bunkers and 75
years worth of canned soup on the shelves. I largely enjoy the genre as fiction, but I
don't expect cataclysm (The Road, Lucifer's Hammer, or even Patriots); a friend and
I once termed it as a “crumple.” Like the high school chemistry experiment of the
metal can with the vapors boiled out that is suddenly capped and plunged into cool
water: it crumples, but with some effort the shape and function can be largely
recreated, save for a few creases in the metal and some weak points in the
structure that will need repair before a "good as new" functionality returns.

I don't deny the Walter Mitty streak that I think many have; depending on the day
you ask me. this can range to extremes: from being able to smugly smile that I was
prepared for the bump in the road to being the last man on earth hunkered down
and preserving the flame as the last bastion of learning. Naturally, the latter fantasy
often includes a bevy of nubile young and (naturally) worshipful admirers that
Domestic-6 might not approve of.

Given that preface, I did have an opportunity to look at what many would consider a
subsistence, or at least a Third World, standard of living during a recent family
vacation to the Yucatan We were given the opportunity to visit a Mayan village,
populated by perhaps 30 families, and were invited into the homes of two of those
families. I'll begin by paraphrasing a comment that our tour guide made just before
we left to return to our hotel: "They may not have all of the conveniences that we
are used to, but they have shelter and food and children, and perhaps they are
happier than we are."

Overview of the Mayans

The families lived in one-room structures built of wood poles of about the diameter
of a wrist that were stuck vertically into the ground [in stockade wall fashion](think
an old western fort from cowboy films). They were not chinked, and the roof was
thatch. Sleeping arrangements were hammocks, and these were rolled up over
ceiling rafters during the day. As many as nine children (a total of eleven people)
lived in a house no larger than my living room.

One corner of the structure was dedicated to cooking, and the matron of the house
spent most of her day over a griddle that sat over an open fire cooking palm-sized
corn tortillas, which she made by hand. Corn was soaked overnight, ground in the
morning and then the dough was pressed and cooked all day. Given the size of the
tortillas, I suspected it would take 8 or 9 of the flat cakes to make a meal. For a
family of 11 this is over 450 handmade tortillas a day griddled on an old piece of
sheet metal over a wood fire. Needless to say, Mom doesn't get out much...

The wood and thatch construction of every house showed the location of the fire pit
easily: the walls and thatch roof were singed black over and around the fire pit. As
an aside, there were piles of cinder blocks and masonry everywhere. Our guide
explained that after a bad hurricane season in 2005, the Mexican Federal
government brought in building materials for the populace to construct sturdier
shelters. They sat largely unused, save for a few towers to gravity feed water tanks.
Our guide explained that the locals' attitude was that their people had been living
with hurricanes in their huts in the Yucatan for thousands of years. The thatch and
wood huts were good enough for their ancestors, and were good enough for them.

I saw no cultivation to speak of; this made me think of the Thucydides' comments
on the barbaroi: "they planted no trees or vines." The houses did have what could
be, with enough generosity, considered a potager: a few plants were grown in pots,
and several trees were scattered around the houses. It was not an orchard, per se,
but almost appeared that a seed cast there had sprouted and grown, and the family
now would make use of it. Chickens were kept in tiny crates that would make Tyson
Chicken's confinement operation jealous; the crates were not crates as much as
piles of something against a pile of something else and covered with yet another
thing that restricted the chicken to its 18 by 18 inch area. I saw a large sow likewise
confined, though in a larger area. I didn't ask if the animals were allowed out to
forage.

There is some hunting by the men of the community to add a little variety to the
diet. I only saw one old double shotgun. Herbal medicine and locally gathered wild
foods are also used extensively.

Feral dogs and cats lived in the village, ribs showing and patches of fur missing. My
father pointed out that in the United States the SPCA would take and put down the
animals for maltreatment, but to me the animals were there because the chose to
be around humans. I don't know if this was because the proximity to the people
gave a few scraps to feed on or if it is a result of some deeper genetic need on the
part of the dogs to be around people.

Water was pumped by gasoline engines from the abundant natural cenotes-
underground wells. As I described earlier, many houses had a tank on a cinder block
pole (many of the "proper" buildings around the area had roof mounted water tanks
as well). To my knowledge, this was raw well water.

Another thing our guide pointed out was a solar panel. If I had to guess, based on
size, I would think it was less than 100 watts. It was mounted high, and somewhat
obscured by trees, but it was certainly less than 3 feet by 2 feet. This fed at least
two huts. I saw a single battery of unknown vintage and type, but likely from a car.
The only electric device I saw was a fluorescent bulb (U shaped, certainly not more
than 40 watts). There may have been a radio squirreled away unseen.

Implications
My experience in the Yucatan is not directly portable to our own experience in
northern latitudes. The Mayans have the advantage of occasional injections of aid
from both governments and charities which would be lacking in a large scale
collapse. September 11th and Hurricane Katrina both showed that eventually help
may arrive, but a situation like [Hurricane] Katrina in the face of a massive
recession or being the second or third disaster of the year, when society has
already “shot its bolt” of aid, could mean that assistance will a long time in coming.

Thus, the implications for our preparations are many. The foremost thing that I took
away was that the need for “75 years worth of canned soup on the shelves” that I
described earlier is somewhat less than I'd thought. The Mayans lived self
sufficiently on cornmeal cakes, a few minimally cultivated plants, and foraged game
and foods. I would not begin to call it an easy life: the adults were universally
missing teeth, the floors of the huts were of dirt, and simply preparing food was a
full-time proposition.

Coming as I do from a life of soft hands, high speed Internet, 24-hour supermarkets,
and year round fruits and vegetables, it was an eye opening experience for me.

I'll repeat what our guide told us as we left the Mayans, “They may not have all of
the conveniences that we are used to, but they have shelter and food and children,
and perhaps they are happier than we are."

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Letter Re: Advice on Compact Solar-Powered Refrigerators for Insulin

Permalink

Sir:

I am a Type 2 diabetic. I think that diabetics like me, and even more so Type 1s
(those with onset in childhood) will be at particular risk in the event of a
catastrophe, whether it is localized, national, or global. What is your
recommendation for a method to keep insulin refrigerated in a long term so-called
"Grid Down" situation? A solar powered fridge? Thanks, - Ron in Alabama

JWR Replies: I recommend the Engel brand 12 VDC refrigerators sold by Safecastle.
A modest-size photovoltaic power system, such as the 520 watt 4-panel packaged
"cabin" system produced by Ready Made Resources would provide plenty of power
to run a compact Engel DC refrigerator (such as Engel's 22 quart capacity MT27)
plus a flashlight battery charging tray and a couple of small lights.OBTW, for some
other useful suggestions on insulation, including oral insulin, just type the word
"insulin" in the Search Posts on SurvivalBlog window, near the top of the right hand
bar.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Letter Re: Suburban Survival

Permalink

Hi Jim and Family,

I truly enjoy reading your survival blog and learn from it daily and weekly. However I
believe you are skipping over a topic that would benefit your readers....most of your
readers.

I would think that most of your readers who check out and read your site on a daily
basis do not have a remote retreat in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, or Wyoming.
Most of your readers I'm sure live like me in American Suburbs, trapped and looking
for a way to get out but in the mean time prepping for what we all know is coming.

My question to you and others, what are we to do? We can keep logging on to your
web site everyday and read about what to do with 50 acres and security measures,
and how to build barricades, but the average joe like me does not live where you
do. Lets face it, all those hits on your web site are not only coming from folks high
up in their retreats in Idaho.

So can you and other readers who know share some ideas for folks like me who live
in the burbs? Fellas like me exist that have over a year's worth of food stored up,
lots of ammo and good combat quality arms, radiation detection, water filtration
systems, nearby water sources, gold and silver reserves, cash reserves, yearly seed
purchases, rainwater collection systems, some solar assets, and at least 6 able
bodied males some with spouse who all have a deep love for our Lord.

What are we to do? We are where we are and we have what we have and we are
going to try and make it out of what is coming so any advice would be helpful.

The simple fact is that most of us reading your site are probably in the situation I'm
in. We're all going to do our best but when it comes down to it, we're going to have
to do it from the 'burbs.- Jeff (in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri)

JWR Replies: You point is well taken. I strongly believe that everyone that actively
prepares will have a better chance of survival, regardless of their locale. Yes, your
chances will be best out in the lightly populated hinterboonies, but that is not to say
that the suburbs will be untenable. By actively preparing you will be way ahead of
your suburban neighbors, and far, far more likely to survival a disaster--either a
natural disaster or a man-made calamity.

It is noteworthy that most of the tactics, techniques, and technologies that you see
described in SurvivalBlog can also apply to suburban settings. A good example of
this was Fanderal's recent article on raising rabbits and square foot gardening. In
the coming weeks I'll try to concentrate on urban and suburban survival topics.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Letter Re: The Importance of Stocking Up on Batteries

Permalink

James:

I have been corresponding with an infantry soldier (E-6 [pay grade]) in Iraq named
Ray that I met through AnySoldier.com. BTW, thanks for running that free ad for
them on SurvivalBlog. All those "forgotten" soldiers need our real support--not just a
"Support Our Troops" yellow ribbon magnet on the backs of our cars. In the last 8 or
9 months I have sent more than 30 "care packages" in [Priority Mail] Flat Rate
boxes to [AnySoldier.com addressees in] Iraq and Afghanistan.

In our e-mails, one of the things that Ray mentioned a couple of times really
impressed me: It is that one of the crucial logistics for modern armies is spare
batteries. He described how they go through hundreds of them, for radios, tactical
flashlights, sensors, laser target illuminators and designators, and night vision
gear/thermal sights. As I look forward to potential hard times in this country, I think
that we should learn a lesson from the Iraq experience: never run out of batteries.

So I've resolved to never let my family run out of batteries, even if the "problem"
lasts for a decade. I took your advice and got a small [5 watt] solar [photovoltaic]
panel from Northern Tool & Equipment which I've already rigged to charge
batteries, using an "automobile" (12 volt DC) charging tray. (It looks like a regular
home charger, but it has a 12 volt [input power] cable with a cig[arette] lighter
plug.) This gives me straight DC-to-DC charging, without an energy hogging inverter
in the middle of the equation. Thanks also for making that suggestion! For my
retreat , I'm planning to buy one of the 8 watt panels from Safecastle, in a similar
battery charging arrangement. That way I'll have a separate charging system, even
if I have to E&E on foot and leave my 5 watt battery charging panel at home. I've
also stocked up very heavily on nickel [metal] hydride [NiMH] batteries.of various
and sundry sizes, plus some of the older nickel cadmium [NiCd] batteries, and some
Duracells. My question is: What more should I do, and what is the best way to store
all of the batteries that I'm acquiring? Thanks for all that you provide for free in
SurvivalBlog. You should make the 10 Cent Challenge mandatory. Maybe with a
password for most of what is on your site that only paid subscribers would have.
You are way too generous. Giving it all away is no way to make a living. With Kind
Regards - Paul G.

JWR Replies: Thank you very much for raising this important issue. You are
absolutely right. Without a reliable long term supply of batteries we will lose some
of our best tactical advantages for retreat security: radio communication, electronic
intrusion detection systems, and night vision goggles/sights. Think about it: The
only way that a small group can effectively defend a rural retreat is with these
technological advantages. Without batteries, we would soon be back to 19th
Century technology and tactics. Since modern tactical electronics are "force
multipliers", the lack of them would reduce the effectiveness of our defensive
measures. Making up for that loss would necessitate having a lot more manpower.
And more manpower means more retreat floor space and more food. That
additional food means more land under cultivation, and more land under cultivation
and means a larger perimeter to defend, and so forth. You can see where this logic
leads: Instead of owning a little two family 20 acre low profile retreat, you'd need 10
to 12 armed and trained adults and perhaps 40 to 100 acres, depending on rainfall
and soil fertility. Being the local Lord of the Manor is not conducive to keeping a low
profile!

You are right that it is wise to stock up on batteries. Try to get rechargeable
batteries for as many devices as possible. In fact, compatibility with rechargeables
(versus expendable "throw away" batteries) should be a key determining factor
when selecting any electrical or electronic equipment. My favorite source for
batteries via mail order is All-Battery.com. (One of our affiliate advertisers.) They
have great prices and a huge selection.

If space permits, you should store all of your small batteries in a sealed bag (to
prevent condensation) in the back of your refrigerator. This will extend their useful
life.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles

Permalink

Sir:

A recent entry on your blog from 'Tanker' gave the link to a video on the Lifehacker
web site. The last video he mentioned was made by a poster named KipKay. I have
been a fan of KipKay's for several months. He posts regularly on Metacafe.com.
Incidentally, for each video he is paid and he has made approximately $55,000 from
his creations. He has several videos that may be of interest to your audience. Below
are the links and a brief description of each. Please decide if any of these merit
inclusion on your blog. His official web site is www.KipKay.com.

In this video he shows how to turn an ordinary AA Maglite into a laser capable of
popping a balloon or lighting a match.

In this video he shows how to make an underwater camera housing for a fraction of
what a commercial model would cost. He uses an ammo can, a piece of plexiglas,
velcro and marine sealant.

He shows how to make a USB powered cell phone charger.

He shows how to take a cheap flashlight and make a super bright Surefire-type
flashlight for ten dollars. He doesn't give any information about battery life but the
final cost is less than ten dollars.

KipKay shows how to double gas mileage (at least in his car).

KipKay shows how to get 6 AAA batteries from one nine volt battery (in case of an
emergency).
He has various other videos that are very interesting. KipKay also occasionally posts
at Instructables.com which is a fascinating web site in its own right. Regards, -
Caesar

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Letter Re: Useful LifeHacker Articles

Permalink

Mr. Rawles:

There are so many great and not-so-great ideas on the LifeHacker site including this
one I found showing you how to use C cell batteries in place of a D cell
compartment in an emergency situation:

There are some other interesting things on this site like creating make-shift air
conditioning systems using cold well water (others have made emergency air
conditioners using beverage coolers, fans and copper coils): DIY Heat Exchanger
and Make Your Own Air Conditioner.

There is this one showing you how someone made hand washing more efficient
while filling the tank of his toilet. [JWR Adds: I would recommend skipping this one.
The implementation shown uses plywood which cannot be kept sanitary. It also
might result in a smelly toilet tank if you use an non-chlorinated water source such
as well water or spring water.]

And here's one with a video demonstrating how one can cheaply acquire 8 - 1.5v
button cell batteries from 1 - A23 12v battery:

Well, there's enough on this LifeHacker site to keep you busy for some time. Enjoy!,
- Tanker

Monday, August 13, 2007

Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators?

Permalink
Jim:

A short comment on using any power source without a governor to drive a

generator. While it will work, it will not maintain a constant voltage or frequency
under varying loads. I am 69 years old and have watched people build
"tractors,buzz saws, water pumps etc" over the last 60 years using car or truck
engines. Usually with very little luck. A tractor has a decent governor and will
maintain a near constant RPM from about 10 % to 100 % load. Old tractors often
used oil pressure to control RPM, don't know about the modern ones as mine was
built by Case in 1964 and still works great. A lot of Ford 8Ns still in use were built
before that. Many people have used a snow blower and it indicates how a good
governor works. The unit runs at nearly a constant RPM as you use it and the load
varies from near 0 % as you approach the snow, to near 100 % of its usable output
as you go into the snow bank. If the governor is disconnected or fails, the unit is
unusable for all reasonable purposes.

The major reasons for using a PTO generator are all given in the link, low RPM motor
with excellent governor, used often so fuel and engine are fresh, easily portable as
it usually is on a 2 wheel cart attached to the tractor, and you have a power unit
that can be used for many purposes every day.

My personal choice is a 20 or so HP unit, compact, low noise, fuel efficient,

reasonable cost, available in diesel or gas, can be used in the woods or for small
scale farming now and for any number of things if TSHTF. - JDT

JWR Replies: Thanks for your comment. Until you mentioned it, I hadn't
remembered that constant RPM (via a governor) was crucial. Home lighting, pumps,
and traditional refrigerators/freezers are relatively flexible on input voltage, but
most home electronics are not. Unfortunately, with each passing year, more
electronics creep into what were heretofore purely electrical appliances. Even some
brands of mundane chest freezers and washing machines now have electronic
circuitry including microchips. This has three major drawbacks: 1.) Vulnerability to
EMP, 2.) Greater difficulty for individual owners to do their own repairs, and 3.) The
requirement for relatively "clean" input power in a fairly narrow input voltage range.
The latter is something that many generators cannot provide.

On a related note, SurvivalBlog reader "Poikilo" mentioned that some of the new
hybrid trucks on the market (such as the Chevy Silverado Hybrid) can also in effect
be used as a generator. The question is: Are the truck's 110 VAC outlets sourced
directly from an AC winding on the hybrid engine generator, or are they powered by
an inverter that draws on the vehicle's batteries? I'd be curious to know what sort of
load those 110 AC outlets could handle.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Letter Re: Power Takeoff (PTO) Generators?

Permalink

James:

If my military 6x6 troop carrier's engine will run on multi-fuel (diesel, gasoline,
mothballs, etc.) Why can't someone make a generator that would connect to the
power takeoff (PTO). That way I have a generator that runs on any fuel, and will go
anywhere. Perhaps one of your readers could explain why this should be added to
my list of really dumb ideas. - DAV

JWR Replies: If the engine can be set to a moderately high RPM with the load of
generator for extended periods of time, then it isn't a dumb idea at all. PTO
generators are commonly used with farm tractors. Check the Internet tractor supply
vendors such as Messick's.

I assume that your 6x6 has a PTO spindle that is similar to those on tractors, and
hopefully it has a common dimension "haft." (If not, there is probably an adapter
available.) I also assume that your 6x6 also has a manual throttle that you can lock
in position, right? If so, you're in business!

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators?

Permalink

James,

Farmer John asked for some input on his Chevy Sprint engine project.

I had a Sprint years ago, along with several other very-small engine autos -
including a 1969 Subaru 360, Fiat with an 850 cc engine, a two-stroke-cycle DKW,
and even a car with a 650 c.c. Royal Enfield motorcycle engine. The Subaru had a
two-stroke-cycle gasoline engine with 25 horse. On an absolute flat highway at 55
MPH and no wind, it could get 65 MPG. My Sprint could get close to 50 MPG on a flat
highway, and dropped to the high 30s on highway with steep inclines. They all
relied on a formula of small engines, very light weight, and light engine-loads for
good fuel economy. That is not what happens when you use such an engine for
medium or high load PTO work, e.g. running a electric generator. The auto industry
and./or EPA uses a measure of "miles per gallon" to reflect overall fuel efficiency
capabilities of a car or truck that depend on many factors that go well beyond the
engine itself. The industrial/agricultural industry uses a different measure for
efficiency since the issue at hand is the engine’s ability to provided sustained
medium or hard usage at a certain fuel-use rate. This figure is usually given in
"horsepower hours per gallon". These two ratings have little relationship with one
another. A car engine with good fuel mileage is usually not a good candidate for
hard steady use - particularly because of a short stroke to large bore ratio,
compression ratio, valve lift, duration, and timing designed for highway use, et
cetera. A lot of experimentation and testing has been done over the years to
register fuel consumption with engines being worked via the Nebraska Testing
Institute. These include engines running on kerosene, diesel, gasoline, distillate,
tractor fuel, and LP (propane). One of the highest efficiency engines run on gasoline
was an Allis Chalmers 33 horsepower engine - year 1962 - that provided an
efficiency rating of 13 horsepower hours per gallon of gasoline. For reference, the
worst gas engine tested at only 3 horsepower hours per gallon.

One of the best diesels is a John Deere tractor - actually built by Yanmar in Japan
and it yielded a rating of 18.6 horsepower hours per gallon at 62 horsepower.

With engines run hard on propane - they are relatively poor performers. The best on
record with Nebraska Tests is Case tractor that is rated a 9.9 horsepower hours per
gallon at 71 horsepower. Propane has less energy per gallon than gasoline or diesel
- there is no getting around that.

In brief - engines being worked hard tested as such in Horsepower Hours per Gallon:

Diesel - 9.2 low to 18.6 high.

Gasoline - 3.3 low to 13.1 high

Distillate - 6.7 low to 12.4 high

Kerosene - 4.8 low to 11.3 high

LP - Propane - 7.2 low to 9.9 high

Taking a look a modern cars and trucks today - they still are not much more
efficient that the same built 40 years ago, when worked hard. Take a 2007 Chevy
3/4[-ton] truck with a gas engine and pull a heavy trailer, and it will do little better
than a 1960s Chevy truck doing the same. However, the newer truck will do much
better when driven at a light load.

One example: I recently used a 2007 Chevy truck with a 5.3 liter engine to pull a
5,000 lb. trailer and got an average of 9.2 MPG. Did the same with my 1967 Chevy
truck with a 5.7 liter engine and got 9.5 MPG. Not much difference. - John in New
York

Monday, August 6, 2007

Letter Re: Advice on Generators?

Permalink

JWR:

A few comments in regard to fuel choices, in response to what is posted on your

web site. There is mention of the legal difficulty of getting a 1,000 gallon tank of
diesel installed at a homesite. I guess I have to ask, what is the difficulty? I've lived
in several rural areas in the northeast, and it's never been a problem here. Where I
live now in central New York state, anybody

can have up to 1,000 gallons per tax-map parcel without any interference, permits,
etc. Many homes in my area have dual 275 or 500 tanks inside the house, down the
basement, out of sight. I have five tanks - but since my farm is composed of eight
separate deeded parcels - all contiguous but still with distinct tax-map numbers - I
can easily install more tanks with zero permits or legal issues.

I also have two diesel pickup trucks with 100 gallon capacity each - which gives me
more storage.

There is nothing wrong with liking or preferring liquid propane (LP) gas - however -
in many ways it is inferior to other fuels. Getting a large quantity of LP gas in my
area is more difficult than for diesel. I own two 1,000 gallon LP tanks. I bought them
myself since no local gas company would install one of their own - since I do not use
enough gas to satisfy them. And, even after buying the tanks, nobody was willing to
fill them without an inspected gas line and regulator system, along with a county
permit. All that is not exactly what I call "easy."

When it comes to using LP for electric generators - the big advantage is when it is
used for gensets that spend most of their lives sitting around in "stand-by" mode.
This is very common since many consumers buy such generators for emergency
situations that rarely occur. On the other hand, if someone intends to use their
generator - LP can be a waste of energy and money. Heating oil/diesel fuel has
about 130,000 BTUs per gallon. Gasoline about 114,000 per gallon. LP has only
84,000 BTUs per gallon. Now - take prices. I just bought 1,000 gallons of dyed farm
diesel/heating oil for $2.30 per gallon. I bought LP last month for $1.99 per gallon.
So at present prices, for dyed diesel, that is 5,652,174 BTUs of energy. Meanwhile,
the same number of dollars spent on propane yields just 4,236,181 BTUs.

Besides the better bargain in BTUs per dollar, a diesel engine will run more
efficiently than an engine run on propane. Take one example with a typical modern
12,000 watt generator. A typical propane powered unit will run 36 hours at full load
on 100 gallons of LP - costing approximately $199 ($1.99 per gallon). A same size
diesel genset will run 36 hours at full load on 40 gallons of fuel costing
approximately $92 ($2.30 per gallon). I'm no math wiz, but that seems to be twice
as efficient, overall. The same [multi-fuel] unit - when run on gasoline at full load
with run 59 hours on 100 gallons of gas costing approximately $290 ($2.90 per
gallon).

Obviously, all the fuels have their advantages and disadvantages. But, if planning
for a crisis and trying to maximize on short supplies - I can't figure where LP makes
any sense on a long term basis - except for this: Many small gensets sold for LP use
are tri-fuel - i.e., they will run on natural gas, LP vapor, or gasoline. It is possible to
further convert such a unit to run on wood smoke - if needed - which you cannot do
with a diesel. On the other hand, you can run a diesel on many types of plant
matter extracts, vegetable oils [both virgin and waste], waste motor oils, et cetera. -
John from central New York

JWR Adds: There is one other important factor to be considered: The service life of
low-RPM diesels versus other genset engines, which generally run at higher RPM. If
a diesel engines lasts three times as long, with all other factors being equal, its
derived lifetime cost per hour of lighting is substantially less than with higher-RPM
gensets that use other fuels. Aside from installations in Arctic climates (where diesel
fuel gelling can be a problem), diesel gets my vote!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators?

Permalink

James:
I am working on two generator set-ups and would like some feedback. I am working
on a Mercedes OM636 and a 3 cylinder, 1 liter [displacement] Chevy Sprint/Geo
Metro/Suzuki motor. In this letter I'll describe the 3 cylinder and why I think it will
work at a retreat [to power a generator]. The 3 cylinder goes back to 1982 with
GM’s Project Saturn in 1982. It achieved better than 100 miles per gallon (mpg). On
a trip from Warren, Michigan to New York it averaged 105 mpg on the highway and
75 mpg in the city. It was dropped because of safety requirements and creature
comforts that would require extra horsepower. (Hot Rod magazine, November 2006,
page 30)

The GM Sprint 1985-1988 was the precursor to the Geo Metro. It had a carburetor
intake and got around 60 mpg.

1989-1994 Geo Metro was fuel injected and got less mpg--around 45-to-50 mpg.
Engine is rated around 50 horsepower (hp). They had another model called the XFi
that pushed the car to 60mpg. The XFi has about 10 HP less but much lower RPM
torque. Check out http://www.metroxfi.com/. With fuel injection came a better
cooling in the head. The 1989-1991 engines can be run without the car’s computer.
I contacted http://www.raven-rotor.com/, a company that uses the geo metro motor
in ultra light aircraft. I saw they had magnetos for the engine (aircraft) and
contacted them about one for my generator. They responded “Just use the early
model (Vacuum advance distributor) '89’ -'91 which has is own igniter module and
needs only a coil and 12 volts DC to run the ignition." This advice came from Jeron
Smith, phone: (505) 737-9656. I have found many Geos with over 150,000 miles,
some close to 200,000. These engines did have a problem with the number two
cylinder burning valves. The cause of this was the EGR valve going bad. I plan on
removing the EGR valve.

The engine is aluminum block with steel sleeves with an aluminum over head cam
head. The engine is just over one hundred pounds which means it can be moved
from the retreat easier than my diesel if the need arises. I plan on using the 1989-
1991 head for better cooling and the distributor. I have an XFi cam.

Right now I can hear the moans [from SurvivalBlog readers] that it is a gas motor. I
plan on running it on propane. I will use an earlier carburetor intake for mounting a
propane carburetor for a 1 liter motor. The motor has a compression ratio of around
8 to 1. Propane is more efficient around 14 to 1. I hope to machine the heads to 12
to 1. Propane also allows me to move the fuel with the engine if I have to run. I will
have the block squared and the crank bore-aligned. This little 3 cylinder it has 4
main bearings so it should handle the compression increase. I plan on using
synthetic oil after the break in.

I can use the AC compressor that comes with the engine for refrigeration, the air
pump for an air tank, will pull the heat off the cooling and the exhaust for heating
water and the building. (My OM636 has an exhaust manifold that is used on inboard
boats that allows me to capture the heat off the exhaust). I will be able to produce
12 VDC, and 110/220 and three phase off a 10 KVA continuous duty cycle military
generator. I thought of buying a bigger unit but I am not sure if I need one. Using
this engine allows me to change the RPM if the need arises for belt run machines. I
plan on running the engine at 2,400 rpm.

Not sure if this will work, but with an easy supply of parts, one could
rebuild/maintain it easily. Figure at 100,000 miles on a engine at an average 40
mph, it gets 2,500 hours of use. So you could run it for 500 days, for five hours per
day. Figuring [the equivalent of] 60 mpg [at 2,400 rpm] you would need around
1,650 gallons.of propane. I think I will get better than that in fuel economy. Thanks,-
Farmer John

Friday, August 3, 2007

The Coming Hard Times--Wake Up Call!, by Dr. T.

Permalink

I am writing this essay with a bit of trepidation. I do not want to make you think I am
an expert on anything, but I do think a lot and have spent a lot of time studying the
economy. Mr. Rawles can verify that my education and training are as follows — I
am in the medical profession and also an attorney. I am also in the Air National
Guard, after spending many years in the Army Reserve. I was deployed in 2003-04,
primarily to Kuwait, but also made trips to Iraq, Qatar, and Djibouti. I also spent
most of 1997 in Bosnia.

My concern is that most of the friends and relatives that I have, think preparing for
hard times is like taking a weekend camping trip. I am working diligently to get
peoples’ attention, as this is so far from what I see coming. Due to my work as an
attorney, I have spent considerable time helping clients invest money in non-
traditional arenas. Because of this, I have been exposed to two or three people who
have studied this extensively. One of them calls the coming trouble “The Big
Rollover.”

Ray’s essay a few days ago was very good — the decision-making process is
important and most of us never stop to consider it at all. The same is true about the
Big Rollover - how many of us stop to really think about what is coming? Oh, I know,
you read "Patriots", but in the back of your mind you think that that could not really
happen. I am here to tell you that you might be right, but you might also be way off!
Well, maybe not, but what will you do if the bank you go to locks up your account? I
have clients that are dealing with this right now! Have any ideas what you can do
when the grocery store is out of food? What about fresh bread and milk? How often
do you go to Wally World? They use the Just In Time (JIT) delivery system, too, and
will have empty shelves just as quickly as local stores.

What will you do when you are notified that your pension fund is bankrupt, gone
forever? It happened to thousands of people in my area due to the Enron scandal a
few years ago. How long will social insecurity last? Your guess is probably better
than mine.

I am just like all the rest of you — I hope and pray that this does not come as
quickly or as severely as some people are saying. But, what can you do? I will give
you some ideas, take them or leave them:

1. Become fanatical about saving money and stocking up on anything that will store
for a long time. Get it organized, and labeled, and learn to manage it well.

2. Be quiet about this and find a way to do this without calling attention to yourself.

3. Think about the failure of the power grid and what you will do if you are out of
electricity for a long time — maybe months or years. Gensets, fuel, wind generators,
solar collectors are all great, but think about what you will do to keep your windows
blacked out if you are the only one with electricity. Talk about a lure for looters.
Watch out!

4. Learn to speed read - I have way too much to read, but try to spend one to two
hours everyday reading and learning all I can.

5. Make sure you have some extra beds - even if you have to put them in the
garage or barn. We already have an adult child and her husband living with us due
to a bad landlord, and it does change the dynamics of your household.

6. Learn to garden — find someone who has some dirt and learn to grow vegetables
and fruit (BTW, my dearly beloved tomatoes are fruit). Go to www.seedsavers.org
and www.gardeningrevolution.com — both good sites and there are other sites out
there, too. Eat what you grow and learn how to store it - can, freeze, dry, vacuum
pack it or whatever else you can figure out how to do. Also, learn to save seeds.
This may actually save your life during the coming trouble.
7. Become an active member of a relatively small local church. If you do not
understand this, you are in serious trouble.

8. If you cannot control your addiction to television, throw it out or give it away. I
am not kidding.

9. Learn to fix everything you can. If you do not have a knack for fixing things, get
to work and learn all you can. This is not an option. When doing this, stock up on
parts and supplies for everything you own or want to own.

10. Buy things that will last a long time. I am driving a 20-year old Mercedes Benz
now that is in great shape. How many other cars last this long? I can keep it for at
least ten more years, but may buy a newer one to last for the next 15 to 20 years of
bad times.

11. Make things last longer. I just received back my first knife that a man in Omaha
froze to near absolute zero. A friend has been using a disposable razor to shave her
legs for a year now with the same treatment. Others surely know about this type of
process, but it seems to be truly amazing. And, I am quite a fan of German
engineering.

12. Everything I own has synthetic or semi-synthetic oil in it, and has for the past 20
years. I am also putting Cermax® in everything that burns oil products - it somehow
embeds a two micron layer of ceramic into the metal. And, Cermax® is cheap - I
think the price is $29.95 or soon will be $39.95 for each treatment of two ounces.
Go to www.cermatechnology.com and look around -- you may have to register (free,
no obligation) and if you do, my ID is 10075, which they ask for to create an
account. I love Amsoil® products, but they are very expensive. I am growing very
fond of Schaeffer® oil products - www.schaefferoil.com is their site.

13. Decide what to do about medical issues and medications. Learn to live without
doctors and drugs. I know this will irritate some people on this site, but these people
are the ones who have issues. The medical care system is just about ready to
implode, in my opinion, so avoid it as much as you can and when you cannot,
develop relationships to help you. Think outside the box - I am very biased, but I
have found that some of the best medical thinkers are veterinarians, dentists, and
nurses.

14. In spite of my passionate dislike for television, we are stocking up on clothes,

books (www.half.com), movies, toys for our grandchildren, board games, outdoor
games, and more.

15. Learn not to be too imperialistic. I am the head of my household, but I am not a
dictator. I am a fairly high ranking officer in the guard, and have to be careful when
I come home from duty times, not to bark too many orders! But, in the changing
dynamics of our economy and our families, someone has to be in charge in every
situation and to be a good leader, you also need to know how to take orders
yourself, at times.

16. Be careful about what you eat. The big food companies do not actually put the
true ingredients on many labels and we now consume so much processed food it is
frightening. Try to not go to the store more than once a week, then once a month.
What will you do if this is the actual scenario that comes in a couple of years? How
long will you survive if you cannot get to the store? I have heard it said that you can
live three minutes without air, three days without water and three weeks without
food.

17. One of the large, untapped markets in America, in my opinion, is growing and
selling organic fruits and vegetables. Go to the above link,
www.gardeningrevolution.com and see how you can spend a few hundred dollars
and get one, two, or three of Len Pense’s raised beds operational (cost $417.00
each plus the cement blocks, plus shipping or transportation) and grow lots of crops
you can sell. Then, in the coming years it costs about $50.00 per raised bed per
year to maintain them. Also, I am working on a patent for a plant breeder, who has
a couple of special tomatoes that sell in his area (Washington state) for $3.95 to as
high as $6.95 a pound. In my area, if I can get $2.00 to $3.00 a pound, I would do
well. You may not become a trillionaire, but you can make some decent money and
won’t starve in the process. Mr. Pense does not use any soil, so his crops are 100%
organic and free of weeds and bacteria (e.g. E. Coli H0157). I can put you in touch
with the tomato breeder and you can grow these plants directly from the seeds. I
am a privacy freak, but you can email gotrocks@safe-mail.net and I will contact
you.

18. Another great way to make some money is by growing dirt-raised chickens. See
this site - www.acresusa.com/events/events.htm - the information about Polyface
Farm Intensive Farming methods are very intriguing. I receive $90.00 per acre per
year from the chemical farmer who farms the dirt here in the midwest. If I can turn
one acre into $1,500 per year of profit, even with a bit of work, that is very
tempting. The big key looks to me like it is marketing the product, but this may not
be as hard as one thinks initially.

In the summer of 1929, in northwest Kansas, where I was born, my maternal

grandfather (who passed away three months before I was born) bought a farm on a
handshake. A few weeks later he told my grandmother, whom I knew well and did
not pass away until I was 30 years old, that he thought he should go pay for this
farm. He made a trip to a bank in a nearby Nebraska town, just a few miles north of
their farm. He got the money out of this bank, which nearly depleted his account,
and paid for the farm and recorded the deed in the courthouse. A few weeks later,
along came October 29, 1929, and you know what happened.
Well, my grandmother told me several times how much they benefited because
during the Great Depression they had this farm bought and paid for, but the bank
where the money was eventually closed, and their account would have been totally
lost. This farm is still owned by one of my cousins, and every time I drive by it I
think about this lesson.

I think you should have some cold, hard greenbacks stored up, just for emergencies.
And, have some gold and silver, because we may need them for barter before you
know it. Pay off your debts as fast as you can. And, if you cannot, rotate your debts
to protect yourself as much as possible.

One advisor says “you cannot be too wealthy going into the Big Rollover, ” and he is
probably right. I am not sure where it is safe to store money now - I think JWR is
probably right, it is better to buy stuff, than have money in a bank. But, now this
takes some big changes in our thinking. My clients, for the most part, have a
comfort level with money and this comfort level is almost always related to their
bank account balance.

A good web site to go belongs to Harry Dent, who has written several good books
about the coming trouble and he is using demographics to map out what he sees
coming. He says that the downturn will start in 2009 or 2010. At Dent's site there is
a 15 page report dated October 31, 2006, that is pretty good reading.

Acres USA is a very good magazine for organic farming and gardening.

An adviser whom I trust a lot, says that late 2008 to early 2009, will start the
trouble. He describes 16 major forces converging in this time frame that all affect
our economy. He says, correctly, that it is not possible to accurately predict the
timing nor the severity, that you need to be prepared as much as you can.

I have six rules for clients who invest money and these are not optional:

1. Diversify

2. Diversify

3. Diversify

4. Make Your Money Work For You

5. Spend Less Than You Earn & Earn More Than You Spend

6. The Most Important Things In Life Cannot Be Bought Nor Sold With Money

So, in conclusion, wake up and smell the coffee - trouble is brewing, and I do not
have all the answers, but I do know that we need to be prepared for years of living
without many or even most of the conveniences we have all become accustomed to
having without even thinking about how it happens!
My list of ideas is not complete nor exhaustive. Actually, I am of the opinion that
preparation is a work in progress and for many it is a complete lifestyle change.

I am an optimist - my parents were both born during the Great Depression and their
families survived, but since then, in America, we have become fat, lazy and stupid.
We will survive this one, too!

Keep thinking!

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Three Letters Re: Advice on Generators?

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Dear Mr. Rawles,

On the subject of generators, I was wondering what your thoughts were on fuel.

Recently, the municipality I live in equipped it’s municipal buildings with large
generators powered by propane. My thought was that a wiser choice would have
been diesel. My reasoning was:

Propane can only be provided by large trucks with specialized equipment or by

smaller, but heavy, containers. In a situation where the roads may be blocked or
impassable, a propane truck would not be able to get through.

It’s hard to convince a propane dealer to come out with his truck for a smaller
delivery such as when you are looking to just ‘top off’ your tank From a re-supply
standpoint, I sort of favor diesel.

If roads are closed or impassable, diesel can be delivered by something as simple as

filling five gallon fuel cans and transporting them on snow machines
[(snowmobiles)], horses, pack frames, etc.

In a true emergency, there are more re-supply points, as diesel can be found in the
tanks of municipal vehicles, in storage tanks at the municipal garage, in private
storage tanks at the bus depot and construction yards, etc. And again, in a pinch it
can be man-portable by using smaller containers.Your thoughts? - RMV

Hi Jim and Family,

I wondered if you had heard the actual hard facts on the proposed ban on
properties housing more than 1,000 gallons of LP? From what I understand, this will
be a very large feat to register, prove need, and obtain such a quantity.

In my region, 1,000 gallons does not last very long drying corn. I understand that
we in the agri-economy will still be able to obtain it. But, I guess we can add this to
the ever expanding list of common items that are being made difficult at best to
obtain. Maybe stocking up sooner than later is a goal. I sure don't like your
predictions. Time is starting to tell. - The Wanderer

James:

Having had the opportunity to run/install/maintain all sorts of generators. Propane is

by far the easiest, and the cleanest fuel for standby generators, and the fuel never
goes bad. To get any sort of quantity of diesel legally stored on your property takes
an act of God and reams of paper: Rules, EPA regulations, containment systems, et
cetera. And this country is set up for propane delivery, not diesel delivery.

While I won’t deny the longevity of diesel engines, I can tell you that propane
engines last almost as long. And to get a 1,000 gallon propane tank delivered to my
house tomorrow takes a phone call. No papers, no permits not anything but money.
Try putting a 1,000 gallon diesel tank in your yard. (Legally )

If anyone is thinking of long term power ( TEOTWAWKI ) then they ought to be

looking at [photovoltaic] solar panels and inverters, as getting diesel will be harder
to obtain than propane. Mainly as they will reserve the diesel for trucks, military and
police. But propane? It’s a consumer item mainly used to cook and heat with, so it
will be available to you and me.

I am adamant with my clients to not look at diesel for all these reasons.

I have a 20 KW Onan water cooled genset at my house that has 80 hours on it now,
burns 2 gallons per hour and I have 1000 gallons in reserve. That coupled with my
large battery bank and solar would give me a very long time of independence and
electricity. Plus my genset is very quiet.

What is my backup genny? A small tri-fuel from Northern Tool & Equipment that is
loud but puts out 9 KW on gasoline, 8 KW on propane and 7 KW on natural gas…

When I moved into my house 12 years ago, I bought my first gennie to power my
well pump during power outages. And later moved to the big one…

I am currently designing a large renewable energy setup on Lake [Deleted for

OPSEC] and they are going with Solar (large array and batteries), Wind (10 KW
Bergey) and Propane Generators (Onan) as backups. Regards, - Mel

JWR Replies: Parts of the United States have a home heating infrastructure that is
geared more heavily toward home heating oil delivery rather than to propane
delivery. In those regions, diesel generators might be better option, especially for
those that live in farming or ranching country outside of city limits. There, large
diesel tanks would not attract suspicion, and they are only lightly regulated. (At
least in most western states.)

Virtually all diesel generators will run equally well on off-road (dyed) diesel, road-
taxed diesel, biodiesel (including waste vegetable oil and freshly pressed oils), and
home heating oil. The only significant difference between "home heating oil", road
taxed Diesel #2, and off-road diesel is the Federal standards for sulphur content
and ash content. In fact, up until the recent introduction of Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel
(ULSD) all three typically came from the same production runs at refineries. In
essence, they are just marketed differently. And of course the portion that is
destined for on-road vehicular use gets a hefty tax added--and it is left un-dyed.
(The dye is intended to keep people from cheating on the road tax.)

I'm glad that you mentioned photovoltaics. There was recently some interesting
analysis/commentary over at The Oil Drum from Robert Rapier: The Future is Solar.
If SurvivalBlog readers want to get serious about making their own electricity with
photovoltaics, contact Ready Made Resources. (Our first and most loyal advertiser.)
They have the expertise, and great prices on panels, charge controllers, and
inverters. They even offer pre-packaged systems up to 5.6 KW. Also BTW, lots of
states now offer special incentives and rebates for people that install alternative
energy systems.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Five Letters Re: Advice on Generators?

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Jim,

I have backup generators at my home and at my retreat. Both are propane

powered. The generator at the retreat is a low speed (1800 RPM), liquid cooled
generator. I have run it for up to 10 hours straight, with no problems.

The vast majority of us "off the grid" folks have low speed propane generators. They
are very reliable and fuel storage is not an issue since propane does not go bad.
Most residences that I have seen, run the house and generator off of the same 500
gallon tank. My generator has a dedicated 500 gallon tank, as does the house. Next
year I plan on installing a 2,500 gallon underground propane tank.

I have started my propane generator at 10 degrees F with no problem.

I bought both my generators from Norwall Power Systems,. Regards, - PED

Jim,

George B. 's site is an excellent source of info for building your own diesel genset. I
had purchased one of the Changfa 22HP single cylinder diesel engines before the
EPA ruled against their sale here in the US.
The info alone on the Lister CS diesel (clone) engines is very valuable for all
interested in off grid power.

I also bought a generator head (12 KW) from Georges friend's store (Powerful
Solutions).

This web page is a good example of a Lister CS diesel clone employed for power in
hurricane prone Florida and the progress of the learning curve needed to keep
power for the duration of four hurricanes.

I hope this helps your readers a good bit. - Tim P., on top of a wind swept ridge

Jim,

I have not yet gotten to the level of ordering one of the [generators from] Powerful
Solutions, but want to. I did find the driving engine also for sale in Minnesota, I
think. This same individual had 1,800 RPM generator heads for sale, they look like
exactly what we should be getting for Schumer time. It is always Schumer time
here, he is one of my senators. Guess who the other one is. Talk about depressing!!
Check out his store: Powerful Solutions. He has practically a kit that will fix a retreat
right up. - Sid in New York State

James:

Regarding Diesel generators, the diesel tractor with Power Takeoff (PTO) generator
option is important to consider. Many people own a diesel tractor already, they are
extremely handy if equipped with a front end loader in homesteading situations.
They are sturdily built, and designed to run for extended hours. The PTO drive
generators are available in a variety of sizes, as low as 7 KW, ($1,500 including
trailer to carry it), and up to 75 KW, my personal unit is a 25 KW Onan. The other
advantage is that the tractor is generally used on a regular basis, so fuel is kept
fresh, batteries charged and the machine maintenance is kept in mind. Contrast this
with a generator that often sits unused in the back of a shed until needed, will it
start? For the price of a good quality dedicated genset, a multi-use tractor and a
PTO generator is much more survival friendly. - DD

Mr. Rawles,

Thanks again for your very informative web site. I continue to enjoy my "Rawles
Gets You Ready" preparedness course. In my search for a good generator/drive
system, I have run across a design that seems to be among the most durable. It is
referred to as a "Lister." One can do a web search on "Lister" or "Listeroid" to get
started. These engines were designed by the British and have been known to run
almost continuously for years and even decades, according to posted accounts. The
Brits discontinued manufacturing new units in the 1980s, but there are enterprising
folks in India that continue to make clones (hence the "Listeroid" name). One
caution on the India units: many accounts I have read indicate that new units still
have some (a lot?) of casting sand in the interior. If you purchase one of these units,
be sure to tear it down before you run it and make sure that the sand is cleaned
out. While this may sound daunting, it actually will illustrate one of the key qualities
of this design - simplicity. The valve train itself is on the outside and the unit is
intended to be owner-serviced and maintained.

In addition, these diesels are started with a hand crank. This is possible because
there is generally a large, heavy flywheel mounted on the crankshaft. This flywheel
develops the inertia to assist in overcoming the high compression that most diesels
require to fire. So, again - simplicity due to the absence of electric starting. One
other quality that David V. was seeking was low RPM. These diesels generally run in
the 600 to 1800 r.p.m. (depending on size/number of cylinders) with most operating
in the lower part of the range.

Now the best news of all - there is a company in the US called Old Style Listers that
builds them - from scratch! They are located in Washington state. I have spoken to
the owner and visited the web site. They don't make many each year and they're
not cheap, but quality rarely is inexpensive. In my conversation with the owner, he
told me that they are fitted with a [large] muffler for an automobile and, therefore,
operation in a residential area results in little or no disturbance to the surrounding
neighborhood. He said that they routinely run theirs in a residential zone and
holding a conversation nearby is no problem while it runs. According to the web
site, they have cylinder heads that boast a duty cycle of at least 100,000 hours -
that's almost 11.5 years. I hope this provides some food for thought for David V.
and others. Thanks again for such a complete, informative site. I consider it required
daily reading.

P.S. on another note I have used your rather thorough treatment of derivatives to
inform my wife (a CPA) about my outlook and concerns regarding future large-scale
financial problems. She found it quite eye-opening - something of a big "aha"
experience. Thanks again for all that you provide for us on your site. - Rob in NC

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

What if The Schumer Doesn't Hit The Fan? - Reasons to Prepare Anyway, by MB

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As long as I can remember, I have felt that someday the comforts of a modern
American lifestyle would vanish, at least temporarily. So I have made small mental
preparations for some time now; keeping my mind and body fit and strong, staying
informed, dropping hints to the wife, etc. Recently, and mostly after reading
Patriots, I have a renewed interest in preserving my life and protecting those I love.

After educating myself on the subject of survival, I felt, as I’m sure many others
have, very vulnerable and even overwhelmed. I needed to take action, immediately.
Many thoughts spring into one’s mind during these moments. “What will I feed my
children; oh man, water is essential; what about all those crazy people in the city, I
need a gun, I need several guns; I need to move to North Dakota!” Sloooow down!
These are daunting items. Once you quiet your mind and restore some sense of
calm (it may take a couple days), you realize that you must be realistic. It’s not
feasible for most of us to pack up an arsenal and move to a remote retreat in the
hills or forests of the upper Midwest. We have jobs and responsibilities, relatives
and friends; lives that at least for the time being, limit our options. And there is also
the feeling that hundreds or even thousands of dollars spent on preparations could
be wasted if The Schumer doesn’t ever Hit The Fan. (Doubtful, but it does cross
one’s mind) A sense of urgency is implied; however, a caution against panic is
warranted. It’s easy in this post 9/11 age to let fear control your life. Don’t! Simply
take comfort in the fact that doing something to prepare for various scenarios,
however big or small, will most importantly increase your odds of survival in the
worst of emergencies, but also increase your comfort in the less dire situations and
even improve your life now.

You Don’t Have to Move to Idaho--Survival Mindset for City Folk

I wanted to write an article for people like myself who are in the beginning stages of
survival preparation. People on limited budgets, who may not live on farms, or
maybe have never served in the military or had experience with guns. Those people
who live in or near a city, particularly congested east coast cities. I write for those
city dwellers and suburbanites in less than ideal regions; students, urban
professionals, everyday people. However, it can apply to just about anyone who is
not already well “squared away”. I will attempt to provide ideas on where to begin,
how to prioritize and how to prepare mentally and with limited monetary resources
for a multitude of events. I will try to focus on things that can be useful now and for
a lifetime. My intent is not to instruct on what exactly is needed for every particular
individual; there are more capable advisors for that. I aim to get people thinking
and to provide a more general approach to surviving the times.

Get Your Mind Right

First and foremost is your mindset. Think about your values, your morals. What is
most important in your life? Who is most important to you? How far are you willing
to go to protect them? In the most serious situation, we would do anything, right?
Why let it come to that? There’s good reason to get motivated. Put yourself and
your family in the best possible position for survival now, so you don’t have to act
out of desperation later. Also, think about what you spend your money on and
where you spend it. Do you really need that big screen plasma television? What are
you teaching your children about spirituality, health, money? Just as important,
what are others teaching your children? You see where I’m going here. It’s not all
about beans, bullets and Band-Aids. It’s about your mentality. Only the strongest-
willed individuals will make it through tough times, be it TEOTWAWKI, high school,
or simply life as an adult in the 21st century.

Beginning Logistics

Now think about tangible items to have on hand. Make a list. Just jot down ideas,
then categorize (based on cost or type) and prioritize later. Your location and
climate will impact your list. Set up your inventory and storage on varying degrees
of threat and length of time of crisis. For instance a blackout that lasts 30 days vs. a
full scale economic collapse. Will you be staying put or escaping to a safer location?
What criteria will you base your decision on? What would you miss most if
something tragic happened? Put yourself in that situation. The obvious answers are
food and more importantly, water. If you are human, you already eat and drink
water, so this is nothing new. You just need to think about having more of it on
hand. In turn, storage is needed. We find room for other items; we can find room for
potentially life saving sustenance. Package enough easily transportable food for 30
days. A durable plastic tote should work well. Then store enough for much longer
periods of time. Buy a little extra food with each grocery shopping trip and date it.
Not extra chips or TV dinners, get extra items such as dried fruit or granola that will
last for an extended period of time, without electricity. Buy in bulk and incorporate
raw grains into your diet. Start a garden. Not only will you know how to prepare
these foods now, you will be more accustomed to eating them later, not to mention
the health benefits. Think about buying a food dehydrator. They are reasonably
priced. Keep a few five gallon containers of water in your garage, basement or
crawlspace. If you live in an apartment, do you have a spare room or a patio? For
long term situations, any amount of water that can be conveniently stored in most
homes will be consumed surprisingly fast. Think about other sources and get a good
water filter. Again, this is prudent to have anyway. A [compact] portable filter might
come in handy also. With both food and water, as much as possible, use your
storage as supplement, not a main source.

Little by little set aside money and acquire items you will need. Keep an extra
supply of first aid items on hand. Don’t forget some of the less apparent items like
toilet paper, sanitation, batteries, tools, candles, medications and fuel. Keep some
spare 5 gallon containers of stabilized gas in your shed. It’s not wasteful as it can be
used in your vehicles at any time. And with the rising gas prices it may prove to be
a worthwhile investment. Don’t forget to rotate [your stocks]. Consider buying a
generator. In a full scale crisis, drawing attention to yourself and home with a loud,
light-producing device is not going to be very smart, but when power goes out and
the masses aren’t yet rioting in the streets, a generator will be nice to have. Get a
portable model. Study maps and plan different routes to and from your home. Keep
an emergency kit in your car. This is by no means a complete list, it’s designed to
get you started. Yes, the preparations are abundant. Don’t get overwhelmed into
thinking you have to get it all at once. The key is minimization. Minimize the
chances that you will be taken by surprise, wondering why you didn’t do something
earlier. Start small and with things you can use in everyday life. The wealth of
available information on specifics is immense. This web page is a great resource.
It’s up to you to educate yourself and determine exactly what and how much you
will need.

Help Others Help You

Working together will be to your advantage during crunch time. Find strength in
numbers. Seek out others who share your values and have skills you lack. How can
you help each other? Build relationships and share ideas. Educate others, but be
careful as you can imagine the funny looks you might get if you start prophesying
doomsday. And guess who’s doorstep they’ll be standing on come crunch time. I am
a firm believer that the more people around you that are prepared, the better off all
of us are. If your neighbors can take care of themselves, then it’s more likely your
preparations will be preserved in the event of crisis. In short, at least fewer of your
neighbors will be knocking on your door the same day of an event.

Securing Your Castle

I’d like to take a moment to discuss security, specifically firearms. If you have
studied survival even a little, then you are aware that arming yourself ranks high on
the list of recommendations. Perhaps some of you share my reluctance to build an
armory in my home. I have children, and being married to someone who is strictly
against guns makes security a particularly difficult element in my survival
preparations. While I recognize security as an absolute must, I have reservations
about keeping a device designed to kill in my home. Ironically the reasons not to
own a gun are the very reasons why I feel I should own gun. The reasons are aged
2-11, not including the Mrs. In a volatile scenario that could spiral out of control; I
would feel helpless without weapons to protect my family. All the stockpiling of food
and water will be futile if some thug can easily take it from you (and maybe your
lives with it). If you do decide to own a firearm (or firearms), don’t flaunt it and
please educate yourself and practice. Keep a chamber or trigger lock in place and
store the ammunition in a different location if necessary. In addition, don’t rule out
other ways of defending yourself. Albeit, less formidable, they are less expensive.
These include pepper spray, knives, batons, stun guns and martial arts. I don’t think
I need to remind people that these are mostly ineffective against attackers with
guns, or even large groups of unarmed evil doers. However, they may prove useful
in that they are very portable and can be used in less dire emergencies. Deterrence
in the form of dogs, fencing, motion detection, alarm systems and location should
also be considered. Protection from those who intend to harm is imperative and yet
another item that is useful even today.

Back to Basics

Take an assessment of your skill sets. What knowledge do you posses that would be
of value in a crisis situation? Don’t worry, if needed, your survival instincts will take
hold, but some basic skills can make you an asset and will help you survive.
Develop and hone these skills now. Start simply; make your own bread, catch your
own fish, grow your own vegetables, prepare healthier, less processed meals. I
enjoy beer, I brew my own. It’s rewarding and I’ve learned much from it. Learn basic
plumbing, carpentry and electrical skills. You don’t have to be a master mechanic,
but any vehicle owner should know the basics; how to change the oil, filters and
spark plugs. Having a skill can be just as valuable as having an inventory; you never
leave home without it and could earn you a spot in a group if needed. Maybe you
are a dog trainer or electronics engineer. Don’t forget your kids. Teach your children
to swim, hunt, split wood or sow a garden. It seems that all too often, in our frenzied
lifestyles, we focus all our energy on skills that will get us fat paychecks and forget
the simpler but more important things. Get back to basics. Slow down. Simplify. If
something isn’t adding positive value to your life, eliminate it. Many preparedness
items can be fun and done as a family. Go camping, take hikes, etc. If you have
kids, consider home schooling them. Most importantly get to know your children;
spend time with them.

It’s Up to You

You can make self sufficiency a way of life without going “off the deep end,” so to
speak. Taking action will not only give you peace of mind, a sort of insurance policy,
but also can improve your life in the meantime. Many corollary benefits will emerge.
Here are some that come to mind: Less reliance on outside institutions, money
saved, healthier eating habits, time spent with your family. Regardless of the future,
you’ll be teaching your children to be prepared, to think logically and independently
and not to have a lazy, consumerist attitude of entitlement that dominates our
culture today.

This writing isn’t packed full of technical how-to information, but I sincerely hope it
helps to serve those of you that may feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to
begin and to breathe hope into those who are obliged to retain their current lives
without major upheaval. There are many who see the challenges involved with
getting ready and are scared into doing nothing. For one reason or another they go
back to sleep, their head comfortably lodged in the sand. Don’t be one of those
people. Enjoy the time and blessings you have, but be ready. An old proverb says
“Trust in God, but tie up your camel.” Just the same, pray for peace, but prepare for
war.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Letter Re: Advice on Generators?

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Jim,

What is the way to go in generators? I own four now, all gasoline fueled. Last winter
the power was out for nine straight days, and it was 28 degrees below [zero,
Fahrenheit]. I have used gas generators for near 40 years, but mostly for remote
site construction. They are started and shut off as needed. But last winter with the
power out, I would run for 4 hours, then off for 6 hours, for nine days straight. What
happened is that the 3,600 RPM of long run time vibrated them apart. In the
summer one would just tighten up the nuts and bolts, but at -28 and in the dark, I
opted to employ another unit. It also came apart. I was on my third generator when
power came back on. Gas units are just not made for that type of use. Also the heat
from the exhaust thaws the ground, the [generator] unit tips, the oil level sensor
thinks it is low on oil and automatically shuts-off. At -28 the ground freezes, you
have to heat water to free it for re-leveling.

I want to buy a diesel 10 KW or 12 KW power plant that runs at 1,800 RPM (not the
China Diesel that runs at 3,600 RPM.) I don't want Batteries, or Invertors, or wind
power ( I had a Winco Wincharger at the homestead 40 years ago ). The other thing
I learned; I have two 1,000 gallon capacity diesel fuel tanks that I use for a fleet of
diesel trucks, and they had just been filled before the power outage. Want to guess
how much gasoline was around? Not much, since the only thing that I normally put
gas in in the winter is my snowmobiles.

I am hoping some of your readers could help with what to look for in a diesel power
plant, and more important what to avoid. Also a little about load, I know that they
want to have a fair load, and a load that changes. - David V.

JWR Replies: I generally prefer diesel generators, especially big block low-RPM
models. These are designed for continuous duty, and they typically last three to five
time longer than high RPM gasoline-powered generators. However, be advised that
diesel has a problem with fuel gelling at low temperature. Typically, this clogs fuel
filters, when the temperature reaches the so-called cold filter plugging point (CFPP).
Fuel gelling can be avoided at temperatures as low as 40 degrees F. below 0, with a
diesel fuel additive, called Diesel Fuel Supplement, made by the same company
that makes Diesel 911 (which was recently discussed in SurvivalBlog.) It also
reportedly prevents gelling in biodiesel blends up to B20. (Which is 20% biodiesel
and 80% "dinodiesel".) There is also a product made in Germany called a Diesel-
Therm that pre-heats diesel fuel before it enters the fuel filter.
OBTW, one thing to keep in mind, in these days of high commodities prices. Copper
windings from "dead" generators are currently bringing top dollar. If you take the
windings from six or seven old "dead" gensets to your local scrap metal dealer, you
may net enough money to pay for as much as half of your next generator purchase.

Hopefully some readers will chime in with some specific diesel genset brand and
model recommendations. (It has been more than five years since I've bought one,
so frankly I'm out of touch with the marketplace and vendors.)

Friday, July 13, 2007

Letter Re: Some Observations on Self-Sufficiency and Retreat Security

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James,

I greatly appreciate SurvivalBlog and the solid, thoughtful info it contains, and have
printed out numerous posts for future reference. It seems for many the ideal is
having a bug-out location, so perhaps readers could glean some useful information
from my experience owning and operating a fair-sized ranch, one of the goals of
which is to be as independent as possible.

Specific observation on particular issues:

WATER

Top of the list, everything else is secondary. If you don't have indoor water for
cooking, bathing, toilets, etc., the quality of life quickly plummets. Try hauling all of
the water you need from the creek for a few days and you'll agree. Make a reliable
water supply your top priority.

Absent a pure gravity-flow situation from a spring or lake, without outside electricity
you can lift water with a wind-powered mill, solar pump, or conventional
submersible pump powered by a generator. Because of our location in central Texas
with abundant sunshine, we chose to employ solar-powered pumps. They cost
about the same as a windmill but pump more water and are far more reliable. We
currently have three solar pumps made by Grundfos, each powered by two 170 watt
solar panels. Two of the pumps are in wells about 100' deep, the other is in a
spring-fed lake. These types of pumps have the huge advantage of using both 12
volt or 220 volt standard power, so they can be powered from the grid, by
generator, from the solar panels, or even by jumper cables from a vehicle, which
gives lots of options to keep the water flowing. You just have to be certain to unplug
the solar panels from the system before using 220 volt power. The pumps supply
3,000 gallon storage tanks with float valves; when the tanks are full the float cuts
off the flow of water and a pressure switch at the well turn off the pump when
pressure reaches 60 lb. The storage tanks then supply water gravity flow to the
house and orchard/garden. We also have 10,000 gallons of storage which catches
water from the roof, and can be routed into the house by simply opening a valve.

No matter how carefully a plumbing project is planned and materials lists are
drawn, such as adding more irrigation to the garden, for example, it is rare to
complete work without another trip or three for additional materials. I would advise
having plenty of spare fittings and pipe, as well as items like pressure switches,
breakers, and on/off switches. It is also an obvious advantage to have a standard
pipe size, say 1 inch, so spare parts are interchangeable.

Give a great deal of thought to your water system. Good planning at the start will
allow different aspects to be tied together for redundancy, as well as prevent
haphazard add-ons later, not to mention needless expense. Once the system is in
place and operational, it is relatively maintenance-free, with only the rare switch
failure or even rarer leak.

POWER/FUEL/OIL

For household use such as cook tops, ovens, hot water, and even lighting, propane
is hard to beat. With a large tank (I recommend a minimum of a thousand gallons),
the supply can be stretched to last for years. And propane has zero storage
problems, being practically immortal.

Diesel and gas storage have been discussed at great length, so I won't add to that
here.

It's hard to have too much two-cycle oil to mix with gas for chainsaws, as well as
motor oil and filters (start saving used motor oil for chainsaw lube), hydraulic oil,
grease, and differential lube. Also, we have more problems with tires (due to cactus
and mesquite thorns, primarily) than any other mechanical problem, so gallon jugs
of a tire sealer product and a reliable way to air up tires, even if only a hand pump,
is essential.

Cooking oil, lamp oil, and light lubrication oil can be pressed from sunflowers,
walnuts, pecans, flaxseed, peanuts, and many more. A simple hand-cranked press
(www.piteba.com) looks to be adequate for household use, though I can give a
further report once my sunflowers ripen next fall and I've given it a thorough test-
drive. Olive oil can be used for the same purposes, though olives will only fruit in
the far southern reaches of the US and the equipment to extract the oil is fairly
expensive. Even so, we've planted a dozen olive trees and we'll see how they do.
Solar power with an inverter is an option I'm exploring for running power tools and
refrigeration, but as yet have no direct experience with it. But it seems a viable
alternative, with limits.

GARDEN/ORCHARD

It takes a vast amount of experience and experimentation to reliably grow, process,

store, and save the seeds from vegetables (Grandpappy's thoughts on seed saving
were excellent, BTW). If the extent of your preparations in this area is a supply of
heirloom seeds and three books on gardening, I've got some bad news: you're
gonna starve. But don't despair, a great deal can be learned on a small scale: grow
just a couple of tomato, squash, beans, peas, etc., and keep experimenting and
saving seeds until you find what works best in your location. Once you know how to
grow particular vegetables, it's relatively easy to ramp up the area to grow a
significant food supply. But if starting from zero, it will take several years to become
proficient.

Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are the way to go for most vegetables, at least in our
locale, as they not only save water but reduce weed competition. Corn is the only
plant I still put in rows and irrigate in the conventional way.

Our orchard is only now coming of age and starting to produce, as the trees are four
years old. The forty fruit trees are also drip irrigated when necessary. One of the
biggest problems related to fruit trees, aside from pests and diseases, is varmints;
coons, possums, and ringtailed cats. Our solution when the fruit is ripening is
leaving a dog in the fenced-in orchard at night.

We obtain more food from our 1.5 acre orchard and garden than we do from the
rest of the ranch combined, and we only plant a small portion of it each year, so
production could be greatly expanded in a pinch.

SECURITY

The whole key to security, in my view, lies in not being surprised. If the first inkling I
have of trouble is when six vehicles with twenty-five armed men slide to a stop in
my yard then I'm in exceptionally deep Schumer. So a layered approach, as James
has outlined, makes excellent sense. Observation Posts (OPs) and MURS-type
detection equipment [such as a Dakota Alert] are essential to having early warning
to problems, and for most of us, if we're alerted, we'll be a very tough nut to crack.

A couple of good, well-trained dogs much more than pay their own way, acting as
an alert and deterrent for intruders, as well as trailing game, barking at poisonous
snakes, and, as mentioned earlier, keeping varmints out of the orchard and garden
and away from the house. At the risk of blaspheming, if I had to pick only one rifle ,
it would be a .223. Now I'm well aware that a .308 has a lot more energy, range,
and penetration, and I have several battle rifles in .308 that I love, but for one
weapon to carry everywhere, every day, .223 is my choice.

First of all, I can't begin to count the number of deer and large feral hogs I've killed
with one shot from a .223, so I have plenty of confidence in the round. But from a
more practical standpoint, I've been amazed when carefully reading history with the
number of settlers killed by Comanche indians in the old days right in this area
because they were caught unarmed. And I realized they were usually caught
unarmed because it's hard to weed the garden, cut wood, catch a cow, plow a field,
wash clothes in the creek, butcher a hog, gather pecans, and a thousand other
practical tasks when constantly toting a heavy rifle.

And the same may well hold true for us someday. A six and half pound .223 in AR
platform or Mini-14 will be a lot more likely to be at hand when needed in the midst
of constant work than a twelve pound H&K. Your mileage may vary, of course. - Bois
d'Arc

Monday, July 2, 2007

Reducing Your Sound "Footprint" by Countrytek

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I've been lurking about SurvivalBlog for about six months now, and have found a lot
of useful information hereabouts. There are lots of good tips about securing your
retreat and making it less visible. One thing I have noticed though is that there
appears to be a blind spot. Why go to all the trouble to screen your retreat location
from view and practice nighttime light discipline if you are going to announce your
presence far and wide audibly?

One thing I've noticed lately is there is a lot of discussion on stocking up on two-
cycle and bar oil for chainsaws. For those of you who live in the hinterboonies
already: Think back a few months to woodcutting season. I'll bet if you stop and
think about it, you would be able to locate your neighbors for a couple miles around
- at least - based on the sounds of their Stihl and Husqvarna--nobody uses Homelite
or McCulloch anymore--chainsaws. For those of you not familiar with life in the
hinterlands yet: The crisp airs of autumn and early winter carry the sound of
chainsaw exhaust for miles. Those things are shrieking banshees that scream "Here
I am!" Not only do they announce your location to the world-at-large, they also
mask the sound of anyone approaching the woodcutter's AO. So, even if you post a
security detail around your work party, they are going to be relying solely on visual
contact to detect approaching hostiles.
To me, the better route would be to leave the chainsaw in the emergency stash,
and do your woodcutting with a crosscut saw. Yes, the misery whip "sings," but its
slight ring doesn't carry nearly as far as the chainsaw's blare and shriek. (For those
who don't know -- The crosscut saw got the nickname "misery whip" because an
improperly set and sharpened crosscut saw is exactly that: a miserable implement
to spend your days with. Caution: Caring for and using this device requires some
skills.)

Side Note: You did notice that I didn't say "Forget the chainsaws!" didn't you? I live
in 'quake country and - due to misguided forestry practices over the past century -
anyone who lives outside of town these days lives in wildfire country. When I want
to get through the roof of a collapsed structure quickly, I'm going to reach for my
trusty Stihl, not a crosscut. And, two men with chainsaws can clear a firebreak a lot
quicker than two men with a crosscut. Just save the chainsaws for the times that
saving time and lives is more important than keeping a low sound profile. There are
always trade-offs to be made in survival situations.

You don't give up all that much in efficiency - if you learn to use and care for your
saw properly - by using a crosscut instead of a chainsaw. I'm told that wasn't until
the 1960s that a chainsaw was able to beat a two-man saw in log bucking contests.
Those of you who take in logger rodeos know that those bucking saws are the
chainsaw hot-rods -- they're anything but stock.

If you have the personnel available, you could send out multiple three-man teams
with one two-man saw per team. The "odd man out" would serve as part of the
security detail for the wood cutting operation. The cutting team would put their LBE
and rifles aside - but close at hand - while the security person would retain his. (Yes,
women can hang-to with men on a cross-cut once they learn the pace. I'm saying
men for language simplicity.) Every 15 minutes the saw crew could take a 5 minute
break and one of them could rotate with the security man. That way, each man
spends a maximum of a half-hour on the business end of the saw before getting a
20-minute break. Once everyone is used to the drill, the interval between breaks
could be stretched to a half-hour. By sending out multiple teams, you get a larger
security detail, and it would be most effective to stagger the breaks so you always
have one - or more - security man on point. This reduces the risk of everyone
having to rely on sidearms until they can fight their way back to their rifles. (Which
is the purpose of a sidearm, in my book: It exists solely to fight your way back to the
rifle you shouldn't have let get out-of-reach in the first place. Or, to acquire another
rifle when yours breaks or runs dry. Bad troopie! No cookie!)

Don't have the personnel? Then use a one-man crosscut saw and have your lovely
bride or elder son be your security detail. Whatever you do, don't get in the habit of
sending out work details without a security detail! That's the easiest way there is to
take casualties and leave the door open to deadly infiltration. ([They see someone
wearing familiar clothing and say] "It's Okay! That's just Bob coming back from
cutting wood!") I am wholeheartedly against "going it alone" post-TEOTWAWKI. If
you're single and alone in the world, you need to build a support group of like-
minded individuals that you can rely on. They're just like finding the perfect bride:
They are out there. The problem is finding them. Trust me - I know from experience.
I come from a large clan (We're Celts -- the term clan has significant meaning for
us.), so I'll be relying on family. My Dad insured that my brothers and I were all well-
familiarized with the crosscut saw as a tool for doing real work. Along with the
scythe, the #2 shovel, and a host of other "old school" tools. Once you become
familiar with man-powered tools, you will be surprised what you can do in a day.

One way to reduce your exposure is to cut your wood to cord length (4 feet) in the
woods, cold deck it, then transport it back to the retreat via horse and sledge once
the snows come. (Personally, I'd leave it cold-decked for a year, and then transport
it once it's seasoned -- much easier on the people loading the sledge and the horses
pulling it. You should have at least two years' firewood stored at the retreat before
TSHTF anyway.) You can buck it to stove length back at the retreat with a one-man
saw. Better yet would be to have a water powered buzz saw at the retreat. Quiet,
but much less work! Any cord lengths that are too heavy to throw up on your
shoulder to tote to the cold deck can be hand split with a maul and wedges. Most
hardwoods are much easier to split green than once they've seasoned. This brings
up another point: Using steel mauls and wedges is just like ringing a bell. So learn
how to fabricate a wooden maul and wooden splitting wedges. It's not all that hard,
and the benefit of having your maul and wedges go "thwock" instead of having that
high-pitched ping of steel hitting steel is worth it. (The secret is to fashion your
wedges from green hardwood rounds, then set them aside to season for at least a
year. You can 'smith up some top rings for your wooden wedges and put them on
hot on the seasoned wedges that you've soaked in the rain barrel for a couple days.
The hot rings will compress the grain on the wedges so they don't split when hit
with the maul. You do the same thing on each end of the maul head, but - of course
- the rings are much bigger.)

Here are some sources for crosscut saws and the necessary tools to maintain them:

If you want a good quality new saw at a bargain price, Woodcraft.com carries a five-
foot German two-man saw for $74.99:

Lehmans.com carries the saw accessories that will allow you to maintain your saw.
The Federal Highway Administration has a series of articles on using and caring for
crosscut saws.

Have you caught on to the fact that when you live in the hinterboonies you operate
on a different time scale than the insane pace that city folk try to maintain? You
have to learn to think and plan in a completely different manner when you are
attempting to be self-reliant for the long term. It's not an easy adjustment. That's
why I agree with Mr. Rawles: You want to be [long hence] settled in and living at
your retreat when this post-modern world comes down around our ears.

One last admonition on "Sound Security:" Buy a [hunting] bow. Learn how to use it.
Learn how to stalk and take game with it. Learn to have confidence in it and in your
ability to provide for your family with it. Learn how to make a bow from wood from
your woodlot, and learn how to make and fletch arrows. Then, when the Schumer
goes through the turbines, leave your rifle slung while hunting and take your meat
with a well-placed arrow. Rifle reports carry even further than a chainsaw's banshee
shriek. Save your ammo for the hostiles. - Countrytek

JWR Adds: I addressed noise discipline in my novel "Patriots: Surviving the Coming
Collapse", but you are right that it has been insufficiently addressed in SurvivalBlog.
Thanks for sharing your comments on this subject. regarding bow hunting: Keep in
mind that most state game regulations prohibit carrying a rifle when bow hunting,
so your last comment would only apply to an absolute TEOTWAWKI situation.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Letter Re: Solar Power, Wind Power, 4WD Electric Vehicle, Wood Fired Brick Ovens

Permalink

James,

I am new to SurvivalBlog but I thought that I would share my experience and

thoughts with everyone. I have a totally off the grid ranch that is powered by wind
and solar. We have more electricity than we can use with a 40 kilowatt (KW) battery
bank, 2 KW of photovoltaics and 1.4 KW of wind power.
First I highly recommend a hybrid system, solar and wind. Usually when the sun
isn't shinning, the wind is blowing, especially when a storm is blowing in. My
batteries are usually full by 1100 hours in the summer and 1200 hours in the winter.
The rest of the power is wasted. The inverters can be programmed for a diversion
load such as a water heater or air heater. I have decided to get a 4WD electric
vehicle to dump the extra power into. The unit I have decided on is the Bad Boy
Buggy . It is used for hunting in the south because it is totally quiet. It has a 27 mile
range. There is no fuel to store and it would be excellent for silent patrolling as well
as chores around the ranch. I plan on storing extra batteries.

There was recently an post on wood-fired brick ovens. I got my plans from
www.ovencrafters.net. They have it all figured out and you can get as many as 12
baking batches from one firing. You can bake bread, cook pizza, roasts and turkey
as well. They are also fun and look cool.

There is a fairly new solar water pump out which is made by Grundfos. It is called
the SQ Flex. It can run on solar, wind or generator or any combination of the three.
You can pump water when its dark when the wind is blowing.

There are a lot of wind machines out there. I have found that many come and go.
The two [brands] that have always been there are Bergey Wind Power and
Southwest Wind Power. These guys have great customer support. I have one of
each. Storing spare parts is no problem. The SQ Flex pump is designed to work with
one of the Southwest Wind Power machines. Thanks for all the great info you
provide. - PED

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Two Letters Re: Constructing a High Efficiency (Low Current Draw) Refrigerator

Permalink

James:

Greetings from the rural Northeast, destination of choice for fleeing urban hordes!

I enjoyed the article from Australia a while back on converting a small chest freezer
into a low-power refrigerator. I had planned to undertake a project like that this
summer. I admired the elegance of the circuit design and the use of a latching relay
to lower the power consumption as low as possible.
When I read the letter about using a brewer's thermostat instead, though, I had the
same epiphany you did. Your BFO award is certainly appropriate, and I commend
Kurt for bringing the idea forward. The reasons may not readily apparent to the
majority of your readership however. I see the benefits of

the most recent solution as several:

* The switch is activated by capillary action from the temperature probe; it requires
no electricity whatsoever and is totally EMP-proof.

* It is an off-the-shelf solution at reasonable cost.

* It has a nice dead band (difference between on and off). This should be consistent
enough for food and medications, but not tight enough to cause overly frequent
cycling of the compressor.

* It is completely set-and-forget.

The only cons I would warn your readership about are:

* Because the switch is mechanically activated it will eventually fail.

Based on having used a couple these switches for monitoring outdoor temperature
in HVAC systems I would plan on a 10-15 year life span. Put a spare on the shelf. I
would probably dial the spare up to 80 degrees and store it someplace cool and
consistent like a root cellar to minimize the action on the diaphragm and lengthen
its life. Remember that these are

working whether they are plugged in or not. Someone more informed on these may
have a better opinion on how to store them long-term.

* If you crimp, crush, or break the tubing the unit will be completely and irreparably
dead. Run the tubing carefully through something like surface-mount wire mold to
protect it from falling objects, etc. Don't make any sharp-radius bends. Paint it with
lacquer or nail polish in corrosive

environments.

* It will require a separate temperature monitor for you to see what the fridge is
doing. I would recommend a digital thermometer with a remote probe for day to
day use and a mechanical (alcohol) backup inside the fridge for TEOTWAWKI and
double-checking. Both held in place with industrial Velcro for easy swap-out. An
example: this solar-powered fridge thermometer. (I have no first-hand experience
with this product.)

Overall, a simple and elegant elegant solution. I think I will pick two up for my
project this summer instead of going electronic; one for use and one for the shelf. I
am also thinking of gluing rigid foam insulation to the sides and top of the fridge
and wonder if other readers have an opinion on

the pros and cons of that.

Speaking of fridge thermometers, keep an eye out for health care expos, etc. in
your area. My brother was able to get nearly a dozen 2xAA-powered dual-display
LCD thermometers for free at one. They were geared toward refrigerators in
doctors' offices. These are promotional items branded by a vaccine company but
work just fine nonetheless.

On a completely unrelated note, a friend of mine with a remote camp here in Maine
is considering a hand pump as a backup for the well pump on his well. He found a
company, Bison Pumps, that has solutions for drawing water from up to 300 feet
down using hand power. I have no firsthand experience yet with the company or its
products. They appear to be using a stainless steel rod to actuate a moving foot
valve inside a 1 1/4" schedule 80 PVC tube that parallels the discharge tubing from
your regular well pump. I thought this was a practical solution.

I am relying on a generator to power my well pump in an emergency now but I

agree that noise discipline will be critical in a SHTF situation, and hand power
certainly trumps gasoline power for long-term peace of mind. Their pump looks very
well made, but at about $2,200 to get water up from my 180 foot well, it ain't
cheap. Having a couple hundred gallons of water already stored and a list of other
preps to finish leaves something like this somewhat lower on my list, but it is on the
list. Thanks for a great preparation resource and keep up the good work. - Mike in
Maine

JWR Replies: A hand-powered sucker rod pump will indeed work, but will be very
labor intensive. Typically, these pumps only lift the water two or three inches with
each stroke of the pump handle. So the first time that you raise the water that 180
feet, you may have to actuate the pump handle as many as 1,000 times. And if the
foot valve ever starts to leak, the water in the service line will drain overnight.
(Read: Possibly 1,000 extra strokes per day!) A more practical solution for deep
wells is to either use a jack ("cricket") type pump or a windmill to actuate the sucker
rod. Traditionally, sucker rods were made from hardwoods such as white ash. More
recently they've been made with metal or fiberglass. Even with ash wood, their
service life is measured in decades. The pump cylinders are made of brass and will
last many decades. However, the pump leathers will eventually wear out, so you
should consider buying a couple of spare sets and storing them someplace safe
from mice and moisture/mold. Unfortunately changing all of the leathers on a down-
hole sucker-rod actuated pump means yanking the entire sucker rod and then the
weight of all 180 feet of your service line. That is a lot of weight, requiring a heavy
duty hoist and of course all the usual "mind your head, fingers and toes" safety
precautions and protective gear. Lifting a 1-1/2" or 2" diameter 180 foot long pipe is
no problem for a pump company, but it would be a challenge for a typical rural
family working with an improvised hoist. I recommend that you watch your pump
company man carefully as he installs the pump in your well for the first time. You
will notice that the crucial piece required is the flange that catches the pipe unions
on each 20+ foot long section of service line pipe as they are raised or lowered in
the well casing. I've previously owned a jack type pump, and in my experience I
found them problematic. I would much rather use a submersible pump. Shallow
wells can use DC submersible pumps, but because of the rapid voltage drop in DC
cabling, deep wells are limited to AC well pumps. (Either run by an AC generator, or
from AC power supplied by an inverter in an alternative energy installation.)

Jim,

Regarding the refrigerator construction article, The Kill-A-Watt device measures

power usage and (among other things) RMS [root mean square] current draw. It
does not appear to measure peak current draw, which is a critical input when sizing
a stand-alone PV system. The compressor cycling on the freezer mentioned (which
may be exacerbated by the external controller) will make demands on the supply of
current that far exceed those implied by a 1 KW average power consumption. I
didn’t know if this would be obvious to your readers.

Keep up the good work. - Michael W.

Monday, June 4, 2007

SurvivalBlog Reader Poll: What is Your Profession?

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I'm amazed at the wide variety of people that read SurvivalBlog. I"m starting a new
poll: in seven words or less, tell us you profession, (via e-mail) and I will post an
anonymous list. For any of you that are doctors, lawyers, or engineers, and so forth
please state your specialty. If you have two (or more) vocations, please state the
both with a slash in between. (Such as "neurosurgeon / musician.")
As standard policy, unless specifically given permission I remove people's names,
titles, e-mail addresses, company names, and other identifiers from letters before I
post them. Without mentioning any names, let me briefly summarize some the
more notable readers that I already know about: NASA scientists, Lawrence National
Laboratories physicists, pharmacists, doctors in various specialties, Hollywood
actors, foundry workers, novelists, a rock-'n- roll musician, dojo masters, current
and former military intelligence officers, NSA intelligence analysts, stock analysts,
derivatives traders, aircraft mechanics, an astronaut, beekeepers, military and
civilian pilots (lots!), submariners, an underwater welder, veterinarians--including
one that is also an attorney, a prototype automobile modeler in Detroit, real estate
agents, truckers, organic farmers, a mushroom farmer, two fish farmers, research
chemists, an underwater photographer, U.S. Army Special Forces officers and NCOs,
Navy SEALs, petroleum engineers, umpteen electrical and computer engineers, and
dozens of police officers, paramedics, and firemen. I'll be interested to see what a
more complete list looks like!

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Letter Re: Hurricane Preparedness, by MFA

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Jim,

Well written article especially for a "newbie" to hurricanes in Florida. However, I

must take exception to the one item that MFA ignored: a standby generator! Life
after a storm in Florida without a generator can best be described in two words:
"absolute misery." Without going into details, a generator will mean the difference
between an Absolutely Miserable Time and a manageable Difficult Time.

Personally we have a Honda 6500 [6.5 KW] electric start generator to use during the
storm to provide power for lights, television Weather News and to keep the
refrigerators and freezers running. After the storm, we change over to the 40 KW
diesel generator that will power everything and then some.

Imagine the difference between working outside in 100 degree [Fahrenheit] heat
and going into a house that is 110+ degrees inside with no running water.

Now working in the 100 degree heat and going into a house that is 68 degrees and
has a nice shower with all the hot water you can use.

Like the old-time carnival barkers used to say, "you pay your money and you enjoy
what you pay for". Regards, - Roc O.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Letter Re: Batteries for Long Term Storage

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Jim::

A note about future trade items. Large conventional lead-acid batteries. They are
necessary for starting most vehicles, tractors, etc. They are necessary for off-grid
solar electric systems, et cetera. The problem as I see it is - long term storage. Most
batteries come filled - and degrade over time regardless if you use them or not.
Some companies are willing to sell batteries dry - for long-term storage - but even
that comes with a problem. Most batteries offered for sale as "dry" have actually
been filled once, charged, and then drained - thus the common term of "dry
charged." These batteries still degrade over time - it’s slower but still happens. For
long term battery storage, what is needed is a truly dry battery that has been
assembled but never filled or charged. Very few companies sell them this way, but
some do on special order.

JD from New York

JWR Replies: If stored "wet" typical automobile and deep cycle batteries will sulfate
to the point where they won't hold a charge after 8 or 9 years. You are correct that
the way to avoid this is to store batteries "dry"--sans battery acid. Some of the
larger battery distributors including Interstate Batteries will indeed provide truly
"dry" batteries on special order. But you are right: that you need to be sure that you
are getting batteries than have never been filled with electrolyte. And of course you
will need to also procure some carboys of battery acid. Filling batteries has its own
set of handling, safety, and storage concerns.

If you do things right, with enough cash you could potentially buy yourself a 30+
year supply of spare batteries for your vehicle(s) and for your alternative home
power system. And yes, JD, you are also correct that they will be an awesome barter
item.

Letter Re: Constructing a High Efficiency (Low Current Draw) Refrigerator

Permalink
Hi Jim

There was an article on your blog a few weeks ago about converting a chest freezer
into a low wattage refrigerator. I decided to make one of these as it is a great idea. I
purchased a 7 cu ft freezer at Home Depot for $200 and then bought this device
(the Johnson model) and that was all that I needed.

I first used it as a freezer and put a Kill A Watt [current monitor] on it. It averaged
1.13 KW per 24 hours. I then used the thermostat and used it as a refrigerator and
tested it with the Kill A Watt and [found that it then] used .536 kw per 24 hours. The
freezer is in the garage (average 80 degrees now) and as summer heats up, I'm
sure the usage will increase. (I'm in Florida) but I'm sure it will still draw less current
than a 100 w light bulb.

I do not have a photovoltaic (PV) system yet, but I am designing it so that it will
power the fridge, as well as other basic electrical needs. Best Regards, - The Other
Other Kurt

JWR Replies: Many thanks for sending those details! There are millions of diabetics
whose lives might be saved with effective refrigeration of insulin during a natural
disaster, localized power failure, or a widespread power grid failure (such as the
U.S. blackout in August of 2003). I am surprised that the various charitable
organizations involved in diabetes research and prophylaxis haven't made this sort
of information widely available. A small PV panel powered system is affordable for
most diabetics in First World countries.

OBTW, your letter just won you a Blinding Flash of the Obvious (BFO) award. I will
be sending you an autographed copy of one of my books.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Letter Re: Photovoltaic Versus Diesel Power Generation for Retreats

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Hi Jim,

I was a reader of Patriots before the [Y2K] rollover. Thank you!. Here in the Northern
New England, I made the same calculations, and decided to stockpile off road diesel
and kerosene. The other major component is used vegetable oil, usually available
free from restaurants, who otherwise pay to have it hauled by a recycling outfit. My
20 h.p. Listeroid diesel runs fine on waste vegetable oil (WVO). So does the 13hp
Hatz backup generator, along with an '85 Diesel Suburban and '82 Diesel Rabbit.
Filter the big stuff out using more coarse filters like a pillowcase. Filter the
remaining fines through a good fuel filter, like a Racor, which should last at least
hundreds of hours (2,000-3,000 miles.) I prefer the toilet paper filters available from
Gulf Coast Filters or Franz. They absorb and trap water, filter to sub-micron levels,
and cost two bits to replace. Remember that older diesel injection pumps were not
designed for very low lubricity fuel like the Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel which is now
mandated country-wide. Put some motor oil or veggie oil into your diesel tank to
make your injection pump last. If you have a pump rebuilt, specify stainless (Arctic)
components. They wear much better. Finally, if you're relying on your gennie or
diesel vehicle in a post SHTF era where lubricants may be scarce and expensive,
filter your crankcase oil through a bypass filter. The same toilet paper filters work
great. Use soft Charmin for fuel filtering, and 1000 sheet rock-hard Scottissue for
crankcase oil. You can also burn used crankcase oil in your diesel engines. Just filter
it first. Around here, it's not legit to transport "waste" crankcase oil over the road,
since it's an environmental hazard, so I only move "used" crankcase oil. ;-) Be sure
to store in quality tankage. You don't want the stuff in your ground water! I drive
slow and carefully. Regards, - David T.

JWR Replies: Thanks for sharing your knowledge, particularly on WVO. OBTW, you
mentioned burning a mixture containing used crankcase oil in your diesel engines.
That will indeed work, but keep in mind that used crankcase oil has been
documented to be carcinogenic, because it contains polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH.) So use great care to not let any of it touch your skin when
transporting/handling/filtering/dispensing it.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Letter Re: Photovoltaic Versus Diesel Power Generation for Homes and Retreats

Permalink

Jim,

I am taking the 10 Cent Challenge and have made a contribution. I have been
reading SurvivalBlog for about a month and intend to keep making my contribution
for the next foreseeable future..This is an awesome site.
I have been wanting a solar array to add to my survival plan, According to the
calculations I need to have the capacity to produce about 1KW adjusted to .75 KW.
In order to adequately provide for my housing needs, minimal water pumping,
lighting, small appliances, computer, phones, network, some TV, battery charging ,
fans for sleeping.

We are in Mississippi along the coast. Yes we were victims of [Hurricane] Katrina
and lost nearly everything. Our house was still standing, though wet and [we had]
no electricity for over 6 weeks.

I digress. As part of our plan we have since Katrina installed two diesel powered
generators and still have the old gas standby one still running well from pre-Katrina
Days. The 4,500 watt gasoline generator burns about a gallon per hour more or less
when running to keep the water pumped, and make life reasonably tolerable.

We installed a bank of batteries, rated 990 amps of 12V at full charge, on an

inverter/charger, (3KW/6KW 100 amp @12V). Re-charging them is simultaneous
when running the generator.

One of the generators is a single cylinder 6HPrated Lister clone diesel ($950) which
runs at a very low 650 RPM . It is connected to a 10 HP single phase generator
($689) and produces up to 39 amps of 115 VAC (about 8,900 watts) while only using
about a 1⁄4 gallon of diesel per hour. This one runs whenever we need to recharge
the batteries or during the summer months during the heat of the day when we
need to air condition to make the house habitable. Did I mention we are on the
coast in Mississippi? ( 95 degree days with 90% humidity.)

Our other generator is a 28 HP 15KW diesel monster ($2100) and it produces 72

amps of 230V while burning about 3/4 gallon per hour. It is only used when I need to
do some heavy duty welding and not disrupt the smiling partner. (Note to all,-- it is
extremely important to keep your partner smiling).

While extremely fuel efficient ($ about 0.07 per KWH) the diesels do require to be
fed and maintained. Except for the summer months, they run only for about 5 hours
per day, doing the washing, pumping, and charging up the batteries for the
overnight span. Overnight the only loads are the TV for a couple of hours, the
computers and associated networking for a couple of hours, refrigerator, lighting ,
well pump and the ceiling fans in 3 bedrooms for sleeping. This works very well, and
we are able to run most months on less than a barrel of diesel (50 gallons at $2.37
in today’s prices = $118.50). Our electric bill Pre- Katrina averaged over $250 per
month. In effect we have achieved survivability and lowered our cost of utilities.

While the cost of our home grown electricity is low, on the down side, there is the
noise factor and the constant cost of diesel , Thus I have researched extensively the
Holy Grail of energy production, meaning Solar. Once in place the solar system
requires no feeding (read $0.00) and very little maintenance. Where, oh where are
the low cost solar photovoltaic (PV) panels?

The best I can come up with to generate up to ( note this is not a fixed number but
is hopeful peak value) 900 - 1000 watts per hour of sunlight, is a cost of about
$3,980 for materials.

Here in Mississippi we get 1,664 hours of PV usable sunlight per year. This sunlight
would generate, hopefully 1,497 KWH at 90% efficiency. At current rates, and
assuming no battery failures or charge controller failures or inverter failures (quite a
few "ifs" in there) it takes a long 22 years and 2 months for break even. (Hopefully
the system will last that long).

Sorry , but I am not quite that long-term oriented. I believe the best bang for my
dollar is putting the same money into diesel storage (at today’s prices = 1,679
gallons) so that in the event of a TEOTWAWKI I will be able to maintain just as I am
for about 38 months, or by stretching and economizing can survive for up to five
years on this diesel.

What am I missing here? I know a lot of the puzzle is still missing , but where oh
where are the low cost panels so that one could begin generating solar electricity
for a reasonable cost of $1.00 per watt which will allow a payback within 5 years, or
better still $0.50 per watt that would allow us to recover the cost within 30 months?

As for me, I am purchasing clean used 55 gallon drums without a removable top, for
$5.00 each and am in the process of making the run every few days to the fuel
depot to get the $2.37 /gallon off road diesel. Cached securely these will provide for
our family and give great barter potential in an extended SHTF situation. Thanks, -
L.W.

JWR Replies: The best prices that I have found on PV panels and inverters are from
Ready Made Resources. They have some brand new panels at around $5.00 per
watt. They also offer free consulting on alternative power system design.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Letter Re: Running a Laptop from a Jump Pack in a Short Term Emergency

Permalink

JWR:

Through a minor power disruption event, I made some discoveries that I thought I
would share. A laptop computer can be run by an inverter of proper size. A laptop
can be powered by a jump pack with a 12 VDC power port. The jump box can be
recharged by a hand crank 12 VDC generator. We were able to continue e-mail and
business communications, since the wireless towers are generator backup powered.
This is good to know in local or short term disasters. - JG

JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that topic. In my experience, running a laptop
(and/or charging a cell phone) from a 12VDC "car adapter" (DC-to-DC adapter)
plugged into your jump pack is far more efficient than using an AC inverter and then
a DC "power cube" transformer. That way you are just changing one DC voltage to
another DC voltage--instead of a DC-to-AC-and-transformed-back-to-DC proposition.
(Which is very inefficient.)

To keep your "jump pack" charged, a hand crank generator does indeed work--even
one McGyvered from an electric drill motor. But I've found that is labor intensive
and time consuming. I'm more of a fan of photovoltaic (PV) power panels, such as
the small panels available from Northern Tool & Equipment--one of our Affiliate
Advertisers. At Northern Tool's web site, search on Item # 339973. OBTW, jump
pack variants are available with either110 VAC (US/Canada) and 220 VAC (UK)
utility power charging cords.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Letter Re: Advice on Diesel Vehicles--Motorcycles and ATVs?

Permalink

Dear Mr. Rawles:

I already had a diesel Ford tractor, so I took your advice and got a diesel pickup,
and I'm shopping for a used [diesel] Mercedes. Those things run forever. And as my
budget allows, I'll also plan to buy a diesel generator to replace my gasoline backup
generator. So now I have logistics problem: I have two types of fuel to store, since
my motorcycle, Polaris ATV, and my Husqvarna chainsaw all use gasoline. Diesel
stores way longer than gas. But I guess that there is no way to avoid having some
gas vehicles and tools.

JWR Replies: If you do some searching, you can find diesel-powered dirt bikes. Last
year, Arctic Cat introduced a diesel ATV, and Roush Industries has developed an
interesting variant of the diesel Arctic Cat. But I suppose that the jury is still out on
reliability of these new diesel ATV models. (One of my grandfather's sage mottos
was: "Never buy the first year of any new model car or truck." I suppose that the
same caveat should apply to other vehicles and any other complex machinery.)

As for chainsaws, there were a few diesel saws made decades ago, but they never
caught on, since diesels are inherently heavier than gas engines of the same
displacement, and they typically have lower RPM. However, one possibility is the
ethanol chainsaw variant made for the Brazilian market by Stihl. But I'm not sure
where you could lay your hands on one in the U.S.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Letter Re: Potential Range of Nuclear Weapon EMP?

Permalink

Mr. Rawles:

I'm confused. Some things that I've read say that the maximum range of [nuclear
weapon electromagnetic pulse] EMP is about 60 miles, but others say 200 or 250
miles. Which of them is right? Wouldn't a terrorist bomb at ground level have
shorter range EMP than a nuke touched off at high altitude or low orbit? (With a
wider horizon.) Thanks, - Lance in Nebraska
JWR Replies: You aren't the first SurvivalBlog reader to ask about the greatest
potential effective range of an EMP-optimized nuclear detonation. I first discussed
this in SurvivalBlog back in October of 2005. The answer is both easy and
impossible to determine. Let me explain. First, the easy part. The basic line of sight
(LOS) footprint range calculation is really simple. It is essentially the same as the
calculation that is used to determine the maximum effective range for a VHF or UHF
radio onboard an aircraft. Referring back to one of my unclassified notebooks from
my Electronic Warfare (5M) course at Fort Huachuca, I find: Assuming level terrain,
the maximum potential radius of LOS in nautical miles (nmi) = square root of the
emitter's altitude (in feet) x 1.056. Hence, that would be 149.3 nmi at 20,000 feet
above sea level (ASL), or 191.8 nmi at 33,000 feet ASL. (A typical jet or C-130's
service ceiling.) SurvivalBlog reader "Flighter" mentioned: "...some of the larger
business jets such as the Airbus ACJ, Gulfstream, Challenger, and Citation are
certificated to fly at or above 41,000 feet. The Sino Swearingen SJ30, is perhaps the
highest flyer with a certificated ceiling of 49,000 feet. Hypothetically, a dangerous
parabolic flight profile could with supplemental oxygen for the flight crew and
perhaps even supplemental JATO rockets might push apogee to 75,000 feet in a few
aircraft models. (Hey, it would be a suicidal flight anyway.) That is probably the
highest altitude that could be expected for a terrorist to touch off a nuke--at least in
the near future. That would equate to a footprint with a 280 mile radius. Oh, yes,
they might also get really creative and use an unmanned balloon. (The word's
record for those was 51.82 km (170,000 feet / 32.2 miles) But that is highly unlikely.
What is likely? A ground level detonation. The EMP footprint of fission bomb
detonated near ground level on dead level ground (plains country) might be no
more than a 45 mile radius.

Now on to the part that is impossible to predict: long range linear coupling.
Because telephone lines, power lines, and railroad tracks will act as giant antennas
for EMP, the EMP waveforms will be coupled through those structures for many,
many miles beyond line of sight (BLOS). Just how many miles BLOS is not yet
known. I believe that if it were not for the advent of the Partial Test Ban Treaty in
1963 (which banned atmospheric and space nuclear weapons tests), the DOD and
AEC would have had the opportunity to conduct far more extensive tests to further
characterize the panoply of potential EMP effects. But those test bans have kept us
in the dark. In the absence of practical data, there is a lot guesswork, even among
"applied physics" expert nuclear weapons physicists. We may not know the full
extent of the EMP risk until after we see that bright flash on the horizon.
For planning purposes, you can probably safely assume that if you are living more
than 280 miles from a major city, then your vehicle electronics will be safe from a
terrorist nuke's EMP. (Since you will be BLOS to the EMP footprint of a nuke that is
set off below 75,000 feet ASL.) Your home electronics, however, anywhere in
CONUS might be at risk due to long range linear coupling--that is if your house is on
grid power. This, BTW, is one more good reason for you to set up your own off-grid
self sufficient photovoltaic (PV) power system. The folks at Ready Made Resources.
offer free consulting on PV system sizing, site selection, and design.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Letter Re: Advice on Where to Learn Practical, Tactical Skills

Permalink

Dear Jim:

As my confidence in the dollar depreciates and my desire for skills increases, I'm
wanting to convert FRNs into hands-on knowledge. What weeknight or weekend
workshops would you recommend? Are there any places where you can learn Army
Ranger skills without joining the military? Animal husbandry, and so on? - Spencer

JWR Replies: There is a tremendous wealth of free or low-cost classes available--

enough to keep you busy every weekend of the year if you are willing to drive a
distance. If you have time and just a bit of money, you can get some very well-
rounded training in skills that are quite applicable to post-TEOTWAWKI living. In my
experience, the most cost-effective training opportunities in the U.S. include:

American Red Cross First Aid and CPR classes

Local Community College, Park District, and Adult Education classes. They offer
classes on metal shop, auto shop, wood shop, leather crafting, ceramics, baking,
gardening, welding, and so forth.

RWVA Appleseed Shoots. These are held all over the nation. They offer great
training for very little money. The West Side Sportsman's Club, located on the west
side of Evansville, Indiana is hosting the national RWVA shoot on June 30 / July 1st.
The Red Brush Gun Range, located on the east side of Evansville is having another
Appleseed, and they're also having an Appleseed Boot Camp. The boot camp starts
on Monday October 22 thru Friday Oct. 26th. Then the Appleseed Shoot is on
Saturday Oct. 27 and Sunday Oct. 28. The deal is if you want to attend both the
Boot Camp and the Appleseed match, you do so for $200. Yes, for just $200 you can
have seven days of top notch marksmanship training.

U.S. Army ROTC classes, the ROTC Ranger program (administered by individual
university ROTC Departments), and ROTC Leader's Training Course, aka Basic
Camp). The first two years of the ROTC program--including Leader's Training
Course--are available to any full-time enrolled undergraduate college student
(including "cross-enrolled" junior college students) with no contractual obligation.
Participation in the ROTC Ranger program by anyone other than enrolled ROTC
cadets is usually up to the discretion of the instructor or the PMS. When I was in a
ROTC Ranger program back in the early 1980s, we had two Marine Corps PLC
students and an Administration of Justice (police science) major in our Ranger
program, as supernumeraries. So even if you don't sign up for ROTC classes, you
might be able to be involved in a Ranger program. Of particular note: If you sign up
for the four week ROTC Leader's Training Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, you will
actually get paid to attend, plus get a couple of free pairs of combat boots. To be
eligible to participate in ROTC, you must be under 31 years of age on Dec 31 st of
the year that you expect to graduate. (Or possibly 34 years old, with waivers.) The
best chance to get a slot at the ROTC Leader's Training Course is during your
sophomore year of college, but when I was there I met a graduate student that had
wangled a slot. (He eventually got a direct commission, by virtue of his ROTC
"contact hours")

LDS (Mormon) cannery classes/canning sessions. Many "wards" have their own
canneries, which are generally open to non-Mormons. (OBTW, the LDS food storage
calculator web page is a very useful planning tool.)

FEMA / CERT Classes (Classroom and Internet courses, some with team
commitment)

ARRL amateur radio classes.

Species-Specific or Breed-Specific Livestock and Pet Clubs

NRA and State Rifle and Pistol Association training and shooting events

Fiber Guilds (spinning and weaving) and local knitting clubs

Mountain Man/Rendezvous Clubs (Blackpowder shooting, flint knapping, soap

making, rope making, etc.)

University/County Agricultural Extension and Cattleman's Club classes on livestock,

gardening, weed control, canning, et cetera

Medical Corps small group classes. I heard that they have scheduled just one hands-
on Combat/Field Medicine Course thusfar for 2007. It will be at the OSU Extension
Campus, in Belle Valley Ohio, April 20-21-22. That class is full, but check their web
site for additional course dates. They offer great training--including advanced life
saving topics that the American Red Cross doesn't teach--at very reasonable cost.

Volunteer Fire department (VFD) classes (usually with some commitment)

Candle and Soap Making Clubs/Conventions

Boy Scouts and 4H. Informal, un-enrolled ("strap hanger") training is available for
adults--just take your kids to the meetings and don't leave.

I would also consider these less important (but still worthwhile) training
opportunities, as time permits:

Sheriff's posse and Search and Rescue (SAR) programs

Police department "Ride Along" and Police Reserve programs

Civil Air Patrol (CAP) courses.

Civic/Ethnic Club cooking classes

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Letter Re: Three Liabilities Addressed: Refrigeration, Sanitation, and Fuel

Permalink

Jim,

This is in response to "Three Liabilities Addressed: Refrigeration, Sanitation, and

Fuel" article [by James D.]: Refrigeration is only a big problem for survival when one
makes poor choices and is dependent on obtaining fuel for a generator to power a
typically inefficient refrigerator. Refrigeration is relatively easy if one has planned
ahead and made the right investments in both refrigeration and power generation
before a crisis when one can still get the required system components.

Most refrigerators and freezers are inefficient, often using 500 to 1,000+ watts per
hour. Choosing the right refrigerator, adding insulation to its exterior, and being
careful not to open it too much can get the load down to about 100 watts per hour.
Australian Tom Chalko published an article in 2005 showing how to convert a
standard chest freezer into an extremely energy efficient refrigerator that uses 0.1
KWH per day.

A 750 watt photovoltaic system (five 150 watt panels, a 750+ watt inverter, and a
battery) is enough to power the 100 watt per hour refrigerator. However, Tom
Chalko's design only needs one 40 watt panel [$300 to $400 at typical retail ripoff
rates], a 40+ watt inverter [$34 at The Inverter Store], and one battery - the total
investment would be about $500. Inverters will typically last 10 years for the
premium brands (e.g. Fronius, Kaco, Xantrex, SMA America) while the panels will
last 25 to 40 years. Note that using a 12 volt DC refrigerator eliminates the need for
inverters.

One could easily stockpile several extra small inverters and store them in a Faraday
cage. They also would be a good post-collapse trade good.
For multi-generational collapses once the inverters and solar panels die, lead acid
batteries and DC direct driven wind turbine technologies are sustainable and could
be locally manufactured using home garage scale workshops. In an absolute worst
case scenario, [in northern climates where ponds and lakes freeze in winter] one
uses the refrigeration solution used for hundreds of years in Europe:

1) Find a cave or build a sufficiently large underground root cellar.

2) Heavily insulate the structure using natural materials such as straw bales

3) Every winter, use the natural freezing cycles to make large volumes of ice blocks

4) Store the ice blocks in the structure and insulate them with saw dust

5) Store food in the portion of the structure surrounded by ice

6) Use smaller, insulated ice chest in individual homes for day-to-day refrigeration
and resupply the ice chest with ice from the large storage cellar or cave every
several days.

Ultimately, knowledge of the right appropriate technology (some high tech but
mostly alternative design approaches successfully used in the past or in third world
countries that were often abandoned in the West as cheaper energy destroyed their
economics) can show us ways solve many of our daily technical problem.They can
tell us what tools, supplies, and components we need to stockpile while they are still
available (including many items that may not be on common survival check lists).
They can also allow us to live in a more sustainable, low energy fashion that saves
money in good times and maintains a minimum living standard in post-crash or
post-disaster scenarios--when the bulk of the population who failed to prepare are
struggling simply to live. - Dr. Richard

JWR Replies: I agree with you on the efficacy of PV-powered refrigeration. A small
system can indeed produce sufficient power for a small refrigerator--certainly
enough for insulin storage for a diabetic. Ditto for anyone with sleep apnea that is
dependent on an electrically-powered constant positive airway pressure (CPAP)
breathing machine. One such PV power system was detailed in SurvivalBlog back in
early 2006. And, as recently mentioned in SurvivalBlog, pre-packaged PV power
systems are available from Ready Made Resources. (A loyal SurvivalBlog
advertiser.) They even offer free consulting on system sizing, site selection, and
design.
Friday, March 2, 2007

Letter Re: Lessons From an Unexpected Grid Down Weekend

Permalink

Hi Jim,

We just had a bout with Mother Nature and lost power which appeared at first to be
for some time. I am happy to report that my “list” generated from this un-expected
“grid-down” weekend was very very very short. I attribute this success and
wonderful feeling to what I have gleaned from your publications, SurvivalBlog, and a
few very good friends! We were without power for about 40 hours and really only
had two “needs”. I was actually “disappointed” when the power came back on. J Oh,
and we did not use the power generation until hour 38 and were still very
comfortable. The generation was only used for the following two items.

The following were my bigger decisions that I made, or pondered-

1). Knowing this was likely a short term situation, (i.e. - 2 weeks or less) I decided to
maintain the freezers via generation.

2). Given the demands of livestock, we were considering a short-term need of

pumped water, (rather than relocate to surface water).

The situation for livestock watering led me down a path I had not thought of. How to
keep the stock tanks heated without wasting valuable fuel and without the
necessary sunlight for solar solutions, (i.e.- bad storm, no sun). Given our outside
temps, we were fortunate, but it could have been sub-zero.

In talking with my Father, he mentioned that a wood fired or corn cob fired
submersible tank heater was how they maintained open water back in the day
without power. I have searched online and so far have not found anything but a
Japanese wood fired spa/ tank heater called a CHOFU. (See www.thesolar.biz for the
CHOFU and other items. I have no affiliation with them.) What I would really like to
find is a coal fired tank heater that can last longer and be without the fumbling of
wood ignition in the raw of a storm. Does anyone have some answers on this
matter?

The storm broke off many hundreds of power poles leaving behind downed and
dangerous power lines, (which were very hard to see). This brought another
valuable lesson. A secondary exit route from our property in the event that the lines
above our drive are on the ground, (something I had not thought of).
In the mix of the storm, I helped a friend wire his furnace into his generator, (taking
all the appropriate safety measures and considering Lineman safety) in a matter of
15 minutes. This was truly rewarding.

In my discussions with him later, we decided that we were better off having our own
private well rather than what we felt was a disadvantage of being on a “community
well”. Namely for getting water without power. In the instance we discussed, the
well only served about six homes and boasted a 5 HORSEPOWER well pump! I hate
to think of the cost of the generator needed to power up that baby, and the likely
voltage drop in running extension cords to the location of the well in this instance
would not even be feasible.

There are positives to a community well; I am simply outlining the disadvantage as

we saw it in our situation.

As a side note, make sure that the alternative power supply to the well pump is
sufficient to not “lag” the startup of the motor. I think this is the quick death of
electronics. It is easier on the well pump to keep the pump running than to stop and
start it, keep that in mind for future reference. I wanted to take this opportunity to
say “Thank You” for the SurvivalBlog site. I hope you find reward in another success
story and hope others act on their intentions as well, so they may experience the
peace I had during this very simple situation. I would feel more embarrassed than I
do had I not contributed to the Ten Cent Challenge, pre-storm! I suggest the many
others who value your service contribute to the cause. It only takes seconds, and it
can save lives. (Does that sound like it is worth $36.50 a year???) Read it, Learn it,
Buy it, Use it! - The Wanderer

Monday, February 26, 2007

Poll Results: Best Occupations for Both Before and After TEOTWAWKI

Permalink

In no particular order, the following are the first batch of responses to my poll
question on the best occupations or home businesses for both before and after
TEOTWAWKI:

Locksmith/Home security systems installer/repairman

--

Beekeeping

Small scale vegetable gardening.

Growing herbs (medicinal)

--

1) Electricity:

a. Recharge batteries for folks, rebuild the bad batteries, and lots of folks don’t
know squat about electricity for lighting, etc. Got several methods: Solar,
miscellaneous generators powered by hand, animal, wind and even the old one lung
gas engine with that darn heavy flywheel.

b. Also use the above for communications when there aren’t cell phones or twisted
pair communications. HF, VHF, UHF and Wi-Fi.

c. Also for Wi-Fi between homes and towns if computers survive.

2) Maintain RVs and trailers with their associated systems: furnaces, lighting, water,
pumps, et al.

3) Make more Stills like the one I have and produce nerve tonic and fuel.

4) Medical: Apply those smelly herbs I find, grow and use. Not to mention sewing up
the occasional cut and tear, set the odd bone and generally try to avoid surgery
(Ha!) Let’s not even talk about handling boils, although that will be around too.

5) Sorta medical: Collect, cure the Knick-Knick and sell tobacco.

6) Use my HF radios to send mail to and from families far away.

7) Make leather cups for pumps when there isn’t any molded rubber around.

--

Growing and maintaining quality heritage based [heirloom /non-hybrid] produce for
a local farmers market but also a "seed saver" program to provide quality heritage
seeds for sale or barter for future gardens.

--

Almost anything in the medical field: EMT, Nurse, doctor

Stay at home parent

Teacher/tutor

Translator - post TEOTWAWKI, there won't be handy computer programs to help out,
and there are a lot of non-English speakers in any suburb, let alone anything larger
Tailoring/Alterations

Chef/cook

--

1. Mechanic / bodywork man. People tend to hold onto cars and equipment much
longer during hard times, and fix up their existing vehicles instead of buying new.

2. Handyman - Same basic idea as above. Also lots of work installing insulation,
wood stoves, energy-efficient appliances, security improvements and of course
repairing damage from natural disasters.

3. Musician - The guy who can play the guitar always seems to do okay anywhere
where people suffer. Whether it's in a prison, a starving country torn up by civil war,
or just a campfire with a bunch of tired cowboys, people want to be able to relax
and forget about the real world for a while.

--

Clothes and shoe manufacturing/repair

--

Dentistry/Oral Surgery

--

Make/sell small DC generators, and use them for charging batteries for cash/barter),
as shown at The Epicenter.com

--

Health care (physician, nursing) is always good.

--

Farmer or Rancher (self-sufficient and rural)

Mechanic (keeping stuff running)

Any sort of health care provider - Doctor/Nurse/Paramedic/EMT (*the only down-side

is you may get wrapped up treating endless victims though)

Veterinarian

--

Farrier/blacksmith
--

Leatherwork. "It is a booming business for skilled leather workers right now; people
will pay ridiculously high prices for custom made goods. Being able to build and
mend saddles, shoes, bags, belts, and all manner of useful items is not only a handy
skill to have, but there's decent money in it. Right now, it's more of a luxury to most
people to have leather goods custom made for them, since there are many other
options on the market for our everyday needs. But once the supply of cheap
garbage from China is cut off, and our technology is thrown back a couple hundred
years, leather will return to its place as an essential material. And knowing how to
work with leather will be a prized skill. As well as having the proper tools to do it."

--

Chicken raising/breeding

Bee-keeping

--

Mechanic - "An automobile or aircraft mechanic (and perhaps some other similar
crafts) has developed the skills to repair a number of existing devices in addition to
the devices they were specifically trained on, i.e. generator/appliance repair or
gunsmithing."

--

Electrician

Blacksmith

Mechanic

--

Farm equipment repairman

Armorer

Welder

--

1. Survival skills trainer/practitioner (firearms instructor, gunsmith, hunter/trapper,

adventure guide, blacksmith, carpenter (if with manual tools), plumber, cooper,
potter, candle maker, stonemason/bricklayer, etc.). Skills that you can use or have
value in trade, and that do not depend upon electricity are definitely the most
valuable of all occupations. Having an array of these skills is the very best.

2. Physician (especially general practice, surgeon, or OB-GYN)

3. Farmer/rancher

4. EMT, RN, midwife

5. Survival supplies dealer

6. Engineer (mechanical, electrical, civil, metallurgical/materials) - if practically

oriented and skilled outside of the computer, and not management.

7. Electrician (power generation & distribution, communication

8. Army, Marine, or SpecOps military officer below rank of General (for both hard
skills and leadership)

9. Engine repair / mechanic / machinist

10. Teacher

11. Lawyer (just kidding!)

--

Nurseryman with perennial food plants- berries, fruits, herbs, rhubarb, horseradish,
Jerusalem artichokes, etc.

--

Solar power technology business

Monday, February 19, 2007

Two Letters Re Converting A Gasoline Engine Generator Set to Propane

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Hi Jim,

Regarding the thread on converting generators to propane, last year I installed a tri-
fuel conversion kit on my 7.5 KW generator, that has a Honda engine. [Since the
conversion] it works perfectly and [the conversion kit] was very easy to install. If the
[grid] power goes out, I can switch it to the piped-in natural gas and if that goes out,
I can either use propane or gasoline.

I also got an inexpensive solar trickle charger and connected that to the battery, so
that the battery is always fully charged. Best Regards, - Kurt

JWR Replies: I consider the small (5 watt) 12 VDC battery trickle chargers that you
mentioned a must for every retreat. We have one for each of our vehicles here at
the ranch. Keeping one of these connected to your backup generator battery is a
great idea. They are available from Northern Tool & Equipment. (One of our Affiliate
Advertisers.) At Northern Tool's web site, search on Item # 339973.

Jim

Propane is a good long term fuel for home and engine use as long as "the system"
continues to work. How long will you be able to maintain your power needs after the
balloon goes up?

Things to think about, [are]:

What are the common failure parts in you genset and automobile?

What are your consumables, gas, oil, diesel, hoses, gaskets?

How long can you practically extend oil changes and not damage your engines?

Can you add a oil purifier to your engine?

Wood gasifiers are a proven and reliable source of fuel to run engines for the long
term. As long as there are trees and shrubs then you have fuel.

The GENGAS web page has charts and plans for a stratified down draft gasifier that
can run all manner of internal combustion engines including diesels cars and
generators.

If you want to see the kind of engines that stand the test of time go down to your
local farm and see how many of the old tractors are still running [that were made]
from the 1940s to the 1960s.

I would be careful about spending money on conversions that will only be useful
while the [modern commercial] supply system is running.
One other note: How safe is your fuel storage from fire and to incoming [small arms]
fire? Large propane tanks can and have leveled city blocks when set on fire. In some
locales underground tanks are illegal so a block house away from your main
structure would be in order, and security for same must be reviewed.

Now think of your last power outage. How quiet was your neighborhood? How far
does the sound of your genset carry?

Remember that needs and wants are a long way apart. Skills are cheap and you can
accumulate lots of those and no one can take them from you. Goods cost money
and they can be taken or lost. The short of it is: do not buy what you can learn to
build or do without. In my humble opinion the best way to survive is to organize like
a Special Forces team with overlapping skill sets. And never rule out mobility as
strategically v have any choice. Learn all you can about it. Good reference books to
have are the U.S. Army's FM 7-8 on infantry tactics and battle drills and the Ranger
handbook. A third "must have" is ST 31-91B US Army Special Forces medical
handbook. As the motto [borrowed from the British SAS] goes: "Who dares, wins".

Sorry for the rambling but I read your blog every day at 0400 and don't get to write
that often. so I start my day with a good cup of coffee and good friends. God Bless
and Semper Paratus, - Mike H.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Letter Re Converting A Gasoline Engine Generator Set to Propane

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Jim,

I believe I mentioned this to you before. There is a company in West Virginia that
makes the whole kit to convert just about any generator to propane, even tractors,
with a phone call:

http://www.propane-generators.com/ - Sid, Near Niagara Falls, New York

Friday, February 16, 2007

Letter Re Converting A Gasoline Engine Generator Set to Propane

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Hi Jim,
A friend just sent this note to me and I thought I should pass it on to the
SurvivalBlog readers:

I finished the generator conversion this weekend. I converted my generator from

gasoline to propane. I had to order the big regulator (Garretson) from an online
supplier.

These are a 'demand' [feed] regulator and will only deliver propane if something is
pulling on it. Once the engine is shut off, it quits delivering gas. I started by
removing the gas tank and fittings, then

stripped the carb down, removing everything that had anything to do with fuel
delivery. I left the throttle and choke in place.

Using RTV/Silicone by Permatex, I plugged every hole and orifice in the carb except
the main fuel delivery tube. Ace Hardware provided most of the brass fittings. The
really tough fitting was the elbow that goes into the bottom of the carb. I managed
to find an elbow with a heavy wall barb and just threaded the barb to match the
threads in the carb. Everything else was 'plug and play'.

Skagit Farm Supply was the source the tank regulator, 12 foot hose, and fittings to
adapt the hose to the Garretson regulator. I elected to go with a tank regulator
having about four times the flow capacity

of a barbeque grill regulator. I salvaged the propane tank fitting from an old
barbecue grill and modified it by drilling out the passages and knocking out the
check ball. This modification was done to assure

adequate gas flow in cold weather. I also took the needle valve apart and cleaned it,
then applied a liberal dose of Crystolube 111 lubricant to the threads and "O" ring.
Crystolube is an oxygen-safe

lubricant and is not affected by any petroleum product. I tightened the gland nut
down to the point that the needle valve has enough drag/resistance so that it won't
move from vibration when the genset

is running.

The 1/4 inch fuel line (regulator to carb) was sourced from a Shuck's Auto Supply
store and the fuel line clamps were salvaged from the original gas tank. This really
isn't critical, as there is no positive pressure in this line.

I made the regulator bracket from a piece of 1/8" x 3/4" mild steel strap and
installed it with fasteners I salvaged from the gas tank mounting.
Total cost of the conversion parts was in the neighborhood of $110 (perhaps a little
less.)

So, how does it run? Perfectly. I should have removed the choke and will the next
time I have the carb off. The choke is unnecessary, as the Garretson regulator has a
'prime' button it to give the carb a

shot of propane. The engine starts on the first pull and the mixture was very easy to
adjust.

[My generator set is a] 4000/4400 Watt genset with Subaru Robin 9 h.p. engine. It
should run about 12 hours on a 'grill size' tank of propane. I will eventually be
plumbing this into the house propane system so I don't have to mess with the little
tanks.

I am impressed with the little Subaru Robin engine. It is an overhead cam /

overhead valve engine and is beautifully made. It also runs at less than half the
noise level of the last genset I had. I would say

this engine is equal to or better than a same-sized Honda engine, and having heard
a Honda genset run, the Subaru is quieter. I would not hesitate to do this again.

Hope this can be beneficial to you and your readers. God Bless! - Steve, Still in
Seattle

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Letter Re: Observations on the Recent Missouri Ice Storm

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Mr. Rawles,

I live in Southwestern Missouri. Did you followed the ice storm that buried the
Midwest? We got hit pretty hard. We get hit hard every four or five years. Which
brings me to my point. I have never seen so many unprepared people in all my life.
After day two of the ice storm power was out (for a month in a lot of places like
Springfield). There were no gas cans to be found at any store. Batteries, disposable
propane bottles, flashlights, milk, and meat were missing from the shelves of every
store. Even Wally World [Wal-Mart] was bare. Kerosene shot up to as much as six
dollars a gallon just before the pumps went dry. And generators? Forget it. Blood
sucking companies were trucking in generators in 18 wheelers then selling them in
parking lots for outrageously inflated prices.

I work part time at a nation wide auto parts store so I got to see some ground level
action. Folks were buying seven dollar flashlights just for the two D cell batteries in
them. I watched a guy buy a twenty dollar torch kit just for the three dollar bottle of
propane it came with. I know we're not talking about TEOTWAWKI or WTSHTF. We're
just talking about a relatively short period of time without any utilities and day to
day comforts.

It was business as usual at my place. We had plenty of food, warmth, and lights.

I have several ceiling mounted light fixtures in my house with 12 volt/75 watt bulbs
in them. Two batteries in the garage power them. I used my fireplace for heat. I
have Plenty of stored water. I keep lots of those disposable propane bottles around
for my lantern and cook stoves. A gas stove and a gas hot water heater are a must.
I would never own a home with an electric kitchen. A few number 10 cans of bulk
food, a few MREs, and even some frozen meats and foods took care of our meals.
My scanner and my Wife's small palm sized TV kept us informed of the weather and
police activity in our area.

We never missed work, we never missed any meals, we never missed a hot shower,
and we never got cold. All because of a few simple things I did years ago. What I did
wasn't expensive, hard, or complicated. Any one can do it.

[Odds are that] in another four or five years we will be hit by another devastating
ice storm. I hope that the folks around here have learned something. - Bob F. in
Missouri

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Two Letters Re: Electric Golf Carts as a Retreat ATV Option

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Dear Mr. Rawles,

I have a few points to add to the golf cart idea. first, It is feasible [to convert an
electric golf cart into a quasi-ATV.] I worked a a mechanic at a golf course. Power is
power. Most carts use four 6 volt batteries [cabled] in series to make 24 volts.
Second, some very necessary tools and parts for the job, many feet of battery
cable, end fittings and a good swagger [--a cable terminal swaging tool.]

Look for these at your nearest auto store. [JWR Adds: These tools are also available
at most marine supply stores. I cannot overemphasize the importance of a solid
terminal connection with high current DC cables. Don't just borrow or rent a
swaging tool. Buy your own so that you will have it available when it is needed for
periodic cable repairs or replacements.] The arrangement of the batteries during
high [current] use kills the cables within weeks. Have spares ready. Third, most
electric carts use a rheostat as the input for how fast you go. By finagling your "go
pedal" and the rheostat, you can go faster, however this is at the cost of your
batteries and the motor - B.B

James:

I think that The Bad Boy Buggy is what you are looking for in an off-road four wheel
drive electric buggy. - Russ

Monday, February 5, 2007

Electric Golf Carts as a Retreat ATV Option

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Jim,

A good friend put a lift kit on an electric golf cart. It will go anywhere a 4-wheeler
[all terrain vehicle (ATV)] will go; it is drop dead silent; and will go about 24 mph
without alterations. I got to thinking: Why not retrofit a PV charging cell on the golf
cart's roof to trickle charge the batteries. An engineer buddy told me that it was
very feasible to accomplish this with the additional thought that a redundant solar
charger at 'base' would increase the time needed to maintain a full charge. I believe
that such a unit would be quite popular when the pumps don't work and the teller
machines are 'down for service'. - Matt, Somewhere South of KY

JWR Replies: Arrrrgh! You beat me to the punch on an article that I had planned to
post in SurvivalBlog. Here is my input on the subject, in brief: Electric golf carts
have limited range, but are indeed very quiet. You should consider that most gas
powered golf carts are much quieter than a comparable-size ATV. If you don't plan
to go more than a few miles, then get an electric cart. Lift kits are indeed available
for retrofit for three popular brands of electric carts: Ez-Go, Club Car, and Yamaha.
You can even get brush guards and other ATV-esque accessories for golf carts.
Photovoltaic (PV) battery charging panels and charge controllers are available for
retrofitting a golf cart, from Internet vendors like Ready Made Resources. (A charge
controller is a must on any system with more than just one small trickle charging
panel. Otherwise you will overcharge and badly "cook" your batteries.) OBTW, there
are also PV panels that are factory original equipment on electric carts like the
Cruise Car Sunray. (Here is another page on the same cart.)

To make your cart-cum-ATV at least quasi-tactical, I'd recommend that you paint
your cart in a flat earth tone color. (You can add a "flattener" to the mix of a
normally glossy or semi-gloss paint that you put though a paint spray gun.) You
should also keep the materials handy to spray paint, or Bowflage paint, or camo
tape over any chrome parts, if and when things get Schumeresque. (Bowflage paint
seems to be best for reducing IR signature.) For both off-road flexibility --where you
might encounter low overhanging tree branches-- and possible tactical use, you
should make your canopy (with PV panels) quickly detachable, with lock washers
and wing nuts or similar mounting hardware.

Friday, January 19, 2007

The Next Pandemic: Starvation in a Land of Plenty

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At the dawn of the 21st century, we are living in an amazing time of prosperity. Our
health care is excellent, our grocery store shelves burgeon with a huge assortment
of fresh foods, and our telecommunications systems are lightning fast. We have
relatively cheap transportation, and our cities are linked by an elaborate and fairly
well-maintained system of roads, rails, canals, seaports, and airports. For the first
time in human history, the majority of the world's population will soon live in cities
rather than in the countryside. But the downside to all this abundance is over-
complexity, over-specialization, and lengthy supply chains. In the First World, less
than 2% of the population is engaged in agriculture or fishing. Ponder that for a
moment: Just 2% are feeding the other 98%. The food on our tables often comes
from hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Our heating and lighting is provided
by power sources typically hundreds of miles away. For many people even their tap
water travels hundreds of miles. Our factories produce sophisticated cars and
electronics that have subcomponents that are sourced on three continents. It is as if
we are all cogs in an enormous invisible machine, each playing our part to make
sure that the average Americans comes home from work each day to find: his
refrigerator well-stocked with food, his lights reliably come on, his telephone works,
his tap gushes pure water, his toilet flushes, his paycheck is automatically
deposited to his bank, his garbage is collected, his house is a comfortable 70
degrees, his TV entertainment up and running 24/7, and his DSL connection. We've
built our fellow Americans a very big machine that up until now has worked
remarkably well, with just a few glitches. But that may not always be the case. As
Napoleon found the hard way, long chains of supply and communication are fragile
and vulnerable. Someday the big machine may grind to a halt. Let me describe one
set of circumstances that could cause that to happen:

Imagine an influenza pandemic, spread by causal contact, that is so virulent that it

kills more than half of the people that are infected. And imagine the advance of the
disease so rapid that it makes its way around the globe in less than a week. (Isn't
modern jet air travel grand?) Consider that we have global news media that is so
rabid for "hot" news that they can't resist showing pictures of men in respirators,
rubber gloves, and Tyvek coveralls wheeling gurneys out of houses, laden with body
bags. They report countless stories like: "Suzie Smith brought the flu bug home
from school. Everyone in her family died." and, "Mr. Jones brought the flu home
from work. Everyone in his family died." Over and over. Repeated so many times
that the majority of citizens decides "I'm not going to go to work tomorrow, or the
day after, or in fact until after 'things get better.'" But by not going to work, some
important cogs will be missing from the Big Machine. Orders won't get processed at
the Wal-Mart distribution center. The 18 Wheel trucks won't make deliveries to
groceries stores. Gas stations will run out of fuel. Policemen and firemen won't show
up at work. Telephone technicians will call in sick. Power lines will get knocked down
in wind storms, and there will be nobody to repair them. Crops will rot in the fields
because there will be nobody to pick them, or transport them, or magically bake
them into Pop-Tarts, or stock them on your supermarket shelf. The Big Machine will
be broken.

Does this sound scary? Sure it does, and it should. The implications are huge. But it
gets worse: The average suburbanite only has about a week's worth of food in their
pantry. What will they do when it is gone, and there is no reasonably immediate
prospect of re-supply? Supermarket shelves will be stripped bare. Faced with the
alternative of staying home and starving or going out to meet Mr. Influenza, millions
of growling stomachs will force Joe American to go and "forage." The first likely
targets will be restaurants, stores, and food distribution warehouses. Not a few
"foragers" will soon transition to full scale looting, taking the little that their
neighbors have left. Next, they'll move on to farms that are in close proximity to
cities. A few looters will form gangs that will be highly mobile and well-armed,
ranging deeper and deeper into farmlands, running their vehicles on siphoned or
stolen-at-gunpoint gasoline. Eventually their luck will run out and they will all die of
the flu, or of instantaneous lead poisoning. But before the looters are all dead they
will do a tremendous amount of damage. Be ready to confront them. Your life, and
the lives of your loved ones will count on it. You'll need to be able to put a lot of
lead down range--at least enough to convince Mr. Looter that he needs to go find
some other farm or ranch to loot.

In recent months, the press has shifted its attention, ignoring the continuing threat
of Asian Avian Flu mutating into a strain that can be easily transmitted between
humans. If and when that mutation occurs--and the epidemiologists tell us that it is
more a question of "when" rather than "if"--then things could turn very, very ugly all
over the globe. Be prepared. To start getting ready, you should first read the
background article on pandemic preparation that I wrote last year, titled "Protecting
Your Family From an Influenza Pandemic." Next, think through all of the implications
of disruption of key portions of our modern technological infrastructure. Plan
accordingly. You need to be able to provide water, food, heating, and lighting for
your family. Ditto for law enforcement, since odds are that a pandemic will be YOYO
("You're on your own!") time. Get your beans, bullets, and band-aids squared away,
pronto. Most importantly, be prepared to hunker down in "self quarantine" for three
or four months, with no outside contact. That will take a lot of logistics, as well as
plenty of cash on hand to pay your bills in the absence of a continuing income
stream.

One closing thought: There are only about 15 large food storage dealers in the
country, and even fewer firms that sell non-hybrid ("heirloom") gardening seed.
How long do you think that their inventories will last, once there is news that there
is an easily transmissible human-to-human flu strain of flu, anywhere on the planet?
Prices are currently low and inventories are plentiful. It is better to be a year too
early than a day too late. Please consider patronizing one of more of our
advertisers. We have half a dozen of them that sell long term storage food and
heirloom garden seed. They deserve your business.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Letter Re: Observations on the Recent Oklahoma Ice Storm

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Jim:

Well, I just got back online. I had to go up to the roof and thaw the wireless
[Internet] antenna with a heat gun. It seems the ice grounds out the antenna. It was
an easy fix with my heat gun for heat shrink tubing. More precipitation is on the way
but colder. It will probably just be snow. We never lost power but were ready
anyway. I have friends with no power and they have been without power for days
and no idea when it will be back on. The further out you live, the less chance of
getting back on line. Power is also out at the feed mill so feed stores are short on
feed and they say that they no idea when more will com. We bought extra and can
always supplement with more hay or alfalfa. We could butcher the pigs early or sell
some cattle if needed but all of our preparation this Fall is paying off. Think ahead!
Wall-Mart is out of propane cylinders and no extra tanks around. We have plenty of
tanks and are set to fill from the bulk tank here as needed. You always need an
alternative means to do everything. Redundancy is the word for survival. I have
some friends with no heat. They report 46 degrees in the house. Standard fireplaces
put out very little heat. [JWR Adds: Yes, in fact they have been documented to put
more heat up the chimney than into a room!] We have electric heat, woodstove,
and propane heat. Redundancy means you will always be warm. We lost some
branches and the storm knocked down my 160 Meter loop antenna but it works
almost as well on the ground. (Thanks to the design and the antenna tuners we can
just re-tune and are up and running.) Repair should take about 2 to 3 hours since
the antenna is set to go up and down at each pole for maintenance. Hint: the design
was well thought out and therefore easy to fix. Think ahead. Of course we have 4 or
5 ways to receive and transmit, plus the mobile radio. Again, redundancy. Our
[photovoltaic] solar panels were covered with ice but still function, and we have
more in the barn to use that are thawed. We continue to look for weak spots and all
I came up with is the need for more batteries and more power. We have tow or
three ways to do everything so if one system is down we just go to the next. Sure
makes you feel good that instead of driving new vehicles we [instead] have heat,
power, water, and food and backups for each. No worries about heat is a big relief.
One of my friends has a generator, but no heat. Although he knows the items he
needs to provide heat, there is nothing available. It is all sold out. Guess that is why
I take those old propane heaters and put them in storage. Backup for the backup.
We are looking forward to the snow--better than ice. We have wood to pick up today
at the lumber mil. (We get the slabs from the mill, load on the trailer banded
together and take them home. We cut it [for fuel] as we need it. More in the woods
[hereon my property] but I will leave it for more backup. Keep preparing. Do one
thing each day and it will all add up. Anyone got a good milk cow? We need a new
one, since even livestock gets worn out and old. God Bless, - Alphie Omega

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Letter Re: Alternatives for Water Pumping, Sans Grid Power

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JWR:

T his is the first time that I have put forth any input to your blog. I love the site, and
it's a daily read! I heard on the radio news that the cattle ranchers in Colorado and
Kansas are panicking because they have no power, and thus they cannot pump
water to water their cattle. I had just finished reading this article, when I heard that
on the radio. I think the cattle ranchers would have been very happy to have this
information as would any of the survival-minded among us that may have to pump
water for home, livestock, or both. - P.G. in Utah

Friday, December 29, 2006

Letter Re: Advice on Small-Scale Grain Growing, Harvesting, and Processing

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Hi,

I love your survival site. I was wondering about finding low cost or fairly low cost
equipment to harvest, thresh, winnow and hull grains such as wheat, barley, millet,
oats, etc. Also low cost equipment to extract oil from seeds such as sunflower
seeds. I've done an extensive search on the Internet and can find very little that is
meant for a family or small group of people. Manual (hand power) or
electric/gas/diesel are all of interest. Being able to process and use grains is
extremely important but I don't know of any sites that sell survival equipment that
sell such things. Many sell grain mills and some sell corn/pea shellers but not much
more. - Nancy

JWR Replies: To begin, I should mention that the book Small-Scale Grain Raising by
Gene Logsdon is an invaluable reference that every prepared family should have on
their bookshelf. (ISBN 0-87857-134-5 for hardback or ISBN 0-87857-147-7 for
paperback.) Used copies can often be found at bargain prices on eBay .(I even once
bought a copy of it there for just the opening bid of one penny, plus postage!) or at
Amazon.com.

Your seed stocks should be all non-hybrid ("heirloom") varieties, so that the seed
that you save from each harvest will breed true and continue to produce, year after
year. (Hybrid varieties won't!) Heirloom seed is available from The Ark Institute, the
Seed Savers Exchange, and Ready Made Resources. Bulk quantities of grain seed
should be stored in the proverbial "cool, dark, dry place." They must be kept very,
very dry to prevent mold or unintended sprouting. They must also be kept in sturdy,
vermin proof containers. (Think steel, not plastic.)

One our preferred grains for growing on a small acreage is barley. As a general rule,
you should plant winter barley in regions where winter wheat is grown and spring
barley where spring wheat is grown.

If you live in deer country, you will probably find their depredations on your grain
fields unacceptable unless you erect some substantial fences. If you can't afford to
install tall fences around your grain fields, one alternative is to plant "bearded"
varieties of barley. (Deer generally won't eat the awns of bearded barley.)

If you have any ground that is swampy from spring to fall on your property
("wetlands" in the modern politically correct parlance), consider planting
domesticated wild rice in those areas. Technically "wild rice" isn't really rice at all,
since it is in the grass genus (Zirzania) rather than the rice genus (Oryza.) Like
other grain growing, planting wild rice will also attract waterfowl and other birds,
which can be a mixed blessing. So consider a shotgun and beau coup shotgun shells
to be part of your assortment grain growing essential tools.

Tools and Equipment: Raising grain takes not only seed stock but also the proper
tools and equipment. Buy the best quality equipment that you can find. Concentrate
on 19th Century technology. This is low tech and easy to maintain. It is amazing
what you can find on eBay if you check there consistently. Unfortunately, however,
some practical items such as scythes and hand mills are now sold as "decorator"
antiques. Yuppies and retirees that merely want to decorate their homes have
driven up prices. (Grumble, grumble.) In recent years, I've seen antique dealers that
charge more for worn-out (filed down to nothing) scythes with rusty "patina" than
you would pay for a brand new one bought from Lehman's.
Planting. A seed broadcaster is a must. Get an adjustable hand crank seed
broadcaster that you strap around your waist. For really big fields, you might need a
wheeled (push) row seeder. Even on a small scale, a one-wheel "dial a seed" planter
is a huge labor saver. These are all available through Lehmans.com. One a large
scale, horse drawn or tractor pulled equipment is called for. (That goes beyond the
scope of what I'm writing here, but it is described fairly well in Logsdon's book.)
When to plant varies depending on the last frost-free day in your region. Look at
standard references for planting depths, frequency, and crop rotation.

Harvesting and Processing: For corn, you will need a couple of corn knives and some
husking pegs (to strap to your palm.) For wheat and other small grains, at the very
minimum you will need for reaping is a hand scythe, but for any decent scale of
production, you will need a large cradle type scythe. There are plans for building a
small grain threshing machine in Gene Logsdon's book. In a pinch, you can thresh
grain by hand on a large clean concrete barn floor.

There are a variety of hand-cranked machines made specifically for hulling

('pearling") rice and barley, for pressing oil, for shelling corn, peas, and so forth. If
you grow sorghum or cane sugar, you will need yet another type of hand crank
press. Finding these machines may take some searching, because small hand
cranked machines are now essentially obsolete outside of the Third World. (But they
are eminently practical for folks like us, who are preparing for TEOTWAWKI.). Used
machines that are still in good working order can sometimes be found on the
Internet, but if you don't mind paying a premium price for brand new machines, I
again recommend Lehmans.com.

The grain mill that I recommend is the Country Living mill (available from Ready
Made Resources.) Yes, they are expensive, but they are built to last a lifetime.
We've had one here at the Rawles Ranch for more than a decade. Unlike the
inexpensive Mexican and Eastern European mills (such as the Corona brand), the
Country Living mill has proper sealed bearings and replaceable burrs, for long
service life.You also need to consider the service life of your teeth. If you eat a lot of
bread made with flour from an inexpensive stone burr grinder, it will be at the
expense of your tooth enamel. The Country Living mill is also designed to be used
either with its included hand crank, or by fan belt drive. (Adaptable to either electric
motor power, or powered by a bicycle frame for someone with basic welding skills.)
Nearly all hand mills have adjustable burrs. They can be adjusted all the way from
rough cracking, down to corn meal grinding, and finally down to bread flour milling.
To mill fine flour you will have to run the flour through the mill at least twice.

Storage: Whether for human consumption or for livestock feed, you will need to
properly store what you harvest to protect it from spoilage and vermin. If the
moisture content is low enough to prevent mold, then plain galvanized trash barrels
(bought brand new) will suffice for small scale grain storage. On a larger scale, a
prefabricated storage shed, such as those made by Butler are ideal. Corn still on the
ear should be stored in a traditional slatted wooden corn crib or in a well-ventilated
Butler building.

Handling: Buy a large aluminum scoop grain shovel. (The lighter the better, so that
it will be less tiring to use.) For moving corn that is still on ears, you will want to
have a corn drag. (A drag is a rake with just three or four very long tines.)

"Berry" Soaking: Whole grain wheat can be soaked for 24 hours to make wheat
berries. This makes a quite palatable and nutritious breakfast food, when warmed
and served with milk or cream and a dash of honey or molasses.

Sprouting: To get the maximum nutrition from the grain that you raise, you should
plan to sprout the majority of it. For some details on sprouting, see the article
"Wheat Sprouts and Wheatgrass as Survival Foods", by SF in Hawaii. It is one the
writing contest winners posted at the SurvivalBlog Writing Contest page. Lay in
supplies for sprouting and practice the art of sprouting before the balloon goes up!

Practice, practice, practice!: As with any other newly acquired skill, grain raising,
harvesting, storage, milling, and sprouting will take practice. Develop your expertise
now, when any mistakes will be merely humorous blunders rather than potentially
life-threatening disasters.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Letter Re: Is Radio Direction Finding a Potential Threat for Survivalists?

Permalink

Mr. Rawles:
Hey, I was just wondering what everyone with radios is planning in order to conceal
the location of their transmissions from people who could potentially use the signal
as a beacon to guide them right to your antenna. It might be fairly difficult to build a
tracker, but I suspect there are pre-made devices to direction-find a fairly strong
signal (e.g. ham radio). Thanks, - James D.

JWR Replies: The only people that have effective radio direction finding ("DF")
equipment and the requisite expertise to operate it are A.) The NSA and a few other
government agencies such as the FCC--mainly for tracking down unlicensed pirate
stations, and B.) ham radio operators themselves, who practice playing "fox and
hound". (Here is a sample of a site dedicated to the latter --quite a sport.) Hams
tend to be very law-abiding folks. I can't imagine many of them going renegade and
turning into looters. However, I can foresee many looter gangs showing rudimentary
SIGINT skills and using portable public service band ("police") scanners. So it is wise
to use low power and directional antennas. Never mention surnames, locations,
lat/long, map coordinates, or street addresses "in the clear." In my estimation, it is
not likely that looter gangs would be sufficiently sophisticated to use DF gear. But
never take anything for granted. It is conceivable that someone that worked in the
SIGINT community could sell their services to a large looter gang, in a "slow slide"
situation. Be prudent and take the proper COMSEC measures. If and when the
Schumer hits the fan, you should construct your own brevity codes and change your
call signs and frequencies frequently. Oh, by the way, I describe radio intercept,
radio direction finding, and COMSEC in considerable detail in some of the closing
chapters of my novel "Patriots" , which recently went back into print. Among others,
one of the methods that I describe in the novel is bouncing signals from a
directional antenna off of large metal structures such as large barns or grain silos,
to confuse DF operators. I also discuss HF transmissions, which have near vertical
incidence when propagating in long distance skywave mode. It takes very
sophisticated equipment to DF those signals. (As opposed to short distance
groundwave HF signals, that can easily be DFed.)

One further note: We now live in the age of Bluetooth. If and when TSHTF, if you
have a wireless network for your home computers, you should plan to turn the
transmitter off and use it as a strictly "hard wire" Ethernet device. A clever looter
might leave a laptop turned on in his vehicle, sensing when the vehicle passes an
active wireless network. (Even if you keep blackout shutters up--making your house
look like all of your neighbors that are without power--an active wireless network
could mark your house as a lucrative target.) Ditto for cell phones and cordless
telephones. Assuming that the phone circuits are still working during a period of
lawlessness (not likely, but possible), be sure to switch to "land line only" for the
duration.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Letter Re: First Hand Observations on the Recent Pacific Northwest Wind Storm

Permalink

Background: I am an 11 year veteran peace officer and survivalist, or in more

politically correct terminology, a POP – Preparedness Oriented Person. I work in a
moderate sized city in the Seattle area. On 14-15 December, the Tacoma-Seattle-
Everett metropolitan area suffered one of the most deadly and damaging
windstorms in recorded history. The storm easily eclipsed the last major deadly
blow on Inaugural Day, 1993. That storm had been identified as a “once in a
century” type storm. At the peak, over 1 million people did not have power.

This storm was modeled and forecasted with accuracy five days before it occurred.
Yes indeed, people had five days to prepare. Weather forecasters warned viewers
and listeners to be prepared. They were right. Gusts ranging from 55 to 70 mph
were recorded in the area. Sustained winds exceeded 40 to 50 mph in many areas.
A top gust of 135 mph was recorded at a ski area near the North Central
Washington city of Wenatchee. A month of record rain coupled with several
preceding days of heavy rains led to many more trees than normal being toppled.
An unusually violent (for the area) thunderstorm produced heavy rain and ground
strike lightening. At this writing, 4 deaths have been directly attributed to the
windstorm. Three were from collisions with trees in the roadway and one from a
tree crushing a mobile home. Additionally, the storm left clear skies and cold
weather. The three following days after the windstorm had nighttime temperatures
that were at or below freezing. One death was attributed to carbon monoxide (CO)
poisoning and over 100 people have been treated for CO poisoning. The one who
died from CO poisoning, he was running a gas generator inside his home. Several
homes and business have been burned, either from direct electrical line contact to
roofs and buildings or from candles igniting surfaces or being knocked over.

Observations: Gosh, where do I begin? In watching the news, it was easily apparent
that so many were ill or unprepared. This continues to befuddle me, as the citizens
of this area are involved in frequent windstorms, power outages, and other natural
disasters or events. Watching the news showed how stupid people were. In one
instance, a major eastside of Seattle city was 80% without power. This meant no
power to stores, homes and other businesses.

Grocery stores: Stores could not sell as the computer driver point of sale terminals
were down. People could not readily buy supplies. My local Albertson’s lost over
$60,000 worth of cold and frozen goods as the power was off for 18 hours and by
law, they could not sell the slightly warmed foodstuffs. People were traveling as far
away as 30 miles to find an open store. Many stores that were opened quickly ran
out of staples. Again, my local grocery was at minimal bread, paper goods, fuels
(including the supermarket wood bundles) and batteries. While I spoke with the
manager, I overheard one woman on her cell phone loudly complain that it was her
third store that did not have wood.

Gas stations: stations without power could not pump. Those stations that could
pump saw long lines and quickly ran out of fuel. One fellow was ingenious enough to
stand beside a road in an affluent city east of Seattle and advertise that he was
selling 25 gallons of gas for $15 dollars a gallon! And he sold it all! Expecting the
worst, I refilled some gas cans and my vehicle on Thursday morning after I got off
work. At the local gas station, a citizen who knows me made a snide comment
about if the world was coming to an end. That citizen now sits in his home, four
days without power. It was reported that those stations that were the only ones
available quickly raised their prices to 20 to 30 cents above market prices, in
reflection of demand. The state will apparently investigate whether these stations
were gouging.

Alternative power: boy howdy! You can certainly tell who has alternative power. I
could easily see their houses all lit up long before I heard the generators. A local
firefighter I know half-humorously stated that he could make his retirement if he
had some generators for sale on Craigslist.com right now. He is right. On a news
report today, a local Home Depot had people waiting in line, just to buy a Coleman
portable generator. Home Depot sold out of two pallets worth of generators in a
very short time. Around here, folks would rather have that High Definition 42-inch
plasma screen rather than a solid generator. POPs like me should look for a whole
slew of lightly used generators for sale come springtime.

Alternative heat: a majority of homes in this region do have working fireplaces.

However, you would think they are decorative as I heard of so many people looking
for firewood. Local firewood dealers were busy selling and stocking. Additionally,
many new homes being built do not have real working fireplaces but instead have
what amount to nothing more than decorative gas fireplaces (which look nice but
produce little usable heat). During the daytime, you could tell who did not have
power and heat due to so many fireplaces burning. The chimney sweeps in this area
should have a good spring.

Security: while patrolling, I was amazed at how many people in power out areas left
their garage doors open. I was told by a few that they left them open because the
power was out. When asked about the manual disconnect, they seemed generally
amazed that there was such a thing on mechanical garage door openers . . . In
addition to security, I was also amazed at how many people ran their generators in
their front yards! Easily accessible and in less than 20 seconds, gone.
Where are the cops, firefighters, public works, etc? Folks, I can tell you everybody
was out there (who were scheduled). My small fire station, which usually handles
about 20 calls for service in a 96 hour block, saw over 150 calls during the same
period, most storm related. A tree branch damaged one of the firefighting rigs. Cops
were out there and stretched thin. Between doing road closures and stopping yet
another knucklehead who could not read the "ROAD CLOSED" sign, they were busy.
A couple of my fellow officers had to do traffic stops on people simply driving
reckless around down trees, power lines, etc. People in this area simply got "a case
of the stupids" when the weather went sideways. Public works crews from all the
cities had their hands full. I know of one case where a woman nearly went to blows
with a crew simply because they were cutting “her tree.” Of course, her tree was
fallen across a street and blocking it. Again, the stupids. One public works worker I
know told me of a story of a downed power line, hanging chest high in a roadway.
They were blocking one side and flashing their headlights and amber rotators at
people. One fellow stopped his car on the other side of the live lines, walked
underneath them and ambled up to their truck to tell them that the lines were
down. (The same ones he had just walked under--which were also the ones they
were parked next to and trying to keep people from driving into .)

Power distribution: one of the things preventing having everyone up and running is
short order has been the interactions of trees, lines, poles and crews to get things
cut up. Per policy, public works crews are not to cut a tree until the downed power
lines are declared safe. However, some lines cannot be declared safe until the trees
are partially cut. Add to the mix that many power poles were snapped. No utility in
the area had enough poles stockpiled so they have to be shipped it from the east.
With the mountain passes suffering blizzards and some occasionally extreme
weather, trucking becomes a challenge. Why power lines are not brought
underground in this region is a mystery to me. Perhaps can enlighten me as to why.

As for my family, and me we took the warnings seriously. I made sure I had plenty
of fuel in the cans, generator and cars. My battery/inverter setup was fully charged
and ready. I had plenty of firewood stacked and ready. I purposely bought a house
that has gas appliances and a fully normal fireplace with a heat exchanger system
(with low wattage power blower – works great on just the inverter setup). I had my
supplies established and weather the storm with ease. I did not have a tree fall on
my house and the tree limbs I collected (that many people were disposing of with
either services or green waste) made for a huge stack of logs to be seasoned for
next winter. Best Regards – MP

Letter Re Maglite Flashlight LED Conversions

Permalink
I just purchased a Maglite Brand LED conversion for a two D-cell Maglite.[These
replace the original filament light bulb holding "head" of the flashlight.] It was $20
at a Lowe's [hardware store] in Oregon, with no sales tax. These take only three
minutes to install. The focus feature still works great, but the best feature is that it
is very bright, almost blue/white. Much better battery life and outstanding bulb life,
not affected by dropping. All in all, a very good conversion for one of the best lights
made. They also have them for 3 D-cell , and 4 D-cell lights. Mag also sells their
lights as LED lights too. These are worth looking at. - Tom in Oregon

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Letter Re: Some Good Things Prompted By SurvivalBlog

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Jim,

The following are some things SurvivalBlog.com has prompted me to do since I

began reading it:

I've had no debt for 20 years, but my meager holdings are now about 1/3 precious
metals. Is lead considered a precious metal? :-)

My freezer is full of elk, whitetail deer, and caribou. I added to my long-term foods
during your Safecastle special, but I'm now reviewing the viability of my existing
stocks. Like the realtor's mantra of "location, location, location", a survivalist's creed
should be "Rotate, rotate, rotate. "

A 10 KW Generac generator is ready to be wired to my primary residence.

My primary heat source is now a shelled corn burner

My wife and I just finished a first aid course refresher and bought a couple of family-
sized first aid kits from the American Red Cross.

I upgraded my firearms battery to include a third .308 Winchester rifle--a DPMS

Panther LR-308 [AR-10.] An accurate load for the Sierra 168-grain HPBT has been
found and loading on the Dillon press commences soon.

During this year's whitetail deer hunt, our group adhered to the hunting laws but
still kept in contact with our MURS Radios.

And thanks to your blog, I'm practicing preparedness more. I've never learned how
to take a deer apart other than simple de-boning. So with instructions at the ready,
the wife and I will skin this year's buck and carve the meat into steaks, roasts, stew
meat and burger. But with a full freezer, I'll be practicing charity by giving it to my
friend Mike, a less fortunate carnivore.

Now it's time to renew the 10 Cent Challenge subscription. There is much more to
do and learn. Merry Christmas to you and yours, - Redmist

Saturday, December 9, 2006

Letter Re: Mobile Solar Power Systems

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JWR,

Here's an item some of your readers may be interested in, Mobile Solar Power, it's a
mobile solar power setup and looks like it would fit in with a number of different
scenarios. I spoke with the owner a few days ago and he said he will size the
equipment to fit your needs/specifications. It appears to be made with high quality
equipment and the owner said the batteries have a 10 year warranty, but with care,
may last up to 15 years, otherwise the remainder of the equipment should have a
life much longer than that. This solar generator, used in combination with a
Generlink would make a nice setup for whatever your plans are. I am not connected
with either product, just thought they might be of interest. Regards, - Keith

JWR Replies: That sort of system is ideal for either A.) someone that maintains
retreats in two states--i.e. for "snowbird" seasonal moves towed behind an RV, or
B.) someone that wants backup power but because they live in a community with
strict CC&Rs, they can't have solar panels visible on a day-to-day basis. (After
TSHTF, your problem will not be your development's Homeowner's Association--it
will be chaining the system down to keep someone from stealing it!) OBTW,
packaged photovoltaic systems"made to order" are available from Ready Made
Resources . They also have an expert there, available for free consulting (with no
purchase obligation) on photovoltaic power system sizing and design. Bob has the
specialized tools needed to calculate current loads, requisite battery bank sizing,
charge controller capacity, available solar hours, solar panel array solar exposure
and orientation, and so forth. I can attest that Bob really knows his stuff, and unlike
some solar system specialists, he has considerable experience building systems
that are custom tailored for survival retreats. I recommend that any SurvivalBlog
readers that are considering installing an independent home power system take
advantage of the free consulting offer from Ready Made Resources.

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Letter Re: Communications for Disasters--Are Scanners Useful?

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Jim,

A very good shortwave portable is the Sony ICF-2010. It is an older portable from
the 1980s but is a very strong performer with its synchronous detector. It is often
found on the used market and eBay. One fact that many sellers don't know is that
you need to have fresh AA batteries in them for memory retention or the unit will
not even function. Many sellers believe that their radios are broken when in fact
only need fresh batteries. The unit can be run of D cell batteries or via an AC
adapter. Another thing that "goes wrong" with them is the FET transistor blows
when connected directly to an external antenna. This transistor can be easily
repaired and diodes can be placed in line to help protect the radio from this
happening again. If you know how to fix some of the common issues with this radio,
you can often obtain a bargain that will perform nearly as well as a tabletop unit
with a long wire antenna!

Another good performing SW radio is the Yaesu FRG-7. This radio has an almost cult
following. It is a table top unit that was originally produced in the late 1970s. It has
a preselector that allows for signal peaking. Useful to help bring in the weak ones
and attenuate the strong ones. The radio can be run off AC or via D cells.

Other radios to have available:

CB - Every trucker has one installed, high usage near freeways, good way to hear
what's happening down the road from you (get a good antenna for the best range)

2 Meter ham - Nearly every ham has one, listen to the national simplex frequency
146.520 MHz if electricity is not available and repeaters are down (again, get a
good antenna for best range)

FRS/GMRS - Many families have them and know how to use them, be sure to match
the CTCSS (privacy tones) to communicate

All the above are very inexpensive to own. Having multiple radios gives you more
options because no one will know what its gonna be like! Regards, - Echo Echo

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Letter Re: Communications for Disasters--Are Scanners Useful?

Permalink
Hi Jim.

I concur with your answer to the post regarding communications and scanner
monitoring for disasters. I chose to and recommend implementing both multi-mode
and redundant communications. Being that it may be virtually impossible to replace
never mind repair most receivers and transceivers it is imperative to have at least
two multi-band radios. Some good general coverage models that are still available
are the venerable Radio Shack DX 300, DX 302 the DX 400 and the DX 440. The DX
400 and DX 440 are Sangean-made [chassis] in Radio Shack cases. All three radios
are quite sensitive, wide band (the 302 tunes from .001 to 30 mhz and the 400/440s
tune 150 KHz to 29.999 MHz), have AM-USB-LSB modes and the 400/440 has FM.
There is a long list of Avanti, Kenwood, Yaesu, Drake, Icom and other manufacturers
but the Radio Shack, Bearcat, Uniden and assorted host of off brands made by
Uniden and Bearcat

are lower cost and easily found in pawn shops, big indoor flea markets and at yard
sales. Ham radio fests will yield many receive only radios and in the big name
offerings but they are quite pricey. There is one caveat though. The Sangean radios
have a very sensitive field effect transistor (FET) connected to the external antenna
circuit. A brisk static discharge could conceivably damage the FET. This is true to
other models although varied across the manufacture spectrum. During built in
antenna operation grounding out ones body is important. For fixed radio
installations a grounded antenna switch, lightning discharge device (Blizt Bug) and
disconnecting the antenna altogether are recommended.

For security work it is wise to have not only redundant transceivers and the
associated accessories but, if ones budget makes it possible, multi band radios as
well. For the sake of COMSEC, having a wide band of frequencies to select from
decreases the odds of eavesdropping on the vital communications between the
LP/OP(s) and the CQ desk. Dual band hand held transceivers such as the Yaesu
FT50, and FT727A, are not only dual band (144-148, 440-450) radios but are highly
programmable, and can have the frequencies "opened up" and have hi/low power
outputs. The FT50 is small, both are rugged and have lots of accessories. Quite a
few ham radio operator select models such as the Kenwood 221 and 231 2 Meter
mobile that can have the band opened. Off band [transmission] has it's advantages
especially at low power so there is a lesson here. Most 2 Meter mobiles have up to
50 watts of output power so they can transmit a good distance, if COMSEC is not an
issue. [This is quite effective when this available power is] combined with a with the
proper beam [directional] antenna.

The aforementioned radios are to name a few. There are many models and makes
to chose from. The newer versions are expensive and not as available at reasonable
prices as their older counterparts. For those who can, touring pawn shops can result
in some lucrative finds although pairs of like radios are the best choice.
As a note Rob at MURS Radios has been the model of helpfulness. He has answered
all my e-mail queries regarding his radio offerings and will get my business. He even
has the software available that will allow the operator to reprogram the radios at
will which is important for comm security. - Joe from Tennessee

JWR Replies: I agree that it is wise to purchase redundant commo gear. There is a
certain logic on buying three, four or even five older, used Radio Shack receivers for
around $900 rather than the same amount on purchasing just one shiny new Drake
R8B. OBTW, be sure to keep those spares in ammo cans, just in case of EMP.

By coincidence, my first general coverage receiver was a Radio Shack DX-302. It

was a sturdy, very reliable receiver and it had the advantage of a 12 volt DC power
input jack in the back. In retrospect, I should have never sold it.

Regarding "off band" (or out of band" or "freeband") transmission: Such

transmissions are not legal in the United States except under emergency
conditions. Do the requisite research before considering "keying up" out of band!

I heard from Rob at MURS Radios that he temporarily ran out of stock but that he
just restocked and is ready to ship. He usually get orders out within one to two
business days but please order early if you want your radios in time for Christmas.

Sunday, December 3, 2006

Letter Re: Communications for Disasters--Are Scanners Useful?

Permalink

James:

The hot thing in scanners right now is digital trunking. Most public-safety services
use this approach, without scrambling or encryption. Analog scanners are useless,
but the new generation of scanners include direct support for digital trunking.

I recently bought a Uniden/Bearcat BCD 396T, which totally restored my ability to

listen to common public-safety traffic where I live.

Some more sensitive government agencies use encryption on top of digital

trunking, but there's no strong survival-oriented motivation to listen to their
transmissions. Unless you're trying to survive an FBI manhunt, I suppose. In an
emergency, being able to monitor fire and police agencies should be enough for
most people, and these new scanners can do that in most areas. Regards, - PNG

Friday, December 1, 2006

Letter Re: Solar Charged Walkway Lights --An Option for Battery Charging

Permalink

Jim:

The discussion about cannibalizing tiny solar walkway lights prompted me to once
again remind everyone about one of my favorite tools. Northern Tool & Equipment
sells a 5-watt folding solar panel that folds down to the size of a paperback book for
only $35. They come with a nice wiring kit that also allows multiple panels to be
piggybacked for more power. They're tough and well-made, with the small panels fit
into a ballistic nylon type of carrier to make it fold.

One of these lives in each of our Bug Out Bags (BOBs), along with a small battery
charger that takes 12 volt input (just look for one with a separate "wall-wart" [power
cube]). I tested these and they quickly charge

a set of AAs and will keep you comms running just fine in an emergency. Those little
solar lights are probably about 1/4 watt panels, and if you're desperate they'll help,
but for planning ahead I think these panels from Northern Tool are one of the must-
buy items of the year. Having comms, a small shortwave radio and light at night
makes life a lot more pleasant, no matter the circumstances.

Here's the link. - Bill in Oregon

JWR Adds: Since Northern Tool is one of our affiliate advertisers, if and when you do
shop there, we'd greatly appreciate it if you place your orders only through this link:
Northern Tool & Equipment, (Otherwise we won't get our little piece of the action.)

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Three Letters Re: Build Your Fallout Shelter From Barter Goods, by Mr. Yankee

Permalink

Hi Jim.
Just felt the need to re-emphasize the point you made with regard to Mr. Yankee's
ideas about an improvised fallout shelter.

First, I applaud his view that one should not count on being able to pull together an
adequate expedient shelter when the need arises. As simple in theory as it seems,
in practice, few would end up with a shelter they would want to rely on to save the
lives of their loved ones.

Second, as far as the point you made, Jim, it is indeed very important to over-
engineer any sort of structure that will be bearing the loads necessary for a fallout
shelter.

I need to point out that I want to do everything in my power to encourage folks to

buy or build their own shelters, whether it is from us or not. Why? I feel it's very
possible that the number of adequate shelters in the USA will go a long way toward
defining our future viability. So I always hesitate to discourage folks in any way
when they talk about what they feel are good, easy shelter ideas ... but really are
simply short cuts that as you pointed out could end up killing them.

To anyone thinking about this, if you're going to build your own fallout shelter, then
be darn sure it is built to last for decades under the most stressful conditions you
can imagine. (Better yet, under conditions a structural engineer can imagine.) If it
turns out you need to spend any time at all in your shelter, you sure don't want to
be thinking about how you cut some corners to save a few bucks, or that you did
just enough to probably hold up when you have to start topping off the loads.

A "for instance": There are a lot of arm-chair, Internet shelter designers who like to
propose grand designs for underground shelters made of storage containers. Bad
idea! They may look great as you are backfilling and burying them, but they are not
built to withstand subterranean forces. They will catastrophically fail at some point--
probably sooner than later. Believe me, if they would work, there would be plenty of
us selling them as bargain-basement solutions.

As I said, I want to encourage folks to do the best they can to provide a decent
shelter for their loved ones. It's important, and when you get it done well, it's peace
of mind that you can't otherwise buy or manufacture. If you're going to do it at all,
do it very, very well.

Besides the need for Mr. Yankee to think seriously about shoring up his floor
overhead and perhaps his walls, I'd ask him to try not to get too clever with what it
is that will serve as his shielding mass. Salt will work, as will any material (including
air), but the key is how much will get the job done? I suspect that one would need a
whole lot of salt to provide the needed mass.

A quick rule of thumb many can benefit from when looking at how well to shield
their survival space: Shielding that reduces gamma ray intensity by 50% includes .4
inch of lead, 2.4 inches of concrete, 3.6 inches of packed dirt or 500 ft of air. One
should aim for 10 times the halving protection using these guidelines when
constructing your fallout shelter ... such as 36 inches of earth or 24 inches of
concrete or 4 inches of lead (not practical) or say, 12 inches of concrete and 18
inches of earth. This is a minimal level of protection, I feel. Of course, overkill in
shielding is great as long as the supporting structure is built to withstand it. - Vic at
Safecastle

Hi Jim,

I applaud Mr. Yankee for starting to think about constructing a Fallout Shelter. Over
the past few months, I have been giving some consideration to the very same thing.
But, after researching various “expedient” shelters such as the one described by Mr.
Yankee (available in FEMA publications), I came to the conclusion that these are
inferior, last minute, “make do” constructs. Given the time available to plan, it just
makes sense to do the job properly.

Time and Space

I am constantly amused at how little time people think that they will be spending in
a fallout shelter. Somehow, they seem to equate a nuclear incident with that of a
passing thunder storm/tornado. The problem is that while a storm does its thing and
moves on (or dies out), a nuclear event has two components: The Blast and the
Fallout. What most folks do not realize is that it’s the Fallout that is “the gift which
keeps on giving” (gamma radiation). And, in most cases, people will need to create
Fallout Shelters to protect and shield themselves from the gamma radiation
contained in the Fallout. Those who live in target rich areas should consider building
a Blast Shelter.

Figuring on a minimum of two weeks (but more likely a month) in the shelter to
allow the radiation to taper off, leads one to consider not only providing for clean
Air, Food, Water, Clothing, Beds; but also Sanitation, Exercise, Entertainment. Now,
add an average family of four people into the equation and things become more
interesting.

I am reminded of the old gag question: "How many college students can you fit into
a telephone booth?"

A 12’x 8’ (and what height?) basement room is not going to be enough physical
space to handle the family and all the other things they will need for the duration in
the shelter. - Douglas in CT

Dear Jim,

I believe Mr Yankee is unclear on his terminology. Concrete or other mass won't

stop fallout. Air filters stop fallout, which is radionuclide particles. These generally
precipitate out in a few hours/few days. A good soaking of the surrounding ground
with soap solution will wash them into the soil and lessen the danger of
inhalation/contact (from stirring up the dust). The reason nuclear residue from
weapons is dangerous is because of its high energy. At the same time, that high
level of radiation means it has a short half life. There are long term risks of cancer
and such, but the immediate risk is quite controllable. An expedient method is to
tape windows shut and use dryer lint between screens as air filters, drawing up
from under a cover. A sprinkler over the intake to create a water curtain will
improve effectiveness. Obviously, HEPA filters are preferred, if available.

Direct radiation (Which is what I believe he means by "fallout") is stopped by

concrete, compacted Earth or other dense materials such as lead. Most modern
military warheads are efficient enough that exposure to lethal levels of radiation
means one is already within the radius of overpressure or thermal blast. Obviously,
improvised devices are not so clean, and there is danger near the edges of an
explosion where one can be exposed to dangerous levels. He is correct that food
cans won't stop such radiation. On the other hand, metals will. Lead is the classic
choice, but gold, silver, copper (you might see where that is going) and even steel
are of some effect, as is the mass of the house and any outside walls--radiation
travels in straight lines, and if the blast is directly overhead, you won't feel a thing.
Copper plates overhead, with a layer of brick or such, plus the outside walls of the
house, a berm, trees, nearby terrain features or intervening buildings will all absorb
some of the radiation front.

I would recommend against storing materials one plans to use so they can double
as shielding. The shielding can absorb neutrons and re-emit them as ionizing
radiation. This is very unhealthy. The copper, lead or steel used as such needs to be
avoided after the fact, especially on the blast side. It would be a decent gesture not
to trade such materials off to the unsuspecting to get sick and die from.

I agree on over-engineering and then covering with concrete or compacted Earth.

Something mentioned here before that is quite affordable is a used CONEX box,
which is designed to take high weight on the edges and corners. A fairly simple
bracing atop it (Any mechanical engineer or even a good construction contractor
should be able to calculate what's needed) will support more than enough mass to
act as shielding. This can be planted outside the basement with a drainage bed of
gravel underneath, accessible from inside, and reducing the risk of the house
collapsing atop the shelter. - Michael Z. Williamson

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Letter Re: Solar Charged Walkway Lights --An Option for Battery Charging

Permalink

Mr. Rawles,

In response to what you wrote in the Blog on Friday, November 24th:

"The system does has some utility. However, except for people that have an
alternative power power system (quite uncommon around Washington, D.C.), in a
long term TEOTWAWKI, stations will gradually drop off the air one by one because
most folks will not be able to recharge their batteries. (Just another reason why
every family should have at least a small photovoltaic (PV) power system.) Contact
the folks at Ready Made Resources for details on setting up such a system."

I read something a while back on a board that I frequent and thought it was a very
useful use of materials at hand, and things having a second purpose. I'm sure not all
sidewalk lights use AA batteries but if I buy any I will make sure mine our just for
the utility it provides.

Kev started a thread by writing: "Here is a tip on how to recharge AA batteries after
SHTF. First you will need a couple of those solar powered sidewalk lights, the kind
that are sold at wal-mart like the one below. If you have not taken one of these
sidewalk lights apart, all it is is a solar charger and a couple of AA batteries. Leave
these out in full sun, take the batteries out over night so they do not get drained,
then put the batteries back in the next day, after a day or two of charging they
should be good to go. At the very least a small radio or AA flashlight can be used.
These lights can also be placed in the bathrooms at night instead of using kerosene
lanterns (if the power is off.)"

This is a link to the whole thread. It ends with a review I did for a solar charger.

The Lord bless you and yours, I really enjoy your blog, i look forward to reading it
every day. - C.K.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Letter Re: Product Review on MURS Radios

Permalink

Jim,

Hail and well met. – I purchased two of the handheld MURS transceivers from MURS
Radios. (A SurvivalBlog advertiser.) First off, they arrived really fast. The shipping
only took a few days. They were also packaged very securely. Although you can tell
that these radios were used, they do not look abused in any way. I was impressed
right off the bat by them. For one thing, they do not feel like a toy in your hand…
they have some heft to them. They also came fully charged. In the box along with
the radios were the chargers and good directions. I tested the directions by
changing one of the frequencies to the weather station and back with no problem at
all. As far as range goes, all I can say is that they leave my GMRS radios in the dust,
and FRS radios do not even come close. With the stubby antenna that came with
the unit, I got almost two miles range in town. And this was with good solid “5 by 5”
signals, with no “miffing and muffing.” I have a feeling that with the helical antenna,
the range would have been at least another half mile. Considering the wide range of
accessories available for these units (including AA battery packs) they are going to
be my new group standard. In closing let me just say that as an Extra Class ham, I
have used Kenwood products before, and they have never let me down. The TK-
2100s (or TIK-21s as I refer to them) are no exception. These babies are great
radios. And with the “MURS Alert” system, they are fantastic! - Gung Ho

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Letter Re: Clothes Washing Without Grid Power

Permalink

Mr R.:

Saw the post this morning about the large washing machine at Lehman's Non-
Electric. Great catalogue, and obviously a washer for TEOTWAWKI. Let me give a
heads-up to a much smaller, portable washer - the Wonder Clean Pressure Washing
Machine. The parent company (Wonder Wash Corporation - Mesa, Arizona)
developed this nifty little washer. Add in the load ( weighed ), soap, water, close the
top, and turn the handle to revolve the washer barrel for a specified time. By their
charts 5 pounds ( max load) would be about 10 shirts or two pairs of jeans

It's not as robust or sturdy as the metal James Washer - it is plastic - but it works
pretty well, it's portable, and for the price of the James Washer you could have ten
of these.

We have a couple and the Solar Showers ready to go, along with plenty of
contractor bags, which can be used in a pinch for washing, amid their myriad uses.

The Wonder Clean is found online at several sites. A quick web search turned up
Emergency Essentials and The Laundry Alternative, Inc. Season's Regards, -
MurrDoc

JWR Replies: The Wonder Clean is also available from two of my favorite vendors:
Lehman's and Major Surplus. (I've done business with both for many years.)

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Letter Re: 12 VDC Wall Outlets and Power Cord Connections

Permalink

Jim,

For anyone using 12 VDC in their vehicle or home, you should strongly consider
using Anderson Power Poles. Compared to the standard cigarette lighter plug, these
are far more reliable and safer. (Cigarette lighter plugs have no uniform rating, and
can melt if used for high [current] load applications.)

These connectors come in ratings from 30 Amps (A) to 350 Amps. The 30A size is
the de-facto standard for Ham radio operators now, and the larger sizes are what
you see used for things like large battery racks in computer rooms and tow truck
jumper cables.

They are easy to install, using a soldering iron or special crimp tool, and they last.
Additionally, there is no male or female, as the blades are flat and wipe against
each other, unlike a regular spade or butt connector.

I have changed out the cords on all of my 12V chargers, inverters, and other
devices. You can make an adapter cable with a cigarette lighter on one end in case
you do need to plug something in to a car socket.

To make a 12V wall-mount outlet, you can buy a chassis-mount power pole holder,
then cut a hole in a regular house wall plate and pop it in. When installed, it looks
neat and tidy.

Chassis mount:

http://www.powerwerx.com

Here are some tutorials on using them:

http://home.comcast.net/~buck0/app.htm

Remember to to either fuse your 12 volt circuits or install a breaker panel. A quick
way to set up a 12V fuse box is with the Rig Runner. (Westmountainradio - Rig
Runner.)

If you install a 12V breaker panel, be sure to check if the breakers are rated for DC.
Some breakers do not trip properly if used for DC. You can order DC-rated breakers
from most alternative-energy stores if you can't find out for sure. Good luck! - JN

Four Letters Re: Prowlers and Lighting

Permalink

James:

The subject of handheld lights is as long as it is wide. Ask 20 people what is best,
get 40 answers and recommendations! As with many things, today we live in a
great time for flashlight technology. My recommendation is to immerse yourself in
www.candlepowerforums.com. Some guys there are truly on the cutting edge of
lights.

Some of the modified lights are incredible. Have fun and enjoy a winter's worth of
reading. - Straightblast
Jim:

Just enjoying a last respite prior to retiring in my mountaintop isolated home and
read the letter on Prowlers and Lighting at SurvivalBlog. Since this is still pre-
TEOTWAWKI, I use car headlights [with my retreat DC power system.] I got them for
free from a couple of salvage yards. Not just the lights, but the entire fixture. They
mount rather nicely to trees and such and can be aimed. ( I might mention that if
done right, they don't draw attention or look tacky). I use military WD-1 [Army field
tele]phone wire and the lights seem to function ok even at the distance I've strung
the wire (surprised me?) I can turn them on selectively or all at once (panic switch).
I set them so they backlighted the intruders (The intruders were between me and
the lights). Only had to use it once and it turned out to be a neighbor (Boy, was he
surprised!) He'd been over a lot and never noticed the lights before. He said it sort
of took his breath away when the woods behind him lit up like a football field.

For four legged varmints, I use a surefire whit light and a red laser on the rifle.

For two legged varmints, I use an infrared laser, night vision goggles and a really
good flash suppressor.

BTW, the latter works great on coyotes, which should tell you something.

Oh, it was the seismic intrusion detector set that told me somebody or something
big was in the woods.

On another note: When you're doing everything all by yourself, you're bound to
forget something. You might want to remind everybody who is using batteries and
inverters that it's Fall headed into Winter. I checked the water in my batteries and
was feeling good about everything being fully charged and ready for winter and
then, just happened to wiggle all the battery connection wires. Whew! Only a minor
spark on one connection (batteries were on charge) and lo and behold! A loose
connection. I was just lucky to have seen it. I took the volt meter and checked each
and every battery and sure enough, two were lower than the others. Cleaned the
connections, and the batteries started bubbling as they took a charge. The batteries
are all series and paralleled in my 24 Volt system using L-16, 6 volt [deep cycle
marine] batteries. If I hadn't caught that, two of my sixteen L-16 batteries probably
would have frozen and burst this winter.

Best regards to you and yours. Check Six! - The Army Aviator
Jim:

I bought one of the Thor-X lights at Costco last year for about $25. There great and
have a high and low setting. High is 10,000.000 [candle power]. It also can be run
off a 12 volt car hookup or charged and used off the battery. Great light and
rugged. I found the light on this page so you could see a picture. I have seen them
at Costco since I got mine but I don't know if they still carry them

http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/third/thor.htm

As you say there are times for light and many times the night is my best friend, use
it to your advantage. - D.M.

Hi Jim,

I was reading the inquiry L.K. made regarding spotlights and I thought of the Maxa
Beam. Perhaps you're already familiar with it, but if not it is very powerful and
versatile, and can be used covertly with NVD. I haven't priced them yet, but they do
look pricey (no prices listed on their web site). A short video showing the
capabilities is can be found here -

http://www.peakbeam.com/video.html

I thought you might be interested in knowing about this product if you weren't
already aware of it. Take care, - Tom

JWR Adds: Beware when using handheld spotlights. They draw a lot of current and
can drain a car battery in a hurry. Be sure to leave your engine running if using a
spotlight for more than a minute.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Letter Re: MURS Radios, Dakota Alerts, and PIR Sensors

Permalink
Jim,

I for one I’m very happy that your novel "Patriots" back in print. For a long time I
gave this book away to friends who I thought might like it, and to some whom I
wanted to “feel out” as to whether they thought preparedness was a good idea. I
had to stop this of course when your book went out of print, and the cost went
skyward. Now I can stock up again.

Also I wanted to thank you for turning me on to MURS Radios. I just made an order
with Rob, and will be making another order soon. I also gave Kenwood Radio a call
and spoke with their technical department regarding the AA Alkaline Battery Pack
for the TK-2100. I wanted to know if my NiMH batteries would work, considering
they only put out 1.2 volts each, as compared to the 1.5 of the alkalines. The short
answer was yes. - Though range may be decreased a little. The specs say the radios
will work just fine with + or – 20 percent of the rated voltage. And since with 6 AAs
the [nominal] voltage is 9 volts. That means that 6 AA NiMHs at 1.2 volts each
would [collectively] put out 7.2 volts. And this is within spec.

I thought I would also add my two cents about the Dakota Alert system. Though I
have not yet received my unit, I would like to address passive infrared (PIR)
detectors in general. At one time I was the station supervisor for a UL alarm
company, and one of my jobs was to try and limit false and no alarms. The short
and sweet of it is that PIR detectors work by “seeing” a change in temperature.

And for them to work best, their sensing beam (it’s not really a beam, but just
where it “looks) must terminate on an object within its advertised working distance.
That means if it is supposed to cover 80 feet, it should be looking at something
within that distance…not just air. When these units have no solid reference, this is
when the trouble starts. They may not go into alarm, or they may false alarm,
literally at the drop of a hat…or the blowing of a breeze. So when it comes to the
Dakota Alert, or PIRs in general, make sure the “beam” is hitting a solid object.
Even the ground

would be just fine.

I also now have the "Rawles Gets You Ready" preparedness course on my radar
screen, and will be getting it real soon. You take care now, - R.E.M.
Sunday, November 19, 2006

Letter Re: Clothes Washing Without Grid Power

Permalink

Shalom Jim:

Recently my wife and I have started looking to replace our old [clothes] washer and
dryer machines with something more energy-efficient. Since we plan on converting
to solar photovoltaic panels in the future what do you suggest we do now?

1.) Lehman's sells an AC +/ DC operated washer. Is this (DC) feature conducive to

solar technology?

2.) What are you and your family doing for your clothes washing needs?

B'Shem Yahshua HaMoshiach (In the Name of Yahsua the Messiah) - Dr. Sidney
Zweibel

JWR Replies:

1.) With a PV power system, using a DC motor clothes washer is indeed more
efficient. Instead of inverting DC power from your battery bank to create AC, you
can instead use it directly to run DC appliances. By the way, the same logic applies
to most of the devices that use wall socket "power cubes." (Answering machines,
printers, walk-around phones, battery chargers, laptop computers, et cetera.) It is
grossly inefficient to invert DC into AC, and then convert it back into DC with
umpteen separate transformers scattered around your house. If you have several
rooms in your house wired with 12 VDC outlets (and if you have PV power system,
you should), then you can simply fabricate a 12 VDC power cord for each device
that can run on 12 VDC. The appropriate solder-on plugs are available from your
local Radio Shack store.(Just pay close attention to the markings on the power
cubes. A very small minority of them are AC to AC adapters!) To avoid confusion, I
find that it is best to mark each resistor-adapted plug with its DC output voltage,
using a DYMO type adhesive label. If you can handle a soldering iron and a volt-ohm
meter, then you can also easily make adapters for each of your lower voltage low
current DC devices that are currently run from power cubes.(For low current
devices, you can either solder in the proper value resistor(s), or if you are "Ohm's
Law challenged" you can buy off-the shelf DC-DC "buck" adapters.)

2.) During power failures, we can either run our washing machine from an inverter,
or we can go totally low tech, and use a hand-powered "James Washer." If you have
any questions about PV power systems or 12 VDC wiring,

As previously mentioned, Bob at Ready Made Resources is available for free

consulting (with no purchase obligation) on photovoltaic power system sizing and
design, as well as issues like the one that you raised. He is a stocking dealer for
both Outback and Xantrex inverters. Bob has the specialized tools needed to
calculate current loads, requisite battery bank sizing, charge controller capacity,
available solar hours, solar panel array solar exposure and orientation, and so forth.
I can attest that Bob really knows his stuff, and unlike some solar system
specialists, he has considerable experience building systems that are custom
tailored for survival retreats. I recommend that any SurvivalBlog readers that are
considering installing an independent home power system take advantage of the
free consulting offer from Ready Made Resources.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Letter Re: Enlightened Survivalism Article in The Energy Bulletin

Permalink

Jim,

The comments in today's SurvivalBlog concerning my 'Enlightened Survivalism'

article that was posted on the Energy Bulletin that 'this more likely qualifies as
preaching to the choir' is exactly why the article was not sent to yourself for posting
on SurvivalBlog. I tried 'preaching to the choir' as you put it with my post to you
'Considerations for Longer Term Survival' that you posted on Wednesday,
December 21, 2005.

It would seem that many have still not really got to grips with its contents
particularly: 'What about food when the "Year's Food Supply" is gone? What about
your water supply?'.
It is now nearly a year since you posted that article and I have seen very little
discussion concerning the longer term on SurvivalBlog.

We seem to be in state of denial with reality and expect things to get back to some
semblance of normality after the chaos.

Many societies have collapsed in the past and those collapses are well documented,
particularly by people like Jared Diamond with his two books, 'Guns, Germs and
Steel' and 'Collapse: How Societies Choose to fail or Survive'. The problem is that
the coming collapse may well be caused by the some or all of the causes that lead
to previous societies collapsing, but

this time we will not have the planet's resources, particularly oil, to rebuild with. Our
finite resources which are irreplaceable will have been expended.

We also live in world where our systems are now so complex that the slightest thing
could bring it all tumbling down. Painter's 'The Collapse of Complex Societies' is
worth a read on the subject of complexity.

I would agree that 'preaching' short term survival, for those who have not given
'survival' any thought before is very valid and that all people should

be able to look after themselves without reliance on authority for a short period of
time. For those 'survivalists' that are already aware of the problems that are to
come and are prepared in the short term for them then they must now start
preparing themselves for the longer term and teaching those that follow.

I did debate sending you the article, which came about from posts 'Preparing for a
Crash: Nuts and Bolts ' by Zachary Nowak. Which was responded to with 'Why the
Survivalists Have Got It Wrong.' by Rob Hopkins. To which I responded with 'Major
Problems of Surviving Peak Oil'.

After consideration I did not send you the article because I felt that it was not the
sort of article that SurvivalBlog would, on the one hand, wish to publish and on the
other I rather feel like I am hitting my head against a brick wall with trying to
persuade people to consider a life after collapse without the infrastructure and
systems that we have today.

A good quote to close is: 'To our grandfathers and grandchildren, the cave men.'

Regards, -Norman

P.S. Go on, read that last quote again

JWR Replies: Although the majority of SurvivalBlog readers are concerned with
discrete events and short term infrastructure disruption, there are indeed a lot of
readers that are actively preparing for long term and even multi-generational
scenarios. In essence, there is the "buy six months of storage food and a backup
generator" camp and the "build your own infrastructure and establish true self
sufficiency" camp. I fall in the latter category. In my estimation, even if there is just
the outside chance of a multi-generational whammy, I think that it is wise to
prepare for it. It makes more sense to fence a garden and take the time to develop
expertise in gardening rather than to just be dependent on storage food. Likewise, it
is more logical to make your own power (e.g. photovoltaic, wind, microhydro, and
on-site firewood, coal, and natural gas, or biogas production) rather than being
dependent on fossil fuels produced hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
Unless someone is a multi-millionaire and can afford to install propane tanks
measuring in the thousands of gallons, it is absurd to think that a retreat can
depend on outside fuel supplies and still have generator power ten years into
TEOTWAWKI. (And even then, a stored resource that large would be an obvious
target for anyone in a position of authority--whether legitimate or assumed--for
"requisitioning.") I encourage SurvivalBlog readers to read Norman's various
writings and think through the full implications of Peak Oil and potential climate
change. My conclusion is that even though the timing of these predictions may be
off by decades or even a century or more, it is prudent to become truly self-
sufficient. In essence to be truly prepared you should be a producer rather than just
a consumer. If not for ourselves, do so for the sake of your children and
grandchildren, so that they won't someday be reduced to a troglodyte existence.

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Two Letters Re: Product Review of the MURS Alert Motion Detector/Alarm From
Dakota Alert

Permalink

Mr. Rawles:

My friends and I have been using the MURS band for some time. It generally has
better range than FRS/GMRS and is much less crowded. There is an interesting
product available that works with these radios as a sort of "perimeter alarm"
system. The MURS Alert from Dakota Alert is a small, weatherproof box that
combines a PIR motion detector with a 1-watt MURS transmitter and a voice
module. It uses six size AA batteries and has an advertised six month battery life.
The unit is placed near a road, driveway, trail, etc and set up. When a vehicle or
person moves past it, the unit broadcasts a computerized voice that says "Alert:
Zone One, Alert Zone One." The unit can be configured to broadcast four different
alerts, and supports the five MURS channels and all PL tones. We have field tested
it, using it to stake out the road about 1/2 mile from our camp site, and the system
worked as advertised. I have also used it as a car alarm. You can place the MURS
alert on your front seat, and carry a MURS-band walkie-talkie with you. If the car is
broken into, you will get an alert and it is unlikely to be disabled before sending it.
One caution: the plastic case can get deformed if you leave it in a very hot car in
the summer.

The unit is marketed towards people in rural areas with long driveways, deer
hunters who want to keep an eye on their trails, et cetera, but the [retreat] security
applications are obvious. The only drawback I see is cost (around $100 for a single
unit) and the fact that animals/etc may cause false alarms. Detection range is
advertised as up to 80 feet, and I can verify that it does cover a standard two-lane
road reasonably well. Regards, - Arclight

[I asked our advertiser, MURS Radios, if these motion detector were compatible with
their MURS handheld transceivers, and the following was their reply;]

Jim,

Yes,our $49 Kenwood MURS Radios are compatible with the MURS Alert systems.
The MURS Alert can be set to any one of the five MURS frequencies and any one of
the 38 CTCSS tones (they call them subchannels.) The radios I sell can be easily
programmed by the user to match the settings on the MURS Alert and can be used
as the receiver for these units. A nice feature of this system coupled with MURS
transceivers is that you can have two-way comms and an alarm notification on the
same radio and on the same working frequency.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Letter Re: Source for AAA to D Cell Battery Upsizers/Adapters

Permalink

Jim,

I trust all is well with you and yours. I recently found a source for a battery adapter.
There are a lot of products that will take one AA cell and make a D cell battery.

I found somebody makes an adapter that uses two size AA cells to make a D cell
battery. (Twice as much battery life.) I've even seen a reference to some adapters
that use three AA batteries. (That would be neat.) I recently received and tested C
cell and D cell upsizers. The C cell is the common type, one AA battery makes one C
cell. The D cells were the special part. Two AA cells make one D cell.

Nicely done product. They aren't a cast iron product built for the centuries but they
are well made and they were priced right. With two NiMH AA batteries of high
capacity, you have a useful D cell equivalent. E-mail "Kevin Ko"
<kevin@kevinko.ca> to get these adapters. BTW, he takes PayPal.

You know, I've got a ton of the real high cap NiMH AAs and this sure makes sense.
And it's your fault! Your recent SurvivalBlog benefit auction got me to pull out my
Victoreen [fallout] meters and check them and I got to wondering about D cells.
Thanks and Best Regards, - The Army Aviator

JWR Replies: Thanks for sharing the tip on the source for those adapters. I really like
the new generation 2600 mil amp hour capacity AA NiMH batteries. The only
problem is that The Memsahib and our #1 Son have monopolized them for use in
their digital cameras. Once the price drops a bit more I think that I'll buy myself a
bulk pack.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Letter Re: An Early Snowstorm in Western New York

Permalink

Well, mother nature really gave it to them this week. There were 24 inches of snow
dumped on us in about 24 hours. That, and the trees still had most of their leaves
still intact. That just made more surface for the snow to stick, and it was the wettest
imaginable snow you have ever seen. I'm writing this on Sunday. The power has
been out since about 5 P.M. on Friday, and they are saying it won't all be back on till
next weekend.

I didn't lose my power, since I live north of the worst of it. I have lent my generator
out to a friend who is trying to keep his basement from flooding.

The Buffalo Water Department is recommending that residents boil their water.
Nobody has any 'put up', and very few have a Berky water filter. I really like mine!

The television showed people scrambling to buy generators. They are trying to go
as far as Albany to get them. Gas to run them is also a sideshow, there is a two hour
wait at the gas stations that do have power. I am sure they will be out soon.
Now the snow is melting, so the flooding is a problem. Some people have 'grinder
pumps' for their sewers, which is a really bad position to be in, with no power!

I am thinking of going to the places where the trees are down the worst, with my
chainsaw, and stocking up on wood for next winter, as it is green, and won't burn
this year. I am sure the places with trees down just want them gone. I saw on TV
that 50% of the trees are at least damaged or down. Buffalo, Amherst, the suburbs
have a lot of big silver maple trees. OK for firewood, when dry.

I didn't hear of any looting yet, and I am surprised. Maybe it hasn't been reported.

Buffalo people really are pretty good at helping each other out.

The phones haven't worked right for a couple days, you have to try your call several
times before you can get a two-way conversation going, and then it might quit at
any moment. That is pretty frustrating.

I went to the nearest town today, that is where I saw the gas lines. The worst of the
storm hit south of there, and I live north of it. All the restaurants were packed. The
storm people can't cook anything, so they went out of the affected area to get fed.

Good thing it was so localized! I guess that most of the roads are passable now,
except for the water. Underpasses are flooded.

Thanks to this blog, I wasn't in their shoes, and I was able to help my friend. I would
be able to last a couple weeks, anyhow, no matter what. Now I just have to keep
adding to the stores.

Thanks, Jim! - Sid, near Niagara Falls

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Letter Re: 12VDC LED Christmas Lights for Emergency Lighting

Permalink

Jim:

On a lark, I order two strings of these 12 VDC LED sort-of Christmas lights. I ordered
one string of blue for the porch (really easy on Night Adapted Eyes and one string of
white.

Wow! Really neat. Low current (i.e.: extremely low power consumption) and just
plain handy. I'm just guessing but I figure two strings would run for 6 weeks on a
fully charged car battery.
Nice for those "loss of electricity days/nights" and a lot cheaper than the
camping/emergency lighting systems. I think it is a reasonable purchase.Best
Regards, - The Army Aviator

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Two Letters Re: The Coming Energy Crisis: Hubbert's Peak Or Not--Be Prepared!

Permalink

Dear Jim:

Let’s face it, most of our energy shortfalls are completely self-imposed. Gone are
the days of the 1950s when generations looked to and planned for the future, built
infrastructure and power plants for the grand cities that would one day be. Now we
in the US haven’t built a new nuclear power plant since the Three Mile Island
incident. We’ve turned against coal even though we have hundreds and hundreds of
years worth of the stuff or more. Ted Kennedy won’t let windmills go up any more
since they wouldn’t look nice to Ocean front property owners in Massachusetts. We
can’t drill in many parts of the Gulf of Mexico because we don’t want to oil on
Florida beaches. We can’t build a new pipeline in Alaska because we down in the
Continental 48 [states] claim to care about the caribou, who all but a handful of us
will ever even see. Perhaps we should ask the good folks who live in Alaska about
that, but my guess is, to the environmentalists, they up there just don’t know what
is good for them, so why give them the chance to make a decision for themselves.

Since I was in grade school in the 1970s, we always had just 25 years of oil left. I
remember vividly I was taught the US would run out of oil and landfill space by the
year 2000. I resent that part of my education, or should I say indoctrination. Most of
it was wrong and politically motivated then, as it is now. We have a lot of oil in the
World, problem is it gets tougher and more expensive to get to. The Middle East oil
is cheap to get to – it costs just 29 cents a barrel in overhead costs, whereas in the
North Sea, it’s more like $18 a barrel for the rig. The difference between those two
numbers is pure profit to the Arab leaders, which is why they are so rich. The laws
of economics still serve us, especially with such inelastic demand (as price goes up,
supply doesn’t decrease very much). As the price goes up, more and more
exploration and new oil will be found, for it is now profitable to do so. Old fields will
be “reclaimed” as they squeeze out more. Also, over time, people adjust and find
substitutes, and change the way they live, at least to some extent.
For survivalists, the most simple forms of energy are clearly solar and wind. You can
get systems for a few thousand dollars which will give you bare bones service for a
RV level of electronic existence. You learn in a hurry to cut the waste and get to
minimum usage, which is good after all. If you can actually tap into a water source,
there are some nice small hydroelectric systems. Here in Wisconsin, wood is of
course the common choice for heating, and would power a steam driven generator.
Steam is expensive, messy, noisy, smelly, and a pain to watch over IMHO. If you are
going to do it, I would opt to have a large system that powered a group of homes.
One person can run a big one as surely as a small one. Other sources to be aware of
are methane based – some farms use manure to generate power. I would be wise to
know where such installations are for later, and these are million dollar operations
that are a couple megawatts. A sterling engine would nice, but they are too
inefficient, and nobody seems to make a good one the right size. Otherwise, its
diesel (with additive) and propane generators for more of us, I suspect, which are
both good long term storage fuels.- Rourke

Dear Jim:

It appears we are running out of oil, but how much of a crisis this will be can be
debated endlessly. No one can predict the bounds of human ingenuity and future
technological advances in power generation. The market's adaptation to oil scarcity
will mean higher oil prices, and a huge incentive to conserve and get creative with
alternatives. The "Limits to Growth" crowd cried wolf once before in the 1970s, and
still has egg on their face.

So, if I had to guess I would bet that the market would handle the transition to
nuclear power, shale oil, solar, wind power etc., etc. with possibly some belt
tightening, but no catastrophic disruption. Unfortunately we don't have a free
market in general, and especially not in building nuclear plants. The government's
regulatory delays to go nuclear, or implement other alternatives, may easily put us
in a severe crisis. Count on the government to make it worse, as seen in the recent
discussion of ethanol - squandering scarce resources on a net energy loser.

One thing I am pretty sure of is that the secondary or ripple effects of a perceived
energy crisis will probably be more damaging than the crisis itself. Case in point,
the U.S. military is in Iraq and Afghanistan at least partially because of the
government's perception of a looming energy crisis. Ripple effect - the
hemorrhaging of our finances in the Mideast tarpit will make the economic and
financial crisis we have coming even worse. The chewing up of our military
equipment in the desert sand, will change the global balance of power with
unpredictable effects.

If they subsidize gas prices the free market will not give the right signals to
conserve and find alternatives. If they slap price controls on energy, as in the
1970s, then we will really see shortages and disruption. Longer term and more
ominous, the conflict between governments to control scarce oil could easily start
World War III.

Bottom line, we probably have a crisis in the works. Could the free market handle it,
if left alone? Most likely. Will the government turn it into a real crisis? Definitely.

Regards, - OSOM "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"

Thursday, August 24, 2006

The Coming Energy Crisis: Hubbert's Peak Or Not--Be Prepared!

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There has been a lot of ink spilled in recent years, debating the Hubbert's Peak
("Peak Oil") theory. FWIW, I am a believer in global oil depletion, but I think that
those in the "Peak Oil" crowd are about 20 to 25 years too early in their predictions.

In my estimation we cannot depend on the slow-moving bureaucracies of national

governments to rescue us from the coming energy crisis. Even if we were t
overcome the problem in the First World, the second World and the Third World--
with less money available for massive crash programs and probably with a more
short term perspective--will likely be plunged into a second Dark Age. At the
minimum that means famines, monumental migrations, huge economic
dislocations, and world wars, all likely sometime later in this century. And even if
our generation muddles through, we should make preparations on behalf of our
children and grandchildren.

Every well-prepared family should have an alternative energy production capability.

Buy this I do not mean just buying a backup power generator. I'm talking about the
minimum of a six panel photovoltaic (PV) power system with a large capacity
battery bank, charge controller, and a sine wave AC inverter. If you need advice on
sizing and building a PV system, talk to Bob at Ready Made Resources. He offers
free consulting. Take advantage of his consulting offer! Gravity fed spring water is
ideal, but if you are on well water, you need to plan ahead to make your own power
to operate your well pump.
Parenthetically, since lead acid batteries only have a useful life of about eight years,
it is prudent to buy an extra set of dry deep cycle ("golf cart" or "marine") batteries
for your PV system. (Even if kept charged and not charge cycled, the plates will still
gradually sulfate.) Ask your local auto parts store or golf cart dealership about
special ordering a dry set of batteries (with no acid added), and separate "carboys"
of acid, through their battery distributor. If they scratch their heads and give you
dumb looks, then you might have to talk to a battery distributor (such as Interstate
Batteries), directly.

If you are thinking likewise, then you should consider buying a retreat property with
its own source of fuel: A natural gas well or a surface coal seam on the property
would be fantastic (although of course quite rare), but at least buy land with a good
stand of hardwood timber. To supplement your PV system, you might start shopping
for a large yet easy to maintain steam engine with a power take off to run a
generator and to handle other stationary engine tasks. (One wag recently built a
steam power plant to run his iMac.) A third generator option is buying is a steep
parcel of land with a fairly large creek running through it, for a Penstock-fed Pelton
wheel micro-hydro generator. These are offered by several makers. What about
wind power? Because of their high maintenance and the risks associated with tower
climbing, I generally don't recommend wind turbines. They just don't make sense
for most users, especially since PV panels have come down so far in price per watt
in recent years. But if you live in a very windy area with lots of cloud cover, a wind
generator might be a viable option.

Petroleum means more than just fuel. It is the petroleum industry that has brought
huge population increases, with the advent of inexpensive fertilizers. An end to
cheap and plentiful fertilizers will probably mean starvation, war, and perhaps a
significant global die-off. Petroleum also means lubricants. Stock up on lubricants of
all types. As I previously noted in SurvivalBlog, one of the most important to store is
two cycle oil. (For mixing chain saw gasoline.) That will be like gold in the event of
TEOTWAWKI -- a barter item second only to common caliber ammunition.

Lastly, think in terms of transportation in an era when gasoline is very scarce and
precious and when ethanol and and biodiesel are sporadically available but nearly
as expensive as gas. Make every subsequent vehicle that you purchase either a
diesel or an E85 "flex fuel" variant. (The latter are capable of running on 85%
ethanol.) It takes a bit of extra looking to find them, but someday you will be glad
that you did. (BTW, you can locate slightly used flex fuel vehicles via Edmunds.com.
Enter "flex fuel" or "E85" as search variables.) Here at the Rawles Ranch, our
primary "goin' in to town" rig is an E85 fleet variant of the 2003 Ford Explorer 4WD.
And when our little 32 MPG run-about finally dies, it will be replaced by a flex fuel
compact of some sort. For maximum versatility, at least one vehicle at your retreat
should be a diesel. Perhaps your next crew cab 4WD pickup, your next tractor, or
your next "quad" ATV. (Yes, they do make diesel engine ATVs, but they are harder
to find.)

Here is some real gloom 'n doom for you to consider: To plan for an absolute worst
case multi-generational whammy, you will need to buy some livestock including
horses and/or donkeys. Remember that you will need to feed those critters, so buy
a piece of land with both good pasture and hay fields. Build an over-sized hay barn.
The day may soon come that grass hay and alfalfa will no longer be just a phone
call away and be magically delivered on a truck and stacked for +/- $110 per ton.
One nice thing about owning horses/donkeys/mules is that they can harvest their
own feed. But that is only if you plan ahead and buy a hay mower and horse
collars/tack and you train your horses to pull the mower. Planning for the next Dark
Age gets rather complicated...

Six Letters Re: The Ethanol Debate

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Sir:

Regarding ethanol, the amount of fossil fuel or equivalent slave labor wage work
make ethanol driving a exclusive privilege of the wealthy. Brazil has the world's
highest percentage ethanol from sugar cane for motor fuel. US use of current corn
ethanol processes are petroleum negative and only feasible due to massive
taxpayer subsidies.

If the readers of SurvivalBlog are expecting to have motor power in the age of
ethanol I realistically suggest keeping down to a small displacement engine
motorbike and maybe a chainsaw.

Electricity is much higher watt per acre from water solar or wind and bicycle horse
or donkey cart is the best mile per acre fuel utilization. Just because a person grew
up in the day of (almost) free petroleum does not mean this is a normal situation.
Realistic economic study shows that the growth since the industrial revolution was
due almost completely to the addition of (almost) free energy (fossil fuel) and using
that power in machines that multiplied the possible man hours of work per hour a
person could accomplish. Without a rising supply curve of available energy, I can
see no realistic way for our 200 year level of progress to continue or to exist again.-
David in Israel

Jim,

Engineer Steven Den Beste dealt with "alternate energy" theme some time ago. See
this article. And this one.

Bottom line: Unless we're willing to seriously reconsider reprocessing nuclear fuel
and set about building breeder reactors on a monumental scale (as in a project of
the magnitude of the '60s "space race" extended for several decades) we're not
going to rid ourselves of our need for foreign oil. (I'm aware of the need for liquid
fuel for transportation. Given sufficient energy, methanol may be reduced from
water and carbon dioxide. But, this requires something on the scale of a nuclear
reactor to make the process worthwhile.)

Biodiesel, ethanol, solar, wind, geothermal and other marginal sources of energy
are fine for limited, small-scale uses. (If you need to fill a stock tank from a desert
well 20 miles from the nearest power line, a windmill's a great idea. Biodiesel is a
great way of getting rid of french fry oil.) They are not worth considering as a
primary means of powering our civilization. They simply cannot scale to that level.
Yet, the problem is not that we are running out of energy. It is that we are
deliberately choosing to freeze in the dark in the midst of plenty.

Think I'm exaggerating? Take a look at the nation's most populated State. Regards,
- Moriarty

Hi Jim,

I had a big conversation with a local liberal about Ethanol a few months back. She
was all gung-ho about how it would save us and the environment until I presented
her with the facts below. Now she rarely talks to me. Oh well.
While it is true that ethanol can be made out of the stalks, etc of the crops that
have already been harvested, most of the energy of the plant is directed toward
making the seeds - which is where most of the sugars, etc. that are needed to
ferment into alcohol are. From what I understand, using the "waste" you get an
even lower return on investment (ROI) than what I list below.

From my "conversation":

Ethanol has some good points but it has many bad points as well. First, pollution -
Ethanol, when burned in an internal combustion (IC) engine, produces less carbon
monoxide (CO) but it produces more nitrogen oxide which is the main element of
smog and because it has a lower latent heat of vaporization it evaporates more
rapidly than gasoline which also leads to more pollution. Second, Gasoline has more
energy per gallon than ethanol – about 50% more in fact. So you car that gets 30
mpg on gas can get only 20 mpg on ethanol – IF it can run on ethanol. Very few cars
can run on more than 10% ethanol. Third - and worst of all - is that it takes a lot of
energy to grow the crops used to brew up the ethanol. In some cases it takes up to
6 (yes six!) times the amount of energy to create the ethanol as it actually provides.
In virtually ALL cases it takes more than a 1:1 ratio to produce it so ethanol will
actually INCREASE our use of fossil fuels.

See this Energy bulletin article.

This accounting includes every step of the process from shipping the grain to its
place of planting, plowing, planting, fertilizing and use of pesticides (both of which
require fossil fuels to create), harvesting, transportation to the site of distillation,
then the fuels required for that process and finally transportation to its site of final
use.

Bio-diesel is better in the ROI department with it returning about 3 times the energy
it takes to grow it. However this is appallingly low compared to gasoline which
supplies 30 times the amount of energy it takes to produce. If you think gasoline is
expensive these days, try bio-diesel which is likely to cost 10 times as much.
Now, if you drive your 30 mpg car 10,000 miles in a year using ethanol (now it is 20
mpg) you would need 500 gallons of ethanol to get you through the year. According
to this site: (http://science.howstuffworks.com/question707.htm)

that would require 1.84 acres of corn. Since there are about 200 million cars in the
US, if even a third of them drive 10k miles per year then we would need 122 million
acres of crops just to provide fuel for our vehicles. Since the US has about 360
million acres of farmland and only about 43 million acres of that is considered prime
farmland where will we grow all this fuel?

Ethanol sounds wonderful, but it is NOT a reasonable substitute for fossil fuels.
Regards, - Tim P.

James:

This link contrasts other reports that ethanol is energy negative. - Bill in Indiana

Dear Jim:

Lately, politicians have been extolling the virtues of ethanol as the cure to our
energy woes. For the heck of it, I decided to look into this (energy in vs energy out),
after all I am a scientist. Ethanol production makes some interesting assumptions. It
assumes that we can produce enough to make it worth our time.

The answer is 'yes and no'.

As long as the crop, fermentation facility, distillation facility (processing) and end
user are next to each other (to negate losses in transportation), it looks iffy, but
possibly ok. This ignores the COST of production, only the energy surplus from the
crop. However, a bad year may wipe out any energy gains, same for long
transportation distances, etc. There was a study done some years ago that looks at
several bio- fuels and biodiesel looks to be the most promising to me. NOT ethanol.
A synopsis of the study can be found here and here.
This tells me we are putting our time and money into a marginal process with
ethanol and that biodiesel looks more promising, at least on paper - implementation
may be just as bad. But just based on this study, you would need to burn 3 billion
barrels of ethanol to produce 4 billion barrels, giving you a net gain of 1 billion for
use in the populace in general. What is wrong with that picture?

Another trouble I for see is the Sierra Club, Earth First, Congress, and similar
organizations screwing things up, even if it were feasible and cost efficient.
Suddenly we will need to put a LOT more farmland into production; and this may
mean such sundry items as forests may need to be cleared, water diverted for
irrigation, and vast capital invested into big, oily plants. The iron and synthetics to
build those plants need to come from somewhere, perhaps where there are spotted
owls…..

I work in the chemical industry, supplying specialty chemicals for pharmaceutical

research. I am well aware that petroleum is a finite resource and an extremely
useful one:

http://www.ioga.com/special/petroproducts.htm

http://www.anwr.org/features/oiluses.htm

I can see the need to get going on nuclear plant construction and development of
these other energy sources. I think ethanol will not be worth it until they can get
cellulose ethanol up and running. Even then, depending on costs, it may not be
worth it. Right now they have to use expensive sugars (starch), which could be used
for something else. Cellulose just gets plowed under each year. And as I stated
before, we are just looking at energy surpluses, NOT COSTS. I don’t think anyway
wants to burn ethanol if it costs $10/gallon to produce… Then there are other
issues, such as the current drought from Texas up into the Mid-west that would also
impact your gas tank. And of course you need fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides
to farm corn.

The problem has never been a lack of an available solutions, only that politicians
are seldom legislating based on common sense, looking at cost/benefits, but instead
are usually legislating based on who pays their bills. Regards, - Jim

Mr Rawles:
If you can make sugar from something, you can make ethanol. Cows eat hay, which
is for the most part cellulose, which is made up of starch. Enzymes in a cows
stomach(s) break down the cellulose into molecules of starch, which are further
converted into glucose, which is then used by the cow for energy. All animals which
eat hay do this. The enzyme responsible for most of the cellulose breakdown is
called "cellulase". See this article for some scientific background on cellulase
enzyme research. - H.L.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Letter Re: Recommendations on Solar Battery Chargers?

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Jim,

Could you maybe put the word out as to where to find a good reasonably priced
solar panel for charging Ni-MH batteries? Thanks. - Gung Ho

JWR Replies: I recommend Ready Made Resources for solar battery chargers,
although there are several other Internet vendors that sell comparable products.
But I can vouch for RMR's reliability and customer service. If you are on a budget
RMR's compact Universal Solar Charger at under $28 is the way to go. But this
model charges just two batteries at a time. If you have a bigger budget, any of the
Global Solar brand flexible amorphous panels (available in a variety of sizes
between 12 and 55 watt output) would be a good choice. For continuous duty and
outdoor installations, I would recommend only Monocrystalline panels, but an
amorphous panel hung up in a sunny house window or spread out on a car
dashboard will give you many years of service for typical battery charging use.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Letter Re: Rechargeable Batteries for FRS and GMRS Radios

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Jim,

Just a note on the popular two-way handheld radios sold in many big box and
sporting goods stores in the US. I have been trying to standardize my rechargeable
batteries for these little handhelds to the ubiquitous AAs since my scanners and
many of our other small lights and some gear run on them. I have four older
Motorolas from 3-to-5 years ago for our use around the farm and when traveling
with more than one vehicle for any distance.

First, I noticed that there has been a gradual switch for these FRS/GMRS radios that
once took AAs you had to purchase separately to radios sold with special
rechargeable battery packs and desk chargers for them. This seems a good idea on
the surface, but what happens when the issued charge pack reaches the end of its
life or is faulty?.....I think you said something about this one time on a post, but I
don't recall where or when. Also, when I could find some handhelds by other
companies (Audiovox, Uniden, etc.) that use individual

rechargeable batteries, they were all AAA size, which I don't use around our farm.

Should I just keep looking for AA battery handhelds or try to get my old ones
repaired? Or perhaps I should start stocking AAA rechargeables? Thanks for any
perspective you might give me on this. Regards, - Redclay

JWR Replies: It is a sad sign of the times that manufacturers now intentionally de-
standardize batteries, so that they can develop captive markets for their proprietary
spares. Eli Whitney is sure rolling in his grave. If nothing else, it makes it more
logistically challenging for those of us that are actively preparing for a time of
disrupted commerce and infrastructure.

Thursday, August 3, 2006

Letter Re: Solar Panel Shortage -- Caused By Oil Price Shock

Permalink

Hi Jim.

Just a quick one on [photovoltaic] solar panels. My brother and I had to put an order
in for three 80 Watt Sharp brand panels that are usually just sitting on the shelf
here at a major distributor. A container full arrives in two weeks but it's already sold
out! We have to wait a month. I did a little investigation with Google and found that
the shortage is worldwide, is due to people, mostly Europeans, gearing up due to
energy/oil cost. Silicon [photovoltaic panel] demand is beginning to outstrip supply
and the foundries are running at maximum potential anyway. This appears to be a
situation that could get a lot worse if demand continues to rise and it might be a
good time for anyone thinking of buying to get in before the herd gets wind of it. Do
a Google search on the phrase: "solar panel shortage." Take care mate, - Frank

Friday, July 21, 2006

Thinking the Unthinkable, By Norman Church

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Editor's Note: The following lengthy speech was given at the "Peak Speak 2" Peak
Oil conference, held on July 15, 2006 at Bedzed, Wallington, UK.

Introduction

Oil depletion is just the first of a series of resource crisis humanity is about to face
because there are just too many of us! This century we will face peak resources,
period.

There are many fascinating and exciting renewable energy developments. Wind
turbines, solar energy, geothermal, biomass, wave and tidal power schemes which
are all important energy sources for the future - and could at least help keep the
electricity grid going to some degree!

The popular assumption is that these renewable energy sources, perhaps also
including uranium, plutonium and just possibly nuclear, which seems to be coming
back on the agenda, will smoothly replace fossil fuels as these become scarce,
thanks to our inherited technological expertise. However, although these all
produce electricity they are not liquid fuels.

Unfortunately, these popular assumptions could hardly be more wrong. The energy
budget must be positive. Output must exceed input. Too much tends to be expected
of renewable energy generators today, because the contribution of fossil fuels to
the input side is poorly understood.

For example, a wind turbine is not successful as a renewable generator unless

another similar one can be constructed from its raw materials using only the energy
that the first one generates in its lifetime, and still shows a worthwhile budget
surplus.

Or, if corn is grown to produce bioethanol, the energy input to ploughing, sowing,
fertilizing, weeding, harvesting and processing the crop must come from the
previous year's bioethanol production. Input must also include, proportionately,
mining and processing the raw materials and building the machines that do the
work, as well as supporting their human operators.

There is nothing that can replace cheap oil for price, ease of storage, ease of
transportation and sheer volumes in the timeframe we need. There is continuing
debate over whether a suitable energy alternative might be found to replace the
energy from oil as it runs out, but there is certainly no compelling evidence that a
comparable substitute will be found.

It is difficult to think about 'how things will play out' when an oil-based global
economy loses its cheap energy source. It has never happened before.

It will never happen again. Many of the solutions to Peak Oil that are discussed
revolve broadly round 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development', including
replacement technologies and finding an alternate source of 'sustainable energy'.

What is Sustainable Development?

A Definition of Sustainable Development: Development that meets the needs of the

present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs. There are tremendous shortcomings in this definition as there is no
requirement to conserve specific resources. It does not matter what mineral
resources (e.g. fossil fuels, minerals) are depleted so long as something is

found to replace them. From an economic perspective, all that matters is market
value, cost per unit, and economic output.

Any attempt by one generation to leave the world as it found it is unlikely and
infeasible. Instead, all that is required to comply with this definition is that non-
renewable resources that are used up must be replaced with something else. When
one resource is depleted or destroyed, just find a different way of doing things, or
do something else. Everything is expendable, everything is replaceable. All that
matters is economic output and economic efficiency. Another way to put all of this
is that any group of beings (human or nonhuman, plant or animal) who take more
from their surroundings than they give back will, obviously, deplete their
surroundings, after which they will either have to move, or their population will
crash.

The Future Mirrored in the Past

"The farther backward you can look the farther forward you are likely to see." -
Winston Churchill

'Collapse' is the language of the apocalypse and we find such issues difficult if not
impossible to deal with. The long-term consequence of Peak Oil will take decades to
unfold as a series of rolling and interconnected crises, each one more difficult to
cope with than the previous as resources become scarcer and as more and more
systems break and infrastructure decays.

However, let us be clear: overshoot created by a lack of energy means the human
population of the earth will have to shrink to a sustainable number. Ecologists use a
technical term, "die-off", to describe what happens when a population grows too big
for the resources that sustain it.

People are always saying the world will end and it never does. Maybe it won't this
time, either. But, frankly, it's not looking good. Almost daily, new evidence is
emerging that progress can no longer be taken for granted, that a new Dark Age is
lying in wait for us and our children. By some estimates, 5 billion of the world's 6-1⁄2
billion population would never have been able to live without the blessed effects of
fossil fuels, and oil in particular. We also need to remember that when a civilization
goes splat, the technologies that supported it tend to go with it. This is particularly
true of systems that are based on highly interdependent technologies such as ours
today.

Greer states in his paper Facing the New Dark Age: A Grassroots Approach: "Finally
population die-off begins as the wrecked industrial system no longer produces
enough to meet even the most basic human needs. The process ends with
impoverished survivors a century or so from now scratching out a meager living
amid the crumbling ruins of a once-great civilisation"'

This "Die Off" scenario makes a shocking contrast to the cozy fantasies of perpetual
progress most people cherish. Those who study history, on the other hand, will find
it much more familiar.

The same process has happened dozens of times before, and our present
predicament can best be understood by paying attention to the past.'

Another crucial lesson is that the common notion of holing up in a cabin in the hills
with stockpiled food and enough firearms to outfit a Panzer division. This is not a
realistic response.

It takes time for a civilization to come apart, and the process is like rolling down a
slope, not like falling off a cliff. We face a future of shortages, economic crises,
disintegrating infrastructure, and collapsing public health, probably stretched out
over a period of decades. A few years of stored food and an assortment of high-tech
paramilitary gear are hopelessly inadequate preparations in the face of this reality.

Stockpiles of precious metals, another common hedge against collapse, are even
more useless. All the gold in the world means nothing unless people value it enough
to trade scarce resources for it.

Problems with Progress

How many people nowadays can't light a fire without matches or butane lighter
from some distant factory?

The skills necessary to get by in a non-industrial society, skills that were still
common knowledge a century ago, have been all but lost. Knowledge is critical and
currently, there is little knowledge of basic survival skills, and even less knowledge
of the scope of the problems that are looming.

It's clear that whatever the future holds, it will hold many fewer people than today's
world, and the road there won't be easy or pleasant. If there are problems with
holing up in a cabin in the hills, what about self sufficiency?

Community Survival During the Coming Energy Decline

"Those who already enjoy a measure of self-sufficiency, such as ecovillages and

other kinds of sustainable intentional communities will already have some of the
skills and experience needed for re-localization." In Powerdown, Richard Heinberg
notes that small, self-sustaining communities may become cultural lifeboats in
times to come.

He says, "Our society is going to change profoundly-those of us who understand this

are in a position to steward that change. We are going to become popular, needed
people in our communities."

But no matter how prepared an intentional community or organized neighborhood

may be, it will be adversely impacted in some way.

But is Community Enough?

Experts suggest several possible scenarios for the coming energy decline and any
of these scenarios will present significant challenges for intentional

communities.

Even in the "soft landing" scenario, there will still be massive structural changes in
society and being in debt may be the undoing of many.

Common advice among many Peak Oil experts is to get out of debt! Let's say for
example, that a community is deeply in debt, and is still paying off its property
purchase loans.

Let's say the community loses its financial resource base-if members lose their jobs
or if a weak economy reduces the market for the goods and services the community
produces-the group could default on its loan payments, and may have its property
seized by the bank or other creditors.

A property-value crash may worsen the debt situation for intentional communities. If
a community's property value falls below their equity in the property, they won't be
able to save themselves from defaulting on loans by selling off their land, which is
typically the last resort of farmers in debt.

All the shortages and systems failures that can affect mainstream culture can affect
intentional communities as well. A community may not have enough foresight,
labour, tools, or funds to create alternatives to whatever their members use now for
heating, lighting, cooking, refrigeration, water collection, water pumping, and
disposal utilization of gray water and human waste.

Then there's the matter of community security-a subject many find "politically
incorrect" to even consider. If the government fails; if the law and order system falls
apart, there can be various kinds of dangerous consequences. Desperate, hungry
people can loot and steal and take what they want from others.

Vigilante groups can form to either deal with the lawlessness, and/or take what they
want themselves. Government may declare martial law, rescind constitutional
liberties, and send in troops to restore order and/or take what they want from
others. Having supportive neighbors and good networking in the greater community
may help. The social fabric has been unraveling for several decades, and the lack of
solidarity or social cohesion is another one of the reasons there must be a collapse
-- after all, do you see community-spirit on the rise and an actual transition
underway to a sustainable and ecological society?

So would it be possible to rebuild Civilisation after a collapse? Jason Godesky wrote

in It Will Be Impossible to Rebuild Civilisation: "The current state of civilization is
dependent on resources that are now so depleted, that they require an industrial
infrastructure already in place to gather those resources. We can fetch this fossil
fuel only because we have fossil fuels to put to the task."

He goes on to comment on metals.

* That to maintain civilization, only some metals are useful.

* They must be strong enough for agriculture or war.

* They must keep an edge.

* They must occur in economically feasible quantities.

* They must have a melting point low enough to be worked.

Gold, silver, etc. immediately fail as the quantities are insufficient, and they are far
too soft.

There are many other metals which are basically all alloys and would be all but
unworkable in a post collapse society. The metal that probably deserves the most
attention is iron. He says that iron although problematic is not impossible and may
well be the only metal that survivors will have access to.

(1) Ore,
Most near-surface iron deposits were exploited long ago. What remains is deep in
the ground and is unlikely to be accessible without fossil fuels, except in rare
exceptions.

(2) Scavenged iron.

Scavenged iron is, especially in the immediate aftermath of collapse likely to be the
most abundant source although [working] most of the sophisticated alloys we use
now rely on the kind of high temperatures attainable only with fossil fuels. This
shouldn't matter too much as there's still enough that can be done with heated and
reworked scavenged metals. After a few decades the scavenged metals will become
more and more rusted and even worn out and the metalworking will begin to
diminish as it becomes harder and harder to make poorer and poorer metal
weapons and tools.

(3) Bog Iron.

The final source is bog iron which is actually a renewable resource. About once each
generation the same bog can be re-harvested but it may be up to a century before
today's bog iron deposits are refilled; after that, it may enter the cycle of once-a-
generation per bog.

We should be aware of this factor because of one other necessary resource that we
have so far only touched on briefly: knowledge.

The knowledge of how to work iron and many other processes was accrued over
centuries.

Those who know, no longer do; those who do, no longer know. This may well end
applying to a lot of knowledge.

How much knowledge will manage to survive the post collapse period, for the time
that comes after when it may become useful again?

If it is insufficient, we will be starting from scratch again. This will apply to all
knowledge and knowledge is a powerful thing, difficult to relearn from seed, and
easily lost.

How plausible would agriculture be after the collapse?

Civilization is only possible through agriculture, because only agriculture allows a

society to increase its food supply--and thus its population--and thus its energy
throughput--and thus its complexity--so arbitrarily."

Plants, like any other organism, take in nutrients, and excrete wastes. In nature,
what one plant excretes as waste, another takes in as nutrients. They balance each
other, and all of them thrive.
But monoculture--planting whole fields of just one crop--sets fields of the same
plant, all bleeding out the same nutrients, all dumping back in the

same wastes.

The ecological effects of fossil-based food production have been catastrophic,

particularly with respect to agriculture. As a result, the complex ecology of the living
soil is being destroyed, leading to increased wind and water erosion. In the near-
term, most arable land has long been depleted, and is now utterly dependent on
fertilizers made from fossil fuels. In the course of our civilization we have used up all
of the surface and near-surface deposits of all the economically viable fossil fuels
and minerals. The lack of metals will continue to limit technological development
after the collapse--and by limiting technological development, it will also limit all
other forms of complexity. We are therefore talking about a complete break with
the end of our current civilization. Whole generations will pass before civilisation
becomes feasible again. What, then, of the distant future?

The Distant Future

After the passage of millennia, the soil may well heal itself, and the necessary
climate may return. In that scenario, agriculture may be possible in those same
areas, and under the same conditions, that it first occurred. With the passage of
geological ages, though, this will pass. Fossil fuels will be replenished, and metal
ores will rise to the surface.

Then, if there are still humans so far into the future--this is a matter of at least tens
of millions of years, far longer than humans have so far survived--then there might
be another opportunity to rebuild civilization.

So after the collapse, we may see a brief Iron Age, but it seems more likely to fade
away within the next two centuries.

Living without oil, if we don't start to prepare for it, will not be like returning to the
pre industrial world, because we will have lost the infrastructure that made that life
possible. We have also lost our basic

survival skills.

Today, the UK population is about 62 million. In 1750, when the Industrial

Revolution was beginning, it was about 6 million. It had never exceeded this figure,
although during the Dark Ages

and after the Black Death it fell to one or two million.

Most people lived and died in poverty. Pre-industrial farmers were pushed to the
limit to feed so many. The population increased slightly in years with good harvests,
but starvation and malnutrition cut it back to the 6 million norm when harvests were
bad. Food is energy. And it takes energy to get food. These two facts, taken
together, have always established the biological limits to the human population and
always will.

Conclusion

The topic of Peak Oil is at present enveloped by a great silence and the

public seems unprepared for rational discussion

This reminds me of a comment made by Sherlock Holmes in A. Conan Doyle's story

"Silver Blaze."

Inspector Gregory had asked, "Is there any point to which you would wish to draw
my attention?"

To this Holmes responded:

"To the curious incident of the dog in the night time."

"The dog did nothing in the night time," said the Inspector.

"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

By asking himself what would repress the normal barking instinct of a watchdog,
Holmes realized that it must be the dog's recognition of his master as the criminal
trespasser.

In a similar way we should ask ourselves what repression keeps us from discussing
something as important as survival long term after Peak Oil.

Curious, but understandable - for the foreseeable future I think that our survival
demands that we govern our actions by the ethics of a lifeboat. Posterity will be ill
served if we do not.

Those who attended "Peak Speak 1" in London last year may remember the lifeboat
analogy I mentioned.

Greer uses a similar point in The Coming of Deindustrial Society: Imagine that
you're on an ocean liner that's headed straight for a well marked shoal of rocks. Half
the crew is dead drunk, and the other half has already responded to your attempts
to alert them by telling you that you obviously don't know the first thing about
navigation, and everything will be all right. At a certain point, you know, the ship
will be so close to the rocks that its momentum will carry it onto them no matter
what evasive actions the helmsman tries to make. You're not sure, but it looks as
though

that point is already well past. What do you do? You can keep on pounding on the
door to the bridge, trying to convince the crew of the approaching danger. You can
join the prayer group down in the galley; they're convinced that if they pray
fervently enough, God will save them from shipwreck. You can decide that
everyone's doomed and go get roaring drunk. Or you can go around quietly to the
other passengers, and encourage those people who have noticed the situation (or
are willing to notice it) to break out the life jackets, assemble near the lifeboats,
take care of people who need help, and otherwise deal with the approaching wreck
in a way that will salvage as much as possible.

Although there is growing awareness of the problem, there is also widespread

ignorance and denial, even by people who should know better. Mankind has, it
seems, an infinite capacity for denial. The evidence is overwhelming that we are in
the "overshoot" phase of the industrial life cycle, yet most people and most
organizations refuse even to discuss this matter, let alone acknowledge it.

The world after the industrial age will be very different from the world of today. For
most people on Earth (if mankind escapes extinction), it will be similar to the world
of the past millions of years - a primitive, natural environment (although perhaps
less bountiful and beautiful than before).

Although most people will not survive the collapse of the industrial age, it will
belong, in concept and structure, to those who prepare for the great change that is
about to happen.

The arrays of skills necessary for people to 'thrive' and not just 'survive' in a non-oil
economy are many. Most people do not have the essential skills to reproduce (or
even repair) the technology on which we depend today.

We seem to be in a state of delusional thinking and the only thing we're debating is
how we're going to keep the cars running without oil.

What I have said above is not, as some one said after my talk last year, to get you
all to wear brown underwear. It is to try to show you that, even at this late stage, if
we all do not think seriously, realistically and logically about the consequences of
our inaction then what I have suggested may well become fact. We will be faced
with the necessity to downscale, rescale and reorganize all the fundamental
activities of our daily lives; the way we grow food, the way we conduct commerce,
the way we manufacture things and school our children. We must learn to do this
tomorrow....at the crack of dawn. We should seriously think of breaking out the "Life
Jackets" and "manning the lifeboats" which is as I said last year at least one step
before "deploying" the lifeboats.

References and sources quoted:

1. Greer. J.M., How Civilisations Fall: A Theory of Catabolic Collapse.

2. Godesky, Jason., It Will Be Impossible to Rebuild Civilisation.

3. Godesky, Jason., Collapse is Inevitable.

4. Greer, J.M., Facing the New Dark Age: A Grassroots Approach.

5. Godesky, Jason,. Post Collapse Metals.

6. Jan Steinman and Diana Leafe Christian, Community Survival During the Coming
Energy Decline.

If you have any comments on this, my e-mail address is: Norman@noidea.me.uk

JWR Adds: If you think that the preceding article is alarmist, consider this: Even if
the timeframe for Peak Oil has been badly miscalculated, clearly at some point in
the next 150 years, oil production will steeply decline. Both shale oil and ethanol
are widely touted as easy solutions, offsetting the oil production decline. But with
current extraction technologies, both fail the test of Energy Return on Energy
Invested. (EROEI). This is the ratio of the amount of energy needed to generate a
unit of energy from a fuel source. When oil was first produced over 150 years ago
the EROEI was 40 (or more) to 1. The oil gushed out of the ground. Just 30 years
ago it was as high as 20-to-1. Today, the oil EROEI is variously reported as 2.5 to
1.2-to-1 for light sweet crude. As Peak Oil occurs, oil shale production is expected to
see an EROEI of less than 1. That means it presently takes more than one energy
unit to produce a single unit of energy from the oil shale. Thus, it doesn’t matter
how much it costs, because the extraction operation will have become a net energy
sink. That is some serious FFTAGFFR, folks.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Letter Re: A Practical PV-Powered Well Pump and Cistern System

Permalink

James:

I appreciate your web site, lots of good thoughtful info and no armchair commando
nonsense. I rarely post on this or related blogs, but I've just installed two complete
solar water systems and can perhaps add a bit to the backup-powered water
discussion. A solar system is tailor-made for supplying water, IMHO, because
instead of storing electricity in batteries for nighttime use, it stores water in a tank
for use on demand, no inverters, no batteries, no fuel. Simple and effective. Both
systems use Grundfos submersible pumps and two solar panels of about 170 watts
each. One system pumps from a lake to a 1-1/2 acre orchard/garden about 500 feet
away with no head (lift), and supplies about 4000 gallons per day. The other is for
use here at the house and pumps from a well about 100' vertically to a 3000 gallon
storage tank, then gravity flows to the house, and supplies from 800-1500 gallons
per day depending on time of year (sun angle) cloudiness, et cetera.

The pump and solar panels must be sized according to lift, distance pumped,
desired output, and geographic location. I'm located in Central Texas with plenty of
sunshine year-round, so solar is a natural. Depending upon pump size and number
and power output of the panels, the basic components including a stand for the
panels costs around $3000-4000. Add to that about $500 or so for standard
pressure tanks, pressure switches, wiring and plumbing and the cost is still less
than a windmill and pumps a lot more water. Another beauty of these pumps is that
they run on both 12 volt (PV solar) and 220 VAC, which means they can also be
powered by a generator or from the electric grid. Just make absolutely certain, I
repeat certain, that the 220 breaker is off before engaging the solar panels, as 220
VAC does some fairly spectacular things to a 12 volt DC solar panel.

I don't claim to be an electrician, or plumber either, yet I installed both of these

systems practically by myself, so that means it can't be all that difficult. - J.H.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

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

Permalink

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.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Letter Re: Five Watt Folding Photovoltaic Panels

Permalink

James:

I see that Northern Tool is a SurvivalBlog sponsor. A particular item you might want
to recommend is this: It is a 5-watt folding solar panel for only $39. I have several, I
think they're incredibly good for a BOB or other uses. They're about the size of a
paperback book, even lighter, and produce enough power to charge batteries fairly
quickly. It's an incredible deal for anyone who is concerned about losing power. My
family keeps one or two in each of our BOBs. Highly recommended! - Bill

JWR Replies: That is a great item. But so that SurvivalBlog will earn a commission,
please always use this link to Northern Tool & Equipment, and then place your
order. Thanks!

Saturday, July 8, 2006

Letter Re: James Kunstler at Midwest Renewable Energy Fair

Permalink

Dear Jim:

I was also at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s (MREA) Energy Fair, just
about in the exact center of Wisconsin near Steven’s Point, a week ago. For me, the
home tour was the most interesting part. For about $20 they load you on a school
bus and take you to 4 local homes that had alternative energy incorporated into
them. This included things like solar panels for electricity with a battery bank, heat
pumps with in floor hydronic heating systems, soap stone fireplaces (like the
Russian design) that burn 2 hours and radiate heat all day (some with a built in
usable oven too, pretty cool http://www.vermontwoodstove.com, they said 3 cords a
year heated their 1,700 sq. foot home), passive solar design, rain water collection
drums, and very high insulation values, as high as R30 walls and R72 ceilings. I also
noticed that every home we went to had a metal roof. The real benefit of doing this
tour was to speak with the owners as to what worked for them, what did not, and
what they would do differently to do it over. The main thing said was to work with
an experienced contractor. There were also useful product tips, for instance the
owner of a solar system had had bad luck with his initial batteries which only lasted
a few years. He now recommends the Deka brand. In another home, the owner
discussed how heat pump could be used with a forced air or hydronic for heating (in
floor system circulating water/gel) – BUT for cooling, it could only be forced air since
it would lead to condensation all over the place otherwise. They had chosen
hydronic, thus foregoing air conditioning. The initial cost layout and excavation for a
heat pump, which had several 500 foot runs, was substantial. In fact one of the
homes built a few years ago came in at $180 per square foot construction cost,
pretty high. Another thing I noticed was that each of these folks had very
impressive backyard fenced-in gardens, and all but one was a on a 10 acre plus lot
backup up to forest.

The energy fair is well done, informative, and friendly. The volunteers are fantastic,
and they and the vendors are there to promote alternate energy, and are a wealth
of information. You can get a lot of questions answered. One thing that I wasn't
aware of for instance was the methane generating power plants running off cow
manure. There are 3 in Wisconsin in the megawatt plus range. The joke is you need
about 5 cows per person for power. It takes about 800-1000 cows per megawatt if I
heard the stats correctly. Note these are million dollar plus operations, but if TSHTF,
it would be valuable to know where such mini-power plants operating on self-
sustaining energy are near you. This goes for windmills and solar arrays too. Your
local power utility, for Public Relations reasons, will probably be all but too happy to
tell you and take credit for their efforts. Note there are programs designed to help
you go off grid, but they literally very by each utility company. Most are up to 25%
payback on your initial costs, and many set limits on that also, usually around
$2,000. Still, if you are going to go off-grid, or at least putting in enough power
generating capacity to "run your meter backwards", it is worth your while to check
into these programs. As many utilities charge power line fees beyond 150 feet, if
you are on a very rural lot, you may have to pay several thousand to go on grid. A
friend of mine was quoted $19,000 for his rather remote lot. This is where the
economics of going off grid instantly make sense, as $19,000 would buy a nice
system. For those who think they can “profit” from running their meter backwards,
you will probably be disappointed to learn that while you save yourself money at
retail cost, if you go beyond that, they will only pay you wholesale, which is far less,
and not profitable, thus your on-grid strategy should be to zero your bill.

Some of the speeches about energy use got a little political and preachy for me and
weren’t worth sitting in a crowded hot tent. Big oil and GW Bush were certainly
topics and targets of chastisement. However, there was some equal opportunity
political bashing going on as some ardent liberals had to acknowledge their disdain
for Ted Kennedy who has right now put a Federal stop on the building of windmills
for, as many surmise, the purpose of merely stopping windmills going into ruining
(for those rich folks there) the lovely Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. I would
assure them that the Ocean probably makes far more noise, since there are 200+
foot wind miles 30 miles from me now, and they aren't loud when I pass them.
However to some, windmills are apparently an eye sore and ruin the lovely view of
other people's undeveloped land that they the viewer are apparently entitled to. I'm
also not into the self loathing types who decry American's unfair use of World
resources (that the U.S. pays for in money and blood), and lament on how this isn't
fair or right. If Mr. Kunstler were a purist he would go to China, India, and parts of
Central and South America and stop them from falling into the trap of becoming an
“easy motoring utopia” like the USA, rather than flying around burning up fossil
fuels on book tours like this, or promoting his PG-13 web site. Problem is, every
other country pretty much aspires to do as the U.S. does. The automobile, or
actually more so the SUV, is the ultimate instrument of freedom and luxury. The
alternatives may be quaint to someone who thinks they want to live "on Walden's
pond" but don’t every actually take the bus themselves. The dangerous thing is the
persuasive affect a guy like this can have, and not the part where some people are
coaxed into alternative energy use, that's good, it’s the part America self-imposes
restrictions leading to loss of competitive advantage and thus eventual economic
downfall. God willing we make it that far anyway. The best answer is to strive for
economical self-sufficiency to the point possible, for each of us, and for each nation.
As a survivalist, depending upon where you are, solar, wind, and wood are probably
your first and best choices as they are easily scalable, but many other possibilities
exist and should be considered, such as small scale hydro-electric, geothermal,
wood burning, coal burning, mature, or whatever natural resources you have
around you. Thus find out and know what is near you as for as to alternate energy
power generation and resources, there is probably more than you think, as I just
learned.- Rourke

Friday, June 30, 2006

Letter Re: James Kunstler at Midwest Renewable Energy Fair

Permalink

Jim,

As a regular reader of Survival Blog, I thought others might like a “field trip” report
from the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s (MREA) Energy Fair held this past
weekend. This is an annual event hosted in central Wisconsin and it has had a
growing number of attendees; last year’s fair drew over 10,000 and this year it was
expected to draw ~17,000 people over its three days. In my mingling, I
encountered people who had traveled from as far as New mexico, southern
Oklahoma, Kansas, and many from Wisconsin and bordering states.

The fair is a collection of vendors, presentations, and daily featured speakers.

Suppliers of everything from solar ovens, solar panels, wind turbines, and passive
solar hot water heaters have their products on display and there are usually at least
six seminars going on at any one time on topics as diverse as grey water
management, saving seeds, and straw bale construction. This year’s speaker on
Saturday was James Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency. If anyone is thinking
of buying into alternative energy, this fair is a great place to talk with a variety of
suppliers as well as people who have real-world experience using the products.

I attended a number of special seminars and found most all to be very informative
and well done. The people presenting were truly focused on educating and sharing
information rather than on selling. Some had web sites and a few had written small
do-it-yourself manuals which could be purchased if desired. There was also a lot of
time given for questions from the audience.

Of particular interest on Saturday was James Kunstler’s keynote speech. For those
not familiar with his book, it is a brief synopsis of our (U.S.) society’s creation of an
“easy motoring utopia” supported by cheap and abundant petroleum products. If
you have not read it, I would recommend it as a number of people to whom I have
lent my copy have described it as life-changing. If nothing else, it is a very well
written “eye opener” for those who have yet to come to appreciate our relationship
(addiction) with oil.

Mr. Kunstler’s speech was untitled, but I believe a fair topic statement would have
been “We need to make other arrangements.” He commented on what he termed
the current state of delusional thinking and noted that the only thing we’re debating
is how we’re going to keep the cars running without oil. His point was that no
combination of alternative fuels will allow us to continue operating the interstate
highway system, the big box retail stores, and the 12,000 mile supply chain. There
were several times when he repeated that “life is tragic and Americans have made
some tragic choices.” This was followed by the admonition that “we need to make
other plans.”

He also spent some time discussing what he termed the new religion in America:
the worship of unearned riches. The thoughts here could be summed up by the idea
that bad behavior is driving bad choices and vice versa. Although he did not
mention it, I could not help but think about people who have escalating credit card
debt and are living in housing funded by ARMs [adjustable rate mortgages] that will
index upward as interest rates rise.

Much of the talk was very similar to what is described in his book, so I will not
reiterate or spoil the read for those who have not yet read it. However, he did
mention some points which I do not recall from his published work. Mr. Kunstler was
very clear in his opinion that people are expecting a smooth transition through this
energy crisis. His personal feeling was that “we should expect a fair amount of
disruption.” Also, he commented on the risk of “political mischief” as the hardship
becomes more dire. His point was that people have been living in a utopia where, in
general, if you wait a little while, prices will stabilize, stocks will trend upward, and
life will be basically what we have come to understand as “normal.” In the long
emergency, that will all change and his opinion is that the American public is going
to be begging to be told what to do. This opens the door for politicians to implement
policies for the common good but of perhaps dubious real benefit.

In closing, I would like to share a very salient point Mr. Kunstler made about a
question he said that he often receives when lecturing at colleges and universities.
Following his gloomy review of peak oil and the state of society, someone usually
asks “can’t you give us any hope?” To this he had a two-part commentary: First, it
is interesting (tragic?) to note the word choice and that there is an expectation that
hope can simply be “given.” This, he mentioned, was a common thought pattern in
both young and older adults. The second part of his analysis was that each person is
going to need to figure out how to do this for themselves. His model for how this
happens is that you need to demonstrate that you’re a capable person who can get
things done. This gives you the ability to dwell in a hopeful mindset. As readers of
Survival Blog, I would think that most of us are maintaining a fairly high level of
awareness of the complex world in which we live. While this may not always be the
most reassuring outlook, having this awareness and doing some planning will put us
all in a much better mental place if or when something "bad” happens. Regards, -
Max

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Letter Re: My Portable Solar Power System

Permalink

James,

I thought I would just write a quick note, you and your readers may be interested in
the portable solar power setup I built for using my Constant Positive Airway
Pressure (CPAP) machine on extended camping trips. See:
http://mtoal.dyndns.org/solar Regards, - Hannibal

JWR Replies: Folks with chronic health conditions (for example sleep apnea,
diabetes, or dependence on medical oxygen) definitely need to plan ahead for
TEOTWAWKI. I commend you both for your ingenuity and your foresight. BTW, you
must be one burly dude to carry that battery box. Put that thing on wheels and save
on chiropractor bills!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Letter Re: Burning Alcohol In Kerosene Lamps?

Permalink

Hi James,

Greetings from over crowded, crime ridden, the inmates are in charge of the
asylum, Baltimore, Maryland. I have a question about kerosene lanterns and what
other fuels can be safely burned in them. I remember the vendor in "Patriots" selling
distilled alcohol as fine for burning in your lanterns, but every Dietz I've ever bought
has expressly warned against this. What do you think?

While we're on the subject of alcohol, I think a still would be a very useful tool for
the survivalist. Even if I couldn’t use the alcohol in a lantern, it could still power a
small generator, or even a tractor. What kinds of modifications are necessary for
alcohol power to work, and just how large a still would one need to make around ten
gallons of alcohol a month? Is this even feasible?

-Tim

JWR Replies: In answer to your first question: Given the flash point of alcohol, I see
no reason why it could not be substituted for kerosene in a WICK type kerosene
lantern. However, due to the disparities between alcohol and kerosene, alcohol
should not be used in a mantle type kerosene lantern , such as an Aladdin. Alcohol
cannot be expected to "generate" and cause the mantle to properly incandesce. For
fear of lawsuits, I suspect that Dietz and the other wick lantern makers disallow the
use of anything except kerosene or lamp oil. (BTW, for our UK and a Commonwealth
readers--this is what you term "liquid paraffin.") For liability reasons, manufacturers
make these strong disclaimers for fear that someone might inadvertently fill a
lantern with gasoline, which could of course have tragic consequences.

In answer to your second question, converting an engine to run on alcohol is not a

simple task. One difficultly is converting the fuel tank, lines, and filter assemblies. In
most cases, stainless steel must be used for the fuel tank and any rubber fuel lines
must be replaced. There are several web pages devoted to this subject. For
example, see Keat Drane's article, Robert Warren's article, and this Greenspun
article. Although we have one E85 ethanol compatible vehicle (a 2003 Ford Explorer
"flex fuel" variant) here at the Rawles Ranch, converting a vehicle to run on 100%
alcohol goes far beyond my personal knowledge or experience.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Letter Re: "Power Up"--A Useful Reference on Battery Conversions for Military
Electronics

Permalink

James,

You need to take a look at this link. It is an online version of a very rare book (Power
Up) that shows how to make standard battery conversions of many military items,
something that could come in handy one of these days. Best Regards, - Jim K.

JWR Replies: This link works well in Firefox, but Netscape some other browsers have
conflicts, so you may have to turn off Java to see this page properly. Once there,
click on the link for any particular piece of military equipment. This is indeed a great
reference!

Thursday, June 1, 2006

Letter Re: Recommendations on Flashlights and Battery Powered Lamps?

Permalink

Jim,
You recently endorsed reader recommendations for kerosene lamps. What about
flashlights and battery powered lamps? Do you have any recommendations there?

I realize battery powered devices may have limited value in a long-term, grid-down
scenario. But what about short-term scenarios like a power outage associated with
a hurricane--a few days or weeks? Best Regards, - d'Heat

JWR Replies: The advent of white light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the 1990s
revolutionized flashlight technology. Up until a couple of years ago, I would not have
recommended buying an electric camping lantern, since they were such battery
hogs. But now, a new generation of white LED lanterns remarkably little current,
allowing batteries last surprisingly long time. For example a Tuff Brite rechargeable
LED lantern can operate for up to 70 hours on one charge. These are available from
Northern Tool & Equipment and several other Internet vendors. (Search on: Tuff
Brite Model # VEC144.)

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Using Rechargeable Batteries, by Northwest Huey

Permalink

There have been a number of comments on SurvivalBlog about rechargeable

batteries. The majority of these expressed the feeling that rechargeable batteries
were expensive and ineffective for a long term storage plan. Before anyone gives
up on rechargeable batteries I would like to share a plan that has proven effective
for my family.

One day I sat down and assessed my family’s state of preparedness. Like many
others, we needed more beans, bullets and band-aids. Turns out, we also needed
more batteries. Before I started buying batteries, I tried to think of creative ways to
minimize the number of batteries I would need. The first thing I decided to do was
to go to low drain and no drain devices when possible. For example, I picked up an
LED conversion for my Mini Maglite that more than triples the run time of my
flashlight. [JWR Adds: Such as one of these.] So now, I get the runtime from two
batteries that used to require six batteries. An example of a no drain device is the
Swiss windup alarm clock that I purchased to replace my battery powered clock.
Obviously these steps only lessened my dependence but I still needed a lot of
batteries. The next idea I had was to standardize my equipment so that I only
needed one type of battery. This way I would not have the expense of stocking up
on a bunch of different types of batteries. This also helped because I would only
have to worry about rotating one type of battery in my storage. I ended up choosing
to standardize with the AA battery. Not only are they cheap and readily available, I
found that almost every type electrical device that I wanted came in a model that
used AA batteries. For instance when it came down to an Aimpoint or a HOLOsight, I
choose the HOLOsight model that was powered by AA’s. Even after standardizing I
still had some devices that I purchased earlier that use other types of batteries.
Instead of immediately replacing them, but in keeping with my plan, I purchased
some battery adapters (from greenbatteries.com). These sleeve type adapters slide
over AA batteries and allow them to be used in place of C and D cell batteries. This
completely solved my standardization problem and added flexibility to my plan.
Runtimes are obviously much shorter when using the adapters but at least the
devices will be useable should I need them.

Standardizing and going with low drain devices was only part of the solution. I was
still faced the daunting task of buying a sizable number of batteries. It was at this
time that I started looking at the cost of various AA batteries. I went down to the
local retail store and came up with the following: 8 alkaline batteries cost $5.18 or
$0.65 each, 8 lithium batteries cost $16.84 or $2.11 each and 8 NiMH rechargeable
batteries cost $17.87 or $2.24 each. Based on initial cost alone it would seem that
alkaline would be the way to go. However if you look at cost per 500 uses, NiMH is
$2.24, Alkaline it is $325 and Lithium is $1055. If you can get 1000 charges out of
your NiMH battery, it will still only cost you $2.24 while the costs of the alternatives
double. Although the initial cost is higher, I would only need to recharge each NiMH
battery four times to break even with the cost of alkaline batteries. On paper
rechargeable batteries looked good. However, I was still skeptical because my
experience with rechargeable batteries has not been all good. I decided to do a little
more research to see if they could be a viable long-term option.

My research revealed that rechargeable batteries have several deficiencies. To

make a plan that would work I would have to overcome the following problem
areas: overcharging, overheating, poor conditioning and deep discharges. The plan I
came up with will require more effort to maintain than simply buying lithium
batteries. However, if you are up to the challenge of making sure your batteries are
properly conditioned and rotated then the monetary savings are worth it. Now let
me tell you how I made the plan work for me.

The first step was buying a quality smart charger. The right charger makes all the
difference in the world and helps minimize my effort by preventing overcharging,
overheating and poor conditioning. The bad press about rechargeable batteries is
largely to blame on older chargers sometimes called ‘dumb’ chargers. These dumb
chargers are set to charge batteries for a certain time period. This time period is
based on the batteries being almost totally discharged. If the batteries are not
totally discharged then they can be overcharged and overheated. Smart chargers
monitor the batteries charge and stop charging when full capacity has been
reached. Overheating is largely prevented by not overcharging but you can also do
things to prevent overheating like placing the charger on a platform that allows air
to circulate. I like to use old plastic strawberry containers turned upside down. Also
if the charger has a cover leave it open while it is charging or remove it completely.
Overheating is not a problem limited to the charging cycle, so when the batteries
are actually being used keep the device out of the sun when possible.

Poor condition occurs when the battery is used for a short time and then recharged
again without being fully discharged. When this repeatedly happens a battery can
lose the unused capacity. This is often referred to as memory effect. Look for a
charger that comes with a conditioning cycle. The really good chargers will sense
when a battery is poorly conditioned and will automatically run it through a few
charge/discharge cycles to regain lost capacity. One last thing to consider in a
charger is one that can be powered by both 110 volt AC and 12 volt DC. I couldn’t
find the right charger locally so I got on the Internet and found a Maha MH-C204F
(from Thomas Distributing). This model meets all my needs and is the backbone of
my plan.

The last problem I had to solve was deep discharges. If voltage drops too low you
can lose performance or even kill a battery due to polarity reversal or anode
oxidation. This generally isn’t a problem when using digital devices like GPS, FRS
radios and digital cameras as these devices shutdown on their own when power
gets too low. You have to watch out for devices that keep pulling a charge when
performance drops off. The best example of this is a flashlight that starts to get dim
but is still sucking power. The solution is to immediately switch batteries in any
device that starts to lose performance. Also, it is a good idea to buy a battery tester
so you can check batteries in devices like this so you can be sure they are not being
too deeply discharged. Deep discharges can also occur in batteries that are just
sitting on the shelf. Rechargeable batteries have a higher self-discharge rate than
normal batteries. Normally they lose 1% to 2% of charge each day when stored at
room temperature. This means they are only good for use 3-5 weeks from their last
charge. If you really procrastinate using or recharging the batteries they can
eventually reach a state of deep discharge. To combat this I started storing
batteries in my freezer. This slows the discharge and retains about 90% of the
charge for a full month. Even if I can’t complete a full cycle of using all the batteries
before they lose their charge I can slow their discharge down to the point that I can
minimize the number of times the batteries have to be charged. And the fewer
times they have to be charged needlessly the more times they can be charged and
put to use for a necessary reason. Keep in mind that the batteries work best when
they are first returned to room temperature after coming out of the freezer.

How many batteries did I buy? I made an inventory of all the electronic devices that
I would conceivably use in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. Let’s say I would use 12 AA
batteries on my worst day. I then applied the survival rule of three and multiplied
the 12 batteries by 3 and came up with 36 batteries. That allows me to have 12
batteries in use, 12 batteries that have been charged, and 12 batteries that are
being charged or waiting to be charged. 36 batteries my not seem like a lot but
keep in mind that I will be getting between 500 and 1000 uses out of each battery. I
decided against buying additional batteries because this would make the rotation
between batteries so long that some would not be used before they had to be
recharged again. IMHO it would be better to buy an extra smart charger or two and
keep them in a sealed ammo can in the basement. This is due to the fact that smart
charges are controlled by computer chips and therefore would be vulnerable to
EMP. You will also want additional smart chargers if the charger you choose cannot
charge the required number of batteries in one work day. In the previous example
the charger I picked can charge 12 batteries in less than 9 hours so the one charger
has sufficient capacity for the example.

I didn’t run out and buy the batteries right away. First I looked at individual brands
of batteries to see if one was better than another. I found an article on the internet
titled “The Great Battery Shootout”. It shows the results of a test done with digital
cameras and various brands of rechargeable batteries. You can look up the results
yourself but let me summarize by saying that Energizer got top marks and since my
local retail store carries that brand that is what I buy. To make the plan affordable
and to ensure that all my batteries don’t go bad at the same time I bought them
over time. I started off with 8 batteries and kept track of how often I charged them.
After 4 charges each I broke even with the cost of alkaline batteries and went out
and bought 8 more batteries. Again after 4 charges each I went out and bought 8
more batteries and continued the process until I reached the required number of
batteries. Once I reached the required number of batteries I actually started saving
money as compared to using alkaline batteries. This money is now free to be used
for other pressing needs. Eventually I will need to reinvest in some new
rechargeable batteries but at my current rate of use that day is years away.

Any rechargeable battery plan is based on having a grid down power source. Ideally
this power source would be your existing backup power source. If you don’t have a
backup power source then you should consider investing in some portable solar
panels. Otherwise, this plan will only work until the lights go out.

Summary of Plan:

-Replace battery operated devices with low drain or no drain models.

-Standardize to AA batteries (Buy battery adapters if an essential device is not AA

compatible).

-Buy quality smart [AC/DC] charger(s) with enough capacity to charge your battery
needs for one day.
-Buy quality rechargeable batteries (3 times the number you expect to use on your
worst day).

-Rotate batteries: Charge, store in freezer, then use them on a rotating basis.

-Replace batteries when they drop below 50% capacity (roughly 500-1000 cycles for
NiMH).

Note: Rechargeable batteries may not work for all situations. If you keep some
supplies away from home or in your car that can’t be regularly rotated then you
should probably buy some lithium batteries.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Letter Re: Clock Drive Radios

Permalink

Mr. Rawles:

I bought a cheapy Chinese plastic model ("Dynamo and Solar Radio" model, in a
small black rectangular plastic case), and it worked okay for a couple weeks. Then
the flimsy plastic crank handle broke inside the unit. At least the solar cells seem to
recharge it okay if left in the sun for a few hours. The Eton/Grundig ones seem to be
well constructed I hear, but now perhaps a better one is coming with a Sony model
being released in Japan. They are usually pretty good about testing ergonomics and
durability much more than most companies.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Letter Re: Backup Generators and Well Pumps

Permalink

James:

With all the discussion lately about well pumps, and alternative ways to power
them, and all the expense and complications, I just have to shake my head in
wonder. There is a better way, but don't tell anybody, it is a big secret. See:
http://www.theferipump.com/ and http://www.cisolar.com/CatWindPump.htm.
Regards, - Doc at www.bigsecrets.cc

Monday, May 15, 2006

Letter Re: Backup Generators and Well Pumps

Permalink

JWR,

The following is probably more than you want to know about pumps!!

There is a finite limit to how far one can “lift” water with a pump. It is based on the
fact a pump does not really “suck” a fluid but rather creates a vacuum and
atmospheric pressure forces the water up the pipe. On a standard day at sea level
that pressure is equal to just under 34 feet of water column. Therefore a PERFECT
vacuum (which does not exist) could “lift” water a shade less than 34 feet. At
higher altitudes, or low atmospheric pressure the distance would be less. The rule
of thumb at 1000 feet elevation is a little less than 25 feet of “lift” with a good
pump.

A sump pump is designed as a “flooded suction” or high Net Positive Suction Head
(NPSH) pump which has almost no practical suction capability. It will “push” water
to it’s head limit (which isn’t all that great either) but that is all. A submersible
pump is also a flooded suction type pump that “pushes” water to it’s head limit.
The distance from the surface of the water to a line equal in elevation to the point
of use is the head distance. Pressure seen on the gauge is in addition to this. As an
example, a well with a water level while being pumped of 100 feet (3 atmospheres)
and a pressure gauge reading of 59psi (4 atmospheres) at the tank has a pump that
is producing about 230 feet of head (7 atmospheres). The pump will produce
maximum pressure (and minimum power requirement) at zero flow. As flow
increases, pressure decreases and amps go up, as with any centrifugal pump.
Pressure drop in the pipe comes into effect when water is actually flowing and will
reduce the available pressure.

A jet pump is an above ground pump that uses TWO pipes down the well. The
pressure pipe (smaller one) pumps water DOWN the well to a JET. The water from
the JET is forced through a venturie where it creates a vacuum, draws in water from
the well and forces the total of the new water + what was pumped DOWN the well
back toward the above ground pump via the larger pipe. In order to work, these
have to be primed and ALL air eliminated. (Some times that can be a challenge!)
Because far more water is recirculated DOWN the well than is delivered for use, the
energy consumption of a JET pump is far higher, per gallon delivered, than a
submersible pump. HINT: I often make use of the fact you can only “draft” or “lift”
water about 25 feet with most pumps. I place the foot valve 30 feet below the jet.
That way, if the water level in the well drops, the pump keeps it’s prime as it can
not lower the water level more than 25 feet below the JET and therefore won’t draw
air into the system. The pump will just deliver exactly the amount of water the well
can produce up to the maximum capacity of the pump.

With a submersible pump a low capacity well should have a flow restrictor installed
that limits delivery to a bit less than well capacity. That prevents drawing the water
below the pump and allowing air into the system. Far MORE important is the fact
submersible pumps are water cooled and will burn up rather quickly if the water
level is reduced to pump level.

Ever wonder why most pumps are 240 volt rather than the 120 volt many
survivalists might prefer? Well pumps run from 1/3 to several horsepower in size
depending on depth to the water and pressure and flow desired. Higher horsepower
means higher amperage required. Submersible pumps are often a long way down,
particularly out west, so have a LOT of wire. For best motor performance voltage
drop in that long run of wire needs to be minimized and that is most cheaply
accomplished by doubling the voltage to 240 volt and cutting the amps in half.
Retrofitting a well to the less desirable 120 volt pump will require twice the breaker
size, maybe a change of pressure switch and almost certainly increased wire size.
While the difference is not large, the 120 volt motor WILL use more energy due to I
squared R losses. In all of the electrical devices involved. (Amps X Amps X Ohms)

For those wells where one can pull the pump by hand, a homemade “baler”
consisting on 3” PVC pipe, a foot valve and long rope will get you enough water to
drink if TSHTF. More water requires a more complex solution. A generator has
many uses and is my preference but DOES require fuel. Wind power has been used
for the purpose for eons. Human powered pumps require a fair amount of effort but
have certain obvious advantages. Hand pumps for deep wells are not cheap but
they are available from places that cater to the Amish, among others (Lehman's
comes to mind.) Hope some find this useful! - Mike G

Friday, May 12, 2006

Letter Re: Of Computers, Generators, Power Anomalies and Lightning

Permalink

Greetings Jim,
I read Redclay's letter on his questioning using electronics with generators. Ham
(Amateur Radio) operators have been using various electronic devices for years
powered by generators. The use of power sensitive devices such as a computer on a
generator is fine if you take some precautions. First off the generator is what I
called a "spiky" power source. So to smooth out the power supplied to the
electronics one wants to use a good spike/surge protector between the generator
and electronic devices. Do not skimp on cost and quality here. In my opinion it is
preferable to use a battery backup with built in surge protector between the
generator and the electronics. Usually the battery backup systems have a more
responsive circuit for smoothing out power when it spikes as well as providing
protection for a wider range of spikes and electrical anomalies. An additional benefit
of using a battery backup is that when you have to turn off the generator for
refueling, etc. you can continue using the electronics (radios, computers, etc.) while
refueling. The length of time you have on electronics use depends on the rating for
the battery backup system and what you have hanging off of it. The average time
we had when refueling during Field Day was up to 20 to 30 minutes. We added an
additional layer of protection by adding a power strip with surge protection between
the battery backup and the electronics. This allowed us to cut power at the strip
when shutting down or starting up the generator. I am just paranoid that way
because having worked in emergency communications and various computer fields
I have seen electricity and lightning do things to equipment that one would not
normally expect. An extra layer of protection doesn't hurt anything. Surge and spike
protectors are rated in terms of 'joules' of protection. A protector, with or without
battery backup, that is rated for 1,000 joules is more protection than one rated at
400 joules. So look at the ratings on the surge protector to give you a benchmark
for comparison. Battery backup systems are also rated in terms of wattage also for
the maximum amount of load you can place on the battery backup and the
subsequent amount of 'up' time you will have for your electronics. Keep in mind that
the more load you place on the battery backup the less time you have. And if you
use a conventional CRT monitor, you will be pulling more than using say a LCD
monitor. The same difference applies between a desktop computer vs. a laptop,
generally speaking. I have seen some high-end laptops pull more than a moderate
desktop system. So size your battery backup accordingly. If you want to learn
alternate ways to power emergency communications equipment off grid, attend a
ham radio Field Day. You can find a varied array of methods. And who know you
may get the chance to see a real time emergency and how the ham radio
community provides an emergency service. One Field Day I was working turned real
when there was an earthquake in California. We were contacting a station there
when we heard the emergency call. The other operators and myself found ourselves
relaying information to emergency services in [Washington] D.C. and at, oddly
enough, the UN. We didn't think that the UN participated in the ham activities, but
on that day they did. Whatever shortcomings the UN has, on that day they did
provide a real service to the U.S.
Naturally a surge protector of any rating will not protect against a direct lightning
strike. Lightning will go where ever it wants to. There are lightning arrestors made
for antenna line but the operative word here is 'arrestor'. It attenuates the strength
of the lightning. And if you are lucky enough, and have unplugged all electronics
and associated antennas you may have workable equipment after the strike, but
that is no guarantee. I watched a bolt of lightning strike a friend’s house. The bolt of
lightning hit his 30 foot tall tower, traveled down the tower and into his house. At
every grounding point along the way there was a scorched patch of grass where the
bolt was bled off. When he got home the smoke detector was going off and the
smell of burned electronics hung heavy in the air. He had unplugged all antennas,
and power cords leading to his radios and computer prior to leaving. But (knew that
was coming) his independent radio power supply was still plugged into the electrical
outlet. The lightning charge jumped the power supply and arced from one piece of
equipment to the next and finished at his computer. His computer monitor had
caught fire and the plastic case had melted down inside the circuit board and put
out the fire! Definitely it was Providence that kept his house from going up in
flames. Moral of story: Surges and spikes can be defended against (two different
power anomalies) by using a good surge/spike protector. The only defense for
electronics from lightning is to unplug everything from any conductor. Then you
may have protected your equipment.

lightning protection for homes is something I haven't seen on any modern built
homes. I remember my grandmother's farmhouse festooned with three or four
lightning rods. Her house sat near the top of a hill. And in those days when it was
built (early 1900s) every house on open ground or on a hill had at least two
lightning rods. Old Ben Franklin knew his lightning and provided a method for
protecting buildings. The lightning rod is simple a device with a metal rod several
feet long with a glass ball at the base and a copper or copper clad grounding line
going about eight feet into the ground. These were on almost every old farmhouse I
have seen. So the lightning rods would either discharge the air surrounding the
house, preventing a 'lightning strike' (most lightning is from ground to air, not air to
ground). Or if the charge built up too fast and there was a discharge of electrical
energy the rod would take the hit thus mitigating or eliminating damage to the
structure and the subsequent fire that usually follows. Remember lightning
temperature can be hotter than the Sun's surface! If I had a home, modern built or
otherwise, in the open or near the top of a hill you can bet there would be lightning
rods to help. That is not to say the rods will stop all strikes, but it is the attenuation
of the energy is what you are going for. I remember several discharges on the rods
at my grandmother's house during violent thunderstorms. It reminded me of
Shakespeare's quote, "..the sound and fury that signifies nothing..." It was loud, it
was bright, and it scared the 'yee-ha' out of us grandkids. But when we went to look
at the damage after the storm, there was none; save the newly fire polished
segment of the lightning rod. I am usually befuddled when a home gets 'hit' with
lightning and the homeowner wonders 'how this could happen'. Lets see, home on a
hill or open area where it is the tallest object plus thunderstorm, the home is not
properly grounded...well duh!

Perhaps 'modern day' construction has disregarded the use of a good lightning
grounding system because contractors and the like figure it is 'too unsightly'. But a
house that is a burned out shell as a result of a lightning strike is more so. And
maybe modern science has proved that lightning rods are no longer a viable form of
protection. I may have to research this. But for their day they sure seemed to work
quite well. Other areas of the country may still favor this protection. But here on the
East Coast they have all but disappeared from any building save the occasional 'old
time' farm house scattered here and there.

Lightning can be detected before it becomes a direct hazard. Many years ago I took
part in a NASA project called Inspire. It was geared toward gathering VLF (Very Low
Frequency) radio waves produced by lightning and man made VLF signals from a
[Space] Shuttle experiment. The experiment recorded the 'sound' generated by
generated VLF 'footprint' as the Shuttle passed over in orbit.

The occurrence of VLF with lightning allows for a method of detecting the electrical
charge of an approaching thunderstorm. I wonder if it is not possible to detect an
EMP before it hits and area. Logically it would seem so. If an electromagnetic pulse
(EMP) generates a VLF signal which precedes it as does lightning then there may be
a way to give a heads up warning of a few minutes. Whether that would allow time
to disconnect any devices would have to be tested. But as lightning travels at or
near the speed of light and does give and 'advanced footprint' far ahead of the
approaching thunderstorm, and is detectable. So would a 'lightning detector' have
the sensitivity range to detect an approaching EMP? The only way to know is to
generate an EMP and see if it produces a VLF at all, and if so is it within the range of
a 'lightning detector'? And if it is in range or the detector's sensitivity could be
adjusted within it's circuit could the detector distinguish between an EMP and
approaching thunderstorm's electrical energy? As usual, more questions are created
than are resolved.

For info on how surge protectors work, see: Howstuffworks.com

For info on a commercial lightning detector. I have no interest in the company but
its one I picked at random: See:http://www.boltek.com/

Here is some info and circuit design for 'do-it-yourself' project from a ham operator.

For more information on lightning detectors available do a web search and you will
find all kinds of plans, and complete units. - The Rabid One

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Letter Re: Backup Generators, Well Pump Power, Cisterns and Sandpoint Wells
Permalink

Hi James,

In reviewing the post by "Redclay" I think he brings a point that many people
struggle with. Especially those of us who are just starting to prepare, but can easily
get overwhelmed financially and mentally with all there is to do to be prepared. I
have read SurvivalBlog since the beginning and don't recall any truly affordable
options for powering a 220 volt AC well pump. Below are some ideas that I have.
See what you think.

A brief journey back through time would shed some valuable lessons for all of us.
The western settlers on up through most of our grandparents generation. Water has
always been there, it was simply a matter of what you had to do to gather it. A large
collection system is right there right above your head, it is your roof. Most of the
piping is already there, (called your gutters). In the past, every farm I have visited
had one of those "notorious" cisterns to collect water in (from the gutters). It is
probably a health department violation to have one in town, as underground
storage tanks are regulated, but nothing has been said about an above ground
containment. Isn't it a pain that gutters are so low to the ground, (like when you
mow around them)? How about a few hundred well spent dollars on a poly-tank that
could hold many hundreds if not thousands of gallons of water. It is a above ground
cistern that won't throw your back out digging it. Slide that baby close to the house,
cut off your downspout high enough that you can divert water into the top of this
tank, (maybe even add a splice that makes you ready to go when the time comes,
but keeps your gutter down low until then. Throw in the proper amount of bleach or
purification tablets, run the drinkable through a filter such as a Katadyn or Berkey,
boil the cooking water and you have just utilized what God has provided to you.

Collection is preparation. Large tanks make use of the infrequency of rain. Come
time for winter, you better be thinking ahead, but insulation in adequate amounts
may get you well into winter without having to melt snow for moisture.

Rain water may never be enough based on your climate to amount to much, so you
may think you don't need a large collection basin. But think about how often you
would have to run your generator to keep up with your daily needs. Talk about in-
efficiency. You not only waste fuel, but you may very well give away your
preparedness to some passer-by(by the constant running of your generator). My
opinion is that you would be better served pumping 1,000 gallons at a time rather
than 5 or 10. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, you would need lookouts to monitor any un
welcomed two legged varmint while making the extra noise, but several hours of
the generator running once a month is less predictable than 1/2hr every day in my
opinion.
Back to the topic of backup well power. Since it is more common to have a 220V
pump and the amps needed for startup are fairly large, one may be better off to
scrap the pump idea and improvise. My well is about 200 feet deep. The [static]
water level in my well is around 60 feet. how about three 20 foot lengths of 1-1/4"
PVC glued together and secured (as to not fall down the well) with an adaptor that
would fasten to a standard sump pump, or pit pump, (not to be confused with an
ejector pump or trash pump). Un-bolt the cap to your well, snap your sump pump on
top of your PVC, plug it in to your 1,000 watt portable generator and let it hum away
all day while filling your storage tank. If your casing was large enough or your water
level shallow enough, you may be able to sub-merge the pump and leave it in place.

The idea may not be of merit as one would likely have to shop around for a unique
pump that can either pull or push a greater distance than normal, but,... I am sure
they are available. If a 1-1/4" PVC has simply too much volume to pull water that
far, consider adapting down to 1/2" as that is all the larger the copper lines in your
home are (as a standard anyway) that run to your shower or sink. My unfounded
thoughts are that you could greatly increase the depth of your draw if the volume,
(i.e.- weight) was considerably less. Someone with a hydraulics background could
help shed some light on this for us.

In the latter scenario, I would venture a guess of $200 for a pump, (long lasting cast
iron, much cheaper are available): $30 for PVC, $10 fittings, and $10 for an
extension cord.

Some pumps actually attach to a garden hose which would make a quick and easy
improvised water transfer pump. It may be worth while to soak the pump in bleach
until use, or for several hours before use to cut down on contamination. Either way,
this is a consideration for times of need, not for times of convenience.

For others in high water table regions, a sand point well, (a mesh formed into a cone
attached to pipe driven into the ground by a hand held post driver or sledgehammer
and block), you may not need much of anything to get to water.

As I mentioned, these are ideas that I have not tried, but may be an inexpensive
way to draw water on a limited budget. Sparking a new thought process in someone
before an emergency may save their life. The blog has sure helped me! - The
Wanderer

JWR Replies: I think that you find that the practicable lifting limit for most sump type
pumps is less than 30 feet. A small jet type pump (such as those used in spas and
hot tubs) will lift water much higher, but of course they draw more current than a
typical sump pump. OBTW, don't skimp on pipe. Use at least schedule 40 PVC pipe.
Both the lighter gauge white PVC pipe and the thin wall black pipe that you see for
sale at your local Home Depot is intended for less demanding applications like
garden sprinkler systems. A cracked sprinkler pipe is a mere inconvenience, but a
cracked pipe inside your house, or for any part of your drinking water supply could
have serious consequences.

Letter Re: Discontinued BayGen Clock Drive Radios

Permalink

Mr. Rawles,

Some of your readers may have the BayGen Freeplay [hand crank clock drive]
AM/FM/SW radio that they are saving for that “rainy day”, or may be new to the
emergency preparedness mindset and looking for a similar wind up radio. I
purchased my Bay Gen about six years ago for around $100 and used it about that
many (100) hours. A few weeks ago the mechanism that regulates the internal
generator speed started to deteriorate, then went completely out. I contacted the
manufacturer/distributor and they referred me to Dixie Sales Co., the US distributor.
I was informed by them that that radio is no longer made and no parts are
available. A repair or replacement was not possible. The lesson learned is to (1)
avoid this brand (2) purchase a radio that has multiple power supply abilities. One
radio I saw advertised recently had wind up, solar, and battery power options, and
cost about $70 before shipping. I’m saving my pennies. Thank you for all the
information on your web site. - C.G. in NC

JWR Replies: I think you simply had bad luck with your BayGen. I bought mine is
1998 and it is still going strong after at least 400 hours of hand crank use (mainly
outdoors, while the Memsahib and I have been doing gardening and other chores),
and well over 1,000 hours of use with an AC adapter. Perhaps some other readers
would like to chime in--either to agree or disagree, based on their own experience.
Maybe I was just lucky...

You might want to look for a another BayGen on eBay, and save your old one to
cannibalize for spare parts. (Such as the whip antenna--which BTW is the only part
on mine that I've ever damaged.) OBTW, the last that I heard, Yellowstone River
Trading still had some left in inventory, even though they are no longer
manufactured.

I should also mention one important proviso: Most of the less expensive hand crank
radios that are currently on the market are made in China and are not sturdy
enough for daily use. The much larger/heavier BayGen can generally handle heavy
use.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Letter Re: Lister Engines for Power Generation

Permalink

James:

A site to be mentioned when it comes to slow speed diesels and the like is
www.utterpower.com. I agree with the site linked - getting one of these small diesel
engines is the hardest part in the process. Both the lister types and the small
horizontal diesels (made in mainland China) appear on eBay.com from anywhere
from $375 to $2000. Shipping is also a bit of a bear due to the high weights; [since]
lots of cast iron is used on these. - Rick L.

Letter Re: Selecting the Right Size Home Backup Generator

Permalink

Jim:

In response to the question about generator sizing, obviously it depends on how

much you want to run. This also determines how much fuel you will burn. I don't
have the money for a 15KW whole house generator so I did things on the cheap.
Hopefully my "system" will help with some ideas or trigger your own I have a 5KW
"portable" gas model. Nothing fancy, fixed RPM, with a 5 gallon top tank. After
several hurricane related power outages, I live on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, I
have developed a good system for me. My house is not pre-wired so I use two heavy
gauge extension cords to run the 110 volt outlets into a kitchen window. I use a
power strip to plug in the fridge and freezer on one outlet and run the second one
for a 5000 BTU window air conditioner that I install after the storms if it gets
unbearable. I have an infant so this is a real need. I can also plug in a coffee pot in
the a.m. and a fan and a lamp at night. (the air conditioner gets its own cord due to
power needs and its safer.) The air conditioner will cool my 400 square foot living
room and we can all sleep there if needed.

Fuel consumption: I run the genny about 4-to-5 hours in the am to cool the fridge
and freezer and make a pot of Joe. This uses about 1/2 gallon per hour. I pour the
brewed coffee into a Thermos and then unplug the pot. If I need to run the air
conditioning, my gas usage is about 1-1.25 gallons per hour. I run the genny for 2 4-
5 hour shifts, morning and as it is getting dark. This cools the reefers twice a day. I
want to get a 2-2.5 KW genny for when I am not using the air conditioner. Only used
it once during Katrina in eight days. That should power the fridge/freezer and the
coffee pot before I plug in the freezer, and a light and fan. This will decrease my fuel
usage and let me run longer on stored fuel. It will also serve as a back-up in case
one breaks down. I keep gas in five gallon cans and rotate it by refueling the wife's
car. About five cans a month keeps it fresh.

I keep about 45-50 gallons when [my vehicle tanks and cans are] full but I am
raising this gradually. We supplement the lighting with battery fluorescent lanterns
and have gas water heat but have to cook on the grill or use my brand new propane
stove.

This is somewhat simple and not to fancy but it works on the cheap. By rationing my
fuel I have avoided the gas lines. This is not the best system but it works for my
family and it has been working since hurricane George in 1998. - Nightshift in
Mississippi

Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Letter Re: Selecting the Right Size Home Backup Generator

Permalink

Jim,

The folks out there have some good information re. electrical considerations, codes
and such for installing a hookup for a generator for the home. However, unless I
missed a post, no one has mentioned how big a generator one may need to power
essentials to get by comfortably in a grid down situation for the short term, at least.

My family and I live in the eastern US and we are prone to power outages from
hurricanes, ice storms and to a lesser extent tornados and heavy snowfall. Since
moving to a rural area out near the end of our power line service we have had
everything from one day to a week long stretch without power to our home.

I knew when we built our home that I wanted a transfer box wired in to our outside
box for just such emergencies, but I didn't know how big a generator I needed that
would not break the bank, so to speak. If you have enough scratch for a 15KW to
25KW whole house standby generator, fine, but most of us will be getting along with
smaller, more portable units to power the essentials. Also, there are pros and cons
as to which generator to buy depending on the type of fuel(s) you wish to use that

are available. [JWR Adds: I generally prefer low RPM diesel generators, because of
their far greater longevity and the superior storage life of diesel fuel. They can also
run on home heating oil in a pinch.] Ours is a convention gasoline powered
generator, though I gave consideration to a propane generator, since we have that
fuel source handy as well. Others may wish to address the fuel issue. We got a
reconditioned factory Coleman 5500 watt generator for a bargain price at one of the
local discount retailers in the wake of one of the last big hurricanes, which was a
bargain for the price and has not let us down yet. I found that my main concern was
having enough wattage capacity in a generator to turn over the well pump so we
can provide water for our livestock and family. The minimum required for our 300 ft.
well was about 3500 watts initial surge to turn over the well pump which then falls
back to just a thousand watts or so for continued use. Fans and lights, added one at
a time as you turn them on with the generator running use very little wattage, so
they can be added with little load on the generator during runs in the evening or
morning, when folks are up and about. Large appliances, however (microwaves,
ovens, toasters, etc.) take a lot of wattage that would best be served by a larger
standby generator. I have heard that electronic appliances such as computers,
charges, radios, televisions etc. might be damaged if run off generator current, but I
am not sure of this - we just don't use those items during an outage anyway.

To make a long story short, we settled on a 5000 watt generator that weighs about
225 lbs. We bought it with a wheel kit, cover, and custom 60 ft. 220 volt cord that
can be directly linked to our outside power transfer box during an extended outage.
This setup will give us water, enable us to flush and shower and run the fans and
lights, which, combined with our gas heat and cooking, keeps us comfortable until
the power returns. It is kept in our detached garage for safekeeping and for
operation by the open garage door to vent the exhaust and keep the noise down. As
they say, your mileage may vary, but I draw the line at about 5000 watts for home
use in extended circumstances. I consider smaller more portable generators you
can run out of the back of your pickup truck or other conveyance as convenient for
remote work and for power tools, but not big enough for your home.

By the way - I have found that cranking the generator monthly to check it out and
taking it in yearly for a check-up is advisable, so it will be ready when needed. STA-
BIL [or similar] gas stabilizer in your generator gas tank can also help preclude
gumming up the engine and leading to hard cranking, if it will start at all. Although I
have a hand crank generator, I understand that electric start is preferred. Just my
$.02 cents. Regards, - Redclay

Monday, May 8, 2006

Letter Re: Lister Engines for Power Generation

Permalink
Dear Mr. Rawles:

I found a site that I thought to be some interesting info on using old fashioned
(newly manufactured) Lister engines for generating electricity. And this second
generator project. Has some really good pictures. Thought you or some of your
readers might be interested. Thanks, - J.O. in Oklahoma

Sunday, May 7, 2006

Three Letters Re: Request for Advice on Backup Power for a Well Pump

Permalink

Jim,

In regard to the gentlemen asking about his well pump: There is a product called
Generlink that is a lot easier to install than a transfer switch. Most well pumps are
220 volt but there are always exceptions. The web site for the item is
www.generlink.com and I have heard some electrical coops will install them for free.
- Gene in Walla Walla

James:

A single-load transfer switch can be added to the well-pump line. Cost is about $100
from Northern Tools. Depending upon your local regulations, this may require the
services of a licensed electrician. And if your well pump is 220 volts, you will need
one of the more expensive generators - the small, cheap ones don't put out

220 volts.

If you're going to all that expense, it's probably foolish to limit yourself to powering
only the well pump. Might just as well choose a loadside transfer switch ($250 -
$500) which will allow you to power the freezer, lights, etc. If you know what you
are doing (and local regulations allow) you can install one of these yourself.

If your well is not very deep, you might look into a 12-volt pump with a deep-cycle
battery and solar charger.

That's what I have here - but it only has to lift water about 2 feet. A pump such as
the Shurflo used in campers and motor homes would work (< $100) - Irv
Hi,

I saw the letter today asking about back-up power for a well pump. I had the very
same issue myself. We are the very last house on the power line and thus our
power goes out more than most. I did the illegal/dangerous "run things off a
generator with a male to male plug" for a while, but could not power my well pump
this way as it is 220 Volt. So, realizing that it is dangerous and illegal to continue
with my then current methods, I resolved to install a transfer switch. I am no
electrical genius but it really wasn't all that difficult - just time consuming. It all
worked out fine and I think (I didn't really keep track) that I spent something
between $500 and $600 on the entire set-up. The transfer switch alone was about
$200, the new box another $100, as I recall, so the parts are not cheap. However, if
you do this right you are practically set up for a battery back-up or other alternate
power source as well.

Before I did anything, I contacted the local code enforcement officer and asked for
his advice. He was really quite helpful. I also went to a local electrical supply house -
not a big box store - as these guys know a lot more about the codes, requirements,
etc than they do at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. In any case, I have attached a photo of
my project when it was almost done. As I said, it cost a fair amount of money and
took me about a month to do off and on (I do have to work you know!), but it was a
LOT less than having someone else do it.

I ran a line to my garage for the generator (must be three wires and a ground for
code) and ran that into the transfer switch which I mounted next to my main box.
Then I installed another smaller electrical box to the other side of that. I ran 60 amp
service from the transfer switch to the new box and wired up as much as I could
without disrupting the house circuits. Then all in one Saturday morning I ran the
wires from the old box to the new for the circuits I wanted to power from my
generator - refrigerator, freezer, well pump, kitchen, office and family room - and
installed a 60 amp breaker and wired it all up to code as described by the inspector
and the guys at the shop. I had no problem with the inspection because I talked
with them FIRST and called and asked questions occasionally when something was
unclear. However, now when I run my generator I do not have to worry about frying
some lineman or one of my children if they go look at the funny male plug that fell
out of the wall . . .
Also, it is easy to tell if your well pump is 110 or 220. Just look in your electrical box.
If it runs with a circuit breaker it will be a two-pole switch (the kind with a bar across
to throw 2 switches at once), not a single pole like the rest of the stuff in your box.
The only other two-pole switches you might have would be for an electric dryer,
electric stove, electric heat or other special 220 VAC items.In any case, the box
should be labeled. Best Regards, - Tim P.

P.S.: I too have done business with The Pre-1899 Specialist and have received
excellent information and a couple of fine rifles as a result.

Friday, May 5, 2006

Letter Re: Request for Advice on Backup Power for a Well Pump

Permalink

Jim:

Can you or one of the gang offer some advice? We live in a nicely secluded area,
but are all electric. We have a well. Our well man says it is impractical and very
costly to install a hand pump on our present well setup.

What would be a practical procedure to utilize a small generator to power the water
well when/if the power goes down for a week or so, for short

term use. Do we need an electrician to hook things up, and exactly what? I realize,
long-term, greater expense will be needed, and it is in our priorities to so
accomplish. However, a viable, practical short-term procedure is what we seek. Any
and all input appreciated. - IcePick

JWR Replies: You need to make a couple of inquiries: First, ask your well/pump man
if your pump is 120 VAC or 220 VAC. If it is a 220 volt model, then you will need a
special generator or you will have to retrofit with a 120 VAC pump. Next, you need
to call several local electricians, and get them to put in competitive bids for
installing a proper bypass breaker panel and cabling it to your generator. I've seen
people describe improvised"Jerry rigged" male-to-male extension cord generator
hookups, but these do not meet NEMA code and are potentially hazardous--both for
you and the hapless power company linemen attempting to restore power to your
community. Perhaps some readers have some recommendations on a particular
switch/circuit breaker arrangement that is safe, meets code, and is not overly
expensive.
Saturday, April 1, 2006

Letter Re: Source for IM-179 Radiacmeter Batteries?

Permalink

JWR,

Where can I get replacement batteries for my IM-179 radiacmeter? It takes Mallory
BA1312U or Mallory BA1318U batteries. Thanks, - D.A.B.

JWR Replies: Sorry, but I had no sources listed in my research files, and I struck out
with web research. "Phone a friend" failed, so now I think it is time to "Poll the
audience." Lets see what they say. Collectively, there is some amazing knowledge
out there, and they haven't failed me yet.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Letter Re: Shelf Life of Batteries?

Permalink

Mr. Rawles,

You had an inquiry on your site about long term storable charged batteries. Such a
topic came up recently on the amateur radio reflector called hfpack. There is one
such battery that is well suited for storage. It is called a silver chloride battery, and
they are activated by adding salt water. One use is in torpedos - see
http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/electrical/hbl/.

Another source of information is at:

energy.sourceguides.com. These have a high energy density, but are primary cells
and not rechargeable. Still, if you plan for an urgent one time need arbitrarily in the
future, silver chloride batteries may be the best bet. - "Sun Dog"

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Two Letters Re: NiMH Batteries

Permalink
Jim:

If left idle, a NiMH battery loses up to 1% of its original capacity per day. (This
doesn't mean that it loses 100% in 100 days; rather, it means that after day one, it
is at 99%, after day 2, it may be at 98.01%, etc. -- it will theoretically never reach
0%)

I bought a Grundig/Eton FRS250 hand crank radio a year ago. I used it every day for
about two months and it would run for two or three hours on a two-minute crank. I
then left it idle for about 8 months, after which time it would only play for about 10
minutes on a two minute crank. Needless to say, this is highly disappointing and
constitutes a major flaw for preparation. (What good is an emergency hand crank
radio if it doesn't work in an emergency?)

To (hopefully) remedy this problem, I recently ordered an adaptor/charger from the

manufacturer (Eton). If you hook up the radio to the adaptor/charger and leave it
plugged in, it will send a low-voltage trickle charge to the batteries to keep them
"topped off." In theory, this should drastically extend the life of the batteries. Time
will tell. If, six months from now, I can get still a few hours of play time on a full
crank, then I will conclude that the trickle charger is the best solution to the NiMH
problem. (Note that it is possible to "fry" NiMH batteries if the trickle charger is too
powerful, so do your homework if you are shopping for one.)

Frankly, as popular as hand crank emergency radios have become, I am surprised

that I have never read about this flaw in reviews and discussions. A lot of people
who bought these radios and keep 'em in the box are going to be sorely
disappointed when the lights go out and discover that their radio doesn't work
because the batteries are nearly dead. (Of course, even if the batteries are dead,
the radio will still play if yo u constantly turn the crank, but that doesn't sound too
fun.)

Moral of the story: stock up on alkaline batteries just in case. - J.S. in Virginia

Hi Jim,
Regarding the question on the blog about storing NiMH batteries. Basically they do
not store very well. Nor do they seem to last as long as they are advertised to. My
company makes industrial equipment that uses small (2 AA cell equivalent capacity)
NiMH battery packs. When we first started using them, we believed that they would
last for five+ years and hundreds, if not thousands, of charge/discharge cycles. That
was an expensive assumption for us. We have found them to last only for several
hundred cycles and they tend to fail even before that number of charges if they are
kept on a trickle charger. It also takes several charge/discharge cycles before they
work at full capacity. We have also had a lot of failures with new batteries that have
been sitting on the shelf for a year or so. In a survival situation, NiMH batteries self
discharge from fully charged to empty in two-to-three months, so in a survival
situation you will be starting with batteries of unknown charge. I generally would
recommend against them. I have a bunch of NiMH AA cells for my camera, but the
only practical way to charge them is using a charger plugged into my car. If you
want to go solar, it will take will take a five watt solar panel of power and about a
half a day to charge four typical AA NiMH cells of 2000 maH hours plus. My plans
are built around my supply of alkaline AA/AAA cells that I rotate through every
couple of years. I'm confident that even if they sit for 5 years in my refrigerator, my
batteries will still have a good amount of available power. Regards, - P. Smith

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Letter Re: Shelf Life of NiMH Batteries?

Permalink

No one seems to know about storing new NiMH batteries pre-charging for a long
term, I wouldn't try it with testing it for several years first as any chemicals of this
type age with time. Here is some specific info on the storage and longevity of NiMH
batteries, from Wikipedia and other battery FAQs. They are your best bet for power
density and economy for rechargeables, but for really long term storage 5-10 years
the single use Lithium type batteries are the best (and are available in AAA, AA, C,
D and 9 volt sizes).

Disposable alkaline batteries are designed to be used only once. Even if never taken
out of the original package, disposable (or "primary") batteries can lose two to
twenty-five percent of their original charge every year.

Many people believe that storing batteries at cool temperatures, such as in the
refrigerator, reduces the rate of these side reactions and extends the storage life of
the battery -- this may have been true in the past with older technology batteries.
Modern batteries should be stored in a dry place and at normal room temperatures.

All rechargeable batteries self-discharge more rapidly than disposable alkaline

batteries. In fact, they can self-discharge up to three percent a day (again,
depending on temperature).

With the exception of lead-acid batteries, most NiMH batteries can be recharged
500-1000 times while NiCd batteries can only be recharged about approximately
400 times. Nickel metal hydride batteries have a high self-discharge rate of
approximately 30% per month and more. This is higher than that of NiCd batteries,
which is around 20% per month.

Like any rechargeable battery, even the one in your car, some capacity will be lost
after a certain amount of time when rechargeable batteries are stored and not used
for extended periods of time.. Normally all that is required with most NiMH batteries
is to run them through 3 charge / discharge cycles and normally this will revive
them to full capacity. Also keep in mind that even when used on a regular basis,
some capacity is lost with each cycle, although very small.

Monday, March 13, 2006

David in Israel on Flashlights and Batteries

Permalink

For a non tactical flashlight (momentary/click button on bottom) I prefer the

Underwater Kinetics flashlight. These use four size AA batteries.They are widely
used as firefighter helmet lights and survive well, even in fire/ground abuse
environments. I try to keep everything standardized to AA and have a large stock of
NiMH and lithium-ion rechargeables around. For long term kit storage the comments
about 9 VDC lithium is right on, AA lithium batteries are also available in the camera
section and can be expected to last much longer in storage than alkalines. I try to
avoid CR-123 tactical and laser gear as both the rechargeable and disposable cells
are quite expensive.

JWR Adds: Underwater Kinetics also makes some very rugged Pelican-style hard
cases.
Letter Re: Shelf Life of NiMH Batteries?

Permalink

JWR,

There have been a few posts about batteries lately and a question I have been
unable to find an answer to is:

Do Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries have a limited storage life before they are
put into service (receive their first electric charge)? It would be nice to know if I can
buy a quantity and store them away until needed. I've not seen this addressed
anywhere and maybe you know or one of your readers knows the answer. Regards,
- Keith

JWR Replies: That goes beyond my base of knowledge. Would any readers care to
chime in on this one?

Friday, March 10, 2006

Letter from The Army Aviator Re: PAL Lights, NiMH 9VDC Batteries, and Fire

Permalink

Jim:

I've been really busy lately, which is good. A fair bit of information from your great
blog parallels my experiences and here's some hopefully helpful information which I
have gleaned:

1) PAL lights: Have several and always been pleased with them. [See:
http://www.buckshotscamp.com/Flashlight-PALight-Sales.htm]

I found a great rechargeable 9 volt NiMH high capacity battery. Wow, they really do
have JUICE! Once fully charged several times, they outlive any non-rechargeable
battery I've found and they work well with solar charging.

One 9V NiMH 250mAh Rectangular NiMH Rechargeable Battery ---Ultrahigh capacity

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1995
(BTW, I have purchased a lot of NiMH batteries from these people and always been
pleased.)

Also, with NiMH rechargeable batteries, you have to cycle them several times
before they achieve full capacity. My first experience with them was disappointing. I
thought "Darn, I had hoped these would be better than this." But after several
charges, they really came to life.

2) Regarding "Buckshot on: What do Canadian Bush Pilots Carry?": When I was
flying oil exploration in northern Maine and southern Quebec during the the winter, I
had a pair of snowshoes and a reliable 30-30 lever action carbine strapped to the
engine mounts. Fortunately, the engine never quit. Had it quit, I would have been
wishing for Buckshot's list. However, the 30-30 met the need more than once.

Here's a request for advice: My house is old, old cedar logs and with another round
of drought apparently coming around, I'm looking at fire protection. When we were
kids, we used waterglass to fireproof stuff and I wonder if I could soak my log house
with waterglass? Any comments will be appreciated. What the heck is waterglass
anyway? - The Army Aviator

Thursday, March 9, 2006

Letter Re: Sources for PAL 9VDC Flashlights and Ultra-Long Life 9VDC

Permalink

JR,

Please let us know more about the 9 volt PAL light, where can we purchase these?
Thanks. Also, if a reader is concerned about shelf life of the battery, a very long
lasting 9 Volt battery is made that was designed to be used in smoke detectors, it
also works in AC-powered alarm clocks that have a battery back up when the power
goes out... Sorry, I don't remember off hand the exact name or what they are called
but they are common enough to be purchased at the local Radio Shack.......they
cost about $8 a few years ago when I was working for a TV station, we used them a
great deal in wireless microphones etc. - R.B.S.

JWR Replies: The PAL lights are sturdy little flashlights that are rectangular--just a
bit bigger than a 9 volt battery. They have a VERY long life. They are available from
Buckshot's Camp and several other vendors, for less than $20. See:
http://www.buckshotscamp.com/Flashlight-PALight-Sales.htm The ultra long life
lithium 9 VDC batteries that you mentioned are available from many electronics and
hardware stores. For our readers that live out in the boonies, they are also
available via mail order from Newark Electronics. Newark's order # for the lithium
battery is: 291-735. They are $8.19 each. (Yikes! Hopefully they are a bit less
expensive at your local Radio Shack.) See: http://72.14.207.104/search?
q=cache:HUs3OCPlOTAJ:www.newark.com/product-details/text/mcm

Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Letter Re: More Backup Generator Advice

Permalink

Hi Jim,.

Hurricane season is just around the corner here in Florida and I am getting ready to
buy a backup generator for my home. To be better informed, I have gone back and
re-read all the past survivalblog entries on generators, so I am pretty much up to
speed on it. My last step is to decide what size generator to buy. One additional
piece of information that would be helpful to me, and probably others, is to have an
idea of how much wattage it takes to run each of the various typical appliances in a
home ranging from light bulbs up to air conditioners. That way I can then decide on
what size generator to get based on which appliances my family members think
they can/cannot do without verses how much we can afford to pay for a generator.
Thanks so much, and God bless. - Joe.

JWR Replies: I consider a backup generator a "must " for any family that is
dependent upon grid power. I won't be repetitious. (See my Wednesday, January 4,
2006 post in the SurvivalBlog Archives, as well as the follow-up posts during the
next few days.) Instead, I will post three useful links on gensets that I've
bookmarked in the past few months:

http://www.nwpwr.com/calculation_help/size_inv_&_gen.htm

http://www.flatheadelectric.com/custserv/safety/generator/SafetyGenerator.htm

http://www.generatorjoe.net/page.asp?id=42

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Letter Re: Changing The Retreat Locale Paradigm: Cellular Phones and Two-Way
Satellite Internet Systems

Permalink

JWR,

Regarding your post on the above topics, another new satellite service of interest
might be www.wildblue.com, who have been marketing themselves through rural
telephone and electricity co-operatives.

As an alternative to a satellite ISP, [cellular services such as] Cingular, T-Mobile, and
Verizon are beginning to offer wireless broadband services in limited areas.
Cingular, for example, offers something they call BroadBandConnect, which can be
added to your current account. One would then obtain a wireless PC card (modem
card) and install it into your laptop or desktop(with additional hardware). For a static
desktop setup, I have looked into replacing the built-in antenna on the wireless PC
card with a better antenna from Wilson Antennas (www.wpsantennas.com.) All this
for much less money invested in hardware and a less costly monthly fee than for
satellite (about $100 in hardware and $60-70 for monthly service for the wireless
broadband.) Right now these wireless services are offered in limited locations, but
the networks will expand quickly, I believe. Another alternative, I'm hoping Wi-Max
will begin to show up at the end of this year!!!

An additional nifty piece of equipment is a cellular docking station which allows you
to connect your hardwire house phones into your cell phone and forget about a land
line. To improve reception, go to Wilson Antenna and get a better antenna hookup
for your cell while it's in the docking station. Regards, - Keith

Monday, February 6, 2006

Letter Re: Recommendation on Wind Generators Versus Other Power Sources?

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Hi Jim,

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who is considering purchasing a wind
turbine to generate electricity for his house. He has a constant breeze at his hilltop
location. I told him I didn't think it would be a good idea because they require a lot
of maintenance. Any input would be appreciated. Blessings, - Find 1

JWR Replies: I only recommend wind generators for locales that are both windy and
cloudy, and/or that have minimal solar exposure. The cost per watt is so low for
photovoltaic (PV) panels these days that they make more sense in nearly all areas.
The maintenance for PVs is trivial compared to wind generators. Also keep in mind
that there are safety hazards involved (tower climbing. lightning strikes, et cetera),
and that wind generators are surprisingly noisy when in operation.

Sunday, February 5, 2006

Letter Re: Lister Low RPM Engines Still Made in India!

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Mr. Rawles:

I stumbled across a very cool generation option for very long-term power
generation: the Listeroid ["Lister"] generator. Its based on a design that has been in
production since about 1930 and as such is dirt simple. Its about as uncomplicated
as a diesel engine can be. They run at very low RPM (650-800, no I didn't forget a
zero), are built to be field-serviceable, and have massive flywheels to keep them
running smoothly. They're extremely low-tech and all the bugs have been worked
out dozens of years ago. The original Lister company no longer makes them, but
various Indian and Chinese firms have picked up the casting and are happy to sell
to American buyers. The very best thing about these is that when they say 100%
duty cycle, they mean it. Listeroid engines when properly set up have been running
non-stop for a decade in rural Alaska, and most likely around the world as well. They
are also very efficient, pushing 2500 watts runs an average of 0.125 gallons of
diesel per kW/hr. The per-kilowatt cost of the hardware is low too, the engine itself
runs around $800 for a 6 hp one-cylinder which should generate 3kW.

There are (as always) a few downsides.

1) Weight. These things are huge. The engine alone runs in the 750-lb range, and a
proper installation requires a good cooling system (radiator), generator head and a
solid concrete block for anchoring. You're not likely to throw one in the trunk for a
Bug Out.

2) Do It Yourself. Because these are actually just engines not complete generator
sets, assembling a properly functioning one takes some know-how. I don't really
consider this a downside, but if you need power up and running yesterday, this isn't
for you. If you have the time (and power) to take your time getting your setup just
right for its environment then you'll probably be happy with a Listeroid. On the
other hand, the need for actually getting your hands dirty means you are
guaranteed to know how to fix the thing when it breaks.

3) Quality Control. These engines are all made in either India or China. Some
brilliantly executed stuff comes out of both countries, alongside some of the most
irredeemable trash known to man. The notion of consistency does not seem to exist
in the firms making these. This can have a silver lining if you are mechanically
savvy and have some tools you can save a load of money by buying a lower-quality
engine and replacing the stuff that is broken yourself. This is usually things like
leftover sand from the casting inside the engine, bad seals, cheap plumbing for the
fuel and oil lines, etc. Nothing anyone who can change the oil in his/her car
shouldn't be able to manage. Its not like the parts are small. On the other hand, if
you want a bit more of a turn-key solution, the manufacturers are reportedly more
than open to requests for a specific level of quality. If you take the time to talk
directly with the manufacturer and make it clear to them what level of quality you
are expecting, you will probably get it. These firms seem to be eager to get good
American Testimonials so will go the extra mile in many cases.

4) Shipping. The engine is assembled in India or China. You (probably) live

somewhere in the U.S. About half the planet is between you and your engine. There
are two options: Pay an importer to do it for you or negotiate the shipping yourself.
The consensus seems to be that doing it yourself is a good way to get ripped off,
but if you know a guy you might be able to get a good deal here. This Guy seems to
import them and most of the testimonials on the web refer to him in on way or
another.

Further links can be had here, where I originally discovered them. Also, Googling for
Listeroid is informative.

If you're planning on using something like this to actually run your house, i.e. an off-
grid setup, you should really consider setting up a proper power regulation system.
Because diesel generators are most efficient at a certain load, you don't want them
to be throttling like a car engine. A way to avoid this is to essentially set up a big
battery bank that runs high voltage DC and charge that with the generator as well
as any other power sources (solar, wind, micro-hydro, your Prius, et cetera) and
convert to AC for household use with a beefy alternator. This does have more bits to
break in an emergency but for real 24x7 use you will probably appreciate the
efficiency gains.

I would like to see someone rig up an automatic hydraulic or mechanical starting

system just for the niftyness factor. If anyone has any real-world experience with
that Startwell gizmo I'm sure many would like to hear about it. It sounds like a great
backup starter for a diesel truck that would require no electricity without plumbing
your pickup for hydraulic start.

I should disclaim that I do not own one of these. Finding a place for it in my shoe
box apartment would be entertaining. - P.H.

JWR Replies: You probably missed it, but I posted a brief piece on Lister and other
stationary engines back on October 5th, 2005. (See the SurvivalBlog Archives.) The
tolerances and quality control seems to be better on the Listers that are made in
India, since they inherited a couple of sets of tooling that probably date back to the
British Raj. (The Chinese engines, in contrast, were reverse-engineered, and some
of the parts appear to be from the "file to fit" school of assembly.)

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Letter Re: Poor Man's Generator Power Transfer Switch

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James,

Anyone considering using a generator and transfer switch should give the following
link a look: http://www.generlink.com.

It's an alternative to the most commonly used transfer switches and costs much
less.

When I called my power company about it they were not familiar with [this brand of
switches] but studied the info on it and approved it for installation, they also offered
to install it and said they would probably stock them for customers needing back-up
power supplies. Regards, - Keith

Friday, January 13, 2006

Five Letters Re: Poor Man's Generator Power Transfer Switch

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Note from JWR: Posting all five of the following letters is probably over kill, but I'm
doing so to illustrate the power of the collected wisdom represented on this blog!
You folks really know your stuff.

Dear James and all concerned,

I believe that a safer and more efficient way [than the backfeed rig suggested by
Monty is] to power a home via generator is to build a cord much the same way as
was previously posted, but instead of having a male plug on both ends, ( which is
extremely dangerous and also requires more wire to reach the outlet) Simply
connect an appropriate breaker. For example I currently run a Thermadyne 10000
watt Welder/Generator which I can set beside my meter panel, open the lid and turn
the main breaker ( usually a 200 amp in most new residential homes) off, and then
remove the inner cover enabling you to insert your new breaker. Then simply attach
your ground wire to your grounding bar, and power up both legs of your panel.
Again use common sense and caution. When the generator is running the copper
bars in your panel will have plenty of energy to do serious damage to you or
anything else that touches them. I like this system (although both will work)
because all of your "switches" are right there reducing confusion. Thanks for a great
site. - J. , Somewhere in Montana

James:

WARNING: If the local utility company's meter reader sees that you have made
provisions to hook your generator directly into the panel WITHOUT AN APPROVED
TRANSFER SWITCH, you will quickly find yourself without power from the local
electric company and probably cut off from the grid forever and probably the local
building department will declare your home unsuitable for occupancy. If you have
back fed into the system and some one has been hurt or killed due to your
irresponsible actions, you will face civil suit and will probably spent several years in
jail for you action. The bottom-line is: spend the $$$ and have a transfer switch
installed. - D.O.

James,

[The backfeed rig suggested by Monty is] a bit unsafe and a problem if others in the
family do not know the procedure!!! I wired my son's house like this.

1. Mount another panel on your panel board.

2. Select circuits for emergency power. (in his case -12)

3. Mount 4 - gang junction boxes on panel board.

4. Run a wire from each "selected" circuit to the common arm of a 3-way switch
mounted

in the junction boxes.

5. One remaining side of each switch goes back to the Main Panel breaker and the
other

goes to the Emergency Panel breaker.

6. Start the genny and then go to the 3 - way switches and flip each one.

I priced this method against a 100 amp transfer switch and this was much cheaper.

Hope this will be of interest to someone. - South Jersey boy

Jim:

Be advised that this scheme [the backfeed rig suggested by Monty is] is illegal
many places, the electrical code does not allow it, and, at least in my area, valid
reason for the power company to discontinue your service - permanently. The
reasons being, it is too easy to forget something. It's dangerous for you and people
in your house, as you'll have live bare lugs sticking out of the male plug, which are
easy to touch. It's dangerous for the generator, when the power is restored. And it's
dangerous for the linemen and your neighbors, who may be counting on those
downed power lines being DEAD. Electrocute a lineman, and you will be visited by
several of his large, muscular, and very irate workmates. You will not come out the
winner in this encounter,

I assure you. - Irv

Jim:
I have installed several relatively inexpensive transfer switches made by Reliance
Controls http://www.reliancecontrols.com/ The most recent was a 100 amp unit in
outdoor enclosure that cost me only $149. They have several configurations; one I
used was two interlocked 100 amp breakers and a COPPER buss rather than the less
expensive but poorer choice aluminum. They are also available with different sized
breakers, such as 150 amp normal and 30 amp generator, reducing cost. I strongly
suggest that something like this be considered to reduce the risks associated with
the backfeed scheme! - M.G.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Letter Re: Poor Man's Generator Power Transfer Switch

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I am a newbie to your blog, also to blogs in general. Awesome job!!!

You can power your home with a generator easily and Safely as follows: If your
home has a electric dryer and your generator output is less than 30 amps (i.e.
Coleman 5000 Watts = 20 amps) Kill your main inbound voltage, main breaker/
disconnect et cetera.Use a male twist lock NEMA plug that fits the outlet from the
generator, use appropriate cable (10/3 S.O. cord) size it to the amperage output of
the generator (10 AWG / 30 amps) for short lengths. Use a male dryer plug. You are
backfeeding the house panel this way. Control the outlets needing power with the
breaker panel. i.e. kitchen refrigerator, removing all the sucker loads i.e.VCR, DVD
player et cetera. If utility power is restored nothing will be harmed, (generator or
linemen working in the area), because you are disconnected by the main breaker or
disconnect. Cost is less than $75.00 Larger amperages would use the electric stove
outlet--they are good for 50 amps. Securing the generator is another story. - Monty

JWR Adds: Use extreme caution when using this method. (It is indeed a sound
method for use in an emergency, but it is not a proper substitute for a proper
transfer breaker panel It requires thought before action.) When the grid comes
back up: Remember to shut down the generator first, then unplug your back feed
rig, and finally switch back to utility power. Keep in mind that the backfeed rig has
exposed (male) prongs that are energized ("hot"), so the rig should be completely
disconnected from your generator when you run it for any other purpose.

Friday, January 6, 2006

Letter Re: Backup Generator Purchase Recommendations

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JWR,

I agree that diesel is the way to go for durability, and as most American
manufacturing is being quickly offshored that must be a consideration. I decided
that the electric start Northstar 6500 diesel (6,500 watts peak) was best for me
because the larger sizes such as 10,000 watts and up use considerably more fuel,
which can and will become very expensive and

scarce. There would also be considerable waste most of the time with a larger size
unless I was running the dryer, central air or oven. I do not consider those survival
items and there are such things as portable electric stoves, fans and washing
machines. Those high voltage items require a 50 amp connection anyway, which my
generator doesn't include. The

other important aspect of fuel is that smaller generators use less, so less storage
space is needed. Diesel is ideal because it is safer to store in quantity than other
fuels, and biodiesel which I use is safer still. Biodiesel gels at 7 degrees or so
depending on mixtures, but that can be improved somewhat and isn't a real issue
here in Delaware. Transfer boxes are necessary if you want to "plug in" the house,
and will add significantly to the cost. I run mine once a month and keep a solar
trickle charger on the battery. I set it on a rubber pad in the (ventilated) shed and
routed the exhaust through the floor and away. (But I still refuse to inhale inside the
shed if it is running). The shed has solar lighting so I can see if utility power goes
out at night. - B.F.

Thursday, January 5, 2006

Letter from The Army Aviator Re: Backup Generator Purchase Recommendations

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James:

Just me, but I'd call and ask. It sure looks like a generator that runs in the 3600 RPM
region. Some use a slightly higher or lower RPM than 3600 but they're all the same
class of service. Northern has a habit of calling non-continuous duty generators a
"professional model", which means absolutely nothing. I'd look around for an
electric start 1800 RPM RV version. Also very quiet (to meet the National Park
Service regulations), rated for continuous duty and, courtesy of the site, can be
fitted for switchable propane or gas. A new 4.5 KW model runs ~$2200 and go for
around a grand in used condition.Just my 2 cents worth ..... or is that already my .02
Euro worth? I dis-remember.;-)
Regards, - The Army Aviator

Letter Re: Backup Generator Purchase Recommendations

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Jim

Here is a link for an American company from West Virginia: http://www.propane-

generators.com/ They make conversion kits for all sizes of generators, etc. to
propane and natural gas. (I have yet to order mine, so I was hesitant to share this.)
It has been proven that the gases burn much cleaner, and engine life is greatly
extended, because the small amount of ash left behind with gasoline that
contaminates the oil, etc, is not introduced every time it fires. Carbon build-up is
history! I have been procrastinating on ordering a kit for mine, guess I should get
moving. Right now, procrastination is my worst enemy. Sid, Near Niagara Falls

Wednesday, January 4, 2006

Letter Re: Backup Generator Purchase Recommendations

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Jim,

Our power here on the North Coast has gone out twice in as many weeks. This time
it was out all day Saturday and Sunday, for a total of 40 hours. (Some are still
without power, and may be for days.) I intend to be ready for the next one. In a few
weeks I plan on purchasing the Northstar 5500 Watt professional.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?
storeId=6970&productId=448&R=448 That is unless you raise a red flag. But I
thought the topic of emergency power might be a good one at this time, since so
many are without power. BTW, I might add that the power outage was just an
inconvenience, as I was still warm, dry and fed. <Grin> But still, why go without all
the goodies when you really don't have to? Take care, - Gung-Ho

JWR Replies: With a shipping weight of 203 pounds, you are probably better off
buying locally, unless you live in a state with high sales tax. (The savings on which
would offset the freight charges.) I prefer propane or diesel-engined gensets, due to
the longer storage life of their fuels. Low RPM diesels last the longest, by far.
(Roughly 20,000 hours for a diesel versus only 3,000 hours for a gas genset.) And
that is precisely what I recommend to nearly all of my consulting clients. Looking at
things from a "big picture" perspective, you pay a lot more for gas engines in the
long run, because you'll be buying one every four or five years. In contrast, a diesel
may last you 20+ years. And, in fact, if you shop around diesels don't cost any more
than a gas genset with the same output. OBTW, I often see 5 KW diesel gensets
with electric start sell for as little as $700 or $800 on eBay. You might also consider
getting one with an extra co-axial 12 or 24 VDC winding, so that you can charge a
battery bank more efficiently. (Plan ahead for the future, when you might have a PV
power system.)

4,500 watts continuous and 5,500 watts peak is about the right size for a home
backup generator, unless you have both a refrigerator/freezer and a chest freezer.
(You can always alternate between the two, with a little cord shuffling.) However, if
you live in a typical suburban housing development, I'd recommend that you get a
10 KW, if you can afford it. Why? Odds are that the next time you have lengthy
power failure there will be neighbors tapping on your door--with extension cords
slung over their shoulders! Believe me, they will hear your generator running. (And
you will want to be charitable, right?)

Gensets on wheels that are over 6 or 8 horsepower tend to "walk" when operating,
but you can overcome that either by strapping it down or by temporarily removing
the wheels and bolting the frame to something solid. For a mid-size genset at a
fixed site, you might just skip getting a wheel kit if you have a strong back and a
sturdy wheelbarrow.

In my experience, recoil starters are generally the weak link with most low-priced
mid-size (8 to 12 horsepower) gensets. Be prepared to pay a bit more for one with
an electric starter (and manual backup.)

Saturday, December 31, 2005

The Army Aviator on Deep Cycle Batteries and Inverters

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About batteries: Since 1996 doing my [seasonal] RV living, I've been using 16 golf
cart batteries: 12 on the back bumper and 4 on the front bumper. They have been
adequate for my RV requirements. BTW, beyond the normal stuff, my RV utilizes
two networked servers, two workstations, two satellite uplinks as well as three
satellite downlinks and my ham radios, all on a 24/7 basis. The inverter is a Trace
SW-4024. Then in 1998, I bought the ranch and it, now, uses 16 of the venerable L-
16 batteries, purchased from a dealer who wished to rotate his stock. The ranch
also utilizes a matching Trace SW-4024.

(For commonality of parts.) BTW, I also have a pair of Trace 12 VDC / 2400 watt
inverters in case the big Traces fail. (Yep, I'm stupid on occasion. I didn't ground the
one at the ranch well enough and lightning took it out. Now it's [replacement is]
grounded to the well and four widely separated ground rods.) I went with the
backup inverters as 12 Volt DC because they can be more readily utilized elsewhere
if needed. Early in 2004, I installed a Trace SW-4024 at my [commercial] radio
station with 24 L-16s and both stations operate continuously with the system
interfaced with the city power feed. If the city power fails, the Trace picks up the
load so fast neither the [audio] CD players nor the computers glitch. On the air, you
can't tell that the switch occurred. Unfortunately the rest of the building, which isn't
on the Trace, goes dark. This was very disconcerting to one disc jockey in particular.
Ha!

As to longevity, we pull a continuous 24 Amps and so far, during a power failure, the
system has gone almost 10 hours without running down. (Thank Goodness!)

As to those BIG telephone [Central Office stationary] batteries, they are HUGE and
only one cell. It takes three of them [wired in series] to equal the voltage of one L-
16. One battery must weigh 200 pounds. They are clear on the sides. I missed out
on 42 of them when I ran across a telephone serviceman who had just finished
dumping all of the liquid out of them and loading them on his truck for disposal. The
EPA poses no problem as long as you affirm you are going to put them into service.
EPA only has restrictions when you dispose of the battery. So far no battery failures
and things are humming.

Best regards to you and the Memsahib, Oh ..... HAPPY NEW YEAR! - The Army
Aviator

Letter Re: Solar and Off Grid Power - an Additional Contact

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Mr. Rawles

In your [list of] resources for solar and off grid contacts you must not have been
aware of Kenny G. at www.armadillosolar.net, who is most likely the most respected
install team leader in the U.S. and one of the most sought after consultants in the
industry. In many cases he has come in to fix systems installed by less than honest
installers, particularly in the Texas. In the local area of Austin, Texas I know of none
of his customers who are less than enthusiastic about his products and advice.
Austin hosts the largest aggregation of residential off grid installations in Texas, and
we talk about it! BTW - the wife and I loved your novel TEOTWAWKI [one of the draft
editions of "Patriots"] that we got from you many years ago, before it was published
via that publishing company. - Wotan

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Letter Re: Deep Cycle Batteries--Resources for Going Off-Grid

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James:

What would be the best choice for batteries for a backup solar system, a marine
deep cycle, or golf cart batteries? The marine deep cycle batteries I have looked at
are "maintenance free." This provides no way to add water. Would this be a
problem, or do the batteries have to have a way to add water even if they are
maintenance free? Thank you, - HP

JWR Replies: The terms "marine battery " and "golf cart battery" are used almost
interchangeably by some manufacturers,. Both generally refer to deep cycle lead
acid batteries with extra thick plates. Technically, a marine battery is designed not
to spill, even when a ship pitches and lists to steep angles. But that is hardly a
discriminating issue for someone with a fixed site retreat house. Batteries with
either designation work fine.

I recommend that you do not purchase semi-sealed ""maintenance free" batteries.

That will hamper you when the battery gets older and it needs to have some
distilled water added, or when you want to do a hydrometer test. Yes, standard
batteries do lose a bit more water vapor than their semi-sealed cousins, but at least
you can work on them! By the way, a method to minimize vapor loss is to retrofit
your lead acid batteries with replacement cell caps called Hydro Caps. These are
specially designed to recover vapor and return it in liquid form back into the cell
reservoirs. They can cut vapor loss by half. The last time I checked, Hydro Caps
were available through a number of vendors including Ready Made Resources
( http://readymaderesources.com ), Backwoods Solar Electric Systems
(http://www.backwoodssolar.com/), and Real Goods (http://www.realgoods.com/)

OBTW, since lead acid batteries sulfate away to the point of uselessness after 8 to
10 years--even if you just leave them "floating"--if you have a big budget and are
concerned about a long term scenario, it would be appropriate to store a complete
spare set of batteries for your battery bank. This spare set should be special
ordered."dry", and you would add acid only after you need to put the battery bank
into operation.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Resources for Going Off-Grid

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One of the most important steps that you can take toward self-reliance is
developing the ability to produce your own electricity. Alternatives for off-grid
power include:

* Photovoltaics

* Wind Power

* Micro-Hydro Systems

Photovoltaic ("PV") power generation systems use large panels that generate DC
voltage. The most durable panels use monocrystaline solar cells in large arrays in
weather-sealed panels with glass covers and metal frames. These are designed to
last a lifetime with just minimal care, and do not suffer any significant degradation
in output over time. They are made with outputs from 5 to 100 watts. They are
easily wired in series or series-parallel arrangements to yield the desired voltage
and wattage to feed to a battery bank. With plenty of competition between
manufacturers, the cost per watt for PV panels has plummeted in the past decade.
So PVs are the preferred method of making your own power off grid.

Amorphous solar cells with flexible plastic covers are also now available, but only
recommended for tactical applications where you have to stay on the move. In
general, amorphous panels are less weather resistant than traditional
monocrystaline solar cells hard panels. They also will lose up to 10% of their output
over the course of several years, due to UV degradation.

Wind Power systems have been used for many years. Typically they use turbine
blades geared to a generator or alternator, mounted on top of a tower. Wind
generators work well only at hilltop locations where you get fairly high wind speed
regularly. They are relatively high maintenance, noisy, occasionally self-destruct
during wind storms, and they pose safety risks for those that climb their towers to
do maintenance. In general, I don't recommend wind power systems if you live in an
area with good solar exposure. If that is the case, it is usually best to simply add
more PV panels to your system rather than adding the complexity of a wind
generator system.

One exception to my aforementioned guidance on wind power is wind-powered

water well pumping. The reliability of wind power for lifting water directly with
mechanical power is an order of magnitude less complex than an a DC wind
generator. .. Traditional "AeroMotor" water-pumping windmills (still manufactured)
once dotted the landscape in the midwest. They only fell into disuse with the cheap
electricity made by the rural electrification programs that began in the 1930s.
Water pumping windmills are incredibly simple and efficient: A mechanical windmill
that lifts a sucker rod up and down, operating a brass pump cylinder at the bottom
of the well shaft. Aside for occasional greasing of bearing surfaces and replacing the
pump cylinder leathers every ten years, they require minimal care.

Micro-Hydro systems (small, water-powered Pelton Wheel electrical generators) are

great if you live on a fast moving stream or creek where you can get a permit to put
in a small dam. (Simple in states like Idaho and Wyoming, but a bureaucratic
nightmare in some of the more populous Nanny States.) To be efficient, you need to
have enough "fall" of water, since it is that potential energy that is utilized to spin a
water turbine. One of the simplest and best little turbines in the micro-hydro world
is the "Lil Otto" brand, made by Bob-O Shultze. See:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/environment/alternative-energy/energy-
resources/homepower-magazine/archives/15/15pg14.txt

Batteries, Charge Controllers, and Inverters

Nearly all home power systems utilize a battery bank to store energy and an
inverter to convert DC power into 117 VAC. Despite recent advances in gelled and
AGM battery designs, the best buy for a fixed location retreat (in terms of amp
hours per dollar) is still the good old-fashioned flooded cell lead acid battery. Just be
sure to get the heavy duty deep cycle variety, with threaded terminal posts.
Because lead-acid batteries are very heavy and shipping costs are usually
prohibitive, it is best to buy a set of deep cycle batteries locally. Just contact your
local Trojan or Exide battery dealer. Be sure to include a charge controller in your
system to prevent over-charging.
If you can suffice with a very frugal and austere lifestyle, you might omit the
inverter and buy all 12 VDC and/or 24 VDC appliances. But in practice, this is
usually too much to ask of most modern homesteaders who are accustomed to
having both DC and AC tools and gadgets.

Resources on the Web:

Home Power Magazine: The best magazine on the subject. They generously provide
on-line archives of some of their articles. See: http://www.homepower.com/

Ready Made Resources: Pre-packaged and custom PV systems, inverters, and back-
up generators. They provide free consulting. See: http://readymaderesources.com

Backwoods Solar Electric Systems: See: http://www.backwoodssolar.com/ (I've

known Steve Willey for about 15 years. He really knows his stuff!)

Real Goods/Jade Mountain: See: http://www.realgoods.com/

Xantrex (formerly Trace) Inverters: See: http://www.xantrex.com/

Monday, December 19, 2005

Off-Grid Power Basics, by "James Dernier"

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Electricity 101:

Electricity is fundamental to our first world every day life. We know electricity
mostly in one of two forms in the home, from the wall, and in a battery. The
electricity that comes out of the wall is high voltage (~110-120 volts [JWR adds:
alternating current (AC), in North America--except Mexico, which uses a more
macho 127 volts] AC), relatively low amperage, and alternating current. The
electricity that is stored in batteries comes in a variety of voltages and amperages
but is always direct current (DC). Size AA batteries are 1.5 volts, along with most
other battery types, with the notable exceptions of 9 volt and your car’s 12 volt.
Batteries can be split into two categories and many subcategories, but all will either
be single use, or rechargeable, with the difference being the chemistry of the
battery. Since the topic of my essay is alternate power, I am going to concentrate
on rechargeable battery banks, and the generation of electricity.

Batteries 101:

Rechargeable battery banks or “house” banks are collections of batteries that can
be charged and discharged as a group to lengthen battery life. Most modern battery
banks are lead acid batteries, although there are various types. Deep cycle
batteries are different from the lead acid battery in your car. The difference is the
thickness of the lead plates in the battery. As a battery discharges, the lead plates
become dissolved in the acid solution, and when it is recharged the lead plates
reabsorb the lead in solution (not quite but close enough). If there the battery
becomes too discharged, or is discharged too deeply too often, the lead plates
become worn enough that they can’t reabsorb the lead onto the much depleted
plate, and the battery needs to be replaced. This is why your car battery dies
eventually, especially after a long period of disuse where it is slowly self-
discharging, or after it becomes too deeply drained. Deep cycle batteries are less
affected by those abuses because of their thicker plates, but they will eventually be
destroyed by the same process as their chemistry is the same. Although the
advantage that car batteries has is by having a greater number of thinner plates
their cranking amps, or amps available all at once, is much higher. By linking many
batteries together, the same amount of power drawn total is split more ways and is
less per battery, which translates to a longer life for all of the batteries. Since all
batteries are DC, you need a device called an inverter to change DC into AC, which
is what most plug-in [household current] devices use.

Advantages of off-grid power:

Off grid power is power generated off of the electrical grid. The electrical grid is the
power we get through the walls, and the power that is lost for a few days, weeks or
months following a natural disaster. Off-grid power is power you generate so that if
following a natural disaster or black out, or just if you are in the boonies, you still
have power. There can be a mix of the two, so in case of emergency, or just for
small amounts of power generation, you can have an inter-tied system in which you
can have most of your power or regular use power from a utility company. Off-grid
power’s primary advantage is if the grid goes down permanently or electricity
becomes very expensive you can still generate your own. Charge Controllers let you
put the optimal charging voltage into your battery bank. For optimal battery life,
varying voltages should be used during the different phases in the recharge cycle.
For all parts of the cycle you need more than 12 volts in the case of a 12 volt batter
to recharge your battery, and the amount more will vary based on the type of
battery you use.

PV Panels:

Photovoltaic ("PV") panels generate power from the sun. They generate DC voltage
at small amperage, but they are very low maintenance; they are mounted on racks,
and these racks can be connected to [passive or clock drive] trackers. This system
lets you control the wiring, and trackers let the panel’s track the sun, as the sun
travels across the sky, the angle at which the panel would optimally face changes.
So to let the panels track the sun, you need a rack on a tracker. This increases the
amount of sun hitting the panels, and thus the amount of electricity generated.
[JWR adds: Unless you live in a equatorial region, you will also want to seasonally
adjust the angle of your PV panel rack, to roughly match the sun's path above the
horizon.]

Living with an Alternate Power System:

This can be a tricky thing, since we waste a lot of power every day. Phantom loads,
or power used by devices that are not in use is a big contributor. TVs, VCRs and
many other devices draw a substantial amount of power even when off, because
they are in a state where they can be turned on right away, and draw power. Similar
to when a car is idle, it might not be moving but the engine is on, and the car is
using gas, just so it can move right away. Other things to avoid are incandescent
lights, which draw several times what their fluorescent equivalents draw. Cooking
and heating with electricity is also a big draw, microwaves, toasters, ovens, and
space heaters are big electricity hogs with easy alternatives. Refrigeration is also a
big draw, but there isn’t really an easy equivalent. There are other forms of
preservation, but there is no substitute for refrigeration. [JWR adds: Propane
refrigerators are still made. Odds are that you can "size" your PV system much
smaller if you use a propane refrigerator.] Most forms of electronic recreation can
also be big draws, most notably the computer, followed by the television, and on to
stereos.